Ukraine came from behind to beat Slovakia 2-1 in their Group E encounter, with Roman Yaremchuk proving the hero with a stunning late goal.
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Lazio have reportedly increased their offer for Manchester United outcast Mason Greenwood, but remain some way short of his full asking price.
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Crystal Palace fans have been put through the wringer this season, as poor performance after poor performance in the Premier League has seen them dragged into a relegation battle they should be nowhere near.
The Eagles have lost four of their previous five games across all competitions, conceding a whopping 15 goals and scoring just four in return.
|
Crystal Palace's Previous Five Games |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Date |
Competition |
Opponent |
Result |
|
January 17th |
FA Cup |
Everton |
1-0 Loss |
|
January 20th |
Premier League |
Arsenal |
5-0 Loss |
|
January 30th |
Premier League |
Sheffield United |
3-2 Win |
|
February 3rd |
Premier League |
Brighton |
4-1 Loss |
|
February 12th |
Premier League |
Chelsea |
3-1 Loss |
|
All Stats via Sky Sports |
|||
Unfortunately for manager Roy Hodgson, one of those heavy defeats came away to bitter rivals Brighton & Hove Albion.
So, unsurprisingly, his place in the dugout is looking increasingly untenable with every passing day, and it seems almost certain that Steve Parish and Co will soon be handing the veteran his P45.
If the Eagles' hierarchy could've had their way, it's likely that Hodgson would already be out of a job, as it was reported last week that in the aftermath of the club's embarrassing 4-1 defeat away to Brighton, Parish seriously considered sacking the former England boss, only to find that it was proving a challenge to find someone willing to take the reins mid-season.
Some of the names touted for the role include former Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper, current Ipswich town boss Kieran McKenna and Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick.
However, with two of these talented coaches currently in a job and Cooper uneasy about taking the role at this time, alternatives will need to be sourced. One option could be that of Oliver Glasner, a man backed by co-owner John Textor.
Another manager who has been touted for the role is Bo Svensson, a coach held in high esteem notably by Jurgen Klopp.
But why would he be a good hire for the Eagles?
Now, Svensson may not be a name familiar to English fans, but he is a former Danish international who enjoyed a respectable playing career that spanned from 1999 to 2014 and that saw him play for FC Copenhagen, Borussia Monchengladbach and 1 FSV Mainz 05.
Following a short spell managing Mainz's U17s and U19s, the Skorping-born defender took charge of Austrian side FC Liefering in 2019, where he won 23 of his 43 games in charge, drawing 11 and losing just nine during his one-and-a-half years in charge.
He then returned to Mainz in January 2021, taking over from Jan-Moritz Lichte, who had left the side second from bottom and with just six points from their opening 14 games – safe to say it was a risk from the then 41-year-old.
However, it paid off, and he managed to guide the side to safety with a genuinely impressive resurgence that saw only three teams collect more points from the final 17 games of the season. At the same time, only Bayern Munich lost fewer games than Mainz in that same period.
This remarkable turnaround led to former Mainz manager and Premier League legend Klopp describing Svensson as an "outstanding" coach in June 2021 and a "great, great talent" to boot.
Granted, the Dane did leave Mainz earlier this season after a poor start to the campaign, but you don't become a poor manager overnight, and even with his disappointing conclusion at the club, he leaves with a better record than Hodson's current one at Palace.
|
Svensson vs Hodgson |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Manager |
Svensson |
Hodgson |
|
Games |
104 |
38 |
|
Wins |
39 |
12 |
|
Draws |
26 |
10 |
|
Losses |
39 |
16 |
|
Points per Match |
1.38 |
1.21 |
|
All Stats via Sofascore |
||
For example, the experienced Englishman has won just 12 of his 38 games in charge of Palace and collected just 1.21 points per match.
In contrast, Svensson managed to win 39 of his 104 games in charge, and even with a lacklustre conclusion to his tenure at the club, he managed to collect 2.38 points per match with Mainz.
"Exceptional" manager praised by Guardiola is enticed by Crystal Palace job
One key thing attracts him to Selhurst.
By
Emilio Galantini
Feb 13, 2024
Ultimately, Palace clearly need some new ideas, and with how Svensson saved Mainz from certain relegation in 2021 and his rave reviews from Klopp, he could be the man to bring them to Selhurst Park.
England and Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham has discovered his fate after an investigation by UEFA into his celebration against Slovakia.
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Leeds United are back in Championship action once again this afternoon as they take on Plymouth Argyle at Home Park for the second time this month.
The Whites ran out 4-1 winners in Devon in the FA Cup as they needed extra time to secure the win, which earned them a clash with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the next round.
Daniel Farke's side are now going there in search of three points as they look to continue their march towards automatic promotion back to the Premier League.
Every match and point is important as the Whites compete with Southampton and Ipswich to secure second place, whilst Leicester City appear to be uncatchable with a 12-point lead over the Yorkshire-based outfit.
Leeds head into this match off the back of an emphatic 4-0 win away at Swansea in Wales on Tuesday night, as they demolished Luke William's side.
With games coming thick and fast, and a huge game against Leicester on the horizon, Farke could make some changes to his team to keep players fresh.
With that in mind, the German head coach should move Georginio Rutter aside, after an underwhelming – by his standards – display on Tuesday, to unleash Daniel James alongside Wilfried Gnonto in the attack.
The French gem has been one of the best creative talents in the Championship this season with his ability to consistently unlock opposition defences.
However, that was not on display in Wales earlier this week as the 21-year-old maestro failed to create a single opportunity for his teammates on the night.
The former Hoffenheim whiz also had four shots, totalling 0.32 xG, and did not find the back of the net, which meant that he ended the match without a goal contribution in the 4-0 drubbing.
Rutter, who did complete five of his nine attempted dribbles, is capable of far more than that when he is at his best as a number ten in the Championship.
The Leeds star currently ranks within the top 2% of forwards in the division for shot-creating actions (4.34) and Expected Assisted Goals (0.34) per 90 respectively, which shows that not many other players in his position create high-quality chances for their teammates as frequently as he does.
In 31 league appearances, Rutter has contributed with five goals and ten assists for his side, whilst the talented ace has also created a whopping 19 'big chances' for his fellow attackers.
These statistics show that the young magician has the quality to unpick defences with his fabulous passing, which is why his performance against Swansea was underwhelming.
This long trip to Plymouth could be the perfect opportunity for Farke to rest the Whites gem, ahead of next Friday's clash with Leicester at Elland Road.
That would open up the door for James to make his return on the right side of the attack, as Gnonto could be moved into a central position behind Joel Piroe at the top end of the pitch.
The Italy international has been in sublime form for Leeds in recent weeks and is finally showcasing his quality in the final third on a regular basis.
He had only managed one goal and one assist in his first 21 appearances in the Championship, which included seven starts for the former Zurich whiz.
Gnonto has started the club's last three matches in the division and chipped in with three goals and one assist, to take his total to four goals and two assists in 24 games.
The 20-year-old ace also found the back of the net against Plymouth at Home Park in the FA Cup in the middle of that run of fixtures, which means that he has already made an impact on this ground this month.
Interestingly, that goal also came from Gnonto moving into a central position to receive the ball from Glen Kamara on the edge of the box, which allowed him to take a touch and fire the ball into the bottom corner.
His goal against Bristol City and his second against Swansea also came from him drifting into the middle to run onto a pass before unleashing a fine shot to find the back of the net, which is why moving him into Rutter's position today could be a good move by Farke.
The German head coach should unleash James alongside Gnonto, and Crysencio Summerville, in the attacking three behind Piroe as the Welsh gem has the quality to be a difference-maker in the final third.
He came off the bench in the 4-0 win over Swansea for his first appearance since the 1-0 win over Norwich in January and could make his return to the starting line-up today.
|
Last five appearances before injury |
Dan James |
|---|---|
|
Norwich City |
Assist |
|
Preston North End |
Goal |
|
Cardiff |
Goal |
|
Peterborough United |
Assist |
|
Birmingham |
Goal and assist |
|
Stats via Sofascore |
|
As you can see in the table above, the former Manchester United winger was in fantastic form before his recent injury with at least one goal or assist in each of his last five appearances in all competitions.
James, who was hailed as "electric" by journalist Sanny Rudravajhala earlier this term, has been impressive throughout the 2023/24 campaign with his exciting play in the Championship.
The 26-year-old whiz has racked up ten goals, from 7.45 xG, and six assists, from 5.49 xA, in 23 league starts for Farke's side so far this term.
Only Piroe (11) and Summerville (15) have scored more goals than James in the second tier for Leeds this season, which speaks to how important his contributions have been at the top end of the pitch.
Ten goals to his name from 7.45 xG also shows that the Welsh dynamo has been ruthless in front of goal and more than made the most of the chances that his teammates have provided him with.
This suggests that Farke would not significantly weaken his team by ditching Rutter to unleash James alongside Gnonto and Summerville for this clash, which is why he can afford to rest the French whiz to hand important minutes to the 5 foot 7 winger to get him back up to full match fitness.
10-man Colombia is headed to their third-ever Copa America final thanks to a 1-0 win over Uruguay in tense semifinal
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As seems to be the case more often than not for Chelsea in recent times, the club seem to be failing to live up to their high standards as one of England's so-called 'Big-Six.'
The west London club have spent record fees on both permanent and temporary transfers since Todd Boehly took over from former owner, Roman Abramovich.
Despite splashing out over £1b on players since his takeover, it seems as if Chelsea have found themselves worse off than when Abramovich was their owner – far from the outcome that Boehly would have wanted when he bought the Blues over 18 months ago.
The club find themselves residing in mid-table, winning just two of their last five top-flight games, with such woes largely due to the problems they have suffered in front of goal as, at the time of writing, they have only managed to score a total of 42 goals in 25 Premier League games.
Although numerous attacking additions were made over the summer, with the likes of Cristopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson both joining the club, they haven't performed to the standards expected of them.
Granted, Nkunku has been injured for a total of 27 games for the Blues this season, but, after coming off the back of his most prolific domestic campaign for RB Leipzig last season, he was expected to perform better.
Jackson, on the other hand, hasn't missed any games due to injury and has almost cemented his place in Chelsea's starting Xi.
That said, he himself hasn't had the best of seasons and really needs to improve in front of goal if Chelsea wish to regain entry to the Champions League.
The 22-year-old joined the Blues in the summer for a fee worth around £31.8m and was expected to set the Premier League alight with his speed and agility.
Much like Nkunku, Jackson joined the club after his most prolific professional season with Villareal. The striker scored a total of 13 goals across all competitions and was the perfect partner for veteran, Gerard Moreno.
Throughout the 2023/24 campaign, Jackson has played a key role within the squad and has played a total of 27 games thus far. The vast majority of his goals (seven) have come in the Premier League, but almost half of those came in one game, when the attacker bagged his first Chelsea hat-trick against rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
Although he managed to slot three past a nine-man Spurs side, his performances across the rest of the season have been somewhat unconvincing.
So much so that Chelsea new boy, Cole Palmer, has been deployed as a striker this season. According to Transfermarkt, in six of the 29 games that the Manchester City academy graduate has played in this season, he has been deployed as a striker or false nine
Prior to joining the Blues, Palmer had only been used as the focal point of the attack once in his senior career, with the previous examples coming whilst he was still within the youth ranks of the Cityzens.
Although Palmer himself is having something of a breakout season, he can't be entrusted to carry Mauricio Pochettino's team on his own just yet.
Hence, why players such as Jackson need to step up and help out in attack, yet if the form of the Senegal international continues as it has been, he could well be sold in the near future.
Pochettino's side have already been linked with Victor Osimhen from Napoli as a potential future target to aid them in the attacking department.
In The Pipeline
Football FanCast's In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.
However, as Jackson is one of the only natural strikers at the club at this moment in time who isn't absent due to injury, Chelsea may have to look in their youth ranks to turn their fortunes around.
If they were to do this, there is one player in particular who springs to mind, who could be exactly what Chelsea are looking for.
Much like most of the top six clubs in England's top flight, Chelsea have a stellar academy and have produced plenty of Premier League talent who have gone on to have long careers in one of the world's most difficult leagues.
Players such as John Terry, Mason Mount and Reece James have all graduated from Chelsea's academy and have had strong senior careers thus far.
It now looks as if they have yet another next-level talent on their hands in Ronnie Stutter. The striker is just 19 years old and "can't stop scoring" for Chelsea's U21s, as per journalist Antonio Mango.
The promising striker was signed by the Blues in 2019 from fellow Londoners, West Ham United, in order to try and bolster their attacking options in their youth ranks.
After coming off a solid 2021/22 campaign, in which he scored 13 goals in 16 appearances, he suffered recurring injuries which halted his growth and performances.
The youngster has played a total of 13 games for the Blues' youth side and has managed to score nine goals during that time. The eye-catching marksman has even managed to provide his team with an assist.
The 2023/24 season has been Stutter's first season with the Under-21s, and he looks to have settled right, having even managed to score on his Under-21 debut while bagging five goals in August alone.
Now, due to the recent poor form of Jackson in front of the goal, Pochettino could well look towards Stutter to provide the team with something different.
His addition to the first-team squad could help the club finally end their search for a striker. As aforementioned, many of Chelsea's senior team members have come from within, with the likes of James and Conor Gallagher being some recent examples.
If Pochettino decides to take the risk and play the forward over the likes of Jackson, he may unearth Chelsea's next gem and save the club from spending more money than what they have already done.
GOAL sat down with the U.S. captain and self-confessed soccer junkie to discuss the team's new era, and her role in leading it
There are times on the field in which all Lindsey Horan can do is laugh.
A self-confessed soccer junkie, the U.S. women's national team captain is in disbelief almost every time she picks her head up with the ball at her feet. She looks up at the talent in front of her and the options begin streaming through her mind. Mal, Sophia, Trinity, Jaedyn… no matter where she plays that ball next, she's going to have a front-row seat to something special.
"It's stupid," Horan tells GOAL with a laugh. "It's like, this is so nice."
For Horan, this is what it's like to have your dreams come true. The USWNT captain has always seen the game through a specific lens. She's always believed that soccer doesn't need to just be played – it needs to be played beautifully. And, when you can look up the field and see arguably the best attack in the world unfolding in front of you, beautiful soccer can be on the menu at just about any moment.
And therein lies the problem. Over the past few years, the USWNT – despite an abundance of talent, and with someone as skilled as Horan to orchestrate the attack – has struggled to play beautiful soccer. It's a team loaded with performers, but one that has produced far too little music. That's why this group is rebuilding. That's why this past year has brought so much change. That's why this team is beginning a new era, one that begins this week with the Paris Olympics.
Now 30, Horan knows this is her last USWNT era. She's one of the group's most experienced veterans, one of the few who has been there, and done that. She has admitted in the past that she hasn't always been the perfect leader but, even at this point in her career, she's still learning.
As she prepares for the Olympics – the U.S. open the group stage against Zambia Thursday in Nice – Horan has taken those lessons to heart. She can both lead this young group, and be its conductor.
"So, so, so many different lessons," she says. "So many experiences. I can list so many, but I think one of the biggest things is, with me stepping into this role, there's Lindsey as the footballer and then there's Lindsey as the captain. Part of me has always stuck with just the footballer, and not like thinking of Lindsey first in a sense. But thinking of my game first and how I see football and whatever.
"I've had to transition away where I'm just like, 'I'm the captain and I'm a leader on this team and I represent this team.' What I say, what I do, so many conversations… if I'm representing this team and I'm a voice for this team – not saying my voice isn't the same as every single player – but I am an outlet for this team. That was a really cool lesson to me because I always just thought of football."
With the USWNT seeking to reestablish their elite status on the world's stage – starting with the Olympics – Horan sat down with GOAL to discuss her first year as captain, what it's like under Emma Hayes and what goes through her head when she looks up with the ball at her feet.
Celtic have been rocked by something Mark Lawwell did before his recent departure from the club, acting as a potential "disaster" for the Hoops.
Last weekend, Lawwell made the decision to leave his role as Head of Recruitment at Parkhead, having been an important member of the backroom team. He and his deputy Joe Dudgeon have both been placed on gardening leave.
It means the search is now on to find a successor to the 33-year-old, who started his job at Celtic in May 2022, having previously been the youth chief scout at Manchester City, highlighting his pedigree. Brendan Rodgers seemingly valued Lawwell's impact at the club, saying after his departure: "As part of the Club’s recruitment team, Mark and Joe have worked tirelessly to bring success to Celtic, and I would like to wish them both the very best for the future."
This news cannot afford to affect Celtic's focus on the pitch, as they look to overcome rivals Rangers in the Scottish Premiership title race this season, and the right replacement needs to come in as soon as possible, in order to have time to target players ahead of the summer transfer window.
According to a fresh update from Football Insider, the fact Lawwell didn't include an option for Celtic to sign Adam Idah permanently is seen as a "disaster" by those within the club now.
Norwich City "will look" to move him on for a big fee at the end of the current campaign once he returns to Carrow Road, so the Hoops will now find it tough to snap him up compared to if a clause was in place.
Not having an option to buy has to be considered a big error from Lawwell prior to his exit last week, with Idah's impact since arriving on loan at Celtic in January making the decision look even worse.
|
10 key Mark Lawwell signings at Celtic |
Success? |
|---|---|
|
Alistair Johnston |
Yes |
|
Nat Phillips |
No |
|
Aaron Mooy |
Yes |
|
Yang Hyun-Jun |
Yes |
|
Marco TIlio |
No |
|
Yang Hyun-Jun |
Yes |
|
Luis Palma |
Yes |
|
Kwon Hyeok-kyu |
No |
|
Gustaf Lagerbielke |
No |
|
Adam Idah |
Yes |
The 23-year-old has scored five goals in just four Scottish Premiership starts – only six appearances overall – and he has also won an average of 1.5 aerial duels per game in that time. Rodgers clearly rates him, too, recently saying: "The ability he has is incredible, really; he has every tool that you want to play at the highest level. He’s obviously doing that internationally, and it’s been a wee bit hit-and-miss for him at Norwich."
The hope is that Idah is enjoying his spell at Celtic enough to want to move there permanently once the summer arrives, but if other offers arrive from elsewhere, especially from England, there is the risk that his head could be turned by a fresh challenge.
Reporter drops “huge” Celtic transfer plan involving marquee striker
Dermot Desmond is not messing around.
By
Henry Jackson
Mar 9, 2024
His impact between now and the end of the season is going to be vital if the Hoops are to secure title glory, but the hope is that this is only the start of his time at Parkhead.
Newcastle United have made a number of big-money additions to their playing squad since PIF completed their takeover from Mike Ashley in 2021.
The Magpies have moved to sign the likes of Sandro Tonali, Alexander Isak, Bruno Guimaraes, and Chris Wood for sizeable fees, with varying degrees of success.
This new era of spending is not the first time the club have splashed the cash in modern history, though, as they did break their transfer record to sign Michael Owen from Real Madrid back in the summer of 2005.
They signed him for more than they bought Alan Shearer for in 1996 when the legendary striker arrived for a world-record £15m from Blackburn Rovers, and messed up badly as Owen flopped at St. James' Park.
The club smashed the world record when they signed him from Ewood Park in 1996 and he proved himself to be a value-for-money signing with an exceptional goal record with his boyhood side.
Shearer, who won the Premier League with Blackburn, racked up a staggering 206 goals and 58 assists in 405 appearances for the Magpies in all competitions.
That record included a return of 148 goals and 30 assists in 303 top-flight matches for Newcastle, with four 20+ goal seasons in the division in total for the club.
He ended his career as the top goalscorer in Premier League history with 260 strikes, which is a record that still stands to this day – with Harry Kane in second with 213. Shearer is also the top goalscorer in the club's history with his 206 goals.
Unfortunately, Owen did not live up to the hype that his transfer fee created after Newcastle splashed out a staggering £17m club-record fee in the summer of 2005 to sign him from Real Madrid – £2m more than they paid for Shearer.
He was also on a reported wage of £105k-per-week across his four years on Tyneside, which worked out at around £21.8m in wages over the course of his contract. This meant that the deal to sign the centre-forward was worth around £38.8m in total.
The Sunday Mirror's Brian McNally once described Owen as an "embarrassing flop" for the Magpies and his return of 30 goals in four years for £38.8m – without adjusting for current inflation – suggests that his comment was not all that harsh.
|
Michael Owen at Newcastle |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Premier League |
Appearances |
Goals |
|
2005/06 |
11 |
7 |
|
2006/07 |
3 |
0 |
|
2007/08 |
29 |
11 |
|
2008/09 |
28 |
8 |
|
Stats via Transfermarkt |
||
The former Liverpool star never scored more than 11 Premier League goals in one season for the Magpies, compared to Shearer's four 20+ goal campaigns, and only made 14 league appearances across his first two years at the club due to injury.
He missed 96 competitive games through injury in his four years at St. James' Park, compared to just 79 outings on the pitch in all competitions.
His career on Tyneside ended in the summer of 2009 as his £105k-per-week contract expired, and he left on a free transfer, to join Manchester United, which meant that the club earned £0 back on the money they spent on him.
These statistics suggest that Newcastle messed up with the signing of the Real Madrid centre-forward as they smashed their transfer record to sign him, and he spent more time on the treatment table than he did on the pitch, whilst costing the Magpies a huge sum of money in the process.