Championship frontrunners Queens Park Rangers are set to challenge seven alleged regulation breaches set down by the Football Association.An Independent Regulatory Commission will begin hearing the charges on May 3 with a decision expected three days later.
The charges relate to the club allegedly breaching third-party ownership and agent rules in the transfer of Argentine midfielder Alejandro Faurlin.
It is alleged that as part of Faurlin’s 3.5 million pound move from Institute FC in July 2009, an unnamed third-party kept a stake in his economic rights without the FA being notified.
The charges also included allegedly making payments to an unauthorised agent and providing false information and documents to the FA.
QPR and club official Gianni Paladini have also been charged with allegedly providing false information in documents handed to the FA regarding Faurlin’s contract extension, signed in October 2010.
If QPR are found guilty, the club could suffer serious ramifications with a points deduction a possibility.
“QPR and Mr Paladini have both indicated they are denying all of the charges and shall be contesting them at the hearing,” the FA said.
“The FA, QPR and Mr Paladini shall be making no further comment until the charges are resolved.”
Neil Warnock’s team extended its lead at the top of the Championship to nine points on Monday with a 3-0 win over Sheffield United.
Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer insists Schalke are not afraid of Champions League semi-final favourites Manchester United.Bundesliga side Schalke host English Premier League leaders United on Tuesday in the first leg of their European Cup tie, with a place in the Wembley final up for grabs.
United, boasting the likes of England striker Wayne Rooney, Serbia centre-back Nemanja Vidic and Portugual winger Nani, appear better equipped to reach what would be their third final in four years.
But 25-year-old Neuer – himself a sought-after Germany international – does not fear Sir Alex Ferguson’s seasoned campaigners.
“I have respect for those players but I’m not afraid of them,” Neuer said.
“I’ve already played against Rooney once in the World Cup and it ended positively for Germany. I hope it’ll be similar against Manchester United.”
“They have many good players,” he added.
“There is the experience of Ryan Giggs and Edwin van der Sar. I was a big fan of Van der Sar when I was growing up, but you can’t just pick out one player.”
“The team is the star at Manchester United. I have to say I really like the way they play.”
Schalke have their own Champions League veteran in former Real Madrid striker Raul, a man Neuer is backing to give his side the edge over the two legs.
“He has so much experience and he’s very important for us in these games,” Neuer said.
“Raul has great statistics in the Champions League. He scores a goal every two games – so he’ll definitely score against Manchester United.”
Despite upsetting defending champions Inter Milan in the quarter-finals, Schalke coach Ralf Rangnick believes his team remain the least fancied outfit in the last four.
“We are the clear underdogs in this tie too,” Rangnick said.
“Everybody expects Manchester United to win easily.”
The iconic number nine shirt means a lot to the supporters of Newcastle and whoever wears the prestigious number upon their back carries a great weight on their shoulders. Andy Cole, Les Ferdinand, Alan Shearer, Obafemi Martins and Andy Carroll have all donned the shirt since 1993 and between them they have scored over 300 goals in the Black and White stripes. The number nine shirt is currently uninhabited, as a result of Carroll’s departure to Liverpool, but another young Geordie is waiting in the wings to realise his dream of being the proud owner of that shirt. While he is unlikely to be the next recipient of the famous jersey, nineteen year old Phil Airey is going the right way about staking his claim for the future.
Airey doesn’t carry the same physical presence as his predecessors Shearer and Carroll, he is more of the ilk of a striker who will poach goals in the penalty box and make nippy runs in and out of defenders. A player profile on the BBC website has described him as “Feisty, powerful and stocky, in the mould of Craig Bellamy.”
Airey wasn’t destined to be a future number nine when he started out his career in the Newcastle Academy. The Northumberland born lad initially started out as a right back, but he eventually discovered he had a knack for goals and moved into a forward role within the U18’s. Airey was soon given his chance in Peter Beardsley’s reserve side and the young striker took his chance with both hands and smashed home an impressive eight goals in nine games in the 2009-10 season. Airey has carried on where he left off this term. He is the top scorer with eleven goals in Premier Reserve League North Group A. Airey’s only appearance for the first team was thirteen minutes of F.A Cup football in the third round defeat to Stevenage in January.
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From the early promise Airey has shown in the Youth and Reserve team set up, he has the potential to make the step up to the first team in the coming years. Newcastle have £35 million at their disposal this summer, therefore a new striker is most definitely on the cards. This leaves Airey some way down the current pecking order, so I would suggest the next step towards Airey’s development would be a loan move to a Football League side next season. This way he can gain invaluable experience and it will give him a real taster of being involved in a first team set up. With Newcastle’s season edging towards its climax Airey will no doubt be desperate for the opportunity of a run out for the first team in one of Newcastle’s four remaining fixtures.
For now Airey will remain primed in the background of the Newcastle squad, but I for one am looking forward to what the future holds for this young sharpshooter. Whether he will go on to wear the legendary number nine shirt remains a mystery. However, you can rest assured that being a local boy there will be nothing he wants more than to spend his football career celebrating goals in front of a packed St James’ Park with 9 Airey on his back.
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Some of the reported wages paid out to Premiership players is truly staggering, especially when some of the players taking home in excess of £40-50,000 a week, are at best average. Even the best players in the Premiership earn far too much money, Wayne Rooney and Yaya Toure are collecting wages of over £200,000 a week! Although it’s the players who are happy sitting on the substitute’s bench or the treatment table week after week out watching their bank account tick over that grates on me. These players are living a luxury lifestyle and are being paid obscene amounts of money for doing next to nothing. I can’t entirely blame the players for this though as it’s the clubs who pay the wages, or bow down to the demands of the players, whichever it may be!
There are plenty of players across the Premier League who are distinctly average and considering the economic climate at the moment, it beggars belief what they are paid. Wayne Bridge is the example I can’t quite fathom. Bridge signed for Chelseain the early Roman Abramovich years and would have picked up a large signing on fee and a hefty pay packet. When Ashley Cole signed for Chelsea, Bridge became the second choice left back and his football became limited, however, he was still raking in considerable amounts of money as a back up. Bridge was then signed by the mega rich billionaires of Manchester City in 2009, I bet he couldn’t believe his luck. He signed a contract for £95,000 a week, that’s right Wayne Bridge a mediocre left back on £95,000 a week! Well after 42 games for the Citizens, manager Roberto Mancini decided he didn’t want Bridge either, so shipped him out on loan to West Ham.
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Portuguese marketing agency Futebol Finance published a top 50 footballers rich list in 2010 and Wayne Bridge was sittingin 44th place on £4.3 million a year. To put this into perspective, Bridge was earning the same amount as, Andres Iniesta, Charles Puyol and Frank Ribery, work that one out! Bridge has taken the brunt of my rant here but he was the one who has left me in disbelief. Shaun Wright Phillips has had a similar ride to that of Bridge, but without earning quite as much as my favourite left back!!!
Kireon Dyer has spent the majority of his career on the treatment table, although regardless, it hasn’t stopped the former Newcastle man picking up his share of astonishing pay packets. Dyer is on a reported £83,000 a week at West Ham, and get this, he has only played 30 times for the Hammers since 2007 and he hasn’t even scored a goal. How he is taking home that sort of money is gobsmacking! Under former owner Eggert Magnusson it wasn’t just Dyer getting a huge payday at the club, Freddie Ljungberg and Craig Bellamy were also said to be on wages in excess of £80,000! Then there is Benni McCarthy, Karren Brady’s favourite fat boy, she branded him in her column in the Sun as “a big fat mistake”. McCarthy has cost the club around £5 million pounds in total, the majority of which being his wages, not bad considering he played 14 games and didn’t score a goal! It’s fair to say West Ham were the victims of their own foolish mistakes in the transfer market and with their pay structure. However it still presents a selection of highly paid underperformers who in some cases have spent more time in their high street bank than on the football pitch.
The only way I can see around the problem of astronomical wages in football, is for the much talked about salary cap to come into effect. It would need to be a FIFA sanctioned rule applying to all football leagues across the world. The worrying thing is I can’t see the current system ever changing. While people such as nurses and emergency service men and women work tirelessly for their wage, Wayne Bridge continues to earnhis mega bucks and we just have to accept that’s just the way it is.
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Ray Parlour and Nigel Winterburn, English Premier League title winners with Arsenal, have called on Arsene Wenger to deliver next season.Frenchman Wenger led Arsenal to three league titles and four FA Cups in his first nine years at the club, but the team are now without a major trophy in their last six seasons.
Retired midfielder Parlour, who played in all three league championship victories under Wenger, defended his old manager’s record, speaking at the London Legends Cup on Sunday.
But the fans’ favourite also acknowledged the importance of improving on a poor return in recent years.
“In a way, when Arsene Wenger first came to the club the supporters got a bit spoiled as he continued the tradition of winning trophies,” Parlour said.
“But you also have to look at what else he’s brought to the club with a new training ground and the infrastructure for a new ground.”
“The last six years haven’t been great in terms of winning things so I think he’ll need to reassess things and bring some new players in over the summer.”
Winterburn was a member of Wenger’s first Premier League-winning team in 1998 and also collected the old First Division title with Arsenal back in 1989.
Formerly a left-back, he believes the time has come for Wenger to alter his long-term policy of relying on youth development.
“I think Arsene Wenger will change it in the summer and will bring in some new players,” Winterburn said.
“It’s a massive season for Arsenal next year and a big summer ahead.”
“I think he needs to bring some more players in and maybe let a few go. This is where the manager has to earn his money.”
I’m sure Arsenal fans are getting bored with being reminded they haven’t won a trophy since the 2005 FA Cup final, so I won’t harp on about Arsenal’s lack of success in recent years. Instead I’m going to suggest the main reason why Arsenal didn’t pick up one of the four trophies they were in contention for this season, was down to their defence. If Arsenal had a dominating and commanding centre back in the team last season I think they would have ended their trophy drought. Due to Thomas Vermaelen’s long term injury Arsenal were left with Johan Djourou, Sebastien Squillaci and Laurent Koscielny to marshal the centre of defence and there’s not enough quality there for a team who had Championship aspirations.
Arsenal’s centre back trio were erratic all season long and although they did put in some solid performances there was a lack of consistency. Arsene Wenger looked to address the issue in January when he tried to tie up a move for Blackburn’s Christopher Samba.However Samba decided to stay at Ewood Park and signed a contract extension with the club. The Congolese powerhouse may have signed a new contract in February but he hasn’t ruled out a move in the summer and with Phil Jones’imminent departure to Man United it could be enough to convince him to leave as well.
It appears that Wenger is aware of the defensive frailties in the heart of his defence and while I think he should have been more assertive in January, he looks set to put things right in the summer. Arsenal have been heavily linked with Samba and Gary Cahill in recent weeks and either would make a welcome addition to the defence. Both are quality tried and tested Premier League players which I think is of paramount importance as they won’t need time to adjust to the Premiership. I’m going to focus on Samba and why I think he would be an excellent signing for the Gunners and could make the difference next season.
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What Arsenal lacked last season, that Chelsea had with John Terry, Man United with Nemanja Vidic and Man City with Vincent Kompany, was a strong, powerful defender with determination, athleticism and leadership skills.Chris Samba is blessed with all of those attributes and he would add the steel that was missing in the Arsenal defence last season. A defensive pairing of Samba and Vermaelen looks a very tasty proposition on paper and would certainly rough up opposing centre forwards. Samba’s no nonsense defending and physical presence is a throwback to Martin Keown and Tony Adams who were so successful for Wenger in their time under the Frenchman. Adding this dimension that has been missing from Arsenal’s defence can only enhance the team’s ambitions of lifting a trophy once more.
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Arsenal are blessed with talent all over the park and if they can hold onto Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas this summer, adding a quality defender such as Samba to the mix could be the missing piece of the puzzle. There will still be many fans who think the goalkeeping situation is also an area of concern and even if Arsenal shore up the defence with a signing like Samba, not buying a quality keeper could still leave a trophy out of reach. Regardless of how Wenger acts in terms of a goalkeeper, I think buying either Samba or Cahill would bolster his leaky defence and make Arsenal more of a force.
Arsenal winger Theo Walcott has urged his manager Arsene Wenger to spend money on bringing new faces to the Emirates this summer, and admits that the club needs additional strength in depth to challenge for honours in 2011/12.
The transfer window at the North London side has revolved around players potentially leaving north London, with Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri rumoured to be following Gael Clichy out the door.
Arsenal missed out on Argentinean midfielder Ricky Alvarez, who chose to join Inter from Velez Sarsfield instead of a move to England, whilst deals for Gervinho and Christopher Samba have not been completed.
“We play great football but we might need a bigger squad. We also need to keep hold of our best players,” the England international told Sky Sports.
“The boss has said that he is going to spend as well and add to the team. That will be crucial. I will be very keen to see who comes and goes. As a team last season it was disappointing. We need to move that step closer and maybe should have done a lot better in the last stretch,” he continued.
The 22-year-old is also expecting a tighter race for the title, with the emergence of some big-spending challengers.
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“There are a lot of teams like Manchester City and Liverpool coming into the frame now. It is not going to be an easy Premier League. We need to concentrate on the future and hopefully it is going to be bright for us next season,” the former Southampton attacker concluded.
Andre Villas-Boas has emerged as a frontrunner for the manager’s job at Stamford Bridge. Interest in Guus Hiddink appears to have cooled in recent days and it appears that Roman Abramovich is prepared to pay the £13m release clause of Boas contract at Porto. He has been dubbed as the ‘New Mourinho’ and there certainly is a likeness in both manager’s approach.
In the papers this morning there have been a mixed bag of stories that include Jack Warner resigns from FIFA; Fabregas doing all he can to move to Barcelona, while Alex McLeish is willing to meet up with the angry Aston Villa fans.
*
Porto’s Villas-Boas emerges as frontrunner for Chelsea job – Guardian
Warner resigns from Fifa – Daily Telegraph
Usmanov increases Arsenal shareholding again – Mirror
Capello had talks with Internazionale – Guardian
Pardew ‘not confident’ of Enrique stay – Daily Mail
Mancini could get Pat back – Sun
McLeish willing to meet angry Villa fans – Guardian
Fabregas ‘doing all he can’ to move to Barça – Daily Telegraph
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Liverpool look to Lyon’s Lovren but fear work permit problem for defender – Daily Mail
Liverpool fans reading this week’s press may be surprised to discover two of their most despised names, paying their team compliments and announcing that they expect the Red’s to mount a serious title challenge for this coming season.
Alex Ferguson has now been joined by his star striker Wayne Rooney, in stating Kenny Dalglish’s team pose possibly the biggest threat to Manchester United’s crown come the August kick-off. Of course, the United pair’s assertions are more in the hope of seeking to add some pressure onto a Liverpool side free from any European distractions this season, rather than in paying them any real admiration. But there may be an element of worry in the statements, especially, as just mentioned, Liverpool’s situation in being able to solely concentrate on domestic matters this season – and with a squad that’s seen £100 million invested in it since January, many might be right in their presumptions that the Redmen from Merseyside should amount a serious title challenge this season.
But only the most blinkered of fans will be getting ahead of themselves when it comes to Liverpool instantly challenging for the league. The club is in a massive transitional stage – the likes that hasn’t been seen during the modern era. Owners, commercially, stadium, coaching staff and players have all been subject to drastic change (or will be) during this new period at the club, with stability being the keyword that has been most used by the people making the changes. The new owners bought a club that was left in a right mess – and manager Kenny Dalglish inherited a squad that was exactly the same, so drastic changes were needed; and these changes are still being made.
Whilst stability is sought off the pitch, on it, the on-going changes have been welcomed. The attempt to clear out the dead-wood, the integration of some youth-team players, and a number of big-money signings, all important moves towards making a team capable of challenging for honours. To go with this, a change of playing style, tactics and overall outlook on how to approach the game, has been worked in by the new manager and his coaching staff. But things like this take time, and is rarely instantaneous.
Of Liverpool’s recent big-money signings, only Stewart Downing is an established proven Premier League player. Jordan Henderson, Andy Carroll and Charlie Adam only have what probably adds up to one full Premier League season each between them, for experience. Carroll and Henderson are also still young and will need time to develop themselves as players which may not come this season – though the price-tags each of them carry, will not afford them too much time before they have to deliver. On the whole, Liverpool look to be building a younger team, sprinkled with a few top-class players and whilst things look promising, the money spent and the lack of European distraction points, not unfairly, at a coming challenge. It’s just that one shouldn’t be expected, at least for now.
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It is arguably the most overused word in football. Ranking alongside phrases in common football parlance such as; “pay-as-you play,” “breath of fresh air” and “Arsenal surrender a late lead”, the term ‘veteran’ is fast becoming a frustratingly permanent fixture in the lexicon of the football community.
The obsession with age across top-level football is, to my mind, wildly counter-productive. The general perceptionhas long been that once a player reaches a certain point, commonly 30, they are debited with a mythical status that supposedly stops injuries from healing, decreases general ability and dulls a player’s desire for the game.
The term, once upon time a compliment reflecting experience has quickly become a thinly-veiled insult, simply describing any such player as being ‘old’.
This summer has seen a particular increase in the aversion to give players falling into such a category a chance to prove them self at the top level. However, it would appear, the cliché is applied indiscriminately.
Owen Hargreaves, crippled by the effects of long-standing tendinitis, is understandably deemed a risky acquisition at 30, however an injury-free Frank Lampard should not be suddenly deemed over the hill simply because he has reached 33. Whereas football may not buy into the principle of being as old as you feel- if your knees, head and heart are all still game, age need not be a deciding factor.
Whereas the age of players such as Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs is only made as a reference to their remarkable longevity- for many, the tag is a millstone around their neck.
David Weir, still plying his trade in the SPL at 41 is undoubtedly a veteran and to borrow a man from another sport, Bernard Hopkins- the current WBC light-heavyweight champion is at 46, irrefutably deserving of a more senior tag.
It is almost as if a basic equation runs through the head of many when it comes to evaluating a player; Young > Old. It explains why when Josh McEachran prepares to make a substitute appearance for the Chelsea first team, numerous commentators, having never seen the midfielder play more than ten minutes of first team football decree the youngster as being; “the future of England.” Older players, Kevin Phillips making his Championship debut for Blackpool last night springs to mind, are subject to equally damaging generalisations.
However, a 30 or 35 year old footballer is not the same as the average man who has spent 18 sedentary years drinking 10 pints of beer a week- this point is regularly missed. As a result, the usual “veteran” tag is often misconstrued and misused.
Players that started their careers during the booze culture that enveloped a number of clubs during the 1990’s, somewhat inevitably, saw their careers nose-dive after they blew out the candles on their 30th birthday cake. Individuals such as Paul Merson, Paul Gascoigne and Tony Adams were undoubtedly ‘old’ at that age in comparison to players that have seen four shots of tequila and a stripper replaced by an isotonic drink and an ice bath.
Changing perceptions has taken too long.
Football is and will continue to increasingly be a young man’s game- and by flagging up this obsession, I am not suggesting that all of a sudden Joe Cole will be able to re-discover that lost yard of pace taken away by his crippling knee injury of three years ago, or that Gary Neville prematurely hung up his boots when he announced his exit from Old Trafford. Age and continual wear and tear is an inevitable factor.
However, it is remarkable how quickly the buzz words ‘youth’ ‘promise’ and ‘future’ are used to describe players for such a long time before they are, suddenly, consigned the scrapheap.
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We are, of course, not consistent with our approach to age. Andy Carroll is supposedly the future of England and Liverpool at 22, however by general consensus, Darron Gibson is, at 23, running out of time despite playing for the most successful club in the country and has seen first team chances limited accordingly.
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One aspect that has always amused me is the way a number of journalists- the vast majority north of the age barrier of no return- are so scathing of any age issue.
Michael Owen was supposedly a spent force at 29 as he signed for Manchester United in 2009. Fernando Torres, with an equally chequered record of hamstring and groin injuries, was considered a striking option for ‘the future’ at Chelsea earlier this year, despite only being two years younger than the former England striker had been yet £50 million more expensive.
The examples are numerous. The long-term concern is that this short sighted approach to our playing personnel will begin to cripple sides as they field younger players simply because they feel they ought to- the currentEnglandsituation immediately springs to mind.
But from the Premier League’s point of view, the obsession with youngsters will end up annexing a number of established top performers. Obviously, when the time comes, any player be they released by their club at 16 or score their final World Cup goal at 42, knows that their race has been run. Age, however, need not be the definitive measurement.
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