All posts by n8rngtd.top

Celtic now haven’t had a permanent manager at the helm since the end of February.

It has been a long and slippery slope for the Bhoys but finally there now appears to be a light at the end of the tunnel for the Parkhead faithful.

What’s the word?

Reports from English newspapers suggested this week that a deal to bring Eddie Howe to Paradise was finally being concluded. With Crystal Palace also preferring other options over the 43-year-old, it bodes well for the Celtic hierarchy.

That said, they are not completely in the clear yet. That’s because, according to Stephen Craigan on the Go Radio Football show, they could still target another manager.

He talked up the chances of Scotland boss Steve Clarke being handed the reins, saying: “I just wonder, are they looking for a safe pair of hands and someone to come in steady the ship. And the reason why they can’t announce this guy [Clarke] is because he’s got the Euros in the summer.”

Craigan continued: “The longer it goes, the more I think Steve Clark could get the job. He knows the players, he knows the league he’s worked with some of the Celtic players at Scotland, you know, he’s shown he can manage a team and structure a team and get them organised.”

Poor appointment

In simple terms, Celtic need to completely forget about Clarke. He’s done an impressive job taking the national team to their first major tournament since the 1990s but, at the end of the day, he wouldn’t suit the Hoops.

The 57-year-old has been described as “remarkable” by Kris Commons but, apart from his defensive record, that doesn’t particularly ring true.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/celtic-manager-transfers-eddie-howe-jesse-marsch-ryan-christie-siriki-dembele” title=”Read the latest Celtic managerial updates, transfer news, rumours and gossip!”]

The Bhoys have had obvious issues in their backline this term, shipping 19 goals in just six Europa League games. Blatant defensive errors have been rife, with Jonjoe Kenny and Diego Laxalt the main culprits in recent weeks, particularly in the last Old Firm derby.

On that evidence, Clarke could lend a hand. At Kilmarnock, the coach conceded fewer goals in 2017/18 than Rangers as he guided them to a fifth-place finish. During the next season, his Killie team finished third, also ending the campaign with the third-best defensive record in the division.

That said, Celtic need an attack-minded manager, someone who’s willing to dominate and bully the opposition.

The Hoops have enjoyed over 61% possession on average this term and are used to scoring goals by the bucket load. It’s not certain whether Clarke be able to manage that kind of blueprint at Parkhead, though.

With that in mind, he’d be even less suited than someone like Roy Keane. Although he has not been in management for the best part of ten years, the Irishman showed with his Sunderland side which earned promotion from the Championship in 2006/07 that they can dominate and score goals. During that campaign, Keane’s men netted the third-highest tally of goals (76) in the division.

Dermot Desmond would likely only be inflicting further pain on Celtic by moving for Clarke. He needs to look elsewhere or else just stick with Howe.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Turnbull: Celtic can form dream duo by signing “clinical” 30-goal bully…

Former Celtic striker Chris Sutton has said that only Callum McGregor, David Turnbull and Stephen Welsh stand out as players exempt from a looming squad overhaul at Parkhead.

Interim boss John Kennedy will oversee the concluding four games of the season before the club make a final decision on Neil Lennon’s long-term managerial successor.

Kennedy has been unable to salvage the Hoops’ campaign. On Sunday, they were beaten 2-0 by arch-rivals Rangers in the Scottish Cup fourth round, a result which confirms their first trophyless season since 2010.

They are also 20 points adrift of Steven Gerrard’s men in the league table, a damning state of affairs.

‘Practically a blank sheet of paper’ for incoming Celtic boss

Writing in his Record Sport column, Sutton predicted that Odsonne Edouard and Kristoffer Ajer would follow loanees Mohamed Elyounoussi, Jonjoe Kenny and Diego Laxalt out the door.

In his eyes, only McGregor – set to take over as captain as Scott Brown heads to Aberdeen – midfielder Turnbull and centre-back Welsh are guaranteed to be part of the long-term picture.

“It’s practically a blank sheet of paper,” Sutton wrote.

“What’s on it? Callum McGregor, David Turnbull are on there, you maybe give youngster Stephen Welsh the benefit of the doubt even if he wasn’t at his best against Rangers.”

Sutton added: “It’s a heck of a shopping list at Celtic Park if they are to even think about having a chance of wrestling the title off Rangers next season.”

At the start of the month, it was reported that Celtic were on the verge of appointing former Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe.

However, no announcement has followed, and Football Insider have claimed that the 43-year-old has entertained a rival approach from Crystal Palace.

Transfer Tavern verdict

If you were a Rangers fan assessing Celtic’s predicament, you would be licking your lips. With a summer of upheaval ahead, it seems unlikely that they will be unable to strike back quickly, even under new management.

Their crosstown rivals have looked a level above this season, progressing to the Europa League round of 16 and going 34 league matches unbeaten.

In terms of the players who will still be at Parkhead next term, Sutton is justified in advocating the cases of Turnbull, McGregor and Welsh based on their generally solid performances throughout the current campaign.

In other news, this reported Celtic managerial candidate fears he has been overlooked.

Sheffield Wednesday are potentially less than nine games away from knowing their fate.

But recently-appointed Owls boss Darren Moore has an even tougher task ahead of him this summer, irrespective of which division the south Yorkshire fallen giants find themselves in.

No fewer than 12 players are out of contract at the end of the season, which is the vast majority of the current team, meaning there’s a likely rebuild ahead for the 46-year-old coach.

One of those names is Kadeem Harris – someone who has played a key role in this campaign. Letting him run down his deal is not only a dangerous game to play but is also going to make Moore’s job much harder.

Wednesday chairman Dejphon Chansiri is on the verge of making another contract mistake here – the likes of George Hirst and Liam Shaw spring to mind, albeit they were much younger prospects with huge potential.

Harris has been a frequent presence in the starting XI under Garry Monk, Tony Pulis, Neil Thompson and now Moore, having started 27 league games – only three other players have managed more this term.

The 27-year-old winger has been a major source of creativity too, recording three assists – one fewer than Owls playmaker Barry Bannan.

Again, it is only the skipper (1.6) who is managing more key passes per game than Harris (0.8) and as their set-piece taker, it’s easy to see why he’s putting in more crosses (1.1) than the former Cardiff ace (0.7) too, as per WhoScored.

What this does suggest, however, is that Harris is an integral player on the flank and without him, the Owls would certainly suffer from a lack of service.

Pulis once claimed that he was their only danger man during a drab 0-0 draw with Stoke City, he said (via The Star): “He’s taken us down the pitch, he’s been a threat, and he was probably the one threat that Michael (O’Neill) will have been worried about during the game.”

The £1.35m-rated dynamo won’t be short of suitors either, as according to YorkshireLive, Championship rivals Middlesbrough are huge admirers, whilst the likes of Reading, Watford and Stoke are said to be interested ahead of the summer.

Boro boss Neil Warnock has had him before, and despite being the man to let him depart for Hillsborough, still waxed lyrical over his ability.

“He’s given them directness, pace and power,” said the veteran. “He’s got every attribute. I can’t praise him highly enough. We had a chat last year, around Christmas time, and he trained like a Trojan. We have been blessed with good wide players and he just couldn’t get a long run.

He must be doing something right, in what has been a diabolical season for Wednesday.

Letting the £10k-per-week wide man leave for nothing would be a disaster, and that ultimately falls at the feet of Chansiri, who appears to be making yet another catastrophic blunder here.

AND in other news, Owls must axe Luhukay dud this summer, Bannan once dubbed him “perfect”…

Former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie has told Transfer Tavern in an exclusive interview that his old side should explore the possibility of signing Callum Wilson if Newcastle United go down.

The Magpies are currently caught up in a relegation battle and it would not be a surprise to see other teams target Wilson if they do end up dropping down to the Championship.

Despite Newcastle’s struggles this season, Wilson has still been able to perform when fit. In 21 league appearances, the 29-year-old striker has scored 10 goals, making him an attractive proposition.

For Hendrie, he is certainly a player Villa should be looking at this summer. On the England international, the retired Premier League footballer told TT:

“I mean, Callum Wilson would be another one if you’re talking about Newcastle getting relegated.

“Callum Wilson’s scored goals in a team that’s really struggled this season, so there’s lots of elements of certainly where you’d look at and think ‘yes’, they’re the players you sort of try and bring into the club and nurture and push it forward.”

Moving for Wilson in the summer would not be a first for Villa. In the last summer transfer window, the Midlands club tried to sign the centre-forward from Bournemouth before his eventual move to Newcastle.

The 26th of March marked five years since Jamie Vardy’s first goal for England against Germany.

The striker, then making his fifth appearance for his country, showed lethal instincts to flick Nathaniel Clyne’s cross behind himself and past Manuel Neuer into the back of the net.

It was another glorious chapter for Vardy, whose goals were soon to guide Leicester to the most miraculous Premier League title triumph.

However, fast-forward five years and the 34-year-old is now firmly out of the Three Lions reckoning, having all-but retired from international duty after the 2018 World Cup in Russia with 26 caps and seven goals to his name.

Whilst there have been suggestions that Vardy’s decision was slightly too premature, he has certainly been vindicated.

Since he stepped back, his performances for the Foxes have remained excellent. He has scored an eye-watering 55 goals for Leicester in the time following, playing a key role as the East Midlanders secured a place in the UEFA Europa League last term but also as they look to better that with a UEFA Champions League return this time around.

The striker, dubbed “wonderful” by Foxes boss Brendan Rodgers, scooped another fantastic personal achievement last year, too. He become the first Leicester City player to claim the Golden Boot, with his 23 strikes in 2019/20 enough to see him edge ahead of the likes of Harry Kane, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Mo Salah.

All of this may not have been possible had Vardy had the strains and travels of international football to contend with.

After all, the toll on his body appears to be worsening already. Vardy has missed seven matches in all competitions this season through injury – the highest amount for he has been unavailable in one campaign since Leicester earned promotion back to the Premier League. This could have potentially been even worse with England duties had he not stepped back from the international scene.

At the time of his unofficial retirement, the veteran also suggested that a lack of game-time had “an impact” in his decision. Kane, Daniel Sturridge and Danny Welbeck were all preferred by Roy Hodgson and Gareth Southgate.

That competition has only been enhanced, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Danny Ings, Ollie Watkins, Patrick Bamford and of course Kane having fantastic personal seasons and all vying for a place in the Three Lions setup.

Whilst it could be argued that Vardy has the quality to challenge for a place, he will reflect on a solid England career which all kicked off with that stunning finish against Germany in 2016, and will surely believe he made the correct decision in drawing it to a close when he did.

AND in more news, Leicester should not look to sign William Carvalho once more…

A number of Liverpool fans have been hailing Reds youngster Harvey Elliott after he was named among the 50 best teenagers in world football.

The 17-year-old moved to Anfield from Fulham in 2019, arriving as one of the most exciting young players in the country. A boyhood Liverpool fan, he featured sporadically during his first season on Merseyside, making eight appearances in all competitions, as well as one at the beginning of 2020/21.

With Jurgen Klopp struggling to promise the teenager regular playing time this season, he joined Blackburn Rovers on loan for the campaign and has flourished at Ewood Park.

[freshpress-quiz id=“306736”]

Elliott has scored five goals in the Championship and also chipped in with an impressive 10 assists – only Norwich City’s Emiliano Buendia (12) has more in the division.

Great things are expected of the former Fulham youngster in the years ahead and it could be that he is more of a regular for Liverpool next season.

Elliott’s brilliance has been highlighted by his inclusion in Goal’s list of the world’s 50 best wonderkids in the world, with the Reds prospect coming in at number 26.

Liverpool fans laud Elliott

These Liverpool supporters took to Twitter to heap praise on the teenage starlet ,with one Kopite even tipping him to surpass the exploits of prolific Reds duo Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.

“The goat”

Credit: @Spanner_morgan

“He’s gonna be better than Salah and Mane in due course”

Credit: @Chxrmzy

“Huge talent! Doing bits in the Champ as well!”

Credit: @alexw8297

“Goat”

Credit: @Jasonftbl

“Congratulations Harvey! Big future ahead”

Credit: @myYNWAMalaysia

“Kid’s going all the way. Can’t wait till he’s back in red”

Credit: @DaleLFC1983

In other news, some Liverpool fans have been reacting to the Reds being linked with an exciting young player. Read about it here.

This summer might well be the most important in Celtic’s recent history. After losing their grasp on the title, they will need to come out and make a statement of intent.

That might be easier said than done with the threat of Odsonne Edouard leaving, but a new manager and indeed a new CEO, should help calm things down.

One of the first priorities will be to address the playing squad. A mass exodus of around 12 players could occur if you believe The Athletic’s predictions so there could be openings for some of their young players.

After all, it’s an area the Hoops are striving to improve in with Liam Shaw already arriving and links to both Kyle Joseph and Kwadwo Baah.

It’s clearly an important area for the Bhoys to target considering Cameron Harper has already left and that Karamoko Dembele’s contract is expiring.

One opening could be at left-back where Diego Laxalt will leave a space behind when he heads back to Milan. With Boli Bolingoli’s future also uncertain, it may well leave Greg Taylor as their only option.

With that in mind, Celtic should consider unleashing 19-year-old Brody Paterson.

The left-back has never featured in the Hoops senior team but has made promising strides while on loan at Queen’s Park this season.

Featuring at left back and on the left of midfield, he could be one of a number of players including the likes of Adam Montgomery and Luca Connell to get an opportunity in 2020/21.

But why should Paterson get a chance? Well, he fits the mantra of a modern-day full-back, bombing forward with great regularity.

When he first put pen to paper on a temporary stay with Queen’s Park last year, Head Coach Ray McKinnon said “I’m excited we’ve managed to get Brody to join us this season.  He’s a very talented, athletic young player who will give us great balance and options up and down the left-hand side of the field.”

Paterson hasn’t had too much game to sink his teeth into but he was awarded the Man of the Match award when Queen’s Park lost 3-1 to Queen of the South.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-celtic-transfer-news-onuachu-edouard-dembele-turnbull” title=”The latest Celtic news and views!”]

A player with athletic qualities, he’ll certainly fit into the attacking nature that Celtic try to play with. Taylor has been in top form of late, playing 2.1 key passes per match over his last ten outings.

With Laxalt and Bolingoli potentially on their way out, the teenager should get a chance to step in and play second fiddle to Taylor. Celtic clearly rate him highly too. He only signed a new deal in May of last year, a contract that will keep him at Paradise until at least 2023.

Paterson has now earned his first taste of senior football and deserves to be a part of Celtic’s rebuild.

AND in other news, Celtic must ruthlessly axe £15k-p/w flop this summer, Lennon once called him “stupid”…

Leicester City defender Wesley Fofana made his long-awaited return to action on Wednesday night in the Foxes’ 1-1 draw with Burnley at Turf Moor.

The French defender, signed by Leicester from Saint Etienne in the summer, had been ruled out since early February with a hamstring injury.

Rodgers had previously revealed that the 20-year-old had made his return to training, with the defender completing his road to recovery with a substitute appearance against the Clarets.

Fofana’s return is surely welcome news to Leicester, with the club having suffered significant injury woes this season.

Fellow centre-backs Caglar Soyuncu, Jonny Evans and Wes Morgan have all suffered with their own problems, leading to Wilfred Ndidi having to deputise in defence on a number of occasions. However, the Frenchman now gives Rodgers a huge boost at the back as the Foxes attempt to hold onto their UEFA Champions League position.

With his return, Fofana will be hoping to continue catching the eye once again. The £24.3m-rated centre-back was racking up some seriously impressive numbers prior to his injury.

In his 16 Premier League appearances so far, he was averaging 1.7 tackles, 2.6 interceptions and a huge 4.4 clearances per game according to WhoScored.

Those performances have led to considerable praise from the footballing world, with former French centre-back Frank Leboeuf labelling Fofana as ‘extraordinary’.

Another huge advantage of his return will be the prospect of forming a solid partnership with Soyuncu.

The Turk, who was named in the 2019/20 PFA Premier League Team of the Year, has started the last six league games, with Leicester winning three of those.

However, he is yet to start a game alongside Fofana this season due to the duo’s respective injury woes.

With Fofana just 20 years of age and Soyuncu not much older at 24, Rodgers will surely be excited to see them link up and forge a partnership that could be the basis of Leicester City’s defence for years to come.

Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford has had a great season and this has seen him mentioned in the discussions for the England Euro 2020 squad. Phil Hay has been discussing how likely this could be.

What Hay had to say about Bamford

The Athletic journalist tweeted: “Gareth Southgate’s last two looks at Patrick Bamford, including yesterday, have been flat. But a fine season leaves Bamford crossing fingers ahead of the next England squad”

Should Bamford be on the plane?

Leeds have been somewhat reliant on Bamford to score the goals this season. He has been in great form for the Whites so far in the Premier League, scoring 13 goals and picking up five assists in 26 appearances (WhoScored). The Englishman has also managed an average of 3.2 shots per game, which is by far the highest of any player in this current Leeds squad.

With the forward having such a good season in the Premier League for the first time in his career, it is not a shock to see him being mentioned when it comes to the Euros this summer. Marcelo Bielsa has raved over the forward this season, calling him a  ‘complete mature professional’.

When it comes to English strikers, he is level on goals with Dominic Calvert-Lewin and only one behind Harry Kane, whilst he has one more than Jamie Vardy (Premier League), and if he can continue his goalscoring form, then he should definitely be in the mix to be included in Gareth Southgate’s summer plans.

In other Leeds news, the club have managed to tie down an exciting prospect. Have a read here!

Tottenham Hotspur are said to be interested in Inter Milan midfielder Nicolo Barella, according to a report from Italian news outlet Calciomercato.

The impressive 23-year-old has emerged as one of the stars of Serie A, just 18 months after joining Antonio Conte’s side in a €49m (£45m) deal from Cagliari, where his former head coach Rolando Maran labelled him “extraordinary.”

And out of this world is exactly what he’s been.

Last season, the 18-cap Italian international scored four goals and provided eight assists in all competitions and he looks set to top that this term having already bagged three goals and nine assists at the half-way point, per Transfermarkt.

On Sunday night, he proved to be an influential presence once again as Inter defeated defending champions Juventus at the San Siro, which had The Athletic’s James Horncastle waxing lyrical over his creative ability.

Former Italy manager Arrigo Sacchi has also been blown away by him too, speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport’s print edition on Tuesday (via Sempre Inter), he said:

“He is a warrior full of determination,” before adding: “I’ve never seen anyone improve like Barella.”

Indeed, Barella received the highest rating (8.5) of any player on that evening as he recorded three key passes, made 91% of his 57 passing attempts and enjoyed three successful dribbles on top of scoring and assisting in the 2-0 win, as per SofaScore.

His passing masterclass here was merely a recurring theme of the Italian’s season thus far, where he has proven to be a lethal threat higher up the pitch.

Only Alexis Sanchez and Marcelo Brozovic have averaged more key passes (1.6) per game than Barella (1.4) in the league this campaign, whilst the young box-to-box maestro is second for providing assists too, via WhoScored.

When you compare that to Spurs’ current options, you’ll soon see he’s clear of everyone bar Heung-min Son and Harry Kane.

The Inter sensation has contributed towards more goals this PL season than Tanguy Ndombele, Giovani Lo Celso, Steven Bergwijn, Gareth Bale, Lucas Moura and Erik Lamela combined.

Given how much Jose Mourinho has relied on his prolific duo for goals – they have bagged 73% of their 33 goals so far in the Premier League – adding a new dimension to their attack through Barella could be game-changing.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy really could take his club to a new level by sanctioning a move for Barella – just imagine the damage they could do with the 23-year-old playing alongside Son and Kane.

Earlier this week, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano told listeners on his ‘Here We Go’ podcast that Barella was “the best Italian midfielder at the minute,” which would put him above the likes of Chelsea star Jorginho, PSG’s Marco Veratti and even namesake Nicolo Zaniolo.

Also dubbed “world-class” by former USA international Jimmy Conrad, the £49.5m-rated monster really could transform Spurs from Europa League hopefuls into a side that wants to compete for the Premier League and reach another Champions League final.

AND in other news, Levy should cash in on £25m Spurs star who Dier hates training against…