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Many Crystal Palace fans have been taking to Twitter after the club shared a warm birthday message to chairman and part-owner Steve Parish, who turns 56 today.

Joining the Eagles in 2010, the Lewisham-born investor has been a key factor in the success at Selhurst Park in recent seasons.

Saving the club from liquidation 11 years ago with his consortium CPFC 2010 just after the south Londoners had bravely staved off relegation to League One on the last day of the 2009/10 season, few could have predicted that he would currently be involved in a reputable and stable Premier League club today.

Nevertheless, he has become a popular figure in Croydon due to his commendable contribution to the Palace cause, with the Eagles set to begin a ninth successive season of top-flight football next month.

In light of the post detailing Parish’s birthday, loads of Crystal Palace fans took to Twitter to wish him well on his special day.

CPFC fans react:

Reacting to the club’s official Twitter account, here is how some supporters sent their best wishes to a Selhurst Park “legend” in Parish.

“Happy birthday Boss”

Credit: @ChristianEagle0″Many happy returns to the best chairman we’ve ever had”Credit@ @jackstacpfc”Happy birthday Steve, hope you have a lovely day”Credit: @ToniLouiseeee”Happy birthday Steve hope you have a fantastic day”Credit: @LukeRemnant”Happy birthday big boss man. @CEO4TAG”Credit: @wallHil59834857″Legend”Credit: @TetleyHaydenIn other news, these Crystal Palace fans react to one pre-season development.

Tottenham Hotspur could be about to fix their defensive issues in this transfer window…

What’s the word?

According to Italian transfer guru Fabrizio Romano in The Guardian, Spurs have ramped up talks with Nuno Espirito Santo over their vacant manager’s role and will then target Sevilla centre-back Jules Kounde ahead of the new campaign.

The 22-year-old is currently at Euro 2020 with France and is expected to be sold for less than his €80m (£68m) release clause.

Newly-appointed sporting director Fabio Paratici is said to admire the former Wolves boss, who was not previously under consideration by the north London club, and he now seems like the frontrunner for the job.

The perfect solution?

Whoever is appointed, whether that is the Portuguese coach or someone else, they will be walking into quite the mess in N17. Spurs recorded their lowest finish in the Premier League in over a decade and missed out on yet another trophy following defeat to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final.

There’s also the future of star striker Harry Kane to consider as he expressed his desire to leave the club this summer.

One of the biggest issues Spurs faced throughout the tumultuous 2020/21 campaign was at the back, where a combination of individual mistakes and a lack of cohesion led to them having one of the worst defensive records in the top eight.

It was so bad that Jose Mourinho used more than 16 different combinations at the back, whilst the players at his disposal were regularly lambasted.

For example, the pairing of Davinson Sanchez and Eric Dier was deemed one of the worst in the Premier League by former Spurs midfielder Jamie O’Hara, whilst Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher dubbed Serge Aurier the “biggest liability” in the English top-flight.

Truth be told, Spurs never replaced the presence of Jan Vertonghen, who left for Benfica following the expiry of his contract llast year, and Joe Rodon’s arrival was surely with the future in mind.

Kounde may only be 22 but he has quickly emerged as a defensive star – that much is already known as he made Didier Deschamps’ Euro 2020 squad over some big names such as Dayot Upamecano.

His form and ability has led to some high praise indeed – speaking to Football Transfer Tavern, La Liga expert Euan McTear said: “He’s still so young, he’s got energy, great positioning too. All the centre-backs, not just in Spain I think, but if you look around Europe, he’s got to be one of the highest prospects.

“To be playing for France who have countless centre-backs, if he’s able to get himself into that group, then, yeah, he’s pretty special.”

Indeed, he ended the campaign as Sevilla’s highest-rated player (7.01) and recorded an average of three aerial duels won, 1.2 interceptions and a 90.1% passing accuracy per league outing, via WhoScored.

The 5 foot 10 beast, who is valued at £54m by Transfermarkt, is evidently a cool, calm and intelligent ball-playing defender, and that could be exactly what’s needed in the heart of Spurs’ defence.

Once Nuno gets through the door, he could well solve one of their biggest problems in a heartbeat by signing the Sevilla star.

AND in other news, Alasdair Gold reveals fresh twist in Nuno Santo pursuit…

After the way Celtic’s move for Eddie Howe collapsed just over a week ago, the Hoops hierarchy need to be cautious with their next moves.

The Bhoys have been in advanced talks with Ange Postecoglou with personal terms reportedly agreed but they’d be foolish if they didn’t have a contingency plan in place.

After all, the Australian currently lacks the necessary coaching badges which has resulted in the deal being held up.

Celtic have sought an exemption from UEFA to allow him to become the new manager but the Hoops have other irons in the fire in case things go south again.

The Daily Record reported last week that the Bhoys had held tentative talks with Rui Faria, the man who for so long was Jose Mourinho’s assistant.

Faria is reportedly keen on the move but unfortunately for him, Postecoglou is still the front runner.

He has little experience of being a manager himself but it’s hard to deny his CV and what he could bring to Celtic.

Having been under the wing of Mourinho for so long, he will have developed not only a winning mentality but also a method for how football should be played.

He was the Portuguese’s number two at Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and Manchester United before being handed his first managerial gig with Al-Duhail.

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The 45-year-old has been credited as a “football expert” by Mourinho and when you consider their nearly 20-year long relationship it’s clear to see why.

There are few greater tutors than the multiple Champions League winner but Faria could bring his own style and thought process to Celtic.

His background is in strength and conditioning, being named Leira’s fitness manager under the stewardship of Mourinho during his first gig back in 2001.

From there, Faria has developed an understanding of the physical demands applied to modern-day footballers and what they need in order to succeed.

This method could be incredibly beneficial when you consider the sheer number of games Celtic have to play across a single season.

Their campaign will get underway on either the 20th or 21st July when they begin their Champions League quest in the second qualifying round.

Celtic will have to play six matches in order to reach the group stages and consequently, players will be incredibly tired before the domestic campaign has even begun.

Throw in the fact that Celtic have a number of players at the European Championships and it only adds further strain to their legs heading into the new season.

A normal manager would have to manage this carefully but for someone like Faria, he’d be an expert in tailoring rest and recuperation periods so early into a new term.

Bearing this in mind, it’s certainly a smart idea for Celtic to consider a manager like Faria.

AND in other news, Hoops set for colossal blow after Celtic news emerges, fans should be gutted…

Everton’s search for a new manager has seemingly accelerated in the last few days with Farhad Moshiri and co desperate to replace Carlo Ancelotti swiftly.

No fewer than 40 coaches are on the club’s radar so the hierarchy will have to be meticulous in their process.

What’s the word?

Everton are interested in hiring Rafael Benitez as their new manager but there have been plenty of other names to catch their attention too.

The Toffees are also in the hunt to bring former Wolves boss Nuno Santo to Goodison Park.

They opened talks with the Portuguese last weekend with an interview taking place about the current vacancy.

Crystal Palace made their move to sign the 47-year-old but after a deal looked close to completion, the plug was eventually pulled on a move due to his lengthy backroom requests.

As a result, Everton are now set to ramp up their approach for Nuno.

Speaking on talkSPORT, Jim White asked journalist Alex Crook: “What do you think? Your hunch is that Everton and Farhad might make their move for Nuno now that he’s freed up again?”

Crook responded: “Yeah, absolutely. He does want to continue his Premier League career.”

Kenwright upset

Nuno is an attractive proposition based on some of the things he’s achieved at Wolves.

He took a number of young players under his wing and developed them into some of the most feared prospects in the Premier League.

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Diogo Jota earned a mega move to Liverpool after starring under the Portuguese while he’s also developed Pedro Neto significantly.

At the age of just 21, he was named the club’s Player of the Season following a haul of five goals and six assists. Those aren’t jaw-dropping numbers but they’ve been enough to see him linked with a £50m move to Manchester United.

Labelled “special” by reporter Tim Spiers, Nuno also took Wolves from the Championship to European football.

That being said, he isn’t at the top of Bill Kenwright’s shortlist.

The Everton chairman is keen on seeing either Roberto Martinez or David Moyes return to the club after their previous spells in Merseyside.

Kenwright is believed to have made an informal approach for Moyes but that move would be put in doubt if Marcel Brands and Farhad Moshiri preferred Nuno instead.

In this instance, it could be a case of too many cooks spoiling the broth.

All three senior figures in the hierarchy will have to come to an agreement at some point but unfortunately, it’s Kenwright who may be left rather upset.

After all, an agreement with Nuno looks closer to completion than any talks with Moyes.

AND in other news, Brands keen on hiring 46 y/o who Pep dubbed “the best”, he’d be perfect for Everton…

According to Sky Germany (via fotbolltransfers.com), Southampton are interested in signing Thomas Delaney from Borussia Dortmund this summer.

The Lowdown: Saints preparing for new season

The Saints went through a mixed campaign last term, finishing in 15th place in the Premier League table but also reaching an F.A Cup semi-final.

Ralph Hasenhuttl will be demanding a lot more from his players next term, and he will no doubt want to bring in some fresh faces as well.

The Latest: Saints eye Delaney

Now, it is being reported that the Saints are keen on Dortmund midfielder Delaney.

Norwich City and Crystal Palace are two of the other sides also interested in his services.

The Verdict: Top quality

Signing Delaney would be a statement of intent from Hasenhuttl and co. In three seasons with Die Schwarzgelben, he has 86 appearances, with 15 of them coming at the highest level – the Champions League (Transfermarkt).

He also has 58 caps for Denmark, and he has appeared in every game at Euro 2020 for his country – he was hailed as “very important” by former Dortmund boss Edin Terzic earlier this year (bvbbuzz.com).

Valued at £13.5m (Transfermarkt), it is unclear exactly how much he would set the St. Mary’s Stadium outfit back, but he would no doubt be a top signing for Southampton. It remains to be seen whether they can win the race to sign him.

In other news, Southampton also want this former Manchester United man.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Southampton midfielder Carlton Palmer believes it is in Takumi Minamino’s best interest to remain at St. Mary’s and not return to Liverpool.

The Japanese attacker joined the Saints from Jurgen Klopp’s side for the second half of the season on loan after struggling for game time at Anfield.

And the possibility of him returning to Southampton for the next campaign looks to be there, with Ralph Hasenhuttl recently confirming to HampshireLive that conversations over bringing Minamino back have been held with Liverpool.

For Palmer, the 26-year-old Japan international needs to be doing all he can to extend his stay at St. Mary’s.

“Stay and play, stay and play,” the ex-Southampton ace said as he discussed Minamino’s future with FFC.

“That is the big thing: there’s no point being at a club, sitting in the reserves or sitting on the bench and not playing. You’ve got to play. That’s how you become better and that’s how you become more experienced.

“If he doesn’t get in the Liverpool side, somebody might come in the top six or seven and say, ‘Right, he’s been playing at Southampton; we’ll take him.’ But the only way that’s going to happen is by playing football.

“I don’t understand it [sitting on the bench].”

While Minamino was not always a starter at Southampton, the former RB Salzburg man registered way more minutes than he did at Liverpool, while he was also able to chip in with a couple of goals.

So, ultimately, if the opportunity to remain at the south coast club does present itself, then he should take it.

Former Leeds player Noel Whelan has told Liam Cooper to ‘wait his turn’ as he becomes available again following suspension.

The Lowdown: Cooper returns

Cooper has been banned for Leeds’ last three games after picking up a controversial red card for a challenge on Manchester City’s Gabriel Jesus.

Marcelo Bielsa has elected to go with Pascal Strujik and Diego Llorente in Cooper’s absence – Llorente was on target with a late equaliser in the 1-1 draw against Liverpool.

And he and Strujik then kept a clean sheet when Manchester United, the second-highest scorers in the division, visited Elland Road.

Llorente in particular played so well in April that he was named in WhoScored’s team of the month.

And Cooper himself labelled Strujik ‘different class’. But Leeds’ momentum stalled on the South Coast last week as they went down 2-0 against Brighton.

The Latest: Wait your turn, says Whelan

Bielsa must now decide whether to draft club captain Cooper back into the line-up as Leeds host European hopefuls Spurs on Saturday lunchtime.

Whelan, though, believes he should stick with the replacement partnership for the time being.

“I think Strujik is one of the players that did okay,” he told Football Insider.

“The thing about Strujik and Llorente is that they’re growing together.

“They need better help in front of them and they didn’t have that the other day.

“We were absolutely shocking all over the field.

“I mean it was embarrassing how badly we actually played at the weekend.

“We need a better performance but I’m not sure whether Liam Cooper should come back into the side.

“I think he needs to wait his turn.”

The Verdict

Leeds’ defence is in for one of the most daunting tests in the Premier League on Saturday, going up against Harry Kane, Son-Heung min and Gareth Bale.

Bielsa has hailed Cooper, valued at £6.3million by Transfermarkt, as a ‘generous’ player who prioritises the needs of his team-mates and claimed ‘you can’t find a better professional than him’.

That indicates that he truly values his presence in games of this magnitude. Over the course of the season, only injury has kept him out of clashes with ‘big six’ opposition.

He will probably recalled in place of Strujik.

In other news, this Leeds midfielder looks to be on his way this summer.

Leeds United are reportedly keen on signing Cagliari midfielder Nahitan Nandez this summer, looking to prise him away from the Serie A side.

The Lowdown: Reinforcements needed this summer

The Whites’ excellent season continued on Saturday afternoon, with Marcelo Bielsa’s side cruising to an emphatic 4-0 win away to Burnley.

Despite Leeds’ brilliance in 2020/21, there may be a need for new signings this summer in order for the team to continue its upward trajectory.

The Latest: Leeds keen on signing Nandez

One player who has been linked with a move to Elland Road is Nandez, with the 35-cap Uruguay international making 30 league starts this season, registering two goals and two assists.

According to Corriere dello Sport [via Sport Witness], Leeds are still believed to be interested in the 25-year-old, for whom Cagliari will demand €25m (£21.55m).

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The Verdict: A shrewd acquisition

Midfield is one area of the pitch that the Whites could improve ahead of next season, with Kalvin Phillips needing a tailor-made rival in his role.

Nandez could be that man, playing one key pass per game to Phillips’ 1.2 this season, as well as enjoying 1.2 dribbles to the England international’s 0.7, suggesting he is arguably a little more expansive on the ball than the 25-year-old.

Increased squad depth could hold the key to Bielsa’s team pushing towards the European places next season, so having Phillips and Nandez battling for a place in the starting XI, or playing together at times, could be something for Leeds fans to anticipate eagerly if they secure the Cagliari midfielder.

In other news, a former Leeds hero has tipped the Whites to move for a Scottish Premiership star this summer. Find out who it is here.

Celtic have reportedly spoken with Rui Faria as an alternative option to Ange Postecoglou, the Daily Record report.

The Lowdown: Hoops seek Postecoglou exemption

Postecoglou has been the man heavily linked with the Celtic Park vacancy for the past six days after talks with Eddie Howe collapsed.

Recent reports have suggested that the Hoops have applied for an exemption with UEFA for the 55-year-old to manage in Europe.

The Hoops are thought to be confident Postecoglou will be granted an exemption to take over in Glasgow, but it seems as if the Celtic hierarchy are taking no chances.

The Latest: Faria discussions

According to the Daily Record, Celtic have spoken with Faria’s representatives.

The report claims that ‘Parkhead chiefs have held tentative talks’ – quite the shock six-word claim considering the strength of the links with Postecoglou in recent days – Football Insider even claimed he could be announced soon.

Faria, a former assistant of Jose Mourinho’s, held his first job as a manager with Qatar side Al-Duhail SC back in 2019 and uses a 4-2-3-1 system.

The Verdict: Keeping all bases covered?

With Faria working in the United Kingdom alongside Mourinho at Chelsea and Manchester United in the past, Celtic may well have spoken with the 45-year-old as a backup option to Postecoglou.

They will know all too well that a deal for a new manager isn’t straightforward after the Howe debacle, so talking with the Portuguese coach could be a viable contingency plan.

It seems as if their first choice is still Postecoglou, though, with the Hoops reportedly reaching compensation terms with Yokohama F. Marinos on Thursday, but it’s certainly a shock to learn of their talks with Faira on the side.

In other news: Hoops facing Kyle Joseph battle, find out more here. 

As they so often have been in the last few years, Sunderland appear to be a sinking ship.

Only nine days ago they looked the favourites to gain automatic promotion but that has now fallen by the wayside after three straight defeats.

On the chalkboard

One of the main reasons for Sunderland’s recent slump has been their defence. The tight-knit duo of Dion Sanderson and Luke O’Nien has been split up due to injury reasons and it has not gone well.

The Mackems conceded two set pieces on their way to a defeat against Wigan, proving incredibly sloppy when the ball came into the area.

Though, when they lost to Blackpool it was arguably their finishing that told a sorry story. Lee Johnson’s men had 67% of the possession and had six more shots than the Tangerines.

That didn’t seem to matter, however, as Sunderland lost 1-0.

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Charlie Wyke now only has one goal in his last seven matches too. It’s hard to knock his performances at all given his haul of 27 strikes this campaign but unfortunately, he’s not received much help from those below him in the pecking order.

Danny Graham and Will Grigg failed to score a league goal in the opening half of the season while Ross Stewart has netted just once since signing in January.

It was a valuable header against Accrington but he’s not done much since.

The solution

Regardless of what division Sunderland find themselves in next term, they will need to bolster their forward line.

That should start with the addition of Hibernian forward Kevin Nisbet.

The Black Cats were interested in securing a move back in January before they picked up Stewart from Scottish football instead.

Though, you can’t help but wonder whether they picked up the wrong player because Nisbet has been in scintillating form for Hibs.

If they are on the lookout for new attackers then they could do a lot worse than looking at the 24-year-old, a player who may well face the exit door in a few months time.

Speaking in early April about Nisbet potentially leaving, executive chairman of Hibs, Ron Gordon said: “That could be a possibility, to be honest. It wouldn’t surprise me.”

With 16 goals to his name this term, the forward is evidently very cool inside the penalty area. He is the second top scorer in the SPFL and has fired Hibernian to third spot in the division at the time of writing.

He is also managed by a certain Jack Ross, someone who lauded his penalty box antics as “terrific” earlier this season.

With Stewart struggling to hit the ground running at the Stadium of Light, Nisbet would make a fine addition.

After all, he’s fared very well against some of Scotland’s top defenders this term.

Ross added: “[He’s got] both feet, headers, tap-ins, longer range ones. Today (23/11/20) he played as a lone striker and that’s not something he’s had to do a lot this season, he’s played against Nir (Bitton) and Kristoffer Ajer who are two good players.”

The Hibs striker clearly plays with no fear; that would benefit Sunderland massively.

AND in other news, Fewer touches than Burge: Sunderland gem who lost 62% duels will have Johnson fuming…