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Spurs to bid for £6m Zokora replacement: Would be a very good signing

Didier Zokora is not the greatest player in the world and in fact he can be on his day one of the most frustrating players on the planet. There is now speculation linking a player with similar attributes who would surely do a better job than the Ivorian!

Tottenham have joined the race for £6m rated Middlesbrough midfielder George Boateng. Also chasing the 32 year old are Celtic and Sunderland.

Boateng was due to move to White Hart Lane in January but the deal fell through when Didier Zokora refused a move the other way. Boateng admitted last week he will be leaving Boro. (The People)

I am a big fan of George Boateng. He plays with a smile on his face always gives his all and knows exactly what his role is in the team. I have very rarely see him put a foot wrong and for all of these reasons he would be a marked improvement on Mr Zokora. Yes Boateng is no spring chicken but he isn’t showing any signs of slowing down right now so he is well worth signing. What do Tottenham fans think?

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Arsenal want £2m ‘bruiser’: Could be the next Flamini if the current one leaves!

With news abound that Mathieu Flamini could indeed be heading for the exit Arsenal have been linked with a potential replacement for the Frenchman.

Capped three times for his country, Ognjen Vukojevic is an uncompromising defensive holding player dubbed ‘Croatia’s Rino Gattuso’.
The 24-year- old confirmed that reputation with the crunching Hampden challenge which ruled Darren Fletcher out of Manchester United’s title charge in George Burley’s debut as Scotland manager.
Competition for Vukojevic, rated in the £2million bracket, could be fierce.
A former Under-21 international, the six-footer is expected to feature in the Euro 2008 squad due to be named by Slaven Bilic next month.
Celtic, Espanyol, Arsenal and Bayern Munich are just three of the clubs linked with the player in the last year. (Daily Mail)

From the same stable as Luka Modric and Eduardo da Silva, Vukojevic is a no nonsense character who is less likely to smash in thirty yarders like the Flamster but could be the kind of buy that could prove useful as a squad player who could grow into the role and hopefully not leave the moment his contract runs out! Are Arsenal fans dismayed that Flamini does indeed appear to be leaving for Serie A?

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Spurs plan £10m raid for wonder winger!

Tottenham’s season is beginning to stutter to a conclusion, one win in eight, and Juande Ramos already planning a big shake up in the summer apparently, and here is the latest target on his shopping list!

£10m valued Celtic winger Aiden McGeady is on the shopping list of Tottenham boss Juande Ramos.

McGeady is one of Ramos’ many summer transfer targets. (The Mirror)

The 22 year old Glaswegian is a top class player who appears to be angling for a move to the Premier League but the Bhoys will not be keen to sell their hottest prospect but will they be able to prevent the Scottish international from leaving? Do Celtic fans think they will keep the PFA player of the year and do Spurs fans like the idea of such a signing?

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Newcastle boss in £15m raid to add more quality

After a sticky start Kevin Keegan is seeing the best from his current squad. Maybe their improvement has been brought about by the uncertainty they might feel,  given the wealth of talent supposedly in line to be brought in in the summer.

Keegan wants Mike Ashley to back him in a double-bid for Celtic’s £15m rated pair Scott Brown and Aiden McGeady. (The Sun)

There seems to be a smile back on KK’s face now, a new vigour brought about by some fine performances that have breathed new life into the side. It’s clear that a few new faces would be good for the club and whilst these two are good players, maybe defenders are more key to a club who have let in the third most goals in the Premier League this season.

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Newcastle to beat Sunderland and Aston Villa to £10m hot prospect

Things seem to be going better and better for Kevin Keegan on Tyneside, with three straight wins lifting Newcastle to safety and now they can push on and look to the summer with renewed optimism and Kevin has a number of top quality players in his sights as he aims to spend big to push the St James’ Park outfit in the right direction.

Northeast rivals Newcastle United and Sunderland are battling with Aston Villa for £10m rated Celtic winger Aiden McGeady. (News of the World)

Even given Roy Keane’s pulling power and Martin O’Neill’s Celtic connections I would still consider Keegan to be leading the pack chasing given the size and grandeur of a Newcastle side looking to move up the table to a position more befitting it’s fans and history. 22 year old McGeady is an exciting player who may see his future away from the SPL and it surprises me that more clubs aren’t beating at his door for a move across the border.

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Hartson Gave Rangers The Blues

John “Once Worth £7m” Hartson has today revealed that he rejected the chance to play for Celtic’s fierce rivals Glasgow Rangers only 15 months ago.

After failing a medical for Dick Advocaat’s Rangers, Harton headed for Celtic Park and had a successful 5-year spell, reaching the UEFA Cup Final before moving on to West Brom. And it was when he was at this club , and during Paul Le guen’s awful tenture, that Rangers chairman Sir David Murray contacted the ginger hardnut about a possible move back North.

There was no way that I could ever pull on a Rangers shirt after all that I achieved in five years at Celtic.

Mr Murray tried to convince me it would work but it was a no-brainer as far as I was concerned.

Hartson also went on to cement his Swansea roots as he dismissed another club, should they have any intention on trying to sign him:

There are two clubs in the world that I could never contemplate playing for now - Cardiff City and Rangers.

Who knows. Perhaps now he has no club and couldn’t get a game at The Hawthorns, maybe he thinks it would have been a good idea to get one nice last payday.

Bilic flirts outrageously with the old firm

Slaven Bilic,coach of Craotia and former West Ham and Everton defender has waltzed into Scotland for an International friendly game and started batting his eyelids towards the Old Firm. Although Bilic has again pledged his loyalty to Croatia and has claimed that he wants to manage them beyond Euro 2008 and into the World Cup qualifiers, he still reckons that one call from Rangers or Celtic would have any sane manager sprinting towards Glasgow with the frenzied speed of a doped up sprinter. Bilic said:

“I have said that I want to stay as a manager and I am enjoying my time with the players.

“We have a young team with great young players coming through and all the players can play in the World Cup qualifiers when they start, apart from maybe one or two.

“Therefore I am enjoying my time here and I want to stay if they offer me a new contract which they are probably going to do.

“Scotland does not have the best league in the world but put it this way, there is no trainer or manager in the world who, if called by Rangers or Celtic, would not walk to Glasgow.”

Would anybody be surprised if we saw this chain smoker puffing away in a Glaswegian dugout next autumn?

Bilic Would Walk To Glasgow

Croatia boss Slavan Bilic has admitted the SPL may not be high up on a managers career plan but Rangers and Celtic are someone they’d be willing to make a detour for.

Talking to The Daily Record as the build up to Craig Burley’s international debut continues, Croatia’s handsome helmer revealed he would walk to Ibrox or Parkhead if the chance came his way:

If I wanted to go somewhere else Scotland is maybe not the best league in the world but they have two massive clubs.

Put it this way, there is no trainer or manager in the world who would say no if Celtic or Rangers asked to meet them. They would walk to Glasgow.

You happily say that when you’re already in Glasgow. Maybe he’d change his tune if his walk meant crossing most of Europe.

Rangers Determined To Out-Do Celtic

Not to be outdone by Celtic’s 1-0 defeat at home to Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup on Wednesday night, Rangers tried to go one better and lose at home to Division One side Partick Thistle last night.

Ian McCall’s side went to Ibrox last night and managed to grab a 1-1 which gives them a replay at Firhill and another shot at getting into the Scottish Cup semis.

McCall was happy with the result but dissapointed they didn’t take full advantage of a lacklustre Rangers side:

The disappointing thing is that it was an opportunity to win. Rangers will still have a lot of games to play before they come to Firhill. They won’t give up.

Rumours have started doing the rounds that Celtic have fixed the opening round of next years competition to face, and be beaten by, non-league opposition.

Strachan Red-Faced Over Dons Defeat

Celtic gaffer Gordon Strachan was embarrassed about the loss at home to Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup last night. The Dons came to Parkhead and grabbed a 1-0 win that sees them progress to the semis.

Strachan contested that Aberdeen were not the better side, just that Celtic were far too wasteful in front of net. He also added that his sides lack of venom is starting to worry him:

“It’s down to finishing. We made enough chances to win a couple of games but that’s cup football for you. We made chances and got into good positions from out wide but we can’t finish teams off just now.”

Celtic have not won in 4 games now, however this does include a trip to the Nou Camp, where a 1-0 loss must’ve felt like 3 points.

Aberdeen boss Jimmy Claderwood was a bit more media friendly, unable to hide his delight a beating Celtic on their own patch. Agreeing that Aberdeen rode their luck at times and that Celtic should have scored, he stated that it is they who took a chance and are into the last 4.

Celtic manager bemoans early Barcelona goal

It’s only that his name is Gordon Strachan that we might still believe that he is serious. Otherwise, if it had been any other person, who would have said that Celtic would have overturned their 3-2 deficit against FC Barcelona at Camp Nou on Tuesday evening, you could have been pardoned to be placed in a lunatic asylum.

Barca won the second leg 1-0 to catwalk through to the last 8 of the UEFA Champions League, although the 3rd minute goal by Xavi Hernandez effectively killed off the tie. Now Celtic manager Gordon Strachan says that the Scots might well have had a chance of an unlikely upset should they have not conceded so early.

Gordon Strachan remarks:

For them to score the first goal without us really touching the ball was a body blow and we had to get over that.

We had players who played well tonight. I thought back four were excellent. Sno came on and did well, Samaras and Nakamura.

We had a lot of good performances tonight. In the second half we created chances, but couldn’t pull it off.

We feel that we could have scored goals, but the first half and goal was a body blow.

I thought the back four was excellent. It was just a pity we let that goal in right away which killed the tie.

Sorry to hurt any Celtic fan but even if Barca hadn’t scored that early in the match at Camp Nou, they would have still won the tie. It’s as simple as that!

Celtic manager optimistic against mighty Barcelona

To anyone with sense, Scottish giants Celtic are dead in the water as far as this season’s UEFA Champions League is concerned. The Old Firm side were defeated 3-2 by mighty FC Barcelona in the first leg of their last 16 tie at Parkhead a fortnight ago, and play the Catalans at the Camp Nou on Tuesday night.

However, Celtic manager Gordon Strachan is not ready to lose hope although he does hint that winning at the Camp Nou would be tough to say the least. He says:

You always want to win every game for your pride, it’s a big thing in football. We are angry that we lost the first leg although we understand that we played against a great side. We want to leave Barcelona players and fans with a good impression of us, that’s what we are going to try and do.Hopefully the Nou Camp does inspire the players. There is nothing wrong with a bit of fear sometimes - it can push you on to greater things. I hope that we have a fear to get the ball back when they have it and stop them playing and then when we get the ball back have no fear whatsoever, to hold on to the ball more and be braver when we have possession.Hopefully that might do us.

But somehow you cannot even imagine Celtic winning at the Camp Nou. Honestly, Barca are just too, too strong for them.

John Hartson to get involved in management!

Is John Hartson on his way to a managerial ladder climb? Seems so since it is reported that the volatile former Glasgow Celtic striker has been approached by lowly East Stirlingshire.

East Stirlingshire is a third division side that might as well have to be sold at the end of this season. Yet club owner Spencer Fearn is optimistic about the club’s long term prospects and is confident that Hartson can play a huge role in that. He says:

If it was good enough for Sir Alex, it should be good enough for big John.

We spoke to him last night and he was very positive, although there is a lot to consider. His kids are back down in Swansea and he has to think of that. But the discussions went well. He was positive and fine about it coming out in public.

I know John is doing media stuff but he wants to get into coaching. We’ve had a decent budget this year and next season, with the money we made from the Scottish Cup tie against Rangers, we will have a real crack at it.

He knows we want to get up into the Second Division and he could be the man to do it. I’ve always admired John for his passion and desire. He gives everything and has a sharp football mind. He has played at some wonderful clubs, worked under great managers and has a lot to offer. He would also be assisted by John Brownlie, who would be the experienced No2.

Oh, if you haven’t got what the hype is all about, then here it is. This is the same club where current Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson commenced his managerial climb decades ago. So can John Hartson become Sir Alex Fergsuon II? Maybe, maybe not.

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Barca star rates Celtic more highly than Rangers

But is this just mind games at work? Barcelona were frustrated by a very defensive Rangers team during the group stages of the Champions League and couldn’t only manage a goalless draw at Ibrox. However, the BBC report that Barca’s Deco expects Celtic to pose a much greater attacking threat ahead of their game at Parkhead on Wednesday night.

“Celtic are a stronger team than Rangers, they will take more risks when going forward,” he said.

“They have a strong, direct game with players who will play until the last minute to get a result.”

However, there’s no hard evidence to suggest Celtic are the better team, despite making it through to the knockout stages. After all, the Gers lead the SPL by four points and it’s clear that the Bhoys will put men behind the ball this evening against a dangerous Barcelona team.

John Hartson bids farewell to football

John Hartson has been a fiery player all his life and has been terrorising opposition defenders but no more from now on. The Daily Mail reports that the former Welsh international has decided to retire from football at the age of 32.

The giant was released by West Bromwich Albion last month and although there was a possibility that the former Celtic star might play in the lower divisions, Harson decided to call it quit. Hartson says:

A part of my life has been winding down and, yes, I’m going to miss that competitive edge. That was my weekend, after all, letting off steam and terrorising centre-halves. I’m not going to miss training though. They say you should go down the leagues and just play for enjoyment because it will be easier. It isn’t. I have been fighting my weight for 12 years. I can’t have a burger without putting on half a stone.

So the big bad man who kicked opponents as well as team mates has bid farewell to the game. He will be missed for sure.

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