Liverpool chairman Martin Broughton has confirmed manager Roy Hodgson could be bought out of his contract should the club be sold.
With New England Sprts Venture expected to take the ailing Premier League side on, Broughton has admitted a clause was placed in the former Fulham coach's contract when he joined in the summer.
It has been reported that Hodgson would receive a £3million lump sum should any new owners decide they want a new man at the helm, pouring uncertainty on his future.
"Roy knew when he signed from Fulham that we were in the process of finding new owners," he revealed.
"He was fully reconciled with the possibility there would be an ownership change and the risk involved with that.
"With that in mind, provisions were made in Roy's contract to relate specifically to any change in ownership."
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It was Monday 6th February; a deeply depressing day for one Emmanuel Frimpong. The first glimpse of the bad news was first realised by his loyal Twitter following who saw via his BlackBerry device that his season had been cruelly ended with immediate effect by injury.
“Bad News is that I’m out for 6-9months with my Knee Gd News is that I will therefore have all the time in my hands to be doin #frimmyfacts”
Indeed, although football fans everywhere will be inundated with further editions of #frimmyfacts over the coming months, the 20-year-olds on field presence will be truly missed by both Arsenal and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
If anything, Frimpong will have too much spare time on his hands now to groom his Twitter following, after suffering a recurrence of the anterior cruciate ligament injury which has this time transpired in his right knee.
Following Frimpong’s nine month lay-off in 2010 where the injury hampered his left knee, should Arsenal fans be concerned over their latest talented youngsters long-term fitness?
Well, he may be the joker of the Arsenal and since Wolves dressing rooms, but Emmanuel Frimpong’s latest injury setback is no laughing matter. The midfielder missed the entire 2010/11 season after receiving the injury in the early stages of the campaign. Indeed, we may have all been made aware of Frimpong’s powerful style a season sooner, had the injury not occurred.
It is a massive shame for all connected with Arsenal and Wolves whereby he impressed making Mick McCarthy’s starting line-up in all five of the Premier League games since he agreed to join on the very last day of 2011.
Much similar to Jack Wilshere’s loan move to Bolton in January 2010, Arsene Wenger was hoping that valuable Premier League experience would prove pivotal in the early stages of Frimpong’s career also.
Current first-choice holding midfielder Alex Song too achieved success via the route of signing on loan for a struggling Premier League outfit when he joined Charlton in 2007.
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It seemed apparent that Frimpong was just the latest Gunners youngster to sample Arsene Wenger’s tried and tested loan passage through to the Arsenal first team reckoning.
The Arsenal Official Website read that
‘Emmanuel will see specialists in London over the next few days before having surgery and starting a programme of rehabilitation’.
In the long-term, Arsenal fans might be worried that Frimpong won’t be able to shake his injury nightmare away much like the metatarsal fractures that have reared their ugly ahead upon Wayne Rooney over the years.
Frimpong has forged a reputation as a strong athlete who doesn’t shy away from the physical side of the game. Indeed, he received a red card on his full Arsenal debut in the home defeat to Liverpool earlier this season.
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Being a defensive minded midfielder and a #DENCH strong athlete of sorts, Frimpong wholehearted approach will mean he will always be susceptible to picking up knocks and Arsenal fans will wait and wonder as to whether his long-term career will be blighted by injuries, or whether these are just unfortunate incidences at the start of a fulfilling career.
Arsenal fans everywhere will wish both Frimpong and the also sidelined Wilshere the speediest of recoveries as the club maintains their push for a place in the Premier League’s top four.
Manchester United can wrap up their 19th title in English top-flight football if they earn at least a draw at Blackburn on Saturday.Given Rovers’ form in the second half of the season, that task should be all too easy for Sir Alex Ferguson’s men, who took apart title challengers Chelsea 2-1 in their last start to all but sew up the English Premier League crown.
Steve Kean’s men have turned somewhat of a corner after an 11-match winless run, with a victory over Bolton and a draw away at West Ham, but their relegation plight is yet to be resolved as they sit just three points above drop zone inhabitants Blackpool.
The spotlight on Saturday, however, will be on United as they seek to seal a record-breaking 19th championship, to move clear of Liverpool’s tally of 18.
Ferguson has a plethora of options on the selection table, with just Owen Hargreaves (shoulder) occupying their injury list, and the Scottish boss will no doubt be wary of avoiding injuries in their last two league matches prior to the Champions League final later this month.
Rovers’ injury list consists of David Dunn (calf), Michel Salgado (knee), Ryan Nelsen (knee) and Vinnie Grella (Achilles), with Dunn and Salgado in the mix to return on Saturday.
Manchester United embarrassed Blackburn 7-1 at Old Trafford in November last year, with striker Dimitar Berbatov scoring five, and the Bulgarian might be in line for a recall if Ferguson wishes to rest either of his first-choice front men in Wayne Rooney or Javier Hernandez.
Berbatov has been pushed out of United’s starting 11 in the latter part of the season courtesy of Hernandez’s form, although ironically the 30-year-old leads the Premier League goal scoring charts on 21.
Goal celebrations have become a ubiquitous sight in the modern game. With players going to great lengths on the training-ground to perfect their celebrations, it seems right to reward the very best with a spot on our top 10 list of goal celebrations.
10. Finidi George
Finidi George ‘took the piss’ out of Greece quite literally with this unique celebration in the 1994 World Cup. The Nigerian winger capped off a swift counter-attack with a deft chip over the goalkeeper and proceeded to celebrate by imitating a urinating dog by cocking his leg to one side.
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9. Jurgen Klinsmann
Klinsmann arrived in England with a reputation as a diver and he played up to this image with his iconic goal celebration of diving head first and sliding along the pitch. His celebration has become so well known that it is referred to as ‘doing a Klinsmann’.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8Bx8Jc2HrQ
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8. Craig Bellamy
Apparently, Craig Bellamy takes his karaoke very seriously. Bellamy didn’t take kindly to John Arne Riise refusing to take part in a team sing-a-long and went all Ellen Woods on the Norwegian and took a nine-iron to Riise’s shins.
Liverpool’s first game after the golf-club incident was against Barcelona in the Champions League and almost inevitably, Bellamy found himself on the score-sheet. He decided to mark the occasion with an imaginary swing of a golf club. In a final act of poetic irony, Bellamy set up Riise for the winning goal as Liverpool won 2-1 at the Nou Camp.
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7. Cristiano Lucarelli
We all know that footballers tend to love themselves a bit more than regular folk but Livorno legend Cristiano Lucarelli takes it one step further. After putting Livorno 3-0 up against Piacenza, Lucarelli proceeded to take off his shirt and dry-hump it in what can only be described as one of the most bizarre celebrations ever.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mq118I668M8
Continued on Page TWO
6. Francisco Gallardo
Carrying on the homoerotic high-jinks is ex-Sevilla player Francisco Gallardo who decided to celebrate Jose Antonio Reyes’ goal by nibbling on his penis. Gallardo’s peckishness for pecker was viewed rather dimly by the Spanish Football Federation who fined and suspended Gallardo for being in breach of the rules that govern “sporting dignity and decorum”.
[youtube KLiK91U-UpM]
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5. Temuri Ketsbaia
Scoring a goal is meant to be a joyous occasion but for Ketsbaia, it was an opportunity to vent some frustration. Unhappy with his frequent role as a substitute, Ketsbaia celebrated his last-minute winner against Bolton by flinging his shirt into the crowd and attempting to do the same with his boots. When that didn’t come off, he decided to violently kick the advertising hoardings while fending off his teammate Phillipe Albert.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlqCCDh9XT0
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4. Paul Gascoigne
Paul Gascoigne’s infamous ‘dentist chair’ celebration after he scored his brilliant goal against Scotland is one of the most memorable celebrations of all time. Gascoigne was photographed on a pre-tournament tour in Hong Kong strapped into a dentist’s chair with alcohol being poured into his mouth. Upon scoring his goal, Gazza decided the recreate the occasion by laying on his back while a teammate sprayed water into his open mouth.
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Continued on Page THREE
3. Robbie Fowler
Robbie Fowler’s controversial goal celebration against Everton landed the Kop legend in hot water. The striker celebrated his goal by pretending the white line of the penalty area was cocaine. This was in response to false accusations that Fowler was a drug user. Manager Gerard Houllier launched a ludicrous attempt to defend Fowler’s celebrations by claiming that he was ‘eating the grass’. Somehow Gerard, I don’t think so.
[youtube lsAUL03Xse0]
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2. Jimmy Bullard
Jimmy Bullard has developed a reputation as one of the funniest players in the game and naturally it fell to him to deliver one of the best celebrations of all time. Bullard scored Hull City’s equaliser against Manchester City from the penalty spot and he replicated manager Phil Brown’s infamous on-pitch team talk from the previous season.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajB-D_h2xsM
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1. FC Stjarnan
Clinching the number one spot on our list are the players of Icelandic club FC Stjarnan who have come up with a whole host of creative celebrations. These include the human toilet, the human bicycle and my personal favourite the catching and photographing of a fish.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vW7__LqrXSA
Any other celebrations you feel should have made the list?
Nottingham Forest have prioritised a pursuit for Bournemouth forward Lewis Grabban, according to the Nottingham Post.
What’s the word?
Manager Aitor Karanka is believed to be keen to bolster his attacking options for the gruelling Championship season ahead.
The club failed to launch a serious promotion challenge last season, but it will be their main objective for the 2018-19 campaign.
The Nottingham Post reports that Nelson Oliveira and Patrick Bamford have attracted the Reds’ attention, but Grabban is the main target.
[brid autoplay=”true” video=”255610″ player=”12034″ title=”Watch Five England World Cup games you totally forgot happened”]
The forward has been on Bournemouth’s books since 2016, but he has had loan spells at Reading, Aston Villa and Sunderland.
Last season, Grabban scored 20 goals in all competitions across spells at Sunderland and Villa, and it is likely that the Cherries will consider offloading given that he could not get into Eddie Howe’s recent team.
Is Grabban a good option?
Even though the calibre of opposition is of a higher quality in the Premier League compared to that in the Championship, the second tier is tough to wade through.
The fixtures come thick and fast, and if a team wants to earn their way into the top flight, they need players that can handle the demand.
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Grabban is well-versed in the Championship, and last season he proved that he can score in the competitive division.
Forest need a proven hitman that can be relied on for scoring goals, and Grabban can certainly be that man.
Everton manager Sam Allardyce relieved some of the pressure that was building on his shoulders when his side beat Crystal Palace 3-1 at Goodison Park on Saturday.
Just a week previously, the Toffees had been thrashed 5-1 against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium and with a 4-0 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur also coming on the road last month, the Goodison Park faithful were starting to get impatient with the 63-year-old, who was never really a popular appointment.
The former England boss signed a deal until June 2019 when he was announced as Ronald Koeman’s successor in November, but it remains to be seen whether he will see that contract out given that he is seemingly struggling to win over his own supporters.
If he does continue on Merseyside for the 2018/19 campaign, there will certainly be some Toffees players that won’t be happy with the news and will believe that they will on their way out at the end of the season.
Here are three Everton players that have no future at the club if Allardyce stays this summer…
Davy Klaassen
The Netherlands international was one of the big-money arrivals at Goodison Park during the summer transfer window from whom big things were expected of, but the attacking midfielder struggled in the early stages of the campaign under former boss Ronald Koeman.
When the Dutchman was sacked, the 24-year-old wasn’t given too many opportunities under caretaker boss David Unsworth, and he would finally have been hoping for a clean slate when Sam Allardyce took charge.
It hasn’t been the case though, and he has only made the matchday squad once since the 63-year-old was appointed – playing the full 90 minutes in the dead rubber Europa League tie against Apollon Limassol.
It seems as though the only thing that could save Klaassen’s Everton career now is a new manager, and if Allardyce stays this summer he will almost certainly be on his way.
Ashley Williams
The Wales international’s contract is due to run out in the summer of 2019, and seeing as he is 33 years of age it seems unlikely that he will be handed a new one.
Even though Eliaquim Mangala and Michael Keane – who was hauled off after 45 minutes – both struggled in the three-man defence in the 5-1 defeat against Arsenal, it was Williams who was dropped to the substitutes’ bench against Crystal Palace on Saturday.
If Allardyce does stay this summer he could look to sign Mangala on a permanent basis, and it would be no surprise to see him target another new centre-back too given the club’s defensive troubles this season.
If that happened, it would be difficult to see Williams having a future at Goodison Park beyond the summer.
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Morgan Schneiderlin
Allardyce came out and backed the Frenchman after he was booed when he came on as a substitute in the 3-1 win against Palace on Saturday, but that certainly doesn’t mean that he wouldn’t consider selling the 28-year-old in the summer.
The former England boss decided to drop the midfielder to the substitutes’ bench following another disappointing display against Arsenal – Schneiderlin has struggled for form all season – and the fact that Idrissa Gueye, Wayne Rooney and Tom Davies were all picked ahead of him against the Eagles is perhaps a sign for the future.
His poor relationship with the fans and the fact that he could probably still fetch a decent price could mean he is one that Allardyce looks to move on at the end of the campaign if the manager is to stay at Goodison Park next season.
Today was always going to be about David Moyes and to be honest; I am starting to feel a bit sorry for him now.The task to continue United’s success after Sir Alex was always going to be tough but nobody thought it would be this hard.Team selection is often scrutinised but it has been even more so at Old Trafford this season and to be honest, I can see why.Chopping and changing your side is a dangerous ploy, even more so when you clearly don’t have the strength in depth to do so like Moyes.Players at the top of their game should be able to play three games in a week, so I’m not buying the resting of key players. Here is why Moyes needs to find his best team and stick to it.
Defensive partnerships
Captain Nemanja Vidic is leaving at the end of the season, at the first glance of things getting tough.
Rio Ferdinand can only play once a week at most so the pressure is on the likes of Phil Jones and Chris Smalling to step up now.
Michael Carrick played at centre half last week at West Ham and United didn’t have a defender on the bench today.
Trusting the future stars
It has been all too easy for David Moyes to give the nod to Ashley Young, Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra this season when to be honest – he shouldn’t have.
One of Sir Alex’s many fantastic attributes was his ability to blend youth and experience for crucial games and he wasn’t afraid to throw them in.
Adnan Januzaj has been excellent when he has played this season but Moyes seems to ignore the youngster – as well as refusing to even give Wilfried Zaha and Michael Keane a chance.
Stick to a midfield shape
With the addition of Juan Mata in January, David Moyes is now, understandably, doing all he can to fit the Spaniard into his side.
However, sacrificing his entire shape to fit Mata, Wayne Rooney and van Persie in has simply not worked and so he needs to find the partnership and soon.
Sticking to a system and tactic will only help the players find their own consistency and surely Moyes has to take that on board.
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For your chance to WIN two tickets to see Everton vs Manchester United on Sunday April 20 AND a copy of FIFA14, simply comment below with your score prediction for the game
[ffccomp link=”https://www.footballfancast.com/football-blogs/win-tickets-to-everton-vs-manchester-united-a-copy-of-fifa-14″oneliner=”For your chance to WIN two tickets to Everton vs Manchester United on Sunday April 20 AND a copy of FIFA14, simply comment below with your score prediction for the game…” step=”PREDICT THE SCORE
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As Manchester United currently sit top of the Premier League and have just stormed their way into the Champions League last-16, all seems to be rosy at Old Trafford.
Many believe this is due to their sheer firepower upfront with Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie and Javier Hernandez being the fearsome trio that have dug United out of so many holes already this season; Danny Welbeck is also on the fringes waiting to take his chance.
The arrival of Van Persie in particular has been hailed by some as arguably the biggest marquee signing of Sir Alex Ferguson’s tenure at the club; and one which has helped to ease the goalscoring burden on Rooney.
It has led to comparisons with the legendary strike force of the treble-winning 1998/99 side, featuring Teddy Sheringham, Dwight Yorke, Andy Cole and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
So it provokes the question of which strike force is better? The current trio have got off to a flyer; with Van Persie netting 11 times already this season, while Hernandez has six strikes to his name and Rooney has scored three times.
Meanwhile, with limited first-team opportunities in the current campaign, Welbeck has yet to break his duck.
In 1998/99, the four United strikers netted 76 goals between them, with Yorke scoring 29 times in his debut season at the club, Cole netting 24 times, Solskjaer adding 18 strikes to the tally, whilst Sheringham contributed with five.
At the end of May, it may be unwise to bet against the current United crop at least equalling or even bettering that total; with 20 goals between them already.
In order to judge which strikeforce is ultimately better, it comes down to comparing the attributes of the individual players involved.
With both players in their respective debut seasons at the club, it would be fair to compare Van Persie with Yorke. Both players in their prime are obviously capable of scoring goals on a regular basis, with Yorke quickly forming a good partnership alongside Cole; while the Dutchman has established a good rapport with Rooney.
However, I believe Van Persie has the edge in this particular comparison, as he can be a threat anywhere on the pitch and produce an individual piece of brilliance out of nothing. Despite Yorke being a superb finisher on his day, he perhaps did not have the same level of genius as the former Arsenal man.
As players, Van Persie may have the edge, but Yorke’s understanding with Cole seemed to be telepathic; not something you could say that with the same confidence in referring to the Dutchman’s working relationship alongside Rooney.
Rooney himself is the ideal support striker or foil man in the operation, finding the runs of Van Persie and Hernandez in space, but it remains to be seen whether he can formulate a similar level of understanding that Sheringham managed with Yorke, Cole and Solskjaer.
Finally, one must compare the supposed ‘super subs’, Javier Hernandez and Ole Gunnar Solkskjaer.
The Norwegian baby-faced assassin made a living out of coming off the bench to score crucial goals for Ferguson’s team; the most notable instance occurring in the 8-1 destruction of a hapless Nottingham Forest side, where Solskjaer came off the bench to score four goals.
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In comparison, ‘Chicharito’ has similar qualities, with his lightning finishing inside the box, but has not always come on with the same impact as Solskjaer.
Meanwhile in my opinion, Welbeck is the poorest of the three players, meaning the whole unit is let down as a whole. The 21-year-old works hard for the team and can hold the ball up reasonably well, but his finishing ability and ball control leaves a lot to be desired.
Despite United’s strike force containing superb individual talents, it has to be said that the ’99 forward line has the edge due to the incredible level of understanding between the four players. But the current crop will still score enough goals to ensure the team challenges for major honours once again.
Do you agree? I would love to hear your opinions on twitter. Follow me: @JamesHilsum
According to reports in Portugal, Everton are chasing Sporting CP winger Gelson Martins, but is he better than what they already have?
A report from A Bola this week claims William Carvalho is not the only Sporting CP player Everton are eying up this summer, as new director of football Marcel Brands is keen to tap into the Portuguese market.
A Bola claim Bas Dost and Martins are both on Brands’ shopping list, and a move for Martins seems particularly enticing.
The 23 year-old still has plenty of room to develop, but has had an incredible season for Sporting, grabbing eight goals and eight assists in 31 league games.
The young speedster’s balance and close control make him almost impossible to dispossess, and his lack of size and strength is offset by his wonderful low centre of gravity.
[brid autoplay=”true” video=”252976″ player=”12034″ title=”Watch 21 things that will definitely happen at the World Cup”]
However, Martins predominantly plays on the right hand side, and having just brought Theo Walcott in six months ago, he would be an extravagant signing to say the least.
Walcott struggled slightly after a hot start to his Everton career, but he is much more experienced than Martins, can match him for pace, and shouldn’t be punished for what he was or wasn’t able to do under the much maligned Sam Allardyce.
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Martins is an excellent young player, but Everton should be more focused on solidifying their paper thin midfield, and shouldn’t splash out on a player who may not even dislodge Walcott.
So, Everton fans, would you back a move for Martins? Or would you prefer Walcott on the right wing next season? Let us know your thoughts by voting in the poll below…
Reports in The Sun on Sunday on January 28 suggested that Newcastle United have been offered the chance to sign Gremio forward and Brazil international Luan for £17.5m before the January transfer window slams shut on Wednesday, in what has been another disappointing month in the market so far for manager Rafa Benitez.
The Spaniard was furious this time last year when the Tyneside outfit failed to bring anyone in to boost their promotion push, but as it turned out it didn’t prove to be significant as the Toon secured an instant return to the Premier League as champions on the final day of the season.
The summer transfer window didn’t go to plan for the former Liverpool and Real Madrid boss either, and he certainly would have liked to have added more Premier League experience – and quality in general – to his squad than he did, while he also didn’t get the goalkeeper that he wanted.
Takeover talks in recent months would have excited the 57-year-old as he would have been potentially getting the financial backing from a new owner that hasn’t always been forthcoming under Mike Ashley, but the news that the Sports Direct tycoon pulled out of talks with Amanda Staveley’s PCP Capital Partners group last month certainly wouldn’t have been well received.
Benitez claimed last month that he wanted all of his January business done by the 20th, yet on Deadline Day they have only signed Chelsea winger Kenedy on loan, while they have so far failed to secure a deal for Feyenoord striker Nicolai Jorgensen and lost out to fellow strugglers West Bromwich Albion in the race to sign Liverpool centre-forward Daniel Sturridge on loan.
Newcastle and Ashley know that the club needs to end the window on a high to convince Rafa to not only want to stay, but also to prove their ambition for the future as they look to secure their Premier League status for at least another year – the Magpies currently lie in 15th position and are only out of the relegation zone on goal difference.
Bringing Luan to St James’ Park would certainly be a statement of intent, and it would boost a manager and a passionate fan base that will be frustrated with recent events on and off the pitch.
The 24-year-old attacker has long been linked with a move to Liverpool, and that is of little surprise as he has scored 36 goals and provided a further 22 assists in 131 appearances for Gremio, according to Transfermarkt.
His form for the Brazilian outfit has seen him called up to play for the Brazil national team on two occasions so far, and he ended 2017 with 15 goals and six assists in 32 matches.
Luan usually plays as a second striker but he has also played as an attacking midfielder, right winger and even as a centre-forward for Gremio in the past, showing his versatility.
While he isn’t the best at winning balls in the air, WhoScored.com lists his strengths as his ability to finish, holding on to the ball, playing through balls and key passes and his passing in general.
The 24-year-old made 37 key passes in 20 Brazilian top flight games in 2017, while he had an overall passing accuracy of 83.5%.
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The forward is a creator and has shown that he can be a goalscorer, and while there is certainly no guarantee that he would be an instant success in the Premier League – as there isn’t with any player that arrives from abroad – Luan looks to have the ability to make a big impression in England.
There is a feeling around St James’ Park and from a neutral point of view that Newcastle need to pull something big out of the bag on Deadline Day, and bringing Luan to the club could be the proof of ambition that Rafa needs to see to convince him that his long-term future lies on Tyneside.