All posts by z3u9t.icu

A year of anguish, pain and protests culminated last month as Celtic ended their bitter campaign without a single trophy to their name.

You can blame a number of people at the Hoops, whether it be the former manager, the head of recruitment or the owner.

However, there has been one name that supporters have often called out at Parkhead; Peter Lawwell.

What’s the word?

The club’s chief executive officer announced his retirement back in January with the 62-year-old set to stand down at the conclusion of the season.

Dominic McKay was revealed as his successor and he’s already been working behind the scenes in a bid to find Celtic’s new manager.

However, it’s thought that Lawwell has now officially left his position after packing his bags last Friday.

That’s according to a segment of fan media after Harry Brady told his podcast listeners the following:

“Peter Lawwell finished at 5pm on Friday. Well, at some point on Friday, apparently. I don’t think that’s been formally announced because technically I’m sure his contracts paid up, but apparently, Friday was actually his last day.

“That’s part of the reason that prompted me to do this podcast because it hopefully clears the way for Dominic McKay to make all these announcements.”

Fans must be buzzing

Lawwell has been associated with Celtic since the beginning of the 1990s when he became the club’s financial controller.

Since then he’s risen up the ranks and held a very high seat at the top of the Bhoys’ hierarchy.

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However, his methods have been called into question by specific supporter groups.

ACSOM host Paul John Dykes criticised him last month for the way he replaced Brendan Rodgers with Neil Lennon despite having a hefty sum in compensation fees to spend.

Dykes said after the 4-1 drubbing against Rangers: “So we make around £10m when he [Rodgers] goes to Leicester and what do we do with it? We bring in Neil Lennon. Now, that is on Peter Lawwell and that performance today if you really want to track it back is on Lawwell.”

He continued: “The suggestion that Peter Lawwell will still be at the club in some capacity going forward, Celtic fans should be frightened about that. He is the reason we have fallen so disparagingly short this season.”

With that in mind, seeing him finally depart Paradise should be seen as a good thing. It may well end a 30-year association for the club but a clean slate is exactly what they need in order to reinvigorate themselves.

Celtic were the dominant force in Scottish football for so long but after finally losing their grasp on the Premiership, a fresh start with McKay and a new manager should be profitable.

The club needs new ideas and they will only get that once Lawwell leaves. Therefore, this news should be the music to the ears of every single fan.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Postecoglou: Celtic can forge dream duo by signing “breathtaking” 29 y/o…

According to a report by Italian news outlet TuttoMercatoWeb, Tottenham Hotspur are now the favourites to appoint out-of-work manager Maurizio Sarri ahead of north London rivals Arsenal.

The Lowdown: Sarri saga rages on…

The 62-year-old has been left without a job since being unceremoniously sacked by Juventus last season despite winning the Scudetto. Indeed, he was given his marching orders just two weeks after helping to guide the Old Lady to their ninth Serie A title in a row (Goal).

Now, as he searches for a new managerial role, Tottenham have been extensively linked with him alongside their London neighbours.

The Latest: Spurs now favourites for Sarri…

As explained by TuttoMercatoWeb, Spurs are now the favourites to appoint Sarri ahead of Arsenal as chairman Daniel Levy continues to scour the market for his successor to Jose Mourinho in N17.

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Despite sources closer to home denying Tottenham’s managerial raid of Italy (football.london), reports continue to surface regarding the future of Sarri. According to this report, Spurs is the ‘hottest possibility’ for the former Chelsea coach, despite the suggestion that he would ‘marry best’ with Arsenal due to their style of play.

The Verdict: Exciting contender…

Sarri doesn’t fit into the mould of a young and dynamic manager allegedly wanted by Tottenham’s technical performance director Steve Hitchen (Daily Mail), but we have reiterated before that his footballing philosophy more than makes up for that.

Implementing an attacking, high-press style conventionally nicknamed ‘Sarri-ball’, players who have worked under his tutelage appear to shower the Italian with nothing but praise.

Ronaldo Vanin, who featured under Sarri as a right-back for Sorrento, lauded him as a ‘perfectionist’ and a ‘marvellous person’ off the pitch in an interview with The Guardian. Meanwhile, Juventus and former Manchester City defender Danilo drew comparisons between the 62-year-old and Pep Guardiola and branded the two managers as ‘very similar’.

Indeed, we urge Spurs supporters not to discount the Italian as a credible option as Mourinho’s successor.

In other news: Levy in pole position to sign this ‘absolutely sensational’ powerhouse for Spurs, find out more here.

Just when you thought Celtic were rolling out the red carpet in preparation for Eddie Howe’s arrival at Parkhead, they’ve been dealt another potential blow.

The Hoops’ pursuit of the 43-year-old has been a tiresome saga but there doesn’t appear to be an end in sight for Paradise chiefs.

What’s the word?

TalkSPORT reported last week that a deal had finally been agreed to bring Howe to Glasgow. Promising signs have emerged in the last seven days with details of Crystal Palace’s managerial situation coming to light.

The Eagles have been keen on Howe but, after Roy Hodgson announced he’d be leaving, the 43-year-old reportedly flopped during the interview process. That meant Celtic had a free run at the former Bournemouth boss.

Unfortunately for the Hoops, a massive twist has now occurred. Palace have also been in discussions with Frank Lampard but, according to Football Insider, they have sensationally pulled out of the race for the former Chelsea man following extensive talks.

Consequently, a Celtic source has told the outlet that there are fresh concerns over Howe’s move to Glasgow, with Palace potentially pushing hard to try and land him.

Disastrous news

With Howe seemingly all but through the door at Celtic, news that a job in the Premier League could actually be on the cards could tempt him to remain south of the border.

The 43-year-old hasn’t been keen on a return to management until the summer, with his agent insisting that he can still land a job in England’s top flight.

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Palace seemed the most likely destination but, after he flopped during an interview with Steve Parish, Celtic became his first choice again. However, the failure of Lampard’s own talks mean Howe could change his thought process and stay in England.

With so much to do at Paradise this summer, it would be terrible news if the 43-year-old snubs a move to Scotland.

Celtic need a new head coach and they need one quickly. They have already waited long enough for the former Cherries manager and cannot afford to delay any longer.

If there is the slightest hint that he prefers Crystal Palace, Dominic McKay and Dermot Desmond need to focus their attention elsewhere and move for a coach who is 100% committed to the Hoops.

With several players likely to leave Parkhead, a new manager is needed quickly to assess the recruitment and swiftly bring in replacements.

If the transfer window opens and Celtic chiefs are still deliberating over who will be the new manager, it could leave them significantly behind in their planning and preparation for next season. Those in the boardroom should be incredibly concerned with how long this whole process has taken.

It’s a sorry state of affairs but, after how their season has played out, we should hardly be surprised.

AND in other news, Celtic can find the new Scott McDonald by signing 24 y/o with “everything to his game”…

Newcastle could sign a perfect upgrade on Jonjo Shelvey in FC Metz starlet Pape Sarr.

What’s the story?

The 18-year-old is enjoying a real breakthrough campaign with the Ligue 1 side this season, playing 18 times in the league, and has established himself as one of the first names on the team-sheet in recent weeks for Metz boss Frederic Antonetti – he’s completed the full 90 minutes in 11 of the last 14 league games.

Now, French publication L’Equipe claim that Steve Bruce’s side are one of three Premier League clubs (Everton and Chelsea the others) who are interested in signing the teenager, while he is also attracting attention from Nice.

Better than Shelvey

While Arsenal loanee Joe Willock has been the man of the moment in recent weeks with his late rescue acts – Steve Bruce has even admitted that he would love to sign him on a permanent deal this summer – there’s a real argument to be made that Sarr could be just as influential of a signing for the Magpies.

Predominantly a holding midfielder but able to play slightly further forward too, Sarr could represent a real upgrade on Shelvey in the middle of the park.

His coach at Metz, Antonetti, has not shied away from lavishing his midfield starlet with praising, saying: “Pape Matar Sarr is elegance in the midfield, it’s talent, it’s making others play.”

And, when you look at his key stats, they are all comfortably better than what Shelvey has produced this season in the Premier League.

As per Whoscored, the Senegalese youngster averages more tackles and interceptions than the Magpies man, makes more dribbles per game, and also has a far better passing accuracy too – something that has long been associated with Shelvey as being one of his strengths.

Even for someone of his age, Sarr just looks far more composed protecting his back-four, and has got the ability to beat the opposition press either with a pass or by just powering past them with a run.

The 18-year-old has also been tipped to enjoy a superb career by Olivier Perrin, who initially recruited him to the Académie Génération back in his native Senegal when he was a youngster.

He said: “He will be able to go as far as he wants to go. He must work, be as he is there, modest, regular, hardworking. He must continue to love football and he will do like the great players, he will go far. I think he will go very far.”

So while Willock will undoubtedly be someone Newcastle look to sign this summer given his recent loan performances, bringing Sarr to St James’ Park could be a massive coup too and more focus should be given to him.

Dubbed as someone who’s “got everything” to his game, Sarr could be the next break-out star in the North East, if Newcastle can get a deal done.

Danny Mills has dropped a big claim on the potential takeover of Newcastle United as an update emerged involving Mike Ashley.

The Lowdown: Ashley releases statement

The Guardian have recently reported that Ashley released a powerful statement this week after HMRC quietly discontinued a long-running investigation into the tax affairs of the St James’ Park club.

As per the Shields Gazette, Newcastle and its chief executive have also accused the Premier League of what they believe to be anti-competitive behaviour in their decision-making process on the proposed deal with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) group.

They are looking to take the Premier League to court over the matter and have also taken on an anti-competition case given to them by the Newcastle Consortium Supporters Limited (NCSL), with the EPL given fresh legal papers as Ashley looks to force them to wave through the bid.

The Latest: Mills reacts to Ashley activity

Mills, who is now a pundit after playing for the likes of Leeds United and Manchester City in his career, has since given his thoughts to Football Insider on Ashley’s latest activity, and his view on the potential takeover on Tyneside:

“It’s a case of Mike Ashley being desperate to sell and doing everything he can to get his money.

“But I think he’s right, it does need to be investigated as to why.

“There is the golf super league with Saudi Arabia, we’ve seen all the boxing going on over there as well and other sports.

“I don’t think we’ve ever had a reason why they weren’t allowed to take over.

“There’s no better time with all the issues surrounding the so-called ‘big six’ and those smaller clubs can say ‘Hang on a minute, how can you allow this to happen to these other clubs and let them spend what they want but you’re not letting us compete?’

“It isn’t really fair. It’s almost like it’s a monopoly on who can do what they want and spend what they want.”

The Verdict: Ashley seems desperate

Given that there is already an arbitration hearing to take place between Newcastle and the Premier League, it seems as if Ashley is already starting to feel desperate by taking them to another legal battle to try and claim damages.

What the result of the arbitration case would be remains unclear, but the report that the businessman is trying to at least get some compensation from the failed takeover bid suggests that he may not be confident about getting a positive outcome from the saga.

In other news, find out what big claim another pundit has made on the potential takeover!

Tom Heaton will consider leaving Aston Villa this summer in search of guaranteed first-team football, according to The Athletic’s Gregg Evans.

Aston Villa are apparently keen to keep him and will offer him a new contract. They recognise his ability as a goalkeeper and also value his ‘leadership skills’.

Heaton, though, will listen to offers from elsewhere before he considers any proposal from Villa.

Injury spoils Heaton’s spell at Villa

The ex-Manchester United ‘keeper moved to Villa Park in the summer of 2019 for a fee of £8million and held down the number one spot until he suffered an ACL injury away to former club Burnley on New Year’s Day.

Almost a year on, he returned to the substitutes bench, providing back-up for Emiliano Martinez. Of course, the exceptional form of Martinez has meant that no matter what Heaton shows in the occasional cup fixture he has no real chance of cementing himself back in as the number one.

Fan feed Villa Report relayed the news, and here’s how supporters reacted.

Villa fans wouldn’t begrudge Heaton a transfer

“You can’t blame him, he’s far too good to be a number 2, but let’s face it he’s never getting a game ahead of Emi”

Credit: @UtvJack

“Deserves first-team football don’t blame him”

Credit: @Connor_AVFC

“A real shame for us but totally understand why. He is too good to be a number 2”

Credit: @RichieLionel81

“Not surprised, really. Was pretty certain at least one of him or Jed Steer will be off. No doubt a top half Championship/bottom half Premiership team will be in for one of them.”

Credit: @rad_nauseam

“If that’s what he wants then fair play, let him go”

Credit: @TheWillRoss

“Such a shame with the way things went for him, I was so excited when we signed him. Hopefully he can go to a club and perform well, just not if/when he plays us”

Credit: @j_d_richards

“Fair play. More than happy with Jed as #2”

Credit: @elootor

“Respect honestly, he deserves it”

Credit: @fokkos2

In other news, fans hailed this player’s performance against Fulham.

David Moyes is right to try and sell Andriy Yarmolenko this summer amid claims that West Ham United are in talks with Dynamo Kyiv over such a move.

What’s the word?

According to Pedro Almeida, Dynamo Kyiv are keen to be reunited with the 31-year-old and want to welcome the forward back to the Ukrainian Premier League at the end of the season.

Yarmolenko played 340 games for the Ukrainian club between 2007 and 2017, before joining Borussia Dortmund, where he only lasted one year. West Ham bought him one season after his arrival at Signal Iduna Park for £17.5m and awarded the winger a four-year contract, which is set to enter its final 12 months this June.

The 31-year-old could now make a return to the club where he made a name for himself, with West Ham claimed to be in active negotiations with Dynamo Kyiv over a potential deal. Yarmolenko has seen his future in claret and blue be cast into doubt over recent months, with reports earlier in the year suggesting that bids of between £5m and £6m would be considered.

The Hammers are thought to have accepted that a sizable hit on the fee paid to Borussia Dortmund will need to be taken in order to move Yarmolenko on at the end of the season.

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Should West Ham sell Yarmolenko?

It remains to be seen what terms Dynamo Kyiv are able to offer West Ham for Yarmolenko’s services, but Moyes is absolutely right to make the winger available for a transfer ahead of the Ukraine international entering the final year of his Irons contract.

Yarmolenko has been a consistent injury risk for the Hammers since his arrival in 2018, having missed 57 games and counting across all competitions due to various issues including Achilles, back, abductor and knee ligament damage.

The forward returned to training prior to the March international break but is yet to feature in one of Moyes’ matchday squads since, and he has only started eight first team fixtures – one in the Premier League – over 21 appearances thus far this term.

Those eight starts still account for more than a third of Yarmolenko’s career opening calls in claret and blue, having started just 23 matches in all competitions across his 53 appearances over the past three seasons.

West Ham are paying out a lot of money for Yarmolenko to frequently occupy a seat on the bench when not in the treatment room, with the forward – who Moyes lauds as “a very talented player” – the Irons’ top earner on a £115,000-a-week contract, per Spotrac.

That salary has seen West Ham hand over £16.4m in wages over Yarmolenko’s 143 weeks at the London Stadium thus far, which – added with the £17.5m paid to Dortmund – equates to £1.5m for each start or £640,000 per appearance.

Yarmolenko has simply been stealing a living at West Ham, who need to call time on his spell at the club this summer. It just remains to be seen how much they can recoup from Dynamo Kyiv, or whether another suitor may be willing to show an interest.

AND in other news, David Moyes eyes a summer reunion with £75k-p/w enforcer who looked “like he’s on roller-skates” in 2020…

Sunderland have a real chance to move into the League One automatic promotion spots this weekend.

They will need to see off the challenge of Bristol Rovers first and foremost before hoping that Peterborough suffer defeat.

Their little hiccup against Blackpool in midweek has made the race for promotion even more intense.

The Mackems are one of the most in-form sides in the division, so you’d be hard-pressed to bet against them taking all three points again on Saturday.

They come into this clash having won seven of their last nine matches in League One.

With that in mind, there is surely little room for change in the Black Cats starting XI? That being said, we’re predicting two to be made from the team which drew with Lincoln.

We think that Johnson will continue with the 4-3-3 formation he adopted against Lincoln. That means a trio of Lynden Gooch, Aiden McGeady and Charlie Wyke start in attack.

There is one change in midfield, where the £13,000-per-week Grant Leadbitter drops out. We’ve already labelled the problems with his game in recent weeks, so now feels like a timely occasion to put him back on the bench. Consequently, Josh Scowen starts in the middle of the park.

We’ve also championed the need for Ollie Younger to get more minutes. He started against Rochdale and, with another game against a relegation-threatened side, Johnson should put him in at right-back today.

Conor McLaughlin has only just returned from a hernia operation and should be rested as he continues his comeback trail.

Sunderland are still without a number of players heading into this clash. The match will come too soon for Bailey Wright, while Tom Flanagan remains sidelined.

Also out is Jordan Jones – Johnson gave him a 30% chance of being ready for this match so he is a major doubt.

AND in other news, Forget Willis: SAFC must unleash rarely-seen 21 y/o, Johnson said he’s a “great kid”…

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Newcastle United midfielder Keith Gillespie has said that Liverpool’s Harvey Elliott isn’t far off becoming a regular first-teamer at Anfield.

Elliott first caught the eye when he became Fulham’s youngster player in an EFL Cup tie against Millwall back in 2018 prior to his move to Anfield 10 months later.

The winger’s first campaign at Anfield ended in Premier League glory, with the teenager making eight appearances in all competitions before the Reds opted to send him out on loan to Blackburn this season to continue his development.

And the highly-rated attacker has performed impressively for the Ewood Park outfit this term, scoring five times, whilst laying on 10 assists for his teammates, bettered only by Norwich City’s Emiliano Buendia (12).

Elliott will return to Anfield at the end of the season, and whilst Gillespie believes that another year out on loan might benefit the 17-year-old, the former Northern Ireland midfielder is confident that he’ll eventually become a key part at Anfield.

He told Football FanCast:

“I’ve got friends who are Blackburn fans, and have been very impressed with him. He looks to have an incredible future ahead of him.

“He’s a young lad, he’s not going to play every game should he come back to Liverpool and stay next season. Even send him out for another season just to give him that little more experience, and then he comes back and then it’s like ‘right, you’re ready to come into the Liverpool first-team on a regular basis’.

“He looks nailed on to be a Liverpool regular for many years.”

Whilst Blackburn have failed to live up to their tag as pre-season promotion favourites, Elliott has done his reputation no harm, meaning should Liverpool be keen for another loan, there should be plenty of interest.

According to Football Insider, Tottenham Hotspur, and by extension Daniel Levy, have no plans to offer Bournemouth loanee Cameron Carter-Vickers a new deal in the summer – with the door ‘set to close’ on his career in north London at the end of the season. 

Indeed, as per this report, the USA international’s contract expires at the end of this season – and Levy is set to green light his exit with or without a transfer offer.

Levy set to green light Tottenham exit

There is apparently no new deal on the table for Carter-Vickers despite a resurgence at Bournemouth in the Championship, coming as his sixth loan spell in England’s second tier.

Regardless of how he finishes this season, Tottenham are reportedly set to let him go and put an end to his 12-year stay at the club.

Carter-Vickers made his senior debut for Spurs half a decade ago at 18-years-old but now looks set to part company with Tottenham – but whether this is as a free agent or in a permanent transfer remains to be seen.

Transfer Tavern take

Spurs supporters may be wondering what might have been with the defender who displayed early signs of promise.

Former club fan favourite Jan Vertonghen once heralded his fellow centre-back in an interview with ESPN, calling Carter-Vickers an ‘absolute beast’ and a ‘real defender’ in 2016.

What awaits for him after Spurs is yet to be determined, but according to this report, Levy will green light his summer departure.

In other news: Tottenham transfer admission lifts lid on failed Levy coup with Pochettino, find out more here.