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Whoever replaces Neil Lennon as Celtic’s new manager will have a seismic job on their hands.

Given how terribly this campaign has gone, they will need to rip things up and almost start again. Certainly, with Peter Lawwell also departing in the summer, lots of change will be needed in order to take Celtic back to the top.

A plethora of renowned coaches from within the football world have been linked with the vacancy. Whether it’s Frank Lampard or Roberto Martinez, some eye-catching names are regularly being branded about.

Though, one manager who hasn’t been in the discussion too much is Stoke boss Michael O’Neill. On paper, this might not look like an attractive proposition for Hoops supporters but they’d be foolish to ignore him.

Trevor Sinclair recently spoke about his chances of moving to Glasgow and how a man with his CV could be game-changing in Glasgow. He told talkSPORT (24/02 – 10:30am): “I would look at Michael O’Neill. He’s done a fantastic job with the Northern Ireland national team, he’s done a superb job with Stoke City,” he began.

Sinclair concluded: “(O’Neill) is a David Moyes kind of manager. He knows the game inside out, how to run clubs from top to bottom. You need a manager like that to come in and give the club a shake – and I think that’s what is needed.”

Indeed, despite O’Neill’s win rate of just 39% with Stoke, he has revived them, replicating a similar sort of job that he did with the Northern Irish national side.

When he walked into that job, they were in a desperate place. Northern Ireland were very quickly slipping towards their lowest FIFA ranking and in September 2012, were placed 129th. O’Neill, however, used supreme professionalism and tactical acumen to breathe fresh life into not only the team but also the country as a whole.

Just four years later, they were competing at the European Championships in France. They weren’t just there to make up the numbers either. O’Neill had guided his team from being one of the worst in Europe based on FIFA rankings to reaching the last 16 at the Euros.

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Wales knocked them out, but despite that, O’Neill had brought a country and its fan base together with his pragmatic approach.

In the words of BBC reporter Richard Petrie; “O’Neill’s philosophy of the sum of the parts being more effective than individual star performers built a sense of togetherness and collective team spirit which served a squad with a paucity of Premier League players at its disposal well.”

Petrie continued: “Tactically, his style was pragmatic – always a bespoke game plan in place depending on the opposition – difficult to break down, with pressing and exploiting opportunities to score from set-pieces or on the counter-attack in mind. It was a formation that his squad grew comfortable and familiar with and yielded positive results.”

For a side like Celtic, so in need of being revived, this could be ideal. You only need to look at what he’s done for Stoke too.

The Potters were sitting rock bottom of the English Championship when the 51-year-old took over in September 2019. He subsequently guided them to a finish of 15th last term. This season, meanwhile, they are now sitting in 11th position with an outside chance of reaching the playoffs.

He has engineered successful revivals in two successive jobs now. With that in mind, O’Neill seems like the ideal man for a crisis. Celtic could benefit ten-fold from his arrival at Parkhead.

AND in other news, Forget Harper: Kennedy should unleash 18 y/o gem never-seen in the Celtic first-team…

Newcastle United have landed a huge boost ahead of Sunday’s Premier League clash with West Bromwich Albion as Elliot Anderson is expected to be fit.

That’s according to The Shields Gazette, who note that the 18-year-old has recovered from an ankle injury sustained during an Under 23s clash with the Baggies’ academy last week.

The blow prevented Anderson from playing any role in Steve Bruce’s plans as the Magpies drew 1-1 with Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday, along with representing Chris Hogg’s junior side as they lost 2-1 at home to Reading on Monday.

Anderson is now expected to be one of the contenders to replace Miguel Almiron at the Hawthorns on Sunday, after Bruce lost his Paraguayan playmaker due to a knee injury as one of three casualties against Wolves.

Allan Saint-Maximin sustained a groin issue during the draw, and will now join top-scorer Callum Wilson on the sidelines after the French wing wizard was ruled out until April.

Emil Krafth was also forced off with a shin injury on Saturday, but he is due to resume training ahead of facing West Brom in a crunch encounter between two relegation-threatened sides.

Having Anderson available as well will come as a huge boost for Bruce, with the academy product expected to be in the mix to replace Almiron beside the likes of Ryan Fraser, Jacob Murphy and Jeff Hendrick.

Bruce awarded Anderson his senior Newcastle debut away to Arsenal in the second half of January’s FA Cup tie, before introducing the 18-year-old to the Premier League for the final three minutes at the Emirates Stadium nine days later.

The North Shields-born prospect is yet to feature for the Toon first-team since facing the Gunners, but has seven goals and one assist in nine U23s outings after finding the back of the net against West Brom in a 3-2 PL2 win last week.

Bruce described Anderson’s debut at Arsenal as a “big positive” as the attacking midfielder’s performance instilled a sense of confidence in the United head coach.

“Big positive. I thought the kid was very, very good. He’s been with us, knocking on the door, for a while now, so it was good to see him making his way. He’s got a big future ahead of him, hopefully,” Bruce noted after the Emirates Stadium affair.

Anderson has been named as an unused substitute on three occasions since facing Arsenal, but the Scotland U19 international does not want to settle for a seat on the bench.

“I’ve played twice, come on but I want to be playing more, even if you’re playing a lot you want to be playing more,” he told NUFC TV. “As a footballer, you need to keep pushing and pushing, so I’ll continue to work hard and take my chances.

“Making my debut at the Emirates was massive but it wouldn’t be the same feeling making it at St. James’, so I’m waiting for that to come – the day that happens it will probably be the best day of my life, hopefully with the fans back. I can’t wait.”

Sunday’s clash with West Brom may not be at home so Anderson would have to wait for his St. James’ Park bow, but Bruce should see it as a boost having the Newcastle talent back fit, even if he doesn’t want to start the youngster, he could be a more than useful option coming off the bench.

AND in other news, an “absolutely awesome” titan has been tipped to quit Newcastle this summer…

Tottenham Hotspur’s Europa League quest gets back underway this evening as they head to Hungary to face Austrian outfit Wolfsberger AC in the first-leg of their Round of 32 tie.

Jose Mourinho will surely be looking for a reaction after his side lost for a fifth time in six matches in all competitions over the weekend, being defeated by Premier League front runners Manchester City.

Spurs qualified for the knockout stages by topping Group J and are now faced with a favourable encounter in which the 58-year-old boss could look at rotating his options.

So, what sort of XI could we see at the Puskas Arena? Here’s the lineup we’re predicting tonight…

There could be as many as six changes to the team that tasted defeat in Manchester on Saturday, and that includes a rest for both Heung-min Son and Harry Kane in attack.

We could see Gareth Bale gifted a rare opportunity to impress having come off the bench with a bright cameo at the weekend, whilst back-up striker Carlos is surely in line to deputise in the absence of the England talisman.

There may even be a return for Steven Bergwijn, who takes the place of Lucas Moura on the right flank. Erik Lamela is another who is facing the chop after a disappointing outing, and perhaps surprisingly, Dele Alli could start in the no.10 role with Tanguy Ndombele also rested.

In the engine room, the industrious Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg will likely remain, though he’s likely to be joined by Harry Winks, who started five of their six group games.

Further back, Hugo Lloris should continue between the sticks despite Joe Hart being a sturdy back-up option and much of the backline remains the same due to injuries and a lack of alternatives.

The only change defensively could see the £36m-rated Davinson Sanchez replaced by veteran centre-back Toby Alderweireld to partner Eric Dier with Japhet Tanganga and Ben Davies continuing on either flank.

Sergio Reguilon was confirmed to be back in training this week but as revealed by Mourinho in his pre-game press conference, he will not make the trip to Hungary as a precaution, as per the Evening Standard.

AND in other news, Spurs “weak link” could be finished under Mourinho after City humiliation…

Just when you think the hourglass is about to reach its end, Neil Lennon plucks something from the abyss.

When supporters first gathered outside Parkhead to protest in November, the manager eventually engineered a seven-game unbeaten run.

Of course, the Hoops are still a long way behind Rangers in their quest to win the title but after tasting defeat against St Mirren, bounced back in perfect fashion. A 4-0 win over Kilmarnock was a timely reminder of their qualities – particularly in the final third.

Though, this cannot paper over the cracks. The fact of the matter is that Lennon is doing a terrible job. They are 20 points behind the Gers and have shipped 13 more goals than their fierce rivals.

If Dermot Desmond and Peter Lawwell do decide to pull the plug on Lennon’s time at Parkhead then they’d do far worse than appointing Frank Lampard as his successor. The 42-year-old was sacked by Chelsea a few weeks ago and has been touted as the next Hoops boss.

Speaking about Lampard potentially coming to Glasgow, Pat Nevin said last week: “One thing I would say that Frank would bring to wherever he goes to: his connections are amazing.”

Nevin added: “The way he’s liked in the game is amazing. The players he could get, particularly at a Scottish club… I’ve ran a Scottish club myself before. One of the biggest things you can get is to tap into other markets, and get players you otherwise wouldn’t get. Frank’s pretty special on that level.”

Not only would his appointment at Celtic be game-changing for the entire club, but it has the potential to be terrific for midfielder David Turnbull.

The £3m summer signing has been a breath of fresh air for the Bhoys and has been particularly good in the last few weeks. He registered two assists against Killie on Tuesday evening, taking his tally to the campaign for 11 goal involvements.

Though, why would Lampard be good for Turnbull? Well, you only need to look at his influence on Mason Mount at Chelsea.

The Celtic dynamo is just one year Mount’s junior but critically, they’re very similar players. Both of them can play through the middle or out on the flanks, and both possess enormous levels of creativity.

Lampard first took Mount under his wing at Derby County where the England international scored 11 times and registered six assists. After that, the 22-year-old netted on 11 occasions and claimed 12 assists under the same manager at Chelsea.

Mount became an England regular courtesy of his work for Lampard and if we assess the statistics, we can see he’s very similar to Turnbull. The former has performed two shots per game this season and made 2.6 key passes per match in the Premier League. The latter, meanwhile, has managed a tally of 1.9 shots and 2.6 key passes. With that in mind, they are near identical.

Lampard clearly likes a player of Turnbull’s skill set and given his age, he still has plenty of room to grow. By arriving in Scotland, the ex-Chelsea midfielder could take the former Motherwell gem to a new level.

He is already showcasing tremendous abilities under Lennon but there is more to be extracted.

AND in other news, Never mind Kenny: Celtic could have found dream Frimpong heir in 62-cap speed demon…

Leeds United player Pascal Struijk has had a decent start to life in the Premier League, and this has reportedly not gone unnoticed as he is attracting interest from Europa League sides.

The latest on Struijk

According to De Telegraaf via Sport Witness, the defensive midfielder and central defender is attracting interest from Leicester City and Italian side Napoli.

The report claims that both Brendan Rodgers’ side and the Naples outfit have inquired about Struijk, but most likely with the centre-back’s camp and not the club, about a possible acquisition.

Leeds need to stand firm

Struijk, who is valued at £2.25m, arrived from the the Ajax academy back in 2018 (Transfermarkt) and is starting to become a key player for the club. The 21 year-old has progressed from the academy to the senior side, and has now made 22 appearances under Marcelo Bielsa, including 15 in the Premier League.

Speaking to Football Insider  in the past, Noel Whelan said: “He looked very assured at the back, very competitive in the air and his ball distribution was excellent,” showing skills that serve him well in multiple positions.

Earlier this season the club also gave the defender a contract extension, which clearly highlights that they believe the young prospect is good for both the present and the future. Leeds need to do everything to make sure they keep hold of him.

In other news, Leeds are interested in a hot European prospect!

Celtic are in a disastrous position right now. 21 points behind their fierce rivals and out of Europe, Neil Lennon and the club’s hierarchy are in a perilous place with their jobs on the line.

Despite having watched their team win nine titles in a row, Hoops supporters are ruthless and will only ever settle for top spot.

With the transfer window now in full swing, signing a few players could certainly help with matters. That being said, making up such a large gap is now virtually impossible.

Though, one player who could perhaps lend more assistance heading into next season is Joel Randall.

The Exeter City winger was linked with a move to Parkhead last week and although he probably wouldn’t be what we’d call a marquee addition, there is a sense that he’d showcase plenty of talent in Scotland.

So far this season, the 21-year-old has scored eight goals and registered a further four assists in what has been a breakthrough campaign for the Grecians.

He currently plays in League Two, so there is understandable scepticism about whether he could make the jump to the SPFL but his performance in the FA Cup last weekend showcased the he can shine against a higher level of opposition.

Although Exeter lost to Championship side Sheffield Wednesday, Randall stood out and he certainly didn’t shy out of a challenge, winning 75% of his duels. For context, no Exeter player won more ground duels for his side than Randall last Saturday.

He was also good going forward, however, succeeding with a joint team-high number of two dribbles. Randall did lose possession 20 times but that was just a marker of how regularly he either tried to deliver the ball into the box or how often he tried to beat a man.

The fact he was top of his team’s statistics just go to show the talent he possesses ass he put in a performance that was full of energy. That will come as no surprise to many, though.

Speaking about the youngster previously, his manager Matt Taylor once said: “His running stats are phenomenal but he’s added an extra dimension to his game in terms of the end product.”

Randall got up and down the left-hand channel like a whippet, putting in plenty of hard yards which no doubt would have pleased Celtic scouts. Unfortunately, his endeavour wasn’t enough to earn Exeter the win but Lennon, if he had any doubt about how the Exeter star would cope playing against better opposition, will now surely be convinced.

Six goals in League Two isn’t the most impressive achievement but standing out against Championship opposition is no mean feat. He’d be a solid pick up for the Hoops, especially with Mo Elyounoussi only on loan in Glasgow for the time being. A replacement, therefore, will need to be found from somewhere and Randall could well be that man.

AND in other news, “Huge disappointment” – Exclusive: Pundit reacts to massive Celtic injury blow for Neil Lennon…

Glasgow Rangers fans have been enjoying a video of former X Factor contestant Chico Slimani as they close in on the Premiership title.

Things could hardly be going better for the Ibrox outfit at the moment. As it stands, they lead the table by 20 points from Celtic with just 14 games left to play (BBC). As such, they are well on course to win their first league title in 10 years, and they have a good chance of going through the campaign unbeaten.

The supporters are enjoying themselves, as well, as they enroll the help of several celebrities to poke fun at their fierce rivals. First, former Eastenders actor Shaun Williamson recorded a message for “Neil, Broony and the Bhoys”, and now Chico has put together a similar clip.

As you can imagine, the Gers fans were absolutely delighted with the video, which was shared by Twitter account @JimTheJudge, and they took to the social media platform to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what the fans had to say about Chico below

“This will take some topping”

Credit: @83boabobski

“Genius. Just genius.”

Credit: @drovenpoke

“Outstanding”

Credit: @trickymcfingaz

“That is fantastic”

Credit: @TheMacFarlane

“Tremendous”

Credit: @Ro55B055RFC

“This is phenomenal!!”

Credit: @reverendgv1

In other news, Rangers fans are livid at this transfer news.

With the transfer window now open Victor Orta has plenty of pondering to do. Against sides in and around them, Leeds are superb. However, when they face the bigger teams in the Premier League on the road, they struggle.

Unfortunately, it’s very unlikely Leeds will be too active in the transfer market. That’s when you consider what happened with Jean-Kevin Augustin last January.

The Frenchman signed on loan from RB Leipzig but failed to flatter Marcelo Bielsa and thus, only played 48 first-team minutes.

Trying to adapt to Bielsa’s training methods are tough as it is, let alone when you’re coming in midway through the season.

Yet, one player who could be suited to the physical demands of the Argentine’s play style is Adama Traore. The Spaniard was linked with a move to Leeds late last year and a fee of £40m was quoted.

That’s a lot of money for a club who failed to cough up the sum required to land Rodrigo de Paul last summer.

Traore hasn’t scored in the top-flight for over a year now but he demonstrated on Saturday why Leeds need to sign him, and why he’s earned the tag “unplayable.”

The former Barcelona prodigy hasn’t been at the races this season but he was phenomenal against Brighton this weekend in Wolves’ 3-3 draw.

He was everywhere and proved to be a menace to the Seagulls’ backline, amassing as many as nine dribbles during his 90 minutes on the pitch. It got even better though. Traore won a mammoth 16 duels and was fouled on four occasions.

Although he failed to find the back of the net, this was about as complete a performance as you can provide without scoring. It was everything the Spain international is about – pace, power and sheer force.

The 24-year-old was a brute, doing his job offensively and defensively to near perfection. Traore won two tackles and one interception, tracking back well. Coincidentally, this all came in a week where club-record signing Rodrigo was poor, winning just two duels against Tottenham and being bullied by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

If any weekend summed up why Orta needs to move for one of his targets, this was it.

AND in other news, Ronaldo Vieira 2.0: Orta must seal Leeds swoop for £13m titan with “great physique”…

Wolves’ season hasn’t exactly been one to remember so far.

Sat 13th in the Premier League table, they have fallen some way short of expectation and will face a huge battle to regain European football. As a result, some extra investment in the transfer market could do a great deal of good.

What’s the word?

The priority for Wolves in the January window is a new striker. They have been linked with the likes of Divock Origi and Diego Costa but a new name has now emerged on their radar.

According to the Transfer Exchange Show, they’re eyeing a move for Arsenal forward Eddie Nketiah.

They state that the Old Gold are in talks over a move for the youngster with negotiations ongoing. It’s thought that Arsenal are wanting somewhere in the region of £15m-£20m for his services.

Nketiah is currently earning a salary of £45k-a-week at the Emirates so this could be a pricey deal for Fosun and co to complete.

A big mistake

Nketiah is undoubtedly one of the most promising young strikers in the Premier League. He is a talented poacher and more often than not, finds the back of the net when given a goal-scoring opportunity.

Described as “powerful” by Mikel Arteta, he possesses the ability to run in behind and get across his man with intelligent off the ball movement.

He has been lethal in youth football and has surpassed Alan Shearer’s record of goals in an England U21s shirt. Nketiah has 12 strikes in ten matches at that level so it’s no great surprise to see him labelled a “goal machine” by Michael Owen.

If anyone knows anything about beating the goalkeeper, it’s certainly him.

Yet, for all of his success at youth level, he hasn’t achieved a great deal on the senior stage. The striker has scored five times in 21 matches this season which isn’t disastrous given he’s just 21, but at the end of the day, they don’t need another young forward.

Wolves do like to develop for the future but they signed Fabio Silva for £35.6m in the summer. Signing Nketiah, therefore, would be an inexcusable waste of money.

Nuno Santo needs a senior striker to cover for Raul Jimenez this month, not a rising star – he already has that at his disposal.

AND in other news, Forget Podence: Shi must land Wolves upgrade in £16.9m gem with an “unbelievable shot”…

David Moyes must unleash Manuel Lanzini on Brighton & Hove Albion in order to help West Ham United seal their final home win of 2020.

The Seagulls visit the London Stadium on Sunday looking to pull clear of the drop zone after just one win in 12 games has seen the Amex Stadium natives dragged well and truly into the relegation picture, with just a point separating them from the bottom three.

West Ham are on course to see out the weekend comfortably in the middle of the pack but can close to within a point of ninth-placed Southampton with victory over Brighton, after the Saints were held to a goalless draw at Fulham on Boxing Day.

Moyes will be eager to see his West Ham side claim victory over the Seagulls in their final home fixture of the year, but will be fully aware of how toothless his side looked in the defeat to Chelsea on Monday night.

The Irons failed to register a single shot on goal at Stamford Bridge as they lost the London Derby 3-0, while midfielder Tomas Soucek struck his side’s most efforts towards Edouard Mendy’s net with two attempts beside his name, per SofaScore.

Lanzini was omitted from the squad to face Frank Lampard’s Blues after struggling with a small hamstring problem in the lead up to the game, but he is in contention for a swift return.

The 27-year-old had featured for the final 45 minutes in the Hammers’ prior 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace and stole the show with his efforts from the bench, while leaving former Premier League striker Darren Bent in complete awe.

“David Moyes is getting something out of him,” Bent told Football Insider. “He does seem like he’s playing at his best or potentially somewhere near his best.

“He’s got wonderful feet, he’s got great technique, he’s certainly a top player.”

Lanzini is yet to start a Premier League fixture this term while his minutes at home to Crystal Palace almost doubled his tally for the season thus far, having only featured for 61 minutes over five prior substitute outings.

Moyes must alter that record on Sunday should the Scottish coach and his medical team believe the £12.5m-rated gem has overcome his hamstring injury, as West Ham will not display the needed creativity with Mark Noble starting in the central attacking midfield role.

Noble earned only his second start of the top-flight term at Chelsea on Monday night, where the 33-year-old failed to register a single shot, key pass or successful dribble.

AND in other news, an “incredible” Mario Husillos flop is set to be on his way out at West Ham in 2021.