The Times - UK (2021-12-06)

RAMSDALE V PICKFORD:

TALE OF THE TAPE

This season in Premier League

Ramsdale (Arsenal)

Pickford (Everton)

Age

Games

Clean sheets

Goals conceded

Minutes per goal conceded

Shots on target faced

Save percentage

Errors leading to goals

Passing accuracy

England caps

23

1

11

6

11

90

53

79.2%

0

62.6%

27

42

13

3

21

56

58

63.8%

0

44.2%

PETER NICHOLLS/REUTERS

• I blocked it out’

the times | Monday December 6 2021 2GG 9

thegame

David Moyes is

always worth

listening to and not

simply because his

coaching and

managerial prowess have made

his West Ham United team one of

the best organised and motivated

in the Premier League. Moyes’

ability to wrest back control of a

game, even from a head coach of

the esteemed calibre of Chelsea’s

Thomas Tuchel, was shown by his

successful half-time switch from

3-4-3 to 3-5-2, allowing Jarrod

Bowen even greater attacking

licence.

Moyes is also worth heeding

when he addresses issues that

afflict all managers, and

particularly the concern over

player workload as clubs head into

the frenzied festive programme.

Moyes lost Ben Johnson and Kurt

Zouma to injury on Saturday, after

the unfortunate incapacitation of

Angelo Ogbonna. When Moyes

talks now, he sounds like a

statesman, a senior figure who

talks with experience and

common sense. His valid point

about the pressure on players

needs considering by the

authorities and the broadcasters

when juggling fixtures. High

wages do not prevent injuries.

WINTER’S

WEEKEND

WONDERS

2

Moyes makes his mark in actions and words

Divock Origi took all

the headlines for his

late winner for

Liverpool that broke

the resilience of José

Sá, Conor Coady and their Wolves

team-mates at Molineux. But it

was Mohamed Salah’s masterful

first touch that made the goal.

Taking Virgil van Dijk’s driven

pass in his stride, Salah steered it

forward with his left foot at pace

to get away from Ki-Jana Hoever.

The touch was perfect, opening up

Wolves, before Salah used his

right foot to play the ball past

Hoever and Romain Saïss for

Origi. The Belgian still had plenty

to do, turning and finishing, but

the chance, and the victory, was

created by Salah’s exceptional

touch and confidence.

Liverpool owe win to Salah’s sublime touch

Wilson delivers a powerful statement

If there is one player

who is going to keep

Newcastle United up

it is their confident

No 9. Callum Wilson,

above, is on a mission not only to

rescue the side and pay back the

fans for their remarkable support,

but also propel himself back into

England contention. You had to

admire the way the 29-year-old

seized on Nick Pope’s fumble, took

a couple of steps right of the

Burnley goalkeeper, looked up and

drilled the ball perfectly between

Chris Wood and the crossbar. It

was a goal struck with such power

and conviction that it deserved

comparison with some of the

trademark thunderbolts of a

fabled Newcastle No 9, Alan

Shearer.

1

Chief Football Writer finds heroes on

pitch, in dugout and on the F1 track

3

It’s great to see such a

popular manager as

Chris Wilder back

working – and

winning – again.

After Middlesbrough made it

back-to-back victories, it was also

good to hear Wilder’s post-match

comments, demanding more of his

new side, challenging them to

improve in possession and in their

decision-making, knowing they

could easily have been punished

by Swansea City. “We’re better

than that,” Wilder told reporters

after the 1-0 home win. He will

expect his players to respond.

4

Wilder wants more

from his winners

England’s footballers

are waiting for

guidance from the FA

and Amnesty

International before

voicing their concerns about

human rights in Qatar, where

they play in the World Cup next

year. England should consider

seeking an audience with Lewis

Hamilton, the very socially aware

Formula One driver. Hamilton

handles such issues well, possesses

a moral compass and could give

the England players some advice

on how to register their concerns.

The footballers have to speak out.

Players should listen

to Lewis Hamilton

5

Marcel Brands is to leave his position
as Everton’s director of football after
the club’s recent troubles. The club
confirmed his departure in a
statement late last night and the
Dutchman has agreed a severance
package with the owner Farhad
Moshiri on the three-year contract he
signed in April.
A strategic review of the football
structure will take place, although
Everton declined to say who will
carry it out. They insisted the club
was fully supportive of the manager
Rafa Benítez.
Brands said: “The board and I
agreed that there is a clear difference
in the vision and direction for this
beautiful club and, with that in mind,
the decision was taken.”
He joined the club from PSV
Eindhoven in 2018 after the sacking
of Steve Walsh, his predecessor, but
the 59-year-old Dutchman had only a
limited role because the majority of
personnel decisions were taken by
those above him. While his contract

stated that he would pick the

manager, Brands inherited the

appointment of Marco Silva and was

against his sacking in December 2019,

believing the Portuguese deserved

more time. It is understood he did not

choose either of the next managers,

Carlo Ancelotti and Benítez.

Player recruitment was also far

from straightforward. Brands had

influence in some signings but not

others. Brands pushed for players

such as Jean-Philippe Gbamin, Fabian

Delph, Yerry Mina and Moise Kean,

but did not want Everton to recruit

£200,000-a-week James Rodríguez.

Ancelotti drove through that signing.

Benítez and Brands disagreed on

PAUL JOYCE

Brands is axed after Everton’s slump

summer recruitment. Brands was

keen on the Holland right back

Denzel Dumfries but Benítez doubted

the Inter Milan man’s defensive

abilities. Brands is the second

high-profile departure since Benítez

arrived. The director of medical

services, Danny Donachie, left last

month. Benítez was unhappy with the

number of injuries in his squad.

Brands’s departure comes as

Everton supporters are being urged to

leave their seats in the first half of

tonight’s game against Arsenal in

protest over the running of the club.

Everton, without a win in eight league

games, are 16th in the table.

A number of fan groups are urging

supporters to show their dissent in

the 27th minute to mark 27 seasons

since Everton won a trophy, the FA

Cup in 1995. Organisers say they will

respect the right of each fan to leave

for either five minutes, until half-time

or for the rest of the match. They

want Moshiri, who has invested

£685 million since buying the club in

February 2016, to make changes in

Everton’s hierarchy, which they

believe are needed to halt the decline.

Brands was

supposed to

make key

decisions on

recruitment —

but they were

made by those

above him