The Barclays Premier League thread 2015/2016

[Benji]

I hear @MDK is one match away from silverware. Maybe he'd be interested.

[MDK]

I'm not dropping down to Newcastle's level

[MDK]

Sunderland's chief executive has quit

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/35757828

[Lineker]

She had to, really.

[TCO]

I'm clinging onto the hope that the board his taking it's time because they're lining up a good replacement. 

Honestly, McClaren's position is untenable. He's lost the players and that's if he ever had them to begin with. We're going to get spanked by Leicester if he's still there and then it's the derby at home where the fans will want his blood, he simply cannot continue on and into that most hostile environment.

[Lineker]

Well, the latest...

Steve McClaren continues to cling on as Newcastle United’s manager but is well aware that directors have made contact with representatives of Rafael Benítez and are also interested in hearing what David Moyes and Brendan Rodgers might offer the relegation threatened club.

Lee Charnley, Newcastle’s managing director, refuses to be rushed into sacking McClaren. Indeed the former England coach is regarded as a backstop option capable of remaining in charge if it proves impossible to broker a deal with a high profile replacement.

With time – and games – running out for Newcastle to escape the bottom three, it is hoped the switch can be negotiated ahead of Monday night’s trip to Leicester City, the leaders, but Mike Ashley, the owner, will not sanction a change unless the new appointment is a definite “upgrade” on McClaren.

The board are believed to want to hire a replacement capable of exciting deeply disgruntled supporters and have effectively ruled Nigel Pearson, the former Leicester manager and Harry Redknapp out of the running.

Even so, they accept that persuading Benítez - or Moyes or Rodgers - to try and rescue them from the Championship may prove easier said than done. They are however believed to be ready to offer the new manager appreciably increased autonomy in the recruitment sphere.

After several years of struggle under Alan Pardew, John Carver and now McClaren there is a recognition that the club’s overall strategy and managerial model requires some radical modification if things are to improve. There is also an appreciation that the current crisis - Newcastle are second bottom after losing five of their last six games - is not purely the current manager’s fault but instead reflects far wider, systemic problems. Considerable soul searching allied to potential root and branch reform apparently beckons this summer.

As a man, McClaren is liked and admired by Charnley, Graham Carr, the chief scout and Bob Moncur, the club ambassador and there is considerable sympathy for the position of a coach who took training on Tuesday morning and is due to repeat the exercise on Wednesday morning.

There is though an acceptance that McClaren is struggling to get the best out of a challenging, high maintenance, multi- national squad and that a manager in the Benítez mould could well provoke a much better response from a set of under-achieving players.

Although he stands to lose countless millions in television revenue alone should Newcastle be relegated, Ashley - heavily reliant on advice from Keith Bishop, a London based public relations executive and a key confidant - remains notorious for driving a hard bargain. Should negotiations with a potential successor or successors prove awkward or protracted the sports retail tycoon would have no compunction about leaving McClaren - who has made it clear he will not resign - to take charge of the team at Leicester.

After the meeting with Claudio Ranieri’s side comes a vital north east derby at home to key relegation rivals Sunderland who have won the last six Tyne-Wear derbies. Then, after the international break, Newcastle visit similarly troubled Norwich City.

Directors hope to have made a change by then but their failure to make significant progress on an appointment dictated that a state of damaging limbo endured and a planned meeting between McClaren and Charnley never took place on Tuesday afternoon.

If and when it happens, dismissing McClaren will represent a personal failure for Newcastle’s managing director, who regarded McClaren as the “perfect fit” when he appointed him last summer and has spent the last few months desperately hoping the 54-year-old could turn things around.

[MDK]

30 minutes ago, TCO said:

I'm clinging onto the hope that the board his taking it's time because they're lining up a good replacement. 

Honestly, McClaren's position is untenable. He's lost the players and that's if he ever had them to begin with. We're going to get spanked by Leicester if he's still there and then it's the derby at home where the fans will want his blood, he simply cannot continue on and into that most hostile environment.

I honestly thought you were talking about Sunderland then.

[stokeriño]

Does anyone on this planet honestly think that any manager who has Chelsea, Napoli and Real Madrid on the last three lines of his CV is looking at this Newcastle team that is, in all probability, weeks away from relegation and thinking YES SIGN ME UP?

[MDK]

3 minutes ago, stokeriño said:

Does anyone on this planet honestly think that any manager who has Chelsea, Napoli and Real Madrid on the last three lines of his CV is looking at this Newcastle team that is, in all probability, weeks away from relegation and thinking YES SIGN ME UP?

He might be a huge fan of the parmo.

[Moses Julep]

Why is Tim Sherwood not being linked to Newcastle? He did a terrific job rescuing Aston Villa from relegation last year

[Baddar]

Papers today: Ibrahimovic is certain he'll be a Man Utd player in the summer.

No quotes from anyone, but he's CERTAIN. 

[Adam]

15 hours ago, MDK said:

He might be a huge fan of the parmo.

Aitor Karanka would have to lose his job for Rafa to satiate his parmo desire.

[Lineker]

Quote

Manchester City have stepped up their bid to make Ilkay Gündogan one of Pep Guardiola’s first signings, with Txiki Begiristain meeting the Borussia Dortmund midfielder’s agent at Amsterdam’s Conservatorium Hotel.

Guardiola will take over from Manuel Pellegrini at City on 1 July when he leaves his position at Bayern. Gündogan signed a fresh two-year deal last summer so at the close of the season will have only 12 months left of his contract. He has a buyout clause of €30m (£23m).

Begiristain was photographed in conversation with Ilhan Gündogan, the 25-year-old’s representative and uncle, on the same day Guardiola met the City sporting director at the Conservatorium.

Begiristain spoke to Gündogan’s agent for around 45 minutes, according to German newspaper, Bild. City’s move for a player who can operate in a number midfield roles puts Yaya Touré’s future at the club in doubt. Gündogan joined Dortmund from Nürnberg in 2011.

[Gazz]

Newcastle, so clueless, directionless and spineless at the top that we can't even sack a manager properly.

 

[Lineker]

The Premier League have just announced that for the next three seasons, there will be a £30 cap on the price of all away tickets.

[stokeriño]

Just read that. Chelsea are also freezing their home ticket prices and continuing to subsidise away travel (£10 return on club coaches and/or trains). Hooray!

[Lineker]

[Moses Julep]

This is such a Bolton-era Big Sam signing. Either way I'm sure Sunderland are bound to win a few penalties with Eboue around.

[MDK]

Wonder what Jay Jay Okocha is up to?

[Lineker]

Being Alex Iwobi's uncle?