Don Robbie

Who were the big omissions from Fifa 22's team of the year? By Jonny Bray One of the most anticipated events for fans of Fifa across the globe is the release of the game's Team of the Year. What started as a promotion on a computer game has now become a genuine source of debate, as fans debate which of the stars of world football deserve to make it in. We've even seen the Team of the Year feature reach Monday Night Football. Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville have discussed the team in-depth, and it just goes to show how blurred the lines are between real life and computer games when it comes to football. Football Manager stats have been used on Sky Sports. Even casual football fans know the stars of the Italian, French and Spanish leagues thanks to playing Ultimate Team. And with the prestige of being included in the Team of the Year increasing all the time, we thought it was time to ask who the big omissions were from this season's 11. Mohamed Salah I can't think of...

Four managers who could be heading to Everton By Oli Dickson-Jefford Once again, Everton are searching for a new manager. Rafa Benitez’s 200-day reign was blighted by negativity and poor performances, and his departure last week means the club have gone through five permanent managers in five-and-a-half years. Club legend Duncan Ferguson is again temporarily in the dugout though the Scot is unlikely to be kept on permanently, with the search for a new boss already underway. Here are four potential candidates that Bill Kenwright and Farhad Moshiri could be considering. Wayne Rooney Rooney would certainly be the nostalgic choice in the search for a new manager, having started his career at Goodison Park and returning for a second spell after leaving Manchester United. The 36-year-old is currently managing at Derby and is doing an admirable job with a beleaguered squad amid doubts about whether the club will survive much longer. He would certainly get a warm reception from the Goodison fa...

Are Premier League referees getting worse When VAR was introduced, I think we were all expecting an end to some of the shambolic decision making we’d seen from Premier League referees over the years. VAR was supposed to provide clarity, help referees and make the game easier to understand and follow for everyone involved. Personally, I have no problem with waiting if we get to the right decision in the end. But since its introduction, it has become clear that there is a very human element to VAR. This weekend has thrown referees straight back into the hot seat after Kevin Friend’s shocking decision to award Liverpool a game-changing penalty in their 3-1 win against Crystal Palace. He decided on second viewing after being told to look at the incident again by video assistant referee Craig Pawson. It was an incorrect decision, with the replay clearly showing that the ball was gone and that Diogo Jota moved directly into Palace keeper Vicente Guaita’s path. It wasn’t the only poor decisio...

What players should the big six look to offload this January? By Jonny Bray There are a lot of players who are currently struggling for game time at one of the traditional 'big six' sides. From exciting academy prospects to £30 million signings, there are a wide variety of reasons why those players are struggling to break into the first team at their current clubs. But this January is an opportunity to break free and finally show what they can do when given a chance. Jesse Lingard After his performances for West Ham last season, a lot of fans and pundits were expecting big things from Jesse Lingard this season. Sadly, the attacking midfielder decided to stay at Old Trafford, limiting his first-team opportunities. Crucially, he's also wasted another year of his professional career on the bench at a club with no plan for him in the long term. He may not even be welcome back at West Ham now after their outstanding season, so where Lingard would end up is a mystery. But anythin...

Player Profile: Giovanni Reyna By Jonny Bray Giovanni Reyna is widely regarded as one of European football's most exciting young talents. The Borussia Dortmund and USA star was born in Sunderland and is the son of former Premier League player Claudio Reyna, who represented the Black Cats and Manchester City during his time in England back in the early to mid 2000s. But now, his son is lighting up German football, quickly rising from an unknown to one of Dortmund's most exciting prospects. With such a history of bringing through elite players, fans could be forgiven for getting extremely excited about the midfielder. But what do you need to know about the USA international? What has he done so far? Reyna has achieved a lot despite being just 19 years old. He made his Dortmund debut at the very start of 2020, becoming the youngest American, aged 17 years and 66 days, ever to appear in the Bundesliga, breaking a record previously set by Christian Pulisic. We've all seen the im...

Which Premier League club should Haaland join? By Oli Dickson Jefford Erling Haaland is one of the most talked about people in world football. At the age of 21, the Norwegian is already one of the best strikers on the planet and a legendary career beckons. Haaland joined Borussia Dortmund at the beginning of 2020 and has thrived in Germany but a long-term stay looks unlikely with some of Europe’s biggest clubs targeting him. Real Madrid are in the hunt for his services but the Premier League does look like a potential destination with a handful of clubs interested. We take a look at some of the English sides potentially targeting Haaland and see which club he should join. Manchester City Man City looks like a likely destination for Haaland. To start there is a familial connection, with his dad Alf-Inge spending three years at the club in the early 2000s. City are perhaps the only club that would not have to sell anyone to be able to finance a move, which is likely to cost well over £10...

  Is it time for Liverpool to sell Joe Gomez? By Jack Lacey-Hatton For so long last season the heart of defence was a major issue for Liverpool. This time 12 months ago, following a horrible injury to Virgil Van Djik, centre-half had become a weak spot for the Reds, who suffered a disappointing loss of form in January. But now Jurgen Klopp’s team once again has one of the strongest backlines in Europe, with a range of options in the middle of defence. The summer arrival of Ibrahima Konaté, has added depth to a squad that already boasted Joel Matip, and arguably the best-in-the-world, Van Djik. But the signing of Konaté, has also put Joe Gomez in a sticky position. The English defender has suffered numerous injury problems in recent seasons, and while he does look a force to be reckoned with when on the pitch, is it now time to review whether his services should be retained.  Both Real Madrid and Aston Villa are being linked with a move for him when the January window opens in ...

Premier League Preview By Jonny Bray Covid-19 is back with a bang, and it’s wreaking havoc on the Premier League fixture calendar. At the time of writing this, just five of the weekend’s ten Premier League fixtures are taking place as the country looks set to start 2022 the way it started 2021. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be plenty of action across the division, with Sunday afternoon looking particularly mouth-watering on paper. So here’s the Premier League preview for this weekend, Covid-19 permitting. Aston Villa v Burnley Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa side have been in outstanding form since he arrived from Rangers. The former England international has four wins from his six games as boss, with the two defeats coming up against Manchester City and Liverpool. They’ll now take on Burnley, who have been having a difficult season so far. Their last game was postponed, with Watford’s squad depleted after several positive Covid-19 cases. To make matters worse for Sean Dyche’s side, t...

Premier League gameweek 16 review/17 preview - drama at both ends of the table By Tom Masters As another weekend of   Premier   League   action came to a thrilling conclusion at Selhurst Park on Sunday, we have a look at all the games and look ahead at the midweek action as the busy   Premier   League   schedule continues.    There were nine   Premier   League   fixtures last weekend, as Tottenham Hotspur’s game against Brighton and Hove Albion was postponed due to the ongoing Covid-19 cases at Tottenham.    Brentford steal Friday night battle     Brentford once again took the three points in a nervy Friday night battle with Watford, as the Bees stuttered to a 2-1 win over the Hornets.    Watford took the lead in the first half through Emmanuel Dennis, whose seventh goal of the season proved to be in vain as Brentford came back late.    First through a scrappy Pontus Jansson goal from a corner...

European Review for all Premier League clubs By Jonny Bray The Premier League hasn’t been at this high a standard in nearly 15 years. Both fans and pundits appear to be in agreement that the quality of the teams throughout the league has been very impressive. However, it’ll be interesting to see if that will translate into European success for the English sides in the Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League. After an all-English Champions League Final last year, the question remains, can fans of the Premier League expect the same again this year? Liverpool Liverpool have had a perfect start to their European campaign this season. Winning all six games in any group is impressive but winning all six in a group with Atlético de Madrid, Porto and AC Milan is absolutely outstanding. It says a lot about how good Liverpool have been when they’re 11 points clear of their closest rival in the group. They’re arguably favourites to win the whole damn thing. Manchester United ...