Newcastle United boss Alan Pardew has claimed that the sale of Andy Carroll to Liverpool has funded the recent success at St James’ Park ahead of the strikers return with West Ham on Sunday, as reported by The Sun.
Pardew has made some impressive signings over the past few years, including Demba Ba, Papiss Cisse and Yohan Cabaye and the former West Ham boss is thankful of the money that Carroll brought in.
“The position we are in, if I’m honest, is because we used the money from Andy’s sale well,”
“He was a brilliant player for us, but the fee was astronomical. We have used it well and we owe a great debt to him.
“It’s nice to see Kevin come back — he did a super job here. Whatever he was asked to do, he conducted himself well.
“And he gets a goal. He has proven that at any level, he will get a goal.
“I’m looking forward to seeing them both and I enjoyed working with them.
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“There will be a lot on the game. Kevin will be determined to get a result, as will Andy and the manager coming back.”
Newcastle fans have been discussing a move for West Ham target Allan Saint-Maximin, but it seems fans would much rather opt for a familiar face instead.
Recent reports suggested West Ham could target Nice wonderkid Saint-Maximin this summer, but Newcastle are also on the hunt for a speedy new winger.
The Hammers need someone to replace the pace and spark lost by the injury to Manuel Lanzini, but the French wonderkid would be a great fit on Tyneside too.
The Magpies had tremendous success with their loan move for Kenedy, as the feisty Brazilian was instrumental in moving the Magpies up the table.
With Chelsea likely demanding upwards of £20m for the Brazilian though, Benitez and Newcastle may be forced to look elsewhere.
Saint-Maximin is similar to Kenedy in many ways, as he loves to use his electric pace to beat players one-on-one.
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The young Frenchman possesses a better final ball than the Chelsea man, and his pace could be lethal latching on to long through balls from Jonjo Shelvey.
Fans aren’t convinced though, as a whopping 78 per cent opted for Kenedy instead.
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The Brazilian has of course already proven he has the physicality required to compete in the Premier League, perhaps what is turning fans away from the electric Saint-Maximin.
Southampton announced on Monday that young Frenchman Yan Valery had signed a new two-and-a-half-year contract with the Premier League club.
Valery joined the Saints from Rennes in the summer of 2015, and after impressing in the club’s Under-23 set-up, has now been handed a new contract until the summer of 2020.
It was a big day for the youngster, but unfortunately the Southampton fans were not on hand to offer their congratulations on social media.
Instead, the supporters took the opportunity to call on the club to sack head coach Mauricio Pellegrino, who continues to come under pressure following a poor run of form.
The Saints suffered a 2-0 home defeat to Liverpool on Sunday afternoon to leave them in 18th position in the Premier League table on just 26 points.
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Southampton have only won once in the league since the end of November, and a number of the club’s fans cannot believe that Pellegrino, who worked wonders at Alaves last season, still has a job at the club.
A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:
Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel says that his side are ready to take on Manchester City in next weekend’s title showdown, but that lifting the trophy is still some way off.
The Reds regained top spot in the Premier League with a hard fought win at West Ham on Sunday to keep their dreams of lifting English football’s top prize for the first time in 24 years in their own hands.
City are seen as the Merseysiders’ major rivals for the trophy, with the Sky Blues four points adrift in third place with two games in hand.
Although they seem to have the advantage, if Brendan Rodgers’ side beat their enemies over the weekend and win their remaining four games they cannot be caught.
Skrtel – who has been one of his side’s top performers across the campaign – says that Liverpool are ready for the crunch clash with Manuel Pellegrini’s men, but that he is not thinking about title glory just yet:
“Things are going well but there is still a long way to go,” he told the Liverpool Echo.
“We can’t look too far ahead. We need to keep going game to game and now our focus is on getting three points against Manchester City.
“We will look forward to that challenge. We know the atmosphere created by our fans will be amazing.
“We are going into it in great form and we will be doing everything we can to keep this winning run going.
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“It’s exciting. This is why you play football – for a season like this. You want to be up there challenging for titles.
“There are still five games to play and we all want to keep going in this way and extend this winning run. We just need to stay focused and keep working.”
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The BBC’s ‘Price of Football’ survey has reaffirmed the stout belief that the beautiful game is incredibly expensive. Aside from the revelation that the shocking standard of pies in English football will set you back at least £3, the far more concerning outcome surrounds the fact that ticket prices have risen by 11.7% – more than five times the rate of inflation.
As clubs continue to struggle with the growing financial demands of professional football, is the American advertising model the only means of securing long-term stability?
Despite the fact vast sums of money continue to pour into what is regarded as the most lucrative league in the world; very few top-flight clubs in England actually make a profit. Arsenal continue to defy expectations by repeatedly posting impressive streams of revenue, but it’s hardly surprising when you compare ticket prices at the Emirates with their fellow rivals. In 2010, Arsenal were the first club to break the £100 matchday ticket barrier, and today their most expensive ticket clocks in at a staggering £126.
To understand the importance and indeed potential of adopting an American advertising model, we have to revisit the revolutionary 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. In the wake of the disastrous and financially crippling 1980 games in Moscow, organiser Peter Ueberroth encouraged external endorsement that enabled the games to be funded solely by private enterprises.
The games were incredibly successful on an unprecedented economic scale and helped established a format that future hosts would embrace for years to come. Nowadays there are official partners and sponsors in every possible commercial avenue, with a Mcdonalds now a familiar sight in the Olympic village after its debut back in 1984. The modern Olympics simply could not exist without the current level of investment, which is arguably the harsh reality football is destined for.
However, while many supporters still view football as a sacred institution, if such a historic and culturally significant event like the Olympics can benefit from mass advertising, why can’t football? Northern heavyweights Manchester United have quietly gone about gathering up a collection of Olympic-style ‘official partners’, which even includes Mamee, their Official Noodles Partner for Asia, Oceania and the Middle East.
There are a growing number of marketing tactics that English football has incorporated from our friends from across the pond. The annual Sky Sports ‘Super Sunday’ fixtures feel increasingly like the Superbowl, with television commercials, posters and social media campaigns fuelling anticipation weeks before the event. Is it completely ridiculous to suggest that half-time shows or adverts during breaks in play won’t soon also accompany these fixtures?
One aspect of the American advertising model that is already a familiar feature is the concept of stadium naming rights. Thankfully we don’t have anything quite as bizarre as the Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, home of the Colorado Rapids, but it’s clear that clubs simply cannot afford to build a new stadium without sacrificing its identity. Mike Ashley recently notched up another colossal example of misjudgement when he decided to rename the pre-existing St. James’ Park and Liverpool had to move quickly to ensure fans that planned redevelopments to their home would not mean abandoning the name Anfield.
There’s certainly a risk that if clubs employ extreme measures to attract revenue, they will be inevitably reach a point of no return. It’s fair to say that advertising theatrics don’t tend to sit well with the typical football fan, and few would be happy if next year’s replica shirts featured the same garish plethora of sponsors that current decorates Santos’ shirt. However, such a high volume of sponsors accumulates a reported £12m a year for the Brazilian club, while three quarters of star striker Neymar’s (£936,000) monthly wage is financed by sponsors. Should clubs in England look to further utilise this tactic to ensure they can attract the world’s best talent?
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The majority of fans in this country, rather unfairly in my opinion, still continue to mock the MLS. I will admit that the quality of football and examples of corny corporate exposure are sometimes embarrassing but there’s no disguising the rapid rise in growth and popularity. More and more accomplished internationals continue to flock to America in the twilight of their career and it won’t be long before the average age of ‘emigration’ rapidly declines.
It’s always been the belief that the MLS will be never be able to truly replicate the standard of European football, but I would argue that it’s the Premier League who are struggling to keep up and if it wants to continue to thrive then it could do worse than imitate the MLS and not the other way round.
Join me on Twitter @theunusedsub where Neymar celebrated his 200th game for Santos with a goal worth of £200k per week.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Newcastle United forward Ayoze Perez wants to stay at St James’ Park this summer despite interest from Napoli and Real Sociedad.
What’s the story?
Perez managed 10 goals in 37 appearances for Newcastle last season, with the Spaniard particularly impressive in the second half of the 2017-18 campaign as the Magpies moved up the Premier League table.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Napoli and Sociedad are both interested in signing the forward this summer after being impressed with his form last term.
However, the same report claims that Perez wants to stay at St James’ Park, whilst Newcastle are also not interested in entertaining any offers for the former Spain Under-21 international.
Napoli would be able to offer Perez the chance to play in the Champions League, whilst his chances of breaking into the Spain squad could be improved by a move to Sociedad.
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However, it seems that Perez is more than content with the Magpies, which is excellent news for their supporters ahead of the 2018-19 season.
How important is Perez to Newcastle?
It would be fair to say that Perez has lacked consistency despite putting in some very impressive performances since moving to Newcastle from Tenerife in the summer of 2014.
The 24-year-old was outstanding in the final weeks of the 2017-18 Premier League campaign, however, with his performances leaving a big impression.
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Perez actually scored six times in Newcastle’s final eight Premier League games – including a double against Chelsea on the final weekend of the season.
Valued at £9m by transfermarkt.co.uk, Newcastle must keep hold of the Spaniard if they are to push for a top-half finish in the Premier League once again.
And it does appear that the Magpies are in a strong position to keep a player who has a special relationship with the English club’s supporters.
Antonio Martinez has become quite the fan favourite at West Ham United this season due to his performances in the development squad.
The 20-year-old was rewarded with a first-team debut earlier this month when the team took on Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup.
Manager David Moyes is yet to give the forward minutes in the Premier League, but the Spaniard could have a chance of featuring against Wigan Athletic on Saturday.
The Hammers face the League One leaders at the DW Stadium in the hope of continuing their FA Cup campaign.
Ahead of the match, Martinez claimed in an interview with West Ham’s official website that his dream would be to play alongside Javier Hernandez against Wigan.
The Mexico international has been in the headlines of late, with Sky Sports reporting that the former Manchester United star is open to leaving the London Stadium due to a lack of game time.
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With Martinez expressing his admiration for Hernandez, West Ham fans have called for the pair to team up.
Arsenal have developed a knack for making announcements at the right time. Season ticket renewals usually come up while a star name from the continent is heavily linked with a move to north London, heightened by talk of increased funds available to the manager.
And now, during a low point in the season where Arsenal could potentially go out of three competitions in the space of less than two weeks, the club have announced new contracts for Per Mertesacker, Tomas Rosicky, and an impending confirmation of a fresh deal for Aaron Ramsey.
Arsene Wenger’s contract is the big talking point that remains. It’s interesting that no one really appears to have a handle on what the situation is. Some reports indicated that, as usual, Arsenal were waiting for the right time to announce Wenger’s stay, more than likely due to the fact the manager has yet to win back those supporters who have called for a change. While the other side of the story is that Wenger himself is waiting on the outcome of this season and whether the trophy drought has come to an end.
As colossal as a departure for the Frenchman from Arsenal would be, waiting on the right time to make a decision is best. It’s clear that there’s still a feeling of discontent among supporters, with small setbacks in the season, such as the loss at Stoke, bringing back old demons and raising the dividing line for those in favour of Wenger and those who want something different.
There could obviously be a lot of good that comes from Wenger moving on. The emphasis being on “could.” Even though Arsenal have been in the title race this season and topped the Premier League for almost the whole of the first half of the campaign, there’s a sense of same old, same old from the team.
The club, or Wenger, failed to address the shortcomings in the squad during the January window, after failing to make good use of the summer transfer period. For that, the team could be dumped out of all three remaining competitions come this time next week.
Not only that, but not a whole lot changes when it comes to performances and the mentality of the squad as a whole. This team is drastically different from the one which lost in the League Cup final in 2011 and subsequently went on to spiral out of the title race and out of control. Yet both share similarities in how they have failed to live up to big occasions against title challengers and during the business end of the season.
It’s more than understandable if some supporters want to see a change in the dugout.
But what needs to be remembered, and what is absolutely vital during this period for the club, is that Wenger is the only football brain at Arsenal. The rest, including the owner, the CEO and various big wigs with a say, are outsiders who have entered the world of football and are likely to be left all at sea if tasked with the job of replacing Wenger without the current manager aiding in selecting a successor.
Of course, it’s not the only reason to keep Wenger on board. Sure, there’s a fear that a risk, which often needs to be taken, could monumentally backfire, but the club can take a lot of good from retaining Wenger’s services for the next three years.
The money available to Arsenal has clearly allowed them to turn a corner. Even if it won’t show in the trophy cabinet by the end of the season, the club are undoubtedly on a higher standing than they were two or three years ago. Why lose that momentum now by replacing the manager?
Wenger’s influence on players is also something that needs to be taken into account. Sometimes his unwavering faith in certain individuals can be a flaw, though at other times it can be a great asset. Aaron Ramsey is a fine example of a player who never lost the faith of the manager, even when there were calls for the midfielder to be moved on. Now the club are reaping the rewards of a player who has fulfilled his potential and who will go on to improve even further. Wenger has not lost his ability to improve players.
And it shouldn’t be forgotten that he was also instrumental in the signing of Mesut Ozil. The German could have been signed without Wenger’s intervention, but the midfielder cited the manager’s discussion with him being a large factor in his decision to join the club.
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There are flaws to Wenger, of course, but are they so telling that they outweigh the good? Rather than a change of manager, the club need a change in the manager.
The club may not be full of football brains at board room level, but they are equipped with experts in PR. It is still very much about timing Wenger’s contract announcement to perfection. Though there should be little doubt that he should continue to be a part of the club for the next three years at least.
When supporters sit down and analyze the popular perceived failings and prevailing dark forces that degrade English football, it would appear that the list of usual suspects all seem to stem from one universal source.
Be it the biased pundits that negate your team in front of the masses, the evils of subscription television that have turned our league into some plastic marketing object or even the desperate newspapers that stir up a pot of pressure inducing lies. Whatever medium you decide to pick, the British media has a warm place reserved for it on the top of fans’ most wanted lists.
Of course, the pointing of fingers towards the way all aspects of the mainstream press operate within our national game, is more than justified, but if they command number one spot on the culprits list, then supporters themselves can’t be far off in second.
Because the great irony is of that while no one will deny that gross media exaggeration and general printed guff continuously produces unsavory results for our football clubs, no one seems able to accept that those who consume it are just as responsible as those who produce it. The digital age has offered fans a forum to set the record straight like never before. But whether popular opinion can ever be altered remains quite a different story.
For most Premier League fans, Saturday morning’s headlines didn’t offer anything that would appear out of the realms of the ordinary. Oodles of column inches dedicated to John Terry’s forthcoming appearance at the Emirates, more than one piece offering some staunch opinion on Luis Suarez’s theatrics and rumours of dressing room discontent with Andre Villas-Boas at White Hart Lane. There’s nothing that stands out as beyond the realms of believability.
In fact, Villas-Boas’ dressing room woes were given even more credibility, with it being run as an exclusive, in The Sun on Saturday morning. Some may already be finding the tagline of credibility hard to digest, but bear with us. In Paul Jiggins’ ground breaking exclusive, we learnt that “unhappy Tottenham stars had held showdown talks with the manager over his training and tactics.” Spurs’ players had apparently “hit out at the manager’s negative style of play,” and that AVB had been left “reeling” in the wake of the apparent mutiny. To add insult to injury, he’d also had a bust-up with technical coordinator, Tim Sherwood.
What’s not to believe about that then? Andre Villas-Boas has come across as something of an awkward personality since he first arrived in England with Chelsea. His freezing out of senior players there was combined by a seemingly inability to commandeer the respect of the dressing room. You could argue that the weight of believability and general public opinion would fall on the right side of Jiggins’ story. Just a shame it was a load of proverbial cobblers then, wasn’t it?
Indeed, you can read here for yourself, the distinctly low number of attributable quotes for a leading exclusive. The number is in fact, zero- no quotes, no evidence and not even the age old trick of using the mysterious ‘club source’ to add gravitas.
The piece seems even stranger, given what some of the Spurs staff have actually said themselves in recent days. Indeed, Gareth Bale told The Guardian’s Daniel Taylor only last week that his impressions of Villas-Boas were positive, claiming:
“He’s very approachable. If there is a problem, or something we feel is not right, his door is open. He wants us to work that way: together, the players and staff, and if there is a problem we can always share our ideas with him and he will take it on board.”
Furthermore, Kyle Walker’s Tweet on Saturday night offered an interesting perspective upon The Sun’s ‘exclusive’. Quote:
“Just landed back in London still buzzing from the win thought the gaffers tactics were stop [sic] on and all that in the paper is false.”
Not quite what you would call ‘mutinous’ behavior from two of Tottenham’s most prominent figures.
Some may be reading this and wondering what all the fuss is about. Tabloid papers printing mindless garbage is hardly a headline worth shouting about. Football is the national game and it represents something of a cornerstone of British culture. The level of press interest and speculation will always cultivate a certain amount of guff and hype. But however much we like to think we ignore it, we simply don’t. And it has ramifications for all involved.
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The Villas-Boas example is of course a minute one but every club during every season will experience something similar. A story like this will get printed and other publications will pick up on it, giving it a greater exposure. The wealth of panel shows and their army of pundits will give it credence as something topical, a starting point for debate. The seeds of doubt are subsequently sown. If Tottenham had lost yesterday, would Jiggins’ story necessarily have been framed in the same light? Despite its obvious lack of quotes and substance, would that have stopped people from speculating?
Ultimately, it is fans’ consumption of stories such as this, that end up putting as much pressure on managers, players and clubs, as the institutions that print it. Newspapers will print ‘exclusives’ like the Villas-Boas one, because they sell newspapers: not because they carry the weight of truth. A large number of fans have come to vilify this story in particular, but they still make up the minority in some respects. Football is a fickle sport, but did those who booed Villas-Boas off after his first two home games not perhaps already have their minds made up through sinister public opinion? Or just disappointing play? It’s difficult to tell.
It’s up to fans to stop accepting some of the rubbish that some outlets are pedaling, because it’s not ever likely to relent. Football is subjective and when critique is fair and due, it is always going to be put up in the public domain for fans to pick apart. But we must read between the lines and offer balance, when our teams and managers’ backs are up against the wall. Times of upheaval and gloom offer great opportunities for newspapers to make money. They’ll never let the truth get in the way of a good story. Supporters should never let a good story get in the way of the truth.
Are football fans as much to blame as the media for the hype and guff that surrounds the national game? Fed up with the endless amounts of rubbish that fans are fed? Let me know what you think on Twitter: follow @samuel_antrobus and get the debate started.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp may well look to bring in a new attacker to provide some competition for the likes of Sadio Mane and Mo Salah next season having been linked with Barcelona’s Ousmane Dembele, but Reds fans have urged him to sign Bayer Leverkusen winger Julian Brandt.
The 6ft 1in tall 22-year-old has been in impressive form for the Bundesliga club – he scored 12 goals and provided a further seven assists in 39 appearances in all competitions during the 2017/18 campaign – which didn’t go unnoticed by Germany manager Joachim Low.
The wideman made the preliminary 27-man squad for the holders for the World Cup in Russia this summer, and he will be hoping to make the final cut for the final 23 names having started in the 2-1 friendly defeat against Austria on Saturday.
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Liverpool supporters, who know who they want to partner Fabinho and Naby Keita in midfield next season, have been quick to have their say on Brandt via social media, and while one said “sign Brandt to be our Kevin De Bruyne for £25m”, another said he is “also cheaper than Dembele”.
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