All posts by z3u9t.icu

Glasgow Rangers defender Leon Balogun has slammed UEFA and FIFA amid the racism row involving Glen Kamara.

Balogun slams governing bodies

During the Gers’ 2-0 defeat to Slavia Prague at Ibrox in their Europa League round of 16 second leg, Kamara was the subject of alleged racist abuse from Ondrej Kudela.

Slavia have moved to deny those allegations (slavia.cz), while Kamara has released a statement backing up his claim. Speaking to German publication Kicker, Balogun has slammed the governing bodies’ lack of action, as he said:

“What is missing: That UEFA or FIFA will take action. I am no longer interested in these wretched campaigns. That is all well and good, but the campaign content must also be lived authentically and must not remain just empty words. Designing captain’s armbands with the label “No Racism” is of no use if racist incidents are not punished again in the end. I have the feeling that “People of Color” are used to promote the supposedly cosmopolitan and inclusive values ​​of the FIFA and UEFA brands. But when it is precisely these players that are attacked, far too often people are silent. I would like the expensive campaigns to be followed by action.”

Hard to disagree

It is hard to disagree with Balogun – it feels as though there is a distinct lack of desire from both UEFA and FIFA to make real strides in the battle against racism. Incredibly, the £80,000 fine Nicklas Bendtner received for showing Paddy Power on his boxer shorts at Euro 2012 was higher than all but one punishment dished out by UEFA for racism offences in the previous decade (inews.co.uk).

While campaigns such as Say No to Racism and even kneeling as part of the Black Lives Matters movement might raise a certain amount of awareness to the cause, it is nowhere near enough to eradicate this issue. UEFA and FIFA must both do more in this fight rather than hoping the problem goes away.

In other news, Rangers eye this defender as Filip Helander is linked with a move away from Ibrox.

Celtic could be heading one step closer to appointing Eddie Howe as their next manager in a landmark move…

What’s the word?

According to the Daily Record this week, newly-appointed CEO Dominic McKay is set to start his role earlier than expected, as the Hoops’ massive rebuild gets underway.

McKay was due to start on July 1st, when Peter Lawwell will step away after 17 years in charge of the Scottish giants. But with major decisions needing to be made on their future, he is expected to quit his current job at the SRU.

It’s thought this move could be announced as early as Tuesday morning, with the Stock Exchanges reopening after the Easter break, some three months early than McKay was originally planned to take the helm.

Incoming manager?

This surely means that the Bhoys’ next managerial appointment is in sight, having ‘sacked’ Neil Lennon over a month ago.

The aforementioned report goes onto claim that McKay has already held talks with Howe over the vacant role at Parkhead, meaning this latest update should see that come to fruition before the end of the current campaign.

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Celtic are also looking for a new Director of Football to replace Nick Hammond, and it’s believed that Howe has already suggested his former AFC Bournemouth counterpart, Richard Hughes.

This all appears as if the next era at Celtic Park is coming to a head. If McKay does indeed start his new role this week, then the Hoops faithful can begin to get very excited following what has been a turgid and failed campaign.

Given the sheer size of the clearout at the 51-time league champions, we’re certainly about to embark on a landmark occasion – new CEO, new manager, new DOF and likely a shuffle in playing squad too, with club captain Scott Brown already on his way out.

That’s exactly why the Scottish outfit cannot rest on their laurels and why McKay will begin to set the foundations early.

Only a few days ago, reports surfaced suggesting that Howe was the front-runner for the Parkhead job, with The Sun claiming that the ex-Cherries boss had met with Dermot Desmond.

Now with McKay likely through the door this week, we can surely expect the 43-year-old to follow suit shortly after. Excitement should start to increase ahead of the summer for the loyal Bhoys army.

AND in other news, Fresh twist emerges in Celtic manager hunt…

Eddie Howe has been claimed to be eyeing up Newcastle United if Steve Bruce were to leave St James’ Park, according to Danny Mills.

The former Bournemouth manager has recently been linked with the northeast club should Bruce lose his job, and Mills has told Football Insider that he thinks that the 43-year-old will be looking at the Magpies if the job did become vacant, saying:

“He may be just waiting to see what other jobs he gets offered.

“He might be thinking ‘If Newcastle stay up, does the Newcastle job become available? Is that on offer?’ 

“That’s a big club, new owners potentially and a big budget.

“Only Eddie Howe will know what he wants to do next, unfortunately.”

Newcastle should hire Howe if Bruce leaves

Newcastle should look no further than to appoint Howe as their new coach if Bruce were to leave in the coming months.

Former Premier League striker Noel Whelan described the 43-year-old as a ‘fantastic’ manager back in March, and his time at the Cherries goes a long way in showing just that, bringing them from League Two to the top flight and then keeping them there for five straight seasons before they were relegated last summer.

His previous experience of managing in the division could be valuable for the Toon, and his attractive style of play may go down very well with the fans.

Nonetheless, Newcastle should seriously consider appointing Howe as their next manager if Bruce were to leave, and at a relatively young age for the job, the ex-Cherries boss could build something on Tyneside for years to come.

In other news, find out what big relegation claim has been dropped on the potential takeover!

With reports linking Leeds with a move for Romain Perraud, Marcelo Bielsa now has the perfect chance to wave goodbye to Gjanni Alioski.

The Athletic’s Phil Hay first revealed a couple of months ago that the Whites are eyeing up a summer move for the Stade Brest left-back, and now, The Daily Mail have confirmed Leeds’ interest, adding that they are set to face competition from the likes of Lyon and Marseille.

By signing the 23-year-old, Leeds could finally offload Alioski and start a new chapter at Elland Road.

Reports in recent weeks have suggested that the Leeds ace is set to depart the club in the summer when his contract expires, with Turkish giants Galatasaray apparently reaching a pre-contract deal with him.

Speaking after the 0-0 draw against Chelsea a few weeks ago, former Leeds ace Noel Whelan took aim at the £3.6m-rated Alioski for his defending and urged Bielsa to go after a new left-back in the summer.

The 46-year-old said: “Leeds need a natural full-back there that you know can cover most bases, definitely defensively because as much as he gives everything, he is a liability. He’s not the best of defenders.

“I think that’s why you could see a lot going down that left-hand side, really targeting Alioski and you saw that frailty there at times.”

In Perraud, not only would they be getting a solid defender, but someone who really comes into his own going forward and providing his team with a vital attacking outlet.

Writing a profile piece for The Athletic, Hay noted: “Perraud, 23, played for France up to under-20s level and his performance data — taken from smarterscout, which gives detailed analytics on players all over the world and gives ratings between zero and 99 across a series of metrics — shows characteristics which would meet Bielsa requirements: a creative edge and a high number of dribbles and shots for a player at his position, combined with a very active role in pressing defensively.”

As per Whoscored, Perraud outshines Alioski in virtually all the key categories both offensively and defensively, averaging more interceptions, key passes, shots, dribbles and crosses, while also being dribbled half the amount of times as the Leeds man.

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The £7.2m-rated Perraud is just a major upgrade on Alioski, and being significantly younger too, would be fancied to develop into a more well-rounded full-back as the years go by.

Meanwhile, Leeds must unleash this starlet if Raphinha is injured…

Dean Windass has exclusively told Football FanCast that Jose Mourinho’s stature could see Tottenham land Sergio Aguero this summer.

Having recently announced that he’ll be leaving Manchester City at the end of the season, the Argentinian striker, who has netted 257 goals for the club, will be searching for a new team once his contract expires at the Etihad.

A report earlier this month from The Telegraph revealed that Aguero would consider staying in the Premier League and signing for a club that are not in the Champions League next season, and is open to joining clubs such as Chelsea and Tottenham

But whilst Windass believes that a move to north London is possible, he could only see Aguero signing for Spurs should Harry Kane head the other way or leave in some capacity, because the City striker will still want to be first-choice.

Windass told Football FanCast:

“I said no to Chelsea, because I don’t think Chelsea will win you anything. I would say yes to Tottenham because of the affinity with Mourinho – I can see that blossoming. The only way Aguero will go to Tottenham is if Harry Kane goes to Man United or Man City, because he won’t want to go and sit on the bench.

“If Kane goes the other way then there’s a bit of a deal going on, but I’m going to stick my neck on the line and say he’ll go abroad, I don’t think he’ll stay in England.”

According to a report by Football Insider, top flight counterparts Aston Villa are ‘ready to rival’ West Ham United in the race to sign Jesse Lingard permanently this summer – dealing a possible blow to the Hammers and David Moyes as they wish to keep him at the London Stadium past his loan.

Villa ‘ready to rival’ Hammers for Lingard

Lingard has been in sensational form under Moyes since joining West Ham on a permanent deal in January, scoring an electric nine goals and assisting three others in just 10 Premier League games (WhoScored).

The 28-year-old, as a result, could be targeted heavily in the summer as his future at parent club Manchester United becomes the subject of intense speculation.

West Ham are thought to be very eager on making his move to the London Stadium permanent, but Football Insider are now reporting they may well face stern competition from Villa if the Red Devils are open to selling.

Transfer Tavern take

GSB are reportedly willing to move ‘heaven and earth’ to complete a deal for the Englishman, but yet another interested party could provide a roadblock.

Leicester City are also said to be tracking Lingard ahead of a possible summer swoop, and judging by his start to life in east London, it’s safe to say Irons supporters will be hopeful they can win the race ahead of their competitors.

Lingard’s form under Moyes has even propelled him back into Gareth Southgate’s thoughts for the England national team, just months after barely featuring at Old Trafford.

This highlights just how brilliant he has been since signing for West Ham, but as the club reportedly aim to complete a permanent move, they will have to navigate yet more competition from other Premier League sides.

In other news: West Ham in line to land this striker, but it’s not Edouard – find out more here.

Former Premier League midfielder Lee Hendrie has told Football FanCast in an exclusive interview that it would be brilliant if Jose Mourinho joined Celtic.

Mourinho is, of course, set to start a search for work following his recent sacking as Tottenham manager. Meanwhile, Celtic’s own search involving the dugout goes on after Neil Lennon’s resignation back in February.

Eddie Howe was said to be the frontrunner for the job, but that has since gone cold. It leaves Celtic needing to consider other options and, now that he is available, there has been some talk about Mourinho potentially being that other option for the Bhoys.

For Hendrie, it is something that he would love to see. He told FFC:

“Listen, I’m a Celtic fan; I’d like to see him up there. I think he’d bring a bit of character to the place and, yes, it would be brilliant for Scottish football.”

Having already managed Chelsea twice, Manchester United and now Tottenham, as far as managing in England goes, Mourinho is running out of top teams to coach.

When you consider that, perhaps his next venture is likely to be outside of the Premier League. And if he wants to continue managing at a huge club and competing for trophies, then joining Celtic could be a very a logical move.

According to a report from the Evening Standard, Chelsea will want in the region of £40 million for striker Tammy Abraham – coming after ExWHUemployee’s recent big claim that he is now West Ham United’s number one forward target.

Indeed, West Ham are still keen on Abraham and especially if manager David Moyes does the previously unthinkable and guides his side to a Champions League place.

GSB told asking price for Abraham

However, the report also suggests that the Irons will face competition from Serie A giants AC Milan for Abraham’s signature – dealing a possible blow in their hopes of landing the Englishman.

As well as this, Chelsea will demand a £40 million asking price due to the fact manager Thomas Tuchel wants to bring in ‘at least’ one top class striker this summer.

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Romelu Lukaku, Sergio Aguero and Erling Haaland are on the west London side’s shortlist of targets but the club will aim for a financial bolster with the £40m sale of Abraham.

Transfer Tavern take

Given his age, the fact he is homegrown and his goal record over the past two seasons – we believe it is no surprise he is West Ham’s priority striking target, per the reliable ExWHUemployee.

In the Premier League alone, he has bagged a consistent 21 goals in 37 starts since the beginning of 2019/2020 (WhoScored) – as well as being dubbed a ‘phenomenal player’ recently by former Scotland manager Alex McLeish (Football Insider).

However, as GSB are told it will take £40m to sign the forward, West Ham may need to invest heavily as they also aim to clinch a permanent deal for star loanee Jesse Lingard.

With Lingard’s price only going upwards thanks to his incredible form, we feel it will be difficult for Moyes to convince GSB to part with two big transfer fees for the English pair.

In other news: GSB are also ‘dreaming’ of a return for this star, find out more here.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Leicester City striker Brian Deane believes Brendan Rodgers could be in it for the long haul at the King Power.

Premier League rivals Tottenham recently sacked Jose Mourinho, who will take over at AS Roma in the summer, sending them on a search for a new manager.

That search seemed to have taken them to Rodgers, but the 48-year-old quickly put a stop to things by declaring his intention to remain in the East Midlands.

And now Deane is hoping to see Rodgers cement a legacy at the King Power, a legacy that could include Champions League football and an FA Cup trophy.

When asked by FFC if Rodgers’ long-term future is at Leicester having turned down a big club like Tottenham, the ex-Premier League forward said:

“I’d like to think that he’s going to stay there. He’s come in at Leicester and he’s put his mark on it.

“You don’t have to go to the biggest clubs to achieve massive things. It’s more of an achievement for him to achieve something at Leicester than it is at Tottenham, believe me.”

Speaking on the subject further, Deane also went on to add:

“He will go down as one of their best ever managers based on the fact that he’s come in, they play the kind of football that they do and they’ve got a chance of winning a cup now.

“If I was Brendan Rodgers, I’d just be happy to sort of like cement your legacy where he is and hopefully he does that.”

Indeed, Rodgers is on course to becoming a Leicester legend, something he could probably achieve this season with an FA Cup triumph at Wembley.

Mark Warburton’s Queens Park Rangers attacking midfielder, Ilias Chair, is attracting a significant amount of interest ahead of the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Athletic, who claim that all four of Watford, Anderlecht, Club Brugge, Bologna and Genoa are keen on a move for the £3.6 million-rated 23-year-old in the upcoming transfer market.

It is reported that Watford’s interest is particularly strong, although Xisco Munoz’s side are not thought to be preparing an offer for the 23-year-old at present.

Bhatia must not sell

So far this season, Chair has been in excellent form over his 45 Championship appearances for Mark Warburton’s side, bagging eight goals, registering four assists and creating seven big chances, as well as making an average of 1.6 key passes and taking 1.9 shots per game, culminating in an average SofaScore match rating of 7.04 – ranking him as QPR’s joint fourth-best performer in the second tier.

As a result of this fine form, the Rs tied Chair down to a new four-and-half-year deal at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium back in January, with the Morocco U23 international now reported to be earning £7,100-per-week until the summer of 2025.

However, despite the fact that this contract means Amit Bhatia could demand a relatively high transfer fee for the midfielder this summer, it is crucial that the club retains the services of Chair beyond the upcoming transfer window, in order to provide Warburton with the best possible chance of mounting a push for promotion in QPR’s next league campaign.

Furthermore, despite the fact that the youngster has returned a tremendous amount of goals and assists this season, considering he is still only 23-years-old very much helps to form the argument that Chair still has much improving to do as he matures as a footballer, opening the possibility of QPR earning a higher fee for the midfielder further down the line.

As such, it would appear highly advisable that Bhatia should do all he can to reject the advances of any potential suitors for Chair this summer.

In other news: Get him gone: Warburton must axe £7k-p/w QPR flop this summer, fans have had enough – opinion