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Everton fans are absolutely loving Marcel Brands, after their new director of football gave his first interview with the club.

Everton fans hated the performances under Ronald Koeman earlier this season, and they despised the showings under Sam Allardyce even more, but the thing that has frustrated fans the most in recent years is how poorly the club has been run.

The Toffees spent big last summer, but instead of splashing out on two or three proven superstars to atone for the loss of Romelu Lukaku, they did exactly what Liverpool did after losing Luis Suarez, grabbing several average players for prices they quite simply were not worth.

That should all change now though, as the man responsible for the rise of AZ Alkmaar as well as some impressive work at PSV has taken the helm at Goodison.

Brands has uncovered some incredible gems during his time in Dutch football, uncovering stars like Dries Mertens and Georginio Wijnaldum before moving them on for big fees.

“The priority in the first month is the first team and to be ready for the start of the next Premier League season. The [overall plan] has to be long-term, though. That’s also the goal I was given in the conversations I had with the Club,” Brands told evertontv.

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“What the people around the Club will see is new signings but behind-the-scenes there will be a lot of work and, of course, the first thing is a new manager.

“I have watched several Everton games and I have looked at the players. I also saw some who were on loan to other clubs but if we are going to take decisions about players it is important the manager is involved because he is going to work with them every day.

“I will take care of the long-term strategy but the first job now is to find a manager as soon as possible and straight away go to work with the squad.”

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Brands sounds focused and committed to ushering in a new dawn at Goodison Park, and fans are absolutely loving his comments.

If the Dutchman can continue his impressive transfer record with the Toffees, he could just be their most important signing in years.

Some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…

New West Ham United manager Manuel Pellegrini has suffered a double blow in his bid to bring Paris Saint-Germain attacking midfielder Javier Pastore with the club, with Sky Sports reporting that they are unwilling to meet the 29-cap Argentina international’s wage demands, while Italian media outlet Calciomercato report that Napoli also want the 28-year-old.

What’s the word, then?

Well, Sky Sports report that Pellegrini, whom fans on Twitter want to splash out a club-record fee to sign another midfielder for the club, wants to bring the attacker to the London Stadium to boost his side ahead of next season, and while they have baulked at Pastore’s financial demands, they are still locked in talks to try and sort out a deal.

However, Calciomercato say that the Argentine, who has been with the Ligue 1 champions since 2011, could be set for a return to Italy instead having played for Palermo previously, with Carlo Ancelotti ready to sign him for Napoli.

How did Pastore do last season?

It was a difficult campaign for the 28-year-old, who struggled to establish himself as a key first-team starter under former boss Unai Emery following the arrival of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe at the Parc des Princes last summer.

While he didn’t make the XI on too many occasions, he still featured in 37 matches in all competitions, scoring five goals and providing a further six assists for the Ligue 1 giants.

Will West Ham get their man?

It looks increasingly likely that a deal will soon be dead in the water.

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A move going through first of all relies on the Argentina international significantly reducing the wages that he wants to join the Irons, with the east London outfit unlikely to go anywhere near the £190,000-a-week contract that he wants.

Meanwhile, the reported interest from Napoli is another huge spanner in the works, seeing as the Italian club would be able to offer the 28-year-old Champions League football – West Ham can’t even give him European football next term.

As reported by France Football, Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing Marseille midfielder Morgan Sanson this summer.

What’s the story?

Spurs know they need a strong transfer window if they are to compete with the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool for the major honours in English football next season and after Mauricio Pochettino signed a new contract have the stability to finally deliver success.

One player Pochettino is now interested in bringing to the club is Marseille star Morgan Sanson.

That’s according to France Football, who report that the Argentinian very fond of the 23-year-old and would like to bring him to the Premier League this summer.

However, Spurs will face competition from the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal for his signature, according to the outlet.

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Would he be a good signing?

Sanson is certainly showing enough potential in Ligue 1 right now to be under consideration for a switch to a top six side in England.

He scored 10 goals and created three assists in all competitions for the French side last season, helping his side to the final of the UEFA Europa League where they ultimately lost out to Atletico Madrid.

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Still young, and with the versatility to play in a variety of midfield roles, he’s a player who appears ready to make the next move in his career.

Rated at £16.2m by Transfermarkt, he could be a shrewd acquisition this summer, with Pochettino capable of polishing him into a player ready to shine at the elite level.

Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea made a howling goalkeeping error on Friday night in action for Spain against Portugal, something that Liverpool fans are taking great delight in.

The Reds fans know exactly how it feels to see a goalkeeper drop a clanger like De Gea did from a Ronaldo shot in the World Cup match, enduring Loris Karius’ awful performance in the recent UEFA Champions League final.

The Liverpool ‘keeper and the fans themselves were mocked heavily in the wake of that performance, so perhaps it’s no surprise to see them turn the tables somewhat seeing a player from their rivals fail on the big stage, albeit for his country.

The 3-3 classic caught the imagination of the entire world and De Gea must know if he had kept his concentration his side would have had every chance of picking up a crucial three points.

Liverpool fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts on the incident and how it relates to Karius’ situation…

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Following perhaps the worst goalkeeping performance of all time from Loris Karius, it’s easy to forget Liverpool finished last season on a real high.

Not only did the Reds do enough to maintain their place in the Premier League’s top four, but they also made it all the way to the Champions League final – only for a few cruel twists of misfortune to prevent them from lifting Europe’s most coveted prize.

It’s now a question of whether Liverpool can carry that momentum into next season and while the Reds have shown what they can do on the European stage, Jurgen Klopp will be desperate to turn this side’s obvious potential into top flight performances that are consistently strong enough to really challenge last season’s victors Manchester City for the Premier League title.

The Anfield outfit have already boosted their chances of that by welcoming Fabinho and Naby Keita to Merseyside, but it will be important for them to start next season in the strongest terms possible. Their opening fixtures of the 2018/19 Premier League season, now officially confirmed, will give Reds fans an indication of how likely that is…

11th August – West Ham United (H)

18th August – Crystal Palace (A)

25 August – Brighton and Hove Albion (H)

1 September – Leicester City (A)

15 September – Tottenham Hotspur (A)

22 September – Southampton (H)

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Verdict

Liverpool have been handed a kind start to the season, with West Ham at home providing the most difficult test in the first three games before away trips to Leicester and Tottenham will test Jurgen Klopp’s side’s mettle.

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On paper, an away trip to Crystal Palace doesn’t look overly testing, but South London hasn’t always been a happy hunting ground for Liverpool in the past few seasons. This year, however, Klopp’s Reds will be eyeing a title challenge after really coming into their own in the closing stages of last season and having already brought in two exciting midfield reinforcements.

If Liverpool are to be serious contenders for a Premier League title this season, they must look upon this as a kind start, and a chance to pick up near maximum points because there’ll be much tougher games to come later in the campaign.

Liverpool have been looking to sign Stoke City playmaker Xherdan Shaqiri this summer and following his stellar performances in the World Cup, you can understand why.

The latest report from The Independent says that Liverpool will look to seal a deal with the Swiss midfielder after the World Cup and it is understood he has a release clause at around £13million.

The 26-year-old signed for Stoke City from Inter Milan in 2015 and has gone on to make 84 Premier League appearances for the Potters, scoring 15 goals.

Who do you think will win the World Cup? Let us know here and win any World Cup shirt of your choice.

The diminutive midfielder made a name for himself for his pinpoint passing and cultured finishing, but following Stoke’s relegation to the Championship, it was always likely that he would move to stay at the top level.

Shaqiri has started each of Switzerland’s World Cup games and his country has so far exceeded expectations as they secured qualification to the knockout rounds, including an impressive draw against favourites Brazil.

Shaqiri has been one of Switzerland’s standout players, registering one goal and one assist so far in the tournament.

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His influence is shown by his average of two key passes in each World Cup game so far and 2.3 successful dribbles per game.

Liverpool fans will know what to expect from Shaqiri having seen him perform in the Premier League over the past three years, but his performances in the World Cup will have bolstered his reputation and shown that he is ready to make that step up to a top four team.

According to a report in the Express, Jose Mourinho is interested in bringing Juventus striker Mario Mandzukic to Old Trafford this summer. The striker is valued at £16.2 million by Transfermarkt.

Mandzukic certainly fits the Mourinho profile with his physicality, stature and willingness to graft on behalf of his team. 

At 32, the Croatian is experienced at the highest level and has a track record that places him amongst the elite strikers in Europe. With a trophy cabinet to match. 

But, Mandzukic is not the marksman Mourinho should be targeting. 

Whilst 32 is not necessarily always the very end of the line for top level players in the modern game – as proven by the impact Zlatan had at Old Trafford aged 34 – Mandzukic is certainly on the decline.

A look at his stats on Transfermarkt shows that Mandzukic hasn’t managed to hit double figures in terms of league goals in either of the last two seasons, despite making 30+ appearances in each campaign.

Even if it’s just a case of providing back up for Romelu Lukaku, the Old Trafford crowd will expect a more mobile and prolific arrival. 

Jamie Vardy

Leicester City would be loathe to let their star striker leave, but there’s no denying he’d be a fantastic acquisition for Mourinho’s side.

Valued at £18 million by Transfermarkt, Vardy may make a slightly bigger dent in the Old Trafford coffers than Mandzukic, but United would certainly be getting more bang for their buck.

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Despite being 31 himself, Vardy has not yet lost his edge in front of goal and remains one of the most clinical finishers in the Premier League.

Unlike Mandzukic, Vardy also offers the kind of pace and mobility that frightens opposition defenders. Mourinho needn’t worry about the England international shirking his share of the dirty work either, as Vardy is only too happy to harry defenders and get stuck in. 

If Transfermarkt’s £18 million valuation is accurate, then that price is a steal for a striker of Vardy’s quality and Premier League pedigree. 

When West Ham return to action after the international break against Newcastle, a certain Geordie striker by the name of Andy Carroll will finally make his return to first team action following a long term injury lay off since February.

His return to first team action will be a huge boost to Hammers boss Slaven Bilic, who has been short in the striking department so far this season following injuries to Enner Valencia and Mauro Zarate.

So Carroll’s return will not only put less pressure on Diafra Sakho for the Hammers’ goals, but it will also give Bilic a few more options in attack, in terms of the different systems he could play.

With Carroll in the team West Ham would have a target man, someone who can lead the line and hold the ball up and bring the likes of Dimitri Payet and Manuel Lanzini into play. He can play alongside Sakho and Bilic could line West Ham up in a 4-4-2 diamond formation that was so successful last season under Sam Allardyce.

Obviously it is important that the Hammers don’t rush him back and give him the necessary time to ease himself back into first team football, rather than rush him back like they have been guilty of doing in recent years. He will need time, and the possible arrival of Nikica Jelavic from Hull City should at least take some of the pressure away from Carroll.

West Ham’s record signing has all the necessary natural strengths to play up front by himself, or Bilic could choose to rotate him and Sakho – his return will be a huge boost for West Ham and Bilic will have some different options in attack that hasn’t really been there so far.

Bilic has been limited to what he can play at West Ham because of the injuries, which has meant even the much maligned Modibo Maiga had to come off the bench in the first three games.

One thing that can’t be understated is the big number nine’s massive strengths that require special attention from the opposition, such as his incredible aerial prowess and ability to score headers from average balls in. Then there is his thunderous left foot, and perhaps one of his biggest strengths is his ability to hold the ball up and dominate opposing centre-backs.

Carroll is a real dangerous player, and if West Ham can keep him fit you do get the sense that the former Liverpool striker will get goals for Bilic’s men this season.

It’s just keeping fit is easier said than done for Andy Carroll.

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It’s not easy following a team home and away, in the rain and the snow, ‘over land and sea’ as the song goes.

Long journeys, by car or public transport, which mean you get back home in the dead of night. Plenty of miserable defeats.  Afternoons and evenings spent in thoroughly unpleasant conditions. Saturdays being unavailable as any sort of rest day. 20,000 home fans insulting you for 90 minutes. Frankly you’ve got to be slightly mad, or at least a little unhinged, to do it seriously for any length of time.

This is why away fans must be looked after, nurtured and protected. The authorities must realise that it is important to make sure that fans keep following their teams away from home, as it helps immeasurably in setting up the excellent atmospheres and large crowds in our stadiums (compared to the rest of Europe anyway).

Even in the Championship there can regularly be 1,500 to 2,000 away fans at some matches – in other second divisions across the continent you’d struggle to get that many home fans for some matches.

This is why the ‘Twenty is Plenty’ campaign is so necessary, and so important in helping shift the attitude of clubs with regards to away fans.

Of course, most clubs will simply view away fans as a necessary chore that needs taking care of – they’d probably rather we weren’t there, especially as inevitably these days the atmosphere is better in the away end. However, they grudgingly let us in and take care of us for the game, before seeing us on the long road home again.

The area where the attitude manifests itself most strongly is in the ticket prices for away fans. While essentially the same as for home fans, one has to put travel expenses and food on top of that, meaning that a £25 ticket will contribute only half the overall expense of the day. And when we add in time lost out of weekends as well, it starts looking like a very costly exercise indeed.

This is where a little long-term planning from clubs would be useful. While they obviously cannot control the price of petrol or train fares, they can control how much they charge visiting supporters.

A little less expensive pricing (which to be fair does only really apply to Premier League clubs), and a little more long-term thinking would mean that the fans who keep putting the long shifts in throughout the season to make sure that their team is always backed and supported will be rewarded by fair ticket prices.

This would inevitably mean that more fans go to away games, meaning that most clubs would recoup the losses from making away tickets cheaper by attracting a larger following. The atmosphere would also be better, as the home fans generally rise to the occasion when a large away crowd turns up and give it their best as well.

English clubs generally take much larger away support than other European teams, and that is a wonderful thing as it helps contribute to the passion, excitement and drama that runs through the veins of our game in this country.

Lets make sure that those great atmospheres in stadiums up and down the country aren’t lost due to short term thinking. Away fans are footballs great endurers, so lets make the other hardships they have to endure slightly easier to bear.

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November is upon us, and that means we are now less than two months away from the January transfer window!

There’s a part of every football fan that loves the rumour mill, with the excitement generated from the possibilities enough to spark optimism among even the most dour of supporter groups.

Okay, nobody appreciates the farfetched speculation (remember Sports Direct News’ woeful Wayne Rooney to Newcastle stunt?) but the transfer talk is genuinely rousing, and there’s plenty of that surrounding Spurs right now.

The Londoners have enjoyed a fine start to the season – they’re undefeated since the opening day of the campaign – the mood at White Hart Lane is pretty good. However, there are areas in which Mauricio Pochettino’s squad could be stronger, which may need to be addressed to maintain a top four push.

With that in mind, here are FIVE rumours that may come true in January…

Alexandre Pato

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A genuine risk of a signing, but one that could pay off for Spurs. Pato is understood to be available for the right price (around £18.6m) in January and has already talked up moving back across the Atlantic Ocean, and with Spurs short in terms of attacking options, it makes a degree of sense to move for the 26-year-old.

In his teenage years Pato had the world at his feet, but after a series of serious injuries during his spell with AC Milan the forward slipped back to his homeland to rebuild his career with Corinthians. Things didn’t’ work out for him at Arena Corinthians, but a loan move to divisional rivals Sao Paulo has paid dividends, and the former Selecao man is now hot property once again.

Unlike Harry Kane, the ex-Rossoneri star offers a real threat in behind opposing defences, while his deft touch and clover movement could bring the best out of the England ace in a front two. A fee of close to £20m may be a little excessive, but should the Londoners be able to negotiate a better deal a move is realistic.

Breel Embolo

Not blessed with blistering pace or awesome power, Basel’s Embolo has emerged as a teenage talent due to his game intelligence. The Cameroonian attacker is already a regular for the Swiss side at the age of 18, and Spurs are reportedly monitoring his progress. It’s easy to see why, too, with Embolo able to play in any position in the final third, with his movement and finishing standout traits.

He appears ideally suited to Pochettino’s high-pressing, organised game plan, and with Basel unable to truly match his ambitions in the long run, a 2016 move seems possible.

Keisuke Honda

Reports of a £5m asking price have been circulating, making the 77-cap Japan international all the more appealing. Spurs, like West Ham, have been linked with Honda, who could inject greater creativity into the Lilywhites’ attacking midfield zone. As things stand the majority of the club’s forward play goes through Christian Eriksen, but with the season likely to be long and arduous for the Londoners, the Dane cannot be relied upon to keep firing on all cylinders throughout.

Honda could be used in tandem with, or instead of, the current White Hart Lane idol, and would also offer another threat from set-pieces.

Laurent Depoitre

A January move has been talked up for the big Belgian, who has really kicked on this season. Six goals in 14 Jupiler League outings for Genk this term and a ‘one cap, one goal’ showing at international level mean that the 26-year-old’s stock is at an all-time high, and with Spurs short in on attacking options given that Emmanuel Adebayor and Roberto Soldado were axed over the summer, Depoitre is sure to be an appealing proposition.

Although not the most mobile of forwards, his 6ft. 3” frame appears well-suited to the rigours of Premier League football, and with his game having been compared to that of compatriot Christian Benteke, the omens are good.

Adrien Rabiot

PSG’s classy playmaker may only be 20, but Spurs fans already know all about him by now with the links having been strong and plentiful for some time. Once again the Lilywhites are back in the mix amid suggestions that the curly-hared pass-master is frustrated at Paris, and with his game time having been limited to just 374 minutes in Ligue 1 action so far this term, it’s easy to see why his feet are growing itchy at the Parc des Princes.

Pochettino may have decent options in central midfield, but none of Nabil Bentaleb, Ryan Mason, Eric Dier and Dele Alli are known for their creativity, so Rabiot could provide the spark needed in tight games.