Blackpool have rejected a transfer request handed in by captain Charlie Adam on Monday.
The 25-year-old Scot handed in the request after the Seasiders rejected a four-million-pound bid for his services from Liverpool on Saturday, the third time the club had knocked back an offer for the player after earlier interest from Aston Villa and Birmingham.
Blackpool manager Ian Holloway said Liverpool would need to up their bid in order to prise Adam away from Bloomfield Road.
“If I was the Liverpool manager I would want to buy him because they have never replaced Xabi Alonso,” said Holloway.
“But you have to come up with the right amount of money. I don’t want to stand in his way, but they have to put up or shut up.”
And despite the midfielder handing in the transfer request, Holloway said there was no way he would drop Adam for Blackpool’s match against Manchester United on Tuesday,
“Not a chance,” Holloway said. “If I tried to stop that boy playing against Manchester United, he would probably kill me.”
“Charlie loves this club and just because he puts a transfer request in doesn’t change that.”
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Adam joined Blackpool from Rangers in August 2009 and was a key figure in getting the club promoted into the Premier League last season.
He has played a key role in Blackpool’s impressive campaign that sees them sit 12th in the league standings, scoring four goals in 21 matches.
Everton boss David Moyes has revealed that there has been no contact from Tottenham over their vacant managerial role.
The north London side are looking for a new head coach after dismissing Harry Redknapp, with the Scot one of the speculated potential candidates.
Despite this, the Goodison Park trainer has stated that he has not heard anything from Spurs and is focussed on helping the Toffees qualify for European football next term.
“All I can say is there has been no contact from Spurs. There has been no contact and that is how it is. I’m the Everton manager,” he told talkSPORT.
“I’m planning, I’m out here (in Poland) having a look at players, talking to my own players and trying to get on with being manager of Everton.
“Behind the scenes me and Bill (Kenwright, the Everton chairman) are trying to get things moving along.
“We’ve now been out of Europe for the last two or three years. A club like Everton need European football.
“It would be a dream to get back into the Champions League – it would be like back to winning the league again – but if it was Europa League we’d take it.
“The target is European football. Stoke and Newcastle have done it in recent seasons.
“At Everton we could make a difference with not too much money. I don’t think at Everton we necessarily need £40-50 million to spend.
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“Give us a bit of money, we will try and make it work, we will turn it around and keep it going,” he concluded.
Roberto Di Matteo revealed he is ‘happy’ with life after being sacked by West Brom last season.The Italian was dumped as manager at the Hawthorns in February after West Brom slumped to the edge of the English Premier League relegation zone, despite having led the club back into the top flight the previous season.
After a break away from the game, he was sought out by new Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas to be a part of his coaching staff, and Di Matteo said he was enjoying life at Stamford Bridge.
“About seven months ago, I was sitting eighth in the table, we had had a very good Christmas and people were asking me, ‘where do you see yourself in two years? In a big job?’. But by February I was on a beach somewhere and out of a job,” Di Matteo said.
“I’m quite happy that I left because I would not have otherwise had the chance to come here (to Chelsea), so life somehow always turns out well.”
“I did very well at West Brom considering what our target was at the time. The footballing industry recognised that and I guess that is one of the reasons I am sitting here today.”
“I’ve experienced being a manager and I would love one day to do it again. But I wasn’t expecting to be here today so God knows what’s around the corner.”
At 33, Villas-Boas is the youngest manager in the English Premier League, with many pundits questioning his ability to lead one of the top sides.
But Di Matteo, who made 119 appearance for Chelsea as a player, backed the Portuguese to be a success despite his lack of experience.
“Andre’s only managed for a couple of years, but he has been around clubs for 15 years,” he said.
“He’s been in dressing rooms and around players, so he knows very well how to manage them. He speaks five languages like that, it’s amazing how he switches, and he knows what he is doing. I don’t see any problems.”
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“We understood each other straightaway, and it’s been a very natural relationship. Our football ideologies were the same and it is something that we have not had to work on. It feels like we have known each other for 30 years.”
“We work very well together and there is a good spirit within the whole of the backroom staff. We have very defined roles and we support each other. He’s very determined, he’s very driven and I don’t think he sees me as a threat for one second.”
Manchester City are the latest team to be linked with a move for Southampton starlet Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and are ready to hijack Arsenal’s move for the player.
Just a day after Arsenal seemed set to land the sought-after striker, Manchester City have declared an interest and are willing to offer Southampton more money for their 17 year-old prodigy. However Southampton have previously stated that they will only allow Oxlade-Chamberlain to join the team who are best equipped to continue his remarkable development, so City’s finances may have to take a backseat in negotiations.
City administrator Brian Marwood is expected to meet with the teenager’s advisors later this week in the hope that they can thrash out a deal before the window shuts which may include loaning Oxlade-Chamberlain back to Southampton for the rest of the season.
It is thought that Oxlade-Chamberlain is desperate to secure his big Premier League move as soon as possible and retains hopes that a deal can be signed in the remaining days of the window.
Liverpool and Manchester United are also known to have shown an interest in the player and it remains to be seen where he will end up in February.
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And so it’s happened. King Kenny has left has his throne for the second – and final – time.
After being parachuted in to rescue the side from previously unthinkable lows, Kenny Dalglish has been jettisoned out by the very same men who first sought his fire-fighting services.
A legend in the truest sense of the word has been left to walk alone as the latest, and most tragic sacrificial scapegoat of Liverpool’s indifferent 2011/12 campaign.
The impact he had upon his return to Liverpool in January 2011 – both tangibly and intangibly – cannot be understated. Prior to his arrival, Liverpool were five points off the bottom of the Premier League, mired in a disharmonious state of unrest and instability.
Within weeks Dalglish had effortlessly brought unity to Liverpool, restored its fading identity, and proved himself to be the catalyst for a dramatic change in fortunes in the league – one which nearly culminated in qualification for the following season’s Europa League.
With a full summer transfer window and the issuing of a full-time contract, optimism and expectations were high prior to the start of the 2011/12 campaign.
Despite leading Liverpool to glory in the Carling Cup (ending the club’s six-year trophy drought) and to the FA Cup final, Liverpool’s season was ultimately tarnished by results in the league.
The charges on Dalglish’s indictment sheet – guiding Liverpool to their lowest league position in 18 years, the accruement of the club’s lowest points tally in the post-Bill Shankly era and finishing 37 points off top spot – were inevitably – and rightly – going to lead to questions over his vision for the club and his ability to take the club forward, especially after rubber-stamping the acquisition of over £100m worth of players over the past 18 months.
Financial outlay – no matter how great – never guarantees success. And managers are so frequently judged on the success of their signings.
While Dalglish may have been responsible for identifying and demanding the likes of Stewart Downing, Jordan Henderson and Andy Carroll, a range of factors, including the somewhat inept negotiating skills of former director of football Damien Comolli, inevitably lead to the mammoth fees dished out for those recruits.
The stats and the league table will tell you that Liverpool had a bad season, but performances, including those at Anfield, where the club won just six league games, were generally positive and indicative of a work in progress.
Liverpool’s oft-stated profligacy woes – they hit the woodwork 33 times in the league – indicated that the margins were fine, but nowhere near as gargantuan as the ones that existed under Roy Hodgson.
Many outside the club criticised the loyalty afforded to Dalglish by the supporters, contrasting it with the comparative apathy and dismay aimed at Roy Hodgson during his short tenure at Anfield, but the fans were always going to give Dalglish more time and patience.
One of the few true icons in British football, the man in tune with the heartbeat and fabric of the club, the city and the fanbase, Dalglish was always going to receive an unusually generous leeway, in a sport increasingly pervaded by unsavoury elements of knee-jerkism and clamour for instant gratification.
The sight of Dalglish celebrating a Liverpool goal, arms aloft, with a smile wider than the Mersey, in perfect unity with the Kop, was one virtually incomparable to any other in the country.
Having ruthlessly dispensed with franchise legend Terry Francona at Boston Red Sox, it is patently clear that the club’s owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) operate without the shackles of sentimentality.
However, eschewing the element of emotion, the dismissal of Dalglish has provided another illustration of a worrying trend at Anfield.
For a club that has long been synonymous with stability and loyalty, Liverpool is rapidly descending into a one perpetually in a state of flux and upheaval. Four different managers (including Dalglish’s yet-to-be-unveiled successor) and two changes of ownership in the past five years do not paint a picture of harmony.
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Former Liverpool managing director Christian Purslow alluded to the fact that Liverpool were ‘one day away’ from administration prior to John Henry’s purchase of the club in 2010, but despite the fact the club is now sound financially, the state of disarray that engulfs it now is equally as disturbing.
No director of football, no director of communications, no chief executive, and now no manager. And monumental decisions about to be taken by people with less than two years’ involvement in the sport. Good luck FSG – you’re going to need it.
Thanks for everything Kenny Dalglish.
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Austrian side Sturm Graz progressed to the third round of Champions League qualifying despite a 3-2 loss to Videoton.All five goals came in an eventful first half at the Sostoi Stadion in Szekesfehervar, Hungary, but the victory for the hosts was not enough to see them through to the next round following Sturm’s 2-0 first-leg win at home.
The visitors twice came from behind on Wednesday with Akos Elek and Gyorgy Sandor putting Videoton ahead only for Andreas Holzl and Ferdinand Feldhofer to equalise for Sturm.
Zoltan Liptak’s goal in the second minute of first-half injury time restored Videoton’s lead, but Sturm’s advantage from the first leg was enough to ensure they progressed 4-3 on aggregate.
Maccabi Haifa also progressed to the next round despite losing on Wednesday, with FK Borac Banja Luka’s 3-2 victory in Bosnia Herzegovina not enough to overturn the Israeli side’s 5-1 first-leg lead.
Continuing the trend of losing teams progressing, Rosenborg were beaten 2-0 by Icelandic side Breidablik but still moved into the third round 5-2 on aggregate.
The Norwegian side all but sealed their progress into the third qualifying round with a 5-0 home win last week, and goals from Dylan McAllister and Kristinn Steindorsson in the return leg were not enough to turn things around for Breidablik.
Georgian outfit Zestafoni held on for a 3-2 aggregate win over Dacia Chisinau following their 2-0 loss in Moldova.
Zestafoni led 3-0 from last week’s first leg, but went behind early thanks to a Dmitri Popovici strike and were forced to play most of the second half with 10 men after Teimuraz Gongadze received his second yellow card in the 64th minute.
Ghenadie Orbu scored a late spot kick for the hosts to ensure a nervy finish for Zestafoni, but they held on to book their spot in the next round.
Cypriot champions APOEL smashed four goals past Albanian outfit Skenderbeu to secure their progression 6-0 on aggregate.
Sunderland currently find themselves in 6th position in the Premier League only four points off Champions League qualification. It may only be half way through the season but it must be said that the Wearside club have done extremely well so far this season.
So what is it that makes Sunderland deserving of their current league position? Well there are obviously numerous factors that contribute to their success so far this season. Firstly, I think it is only fair that attention is drawn to club chairman Niall Quinn. Mr Quinn has stood by his manager Steve Bruce in times when many other people in his position would have been quick to act negatively. In Bruce’s first season at Sunderland, despite a run of fourteen games without a win, Bruce led the Black Cats to a thirteenth place finish in the Premier League.
With the help of Quinn, Bruce has been given time and freedom to get the club where they want to be. Bruce has a wealth of experience in English football and this is becoming evident this season. Although an active member of the transfer windows, Bruce seems to have built a young team that have the quality to compete at the correct end of the division, thus giving us another reason for the club’s deserved current league position.
In seasons before it would be fair to say that Sunderland have never really had enough firepower to catapult themselves up the division, however, this season with Darren Bent, Asamoah Gyan and on loan youngster Danny Welbeck they certainly have the players to consistently find the net. Too many times have the club relied on the prowess of the much maligned Darren Bent.
Before we get carried away, it is only half way through the season and it will be interesting to see where the club finishes come the end of the season. Something I must admit though, and that is despite touching upon positive points for the club’s league positioning so far this season, I’m not convinced that they are ready to challenge the top five just yet though, but the foundations are certainly laid.
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Newcastle are on the verge of signing Stade de Reims midfielder Romain Amalfitano, and have two other Ligue 1 players in their sights, according to The Independent.
The Tyneside club have had success in bringing players to the club from France, with Yohan Cabaye and Hatem Ben Arfa two of the standout players for Alan Pardew’s side in their 2011-12 fifth place finish.
Amalfitano, brother of France international Morgan, has just helped Reims to promotion from Ligue 2, and is out of contract and available on a free transfer.
The deal was reportedly all but concluded in the January transfer window, and the 22-year-old arrived in the north east on Tuesday to put the finishing touches on a three-year deal.
After the signing of Amalfitano, Newcastle are also eager to add Montpellier central defender Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa and Lille right-back Mathieu Debuchy to their squad.
Yanga-Mbiwa has been a key player in Montpellier’s Ligue 1 unexpected title success this season, and is being monitored by a host of European clubs.
Debuchy meanwhile said an emotional goodbye to the Lille fans after their last game of the season against Nancy last Sunday, and as a close friend of Cabaye’s is potentially ready to make a move to England.
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Newcastle United have completed the signing of Senegal international Demba Ba from West Ham on a three-year deal.Ba, 26, only joined West Ham from Hoffenheim in January this year, netting seven goals in 13 appearances for the club.
West Ham’s relegation to the Championship triggered a release clause in the striker’s contract, allowing him to speak to other clubs, with Newcastle winning the race to his signature.
“Demba made a great impression with West Ham last season and is a great signing for this club,” Newcastle manager Alan Pardew said.
“He has pace, excellent technical ability, is good in the air and – it goes without saying – has the ability to consistently find the back of the net. Moreover, he has a great passion to play for Newcastle United.”
The signing of Ba comes just a day after the England Premier League club’s captain Kevin Nolan moved in the opposite direction, joining West Ham on a five-year deal.
After briefly spending time with Watford as a youth player, Ba made his first professional appearance for Rouen in France, before joining Mouscron and then Hoffenheim.
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He made his Senegal debut in 2007 and has scored three goals in 10 international appearances.
We’re far enough into the season now that we can begin to evaluate which signings have worked for which teams and which new recruits haven’t quite made the grade. Of course, foreign players often need time to adjust and establish themselves in the Premier League, so any criticism of players thus far should be viewed in that light. Arsene Wenger made three major signings over the summer – two defenders and one striker. Wenger’s a man renowned for his player knowledge and his eye for a good signing. Are this summer’s signings further evidence of his genius?
Sebastien Squillaci
Arsenal picked up Squillaci for about £3 million this summer after their defender exodus saw them in need of cover in defensive areas. At the moment he seems to be the third choice centre-back, but with Vermaelen sidelined by a troublesome injury, Squillaci has had plenty of game time so far this season. Squillaci has all the qualities required from a defender at the top level. He’s strong in the air, powerful and good in one-on-one situations. More importantly for Arsenal, he’s 30 years old and has been around the block with Monaco, Lyon and Sevilla and can provide the Gunners with something they are often claimed to lack: experience. This comes across in his calm and measure performances on the pitch. Apart from a mistake against Chelsea, Squillaci hasn’t put a foot wrong. As covering defenders go, Squillaci has been a good signing for Arsenal.
Laurent Koscielny
More impressive still has been Laurent Koscielny. Arsenal picked up the French defender (of Polish descent) for £8.45 million this summer. So far he’s proved to be worth every penny. When Vermaelen returns from injury it’s likely that Koscielny, not Squillaci or Djourou will partner him in the centre of defence. Koscielny may not be the speediest centre-back, but he has a good positional sense, reads the game well and always seems to be there to put in a last ditch tackle. There may be some concerns regarding his discipline having picked up two red cards so early on in the season, but neither of them were for particularly dirty tackles. As he adapts to the league he’ll learn to be more cautious and avoid unnecessary punishment.
Marouane Chamakh
But Wenger’s star summer signing has to be Marouane Chamakh. It’s better still considering that he was picked up on a free transfer. After 18 appearances this season, Chamakh has 8 goals and 5 assists – very healthy figures. It’s not just the statistics that impress though. Chamakh has a great work rate, tracks back and works hard to link up the play. Van Persie’s injury may have thrust him into the spotlight a little earlier than Wenger planned, but he hasn’t gone missing. Could this be the 20+ goals-per-season striker that Arsenal have been missing for the last couple of seasons? If he keeps working hard, it doesn’t just seem possible – it seems probable. There’s also the mouth-watering prospect of a striking partnership between him and a fully-fit Robin van Persie. The signs are very good.
So that’s three good signings by Wenger. No surprise there. The main surprise when the transfer window closed was that Wenger didn’t bring in a new goalkeeper. Yet Fabianski is improving game-by-game and if he can cut out the costly mistakes, he could be a real prospect. Arsenal are currently second in the Premier League table. These new signings have played a big part in making this happen.
If you’re interested and want to hear more feel free to follow me on Twitter, where you can also keep up to date with the Arsenal news!
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