Tag: FIFA

Everton remain in hunt for new attacker in Yannick Bolasie and Aaron Lennon’s absence

Everton boss Ronald Koeman has reportedly not dropped his interest in Swansea City ace Gylfi Sigurdsson despite the club’s recent capture of Davy Klaassen from Ajax.

The Netherlands international joined the Toffees on a £23.6m deal from the Eredivisie giants with whom he enjoyed a fruitful season last term. Klaassen guided the Amsterdam club to a second-place finish in the Dutch top flight while his team also ended runner-up to Manchester United in the Europa League final.

The Toffees are short of attacking options following the departure of Enner Valencia to parent club West Ham United. On top of that, the club may not have the services of Aaron Lennon for the new season as he is still recovering from stress-related illness for which he has been detained under the Mental Health Act by police. The former Leeds United man could take some time to return to the playing field, and his absence reduces the squad depth with Yannick Bolasie still on his year-long recovery from a nasty knee injury.

Sigurdsson was initially on Koeman’s radar at the start of the previous campaign but the Swans opted against his sale with the player more than content at the club. The Swans lingered in the drop zone for a vast past of the previous league season, and it was not until the penultimate week were they assured of their top-flight status. Continue reading “Everton remain in hunt for new attacker in Yannick Bolasie and Aaron Lennon’s absence” →

KOEMAN MIGHT SIGN PLAYERS FROM FORMER CLUBS

Everton is expected to boost its squad ahead of their continental competition in addition to the local ones next season.

Manager Ronaldo Koeman would likely bring in an attacking and central midfielder, a defender and a striker.

Davy Klaassen of Ajax is one of the top players on his list, according to reports. Everton would have to shell as much as £21 million to land him. The 24-year old has numerous admirers but it would be difficult to lure him from the Dutch side. The midfielder scored 20 goals in all competitions this season. If Ross Barkley eventually leaves as it is being rumoured, Klaassen would be the perfect guy.

Southampton’s DusanTadic is another star linked with Goodison Park. When Koeman joined the Saints in 2014, Tadic was the first signing. He is a key player for Southampton but Koeman can appeal to him if he wants. The 28-year old could be the ideal candidate if Barkley leaves and Aaron Lennon does not return. Continue reading “KOEMAN MIGHT SIGN PLAYERS FROM FORMER CLUBS” →

EVERTON TO SHOCK LIVERPOOL AT DERBY?

The Merseyside derby this time is much more different from the last time where the Toffees where defeated.

Going away to Anfield is a tricky one but can Ronald Koeman’s men get the result?

The last time both sides met at Goodison Park, Everton came into the game with high hopes having defeated Arsenal the previous week. They were struggling to the get the results before facing the Gunners to get their first victory in six games in the Premier League. Despite the sky-high confidence, Sadio Mane punished them for their lapses.

Everton were only able to create one clear attempt, and the fans booed loudly after the game. Koeman sure learnt some lessons as he has made some changes. The manager used to play the 4-2-3-1 formation. He used Kevin Mirallas, Gerard Deulofeu, Aaron Lennon, and Yannick Bolasie or Enner Valencia in the wings. Now the Dutchman employs an extra leg in the middle.

Koeman gave an unproven youngster Tom Davies the benefit of the doubt and he has repaid the debt with his display. Against Man City, Davies showed something spectacular. He fit right alongside Idrissa Gueye – a player that has made the most tackles this term. Continue reading “EVERTON TO SHOCK LIVERPOOL AT DERBY?” →

Lennon Would Not Sulk Even without First-Team Opportunities

Everton midfielder Aaron Lennon says that he will not sulk despite losing his place in the first team in recent weeks.

Lennon was brought to the club in the summer of 2015 by former boss Roberto Martinez. However, he has struggled to become a first team regular under the regime of Ronald Koeman. The Dutchman was appointed as the manager of Everton in the summer. Since then, Lennon has been in and out of the starting lineup and it has really affected his form. He has so far not contributed any goals while coming up with only one assist.

After an extended absence from the first team, Lennon finally managed to complete 90 minutes of football in the recent 1-0 loss against Liverpool. This is the first time he has been able to finish a league game. Known for his pace, Lennon would be an ideal candidate to provide strikers like Romelu Lukaku with ammunition. Continue reading “Lennon Would Not Sulk Even without First-Team Opportunities” →

MARTINEZ RECOMMENDS LENNON FOR ENGLAND

Everton former boss Roberto Martinez assured that the midfielder Aaron Lennon’s current form is good enough to make him an incredible asset for England squad at the last Euro 2016 this year.

The England international netted five impactful goals in his 25 Premier League appearance for Everton with 17 starts last season.

The 29-year old, capped 21 times, last played for his country in their friendly victory over Brazil in February 2013, but his ex-coach, Martinez still insists he remains a valuable option for the tournament in France which Portugal won with 1-0 after extra time in the final against the host, France.

“Obviously it is not down to me but I get the opportunity to work with Aaron day in, day out, and he is such an important player,” said Martinez when questioned about Lennon’s international chances. Martinez should know better having coached the player during his time at Everton.

“We all know the quality he brings – the pace, the one on one ability, the work-rate, the understanding. That experience he has is invaluable. There are other players in that position, but I think he is showing he can be of incredible value to any squad and clearly for his national team he could be a real help.” Continue reading “MARTINEZ RECOMMENDS LENNON FOR ENGLAND” →

Coleman needs Lennon at Everton

Former Everton midfielder Lee Carsley believes that Seamus Coleman needs a winger such as Aaron Lennon to play in front of him.

Indeed, Coleman’s has experienced a drop in form last season and was often the subjects of critics. In fairness, it was the whole Everton team that underperformed last season, and Coleman was one of those players that fail to replicate their usual form.

People were used to Coleman making those important runs on the wings, but these performances were very rare. The player also suffered numerous injuries throughout the season and this also affected his performance negatively.

However, Lee Carsley believes that the player will find his form back next season, and he will be an important player for the team. He said that the player has already shown signs that he is recovering at the Euros and that he will be an influential player next season for Everton.

Lee Carsley believes that having a player such as Aaron Lennon in the team will definitely help improve Seamus Coleman performance. The former Everton manager said that Aaron Lennon is an old-fashioned winger that likes to go up and down the wings and will provide Coleman with additional cover.
Continue reading “Coleman needs Lennon at Everton” →

AARON LENNON RATED DECENT FOR HIS PERFORMANCE FOR EVERTON LAST SEASON

Everton ace player, Aaron Lennon has been rated a decent player for the performance he put in last season for The Toffees.

Many Pundits reviewed the efforts put in last season by different players and the winger scored well, for a player that barely played a third of the season.

There are not too many Everton players who it can be said had positive seasons this year. There are even fewer Toffees who had career-best seasons. For Lennon, he had a career best season as he scored the most goals and played impressively, terrifying defenses for a 10-week period in the middle of the season. In the top flight football league, he had just 18 starts as the season for him was injury-ravaged. He scored just 5 goals but with an 81.2 percent passing accuracy.

The player is not known for his goal scoring aptitude but he managed to pick up five goals this season, setting a new season-best total in that department. Almost all the Pundits agreed that the Englishman maintained his lightning pace, which has always been the winger’s most dangerous trait. He continued to be capable both of taking players on with the ball in his feet and stretching opposing backlines by constantly using his speed to get in behind defenders. Continue reading “AARON LENNON RATED DECENT FOR HIS PERFORMANCE FOR EVERTON LAST SEASON” →

Aaron Lennon will return to face Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-final

Aaron Lennon will be back in the team to face Manchester United after having received injuries in the game against Liverpool.

Tom Cleverley, as well as Leighton Baines, should also be available for this match. However, there are fears that 3 other important players might be unavailable for the game due to injuries.

Jagielka, who missed a couple of matches, will face a late fitness test to determine whether he is ready to take part in the match. Gareth Barry, who was substituted at half-time for the match against Liverpool, will also have to prove his fitness before making it to the team.

However, Roberto Martinez is adamant that John Stones will be available for the match despite suffering from stomach cramps in the game against Liverpool.

Seamus Coleman will definitely be missing the semi-final because of injuries while Funes Mori will be suspended for the game after receiving a red card in the match against Liverpool. Continue reading “Aaron Lennon will return to face Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-final” →

Manchester City is on the verge of signing Fabian Delph

Manchester City’s Manuel Pellegrini is searching around the transfer market for players that can reinforce the midfield department of his squad and Aston Villa’s Fabian Delph is a performer that has entered the radar of the Chilean manager.

Frank Lampard,Michah Richards and Scott Sinclair and James Milner have already seen their way out of the Etihad Stadium and now Manuel Pellegrini has the task of filling up the spots which have been left weakened as well as vulnerable.

The Premier League title is a piece of silverware that Pellegrini and Manchester City are aiming to win in the next season and reinforcing the squad is something that must be done in order to compete against the likes of: Chelsea and Manchester United.

Fabian Delph played a huge role for Aston Villa in the previous season as he became the captain of the Premier League club and was one of the main reasons on why his club managed to stay alive in the top tier England league and avoid getting relegated.

The 25 year old English midfielder has a contract with Aston Villa which extends until 2019 and Fabian Delph has a buyout clause of €8 million. Manchester City is preparing to pay the price in order to sign him and if everything goes according to plan, he might be signed by Manchester City in the summer transfer window. Continue reading “Manchester City is on the verge of signing Fabian Delph” →

Aaron Lennon could return to the Merseyside

Aaron Lennon could return to the Merseyside on a permanent basis after it is believed that the Evertonians are keenly looking forward to signing the England international.

The club have been in discussions with Tottenham for the last couple of weeks after it became apparent that Lennon did not have a future at White Hart Lane. He had spent the last six months on loan at Everton and they seemed as the likely destination for the 28-year-old. However, one aspect that remains to be sorted as the transfer fee. Spurs are known as very hard negotiators and are unlikely to let Lennon leave on a cheap despite the player not figuring in the plans of manager Mauricio Pochettino.

It is reported that Lennon has a £ 9 million transfer fee on his head and this was proving to be the stumbling block. Everton are not willing to pay more than £ 5 million for the player knowing very well that he will have little resale value at the end of a four or five-year contract. Lennon had shown enough during the last six months that he can be part of the Everton team and improve the club as a whole. It remains to be seen if he can force his way out of White Hart Lane after being told to train with the youth team in the last few weeks. Continue reading “Aaron Lennon could return to the Merseyside” →