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There has been a further update in Liverpool's pursuit to sign Federico Chiesa, with reports from Gazzetta dello Sport, via Sport Witness, stating that the Reds will stump up the player's wage demands and are ready to step up their interest in the player.

How many goals has Federico Chiesa scored?

The forward has struggled with injuries over the last 12 months or so, and that has meant his form and his gametime has slightly tailed off for current club Juventus. He could manage only six league starts for the Turin outfit over the course of the 2022/23 season for example and whilst he did play in 21 games overall, he had to make do with largely substitute appearances. It meant that, in total, he had only 9.5 lots of 90 minutes over the course of the entire campaign – his worst ever amount in a season.

In spite of this, Chiesa still managed to score two goals and bag five assists. Whilst not quite hitting the heights of his peak Juventus days or his time at Fiorentina, it shows that he is still capable of hitting the back of the net and creating things offensively when he is match fit and able to get onto the field. Juve though have struggled this season and with the club slumping to seventh – and missing out on the Champions League – it appears he may now be sold on.

Are Liverpool signing Chiesa?

One of the teams most interested in snapping up the Italy international is Liverpool. The Premier League side are reportedly willing to offer up to £34m to try and bring the winger in this summer, although that comes well below the Serie A side's valuation of him.

Now, according to a report from Gazzetta dello Sport via Sport Witness, this interest from the Reds is hotting up, with the side ready to not only stump up the player's huge wage demands of 8 million Euros (or £6.8m) a year but also preparing to make a "concrete" bid for his services next week.

It even adds that Jurgen Klopp is a big fan of the move, stating that he is a "great sponsor" for the deal being done. They've had "big manouveres" with the player's agent, so things are already happening behind the scenes it seems.

He's a player that is viewed as having a lot of talent in the eyes of media members. Football journalist Josh Bunting stated that Chiesa is a "real difference maker" and has been "one of the most exciting players around" for some time, while former Itlay striker Antonio Di Natale is a huge fan of the player, praising his unpredictability in posession and drive for improvement.

If Chiesa can get back to full fitness and play regularly again then, he could be a real asset to any club – and it appears that the club closest to signing him may just be Liverpool.

The French champions' European campaign started with a 2-0 win at Parc des Princes, buoyed by a strong showing from the young midfielder

Although Kylian Mbappe and Achraf Hakimi grabbed the goals, it was the silky performance of polarising midfielder Vitinha that was key in Paris Saint-Germain's 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund. After a drab first half, PSG sprung into life in the second, and ran out deserved winners against a well-drilled Dortmund side.

Vitinha came closest in the first half, rattling the post from distance after a quick interchange in the final third. Things changed swiftly in the second, though, as Niklas Sule handled the ball in the box after a sweeping PSG move and Mbappe buried the ensuing penalty with ease.

They doubled their advantage 10 minutes later, Hakimi strolling through the Dortmund defence and finishing after a quick interchange with Vitinha. PSG were a constant threat for the remainder of the half, the front three of Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Randal Kolo Muani causing problems on the break. But it all rooted from Vitinha, the midfielder offering a valuable link between the two areas of the pitch.

Dortmund came close to making things interesting when substitute Jamie Bynoe-Gittens rattled the post from outside the box with 10 minutes remaining. But PSG were otherwise reasonably comfortable, the first European showing of this new-look side offering plenty of promise.

GOAL rates PSG's players from Parc des Princes…

Getty ImagesGoalkeeper & Defence

Gianluigi Donnarumma (6/10):

Only had the one save to make. Distributed well — a part of his game that will need to improve under Luis Enrique.

Achraf Hakimi (8/10):

His goal was wonderful, beating two players before adding a calm touch. He got forward effectively, tracked back well. One of the world's best, on his day.

Marquinhos (7/10):

Had little to do, but one excellent clearance ensured that PSG's lead remained secure late in the second half. Was solid at full-back in the closing minutes.

Milan Skriniar (6/10):

Pulled around by Adeyemi and Malen in the first half. More effective against a bigger forward in the second.

Lucas Hernandez (6/10):

A steady presence behind Mbappe. Didn't do loads going forward, but kept things tight at the back.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesMidfield

Warren Zaire-Emery (8/10):

Put a shift in, but was also immensely effective on the ball. Dortmund tried to match up man-for-man in midfield, the teenager still managed to find space.

Manuel Ugarte (7/10):

Avoided a late injury scare to earn his spot in the XI. Started slowly, but was more effective in the second half. Clean in possession, which Luis Enrique will like.

Vitinha (8/10):

Excellent in the build-up to Hakimi's goal. Hit the post in the first half. A performance to answer the critics after a slow opening to the season.

Getty ImagesAttack

Ousmane Dembele (5/10):

The busier, if less effective, of the two wingers. Dribbled around people a lot, but some of his decision making was very poor.

Randal Kolo Muani (6/10):

Preferred over Ramos for his full debut. Happy to run in the channels, and played some good stuff with either winger. He would've liked a goal, though.

Kylian Mbappe (7/10):

Scored the opener — his eighth of the season — from the penalty spot after not having much of an influence in the first half. Although he lacked sharpness in front of goal, some of his passing was wonderful.

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Getty ImagesSubs & Manager

Goncalo Ramos (6/10):

Unlucky not to start ahead of Kolo Muani. Had the ball in the net, but saw his effort chalked off.

Lee Kang-in (7/10):

A solid cameo that suggests he deserves to see the pitch more often.

Danilo Pereira (N/A):

Late legs for Hernandez. He'll be a valuable player in the coming months.

Luis Enrique (8/10):

Deployed his strongest side, and after a poor first half, they came alive in the second. PSG were comfortable, and he will feel that there's plenty more to come. Promising from the Parisians.

Atletico Madrid sunk Pep Guardiola's treble winners thanks to tremendous long range strikes from Memphis Depay and Yannick Carrasco

A pair of sizzling goals from Memphis Depay and Yannick Carrasco brought Manchester City back down to earth as Atletico Madrid beat the treble winners 2-1 in the last match of their pre-season tour.

The match at the Seoul World Cup Stadium was in danger of being called off after a thunderstorm but following a 45-minute delay, the friendly finally kicked off. But it was no friendly.

Pep Guardiola named a formidable starting XI but Diego Simeone's side were as fiercely competitive and intense as usual and were the better team for much of the match. After missing a slew of chances they found their breakthrough thanks to a tremendous strike from outside the area from Memphis.

Carrasco then scored an even better goal to double Atletico's lead but Ruben Dias, who was unusually lacklustre, reduced the deficit late on with a thumping header. However, City could not respond again and slumped to their first defeat since losing to Brentford on the final day of last season.

GOAL looks at what we learned during the clash at Seoul World Cup Stadium.

Getty Dias looking rusty

The towering Portuguese is normally the one defender City can rely on but he was not on it today. Dias gave the ball away on several occasions and in dangerous areas too. He was fortunate that Pablo Barrios did not give Atleti the lead when he presented him with the ball and it fell on Stefan Ortega to get him out of jail.

He also gifted a chance to Memphis which the Dutchman failed to take advantage of, sending the ball over the bar. Dias did not heed the warnings, however, and he was careless in possession once more and just moments later Carrasco scored.

He sought to make amends with a crashing header which gave City faint hope but that should not mask the fact he was way off the pace. The Portuguese was one of Guardiola's most consistent performers in the final stretch of last season but will need to be sharper when the Premier League season begins.

AdvertisementGetty Kovacic is no Gundogan in front of goal

It is a far from easy to come in and replace a modern club legend like Ilkay Gundogan but that is ultimately what Mateo Kovacic has been tasked with doing. The Croatian still looks like a good fit for City but one area he desperately needs to improve in is his finishing.

He was presented with a glorious chance to give City the lead early in the first half, arriving in the area to meet the ball first time. It was the type of chance Gundogan would have had for breakfast, but Kovacic spooned the ball over the bar.

Gundogan scored 60 goals for City and always seemed to find the net on the biggest occasions. Kovacic, meanwhile, struck just six times in 221 games for Chelsea. He has a lot of work to do.

GettyAtletico don't do friendlies

Diego Simeone is the type of man who almost certainly cheats in board games with the family at Christmas. And he does not understand the concept of a friendly match.

Atletico treated this game as if it were a Champions League knockout game. Indeed, you could argue they showed more ambition in Seoul than for most of their quarter-final tie with City two seasons ago, which ended in a mass brawl.

There were no punches thrown here but tempers flared on a number of occasions and Rodrigo De Paul was in a particularly combative mood. While City seemed to fade in the second half, Atletico turned the screw. They thoroughly deserved the win and, on this evidence, City will be hoping to avoid them in the Champions League group stage draw.

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Getty ImagesMemphis and Carrasco show class is permanent

Atletico's two goalscorers have had strange careers. Memphis was good enough to be signed by Manchester United at the age of 21 but his time at Old Trafford was a disaster and it was only years later that he managed to get his career back on track.

Carrasco, meanwhile, scored in the 2016 Champions League final and was a crucial player for Atletico but then two years later decided to move to the Chinese Super League. He saw sense in the end and has been back to his best since returning to Atletico in 2020.

And against the European champions and treble winners, they proved their enduring class. Memphis looked threatening throughout the match and struck the ball perfectly to break the deadlock from outside the area. Carrasco then pulled off a zig-zagging run down the left wing before producing a thumping low finish.

Virat Kohli scored yet another hundred in a chase, an unbeaten 154, as India hunted down 286 to take a 2-1 lead in the ODI series

The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy23-Oct-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details4:44

Agarkar: India overdependent on Kohli while chasing

Virat Kohli scored yet another hundred in a chase, an unbeaten 154, as India hunted down 286 to take a 2-1 lead in the ODI series. India lost their openers with only 41 on the board, before Kohli and MS Dhoni, who promoted himself to No. 4, added 151 for the third wicket to bring the equation down to 94 from 85 balls. New Zealand may have sensed an opening, given the inexperience of India’s middle order, but Manish Pandey showed no nerves in adding an unbroken 97 with Kohli to steer India home with 10 balls remaining.The team batting second had won each of the last three ODIs in Mohali before this, chasing down 299, 258 and 304. Given that recent trend, given the likelihood of dew setting in under lights, and given Kohli’s record in chases, New Zealand probably needed at least 300 to test India on a flat batting surface with true bounce.They looked like they would get there, when a 73-run second-wicket partnership between Tom Latham and Ross Taylor took them to 153 for 2 in the 29th over, but a middle-order collapse cost them what turned out to be a significant amount of momentum. They lost six wickets for 46 runs in the space of 9.2 overs. James Neesham and Matt Henry added 84 for the ninth wicket to rejuvenate their innings, but their total of 285 was probably 20 runs short of posing India a serious challenge.Then they did the unthinkable: Kohli was on 6 when he opened his bat face to try and dab Henry to third man. He was probably looking to place the ball finer than he did, but ended up steering it straight to Taylor at wide slip. Tumbling to his right, Taylor dropped a regulation low catch.Either side of that, though, they sent back Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit Sharma, and prompted Dhoni to walk in earlier than he usually does in ODIs. With Kohli and Dhoni at the crease, plenty of hard running was to be expected, but they also found the boundary regularly, going after Mitchell Santner and Neesham to hit four fours and a six from overs 15 to 18. The six, sent soaring over long-off against Santner’s left-arm spin, took Dhoni to 9000 ODI runs. He became the 17th player overall, the fifth Indian, and the third wicketkeeper to the mark.By the 26th over, both had brought up their fifties, and then Dhoni welcomed Neesham’s reintroduction with a straight six that hit the sightscreen on the full, to become the most prolific ODI six-hitter among Indian batsmen. By the end of the 35th over, the target was less than 100 runs away.Dhoni fell on 80, chipping Henry to short cover when he rolled his fingers over the ball and got it to stop on the batsman. Santner sent down a tight 37th over, conceding only one run, and India suddenly needed 93 from 78, but Pandey showed he could be relied on to find the boundary in such circumstances, flat-batting a short ball from Henry back over the bowler’s head, and targeting the same boundary in more conventional fashion against Neesham, off a fuller ball.By now, Kohli had stepped up a gear as well. When Tim Southee brought fine leg into the circle, he used his wrists to take a hip-high ball from middle stump and whip it wide of the fielder, and was impressed enough with his own shot to pump his fist. His reaction was far more muted when he guided Neesham for a single to third man to bring up his hundred at the start of the next over, just a simple lift of the bat to the crowd.Then, in the 48th over, came a typical flurry of late boundaries, against Trent Boult: three fours – the best of them an open-faced jab off a near-yorker to beat deep point to his left – and a straight six. It left India just one run to get, and Pandey finished by slugging Southee to the midwicket boundary.Replacing Anton Devcich in New Zealand’s line-up, James Neesham scored 57 off 47 balls to lift New Zealand to 285•Associated PressSent in to bat on a pitch where the ball came on and allowed batsmen to play freely on the up, New Zealand’s openers made their best start of the series. They were watchful initially, scoring only 12 in the first three overs, before Martin Guptill walked down the track to the first ball of the fourth and launched Hardik Pandya for a massive six over long-on. That shot set the tone for an abrupt change of gear: Guptill hit two fours and another six in the next two overs, and Tom Latham joined him by pulling Umesh Yadav over the square-leg boundary.Just when Guptill seemed set for a big innings, Umesh had him lbw, nipping one back just enough to beat his inside edge. Kane Williamson looked in sublime touch after his hundred in Delhi, timing his drives sweetly until he fell against the run of play, lbw trying to sweep Kedar Jadhav.Taylor began scratchily, struggling to pierce the infield against Amit Mishra and Axar Patel, but having only scored 14 off his first 28 balls, he began to find some fluency, hitting two fours and a slog-swept six to move to 44 off 56. His partnership with Latham, who got his second half-century of the series, had moved past 70, and New Zealand’s score had crossed the 150-run mark.Just then, Mishra produced two beautiful, dipping legbreaks to have both Taylor and Luke Ronchi stumped. At the other end, Corey Anderson and Latham chipped Jadhav to fielders inside the circle. Santner popped a leading edge, off Jasprit Bumrah, to point, and Tim Southee inside-edged Umesh onto his stumps.At 199 for 8, New Zealand were in danger of getting bowled out a long way short of 50 overs, but Neesham and Henry delayed it. Neesham worked out a sensible method to score his runs, his first three boundaries all struck with a straight bat down the ground, and Henry, at the other end, went after anything wide – slashing and punching Umesh for two fours – while defending anything on his stumps.As the slog overs approached, Umesh’s old failings resurfaced, as short balls followed wide length balls that allowed the batsmen to free their arms. In the 47th over, Neesham stood tall and pulled him through midwicket before slicing a wide-ish ball to the third-man boundary to bring up his half-century. Henry hit him for a six and two fours off successive balls in the 49th over, and Umesh ended with figures of 3 for 75. New Zealand were bowled out with two balls still left to play, but managed to score 285.

Burnley have made an approach to sign Arsenal midfielder Albert Sambi Lokonga, according to Football Insider.

Who is Lokonga?

Lokonga is 23 years of age and is primarily a central midfielder who can also play in a defensive role. Valued at €15m by Transfermarkt, the player has earned one senior cap for Belgium and signed for Arsenal back in 2021.

The Belgian is currently out on loan at Crystal Palace, where he has made nine appearances after joining in January, although he has only started one game since Roy Hodgson returned to Selhurst Park.

Vincent Kompany is a huge fan of the midfielder and previously hailed Lokonga, comparing him to former Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure.

"I was watching football from different countries, different places. And I saw Sambi play his first game – his first two games – then he got an injury to his knee. "But the first thing I did when I saw Sambi is I went to Mikel and said, 'You've got to watch this guy, he's the new Yaya Toure.’”

Kompany went on to describe Lokonga as a “special” player:

"The point is you need players who are not afraid to have the ball when the going gets tough. As a centre-back, your job stops at a certain point on the ball.

"And you need to be able to give it to people who see the next pass, see the next move, take responsibility, take people on and put that tempo in when there's no tempo in the game anymore. For me, that's what Sambi has that makes him special."

What’s the latest Burnley transfer news?

According to Football Insider reporter Pete O’Rourke, Burnley have made Lokonga a top target ahead of their Premier League return.

The Clarets have moved quickly to open talks over a potential deal, making an approach to sign the midfielder on loan. Lokonga is thought to be happy to head out on loan again next season, however, he would like guarantees over playing time.

Kompany has the likes of Josh Brownhill and Josh Cullen to choose from in central midfield, with the pair ranking among the top performers at Turf Moor this season, as per WhoScored.

However, in terms of squad depth, you could argue that Burnley are fairly light in midfield, with Jack Cork and Samuel Bastien also options. Therefore, bringing in a fifth midfielder in Lokonga, a player who Kompany knows and admires and has Premier League experience, could be a shrewd move as the club look to cement their place back in the top flight.

Aston Villa would be a good fit for Manchester City right-back Kyle Walker this summer, according to talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook.

Will Walker leave Man City?

The 32-year-old has enjoyed a stellar career at club level, winning four Premier League titles during his time at City and arguably becoming one of the best players in his position in the competition's history. This season has been a harder one for him, however, and it has become increasingly apparent that he is no longer a key starter.

Only 15 league starts have come Walkers's way in 2022/23 to date, but a lot of those were earlier in the campaign and he has not often featured in recent weeks, even though he played all 90 minutes against Sheffield United in the FA Cup semi-final last weekend.

With the £160,000-a-week Englishman's current deal expiring in 2024, this summer could be the last opportunity for City to get good money for him, or risk losing him on a free transfer next year. He has been linked with a move to Villa, as Unai Emery eyes up strong summer signings.

Are Villa the ideal club for Walker?

Reacting to the rumours in a chat with Give Me Sport, Crooks talked up the idea of Walker moving to Villa Park at the end of the season, saying it would be a good fit:

"Sheffield United might be an interesting one for him. He started there, didn't he? And if they come into the Premier League, I wonder if they might try and have a go.

"But Villa would be a good move because I think they're going to back (Unai) Emery in the summer. They might well manage to sneak into a European place, too."

Walker could be a brilliant signing by Villa in the summer transfer window, possessing a winning mentality that is outlined by his aforementioned Premier League trophy tally, not to mention having a wealth of experience at this point in his career, racking up 75 caps for England.

There is an argument to say that the defender's best days may just be behind him, hence him losing his place in City's team, but he remains a top-level footballer – one who has been lauded as "frighteningly quick" by Troy Deeney in the past. Emery will want experience and nous in his squad this summer and Walker could be the man to provide it, lifting players around him and putting his combination of pace and power to good use.

The dramatic exit of Tottenham Hotspurs manager Antonio Conte has created a flurry of activity. From the club's perspective, they still want to secure a qualification spot, a job that has been thrust upon assistant coach Cristian Stellini. They will also want to make sure players are physically and psychologically ready for the battle that lies ahead. And amid all that, they must select, vet, and hire a new manager. The fans are worried if Stellini will be able to take Spurs to the Champions League final, the media is speculating on who will replace Conte and those in the running are polishing their Cvs. Stellini will be fighting for a good place come the end of the season as this could put him in the running as well.

Possible Candidates

There have been several names thrown about for Conte’s replacement, some names like Pochettino make sense and others do not so much. Believe it or not, there are odds, yes betting odds, just like sports betting on who is likely to be the next. Tottenham assistant stands a better chance than Frankfurt manager Oliver Glasner.

Marco Silva

The current Fulham manager has had an incredible season his team is currently ninth in the league with 39 points, he was the manager behind Fulham's promotion to the Champions League last year. He blazed a trail through last season, beating Chelsea 1 -0 and then playing to a draw. He has a lot going for him at the Cottagers and might be reluctant to leave or he may want to leave while still on a high. We cannot dispute he would be a great fit at Spurs.

Ryan Mason

Ryan Mason stepped up after Jose Mourinho’s departure and led the team to a final seventh-place finish, Conte promoted him to first-team coach alongside Cristiani Stellini. They had some great games among them three consecutive wins, he has a positive attitude and gets on well with the players, especially as a former player himself. He could have an impactful contribution to the team if Spurs management were to give him a chance

Mauricio Pochettino

Pochettino seems to be the favourite candidate amongst fans, he’s also the ‘tried and tested’ option which makes it easier for the players, support staff, and everyone at Spurs. During his previous tenure, he led the Spurs to a Champions League final in 2019, and before that, they made it to qualifications. He had such a good record at Paris Saint-Germain as well as winning the French Cup and Ligue 1 title, we think the French were too hasty in giving him the boot. There have been rumours that he is eyeing the Real Madrid job, so Spurs shouldn’t put all its hopes in the Mauricio basket.

Lastly

There are other contenders such as Luis Enrique and Thomas Tuchel that the media has speculated about. So far it's been mum from Tottenham Spurs, we are assuming they want to finish off the season well before making any life-altering announcements. The sacking of Conte has rocked the boat enough as it is.

Image Source: Pixabay

Chelsea are thinking about including Christian Pulisic in negotiations in order to win the race for Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, according to a report.

The Lowdown: Clubs battling for Osimhen

The race to secure Osimhen’s signature this summer is heating up, with it recently being reported that Manchester City have made an enquiry, despite the fact they already have both Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez to choose from in attack.

The Blues have also been linked with a move for the striker, and reliable journalist Florian Plettenberg has recently confirmed they remain in the race, with the likes of Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain also plotting a move.

In what could be a real boost for the Premier League clubs battling to sign the Nigerian, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has claimed that it is the player’s ‘dream’ to play in England one day, having already competed in the Bundesliga and Ligue 1.

The Latest: Chelsea ready to make offer

According to a report from CalcioMercatoWeb (via SportWitness), Todd Boehly is ‘ready’ to make a move for the Napoli star, who is valued at €150m (£133m) by his current club, however money may not be the only thing on offer.

In light of the huge fee the Serie A club are demanding, Chelsea are thinking of including Pulisic in the negotiations, amid interest in the American from the likes of AC Milan and Juventus.

While Napoli boss Luciano Spalletti is said to greatly appreciate the 24-year-old, a major sticking point could be the player’s huge wages, which they may not be able to afford.

The Verdict: Make it happen

Regardless of whether Pulisic is included in the negotiations or not, Chelsea simply have to bring in a top-quality striker this summer, given their woes in front of goal, scoring on 29 occasions, just the 13th-highest total in the top flight.

Hailed as ‘devastating’ by former Chelsea man Gianfranco Zola, the 24-year-old has been in inspired form for Napoli this season, scoring 23 goals in 28 games, also picking up five assists prior to this weekend’s trip to Torino.

The marksman’s fine goal-scoring record this season means he has now reached double figures in each of his last five league seasons, also enjoying successful spells with RSC Charleroi and Lille.

Osimhen has proven that he is ready to take the next step in his career, and he would be an excellent addition to Graham Potter’s squad, especially considering their struggles in the attacking third so far this season.

Journalist Tony Scott has insisted on the All Together Now podcast that Seamus Coleman is finished as a player at Everton.

The Lowdown: Everton need a squad overhaul

It’s not just the sheer number of managers that Toffees owner Farhad Moshiri has seen in and out of the door during his time at the club, but also the raft of players that have been lingering around Goodison Park for so long.

Players such as Coleman, Jordan Pickford, Yerry Mina, Michael Keane, Mason Holgate and Tom Davies have all been in and around the first team for a long period of time, and that’s coincided with the Toffees’ steady decline down the league table.

Therefore, it would have made sense last month for Everton to recruit at least one or two new faces to ensure Sean Dyche could phase out some of the old guard and players that have overseen the team’s decline.

The Latest: Coleman’s time is up

Scott ripped into Coleman after his Merseyside derby display and believes that the 34-year-old should no longer be starting for Everton given his age and lack of pace.

He said: “We’ll speak about Seamus Coleman. Lad, brilliant servant to Everton [but] here we go again, rewind these podcasts back from the last three years – he shouldn’t be in the team.

“It’s not his fault, he’s done. He should be playing 10 games a season, he should be cover. But again, he was just getting ripped apart yesterday [Monday] when young lads were flying past him. He couldn’t even foul them on the halfway line, he was that far behind them.”

The Verdict: The squad needs freshening up

The fact that Everton are embroiled in their second successive relegation battle shows how desperate their squad is for investment, and while they splashed out over £50m last summer, that was largely funded by the sale of Richarlison.

Therefore, Moshiri is yet to dip into his own pockets this season, so he can have no complaints if the Toffees end up being relegated and the value of the club drops like a stone, as it’s been under his watch and down to his failings.

Since the start of last season, Coleman has started 41 games in the Premier League alone, which is simply unacceptable for someone of his age, and is a sign of a club that is resting on its laurels and looking to do the bare minimum just to survive.

However, the performances of more recent times shouldn’t detract from how good and reliable Coleman has been for Everton, racking up 400 appearances for the Toffees and just last year was still being tipped to play a role for the Republic of Ireland due to him having an ‘enormous amount to contribute’.

The third-umpire gaffe while ruling on Andrew Symonds’s run-out

Play of the Day by Peter English at Hobart19-Nov-2005

Andrew Symonds was beaten by a direct hit from Dwayne Smith, but for a brief moment, he thought he had survived © Getty Images
Technology extended Andrew Symonds’s batting return toTests by about two minutes as Steve Davis, the thirdumpire, pressed the wrong button when ruling on hisrun-out decision. Recalled for his third Test, Symondswas completing a start-stop-start single when DwayneSmith’s direct hit caught him well short and Aleem Darfavoured caution by calling in Davis. Using a newcomputer program, Davis accidentally clicked “not out”and Symonds, who knew he was gone and had angrilywandered almost as far as the boundary, ambled back ina better mood. A quick two-way conversation betweenthe on-field umpires ensued before the red “out”signal finally appeared on the big screen and Symondsdeparted even more frustrated.