All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

When Celtic finally announce who will sit in the Parkhead dugout next season, Bhoys supporters will surely breathe a huge sigh of relief.

After Neil Lennon left his role as manager the Hoops have found it incredibly difficult to find his successor.

That being said, they’ve not had any shortage of suitors.

What’s the word?

The first name to really emerge as a serious candidate to take on the role was Roy Keane.

The Manchester United legend had a brief stint as a player in Glasgow but after ten years away from management, it certainly raised eyebrows that he was in the frame.

Celtic were in talks with the Irishman and reportedly even held an interview with him. However, just a few days after that development it came to light that Keane was now unlikely to land the job.

Indeed, that’s what the television pundit is now telling his friends.

The Sun on Sunday (18.04.21, pg. 67) revealed last weekend that Keane has told friends that his hopes of landing the job have faded.

According to the report, there is a split opinion amongst the Hoops hierarchy over the former midfielder.

Good news

This is a piece of news that could come as a great source of happiness to Celtic supporters.

Of course, it means the Bhoys will have to step up their search elsewhere but it stops the board from appointing a man who the fans weren’t keen on seeing at Parkhead.

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

When the news first broke that he could succeed Lennon, Celtic podcaster Paul John Dykes said: “That seems to have gone down like a lead balloon amongst the Celtic support today when we were talking about that on A Celtic State of Mind.”

Thus, the opinion from the man himself that he won’t get the job should come as music to the ears of the Green Brigade.

It’s certainly understandable why they wouldn’t want him.

The 49-year-old hasn’t managed for the best part of ten years and his record is hardly jaw-dropping. He may have earned promotion from the Championship to the Premier League with Sunderland but that’s the only inspirational point of note from his days as a number 1.

Keane only won 42% of his matches while in charge of the Black Cats but his record was even worse with Ipswich. The Irishman won just 34.6% of the games he took charge of while at Portman Road.

Celtic might be in the process of being played around by Eddie Howe but they were right to swerve Keane.

AND in other news, Director of Football makes big Celtic manager claim, Desmond won’t be happy…

There was a lot of scepticism from Manchester City fans in the summer when their club paid £65 million to sign Benfica centre-back Ruben Dia,s but the Portuguese international has now established himself as one of the first names on the teamsheet under Pep Guardiola.

Ahead of the 23-year-old’s arrival at the Etihad, some City fans voiced their displeasure with his potential signing on Twitter, suggesting that they were ‘underwhelmed’ by the signing.

However, opinions on the 23-year-old have quickly changed as he has enjoyed a superb debut season in the top-flight for Guardiola’s side, forming an incredible partnership at the back with John Stones.

The Portuguese international has averaged a solid 6.97 rating for his performances in the top-flight, with the Citizens keeping a remarkable 23 clean sheets in the 38 games he has featured in for the Citizens in all competitions so far this campaign.

City fans have been singing his praises on Twitter for most of the season now, as his performances have helped Guardiola’s side establish themselves at the top of the Premier League, whilst they are still going strong in the Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup.

Therefore, it is easy to see the change in mood from a lot of City fans following Dias’ signing, as surely few would have predicted just how much of an impact he would have in his debut season.

It is fair to suggest, therefore, that despite some of the critisism he recieved at the time, sporting director Txiki Begiristain delivered another masterclass when signing the £63 million-rated centre-back last summer.

And, in other news… 13 duels won: £150k-p/w City star was Pep’s best performer vs Everton

In recent comments made on Patreon, ExWHUemployee provided an update on the fitness of West Ham United goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski ahead of the Hammers’ Premier League fixture against Leeds United.

So far this season, Fabianski has been in fine form for David Moyes’ side, with the 35-year-old conceding just 29 goals and keeping eight clean sheets over his 24 Premier League appearances, averaging a SofaScore match rating of 6.85 for his efforts.

However, after having his arm stood upon in training, the Poland international was ruled out of the Hammers’ 2-1 loss to Manchester City last Saturday; but in recent comments made on Patreon, ExWHUemployee revealed that the shot-stopper is ‘expected’ to be back for the club’s fixture with Leeds next week.

He said: “First team keeper Fabianski is expected to be available for the game against Leeds next Monday.”

Transfer Tavern Take

Should Fabianski indeed be deemed fit enough to feature against Marcelo Bielsa’s side next Monday, it will undoubtedly be a boost for David Moyes, as the Irons’ second choice ‘keeper Darren Randolph also suffered an injury scare during the City fixture – although Randolph himself stated that he was “fine” after the match.

However, considering that Leeds have scored an impressive 43 goals in the Premier League so far this season, one would assume that if his first-choice ‘keeper is given the all-clear, Moyes will not hesitate in awarding Fabianski an immediate return to the first team.

In other West Ham United news, many fans wanted this Premier League ace after a contract claim – find out more here!

Many Sunderland fans were full of praise for defender Dion Sanderson following their 2-0 win against Rochdale on Saturday.

The 21-year-old started at centre-back as the Black Cats climbed above Doncaster Rovers into fourth in the League One standings, albeit having played two games more than the south Yorkshire outfit.

Lee Johnson’s side were much more clinical on the day despite the visitors having more efforts on goal, with Sanderson scoring the opener and Charlie Wyke sealing the deal before half-time.

Despite getting himself on the scoresheet, there was more for the Stadium of Light faithful to be pleased about regarding the Wolves loanee’s outing. Per Sofascore, Sanderson made two clearances, played five long balls, won five duels and recorded a passing success rate of 90%.

Unsurprisingly, many Sunderland supporters were full of praise for Sanderson after he posted on Twitter about his performance, with the youngster being hailed as a “class act” and “too good to sit on the bench” at his parent club.

Sanderson hailed by these fans

“Get us promoted and then sign on the dotted line. Fantastic player you mate.”

Credit: @pierres02955293

“Class act, Dion. Best loan signing since Yann.”

Credit: @stustuy

“Absolute class above Dion, outstanding”

Credit: @MackemNeil84

“Too good to sit on the bench at wolves son”

Credit: @MatthewTunstal4

“Class act mate”

Credit: @Haggis1973Simon

“Fully deserved it”

Credit: @bamgboyeolu

In other news, these Sunderland fans delighted with comments made by Lee Johnson.

Southampton have reportedly been scouting Bristol City midfielder Han-Noah Massengo recently and if he were to join The Saints, it could prove to be similar to the deal that saw Morgan Schneiderlin sign for the South Coast club in 2008.

According to the Bristol Post, Southampton scouts have been in attendance at Ashton Gate for recent Bristol City fixtures, and one player who they are said to be looking at is 19-year-old Massengo.

The Robins splashed the cash to bring the teenager to the club from AS Monaco in 2019 and he has since gone on to make 51 appearances for the Championship side.

Like Schneiderlin, Massengo established himself as a regular in Ligue 1 from a young age, before moving to a lower-league English side, with the defensive-midfielder enduring a relegation in his first season with Southampton, before helping the South Coast club to back-to-back promotions.

He would go on to make 257 appearances for the Saints, in which he contributed 15 goals and 11 assists, before completing a £25 million move to Manchester United in 2015, where he would spend just a year and a half before joining Everton.

Massengo can play as a defensive midfielder and has featured for the French U’19 side in the past, although he has struggled to adapt to Bristol City in his time there thus far, having averaged a pretty poor 6.27 rating for his performances this season.

However, he is still just 19-years-old and undoubtedly has some potential, which Southampton could help him realise if he makes the switch to St Mary’s this summer. If he did join, then perhaps it could be a repeat of the masterclass that saw Schneiderlin join from Strasbourg 13 years ago.

If the French midfielder proved to be even half as good as Schneiderlin was during his time on the South Coast, he would be a very good signing indeed, so it will be interesting to see if Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side make an official approach for the 19-year-old this summer.

And, in other news… Forget Diallo: Southampton can sign their ideal Romeu heir in 22 y/o gem

Rob Lee thinks that Edin Dzeko would be a good signing for Everton amid links with a move for the former Manchester City ace in this month’s transfer window.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, the Newcastle United legend has suggested that the Goodison Park faithful should look to sign the AS Roma striker before the window closes. When asked if Everton should look to sign Dzeko, he said:

“Yes, I think he’s a great target man. He holds the ball up, he’s got great ability with his feet, he’s a big man. But he also scores and he wouldn’t look out of place in any team, and I mean any team, in the league. He’s proven in the league.”

Dzeko would be a good signing for Everton

The signing of Dzeko could turn out to be a good bit of business from the Merseyside club should they look to pursue his signature in the coming days.

Carlo Ancelotti could do with another option for when Dominic Calvert-Lewin finds himself injured or out of form for long periods of time, and the Bosnia and Herzegovina international could well be the answer.

Proven at the highest level for both club and country, the 34-year-old has scored no fewer than 346 senior career goals in total (Transfermarkt), and so has shown on numerous occasions that he knows where the back of the net is.

After previously playing in the Premier League with Man City, Dzeko would likely not look out of place in England either, and his added experience could be a valuable asset to have for Ancelotti’s team, both on and off the pitch.

In other news, find out who was slammed for his display versus Leicester City here!

Celtic are ready to open talks to try and sign QPR forward Bright Osayi-Samuel, according to reports.

Osayi-Samuel to Parkhead?

The 22-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to the Glasgow giants in recent weeks, and suggestions were made that Neil Lennon’s side were making the initial steps to bring Osayi-Samuel to Parkhead at the end of the 2020/21 campaign.

During the current campaign, the right-winger has scored twice and provided three assists in 18 appearances in all competitions (TransferMarkt), averaging 2.9 dribbles and 1.3 shots per game (Whoscored).

Oyasi-Samuel’s statistics with the ball are impressive, with Ryan Christie topping the Celtic charts with just two dribbles per game (Whoscored).

According to Football Insider, Lennon is ready to begin negotiations with the winger, who was described as “dangerous” by QPR manager Sam Warburton.

The report added that Celtic are keen to take advantage of cross-border rules, which means that the Hoops could capture Oyasi-Samuel on a free transfer with his contract set to expire at the end of the season.

Transfer Tavern Verdict

Oyasi-Samuel, who is valued at £3.15m, would be a fantastic addition to Lennon’s team. Not only that, but his attacking prowess would be hugely beneficial.

The fact that he has superior attacking statistics than Ryan Christie is impressive – at the age of just 22, he could have a long future at Parkhead.

Celtic must get this deal wrapped up – a pre-contractual agreement in line for a summer move would be very astute business.

In other news, Peter Lawwell gives green light to offer new contract to key Celtic asset.

Celtic look to have missed out on a potentially brilliant signing, as Philip Zinckernagel, who signed for Watford earlier this week, has confirmed that the Hoops were one of the sides who were showing an interest in him.

After he joined the Hornets on a free transfer, he revealed that:

“I could have chosen to go to clubs where I would have earned more money. I preferred the sporting challenge to money. Not that it’s a bad package I’ve got at Watford and it’s a five-and-a-half-year contract.

“I had offers from clubs in Turkey, the Netherlands, Schalke in Germany, France, Saudi Arabia and a lot in Eastern Europe. And additionally, Celtic were also involved.”

It is no surprise to hear that the 26-year-old was attracting so much interest, as he enjoyed an incredible campaign for Norwegian side FK Bodø/Glimt in 2020.

The winger contributed a remarkable 19 goals and 24 assists in 30 appearances in the Eliteserien last year, resulting in a total of 43 goal contributions.

Considering Mohamed Elyounoussi is Celtic’s current top scorer with just 11 goals, it definitely could be argued that Zinckernagel would have been an excellent addition to Neil Lennon’s squad.

The Bhoys may also be without the Southampton loanee’s goals next season if he stays with the Saints, so it seems likely that the club will have to bring in a replacement on the wing. The Danish international could have been a perfect choice, especially as he was available on a free transfer.

Therefore, it could definitely be considered a huge error by Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell in not signing him, as any potential offer made by the Bhoys was clearly not enough to convince him to make the move to Scotland, with him instead choosing to join Watford in the Championship.

Zinckernagel’s form last year certainly proves that he has an eye for goal and had Lawwell managed to seal his transfer, perhaps he could have been the difference in the rest of the season, with Lennon’s side facing an uphill battle to overtake their rivals in their hopes of securing a tenth successive Scottish Premiership title.

And, in other news… Lennon handed huge injury blow with 27 y/o beast

Ex-referee Mark Halsey has admitted that he has “doubts” over the red card that was given to Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno during Wolves’ 2-1 win against them on Tuesday night.

Halsey unsure

Nuno Espirito Santo’s side came from behind to beat the Gunners who finished the game with nine men, after David Luiz was sent off during first-half stoppage time.

But Leno was dismissed after racing out his area to dispossess Adama Traore charging up the right-hand side, only for the ball to strike his hand which saw him given a straight red card.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, Halsey revealed his doubts about the decision, regarding whether the German shot-stopper was denying a clear goalscoring opportunity.

“It’s not about the last man, we keep going ‘oh he’s the last man’, it’s nothing to do with that,” he said.

“It’s about did the player deny a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity. In those situations, the referee must consider the distance between the offence and the goal, the general direction of play, the likelihood of gaining and keeping control of the ball and the location and number of defenders around at that moment.

“The one part of that criteria I felt was in doubt was is he going to gain control of the ball? If you take Leno out of the picture and he misses that, on the wet and slippery surface, I think there’s a bit of doubt there whether he (Traore) would have gained control of the ball.”

Transfer Tavern Verdict

We have to agree with Halsey here. If Traore was barrelling down the middle of the pitch at the edge of the penalty box, then the red card would be unquestionable, but that wasn’t the case.

There were no guarantees from that position that Traore was going to score, due to the angle and where he would have ended up if Leno missed it. The Spaniard still would have had a lot to do to find the net from there.

Despite this, Wolves supporters won’t care one bit, as it was a huge win that pushed them far away from the relegation places and put a cork on their recent slump in form.

In other news, Key Wolves asset attracting interest from PL duo who left England international feeling ‘powerless.’

Celtic must turn their attention away from the league phase of the new-look Champions League as they prepare to take on Falkirk in the League Cup this afternoon.

The Hoops have a chance to secure their place in the last four of the competition, which they were knocked out of in August by Kilmarnock last term, by winning this quarter-final clash.

They come into this game against the Championship outfit off the back of a stunning 5-1 win over Slovakian side SK Slovan at Parkhead on Wednesday night.

It was a fantastic evening for the Scottish Premiership champions, who picked up their first win in Europe this year, after they finished bottom of their Champions League group last season.

Brendan Rodgers’ side swept them aside with relative ease as Liam Scales, Kyogo Furuhashi, Arne Engels, Daizen Maeda, and Adam Idah all got their names on the scoresheet.

This clash with a second tier team in the League Cup, despite it being a quarter-final, now provides the Northern Irish head coach with a chance to rotate his squad.

Two players who may have nailed down their places in the starting XI are James Forrest and Idah, who caught the eye off the bench on Wednesday.

Why Adam Idah and James Forrest should start

The attacking duo were used as substitutes against Slovan but still managed to combine for a goal, as the winger played a fantastic through ball for the Ireland international to slot past the goalkeeper for Celtic’s fifth.

That was Idah’s first goal for the Hoops since his permanent move from Norwich City during the summer transfer window, after spending the second half of the 2023/24 campaign on loan at Parkhead.

The 6 foot 3 marksman had plundered eight goals in 15 appearances in the Premiership, despite starting just five matches, during his loan spell, whilst also scoring the winner in the SFA Cup final against Rangers.

This shows that the former Canaries academy graduate has the quality to provide a huge goalscoring threat for the Scottish giants, which is why Rodgers should be comfortable handing the 23-year-old ace a start against Falkirk.

Forrest, meanwhile, has enjoyed an impressive start to the season, with four assists in seven appearances in all competitions and three assists in his last four games.

The Scottish forward could come in to replace Daizen Maeda on the flank, whilst Idah could come in for Kyogo Furuhashi in the centre-forward position.

These two changes appear to be obvious ones, after their combination for the fifth goal on Wednesday, but another player Rodgers must unleash from the start is central midfielder Paulo Bernardo.

Why Paulo Bernardo should start

The Portugal U21 international was unfortunate to be dropped from the starting XI this month after his promising displays for the Scottish side in August.

Bernardo re-joined the Hoops from Benfica on a permanent deal during the summer transfer window, after spending the 2023/24 campaign on loan, and hit the ground running last month.

The 22-year-old maestro started the wins over St Mirren and Rangers and caught the eye with his all-action performances in the middle of the park.

Key passes

2

3

Big chances created

1

1

Ground duels won

4/9

10/15

Aerial duels won

2/3

2/3

Tackles won

3

5

As you can see in the table above, Bernardo offered quality in and out of possession for the Scottish giants in both of the games that he started in the Premiership.

The £5.8k-per-week star, who was once described as “tenacious” by Rodgers, won 18 duels and eight tackles in just two matches, which shows that the midfielder was able to consistently win possession back for his side.

Bernardo also showcased his ability on the ball, with five key passes and two ‘big chances’ created, as he used his creativity to put chances on a plate for his teammates.

Despite those sublime performances, the Portuguese starlet has found himself on the bench in the last two matches, against Hearts and Slovan, behind fellow summer signing Arne Engels.

This League Cup clash with Falkirk, however, provides Rodgers with an opportunity to bring the former Benfica prospect back into the starting XI, to allow him to continue the fine form he showed in the wins over St Mirren and Rangers.

He has proven that the quality is there for him to be an impressive performer for Celtic in midfield, which is why the manager should not have any concerns about playing him from the start in this game.

Arne Engels' superb start to his Celtic career

The 21-year-old wizard joined the Scottish giants from Bundesliga side Augsburg for a club-record fee of £11m during the summer transfer window.

That significant transfer fee brought pressure and expectation with it and, so far, Engels has taken all of it in his stride and enjoyed a perfect start to his career in Glasgow.

The central midfielder came off the bench against Rangers at the start of the month, having signed less than 48 hours before kick-off, before being placed in the starting line-up for the last two games by Rodgers.

Goals

1

1

Assists

0

1

Big chances created

0

1

Duels won

6/10

9/13

Tackles won

1

6

As you can see in the table above, the Belgium international produced two goals and one assist in those matches, with both of his goals coming from the penalty spot.

The former Bundesliga starlet also showcased his defensive attributes with 15 duels won, out of 23 contested, and seven tackles made against Hearts and Slovan.

These statistics show that, like Bernardo, Engels has the ability to be an all-action presence in the middle of the park for Celtic, by making an impact in and out of possession.

Alongside Engels & Scales: 8/10 Celtic star was Rodgers' unsung hero

The Hoops defender enjoyed a terrific night at Parkhead in the Champions League.

ByDan Emery Sep 19, 2024

However, Rodgers must now drop the Belgian gem back down to the bench to provide Bernardo with a chance to play from the start in this cup clash, whilst resting the £11m star for the upcoming Premiership and Champions League games.