The words common sense and Newcastle United don’t often go together. Certainly, the Toon Army have seen some interesting times at St James’s Park since the Premier League began, ranging from Kevin Keegan’s infamous rant about Sir Alex Ferguson to Mike Ashley’s beer swilling appearances in the home shirt of those who despise him so much. Things are looking up these days for the Magpies after Alan Pardew’s men mounted an assault on the Champions League last season with the likes of Yohan Cabaye and Papiss Cisse all excelling.
Transfers don’t always go that well on Tyneside, indeed there seems to be no shortage of names that makes any Newcastle fan cringe by simply remembering them. Considering the club attracts some of the most passionate and vocal fans in the league, they’ve been represented on the pitch by some appalling footballers. We revisit the past two decades of Newcastle history and put together the worst Newcastle United transfer XI since the Premier League began.
Nottingham Forest picked up a fine win in the English Championship on Tuesday night, beating Barnsley 3-0 at the City Ground.
With nothing left to play for before the end of the season, the remaining games are all about improvement for Aitor Karanka and his side and wins like Tuesday night certainly won’t hurt heading into the summer.
Lee Tomlin, Ben Brereton and Apostolos Vellios were all on the scoresheet as the Reds racked up one of their biggest wins of the season.
Fans were delighted with the performance and singled out youngster Brereton for particular praise after his classy finish from Tomlin’s defence splitting pass.
The 19-year-old has had his struggles this season but Karanka has continued to give him backing in the first team and with two goals and an assist in his last three games, that time on the pitch is now paying dividends.
[ad_pod ]
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Can he develop further and become a consistent goalscorer for Forest next season?
Fans took to Twitter to share their thoughts on his Tuesday display…
Liverpool went down 1-0 at Hull on Tuesday night and failed to find the net for the second game in a row.
The Reds have scored 47 goals this campaign, only slightly more than half of their grand total of 90 this time last year.
Back then, the SAS partnership of Suarez and Sturridge was propelling the club up the table. Now, with Suarez gone and Sturridge an almost permanent fixture in the club’s treatment room, Brendan Rodgers has lamented the loss of this firepower.
The Anfield boss has strongly hinted that his current forwards are not up to the task. With Sturridge out, the coach has preferred Mario Balotelli, who is widely expected to leave the club in the summer following a difficult and goal-shy spell.
Rickie Lambert and Fabio Borini have become forgotten men. Their sparse use suggesting a lack of trust in them to do the business.
Meanwhile out on loan to Lille, youngster Divock Origi has done little to suggest he could be the answer next term.
Here, though, are three men who just might be…
[interaction id=“none”]
Christian Benteke
After toiling desperately for goals for much of the campaign the Belgian has enjoyed a revival at Villa since Tim Sherwood revitalised the side and reopened the supply lines to his main forward.
Benteke has been in red-hot form over the last few months and seems to have dispelled any doubts that he might not return the same player after a lengthy injury lay-off.
The 24-year-old has constantly been linked with a move to a bigger Premier League club and he may just feel that now is the right time.
His contract expires in 2017 so it would make sense for Villa to cash in when they can still command a decent fee.
The player has handed in a transfer request in the past but even if everything falls into place for him to leave Villa Park, Liverpool will not be the only suitors. Benteke’s pace and power look well suited to spearhead the Anfield attack but Rodgers would need to work hard to get his man.
Alexandre Lacazette
Despite being slightly younger than Benteke and untested in the Premier League, Lacazette would likely be an even more expensive acquisition. This is due to the French forward’s scintillating form this season.
The 23-year-old made his debut in 2010 and has made steady under-the-radar progress before exploding into life this term.
The Lyon man has romped away with the Ligue 1 goalscorer’s competition, netting 26 times in the French top flight.
There is no guarantee this form could be translated to the Premier League but the player is likely to want to test himself outside of France before long.
He has all the attributes to fit into Liverpool’s attacking pass-and-move style but is likely to be a priority target for Europe’s big clubs.
His own side, Lyon, are also heading into next season’s Champions League, something that looks unlikely for Brendan Rodgers’ men.
Charlie Austin
Regardless of whether QPR mange to survive in the Premier League for another season, it is widely believed that Charlie Austin should be moving on this summer.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Rangers would be already dead and buried were it not for his 17 league goals this term.
The 25-year-old must be wondering how many goals he would have scored in the English top flight this season had he been playing at a club at the other end of the table.
The former Burnley man is likely to represent a slightly cheaper alternative to Benteke or Lacazette but would still require a significant outlay.
Austin is a pure goalscorer who operates on instinct and nets all kinds of goals.
While his statistics would indicate he is the answer, other aspects of his play suggest he may not be right to lead the Liverpool attack.
Rodgers might prefer a faster forward more accustomed to his fluid attacking system.
Is this just one escapology trick too far for Harry Redknapp? To save QPR from the inevitable would take the skill of another Harry – Houdini – to undo the weighted shackles dragging the club into the murky depths below the Premier League. Despite a spirited comeback that almost nicked a point at Fulham on Monday their fate already looks sealed with seven points separating them from safety and seven games left on the schedule. It’s a feat no other Premier League club has achieved. But with Redknapp in the dugout anything is possible. If he can harness the fighting spirit demonstrated in the second half at Craven Cottage over 90 minutes in each of their remaining fixtures Rangers may stand a chance. But the players have to start showing they want to remain in the top-flight immediately starting with the ‘six-pointer’ against Wigan.
Roberto Martinez is another patron of late season escape acts and has already set his into motion. The Latics have made a name for themselves in the recent years as survival specialists and five wins from the last six league and cup games has boosted their chances of avoiding the dreaded drop into the Championship. With a game in hand on the bottom three the prospect of pulling away from danger is a massive one especially if they prevail in West London on Sunday. Confidence is high within the Wigan camp and, although they face a tricky run-in after next weeks first ever FA Cup semi-final, they know a victory over QPR will go a long way to adding another ‘Great Escape’ to add to their already bulging album.
Team News
Shaun Wright-Phillips has been ruled out for the rest of the season after undergoing surgery to correct an ankle problem. Other than that QPR have a clean bill of health.
Wigan have Callum McManaman back to full fitness following an ankle injury and apart from their long-term casualties Wigan have no other injury concerns.
What the managers said…
“I’d want to take it if the chairman wanted me to stay. I would stay with the club and have a go at it [the Championship]. I’d do that, but if he said we needed to cut back and I had to go I’d understand as well. It is so difficult to go back up. There are some decent teams in the Championship. The chairman would have to look at the situation carefully. It is well documented that there are a lot of players getting a lot of money here, they would be earning way in excess of what they’d get in the Championship. I know I should be preparing but I don’t even want to think about it.” Harry Redknapp vows to stick with QPR in the event they are relegated (Twentyfour7 Football Magazine)
“It is not a pivotal weekend. We are all set for the final eight games of the season and this period of eight games will be pivotal. QPR is not pivotal in that it will define our season. Instead it is one game in a period of games which allows you to win as many games as you can. And when you’re in this position, the margins of error are very small. Away from home this year we have been strong – we’ve only had one defeat away in 2013. That will be tested against QPR and we must be ready for that. We’re in the moment of the season where you need to reach your highest performance levels and we need to make sure we are as good as we can be on Sunday.” Roberto Martinez insists Saturday’s six-pointer with QPR is not ‘do or die’. (Mirror Sport)
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Pre-Match Statistic: Wigan have yet to be involved in a goalless draw this season with their last stalemate coming in February 2012.
Prediction: QPR 2-2 Wigan Athletic
Make your bets ahead of the showdown at Loftus Road by clicking on the banner below
Sheffield Wednesday got back to winning ways in the English Championship on Saturday with a 1-0 win away to Hull City.
After consecutive defeats against Fulham and Queens Park Rangers, the Owls were looking for improvement at the KCOM Stadium and delivered with a victory the moves them up to 16th in the table.
The three points were delivered by striker Jordan Rhodes, who headed home in the 18th minute after making his first start for the club in over a month.
Rhodes has had a frustrating season at Wednesday, scoring just four times in the league prior to Saturday’s goal but fans still have belief he can prove to be a success at the club after this performance.
They were delighted with his impact and are hoping it can help him find form in the closing stages of the season.
Can he prove he still has a future at Hillsborough?
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
Supporters took to Twitter to share their thoughts…
In February it was being reported that Nigel Pearson was sacked at Leicester manager. We reported it too soon as it turned out, but surely he was on thin ice that night. Very thin ice.
That was the day when he seemed to have lost it completely. That was the day when he grabbed Crystal Palace midfielder James McArthur by the throat and then pulled the Scottish international back as he tried to leave. McArthur himself admitted to feeling ‘scared’ of Pearson during the incident. And it’s not hard to see why – it wasn’t the sort of thing you see very often on a football pitch, and Pearson had a creepy, maniacal grin on his face. He had something of a serial killer about him.
The Leicester manager has been prickly all season, always coy with the media in interviews. He keeps his guard up and doesn’t seem to have a lot of fun being interviewed, and even Gary Lineker has characterised Pearson as ‘weird’.
So throughout the season, it has looked like the pressure, the stress and strain of Premier League management was getting to Pearson. He looked like a man who was struggling under the pressure of keeping his team in the Premier League. And only last week, Nigel Pearson caused controversy by calling a journalist at the BBC an ‘ostrich’.
He has confronted both journalists and fans this season. Sworn at them and fought with them, and only occasionally has he apologised.
So he’s had his fair share of controversial moments it’s safe to say. And it looked like the pressure had gotten to him so much that he’d simply lost the plot.
Yet his team are climbing out of the relegation zone, they have won five of their last six games, and going into their final three games they will fear no one. Two of the games, Sunderland and QPR look very winnable indeed, and even their other game against Southampton looks tasty. I’d back Saints this weekend, but you never know. Leicester are on form and only one win would put them on 37 points, which may yet be good enough for safety.
So how can a manager who has totally lost his head be the mastermind of such an escape?
The answer is, maybe he never actually lost it after all.
[ad_pod id=’ffc-video-small’ align=’left’]
The Independent has labelled him a maverick, and that’s an apt description. He is certainly different to most of the managers in the league, and he is perhaps the reason why Leicester are doing so well. It might be because of Pearson rather than in spite of him.
Firstly, they’ve played well all season. They haven’t really had the right results from time to time, but they’ve never been thrashed, they’ve always been in games. And perhaps if they had managed to turn some of those narrow defeats into draws they wouldn’t be in this position just now.
And secondly, it looks like Leicester are a confidence team. All of their wins this season in the league have come in little unbeaten patches. They won two on the spin in August-September, they were unbeaten in three around the turn of the New Year, and just now they’ve gone on a run where they have lost only once in six games – losing only to Chelsea, and there’s no shame in that at all.
Both these things may have a common cause: togetherness. Pearson has created a squad where there are no rumblings of dissent, they players all seem to play together and for the shirt, and clearly Pearson takes any slight against his players personally. That explains his spats with both journalists and fans.
In fact, Pearson seems to have a keen sense of squad togetherness. In 2010, during Pearson’s first spell at Leicester, defender Wayne Brown clashed with teammates after he talked of his political views and his support for the BNP. It wasn’t his political views as such, but his belligerent way of putting them across that angered his teammates. In a squad filled with players of different nationalities and different backgrounds, Pearson saw that this could cause unrest and division – so Brown was swiftly out on his ear.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
This season Pearson has been protecting his players like a mother goose. He’s defended them against perceived attacks and he’s gone on the offensive himself against those doing the attacking. Even if he’s gone over the top at times.
Pearson has made himself the centre of attention and taken the media spotlight off the players. At clubs like Newcastle and QPR, the players are under the spotlight at the minute. The consensus is that they aren’t playing well enough, they don’t care, or they simply aren’t good enough. At Aston Villa before Tim Sherwood’s arrival, the media were chanting the same line. But Sherwood has taken the limelight, and so has Pearson. Both for different reasons, but the outcome is the same. The pressure, the spotlight and the media focus is on the managers so the players can go out and win in peace.
And the results have come.
Leicester are still threatened by relegation, but their fixtures are kind. Going on current form and the fixture lists, Leicester should have enough to stay up now. And if they do, they’ll have their manager to thank. He’s been the human shield, taking all of the flak and attention this season to allow his players to win games. The togetherness he has instilled in the squad has seen them through the tough periods too, and their form is all down to Pearson.
Hartlepool United’s players have been auditioning for roles in the Great Escape in recent weeks, earning rave reviews from critics.
Now they have one final, big push to claim their place in football folklore. A win against Oldham at Boundary Park tomorrow is a must. If not the curtain on their League One existence could be drawn.
A seven-game unbeaten run including five wins has been followed up by a defeat and two draws; the form has stagnated in the past week. It is a measure, however, of how far Pools have came in the past eight weeks that a draw against Yeovil – a team probably assured of a play-off spot at minimum come April 27th – was greeted with a smattering of boos. There really is so much pinned on each and every game.
The first half of the season was an utter disaster for the Victoria Park outfit. Now, under the stewardship of the philosophical John Hughes, Pools are making a nonsense of their league position. The ire of the autumn and early winter debacles have been, temporarily at least, erased from the memory. Their performances and results are belittling their relegation zone berth. But end of season final standings are the product of months of work; not a third of the season. And that is why there is a fear that just nine nine games left may just preclude the Great Escape act being completed.
Ahead of the game with the Latics, who are a place above Pools with two games in hand, six points is preventing Pools from clawing themselves out of the relegation places. Defeat against Oldham, compounded with results elsewhere conspiring against Hughes’ men, then the sound of the fat lady clearing her throat will be echoing around the streets of Hartlepool.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
It won’t be for the lack of effort from Pools to redeem for their 2012 shambolics, but desire must be met with goals in the final games. Every game is billed as the season’s definitive match, but the battle with the Latics has so much riding on it. Win it and the bridge could have been shortened to a win. Lose and it could be nine points. Tuesday, March 12, 2013: one of Hartlepool United’s most important games in their recent history.
Arsenal had to work hard for their win at home to relegation-threatened Stoke City on Sunday but eventually ran out 3-0 winners at the Emirates Stadium.
Paul Lambert’s side were always going to battle for every ball against the Gunners given their status towards the bottom of the English Premier League, but strong defensive work from the likes of Shkodran Mustafi ensured they wouldn’t open the deadlock before three late goals secured victory.
Arsenal gave the ball away plenty in the first half, inviting pressure on their defensive line but fans were impressed with Mustafi, with some suggesting he had his best game for quite a while.
[ad_pod ]
The 25-year-old has drawn criticism at points this season for poor performances but fans will be hoping he can carry Sunday’s form into UEFA Europa League action later this week.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
They took to Twitter after the match to share their thoughts on his display against Stoke…
Radamel Falcao has dropped a major hint that he’s ready to walk away from Manchester United this summer, by claiming that needs to find a club where he can play regularly.
The 29-year-old arrived at Old Trafford in a deadline day loan deal from Monaco last summer, and was hailed as one of the signings of the window by many given his prolific spells with Porto and Atletico Madrid before his injury-interrupted season at the Stade Louis II.
However, he’s struggled in the Premier League and has only notched four goals for United, while slipping down Louis van Gaal’s pecking order to the point that he’s competing with rookie James Wilson to be backup to Wayne Rooney and, when fit, Robin van Persie.
WANT MORE? >> Man United transfer news | Latest transfer news
Reports have claimed that the club are far from keen to pay the £43m clause to make his loan deal permanent this summer, which has plunged Falcao’s future into major doubt.
And the marksman has now weighed in on the subject of his next move, hinting that he may head away from United in search of game time:
“Obviously I need to find a place where I have continuity and where I can play.” He is quoted by Goal. “I am totally focused on the club. There are eight games left and anything can happen.”
“He [Van Gaal] has to make decisions like any other coach. Regardless of whether they are favourable for me or not, I try to behave in the best way possible, to be professional at all times and to take advantage of the time he gives me. That’s it.
“I know there has been a lot of talk, but I try to distance myself from that. People speculate, but I am good and feeling calm. I just need to play. I can’t let myself get worried, I need to be prepared to take the opportunity when it comes.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
“I am happy at the club and with how the fans and my team-mates have treated me. I will keep fighting until the end at Manchester United.”
Arsenal forward Theo Walcott’s future at the club hasn’t always been clear this season but after signing a new three-and-a-half-year contract to extend his stay at the Emirates, it seems the crux of the contractual wrangle, his desire to play up front and through the middle as a striker had been solved after getting an extended run in the side, but is the jury still out as to whether this is really his natural position?
The 23-year-old England international’s performance during the 2-1 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge perfectly encapsulated both sides of the argument. In the first half, Walcott was caught offside three times trying to get on the last shoulder of the defender before latching on to a through ball from midfield only for the Chelsea back four to comfortably step up and leave him obsolete. However, after the break, with renewed purpose, Arsenal began to flood forward more and more, pushing Rafa Benitez’s side deeper and deeper into their own half and when collecting a lovely slide rule pass from Santi Cazorla, he dispatched his effort into the bottom corner past Petr Cech to give his side a lifeline in the 58th minute.
Many have argued that Walcott is only as good as the service he gets, which is the case with plenty of strikers; he’s a touch one-dimensional, relying on his pace more than most, but when faced with the whites of the goalkeeper’s eyes, he has developed an unnerving accuracy in front of goal and has become something of a clinical finisher in one-on-one situations. Is granting him a central striking role really the best move for Arsenal when they have the likes of Olivier Giroud and Lukas Podolski within the ranks, though? Or have the side slowly but surely started to adjust to their new main man up top?
Wenger told reporters after the 5-2 victory over Reading back in December: “Thierry (Henry) gives him advice, which is always important and Theo is a very intelligent boy.
“He understands very quickly when you tell him something and that’s why I think he can do very well in this position. I like what I have seen of Theo through the middle.
“It’s an interesting challenge (for him). I think he can take it on. He is now 23. I decided to play Henry at 23 through the middle because you have to learn a lot before.”
[ad_pod id=’unruly-2′ align=’right’]
Walcott is currently the club’s top scorer this season with 17 goals across all competitions, including 10 in the Premier League, while delivering the healthy return of 11 assists. His hat-trick through the middle against Newcastle, plus another against Reading and the winner against Brighton point to a productive spell, while his shot accuracy of 63% is impressive. According to Opta, Walcott is currently contributing a goal or assist every 71.8 minutes of playing time, which compares favourably to his former team-mate, Manchester United striker Robin van Persie’s at 76.9. He is clearly playing with plenty of confidence now.
However, the club’s recent 5-1 victory over West Ham at home during a mad seven-minute spell during which they scored four goals showcased perhaps the team’s most balanced attack, with Lukas Podolski down the left, an increasingly at home Olivier Giroud through the middle and Walcott to the right of a front three but given the mandate to drift inside more than he used to when playing as a traditional winger.
It’s worth noting that excluding cup competitions, when it comes down to the nitty gritty of games against quality opposition, Walcott has a return of four goals in five games with two assists according to WhoScored as a striker. Contrast this with his record out wide, which has seen him score five goals and make four assists in eight games, with a further nine appearances as a substitute rendering two goals and one assist and it’s difficult to come down definitively on either side. It’s hard to say with any confidence that he’s serving the side more through the middle than he is out wide. He doesn’t appear to be hampered by getting involved in the final third from the flank as much as you may initially expect.
There is an element of obsession within the media regarding Walcott (I realise the irony that I’m now adding to it with this article), just as there is and will continue to be with Wayne Rooney. Only Walcott would come under such scrutiny for accepting a contract of £100k-per-week with many observers arguing that he’s not ‘worthy’ of such an amount, but that completely misses the point because at the moment he is the club’s most consistent attacking outlet, and regardless of money, he is doing an extremely good job this season.
It’s not that Walcott can’t play through the middle as a striker, he clearly can, it’s just that the overall quality of the side and variance of their play may be affected against better opposition when he does. He is a one-dimensional striker and when he plays up front, as Arsenal looked against Chelsea in the first half, the side lowers itself to adjust to his level by becoming more one-dimensional in the way they move the ball and look for gaps in the opposition. The tactic of playing him in behind might not always work, but when he comes off the flank with a more recognisable reference point like Giroud, he can do just as much damage.
FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.
By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.
The obvious counter-argument, as it always has been, is that Walcott’s pace necessitates teams playing deeper to try and stop him having an impact on games, so even when he’s not playing particularly well, he can have a telling impact on the shape and flow of a game. The West Ham game showed that Wenger has the option of shifting him about to devastating effect, though, and he will need to continue striking this balance depending on the opposition. He will always be a player that divides opinion, with his champions pointing to the most visceral of attributes – his acceleration – as proof that he has something to offer in a central role, while his detractors guffaw at every opportunity he wastes in and around the box as proof that they are right.
Without trying to sit on the fence too much, as the above statistics show, he can clearly contribute equally from both roles and it’s still too early to tell whether he will be a lasting success as a striker, with conclusive proof in short supply. Moreover, we shouldn’t let this positional question mark detract from the qualities he does bring to the side in what is shaping up to be a memorable season from a personal perspective for the player concerned.
[youtube BQQgXIK5ZU8]
Make sure you do your Tax Return before the 31st January, click here now