Category Uncategorized

There is no question that Adrian played a big role in Liverpool booking their spot in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Sunday afternoon.

The Spaniard made three big saves, as noted by WhoScored, in the first half of the contest, which was ultimately decided by a late strike from Curtis Jones.

Adrian is no longer Liverpool’s first-choice goalkeeper following the return of Alisson Becker from injury.

The 33-year-old’s early-season form – conceding only eight times in eight Premier League starts – clearly resonated with Jurgen Klopp, though, as he was trusted to start between the sticks in the Merseyside derby.

And a whole host of the Liverpool fans have lavished praise on his display.

Meanwhile, a number of the club’s fans have paid tribute to Adrian in general for his form since arriving at Anfield from West Ham United.

Much harder than you’d think… Can you name Liverpool’s top scorers for each of these 25 seasons?

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

The goalkeeper has made 10 Premier League appearances overall this season due to Alisson’s calf problem, whilst he has also featured twice in the Champions League.

Meanwhile, a number of the club’s fans were also delighted with the performance of another player during the impressive victory over Carlo Ancelotti’s side.

This article is part of Football FanCast’sÂOpinionÂseries, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Everton returned to winning ways last weekend against West Ham United, with the club keeping just their third Premier League clean sheet of the season in the process.

Central to the success of the weekend result was the performance of Yerry Mina. The Colombian was a rock at the back and never gave the likes of Sebastien Haller a sniff in front of goal. However, as Sky Sports have reported, Mina could be set for a spell on the sidelines, as he is a doubt for the trip to Brighton & Hove Albion.

And Marco Silva appeared to confirm the bad news on Thursday in his press conference, revealing that Mina he hasn’t been in full first-team training so far this week.

Whilst this could force Mason Holgate into the starting XI, it should be the perfect time to thrust Lewis Gibson into the senior squad. Gibson is yet to make a senior appearance for Everton, although, the 19-year-old has been making a lot of noise in the youth academy.

The young England star won the U17s World Cup and also helped Everton’s U23s win the Premier League 2. However, Gibson is out of contract in the summer and could leave having not entered the first-team.

As shown by games recorded by Transfermarkt, Gibson is versatile and can play both right and left centre-back, whilst he has also dropped in at left-back. Being as versatile as he is, the Englishman could be vital going forward for Silva and prove himself as a valuable asset.

Injuries such as Mina’s could cause problems for the Toffees in the future and now is the perfect time for Gibson to come in and prevent such issues in the long run.

The former Newcastle man has proved his worth already in the youth setups for both club and country.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Plus, amid reported interest from the likes of Ajax, Gibson could end up moving away on a free.

Silva should use Mina’s injury as a chance to integrate him and this could be the youngster’s big chance to experience life in the senior matchday squad, even if he is merely spectating from the substitutes bench.

He’s never been called up to the senior squad before, but with Mina likely to be sidelined and no further senior back up players beyond Mason Holgate, this could be a landmark weekend in Gibson’s career.

[ad_pod ]

Lots of Liverpool fans on Twitter have been sparked into a discussion about their former player Emre Can, after a report emerged revealing that he has been told he is no longer needed at Juventus by Maurizio Sarri.

The Germany international left Anfield in 2018 on a free transfer after letting his contract run down at the club, leaving in a respectful manner in comparison to Philippe Coutinho, who handed in a transfer request and paid his own money to force a move to Barcelona.

However, the 25-year-old has now been told that he is surplus to requirements in Turin, with Paris Saint-Germain and Can’s former side Bayern Munich interested in signing him.

He clearly didn’t feel his future was best placed at Anfield having ran down his contract to leave, but both Liverpool and the midfielder have had contrasting fortunes since his departure – the Reds have won the Champions League, whilst Can must now look for a new club.

Let’s see how the Liverpool fans on Twitter reacted to the news about their former midfielder…

[ad_pod ]

Crystal Palace supporters must really be panicking right now, and you can hardly blame them.

The team’s talisman Wilfried Zaha seemingly wants out, with Sky Sports reporting last week that the 26-year-old has expressed his desire to move to a Champions League outfit to the south London club.

Zaha has single-handedly dragged the Eagles to Premier League safety in the last couple of seasons. Should he depart, the Selhurst Park faithful will undoubtedly be fearing the worst.

Looking at the big picture, though, perhaps selling Zaha would not be the worst idea after all.

While it is unlikely that Crystal Palace will get anything close to the £100m they are demanding (Telegraph), they should still be able to bring in a hefty sum for the Ivorian, which Steve Parish and Roy Hodgson could use to strengthen more than one area of the squad.

£60m, for example, could easily get the Eagles a top-class centre-forward like Michy Batshuayi and a quality wide man to replace Zaha.

They could also opt to keep Batshuayi on loan for another campaign — if Chelsea approve — and then buy a winger and midfielder or central defender, who will drastically improve the starting XI.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

If Crystal Palace want to evolve as a team and become an outfit less reliant on a single individual and his brilliance, then giving Zaha his dream move may be necessary in order to move forward.

Crystal Palace fans, should the club consider selling Zaha in the summer? Join the discussion by commenting below.

[ad_pod ]

Everton managed to keep hold of Idrissa Gueye in the January transfer window despite relentless speculation linking him with a move to Paris Saint-Germain, but those rumours haven’t ceased to exist since the window slammed shut.

What’s the word?

The combative, diligent and incredibly consistent midfield lynchpin has been one of the stars of the Toffees’ season so far, and interest from the Ligue 1 giants has certainly been well placed.

Gueye handed in a transfer request in January to force a move through and recent quotes from the player prove that he has was bitterly disappointed not to earn a mid-season transfer, per Canal + (via Sky Sports).

“I was disappointed not to join PSG because it’s a big club and all players dream of playing in the Champions League and winning trophies.

“I was ready to go. It did not happen.”

Running out of time for a major challenge

At 29-years-old it’s fair to say that Gueye is something of a late bloomer. The Senegal international has only recently established himself as a player boasting genuine credentials of joining a side of PSG’s stature, and with time running out in his career it’s easy to understand why he’s so desperate to complete a switch.

Despite Gueye’s comments, he has upheld the highest level of professional conduct on the pitch and maintained his excellent form with speculation rumbling on in the media, but when the season reaches its conclusion it’s fair to say that a transfer away from Goodison Park is inevitable.

Silva is, much to the dismay of the supporters, fighting a losing battle to keep a key man at the club. With Everton some way from challenging for a place in the Champions League, Gueye will be drawn towards any potential suitor offering a chance to play on the grand European stage, whether it be PSG or another top club.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Without the promise of genuine challenges for silverware and European evenings to remember turning his head, the Toffees faithful will be forced to say a rueful goodbye this summer.

[ad_pod ]

West Brom fans on Twitter were not happy after their side conceded a late goal to draw 1-1 with struggling Brentford at the Hawthorns on Monday evening, and Manchester City loanee Tosin Adarabioyo took plenty of criticism.

The Baggies missed a hatful of chances in the first-half and had 23 shots on the night, but they didn’t break the deadlock until the 77th minute through loanee Harvey Barnes.

The Leicester youngster took his tally for the season to eight as he fired in a rebound from 12 yards. The West Midlands side were left to regret their poor finishing though as Brentford substitute Lewis Macleod headed in a late equaliser in stoppage time.

Playmaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals he would have snubbed Tottenham for Arsenal if they’d come knocking in 2005…

The 24-year-old drifted into the Baggies box almost unnoticed, and many West Brom fans felt that it should have been Adarabioyo’s job to pick him up. The 21-year-old was playing out of position at right-back again though, and Scotsman Macleod ended up with a free header that he powered past Sam Johnstone in the West Brom net.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Check out some of the tweets in reaction to Adarabioyo’s mistake and performance.

Crystal Palace have suffered three consecutive defeats in the Premier League ahead of their game against Huddersfield.

The Eagles made the perfect start to the new campaign with a win against Fulham on the opening day of the season. However, Roy Hodgson has suffered defeat in all three of their next fixtures to pile the pressure on already. The international break came at a welcome time for the former England boss especially given their record in recent seasons.

Their most recent opponents, Huddersfield, have just three wins in the 15 games that followed the international breaks in the first half of the season, just one of them coming at the John Smith’s stadium. The Terriers were without captain Jonathan Hogg and, as usual, Wilfried Zaha ran absolutely wild.

Still. with Christian Benteke sidelined through injury, Hodgson may be tempted to sign a new striker in the January transfer window. One man he should be targeting is Zenit St Petersburg forward – Aleksandr Kokorin. Valued at £9.9m by Transfermarkt, the Russia international has less than one year remaining on his contract at the club.

The 27-year-old was in fine form last season, netting 19 goals in 35 appearances during all competitions. Kokorin also registered four assists for his side. The forward has been capped 48 times by his country, scoring 12 goals. He was expected to be a key player for Russia at the World Cup before an injury ruled him out of contention.

With Benteke struggling in front of goal, Kokorin would be the perfect addition to the squad. Alongside Wilfried Zaha in the attack, Hodgson would have a forward line that would fire them up the table.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Crystal Palace fans, thoughts?

Manchester City find themselves facing the good kind of problem ahead of Saturday’s Manchester derby. On the one hand, their Premier League title is a mere formality with seven games left to get themselves over the line; on the other, nothing would be sweeter than clinching it against the club whose shadow they’ve lived in for the vast majority of their modern history.

And thus, Pep Guardiola has a key decision to make over Sergio Aguero, who wasn’t part of the travelling squad that made the trip to Anfield on Wednesday night after suffering an injury. It’s not thought to be serious but it remains to be seen if he’ll be available for the weekend.

Even if he is though, Guardiola is still faced with a dilemma. While Gabriel Jesus’ peripheral display against Liverpool highlighted the significant chasm between City’s two strike options, the Etihad Stadium outfit don’t need to win this game.

So is it actually worth the risk of starting Aguero, especially bearing in mind how injury-prone the Argentine striker, who Transfermarkt value at £67.5million, has been throughout his Premier League career, and especially with the return leg of their Champions League quarter-final with Liverpool just around the corner?

Assuming he’s fit enough to be available for selection, would you risk starting Aguero against United this weekend? Let us know by voting below…

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

[ad_pod ]

Manchester United maintained their 100% record in the Champions League this season and moved a step closer to qualifying for the last 16 with a narrow 1-0 victory against Benfica at the Stadium of Light on Wednesday night, but Red Devils fans weren’t impressed with Daley Blind’s performance.

The Dutchman lined up at left-back for the sixth time this season against the Portuguese outfit, with Marcus Rashford’s second-half free-kick proving to be the difference between the two teams in a clash that won’t live long in the memory.

While he struggled to get forward and overlap Rashford on the left – which is now expected of the modern day full-back – Blind was also sloppy in possession on a number of occasions for Jose Mourinho’s men.

Man United supporters were quick to have their say on his showing via social media, and while some labelled him “a liability”, others said he “gets worse every game”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Chelsea are interested in potentially signing Leeds United defender Pontus Jansson, reports Swedish media outlet Expressen.

What’s the story?

Jansson has been a key figure in the Whites’ Championship campaign, which could end with the club in a playoff place.

The 26-year-old joined the club from Torino last summer on a season-long loan, but will seal a permanent three-year contract at the end of the season.

It seems as though other clubs are trying to lure Jansson elsewhere, with Expressen reporting that top-flight giants Tottenham, Chelsea and Liverpool have already made enquiries about a possible deal.

Sky Sports claim that Southampton have also registered an interest in the Swede, who missed out on the PFA Championship Team of the Year.

Will Leeds struggle to keep Jansson?

If the rumours are to be believed then it would be tough for the defender not to consider a move.

No disrespect to Leeds or Jansson’s previous clubs Malmo and Torino, but the opportunity to play for a Premier League giant is a huge step up.

Although, looking at the back lines of Chelsea and Tottenham, it would be difficult for him to force a way into the starting XI.

Gary Cahill, David Luiz and Cesar Azpilicueta form a solid back three at Stamford Bridge, while Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen are the first-choice pairing at White Hart Lane.

Jansson may have a better chance of first-team action at Liverpool due to their inconsistent performances at the back, while uncertainty over Virgil van Dijk’s future at Southampton could pave a way through for the Swede.

FootballFanCast General: Subscribe and never miss what matters Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

This season, Jansson has made 32 appearances in the Championship and has even contributed with three goals and an assist.

It would be a huge blow to Leeds if they were to lose the defender, particularly if the club earn promotion to the Premier League.

[ad_pod id=’playwire’ align=’center’]