Cannot miss out: Everton must gazump Spurs in the race for Andre Gomes

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Worryingly for Everton fans, SPORT are reporting that Tottenham have agreed personal terms with Andre Gomes and are preparing a €30m (£25.9m) offer for the midfielder, which Barcelona are said to be ready to accept when it arrives.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Portuguese international has spent the entirety of the current campaign on loan at Goodison Park with Everton, where he has become a fan favourite as a result of his classy, composed performances in the middle of the field.

The 25-year-old is a player of real pedigree, and has proven to be the perfect foil for the more combative Idrissa Gueye in Marco Silva’s midfield; however, they could be set to miss out on his signature permanently with Spurs sniffing around.

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SPORT believe that the north Londoners are waiting to officially qualify for the Champions League before making contact with Barcelona – Mauricio Pochettino’s men need just a point this weekend to do so.

Everton simply cannot miss out and must better Spurs’ offer.

Players of Gomes’ pedigree don’t come around often

Of course, for a player of his status, moving to a team who have made the final of the Champions League makes sense and would be difficult to turn down, but surely the Toffees are in the driving seat here?

The former Valencia man seems to have enjoyed his time on Merseyside, and assumingly, he wouldn’t be adverse to joining on a permanent basis as long as Marcel Brands gazumps Tottenham’s offer.

Everton have shown that they have the type of cash to compete in the market. £35m on Richarlison. £45m on Gylfi Sigurdsson. And so on.

The amount of dross that they have signed in the past for huge fees, such as Morgan Schneiderlin, Yannick Bolasie and Theo Walcott, should make their desire to land a truly quality midfielder even greater.

Who knows how long it could be before a player of a similar ilk becomes available for a similar price range of between £30m and £40m?

Absolute disgrace: West Brom fans react angrily to latest managerial update

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After James Shan had won his opening three games in temporary charge of West Brom, the Hawthorns seemed a more positive place compared to when they sacked Darren Moore.

However, all it has taken for negativity to seep back in was one defeat.

The Baggies suffered a big setback against Millwall last weekend but despite the loss, Shan will remain in charge for West Brom’s match with Bristol City on Tuesday.

Reacting on Twitter, the fans aren’t too pleased with the decision as it was also revealed the appointment of a new interim boss would not be ruled out.

Supports launched a scathing attack on their own club, with one fan labelling them a joke and another calling West Brom an utter shambles.

Other reaction included someone calling the club a laughing stock whilst one also branded the situation as tinpot management.

Affairs at the club have become somewhat of a circus in recent weeks with the Albion board clearly unsure of what action to take after sacking Moore.

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With the team’s promotion on the line and no plan of action, the decision becomes more bizarre as the weeks go by.

Here is the best of the reaction from supporters.

Cult Heroes: Tony Yeboah at Leeds United

The 1990’s was a great decade to support Leeds United, wasn’t it Whites fans?

No fewer than Seven top-five finishes for the club cemented their place as one of England’s most successful sides in the 20th century whilst their Division One title win in 1992 remains their latest top-flight success.

In a period that saw the likes of Eric Cantona, Gary Speed and David Batty leave a defining mark on Leeds history, one player in particular set Elland Road alight with his ferocious footballing ability.

Born in Ghana in 1966, Tony Yeboah was given the first big break of his career at the age of 24 by Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt who signed him from FC Saarbrucken in 1990.

Despite experiencing a slow start to his career with the German side, the forward soon developed a habit of scoring on a regular basis, reaching 20 goals in all competitions on two occasions for Die Adler over a period of four years.

His sharpness in and around the box caught the eye of then-Leeds boss Howard Wilkinson who decided to swoop for Yeboah during the 1995 January transfer window, a decision which turned to be a masterstroke.

The Ghanian international made an immediate impact upon on his arrival in England, scoring 12 goals in 18 matches for the Whites in the Premier League which fired them to a top-five finish at the end of the campaign.

Yeboah’s first, and what turned out to be only full season in the top flight saw his escapades in-front of goal continue as he found the back of the net on 19 occasions in all competitions. However, despite his impact for Leeds, a disappointing campaign saw them finish 13th under Wilkinson.

Nevertheless, that season in particular will only be remembered for one thing by the club’s supporters; Yeboah’s wonder-strike against Liverpool.

In a famous night at Elland Road, the former Frankfurt ace fired in a sweetly-struck 25-yard volley via the underside of the bar to send the stadium into a frenzy of disbelief. The goal not only secured a 1-0 victory for Leeds but it also elevated Yeboah to the status of becoming a cult-hero at the club.

Although he would ultimately fall short of lifting any silverware with the club despite reaching the League Cup final in 1996, the forward’s ability to produce the spectacular won over the hearts and minds of the club’s fans who still adore him to this very day.

A slow start to the 1996/97 campaign ultimately culminated in Yeboah leaving Yorkshire for the Bundesliga where he enjoyed five seasons at Hamburg before retiring at the age of 35 after a brief spell with Saudi side Al-Ittihad.

Whenever a debate arises about what the greatest goal in Premier League history is, it is a testament to the finish against Liverpool that he is always included in the conversation. Although he only played in England for three years, Yeboah will always be remembered as one of Leeds’ greatest foreign imports.

Everton: Yerry Mina is now crucial for end of season run-in

Time is running out for manager Marco Silva and his team to give the Everton fans something to be excited about as the season begins to draw to a close.

But, following a very disappointing defeat at St James’ Park on Saturday, Silva will have to show quick and rapid improvement for that to be achieved.

The one thing he should, however, have noted from Saturday’s loss against Newcastle United is that defender Yerry Mina should start matches, rather than being used a substitute.

The defender replaced Richarlison on Saturday with 12 minutes left to go and although Newcastle managed to score twice in that period, Everton might have had a better chance of seeing out the game should he had been on the pitch earlier.

The decision to replace the £50m man with the former Barcelona ace was, ultimately, to sit back and defend the two-goal lead they had at the time but it didn’t work and Ayoze Perez struck twice in the final ten minutes to seal a famous win for the Magpies.

The short appearance Mina made on Saturday, however, was only the second match he has featured in this year and he hasn’t been given the proper opportunity to settle as a player or regular starter in the team.

His experience and expertise are exactly what Everton are in dire need for now and they are desperate to have some defensive stability.

Despite his potential, Michael Keane has been far from his best this season, while Kurt Zouma has also been a bit too inconsistent in defence.

Mina, though, should’ve been a key defender for the club this season, but due to injury and Silva not completely backing him, Everton have been punished at the back on multiple occasions.

If the manager starts to back him and use him more regularly then the Toffees might be able to finish the season with some sort of momentum.

Everton fans, how highly do you rate Yerry Mina? If not, why not? Join the discussion by commenting below… 

West Ham United: Manuel Pellegrini has found his role for Javier Hernandez

A striker issue had engulfed West Ham United until the solution was found at the weekend.

During their thrilling comeback win over Huddersfield Town, the Hammers not only found back an inspired fighting spirit but options to solve their goal-scoring issues.

It was substitute Javier Hernandez who turned back the clock to score a Fergie time winner to give his side a famous win. Indeed, at West Ham, it’s Manuel time he’s operating at. Pellegrini might have a variety of attacking options, but is still getting used to the rotational bit with his squad.

However, with an inspired showing from the Mexican, he’s found his hitman. Even to this day, Chicharito works best as a substitute. West Ham looked a different side after he came on, as his lethal skills in the final third encourage his team-mates to fling balls into the box. Even to this day, the Mexican’s foxy nature means that defenders find it difficult to keep a track of him.

That being said, Chicharito’s been quite underwhelming, when starting from the get-go. He ends up getting bullied by physically adept defenders and loses his concentration. Strangely, this isn’t the case when he comes from the bench. He arrives when defenders are already physically and mentally fatigued and end up losing concentration in the final minutes.

He’s able to pounce on their mistakes and get into promising positions, giving the Hammers a dynamic change in approach. Pellegrini has clearly realised how Chicharito works best coming on from the bench and will now bring him on later to deal finishing blows to the opponents.

Hammers fans, do you want Chicharito to operate more from the bench? Join the discussion by commenting below…

Leeds fans love latest performance from Under-23 side

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Leeds United’s Under-23 side overcame Fulham’s Under-23s on penalties in the last-16 stage of the Premier League Cup on Thursday night.

The two teams could not be separated in normal or indeed extra-time, but Leeds recorded a 5-4 win in the shootout to progress to the quarter-finals.

The club’s Under-23 side have been absolutely flying in recent weeks and entered the clash with Fulham off the back of a 4-0 success over Charlton Athletic’s Under-23 outfit in the PDL on Monday night.

Another victory has now been put on the board and it would be fair to say that the team’s supporters are absolutely delighted with what they are seeing at the moment.

Now, the first team securing a return to the Premier League is obviously the most important thing, but it is always good to see your Under-23s doing well.

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A selection of the Twitter reaction from the Leeds fans after the Under-23s progressed can be seen below:

Opinion: Jurgen Klopp reunion with Ciro Immobile could complete Liverpool’s attack

With Roberto Firmino, Mo Salah and Sadio Mane consistently firing in Liverpool’s attack, Premier League clubs have plenty of reason to fear the league leaders but a recent report suggests the final piece of the attacking jigsaw is in their sights. 

Indeed, according to a recent report from Italian media outlet Il Messaggero, Liverpool are interested in signing Lazio’s Ciro Immobile and they had scouts in attendance on Sunday afternoon when he scored what proved to be a consolation goal to half the deficit against Napoli.

The same report claims that Lazio are understandably reluctant to sell their star player in January, and would only consider an ‘indecent’ 100 million euro (£88 million) proposal.

That Immobile has managed to score an incredible 81 goals in 113 appearances for Lazio can go a long way to explaining the extortionate asking price which has been quoted.

Klopp was in charge of Dortmund when Immobile moved to the club from Torino in a £15.5 million deal, but he struggled to adapt to his new surroundings and ended his debut campaign with just three Bundesliga goals in 24 appearances.

A return of four goals from six Champions League appearances in the same season did not spare him from being selected on a list of the three biggest Dortmund flops in the past twenty years (as per Il Messaggero), and he returned to Italy with a point to prove when he joined Lazio in July 2016.

The progress Immobile has made in Italy suggests he would be a fantastic addition to Liverpool’s squad, offering an extra layer of competition at centre-forward to complete the attack.

A January deal is incredibly unlikely, particularly at £88 million, but the fact Liverpool sent scouts to San Paolo on Sunday to see Immobile in action suggests their interest is serious and a summer deal is something they are taking into deep consideration.

His presence would give Liverpool a more traditional centre-forward option as an alternative to the deeper-lying Firmino and the natural wide man Salah, lending Klopp the opportunity to shift his tactical approach in tight encounters while naturally bolstering Liverpool’s strength in depth.

The likes of Daniel Sturridge and Divock Origi are clearly not up to the standard required to help Liverpool re-establish themselves as one of Europe’s most feared clubs, but replacing the aforementioned pairing by bringing Immobile to Anfield would give Klopp a complete set of options to chose from at centre-forward.

Liverpool fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

Man Utd’s predicted XI to face Everton

Having brushed aside Watford in comfortable fashion last time out in the Premier League, Manchester United travel to Goodison Park on Sunday afternoon to face Everton.

The Red Devils suffered some painful memories there last season, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side falling to a quite embarrassing 4-0 defeat last April – the Norwegian even apologised to the fans for what they had seen, admitting that the performance was “not good enough for a Manchester United team”.

United will no doubt therefore be keen for a measure of revenge against the Toffees, and Solskjaer will surely look to go with as strong a line-up as possible.

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Below is a look at the potential team the Manchester side may play.

In goal, David de Gea should be the man tasked with trying to keep out the likes of Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison, whilst Solskjaer is also likely to revert to his more tried-and-trusted back four.

Scott McTominay and Fred could hold down the fort in the engine room, and provide the platform for United’s attacking players to shine.

Calling Premier League experts ONLY: Which year were these top flight clubs formed?

Bruno Fernandes has enjoyed a remarkable start to his career at Old Trafford since joining the club in a £47m deal from Sporting CP, scoring once and providing two assists.

Either side of him, Daniel James and Mason Greenwood could keep their places in the starting line-up from the game against Watford last week, leaving Anthony Martial to lead the line up front.

Predicted XI: De Gea; Wan-Bissaka, Maguire, Lindelof, Shaw; McTominay, Fred; James, Bruno Fernandes, Greenwood; Martial.

Meanwhile, this Man Utd man was more creative than Bruno Fernandes in the win over Watford.

Crystal Palace fans react as Cenk Tosun reportedly of interest to the Eagles

Crystal Palace fans have taken to Twitter to react after it was reported by Bleacher Report that Cenk Tosun – a long-term target of the south Londoners – is once again on their radar.

The Turkey international has made just two Premier League starts this season, scoring one goal, and could well leave Goodison Park in January in a bid to find more game time.

After the sacking of Marco Silva, the 28-year-old may find his fortunes to be different under a new manager, although he has scored just nine Premier League goals in total since his £27m move from Besiktas back in January 2018.

Palace tried to sign Tosun before he moved to Everton, seeing a deadline day move for the physical marksman fail back in the summer of 2017 – the Turk later said that he was glad the move never materialised, and also rejected the Eagles back in January of this year (Gökmen Özcan via Royal Blue Mersey) when the south Londoners made another attempt for his services.

Now, this news has got some supporters chatting on Twitter.

One fan began the discussion by stating that Tosun is “no Jordan Ayew though” in an attempt to outline that the Ghanaian is superior to the Turkish hitman, whereas two more supporters expressed their unhappiness with the rumour – one even called the Toffees frontman a “carthorse”.

Another fan also suggested they weren’t in favour of this move, saying “no way”.

Additionally, two more fans made reference to the fact that Tosun had rejected Palace in the past, saying that “we don’t want you now” after being turned down by the Turk in the past.

Lastly, one other Palace fan began to state the old saying: ‘You made your bed, so lie in it’.

It doesn’t seem as if another swoop for Tosun would go down too well given these responses.

In other news, see what ambitious move Steve Parish attempted to complete over a striker with 83 goals throughout his career.

Ally McCoist is right, fans must be patient with Steven Gerrard

Steven Gerrard’s start to life at Ibrox has been impressive considering the Liverpool legend doesn’t have any top flight experience. 

Disregarding their disappointing Scottish League Cup semi-final loss to Aberdeen, Rangers’ form has been pretty good so far this season and as it stands, Gerrard’s side sit third in the table, five points off league leaders Hearts.

Crucially for Rangers, Gerrard has closed the distance between his side and arch rivals, Celtic and it now looks as though The Gers can compete with Brendan Rodgers’ side.

In Europe too, Rangers have done well and are edging closer to qualifying for the next round of the Europa League.

With a relatively inexperienced manager at the helm, the Rangers fans need to be patient and club legend, Ally McCoist is right to call on the fans to stick by the new boss.

The Breakdown

While Rangers have played well this season, there are still a lot of games to come. In the league, Rangers will face a tough test to win the title as there are five teams that could potentially win the Championship.

Against a Celtic side that has so much experience and talent, taking the title from their rivals will be an extremely tough task. Moreover, with Rangers competing in Europe too, the depth of the squad will certainly be tested.

With the likes of Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos, Gerrard has two superb attacking talents that could take the club to new heights, although the fans must be ready to give Gerrard time.

Thoughts Rangers fans?  

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