Action has to be taken over Silva’s tweet but the FA response to racism by fans suggests it has not grasped the big pictureLast Saturday, as the players came out before the home game against Manchester City, Everton’s fans unveiled an enormous flag bearing the face of Moise Kean and the slogan “no al razzismo” – no to racism. On Wednesday the Football Association charged the City midfielder Bernardo Silva with misconduct, relating to a tweet he published comparing a childhood picture of his teammate Benjamin Mendy to the cartoon used as a logo by the Spanish chocolate brand Conguitos. Everton’s banner impressed me as an example of purposeful action that might change behaviour and make racism less prevalent in...
Brendan Rodgers returns to Anfield, Spurs give opponents too much space and Bournemouth have Arsenal in their sightsBrendan Rodgers returns to Anfield on Saturday, sensing an opportunity to end his former club’s perfect Premier League start. Last season, a much less adventurous Leicester side got a point at Liverpool, triggering a costly spell of self-doubt for Jürgen Klopp’s title chasers. There has been virtually no sign of weakness from the Reds in the league this term, but Salzburg’s dramatic Champions League fightback may have shown Rodgers the way forward. Andrew Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold made surging infield runs against Salzburg, a tactic that helped Liverpool race into a three-goal lead as Robertson scored. As the game changed, the hosts were...
Fernandinho a cause for concern, Chris Wilder’s tough love for Dean Henderson and Brendan Rodgers ready for LiverpoolThe Dozen: our pick of the weekend’s best picturesOn current form there are, at a rough count, at least three teams from the established “top six” that could benefit from the services of John McGinn. With the exception of Kevin De Bruyne it is hard to find a midfielder in better form and he certainly deserved to be on the winning side here, when Aston Villa were eventually pegged back by Burnley. “He’s been consistently good in all our performances and consistently looks like he’s going to score goals,” said McGinn’s manager, Dean Smith, after he volleyed in Villa’s second having earlier had...
If the scourge of the game is to be stamped out, then Fifa cannot be soft on transgressorsL ast Monday Fifa’s The Best football awards were held at La Scala opera house in Milan. It was, as usual, an excruciating affair, full of turgid speeches and embarrassing links by the presenters. But amid this face-reddening fanfare the president of Fifa, Gianni Infantino, appealed to the audience of football celebrities on a serious matter. He noted that there had been another episode of racism in Italian football at the weekend and declared: “We have to say no to racism in whatever form.”A short while later, Megan Rapinoe, winner of the women’s player of the year award, ribbed Infantino for stealing her...
Merseyside club have been wildly inconsistent and, with Manchester City their next opponents, an upturn is neededNot too long ago Everton were able to boast a decent record against Manchester City. They were never reliable enough to be regarded as a bogey team but they caused a few problems during Roberto Mancini’s time at the Etihad Stadium, and as recently as Pep Guardiola’s first season in England they were responsible for a 4-0 victory at Goodison that still stands as the manager’s biggest and most inexplicable Premier League defeat.Everton were not quite as potent a force once Ronald Koeman and Romelu Lukaku had departed, yet a Wayne Rooney goal was still enough to claim a draw at the Etihad Stadium...