Posts Tagged ‘Newcastle’

Allardyce to miss Cup tie with Chelsea

• Allardyce had hoped to return for cup tie at Ewood Park
• Blackburn manager now expected back at work on Friday

Sam Allardyce will miss Blackburn Rovers’ Carling Cup quarter-final against Chelsea tomorrow, the assistant manager, Neil McDonald, has confirmed.

Allardyce, who has been absent for his team’s last three games, had heart surgery last week and is recovering at home. It was initially hoped the Rovers manager would return to the dugout for the cup tie at Ewood Park, but Allardyce is now not expected back at work until Friday, a day before Blackburn host Liverpool in the Premier League.

“He is at home, he’s convalescing and hopefully he will be back in work on Friday,” said McDonald, who will continue to stand in for the former Bolton and Newcastle manager. Asked whether it had been optimistic to expect Allardyce back early this week, McDonald said: “It probably was, yes, but all you can do is take the medical advice.

“He has got through the procedure which is really good and he sounds in fantastic spirits. He can’t wait to get back and hopefully Friday will be his first day back.”

So far McDonald has overseen a 2-0 win at Bolton – Blackburn’s first away victory of the season – followed by a 3-0 defeat at Fulham and a goalless draw with Stoke at Ewood Park on Saturday. Allardyce has maintained a heavy influence over team selection and decision-making during that time and McDonald said both he and the manager were feeling positive about how things were progressing in his absence.

“My phone bill is probably sky-high at the moment but that is the way it has to be,” McDonald said. “He is the manager of the football club and we all have to keep in touch with him to see what his views are.

“He has watched the games afterwards and it has given him time to analyse everything. He gives us a little bit of feedback and then we have to implement whatever he wants on the training ground. We have done that and got a few decent results, despite not picking anything up at Fulham.

“It could have gone either way against Stoke – we could have pinched it at the end and got three points. But we have also got our first away victory since he has been away so I think it’s all positive.”

Allardyce to leave hospital after surgery

• Blackburn’s club doctor says procedure went well
• Manager should be back in charge for Liverpool game

The Blackburn Rovers manager, Sam Allardyce, is expected to be discharged from hospital tomorrow after undergoing heart surgery today, the club have confirmed.

Allardyce, 55, underwent an angioplasty, a procedure to correct narrowing to one branch of his coronary arteries.

The Blackburn club doctor Phil Batty said: “The procedure has gone well and Sam is expected to be discharged from hospital tomorrow.”

Allardyce said: “I would like to thank everyone who has sent messages of goodwill and the entire cardiology team.”

The former Bolton and Newcastle manager, who has missed Blackburn’s last two matches, will be absent from the dug-out again tomorrow when Rovers host Stoke City at Ewood Park in the Premier League, with his assistant Neil McDonald again taking charge of the team.

It is not yet known whether the manager will be fit enough to return to his duties ahead of Wednesday’s Carling Cup quarter-final against Chelsea, although it is anticipated that he will be back in time for the Premier League game with Liverpool at Ewood Park on 5 December.

Newcastle’s stadium rebranding

St James’ Park gets a free rebranding from you, the reader

Milner dreaming of England-Brazil final

• Milner wants Doha friendly to be dress rehearsal for 2010 final
• Villa midfielder aiming to secure place in squad for South Africa

James Milner believes Saturday’s friendly international against Brazil in Doha will be the ideal yardstick to demonstrate whether England should be considered serious World Cup contenders next summer.

Fabio Capello’s side qualified for the 2010 finals in South Africa in impressive fashion with two games to spare, and won nine of their qualifying matches.

Milner sees the clash with the former world champions as a chance to see how good England are in reality and the winger would dearly love for the game to be a dress rehearsal for the final in eight months’ time.

The 23-year-old said: “This is a great preparation game. You obviously want to play the best teams before a major tournament.

“If I was lucky enough to get on the field against a team like Brazil it would be fantastic, but it is all preparation for the summer. There are not too many better teams to test yourself against, and see how ready you are for a World Cup, than playing Brazil.

“They have been fantastic over the years and it would be nice to play them in the final next summer.”

Milner has forced his way into Capello’s plans after showing excellent form for Aston Villa since his club record £12m switch from Newcastle 15 months ago, and he knows he must make every minute count for club and country if he is secure a seat on the plane to South Africa.

He said: “The World Cup is a long way away. It is a nice thing to have at the end of the domestic season and definitely something to aim for.

“I am not thinking about that too much at the moment. I am taking each game as it comes and playing as well as I can for Villa. That is what gets you into the England squad.

“I need to keep working hard, keep improving with Villa, and playing good football. I do believe every minute on the pitch is important, not just for England but week in and week out in the Premier League.

“You are playing against top-class players week in and week out. If you are lucky enough to get called into the England squad, and get the chance to get on the field, you’ve got to do well and prove that you should be chosen again. But then all the players want to keep improving and staking a claim to be in the squad.”

Milner is delighted to have made the breakthrough at full level for his country and was even used as a left-back by Capello in the latter stages of the win over Belarus last month.

He said: “When you are working as hard as you can all the way through your career, and have played a lot of Under-21 games, to get the full caps is obviously nice.

“It is your aim to play for England and now I’ve done that three or four times and the next aim is to stay in the squad and stay in the team. It’s nice to move that goal on one more time and stepping up a level to keep getting in the squads and pushing for a place in the team.

“I don’t think it adds to my confidence. It might change the way other people feel about you but obviously you’ve got that self-belief and confidence in your ability.”

PFA will stand by King, insists Taylor

• ‘We will help him get his life back on track’
• Taylor backs King to resume football career after jail term

Gordon Taylor, the Professional Footballers’ Association chief executive, insists the players’ union will support Marlon King.

King was given an 18-month prison sentence for sexual assault and actual bodily harm after punching a 20-year-old female student in the face in a nightclub.

King has been sacked by his club, Wigan, and pictures of the injuries suffered by the student were published in a Sunday newspaper.

Taylor said: “Everybody in life can have big problems to face and this is probably his biggest. I hope he’s able to overcome it and if he needs help to get his life back on track, I assure you we’ll be there for him.

“We will be pleased to give any of our members who has got problems support to get his life and his career back on track.

“We have a known record for that. I think we’ve got almost 50 cases in the past few years where such help has been requested and been given and for the most part we’re pleased to say it has been successful.”

The former Arsenal captain Tony Adams and Newcastle’s Joey Barton are two footballers who have served jail terms and returned to the game. And Taylor believes King will be able to resume his career when he has served the sentence.

He told BBC 5 Live’s Sportsweek: “If he serves his time, is contrite and shows a willingness to get his life back on track then that [football] is his skill and that’s the right of every individual.

“There are many managers who have taken on players who’ve had chequered careers both on and off the field. Sometimes they have been able to change them and other times not.

“It’s not going to be an easy situation to accept but I would hope with the passage of time, with the right approach from Marlon and the willingness to get his life back on track, then that’s a situation that hopefully may resolve itself and he’s still young enough to be able to do that.”

Taylor, however, revealed the PFA had not been contacted by King or his agent Tony Finnegan.