The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Everton

  • Allardyce flags off Everton reign with victory

    Allardyce flags off Everton reign with victory

     

    Sam Allardyce began his reign as Everton manager by overseeing a win over Huddersfield Town on Saturday

    Midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson’s third Toffees goal this season fired Allardyce’s side ahead shortly after half time

    By the final whistle, the favourite old anthem was booming from the speakers. The players in Blue were sporting beaming smiles, a promising young striker had bolstered his reputation and the man on the touchline was punching the air in delight.

    Sam Allardyce will certainly be wondering whether too much had been made about the ills Everton had endured, as his opening day went exactly how he would have wanted with goals from Gylfi Sigurdsson and the outstanding Dominic Calvert-Lewin securing a 2-0 win over Huddersfield.

    The result means that Everton have now won back-to-back Premier League games for the first time in the 2017-18 season

    Back-to-back victories in the space of four days have propelled Everton into the Premier League’s top 10 and they are now, remarkably, just seven points and four places behind Tottenham Hotspur. No wonder Allardyce was rubbing his hands about the task ahead.

    Allardyce insists public perception doesn’t bother him but, privately, he would have wanted a flying start to settle the situation further and make Goodison the buoyant arena it should be. What he got in the first 45 minutes, however, was a contest that took tedium to new, head-shaking depths.

    Huddersfield showed little ambition to attack, Everton lacked the gumption to impose themselves. The only attack point of note before the interval was a shot from Cuco Martina but Jonas Lossl, Huddersfield’s impressive goalkeeper, was hardly overstretched to deal with it.

    Rooney has come to life again and the weight of his ball that allowed Calvert-Lewin to scurry away was glorious, the roll and pace resembling a crown green bowl.

  • Five things to know about Lineker – 2018 world cup draw host

    Five things to know about Lineker – 2018 world cup draw host

    Gary Lineker, who won the Golden Boot at the 1986 World Cup, was announced last week as the host and will be partnered by Russian Sports Journalists, Maria Komandnaya to coordinate together the 2018 World Cup final draw billed for Friday, December 1, 2017.

    It is less than a week for the draws that will determine the groupings of the 32 countries that had booked a ticket at next year’s World Cup in Russia, and it is pertinent to have an insight of who Lineker, the main conductor of the Draw Ceremony is.

    These 5 things about Lineker, starting with the more astonishing ones to the most jaw-dropping, are guaranteed to keep your head swirling. Carefully go through them.

    1. Was predicted not to make a living out of football:

    After leaving school with just four O’ Levels, one of Lineker’s teachers predicted that he would never make it as a footballer.

    The teacher attributed the failure to his passion for football, and he wrote on his report card that “he concentrates too much on football and that he would never make a living at that.”

    1. England’s highest goal scorer at the World Cup:

    The former striker who was capped 80 times by England is the Three Lions’ all-time scorer at the World Cup with 10 goals.

    With six goals at the 1986 World Cup, Lineker emerged as the top scorer of the tournament, one that had the likes of Jorge Valdano, Socrates and Diego Maradona as participants.

    No English player has yet to win a World Cup Golden Boot even after seven World Cups.

    1. Highest goal scorer with three different English clubs:

    The former Barcelona forward is the only player to have been the top scorer with three different clubs in England. In 1984 for Leiceser City, Lineker emerged as the joint top scorer with Chelsea’s Kerry Dixon. The duo recorded 24 goals apiece.

    In 1985, Lineker moved to Everton in a deal worth around £800,000. He scored 30 goals for Everton in his debut season and finished the season as the league’s top scorer for the second time in a row.

    In the 1989 season, he emerged again as the English league’s top division highest scorer– scoring 24 goals for Tottenham Hotspur.

    1. Presented a show in 2016 with shorts:

    Lineker, who is BT Sport’s lead presenter for Champions League back in 2016, appeared in the first BBC Match of the Day for the 2016/2017 season in boxer shorts.

    The 57-year-old had promised in a tweet in 2015 that, if his former club, Leicester, should win the 2015/2016 Premier League, he would appear on the BBC match of the day in his undies. And appear he did!

    1. Had zero yellow card in his entire playing career:

    With a 16-year playing career that saw him had spells with the likes of Barcelona, Tottenham, Leicester City, Everton and Nagoya Grampus Eight, Lineker went his entire career without receiving neither a yellow card nor a red. This feat earned him the FIFA Fair Play Award in 1990.

    Hope Lineker has a great day on Friday like he did during his playing days.

  • Uefa hands Everton £26,000 fine for aggression

    Uefa hands Everton £26,000 fine for aggression

     

    Everton have been fined 30,000 euros (£26,647) by Uefa after appeared to hit Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes in last month’s Europa League clash at Goodison Park.

    Everton’s Ashley Williams sparked the melee which saw a home fan appear to push Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes.

    European football’s governing body Uefa has fined the club for “aggressions by supporters against players”.

    The Toffees also reported the supporter involved in the incident, which happened at the Gwladys Street End of the ground, to Merseyside Police.

    An Everton statement shortly after the incident after the game, said that the action taken against the fan would “include a ban from attending future Everton fixtures”.

    Everton were fined £8,837 by Uefa in September, after crowd trouble during the home leg of their Europa League play-off match against Hajduk Split in August.

    A number of players from both sides were pressed up against advertising hoardings, putting them in reach of the home fans, and television footage showed one man carrying a young child trying to reach the players while shouting aggressively towards them

    The melee even involved Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, who ran from one end of the pitch to the other to get involved, but despite the unsavoury scenes only Williams and Lyon match-winner Bertrand Traore were the only ones to be shown yellow cards.

    Everton acted swiftly and banned the supporter in question before Uefa on Wednesday handed down the fine

    Then manager Ronald Koeman refused to blame his players for the incident instead choosing to focus his attention on the performance of the referee.

    “I think the irritation grows in the game for our players and in my opinion that was the problem by the referee,” he argued. “The referee was Dutch but he didn’t do anything against the theatre of some of the Lyon players. (Nabil) Fekir in the first half dived 10 times.

  • The Yak retires, thanks NFF Nigerians, clubs

    The Yak retires, thanks NFF Nigerians, clubs

     

    Former Everton  and Super Eagles forward Yakubu Aiyegbeni has announced his retirement from football as he clocked 35.

    The Yak as he was popularly known confirmed the decision on Wednesday thus drawing the curtain on a 20-year career that saw him play for a record 14 clubs including loan deals.  He made about 57 appearances for the national team scoring 21 goals in the bargain. In the Premier league where he was at a time a must play and a must score, he made 250 appearances , scoring 96 goals. The highest of such goals was scored for Portsmouth where he scored 29 goals,25 for Middlesborough and 25 for Everton among others.

    “I would like to officially announce my retirement from professional football today,” Aiyegbeni told Sky Sports News.

    “Firstly, I would like to thank God for the career I have had. I would like to thank the entire Nigerian Football Federation and my Nigerian national team-mates for all the memorable years I had playing for the Super Eagles.

    “I would also like to thank all the football clubs I played for. The managers, all club staff, owners, fellow players and my dearest family and friends who immensely supported me throughout my career.

    “When I started my career at Julius Berger in Nigeria, all those years ago (1997) I could only have dreamt of the success that was to follow years after.

    “Also playing in England especially helped me grow as a player and as a person so much that I am now settled here. I feel the time is right for me to now focus on the next chapter in my life.”

    Aiyegbeni who was also impressive in his mission in Chinese Super league where he scored 24 goals for Guangzhou R&F in

    43 appearances, struggled to get back into his super form when he attempted to bounce back for Coventry city early in the year.

    Known for his physical play Aiyegbeni in 2008 married Yvonne Lameen Ikhana, the daughter of former Nigerian international footballer Kadiri Ikhana, who is also the father-in-law to former Nigerian international footballer Patrick Ovie. Yakubu and Ikhana have 2 daughters named Kayla and Katriel

  • Manchester City not invincible, Wenger insists

    Manchester City not invincible, Wenger insists

    Manchester City have opened up an eight-point gap at the top of the English Premier League, but Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is not convinced they can have an unbeaten season.

    Pep Guardiola’s side have scored 38 goals along the way, prompting some to be predicting an unbeaten season for them.

    City have won 10 of their opening 11 games, and only a home draw against Everton in August deprived them of a perfect start.

    Their 3-1 win over Arsenal earlier this month extended their winning streak to 15 games in all competitions.

    Arsenal are the only team to go unbeaten throughout an entire Premier League season, and that was 2003-04.

    When asked whether City could emulate his “Invincibles” the Frenchman said there was still a long way to go.

    “They are a good side but they are not an unstoppable side,” Wenger said.

    “People always want to predict what will happen in the game.

    “I don’t know more than you. Maybe, maybe not, but at the moment only one team has done it”.

    Arsenal, who trail City by 12 points in sixth, host Tottenham Hotspur in the north London derby on Saturday.

    NAN

  • Everton’s Gueye set for 5-year contract extension

    Everton’s Gueye set for 5-year contract extension

     

    Everton midfielder Idrissa Gueye has agreed a new long-term deal. The Toffees star will pen a five-year contract in the next 48 hours.

    The news comes as a huge boost to Everton following a turbulent week in which Ronald Koeman was sacked.

    Gueye has become a key player for the club since joining from Aston Villa for just £7.1million in the summer of 2016.

    He made 35 appearances in all competitions during his debut season and has already played 14 times this term.

    The Senegal star was sent off against Arsenal last weekend and missed Wednesday’s Carabao Cup defeat by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge through suspension.

    However, Gueye could return to the starting XI when David Unsworth takes charge of his first Premier League game as caretaker boss.

    The Toffees travel to fellow strugglers Leicester on Sunday afternoon looking to escape the relegation zone after just two wins all season.

    Morgan Schneiderlin also missed the midweek defeat through illness, with Unsworth handing a debut to youngster Beni Baningime and recalling the fit again James McCarthy alongside Tom Davies in central midfield.

    Everton triggered a release clause in his contract, reported to be £7.1m and signed Gueye on a four-year deal on 2 August 2016. He made the highest number of successful tackles and interceptions per game across Europe’s top five leagues over the 2016 calendar year. Gueye scored his first league goal for Everton in a 2–0 victory over Sunderland at Goodison Park on 25 February 2017. He became the first player in Europe’s top five leagues to win 100 tackles in the 2016–17 season. Gueye scored his first goal for Everton in the European Competition on 17 August 2017 in the UEFA Europa League Play-off round first leg against Hajduk Split when he slotted in an inch-perfect pass from Wayne Rooney. The match ended with Everton winning the match by 2-0.

    The hard working Senegal international made his debut international debut for Senegal in 2011, and has appeared in FIFA World Cup qualifying matches for them. He also represented them at the 2012 Olympics, and at the 2015 and 2017 Africa Cup of Nations respectively

  • West Ham’s Bilic says pressure spurs him on to improve

    West Ham’s Bilic says pressure spurs him on to improve

    West Ham United manager, Slaven Bilic admits he is one of many Premier League managers facing speculation over their futures, but the Croat said the pressure makes him more determined to improve results.

    Everton’s Ronald Koeman became the third managerial casualty of the Premier League season on Monday.

    And Bilic is at risk of suffering the same fate if he does not turn things around after last Friday’s 3-0 home loss to Brighton and Hove Albion.

    West Ham are 16th in the table with eight points from nine games, but Bilic said he would not walk away from the challenge.

    “You ask me about Koeman, there are always three, four, five managers in those positions and I‘m definitely one of them,” Bilic said ahead of the League Cup fourth round clash at Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday.

    “Does it make me lose my focus? No, it gives you even more. I never gave up in my career, no matter in which way of life, as a parent, as a friend, as a manager.

    “I am never, never, never walking away… It is my job and a job I like to do especially in a place that I feel, after my hometown, is like few other places, you are treated special.”

    British media reports said West Ham’s owners have given Bilic the next two games to turn things around and save his job, but the 49-year-old is not worried.

    “That’s my biggest strength, to be strong in hard times. Now I‘m having a hard time, yes I am. That doesn’t scare me.”

    After the clash against Tottenham at Wembley, West Ham travel to basement side Crystal Palace in the league.

    Palace have just one win in nine games so far.

    NAN

  • Disappointed Koeman bids Everton farewell

    Disappointed Koeman bids Everton farewell

     

    A “disappointed” Ronald Koeman said farewell to Everton and thanked his former colleagues in a brief statement following his sacking as manager.

    Koeman was dismissed in the wake of Everton’s 5-2 hammering at the hands of Arsenal at Goodison Park on Sunday, with that defeat leaving the club in the Premier League relegation zone.

    The Dutchman had been backed by the club to the tune of around £140million in the close-season, with Everton bringing in several new players as they looked to build on last term’s seventh-placed finish.

    But after just two wins in nine league games, The Toffees made the decision to relieve Koeman of his duties after 16 months in charge.

    And on Tuesday the former Southampton boss released a statement to address the club, players and supporters.

    “I would like to place on record my thanks to the players and staff for all of their work and commitment during my 16 months as Everton manager,” it read.

    “I would like to thank Bill Kenwright, Farhad Moshiri and the Everton board for the opportunity to have managed a great club, and to the fans as well for their passionate support for the club.

    “Naturally, I am disappointed at this moment, but I wish the team good luck in the future.”

    Everton confirmed earlier on Tuesday that Under-23s coach David Unsworth will take temporary charge of the first-team beginning with Wednesday’s EFL Cup trip to Chelsea.

    Burnley manager Sean Dyche is the favourite to succeed Koeman on a long-term basis

     

     

     

  • Rooney party girl renames him ‘Mr Shrek’

    Rooney party girl renames him ‘Mr Shrek’

     

    PARTY girl Laura Simpson called Wayne Rooney “Shrek” on Twitter and said he was hung like an ogre.

    She also claimed the Everton striker had “tekkers” – slang for technique – after they were caught together in her VW Beetle.

    After early denials Laura, 29, claimed she and Rooney had “kissed and cuddled” following his arrest for drink-driving at 2am on September 1.

    And in a late-night Twitter exchange with a fan of Rooney’s former club Manchester United, she has now appeared to suggest their liaison could have gone to extra time had police not swooped.

    Wayne Rooney’s party girl Laura Simpson holidays yet again on Spanish beach, dressed in a skimpy black swimsuit flaunting her peachy posterior and robust cleavage.

    When the fan asked Laura why she got to grips with Rooney, she replied: “Shrek has got tekkers.’’

    The fan then wrote: “Was he hung like a hamster or an ogre?’’

    Laura replied: “Like an ogre.’’

    She later deleted the tweets and apologised, saying they were posted by a pal who got hold of her unlocked phone.

    Rooney admitting drink-driving, and was banned for two years and fined £320,000 by his club.

    Rooney wife Coleen is currently on holiday in Mallorca.

    Meanwhile Everton’s record of eight points from nine games was the third-worst in their Premier League history. Only in 2005-06 (11) and 1994-95 (15) have they had a worse record in the same period.

    They had the same record through nine games in 1997-98, when they finished 17th, avoiding relegation on goal difference, and in 1995-96, when they achieved a sixth-place finish.

    Koeman’s reign lasted 47 Premier League games. Only Howard Kendall (38) and Mike Walker (31) experienced shorter stays in charge.

    Only David Moyes has a better winning percentage (41) and points-per-game record (1.50) in the Premier League as Everton manager than Koeman (40 percent and 1.47 points per game).

    However, Roberto Martinez is the Everton Premier League manager with the best record through the first 47 games. Martinez amassed 84 points (1.79 per game) with a winning percentage of 51 compared to 69 points for Koeman.

    Koeman’s record at Everton was significantly worse than in his time at Southampton. With the Saints, Koeman collected 1.62 points per game in the Premier League with a win percentage of 47.4.

  • Ronald Koeman sacked by Everton

    Ronald Koeman sacked by Everton

     

    Everton have sacked Ronald Koeman after their 5-2 loss at home to Arsenal on Super Sunday saw them slip into the relegation zone.

    The club spent heavily in the summer on Michael Keane,  Davy Klaassen, Jordan Pickford, Gylfi Sigurdsson and Wayne Rooney, but now lie 18th in the table having made their third-worst start to a Premier League campaign.

    The loss at Goodison Park on Sunday was Everton’s fifth consecutive match without a victory, with the Toffees having won just two league games this season, while they are also bottom of their Europa League group after two defeats and a draw in their first three matches.

    Koeman said before the Arsenal game that Everton’s owners had faith in him to turn his side’s poor form around. However, the club’s hierarchy released a statement on Monday announcing that the Dutchman had left his position.

    David Unsworth is the early 9/4 favourite to replace Koeman – that will be paid out as a winner should Unsworth take interim or caretaker charge for 10 competitive games while David Moyes is 4/1 for a return to Goodison.

    Burnley boss Sean Dyche has been backed in to 4/1 after a fine start to the season for the Clarets, while former Bayern Munich boss Carlo Ancelotti is next at 8/1.

    The Toffees sit third bottom in the Premier League after winning just two of their opening nine league games and the Dutchman has paid the price.

    A statement from the club read: “Chairman Bill Kenwright, the board of directors and major shareholder Farhad Moshiri would all like to express their gratitude to Ronald for the service he has given to the club over the past 16 months and for guiding the club to seventh place in last season’s Premier League campaign.”