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Everton succumbed to a 2-0 defeat to champions Manchester City on Wednesday night, with Marco Silva’s men taking the defeat lying down without a fight, although one man looked like he wanted to take the game to Pep Guardiola’s men.

The Toffees’ star man on the night

Second-choice right-back Jonjoe Kenny, who was making just his sixth Premier League start of the season against the Cityzens, excelled up against Leroy Sane and made life difficult for the German, so much so that he was withdrawn in the 58th minute by Guardiola.

Marco Silva opted to deploy the 21-year-old ahead of Seamus Coleman, and Kenny did his chances of a regular spot in the starting XI no harm with his display. The Englishman had 81 touches of the ball, 23 more than his nearest teammate managed, whilst also making two successful tackles against arguably the league’s most dangerous side.

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

Kenny also made a huge six clearances on a night where he was unfortunate to be on the losing team, and his performance could have serious ramifications on a Goodison Park icon.

Coleman’s time at Everton could be over

Despite making 20 league starts for the Toffees this season, the Republic of Ireland international has failed to live up to his form of yesteryear and looks like he is starting to decline as a footballer.

Fans of the Merseyside-based side have already lambasted Coleman for his woeful performances so far this season, so Kenny’s vastly different showings could persuade Silva to give him a few more starts – if that becomes the case, the 30-year-old’s decade-long stay at Goodison Park could soon be over as a place on the bench beckons.

Everton have spent significant fees on revamping their ageing backline, including £18m on left-back Lucas Digne and £27m on Yerry Mina to replace Leighton Baines and Phil Jagielka respectively, and Coleman could be the next Toffees icon to face the chop.

Leeds could take a big step towards building for the future by signing Sheffield United starlet Kyron Gordon.

What’s the story?

The 18-year-old is yet to make his senior debut at Bramall Lane but is already plying his trade for the club’s under-23s, and it now appears that clubs across the Premier League have taken notice.

According to the Daily Mail, both Marcelo Bielsa’s side and Manchester United have joined the race to sign Gordon this summer, with Merseyside duo Everton and Liverpool also said to be in the running.

The report claimed that “all four of the Premier League admirers are constantly assessing talented prospects such as Gordon with the aim to add depth to their youth ranks and may consider a move in the summer amid an expected re-shaping of the Blades.”

Securing Leeds’ future

In the 18-year-old, Leeds would be making yet another exciting addition to their academy following the likes of Joe Gelhardt and Sam Greenwood, who have also made the switch in recent seasons.

Given his age, there will be no expectation that the Blades youngster will be in the first team at Elland Road any time soon, but it could ensure that the Whites’ future at the back remains bright.

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Bielsa already has one young starlet in Charlie Cresswell progressing through the ranks, and signing Gordon to partner him in the youth teams could help form a potential duo to eventually shine at Premier League level.

That partnership could be developed early and would see them gain an understanding of each others’ strengths and weaknesses ahead of the real test of senior football in the top flight, if all goes to plan.

Meanwhile, Leeds could finally wave goodbye to this liability…

David Moyes has refused to rule out the idea of West Ham selling Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek this summer, admitting that the club could listen to offers for the duo.

The Hammers have enjoyed a season to remember in the Premier League, finding themselves right in the Champions League battle. Victory away to Wolves on Monday evening would see Moyes’ side go fourth in the table, leapfrogging Chelsea after their shock 5-2 defeat at home to West Brom on Saturday.

Rice and Soucek have undoubtedly been two of West Ham’s key men this season, with the £90m-rated pair (per Transfermarkt) excelling in the middle of the park.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, their form has led to concerns over other clubs tabling bids for them at the end of the campaign.

Moyes provides update on Rice and Soucek

Speaking to reporters [via The Mirror], Moyes admitted that West Ham may be willing to hear offers for the duo, should they arrive, but stressed that they wouldn’t be leaving on the cheap:

“Yes, any club can make offers for players but we’ve not had any big offers. I hope we don’t get any but if we do, like any other club, we would consider them.

“I don’t know where the Bank of England is for Tomas Soucek but I’ve said with Declan, it would take the Bank of England and the Royal Bank of Scotland to get him.

“It will have to be the Bank of Czech as well for Tomas!”

Transfer Tavern take

Rice and Soucek have both been integral to West Ham’s success, so they should do all they can to keep hold of them this summer.

The Czech international is their top Premier League scorer this term despite playing in a defensive midfield role, while the Englishman’s tackling and interception averages are among the highest in the Irons’ squad (WhoScored).

Both of their contracts run until 2024, which should at least the Hammers in a strong negotiating position with only huge bids likely to be accepted, as Moyes has hinted.

In other news, David Moyes has dropped another big transfer hint ahead of this summer. Read more about it here.

Roy Keane has the ‘personality’ required to lead Celtic going forward, according to former Hoops manager Martin O’Neill.

O’Neill, who led Celtic to three Scottish titles and a UEFA Cup final over five years in Glasgow, was speaking to BBC Scotland Sportsound.

Betting was suspended on Keane’s potential appointment on Friday, but The Times reported two days later that the Manchester United legend was ‘unlikely’ to take up the post.

O’Neill seems to fear that it would be a mistake to overlook the 49-year-old, who has worked under the ex-Hoops boss as assistant manager in the Republic of Ireland and Nottingham Forest setups.

£30m Champions League prize on the line for Celtic

“Next season is really big because it’s automatic qualification for the Champions League,” O’Neill said.

“That’s a massive extra prize. It’s the 30 million. Maybe it bolsters the argument that Celtic are taking their time – that whoever is in there is able and capable of facing Rangers in the big contest.

“Roy Keane’s got the personality, for a start. A massive player, iconic figure in the game. He’s also very strong-willed. But he’s got the capacity to motivate the players.

“Roy’s learned a great deal over the years. Dermot [Desmond, Celtic’s principal shareholder] is a strong-willed man himself. He’ll know what is necessary.”

Keane has been out of the managerial hotseat since 2011, when he left Ipswich Town.

Whoever succeeds Neil Lennon at Celtic Park faces a daunting task. The Hoops trail their arch-rivals Rangers by a full 20 points in the table, and Steven Gerrard’s men have not lost a league game all season.

Transfer Tavern verdict

With £30m potentially on the line as O’Neill has outlined, Celtic probably shouldn’t be taking this big a gamble on their next manager.

Eddie Howe, who did a remarkable job at Bournemouth and is now the favourite for the job, would appear a more sensible appointment, given his impressive track record at Premier League level in recent times.

In other news, what will the new boss have to say about this potential transfer?

Southampton have been linked with both Souleyman Doumbia and Brandon Williams recently but who would be the better addition to Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side this summer?

Souleyman Doumbia

According to Football Insider, Southampton are considering a move for the 24-year-old Angers SCO left-back this summer as they look to replace Ryan Bertrand, who is looking increasingly likely to leave when his contract at St Mary’s expires.

The 24-year-old has been a regular with the Ligue 1 side this season following his arrival from Stade Rennais in the summer, making 26 appearances in the French top-flight, for which he has averaged a solid, if unspectacular, 6.63 rating for his performances.

The Ivory Coast international is contracted until 2023 but is valued at just £2.25m by Transfermarkt which suggests that he would be a relatively cheap option for the Saints this summer.

Brandon Williams

Southampton were heavily linked with a move for Williams in the January transfer window and although that loan deal fell through, according to The Athletic, they will return for him this summer.

The 20-year-old has struggled for regular game time at Manchester United this season as a result of Luke Shaw’s impressive run of form, whilst Alex Telles’ summer arrival also saw the “brave” academy graduate slip down the pecking order in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.

In the 2019/20 season, however, Williams was a regular for United in the Europa League and impressed across his eight appearances, averaging a 7.19 rating for his performances.

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Who would be better?

Whilst Williams might arrive on an initial loan deal, and would likely prove to be a more expensive option for Southampton should they seek a permanent deal, he seems like the better of the two options.

He can play as both a left-back and as a right-back, which means he could provide back-up on the right-hand side for Kyle Walker-Peters, whilst the fact that he is English also helps with Premier League registration rules.

A loan deal for Williams would be a lot less risky too, as he if ends up struggling at St Mary’s then the Saints would have no obligation to buy him, whereas Doumbia could prove to be a flop which would then have to be sold on in the future for a loss.

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Therefore, Martin Semmens should forget about signing Doumbia this summer and instead focus on signing Williams on loan for Hasenhuttl’s side ahead of next season.

And, in other news… Saints record-breaker has golden chance to win Hasenhuttl over, it’s make or break

After coming on as a second half substitute in the 1-1 draw against Liverpool last week, Leeds starlet Ian Poveda must surely be unleashed by Marcelo Bielsa today in the Premier League against Manchester United.

The Whites boss turned to the 21-year-old for the final 23 minutes of the game upon replacing Helder Costa, who once again failed to impress. Indeed, speaking after the match, former Leeds striker Noel Whelan insisted that Poveda’s cameo was far more effective than anything that Costa produced on the night.

Whelan told Football Insider: “There is something there that is not right because Poveda came on and did more in that short time than Costa did in the 60 minutes he was on the field.

“He is fourth in the pecking order in terms of wingers for me. Poveda has to come before him now. He is direct, exciting and wants to take people on. He wants to do his job as a winger and Costa does not. He plays it safe and he’s negative. At least Poveda runs at people. He is positive and that is what a winger should do. Costa has been a massive flop. A real disappointment again.”

While a game against Manchester United may seem like a big one to throw him into, it could be the kind of surprise move which catches Ole Gunnar Solskjaer off guard.

Talking about Poveda earlier this campaign, Whelan said: “You can see now when you talk about people changing games and bringing a different dimension, he’s very, very quick, got great feet, very tricky, likes to run at players. Very much like Raphinha as well.

“He just looks a lot stronger this season, body-wise, mentality wise. He looks like he’s there to push people rather than just take up a bench place.”

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The £10,000-a-week ace has plenty of ability and showed in his cameo against Liverpool that he could be a real livewire, executing one key pass and winning three duels.

With Raphinha set to be ruled out, Leeds could get the closest to replacing him by someone who’s “very much like” him in Poveda.

Meanwhile, Leeds have been handed a major boost ahead of their Premier League clash against Man Utd…

According to a report by Football Insider, sharing the latest on Tottenham Hotspur and their interest in Scott Parker, the Fulham manager ‘has his supporters’ in the boardroom – most notably chairman Daniel Levy.

The Lowdown: Parker still enticing Spurs

The Englishman has been one of the main names consistently touted as Tottenham continue their hunt for a new manager, with reliable football.london correspondent Alasdair Gold claiming that Parker has indeed been tracked.

A former coach of Tottenham’s under-18s, the 40-year-old eventually swapped north London for Craven Cottage. Following a season to forget for Fulham as they suffered relegation, Parker has still drawn admiration for his attacking philosophy and style of play on the banks of the Thames – an aspect which apparently intrigues Spurs.

The Latest: Parker ‘has his supporters’ in Spurs boardroom

Bringing the latest on Tottenham and their interest in Parker, Football Insider claimed that he remains a contender for the Spurs job and even ‘has his supporters’ in the Lilywhites boardroom.

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The most notable Spurs chief in admiration for Parker is club chairman, Levy who is believed to be a major fan of the 40-year-old, whose ‘fine reputation’ as an up-and-coming manager also marks him out as a credible candidate for the role as Tottenham weigh up their options before the season’s end.

The Verdict: Underrated candidate…

Lauded as a ‘top coach’ by Spurs starlet Ryan Sessegnon (talkSPORT), Parker has also attracted great praise from Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola.

Indeed, the Spaniard applauded the Fulham manager for his courageous brand of attacking football earlier this season, calling him one of the ‘innovative’ English managers alongside Graham Potter (Manchester Evening News).

His lack of experience with managing high-profile players could come as a caveat, but he certainly fits into the mould of manager Tottenham are reportedly seeking. It is believed they want someone attack-minded to succeed the departed Jose Mourinho and bring back ‘the Spurs way’ of playing football.

Judging by his plaudits this season, Parker could be the unlikely man to do just that.

In other news: ‘We’re told’ – Sky Sports have news that ‘will interest Tottenham fans’…find out more here.

As Manchester City made history on Tuesday night, reaching their first ever Champions League final and overcoming Ligue 1 giants Paris-Saint Germain 4-1 on aggregate, many Sky Blues supporters took to social media and slammed Ander Herrera for his post-match comments.

Pep Guardiola’s men clinched a memorable 2-0 second leg victory at the Etihad Stadium thanks to a brace from star winger Riyad Mahrez and some heroic defending from the likes of Ruben Dias and John Stones.

The Algerian star was first there to pounce on a ricocheted Kevin De Bruyne effort to fire a neat finish through Keylor Navas’ legs.

As City sat back and waited for their next opportunity, the Sky Blues eventually found one in the form of a second half counter attack – with Phil Foden’s low cross then providing a tap-in for Mahrez to double their lead.

On an historic night for the club, however, many supporters took some anger out on Herrera following his post match message.

Despite the home side having more shots on target, efforts inside the box and big chances (SofaScore), the opposing midfielder and former Man United ace believes PSG were the ‘better side’ for a majority of the game (The Sun).

Flocking to his comments, many City supporters had their say – find a flavour of their comments from social media down below.

Man City fans destroy Herrera

“No way”

Credit: @MarshallMCFC

“Biggest clown I’ve heard”

Credit: @Lanuito7

“This is laughable”

Credit: @sam_bling

“Nah he’s got to be joking”

Credit: @ItsinSaneLeroy

“Thinks he’s Fergie”

Credit: @petermcr

“Herrera delusional.”

Credit: @MCFCVillain

“What game was he watching”

Credit: @bald_21lva

“No way 

They just can’t take it. Need to learn to lose respectfully.”

Credit: @notamendy

In other news: Man City fans also flocked to these quotes from an agent, find out more here.

Manchester City can secure their first piece of silverware this season as they take on Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup Final at Wembley on Sunday.

City have an excellent record in the competition since Guardiola’s arrival, having now won it three seasons in a row, and the Citizens should be confident against a side whose last trophy came in 2008.

There will be no repeat of Guardiola’s rivalry with Jose Mourinho on Sunday however, as the North London club sacked the Portuguese manager earlier this week, meaning 29-year-old Ryan Mason will be in charge for the game at Wembley.

Whilst City have a huge game against PSG to come on Wednesday next week, Guardiola should try and avoid the same mistake he made against Chelsea in the FA Cup, where resting numerous first-team players resulted in a disjointed display.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects the former Barcelona boss to line his side up against Spurs, with three changes from the team that started in the midweek win against Aston Villa…

Although Zack Steffen has featured earlier in the competition, he was arguably at fault for Chelsea’s goal in the FA Cup recently, so Ederson should start in goal.

There are two changes in defence, as Joao Cancelo replaces Oleksandr Zinchenko at left-back, whilst Aymeric Laporte comes in for John Stones, who is suspended after his reckless challenge at Villa earned him a straight red card.

In midfield, Kevin De Bruyne returns from injury to start alongside Ilkay Gundogan and Rodri, which sees Bernardo Silva pushed further forward to feature as a false nine.

He is supported by Phil Foden and Riyad Mahrez on the wings, meaning that the “brilliant” £54m-rated Gabriel Jesus is relegated to the bench.

And, in other news… Sheikh Mansour’s huge call is massive news for Pep, De Bruyne will be delighted 

Carlo Ancelotti must not block Joshua King from joining Celtic in the summer as the striker has proven to be a flop since signing for Everton.

What’s the word?

While speaking with Football Insider, former Leeds striker Noel Whelan has backed King to secure a move to Parkhead once his Everton contract expires.

The 29-year-old moved to Goodison Park on deadline day of the winter transfer market after Everton paid Bournemouth £2m to take over the final six months of his £45,000-per-week deal.

The Norway international had expressed that his intentions would be to earn a longer-term deal, as his mid-season arrival featured clauses which could return a new contract, but he is expected to be released at the end of the campaign.

Whelan believes that Celtic may emerge as a potential destination for King in the summer, with the Hoops in advanced talks with his former Cherries boss Eddie Howe over taking up the vacant head coach position in Glasgow.

“You look to Ancelotti, you look to a lot of managers – they bring in their own,” Whelan said. “It’s no different to Jose Mourinho and [Sergio] Reguilon from Real Madrid. He has seen him, seen him work, he knows what he’s getting.

“That’ll be no different for Eddie Howe. We know Josh King’s available. Everton aren’t taking that on. He would be fantastic for the Scottish game and Celtic. Maybe he’ll delve into the market for that one, he knows what’s happening in the summertime.

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“It wouldn’t surprise me if he delves into the market and takes people that he knows and trusts. That’s what managers generally do, using their own contacts and the relationships they have with players. That would only be a positive for Celtic.”

Should Everton let King leave?

Ancelotti signed King in the winter market this year as he sought to acquire attacking depth following Cenk Tosun returning to Besiktas and Anthony Gordon joining Preston North End in loan deals, yet never seeing the summer free agent proving to be a clinical product.

“I think he’s the right profile that we needed,” the Italian said, via quotes shared by the Liverpool Echo. “The fact that we let Tosun go to Turkey, we let Anthony to have experience, we needed a profile for the position in front. We were looking at him in the summer.

“We didn’t sign him to have more goals. We signed him to have a powerful, fast player – not to score more goals. We signed him to have more options in front, with him we have more options. Of course, we need goals, but we have players who can score goals.”

No matter how Ancelotti framed King’s arrival at the time, the 29-year-old has proven to be a total dud on whom Everton will have wasted £2.9m by the time his contract expires.

He will have been at Goodison Park for 21 weeks when his £45,000-a-week deal expires on June 30, costing club owner Farhad Moshiri £945,000 in wages – on top of the £2m paid to Bournemouth – on a player who is yet to start or provide any goal involvement in royal blue.

The versatile 54-cap forward has made each of his eight Everton appearances to date from the bench, with an average time on the pitch of just 15 minutes thanks to three cameo showings of six or fewer minutes and only one exceeding the half-hour mark.

He was even overlooked for a central role while Dominic Calvert-Lewin was sidelined with a hamstring injury against Fulham and Manchester City, with King instead brought on for Alex Iwobi against the Cottagers and Tom Davies against the Citizens to fill in on the right wing.

If Howe has any interest in being reunited with King at Celtic, Ancelotti cannot stand in the attacker’s way and must instead search the transfer market for a replacement.

AND in other news, Everton face a £17m price tag to land a 26-y/o leader once considered to be “one of the strongest”…