LooneyToonArmy

former Magpies midfielder Rob Lee picks his key battles http://www.goal.com/en/news/1717/editorial/2011/10/15/2711988/newcastle-owner-mike-ashley-might-end-up-regretting-not

Newcastle profit from Pardew's methodical approach One of the hard truths about football coaching is that while many managers recognise the value of defensive discipline and team shape, spending hours doing it on the training pitch is a sure-fire method for ensuring most of the team get bored. Newcastle, who have hardly been known for their strength in this area in recent years, have come up with a straightforward solution which has kept their players switched on and helped earn them the title of the Premier League's meanest defence heading into this weekend's fixtures. Twice a week manager Alan Pardew splits his training sessions into two and drags his defenders away to work on positioning and covering and, while it is not exactly rocket science, the regularity of the sessions is clearly making an impact. http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thefootballtacticsblog/newcastle-defence-ratio-new.gif First-team coach Steve Stone says there have been several factors in the Magpies' success this season, which has seen them rise to fourth in the Premier League table. But combining hard work on the training pitch, detailed video analysis and weekly "defenders' meetings" has led to the usually porous defence conceding only four goals in seven league games. "Newcastle have been a bit gung-ho in the past with the centre-halves marauding forward and the like, but you can't really play like that in Premier League," Stone says. "If you are out of position and you lose the ball, teams can cut through you so quickly. When you play Manchester United, Arsenal or Tottenham, for example, you are at your weakest when you have the ball, when you are attacking or when you have a corner. "That's when they can hurt you because you are out of position so we try and make sure we are in position as much as possible. "Me and [assistant manager] John Carver take the forwards, and the manager takes the defenders away and we've introduced certain principles into the tactics so that, for instance, it doesn't matter if Ryan Taylor was to play right-back or left-back, he knows exactly what he has to do adjacent to the positions that the centre-halves are in. "Basically, the manager runs through every scenario of where the players should be when the ball is in a certain position, whether it's a wide area, a central area, a goal kick, or whatever. "It is something that actually started to come together last season and the manager said we'd be better at it this season once they understood his principles." Those sceptical of Newcastle's lofty position will argue that they have yet to face any of the Premier League's big sides this season. The team's equilibrium will be put to the test when they play Tottenham on Sunday before they come up against Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea in the space of three weeks beginning in November. But Stone, who was promoted to the first-team staff when Pardew replaced Chris Hughton last December, believes the squad has an added depth to combat those challenges. The departures of Kevin Nolan, Andy Carroll, Jose Enrique and Joey Barton left some fans feeling that the club was going in the wrong direction, particularly as there was no big-name signing to replace the £35m Carroll. In their places, however, the likes of Demba Ba, Gabriel Obertan and Sylvain Marveaux have all added extra pace to the side, while Yohan Cabaye has proven a perfect foil for Cheik Tiote in central midfield. "We now have five or six strikers vying for two places so they know they need to do well otherwise they'll be out [of] the team," Stone adds. "Last year we had to play the same two strikers, the same wide men and we didn't have any options coming from the bench. "Now it's very strong and we have good players available. Look at Dan Gosling, who is an England under-21 international - he couldn't get in the squad recently; Shane Ferguson too. That's another reason why we have started well, because we have a fighting team spirit." There is still money in the pot to bring in another striker in January, Stone says, but he insists that any potential purchase will have to suit what the team needs. There will be no star signings for the sake of it. That sort of reasoning, combined with praise from his players, gives the impression that Pardew has not only restored some method to the madness at Newcastle, but also a significant boost to his reputation. After his sacking by Southampton in August 2010, Pardew's appointment was met with indifference by Newcastle fans last winter. Yet Stone has been impressed with the former Reading, Charlton and West Ham boss and says his man-management is a real asset. "Tactically, he is as good as anyone," says Stone. "Some managers dither on the sidelines and that can cost you, but he will change things because he believes in his own ability and his own decisions. Managers earn their corn on match days don't they? "He's got to work with the team all week, but he speaks very well and speaks in a way that gets players on side with him. It's not a rollocking, it's asking them to do it rather than telling them to do it so everybody feels part of a group. "He treats players like adults where I've seen other managers treat players like kids and they don't respond to that at all. He has been in the game a long time as a manager so it's not like he has stepped in at Newcastle and it's all new to him. He understands the game." http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thefootballtacticsblog/2011/10/newcastle_profit_from_pardews.html

Please no. Definately not good enough. Only in the swedish national team because they lack options at right back. The Swedish Erik Pieters by the sounds of it....

http://www.football-italia.net/oct12f.html? "the right back"

Vedad Ibišević from Hoffenheim? He did extremely well with Demba Ba when they were strike partners

£14 to watch Gateshead get beat 4-1 of Wrexham, not one of my better ideas....prices are fking mental. I'd go much more often if they were reasonable...

I remember reading they have a transfer budget way lower than ours (depend on frees and loan deals mostly) and a salary cap of €300000 per year for each player...good to see them doing well considering...

soz if posted already before --- New Mansfield CEO 'engaged to chairman' http://l.yimg.com/i/util/anysize/376,http%3A%2F%2Fa323.yahoofs.com%2Fymg%2Fworld_of_sport__11%2Fworld_of_sport-844694901-1316003190.jpg%3Fym2FjpFDz.Zj4Bkc?v=2 The 29-year-old woman who recently became football's youngest CEO is reportedly engaged to the man who gave her the job. Carolyn Still's appointment as CEO of Mansfield Town earlier this month quickly became a national story, but the tabloids soon turned on the politics graduate with the Sun even claiming that she used to work as an escort. Now, the Daily Record has tarnished her credibility yet further by reporting that she is engaged to be married to Mansfield chairman John Radford, 45, who was the man who gave her the position. The paper says that "John, 45, popped the question last week and the happy couple told friends and family at the weekend." Only this weekend Radford was been forced to come out and defend the appointment of Still, saying he employed her on purely football grounds after the club was rocked by the publicity the papers gave the story. "I sat down and talked with her and she said there was no truth in them (the escort rumours) and that's it," he told the Mansfield and Ashfield Chad. "It is now a legal issue at the moment and has to be dealt with. "When you appoint someone like Carolyn Still you are going to get a bit of press as she doesn't look like your normal CEO at a football club. "But she is very good at her job. She has held very high positions at multi-million pound companies and she will be very effective for Mansfield Town Football Club. "Obviously she was hurt by the stories but Carolyn has picked herself up and is getting on with the job." After she took the job Still said: "This has been a genuine appointment. I have worked hard to get where I am."

same team.....would only bring HBA on if necessary. Can see a butcher like Karl Henry try to hack the legs of the lad if he's plays.

The Turkish football association has come up with a radical solution for tackling hooliganism - by banning men from stadiums. Teams sanctioned for unruly behaviour by fans are instead only allowed to admit women and children aged under 12 to watch games. On Tuesday, more than 41,000 women and children attended Fenerbahce's match against Manisaspor in Istanbul. The move followed violence during a Fenerbahce "friendly" in July. The Istanbul side was initially told to play two home matches behind closed doors after fans invaded the pitch during a game with the Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk. But the Turkish authorities later softened their stance and decided to let women and children attend. Fenerbahce's 1-1 draw with Manisapor kicked off after players from both teams hurled flowers at the fans, while the visitors were greeted with applause instead of the more customary loud jeers. The home side's captain, Alex de Sousa, said: "This memory will stay with me forever. It's not always that you see so many women and children in one game." "We have to thank the ladies for coming to support us," his team-mate Joseph Yobo - on loan from Everton - told Lig TV. "It's difficult playing without the fans." Manisaspor midfielder Omer Aysan agreed: "It was such a fun and pleasant atmosphere." Before the game, fans were searched by all-women police officers. Speaking before the match, Yasemin Mercil, a female member of Fenerbahce's executive board, said: "This really is a historic day. "For the first time in the world, only women and children will watch a game. The women know all the chants. The same anthems, the same chants will be sung." http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/14998237.stm

Real Madrid's Jose Mourinho donates Fifa Ballon d'Or award for charity auction The fiery coach has shown his softer side in supporting the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation and Breakthrough Breast Cancer by giving away one of his prized possessions After his retirement as a player, Mourinho first worked with Robson as an interpreter at Sporting Lisbon in 1992. The two went on to work together at Porto and Barcelona before the Portuguese began his career as a coach. "The entire family is completely astounded by this generous gift from Mr. Mourinho," Robson's son Mark told reporters. "We are thrilled and so thankful to him." “My dad would have been so proud by the way all the different clubs and football managers around the world are pulling together by contributing such incredible prizes." The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation was formed to support research for the early detection of cancer. In addition, part of the proceeds of the sale will fund Breakthrough Breast Cancer.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has the full backing of the club's players, despite the club's worst start to the season for 58 years - but they want a defensive coach to help them through their current crisis. http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Arsenal-players-back-Arsene-Wenger-as-manager-but-want-defensive-coach-article801482.html#ixzz1YLRo6LKA http://cdn.livesoccertv.com/images/articles/4037-mark-lawrenson-liverpool-54.jpg

Rogerio Ceni just played his 1000th game yesterday for Sao Paulo......103 goals for a goalie aint too shabby either......

Not surprised....who was the chanting aimed at this time? Last time, it was to the Paraguayan players from what I remember.....don`t think I`ve seen many black players in the Argie league before either...

Julio Cruz Jan Venegoor Of Hesselink

probably some striker (if we're lucky) that has his contract running out in the summer so we can get on the cheap in Jan......

Striker: Lomana Lua Lua Midfielders Bolo Zenden Jason Koumas Defender: Philippe Degen must be some South American strikers knocking about on frees that we don't know about.....would probably rather give Sami Ameobi a chance anyway.

Kjaer has been awful for Wolfsburg since that big money , same with Gago since he signed from Boca. Perhaps Serie A is more suited to them. I think Gago will do well over in that league. Kjaer has proven himself before in Serie A from his previous time at Palermo.

worrying.....usually it`s out of the blue/hardly mentioned player that we tend to sign......

Inter release Nelson Rivas on a free Terrible signing. Why? From what I've seen of him. Don't think he's that good. really good going forward but a bit of a liability at times defending......lapses in concentration etc..... Clearly a panic buy, how much did they pay for him? Was it more than for Enrique? If so, Wenger deserves every stick that he's getting these days. Although, Mertesacker and Arteta will be quality signings, but should have done them earlier. Were they worse players few weeks ago or something? Ridiculous by wenger. 6.2m quid

Terrible signing. Why? From what I've seen of him. Don't think he's that good. really good going forward but a bit of a liability at times defending......lapses in concentration etc.....

He plays most attacking positions....I think in the season FC Twente won the title under McCLaren he was more of a striker. Last season, more on the wings from the few games I saw.

would be well happy with that.....get Tiote onto him and convince him to get here.] Can`t see him coming tbh....left it fking late as usual

9 page thread on RTG http://www.readytogo.net/smb/showthread.php?t=622944

from what I read on an Inter forum, he's definitely more comfortable on the right side of defence or moreso as a right wing back (as Inter play wingbacks). .....he had 2 big injuries (2009 and 2010 season) and the 2nd one really affected his form. Quote from 2010 - Inter fan I also think playing his natural side now that Maicon is most likely leaving will be very advantageous to him. Some of his defensive lapses this season were IMO because he was playing on the left, he was caught out because of his movement, I think that will get better when he's on the right