All posts by n8rngtd.top

Carlo Ancelotti will be anxiously awaiting the return of Ben Godfrey from international duty after the Everton defender failed a late fitness test.

That’s according to the Liverpool Echo, who note that Godfrey and Tom Davies were both unable to represent England’s Under 21s against Croatia on Wednesday.

The Young Lions medical team carried out late checks to see if either of the Toffees duo could feature in the Euro 2021 win, which dumped Aidy Boothroyd’s side out of the competition at the Group Stage.

Godfrey had played the full 90 minutes as England faced Portugal on Sunday to earn his ninth U21s cap, but required treatment during the 2-0 loss.

The 23-year-old centre-back had featured for the full fixture as England were beaten 1-0 by Switzerland last Thursday, too.

Only Tottenham Hotspur’s Oliver Skipp and Swansea City’s Marc Guehi also played all 180 available minutes among England’s outfield options over the defeats to Switzerland and Portugal.

Davies had started each loss but was withdrawn early in the second half against Switzerland and approaching the final quarter of an hour against Portugal, when earning his 23rd Young Lions cap.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/the-latest-everton-news-gossip-and-views” title=”The latest Everton news and views!”]

Ancelotti will now be very concerned over the prospect of being without Godfrey and Davies when Everton host Crystal Palace at Goodison Park on Monday, looking to end a three-game losing streak across all competitions.

The Toffees have only won one of their last five games at home thanks to a 1-0 result over Southampton on March 1, while losing to Fulham, Burnley and Manchester City twice.

Ancelotti goes into the Eagles clash without star summer signing Abdoulaye Doucoure after the £20m former Watford midfielder was ruled out likely for the remainder of the season with a fractured foot.

Fabian Delph has also been sidelined of late and while Jean-Philippe Gbamin has returned to training, it remains to be seen if the 25-year-old will be called on to play his first game since August 2019.

Losing Godfrey will come as a huge blow to the Toffees in defence, having started nine of the Merseyside outfit’s last 10 fixtures in the heart of the backline – including eight of the last nine Premier League matches prior to the international break.

Everton have kept three clean sheets in the 11 top-flight matches that Ancelotti has fielded Godfrey in a centre-back role this season, which came in a three-game run against Liverpool, Southampton and West Bromwich Albion.

To now be without the former Norwich City enforcer will be particularly problematic for Ancelotti, who is said to consider the Toffees’ £20m summer signing as the best of his central defensive options.

Ancelotti will be expected to call on Michael Keane, Mason Holgate or Yerry Mina to protect Jordan Pickford’s goal against Crystal Palace, should Godfrey fail another fitness test.

AND in other news, Everton are tracking a £17m striker with “a wealth of talent”…

Darren Moore picked up his first win as Sheffield Wednesday manager on Saturday afternoon but despite all of the positives, there was one glaring downside – the performance of Adam Reach.

The versatile 28-year-old has been the epitome of inconsistency throughout his Owls career – you get moments of magic with the odd screamer thrown in there, and then you get displays like that.

This is something Reach has even admitted himself, speaking to YorkshireLive last season, he said: “My own season’s been similar to the team’s, a little bit topsy-turvy. I’ve had some good moments and some not-so-good moments.”

We certainly saw the latter this weekend, even if Wednesday ended a run of eight matches without a victory.

SofaScore graded him as the worst player on the pitch with a 5.9 ratings yet somehow, he lasted the entire duration of the match.

In that time, he lost possession a whopping 40 times, meaning he lost the ball once every two minutes and after racking up a squad-high 81 touches, it means every other touch involved him gifting possession back to Barnsley. Very, very poor.

On average, the £2.5m-rated star loses possession 13.6 times per outing, so this is rather telling on just how shocking he was on the day.

Reach was also weak in his battles, winning just five of 12 duels (42%), both on the ground and in the air. Moore is rather lucky that the in-form Tykes didn’t punish such mistakes as that left flank was clearly an area of weakness that could’ve been exploited.

In addition to that, the Owls ace was dribbled past three times – only adding to the idea that the home side should have done a lot more to damage their struggling rivals.

The rangy 6 foot 1 dynamo, who is thought to be among Wednesday’s high earners on £20k-per-week, badly let his manager down with his performance. He cannot be excused just because they finally won a game, he’ll have to improve to help ensure it wasn’t merely a fluke result in the coming weeks.

Reach was quite simply abysmal with the ball – he managed to make just 46% of his 46 passing attempts, including only five of 24 long balls finding a player in an Owls shirt, as per SofaScore.

Somehow, there were even worse returns amongst the Owls squad here, but still, this did not help Reach’s overall game.

The 28-year-old’s pathetic outing shouldn’t dent confidence going into the international break, though he will certainly need to improve if the Owls are to stand a chance of beating relegation.

AND in other news, 20 clearances: Owls colossus stole the show for Sheffield Wednesday…

Glasgow Rangers fans have been reacting to the news that Slavia Prague’s Ondrej Kudela will not travel with the Czech squad to play Wales amidst the ongoing storm surrounding his altercation with Glen Kamara.

The Gers faced the Czech champions in the Europa League round of 16, and were beaten 3-1 on aggregate after losing 2-0 at Ibrox. However, the match was marred by allegations of racial abuse, and the fall-out continues to rumble on.

Kudela and Slavia (slavia.cz) have released a statement denying the claims, while Kamara has also moved to back up his claims. The 34-year-old Slavia defender was set to be a part of his country’s squad to travel to Wales for their 2022 World Cup qualifying clash, but it has been decided that he will stay in his homeland amidst fears of a backlash.

The news was shared on Twitter by The Daily Record, and the fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Kudela news below

“Big man i gaurentee he now regrets his actions and i bet he never thought this reaction would happen”

Credit: @aris_donald

“Coward”

Credit: @joe_black1509

“Coward, surely that proves his guilt”

Credit: @JayTeeFife

“Wonder why??”

Credit: @stevoboyle

“Hopefully UEFA step in now and deal with this vile player”

Credit: @andy_brennan72

“That says it all”

Credit: @PaulCampbell97

In other news, Rangers fans react to this latest injury news.

With star defender Virgil van Dijk having been ruled out for the majority of the season, Jurgen Klopp will surely be keen to have him back as soon as possible.

That is completely understandable considering the Dutchman’s immense influence at Anfield and the dramatic way in which the Reds have collapsed without him in the side this season.

With van Dijk taking “another step closer” towards being fully recovered, there was fleeting hope that he may be able to take part in the closing months of the season, but bringing him back far too soon could destroy Liverpool’s season and future campaigns even more.

According to orthopaedic surgeon Bas Pijnenburg, it would be a “considerable risk” for Van Dijk to return in any capacity this season.

Should he suffer another recurrence of the injury or indeed another problem, this would once again rule out Liverpool’s best centre-back, possibly for an even greater period of time.

Since signing for the Reds from Southampton in 2017, van Dijk has played 130 games, winning 92. This gives him a hugely impressive 70% win percentage when appearing. However, without the Dutchman, this drops sharply to just 52%.

Whilst the club will not want that poor record to continue this season by any stretch of the imagination, Klopp will simply not want this drop off in form to spill into next season at any cost should Van Dijk be ruled out again.

With just the UEFA Champions League left for the Merseysiders to feasibly win during the current campaign, it surely makes no sense to rush Van Dijk back and risk yet more damage.

After all, should he get injured once more then Liverpool will be back to where they started, putting unnecessary strain on an already threadbare position within their squad.

Despite Van Dijk being labelled as “unbelievable” by Liverpool skipper Jordan Henderson, it is best for the £180k per week defender to be kept under wraps until next season.

AND in more news, read which relegation-threatened star could be the perfect replacement for Georginio Wijnaldum at Anfield…

Many Sunderland fans were critical of the display of Callum McFadzean despite their 2-0 win over Rochdale in League One on Saturday afternoon.

Dion Sanderson and Charlie Wyke got the only goals of the game in the first half at the Stadium of Light as Lee Johnson’s team aim to push for promotion back to the Championship.

However, while there were some very good performances in the red and white shirt, McFadzean’s flattered to deceive for several SAFC supporters.

The former Sheffield United man found himself booked very early on in the match for a clumsy foul and, although he did manage to keep a clean sheet, his afternoon did not get that much better.

McFadzean failed to record a single dribble, tackle or accurate cross from left-back, and he also lost possession of the ball no fewer than 17 times, the most out of any of his teammates to have set foot on the pitch (Sofascore).

Sunderland fan reaction to McFadzean display

These Black Cats supporters slammed his performance on Twitter, with one fan even going as far as to claim that the 27-year-old was ‘unbelievably poor’:

“2nd goal came against the run of play. McFadzean continues to be the worst player alive. Think Younger looks uncomfortable at right back, not his fault though. Excellent crosses and headers for the goals. We have to get at them more 2nd half #safc”

Credit: @davis0688

“I’m yet to see McFadzean do anything of note, guy gets rinsed up by everyone on the wing. #SAFC”

Credit: @Blackie1973_

“Never seen a left-back so bad as McFadzean. Gets caught out so much #safc”

Credit: @imdannygavin

“McFadzean is so bad. Been caught out several times already today #SAFC”

Credit: @MJacko1989

“Younger is a natural centre back and today we had square pegs in round holes again. We’ve got away with it last few games, if we go to Pompey with that back 4 we will lose the game. I would go as far to say McFadzean is the worst player I’ve ever seen in the red and white.”

Credit: @Kingy78_

“McFadzean was unbelievably poor today . Nearly gave away a goal when he went to jump for a ball and it bounced over his head! He really is poor should give Vokins a run”

Credit: @only1kilbane

In other news, find out what club reveal has delighted Sunderland fans here!

Premier League side Everton have been linked with a move for Roma central defender Gianluca Mancini.

Recently, Italian outlet Leggo had reported that Everton are monitoring the situation of Mancini and along with Inter, they had expressed their interest in the defender. Fresh reports now are stating about the Toffees’ interest in the 6 foot 2 Italian, who has played for the national team already.

Everton ‘like’ Mancini

A report from Italian outlet Calciomercato has stated that Mancini’s performances for Paulo Fonseca’s Roma have left multiple parties impressed. Everton are one of the clubs that like the Italian but recent performances have caught the attention of Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea too, while Bayern Munich asked for information about Mancini in the January transfer window.

Apart from them, Antonio Conte also likes Mancini and Juventus see the defender as an ideal Italian defender in the mould of Leonardo Bonucci and Georgio Chiellini.

Roma had initially signed Mancini from Atalanta on a loan deal but the move was made permanent for a fee of £11.70 million this past summer. He recently scored against Genoa and has already scored four times in the league.

Mancini would be an excellent signing for Everton

Mancini has picked up a rating of 6.98 in Serie A this season, also impressing in the Europa League. He has been Roma’s fourth-highest rated player in the league campaign, which shows that he has had quite a good season under Fonseca (as per Whoscored).

Everton do have four out-and-out centre-back options currently, even though Yerry Mina is injured. Mancini would add more depth and quality to the side and would offer European experience, so it is easy to see why the Italian would be a very good signing for the Toffees.

In other news, Everton could part ways with a key midfielder – read more here.

Fans of Aston Villa have been reacting to a post on Twitter, which relayed the ‘significant’ news that Jaden Philogene-Bidace has put pen to paper on a new deal with the club.

According to a statement on the club website, Philogene-Bidace has signed a new deal with Dean Smith’s side that will see him remain at Villa Park until the summer of 2024.

The 19-year-old forward, who is yet to make a senior appearance for Villa, is said to have highly impressed for the club’s U23 side this season, bagging five goals and providing two assists over his 11 appearances.

And, after the club relayed the news of the England U19 international’s new contract on Twitter, fans of Villa flocked to have their say on the matter, with many appearing delighted at the prospect of  Philogene-Bidace remaining at their club for the foreseeable future.

So, what exactly did these Aston Villa fans have to say in reaction to the news regarding Jaden Philogene-Bidace?

“Our club is doing all the right things. This kid is special.”

@hill_hilly18

“Fantastic news!! I love the approach our club is taking to promoting youth and building for our future!”

@jamesupnorth

“YESSSSSSSSS UTVVVVV.”

@Finleydb10

“Fantastic news! A lot of big clubs been sniffing round him, one to watch for sure.”

@TheWillRoss

“This is great news. Chukwuemeka next, hopefully.”

@SimonLRead

“Class news.”

@vill1874

“Outstanding. This club is amassing all the best young talent out there. Well done Jaden. Great choice.”

@EvoflashUK

“This is super, super news and shows the ambition and pull of the club – up the villa!!! Aaron Ramsey next!!”

@StephenArnold78

“Superb Jaden.”

@gazswain

“Excellent news. Future star! Massive statement on intent by Villa.”

@tonywoots69

“Incredible.”

@DOUGLASLUlZ

“This is significant. Congratulations.”

@richallen10

In other news, these Villa fans are loving this crazy statistic – find out more here!

Steve Bruce has confirmed that Newcastle United striker Callum Wilson will face six to eight weeks on the sidelines with a “devastating” hamstring injury.

That’s according to the Mirror, who quote the Toon boss as revealing that his £20m summer signing from AFC Bournemouth will miss the best part of the next two months.

Wilson could miss up to seven Premier League fixtures as a result of the issue, starting with Monday night’s trip to Chelsea and subsequent meetings with Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and potential relegation rivals Wolves, West Brom and Brighton.

Wilson sustained a deep hamstring tear during last weekend’s 3-2 win over Southampton, that also saw United lose Javier Manquillo for multiple weeks and Fabian Schar for several months.

Manquillo is now expected to miss around six weeks with a muscular injury, while Bruce has confirmed that Schar underwent surgery on Tuesday after sustaining knee ligament damage that the defender will hope does not rule him out of this summer’s Euros.

As for Wilson, the striker underwent scans to assess his hamstring injury earlier this week after being forced to limp off the field during the first-half of last week’s win over the Saints, which returned sombre news for Bruce.

“Unfortunately for Callum, it is a tear to the hamstring and that could be six to eight weeks,” the Toon boss said. “The aftermath of a fantastic victory has blighted us. Losing the centre-froward for weeks is a bitter pill to swallow.

“We hoped it was a grade on two to three weeks, but it is worse than that. We have to be without him for six-eight weeks, but we won’t put a time scale on it. It is devastating news for us. It takes time, when you are pace and power as Callum is. His rehab will have to be spot on. We need him back as quick as we can.

“His performance at Everton [last month] was terrific. We are all struggling with muscle injuries, the sheer number of games and no rest between. Without Callum, it will be hard core. He has been terrific. It will be difficult to replace him.”

The scale of the task now facing Bruce is colossus, with Newcastle left with a mammoth obstacle in their way toward securing Premier League survival for another season.

No Magpies player has been as involved in United’s attacks this term than Wilson, who has offered 2.0 shots a game over his 21 top-flight appearances, in a side that has only offered on average 9.7 each league fixture played to date, per WhoScored.

His efforts have also returned the most goals (10), while Miguel Almiron’s brace against Southampton was enough to move the Paraguayan second on the scoring chart at St. James’ Park with four – only Jeff Hendrick, who’ll be suspended against Chelsea, has also scored twice or more.

Jonjo Shelvey, who boasts one goal to his name, has taken the second-most shots per game with 1.6 but only 0.5 of those have come inside the box, where Wilson is the only player to have offered over 1.0 among those who have featured more than once for Bruce thus far.

Joelinton, who has also only scored once, has taken 1.2 shots a game over his 17 outings, while fellow strikers Andy Carroll (1.1) and Dwight Gayle (0.7) will hope to improve their output in Wilson’s absence.

AND in other news, Newcastle have an ace up their sleeves in efforts to sign a striker valued at £30m earlier this season…

Many Aston Villa fans are loving an “exceptional” statistic which has been revealed and also retweeted by The Athletic journalist Gregg Evans highlighting how good they have been this season.

The stat was originally from @WhoScored, before Evans also tweeted his opinion. It shows that, in 11 of their 12 wins in the Premier League this season, they have kept a clean sheet. The exception was their 7-2 romp over Liverpool in October.

The club have the second-most clean sheets in the division with 13 (Premier League) and this was already a remarkable achievement based on the fact that they barely stayed in the division last year.

However, it is even more amazing to see how efficient they are at keeping hold of a victory, and it is testament to the defence and goalkeeper as well as John Terry, who has clearly improved massively as a defensive coach.

Hopefully this remarkable feat continues and, if it does, then there is no doubt they could finish in the top half, or even perhaps manage to end up in a European spot.

Here is how Villa fans reacted to the stat:

“This is fantastic, but also shows that when we go behind we never recover. We’ve picked up 2 points in the last 19 games we’ve gone behind. Our last comeback win was Watford 14 months ago. Bit of a mental block we need to overcome soon!”

Credit: @notawelshsinger

“Exceptional! we have come so far in such a short space of time”

Credit: @lockleyps3

“Quite a remarkable statistic!”

Credit: @TheVillaHome

“Wow.”

Credit: @futurefilm1

“Pretty remarkable this”

Credit: @Liam_ODwyer

“I love a good stat and this is a real good one”

Credit: @SteG613

In other news, some Villa fans discussed one player who impressed against Leeds

Mike Ashley may well be rueing the disastrous outcome of Steve Bruce’s blunderous decision to start Emil Krafth against Arsenal, with the Newcastle United defender now said to be stalling on a January transfer to Istanbul Basaksehir.

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mail, Krafth is now hesitant to the leave Tyneside during the mid-season window as his rare appearance at the Emirates has given him second thoughts.

The 26-year-old had looked likely to have played his final game for the Magpies with a £2.7m move to Super Lig side Istanbul Basaksehir expected to be completed in the coming days.

Krafth had not started a league game since December 12, having returned to the back-up role he occupied throughout much of his maiden season in England last term, with DeAndre Yedlin emerging as Bruce’s favoured option over the festive schedule.

Yet a full 90 minute run out in north London has given Krafth a belief that he can still force his way back into a regular starting role, despite the £5m signing from Amiens SC only featuring in the top-flight on four prior occasions this term.

Krafth is now evaluating his options and will be hoping he gets the nod for Saturday night’s trip to Aston Villa, where Bruce will be striving to end Newcastle’s nine-game winless streak across all competitions.

A huge mistake by Bruce

Ashley will likely have already been frustrated at having to accept an offer worth close to half what Newcastle paid to sign Krafth just 18-months ago, having seen the defender prove time and time again that he is not up to the standard needed in the Premier League.

Yet Bruce’s decision to rest Yedlin at Arsenal and look favourably on Krafth has given the defender confidence that he can still have a future at the club where he earns £57,500-per-week as the fourth-best paid player.

Krafth is bleeding Ashley dry on those terms, that have so far returned just one assist and seen Newcastle record six clean sheets in 29 games across all competitions to date. He was even omitted from the matchday squad at Sheffield United last week entirely, marking the ninth time that Bruce has overlooked his services outside of injuries.

Not many Toon players left north London with much to write home about as Newcastle were comfortably beaten 3-0, and Krafth was certainly one who failed to cover himself in any glory as he frequently held back as the last man whenever Arsenal countered.

And yet Krafth only attempted a single tackle and made one clearance at the Emirates, while playing only one additional accurate pass (20) compared to goalkeeper Karl Darlow (19), per WhoScored.

His efforts ensured Krafth continues to rank joint-last for successful tackles (1.3) per game when fielded at right-back by Bruce in the Premier League this season, and with fewer attempts (1.8) than natural midfielder Jacob Murphy (2.3).

Bruce would have been wise to leave Krafth at home, rather than take him to Arsenal, and show the Sweden international that his future should be in Turkey and not Tyneside.

AND in other news, Newcastle United are being targeted to solve another PL side’s transfer crisis…