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Ryan Christie helped guide Scotland to a monumental win over Serbia in a shock match that had the nation in tears. After his strike put the Tartan Army ahead in the second half, Luka Jovic struck in the dying embers of the match to force extra time. The Scots showed they had the bottle as they ran out victorious following a tense penalty shootout.History was made as Christie delivered an emotional post-match talk, celebrating Scotland’s long 23-year absence from major tournaments.Following Christie’s goal, BBC Radio 5 Live’s Dominik Diamond paid tribute to Celtic boss Neil Lennon for playing the 25-year-old as a forward during his recent experimental lineups.

A new role for Christie at Celtic?

The Hoops have been struggling with inconsistent performances this season as their Europa League campaign continues to disappoint. They have fallen out of favour of another Premiership title too, as Rangers currently sit nine points ahead of them in the table.

Lennon has made it clear that he doesn’t have much faith in Leigh Griffiths, who has started just one game so far this term. He has contributed three goals so far, all from off the bench and despite Odsonne Edouard’s dip in form, it seems the manager still won’t deploy the Scotsman in his starting XI.

Mohamed Elyounoussi has undoubtedly been the club’s best performing forward this season, bringing in ten goals and four assists from 18 games played (via Transfermarkt). However, the Norwegian is only with the Hoops on loan and will be headed back to Southampton unless the club make his move permanent.

Should they lose him next summer, Christie’s goalscoring ability and newfound eye for winning huge games could be crucial for Lennon moving forwards. The midfielder, who is currently earning just £7,700 per week, may be relied on to replace Elyounoussi and Edouard, who continues to attract attention from elite level clubs.

If this is the case, he’s certainly proven that he has the ability to step up to the plate.

In other news,ÂCeltic made the correct decision by not signing Leeds’ Luke Ayling…

Burnley have confirmed that striker Rob Harker has signed a new deal at the club, committing to the Clarets for another year.

The club’s official website confirmed that the 20-year-old has extended his contract by 12 months, keeping him on the books at Turf Moor until the end of the 2020/21 season at the earliest.

Harker, who signed for Burnley from Bury two years ago, spent the second half of last season on loan at Hartlepool in the National League, making seven appearances before the campaign was ended prematurely amid the global pandemic.

While he is yet to make a senior appearance for the Clarets, he scored seven goals for their under-23 side last term before his loan move to the northeast and could get his chance to impress in Premier League 2, with Burnley set for their inaugural campaign in that division.

The striker is among several young prospects bubbling under the surface at Turf Moor, with the likes of Mace Goodridge, Jimmy Dunne, Josh Benson, Anthony Glennon and Bobby Thomas all being included among the first team squad for Premier League matches towards the end of the 2019/20 campaign.

However, it was telling that Sean Dyche did not deploy any of those in the English top flight, suggesting that he prefers to be patient with youngsters and only give them a chance when he feels they are ready instead of throwing them straight in at the deep end.

On that evidence, it seems likely that Harker will have to wait another while before seriously being considered for the first team at Turf Moor.

However, his contract extension is a sign of the club’s faith in him, while he could use either Premier League 2 or a potential loan move to a team in the Football League to gain further experience and give himself the best chance of eventually getting the call from Dyche.

Burnley fans, do you have high hope for Harker at Turf Moor? Comment below with your views!

Everton could soon have genuine competition for that number one spot if fresh reports are to be believed…

What’s the word?

According to the Mirror, Toffees boss Carlo Ancelotti wants to add Manchester United outcast Sergio Romero to his squad to put added pressure on current first-choice Jordan Pickford.

It’s claimed that the England international failed to impress Ancelotti during spells last season with several costly mistakes falling at his feet.

Romero has fallen down the pecking order at Old Trafford after returning loan star Dean Henderson was handed a bumper six-year extension.

Pickford was signed by Ronald Koeman back in the summer of 2017 for a record £30m fee and has gone on to feature 129 times,

#1 competition

It’s indeed true that the Everton shot-stopper made several mistakes between the sticks last season, which hasn’t gone down well with the Goodison Park faithful very often as you can see here.

But he does appear to be rather comfortable in the position considering the only alternative was a 37-year-old Maarten Stekelenburg with Jonas Lossl out on loan to Huddersfield Town.

Romero is a top-class goalkeeper who merely has two outstanding options in front of him in David de Gea and now Henderson, so the Toffees could be getting quite the bargain.

This is reinforced by the 96-cap Argentina regular receiving praise from teammates as well as his boss, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer – after a win versus West Ham, he said: “He was brilliant again, he normally is. Top professional, top human being. And the goalkeeping situation is great because you have competition. We have two of the best keepers in the world and it’s great for me, and we want that in every single position.”

Whilst Eric Bailly believes the 33-year-old is an “immense talent”.

It remains to be seen how much Romero could cost the Merseysiders, although he’s valued at just over £2.5m by Transfermarkt and is only on £70k-per-week.

AND in other news, Everton set for £13.5m bargain with target Brands believes is “perfect”…

Bristol City have announced that Bailey Wright has left the club due to his contract expiry after spending the last six months on loan with Sunderland.

The central defender arrived on loan at the Stadium of Light during the January transfer window and went on to make five league appearances before the season came to an abrupt end due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Australian-born defender moved to England in 2009 when he joinied Preston North End, where he spent a number of years and helped the Lilywhites to win promotion to the Championship via the play-offs in 2015, beating Swindon Town at Wembley.

His impressions at Deepdale earned him a move to Bristol City in January 2017 but minimal playing time for Lee Johnson’s side saw him move to Wearside in January.

With Sunderland previously linked with a permanent move for Wright, the news from Bristol City over his current status is now expected to see them make a summer contract offer to the defender.

After the announcement made by the Robins, manager Johnson told their website: “We’ve all been honoured to have such a great individual as well as a quality footballer at Bristol City. He has been a good influence and a role model and I cannot speak highly enough of him. We wish him all the best in his future career.”

Available for free, Sunderland boss Parkinson could now offer the 27-year-old a deal ahead of the 2020/21 season.

Wright had little chance to show his worth at the Stadium of Light, making just a handful of appearances, so the interest shown in him may not be as exciting as it could be for Sunderland fans.

A move on a free transfer, though, is something that would seemingly be a no-brainer as Parkinson tries to assemble a strong squad for the new season.

Do you think Sunderland should make a move for Wright? Let us know in the comments section below…

Having secured Champions League football for their upcoming campaign, Chelsea have been linked with many top players to improve their title-challenging squad – and Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, Ben Chilwell and Jan Oblak remain on Frank Lampard’s transfer radar.

The Blues have already signed Hakim Ziyech from Ajax and Timo Werner from Bayer Leverkusen, and they are not stopping there. Frank Lampard has ordered his recruitment team to find world-class players in order to catch up with champions Liverpool and giants Manchester City next season.

Frank Lampard has underplayed rumours linking 21-year-old German superstar, Kai Havertz, with a move to the Blues this summer; however, according to the Evening Standard, Chelsea have stepped up their pursuit of the young midfielder after finishing in the top four of the Premier League.

The club are in talks with Bayer Leverkusen over Havertz who is set to leave for big money, speculated to be over £70m.

Atletico Madrid goalkeeper, Jan Oblak is another transfer target identified by Frank Lampard. Since dropping £70m keeper, Kepa Arrizabalaga for their make or break last game of the season against Wolves, it looks ever so likely that the Blues will make a move for the world-class Slovenian shot-stopper.

Throughout the season, Chelsea have shown interest in England international duo, Ben Chilwell, and Declan Rice. Chilwell looks certain to leave Leicester during this summer transfer window, with interest from many top clubs.

Declan Rice has also been linked with a move away from West Ham for quite a while, and it is thought that Lampard is keen on signing a new centre-half to play alongside N’golo Kante.

Verdict

It would make sense for Chelsea to bring in Ben Chilwell as they have been struggling with their left-back position for some time, and the addition of Declan Rice would not be a bad transfer for Chelsea, though their midfield is notably one of, if not the strongest area in their team currently.

Jan Oblak would not make sense unless Kepa is offloaded for near to the price they paid for the Spaniard, and this does not look likely.

Despite this, if the Blues have the money to spend then securing a world-class goalkeeper would be a good signing, having conceded 54 goals in the Premier League last season.

Again, Kai Havertz would be a phenomenal signing, and he would play brilliantly alongside fellow countryman Timo Werner, but do the Blues really need another attacking-midfielder to add to the depth of that position already?

Former Everton goalkeeper Neville Southall has been on social media lavishing praise on the club’s interim manager Duncan Ferguson.Ferguson has been placed in charge of first-team affairs at Goodison Park following the departure of Marco Silva, and the former striker led the team to a 3-1 win over Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.There remains widespread speculation surrounding the managerial post at Everton, but Southall has lavished praise on the Scot.[ad_pod ]Southall knows just a little bit about playing for the Toffees having spent the vast majority of his career at Goodison Park.And the 61-year-old has seemed to suggest that his former teammate should be in the running for the post on a full-time basis when considering his credentials.After all, Ferguson won the Scottish Premier League with Rangers and FA Cup with Everton during his playing days.Watch Everton Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Southall has branded the interim manager ‘a proven winner’, with his full message available to be seen below:

Meanwhile, a number of Everton fans are still keen for their club to re-sign a player who recently impressed on loan at Goodison Park.

Arsenal must not be bullied into selling Alexandre Lacazette as transfer news emerged from Mundo Deportivo that Inter Milan have made him their number one target in the upcoming summer transfer window to replace Lautaro Martinez, who could be set for a move to FC Barcelona.

Indeed, Lacazette is arguably not enjoying the best of seasons at the north London club, scoring just nine goals and making three assists in 26 appearances in all competitions so far, according to Transfermarkt.

The Gunners are also sitting in ninth place in the Premier League table at the moment on 40 points, potentially sitting eight away from a UEFA Champions League place with just nine games left to play, as per the BBC.

On the other hand, Inter are currently sitting relatively comfortably in third spot in the Serie A table on 54 points with 13 matches still left to play (via the website).

With Milan looking more likely to be able to offer Lacazette Champions League football, the 29-year old may be persuaded by the move.

However, AFC must not be bullied into selling the £43.2m-valued ace, especially given that the future of fellow strike partner Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang remains unclear.

The Gabonese international has reportedly been offered a contract extension by the Emirates faithful, but has not yet signed a new one and will only have a year left on his current deal in the summer.

If Arsenal want to qualify for the Champions League in the near distant future, then they arguably must keep hold of both players if possible, meaning that they must not be bullied into selling Lacazette.

Indeed whilst he hasn’t been prolific this term, he has shown in the past that he is capable having netted 19 goals in all competitions last season, whilst also chipping in with 13 assists (Transfermarkt).

Gooners, would you sell Lacazette for the right price? Comment below!

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Marcelo Bielsa made an eye-opening claim about Eddie Nketiah during his press conference on Thursday, but that wasn’t the biggest takeaway from that statement as it seems that the Argentine has dropped a hint about his future plans.

Watch Leeds United Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

What’s been said then?

The quote we’re interested in is actually what he said about Nketiah in his press conference.

“I hope he will still be here and I hope he wants to stay with us,” said Bielsa.

“I think it’s important he solidifies his integration into Leeds and it would be good for that if he stays after January and one more year so that he and Leeds are able to show the confidence we’re looking for in each other.

“That (returning next season) would be ideal to allow him to be a success at a club, like Leeds.

“It’s clear that Leeds consider Nketiah to be a good player for us.

“We’re trying to make him feel that Leeds is the proper place for him to develop.”

[ad_pod ]

Dropping a hint

The fact that Bielsa is thinking ahead to next season and saying that he wants to have Nketiah at the club next year hints that the Argentine wants to stay beyond the current term.

The 64-year-old has never been one to stick around at a club as he’s never managed more than 113 matches at one club since the turn of the millennium, and even then his stint with Bilbao was an anomaly as his next highest tally is actually with Leeds where he has managed 71 games.

However, the fact that he’s planning ahead to next season indicates that he may be planning on staying at Leeds, and if that hint is proven to be true that’s great news for the club given where he’s taken them.

The Whites were a club in mid-table mediocrity but now they sit comfortably in the automatic playoffs.

Meanwhile, one hurdle may be denying Leeds the chance to sign Matej Vydra, but they shouldn’t let that stop them.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Mateusz Klich rediscovered his goalscoring touch this weekend as he netted a brace against Middlesbrough in Leeds’ 4-0 win over Jonathan Woodgate’s side.

Boro weren’t at the races on Saturday, but to be fair to them, they had a number of injuries to deal with, including one to Darren Randolph.

Of course, this will have hugely benefitted Leeds, but it may have greater effects down the line for Klich.

The Pole seemed to have regained his confidence in front of goal as he finally netted from outside the area after making those types of strikes his trademark last year.

Indeed, fans made a chant about his long-range scoring last season, but it seems as if his self-belief had deserted him as he made comments alluding to the fact that last season’s ten-goal haul was a bit of a fluke.

“It’s going to be difficult to repeat that… I was surprised… but I’m trying my best & to play like last season. The only thing I’m missing is goals because I play a very similar game. I try to cooperate with the front 3.” He said.

You could see that in his game as well as he’s been taking fewer shots per 90 mins from outside the box than he did last term.

Fortunately, Saturday’s strike could help him rediscover his confidence. However, things could have been different if Randolph was between the sticks.

The Irishman was deemed the best stopper in the division last term as he made the Team of the Year, and while his replacement was unable to get anywhere near Klich’s strike as he didn’t even dive for it, Randolph may have had a chance at saving it.

Instead, the Pole netted from distance and wheeled away in celebration, and that could be a huge confidence booster that may not have happened if it weren’t for an injury to Boro’s number one.

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Charlton fans have taken to Twitter to react after Manuel Pellegrini delivered an update on Josh Cullen’s loan spell at The Valley.

The West Ham boss dismissed the idea of recalling the Republic of Ireland international and Grady Diangana from their loan spells at Charlton and West Brom respectively, when asked the question in his press conference ahead of the weekend’s action.

Watch Charlton Athletic Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

Cullen has been in fine form for the south Londoners once again this season having shone in their promotion campaign last term, with some fans even calling for his arrival on a permanent basis when in fact being asked about Jonathan Leko – that just shows how much he is valued by the supporters.

In Diangana’s case, the forward has shone for the Baggies with eight goal involvements in ten starts – Pellegrini’s update will presumably delight both West Brom and Charlton fans.

Let’s take a look at how the Addicks supporters on Twitter reacted to the news…