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After just over six months in charge, Rafael Benitez’s reign in charge of Everton came to an end shortly after their disappointing 2-1 defeat against Norwich City last weekend.

In the meantime, while the club looks for a new permanent manager, Duncan Ferguson has been given the role of caretaker boss to try and get Everton’s season back on track in the same way that he did when the club got rid of Marco Silva in December 2019 before Carlo Ancelotti came in.

One name who has been mentioned with the Everton job and who could be a good fit for the Toffees is former Derby County and Chelsea manager Frank Lampard.

In his first senior managerial job, he took charge of 57 games with the Rams, with 26 wins, 15 draws and 16 defeats along the way, taking them to the Championship play-off final in May 2019 at Wembley against Aston Villa.

In his second managerial role, the 43-year-old won 44 of his 84 games in charge at the club where he spent the majority of his playing career.

Labelled a “winner” by Noel Whelan, Lampard finished in the top four with Chelsea in his one full season in charge at Stamford Bridge despite having to deal with a transfer embargo, which could make him a suitable and potentially successful option for Everton given their Financial Fair Play issues of late.

In terms of a potential move to Everton, while he hasn’t lifted any trophies as a manager, Lampard still has sufficient experience to put him in the running to get back into the Premier League and continue his managerial career with the Toffees.

Given his massive knowledge of the league and his legendary status as a player, he could be a big hit at Goodison Park and bring some positive vibes back around the place after the constant fan protests against Benitez during the 61-year-old’s tenure, especially with 65% of voters from a recent Football FanCast poll suggesting that Lampard would be a good appointment for Everton.

Also, with the 43-year-old not currently in work, it could be a swift appointment for Farhad Moshiri to make so that the club can put this transitional period behind them and focus on ending the season on a high with renewed optimism for the future.

In other news: Everton must avoid another managerial disaster with “arrogant” 58 y/o, he’d be Rafa 2.0

Making a £4.5m move to Celtic back in the summer of 2020, expectations at Parkhead were high for Vasilis Barkas, with the Bhoys handing the goalkeeper a four-year deal believed to be worth around £20k-per-week.

However, after making just 23 appearances in all competitions, only one of which has come under the management of Ange Postecoglou this season, reports have claimed that the club are ready to cut their losses on the Greece international this January.

It is not difficult to see why, as, over his 15 Premiership appearances last time out, Barkas made an average of just one save and conceded 0.7 goals per game, returns that saw the £2.52m-rated 27-year-old earn a seasonal SofaScore rating of just 6.79 – ranking him as the club’s joint ninth-worst performer in the league.

However, rather than splashing the cash on a new backup to Joe Hart this winter, it would appear wise for Postecoglou to take a closer look at one of the club’s up and coming prospects between the sticks – in the shape of Tobi Oluwayemi.

Postecoglou can axe Barkas by unleashing Oluwayemi

Having already been called up to first-team training by Postecoglou, as well as being selected to feature on the bench – ahead of Barkas – in Celtic’s Europa League campaign this season, it is clear that the 18-year-old shot-stopper is a player the Greek-Australian coach has high hopes for.

Indeed, speaking prior to the Bhoys’ 3-2 victory over Real Betis earlier this month, the 56-year-old manager said of Oluwayemi: “Stevie Woods, our goalkeeping coach, rates him very highly. We’ve had him up in training with the team and he’s shown some good qualities.

“With all of these guys, we try and include them as much as we can and give them that experience. Toby was on the [Europa League] list so it gives him a chance to travel with the team and get the experience.”

As such, while the England U19 international is yet to make a single appearance in senior football, it would very much appear as if he is a player who has the potential to one day go on to become Celtic’s number one, an objective that would only seem to be helped by him being included in the Hoops first-team squad on a much more regular basis.

So, should Celtic indeed move the 27-year-old Barkas who Tam McManus dubbed a “horrendous” player on this winter, it would seem a very intelligent move for Postecoglou to unleash the 18-year-old Oluwayemi in the Greek’s place.

In other news: Ange can finally axe “pathetic” £7.9k-p/w Celtic flop with swoop for £270k-rated beast

Liverpool are set to launch a big-money move for Villareal star Arnaut Danjuma in this January transfer window as they look to try and cover for Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.

What’s the story?

According to Spanish publication Fichajes, Jurgen Klopp’s side are preparing a £37.5m bid for the Netherlands international this month as they look to try and cover for their two AFCON-bound superstars.

The report adds that there is doubt over whether Villareal would be willing to sanction a sale for the winger, but such a deal would represent a significant amount of profit from when they signed him from Bournemouth.

He can replace Salah and Mane

Speaking to This is Futbol about Danjuma, former Leeds man Carlton Palmer simply said: “He’s an exciting player. He’s got flair, he’s got pace and he scores goals” – exactly what he showcased in his time with Bournemouth.

The former Cherries speedster netted 17 goals and provided another eight assists in all competitions last season, and it was no surprise that his performances earned rave reviews.

No categories

Speaking on The Official EFL Podcast, former Bournemouth boss Jonathan Woodgate said: “He’s an exceptional player, in a really good place at the minute, Arnie. He’s another one who I’ve always done a lot of work on him at his previous clubs, so I knew all about him coming into this role, I knew what type of player he was.

“He made an unbelievable run for one of the goals, I showed him that, but then I showed him what he did winning the ball back, when he had to sprint 50 yards and get the ball back. That’s what makes a really good player, for me, getting that work rate in because we know, with the ball his feet, he’s a top player. Can he do the rest going the other way? And he’s starting to show that now, so yeah, he’s doing well.”

His debut campaign at Villareal has seen him hit the ground running, scoring nine goals in just 18 games in all competitions, proving he is the kind of goal-scoring winger that could try and fill the boots of Liverpool’s much-vaunted wide-men.

The Villareal star is exactly what Liverpool need given that the likes of Salah and Mane are off to AFCON, and can help ensure they don’t miss the sheer number of goals and assists they produce.

Meanwhile, Liverpool must make a swoop for this Bundesliga midfielder…

Newcastle United host Norwich City at St. James’ Park in the Premier League tonight in a mammoth clash at the bottom of the Premier League table.

The Canaries are two points ahead of the Magpies coming into the game and have the chance to go five clear, whilst potentially going level with 17th by the end of the night. Whereas, Eddie Howe’s team could leapfrog Norwich and put themselves right back in the mix to avoid the drop.

Time to shine

One change the ex-Bournemouth coach must make is to bring Jamal Lewis into the side for his time to shine at left-back for the suspended Matt Ritchie. The Scot will be forced to watch on from the stands after he picked up his fifth yellow card of the season at The Emirates against Arsenal at the weekend.

Although, the suspension may not have mattered as the nature of his performance against the Gunners suggested that he deserved to lose his place. Per SofaScore, he lost all five of his duels on the pitch as he failed to make a single tackle and was dribbled past twice. He only completed 60% of his attempted passes and all four of his crossing and long pass attempts were inaccurate.

Therefore, his fifth booking came at a good time for him and Newcastle, as he now has the opportunity to rest up for a match and ensure that he is back to his best when he is next called upon. It also now opens up the door for Lewis to receive his first start of the campaign.

The Northern Ireland international has played nine minutes off the bench in the Premier League this season and deserves a chance to show what he can do in the team. Playing against the club he came through the ranks at, Norwich, could also be an added motivation for him to impress.

Ex-England striker Darren Bent previously hailed him as a ‘dark horse’ in terms of Premier League left-backs to watch for the future.

He told Football Insider: “Jamal Lewis, when you think about it, defensively I think he’s a little bit better than Max Aarons. I think going forward and defensively he’s very good, and underrated as well.

“I’m telling you, if he keeps progressing at Newcastle, he might be a dark horse. He could turn out to be one of the best left-backs in the country this season.”

This highlights the £10.8m-rated gem’s potential and why Howe should unleash him against Norwich. He could unearth a key player for the side if Lewis is able to find his form and fulfil the promise Bent seemingly believed he has, with this clash with Norwich the perfect chance for him to come in and shine.

AND in other news, NUFC could kickstart Howe era with £275k-p/w gem who plays football “like a dance”…

Rennes striker Gaetano Laborde would be a better option than youngster Fabio Silva at Wolves, according to journalist Luke Hatfield.

The Lowdown: Silva struggles at Wolves

Silva made a big-money move to Molineux from Porto in 2020 but he has found it extremely difficult to fulfill his potential to date.

The 19-year-old has scored just four goals in 46 appearances for Wolves, often looking out of his depth in the physical Premier League.

It has led to rumours linking Wanderers with a move for a striker, with Laborde one name who has been tipped to join the club.

The Latest: Hatfield makes Laborde claim

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Hatfield claimed the 27-year-old would be a superior backup option behind Raul Jimenez, suggesting a deal should get done:

“Yeah, for me, I think that’s a fair kind of proposition to make upon the relationship between Lage and Silva at the moment.”

Laborde is enjoying an impressive season for Rennes, scoring six goals in 14 Ligue 1 appearances. His current deal expires in the summer of 2025.

[freshpress-quiz id=“375704”]

The Verdict: Sign him up

It would be unfair to write off Silva because of his age, but at the moment, he simply isn’t offering enough in terms of end product and it is affecting Wolves’ goal threat. They have only scored 13 goals in 17 league matches.

There is too much pressure on Jimenez to perform regularly, especially after a serious head injury kept him for the majority of the last campaign, but Laborde would ease the Mexican star’s workload.

Aside from his aforementioned prowess in front of goal, the £16.2million-rated Frenchman has also averaged 1.2 key passes per game in the league this season – Silva has averaged a disappointing 0.1 – and chipped in with three assists, showing he can create as well, perhaps making him the perfect foil to even play alongside Jimenez.

In other news, three Wolves players struggled despite the win over Brighton. Find out who they are here.

An update has emerged on Lazio goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha, regarding interest from English side Newcastle United.

What’s the talk?

According to The Sun, the Magpies are weighing up a move to sign him on a cut-price deal in the January transfer window.

The report claims that he is out of contract at the end of the season and Newcastle could agree a pre-contract with the shot-stopper before leveraging a bargain deal in January to bring him in earlier.

Howler

PIF must avoid making their first howler since taking over Newcastle following this update. They should opt against a deal for Strakosha as it could be a terrible move for the club given the current goalkeeping situation at St. James’ Park and his recent form, or lack thereof, for Lazio in Italy.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/check-out-the-latest-newcastle-howe-ter-stegen” title= “Read the latest Newcastle news!”]

The Magpies already have three senior goalkeepers on their books in Freddie Woodman, Martin Dubravka and Karl Darlow, with all three of them having played Premier League football for the club this calendar year.

This suggests that Newcastle would need to bring in a number one who can provide a sizeable upgrade on all of them whilst being reliable enough to be a consistent starter. Otherwise, they will end up with another option to rotate through without solving the problem.

Strakosha, however, does not appear to fit that mould. He has only played nine Serie A games for Lazio since the start of the 2020/21 campaign and has not played a single league match this term. This suggests that he has not been good enough to earn a starting berth, which means that he would be arriving at Newcastle on a downwards trend, rather than coming in full of confidence and ready to hit the ground running.

Italian outlet Corriere della Sera, via the Daily Cannon, previously stated that he is ‘often criticised’ for his performances in Rome. This was prior to him losing his place as the number one at Lazio, suggesting that the worrying nature of his displays caused him to become a bench warmer for the Serie A side.

Therefore, he could be a liability between the sticks as his errors in Italy have seemingly resulted in him being a rarely-seen individual on the pitch over the last 18 months. This is why Newcastle must avoid a deal for the £36k-per-week shot-stopper, as it could be a howler from PIF based on his current situation at Lazio.

AND in other news, Howe could land Krul 2.0 for NUFC in £120k-p/w gem with “incredible development”…

West Brom have the chance to get their season back on track this weekend with an away clash against Huddersfield Town next up for the Baggies after a mixed bag of results in October and early November.

In terms of which players Baggies manager Valerien Ismael could select in his starting XI for the game on Saturday, one man who should be in the team on this occasion is Jayson Molumby.

Why Molumby must start

Since joining the Midlands club on a season-long loan deal from Brighton & Hove Albion, the midfielder has only started in three of his seven Championship appearances for the Baggies.

His previous appearance for West Brom saw the 22-year-old, who is currently valued at just £900,000 according to Transfermarkt, start and complete the full 90 minutes in their 1-1 draw against Middlesbrough as he managed to show what he can offer to Ismael’s side.

On that day, Molumby had 51 touches of the ball, completed 31 out of his 34 passes, won seven of his 14 duels and completed both of his dribbles. He also proved to be a helpful defensive figure by making one tackle, two interceptions and two clearances, ultimately earning himself an overall match rating of 6.8/10 according to SofaScore.

Furthermore, Birmingham Live said that Molumby was the “industry, energy, mobility and bite that Albion desperately needed” in the game against Middlesbrough, and those traits could terrify Huddersfield if he manages to demonstrate them again on Saturday.

The 22-year-old, who has previously been described as a “feisty” player by Millwall boss Gary Rowett, has racked up a passing accuracy percentage of 83.9% so far this season, the second-highest of any West Brom player below Robert Snodgrass. That highlights how adept he is at moving the ball around the pitch, which could be useful at the weekend even though Huddersfield are currently in the middle of the possession table with an average percentage of 48.7% compared to West Brom’s 52.7%, according to WhoScored.

With Molumby only on loan for the season, it would make sense for Ismael to get the most out of him while he’s at The Hawthorns. The 45-year-old should definitely consider keeping him in the team for the match against Huddersfield, especially since the midfielder showed what he’s capable of in his latest appearance for West Brom.

In other news: Lai could deliver WBA’s first January signing with “intelligent” £27k-p/w machine

Paul Scholes compared West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice to Steven Gerrard after the Hammers’ 1-0 win over Tottenham on Sunday.

The Lowdown: Irons beat Spurs

The Irons hosted Spurs at the London Stadium at the weekend in an all-capital clash off the back of maintainig their 100% Europa League group stage record last Thursday.

The home side prevailed 1-0 thanks to a solitary goal from Michail Antonio, with David Moyes’ side now up to fourth in the Premier League table as a result.

Rice played a big part in West Ham getting one over on their London rivals. Nobody could match his eight tackles or 11 duels won, while he misplaced only three of his 41 passes all afternoon in a hugely composed performance (SofaScore).

The Latest: Scholes praises Rice

Speaking to Premier League Productions (24/10/21, 1:55 pm, via HITC), Scholes showered Rice with praise and even compared him to former Liverpool star Gerrard. The ex-Manchester United midfielder said:

“I think he has been right up there for the last year or so. Again, he is a player who plays the position brilliantly. He reads play. He senses danger. You see him intercepting all the time.

“He’s not just got that to his game. He has also got this side to it (driving forward). He has got a bit of Steven Gerrard about him. He has really added that drive and that way of playing to create chances for his team.

“I did think, at one point, he would be a centre-back. But I think he is now turning into a complete midfield player.”

The Verdict: Different players

There is no doubt that Rice is developing into a quality midfielder. He is a star player for West Ham as they continue to ascend the table and impress in the Europa League, and he was a key member of Gareth Southgate’s squad as England reached the final of Euro 2020.

However, 114-cap Three Lions international Gerrard was a player who regularly averaged 10 goals a season (Transfermarkt) – in 157 games for the Hammers, Rice has found the back of the net just seven times. He is more defensive-minded than the current Rangers manager, so it wouldn’t be wholly accurate or fair to compare him to a midfielder who enjoyed playing further forward.

In other news, many West Ham fans react to this Jesse Lingard update

Some West Ham supporters are hugely excited after the Hammers were drawn against Tottenham in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.

David Moyes’ side are flying at the moment, excelling across three competitions. In the Premier League, the Irons have continued their impressive form from last season and again look like finishing in the European places.

Meanwhile, the Hammers have a 100% record in the Europa League after three matches, as well as reaching the last eight of the Carabao Cup, ending Manchester City’s hopes of winning the trophy for a fifth consecutive season this week.

On Saturday, Moyes’ men were pitted against Spurs in the draw for the last eight, with the match taking place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the week commencing 20 December.

West Ham’s official Twitter channel confirmed the news, with supporters having a mouthwatering clash coming up just before Christmas

West Ham fans react to Carabao Cup draw

These Hammers fans took to Twitter to react positively to the draw against Spurs, who they defeated 1-0 in east London just last week.

“Let’s gooooo”

Credit: @SHeathS80

“2-0 West Ham it will be, very confident about this one bring it on, COYI”

Credit: @taylor27whu

“Fantastic”

Credit: @hollseey

“Let’s ave it”

Credit: @deTBackwards

“Give us the trophy now!”

Credit: @HarryCoton27

“Yeah we’re winning the lot”

Credit: @iamdannyoh

In other news, an expert is concerned by an injury to one West Ham player. Read more here.

Many Wolves fans have been left buzzing as some news emerged involving Max Kilman.

As per the official Twitter page of the Midlands club, the central defender has won their Castore Player of the Month (POTM) for August, gaining no fewer than 45% of the supporters’ overall vote.

Kilman has been a revelation so far this season, ranking highly among his teammates in terms of tackles (2.5), interceptions (1.2) and clearances (2.2) per game in the Premier League (Whoscored).

Nonetheless, he has played the most minutes out of any defender under Bruno Lage in the division this term, showing how important of a player he has become, and at 24 years of age, still has room to improve.

Nonetheless, it is good to see that his performances are being recognised by the club.

Wolves fans on Kilman news

These members of the Molineux faithful buzzed as the news on Kilman’s award was shared on Twitter:

“Love to see it. Congrats Max!”

Credit: @ScrumRucker

“Let’s goooo”

Credit: @PedroBackOfNeto

“Well deserved @maxkilman superb!! Glad to see you getting stronger and stronger this should only breed your confidence now going forward keep it up!!”

Credit: @bo88om

“My Goat”

Credit: @FutsalMaldini

“Did he? Is right”

Credit: @bigafizzy

“Killer”

Credit: @tod1877

In other news, find out what transfer news has Wanderers fuming here!