EPL, Premiership, English Premier League

View: ‘Zola favorite for West Ham manager position’ for more information. 42 year old Gianfranco Zola has agreed to a 3 year deal with West Ham as their new manager. West Ham released a statement announcing the change: “Gianfranco was our first choice. We were very comfortable with the three options we had - Zola, Donadoni and Collins - but Gianfranco came out on top”.

Zola played with Chelsea from 1996 to 2003 which might have given him an advantage over the other competitors. West Ham is a typically English team and seems to have favored the manager with EPL experience. “It’s true that he has no experience of managing a club side, but he knows the Premier League very well. His English is very good and he can talk about football with English players and inspire them. He has a record of developing young footballers, which is very important to us, and was obviously a world-class player. Experienced players like to have a manager they can respect as a footballer.”

John Terry suggested he was on the correct path to eventually become Chelsea’s manager, “I’m sure one day he’ll be back at Chelsea working with us. He’s got a little bit more experience after managing Italy’s Under-21 side so it’d be great for him to get more experience at West Ham and hopefully one day be Chelsea manager.”

25 year old Michael Essien will probably be out for the rest of the year as he recently obtained an ankle injury while playing in an International game between Ghana and Libya. Essien was injured before this injury and didn’t start for Chelsea’s first game; he had just recovered from that unjury when a ligament in his knee was torn while playing for Ghana. “Michael has ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament and will undergo an operation as soon as the majority of the swelling has subsided. We expect this to happen in a week’s time. In the meantime, Michael has started rehab in the aqua therapy centre at Cobham which will improve the condition of the knee prior to surgery. A return to full fitness is not expected for several months.”

His agent Fabian Piveteau said, “Unfortunately it’s not good news. I am afraid it’s a big problem. A big problem. He’s taken a bad blow to the knee. I don’t know exact details but I think it’s not good. I don’t know what will happen. It’s now two or three times that he has taken blows to his knee.”

Essien signed with Chelsea from Lyon three years ago for €24 million and has become a deciding factor in Chelsea’s game. This could severly hurt Chelsea as they won’t be able to obtain another player of similar caliber to replace him until the transfer window opens in January. Essien has scored 14 goals in 132 appearances.

Terry commented on the injury saying heexpects Essien to be out for “five, five and a half month I think will be the case.”

Once swelling in the area has gone down Essien will undergo surgery on his Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL). Michael Owen obtained the same injury in the 2006 World Cup and was out for 10 months. Chelsea released a statement describing the injury and when he might return: “Michael has ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament and will undergo an operation as soon as the majority of the swelling has subsided. We expect this to happen in a week’s time. In the meantime, Michael has started rehab in the aqua therapy centre at Cobham which will improve the condition of the knee prior to surgery. A return to full fitness is not expected for several months.” The ACL lies behind the kneecap and is important in stabilizing the joint and preventing overextension. Tendons from the hamstring are often grafted onto the knee which then replaces the ACL. While surgery is not always needed for athletes it can reduce rehabiliation time and possibly prevent arthritis in the future.

Italian Gianfranco Zola is en route to becoming West Ham’s next manager. Zola used to play for Chelsea and is currently the Italian Under-21 Coach. He could well be named manager by the end of the week as his Under-21 team has a game to play this Tuesday. West Ham’s Italian technical director Gianluca Nani and chief executive Scott Duxbury have led the search for a new manager. While his fellow Italian Roberto Donadoni was also on the shortlist he recently removed himself because he thought the Hammers were not interested enough. Donadoni formerly managed the Italian team and was recently fired from the Italian Euro 208 job due to poor performance. ”I would like to thank West Ham United Football Club for approaching and speaking with me in relation to the vacant manager’s position at the club. ‘I welcomed the opportunity of speaking with such a prominent Premiership club and of course, the opportunity of coming to the English Premiership. However, is does appear that the board have not yet, after some time, come to an agreement and a conclusion on who the successful candidate should be. It is important for me to feel that I have the full support of the club and I have therefore this morning taken the decision to withdraw myself from the candidate shortlist for the club.”

Croatian Slaven Bilic also removed himself from the shortlist after it proved improbable that he could resign as the Croatian national manager. Danish Michael Laudrup, who previously managed Spanish team Getafe also was removed from the list when he accepted an offer from Spartak Moscow.

A club advisor described Zola as impressive: ”Zola has a lot of experience in the Premier League, he was admired by every fan in the league irrespective of which club they supported. He has built a big reputation for himself in Italy. He hasn’t Premier League experience as a manager but he understands the Premier League very much. They are moving fast. They would like to appoint a new manager before the weekend but it is a process they will consider carefully. It is a different system, a more European system of working and it will be a manager who will be working under that style in order to minimise and avoid errors which have occurred in the past.”

David Gill, United’s Chief Executive said he would take the potential City offer of a €135 million bid for Cristiano Ronaldo ”with a pinch of salt”. The offer could arise as Dr. Sulaiman Al-Fahim the billionaire who recently took over City through the Abu Dhabi United Group wishes to obtain multiple world class stars including Torres and Fabregas.

”It was an interesting comment, I think it’s a fan’s-type comment. It’s interesting when Alex [Ferguson] mentioned the Dimitar Berbatov signing in advance that complaints were made to the Premier League. He mentioned Torres and Fabregas in the same article so I think we will treat that with a pinch of salt. I have never met the gentleman.

“That is a fantastic amount of money and would turn the industry upside down so I can’t believe he is serious at those sorts of levels. Ultimately we would discuss any offer with Alex and the owners, as that sort of money is very large for one person. But we are not in the market to sell our best players.”

View Keegan leaves Newcastle for more information.

While it was reported earlier that Keegan had been sacked or had resigned, it appears that Newcastle and Keegan may be patching things together.

“Newcastle United Football Club can confirm that discussions are ongoing between the board and Kevin Keegan. Both the club and Kevin would like to reiterate that Kevin remains as manager. He has not resigned nor has he been sacked, as has been confirmed in respective statements made by Kevin and Newcastle United Football Club.”

Newcastle fans were obviously angered at Newcastle’s management and reacted to the news by protesting. Keegan would also receive €8 million in compensation; both of these factors may have caused the Newcastle bureaucracy to think again.

League Managers’ Association chief executive Richard Bevan made a few statements about the situation:

“It is not ideal having to speak to you on managers’ positions so early in the season but I was speaking to Kevin Keegan at length last night. He has not resigned. He is in a difficult position - he’ll be discussing really important issues with the Newcastle board over the next few days. The football club and the fans are massively important to Kevin and after such heavy coverage and speculation yesterday it was important to make this statement that he has not resigned. I can understand that there is an eagerness for more information on the problems but at this stage I think it is important that we let the parties communicate and it would be inappropriate for me to pre-judge any outcome or explain the issues much more at this particular point”

“I’m just saying he has not resigned, he will be working hard to communicate with the Newcastle board and we’ll have to wait and see what the outcome is over the next few days.”

Reportedly owner Mike Ashley wanted to sell Joey Barton and possibly Michael Owen. When asked if these intentions had resulted in Keegans apparent upset he said, “I can’t confirm that either way.”

View Joey Barton: Life of a true Asshole for more information.

• UPDATE: Kevin Keegan has resigned from Newcastle after much debate between him and the Newcastle managerial staff.

“I’ve been working desperately hard to find a way forward with the directors, but sadly that has not proved possible. It’s my opinion that a manager must have the right to manage and that clubs should not impose upon any manager any player that he does not want. It remains my fervent wish to see Newcastle United do well in the future and I feel incredibly sorry for the players, staff and most importantly the supporters. I have been left with no choice other than to leave.” A crowd of fans appeared outside St.James Park and demanded for the director of football Dennis Wise and owner Mike Ashley to resign. Newcastle Club released a statement lamenting Keegan’s loss:

“Over the last few days, the club has devoted itself to the discussions it has held with Kevin and as a result of those discussions had put together a set of practical suggestions for how to move forward. The club made it clear to Kevin that if he had any outstanding concerns on its proposals, he should raise them with the club. The club regrets that Kevin has, instead of taking up that offer, chosen to resign.”

Alan Curbishley’s resignation as West Ham’s manager was accepted by owner Gudmundsson. His resignation appears despite having obtained the best start to a season for West Ham in over 9 years. Curbishley felt that the Hammer’s transfer policies which let Anton Ferdinand and George McCartney were unacceptable. A statement by the club was made: “We can confirm we have accepted Alan’s resignation as it is in the best interests of both parties. A shortlist of candidates is being drawn up and an announcement will be made in due course about the new manager.”

View West Ham’s Curbishley Under Pressure for more information.

Curbishley illustrated why he left West Ham, a pattern which seems to be unfolding at Newcastle also:

“I started my West Ham United career when I left school in 1974 and have remained a lifelong fan. I have been incredibly proud to manage such a great club and my decision to resign has been very tough. The selection of players is critical to the job of the manager and I had an agreement with the club that I alone would determine the composition of the squad. However, the club continued to make significant player decisions without involving me. In the end such a breach of trust and confidence meant that I had no option but to leave. Nevertheless, I wish the club and the players every success in the future.”

The series of transfer policy changes seem to be the result of the acquisition of tactician Gianluca Nani (View West Ham secures new tactician, Nani for more information). In response to the criticism for having let go Ferdinand and McCartney (to Sunderland for €4.5 million) the club responded by saying that the sales were “based on our best long-term interests” and were “right for the club” . “In the past week, agreement could not be reached with Ferdinand on a new contract to replace his original deal that had just two years left to run. McCartney handed in a formal written transfer request after failing to resolve his personal reasons for wanting a move away.”

“West Ham United are looking to a bright future after a summer of consolidation and a positive start to the new season at the Boleyn Ground. The club is fully committed to a high-quality first-team squad based on solid financial foundations that will challenge at the top end of the Premier League and in the cup competitions. As stated before and during the close season, our intention was always to hone the size of the playing staff with several key performers returning to fitness and the emergence of homegrown talent. This has now been achieved with seven players sold or released and four recruited. Along with the importance of adding quality new signings with bright futures, a key aim has been to secure important players on long-term contracts. Such investment has ensured the club can keep together its strong spine of England internationals Robert Green, Matthew Upson, Scott Parker, Kieron Dyer and Dean Ashton along with players with proven international pedigree like Lucas Neill, Valon Behrami, Julien Faubert and Craig Bellamy.

“Unsurprisingly this summer we received a number of significant bids for leading players - in itself emphasising the high number of quality internationals at Alan Curbishley’s disposal - and all were rejected. However, in particular, the transfers of Anton Ferdinand and George McCartney along with the release of Freddie Ljungberg were right for the club and decisions had to be taken based on our best long-term interests. In the past week, agreement could not be reached with Ferdinand on a new contract to replace his original deal that had just two years left to run.”

In May West Ham management described how a change in transfer policies was beginning and how they would begin to slim down the first string team:
“We have probably the biggest first-team squad in the Premier League and our transfer strategy has to be carefully planned going forward. West Ham have a first-team squad of 40, so there is considerable room for maneuver. The last thing you should do when you have a problem is to throw money at it.”

In the summer of 2007 Curbishley signed higher profile players such as Freddie Ljungberg, Kieron Dyer, and Lucas Neill. This season the Hammers best signing was Valon Behrami; they also obtained Herita Ilunga, Jan Lastuvka, and David Di Michele. But multiple first string players left including: Bobby Zamora, McCartney, John Pantsil, Richard Wright, and Ferdinand. Curbishley took over for Alan Pardew in December of 2006, he was promised significant funds which were to succeed in bringing West Ham to the Champions League. During the 2006/2007 season West Ham almost fell into relegation but were saved by Carlos Tevez and Benayoun. During the 2007/2008 season both players left but Curbishley succeeded in reaching the the top table of the league in 10th place.

West Ham’s Vice-Chairman said that the candidates would be considered soon and a manager would probably be chosen before the next game against West Brom. “I have asked for a comprehensive list, in terms of nationality, experience and qualifications. The parameters go along with what we are trying to achieve at the club. The key element is that we want this to be a sustainable club. It is totally inaccurate to say we have anyone lined up for the job already - we want a strong English club with English players, with its roots in the academy.” As of now, Houllier and Mancini are strong candidates. Mancini has was the Serie A title for the past 3 years until he was recently fired after losing to Liverpool in the Champions League; Jose Mourinho took his place.

POTENTIAL REPLACEMENTS:

• Previous West Ham defender and current Croatian manager Slaven Bilic.
• Former Liverpool manager and current French Federation technical direction Gerard Houllier.
  and three Italians…
• Former Italian and Chelsea player Gianfranco Zola.
• Former Inter-Milan manager Roberto Mancini.
• Former Italy manager Roberto Donadoni.

• Since 2001 over 5 managers have come and gone at West Ham. From 1902-1990 West Ham had only 6 managers.

In order to reassure fans West Ham owner Gudmundsson made a statement about the clubs plans, “In my first full season as chairman I can assure supporters we are working hard to bring sustained success to West Ham United. We have a long-term strategy that takes into account all aspects of West Ham United’s past, present and future and we will not be deterred.”

View The Circus has arrived at Newcastle for more information. Newcastle’s manager Kevin Keegan has left only 8 months after having arrived amid rumors that he was unhappy over the amount of control he possessed over transfers most notably in the recent sale of James Milner. (22 year old Milner was sold for €12 million to Aston Villa.) Perhaps what also irked Keegan is that Necastle’s only transfers on deadline day were to obtain Ignacio Gonzalez on loan and Spanish striker Xisco for £5.7 million.

Only 2 weeks after Keegan began working at Newcastle the executive director of football Dennis Wise decided to take control over all transfer activity. Despite many criticisms over Newcastles contiual revolving door policy with players this transfer season saw over 6 new players arrive and 5 dissappear.

His relationship with Newcastle owner Mike Ashley worsened when Keegan reportedly said that Newcastle would not reach the Premier Leagues Top Four for a long time.

“Joining United is a dream come true for me - I look forward to playing my part in helping this club win more honours.”

Former Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov has now switched to Manchester United. Tottenham has also stated they will not be pursuing the charges against United for their attempts to obtain Berbatov. In July Tottenham sent the Premier League a full year of evidence which illustrated Manchester Uniteds repeated attempts to obtain Berbatov in a ‘disgraceful’ manner. Ferguson described the signing: “This is a key signing. Dimitar is one of the best and most exciting strikers in world football. His style and ability will give the team a different dimension and I’m sure he will be a popular player with the fans.”

Manchester City also made attempts to obtain Berbatov the moment after they were taken over by the Abu Dhabi United Group. “I would like the opportunity to talk to him but we haven’t been afforded that opportunity. he lad has made his intentions known for some time [playing Champions League football] and it might be difficult to change his focus” said Mark Hughes.

Manchester City have signed Brazilian Robinho for a record €32.5 million. The former Real Madrid player has been chased by Chelsea and it was strongly believed that they would obtain him. However, City obtained the 24 year old in a late bid. The contract will last 4 years; manager Mark Hughes described the signing:

“I am absolutely delighted to get the opportunity to work with such an incredible talent like Robinho. This is a real statement of intent as to the ambitions of this club. I have said that in order to compete with the best teams in the Premier League we have to be in the market for players of this calibre, and Robinho is undoubtedly one of the best players in the world. I am looking forward to introducing him to the rest of the squad, and to the City fans at the earliest opportunity.”

“It’s been one hell of a day. It’s a huge statement of intent. A lot of credit has got to go to Dr Thaksin [Shinawatra, club owner] for being able to bring the Abu Dhabi company to the table and this huge investment that is going to go forward. They wanted to present something to the people of Manchester and they have been able to do that. It’s a fantastic signing for us. If we’re going to get to the places we want to get to we are going to have to compete against outstanding teams. We have to attract world-class players and that is what we have done. He is an exceptional talent and opposition teams are going to fear him.”

Robinho was unhappy at Real Madrid and has stated his desire to leave the Bernabeu multiple times especially after Madrid considered selling Robinho to obtain Ronaldo. Real Madrid awkwardly described the deal: “We have sold Robinho for reasons of a human nature and for sporting reasons. The fact that he has accepted an offer from Manchester City says that he is not going for sporting reasons. It’s an important sum of money. It’s not the objective of Real Madrid to sell players, neither do we need the money, but for reasons of human and sporting nature, it has been decided this is for the best. It’s a decision agreed by all the coaching staff, who understand it is best for the player and for the club” said Real President Ramon Calderon. “[Real Manager Bernd] Schuster thought until yesterday that he could recover the player, but that has not been the case. Every time I have spoken with him he was very sad, crying and asking to leave Spain. Real Madrid are more important than any one player. He’s a great kid, but badly advised.”

Robinho will most likely make his first appearance against Chelsea September 13th. Chelsea was also pursuing Robinho and released a statement describing why they did not secure him, “We were unable to agree terms with the club [Real] as we were not going to pay the 40 million euro asking price.”

View Robinho yearns for Chelsea transfer for more information on Robinho’s record, statistics and recent news.

26 year old Russian international Pavlyuchenko will most likely join Tottenham once he obtains a Visa to travel and work in London. “A deal has been agreed between the clubs and the transfer may be concluded by Thursday.” While the deal has not been formally finished both parties have agreed to the terms which will be signed in the near future. “Right now I’m getting my visa and as soon as it is ready I will fly to England to sign a contract. Everything has happened very quickly so I could not even say goodbye to my team-mates.”

A Spartak Moscow representative commented: “There is a concrete sum which Tottenham proposed and we have agreed the amount. If Roman will agree a contract then we are ready to let him go. If Roman begins to play in England, this will be good both for him and for the team.”

Pavlyuchenko played formidably in Euro 2008. He was the leading RUssian scorer with 3 goals and was crucial in helping Russia reach the semi-finals. He also scored 2 goals in a friendly against England giving Russia the win (2-1).

Tottenham are looking for a striker to replace Robbie Keane who left to Liverpool for €20.3 million and Berbatov who may also leave.

“I could not decide if I wanted to go to England at first - first yes, then no. The only thing that stopped me from leaving was my family. But now all doubts are behind me and I decided to sign a contract with Tottenham and the formalities are practically settled.”