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Everton striker Ellis Simms was ‘out of his depth’ during the Premier League game vs Liverpool on Monday evening, according to journalist Josh Bunting.

The Lowdown: Derby defeat at Anfield

The Toffees were the visitors at Anfield last night but suffered a 2-0 defeat thanks to goals from Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo either side of half time.

The Merseyside outfit recalled the 22-year-old from his loan at Sunderland in December and Sean Dyche handed him a starting place for the highly-anticipated derby against their rivals.

However, the 6 foot 2 starlet was substituted on 61 minutes after failing to make a significant impact, losing possession more times (eight) than he completed a pass (seven), which has since seen him come under a bit of scrutiny.

The Latest: Bunting’s reaction

Taking to Twitter after the game, Bunting delivered a brutally honest verdict on Simms’ underwhelming performance for Everton. He wrote:

“Sadly Ellis Simms just isn’t ready yet for the Premier League, understand why Everton recalled him with the form he was showing at Sunderland but he’s out of his depth tonight. Need to play him in a two really but he’s just not up to this pace yet, hard game for him to come into.”

The Verdict: A matter of time…

Simms has only made four top-flight appearances throughout his entire career so it will take some getting used to, but it’ll hopefully only be a matter of time before he hits the ground running.

The Blues forward scored seven goals and provided two assists in 17 appearances during his time at the Stadium of Light, showing how prolific he can be when given a consistent run in a side.

The Oldham-born talent also provided an aerial threat, having won 2.8 of his duels per league game, and with the guidance of his experienced teammates and Dyche, he’s surely capable of replicating the same level of form at Goodison Park.

Sheffield Wednesday midfielder George Byers is ‘available’ for the League One game vs MK Dons, according to journalist Joe Crann.

The Lowdown: Injury concerns

The Owls secured a 3-0 victory over Morecambe in midweek but there was cause for concern when the 26-year-old had to be substituted during the break at the Hillsborough Stadium.

The Yorkshire outfit introduced Fisayo Dele-Bashiru as their talisman’s replacement after he was seen walking down the tunnel in some discomfort with the medical team, though Darren Moore has now delivered a positive update on his fitness.

The Latest: Byers fitness update

Taking to Twitter on Friday, Crann relayed welcoming news on Byers’ situation from the Wednesday boss’ press conference. He wrote:

“Darren Moore just told me that George Byers is available for selection tomorrow – still no Mallik Wilks though.”

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The Verdict: Boost for Moore

Byers has been hailed a Wednesday fan ‘favourite’ by Crann himself and so it’ll be a massive boost for Moore to have him available for selection again.

The Ilford-born talent has scored five goals and provided three assists in 20 third-tier appearances so far this season, with two man-of-the-match awards to his name (WhoScored).

The Owls playmaker has also put 17 crosses into the box which is just four away from the 21 he managed throughout the whole of 2021/22, showing how much he’s improved over the last 12 months.

Byers has had a significant impact on his side’s success so far this term and he will undoubtedly continue to be an integral part of the club’s push for automatic promotion in the weeks and months ahead.

Tottenham Hotspur were widely considered to have sealed a ‘massive coup’ in appointing Antonio Conte as the successor to Nuno Espirito Santo but things could have taken a very different path…

How close was Paulo Fonseca to the Spurs job?

Among the candidates to get the job before the Portuguese was appointed was Paulo Fonseca and according to the 49-year-old himself, Spurs had agreed to hire him before new sporting director Fabio Paratici pulled the plug as one of his first pieces of business at the club.

“The agreement was done. We were planning the pre-season and Tottenham wanted an offensive coach. It wasn’t announced but we planned pre-season players,” he told The Telegraph.

“But things changed when the new managing director arrived and we didn’t agree with some ideas and he preferred another coach.”

The Lilywhites’ managerial saga would rumble on before finally settling on Nuno, who was a free agent after departing Wolverhampton Wanderers at the end of the season.

He would then only last 17 matches before the Italian arrived.

How is Fonseca doing at Lille?

But has Paratici blundered in not giving Fonseca a chance?

The Portuguese, who previously managed AS Roma and Shakhtar Donetsk, has done a great job at Ligue 1 outfit Lille, who hired him in June.

Whilst they sit sixth in the standings, Fonseca has won over half of his 27 matches in charge, playing a brand of football that is certainly appealing, with CBS Sports pundit Thierry Henry the latest name to wax lyrical.

“What the coach is doing is extraordinary, once again,” he said (via Tuttomercatoweb).

“This four-man defence, which turns into a three-man defence. Timothy Weah gives width on the left side, [and] Bamba on the right. They play, they press, [and] they score, but on the other side there were monsters. When the monsters wake up, it’s a little harder.”

Under Fonseca, Les Dogues average of 1.89 goals scored per game and those are far more lucrative attacking returns than what Conte is managing with players like Heung-min Son, Harry Kane and Dejan Kulusevski at his disposal.

The 2021 champions have even gone toe-to-toe with Paris Saint-Germain, who have a front three of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar, in recent outings, having lost 4-3.

Supporters around N17 have grown tired of Conte’s defensively-minded tactics and system, particularly as they are still conceding plenty of goals most weeks, so they would have surely welcomed a progressive, exciting style – one that Fonseca would’ve brought to the club.

As such, Paratici’s decision to snub the 49-year-old is looking worse and worse by the month, even more so with Conte likely to leave north London in the summer.

AND in other news, Spurs in race to sign £118k-p/w “special talent”, it’s bye-bye “nightmare” Pochettino flop…

Chelsea ‘have to consider’ re-appointing Jose Mourinho should they decide to relieve Graham Potter of his duties at Stamford Bridge, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Mourinho keen to return

The Premier League hierarchy have been sounding out potential successors for the Blues boss, who is under pressure having secured just one victory throughout the whole of 2023, and a couple of names have already been doing the rounds.

Mauricio Pochettino has reportedly turned down an approach from SW6, with Zinedine Zidane the latest free agent to have been linked, the latter being a figure the board are ‘keen’ on.

The AS Roma boss, however, is claimed to have been the subject of an offer from the capital, with Simon Phillips revealing that he would be keen to stage a comeback.

The Latest: Jones’ verdict

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones insisted that Chelsea need to target a manager who’s been around the block a few times and name-checked Mourinho as a potential candidate. He said:

“So, I think a squad like this needs to be managed by someone with big experience, but also someone who’s got some ego.

“I think you have to be looking at and considering people from the very top of the trade here like Luis Enrique, Jose Mourinho. I know it sounds stupid, but yes, you have to consider him.”

The Verdict: Risk worth taking

Chelsea or any club for that matter bringing back one of their former managers is always a huge risk, but Mourinho being put back at the helm would surely be one worth taking.

The Portuguese maverick had an excellent record during his stints at the Bridge, winning 204, drawing 65 and losing just 51 of 320 total games in charge, averaging 2.12 points per match (Transfermarkt).

The Roma coach also knows what it takes to be successful at the highest level having got his hands on an astonishing 39 trophies throughout his career, so would definitely be able to manager the major expectations associated with Chelsea’s spending.

Mourinho has been dubbed a ‘legend’ of the game by talent scout Jacek Kulig so he could well be someone that the Blues think about should Potter be sent packing.

Southampton’s recent home defeat against lowly League Two outfit Grimsby Town encapsulated the downward trajectory that has caused a detrimental slump into the obscurity of the Premier League relegation zone.

Granted, the chastening home loss was in the FA Cup, and not a direct hinderance to the league campaign, but with so little swinging in the south coast club’s favour, it has hardly boosted the stricken confidence of the collective fold.

One shining light that can be salvaged from the wreckage comes in the form of the club’s prestigious youth academy, with touted young forward Dom Ballard taking to the pitch in the closing stages to try, fruitlessly, to restore parity.

Ballard is the ostensible creme de la creme of the formative band at St Mary’s, with The Athletic’s Jacob Tanswell remarking pensively: “Thought he came on with purpose, played with intensity and was direct. One positive, I like to think.”

But his buoying cameo speaks volumes, and the aspiring talents at Staplewood must now push for spots in the team over the next few months, with right-back Zuriel Otseh-Taiwo among those most deserving of an opportunity.

Should Selles hand Otseh-Taiwo a chance?

Signing his first professional contract with the Saints in the summer of 2021, Otseh-Taiwo was regarded highly right from the off, with the official website saying: “Otseh-Taiwo particularly impressed within the B-team set-up towards the latter end of last season, becoming a regular in Horseman’s back four and making 28 appearances across both age groups.”

Having made 40 appearances for the club’s B team and a further 27 outings for the U21 side, Otseh-Taiwo is something of a veteran among the youth ranks at Staplewood, and now might be the time to unleash the starlet among his withered senior peers.

Hailed by journalist Benjy Nurick for his “creativity”, the 19-year-old could be a perfect stand-in for the likes of Kyle Walker-Peters; while immensely talented, Walker-Peters has only created two big chances in the league this season, recording an average of 0.6 key passes per outing, as per Sofascore.

The youth prospect, in retrospect, has landed an assist from just three starts in the Premier League 2 this campaign, and might indeed provide a dynamic new dimension to his outfit, who certainly need a sliver of ingenuity to ascend from the pit of the Premier League table.

Otseh-Taiwo has also boasted his positional fluidity with an appearance at left-back this season, which only enriches the argument that he should find a place in Selles’ system.

The youngster was also part of a team that got hailed for a “five-star display” earlier this season, with the robust defender scoring just five minutes after half-time.

Pushing the 19-year-old into a senior starting berth would be a bold move indeed, but there is evidently abundant quality in this Southampton youth system, and with his inclusion, Saints might have another cog to whir the side back toward success.

Manchester United suffered the worst defeat in their history since Boxing Day 1931 as the Red Devils lost 7-0 to Liverpool on Sunday.

It was a remarkable victory for the hosts who tore up the form book and completely demolished their fierce rivals to boost their top-four hopes.

It is hard to find any positives at all on what was a dismal day for Erik ten Hag’s men, just a week on from their Wembley triumph where they lifted the Carabao Cup.

They were by far the better side in the capital seven days ago and United certainly came into this match as favourites.

They had been a resurgent outfit under their Dutch head coach but this will undoubtedly be put down as a reality check. Ten Hag’s team have worked incredibly hard of late but this is beyond damaging and a result that could take some time to get over.

Who was Man United’s worst player against Liverpool?

There were a number of notable poor performances from those in white at Anfield on Sunday evening with Luke Shaw “nowhere near good enough” in the words of Gary Neville on Sky’s live commentary.

The outspoken pundit got stuck into a number of United’s players, although reserved the fiercest of attacks for none other than Bruno Fernandes.

On his day, the Portuguese is one of the finest in the division but his childish play-acting didn’t help his teammates at all this weekend.

Dubbed “a disgrace” by Neville during the 90 minutes, his evening was perhaps best summed up by the way he threw himself to the deck after being brushed away by Ibrahima Konate.

At one point it even looked as though the stand-in skipper wanted to be substituted, gesticulating to his manager in exasperation that he wasn’t being hooked as Anthony Elanga replaced the out-of-sorts Marcus Rashford.

That was a moment which left Neville in disbelief. Speaking on commentary, the former right-back said: “The second half has been an absolute disgrace, a shambles. They have not been epitomised more than Bruno Fernandes, who has been embarrassing – a shambles – in this game.”

Then, during the post-match analysis, he said: “I’ve had enough of him waving his arms around, blaming his teammates. That wasn’t a captain’s performance. I think Erik ten Hag will deal really strongly with him in the next 24/48 hours”.

Those words were echoed by Roy Keane too, who noted: “Some of his body language today was disgraceful. His body language, not running back. You would not be happy with him.”

Away from the mental side of the game, Fernandes failed to provide much with the ball at his feet, as the attacking midfielder won just three of his nine duels.

It was a lightweight display from the 28-year-old who also lost possession of the ball on 15 occasions. It was hardly a surprise, therefore, to see that he only completed 67% of his passes while failing to complete any of his four attempted crosses.

It was a horrendous afternoon for United, not least for Fernandes who now needs to take a long hard look at himself in the mirror. It is one thing not performing, but to winge and throw your arms around in disgust is another.

Liverpool centre-back Joe Gomez could potentially return from injury in time for his side’s vital Champions League clash with Real Madrid this week.

The Lowdown: Gomez missing recently

The Reds make the trip to Spain on Wednesday evening, looking to produce one of the greatest comebacks in their history after their 5-2 loss in the first leg – one that saw them lead 2-0 during the first half and eventually capitulate in grim fashion.

Progression into the quarter-finals would arguably be an even greater achievement than the semi-final triumph over Barcelona back in 2019, such is the size of the task and the fact that the second leg isn’t at Anfield.

Liverpool have been dogged by injury problems all season and someone who has been unavailable recently is Gomez, who hasn’t featured since the aforementioned 5-2 defeat last month.

Now, it looks as though he could be nearing a return, however, following a fresh update.

The Latest: Back fit for Madrid?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, injury expert Ben Dinnery suggested that Wednesday night could see Gomez back in the fold after his recent absence:

“Gomez shouldn’t be too far away, but that Real Madrid game, I would never rule out a return to the matchday squad, but not in terms of being thrust into that starting-11.

“Unless something serious was to crop up or arise ahead of that game, then it’s highly, highly unlikely he’s involved.”

The Verdict: Certainly shouldn’t start

This is a clear positive for Jurgen Klopp, in terms of having as many players available as possible, although it would be a huge shock if Gomez started proceedings on Wednesday.

Firstly, the £85,000-a-week defender will be lacking match fitness after being out for a few weeks, and finding that rhythm against a world-class Madrid side would be asking a lot of him, considering they possess the likes of Vinicius Jr and Karim Benzema in attack.

The 25-year-old is also having a shaky season for Liverpool, with both he and Joel Matip a long way short of their best and doubts surrounding his future, while Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk are the strongest centre-back pairing available.

For Gomez, the next few months represent a vital period for him in his Reds career, as he looks to prove to Klopp that he is worth persevering, even though his contract doesn’t expire until 2027.  His manager has called him a ‘sensational’ footballer in the past, though, and given his age, he could deserve to stay on as a squad player beyond this summer.

Chelsea are reportedly one of a number of Premier League clubs ‘keeping close tabs’ on highly-rated Southampton youngster Romeo Lavia currently.

The Lowdown: Chelsea linked with Lavia move

The Blues could have a busy summer transfer window ahead of them, as they look to continue adding top-class talent to their squad ahead of next season.

Midfield is an area of the pitch where further reinforcements are required, in order to bring freshness there and to continue building towards the future.

Jorginho has joined Arsenal, while both N’Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic are ageing, highlighting the need for fresh blood to come in and add a spark.

One player who has been strongly linked with a move to Chelsea is Lavia, who has caught the eye with his performances for Southampton so far this season.

While Saints are battling to avoid relegation from the Premier League, the 19-year-old has impressed on the whole, starting 16 games in the competition and scoring once for good measure.

It doesn’t look as though Chelsea’s interest is going away, following a new update.

The Latest: Bid expected

According to Football Insider, the Blues are very much in the mix to acquire Lavia’s services this summer, with the youngster ‘attracting strong interest from the Premier League elite’.

Manchester United, Arsenal and Manchester City are also mentioned in the report, with the latter having a £40million buy-back clause that could be triggered, having moved to Saints from the Etihad last year.

Chelsea have been ‘keeping close tabs’ and are making ‘early moves in sounding out the possibility of a deal’, with sources expecting them to table a bid.

The Verdict: Great young option

The fact that Lavia is being watched by many of the biggest clubs in the country is a testament to how good he is, already becoming such an important player for Saints before even reaching his 20th birthday.

Kevin De Bruyne has backed the Belgian to become a ‘top player’ one day, which is high praise indeed, and he is already performing with such maturity in his defensive midfield role.

Lavia could be exactly what Chelsea are looking for this summer, coming in as a long-term replacement for Kante, who is now 31 years of age and increasingly injury-prone.

Along with Enzo Fernandez and hopefully another midfield signing at the end of the season, he could be part of the next great Blues midfield, combining quality on the ball and hard work off it.

This season, Lavia has enjoyed an 86.7% pass completion rate in the Premier League, as well as averaging 1.9 tackles per game in the competition.

West Ham United have been given a second chance to sign Piotr Zielinski, having missed out on the Napoli midfielder last summer, according to a report.

The Lowdown: Long-term target

West Ham were linked with a move for Zielinski throughout the previous summer transfer window, with the Italian media at one stage indicating that a fee had been agreed between the two clubs.

Despite being ‘pretty optimistic’ about landing the midfielder, the Hammers were unable to strike a deal with Napoli, with Flynn Downes and attacking midfielder Lucas Paqueta ending up as David Moyes’ only additions in the engine room.

It has recently emerged that Liverpool are also now interested in the 28-year-old, meaning West Ham may face competition for his signature if they decide to go back in for him this summer.

The Latest: Another chance

According to a report from CalcioMercato (via Sport Witness), the Irons went as far as offering €40m (£35.4m) for the Pole last time around, but they could have the opportunity to sign him for a ‘slightly lower’ fee this summer.

Given that the central midfielder’s contract is set to expire at the end of next season, he has become expendable for Napoli, with the club now willing to listen to offers.

The Serie A side have initiated talks about a new deal, however they are planning to give him a pay cut, which the player is unlikely to accept, meaning he could seek a move elsewhere.

The Verdict: Get it done

With Declan Rice looking almost certain to exit the London Stadium at the end of the season, Moyes will undoubtedly need a new option in the engine room, and the Napoli ace could be exactly what West Ham need.

Lauded as a ‘beautiful footballer’ by former Poland manager Paolo Sousa, the maestro is fantastic at crafting opportunities, ranking in the 98th percentile for both assists and shot-creating actions per 90 over the course of the past year.

Not only that, but the 89-time Poland international also regularly gets on the scoresheet, weighing in with seven goals in 35 appearances in all competitions this season, including four in the Champions League.

Given just how well Zielinski has performed for Napoli this season, it will not be a surprise if more suitors come forward in the summer transfer window, meaning it could be a very difficult transfer for the Hammers to complete.

As such, it is vital Moyes’ side finish the season as strong as possible, with securing European football still a realistic possibility, as a result of how well they are faring in the Europa Conference League.

Leeds United have seen a stark upturn in form since Javi Gracia's arrival, and although results are slowly improving it is already clear to see how their general play has altered.

The Spaniard has taken a vastly differing approach to his stewardship of the Whites, making the necessary changes from Jesse Marsch's unorganised chaos to a more pragmatic style that has already restored some faith in the fanbase.

What makes this mini-revival all the more impressive is that he has done so whilst plagued with some key injuries, most notably the recent absence of Rodrigo.

Before his appointment, the forward was in a rich vein of goalscoring form, and he was upholding the bulk of their prowess going forward. So to see him struck down just a few weeks before he was due to start his work in Yorkshire must have handed him some early apprehensions.

However, he has managed to steady the ship without him, and following this international break could reap the rewards of his solid outfit injecting his pace and proficiency into a role where they have seen little success in recent years.

How has Rodrigo played this season?

Having signed for a club record fee, the Spaniard initially struggled to acclimatise to life at Elland Road. In fact, just last year saw pundit Kevin Phillips suggest he had completely failed to live up to his billing:

"His performances haven’t justified the amount they spent on him. It was a lot of money.

“We have seen his glimpses of his quality but we have not seen it consistently. For nearly £30 million you want to see a player producing the goods every week, especially with the reputation he has got. I would say he’s been disappointing so far for Leeds, in all honesty."

But it seems that for all the mistakes Marsch made, his role in reigniting Rodrigo must be lauded.

Before this year, the £100k-per-week marksman had not surpassed seven goals throughout an entire season, yet as of March 2023, he already has 11 and will seek to add more as they enter the climax of the campaign.

Still far from safety, his exploits will likely prove key in their continued fight to retain Premier League football once again.

The 32-year-old is comfortably their top scorer, with his form spurring journalist James Marshment to claim that the "boy is on fire" earlier in the season.

His return from injury comes at a good time to alleviate the pressure Patrick Bamford has faced too, as apart from his wildly deflected goal against Brighton and Hove Albion, he has not scored in seven league games.

It has been yet another tumultuous campaign for the Englishman, who was somewhat admonished by journalist David Orme who claimed he was once again "struggling to get fit". Fitness and form has once again evaded him, with just two league goals to his name thus far.

This has been a theme of the ex-Chelsea forward's time in west Yorkshire, and perhaps with Rodrigo's blistering form and imminent return to action, it could afford added time for the 29-year-old to recapture his goalscoring touch.