TheNewsGuru

Tag: Everton

  • I thought Super League was ‘a joke’ – Ancelotti

    I thought Super League was ‘a joke’ – Ancelotti

    Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti admits that he thought talk of a breakaway Super League being formed was “a joke”.

    Ancelotti was quick to condemn the plans that would have had huge ramifications on the Champions League and Premier League.

    “For every supporter of football it was a strange day, a surprise,” he said.

    “We heard about the Super League in the past few months but I was sure it was not going to happen. What can I say? They were wrong.

    “The most important part, they wanted to build a competition without sporting merit. This is not acceptable. If you are good, you play football as a professional – if not, you’re not a professional. They were wrong, full stop.”

    Ancelotti revealed that he thought the plans were a joke when he first heard, and gave his thoughts on whether the six Premier League clubs involved should be punished.

    Distancing himself from the idea of any punishment, he said: “I’m not the right person to judge if they should be punishment. Everyone can make mistakes, but I cannot say if they have to be punished or not.”

    Ancelotti also gave a mischievous answer when discussing the impact the Super League would have had on clubs like Everton, who have ambitions of breaking into the top four.

    He joked: “The way we are working now is the right way. We have improved the team, we improved the knowledge of the players. We have to improve other things to play the Super Leag…oh sorry!”

  • I don’t know how James Rodriguez does it – Iwobi

    I don’t know how James Rodriguez does it – Iwobi

    Alex Iwobi says Everton teammate James Rodrigues does ‘stuff on the ball that is not normal’.

    The Colombian star has been impressive in his first season in the Premier League.

    And his training ground exploits have shocked some of his teammates.

    “What shocked me was his right foot finish, I didn’t know he had that in him,” Iwobi said, as quoted by BBC Sport.

    “Some of the passes he plays, I don’t know how he sees it. It’s not normal.”

  • Real Madrid blocked Atletico move – James Rodriguez

    Real Madrid blocked Atletico move – James Rodriguez

    Everton midfielder James Rodriguez has explained why he didn’t join Atletico Madrid last summer.

    After the James’ loan spell at Bayern Munich, a deal was in place to take him across the Spanish capital to Los Colchoneros, but parent club Real Madrid stood in his way.

    “I played very little in Madrid,” James told ESPN. “Especially in my second spell.

    “After leaving Bayern I had everything ready to join Atletico Madrid, but Real Madrid didn’t let me.”

    Napoli were another club interested in signing James then, with Carlo Ancelotti on the bench at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. The Italian left in December, and soon moved to Everton, to where James has since followed him.

    “If it weren’t for Carlo, I wouldn’t have come [to Everton],” James said. “It’s the truth. Then, I started to get to know the club, the people, and I saw that everyone wanted to win, like me. But Carlo being here was fundamental.

    “It hasn’t been easy for me due to physical problems, but I know that when I play well, the team play well. I’ve shown my strength at the club, and with my teammates. I want Everton to play good football.”

  • EPL: Richarlison hits out at Alcantara after rejecting apology

    EPL: Richarlison hits out at Alcantara after rejecting apology

    Everton forward Richarlison has revealed Thiago ignored his apology after the Merseyside derby last year.

    The Brazilian put in a horrible challenge on the Liverpool midfielder, which left him sidelined for two and a half months.

    Speaking on a YouTube live stream, Richarlison revealed his attempts to make an apology were ignored by Thiago.

    “The last game I made that challenge on Thiago and got sent off. My goodness,” he said, via the Mirror.

    “Then I went on Instagram to apologise and such. He only saw it. I said ‘I’m going to delete this message too, since he doesn’t want to reply’.

    “Then I went there and deleted it. He didn’t answer, no.

    “Then there was the derby now, at their home, he didn’t look at my face, I didn’t look at him, either. The game goes on. He ignored the pigeon.”

  • Man City have no clear identity – Ancelotti

    Man City have no clear identity – Ancelotti

    Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti says Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City have “no clear identity”, with that considered to be a positive for the Premier League leaders as they chase a historic quadruple.

    The Toffees will be looking to end that bid on Saturday when they host the Citizens in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.

    City have been sweeping aside all before them at home and abroad, with experienced Italian tactician Ancelotti fully aware that he faces the toughest challenge in trying to pick holes in a rival that is almost impossible to predict.

    Former AC Milan, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain coach Ancelotti told reporters: “I would like to talk about Manchester City. Manchester City are a fantastic team but they have no clear identity.

    “Sometimes they build up with three, sometimes with two, sometimes their right back goes to play as a holding midfielder.

    “They have clear principles. That is the difference.

    “Sometimes they don’t play with a centre-forward, they play with a No 10 as a centre-forward, so the identity of Manchester City is not clear. If they had a clear identity you would be more able to manage their shape, but the fact is they change their shape.

    “What doesn’t change is their principles of keeping the ball, having possession and to show the quality they have. The principles never change.”

    Goal

  • I know people have doubted me – Havertz

    I know people have doubted me – Havertz

    Chelsea midfielder Kai Havertz admits it has taken him a while to find his best form.

    Havertz did not get on the scoresheet, but was outstanding as the Blues battled to a 2-0 win at home over Everton in the Premier League on Monday.

    And the German knows he must continue to deliver consistent performances for his side.

    “It is difficult to say [if it is my best performance for Chelsea] but the first few months were difficult for me,” Havertz told The 5th Stand.

    “I hope that I will get a lot of confidence now and carry on like this.

    “Of course, it wasn’t easy to come here where everything was new. I have been here for seven months now though, so now it is time to perform.

    “I know that in myself, I know many people have doubts about me. I just keep on going and working, trying to help my team in every training session and game. That’s the most important. I hope this performance will give me a lot of confidence. I hope to continue like this.”

  • EPL: Chelsea defeat Everton to revive top-four hopes

    EPL: Chelsea defeat Everton to revive top-four hopes

    Chelsea scored a goal in each half to see off top-four rivals Everton and maintain Thomas Tuchel’s unbeaten start as Blues boss.

    The hosts took the lead when Kai Havertz’s shot took a big deflection off Toffees defender Ben Godfrey.

    England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford made a fine save to deny Chelsea’s Marcos Alonso and Havertz thought he had scored, but had handled the ball before finishing.

    However, the hosts doubled their lead through a Jorginho penalty after Pickford brought down the impressive Havertz.

    With 10 league games of the season left, Chelsea remain fourth and in the last Champions League qualifying spot, only three points behind third-placed Leicester and four adrift of Manchester United in second.

    Crucially, this victory takes the Blues four points clear of Everton in fifth and Carlo Ancelotti’s side – who have a game in hand over Chelsea – will drop to sixth if West Ham avoid defeat against Leeds in Monday’s late game.

    Chelsea have not been beaten since a 2-0 loss at Leicester in Frank Lampard’s penultimate game as manager on 19 January, with Tuchel yet to suffer defeat in 11 matches in charge.

  • Why I would want Maldini in Everton – Ancelotti

    Why I would want Maldini in Everton – Ancelotti

    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’s victory over Liverpool was like winning EPL – Ayegbeni

    Everton’s victory over Liverpool was like winning EPL – Ayegbeni

    Everton’s triumph over Liverpool last month was like winning the Premier League title, says former Toffees striker Yakubu Ayegbeni, who is still savouring the victory at Anfield.

    The Goodison Park giants had not won at the Reds’ home ground since October 1999. Nonetheless, Richarlison’s early strike and Gylfi Sigurdsson’s late penalty did the damage for Carlo Ancelotti’s side, who are three points behind their neighbours – with two games in hand – courtesy of the 2-0 win.

    Everton went into the February 20 clash on the back of two successive defeats, and the former Nigeria international, who starred for the club for four seasons – following a move from Middlesbrough for a fee of £11.25 million – likened the result to lifting the English top-flight diadem.

    “We’ve been waiting for so long to win at Anfield, it has not been easy,” Ayegbeni told Goal.

    “The last time we defeated them was at Goodison Park in 2010 when Mikel Arteta scored; I still remember I played in [that game].

    “I got messages from my friends even on Instagram, everyone was buzzing – it was like we won the league.

    “It was a great feeling when you play for Everton for so long, once you are Blue, you’re always a Blue. So, I still support, I still check their results.”

  • They don’t want me at Real Madrid – James

    They don’t want me at Real Madrid – James

    Everton midfielder James Rodriguez says there’s no going back to former club Real Madrid.

    Urged by a fan to return to the Spanish capital during his new appearance on Twitch, James claimed that Real Madrid would not be interested to sign him back

    “Nobody wants me there anymore,” replied James, who sent out on a two-year loan to Bayern Munich back in 2017 before returning to Real Madrid in 2019.

    Following his return, James struggled to get game time under Zinedine Zidane, as Real Madrid managed to win the Supercopa de Espana and the LaLiga Santander title last season.