List of All Articles with Tag 'f'

If the first 11 have presented a problem, the greater warning came on page 11. Page 11, that is, of Everton’s annual financial report. “Conditions indicate the existence of a material uncertainty that may cast significant doubt about the group’s ability to continue as a going concern,” it read. Those conditions, in the curious way Everton phrased it, were “if the assumptions in the relegation scenario were not achieved”. Their assumptions were that a storied club, founder members of the Football League and the club who have played more top-division games than any other in England, would stay up. With one game to go, they are one place above the relegation zone, their fate in their hands but dicing with disaster. A win against Bournemouth will keep Everton up. Anything else would doom them if Leicester win; lose and Leeds would leapfrog Everton with a victory of their own. Clubs in such positions are often imperilled; but not with an existential threat. As it is, Everton’s majority shareholder, Farhad Moshiri, has provided assurances of his intention to fund the club if they go down. But, as was noted in the annual report, they are not legally binding. There is a separate question of whether Moshiri could afford to: certainly both his and Everton’s finances appear slighter since his long-time business partner Alisher Usmanov was sanctioned by the British government amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Uzbek-Russian billionaire’s company, USM, had sponsored Everton’s Finch Farm training ground; he had paid for the first option to the naming rights of their new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock. And Everton have needed money: even with Premier League revenues, they lost £44m in the last financial year; although that was dramatically better than losing £371m in the previous three years, albeit partly due to Covid. They face a Premier League investigation into alleged Financial Fair Play breaches, though they are adamant all recent deals have been run past the league to ensure they are compliant. But Everton may be staring into the abyss. Manager Sean Dyche said recently that livelihoods were on the line. So is much more. Everton have enjoyed 120 years of top-flight football, the last 69 of them unbroken. But Goodison Park, where Pele and Eusebio scored in the 1966 World Cup, could host its last Premier League game against Bournemouth on Sunday. Everton are due to move to Bramley-Moore Dock in 2024; finishing that requires money and they are in an exclusivity period for negotiations with the American firm MSP Sports Capital to invest in the club. An announcement could be forthcoming in the next weeks if Everton stay up; go down, however, and the context changes dramatically. Such funding, or indeed such a reliance on last-day results, may not be required had Everton not spent so much so badly in the Moshiri years. Their outlay on signings has topped £600m and yet the team was in such a state of disrepair that, for much of last week’s match against Wolves, their team, with the exception of Jordan Pickford, consisted solely of centre-backs, central midfielders and wingers. It was not an innovative tactical ploy. They did not have a fit full-back or, after Dominic Calvert-Lewin went off with his latest injury, a striker trusted to take the field. Which highlights one of the fundamental flaws in Everton’s thinking. Last season, Calvert-Lewin scored the goal that kept them up, but only after Richarlison had struck five others in the run-in. Richarlison had to be sold to bring in £60m before 30 June, the end of the Premier League’s financial year. Since then, Everton have banked on the fitness of an unfit player, who may now miss what could be billed as one of the biggest games in their long history. Meanwhile, Neal Maupay, the summer striking signing, is on a run of 27 games without a goal; he may count as former manager Frank Lampard’s greatest error, although that is a competitive list. Yet Everton have been prisoners of their past. Their summer deals tended to be for players with low up-front fees, signing those who they could get rather than, in some cases, who they ideally wanted. It means they still owe much of the cost of Dwight McNeil and Amadou Onana, who should at least command sizeable fees if they have to be sold, and Maupay, who may join the list of Everton buys who are unsellable. If other clubs can at least compensate for relegation by selling Premier League performers, Everton have fewer who would bring in large amounts – Calvert-Lewin could be a £50m forward if fit, but not otherwise, so that may only leave Pickford, McNeil and Onana – and still owe plenty. Relegation could be attributed to their past financial mismanagement. They were unable to buy in January until Anthony Gordon was sold, seeing targets such as Danny Ings go elsewhere (somewhat farcically, Arnaut Danjuma, who could have been a high-class loanee, got off a train at Crewe when he learned of Tottenham’s interest, switched platforms and hopped on one back down to London). They botched the end of the window and, if they were keen not to repeat past mistakes by overpaying for undistinguished players, the eventual verdict may be that the lack of another forward cost them their Premier League status; they enter the last game of the campaign with a mere four goals from specialist strikers all season. They face Bournemouth, who beat them twice in a week before the World Cup, scoring seven goals. Hindsight suggests Lampard perhaps should have been dismissed then, but he engineered a memorable escape from relegation last season. Perhaps, though, he just delayed it by a year. And if so, Moshiri’s seven years of clueless transfer-market excess might render it the most expensive relegation of all. And, considering the potential consequences to the club, among the most damaging. Read More ‘It is theatre’: Inside the emotional chaos of a final-day Premier League relegation battle Premier League relegation: What do Leeds, Everton and Leicester need to survive?

Everton, Leeds United and Leicester City are the three clubs heading into the final day of the Premier League season uncertain about being there again next year. Only Southampton have already been confirmed as facing the drop to the Championship, but from only a couple of months ago where at least nine sides were in danger of going down, it’s now just two from three who will end the weekend in despair. Sean Dyche’s side are in the driving seat after earning a late, late point against Wolves last time out, but while survival remains in their own hands, one win in their last ten matches doesn’t exactly offer much of a guarantee that they’ll get the job done. Ahead of the final fixtures, it’s Everton in 17th and safety on 33 points, Leicester on 31 and Leeds also on 31 - but with an inferior goal difference to both of those above them. Perhaps importantly, all three sides are at home for their last outing; of the trio, it’s Leeds who have the best record on their own turf this term - but the Foxes have taken most points from the last three on home soil. Here’s what each of the three clubs need to survive, and what every permutation will mean on the final day of 2022/23. Final day fixtures (Sunday, 4:30pm BST) Everton vs Bournemouth (15th) - live on Sky Sports Leeds vs Tottenham (8th) - live on BT Sport Leicester vs West Ham (14th) - live on Sky Sports If Everton win We’ll start with the obvious and easy one: a victory for Sean Dyche’s side against the Cherries renders everything else irrelevant. Everton can’t finish any higher than 17th, but 36 points would make them uncatchable by either of the other two. So an Everton win means they survive, while Leicester and Leeds go down. If Everton lose Before turning our attention to the potential for finishing level on points, here’s the situation if the Toffees are beaten by Bournemouth. First and foremost, Leicester and Leeds have to win. If either club fail to take three points from their own matches, they are down and Everton stay up. If one of them does win and Everton lose, Everton will be relegated and whichever one of Leeds and Leicester claimed victory will stay up, the other goes down. If both Leeds and Leicester win, Everton are down in 19th and Leeds will be relegated in 18th on goal difference...unless they somehow win by nine goals more than Leicester do. So if the Foxes triumph 1-0, Leeds need to become the first-ever Premier League-era club to secure a 10-0 victory to survive on goals scored. It feels an unlikely combination of events. If Everton draw Here’s where it gets more tricky. One point for Dyche’s side leaves them on 34. Again, if either Leeds or Leicester fail to win, they are relegated regardless of anything else, so only victories there will potentially affect matters. Everton survive if neither of the others win. So, if Everton draw, Leicester win and Leeds do not win: Leeds will be down in 19th, Everton will join them in the Championship finishing 18th. Leicester surive on goal difference. If Everton draw, Leeds win and Leicester do not win: Leicester are 19th and relegated and the last spot will go to goal difference. Everton are on -24 ahead of the weekend and a draw keeps them on the same, so Leeds (currently -27) need to win by three goals to stay up on goals scored. They are well ahead of Everton in that regard (47-33) so if we exclude ridiculous scenarios such as an Everton 18-18 draw, any three-goal win in this permutation will keep Leeds up. If Everton draw and both Leeds and Leicester win: It’s Leicester who stay up here and survive from a three-way goal difference fight. Not that it’ll matter much to either of them since they’ll be down regardless, but the order of Leeds and Everton will depend on if Leeds win by three, as in the previous permutation. What Everton need: To win their own game, or for Leicester and Leeds to both not win. What Leicester need: To win, and for Everton to not win. What Leeds need: To win and Everton lose, or to win by three if Everton draw. Leicester must also not win in either scenario. Odds on avoiding relegation Everton 2/9 Leicester 4/1 Leeds 10/1 *Accurate as of 24 May Read More Relegation permutations: What do Leeds, Everton and Leicester need to survive? Michael van Gerwen creates Premier League history by winning seventh title Erling Haaland aims to cap stunning debut season with Man City by winning treble Manchester United vs Chelsea LIVE: Latest Premier League updates Coventry and Luton are proof the play-off final means more than just money The all-or-nothing transfer dilemma Tottenham face this summer

German football fans are gearing up for a dramatic showdown this weekend, when the Bundesliga title race will

What the papers say Real Madrid have reportedly been given an opportunity to sign Tottenham striker Harry Kane. The Daily Mail, citing Spanish radio station Cadena Ser, says the Spanish giants have been offered the chance to pick up the 29-year-old in a player-plus-cash deal. Kane’s contract at Tottenham expires next summer and any transfer would give Spurs the chance to cash in before risking him leaving as a free agent. Staying with Tottenham, The Sun reports the club’s search for a new manager has taken a blow, with Paris St Germain linked with a move for top target Luis Enrique. Citing Marca, the paper says the French powerhouses are likely to sack boss Christophe Galtier and enter the race for the former Spain coach. Meanwhile, the Daily Mirror says 24-year-old France defender Jules Kounde is set to snub a rumoured approach from Chelsea to stay at Barcelona. Social media round-up Players to watch Samuel Umtiti: The Daily Mirror says the Barcelona and France defender, on loan at Italian side Lecce, is eager to find a permanent deal in Italy. Keylor Navas: Chelsea and Tottenham are among the clubs keeping tabs on the Nottingham Forest goalkeeper, according to Foot Mercato. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

The Celtics have won Game 5 against the Miami Heat. This series is not over and Boston is halfway to doing something potentially historic.The Boston Celtics beat the Miami Heat, 110-97, in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals.This was not a game from the start as the Celtics took an early...

The Miami Heat have every reason to be nervous after letting the Boston Celtics claw back into the series with another blowout victory.Remember when it looked like there'd be a week with no NBA Playoffs because both Eastern and Western Conference Finals series would end in sweeps?The Nu...

The Boston Celtics continue their quest to do the unthinkable in overcoming a 3-0 series deficit, as they defeated the Miami Heat in Game 5.No team in NBA playoff history has ever been able to overcome an 0-3 series deficit. Only three teams were able to push it to seven games. Are this season&#...

Detroit Lions wide receiver Jameson Williams spoke with the media on Thursday regarding his six-game gambling suspension.The Detroit Lions entered this offseason with high hopes after narrowly missing out on a playoff spot. Now, they are favorites to win the NFC North.However, the Lions and ...

Cubs pitcher Marcus Stroman doesn't seem to have interest in making nice with Mets fans any time soon, calling New York a "trash fanbase" on Twitter.The flashpoints between Marcus Stroman and the Mets are only getting hotter.The former pitcher for New York is now slinging it f...

Yankees manager Aaron Boone picked up his third ejection in 10 games while arguing a questionable strikezone against the Orioles.You can go ahead and add Aaron Boone ejections to the old adage about "death and taxes."Boone expressed his annoyance with the strike zone called by home...

Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams shut down any talk of his comments being construed by others that he's unhappy with the team.Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams has been the talk of the team's offseason, due in part to his comments about the team.In an inter...

The New England Patriots were docked two OTA practices by the NFL due to offseason violations, and now it's alleged that Joe Judge was responsible.The New England Patriots were supposed to begin their organized team activities on Thursday, but it was seemingly canceled. Later on, however, i...