Everton have lost their fourth game in a row after conceding a 1-0 defeat to Wolves this afternoon.
Now, Frank Lampard and his side are in an extremely vulnerable position joint on 22 points with 18th place Watford, adding pressure to their Premier League campaign in the final months of the season.
Yet again, the Toffees failed to make an impact in their pursuit to pick up points with the team running out of chances to keep their necks above water from falling into the drop zone, and they’re currently on the path to falling from the top flight for the first time in 51 years.
The story of Everton’s season has been the nightmarish defensive performances that have been put on display on several occasions so far, and it is clear Lampard is struggling to find the formula needed to inspire his defenders to see out games.
One player who has let the defensive line down time and time again this season is the captain, Seamus Coleman.
He has completely failed to lead his line and inspire his team to be more successful, something of which he is also unable to do for himself with repeated poor performances, and the Wolves clash at Goodison Park continued to prove that.
According to SofaScore, Coleman had the joint lowest rating in the team (6.6) and for good reason. The right-back lost possession of the ball every three touches against Bruno Lage’s side, made only 18 passes, while making no interceptions and no clearances during his 90-minute performance.
The £68k-per-week dud is clearly on his way out in terms of being able to provide Everton with not only the defensive impact they need, but the ability to lead his side to better prospects. When you consider that he could captain the side to their first ever Premier League relegation, it puts a huge question mark as to whether he is the man to continue to lead the team in the future, no matter the outcome of the season.
Lampard must move forward and find a way to motivate his team to continue to take on the challenge with commitment, as the side will face Newcastle United in another home game at Goodison Park on Thursday evening.
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This could be their last chance to put some distance between themselves and the relegation zone, performing in one out of their three games in hand is the lifeline Everton can’t afford to neglect.
In other news: Lampard must do everything to keep Richarlison
Following one and a half seasons in which he bagged 13 goals and registered four assists over reported to be interested in signing a 17-year-old Luka Jovic back in 2016.
Indeed, having become Red Star Belgrade’s youngster ever goalscorer at the age of 16, the centre-forward quickly established himself as one of the most exciting prospects in European football, with both Spurs and Arsenal believed to be keen on securing a deal for the teenager who had already been compared to Radamel Falcao.
Ultimately, Daniel Levy would miss out on a move for the teenager – who Red Star Belgrade general director, Zvezdan Terzic, claimed would “become the best striker in Europe” – to Portuguese giants Benfica, who paid Red Star £5.94m for the striker’s services in January of 2016.
However, after failing to break into the Eagles’ first-team side, Jovic was subsequently sent on a two-year loan to Eintracht Frankfurt, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Indeed, over his 75 appearances for Frankfurt in this 24-month period, the youngster exploded, becoming one of the most deadly players in Germany by scoring 36 goals and providing his teammates with nine assists – form which led to Jovic earning a considerable amount of praise, none more so than from the former Serbia coach, Mladen Krstajic.
Speaking about the striker back in 2019, Krstajic said:
“He’s a classic goal-getter with great control of the ball and a good understanding of the game. I’d probably compare him to Luis Suarez. He’s courageous and dangerous at any moment because he’s always lying in wait for his chance or any inattention from the opponent.
“He sometimes appears impassive or lacklustre, but that’s even more deceptive for defenders and makes him even more of a threat. Jovic has adapted to football in the Bundesliga much quicker than many probably expected.”
Meanwhile, Eintracht CEO of sport, Fredi Bobic, also said of the centre-forward: “Luka’s development with us has been very pleasing. He’s a player with exceptional ability.”
So impressive was the 24-year-old during his temporary stay in the Bundesliga that, shortly after Frankfurt’s permanent signing of him in the summer of 2019, Real Madrid paid the German outfit €60m (£52.4m) in order to take the Serbian to the Santiago Bernabeu.
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As such, despite the fact that Madrid are now reportedly willing to sell the £152k-per-week forward for a figure of around €40m (£33m), it is nevertheless clear for all to see that Levy had a nightmare when failing to land Jovic back in 2016 – as not only have Spurs missed out on a potentially massive payday on the striker, but also a player who boasts an incredible eye for goal and possesses a great amount of potential.
AND in other news: Conte can axe “disinterested” £74k-p/w flop as Spurs eye £35m ace who “has everything”
Before pushing up to the Premier League, Leeds United’s transfer business has now been thankfully exposed to be full of many hits, rather than misses.
While Daniel Farke has reminded the Elland Road faithful that there is a “long road” ahead for survival, it cannot be understated how much of an influence the likes of Anton Stach have had on proceedings, with the summer signing from Hoffenheim’s delightful free-kick sealing a big 4-1 win over Crystal Palace last time out.
Additionally, Jaka Bijol has also finally arrived at the party in recent contests, after an initially wobbly start, winning a commanding 25 duels across December to date.
Still, it goes without saying at this point that Dominic Calvert-Lewin is the pick of the bunch when it comes to the influential recruits, with the free transfer of the ex-Everton marksman going down as an unbelievable steal.
The stats behind Calvert-Lewin's start at Leeds
Staggeringly, Calvert-Lewin is now the only player in Leeds’ history to score in each of his team’s five final league matches before Christmas, as the festive period has proven to be a fruitful time for the revitalised goalscorer.
Indeed, the often injury-prone 28-year-old has looked a man reborn in West Yorkshire, with seven Premier League goals now next to his name from just 15 appearances.
DCL’s PL form – 24/25 vs 25/26
Stat
24/25
25/26
Games played
26
15
Goals scored
3
7
Assists
1
0
Scoring frequency
543 mins
147 mins
Goal conversion %
6%
21%
Stats by Sofascore
It has been a very sharp turnaround in fortunes for Farke’s leading man, with the overjoyed German hailing him as an “unbelievable” player to work with, after his late equalising header against Brentford.
On the contrary, towards the end of his long-standing Everton spell, he was simply written off as a wasteful attacker well accustomed to the treatment room, with only three league strikes coming his way last season.
Now, however, he’s a number nine in a rich vein of form, with a goal coming his way in league action every 147 minutes. Moreover, he has been unbelievably effective in front of goal, with Calvert-Lewin only needing three shots in total to pick up a whirlwind double against the Eagles.
Therefore, it’s an argument that is hard to pick holes in when you state that Calvert-Lewin is Leeds’ best signing of the season. Yet, there is one figure who could be considered an even better signing than the Sheffield-born talisman.
Leeds star is a better signing than Calvert-Lewin
Leeds fans might well err on the side of caution when it comes to waxing too lyrical about their new favourite target-man, with Calvert-Lewin prone to barren patches of form, but also many recurring injury troubles.
The proof will soon be in the pudding if he can keep this up for a full Premier League season, with Ethan Ampadu, on the contrary, now three seasons down when it comes to delivering some top-drawer performances at Elland Road.
Farke’s top five most-used Leeds players
Player
Games
Goals + Assists
1. Joe Rodon
115
3 + 0
2. Joel Piroe
107
33 + 10
3. Ethan Ampadu
101
3 + 2
4. Wilfried Gnonto
100
18 + 12
5. Daniel James
94
25 + 17
Sourced by Transfermarkt
The table above reinforces how crucial Ampadu has been as one of Farke’s main heartbeats in West Yorkshire, with the Welshman now up to 101 games and counting under the German’s long-standing Whites tenure.
While he doesn’t boast anywhere near the same levels of output as Calvert-Lewin, Ampadu has still more than played his part in Leeds’ recent successes, with the £7m once splashed out on his services immediately justified last season, as his 16 clean sheets as a rock-solid midfield anchor helped Leeds return to the Premier League as emphatic champions.
He has also worn the captain’s armband with heaps of passion and bravery since pushing Leeds up to the top-flight, with the goal instinctively fired home by the ex-Chelsea youngster against Palace, capping off a tremendous all-round display, with a mighty 11 tackles and duels also won. Without this steel week in week out, Calvert-Lewin’s goals might ultimately count for nothing.
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Farke has rightly recognised how crucial of a glue Ampadu has been for his side over recent seasons, by noting in the build-up to the Sunderland contest to come that he is “one of the best midfielders in the league”, for how well-rounded and lively he is, with the ex-Norwich City boss also lauding him as a “cornerstone” centrally.
Of course, Calvert-Lewin’s contributions in recent matches have been more obvious, as goals are what catch the eye.
But, Ampadu has also been sensational to watch across Leeds’ December upturn in results, with the 25-year-old keen to secure survival for his beloved side, to not only strengthen his label as a favourite amongst supporters, but also in his manager’s good books.
18 months after leaving Leeds, £22m star is a bigger talent than Archie Gray
This former Leeds United prodigy has turned into an even more exciting talent than Archie Gray since exiting Elland Road.
Having joined Aston Villa from Ligue 1 outfit Marseille in January 2021, midfielder Morgan Sanson has endured a tricky first year at Villa Park to say the least.
The Frenchman joined the West Midlands club for a fee reported to be around £16m with Dean Smith the manager and the Villans hoping to secure a top-half finish after a strong first half of the Premier League campaign.
Fast forward to now and Dean Smith is no longer manager, with Steven Gerrard taking the reigns in November, and Villa just missed out on the top half, finishing 11th.
Furthermore, since signing Sanson has managed to make just 16 appearances for the Villans in all competitions, seven of which have come this season, with his first year in England proving tough.
More recently, Sanson was publicised not for an impressive performance but for an outburst caught by the Sky Sports cameras after the Frenchman was substituted in Villa’s 2-2 draw against Manchester United last month.
The 27-year-old gave possession away to the Red Devils who subsequently scored through Bruno Fernandes to give themselves a 2-0 lead before Gerrard opted to replace Sanson with Philippe Coutinho, who went on to score the decisive equaliser.
The midfielder reacted to his withdrawal by kicking a water bottle into the stands out of frustration and hasn’t played a single minute for the Villans since.
There have been numerous occasions when the £47k per-week Frenchman has failed to make the squad let alone the bench in the Premier League for Villa this campaign, with the draw against United just Sanson’s second start of the season.
Having lost 1-0 to strugglers Watford on Saturday afternoon, the West Midlands side have now won just two of their last ten matches, with Sanson failing to come off of the bench in the four games since the Manchester United game.
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Moreover, despite Gerrard’s side needing a change in fortune and potentially personnel, it has to be argued that it seems unlikely that the midfielder will see much game time before the end of the season with Douglas Luiz, John McGinn, Jacob Ramsey and Carney Chukwuemeka ahead in the pecking order as well as Marvelous Nakamba set to return from injury in April.
Having blown his chance to impress against Manchester United, you wonder how many more opportunities Sanson will get. What is for sure though, is that if another is to come the Frenchman’s way, it has to be taken with both hands, otherwise, it should be au revoir in the summer.
In other news: 90% duels lost: Villa flop who made just 17 passes let Gerrard down massively vs Watford
Leeds United have been handed a potentially huge boost ahead of their Premier League run-in.
What’s the latest?
In a recent post on Twitter, The Athletic’s Phil Hay provided a number of updates on Leeds United’s stricken first-team squad members, after the Whites suffered a series of setbacks in the 3-2 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Friday evening.
However, one player who was a surprise absence from the trip to Molineux was Raphinha, with Hay revealing after the game that the right-winger was unavailable for selection due to illness – something that could subsequently see the 25-year-old miss out on Brazil’s World Cup Qualifying fixtures against Chile and Bolivia on March 25 and March 30.
In his tweet, the journalist said: “Raphinha – could miss Brazil duty with [a viral illness].”
Marsch will be buzzing
While it is never pleasant to learn that a player has fallen ill, especially if it rules them out of representing their country, considering the fact that Leeds essentially have eight fixtures in which they must position themselves as far away from the relegation zone as possible coming up over the next two months, the fact Raphinha could be ruled out of a trip to Brazil is sure to have left Jesse Marsch buzzing.
Indeed, over his 27 Premier League appearances so far this season, the £36m-rated forward has arguably been the Whites’ most important player, scoring nine goals, registering three assists and creating nine big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 2.7 shots and making 2.1 key passes per game.
These returns have seen the £63k-per-week sensation average an extremely impressive SofaScore match rating of 6.97, ranking him as the club’s third-best performer in the top flight of English football.
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As such, the possibility of Raphinha remaining at Thorp Arch over the international break would undoubtedly come as a huge boost to Marsch and his side, as, by not making the trip to Brazil, not only would the winger be afforded a well-earned rest, it would also significantly reduce the chances of the 25-year-old picking up an injury, or even just returning to Leeds in a fatigued state at the end of the month.
AND in other news: Beren Cross reveals huge behind the scenes Leeds decision, Jesse Marsch will be fuming
Since Sir Alex Ferguson left Manchester United back in 2013, the club have massively underachieved, both on and off the pitch.
One of those off-pitch areas has been in the transfer market, with the board sanctioning huge transfer fees for players who did not work out.
There have certainly been more poor signings than successful ones, with United splashing the cash on players who were simply not good enough to play for the club. A lot of those have now moved on, with a huge reshape of the squad happening since INEOS took charge. Even then, their regime has hardly got many additions spot on.
One of the worst pre-INEOS purchases was surely Antony.
Why Antony was such a poor signing for United
Erik ten Hag tended to rely a lot on signing players he knew, either from personal experience coaching them at Ajax or from managing against them. Brazilian winger Antony was a big-money addition from Ten Hag’s former club but failed to ever live up to the hype.
After splashing a whopping £81.3m on the Sao Paulo-born attacker, he never managed to prove his worth. Antony played 96 times for United, but only managed to find the back of the net 12 times, and assisted a further five goals.
One of the real issues with Antony was the fact that he was so one-dimensional. The 25-year-old was described as a “one-trick pony” by Paul Scholes. That one trick was to cut inside on his left foot from the right wing and look to get a shot at goal.
As his record shows, it proved largely ineffective for the Red Devils. They loaned him out to La Liga side Real Betis last season, and he joined permanently this summer, where he already has more goal involvements.
For the price and the quality of player, it was always going to be tough for Antony at Old Trafford. Now, they might be seeing a repeat in Ruben Amorim’s current squad.
Man United facing an Antony repeat
INEOS have definitely had a better success rate with their signings than the previous owners, with the likes of Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha already evidence of that. However, they haven’t got everything right in the market.
One of the players in that category would certainly be Manuel Ugarte. He cost the Red Devils £50m from Paris Saint-Germain, and has never really managed to establish himself as a first-team regular under either Ten Hag or Ruben Amorim.
His performances have certainly been below par for the price the 13-time Premier League champions paid for him. Journalist Samuel Luckhurst, who covers United, even went as far as calling him “scandalous” for his dire performance against Aston Villa last Sunday.
He’s played 57 games for the club, and whilst he has chipped in with six goals and assists, he has been underwhelming. United have lost seven out of the last seven Premier League games he’s started, which is certainly an unwanted record.
Whilst Ugarte is known as a ball winner, one of the biggest limitations to his game is his ability in possession. The stats from last season in the Premier League show there is no upside to his game on the ball, averaging just 3.08 progressive passes per game, placing him in the bottom 18% of midfielders.
Ugarte stats on the ball 24/25 PL
Stat (per 90)
Number
Percentile
Passes completed
40.34
52nd
Key passes
0.5
13th
Passes into final third
2.97
36th
Progressive passes
3.08
18th
Progressive carries
0.81
23rd
Stats from FBref
With the emergence of Lisandro Martinez in defensive midfield against Villa, Amorim might well decide it is time to drop Ugarte from the starting lineup. The Uruguayan is simply not good enough on the ball, and is a habitual fouler, too, committing as many as four last weekend.
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He has certainly been a signing, like Antony, that could be considered a disaster deal. For the same price, the Red Devils could have brought in a better midfielder last summer, with more quality on the ball and better intelligence off it.
It will be fascinating to see what the rest of his United career looks like, but one thing is for sure, Ugarte has been a disaster of a signing so far.
Sesko's dream player: Man Utd in "advanced" talks to sign big-money PL star
Manchester United look set to make a move for a top-level Premier League star this January.
Crystal Palace and Newcastle United are both keen on signing Barcelona youngster Marc Casado.
The Lowdown: Casado profiled
Casado is just 18 years of age and captains Barcelona’s Under-19 side. However, he is out of contract with the Catalan giants in a matter of months and actually shares the same agent as Palace forward Jordan Ayew.
The Spaniard is primarily a central midfielder but can also play in a holding role and has even trained with the first team under Xavi Hernandez, perhaps the best possible mentor for a young, technical midfielder.
The Latest: Palace interest
Sports Witness relayed a story from Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo on Wednesday regarding Casado. They claimed that both Palace and Newcastle are watching the midfielder and are best placed to sign the player on a free transfer in the summer.
The report does add that Casado would need to secure a work permit ahead of a possible move to the Premier League.
The Verdict: One to watch…
It seems as if sporting director Dougie Freedman is tracking Casado closely ahead of a possible free transfer swoop to bolster Patrick Vieira’s midfield options.
Securing Casado’s services ahead of Newcastle could be a shrewd move in the long-term, and it would be interesting to see what Vieira would do with the youngster if he moved to Selhurst Park.
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Casado is yet to feature for Barcelona’s first-team, so he could well get his first taste of senior action in Palace colours, with a cut-price move possibly one to keep an eye on over the coming months.
In other news: Palace and John Textor now hit with off-field blow as news emerges.
Wolves defender Max Kilman is one of the best defenders in the country and could receive an England call-up, according to journalist Dean Jones.
The Lowdown: Kilman excelling for Wolves
Bruno Lage’s side have been an expertly-drilled defensive outfit throughout this season, with numerous players standing out. Kilman has arguably been as good as anyone, starting 25 Premier League games and averaging 3.6 clearances per match during the campaign.
The 24-year-old is still awaiting his first England cap, but with another international break arriving next month, he will be hoping that changes, having recently been linked with a move to Chelsea.
The Latest: Kilman tipped for England call-up
Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones backed Kilman to be part of Gareth Southgate’s setup, claiming that there are few, if any, better players in his position at the moment in England.
The journalist claimed: “Debatably, he’s England’s most in-form defender right now. He’s been so good for so long that he’s genuinely one of the best defenders in this country. Even though he hasn’t been in the England team, he will become part of that conversation.”
[freshpress-quiz id=“388797″]
The Verdict: World Cup starter?
Kilman would be fully deserving of an England call-up, having been such a consistent performer all season long, also being hailed as ‘outstanding’ by Conor Coady.
On current form, it is hard to argue against him starting for England regularly, especially as Southgate often plays with three at the back, as do Wolves.
Kilman is unquestionably in better form than someone like Harry Maguire, while John Stones and Joe Gomez are struggling for playing time at Manchester City and Liverpool respectively.
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With the 2022 World Cup looming, the Wolves colossus will surely be eyeing up a place in England’s squad – if his current form continues, that should be a given.
In other news, Tim Spiers has admitted that one Wolves player is in ‘bad’ form. Find out who it is here.
Leeds United forward Sam Greenwood has returned to action in what is Jesse Marsch’s first injury boost as manager, Lee Sobot reports.
The Lowdown: Greenwood’s absence
Greenwood had been out of action since January after making his first senior start for the Whites.
Marcelo Bielsa handed the 20-year-old the chance to lead the line against West Ham in the FA Cup but he had to make way at half-time with a knee problem.
The forward, labelled as a player with ‘immense’ ability by Noel Whelan, then underwent successful surgery on the issue and was teasing a return on social media in recent weeks.
The Latest: Sobot’s post
Sobot, of The Yorkshire Evening Post, took to Twitter on Monday evening to confirm Greenwood’s return to action.
He relayed news of Greenwood starting for the Under-23’s against Tottenham, with the striker scoring a penalty in a 1-1 draw at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The Verdict: Good news
Although Greenwood is yet to make a start in the Premier League for Leeds, his return to action is good news. Marsch will still be without star striker Patrick Bamford in his first game in charge against Leicester City this weekend, so knowing that Greenwood is back from injury is a boost.
The American may well switch to a 4-2-2-2 system from Bielsa’s 4-1-4-1 formation, which could well result in more chances for the likes of Greenwood and Joe Gelhardt.
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Only time will tell if Marsch plans to include Greenwood in his plans, but it wouldn’t come as a shock if he was back in the matchday squad at the King Power Stadium.
In other news: ‘According to insider sources’ – Report claims Leeds chief set to ‘resign’ in Bielsa aftermath.
According to TEAMtalk, West Ham are among a host of clubs interested in signing RSC Anderlecht midfielder Josh Cullen.
The lowdown: A return on the cards?
The 25-year-old ace left the Hammers for Belgium in 2020 in a move worth a reported £900,000 (Soccerbase).
Having come through the ranks at West Ham before making ten senior outings, Cullen was allowed to leave the club at the same time as Jeremy Ngakia and Grady Diangana.
Since then, the Republic of Ireland international, who was born in Westcliffe-on-Sea, has become a mainstay in Vincent Kompany’s Anderlecht side – missing just 22 minutes of action in the Jupiler Pro League this season.
Now, Irons boss David Moyes could attempt to bring Cullen back to his boyhood club…
The latest: English eyes watching
As per the report from TEAMtalk, West Ham, alongside Premier League rivals Wolves, Crystal Palace, Leeds United, Burnley, Southampton and Norwich have all been ‘following the progress’ of the central midfielder in Belgium.
Meanwhile, Championship duo Fulham and Sheffield United are also interested in a move for the 12-cap ace who has made 41 appearances across all competitions in 2021/22.
The report also claims that the Hammers have been ‘keeping abreast’ of their former academy prospect’s development ‘ahead of a ‘potential return’ to the London Stadium.
The verdict: Never go back?
As Moyes looks to strengthen the squad in the summer market, particularly in the midfield department with Alex Kral’s future in doubt, adding the durable Irish star to the ranks would be a shrewd move.
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Whilst the report doesn’t mention a fee, valued at just £3.15million and under contract until 2023 (Transfermarkt), it’s unlikely that a move for Cullen would be an expensive venture.
Having recently spoken of a desire and indeed a ‘dream’ to return to England and play in the Premier League, signing the man once hailed as ‘outstanding’ by Lee Bowyer whilst on loan at Charlton Athletic would be a wholly feasible option.
In other news: Moyes eyes move for ‘magnificent’ EPL full-back, find out more here.