Everton finally have a point next to their name in the early Premier League standings, after picking up a draw away at Steve Cooper’s Leicester City on Saturday.

Sean Dyche’s men would have wanted to travel back to Merseyside with all three points in hand, but a late equaliser from Stephy Mavididi for the hosts unfortunately denied the Toffees a first victory in the league.

There were still plenty of positives for the Everton boss to latch onto come full-time, despite the disappointing scoreline, which would have included the standout performance of new signing Iliman Ndiaye who shone throughout even when the rain biblically lashed down at the King Power Stadium.

Ndiaye's performance vs Leicester

Previously starring in the English game with Sheffield United, but in the Championship, Ndiaye will want to use his debut season with his new employers in Everton to prove he can dazzle and entertain when making the step-up to top-flight life.

The 24-year-old certainly left his impact on proceedings at the King Power in his early quest to prove himself in the Premier League when he scored the opening goal of the contest, having combined well with midfield teammate Abdoulaye Doucouré, before firing home a fierce shot off the post past Foxes goalkeeper Mads Hermansen.

Away from this stunning strike, Ndiaye was also trying to create openings to help get his teammates in on the goalscoring act, with four key passes notched up, alongside attempting five dribbles to keep the home side’s defence on their toes.

Substituted off with nine minutes left to go in the contest, the Senegalese attacking midfielder would have been pleased with his shift and will now be eager to push on going forward in upcoming league games to add to his Toffees account.

The ex-Blades gem wasn’t the only bright spark in the midfield areas versus Leicester, however, with Dwight McNeil also standing out for the visitors.

McNeil's performance vs Leicester

Lining up in the lone attacking midfielder spot again behind Dominic Calvert-Lewin seems to be working wonders for the former Burnley man, who picked up a goal and an assist against Aston Villa from his spot the game before travelling to Leicester.

McNeil couldn’t quite join Ndiaye in picking up another strike for his season resume though, but it wasn’t through lack of trying, with four shots registered at Hermansen’s busy net.

McNeil’s numbers vs Leicester

Stat

McNeil

Minutes played

90

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Shots

4

Touches

60

Accurate passes

32/36 (89%)

Key passes

3

Successful dribbles

2/5

Total duels won

5/11

Possession lost

15x

Stats by Sofascore

Looking at the table above, McNeil was a lively performer for the away side throughout, amassing 60 touches of the ball in total and always wanting to get his side on the front foot subsequently, with three key passes and two successful dribbles also tallied up.

Also winning five duels in the contest to give his game a bit of an added bite, the 24-year-old continues to be one of the first names on Dyche’s team sheet currently, with no minutes missed in the Premier League this campaign yet for the Toffees number seven.

McNeil was handed a 7/10 rating post-match by Liverpool Echo journalist Chris Beesley, who described some of the ex-Burnley midfielder’s passes on the day as ‘inviting’.

Despite both McNeil and Ndiaye performing well, that elusive first three points of the season still manages to evade the Toffees, with Oliver Glasner’s Crystal Palace up next for Dyche’s men at Goodison Park.

The under-pressure 53-year-old will no doubt go back to the drawing board when it comes to certain players in his starting XI, but both McNeil and Ndiaye are unlikely to be dropped for the test of the Eagles next weekend.

Related Maupay arrived instead: Lampard wanted Everton to sign "£100m player"

The Toffees appear to have made a major error in not signing the star.

Posts 1 ByEthan Lamb Sep 18, 2024

Plymouth have parted ways with head coach Wayne Rooney, with the club sitting bottom of the Championship.

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Rooney and Plymouth part waysPilgrims sit bottom of ChampionshipOn a nine-match winless runFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Rooney and Plymouth have agreed to mutually part ways following an abysmal start to the Championship campaign. The Pilgrims are rock-bottom, winning just four of their 23 matches and sitting four points from safety. The Manchester United legend took over in the summer but will be looking for another new role in 2025 as his latest managerial venture comes to an end. Plymouth have confirmed assistant coach Mike Phelan and first-team coach Stephen Ireland will also be departing.

AdvertisementWHAT ROONEY SAID

In a statement released by the club, Rooney said: "I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Board of Plymouth Argyle Football Club, in particular Simon Hallett and Neil Dewsnip who I shared great relationships with. Thanks also to all the staff who made me feel welcome and who make the club such a special place, the players and fans for their efforts and support during my time as Head Coach and I wish them all the best for the future.

"To the Green Army thanks for making the games at Home Park so special, they are memories that we will share forever. I would also like to give a special mention to my coaching staff Kevin Nancekivell, Simon Ireland, Darryl Flahavan and Mike Phelan for their knowledge, dedication, help and support. Plymouth Argyle will always hold a special place in my heart, and I will continue to look out for and take interest in their results."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Rooney's seven-month stint at Plymouth had few positives and it is another negative mark when it comes to his reputation as a manager. Having now had spells at Derby, D.C United and Birmingham all lasting less than two seasons, it remains to be seen whether the Manchester United legend will continue down his current path, or move back into the world of punditry. There is no doubt that Rooney was one of the best players of the 21st century, but as a manager, he has yet to prove himself at the top level.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

No one knows what the future looks like for Rooney, but at Plymouth, there will be a fresh determination to avoid the drop. The club have confirmed that first-team coach Kevin Nancekivell and club captain Joe Edwards will lead the team ahead of the Pilgrims' clash with Bristol City on New Year's Day.

Ipswich Town will know that this current Premier League campaign is a marathon and not a sprint, with their main aim obviously being to avoid relegation straight back down to the Championship.

The Tractor Boys couldn’t stave off relegation during the 2001/02 season, however, after iconic former Ipswich boss George Burley had guided the Suffolk side to unbelievably play in the UEFA Cup just the campaign prior.

Burley’s underdogs even faced off against Inter Milan in this competition before their demise down to the second tier, with Kieran McKenna just hopeful that he can get enough out of his troops in the here and now to beat the drop.

Titus Bramble was a promising young defender around the same time Ipswich last fell down to the Championship, with the homegrown Tractor Boys product going on to eventually win himself a big move, after his then employers exited the top-flight.

Bramble's time at Ipswich

Before he would go on to become a household name in the Premier League – with 292 games in the elite division managed by the time he retired – Bramble would cut his teeth at Ipswich to start off his fledging career.

Bramble would make 61 appearances in total for the Tractor Boys before seeking out pastures new in 2002, with three goals scored from the centre-back along the way, including even memorably scoring in the UEFA Cup.

Despite only featuring 18 times during his side’s relegation season, Bramble would still manage to win himself a bumper move to Newcastle United, costing the Magpies a hefty £6.1m to land his services.

That doesn’t seem too excessive compared to Ipswich’s spending this summer just gone, however, with the newly promoted outfit splurging out around the £15m mark to land Hull City centre-back Jacob Greaves to strengthen at the back for the step-up.

But, if the same deal took place today for Bramble to switch allegiances to Tyneside, the one-time Ipswich prodigy would go for far more.

That can be calculated using Totally Money’s Transfer Index, with the defender coming in as being worth way more than Greaves’ £15m fee, by the standards of today’s inflated transfer landscape.

Bramble's worth in 2024

According to the Transfer Index, the same deal would cost Newcastle in the here and now an eye-watering £23.4m, far above the £15m forked out to snap up Greaves’ signature recently.

Ipswich wouldn’t have been too gutted about their defender’s exit further down the line, however, considering the amount they actually did sell him on for at the time was substantial, but also the fact Bramble ended up struggling away from Portman Road.

Club played for

Games played

Goals scored

Assists

Newcastle

157

7

2

Wigan Athletic

104

5

3

Sunderland

51

1

0

Whilst the former ten-time England U21 international would be a hit with the St James’ Park faithful during his lengthy stay there, with ex-Ipswich great Sir Robby Robson even helping to oversee early development at the Magpies, Bramble won’t be fondly remembered by those on Wearside when he crossed enemy lines to play for Sunderland.

Bramble would end up being released by the Black Cats in 2013 after 51 games, bringing to an end to his Premier League playing days in the process.

Greaves will still take some inspiration from Bramble’s career, however, as he aims to become an established top-flight defender in his own right, having excelled in the second tier with Hull previously.

He has a big price-tag to live up to, but with a clean sheet already under his belt under Brighton and Hove Albion recently, the towering 24-year-old could be key for McKenna going forward as his side aim to stay above the dreaded bottom three spaces in the league.

Ipswich flop who left in 2021 is now outscoring both Delap & Szmodics

This former Ipswich Town striker just never got into his goalscoring groove at Portman Road.

ByKelan Sarson Sep 18, 2024

Pakistan’s focus now on the Tests, says the pacer, with the series being a key one for his side in the new World Test Championship cycle

Danyal Rasool04-Aug-2021An early 1-0 lead that’s consolidated by not much happening for the rest of the contest sounds like something out of Jose Mourinho’s playbook, but if ever a cricketing equivalent were to have such a result, you’d put good money on Misbah-ul-Haq being the mastermind. There weren’t too many tactics involved in that scoreline, though, with uncooperative weather ensuring a T20I in Guyana was all the cricket that could be played, and once Pakistan edged West Indies in it, there was little West Indies could do to prevent a Pakistan series win.But while the weather might be the enduring narrative from what should have been a five-match series (even before the weather played foul, Covid-19 cut into the schedule), Pakistan fast bowler Hasan Ali insisted a series win at the home of the defending T20 world champions meant a lot to his side. “Winning away to a side with such firepower that they can hurt you anytime is great. A win is a win and we’re very happy with the series victory in the West Indies,” he said. “We’re all disappointed because we wanted to play. Even when it was raining we were all raring to go. But the weather is not in our control. Of course, the disappointment is we couldn’t prepare properly away to a champion side.”We had to learn some lessons from the England series, and we’re working on our bowling in the middle and the death. I really like our bowling unit right now, and also my personal form. As a bowling unit, we trust each other and our coaches trust us too. Of course, we have to improve, but we have a month or two to hone our skills ahead of the T20 World Cup.”

“We’re not looking forward to the India match right now at all, to be honest with you. That’s still very far away. My focus is just on these two Tests right now”Hasan Ali on the T20 World Cup game against India

There’s another assignment, though, before the focus shifts completely to the shortest format. A two-match Test series against West Indies starting next week, to kick off the new World Test Championship (WTC) cycle for both sides. Unlike the last cycle, which somewhat passed Pakistan by, the fixtures and scheduling have fallen in a way that represents a real chance for Babar Azam’s side to claim a spot in the final come 2023. The upcoming two-match series presents arguably Pakistan’s most challenging away fixtures in this cycle, with the other away series against Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.That, of course, makes performing in this Test series that much more important, and Ali said the series was his side’s primary focus for the moment.”We’re looking forward to the Tests; we have a few days to get used to the red ball. I’ll try to capitalise on my form and the rhythm I’ve got going for now,” Ali said. “Our team is very balanced. We have plenty of spinners with Yasir [Shah] coming back, and in dry conditions like these that’s very useful.”Then we also have [pace options in] Shaheen [Afridi], Naseem [Shah], [Mohammad] Abbas and myself. We’ve won the last two Test series [against West Indies] and we’re looking to continue that and get the WTC off in victorious fashion.”Facing up to the usual, mandatory question on Pakistan being drawn in the same group as India in the T20 World Cup group, Ali was clear that it was not something the team was dwelling on. “We’re not looking forward to the India match right now at all, to be honest with you,” he said. “That’s still very far away. My focus is just on these two Tests right now.”

John Obi Mikel took another dig at a misfiring Nicolas Jackson as he urged Chelsea to sign Victor Osimhen, Alexander Isak or Viktor Gyokeres.

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• Jackson hasn't scored in last four games
• Chelsea have dropped 10 points during this period
• Mikel wants top-tier striker

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Jackson started the season with promise but has struggled to find the back of the net in the recent past. The forward has failed to score in Chelsea's last four games, a period where the team squandered crucial points and slipped further behind Premier League leaders Liverpool.

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• Getty
  

  WHAT MIKEL SAID

  Mikel, a known critic of Jackson, addressed this issue during , stating that Chelsea's lack of clinical finishing is hindering their progress.

  "We are creating chances, we are still playing well, we are still doing the right things but we’re not clinical enough, we’re not scoring goals," Mikel said.

  "We’ve talked about getting another top, top striker who can win us these kind of games, difficult games where if Nicolas Jackson is not firing on all cylinders you can give him a rest and then get someone else to come into the team and try to win us games and score goals. We are not clinical enough, he is not scoring enough goals. He puts himself in the right positions but then he’s not finishing, he’s not scoring enough.

  "He’s not a striker who’s going to get us to the top four or win us the Premier League title. He’s not that striker. I don’t think he can get us over the line in terms of winning trophies. For me, he’s a player who can link up play, he’s good on the ball but he’s not scoring enough goals."

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Mikel emphasized that Chelsea need a top-tier striker to complement Jackson or even replace him when necessary. He went on to specifically name Victor Osimhen, Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres, and Newcastle's Alexander Isak as players who could significantly improve the team's offensive capabilities.

  "If we had Victor Osimhen or the guy from Sporting, Viktor Gyokeres, trust me, we’d still be competing for the Premier League," Mikel added. "Nicolas is not scoring enough, the finishing, he needs to find a way. For me it’s a bit of a worry because we’re not scoring enough.

  "Without Cole Palmer I don’t know where we would’ve been this season, definitely not where we are right now, he’s carrying the team on his shoulders, he’s creating chances, scoring goals, what more can he do? One goal in six [from Jackson] is not good enough. You talk about top, top strikers, look at Isak at Newcastle, he’s flying, that’s what we need."

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• WHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA & JACKSON?

  Chelsea's relatively light January schedule provides a window of opportunity to recalibrate their approach. They face League Two side Morecambe in the FA Cup third round on January 11, followed by league matches at Stamford Bridge against Bournemouth and Wolves. These fixtures could allow Jackson to regain his confidence and fire on all cylinders until the business end of the season.

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou is poised to hand one Spurs teenager first-team minutes over the next 10 days, coming after the youngster has seriously impressed coaching and backroom staff at Hotspur Way.

Tottenham escape Coventry with dramatic 2-1 victory

It was very nearly one of Postecoglou’s most embarrassing nights in the Lilywhites dugout on Wednesday evening, with Championship side Coventry City minutes away from causing a real upset in the EFL Cup.

Ange without injured £134k-per-week Tottenham star alongside Wilson Odobert

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ByEmilio Galantini Sep 21, 2024

Postecoglou, speaking after their North London Derby defeat to Arsenal last weekend, appeared to promise supporters that he will deliver silverware this season – when the tactician remarked that he “always” wins trophies in his second season in charge.

“I’ll correct myself – I don’t usually win things, I always win things in my second year,” said Postecoglou on his record as a manager.

“Nothing’s changed. I’ve said it now. I don’t say things unless I believe them.”

That pledge was in real danger of looking silly earlier this week, when Coventry star Brandon Thomas-Asante gave the home side a shock lead just past the hour mark to give Spurs a serious scare.

Rodrigo Bentancur

7.8/10

Destiny Udogie

7.6/10

Djed Spence

7.5/10

Ben Davies

7.4/10

Brennan Johnson

7.3/10

It was an uninspiring performance from Postecoglou’s side overall, but their heart and character was on full display in the dying minutes. Right-back Djed Spence fired in an 88th minute equaliser before Brennan Johnson, who has been subject to online abuse recently, scored the winner to send Tottenham into the EFL Cup fourth round.

The smash-and-grab nature of their victory at Coventry could even spark a revival, following what has been a tepid start to the new campaign for Spurs. It also gives hope to fringe players of the squad who are eager to fight their way into Postecoglou’s plans.

Spence was on the verge of joining Genoa in the summer, but the Englishman helped Tottenham to claw their way back against Coventry and could be set for more roles this term – which is quite the comeback from where he was this time last year.

Ange poised to play Tottenham youngster Lucas Bergvall

According to GiveMeSport, young teenage midfielder Lucas Bergvall could be set for more game time over the next 10 days, starting with their clash against London rivals Brentford this afternoon.

The Swede, signed from Djurgarden earlier this year for around £8.5 million, was given his full debut against Coventry – starting the encounter and seemingly doing enough to impress Postecoglou.

GMS write that Postecoglou is poised to play Bergvall in Tottenham’s next few games, and it is believed that the 18-year-old has been impressing backroom staff behind-the-scenes at N17.

The £15,000-per-week Bergvall looks to be a highly promising talent, with pundit Marca Palma even likening him to Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong following some good outings for Sweden at international level this year.

“Then there is the 2006 Lucas Bergvall, Swedish central attacking midfielder, 187cm, of Tottenham,” said Palma to TUTTOmercatoWEB (via Sport Witness).

“For many the most gifted 2006 in the European panorama, in Sweden he arrived in the first team at 16 years old. Great ability to play the ball, high level vision of the game, elegance on the pitch, gifted with excellent technique and enormous versatility.

“In July 2024 he was bought by Tottenham who paid 10 million for him and immediately included him in the first team. Senior national team he entered in both matches played by Sweden demonstrating great mastery on the pitch. Reminiscent of Frankie De Jong but more offensive.”

MatériaMais Notícias

O meia-atacante Douglas Costa vai desfalcar o Grêmio na partida contra o Corinthians, no próximo domingo, na Neo Química Arena, pela 37ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro.

+ Veja no aplicativo do LANCE! o resultado dos jogos da rodada

Na boa vitória sobre o São Paulo nesta quinta-feira, o camisa 10 recebeu o terceiro cartão amarelo e está automaticamente suspenso da decisão.

O lance que gerou o cartão foi de mera desatenção. No segundo tempo, Douglas Costa demorou para sair de campo ao ser substituído e o árbitro não perdoou.

Sem Douglas Costa, o Grêmio busca os três pontos fora de casa e precisa vencer para continuar vivo na luta contra a queda.

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Pep Guardiola revealed what he told Stefan Ortega in a bizarre outburst on the pitch after Manchester City's collapse at Brentford.

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Guardiola lifted lid on Ortega rantMan City gave up a two-goal leadBrentford held Man City to a 2-2 drawFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?

Manchester City were just 12 minutes away from registering their third consecutive win in the Premier League for the first time since October with a two-goal lead at the Gtech Community Stadium, but Brentford scored two late goals to snatch away the victory from the champions. Phil Foden scored a brace in the second half, but Yoane Wissa and Christian Norgaard's late goals denied City all three points.

AdvertisementAFPTHE BIGGER PICTURE

After the full-time whistle, manager Guardiola appeared to rage at goalkeeper Stefan Ortega, who perhaps could have done a better job keeping out Norgaard's late header. The Spanish coach cut a frustrated figure but also repeatedly embraced Ortega with a wide-eyed look on his face in bizarre scenes. He was also seen having a serious conversation with Josko Gvardiol and Savinho. The City boss, however, clarified that he did not admonish the players.

WHAT PEP GUARDIOLA SAID

Speaking to reporters, the 53-year-old said: "I was satisfied, we’re talking one action. The same with Ortega, I said how good he played in the actions with the ball, had good passes to Erling [Haaland], how happy and satisfied I am, especially with these two players with what they have done."

Guardiola was also asked about Foden's admission that City players were 'leggy' in the closing stages, and replied with a wry smile: "Yeah, that’s why I replaced him."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER CITY?

The Cityzens, who are sixth in the table after 21 games, will be back in action on Sunday as they take on Ipswich Town in another important Premier League clash at Portman Road.

حقق فريق الجزيرة فوزًا ثمينًا على نظيره النصر، بثلاثية مقابل هدفين، في المباراة التي جمعت بينهما مساء اليوم ضمن منافسات الدوري الإماراتي للمحترفين.

وأقيم اللقاء على ملعب آل مكتوم في الجولة الـ17 من عمر الدوري، حيث شهد إثارة كبيرة حتى الدقائق الأخيرة، ليحسم الجزيرة النقاط الثلاث لصالحه.

فيديو | اشتباك بالأيدي بين محمد النني ومدرب بني ياس في الدوري الإماراتي

وشهد اللقاء مشاركة النجم المصري محمد النني أساسيًا في صفوف الجزيرة، حيث قدّم أداءً مميزًا في خط الوسط، وساهم في تحقيق التوازن بين الدفاع والهجوم، وأثبتت خبرته أهميتها خلال المواجهة، خاصة في الدقائق الأخيرة التي شهدت ضغطًا مكثفًا من النصر بحثًا عن التعادل.

ودخل الجزيرة المباراة بقوة، وفرض سيطرته على مجريات اللعب، لينجح رامون ميريز في افتتاح التسجيل مبكرًا عند الدقيقة 22 بتسديدة قوية سكنت شباك النصر، وقبل نهاية الشوط الأول، عزز النجم الجزائري نبيل فقير تقدم أصحاب الأرض بهدف رائع في الدقيقة 40، لينهي الجزيرة الشوط الأول متقدمًا 2-0.

ومع بداية الشوط الثاني، واصل الجزيرة ضغطه الهجومي، ونجح نيكسنيس كيبانو في تسجيل الهدف الثالث بالدقيقة 60، ليضع النصر في موقف صعب، ومع ذلك، لم يستسلم الفريق الضيف، حيث تمكن علي مبخوت من تقليص الفارق بتسجيله هدف النصر الأول في الدقيقة 71، قبل أن يضيف جلوبر ليما الهدف الثاني في الدقيقة 81، ليشعل الدقائق الأخيرة من المباراة. 

وفي الدقيقة السادسة بعد التسعين، كاد فريق الجزيرة أن يطلق رصاصة الرحمة في وجه النصر بتسجيله الهدف الرابع، إلا أن راية التسلل حالت دون احتسابه.

بهذا الفوز، رفع الجزيرة رصيده إلى 27 نقطة من 8 انتصارات و3 تعادلات، مقابل 5 خسائر، مع تبقي مباراة مؤجلة له، محتلًا المركز الخامس في جدول ترتيب الدوري الإماراتي.

بينما تجمد رصيد النصر عند 26 نقطة، بعد تلقيه الخسارة السابعة، مقابل 8 انتصارات وتعادلين، ليظل في منطقة المنافسة على المراكز المتقدمة، متواجدًا في المرتبة السابعة.

Everton welcome Crystal Palace to Goodison Park on Saturday afternoon, and Sean Dyche will know that a poor result will leave him skidding on the thinnest of ice.

Five matches have yielded one draw and four defeats in the Premier League so far, and while a sliver of respite can be taken in the fact that Everton have led in each of their past matches, a more cynical outlook would point toward a lack of togetherness and confidence.

Dyche has always always prided himself in the strength and discipline of his teams. Unity and coherence wrapped inside a drilled understanding of defensive duties and how to shuttle the ball forward in direct sequences. This year, so far, Everton’s defence is fragile and shaky, and things do not look good.

Only… The Friedkin Group are set to complete a majority takeover from Farhad Moshiri, and the Merseysiders could finally have a new direction to end these gloomy and interminable seasons of struggle.

Will Dyche front this project? He’ll be out the door in a flash if he doesn’t turn things around, with Everton sniffing around for an exciting replacement.

Everton already considering Sean Dyche replacement

Should Dyche be dismissed, former Chelsea and Brighton & Hove Albion manager Graham Potter has been earmarked. According to reports from Football Insider last weekend, the tactician is very interested in taking the Everton job, should it become available in the coming weeks or months.

Potter has been out of work since being sacked by Chelsea in April 2023, less than seven months into his tenure. He can’t take all the blame, though, for the Blues were a turbulent mess and Potter was simply unable to bring it all together.

At Everton, he could find the start of an exciting new project, one that embraces his methodologies as it looks to pull away from the route-one football that Dyche designs. Potter has been hailed as “a genius” by journalist Sam Morton.

He champions interchangeable formations and fluid football, always keen to retain the ball and drive it forward though – Potter could be the new stylistic injection to send Everton back into the ascendancy after so long away.

But he could also lift that aforesaid defensive fragility, patch it up and make it into something new. Indeed, he might even be the perfect manager to turn Jarrad Branthwaite into a world-beater.

Why Potter could make Branthwaite unplayable

Talent scout Jacek Kulig called Branthwaite an “absolute monster” for his performances at the rear last season, excelling alongside the industrious and experienced James Tarkowski and keeping 12 clean sheets from 35 matches, incredibly winning 68% of his duels.

1.

Arsenal

18

2.

Man City

17

3.

Everton

13

4.

Liverpool

10

5.

Fulham

10

He’s a titan of a player. At 6 foot 5, Branthwaite is framed to succeed as a centre-half, but he does need to work on his distribution.

Of course, Dyche’s system precludes Everton defenders from playing like Sergio Ramos. Last season, the Goodison Park side posted an average possession of just 41%.

Centre-backs like Branthwaite were and still are expected to make clearances and defend Jordan Pickford’s goal as a dog would defend a bone in a kennel. It worked.

It also, however, meant that the 22-year-old was unable to implement a fluid passing game. As per FBref, he ranked among the bottom 28% of Premier League centre-backs last season for pass completion, the bottom 18% for progressive passes and the bottom 18% for passes attempted.

This is where Potter comes in. The English manager likes to enforce a flexible system that promotes slick passing and enhances high-energy pressing.

In 2021/22, his final full season with Brighton, Potter recorded a 54.4% possession average in the Premier League – the fourth-highest in the division and finished ninth in the table.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast's Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

His centre-backs embodied this control-focused style. Captain Lewis Dunk ranked among the top 18% of Premier League defenders for pass completion, whereas the more dynamic Adam Webster ranked among the top 15% for passes attempted and the top 2% for progressive passes per 90. Branthwaite need only find the right manager to guide him to prominence, he’s already demonstrated such prodigious potential.

Former CEO Keith Wyness has proclaimed Branthwaite a “generational” talent, which is high praise indeed. But he’s the talk of the town for a reason and could be the difference-maker for imperilled Everton this year.

If Dyche is dismissed and Potter brought in, there’s a real chance that he could sharpen the ball-playing skills needed to rise to that next level. The 49-year-old might even fashion him into the best in the Premier League.

Everton could hire "fantastic" new manager who'd revive Calvert-Lewin

Everton could revitalise DCL with fantastic new managerial appointment

1 ByConnor Holden Sep 26, 2024