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With Duncan Ferguson filling in on a temporary basis as caretaker manager while Everton look to appoint yet another new permanent head coach after sacking Rafa Benitez just over six months into his tenure in charge of the Toffees, it’s certainly a busy time for Farhad Moshiri.

However, it seems as though the Merseyside club could have taken a big step towards identifying a potential candidate to take the reins at Goodison Park.

What’s the news?

In a recent Twitter post from journalist Jason Burt, he shared some details on what the current situation is at Everton after it emerged that Fabio Cannavaro was in talks to become their new permanent manager.

He said: “Conflicting claims as to how Fabio Cannavaro fared in his talks with Everton. I am told that not only did he interview well – and speaks good English – but the shortlist may now just be down to him, Wayne Rooney or Frank Lampard.”

In his managerial career, the 48-year-old has had two spells in charge of Guangzhou Evergrande, as well as a few months at Al-Nassr FC and Tianjin Quanjian.

With a total of 211 games under his belt as a senior manager, Cannavaro has 123 wins to his name. While this highlights his experience, the fact that he hasn’t managed in any of the top European leagues may cast some doubt over his capabilities of being successful at a club such as Everton.

Fans will be amazed

With this in mind and the fact that Cannavaro has apparently got himself into the shortlist for the job alongside Wayne Rooney and Frank Lampard after just one interview, Everton fans would surely be amazed if the Italy legend was appointed as their new permanent manager.

While it could be considered a risky move due to Cannavaro’s lack of experience managing at a big club in Europe, it’s worth remembering that Everton’s two previous permanent managers Carlo Ancelotti and Benitez had huge experience of managing elite clubs and winning titles in Europe, but that didn’t help them while they were at Goodison Park.

Therefore, maybe taking a chance on a comparatively inexperienced manager like Cannavaro who would garner a lot of respect due to what he achieved as a player could make him a good fit at Everton.

In other news: Everton must avoid another managerial disaster with “arrogant” 58 y/o, he’d be Rafa 2.0

Flocking to Twitter, a number of Manchester City fans have reacted to a squad update arising from this week’s training footage, which suggests some of Pep Guardiola’s stars will not be available for Wednesday night’s game against Brentford.

Man City will head into their next game on a high following their chaotic Boxing day clash against Leicester City, which saw Guardiola’s men emerge victorious with a 6-3 score-line at the Etihad.

The Cityzens sit six points clear at the top of the Premier League table. However, second-place Liverpool have the potential to halve the points gap with a win in their upcoming fixture against the Foxes at the King Power Stadium.

Man City fans react to squad update

City Xtra recently took to Twitter to share the names of those who were not pictured in City’s training footage this week, with many noticeable omissions coming in the form of defenders.

Kyle Walker, John Stones, Rodri, Joao Cancelo, and Oleksandr Zinchenko were all seemingly missing, and while the latter duo are reportedly fit to play, the other absences could still leave the manager a little light of depth at the back.

Here’s what the fans had to say about the news:

“We don’t even have first team fullback anymore”

Credit: @CityJoul

“Brentford and arsenal winning if we have none of these players”

Credit: @TheFloatBros

“well that’s not very fun is it”

Credit: @SxrgioSZN

“no fullbacks??? what’s happening”

Credit: @mxnciteh

“Not funny”

Credit: @Keane4K

“WHOOOOO”

Credit: @trevsenpai

As per reliable club insider ExWHUemployee, there has been another update involving West Ham United and their interest in Manchester United attacker Jesse Lingard as the January window looms.

The Lowdown: West Ham eye move…

The 29-year-old has been linked with a return to the London Stadium over these last few months after he opted to stay at Old Trafford in the summer.

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Lingard, amid his lack of game time at United, is yet to sign a new contract with the Red Devils as his current deal runs out in 2022 – prompting interest from a host of Premier League clubs including West Ham (ESPN).

Irons boss David Moyes is believed to be keen on a swoop for the 2020/2021 loanee who dazzled on a temporary spell over the second half of last season, where he managed to bag nine goals and four assists in just 16 top flight starts (WhoScored).

ExWHUemployee, sharing the latest, has issued an update on West Ham and Lingard’s transfer stance ahead of the winter window.

The Latest: Ex makes Lingard claim…

According to the insider, via The West Ham Way, it’s apparently ‘looking more likely’ that the Champions League midfielder will see out the remainder of his contract in Manchester and move on later in the new year.

However, Ex also believes ‘this could change’ as he refuses to completely rule out a January departure, with the club source also believing West Ham are ‘still looking set’ to ‘make a move’ for him early next month.

The Verdict: Priority?

West Ham’s need for a striking alternative to Michail Antonio and emergency centre-back amid their injury crisis arguably trumps a swoop for Lingard, with Aaron Cresswell’s serious injury also making a case for the possible signing of a left-back.

The presence of Said Benrahma, Pablo Fornals, Nikola Vlasic, Jarrod Bowen and Manuel Lanzini, who can all play in the attacking midfield position, provide Moyes with a stable amount of cover just behind Antonio with other positions more in need of reinforcement.

A move for Lingard should perhaps be put on the back-burner until later in 2022 when he can sign as a free agent, providing another club don’t swoop before then.

Lauded as ‘top-quality’ by former Premier League striker Kevin Phillips, the England international would undoubtedly strengthen West Ham, but Moyes may have other more pressing holes to fill in his squad.

In other news: ‘Nooooo’, ‘Beyond a joke’, ‘Xmas ruined’…West Ham fans flock to ‘worrying’ player claim, find out more here.

Everton owner Farhad Moshiri insists under-fire manager Rafa Benitez will not be sacked by the Premier League outfit as he ‘needs more time’ to turn their poor form around.

What’s the story?

The British-Iranian businessman responded to talkSPORT host Jim White’s text message asking for an update on the 61-year-old tactician’s future following their 4-1 thrashing in the Merseyside Derby on Tuesday night.

“This was my message to Farhad”, said White live on air. “‘Can you text me a message to the fans? Do you still back Rafa?’

“He replied: ‘Yes. Football is about crisis one day and glory the following day. Rafa is a good manager and underperformance is largely due to the injuries.

“’Next two weeks, we will get to a full squad and, in the meantime, results will improve. Rafa needs time to have his mark on the squad. He will be supported to add depth to the squad. Managers need time. I have no doubt that we will have a strong second-half to the season’.”

The Athletic’s Everton reporter Patrick Boyland then relayed the update online, tweeting: “Farhad Moshiri tells Talksport that Rafa Benitez “needs more time” and will not be sacked”.

Everton fans will be gutted

News that Benitez is set to stay in the Everton dugout for the foreseeable future may leave large sections of the Everton fanbase feeling gutted, given his recent struggles.

The Blues are currently enduring an eight-game winless run, have scored just one goal in their last four fixtures and are now hovering only five points above the relegation zone.

Benitez was already an unpopular choice with the club’s supporters upon his arrival due to his previous connections with fierce rivals Liverpool, and his inability to produce quality results has failed to endear him further.

With key players such as Yerry Mina and Dominic Calvert-Lewin expected to return to action soon, the next few weeks could be crucial in Benitez’s Everton tenure. For now, however, he feels like the wrong man for the job.

And, in other news…Everton line up “leader of the year” to succeed Benitez, Toffees fans will be ecstatic

Flocking to Twitter, these West Ham United fans have erupted over their latest update on their chase for Fulham striker Aleksandar Mitrovic.

David Moyes has long set his sights on a striker for his side, confirming to the press that he was ‘desperate’ to sign one in the summer window, but a move failed to materialise.

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As January looms, the Scotsman may have another chance to finally end his year-long wait for a Michail Antonio alternative as an update emerges on Cottagers forward Mitrovic.

According to reliable club insider ExWHUemployee, the Irons and Moyes have reignited interest in the Serbian having admired him for many years.

Indeed, West Ham are interested in signing Mitrovic next month as recruitment chief Rob Newman aims to finally put the striker saga to bed.

West Ham fans erupt…

Scoring 22 goals already this season in the Championship, it’s safe to say the international ace certainly knows where the back of the net is, leaving little wonder why some of these supporters want him signed.

Labelled ‘unplayable’ at times by former Premier League boss Ian Holloway, West Ham can certainly do far worse as their fans erupt – find all of their best reactions down below:

“He’s perfect, no idea why people don’t want him?”

Credit: @PsychoMafia

“I think Moyes would get the best of out him I think it would be a good signing at the right price”

Credit: @goodman24688

“Mitrovic for me. Proven goalscorer.”

Credit: @Happyhammer68

“Mitrovic 100% absolute animal”

Credit: @AaronWaters44

“Mitrovic would take us to another level trust me”

Credit: @stephenlott

“I’ve said this for ages”

Credit: @mattykelly15

In other news: Insider says club may well their ‘top drawer’ mainstay to West Ham, he’s ‘very keen’ to join…find out more here.

A number of West Ham United fans have hit out at the performance of Issa Diop on social media in Thursday’s meeting with Genk in the Europa League. 

David Moyes made seven changes from the 4-1 win over Aston Villa last time out with Alphonse Areola, Issa Diop, Craig Dawson, Vladimir Coufal, Arthur Masuaku, Mark Noble and Manuel Laninzi all coming into the side.

And it was Diop’s display which had a number of fans talking, and not for the right reasons either. The 24-year-old was making just his sixth appearance of the campaign, playing in his usual centre-back role alongside Dawson.

The Frenchman appeared to be extremely rusty early on, though, and was caught out by Joseph Paintsil, who opened the scoring for the hosts after beating Diop for pace in behind.

As per SofaScore, Diop lost the ball on seven occasions, more than partner Dawson, was dribbled past once compared to Dawson’s perfect record, made one error leading to a shot and failed to even make a single clearance or block a shot.

West Ham fans react

Here is what these Hammers supporters had to say about Diop on Twitter, with one labelling him as ‘shocking’ following his early mistake and another comparing him to former forward Sebastien Haller due to their inconsistency.

“Wow Diop caught napping”

Credit: @RyanReed93

“shocking from diop there. sleeping!”

Credit: @apl63

“That was appalling from Diop”

Credit: @AndrewIron85

“Diop back to his usual standards”

Credit: @LH_WHU

“Diop is literally the defensive version of Haller. Just when you thought he was getting better he pulls a stunt like that”

Credit: @moyes_boy

“Areola should have done better but absolutely shambolic from Diop”

Credit: @whucharlie_

In other news: West Ham still want ‘unreal’ powerhouse who was allegedly ‘very keen’ to join Moyes. 

Aston Villa CEO Christian Purslow was blown away by the vision Steven Gerrard set out in his Villa Park interview, The Athletic’s Gregg Evans writes. 

The lowdown

Gerrard is preparing to take charge of his first Aston Villa game on Saturday, with Brighton and Hove Albion travelling to the Midlands.

His appointment was made official on 11 November, just four days on from the sacking of Dean Smith.

The Liverpool icon joins from Scottish giants Rangers, where he broke Celtic’s stranglehold with an unbeaten run to the 2020/21 title in what was his first senior managerial role.

The latest

Evans lifts the lid on some of the ‘finer details’ of the ‘five hours of talks’ that took place following Smith’s dismissal.

Gerrard explained how he would make Villa ‘exciting and attractive to watch’, which particularly delighted sporting director Johan Lange.

He also offered a ‘thorough’ analysis of the current squad and a plan for blooding youngsters from the academy.

Purslow apparently regarded it as ‘one of the most engaging’ interviews he’s ever conducted.

“What a start,” Evans wrote in an accompanying tweet.

The verdict

This could well be music to the ears of many Villa fans with the Gerrard era about to get underway.

His promises regarding young players are particularly noteworthy given the strength of Villa’s academy roster.

Cameron Archer might be among those fancying his chances of breaking into the first-team if he can catch the manager’s eye.

Villa handed Gerrard a contract that runs until 2025, which has to be seen as a significant show of faith in his ability to nurture and develop the current squad.

That’s a year longer, for example, than Newcastle’s new owners have initially given Eddie Howe.

In other news, fans react to updates on two midfielders.

Crystal Palace were linked with a move for former Bournemouth winger Arnaut Danjuma over the summer, and the club’s hierarchy may be ruing not signing the 24-year-old just a few months on.

What’s the story?

According to Sky Sports, the Eagles were amongst Danjuma’s potential suitors in the previous transfer window after he put in a string of impressive performances in the Championship last season.

The Netherlands international was one of the second tier’s standout performers in 2020/21, bagging 15 goals and laying on a further seven assists in 33 appearances for the Cherries.

However, despite Danjuma adding a further two strikes to his tally during the two-legged play-off semi-final against Brentford, his efforts weren’t enough to see off the capital club, meaning Bournemouth were consigned to another year outside of the Premier League.

It led to a tussle for his signature between multiple clubs, but it was Spanish side Villarreal who stumped up the £21.3m asking price to secure the wing wizard’s services, and he’s been in scintillating form ever since.

One of Parish’s biggest Palace mistakes

Since arriving in La Liga, Danjuma has quickly established himself as one of the division’s most exciting attacking talents, bagging four goals in just seven league games, and adding another strike and two assists in three Champions League outings.

His eye-catching performances at club level have also earned to versatile forward a recall to Louis van Gaal’s national team setup where he scored in the 6-0 thrashing of Gibraltar.

It was Danjuma’s first cap for the Oranje since 2018, but it’s unlikely to be his last after his standout showing from the substitutes bench earned glowing praise from the Dutch coach in his post-match interview.

“This was a spectacular substitute by Danjuma,” Van Gaal said. “He deserves to be praised because what he showed was very clever.

“On the left, we have plenty of options; on the right, we don’t. He deserves to be praised. Danjuma had nice, good dribbles. His fellow players were not quite ready for his hard crosses yet.”

Although Palace have made a promising start to the current campaign, no winger within Patrick Vieira’s first-team squad has hit the back of the net from open play.

Wilfried Zaha has bagged two penalties, while Jordan Ayew continues to search for his first goal since November 2020, and although Michael Olise has notched his first goal for the Eagles, he prefers to play through the middle.

Therefore, not signing the £22.5m-rated Danjuma will surely have to go down as one of Steve Parish’s biggest transfer mistakes during his tenure as Palace chairman.

The versatile forward could have been a mainstay of the south London outfit’s attack for many years to come, but now Vieira is left still searching for the final piece of his forward line.

And, in other news…Vieira could unearth the next CPFC prodigy in 20 y/o beast, he’s “one for the future” 

Leeds United youngster Jamie Shackleton could play in the Whites’ crucial Premier League clash with Norwich City this weekend, according to Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Shackleton catches the eye

This season has been a breakthrough one for Shackleton, who has made up for the absence of Luke Ayling at right-back and taken his chance.

The 22-year-old has featured in seven of Leeds’ nine league games, starting four of them, with one fan describing him as a ‘little diamond’ earlier in the year.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side are preparing to head to Norwich on Sunday afternoon and it could be that Shackleton is again called into action, having missed the Carabao Cup defeat at Arsenal in midweek.

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The Latest: Youngster set for more minutes

Writing on Twitter on Friday, Hay confirmed that the youngster ‘has a chance’ of being in contention to play at Elland Road, as Ayling continues to be out injured:

“Shackleton has a chance of being involved but no Luke Ayling. Still not ready to return. Bielsa says there’s no precise return date set for Bamford, Ayling or Koch yet.”

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The Verdict: Trusted player now

There may have been a time when playing Shackleton felt like a gamble, given his lack of experience, but he has been a consistent performer of late, racking up the third-highest average match rating in the squad this season (Whoscored).

It looks likely that he will continue at right-back against Norwich – he has the ability to thrive in midfield, too – and the hope is that he can inspire his team to a much-needed victory.

A pass completion rate of 89.6 percent in the league this season is highly impressive, outlining why Bielsa trusts Shackleton as a first-team regular now.

In other news, two important Leeds players are set to return for Leeds at Norwich. Find out who they are here.

Sheffield Wednesday have been handed an injury boost ahead of their League One clash against Oxford United at Hillsborough this afternoon.

After securing a 2-1 win over Wigan Athletic at the DW Stadium in midweek, the Owls are now set to welcome Karl Robinson’s men to Hillsborough for their next slice of league action.

What’s the story?

This comes after Owls manager Darren Moore revealed in his press conference on Friday ahead of the Oxford clash that Sam Hutchinson was taken off during the win over Wigan as a “precaution” but has trained alongside the rest of his teammates in preparation for the match today.

That means the 32-year-old could be available to take on the U’s at Hillsborough in what would be a big boost to the manager and his team.

Wednesday fans will be thrilled

Given how Hutchinson missed Wednesday’s league games against Rotherham United and Morecambe after picking up an injury against Fleetwood Town back in August, it’s good to hear that he has not suffered another injury and was taken off against Wigan merely as a precaution.

Taking into account how the 32-year-old has played in numerous positions for Wednesday so far this season such as centre-back, defensive midfield and central midfield, it’s safe to say that he has been an important figure for the team based on his versatility when called upon and the abundant experience he has under his belt.

Wednesday originally signed Hutchinson back in February 2014 on a loan deal from Chelsea before securing him on a permanent basis in the following summer’s transfer window. He joined Pafos FC on a free transfer 13 months ago before returning to Wednesday on a free back in January.

Overall, he has made 184 appearances for the Yorkshire club across all competitions, chipping in with seven goals and five assists along the way (per Transfermarkt). He is the Owls’ second-highest rated player so far this season according to WhoScored performance metrics, with a squad-high two interceptions per game illustrating his importance in stifling opposition attacks.

Looking ahead to the Oxford clash today, we feel that if Hutchinson in fully fit enough to play, he should definitely be in the starting XI, playing in whichever position Moore thinks he is needed.

In other news: Moore must ruthlessly axe £450k-rated dud v Oxford, he’s not good enough