Football Rumours Mark 2

[Zidane]

Steve Walsh close to joining Everton

Leicester City assistant manager and head of recruitment Steve Walsh is close to joining Premier League rivals Everton.
The 51-year-old and joint assistant boss Craig Shakespeare only signed new contracts with the Premier League champions in May.
Former PE teacher and Chelsea scout Walsh has been credited with helping discover bargain signings Riyad Mahrez and midfielder N'Golo Kante

Rumour has it that Walsh aged 51 is set to replace centre back,John Stones,who is set to join Manchester City in a 53m GBP deal !

[stattointhailand]

Newcastle want Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva in part exchange for Netherlands international Georginio Wijnaldum, reports the Daily Telegraph.

Former Reds and current Magpies boss Rafa Benitez is keen to work with Lucas again having managed him during his tenure at Anfield.

Resigned to Wijnaldum’s exit, Newcastle are prepared to offer Lucas the captaincy at St James’ Park to try and persuade him to drop down into the Sky Bet Championship.

Newcastle want £27m for Wijnaldum but the Telegraph claim they could settle for between £20m and £25m if they can bring Lucas to the North East.

Seems like a reasonable bit of business

[stattointhailand]

53 mill seems quite reasonable by Man City standards
Having him on the City bench means that he cannot have one of his few "above average" games against City
after a season or two they can sell him on to Blunderland for a few million (retirement home for overated and overpaid defenders :-" O'Shea/Brown/Kaboul/Kirchoff etc) where he can spend the rest of his career trying to play the ball out from the back .... and failing as he usually does

From Birmingham Mail via sky sports

Another ex Man City benchwarmer ending up at the retirement home for overated and overpaid defenders

Sunderland are set to offer Aston Villa captain Micah Richards an immediate route back into the Premier League, according to reports. (Birmingham Mail) :-" :-" :-"

[Brian Davis]

Some honest, nice moments in the video. Shame we can't include Maradona (yes, I'm still ****ed off at the adoration he receives) and Thierry Henry.

https://www.facebook.com/eurofestfb/vid ... 216838966/

[BobHelm]

Atkinson killed in police Tasering
Posted at 14:17

The former Ipswich, Sheffield Wednesday and Aston Villa striker Dalian Atkinson has died after being shot with a Taser by police.

I had actually read the original report, who left him unnamed. Here is the updates version...
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-37082207

By all accounts a great guy to be around during his footballing days.
A sad loss at such a young age .. RIP

[BobHelm]

I think there is little doubt that football (EPL especially) has lost the plot, but this sort of story makes me despair a little.

It is general knowledge that The Gunners have severe defensive issues, although it is probably short term until they get injuries back. They have been media linked with just about anyone who has told his mum that he is a defender - Jonny Evans, for instance..

So I read this with a fair bit of disbelief..

Arsenal's 19-year-old full-back Tafari Moore has joined Dutch club Utrecht on loan for the season.

Moore, who has been with the Gunners since he was 12, played 15 times for the club's Under-21 side last season.

Obviously a Gunner through & through & must be more than capable if they have kept him for 7 years..
Why not give him a chance Arsene? It is inconceivable that he could be worse than most of the players you have been linked with to solve the crisis!!

[BobHelm]

Good grief £25 million!! Stones is starting to look a steal!!

West Brom are unwilling to sell defender Jonny Evans, 28, to Arsenal for any less than £25m,(Daily Telegraph)

If Arsene was serious about improving his squad he would be involved in this battle..

Torino defender Nikola Maksimovic, 24, is another target for Chelsea - but Napoli are also interested in signing the Serbia international.(Football Italia)

Described as the next Nemanja Vidic he wants away from Torino & the current bidding is at £21.5 million!!!

[stattointhailand]

My life 21.5 million Wenger is waiting for Villa to axe Lescott and he can get him for free (already)

[BobHelm]

Bizarre rule change by the Spanish FA that has absolutely nothing to do with the game being played..

If you are watching a La Liga game and notice fans seem to be crammed into certain parts of the ground while other areas are left vacant, there is a good reason.

Increasingly aware of the need to compete with the English Premier League for the lucrative overseas television market, La Liga's bosses have realised a game played in front of packed stands provides a much better TV product, conveying a sense of atmosphere and excitement.

To counter the unfortunate fact many Spanish grounds are often well below capacity (not helped by the league's unhelpful fixture scheduling), the authorities have taken the drastic step of introducing a new rule which will see clubs fined if the stand facing the main TV camera is less than 75% full.

The league's rule book "strongly recommends accommodating season-ticket holders and other spectators" in the necessary seating, with judgments to be made on the decidedly low-tech basis of photographs taken by delegates after 30 minutes of each match.

It's too early to tell how strictly the league will apply their bizarrely authoritarian new 'incentive', but there is comfort for clubs such as Deportivo La Coruna and Real Sociedad in the notoriously wet northern regions of Spain - the rule does not apply when it rains.

[stattointhailand]

Should be fun in 31st minute with all the fans running to get back to their fav part of the ground

Probably look a bit like the Millwall boys doing a runner into the shed in the 70's, with the Chelsea boys doing a runner out the other side :-"

[BobHelm]

Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone has confirmed the length of his contract has been reduced, but insists "nothing changes".

The 46-year-old Argentine had a contract until 2020, but it now runs out at the end of the 2017-18 season.

Simeone is considered one of the world's top managers after leading Atletico to the La Liga title in 2013-14 and two Champions League finals.

He said: "We are fine. I'm happy here. I am guided by feelings and my heart."

Simeone, who has also won the Europa League and Copa del Rey with Atletico, added: "This does not change anything, and the only thing is to see if the lads keep giving me their hearts.

"During the two years we can renew the deal, if they don't want to get rid of me."

Interesting...
There are not many clubs who would not welcome him with open arms.
He would certainly be an interesting addition to the EPL. Arsenal???

[BobHelm]

Valencia have dismissed coach Pako Ayestaran with the side bottom of La Liga having lost their opening four games of the season.

Ayestaran, 53, replaced Gary Neville last March but the Spanish club have lost eight out of 12 games under his stewardship.

His final match in charge was the 2-1 defeat at Athletic Bilbao on Sunday.

Salvador Gonzalez Marco, also known as 'Voro', will take over as caretaker coach for a fourth time.

He was previously put in charge when Nuno Espirito Santo resigned in November 2015.

Ayestaran was Newcastle manager Rafael Benitez's assistant at five clubs, including Valencia and Liverpool.

Well then maybe Gary Neville wasn't a crap manager they are just a crap team...
On the other hand maybe he & they are both crap...

[stattointhailand]

"Well then maybe Gary Neville wasn't a crap manager they are just a crap team...
On the other hand maybe he & they are both crap... "

or possibly he took over a crap team from a crap manager and has not been given anywhere enough time to turn it round

[BobHelm]

Well they did some transfer business..

Although it looks like the only decent player they had in or out went out to the Gunners

I imagine it is pretty hard to get a bet that outgoing Pako will end up as Assistant at Newcastle??

[stattointhailand]

I somehow suspect that a vacancy is being advertised as we speak

Reckon the board should take some of the blame ........ 3 out in the last 48 hrs of transfer window.
Mustafi must have been an unsettling influence and he only gets 12 games to put the team together, get it to gel and start winning .....when Jose has lost 8 out of his first 12 at Man U will he get the boot as well

[BobHelm]

Oh dear it looks like it will soon be easier to list who in English football management who isn't on the take from The Telegraph undercover squad..
http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/37500734
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/09 ... bribe-low/

[BobHelm]

Aston Villa have sacked Roberto di Matteo as manager after just 124 days in the job.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/football/37534496

I have seen them play a couple of times this season & will admit that I was less than impressed.
Although I very much put that down to the quality of the players on display rather than the manager.

It seems that rather too many owners expect a manager to make a silk purse out of a pigs' ear. Sack them when they can't & so rinse & repeat....

[BobHelm]

Another gone - we have only just reached October...
But I guess American owner, American coach....

In a swift move Guidolin has been replaced by former United States national coach Bob Bradley.

Bradley had been manager of French side Le Harve this season.

1 - Bob Bradley is the first American to manage a team in the Premier League.

[stattointhailand]

Bob Bradley is the first American to manage a team in the Premier League.

And no doubt the last ......

so know who will be the other two relegated teams ......

great news for Blunderland etc etc etc

[stattointhailand]

So long as he gets his quater back working well they might still be alive at EASTER ........ the most STUPID appointment I can remember