All posts by z3u9t.icu

Plenty of Crystal Palace fans have been reacting to the finer details regarding the breakdown in talks with Nuno Espirito Santo.

Palace appeared to be closing in on the former Wolves boss to become Roy Hodgson’s successor on Tuesday evening.

However, on Wednesday morning, reliable Daily Mail reporter Sami Mokbel revealed the Eagles’ hierarchy have walked away from a deal for the 47-year-old.

Mokbel’s piece on the Daily Mail website reveals that Nuno made a series of demands to Palace, but they have decided not to follow through with a move.

Wolves finished just one point and one place above Palace in the Premier League last season and Mokbel claimed that is the key factor why the club refused to meet a set of stringent stipulations made by Nuno late on Tuesday night.

The Portuguese coach, who favours a 3-4-3 system, spent four years at Molineux, averaging 1.68 points per game in his 199 games in charge.

He also led Wolves to a Europa League quarter-final in 2019/20 and an FA Cup semi-final the season before.

However, despite his success in the Midlands, Palace clearly now feel Nuno isn’t suited for the position, with Sean Dyche and Steve Cooper name-checked as alternative bosses the Eagles are keen on.

Palace fans react

Both @cpfc_xtra and @CPFCtransfersHQ shared the Daily Mail story on Nuno on Twitter on Wednesday morning. This is what these Palace supporters had to say in reply, with many left fuming.

“Delete club”Credit: @Azza_burnz”Omggg”Credit: @Adam_Palace”Has to be fake”Credit: @olicpfcgurks”Wait what”Credit: @palace_tommy”yep so he wanted ambition and the club said no pretty much”Credit: @ExhilaratingEZE”Ruined my day lol”Credit: @cpfcboiling”Surely not. Everywhere yesterday saying it was done?”

Credit: @cpfcbailey

In other news: Many CPFC fans react to links to possible Wilfried Zaha replacement, find out more here. 

If anything summed up Celtic’s torrid season, it would be the way they ended it on Saturday afternoon.

A dismal 0-0 draw was played out in Scott Brown’s final Hoops clash, a game that typified their lacklustre attack and timid approach under the interim manager.

With just a 40% win percentage, the Bhoys need a new head coach now more than ever.

What’s the word?

Eddie Howe is widely expected to become the new Celtic manager with fresh claims towards the end of last week suggesting he would definitely arrive at Parkhead.

However, despite those reports, regular Sky Sports pundit Lee Hendrie still doubts he’ll come to Paradise next season.

Speaking to Football Transfer Tavern, he commented:

“When someone does drag their feet it’s almost like they’re waiting for something else. And that seems to be the way for me with Eddie Howe at this moment of time.

“It’s whether he wants to try and get himself into the Premier League or he wants to go and fulfil a dream up in Scotland at Celtic. At this moment in time, I really can’t see it happening.”

Mckay & Desmond growing frustrated

This has been a slog for majority shareholder Dermot Desmond and Celtic’s incoming CEO, Dominic McKay.

Desmond has been questioned over his shares and there has been so much speculation that Celtic had to issue a statement regarding the managerial situation a fortnight ago.

With that in mind, it didn’t appear as though the Bhoys were any closer to announcing a new manager.

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Indeed, this latest claim is unlikely to be received too well by those at Paradise, particularly after their dismal end to the campaign.

John Kennedy showed a lack of invention and flexibility, fielding a number of players against Hibernian on Saturday that won’t even be at the club next season.

He rather strangely dropped Adam Montgomery and only gave the exciting Karamoko Dembele ten minutes towards the end.

The likes of Mohamed Elyounoussi and Jonjoe Kenny were also given outings despite the fact that their loan deals are now coming to an end.

Of course, this game didn’t matter to anyone, but for Kennedy, it was an opportunity to show the hierarchy he deserves a chance to be given the role full-time.

It would be staggering if they turned their attentions away from Howe but after Hendrie’s claim in the last few days, they may have to look elsewhere. Their focus, however, cannot be on Kennedy.

Roy Keane and Lucien Favre are two names to have been interviewed and they may well have to hold more discussions with the two coaches if things go south with Howe again.

After all, this saga looks far from over. Desmond and McKay won’t be able to rest easy until a new manager finally arrives.

For now, they will still be incredibly stressed out over the situation that’s playing out in Glasgow.

AND in other news, Celtic can axe Griffiths by landing “terrific” 18-goal gem, he once embarrassed Bitton…

Many Glasgow Rangers fans have been reacting after the club unveiled the rebuilt Edmiston House on Monday morning.

The season is now over and the Gers can look back with plenty of pride. They won the Premiership, their first major trophy in 10 years, and they even managed to go the entire league campaign unbeaten (BBC). In all competitions, they lost on just three occasions (Sky Sports) and reached the Europa League round of 16 for a second successive year.

It is a good time to be a Rangers fan on the pitch, and things are also going well off it as well. The club has unveiled the new Edmiston House, a place where supporters can enjoy matchdays both before and after the game.

The new building was unveiled on the club’s official Twitter account, and it attracted plenty of attention from Gers supporters. These fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about the Edmiston House unveiling

“The LED in shape of football pitch is brilliant. This takes us to the next level. Incredible for fans and looks sensational. Honestly what a time to be a Rangers supporter”

Credit: @MacGerrard_

“Licence to print money. Looks incredible.”

Credit: @Championees55

“Looks absolutely amazing”

Credit: @gibbo89

“Temple of Dreams, Nice touch.”

Credit: @Inglis

“Beautiful”

Credit: @TremendoHendo72

“Wow looks cracking”

Credit: @dazzaragi

In other news, many Rangers fans demand this man’s resignation.

A lot of West Ham United’s success on the pitch this season has to be attributed to their moves in the transfer market.

The Irons narrowly avoided relegation with one game to go last season after David Moyes was employed to pull off a great escape.

Things are vastly different now – the East London outfit occupies fifth place in the Premier League, just three points behind Chelsea in the race for a place in the Champions League.

This drastic turnaround has been down to Moyes, of course, but GSB deserve plenty of credit too as they provided him with several new signings and did so again in January, clinching the sensational Jesse Lingard on loan.

There was uproar when the club sold Grady Diangana and the lack of a replacement for Sebastian Haller hasn’t been ideal, though still, it’s their backing that has contributed to the fruitful returns of this campaign.

One name signed in the summer has arguably been one of their player’s of the season – Vladimir Coufal.

West Ham defeated Burnley on Monday Night Football earlier this week, and the Czech Republic right-back left Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher in awe (4th May, 22:24pm).

“I think he’s been one of the signings of the season,” claimed the former Liverpool centre-back. “We talk about [Tomas] Soucek, but Coufal whether it’s right wing-back or right full-back at different times, he’s just one of those players that’s 7/10 minimum every time you watch him play. He’s the type of player you’d love to play with him. A manager’s dream, never injured, he’s there week in week out.”

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Indeed, the 13-cap international has been a revelation along that right-flank – immensely contributing in a defensive nature, as well as getting up the pitch to be a tricky threat with his crosses into the box.

As per WhoScored, Coufal ranks amongst the Hammers’ five best performers with an average rating of 6.97. Only the likes of Declan Rice, Tomas Soucek, Michail Antonio and Lingard are above him currently.

The 28-year-old brute tops the charts for tackles per game (2.4) and isn’t too far behind his teammates for interceptions per game (1.3) either, which only emphasises just how solid he’s been at the back.

Further ahead, Coufal has delivered a whopping six assists from right-back, a feat only bettered by Aaron Cresswell (seven). The same goes for key passes per game, too, with the former Slavia Prague man just 0.1 behind the Englishman in terms of creativity, via WhoScored.

It is no wonder Moyes dubbed his summer signing “unbelievable” back in February.

Considering Coufal cost the club just £5.5m and is only earning around £35k-per-week at the London Stadium, the industrious beast has been a revelation and a massive bargain for the Irons.

Now valued at €20m (£18m) by CIES Football Observatory, you would have to argue that the Czech gem has been one of West Ham’s, if not the Premier League’s, top stars this term.

The Hammers have certainly hit the jackpot and are in dreamland here. You won’t find better value for money than what they have achieved with Coufal.

AND in other news, West Ham dealt another huge injury blow…

Republic of Ireland legend Ray Houghton enjoyed a glittering international career, with his two greatest moments on that stage coming as he scored the decisive goal in the 1-0 win against England at the 1988 European Championships, before a repeat of the same situation and scoreline against Italy at the 1994 World Cup in America.

The midfielder was also a big part of the famous successful Liverpool team from the late 1980s and early 90s, winning the First Division and the FA Cup twice each between 1988 and 1992, before moving onto Aston Villa and lifting the League Cup in 1994.

Now retired, Houghton is set to swap the hallowed turf for a fishing rod to take part in an exciting new fishing programme called Angling Outlaws, which is to be shown on BT Sport next year.

We spoke exclusively to the football legend about a number of different subjects within the beautiful game…

What are your thoughts on the Celtic managerial situation?

“I think at the moment they’re probably doing their due diligence, which is probably the right thing to do, make sure you get the right person in because Rangers have already won the title. And I think people are getting a little bit panicky, because the Celtic fans want to see big names wanting to come to their club.

“I’m a Celtic fan. I grew up a Celtic fan. I don’t look at it as much as I once did. But yeah, there’s no doubt, you know, with Rangers doing as well as they are and Steven Gerrard, a big name in charge, Celtic feel that they could do likewise. And there’s been quite some names in the frame, Thierry Henry, Roy Keane, you know, amongst others. So, it will be interesting to see who they go for.”

Is Eddie Howe a big enough name?

“Yeah, I think so. Yeah, I think in many respects, as I said earlier, it’s about reinventing yourself, it may be a good place for Eddie. Just to go and because your only real opposition is Rangers, you get into Europe and you’ve done well, you know, the fans will enjoy that give a decent run.

“But your main priority is to finish first in the league. And they just need someone to take them forward again, hopefully the owners invest money in the club. I think that’s one of the stipulations that a big manager coming in would have, they’ve got you have the finances to take the club forward.”

Who’s going to replace Jose Mourinho at Tottenham?

“I really don’t know. They’ve had Pochettino who got them to a Champions League Final – the only time they’ve ever been in the Champions League Final. Tottenham is a huge job, it’s a massive club, they’ve got a fantastic stadium, they’ve got training facilities to die for, but I just don’t see them getting the funds and I don’t know if the owner Joe Lewis puts in anywhere near what other clubs do, or he’s prepared to go into debt or get loans to bring in players.

“There’s no doubt Pochettino and Mourinho are massive names, and whether they can have that calibre of manager again if the finances aren’t there, I don’t know. It’ll be interesting to see who Daniel Levy, who looks like he’s the main man at the club when it comes to the appointments, has got in mind. He thought Mourinho with his CV was going to be the game changer as far as bringing trophies to the club, and that didn’t happen.”

Could you see Steven Gerrard becoming the next Tottenham manager?

“Well, I think with Steven he’s learning. Look what happened to Frank Lampard. Frank went to Derby and had a good season. And then suddenly, the Chelsea job came up, and of course, he’s going to jump at it. You know, you might not get that offered that again. Was it too early?

“So, with Steve, he probably feels he’s still got a little bit of work to do in the managerial side. Every year he’s doing work as a manager, he’s learning about players and with all due respect to Rangers and the players that they’ve got, going to Spurs or Liverpool is a whole new level of expectation.”

Would you see David Moyes getting the Spurs job?

“If it was purely just only football that might be the case. But don’t forget David Moyes was at West Ham when they let him go. So, loyalty works two ways. The club weren’t very loyal to him, were they?”

Do Liverpool need to freshen up their front three?

“I think there were rumours of going after Werner before he went to Chelsea, but there are not an awful lot of strikers around. Harry Kane would be great because he’s like your finished article up front. I don’t know what the finances are like, all I know is that over the last few years recruitments been very good.

“Last season it’s really slowed, we brought in the lad from Preston was in for £400,000, we brought we brought in the other centre-back for Germany – that’s not Liverpool’s way. They buy the best. They did that with Salah, Mane, Allison, and Van Dijk.”

Ray Houghton will be joining Paul Parker, Tony Gale and Frank McAvennie on BT Sport’s Angling Outlaws, next summer.

With the help of Outlaw Pro, the four former pros will be trying their hand at fishing, with the quadruplet facing off at the end of the six-part series to see who knows their slide tackles from their tackle boxes.

Look down at the current crop of young players developing at Celtic and it’s arguable that not many of them will see a future for themselves with the Bhoys.

Cameron Harper has already departed for New York Red Bulls after a lack of first-team opportunities while their crown jewel Karamoko Dembele could leave in the summer.

Dembele has been restricted to just four senior outings since breaking through as a 16-year-old and his contract is set to expire in the summer.

If he leaves it will be a big blow to Celtic and the coaching staff who had such high hopes for the teenager. That being said, at least he’s actually been afforded a chance.

Standing at just 5 foot 5, he is a small individual but that hasn’t stopped him from making waves at youth level. What’s strange about that, however, is that he’s not been released.

After all, the Hoops took the decision to axe a player in 2009 who would later go on to become one of the best defenders in world football.

The man in question is a certain Andy Robertson. The Liverpool full-back has developed into a feared left-back, a player who is winning the biggest of trophies on a regular basis.

He was released by Celtic when he was in the academy, being handed a rather peculiar excuse in the process: “I was let go by Celtic at Under-15 level for being too small. That was the reason they gave me anyway,” Robertson said when playing for Dundee United in 2013.

Of course, the Bhoys would not have been able to foretell what was going to happen with their Scottish prodigy, but he has evidently surpassed all expectations.

Robertson is no longer too small; instead, he is a presence and force to be reckoned with.

After departing Celtic as a teenager, the Scot moved to Queens Park, a move he attributes with significantly aiding his development.

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“I went to Queen’s Park and people might have thought that was a strange decision to go from Celtic to there,” Robertson admitted.

“I guess it is a step-down but Queen’s Park have a great youth set-up and they made me the player I am today,” he concluded.

Robertson eventually ended up at Tannadice and then moved south of the border to go and play for Hull City.

Despite being relegated from the Premier League with the Tigers, he sealed a move to Liverpool where his transfer value has risen astronomically. He was signed by the Reds for an initial £8m but according to Transfermarkt, the full-back is now valued at a staggering £63m.

It’s not a surprise to see his value estimated around that mark. He has become a key component of a Liverpool side who won the Champions League in 2018/19 and then won the Premier League in 2019/20.

Speaking in 2019, Kenny Dalglish opened up on Robertson’s remarkable rise to the top; “For Andy to be where he was just seven years ago – when he was let go by Celtic – to where he is now, is a classic example to any young footballer that you should never give up and never stop believing,” he commented.

In becoming one of the best in his position on the planet, the 27-year-old defines a modern-day full-back. He rampages forward, beats his man and then puts a tantalising ball into the box.

In the season Liverpool won the Champions League, the Scotland international registered a considerable 13 assists. He subsequently provided another 12 last term. Now earning £100k-per-week at Anfield, his rise to stardom has been captivating.

Words from former Liverpool defender Jose Enrique sum things up: “He’s been the best left-back in the world for the last few years. I know everyone talks about [Alphonso] Davies from Bayern Munich but if you talk about consistency and level of performance all the time, this guy [Robertson] is unbelievable.”

Since his departure, Celtic have let fellow left-backs Aaron Hickey and Kieran Tierney slip through their net too. The latter was a first-team regular for a number of years but it’s clear they made a huge mistake with Robertson.

He is an elite player; one the Hoops let go for a grand total of £0. It has been a costly blunder.

AND in other news, Celtic could land Kenny upgrade in 32 y/o who’s “up there as a captain with Maldini”…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Marlon Harewood, who scored 45 goals for Nottingham Forest, has backed Chris Hughton to guide his former club to promotion next season.

Nottingham Forest have not been in the Premier League since 1999, but they have Hughton as manager who has experience taking both Brighton and Newcastle from the Championship into the top flight.

Hughton has been able to steer Forest away from the relegation zone as they currently sit 15th and a comfortable 10 points above the drop zone with just five games left to play.

Speaking on his hopes for Nottingham Forest next season and what Chris Hughton must do to get them back pushing for the playoffs like they were last season, Harewood told FFC:

“I would love for Chris to take Forest up because they need to be back there and I think next season is their time.

“After what they’ve been through this year I think they just need to rebuild and try to get back to where they used to be.”

Forest’s problem this season has been in the final third as only Derby County, Birmingham City and Wycombe Wanderers have scored fewer than the 34 they have managed.

Next season will be a different one for Hughton as the club will lose the six players they currently have on loan, which will force a squad overhaul in the summer.

Only the unimaginable will keep West Brom in the Premier League this season.

The Baggies are ten points adrift of safety with only nine games left to play.

You’d think the Midlands outfit would need to win the bulk of their remaining matches but, given they have won just twice since Sam Allardyce was appointed in mid-December, that seems an extraordinary task.

With relegation a mere formality at this stage, it would be wise to start planning ahead for their likely Championship return.

Aside from the big question mark over Sam Allardyce, who is in line to receive the first relegation of his career at 66, there are plenty of other conundrums facing Luke Dowling and the Albion hierarchy.

The current squad is awash with loan players – Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher, Arsenal’s Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Celta Vigo powerhouse Okay Yokuslu are three in this bracket, though it’s hard to imagine them returning permanently for a spell in the second tier.

However, Mbaye Diagne – a striker signed from Galatasaray – could be a viable option. Whilst an option-to-buy clause in his deal is dependant on survival, there have been reports from Turkey suggesting that he’s unlikely to return to the Super Lig, with West Brom able to pay just £4m to keep hold of him following relegation.

Ultimately, that’s a bargain in today’s money. In the summer of their promotion campaign, the Baggies splashed £8m on Kenneth Zohore, and look how that turned out.

Diagne has made a massive impact at The Hawthorns despite scoring only once. Ex-Albion striker Kevin Campbell lauded the 29-year-old when speaking to Football Insider, saying: “Diagne is showing very promising signs. He is quick, strong, aggressive and he took his goal brilliantly against Manchester United.”

The 6 foot 4 target man has all the attributes to absolutely thrive in the Championship, just as Campbell says he has the perfect combination of pace and power.

“I’m big and strong, I can hold up the ball and lay it off, I’m good in the air and I’m a finisher,” said Diagne to The Guardian.

In the Premier League, most teams are focused on possession-based play, keeping the ball on the ground and intense pressing. That’s vastly different in the Championship, where managers like Mick McCarthy and Neil Warnock are still deploying tactics from the dark ages (to good effect, though).

For example, McCarthy’s Cardiff City have scored more goals from set pieces (23) than open play (22) – no team in the top flight has managed such a feat this term.

Diagne is already winning the most battles in the air at West Brom, averaging 4.3 successful aerial duels per game, more than Allardyce’s first-choice centre-backs Kyle Bartley (3.5), Semi Ajayi (2.4) and Dara O’Shea (3.1), via WhoScored.

As described by Turkish reporter Berk Gol to the Express & Star, the Senegalese powerhouse is “very dangerous in the box” and is largely most effective inside the penalty area.

Signing the £6m-rated forward permanently for only £4m would not only be a massive bargain from Dowling but could also give Albion an absolutely unstoppable force in the Championship, so the Baggies must secure Diagne this summer.

AND in other news, £6m-rated “huge talent” could be like a new signing for West Brom in Championship…

Former Leicester City winger Keith Gillespie has suggested that striker Kelechi Iheanacho has handed Foxes boss Brendan Rodgers a “headache”.

Speaking exclusively to Football Fan Cast, he said that the Nigerian would be “unfortunate” to drop out of the team’s starting line-up once midfielder James Maddison returns to action.

It is certainly tough to disagree with Gillespie’s assessment, with Iheanacho having developed an argument to remain in the Foxes’ starting line-up for the remainder of the campaign.

At the time of writing, the striker is Leicester’s third-highest goalscorer of the 2020/21 campaign with 12 goals in all competitions.

The 24-year-old has certainly been in electric form as of late, scoring seven times in just his last five matches which include a hat-trick in a 5-0 thumping of Sheffield United and a brace as the Foxes booked their place in the FA Cup semi-final with a 3-1 win against Manchester United before the international break.

As a result, Iheanacho has now scored in each of his last three league appearances for the first time in his career.

It is form that has seen Iheanacho earn plenty of plaudits, having been nominated for the Premier League’s Player of the Month award for March.

It would certainly be harsh then for Rodgers to drop Iheanacho when he is in such hot form and when he is hunting one of his best personal seasons of his career. Iheanacho now just needs to score on two more occasions to match his 14-goal haul of the 2015/16 campaign.

However, with James Maddison also having a brilliant person season with 11 goals and 10 assists in all competitions, it’s certainly a tough choice between the two.

With his return to fitness though, it may take some time for the Englishman to return to match sharpness; giving Rodgers the perfect excuse to keep 28-cap Iheanacho in his starting line-up.

It is certainly a headache for the Leicester boss, but one he should be glad to have.

AND in more news, take a look at which Barcelona trickster the Foxes’ have reportedly reignited their interest in…

Aston Villa substituted attacking winger Bertrand Traore off against Wolves with what looked to be an injury, and Gregg Evans has provided an update on the player.

The latest on Traore

Traore lasted 83 minutes before being substituted in the 0-0 draw and The Athletic journalist shed some light on the situation on Twitter as he posted the simple five-word update “Traore taken off as a precaution” among other updates on Aston Villa players.

This is good news for Villa

In his first season at Villa Park, the former Chelsea forward is having a decent campaign. The 25-year-old has featured 24 times (seven from the bench) and has picked up five goals and three assists along the way (WhoScored). He has also managed 1.6 shots and 1.2 successful dribbles per game.

Traore has been praised in the past by his former Blues manager Guus Hiddink, who said: “He is open to learn and you can teach him, you can say ‘work on this’ and he is very clever to do so.”

With fixtures coming thick and fast, the last thing Smith and Villa want are further injuries, especially when their star Jack Grealish is still recovering from one himself. Therefore, to hear that Traore was only taken off as a precaution should be a relief, and hopefully it means he can feature against Newcastle on Friday night.

In other news, many Aston Villa fans reacted to Dean Smith’s latest comments about Grealish!