Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti admits he’d love to have Paolo Maldini as part of his team.
Asked about whom he would take from his great former AC Milan side, Ancelotti was clear.
“No doubt! Paolo Maldini because he is my friend, he was my teammate, he was my captain and he is a fun guy, professional guy,” he said.
“He’s a top guy, top player, so without a doubt it would be Paolo Maldini.
“That would be nice.”
Everton manager Carlo Anceloti says his team have no regrets about how they played against Manchester United in the Carabao Cup.
The Toffees went into the fixture off the back of several impressive Premier League results against top opposition.
However, they were meek and excessively defensive against United, and only attacked with vigor in stoppage time after conceding a late goal thanks to Edinson Cavani.
The Toffees bow out at the quarter final stage, while United booked a semi final with Manchester City.
“We are disappointed, of course, it was an important competition for us,” said manager Ancelotti.
“But there are no regrets with the performance.
“It was a good performance, we defended well, properly.
“We had a difficult start but after 20 minutes the game was under control.
“We didn’t play attacking football but we needed to defend and until the last three minutes we defended well.
“We were good defensively until the end and were close to penalties.
“They had more control and quality, we know this.
“The plan was to defend well and we did, we had some opportunities with set-pieces and counter-attacks.
“That was the game we planned.”
Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti outwitted his former player Frank Lampard as his side put on a superbly organised performance to beat visitors Chelsea 1-0 in their English Premier League clash on Saturday.
Ancelotti’s side were happy to let their visitors have the ball but allowed them precious little in the way of goal-scoring chances.
They snuffed out Chelsea’s high-priced attack in a disciplined defensive display in front of 2,000 fans.
“I am really pleased, in front of our supporters. We are really happy for them. They have seen a good match from Everton. We played well with fantastic spirit,” Ancelotti said.
“Defensively we did really well. The team sacrificed. That was the target, because against the tough teams like Chelsea you have to sacrifice.
“We were dangerous on the counter and we didn’t concede many opportunities. We deserved to win.”
Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin was upended by goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, and Gylfi Sigurdsson dispatched the resulting penalty kick for the only goal of the game.
But Lampard declined to blame his goalkeeper.
“I don’t think Mendy was just culpable. But he has been outstanding so far. So, I will take that.
“When teams play long with one of the best strikers in the league, you have to suffer the moments and get through,” Lampard said.
Though his side remain third in the table, the former Chelsea midfielder dismissed suggestions that they were title challengers alongside leaders Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool.
“You have to look at the teams winning it the last three or fours years — they have wingers, strikers scoring 30, 40 goals and winners of Premier League and Champions League,” he said.
“Coming here to this place, they (Everton) were up for a result and we did not pass the test. We will in the future.”
James Rodriguez is now in contention to make Everton’s trip to Southampton, claims Carlo Ancelotti, with fitness concerns easing around the Colombian playmaker.
The Toffees boss revealed on Thursday that his South American star was nursing a knock picked up in an eventful Merseyside derby date with Liverpool.
Ancelotti told evertontv: “Unfortunately, James had a problem during the game [against Liverpool].
“He had a mistimed tackle with Virgil van Dijk at the beginning of the game and I think he will not be available for the game against Southampton.”
That update was considered to represent quite a blow to Everton’s ambition.
Being without him for a trip to St Mary’s Stadium would have forced Ancelotti into shuffling his pack.
It may, however, be that James comes into contention after all after making a return to training on Friday.
Ancelotti told reporters when asked for a fitness update: “He is not definitely out. Fortunately his recovery was really good and he trained today, just a partial training session.
“I hope he is going to train tomorrow and we will see if he is condition to play on Sunday. He is really better now and we are confident that maybe he can play. He was not able to train until today. I hope tomorrow is going to be better.
“Today’s was quite good, the training, but he had only partial training.”
Goal
Everton were held to a 0-0 home draw by Arsenal on Saturday in a dull English Premier League (EPL) clash.
However, the result did take a back seat to the development where both clubs named new managers to revive their fortunes within 24 hours.
Carlo Ancelotti, named as the new Everton manager barely an hour before the kickoff, got a first glimpse of the Toffees from the directors’ box.
So also was Arsenal’s new head coach Mikel Arteta who was appointed by the Gunners on Friday.
It was then a battle of outgoing caretakers —- Everton’s Duncan Ferguson and Arsenal’s Freddie Ljungberg.
It however failed to produce any fireworks, with Everton having the upper hand in a tepid first half.
Gylfi Sigurdsson hit the side-netting from a free-kick and striker Cenk Tosun could not get any direction on a sharp low cross by Tom Davies as the home side dictated proceedings.
Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford produced a superb reflex save to deny Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from close range shortly after the break.
That was just before an almighty goalmouth scramble nearly resulted in an own goal at the other end.
Neither side could find a breakthrough in the closing stages with Arsenal packing their defence to deal with a flurry of Everton crosses into their penalty area.
Napoli have appointed Gennaro Gattuso as the Italian club’s new head coach following the dismissal of Carlo Ancelotti on Tuesday.
Ancelotti was sacked just hours after taking Napoli into the Champions League last 16 with a 4-0 win over Genk.
Gattuso, 41, previously managed AC Milan but left the Serie A club at the end of last season.
“We need to work hard, win back points and come through this tricky period,” said Gattuso.
“The aim is to recoup points and get back into the Champions League positions.”
Napoli are seventh in Serie A, eight points off the top four.
Gattuso played under Ancelotti at AC Milan and said: “He is like a father to me. He’s always been close to me and supported me. He’s won it all and I still have a lot to prove.”
Italian side Napoli SC have sacked Carlo Ancelotti just hours after securing qualification for the Champions League knockout stages.
A nine-match winless run, ended on Tuesday evening with a 4-0 victory over Genk which was the club’s biggest-ever win in the competition, left the former Chelsea coach on the brink.
Both Gazzetta dello Sport and Corriere dello Sport claimed before the game that Ancelotti was set to be fired whatever the result and Napoli wasted no time pulling the trigger.
It was learned that Napoli are now expected to appoint former AC Milan coach Gennaro Gattuso.
Ancelotti has been heavily linked with both vacancies at Arsenal and Everton, with the latter reportedly set to firm up their interest in the coming days.
Freddie Ljungberg won his first game, at the third attempt, in his caretaker role in charge of Arsenal and is expected to be in the dugout for Thursday’s game against Standard Liege and Sunday’s against champions Manchester City.
Duncan Ferguson beat Chelsea in the first game of his interim spell with Everton and face Manchester United on Sunday.