All posts by h79snht.top

With all the takeover talk bounding around Elland Road these days it may well have gone unnoticed that Neil Warnock’s Leeds have steadily been building momentum over the last few weeks.

After a reasonable, though not explosive, start, most of us stood staring blankly at the squad list with more than just a twinge of pessimism. Nobody doubted that the players Warnock had brought in would be more than up for the fight, but we appeared to have an alarming lack of depth, and quality, in almost every area on the pitch.

With that in mind, nobody expected much. Mid table by Christmas, at best.

What we weren’t expecting, even if we knew it was a possibility, was the way in which Warnock would galvanize the threadbare squad that he did have into becoming a serious threat in the division. Over the last three games Leeds have seriously got into gear, with impressive individual and team performances throughout.

After the win against Bristol City I thought to myself – this is it, we’re finally watching real Neil Warnock performances. The kind of performance where you see players throwing themselves at every ball, playing for their team mates, for their manager, and perhaps more importantly, playing with the personal pride and passion that is expected by anyone pulling on the white shirt.

Prior to our win over Nottingham Forest we hadn’t really got going, but over the last few weeks something has clicked. Before it, I couldn’t see us making a go of the season without the investment from the proposed takeover arriving quickly, but now I see the bigger picture. Warnock has repeated all along that until anything is announced he will carry on as if it isn’t happening, and you can see that he truly believes that he can get his current side promoted with or without new owners.

That has to be good news for Leeds. Neil Warnock is no rookie, he’s experienced enough now to know whether he’s chasing a lost cause or not and you can see the energy he’s got for the job, he practically burst with pride after every goal. The man knows what it takes to get promotion and he can see it happening with Leeds. In his mind, he’s focused on the roar at full time when he finally seals our return to the Premier League.

The players confidence is growing day by day, they’ve had a battle mentality installed and you can see that they fear nobody. Against Everton, a team full of Premier League players, they didn’t sit back and look to counter, they took the game straight to them from the word go and never looked back. Every ball got chased down and scrapped for, by players that seemed almost possessed.

So here we are now, with games coming thick and fast and a team that are proving themselves to be more than up for the fight. The squad does still need additions, but you try telling the current team that they aren’t good enough for promotion.

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This team really do have what it takes, because Warnock has made them so. For the first time in a long time we’re supporting a team that wants this as much as we do and a manager that will stop at nothing to make sure we get back to where we want to be.

Leeds are finally on their way back, marching on again, together.

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West Ham United have had a £5m bid for Bournemouth midfielder Harry Arter rejected, according to The Sun.

What’s the word?

Manager David Moyes is believed to be keen on strengthening his midfield before the transfer window shuts at the end of the month.

Arter has been added to the list of targets, but the club have been knocked back in their initial attempt to sign the 28-year-old.

The Sun reports that the Cherries turned down the low offer and boss Eddie Howe has spoken to the player in a bid to convince him to stay put.

The publication claims that Arter is open to a switch to the London Stadium after dropping down the pecking order at Bournemouth.

What are West Ham thinking?

Arter may not be one of the greats gracing the Premier League stage at the moment, but the Hammers are foolish to come in with such a low offer.

In the current climate where footballers are being sold for upwards of £100m, a figure of £5m is like loose change.

The fact that the midfielder is competing in England’s top flight should hike the price up slightly.

Also, he has been a long-standing member of the Bournemouth fold having spent almost eight years at the club.

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Even if Howe no longer regards Arter as a regular starter, the Cherries have every right to hold out for more cash due to the player’s lengthy stay at the club.

If West Ham want to get their targets quickly, they need to lodge more appropriate offers.

Tottenham goalkeeper Brad Friedel has admitted that he will fight to retain his place in the side’s starting line-up.

The White Hart Lane club signed Hugo Lloris from Lyon on transfer deadline day, who is viewed as a long-term replacement for the United States international.

However, the ageing veteran has revealed that he is not ready to hand over the no.1 jersey just yet.

“Right now I believe the shirt is mine to lose, I believe the manager came out and said that. If that’s the case then great,” Friedel is quoted as saying in The Daily Mail.

“I will turn up every day and work as hard as I can. I will keep as fit as I possibly can, hopefully get selected to play and hopefully do as well as I can.

“It’s great to have competition. Hugo Lloris is France’s No.1, he’s gonna want to play, I’m gonna want to play, and so are Carlo and Heurelho.

“When I signed for Tottenham, I signed as a stop-gap while Tottenham looked for a long-term goalkeeper. Tottenham deserve a long-term goalkeeper.

“I want to play, I’ve always wanted to play, I don’t sign contracts not to play. However, I would never demean the manager by spitting my dummy out if I wasn’t playing.

“We are all contracted to Tottenham Hotspur and if they ask me to be a No.1 [or a No.2], I’d do that to the best of my ability.

“Hugo Lloris is going to be a team-mate, not an enemy.

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“It is a difficult position to have four goalkeepers of our quality at the club. Saying that, hopefully there’ll be 50-odd games to play this season, which is a lot of games to go around,” the American commented.

By Gareth McKnight

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Newcastle welcome Norwich to the Sports Direct Arena on Sunday, hopefully well rested after Alan Pardew left seven first team players at home for Thursday nights Europa League draw against Maritimo.

The likes of Yohan Cabaye, Papiss Cisse and Hartem Ben Arfa did not travel to Portugal, and are all expected to start on Sunday.

Norwich arrive still searching for their first victory of the season, and are the lowest scorers in the division with just two goals in four games this season. Last seasons top scorer is still yet to get off the mark.

Chris Hughton makes his first return to the Sports Direct Arena since his harsh dismissal in December 2010. He will be without Simon Lappin and Steven Whittaker to inury, whilst Elliot Bennett is unlikely to feature despite returning to training following a knee injury.

Pardew is set to welcome back defensive midfielder Cheick Tiote, who has been missing since the opening day victory over Tottenham. That game remains Newcastle’s only Premier League three points of the season.

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Defender Danny Simpson and goalkeeper Tim Krul are both unavailable through injury.

Prediction: Newcastle 2-0 Norwich 

In what will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the most farcical moments to ever grace the Premier League, Newcastle manager Alan Pardew was sent off at the weekend for ‘headbutting’ Hull City midfielder David Meyler.

Obviously, the butting motion was by no means as aggressive or furtive as it sounds, but through a sense of moral dignity, the old adage of responsibility as a role model and the sheer ridiculous of the exaggerated episode, the British press have been on point to match the hyperbole in their own condemnations of the Magpies manager, who has informed the public he’ll be taking a backseat in the dugout during future endeavours.

The Telegraph’s Henry Winter has called for Pardew to be banned from all Premier League stadia  -not just pitch-sides – until the end of the season, Mirror Football has labelled Newcastle as a ‘club gone rogue’ for not wielding the sacking axe, and the Daily Mail’s Martin Samuel has made the Newcastle gaffer out to be some sort of uncontrollable, deep-lying-anger-driven menace that should have been dealt with by the FA some time ago.

But for me, Alan Pardew is and will always be football’s answer to Alan Partridge; oozing obnoxiousness from every orifice, politically plastic during his interactions with the British press and dependant on such  re-hashed, re-worded, jumbled-up sound-bites  as  ‘it was handbags at half mast’ to successfully communicate with other humans.

Like the Steve Coogan character however, underneath it all is a layer almost sinister of desperation, a sense of dim-witted pride and an awkward over-eagerness to be ‘one of the lads’ and part of the main event, rather than a clumsy, uncool outsider. This is what causes the former West Ham, Charlton and Southampton boss to venture towards such reactionary rashness when he’s manning the technical area.

The incident at the weekend is perhaps the most supportive evidence to that theory. Pardew was never an aggressive player – he was a hardworking, goalscoring midfielder – but physically confronted by a player almost three decades his junior, with a good four inches of height on him, the Newcastle boss felt compelled to beat his chest and brunt his teeth – or rather his forehead – in an anxious showing of masculinity.

Every Premier League manager is an egoist at heart; non-arrogant, non-egomaniacs need not apply. But what makes Pardew’s touchline outbursts so extreme, and resultantly so comical, is that the Magpies manager simply doesn’t fit the image.

To put it bluntly, the 52 year-old’s physique and demeanour, combined with his unwarranted cockiness and by no means exceptional managerial track record, often portrays him as one of life’s losers, perfectly fitting for one of Coogan’s cringingly macabre creations. The backdrop of St. James’s Park, ruled by a regime that has hired public relations disaster Joe Kinnear twice and sees Wonga.com as a appropriate sponsor certainly contributes to Pardew’s comedic effect.

Let us not forget that this is by no means his first case of over-eagerness. In a bid to get a laugh out of Alan Hansen, and presumably the male viewing public, the then-unemployed Pardew described a Michael Essien tackle as an ‘absolute rape’ live on Match of the Day 2 back in 2009.

Prior to that, Pardew was recorded on film in 2007 referring to West Ham fans as ‘w***ers’ who ‘should all f** off’, ridiculously enough during a media training session at Upton Park. That’s the kind of situational timing and inappropriateness that would have easily made the final cut of Alpha Papa if it had been a product of Coogan’s imagination, rather than Pardew’s reality.

And earlier this season, complaints were made by the public after the Newcastle manager was heard calling Manchester City’s Manuel Pellegrini a ‘f**king old c**t’, in one of a series of touchline incidents throughout his career that have had to be brought to the FA’s attention. Somewhere in between, 2012 to be precise, Pardew was banned for two matches after pushing over a linesman, which he later self-described as ‘ridiculous’ behaviour.

Then there’s this curious tale courtesy of West Ham photographer Steve Bacon, via Mirror Football’s David Kidd; “When the gaffer sat down with his backroom team, deciding on his order, he asked fitness coach Tony Strudwick what he was getting – and told him he’d take it if it looked good. When the meals arrived, Pards said to Tony, ‘Yours looks better, I’m having that,’ and swapped plates. I told him you can’t just take someone else’s dinner. Pards retorted, ‘When you’re the king, you can do anything.”

These episodes blur the line between repulsive human being and hilarious poor-taste, in near perfect Partridge parody, but like the Coogan alter-ego,  the cathartic yet desperate nature of Pardew’s character, loosely veiled by his egotism, leaves one feeling compelled to forgive, like a puppy causing accidental household mischief through uncontrollable enthusiasm and excitement.

No doubt, the Newcastle manager’s actions will land him with a hefty fine and suspension at the hands of the Football Association. We already know his case will be treated as ‘non-standard’, and based on that premise, in addition to the conventions set by the governing body’s recent handling of Paul Ince and Nottingham Forest’s Billy Davies, Pardew’s incoming ban will be in excess of five matches.

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But the question remains whether or not he can actually change his ways. The FA’s slap on the wrist will certainly force the Magpies man to keep his behaviour in check in the near future, but Pardew’s attraction towards the ridiculous, as if his instinct for the inappropriate takes over his entire body and being, is a flaw of personality, and they are the hardest to overcome.

It may not materialise in the form of another touchline episode, but knowing me, knowing you, Alan Pardew, I’m sure another outburst that blends comedy with sheer unprofessionalism lies just around the corner.

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David Moyes has dismissed comments made by Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard about Everton’s style of play this week and publicly praised how his team go about their game.

Moyes has stated that any non-Liverpool or Everton fan would claim to be impressed by his teams style of play this season and if the Toffee’s faithful are happy with it, then he is happy with it.

“I think any neutral who watches Everton would say they’ve actually been impressed by us.

“More importantly, if you ask any Evertonians what they think about how Everton have done, I think they would all say we have played very well.

“And even more importantly, if you ask the manager how they think it’s gone, I’ll tell you Everton have played really, really well and passed it well.

“I think we’re one of the teams that made the most chances in the Premier League. I think we’ve had a lot of goals so I think we’ve been good value and we’re very good to watch.

“I don’t really bother what Liverpool think, to tell you the truth. I only bother what I think.”

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Despite Manchester United’s inconsistent start to the season, positive signs are starting to show in the team – the 2-1 win against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium being the prime example.

Pre-match, people looked at United’s backline and thought the Gunners would try and exploit their inexperienced defenders with the likes of Danny Welbeck and Alexis Sanchez. How wrong were they?

Chris Smalling, Paddy McNair and Tyler Blackett put on a solid display, and even when Arsene Wenger’s men did see sight of goal, they had an in-form David De Gea to contend with.

Now in the top four, the Red Devils will look to kickstart their season and go on a good run, starting with this week’s home game at Hull City. The one flaw that has hit the Old Trafford outfit has been injuries, especially to the defence.

The likes of Luke Shaw, Marcos Rojo, Phil Jones and Rafael have endured a session in the treatment room for a considerable amount of time. One player, more than most, that United will miss is Netherlands international Daley Blind.

Since arriving from Dutch giants Ajax, Blind has played an influential role in the heart of the midfield; his calmness and composure on the ball is something that is not only welcomed for the 20 times Premier League champions, but also at any club in the Premier League.

While also coming up with the odd goal here and there, which we saw in the away game against West Brom, Blind has unfortunately been ruled out until the New Year after damaging his knee ligaments while on international duty in a game against Latvia. With Michael Carrick on hand to replace Blind, how much will Blind be missed in the United line-up?

Earlier this month, former right back turned pundit Gary Neville said that Blind plays his football ‘too safe’ and ‘needs to take more risks’. But Van Gaal knew exactly what he was getting with Blind when he signed him.

After coaching him in the Dutch national team, Blind is primarily there to break up play and calm things down. Now 12 games into the season, United’s win at Arsenal was the first time this season they won without Blind in the starting XI.

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With Carrick now 33-years-old, and the pressures of England’s top flight starting to get too much for him, not only is Blind better than Carrick, but will also be vital for United in the future. With a fantastic passing accuracy of 90.2 per cent and has averaged 66.3 passes per game, Blind passing abilities will be sorely missed.

In a transitional period for Manchester United, van Gaal is quietly transforming United into the force they once were. If Blind had stayed fit, it’s quite likely that the Red Devils would have been closer to Chelsea come Christmas than they are now.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is adamant that his team are not trying to mimic the style of his former club Swansea.

The Reds played out a goalless draw with the South Wales-based outfit during Sunday’s Premier League clash, in a game full of technical accuracy but few clear-cut chances.

Rodgers was offered the position at Anfield on the back of two successful seasons with the Swans, during which time they transferred their short passing game from the Championship to the Premier League.

However, the Northern Irishman insists that he does not want Liverpool to be a carbon copy of his former team:

“Swansea play the Swansea way of playing. It is not that we want to play the way Swansea play.” He is quoted by The Independent.

“Liverpool have played good football for many, many years and we are just looking at a different way of working and the players have been terrific in their response.

“You see as each game goes by the method in our game is improving, but we are not looking to play like Swansea.”

Liverpool had a goal ruled out for offside at the Liberty Stadium as well as seeing a Raheem Sterling effort cannon off of the crossbar.

Rodgers was happy with the result and the signs of progress he saw on the pitch:

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“It is a difficult place to come but when you play well and have a couple of chances and a goal ruled out you are obviously disappointed if you don’t take the three points.

“But our performance level is improving and we are chipping way at climbing up the league and we will do that.”

With Newcastle in a desperate fight for survival, Mike Ashley could be looking to replace manager Alan Pardew in the summer, especially if the club are relegated to the Championship. With two games remaining, the Geordies are just 3 points above the drop zone, and face a trip to QPR on Sunday before hosting Arsenal on the last day of the season. And with the goal difference between 16th and 18th place just 1 goal, it could take just one slip-up for Newcastle to be relegated.

Survive or not, it’s been a dreadful season for the team in black and white, who finished in 5th last season. But with the French revolution not working at St James’ Park, Ashley might decide that Pardew is no longer the man for the job, and start searching for a replacement in the summer. But who are possible candidates to take over?

Click on Laurent Blanc to unveil the five ideal replacements

Despite enjoying most of his time at Bolton Wanderers and Newcastle United as a firm fan favourite in the eyes of the many supporters that came to watch him play on a week-to-week basis, Kevin Nolan’s current spell at Upton Park just hasn’t quite managed to have the same impact.

To some West Ham fans, the 33-year-old represents a match winning captain – both on and off the field – who successfully helped his side get promoted at the first time of asking and maintained the club’s position in the Premier League ever since.

Yet to a large section of others within the loyal Upton Park faithful, Kevin Nolan acts as nothing more than a frustrating reminder of Sam Allardyce’s old fashioned style and the sheer lack of creativity in the final third shown under the club’s former manager in recent years.

So then, does Kevin Nolan still has a meaningful role to play at Upton Park during the upcoming season, or are the former Bolton man’s days now well and truly numbered with the Hammers as the 2015/16 campaign already fast approaches?

What must be said within the context of this whole debate first and foremost perhaps, is the fact that no one, from his most determined admirers to his many critics, could ever really accuse Kevin Nolan of not delivering what has been asked of him during his time in the east end.

Upon being relegated back down to the Championship after a very poor season under Avram Grant in 2010/11, West Ham’s current captain stepped in at a club in desperate need of some guiding leadership, and re-solidified the Hammers’ status back in the Premier League with little complication.

Nolan also successfully topped the goal-scoring charts for Sam Allardyce’s side in the seasons after his initial appointment at captain, reaching significant figures in the Premier League in both the 2012/13 and 2013/14 campaigns. Such an output seemingly can’t be challenged when the no. 4’s statistics are looked at on paper.

To the widespread admiration of most West Ham fans far and wide, the 33-year-old took to his captaincy duties at Upton Park with sheer professionalism and very rarely let his side down from a leadership perspective. For that aspect of his game, Kevin Nolan will likely be fondly remembered in the east end for a good while to come.

The club’s upcoming move to the Olympic Stadium has arguably only become a viable option now that West Ham have re-established themselves in the English top flight, and they can certainly thank their captain for that.

However, when it comes to performing adequately on a week-to-week basis with a view of entertaining the fans as well as getting the results, Kevin Nolan is sadly no longer good enough to play in the Premier League. Quite frankly, the former Bolton and Newcastle goal-scorer simply hasn’t been at the required level for quite a while now.

It’s all well and good scoring the odd goal here and there from goal-line scrambles and set-piece positioning, but ultimately West Ham fans want to see the prospect of entertaining football at least being attempted at Upton Park whilst they’re there to watch the games. Nolan can no longer operate as an fluid attacking midfielder – yet as the 33-year-old has never really been considered a defensive player throughout his extensive career – playing deeper doesn’t really suit the Hammers’ no. 4 a great deal either.

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Under Sam Allardyce at Upton Park, Kevin Nolan’s addition in the starting XI usually meant other promising players had to be sacrificed in order for the captain to get his game time. Despite offering next to nothing for large parts of the 2014/15 campaign, Big Sam invariably gave Nolan a starting role and completely reverted on the team’s earlier successes in the season just to re-accommodate his main man when he returned from injury.

Although the chance to work under Slaven Bilic may admittedly offer the midfielder a new lease of life at Upton Park next season – it seems the relationship between the West Ham fans and Kevin Nolan himself has ultimately reached a brick wall now thanks to all that has come before. His name has sadly become synonymous with the overly-defensive set-up and distinct lack of attacking threat characterised under the club’s former manager.

With West Ham seemingly spending big on the likes of Dimitri Payet this summer however, it seems Nolan wouldn’t get much of a chance next season anyway – so even though his stint at Upton Park has certainly been memorable – now is the time for both parties to amicably wave goodbye to one another and go their separate ways.