Rangers eye major windwall, Celtic player branded ‘a disgrace’, Beale breaks sack silence, Hearts playing ‘angry’

Malik Tillman has made a strong indication that he would finalize a permanent transfer to PSV Eindhoven this summer, which could result in a potential £1.2 million windfall for Rangers. After the 21-year-old midfielder’s season-long loan at Ibrox last year, parent club Bayern Munich canceled their option to purchase him; Rangers are entitled to 10% of any sum paid for the US international. According to sources, Tillman has contributed five goals and eight assists while on loan at PSV this season. The Dutch powerhouses are expected to pay £12 million to buy him permanently. “For me, it always comes down to playing time or prospects,” Tillman stated. After playing for the Rangers last season, I hope to reflect on the second season next summer, when I consistently performed at a high level. That’s how I want things stay for now. It’s a pretty nice vibe. As a team, we have gotten incredibly close. Both the personnel and the manager are having fun. We’re just football players, that much is evident. We also play really attractively, in my opinion. We attempt to adhere to Peter Bosz’s exact idea. With or without the ball, it’s all about intensity.”

Despite acknowledging that the team was guilty of “keeping possession for the sake it” while Steven Naismith was an assistant at Hearts, Lee McCulloch, a former Hearts assistant, has lauded the work Naismith is doing at Tynecastle. McCulloch was Robbie Neilson’s backup at Hearts until their dismissal in April of last year, following three years of management during which their performance declined following a third-place position in the 2021–22 campaign. Regarding his last club, McCulloch told PLZ that it was “really positive.” “Kent, Vargas, and Nieuwenhof are excellent additions. Obviously, Joe Savage had a major hand in bringing them in, and he merits a great deal of praise. Aside from that, though, Naisy is deserving of much (of credit). From the beginning, Naisy has been a good coach. The initial stutter, in my opinion, was probably caused by the players’ attempt to establish their identity—the form they had been accustomed to over the previous year and a half. He provides consistency to the group. Even though Lawrence Shankland is undoubtedly the finest striker in the league, it’s not all about him. Their football team is well-organized under Naisy’s leadership. He has them moving past simply holding onto the ball for the purpose of doing so, which may have been the case a few seasons prior. Shankland is fed up with him playing irascible football and getting balls into the box. They’re cruising in third because he’s playing to their strengths. Can the Old Firm be broken? They may have solidified third place for me, but I’m not sure.
Beale ends the bag quiet.

Michael Beale has spoken out about being fired by Sunderland. As the Black Cats dropped to tenth place in the Championship league, four points out of the play-offs, the former Rangers manager was fired from his position at the Stadium of Light after only four of the 12 games he managed saw victories. During his brief tenure at Sunderland, Beale failed to win over the supporters, and rumors have it that he also lost the dressing room. After being fired, Beale issued the following statement: “I am disappointed to have left Sunderland AFC after a short time at the club.” I want to express my sincere gratitude to the players—they were a pleasure to work with. The team has a lot of potential, and over the next several weeks and months, I’ll be closely watching their development. I also want to express my gratitude to all of the employees at Stadium of Light and the training ground for their friendship and excellent work. I always had open and honest contact with Kyril, Kristjaan, and the board, and I would want to take this opportunity to express my gratitude for their personal assistance during a difficult time. To the supporters: I want to express my gratitude for all of your help and support during the most recent game against Plymouth Argyle for my family and me. I will always remember the compassion and empathy you displayed in this gesture. I’m wishing the best for the future to everyone connected to Sunderland AFC.”

John Hartson, a former striker for Celtic, has taken a hard stance against Alexandro Bernabei, the Argentine left-back, and said that the defender may have cost his club the championship. The Rangers were able to take the lead in the Scottish Premiership for the first time since August 2022 on Saturday at Celtic Park when David Watson of Kilmarnock headed in an equalizer in the 92nd minute after Bernabei was caught beneath the ball. The 22-year-old, filling in for the injured Greg Taylor, arrived at Celtic for £3.75 million in the summer of 2022, but he hasn’t lived up to the hype. On The Go Radio Football Show, Hartson stated, “They should never give up that equalizer to Kilmarnock.” They lose the opening header after a long ball is hoofed through the middle. Next, it moves to the player on the left side. “[Alexandro] Bernabei is a disgrace,” he adds. He did not even put Watson to the test for the goal. You are doing everything in your power to prevent a goal if you find yourself back there at the final second. This might cost Celtic the championship. It’s not meaningful enough. It must be more important. As a defender, you have to give your life to protect your objective. You must be deeply offended by it. You must be genuinely irritated by it. And all I can see is Brendan speaking calmly as he speaks. It’s possible that Brendan is making fun of the guys in the locker room, but that equalizer should never have been given up.

David Martindale, who is confident that his bottom-of-the-table team can guarantee their safety, laughed aside any idea that he would be content if Livingston finished in the relegation play-off spot. With two games remaining, Ross County, who is now in 11th place in the Premiership, is only six points ahead of the Lions in the standings. Livi overcame St Mirren 1-0 on Saturday to snap a depressing 17-game league losing streak. As a result, they are currently just three points behind the Staggies, who have one game remaining. This weekend’s Highlands encounter between the bottom two clubs kicks off a big week in which the West Lothian club plays the three teams directly above them. After the County match, the club will host ninth-place Motherwell at home in the middle of the week before traveling to St Johnstone, which is ranked tenth, on the road. To ensure Livi’s survival in the top division, manager Martindale was asked whether he would accept 11th place currently and a two-leg play-off against a Championship promotion-chaser. He said, “No, I want 10th, I want ninth, I want to try and get as high as we can.” No, I wouldn’t be pleased if you told me, “Bang on 11th right now, league ends.” I believe we still need to strive for a tenth place finish or higher. Although there is a large hill ahead of us and a tremendous ask, I believe we have more than enough in the locker to overcome it.

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