Category Uncategorized

Everton have reportedly contacted Manuel Pellegrini about potentially becoming their new manager.

The Lowdown: Everton still searching

The Goodison Park faithful are still searching for a coach to replace Carlo Ancelotti, who has left the Merseyside club to go and manage Real Madrid.

As per the Daily Mail, Nuno Espirito Santo is still the overwhelming favourite to take charge, but Rafa Benitez, Christophe Galtier, Graham Potter and Roberto Martinez have also been named as potential successors to Ancelotti.

The Latest: Everton eye Pellegrini

According to the Daily Mail, Pellegrini has emerged as another potential target for the Toffees, and has been contacted by intermediaries over the vacant manager’s job.

The news outlet also recalls that Farhad Moshiri spoke to him back in 2016 when he was looking for a replacement for Martinez, who is now the boss of the Belgium national team and will be taking charge of them in Euro 2020.

The Verdict: Pellegrini a good option

Pellegrini is certainly a good option for the Blues, having already shown his credentials in the Premier League by winning the title with Manchester City back in the 2013/14 season.

More recently, the Chilean has done very well with Real Betis, guiding them to a sixth-placed finish in La Liga and thus gaining a UEFA Europa League spot.

At 67 years of age, having also managed the likes of Real Madrid and West Ham United, Pellegrini is clearly very experienced, and so would emulate Ancelotti in this sense.

However, there are other good candidates, and so EFC should not rush into such a decision just yet, with plenty of younger and fresher options perhaps more enticing.

In other news, find out what manager update has left Toffees fuming here!

The Western Australian Cricket Association (WACA) and BankWest have mutually agreed that the 15-year-sponsorship agreement between them will not be extended.

Western Australia Cricket Association20-May-2002The Western Australian Cricket Association (WACA) and BankWest have mutually agreed that the 15-year-sponsorship agreement between them will not be extended.BankWest became associated with the WACA in 1987 as part of an arrangement to provide funding for the redevelopment of the WACA Ground and long-term sponsorship, including naming rights sponsorship of the BankWest Lillee Marsh Stand. BankWest subsequently became naming rights sponsor of the WACA’s Sunday League limited overs competition called the BankWest Cup.BankWest Group Managing Director Terry Budge said that during the 15-year sponsorship, BankWest had contributed nearly $3 million to support and develop West Australian cricket.”It has been a rewarding relationship and I’d like to think it has contributed to the success of our teams and players and the underlying strength of cricket in this State”, Mr Budge said.WACA President Brian Rakich acknowledged BankWest s contribution to WA cricket.”The WACA is sad to see BankWest go and would like to thank them for their support of WA Cricket during the past 15 years”, Mr Rakich said.”The initial sponsorship was vital to the WACA at a time of the major redevelopment of the Ground which brought night cricket to Western Australia and facilitated the entry of the West Coast Eagles into the national competition.”BankWest provided the commercial funding facility which enabled the WACA to fund the redevelopment. They have been an important partner for the WACA over these past 15 years.”I’d also like to say thank-you to BankWest on behalf of the tens of thousands of West Australians who have benefited from BankWest’s support of our great sport during that time”

Celtic’s pursuit of Eddie Howe turned into something of a farce.

After the Bhoys initiated advanced talks with the Englishman, it was all on the backroom staff he wanted to bring with him to Parkhead.

However, with a deal looking so close to completion, it collapsed with Celtic forced to look elsewhere.

What’s the word?

Celtic have moved swiftly on an alternative with Australian coach Ange Postecoglou being targeted instead.

He’s reportedly in advanced negotiations with the Hoops but the board are still being urged to consider other options.

Speaking to Sportsound (via Glasgow Times), Pat Bonner declared that they should be aiming to hire someone with experience of the British game.

He said: “I’m looking down the list of people that are there. Maybe Michael O’Neill? I would take him.

“I would go for those guys that know the British game, know the Scottish game as well as the European game.

“He’s somebody that’s in Australia and in Japan. He is in a different environment, different place. Without being disrespectful, when you are in that environment you do not think about European football too much, unless dealing with agents.”

A good alternative

If you were to write down a list of managers then you’d be well placed to expect a fair few of them to have been linked with the Celtic job.

Their hunt for a new head coach has been going on for as long as three months now when Neil Lennon resigned back in February.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-celtic-manager-and-transfer-news-ajer-howe-lampard-wilshere-gauld” title=”Read the latest Celtic manager and transfer news!”]

If the board did want to go for someone with experience of the British game there’d be few better choices than O’Neill for what the club needs.

Trevor Sinclair touted him for the Bhoys earlier this season, commenting: “I would look at Michael O’Neill. He’s done a fantastic job with the Northern Ireland national team, he’s done a superb job with Stoke City.”

The 51-year-old has done a very credible job with the Potters, taking them from near relegation in England’s second-tier to a spot just outside the play-offs.

When he first walked through the door, they were sat rock bottom of the Championship but he steered them to a 15th placed finish last term. Stoke then ended the current campaign in 14th; a slight improvement.

O’Neill was also excellent with Northern Ireland. He took them from a nation ranked as low as 129th in FIFA’s World Rankings to a team that made the last 16 of the last European Championships.

When your team is in a crisis, O’Neill seems well placed to be effective. Celtic aren’t quite battling relegation but after a trophyless campaign, they need someone who is able to come in and steady the ship.

AND in other news, “Unbelievable” 49 y/o wants to rival Postecoglou for Celtic job, fans must be buzzing…

Uttar Pradesh will meet Delhi in the Vijay Merchant Trophy (under 16)Tournament final

Staff Reporter11-Jan-2001Uttar Pradesh will meet Delhi in the Vijay Merchant Trophy (under 16)Tournament final. The three day match commences in Calcutta on January13. Uttar Pradesh confirmed their place in the title clash thanks to the206-run first innings lead over Punjab in the semifinal match at the EdenGardens on Thursday.Resuming at 248/4, UP lost three quick wickets in the morning to findthemselves at 267/3. Alok Singh made 20 as Mohd Amir and Vishal Francisfailed to open their account. Praveen Gupta made 12 and was caught andbowled by Vipul Sharma at 288. UP lost their overnight batsman Aris Alam,who was shaping well with 78, when he was stumped by Bupinder Singh offAnkur Jand at 300. Alam struck nine boundaries off 238 balls in his fiveand a half hour stay at the crease. Devendra Singh and last man AvinashYadav put on 66 runs for the tenth wicket. Yadav was the last man to bedismissed after making a patient 43 off 131 balls which included six fours.The UP innings lasted 144.4 overs to be bowled out for 366. Vipul Sharmawas the best of the bowlers with figures of 47-15-81-3In their second innings which would have made no difference to the resultof the match, Punjab were 69/4 in the 29th over when play was called off atthe fall of the fourth wicket. Viswas Bhalla was unbeaten on 29. DevendraSingh picked up 2/28 in nine overs.

An SCB XI travelled to Falmouth on Sunday 27th May for a 38 Counties Competition match against Cornwall

John Fitzgerald29-May-2001An SCB XI travelled to Falmouth on Sunday 27th May for a 38 Counties Competition match against Cornwall. Due to weather conditions the match was reduced to 43 overs a side. Cornwall batted first and reached 178-8, with 50 from Jonathan Kent, 35 from Tim Edwards and 31 from Neil Edwards. There were 3 wickets for Ian Jones and 2 each for Joe Tucker and Richard Pannell.In reply SCB reached 41-1 off 10 overs (Kevin Parsons 25), before the rain returned and the match was abandoned. Each side takes 1 point.

Reliable reporter Alan Nixon has answered a Celtic fan’s concern on the Hoops’ ongoing pursuit of Eddie Howe.

The Lowdown: Howe waiting for Bournemouth’s season to finish?

It appears as if the 43-year-old has agreed to take over at Parkhead, becoming Neil Lennon’s long-term successor in Glasgow.

That’s what reports suggested last week, with one of the reasons for the delay down to Bournemouth’s participation in the Championship playoffs.

Howe wants to take some staff members from the Cherries to Celtic, however, Bournemouth could well book their spot in the playoff final this weekend, with the Wembley showdown set for May 29.

The Latest: Nixon addresses backroom staff question

Nixon, who writes for The Sun, was asked by a Celtic fan on Twitter about the backroom staff situation.

He was quizzed if Howe couldn’t get his staff, if a deal would fall through, or if it was more a financial standpoint.

Nixon replied, confirming Howe wants his own backroom team. However, he seemingly stated that the Cherries backroom staff aren’t a dealbreaker.

“Howe wants a backroom team. He’s got these guys he prefers. If they don’t come he will have to get others. It can only go on so long though…”

The Verdict: Good news for McKay?

Nixon’s claim should be good news for new CEO Dominic McKay.

If Howe cannot bring members from the south coast to Bournemouth, he will have to look elsewhere. Nixon doesn’t suggest a deal would be off if he can’t take them with him, which can only be a positive.

With a potential squad rebuild on the cards, the last thing McKay needs in his new role is to wait until May 29 for the playoff final and then the deal for Howe fall through due to disputes about his staff.

However, as Nixon mentions, talks can only go on so long, so we feel the next few weeks are crucial in regards to getting a deal officially over the line.

In other news: Odsonne Edouard closing in on Celtic exit, find out more here. 

Lots of Manchester City fans are delighted after it was revealed that the Citizens could offer Gabriel Jesus in part-exchange for Harry Kane.

The Tottenham striker dropped a bombshell on Monday as he revealed to Spurs his intention to leave the club this summer (Sky Sports). The England international has had a wonderful career at Tottenham from a personal point of view, scoring 220 goals in 334 games for them (Transfermarkt), but he is yet to win a single trophy. As such, the Citizens have been linked with a move for his services.

It has been reported that they could offer Jesus plus cash to take Kane to the Etihad Stadium (Daily Mail). The Brazil international has 81 goals in 192 matches for City, but he has come in for criticism from some supporters due to his performances this season.

The news was shared on Twitter by @City_Xtra, and it attracted plenty of attention from the club’s supporters. These fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts, imploring director of football Txiki Begiristain to do all he can to pull off the swap deal.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about the Jesus news below

“Wow! deal of the decade! Win-win for City to be honest!”

Credit: @ancvalu

“YES PLS”

Credit: @mcfcbalz

“Txiki must make this happen!”

Credit: @MogaleMokoena

“What a move….What a move I’m loving this news”

Credit: @Trishent44

“Yeeeeees! We take the Kane, they the Jesus, the Torres at 9, and the Grealish wing, Perfect plan for us”

Credit: @Dred17738856

“ON MY KNEES”

Credit: @mcfcbyron

In other news, a number of Man City fans loved this man’s comments.

Glasgow Rangers are back in action later today, facing the same opposition for the second time in the same week as they look to keep their trophy hunt on the right tracks at Ibrox.

Rangers face St Johnstone for the second time in a matter of days, with the Saints travelling to Ibrox for a Scottish Cup tie against Steven Gerrard’s side.

The Light Blues slipped to a 1-1 draw against Callum Davidson’s side at McDiarmid Park on Wednesday, with the hosts grabbing a deserved late equaliser from the penalty spot.

Gerrard will be looking to avoid a repeat of that scoreline at Ibrox on Sunday as they are looking to win the Scottish Cup for the first time since 2009.

In order to give his side the best chance of progressing to the semi-finals, the 40-year-old manager should axe Jack Simpson after his less than impressive performance in midweek.

The 24-year-old centre-back, who joined from Bournemouth in February, made his first start for the club at McDiarmid Park in midweek but struggled throughout and earned a shocking 5.98/10 rating for his performance from WhoScored.

The Englishman was regularly beaten by St Johnstone’s strikers in the air, struggling to cope with the aerial threat they possess, and Gerrard’s side should expect a similar bombardment at Ibrox on Sunday.

Simpson’s rash challenge inside the area also gifted the hosts a penalty in stoppage time, which Liam Craig duly tucked away to earn Davidson’s side a point, and perhaps emphasised that St Johnstone were right to target him throughout the match.

One of the defender’s former coaches Tim Davis was full of praise for Simpson after he earned an England U’21 call-up back in 2018, saying:

“He was a natural-born leader. As a kid, he wasn’t blessed with the most natural talent, like some are, but he had an amazing drive and determination.”

However, there was little evidence of that leadership in midweek, and whilst this was only his third appearance in a Rangers shirt, he has done little to win over fans so far and looked a bit of a liability at McDiarmid Park.

[freshpress-quiz id=“593776”]

Therefore, Gerrard should relegate him to the bench and bring back either Filip Helander or Leon Balogun, who have both excelled alongside Conor Goldson at centre-back.

And, in other news… Rangers handed huge boost in hopes of signing “powerful” gem, Wilson must deliver

Tottenham Hotspur’s season has very much repeated the same story.

The north London outfit have led 21 of their 30 league outings so far this term but have dropped a whopping 15 points from those winning positions.

Had they picked up those points, then Spurs would be sitting pretty in second place, four points ahead of today’s opposition, Manchester United.

For the most part, Jose Mourinho has absolutely rued individual errors and defensive mistakes, and that’s ultimately something he can ill afford at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this afternoon.

On the Chalkboard

Indeed, despite having the third-best defensive record in the Premier League, their blunders at the back have been the defining theme of 2020/21.

It was only in October that Spurs thrashed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men 6-1 and two months later, they were sat top of the league.

Mourinho watched Davinson Sanchez make the latest in a long list of mistakes at Newcastle United last weekend.

Spurs looked to be heading for three points until five minutes from time when the Colombian clattered into his centre-back partner Joe Rodon, which allowed Joe Willock to ghost into the box and score an easy equaliser.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-this-weeks-april-latest-spurs-news-transfer-rumours-and-more” title=”Read this week’s latest Spurs news, April transfer rumours and more!”]

Following the match, former Ireland captain-turned-pundit Kenny Cunningham blasted the £31.5m-rated star on the OTB Football podcast. He said:

“When he’s not at his best, when he’s having one of those looser moments, then he’s a real liability to his team. And that was the case today. Had an awful first half, to be honest with you.”

Whilst the 24-year-old colossus started the 6-1 win, he was not part of the Spurs side that skyrocketed to top spot, as in the subsequent game, West Ham launched a stunning three-goal comeback to earn a point.

Sanchez was then axed from the starting XI in ten of their next 11 games.

He’s since worked his way back into the lineup, starting nine successive outings, but now it’s time to drop him once again after the latest error.

In February, ex-Spurs midfielder Jamie O’Hara implored the club to sell him as he’s part of one of the worst centre-back partnerships in the division, whilst Mourinho himself has even noted that Sanchez was the “weak link” when at Ajax.

United’s frontline of Marcus Rashford and Edinson Cavani and Bruno Fernandes is one to be feared – the trio have scored 55% of their league goals this term, and all three have either scored or assisted 52 of their 58 strikes, as per WhoScored.

Having someone who is prone to calamity is a recipe for disaster, so Sanchez really ought to be named on the bench today. When you have Eric Dier and Toby Alderweireld waiting in the wings, there’s really no need to risk starting someone who has held Spurs back all season.

It’s not a coincidence that Mourinho enjoyed his best run in the league without him.

AND in other news, Daniel Levy played a blinder over 31 y/o’s exit…

Sheffield Wednesday are set to lose one of their key stars this summer, according to reports…

What’s the word?

Football League World claim the Owls have given up hope of keeping hold of Adam Reach, with him out of contract at the end of the season and many of their Championship rivals circling with interest.

Promotion favourites Watford are admirers of the versatile 28-year-old, whilst it’s thought Cardiff City are another club that could tempt Reach out of South Yorkshire.

With Wednesday sitting seven points adrift of safety, it’s no wonder the club are resigned to losing out on some of their biggest stars.

Bad news for Moore

Reach has emerged as one of Darren Moore’s most-trusted starters, especially as he’s able to play in a wide variety of positions but in the absence of a true out-and-out left-sided defender, he has stepped up to the plate.

Despite “inconsistent” claims from Hillsborough legend Carlton Palmer, the former Boro ace has been a major source of goals in what has been a poor season across the board.

[snack-amp-story url=https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-sheffield-wednesday-news-transfer-rumours-and-recent-gossip” title=”Read this week’s latest Sheffield Wednesday news, latest transfer rumours and more!]

Only one other Owls player has managed to contribute more than eight goals this season (Callum Paterson, ten), so evidently, he’s crucial to Moore’s fortunes in the attack.

Reach is just two goals behind the trio of top goalscorers, whilst Barry Bannan is the one player ahead for assists, which is understandable.

Again, the 28-year-old wing-back rates out impressively for attacking returns, managing 1.2 shots and 0.8 key passes each outing in the league this campaign, via WhoScored.

It means he’s firing more shots at goal than centre-forward Jordan Rhodes and is a more creative influence than Josh Windass and Kadeem Harris.

Reach also offers leadership qualities, according to teammate Chey Dunkley, who told the official website earlier this season: “To me, Adam Reach is a leader when he comes up with something special.”

Whilst ex-caretaker Lee Bullen believes he has a major influence at either end of the pitch. “[Reach is] “so, so effective in the jobs he does because he does both attacking and the defensive roles brilliantly for the team.”

The £20k-per-week dynamo will be a big loss to Moore, and this update should worry him going into next season, regardless of if they go down to the third tier or stay up.

AND in other news, Imagine him and Iorfa: Sheffield Wednesday eye League One gem…