All posts by z3u9t.icu

It’s been a turbulent 12 years or so in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era at Manchester United, a period dominated by talk of ‘projects’, ‘philosophies’ and ‘transitions’.

In truth, the Red Devils have tried it all, from hiring and firing managers at will, to changing directors and CEOs, to even shaking things up at ownership level.

The result? A worst-ever Premier League finish last season, with things again hanging in the balance this time around.

So many problems, so many people to blame, although one consistent theme remains the inability to acquire a truly consistent, world-class figure to lead the line.

Not since Robin van Persie’s breathtaking debut season in 2012/13 has any United player reached 20 Premier League goals in a season, with the club veering from short-term, Edinson Cavani-shaped fixes, to long-term, expensive gambles like Rasmus Hojlund.

Season

Player

Goals

2024/25

Bruno Fernandes & Amad

8

2023/24

Bruno Fernandes & Rasmus Hojlund

10

2022/23

Marcus Rashford

17

2021/22

Cristiano Ronaldo

18

2020/21

Bruno Fernandes

18

2019/20

Marcus Rashford & Anthony Martial

17

2018/19

Paul Pogba

13

2017/18

Romelu Lukaku

16

2016/17

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

17

2015/16

Anthony Martial

11

2014/15

Wayne Rooney

12

2013/14

Wayne Rooney

17

2012/13

Robin van Persie

26

Ruben Amorim and INEOS are crying out for that next Van Persie, or Ruud van Nistelrooy or even Dimitar Berbatov to deliver the goods, with this season again another tale of frustration.

Every Premier League Golden Boot winner at Man Utd

As already stated, it was that man Van Persie – following his controversial switch from Arsenal – who last truly hit the ground running among United centre-forwards, scoring 26 league goals to fire Ferguson to his 13th and final title, while claiming the Premier League Golden Boot as a result.

The Dutchman had also received the honour the year prior during his last campaign at the Emirates, taking the award from the 2010/11 recipients of hero turned nemesis, Carlos Tevez of Manchester City and that man Berbatov.

A maverick talent in every sense, that campaign was the balletic Bulgarian at his very best in a United shirt, scoring 20 times as United romped to the title, memorably scoring that hat-trick to sink Liverpool at Old Trafford.

Far removed from the high-press, relentless talents of the likes of Tevez before him, Berbatov was all silk and intelligence, making up for his lack of pace and power by playing the game at his own speed.

While never truly prolific, the one-time Tottenham Hotspur man remains one of just five players to have won the Golden Boot while playing for United, with that list unsurprisingly completed by Van Nistelrooy (2002/03), Cristiano Ronaldo (2007/08) and Dwight Yorke (1998/99).

Whether anyone will reach such heights again at the Theatre of Dreams remains to be seen, and while patience continues with regard to Benjamin Sesko, time is swiftly running out for Joshua Zirkzee.

Why Man Utd’s new Berbatov is on borrowed time

To defend the modern or current crop, Fergie’s great sides all had a string of forwards who could carry the burden.

For every Yorke, there was an Andy Cole. For every Van Nistelrooy, a Louis Saha. Or for every Van Persie, a great like Wayne Rooney.

That depth, that competition, is no longer there, a fact perhaps best highlighted by the lack of action afforded to Zirkzee of late, with the Dutchman merely a bystander to proceedings this season.

With Sesko the leading number nine, Amorim has also deployed Matheus Cunha through the middle for trips to Anfield and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, thus reducing Zirkzee’s hopes of featuring even further.

While the 24-year-old doesn’t appear to have been too wounded by such a status – having creditably been seen celebrating with his teammates in recent weeks – the writing does appear to be on the wall with regard to his United career.

As journalist Samuel Luckhurst put it, he was “reduced to a fleeting waterboy” against Spurs.

Once hailed as “the modern-day Berbatov” by Billy Meredith, such is his fleet of foot and deft touch, such traits have also been his undoing, with his self-proclaimed ‘nine and a half’ role seeing him become unsuited to Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system.

At a time when the Portuguese coach is looking for his next Viktor Gyokeres, a powerful, pacy forward to run the channels – alla Sesko – the former Bologna man is anything but, instead better served linking play and dropping deep to kickstart attacks.

In a different side and in a different era, Zirkzee may well have thrived as a complementary talent to Rooney, Tevez and co, although in the age of one man up top, he does appear to be the face that doesn’t fit.

Indeed, it isn’t as if the Netherlands international has really made his presence felt when he has featured, scoring just seven times in 54 games for the club, only three of which have come in the Premier League.

Yet to score in 2025/26, albeit while totalling just 90 minutes, the £105k-per-week marksman appears destined to depart in 2026, be it in January or next summer.

From fighting his way back after being jeered off against Newcastle United in December, Zirkzee does appear to be up for the challenge, although such are the demands that Amorim places on his strikers, this might not be one he can win.

Unless something drastic does occur, INEOS’ £36m man will sadly be the latest victim of the post-Ferguson striking curse. Where will that next Golden Boot winner come from?

Forget Sesko: Man Utd's "terrible" dud is now becoming INEOS' worst signing

Manchester United made a huge mistake in spending big money on one first-team member.

ByEthan Lamb Nov 13, 2025

Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl should be delighted with the way that his team ran out 3-0 winners against Kilmarnock with relative ease on Saturday night.

Two goals from Bojan Miovski and a strike off the bench from Mikey Moore sealed all three points for the Gers, who had drawn their previous two games to Dundee United and Falkirk in a frustrating manner.

The German head coach should be particularly pleased with Miovski’s two-goal burst because it will provide the centre-forward with some much-needed confidence after a poor start to life at Ibrox

Why Bojan Miovski has been Rangers' most frustrating player

Out of all of the club’s summer signings, the Macedonia international has been their most frustrating player because he has not delivered at the level that everyone knows he is capable of.

Unlike most of the other signings, Miovski arrived as a proven Scottish Premiership performer who is in the prime years of his career, at 26, after a return of 32 league goals in two seasons with Aberdeen.

Prior to Saturday’s game against Kilmarnock, though, the left-footed forward had only scored one goal in nine league starts for the Light Blues, per Sofascore, and has lost 68% of his physical duels in the division.

Miovski was much improved against Kilmarnock, with two goals, which makes his poor form up to that point all the more frustrating, because that is the kind of performance that he can deliver.

It’s a display that Rohl recognised too. In quotes taken from PA Media, the manager said: “We had a conversation with each other and then he made step-by-step a huge step forwards against Dundee United. He had some good chances. He’s more adaptable at the moment, not just staying on the last line, it helps in building up as well.

“I’m happy when a striker scores two goals, it’s fantastic. In general, we spoke about what I demand from him. He told also what he is thinking at the moment. And then I think, especially after the Falkirk game, we spoke about spaces, what I want to see from the centre-forward and big spaces.”

The 26-year-old marksman is not the most improved player under Rohl, though, as that title has to go to Nasser Djiga, who has stepped up in recent weeks.

Why Djiga is the most improved Rangers player under Rohl

After Rohl’s fourth match in charge, against Celtic in the League Cup, Heart & Hand content creator David Edgar described the Wolves loanee as a “rotten” signing.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Football FanCast even suggested playing James Tavernier at centre-back at the start of November because of Djiga’s poor form for the club up to that point.

That criticism was fair after several high-profile errors, including a red card against Dundee, an inexplicable defensive mix-up against Club Brugge, and Four Lads Had A Dream claimed that he “genuinely looks lost” during the loss to Celtic in the semi-final defeat that led to Edgar dubbing him “rotten”.

It did not seem like there was any way back for the Premier League loanee, who was as ‘rotten’ as Miovski was, but his run of form since John Souttar and Derek Cornelius picked up injuries has been an impressive response to that criticism.

Because there was an argument, due to his high-profile mistakes, that Djiga was the worst performer in the club, it is only logical that his recent showings make him the most improved player in the squad.

Whilst Miovski scored two goals against Kilmarnock, the striker had not scored in his previous 11 games and is yet to show his quality consistently, and the Wolves defender has now strung several performances together.

Appearances

4

Sofascore rating

7.3

Clean sheets

2

Tackles won

6/8

Clearances

18

Ground duels won

14/18

Aerial duels won

7/14

Error led to shot or goal

0

As you can see in the table above, Djiga has really stepped up in the right-sided centre-back role since Souttar picked up an injury on international duty with Scotland, winning an eye-catching 14 of his 18 ground duels in four league outings.

The Burkina Faso international has shown that he can be reliable at the back for a stretch of games, with no direct errors leading to shots or goals, whilst being dominant in his defensive duels.

Rangers have kept two clean sheets in the last four league games with Djiga at the heart of the defence alongside Emmanuel Fernandez, and Rohl will be hoping that his new defensive partnership continues to shine over the festive period.

The 23-year-old loanee, in particular, needs to prove that his current form is not a flash in the pan and that he has put the mistakes that he made earlier in the season behind him to be a reliable option for the German manager moving forward.

Rangers prioritising move to sign "strong" 6ft 4 box-crasher after scouting mission

He could be Rohl’s first signing.

ByTom Cunningham Dec 6, 2025

On current evidence, Djiga is the most improved player under Rohl, going from “rotten” to reliable, but now he needs to do it over a prolonged period of time.

After last night’s disaster, West Ham United fans probably wish the international break had never come to an end.

Nuno Espírito Santo took charge of his first home Premier League match against Brentford, and to say the Hammers let him down would be a colossal understatement.

It was one of the most disappointing, lethargic and worrying performances from the East Londoners for some time, one worthy of a side heading for the drop.

There were shocking displays all over the pitch from the hosts, with Lucas Paqueta and another starter now becoming a genuine concern.

West Ham's growing Paqueta problem

So it should almost go without saying that, when he’s on song, Paqueta has the ability to be one of the best creative midfielders in the Premier League.

After all, there was a point in time when he looked set for a move to Manchester City, and then over the summer, fans were delighted when a potential move to Aston Villa didn’t happen.

However, the unfortunate reality is that the Irons faithful have not seen the mercurial Brazilian anywhere near his best for quite some time now.

For example, in 36 appearances across all competitions last season, totalling 2536 minutes, the former Lyon star scored just five goals, which is an average of one every 7.2 games, or every 507.2 minutes.

There were signs of him potentially recovering his form earlier this season when he had three goals to his name by transfer deadline day. Still, since then, he has failed to score or assist a goal, and his overall performances have taken a nosedive.

Monday night was probably his worst display so far, and while he was played out of position to replace the injured Niclas Füllkrug, he still needed to offer more than he did.

For example, in 94 minutes of inaction, he amassed a combined expected goal and assist figure of just 0.12, took a single shot, which wasn’t on target, took 61 touches but failed to complete a single dribble, lost the ball 23 times, misplaced 100% of his crosses and more.

Minutes

94′

Expected Goals

0.04

Goals

0

Expected Assists

0.08

Shots on Target

0

Shots Off Target

1

Touches

61

Lost Possession

23

Dribbles (Completed)

1 (0)

Key Passes

0

Crosses (Accurate)

2 (0)

Duels (Won)

20 (7)

In short, it was a total horror show of a performance from Paqueta and yet more reason for fans to worry about his form, which could be said about another starter.

The West Ham star becoming a problem under Nuno

The unfortunate reality of the matter is that, at this point in time, you could make the case for a handful of West Ham players being a problem for Nuno.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

The likes of Kyle Walker-Peters and Oliver Scarles, for example, had to come off at half-time on Monday, and Guido Rodriguez looked lost when he came on.

However, a player who is even more of a concern than they are at this moment is Max Kilman.

The former Wolverhampton Wanderers star joined the Hammers for around £40m last summer, and while there have been moments in which he has justified that price, there have not been any this season.

Moreover, in the three games since the new manager has come in, the Englishman has been a hindrance to the side, and it’s hard to see when that might stop being the case.

For example, against the Bees, he looked a mess, unsure of when to close down on players and then, for the opener, he just sort of sticks a leg out in an attempt to get the ball off Kevin Schade.

He also fails to intercept the cutback for the second one, lending credence to one content creator who described his performance as “diabolical.”

Finally, Nuno can’t even really take him out of the team for the next game, as Konstantinos Mavropanos went off with an injury late on.

Ultimately, while almost every West Ham player was poor on Monday night, Kilman’s form is starting to become a big issue.

Nuno suggests West Ham could be about to rely on "very aggressive" young star

The Hammers boss clearly loves what he can offer.

BySean Markus Clifford Oct 19, 2025

The pressure is growing on Arne Slot to turn things around at Liverpool and Michael Edwards could now reportedly hire a former Premier League manager.

Arne Slot admits "shock" as Liverpool crisis mounts

The 3-0 defeat at Anfield against Nottingham Forest signalled that Liverpool were in a crisis, but last night’s 4-1 defeat against PSV Eindhoven signalled that Slot may not be able to find his way out of that crisis. The Reds are on a historically disastrous run, having smashed their transfer record twice in the summer to back their Premier League title-winning manager.

It’s the most unexpected run from a side that many backed to retain the English crown and Slot admitted that it’s also been a “shock” to him in recent weeks.

Liverpool aren’t a sacking club, historically speaking, but reports have now claimed that Edwards admires Ange Postecoglou and the pressure is growing on Slot to turn things around.

Liverpool eyeing Postecoglou as Joyce reveals crisis talks

Paul Joyce revealed on social media that the hierarchy have held talks with Slot on Thursday.

And according to TeamTalk, Edwards is an admirer of Postecoglou and has not been deterred by the Aussie’s failure at Nottingham Forest or by how his final Premier League season ended at Tottenham Hotspur.

Postecoglou, who deploys an attack-minded 4-3-3 formation with a high defensive line and has publicly stated he demands “relentless” pressing from his sides, has been out of work since an 8-game spell with Forest which returned just 0.25 points per game.

Sources at Anfield told TeamTalk that Slot is “under pressure” but not in immediate danger of being sacked.

Xabi Alonso makes decision about Liverpool role if he is sacked by Real Madrid

The Spaniard is also under pressure in Spain.

1 ByTom Cunningham Nov 26, 2025

It’s a tough situation for Liverpool chiefs. Slot became just the second manager to give them a Premier League title last season, but there’s no denying that recent results have been unacceptable and there are serious questions as to whether he can turn things around given his side make the same mistakes week in week out.

Slot must drop 3/10 flop who was just as bad as Konate vs PSV

West Ham could oversee a host of exits when the winter window reopens for business, including some pretty noteworthy names.

January is set to be vital for Nuno Espirito Santo and co, with reports suggesting that chairman David Sullivan and the board are prepared to back their new manager to the hilt.

The Hammers have just been given some real encouragement they can avoid a dreaded drop to the Championship, having secured back-to-back home wins for the first time since October last year whilst scoring six goals in their last two games.

Sunderland 3-0 West Ham

West Ham 1-5 Chelsea

Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham

West Ham 0-3 Tottenham

West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace

Everton 1-1 West Ham

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

West Ham 0-2 Brentford

Leeds 2-1 West Ham

West Ham 3-1 Newcastle

West Ham 3-2 Burnley

West Ham’s crucial wins over Newcastle and Burnley at the London Stadium have relieved some major pressure on Nuno, with the January window set to hand him another potential lifeline amid reports that the club are looking to sign a new defender and striker at the very least.

Nuno has also been given “confirmation” that West Ham will have money to spend mid-season (Sky Sports), and ExWHUemployee has backed this up recently whilst confirming that the club are scouting heavily in Belgium.

That being said, incomings are not the only item on West Ham’s agenda at the turn of the year.

After being axed from the squad, pretty much immediately after Nuno replaced Graham Potter, midfielder James Ward-Prowse is now resigned to leaving in January, despite being a vice-captain and first-team regular at the start of 2025/2026.

The 30-year-old, who is just one free-kick goal away from equalling David Beckham’s all-time Premier League record of 18, is not in Nuno’s long-term plans.

Meanwhile, The Times recently reported that Lucas Paqueta is keen to leave West Ham in the winter, with Fabrizio Romano also stating in his GiveMeSport newsletter that an exit for the Brazil international isn’t ruled out in the slightest.

Now, as per a report from El Intransigente, midfielder Guido Rodriguez could follow them out the door.

Guido Rodriguez wants to leave West Ham in January

The Argentine, signed on a free deal from Real Betis last year, is another who’s suffered from Nuno’s axe — having managed just 19 minutes of action since the tactician’s arrival.

He was largely a bench player under Potter as well, and El Intransigente reports that Rodriguez is looking to leave West Ham as he aims to battle his way into Argentina’s squad for the 2026 World Cup.

River Plate boss Marcelo Gallardo also “dreams” of signing Rodriguez and could offer him a route out of London, but he isn’t alone, as Real Betis, Espanyol and Club América are also actively targeting the 31-year-old World Cup winner whose contract expires at the end of the season.

West Ham could be forced to sell him on the cheap in January because of this, but considering they signed him on a Bosman deal in 2024, any fee received for Rodriguez would go down as pure profit through the lens of PSR.

Selling him is a real no-brainer, and Sullivan will be particularly keen to get his £75,000-per-week wages off the books to free up space for a potential striker.

As well as Rodriguez, Ward-Prowse and Paqueta, it is believed that Niclas Fullkrug has told West Ham he wants a January transfer, so they’ll need to replace the German.

While Chelsea made plenty of good signings in the summer, it would be fair to say that they’ve had mixed starts to life in West London.

Joao Pedro, for example, might have slowed down a little in recent weeks, but has already amassed an impressive tally of seven goal involvements.

On the other hand, Jamie Gittens has largely struggled this season and looks quite some distance off being good enough to start week in week out.

Someone who falls somewhere in the middle is Liam Delap, but if he doesn’t start performing soon, one of Cobham’s most exciting prospects could eventually take the nine shirt off his back.

Delap's start at Chelsea

When Chelsea were the ones to secure Delap’s services for around £30m in the summer, there was an understandable level of excitement from the fans.

After all, here was a young, physically imposing centre-forward who, in his first proper season of top-flight football, had just scored 12 goals and provided two assists in 37 appearances for a poor Ipswich Town side.

Expectations remained high at the Club World Cup as the former Manchester City academy ace provided an assist against LAFC and scored his first Chelsea goal against Esperance.

However, it would be fair to say that, so far, those expectations have not been met this season, as in six games, totalling 227 minutes, the 22-year-old has failed to score a goal or provide an assist.

Now, he was unfortunate to pick up a hamstring injury in the game against Fulham, but in the other games he has appeared in, he has not looked particularly threatening.

Moreover, upon his return from injury against Wolverhampton Wanderers, he stupidly got himself sent off, picking up two yellow cards in the space of 22 minutes.

With all that said, there is still plenty of time for Delap to turn things around and make this season a successful one.

However, should he continue to underwhelm, he could eventually see one of Cobham’s most exciting prospects take the nine shirt from him.

The Cobham gem who could replace Delap

When it comes to producing Premier League-quality prospects, few academies can truly rival Chelsea’s Cobham.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

There are, once again, several youngsters in the setup who could see themselves become first-team regulars over the coming seasons, and the one who could rival Delap for the number nine shirt is Chizaram Ezenwata.

The 17-year-old gem joined the Blues from Charlton Athletic in October 2023 and has established himself as one of the most dangerous attackers in the academy.

For example, in just eight appearances this season, totalling 641 minutes, the Bexley-born marksman has already scored seven goals and provided one assist, which comes out to a goal involvement every game, or every 80.12 minutes.

The youngster isn’t just on a hot streak either; in 20 appearances last season, totalling 1,279 minutes, he managed to score 12 goals and provide three assists, which works out to an average of a goal or assist every 1.33 games, or every 91.93 minutes.

Appearances

26

Minutes

1913′

Goals

19

Assists

4

Goal Involvements per Match

0.88

Minutes per Goal Involvement

83.17′

With numbers like that, it is easy to understand why U23 scout Antonio Mango has told Chelsea fans to “get excited” about his development, and why Como scout Felix Johnston has described him as someone who “lives and breathes goals.”

The young poacher isn’t just making his mark at club level either.

For example, in seven appearances for England’s u17s he scored five goals, and in five appearances for the u18s, he has already scored twice.

Ultimately, Ezenwata is unlikely to challenge Delap for a place in the team this season, but if the former Ipswich man does not improve soon, next year could be a different story entirely.

Chelsea's Yamal rival can surpass Palmer & Caicedo to become the world's best

The incredible prospect could be an even bigger superstar than Palmer and Caicedo for Chelsea.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 11, 2025

Liverpool are now ready to accelerate talks to sign a key defensive addition, who could put an end to Ibrahima Konate’s struggles.

Romano shares update on Slot's Liverpool future

It’s been a disastrous season for Liverpool so far. The defending champions have seen their crown go from gold to paper in a matter of 12 Premier League games. Saturday’s 3-0 defeat at Anfield against Nottingham Forest turned a blip into a crisis and questions are now being asked of Arne Slot.

The Dutchman, for the first time in his Liverpool career, is under pressure to turn his side’s form around. According to Fabrizio Romano on his YouTube channel, however, the Reds are not searching for another manager just yet, even if everyone involved at the club is well aware that the current results cannot go on.

The news will come as a relief for Slot, who clearly has plenty of credit left in the bank after winning the Premier League title in his first season at the club.

There is still no denying that the Red must turn a corner sooner rather than later, though. They currently sit 12th and are on course for one of the worst title defences in Premier League history.

Having spent big in the summer, breaking their transfer record twice, those at Anfield could turn towards the January window to make further, much-needed additions.

Names such as Marc Guehi have continued to steal the headlines on that front, but reports are now claiming that Liverpool are ready to accelerate their talks to sign Goncalo Inacio.

Liverpool ready to accelerate Inacio talks

According to reports in Spain, Liverpool are ready to accelerate their move to sign Inacio from Sporting CP in 2026. The impressive central defender has a release clause worth €80m (£70m) in Portugal, but that looks unlikely to be enough to fend off the interest of those at Anfield.

Xabi Alonso makes decision about Liverpool role if he is sacked by Real Madrid

The Spaniard is also under pressure in Spain.

1 ByTom Cunningham Nov 26, 2025

By signing Inacio, Liverpool would also have the chance to rub salt in the wounds of Ruben Amorim. The Manchester United boss was a big fan of the centre-back at Sporting, telling reporters: “Gonçalo is perfect for the way we play. He can defend aggressively, step up to win the ball, and then start an attack with one pass. His ability to do both phases so well is rare.

“I’ve said it before—Gonçalo has everything to play at the highest level. His technique, his vision, his bravery. He’s brilliant, and he’s still improving every day.”

Minutes

990

976

Progressive Passes

98

45

Successful Aerial Duels

24

42

Ball Recoveries

69

30

It’s also worth noting how impressive Inacio has been compared to Konate this season. If the Frenchman does leave as a free agent next summer, then Inacio would provide Liverpool with the perfect upgrade.

Liverpool launch move to sign "perfect" right-back ahead of Arsenal

New Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy has been thrown in at the deep end ahead of a clash with Hearts in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday in his first match.

The Hoops boss has taken over from the vastly-experienced interim Martin O’Neill, who won seven of his eight games in the dugout after coming in to steady the ship after Brendan Rodgers resigned.

Nancy is now tasked with implementing his own ideas and tactics in the coming days, weeks, and months ahead, after his move from Columbus Crew in the MLS.

The formation that Wilfried Nancy could play at Celtic

Many Celtic supporters may already be wondering what formation the new manager will line-up with against Hearts, and for matches in the future, after O’Neill played a 4-2-3-1 and Rodgers played a 4-3-3.

Nancy has only had a couple of days on the training ground, having been announced on Wednesday night, so the game against the Jam Tarts may come too soon for radical changes.

With time on the training pitch, though, the French boss may want to deploy a 3-4-2-1 formation, which Transfermarkt notes is his favoured system.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Per FBref, Nancy played a 3-4-3 or a 3-4-2-1 in 31 of his 43 games in charge of Columbus Crew this year, and played a back three or a back five in 40 of those matches.

This suggests that the Frenchman may line up with three central defenders for the most part with Celtic, which could make Dane Murray the biggest winner of his appointment at Parkhead.

Why Dane Murray could play a key role for Wilfried Nancy

The Scottish youngster’s last start for Celtic came in Rodgers’ final match against Hearts, as he scored a nightmare own goal in a 3-1 defeat.

It was a poor afternoon for Murray and Celtic, as he struggled at the heart of the defence, and he only played 38 minutes across two substitute appearances in O’Neill’s time in interim charge, as the experienced boss favoured Auston Trusty and Liam Scales as a pairing.

With Cameron Carter-Vickers being a long-term absentee with an Achilles injury, though, there could be a place for the academy graduate to come back into the team as part of a back three or back five, if Nancy decides to stick with his trend of using formations with three centre-backs.

Kieran Tierney could be an option to play as a third centre-back, as he has done for Scotland in the past, but then Celtic would have three left-footed defenders across the back, which is not ideal for playing out under pressure.

Bringing a right-footed centre-back like Murray into the fold could be ideal for Nancy, and he would have more protection than he did in a back four under Rodgers, as there would be two senior defenders alongside him, in Trusty and Scales.

Appearances

3

Starts

2

Tackles + interceptions per game

3.0

Clearances

15

Dribbled past

0x

Ground duel success rate

64%

Aerial duel success rate

80%

As you can see in the table above, the 22-year-old colossus has shown some positive signs, despite his own goal against Hearts, in his three league appearances, dominating opposition attackers in physical duels.

Back in August, Rodgers claimed that Murray’s “ceiling is so high” and that he will really grow in the next 12 to 18 months. Whilst it may not happen as he envisaged, as another manager is in the dugout, that could play out with Nancy’s preferred system.

The Scottish prospect has been the only centre-back on the bench in recent games, with Carter-Vickers out, and that suggests that he would be the most logical inclusion for the new manager as part of a back three.

Given that a change in shape from a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 to a 3-4-2-1 or a 3-4-3 would essentially mean that a new centre-back position emerges, it seems like Murray has the most to gain and could be the biggest winner from this appointment for the Hoops.

Better than Maeda: Celtic star is going to be undroppable under Nancy

This Celtic star who was even better than Daizen Maeda against Dundee should be Wilfried Nancy’s first undroppable star.

1 ByDan Emery Dec 4, 2025

However, it is then down to the academy graduate to take his chance when it comes and prove that he has what it takes to be a regular starter for Celtic, and that his game against Hearts was a blip rather than a sign of things to come.