Everton’s Leighton Baines has called on the club’s hierarchy to back Roberto Martinez during this summer’s transfer window.
The Toffees have enjoyed an excellent campaign, but they look set to fall just short of Champions League qualification despite early ambitions of breaking into the top four.
Everton have long been seen as a club without the budget to compete with some of English football’s ‘big boys’, and have often relied upon the sensible management of former boss David Moyes and the sales of big name players for large fees – such as Marouane Fellaini last year.
However Baines – who was tied down to a major new contract amid interest from Manchester United recently – wants the club to back Martinez in the coming transfer window in a bid to close the gap between themselves and their rivals:
“I’m sure the manager will be looking to keep investing and keep improving the squad because every year that’s what everyone else does and I think to give him a chance to improve us to that level then he’s going to need money to invest.” He is quoted by the Daily Star.
“We’re working on what we’ve got here and what we’ve got at the moment I think the big teams have a lot of money to spend and they spend it every year and they improve every year so we’ll have to do the same.
“We’d always been seen to have done well but never quite managed to achieve the things we wanted and he wants to take us to the next level, but in order to do that we have to change our style a bit.”
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Everton have been linked with a deal to bring in on-loan star Romelu Lukaku, but the striker is likely to cost in excess of £20m.
Everton manager David Moyes hopes his team can maintain their early season form and qualify for next season’s Champions League, according to The Metro.
The Toffees qualified for the competition for the 2005/06 campaign, but were knocked out of in the preliminary stages.
Following their 2-2 draw with Fulham on Saturday, Moyes compared his current squad to the one that finished fourth in Premier League, hinting that he feels European football may be possible:
“This is the best we’ve played in my time here.” Moyes said.
“I couldn’t say yet if it’s the best team because the side that finished fourth (2004-05) and got into the Champions League were very consistent, resistant and ground out results.
“This team has an awful lot of attacking options. We can score and create chances.
“I hope we’re still pushing for top four at the end of the season.
“I don’t know if we will be because of the quality you need to be there.”
Everton’s solid form owes a lot to the performances of Marouane Fellaini and the Scotsman lauded his two-goal display against the Cottagers:
“Fellaini has taken the goalscoring on when we needed it. He’s a really good player and was a handful at all times against Fulham,”
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“You need to get the points on the board and we missed the opportunity to do that. I’ve said ten games is a good time to assess your start, and we’ve had a good start compared to our usual starts.
“We’ve had a couple of games where we’ve felt hard done by, but against Fulham we have ourselves to blame.”
Winning a Premier League title puts a club in a very strong position in the transfer market.
Manchester City took the crown last season, and they did it in style by earning 100 points and finished 19 above second-placed Manchester United.
The North-West outfit have been linked to numerous players over the last few weeks and months.
There has been a story that has been constantly running in the background, and it is a bizarre one.
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According to The Mirror, former Manchester United defender Jonny Evans, who suffered relegation from the Premier League with West Bromwich Albion last season, has been keen to sign for City.
Guardiola previously held an interest in the Northern Irishman, but the publication states that the newly-crowned English champions will not move for him this time around.
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After learning of this, Evans reportedly began discussing a potential move to Leicester City.
It is safe to say that fans of the North-West outfit are delighted that Evans will not be signing on the dotted line.
Liverpool returned to winning ways in the English Premier League on Tuesday night with a dominant 3-0 victory away to Huddersfield Town.
Jurgen Klopp’s side knew picking up all three points was massively important after losing their last two matches and they delivered with a performance that their manager said was ‘exactly what we needed’.
The Reds are now five points clear of fifth placed Tottenham Hotspur having played one extra game, as they seek UEFA Champions League qualification once again.
Supporters had goal heroes Roberto Firmino, Mohamed Salah and Emre Can to thank for the win and while they grabbed the headlines, another dependable star also stood out for fans.
James Milner was excellent in the Liverpool midfield, producing his usual hard working performance and helping link defence to attack across the 90 minutes.
The veteran former England international continues to play an important role at the club, with some fans believing he is an underrated member of Klopp’s squad.
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They took to Twitter to share their thoughts on his Tuesday performance…
Sunderland boss Gus Poyet has confessed that although he may be unable to do so, he wants to keep on-loan Liverpool forward Fabio Borini at the club.
The Italian joined the Black Cats on a season long basis last summer from the Merseysiders amid concerns that he may suffer from a lack of playing time at Anfield.
He has since thrived at the Stadium of Light, with Poyet having put his faith in the man brought in by controversial predecessor Paolo Di Canio.
Borini cemented his place in Sunderland folklore with a string of top displays in their Capital One Cup run – including the opener in their 3-1 loss to Manchester City in the Wembley final – and has since been linked with a full move to the club.
However a return to Liverpool looks to be the most likely outcome, yet Poyet hasn’t given up hope of keeping the 22-year-old:
“Fabio has become a hero, a legend, which is great. He has really got into the club and the fans. He lives football, he’s a top professional, he’s always on time, he’s always trying to be better in training.” He is quoted by the Daily Mail.
“And when you score goals in special games, at special times like he did it gets you closer to people and gets you to play better. He’s showing what a good player he is.
‘In the beginning it was my fault he was not playing. Now, if he’s not the first one you pick, he’ll be the next one. He’s at that level.
“I don’t know if it will be possible to sign him, it’s out of our hands but I can tell you that we like him a lot and we will try. People will say the price is going up. I’m not going to lie, he’s an important player, he’s been great. I hope he finishes the season at the same level scoring important goals.
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“If he makes us safe in the next five games then I won’t play him in the next five. Then maybe everyone will forget about him. “Fabio Borini, oh yeah rubbish,” so then we can buy him.”
With the ink now dry on the reign of Kenny Dalglish, there is a new man on Merseyside desperate to achieve the same legendary status. Brendan Rodgers has established himself as the latest partisan of the tiki-taka movement but if he’s going to talk the talk, he must prove he can walk the walk.
The collective exhale of relief that emanated from Anfield after Saturday’s win over Reading was plain to see. Rodgers would have been uncomfortable with the repeated mention of his failed stint with The Royals but he emerged victorious in a 1-0 win that sealed his belated first league victory at home. However, the scoreline was perhaps still somewhat disappointing in the wake of yet another dominant performance.
The arrival of the Rodgers at Liverpool was always going to attract a bright and unyielding media spotlight but the screening of documentary series Being: Liverpool has served only to magnify the attention. It was perhaps unfair to expect Rodgers to portray himself in a manner that didn’t invite ridicule and yet the confidence levels emitted by the man flick constantly between the notions of arrogance and ignorance.
Former Liverpool stalwart Mark Lawrenson pulled no punches in his analysis of Rodger’s ‘performance’ and even went as far too suggest, “Shankly would be turning in his grave”. Lawrenson’s sensationalised verdict aside, there is an eerie feeling that Rodgers is attempting to align his own philosophies and beliefs with the club’s illustrious history.
Lawrenson does go on to make the valid point that “If you are a new manager in that situation, you come in and you get your head down.” Rodgers has invited an unnecessary amount of pressure by creating the feeling of an overdue revolution, which has yet to yield any real positives on the pitch. Despite a promising start to his career, has he really earned the right to act with such self-assurance in the Liverpool hot seat?
The underlying murmurs of discontent surrounding a lack of attacking options in the current squad, has been justified in light of the news that Fabio Borini will be sidelined until January. To make matters worse Rodgers openly admitted that he hasn’t even considered recalling on loan striker Andy Carroll, despite his positive impact at West Ham. The dependence on young starlets Raheem Sterling and Jonjo Shelvey could prove costly, especially with the notoriously difficult winter fixture pile up lying in wait.
The rumour mill has been churning out a series of high-profile names that look set to decorate Liverpool’s transfer shortlist come January, but I remain unconvinced that sufficient funds will be in place. The combined £26m needed to acquire the familiar faces of Borini and Joe Allen still carries a faint whiff of inflation, which could make it difficult for Rodgers to pry John W. Henry’s checkbook open. It was only on Friday that Rodgers insisted he was well aware of the financial restrictions in place at his new club.
“The game is about getting results. There’s no great problem in that for me,“
“You’ve got two ways. You can invest an astronomical amount of money and that will take you there very quickly or you have to grow, build and cultivate your own. That is where we are at, that is the reality and there is no quick fix.” (Guardian)
There is a current misconception surrounding the fact that results will be easier to come by now that Liverpool have played the majority of the ‘big teams’ and while the performances against both Manchester clubs were encouraging, they were hardly in stark contrast to Kenny Dalglish, who was also capable of motivating his side to rise to the occasion.
The upcoming Europa League fixture against FC Anzhi Makhachkala should provide an interesting spectacle, with the Russian side undergoing their own transformation thanks to the influence of billionaire owner Suleyman Kerimov. Everton await Liverpool at Goodison Park after their encounter with Eto’o and co, which perhaps marks the first occasion in recent history where the Toffees will be considered favourites. In fact the only ‘banker’ in the foreseeable future will be at home against Wigan next month and that will depend solely on the unpredictable nature of Roberto Martinez’s men.
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Rodgers’ case has hardly been helped by the words of Glenn Driscoll – the ‘head of performance’ at Anfield – who offered comparisons with the managerial styles of Carlo Ancelotti, Guus Hiddink and even Jose Mourinho. Regardless of whether you think such words carry any credibility, it’s going to take something ‘special’ for Liverpool to achieve their dream of breaking back into the top four.
According to Sky Sports, Everton midfielder Davy Klaassen is a summer target for Besiktas following a difficult debut campaign at Goodison Park, but the Merseyside outfit should look to get striker Cyle Larin to come in the opposite direction as part of any deal that takes the Netherlands international to Turkey.
What’s the word, then?
Well, Sky Sports report that Besiktas want the 25-year-old who cost £23.6m when he joined the Toffees from Ajax last summer, but they would initially want him on loan.
Sky Sports report that the Dutchman, who turned down a move to Napoli during the January transfer window, is still keen to remain and fight for his place under new manager Marco Silva, despite being out of favour with Ronald Koeman, David Unsworth and then Sam Allardyce last term.
Meanwhile, Larin only joined Besiktas from MLS club Orlando City in January, but he has already made a big impression.
How did Larin do for Besiktas?
The Canada international joined the Turkish club having scored 44 goals in 89 matches for Orlando City, but while was initially kept on the substitutes’ bench he made an impact by the end of the season, netting four times in four Super Lig appearances.
Three of those came in the final day 5-1 win against Sivasspor, where he showed just how lethal he can be in front of goal.
Quick, strong and equally as good scoring with his head as he is with his feet, he looks to have all of the attributes needed to play in the Premier League in the future, although he perhaps needs to work harder defensively.
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Would he be a good signing for Everton?
He certainly would be.
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The 23-year-old was likely brought in as a replacement for current Toffees striker Cenk Tosun in January, but he has already shown the quality that he has in his locker.
Marco Silva, who wants an ambitious move to sign another powerful attacker who bossed Michael Keane and Phil Jagielka in 2018, will likely be looking to provide Tosun with more competition for the centre-forward spot during the summer.
Given Larin’s impressive goal record and movement in the penalty area he could be the ideal option – especially given he could potentially be used in a deal for Klaassen.
Leicester City’s relatively routine 2-0 win over League One side Fleetwood Town in last night’s FA Cup replay will mostly be remembered for the first goal retrospectively awarded by VAR.
But despite the modest quality of the opposition, who could only manage 28% possession, there were some big positives for Claude Puel to take from his side’s comfortable victory.
The most obvious is the two goals from young striker Kelechi Iheanacho, who has struggled to embed himself in the first team since arriving from Manchester City in a club-record deal during the summer. The second-biggest positive relates to a summer recruit as well, who had to wait until January to make his first competitive appearance for the Foxes – midfielder Adrien Silva.
The former Sporting Lisbon star is no doubt a talented player, and although he still needs more time to adapt to English football, there were promising signs from his performance last night. The 20-cap Portugal international struck up a strong partnership with Vicente Iborra in the middle of the park that gave Leicester an irresistible foothold in the match.
And along the way, the 28-year-old showed glimpses of the quality in possession he offers Leicester. As well as making two tackles and winning four aerial duels, Silva created one chance and recorded four dribbles – the most of any Foxes player – while having over 100 touches of the ball and completing 90% of his passes.
If there’s one criticism of Silva’s performance, it’s that his creative qualities didn’t lead to more goals for Leicester in a match they comfortably dominated. A player of his obvious pedigree can probably bring a little more to the team. But the midfielder – who Transfermarkt value at £22.5million – is clearly moving in the right direction.
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So, Foxes fans, would you start Silva against Watford this Saturday? Let us know by voting below…
David Moyes believes that he’s the right man to be manager at Manchester United, but says that he will need time.
The Scot took over from Red Devils legend Sir Alex Ferguson over the summer, after the long-serving coach elected to call time on a career in which he guided the club to very top of the English game.
Few were predicting a smooth transition for Moyes, but he was expected to have a greater impact than he has had so far.
United are effectively out of the title race – and have been since January – and look set for a difficult battle to break into the top four, with a shock home draw with basement dwellers Fulham over the weekend leaving them nine points adrift of Liverpool – who occupy the final Champions League slot.
The dropped points to the Cottagers were the latest in a long run of below par performances, and with Arsenal next up in tonight’s clash; the situation could get worse for the champions.
But Moyes feels that he needs some patience, and that he can bring glory to United.
“It was always going to take time. There is rebuilding going on year after year here, and we will continue to try to do that,” Moyes told The Mirror.
“I just keep doing the job because I know that we’re doing the right job. We’ll do the same things, we’ll make sure things are right – prepare the players well and things will change I have no doubt.
“The supporters have been fantastic. That’s why the right clubs, pick the right managers and the right managers pick the right clubs. You pick clubs where you know is the right place for you.
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“That’s why I always hoped and dreamed that Manchester United would come for me – and they did in the end.”
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Aston Villa have signed the ‘untouchable’ of Italian football, Simone Farina as a community coach.
The former Serie B defender was hailed as a national hero after exposing a huge match-fixing scandal last December.
Before his heroics, the Gubbio defender was an unknown quantity, when a former Roma team mate offered him £160,000, twice his annual salary to throw an Italian cup tie against Cesena.
Due to his revelations he helped sentenced 17 people to jail, and received an award from FIFA chief Sepp Blatter.
Farina was likened to legendary American cop Eliot Ness, who led an incorruptible team of agents dubbed the untouchables as he stood up to the match fixers.
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Villa boss, Paul Lambert is now hoping that Farina can turn from hero to Villan, as he has offered the former defender a chance to work with youngsters to set a good example as they come up through the ranks at the Premier League club.