The FA have confirmed that Newcastle and Sunderland have been charged with misconduct after Sunday’s feisty Tyne-Wear derby.
In a hot-blooded affair, Stephane Sessegnon was dismissed and Lee Cattermole was sent off after full time for berating the match officials.
With skirmishes on the touchline between managers Alan Pardew and Martin O’Neill also, the FA have actioned further sanctions on both teams.
“Newcastle United and Sunderland have both been charged with misconduct following the match between the two sides on Sunday 4th March 2012,” a statement from the governing body on its official website reads.
“The charge is that the clubs failed to ensure their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion and/or refrained from provocative behaviour and is in relation to an incident which occurred in the 19th minute following a challenge by Sunderland’s James McClean on Newcastle’s Danny Simpson.
“Both clubs have until 4pm on 12 March 2012 to respond to the charge.”
The game ended up 1-1, as Shola Ameobi scored a late equaliser to cancel out Nicklas Bendtner’s penalty.
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Tottenham and Chelsea are ready to enter the race to sign Juventus winger Milos Krasic according to The Sun.
The Serbia international attacking midfielder has found first-team opportunities in Turin limited this season under Antonio Conte, and is very likely to leave the Italian giants in the summer.
It is believed that Fenerbahce have started a battle for the eastern European player’s signature by bidding £10 million for him, with the Premier League dup now being sparked into action.
Krasic revealed that Tottenham made an offer to Juventus to take him on loan in January, but that he decided to stay in Italy to try and fight for a place in the team.
However, with little-to-no opportunities to play, Krasic is set to leave, with the London rivals both keen to add him to their squads.
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Charlton powered their way to the League One title this season, with an amazing 101 points. So it makes you wonder do they really need to upset this team rhythm by bringing in more new faces over the summer?
Well with 25 summer signings last summer I certainly don’t feel Chrissy Powell needs to reach the same figures this time to become a decent Championship outfit.
I look at the team and pretty much the first eleven are brilliant and can all go on to bigger and better things. Then I take a look at the bench and if I’m honest there is usually about one player who may be able to make a difference, and that’s why I’ll now give my views on who should leave this summer.
Firstly John Sullivan no disrespect for this player but he is nothing better than League One standard. He did a decent job when called upon during Hamer’s suspension but he was nothing spectacular and for this I feel we need a new backup keeper. There were areas of criticism for Ben Hamer this season by Charlton fans which I felt was wrong as he’s still young, improving and therefore I feel he can still cut as being our number one in the Championship But for me we need an experienced goalie to compete as cover we saw last season how experience goalies like Ian Bennett and Maik Taylor proved to be beneficial for Millwall and Huddersfield respectively.
Paul Hayes may be a prolific goal scorer as he has shown at Scunthorpe and Barnsley plus an excellent spell with Wycombe this season but unfortunately for him he does not seem to fit in the Charlton style. For this reason I feel for the sake of his career that can certainly still go places we may have to let him move on.
In utility man Andy Hughes we have a man who gives his all in every game, and is always the first to start his warm-ups on the side in hope that he might get some minutes on the pitch. I have a lot of respect for him and he is a real squad player who would probably play anywhere asked of him. But he just has not been given the minutes that maybe he deserves this season and again for the sake of his career maybe a move would be beneficial for the midfielder.
This time of the season rumours tend to fly round with players, being linked with clubs and the majority of the time nothing seems to happen. However two player names that have been mentioned on numerous occasions include Brentford defender Karleigh Osbourne who is out of contract this summer. He has already made no secret of wanting to ply his trade at a higher level and it could well be a good move as decent cover for the best defence in England this season as possesses bags of pace. Another name that has been mentioned is winger Southampton Jason Puncheon who was linked with us in January. He was frozen out at the Saints towards the end of the season and with their promotion to the premier league confirmed he could be seen as some of the deadwood to release. He’s another player with pace to burn and could add extra competition to the wings with Jackson picking up injuries most seasons.
One position that Charlton do need to add to is up front as BWP has not done enough at League 1 level, to give me confidence he will be banging them in at Championship level. To have a successful season we need a consistent goal-scorer like the Lambert and Holt for Southampton and Norwich respectively. If Powell can find one of these I don’t see why it cannot be a very promising return to the Championship for the Addicks.
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Newcastle manager Alan Pardew has admitted that he has studied Chelsea’s approach, and is wary of the west London side’s momentum ahead of Wednesday night’s clash between the sides.
The Blues have been rejuvenated under Roberto Di Matteo, losing only one game in their last 16, whilst Newcastle have exceeded all expectations this term to compete for a top four finish.
Ahead of the clash at Stamford Bridge, where fifth play sixth, the Tyneside boss knows that the hosts are on a roll.
“Before I got this job, Chelsea was perhaps the team I visited most,” Pardew told The Independent.
“I know them well. I did a big study of Mourinho, how he played and how he got that record at home. I know those players very well. Their record at home, particularly under Mourinho, was just incredible, and I wanted to get my head around that.
“They’re re-motivated now and the fact it was reported that they needed to be replaced because they lacked legs has now worked on the other side of the coin. They’re proving everybody wrong, and that’s what great players do.
“The whole of the Chelsea team now has momentum, and that’s a key ingredient of success. But like us, it can just bite you every now and then, as Man United found out when they travelled to Wigan and got beat 1-0 and Tottenham found when Norwich beat them at home. We’re not the only good team that has come unstuck.
“This is a big night for that Champions League position. Tottenham go to Bolton and we play Chelsea. But there are still two games left where things can change again,” he confessed.
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Should Arsenal fans be excited about the prospect of Oliver Giroud or very, very afraid? It looks all but certain that the Montpellier frontman will be swapping the southern France for North London in the summer after German side Borussia Monchengladbach ended their interests in his services. A mooted fee of £13 million (supposedly a buy-out-clause) must be viewed as a snip for a player of his goal scoring pedigree having struck 25 times in all competitions for the Ligue 1 side last season. In that respect Arsene Wenger will have a striker to take the weight of expectation off the shoulders of Robin Van Persie. Or is he being signed to replace Gunners skipper? The Holland international has yet to sign a new contract at the Emirates Stadium and left negotiations on a knife edge until after Euro 2012. With the Dutch now all but out of the tournament talks are thought to be set to imminently resume although it’s far from certain whether he’ll sign with several European clubs reportedly after his signature. Getting Van Persie to sign on that dotted line as quickly as possible is Wenger’s top priority as he looks to avoid another long-running summer saga. It remains to be seen whether the pursuit of Giroud is driven by a desire to pair him with RVP or fill the void left by his unthinkable departure.
This week on FFC which players will Wenger be keeping a close eye on at the European Championships and which Ivorian international are Arsenal set to renew their interest in?
[divider]
Best of FFC
Will Arsenal really be that lost without him?
Which signings will Wenger be eyeing up at Euro 2012?
The TEN ‘transfer targets’ Arsenal should pursue this summer
Bendtner’s actions continue to baffle
Could Arsenal do with a similar ambassador at the club?
Arsenal look to close in on £13m deal as release clause is met
Arsene Wenger set to renew interest in Ivorian
[divider]
Best of WEB
[divider]
One Of Us Speaks – Phone a Fool – A Cultured Left Foot
I don’t know who to believe anymore! – Gunnersphere
If only Arsenal’s defending was as good as its CEO’s – Online Gooner
What Wenger will do with this man if he signs for Arsenal – Gunnersphere
Column: Not quite golden brown – Arseblog
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Forget Giroud, get Niklas Bendtner, Denmark play him in the middle. – Le Grove
Exciting Transfer confirmed by Gazidis & Van Persie on the brink…. – Highbury House
The £25M Bid & £180K pwk Contract To Make Arsenal Fans Weep? – Transfer Tavern
[divider]
Quote of the Week
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“The key for us is not the volume of signings we might make but that the signings we make add something to the squad. That is something Arsène [Wenger] thinks extremely carefully about and for all of the pressure he is placed under, he tends to make good decisions.” Ivan Gazidis says Arsenal will go for quality not quantity in the transfer market this summer
Robin van Persie has dropped a bombshell this afternoon by admitting that he will not be extending his contract at Arsenal.
The Dutch striker was an absolute sensation for Arsenal last season, almost single handily dragging them into the Champions League positions last year; however feels the club’s ambitions don’t match those of his own following contract talks a few weeks back.
Van Persie felt he owed it to supporters to be honest and open with them and used his official website to give them an update of his situation:
“I’ve thought long and hard about it, but I have decided not to extend my contract.
“You guys, the fans, have of course the right to disagree with my view and decision and I will always respect your opinions.
“As announced earlier this year I had a meeting with the boss and Mr Gazidis after the season. This was a meeting about the club’s future strategy and their policy. Financial terms or a contract have not been discussed, since that is not my priority at all.
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“Out of my huge respect for Mr Wenger, the players and the fans I don’t want to go into any details, but unfortunately in this meeting it has again become clear to me that we in many aspects disagree on the way Arsenal FC should move forward.”
The FA has charged John Terry with alleged abusive and threatening behaviour towards QPR’s Anton Ferdinand. Only last month the Chelsea captain was cleared by the Magistrates Court, however the FA is now looking to undertake a fresh enquiry of their own. A statement read: “It is alleged that Terry used abusive and/or insulting words and/or behaviour towards Queens Park Rangers’ Anton Ferdinand, contrary to FA rules. It is further alleged that this included a reference to the ethnic origin and/or colour and/or race of Anton Ferdinand. This charge is the result of The FA’s long-standing enquiries into this matter, which were placed on hold pending the outcome of the criminal trial, and relates to rules governing football only.” John Terry has until the 3rd August to respond to the charge.
Elsewhere in the news Arsene Wenger has said that no club has made a bid for Robin van Persie; Andy Carroll would consider loan move to a Premier League club playing in Europe, while Manchester United temporarily shelve their floatation.
[divider]
Headlines
John Terry is likely to request a personal hearing with the FA after they charged him for abusive and threatening behaviour towards Anton Ferdinand – [Guardian]
Andy Carroll said he will be happy to go out on loan but only to a Premier League club that is in Europe – [Guardian]
Manchester United is thought to have temporarily halted plans for a New York share flotation – [Guardian]
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers says he has been working “over 15 years” on manifesto for club’s owners – [Daily Telegraph]
Arsène Wenger was angered by questions over Robin van Persie’s Arsenal future following defeat to Man City – [Mirror]
Roberto Mancini airs his frustrations at Manchester City’s lack of transfer activity – [Independent]
Tim Cahill said it was the ambition of the New York Red Bulls that convinced him to make the move to the MLS – [Independent]
Tottenham are weighing up a move for Swansea’s Joe Allen who reportedly has a £10m buyout clause in his contract – [Daily Star]
Manchester United are set to make a last ditch attempt to sign Brazilian midfielder Lucas Moura from Sao Paulo – [Metro]
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Randy Lerner to sell Cleveland Browns NFL team – but warns Aston Villa not to expect cash windfall – [Mirror]
So it’s finally here, the time of the year that every football fan loves, the start of a new season.
For most the new season brings joy, excitement and optimism. With everyone beginning the season on the same point’s total, promotion is a dream held by all. Even us Coventry fans usually begin a season full of hope and this season seems to be no different despite what is currently going on behind the scenes at the club.
It seems that for now the owners SISU have put a smokescreen up in the form of all of the new arrivals at the club. Even despite the fact that all but one have been free transfers, fans seem to be less concerned than before over SISU’s ownership and the shocking state of the clubs finances.
I really do want to be positive about the upcoming season and I think with the squad we have got we can give it a real good go in league one. I trust Thorn and his coaching staff along with the players to give it their all but I still have major worries for the club as a whole.
SISU have supposedly been laying down the foundations for change over this summer by finding a way to demonstrate that they have a real plan for the future of the club in order to enable them to invest in the Ricoh Arena. This we all know has not been the case and instead relations between SISU and the current owners of the Ricoh have hit an all time low.
Rent on the Ricoh has been withheld now for six months and the money in Escrow account has gone. This resulted in ACL taking the club to court over the unpaid rent where there was no surprise when no one from SISU made an appearance.
Despite this the court found in the clubs favour and has given the club more time to come up with the money for the unpaid rent. However it has been stated by ACL lawyers that they do not expect to see any of that money owed to them.
Now I am going to take SISU’s side just for a moment and agree with them that the rent is far too high for a club in league one. The rent does need to be reduced and reduced significantly however SISU’s approach in choosing not to pay the current rate of rent in protest was not the right way to go.
This has just worsened an already turbulent relationship and this is not the way business should be conducted. I obviously do want the rent to be dropped but I would not blame ACL if they didn’t drop it because at the end of the day why should they?
Everything about Coventry City in the past 10-15 years has been a joke. From the original plans to move to the Ricoh which were clearly far too over ambitious, to the actual move to the Ricoh without owning a share in it, to SISU’s current running of the club.
As fans the question we all need to know the answer to is where the money is going to come from to cover our losses in the coming season. SISU will not keep funding the club if it keeps haemorrhaging money like it has been and with no chance of a deal over the ownership of the Ricoh there is no way the club can get close to breaking even.
This leads me to having massive doubts over the future of our club and after seeing what has happened to Portsmouth over the last year it is still worrying times for Coventry City Football Club.
Moving away from this negativity though and focusing on the football side of things and I still find myself being unbelievably excited about the start of the new season. We have had Euro 2012 along with the Olympics to keep us occupied this summer but none of them compare to getting back to the excitement and the trials and tribulations that come with club football.
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Every fan has to go into a new season with optimism and on the field I am no different. Some of the new faces are exciting prospects; combine that with the youngsters from last season having a full season of Championship football behind them and it could be a recipe for success.
We as Coventry fans have had very little to cheer for a long time now and it would be so nice to finally see a little bit of success for the club, let’s just hope the Skyblues don’t let us down..!
Clint Dempsey wants to leave Craven Cottage. That much is obvious. Having already told people that he is set to leave for Anfield, along with the Merseyside club’s website stating Dempsey to be a squad member, Liverpool is almost certain to be his destination. Yet there is a glaring issue that still remains – Liverpool have yet to make an offer for the forward.
Last weekend, the fiasco that is Dempsey’s situation became even more ridiculous. According to the Metro, the Fulham striker has been fined £25,000 for refusing to play against Norwich City on the opening weekend. Martin Jol is desperate for the situation to be resolved, declaring it as simply ‘embarrassing’ for the club.
Yet who is to blame is a difficult question to answer. On the one hand, Dempsey made his intentions clear at the end of last season, stating that he had thoroughly enjoyed his career in West London yet he wanted a move. Such a move is primarily driven by Dempsey’s desire for Champions League football as he enters the twilight of his career. However up until this weekend, Dempsey has been rather silent on the issue.
Some would say his silence has been the clever thing to do, others would say its downright disrespectful. That’s the line that Fulham have taken, calling Dempsey uncommitted and blaming him for the spreading of rumours linking him with Liverpool.
Whilst mentioning the Merseyside club, one also has to ask why the American is hell-bent on moving there. I myself am a Liverpool fan and would love Dempsey to become a part of Brendan Rodgers squad. Yet the Fulham player stated his reason for leaving was to play Champions League football, something that the Reds aren’t even close to at the moment. Especially based on the opening weekend’s performances.
In short, Dempsey is currently sat at limbo. He no longer wants to play for the club that made him a star, yet he’s probably not worth the big money that Fulham would demand for their star striker, especially as a 29-year-old.
Fulham need to resolve this situation for their own sake however, and fast. Keeping Dempsey against his wishes would only mean losing him in a year when his contract expires whilst maintaining a bitter atmosphere between club and player. Yet selling the American would only benefit him, as Fulham certainly don’t want to lose a player they’ve heavily invested in and who has rewarded them in the past few seasons. In addition, selling Dempsey is only possible if a club makes an offer, something that has not yet happened according to officials at Craven Cottage.
In my mind, Fulham need to get rid of Dempsey and soon so that Martin Jol can concentrate on his players and their season. Fulham fans should not be drastically disheartened should the American leave – their impressive performance along with a brilliant score line this weekend showed the team has talent.
At the end of the day Fulham fans, needn’t be too disappointed to lose their American striker. In fact, they will simply be saddened that such a brilliant career at the Cottage has come to an end in such animosity.
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John Terry has been recalled by Roy Hodgson for England’s upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Moldova and Ukraine, despite facing FA action for alleged racial abuse.
The former England captain is due at a Football Association disciplinary hearing over charges of racially abusing defender Anton Ferdinand in a match at Loftus Road last season.
The controversy surrounding the affair prompted Terry to be stripped of the armband for the second time, and led to Fabio Capello’s resignation as England manager.
However, the controversy has not deterred new manager Roy Hodgson from selecting the Chelsea captain, who was one of his stand-out performers during England’s Euro 2012 campaign, and will be recalled having being rested for England’s recent friendly victory over Italy.
Ashley Cole is in line to earn his 100th England cap if he features in both matches, and is one of three left backs in the squad alongside Leighton Baines and Chelsea teammate Ryan Bertrand.
Hodgson is without the injured Wayne Rooney, and has named four strikers including Andy Carroll, who has just completed his loan move to West Ham.
Michael Carrick and Tom Cleverley have kept their place in the squad, but there is no place for Ashley Young who started every game of Euro 2012.
The England squad in full:
Goalkeepers: Jack Butland (Birmingham City), Joe Hart (Manchester City), John Ruddy (Norwich City).
Defenders: Leighton Baines (Everton), Ryan Bertrand (Chelsea), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Ashley Cole (Chelsea), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Joleon Lescott (Manchester City), John Terry (Chelsea), Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur).
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Midfielders: Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Tom Cleverley (Manchester United), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Adam Johnson (Sunderland), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), James Milner (Manchester City), Theo Walcott (Arsenal).
Forwards: Andy Carroll (Liverpool), Jermain Defoe (Tottenham Hotspur), Daniel Sturridge (Chelsea), Danny Welbeck (Manchester United).