Newcastle United have sacked manager Chris Hughton in the wake of Sunday's 3-1 defeat at West Brom.
There has been mounting talk that Hughton would part company with the Magpies, as delays continued over a new contract, and the board have now decided to seek a new manager.
Despite Hughton getting Newcastle back into the top flight and making a decent start to the season, the manager refused to be drawn into a war of words.
The Magpies boss told the Sunday Sun: "What I have always done throughout this period – and I am of course aware of some of the things that have been said regarding my contract – is what I would like to think I do best and that is put my head down and work as hard as I can."
Meanwhile, goalkeeping coach Paul Barron has also left the club and Newcastle say they will immediately seek a replacement.
Hughton guided Newcastle back into the Premier League last season after they were relegated in the 2009-10 campaign.
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With the much-needed home victory over Manchester City on Monday night and the assured performance in the Champions League last week, have Chelsea turned a corner and has Andre Villas-Boas finally got the side looking like genuine title contenders?
Along with the introduction of new players, a new style of play and a Portuguese manager still finding his feet in a vastly superior Premier League, do recent performances suggest there could be optimism and that the recent losses to top four contenders are a thing of the past?
Yes, Chelsea are still a side with their problems: the departures of a number of former key figures in the squad is needed to necessitate the smooth transition in style of play, the bedding in of young players who are experiencing the rigors of a top-flight league for the first time, yet possess the talent to succeed, and, of course, the small matter of Fernando Torres.
But while these difficulties may have been at the fore of Andre Villas-Boas’ side in the past, Chelsea have managed to put in two very convincing performances and have done so with the means they have available to them. The previously overlooked Didier Drogba, who is clearly not going to play the number of games of previous years, looks more than capable of continuing to offer the same kind of threat and power. His desire to help his team on Monday night was telling as he battled to retain possession in the dying minutes and caused a number of problems for the Manchester City defence.
Similarly, Frank Lampard’s match-winning penalty seemed almost scripted. A player who has offered so much to the club has had to take on a peripheral role as Villas-Boas now looks to players he believes are more capable of implementing his style of football. But the 33-year old England international is exactly the type of player that helps a club win matches such as this, and, in the long run, he will be seen to be a vital asset to a club with any future title ambitions.
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But what we’re seeing on the pitch is of greater interest; do Chelsea look like they are adapting to Andre Villas-Boas’ demands for possession football? The high defensive line we’ve been accustomed to seeing looks to be gone as the Chelsea defenders looked to drop much deeper and remain compact against the Manchester City attack. David Luiz’s reckless play in defence seems to have been addressed by the manager and the side are looking to eradicate gifted goals to the opposition.
At the same time, Oriol Romeu has shown just why he was coveted by a number of top European clubs over the summer. The former Barcelona midfielder has adapted well to the Premier League and has excelled at the pivot-role in the Chelsea midfield. His ability to win the ball back, play his way out from the back and initiate counter-attacking moves are qualities that are reminiscent of his former team-mates at the Nou Camp.
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But perhaps one of the biggest catalysts for Chelsea’s re-emergence as top four and title contenders are the performances of Daniel Sturridge. While asking to be accommodated in a more central role, Sturridge has performed exceptionally well from the wide right, finding room to cut inside, due to the work Didier Drobga puts in centrally, and contributing greatly to Chelsea’s threat in-front of goal. Juan Mata has done well to link up with Sturridge on a number of occasions – the England international’s pace and ability to go past the full-backs have been used to great effect in the final third.
However despite this, the job is not done for this Chelsea side. There will need to be a balance in juggling fringe players and maintaining a good run of form. The Champions League knock-out stages are luckily still far in the distance and there is the comfort of the January transfer window to continue the rebuilding process. But what is certain is that, despite only two home victories, this is a side who appear to have turned a corner and have put in the necessary performances to see off two very good sides whilst under pressure.
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Let’s start off with a statement of the obvious – football is great. Right, that’s that over with. But however great it may be, there are always things that could be better, in anyone’s opinion. So as we crawl painfully towards the start of the season, fuelled only by David Beckham interviews and friendlies from the other side of the world where rampaging gunmen and phone hacking scandals are pushed off the front page because a footballer tried a back heel that didn’t come off, here’s a few things I dream of seeing to make the sport we love that little bit better in the coming years. Almost all of it will never happen.
First off, ban Monday night football. Sky think we all love Monday night football. I recall Richard Keys at the beginning of last season exclaiming in what seemed like a constant loop, “Monday night football is back!”
Well yippee. Get the bunting out, dust off that bottle of Asti Spumante you’d been saving for a special occasion, this is the news we had all been waiting for. Great if you are at home on the most boring night of the week, but for match-going fans it is utter rubbish. My team’s season-opener will be on a Monday night, instantly killing the buzz of the opening weekend. Thanks for nothing Rupert Murdoch.
Football games should only be played on a Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday (except for Tranmere, who can play on a Friday).
Trial video technology. No in-depth analysis here, as you will already be bored senseless by the debate. The average football game only has about 60 minutes of play – to claim it will slow down games is nonsense. The FIFA viewpoint that if it is not available to everyone then no one can have it seems ridiculous to me. Better some have an advantage than no one – it is 2011, not 1970 – and the world’s biggest, most popular game is one of the few sports still stuck in the dark ages. The whole technology might not work, I accept that – but that’s what trials are for.
Get rid of the rule that an injured player has to go off the pitch – it was introduced in good faith, hoping to eradicate the feigning of injuries. It hasn’t, and it punishes genuinely injured players. It is stupid, pointless, and annoying.
Speaking of which, allow players to be treated on pitch while play continues, like they do in rugby. Should lead to a good bloopers video, if nothing else.
Whilst we’re at it, get rid of the equally stupid rule of a yellow card for taking your shirt off. Unless there’s a pointless message on a white T-shirt below.
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No one who is a club chairman or even on a club board should have a position of influence at the FA. Impartial? Yeah, right.
Ban all player interviews, on camera and in print. They are undoubtedly boring, and will be misquoted to gain a story anyway. I can live without hearing Wayne Rooney tell us how he is over the moon, and just stuck it in the onion bag, ya know? I really could not care one iota whether Patrice Evra thinks Samir Nasri would be a good signing, or have the slightest interest in David Beckham commenting on how Ferguson should get Wesley Sneijder, or about anything he has said, ever. This is not news. Save it for the ghost-written autobiography. Summers are so boring without football.
No substitutions should be allowed in injury time (unless replacing a player unconscious on a stretcher).
Change the red card for a professional foul (or whatever they call it now) that also results in a penalty – it is totally unfair to dispense a double punishment for a genuine attempt to make a tackle – a red card and a penalty seem too harsh a punishment for the defending team, though I should add I am not sure what the solution is.
Sin bins – trial them for acts of dissent. I am probably in the minority here, but I have always liked the idea of sin bins. I don’t think referees will ever have the nerve to show yellow cards for every act of dissent, as it will decimate the number of players on the pitch (at least for a short while). But sin bins provide an alternative, as 10 minutes a man down should hopefully force the players to keep their mouth shut (eventually).
A proper “Fit and Proper” test. Make it live up to its name – if you want to buy a football club, there must be assurances about financial security, plans for the club, and rules in place to prevent the selling off of assets.
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If that’s possible.
More money to trickle down to the lower leagues, grass roots football, and for hiring greater number of coaches in this country. Secure the future of the Football Supporters Federation using some of this money rather than have its survival rely on the whim of Peter Scudamore and a few of his cronies.
But – get rid of the ridiculous levels of money swimming around the Champions League that has turned it into a cartel that preserves the power of the status quo, and make it a straight knock out too, so that we are rid of all the dreary and fairly predictable group stages. At the very least remove the back-up of 3rd place teams falling into the Europa League. Of course there is more chance of me being trapped on a bus with Sandra Bullock that will explode if it goes under a certain speed, but ultimately I end up being saved due to the bravery and cunning of Keanu Reeves.
And finally, hope that no one has been counting how many points I have made in this article.
Real Madrid could make an audacious last-minute attempt to sign Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas, according to Sky Sports.
Fabregas has been linked with a return to his boyhood club for several years and this summer it seems Arsenal might finally be willing to do business. Arsenal are holding out for more than £40 million for the World Cup winner but Barcelona have failed to meet their valuation so far. With the clubs stalling on a transfer fee, arch-rivals Real Madrid could make a last minute move for the 24-year old.
Any move would be anger both Arsenal and Barcelona fans but Real are apparently willing to offer £45 million for the player as they look to bridge the gap on their La Liga rivals. Real had failed to win the title since 2008 whilst it has been nearly 10 years since their last European triumph. Barcelona, on the other hand, have flourished under Pep Guardiola.
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Real boss Jose Mourinho sees Fabregas as the ideal man to add more creativity to the Madrid midfield. Brazilian star Kaka has failed to live up to his transfer fee since his move two summers ago but feels the Arsenal man would be a more than adequate replacement.
Austria’s hopes of qualifying for Euro 2012 took a jolt following a 2-0 home defeat against Belgium on Friday.Standard Liege midfielder Axel Witsel did the damage for the visitors with goals in either half, ensuring Austria fell to the first defeat of the qualifying campaign.
Austria remain second in qualifying Group A but five points behind leaders Germany, while Belgium rise to third, equal on points with Austria.
Expectations of a match approaching something like their 4-4 draw in Brussels last October were quickly sunk as Austria managed just the one real chance in 90 minutes.
Belgium goalkeeper Simon Mignolet was at hand to smother that opportunity, collecting the ball at his feet after Austria captain Marc Janko was sent through.
Witsel put the visitors ahead in just the sixth minute, breaking from the offside trap and getting a clean header to a whipped-in cross.
The 22-year-old scored again five minutes after the break, smashing a left-footed shot past Austria custodian Juergen Macho after being picked out at the far post by Laurent Ciman’s cross.
Despite the thrills and excitement that modern football provides us with, from the ever improving Premier League to the glamorous Champions League battles which are shown on our televisions, talked about on our radios and written about in our newspapers (and on the world wide web), football today is not all it’s cracked up to be. Today in modern football, there are all-seated stadiums, a variety of football boots and of course the celebrity footballers who are treated like movie and rock stars, but what about the football of ‘yesteryear’, the football that I am sure most of us grow up with and still like to remember.
Of course football today has improved in terms of fitness levels and professionalism which has coincided with the big money involved in the sport. It paints a very different picture from the football from the early 1990s to the start of the 1980s and an even different picture looking back further to the seventies and sixties eras – but as football fans, we do love to look back with a sense of joy and loss for football as we knew it.
I am sure most of us would like to see a few changes made in football today, with the cost of ticket prices or a cap on player wages, but the following Top Ten is on Football Nostalgia – what we used to love from the beautiful game that got lost in its own decade but still provides us with great memories. Join me for my Top Ten of Football Nostalgia….
Click on the League Ladder below to see the Top TEN
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‘Seize the moment’ is the message from England captain Steven Gerrard as he prepares to lead his side into battle with Italy on Sunday night with a place in the semi finals of Euro 2012 at stake.
The Three Lions haven’t progressed to the last four of a major tournament since hosting Euro 96 when they famously losing to Germany on penalties but Gerrard is confident they can put an end to that unwanted statistic in Kiev.
Despite being unbeaten in five games since Roy Hodgson’s appointment as manager the 32-year-old admits England can leave nothing to chance against the 2006 World Champions if they are emerge victorious and prove the critics, that wrote them off prior to the finals, wrong.
“In previous tournaments we just haven’t shown what we are capable of,” he said. “But our performances are getting stronger in this competition.
“That is what gives me the belief and confidence that we can end this hoodoo that people talk about. I get told that not many of the current players have figured in quarter-finals, but they are all big-game players and are aware of what is required.
“It is important they seize the moment, seize the opportunity, because from experience, I know they don’t come around very often.
“It is important nobody leaves anything out on the pitch and show the critics we are good enough to compete at this level.”
Italy coach Cesare Prandelli wants his side to go into the clash ‘without fear’ as they aim to reach their first European Championship semi final since 2000 when they beat Holland on penalties before losing in extra time to hosts France in the final.
Prandelli revealed he’s done his homework on England but warned his players that building an early momentum will be key to unsettling their opponents strategy which is built on efficient organisation off the ball.
“England are a very tough side and we must go into the game without fear – no psychological hang-ups,” said Prandelli. “We must stay focused and wait for our opportunity.
“We’ve watched England’s previous games and they’re one of the most organised European sides. We need to make sure we stop them playing.
“They’re going to produce a high tempo and put their foot in a lot, so if we can set the tempo then we can do well.”
Team News
Roy Hodgson has his full 23-man squad to pick from but is likely to stick with the XI that beat Ukraine in their final Group C fixture meaning Danny Welbeck and Wayne Rooney will start up front again.
Giorgio Chiellini is absent after picking up a thigh injury in Monday’s 2-0 win over Ireland with Leonardo Bonucci set to come in as Cesare Prandelli’s only change.
Key Player
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Scott Parker
It’s astonishing that it’s taken nine-years and three England managers to discover that the Tottenham enforcer is the perfect foil for Steven Gerrard in midfield. The loss of Frank Lampard has proved to be a blessing in disguise as Parker provides the steady platform for the Three Lions skipper to exert his influence further up field. His full blooded performances has seen him snap and snarl in the face of the opposition supplying a shield of armour for Roy Hodgson’s back four. His matchup with Daniele De Rossi will be VERY interesting.
Andrea Pirlo
Limiting the influence of the Juventus midfielder will be easier said than done. The 33-year-old has rolled back the years in Poland and Ukraine displaying the guile and craft that made him one of the top midfielders in Europe. Pirlo’s advancing years means he doesn’t move around the field as freely as he used too but England should ignore his vision and passing range at their own peril. He wasn’t nicknamed “l’architetto” (the architect) for nothing.
According to The Daily Mirror Sir Alex Ferguson is set to wield the axe this summer with 6 faces set to leave or retire.
Sir Alex was quoted as saying:
“Sometimes when a player grows old, you have to recognise it and they have to move on. We have to maintain a level of success at the top end of the game. We can’t afford bad years or breaking-in years. We have had periods like that, but we don’t want it and we need to be successful all the time.”
Thus the paper is reporting that whether we win the title or not the squad will face a big overhaul in order to keep things fresh.
With the likes of Edwin Van Der Sar and Gary Neville looking at retirement whilst Tomasz Kuszczak, Wes Brown, Owen Hargreaves and Michael Owen all set to be shown the door a new look Manchester United may be lining up us next season.
Sir Alex is no mug though, he is well aware of the problems Chelsea have faced this season after they tried something similar at the start of this season so he already has a plan in place to fill in the voids created with the use of players like Danny Welbeck and Tom Cleverley who are impressing on loan as well as Darron Gibson and Chris Smalling who are carving out careers for themselves at Old Trafford.
As well as these youngsters it is thought Sir Alex plans to implement some players from the reserves and academy to bolster the squad meaning much touted youngsters like Paul Pogba may well get some shine.
The move is one that may have been on the cards and makes sense when looking at it logically but having seen what has happened to Chelsea with their lack or reinforcement one must worry.
Read more Manchester United blogs at the excellent ‘The Busby Way’ here
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When a player leaves a football club the views of fans are inevitably polarised. For some he had more to offer while others will point to possible replacements or the financial benefits. This scenario occurred at the tail end of the transfer window at Upton Park when both Alessandro Diamanti and Fabio Daprela were sold to Serie A yoyo team, Brescia. The inconsistent Italian drew differing opinions from the supporters but the transfer of a young, promising defender who had impressed in a handful of appearances was met with utter bemusement. For the east London club this is far from a new problem as former players seemingly go from strength to strength.
Signed from Zurich based Grasshoppers last summer for £1 million, the Hammers sold Daprela last week for an undisclosed fee. The Swiss player who had a spell at Juventus as a youngster was highly rated. At just 19-years old the left-back was more authoritative when deputising for the injured Herita Ilunga than Jonathan Spector. He made his senior debut in the FA Cup third round tie against Arsenal earlier this year, giving an assured performance which showed his defensive and attacking capabilities. He impressed once more against Arsenal in the league, relishing the physical side of the contest and rampaging down the left flank.
Diamanti was another of last summer’s recruits, having been plucked newly promoted Serie A side Livorno. The brazen forward asserted his influence over penalties and all set pieces without hesitation. In doing so he illustrated his technical skill and from open play he was highly exciting to watch. In an arduous season that excitement did at times turn to exasperation when his tricks and long range efforts brought no reward. Yet for his inconsistency, he was hugely popular in some quarters and could undoubtedly change the course of a game with a piece of unexpected ingenuity. To the dismay of many, the club’s second highest scorer of last season was sold at a loss of £4 million.
West Ham have had a reputation as a selling club in recent times but there was an inescapability about the eventual departures of exceptional talents such as Frank Lampard, Rio Ferdinand and Michael Carrick. Barring Craig Bellamy’s switch to Manchester City, the club has not faced that concerted pressure to sell in the past few years. But players have consistently been sold at the wrong time. Paul Konchesky, now of Liverpool, was a reliable full-back who practised the basics. Defensive duties were paramount but his powerful left foot could have a telling impact, especially when he scored against his new employers in the 2006 FA Cup final. A disagreement with Alan Curbishley meant he was forced out in the summer of 2007.
Konchesky prospered at Craven Cottage where he was joined the following year by Bobby Zamora. Having been deemed surplus to requirements, it would now be challenging to find a fan who would not welcome him back to the Boleyn. Few supporters would have expected to see Konchesky, Zamora and John Pantsil in European action within a couple of years. Matthew Etherington is yet another who left the club despite having a huge amount to offer. Signed in January 2009 for £2 million he was in imperious form for Stoke last season. Invariably their man of the match, he showed energy, excellent wing play and varied his delivery into the box.
The list arguably continues as the club has even missed previous captain Lucas Neill who had leadership qualities and an aggressive, combative streak to his game. The club’s insistence on holding on to its core of Robert Green, Matthew Upson, Scott Parker and Carlton Cole has been to the detriment of their transfer policy. Parker may rightly be considered untouchable but the relentless focus on this England quartet has distracted from arguments about the overall strength and balance of the team. The departure of Diamanti and Daprela may be evidence of this but with six new arrivals, it is time for the club to demonstrate that the balance of the squad has been addressed.
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A welcome addition to the Premier League’s Wag arena – Click on image below to view gallery
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Already-relegated Hamilton bowed out of the Scottish Premier League with a 2-1 defeat at home to Inverness on Saturday.Hamilton’s demotion from the top flight had already been confirmed when they lost 1-0 away to St Johnstone on Tuesday.
They had a chance to sign off on a positive note in the final match of the season, but fell behind a minute before half-time when centre-forward Riche Foran made it 1-0 to the visitors at New Douglas Park.
And although Simon Mensing levelled for Hamilton five minutes into the second half, Irish striker Adam Rooney restored the lead for Inverness on 56 minutes.
Their season was summed up when midfielder Mensing passed up a simple opportunity to equalise, missing from the penalty spot with 19 minutes remaining.
Hamilton will now return to the First Division after three seasons in the SPL.
In other matches, Aberdeen finished a disappointing campaign on a high with a 3-1 win away to Hibernian.
Derek Riordan put Hibs ahead 21 minutes into the match and the hosts retained the lead going into half-time at Easter Road.
Josh Magennis equalised for Aberdeen three minutes into the second half, before a three-minute brace from striker Chris Maguire completed the comeback for the visitors.
St Mirren finished second from bottom, a comfortable seven points clear of Hamilton, following a 0-0 draw at home to St Johnstone.