Blackburn have put an £18 million price tag on the head of star Junior Hoilett in an attempt to fend off interest from potential suitors Newcastle and Tottenham the Mirror reports.
Rovers boss Steve Kean is desperate to keep the winger at Ewood Park after his impressive performances this season as the club continues it’s battle to avoid relegation.
The 21-year-old’s contract runs out at the end of the season and has yet to commit to a new deal with Tottenham and Newcastle both keeping tabs on his situation.
Spurs boss Harry Redknapp has been a long-term admirer of the Canadian whilst Magpies manager Alan Pardew reportedly made an enquiry about his availability during the summer.
The clubs Indian owners aren’t prepared to sell him unless their hefty valuation is matched whilst Kean is convinced he can talk Hoilett into prolonging his stay at Ewood.
Negotiations over a new contract have hit a snag with a dispute over over the size of a potential sell-on fee causing the player to renege on signing a deal worth around £2 million-a-year.
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It’s thought they are prepared to let his contract run out if they have to and take the risk of going to a tribunal to determine what fee they will receive should he decide to move clubs.
Manchester United welcome Wolves to Old Trafford on Saturday knowing they have to keep winning if they are to close the gap on rivals City at the top of the Premier League.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s side lie five points behind their neighbours at the summit and know victory over Mick McCarthy’s side could see them close the gap with City playing Chelsea on Monday. The Red Devils have been at their formidable best since their derby day drubbing in October winning four of their last five games by a goal to nil. In typical United style they responded to that humiliating defeat at Old Trafford by shutting up shop and grinding out the necessary results to ensure they stay within touching distance of City at the top. Last week’s win at Villa typified the game plan employed Ferguson with his side giving nothing away in defence and limiting the home side to just a few shots on goal. The return of captain Nemanja Vidic and the form of teenager Phil Jones have ensured United have a stable presence at the back whilst the latter has also proved to be a big hit going forward too. His goal against Villa was his first for since joining the club from Blackburn in the summer. The only problem that remains for United is to get Wayne Rooney scoring again with the striker failing to find the net since September. He’ll be confident of regaining his deadly touch against a Wolves side who have won only once away from home all season.
The Midlands side will travel to Manchester full of confidence after their late win over Sunderland last week moved them four points clear of the relegation zone. However that victory simply papered over the cracks of a run that has seen them win twice in their last 11 games and plummet down the table. A strong start to the season saw the optimism levels rise at Molineux only for that to give way to a dreadful run of form that saw them become embroiled in yet another battle to escape the clutches of the bottom three. Whilst they’ve been able to keep their head above water for now with wins here and there Wanderers need to start stringing a consistent run of positive results together to avoid being pulled further into the mire. Defending needs to dramatically improve with Roger Johnson and Christophe Berra looking lost at times during games whilst the return of Steven Fletcher from injury should take some of the attacking burden off Kevin Doyle’s shoulders. The Scotland striker showed just how important he is to the club by scoring twice to win the game last week and McCarthy will be relieved to have him back to full fitness. Starting their run of festive fixtures off with a trip to Old Trafford isn’t ideal but with games against Stoke, Norwich and Bolton on the horizon Wolves will see an opportunity to pull themselves further away from trouble.
Manchester United −2nd
Last Five: Won 1-0 v Aston Villa (A), Drew 1-1 v Newcastle (H), Won 1-0 v Swansea (A), Won 1-0 v Sunderland (H), Won 1-0 v Everton (A)
Potential Starting X11: 1. D. de Gea 12. C. Smalling 6. J. Evans 5. R. Ferdinand 3. P. Evra 18. A. Young 24. D. Fletcher 4. P. Jones* 17. Nani 19. D. Wellbeck 10. W. Rooney
Injury News: Nemanja Vidic and Javier Hernandez become the latest players to check into the United treatment room joining Anderson, Tom Cleverley and Michael Owen who all remain out.
Key Player: Phil Jones
Despite not expecting to feature much during his first season at Old Trafford Jones has become an integral part of the United side since his summer move from Blackburn. The teenager has come on leaps and bounds since pulling on the famous red shirt with some composed displays at the back whilst also offering a telling presence at the other end of the field. His first goal for the club proved to be the winner against Villa last week and Ferguson will be expecting more of the same from his latest young talent.
Match Fact: United enjoy playing Wolves having won four of their six Premier League meetings between the two sides.
Wolves – 16th
Last Five: Won 2-1 v Sunderland (H), Lost 3-0 v Chelsea (A), Lost 2-1 v Everton (A)Won 3-1 v Wigan (H), Lost 3-1 v Manchester City (A
Potential Starting X11: 1. W. Hennessey 23. R. Zubar 6. J. Craddock [C] 16. C. Berra 3. G Elokobi 11. S. Ward 8. K. Henry [C] 20. N. Milijas 17. M. Jarvis 29. K. Doyle 10. S. Fletcher*
Injury News: Wolves have no new injury worries with defender Richard Stearman likely to miss the trip to Manchester whilst Kevin Foley has been ruled out until Janaury with an ankle injury.
Key Player: Steven Fletcher
It’s been an injury laden season for the Scotland striker but whenever he’s played he’s scored goals. Fletcher proved his importance to Wolves last week the two winning goals against Sunderland on his return and McCarthy will be delighted to have his hit man back in business. His partnership with Doyle is one of the strongest in the league and he’ll be tasked with matching the Irishman’s work rate at Old Trafford on Saturday.
Match Fact: Wolves have beaten United only twice in the Premier League and have never recorded a top-flight victory at Old Trafford in their three visits thus far.
Match Fact:
Last Time at Old Trafford
Premier League 6 November 2010
Manchester United 2-1 Wolves
Park (45, 90)
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Ebanks-Blake (66)
Attendance: 75,285
Referee: Phil Dowd
PREDICTION
United have shut up shop and gone back to basics following their deby day battering winning four of their last five by a goal to nil. The Red Devil’s are doing the bare minimum to secure maximum points as they continue their fight to regain top spot from rivals City. Wolves on the other hand are desperate to put more daylight between themselves and the relegation zone and will happily settle for a point at Old Trafford. However with Ferguson’s side conceding only one goal in five games it could be another miserable afternoon for McCarthy and his men.
John Terry has looked like Titus Bramble, Frank Lampard has started fewer games than Ali Dia (Google this name if you want a laugh at Graeme Souness…and who doesn't want to do that), Didier Drogba has been blowing hot and cold more often than Katy Perry and Fernando Torres has just been blowing cold, very cold. What an earth is going on over in the blue half of West London?
Three words, Andre Villas-Boas. Ok, admittedly those words won't surprise many of you out there and why would it? The former Porto man has come in for more than his fair share of criticism from fans, pundits and journalists alike. Whether it be his confusing tactics, confrontational attitude in press conferences or his choice to defend the impotent Fernando Torres until the cows come home.
So yeah, another generic AVB article right? Wrong. After re-watching the a few highlights from the season so far (because being a student doesn't allow you to afford a social life on Friday night's) but this time I was able to watch this time without the bias towards Arsenal, the euphoria surrounding Walcott's performances and RVP our MVP and as a 'neutral' you really do notice a lot more.
I remember Jose Mourinho's first few press conferences in England and they were very similar to AVB's confrontational, defensive and borderline aggressive, so perhaps a good omen for Chelsea because the self proclaimed 'Special One' achieved great things during his time at Stamford Bridge.
Back to AVB's press conferences, would a man who should supposedly be scared for his job with Roman Abramovich's track record really come out and attack the British media and isolate himself further? Whether it be that the Mr Chelski is too preoccupied with his court case, where he stands to lose billions, to really focus on Chelsea but whatever the reason, I can't help but think AVB knows he has the backing of the 53rd richest man in the world, for this season at least and here's why.
When a new manager arrives he will obviously want to make his mark and there will be players he will want to move on to pastures new. The problem AVB has is you can't walk into a club as prestigious as Chelsea and start upsetting the apple cart without good reason,, the Portuguese’s handling of Frank Lampard has caused uproar amongst fans, especially as when the Chelsea 'legend' has played this season he has consistently scored and put in some impressive displays. However come January a marquee attacking midfielder signing could finally see AVB get his way with the Englishman.
So the 34 year old's 'tactics' to remove Lampard are still a work in progress however with John Terry the former British Virgin Islands' manager has managed to achieve want he wanted, and that is for the England international to look vulnerable and replaceable. Twelve months who really could have imagined that Alan Hansen and Gary Lineker would be highlighting a weakness in John Terry's game on Match of the Day (well maybe Wayne Bridge had hoped.). The high line utilised by AVB has caused nothing by problems for the defensive line of Chelsea and this allows AVB, probably not in January, but in the summer to bring in players he wants, to play the style of football he wants without there being too much uproar due to the inconsistencies in Terry's performances throughout this season.
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A slight kamikaze mission from AVB but sit tight Chelsea fans, twelve months of major overhaul and you could have a man who outstays Sir Alex Ferguson. AVB has a plan and is the man to finally end player power at the Bridge and no doubt bring Mr Abramovich his Champions League.
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Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli has been charged with violent conduct by the FA, and is set to potentially face a four-match ban.
The Italy international appeared to kick out at Scott Parker during City’s 3-2 win over Tottenham on Sunday, stamping on the Spurs midfielder’s head towards the end of the game.
With the incident going unpunished, ironically Balotelli ended up scoring the winner in injury time, but the attacker may well face time on the sidelines now.
“The FA has today charged Manchester City forward Mario Balotelli with violent conduct following an incident in his side’s home game against Tottenham Hotspur,” an official statement reads.
“Balotelli was involved in an incident with Tottenham’s Scott Parker during Manchester City’s 3-2 victory at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday 22 January 2012.
“Balotelli has until 6pm on Wednesday 25 January 2012 to respond to the charge,” it concluded.
If Balotelli accepts the charges he will miss the Carling Cup semi final against Liverpool and Premier League games against Aston Villa, Everton and Fulham.
Joleon Lescott, who appeared to elbow Younes Kaboul in the second half of the clash, will not face disciplinary action however, and is deemed not to have a case to answer.
Meanwhile, Balotelli’s agent has confirmed that his client will stay at the Etihad Stadium until the end of next season before deciding his future.
“Mario and Roberto Mancini are not married, but Mario is grateful,” Mino Raiola told GR Parlamento.
“Sometimes they fight and argue, but Balotelli knows what Mancini was and is for him.
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“However, I cannot say that Mario will remain at Manchester City for life.
“Certainly he will stay there this season and the next one, too. Then we will see,” he concluded.
Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov has been linked with a move to former club Bayer Leverkusen once more.
The Bulgarian forward has found first-team opportunities at Old Trafford something of a commodity this season, and has had to make do with a handful of appearances thus-far.
With the veteran attacker’s contract due to expire in the summer, reports in the media have stipulated that the Eastern European hitman could be on the look out for a new club.
Sky Sports state that Leverkusen are keen to bring Berbatov back to the BayArena, and that The Red Devils man was spotted on a flight to Frankfurt on Sunday for potential talks with the Bundesliga side.
Meanwhile, Mirror Football have reported that Arsenal are ready to make a move for Manchester United youngster Ravel Morrison.
The 18-year-old prospect’s deal at the Premier League champions expires at the end of the season, and he has rejected a new contract from his current employers.
The newspaper indicate that Wenger is an admirer of the youngster, who is thought to be frustrated at his lack of competitive action this term.
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On the back of an excruciating week and season as a whole for Arsenal fans, there could be some light at the end of a very gloomy tunnel in North London. It surrounds their talismanic captain Robin Van Persie and his future at the Emirates. Just where would the Gunners be without the stream of goals as scored by the Dutchman this term, in a side which more than ever needs a shot in the arm. Van Persie is reportedly ready to start preliminary negotiations surrounding his future at the club. It could just be the biggest deal that Arsenal make in years.
Arsenal fans haven’t had much to cling onto this season but the small token of Van Persie’s intentions to at least listen to the club’s stance, speaks volumes in the hearts and minds of all connected to the club.
Arsenal already pays their top earners significantly less than at other top Premier League clubs such as Manchester City whereby Samir Nasri found the grass isn’t always greener this summer. But Van Persie is undoubtedly a world class talent and at a time whereby Arsene Wenger needs him more than ever, the club are ready to break the bank and improve his pay packet to some £100,000 a week; a £20,000 advance on his current salary.
Arsenal indeed recouped some £55 million in the summer from the departures of messrs Fabregas and Nasri, and whilst the club continues to be linked with names such as Eden Hazard, Yann M’Vila and Matias Suarez, the first cash priority should be the keep hold of Van Persie, and build the squad around their captain.
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The Gunners keep finding themselves in this kind of transfer quandary whereby their best talents are being poached each summer and Van Persie could even find himself in a similar position to Nasri. This is as, if a new contract is turned down, there would be robust reasoning to keep hold of the striker and let him leave for nothing in 2013, as Arsenal fans all realise they need his attributes more than at any other time.
Arsenal fans would have experienced many jibes this season such as ‘one man team’ but amidst the juvenile nature of this chant, there is some credence there. The Gunners second highest scorer is Theo Walcott on just six goals and the overriding notion is that when Van Persie doesn’t score, Arsenal simply doesn’t win.
Van Persie himself is currently enjoying an injury free season; something of a rarity during his time in North London, and his consecutive participation has finally yielded the goal tally many always thought he was capable of after signing from Feyenoord some eight years ago.
But with a CV of injury snags and an age of 29, despite his scintillating form, potential summer suitors may not pay as much as you would think for the Dutchman’s services.
Sticking with Arsenal may be his best bet, but Van Persie and Arsenal fans alike will desperately want to see mass change this summer, with the likes of the underachieving Djourou, Fabianski and Park Chu Young shipped out and experienced pro’s brought into the ranks; something as discussed recently be ex-Gunners Dennis Bergkamp and Emmanuel Petit.
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So the question remains; deal or no deal? For Arsenal and Robin Van Persie, this deal could be the biggest in years.
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Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has stated that the club’s experienced players still have an important role to play at the club.
The Blues made a barnstorming comeback to beat Napoli 4-1 at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday and reach the Champions League quarter-finals, with the likes of John Terry, Didier Drogba and Lampard himself all scoring and playing a key role in the victory.
The England international feels that a successful side needs experienced campaigners, and that there is life in the older players still.
“Of course it is. You can’t win these sort of competitions without that,” he told The Daily Mail when asked if experience is key at the top level.
“We need to be on top form and we need to be playing well but you can see the desire in the players.
“There is a lot of talk about old boys and their careers flickering out but these are the players who want to play, want to win. You could see that against Napoli.
“When you’ve got that, you can add to it with youth and quality players to fit in around the team. That’s the recipe and we have to carry on with that.
“A lot gets said on the outside but people here just want to win. You need old and experienced boys in the team as well as the young ones coming through with their enthusiasm.
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“The amount of nights that Didier has stood up, John and so on, that’s what Chelsea is all about. It can get us a result like this,” he concluded.
As Andy Carroll wheeled away after his FA Cup semi-final winning header found the Everton net, the feeling of relief was visible to all. Not just for the £35 million striker, but also for Dalglish, as his much criticised centre-forward notched an almost priceless goal, to secure the club’s second domestic cup final of the season, and amazing third trip to the new Wembley. Just a week earlier the inclusion of the big man would have been somewhat of surprise, but after his last-minute heroics against Blackburn, King Kenny stuck by his striker, and is now reaping the rewards.
It’s been a slog of a season for both player and club, with Carroll appearing, for the vast majority of the campaign, out of his depth, while his manager has taken criticism left right and centre. But, as the business end of the year approaches, there appears to be a glimmer of light at the end of a very long, and very dark tunnel.
The term ‘transition’ has been a little overused in modern football, with clubs suffering a drop off in form, wheeling out the excuse of the side needing to settle, and find a playing style. However, the phrase can be applied to Liverpool, who have had two years of total upheaval, with board-room changes, managerial shifts and the acquisition of numerous players. Carroll has bore the brunt of the criticism this campaign, with his, sometimes, clumsy appearance frustrating fans and pundits, who are all too quick to raise the issue of his price-tag.
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Although he may be an easy target for insults, the one thing about the England international is that he doesn’t hide, and this has been evident over the past few weeks. Many players would have retreated into their shell, after the horrific afternoon the number nine suffered at his former home ground, but that hasn’t been the case with Carroll. Despite never openly wanting to leave his former club, and the fact his sale brought in a much-needed financial boost, Newcastle fans still booed his every involvement, which culminated in the forward storming off the pitch and straight down the tunnel upon his substitution. Some players would have said enough is enough, and shied away for a while, yet the powerful centre-forward seems to have used this to springboard his season, netting two goals in his following two starts, the second of which secured the Reds’ spot in the FA Cup final.
Dalglish may be a bit stubborn at times, but this approach could be the right one with Carroll, who has needed time to adapt to life at Anfield. With all of the talk regarding wages and transfer fees, it’s easy to forget that Carroll only turned 23 in January, and is relatively inexperienced on the Premier League stage. He showed great promise at Newcastle, where he was the focal point of the entire team, yet with the vast array of talent surrounding him on Merseyside the style of play cannot necessarily be dictated around his strengths. As a result Carroll has taken a little longer to adapt than originally hoped, but if this spell can be overcome, he will, likely, emerge as better player, stronger, both mentally and in terms of technique, than he was before his deadline day switch to the North West.
Kenny Dalglish has received a fair bit of flack this term, some deserved, some not so deserved, but his handling of Andy Carroll could prove to be a masterstroke. It would have been easy to cast the striker away, perhaps forcing him out of the club In January, but King Kenny has stuck by him, allowing him minutes on the pitch to adapt to life at a completely different type of club. Next season we could see the real Carroll, which will be a daunting prospect for defences across the league.
Will Andy Carroll come good? Have your say with a comment or follow @Alex_Hams on Twitter
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If you have got your breath back from an enthralling final day in the Premier League, your pulse might be set racing one final time on Saturday evening! If you are of the Chelsea persuasion, you may be aware of a small, little game in Munich that is occurring. The Champions League final they call it, or something or other. But seriously, Saturday evening’s game represents arguably the pinnacle of all footballing competition, with many believing that securing the big eared trophy eclipses even World Cup final glory in terms of prestige and difficulty. It remains whether Chelsea can hold their nerve and be the first London club to lift the Champions League when they take on Bayern Munich at the weekend.
Last week I was invited along to a press day in Central London by male grooming enthusiasts BRUT who this year launched their ‘Man Up’ Challenge; a series of high pressured moments that makes the modern man step up, take a risk and rise to the ultimate test – in sport or life. The series which has previously featured Premier League stars such as Tottenham’s Benoit Assou-Ekotto separates the men from the boys with spider removal from a bath, gutting a freshly caught fish, dealing with the dentist’s drill and taking a penalty kick representing a few anxious incidences which require a manning-up to the challenge.
Distant (to say the least!) in my attempts to even stand near the frightful-looking tarantula enclosures, I side-stepped the eight-legged friends to acquaint myself with two of the human variety in polar adventurer and doctor Ed Coats and GB Olympic Team Sports Psychologist Dr Steve Bull. Coming from a football standpoint myself, I was eager to learn how they have dealt with the pressure of superhuman ventures and managing sporting spectacles of a lifetime.
Dr Coats who was selected to join James Cracknell and Ben Fogle in their race to the South Pole, captured in the BBC documentary ‘On Thin Ice’ feels a lot of the personal preparation employed to land on the ice can be applied to football, with the management of expectation, one of the key hurdles for Chelsea to man up and face head on.
‘There is an awful lot of expectation; that is the toughest thing for anyone. Managing that expectation from the fans, that they put on themselves, from the manager and all the backroom staff around them. I think that is a really big thing to conquer and its taking them out of their comfort zone. Everybody wants to be in that position, to come within reaching distance of that trophy’.
Of course, Chelsea have indeed been within touching distance before in Moscow in 2008, with John Terry’s slip and missed penalty representing one of the cruellest denials of glory within recent footballing history. With Terry and Chelsea fans likely to have had more than their fair share of sleepless nights reflecting on that devastating moment, stewing on old mishaps and issues of what could’ve been need to be flushed away, disposed of and buried for at least ninety minutes in Bavaria at the weekend. Dr Steve Bull spoke of how his athletes utilise one or two ‘swing thoughts’ ahead of athletic competition, which are just enough to focus the mind, yet not expose the competitor too much, to over-analyse their destiny.
‘They (athletes) will have a very simple swing thought. Now it might change from day to day, it might even change by the hour but you absolutely need to keep it simple and that’s true for a sporting event, job interview or driving test. Chelsea’s preparation should not be thinking about raising the cup after the game. It should be what have I got to do in this game. What are my swing thoughts for this game; that first tackle? That first pass? Those positive orientating swing thoughts need to be in the mind’.
Of course, UEFA will again position the silver and gold clad trophy right at the end of the tunnel before kick-off, but as we have seen before, some players choose to walk alongside it without even the merest glance and some choose to stare into the prize, almost checking their nervous reflection in its proud body. This is where the mind must remain focused and whereby nerves either grab hold and detriment or are overcome and channelled into good energies. Dr Ed Coats continued and paid diligence to those incidences whereby a good run in a competition can be met with an almost anti-climaxing final appearance whereby all that hard work is undone by nerves.
‘As soon as you get in a situation where it matters, you can go to pot and it’s that standing up in front of people thing, it’s that first hundred metres or it’s that first flight landing on the ice where you’re thinking it could be minus thirty out there; there could be a blizzard or anything. It’s just about keeping calm, believing in what you’ve done beforehand because you’ve got to remember I’ve done this a hundred times, I can do this and like I say, embrace it, get out there and think I can take this on’.
Chelsea can’t forget the road which has led them to Munich, whereby they toppled the odds to overcome not only Napoli from a precarious situation but also favourites Barcelona who were widely believed to win the tie with relative ease. These are the real incidences of survival instincts in a way and these experiences cannot be understated going into a big game such as at the weekend.
As we have seen this weekend, anything is possible in football and Sergio Aguero’s last-gasp league winner serves as evidence to that old football cliché that it really isn’t over till the fat lady sings. If like me, you are slightly jealous of the Chelsea personnel in stepping out at the Allianz Arena, in front of the watching world on Saturday, BRUT will be bringing the stadium experience direct to you as early as in September. If you are a supporter of a Championship club, football enthusiasts will be invited to ‘Man Up’ and face that excruciating pressure of taking a spot kick in front of their own fans in the watching arena. In the meantime, what better way to make your dad ‘Man Up’ by offering him the BRUT Father’s Day Gift Set which is available at a cost of £6.99. Details of both this offer and the forthcoming ‘Man Up’ Challenges can be found at the website www.brutformen.co.uk
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Chelsea fan? How do you think you will fare in Saturday’s massive game? Can they hold their nerve? Follow me @ http://twitter.com/Taylor_Will1989
A season beyond the fans’ wildest expectations could have one glorious gift still to give for Newcastle United. Defeat to Manchester City has dampened expectations, but the chance of Champions League football once more is still there. And it would be a fine end to the season if it could be achieved, though plenty of obstacles remain, not least the possibility of Chelsea winning the Champions League and taking away the 4th place entry into the qualifiers (and pushing third down that road instead). But for Newcastle, there is added pressure in securing that Champions League slot. It is not just about the excitement of pitting yourself against Europe’s premier teams. The added incentive is keeping together your team.
Alan Carr is a comedian with his own chat show, who feared telling his dad Graham that he wasn’t going to follow him career-wise down a footballing route. Graham Carr is a success in his chosen career, but any mention of him is always done by association with his famous son. But Graham Carr is a massive factor in Newcastle’s resurgence. As chief scout at Newcastle (once Dennis Wise had moved on), the Newcastle supporter’s eye for a good player and detailed scouting of foreign talent has helped transformed the side into a potential Top Four side, and all on an admirable budget. It involved a lot of hard work along the way – Carr, who has scouted for Manchester City and Spurs amongst others (following Sven Goran Eriksson for many years), watched Tiote for four years before concluding he was worth the risk. But this is a trick he may well have to continue for many a year, as predictably with any team that breaks through and exceeds expectations, the vultures are already circling.
This is the problem with doing well. You need to keep doing well, to really excel, or you will be picked off by the stronger animals in the pack. The Champions League revenue is there for a reason, to protect the status quo, to allow certain teams to dominate and take their pick of players. This is partly why Manchester City have upset many as it has broken the cartel, and their wealth means their players can’t be picked off. So if Manchester United want Wayne Rooney off Everton, they will inevitably get him. If City want Gareth Barry off Aston Villa, then likewise. Not that you can blame the players of course. Players may be portrayed as money-grabbing mercenaries, but they want to win things too. The Manchester City of old, or the current Everton or Aston Villas of the world have no chance of long-term success through prudence as the power of the “big” clubs will always see them off eventually. They may have their moment in the sun, but it will barely colour their skin.
Or perhaps Newcastle will prove otherwise, and buck the trend. It would be nice to see Newcastle make the Champions League for this reason. It would be good to see the team stay together for at least one year, interesting to watch how much further they can go with a couple more additions. They are guaranteed to be playing in Europe next season one way or another, but would the Europa League be enough for Newcastle’s most talented players?
Well probably. You would think that these players would want to continue the progress, as a matter of pride. They must surely have enjoyed their season, and would have little desire to leave. Cisse has only just joined anyway, so won’t be going anywhere. Ba may be more of a problem, with a reported (low) release fee in his contract. Ben Arfa must be happy to be playing again, and at the peak of his potential. The likes of Cabaye, Santon and Krul will make Newcastle a force next season should they remain.
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Whatever happens on the final weekend of the season, for many Alan Pardew will be the Premiership’s manager of the year. As a victim of his own success though, he will now be under extra pressure next season. But extra pressure will come in rebuffing bids for his star performers. Already, the early summer gossip has mentioned that Arsenal are plotting a double raid for Ba and Cabaye. In what should be a summer of excitement for Newcastle fans eagerly awaiting bold new signings and wondering what the next season will hold, will be tinged with the anxiety caused by the inevitable transfer stories linking moves away for some of their players. Let’s hope the team can stay intact, for the sake of the fans and for the competitiveness of the Premier League, as now Newcastle have a great springboard to progress even further.