All posts by h79snht.top

There is no denying that Alan Pardew faced an extremely difficult and unenviable position when he was installed as Chris Hughton’s successor as manager at St James’s Park. The hugely popular Hughton had had a tremendous spell in charge of the magpies, achieving promotion back to the Premiership as champions at the first time of asking and leaving the club 11th in the Premier League whilst picking up a 5-1 derby victory over Sunderland. Managers questioned Pardew’s decision to take the job and walk in to such a volatile situation with many fans beyond angry over Hughton’s dismissal.

Yet a positive start to his reign has ensured that fans anger has, if not been quelled then at least remained focused on Mike Ashley and the club’s ownership rather than being passed directly on to him due to association. It is exactly the kind of results, such as his first in charge where Newcastle saw off Liverpool 3-1, that Pardew has to maintain to win over the fans as opposed to attempts at populist appeasement like the recent appointment of John Carver as assistant Manager.

John Carver may indeed be a popular figure with the Tyneside faithful having been No2 to Bobby Robson during his spell at the club. Yet Newcastle must be aware, more than any other club right now that the popular choice at the time is not always the right choice for the club. And this popularity of someone you’ve brought in to work with the club will not necessarily rub off on you. Under Mike Ashley Newcastle have brought back two of their most popular sons to be manager. Both Alan Shearer and Kevin Keegan have spent time in the dugout during Ashley’s ownership and neither was able to turn around the fortunes of the club and neither appointment greatly increased the popularity of Ashley amongst the fans. Pardew must not think like Ashley, that just associating himself with former Newcastle greats and getting them involved with the club will win over the fans to his side.

No, the only way for Pardew to truly win over the fans is on the pitch. If he can continue his decent start to tenure then he will please the fans, and therefore be more popular with them, than hiring a popular character as his no2. It is almost redundant, in terms of personnel, who makes up Pardew’s backroom staff as long as they assist him in taking Newcastle forward. As he will be judged by the fans on results, not the team he has assembled and how loved or not they are by the club.

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Blackpool suffered relegation heartbreak on the final day of the season as Manchester United were presented with a record 19th title.The Tangerines almost pulled off the impossible when they went 2-1 up at Old Trafford, but three second-half goals from the hosts condemned Ian Holloway’s side to a 4-2 loss and a return to the Championship.

For United it was a stern test ahead of their Champions League final against Barcelona and was the perfect way to end the season.

Both sides had chances early in the game. Adam’s low cross picked out Blackpool team-mate Keith Southern but he dragged his shot wide.

At the other end, Rafael hit a dipping half volley from 20 yards out which stung the palms of keeper Matthew Gilks.

But just when Blackpool thought they were containing the champions, United were ahead in the 21st minute when Dimitar Berbatov flicked the ball onto Park Ji-Sung running into the box and he duly put it past Gilks.

Berbatov could have increased the lead for the hosts after picking the ball up in the area and shooting at close range, but this time Gilks managed to stick a leg out to make the block.

And the Tangerines stunned Old Trafford when they equalised after 40 minutes through talisman Charlie Adam.

Nemanja Vidic fouled Gary Taylor-Fletcher, and from on the edge of the area the Blackpool skipper brilliantly curled the ball over the wall and past Edwin Van der Sar.

Straight after the break Adam almost put Blackpool ahead with another free-kick, but this time Edwin Van der Sar – playing in his last game at Old Trafford – was able to palm his rasping shot over the bar.

Gary Taylor-Fletcher offered up a lifeline when he converted a well-placed cross by Michael Vaughan with a flick into the back of the net in the 57th minute.

But United proved they were not about to go soft on the Seasiders when Anderson replied five minutes later after a neat combination with Park and a shot from 12 yards out.

Blackpool were dealt a crushing blow in the 74th minute when Chris Smalling sent a swinging cross in from the right towards Michael Owen, but defender Ian Evatt stuck a foot out and sent the ball into the back of his own net.

Owen sealed the victory after Anderson threaded a pass through Blackpool’s defence and the striker placed it past Gilks.

Desperation drives people into committing acts of mind boggling lunacy. In it’s most extreme form it can range from robbing a bank to scrimping for lost pennies that have fallen down the back of the sofa cushions. In football terms it equates to paying £6 million for Bobby Zamora. Or maybe it’s plying Joey Barton with £70,000-a-week to quote famous philosophers and become embroiled in twitter wars with everyones favourite former news editor Piers Morgan. QPR are guilty of both. The R’s have navigated the last two transfer windows like a 12-year-old would on a fresh Championship Manager save. Keeping your finger pressed on transfer fee until the offer is irresistible. Contract negotiations operate with a similar surrendering mentality. Every players’ demands are met without dispute to ensure they sign on the dotted line. No strategy is employed whatsoever. However it’s a naive blueprint that could come back to haunt the R’s should they fail to secure Premier League football next season.

Like every team promoted from the Championship QPR had only one objective; to survive. At the beginning of the campaign they were the favourites to achieve that goal ahead of rivals Norwich and Swansea who were perceived to have weaker squads. The arrival of owner Tony Fernandes at the backend of August was followed by an influx of signings concluded before the summer deadline snapped shut. Seasoned top flight performers Barton, Anton Ferdinand, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Luke Young all arrived at Loftus Road to offer strength to the belief that the Hoops would achieve their survival goal. It never transpired and ultimately cost Neil Warnock his job with replacement Mark Hughes adopting a similar panic buying philosophy. Djibril Cisse, Nedum Onuoha and Zamora all joined the club during the final week of January but have failed in their mission to lift Rangers out of the relegation zone. However with the prospect of a return to the Championship now very real with 10 games to play their guileless recruitment system could cripple them financially.

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It was revealed during the week that the club have reportedly failed to insert relegation clauses into the contracts of their recent purchases with a majority of them earning between £50,000 and £60,000-per-week. Should the club find themselves back in England’s second tier all the players signed to those deals would still be entitled to that sum putting Rangers in a very precarious position. Usually the custom for a club in their position is to stipulate that in the event of relegation wages be sliced by between 33 to 50 percent. QPR’s reported failure to implement that would see them take on the burden of paying around £3 million-per-year to six or seven players they’d find difficult to move on.

Could you see a Premier League club matching the demands of Barton or 30-somethings like Wright-Phillips and Zamora who have performed way below expectations?

The outlook does look bleak. Ever since taking over from Bernie Ecclestone as chairman in August Fernandes has been signing cheques like it’s going out of fashion in attempt to preserve the clubs top flight status. Newcastle are the most recent example of a club failing to insert relegation clauses into the contracts of their players. When they suffered the torment of demotion it left their finances in an apparent state of disrepair. Luckily for them they were able to move on a majority of their squad whilst also having the infrastructure to soften the substantial blow their accounts took. Unfortunately for QPR they don’t have a 52,000 capacity stadium that would contribute to a major part of their revenue. Whilst £18 million worth of parachute payments will be forthcoming it isn’t enough to sustain a wage bill that pales in comparison to that of Norwich and Swansea. Losses in TV money will also hit them  hard in the pocket. To cut a long story short the club could follow a path tread by Leeds United and Portsmouth – two clubs who have paid the price for over spending.

All the signs point towards an apocalyptic financial meltdown that would take the R’s years to recover from. The sustainability of their current squad would make it difficult for them to operate in an economy that now prides itself on prudent spending. The arrival or Fernandes was expected to herald a bright to new era at Loftus Road. However quite the opposite now appears to be on the horizon with a badly organised transfer master plan owing heavily to their demise. Should relegation occur supporters should be very worried. In fact they should be on tenterhooks fretting over whether their club can survive outside of the Premier League as they continue to burn money at a rate of knots.

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Arsenal's Belgium international centre-half Thomas Vermaelen has suffered a setback in his recovery from an Achilles injury and will be out for the foreseeable future.

The 24-year-old was close to a return to action after more than two months on the sidelines, but suffered a recurrence of the injury during training on Monday.

Manager Arsene Wenger told the club's official website:"We don't have good news about Thomas Vermaelen. He had a little set-back in training and he has to see specialists again.

"I don't know where we go with Thomas time-wise, but at the moment he cannot play. I can't give you any timescale at all.

"On the scan his Achilles is completely clear, but as soon as he stays out for a while it tightens up and he has pain. We don't know the source of his pain."

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Vermaelen joined the Gunners in the summer of 2009 from Dutch giants Ajax and has since made 48 appearances for Wenger's side, scoring eight goals.Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

Everton have announced that they have reached an agreement to sell Tim Cahill to the New York Red Bulls.

The Australian midfielder has been at Goodison Park for eight years, and is a fans’ favourite due to his combative approach and eye for goal.

However, the Merseysiders are ready to let their long-standing attacker leave the club this summer.

“Everton have agreed with Major League Soccer (MLS) that Tim Cahill can be transferred to the New York Red Bulls,” a statement on the club’s official website reads.

“Tim, 32, will move to the Red Bulls for a nominal fee, subject to agreeing personal terms and passing a medical. He will travel to the US in the next few days.”

Cahill has scored 68 goals in 278 appearances for David Moyes’ men, but had a frustrating 2011-12 season, with his goalscoring prowess looking slightly blunted.

A fee of around £1 million is expected to have been agreed.

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By Gareth McKnight

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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has stated that he wants to avenge his side’s defeat by Manchester City with a positive result against Aston Villa on Wednesday night.

The Gunners were beaten 1-0 by the current Premier League leaders at the Etihad Stadium last weekend, with the French coach stating that his team’s title chances were now over.

Despite this, the North London club are eager to get back to winning ways against Alex McLeish’s men.

“We are a team who wants to respond quickly now and keep our spirit and determination,” Wenger told Mirror Football.

“Then we have a bright future, but it’s important that if we keep that spirit and determination we can go from strength to strength.

“We are not the same team we were two months ago. In the next two months of course we want to be different again.

“They are always passionate games against Villa. We have been criticised a lot since the beginning of the season but you can say what you want but where we go something happens.

“There is always entertainment, even the game on Sunday. It was a game where the two teams went for it – then football becomes a fantastic sport and we will do the same at Aston Villa,” he concluded.

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By Gareth McKnight

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Everton for the most part have always started their Premier League campaigns rather slowly, however, this year we have reach December and the Toffees still seem to be struggling. The other week Everton drew with lowly Wigan Athletic and things are really looking as if they are not going to change any time soon.

After the game Everton manager David Moyes admitted his side’s current form is worrying after they were held to a goalless draw at home to Wigan. The home side created the majority of the chances but the closest they came was when Marouane Fellaini headed over in the first half and Tim Cahill hit a post in the second. Although enjoying more of the chances Everton could not find the net.

Contrary to the title of the blog, maybe everything is not in place. It is no secret that the club have suffered in front of goal, alluding to the fact that they do not have sufficient firepower to punish even the weakest of defences in the Premier League.

Everton have now not won in seven games and Moyes admits their failure to take their chances is affecting the players and the fans. “It certainly wasn’t their attitude. I questioned it a bit in the last home game against West Brom (a 4-1 defeat) but they went for it today,” said the Toffees manager. It is quickly becoming evident that the club is in desperate need of a player who can find the back of the net on a consistent basis.

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With the transfer market reopening next month surely Everton will try and add some much needed firepower. Bill Kenwright rarely loosens those purse strings and if he doesn’t come January I fear for Everton. If poor results continue it will most definitely affect the fans and therefore prove detrimental as the players try to find the form that has eluded them so far this season.

As the transfer window slammed shut, there was the usual flurry of activity from Premier League clubs in a bid to do some last-minute business. Arsenal were one of the busiest clubs, concluding the window with the signature of Mikel Arteta from Everton, while Chelsea had the last word by signing Raul Meireles from Liverpool.

Elsewhere there was plenty going on, with Tottenham turning down a player swap for Bolton’s Gary Cahill, while Spurs tried to hijack Liverpool’s move for Craig Bellamy. Finally, in the newspapers this morning away from transfer dealings, Man United are set to announce record profits and one of their ex-goalkeepers turns down England’s advances.

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Coyle wanted Defoe in exchange for Cahill – Daily Mirror

Arteta takes pay cut to join Arsenal – The Sun

Suarez helps Liverpool bring in key target – Guardian

Man City take gamble on Owen – Telegraph

Spurs tried to hijack Bellamy move – Daily Mail

SWP snubs three clubs to join QPR – The Sun

Roy the Real deal for Moyes – Daily Mail

Crouch in move after learning he didn’t make the 25 – Daily Mirror

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Man United to annouce record profits – Guardian

Foster turns down Capello cry for help – Telegraph

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Saturdays defeat against Brighton saw something happen at The Den for the first time at a long time.

Usually at home games you usually get a chant of “Only one Kenny Jackett” at least once. But Saturday was nothing like that, just pure abuse for the team, and to Jackett himself, for the first time in a long time, but it was well justified.

It took the Lions 70 minutes to actually threaten the Brighton defence, with 10 men after Chris Taylor was sent off for basically running past Seagulls goalie Tomasz Kuszczak, but he went down like he was shot, it was frankly embarrassing.

The game started off well with Chris Wood going close with a header after five minutes, but slowly Brighton took control, and after good work on the wing from Will Buckley he fired under David Forde to send Brighton one up. Millwall didn’t really threaten the goal and went off to a chorus of boos.

If the first time was bad the second half was even worse with the Lions conceding again just minutes in from a close range Adam El-Abd header. From that it seemed it was just how many the Seagulls would get and left the Lions left chasing shadows, really not what you expect from a Championship team.

The Lions did however score with 10 minutes left in the game with a Chris Wood finish after good play to make room for himself leaving the game with a grandstand finish. And ‘Wall nearly had an injury time equaliser when Wood saw his shot saved brilliantly by villain of the day Kuszczak. It ended 2-1 sending Millwall into the bottom 3.

Yet this was another game where KJ’s tactics were baffling. He yet again played 4-3-3 with three centre midfielders. This now leaves teams knowing how to easily stop ‘Wall attack. Double mark James Henry on the right, push the ball onto the left and teams will suddenly have time and space. KJ swallow your pride and realise the formation doesn’t work.

It seems that this formation is only used to not drop a centre midfielder, especially Liam Trotter, the so call prodigal son, the one who apparently could play in the Premier League. But he has been so poor this season he deserves to be dropped, but I can’t see Jackett dropping him anytime soon.

It’s ironic really, players such as Jimmy Abdou, not the best passer or technically, but absolutely gives his all, is loved by all the Lions faithful. Whereas Trotter, who shirks out of tackles and is considered “lazy”, but has great ability at Championship level, is being singled out for attack, and in my opinion and rightly so.

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Maybe Trotter should take a page out of James Henry’s book. Last season he was in Trott’s position, really poor form and was getting untold abuse. He was dropped. But then at the end games of the season he came in and put in some magnificent performances. Maybe this is what Trotter needs, a wakeup call.

In his defence though, he is playing in the position he is told to by Jackett, I’d sort it out and quick Kenny, fans are starting to get restless…

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Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has hit back at recent criticism of club captain Steven Gerrard.

The midfielder has taken the brunt of the blame for the Reds’ recent poor Premier League performances, with some suggesting that the 32-year-old is past his best.

Rodgers has leapt to the defence of his skipper, who has scored two goals so far this term:

“He’s carried this club for nearly 13 years, and it’s about time there was more than Steven picking up the baton of responsibility for Liverpool, ” he is quoted by SkySports.

“I don’t want to focus too much on him, other than that he’s been brilliant since I arrived here. His inspiration and leadership within the team has been phenomenal.

“He might not have got the goals he would have wanted this season, but you can see how effective he’s been and the quality of his game.

“Against Spurs, his range of passing, his commitment and his drive into the box was superb.”

He also confirmed that Lucas Leiva may return to the squad for this weekend’s clash with Southampton:

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“Lucas Leiva will return to the squad, which is great news because he’s been working very, very hard and played the reserve game last week.

“He’s been training for a few weeks and looked very good, so we’ll look forward to bringing him back in.”