All posts by z3u9t.icu

Many Glasgow Rangers fans were far from happy with a Twitter headline with regards to a story involving Bristol Rovers manager Joey Barton.

On the pitch, Barton is best known for his time in the Premier League with the likes of Manchester City, Newcastle United, QPR and Burnley. However, both he and many Rangers fans would probably like to forget his spell in Scotland, as he made just eight appearances for the 55-time Scottish champions (Transfermarkt).

In all fairness, his time at Ibrox was mainly forgettable, having had his contract terminated early following a training ground altercation and an investigation from the Scottish FA over alleged breaches of gambling rules (BBC).

Barton is once again in the news for the wrong reasons, with him now having been charged with assault, and the STV have decided to go with a questionable headline – they have decided to describe Barton as a “former Rangers midfielder”. Even if he did briefly play in Scotland, there are surely more relevant ways to describe him.

The headline, which was shared on Twitter by STV, attracted plenty of attention from furious Gers supporters. These fans took to the social media platform to share their thoughts on how the story was presented.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about the Barton headline

“Absolutely appalling considering the guy played literally half a season for us and has had at least 2 other clubs since leaving us. Why am I not surprised”

Credit: @james12hendry

“GET A GRIP WITH YOUR GUTTERPRESS REPORTING!! Former Rangers player?? 5 years since he made 5 appearances for @RangersFC”

Credit: @LawTRICIA

“This is a bit laughable considering he’s the current manager of Bristol Rovers. Anything to paint Rangers in a negative light though eh”

Credit: @garryhood1872

“Very poor journalism”

Credit: @lothianguy

“bet it felt great after typing that. Muppets.”

Credit: @GlasgowIsBlue72

“Amateur journalism at its best!”

Credit: @hariborfc

In other news, Rangers are set to sell this “faultless” ace.

Tottenham Hotspur hero Graham Roberts has urged the club to sign Marcel Sabitzer from RB Leipzig this summer.

Sabitzer has been heavily linked with a potential move to Spurs across the past year.

The 27-year-old is a versatile presence who can play on either flank, in attacking midfield and in central midfield.

This season, the Austria international made 27 Bundesliga appearances and scored eight goals, while registering four assists.

He also impressed in his country’s opening game of Euro 2020, providing an assist in their 3-1 win over North Macedonia.

Football.London has reported that Sabitzer could be available for a bargain fee of around £15m this summer, with just a year left on his contract, and Roberts believes Spurs need to get a deal done quickly to ensure he ends up in north London.

Speaking exclusively to The Transfer Tavern, he said: “We’ve been chasing him for a while. It’s now, do we go and get him?

“They have said he can be sold this year so we might wait until August to get him but yeah, I think we need to go and get him, and we need to go and get him very, very quickly.”

Sabitzer has been with Leipzig since 2014 and has made 227 appearances in total, scoring 52 goals and laying on 42 assists.

Alan Nixon believes Roy Keane is desperate to become Celtic’s new manager.

The Lowdown: Keane’s previous links

Keane, a former Champions League winner as a player, has been linked with the vacant role in recent months.

The 49-year-old was in talks with the Hoops board in March and was back in the frame for the job a few weeks later.

Eddie Howe appeared to be Keane’s main rival for the job back then, however, a move for the Englishman fell through on Friday, with the Hoops now thought to be in advanced talks with Ange Postecoglou.

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The Latest: Nixon’s claim on Keane

Nixon was asked about the possibility of Keane landing the job over Postecoglou on Twitter by a Celtic fan on Saturday evening.

The Sun writer replied, dropping a huge three-word claim by believing Keane ‘wants it badly’. However, according to Nixon, the Hoops hierarchy don’t want him.

“Keane wants it badly. But people in power there don’t want him. Shame. Would have been fun.”

The Verdict: Hoops making the right call

Even though Keane seemingly wants to return to management after 10 years away, we think Celtic are making the correct decision by having no interest in giving him the job.

Martin O’Neill appears to be in Dermot Desmond’s ear, staking his claim for Keane to get the job, but it seems even the opinion of a Hoops hero hasn’t persuaded the owner to change his mind.

Celtic have held extensive talks with Postecoglou and have submitted an offer for the Yokohama F. Marinos boss, who was coy on a move to Scotland on Sunday.

Postecoglou has only had a three-month break from management over the last 12 years, so that experience could be a key factor in Celtic looking at him over the Irishman, who has simply been out of the dugout for too long to trust as a reliable option.

In other news: Anthony Joseph shares three factors why Eddie Howe move fell through, find out more here. 

Tottenham Hotspur are expected to announce former Juventus chief Fabio Paratici as their new sporting director in the near future, and he will have one monumental job on his hands.

The North London outfit have appeared to be in freefall ever since losing the Champions League final to Liverpool.

Mauricio Pochettino was sacked, Jose Mourinho has come and gone, Harry Kane wants to leave, and there’s a new low of being in the Europa Conference League next season.

Having won 19 trophies in 11 years in Turin, the Italian talent-spotter is in for one hell of a task at Spurs, where a piece of silverware has escaped them for 13 years.

Paratici could bolster his impact immediately by making one major decision within the current squad, however.

Since the end of the 2020/21 season, a lot has been made on the future of right-back Serge Aurier.

Football Insider claimed last month that a return to former club Paris Saint-Germain was ‘95%’ done, with the Lilywhites set to clinch £20m-plus for his signature.

It has since gone quiet on the situation but comments from the player himself have emerged in the last week or so. During an interview with L’Equipe, the 28-year-old claimed:

“Everyone knows that if I wanted to extend my contract at Tottenham, I’d have already done so. I’m not going to do that in six months’ time. I’ve experienced the Premier League and a Champions League final. I’ve reached the end of a cycle and it’s time to look elsewhere.”

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That is him practically saying his time at Spurs has come to an end, so it’s now on Paratici to generate as many funds as possible from his exit.

This could be a blessing in disguise for whoever takes the helm next season, with Spurs still on the search for Jose Mourinho’s successor.

As perfectly put by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher earlier in the year, Aurier is “one of the biggest liabilities in Premier League football” and is “a player who would possibly put you off management with the amount of crazy decision he makes.”

It’s not the first time that the 66-cap Ivory Coast international has been described in this manner as he clearly makes these mistakes regularly. Two former Spurs players have previously echoed Carragher’s thoughts.

Jamie O’Hara tweeted that Aurier was an “absolute liability” during their defeat to Leeds earlier in the season, whilst over a year ago, Darren Bent lambasted him as a “liability” too.

Considering he is amongst the current high-earners at the club, earning a reported £120k-per-week, Paratici must absolutely look to move him on as one of his first pieces of business.

Valued at £18m, the incoming sporting director should be able to generate a decent amount from his departure this summer. If he does, then it’ll certainly be the perfect start to his reign in North London.

AND in other news, Journo reveals fresh twist in Spurs’ manager search that’ll surely leave fans thrilled…

Millwall are set to make a second attempt to bring Josh Windass to The Den this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by the South London Press, who claim that Gary Rowett’s side are preparing a second offer for the Sheffield Wednesday attacking midfielder after having an initial £400k bid rejected for the 27-year-old.

Despite the Lions’ apparent intentions, Yorkshire Live report that Darren Moore is unwilling to sanction the sale of the £1.44m-rated man this summer, as he sees Windass as a crucial part of his Owls side moving forwards.

Rowett must move

With Millwall having enjoyed a highly impressive campaign in the Championship last time out, with Rowett’s side securing an 11th place finish in the second tier table, it is not a difficult scenario to imagine that, with a couple of decent additions to his squad this summer, the 47-year-old could well mount a push for a top-six spot next season.

And, considering how impressive Windass was last term, despite playing for a side who finished bottom of the Championship table, the 27-year-old would certainly appear to be a signing who would boost the Lions’ chances of going on to land a play-off place in their upcoming campaign.

Indeed, over his 41 Championship appearances for Wednesday in 2020/21, Windass scored nine goals, provided six assists and created seven big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.9 shots and making 0.7 key passes per game.

These returns saw the £10k-per-week man earn a seasonal SofaScore match rating of 6.80, ranking him as Moore’s seventh-best performer in the second tier of English football.

Windass’ nine league goals were bettered only by Jed Wallace of Millwall players last term, while the 27-year-old’s six Championship assists would have ranked the attacking midfielder top of the Lions’ assist charts.

As such, it would seem highly advisable for Rowett to do everything he can to get a deal over the line for the man whose father, Dean, dubbed an “explosive” player this summer, as the Wednesday star could well take Millwall’s game to a whole new level in their upcoming campaign.

In other news: Get him gone: Rowett must ruthlessly axe “powerful” £10k-p/w Harris flop at Millwall

Marcus Bent has exclusively told Football FanCast that Everton are going to listen to offers for Mason Holgate this summer.

This comes despite the defender being a regular in Carlo Ancelotti’s side this term.

Holgate has shown a great deal of versatility by turning out at both centre-back and right-back this season and even played in a defensive midfield role during the draw at Brighton last month.

But Bent fears that his days at Goodison Park could be numbered, just 15 months after he signed a new long-term contract with the club.

Everton’s central defensive department has been highly competitive this season, but Holgate has still made 31 appearances in all competitions, with Ancelotti opting to chop and change his back four on a regular basis.

Michael Keane and Yerry Mina have been his preferred centre-back pairing, but with Seamus Coleman and Ben Godfrey sharing the right-back role, former Toffees striker Bent believes that the club are looking to cash-in on Holgate.

He told Football FanCast:

“Well, he’s not really played too much. There’s been a lot of swapping in and out of the team, and he’s had a lot of defensive partners.

“Is that because the manager doesn’t fancy him? I spoke to someone and I think they’re going to listen to offers, and if the right offer comes then maybe they’ll push him off.”

In an exclusive interview with Transfer Tavern, Dean Windass, who made 402 career appearances, has claimed that former West Ham attacker Marko Arnautovic would be an ideal fit for Crystal Palace.

Arnautovic, who left West Ham in 2019 to join Chinese Super League side Shanghai Port, has been linked with a move back to the Premier League with both West Ham and Palace interested in the 32-year old.

The Austrian enjoyed a relatively successful time in the Premier League with both Stoke City and the Hammers, as he managed to score a combined total of 48 goals for both clubs.

Speaking on why Arnautovic would be a good player for Palace and how the Austrian would fit into their side, Windass exclusively told The Transfer Tavern:

“I think Palace would be a good fit for him on that right-hand side with Zaha on the left-hand side and it would take the pressure off of him a little bit.

“If he’s available then I think Palace will be looking at someone like him with the way they play, but the problem with him is that on his day he’s unbelievable, but when he isn’t he’s not very good.”

Arnautovic didn’t leave on the best terms with the Hammers back in 2019 as his brother pleaded with West Ham to accept an offer for the striker.

Crystal Palace are currently the league’s sixth-lowest scorers, so whoever their manager is next season will be looking to address their issues in the final third.

It has now been nearly three months since Neil Lennon headed for the departure lounge at Celtic and left the Bhoys behind.

It has been a testing time for everyone at Parkhead but it finally looks as though the club is on the home stretch in their quest for his successor.

What’s the word?

Celtic have been in advanced talks with Eddie Howe for the best part of a month now and it would appear that a landmark deal is finally moving closer to completion. The Daily Mail reported last week that a deal was now being finalised and that point of view has now been reiterated by Daily Record journalist Keith Jackson.

In his latest column, he hinted at a move now being closer than ever, with the hierarchy relatively stress-free.

He wrote: “That those closest to these confidential conversations appear to be entirely relaxed about what happens next, also suggests not only that some sort of action plan has been thrashed out and agreed but that it is already being put into practice well out of public view.

“The smart money remains heavily stacked on Eddie Howe’s eventual appointment as Lennon’s permanent replacement. The informed word is, it’s only a matter of when Desmond lands his top target as opposed to if.”

McKay will be buzzing

Celtic need a new manager and they need one quickly given their awful season. Therefore, to hear the news that an agreement is close should be music to the ears of the hierarchy.

That’s especially when you consider how Dermot Desmond and Peter Lawwell made a complete mess of finding Brendan Rodgers’ successor.

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Much of what has gone wrong in the last year or so can be traced back to the moment they hired Neil Lennon. Celtic received a compensation fee of nearly £10m for Rodgers when he exited for Leicester but what actually happened to those funds is anybody’s guess.

In typical Hoops fashion, they took the easy way out when the Northern Irishman left for the Premier League. They went back in time and, instead of looking towards the future, hired Lennon for a second stint at the helm.

Lawwell could have done the same here and given John Kennedy the reins on a permanent basis but, with a new figure in the Celtic hierarchy in the recently-appointed chief executive Dominic McKay, it appears to have done wonders for their thinking.

Advanced discussions were on the table for Howe before McKay had even walked through the door but his arrival appears to have sped things up.

Celtic’s vacant director of football position was suddenly no longer an issue for Howe and then he seemed to get his way in regards to his own coaching staff. Again, this was something which wasn’t strictly allowed when Lennon re-entered the football club back in 2019.

This may have been a disastrous campaign for the Bhoys but things are slightly beginning to change for the better. McKay will deserve some early plaudits when Howe does finally arrive.

AND in other news, Celtic can finally axe McGregor by signing “undroppable” 21 y/o, he’s been “excellent”…

When Ross Barkley began to break through at Goodison Park over a decade ago, he was hailed as one of the very best talents to come through the Everton set-up.

It was easy to see why. Blessed with creativity, goals and quick feet, Barkley was everything that makes you excited about a young player.

Tim Cahill dubbed him a “special talent” back in 2011 before Martin Keown predicted the attacking midfielder to be one of the best players we’ve ever seen in this country.

It’s fair to say Barkley has never lived up to that tag. He provided the Toffees with 12 goals in all competitions during the 2015/16 campaign before eventually earning a move to Chelsea.

The 27-year-old is now at the peak of his powers but a number of injuries and a lack of game time at Stamford Bridge have halted his development.

An £11m loan spell followed at Aston Villa but after scoring just once during his time in the Midlands, it appears his career is falling away again.

That being said, a move back to Everton could revive his fortunes. The Toffees have been installed as favourites to re-sign the England international but Chelsea value him at £35m.

If they can bump the price tag down considerably he’d be a worthwhile addition. After all, he’s still fabulous when in possession of the ball.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast this week, Marcus Bent failed to rule out a move:

“Ross Barkley, for me, when he came through, and still is, an absolute talent, the problem being is that he hasn’t stabilised a spot at any team,” he began.

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Bent continued: “If he were to go back to Everton, and I’ve spoken to Everton and they’re lacking that in midfield. He’s got skill on the ball, he’s like a Stevie G.

“He went to Chelsea at a young age and hasn’t done it, so going back to Everton, this is a chance to go home and get at a club that he knows well. The fans love him.”

From a creative point of view, Everton only really have Gylfi Sigurdsson and James Rodriguez capable of filling that spot of the traditional number 10. That said, both players have been favoured in wide positions at various times this season.

As such, Barkley would fill a void that’s currently missing in Carlo Ancelotti’s team.

They have tough tacklers in Abdoulaye Doucoure and Allan but Barkley is brave in a different manner.

Speaking about Barkley during his time in Merseyside, Roberto Martinez said: “When we develop young players [in England], I don’t think we credit that sort of bravery. Sometimes you get confused that it is all about going strong in tackles and trying to win 50-50 balls. That bravery is part of the intensity of the whole game.”

Martinez added: “But the bravery that Ross has is that he will show for the ball from any angle, he’ll want it, he’ll try to be positive and make things happen for the team. When he gets in the box, when he controls the situation, that is the sign of an incredible footballer.”

In amassing two shots and 1.3 key passes per game during the course of his career, there is clearly a talented attacking player in there.

His best days were at Everton, so by moving back to Goodison we could see the best of Barkley once again. The Toffees should definitely consider a switch.

AND in other news, Everton eye swoop for “unpredictable” £34.5m wizard, he could be their new Deulofeu…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Marlon Harewood, who spent four years as a West Ham player, believes David Moyes has enough quality and squad depth to qualify for the Champions League, despite their current injury crisis.

In the last three weeks, Moyes has seen Declan Rice, Mark Noble, Michail Antonio and Aaron Cresswell all head to the treatment room having picked up injuries at the business end of the season.

West Ham beat Leicester City 3-2 last week despite Cresswell and Noble going off injured, and Moyes will be looking to keep up their Champions League push this weekend when they face Newcastle United, who are unbeaten in their last two games.

Speaking on why he’s confident Moyes has enough to get the job done and how there are plenty of options for the Scot to turn to during this crisis, Harewood told FFC:

“Moyes thinks he’s got enough in the squad to compete and to try and stay in the top four and if someone else gets injured I’m sure he will be able to throw someone else in.

“We’ve got some young lads that are coming through that could do a job, but Moyes thinks he’s got enough in his squad.”

Moyes’ first injury blow came off the back of the international break as Rice returned to West Ham with an injury that is likely to keep him out of action for at least a month.

West Ham have seven games left this season and only two of them are against sides in the top half of the Premier League, with their hardest game set to come next week against Chelsea.