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Carlo Ancelotti will be desperate for updates on Robin Olsen’s fitness after goalkeeper Jordan Pickford was ruled out of Everton’s FA Cup quarter-final tie with Manchester City.

The Toffees have confirmed that Pickford will not be able to face Pep Guardiola’s Citizens on Saturday after aggravating an oblique abdominal muscle injury during last week’s 2-1 defeat to Burnley.

Pickford will now miss at least his side’s FA Cup encounter, plus England’s three March internationals against San Marino, Albania and Poland following scans carried out on Monday.

Ancelotti was forced to withdraw Pickford shortly before half-time during Saturday’s loss to Burnley, as the 27-year-old was unable to continue after irritating a prior rib injury that forced him to miss four games last month.

Academy shot-stopper Joao Virginia replaced Pickford for his Premier League debut and could now earn only his second Everton start in all competitions against Manchester City, with doubts lingering over Olsen’s fitness.

But, according to the Liverpool Echo, Olsen has not yet given up hope of guarding the goal against the Citizens on Saturday, as the AS Roma loanee hopes to overcome his own fitness concerns in time.

Olsen has been sidelined since last month’s Merseyside derby win away to rivals Liverpool with an unspecified injury, which has forced the 31-year-old to be absent from Ancelotti’s past four Premier League matchday squads.

The 42-cap Sweden international played no role in the 2-0 win at Anfield or previous 3-1 loss to Manchester City, but has kept two clean sheets in his nine outings across all competitions this term and has played all 330 minutes of Everton’s FA Cup campaign to date.

Ancelotti will be desperate to get word on whether or not Olsen will be passed fit in time to face Manchester City on Saturday, with Virginia otherwise his sole option for the FA Cup tie.

Virginia’s only previous first-team appearance for the Toffees, prior to replacing Pickford against Burnley, had come in the Carabao Cup in September when he kept a clean sheet at home to Salford City during a 3-0 win over the League Two side.

The 21-year-old was able to register a second shutout against the Clarets over the weekend, but the Portuguese prospect almost conceded after fumbling Chris Wood’s header to leave Matej Vydra with an open goal only for the forward to waste the opportunity.

Virginia felt his top-flight bow went well, overall, having kept to Ancelotti’s instructions of keeping things simple.

“The manager and Alan [Kelly, the goalkeeping coach] told me to be confident and keep it simple and let the game come to me,” Virginia said. “That’s what I did. I waited for the game to come to me, and everything went well.”

But Ancelotti may favour a recall for Olsen if the on-loan ‘keeper is considered fit enough to start, having previously stated how he and Pickford are no better or worse than one another.

AND in other news, Carlo Ancelotti has set his eyes on bringing a £59m flop to Everton…

A recent study has found that amateur punditry is one the rise, with a number of fan-made supporters channels doing exceptionally well on YouTube and in podcasts in 2020. Not only are these pages attracting a high number of views, but they are also raking in incredible amounts of revenue.

After crunching the numbers regarding subscribers, viewing figures, and revenue, research conducted by American Gambler found that football fan TV channels have exploded in popularity in recent years.

At the front and centre of this online revolution that is threatening traditional forms of punditry is Arsenal Fan TV.  The channel led by Robbie Lyle is leading the way by some margin, with 980 million views to date. On top of that, the channel has enjoyed a 26 percent increase in viewings over the last year.

It is estimated that one in five football fans watched fan-made football channels in 2020, and sites like AFTV are reaping the rewards. Lyle’s channel earns more than £1.2 million per year from advertising revenue alone. The channel also has numerous partnerships and sponsorship deals, adding to its income streams.

AFTV has inspired a vast range of other fans to create their own offerings, and the market has boomed over the last year. Indeed, the average increase across all fan-made channels was 40 percent in 2020. Some of the other well-known channels include The United Stand, True Geordie, and Angry Rantman.

The rise of these unofficial means of commenting on football has got the attention of pundits, who clearly feel threatened. With some fans feeling disenchanted with traditional forms of punditry on channels like Sky Sports, fan-made options are likely to continue to rise in popularity in the years ahead.

According to a report by Claret & Hugh, via West Ham News, goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski is ‘90%’ certain to face Leeds United on Monday – prompting many Hammers to react as this ‘huge news’ emerges regarding the fitness of their number one. 

Fabianski was unable to feature against Manchester City last weekend with Darren Randolph tasked against the league leaders, with C&H now dropping a promising claim regarding Fabianski.

They insist that the Poland ace is ‘90%’ certain to return against Leeds next week, supporting David Moyes’ last update that it was only a ‘minor injury’.

The West Ham insiders allegedly have this information from a training ground source at Rush Green, with Moyes now handed a potential boost for Leeds’ visit to the London Stadium.

Flocking to this claim, many West Ham insiders shared their array of opinions on the matter – with some calling it ‘massive’ and ‘huge news’ – find all of the Irons supporters best verdicts down below.

West Ham fans react to Fabianski claim

“If he doesn’t do anything stupid in training again”

Credit: @conwhufc03

“We love a bizarre injury… Remember when Enner Valencia cut his foot on a tea cup at home”

Credit: @northwesthammer

“huge news this”

Credit: @stephenlott

“Thats massive”

Credit: @ScoutSoucek

“Hopefully this is true”

Credit: @WhuEthan

“Excellent”

Credit: @callumder123

“W for us already”

Credit: @Vic3Vine

In other news: West Ham fans unleashed at this decision, find out more here.

Crystal Palace have been handed a huge boost after Roy Hodgson appeared to confirm that Christian Benteke’s injury isn’t too serious, despite the Belgian striker being withdraw at halftime against Sheffield United, where he was replaced by Jordan Ayew.

What’s the news?

When asked about Benteke’s fitness at the weekend, Hodgson told reporters, via football.london: “Well, we think Benteke got a kick in the first half, which was obviously concerning him at half-time – a sort of dead leg. Normally those dead legs, if you’re lucky, don’t produce long-term problems.”

Palace snapped Benteke up from Liverpool for £27m in a club record deal on a four-year contract in 2016.

The 30-year-old centre-forward has been in decent form this season, scoring three goals in 12 appearances in the Premier League so far, via Transfermarkt. Given the extent of his injury, it appears he could be back in action in a matter of days.

Likely impact?

In fact, we’d even go so far as to say that Benteke has been one of Palace’s best players since the start of the season.

Palace have been in desperate need of some quality upfront for some time now and the Belgian international has delivered with great aplomb, bagging a brace against West Bromwich Albion in his first start of the campaign.

The Eagles boss reserved special praise for Benteke after he scored his first goals of the season, saying: “He has been patient and never stopped working. He showed the type of player he was when Palace bought him from Liverpool and has now got to keep that going.”

Whilst the goals have started to dry up, with just one in his past five games, his influential presence at the top of the pitch cannot be ignored, as he came close to scoring after combining with Ivory Coast forward Wilfried Zaha in the first half before being replaced by Ayew.

It’s worth remembering he has still scored more goals than Ayew, Michy Batshuayi and Connor Wickham have between them, albeit the latter has spent nearly the entirety of the season so far on the sidelines.

With an FA Cup tie with Wolves next on the agenda, Benteke simply must be one of the first names on the team sheet if he is fully fit and firing on all cylinders.

AND in other news, Forget Eze: Crystal Palace left-back Tyrick Mitchell sent Hodgson a timely reminder…

Ryan Fraser is a man walking a thin tightrope at Newcastle United after Steve Bruce unleashed a scathing attack on his players for their torrid recent form.

Bruce has refused to hold back any punches after the Magpies were disappointingly beaten 1-0 by Sheffield United on Tuesday night, stating “the gloves are off” after becoming the first side to lose a Premier League game to Chris Wilder’s Blades this season.

“We were absolutely frigging hopeless the other night,” Bruce said, via quotes by The Guardian. “Unfortunately, that’s happened a little too often in my 18-months here; it was nowhere near good enough for the challenge ahead. Maybe it’s a mentality thing.”

One player for whom Bruce’s comments should hit home hard is Fraser, who saw two yellow cards in the space of just three minutes shortly before half-time at Bramall Lane, having carelessly attracted referee Andy Madley’s attention for a shin-high challenge on David McGoldrick.

Fraser had hardly done anything of worth in South Yorkshire to be even slightly forgiven for his clueless actions, as an in-swinging cross to the near post in the 39th-minute that found Isaac Hayden proved to be the former AFC Bournemouth man’s only redeeming moment.

Moments after Hayden’s header failed to break the deadlock, Fraser was in the books for a late foul on John Fleck and play had hardly moved on before the red card was out and the 26-year-old’s time on the pitch was over to warrant WhoScored’s lowest match rating for a player on either side at 4.9.

Bruce rarely saw the Scotland international get on the ball before his sending off, with Fraser offering just eight accurate passes, including a corner kick, as he took a mere 17 touches and offered no dribbles.

Fraser’s performances up until the Sheffield United defeat had hardly seen the diminutive forward write his name in Bruce’s good books, either, having only started two of his seven Premier League appearances and offering two assists after suffering with hamstring and groin injuries.

For their efforts per game in the top-flight this term, Fraser ranks 16th at St. James’ Park for shots with a mere 0.3 strikes, per WhoScored. His record is less than what centre-backs Ciaran Clark (0.6) and Jamaal Lascelles (0.4) have offered and far fewer than Andy Carroll (1), who scored his first Premier League goal in 43 games against Leicester City earlier this month.

Fraser has also offered fewer key passes per league game (0.5) than six of his Toon teammates, with Jacob Murphy, Joelinton, Emil Krafth and Matty Longstaff all offering the same level of creativity as the £11m-rated forward who finished second only to Eden Hazard for assists in the 2018/19 campaign with 14 to the Belgian’s 15.

Bruce will no doubt be demanding far more from Fraser once his suspension is served, and hope to see the £42,000-per-week maestro take on board his criticism as the Toon chiefs comments have dealt the winger certain peril over his position in the side if things do not pick up soon.

AND in other news, Newcastle have enquired over a January loan deal for a £4.5m-rated outcast criticised for his lack of effort.

Glasgow Rangers sporting director Ross Wilson must prioritise giving Glen Kamara a new contract after Steven Gerrard pleaded with the board to tie him down to a new deal.

What’s the word?

Kamara has been an integral part of Gerrard’s side so far this season, having played six games in the Europa League, whilst he has averaged a solid 7.04 statistical rating, which makes him one of Rangers’ top performers in the European competition, via WhoScored.

The Finland international has become a first-team regular starter since he joined from Dundee in January 2019 after he signed a four-year pre-contract deal with the club, as he has made 77 appearances in Rangers, scoring three goals and supplying three assists in all competitions.

He played a key part as the Light Blues beat Lech Poznan to finish top of Group D in the Europa League on Thursday night.

Speaking after the game, Gerrard said: “I thought Glen Kamara again showed why everybody is talking about him and there’s a lot of fuss about him.

“I thought he was outstanding from start to finish and my advice to the club is to move that situation along as quickly as they can.”

Reports in recent times revealed that Kamara is still of interest to Leeds United, whilst Burnley, Brighton, Newcastle and Sheffield United remain interested in signing the defensive midfielder at the earliest opportunity.

Keep Kamara at all costs

Therefore, it’s imperative that Wilson ensures the 25-year-old is rewarded for his efforts so far this season with new and improved terms to fend off interest from elsewhere.

The Finn is one of several midfield options available to Gerrard, including Scott Arfield, Steven Davis, Ryan Jack and Bongani Zungu, but it’s clear as day that Kamara is a class above the rest, which is precisely why Wilson must keep him at all costs.

In 6 appearances in the Europa League this season, Kamara has scored one goal so far, whilst he is averaging 1.8 tackles, 1.5 interceptions and 1.2 dribbles per game via WhoScored.

Of all of his closest rivals, only Steven Davis has averaged a higher rating in the European competition, as he ranks higher than Arfield, Jack and Zungu as it stands.

Gerrard has made no attempts to disguise his admiration for the midfielder, either, with the Ibrox boss describing him as a “fantastic” player back in October.

It seems obvious that the board must offer him a lucrative contract to persuade him to stay with the 54-time Scottish champions, as Gerrard can’t afford to lose one of his key players with so much still at stake this season.

AND in other news, Glasgow Rangers winger Ianis Hagi defied the critics against Lech Poznan in the Europa League…

If anything summed up Celtic’s incredible season so far, it would be the Scottish Cup final on Sunday evening.

This has been a horrible campaign for Neil Lennon and co. His job has been under permanent pressure and he’s received no backing from supporters.

13 points adrift in the league and conceding goals at will, it was unsurprising when so many fans took to the exterior of Parkhead to complain.

Fortunately, the huge toxicity that has engulfed the club this season can now be extinguished – certainly for a few days at least as they celebrate a historic Scottish Cup win.

They were 2-0 up and cruising at half time but Hearts rallied and managed to take the game to extra-time. Leigh Griffiths popped up with what looked to be a winner but then the Edinburgh based side equalised again, this time through Josh Ginnelly.

It was a poor moment for goalkeeper Conor Hazard, someone who rescued his team with two penalty saves in the resulting shoot-out. The young goalkeeper had been shocking in normal time, making a high profile mistake for the third but once all was said and done, he was the hero and the man to take the plaudits.

However, Celtic’s real hero was an outfield player, someone who ran Hearts ragged all afternoon.

The man in question is Ryan Christie, someone the Hoops will be desperate to keep hold of after he was linked with a move to English shores in the build-up to the final.

The winger gave Celtic the lead in the first half with a stunning strike. 29 yards from goal, the Scot let fly with a lovely curling drive which found the corner of Craig Gordon’s net.

Christie was a rampant ball of energy, proving to be Lennon’s major source of creativity. He also earned the ultimate praise from former Celtic boss Martin O’Neill.

Speaking to the BBC, he said: “Ryan Christie is a real quality player with the potential to move into that sphere of greats like Henrik Larsson.”

He did miss a penalty in the shoot-out but fortunately, it didn’t prove decisive. What did, however, was his performance in normal time.

It’s no surprise Christie has been linked with the Premier League.

AND in other news, Lawwell MUST SELL “outstanding” Celtic ace with “dangerous episodes”…

Crystal Palace cruised to a comfortable 2-1 win over Fulham at Craven Cottage. Roy Hodgson’s side took the lead after Jairo Riedewald slotted home a sublime pass from Wilfried Zaha.

But the best was yet to come, as Michy Batshuayi picked out a near-perfect pass for Zaha to pick up the vital three points, which means that Fulham are still waiting for their first win of the 2020/21 Premier League season.

Batshuayi could have scored himself before he saw another goal ruled out for offside for the second time in two weeks, but he quickly made amends shortly afterwards with a match-winning contribution.

Look, we get it. We’ll be the first to admit that we may have been a little bit too hasty in writing him off almost immediately after his erratic display during the dull draw with Brighton. But we’re not the first and won’t be the last to criticise a player – but at least we’re willing to admit it when we get it wrong!

In fact, Batshuayi has faced a fair amount of criticism for his performances over the years so far. But it’s fair to say that the Belgium international has silenced the critics with his performance against Fulham at Craven Cottage.

Per SofaScore, the 27-year-old took two shots on target, took 37 touches of the ball, and created one big chance, whilst he made two clearances, two interceptions and blocked one shot, which shows that he contributed defensively as well.

SofaScore gave the Belgian striker a grade of 7.5, which is higher than what Wilfried Zaha received, whilst Sky Sports similarly awarded him with a rating of 7/10. Likewise, football.london gave him the same score, saying he “stretched the defence and showed more of what Hodgson will want to see this season.”

Batshuayi, who is currently rated at £10.8m via Transfermarkt, has received full backing from Roy Hodgson. And the Palace boss has been rewarded as the Chelsea loanee provided the assist to seal the win over his former club.

Once hailed as a “hard-working” player by Blues boss Frank Lampard, Hodgson must rebuild Batshuayi’s confidence, which has arguably been shot to pieces by his struggles at Stamford Bridge.

However, he has shown signs that he is beginning to rediscover the form from his first spell at Selhurst Park. Getting on the scoresheet should be the next thing on the list.

AND in other news, Crystal Palace missed out on key summer signing in Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins…

Southampton were reported to have made a bid for Sampdoria defender Omar Colley during the summer transfer window and they look to have now been handed a boost in their potential hopes of signing the centre-back in January, with the Serie A side now reportedly open to selling him.

It was suggested during the summer that the Saints were planning to bid €15 million (£13.4 million) for the Gambian defender but a move to the South Coast club never materialised.

However, Calcionews24 have now suggested that Blucerchiati are now open to selling the defender, as he has been relegated to the bench in recent weeks.

The 28-year-old has made just two appearances in Serie A so far this season, in which he put in mixed displays, earning a disappointing 6.05 rating in the 3-0 defeat against Juventus, whilst a goal in a 3-2 defeat against Benevento earned him a much more impressive 7.41 rating (per WhoScored).

Southampton’s centre-backs have been impressive so far this season, with Jan Vestergaard currently the club’s third-best performer in the Premier League, having averaged a superb 7.29 rating (per WhoScored). The Dane’s rejuvenation in recent weeks does make you wonder if Colley would still be a useful addition for Hasenhuttl.

Jan Bednarek has also impressed, having averaged a solid 6.84 rating across eight Premier League appearances, suggesting that it would be difficult for Colley to break up that current partnership.

While Jack Stephens has struggled at times this season, with the 26-year-old’s 6.40 average rating from his four top-flight appearances perhaps something for Hasenhuttl to worry about, he provides able back-up, while the club are still yet to see a glimpse of summer buy Mohamed Salisu.

WhoScored suggests that Colley’s strengths are aerial duels and interceptions, whilst he has no significant weaknesses, so perhaps he could be compared to former Saints man Virgil van Dijk, who has established himself as one of the world’s best defenders since joining Liverpool for £75 million.

That said, having kept four Premier League clean sheets already this term, maybe the south coast outfit should have other priorities if they want to buy in January.

According to Football Insider, Tottenham have been handed a boost in their pursuit of Leicester winger Demarai Gray in this summer transfer window.

Reports in recent months have suggested that the England youth international has been a long-term target for the north London side, with former manager Mauricio Pochettino even interested in signing him back when he was in the dugout.

Is it Mido or Pedro Mendes? This Spurs quiz will separate the loyal from the fake…



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Now, Football Insider claim that Gray has snubbed Leicester’s recent attempts to sign a new contract at the King Power Stadium, and that his departure from the Foxes is now considered as “inevitable”.

The report further adds that the winger is valued at £20m, and that Spurs could even bide their time until his price comes down a little more or even snap him up on a free transfer next summer.

Gray – who earns a reported £55k-a-week at Leicester – remains only 24, so he still has plenty of room to grow and develop. And whilst he may not be a regular starter for Spurs, especially when Gareth Bale is fit and raring to go later, he could become an important part of the overall squad.

Described by Foxes boss Brendan Rodgers as a “big talent”, Gray has shown flashes of brilliance since his move to Leicester, including popping up with big moments in big games – last season saw him play the role of super-sub as he helped set up the goal in a 1-1 draw with Arsenal.

And with The Evening Standard claiming that Spurs have followed him since 2013, now seems like the perfect time for the north Londoners to move for the Englishman.