Maple Lions

Big Sam is due to come under particular scrutiny when the Stevens report on football bungs is released tomorrow, according to the Telly.

But is all dreary in his world when the Trotters have come off two consecutive wins, including downing the Scouse, within some of the best form in the opening weeks of the season?

Paul Canniff

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1. UEFA has stated that anyone proven guilty of taking illegal transfer payments should receive a life ban from football:

   “People who behave in an unsporting fashion should be excluded from the game,” Uefa director of communications William Gaillard told BBC Five Live.

   “They have no place in the game. This is what most fans of football want.”

2. Big Sam protests his innocence but Martin Samuel of The Times believes it can only get worse for Big Sam. Meanwhile, Liverpool FC considers legal action against the Beeb.
   
   
3. Graham Bean, a former compliance officer with the FA makes the case for Panorama to present a convincing body of evidence. Guardian columnnist Paul Wilson takes a much harsher view of the Beeb’s investigative journalism.

4. The Guardian notes that the upcoming Stevens Report will identify fifty suspect Premiership transfers requiring further investigation.
   

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• Dietmar Hamann is leaving Anfield for the Reebok Stadium.
• Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink heads down to the Valley.
• Liverpool keeper Chris Kirkland goes on loan to Wigan.

Update: Bolton claims their bid for Hamann is off, with Man City now a potential suitor.

Paul Canniff

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Following up on Paul’s post, The Guardian are reporting that AJ is moving to Goodison.

Everton last night won the race to sign Andrew Johnson from Crystal Palace for a club record £8.5m, with the England striker agreeing to move to Goodison Park in preference to either Wigan Athletic or Bolton Wanderers.

But, but, but…

The fee represents a huge proportion of Moyes’ summer transfer budget and may frustrate his attempts to sign a high-profile centre-half.

Sign the Goal Scorer! ~ 2005/06 could have been so different for Everton had they managed even just a few more goals.  While I will not count my chickens here before I see Andrew Johnson in a blue Chang jersey, I’m am guardedly hopeful that Moyes has finally pulled the trigger on a proven striker.  But who knows what last minute wrangling will happen from Bolton and Wigan.

The 25-year-old will meet with Moyes again today but his preference - first expressed last summer following Palace’s relegation from the Premiership - had always been to move to Goodison Park, despite the fact that his other suitors were offering a more attractive financial package.

That would have seen his weekly salary rise from £24,000 to over £40,000, yet he has instead opted to fall within Everton’s own stricter wage structure, most likely on a par with his future strike partner James Beattie, at around £30,000 a week. After 85 goals in 160 appearances at the Selhurst Park club, he is expected to be unveiled as the most expensive player in the Merseysiders’ history next week.

The Guardian article indicates that AJ’s friendship with James Beattie is part of his interest in Everton.  While we’re not sure at this point what the final story really is, I think I’ll allow myself a Woo-hoo! anyway.

Mike C.

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Rooney:

He’s traveling to Germany but only with the prospect of a further scan on June 14. As noted by one of our regular contributors, this is proving to be a tricky dilemma both medically and politically.  So count him out of the group stages for now.

Johnson:

Andy’s definitely on his way back to the Premiership.  Wigan and Bolton are both ready to pony up £8.5M for his services. I would hope that he tends towards Wigan:  Paul Jewell is getting it right at the JJB, whereas Big Sam has been failing in the clutch of late while on the road.  And I still hope that Andy gets a call-up for Germany in light of Rooney’s condition.  I will not hop onto the inexplicable bandwagon for the Merseyside Lurch.

Update: Now the Toffees have joined the bidding war for Johnson. I still stand by my observation above.

Paul Canniff

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The Rovers’ 1-0 win over Chelsea yesterday (which triggered the inevitable whining from Jose Mourinho) clinched sixth place and a UEFA Cup spot:

Blackburn Rovers took full advantage of Chelsea retaining the title with two matches to spare to secure the victory they needed to bring European football back to Ewood Park next season.

The clinching of sixth place in the Premiership completes a magnificent rebuilding operation at the club by Mark Hughes, who took charge last season with the team fighting to avoid relegation.

[…]

Jose Mourinho, Chelsea’s manager, praised Blackburn for their impressive rise under Hughes but was less gracious in accepting the way they crossed the European finishing line, courtesy of what he regarded to be over-sympathetic officiating by referee Steve Bennett.

“I can laugh about it because I am champion,” said Mourinho. “But I don’t think the people in Newcastle will be laughing,” he added referring to Rovers’ principal rivals for the remaining Uefa Cup place.

“If I had come here needing points for the championship my career in England might have ended tonight because I probably would have been banned forever,” reflected Mourinho on the rejection of three strong penalty appeals.

Note that Blackburn’s remarkable turnaround started only after Graeme Souness left the team.  As for the Geordies, we’ll have to settle for a spot in the Intertoto Cup if we beat Bolton into seventh place.  Newcastle are three points ahead, but Bolton have a game in hand.

Damian P. 

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Despite finding themselves among the Top 20 Richest Clubs (perhaps a fleeting position thanks to the Rooney sale and last year’s Europe qualification?), who knows what Everton will come up with for the rest of the season and beyond. They could finish 7th this season, or, more likely, more or less remain where they are, or, even, find themselves finishing in 13th or 14th spot. Moyes had a least a few busts from his acquisitions from last summer — Digger Davies hasn’t panned out, and Per Kroldrup was a huge waste of money. Big Dunc’s career is winding down fast, and Marcus Bent has left for The Valley without being replaced; surely (surely) another striker or two will be arriving this summer. Moyes has been very hit-and-miss with his acquisitions (but, I suppose, so are most managers) - he can find the Tim Cahills and the Mikel Artetas, but to what end? A season or two of development and a taste of success?

The Rumour Mill over at ToffeeWeb.com contains tales of Joseph Yobo possibly heading off to Arsenal and Tim Cahill going to Manchester United this summer. There was also the much-denied rumour that Mikel Arteta was missing from the Merseyside Derby not because of a back injury but because a move to Liverpool was in the works. But’s he’s said that he’d never go red (yeah, yeah, we’ve all seen Wayne Rooney in his Born To Be Blue shirt). Add in Thomas Gravesen’s departure for Real Madrid, and you come up with some pretty heavy damage done to the Everton roster by the good old G-14. Hopefully, the rumours are just rumours.

Hasn’t Stelios Gianakopoulas said recently that he wants to move to a bigger club like Liverpool? A sad realization that he can’t win the silverware where he is? Is this the lot of the Evertons and Boltons of the EPL and other top leagues, merely to be farm teams for the G-14?!

But there is some market logic, even in the oligopoly-esque superclub reality of Europe. The big clubs end up paying big money to the ‘farm teams’ in order to acquire those players; likely much more money than they’re probably worth. This gives the middle clubs funds to go out and acquire and develop more players. Could there come a day when the big guys just spend too much money in their acquisitions and leave their ‘middle’ competition in the ascendancy? Could the out-of-sight spending contribute to some eventual balancing of the situation? That would be sweet, but we won’t hold our breath, will we?

Yeah, I’m talking bout you too Chelsea! [I’m a Hearts fan too, mind — I don’t mind big eastern-European money when it is invested in a noble cause like busting up The Old Firm!]

8-)

Mike Campbell

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Steve McClaren adds some polish to his resume with a stunning comeback for Boro that takes them to the semis of the UEFA Cup against Schalke 04.  Meanwhile, Big Sam parts with some of his own silver, as he gets dunned £2000 by the FA for publicly criticizing referee Mike Riley.

Despite Bolton’s superior place in the EPL tables over Boro, Allardyce will undoubtedly find it now an uphill battle to woo the FA search committee, while McClaren produces some remarkable international results.

And in another development in the spreading strange new respect for Alan Curbishley, one of his own players claims Curb’s lack of Euro experience should be no hindrance.  The early brown-nose always gets the insincere compliment.

Paul Canniff 

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Let’s see: your side is twenty-five points behind in the table, a newly-promoted team takes you out of the League Cup, and a Champions League qualifying berth could be just one point out of your grasp while your next CL opponents are the Galacticos.

What do you do next? Send in your B-squad and young ‘uns in a bid for the FA Cup. Not my choice, but then I’m not the one lauded as a footie genius.

Right on, skipper.

Paul Canniff

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Now that the end is set for the sad reign of Sven Goran Eriksson, punters are already proffering names for his replacement. My vote is in for Sam Allardyce, Bolton’s manager.

1. While there are some highly talented foreign candidates like Guus Hiddink and Ottmar Hitzfeld, England supporters need some native comfort after Eriksson’s gaffes. Yes, that is in a sense a political judgment but try building a Canadian cabinet of federal ministers on reason alone.
2. One Eriksson legacy is the toxic influence of Beckham. Yes, I said it. His best years are behind him and his leadership skills are on autopilot. England needs a firm manager to dethrone him and replace him with the likes of Steven Gerrard or John Terry. Sam Allardyce has actually kept El-Hadji Diouf in line and extracted winning performances from him. That itself should seal the deal.
3. The post of England manager demands a grasp of both the science of football and the art of media spin. As Seymour Skinner once observed, a good scientist is part B.F. Skinner and P.T. Barnum. Big Sam is tough enough to take on the tabloids and disciplined enough to keep his zipper up.

Big Sam. For the good of the game.

Paul Canniff

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