Soccer

JOSE MOURINHO has emerged as the shock bookies’ favourite to replace Sean Dyche as Everton boss.The Special One is rated odds-on to move to Merseyside with new owners The Friedkin Group believed to be ready to dump Dyche by as early as next week.Jose Mourinho is the shock favourite to take over at EvertonCredit: GettySean Dyche is set to receive the axe from the Toffees new ownersCredit: GettyDyche admitted in the build–up to tonight’s FA Cup third-round clash with Peterborough United that TFG would not be doing their jobs if they were not considering the possibility of replacing him.The Americans ARE doing so and ex–boss David Moyes is also in the frame to return to the club and take it into their new Bramley – Moore Dock home next summer.The appointment of Mourinho could be seen as a spectacular coup – despite TFG billionaire owner Dan Friedin, also owner of Roma, sacking him a year ago.The Portuguese was also twice axed by Chelsea as well as Manchester United, Real Madrid and Inter Milan but he described his dismissal by Friedkin as the “one that most hurt”.READ MORE ON FOOTBALLHe took over Fenerbache last summer but is at war with Turkish authorities over the way Turkey’s Super Lig is being run.Despite being so upset by the way Friedkin got rid of him the 61-year-old would love a chance for another tilt at the Premier League.Dyche, almost two years in charge, is understood to have come to terms with the fact that his time at the club is coming to an end with fans turning on his style of football.Everton takes on Posh in what he calls “a banana skin” encounter having won only three Prem games in 19 with the Toffees lying one point above the drop zone.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSDyche declared of talk that TFG are sizing up replacements for him: “It should be.”If you’re a business of this size and this club, then succession planning should be part of their diligence. I’ve got no problem with that at all.Jose Mourinho confirms he has undergone minor surgery but won’t miss a single Fenerbahce training session”I think that should be ongoing at every football club.”That’s part of the business, surely. I’m sure it is in what we’d call normal business life.”Furious Jose Mourinho’s CUTTING dig at referee Clement Turpin after red card vs Man UtdJOSE MOURINHO launched a sarcastic blast at ref Clement Turpin after he was red-carded in his clash with former club Manchester United. The Fenerbahce boss saw his side fight back to earn a point as United tossed away the lead for a third successive drawn Europa League match.Mourinho was sent to the stands after raging against Turpin’s failure to award a penalty against Manuel Ugarte for a challenge on Bright Osayi-Samuel.And Mourinho scowled: “The referee told me something incredible. He said at the same time he could see the action in the box and my behaviour on the touchline.“I congratulate him because he is absolutely incredible. During the game, 100 miles per hour, he had one eye on the penalty situation and one eye on my behaviour on the bench. That’s the explanation he gave me.”That is why he is one of the best referees in the world!”What is almost certain is that the former Burnley manager is on the way out.And defeat to Darren Ferguson’s League One club would only hasten his exit. More

TOTTENHAM star Rodrigo Bentancur has provided an update from his hospital bed after his frightening on-field collapse.The Spurs midfielder fell to the floor unchallenged during Wednesday’s Carabao Cup clash with Liverpool. Rodrigo Bentancur has provided an update after collapsing during Spurs’ win over LiverpoolCredit: ReutersThe 27-year-old was rushed to hospital after the scary incidentCredit: RexBentancur updated his 2m Instagram followers alongside girlfriend Melany La BancaCredit: InstagramBentancur landed awkwardly after attempting to head the ball away from a corner six minutes into the contest. Teammate Pedro Porro rushed to his aid before medical staff worked on the Uruguayan for almost 10 minutes.The 27-year-old was given oxygen and placed in a neck brace before being taken off on a stretcher.He was rushed to a nearby hospital, with boss Ange Postecoglou confirming after the game Bentancur was “conscious when he got to the dressing room.”READ MORE ON BENTANCURThe Aussie said: “It was some sort of head injury, but he was conscious when he was coming off the field.“He’s been taken to the hospital for observation. Hopefully he’ll be OK.”Following the scary incident, the ex-Juventus man later provided a health update to his 2 million Instagram followers.Smiling alongside partner Melany La Banca and wearing a Spurs t-shirt, Bentancur confirmed he was “all good” with a thumbs up.Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSHe captioned the picture with a love heart emoji: “All good guys! “Thank you for the messages. Congratulations on the victory boys!”Antonin Kinsky embraced by family after stellar Tottenham debut against LiverpoolIt’s not the first time this season Bentancur has been rocked by a head injury. Back in August, he was stretchered off against Leicester after a sickening clash with winger Abdul Fatawu. The midfielder subsequently missed Tottenham’s 4-0 win over Everton the following week and returned to action on September 1, eleven days after the KO.Bentancur was replaced on Wednesday night by Brennan Johnson, with Tottenham taking the game to Premier League leaders Liverpool.The Reds were wasteful on the night and paid the price late on, with Lucas Bergvall netting to give Spurs a slender 1-0 advantage ahead of next month’s second leg.But Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk was furious the Swede didn’t see red moments before netting the winner.Bergvall escaped a second yellow despite wiping out Kostas Tsimikas, with ref Stuart Atwell choosing to play advantage. Van Dijk raged: “It was quite obvious was going to be a second yellow, it was pretty clear.”Then a minute later he scores the winner.”The ref made a mistake and I told him that. It was quite obvious and everyone on the sideline knew it was a yellow.”He should have been off. There is a linesman, fourth official, VAR and referee and he doesn’t get a second yellow.”I’m not saying it is the reason why we lost but it was a big moment.”BBC Radio 5 Live pundit Michael Brown was among those to praise Porro for his quick thinking on the field. The Spaniard was the first to rush over to help Bentancur, grabbing his head to help keep his airway clear.READ MORE SUN STORIESBrown said on air: “Porro saw it early and was over there quickly.”The medical team did their job and were right on top of it. We wish Rodrigo well.” More

IT took just 18 minutes for Antonin Kinsky to show off the fancy footwork Spurs have sorely missed from their goalkeeper in the last six weeks.The confident Czech, signed on Sunday from Slavia Prague, performed a clever keepy-uppy to get himself out of the danger he had been put in by team-mate Radu Dragusin.Antonin Kinsky had a debut to remember between the sticks for SpursCredit: RexThe goalie looked sharp as Tottenham beat Liverpool 1-0Credit: EPARomanian Dragusin had let a dangerous ball bounce, but instead of panicking, Kinsky cleverly lifted the ball over an advancing Diogo Jota and caught it.It was a promising snapshot of his ball-playing ability which was on show here throughout his debut.And one that will have come as a big relief to fans who have watched from behind their sofa as poor old Fraser Forster has attempted to play AngeBall in Guglielmo Vicario’s absence.Kinsky’s former Slavia team-mates sat down to watch his Spurs bow while on a warm-weather training camp in Marbella, with the club’s X account hailing their ‘King’.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLTottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has decided to persevere with playing out from the back ever since No1 Vicario fractured his ankle in November.And though Forster has made some good saves in the meantime, playing smart, short passes under pressure is not his strong suit.That was made abundantly clear when the 36-year-old made not just one but TWO horrendous errors that led to goals in the last round of the Carabao Cup last month, which Spurs just about won 4-3 against Manchester United, despite leading 3-0 at one point.With Vicario not expected back until late February, Spurs decided to act and brought in 21-year-old Kinsky this month for £12.5million on a six-and-a-half-year deal.Most read in FootballHis agent Viktor Kolar revealed how tough the negotiations were to get the deal over the line in an interview with Flashscore.FOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSIt included how chairman Daniel Levy himself flew over to Prague to get things moving alongside Spurs’ technical director Johan Lange.Kolar said: “Our team was still sitting at a petrol station in Prague until almost 10 pm of December 31, because everything was closed on New Year’s Eve.Sky Sports forced to cut away following serious Rodrigo Bentancur injury as Spurs star lands on his head“The subsequent development was that on January 1, Daniel Levy flew in himself and the two-day negotiations in Prague began. He had Johan Lange with him.”The negotiations were intense, stretching late into the night.“But it worked, and I’m happy about that. It was a beautiful test to see if people and organizations this dominant can find their way to each other.”Kolar also detailed how his client chatted the move over with Czech goalkeeping great Petr Cech before signing on the dotted line.Kinsky then went on to become the most expensive Czech keeper ever, with his £12.5m deal surpassing the £10m Arsenal paid Chelsea for Cech in 2015.Kolar added: “Toni can consult on things with Petr, and talk about the goalkeeping stuff.”Kinsky was thrown straight in here against high-flying Liverpool for what was a pivotal match in Spurs’ season – and Postecoglou’s tenure.Kinsky was embraced by his sister in the stands afterwardsThe pair appeared emotional as they celebrated the winFans around Kinsky and his sibling appeared to be delightedThe blond stopper looked cool throughout his bow – and not just in his short-sleeved keeper top.His presence seemed to calm down an injury-hit defence which has seemed jittery of late too, with some accurate passes and solid saves.There was one hairy moment soon after his keepy-uppy where he tried to play out from back and his pass hit Archie Gray but he got away with it.But for the most part Kinsky seemed assured, summed up by how he smartly started the move which led to Dominic Solanke sliding Spurs ahead – only to be ruled out for offside.Solanke shrugged off the disappointment by teeing up another blond bombshell in Spurs’ team, Lucas Bergvall, for an opener that did stand – much to Kinsky and his new team-mates’ delight.Kinsky then produced his save of the night to turn an inventive flick from Liverpool sub Darwin Nunez round the post in stoppage time.Postecoglou had said it was not just his footwork that convinced Spurs to sign the youngster – and so this stop proved.READ MORE SUN STORIESKinsky completed his debut with a warm embrace from his sister, who looked emotional in the stands next to supporters.It is early days, but on this evidence Spurs fans can be confident that their new man between the sticks has what it takes to play the high-risk football their manager insists on. More