All posts by z3u9t.icu

Despite a disastrous start to the season under Will Still, Southampton now found themselves only four points off the final playoff position in the early Championship table.

Three wins on the trot – since Still was dismissed – have helped to arrest the worrying slide, as the Saints aim to be in and around the promotion spaces now until the close of the dramatic 46-game campaign, to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

While the Still reign failed spectacularly, his immediate successor in Tonda Eckert looks to be a short-term figure who is now destined for long-term success at St. Mary’s, with the full-time reins perhaps handed to the transformative 32-year-old very shortly.

The latest on Southampton's manager situation

The German, who is used to managing the U21s on the South Coast, really can’t do much more right now to put himself out in front for the running to be the main Saints manager.

As has been mentioned, Eckert has led the once sorry outfit to three straight wins in league action, with a 5-1 win over ex-Southampton boss Nathan Jones last time out versus Charlton Athletic very much the pick of the bunch.

The powers that be at St Mary’s have clearly taken notice now of how much of an impressive turnaround Eckert has managed to mastermind, with Fabrizio Romano reporting – via GIVEMESPORT – that the stand-in manager has a good chance of being handed the reins permanently, amid internal talks behind the scenes at the club.

There had been other rumours suggesting Russell Martin could come back for another shot at promotion glory with the Saints, but instead of walking down memory lane, Southampton could be better off appointing Eckert right now, as he might well be Martin 2.0 for the rejuvenated Saints.

Why Eckert could be Southampton's next Martin

Martin is likely in desperate need of some time away from the pressures of the dug-out after experiencing his own Still-like failures at the helm of Rangers.

On the other hand, Eckert looks hungry and ready for a chance as Southampton’s main boss, having got a taste for it now, after largely settling for roles as an assistant manager and U21 manager during his coaching career to date.

Games managed

13

Wins

8

Draws

4

Losses

1

Goals scored

31

Goals conceded

19

Points accumulated

28

When looking at Martin’s early career as a manager, he never looked back after being handed the MK Dons gig in 2019 at just 33 years of age, which is coincidentally only a year older than Eckert currently is, who boasts some impressive numbers on the South Coast as a U21 boss and as an interim stand-in after Still.

Martin gradually rose the EFL ladder to then take on the Southampton main post and clinch promotion, with 26 wins and 87 goals accumulated over 46 games in the second tier, making the now out-of-work manager a firm fan favourite at St. Mary’s.

Off the back of such a richly successful season, Martin was rightly hailed as a figure who prioritises “exciting attacking football” by analyst John Walker.

Safe to say, the excitement levels have returned to Southampton since Eckert has been given the temporary reins, with the barnstorming 5-1 success over the Addicks also calling back to when Martin was in the hot seat, with Adam Armstrong bagging two, and possession standing in the Saints’ favour at the full-time whistle at 59%.

Moreover, Eckert is willing to give the next generation of talents at Southampton chances to shine, having worked in the U21 ranks, much like Martin showed with the likes of Tyler Dibling before his big Everton switch.

It would be a big risk, but the numbers since Eckert took over from Still are very encouraging, with the German perhaps the man to take Southampton back to the Premier League, much like Martin pulled off during the memorable 2023/24 season.

Praised by Saints midfielder Finn Azaz for being “top level”, everything is pointing in the direction of Eckert being a very promising appointment with lots more to give.

Forget Eckert: Southampton could hire Still upgrade who impressed Arteta

Southampton can hire an upgrade on Will Still by bringing in this manager to replace Tonda Eckert.

1 ByDan Emery Nov 22, 2025

It wasn’t easy, but Chelsea managed to get over the line against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Wednesday night.

Enzo Maresca’s side managed to get themselves ahead of the Old Gold just five minutes into the game, and looked completely out of sight by half-time.

However, the West Londoners found themselves in a real scrap halfway through the second 45, and were it not for a wonder goal from Jamie Gittens, they might not still be in the League Cup.

However, while there were a few players who let themselves down in the second period, the biggest disappointment for the Blues was Liam Delap, and if he’s not careful, the Englishman could see himself replaced next season.

Delap's diabolical night

After spending the last two months out with a hamstring injury, Delap finally made his return to first-team action against Wolves.

Chalkboard

The former Ipswich Town star came on for Estevao in the 61st minute, and it would be fair to say he more than made his mark, just not in the way he would have wanted.

In the 79th minute, he received a yellow card for pushing a Wolves player and arguing with the referee, which at the time was a foolish thing to do.

However, just seven minutes later, the Englishman did something even stupider and elbowed Emmanuel Agbadou in the head, which unsurprisingly saw him receive a second yellow and get sent off.

It was a true horror show from the striker, as he wasn’t even able to have a single shot before being sent off.

Speaking after the match, Maresca didn’t hold back, describing the incident as “embarrassing” and “very stupid.”

Such a response might sound harsh, but given the state of the game and the nature of the cards, it is hard to disagree with the Italian.

Delap will surely be desperate to make amends when he returns, although he might have to do more than that, as come next season, Maresca will have another forward in the squad who could be a significant upgrade on the Englishman.

Chelsea's future Delap upgrade

With Nicolas Jackson at Bayern Munich and Joao Pedro playing better behind a striker, there aren’t too many options for replacing Delap this season.

However, that will not be the case next year, as Strasbourg star Emanuel Emegha will be making his way to Chelsea in the summer.

The Dutchman might not be a particularly well-known name in England at the moment, but he’s been playing well in France for a couple of years now and looks like he could make a real impact at Stamford Bridge.

For example, in his first season with the Ligue 1 outfit, the 22-year-old managed to rack up a tally of nine goals and two assists in 31 appearances, totalling 2226 minutes.

However, last season he did even better, ending the campaign with an impressive haul of 14 goals and three assists in 29 appearances, totalling just 2408 minutes.

In comparison, Delap managed to score 12 goals and provide two assists in 40 appearances, totalling 2670 minutes, for the Tractor Boys.

Unfortunately, the “simply phenomenal” centre-forward, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, is currently injured. However, before his injury, he looked set for his best season to date, scoring four goals and providing two assists in just six appearances, totalling 384 minutes.

Appearances

66

Starts

56

Minutes

5018′

Goals

27

Assists

7

Goal Involvements per Match

0.51

Minutes per Goal Involvement

147.58′

Ultimately, not only does Emegha have a better record than Delap, but he has also never received a red card; therefore, he could be a real upgrade for Chelsea next year.

Not Estevao: Chelsea star looks like Palmer 2.0 after Wolves "masterclass"

The exciting ace made all the difference for Maresca and Chelsea vs Wolves.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 30, 2025

Celtic appear to be inching ever closer to finally appointing their long-term successor to Brendan Rodgers, who resigned last month after a loss to Hearts in the Scottish Premiership.

Martin O’Neill has been in interim charge for the Hoops since Rodgers left the club, and oversaw three wins in four matches before the international break, including a 4-0 victory over Kilmarnock last time out.

The experienced boss may not manage another game for the Scottish giants, though, as Columbus Crew head coach Wilfried Nancy appears to be on his way to Parkhead.

Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph reports that the French manager has been given permission to speak with the club this weekend to discuss a move to Glasgow.

If Nancy does take over at Parkhead, he will be looking to build on the success that Rodgers, as shown in the graphic above, achieved during his second stint at the club.

The Columbus Crew tactician should also look to build on some of the good work that O’Neill has done in his interim spell, as the experienced boss has got the best out of Johnny Kenny.

How Johnny Kenny could fit in Wilfried Nancy's set-up

The Ireland international has scored four goals in four matches under O’Neill in recent weeks, having only scored two goals in his first 17 appearances for the club in all competitions, per Transfermarkt.

This shows that the former Shamrock Rovers star has stepped his game up since Kelechi Iheanacho suffered a hamstring injury last month, as he has shown that he can be relied on to score goals for the Hoops.

Kenny has been playing as the sole number nine in a 4-2-3-1 system for O’Neill, after playing a similar role in a 4-3-3 set-up for Rodgers, but Nancy’s preferred formation, per Transfermarkt, is a 3-4-2-1.

Diego Rossi, who is a similar profile of player to Kenny in terms of his build and attributes, has typically been deployed as one of two second strikers operating behind a focal point centre-forward in that 3-4-2-1 shape, although he has also played as part of a front two in a 3-5-2 or a 4-4-2.

Appearances

48

37

Shots

112

123

xG

13.14

15.54

Goals

21

19

xA

5.60

6.46

Big chances created

14

11

Assists

7

5

As you can see in the table above, Rossi has thrived in that role under Nancy in the last two seasons, racking up 40 goals and 12 assists in all competitions.

Kenny, therefore, could look to thrive as one of the two players behind a starting number nine, as he perhaps lacks the physicality to play as the focal point on his own in that system.

With this in mind, the Hoops could land an upgrade on him as an out-and-out centre-forward by signing a Premier League player who is a reported target.

Celtic eyeing move for Premier League striker

According to 67HailHail, Celtic are monitoring Brighton & Hove Albion centre-forward Evan Ferguson ahead of a potential swoop for his services in the January transfer window.

The report claims that he was linked with a move to Parkhead in the summer transfer window before the Ireland international, understandably, opted to sign for Serie A side Roma on loan.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

It adds that his loan spell with the Italian giants could be cut short, though, in January because of his struggle for form, with no goals in ten matches so far.

Celtic are keeping tabs on his situation with a view to chasing a deal to sign him on loan for the second half of the 2025/26 campaign to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch.

Despite his struggles with Roma this season, which is why he may become available in January, Ferguson could arrive as a dream first signing for Nancy at Parkhead.

Why Evan Ferguson would be a dream first signing for Wilfried Nancy

The Ireland international would come in as a dream first signing because he could be the focal point that the French head coach needs to play his 3-4-2-1 formation with the Hoops.

Celtic, since they sold Adam Idah in the summer, do not have a physical and imposing centre-forward who can act as a focal point, as Kelechi Iheanacho and Johnny Kenny are both more suited to playing with another striker or as a second striker behind a number nine.

Ferguson, standing at 6 foot 2, can provide that natural number nine presence to lead the line as the centre-forward in a 3-4-2-1, acting as an upgrade on Kenny as the main number nine.

In fact, former Match of the Day host Gary Lineker once likened him to Manchester City’s monstrous forward Erling Haaland. He said: “I do see a hint of Haaland about him, his stature, his movement, his youth and stuff like that.”

He has a physically imposing presence that could make him a handful for Premiership defenders to deal with, whilst his career so far also suggests that he could offer more quality than Kenny as an out-and-out number nine.

Age

21

22

Height

6 ft 2

5 ft 8

Senior Ireland caps

26

0

Senior Ireland goals

8

0

Top 5 European leagues + SPFL games

75

15

Top 5 European leagues + SPFL goals

13

5

As you can see in the table above, Ferguson has 26 more caps and eight more goals than Kenny, who is older than him, for Ireland, whilst he has also scored eight more top-level goals.

The Brighton loanee has struggled in the Serie A this season, undoubtedly, but he managed six Premier League goals each season as a teenager in the 2022/23 and 2023/24 campaigns, per Sofascore, which is no mean feat.

The 21-year-old marksman, whose finishing was hailed as “phenomenal” by James Milner, has shown incredible promise in the Premier League and at international level for Ireland, whilst Kenny has never played at a level above the Premiership and is yet to be capped by Ireland, although he is in the current squad.

This suggests that Ferguson would be an upgrade on his international teammate as an out-and-out centre-forward, potentially taking his place or forcing Nancy to unleash him in the Diego Rossi role behind Ferguson.

"I will step aside" – O'Neill says no talks with Celtic board over permanent role

He’s had his say.

ByTom Cunningham Nov 14, 2025

Overall, the Brighton striker would be a dream first signing for the French boss, should he take over at Parkhead, because of the role that he could play in the team, and the quality that he could bring to the pitch.