[ad_pod ]Everton fans are all making the same joke after a reported incident involving the Under-18 side, hoping to see more of the youngsters in the first team fold.Everton fell to yet another disappointing defeat on Wednesday night, as Manchester City strolled past the Toffees at Goodison.While the visit of last season’s champions isn’t exactly the type of fixture to expect three points in, the lack of fight from Marco Silva’s troops is still a huge concern.

The Blues have now lost four of their last five games in all competitions, and have won just four times since the start of December.

Meanwhile, the Under-18’s took on Manchester United’s youngsters on Tuesday night, and the game reportedly ended in a brawl, with one observer claiming the Everton players “attacked†the Red Devils.

Although the Toffees’ teenagers lost 1-0, they are top of the league, and fans are hoping to see some of them in the first team, if only to inject a bit of youthful exuberance and Scouse passion into the side.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

Marco Silva is surely fighting for his future as Everton manager following a dismal run of form in the Premier League.

Expectations were high in the summer when the Portuguese was announced as Sam Allardyce’s successor. Working alongside new director of football, Marcel Brands, Silva secured plenty of promising transfers that had the Goodison faithful hopeful of a strong campaign. However, after a decent start, their form has curtailed since the Merseyside derby defeat at Anfield.

The former Watford boss is now fighting for his future as further poor showings in the remainder of the campaign could force owner Farhad Moshiri to find a new gaffer. Should Silva manage to save his job, he simply must attempt to solve Everton’s leaky defence. The Toffees have conceded far too many poor goals during the current campaign which cannot go on.

One man Silva should turn to is Real Betis rock – Marc Bartra. Valued at £19.8m by Transfermarkt, the former Barcelona man returned to Spain following a forgettable spell with Borussia Dortmund in January 2018 and was named Betis’ player of the year despite playing just half a season. The 28-year-old has once again been a pivotal player for his side and one of the most consistent performers in La Liga.

The former Spain international loves to get stuck in, averaging an impressive 2.6 tackles per game, but also reads the game expertly, allowing him to make 1.7 interceptions on average. Bartra is also decent in the air, winning 2.2 aerial duels per game, making him the ideal man to solve Everton’s defensive woes. As well as his defensive abilities, the Spaniard also thrives with the ball at his feet, completing 89% of his passes in La Liga meaning he is ideal for Silva’s system on Merseyside (WhoScored).

If Everton want to secure a return to Europe next season, splashing the cash on Bartra would be a wise move.

Everton fans, thoughts?

Sunderland continue to struggle under Phil Parkinson but the draw against Blackpool did show signs of improvement, and offered an indication of the new direction he is trying to take his team in.

On the chalkboard

Parkinson has had a tough time so far and though improvements need to be made by him, he has on the whole been let down by the squad at his disposal.

Too many key players have failed to perform this season. Will Grigg looks a shadow of his former self while players like Chris Maguire have been guilty of a lack of effort in recent weeks.

Sunderland’s weak mentality means they are often unable to overcome a deficit, and they regularly find themselves behind due to a defensive vulnerability, but that has largely been solved by Parkinson’s recent switch to a five-at-the-back formation.

The Black Cats have still conceded two goals in two games but one of those was a Gillingham set-piece and the other a beautifully lobbed goal from the Seasiders at the weekend.

Parkinson’s change is, therefore, paying off at the moment, and the greater understanding the team has playing in such a style, the better they will be as a result.

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Formula for success

Sunderland’s midfield is not good enough at defending or attacking to give them a chance to dominate possession in matches, but playing 5-2-3 negates that issue somewhat.

It has granted freedom to wingbacks Luke O’Nien and Denver Hume, both of whom benefit from being given a license to roam forward, with the former scoring three goals this term and Hume averaging 1.9 successful dribbles per game.

Furthermore, the reassurance of playing three centre-backs fills those playing there with more confidence, particularly Alim Ozturk, who has made a strong case to start on a regular basis in recent weeks – receiving a higher rating from Roker Report than any other defender.

Can you score at least 80% on this Ultimate Premier League Quiz? Test your knowledge now…

In attack, there could be a similar story developing. While Grigg would likely be isolated in the new formation, too, Charlie Wyke has come in and shown just how pivotal he could be.

He scored a terrific goal last weekend and could have notched the winner but for the woodwork. His four shots overall is the kind of involvement from a striker that Parkinson is looking for since the Northern Irishman has averaged just 0.8 shots per game by comparison.

A greater understanding of the system and these players continuing to improve is a good mix for Parkinson to get things back on track, and with a bit of belief and confidence, the team may start picking up results.

To enhance his chances of picking up points, however, Parkinson should make one key personnel change to his team which could make all the difference.

Aston Villa slipped into the relegation zone after an underwhelming 3-1 defeat to Southampton, who overtook them in the process.The latest defeat has seen further criticism aimed at Dean Smith, with fans highlighting his negative tactics and his refusal to move away from playing one striker up-front.That striker, Wesley, has also been on the receiving end of fans anger, with many left dissatisfied by his performance, and not for the first time, with many arguing that he doesn’t offer enough.His lack of mobility can prove a problem as it means he often plays with his back to goal, and considering he has just four goals in 18 league games he hardly makes up for his flaws with goals, so fans are rightly frustrated.

The Brazilian’s lack of form should be a big concern for Smith, but the Villa boss seems to think that he will only get better by playing himself back into form.

Some fans feel differently though, and have eyed Jonathan Kodjia as the man who should replace him in the team, and the fact he scored twice in mid-week may only serve to intensify that standpoint.

The Frenchman was brought on against the Saints as the home side finished the match with two players up-front, and his contribution did help Villa score a consolation goal through Jack Grealish’s effort.

Some fans have defended Wesley, however, arguing that his efforts benefited the team, and it was he who was let down due to a lack of service, rather than the other way around.

One supporter still believes he is a better option for Smith’s side than Kodjia, though it will be interesting to see how long their patience holds out.

Fans were unanimous in their criticism of Smith after the match, and perhaps rightly so after the Villans’ struggles in recent weeks.

Crystal Palace fans have taken to Twitter to react after The Guardian’s Ed Aarons revealed that the Eagles are interested in signing Strasbourg defender Mohamed Simakan, who is valued at €25m (£21.3m).

Two more Premier League sides in Southampton and Watford are also interested in signing the 19-year-old, who had never made a senior appearance before the current campaign.

Simakan has made 19 appearances across all competitions for the Ligue 1 side this season, including five outings in the Europa League.

The teenager can also play in a number of different positions, having appeared at centre-back seven times this term, while also enjoying four outings at right-back – additionally, Simakan has made one appearance at right-midfield and another in defensive-midfield.

Incidentally, the south Londoners are currently quite light in the right-back department, as Roy Hodgson has just one natural right-back in Joel Ward within his squad – even he is currently out injured with Martin Kelly covering for him.

It would be a real statement to spend over £20m on a player as inexperienced as Simakan, so let’s see how the Palace fans on Twitter reacted to the news.

These two supporters seem to be in favour of the move.

One fan named Daniel said that Simakan “would be a top signing” before telling Steve Parish to get him before he becomes “unreachable”.

Another supporter named Alex simply said “bring the boy in” – a short and sweet verdict.

Elsewhere, these fans expressed doubt over Palace actually shelling out as much as £21.3m for the defender, with one saying that the Eagles won’t pay anything over £10m, while another said “that’s Palace out then” before suggesting that the club’s transfer budget is merely “£2.50 and a can of Fanta”.

Lastly, this Palace fan doesn’t seem too keen on spending a lot on Simakan.

Can you remember how much each of these transfer icons cost? Only experts will get 100% on our quiz…

The supporter named Ben said that he’d only want to sign a defender for about £10m – £15m.

In other news, take a look at the Crystal Palace XI we think Hodgson should play against Derby in the FA Cup…

Everton fans have slammed midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson for his performance during his side’s 2-1 defeat against Manchester City on Wednesday.

The 30-year-old played 66 minutes at the Etihad Stadium on New Year’s Day and was unable to prevent his side from falling to their 10th defeat of the season at the hands of the reigning Premier League champions.

Sigurdsson, who joined the Toffees from Tottenham in 2013, has scored just one goal and provided one assist in 20 Premier League appearances this season and found himself chasing the ball for the majority of the game against the Citizens.

According to SofaScore, he lost possession seven times, completed just two out of five crosses attempted and made the fewest amount of clearances out of the Everton midfield.

This is not the first time that the Blues’ No. 10 has received criticism from the supporters. He was labelled as “lazy” and disinterested” during Marco Silva’s final game in charge as his side lost 5-2 to hated neighbours Liverpool.

Supporters were incensed by what they saw from the Icelandic midfielder and made their feelings clear on social media.

One fan labelled him as the “biggest fraud in England”, while another described his performance as “embarrassing”.

Here you will find some of the angriest comments from Everton fans:

El Desmarque are reporting that Barcelona may be ready to offload Samuel Umtiti in the near future as three major Premier League clubs are pushing for his transfer.

What’s the word, then?

According to the same source, it seems that the Catalan giants are not happy with their defender and want to get rid of him as soon as possible for a number of reasons – one of which is the fact he’s previously flirted with Real Madrid.

The other, a seemingly more important one, is the level the Frenchman is currently playing at – El Desmarque claim it’s feasible that the Blaugrana may finally accept one of many offers that have arrived for him.

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The main competitors for his signature all come from England, namely from Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Manchester United, all of whom are looking to bolster their defensive lines and are pushing for the transfer.

Verdict

Even though the 26-year-old centre-back has struggled with injuries as of late, already missing ten games due to various fitness issues, El Desmarque suggest his style of play and the physical approach of the Premier League would benefit him.

The Frenchman is also highly technical and good on the ball – seeing how he averages 90.1% passing accuracy in the current campaign and tallied 94.5% in 2018/19 – which could give another dimension to all three of his suitors.

But with Gerard Pique slowly but surely ageing and Jean-Clair Todibo also seemingly subject to a possible exit, it wouldn’t really be wise for Barcelona to bin Umtiti as well.

They would suddenly go from being well covered in the back to barely keeping things together in terms of available personnel.

That situation could naturally force them into market themselves and force them to find a suitable replacement for the players linked with a Nou Camp exit.

Call yourself a Premier League expert? How much did each of these big-money January signings cost?

January looks to be rather busy for the Catalan giants and it seems that they could end up dealing with English clubs over at least one of their players.

It still remains to be seen, however, which one of them is going to win the race for the Frenchman’s signature.

In other news, Inter Milan are reportedly interested in one of Manchester United’s veteran players…

Alan Hutton has suggested that Jonathan Kodjia may have played his last game for Aston Villa, as reported by Football Insider.

What did he say?

When Wesley got injured, it may have been expected that Kodjia would take over from the Brazilian – at least in the short term – but that has not been the case.

The Ivory Coast international was unavailable for the matches against Leicester City and Manchester City, showing that he is perhaps not someone who can be relied upon.

Despite that, the 30-year-old has been a target for Nottingham Forest and Amiens, as reported by Phil McNulty.

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When asked by Football Insider about whether Kodjia could have played his last game for Villa, Hutton replied: “Yeah, possibly. He’s had a tough season this season, we’ve not really seen much of him.

“I thought he’d be ready and waiting in the wings to give it a go if anything did happen to Wesley but injury, illness, there’s always been something that’s popped up so he’s not available.

“It looks like he will be allowed to leave, that they’ll cash in on him and try get some money for him.”

Time is up

Even when Kodjia was able to play, he was underwhelming, as signified by the fact that he was slammed by fans after his performance against Fulham.

Villa have been looking to sign strikers, with The Athletic naming Islam Slimani and Christian Benteke among their current targets.

Can you remember how much each of these transfer icons cost? Only experts will get 100% on our quiz…

This indicates that Kodjia would not be the main man even if he did stay, so there will likely be a willingness to cash in on the striker, especially as they have already made loan moves for Danny Drinkwater and Pepe Reina during this window.

Kodjia has been disappointing this season, so it would not be much of a surprise to see him leaving Villa Park.

Meanwhile, Villa fans can’t imagine losing their cult hero permanently.

Sunderland are edging closer to the signing of Bristol City’s Bailey Wright, according to Football Insider.

What’s the latest?

Phil Parkinson revealed that he was set to make his second signing for the club this week before a slight injury delayed the medical until after the weekend, and it is believed that Bailey is that man.

Considering the defender’s injury record, only playing four times this term, that would certainly make sense, and Football Insider report that the Black Cats are in pole position to bring in the 27-year-old on loan.

The Australia international could even make the switch permanent at the end of the season as his contract is up in the summer, and that is thought to be interesting Sunderland.

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Big presence

The north-east outfit have been linked with a variety of players from Liam Boyce to Greg Docherty and that suggests Parkinson is looking to improve his squad in every position, even in defence, an area he appears to have got right in recent weeks.

During Sunderland’s six-game unbeaten run they have only conceded four goals, mainly thanks to the five-at-the-back system, but the introduction of Alim Ozturk has also played a valuable role as he has made a number of impressive appearances of late.

Can you remember how much each of these transfer icons cost? Only experts will get 100% on our quiz…

While that is a positive, the arrival of Wright is something which should please supporters and the Black Cats’ boss even more.

The Robins player has tremendous experience with 130 appearances at Championship level and 24 international caps under his belt, and he could provide a commanding presence to lead the defence with an assuredness that has been missing at times, such as in the 3-0 defeat by Scunthorpe.

Lee Johnson has described Wright as a possessing a “warrior spirit”, and if he can instil belief and a hard-working attitude into the Sunderland camp then they will likely reap the rewards.

In comparison to Ozturk, whose place in the team he will likely take, he has averaged three tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game, while the Turk has managed just 0.6 and 1.1 in the same areas, despite playing a division lower.

Ozturk has never reached the same level of playing standard as Wright either with spells at Hearts and Turkish second-tier side Boluspor, and because of that Wright is a clear upgrade on the 27-year-old.

In other news, Sunderland are putting a lot of effort into new recruits this month and there could soon be more good news for supporters.

Liverpool looked to be heading into the fifth round of the FA Cup with relative ease until League One side Shrewsbury Town staged a stunning comeback from 2-0 down to earn a replay.

Jurgen Klopp’s men took the lead through youngster Curtis Jones early in the first half, which has caused some members of the Reds faithful praising him, before Donald Love’s own goal seconds into the second half put Liverpool on the front foot.

Salop striker Jason Cummings came off the bench to nab a ten-minute brace which rocked the champions of Europe as the lower league opposition had a chance to win it in the dying stages.

Klopp threw on his first-team stars, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Mo Salah and Roberto Firmino but they just couldn’t find the winner as the German showed his intentions of not wanting an extra fixture on their schedule.

Here’s what the supporters have been saying about the goalscoring Jones…

Several referenced the potential that the 18-year-old has at his feet as he notched his second goal of the season in the competition.

“Different gravy” and “unbelievable” were just two phrases used to describe his showing in central midfield.

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Jones picked up the highest rating of any Liverpool player on SofaScore after recording a passing accuracy of 85%, managing three successful dribbles and three clearances.

It has led to other fans making an array of comparisons from one Liverpool great to one of the best players in the world…

One member of the travelling support compared the teenager to Lionel Messi, claiming he was better than the five-time Balon d’Or winner, perhaps a tad tongue in cheek.

The more realistic link was made to Reds legend Steven Gerrard, who also came through the youth ranks as a local lad.

Call yourself a Liverpool expert? How much did each of these big-money January signings cost?

Another supporter even suggested that Jones was a Philippe Coutinho clone – but one with a better engine.

There was also a shout for the academy graduate to be the future captain at the club, which is an interesting prospect considering he plays the same role as current skipper Jordan Henderson, who will be 30 next season.

While in other Anfield news, this striker target has received glowing endorsements…