Liverpool sack off Kewell and make Riise available
May 9, 2008
It will come as no great surprise to hear that Harry Kewell is leaving Liverpool after five seasons at the club. When the Australian arrived from Leeds United in 2003, he was regarded as one of the hottest players in the Premier League but perpetual injuries have seen him play just a minor role for the Reds every season. Amazingly he did get to start the 2005 Champions League final in Istanbul before being subbed due to (yes, you’ve guessed it) injury.
Sky Sports reports that Rafael Benitez has given Kewell and his agent short shrift over the possibility of a new deal and that the winger will be moving to pastures new in the summer. It appears that a certain Norwegian full-back with a penchant for scoring spectacular own goals could be joining him.
“We have tried to come to an agreement with the player and his agent, but that has not been possible,” said Benitez.
“Kewell will leave the club at the end of his contract.
“With Riise and the rest of the players they have one or more years left on their contracts, so he is still our player at the moment and he knows if we receive a good offer - good for him and the club - it could be…
“But he is still our player and I am really pleased with him because he is a fantastic professional,” added Benitez.
Presumably Liverpool fans won’t be sad to see Kewell leave Anfield, although the same might not be said of Riise, who has done pretty well during his seven years at the club. The Norwegian has managed 33 goals for the Reds, which isn’t bad for someone who’s played mainly as a full-back.
Will Bruce be next manager of Manchester United?
May 9, 2008
It’s one thing getting Birmingham promoted and then keeping Wigan afloat in the Premier League, it’s another thing managing some of the best players in the world and pitting your wits against Europe’s finest. Steve Bruce has demonstrated his managerial ability over the past couple of seasons and has the chance to prevent Manchester United from winning the title on Sunday.
However, surely there are others nearer in line to the throne if Sir Alex Ferguson decided to call it a day at the end of the season (although knowing the tenacious Scot, he might last another ten seasons at the helm!)? Sky Sports report that Wigan chairman Dave Whelan won’t stand in the way of the former Sheffield United, Huddersfield, Crystal Palace and Birmingham manager if the Red Devils come calling. Not that Bruce should be holding his breath…
“When United come to choose a new manager, if they go for Steve Bruce you have no chance of standing in their way,” Whelan said in the Daily Star.
“I wouldn’t contemplate doing so if United came for Steve. I would be delighted for him and sorry for the club.
“If Sir Alex wins another European title this year - which I hope he does - he may decide he has had enough.”
If SAF does step down in the summer, who do you think should replace the great man? Many have touted Carlos Queiroz, Fergie’s right-hand man as the natural successor, while some people make a claim for Mark Hughes, another former United great. Whoever takes the reigns will have a tough act to follow!
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What’s this? A player wanting to stay with Arsenal!
May 9, 2008
It’s hard not to feel sorry for Arsene Wenger at the moment. The Frenchman is arguably the best manager in the world, given what he has achieved for Arsenal, yet it appears that several of his key players are unlikely to be at the Emirates Stadium next season. Mathieu Flamini has buggered off to Milan without so much as a whimper, Alexander Hleb has done a great impersonation of a snake in the grass and has a foot out of the exit door, while Emmanuel Adebayor apparently wants double or quits as far as his salary is concerned.
However, The Guardian report that every cloud has a silver lining. Just as Jerry Maguire appeared to be walking out of the office on his tod, the character played by Renee Zellweger stood up and joined him. In Renee’s place at Arsenal is young Nicklas Bendtner, who has shunned the likes of Bayern Munich and Werder Bremen to stay with Arsenal. At last some loyalty being shown at Arsenal!
Bayern indicated via an intermediary that they were prepared to pay €10m for the striker and the other two Bundesliga clubs also made their interest known. “I have heard about these offers from Germany but Nicklas will stay at Arsenal,” said Thomas Bendtner, his father. “The only way things could be different was if something unexpected should happen, such as him being moved totally outside of the team, but it’s difficult to see that happening as he is playing right now.”
Bendtner, 20, has made 39 appearances this season, 16 as a starter, and has scored nine goals. “I’ve always said that Arsenal is my club and that’s where I want to play my football,” he said. “When you look at my season and the way it has developed, I see no reason why I should want to change Arsenal with any other club.”
Until next season, when he’s scored 25 goals and the Milans and the Madrids of this world come a-calling! Let’s hope that the likes of Adebayor and Fabregas remain with the club, rather than see us witness the fragmentation of such an excellent footballing side. Money is talking louder than ever at the moment though, and retaining them for one more year might just be stemming the tide.
Everyone agrees with Keegan - The Premier League is boring
May 9, 2008
Kevin Keegan came out after Newcastle’s 0-2 loss to Chelsea and said that he could not turn the Toon into a Big Four team again within the three years his contract lasts for. Such talk has landed him in hot water with owner Mike Ashley, who has called him down to London for “crisis talks” today.
Since his emotional outburst though, it turns out that Portsmouth Manager Harry Redknapp and Reading manager Steve Coppell both actually agree with him, with Harry quoted as saying:
“You would need £150million to spend to have any chance of breaking into that top four, Look at Liverpool last summer, they spent £28million on Fernando Torres and he is a fantastic player but who else can compete with that?
I agree with Kevin Keegan, I do not see any way that anyone else can break into the top four. Tottenham came closest for a few seasons but if you look at them now they have fallen back into mid-table. Nothing is guaranteed by spending money and it is getting harder and harder to get there.”
And Coppell today saying:
“I have been saying that for a long time. At the start of the season you know within four teams definitely, probably within three and most betting people would say within two teams who is going to win the league, I contradict myself by saying it is brilliant to watch these teams do well in Europe but they have too much of an advantage on a week-to-week basis for it to be a really competitive league.
There are sub-divisions within the league that are competitive but in terms of winning the division you know who is going to do that at the start of each year.”
Are they right? Is the Premier League boring or just predictable? Should the Top Four be booted into an Elite Euro League? Should the Champion’s League rules be changed? Surely something needs to change or the fans will vote with their feet.
Calling all Arsenal fans! Win tickets to Nike’s Cesc Fabregas Show!
May 9, 2008
All Arsenal fans love Cesc Fabregas, the stylish youngster is a magician on the football field, and now he is out to conquer the entertainment world and here is your chance to witness it all!
We have two lovely tickets for the filming of Nike’s The Cesc Fabregas Show this coming Monday 13th of May (at Fountain studios in Wembley from 6pm, only open to Over 18s). So if you want to win it just answer this incredibly easy question and email your answer to editor [AT] caughtoffside [DOT] com. We will pick a winner at random and you’ll be off to watch a legend at work!
So for you chance to win this prize answer the following question (yes it’s an easy one).
How old is Cesc Fabregas?
a) 70
b) 111
c) 21
The Arsenal exodus continues as their star striker looks to leave…
May 9, 2008
First it was Flamini, then it was Hleb, and now Adebayor is looking to leave Arsenal - it’s almost as if these players hate playing glorious pretty football with no tangible rewards… The Daily Mail’s Neil Ashton writes that:
“Arsene Wenger fears his young Arsenal team are in danger of breaking up after it emerged that Emmanuel Adebayor has demanded £80,000 a week to stay at the club.
“The 24-year-old striker signed a new contract last summer worth a weekly £35,000, but he has told Wenger he wants to be paid in line with the top players in the Barclays Premier League.”
Are Arsenal disintegrating in front of our eyes?
Liverpool wail “Geroff our Gerrard!”
May 9, 2008
The Sun are today revealing the slightly craptastic transfer nugget that Inter Milan made a huge £25million bid for Stevie Gerrard - only to have it thrown back in their faces, rather unsurprisingly.
An unnamed Inter pencil pusher revealed that:
“We need to make a big signing for next season and Gerrard was at the centre of our thoughts.
“Liverpool gave us the most emphatic response he was not for sale.”
Alas, the most intriguing part of this story - what exactly the “emphatic response” was (indignant spluttering, violent Spanish swearing, a bullet painted in Inter’s colours inscribed with “do one”) - wasn’t revealed by The Sun.
Wigan ready to piss on Manchester United bonfire
May 9, 2008
Thirteen years ago, Blackburn Rovers won the Premier League title, despite losing 2-1 to Liverpool on the last day of the season. This was because rivals Manchester United just simply couldn’t get over the finishing line at West Ham, drawing 1-1 and spurning several chances to land the spoils. Could history be about to repeat itself at the JJB Stadium?
Despite a question mark over Steve Bruce’s allegiances to the Red Devils, his players are talking up their chances of ruining United’s big day in a big way. Emmerson Boyce has told the Daily Mail that the bobbly pitch, the way that the Latics will be organised and a burning desire to make their own headlines could stop Sir Alex Ferguson’s men in their tracks.
He said: “People don’t like coming to our ground and playing against us.
“It will help against Manchester United. On a perfect pitch all their top players will have a field day, but they will have difficulty passing and running with the ball on ours, even though they are top-class players. They won’t be able to play the game they’re used to, it’s nowhere near the standard of Old Trafford.
“We can get in their faces, test their touches and it will help us. A lot of people have moaned about it this season, but that’s usually because we have either got a good result or given them a tough game. We have got good results against the big teams because we love being the underdogs and there will be no pressure on us on Sunday, it’s all on them.”
He added: “We would like to emulate West Ham. People still talk about that team that cost Manchester United the title 13 years ago and I’d love people to remember us in 13 years’ time. We are loving the publicity. Everyone will be watching us across the world and it shows how far we’ve come as a club. We are going to enjoy being in the limelight.
“People are talking about Wigan right now and that’s a good thing. The fact we can have a say in the title race has given us extra motivation. I and the rest of the players want to show people what we can do against Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez and if we cost them the title everyone will talk about us. We are safe in the table. They are the ones with everything to lose.”
This will be music to the ears of Avram Grant and his Chelsea mob as they set about destructing Bolton on Sunday while holding a transistor radio to their left ear. That’s apart from Didier Drogba who will be moodily sitting on the subs bench, listening to his ipod as usual. Wigan managed to hold Arsenal to a goalless draw recently, thus helping to end the Gunners’ title challenge. Emile Heskey then scored in the dying embers of the match at Stamford Bridge to make it ‘advantage United’ in the title race. Will the Latics’ final act be to deprive the champions a second successive league title?
Watch Manchester United live online
King Kev + “talks” with Toon owner = the sack?
May 9, 2008
The Sun is today rabbiting on about the fact that Toon owner Mike Ashley has “summoned” King Kev for some “crunch” talks. Looks like KK’s confession that, realistically, fifth is the best that Newcastle can ever hope for has ruffled a few feathers - but then again - to be perfectly frank, that’s the truth. There is a vast chasm between the Big Four with their Champions League prize money and the UEFA Cup “prize” money which is so pitiful that fishing loose change out of the back of Michel Platini’s sofa would produce more dosh. Looks like Keegan is the realist and Ashley is the deluded dreamer!
Wigan manager enjoying last laugh in battle with Birmingham board
May 9, 2008
Steve Bruce steered Birmingham back into the Premier League last season, although he didn’t stick around very long at St Andrews this campaign. Instead, the uncertainty over the club’s ownership saw the former Manchester United player leave the Midlands and take charge at Wigan, whom he’s managed to keep afloat with games to spare.
Not that it was a clean break between Bruce and his former club last autumn. Far from it, there’s been a spat between the two parties which have run over the past few months, becoming increasingly bitter in the process. The Wigan manager was forced to pay back some of the upfront cash he received from City for image rights, something that clearly rankles with him when asked about his former employers and their current predicament at the foot of the table.
Bruce said: “I will be sorry for the players, staff and fans if they go down. Anyone else at the club? No, that’s it.”
Miaow! Sky Sports report that Brum’s co-owner David Gold is not taking these comments lying down, snapping back in customary fashion. Do you think he and David Sullivan take turns to verbally volley with their former employee?
When quizzed recently “Steve has consistently made attacks on the board. Does he hold all seven of us responsible including Jack Wiseman, who is 90, or just some of us?
“At the moment an old man thinks he is responsible along with the rest of us and he’s not.
“So come on Steve, show some courage. Name names. Anything else is cowardly.
“It’s time he told everybody what it is we’ve done wrong. The truth is we have done nothing to be ashamed of. We treated him generously and acted more than properly.
“He should sit down with people other than ‘yes men’ and take proper counsel and he will then learn that we have acted more than fairly.
“We reduced substantially what we were owed on his image rights and told him to pay £300,000 over three years because we have shareholders to think about. There’s about £30,000 left to pay which shouldn’t make too much of a dent in the huge bonus he’ll get for keeping Wigan up.”
Indeed, there’ll be a Brucie bonus and a half coming from Dave Whelan after the Latics manager kept them in the Premier League for the third season running. However, you might not be able to put a price on watching Birmingham get relegated for their ex-gaffer, especially as he won’t have to visit St Andrews next season!
Manchester United manager slates ‘partying Bolton players’
May 9, 2008
Have the Wanderers squad been on the lash ever since beating Sunderland on Saturday? According to Sir Alex Ferguson, they’ve certainly been letting their hair down ever since they made sure of their place in next season’s Premier League. Indeed, much has been made of Wigan’s approach to Sunday’s game against the Red Devils, yet there’s been little mention of how motivated Bolton are likely to be, following something of a great escape in recent weeks.
The Manchester Evening News reports that SAF continues to play his own special brand of mind games, questioning the motivation of the Trotters ahead of their visit to Stamford Bridge. Whether they’ll notice the Scot’s words of warning is another matter, those hangovers often take some sleeping off.
“All the press seem to be talking about is the integrity of Wigan,” said the United manager.
“Nobody has questioned Bolton. Nobody has even mentioned Bolton. It is interesting the different attitudes. All we have had is Wigan players saying we will beat Man United and that’s fine.
“We have no problem with that. We are a big club.
“And then you hear about Bolton players out celebrating all week. It amazes me the difference in attitude.
“Both teams are safe. Both can relax. Both are confident but one team can celebrate while the other is all keyed up to play Manchester United!”
It now appears that Gary Megson has ordered his players to stop drinking. At least on the Saturday before the match. Well, at least they’ve been asked to stay off the spirits and just stick to long drinks like beer and wine. But will they pay attention to their manager now that they’re safe. Cheers!
Watch Manchester United live online
Even Crouch himself doesn’t think he’s worth £15million!
May 9, 2008
Liverpool striker Peter Crouch is precisely 99.75% pissed off today after Rafa Benitez placed a large £15million price tag around his neck. Crouchigol thinks that £15million is a ridiculous amount to ask for him, whilst Rafa is determined not to sell his prize lankster on the cheap - and according to The Sun, Rafa would prefer to see Crouch leave on a freebie next season when his contract runs out than sanction any kind of price cut this summer. Rafa declared:
“If we receive a very good offer — and by that I mean £15m — we will consider it. I’m happy to keep him.”
Derby boss fired up after derogatory Reading comments
May 9, 2008
What happens when a team who have won just one home match all season come up against a side who have won one away match in the league this term? All will become clear at Pride Park on Sunday, when Derby host Reading in a match which the visitors need to win if they’re to stay in the Premier League.
The Press Association reports that County boss Paul Jewell is far from happy with some of the comments made by Royals assistant manager Kevin Dillon ahead of the match. The latter has said the following.
“Let’s put it this way, if we can’t beat Derby, it will be hard to take.”
However, the fiery Scouser has not taken these comments lying down and Reading probably could have done without indirectly motivating a team who might otherwise have gone through the motions instead at the weekend.
“Kevin Dillon’s comments lack tact. You would think Reading had been playing Champions League all these seasons instead of down in the Championship and the Second Division where Derby and Wigan also came from.
“At Derby this year we’ve been sneered at, we’ve been laughed at, we’ve been ridiculed and I can accept it after the season we’ve had - but for Reading to say things like that is not right.
“The lads have been speaking about it and if I was Reading, who do you want to come to last game of the season? A side that have won once at home all season - but it’s a dangerous game they’re playing,” Jewell added.
Can Derby go out with a bang and drag Reading into the Championship with them? It doesn’t bode well for Steve Coppell’s men, who have failed to score in their past six matches and will be relegated if Fulham win at Portsmouth anyway. Just what is going to happen at Pride Park on Sunday?
Watch Derby County live online
Goodbye Avram, Hello Sven at Chelsea?
May 9, 2008
No, it’s not just idle speculation in a rag you might also double up as toilet paper, eg Daily Star, The Sun. It has been reported in The Guardian that Sven-Goran Eriksson appears to be stalling over the vacant manager’s position at Benfica due to the uncertainty of Avram Grant’s position at Chelsea. COS reported earlier in the week that the Chelsea manager might stand aside if Roman Abramovich decided to bring in a replacement, although it was Frank Rijkaard being mentioned and not the Manchester City gaffer.
Eriksson has been led to believe that he stands a good chance of getting the job at Stamford Bridge if Roman Abramovich decides to pay off Grant after the Champions League final later this month. Eriksson would prefer, if possible, to stay in England and his elaborate network of contacts, including some of the more powerful agents in the business, are working on his behalf. The Swede is fully aware about Grant’s precarious position.
Chelsea fans, how would you feel about the Swede becoming manager of Chelsea? Or are you quite happy with what you’ve got at the moment? As the article points out, Sven has had discussions with the west London club before and clearly appears to seek the biggest and best-paid ‘projects’ available, something he would certainly find at Stamford Bridge. All of a sudden, he’d also be managing in the Champions League again, rather than contemplating the Intertoto Cup!
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Adebayor says no to Barca - but would he even get in the team?
May 8, 2008
Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor, he of the Samson-esque form and the ability to leap like a salmon for the ball, has turned his nose up at a move to the Camp Nou. 24-year-old Adebayor said:
“As a footballer you want to make history and leave your name at a club.
“I hope I can do that here as I love Arsenal. Hopefully I can make some more history.
“I’m at the right team at the right time, playing good football and scoring goals so I’m happy.
“The most important thing is playing for the fans and having the opportunity to play with so many great players.” (The Sun)
So no sign of a Barca snub there - looks like we’ll have to take The Sun’s word for it - which is a bit like trusting Sven Goran Eriksson with your girlfriend - having said that would Adebayor even get in the Barcelona team? Which of Eto’o, Bojan, Henry, and Ronaldinho would he replace?
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