logo
'A joyless season for the Hammers'

'A joyless season for the Hammers'

BBC News6 days ago

Here's my quick assessment of Everton's Premier League season - and a return to my August predictions.Ended the season: 14thPre-season prediction: 8thA joyless season for the Hammers, who had high expectations following Julen Lopetegui's arrival. It proved an ill-fated appointment. He was sacked after only six months in charge, while Graham Potter has been unable to engineer any significant improvement.Potter can only really be judged once he has put his own stamp on the squad, with Jarrod Bowen the player he will build around, but there is no escaping this has been a desperate campaign.What I said in August: "Lopetegui has replaced David Moyes, whose full worth to West Ham United may yet become clear in the months ahead, and not just because he won the Conference League."Read my assessments of the other 19 teams here

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Liverpool star who left Jurgen Klopp 'regretful' could impact Florian Wirtz deal
Liverpool star who left Jurgen Klopp 'regretful' could impact Florian Wirtz deal

Daily Mirror

time19 minutes ago

  • Daily Mirror

Liverpool star who left Jurgen Klopp 'regretful' could impact Florian Wirtz deal

Liverpool are closing in on a deal to sign Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Florian Wirtz, with the Reds prepared to make the Germany international the most expensive player in their history Before he left Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp shared a lingering regret – one that could now significantly influence the club's efforts to sign Florian Wirtz. The Reds are deep in advanced talks with Bayer Leverkusen over the gifted midfielder and are ready to break their transfer record to bring him to Anfield. They recently tabled a bid worth £109m plus add-ons, though reports indicate Leverkusen are standing firm on a valuation closer to £120m. To close the gap, a part-exchange proposal is being considered, with Harvey Elliott and Jarell Quansah floated as possible makeweights. ‌ Under new head coach Arne Slot, both youngsters have seen limited game time, making just six Premier League starts between them during the 2024/25 campaign. Elliott, in particular, was named in the starting XI in just six of the Reds' 56 fixtures in all competitions – a steep drop from his 27 starts under Klopp the season prior. ‌ Still, Klopp admitted he "regretted" not giving Elliott more starting opportunities. Speaking before his penultimate match in charge in May last year, the German said: "It's not that I go back and think, 'OK, what did we all do wrong?' But if I regret one thing a little bit, it's that Harvey didn't play often enough maybe. "Because in a very important, intense period – January, a lot of injuries – he played really good. He was probably our best player – right wing, right midfield, all these kinds of things. Everybody came back and he had minutes here, minutes there and he didn't start anymore – [but he] came on, [and made a] big impact." Leverkusen, now managed by former Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag, are admirers of both Elliott and Quansah, and are open to a cash-plus-player arrangement. As Wirtz – the club's creative engine – edges closer to the exit, using an attacking midfielder like Elliott in the deal would make a lot of sense. That said, the 22-year-old isn't the only name on Leverkusen's shortlist. James McAtee of Manchester City, Andy Diouf from RC Lens, and Giannis Konstantelias of PAOK are all under consideration. Meanwhile, the Bundesliga side are bracing for the free transfer exit of key defender Jonathan Tah, who is poised to join Bayern Munich. That departure raises the appeal of including Quansah, a view reinforced by Klopp's past compliments. ‌ In January 2024, the manager was effusive in his praise: "I liked Quansah from the moment I saw him [as a 16-year-old]," he said. "I know he's a good footballer, which is... not rare... but quite special [for a centre back] – how calm he is on the ball. "I didn't expect him to be that quick, that strong... but when we saw him it was clear. He was going to be our solution. Now he's a proper part of the squad." ‌ Quansah has struggled to make the same impression under Slot, and with Liverpool actively scouting central defenders – including Marc Guehi of Crystal Palace, Jorrel Hato from Ajax, and Castle Lukeba of RB Leipzig – the academy graduate may find himself sliding down the defensive pecking order if he stays. Regardless of whether any player is packaged into the agreement, Liverpool are expected to complete the signing of Wirtz in the coming weeks. The German international is poised to become the most expensive signing in the club's history, eclipsing the £85m paid for Darwin Nunez. Owners Fenway Sports Group are also prepared to break Premier League records to get the deal done – with Wirtz potentially surpassing the £111m that Chelsea spent on Moises Caicedo in 2023.

Matt O'Riley transfer uncertainty as Everton 'keen' on ex-Celtic star
Matt O'Riley transfer uncertainty as Everton 'keen' on ex-Celtic star

The National

time21 minutes ago

  • The National

Matt O'Riley transfer uncertainty as Everton 'keen' on ex-Celtic star

It's claimed the Premier League club would be interested in signing the Brighton midfielder just one year on from his move from Celtic. O'Riley endured a staggered season for Brighton with injuries impacting his availability and limited minutes when fit under Fabian Hurzeler. Sky Sports now reports Everton would be interested in a deal for O'Riley should Brighton sanction a transfer exit this summer. According to the outlet, it is unclear whether Brighton would allow a deal and be willing to sell the midfielder. It's thought O'Riley is viewed as a player prepared to make a telling contribution at the club next season. O'Riley notched two goals and three assists in his debut season in the Premier League. He also started six of the last eight games for the club last season. Read more: It comes after reports O'Riley is a transfer target for clubs in Italy, Germany and sides in the Premier League. Fabrizio Romano posted last month: "Matt O'Riley could be one to watch in the summer as Brighton midfielder is now attracting interest from Serie A, Bundesliga, Premier League clubs. "Approaches started eyeing an opportunity on the market to try sign the talented central midfielder." A potential O'Riley transfer this summer could have consequences for Celtic. Indeed, the Parkhead club were said to have been given a 10 per cent sell-on fee when they sold the 24-year-old last year.

The Simon Yates lesson that Isaac del Toro must learn from unforgettable Giro d'Italia
The Simon Yates lesson that Isaac del Toro must learn from unforgettable Giro d'Italia

The Independent

time24 minutes ago

  • The Independent

The Simon Yates lesson that Isaac del Toro must learn from unforgettable Giro d'Italia

One year on from Tadej Pogacar 's demolition job of the competition at his maiden Giro d'Italia, another young climber was having his moment in the sun. The comparisons were inevitable as soon as Isaac Del Toro appeared on the scene: lean, explosive, with a natural gift for spotting his moment, an obvious thrill for racing. But as the Mexican progressed through this Giro d'Italia it felt like the Tadej Pogacar comparisons weighed lightly on his shoulders. The 21-year-old seemed a changed figure from the wide-eyed figure who pulled on the maglia rosa in disbelief on stage nine, at the end of an audacious attack on one of the race's toughest stages, the gravel-dotted run into Siena. The UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider grew into the race, seeming to grow in confidence and stature with each day in head-to-toe pink. It proved difficult for the likes of Richard Carapaz to dislodge him as he marked every one of his rivals' moves, never missing a beat. He outlasted both Juan Ayuso and Adam Yates, in theory the squad's official co-leaders going into the race. There were echoes of another prodigious talent's youthful enthusiasm in his attacking racing style, and like with Pogacar's Tour de France in 2022, it proved insufficient to win the Giro d'Italia. Jumbo-Visma isolated Pogacar in the French Alps, wearing the Slovenian down through an all-out assault, as his tremendous efforts over the course of the race told and he finally buckled. A similar situation happened the following year. In Italy, Del Toro appeared at ease closing gaps when other GC contenders attacked, but there were raised eyebrows at his decision to do it all himself, rather than letting his teammates do the dirty work. Question marks remain over UAE Team Emirates' tactics at this race, from their unwillingness to throw the full weight of the squad behind one or the other of del Toro and Ayuso when the Mexican was in the ascendancy, to the failure to work to bring back Yates on the Colle delle Finestre, instead letting the race win ride away into the clouds. Ironically, it was partially a reversion to conservative tactics that cost Del Toro the win – but his exhaustion on the penultimate stage will only have been compounded by the unnecessary energy he spent earlier in the race. Inevitably, Del Toro will be back; his class and ability were apparent as a youngster and have only been emphasised by his near two-week stint in the pink jersey. He is the youngest podium finisher at the Giro since Fausto Coppi 85 years ago, and second on his Giro debut. Grand Tour wins are in his future. But rather than youthful enthusiasm and star power, this Giro was won on patience and experience. Simon Yates raced his 2018 Giro in the aggressive way Del Toro began his stint in pink, before cracking spectacularly with the finish line in sight, losing 38 minutes on the Finestre as he watched Chris Froome ride away to glory. This time Yates, 21st on stage one, kept a low profile until the last possible moment. It was a win seven years in the making. While Del Toro stole the show for much of this race, and the complex politics among UAE's young cohort of starlets made for drama, this race was one for a generation of old-timers. Comparatively, at least. For Primoz Roglic, the overwhelming pre-race favourite, it was a disappointment. In his last twelve Grand Tours, going back to his maiden Vuelta victory in 2019, he has either finished on the podium (seven times) or abandoned the race (five). But this was the redemption tour for the 32-year-old Simon Yates; the exhilarating comeback of 28-year-old Egan Bernal, seventh on GC in Rome and back to attacking ways, three years on from the crash that nearly killed him; the unexpected renaissance of one of cycling's canniest racers, 32-year-old Richard Carapaz. Last year's Giro was a story of untempered dominance, of one of the most brilliant riders to ever grace the sport. This year's was a story of romance, of incredible perseverance, of a rider returning triumphant to the scene of one of his lowest moments. On the other side, it was a story of a young man with the hopes of an entire nation on his shoulders, making history for Mexico and breaking new ground. Lit up by the attacks of the 2019 and 2021 winners, won by a rider who may have thought his chances of another victory at the corsa rosa had passed him by, and the scene of Del Toro's coming of age, this Giro was the sport's past, present and future, all in one.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store