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Bottom of the Championship and in dire financial trouble, Bolton Wanderers have acted quickly in finding a replacement for Dougie Freedman – sacked at the beginning of the month – by appointing Neil Lennon as their new manager.

The task which lies ahead for Lennon at his new club is a considerable one, with the Trotters having struggled badly since their relegation from the Premier League in 2012. After amassing debts of £168.3 million – a truly staggering amount – through overspending in a doomed attempt to remain in the top flight, the funds available to Lennon to strengthen the team are not likely to be significant.

The man from Northern Ireland will have to make do with what is in front of him, and maintaining the club’s status in the Championship is surely all that will be required of him in his debut season. After a highly successful spell in his first managerial role at Celtic, winning three Scottish Premier League titles and two Scottish Cups, expectations will be significantly more modest in nature at the Macron Stadium. But is Lennon the man to oversee a reversal in the Trotters’ fortunes?

His strong-willed, confrontational nature, not to mention his achievements north of the border, makes Lennon’s appointment intriguing. Although he enjoyed great success at Celtic as a managerial rookie, one could make the counter argument that such success almost came by default in a largely uncompetitive league devoid of Celtic’s main rivals, Rangers. After four years of very few hardships where Lennon found himself in charge of a team which was expected to win as heavy favourites every weekend, he is now at the helm of a club in dire straits for whom defeat has become, depressingly, commonplace. Whether Lennon is able to cope with such a drastic contrast in only his second role in management will go a long way to determining how well his time at Bolton pans out.

However, if we look beyond the wildly differing on-field fortunes of Celtic and Bolton in recent years, there is reason to believe that Lennon may be a tidy fit for the Wanderers. For all the silverware won by Celtic in recent years, they haven’t exactly been big spenders. Since 2009, the club has not spent more than £3.8 million on a single player, yet the £12.5 million and £10 miillion Southampton paid for Victor Wanyama and Fraser Forster respectively in the past two summer transfer windows are the two highest fees Celtic have received for any of their players. The truth is that the Glaswegian side have become a selling club, and Lennon’s achievements under such financial constraints stands him in good stead for the job at hand at Bolton.

What was most impressive about Lennon’s tenure at Celtic Park was the way in which he got the best out of the moderate resources at his disposal, especially on the continent. Qualifying for the last 16 of the Champions League during the 2012/13 season – famously beating Barcelona in the group stages along the way – ranks as one of his finest achievements and is a perfect example of Lennon getting his side to punch well above its weight. While Bolton are not expected to challenge for European qualification anytime soon, they are certainly underdogs in their domestic league, a label which Lennon has been known to thrive under during his time at Celtic.

One could also make the argument that Lennon’s volatile and combative nature is a danger if things start to go badly at Bolton, yet even the most desperate of predicaments will seem trivial in comparison to the death threats and bomb scares that he suffered at Celtic. Such experiences will have hardened Lennon no end, which will give him the confidence to deal calmly and effectively with the harshest of criticisms and the most intense pressure he may face at Bolton.

Despite being poles part in terms of recent fortunes, the nature of Neil Lennon’s success at Celtic makes him the ideal man to initiate Bolton Wanderers’ revival.

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Tottenham will be doing all they possibly to maintain their position in the top four this coming Saturday.

AVB’s charges will be looking to continue their rich vein of form as they sparkled in their 4-0 boxing day victory over Aston Villa.

The lunchtime kick off on Wearside though does give Sunderland an opportunity so continue their mini revival of late. A win against the Premier League champions last time out a notable scalp.

It was their third win in their last four outings and came as an extremely welcome relief for the Black Cats as they have managed to haul themselves away from the relegation zone putting a 7 point buffer in place.

The feel good factor is starting to come back at the Stadium of Light with the run of late masking the frustrations of the supporters just under a month ago.

Tottenham may be able to halt this festive cheer with their attacking disposal, and Gareth Bale looks ready to wreak havoc again.

Just one defeat in seven has been based upon have a resolute defence. They have not conceded and three and remain above Everton.

Sunderland will be without Danny Rose who is on a season long loan is ineligible to play against his parent club. Phil Baardsley could slot in on or Colback could move back from midfield. John O’ Shea missed out boxing day and could return too.

Clint Dempsey and Tom Huddlestone could return after groin and knee injuries respectively. Benoit Assou Ekotto could make his long awaited comeback too after a knee injury. Scott Parker may also be ready for his first start of the season, after recovering from his Achilles problem. Moussa Dembele could return (hip) despite coming off against Aston Villa.

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Andre Villas Boas’s side have scored in every away game this season and remain the only side to do this.  They will hope for more of the same come Saturday.

Prediction: Sunderland 1-2 Tottenham

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According to The Sun, Scottish Premiership champions Celtic are set to rival Rangers for the signature of Liverpool sensation Harry Wilson. The 21-year-old will be looking to make his mark on loan again after a spell at Championship side Hull City last season, but with greater opportunities for first team football at Ibrox, the young Welshman should instead opt for Steven Gerrard’s Gers this summer. 

The Breakdown

Ultimately, the Reds youngster will be looking for regular first team football again this term after a fine spell at the KCOM Stadium last time round, in which time the 21-year-old scored seven goals and laid on four assists to help Nigel Adkins’ side avoid relegation from the Championship.

And while those figures underline what a huge talent the Wales international is, with the likes of James Forrest and Scott Sinclair on the books at Parkhead, there is no guarantee that Wilson would go to Celtic and command first team football week in, week out.

26-year-old Forrest enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career last time round in netting 17 goals for Rodgers’ men to inspire them to the domestic treble, while former Manchester City and Aston Villa ace Sinclair produced the goods in netting 18 goals and laying on 17 assists for the Scottish giants – thus, Wilson will struggle to dispose either from the starting eleven.

And while Celtic will likely play a vast amount of matches this season, and as such the 21-year-old will surely be used, he remains unlikely to command the regular football he may get under Gerrard at Celtic.

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The Rangers chief will know first-hand of Wilson’s qualities having come up through the ranks at Anfield in the last decade or so, and the chance to work under the Liverpool legend may be too good an opportunity for the 21-year-old to turn down.

And while the Gers are also reasonably strong in the winger department with Jamie Murphy and Daniel Candeias, Wilson would certainly complement the duo and indeed push them for a starting spot, with the 21-year-old likely heading into the 2018/19 campaign full of confidence after an impressive spell at Hull last time round.

And with Rangers eyeing the sort of quality signings that could see them bridge the gap to Rodgers’ side next term, the supremely talented Wilson, who could turn out to be the key man in those instances whereby the Gers are struggling to break down oppositions, is a deal they simply have to strike.

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Thus, while Celtic are also thought to be keen on a deal, the greater chance for regular football and thus development this term appears to be at Rangers under Liverpool legend Gerrard – the move £900,000-rated Wilson (as per Transfermarkt) should seek this summer.

Rangers fans… what do you think? Let us know!

Everton missed the chance to pick up an English Premier League victory on Saturday, giving up a lead to eventually lose 2-1 away to Burnley at Turf Moor.

The Toffees were on their way to victory after new signing Cenk Tosun scored his first goal for the club on 20 minutes. However, a second half defensive collapse allowed the home side back into the match, who scored through Ashley Barnes and Chris Wood.

Everton supporters were left angry with the performance and manner of defeat, aiming particular criticism at their lacklustre defensive line.

With centre-backs Michael Keane and Ashley Williams causing plenty of angst, there were also lots of fans fuming with Cuco Martina after an ineffective display at right-back.

The defender was caught out of position on multiple occasions, leaving supporters baffled as to why he’s made 25 appearances for the club this season.

They’re now calling on him to be dropped and shifted out of the club this summer, taking to Twitter to air their frustrations…

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After a rather poor start to the season in which many expected Manchester United to roll over the newly promoted sides, the Red Devils have finally steadied the ship under Louis van Gaal and now sit fourth in the Premier League table.

However there are still several issues the Dutchman must fix if he wants to continue this run before the league resumes  next weekend.

So, with that in mind, here are FIVE PROBLEMS Manchester United must fix during the International Break.

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CLICK ON LOUIS VAN GAAL TO SEE THE FULL LIST!

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Defence is the best form of Defence

Manchester United spent over a massive £150million during the summer transfer window, and unfortunately that large sum hasn’t resolved the defensive issues indicated after the departures of three key defenders.

Patrice Evra, Nemanja Vidic, and Rio Ferdinand… all three veterans at marshalling the back-line, left the club in May but although Evra has been replaced with Luke Shaw and Marcos Rojo, the United hierarchy have not purchased a world class centre-back and it has been telling.

Manager Louis van Gaal has however been unlucky with the high number of injuries, so the international break couldn’t have come at a better time in order to ease the likes of Johnny Evans and Phil Jones back into the defensive fray.

Killing off their opponents

It has to be said that Manchester United over the past two seasons do not have the composure to kill off games when they’re winning.

Take the last three games for example, in which Leicester were trailing 2-0 only 30 minutes into the fixture, but managed to level the game and ultimately go on to win it 5-3.

And while the last two games finished in 2-1 victories for the Red Devils, they were extremely close to conceding an equalizer, as Wayne Rooney got sent off against West Ham at 2-1 and David de Gea needed to make three incredible saves to gain three points against Everton.

With the vast amount of technical players at their disposal, surely United can attack early and then kill off the game by keeping possession?

Getting the best out of Radamel Falcao

Only a year ago Radamel Falcao was considered the best striker on the planet, as the Colombian scored an astonishing 70 goals in just 91 appearances for Atletico Madrid. He was purchased to Monaco for £48million and many great things were expected of him and the Ligue-1 side.

But a serious knee injury early this year halted his goalscoring exploits, as well as ending Falcao’s opportunity to star in a World Cup.

Making his return from injury, Manchester United snapped up Falcao on deadline day and will now look to the 28-year-old as a consistent source for goals this season.

He scored his first last weekend, but thus far he looks nowhere near the unplayable striker Chelsea faced two years ago in the UEFA Super Cup, in which he bagged a hattrick.

If Van Gaal can get the best out of Radamel Falcao over the coming weeks, then Premier League defences – even Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea – should be sweating in their boots.

Bringing Michael Carrick back into the lineup

Manchester United’s weak spot last season was in midfield, as Michael Carrick was probably the only midfielder with the quality expected of a Red Devil.

However the Englishman sustained an injury in pre-season and has yet to feature in this campaign, but according to reports, could be making his comeback in the upcoming weeks.

At the moment Louis van Gaal is deploying a 4-3-1-2 midfield diamond system, with Daley Blind anchoring Ander Herrera and Angel di Maria in midfield while Juan Mata plays ‘in the hole’ behind the strikers.

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If Carrick was to return, he could replace Mata and give Di Maria the opportunity to be used behind the front two of one of either Radamel Falcao, Wayne Rooney, or Robin van Persie?

Or, as it has been suggested, Carrick could be used as a make-shift centre-back with such a long list of injuries… although this experiment did not pay dividends when used in the past by Sir Alex Ferguson.

Who should start up-front?

Manchester United have some of the best attacking players in the league, and what comes with this luxury is a selection dilemma for manager Louis van Gaal.

The Red Devils squad contains three world class centre-forwards in summer signing Radamel Falcao, Robin van Persie, and captain Wayne Rooney… all vying for the same position.

Usually Rooney could slot in behind the other two, but with Juan Mata and Angel di Maria also in with a shout to play ‘in the hole’, no player is safe in the starting eleven.

It may very well all come down to form, but ultimately any team coming up against Manchester United will need extra defensive preparation against an unpredictable attack.

For a man whose power wields an awful lot of influence upon his club’s fate and fortunes, there remains something wonderfully understated about Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy.

While it is the Spurs supremo’s decisions that have played a very large part in shaping the current set-up of the club that we look at today, supporters have often been left very much in the periphery of understanding why these decisions were made.

Of course, it’s bordering on the naïve to expect the Tottenham hierarchy to disclose the logic behind every decision, both footballing and business based. Fans both support and respect the job that Levy has done during his time in North London and at times, it’s very easy to take the astuteness of Spurs’ financial acumen for granted.

Although while there’s nothing to overtly criticise about the club’s slick and silent style of business, can there be something a little disconcerting about the lack of noise that radiates out from the corridors of power at White Hart Lane?

A whirl around the giddy and often surreal environment that is the digital domain of the Tottenham Hotspur support online, can be a colourful environment at the best of times. But come the opening of the Premier League transfer window, it almost takes on a life of its own. Yet the talk and debate isn’t always just on what players might make their way to the club.

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The focus all too often seems to switch concurrently with gentle guess-timation upon the club’s finances. Again, this isn’t a critique against the club living within their means, in fact it’s quite the opposite – Levy should be commended on his stringent financial principles.

But while announcing to the world the exact amount of money you’re happy to allocate to your manager might affect your standing in the transfer market, it wouldn’t hurt to let fans know it’s there every now and then.

Earlier this year, Manchester United chief executive David Gill publicly reassured supporters that the club have money to spend and that moves were already being made to move the club on in terms of transfer recruitment. Arsenal’s chief executive Ivan Gazidis has been very vocal over the past two transfer windows in informing fans (albeit suspectly) that there’s money there to be spent. This isn’t particularly Daniel Levy’s style.

It’s difficult to pre-empt such a statistic as fact given the issues with undisclosed fees, signing-on amounts and agents fees, but Tottenham’s transfer expenditure this summer was set around the £59,800,000 mark. Their income from transfer revenue? Again, it’s difficult to determine, but that also winds up to around the £59,000,000.

Just a strange coincidence, or perhaps a suggestion that Spurs couldn’t spend more than what they earned during the summer? The truth is we simply don’t know. But with reports continuously circling that Villas-Boas can expect a near on £20million war chest from Levy in January, would it really do that much harm to simply go on record in saying that the money’s there to back the manager?

Some have suggested the information may have been deliberately leaked to the press, which isn’t out the boundaries of reality. It certainly seems a strange way of doing things, though.

And in terms of managerial communications, the Spurs board have also been oddly curious in their recent wall of silence. We’ve heard all the stories, counter-stories and conspiracies as to why Harry Redknapp left the club in June. What’s now done is done. But the explanation from the club itself amounted to:

“This is not a decision the Board and I [Levy] have taken lightly. Harry arrived at the club at a time when his experience and approach was exactly what was needed,” before going on to thank the now QPR boss.

Considering the gravitas of that decision and the implications a change of management can have upon a club, that’s hardly offering the paying supporter much in the way of an explanation. Whether you’re pro-Redknapp, pro-AVB or despise both of them, it’s not unfair to demand a little more in the way of an explanation.

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Even this season, while the club should be commended for the way in which it has vigorously defended the use of the ‘Y-word’ by the home support, there’s not been much in the way of public support towards Andre Villas-Boas. Now tweeting after every match day cuddling up to the manager only to sack him, a la Tony Fernandes, is hardly going to happen in N17.

But considering how much he let the Portuguese down in the summer, would a bit of public backing from Levy have really gone a miss? If the sporadic news reports suggesting Villas-Boas’ job has been on the line at several points this season have been complete rubbish, how hard would it have been for Levy to have come out and publicly slammed them into the ground? Tabloid fodder it may be, but it goes a fair way to forming public opinion, one that Villas-Boas could have done without getting any sourer.

Credit must be given where it’s due and after several seasons of what has sometimes felt like archaic lines of communications with the fans, the club is slowly learning. The Spurs Official Twitter feed has been more active than it ever has been, keeping fans abreast of team news and club developments as soon as it happens. It’s a good start, but it can’t end there.

Tottenham are a superbly run club, but you can’t help but feel that their PR skills leave a lot to be desired. It’s not a major gripe, it’s not something that’s going to affect how the team plays its football and it’s not going to define the grander plans and future of the club. But it’d certainly help put the fans’ minds at rest – a difference that shouldn’t be underestimated.

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Everton fans are absolutely furious with the latest rumours surrounding Ademola Lookman, after reports claimed the youngster wants to leave the club this summer.

According to The Mirror, Lookman will hold crunch talks with the club over his future this week.

The report says Everton are not actively looking to offload the 20 year-old, but that the player is keen to find a fresh start.

Lookman had high hopes when he arrived in Merseyside as a teenager, but made just one Premier League start last season. He will of course want assurances form Marco Silva about his playing time.

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Sam Allardyce sent the youngster out on loan to Red Bull Leipzig in January, which although being heavily criticised by fans was fairly productive, as Lookman grabbed five goals and three assists in 11 Bundesliga appearances.

Lookman can play on either wing, has bags of pace and skill, and his stats at Leipzig show he is starting to find that all important end product.

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The German club are said to be one of the clubs lining up a permanent summer move, and fans are absolutely fuming with the exit links.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below, where plenty of blame is being placed at Big Sam’s door…

Newcastle fans have been reacting to the news that Bob Moncur will no longer be a board member at the club.

Moncur was a widely respected club legend when he joined the board in 2015, having made 296 league appearances on Tyneside, many of those as club captain.

The Scotsman was appointed as part of a four-man board three years ago, a board that also included Steve McClaren, former chief scout Graham Carr, and managing director Lee Charnley. Moncur’s role has apparently been inactive since last season.

Moncur had been very close to his team during his time on the board, even travelling to away games in 2015/16, but will now only serve an ambassadorial role.

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Moncur told the Evening Chronicle: “Yes, I am off the board but nothing has changed with my ambassador role or duties with the Foundation.”

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It is expected that Rafa Benitez will now be working with Charnley and owner Mike Ashley when it comes to transfers.

Understandably, Newcastle fans are not all impressed by Moncur’s time on the board, and his legacy may well be tainted by the brush of Mike Ashley. They took to Twitter to share their frustrations…

The summer transfer window may have only just slammed shut but we at Football FanCast are already looking forward to it’s winter counterpart.And although Arsenal spent around £80million during the off-season – the fourth most of any Premier League side – there are still a number of issues Arsene Wenger has to address via the transfer market in January.Admittedly, the winter window is never the best time to resolve lingering issues; few clubs are willing to spend big and the majority of players available are usually short of form. But if the Gunners gaffer intends to improve his club’sÂtitle credentials and all-round efficiency, it’s an opportunity he can’t pass by.So without further ado, here’s FOUR transfer dilemmas Arsene Wenger must resolve when the market reopens.

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Decide the fate of Joel Campbell

After netting this sensational strike against Manchester United in the Champions League amid a loan spell with Olympiacos last season:

//www.youtube.com/embed/nloqftNzgYM?rel=0

…in addition to bagging a goal for Costa Rica at the World Cup:

Many expected young winger-forward Joel Campbell to be utilised in a cameo role by Arsene Wenger this season. Thus far however, he’s been granted a token substitute outing in the Community Shield and seen just 16 minutes’ worth of Premier League action. That’s in no small part due to Alexis Sanchez and Danny Welbeck joining the Emirates ranks over the summer, whilst Theo Walcott’s planned return from injury within the next few weeks will further exacerbate the situation. The 22 year-old is desperate for first team football; Campbell’s agent claims he wanted to move to either Roma or AC Milan this summer:

Wenger must grant that wish in January. Either Campbell has the potential to become a future star for Arsenal, and thus needs to gain experience through a loan spell in the Premier League, or he’s surplus to requirements and should be sold whilst interest in the South American is high.

Sign a low-cost centre-back

Arsene Wenger has around £30million to spend in January according to the Daily Mail, and a decent portion of that must be devoted to signing a centre-back.

We’re only five games into the Premier League season and Arsenal have already hit the limits of their defensive depth, with Mathieu Debuchy, Kieran Gibbs, Nacho Monreal and Calum Chambers all recently undergoing spells on the sidelines.

But this issue has existed for some time, namely since the sale of Thomas Vermaelen to Barcelona in the summer.

There are a few decent options out there; Winston Reid for example, who was linked with an Emirates switch last January, has shown a remarkable consistency since West Ham returned to the Premier League in 2012.

His contract is up at the end of the season, meaning he’ll likely be available for a pittance, and the 26 year-old would fit the hierarchy of Arsenal’s squad well. Here’s a look at the 2013 Hammer of the Year in action:

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Another candidate is FC Basel’s Fabian Schar, who was once again linked with a move to north London over the weekend:

Whoscored.com rated the 22 year-old as the best defender in the Champions League last season, as detailed below:

And the Swiss international’s World Cup performances weren’t too bad either, making eight interceptions during two outings at Brazil 2014. In a similar vein of thought to Winston Reid, Schar won’t immediately command a place in Arsenal’s starting XI over Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny.

Finding a physical midfielder

To the delight of Arsenal fans who have been aware of this issue for several years, Arsene Wenger revealed last week that he wants to add a physically imposing midfielder to his squad:

The Gunners currently boast great quality and depth in the middle of the park, but with Aaron Ramsey the only regular midfielder who measures in at over 6 foot, a lack of variation in that department is costing Arsenal valuable points against big teams.

The north Londoners were linked to Southampton star Morgan Schneiderlin over the summer and could revisit the France international in January. His form has been nothing short of incredible this season, as detailed below:

…and typified by this curler against Newcastle:

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But rated at around £30million and recently declaring he’s happy at St. Mary’s, the 24 year-old may prove too rich for Wenger’s blood.

Highly-rated Sporting Lisbon star William Carvalho remains an alternative, having recently rejected a new contract with the Portuguese side, but The Metro believe he’ll still cost around £24million.

Nigel de Jong remains a cheaper solution, with the shin-crushing Dutchman’s contract at AC Milan set to expire in the summer, but recent speculation suggests he’s about to sign a new deal.

Sami Khedira’s contract will enter it’s final six months in January too, yet the Real Madrid star’s wage demands were highlighted as a potential stumbling block over the summer.

Thus, in classic Wenger style, signing an athletically gifted holding midfielder will likely have to wait until the summer.

Reduce the wage bill

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For the first time in over a decade, Arsenal’s wage bill now surpasses Chelsea’s, which is completely ridiculous considering where both sides are likely to finish in the Premier League table this season.

Arsene Wenger needs to shift some deadwood in January and one prime candidate for the transfer scrapheap is wide man Lukas Podolski.

The German international is a useful member of the Emirates squad but first team opportunities are likely to dry up in January when Olivier Giroud returns from injury, freeing Danny Welbeck to act as cover for Alexis Sanchez on the right-hand side. Theo Walcott will be back in action soon too.

The 29 year-old’s salary is at £3million per-annum according to recent reports and this money could be better spent in other areas, particularly the defence. Here’s a look at Podolski in action:

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It could be worth parting company with Santi Cazorla too; the 29 year-old is a fantastic technical talent but he lost form last year and the Gunners are already privy to a wealth of quality and depth in midfield.

He was strongly linked to Atletico Madrid this summer and currently on £80k per-week, the Spaniard’s departure would significantly reduce Arsenal’s wage bill. Cazorla is a real talent however, here’s a look at some of his silkiest skills in an Arsenal jersey:

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Here is a list of players that I feel should seriously consider a move in January – whether that be because they aren’t getting enough time on the pitch, are simply not up to the standard their current club expects, or are exceptional players that should make the next logical move in making their careers historic.

We are only a few months away from the January window opening, and these players have had a taster of the new season to see what role they may have to play – or not to play – in their clubs plans for the rest of the coming season. Worringly some of these players may opt to remain on the bench, sitting on hefty wages rather than forcing a move and getting more regular first-XI football.

Click on Kaka to get the ball rolling

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Who do you think should look at a January move? Any clangers that I’ve missed? Let me know on Twitter @dudeyoungy