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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Crystal Palace match-winner Jeffrey Schlupp has revealed what Roy Hodgson told the players at half-time during Tuesday evening’s encounter against Bournemouth at Selhurst Park.

The Eagles went down to ten men after just 19 minutes following a reckless challenge from Mamadou Sakho, before Patrick van Aanholt also limped off the field – Cheikhou Kouyate moved to centre-back, while Schlupp came off the bench to cover at left-back.

Amazingly, the south Londoners managed to grab a 1-0 win thanks to Schlupp’s goal, and the Ghana international has now revealed what was said by the former England manager to inspire such a performance.

What did he say?

Schlupp told Palace TV: “I came on at left-back and we had 10 men which made it extra hard. We got in at half-time, spoke to the gaffer, he just kept us calm and said the game is definitely there to be won.

“He didn’t just want to go out there playing for a draw, he wanted us to attack when the right moments came and we did that. Luckily for the team and for me personally, it was a clinical attack.”

Admirable from Hodgson

Since replacing Frank de Boer back in 2017, the 72-year-old Hodgson has been a conservative figure in the dug-out, appearing to set his sides up in order not to lose rather than go out and get the win.

So, to hear Schlupp state that the former Liverpool manager still had the three points in mind despite facing an uphill battle against a Cherries side who had one more player than the Eagles for 71 minutes is admirable.

Hodgson’s rare show of adventure reaped the rewards, and Palace now sit fifth in the Premier League table while also registering more league wins in 2019 than Manchester United, Tottenham and Arsenal with 15.

The experienced manager is certainly doing a fantastic job at Selhurst Park without masses of cash to play around with in the transfer market, and being able to get the players to follow his messages – like they did to a tee against Bournemouth – appears to be a big part of that success.

In other news, this Crystal Palace star is picking a fantastic moment to find his best form, and it’s not Schlupp…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Speaking on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football show, former Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez refused to rule out taking the Everton job in the future if it was offered to him, but says he won’t be taking it now.

What did he say?

Well, having earlier on the programme ruled out any return to the Premier League at the moment as he continues his work in China with Dalian Yifang, Jamie Carragher asked the former Newcastle United chief whether he would ever consider taking the role at Goodison Park in the future given his previous connections with their arch-rivals across Stanley Park.

Benitez told Monday Night Football: “I have Liverpool connections, and that is very clear. But at the same time we are involved in the city and have a lot of friends in the city who are Evertonians or Liverpudlians.

“We are closer to Liverpool and that is fine, but I am a professional so in the future you never know.

“In fact, I wanted to stay in England and stay close to my family, but then I couldn’t get a job.”

Very interesting

Those three words “you never know”, as well as the fact that he went on to apologise for once calling Everton a “small club” in the past, more than suggest he is open to a taking charge of them at some point even if it won’t be as Marco Silva’s replacement – Sky Sports report the Toffees want a new man present in time for the clash against Manchester United this weekend.

It is difficult to say whether the high-profile 59-year-old, who is the only manager to have won the Champions League, the Europa League, the Super Cup and the World Club Cup, would be accepted by the Goodison Park faithful given his history with Liverpool.

That said, you only have to look at some of the things he has achieved during his managerial career and the great experience he has to conclude that he would be a strong appointment.

What he achieved with Newcastle – including a 10th-placed finish in 2017/18 despite having little financial backing from Mike Ashley – shows what he is potentially capable of at a club who should have a larger budget given some of the fees they have spent in the transfer market in recent years.

Did he play for Everton? Simple question but a lot tougher than you think…

If Everton did want him now, it appears as though they would have a huge task convincing him to give up his job in China just a few months after taking it.

However, his comments about wanting to be close to his family in Merseyside hint he could be persuaded if the move was right.

In other Everton news, Toffees fans have been sent into meltdown following Dominic King’s latest update on their managerial search…

On Monday, Liverpool were drawn against Atletico Madrid in the next round of the Champions League. It is arguably the toughest they could have picked up.

On the chalkboard

The Reds qualified for the next round of the competition on the final matchday of the group stage, thanks to a 2-0 victory away at RB Salzburg. In the end, that was enough to see them top to the group.

Atletico Madrid, meanwhile, were only able to finish second in their own group, with Juventus leading the way. Los Rojiblancos have not been at their best so far this campaign, but they have the ability to cause problems for their opponents.

Tough to break down

Liverpool have lost just once so far this season, but that did come against Napoli in the Champions League. The Italian side triumphed 2-0 at home against Jurgen Klopp’s men, and that came after they had just 48% possession. They still managed more shots on target than their opponents, though.

Watch Leicester vs Liverpool Free Live and Free with Amazon Prime on Boxing Day

Atletico, meanwhile, could only manage a 2-2 draw at home against the Old Lady earlier on this campaign, but Maurizio Sarri’s side are a better team than Napoli – they are the Serie A champions and are currently second in the league behind Internazionale with Gennaro Gattuso’s men lying in eighth – but they will have been disappointed not to pick up all three points.

Despite having just 46% possession, they still managed eight shots on target to their opponents’ six in that match. They also won 15 aerial battles to 11, which is very similar to that Napoli and Liverpool match – the former won 12 compared to nine.

Can you name the result these iconic Liverpool images belong to? Give it a go now…

In the return leg, Napoli were incredibly hard to break down – they managed just 26% possession, yet they reduced their opponents to just five shots on target during the match.

Atletico may not be too good going forward – they have just 18 goals in La Liga this term to date – but they are incredibly difficult to break down.

The 10 goals they have conceded is the least in the league, and they conceded just five in those six European matches as well.

With the likes of Joao Felix and Diego Costa to cause danger up front, Liverpool have a tough task on their hands. Their current form means they will go into the match as favourites, but the style of Diego Simeone may be their toughest challenge of the season.

In other news, this Liverpool star would be downgrading if he moved to this European giant.

According to ESPN, Manchester United have been handed a major boost in the race to sign Jadon Sancho this summer, via @utdreport. 

Premier League rivals Chelsea are monitoring Bayer Leverkusen’s Kai Havertz as they assess their transfer options. Sources have told ESPN that Chelsea believe Sancho will join United instead, as they fear he favours a move to Old Trafford.

However, the Red Devils are also interested in signing Havertz, and the Blues face competition from European giants Bayern Munich and Real Madrid as well.

Ever since he arrived at Signal Iduna Park from Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City for £8m in 2017, Sancho has put in a string of impressive performances for Lucien Favre’s side, scoring 17 goals and creating 16 assists in 28 games in the Bundesliga this season (WhoScored). He scored his first career hat-trick last weekend in the 6-1 drubbing of Paderborn.

As expected, his heroics in Germany have caught the eye of multiple suitors and, after months of rampant speculation, it seems that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has usurped Frank Lampard for the talented winger’s signature.

Unsurprisingly, many United fans reacted to the “unbelievable” update, with one supporter tweeting that Roman Abramovich is “crazy” for missing out on Sancho. On the other hand, another fan urged caution, warning that there will be “scenes if we don’t get Sancho”. Indeed, the transfer saga has rumbled on for a number of months and it is likely there will be more twists in the tale to come.

Have a read through the rest of the mixed reactions so far…

United fans, do you think the board should sign Jadon Sancho in the summer? Join the discussion in the comments section!

Name: Rhian Brewster

Club: Liverpool

Date of Birth: 1 April 2000

Position: Centre-forward

Rhian Brewster – His career so far

Rhian Brewster is one of the Liverpool youngsters who are currently out on loan in search for better opportunities and a more stable path towards developing properly. The 20-year-old centre-forward is now plying his trade at Swansea City but the early signs do point towards him having a big career if he can continue progressing the same way.

His Liverpool journey, however, started when he was a 15-year-old boy as he joined the Scousers from Chelsea and rapidly progressed through their ranks. Both his debuts at the U18 and U23 levels were marked with success and he even bagged a goal in a 3-0 win vs Ipswich Town in the Premier League Cup on January 22, 2017 for the latter squad.

Spells with both teams ended up being quite thrilling for the youngster and he managed to record five goals and four assists in just 11 games for the U18s and even more impressively, 13 goals and ten assists across a total of 28 matches for the U23s. It should also be noted that he was a part of Liverpool’s UEFA U19 team, rattling the inside of the net two times in six appearances.

Interestingly enough, Brewster really didn’t have to wait long for his first encounters with the senior squad as he was named in their matchday squad for the first time, aged just 17, in a home Premier League game with Crystal Palace in April 2017.

Still, injuries and other obstacles stood in the way of his progress and he only managed to tally three senior appearances since, once in the FA Cup against Everton and two times the EFL Cup, all in 2019/20.

But it should also be noted that he was on the bench for both Liverpool’s historic wins over Barcelona at Anfield and against Tottenham Hotspur in the final of the Champions League when the Reds conquered Europe.

Following those three appearances for the seniors, Brewster was sent out on loan to Swansea where he can currently boast with four goals in 11 appearances.

Transfer latest

At the very moment, we’re still waiting for any kind of Liverpool news on Brewster’s loan deal which is set to expire in the coming summer. But the changes to the market caused by the recent outside events could, of course, make things much more complicated.

But the latest transfer rumours do indicate that the likes of Leeds United are interested in taking the 20-year-old forward on loan as well but they were actually warned against that by their former player, Danny Mills.

After his exit to Swansea, Brewster talked at length about the transfer news that confirmed his departure, saying that he had to go out on loan in order to get more minutes and ensure he keeps developing.

At the moment, those are all the transfer rumours surrounding the young forward and it remains to be seen what the future holds for him in these unprecedented times.

Player profile

One of Brewster’s biggest assets is definitely his sheer versatility. Even though he is a centre-forward by trade, he’s been used both in wider and deeper areas throughout his career, according to the games Transfermarkt have in their database.

His heatmap suggests the same thing – typically the centre-forwards will mostly be prioritising the area inside the opposition’s box but Brewster drifts wide on both flanks and interacts with his teammates all over the final third.

This is done both instinctively as a part of his player profile but also as a tactical way of confusing the opposition by constantly swapping places with some of the other forwards and midfielders, making the task of marking them that much more difficult.

Even though he does have an eye for goal, he averages just 1.86 shots per game with 44.4% accuracy so that means there’s still some room for improvement there. Similarly, he can sometimes be brushed off the ball far too easily and adding more muscle could be a good idea for the youngster in the near future.

So far, no Liverpool news suggests he’ll have a major role in the team upon his return but maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to keep developing elsewhere until he’s ready for such a huge step-up.

The talent is certainly there.

Key information about Damson Park

Damson Park, also known as SportNation.bet Stadium and before that as the Automated Technology Group Stadium due to sponsorship reasons, was built in 1999 and is now the home of Solihull Moors who play in the National League. The stadium is located in Damson Parkway, Solihull in West Midlands and was also shared with Birmingham & Solihull R.F.C for a while.

Its current capacity stands at 5,500 and it has a pitch that measures 102m by 64m. There is no running track surrounding the ground and it has no undersoil heating presently installed. The surface is, however, covered with natural grass.

The record attendance is 3,681 and it was set during the clash against Leyton Orient on 22 April 2019 in the 2018/19 National League campaign.

A history of Damson Park

Damson Park has been used by Solihull Borough after the club left their original Widney Lane Ground for years before Solihull Moors were even formed. In 2007, however, Solihull Borough and Moor Green merged to form the club we know today after the latter were forced out of their Moorlands Ground when the Main Stand was destroyed by a big fire.

Since then, we’ve seen numerous improvements and developments at the stadium, including the changing of the name on two different occasions. The latest innovation came in the form of a brand new Main Stand, now called the Damson Homes Stand, which is basically a double-decker that runs the full length of the pitch and can seat 1,219 people.

Damson Park was previously shared with Birmingham & Solihull R.F.C but they have since then moved out to Portway in 2012. Interestingly enough, on 23 July 2013 it was announced that for the following three seasons the stadium would be renamed to the ‘Autotech Stadium’ or ‘the Automated Technology Group Stadium’ for sponsorship reasons.

A year after that, they would also get new ‘roommates’ as Birmingham City W.F.C. of the FA WSL also settled at the stadium and have been there ever since. The ground has two seated stands on either side of the pitch, and one covered stand that includes both a seating and a standing area along with the terracing at the southeastern end of the ground.

There is also an area known as ‘The Shed’ – but the fans also sometimes refer to it as ‘The Tuck Shop End’ but officially, once again due to sponsorship reasons, it is titled as ‘The TC Cars Stand’. Of course, The Shed sells refreshments on matchdays.

At this very moment, Damson Park is not an all-seater stadium as only 2,131 places are in fact seated while the rest are reserved for standing. There were plans to further develop the ground to increase the overall capacity. This would be done by improving all the stands to get it in line with requirements for the National League.

Tickets to watch Solihull Moors at Damson Park

All tickets to watch Solihull Moors play at Damson Park can be found on the club’s official website. The price for an adult ticket in the seated area that’s bought online before the game is £17 while you will have to pay an additional pound if you’re buying it on the day of the match.

The club also offers season tickets and half-season tickets to their fans and more information can be found on the aforementioned website.

Related links

https://www.solihullmoorsfc.co.uk/ – Official website of Solihull Moors

The summer transfer window is just around the corner, and that means the rumour mill is heating up once again.

Manchester United may be set for a busy summer with rumours of a move for Jadon Sancho or Ousmane Dembele doing the rounds as of late, but it seems that they’re also in the market for a new defender.

Indeed, La Razon have linked the Red Devils with a move for Watford left-back Pervis Estupinan, but they’re not the only club in the market for them.

Watch Manchester United Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

The Spanish outlet also state that Barcelona and Atletico Madrid have their sights set on the Ecuadorian, but he won’t come cheaply.

The Hornets reportedly value him at €20m (£18m), and some fans seem to be a little confused as to why United are interested in him.

A number of supporters baulked at the idea of signing a left-back they have never even heard of.

Some United fans on Twitter may not have heard of him, but that may be a damning indictment on their lack of knowledge rather than a testament to his lack of ability.

Estupinan has averaged 2.5 tackles and 1.6 interceptions per game this season, while also putting up three assists, trumping Luke Shaw in each of those metrics.

However, a few United fans remained sceptical due to the fact they have plenty of solid options at left-back, with Shaw and Brandon Williams both being adept at playing in that spot.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have made contact with Sunderland over academy starlet Daniel Neil, according to Football Insider.

Interest in the youngster became public just under two weeks ago as Wolves followed up a report linking Leeds United with a move.

Sunderland have endured a difficult spell of late both in the first team and at academy level, seeing a whole host of young players leave the Stadium of Light.

With the 2019/20 season now done and dusted, another young talent could be set to leave the Academy of Light, with a recent report claiming that Wolves have now made contact with Sunderland in an attempt to sign the 18-year-old midfielder.

Football Insider also reported that a recruitment source close to them has said that Wolves are desperate to beat off competition from Leeds and Newcastle, who have also been linked to Neil.

Neil has been a regular for the Black Cats’ under-23 side with 13 appearances to his name last season in Premier League 2.

Having made just one senior appearance, the youngster is reportedly available for a six-figure transfer fee which would hand the Wearsiders compensation for his training and development costs, as per Football Insider.

Another player looks set to leave Sunderland’s academy setup, and the Black Cats really need to get to grips with the club’s youth sides and entice players to remain on Wearside, albeit easier said than done when Premier League clubs are showing interest.

Hopefully the first team can make progress on the pitch, ideally in the form of promotion to the Championship next year, so that Sunderland’s academy stars may be more inclined to stay put instead of seeing a better future elsewhere.

Do you think Wolves will beat Leeds and Newcastle United in the race to sign Neil? Let us know in the comments section below…

Burnley’s prospects of offloading Ben Gibson in this transfer window appear to have been boosted as Norwich seem to have taken the lead in the hunt to sign the defender.

The Northern Echo reported that the Canaries are confident of beating his former club Middlesbrough to a deal for the 27-year-old, who has been exiled at Turf Moor since falling out with Sean Dyche over a blocked move to Watford in January.

According to The Northern Echo, Norwich hold two significant advantages over Middlesbrough in the respective clubs’ pursuit of Gibson.

Firstly, the Canaries would likely be able to pay a much higher portion of the defender’s £45,000-a-week wages if he goes on loan to Carrow Road than ‘Boro would if they took him to Teesside, with the northeast club reportedly offering to pay no more than a third of his weekly wage.

Also, Norwich have apparently discussed the options of both a loan and a permanent move for Gibson, and such is their willingness to sign the 27-year-old that they are prepared to meet Burnley’s demands in order to get a deal done within the next couple of weeks.

In the 2019/20 season, the Clarets continued to pay the defender £45,000 per week despite him making only one appearance, the Carabao Cup defeat to Sunderland which is now almost a full year ago. After falling out with Turf Moor management, he has been training with his former club Middlesbrough, and not even a defensive injury crisis could persuade Burnley to recall him over the summer.

It is doing neither Gibson nor Burnley any good to have him on the club’s books when Dyche clearly has no intention of picking him. Therefore, Norwich’s reported desire to strike a deal for him and, at worst, pay a substantial portion of his wages to facilitate a loan move should come as good news for all parties concerned.

The Canaries get the man they want, Burnley will get an expensive yet unproductive asset off their hands and the player will have a fresh start at a club where he may have a chance of obtaining game-time. It’s a situation in which everyone appears to be a winner – assuming it comes to fruition.

Burnley fans, will you be happy if Norwich sign Gibson, even on loan, for next season? Comment below with your views!

There was a point in time during this strange year that many of us never thought we’d see the conclusion of the Europa League – but much to everyone’s delight and hope, the final has come round, and it looks to be one of the most highly contested finals we may ever see.

Spanish club Sevilla made the final after beating Manchester United 2-1, and are in contention to win the competition a record sixth time, with three of those coming in consecutive seasons between 2013 and 2016. The club have the pedigree in this competition and will be sure they can overcome their opponents come Friday.

In that opponent is Italian powerhouse Inter Milan, who are just about favourites in the sports online betting markets, the club reached the final on Monday after a 5-0 thrashing of Ukrainian outfit Shakhtar Donetsk, and under manager Antonio Conte, will be eager to win some silverware after a fantastic season that saw the club miss out on the Scudetto by 1 point. The game looks set to be a cracker, with two big European clubs fighting for the Europa League title – so let’s have a look at the two teams in a bit more depth…

Predicted Starting Lineups

Inter Milan – The club will likely start with their usual 3-5-2, which they have done in all five of their Europa League games this season. Along with this unchanged formation, I predict they’ll use an unchanged XI from their semi-final thrashing of Shakhtar Donetsk as well, as this has been their best-performing starting lineup in the competition according to WhoScored.

Sevilla – The Spanish team will start with a preferred 4-3-3, a formation that has seen them unbeaten in 7 games in the competition. The starting XI will see one change from the semi-final against United, with holding midfielder Fernando dropping out for the usual Nemanja Gudelj, who came on in the last few minutes of the semi-final. This lineup is also the clubs best performing in the competition according to WhoScored.

Player to watch out for – Inter Milan

Romelu Lukaku has been in fine form during his first season with Inter. The Belgian forward has scored 33 goals this season from just 49 appearances in all competitions and looks like the old player we all knew before his stint at Manchester United. After scoring a brace in the semi-final, as well as scoring in all of the clubs Europa League fixtures this season – it is likely we will see his name on the score sheet in the final as well. Lukaku has struck up a good partnership with Argentinian Lautaro Martinez, with the player also scoring a brace in the semi-final – so expect to see these two working in tandem to unlock Sevilla’s defence.

Player to watch out for – Sevilla

Lucas Ocampos has been playing the best football of his career in his first season with Sevilla, after moving from French club Marseille at the beginning of July last year. The Argentinian has scored 18 goals with 4 assists from right-wing in all competitions this campaign – including scoring the winner for Sevilla in their 1-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers in the quarter-finals just last week. He’ll likely be causing trouble for the Inter defence during the final, having completed on average 3 successful dribbles per game, as well as drawing 2 fouls per game in the Europa League this season – clearly showing he is a handful for his opposing players.

Manager Analysis

Antonio Conte has enjoyed a great first season with Inter Milan – the Italian was appointed at the end of May last year after Luciano Spalletti’s sacking. In his first season, he took the club to second place in the Serie A, and finished just one point behind Scudetto winners Juventus, which was a tall order given the Old Ladies dominance over recent years, and that Inter only just scraped Champions League football in the 2018/19 season. Conte made some great signings during the transfer window, most notably goalscoring machine Romelu Lukaku, as well as current first-team regulars Diego Godin, Nicolò Barella, and Ashley Young, all of which have become important components of Conte’s team – and will all be gunning to win the Europa League final, to sign off his first great season at the club with some silverware.

Julen Lopetegui has been doing exciting things with the club since signing for Sevilla at the beginning of June last year – taking to the club to a fourth-place finish and Champions League qualification. Nine of the players from our predicted starting XI were signed by Lopetegui at the start of this season, and have all been game-changers for the club with the manager quickly injecting his philosophy and style of play into the team, along with his new signings.

The most notable of these new signings are a completely new front three made up of Ocampos, Suso, and En-Nesyri – who were all signed to fill the void left by Wissam Ben-Yedder after his departure to AS Monaco. Overall, Lopetegui has made a great start to life at Sevilla, and will also be hoping to add some silverware at the end of an impressive first season.

Score Prediction – Inter Milan 3-1 Sevilla

Despite Sevilla’s history in the competition, and their incredible form they have been in at the end of this season, I just can’t see them breaking down such a strong Inter side. What Conte has done this season has been incredible for the club and given them a much-needed boost to contend with the big dogs of Italian and European football again. Sevilla will certainly put up a fight against them, but the goalscoring prowess of Lukaku and Martinez has been some of the best in Europe this season and will prove too much for Lopetegui and his team in the end.