Looking back over his time at Newcastle United, sports-retail business tycoon Mike Ashley has had an eventful few years on Tyneside as owner of the club. First impressions of Ashley lead us to believe that he was a genuine supporter by donning the Black and White striped shirt and sitting with the fans at away games instead of sticking to the corporate seats. However, from the business side of it, you have to give Ashley credit for steadying a sinking ship at St James’ Park given the large amount of debt that was paid off during his takeover. Now with more details on the Andy Carroll transfer coming out, it looks likely that Mike Ashley simply couldn’t refuse a good business deal when he sees one, regardless of what the fans or player think.
The whole debate about Mike Ashley and Newcastle United is as intriguing as it is puzzling. As a neutral looking in on this conundrum, it’s easier to look at both sides of the scale in order to assess what is really going on. In the past, I’ve spoke in favour of Mike Ashley due to the fact that despite his controversial decisions, he has tried to do the right thing in terms of running a successful football club – but by (metaphorically) slapping fans in the face on the way. The statement by the club in spring last year detailed a 5-year-plan that would see the club break even by 2016, which would leave them in a very healthy position with the new financial rules that will be coming into play and also in comparison to other clubs. That is why the transfer bid by Liverpool for Andy Carroll was one that Ashley simply couldn’t reject.
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Former chairman Freddie Shepherd has said: “When I was chairman Liverpool tried to buy Alan Shearer and I refused point blank. It can’t be done…” But despite the emotional attachments to keeping Carroll, Ashley saw too much business logic in accepting the deal. With £30 million paid up front it was like Newcastle have been given a healthy bonus to improve the squad as whole. Also with a 25-per-cent sell on fee on the deal too, Ashley certainly got his worth although many Newcastle fans would say that Carroll was priceless. It remains to be seen whether manager Alan Pardew will have the £30 million to spend on the squad come the summer.
Perhaps selling Carroll on deadline day was a bad business decision given the gamble on the team being able to stay up without him thus putting pressure on Pardew and the squad. Despite looking from a distance on the positives Ashley has made at the club it is clear why the loyal Toon Army have a problem with the running of their club. When Alan Pardew took over in December he made clear that keeping Carroll at the club was his main aim and that he’ll do everything in his power to make it happen, but despite any reassurances that he got from Mike Ashley and Director Derek Llambias – it proved a failure. It’s not just Pardew’s comments that have been contradicting, Llambias’ statements since 2009 have been highly contradictive; no wonder the fans have a lack of trust.
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The news that Chelsea have been looking at Brazilian midfielder Ramires is not altogether surprising, especially considering the paucity of both quality and numbers that the club now possess in the middle of the park, but should Carlo Ancelotti be able to negotiate the successful transfer, we could seriously be looking at one of the transfer coup’s of the summer with the Benfica man currently one of the most underrated midfielders in Europe.
Ramires’ agent Luis Carlini has stated that “Many clubs from the big European leagues have been in contact about Ramires. Chelsea and Bayern have spoken to Benfica, but I can’t say more.” So it would appear that a move elsewhere in on the cards.
With Michael Ballack having departed for pastures anew after not having his contract renewed by the West London club, he set sail for former club Bayer Leverkusen. Deco too looks set to leave with a well-documented desire to move back to his homeland of Brazil not going unnoticed, and a move to Fluminense imminent. The club also let go of utility player Belletti this summer who was also capable, should the occasion call for it, of doing a shift in the middle.
This leaves the club with only three recognised central midfield players in their first team squad in Frank Lampard, John Obi Mikel and Michael Essien. Michael Mancienne cut his Premiership teeth at holding man for Wolves last season on loan, his energetic style of play, distribution and bite in the tackle proving a useful commodity for Mick McCarthy’s relegation threatened side, but such was his success last term for the club, that McCarthy wishes to have him back again this season either on loan or a permanent deal, and his stay at Chelsea only looks assured should they fail to add to their squad.
Lampard is a nailed on inclusion, and despite a poor World Cup he had a magnificent season for the reigning Champions last term and there are no worries about him. Mikel though remains something of a conundrum for me personally. Brought in to do an unfussy job quietly and efficiently, he more often than not does the exact opposite and his lack of development despite the large amount of game time he has acquired the past few seasons is a cause for concern and he has to be seen as more of a squad player as opposed to a guaranteed starter.
It is with Michael Essien though that the club has its greatest worry. The Ghanaian midfielder has started just 25 league game in the last two seasons and 40 across all competitions in the same time. Essien is quite simply a beast of a player, and when fit, he’s one of the most destructive midfielders in the world, but his fitness, or rather lack of it, means that manager Carlo Ancelotti cannot pencil his name in for next season’s team sheet with any degree of certainty.
This is where Ramires comes in. He is like Essien-light if you will. Not quite the midfield enforcer of the current Chelsea player but with a bit more pace, agility allied with a decent range of passing. Ramires missed Brazil’s exit to Holland at the quarterfinal stage of the World Cup with a suspension, but his rise to prominence has been a sharp one both within the national team and within European football.
Signed by Benfica for £6.5m last summer from Cruzeiro, the 23 year old has managed to force his way into the Brazil national team set-up under former manager Dunga and he went on to play four of Brazil’s five World Cup games this summer.
What does remain to be seen though is whether Benfica will want to let go of one of their most prized assets, a year after signing him, and more importantly, with the player in question only one year into a five-year deal, particularly after they just agreed to let go of star player Angel Di Maria to Real Madrid for £20m just last week.
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Ramires would appear to be angling for a move by saying “I came to Europe to win championships. It is normal that I would look at any offers from clubs in bigger leagues but I am currently under contract and Benfica will have the final say.”
He may not come cheaply, but Benfica are fundamentally a selling club, and at the right price, Ancelotti should be able to get their man. Central midfield looks to be in need of some serious reinforcement and with Ramires in tow, Chelsea could go a long way to plugging an evident gap in their squad.
Barcelona are lining up a shock move to bring Bolton defender Gary Cahill to the Nou Camp in January, according to the Daily Mail.
Manager Pep Guardiola is keen to strengthen his defensive options and has taken a shining to Cahill after his consistent performances over the last two years.
The 25-year-old is now a regular in the England setup and was the subject of intense transfer speculation over the summer with Arsenal and Tottenham chasing his signature.
Both failed with £10 million bids as the Trotters stood firm over their valuation but they would be hard-pressed to deny Cahill a move to the European champions.
However, with his current deal at the Reebok Stadium running out at the end of the season, Cahill would be free to discuss a move with other clubs and the La Liga giants are considering bringing him in to strengthen their back line.
Injury to skipper Carlos Puyol has forced Guardiola to partner midfielders Sergio Busquets or Javier Mascherano with Gerard Pique in the heart of defence.
The Spanish coach is concerned that his team will be vulnerable at set pieces without a defender who is dominant in the air and has identified Cahill to provide some aerial strength.
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Owen Coyle will face a monumental task to try and keep him if Barcelona formally indicate their interest, with Cahill desperate to cement his position as an England starter.
Borussia Dortmund underlined their Bundesliga title credentials after beating defending champions Bayern Munich 3-1 on Saturday.The result all but ends Bayern’s title challenge this season, with Louis van Gaal’s side now 16 points adrift of league leaders Dortmund, who showed why they have been the team to beat all season with an entertaining win at the Allianz Arena.Bayern would have been hoping to capitalise with rookie keeper Mitchell Langerak making his first start in goals for Dortmund, but it was the visitors who drew first blood when Lucas Barrios opened the scoring after just eight minutes.Both sides were creating a plethora of chances, and it was no surprise when Bayern levelled through Luiz Gustavo seven minutes later.But Dortmund were back in front almost instantly after Nuri Sahin placed a curling shot past the outstretched hands of Bayern goalkeeper Thomas Kraft, before Mats Hummels’ goal on the hour mark sealed a telling victory for Juergen Klopp’s side.Hannover and Mainz kept the pressure on the Bundesliga leaders with both sides recording hard-fought away wins.Hannover had an 89th minute header from defender Christian Schulz to thank for their 1-0 victory over St Pauli, a result that lifts them into third place on the table ahead of Bayern Munich.Meanwhile, a 2-1 win over Hoffenheim ensures Mainz remain in fifth spot on the table.Mainz took the lead through Andreas Ivanschitz at Rhein-Neckar-Arena, but the hosts looked to have salvaged a share of the spoils when David Alaba equalised seven minutes from time.Enter Elkin Soto, and the Colombian midfielder secured all three points for Mainz just two minutes later when he found himself on the end of a Marcel Risse cross to fire home the winner.Elsewhere on Saturday, Cologne moved five points clear of the relegation zone with a surprise 1-0 win over Freiburg thanks to a Lukas Podolski goal.Relegation battlers Kaiserslautern claimed a valuable point at home with a 1-1 draw against Hamburg, while Schalke and Nuremberg also drew 1-1 when Raul cancelled out Jens Hegeler’s opener for the visitors.
John Barnes reckons that if Liverpool duo Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres are unhappy at the club, then they should both follow Benitez out of Merseyside this summer.
So, the question is, has Barnes’s latest assessment of his former club proven his lack football knowledge? Or is the Anfield legend’s latest statement of his former club a correct one?
Liverpool have had one of their worst season’s in recent memory. They finished in 7th place in the Premier League, Internal chaos caused major problems between the clubs owners and Benitez, and as a result, the Spaniard decided to leave the club last week, which may spark a mass exodus of players at the Merseyside club this summer.
Nonetheless, Liverpool legend John Barnes feels that if any player is unhappy at the club then they should leave, including the likes of Gerrard and Torres. Barnes claimed:
“Liverpool don’t want Gerrard and Torres to go – but if they don’t want to be there, let them move on. The fans would have to understand that and still get behind the club.”
He finishes off by saying:
“Any player who doesn’t want to be at Liverpool should go… no matter who they are.”
The former Kop winger spent 10 years at the Merseyside club and Barnes believes that Liverpool can survive even if the Kop do lose their biggest stars this summer. He also believes that too much focus on the Liverpool captain and Spanish striker this season has affected the team in whole.
“Look at this history of the club, Kevin Keegan went and people were worried but they got stronger. Kenny Dalglish was a legend but he retired and left and they’ve gone on and won trophies since then.”
Barnes added:
“I think there has been too much focus on Gerrard and Torres. They are important players but that affected a lot of the others in the team. The more we focus on them, the more we believe we can’t compete without them.”
Some (if not all) Liverpool fans reading this may think Barnes needs to check himself into a psychiatric ward, as many would believe that losing Gerrard and especially Torres would be suicide for the club. These fans maybe correct in their assessment of the situation, however, does Barnes have a point to? If a player seems displeased, then is there any point of keeping him at the club?
Granted, Gerrard and Torres are the biggest stars of Liverpool and no doubt keep the side ticking. The likely departure of the duo this summer, in retrospect, would spell the end for the Merseyside club in many fans eyes. It is believed that Liverpool have minimal funds available to strengthen their team this summer, and in order to gain money they would have to sell their stars.
Gerrard and Torres have not yet stated if they wish to stay at the club next season or not, claiming they will decide their future after the World Cup. This has not helped the situation, and their words have left Liverpool fans sweating until the completion of the tournament.
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Nonetheless, two players do not make a club, and like Barnes has declared, if the duo are unhappy with the current circumstances then they may as well leave, even if it means years of rebuilding for the famous English club.
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Arsenal winger Theo Walcott has confirmed that talks between himself and the club are ongoing over a new contract.
The England man’s current deal expires next summer, and with Robin van Persie opting to spurn an extension Gunners fans are worried that Walcott could do the same.
However, the attacker has stated that talks have been in progress since the end of Euro 2012.
“It was always going to be a case of holding back until the end of the Euros,” Walcott told Sky Sports.
“We continue to talk and we’ll just see where it goes.”
Walcott went on to admit that he had not heard any rumours of a move elsewhere and is eager to help the north London club do well in 2012-13.
“Not at all because I didn’t have a clue about any other clubs, anything.
“I’m an honest guy. I like to get on with my job. I’ve got to work on pre-season, I don’t want any distractions.
“Like I say, my agent and the club will continue to talk and when there’s something to know I’ll get involved.
“The manager has got so much faith in the young players.
“He’s developed them. Every single one of them that comes in seems to suit the way that Arsenal play football.
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“It’s the next step that we need to go on to now. Everybody says that we’re a young team but we’ve got a lot of experience now – Champions League quarter-finals and so on.
“So we just need to try and prove people wrong and show what we can actually do and find out what we’re made of,” he concluded.
Ryan Giggs has maintained that he is not scared of European champions Barcelona, and believes Manchester United can beat the Spaniards should they face each other again this season.
Pep Guardiola’s side have beaten the Old Trafford outfit in the Champions League final in two of the last three seasons, but despite this the Welshman is feeling upbeat.
“It’s difficult, as they’re such a good team, but it’s not impossible. Teams have beaten them, and we beat them three years ago when they were not too different back then,” he told MUTV.
“What they’ve got now is more experience and confidence from winning things that they didn’t have back then. We’ve got to overcome that if we come up against them again. We’ll be confident we can beat them if we do.
“We’ve got to learn from our mistakes and get better. I’m sure we can, with the players we have here and the hunger to win things.”
Barcelona beat United 3-1 in the final at Wembley last season, but Giggs has put the result into perspective given The Reds’ success domestically.
“I think everyone was disappointed about the Champions League final. The manager did a great job putting things into perspective as United fans wanted the 19th title so much.
“There are people who grew up, similar to myself, and who are older, who thought we’d never surpass Liverpool. So it was a mixture of the disappointment of the Champions League final but also savouring what was a great achievement in being able to catch Liverpool and overtake them in such a short space of time.
“Everyone was gutted about the Barcelona game, but it is a great achievement to surpass a record that, 20 years ago, no-one would ever have foreseen,” he concluded.
Giggs is in line for a start against Benfica at the Estadio da Luz on Wednesday night, as United start their Champions League group stages with an away fixture in Portugal.
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Wigan will travel to Anfield in search of more goals as they take on in-form Liverpool in the English Premier League on Saturday.
The Latics found the back of the net four times in their win over Blackburn last weekend, in a round that saw a record 43 goals scored across 10 matches.
Wigan also boast an excellent record against Liverpool. Roberto Martinez’s side are undefeated in their last two matches against the Reds and have scored at least one goal in their last six matches against Liverpool.
And their manager said they would be aiming to continue that goal-scoring record when the two sides meet on Saturday.
“Last weekend was a great advert for the Premier League and it was typical of the nature of this season,” said Martinez.
“From our point of view to score four goals at home is an achievement that has been coming this season from the amount of chances we’ve been creating.”
“And also the quality of the goals were of the highest order, and we’ll plan to continue on the same lines.”
Wigan have a number of players returning from international duty during the week, including James McArthur, who scored for Scotland in their 3-0 win over Northern Ireland.
Pleasingly for Martinez, he has almost a full list to choose from, with no major injuries to speak of.
For Liverpool the match will be a chance to continue their resurgence in the second half of the season, with the Reds up to sixth in the Premier League on the back of a five game unbeaten run.
Liverpool put an end to the Fernando Torres transfer saga by beating the Spaniard and his new side Chelsea 1-0 at Stamford Bridge last week.
Torres’ replacement Andy Carroll is still not ready to play because of a thigh injury, but fellow signing Luis Suarez is in line to play, as are skipper Steven Gerrard and Martin Kelly, who both came through their midweek internationals unscathed.
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Liverpool are still in contention for a Champions League spot next season, but first-team coach Steve Clarke said it was important they did not underestimate teams like Wigan.
“I think you only have to look at recent results in the Barclays Premier League to know that everybody is dangerous,” Clarke said.
“We have to be on our guard but we also have to be confident and sure of ourselves and think we are looking like a good side again.”
“We want to continue that and pick up another three points and keep looking at the teams above us.”
The new season is almost upon us and that means watching seamless amounts of games, reading scores of match reports and generally breathing and living football. And don’t we just love it? However, the game has changed somewhat in recent years, with different tactics, different formations and different positions all put to use by managers these days. For example, who would have thought Vicente Del Bosque would go through Euro 2012 without playing a striker. After all, David Moyes has tried that one for years…
Still, there’s a number of phrases and terms that still make the mind boggle in the beautiful game and although we don’t have the ridiculous number of names or complicated terms like American Football or in fact cricket for that matter, there’s still a few things that could do with some explanation. To help you out, we’ve put together an A-Z of football terminology that will help you through the season:
A – is for Anchorman – Modern midfields always need someone to stay back to steady the ship, basically weighing anchor to ensure the midfield isn’t easily broken through. To play in the anchorman role, having a ball-winning ability is key, while starting the play with short passes to other players is also particularly crucial. Cheik Tiote does this effectively for Newcaslte.
B – is for Box to box midfielder – The modern day footballer has to have a decent engine on him and none more so than those who play in the centre of the park. Players like Jack Wilshere or Yaya Toure are expected to involve themselves with play between both penalties areas, busting a gut to get forward in attack, but also help out in defence.
C – is for Christmas tree formation – You would think it’s a rather bizarre name to give to a football formation, but it in fact it makes perfect sense when it’s written down on paper. Four at the back, three in midfield, two men just behind the striker and one lone target man, exactly in the shape of a Christmas tree.
D – is for Dead ball specialist – The team’s main man in terms of set pieces, expect him to take charge of corners and free kicks. David Beckham is the ultimate dead ball specialist, wrapping his right boot around every ball that lies still on the football pitch.
E – is for Early Bath – Refers to a red card as the player is sent off, ensuring he’ll be the first one in the bath before everyone else. Well, these days they tend to have singular ice baths to aid player recovery, so it’s not strictly relevant anymore. It’s still one of our favourite clichés though.
F – is for Fox in the Box – This refers to a striker that’s pretty handy around the penalty spot as he tends to finish everything that comes his way in the opposition area. It tends to involve either scoring headers, tap-ins or seizing on opportunities that are presented without much time to react. Gary Lineker is probably the greatest fox in the box the English game has ever seen, while Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Robbie Fowler weren’t bad either. However, Francis Jeffers was once called a fox in the box as well…
G – is for Giant killing – Often to be used in the FA Cup, where little minnows meet the Premier League big boys. In the modern days of oil rich owners and global superstars, it’s much harder for the small clubs to upset their rivals higher up the football league, but every year we hope for a giant killing at least once a round.
H – is for Hairdryer treatment – Although modern day footballers are much more appearance conscious than they used to be (indeed you’d expect old Goldenballs to make his barnet immaculate during half time), the hairdryer treatment is what you might call a good old fashioned bollocking rather than a fashion faux-pas in the dressing room. Sir Alex Ferguson is the king of unleashing half time fury, indeed if United are losing at the interval, the Old Trafford dressing room wouldn’t be a particularly pleasant place to visit.
I – is for In the Hole – It’s rare to play with two men up top these days, indeed one man usually drops just off the main striker, in the hole as you might say. Rafael van der Vaart perfects this for Tottenham, while Wayne Rooney does it more and more for Manchester United these days. It gives key players more time on the ball, allowing them to cause maximum damage to the opposition.
J – is for Journeyman – In football, a journeyman is someone who swaps from club to club and seems unable to settle anywhere. Or they’ve not good enough for whoever they’ve signed for. Steve Claridge is probably football’s ultimate journeyman, he’s had more clubs than Tiger Woods, 23 in total.
K – is for sweeper Keeper – Brought to light essentially by Football Manager, the sweeper keeper is expected to patrol his penalty area and clean up anything that comes within 20-30 yards of the box. Obviously not if there’s a striker within the vicinity though, we don’t want any blunders now!
L – is for cultured Left foot – No one quite knows why a talented left footed football’s boot is often described as cultured, indeed I doubt they can play the piano or recite every chapter from War and Peace, but it refers to a player than can often deliver a quality ball or possesses fantastic skills. Right feet never tend to be cultured for some reason though.
M – is for the Makelele Role – Perfectly by the French midfielder Claude Makelele who starred for Real Madrid and Chelsea, the Makelele role basically involves sitting in front of the defence and protecting the back four. Anything that moves behind the midfield needs destroying and Scott Parker is a good example of a modern day Makelele. Expect a yellow card here and there.
N – is for No man’s land – Made famous in World War I as the position between the German and British trenches that consisted of just barren wasteland. Funnily enough, this isn’t quite the same in football, indeed no man’s land is the position a goalkeeper gets himself into if he comes for a corner or a free kick and gets nowhere near. David De Gea spent the whole of last season there.
O – is for Offside trap – Often a high risk strategy, back fours play higher up the pitch as a line, trying to catch the opposition strikers offside by stepping up when the ball comes over the top. Play it at your peril though, those good at springing the offside side trap can make defenders look like right mugs.
P – is for Playmaker – Often the key man in the team, the playmaker is the one who everyone looks to get the ball to as soon as possible. Always the most skilful player or most likely to thread a pass through the heart of the opposition, Zinedine Zidane is probably the greatest of the modern era. Cesc Fabregas wasn’t half bad for Arsenal either.
Q – is for Quarterback – A phrase borrowed from our cousins across the pond thanks to their position in American Football that involves the key player sitting back and spraying passes across the field. The position is similar in football, as a midfielder picks up the ball and has the vision to spot available teammates all over the pitch. Charlie Adam perfected the quarterback role for Blackpool, while Paul Scholes is the master for Manchester United.
R – is for Rough-arm tactics – Step forward Stoke City, here is your moment. Tony Pulis deploys rough-arm tactics to try and unsettle the opposition, be it through strong tactics or pushing and shoving at every opportunity. Don’t take it too far, otherwise you’ll end up down to ten men, oh and remember…Arsene Wenger doesn’t like it.
S – is for Studs up – Tackling is not what it used to be, indeed the days of Norman ‘Bites yer legs’ Hunter or Ron ‘Chopper’ Harris have long gone. Nowadays, any sort of poor challenge can lead to a red card and going in with your studs up often results in a sending off. Keep it nice chaps.
T – is for Tiki-taka – It’s no longer total football, it’s now tiki-taka that dominates the beautiful game. Barcelona have revolutionised modern football using this style that demands short passing and movement, maintaining possession and working the ball through various channels. You’ll hear plenty of it in the Premier League as Brendan Rodgers tries to introduce it into his Liverpool team. Good luck…
U – is for Unintentional hand ball – Handball is often a confusing concept, but it revolves round whether the player intentionally handled the ball or not. If he makes a movement with his arm and touches the ball, he gets penalised, but if the ball accidently makes contact with the arm, play on.
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V – is for peripheral Vision – The all-seeing central midfielder often possesses what some call peripheral vision so they can see everything around them, not just what’s in front of them. Xavi is the master, but Paul Scholes ain’t half bad either. Gareth Barry’s could do with some improvement…
W – is for WAG – Surely everyone in football knows this one by now. John Terry and Ryan Giggs’s antics have made the Wives and Girlfriends almost as famous as the actual footballers themselves. Look out for them during major tournaments, there’s quite a selection.
X – is for X-Rated tackle – A mark reserved for particularly explicit films, while the same applies to football tackles. A horror slide challenge, or a two footed leap will often be called an X-rated challenge, nobody likes to see that.
Y – is for Yoyo team – Used to describe a club that’s always being relegated and promoted between two divisions. West Brom are the best example, they’ve been flittering in and out of the top flight ever since they first got there.
Z – is for Zonal Marking – They say a zone can’t score a goal, but more and more managers use zonal marking to defend set pieces these days. Pick an area and let no man make contact with the ball if it gets into that zone.
The fortunes of Newcastle and Sunderland have certainly been mixed throughout the Premier League years.
While the Magpies have enjoyed title challenges, Champions League football; they have also had the indignity of dropping out of the Premier League back in 2009 much to the amusement of their local rivals. The Mackems themselves are no strangers to relegation and have been something of a yoyo club throughout the Premier League years; however you do sense that times are changing at the Stadium of Light and Steve Bruce is building a strong squad that is more than capable of holding its own among the upper echelons of the league.
This lunchtime sees the first Tyne & Wear derby of the season, and while the pundits and media will be focusing on whether Sunderland can overcome Newcastle on their own doorstep, we will focus on the major battle set to take place in the player’s lounge at the Stadium of Light.
In the first part of our new series of ‘Wag War’ we look ahead to the likely battle at the Stadium of Light today and ask you the viewer to decide which team wins this epic battle.
Let the battle commence: click on the badge below to see the line-up and cast your vote at the end:
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[poll ]
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