Everton fans are still not particularly impressed by Yannick Bolasie, after the tricky winger made up for lost time with a wonderful goal on Saturday.
Yannick Bolasie has been far from impressive since his move to Everton, failing to find form since his unfortunate knee injury.
The 28 year-old winger found the back of the net against Manchester City though, atoning for his earlier close range miss with a beautifully struck second half goal.
Sam Allardyce’s side were swept aside by Manchester City, and fans aren’t exactly delighted with Bolasie or his comments after the match, despite his goal.
“They are a great team and they punished us for a couple of mistakes – but we stuck at it in the second half, did not concede any more goals and scored ourselves and we need to take that into next week,” said Bolasie.
[ad_pod ]
“I am getting there slowly with my form but I still do not think I am where I want to be yet.
“A goal can give me some confidence and so can going toe-to-toe with one of the best full-backs in the league (Kyle Walker).”
Everton were completely undone in the first half on Saturday, and it could have been so different had Bolasie kept his cool when he met Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s cross.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
The 28 year-old will surely keep his place when the Toffees welcome Liverpool to Goodison for what promises to be a fiery derby, though it doesn’t seem like fans are particularly happy with his comments.
Some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…
Sunderland have been sucked into a relegation battle with poor results in recent weeks. The Black Cats are currently five matches without a victory, including three defeats on the bounce. Their failure to score goals has been addressed with the signing of Jermain Defoe, but their defence also needs improving, with the tendency to leak goals no more apparent that the 8-0 thrashing against Southampton in October.
Sunderland could do with some reinforcements this January in order to preserve their Premier League status. Here are FOUR defenders that can help them achieve this:
Dedryck Boyata
The Man City defender – who can play either on the right or in the centre – is now 24 and is in desperate need of first team football. With no opportunities for regular football at Man City coming up anytime soon, a loan move to Sunderland could be just the ticket.
He has only made one Premier League appearance this season – ironically, against Sunderland- and around 50 career appearances in total. A defender with potential, the Belgium international has to get away from City in order to fulfil his talent and should relish the chance to be starter in another Premier League team. With Sunderland needing defenders to bolster a leaky defence, and with Boyata desperately needing first team football, this could well be a perfect match.
Tom Lees
24-year-old Tom Lees was signed by Sheffield Wednesday from Leeds in the summer after making over 100 appearances for the Whites. He has been consistently impressive for Wednesday and has played a key role in their play-off challenge this season. He is part of a defence that have only conceded 23 times in the Championship – the second best record in the division.
The young Owl is capable of in the right side of defence but is primarily a centre back, an area Sunderland are desperate to improve. The Daily Mirror reported earlier this month that Lees could be available for around £3 million, which could prove to be a bargain price. At such a small price for this exciting talent, Sunderland should move in quick to secure his services.
Curtis Davies
29-year-old Davies was linked with a move to the Stadium of Light last month and could well be the type of defender Sunderland are looking for. The Hull City captain has been in and out of the side in recent weeks, although it appears he has won his place back for now at least. But Hull could sell the defender in order to free up some cash to pursue targets of their own.
Davies is a proven leader in the heart of defence and has plenty Premier League experience over the years. He has played over 50 times since joining Hull in 2013 and had spells at West Brom, Aston Villa and Birmingham in the top flight. Davies would certainly add something different to the defence and is an option that manager Gus Poyet should consider strongly.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Virgil Van Dijk
Reports in the Daily Mail have linked 23-year-old Celtic centre back Virgil Van Dijk with a move to the North East this month. The Dutchman joined Celtic in 2013 from Groningen and has an extremely impressive first year at the Scottish Giants.
He played in big role in the defence that went a staggering 1,215 minutes without conceding a goal and has many admirers in the Premier League. He is a defender that looks very comfortable on the ball and has many great attributes including his killer passing range. An exciting prospect at just 23, Van Dijk wouldn’t just offer an adventurous side to the Sunderland defence, but would tighten them up with his improving positioning abilities. The young centre back is a must buy for Sunderland in this window.
Tottenham’s superb recent form in the league has seen them slowly but surely move away from the race for a top-four position this term after opening up a small gap ahead of their rivals and with Sandro recently going as far as to claim that a title challenge wasn’t out of the question still, could they still have a part to play come May?
Under Harry Redknapp last season, Tottenham blew a significant point lead over bitter rivals Arsenal to somehow manage to finish fourth in a three-horse race, briefly threatening to disrupt the Manchester duopoly. This season, though, under the guidance of Andre Villas-Boas, the side have picked up 22 points from their last nine games, winning seven of them, with only league leaders Manchester United picking up more (25 points). Something is clearly going very right at the moment.
Brazilian midfielder Sandro stated after the comeback win away against Sunderland: “Everybody talks about United, City and Chelsea, but never Spurs. We have just won a hard game at Sunderland and Manchester City could not beat them here. We are not content to be just a top-four side. We are looking up the table. But no-one is talking about Spurs as champions and that suits us. I hope it carries on like that until the end of the season and then bang! We are there. We believe we are as good as the top teams.”
This prompted some mocking responses from plenty of fans of rival clubs, but are they really that far away from challenging the top two? Considering the rate of change at the club over the past six months, with a new training ground, style of play, formation and management team, not to mention losing the hub of their midfield in Luka Modric, that they’ve managed to be so consistent of late speaks volumes for the job that the Portuguese man at the helm has done.
I’ve always been a big supporter of Villas-Boas and have found the hatchet job that the media have done on him both unprofessional and deeply personal; they don’t like him, that much is clear, but their reasons are not football-based, rather solely to do with self-interest and their own fragile egos. I’ve seen the man walk up to respected football journalist Brian Glanville before and shake him by the hand and warmly wish him a happy Christmas, the image we often get is of a bumbling, clueless clown and it couldn’t be further from the truth.
Quietly, Moussa Dembele and Sandro have come to form the best central midfield partnership in the division taking over the mantle from last season’s equally dynamic pairing of Yohan Cabaye and Cheick Tiote, while on the wings both Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon have been exceptional. Up top Jermain Defoe has been consistent and Emmanuel Adebayor is working his way back to full fitness, while they’ve coped reasonably well with the long-term absences of key duo Younes Kaboul and Benoit Assou-Ekotto at the back, with summer signing Jan Vertonghen proving an astute piece of business.
They still require more strength in depth (how many times have we said that these past few years?) but they look only a handful of top class players away from being a true force to be reckoned with. While Sandro may have left himself open to ridicule with his bold statement, it could very well apply to next season, even if it looks like they’ve left themselves too much to do this term and having such lofty ambitions is a positive approach to adopt.
There’s still a suspicion of a soft underbelly to the side, which capitulations against Everton and Manchester City clearly point to, but wins over Manchester United and Sunderland show that there’s just as much of battling spirit on display too and it’s all about keeping that consistency up, with Dembele absolutely vital to their hopes as perhaps the single most important player to any one side in the entire league.
They have come out of the busy festive period extremely well with ten points out of a possible 12; a time that often sorts the wheat from the chaff, but it’s around March and April time where their credentials will really be put to the test where they face Arsenal at home, Liverpool away, Fulham at home, Swansea away, Everton at home, Chelsea away, Manchester City at home and Wigan away in a truly daunting run of fixtures; should they come away from that potentially season-defining sequence with a similar tally that that they have just won themselves with their great form recently, then Sandro might not be looking so silly after all.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
This is a campaign of transition for the club, just as it is for many others like Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea, but Tottenham could be the biggest winners out of all of them with some genuine room for movement up for grabs in the higher echelons of the top flight for the first time in recent memory. There’s plenty still to improve upon, but they are heading in the right direction and can take great satisfaction from the giant strides they have made this season. A title challenge looks beyond this term, but with a bit of tinkering here and there and a strong end to the campaign, it could be a feasible possibility come this time next year.
West Ham United have been without the services of Pedro Obiang since the midfielder picked up a serious knee injury against Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup towards the end of January.
The 26-year-old has missed Premier League matches against Crystal Palace, Brighton & Hove Albion, Watford, Liverpool, Swansea City and Burnley, and it will not come a surprise to learn that the Hammers have lost four of those six fixtures in his absence.
Obiang, whose standout moment of the season came when he scored a stunner against Tottenham Hotspur on January 4, will miss the remainder of the 2017-18 campaign.
[ad_pod ]
It was the midfielder’s birthday on Tuesday, and West Ham had a special birthday message waiting for him.
The club’s vice-chairman David Gold also tweeted about Obiang earlier in the day, and that gave the Hammers supporters the chance to reveal their views on the former Sampdoria midfielder, who would surely consider his future if West Ham were relegated this season.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
A selection of the Twitter reaction can be found below:
Arsenal star Jack Wilshere is facing three months on the sidelines due to the ankle injury sustained against Manchester United, Mirror reports.
The Gunners midfielder may require surgery on his ankle ligaments to fix the problem, but even if the Englishman doesn’t go under the knife then manager Arsene Wenger will be without Wilshere eight weeks.
WANT MORE? >> Arsenal Transfer News | Latest Transfer News
The 22-year-old has just recovered from another problem but has not suffered a similar injury to French right-back Mathieu Debuchy, who was out since September.
This will come as a huge blow for Wilshere and his manager, as the England international has been in good form for both club and country.
Wenger said: “It does not look good. When you see the picture (of the tackle), it is very bad.
“I don’t think it was a tackle with the desire to hurt, I think he [McNair] went for the ball. But it was a late tackle, a tackle which a young player can do. It was a bad foul.
“There is no bone damage, we knew that straight away after the game, but there is ligament damage. I hope it will not be surgery, just in a boot. But it will be a few weeks. But after that mentally he won’t care too much.
“It is just the extension of how much it is, which we should know Tuesday or Wednesday (of next week).
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
“It is so sad, because he just came back. You see in the big games he has the personality. It is more about his game, it shows you he is not scared to play and is ready to want to get the ball always.”
Arsenal will try to overcome their 2-1 loss to Man United when they face Borussia Dortmund in a Champions League clash on Wednesday.
A Wes Hoolahan inspired Norwich stretched their unbeaten run to 10 games with victory over Wigan at Carrow Road.
Chris Hughton’s men haven’t tasted defeat in the Premier League since a trip to Chelsea at the start of October and are now daring to dream of Europe after moving up to seventh in the table, two points shy of a Champions League place.
The Latics, on the other hand, find themselves struggling at the wrong end of the table and remain in the bottom three after a fifth defeat in seven games leaves them precariously placed heading into Christmas.
An inability to contain the lively Hoolahan was a major factor in their fruitless trip to East Anglia and the 30-year-old was heavily involved as the Canaries broke the deadlock on the quarter hour.
Emerson Boyce got caught in two minds and was dispossessed by Hoolahan, who then picked out Anthony Pilkington’s run with a brilliant through ball that allowed the winger to steady himself and lash the ball past Ali Al-Habsi.
Pilkington then blasted wide after Al-Habsi fumbled a routine catch before the Latics keeper produced a superb one-handed save to prevent Robert Snodgrass’ header from finding the corner.
The away side stepped up their game after the break and were level with six minutes of the restart as substitute Shaun Maloney angled his drive away from Mark Bunn after being set up by Arouna Kone.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
It was their first away goal since Ben Watson’s winner against Tottenham on 3 November and that increased momentum almost brought a second but Mauro Boselli couldn’t covert Maloney’s low cross.
And within 13 minutes Norwich were back in front. Pilkington beat Boyce on the left and delivered a pinpoint cross for Hoolahan to plant a firm header past Al-Habsi to secure a third league win in a row.
Leeds United had to settle for a point in the English Championship on Saturday, drawing 2-2 with Reading despite making a comeback to take the lead in the match.
Pontus Jansson and Pablo Hernandez both scored to overturn a 1-0 deficit before Eunan O’Kane scored an own goal at the other end to ensure the two sides shared the spoils.
With not much left to play for this season, the closing stages of the Championship are all about improvement for the Whites, but fans are growing increasingly frustrated with performances under Paul Heckingbottom.
The Leeds boss is still getting to grips with his squad but fans were left bemused by his decision to play Caleb Ekuban against the Royals.
The 23-year-old has now made 12 Championship appearances and has failed to find the net once, again looking below the standard required on Saturday.
Fans have no faith he can turn his career at Elland Road around and took to Twitter to share their thoughts on his performance…
Detested by the supporters, unloved by his players and seemingly even lost the previously unbreakable faith of owner Mike Ashley, a few weeks ago, Newcastle boss Alan Pardew had pulled away from the rest of the pack in the Premier League’s sack race.But a handful of decent results has seen the Magpies jump up the league table to the far more respectable position of 14th place – two points clear of the relegation zone and only three points behind Manchester United.Indeed, opposition to Pardew was relentless and ferocious at the start of the season – but was it all a little premature?We at Football Fancast believe its time Newcastle fans gave Pardew another chance – admittedly, there have beenÂnumberÂalready since he took the Magpies hotseat in 2010 – and to prove our point, here’s FOUR reasons why.
[ffc-gallery]CLICK ON PARDS TO REVEAL
[/ffc-gallery]
He’s got the players playing for him
A few weeks ago, it seemed as if Newcastle had assembled a squad that simply didn’t care about the club’s Premier League status or Alan Pardew’s fate as manager.
But recent results, starting with the Magpies’ impressive two-goal comeback to claim a point against Swansea City (highlights below) suggests the players are indeed playing for the 53 year-old.
//www.youtube.com/embed/HE6MsKzlYDE?rel=0
One can question the quality of the squad and indeed Pardew’s often overly direct tactics, but clearly he’s motivating the players in the right manner. Another two-goal comeback against Spurs saw Newcastle bag their first victory of the season on Sunday.
//www.youtube.com/embed/tXUPL5mfqEk?rel=0
Consider the recent form of Papiss Cisse for example. He bagged just ten goals over the last few seasons but has already netted four times this year, reinvigorated by the cause of saving Pardew’s bacon, including this near-post strike against Hull City:
There’s still a long way to go until Alan Pardew has the Senegal striker rekindling some of the magic from his debut season however:
He’s performed well considering the circumstances
Football – Stoke City v Newcastle United – Barclays Premier League – Britannia Stadium – 29/9/14Newcastle fans with banners in reference to manager Alan PardewMandatory Credit: Action Images / Alex MortonLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please contact your account represen
Newcastle haven’t enjoyed the positive start to the season many fans would have liked, but few managers in world football are working under tougher circumstances than Alan Pardew.
Clearly, his control over transfer policy is minimal, forced to surrender the likes of Yohan Cabaye, Demba Ba, Andy Carroll and Mathieu Debuchy since taking over at Tyneside in 2010, whilst a series of low-budget, unproven signings have been brought in as replacements.
This summer for example, 14-goal loanee striker Loic Remy was replaced by Facundo Ferreyra, Ayoze Perez and Emmanuel Riviere – three front-men all aged 24 or younger who have never set foot in the Premier League before.
Unsurprisingly, Perez is the only one to hit the onion bag so far this season, grabbing the winnger against Spurs:
Likewise, few managers in the history of the Premier League have put up with as much resistance from the fanbase as the Newcastle gaffer. There’s a whole website dedicated to getting him fired, regularly handing out Sack-Pardew-propaganda at every match:
And just listen to the level of abuse he received during Newcastle’s defeat to Southampton after just two games of the current season:
//www.youtube.com/embed/QQ9riwqUYsA?rel=0
All things considered, Pardew deserves praise – not further criticism – for improving results after his side’s poor start to the campaign.
He’s going nowhere soon
Like him, hate him, or even if you’re the only Newcastle fan that loves him, it’s abundantly clear that Alan Pardew won’t be sacked any time soon.
Mike Ashley has already had ample opportunities to relieve the 53 year-old of his duties and decided not to, during the summer for example,after Newcastle bagged just 16 points from their final 19 games last season.
Or when the Magpies boss received a seven-match ban for ‘headbutting’ Hull City’s David Meylor in March:
//www.youtube.com/embed/_EhLp-cnvsA?rel=0
Or when Newcastle spent the 2012/13 season staving off relegation, losing 19 games and finishing just five points clear of the drop zone.
But with Pardew declaring he’s never even discussed his future with the Newcastle Owner back in September, and Ashley reportedly having to hand the 53 year-old a £5million pay-out if he decides to sack him…
…it’s likely Pardew will see out the remainder of his six-year contract.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
So, for the benefit of the players and the club as a whole, Newcastle fans may as well accept they’re stuck with Pardew for the next few years and begin supporting him.
Are the alternatives any better?
Football – Tottenham Hotspur v Sunderland – Barclays Premier League – White Hart Lane – 7/4/14Tottenham’s Emmanuel Adebayor (L) celebrates scoring their fourth goal with manager Tim Sherwood (R)Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Matthew ChildsLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications.
A recent poll revealed that a staggering 85% of Newcastle fans want Pardew out, but would the grass actually be greener with another boss at the helm?
Local boy Steve Bruce has already ruled himself out of the running as next Tyneside manager, even before the position has officially become available:
The next-best option is former Manchester United manager David Moyes, but he only appears interested in managing a European club:
Then we’re entering the realms of Glenn Hoddle, Alan Curbishley and Tim Sherwood – absolute gambles considering only Sherwood has managed a Premier League club since 2008, and even that was under rather fortuitous circumstances.
Furthermore, all of these suggestions are largely hypothetical. Pardew’s management career was all-but over when he and Mike Ashley bumped into each other in 2010, allegedly at a casino, and its likely any Pardew replacement approved by the Magpies owner will be equally unpopular and obscure.
Everton are lining up a January loan deal for Manchester City winger Scott Sinclair, according to reports from The Metro.
The 23-year-old signed for the Premier League champions during the summer, but has, as of yet, failed to force himself into the starting XI.
This has tempted the Toffees, who feel that they may be able to lure him to Goodison Park for six months with the prospect of regular first-team football.
City are rumoured to be willing to allow their £8m man to leave on a temporary basis to gain experience, however it is thought that Sinclair is keen to fight for his place at the Etihad Stadium.
But, having made only two league starts this term, the former Swansea star may change his mind, especially if the Sky Blues draft in a big money star during January.
QPR are also thought to be interested, but the prospect of fighting for European qualification may be more tempting than a possible relegation dogfight with the London club.
One potential stumbling block could be Sinclair’s wage demands, which Everton boss David Moyes is rumoured to unwilling to match.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
If a compromise between the two clubs could be agreed then the Merseyside team would be keen to push through a deal.
Sinclair enjoyed a fine season with Swansea last term, helping the South Wales outfit maintain their top-tier status.
Few Championship centre-backs have been more consistent than James Chester over the last couple of seasons.
Indeed, the former Manchester United youngster was impressive during his 45 league appearances for Villa last season, and he has been outstanding for the club this term.
The 29-year-old captained Villa in the absence of John Terry earlier this season, and has shown an incredible level of consistency during his 34 Championship appearances during the 2017-18 campaign.
When Villa’s official Twitter account posted an image of Chester on Wednesday afternoon, it was always going to bring messages of praise from the club’s supporters.
Alongside Terry, Chester, who is valued at £7.2m by transfermarkt.co.uk, has had a fine campaign for Steve Bruce’s side.
The former Premier League club are really pushing for a return to the top flight, and Chester has been key to their rise up the table in recent weeks.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
A selection of Twitter reaction to the 29-time Wales international can be found below: