Month: November 2024

Sean Dyche is the manager Everton have turned to as they aim to stave off relegation from the Premier League.

Everton sacked Frank Lampard last Monday following a 2-0 defeat at West Ham – the Toffees eighth defeat in the space of nine games.

The last time Everton won a competitive match was on October 22 last year, and they find themselves in 19th place, level on points with Southampton, who are bottom only due to goal difference.

Dyche was reportedly the Merseyside club s second choice, with owner Farhad Moshiri wanting to appoint former Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa, who held talks with the club s hierarchy in London on Thursday.

However, Bielsa is said to have been hesitant to join Everton in mid-season, and reports have claimed the Argentine i…

Head coach Luis Enrique had the feeling that the goal was going to come for Spain as a late Alvaro Morata strike earned victory over Portugal to reach next year s Nations League Finals.

Spain needed to win in Braga if they were to top Group A2 above Portugal, but the hosts had the better of the first-half opportunities.

However, substitutions from Luis Enrique turned the game in Spain s favour, before they found a dramatic 88th-minute winner when Morata smashed in from Nico Williams downwards header.

Luis Enrique claims he knew his team were going to score, telling reporters: It is a wonderful sport in which victory is the best antidote for any depression or state of sadness.

Portugal are a top team. In the first half, I insisted a lot, perhaps too much,…

The Premier League is officially 30 years old.

On Saturday, August 15, 1992, the Premier League s inaugural season began with a packed schedule of 15:00 kick-offs.

Its foundation came as a result of clubs in the old First Division breaking away from the Football League in order to maximise their earning potential, with much of that initially focused around the possibility of lucrative TV rights deals.

As the Football Association (FA) had a strained relationship with the Football League at the time, the FA backed plans for the formation of the breakaway league, and in July 1991 the Founder Members Agreement was signed by the top-flight clubs.

While the Premier League fell under the auspices of the FA, the league was given economic independence from the g…

Northern Ireland have reappointed Michael O Neill as manager on a five-and-a-half-year contract following the sacking of Ian Baraclough.

O Neill guided Northern Ireland to the last 16 of Euro 2016 – their first tournament in 30 years – during his first spell in charge between December 2011 and April 2020.

The 53-year-old took over as boss of Championship side Stoke City in November 2019 – a job he initially balanced with the Northern Ireland one – but was dismissed in August.

He has now returned to international management with Northern Ireland, who parted company with Baraclough in October after winning just four of his 22 competitive games.

Things you absolutely love to see

— Northern Ireland (@NorthernIreland)

I am delig…

Watching French superstar complete an earth-shattering move to Real Madrid this summer after leaving PSG on a free transfer, it has been a frantic transfer window from across Spain’s elite.

With really breaking the bank over the past month, fellow Spanish giants Barcelona have also found themselves at the heart of a real transition.

With only a week left until the summer transfer window slams shut, many are expecting what could be a frantic end to proceedings as La Liga’s title contenders all look to bolster their squads.

On a list that includes three of Europe’s hottest attacking stars, we have taken a look at who have been ’s most expensive summer recruits.

Julian Alvarez Manchester City to Atletico Madrid (£81million)

Eventually finishing …

Eintracht Frankfurt produced a stunning performance as they reached the Europa League semi-finals with a 3-2 second-leg victory over Barcelona at Camp Nou on Thursday. 

The two sides played out a 1-1 draw in Germany last week, and any thoughts Xavi s men had of brushing aside their opponents on home turf were dispelled in the fourth minute when Filip Kostic scored from the penalty spot. 

Rafael Borre and Kostic added further goals to give the scoreline a scarcely believable look, before a fine Sergio Busquets strike and Memphis Depay penalty reduced the deficit in stoppage time.

But Frankfurt had done enough for a famous 4-3 aggregate win and Oliver Glasner s men will now face West Ham in the last four after they overcame Lyon.

We ve done it. WE VE DONE…

Harry Kane will choose to stay with Tottenham and can win trophies with the club, says former Spurs manager Harry Redknapp.

Kane scored his 266th goal for Spurs in the 1-0 victory over Fulham on Monday, equalling Jimmy Greaves all-time goalscoring record for Tottenham and boosting their top-four hopes.

But with the striker s contract due to expire in 18 months, it has been rumoured Kane may opt to leave to pursue silverware elsewhere, with links to European giants such as Bayern Munich and Manchester United.

Kane has spent 19 years with Spurs but is yet to lift any major trophies, losing the 2018-19 Champions League final to Liverpool and finishing as an EFL Cup runner-up twice.

But Redknapp, who handed Kane his Spurs debut in a Europa League qualifier ag…

Verdict: Colombia (-1.5) AH

Best odds:

Bookmaker: 

Colombia can reach the Copa America s knockout stages if they defeat Costa Rica. Although the visitors are considered the underdogs in this fixture, snatching a point against Brazil in the first round predicts a tough battle at State Farm Stadium.

Colombia

Although Colombia s participation in Copa America started in 1945, 30 years after the first edition, the hosts failed to establish themselves as title contenders until 1975 when they lost their first-ever final to Peru. However, despite Uruguay and Argentina dominating the competition with 15 titles won by each team, Colombia entered the 21st-century en-fanfare after winning their first-ever title by edging Mexico in the final (1-0).

A regul…

England boss Gareth Southgate says he can “take far fewer gambles” with his Euro 2024 squad compared to the previous two tournaments.

Next year’s competition will see a return to relative normality after the delayed, Covid-impacted Euro 2020 and an unprecedented winter World Cup in Qatar.

Increased 26-man squads were introduced for both of those tournaments, but UEFA has confirmed the size of selections will return to 23 players in Germany.

…

Unai Emery toasted Aston Villa’s “champagne moment” after they qualified for Europe for the first time since 2010.

The manager has sparked a turnaround at Villa Park having been appointed in October, after the club sacked Steven Gerrard sitting three points above the relegation zone.

Sunday’s 2-1 win over Brighton – who had already qualified for the Europa League – earned a Europa Conference League play-off spot after a seventh-placed finish in the Premier League.

Douglas Luiz and Ollie Watkins scored to seal their return, despite Deniz Undav’s strike for Brighton.

“Today is a champagne moment,” said Villa boss Emery.

“When you are working and focusing week-to-week, you are not having a lot of days to celebrate something, 70 pe…