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Sky Sports pundit Matt Le Tissier has shared his verdict on Marco Silva’s tactics, after Everton were beaten 1-0 at Burnley thanks to a goal scored from a corner kick routine.

Defending set-pieces has been a regular plight of the Blues under the tenure of Silva, with the Toffees conceding a league-high 16 goals from dead-ball situations excluding penalties last season, per WhoScored data.

After eight games in the current campaign, things are looking uncomfortably similar for the Goodison Park natives, as Saturday’s trip to Turf Moor saw Everton once again beaten from a set-piece routine, when Jeff Hendrick fired home the only goal of the day in the 72nd minute to further punish Silva’s 10-man side.

It was the fifth goal Everton have seen hit their net this term from a free-kick or corner routine, which accounts for 38 per cent of the total strikes netted against Jordan Pickford thus far.

Losing at Burnley left Everton sat above the relegation zone come full-time, with one point all that is separating the Blues from last season’s Championship winners Norwich City, and a win for Newcastle United against Manchester United on Sunday will see that Everton end the weekend inside the bottom three.

For former Southampton star Le Tissier, the tactical shape favoured by Silva when defending corners is causing him particular concern, and leaves Everton in a worrisome position.

“This is a really worrying time for Everton,” Le Tissier stated on Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday (October 5, 17:29). “I have never been a fan of zonal marking. I much prefer players to take responsibility, get a man and if that man scores, you know where to point the finger.

“I’m sure there’s lots of research been done as to why people do use zonal marking, but no manner of statistics will ever back up what I felt like on a football pitch.

“It was a simple corner, which they almost got done by in the first-half. Corner to the back post, Hendrick’s right ’round the back, no one marking him, nearly scored from it the first-half, [Everton] didn’t learn from it at all, second corner [of the] second-half and this time he volleys it into the roof of the net.”

While Le Tissier points to zonal marking being the route cause of Everton’s struggles, it is a system, perhaps, favoured by many sides around the world thanks to its structured nature of handing certain players, certain responsibilities and areas they must cover should an opposing player enter them.

It can be argued that this awards the attacking team an advantage as their players can get a run on a defender, and benefit from that should they be forced into an aerial battle for possession, but with Everton’s goal conceded at Burnley, the issue was more through players not tracking Hendrick’s run, which left the Clarets midfielder with space to operate in.

Had one of Silva’s preferred defenders kept track of the 27-year-old, or intercepted the ball while in flight, they may not have left Turf Moor empty-handed and mounted more pressure on their head coach’s position.

Everton fans, is Silva the man to turn things around, or will he not be favoured a second chance for a second season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

West Brom have enjoyed a near-perfect start to the Championship season as Slaven Bilic’s men sit top of the table after 11 matches.

But just like last year, they are at serious risk of hindering that with decisions made in the summer.

During the 2018/19 campaign, the Baggies enjoyed the returns from loan star Harvey Barnes as he scored nine goals and provided six assists in 26 appearances, per WhoScored.

Watch West Bromwich Albion Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Until he was recalled by parent club Leicester City.

Grady Diangana this term has followed down a similar route, scoring four goals and assisting three more after joining the club on loan from West Ham.

He too has a January recall clause in his deal.

On the Chalkboard

Now the loss of the 21-year-old in January would put a serious dent in their promotion hopes, but it could potentially be even more catastrophic as it will have a considerable knock-on effect on other members of the squad such as Matheus Pereira.

The Brazilian has also been an integral part of Albion’s attack this season, scoring two goals and providing four assists, per WhoScored.

Both players have started six matches and come off the bench three times to feature having both made their debuts against Luton Town at the end of August, which suggests the pair have been a key part of West Brom’s impressive form.

At one stage, the Baggies were the only unbeaten side in the division until Leeds put pay to that a couple of weeks ago.

Games against Blackburn Rovers, Huddersfield Town, and Cardiff City have seen the duo both either score or assist in the match, so their influence on one another clearly somewhat exists.

The pair are rather effervescent, and it wouldn’t be out of the realms of possibility to suggest that if you took one player out of the equation, the other could well suffer as a result.

Albion could well have got over the line last season if Barnes had stuck around.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Crystal Palace’s start to the season has been a mixed one, to say the least.

Impressive wins over Manchester United and Aston Villa have been slightly stained by a drab defeat to Sheffield United and a disappointing draw against 10-men Wolves, but one thing has remained constant – their lack of depth at full-back.

As it stands, the south Londoners have just one senior left-back and one senior right-back in Joel Ward and Patrick van Aanholt – if you decide to see Jeffrey Schlupp as a midfielder now, of course.

However, a recent transfer target could help add depth to both of these positions.

The Sun (print version, 22 September, page 61) reported earlier this week that Crystal Palace are interested in signing West Brom youngster Nathan Ferguson as they look to add cover to their full-back positions.

The 18-year-old is an encouraging target for the south Londoners due to his age and potential to improve – we have previously detailed the problems that come with Palace often signing older players, who end up leaving the Eagles in a problematic position in terms of failing to make a profit on their investments.

Ferguson has shown plenty of signs so far this season to suggest that he is a promising young player whose value will only grow as he learns his trade in the game – he has started seven of the Baggies’ Championship games this term, grabbing one assist while making 2.6 tackles and 2.6 clearances per game. Decent beginnings.

With just Ward and van Aanholt available, those areas of the field are problematic for Palace – even more so after the latter’s worrying display against Tottenham, which did not go down well with some supporters.

Roy Hodgson was recently forced to play academy centre-back Sam Woods and centre-midfielder Jairo Riedewald at right-back and left-back respectively in the Carabao Cup, after injuries to Ward and van Aanholt – the 72-year-old later said he felt “sorry” for the makeshift duo. Indeed, Palace lost the game on penalties after a 0-0 draw.

Significantly, Ferguson can actually play in both full-back positions, having appeared four times on the right of Slaven Bilic’s backline so far this term, as well as three times on the left. That could make him an incredibly important member of Hodgson’s squad, even if it’s primarily from the bench.

He does lack a little going forward, averaging just 0.3 key passes per game this season, but the trade-off appears to be greater defensive solidity, and that only fits the Hodgson mould after his side finished up with the sixth-most clean sheets of any Premier League side last term.

Ferguson, then, appears to tick some crucial boxes in terms of the type of defender Palace need – defensively sound, versatile and offering genuine resale value. We’ll have to see whether that’s enough to convince the Eagles to make a concerted effort for his services.

أفادت تقارير صحفية إسبانية أن إدواردو كامافينجا، نجم ستاد رين الفرنسي، استقر على وجهته المقبلة، حال الرحيل عن فريقه في الصيف المقبل.

كامافينجا صاحب الـ18 عامًا، لديه عقد مع ستاد رين حتى 30 يونيو 2022، ويرغب في الرحيل الصيف المقبل، من أجل استفادة ناديه ماديًا.

طالع أيضًا.. وكيل كامافينجا يثير الشكوك بشأن إمكانية انتقاله إلى ريال مدريد.. وسعره المحتمل

ريال مدريد وتشيلسي ومانشستر يونايتد يتابعون اللاعب عن كثب، لكن النجم الفرنسي الشاب، لا ينظر إلا لفريق واحد فقط.

صحيفة “آس” الإسبانية، أفادت أن كامافينجا لا ينوي الانتقال إلا لريال مدريد، وجهته الأقرب لرغبته في اللعب تحت قيادة زين الدين زيدان.

وأشارت الصحيفة إلى أن الاتصالات بين نادي ريال مدريد وستاد رين، كانت جيدة لعدة أشهر ماضية، ولكن حتى الآن لم يتم تقديم أي عرض رسمي من النادي الملكي، ومعظم المفاوضات عن طريق الوكلاء.

تواجد زين الدين زيدان يجعل ميزة ريال مدريد أكبر في خطف اللاعب من مانشستر يونايتد وتشيلسي، لرغبة كامافينجا قبل أي شيء.

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Lots of Liverpool fans have taken to Twitter to react after it was revealed on the club’s official website that Ovie Ejaria had joined Reading on a season-long loan deal.

The move will be made permanent next summer for a set sum of £3m which could potentially rise to £3.5m, as reported by The Athletic’s James Pearce.

Ejaria returns to the Madejski Stadium having made 16 appearances for the Royals in the second half of last season, after a loan spell at Rangers under Steven Gerrard was terminated following the first half of the campaign.

The 21-year-old was given his debut by Jürgen Klopp in a League Cup tie against Derby County in September 2016, and went on to make two Premier League appearances for the Reds before heading to Ibrox.

Let’s take a look at how the Liverpool fans on Twitter reacted to the news of the youngster’s departure…

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets…

According to The Mirror, via The Daily Star, Leeds United are lining up a £7.5m move for Aston Villa centre-back James Chester as they look to replace Pontus Jansson following his exit earlier this month, but stats suggest they would be making a big mistake.

Despite being a key player for the Whites in recent seasons, the Sweden international completed a surprise move to their Championship rivals at the beginning of July, for a fee that was reported to only be worth an initial £4m.

It has left manager Marcelo Bielsa with something of a lack of options at the heart of his defence – they didn’t have a great deal of depth even with Jansson last term – with Gaetano Berardi and Liam Cooper the only senior options.

Watch Leeds United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Ben White has arrived on loan from Brighton and Hove Albion and could have a part to play, but the recent link to Chester suggests that the Argentine boss may want a more experienced head in his backline.

The 30-year-old would certainly be that seeing as he has made 231 appearances at this level, as well as winning 35 caps for his country, Wales.

Watch fans explain why the Football League is better than the Premier League in the video below…

However, a comparison of how he and Jansson performed in the division in 2018/19 suggest that the Yorkshire outfit would be getting a downgrade on a player who was hugely popular among the Elland Road faithful.

The Welshman did have his fair share of injury issues last term, missing the final three months of the campaign with a knee issue, but was a regular in the starting XI prior to that.

While he did have an impressive pass completion rate of 87%, according to WhoScored, from his 28 Championship outings, which suggests he would be a ball-playing centre-back Bielsa likes, some of his other defensive contributions compared to Jansson are slightly more worrying.

He made far few tackles and interceptions than the Swede, while he wasn’t as strong in the air either – not surprising given his 5 foot 10 frame, but a concern in a division where certain teams aren’t afraid to go direct.

The 30-year-old did give away fewer fouls on average per match, but Leeds would surely want an upgrade on Jansson if they are to shell out £7.5m for a player who is two years his senior.

Chester just doesn’t fit the bill in that regard looking at his numbers in 2018/19, and Bielsa and Victor Orta would be better off looking elsewhere for what could prove to be their most important addition of the summer window.

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Rangers have confirmed the signing of Swedish international defender Filip Helander.

The centre-back has joined on a four-year deal from Serie A side Bologna, becoming Steven Gerrard’s eighth signing of the summer transfer window so far.

The Scottish Sun have reported he has joined for a £3.5m fee, making him an expensive signing for the Scottish Premiership side.

You won’t believe which of Liverpool’s Champions League winning side of 2005 is still playing in the video below…

He has a strong profile though having gained experience in Swedish and Italian football, winning titles with Malmo before playing regularly with Hellas Verona and Bologna.

He’s also a recent regular with the Swedish national team, starting their last four matches in Euro 2020 qualifying.

He joins to compete for a spot in the heart of the Gers defensive line, with the club already boasting Connor Goldson, Nikola Katic and George Edmundson in the position.

Fans are absolutely delighted with the ambition shown with the signing, with many taking to Twitter to share their thoughts after the news was made official…

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Manchester United are burning through their 2019 summer pre-season schedule with ease and, more importantly, with great success so far.

After playing twice in Australia and once in Singapore, the Red Devils have now landed in Shanghai where they await a fairly familiar rival, Tottenham Hotspur.

That specific clash will be played on July 25th and will be the second fixture of their International Champions Cup (ICC), a tournament Ole Gunnar Solsjkaer’s troops have already won once before.

Andy Cole, their ex-player and icon, is travelling with the squad as an ambassador, and it’s safe to say he is enjoying his time abroad.

He took to

/B0OFLoChw94/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link” data-lasso->Instagram to share a brilliant snap of the breathtaking view from Shanghai and it was soon met with plenty of positive feedback from other stars and friends.

Another icon of the game but from a rival club, Ian Wright, was the first one to the scene and he shared some love with his friend.

Wright posted a reply saying how he loves Cole and followed it up with some heart emojis.

It seems that despite being bitter rivals during their playing careers, there’s still enough friendly love in the air between the pair.

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Celtic badly need defensive reinforcements and manager Neil Lennon is hoping for positive news on the transfer front soon, speaking to club outlet Celtic TV.

What’s the story?

It’s not long until Celtic return to competitive action, taking on Bosnian champions FK Sarajevo next month in UEFA Champions League qualifying.

With the Hoops squad looking rather depleted right now, it could be argued the club is not as prepared as it should be for the tests ahead this summer.

Lennon though appears to understand that players are needed and has claimed staff are hard at work getting the bodies they need in the door.

How can Celtic improve next season? A Hoops fan tells us how in the video below…

Speaking to Celtic TV, the Hoops boss said:

“It’s a tough draw. We don’t know much about them but by the time the tie comes round, we will be fully prepared. We will have analysis done by the time we are in Austria and we will do some prep work there.

The games come so early that the players won’t be 100 per cent where they want to be. But you then have a week to the second leg and that gives more time for fitness work.

It’s important to get a decent result in the first leg to improve on the second leg.

We are looking to make some additions and it will be important to integrate them in as quickly as possible.

There is a huge amount of work going in and we hope we will get some positive news soon.”

What do Celtic need most?

With Mikael Lustig officially departing the club this week, the total number of defenders who have exited Celtic Park since the end of last season stands at six.

Emilio Izaguirre, Filip Benkovic, Dedryck Boyata, Cristian Gamboa and Jeremy Toljan all join the Swede in saying goodbye to the Hoops ahead of the new campaign.

It means that Lennon must prioritise the defence and the right-back position in particular in order to give him the strength needed to pick up the results he desires.

With a training camp due to begin in Austria next week, it would be ideal if the club could sign a player prior to departure, allowing him to bed in to the squad as smoothly as possible in preparation for the Sarajevo trip.

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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…