More doubt has been cast over the future of Newcastle captain Fabricio Coloccini, according to the Sun.
The skipper was in Argentina at the beginning of March for rehab on his back injury, sustained when he did his spectacular bicycle-kick clearance against Southampton.
After stating that he wanted to return home on a permanent basis in January, the Argentine was linked with a transfer to San Lorenzo, but no deal was made between the two clubs.
However, Newcastle fans have more reason to be worried about Coloccini’s future, after he was spotted signing with travelling San Lorenzo fans during their sides’ win at the weekend. Coloccini stood in the stands with fellow supporters, and looked extremely happy to be at the club.
Coloccini was desperate to sign for San Lorenzo in January, and even wrote an open letter to their fans, revealing his disappointment that a deal couldn’t happen. His dad, Osvaldo, is a youth coach at the club, adding further speculation that the Argentine will be at the club in the near future.
Coloccini’s contract doesn’t expire until 2016, however the possibilities of the current captain playing for the Toon again are growing slimmer. Coloccini isn’t expected to feature in Newcastle’s trip to the Etihad to play Manchester City, as he recovers from his back injury.
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PSG have confirmed they want to sign Newcastle midfielder Yohan Cabaye, reports The Daily Mail.
The Frenchman has enjoyed a successful career with the Premier League side and has arguably become the Toon’s most important player.
But new PSG manager Laurent Blanc is ready to test Newcastle’s hold of the 27-year-old, after speaking highly of the midfielder.
The French manager took over from Carlo Ancelotti as boss of the Ligue 1 champions, and is keen to bring in his own players to the squad. And despite Cabaye missing a big chunk of the season through injury, Blanc is keen to bring the Frenchman back to his home country.
Cabaye has scored 10 goals in his two seasons with Newcastle, after leaving Ligue 1 side Lille in 2011.
Losing Cabaye could be a second blow for Alan Pardew and Joe Kinnear, after reports suggested that transfer target Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could join Borussia Dortmund.
The Champions Legaue finalists have agreed a fee with St. Etienne for the Gabon international.
Could Cabaye be tempted to leave this summer? How much of a blow would it be for Newcastle?
Share your thoughts below!
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Being clinical in football is a crucial part of a strikers game. Although scoring plenty of goals in the primary target, taking up valuable chances in a game for a shot that doesn’t end up as a goal can only be deemed as wasteful.
The best strikers should not just be rated on how many goals they score, but also how many goals they score to the shots that they attempt. Of course there’s midfielders who rarely shoot, but if they score every time they do have a shot instead of picking a pass, then they are certainly not wasting any opportunities for others to score.
We’re now twelve games into the Premier League season and there has been a record amount of goals scored. So at this early stage of the season, who are the top 5 most clinical players in the Premier League?
Sergio Aguero is currently the top goalscorer and Diego Costa has been in fine goalscoring form, but who’s the most prolific player in the Premier League?
The following statistics are worked out by dividing the amount of goals scored by an individual, divided by their average shots per game.
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5th – Mohamed Diame & Steven Fletcher – 3.75 shots per goal
Football – Hull City v Crystal Palace – Barclays Premier League – The Kingston Communications Stadium – 14/15 – 4/10/14Hull City’s Mohamed Diame celebrates after scoring his teams first goalMandatory Credit: Action Images / John CliftonEDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or “live” services. Online in-match use limited to 45 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. Please cont
Hull’s new boy and Sunderland’s goal poacher are forced to share the 5th place spot after performing identically thus far. The two players haven’t wasted many opportunities and although Diame plays in a midfield role, he’s managed to notch up 4 goals thus far, as has Fletcher.
The Scotland international has been unfortunate with injuries in the past but he has proved that he can score goals at the highest level when he gets a bit of fortune, and for a striker to not waste opportunities by shooting on sight, he should be helping his team. Although if he’s prolific maybe they would like a few more shots and goals from him.
4th – Nacer Chadli – 3.5 shots per goal
Tottenham’s belgian midfielder is finally finding his feet in the Premier League and he has been nothing short of prolific so far this term, taking just 3.5 shots to score each of his 6 league goals.
The midfielder is the club’s top goalscorer so far, and although Pochettino would like more assists than goals from his midfielders, I don’t think he would like to imagine how his team would be doing with Chadli.
A good fourth place for Nacer, but it’s early days in the season, can he continue his form in front of goal?
Mile Jedinak – 3.25 shots per goal
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Yet another midfielder in the list, and the Crystal Palace captain is only included thanks to his prolific ability from set pieces. The Australian rarely gets forward in general attacks for The Eagles, yet the defensive midfielder has four goals to his name.
After 2 successful penalties, and a wonderful free-kick against Liverpool, Mile has just one goal from open play and that was a header from a corner – he rarely shoots but when he does he scores.
Some would say that penalties surely shouldn’t count, but it still has to be converted and that requires a shot!
2nd – Leonardo Ulloa – 3.2 shots per goal
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Signing a 28-year-old from the Championship should rarely warrant a fee as large as Leicester paid for Ulloa in the summer, but the clinical Uruguayan is proving that he is worth every penny.
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Having just over 3 shots per goal scored, the striker is the second most clinical player in the Premier League. With 5 league goals to his name he’s the clubs top scorer. He’s still undoubtedly a costly signing but as long as he gets enough shots away, he will keep bagging numerous goals for Leicester City.
There’s only room for one more, and we’ve not seen either Aguero or Costa yet – who’s it going to be?
1st – Diego Costa – 2.9 shots per goal
The only player in the Premier League who has a ratio of below 3 shots per goal and it happens to be the second highest scorer in the league. The Spaniard/Brazilian may have cost a hefty £32m but having scored more goals than games played in the Premier League thus far, he’s a bargain.
The 26-year-old is prolific at taking chances but he’s also scoring a bag full of goals. An incredible start to life in the Premier League for Costa and he doesn’t show any signs of stopping.
Only one player has scored more than Diego, and that’s Sergio Aguero – however the Argentinean is far more wasteful, taking 5.3 shots per goal scored.
Pavel Pogrebnyak has hailed English football as “paradise” after making an impressive start to his career at Reading.
The 28-year-old Russia international made an instant impact in the Premier League during a loan spell at Fulham last season in which he scored six goals in 12 games, and the former Stuttgart man netted against Chelsea in his second game for the Royals. It is no surprise to Pogrebnyak that he is enjoying his football having been an admirer of the English game since he was a youngster.
He told Russian Sports website sports.ru:
“My dream has always been to play in the Premier League. At the end of the 90s I liked watching English football very much so I wanted to sign in England but I didn’t think it would happen so late. But now I’m here and I’m happy about it. The first time I watched English football (live) was in 2001 or 2002. I decided to go to a Premier League game (with a friend). We were both Manchester United fans and our favourite players – Giggs, Scholes, Beckham – were running around. That’s why I always try to get the No 7 shirt.”
Asked why he preferred English football, Pogrebnyak explained:
“Because of the speed, fights and tough play. As a striker I always liked crosses from the wings. When I was sitting in front of the television in Russia I was amazed to see when someone heads the ball after a big jump or started to dribble, it was very fascinating for me to see. Scoring a goal like this and then running to the fans – it’s like paradise for me.”
Following Adam Johnson’s miserable start at Sunderland we look at ten players who have fallen well short of expectations.
Johnson arrived on Wearside as the marquee signing, that had fans believing in the possibility of a top eight finish. Along with the failings of other important, creative players in the North East, the England international now seems somewhat of a let down. Still undecided on whether his performance against Aston Villa was worthy of a three or four out of ten, the main thing I’ve been musing, this week, is was the 25-year-old ever that good? After all, maybe a few impressive goals and cameos may well have masked his short-comings at the Etihad Stadium.
The rest of the list sees players who either have a confidence which their ability belies. Or footballers who failed to capitalise on early promise to the point where their good form is the anomaly. From great youngsters who became average adults, to players who were never that good, this list is devoted to those who just never lived up to the hype.
Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew remains keen to manage England, but only after he has served his eight year contract on Tyneside.
The 51-year-old guided Newcastle to fifth in the Premier League in his first full-season, earning the unprecedented deal that runs until 2020.
Pardew told The Independent of his long term goal, “I do have ambitions internationally – I would like to do that at some point.
“Hopefully I will see this contract out and see what I’m doing later on. I have always felt that a person can be a success as England manager. I won’t change my opinion on that, but I don’t think it’s easy.
“Roy Hodgson probably has a tough spell as England manager because our pool of players is not as great as it used to be.”
The ex-Southampton boss also went on to talk about his much publicised new deal at the Sports Direct Arena.
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“Both of us looked at the contract [him and Magpies owner Mike Ashley], and felt it lacked a bit of security. So this contract is more secure for Mike in terms of keeping me at the football club.
“The eight years came from Mike. I never got to the point of talking about how long I wanted the contract for. He spoke to me about eight years and I thought: OK.”
Some view Tim Sherwood’s version of Premier League management – post-match interview rants, gillet throw-downs, touchline bust-ups with opposing managers, basic 4-4-2’s and all – as an incredibly refreshing approach amid the corporate, kid gloves climate the English gaffer racket now finds itself in.
As the Independent’s Michael Calvin has labelled the Tottenham manager; “Tim Sherwood was the gaffer reinvented as the geezer.” Through his actions thus far in the White Hart Lane hotseat, the 44 year-old has resembled a figure much closer to a Spurs supporter you might find in a North London pub than his overbearingly intellectual, almost emotionless predecessor, Andre Villas-Boas.
But let us not be fooled; the Tottenham gaffer’s apparently passionate, ‘signing-from-the-heart-not-the-script’ demeanour is sourced from nothing other than his immense naivety as a manager.
There’s a reason you don’t see Arsene Wenger, Jose Mourinho or Manuel Pellegrini screaming at players from the touchline and booting around water bottles on a weekly basis – because it’s incredibly unproductive and rage can only further cloud ones judgement.
Despite these three managers taking a far more subtle and distinguished approach in the dug-out in comparison to the apparently passionate Sherwood, would you describe any of them as having less enthusiasm for the beautiful game or desire for victory than the Spurs boss?
If arrogance is a poor man’s confidence, then chucking your body-warmer on the floor and flailing your arms in the air is certainly a poor man’s passion. A ten-minute discussion of Tottenham’s tactics would be a far more convincing show of lust for the job than any of Sherwood’s touchline or press conference dramas so far.
Premier League managers have already received a disturbing warning this season for all head coaches who can’t keep their temperament in check, in the form of Newcastle manager Alan Pardew. The Magpies boss already had a prominent wrap-sheet of touchline misdemeanours, but brought a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘losing your cool’ when he decided to try and go head-to-head with Hull City’s David Meyler earlier this month, in possibly the greatest showing of unprofessionalism the Premier League has ever seen.
Like Pardew, I fear that Sherwood’s ferocious approach to dugout administration makes him an accident waiting to happen. Unlike the Newcastle gaffer however, I fear that Sherwood’s touchline aggression isn’t sourced from a hazardous over-enthusiasm, but rather the understandable insecurity of being incredibly out of his depth.
At the start of the season, Sherwood was part of the development structure at White Hart Lane, imprinting his desire and love for the club on the next generation of Tottenham hotshots breaking through. By mid-December, he was suddenly in charge of a first team squad that’s meant to be challenging for Champions League qualification – the holy grail of club level football – and expected to turn £110million’s-worth of transfer flops into flagship performers.
Considering he’s been in the top level management game for just 100 days and counting, Sherwood can feel proud of the progress he’s made thus far. But that’s like judging victories over Olympiacos and West Ham as a great week for Manchester United. In context, yes. In the grand scheme of things, no.
It’s not only Sherwood’s touchline antics that suggests he’s struggling with the weight of the task at hand. His team selections are random and reactionary with seemingly little thought as to how his line-ups will actually influence the match, barring the knowledge that Emmanuel Adebayor’s physical presence in the final third is vital to the Tottenham game-plan of kick-it-and-chase-it 1990’s football.
He’s left the most talented playmaker in Tottenham’s ranks – Christian Eriksen – squandering on the left hand side. Although the Danish international has claimed a stunning six goals and two assists in eight appearances on the left flank, it’s an astonishing waste of by far the most intelligent midfielder at Sherwood’s disposal, who last year was ripping Champions League opposition apart in a No.10 capacity. Amid Erkisen’s absence in the attacking midfield hub, that role has instead gone to Nacer Chadli, Aaron Lennon and Harry Kane over the last few weeks, none of whom can compare with the 22 year-old’s grace, technique or intellect – but that’s not what Sherwood’s all about.
Rather, the Spurs manager’s faith has been bizarrely cemented in academy product Nabil Bentaleb. Sherwood saw this kid develop through the Lane youth ranks and clearly has high hopes for his future. Furthermore, the 19 year-old has put in a number of decent performances in his 13 Premier League outings to date.
Yet, Bentaleb’s showings have not been so almighty and inspiring that the Algerian deserves his place in the Lilywhites first team to come with a virtual guarantee. Sherwood has overseen 15 Premier League fixtures in the Spurs dugout and, despite having never made a single senior appearance in any competition for the North London outfit previously, Bentaleb, who dons an average rating of 6.74 according to Whoscored.com, has featured in all but three of them. That includes starts against Arsenal and Chelsea, as well as against Benfica in the Europa League.
Facing the two London rivals and the Portuguese outfit represented the most determinate week of Tottenham’s 2013/14 campaign. From the three contests, Spurs didn’t record a single win, unsurprisingly so when a rookie 19 year-old is chosen to bedrock the midfield over Moussa Dembele, Paulinho, Sandro and Etienne Capoue. Just for the record, that’s four established international midfielders that Sherwood has sacrificed for the sake of Bentaleb’s development.
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Sherwood’s actions over the last 100 days – his public condemnation of the Tottenham roster’s lack of character, his gilet-slamming, abrasive touchline antics, his run-in with Benfica boss Jorge Jesus, and his team selections that strike a disturbing mix between vanity, arrogance and inexperience – don’t suggest a man in the know, or even a man who knows something remotely worthwhile.
The Tottenham gaffer is dangerously out of his depth; he’s a managerial accident waiting to happen. Daniel Levy’s chairman tenure in North London has been plagued by controversial appointments and knee-jerk decisions – sacking AVB for not getting the best out of a batch of prime transfer flops being one of them.
But axing Sherwood would not fall into that category. At this point, it would be like putting a headless chicken out of its misery – before it inadvertently crushes the golden egg.
Chris Kamara releases first ever shock treatment guide for fans
Stunned football fans witnessing a giant killing in the Capital One Cup will benefit from an exclusive video treatment guide from football pundit Chris Kamara to assist their recovery.
Crawley Town, MK Dons and Carlisle United are among the names looking to cause a major upset in Round 3 of Capital One Cup, as they host opposition from the Premier League.
Thanks to Chris Kamara’s turn as the “Shock Doctor”, the first ever video has been created to help treat football fans who suffer from symptoms of shock.
Filmed on location at Burton Albion FC, who pulled off surprise wins against higher opposition in the first two rounds of the competition, the video features the highly unqualified “Doctor” Kamara helping supporters with his unorthodox shock treatment techniques.
Chris Kamara, leading football personality turned Shock Therapist, said: “All fans dream of pulling off a major Cup upset, but nobody talks about the dangers attached to witnessing such a huge shock! My video guide is there to help supporters cope if their mate goes into shock after that last minute winner in the Capital One Cup.”
Michael Woodburn, Chief Marketing Officer for credit card company and Cup sponsors Capital One, said: “The League Cup has a rich history of throwing up some major shocks and surprises, such as York City’s famous win against Manchester United at Old Trafford. We wanted to ensure all fans are prepared for the effects of a shock in this year’s Capital One Cup with this light hearted video guide.”
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Football fans can view the “Shock Doctor” Chris Kamara’s video guide below or by visiting www.facebook.com/capitaloneuk.
A survey by the BBC last month revealed that the price of the least expensive adult ticket in English football’s highest four divisions increased 11.7% since October 2011.
It was found that, unsurprisingly, Arsenal has the costliest season ticket at £1,955, with Tottenham not far behind at £1,845.
And it was obvious from Arsenal’s AGM last month that prices are angering the fans. Many of the questions centred on the impact high ticket prices were having on supporters, while a fan group at the meeting entrance put up a banner bearing the word ‘Greed’ as well as handing leaflets out. But, this is hardly surprising, considering fish and chips at the Emirates Stadium costs £13.90 and the cheapest price you can get a season ticket for at Arsenal is £985.
Looking at the prices of the costliest season tickets of the Premier League teams, half of the teams had theirs at over £800. However, that leads to the question, is it driving fans from stadiums?
Well, it is clear from the scenes at Arsenal’s AGM last month that fans are angry about increasing prices.
Paul Matz from AISA, the Arsenal Independent Supporters’ Association believes that the prices stop many fans of the Gunners from attending games. As well as this, he feels Arsenal should have a staged-payment scheme stating: “There are many Arsenal fans who are unable to attend Premier League and Champions League matches because of high prices and many others who have given up their season tickets, or struggle to pay the annual cost of £985 – £1,955 (and even more in Club Level) because of the lack of any staged-payment scheme.” In a staged-payment plan, people would pay in instalments.
It is also the case at other clubs that attending football has become more expensive. Steve Turner, an Ipswich fan stated to me on Twitter how: “My uncle used to say standing at the football was about the same cost as a mans (sic) haircut. Now about 2.5 X (sic) the price. I’ve never seen a tap for drinking water at a football stadium. You even have to buy water.”
However, numbers of general Premier League football attendance do not seem to have dramatically dropped despite concerns over price. A study that Pluri, a sports consultancy from Brazil, undertook of the countries with the highest football match attendances, England were second, ahead of countries like Spain, Italy, France and even Brazil. Figures also show that Arsenal is one of the most attended football clubs in Europe.
However, while official numbers have not massively changed for attendance, many are avoiding attending matches because of high prices.
It could also be argued that higher prices have changed the atmosphere at stadiums.
It seems apparent that the atmosphere at football stadiums is quieter than it used to be. Some even compare stadiums to a ‘library’.
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So one question is, is this because it is just certain people who can now attend the matches because of prices? Is it the case that those who can afford the tickets are not as likely to be as vocal?
It seems right now that match attendance numbers are not being too badly affected by price. However, with so many complaints about cost, surely clubs should rethink prices to help fans and stop any potential future decreases in attendance numbers?
Newcastle and Norwich are leading the race for Sporting Lisbon striker Ricky van Wolfswinkel, according to reports from talkSPORT.
The Canaries have been tracking the Dutchman for some time, and are believed to have made an approach for his services during January.
Chris Hughton has been linked with a summer move for the 24-year-old, but he may face competition from Newcastle.
The Tyne club are reportedly monitoring the striker, who has hit 22 goals since the start of last season, as they look to strengthen their squad.
Sporting are in a state of financial turmoil, with spiraling debts likely to force sales of star players.
Van Wolfswinkel is one of their most valuable assets, and the Portuguese giants are said to be willing to accept in the region of £10m for his signature.
But, as well as the Premier League pair, teams from Eastern Europe, including Dynamo Kiev, are keen on ex-Utrecht man.
A striker is believed to Norwich’s main priority in the transfer market, with the East Anglians managing just 28 goals this season, the third fewest in the division.
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Newcastle are also keen for striking reinforcements, after watching their January move for Loic Remy fall through thanks to QPR’s spending power.