England have named an unchanged 16-player squad for the three-match ODI series against Pakistan, which gets underway in Cardiff on July 8.England are already 2-0 up in their ODI series against Sri Lanka, with the final match taking place in Bristol on Sunday. Tom Banton was a late call-up for that series, after Dawid Malan withdrew for family reasons, and he retains his place in the squad to face Pakistan.Speaking in the wake of England’s eight-wicket win in the second ODI against Sri Lanka, at The Kia Oval on Thursday, Graham Thorpe indicated that changes could be afoot for the Bristol fixture, as England seek to test their bench strength ahead of the Pakistan series, which he admitted was likely to be a stiffer test of their credentials than Sri Lanka have managed to offer.”Potentially the Pakistan series could push us further,” Thorpe said. “We’ve been pleased with our own performances. We didn’t want any complacency to creep in. And because of the competition we have, the players want to put in good performances.”ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“Sri Lanka have a decent group of players, there’s no doubt about that. I think they’ve been weakened more on their batting side than their bowling unit but I believe Pakistan will be a team that’s further ahead in terms of experience and how they’ll be able to challenge. It’ll probably be a tougher contest.”One player who could come into the mix for the Bristol match is George Garton, the Sussex left-arm fast bowler. If selected, he will be making his England debut, three years after he was drafted into the Test squad as a replacement in the 2017-18 Ashes.Liam Dawson, Hampshire’s left-arm-spinning allrounder, is another player who has yet to feature in either match so far, and could be set for his first England appearance since 2018, having been a non-playing reserve in the 2019 World Cup-winning squad.England will name their squad for the T20I leg of the Pakistan series later this month, a series which will serve as an important pointer ahead of the T20 World Cup in the UAE and Oman this winter.”I think it will be a very good series,” Moeen Ali said. “Pakistan are normally a very good side, they give us good games, and I think they’ll be a stronger opposition than Sri Lanka, which means you get more of a chance to bat and bowl as a player who’s down the order, for example, and hasn’t been bowling much.”Definitely, they are one of the best [T20I] teams in the world, along with West Indies, India, Australia,’ he said. “I think Pakistan are our bogey-team in World Cups, they always seem to do really well against us, so we can’t take them lightly at all, they are a fantastic team with quality players.”England ODI series vs Pakistan
1st ODI, Cardiff, July 8
2nd ODI, Lord’s, July 10
3rd ODI, Edgbaston, July 13

It’s been all change at Tottenham Hotspur over the last year and a bit, with club legend Harry Kane moving to Germany and the somewhat unknown Ange Postecoglou being handed the reigns in the same summer.

Since then, the North Londoners have become one of the most exciting teams to watch in the country and have welcomed in a swathe of exciting young talents while finally getting rid of several players who just weren’t good enough.

However, despite the significant changes to the squad over the summer, there are still a few players that Daniel Levy and Ange need to move on as soon as possible, including one who earns more than Pedro Porro and Rodrigo Bentancur.

Porro and Bentancur's salaries at Spurs

The Lilywhites signed Porro from Portuguese giants Sporting CP on an initial loan in January 2023 with an obligation to buy for around £39m in the summer, and in the season and a half since, he has more than justified that fee.

So far, the incredible Spaniard has made 59 appearances for the North Londoners, primarily at right-back, in which he has racked up a seriously impressive haul of eight goals and ten assists, equating to an average of a goal involvement every 3.27 games.

This sensational attacking ability has unsurprisingly made the 25-year-old one of Postecoglou’s most important players, and while it’s a lot of money, he’s undoubtedly justifying his £85k-per-week wage.

Likewise, Bentancur, who joined Spurs for around £21.5m, including add-ons in January 2022, is another player who is arguably justifying his £75k-per-week wage.

Since moving to N17, the “technically immense” Uruguay international, as dubbed by broadcaster Adam Smith, has made 74 appearances, scoring seven goals and providing eight assists. While he has had injury problems, Tottenham are a far better team when he’s in the lineup.

Overall, both Porro and Bentancur have proven to be worth their initial transfer fee and wage packet, which unfortunately cannot be said about one of their teammates.

Richarlison's salary at Spurs

Perhaps unsurprisingly, given his form in the last two years, the Spurs player who simply isn’t justifying his wage or transfer fee is Richarlison.

The Brazilian forward joined the North Londoners from Everton in the summer of 2022 for a reported fee of around £60m, and while that was a significant fee at the time, his form for the Toffees suggested that he might really be worth that much.

For example, in his time with the Merseysiders, the 48-capped international scored 53 goals and provided 13 assists in 152 appearances, but as Tottenham fans will attest, he has not shown that sort of form over the last two seasons.

In fact, in his first campaign with the club, the 27-year-old scored just three goals and provided four assists in 35 appearances, while last season, he did slightly better and ended the year with 12 goals and four assists in 31 games.

Unfortunately, after making substitute appearances in the first two games of the season, the Nova Venécia-born star has since been sidelined with an unknown injury, and it looks like he’ll remain out for quite some time.

Transfer Fee

£60m

Wages (Total)

£90k-per-week (£10.4m)

Combined

£70.4m

Goals

15

Cost per Goal

£4.69m

Assists

8

Cost per Assist

£8.80m

Goal Involvements

23

Cost per Goal Involvements

£3m

So, with everything that has happened over the last two years, it would be hard to argue that the former Everton ace has been worth the £60m the club paid for him, let alone his £90k-per-week wages, which have since amounted to around £10.4m.

Ultimately, while Richalison is a talented player who has done well for Brazil, he has not done anywhere near enough at Spurs, so while it may be harsh, Ange and Levy should look to move him on in January, or failing that, next summer.

Defoe loved him: £26m Spurs signing became the biggest "flop of the season"

It looked like Spurs had signed a world-beater.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Sep 24, 2024

أجرى الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم كاف، قرعة ربع نهائي بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا اليوم الخميس، في العاصمة القطرية الدوحة بتواجد الأهلي وبيراميدز.

تأهل الأهلي وبيراميدز من مصر إلى دور ربع النهائي بعد احتلالهما المركز الثاني في مجموعتهما حيث احتل الأهلي المركز الثاني في المجموعة الثانية، بعدما حصد 10 نقاط من الفوز بـ3 لقاءات والتعادل في مباراة وحيدة وتلقى هزيمتين.

أما بيراميدز تعد هذه هي المرة الأولى في تاريخه للمشاركة بهذه المرحلة من بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا بعدما تواجد في المركز الثاني من المجموعة الرابعة.

وتواجد بيراميدز في المركز الثاني بمجموعته برصيد 13 نقطة، بعد الفوز بـ4 لقاءات والتعادل في مباراة وحيدة وتلقى هزيمة أخرى.

واستقر الاتحاد الإفريقي على مواعيد مباريات دور ربع النهائي بنظام الذهاب والإياب، حيث ستُقام مباريات الذهاب في دوري أبطال إفريقيا أيام 1 و2 و8 و9 أبريل 2025.

طالع | “ثنائي الأهلي ولاعب بيراميدز”.. التشكيل المثالي لدور مجموعات دوري أبطال إفريقيا

واختار كاف أربعة من أبرز نجوم الكرة الإفريقية السابقين للمشاركة كمساعدين في سحب قرعة دور ربع النهائي حيث سيشارك في مراسم القرعة كل من وائل جمعة (مصر)، رابح ماجر (الجزائر)، راينفورد كالابا (زامبيا)، وبين مالانغو (جمهورية الكونغو الديمقراطية)، وهم نجوم تركوا بصمة بارزة في تاريخ الكرة الإفريقية.

وأسفرت قرعة دوري أبطال إفريقيا عن مواجهة الأهلي نظيره الهلال السوداني، في حين بيراميدز سيواجه نظيره الجيش الملكي المغربي. الفرق المتأهلة إلى دور ربع نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا

المجموعة الأولى

1- الهلال السوداني – المركز الأول.

2- مولودية الجزائر – المركز الثاني.

المجموعة الثانية

1- الجيش الملكي المغربي – المركز الأول.

2- صن داونز الجنوب إفريقي – المركز الثاني.

المجموعة الثالثة

1- أورلاندو الجنوب إفريقي – المركز الأول

2- الأهلي – المركز الثاني.

المجموعة الرابعة

1- الترجي التونسي – المركز الأول.

2- بيراميدز  – المركز الثاني. نتائح قرعة ربع نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا

– الأهلي (مصر) ضد الهلال (السودان)

– بيراميدز (مصر) ضد الجيش الملكي (المغرب)

– ماميلودي صن داونز ( جنوب إفريقيا) ضد الترجي الرياضي (تونس)

– أورلاندو بايراتس (جنوب إفريقيا) ضد مولودية الجزائر (الجزائر) قرعة نصف نهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا

– الفائز من الأهلي والهلال ضد الفائز من ماميلودي صن داونز والترجي الرياضي

– الفائز من بيراميدز والجيش الملكي ضد الفائز من أورلاندو بايراتس ضد مولودية الجزائر

The media are waxing lyrical over a once-£74 million player who Arsenal let go this summer, following an excellent attacking display in his side's latest league game.

Players sold or loaned out by Arsenal in summer transfer window

While Edu Gaspar and the Gunners recruitment team brought in a host of key new additions – including David Raya, Riccardo Calafiori, Mikel Merino, Neto and Raheem Sterling – they were equally productive in shipping players out.

Havertz praises "crazy" £30 million player who stuns everyone at Arsenal

He’s apparently “ridiculous” in training.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Sep 1, 2024

Mikel Arteta gave the green-light for Edu to offload Cedric Soares and Mohamed Elneny first, with Arsenal deciding not to renew their contracts and let the duo leave on a free in late June.

Following Soares and Elneny, Karl Hein, Mika Biereth, Albert Sambi Lokonga, Reiss Nelson, Fabio Vieira, Aaron Ramsdale, Eddie Nketiah and Emile Smith-Rowe also sealed exits from the Emirates Stadium – either on loan or permanently.

The transfers have saved Arsenal quite a bit of cash in terms of their wage bill, with Nketiah's sale to Crystal Palace and Nelson's loan move to Fulham alone chalking off around £100,000-per-week.

This will have allowed the north Londoners to reinvest that money in the wages of key new arrivals like Sterling, who is actually thought to pocket far under £163,000-per-week at his new club, as Arsenal are believed to be paying way less than 50 per cent of his £325,000-per-week take-home at Chelsea as part of their loan deal (Miguel Delaney).

Goals

19

Assists

12

Yellow cards

13

Red cards

0

Minutes played

5,335

Of course, there is the potential for any of the aforementioned departees to thrive away from Arsenal, and one of them is left-back Nuno Tavares.

The left-back sealed a loan-with-obligation-to-buy switch to Serie A side Lazio, which will become permanent for around £7.5 million next summer, as Arsenal wave goodbye to the Portuguese who has seemingly played his last game for Arteta.

While Tavares has been called "extraordinary" on some of his loan spells away from Arsenal, but Edu and co still elected to part company with the 24-year-old who was far down Arteta's pecking order.

Nuno Tavares praised by Italian media after leaving Arsenal

Tavares, since departing London Colney, has actually impressed so far – which has attracted praise from Italian media. The former Benfica starlet, who once even commanded a seismic £74 million release clause at the Primeira Liga side, bagged two assists on his Lazio debut at the weekend in their 2-2 draw against AC Milan.

La Gazzetta dello Sport heaped praise on Tavarez following his dazzling attacking display, even comparing him to ex-left-back stalwarts Aleksandar Kolarov and Senad Lulic, who starred in the position for years.

Tavares' debut against Milan has seemingly excited the national press in Italy, with La Gazzetta claiming the "music has changed" around him, and they insist he could be Lazio's left-back answer for years to come.

MatériaMais Notícias

Os Garotos do Ninho iniciam aa caminhada na luta pelo pentacampeonato da Copa São Paulo de Futebol Junior na próxima quarta-feira, dia 5 de janeiro, contra o Forte-ES. O Flamengo faz parte do Grupo 29 da Copinha, cuja sede é a Arena Barueri, em Barueri. Oeste (SP) e Floresta (CE) completam a chave.

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Curiosamente, Barueri é a mesma cidade que sediou a geração campeã em 2018. A tabela com datas e horários dos jogos ainda será divulgada pela Federação Paulista de Futebol.

Passando de fase, o Mengão joga a primeira fase do mata-mata contra o primeiro ou o segundo colocado do Grupo 30, que é composto por Ibrachina (SP), Náutico (PE), Internacional de Limeira (SP) e Serranense (MG), e joga na capital.

O Flamengo já levou a Copinha nas seguintes edições: 1990, 2011, 2016, 2018. Na mais recente, o time era comandado por Maurício Souza, atual membro da comissão técnica permanente dos profissionais do clube.

Confira a lista completa de inscritos:

Goleiros: Bruno, Dyogo Alves, Eduardo e Kauã.
Laterais: Breno, Marcos Paulo, Richard, Samuel e Wesley.
Zagueiros: Cleiton, Darlan, Diego Santos, João Victor, Kayque Soares e Otavio.
Volantes: Igor Jesus e Lucas André.
Meias: Kayke David, Matheus França, Pedrinho e Victor Hugo.
Atacantes: André, Camilo, Carlos Daniel, Cassiano, Mateusão, Pedro Arthur, Petterson, Ryan Luka, e Werton.

Former England seamer said challenging period at London club had “taken its toll”

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jul-2021

Middlesex director of cricket Angus Fraser will move into a new role•Getty Images

Angus Fraser has stepped aside from his role as director of cricket at Middlesex as part of a restructuring of management at the club. Fraser will move to overseeing the academy and county age-group squads, with men’s team head coach, Stuart Law, now reporting directly into the chief executive.Fraser took over at his old club as managing director of cricket in 2009, having spent several years as the cricket writer at the , and saw the club lift the County Championship in 2016 for the first time since his playing days in the early 1990s.However, Middlesex were relegated the following season and struggled to adapt to life back in the second tier. Several members of the title-winning side have moved on, including Dawid Malan and Nick Gubbins in recent seasons, while success in limited-overs cricket has also been sporadic. This summer, Middlesex finished bottom of Group Two of the Championship, with one win from ten, and second-bottom of the Vitality Blast South Group.Related

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Middlesex chief executive Goatley steps down due to ill health

Fraser said that the recent challenging period had “taken its toll”, but was proud of his record in bringing through homegrown players – with six academy graduates given their first-team debuts over the last two seasons.”I have been enormously proud to hold the role I have with this great club, but the time is right for change,” he said. “I have found the last 16 months incredibly challenging on and off the field of play, and I could not have given more or shown more care for the club than I have, but it has taken its toll on me.”We all know that results this season have not been good enough, but I believe there are many reasons to be optimistic about the future. In the last few years Middlesex have chosen to invest in and develop its own home-grown cricketers, which can be seen from the teams that have represented the club. It is the right thing for a club like Middlesex to do and something we should be proud of.”These young men are benefitting enormously from the opportunities they are being given and I believe a number of them will become fine cricketers; players that will represent Middlesex and England with pride and will entertain cricket lovers for many years to come.”It is with a heavy heart that I step aside from this position, and I would like to thank all those that have helped and supported me over the years. I still believe I have a huge amount to give Middlesex Cricket and I look forward to helping the club in any way I can.”Law started work under Fraser in 2019, but saw the club finish eighth in Division Two in his first season and there has been minimal progress since. They won two games out of five in the Bob Willis Trophy last year, and finished fourth in the truncated Blast South Group, before results dipped again.The club has also experienced financial difficulties owing to the pandemic and the discovery of a historical administrative error in paying pension contributions. Richard Goatley, Middlesex’s chief executive since 2015, stepped down last month due to ill health.Andrew Cornish, Middlesex’s acting chief executive, said: “There is no hiding from the fact that performances on the pitch over the past couple of seasons have not met the expectations of the players, the coaches, the board and most importantly our members.”Like many organisations we face challenging financial times due to the pandemic, so never has it been more important to nurture homegrown local talent, whilst making strategic external signings. The board and I believe this new structure will provide the focus and clarity the club needs at this time.”I would like to personally thank Angus for all he has done for Middlesex Cricket to this point, for his commitment to the role and for his dedication to the club, and I am very much looking forward to continuing to work closely with him as we move forward.”

Ruben Amorim sent a message to Manchester United supporters heading into 2025 after suffering four straight losses.

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• Amorim under the microscope after the latest results
• Pressure grows on manager to reverse fortunes
• Sent a special message for Man Utd fans ahead of 2025

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The defeat against Newcastle was another blow in a season already riddled with challenges for United. First-half goals from Alexander Isak and Joelinton secured the win for the visitors, leaving Manchester United languishing in 14th place on the league table. After 19 matches, they sit just seven points clear of the relegation zone, an unthinkable position for a club of their stature.

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• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Having taken over mid-season, Amorim has found himself in a difficult position, inheriting a team struggling with form and fitness amidst a congested fixture schedule. The expectation may not have been for immediate success, but the hope was for gradual improvement. However, the lack of goals and continued defeats have made his task even harder.

• WHAT AMORIM SAID

  Despite the challenging circumstances, Amorim has chosen to remain optimistic. In a message addressed to the fans, he acknowledged the difficulties while expressing his belief in the club’s potential for a brighter future.

  He wrote: "I would like to thank you on behalf of everyone at Manchester United for your loyal support, and wish you all the very best for the new year. I know it will take a lot of hard work from everyone to get there, but I am very excited about where we can go together in 2025."

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• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

  Amorim’s tenure at Manchester United may not have started under ideal circumstances, but his vision for the club offers hope for the future. Looking ahead, Amorim and his team face a critical test as they travel to Anfield to take on Liverpool in their first match of the New Year. The high-stakes clash provides an opportunity for United to turn the page on a disappointing end to 2024 and start 2025 on a positive note.

Virgil van Dijk has claimed referee Stuart Attwell made a 'mistake' not sending off Lucas Bergvall during Liverpool's 1-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur.

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Referee Attwell makes mistake in Liverpool lossBergvall scores winner after not being sent offVan Dijk and Slot criticise refereeing decisionFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Liverpool were handed a shock loss at the hands of Tottenham in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final in north London after Lucas Bergvall scored an 86th-minute winner. However, the 18-year-old lunged in on Kostas Tsimikas just before the goal and was not sent off by referee Attwell. While the Liverpool left-back was off the field, Bergvall scored on the counter, with the incident drawing a lot of criticism from Van Dijk.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT VAN DIJK SAID

Speaking to Sky Sports, Van Dijk said: "I think it was quite obvious that it was going to be a second yellow.

"Obviously I think it was pretty clear [from what I said to the referee]. It was no coincidence that a minute later he scores the winner.

"He [Attwell] made a mistake in my opinion and I told him that. It was quite obvious I think and everyone on the sidelines knew it was supposed to be a yellow.

"There is a linesman there, a fourth official. There is VAR there and a referee, and he doesn't get a second yellow. I'm not saying this is the reason we lost today, but it was a big moment in the game."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Liverpool boss Arne Slot also criticised the refereeing decision that will now force the Reds to try go on a huge offensive in the second leg. The Dutchman told Sky Sports: "It was a good goal, let that be clear, Bergvall stayed calm and finished it off.

"But I don’t think you are interested in that but the moment before [the foul]. I think I saw Ange was sitting here and Spurs weren’t happy with a few decisions on Sunday. People say the decisions even up – I don’t believe that. They may have been unlucky and today the decisions went for them. It was unlucky for us because I didn’t think we were ever going to lose this game.

"Very unlucky, far from ideal starting position. They have a good team and have some players coming back for the second leg but if I lose I prefer to lose with a second leg to come."

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Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou also provided his thoughts on the Bergvall-Tsimikas incident and told Sky Sports: "Now we've been told consistently in the last few weeks, because I've been screaming about it from the sidelines, because a lot of teams have got away with a lot of fouls with us, without bookings, because the referee plays advantage.

"We've been told consistently that if we play advantage, as long as it's not a cynical foul, then the player does not get cautioned. So that's been relayed to us on a weekly basis. Because we feel like that's been happening."

After a torrid season so far, which has seen them Everton to 19th in the Premier League table, their fans might finally have some good news to celebrate.

Indeed, the Toffees are believed to be close to getting new owners at the club, after months of unhappy protesting against their current majority owner Farhad Moshiri.

The BBC, along with other major news outlets in England, have recently reported that The Friedkin Group has reached an agreement to buy Farhad Moshiri’s majority 94% stake in Everton for a whopping fee of £400m.

It is a deal that will lead to great change for Everton, which could even include a new manager.

Everton target former England manager

According to reports, the Toffees’ new owners could replace current boss Sean Dyche with the recently departed England manager Gareth Southgate.

After failing at the final hurdle of the European Championships for the second consecutive time, the former Three Lions boss parted ways with the FA and is yet to take up a new role.

Southgate’s only club job to date is that of Middlesbrough between June 2006 and October 2009 but according to GIVEMESPORT, the new prospective Toffees owner Friedkin has ‘spoken about Southgate as an ambitious option to potentially succeed Dyche’ at Goodison Park.

Sacking the former Burnley boss seems like the easy decision for the Toffees’ potential new owners to make. They are languishing in 19th, with just one point on the board and the joint most goals conceded in the top flight, 14.

Everton’s underlying stats – 2024/24

Stat

Number

PL Rank

Goals

5

=17th

Expected goals

6.29xG

17th

Goals conceded

14

1st

Expected goals against

11.86xGA

3rd

Points

1

=20th

Expected points

3.54xP

19th

Stats from Understat

Why Southgate would be a good appointment

The former England manager is someone who split opinion during his time at the helm of the Three Lions. Whatever your view on Southgate, who was described as “phenomenal” by journalist Mark Douglas, there is no doubt that his more pragmatic approach could be just what the Toffees could do with at the minute.

He is a great defensive coach, and that has even been pointed out by opponents in the past, as recently as Cody Gakpo ahead of the Euro 2024 semi-final.

The Netherlands winger said Southgate’s England “have a lot of quality, but they play defensively”. Given the Merseyside outfit are so leaky at the back, that defensive approach could be what they need. It got his England side results, including two Euros finals, 2020 and 2024, and a World Cup semi-final in 2018.

Southgate’s tournament record

2018 WC

Euro 2020

2022 WC

Euro 2024

Games

7

7

5

7

Wins

3

5

3

4

Draws

0

1

1

2

Losses

3

1

1

1

Goals for

16

13

13

13

Goals against

11

5

4

9

Tournament finish

SF

RU

QF

RU

Stats from Transfermarkt

His overall record as England boss also reflects such an approach. In 102 matches at the helm for the 1966 World Cup winners, the former Middlesbrough boss conceded just 82 goals, a superb record.

However, it is not just defensive and pragmatic football that the 54-year-old would bring to the table if he took over at Goodison Park. His side has been known to form dangerous patterns of play which do have results.

Look at Luke Shaw’s goal in the Euro 2020 final, one of the high points during Southgate’s Three Lions tenure, which can be seen below. Note the maximum width on offer from the wing-backs, the way Harry Kane drops deep to drag defenders with him and create space, and the way they attack the box with crosses. They are all features of Southgate’s England.

Above all, what the former England boss was known for during his time with the national team was the superb atmosphere.

He is a superb motivator and created a positive environment designed to make players feel comfortable and keen to play for their country. The Guardian journalist Jonathan Wilson suggested during Euro 2024 that Southgate is “perhaps rather better at the management side of football management than the football”.

This sort of environment could work in the favour of Everton, and get the best out of their stars such as Dominic Calvert-Lewin. The Everton centre-forward has already thrived under the 54-year-old for the Three Lions. He has 11 caps and four goals to his name and was a member of the Euro 2020 squad.

If Southgate can get the striker firing in a short space of time with England, imagine what he can do for a longer amount of time at Goodison Park. It feels like he has untapped potential at the Toffees, with a superb skillset but just 70 goals in 252 games; the 54-year-old could get him, and his teammates, playing at their absolute best, in an optimal environment.

This appointment could be a stroke of genius from Freidkin, and the Toffees could keep survival hopes well and truly alive of they appoint the former England boss; a pragmatic results-getter and a genius motivator.

Related Friedkin could sack Dyche by hiring "genius" Moyes alternative at Everton

Sean Dyche faces a critical few weeks at Everton

Posts ByRoss Kilvington Sep 23, 2024

Things are going to start shifting at Everton. Sean Dyche knows this and has expressed that he wants to lead the Merseysiders forward as they leave Goodison Park and move into their highly-anticipated new stadium in 2025.

Dyche will also know that his team’s abject run of form to start the season off needs to change – fast. Crystal Palace head to Liverpool tomorrow afternoon in a contest between two outfits seeking their first Premier League victory of the year. If Everton fail to win, the 53-year-old manager will be sweating over his future in the dugout.

But let’s be pragmatic for a moment – is Dyche really the man to take the club forward, even if he lifts the Toffees away from danger this year?

There’s a case for the negative.

Why Everton should sack Sean Dyche

Sources close to Everton suggest that the club’s stance on Dyche’s role in the dugout remains resolute, even though The Friedkin Group are on the cusp of completing a purchase of Farhad Moshiri’s majority shares.

Dyche is regarded as a manager who enforces an unfashionable and counter-possession style of football, and while this is certainly the case – Everton’s 37% average possession this year is the lowest in the Premier League – his side does like to drive forward.

A lack of possession does not necessarily translate to ‘defensive’ football: Arsenal rank 16th for possession held in the top flight this term with a 41% average.

Further to the point, Everton have created nine big chances in the league this year, ranking joint ninth among a host of divisional rivals. Last year, they ranked 11th with 63 big chances created, more than Manchester United.

So, you see, Everton have a way of working, Dyche has a way of doing things, but that’s not to say at all that he’s not effective, not assured in his system and its parts. Let’s not forget, without the imposed eight-point deduction, the Goodison Park side would have clocked in at a joint-11th-placed finish.

Of course, we’re dancing away from the point that Everton have been in dismal showing this season, and though they’ve managed to showcase some attacking intent in recent matches, taking the lead in each of their past three, the Blues lost against Bournemouth and Aston Villa despite holding two-goal leads and drew at Leicester City after scoring first.

The team clearly has offensive skills to offer, but Dyche’s well-known defensive solidity has slipped and melted into weak and porous. It’s time for change, and West Bromwich Albion boss Carlos Corberan could be the man for the job.

Carlos Corberan would be the dream Dyche replacement

Corberan implements an attractive and high-energy style of football that would certainly bring about a sense of change at Everton, with the promising coach previously touted as a target following Frank Lampard’s dismissal back in January 2023.

Sky Sports commentator Don Goodman has previously said that the Spaniard’s Baggies are “horrible to play against”, with his 4-2-3-1 formation succeeding in shaping his heavy-metal brand.

Having cut his teeth under Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds United, the 41-year-old brings a style carrying a semblance to that of the Argentine, playing fluid and fast football.

His innate tactical understanding and easy-on-the-eye football could see him emerge as Everton’s top target and receive attention beyond that of former Blues gaffer David Moyes and Gareth Southgate, two names that have been linked with the job amid growing questions about Dyche’s leadership.

It could also unlock new signing Iliman Ndiaye, who has been one of Everton’s brightest sparks this season but has a skillset that could perhaps benefit from a shift in manager.

Ndiaye was signed from Marseille for a fee in the region of £15m this summer and he has indeed impressed so far, scoring twice, including against the Foxes last time out to earn Everton their first point of the term.

A technically impressive player, the 24-year-old ranks among the top 2% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for successful take-ons, the top 12% for progressive passes and the top 8% for progressive carries per 90, as per FBref, emphasising that point.

Matches (starts)

5 (3)

Goals

1

Shots (on target)*

1.2 (0.6)

Accurate passes

81%

Key passes*

0.8

Dribbles completed*

1.8

Ball recoveries

5.0

Tackles + interceptions*

3.0

Total duels won

4.6

An athletic and fleet-footed player, the versatile forward could be perfect in a more attack-focused system, with the roundedness and combative sheen to make it all tick – he might even become Corberan’s main man down the line, as he continues to adapt.

Once described as a “genius” by former Leeds player Romario Vieira, Corberan must be the man to target if Dyche fails to turn things around – Southgate’s tactics didn’t exactly go down a treat for the Three Lions this summer even if willpower dragged them through to the final, while Moyes’ tenure at West Ham came to an end with fans crying out for something new, given his pragmatic approach.

Although Corberan will be immensely proud of the work he has done at the Hawthorns, with West Brom indeed perched in pole position after seven fixtures in 2024/25, he will know that solidified Everton interest could prove to be an opportunity not worth passing up on.

TFG, whisper it quietly, could establish the infrastructure for a brand new world on the blue half of Merseyside – they need to make it happen.

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