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Everton: guerre civile toxique entre les fans et le conseil d’administration déchirant les Toffees

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Parc Goodison
Les supporters ont affiché de nombreuses bannières pour rallier le soutien avant le match d’Everton contre Newcastle jeudi

Everton a enduré une année 2023 misérable.

Avec cinq matches restants de la saison, la menace d’une relégation de la Premier League plane à nouveau pour l’équipe de Sean Dyche – seulement 12 mois après que Frank Lampard et une foule bruyante de Goodison les ont sauvés du même sort..

Cette campagne a été une lutte à la fois sur et en dehors du terrain, et les Toffees font face à une énorme bataille de sous-sol de Premier League à Leicester City lundi (20h00 BST).

La chute dans le championnat serait catastrophique pour les deux clubs mais surtout Everton, ayant pertes enregistrées de plus de 430 millions de livres sterling au cours des cinq dernières années et avec leur nouveau stade sur Bramley Moore Dock en cours de construction mais ayant besoin de financement.

Ils attendent également des nouvelles de sanctions potentielles après être référé à une commission indépendante de la Premier League pour une violation présumée des règles du fair-play financier, le club « étant prêt à défendre vigoureusement » sa position.

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Et pour ajouter à la toxicité et à l’incertitude autour du club du Merseyside, une guerre civile a éclaté entre le conseil d’administration d’Everton et des supporters mécontents, qui se sentent président Bill Kenwright n’est pas à la hauteur et le propriétaire Farhad Moshiri a gaspillé une grande partie des 750 millions de livres sterling qu’il a investis.

Comment la relation entre le club et les fans s’est effondrée

Supporters d'Everton
Les supporters d’Everton ont protesté contre le conseil d’administration du club cette saison

Le tournant de l’année a vu la relation entre Everton et leur fidèle plonger à un point où elle semblait irréparable.

Suivant le Défaite 4-1 à domicile contre Brighton le 3 janvier, des sources du club ont déclaré que la directrice générale Denise Barrett-Baxendale avait été malmenée par un fan masculin alors qu’elle quittait la loge des directeurs de Goodison Park.

Après le Défaite 2-1 contre Southampton 11 jours plus tard, des clips partagés sur les réseaux sociaux montraient la voiture de l’attaquant local Anthony Gordon bloquée par un certain nombre de supporters alors qu’il était défenseur. Yerry Minalien externe a été confronté.

La turbulence sur la ligne de touche a également continué – Frank Lampard a été limogé le 23 janvier, avec l’équipe deuxième à partir du bas, et remplacé par Sean Dyche, le sixième manager permanent d’Everton en cinq ans.

Malgré la vente Gordon à Newcastle pour 45 millions de livres sterling le 29 janvier – les laissant à court d’options à l’avance – le club a fini par ne pas signer de joueur dans la fenêtre de transfert d’hiver.

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Bien qu’ils aient remporté deux de leurs trois premiers matchs sous l’ancien patron de Burnley, Dyche, une série d’une victoire lors de leurs 10 derniers matchs les voit rester en difficulté à l’intérieur de la zone de relégation.

Et jusqu’à récemment, un groupe de supporters organisait des marches de protestation pacifiques avant chaque match à domicile depuis la nomination de Dyche, exprimant leur frustration face à la gestion du club par Moshiri et le conseil d’administration, qui comprend Kenwright, Barrett-Baxendale, directeur financier Grant Ingles et la légende des caramels Graeme Sharp.

La défaite contre les Seagulls en janvier était le dernier match à domicile auquel assistaient les cinq principaux décideurs, avoir été prévenu d’une “menace réelle et crédible à leur sécurité” à la suite d’une “correspondance menaçante”.

La police de Merseyside a été appelée pour assurer la liaison avec le club à la suite des menaces présumées, qui comprenaient des informations faisant état de menaces de mort envoyées à Kenwright et des appels et e-mails intimidants à Barrett-Baxendale.

Des sources du club ont qualifié la situation de “triste situation”, ajoutant que si les supporters ont le droit de manifester, une ligne a été franchie dans la manière de leur désapprobation.

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La police de Merseyside a publié une déclaration le 16 janvier disant que aucune menace ou incident n’a été signalé aux agents avant le match d’Everton contre Southampton.

Le 10 mars, un incident bizarre a vu un panneau avec une photo de Kenwright volée à l’extérieur de Goodison. C’était trouvé dans un canal six jours plus tard. La police de Merseyside a de nouveau été impliquée.

Puis le 21 avril, Kenwright écrit une longue lettre ouverte à la campagne «Tous ensemble maintenant», défendant la façon dont le club est géré et niant les suggestions que des problèmes de santé affectent sa capacité à faire le travail.

Vendredi, le conseil consultatif des fans d’Everton a répondu par une déclarationlien externe et a lancé un appel de défiance à Kenwright, déclarant que sa lettre ouverte devait montrer “le leadership, la compréhension et la responsabilité” mais montrait “l’absolu opposé”.

“Je ne peux pas dormir à l’idée d’être relégué”

Le Tous ensemble maintenantlien externe La campagne a vu 86 groupes et canaux de médias sociaux se réunir pour écrire une lettre à Moshiri exigeant des changements au niveau du conseil d’administration. Les anciens joueurs Alan Stubbs et Michael Ball figuraient parmi ses signataires.

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Mais le club tente de réparer la relation avec ses fans et espère une approche galvanisée de la fin de la saison, les deux parties visant une finition qui les verrait atteindre l’objectif commun de rester dans l’élite.

Les supporters ont accepté d’arrêter leurs protestations d’avant-match et à la place un nombre important bordaient Goodison Road avant le match de Newcastle jeudi pour accueillir avec passion le bus de l’équipe, avec des chants et de la fumée bleue des fusées éclairantes remplissant le ciel du Merseyside.

Supporters d'Everton
Il y a un peu moins d’un an (à gauche), les fans d’Everton ont accueilli l’entraîneur de l’équipe avec une réception bruyante avant de battre Chelsea. Ils ont fait la même chose jeudi soir (à droite), mais ont perdu contre Newcastle

Un article de blog,lien externe lancé par le groupe The 1878s, publié sur le site Web d’Everton mercredi, disait: “La saison dernière a montré que lorsque nous sommes ensemble, nous sommes une force à affronter.

“Pour nos derniers matchs, recréons cela et plus encore. Ensemble, tout est possible.”

Et avant le coup d’envoi contre les Magpies, le célèbre Gwladys Street End a déployé une banderole sur laquelle on pouvait lire “Fight For Us” – organisée après consultation entre le club et les supporters.

Mais le match ne s’est pas déroulé comme espéré, avec cet optimisme précoce sapé par un défaite démoralisante 4-1, leur 17e défaite de la campagne.

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“Il n’y a aucun moyen que les membres actuels du conseil d’administration soient à nouveau acceptés par la base de fans”, a déclaré Chris Hannon, porte-parole du mouvement All Together Now, à BBC Sport. “Il y a eu des conversations avec le forum des fans pour réparer le fossé, mais pour moi, il s’agit d’Everton qui va mieux.

“Les fans pensent que le président doit être remplacé par quelqu’un qui fera avancer le club pour qu’il soit plus puissant sur et en dehors du terrain.

“Nous sommes dans une bataille de relégation en ce moment, donc heureusement pour le conseil d’administration, nous essayons de pousser davantage l’équipe. Si nous descendons, les choses s’accéléreront massivement.

“Je ne peux pas dormir avec la pensée de la relégation. Nous avons survécu la saison dernière par la peau de nos dents, mais peu d’équipes survivent à plus de deux frayeurs de relégation.

“Nous devons remporter une victoire à l’extérieur et ce match de Leicester est énorme pour nous.”

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L’argent de la télévision “le plus grand facteur” de relégation

Everton, neuf fois champion de première division, et Leicester, vainqueur de la Premier League 2015-2016, s’affrontent lundi avec la perspective réaliste qu’au moins un ou les deux clubs tombent à la fin du mois.

Il s’agit de la 119e campagne de haut vol d’Everton, mais leur fier record de rester dans la division la plus élevée depuis 1954 est réellement menacé.

L’année dernière, Leicester a terminé huitième et a gagné un total de 128 millions de livres sterling en diffusion de Premier League et en revenus commerciaux centraux, tandis qu’Everton a gagné 117 millions de livres sterling.

La différence entre les revenus de diffusion garantis pour un club de Premier League contre un an paiement en parachute la relégation suivante est d’environ 60 millions de livres sterling, ce qui représenterait une réduction significative des revenus pour les deux clubs.

Everton a également la difficulté supplémentaire de payer son nouveau stade de 52 888 places, avec le propriétaire Moshiri auraitlien externe à la recherche d’investissements extérieurs.

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Plus tôt cette année, il a révélé les coûts du nouveau site pourraient s’élever à 760 millions de livres sterling, soit une augmentation de 260 millions de livres sterling par rapport aux chiffres cités par le club l’année dernière.

“Everton et Leicester sont des clubs historiquement bien soutenus, ils généreront donc toujours des foules importantes dans le championnat”, a déclaré le Dr Dan Plumley, maître de conférences en finance du sport à Sheffield Hallam, à BBC Sport.

“Le facteur le plus important pour les deux sera la réduction des revenus de diffusion. Avec la durabilité, il ne s’agit pas seulement de regarder les profits ou les pertes.

“Si vous faites des pertes, c’est généralement un propriétaire qui en paie la facture, puis vous discutez des motivations des propriétaires et de leur désir à long terme de s’impliquer dans le club de football.

“Avec Leicester, nous avons vu le président annuler une dette de 194 millions de livres sterling en février, alors qu’un véritable point positif pour Everton est que le nouveau stade générera des revenus grâce au football, aux événements non footballistiques et à l’hospitalité.

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“Cependant, tout cela est mieux réalisé avec un potentiel plus élevé en tant que club de Premier League.”

Une période critique de 28 jours avec cinq matches restants déterminera si cela se produit ou non.

Comment suivre Everton sur la bannière de la BBC
Pied de page de la bannière d'Everton

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Gary O’Neil: Wolves boss says ‘no truth’ in Man Utd rumours

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Gary O'Neil
Gary O’Neil worked on the coaching staff at Liverpool before moving to Bournemouth in 2021

Wolves boss Gary O’Neil says there is “no truth” in reported interest from Manchester United but added it is an honour to be linked to the club.

An ESPN article external-linkclaimed United wanted to talk to him about a coaching role at the club as they plan a reshuffle under Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

O’Neil has taken Wolves to ninth in the Premier League table despite only taking over on the eve of the season.

“I don’t know where it came from,” said the 40-year-old of the reports.

O’Neil added: “Growing up, Liverpool and Manchester United always felt special. It’s an honour to be linked even if there’s no truth in it.

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“I love it here. I’m a head coach, I’m always going to be a head coach. I’m really enjoying my time at Wolves. I was only made aware of it [the links] by the media team to prepare for your questions.”

O’Neil took charge of Wolves two days before the start of the season after the exit of Julen Lopetegui and, despite being restricted by finances, he has taken Wolves within six points of sixth-placed United.

They could yet finish in Europe for only the second time since 1980.

Wolves is the second managerial role for former Portsmouth, Middlesbrough, West Ham, QPR and Norwich midfielder O’Neil.

He was sacked by Bournemouth after only 37 games in charge in the summer, weeks before taking over at Wolves, despite leading them to safety last season.

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It was not clear what coaching role United were reportedly lining up for him – although it is unlikely to have been as a replacement for current manager Erik ten Hag.

A Sun article says they want Gareth Southgate as head coach, and his entire England coaching staff.

Ratcliffe’s Ineos group took over the running of United’s football operations in February, with Dave Brailsford also on the board.

Wolves are planning to enter new contract talks with O’Neil at the end of the season. He has just over two years left on his current deal.

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Sandro Tonali: Newcastle boss Eddie Howe hopes midfielder avoids ‘further consequences’

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Newcastle boss Eddie Howe hopes midfielder Sandro Tonali avoids “further consequences” after being charged by the Football Association for alleged breaches of betting rules.

READ MORE: Howe hopes banned Tonali faces no more punishment

If you’ve been affected by issues raised in this video, there is information and support available on BBC Action Line.

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Alonso to stay at Leverkusen amid Liverpool interest

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Xabi Alonso announces he will remain as manager of Bayer Leverkusen beyond this summer despite interest from Liverpool and Bayern Munich.

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Matt Beard: Liverpool manager feels ‘fortunate’ ahead of his 150th WSL game

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Matt Beard celebrates winning the WSL title with Liverpool in 2013
Matt Beard was named manager of the season after guiding Liverpool to the title in 2013

Liverpool manager Matt Beard said he feels “quite fortunate” to have had his career as he prepares for his 150th Women’s Super League game.

Beard, 46, is in his second spell in charge at Liverpool, having led the club to the WSL title in 2013 and 2014.

He will reach the landmark in Saturday’s home game against Manchester City.

“I’ve worked at numerous clubs with numerous different budgets, which has helped shape how I am now,” said Beard.

“You have highs, you have lows – but I guess I’m lucky.

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“I’ve been to cup finals. I’ve won some, I’ve lost some, I’ve won league titles. Some managers and players go through their entire career without winning anything so I’m quite fortunate.”

Beard saw West Ham to the FA Cup final in 2019 and nearly kept struggling Bristol City in the WSL in 2021.

He will become only the second manager to reach the 150-game WSL landmark after Chelsea’s Emma Hayes.

Beard returned to Liverpool in 2021 and guided the club to the Championship title and has impressively led them to fourth so far this season.

“Winning league titles with Liverpool is going to be my main highlights,” said Beard.

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“Taking West Ham to Wembley was written in the stars with the documentary that was happening as well.

“When I went in at Bristol City on an interim basis, working with these younger players, it was eye opening. That itself was a fantastic achievement if you look at where we were when I went in [five points from safety].”

Bristol City were relegated on the final day of the season, finishing two points from safety.

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Northern Ireland Euro 2025 qualifiers: Jackie Burns, Connie Scofield and Brenna McPartlan in squad

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Connie Scofield and Brenna McPartlan
Brenna McPartlan (left) is capped at under-age level for Northern Ireland, while Connie Scofield played for England Under-21s

London City Lionesses midfielder Connie Scofield and Burnley’s Brenna McPartlan have been included in the squad for Northern Ireland’s opening Euro 2025 qualifiers.

Reading goalkeeper Jackie Burns returns following a long-term Achilles injury.

Key defender Sarah McFadden will miss the matches through injury, but Casey Howe and Rebecca Holloway return.

Tanya Oxtoby’s side face Malta in their opener on 4 April before travelling to Bosnia-Herzegovina on 9 April.

McPartlan will look to add to her sole Northern Ireland cap, which came in a friendly against Wales in 2017, and the midfielder signed for Burnley in the summer from Sunderland.

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The 24-year-old played for Blackburn Rovers, Liverpool and Manchester City youth teams, before moving to the USA with Louisiana State University Tigers.

Scofield, 24, is a former England Under-21 midfielder who joined Championship side London City after spells with Birmingham City, where she came through the academy, and Leicester City.

However, Scofield is awaiting international clearance from Fifa before being declared eligible for the two games.

The return of Burns, who has been Northern Ireland’s regular staring goalkeeper in recent years, is a boost after a year on the sidelines with the Achilles injury.

She trained with the Northern Ireland squad before February’s play-off victory over Montenegro and she replaces Wolves’ Shannon Turner in Oxtoby’s squad.

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Cliftonville’s Abbie Magee and Crusaders’ Rachel McLaren also return to the international set-up, along with Athlone Town’s Howe and Birmingham City’s Holloway.

McFadden, who has 102 caps for her country, has undergone surgery on a long-term issue, while Ellie Mason picked up an injury playing for Birmingham City.

Bristol City midfielder Rachel Furness, who is Northern Ireland’s record goalscorer, remains out as she recovers from a hamstring injury sustained in November.

After April’s fixtures, Northern Ireland face a double-header with Portugal before their final two qualifiers away to Malta and at home to Bosnia-Herzegovina in July.

The top three sides in Group B3 will earn a play-off in a bid to reach the Euro 2025 finals in Switzerland next summer.

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Northern Ireland squad

Goalkeepers: Jackie Burns (Reading), Lauren Perry (Montrose), Maddy Harvey-Clifford (Crusaders)

Defenders: Laura Rafferty (Southampton), Rebecca Holloway (Birmingham City), Demi Vance (Glentoran), Rebecca McKenna (Charlton Athletic), Rachel Dugdale (Reading), Abbie Magee (Cliftonville), Rachel McLaren (Crusaders).

Midfielders: Marissa Callaghan (Cliftonville), Nadene Caldwell (Glentoran), Megan Bell (Hearts, on loan from Rangers), Joely Andrews (Glentoran), Chloe McCarron (Glentoran), Brenna McPartlan (Burnley), Connie Scofield (London City Lionesses).

Forwards: Simone Magill (Aston Villa), Lauren Wade (Reading), Kerry Beattie (Glentoran), Caragh Hamilton (Lewes), Keri Halliday (Linfield), Casey Howe (Athlone Town).

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Women’s League Cup final: Chelsea players ‘talk about’ historic quadruple, says Ashley Lawrence

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Ashley Lawrence
Ashley Lawrence (centre) is aiming to win her first trophy with Chelsea since joining from PSG last summer
Venue: Molineux Date: Sunday, 31 March Kick-off: 15:00 GMT
Coverage: Watch on BBC Two, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website

Chelsea’s players are talking about doing the unprecedented quadruple this season – but their focus is always on the next game, insists Ashley Lawrence.

The Blues have won the Women’s Super League in each of the past four seasons and the FA Cup in the previous three – but could go even further this time.

They are through to the semi-finals of the Champions League after beating Ajax over two legs in their last-eight meeting, face Manchester United in the last four of the FA Cup, and the current WSL leaders could collect the first trophy of a potential four in the League Cup this weekend.

No English women’s side has ever won four major trophies in a season, while the last team to win a Treble were Arsenal when they lifted the league, FA Cup and Uefa Women’s Cup in 2007 – a year they also won the Community Shield.

It is Arsenal who will be aiming to spoil Chelsea’s quadruple dreams in the Continental League Cup on Easter Sunday – just as they ruined a potential treble for the Blues by winning the same finalexternal-link 3-1 last season.

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Chelsea defender Lawrence, 28, says the squad are taking nothing for granted in their quest for the quadruple.

“It’s always there, we talk about it,” she told BBC Sport. “But our focus is on day by day. We work towards the next game, but we are excited to be in this position.

“We are aware of the four trophies, Emma [Hayes] and the players who have been here a while know what it takes to win. It’s always there, but not the main focus.”

Chelsea are used to the strain of competing for multiple trophies at once.

They played in every match possible to be involved in last season, apart from the Champions League final as they were eliminated at the final-four stage. Hayes’ side also reached the FA and League Cup finals and won the WSL.

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It is new to Lawrence, who joined the club last summer from Paris St-Germain, but the Canadian said the team is ready to cope with a relentless run-in, even if it affects time on the training ground.

“We try to take the most important bits and pieces from a game and do better,” she added. “If those things are specific and apply to the next game then the staff will focus on those things.

“But all season it has been a quick turnaround, playing for four different trophies, and we have just been accustomed to it.”

‘Hayes has that ultimate belief’

Emma Hayes (left) and Guro Reiten
Chelsea manager Emma Hayes (left) is aiming to win her 16th trophy with the club in the 2024 League Cup final

Lawrence, who has 130 caps for Canada, was brought to Chelsea by manager Hayes last season and has played a utility role for the club amid an injury crisis, deployed wide both in defence and midfield.

She admitted working with Hayes was an enormous draw for her to come to the WSL – and has been even more impressed at close quarters.

“She was a big part of my decision [to sign for Chelsea],” said Lawrence. “Everyone in the football world is aware of Emma, and the impact she has had in England and globally.

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“It was an exciting opportunity to come to this club, for the players, the environment and for her.

“She exudes a lot of confidence, even before signing here I saw she has the ability to transform a team into a winning mentality. Now I am here I see she has that ultimate belief, that unwavering confidence. We need that going into finals.”

Chelsea go into the first of those finals at Molineux as favourites after an impressive 3-1 win over Arsenal in the WSL at Stamford Bridge – a result that all but ruled the Gunners out of the title race.

Arsenal, however, have a good recent record against Chelsea, beating them 4-1 at the Emirates Stadium in the WSL this season, as well as the 2023 League Cup final.

“Anything can happen, especially in the final,” warned Lawrence, who won gold with Canada at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. “We looked at that last game with confidence, but they are a top team and will come out for the next game different.

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“It’s going to be a level playing field, so we go in with the same conviction, as that was really good from the first whistle. We will not change much but we will be ready.”

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Brighton set a new Premier League record – but can rotating goalkeepers really work?

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Karen Bardsley column

Arsenal were meant to be the team who ripped up the rule book and rotated their goalkeepers this season, but it has ended up being Brighton who have kept on swapping who plays between the sticks.

Seagulls boss Roberto de Zerbi has broken a Premier League record by changing his keeper 17 times already in 2023-24, with Jason Steele playing 15 league games and Bart Verbruggen the other 13, and neither starting more than three times in a row in all competitions.

This is certainly a new idea – no top-flight team has done it before in the Premier League era, and when they have even come close it has been for different reasons. The most changes previously were down to injuries, form, or both.

It’s fascinating to see it happening, but I wanted to explore whether it has worked… and why Brighton are even doing it in the first place.

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Manchester United goalkeepers Andy Goram and Raimond van der Gouw trade places during a game in the 2000-01 season
The previous record for most goalkeeper changes in a Premier League season was 14 by Manchester United in 2000-01, but Fabian Barthez played in 25 of their first 28 league games and the other rotations took place when he and regular understudy Raimond van der Gouw were injured in March, and teenager Paul Rachubka and veteran Scotland international Andy Goram were used as cover.
Team Season Games GK changes Starts per keeper
1. Brighton 23-24 28 17 15: Jason Steele, 13: Bart Verbruggen
2. Man Utd 00-01 38 14 30: Fabian Barthez, 5: Raimond van der Gouw, 2: Andy Goram, 1: Paul Rachubka
=3. Man Utd 01-02 38 12 32: Fabian Barthez, 6: Roy Carroll
=3. Middlesbrough 05-06 38 12 27: Mark Schwarzer, 9: Brad Jones, 2: Ross Turnbull
=3. Man Utd 06-07 38 12 32: Edwin van der Sar, 6: Tomasz Kuszczak
=3. Portsmouth 09-10 38 12 25: David James, 8: Asmir Begovic, 5: Jamie Ashdown

What’s the difference between Steele and Verbruggen?

At 33, Steele clearly has a lot more experience than Verbruggen, who is 21 and looks like he has a lot of raw talent that needs to nurtured, but performance-wise it’s interesting to see how there is such little difference between both goalkeepers.

I’ve watched a lot of clips of both of them in the past few weeks and a few similar themes emerged.

Brighton goalkeepers Bart Verbruggen (l) and Jason Steele (r) with Seagulls boss Roberto de Zerbi (centre)
Brighton have played 40 games in all competitions this season, with Steele (right) starting 21 of them. So far, Verbruggen (left) is yet to play more than two games in a row, but that will change if Roberto de Zerbi (centre) picks him against Liverpool on Sunday.

Verbruggen seems more economical with his general movement in the box, while Steele’s positioning in goal when facing shots is sometimes more questionable – for example when he takes his position off the defender, and also with his decision making, which might be why his save percentage is the worst in the Premier League this season.

The younger keeper is more self-assured in those situations, although every once in a while he does maybe get drawn too much towards his near post, which is a trait of Steele’s too.

Bart Verbruggen & Jason Steele in the Premier League this season

Neither of them is having a particularly great season in terms of shot-stopping, though, even if Verbruggen’s save percentage is significantly higher.

Verbruggen is underperforming by 3% in terms of the saves he is making compared to the ones he is expected to make, while Steele is -7% in the same metric, meaning they are both lowly ranked there.

Verbruggen Steele
14.9 Expected goals on target conceded 23.6
16 Actual goals conceded* 26
-1.08 (16th) Goals prevented -2.38 (18th)
-0.08 (16th) Expected goals prevented per 90 -0.16 (18th)
*Excludes own goals

There is not much between them when it comes to using the ball either, as you can see from their respective pass-maps, but this is an area where they both excel.

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Jason Steele pass map

Steele is probably viewed as the more accomplished passer – even his manager has alluded to that being the case – and he plays a marginally higher percentage of longer balls forward.

But Brighton don’t change the way they play when Verbruggen is in the team, and his feet are clearly one of his strengths too.

Bart Verbruggen pass map

In fact, Verbruggen has completed more passes per game (33.5) and with a higher success rate (90.8%), than any other Premier League keeper this season and, like Steele, he is in the top five for passes completed under pressure per game too.

Graphic showing goalkeepers with the most passes completed and the highest passing accuracy in the Premier League this season. Verbruggen is top of both categories
Steele ranks sixth for passes completed per 90 minutes (29.8) and fourth for pass accuracy (82%)

He definitely contributes to his team’s attacking output as well, even if – so far – their end product with him has not been as successful as when Steele plays.

While Steele’s distribution has led to the Seagulls scoring five Premier League goals this season, Brighton have actually created more chances per game building play from the back with Verbruggen in the team.

Ederson (2.4) at Manchester City and Alisson (2.0) for Liverpool are the only top-flight keepers involved in more shot-ending open play sequences per game than Verbruggen this season, among those with a minimum of 270 minutes played.

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Premier League Steele Verbruggen
Minutes (season total) 1350 1170
Open play sequences involvements 31.7 34.5
Shot-ending open play sequences 1.1 1.8
xG from shot-ending sequences 0.19 0.12
Involvements ending in goal scored (season total) 5 0

The rest of the Brighton team is being rotated too

It’s not just in goal where De Zerbi has made a lot of changes – he has changed the rest of his team more than anyone else too, with 108 changes in the Premier League alone so far.

With 10 league games to go, that is already 29 more changes than he made in the whole of last season and 28 more than anyone else in the top division this term – Nottingham Forest have made 80, while Liverpool are next highest with 78.

Brighton have had European football to contend with this season, of course, and some injuries too – but compare their situation to Aston Villa, who have made only 40 changes, despite also having midweek European matches.

The shirts of Brighton goalkeepers Bart Verbruggen, Jason Steele and Tom McGill in the dressing room at the Amex Stadium before their Europa League tie against Marseille in December
Another change to come? Brighton’s third-choice keeper, Canada-born former England Under-17 international Tom McGill, has been on the bench for all their Europa League ties this season when two goalkeeper substitutes were named, but the 24-year-old Seagulls academy graduate is yet to make the squad for a Premier League game in 2023-24 or make a single appearance for them in any competition

Stability in personnel is particularly important at the back – we saw this with Manchester City last season when I looked into Ederson’s form – and it made me wonder if having a regular presence behind them could have helped Brighton.

However, my feeling from watching a lot of clips of their defending is that they seem to have bigger problems than just who is in goal.

A lot of the goals they have conceded this season have come from poor defending and marking, regardless of who their goalkeeper is – but because that has been constantly changing, you are left thinking what is the point?

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If there is a pattern, I am still trying to find it – which makes me think the real reason it is happening is for Verbruggen’s long-term benefit.

Which pathway is preferable for a young keeper?

Bart Verbruggen made his Netherlands debut in their 2-1 defeat to France in a Euro 2024 qualifier in October 2023
Verbruggen made his senior Netherlands debut in their 2-1 defeat by France in a Euro 2024 qualifier in October 2023, becoming the youngest Dutch keeper to start a game since Jan van Beveren in 1967

Adapting a new goalkeeper to the Premier League is frequently challenging – whether it’s a young player coming into the team, someone stepping up from a lower division in England, or a player moving here from a foreign league.

Two of those factors apply to Verbruggen, who joined from Belgian side Anderlecht in the summer and only turned 21 in August – he is the second youngest keeper in the Premier League behind Burnley’s James Trafford, and they are the only two currently under the age of 24.

Like Trafford, who was playing in League One for Bolton on loan from Manchester City last season, Verbruggen has rapidly changed levels too – he actually made another big step in the middle of last season, when he moved up from Anderlecht’s B team, so his progress has been very quick.

Neither he nor Trafford can be considered elite keepers yet – although Verbruggen made his senior debut for the Netherlands in October and now has four caps – but clearly the potential is there.

So, which pathway is the preferable one? Trafford is playing every week, but in a struggling team where there is no hiding place if he makes mistakes. Verbruggen is possibly being protected by coming in and out of the team, but is that slowing his progress?

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Brighton goalkeeper Jason Steele catches the ball
Steele’s save percentage of 57.6% is the worst in the Premier League this season and down from 61.7% in 2022-23. His goals prevented (-1.33) and expected goals prevented per 90 minutes (-0.09) scores were also better last season.

While changing keepers hasn’t hindered Brighton, or at least not obviously, it hasn’t noticeably helped them either. For a player, in terms of individual development or even just form, it’s different. I always found playing a run of games helped me find my rhythm and made me feel more settled and confident during games.

Being in and out of the team has not made a massive difference to Steele’s form – his shot-saving stats are slightly down on last season, when he became first choice in the second half of the campaign and played 15 of their final 16 league games after Robert Sanchez fell out of favour, but would it make a positive difference to Verbruggen if he was given a longer run in the team?

It feels like it is time to find out, especially if the plan is actually for him to be number one more regularly next season.

What happens then will probably tell us whether this rotation has worked – and if it is an experiment that is worth repeating.

Karen Bardsley was speaking to BBC Sport’s Chris Bevan.

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Premier League top three quiz: How well do you know Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City’s seasons?

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Split picture of Erling Haaland, Declan Rice and Mohamed Salah

There are just 10 games to go in what could be a title race for the ages!

Arsenal lead the Premier League table, one point above Liverpool and two points ahead of champions Manchester City.

With the title possibly going down to the wire we thought we’d put your knowledge to the test.

How much attention have you been paying on the Premier League’s top three sides this season? It’s time to find out!

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Football Focus: Spurs’ Destiny Udogie talks London life, Ange Postecoglou and his chant

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Tottenham’s Destiny Udogie sits down with Football Focus to discuss London life, the race for the top four, playing for Ange Postecoglou and his Whitney Houston-inspired chant.

Watch Football Focus on Saturday, 30 March at 12:00 GMT on BBC One and iPlayer.

Available to UK users only.

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Chelsea: Raheem Sterling ‘understands’ boos – Mauricio Pochettino

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Raheem Sterling applauds Chelsea supporters
Raheem Sterling missed a first-half penalty against Leicester

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino says it is important that the club’s fans and players “move on” after Raheem Sterling was booed by supporters.

Sterling faced criticism from sections of the Stamford Bridge crowd during Chelsea’s 4-2 win over Leicester City in the recent FA Cup quarter-final.

Pochettino was jeered for his decision to substitute Mykhailo Mudryk instead of Sterling in the 78th minute.

“We now need to move on. It will help if we do,” said Pochettino.

“What we cannot do is create bigger things from this now because we know fans love our players and I know they will support him and the rest of the team.

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“Raheem is a spirited player and he understands it all.”

Pochettino’s Chelsea will have home advantage against lowly Burnley in the Premier League on Saturday, when supporters will expect another victory.

Sterling missed a first-half penalty against Leicester and blazed a free-kick well over the crossbar in the second half, which prompted jeers among the home crowd.

Before the match, Chelsea Supporters’ Trust raised “significant concerns” about the club’s future in a lengthy letter to co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali.

It said there was growing concern that Chelsea are becoming “a ‘laughing stock’, both on and off the pitch”.

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“We need to be careful in the way we talk and give our opinions because there needs to be a strong relationship between everyone,” said Pochettino.

“I just want our players to play really well. I was also suffering the anger of the fans and their disappointment; in fact, the whole team suffered in this situation.”

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