Newcastle manager Rafael BenitezÂhas congratulated the U-23s side for a dramatic penalty shootout win over rivals Sunderland.There hasn’t been a whole lot to cheer about for either of the two North East clubs this season, but fans from both sides turned up to the Stadium of Light on Wednesday to see the U-23s square off in the Premier League International Cup quarterfinals.Sunderland were the better side during the 90 minutes, but fell behind from a Curtis Good header. Lynden Gooch levelled for the hosts from the spot, and his second of the night looked to have won it. That was until Callum Roberts’ incredible 92nd minute free kick sent the match to extra time and penalties.The penalty shootout was quite remarkable, as it made its way all the way through the goalkeepers and back around to the start of the rotation. Newcastle won 11-10, after Jake Hackett blazed his penalty over the crossbar for Sunderland.[ad_pod ]Rafa Benitez was clearly keeping a close eye on the match, and congratulated the lads on Twitter.
Lynden Gooch and Callum Roberts were the standout performers, but there will be plenty of names for Benitez and Chris Coleman to consider in the coming seasons.
Newcastle fans, let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Arsenal were far from down to the bare bones in their 2-1 win over Crystal Palace on Saturday, but they did make hard work of the three points. Per Mertesacker, Mesut Ozil and Lukas Podolski’s absence was coupled with the uncharacteristic sluggishness and profligacy of Santi Cazorla. Both lasting effects of this summer’s World Cup in Brazil.
It does raise concern for the coming weeks. Laurent Koscielny was not fully fit following his Achilles injury suffered in the Community Shield against Manchester City, but he saw minutes nevertheless in the opening weekend. Partnering him, because there was no other option, was Calum Chambers. The former Southampton starlet’s assured performance should not take away from the negligence of going into the start of the campaign with only one senior centre-back available.
In attack, Olivier Giroud started on the bench, also due to a lack of fitness, with Yaya Sanogo lining up through the middle and flanked by Alexis Sanchez and Cazorla. He’ll work for the team and he’ll give his all, but Sanogo, as if we need further reminding, is still not good enough for this Arsenal team. It may be a lack of attacking intelligence; does Sanogo know when to make the runs of an established centre-forward? Maybe, maybe not. But the real worry is his lack of ability to properly complement those around him.
There’s a danger of it all unravelling early. This summer has been the best for the club in many years, arguably the best in Arsene Wenger’s tenure as manager. Thus far, the buys have been either exciting or positive, and the departures haven’t forced sleepless nights. It’s the kind of transfer activity a club of Arsenal’s resources should be conducting regularly.
But the team isn’t ready, and forced selections can lead to injury. It wasn’t lost on anyone that Arsenal have only played three pre-season games ahead of the Community Shield, and that trip to New York featured less than half of the first-team regulars.
This week the team travel to Turkey to face Besiktas in their first leg effort to be included in this season’s Champions League proper. On Saturday, a tough away trip to Everton awaits.
What struck most about the win over Palace was just how poor the passing was throughout the entire team, as if none had quite woken up to the fact that the league season had begun. Had it been midway through the campaign, you’d be able to easily forget the performance. Sort of. It would be one of those that you check off as that of the mentality of (potential) champions, winning even when playing poorly.
Arsenal need reinforcements – and that’s not the reflex of years of frustration. The team are undermanned in defence, and one more central midfielder is also needed. For those who try to build it up as a necessity, though I feel it’s more of a luxury due to the numbers in the squad, another centre-forward should also be on the end-of-window shopping list.
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But ahead of all that, Arsenal need to find their fitness and rhythm, and quick. None of the top teams who played on the weekend were totally convincing, and there have been plenty of comments that the Premier League season has come too soon. But even with three points in the bag, Arsenal are still some way off where they need to be for this season.
West Ham are still waiting to find out the full damage done to three injured stars who had to pull out of yesterday’s win over Newcastle.
George McCartney seems to be the most serious case, after coming off with an injury to his groin. Matt Jarvis suffered a tight thigh and Yossi Benayoun injured his knee after him and Jonas Gutierrez got involved in a tackle which also sidelined him.
Sam Allardyce, following the match, said: “We don’t play until next Monday so we hope that’s enough time. George is probably the most serious because it looks like he has pulled a groin muscle.”
Ricardo Vaz Te, Alou Diarra and Jack Collyson are already out due to long-term injury, and he will surely be hoping he does not have to add three more players to the list of such serious injuries.
He said to West Ham’s official website: “The three injuries and three changes we had to make never detracted from the performance, which was even more pleasing. Obviously it’s disappointing when we get the injuries but to see three players come on and still perform was pleasing. It’s a good job we’ve got Guy Demel, Gary O’Neil and Modibo Maiga back as the bench has been lightweight recently. It shows how important substitutes are as you have to have a strong bench in this league. “
West Ham play Stoke in a Premier League clash next Monday.
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West Ham won yesterday’s game 1-0. Former Newcastle player Kevin Nolan scored the winner in the first half.
According to the Stoke Sentinel, Stoke City’s versatile Geoff Cameron could be on his way out of the Britannia this summer, with Southampton a likely destination for the experienced player.
What’s the story?
The 32-year-old joined Stoke in 2012 and has gone on to make 168 league appearances for the Potters.
Cameron, who is comfortable in defence and in midfield, is believed to have a release clause in his contract in excess of £5million which Southampton and a number of MLS clubs are keen to test, according to the report.
The American international is the third longest-serving player currently at the club, with only veterans Peter Crouch and Ryan Shawcross surpassing him.
A move to Southampton would see Cameron reunite with former boss Mark Hughes who joined Stoke a year after the defender.
Head over heart for Rowett
New boss Gary Rowett will clearly want to trim an ageing squad at Stoke if he wants to stop the rot that saw the club relegated from the Premier League last season.
On the verge of turning 33, Cameron doesn’t have many years left in him, and if they can get a few million for the player, they could reinvest that wisely in some young talent.
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Even though it’s always sad to see a fan-favourite and veteran of the club depart, it seems like this would be a sensible move for Stoke as they look to rebuild the squad.
[brid autoplay=”true” video=”257601″ player=”12034″ title=”Watch Stoke City’s opening fixtures for the 201819 Championship season”]
Manchester United keeper David De Gea will sign a new deal with the club and end months of speculation about his future, according to The Times.
What’s the story?
De Gea’s stock couldn’t be much higher than it is now, with the highly-rated Spanish keeper making a series of stunning saves in United’s 0-0 draw at Sevilla earlier this week.
Negotiations between the Spaniard and the club are ongoing, but it is believed that an offer of £220,000-a-week is on the table.
The move means that months of transfer rumours regarding a possible move for the United shot-stopper to Real Madrid will end, which will be good news for Los Blancos’ star Cristiano Ronaldo, who was reportedly furious with his club’s valuation of De Gea.
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Good news, no?
Probably the closest thing United have had to legends Peter Schmeichel and Edwin Van Der Sar, De Gea’s resigning is a massive boost for the Lancashire club.
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He is the first name on the team sheet for Mourinho, and his outstanding reflexes and agility around his own box is well worth a salary north of £200,000.
Liverpool are yet to confirm their capture of Loic Remy this summer from QPR, but Arsenal’s discontinued interest in the striker spells positive signs for Lukas Podolski for the season ahead.
Podolski’s future during the second half of last season was uncertain. The German forward was out of the side after returning from injury, with Arsene Wenger regularly overlooking the 29-year-old, even as an option from the bench. A move back to Germany was mooted, with Schalke said to be interested.
But off the back of a World Cup win, where, admittedly, Podolski was again a peripheral figure, and now a sharp upturn in positive feeling around Arsenal, Wenger may just be preparing to hang on to the forward, who has developed a notable cult following among supporters.
Podolski is good for the dressing room too, where his mood never seems to waver, even amid struggles for regular football. And make no mistake, the Polish-born German international isn’t just a lovable mascot, he’s the most clinical finisher at the club, even after the signing of Alexis Sanchez from Barcelona. He may not tick the boxes Wenger deems necessary to play as a lone striker at the Emirates, but Podolski nevertheless holds plenty of qualities worth hanging on to.
And had the club opted to move ahead with Remy’s signing, with the Frenchman heavily linked with a move to north London, it would surely have spelt the end of Podolski’s time with the club. Wenger is known for his preference of a streamlined squad, and both forwards would, more than likely, fill the same role in the squad.
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Arsenal’s halted interest in Remy also leaves an opening for Costa Rican forward Joel Campbell to stick around for the upcoming season. Podolski and Remy could have been switched, but the depth issue would have remained the same. Instead, Campbell is available to add further quality to a side in need of strengthening, not just in bodies but in quick, capable and versatile forwards.
Campbell’s exploits with his national side at the World Cup may have played an important part in Wenger’s rethinking and ultimate reluctance to move on Remy’s reported wage demands. Campbell is evidently good enough to stand up to high quality opposition and can be of great use over the next 12 months.
But snubbing a move for Remy also makes financial sense, regardless of the club’s healthy financial state at this time. He wouldn’t have offered anything greater than what Arsenal currently have on the books. His pace and finishing ability is on hand in either Campbell or Podolski, while funds can be focused on rebuilding in other areas of the team, namely the centre of midfield and defence.
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It would be ambitious to say Arsenal don’t need another striker. The addition of Alexis and the returning Theo Walcott will do much for what was an uninspiring and oft-misfiring forward line last season, but another major star wouldn’t go amiss, something Remy evidently isn’t.
With Wenger being far from the type to spend heavily on two players who can occupy the same position, his faith looks to be placed in players who could have found themselves elsewhere this season. For Podolski at the very least, Remy’s move to Liverpool will be a welcome sign for those who still wish to see the German international play his football in north London.
Being a Coventry fan I know all about how hard it is to find a decent striker. All clubs have their striker issues but we as a club have found it harder than most since our relegation from the Premier League. We have needed someone who not only has the ability to finish but the ability to do it on a consistent basis.
We have seen a long list of strikers come and go in that time with all them ultimately failing in what a striker is brought in to do. These strikers have come to the club in differing circumstances with some costing considerable amounts of money to others who have began life at the club as trialists from foreign leagues.
Names that come to mind here are Freddy Eastwood and Michael Mifsud and we all know where they have both ended up now. We have searched far and wide for the right man to lead the Skyblues from the front but have ultimately failed in every case.
There has in the past couple of years been one exception to this in the form of Marlon King. His arrival at the club was surrounded in controversy after his release from prison. Many questioned the club over this decision but in football terms at least it was a fantastic move for the club. He kept his head down and worked hard to get his fitness back up to scratch and then quickly became not only the first name on City’s team sheet but would easily have been one of the first names on any Championships team sheet.
He may not of been a role model off the pitch but he was every managers dream on it. He not only had the quality to keep him a step above the rest but he had one of the best work rates in the squad.
He arrived at the club in controversial circumstances and in the end left in the same manner. Arguments, miscommunication and contract lengths all played a part and he eventually left and joined Birmingham with Coventry not getting a penny for him and left ruing their mistakes.
This is still in my opinion one of the clubs biggest mistakes and I still think we should have done everything we could to keep him at the club and maybe we would still be a Championship club now and not a League One club. This is in the past now though and it is time to look at the present.
We currently have a striker within our team that again stands head and shoulders above the rest of the squad. His name of course is David McGoldrick. He has been in prolific scoring form in the early part of the season with 9 goals from 15 appearances after his deflected goal bound effort against York has now been officially awarded to him. Whilst his scoring record is clearly an impressive one, he has impressed me with his work rate and in many ways reminds me of the afore mentioned Marlon King.
There is of course though as with everything to do with Coventry City a massive downside in that he is not our player and is currently only at the club on loan until January. This brings about the question that every Coventry fan wants the answer too and that is will he be at the club past January and going forward.
There are so many mitigating factors in this that it is currently impossible to say for sure. First off his parent club Nottingham Forest may want to hold onto him as he could end up being an asset for their squad. They do already have four other good strikers though including Billy Sharp and Dexter Blackstock. They are also doing quite well in the league so may not want to upset the team by bringing McGoldrick back into the fold. These are factors that are in our favour or at least in favour of McGoldrick leaving Forest in January along with the fact that he will be out of contract in the summer.
Another problem we are clearly going to have is competition from other clubs if he is made available by Forest. Clubs with bigger budgets will be interested especially if he keeps up the kind of form he is currently showing. Financially we are always going to struggle to compete and that maybe the stumbling block which ultimately ends any hope of landing Mcgoldrick permanently.
If by some miracle we can overcome this issue and compete financially then it is down to whether McGoldrick thinks Coventry is the right place for him to be. We as a club need to make sure that we are in a position which is appealing to him as a player, so in other words we need to be moving up the table quickly so that come January it will look like a promotion push is a realistic possibility.
He clearly enjoys playing here as any player does at any club if they are performing well. I would imagine he would like to continue that and I do believe that if everything was right in terms of money and promotion ambitions then he would have no hesitation in joining us permanently.
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This is a big ask though for Coventry as a club, with something always seemingly going wrong. It would be a huge signing for the club though and one that might bring more fans back. It would be a statement of intent from the club that we are going to go for it this season.
He is a player we need, he is a player we all want but whether he is a player who will become a permanent member of the squad we will have to wait and see. I for one am really hoping he will as he is invaluable to this team and without him questions will be raised on who could be the man to step up and fill his scoring boots. Personally I’m not sure anyone that we either currently have or that is in our price range actually could.
The agent of Nabil Fekir has informed Liverpool that the deal to take the French playmaker to Anfield could be revived, according to the Express.
What’s the latest, then?
The Express report that Jean-Pierre Bernes has told the Reds, via French television, that ‘it is not the end of the story’ where Fekir and Liverpool are concerned.
They claim that means that the £53m deal to bring Fekir to Merseyside could well be back on, indicating that the relationships between the parties involved in the deal have not been totally ruptured.
Bernes also reportedly refused to cite one single reason why the deal, which looked on the cards for weeks, fell through at the last minute.
How would Fekir fit in?
Jurgen Klopp revealed in May that in a world where Philippe Coutinho did not dream of playing for Barcelona, his Liverpool team would feature the Brazilian in a deeper, Kevin de Bruyne-style playmaker role behind the front three of Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane.
On the days when Liverpool enjoy the majority of possession, Fekir could take up a similar role, giving Klopp four outstanding attackers on the pitch to break down the deep defences which often stifle the Reds.
To offer variety, Fekir could move into the forward line, offering an alternative to the pure pace and directness of Salah, Mane and Firmino while ensuring that quality doesn’t drop off.
[brid autoplay=”true” video=”255848″ player=”12034″ title=”Watch Liverpool’s opening fixtures for the 201819 Premier League season”]
Southampton’s fears of English Premier League relegation ramped up on Sunday after they suffered a 2-0 defeat to Liverpool at St Mary’s.
With Huddersfield Town picking up a big win at home to Bournemouth earlier in the afternoon, Southampton knew that picking up some sort of result against the Reds was a must.
However, they were powerless to resist Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah, both scoring in the first half to send Mauricio Pellegrino’s side into the relegation zone with just 11 games remaining before the end of the season.
Fans were left frustrated with the result and the collective performance, also bemoaning individual errors from players like Wesley Hoedt.
Hoedt has been coming under increasing criticism this season after a series of under par performances and he failed to deal adequately with the Liverpool attack on Sunday.
Is it time to drop the Dutch international?
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Supporters took to Twitter to share their thoughts on his performance…
Over the past decade, Premier League boardrooms have witnessed an influx of wealthy businessmen and individuals from all over the world, each seeking to invest in the global brand that our domestic top-flight has become.
To those that arguably have more money than sense, the ownership or control of a Premier League club seems to have become the ultimate fashion accessory and it is a development that has spread on to the continent. The recent takeovers at Paris Saint-Germain and AS Monaco suggest it is a trend that shows no signs of abating any time soon.
Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani in Paris and Sheikh Mansour at Manchester City have proven that splashing a significant amount of cash can buy success in the short term. On the other hand, Suleyman Kerimov’s withdrawal of funding at Anzhi Makhachkala and the malaise that the club currently finds itself in emphasises the eminent dangers of the ‘Sugar Daddy’ model of ownership.
With this recent trend, the question of whether a successful businessmen can successfully make the transition into football is an intriguing proposition.
Indeed, the potential for a crossover from the business world to football is perhaps more prevalent than ever. With Michel Platini and UEFA’s Financial Fair Play directive intended to curb the explosive power of ‘Sugar Daddies,’ the call for football clubs to operate within their means is stronger than ever.
Whether the authoritative bodies will actually be able to impose these economic restrictions upon free-spending clubs such as Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain remains to be seen. The dubious Etihad sponsorship deal of the City of Manchester Stadium epitomises the hollow nature of UEFA’s threats thus far.
Ultimately, however, an examination of the Premier League suggests that entrepreneurs have been unable to enjoy the same level of success in the football world. The business logic and principles which stood as the basis of their achievements simply do not translate across.
Roman Abramovich proves to be the exception rather than the rule in the findings of this investigation. Since purchasing Chelsea in 2003, the Russian oligarch’s juggling of managers and lavish acquisitions has brought a multitude of trophies to Stamford Bridge. The success of his methods has flown in the face of the maxim that stability is fundamental to achievement in football.
But then Abramovich is hardly representative of a typical businessmen. Forbes estimates his net worth as of March 2014 to stand at $9.1billion, making him far wealthier than almost all others that invest in the Premier League. With this incredible net worth, Abramovich is able to splash incredible sums of cash and buy success in the manner that only individuals such as the aforementioned Sheikhs can match.
In the business world, the transfer dealings that Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy conducted this summer would have been commended. Having overseen the sale of Gareth Bale for a world record fee, Levy then reinvested of the entirety of that transfer fee in to the acquisition of numerous other high-value players.
However, in footballing terms, Levy’s business-like actions have been exposed. The signing of so many players in such a short space of time has proven difficult to mould in to a successful side. A lot of change in quick succession has led to the club’s footballing performances to suffer as a result. Andre Villas-Boas was sacked for failing in the eyes of his chairman and Spurs are currently struggling to reach their season objective of earning Champions League qualification. The replacement of one asset with many made logical business sense, but has thus far failed to result in footballing success.
The manner in which Sports Direct owner Mike Ashley has turned Newcastle United in to a financially profitable club is nothing short of remarkable. In the Freddy Shepherd years, extravagant transfer fees and wages were no obstacle in the pursuit of silverware and the club’s debts spiralled out of control. In business terms, Ashley came in and steadied a sinking ship.
Despite this, the Newcastle owner is a much derided figure on Tyneside. Many of his decisions demonstrate a clear lack of an understanding of the sport. The sales of players such as Andy Carroll and Yohan Cabaye may have made perfect business sense but reflects a lack of ambition that has angered the fanbase. The decision to briefly rename the stadium as the Sports Direct Arena was intended to attract extra revenue into the club, but only alienated Ashley further from the fans.
Following his acquisition of Aston Villa in 2006, Randy Lerner was initially quite generous in the backing of his managers. With Martin O’Neill and Gerard Houllier at the helm, big fees were paid to attract the likes of Darren Bent and Ashley Young to a club that were regularly competing for a spot in European competition.
Fast forward to 2014 and how times have changed. With the club struggling to financially support itself, Lerner is now unwilling to continue injecting vast sums of his own money. Paul Lambert has been brought in with the clear directive of managing a team of cheap finds from the lower leagues as well as products of Villa’s own academy.
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As a result, the club have slipped down the Premier League and seem to find themselves as perennial relegation candidates. The American owner clearly can no longer abide footing such financial losses in order for the club to challenge for the success that the Villa fanbase crave.
The reality of the matter is that sensible and successful business practices will never directly equate to success in football. A financially sustainable club is a business achievement but it will never be considered a success in the football world unless it is accompanied by trophies or a progression up the league standings.
And to achieve that in the modern game, more often than not it requires a level of spending that will never ever sit comfortably with successful businessmen.