Just the news that every Crystal Palace fan will have wanted to hear.
The Eagles have just beaten their local rivals Fulham 2-1, and, if that wasn’t enough, Wilfried Zaha is “enjoying his football” at Selhurst Park if recent reports are to be believed.
Having handed in a transfer request in the summer, Zaha has made no secret of his desire to leave Palace, but if The Evening Standard’s Malik Ouzia’s article is anything to go by, he may be open to staying at the club.
In fact, Dan Cook believes that Zaha could be convinced to stay if the club appoint a more attack-minded manager. Speaking on a recent episode of the HLTCO podcast, as quoted by This is Futbol, he said: “It may well be that he wouldn’t mind staying at Crystal Palace long-term if he was playing under a manager that gave him and everyone else around him a bit more attacking freedom.”
Whilst this probably won’t give Roy Hodgson a lot of confidence, Eberechi Eze may have just received the best news imaginable. It’s no secret that the 22-year-old is a big admirer of the Ivory Coast international, as he heaped praise on his teammate after playing alongside the forward in the 3-0 win over Charlton Athletic in a pre-season friendly.
Speaking after the game, Eze told the club website: “Linking with the attacking players was fun, it was good for me to get my fitness up and it’s just been a good performance.
“[Wilfried Zaha is] an amazing player. It’s good to play with guys like him and guys of his quality, because they see things others don’t see and it makes life a lot easier for yourself.”
Once hailed as an “outstanding” player by QPR boss Mark Warburton, Eze arguably hasn’t always had it easy, as he has been restricted to just two Premier League starts since joining Palace from Queens Park Rangers in the summer. Last season, the winger scored 14 goals and supplied 8 assists in the Championship, whilst he averaged 2.2 shots, 1.8 key passes and 3 dribbles per game, via WhoScored.
He has also insisted he wanted to move to Selhurst Park in the first place to continue his development as a player, saying: “[The deal] definitely shows their [Palace’s] belief in me – and I want to be here, I want to play, I want to do as well as I can for this club and it’s a brilliant opportunity.
“It was the plan that was set out for me and what they’ve said about me and it’s the most in-line with what I feel about myself. For me, that’s the most important thing – more than ‘what the club is’ or whatever. I think the plan they have for me and where they see me, that’s what it is.”
If Zaha does end up staying for the rest of the season, then that will be a huge boost for Eze as he still has a lot to learn to grow and develop as a player, and who better to learn from than one of the best players in the club’s history? He just needs to be guaranteed game time, which is something that Hodgson has largely failed to provide so far.
AND in other news, Crystal Palace must secure deal for Reading defender Omar Richards…
Portsmouth opted to pass on the chance to sign Jonah Ayunga, who ended up joining Bristol Rovers earlier this week.
Pompey boss Kenny Jackett will undoubtedly look to make a number of significant changes to his squad this summer, especially after seeing his side fail to gain promotion from League One to the Championship for a second consecutive season.
Whilst little transfer business has developed at Fratton Park due to a pending vote on the English Football League’s plans to introduce a salary cap, links to players have been seen in various media outlets.
One of those players linked with a move to Portsmouth in Ayunga has now opted to join League One rivals Bristol Rovers, signing a deal from non-league side Havant and Waterlooville.
Ayunga, 23, finished joint top scorer in National League South last season with an impressive 18 goals in 30 appearances.
Reflecting on his move to Bristol Rovers, Portsmouth News have now claimed that Pompey boss Jackett opted not to sign the former Brighton and Hove Albion youngster because he was ‘not quite ready’.
Following up that report, Rovers boss Ben Garner said that his side beat a number of EFL clubs to the signature of Ayunga.
Another one missed for Portsmouth. Quite who Jackett is looking is a big debate at the moment. Would it not have been an low cost gamble to bring in Ayunga for next season?
Well, time will tell but if he goes on to bag a few for Bristol Rovers, Jackett will look a little bit red faced.
Do you think Portsmouth should have made a move for Ayunga? Let us know in the comments section below…
Whether they like it or not, AFC Bournemouth are having a fire sale in the ongoing summer transfer window. With the squad heading down to the Championship for the 2020/21 season, they are bound to lose some of their players at least.
Of course, Jordon Ibe is already a free agent, having been released by the Cherries, and his future certainly lies away from Bournemouth. According to a new report from the printed version of The Mirror (via The Boot Room), however, he just might stay in the Premier League.
The same outlet states that both Newcastle United and Crystal Palace are looking to scoop the 24-year-old up this summer.
Neither the Magpies nor the Eagles have a lot of money to spend in the market so Ibe being released by Bournemouth is an excellent opportunity to land him on a free transfer.
Another thing that seems to appeal to both Steve Bruce and Roy Hodgson is the fact that Ibe has Premier League experience and is still quite young. Of course, once, he was a hot prospect at Liverpool before ultimately falling off and moving away from Anfield.
Still, five goals and nine assists in 92 games for the Cherries is also not a particularly attractive tally.
However, just the fact that they would be getting him for free means that he’s worth the risk for Bruce and could still play a part in their redemption campaign in the following season.
Verdict
Needless to say, Ibe won’t exactly be one of the most exciting signings for Newcastle if he does end up coming this summer. However, with their budget being extremely low and Bruce not exactly having plenty of quality options on the table, he will simply have to do.
If nothing else, the 24-year-old can still add pace and give the team some much-needed depth. And then, they can only hope he can still turn things around.
This article forms part of our Profit Players feature series, which is where Football Transfer Tavern takes a look at how well a player has fared since being signed or sold, using statistical figures and statements from pundits to prove how good of a deal the club managed to achieve.
Glasgow Rangers appear to have a made a decision to start targeting younger players.
This summer, both Ianis Hagi and Calvin Bassey, aged 21 and 20 respectively, have made permanent moves to Ibrox as Steven Gerrard looks to win his first piece of silverware as ‘Gers boss. With the likes of older heads such as Wes Foderingham and Andy Halliday leaving the club following the end of their contracts, this may be the start of a squad refreshment.
Still, there is room for some experienced players in the squad, and there are few who have as much knowledge and pedigree in English football as Jermain Defoe. It was confirmed in January that Defoe will join permanently at the end of the season following the culmination of his loan spell and, even though he will be taking a 65% pay cut, he will still earn £22,750 a week considering his salary at Bournemouth was £65,000 every seven days.
He may already be 37 but that looks to be a shrewd piece of business. The former England international has a record many top strikers would envy, with 163 Premier League goals to his name, whilst he also scored 20 times for England. When Gerrard convinced him to move north of the border, he will have been hoping he could recreate some of that form.
In all fairness, he has done exactly that. During the 2018/19 campaign, he scored eight goals and provided seven assists in 20 matches, and he improved in the subsequent season as well, scoring 17 in 32 games. A record of 25 strikes in 52 games is not to be dismissed.
He may not have too long left in him but Defoe continues to show he knows where the back of the net is. That may be exactly what Gerrard needs to find success next season.
‘Gers fans, how good a coup has Defoe been for the club? Let us know what you think by commenting below!
One of the most dramatic Championship final days in recent memory saw the race for automatic promotion run to the wire, but it was West Brom who eventually booked a place in the Premier League following their draw with QPR.
Slaven Bilic’s men were locked in a head-to-head battle with Brentford for second spot heading into the final match of the season, but the Bees’ surprise 2-1 defeat against Barnsley meant West Brom were promoted regardless of their result against QPR.
Albion were held to a 2-2 draw at the Hawthorns by their West London visitors – with Grady Diangana and Callum Robinson on target for the hosts – and the final whistle was followed by pandemonium when news of the outcome at Griffin Park filtered through.
It means that West Brom’s two-year absence from the Premier League has come to an end, with the Midlands outfit making amends for last season’s play-off heartache by booking their place in next season’s top flight alongside league champions Leeds United.
It has been a remarkable season at West Brom which has been packed with twists and turns, but here are the 15 defining moments of their successful promotion charge…
Bilic’s arrival
West Brom’s promotion quest can be traced right back to June 13th 2019 when Slaven Bilic was confirmed as the club’s new boss, with the Croatian taking over from caretaker manager Jimmy Shan who had overseen the club’s unsuccessful play-off campaign.
Bilic’s appointment at The Hawthorns served as a clear indicator of the club’s ambition ahead of the 2019/20 season, with the former West Ham manager telling the club website that the Baggies had convinced him they want a Premier League return.
Opening day success
West Brom ensured a winning start to the Bilic era as they came from behind to record a 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest on the opening day of the season with Kyle Edwards and Matt Phillips finding the net at the City Ground.
There was a clear sense of resilience within West Brom’s display as they overturned the one-goal deficit to claim three points, while the encounter also marked the debut of full-back Nathan Ferguson who was a key fixture in the side during the first half of the season.
Pereira becomes a Baggie
Albion enjoyed an excellent transfer deadline day in August which saw them add big names such as Charlie Austin and Grady Diangana — but their best move was completing a season-long loan deal to sign Matheus Pereira from Sporting Lisbon.
Pereira quickly established himself as a key part of Bilic’s attacking unit following his arrival in the Midlands, with the Brazilian going on to score eight goals and registering an enormous 20 assists during his maiden Championship season.
Diangana makes his mark
Diangana made a lightning impact after coming off the bench during West Brom’s trip to face Luton at Kenilworth Road in August, with the West Ham loanee netting a brace within six minutes of his introduction to turn the game on its head.
The tricky winger produced an excellent 25-yard strike to level the scores before a smart header made it 2-1 to Bilic’s men who claimed their second win. It was immediately obvious that Albion had a real player on their hands in Diangana.
Albion at the summit
West Brom were looking to extend their eight-game unbeaten when they travelled to face an in-form QPR side in September, and Bilic’s men produced a statement performance to assert their promotion credentials early in the campaign.
Ferguson and Pereira were both on target during the comprehensive success over Mark Warburton’s men, with the 2-0 success ensuring the Baggies leapfrogged Nottingham Forest at the Championship summit.
Elland Road setback
West Brom travelled to face Leeds in search of their third consecutive victory following wins over Huddersfield and QPR, but Ezgjan Alioski’s first-half strike condemned Albion to their first defeat of the league season.
The disappointing result paved the way for this new-look West Brom side’s first real test of character – but they responded in style by sealing a 4-2 victory over Cardiff the following weekend.
Swansea demolition
The Baggies were able to maintain their strong form heading into the Christmas period as they recorded five straight wins heading into their home clash with Swansea in early December, and it was a match to remember for the Hawthorns faithful.
West Brom ran riot as they secured a resounding 5-1 victory over promotion hopefuls Swansea with Pereira scoring once and registering three assists during a destructive afternoon which sent Bilic’s side back to the top of the table.
Austin at the double
West Brom demonstrated their never-say-die attitude in full effect when they twice came from behind to beat Midlands rivals Birmingham City in a 3-2 scoreline, with striker Charlie Austin scoring a second-half double at St Andrew’s.
Austin’s exploits sent the West Brom away end into raptures as they celebrated their side’s comeback, while the nature of the victory made it feel like a significant moment in the wider picture of their season.
Held by Leeds
There was a big-game feel ahead of this key clash at the top of the Championship between West Brom and Leeds on New Year’s Day, with Bilic’s men on the look-out for revenge following their narrow 1-0 defeat earlier in the campaign.
It looked like Albion were on track for a massive victory when Semi Ajayi made it 1-0 after just two minutes, but the defender’s own goal in the second half meant the spoils were shared at The Hawthorns.
FA Cup boost
West Brom’s promotion push looked at risk of unraveling in January when they went six matches without a win over the festive period, but their FA Cup form provided some solace for Albion fans as they progressed to the fifth round.
They saw off the challenge of Charlton in the third round before sealing an excellent 1-0 over Bilic’s former club West Ham at the London Stadium, as Conor Townsend netted the only goal of the game to lift Albion’s spirits during a tough period.
Strong January signings
The Baggies’ promotion bid was seriously boosted by the double addition of Kamil Grosicki and Callum Robinson during the January window, and both these attackers going on to score important goals during the Championship run-in.
The duo helped inject a fresh lease of life into Albion’s attack as the competition for places suddenly intensified even further as both players added increased second-tier experience to the side.
February’s hot streak
Albion re-discovered their form following a tricky festive period as they secured a magnificent five victories during the month in February, with dominant successes away at Millwall and Bristol City particularly standing out at the time.
The clash at Ashton Gate saw Bilic’s men sweep aside play-off hopefuls Bristol City with a 3-0 victory as West Brom started to truly believe it could be their year.
Season suspension
West Brom were held to a goalless draw by a resilient Swansea side when they made the trip to the Liberty Stadium in March, and this proved to be their final game before the season’s suspension.
The Baggies entered the enforced break sitting in second spot and six points clear of third-placed Fulham.
Key victory over Owls
West Brom endured an indifferent return to Championship football as they drew 0-0 with Birmingham before a 1-0 loss against fellow promotion contenders Brentford, with this placing massive pressure on their following match against Sheffield Wednesday.
However, the Hawthorns outfit rose to the occasion and brushed the Owls aside with a 3-0 scoreline as they started to get their promotion bid back on track following a rocky return to action.
Terriers blow
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It looked like Albion had blown their automatic-promotion chances when they suffered a 2-1 defeat against Huddersfield at the John Smith’s Stadium, with this result sending Leeds into the Premier League while also handing Brentford the initiative.
However, the Griffin Park side failed to capitalise on West Brom’s error as they fell to a shock 1-0 defeat at Stoke, with this meaning that the Baggies were leading Brentford by one point heading into the final day of the season.
Final day drama
West Brom’s 2-2 draw with QPR on the final day of the season meant they were relying on the result between Brentford and Barnsley going their way, and the Bees’ surprising 2-1 defeat was enough to send Bilic’s side back into the Premier League.
It was an unusually long road to success as a result of the season’s interruption in March, but it made their deserved promotion taste even sweeter as the West Brom players celebrated with the fans outside the stadium following the conclusion of the QPR clash.
Everton were humbled at Anfield on Wednesday night in a fixture that laid bare the frailties under Marco Silva.
The game was dubbed as a must-win for the Portuguese manager and his side never truly looked like pulling off a shock result.
Liverpool ran out rampant 5-2 winners and left plenty of the Toffees faithful pondering over their future.
The topic of who will replace Silva has been rife in recent days and that has culminated in the aftermath of the midweek defeat.
In the aftermath of the defeat, BBC journalist Phil McNulty offered his verdict on the situation at Goodison Park and underlined the scale of the task that lies ahead of Marcel Brands.
While there are plenty of senior figures at Everton who regularly feature in the public eye, Brands’ role suggests that he must be the one to identify and appoint the right man to steer the club away from the relegation zone.
After reading this verdict, a couple of supporters backed McNulty’s standpoint on the current situation.
But the overwhelming feeling took on a more actively negative stance towards the former PSV Eindhoven technical director.
His transfer activity was heavily scrutinised by one supporter while others simply suggested that the reputation he has established is lacking substance.
It remains to be seen what the Toffees will do next in the managerial market, but there’s no doubt that Brands is under intense pressure to make the right call with the club now languishing in the relegation zone…
Wolverhampton Wanderers’ unbeaten run in the Premier League may have finally come to an end on Sunday afternoon, but the murmurs surrounding the future of manager Nuno Santo keep rumbling on.
The Daily Mail revealed over the weekend that Arsenal are set to step up their pursuit of the Portuguese boss with him one of several names on a shortlist following the sacking of Unai Emery two weeks ago.
However, The Athletic’s Tim Spiers has put such reports to bed by claiming that Nuno has zero interest in speaking to the Gunners about their vacant managerial position.
Which has led to fans reacting in a very joyous nature to his post on social media…
The update was lavished as ‘good news’ and as ‘the best news of the day’ by two supporters while another questioned why Nuno would even want to as his current team is on an upward trajectory.
It has led to some wanting the club to extend his contract past its current date of the summer of 2021.
One member of the Molineux faithful asked their owners, Fosun, to get a new contract sorted as soon as possible as Wolves need to keep hold of him while another demanded it is long-term so that the club don’t risk losing him any time soon.
Can you score at least 80% on this Ultimate Premier League Quiz? Test your knowledge now…
In addition to the reactions mentioned above, some supporters were left hoping that Spiers’ update was indeed a fact while a further fan even wanted to hear those words from the manager himself…
Watch Wolves vs Man City Live and Free with Amazon Prime on December 27th
Last month, Nuno revealed that he had intentions to be active in the January transfer window, so there’s further encouragement over whether or not he will still be in charge at the west Midlands outfit in the near future.
And in other news, Wolves should have called upon one man in particular against Spurs for greater success…
Pablo Hernandez continues to impress for Leeds and that led fans to declare that he has been their best player since relegation from the Premier League, but supporters have also been talking about the midfielder for another reason.
The Spaniard has enjoyed a career spanning 12 years but has never picked up a red card, despite making 458 appearances in that time.
It is some stat and shows what a well-disciplined player he is, which is exactly what is needed from a key player in a team aiming for promotion as it ensures he will always be available for selection when fit.
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Despite being a good thing, many fans have reacted to it pessimistically, suggesting that he is now likely to get sent off in the next match as he has been jinxed.
One fan also pointed out that it isn’t the natural way of things for a Leeds player, referring back to a history of players who often picked up red cards, like Alan Smith.
Gaetano Berardi of the current squad is another who loves a red, with seven for Leeds alone, so it is good that Hernandez hasn’t picked up his bad habits.
The reaction below depicts fans’ reaction to the 34-year-old’s stat.
Sheffield Wednesday’s problems away from the pitch have taken a turn for the worse this week after it was revealed that chairman Dejphon Chansiri was charged by the English Football League.
The Telegraph claim that the Thai businessman could face a permanent ban from football if found guilty by an independent panel, which would mean that he would surely have to relinquish control of the Owls.
This has all stemmed from his decision to sell their Hillsborough stadium to himself to offset debts from the 2017/18 accounts, although, the actual sale didn’t go through until this summer.
Wednesday are ready to contest any charges they face with a football finance expert expecting them to be clamped down with a 12-point deduction at the very least.
Fans have been reacting on social media to the news, and it is safe to say that they are reeling at their chairman with him coming in for some serious flak.
One supporter wanted the club to get rid of Chansiri as he believes his actions have never been for the benefit of Wednesday while another brandished him incompetent.
The Wednesday chairman has always put the south Yorkshiremen in hot water with them being dealt two transfer embargoes under his stewardship in the space of just one year.
The uncertain future of the Owls off the pitch has led to several more members of the Hillsborough faithful all asking for one thing – a return for ex-chairman Milan Mandaric as many see him as a perfect figure to get the club back on track.
While several other supporters offered up a variety of solutions for their controversial chairman with the club now left in a precarious state.
One demands him to sell up, while another wants to see ticket prices reduced as it will be the fans who suffer the most from any potential points deduction…
Garry Monk’s task on the field, however, is undoubtedly going to get impacted by this as the potential repercussions from this could see his side go from playoff contenders to relegation favourites overnight.
The 40-year-old has been through it before as last season at Birmingham City he was in charge when they were slapped with a nine-point deduction. Though, that is probably the only saving grace from this drastic situation.
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Meanwhile, statistics show the system and the players that Monk needs to play more frequently following their win over Charlton last weekend…
This article is part of Football FanCast’s Loan Watch series, which takes a closer look at those players who are aiming to galvanise their careers away from the spotlight of their parent club.
Back in the summer, QPR man Seny Dieng joined League One side Doncaster Rovers on a short-term loan deal and is expected to return to the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium on January 4th.
The Swiss-born glovesman of Senegalese citizenship has made eight appearances across all competitions for Donny this term, breaking into the first-team after spending the first seven league games on the bench.
In his six League One appearances so far, the 24-year-old has kept two clean sheets, helping put an end to Peterborough’s seven-game unbeaten run on his first league appearance for Donny.
He has failed to keep a clean sheet in his two cup appearances, although Dieng has done well to wrestle the shirt from Irishman Ian Lawlor in such a short space of time at the Keepmoat Stadium.
Furthermore, Dieng has a pass success rate of 74% in League One this season, an average that neither of QPR’s two keepers in Joe Lumley and Liam Kelly can get close to – Lumley has a pass success rate of 66.3%, whereas Kelly has 68.7%.
Dieng has also conceded just nine goals in his eight appearances, which is quite impressive when you consider that Kelly and Lumley are culpable for the R’s conceding as many as 26 goals in 14 games this term.
While his efforts should fill him with confidence, a situation currently going on at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium should give him further encouragement in terms of his hopes for a first-team place at QPR.
Mark Warburton has been undecided on who he wants to start in between the sticks so far this season.
The former Brentford boss gave Lumley the No.1 shirt for the first nine Championship games of the campaign, although after a string of errors – namely against Luton and West Brom – summer signing Kelly was entrusted to start.
The 23-year-old has started the last five league games in Lumley’s place, although Kelly – like Lumley – is yet to keep a Championship clean sheet this term. Incidentally, the R’s are the only team in the division not to record a shutout as of yet.
With 6 foot 4 Dieng set to return shortly after the turn of the year, the shot-stopper should really fancy his chances of making an impact back at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium, given his own form and the underwhelming efforts of both Lumley and Kelly.