Rossman

Chelsea left back, Ian Maatsen is having a great season on loan at Burnley. 30 appearances, 4 goals, 5 assists. January Player of the month. Chelsea have offloaded a lot of their fullbacks, so Chilwell doesn't have much competition. Hopefully he doesn't go back as backup and joins Burnley permanently.

Vincent Kompany has done a brilliant job at Turf Moor this season. Transforming them into a silky passing, attacking team. Bringing over a few players from Belgium, like Benson and Zaroury. The form he's got out of Nathan Tella from Southampton is ridiculous. He scored 2 goals in 2 seasons at St. Mary's. He's already on 14 goals this season.

Was his fight with Chris Eubank being sanctioned with the WBC? I don't get why they are involved. All of his previous fights he's been defending a WBA belt.

Not that it means a jot. WBC is a sanctioning body. BBBoC is a governing body, who hold all the cards to his future.

He is getting a bit silly now saying stupid things. I heard saw post, that he could beat Chris Algieri and Chris van Heerden on the same night within 2 rounds. With drug testing every week.

The amount of egg shit going to be thrown his way now. If he does come back and fight in the UK. Surely, Sam Eggington is going to be the comeback fight 

Best goal from Nunez last night.

https://twitter.com/sportbible/status/1628305826141143040?t=PlZ1I5wNclgF3F092brAwQ&s=19

What's the thoughts on Woods' coach throwing in the towel?

Wood did look gone after the knockdown but there was 10 seconds left in the round and could have potentially got through it. He was up on all the cards and he was the reigning champ.

The referee was happy for it to continue. But Davison stepped in to save him.

It did look like the right call, as Wood was on his stool for a good 2 minutes when the fight was stopped, making sure he was alright.

Lara's a bit of a nutter. He's taking the Warrington dodging personal. He flegged on him after the fight.

Wilson Pickett backed by the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section.

https://youtu.be/wA3pD33ym-w

Dylan's been shit live for ages. I bought Before The Flood which was his first live album back in 1974. His songs are interlaced with tracks by The Band.  Theirs all sound great and as you would expect. Dylan's just sound like he's made them up as he went along on the day.

Club singer round.

Everton's transfer deadline day antics included.

Trying to sign Conor Gallagher for £45 million - rejected

Tried to sign Ismaila Sarr on loan for £2 million from Watford - rejected

Tried to sign Andre Ayew on a free - rejected - instead went to Notts Forest

Other than that. They also tried to sign two wingers from Ligue 1. Instead they went to Southampton & Bournemouth.

They can't get anyone through the door. Now they're trying to get Isco as he's a free agent. Like fuck, would he want to come.

Beterbiev should be taking Yarde to deep waters and then stopping him. Beterbiev has been down a few times before but then he punishes his opponent into submission.

1 hour ago, SuperBacon said:

TIL Danjuma is his surname. I thought that was his whole name. Dan Juma, ffs.

Danjuma is actually his middle name! His full name is Arnaut Danjuma Groeneveld.

The Everton owner, says it's not his decision if Frank Lampard gets sacked or not.

Great accountability for the shambles he's left the club in.

Lampard says he doesn't fear the sack, so sounds like he's just as miserable and wants putting out of his misery.

Be very interested to see where they go from here. Keep Lampard and give him money to spend on signings. Or ditch him, find someone new and give them money to try and paper over the tracks. Just to keep them in the league.

6 hours ago, wandshogun09 said:

Seeing Conor Benn gloating about it after the fight has completed his heel turn for me. If that fight ever happens I’ll be fully rooting for Eubank now.

I saw he instagrammed/tweeted/whatever.. the other day, a picture of himself with the caption "Thank god for science." 

Probably better off thanking, Eddie's brown envelope.

Still no explanation of anything what happened, just loads of smoke blowing.

Supposed to have kicked off at the Smith/Eubank press conference yesterday. BBBoC are now getting involved. Smith supposedly insinuated Eubank was gay because he has never seen him with a woman. And Eubank said Smith has been cheating on his wife. All a bit weird.

On 1/17/2023 at 7:52 AM, Egg Shen said:

I really don't know who wins this, I immediately lean towards Eubank but he's never really delivered against a top opponent, it'll be competitive no doubt and it'll likely go the distance. I think there may end up being controversy over the decision come the end of the night. I think it'll deliver though.

Eubank is more natural at the weight and can bang. Eubanks record is pretty patchy. He has one good performance, then nothing happens and the momentum is lost. But his losses are only down to his opponents being much better technical boxers. Liam Smith isn't as slick as a BJS or George Groves.

But Liam Smith's best win was probably against Jesse Vargas. Just because Vargas was a two weight world champion about 8 years ago, but has been on a dramatic decline ever since. Also Smith's reign as a world champion had some of the worst challengers I have ever seen.

Defeated John Thompson (not the bloke from Cold Feet) to win the vacant belt. Then had two defences against Jimmy Kelly & Predrag Radošević. Fighters noone has heard of since. But that is the beauty of Frank Warren promoting.

2 hours ago, Mr_Danger said:

Wonder what his points per game ratio is compared to Fat Sam and Rafa.

Last seasons points were split as so.

Rafa - Sacked 16th January

19 points from 19 matches

Big Dunc - 18th January to 31st January

1 game - 0 points

Frank - Joined 31st January

20 points  from 18 matches

Last season after 16 games, Everton had 18 points. This season after 16 games they've got 14 points.

That should mean if you combine Lampard's Premier League games from last season and this season. He's had 34 games and got 34 points.

Everton threw away any points against Wolves in the last minute the other day. Trying to quell the home fans who were booing every touch because the defence was just passing it between themselves.  Tarkowski lumped it up top, Patterson flicked on, Gordon stuck out a leg. Wolves player intercepted, countered and then they scored.

It was so easy for Wolves to get themselves up the pitch and tactically naive from Everton. Wolves had set themselves up for the counter and Everton fell straight into the trap.

I don't think Everton have the money to compete for any quality players who will get them out of the shit for the rest of the season. A striker and a creative player are definites but I can't see Frank bringing in anyone decent.

Moutinho's assist for their first goal was really good.  I think Wolves will be fine, come rest of the season, Lopetegui has the experience to gel that squad together and get them up the table. 

Can't find the football kit thread so will put this here.

Football Town have got a decent sale on in their Outlet 

https://footballtown.com/collections/football-town-outlet

International shirts with marble effect are down to £23 and there are a lot of championship and league one and league two clubs with shirts in the sale. They're £23 too.

If you use the code friend, it's also 20% off - they've also got a pop-up shop in London so can ship from UK with free shipping.

Josh Warrington lost his world title to Luis Alberto Lopez. He doesn't have much luck beating Mexicans. I watched the first round and you could tell Lopez came for a good scrap. The highlights showed it as a really toss-up who could win. Lopez must have done an ample amount because he topped the scorecards in Josh's home city, with no Mexican as a judge. The UK judge gave it a draw and the other two had it 115 - 113.

The obligatory Warrington headclash came early in the fight. Mike Costello who is now commentating for Dazn sarcastically pondered. When there is a headclash in a Josh Warrington fight, he always comes better off.  Josh himself said there's a stigma, that he's a dirty fighter. Probably because he keeps headbutting people!

Lopez wasn't taking any shit and when Warrington hit him low on the leg. He made the referee give him a 20 second recovery period. 

Matchroom were saying if Warrington won this fight, he wanted a big fight in the State's. Surely he knows outside of Leeds he has no fanbase. 

I saw a bit of Teofimo Lopez who was a whinging winner. He was arguing with his opponent Sandor Martin that he didn't come to fight and just ran around. He knew Martin was a tricky counter puncher before he took the fight. Then he was arguing with the interviewer saying he got put down with a left hand when it was a right hand.  

Not having a go here, but what does Declan Rice actually do? All I ever see him do is pass the ball backwards or sideways.

I saw on BBC Sport on their public player rater. He got a 6.4. Griesmann got 6.56 and he set up both French goals.

Danny Murphy said Rice had an astounding game. For the first goal, when France countered he flew in a for a sliding tackle and missed then couldn't get back in time to defend.

Sky Sports rated Rice an 8. Saying he kept Griesmann quiet in the 2nd half...

Except the part where he whipped in the cross for the winner.

He's one of those who looks like he's doing something but isn't really.

Like Henderson who ran around shouting for most of the games he played in. But he scored against Senegal so he doesn't get any flak anymore.

Not many services pick up the Japanese fights  The previous Inoue fight against Nonito Donaire was on a weekday at UK lunchitme. I'm sure it was streamed free on YouTube as I watched it in my lunch break at work.

Ebanie Bridges upped her bikini game for her weigh in yesterday.

Next weigh in will be on her OnlyFans account at this rate.

Chocolatito/Estrada 3 is also this weekend.

Julio Cesar Martinez defends his WBC flyweight title on the undercard.

Caught the ten minute highlights of Whyte v Franklin and even that was boring. Whyte was plodding about and wouldn't get out of 1st gear. Franklin tried to speed things up but Whyte kept smothering him. Only real action was in the last round where they traded a bit. Whyte got the better of Franklin at the end. But punch stats were pretty much equal hence two score cards were equal. 

Zack Parker/ John Ryder ended after four rounds. Parker broke his hand and had to quit.

Regis Prograis beat Jose Zepeda to win the light welterweight world title.

Normal service resuming at Everton. Played Bournemouth twice in a week, lost 7-1 in total.

Get new players, get new manager still the same problems. It doesn't help when they buy, one of the best crossers in the league last season in Dwight McNeil. And then buy the shortest, non-scoring striker in Neal Maupay. Forest and Wolves are the only teams who have scored less goals. Wolves don't even have a striker at the moment.

Were there no alarm bells when Brighton. Who create a lot of chances but don't score wanted to get rid of Maupay. Now he's gone, they're averaging 3 goals when they win.

DCL constantly injured. They need 1 or 2 decent strikers in January otherwise it's going to be exactly the same shitty situation as last year.

Coady and Tarkowski as a centre back pairing are ok. They've got leakier as the season has gone one. But it's better than having Michael Keane in there

I did read, there won't be a winner/loser for the fight. I think it said 8 x 2 minute rounds of boxing.

Sunny Edwards defends his IBF flyweight belt tonight against Felix Alverado from Nicaragua. Alvarado is quite a big puncher and previously held the light flyweight world title. Edwards toughest fight as champion. It's free to watch on Fite TV.

Welsh fighter, Joe Cordina got dressed up to watch Zelfa Barrett and Shavkat Rakhimov fight for his vacated title last night in UAE.

Barrett had a great 6 rounds to start the fight. Knocking Rakhimov down in the 3rd but Rakhimovs stalk and hit approach ground Barrett down. Round 7 and 8, Barrett had really slowed down and couldn't get away from Rakhimov so they slugged it out. Didn't go too well for Barrett who got stopped in the 9th. Rakhimov will now fight Cordina for the title.

Bivol v Zurdo Ramirez was a routine win for Bivol. Ramirez is so bizarre. 44-0 never thought anyone of note, former super middleweight world champion. Bivol's had 20 fights and he's more experienced than Ramirez because he's fought tougher opponents.

But even at Light Heavyweight, Ramirez looks too big. He's so tall he has to crouch to throw his shots and his stance is like he's trying to do the splits. Reminds me of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr draining himself to fight at lower weights than he should.

Looking forward to Jordan Gill v Kiko Martinez on the Katie Taylor undercard. Gill had his Rocky moment against Karim Guerfi and knocked him out to win the European title. I think this is a world title eliminator. Martinez is still super tough, he broke Josh Warrington's jaw in the last fight. Gill is super slick but doesn't have heavy hands so keeping Kiko off him for 12 rounds is going to be a tough task. Hardest fight of Gill's career.