All posts by z3u9t.icu

Everton have been drawn to face Championship side Hull City in the third round of the FA Cup. 

The tie will be played at The MKM Stadium between the 7th and 10th of January.

Hull are struggling

Everton have already suffered an upset at the hands of second-tier opposition this season – back in September, Queens Park Rangers knocked them out of the EFL Cup on penalties.

But while QPR are in the play-off places, Hull find themselves down in 19th place. They’re only six points above the relegation zone as the season nears its halfway point.

Can Everton finally end trophy drought?

The FA Cup was the last major trophy won by Everton, way back in 1994/95.

They got within one game of the semifinals at Wembley last season, only to be downed by Manchester City.

The Toffees haven’t been knocked out of the competition by lower-league opposition since 2011 though, when Reading won at Goodison Park.

Everton’s official Twitter account relayed news of the draw, and here’s what supporters made of it, with plenty of pessimism due to the club’s brutal and ongoing trophy drought…

These Everton fans far from optimistic ahead of Hull clash

“[checks where Hull is in the Championship… 19th]. Well, so much for the FA Cup…”

Credit: @dtaylor334

“Oh well, there’s always next season”

Credit: @AndyBlueWalker

“Congratulations Hull”

Credit: @OwenJH_

“We’re getting mauled by the tigers”

Credit: @Manners16

“Hull licking their lips”

Credit: @sludvigs

“Hull away? Well. We had a good run”

Credit: @FoximusPrime81

In other news, fans flocked to this Alex Iwobi revelation. 

Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford didn’t miss the Whites’ 3-2 win over West Ham through injury, according to journalist Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Famous win for Leeds

Marcelo Bielsa’s side picked up an enormous three points on Sunday afternoon, battling their way to a fantastic victory at the London Stadium. Jack Harrison stole the show with a well-taken hat-trick but it was a superb team effort overall from Leeds, who dug deep in the absence of numerous key players.

One man who didn’t feature against the Hammers was Bamford, with the 28-year-old playing only once since the middle of September because of injury problems.

[freshpress-quiz id=“383507″]

The Latest: Hay gives positive Bamford update

Taking to Twitter after the West Ham game, Hay confirmed that Bamford didn’t miss out with an injury, with Bielsa instead exercising caution on his use of the striker given how much of the season he has missed.

The journalist revealed: “Bamford isn’t injured but in the end, Bielsa thought it would have been ‘premature’ to use him.”

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The Verdict: Season-changing return?

If Bamford is not injured, as Hay claims, then he should soon be set to return to action for Leeds for the first time since the clash against Brentford in early December. That could be huge for the Whites, considering how influential he had been last season, scoring 17 times and registering seven assists in the Premier League.

His end product should certainly make the team more potent but it is his all-round game which has also been greatly missed, from his link-up play to his work ethic.

Getting Bamford back on the pitch will give Leeds a very different look, and his 2020/21 return suggests that he can be the man to ensure that they pull away from any potential relegation scrap in the coming months.

In other news, Leeds have been given hope in their quest to sign one midfielder this month. Find out who it is here.

Sky Sports have dropped a live TV update on new Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag.

The Lowdown: Official announcement

The Red Devils first spoke to the Dutchman last month and have now confirmed the 52-year-old as their new manager.

Ten Hag will replace Ralf Rangnick in the summer and has penned a deal through to June 2025 at Old Trafford, with United having the option to extend that by a further 12 months.

The club pointed out that a move is subject to work visa requirements, and Sky Sports have been speaking to ‘people close to Ten Hag’ following the announcement.

The Latest: Sky Sports claim

Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol was speaking live on Wednesday, relayed by Football Daily, after talking to those close to Ten Hag ‘in the past few minutes’.

Solhekol revealed that Ten Hag has been told the first things he needs to do by United – ‘stop the rot’ and to ‘get Manchester United to play the way United are supposed to play’.

The Verdict: Summer rebuild required

Ten Hag is going to have an extremely busy first summer at Old Trafford, both on and off the training pitch looking for immediate results.

Up to 12 players could reportedly leave over the coming months and the new boss may have £200m to spend on new players, with Harry Kane, Declan Rice, Darwin Nunez and Ruben Neves four targets for Ten Hag.

He’ll be looking to get key incomings and outgoings finalised as soon as possible, which will allow him to work with a fresh squad for pre-season, looking for instant results when it comes to a playing style at the beginning of the 2022/23 campaign.

In other news: ‘Revolution begins’: Fabrizio Romano now shares key Man Utd exit news emerging from Old Trafford. 

Many Everton fans have been left to hail some early team news ahead of their home game versus Burnley in the Premier League on Saturday evening.

Speaking to evertontv (via the official website of the Goodison Park faithful), Carlo Ancelotti has claimed that he Republic of Ireland international “will be back” to play against Sean Dyche’s team at the weekend.

The Merseyside club greatly missed their captain in their last match, a 2-0 away loss at the hands of Chelsea, a side with whom they are currently fighting for to finish in the UEFA Champions League qualification spots come the end of the 2020/21 term.

Coleman will offer a much more attacking threat than Mason Holgate, who has been filling in for the 32-year-old at right-back and is predominantly a central defender by trade.

Nonetheless, it will be great to see him back on the football pitch for the Toffees once more.

Everton fan reaction to Coleman news

These Blues hailed the news of his return on Twitter, with one EFC supporter even going as far to claim that it was “excellent”:

“Good news, 100 mph straight out the blocks on Saturday COYB”

Credit: @MrGriff1878

“Excellent news”

Credit: @nikkiharg

“Good. Will add a more attacking threat than Holgate. Give him a rest.”

Credit: @Rochey1878

“Great news that”

Credit: @JackWilliams_24

“He really makes whoever plays RW better, Iwobi looks like a different player with Coleman”

Credit: @baldoochi

“We’ve missed that link up on the right”Credit: @SJxH22In other news, find out what recent Everton update has been lauded by fans here!

Jose Mourinho will need to get his tactics spot on if he’s to put a stop to Tottenham Hotspur’s abysmal week as they head to Aston Villa in the Premier League this evening.

After being defeated in the North London derby, Spurs were embarrassingly knocked out of the Europa League by Dinamo Zagreb despite going into the second leg with a two-goal advantage.

Aside from the Carabao Cup final, Mourinho’s side only have European places to contend for, so a victory tonight would not only alleviate some pressure but also keep the side below them further adrift.

Mourinho has plenty to consider, with injuries and suspensions throwing in a few unneeded curveballs, so here’s our predicted Spurs XI ahead of kickoff tonight…

We’re expecting there to be as many as six changes from the side that tasted defeat in the Croatian capital on Thursday.

Club captain Hugo Lloris launched a scathing attack on his teammates for their performance in midweek, dubbing them a “disgrace,” and he’ll need to motivate his side from between the sticks once more.

Only Serge Aurier and Davinson Sanchez should remain in the back four, with veteran Toby Aldwereireld and Sergio Reguilon likely to come in for Eric Dier and Ben Davies, who both endured shockers in the Europa League.

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Mourinho will be able to welcome back Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in midfield having missed the Zagreb trip through suspension, and that’ll be a big boost as he’s widely regarded as a ‘captain without the armband.’

He will slot back in alongside Tanguy Ndombele, meaning both out-of-sorts Englishman Harry Winks and the £90k-per-week earning Moussa Sissoko are axed from the lineup.

Whilst Giovani Lo Celso got through his cameo on Thursday unscathed and could be in line to start for the first time in 2021.

The Argentine playmaker should get the nod over Dele Alli.

There’s also a big call to make over Gareth Bale, especially with Heung-min Son still ruled out through injury.

After failing to impress in the North London derby – being withdrawn after just 57 minutes – he was dropped in midweek but in an hour’s worth of action from the bench, the Welshman couldn’t inspire Spurs to a positive result.

We think he could be snubbed from the starting XI here as a consequence, so Steven Bergwijn comes in for his first league start since the defeat to Chelsea at the start of February.

Lucas Moura could remain in the lineup but is expected to move out wide, having played in the no.10 role for several weeks now. Erik Lamela, however, is serving a one-game suspension.

Likewise, Harry Kane is going to start, too.

AND in other news, Mourinho must axe “exposed” Spurs liability tonight, Watkins could haunt him…

Rangers have been dealt a big blow in their quest to bring Bright Osayi-Samuel to Ibrox in the summer transfer window.

The Lowdown: Approach made

As per TumSport (via Glasgow Live), the Ibrox faithful have made an approach to sign Osayi-Samuel.

However, both Celtic and AS Monaco are also said to be interested in the Fenerbahce ace, but no offers have been made as of yet.

The Latest: Transfer blow

According to Football Insider, the Glasgow club are set to miss out on the signing of Osayi-Samuel for the second consecutive window after being in the race for him back in January.

A source has told the news outlet that Fener do not have any plans to sell the Nigerian in the current market, meaning that Steven Gerrard’s team may have to start pursuing other targets.

The Verdict: Would have been a good signing

Osayi-Samuel would have certainly been a good signing for the Light Blues, but it looks as if a deal may not happen.

Described as a ‘dangerous’ player by former Gers manager Mark Warburton when he was playing for QPR back in November, the winger could have certainly added an extra X-factor.

Particularly dangerous with the ball at his feet, Osayi-Samuel averaged no fewer than 2.8 successful dribbles per game while in the EFL Championship in the 2020/21 season, and two a match in the Super Lig.

No Gers player averaged more than 1.9 dribbles a game in the Scottish Premiership in the last term, suggesting that Osayi-Samuel would bring an extra element of directness to the team and would certainly have been a valuable member of the squad.

In other news, find out what big transfer claim has been dropped on one Rangers target here!

Celtic will be offered a timely distraction to their abysmal league campaign at Parkhead with a return to cup action on Sunday.

The Hoops have surrendered their grasp on the league title but they have a chance to end the campaign in style by bringing the Scottish Cup back to Paradise. They will, however, have to usurp their biggest rivals in order to do.

The Bhoys are due to take on Rangers on Sunday afternoon in a game which should be full of drama and entertainment. Celtic’s chances of beating the Gers will be given a huge boost if they have James Forrest fit and raring to go this afternoon.

Unfortunately, that isn’t looking too likely. Speaking in his pre-match press conference this week, Hoops interim boss John Kennedy said: “He’s came on reasonably well in the week. We got a bit of work in to him yesterday and he had a down day today just to recover. We’ll have a go at him tomorrow to see where he’s at.”

Kennedy added: “It’ll be a very late call but just in the position we are in, the magnitude of the game we’ll give it as long as we can and make our decision late on that.”

Although it’s a positive that the 37-year-old hasn’t ruled Forrest out of the fixture completely, it doesn’t bode particularly well for his fitness. If Celtic are leaving it as late as they are, then it seems likely that, even if the winger does start, he won’t be 100%.

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In a game of this magnitude, you need everyone up to speed and raring to go right from the off. That may not be the case with their dynamic forward, though, which is a huge worry.

Forrest has already missed a large portion of the season through injury and has only just returned to the starting XI in the last few weeks. Dubbed a “big game player” by Frank McAvennie, he would be the perfect asset to cause problems to Rangers on Sunday.

The 29-year-old has been a devastating loss to the team this season, having produced 22 assists and 16 goals last term.

Forrest has quality in abundance and losing him on Sunday would be a bitter blow. Celtic supporters should be sweating over his fitness.

AND in other news, Celtic could replace Klimala by signing “dangerous” 19 y/o with “the heart of a lion”…

Within a few weeks of the transfer window opening, Celtic could be left with just the solitary striker in their ranks at Parkhead.

Patryk Klimala has already left the Hoops while Odsonne Edouard has been linked with pastures new as well.

Factor in how the Bhoys could let Leigh Griffiths depart and that would leave Albian Ajeti leading the line; it’s a scary thought so Celtic must be active in the transfer window.

On the chalkboard

This is a pivotal summer for the top brass at Celtic. You fear that without proper replacements for players like Kristoffer Ajer and Edouard that they’ll be left even further behind by their rivals.

Trying to find someone to succeed the latter will be particularly hard. The Frenchman has 22 goals this term and has been the only striker that’s looked like finding the net.

Griffiths is still revered as the best finishers at the club but it looks as though he’ll be packing his bags and heading for the exit.

In recent months, Aberdeen have been touted with his services on a free transfer.

The replacement

Naturally, the Hoops have been linked with a number of forwards in the last few weeks. The latest name on their minds is Hibernian striker Kevin Nisbet.

The 24-year-old didn’t feature for Jack Ross’ team when they drew 0-0 with Celtic on Saturday afternoon but he has been one of their best players throughout the season.

Nisbet has racked up 18 goals, three of which have come against the Bhoys during 2020/21.

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He found the back of the net and also supplied a goal during their 2-2 draw all the way back in November. It was an afternoon where he gave Nir Bitton a torrid time in defence.

The Israeli failed to win a single tackle and conceded two fouls on his way to being tormented by the Scottish attacker.

Described as “terrific” by Ross, a player of Nisbet’s ilk could finally give Celtic the green light to axe Griffiths.

The 30-year-old has only scored seven times all season and hasn’t started a league match since January.

With that in mind, he is a spare part at Paradise, one the new manager should have no interest in keeping around as Celtic rebuild themselves.

Griffiths is now past his peak but Nisbet is yet to approach his best days. The ever-improving Hibs striker was the joint-second top scorer in the entire Premiership this season; he’d be a great addition in Glasgow.

AND in other news, £12k-p/w dud must never play for Celtic again, he lost the ball every 5 touches y’day…

David Moyes is close to agreeing on a new long-term contract at West Ham United…

What’s the word?

That’s according to the Evening Standard’s Jack Rosser, who claims the 58-year-old has been in talks with co-owner David Sullivan over something more permanent following the East Londoners’ phenomenal rise under his tenure.

The Scotsman does have a one-year extension which can be triggeres as part of the deal he signed upon his return to the London Stadium in December 2019 but that is due to expire at the end of the current campaign.

Moyes was let go during his first stint and was not offered the chance to build on his work at the club, so this would seem like a fresh and positive approach from the Irons’ hierarchy this time around.

Huge boost

The Hammers have enjoyed a remarkable change in fortunes under Moyes’ leadership, going from firm relegation candidates to being one game away from qualifying for Europe.

A point to Southampton on Sunday will seal a place in the Europa League next season, over the likes of Spurs, Everton and Arsenal, which is certainly some feat considering they survived with one game to go last year.

Moyes deserves a lot of credit for returning to the club that ditched him and then subsequently guiding them to what will be their best-ever finish since the 1998/99 campaign.

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His recruitment in the transfer window, signing unknown names like Tomas Soucek and Vladimir Coufal, as well as keeping hold of Declan Rice and bringing in Jesse Lingard on loan at just the right time, has played a major role.

Whilst he’s had to deal with a fair share of injuries too.

Even then, that would be an understatement as it’s been quite the nightmare – at one stage, the Hammers boss was without five or six first-team starters and that still hasn’t derailed their season, surprisingly.

The fact that Moyes and Sullivan have been talking at Rush Green over fresh terms is hugely encouraging and shows that they have learned from their previous mistakes.

It’s time for the club to build on this phenomenal run and prove that they aren’t merely one-season wonders, and that’ll be done by putting more faith into the former Manchester United and Everton boss.

This development should serve as a major boost across the club, and as a result, fans will be absolutely buzzing.

AND in other news, Forget Antonio: “Immense” West Ham monster who made 6 tackles stole the show for Moyes…

Crystal Palace have just enjoyed the most exciting transfer window in their recent history, but one target who got away may give new manager Patrick Vieira some sleepless nights as the season unfolds.

What’s the story?

The Eagles have added the likes of Marc Guehi, Odsonne Edouard and Joachim Andersen to their ranks in recent weeks as they effectively overhauled their first-team squad.

However, they were also heavily linked with a €20 million (£17.1m) move for Sassuolo winger Jeremie Boga on Deadline Day before Vieira decided against the deal following Edouard’s arrival, according to Football.London.

“Football.London understands that deal is now unlikely with Palace’s spending complete after signing Edouard…Patrick Vieira seems to think his side have enough forward players to compete and score goals this season,” the report read.

Crystal Palace fans may be concerned

Boga has cultivated a career full of promise and potential since leaving Chelsea for Sassuolo back in 2018. The former Rennes, Granada and Birmingham City loanee made a solid contribution during his maiden campaign in Serie A  before backing it up with 11 goals and four assists in his second.

The tricky forward’s productivity dropped slightly throughout 2020/21, though, after he bagged four goals and provided two assists in 27 Serie A appearances, but his overall game was more impressive than the numbers suggest.

Boga completed 3.2 dribbles per game last season, far more than any of his Sassuolo teammates achieved and also successfully dribbled past 91 opponents, the third-highest number in the Italian top division.

With Palace set to be without their most prolific dribbler Eberechi Eze until the new year through injury, and with their fourth-most fruitful dribbler Andros Townsend joining Everton, the arrival of Boga would certainly have eased the blow of their absence.

Although Palace found the back of the net twice to salvage a 2-2 draw against West Ham United last time out, Conor Gallagher’s goals were the first strikes of Vieira’s four-match reign.

Therefore, despite Edouard’s arrival, the decision to turn down the opportunity to sign a proven goalscorer and creator such as Boga is a choice that Vieira may come to regret in the weeks and months ahead.

The lack of replacement for Townsend has left the south London outfit without a natural right-winger in the first-team squad, something which could prove to be problematic for the Eagles this season, possibly leaving the club’s supporters with some serious concerns.

And, in other news…The Athletic drop CPFC transfer claim on £15m dud, Parish dodged a bullet