Noel Whelan has spoken about Jordan Pickford’s mistake during Everton’s 1-1 draw against Manchester United, as reported by Football Insider.

What did he say?

Carlo Ancelotti’s side had been given an absolute gift in the early stages of their match against United, as David De Gea took an age before eventually smashing his clearance against Dominic Calvert-Lewin and seeing it fly past him and into the net.

The last thing they will have wanted to do is give United a gift in return, but that is exactly what Pickford did.

Bruno Fernandes had hit a strike from outside the box that should have been saved with relative ease, but the England international allowed it to slip through his fingers.

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Whelan gave his opinion on the incident: “There have been a lot of mistakes and he knows he should be saving them. It is one he will look back on and he will be pretty embarrassed about.

“He is England’s number one goalkeeper. We have seen a mistake from Spain’s number one as well. Both goalkeepers, international players, horrendous, schoolboy errors.

“It is a great strike for Fernandes but you have got to be saving that and he was running off like he scored a wonder-goal. Most of the goalkeepers in the league would have saved that shot but for some reason, it has gone under his body. He is better than that but he is making too many mistakes. I think it was a game Everton could have gone on and won as well.”

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Hard to argue

Pickford showed in that very same game that he can be a goalkeeper who comes up with impressive moments, when he sprung across his line to deny Odion Ighalo.

However, he cannot afford to keep making mistakes such as the one that led to him conceding against the Portuguese midfielder.

As impressive as the 25-year-old can be, he needs to kick out these mistakes if he is to keep the number one jerseys for England and Everton for years to come. According to the official Premier League website, only Martin Dubravka has made more errors than Pickford that have directly led to a goal for the opposition.

Meanwhile, Dominic Calvert-Lewin commented on Richarlison’s Instagram post.

Sunderland head into this weekend’s huge tussle with Coventry having lost just once in their last 15 outings.

However, this will be one of their biggest tests yet as they face a side also gunning for promotion from League One.

Coincidentally, the Black Cats’ only major hiccup in the last couple of months has been against a side in and around them, suffering defeat against Portsmouth.

But who will start in this weekend’s clash? There might well be a few changes in store.

On the chalkboard

The old adage is don’t fix what ain’t broke and that should be the mantra for the Mackems on Sunday – to a certain degree anyway.

Charlie Wyke and Lyndon Gooch are both slight doubts for the encounter but there should at least be one change that isn’t enforced on Sunday lunchtime.

Denver Hume has been rather inconsistent of late and his performances have done little to warrant a constant starting berth.

Sunderland have been in terrific form, keeping eight clean sheets in their last ten games but he has been one of the few players to underperform.

Journalist Phil Smith claimed he looked “off the pace” during their 1-1 draw with Fleetwood in midweek and this could be as good a time as any to drop him.

The solution

One of Hume’s stand out moments this season was the strike against Wycombe but he’s failed to show a similar sort of threat since that moment. His pass success rate has failed to clear the 77% mark while he’s won just three tackles and played eight successful crosses in nine matches, according to WhoScored.

For someone playing as a wing-back, you’d want them to be providing more in the final third. On top of that, Hume has also lost possession regularly. Via SofaScore, the 21-year-old lost the ball 21 times in midweek.

With that in mind, now seems like an ideal time to hand Declan John his debut. The left-sided player featured in a behind closed doors game on Wednesday, playing 60 minutes in a 5-2 win for the Black Cats over Carlisle.

John had yet to pull on a Sunderland shirt until that moment but he’s now received minutes and got up to speed rather nicely. Manager Phil Parkinson noted last week that he’d been unfortunate to miss out, primarily because he needed other options from the bench.

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However, Hume’s disappointing displays should lead to John finally getting an opportunity.

The Swansea loanee was assured with his passing in 2018/19, recording a success rate of 85.8%. John is also a more prolific tackler, winning 1.3 challenges in the Championship last campaign compared to Hume’s 0.8 this season.

Coventry may be a baptism of fire but he’s already proven his qualities at a higher level.

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Celtic icon John Hartson has tweeted a hilarious eight-word message involving other Hoops greats – Chris Sutton and Henrik Larsson.

Larsson – who netted an astonishing 242 goals in 313 games for the Scottish giants before leaving for Barcelona – played alongside both Hartson and Sutton at Celtic Park, while even naming the latter as his preferred strike partner live on BT Sport!

On Sutton’s birthday, a Twitter page – @1STAR88 – posted a graphic of the iconic Swede alongside the birthday boy, donning their respectively famous No.7 and No.9 shirts.

However, after Hartson caught wind of this graphic which doesn’t include him, the Welshman took to Twitter to complain about not being involved in hysterical fashion.

The 44-year-old tweeted an eight-word message asking if he could be squeezed in the middle of the pair in a jokingly-desperate attempt to be involved.

You can see what Hartson tweeted in full below:

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According to The Athletic journalist James Pearce, Pepijn Lijnders could be considered as a potential replacement for Jurgen Klopp when the German eventually decides to leave his position as Liverpool manager.

There are certainly no indications that Klopp is considering his future at Anfield having only recently signed a new deal, but Pearce said that a replacement might be needed in the summer of 2024.

The journalist claimed that Lijnders – currently assistant manager of the Reds – could be a part of the conversation should the job become available.

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Meanwhile, Pearce also claimed that RB Leipzig manager Julian Nagelsmann would be considered if the 32-year-old continues to impress.

Some of the Liverpool fans would welcome Lijnders being given a chance.

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However, others would prefer Nagelsmann, who left Hoffenheim to take charge of Leipzig last summer, to be given the chance to replace Klopp.

Their preference for Nagelsmann is by no means surprising. He was linked with Spurs as a potential replacement for Mauricio Pochettino and is overseeing a fine season a Leipzig.

As well as being third in the Bundesliga, they’ve just progressed from the first knockout round of the Champions League.

Meanwhile, a number of Liverpool supporters have been reacting to an update surrounding one of their key midfielders.

When Manuel Pellegrini was being pushed out of the London Stadium exit doors, there were plenty of managers who were being touted to take over from him.

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Carlo Ancelotti is one of those who were in contention to fulfil the role of Hammers manager, as reported by The Daily Star in December.

Of course, this move did not come to fruition, as he eventually joined Everton, who are currently sitting 12th in the table on 37 points.

Meanwhile, West Ham appointed David Moyes, who has struggled to bring about much of an upturn in form, as West Ham are above the relegation zone on goal difference alone.

FFC has predicted the starting XI that Ancelotti may have been using if he had joined West Ham.

One big difference between the two managers since they took their respective posts is that Moyes has switched things round a lot, while Ancelotti has had real conviction with his formation. This is best highlighted by the fact that the Scotsman didn’t use the same formation consecutively in any of his first seven league games, while the Italian has played 4-4-2 in each of his last eight league matches.

This will have arguably allowed his team to settle better, as they will be far more familiar with what is required of them.

Regardless of who is manager, it is pretty likely that Lukasz Fabianski would be the man between the sticks for West Ham.

Ancelotti won’t have had much choice at right-back, as Ryan Fredericks has been injured and Pablo Zabaleta has struggled, so it is likely Jeremy Ngakia would have still got his chance.

The Italian has put his trust in Mason Holgate since moving to Goodison Park, as shown by his new five-year contract, so it is likely Issa Diop – another young and talented centre-back – continues in the team, alongside Angelo Ogbonna.

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Aaron Cresswell is selected ahead of Arthur Masuaku, showing a similar style to Lucas Digne, as he is able to produce special strikes such as his free-kick against Manchester United.

We have included the January signings made in this lineup, meaning that Jarrod Bowen starts on the right flank.

There is no Mark Noble in the side, as Tomas Soucek’s energy in the middle could be vital to making the 4-4-2 work, while Declan Rice is an ideal defensive figure to have in this formation, having averaged 3 tackles, 2.1 interceptions and 1.4 clearances per game.

Ancelotti has shown that he is not afraid to use a left-winger that isn’t the paciest, with Gylfi Sigurdsson playing that role in each of Everton’s last three games. With this in mind, Pablo Fornals may have been given game time quicker under Ancelotti, starting just twice in Moyes’ first eight games.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison have been enjoying life under Ancelotti, recording eight and four goals respectively. It would have been hoped that he could have a similar impact on Sebastien Haller and Michail Antonio, while there could also be a temptation to convert Felipe Anderson to a striker now that he is back from injury.

Meanwhile, West Ham fans have lost their patience with one man.

Manchester City star Raheem Sterling has been linked with a move to Liverpool in recent days.Last month, the flying winger admitted that Liverpool are “always in my heart”, and those comments appear to have prompted speculation linking him with a stunning return to Anfield.

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Indeed, French media outlet L’Equipe have claimed that a move for Sterling cannot be ruled out amid Real Madrid’s rising interest in Sadio Mane.

It seems incredibly unlikely that a move would ever materialise, but there are bound to be some supporters, journalists and pundits out there who want to see the mooted switch go through.

And Ian Doyle, who is the chief Liverpool FC writer for the Liverpool Echo, has offered his verdict amid the rising speculation.

Here’s what he had to say on Twitter.

In response to a fan who suggested that Sterling is not suited to Klopp’s style, Doyle suggested that the £144m-valued star, per Transfermarkt, is the definition of a Klopp player.

Given Sterling is capable of slotting in anywhere across Liverpool’s forward line, is a relentlessly hard worker, and, above all, an incredibly talented footballer, there’s no doubt that Klopp would relish the opportunity to work with the England international.

Whether that will ever emerge as a genuine possibility, however, remains to be seen.

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Having only arrived in mid-season, Carlo Ancelotti will no doubt be looking to this upcoming summer transfer window as his first major opportunity to strengthen his Everton squad at Goodison Park.

The Italian oversaw a largely low-key window in January, but the summer should open up a lot more doors for the Toffees to go after some of their priority targets.

And one man who has been linked with a move to the blue half of Merseyside in recent weeks and months has been Borussia Dortmund play-maker Mario Gotze.

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But according to Italian publication Corriere dello Sport (via The Daily Mail), AS Roma have joined the list of clubs who are targeting a move for the German as he looks set to leave the Bundesliga when his contract expires this summer.

The report claims that Gotze’s agent has already held discussions with Roma director Gianluca Petrachi, and that the 27-year-old remains keen on staying in Europe.

Whilst Gotze may not be the same player that was a key part of the successful Jurgen Klopp-led Dortmund side – injuries have been a key reason behind that – he still represents the calibre of performer that could be a huge step-up on what Ancelotti currently has at his disposal.

Last season showed that there is still something there to work with and potentially revive, with seven goals and seven assists in just 26 games in the Bundesliga.

It says a lot about the lack of real quality in that number ten role, that Everton’s top-scoring midfielder this year is Tom Davies with just two – Gylfi Sigurdsson, the man who Gotze would surely replace in the first-team, has also managed just two, whilst only providing two assists.

Gotze could provide a bit of creativity and magic to Ancelotti’s side, and really allow Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison the chance to thrive up front. His career average of 1.6 key passes per game shows he has the ability to unlock defences, and it’s exactly why the Toffees and Marcel Brands can’t afford to miss out on his signature to Roma.

Sigurdsson’s woeful record of just 14 assists in 103 games for the Merseyside outfit has really hampered the Toffees going forward. Gotze could help address that immediately.

Meanwhile, Everton fans have reacted to this Richarlison tweet.

The hearings into the spot-fixing scandal involving three players from Pakistan will begin from Thursday in the unlikely setting of Doha, Qatar. At stake during the hearings is the playing future of Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir as well as the reputation of the ICC as a governing body able to deal with a problem that strikes at the very heart of the game.Michael Beloff QC, the head of the independent tribunal and chairman of the ICC’s code of conduct commission, addressed the media at the Qatar Financial Centre Civil and Commercial Court, where the hearing will also take place. The briefing was a formal one, merely outlining the procedure the hearing will follow.Beloff outlined the history of the charges against the trio, stemming from a News of the World investigation into the Lord’s Test between Pakistan and England in August last year, as well giving brief profiles of the other members of the tribunal, Justice Albie Sachs from South Africa and Sharad Rao from Kenya.The hearing will be held behind closed doors, with only the tribunal, the ICC’s lawyers Jonathon Taylor and Ian Higgins, the players and their lawyers and witnesses present. The process, Beloff said, will begin with an opening statement from the ICC presenting its case against each of the three players. The players will each then be entitled to respond.”Thereafter, the ICC will present all of the evidence that it has prepared in support of the charges it has brought,” Beloff said. “That will take various forms and will include hearing from witnesses ‘in person’ and over the telephone.”Witnesses from the ICC are set to include representatives from as well as teleconferences with Shahid Afridi, the Pakistan limited overs captain, and Waqar Younis, the team coach.The players will then be expected to present their defence, and will be open to cross-examination by the ICC’s lawyers and the tribunal, before closing statements are made. Though January 11 is the last working date of the hearing, a decision could conceivably be arrived at before that. Alternatively the judgment could also be reserved till after the final date.The players arrived in Doha on Tuesday and as they have done all along, again protested their innocence. Butt, who was captain at the time of the Test and will be represented by London-based barrister Yasin Patel, told AFP, “I have always played the game for the love of it and have never been involved in any wrongdoing.”I am confident that I will soon be playing for my country. I have been practising all through this difficult phase of my life so that whenever I am cleared I am able to play.”Amir, who along with Asif is alleged to have bowled the deliberate, pre-planned no-balls, said, “This is the toughest phase of my life. My elders tell me that such phases come in the life of a professional, so I am bravely facing this situation and will hopefully come out of it to play for Pakistan.”Shahid Karim, Amir’s lawyer, said the incident had affected Amir emotionally. “One of the mitigating factors is age and the other mitigating factor is Amir’s previously unblemished record,” he told AFP.”Emotionally he is drained, he’s been affected badly by it, but he’s coping as best he can and above all he is very confident that he will come out of this clean.”The hearing is taking place in Doha because the third player, Asif, is not allowed to enter the UAE after he was deported from Dubai in 2008 because of a drug-related offence.The three were provisionally suspended by the ICC soon after the scandal emerged and though Butt and Amir contested that decision, their appeals were rejected. If found guilty, they could be banned for anywhere from five years to life.This is the first time such a case is taking place with the ICC effectively the prosecutors. Past offenders, such as Salim Malik and Hansie Cronje, were punished by their own boards.

Former Leeds United and Coventry City forward Noel Whelan has said that Newcastle United’s prospective new owners must keep current manager Steve Bruce until at least the summer, in an interview with Football Insider.

What did he say?

Bruce took over at St. James’ Park over the summer and has guided his side to 13th in the Premier League table with just nine matches to play.

Amanda Staveley is currently brokering a £300m deal to buy the club from Mike Ashley and this has led to speculation that Bruce could lose his job.

However, Whelan has argued that the club need to leave him in charge and give him time to build the side over a full season.

“You’ve got to at the minute, he’s only just started, he’s got to be given the chance,” he told Football Insider.

“He’s been a manager for a number of years now, been in some very, very big clubs, you’ve got to give him that chance to finish and give him that chance to have full season at Newcastle where he can build his team.

“If he’s got the money as well, he could build a better team than what he’s done with Mike Ashley, that’s for sure. You’ve got to give him the opportunity, I think it would be wrong to get rid of him but we also know football’s cutthroat.

“New owners come in, they’ve got new ideas, they might want a new manager. It’s a strange time for Steve, he’ll be wondering about his future but you’ve got to give him the opportunity to finish the season, minimum.

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“If they do let him go, he’s actually done a good job at Newcastle in a short time and he could go and get a new job somewhere else off the back off that.

“I think that’s important, do it the fair way, let him crack on for the rest of the season and Newcastle, it could be some really exciting times ahead for them.”

Transition

If the sale of Newcastle goes through, there is likely to be plenty of upheaval in the short term and given the current circumstances, it is easy to see why keeping Bruce would be the right decision.

He has done a good job with limited resources this season and with just nine matches to play, he deserves to be given until the end of the season at the very least before any decision is taken.

Speaking to Football Insider, Kevin Phillips has backed Danny Rose to make a return to Leeds this summer.

What did he say?

The Tottenham defender was born in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, and was a part of the Leeds academy when making his first steps into professional football.

Spurs signed him in the summer of 2007, and he has since made 214 appearances for the north London side, although he has spent the second-half of this current campaign on loan at Newcastle.

Now, Phillips has backed the left-back to return back home this summer, and insisted that he still has the quality to be a key performer for Leeds if they manage to secure promotion back to the top-flight.

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He said: “It would not surprise me. You see it quite often that players from that area end up back at the club. Danny Rose has got the Premier League experience and can still do it. He is still a class left-back.

“I am sure the new owners at Newcastle would like to keep Rose but the player could be tempted by a move to Yorkshire and be a part of what Leeds are building there. That experience would help the squad. It would not surprise me if he pitched up at Leeds whenever the transfer window open – assuming Leeds going up.”

Reunion

More than the sentimental value of Rose returning back to where it all started for him, he could still provide some much-needed quality on the pitch too.

This is a Premier League-proven player who up until very recently was still playing at the highest level of the Champions League, and could add some real competition for the left-back slot at Elland Road.

Having players like Rose and Kalvin Phillips in the team’s ranks just ensures Leeds stays true to its roots, and bolsters that connection between the fans and the players. Depending on the price involved, this could well be a smart addition for plenty of reasons.