Maple Lions

Sheffield United is cockily building on their latest push out of the drop zone by putting £10M at Neil Warnock’s disposal for the coming transfer window.

After a considerable boost in their form recently, the Blades may end up putting our poll to shame as they wave goodbye not only to the Hornets but possibly the Laticks and the Toon as well.

Paul Canniff

Update:

The Toon surprisingly climb above the Blades in the table after a 3-2 win over high-flying newcomers Reading.

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ESPN Soccernet has a great online monthly poll where visitors can rank the EPL managers.

By a remarkable coincidence, among the lowest rated managers are the textbook-cracking current custodians of The Riverside and St. James’ Park.

Paul Canniff

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The League Managers’ Association is justifiably upset over the EPL’s decision to let Gareth Southgate continue to manage at Boro without the required professional certifications:

The LMA added: “The decision does not sit comfortably with those managers who were told that if they did not achieve Pro Licence status prior to the 2003-04 season, they would not be allowed to manage in the Premiership.

“They as a result applied themselves, in many cases at their own considerable expense, to obtain the required qualification.”

Over at the 606 chat boards there are those who contend that the managerial greats of yore had no UEFA licences. But the issue is not whether professional certification is a necessity in modern football, it’s that the EPL takes an inconsistent cavalier approach to enforcing rules that demand a considerable commitment of time and money for managers to satisfy.

Are Gareth Southgate and Glenn Roeder such wellsprings of talent and cunning that they merit these exceptions? Maybe in the Bizarro Premier League, which according to the stats may indeed be the next destination for the Toon, if not Boro as well.

Paul Canniff

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Talks over a takeover at St. James’ Park may be resolved by Christmas.

Could new owners give Glenn Roeder more free weekends than he planned? Couldn’t hurt, at this point.

Paul Canniff

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Check here to see who will face Newcastle and Blackburn, Newcastle and Tottenham in the group stage that will run from October 19 to December 14.

Paul Canniff 

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There is a Maple Lions derby on Sunday with Damian’s Magpies up against my Toffees. Newcastle will not want to lose in quick succession to Merseyside clubs, while Everton will want to shake off a couple of iffy performances (first against Wigan in the Prem, then Posh in Carling Cup play). Should be a good game - on Fox Sports World Canada on Sunday.

Everton are watching the fitness of center back Joseph Yobo who will be key in trying to keep tabs on Martins. Joe’s had some back problems in recent weeks. Weir will be in if Yobo can’t make it, with Stubbsy definitely out with a knee.

I wouldn’t consider Harper as necessarily a weakness, at least from what I could see in the Liverpool game. Damian may feel otherwise. Kuyt’s goal was a good one and tough to do anything about and Roeder was clearly right regarding Alonso’s specky drive, if Harper doesn’t slip it is simply a loss of possession by Liverpool.

For Newcastle, Babayaro is out but Bramble is back and Ameobi is facing a late fitness test for a hip injury.

We’ll see the 4-5-1 from Moyes again with Andy Johnson ranging free up front. Arteta, Cahill, Osman, Carsley and Neville in midfield. I would rather see Nuno Valente at left back than Gary Naysmith. Valente had a great World Cup run with Portugal but he’s had a few months rest now so get him in there. Yobo appears to be Everton’s only injury question-mark, but I’d much rather see him in there with Lescott.

Mike C.

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It was an interesting Opening Day of the EPL’s 2006-07 campaign.

Hulse’s header was a real cracker to open the season, and Liverpool will be disappointed with their day at Bramhall Lane. The penalty was a crap call, not that Liverpool didn’t deserve to share the points on the day. The Blades really hustled, though, and started their season off well. The announcers commented later in the game that Arne Riise’s ankle injury may not have been that bad ~ surprising to me given the way it looked.

Reading certainly hold “comeback of the season” honours, thus far. Kitson, Sidwell and Kita notched the goals to wipe out Boro’s 2 goal lead. I believe Sidwell was Four Four Two’s ‘best player outside the Prem’ last season, so he’s definitely one ot watch this year.

At Goodison Park, the guy Everton acquired to score the goals actually scored the opener 14 minutes in. (How odd!) Mikel Arteta added a penalty and Everton edged out Watford for their first opening day win in five years. [Later: it seems both Merseyside clubs were beneficiaries of bad penalty calls on Saturday, Everton’s being the more egregious, apparently. Oh well, what can you do?]

So, it was win, draw, loss for the three promoted teams.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the day for me was Pompey trashing Blackburn Rovers. They had a 2 goal cushion before Neil went off, and Todd’s sending off happened in the 91st minute (so, I don’t think saying that it was a victory “over nine-man Blackburn” quite tells the tale). Could this big win by ‘arry’s boys have been the biggest statement of the young season?

We’ll let Damian report on the solid start by Roeder’s Magpies.

You gotta think Chelsea and Manchester United are more than pleased with the points left on the field by Liverpool, Arsenal and Spurs (though I write in the 82nd minute of that game).

Mike C

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Hard to believe, but there really is a whole world of football outside the four-year cycle of collective delirium.  And much has been transpiring while Wayne Rooney introduced Carvalho to the Croxteth production of “Riverdance” and Zizou displayed his mastery of the Glasgow handshake:

• Both Bayern and Real Madrid have Ruud Van Nistelrooy in their sights. He could inject some new life into the Bernabeu lineup but I shudder at seeing such talent warehoused at football’s Shady Pines Rest Home for Millionaires.
• The Magpies may have relief Klose at hand. Alan Shearer sees the German striker as his potential replacement at St. James’.

Paul Canniff

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Northern Rock thought to create an ad asking to have Michael Owen back from the World Cup in one piece.  Nice one.

Mike C. 

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Excellent news for Newcastle supporters: Glenn Roeder, who led the Mags back into Europe (yeah, it’s the Intertoto Cup, but still…), has been given the manager’s job for two more years:

Glenn Roeder admits he is fortunate to have been given the chance to manage Newcastle United after being handed a two-year contract by the club.

Roeder spent six years as a player at St James’ Park and was given the caretaker manager’s role after Graeme Souness’ exit in February.

He lifted the club to seventh in the Premiership table after guiding the Magpies to ten wins in their last 15 games of the season.

Roeder was granted a dispensation by the Premier League to keep managing the Geordies even though he doesn’t have a UEFA Pro Licence.

Damian P. 

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