Daily Express - 23.08.2019

FOOTBALL: PREMIER LEAGUE^ Daily Express Friday, August 23, 2019^67

DX1ST

play 90 minutes, then I don’t

see why not.

“He didn’t play one pre-

season match. Even with his

former club, he didn’t play a

pre-season game, only some

training sessions with the

Under-23s and then full

sessions with the first team

afterwards.

“He looks fit to play more

time if I decide he’s able to

do so.”

The manager says Kean’s

English is decent and has told

Brazilian striker Richarlison

he needs to improve his, as

does Colombian Yerry Mina.

Silva, whose side can go

top of the league for the first

time in 12 years if they beat

Villa, says Richarlison will

be better as a player

if he can brush up

his English because

he will have a

greater tactical

understanding of

his team-mates.

“With Mina

and Richarlison, we

would like more from

them,” said Silva.

“Their levels are a little bit

better, but not like we would

like.

“This is something we

demand from them because

this is one of the keys for

them to adapt faster and to

understand everything that’s

happening around them.

“Not just on the pitch but

at Finch Farm and during a

normal day in Richarlison’s

life, it would help, for sure.

“That’s what we demand

from them and it’s up to

them to keep working on this

because in my opinion it will

be one of the keys for them

to perform better.

“For Richarlison, even

more because the position he

plays is really important.”

ASTON VILLA (probable): Heaton;

Elmohamady, Engels, Mings, Taylor; McGinn, Luiz,

Grealish; Trezeguet, Wesley, El Ghaz.

EVERTON (probable): Pickford; Coleman,

Keane, Mina, Digne; Gbamin, Gomes; Richarlison,

Sigurdsson, Bernard; Calvert-Lewin.

By David Anderson

Picture: CHRIS BRUNSKILL

blamed for United’s

failure to win

silverware or secure a

top-four finish.

But Lukaku believes

he was unfairly singled

out for criticism – and

that the same

goes for

high-profile

duo Paul Pogba

and Alexis

Sanchez.

He said: “I

don’t think I

was the only

one playing

bad – a lot of

people were.

“They [fans] have to

find a culprit. They

have to find somebody.

It is [Paul] Pogba or me

or Alexis [Sanchez] –

it’s the three of us

all the time.”

postponed. And Jevans

says the crisis cannot

continue much longer

as the EFL try to

facilitate a takeover.

The league are

willing to grant

an extension to

tonight’s

deadline if a

deal for a new

owner is close.

Jevans said:

“We’ve been

approached by

some people

who are

interested in purchasing

the club. There are

conversations ongoing

but ultimately he has

got to want to sell the

club. That is within his

gift. Does he want to?

I don’t know.”

By Jeremy Cross

By James Nursey

ROMELU LUKAKU

has laid into

Manchester United

fans and accused them

of making him a

scapegoat for last

season’s failings.

Lukaku quit United

in acrimonious

circumstances

this month to

join Inter Milan

in a £73million

deal.

The striker

went to train in

Belgium with

Anderlecht last

month – and

refused to

return to Carrington

until his move to Inter

had been sealed.

He scored 15 goals

last season but found

himself axed from the

side towards the end of

the campaign and was

Romelu: United fans

really get my goat

LUKAKU: Move

EFL chief Debbie

Jevans admits she is

unsure if Bury’s

controversial owner

Steve Dale really wants

to sell up.

Dale, who bought the

Shakers for £1

in December,

has been given

until midnight

to prove he has

£2.7million in

the bank to get

the club

through the

season and pay

off creditors.

If not, a club formed

134 years ago face

expulsion from the

Football League unless

Dale sells.

Bury are yet to play

a game this term after

having their first five

Deadline looms for

Dale to sell Bury

DALE: Hot seat

●FORMER Nottingham Forest and Bristol Rovers

striker Junior Agogo has died aged 40. Agogo, who

represented Ghana 27 times and finished his club

career at Hibernian in 2012, suffered a stroke in 2015.

EVERTON fans should not

hail Moise Kean as the new

Romelu Lukaku.

So says manager Marco

Silva, despite Evertonians’

increasing desperation for

a goalscoring No9 since

Lukaku left two years ago.

Kean, who is only 19,

energised the Goodison Park

crowd with his cameo

performance off the bench

against Watford last Saturday

and has scored twice in his

first three games for Italy.

The striker, who cost

around £27million from

Juventus, has huge potential

and also netted seven times

in his 16 Serie A appearances

for the Italian champions last

season, despite coming off

the bench in 11 of them.

But Silva has urged

supporters not to

put pressure on

the youngster by

likening him to

Lukaku.

The Everton

manager said:

“You have to be

calm and don’t

start making these

comparisons. Moise Kean

is Moise Kean and Lukaku

is Lukaku. Cenk [Tosun] is

Cenk, Dominic [Calvert-

Lewin] is Dominic and

Richarlison is Richarlison.

“It doesn’t make sense to

make these comparisons. We

are happy he’s here with us

and the boy is also happy to

be in our football club.

“Now it’s up to him to

keep working hard and do

the things I expect from him

and our fans expect from

him. The comparisons are not

fair on him. He’s 19 years old

and it’s unfair to put this

pressure on him.”

Kean is pushing to make

his first start for the Toffees

at Aston Villa tonight. Silva

says his young charge is

ready after undergoing an

intensive fitness programme

at Finch Farm.

The Portuguese said: “If

you’re asking me if he’s fit to

TALENT:

Everton

fans have

high hopes

for Moise

Kean

LUK HERE, MOISE

IS HIS OWN MAN

(^10) / 1
EVERTON
TO WIN
2-0
KICK-OFF 8pm
SKY SPORTS
A VILLAAAAAA VVVI
EVERTON
but he played in the Champions
League last season, he’s not too
shabby. He’s settled straight away,
he’ll get better and better as the
season goes by.”
Smith knows Villa have a
tough job unlocking an Everton
defence yet to concede.
“Their defensive record
is very good,” he said.
“That is a tactical
equation we’ve to come
up with. I believe
we have the quality
to do that and
hopefully we can.”
Smith, whose side host Everton
tonight still searching for their first
Premier League point, has warned
Wesley’s critics to back off.
He said: “We have played two
games. He showed me enough in
pre-season to show me he’s going to
be a top player.
“He’s one goal behind Mo Salah –
what are we coming to when we’re
making judgements on players after
two matches?
There have been questions about
him playing in the Premier League
By Brendan McLoughlin
Smith backing Wesley to go like Mo
DEAN SMITH has hit back at critics
of Aston Villa’s £22 million record
signing Wesley, saying he has scored
one goal fewer than Mo Salah.
The Brazilian striker, a summer
arrival from Bruges, is yet to get off
the mark for newly-promoted Villa.
And last weekend on TV, he came
in for flak from former Manchester
United midfielder Paul Ince.
Speaking on BT Sport Score during
Villa’s defeat to Bournemouth, Ince
said: “He didn’t do anything but
moan and fall on the floor. He needs
to start doing a lot more and start
playing football.” But Villa manager
BIG BUY:
Wesley is
yet to net
for Villa
❑
ALEX OXLADE-CHAMBERLAIN
is ready to make up for lost time
after signing a contract extension at
Liverpool.
The 26-year-old midfielder, right,
who made just two appearances
last season after a knee injury,
has agreed a deal taking him up
to 2023. He said: “I am really
excited to be able to extend
my time here.”
❑
MANUEL LANZINI is
poised to sign a new five-year
deal at West Ham with an option
for a further year.
The Argentina forward, left, has
a two-year option on his contract
that expires at the end of the
season but wanted better terms.
He said: “Of course I want to
stay. It is like my home. I love the
fans, the fans love me.”
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