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Former Sunderland striker Kevin Phillips says West Brom are still yet to decide on their new manager, having received an update from James Morrison.

The Lowdown: West Brom search for new boss

The Baggies were relegated back to the Championship last season, following a disappointing Premier League campaign that never got going.

Sam Allardyce was unable to keep West Brom in the top-flight, and having departed after the final game, the search is on for a new boss.

Chris Wilder is one of a number of names to have emerged as a contender for the job, but there doesn’t appear to be a clear front-runner at the moment.

The Latest: Phillips provides update

Speaking to West Brom News, Phillips gave an update on the situation after a catch-up with possible insider Morrison, who is a coach for the under-23s:

“I spoke to James Morrison last night, I bumped into him, and I asked if anyone’s in charge yet and he said, ‘no, I don’t know anything’.

“He’s none-the-wiser so I think it’s a situation that’s not desperate but it needs addressing sooner rather than later so someone can come in and get an idea of what they’re working with before pre-season starts.”

The Verdict: Worrying

Ideally, a new manager needs to be sorted as soon as possible, as Phillips alludes to, in order for them to adjust to their new surroundings before pre-season gets underway, plan transfers and make squad changes.

The longer this goes on, the less ideal it becomes, with less preparation available ahead of what is hopefully a triumphant 2021/22 campaign.

That being said, it is vital that the Baggies don’t rush the appointment, ensuring the right man arrives – someone who is a long-term addition, rather than a short-term fix.

In other news, a pundit admits he would be surprised if one individual took charge at West Brom. Read more here.

Alex Crook has claimed that Wolves have made ‘enquiries’ over the availability of Frank Lampard as they continue their hunt for a new manager.

The Lowdown: Wolves in manager hunt

Following the departure of Nuno Espirito Santo at the end of the 2020/21 term, the Midlands club are currently looking for a new manager to replace him for next season.

A few names have been touted as potential successors, including Bruno Lage, Sabri Lamouchi and Paulo Fonseca, but a new name has now emerged as a contender.

The Latest: Wolves enquire about Lampard

Crook has recently been speaking on talkSPORT about the vacant manager’s job at the Wanderers, and gave an interesting line with regards to former Chelsea boss Lampard: “I was told by a very reliable source that Wolves have started to make enquiries about Frank Lampard.”

With so many names being thrown around, Lampard is certainly one that catches the eye, given his past credentials in English football as a player but also as a coach.

The Verdict: Wolves should consider Lampard

What Lampard has over some of the other names to have been mentioned for the job is that he has that added experience of managing in the Premier League, while also overseeing Championship football with Derby County.

Of course, Nuno Espirito Santo managed to bring WWFC up from the Championship, and so similar comparisons can be drawn straight away between him and Lampard.

The 42-year-old also managed to bring a lot of quality young players through at Chelsea, most notably England international Mason Mount, and so is perhaps capable of repeating the trick again with some of Wolves’ youngsters like Fabio Silva, who he could hopefully develop into a top striker.

Nonetheless, the decision does not really need to be made until the summer transfer window opens, but Lampard, who is currently without a job at the moment, may fancy managing in England’s top flight once more.

In other news, find out what transfer update has left Wanderers buzzing here!

Celtic’s hunt for a new manager is currently in its tenth week but a successor for Neil Lennon has yet to be announced.

The Hoops have considered a number of appointments but Dermot Desmond has been struck with plenty of sticking points.

What’s the word?

Eddie Howe has been linked with the job on a regular basis over the last month but a deal is thought to be reaching a conclusion.

That being said, Celtic may be forced to think again after a surprising piece of news emerged this week.

That’s because a new name has now emerged in their chase for Lennon’s replacement. That’s the word of Duncan Castles who shared the latest information that he’d been given on the Transfer Window podcast.

He said: “With Roma parting with their current coach Paulo Fonseca, obviously, a Portuguese legend in terms of his career, he has been offered to both Celtic and Tottenham Hotspur as replacements for Neil Lennon and Jose Mourinho.”

A twist on the cards

With Celtic flirting with Howe for so long, it would be an almighty surprise if they suddenly changed their plan.

That said, extraordinary circumstances appear in football that are sometimes simply too hard to refuse.

In terms of improving their status in Europe, Fonseca would certainly be a valuable hire for Dermot Desmond and co.

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He is set to be replaced by Jose Mourinho at Roma once the season comes to a conclusion but it’s been a successful one as far as Europe is concerned.

Fonseca has guided his side to the semi-finals of the Europa League and has shown himself to be a serial winner.

The 48-year-old took Shakhtar Donetsk to three league titles in a row, amassing a win success rate of 74%.

Used to dominating a domestic league and then adapting well in Europe, this could be a crucial skill for a Hoops side striving to do the same.

They have been usurped by Rangers domestically while their continental campaign this term was nothing short of a disaster.

Celtic were knocked out of the Champions League in the qualifying stages and then finished rock bottom of their Europa League group after conceding 19 goals in six outings.

Fonseca may have seen his team decimated 6-2 by Manchester United in the Europa League semi-finals a week ago but he has proved to be adaptable before that.

With Howe possessing no experience in Europe at all, perhaps the Celtic boardroom needs to look towards Fonseca instead. Nobody was really expecting Fonseca to be an option, but now he seemingly is, he could be an excellent selection for the Hoops.

It would not be a shock at all if Celtic decided to take a bit of time to assess Fonseca before they commit to Howe, or indeed any other candidate, so this information that Castles has passed along could very well lead to a further delay whilst the Hoops consider their options again.

AND in other news, Dominic McKay is already on the verge of his first major Celtic mistake…

Jesse Lingard looks increasingly unlikely to join West Ham on a permanent deal this summer, acting as a blow to the Hammers.

The Lowdown: New Hammers hero

The England international moved to the London Stadium on loan in the January transfer window, looking to get his career back on track after struggling for game-time at Manchester United. The 28-year-old has since excelled for West Ham, scoring nine goals and registering three assists in just 14 Premier League appearances.

There has been hope that the Hammers could sign Lingard on a permanent deal, but a negative update has been provided in that respect.

The Latest: Lingard unlikely to sign this summer

According to The Athletic, West Ham’s chances of snapping up the midfielder are fading, with Manchester United keen on making Lingard a ‘makeweight’ in a deal for someone they want to sign, such as Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho, rather than loaning him out again.

There is a chance that Declan Rice could also be one of those individuals, but the Hammers will surely be desperate to keep hold of the Englishman.

The Athletic added that David Moyes appeared to concede defeat in terms of Lingard being at the club again next season, telling reporters prior to Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Brighton: “I am not actually sure how realistic it is. Obviously, I think Jesse has enjoyed himself, I hope he has, we have enjoyed having him.

“He is Manchester United’s player, so they can decide what to do with him. If they want to let him go, let’s hope he would consider us as one of his options.”

The Verdict: Big blow for West Ham

Given Lingard’s exceptional performances for West Ham, which have seen him labelled an “intelligent footballer” by Rio Ferdinand, there is no denying that this update will come as a blow for anyone of a Hammers persuasion.

Swapping him for Rice is a deal which wouldn’t make sense, with the latter being six years younger and possessing greater long-term potential.

In an ideal world, the £75,000-a-week Lingard would come in permanently, but with every passing week that is beginning to look less likely, meaning that David Moyes will need to look elsewhere for reinforcements and hope that they can make a similar impact for the Irons as the 28-year-old has done.

In other news, some West Ham fans have blasted one player’s performance after the draw with Brighton. Find out who it is here.

Reading have been dealt a blow to their chances of keeping Michael Olise at the Madejski Stadium this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by TEAMtalk, who claimed that French champions Lille have joined the race for the £10.8m-rated attacking midfielder ahead of a potential move in the upcoming transfer window.

The 19-year-old looks set to be one of the transfer stories of the summer, with Chelsea, Arsenal and Leeds also reported to be keen on a move for the former France under-18 international.

It has been reported that the Reading star could be available for a fee of around £8m due to a release clause in his contract, although this claim is disputed.

Paunovic will be gutted

Considering just how impressive Olise has been for the Royals this season, the news of yet more interest in the midfielder is likely to come as a blow to both Veljko Paunovic and fans of the club alike.

Over his 44 Championship appearances this season, the 19-year-old scored seven goals, registered 12 assists and created 10 big chances for his team-mates, as well as averaging 1.6 shots and 1.9 key passes per game.

These metrics saw the player Sam Baldock dubbed as “fearless” earn a highly impressive seasonal SofaScore match rating of 7.21, ranking him as Reading’s best performer in the league by a considerable distance.

As such, it would very much appear that the winger will be an important part of Paunovic’s plans for the Royals going forward, as the 43-year-old manager looks to build a side capable of going one further than his team managed in the Championship this season and secure a play-off position next term.

However, with such a great deal of interest in the £2,200-per-week youngster, and from clubs who will be playing Champions League football next season, the possibility of Reading keeping hold of the midfielder appears to be rather slim, something which will undoubtedly be a big blow for Paunovic.

Glasgow Rangers’ Commercial and Marketing Director James Bisgrove has revealed that the Gers are closing to selling 500,000 products in association with Castore.

Bisgrove discusses Castore

Despite a few teething problems following the confirmation of their partnership last year – there were reports of kits arriving late (Rangers News) and being damaged upon reaching their destination (The Scottish Sun) – Rangers and Castore now appear to be working well together.

Bisgrove was speaking with Ross Wilson during a Rangers webinar and he revealed just how well the agreement is going. He said:

“Ten months in, it’s been a remarkable period for us and Castore as an organisation.

“The numbers in which merchandise has been bought through the official channels has been phenomenal. We’re close to half a million products being sold across strips, training wear, lifestyle, accessories and the champions collection of products.”

Boost for Rangers

The number revealed by Bisgrove is huge, especially in a season where they cannot have fans at Ibrox. Even if 500,000 purchases were made only of the cheapest product available on the club’s online store – an A5 notepad soft cover (shop.rangers.co.uk) – that would still equate to a revenue of £1.28m. Obviously, the actual figure is going to be an awful lot higher than that.

As mentioned previously, there were initial concerns when the £25m deal was signed off (The Athletic), but now helped by the success of the Gers on the pitch, it appears to be a match made in heaven. The future looks bright for the 55-time Scottish champions.

In other news, many Rangers fans love this man’s pre-Old Firm comments.