Everton are looking to build on what eventually turned into a decent season for the club under manager Marco Silva.

Despite some inconsistencies in performances at times, the Toffees did eventually appear to start getting things rights under Silva, and with a few shrewd additions over the summer, things could really be on the up for the Merseysiders.

This weekend then has seen Brazilian star Richarlison reportedly make his own attempts to lure some top talent to Goodison Park, with the former Watford ace supposedly trying to entice Brazilian teammate and Ajax winger Dave Neres to the club.

And here in the Tavern, we feel this would be a superb piece of business for the Toffees if they could follow Richarlison’s lead.

The 22-year-old hit double figures in both goals and assists last season as the Dutch giants returned to the pinnacle of European football with a tremendous Champions League run, and his electric playing style and goal getting habits would be most welcome Goodison.

Much like Richarlison, Neres has that brilliant knack of being able to produce something out of nothing, whether that be a wonder strike or a piece of magic down either wing which allows him to lay goals on a plate for his teammates.

The Toffees have at times struggled to have impact from wide areas, with Dom Calvert-Lewin not a natural wide player and fellow Brazilian Bernard failing to really produce the sort of form which is going to help Everton towards the top four.

If the club want to progress and keep pushing forward, signings like Neres are the way to go, and the thought of him and Richarlison lining up for the club is enough to excite even the most hard nosed Everton fan.

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According to a report in The Daily Record (May 28, page 47), Crystal Palace are one of the clubs showing an interest in signing Dundee United goalkeeper Benjamin Siegrist, which makes their recent decision not to extend Julian Speroni’s contract even more confusing.

What’s the word, then?

Well, The Daily Record report that the Scottish Championship club are keen to tie the 27-year-old down to a new contract given he only has 12 months left on his contract, but it could be more difficult following their play-off defeat against St Mirren over the weekend which has consigned them to another year in the second tier.

The Eagles, along with Championship sides Nottingham Forest and Hull City, all watched Siegrist in action on Sunday, and could make a move to sign him in the coming months according to The Daily Record.

The report adds that the east Midlands outfit may hold the advantage as manager Martin O’Neill worked with the Swiss stopper during his time with Aston Villa.

Why release Speroni?

I think most Palace fans would accept the decision to release the popular Argentine as a sensible one if they were planning to bring in a new number one – or at least someone good enough to compete for the jersey – this summer.

Are Crystal Palace right to slap a £100m valuation on Wilfried Zaha’s head? Check out the video below to see why they are…

If the south London outfit want to push on and progress then neither Vicente Guaita nor Wayne Hennessey are arguably good enough to be between the sticks, and Siegrist hardly looks to have the pedigree to star for the Eagles given he is currently a goalkeeper in Scotland’s second tier.

It makes the decision not to hand club-legend Speroni a further 12 months on his contract confusing, as the 40-year-old would have been more than adept at holding the same role as the 27-year-old likely will should he end up arriving at Selhurst Park.

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Tottenham and Liverpool’s Champions League final was a great moment for English football, announcing its return to the top of the continental tree, but it was far from a great advert for it.

Indeed, Liverpool lifted their sixth top European title after a rather underwhelming ninety minutes that was decided by two moments at either end of the match – Mohamed Salah’s early penalty and Divock Origi’s late strike past Hugo Lloris.

In between, there really wasn’t much to write home about as both sides failed to create any clear-cut chances and were mostly reduced to speculative shots from long range.

So how exactly did two of the most entertaining sides in the Premier League end up pulling off such a drab match? Here are five factors, most outside of Mauricio Pochettino and Jurgen Klopp’s control, that made Saturday’s encounter inevitably underwhelming…

The Heat

Despite the match lacking quality and energy for long periods, both sets of players looked out on their feet as the game entered the final 20 minutes. There’s one obvious reason for that – the sheer heat in Madrid simply sapped the life out of them.

It was around 30 degrees when Saturday’s clash kicked off at 9pm local time and judging by the players’ performances, the heat didn’t let up. Inevitably then, it was incredibly difficult for either team to engage in the high-pressing, high-octane style they’ve become synonymous with in recent years.

Both strikers weren’t fully fit

Klopp and Pochettino both gambled by starting first-choice strikers who weren’t fully fit heading into the game. Harry Kane hadn’t featured since the Champions League quarter-final when he hobbled off against Manchester City, whereas Roberto Firmino had managed just eleven minutes of competitive action following a full outing versus Cardiff City at the end of April.

In fairness, both sides struggled to produce that defence-splitting pass to feed in the front-men, but there was a distinct lack of movement to create such opportunities as well. Firmino was withdrawn around the hour mark and his replacement, Origi, grabbed the goal to decide the tie, while Kane would manage just a single shot at goal. Pretty much passengers throughout, Firmino and Kane’s injury problems left their sides somewhat toothless.

Should Spurs sell Kieran Trippier? Check out the for and against in the video below…

Three-week gap

The last competitive outings for both teams came on the final day of the Premier League season, May 12th, and they endured a wait longer than some international breaks heading into this game. There have been some benefits to that such as injured players returning for selection but it also goes a long way to explaining why there were so many wayward passes and loose touches – Liverpool’s pass completion was a woeful 64% in the end.

Compare that to Chelsea, the only team to really play top-quality football during this season’s all-English European finals. They came under huge criticism for playing a friendly in Boston prior to their Europa League final, but the 3-0 win over New England Revolution gave all the players the chance to stretch their legs and play in a somewhat competitive environment. Surely it’s no coincidence they ended up playing the best football of the four teams by far.

Know each other too well

In this day and age, no team goes into a European final being unsure of what to expect from the opposition. With statistics, scouting, a whole team of analysts and modern day TV coverage, it’s impossible to keep any secrets.

But there’s nothing quite like having played a team before when sussing them out and Liverpool and Tottenham are just too familiar with each other. Knowing exactly what the opposition can do not only allows you to adequately prepare for them tactically but also creates an element of fear, aware that they’ve already proved they can cause damage.

Since arriving in England in October 2015, Klopp has faced Pochettino’s Tottenham ten times; rather tellingly, in just one of those games has a side scored more than two goals. Just look at the last all-English Champions League final as well – Chelsea vs Man United was an absolute snoozefest, eventually decided by penalties.

It’s a career-defining game

Perhaps it’s obvious but its undoubtedly true; for a lot of players, winning a Champions League final will be a once in a lifetime moment. Nerves are inevitable and they showed constantly throughout the ninety minutes. Liverpool seemed to struggle with the role of being favourites, especially after taking the early lead, and while Tottenham managed to take control of the ball they lacked the composure to really make it count in the final third.

Much of this Liverpool squad featured in last season’s final and in the end that experience seemed to make a difference, but neither team managed to shake off early nerves and that went a long way to defining the quality of their performances.

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In recent months there hasn’t been a great amount for West Brom fans to cheer about.

Following the sacking of Darren Moore in March, the club failed to achieve promotion and are now still searching for a new manager.

Although talks with Slaven Bilic are in their final stages, there’s been some negative news in terms of backroom staff.

John Percy confirmed on Twitter that academy manager Mark Harrison would be leaving Albion to join Aston Villa this summer.

It was an update that left supporters of the Baggies extremely concerned as they left a host of replies expressing what they thought about the situation.

One fan simply said that the shambles at the club was now continuing whilst another claimed that West Brom were falling apart.

A further supporter expressed concerns over Rekeem Harper, speculating that he could follow Albion’s former academy boss to Villa.

Harrison spent 13 years at the Hawthorns in the role he’ll now leave behind, bringing through the likes of Saido Berahino, Izzy Brown and Kemar Roofe.

Considering the position the club’s academy is in, this will come as a bitter blow to lose him to a rival.

Here’s the best of the reaction.

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Arsenal fans on Twitter have questioned their side’s motivations after news emerged that each player will earn a bonus of £100,000-£500,000 for winning the Europa League.

The Gunners failed to finish in the Premier League top four and must now win the Europa League final against Chelsea on May 29 in Baku to qualify for next season’s Champions League.

The route to Europe’s elite competition won’t be the only incentive for Arsenal players, however, with the Daily Mail reporting that bonuses will be in order for each player should they win the club’s first European trophy since the 1994 Cup Winners Cup.

The total expenditure for the bonuses is anticipated to be around £10m, but that sum would be dwarfed by the profits earned from Champions League qualification.

After a cataclysmic end to the season that saw the Gunners win just one of their last five Premier League matches, many Arsenal fans have questioned their players’ commitment to the cause other than through mercenary desires.

Check out the best of the reaction below!

After 7 points from a possible 21 in the premier to finish 5th, I think the bonus payment is ridiculous. The motivation should be playing in the champions league next season, not money. already millionaires. ?

— Matt Crosby (@Mattagcrosby99) May 21, 2019

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Hugo Lloris was linked with a move to PSG earlier this week, with The Sun claiming that he is the “main alternative” to Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea this summer.

On the chalkboard

United are reportedly ready to accept up to £75m for De Gea, whose contract expires next summer, but the Spurs goalkeeper is seen as an effective back-up.

Lloris, of course, captained France to World Cup glory last summer and helped his club to the Champions League final, where they were beaten 2-0 by Liverpool.

Which player, though, is better, and who should PSG really be targeting?

Both played at the World Cup and both have featured in the Premier League, the UEFA Nations League and the Champions League.

Lloris made a total of 52 appearances for both France and Spurs and makes, on average, 2.9 saves per game. He made 0.1 saves from shots in the six-yard box, 1.9 in the penalty area and just 0.9 outside of the box. In terms of distribution, Lloris averages 30.5 passes per game, with 7.2 accurate long balls and 8.2 inaccurate.

De Gea, by comparison, makes 2.8 saves per game for Spain and United across 55 games, slightly fewer than Lloris. He made 0.2 saves inside the six-yard box, 1.4 in the penalty area, and 1.2 from outside the box. He passes the ball less, with 23.5 per game, with 7.1 accurate long balls and 8.6 inaccurate.

There is perhaps an argument to be made that Lloris is playing behind a better defence, particularly at club level, but the statistics are slightly tit for tat.

De Gea, clearly, is better at stopping shots from outside the box but worse at denying strikers from close-range. That has perhaps always been evident; the Spurs captain is seen as a world-class shot-stopper and that is, by far, his best attribute.

De Gea with the upside

It is pertinent to compare the ages of the goalkeepers; De Gea is 28, Lloris is 32.

Both, of course, have plenty of gas left in the tank. They are each playing at the highest level possible and they have proved themselves multiple times over.

It may simply come down to which player has the highest upside, then.

The Frenchman has been there and done it all and there are mistakes creeping in. He is not the goalkeeper Spurs signed any more – he made errors against Chelsea, Liverpool and PSV Eindhoven just this season – while De Gea was not his usual meme-worthy self in 2018/19. “Dave saves” but only sometimes.

He is the one who has another decade, though, while Lloris perhaps has half that.

One feels, then, that, given their relatively similar statistics, PSG are more likely to make a move for the United keeper.

If there’s one area where Liverpool are well-stocked, it’s central midfield.

From Jordan Henderson to Naby Keita to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, the current Champions League holders are stacked in midfield with seven players who can all naturally play there and all of whom can deliver something unique to the midfield three that Jurgen Klopp typically deploys, yet there is one player who is likely to not get a shot at playing in this exclusive group next season, Mark Grujic.

The Serbian midfielder enjoyed a fine season away on loan at Hertha Berlin last season where manager Pal Dardai called Grujic via the Bundesliga’s official website “by far the best midfielder at Hertha Berlin in 20 years”, and with the news from the Liverpool Echo that the 23-year-old is to depart Anfield again for the season, Klopp could be making a mistake.

Comparing Grujic to the three Liverpool midfielders who made the most appearances last season using stats from WhoScored; Georginio Wijnaldum, Henderson and Fabinho, it’s quickly apparent that the Serbian midfielder had a better defensive season than any of the Reds trio, making the most interceptions (1.3), clearances (2.3) and blocks (0.3) in the group.

Grujic also averaged the most key passes per game out of the three Liverpool midfielders at 0.7 per game as well scoring the most goals in the season with 5, and standing the tallest out of the four players means that the Serbian has also registered the most aerial duels won with 3.2 per game.

With such a congested midfield, it makes sense why Klopp is opting to loan out Grujic for the year, but we believe that the German manager is making a mistake letting the Serbian go for the season when he can clearly offer something new to what Liverpool already have at the club.

Liverpool fans, should Grujic remain at the club this season? Let us know!

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Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths believes he is closing in on a return to Hoops action, speaking in a new interview with the club’s official website this week.

The forward, who was signed by Neil Lennon during the manager’s first spell at the club, will be joining his teammates for pre-season training in mid-June and he can’t wait to try and force his way back into Lennon’s first-team plans.

The Scotland international took a break from the game in December to focus on personal problems but is putting in the hard work to make an impact next season.

Check out Keith from C’mon the Hoops’ fascinating video on the origins of the Old Firm derby below…

As quoted by CelticFC.net, he said: “The way I’ve been training, and what I’m doing just now, will have me fitter than I have been in the past. It’s about maintaining that fitness throughout pre-season and making sure I do everything right. The hunger is probably greater now than it ever has been.”

It’s a great attacking boost for Celtic, who have been without credible back-up for Odsonne Edouard for a number of months now.

Griffiths has hit 104 goals for the club in a hugely successful career so far and is the kind of player you’d always back to get on the scoresheet whether starting matches or coming off the bench.

Fans are excited about his return, taking to Twitter on Thursday to share their thoughts…

It has been a truly awful year to be a Bradford City supporter, hasn’t it?

Having witnessed their side sack two managers, concede 77 goals and win just 11 games in League One, it would have been understandable if some of the Valley Parade faithful breathed a sigh of relief when their car crash of a season came to an end earlier this month.

With the Bantams now preparing for their first fourth-tier campaign since 2013, it is imperative that boss Gary Bowyer makes the correct calls when overhauling his squad this summer.

Whereas the vast majority of the players who contributed to the club’s relegation should rightfully be allowed to leave in the transfer window, the 47-year-old must resist the temptation to cut ties with Eoin Doyle.

According to Sun journalist Alan Nixon, the forward is reportedly a target for Swindon Town who are looking to bolster their attacking options ahead of next season.

Although it is fair to say that Doyle didn’t set League One alight last year and suffered tremendously with his consistency, the fact that he still managed to find the back of the net on 11 occasions suggests that it may be worth prolonging his stay in West Yorkshire.

Furthermore, when you consider that he has a track-record of scoring at a higher standard than the fourth tier, there is no reason why he cannot thrive over the coming years if Bowyer brings in some new additions that compliment the £650k-rated ace’s (via Transfermarkt) style of play.

Indeed, keeping Doyle instead of letting him go for a fee would undeniably be a risk for Bradford to take yet unless they have a sufficient replacement lined up for the 31-year-old, it may turn out to be the correct decision.

What do you think Bantams fans? Should Bowyer sell Doyle this summer? Or would it be more beneficial to keep the forward at Valley Parade? Get in touch below.

نجح مجلس إدارة نادى الاتحاد السكندري برئاسة محمد مصيلحى، في ضم صفقة جديدة، لتدعيم صفوف الفريق في الموسم الجديد.

الاتحاد يستهل مشواره في الدوري الموسم الجديد، المقرر انطلاقه 11 ديسمبر الجاري، بمواجهة بيراميدز.

ووفقاً للموقع الرسمي للاتحاد السكندري، فإن مجلس الإدارة أتم التعاقد مع المهاجم الدولي روماريو وليامز لاعب منتخب جامايكا مواليد 1994 “26 عامًا”.

وشارك اللاعب مع منتخب بلاده في 13 مباراة دولية خلال مسيرته، وسبق له تمثيل العديد من الأندية الأمريكية “أتلانتا يونايتد” و”كولومبوس كرو” وأخيراً نادى “ميامي” الذى سجل معه “روماريو ” 8 أهداف الموسم الماضى، ووقع اللاعب على عقد أنضمامه لصفوف زعيم الثغر والذى يمتد لموسمين.

وجاء التعاقد مع المهاجم الدولى في إطار حرص مجلس إدارة النادى على تدعيم فريق الكرة بعناصر مميزة خاصة فى مركز خط الهجوم، عقب التواصل وإنهاء المفاوضات مع وكيل اللاعب بلال نظير الذى أكد على وصول اللاعب للأراضي المصرية الأسبوع القادم.

طالع | إبراهيم حسن: لم نخسر “كرة قدم” أمام الأهلي.. وهذه رسالتي لـ اتحاد الكرة

وأشاد حسام حسن المدير الفني وإبراهيم حسن مدير الكرة بقدرات اللاعب الفنية والبدنية من سرعة وقوة تسديد ولمسة هداف، وهي الإمكانات التي يتطلبها هذا المركز، واعتبره “العميد” إضافة قوية لخط هجوم زعيم الثغر خلال المرحلة المقبلة.

يذكر أن الاتحاد السكندري أتم التعاقد مع 6 لاعبين في فترة الانتقالات الصيفية الحالية، هم حسام عاشور وكريم يحيى وعمار حمدي وفوزي الحناوي من الأهلي، بالإضافة إلي استعارة رزاق سيسيه والحارس محمد صبحي من الزمالك.