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After already angering supporters with the recent announcement that Player of the Season Joey Barton would not be offered a new contract, Newcastle United’s chiefs are again suffering the wrath of the fans after controversially selling club captain Kevin Nolan to recently relegated West Ham. However, are some ’Toon Army’ fans reacting prematurely in deciding this is a bad move for the club? My opinion is yes, they are.

Being a Geordie and lifelong fan of the club myself, I too understand the passion that surrounds NUFC, I too had my heart ripped from my chest when we were relegated in 2009 with a 1-0 defeat away to Aston Villa, and I too felt as proud as every other supporter when we were promoted straight back to the EPL after dominating The Championship the following season.

I also know that without any question there has been many major errors made at the club since the arrival of owner Mike Ashley and his ‘cockney mafia’, yet this time, I don’t believe they are making the same mistakes as in previous years. This time I believe the club are finally looking like they can progress to the next level, and if the fans get behind the team, rather than against, I believe the future looks to be a bright one at St James’ Park.

No follower of football would argue that ‘super’ Kevin Nolan hasn’t been a truly inspiring player in his last two seasons for Newcaslte, as well as being a great role model to all youngsters at the club. This will quite rightly see that he is remembered as one of the top captains in the club’s recent history, which is no understatement.

In our Championship campaign just a mere two seasons ago, Nolan scored an impressive 17 goals and was named as Championship Player of the Year at the Football League Awards, his goals and all round play were a key reason for the team making a quick return to England’s top flight. His brilliant season didn’t stop there, though; he followed that up with an outstanding 12 goals in the Premier League this year and hit an historical hat-trick against fierce rivals Sunderland, leading us to a respectable 12th place finish and winning him a place in the hearts of all Geordies across the world.

After reading that, it becomes very clear why so many loyal supporters have been infuriated at his reported £3m sale, yet my theory is that the club have offloaded a player, who although brilliant in recent years, will now surely see his playing attributes starting to decline. Nolan, who turns 29 in just a week’s time, has never been a player of great stamina levels, yet he was reported to be seeking a 5 year contract at St James’, which would take him up to the age of 34 and still see him earning a massive £50k per week, a wage that the Newcastle bosses understandably didnt think was warranted.

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Many fans will never forgive Sports Direct and United owner Ashley for the errors he has made in the past, me being one of them, yet I can’t help but think that many supporters now simply set out to aim abuse at him, and will use any excuse possible to do so, this being one. To sum it up, the way I look at this sale is simply that we have lost a cracking player, but having already signed a top class player in Yohan Cabaye from French champions Lille on a long term deal, and with the optimism now surrounding the club in the current transfer window, it won’t be too significent.

Some fans seem to have forgotten that we still have the massive £35m from the sale of Andy Carroll to Liverpool, which manager Alan Pardew has been promised is available to spend, and having already named a wealth of targets in mind, such as Swiss star Tranquillo Barnetta, Senegalese striker Demba Ba and Turkish international Mevlut Erding, the 2011-12 Premier League campaign may yet prove to be a very promising one for us Magpies.

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I may not have changed the opinion of many loyal supporters with this article, yet I can’t understand what is to be achieved by causing unrest or starting yet another protest against Mike Ashley. This time, I hope all of our amazing fans can simply get behind the whole club, and who knows, maybe propel us to challenge for a European spot in the forthcoming campaign. After all, who has as great an influence on their team as our famous black and white army?

Article courtesy of Gary Watson from This is Futbol

Roberto Mancini’s position at Manchester City was not even on the agenda at a club summit in Abu Dhabi a week ago. Roberto Mancini’s job is said to be safe for the rest of the season, and has been handed a reported £80m war chest for January.

Manchester City took the unusual step of revealing that substantial transfer funds – up to £80million – will be available again to chase primary targets Edin Dzeko, the Wolfsburg striker, and Benfica’s versatile Brazilian defender David Luiz.

How long can this go on for? Manchester City can’t keep adding players to the party and selling off players they don’t need. The squad needs continuity if they are ever to fulfil their ambitions. The Manchester City board and management need to give this squad a chance to both gel and show what it can do. If by the end of the season they haven’t met their goals, then of course there is a real reason to spend. To buy up to £80m worth of talent in January will only unsettle the squad and could have an adverse effect on a fragile team morale.

With the reports that Manchester City are set to sign Edin Dzeko and David Luiz, you think to yourself why? With the system that Manchester City play, where would Edin Dzeko fit in. He would not be the lone striker ahead of Tevez, nor would he play wide. With Emmanuel Adebayor and Mario Balotelli in reserve, it seems a waste of money on a player who has never proved himself on the top stage. In respect to David Luiz, he is a top player but again, is he needed. Vincent Kompany has been superb and Kolo Toure has looked a far better player without the captain’s armband. Is David Luiz better than the centre half’s Manchester City have already? Maybe, but it would disrupt the team ten-fold if either one was to be replaced in January.

Manchester City have to be patient. Along with being patient with Roberto Mancini’s management they need to wait and see what this team can do. The quality is their, without a doubt, and with a bit of tweaking the side could push on in the Premier League. The issue for Manchester City fans must be, can the management sit and wait for success. They will have to, Manchester City can’t run before they can walk. They need to get into the Champions League before they can really set their sights on winning the Premier League – it seems that Mancini knows this. Chelsea were different. When Roman Abramovich came to Chelsea, they were in the Champions League. City are different. It will take a little more time, but it will come. However, it will be a slower process if they keep changing the team around every six months.

Manchester City need continuity. They need to stick with both their manager and the team he has assembled. Sure, a few tweaks here and their but nothing to the tune of £80m. The squad is good enough to challenge and to get into the Champions League – and for now that has to be Manchester City’s primary aim. If Manchester City are patient and let this team grow then success isn’t far away. However, if they keep bringing players in and changing the dynamic of the squad every six months the process will take a lot longer. The madness has to end at some point.

Like what you read? Comment below and follow me on twitter

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Click on image below to see a gallery of Christian’s lady wife

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When former Wednesday boss Danny Wilson was unveiled as the new United manager during the summer, the majority of blades fans disagreed with the decision.

We made our feelings felt through protest’s and radio phone-in shows but Kevin ‘tight pockets’ McCabe ensured us that he would bring success to Bramall lane in the coming seasons.

In the pre-season months Danny did well to keep on to key players like star youngster Maguire and Lowton while also keeping the highly-regarded Quinn at the club.

However it wasn’t all positive at Bramall Lane as even after agreeing a new contract with young prospect Jordan Slew, money at the top of the game showed its evil side with Slew departing to Premier League side Blackburn in a £1.1m deal

Despite this loss, Wilson didn’t panic bringing in Kevin McDonald and Lescinal Jean Francois who have both added an extra dimension to the team. Francois, who had already worked under Wilson at Swindon, knew how he liked see his teams play and really didn’t take long for his teammates to also learn Wilson’s ways.

After an opening day 2-0 victory away at Oldham, the Blades fans started to re-think the pre-season haste about Wilson. The fine start to the season continued with only a few slip-ups on the way and in January he was able to keep our key players at the club, which is truth was like a new signing in itself.

This help the supporters to get behind Danny and more believed he could be the man to take us straight back to the Championship.

A turning point was against Charlton in January when he got breakthrough with the fans who even started singing about him. Now he had the full backing of the fans and helped to strengthen this by bringing back James Beattie to the Lane, showing that he was preparing for the next level of football and the last promotion push.

With just two games left of the season, a sell-out home game against play-off chasing Stevenage, the teatime kick-off on sky, which has to be the perfect way for the fans to show their support and get behind the Blades.

Promotion is now in our sights, two wins and we are back in the Championship, an achievement we didn’t expect under Danny Wilson at the beginning of this season.

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Remember Blades WE’RE ON THE MARCH WITH WILSON’S ARMY!

Feel free to follow me on twitter @jakkUTBveall 

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France missed a chance to take control of Euro 2012 qualifying Group D after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Belarus on Friday.Laurent Blanc’s France came into the match in Minsk top of the group, four points ahead of second-placed Belarus.

Victory at Dynamo Stadium would have blown the lead out to eight points and – with four matches of the qualification remaining – put France within touching distance of a place in next year’s finals.

But they made hard work of the match from start to finish and proved unable to avenge a 1-0 home defeat in the first meeting between the teams in September last year.

It has been an inspiring end to the season for Eric Abidal, who overcame a cancer scare to be given the honour of lifting the Champions League trophy for Barcelona after their 3-1 win over Manchester United at Wembley in May.

But the full-back was brought back to reality on Friday when, under pressure from BATE Borisov’s Maksim Bordachev, he conceded an own-goal to put France behind 20 minutes into the match.

Chelsea winger Florent Malouda spared his former Lyon teammate’s blushes with the equaliser just two minutes later.

Malouda was played in by fellow ex-Lyon man Karim Benzema, but it would prove to be the Real Madrid striker’s only worthwhile contribution of the night as France struggled to threaten the home side.

While hardly a disaster, the lacklustre draw keeps France four points clear of Belarus and five ahead of third-placed Romania, with work yet to do if they are to secure passage to the Ukraine and Poland.

“It was a disappointing match, especially in the first half. We lacked a bit of freshness – I don’t think we deserved to win tonight,” Blanc said.

“They’ve taken four points off us in two matches and that’s a lot – yet they are not a better team than us. We came for three points and we didn’t get them.”

Courtesy of our friends at ‘The United Religion’

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Wayne Rooney left for the Nike Headquarters in America on Saturday, which clearly suggests that his Manchester United career is still hanging in the balance.

It has been well-documented that there is a virus going through the United squad, and it is very likely that the effected players are kept away from the rest of them to prevent it from becoming even worse.

Well, Rooney’s week’s vacation to the States is another way of getting quarantining the other virus that has hit Old Trafford recently, because since his intentions were revealed by Ferguson he has not spent much time with his teammates.

Before this little retreat, Rooney also spent a few days in sunny Dubai getting sun while his teammates combated the cold temperatures in England and Europe, but it ultimately kept him and his infectious behavior away from the United training ground.

So could this just part of Ferguson’s plan to offload him in either the winter or summer transfer windows?

The United supporters would be very foolish to think that Sir Alex has honestly revealed his cards before the final card was dealt, because that is something that the Gaffer has never done – and never would do!

This saga has gone very quiet – almost too quiet – and the United performances have reaped the benefits of that because they have reeled off five victories since the supposed conclusion of this debacle on Friday, October 22.

Like in life, the only thing in football that is certain is uncertainty, and one would be ill-advised if they though that United was liberated from this saying as well.

The players have done an admirable job coping with the stresses and pressures to extend their current unbeaten streak to 24 matches, but they do not have any off-the-field distractions to deal with anymore.

This is far from over, though.

Like it or not, Ferguson has been crossed, and the witty Scot has, and never will, forgive a player for doing what Rooney has done to him or the success and history he has built.

To question the ambition of the most successful managers in the history of the sport is not only disrespectful, but courageous to say the least.

Rooney has always been outspoken, which has often got him into trouble on the pitch, but his complete lack of respect has cost him dearly off of it now.

The total disregard for all of the adoring supporters, who have never once doubted him before Ferguson’s broke the news prior to the Bursaspor match on October 20 – even when an entire nation turned their backs on him following his disgraceful, unenthused performance at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Now, the sucker punch he gave those loyal supporters has knocked off their red-colored blinders, and they see Rooney for what he has always been – an egotistical, thoughtless punk.

Thankfully, United have a manager who cares enough about the club he works for to handle this situation with maturity and intelligence – which are two words that could ever be used to describe Rooney.

A lot of rumors must be circulating that the meeting between David Gill, Paul Stretford, Rooney and Ferguson could have been a sign-and-trade, so United can get top dollar for him.

It would not be at all surprising if there was personal terms already in place between Rooney and his potential employers, but Sir Alex more than likely said that it would be over his dead body before he would sell – unless United got his true worth in return.

This clearly meant that Rooney would have either have to sign a long-term deal with United, which he did by signing agreeing to a five-year deal, before Ferguson forced him to play in the Reserves for the next 20 months while letting his current contract run out.

The look on his face following the conclusion of the meetings did not sit well with some of the supporters, because he had a phony, half-wit smile on his face.

This sabbatical that he is probably enjoying at Nike HQs is more than likely because of a clause in the agreement that was to prevent him from playing against City – similar to the gentleman’s agreement with Tim Howard and Everton in 2006.

Carrington has similar, if not better, training facilities and physios than the corporate facility of Nike’s campus has, and to think that the top tabloids are not sending their media people there to spy is quite laughable.

The majority of the true supporters have already written him off as a Manchester United player, and it would take him an awful lot to regain their trust and respect, so Rooney might just be better off leaving for another club sooner rather than later.

The supporters stated and showed their disbelief and new-found hatred for their former talisman, by chanting “YSB!” and having different banners about his comments regarding the club that they love.

Ferguson said it was those two things that really woke his ignorant self up to how he was going to be received by the United supporters, but it should have never come to that, though.

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Rooney saw and heard first-hand just how much distaste they had for Carlos Tevez following his highly-discussed move across the city to Manchester City.

Unless he is completely disjointed from reality, which is what has been happening in the last couple of weeks by Ferguson, then those sights and sounds should have hit home and rung a bell in his thick skull so he would never think of doing such a thing.

The honest supporters know that Rooney, like most modern-day players, is very skillful, but lacks courtesy and common sense in these types of situations.

If this does happen, the supporters cannot be upset at Ferguson, because he has always acted with the best interest of the club at heart, and this circumstance is no different.

Conversely, Ferguson should be praised for putting this sham of a situation to an early bed, because it was not only effecting the team’s performances on the field, but for also holding City and Rooney ransom to get what he thinks is fair-market value for the out-of-sorts striker.

Hopefully this conspiracy theory is just that and not writing on the wall, because all of the implications and facts are there to make one believe that Wayne Rooney has played his last game for Manchester United.

Read more excellent blogs at ‘The United Religion’ website below

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has stated that his side will need to improve on poor European performances if they are to beat Athletic Bilbao at Old Trafford on Thursday night.

The Red Devils have been inconsistent on the continent this season, and face the San Mames side in the Europa League last 16.

Ferguson wants his team to show their worth, and is expected a difficult game against Marcelo Bielsa’s men.

“It’s a very difficult tie,” he admitted in a press conference, covered by The Guardian.

“From what we’ve seen, Bilbao are a very progressive team in Spain at the moment and it’s going to be a difficult game for us. It’s a game in which we need to waken up, there’s no question about that.

“Some of our European form this season has been disappointing but it’s an opportunity to progress and we have to take that opportunity. But it will need a very good performance.

“I don’t know if we’re making too many changes in these games. Certainly in the second leg against Ajax we did that, and in the Champions League group stage we made some changes.

“But we made mistakes in the group stage too, so it’s our own fault. But we’ll play a strong side against Bilbao and hopefully that makes a difference,” he concluded.

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By Gareth McKnight

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Sir Alex Ferguson has worn Manchester United’s Champions League defeat to Barcelona well, saying there is no shame in losing to the best.United played hosts of sorts to the final of Europe’s premier club competition on Saturday but were thoroughly outclassed at Wembley, losing 3-1 as Barcelona underlined their credentials as the best team in the world.

Pedro opened the scoring for Barca in the 27th minute, and though Wayne Rooney pulled one back for the English champions before the first half was out United were like mere playthings for Barca.

Lionel Messi, arguably the best player in the world and a deserved man of the match, produced a scintillating finish to restore Barca’s lead in the 54th minute, and David Villa added another 16 minutes later as the Spanish giants clinched their third Champions League title in six years.

Ferguson paid the Spanish champions the ultimate compliment after the match, declaring Barcelona the best team he has faced in his long and storied career.

”We were beaten, there is no other way to address the situation, by the best team,” the 69-year-old told ITV1.

”I expected us to do better but at the end of the day we were beaten by the better team. They are the best team we have ever played; they are at the peak in this cycle of their team.”

”There was good evidence we are a consistently good European team but we were beaten by the best team in Europe and there is no shame in that.”

“Sometimes you come up against a far better team and tonight was one of those nights.”

“In my time as a manager, it’s the best team we’ve faced. Everyone acknowledges that and I accept that. It’s not easy when you’ve been well beaten like that to think another way.”

“No one has given us a hiding like that. It’s a great moment for them. They deserve it because they play the right way and enjoy their football.”

Having lost their second Champions League final to Barcelona in three years after losing in Rome in 2009, Ferguson said United must now regroup and improve to rival the Catalan giants.

“It’s not easy, but it’s a challenge,” Ferguson said.

“You shouldn’t be afraid of a challenge. We’ve got better and better. We want to improve. Of course, next season, we must improve even more.”

“But we have a challenge with Barcelona. We all do. It’s no consolation being the second best team. I don’t enjoy being second best. Any club with the history we have – Real Madrid, AC Milan – they’d say the same.”

Birmingham City manager Alex McLeish was left disappointed after seeing his side fight back from two goals down before losing 3-2 at Stoke City.

The Blues looked to have salvaged a point at the Britannia Stadium, before Dean Whitehead bundled home a scrappy winner five minutes from time.

McLeish commented:"It would have been a great point and I thought the way we were going at the time of the equaliser, the momentum was with us.

"We were right on top at two each and their third goal was a dog's breakfast of a goal. It was shocking.

"We have lost some uncharacteristic goals this season. The defenders have not been poor individually – we have still defended well and we saw Scott Dann and Roger Johnson battling tonight against two big centre-forwards, a good 50-50 battle.

"But to lose the goal the way we did was soft to say the least.

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"I have seen the goal about ten times and it is difficult to say whether there was a handball, but Kenwyne Jones got a touch, then Fuller got a touch.

"It was probably the only time our centre-halves lost out on a ball consecutively in the whole game."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

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t’s beyond belief that a football club the size of Rangers could even contemplate entering administration. But that’s the harsh reality they’re facing right now. An unpaid £9 million tax bill accrued since owner Craig Whyte bought the club from Sir David Murray in May has left the Gers’ SPL title defence in tatters following a 10-point deduction. Despite challenging at the top of their respective league, playing European football every season and holding the status of being Scotland they’ve managed to end up in a hazardous financial position.

That uncertainty resonated with me personally as a Newcastle United fan who almost saw his club suffer a similar fate. Relegation to the Championship in 2009 almost crippled the Magpies leaving supporters like myself unsure as to whether we’d ever recover. Years of heinous overspending, second-rate, money obsessed players and an owner incapable of making diligent football decisions left the Geordie nation staring into the abyss. Like Rangers, who’s future looks bleak under Whyte, the former Premier League giants had engineered their own demise and turned on the portly gentleman plonked in the executive seats. However whilst fans of the Scottish club are lusting after their owners blood it’s an entirely different picture at Newcastle these days.

It’s hard to believe almost five-years have passed since reclusive businessman Mike Ashley swooped in to save the club from financial ruin after former owner Freddy Shepherd frittered away most of the finances at St James’ Park chasing the European dream. Ashley was the best thing since sliced bread upon his arrival. Sitting with the fans at away games, chugging beer, sacking Sam Allardyce and replacing him with local messiah Kevin Keegan. He was the toast of the Toon. Even downing an Emirates pint put him in the Geordie good books. Nothing could go wrong. Well actually yes it could. You all know the story by now. Keegan left, fans revolted, the ‘Cockney Mafia’ tag was born, Dennis Wise, Joe Kinnear, Alan Shearer, Relegation. Enough said.

The toxic atmosphere around the town centre threatened to provoke uproar. Ashley had never anticipated becoming a figure of hostility. From my point of view he never fully understood how much the football club meant to supporters. To him it was just a business but to the Toon Army it’s a part of their extended family. But that was the problem. Ashley was just a businessman. He had no discernible knowledge of how to run a football club and the trust he placed in certain people to make decisions of a footballing nature backfired spectacularly. The premise of creating a team that would report between the manager and chairman looked fool proof on paper. But what Ashley didn’t understand was that the bond between owner/chairman and manager is an important relationship that doesn’t require a middleman to facilitate communication.

Realistically losing their top-flight status should have caused the demise of a club that once came close to winning the league title in consecutive seasons. Uninterested players, astronomical wages, transfer fees and debt left over from the previous regime and uncertainty on who would be guiding the club through it’s first campaign in England second tier for 18-years left supporters fearing the worst. Rumours that the Sports Direct mogul was preparing to sell the club were gripping the North East. Whilst the Magpies were put up for sale on a few occasions Ashley was also formulating a plan that is still in action to this day. Without him the club would still be trying to drag itself out of the gutter. Anyone continuing to doubt his business acumen should continue reading. You don’t become a billionaire over night.

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With the financial fair play rules coming into play Ashley decided it was time Newcastle dispensed with the big names and operate under strict regulations. His plan was to reduce debt, cut costs but not at the detriment to the playing squad. No more marquee signings, panic buying or thirty-somethings brought in to plug holes. How refreshing is that in the modern day by the way? Transfers are planned, well thought out and only sanctioned if they represented a good deal for the club.More importantly they had to be the right player for the dressing room. Players are scouted extensively sometimes for years on end. Chief scout Graham Carr is the man responsible for all that and has fast become the clubs biggest asset. Kudos to Ashley once again!

Carr’s talents have unearthed gems like Cheick Tiote, Yohan Cabaye, Davide Santon and new number nine Papiss Cisse. But whilst his keen eye brought these players to our attentions credit must go to Ashley and chief executive Derek Llambias. It’s their negotiating skills that have made it possible for these individuals to pull on the famous black and white stripes without compromising the financial policies in place. Ashley and Llambias aren’t the type to give in to anyones demands or be held to ransom. Just ask Joey Barton. Anyway that group of players alone cost just over £20 million. A little over half of the £35 million received from Liverpool for Andy Carroll 12 months ago. You don’t see many people criticising that transfer anymore do you? Throw free buy and leading scorer Demba Ba into the mix and it’s even more satisfying for us Geordies.

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The decision to sack Chris Hughton and bring in Alan Pardew has also turned out to be a masterstroke none of us thought possible. The way events have transpired he is the best manager Newcastle have had since Sir Bobby Robson. The club are currently one point and two places away from the top four under the current regime. Who could have predicted that at the start of this season?

Like every human being on this planet Ashley has made mistakes but quickly learned from them and Newcastle United are better off for that. Looking at Rangers’ plight I can honestly say, Sports Direct Arena aside, I would’t swap him for the world. From the ashes he’s risen like a phoenix….or should that be magpie?

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An injury-time equaliser from Mehdi Ballouchy salvaged a point for New York Red Bulls in a 2-2 draw with the Houston Dynamo in the MLS on Saturday.Jamaican Dane Richards scored in the first minute for New York but the lead did not last long as Brad Davis responded from the penalty spot inside the first 15 minutes.

Houston had not won in the last three matches but continued to press Hans Backe’s side, who were also similarly out of form.

And it was a change from Backe’s opposite number, Dynamo boss Dominic Kinnear, that changed the complexion of the match when Spanish attacker Koke was brought on from the bench with 15 minutes to play.

It took Koke just seven minutes to find the back of the net and as the match headed into injury-time it seemed that there was to be only one winner, until Moroccan midfielder Ballouchy made his late, dramatic intervention.

In other matches, three goals in 11 second-half minutes decided the outcome of the Philadelphia Union’s 2-1 home win over the Chicago Fire.

Defender Sheanon Williams’ 64th-minute opener for the hosts was quickly cancelled out by Ghanaian Dominic Oduro as proceedings were levelled.

But Guatemalan Carlos Ruiz had the final say as he scored with 15 minutes remaining in a win that lifts Philadelphia above New York in the Eastern Conference.

Chris Barrett’s 26th-minute goal gave the LA Galaxy, who top the Western Conference, a 1-0 away win at Chivas USA while defender Jeff Parke’s strike in the third minute of injury-time gave the Seattle Sounders a 1-0 win over Sporting Kansas City.

Goals in the last 20 minutes from Ellis McLoughlin and Bobby Convey gave the San Jose Earthquakes a 2-1 win over the New England Revolution although they had to survive a late scare, while the Portland Timbers recorded a 1-0 win over Columbus Crew thanks to a goal from Eric Brunner.