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Many Everton fans have been left fuming over an update on their Carabao Cup third round tie away at Queens Park Rangers on Tuesday night.

As per Phil Kirkbride, Kevin Friend is set to referee the game against the EFL Championship team next week.

Incidentally, he has given more yellow cards to the Goodison Park faithful (57) than all but one other side in his career, and they have only won one of their last six games in which he has been in charge (Transfermarkt).

There has been some controversy between Friend and the Merseyside club in the past, and so it is not a surprise to see so many Toffees supporters against his appointment, as Rafa Benitez’s team will look to book their place in the fourth round of the competition with as little trouble as possible.

Everton fans on Friend news

These Blues fumed as the news of Friend’s appointment was shared on Twitter:

“Is there some agenda to give us the worst of the refs?”

Credit: @Toffeelewl

“And they get worse”

Credit: @paulhalligan29

“Boooooooo”

Credit: @bluesofgoodison

“We are out we never win when he refs”

Credit: @barryho55127160

“God help us.”

Credit: @KelvinPhelpsk

“NOOOO”

Credit: @TheDanMox

In other news, find out why James Rodriguez’s summer move fell through here!

Many Manchester United fans have been left slamming the display of Alex Telles in their 1-0 loss at home in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team crashed out of the competition at Old Trafford as an early goal from Manuel Lanzini was enough to send West Ham United through into the next round.

Some Red Devils thought that Telles was at fault for the goal due to the ease with which Ryan Fredericks skipped past him, and the left-back certainly seemed to struggle after that too.

Telles lost out on 100 per cent of his duels in the game, and also failed to record a single dribble, blocked shot, interception or tackle, while losing possession possession of the ball on no fewer than on 13 separate occasions, the fifth-most out of any of his teammates (Sofascore).

Man Utd fans on Telles display

These MUFC supporters slammed his performance on Twitter, with a couple of them even going as far as to claim that the former FC Porto ace was ‘awful’:

“Martial, Telles and Mata were awful. No issues with the others”

Credit: @nzmanc

“Telles got absolutely done for the goal. It was right in front of the corner I was at for the game. Looked awful up close.”

Credit: @UnitedPecky

“Martial was poor but Telles disaster class cost @ManUtd the game.”

Credit: @johnwill175

“Telles was shocking yesterday though let’s be honest”

Credit: @Jaswin23

“I don’t think Telles or the defence played well. It’s not good enough for United level.”

Credit: @FreeLurkyMe2

“Bailly was alright but yeah, Telles was straight up horrendous. I just mentioned the names straight top off my head”

Credit: @VedantUTD

In other news, find out which ‘unbelievable’ Premier League star is being monitored by United here!

Tottenham Hotspur transfer target Joao Palhinha continues to impress clubs across Europe, so sporting director Fabio Paratici and co may need to strike in January…

What’s the word?

According to Portuguese newspaper Record (via Sport Witness), the 26-year-old’s performances for club, Sporting Lisbon, and country, Portugal, have alerted teams in Europe’s top divisions, particularly in England.

It’s thought that there are several teams interested in securing Palhinha’s signature in January, though it remains to be seen how much the Primeira Liga champions would want, having requested €40m (£36m) in the summer.

Spurs were reportedly keen on signing the nine-cap international just a few months ago but were only prepared to pay half the price at €20m (£18m).

Shades of Neves

Their interest should hardly come as a surprise with Nuno Santo at the helm as he was known for signing plenty of his fellow countryman during his time at Molineux.

In fact, the 47-year-old boss had his eyes on the 6 foot 3 midfielder whilst in charge of Wolves, so he’s certainly a player that he’d love to sign in north London.

And it’s easy to see why, as there are plenty of comparisons to be made to a similar type of player in Ruben Neves, who marshalled that Old Gold engine room frequently under Nuno.

The £18.9m-rated beast has been a standout performer for the Portuguese giants this campaign, ranking as their second-highest-rated player (7.40) thus far.

He has proven to be a major influence at either end of the pitch, not only delivering two goals in eight league appearances but also averaging a squad-high 3.8 tackles, on top of 1.4 shots and 1.1 dribbles per game, via WhoScored.

By comparison, in the two Premier League campaigns before this one, Neves averaged at least 2.1 tackles and 1.6 shots per game, and found the net five times alone in 2020/21, which only goes to show the two players are in the same sort of mould.

It is why Nuno was originally eyeing Palhinha up as a direct replacement for this fellow Portugal international.

Described as a “special player” by current Sporting boss Ruben Amorim to MaisFutebol (via Manchester News Today) and “phenomenal” by Portuguese football expert Marino Peixoto, Palhinha would be an astute addition to Spurs’ current midfield.

However, they will need to act fast as he continues to impress teams across Europe. Paratici could well secure Nuno another Neves this winter.

AND in other news, “Matter of time”: Gold drops big claim on “underrated” Spurs gem, fans will be buzzing…

West Bromwich Albion could yet make one final move in what remains of the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Birmingham Live, who claim that, if Valerien Ismael’s side are to make a last-minute move on deadline day, it will be for a centre-forward, as the Frenchman would like to take the pressure off of the Baggies’ current options in the position.

The report goes on to state that, despite both players being heavily linked with a move to The Hawthorns this summer, neither Liam Delap – who looks set to remain at Manchester City – nor Daryl Dike – who is attracting interest from a number of Premier League clubs – appear to be feasible transfers.

Final piece of the puzzle

While West Brom’s transfer window has accelerated somewhat in recent weeks, with the club securing the signings of Norwich City centre-forward Jordan Hugill and Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Jayson Molumby on season-long loan deals, following the news that Kenneth Zohore is free to leave the club, it would indeed appear as if Ismael could use reinforcements up top prior to the closure of the transfer market on Tuesday evening.

Indeed, as mentioned above, while the Baggies did recently acquire the services of Hugill, the striker’s form for Norwich City last season was questionable, with the 29-year-old scoring just four goals over his 31 Championship appearances for Daniel Farke’s side.

As such, if Hugill is the only out and out number nine that Ismael has at his disposal this season, and the £1.8m-rated man suffers a dip in form or simply picks up an injury over what is sure to be an arduous Championship campaign, the 45-year-old Albion boss could well rue not making a move for another option in the position sooner or later.

So, it would seem as if the addition of another centre-forward on Tuesday would be a very good idea for West Brom, with a player in the position potentially being the final piece of Ismael’s Albion puzzle.

In other news: Fresh development on £16.5k-p/w West Brom ace emerges, it will have fans buzzing

Newcastle United have now reportedly made an offer to try and sign Carles Perez before the summer transfer window ends.

The Lowdown: Winger needed

The St. James’ Park faithful currently only have three natural wingers in their squad at the moment (Transfermarkt), and one of them is Jacob Murphy, who may be seen more as a right wing-back when the new 2021/22 Premier League season starts.

Thus, if he, Allan Saint-Maximin or Ryan Fraser were to find themselves injured for a sustained period of time, it would leave Steve Bruce pretty short in that area.

The Latest: Perez offer

As per Italian football journalist Rudy Galetti, the North East club have ‘officially stepped forward’ to sign Perez, and have made an offer to AS Roma of around €10m (£8.5m) for his signature.

There are ‘ongoing evaluations’ between both teams as the Tyneside club look to strike a deal before the window closes.

The Verdict: Sign

Given the lack of depth in wide areas, it would be a smart move for Bruce and co to go out and sign Perez, especially if they can get him for a mere £8.5m.

Once praised by Lionel Messi while he was at FC Barcelona back in 2019, the Spaniard will feel as if he has a point to prove, and at just 23 years of age, still has a lot of potential.

His three goals and three assists in 31 games in total over all competitions last term (Transfermarkt) show that he can be deadly at times in front of goal, but is perhaps lacking a little consistency.

Nonetheless, £8.5m could turn out to be a steal for a position that needs filling for the Tyneside club.

In other news, find out which £12.6m-rated ‘phenomenon’ NUFC are keen on signing here!

Some Everton fans have been left buzzing as the club confirmed some news on their official Twitter page.

The Goodison Park faithful have confirmed that they are set to play Huddersfield Town away from home in the second round of the Carabao Cup.

The draw has been welcomed by some supporters of the Merseyside club, as they should have a good chance of going through into the next round, given that the Terriers have been on a downward trajectory in recent seasons.

Rafa Benitez’s team should also take confidence in the fact that they beat the Terriers the last time that they played them, and whatever the result, Toffees will just be looking forward to being able to go to an away day in the cup after a season of football without fans.

Everton fans on cup draw

These Blues fans were left buzzing as the news of the cup draw was confirmed on Twitter, with one Evertonian even going as far as to claim that it was ‘lovely’:

“Yeah I’ll take that”

Credit: @efc_alex18

“I’m happy with that draw”

Credit: @Adamefc95

“I’ll take that”

Credit: @DublinoToffee

“It’s our year…”

Credit: @stetansley

“Away day on me bday lovely!”

Credit: @jmejones2013

“Definitely cannot wait”

Credit: @parkendgoodison

In other news, find out what transfer update has been slammed by Toffees here!

Celtic were linked with a late swoop for Linfield teenager Trai Hume on deadline day, Belfast Live report.  

The Lowdown: Three in

Dominic McKay was a busy man on his first deadline day as Celtic CEO.

Leigh Griffiths, Ryan Christie and Odsonne Edouard all completed moves away from Parkhead, while Georgios Giakoumakis, Filipe Jota and Cameron Carter-Vickers all finalised Glasgow moves with hours to spare.

It seems as if McKay may have had his eye on a fourth late addition for the Hoops, though, going off reports late on Tuesday evening.

The Latest: Hume links

According to Belfast Live, Linfield turned down a number of big-money offers for Hume in excess of £100,000, who can play as a right-back, centre-back or centre-midfielder.

Celtic and English League One side Lincoln City were name-checked with the late interest in the 5 foot 9 teenager, who is reportedly under contract until 2023.

The Verdict: Another Scales?

Celtic recently sealed a move for versatile defender Liam Scales from Shamrock Rovers, so it’ll be interesting to see if the Hoops go back in for Hume further down the line, with there clearly being a focus from McKay on up and coming defenders.

He’s been described as one of the Irish League’s hottest properties, similar to Scales earlier in the summer.

Hume’s versatility could attract Celtic in the next transfer window, as it did with Scales, so it could be a name to keep an eye on over the next 12 months.

In other news: Greek journalist drops late Celtic transfer news; ace didn’t want to move.

Rangers were linked with a move for Ryan Gauld earlier in the transfer window but he has now completed a move to Vancouver Whitecaps, which is a blow for the Ibrox-based club and manager Steven Gerrard.

What’s the word?

Gauld, who was once regarded by some as the next big thing in Scottish football during his time at Dundee United, completed an eye-catching move to Sporting Lisbon when he was just 18-years-old.

After a difficult spell with the Liga NOS side, he has rebuilt his reputation with an excellent spell at SC Farense, which seemingly attracted the interest of Rangers, who were linked with his signing earlier this year.

However, he has now completed a move to MLS side Vancouver Whitecaps in a deal reportedly worth £315k, which suggests that he could’ve been a bargain signing for Gerrard’s side this summer.

Upon his signing, Whitecaps CEO Axel Schuster had this to say about Gauld and the qualities he will bring to the MLS:

“He is a difference-maker, brings experience, as well as an exceptional work rate, all qualities we identified as being key characteristics that we need in this position.”

Would Gauld have been a good signing for Rangers?

Gauld’s performances last season certainly suggest that he could have been a stellar addition to Gerrard’s squad this summer, and perhaps could have offered a different, more creative option through the middle.

The 25-year-old managed nine goals and seven assists in 33 Liga NOS appearances last season, averaging an impressive 7.19 rating from WhoScored for his performances.

Although Gerrard has mainly deployed a 4-3-3 formation during his time at Ibrox, the addition of a natural attacking-midfielder such as Gauld could’ve allowed him to switch to a more attacking 4-2-3-1 in games where Rangers are expected to dominate, which could also free up more space for the likes of Alfredo Morelos and Kemar Roofe to play in behind, rather than having to drop deeper to receive the ball.

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Considering how little the Whitecaps paid for the Scotland U21 international, Gerrard will surely be gutted that Rangers weren’t able to bring him in this summer, as he could’ve been an excellent addition from both a footballing and financial perspective.

And, in other news… Rangers dealt transfer blow over “outstanding” star…

Sheyi Ojo has not been included in Liverpool’s 34-man squad for their pre-season training camp in Austria, as noted by the Liverpool Echo.

The lowdown

The 24-year-old has just reached the end of his fifth loan spell away from Anfield, this time at Championship side Cardiff City. He has previously had stints at Wolves, Fulham, Reims and Rangers.

The winger recorded 12 direct goal contributions (five goals, seven assists) in 25 starts for Cardiff, who narrowly missed out on the play-offs last term (via WhoScored).

Ojo has made 13 appearances for the Reds’ senior team, with his only goal coming in an FA Cup replay against Exeter City back in 2016.

The latest

The report points out that Ojo was ‘surprisingly’ omitted from the list of players travelling to Salzburg and Tyrol when fellow returnees like Taiwo Awoniyi, Marko Grujic and Loris Karius have been included.

The Englishman is contracted to Liverpool for another two years and the reason for his absence ‘has not been communicated’. There has been nothing to suggest that it’s down to injury, for instance.

The verdict

To speculate, it may be the case that Ojo is on the verge of sealing a long-overdue permanent move away from Anfield. He has proven that he can be a very good option for clubs in the Championship or in other European leagues, so you’d think there will be interest in him.

Ojo is valued at just £2.7m by Transfermarkt, and it would nonetheless be smart for the Reds to cash in on some of these assets with no prospect of a first-team breakthrough should any decent offers arrive.

In other news, the Reds are willing to pay £25m for this Premier League star.  

Rangers have been linked with a move for Caleb Chukwuemeka recently and the 19-year-old could be the man to replace Jermain Defoe in Steven Gerrard’s side at Ibrox.

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Mail, Rangers are interested in signing the Northampton Town striker, although it is Aston Villa who have made the first official move to sign him, as they saw an offer rebuffed by the League Two side recently.

The Villans arguably hold an advantage over Rangers in the race to sign him, as his younger brother Carney plays for their academy, but Gerrard will be hoping that he can be tempted into a move to Ibrox.

Despite featuring 28 times for the Cobblers’ senior side, Chukwuemeka is yet to sign a professional deal with the club and will reportedly become a free agent in January, which suggests that he could be a very cheap option for the Gers this summer.

Jermain Defoe’s heir?

Defoe recently signed a new one-year contract at Rangers but will take on some coaching work as his influence in the first-team dwindles, and Chukwuemeka could be the man to step up as his replacement when he does eventually retire from professional football.

The 38-year-old has scored 32 goals in his 72 appearances for Rangers thus far and is always likely to pop up with a goal when he does play due to the incredible goalscoring instincts that he possesses.

It bodes well for the future that he will be coaching some of Rangers’ brightest prospects and if Chukwuemeka were to arrive at Ibrox, Defoe would no doubt be in regular conversation with him on how he can improve his game.

The teenage forward has scored twice in his senior career thus far but is highly regarded at the League Two club, with former manager Keith Curle singing his praises last season, saying:

“Caleb has got an unpredictability about him and he can be unorthodox at times. What we’re trying to do is get the fundamentals in place in his play without taking away that excitement and that freedom in his play.”

[freshpress-quiz id=“593776″]

If Chukwuemeka does arrive at Ibrox and starts to score consistently, there’s no reason why he can’t be the long-term replacement for Defoe at Rangers, so Ross Wilson should definitely be looking to bring him in.

And, in other news… Jordan Campbell drops big update on Ibrox “mountain”, Rangers fans will be buzzing