Tag Futebol

Everton will be taking on a West Ham United team that have not picked up a single win since the Premier League season began.

Manuel Pellegrini’s side have lost all four of their matches – the only club in the division to do so.

Despite this, it would be understandable if some Everton fans were nervous about Sunday’s meeting at Goodison Park due to their injury woes.

Marco Silva is expected to be without Phil Jagielka, Seamus Coleman, Michael Keane, Andre Gomes, Yerry Mina, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and a handful more.

On top of that Richarlison is serving a ban following his recent sending-off, which means that the Toffees have a limited team to choose from.

The Merseyside outfit have had a mixed bag of results since the season began.

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Silva’s team have not lost a game but they have picked up just two wins in five outings in all competitions, with one of those victories coming in the Premier League.

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On Reddit, some fans have been discussing the club’s injury crisis.

Do the Football Gods just hate us? from r/Everton

Comment from discussion Do the Football Gods just hate us?.Comment from discussion Do the Football Gods just hate us?.Comment from discussion Do the Football Gods just hate us?.Comment from discussion Do the Football Gods just hate us?.Comment from discussion Do the Football Gods just hate us?.Comment from discussion Do the Football Gods just hate us?.

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According to the Mirror, Fulham’s Tom Cairney could be available for £20million this summer, and Newcastle fans are split on whether their club should move for the midfielder.

The Mirror claims that Fulham will sell Cairney this summer if they fail to get promoted. The Cottagers are currently seven points off the automatic promotion places, after their 2-2 draw with QPR on Saturday.

West Ham and Watford are reportedly also interested in the 27 year-old Scotland international, who has been in fantastic form during Fulham’s impressive run.

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Newcastle have been linked with several central midfielders in recent weeks, as Rafa Benitez looks to find a long term partner for Jonjo Shelvey. Mikel Merino hasn’t massively impressed on Tyneside, and Mo Diame will be 31 this summer.

Cairney has grabbed three goals and four assists from midfield in the Championship this season, and scored a lovely goal in the draw with QPR this weekend.

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Of course, Fulham are currently enjoying plenty of goals from Newcastle loanee Aleksandar Mitrović, and fans can’t agree on whether getting Cairney from the same club would be a good move or not.

Some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…

Portugal international Eduardo has been with Chelsea since the summer of 2016, but the goalkeeper has still not made a single first-team appearance for the Blues.

Indeed, the 35-year-old is third choice at Stamford Bridge behind Thibaut Courtois and Willy Caballero, meaning that it is unlikely he will feature in the near future.

Eduardo might not be making his mark during matches, but the stopper did something quite spectacular during a training session after the international break.

Everyone loves seeing outstanding pieces of skill, and that was exactly what Eduardo produced during training with the Premier League champions.

Indeed, when Chelsea posted the video on Thursday afternoon, a number of the club’s supporters could not contain their excitement.

Eduardo is unlikely to ever turn out for Chelsea in a first-team match due to the presence of both Courtois and Caballero, but at least he is giving the club’s supporters a glimpse of his talents.

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A selection of the best Twitter reaction can be found below:

As Celtic battered Hearts 5-0 on Sunday to lift the Scottish title, manager Brendan Rodgers felt compelled to make the most audacious of claims; declaring his side would comfortably finish in the top six if they were playing in the Premier League.

The idea of the Scottish giants switching to the English top flight is nothing new. In fact, it’s been discussed for years, with bitter rivals Rangers also a recurring part of the conversation. The Ibrox outfit may not be the force of old, but they and Celtic are still the biggest and most successful clubs in Scotland by a rather ridiculous margin.

But we at Football FanCast aren’t interested in simply theories, so we decided to put Rodgers’ hypothesis to the test. FFC’s Tom Skinner’s latest 90-second Football Manager challenge switched the Scottish champions with Premier League whipping boys Sunderland and produced some rather intriguing and hilarious results – a must-watch for anyone who thinks Celtic can hack it in the Premier League.

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After a torrid 2015/16 campaign ended in relegation for Newcastle United, plans for life in the Championship are already being put into place.

The club have already signed Matt Ritchie, Dwight Gayle, Isaac Hayden, Jesus Gamez and Matz Sels in their quest to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking and you can bet that the new signings won’t end there.

Manager Rafa Benitez has obviously seen the potential at the club with him staying at the helm and obviously this is going to be a big part of selling the club to any proposed new players. The combination of a Champions League winning manager with a club boasting one of the best supporter bases around makes the club a big draw for many and the former Liverpool boss obviously believes the Magpies can achieve some kind of success in the next few years.

Getting the right players in is key to a good Championship campaign and knowing the market goes hand in hand with this. Benitez will have to find a few signings that no-one else would have thought of looking at, so here are five suggestions to give him a head start…

Josh Vela

Vela is a very versatile player and this would come in handy during a long and taxing Championship season.

The Salford-born player is currently at Bolton Wanderers who were relegated to League One last season and this would make it hard to keep hold of him if the Magpies came knocking.

Vela has a good future ahead of him if he gets the right chance and Newcastle could be just the thing he needs.

Teddy Bishop

The young midfielder emerged for Ipswich Town under Mick McCarthy and has impressed a lot in his handful of appearances.

The Tractor Boys are bound to want to keep hold of him given his good set-piece ability and defensive work but again, the prospect of signing for Newcastle could be too good to turn down.

The Magpies need to plan for the future and Bishop could be a part of that.

Jeremiah St. Juste

St. Juste is on his way up through the Dutch football set up and will soon be playing for the senior side as the Netherlands aim to usher in a new era.

The centre-half is a first team regular Heerenveen but it’s widely expected he won’t be at the club for much longer given his talent.

Manchester United reportedly scouted him last season and with him being dubbed ‘The Dutch Varane’ big things are expected – Newcastle should steal a march on their competitors here.

Daniele Rugani

Rugani is a bit further along in his career than St. Juste but risks seeing it stall at Juventus.

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The Turin club have Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci and Andrea Barzagli already ahead of him in his position and moving away must have crossed his mind.

He’ll probably want to play in Europe but again risks seeing playing time limited if it goes wrong. If Benitez could persuade him to join with his vision for the club, Newcastle will be getting a very good player.

Hachim Mastour

Mastour is an exciting young attack minded player who spent last season on loan at Malaga from parent club AC Milan.

The Moroccan has made a first team appearance for his national team and is clearly ready for first team football despite his young age.

If he can’t get it at a Milan side who are suffering at the moment then he may feel it’s time to move on and Newcastle could be one of the most intriguing proposals for him.

According to the Express, Manchester United have slapped a £50m price tag on their exceptional goalkeeper David de Gea. Real Madrid have been heavily linked with United’s young star, but Louis van Gaal will hope to fend off any interest with the huge asking price.

De Gea has been in outstanding form for Manchester United this term – the shot-stopper has played a vital role in the clubs big improvement under van Gaal, and he is developing into an even better keeper week after week. The Red Devils’ number one has kept seven Premier League clean sheets so far, and has performed heroics in United’s goal, which has culminated in numerous Man of the Match awards.

The former Atletico Madrid stopper was up to his old tricks yet again last Saturday, as United earned a hard-fought victory against Queens Park Rangers – de Gea denied the in-form Charlie Austin twice in the first-half with two stunning saves, and then smartly kept out a shot by Mauricio Isla in the dying seconds to claim yet another clean sheet.

So it’s no surprise that Manchester United are hoping to tie him down to a new contract at Old Trafford – speaking to Sky Sports recently, Louis van Gaal said;” I think there is no problem for (de Gea) to sign.

“When you are a regular player, then probably you are the best, and then the manager is very happy that a player that is fixed in the line-up will stay.”

Van Gaal has brought in the ex-Barcelona stopper Victor Valdes, but has assured he will not be de Gea’s replacement, and has urged the 33-year-old to challenge de Gea for the No. 1 spot.

“Nobody is happy to be No. 2 and he has to have ambition to beat David de Gea – but it shall be very hard for him,” van Gaal added.

Due to the Spaniard’s standout performances this season, the world’s elite clubs have shown real interest in obtaining his signature. Real Madrid have reportedly been tracking the 24-year-old for quite some time, with Madrid’s long-serving keeper Iker Casillas, who is de Gea’s main rival for Spain’s no. 1 jersey, knocking on at 33-years-old, Carlo Ancelotti would see United’s keeper as the best possible replacement for Casillas at the Bernabeu.

But if the Red Devils want to keep pushing in the right direction then keeping hold of their stalwart goalkeeper must be a priority for Louis van Gaal’s side. De Gea was also a bright spark in Manchester United’s disappointing season last term but, this season, the Spanish international has taken his game to another level, and has certainly developed into one of the world’s best goalkeepers.

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After a slow start, United have settled into life under their new Dutch boss, and are starting to look like their normal, formidable selves. The Red Devils sit fourth in the Premier League table and, despite a recent setback against the ever-impressive Southampton, Old Trafford is beginning to become somewhat of a fortress once more.

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Aston Villa’s Alan Hutton is closing in on a loan switch to La Liga outfit Real Mallorca, according to reports from Sky Sports.

The Scottish international is believed to be surplus to requirements under manager Paul Lambert, and has been loaned to Championship side Nottingham Forest this term.

This has led to speculation that he will be allowed to leave the club this month if he can find a willing suitor.

Real Mallorca are reportedly interested, and are keen to take him on a temporary basis with a view to a full transfer this summer.

Talks are at an advanced stage, with the Spaniards setting a deadline of early next week to have a deal tied up.

Hutton is open to the prospect of playing abroad and would relish the opportunity to play regular football at the highest level.

The 28-year-old started his career with Rangers, where he was dubbed as one of the rising stars of Scottish football.

Tottenham swooped for his signature in 2008, but he failed to match expectations at White Hart Lane.

He was loaned to Sunderland two years later, before completing a permanent switch to Premier League rivals Aston Villa in 2011.

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Despite his below par domestic form, he has won 28 caps at international level and is keen to remain a part of the Scottish international set-up.

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Well who said the off-season was boring and it’s been another busy week at Sixfields. First up the news that the stadium expansion is set to be given the go-ahead and secondly the Bosman signing of Alex Nicholls from Walsall.

I will start with the expansion of Sixfields Stadium as it has been confirmed this week by council officials that we are two weeks away from signing an agreement to extend Sixfields and the surrounding areas.

This has been a long drawn out process that seems to have been talked about for years and the council in this town have seemed more concerned with the plans for the town centre rather than trying to make our local football team a priority. The current plans including making the stadium up to around a 15,000 capacity and will also incorporate more hospitality facilities including executive boxes. The surrounding areas will also be developed with a hotel and casino being mentioned.

I believe for the future of this football club we have needed this to bring more revenue in, and fair play to the Chairman Mr Cardoza he could have so easily given up on these plans and moved on but he has stuck to the task and now it finally appears that his hard work is starting to pay off. Hopefully our council took a look at all the work that has happened at Franchise FC down the road and saw what could be done with the right support, and I have no doubt that we will be overtaking them soon as long as this proposal does finally go through.

I have nothing but praise for Mr Cardoza he has ploughed a lot of money into the football club for little return and now finally the town’s councillors are helping him with his vision in hopefully turning us into a Championship team.

More news on the pitch now and we have signed Alex Nicholls from Walsall on a free transfer. He has made over 200 appearances for the Saddlers scoring 24 goals, most of which in League 1. He was offered new terms at Bescot Stadium but turned them down along with a host of other clubs to make the move to Sixfields Stadium. Nicholls can play on the wing or as the second front man, he has pace to burn, and judging from what a lot of Walsall fans are saying they are sorry to see him go. The minority have also said it depends which Nicholls turns up on his good days he can be good but on bad ones they are saying he need not have bothered playing. However I am going to reserve judgment on him until I have seen him for myself as he has the potential after finishing as the second leading scorer at Walsall last season with seven goals, one behind John Macken.

Last week’s new signing Clive Platt has this week spoken about why he turned down life at Coventry for a two-year deal at Sixfields.  He explained that the draw of working with ADB again was to good an offer to miss out on, and that a transitional period at Coventry and their goals didn’t meet his ambitions. He also admitted that Boothroyd’s aim for next season was promotion and that he can’t wait to be part of a team that is going to be going all out to get into League 1 as the manager will not expect much less. I just hope we finish higher than last season and if we can get promotion that will be an added bonus.

I am now excited about the new season as the team is beginning to take shape and Aidy Boothroyd has said there are more signings to come. However we must remain patient and if they continue to be as good as the two we have signed so far things are looking up.  Just please make sure one of them is Clarke Carlisle if possible.

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Up The Cobblers!!

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Chelsea could look at the possibility of signing Joao Felix on a permanent deal in the summer following the conclusion of his short-term loan deal.

Do Chelsea have a buy clause for Joao Felix?

The Portuguese forward joined the Blues in the January transfer window on a loan deal which will take his stay in the English capital until the end of the campaign.

And it was a big-money deal which saw him move to Stamford Bridge with Chelsea believed to be paying in the region of £10m for a matter of months of service.

However, it is not believed the Blues have the option in Felix’s loan contract to make his stay permanent in the summer.

But speaking on the Meczyki YouTube channel, journalist Fabrizio Romano has suggested they could look to sign him anyway from Atletico Madrid:

(1:12:50) “And so Chelsea are really happy with Joao Felix. They don’t have a buy option, but they have a great relationship with Atletico Madrid.

“They feel at the end of the season, they can have a conversation with Atletico Madrid to keep the player in case they want and in case Joao Felix wants to stay.

“At the moment, the feeling is very good. The player is happy in London. The player is happy with the club. The club is really happy with the player and so I would not be surprised if Chelsea and Atletico Madrid will try to find a solution in the summer for Joao Felix to stay on permanent deal to Chelsea.”

Will Chelsea sign Joao Felix permanently?

It has certainly been a turbulent first month for the 23-year-old since he made the move to Stamford Bridge after he was shown a red card on his debut against Fulham.

Having served his three-game suspension, the forward has gone on to show some signs of promise with a stunning goal in their recent game against West Ham United.

There have been reports suggesting the Portuguese ace is already enjoying his life in England is wanting to stay put for next season with Chelsea already impressed from what they’ve seen.

“Receives in tight spaces, he’s very fluid in his movement. He brings people into the game, but at the same time, he can help us in the final third with goals and key passes,” said Graham Potter after their game against West Ham.

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And the report from Spain has also suggested that Mason Mount could be used as a makeweight in a potential deal ahead of the summer transfer window.

Not having a clause in his contract could have its pros and cons for the Blues with it allowing them potential room to negotiate over a possible deal for the Portuguese ace.

However, if he continues to impress for Chelsea, then it could well bump up the valuation that Atleti may put on his head after originally signing him for £111m.

Manchester United supporters are enjoying the performances of Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku at the World Cup this summer and are excited about what he can achieve at the club next season.

Lukaku scored two more goals on Saturday as Belgium thrashed Tunisia 5-2 to put themselves on the verge of qualification for the knock out stages of the competition. He is currently the joint-top scorer in Russia, alongside former Old Trafford hero Cristiano Ronaldo.

The 25-year-old drew criticism from some for his Man United performances last season after making a big money switch from Everton, but still provided a decent goal return, netting 27 times and assisting 9 more in 51 appearances in all competitions.

That’s a very healthy contribution and something he’ll be looking to improve on even more at club level next term.

United fans believe that if he continues his World Cup form then they will be contenders for major honours, although some have warned that Jose Mourinho needs to adapt his team to get the best out of the striker.

Supporters took to Twitter to share their thoughts after Saturday’s display…

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