Barcelona are supposedly keeping an eye on Jaden Philogene of Hull City as they want to bolster their team with a new winger. Spanish media outlets have reported that they have already started negotiations to sign the 22-year-old English winger.



According to <a href="https://www.relevo.com/futbol/mercado-fichajes/barcelona-lanza-jaden-philogene-tapado-20240625095508-nt.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Relevo</a>, Barcelona has already contacted <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/hull-city-tv-schedule/">Hull City</a> regarding a potential transfer for Philogene, whose contract runs until 2026. While <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/nico-williams-release-clause-revealed-as-several-clubs-circle/">Nico Williams</a> remains their primary target, the Catalan club views the 22-year-old English winger as a viable Plan B; should the acquisition of the Spanish international fall through.



The proposed deal would involve an initial loan with a purchase option, which would benefit the Blaugrana in FFP regulations. Also, it would allow them to evaluate the Englishman’s fit within their squad before committing to a permanent transfer.



<h2>The path from academy player to rising star</h2>



Jaden Philogene’s journey to becoming a sought-after player began when he joined Hull from Aston Villa in 2023. Despite not breaking into the first team, his stellar performances in the Championship have drawn the attention of several top European clubs; including Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund, and <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/barcelona-tv-schedule/">Barcelona</a>.



As a product of Aston Villa’s youth academy, he made six senior appearances for Villa, assisting two goals. During his time in Birmingham, he had loan spells at Stoke and Cardiff, where he made a notable impression. Then, he moved permanently to the MKM Stadium last year for $5.3 million, with the Lions retaining a buyback option.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><div><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" width="1200" height="670" src="https://media.worldsoccertalk.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2024/06/16040547/Jaden-Philogene-1200x670-1200x670.webp" alt="" class="wp-image-513507" sizes="(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px"></figure></div></figure>



Since joining the Tigers, Philogene has enjoyed an impressive season, recording 12 goals and six assists in 33 appearances. He has also made four appearances for England’s Under-21 side, scoring three goals. As a right-footed player, he excels on the left wing, utilizing his dribbling skills and goalscoring ability to catch the eye of scouts and clubs alike.



His talent was further highlighted when he scored a goal that became a Puskas Award contender. He scored an exquisite rabona that curled into the far corner of the net against Rotherham United. With two years remaining on his contract at Hull City and an option for a third, Philogene’s future is bright. Despite whether he stays in the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/championship-tv-schedule/">Championship</a> or makes a move to a top-tier European club.



<h2>Barcelona to turn to cheaper options like Jaden Philogene</h2>



Barcelona’s pursuit of Philogene aligns with their strategy to bolster their attack amidst uncertainties surrounding the futures of players like Ferran Torres and Raphinha. With financial constraints influencing their transfer decisions, the Blaugrana are exploring cost-effective options to enhance their squad depth and quality.



While the 22-year-old is not the top priority, he remains a strong candidate due to his impressive performance and potential for growth. The Catalan club has been linked with other young talents like Assane Diao and Jadon Sancho, but Philogene’s availability and lower cost make him an attractive option.



Jaden Philogene is the kind of player that Hansi Flick might need coming into the new season. Thus, If the agreements for other key targets fall through, the Catalans will likely instead think about a cheap move for Philogene.



PHOTOS: IMAGO

Huge leap? Championship star linked with shocking Barca move

Barcelona are supposedly keeping an eye on Jaden Philogene of Hull City as they want to bolster their team with a new winger.

<div id="attachment_817" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><a href="http://epltalk.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/7/files/2010/05/ParachuteBurn.jpg"><div><figure class="external-image"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-817" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-817 " src="/files/2010/05/ParachuteBurn-300x223.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="223"></figure></div></a>This just about sums things up…</div>
If you have seen the <a href="http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11688_6145731,00.html">news recently regarding parachute payments</a>, you may have also heard that many clubs originally were against the proposal, mainly those who were in league’s one and two. It could appear that the football league has somewhat been <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/apr/29/premier-league-football-league-parachute-payments">bullied into accepting</a> this offer, and the implications of such a deal could create a number of problems for teams in the football league by creating a much larger gap between the leagues and also giving a lot of teams an easy way out. You may have read something I wrote recently regarding the <a href="http://www.championshiptalk.com/pay-up-pompey-pompey-pay-up/794">situation at future Championship dwellers Portsmouth</a> and their money problems, and although it would appear that the Premiership is attempting to follow the trend of money in football, it would appear they’re almost encouranging teams to build up more risk and spend more money to have a shot at the Premiership, when in truth they should be going in the opposite direction and making it so that clubs don’t have to spend ridiculous amounts of money in order to compete in leagues once they are promoted. This season should have been a wake up call, but instead it hasn’t.
You may have heard lately claims that Newcastle United have <a href="http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11678_6144424,00.html">no desire to spend in the summer</a> after a <a href="http://www.nufc.com/2009-10html/2010-05-09nufc-statement.html">confusing statement was released by the club’s board</a>, and much of the media have reported it in this way after reading the statement ‘there is no plan for new capital outlay’. The statement is extremely hard to read and there is an <a href="http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2010/05/the-statement-newcastle-should-have-released.html#more">altered version here from George Caulkin</a> which may be a better read for you, but what that statement supposedley means is that Newcastle do not plan on spending money they don’t have – e.g: no paying in installments, such has been the way of football in the past several decades. And this is the way football should be, because you see teams like West Ham and Hull in the Premiership who have spent ridiculous amounts of money and then realised that they don’t have those funds, and what success did they gain? They both fought a relegation battle and one got relegated. There is pressure from the fans today to spend money and bring players in, but this has been created due to the nature and culture of the clubs that has been created over the past few years and now there are a number of what would be considered badly managed businesses. Man Utd and Liverpool have a ridiculous amount of debt, now Liverpool aren’t in the Champions League next season, it would appear that things can only get worse. Newcastle are a club that are famous for spending vast amounts of sums in the Premiership, and before Ashley took over they were destined to go into administration, in one facebook group dedicated to rubbish Premiership players, I believe one person described Newcastle as ‘the king’s of rubbish Premiership players’. It is good to see that there is a change in emphasis, but there is still a fear that the gap between the two leagues due to the money being spent by a number of sides could see them relegated once again, as there is too much pressure to spend money.
But the best example I can give you is West Bromich Albion, who have again been promoted this season. They’ve been promoted and relegated for a number of seasons now, and they’ve never really spent a massive amount of money other clubs have once they have been promoted, with most of the same board in place I don’t expect them to do so this season either. But why is it fair that West Brom who are a club that spend their money correctly and have a manageable debt can’t compete, against a load of clubs that are spending money they don’t have in chase of an unrealistic dream, and the thing is, the majority of these teams are eventually crumbling. Sheffield Wednesday chairman Lee Strafford<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/apr/28/crystal-palace-sheffield-wednesday-relegation"> made a poin</a>t of this before his team was relegated at the hands of Crystal Palace, and although he didn’t exactly say that they should be relegated as the Guardian quoted, he did make a point of there needing to be greater punishments for clubs and I agree with this only to scare them into not taking up unmanageable risk and if they do, they will just face the consequences.
Now that the parachute payments have doubled, it means teams that are relegated have a greater chance to establish themselves in the league, thus diminishing a league one sides potential at competing in the Championship. It is also encouranging clubs to spend ridiculous amounts of money they don’t have, safe in the knowledge that they will get that money. The biggest danger is that all of a sudden the English leagues get split into two, and although there will always be a gap between the Championship and the Premiership, a huge gap between league one and the Championship could spell disaster for the English game. Imagine if you supported a team in league one or league two, what would your dream be for your club? I bet it would be to some day see your side play in the top flight of English football, but these changes could make that unlikely. The greatest possibility of achieving this would be guess what? Spending loads of money the club does not have. I’m not saying don’t give teams parachute payments, they’re necessary for the game and they were at the right level before this game, but the Premier League’s obsession with being ‘the best league in the world’ is starting to hurt English football a bit now. At the least, clubs should be encouraged not to spent wild amounts of money they don’t have, if anything for the fans who will ultimately just suffer in the end. <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/3473712/Five-things-the-English-Premier-League-can-learn-from-the-German-Bundesliga-Football.html">Germany is a prime example</a> of how finances should be controlled in football, but I fear that this approach will never be taken in this country unless something terrible happens in order to force the hierarchy. This unfortantley is bad news for much of the English game.

What Parachute Payment Changes Mean To The Football League

What Parachute Payment Changes Mean To The Football League - World Soccer Talk

<div id="attachment_733" style="width: 260px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><div><figure class="external-image"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-733" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-733" src="http://epltalk.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/7/files/2010/01/50-pounds-fan.jpg" alt="It&apos;s that time again!" width="250" height="245"></figure></div>It&apos;s that time again!</div>
I remember when the January transfer window first came to football. Forgive me if I can’t remember the exact year but I remember FIFA decided that it was a good idea to help all the small clubs hold onto their top players for larger parts of a season. Nobody could have predicted the level of insanity and inflated pricing that it would have brought, but now January is a special time for football fans; almost like Christmas in the footballing world. Especially the last two days where we see all the panic buys, prompting many of us to ask why managers didn’t use the previous 30 days available to them – but that would be silly wouldn’t it? Just about every team in the Championship could arguably do with strengthening in the first month of the year and it will be interesting to see who is welcomed to the league and who we will be saying goodbye to:
Barnsley:
Mark Robbins has done a fine job so far but his biggest desire will most likely be a striker and Billy Sharp has been one of the names thrown around. Sheffield United may well want return him from his loan at Doncaster so they can cash in, but expect Yorkshire rivals to try all they can told hold onto their top player this season. Barnsley have agreed to extend the loan deals of Stoke players Ryan Shotton and Carl Dickinson so Robbins will be delighted that have those players as options. As far as departures, no major players have been rumoured to be leaving the club so watch this space.
Blackpool:
How much ambition does the Blackpool board have? Playoff contenders Blackpool have surprised many this season but they still have a lot of work to do. They’ve already supposedly failed to sign <a href="http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11728_5836645,00.html">Roman Torres</a> and there’s been and Holloway has admitted that players will only be coming in if they have the right character. No offers have come in for their players yet, but few would be surprised if some clubs tested the Seasider’s resolve on in form midfielder Charlie Adam; a player who has been a joy to watch all season.
Bristol City:
Not to look too much into anyones personal life but does anyone else think there was a heated Christmas affair at the Johnson household? Lee Johnson, son of Robbins manager Gary Johnson, has left the club for the injury struck Derby, on an original one-month loan deal; guess it wasn’t a Merry Christmas for all of us. The club is currently in a defensive crisis, so City fans should expect Christian Ribeiro to return to the club from his loan spell at Stockport. Targets have been discussed this week, but Johnson will no doubt be disappointed to learn that he must <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/bristol_city/8439342.stm">fund himself</a> this month by selling players first.
Cardiff City:
Peter Ridsdale will become the most unpopular chairman in the country for a second time if he is lying about the club’s potential administration possibility, but Cardiff do need to strengthen their team if they want to keep up with those around them. Fabian Delph is thought to be high on Dave Jones’ list, as a midfielder appears to be the priority for this month. Villa don’t seem keen on loaning out young star Delph but there is no doubt that Cardiff will enquire and if they can bag the player in on loan it could allow another player to come in at the same time as Jones has been promisd £3 million to spend. Bristol Rovers star Chris Lines has also been touted, a player who’s contract is up at the end of the season; the right bid may be too good to turn down as Rovers will not want to risk losing him for nothing. An unusually quiet window in terms of rumours for Joe Ledley may be explained by new kid on the block Adam Matthews, who is courting interest from big teams such as Manchester United and Arsenal. Let’s see if the Bluebirds can hold on.
Coventry City:
It’s common practice for English clubs to raid the Irish leagues these days, and Coventry have moved quickly to snap up Gary Deegan. Richard Woods and Chris Hussey have made their loan moves permanent, business Chris Coleman is delighted with and their is a move in the pipe line for league one stand out Carl Baker who has impressed many this season. It certainly appears as if Coleman is doing all he can to fight off the relegation threat to the club and we may even expect more new arrivals at the Ricoh arena. Coleman will not be happy however to hear that Sunderland have an eye on goalkeeper Kieran Westwood and the club must do everything in their power to keep one of the leagues top goalkeepers.
Crystal Palace:
Will any money be spent? No. Palace have <a href="http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11706_5818892,00.html">struggled to find the green stuff </a>this season and a team that was already quite inexperienced may get even more so by the end of the window. Palace are even in danger of losing their manager Neil Warnock as he eyes up the chance to manage league counterparts Sheffield Wednesday. You must have been living under a rock if you haven’t heard the name Victor Moses linked with just about every club above Palace in the country and Palace have certainly shown they aren’t going to be pushed over despite their monetary problems as they’ve set an asking price of £5 million. Expect more stories about players going out this month as opposed to players coming in.
Derby County:
Derby need new faces fast. They’ve been hit so badly with injuries that Nigel Clough has struggled to get a consistent team together that understands how they play. An ambitious side that would be appealing to any player really, a striker is top of their list. Michael Symes, James Vaughan and Fredrik Stoor are all on Clough’s radar as the Rams look to get someone quality up front. Danny Buijs of Ado Den Haag was keen on a move to the club but this may have fallen through due to his clubs reluctance to loan him out. Recently fit again Kris Commons is attracting interest from the Premiership, Wolves have their eye on the talented midfielder.
Doncaster Rovers:
There’s not much coming out of Donny at the moment. Billy Sharp has recently won PFA player of the month and the Keepmoat outfit will be hoping that Sheffield United don’t exercise their option to recall the front man. A rumoured move for Daniel Cousin seems unlikely, especially considering that QPR are in advanced talks with the player. Martin Woods has been making some eye catching performances this season and the club will be trying to fend off the likes of Cardiff and Middlesbrough this month so they can hold onto him.
Ipswich Town:
Roy Keane has already spent quite a lot of money as manager of Ipswich and results on the pitch have not reflected this. Giovanni Dos Santos is wanted by the tractor boys once again and may well be one of a few signings coming in this month unless players move out. Tamas Priskin has been a flop since his £1.7m move and may well be heading towards the exit door this month and could well pave the way for Derby striker Rob Hulse.
Leicester City:
If Nigel Pearson had plans at the start season for this transfer window then he may well want to throw them out of the window and reassess. City are another admirer of Chris Lines and will be part of a bidding war for him. A bizarre move for Edgar Davids may materialise as well, chairman Milan Mandaric has spoken of his admiration of the former Dutch international recently; paying his wages may be another issue though (maybe he has another with all that tax dodging he’s been up to). Top scorer Matt Fryatt has been watched by Wigan recently and Pearson will not fancy losing him.
Middlesbrough:
Kris Boyd would be a huge capture for the troubled North East side and Boro are certainly <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/8442623.stm">considering that avenue</a> due to Rangers current financial difficulties. Signs would suggest that Strachan is keen to utilise his knowledge of the Scottish leagues, as his former players Gary Caldwell and Scott McDonald have both been suggested as Boro arrivals. In any case expect many arrivals for the short-handed side as Didier Digard prepares to depart the Riverside.
Newcastle United:
Chris Hughton has got money available to him and Jermaine Beckford seems more and more likely to join the Geordies after <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/leeds_united/8444552.stm">recently handing in another transfer request</a>. A defender is also a desire for the Toon, but don’t expect Matthew Killgallon to move to the North East, the defender has now committed to Sheffield United until the end of the season. Former Ballon D’or nominee (that’s right) Geremi made a little unannounced detour on his way to Angola to meet up with potential new club Ankaragucu. Although they haven’t actually agreed anything with Newcastle the Turkish side still decided to throw the confetti and a party for the player; talk about confidence!
Nottingham Forrest:
Could anyone really play their way into this in form side? Forrest fans will be hoping that Billy Davies can make some signings as to maintain their promotion push and former England international Nicky Shorey is their first priority. It’s been highly reported for a while that the club has an interest in Tottenham’s Gareth Bale but this may be quite unlikely as it is unknown what Harry Redknapp wants to do with the player. Swindon’s Charlie Austin could be a more likely transfer although this is a light rumour as of now. There has been little interest from any clubs so far in Forrest players.
Peterborough United:
Another non-league player comes in (surprise Posh fans!) Josh Simpson. Aldershot’s Marvin Morgan has been attracting interest, although this may seem unlikely now the club has captured Reuben Reid from West Brom. Izale McLeod is the subject of interest from the Posh, but they face interest from Scottish Premier League side Hearts. The traditional round of Joe Lewis leaving rumours have begun already, particularly after Barry Fry told Harry Redknapp he had first option on the player – Redknapp later telling everyone. Good one Barry.
Plymouth Argyle:
So far for Plymouth its been more a case of who’s leaving this month. However, the green army could be tempted to bring back out of favour Hull player Peter Halmosi. It is a bit unknown who new boss Paul Mariner is after, as the club have seen defenders Kirsztan Timar and Marcel Seip both leave already and Steven MacLean is more than likely on his way out too. Tough times on the south coast.
Preston North End:
<a href="http://www.championshiptalk.com/can-darren-ferguson-take-preston-to-the-premiership/720">Darren Ferguson</a> returns to the Championship almost instantly and has taken the reigns at the famous outfit of Preston North End. If you’ve read Daniel Cragg’s post on this site then I don’t need to tell you that there isn’t a lot of money for Preston, but changes need to be made. Neil Collins has joined on a permanent deal already but due to Ferguson’s arrival being so recent its hard to tell who he wants to bring in at this time. Sorry Preston fans!
Queens Park Rangers:
Signings galore for the London outfit? You wouldn’t be wrong. The team has already apparently agreed a deal for Daniel Cousin who will join up after the African Cup Of Nations and the club also has apparently made an enquiry about the well-travelled Amdy Faye. Markus Jonsson of AIK in Sweden is also hoping for a move to England and QPR may well be his outlet to fulfil that ambition. Adel Taarabt may return to Tottenham unfortunately for QPR, but the player has his heart set on staying with Rangers.
Reading:
Gunnar Thorvaldsson has become another member of the ever-growing Icelandic contingent at Reading but apart from that there are few players being linked with the club due to their lack of a manager. Reading have managed to hold onto Simon Church after he signed a new deal with the club and they also harbour an ambition that Gylfi Sigurdsson can continue his impressive displays with Reading as opposed to someone else.
Scunthorpe United:
Craig Dawson of Rochdale is a player Nigel Adkins would dearly love at his disposal, but Rochdale seem adamant he is going nowhere. Scunthorpe seem to see Rochdale as somewhat of a market stall this January if you believe their interest in striker Chris O’Grady. Michael Raynes seems a very likely arrival for the Irons, the Stockport defenders contract is up in the summer and his club are likely to want to make some sort of profit on him. George Friend has been recalled by Wolves, meaning the Irons only have one left back at the club, so that position is likely to be Adkins priority.
Sheffield United:
Due to Matthew Killgallons apparent commitment to the club, Kevin Blackwell is unlikely to have the money he thought he would this window. Richard Creswell has come in from Stoke already but former loanee Greg Halford will not be returning to the club as he wants to battle for his place at Wolves. As mentioned above, Marcel Seip has joined on loan for the rest of the season and it may not be the end of the dealings for a heavily injury struck squad.
Sheffield Wednesday:
The club is looking to the future, as <a href="http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11703_5837382,00.html">ten Australian players</a> are currently on trial with the club. Tom Soares has extended his loan deal but the most prominent potential transfer for Wednesday at the moment is their managerial position. As mentioned above, Neil Warnock is interested in the job and is the bookies favourite to get the job.
Swansea City:
Could Paulo Sousa, the manager, leave Swansea this January? Burnley have an eye on the talented Portuguese gaffer but the Swans want to hold on. Lee Trundle has extended his loan deal at the club, much to the fans delight and the club may be in the market for another striker to solve their goal shyness. Kevin Phillips, Vincent Pericard and Tamas Priskin have all been linked with the club, so watch this space. The club will also be doing everything they can to hold onto Andrea Orlandi as a few scouts have been watching him over the past few weeks.
Watford:
Your guess is as good as mine? Probably nothing will be happening this month as Malky Mackay wants to keep all his players, particularly Scott Roach and the threat of administration means there will be few arrivals for the hornets.
West Bromwich Albion:
Ishmael Miller is almost back from injury and will feel like a new signing upon his return and it remains to be seen whether or not the club can meet Crystal Palace’s valuation of Victor Moses. Gabriel Tamas has joined on loan from Auxerre and brings a wealth of experience with him. Marcus Haber may also be on his way in, while Robert Koren is expected to be shipped out of the Hawthorns as the Albion have a wealth of depth at their disposal.

January Transfer Window: What Will Happen?

January Transfer Window: What Will Happen? - World Soccer Talk

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<div id="attachment_6538" style="width: 340px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><div><figure class="external-image"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-6538" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-6538" src="/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/3275160602_087c0b8fd11.jpg" alt="Can Gareth Southgate keep Boro up? 25 goals in 35 games says he can&apos;t." width="330" height="248"></figure></div>Can Gareth Southgate keep Boro up? 25 goals in 35 games says he can&apos;t.</div>
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With West Brom’s unfortunate defeat at White Hart Lane yesterday, the Baggies are all but relegated with 28 points from 35 games leaving them 6 points behind Hull City – with the Yorkshiremen having a game in hand.&nbsp;Barring a miracle, Tony Mowbray’s outfit will be playing Championship football next season, but who will join them?
Sitting second bottom, Middlesbrough are in deep, deep trouble: 3 points from safety, a disjointed side bereft of confidence and a misfiring winger with perhaps one eye on a summer move to Spurs. Of course, there is a very obvious scapegoat in £12m man Afonso Alves, whose goals to games ratio (worse than 1 in 4) is quite frankly shocking for a fox-in-the-box, but it would be unfair to blame all of Boro’s goalscoring woes on the Brazilian – his&nbsp;swift penalty area movement and cool finishing is not suited to Stewart&nbsp;Downing’s crossing from deep, as diagonal crosses towards Alves are wasted due to his lack of aerial ability – when Yakubu and Mark Viduka were with the Teesiders, Downing could cross high balls&nbsp;from a position level with the corner of penalty area safe in the knowledge that Viduka and Yakubu could compete in the air, but with Tuncay Sanli and Alves on the end of his crosses, there is no presence and most crosses from that area are dealt with comfortably. On the other flank, Jeremie Aliadiere strikes me as&nbsp;someone who is uncomfortable&nbsp;playing on the right, and while he does a moderately effective job – works hard, the odd run – he neither seems to like&nbsp;holding his position out there, nor&nbsp;offer much in the way of penetration,&nbsp;and so, if I was Southgate I would seriously consider playing Marvin Emnes from that position, as not only does he offer pace and will look to get in behind the full back, he will complement Downing and offer the kind of variation that has been lacking from Middlesbrough’s play.
At the back they have not been too bad – David Wheater has been steady if unspectacular, and Robert Huth seems to be at home at this level – but the midfield has been another area for concern: a central midfield pairing of Matthew Bates and Gary O’Neil is very industrious, and against Manchester United yesterday they played very well in the first half, hustling the champions effectively and limiting United to few chances, but they don’t offer something different that a team needs at this level – they can pass a ball over 5-10 yards comfortably, and Boro keep possession relatively well, but they aren’t the best at threading passes through defences for the mobile Tuncay, King and Alves to run onto – therefore, I would definitely play Julio Arca, especially for a crunch, must win game like the forthcoming match at St James’ Park.
Their opponents a week on Monday, Newcastle, are probably in worse shape than their neighbours: While they are a place above Boro, they have scored just one goal in 5 games under Alan Shearer, and while there has been a lot of fuss about their crucial ‘winnable&nbsp;games at home’, they have won just 4 games at home all season and there squad is ageing, inbalanced and desperately lacking in confidence.
To me, this Newcastle side looks like a really good side…&nbsp;about 5 years ago. Players like Duff, Butt, Owen, Viduka and&nbsp;Smith have all&nbsp;had careers ravaged by injury and are not even nearly the same force that they were circa 2004, when they were all Champions League quality and above. Like Middlesbrough, their midfield is a hub of activity and industry, but none of Butt, Smith or Nolan are ever going to unlock a Premier League defence with a flash of quality or a clever through ball on a regular basis, and with their one truly exciting creative talent, Jonas Gutierrez, not really sure of his best position, Newcastle have struggled to feed their talented strikers – Martins, Viduka, Owen, (less so) Carroll and&nbsp;Lovenkrands&nbsp;– on a regular basis and have struggled to score consistently. Their players have plenty of endeavour, but, as shown so palpably by Portsmouth on Monday, they do not threaten defences consistently, so when chances come their way they are snatched at – as they may never come again.
Defensively, Fabricio Coloccini is far too inconsistent at this level, and while at Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge he has orchestrated fabulous defensive displays, on a number of other occasions he has let his team down with Cacapa-esque moments of madness to concede crucial goals. Sebatien Bassong looks like a talented defender, but there is only so well that he can play alongside the inconsistent Coloccini and a left winger – Duff – playing at left back. Habib Beye has been injured quite a lot, and his reassuring presence has been negated by Shearer’s tinkering – perhaps necessary tinkering – and he has struggled to assert himself at the back. Steve Harper strikes me as Shay Given-lite, as he is a very good shot-stopper, but is perhaps not big enough to be effective at dealing with crosses – top class keepers are not sat on a bench for nearly 20 years.
Hull have collapsed. With 1 win in 18 games, they have slipped dramatically to the relegation zone, being just 3 points above the North-East clubs in 18th and 19th. When confidence is high, poor players can play above their station and overperform consistently, but when confidence is low, the same players can play at below their normal levels. The latter is happening to Hull. Players like Dean Marney, Ian Ashbee and Andy Dawson were extremely effective during wins at the Emirates and White Hart Lane in early autumn, but with Geovanni’s influence waning, these players (especially Ashbee and Marney) are having to take on more responsibilty and create goalscoring chances for the likes of Manucho and Cousin, and they aren’t good enough. Hull aren’t conceding too many goals, a testament to Michael Turner and Matt Duke, who have both shone this season, but The Tigers have scored just two goals in 5 games, and have lost crucial away games to Sunderland and Middlesbrough. Phil Brown, hailed as a ‘breath of fresh air’ earlier in the season, is now being widely ridiculed for his dodgy tactics and his dodgier fake tan, but he may still keep them up – a win next week against Stoke would give them a fighting chance, but as it is now, I would fancy the winner of Boro/Toon next Monday to leap-frog Hull at some point before the end of the season, leaving the Yorkshire club in the relegation zone.
Sunderland are not out of it either. Pathetic performances at West Brom and against Everton have left them 4 points outside of the relegation zone, and with key players – Cissé, Jones, Richardson and Malbranque – being distinctly out of form, they&nbsp;will be&nbsp;in trouble if they do not find at least a couple of draws out of the games against Bolton, Portsmouth and Chelsea. With the players at Sbragia’s disposal however, they should just about be safe, as players like Andy Reid and Kieran Richardson are very capable of producing something when it matters.
As for my Two Cent’s Worth, I think that Newcastle and Hull are looking the most likely to go, as both team’s inability to find wins from anywhere may be their achilles heel, especially with their respective run-ins both being pretty difficult. Then again, who’s to say that Middlesbrough will ever score again?

Who Will Go Down?

Who Will Go Down? - World Soccer Talk

As intriguing as the current edition of the Champions League may be, there’s a chance the 2009-2010 tournament could be one of the strangest, parity-rich events in football history. Seems someone has taken the snow globe that is European football, given it a good shake and the flakes aren’t landing where people expect.
The tables in Germany, Holland, Portugal and even Italy don’t resemble what we’ve come to expect as status quo, and as a result, the trickle-down to next year’s Champions League could be&nbsp; fascinating.&nbsp; Not only could you have some very fresh names, faces and kits in the fray, but they’ll be usurping some very established entities, including a couple of past champions.
Starting in Italy, where Inter Milan is in the lead with 24 points, you’ve got a gaggle of teams behind Mourinho’s men that includes Napoli, Udinese and Genoa, all within four points of the top, and all within at least a shot of getting into the qualifying rounds. And standing on the outside looking in would be Juventus, Roma and Fiorentina, three teams that are in the hunt in this year’s Champions League.
Not even England is immune to this phenomenon. Despite the Big Four of Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United being entrenched as the top four, Hull City had a prominent spot near the top of the table for much of the opening weeks, and they’re still within reach in sixth position with 20 points, only one shy of the top four.
The best story might be in Germany, where Hoffenheim has been at the tippity-top of the Bundesliga alone until this weekend. Hoffenheim may be in there for the duration; it’s won five in a row and now shares the lead with Bayer Leverkeusen. Bayern Munich is charging hard and it will be tremendous to watch if Hoffenheim can find a way to hang on.
Az Alkamaar, meanwhile, took over the lead in the Dutch Eredivisie and has the lone automatic Champions League group stage spot right now. Behind AZ? Well, sure, Ajax is there, but so is NAC Breda and Groningen. Breda and Ajax are tied on points with Az, and Groningen two points out.
In Portugal, if things ended today, F.C. Porto and Sporting would be OUT altogether. OUT. Sporting, which has already earned a spot in the knockout round, is five points out, and Porto’s miserable start has it even further back. Leixoes is in the lead. Who? Leixoes. Nacional da Madeira is three out and Maritimo five back. Benfica is the lone giant in the top three. And Benfica is somewhat woeful as far as big clubs go.
It’s early, but it’s fun to look ahead and acknowledge what these minnows are doing. The longer it goes like this, the more fun it becomes. And perhaps next August, you just might seeing a Champions League draw with clubs such as Hoffenheim, Az Alkamaar and Leixoes joining Inter, Chelsea and Barcelona in Pot 1. Now how much fun would that be?

Prospects and Parity Ahead for 2010 Champions League

Prospects and Parity Ahead for 2010 Champions League - World Soccer Talk

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