Everton: Fans are loving this video from Duncan Ferguson

Duncan Ferguson has posted a video of himself wishing a fan a happy 13th birthday and many Everton supporters are absolutely loving the gesture. 

During his playing days and now as a member of the management team, Ferguson has remained an icon of Goodison Park.

The Scotsman enjoyed a ten year playing career with the Blues overall, joining in 1994 following a loan move from Rangers before moving away to Newcastle four years later. Ferguson returned to Merseyside in 2000 where he devoted another six years to the club before eventually hanging up his boots.

The 48-year-old returned to the action in 2019 as caretaker manager when Marco Silva was sacked. He now of course operates alongside Carlo and Davide Ancelotti as assistant manager.

Everton fans are loving his video for the young fan’s birthday, with many flocking to show their appreciation of him. One Blue has tweeted ‘what a man you are’ whilst another has called the Scot ‘an absolute diamond’.

Everton fans, if you could describe Big Dunc in one word, what would it be? Let us know in the comments!

It’s too late for Huddersfield Town but Dean Hoyle might be on the money with Jan Siewert

Huddersfield Town proved to be the surprise packages of the week when they forced through a shock 1-0 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Tuesday night.

However, those accustomed with this fixture will know that the Terriers have been absolute nightmares for Wolves in the past few years.

As a matter of fact, they had won their last four games in all competitions against Nuno Espirito Santo’s men (stats via SofaScore). Despite being stuck to the bottom of the league and having last won a league game in November, the Terriers somehow managed to pack all their energy in dealing a knockout punch to the Wanderers.

After pushing on relentlessly for a winner, Steve Mounie scored in the dying moments to give Jan Siewert his first win as manager. That being said, this inspired win doesn’t mean things are going to turnaround for their doomed season. The Terriers are still 13 points astray from avoiding relegation and have a tough schedule ahead.

While Siewert might have brought back life into their game, allowing them to attack with more intensity, they’re still quite poor defensively. Wolves were clueless in front of goal in the mid-week, allowing Huddersfield to cling onto hope for a winner till the absolute end.

Huddersfield have games against Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Manchester United remaining along with tough away fixtures against in-form sides. Being so far off from the shallow end of surviving relegation, Huddersfield’s fate is almost sealed and despite picking up form recently, it’s too little too late for the Terriers.

However, Siewert’s appointment is – oddly considering results against him – is looking a smart one and could yet be another masterstroke from Dean Hoyle.

سكاي: وولفرهامبتون يتم تعاقده مع لاعب برشلونة اليوم

كشفت تقارير صحفية أن نادي وولفرهامبتون حسم صفقة تعاقده مع أحد لاعبي فريق برشلونة في موسم الانتقالات الصيفي الحالي.

وحسب شبكة “سكاي سبورتس” العالمية، فإن وولفرهامبتون توصل إلى اتفاق نهائي مع برشلونة بشأن الحصول على خدمات اللاعب نيلسون سيميدو هذا الصيف.

وارتبط الظهير البرتغالي بخطوة الرحيل عن النادي الكتالوني، في فترة الانتقالات الصيفية الجارية.

وأكدت شبكة “سكاي سبورتس” أن وولفرهامبتون سينتهي اليوم الاثنين إجراءات تعاقده رسميًا مع سيميدو، من برشلونة.

اقرأ أيضًا.. تقارير: وولفرهامبتون يخطط لضم تشامبرلين من ليفربول

ومن المتوقع أن تصل الرسوم المالية لتلك الصفقة إلى 40 مليون يورو.

وأوضحت أن سيميدو سيوقع عقدًا ساريًا مع الذئاب حتى عام 2025.

Norwich fans react after Ipswich boss Paul Lambert loses his cool

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Norwich fans have taken to Twitter to react after Ipswich boss Paul Lambert was sent off in the East Anglian derby win at Carrow Road.

Lambert, who used to manage the Canaries, received his marching orders after becoming embroiled in a heated touchline brawl in which he had to be restrained by members of his own staff as well as the police.

Norwich boss Daniel Farke watched on coolly as the chaos ensued, and the cameras even picked up a cheeky wink from the German as he saw his side extend their lead at the top of the table.

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…

Norwich won the game by three goals to nil as Ipswich’s 10-year failure to beat them continues, thanks to an early opener from Onel Hernandez and a second-half Teemu Pukki double, although Lambert’s sending off will dominate the post-game chat.

Understandably, Norwich fans on Twitter wasted no time in sharing their views on their former manager’s behaviour…

Between the Lines: Ian Wright’s Mesut Ozil admission points towards a summer departure

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Arsenal were completely outclassed by Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon in a fixture which Mesut Ozil played no part despite being available on the substitutes bench.

What’s the word?

The future of Mesut Ozil has been a topic of rife discussion in north London this season.

Aaron Ramsey’s imminent summer move to Juventus has already provided Emery with one significant body blow, but comments from former Arsenal forward Ian Wright hint that Ozil will follow the Wales international out of the exit door.

Indeed, Emery left Ozil on the bench against the Premier League champions despite the fact his side were hopelessly devoid of creativity in the second-half, opting instead to hand Denis Suarez his debut against his former club.

While speaking on BBC’s Match of the Day 2 show (via Goal), Wright had this to say about Ozil: “Captain one week, next week he plays a left-back in midfield ahead of arguably our most creative player.

“Doesn’t look very good for him.”

Emery’s biggest setback yet?

To say it doesn’t look very good for Ozil is an understatement; the writing is firmly on the wall after Emery’s latest snub.

Whether Emery has personally fallen out with Ozil behind the scenes or if his decision-making is purely football orientated remains unclear, but the enigmatic playmaker’s position at the club right now is markedly more transparent: Emery simply doesn’t trust him.

While there is no room for friction and distracting sub-plots in Emery’s endeavour to help Arsenal progress into a positive future, the fact the club look set to wave goodbye to another immensely talented senior player in the summer is hugely concerning.

Not only would losing a player of Ozil’s ability represent a blow to Arsenal’s long-term ambitions on the pitch, it would also represent a metaphorical setback for the club.

The departure of Alexis Sanchez in 2018 and the imminent exit of Ramsey have already set a dangerous precedent for the future regarding their most indispensable players, and Ozil’s decision to follow them out of the Emirates will further compound the regressive theme which has emerged at Arsenal.

Wright’s assessment of Ozil’s position at Arsenal is a damning indictment of how tentative the situation is between player and manager right now, and one can only assume that Emery’s latest selection decision is just another sign that a bitterly disappointing summer departure is looming on the horizon.

Between the Lines: Martinez says Arsenal will not buy Petr Cech replacement

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Arsenal will not buy a replacement for Petr Cech this summer according to fellow goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, per Football.London.

Cech is set to retire at the end of the season, but the Gunners are not set to dip into the transfer market to replace him.

What’s the word?

Cech will bring down the curtain on a trophy-laden career at the end of the season.

He has won four Premier League trophies, along with four FA Cups, the Champions League and the Europa League.

But the Czech Republic international has fallen out of favour under Unai Emery and has made just seven league appearances this season, per Transfermarkt.

He has been usurped in the pecking order by Bernd Leno, signed from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer.

And Martinez has now revealed that the Gunners intend for him to become Leno’s deputy once his current loan spell with Reading ends.

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals he would have snubbed Tottenham for Arsenal if they’d come knocking in 2005…

“I have three years left on my contract at Arsenal,” he said. “Now Cech is retiring I was told when I came to Reading that next year they want me to be the backup. But I’m not thinking about next season yet.

“I am not thinking about what may happen in the summer, we will look at it then. All I know is Reading is my team now.”

Lack of funds?

Emery was restricted to just one January signing, a loan deal for Denis Suarez of Barcelona.

And while that deal is said to include a purchase option, per BBC, Martinez’s words may set alarm bells ringing for Gunners supporters.

The 26-year-old has made just 14 appearances for the Gunners in total, per Transfermarkt, but may now be relied upon to be Leno’s No.2.

If the German picks up an injury, few at Arsenal even know if Martinez will be able to replace him.

This certainly appears to be a worst-case scenario option for the Gunners, who may eventually have to sell before they can buy.

Whatever happens, there does not appear to be a lot of money available to Emery at the Emirates Stadium.

Liverpool fans react as Virgil van Dijk sets huge target at Anfield

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Liverpool’s 0-0 draw with Bayern Munich on Tuesday may have downplayed the importance of Virgil van Dijk – the Dutchman was suspended for the clash – as Fabinho and Joel Matip stepped into defence capably and dealt with Robert Lewandowski well, but the former Southampton man is keen to etch his name in history at Anfield Stadium in the years to come.

Speaking to respected pundit Guillem Balague, van Dijk said that he is keen to be remembered as a legend of Liverpool and achieve amazing things with the historic club. Indeed, if he continues to have seasons as impressive as the one he is currently enjoying, the big centre-half has every chance of a mention in discussion of Reds greats.

Winning the Premier League or Champions League wouldn’t hurt, either, although Bayern Munich threw somewhat of a spanner in the works on Tuesday night as they held the Merseysiders to a 0-0 draw.

Does Newcastle’s infamous title collapse of 1996 mirror what is happening at Liverpool right now? The Magpie Channel discuss in the video below…

Having arrived at Liverpool in January 2018 after handing in a transfer request at Southampton, the 27-year-old has established himself as one of Europe’s top defenders and, if his aspirations are anything to go by, he could become the pride of Anfield Stadium in years to come.

Not all Liverpool fans were confident he would reach that status at the club, though, while others think he is already there. You can check out the best of the reaction on Twitter below…

Winks reveals Pochettino message that inspired Dortmund thrashing

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Harry Winks has revealed what Mauricio Pochettino said at half-time to inspire his Tottenham Hotspur team to thrash Borussia Dortmund.

Spurs ran out 3-0 winners in the first leg of their Champions League Round of 16 tie, with all three goals scored in the second half.

What’s the word?

Spurs took a huge step towards qualifying for the quarter-finals of the Champions League on Wednesday, as they ran Dortmund ragged in a breathless second-half at Wembley.

Son Heung-Min opened the scoring with a deft volley after a superb Jan Vertonghen cross, before the defender got on the scoresheet himself, also firing a volley into the back of the net, and Fernando Llorente capped a superb performance with a clever header after coming off the bench.

The result was perhaps all the more surprising given Spurs’ relatively poor first-half display and Winks has revealed that Pochettino sent out a motivational message to his players to inspire their excellent second 45 minutes.

Football.London quote him as saying: “It was a fantastic performance. The manager said to us to be more aggressive and go out there and to get in them and not let them settle.

“That’s exactly what we did and it worked for us.

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“To get the goal so early on was key for us. It really set the standard in the second half for what we wanted to do.”

Winks also says that Pochettino eschewed the chance to criticise his team, who were indebted to an excellent save from Hugo Lloris at the end of the first half.

“No, not at all,” he said. “The manager just said to us we are still in the game.

“We had a spell when we were under the cosh a bit, but the most important thing is we defended well and Hugo made a fantastic save.

“It gave us a great platform in the second half to go out there and improve, that’s exactly what we did. The manager told us what he thinks we needed to do tactically to get on top and it worked.

“To get the goal so early on was critical.”

Aggressive football

There is little point in being passive when it comes to top-level football.

Spurs took the game by the scruff of the neck in the second half and reaped the rewards.

With Pochettino’s words still ringing in their ears, Spurs hit the front just two minutes after the restart and it appeared a formality from there.

Of course, the second leg is still to be played and Pochettino’s men are not yet through.

But the manager has the tactical and motivational skills to ensure that Spurs do not suffer a collapse in Germany, and instead qualify for the quarter-finals for the first time under his reign.

إبراهيم سعيد: كارتيرون أفضل من فايلر.. والفرنسي اختار المال عن المجد

أكد إبراهيم سعيد مدافع منتخب مصر الأسبق، أن باتريس كارتيرون المدير الفني السابق للزمالك أفضل من رينيه فايلر مدرب فريق الكرة بالأهلي.

وكان كارتيرون قد فسخ عقده مع الزمالك خلال الأسبوع الماضي، ليرحل لتولى مسؤولية تدريب فريق التعاون السعودي.

وقال إبراهيم سعيد في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة ten: “كارتيرون أعلى من فايلر وهذه حقيقة، ورحيله عن الزمالك أغبى قرار أخذه في حياته”.

وأكمل: “كارتيرون حقق نجاحات مع الزمالك ومجلس الإدارة سانده واللاعبين تحبه وأصبح هناك تجانس بينه وبين اللاعبين، ولكنه اختار المادة وترك المجد، واسم كارتيرون جاء عن طريق القلعة البيضاء”.

طالع | جيلبرتو: لا توجد مقارنة بين جوزيه وفايلر.. والأهلي يمتلك كل شئ للفوز بـ إفريقيا

وواصل: “فايلر مع الأهلي يفكر في المجد ومن الظاهر أنه يركز على دوري أبطال إفريقيا”.

واختتم: “كارتيرون أكثر مدرب تعامل معه مرتضى منصور بشكل جيد وكان هادي جدًا معه، ومرتضى تركه على راحته ولذلك فالمدرب هو الخاسر برحيله عن الزمالك”.

The one that got away: Owen Hargreaves and West Brom

West Brom were close to signing one of the nation’s finest players back in 2011 but missed out at the very end when the then growing force Manchester City came knocking.

The Baggies are known more for their astute bits of business than splashing the cash aimlessly on big money, marquee signings. Which was, paradoxically, both the making of the club’s survival and the foundation of their downfall.

Indeed, too many times have we seen teams investing heavily in the unknown and it backfire fantastically. Sunderland and Portsmouth to name a couple of offenders.

West Bromwich Albion have done the opposite. And though their conservative approach to the transfer market finally caught up with them in the Premier League, it’s left them in good stead to bounce back from the Championship, refreshed, revitalised and financially stable.

The likes of Gareth Barry, 38, who’s one of the oldest in the Championship, have made sure of that.

So imagine what this man could have done if he joined back in 2011…

Owen Hargreaves – 2011

According to BBC Sport, Champions League winner and former England international Owen Hargreaves was close to moving for the Hawthorns before doing a U-turn and joining Manchester City.

What a player Hargreaves was, even with the extensive injury problems he faced throughout his career.

The midfielder possessed everything needed to be the best; he could tackle, he could pass; had an absolute engine in the centre of the park and had an incredible footballing brain to compliment all his ability.

What’s more amazing is that the rumours of him moving to West Brom came in the wake of a trophy-laded period at Manchester United – consisting of three Premier League medals and a Champions League.

Former Baggies manager was probably as surprised as everyone else, telling reporters at the time: “We made it clear: ‘Look, we’ve done the test, we agree with you, and your man Alex, that the knee’s OK and you can play football. And of course if you’d like to come and play for us that would be lovely”.

“But whether or not our offer is going to be interesting to him, that’s what I don’t know” (via goal.com).

The likes of Graham Dorrans, Youssuf Mulumbu and Zoltan Gera, who were decent enough in their own right, could have been far better alongside Hargreaves had he not made the controversial decision to switch the blue side of Manchester.

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