Former Everton defender Andy Hinchcliffe has given a damning assessment on the Toffees’ intention’s to bring Wayne Rooney back to Goodison Park from Manchester United, suggesting it wouldn’t be a good move for the club.
Ronald Koeman went public this week with his desire to bring Rooney back to Merseyside, over a decade after he left, with England’s all-time record-scorer looking to be approaching the end of his days at Old Trafford.
However, Hinchcliffe believes the move would only come about due to sentimental reasons and doesn’t think it would be a good move for Everton or for Rooney himself. Speaking to Sky Sports, he said:
“You can’t go back to Everton for sentimental reasons. If you look at Everton, everything’s moving forward in terms Ronald Koeman, the money they’re spending on players, the style of football they’re looking to play and what they’re looking to achieve.”
“I’m not saying Wayne Rooney would be a backward step but, to me, it would be a bit sentimental; it would be a short-term solution. Maybe for a year or more he could give something to Everton.”
“Of course he would love to go back to the club he started his career with. But is that what Everton really need? Is that what Wayne Rooney really needs? I am not so sure.”
“There was talk of him going to China and I think it’s really encouraging that he didn’t go, if that opportunity was there. Where he actually ends up will be really interesting but I am not sure Everton is right for either the player or the club.”
The 31-year-old started his career with Everton, making his debut in 2002, and went on to make 67 Premier League appearances for the Toffees before moving to Manchester United in 2004 for a fee of £25.6m.
With the Red Devils, Rooney has become the club’s all-time leading goalscorer and has also won every major honour he can get his hands on in English football multiple times- adding a Champions League crown in the process.
Pep Guardiola has claimed that his Manchester City team will be knocked out of the Champions League if they fail to score in the second leg of their last-16 tie.
The North-West outfit have a two-goal advantage over Monaco after winning the first leg 5-3 in dramatic fashion.
Raheem Sterling’s 26th-minute opener was cancelled out by Radamel Falcao before 18-year-old Kylian Mbappe nudged Monaco ahead.
After the half-time interval Sergio Aguero led a comeback as he equalised on 2-2 before levelling again to make it 3-3 after Falcao scored a second following his missed penalty.
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The match was end to end, and there was some questionable defending from City.
One of their culprits John Stones, who was at fault for Monaco’s third goal, managed to redeem himself by scoring at the other end, while Leroy Sane wrapped up the win.
After the match, Guardiola told reporters that his players cannot afford to sit on their two-goal cushion because they will be heavily punished at Stade Louis II next month.
“We are going to fly to Monaco to score as many goals as possible. We are not going to defend that result. We now know each other better. We will adjust some things, they will adjust some things but we have to score goals. If we don’t score a goal in Monaco we will be eliminated.”
Visit Britain are currently running a competition to find football’s biggest Super Fan, and football fans in Brighton are as loyal as they come.
A quaint seaside town, football has often played a big part in the lives of Brightonians – with a day on the beach not complete without a kick around.
Professionally, Brighton-based football clubs have not achieved too much success – with Brighton and Hove Albion, the highest placed club from the city, yet to breach into England’s top flight.
Indeed, there are a host of clubs throughout the city, though, with clubs like Lewes and Eastbourne often welcoming small but hugely passionate fans to their ground on a Saturday afternoon.
Brighton and Hove Albion are the club to watch, though, and with the side looking to embark on a huge period in their history, now is a very good time to be a passionate fan of the Seagulls…
Brighton & Hove Albion
It is a very interesting time to be a Brighton and Hove Albion fan. The club are currently sitting near the top of the Championship, which is the second division in the English tier system, and could be set to earn immediate promotion at the end of the season.
This will mark the first time that the club have competed in the Premier League, with the Chris Hughton-led side being the surprise package of the season so far.
They play their football at the American Express Community Stadium, or The AMEX, which is an impressive, modern stadia in the heart of the Sussex Downs.
Affectionately known as the Seagulls, fans of the club are loyal and dedicated to their team and city – and that has played a vital role in their rise over the last few years.
Do you think you have what it takes to be Visit Britain’s biggest Super Fan? Click 0n the link below to find the details.
Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney is leaning towards a return to Everton and is willing to take a pay cut in order to complete the move, according to The Independent.
What’s the story?
Everton have been linked with their former by wonder ever since it became likely that his career at Old Trafford was coming to an end.
Of course, neither the player nor United have publicly confirmed that there will be movement in the summer, but Rooney’s lack of game time under Jose Mourinho suggests that a transfer could be on the cards.
On Tuesday morning, Sky Sports reported that West Ham United are interested in making a move for Rooney if he is made available in the summer.
According to The Independent, though, the man himself would prefer a return to Everton, and United may even be willing to let him leave for free.
The report adds that the Merseyside outfit are prepared to give him £150,000-a-week wages, which is believed to be half of what he currently earns at Old Trafford.
Rooney would accept the drop in salary in order to seal a return to Goodison Park, states The Independent.
Is this the best option for both parties?
In short, yes. From Rooney’s point of view, he has insisted numerous times that he is still good enough to play at the top level.
Perhaps that is why a heavily rumoured switch to the Chinese Super League never came off in the winter transfer window.
Returning to Everton, where he came through the academy ranks before joining United in 2004, would complete the fairytale.
The forward grew up as a supporter of the Merseyside outfit and possibly finishing his career at Goodison after winning five Premier League titles and the Champions League at United is a fitting end to his story.
As far as United are concerned, it has been made clear by Mourinho that Rooney does not have a future at the club, so they will be happy to wish him well.
Everton are pushing towards the elite clubs in the division, but they are not a direct rival of United, which is a positive from the Red Devils’ point of view.
According to reports in The Sun, West Ham United are ready to make a £30m bid for Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere.
The 25-year-old’s contract at the Emirates runs out next summer and even though he has been offered a new one by manager Arsene Wenger, the England international could choose to leave the club in search of regular first team football.
Wilshere has spent the current season on loan at Bournemouth as he looks to get more minutes and starts in the Premier League, and while he has impressed at times he has found himself on the substitutes’ bench in recent weeks under Eddie Howe, too.
Irons supporters were quick to have their say on the link to the midfielder, believing that he would be a perfect fit for the side which has lost four successive top flight matches, and not in a positive way.
Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction to the rumour…
With Manchester United turning out fairly comfortable winners against Burnley this afternoon, Jose Mourinho’s men went at least some way in proving there is indeed life without Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
United’s superstar Swede has been ruled out with a long-term injury picked up against Anderlecht in the Europa League, though Marcus Rashford’s match-winning goal, as well as his performance against Chelsea last week, will undoubtedly help Red Devils around the world sleep easy.
Indeed, the young England international may not be alone in carrying Mourinho’s attack after all. Both Anthony Martial and Wayne Rooney – two reasonably forgotten members of the squad – got the scoresheet at Turf Moor this afternoon, hinting at strong options in attacking berths between now and the end of the campaign.
As a result, United fans have been taking to Twitter to praise the duo, both of whom have struggled to impose themselves on first-team proceedings of late. With that in mind, here’s a closer look at how United fans online reacted.
Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has hinted that young defender Axel Tuanzebe could play a key role for the Red Devils from now until the end of the season.
Man United currently have an injury crisis at centre-back, with Marcos Rojo joining Phil Jones and Chris Smalling on the sidelines during the club’s busiest period of the 2016-17 campaign.
Tuanzebe, 19, is yet to make his full debut for the Red Devils, although the highly-rated centre-back made his first-team bow as a substitute against Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup earlier this season.
The teenager had been due to represent England in the Under-20 World Cup in Korea next month, but Mourinho has revealed that he is considering pulling Tuanzebe out of the competition as he is needed at Old Trafford.
He told Man United’s official website:
“Now we need absolutely everyone and I don’t have to think about Axel Tuanzebe going to the Under-20 World Cup in Korea because maybe Axel has to come now. We need everybody.”
Daley Blind played at centre-back after replacing the injured Rojo against Anderlecht, although it is thought that Mourinho is not considering the Netherlands international as a central defender for the remainder of the season.
As a result, Eric Bailly is Man United’s only fit senior centre-back entering the final weeks of the campaign.
Chelsea’s bid to get over the finish line in this season’s Premier League title race comes with an eerie sense of déjà vu. The Blues were the division’s most dominant force by a significant distance during the first half of the season – at least, from Antonio Conte’s introduction of the 3-4-3 system in late September onwards – but the second half of the campaign hasn’t been quite as convincing.
Chelsea are by no means limping through their final run-in, but the relentless sprint has regressed into a solid-paced yet slightly awkward jog, their footing misplaced here and there. In the Premier League’s 2017 table, Chelsea are actually third – behind Everton and Tottenham – and could even drop to fourth if Manchester United beat Manchester City tonight.
Chelsea’s last Premier League title in 2014/15 witnessed a similar phenomenon. Jose Mourinho’s Blues were unstoppable until Christmas and playing arguably the best football in the league, missing out on just eleven points and scoring as many goals as Manuel Pellegrini’s free-firing Manchester City with nearly 2.2 per game, but a 5-3 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on New Year’s Day obliged a change in strategy from the Portuguese. Style and entertainment was pushed to the backseat in favour of simply doing whatever it took to keep the points tally ticking over.
The new game-plan was simple; give nothing away, take the lead and then spoil the match. It heralded cries of ‘Boring, Boring Chelsea’ from opposing fans, a chant that was embraced in irony by Blues supporters as their side finally lifted the title in May.
Once again, a defeat to Tottenham at the beginning of January 2017 has changed the pace of Chelsea’s season, since drawing and losing twice compared to their 13-game winning run prior. The difference this time, however, is that Antonio Conte’s relying on pure potency in attack to make sure his first season in England ends with the Premier League title, rather than his pragmatic instincts and ability to organise his defence like Mourinho.
Conte will be a shoo-in for this season’s Manager of the Year award and on the surface, rightly so. Winning the Premier League title during your debut season in the English top flight is a fantastic achievement – one Pep Guardiola, for example, widely revered as arguably the greatest of his generation, will miss out on.
Likewise, the introduction of 3-4-3 has not only transformed Chelsea back into champions-in-waiting but also resonated throughout the division. Three-man defences were once deemed alien to the English game; this season, every club in the top seven has attempted it or a variation at least once. Even Arsene Wenger’s been drawn in by the trend, fielding Arsenal’s first three-man defence since 1997 against Middlesbrough earlier this month.
Yet, Chelsea’s efforts in 2017 have posed questions he’s not found answers to. Chelsea haven’t kept a clean sheet in the Premier League since the end of January, have struggled on the road against their top six rivals – drawing with Liverpool and losing to Manchester United – and have conceded two goals in their last two top flight fixtures.
Against Southampton particularly, the Blues allowed two sloppy goals that can only be put down to a lack of concentration; firstly, disorganisation at a corner and secondly, switching off in stoppage time to allow Ryan Bertrand a consolation header against his former club. There was even a period of the match in which Saints appeared to be on control, and that has been a recurring trend throughout Chelsea’s last 14 games – pretty much all of them have contained patches of Chelsea looking out of sorts and arguably the lesser side, only for Eden Hazard and his attacking accomplices to fire them clear of a genuine wobble.
Whereas Mourinho dedicated himself to plugging the leaks, Conte is relying upon an attacking cast that he knows will the create chances to sail to shore as quickly as possible. Since the introduction of 3-4-3, Chelsea have failed to score just once in the Premier League, even with their leading goalscorer, Diego Costa, desperately struggling for form – suffering a seven-game drought until Tuesday night.
That’s quite unusual for Premier League pace-setters at this point of the season. Leicester City tightened up last term, scoring more than once just eight times from their final 19 games, Manchester United kept nine clean sheets in the second half of their relatively routine 2012/13 title win and even as City pipped them to the prize on the final day the campaign prior, United’s ultimate eight wins didn’t see a single goal conceded. Eventual champions usually only end the season in free-scoring mode if they’re chasing someone down – City in 2011/12 for example.
The curious thing, however, is that both managers are essentially working with the same group of attacking players, the only difference being the occasional presence of Pedro and the wing-backs providing width. Chelsea’s last six goalscorers, netting eight between them, were all part of Mourinho’s title-winning side, whilst three were signed by the Portuguese himself. Clearly, Chelsea’s change of approach in the run-in isn’t a coincidence; it’s a reflection of the managers’ mindsets.
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Of course, there is no definitive right or wrong answer in football; the beauty of the beautiful game is that it’s as much a clash of ideas and philosophies as anything else. Likewise, Conte will be aware that a draw at this stage of the season may as well be a defeat, with Tottenham Hotspur just four points behind. Dropping two points could halve Chelsea’s deficit and swing momentum back in Spurs’ favour.
Therefore, ensuring you score more than the opposition rather conceding less has an obvious logic to it. But if Conte had adopted Mourinho’s approach much earlier in 2017, Chelsea might not be in a position right now where the pressure is on to win every game. Mourinho’s final run-in saw them lose less games, keep six more clean sheets and win more points per match.
Does that make Mourinho’s title more of a managerial achievement than Conte’s – assuming Chelsea will lift it again this term – considering it was sourced from organisation and defensive consistency rather than the sheer attacking quality at his disposal? Perhaps. But there’s no question which run-in Chelsea fans – as well as the neutrals – are enjoying more. ‘Boring, Boring Chelsea’ are scoring their way over the finish line.
According to The Daily Mail, Chelsea are chasing 20-year-old Russian star Aleksandr Golovin to add strength to their squad as they ready themselves for European competition again.
Young Golovin is the most promising player in Russian football and has been under the watchful eye of many European clubs since he burst onto the scene at the European Championships last summer.
Antonio Conte has been reportedly keeping a close eye on the progress of the 20-year-old this season and has sent scouts to CSKA Moscow games to analyse Golovin’s progress.
How good has Golovin been this season?
In short – very good. Golovin has been an ever present for CSKA this season, featuring 43 times in all competitions. He faired well in the Champions League, despite his teams’ less than impressive performance in the group stages and showcased his ability as a holding midfielder very well.
While he is not a technically gifted talent, Golovin has shown his consistency and hard-working attitude this season with a number of man of the match performances.
He has also helped his teams’ cause with four goals and three assists, demonstrating that, despite his defensive role, he can still contribute offensively in a proficient manner.
Is Golovin a good fit for Chelsea?
While talk of Nemanja Matic leaving Chelsea have thus far remained rumour only, Aleksandr Golovin would represent the perfect replacement for the Serbian.
Even if Matic remains at the Bridge, Golovin would be a more than capable substitute, especially as Chelsea will be contending with European football again next season.
Former Newcastle United player and talkSPORT host Micky Quinn has ripped apart John Terry and Chelsea for Sunday’s ‘farcical’ antics.
The 36-year-old defender played his final game for the Blues at the weekend, closing the curtain on a 22-year association with the West London outfit.
Terry had limited game time under manager Antonio Conte this season, but he was handed a starting spot for Sunday’s season finale against Sunderland.
Conte’s men ended up winning 5-1, but they raised some eyebrows in the 26th minute when Terry was substituted and given a guard of honour from his teammates in the process.
The defender revealed after the final whistle that it was his idea to come off at that time because it matched his shirt number.
Sunderland boss David Moyes, who has since resigned from his position, admitted that the two clubs agreed to put the ball out of play prior to the match in order to allow Terry to have his send-off.
Quinn was not impressed and he made his feelings known in a column written for the Chronicle:
“The scenes we witnessed at Stamford Bridge represented farce of the very highest order. John Terry has been a top-quality centre-back for a decade-and-a-half, he has been an exceptional leader, and he has been one of the toughest competitors to play the game this century.
“But the guard of honour in the 26th minute was embarrassing. That should never, ever happen during a competitive football match.”