Demba Cisse shaking hands with Alan Pardew

Pragmatic Newcastle United show that January need not be a time to fear for clubs outside the ‘big 6’

January 28, 2012 philib57 Leave a comment

31^st January 2011. After a relatively successful 30 days of the January transfer window, which had seen no departures and the signing on a permanent basis of the mercurial Hatem Ben Arfa, as well as the loan signing of the unpredictable, though undeniably talented Steven Ireland, all seems well. Fast-forward 24 hours to the morning of 1^st February, and a feeling of shock, anger and above all fear pervades the atmosphere at St. James’ Park. Terrace favourite Andy Carroll, wearer of the iconic number 9, focal point of the attack and top goal scorer had been sold to Liverpool – no one had come in to replace him. Newcastle, it seemed, had fallen victim to a peril of the January window that will be all too familiar to supporters of teams outside the ‘big 6’ – bigger clubs sniffing around and snatching up your team’s best players, leaving the squad significantly weaker and demoralised.

As it transpired, a strike force consisting of Best, Lovenkrands, Ameobi and the far from marquee signing Shefki Kuqi was enough to keep the team in the division comfortably – though this is thanks mainly to the goals of Kevin Nolan, and the close-knit team spirit fostered under his captaincy. However, in the immediate aftermath of the Carroll sale this did not seem a likely occurrence. It may seem bizarre in hindsight, with Newcastle flying high in 6^th place in the Premier League at the time of writing, but there was at the time a genuine feeling amongst many supporters that relegation was a genuine possibility, and that £35 million for Andy Carroll did not represent a good deal if there were not enough goals scored to keep the team in the league. As more than one observer pointed out, “you can’t play a £35 million cheque up front”.

It turned out, however, that Liverpool struggled to play a £35 million player up front, as

Andy Carroll looking miserable — The former Geordie number 9 has found life difficult at Liverpool so far

Carroll found it hard to regain fitness and form in the second half of the season, making only 7 appearances in the league for his new club, scoring only 2 goals. He has continued this poor form into the current season, making 20 appearances but scoring just 2 goals in the league, and the fee paid on the much hyped ‘DEADLINE DAY’ looks ever more ridiculous with each passing game. Contrast this with Newcastle, who, far from being weakened by his departure, have in fact strengthened their squad, investing the money in the summer on shrewd buys such as Demba Ba (free), Yohan Cabaye (£5 million) and Davide Santon (£5.3 million). Ba in particular shows the folly of Liverpool’s spending, a free transfer who has scored 15 goals in 19 league games, including a memorable volley in the 3-0 thumping of champions Manchester United.

Going into this season’s January window, however, it seemed the same story – prolific Newcastle striker leaving for a bigger club – would be the outcome, with Spurs manager Harry Redknapp first revealing a mysterious ‘release clause’ in Ba’s contract, then doing his best ‘Brucie’ impersonation in a bizarre press conference in which he encouraged journalists to go higher or lower in guessing how much Ba could be bought for. It is Newcastle, though, who have played their cards right so far. Having decided against taking a £7 million gamble on the fitness of Modibo Maiga, Alan Pardew and Chief Scout Graham Carr secured the signing of long term striking target Papiss Demba Cisse for £10 million. Of course, there is no guarantee that he will prove to be an instant success, but given the way in which Carr’s other signings have taken to the Premier League, there is no reason why the prolific Senegalese can’t maintain the form he has shown in a struggling Freiburg side so far this season, scoring 9 goals in 17 games for a team languishing in 17^th place in the Bundesliga.

His 22 goals in 32 games last season suggest this is a player who can make all the difference in a side ambitious to continually improve and push on in the second half of the season. “We don’t just want to be happy with where we are – we want to keep improving”, said Danny Simpson in an interview with the Journal, and signings such as Cisse give Newcastle the ability to do just that. If Demba Ba can maintain his pre-African Cup of Nations form and gel with his fellow compatriot then there seems no reason why the club can’t grab a Europa League place come the end of the season. In addition to the signing of the number 9, much needed defensive cover is seemingly on the way as well, with Pardew adopting the sensible tactic of dipping into the championship for an affordable squad player – gone may be the days of seeing 5 ft 10 James Perch toiling at centre half against 6 ft 4 strikers, as was the case against Norwich earlier this season.

With 4 days still to go until the end of the window, there is, of course, still time for one of the bigger clubs in the league to swoop for one of Newcastle’s best players, but what the club has demonstrated is that when approached pragmatically, this month which is usually approached with dread by teams outside the top 6, can in fact be a time of excitement for fans, and an opportunity to genuinely strengthen the squad.

Robert Snodgrass, Adam Clayton and Aidan White

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Three Leeds fans would be loath to lose

January 27, 2012 Spoughts Leave a comment

The transfer window is generally a disappointing time for Leeds fans. The summer brought rumours of Smith, Bowyer and Woodgate, and finished with Rachubka, Brown and O’Dea. Whilst two of these three have turned out to be serviceable players, the departure of several others rendered that particular window in a negative light. Already club captain Jonny Howson has departed in January, and rumours still abound about the loss of several other players. For fans, however, there are three key players, linked with other clubs, that for various reasons they’d be particularly distraught about losing. Here I explore these, and why.

Robert Snodgrass

In discussions about Leeds, there have been accusations at various points this season that Leeds have been rendered a one-man side. Analyst and Leeds United legend Eddie Gray has often said at the end of games that he’s whenever Snodgrass doesn’t play, whether this is due to injury or he doesn’t ‘play’, having a poor game, he’s convinced Leeds are unable to get a result. Snodgrass is undoubtedly Leeds’s best player, and he has shown himself to be a wonderful example of a modern inside winger. Playing on the wrong foot, Snodgrass finds himself in a right-wing role. With enough tricks to fool even the most competent of full-backs, Snodgrass will often find himself cutting inside to provide provision balls, or put the ball in the back of the net himself. Leeds fans already knew of his ability as a provider, but this season he has already scored 4 more goals in the league, having played 15 games fewer. As both a goalscorer and a provider, he is therefore key to the manner in which Leeds play. With rumours throughout the window that he is departing, and concrete offers for him having taken place in the summer, there is a constant fear that Snodgrass will depart.

Adam Clayton

Last season, when Adam Clayton made his debut against Derby County whilst on loan from Manchester City, it looked as though the young midfielder would be completely unable to control a bag of cement, never mind a football. Therefore, when Leeds found themselves in the position of naming him a first-choice central midfielder after the departures of Bradley Johnson and Neil Kilkenny, fans were rightly concerned. For those who tracked him through the reserves and two loan spells last season, however, they will have been aware of the great change that occurred. No longer a weak-looking young central midfielder, Clayton has often been responsible for the bite in the Leeds midfield. For a significant part of the early season, Clayton was Leeds’s best player, and looked a class above the rest of the team. Whilst his form has dipped somewhat, he clearly has the potential to play in a better league, and with Leeds particularly weak through the middle, the 23-year old Clayton would be an incredible loss. Already linked to Bolton, those in charge at other clubs have clearly taken notice of this young upstart.

Aiden White

There is an odd occurrence that takes place on a nearly bi-weekly basis at Elland Road. The right winger of the opposition, known throughout the league as a speed-based player, will knock the ball past the Leeds left-back. The away fans will rise, cheering their man on as he seems set to beat the young player to the byline. Suddenly, however, a dawning realisation will occur. Their man cannot beat Aiden White. White will easily beat him to the ball and deal with the danger. A prospect who came through the academy, White has spent years on the fringes of the Leeds set-up, finally becoming a first-team player this year. Blessed with bags of pace, White has shown himself to be an immensely talented left-back. The problem, however, is that his contract will run out in the summer, and there has been little word as to the potential for renewing this. White could possibly be the sort of left-back Premier League clubs covet, and given his pace, he could easily be crafted into a player in the mould of Gareth Bale by the right top-flight manager. Given the contract situation, Leeds fans are therefore concerned the club will either cash in on the academy product, or simply allow his contract to wind down.

Honorable mentions: Ross McCormack, Tom Lees, Luciano Becchio.

Follow Amitai Winehouse on Twitter @awinehouse1

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Football’s Away Days

January 25, 2012 jthornton26 Leave a comment

Every fan remembers their first away day. I was part of the first generation to grow up away from the terraces, and instead experience the comforts of the all-seater stadium with its ample legroom and aesthetically pleasing surroundings. You can imagine then how much of a culture shock it was when I went to my first ever away game in the late 90’s – an F.A. Cup game at Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground.

The first thing I remember thinking was – let’s be honest – this place is a dump. Following the considerable commute to North Wales I decided to visit the toilets. However rather than being confronted by a row of glistening urinals and cubicles, I was met by a brick wall and the stench of urine and beer. As I sat down at my seat feeling a bit dazed and confused I realized that something else was wrong. Where was the legroom?! The seat in front was mere inches away from my legs and the man next to me was virtually sat on my knee. However once you get over this, you begin to realize that away days are a bit different. There is a special atmosphere amongst the fans. The acoustics of a tightly packed away support in a rickety old stand behind the goal generate an atmosphere rarely paralleled at home games. For instance, old-fashioned grounds like Hillsborough, Oakwell and the City Ground are not necessarily the most pleasing on the eye but the atmosphere they create is often electric. There’s a certain something, a je ne sais quoi, in the air at away games, which is hard to describe. Whether it’s a Tuesday night away at Chesterfield in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy with just a handful of fans or an F.A. Cup tie away at the Emirates with a travelling army, the experience is incredible.

Indeed, in my opinion some of the best away days have come at the older, more decrepit grounds, and with not necessarily the largest away followings. Travelling to a midweek game miles away from home with a group of fans who have often dedicated their entire weekly wages to follow their team, the hardcore and the lifeblood of any team, you realise those who surround you are the real diehards. If you go to enough away games you will start to recognize the same faces and distinctive shouts of ‘Get into ‘em!’. These people represent the soul of British football. These supporters would never even contemplate missing a game because it’s on television or because their team is languishing in mid-table. Obviously all clubs need casual supporters in order to flourish. This is the type of fan who goes to one or two away games for the local derbies and attends home games when the club is playing well. They provide a vital revenue stream for the club, by purchasing tickets, programmes, merchandise and so on. It is however those fans who rigidly attend away games, no matter what, who give the club its identity.

Away days are therefore something that every true football fan relishes. Sure, the food and the drink can be outrageously priced (£4 for a roast vegetable and cauliflower pie at the Emirates anyone?), and you have to pay £3 for a programme which features a usually error filled two pages on your team. Despite this, the away day is engrained in the football fans psyche and is indeed a rite of passage for all fans. The away day transcends social barriers and for 90 minutes you are among people who live and breathe football. The passion on display is startlingly refreshing in this age of Sky Sports and inflated prices. This is not to say that home games are undervalued by fans, nevertheless there is no better feeling than coming away from a rival’s ground surrounded by likeminded fans with 3 points in the bag – it even makes the arduous trek home seem bearable.