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Many Everton fans have been flocking to some off-field updates from Phil Kirkbride.

Writing in his latest piece for The Liverpool Echo, Kirkbride has revealed that the Goodison Park club are now planning to find two new board members after both Marcel Brands and Sarvar Ismailov left their posts recently.

Further additions to join Bill Kenwright, Denise Barrett-Baxendale and Grant Ingles at the table have not been ruled out, as they are set to lead a ‘strategic review’ of the Merseyside club’s football structure.

There is not expected to be a ‘radical’ overhaul of their scouting and medical operations, but the board are looking at ‘streamlining’ how they work.

While some of the changes have been welcomed, given that the Toffees had gone eight games in the Premier League without a win before tasting victory at home to Arsenal on Monday night, some supporters feel as if there should be an overhaul to their scouting and medical systems – especially as they have spent lots of money on transfers in the last few years but have seen little success come from it, finishing no higher than seventh in the top flight since 2016/17.

Everton fans on off-field news

These Everton fans flocked to the news as it was shared on Twitter:

“If it means Kenwright has 0 role in the recruitment process then”

Credit: @otrochris

“If this stops us taking a month to sign a player we target I’m all for it”

Credit: @GaryChr21501647

“The club’s scouting system is pathetic, if that’s not worrying then I don’t know what is!”

Credit: @Luke_M20

“We got booed for walking out yesterday and not tolerating the same old rubbish like THIS…”

Credit: @WillNSNO

“Lol”

Credit: @BT_1878

“It’s called kicking the can down the road – we need more information with timescales”

Credit: @StevenRoche2

In other news, one Benitez decision has had these Evertonians talking

While the Carabao Cup may not have been high up on Leeds United’s priority list, their tame 2-0 defeat to Arsenal on Tuesday night would have done nothing for their confidence heading into this weekend.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side were well in the game during the first-half, and but for some truly woeful decision-making in the final third and some questionable end product, could have found themselves a goal up.

Instead, they let the home side off the hook, and the Gunners duly punished them after the break, with goals from Calum Chambers and former Whites loanee Eddie Nketiah bagging to see the north Londoners through to the quarter-finals.

One man who really embarrassed Bielsa with his performance, was Dan James.

The Wales international was once again handed a start from the off as Bielsa went fairly strong with his starting line-up, and showed the searing pace that makes him a nightmare for opposition defenders.

But, James’ speed was all that was on show in terms of a positive sense for Leeds. Time and time again, his final ball and decision-making let him down and wasted numerous promising opportunities for his team.

One occasion saw him mis-control an admittedly difficult ball that would have had him take on Bernd Leno one on one, while another, and arguably the most disappointing, saw him race away on the break but fail to see Rodrigo to his right in open space and seeing the attack come to an end.

The fact he had fewer touches than goalkeeper Illan Meslier spoke volumes of just how anonymous he became, and it was something a couple of people spotted.

Writing in his post-match player ratings for The Yorkshire Evening Post, Graham Smyth gave him a five, saying: “His pace troubled Arsenal but the final ball let him down. Disappeared from the game as an influence after the break.”

Those sentiments were echoed by Leeds Live’s Beren Cross, who also gave him a five, and added: “Found excellent positions and out himself in the right places at the right times to turn the afterburners on and get Leeds up the field, but by contrast, showed slowness in thought when it came to delivering a final ball or shot around the box. Wasted several good openings.”

Bielsa would have been desperately hoping for James to prove why the Whites splashed out big money on him after several years of following his progress.

Instead, he put in the kind of mind-numbing display that would have left his manager extremely disappointed on the side-lines.

Meanwhile, Leeds must finally unleash this academy starlet in the Premier League…it’s not Gelhardt

Harry Winks’ time at Tottenham Hotspur is surely running out after the Englishman endured another disappointing outing this week.

The 25-year-old has been restricted to only 60 minutes of action in the Premier League so far this season, so the bulk of his opportunities to impress have come in domestic and European cup competitions.

Nuno Santo heavily rotated his side for their Europa League clash at Vitesse on Thursday night, leaving home the bulk of his starting XI, a decision which seemed pretty smart considering that he still had plenty of options available.

One of those was Winks, who started in the Netherlands, making it four appearances from a possible five in the competition, but he failed to take the golden chance handed to him.

With the January transfer window on the horizon, it could be best if both parties go their separate ways.

According to The Times, the Hotspur Way academy graduate is likely to seek a temporary move away from north London. He attracted interest from Everton, Aston Villa and Brighton in the summer and needs regular game time to stand a chance of breaking back into the England squad.

Valued at £18m by Transfermarkt, it could be wise for Spurs to simply offload Winks, as it seems unlikely that a positive loan spell would see him suddenly rise through Nuno’s pecking order.

The Lilywhites could instead sell him and use the funds to bolster other key areas of the squad such as in attack, where Harry Kane still lacks a backup, or in attacking midfield as they have been bereft of creativity for quite some time.

With all due respect to the Dutch outfit, who were very worthy winners, the north Londoners should be sweeping aside such teams, especially when there are several players with points to prove on the pitch.

Winks was pretty poor once again, not only picking up a yellow card for his troubles, but also winning just two of nine battles (22%) in the engine room, thus proving to be lightweight. He also committed three fouls and lost possession 11 times, as per SofaScore.

At half-time, BT Sport pundit Chris Sutton questioned his attitude and ability, claiming that the 25-year-old maestro “looked a shadow of himself” [21st October, 18:40pm].

In the past, Spurs legend Graham Roberts dubbed him “an average player” during an interview with Football FanCast in the summer.

After another abject display and one which will hardly have Nuno rushing to keep him involved, perhaps it would be wise if Winks never featured for the club again as it is clear that he is simply not good enough.

If he can’t do it against Vitesse, then there’s no real hope in the Premier League. It’s time to get rid and move on.

AND in other news, Forget Lo Celso: £27m-rated Spurs lightweight who lost 89% duels failed Nuno yet again…

According to a report by 90min and journalist Graeme Bailey, sharing an article on his Twitter feed, it appears Antonio Conte has already green lit his first Tottenham transfer.

The Lowdown: Spurs eye Kessie…

As per recent developments, Tottenham appear heavily in the chase to land AC Milan’s star player amid his precarious contract situation at the San Siro.

His current deal expires in 2022 and club chiefs have not yet been able to tie down the 24-year-old with an extension, meaning he is free to negotiate a January pre-contract to leave as a free agent next summer.

Tottenham have been taking note as a result with reports from both La Gazzetta dello Sport (via Get Italian Football News) and Rudy Galetti suggesting it is very advanced.

While Bailey doesn’t exactly back this up, he does reiterate Tottenham and new manager Conte’s personal interest.

The Latest: Conte ‘green lights’ Kessie move…

Writing for 90min, as also shared on his Twitter, Bailey explains that Conte personally ‘green lights’ Tottenham swoops for both Kessie and Milan central defender Alessio Romagnoli – with the Italian looking set for a San Siro raid.

It is explained in his piece that Spurs sources have ‘confirmed’ that a ‘deal’ for Kessie in particular is ‘in the works’ but realise it will be a big battle to sign him.

However, the club are confident that Conte’s arrival could now push a move over the line.

The Verdict: Get it done…

Signing Kessie on a free deal would be managing director Fabio Paratici’s biggest masterstroke since bringing Conte to N17 and ushering in an exciting new era.

The four-time Serie A title-winning boss would certainly be in good company with Kessie’s possible arrival going by his exploits for Milan both last season and this season.

A mainstay under Stefano Pioli, playing in all but one of Milan’s top flight matches last year, reporter Nicky Bandini, a regular reviewer of Italian football, has also called the player ‘extraordinary’ (ESPN).

Tottenham could snap up the bargain of the century by landing Kessie on a free deal, considering his market value is around £49.5m.

In other news: Conte now personally plotting to sell ‘very talented’ Spurs player who Nuno called ‘unique’, find out more here.

رفض إريك تين هاج مدرب مانشستر يونايتد فرصة التعاقد مع جورجينيو فينالدوم قبل انتقاله إلى روما، وفقًا للتقارير.

يسعى الشياطين الحمر بنشاط للتعاقد مع لاعب خط وسط جديد مع تحرك لأدريان رابيو حاليًا.

ومع ذلك، يبدو أن يونايتد كان بإمكانه بالفعل التعاقد مع نجم ليفربول السابق فينالدوم، الذي رحل مؤخرًا عن باريس سان جيرمان.

انضم لاعب الوسط الهولندي إلى روما على سبيل الإعارة الأولية مع خيار الشراء الذي سيصبح التزامًا، إذا تأهل الفريق الإيطالي إلى دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وفقًا لمراسل “سكاي سبورتس” كافيه سولهيكول، كان فينالدوم حريصًا بالفعل على الانضمام إلى يونايتد قبل أن يرفض إريك تين هاج تلك الصفقة.

قال في برنامج الانتقالات: “قيل لي أيضًا إن تين هاج رفض فرصة التوقيع مع جيني فينالدوم من باريس سان جيرمان”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. خافيير هيرنانديز: مستعد للعودة إلى مانشستر يونايتد واللعب مجانًا

وأضاف: “رأينا الأسبوع الماضي أن جيني فينالدوم قد وافق على صفقة للانضمام إلى روما وجوزيه مورينيو”.

وواصل: “قيل لي إن يونايتد عرضت عليه الفرصة للتعاقد مع اللاعب الذي فاز باللقب مع ليفربول ودوري أبطال أوروبا”.

وأردف: “لكن إريك تن هاج لم يكن يريده، رغم أن اللاعب كان على استعداد للانتقال إلى مانشستر يونايتد”.

وافق يونايتد الآن مع يوفنتوس على أجر للاعب خط الوسط الدولي الفرنسي رابيو بقيمة 15 مليون جنيه إسترليني.

لا تزال المحادثات جارية بشأن الشروط الشخصية رغم أنه مع والدته فيرونيك رابيو، وهي عقبة رئيسية يجب حلها قبل اكتمال الانتقال.

يُعتقد أن تين هاج كان محوريًا في ملاحقة يونايتد للاعب يوفنتوس وقد حصل التوقيع بالفعل على موافقته.

Everton have always produced a steady stream of impressive youngsters down the years, and the next superstar produced in their academy could be ready to come off the conveyor belt.

The likes of Wayne Rooney, Leon Osman and Ross Barkley have all been nurtured in the Toffees’ youth system before going on to carve out impressive careers in the senior ranks.

And now versatile forward Charlie Whitaker could be the next name to join that illustrious list of local lads to wear the famous blue of Everton.

Whitaker joined the Merseyside outfit from Blackburn Rovers aged just 12, but the teenager really started catching the eye with his impressive performances last term.

In the final game of 2020/21, Whitaker bagged a hat-trick in a 4-0 thrashing of Southampton to take his tally to five goals and two assists in just four starts since being handed his full U23s debut by manager David Unsworth.

The youth team boss lauded the attacking talent in an interview with the Liverpool ECHO shortly after, saying: “I’ve watched Charlie for a number of years, and we always knew he had the quality in flashes.

“He has played out wide, he has played up-front….but we have tried to play him as a second striker, not a number 10, a second-striker because his game is naturally dropping into spaces where you want a number 10.

“We have tried to get someone up there with him, and he has been sensational. He is a great trainer, great to work with, and a great lad.”

Despite his promising performances in several positions, the youth team coach was determined not to get too carried away with Whitaker’s contributions since making the step up from U18’s level, though.

Unsworth continued: “I have really enjoyed the last few months working with him! I really have. He does the hardest thing in the game, which is score goals, and he makes it look really easy.

“For the size of him, he is good in the air, he is brave, we just need him to link play, and the future is bright for him. I’m not getting over-excited, because you can’t, it is too early. But the signs are very, very good.”

And Whitaker has picked up where he left off last season in the opening weeks of the current campaign, bagging four goals and providing one assist in just nine appearances.

With Richarlison heavily linked with a move away from Everton over the summer, manager Rafa Benitez could unearth the Brazilian’s natural heir in the shape of 18-year-old Whitaker, someone who can play in a wide array of positions just like their energetic number 7.

However, whether he provides him with the opportunity to showcase his talent in the senior setup remains to be seen.

And, in other news…”Still uncertainty” – Patrick Boyland drops Everton update that should concern fans 

A solid century from opener Abhinav Mukund backed by impressive bowling from Rangaraj Suthesh and captain Ravichandran Ashwin helped Tamil Nadu beat Bengal in the final of the Vijay Hazare Trophy

Cricinfo staff09-Mar-2009
Scorecard

Tamil Nadu beat Bengal by 66 runs in the Ranji one-day final © Cricinfo Ltd
A solid century from opener Abhinav Mukund, backed by impressive bowling from Rangaraj Suthesh and Ravichandran Ashwin helped Tamil Nadu beat Bengal in the final of the Vijay Hazare Trophy in Agartala. After Mukund’s 118 of 140 balls pushed Tamil Nadu to a commanding 284 in their 50 overs, Suthesh and Ashwin bagged three wickets apiece to complete the win.Tamil Nadu made a steady start after winning the toss, with Mukund and Srikkanth Anirudha putting on 46 by the 10th over. Aniruddha became Ashok Dinda’s first victim, caught by Iresh Saxena for 26. Subramaniam Badrinath provided able support, adding 77 with Mukund for the second wicket before departing for 30.Mukund, though, continued undeterred and forged another crucial partnership of 95 with Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan for the fourth wicket, bringing up his hundred in the process. Mukund’s innings included 12 fours and a six, and when he was dismissed in the 46th over, the run-rate stood at just over five.Enter Suresh Kumar, who unleashed a blitz to completely disrupt the rhythm of the Bengal bowlers. He faced only 18 balls, but smashed an unbeaten 41, comprising one four and four sixes. Thanks to that blast, Tamil Nadu sped to 284. Dinda finished as Bengal’s most successful bowler with 3 for 52.The response from Bengal was insipid, as Suthesh accounted for opener Shreevats Goswami and Debabrata Das quite early. But their saviour from the previous match, Manoj Tiwary, and Wriddhiman Saha stitched together a 74-run partnership for the third wicket to get the chase back on course. Ashwin picked up his first wicket, bowling Saha for 31, but Laxmi Ratan Shukla kept the chase on track with a run-a-ball 26, before Vidyut ran him out.Tiwary soon brought up his fifty but was running out of partners as the Tamil Nadu bowlers made frequent inroads. He finally departed for 76, having hit seven fours in his 87-ball innings before being bowled by Yo Mahesh.There was no coming back for Bengal from there on as Suthesh and Ashwin completed the formalities by the 46th over.

New Zealand coach Gary Stead played down his side’s thumping performance but was not shy about stating their prospects for Sunday’s final against England

Jenny Roesler in Sydney19-Mar-2009It was all but inevitable that New Zealand would beat eighth-ranked Pakistan at the Drummoyne Oval on Thursday and seal their place in the final. Yet the way they did should send a warning to England, whose 17-win streak came to a shuddering stop against Australia over in North Sydney.Their coach Gary Stead played down his side’s thumping performance – which included 168 from Suzie Bates and Haidee Tiffen’s maiden ODI century in a world-record stand of 262 – but was not shy about stating their prospects for Sunday’s final against England.”I will be telling our girls we’re going to go really, really hard at England and we’re going to try to smash them off the ground early in the game.” Stead said. “It’s a little hard to take too much from this game. It’s not the standard of England by any means, but you see special innings occasionally and the partnership there between Suzie and Haidee was outstanding and to break some world records is really important to our team.”Haidee’s had a pretty good tournament, she’s been good with some runs and Suzie’s starting to show some nice form and coming into the business end of the tournament, that’s important. We know she’s a classy player who can hit the ball pretty hard and she showed that today.”If we’re confident and we trust our instincts I think we can beat anyone. We’re really looking forward to the game and if we can relax and play good cricket and trust our abilities I’m sure we can do well.”Stead dismissed the suggestion that New Zealand may have preferred a stronger opposition heading into the final. “I don’t think it matters too much,” he said. “We had some tough games against India and Australia and England earlier. I think it’s nice for the girls that they’ve had the chance to go out there and feel good about their games and they’re confident.”Tiffen played the anchor as Bates smashed her way to breaking records. “I thought the really good thing in their partnership was the roles they played,” Stead said. “Haidee understood she was the run-getter and after a while Suzie said ‘Right, it’s boom time’ and she went big.”Then he watched as Tiffen brought up her first century with a dab to square. “When Haidee had it in her sights you could see she wasn’t going to miss out,” he said. “She knuckled down.”Having piled up 7 for 373, New Zealand had their sloppy fielding moments but in defending such a huge total they were never in trouble. Besides, they had their minds on other, much grander, matters.

Ricky Ponting has taken the blame for Australia’s poor batting performances during the series loss to South Africa

Cricinfo staff30-Jan-2009
Ricky Ponting: “At the end of the day the buck does stop with me” © Getty Images
Ricky Ponting has taken the blame for Australia’s poor batting performances during the series loss to South Africa despite being the second highest run-scorer in the opening four games. Only Shaun Marsh (213) has been more successful than Ponting, who has 202 at 50.50, but the captain said he needed to assume more responsibility in the final match in Perth on Friday.”Any team wants their guys at the top, at least someone, to make 100 and we haven’t had a century made in this series so far,” Ponting told AAP. “At the end of the day the buck does stop with me. I’m ultimately the one that is responsible and takes the flak if we lose and takes the credit if we win games.”South Africa took the series in Adelaide despite Ponting’s streak of 46, 64, 29 and 63. “I felt I’ve batted really well in all four of these one-day games, but at the same time I felt I’ve left a lot of runs out there almost every time I’ve been out in the middle,” he said.”So I just want to finish off this series very strongly. I want to put in a good performance for myself and the team, and take a bit more responsibility than I have in the first four games.”

Manchester United have been handed a potentially significant boost in their pursuit of Rennes midfielder Eduardo Camavinga.

What’s the story?

The Red Devils have been linked with a move for the highly-rated 18-year-old throughout the summer as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looks to bolster his engine room options.

And now, the well-known journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has provided an update on Camavinga’s situation, claiming a move away from his boyhood club could still occur before the transfer window closes.

He tweeted: “There are chances for Eduardo Camavinga to leave Rennes in the final 8 days of the transfers market. He’ll not sign a new long-term deal with Rennes, so they’re open to sell Camavinga for €35m fee. #transfers It depends on the offers in the next few days. Open race.”

Solskjaer will love him

The talented teenager has established himself as one of Ligue 1’s most promising young players since making his first-team debut back in 2019, scoring two goals and providing five assists in 86 appearances for Les Rouge et Noir.

Famed for his tackling skills, his ability to drive upfield with the ball and his tactical discipline, Camavinga would be a valuable addition to any top-level squad and Solskjaer would surely love to bring one of the sports most exciting prospects to Old Trafford.

With Paul Pogba’s long-term future at United still up in the air, the chance to bring in a ready-made replacement for just £30m is surely something the club’s hierarchy must be considering.

Although Camavinga is a different player with a different set of attributes to his compatriot, his ability and potential mean he could be the ideal heir to the World Cup-winning dynamo, should he seek pastures new next summer.

Therefore, Solskjaer and United supporters alike will love this news and will surely be hoping that football director John Murtough can pull off a third masterclass of the current window to bring the youngster to the red half of Manchester.

The 20-time English champions are attempting to win their first top-flight title since 2013 this season, and the arrival of Camavinga would be a substantial boost to their chances of doing just that.

And, in other news…Fewer touches than De Gea: £40.5m-rated MUFC dud who lost 60% duels cost Ole vs Saints