All posts by n8rngtd.top

If you thought the ongoing manager saga at Celtic was providing enough drama, then think again.

The Bhoys hierarchy have been on the hunt for a new manager for nearly three months now but that might not be the only thing Dermot Desmond has on his mind anymore.

What’s the word?

As well as being locked in negotiations to bring Eddie Howe to Paradise, Celtic have been keen to bring in a figure to take on their newly created director of football role.

It’s thought that Fergal Harkin and Richard Hughes are among the contenders but the root of Celtic’s problems stem far deeper than their transfer history.

After all, it is Dermot Desmond and Peter Lawwell who call the vast majority of the shots.

Lawwell will retire at the end of the season with Dominic McKay arriving to replace him but could a reduced role be on the cards for Desmond as well?

Well, after an audacious claim from the Notorious himself, Mr Conor McGregor, there could be a further change on the cards at Celtic.

Taking to Twitter in the early hours of Monday morning, the MMA superstar revealed that he wanted to invest in the Hoops after being asked whether he could get involved with Manchester United.

The UFC fighter said: “A conversation came up regarding Celtic first to be honest. To acquire shares from Dermot Desmond. I am certainly interested in acquiring a sports team at some stage! Both Celtic and Man United are teams I like for sure. But I am open. I feel I could do big things for a club.”

Time to sell?

McGregor may not have a background in football but if Dermot Desmond’s influence on Celtic is waning, it can only be a good thing for the Bhoys.

The Irishman appears to care about the club, regularly being snapped in Celtic jerseys while he previously professed his love for Kieran Tierney during an interview.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-celtic-manager-and-transfer-news-howe-favre-mcgregor-mccann-tierney” title=”Read the latest Celtic manager and transfer news!”]

That said, if Desmond does indeed decide to sell some of his shares, it would be a pleasing sight for supporters regardless of who it was going to.

After all, the businessman has left Celtic in the lurch in recent years with mass protests occurring outside Parkhead against his ownership.

The club’s majority shareholder was questioned about his stake as recently as March but his response was defiant.

“I am as passionate about Celtic as any other supporter. My shares are not for sale,” he commented.

Desmond may have been in charge of the club during their haul of nine Premiership titles in a row but it’s hard to argue that things behind the scenes have been run very well.

It was he, alongside Ian Bankier and Lawwell, who sanctioned the arrival of Neil Lennon back in 2019.

Celtic had just been given £10m in compensation fees for Brendan Rodgers but they decided against being ambitious and investing that back into finding a renowned manager. The result of which has been a disastrous season where they now sit 23 points off top spot.

Whether it be transfer strategies or coaching appointments, the Glaswegian’s have been run poorly for a while now.

To have a new investor on board with fresh and ambitious ideas would be a bright sign of hope for the Hoops.

AND in other news, Celtic interview “outstanding” 63 y/o for manager role, Hoops fans should be buzzing…

[ad_pod ]

Harry Winks insists Tottenham Hotspur have shown they cannot be written off this season.

The club remain in the Premier League title race, five points behind both Manchester City and Liverpool at the top of the league, and face Leicester City on Sunday.

What’s the word?

Spurs have won their last three Premier League games, against Newcastle United, Watford and Fulham.

Each game has seen a late winner scored – Son Heung-Min netted the only goal of the game in the 83rd minute against the Magpies, Fernando Llorente headed home in the 87th minute to give Spurs a 2-1 victory over the Hornets and Winks himself scored in injury time to complete a 2-1 win at Craven Cottage.

And the England international believes the squad’s mentality is such that they can never be counted out.

Former Wigan & Fulham man, Jimmy Bullard recently showed that he’s still got it! Check out the video below…

Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: “We can never be written off, that’s the most important thing.

“We’ve scored a lot of late goals and it shows how much we persevere in a match and that the manager’s instilled a never-say-die attitude in the lads, and we know the game doesn’t finish until the final whistle.

“If we continue to press the team and try to get the opposition on the back foot until the final minute, we know we’re more than capable of scoring. We’ve done that this season.”

Asked about the prospect of overhauling both City and Liverpool, Winks added:  “We’re more than capable of challenging. We’ve had some great results against big sides this year, but it’s a long way. There’s a lot of matches to go this season, and the table’s fluctuating all the time.

“One minute we’re top, then we’re third battling for fourth. If we keep winning our matches there’s no reason why we can’t, but all we can really do is focus on the next game ahead of us and winning all our matches. We’ll see where that gets us.”

Mentality is key

Winks has exactly the right attitude for a title fight.

Spurs have not known when they are beaten in recent weeks, and have won their last three games without the goalscoring talents of captain Harry Kane.

Dele Alli has also been injured for the last two league encounters but the resilience shown by Pochettino’s men has proved that they are not about to concede the title just yet.

Of course, a win over Leicester is vital if they are to stay in the race – they may have to win every game between now and the end of the season if they are to be champions – but Winks has embodied the desire that all fans want to see from their players.

Spurs may not win the title, but they are certainly going to go down fighting if they don’t.

In a recent post on Twitter, Tottenham Hotspur confirmed the appointment of Ryan Mason as Spurs’ manager for the rest of the season.

After graduating from the Tottenham academy, Mason went on to make 70 appearances for the north London side in his time as a player, with the central midfielder scoring four goals and providing four assists for the club.

However, after fracturing his skull when playing for Hull City back in 2017, the then-26-year-old was forced to retire from his playing career, leading to Mason taking up coaching, with the former England international having previously held the role as Tottenham’s head of player development.

And, now, following the sacking of Jose Mourinho on Monday, the fairytale-like return of the 29-year-old to the Tottenham Hotspur first-team setup appears to be complete, as the club confirmed on Twitter that Mason will take charge of Spurs until the end of the season.

In their tweet, Spurs stated: “Following the departure of Jose Mourinho, we can now confirm that Ryan Mason will take charge as Interim Head Coach for the remainder of the season.”

Transfer Tavern Take

With Alasdair Gold re-sharing the post and dubbing the appointment of Mason as “amazing” because of “everything he’s gone through”, the news that the former Spurs player will be leading the club out in the upcoming Carabao Cup final as their manager certainly is rather romantic.

And, who knows, if the 29-year-old can impress over what remains of the season, perhaps he could even be considered as an option for the next permanent coach of the club.

It would be, as Gold suggests, a true fairytale if Mason can lead his side to glory – a silver lining amongst all the clouds surrounding Tottenham and their ESL friends this week.

In other news: Insider information on Spurs’ Mourinho sacking emerges; sources rubbish ‘absolutely false’ claim – find out more here!

Tottenham Hotspur are on the search for their next manager and several names have been linked with the vacant position…

What’s the word?

Daniel Levy sensationally sacked Jose Mourinho earlier this week after a topsy-turvy 17 months in charge, though the writing was on the wall two months ago when the Telegraph suggested his position was under threat if their form didn’t improve.

90min then added fuel to the fire by claiming that the Spurs hierarchy had already drawn up a shortlist of potential candidates, in which Scottish Premiership champion Steven Gerrard was named.

He’s since been backed for the job following developments this week – speaking in The Times, Tony Cascarino said:

“One manager who looks capable of filling that role [at Spurs] is Steven Gerrard. People say he will be the next Liverpool manager but maybe not, or, if so, perhaps he will do another job before then. What he has done at Rangers is extraordinary: the way he handles himself in interviews and the huge improvement of the team on the pitch. Would he excite the likes of Harry Kane? I would say he would.”

Alli boost

Given his deep ties to Anfield, it remains to be seen if Gerrard would swap Rangers for an old Premier League rival but it certainly didn’t stop Jose Mourinho and would have to be considered a major step up from the Scottish top-flight.

This year’s title victory is several years culmination of the blood, sweat and tears that the former England midfielder has put into his coaching career north of the border, and in reality, is one’s just desserts for his managerial ability.

Over 166 matches, the Gers boss has managed a 65.6% win rate, vastly clear of Mourinho at Spurs (52.3%) and for better comparison, he’s tracking the phenomenal work of Brendan Rodgers, who left Celtic with a 69.8% win rate.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-manager-transfer-news-and-rumours” title=”Read this week’s latest Spurs manager news, transfer rumours and more!”]

He’s done pretty well since returning to England, too, with Leicester sat in third-place, looking every bit like a Europe-chasing side – unlike Spurs.

Gerrard’s alternating 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1 system would bring that attack-minded style of football that Levy is thought to be pursuing in his next manager.

As described by The Coaches Voice, ‘Committing numbers forward and attacking around opposing defensive blocks ultimately represent two consistent and prominent features of the nature of attack Gerrard demands; to that end, Rangers also regularly deliver crosses into the penalty area.’

Many of Spurs’ current stars could benefit from the 40-year-old as a result, but none more so than Dele Alli, who was once compared to the Liverpool talisman.

“I’ve got to say that I loved Stevie G as a player and Scholesy but Dele Alli for his age is just a freak of a talent,” once claimed Darren Anderton. “I love his arrogance on the pitch, how clever he is in finding the positions that he does and his willingness to try everything. He is a real joy to watch.”

It was only in 2016/17 that Alli bagged a whopping 18 league goals from midfield and clinched a second ‘Young PFA Player of the Year’ award, a feat only done twice in history before.

Under Mourinho, the 25-year-old has become a forgotten man to the point of almost leaving for Paris Saint-Germain in January. He has played only 234 minutes in the top-flight this campaign.

If anyone is to bring out the best in Alli, then it’s surely Gerrard, who the Spurs midfielder can become a carbon copy of.

AND in other news, Spurs, ENIC and Levy hit with blow amid fresh European Super League claim…

After their elimination from the UEFA Champions League in midweek, Liverpool turn their attentions back to the Premier League tonight by travelling to Elland Road to take on Leeds United.

Jurgen Klopp will be desperate to secure three points as the Reds aim to secure a top four finish, despite the looming prospect of the Super League proposals.

In order to do that, he must start midfielder Curtis Jones for the first time in the league since early March.

At just the age of 20, the Reds’ academy graduate is already the club’s highest-scoring midfielder this season with four goals. Couple this with the four assists that he has already managed to accumulate and that takes his total direct goal contributions to eight.

For comparison, the next most productive midfielder in the Reds’ squad is Georginio Wijnaldum who has only managed to score on three occasions, whilst having not managed to tee up his teammates at all.

Considering Jones has started just 21 matches in all competitions for the reigning Premier League champions, that is a remarkable achievement.

[snack-amp-story url=” https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-liverpool-news%2c-transfer-rumours-and-more-asensio-vlahovic-van-dijk-alberto-pedri” title=” Read the latest Liverpool news, transfer rumours and more… “]

It is no surprise then when looking at Jones’ statistics per match, he continues to outperform his somewhat more illustrious teammates.

According to WhoScored, the £27m-rated midfielder attempts one shot per game, a figure not matched by any other Liverpool option in the centre of the park.

Meanwhile, only Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara account for more key passes per 90 minutes than Jones in league play, whilst the latter only just outdoes his 1.1 dribbles per game.

It goes without saying then that should Jones be included, the Reds will surely be more of a threat, of course, a useful asset as Liverpool attempt to seal what could be a key three points in their pursuit of a top-four finish.

Previously labelled as “unbelievable” by the Reds’ U23 coach Gary O’Neil, the England U21 midfielder simply has to be selected from the start at Elland Road if he’s passed fit after missing out against Aston Villa and Real Madrid.

AND in more news, the Reds could find their perfect Wijnaldum replacement with a current England star…

Celtic have been handed a major boost in their pursuit of Eddie Howe this week…

What’s the word?

According to The Scottish Sun, the incoming Hoops boss has already started work on summer transfer targets, with the 43-year-old making Joshua King one of his first signings.

The pair were together at AFC Bournemouth and it is thought that Howe sees his former talisman as an ideal successor to Odsonne Edouard, who is unlikely to stick around at Parkhead past the current campaign.

King has struggled for game time at Everton since his January deadline day move, failing to start a single match and could well depart at the end of his £45k-per-week contract, opening the door for a reunion in Glasgow.

Source of encouragement

Howe is yet to be confirmed as Neil Lennon’s successor but is expected to be announced as early as next week, though he may not take the helm until the summer.

The former Cherries genius has a huge rebuild on his hands – long-serving skipper Scott Brown is following CEO Peter Lawwell out the door, four loan players are set to return to their parent clubs and several key stars are either entering the final 12 months of their contracts or are wanted by other teams.

So it’s hugely encouraging that he’s already ‘working flat out behind the scenes,’ as per the aforementioned report. This will please majority shareholder Dermot Desmond immensely, especially after the mooted setback earlier this week.

It suggests that Howe is set on taking the job, and that means Desmond has got his man, barring that official announcement, having been questioned over his own status recently.

He won’t be selling his shares as he’s clearly wanting to be a big part of this new era that Celtic Park is about to embark on.

Incoming CEO Dominic McKay will be taking up his role three months earlier than expected, so it’s now a case of getting Howe through the door sooner rather than later.

But the fact that the ex-Bournemouth manager is already eyeing up a target in King will prove to be music to the ears of many. It’s hugely encouraging and surely means the deal is all but done.

He’ll need to hit the ground running this summer and getting ahead now could be a masterstroke in the long run.

AND in other news, Howe and McKay could instantly save Celtic millions this summer…

Some Liverpool fans have been providing their thoughts on the latest news surrounding Rodrigo de Paul, as the Reds continue to be linked with the Udinese midfielder.

This summer promises to be an interesting one at Anfield as Jurgen Klopp looks to further enhance his playing options. Despite this disappointment of this season, Liverpool’s squad doesn’t need too many tweaks, with injuries still the main reason for their shortcomings.

That being said, Klopp will know that a few new faces are needed in order to take the Reds to another level and continue competing with Manchester City.

De Paul is one player who has been linked with Liverpool in the past, with the Argentine scoring six goals and registering five assists in Serie A this season.

In truth, midfield isn’t an area of the pitch which needs too many changes made given the wealth of options, although Gini Wijnaldum’s potential exit to Barcelona could alter that.

According to Tutto Udinese, Liverpool will need to pay more than £40m if they want to acquire De Paul’s signature, which could be a stumbling block for the often-frugal Anfield club.

Liverpool fans react to De Paul latest

A number of Liverpool fans have taken to Twitter to give their thoughts on a possible move for De Paul.

“Would be worth every penny if we decide to sign him”

Credit: @OmegaFalcon19

“How about 25 mil plus Harry Wilson included? Seems fair”

Credit: @Md_Arif02

“We absolutely neeeeed to buy him”

Credit: @jephersyn

“Pay it, stop playin”

Credit: @SirXabi

“Barcelona need to go for Wijnaldum and leave De Paul to us”

Credit: @1892LFC1

“What about 10M + Origi?”

Credit: @andligator

In other news, Liverpool are reportedly close to signing a Premier League player with awful statistics this season. Find out who it is here.

Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa appears to be making a major mistake over Joe Gelhardt amid Kevin Phillips’ verdict on the young striker.

What’s the story?

The 18-year-old has been in prolific form at academy level for Bielsa’s side this season, scoring 11 goals in 15 games in the Premier League 2. Despite that goal-scoring record, Gelhardt has found first-team opportunities hard to come by, with the closest he has been to the action being an unused substitute in recent weeks.

That has now led to Phillips to claim that the striker may consider his options sooner rather than later, especially if things continue as they are now.

Speaking to Football Insider, he said: “Sometimes you have to be patient. It’s tough when you’ve got Patrick Bamford ahead of you. He’s probably the first name on the team sheet. But there comes a point where, as a player, if you’re scoring goals and doing well you want an opportunity.

“If you’re not going to get it at the club you’re at, can you go somewhere else and get an opportunity?  It’s a tough one for the manager because he wants to keep everyone happy but Leeds are playing well with the system that they play.  He’ll want some questions answered by the manager about ‘where does my future lie?’”

Radrizzani won’t be happy

Football Insider claimed that the 18-year-old is seen as “electrifying” and “phenomenal” behind the scenes, while Bielsa himself is seemingly a big fan of the talented teenager, with the Leeds manager saying: “He’s a player that always creates danger in a game. He’s a player who’s more linked with the finalising of chances rather than the creation of them. He has resources to beat an opponent and he has a final shot, a finish that is very good.”

So it will surely frustrate Andrea Radrizzani and co that one of the club’s brightest young prospects is struggling to get any first-team action at all this season, even with Leeds having little to no depth up front.

Bielsa sticking with Bamford as his main man up top is completely understandable, especially when you consider he’s bagged 14 goals in 29 Premier League games this season.

But could Gelhardt not have come on for Bamford at the end of games, or be given a chance instead of the likes of Tyler Roberts and Rodrigo for example?

It’s a gaffe on Bielsa’s part, and it would be no surprise if Gelhardt himself is wondering whether he could potentially find a path to first-team football much quicker elsewhere like Phillips suggests.

Meanwhile, Leeds could sign a perfect midfield partner for Kalvin Phillips in this star…

Alex Iwobi may need to keep an eye over his shoulder at Everton next season after Real Madrid forward Lucas Vazquez was reportedly offered a move to Goodison Park.

What’s the word?

According to Mundo Deportivo, the Toffees are one of a clutch of European sides putting plans in place to sign Vazquez as a free agent once his Los Blancos contract expires in June.

Vazquez has rejected the offer of new terms at the Santiago Bernabeu and remains no closer to having his future resolved approaching his end of March deadline.

The £13.5m-rated winger had set the Galacticos a target of the end of March to present him with a new offer more attuned to his expectations.

While Real are yet thought to have offered Vazquez improved terms, the 29-year-old has received contract proposals from Everton plus Serie A duo SSC Napoli and AC Milan.

It is not suggested how the £113,000-per-week maestro responded to the approaches, but this report follows claims from Spain that Vazquez had named Everton as his preferred destination in order to be reunited with Carlo Ancelotti.

The Toffees boss is thought to have been viewing Vazquez as a potential summer target to help appease James Rodriguez, as the Colombian had become unsettled in the Premier League.

Vazquez rejected Real Madrid’s proposed new contract as the nine-time Spain international did not feel the terms represented a player of his standing, having opened 19 of his 22 La Liga appearances this term from a possible 28.

A problem for Iwobi

Reports surfacing of Everton presenting Vazquez with a contract is the latest signal of the strength of Ancelotti’s interest, in a move that could carry heavy consequences for Iwobi at Goodison Park.

While Ancelotti never fielded Vazquez for a single second during his time in charge of Los Blancos, the Italian tactician clearly thinks highly of the versatile forward who can offer the Toffees an option at right-back as well as on the wing.

But in signing the forward, whom Zinedine Zidane has praised as a “very reliable” player who “gives everything on the pitch”, Iwobi may have to look over his shoulder given the heightened competition for places.

The Nigerian was linked with a move away from Merseyside last summer during Ancelotti’s first off-season at the Goodison Park helm, with the new commander willing to listen to offers just a year after Marco Silva had spent up to £34m to sign Iwobi from Arsenal.

With Iwobi’s form and place in the Everton side mixed this season, to say the least, it would not be too much of a surprise for the 24-year-old – who has started just 15 Premier League fixtures this term – to face a fraught future again.

Iwobi was fast becoming a key man for Ancelotti over the winter through his performances in the absence of Rodriguez, but has fallen back to the periphery of late and failed to repay the Everton coach’s trust against Burnley earlier this month.

Ancelotti had stated that he would play Iwobi where he wants to, after the forward seemingly hit out at being played out of position, but the experiment only lasted half an hour before the Gunners product was sent back to the wing.

Iwobi lacked the authority and assertive presence to pull the strings from the centre against Burnley, and would undoubtedly have to look out for Vazquez if the Real Madrid maestro was also contending for the wide-role next season.

AND in other news, an “exceptional” Everton figure is being eyed by a Premier League rival…

Plenty of Aston Villa fans have been giving their thoughts over a potential permanent deal for Ross Barkley on social media.

That’s after Marlon Harewood shared his views on the attacking midfielder, with the former Villa striker believing Barkley will want to make his move permanent in the Midlands.

Barkley initially impressed at Villa Park but he’s managed just one goal involvement in his last 11 Premier League appearances and has had to make do with a place on the bench in recent weeks.

Chelsea’s huge asking price

Reports last month suggested that Villa would need to smash their transfer record, which stands at the £28m plus add-ons deal to bring Ollie Watkins to the club, to land Barkley on a long-term basis.

Chelsea will ask for a fee in the region of £40m this summer, with Thomas Tuchel’s stance on Barkley not yet known.

However, Harewood, talking to Football FanCast, gave Villa the green light in regards to a permanent deal for Barkley.

Harwood’s comments were shared on social media in a story by @AVFC_News on Thursday evening, who asked supporters if a deal will happen.

Villa supporters not keen

“Hopefully not. Will cost us 20-30 million as well. Really needs to step up his game. He hasn’t proven himself yet imo”

Credit: @SSaultyyy

“Ramsey over Barkley anytime and spend the cash elsewhere…”

Credit: @Mrb47016877

“#nothanks”

Credit: @villa_vernon

“He needs to step up then if he wants the move. Imo he’s not done enough for us since joining”

Credit: @villaman101

“Very much doubt it if he can’t even retain his place in the starting line-up.”

Credit: @joeinpoole

“Nooooooooooooooooooooooo!”

Credit: @AstonZillaFC

In other news: Many Villa fans have hit out at Dean Smith for his training ground comments, find out more here.