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Celtic’s new manager will have to revamp the team’s defensive structure, according to Mark Wilson.

Wilson, a right-back, made over 100 appearances for the Hoops between 2006 and 2012.

Celtic have endured a dismal season -they trail champions Rangers by 23 points in the table and crashed out of the Europa League in the group stages while their arch-rivals progressed to the Round of 16, and a large part of their struggles has been down to their torrid defending.

How much have Celtic struggled defensively?

Celtic conceded 19 goals over their six continental fixtures, a joint-competition-high (alongside Dundalk and Ludogorets).

They’ve shipped 29 in the Scottish Premiership, and though that equates to fewer than one per game, their defensive record pales in comparison to Rangers, who have let in just 13.

For Wilson, it’s clear where the outstanding problems lie for Neil Lennon’s long-term successor.

‘Celtic must address weakness Gerrard exploited’

“Any manager who is looking at this Celtic side and has done their homework throughout the season, not just against Rangers, can clearly see the weaknesses,” he told Sky Sports, via Daily Record.

“Steven Gerrard played on that and said after the match he played on that weakness of the backline and goalkeeper.

“That is the priority for any manager coming in – a goalkeeper and two full-backs and a centre-half.

“If they can keep Kris Ajer it’s a good start, but it’s a tall order.”

Who would be getting replaced in Celtic revamp?

It was reported at the start of the season that £3.6million-rated Ajer wanted to leave Celtic, and he’s now about to enter the last year of his contract.

Scott Bain (£540,000) is currently the no. 1 ‘keeper at Parkhead, having started the last 11 matches.

Everton loanee Jonjoe Kenny (£6.3million) occupies the right-back position, with AC Milan’s Diego Laxalt (£3.6million) predominantly the man stationed on the opposite flank.

That makes about £14m worth of talent that could need replacing and upgrading.

Transfer Tavern verdict

Celtic need an overhaul this summer, but they can’t focus all their attention on the defence – let’s not forget that while Sunday’s Old Firm turned into a goal-fest, the Hoops had mustered just one goal in the previous four clashes against the Gers this term.

Odsonne Edouard could leave, forcing the club to try and repeat the trick of identifying a diamond in the rough up front, just like they did with Moussa Dembele before him.

Indeed, his mooted £15million sale could be crucial for fundraising and one would hope it can stretch to more than just a couple of defenders – if the club were to upgrade at the back but lose Edouard without an adequate replacement, we can’t see them properly challenging Rangers for the throne next term regardless of how many clean sheets they keep.

In other news, Celtic have been warned about offloading this midfielder.

Bayern Munich earned another memorable victory over Barcelona, this time beating the Spanish club 2-0 on Tuesday.

Barcelona took Bayern Munich's star this summer, but the German club continue to torment the Blaugrana with or without Robert Lewandowski.

Talk of a new era, spurred on by the Lewandowski signing, will be put on hold, even if the Catalans were much better this time around than they have been in recent meetings. They were actually in control for much of the first half, but were far too wasteful in front of the net.

From the famous 8-2 to a pair of 3-0 results last season, Bayern Munich have humbled Barcelona in recent years, and Xavi's team were quieted once again at the Allianz Arena.

Lucas Hernandez seized the momentum with a header early in the second half, while an absolutely dazzling finish from Leroy Sane sealed Barcelona's fate.

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  The Winners

  Dayot Upamecano:

  A wall. An absolute wall.

  What a performance from the French defender, who was handed the start over Matthijs de Ligt. He paid back Julian Nagelsmann in a big way.

  Upamecano was virtually faultless, going toe-to-toe with his former team-mate Lewandowski all day. He snuffed out several clear-cut chances, essentially saving the game several times before Bayern Munich's attack turned on.

  He was often criticised in his first season with Bayern Munich, but he's a key man now.

  Leroy Sane:

  What can you say about that goal?

  It's moments of magic like Sane's that get fans out of their seats, and boy did they rise at the Allianz. Sane can do things that few in the world can match.

  There's something special about seeing him in full stride, although Barcelona won't feel as happy to have witnessed it. As he ran straight through Barcelona's new-look defence, all they could do was chase what must have felt like a shadow.

  And as Sane tapped his shot past Marc-Andre Ter Stegen and into the back of the net, the game was effectively over.

  The Bayern Munich way:

  The players and coaches change, but the results sure don't. Bayern are Bayern, no matter who wears the shirt.

  Lewandowski was on the other side, but it didn't matter. Bayern Munich had others pick up the slack.

  As Gary Lineker once famously said, "Twenty-two men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans always win."

  No one better exemplifies that than Bayern Munich – when you come to their home, you know what you're in for. It may not have been as dominant in as years past, but it was equally effective.

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  The Losers

  Robert Lewandowski:

  This wasn't the homecoming he dreamed about.

  Lewandowski was all smiles before the match, greeting his former team-mates in the tunnel. He embraced Manuel Neuer, Thomas Muller and Joshua Kimmich, players who stood alongside him as he became arguably the best in the world.

  But, playing in his former home, Lewandowski didn't look like the best in the world. Instead, he looked oddly human.

  Lewandowski was uncharacteristically wasteful, even if he was as dominant as usual when it came to chance creation.

  Chances were missed and moments were wasted, as Lewandowski and Barcelona were never able to seize control of the game, even if they should have.

  Marcos Alonso:

  For 45 minutes, Alonso demonstrated exactly why Barcelona signed him from Chelsea. He looked like the stopgap everyone expected to be, an exceptional left-back to bridge the gap from Jordi Alba to the next generation.

  One moment of negligence doesn't lose him that status, but it did contribute to Barcelona losing the game.

  It was a mental lapse that those that follow Chelsea would be familiar with. With the game still scoreless after a strong Barcelona first half, Alonso completely turned off for a set piece.

  Lucas Hernandez dashed in, and Alonso was left defending no one. Completely free with his header, it was an easy finish for the French World Cup winner.

  Ousmane Dembele:

  Dembele has played himself into a different stratosphere this year, becoming one of the most dangerous wingers in the world. Becuse of that, the expectations are now higher.

  World-class wingers aren't allowed to be as wasteful as Dembele was because, wow, was he wasteful. Dembele gave the ball away time and time again as Barcelona's attack lacked the needed edge in the final third.

  Raphinha, Ansu Fati, Ferran Torres… Barcelona can survive a day when they aren't at their best. But, at this point, they can't win these big games unless Dembele is an absolute killer, and he simply wasn't on Tuesday night.

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  Barcelona Ratings: Defence

  Marc-Andre Ter Stegen (5/10):

  Absolutely undone by Sane, but so was the entire Barcelona defence.

  Marcos Alonso (5/10):

  Solid, except for one moment, but it was the one moment that counted.

  Andreas Christensen (7/10):

  Didn't do much wrong and won every duel he was a part of.

  Ronald Araujo (6/10):

  Nothing spectacular.

  Jules Kounde (6/10):

  Played at right-back. Not much offensively, but was okay in defence.

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  Midfield

  Pedri (7/10):

  What a player he is. Deserved at least one or two goal contributions. Arguably Barcelona's best man – though he should have finished better.

  Sergio Busquets (6/10):

  Started over Kessie, was good on the ball, but did have a few scary moments as Bayern Munich overran the midfield.

  Gavi (7/10):

  All intensity as a new contract nears. Fantastic on the ball, but was sacrificed after the goals.

After crashing out of the Champions League, Los Blancos will be surveying their options for a new manager with plenty of candidates available…

Real Madrid's three-year reign as Champions League holders is over after a shock loss to Ajax and that result has cast increasing doubt over the future of coach Santiago Solari. 

The Spanish giants are no stranger to a swift managerial switch and there are plenty of candidates currently available should Solari get sacked – be it now or at the end of the season.

Here are just some of the coaches Real Madrid could be considering…

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  1Jurgen Klopp

  Widely considered as one of the best coaches in the world, Jurgen Klopp is exactly the kind of Galactico appointment that would help Real Madrid re-energise the dressing room.

  A man motivator as well as a tactical genius, he has turned Liverpool into genuine title contenders for the Premier League following the Reds' impressive journey to the Champions League final last season.

  Klopp would be an expensive option for Madrid due to the fact his contract at Anfield runs until 2022. However, Klopp is fully aware that there is likely to be speculation over his future this summer even if he can bring silverware back to Merseyside.

  "In the summer, there will be people who say it's the best time for me to go if we win something because we will never win anything again, there will be other people who say I have to go if we don't win anything," he told in December.

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  2Clarence Seedorf

  Among the candidates to replace Lopetegui, Seedorf was ultimately overlooked but clearly still has his eyes set on coaching them one day.

  “The fact that I have been among the options is already a great honour for me," Seedorf told Goal in March.

  "I feel like a place that is my home, where I wasn't treated good, but more than good. Always. 

  “Returning one day would be an honour for me…"

  Seedorf was appointed Cameroon's manager in August last year but has won just one of his first five games in charge. 

  He began his coaching career with AC Milan in 2014 and despite impressing was replaced by Filippo Inzaghi after just four months. 

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  3Mikel Arteta

  Mikel Arteta very nearly became Arsenal manager last summer and a move back to his home country may be in the works before long. Arteta has spent the last few years learning from Pep Guardiola at Manchester City and if he has picked anything up from him he could become an incredible manager one day.

  As a student of Guardiola, Arteta would likely promote an attacking possession-based style which would please Madrid's very demanding fans.

  One sticking point, though, could be Arteta's history as a player with Barcelona.

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  4Claudio Ranieri

  From being sacked by Fulham to Real Madrid manager?

  It would be an extraordinary turn of fortunes for Ranieri, who was never really given a chance to implement his style at Craven Cottage, but crazier things have happened – Leicester City winning the Premier League for example.

  Having previously coached in Spain with Atletico and Valencia, the Italian knows the region well.

  Considering he was able to turn the Foxes into Premier League winners, it would be interesting to see what he could do with Real as they currently are. 

  Ranieri may be a long shot, but having coached over 1000 games, his experience can't be questioned. 

Plenty have been calling for Tottenham Hotspur to appoint Marcelo Bielsa as Jose Mourinho’s successor this week…

What’s the word?

The ‘Special One’ was sacked after 17 months at the helm, with former midfielder Ryan Mason taking the reins until the end of the season, when Daniel Levy will look to appoint a permanent replacement.

Several names have been linked with the vacant role, ranging from mooted number one target Julian Naglesmann to Brendan Rodgers and even Athletic Bilbao’s Marcelino, but it is Bielsa’s name which is on the lips of many.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, Dean Windass claimed the Leeds United boss “would be the one on the lips of Daniel Levy” and he’s not the only one thinking this.

Former Spurs midfielder Jamie O’Hara stoked the fire even more when he told talkSPORT: “I think he’d be absolutely brilliant and the fans would love him. If you can try and prise him away form there it’d be unbelievable.”

Meanwhile, according to Tony Cascarino in his column for The Times, Bielsa “could regenerate Tottenham”.

Could ruin Kane

The 65-year-old is a very intriguing option to consider, but there must be a few question marks over whether or not he’s actually the right fit for Levy and Tottenham.

He has exceeded expectations at Elland Road and has delivered a strong maiden season back in the Premier League, especially as he’s largely been deploying what is the bulk of his Championship title-winning squad.

They sit tied on points with Arsenal in 10th place and have won away to Manchester City and Leicester, who occupy two of the top three spots.

Mauricio Pochettino is a huge admirer of his, having played under him at Newell’s Old Boys. “For me, he’s a person I will always admire,” revealed the former Spurs manager. “He’s a genius. A person with charisma and a personality very different from us normal coaches, and that’s what makes him special.”

However, the bulk of this success has come down to the 65-year-old’s philosophy – a relentless press, the mantra of putting the side before self, and working on the method before the result.

This means a lot of work is put into training, such as his ‘murderball’ sessions which Leeds’ top scorer Patrick Bamford recently described as “about ten times harder than a [Premier League] game.”

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-spurs-manager-transfer-news-and-rumours” title=”Read this week’s latest Spurs manager news, transfer rumours and more!”]

It’s also claimed that Bielsa’s teams suffer from burnout in the final thirds of the season due to built-up fatigue because his high-intensity system places such serious physical demands on the players.

Ultimately, this may well spell serious trouble for Harry Kane, who suffered another ankle injury this week.

In 2019, BT Sport presenter Gary Lineker expressed his fears over the England skipper in an interview with Goal. He said: “It is always a worry when you get a recurring injury and there is clearly a little weakness in there,” adding: “The more you do it, the more you worry the weakness will become a problem.”

Given Bielsa’s ruthless training sessions, let alone his intense pressing from the front in matches, you’d have to have major concerns over the 27-year-old talisman if the Argentine replaces Mourinho.

Spurs rely heavily on the goalscoring and creative exploits of Kane; he has accounted for 60.7% of their 54 league goals this term through either scoring or setting them up.

There’s one other factor which should put Bielsa down the pecking order, as his Leeds side has often suffered from profligacy. Despite winning the Championship last term, the Whites ranked amongst the five worst teams for goal conversion at just 12.5%.

That hasn’t really risen in the Premier League, with Leeds only converting 8.1% of their 614 shots at goal, as per Transfermarkt. In some games they find the net three, four, even five times, but in others they draw a serious blank despite creating so many chances – Kane could well suffer as a result of that, too.

If Levy listens to the aforementioned calls, then he would risk ruining his superstar striker. As good as Bielsa is, he just isn’t the right man to replace Mourinho in N17.

AND in other news, Levy would be appointing Mourinho 2.0 in “stubborn” 62 y/o flop…

Dead-ball specialists are an important part of the modern game, with Goal having uncovered the cream of that particular crop over the past decade

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  =10. Philippe Coutinho

  Seven free-kick goals spread over spells at Inter, Liverpool and Barcelona.

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  =10. Christian Fuchs

  Seven free-kick goals spread over spells at Bochum, Mainz, Schalke and Leicester.

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  =10. Wayne Rooney

  Seven free-kick goals spread over spells at Manchester United and Everton.

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  =10. Aleksandar Kolarov

  Seven free-kick goals spread over spells at Lazio, Manchester City and Roma.

Many Sunderland fans were far from happy with the performance of Bailey Wright during their 3-3 draw with Accrington Stanley on Saturday.

The Black Cats were in action as they attempted to consolidate their place in the League One play-offs. They have been in poor form over the past few weeks, losing three and drawing one of their last four (Sky Sports), and they were once again unable to grab victory in a match that twisted and turned.

A Charlie Wyke brace gave Sunderland the lead early on but Colby Bishop halved the deficit after the break. Then, Luke O’Nien put the ball into the back of his own net. Max Power looked to have grabbed the win before Sean McConville popped up to level things up once more (Sky Sports).

However, Wright struggled at the heart of the back four. He lost possession 17 times and was culpable of a number of misplaced passes (SofaScore) – Johnson will be expecting more from him between now and the end of the season.

These supporters were unhappy with they saw from the defender, and they took to social media platform Twitter to share their thoughts on his “awful” performance.

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

“Bailey Wright is abysmal”

Credit: @MKA97FTM

“Bailey Wright is a massive worry for me”

Credit: @DeanoCummings85

“Why does Bailey Wright insist on taking 5 touches on the ball every time, sometimes just get rid man”

Credit: @elliot_d_p

“That goal all stemmed from a dreadful ball from Wright to Scowen.”

Credit: @PlannerMarj

“Watching the partnership between Hume & McGeady, its hard to fathom the manager pondered long & hard before he got a start. Wyke is playing well with his back to goal & 2 great finishes. Bailey Wright & Burge still giving me heart attacks though – even at 2 up!”

Credit: @Hag_SAFC

“Luke O’Nien and Bailey Wright just don’t work together do they… both had awful awful games”

Credit: @MattyCrichton

In other news, many Sunderland fans slam this manager’s comments.

Celtic are hoping to announce Eddie Howe as their new manager this week, according to The Sun.

Both parties are in no rush to hurry negotiations, but it does appear as if the 43-year-old will eventually become Neil Lennon’s long-term successor.

Howe’s specific Celtic assurance

However, the report also reveals a specific assurance Howe needs before putting pen to paper over a Parkhead deal.

Howe wants to bring Bournemouth man Richard Hughes with him to Glasgow in a director of football role.

That would mean the Hoops hierarchy ripping up their plans they originally had in place, with Football Insider revealing a deal for Manchester City’s Fergal Harkin was 90% done last month.

Transfer Tavern take

To us, Howe needs to have a major say on who the director of football is, and if a deal for Hughes is possible, it could prove to be a shrewd appointment.

Howe and Hughes enjoyed great success on the south coast, and the manager and director of football will need to work closely in a Parkhead rebuild.

Plenty of key on-field decisions will need to be made ahead of the 2021/22 season, and the pair having full trust in each other could make that process easier.

In other news: Premier League side set to bid for Celtic midfielder, find out more here. 

Goal takes a look at a selection of big-name stars performing at the World Cup who could be making a move this summer

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  Antoine Griezmann – Atletico Madrid

  Antoine Griezmann has been a wanted man for at least the past 18 months. Manchester United have been long-standing suitors, with the Old Trafford club favourites to finally land the Atletico Madrid forward this summer.

  A switch to the Premier League looked likely last year though failed to materialise, while Barcelona and Real Madrid have now both entered the race for his signature.

  The Frenchman insists his transfer plans will be revealed in the near future, but a move, if there is to be one, will happen following the World Cup in Russia.

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  Toby Alderweireld – Tottenham

  Contract talks between Toby Alderweireld and Tottenham are still ongoing, with the two parties so far unable to agree on the situation at hand.

  The Belgian has been integral to Mauricio Pochettino at Spurs but was limited to just 12 Premier League starts last season because of an injury which subsequently saw him lose his place in the side to Davinson Sanchez. 

  Now, as Alderweireld enters the final year of his deal at Tottenham, Manchester United looks a very possible destination for the defender. Spurs do have an option to extend the 29-year-old's contract, though in doing so they activate a £25 million ($33.5m/€28.5m) releasue clause in his contract.

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  Michy Batshuayi – Chelsea

  Michy Batshuayi ended the 2017-18 on loan at Borussia Dortmund, scoring seven goals in 10 Bundesliga outings before an injury cut his campaign short. 

  Now the Belgium forward has a question to answer;  does he stay at Stamford Bridge and attempt to start over, or will he leave the west London club permanently?

  A number of Ligue 1 clubs have attempted to sign Batshuayi in the last year, but whether a return to Dortmund under new boss Lucien Favre is possible is yet to confirmed.

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  Thibaut Courtois – Chelsea

  Having spent three years in Madrid while on loan at Atletico, and with his children still living in the Spanish capital, a return to spain with Real is naturally on the mind of Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Coutois. 

  The Belgium shot-stopper has made no secret of his desire to return to the city in which he started a family, and with Real Madrid actively hunting a long-term No.1 to replace Keylor Navas between the sticks, the 26-year-old fits the bill. 

  Courtois is into his final year of his five-year deal at the club, though talks are ongoing. 

Charlton Athletic will still be without Conor Washington for their crunch encounter with Ipswich Town this weekend…

What’s the latest?

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Addicks manager Nigel Adkins provided an update on the fitness of the 28-year-old to the club’s official website, saying: “Conor’s the one that won’t make this game but you never know where he is for the rest of the week which is pleasing.”

Washington was withdrawn just five minutes into Adkins’ first game in charge of Charlton as they drew 2-2 against AFC Wimbledon and has not featured since.

Big blow

This comes as a massive setback to the Addicks and their quest to make the play-offs this season, as the Northern Irishman is one of their major sources of goals with 11 in 32 appearances. That return is bettered only by Chuks Aneke, so it cannot be disputed that Washington would be likely to start up front if he were fit to feature.

Before Lee Bowyer left The Valley last month, he emphasised just how important the 28-year-old was to his side as he provides plenty of energy and work rate on top of his goalscoring ability.

“Conor is so important. Jayden [Stockley] and Chuks Aneke’s mobility isn’t natural to them. Conor does the dirty work for them, running into channels in between the centre-halves,” explained the 44-year-old. “He works so hard for the team, I’m so pleased for him. He does a lot of unselfish work.”

Indeed, Washington manages an average of 1.8 dribbles per 90 minutes at a success rate of 55%, which is far better than Aneke and Stockley, as per WhoScored.

Charlton are just three points adrift of a play-off position right now but could quite easily be leapfrogged by the Tractor Boys if the visitors come out on top at The Valley this weekend.

Stockley has scored just once in Washington’s absence, so to be without one of their biggest threats is certainly a big blow ahead of kick-off.

AND in other news, Forget Amos: “Unbelievable” beast who had 4 tackles was Adkins’ unsung hero last time out…

Fans of Glasgow Rangers have been reacting to a post on Twitter, which commented on recent footage of Gareth Bale appearing to deliberately elbow Ondrej Kudela, the player accused of racially abusing Rangers star, Glen Kamara.

Kudela is currently being investigated by UEFA after allegedly aiming, quite frankly, disgusting remarks towards the Gers’ Kamara during a meeting between Slavia Prague and Rangers in the Europa League round of 16.

However, seemingly in an effort to assert his own form of rough justice in Wales’ World Cup qualifying fixture against the Czech Republic on Tuesday evening, Bale appeared to intentionally target the defender with a swinging arm, catching Kudela in the face and rendering the 34-year-old unable to continue in the match.

And, following the clash, with footage of the incident circulating on social media, the Rangers fan account, Heart & Hand Podcast, took to Twitter in praise Bale’s part in the encounter, with many more fans of the club piling in to thank the Welshman for his efforts.

So, what exactly did these Rangers fans have to say in reaction to the footage of Gareth Bale’s challenge on Ondrej Kudela?

“Ampadu left one on him earlier too. Beautiful!”

@nicky13anderson

“Harry Wilson and someone else had a nibble at him as well at one point. Kudela went down as if a sniper had hit him.”

@StevenK86

“Was lovely to watch.”

@wulliemci2

“Karma.”

@AndrewM31015121

“Get in there Gareth Bale.”

@robertmcnaught

“Lovely.”

@chr1sbett

In other news: this ‘superb’ £6.2k-p/w star lifted the lid on talks with the Rangers hierarchy – find out more here!