All posts by h716a5.icu

Fulham look on course to secure a deal that would bring Ethan Horvath to Craven Cottage this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a claim made by talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook, who revealed in a post on Twitter that Marco Silva’s side look to have won the race for the former Club Brugge KV goalkeeper.

Crook goes on to state that Tottenham Hotspur, as well as a host of Championship clubs, had been linked with a move for the USA international this summer, however, the 26-year-old now looks set to join the Coattgers in the coming days.

Silva will be buzzing

Aside from Fulham appearing to have pipped Spurs to the signing of Horvath, the fact that the club look on course to land a ‘keeper who has highly impressed during his time in Belgium, both domestically and in European competition, is sure to have left Silva buzzing.

Arguably the American’s best season for Brugge came back in 2018/19, with the £1.08m-rated man keeping 11 clean sheets and conceding 30 goals over his 28 Jupiler Pro League appearances, playing a key role in helping his side secure a second-place finish in the top flight of Belgian football.

The man Edwin van der Sar dubbed an “ambitious” player also impressed over his three appearances in the Champions League that year, making an average of 3.7 saves per game and keeping three clean sheets in the competition, seeing him earn an average WhoScored match rating of 7.34.

As such, with a wealth of both top flight and European experience behind him, the £6.3k-per-week 26-year-old would very much appear to make an impressive addition to Silva’s options between the sticks at Craven Cottage next season.

And, with it being reported that the Portuguese manager looks set to offload the £45k-per-week Fabricio Agosto this summer, bringing in Horvath as his replacement would be the holy trinity. He’s an upgrade on the ability of Fabri, a much cheaper option than the Spaniard and a player with a far greater resale value than the veteran shot-stopper.

In other news: Fulham dealt transfer blow over “quality” £6.3m-rated dynamo, Silva will be gutted

It is said that one of the ways to judge the future is to look into the past

Pat Symcox27-Nov-2002It is said that one of the ways to judge the future is to look into the past. Doing exactly that does not paint a pretty picture for the Sri Lankan team as they start the Standard Bank One-Day International Series at the Wanderers.The last time these two countries met on South African soil, the Sri Lankans were totally outclassed and sent home nursing a few players with severely dented reputations and ego’s. The series ended in a 5 to one victory to the Proteas.The statistics from that series shows Russell Arnold as the most successful batsman with an average of 54 runs. The little keeper Kaluwitharana was second with 37,8. Looking down the list, names like Sangakkarra, Attapattu appear near the top, but Jayawardene only averaged 26. The real problem for the Sri Lankans on that tour was not only the bounce and pace but the fact that the two great men, Aravinda and Jayasuria performed very poorly. Between them they scored just over 140 runs in eight attempts. Throughout the series, the visitors could not post enough runs on the board to allow their match winner Murali, a chance to bowl with some pressure on the Proteas to score quickly. In four games Murali only took 6 wickets at an average of 39 per wicket.On the other hand, the South Africans had a field day. Rhodes averaged 91 and three others all were in excess of 41.The bowling figures also reflect that Pollock and Ntini caused havoc every match and ended with averages of 21 respectively, after taking 19 wickets between them.The names that makeup the statistics certainly don’t differ much from those that will appear in the team sheets over the next five matches. Whether the Sri Lankans have become better players away from home or the South Africans have lost confidence after the disruptive past two years remains to be seen. One thing is for certain; no quarter will be asked or given!

Traditionally when a new manager is announced, the room is filled with euphoria and celebration but with Everton that is far from the case.

Rafa Benitez was finally confirmed as the Toffees boss on Wednesday but his appointment was met mass toxicity at Goodison Park.

Banners have been hung outside the Spaniard’s Merseyside home and even the confirmation of his arrival from club media had a tone of sorrow to it.

This is a controversial appointment, largely due to his allegiances with Liverpool and it will take some impressive work from the 61-year-old to get supporters onside.

An eye-catching transfer window would go down a treat but ultimately, Benitez will be judged quickly on the results that play out when the new campaign gets underway.

It remains to be seen who Everton sign in the window but as revealed by Football FanCast earlier this year, they want to sign a right midfielder.

Reports indicate they are also after a centre-back. They have been linked with a move for Wolves captain Conor Coady but it’s Merih Demiral who should be at the height of their agenda.

Everton have been interested in the Turkish centre-back for a while now with £34.5m being touted as the potential fee.

However, in a new report, it claims that Juventus might be willing to allow a loan move.

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If Benitez can seal that kind of agreement, it would be an instant masterclass and a fantastic start to his life at Goodison.

The experienced boss already has a fight on his hands to win over fans but the acquisition of someone as classy as Demiral would go a long way to solving the conflict.

The Juve defender was part of a disappointing Turkey side at Euro 2020 but that was not a fair reflection of his attributes.

Described as an “absolute beast” by scout Jacek Kulig, the 23-year-old would be an instant upgrade at the heart of their defence.

Everton didn’t lack goals with Dominic Calvert-Lewin finding the net on 21 occasions last term but they still lacked defensive solidity. Losing to Manchester City 5-0 on the final day of the season was fine evidence of that.

Demiral, however, could solidify them. He won a colossal 3.6 aerial duels per game during the last Nations League, a tally that usurps every single defender already at Everton.

He is also a high-class ball-playing defender. In Serie A last season, he was successful with 94% of his passes; the fifth-best tally in the division for players to have started more than one match.

With that in mind, he’d not only add a sense of ruthlessness to Benitez’s backline but he’d also provide an extra sense of composure.

With Everton still targeting a place in England’s top six, a player like Demiral would undoubtedly help them in their pursuit.

AND in other news, Everton eye swoop for “special” 34-cap beast, he’s a massive upgrade on Davies…

From player to coach and then caretaker manager, it seems as if big Duncan Ferguson can do no wrong at Merseyside.

He played 257 times for the royal blue of Everton, scoring 68 goals and in typical fashion, being shown a yellow card on 39 occasions.

Ferguson was given his marching orders eight times but despite his hot-headed bullish nature, he is loved by everyone at Goodison Park.

Standing at 6 foot 4, the Scot was a brutal force of nature in the air, bullying defenders to one side with his angry style of football.

He is a classic striker, one that’s now incredibly rare to find in the modern game. If you lumped the ball in the box it was a fair bet that Ferguson would be there to head home.

Big Dunc is a true legend of Everton and led the celebrations after Carlo Ancelotti engineered the club’s first Anfield win since 1999 earlier this year.

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He even turned down the chance to go with the Italian to Real Madrid in order to remain at his beloved Goodison Park.

Ferguson is a candidate for the manager’s job but whoever arrives, they could sign Chris Wood, a player directly in the mould of the 49-year-old himself.

The Mirror suggests Everton are one of three top-flight sides interested in signing the tall Burnley striker.

At a colossal height of 6 foot 3, Wood makes it incredibly difficult for any defender to beat him before he’s even got off the ground.

In that sense, he is incredibly similar to Ferguson. The former Scotland international once scored a hat-trick of headers for Everton and has a headed goal rate of 52.9% in the Premier League.

That means that 36 of his 68 top-flight goals came after he won an aerial duel.

Wood has made a living from a comparable play style. Speaking earlier in his career, former teammate Scott Malone said: “I remember his power and the size of him. On the training pitch, in a five-a-side game, you couldn’t get near him. He was frightening.”

It’s easy to see why. The New Zealand international has scored 34% of his goals in the Premier League with his head; that’s down on Ferguson but he does win a rock-solid 4.7 aerial battles per match.

A mighty force when the ball is off the ground, he is now also a proven Premier League goalscorer. He has netted 50 goals for Burnley and found the back of the net on 12 occasions last term.

Everton may already have Dominic Calvert-Lewin to aim for in the air but with Wood on top of that, they’d have an incredibly dominant forward line. Marcel Brands would do no harm with his move

AND in other news, Everton eye move for 58-cap beast who Ancelotti dubbed “the best”, he’d be a huge coup…

Nuno Espirito Santo ‘could become one of the candidates’ for the managerial vacancy at Tottenham Hotspur, according to football.london journalist Alasdair Gold.

The lowdown

Spurs have been without a permanent manager since sacking Jose Mourinho before the Carabao Cup final in April.

Paulo Fonseca was expecting to become the club’s new boss before they pulled the plug on talks with the 48-year-old (via BBC Sport). A move for Gennaro Gattuso following the swift end to his tenure at Fiorentina was also abandoned amid a backlash from numerous supporters.

Nuno is lining up his next challenge after leaving Wolverhampton Wanderers at the end of the season. The 47-year-old led them back into to the Premier League in 2018, since when they have secured back-to-back seventh-place finishes before slipping to 13th this year (Transfermarkt).

The latest

Gold said: “I keep getting told, and again today, from those in Italy that know Paratici, that he likes Nuno Espirito Santo and not to rule out that he could become one of the candidates.”

However, the ‘Jorge Mendes factor’ could prove to be a problem. Paratici is said to have ‘a good relationship with Nuno’s agent’, but Spurs may be reluctant to be saddled with a number of Mendes’ clients.

Gold added: “I understand that he [Mendes] and Paratici have a good relationship but there is always going to be that fear that Spurs will end up having to take on a number of his players. Italian media claimed Fiorentina and Gattuso parted ways because of exactly that.”

The verdict

Guiding Wolves to consecutive top-seven finishes on the back of promotion was some achievement from Nuno, and we shouldn’t be too quick to forget it. Yes, last season was tricky as they slumped to 13th, but in many ways it underlined the importance of injured striker Raul Jimenez to the functioning of the team, who badly missed the influence of their top scorer from the previous two campaigns.

However, Nuno wouldn’t seem a particularly exciting appointment for Tottenham. He deployed a counter-attacking system to great effect at Molineux, but adopting that style at a club like Spurs with loftier ambitions can frustrate the fanbase all too easily. Also, Levy is on record as saying that he wants a manager who will play expansive football, which may conflict with Nuno’s usual style.

In other news, Gold also dropped this intriguing claim about another candidate. 

As Everton move into a second week without Carlo Ancelotti at the helm, the heat is really being turned up in their bid to find a replacement.

A number of suitors have been considered but a few frontrunners are now beginning to emerge.

What’s the word?

Everton have been taking a look at Brighton boss Graham Potter but it’s understood that an interview has actually taken place with another manager familiar with the Premier League.

Football Insider reported this week that the Toffees have formally interviewed ex-Wolves boss Nuno Santo for the vacant role.

A source close to the club confirmed to FI that he was the leading contender ahead of David Moyes, someone Bill Kenwright is intent on seeing back at Goodison Park.

Crystal Palace were also interested in hiring Nuno but after a deal looked close to completion, the Eagles pulled out of the race, which is obviously a huge boost to Everton’s chances of signing the Portuguese ace.

A mistake from Farhad Moshiri

Trying to lure Nuno to Merseyside has to feel like a clanger from the top brass at Goodison Park.

The 47-year-old took Wolves from mid-table obscurity in the Championship to Premier League stability but his tactics over the last 12 months have lacked flexibility. Thus, it would be a questionable decision if he was to replace Carlo Ancelotti.

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Wolves reporter Tim Spiers described Nuno as “special” for the way he lifted the club into the Europa League a few years ago but when it came to bridging the gap to the top six, he was incapable.

Everton have lofty desires of reaching the Champions League again and under Nuno, it’s unlikely to happen.

The Old Gold developed a three-man backline during his stay in the Midlands but once they were found out, he struggled to adjust.

Nuno wanted to make Wolves more attacking but after switching to a 4-2-3-1, they were victorious in just four of their 14 league matches using that system.

Everton have used that formation on a regular basis and need a manager who is competent when it comes to keeping possessing and using an attacking shape.

The former goalkeeper may well be able to adjust with a different set of players but he proved at Wolves that he’s not particularly flexible when it comes to using different tactics.

Judging by the desires Everton has, interviewing Nuno was somewhat of a mistake. They should consider other options from their hefty shortlist, even if he is now available after the collapse of his move to Palace.

AND in other news, Move over Nuno: Moshiri can revive Everton by hiring “magnificent” 41 y/o manager…

Hampshire field a young side against Loughborough UCCE, for their three day match at The Rose Bowl starting on Wednesday.

Vic Isaacs24-Jun-2002Hampshire field a young side against Loughborough UCCE, for their three day match at The Rose Bowl starting on Tuesday (25 June).Many of the first team are rested. Will Kendall takes over the roll as captain, whilst Robin Smith is recieving treatment for a back injury. Alex Morris is playing as a batsman only, and is still awaiting the result of another scan.Loughborough will be fielding two of Hampshire’s young hopefuls in Jimmy Adams, John Francis and Chris Benham.Hampshire eleven: Derek Kenway, Will Kendall (c), Giles White, Lawrence Prittipaul, Alex Morris, Iain Brunnschweiler (wk), James Hamblin, James Schofield, Iam Hilsum, James Tomlinson.Loughborough UCCE: James Adams, Vikram Atri, John Francis, Mark Powell (c), Rob White, Chris Nash, Chris Benham, Richard Wilkinson, David Wigley, Chris Coleman (wk), Monty Panesar.

Somerset were once again beaten by the weather when their championship match against Surrey at The Oval ended in a rather disappointing draw

Richard Walsh27-May-2002Somerset were once again beaten by the weather when their championship match against Surrey at The Oval ended in a rather disappointing draw.Having lost the whole of Sunday to the rain Surrey resumed their second innings on 86 for 3, and were eventually all out in late afternoon for 332 leaving the Cidermen needing an unlikely 300 runs for victory from a minimum of 20 overs.With the Somerset score on 45 for 1 after 10 overs the game was called off, to leave the visitors contemplating what might have been had the weather not intervened yet again and deprived them of an opportunity of getting a result.After the close of play Somerset coach Kevin Shine told me: "The boys tried hard, but the weather won again. We competed well but just couldn’t keep the breakthroughs going today."He concluded: "If we hadn’t lost that day then we would have got a result, but I’m pleased with the way that it went."Somerset will be staying in London this evening before making the long journey north tomorrow ready to face the Yorkshire Cricket Board on Wednesday.

Scott Parker could well be in talks with one of Fulham’s Championship rivals ahead of a potential summer switch.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to The Sun journalist Alan Nixon, who has hinted in a post on Twitter that Parker is already in talks with the Bournemouth hierarchy regarding a move to the Vitality Stadium this summer.

A recent report by talkSPORT claimed that the 40-year-old would be tempted to quit Fulham in favour of a switch to the Cherries, who are thought to be willing to part company with Jonathan Woodgate after his failure to secure promotion to the Premier League via the Championship play-offs last season.

Fans will be distraught

Considering the marvellous job Parker has done at Craven Cottage since taking over at the club back in February of 2019, the fact that there appears to be a very real chance of the former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder leaving the club this summer is sure to leave fans of Fulham distraught.

Indeed, despite suffering relegation in his first term at the club, in Fulham’s first full season under the 40-year-old, the Cottagers went on to secure an immediate return to the top flight, beating Brentford 2-1 AET in the 2019/20 play-off final.

And, while Fulham went on to suffer relegation from the top flight for the second time in three seasons under Parker in their subsequent campaign, the west London side earned plaudits from the likes of Pep Guardiola, Marcelo Bielsa and Jurgen Klopp for their “exceptional” style of attacking and exciting football.

As such, if the Cottagers were to lose the services of the young manager this summer, not only would they be without a coach who has a proven track record of getting them out of the second tier, but also one who very much seems to play football in the right way as well as appearing to have an extremely bright future in the game.

In other news: Fulham confirm transfer news on “valuable” £24k-p/w flop which will leave fans furious

Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa could solve a major problem at the club by signing Ryan Bertrand this summer.

What’s the story?

The 5 foot 10 ace recently left Southampton after the end of the Premier League season, and reports in recent days have suggested that the likes of Leicester and Arsenal are interested in signing him on a free transfer.

However, Paddy Kenny has now thrown Leeds’ name into the hat, and suggested that he could nail down a first-team spot at Elland Road were he to join Bielsa’s side in the summer.

He told Football Insider: “I don’t see why it wouldn’t work for him at Leeds. He’s an experienced Premier League player and has played a lot of games at the top level. He’s got a fair few years in him yet. I think they should look at this one, definitely.

“Does he want to keep playing week in, week out? Would you want to go to an Arsenal, Leicester or AC Milan and be further down the pecking order? Or would you want to go to Leeds, who have been unbelievable this season, and have the chance to play week in, week out? For me personally, I’d go to Leeds.”

Replacing Gjanni Alioski

Bertrand’s arrival at Elland Road would allow Bielsa to replace Gjanni Alioski, who has been linked with a move away from the club this summer and was largely disappointing over the course of the previous season, coming in for some big criticism from Noel Whelan.

He told Football Insider: “Alioski was diabolical to be quite honest with you. The free-kick, where he is trying to get a megs in the wrong area, that was his first mistake. The second mistake was back to the Alioski of old.

“We saw that weakness on the left-hand side again. The right thing was to take him off, 100 per cent. He was a liability. Another game which highlighted our need to go into the market for a left-back.”

He added: “Leeds need a natural full-back there that you know can cover most bases, definitely defensively because as much as he gives everything, he is a liability. He’s not the best of defenders.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/leeds-united-marcelo-bielsa-transfer-gossip-rumours-news-elland-road-rodrigo-de-paul” title=”Read the latest Leeds transfer rumours and news!”]

On a free transfer, and with his bags of Premier League experience, Bertrand could go straight into the team and solve Bielsa’s Alioski problem, and give Leeds the kind of left-back they can rely on.

Meanwhile, Leeds United have been handed a major financial boost…