Sunderland boss Steve Bruce has confirmed that Argentinian full-back Marcos Angeleri is on the verge of completing his transfer to the Stadium of Light.
The former Estudiantes player has been unable to take part in the Black Cats' pre-season games because of delays in getting an Italian passport which would allow him to play in Europe.
However, Angeleri has finally been handed a passport and could feature in the forthcoming friendlies against Hull City or Benfica.
Bruce told the Sunderland Echo:"It's good news and it's great for him because he needs to work with us as quickly as possible.
"It has been a bit of a culture shock for him coming over and seeing what English football is all about but he is a top-quality player and he will adjust.
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"The reports we've had on him from Argentina were all outstanding and he is a player who will bring something extra to our squad."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Javier Mascherano was saddened by the response his former teammate Fernando Torres received from Liverpool fans when he signed for Chelsea.
Torres signed for Chelsea on Monday in a deal worth 50 million pounds, a move which angered many Liverpool supporters, some of whom vented their feelings by burning shirts with Torres’ name on the back.
Now-Barcelona midfielder Mascherano is uniquely placed to know what Torres was feeling, having been on the receiving end of similar treatment from the Anfield faithful after his own controversial move to Barcelona last year.
“When I left Liverpool there were no shirts burnt, but it seemed as if I had killed someone,” Mascherano said.
“It is sad and nothing new, that people like Fernando have done a lot for Liverpool – not winning titles but enjoying good form – have to leave via the back door.”
“Besides being a move that one feels is a step forward, it is something that the press and the club want to make seem as if the players are the guilty party.”
“I spoke to Fernando and he doesn’t have anything to worry about as he did very well for Liverpool. He played when injured in order to help the club, so he has no reason to worry.”
Meanwhile, Mascherano is wary of the threat Barcelona face from a struggling Atletico Madrid outfit in Saturday’s La Liga clash.
Quique Sanchez Flores’ side visit the Nou Camp sitting in seventh place in the league, and the Europa League champions have won only once in La Liga this year causing supporters to voice discontent at the team’s form.
Barcelona, meanwhile, are on a 19-match unbeaten run and they secured a berth in April’s Copa del Rey final with a 3-0 second-leg win over Almeria on Wednesday, yet Mascherano insists they cannot afford to take the visitors lightly.
“I think that this is the most dangerous thing, when a big team like Atletico Madrid are hurt they present a bigger threat,” he said.
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“They have a very good team, who won an international title last year in the Europa League.”
“This year they were in the Super Cup against the World Champions, so we can’t underestimate them.”
“Maybe they haven’t had good results in the last few games, but they are still a big team. When a big team is hurt, then they want to have a good game against Barcelona – the league leaders.”
Football is a funny old game as the old adage goes – it’s a sport that’s much more prone to sentiment than almost any other, and one in which the heart often rules the head; and emotional returns are all just part and parcel of this.
There is a saying though that you should never go back; that any return is doomed from the beginning because it is downright impossible to live up to the previously high expectations set by a player or manager during their original stint at the club. If there is one fixed point of reference in football over time, it is most definitely the law of diminishing returns.
However, there remains hope for fans all over the country. Amidst talk of Kenny Dalglish being offered a two-year managerial deal at Liverpool and even a surprising move by Arsenal for former stalwart Jens Lehmann after a goalkeeping injury crisis, it appears emotional returns are now back in fashion, when it looked as if they were all but confined to the scrapbooks.
Here, in this list of top ten returning heroes, I will chart the careers of ten players, managers, and not to give anything away too much, chairmen, who have done the unthinkable – they’ve gone back to the scene of their past glories and have expanded on their legacy rather than tainted it like so many have done before them. So without further ado, here are ten people’s careers that may go some way at least to disproving the well worn theory that you should never go back.
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Click on Dalglish below to see the Top TEN Returning Heroes
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Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson believes Rio Ferdinand is still a month away from returning to first-team action.
Ferdinand is currently recovering from the knee ligament injury which forced him to miss the World Cup finals.
The 31-year-old defender was injured on the eve of the tournament in South Africa.
Initial injury assessments suggested Ferdinand could be fit for the start of the new Premier League season.
However, speaking ahead of Monday's opener against Newcastle United, Ferguson has revealed that the injury-plagued central defender is still four weeks away from making his latest comeback.
"Rio is nowhere near. He's doing little bits of jogging and things like that but I think he's a month away," he explained.
"We always anticipated it would take time. It's a knee ligament and, although it wasn't what you'd call a serious one, it was a hard one. You have to take time with knee ligaments.
"Rio has had a bad 12 months and we hope it gets better for him.
"You hope the break over the summer with missing the World Cup will help him.
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"The back injury seemed to sort itself out as the season went on, then he had the groin injury.
"He's had a succession of these things and you don't want to see that when a player is in his thirties."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Spain goalkeeper Iker Casillas believes Chelsea defender Ashley Cole will join him at Real Madrid next season.
Full-back Cole has been linked with a £30million move to the Spanish giants this summer.
The England international would be reunited with former Blues boss Jose Mourinho following his own move from Internazionale to the Santiago Bernabeu.
Casillas, who captained Spain to World Cup glory in South Africa, believes a fresh start in Madrid is exactly what Cole needs.
The 29-year-old is currently in the middle of divorce proceedings following the break-up of his marriage to pop star Cheryl Tweedy.
"From what I am hearing the signs look good," Casillas told The Sun."I have only briefly spoken to people at the club but I am confident that he can be a Real Madrid player next year.
"I think it will be the right move for him both professionally and personally.
"A clean break from England is hopefully something he is very interested in.
"It will be his last big contract and who better to sign for than his old coach Mourinho at Real.
"He will know better than anybody this club will be successful under Jose.
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"Jose has proved he buys players and makes them the very best in the world in their position.
"With Ashley he doesn't need to do that because he's already the best left-back in the world.
"Jose knows all about him and it comes as no surprise to me he is very much on Madrid's radar."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Mirassol came from behind to secure a 2-2 draw at home to Noroeste and move top of the Campeonato Paulista on Friday.Two goals in the space of three first-half minutes from defender Matheus and forward Diego gave struggling Noroeste a surprise lead at Estadio Jose Maria de Campos Maia.But defender Gustavo Bastos pulled one back for Mirassol two minutes into the second half, before striker Serginho levelled on 52 minutes.Neither side was able to produce a winner, but the draw takes Mirassol one point above Corinthians and into top spot.Noroeste remain 16th, but are now one point clear of the relegation zone. Elsewhere, Mogi Mirim twice came from behind to beat Sao Bernardo 4-2. Forward Elionar put hosts Sao Bernardo ahead within six minutes of kick-off at Estadio Municipal Primeiro de Maio.Striker Denilson equalised four minutes later for visitors Mogi Mirim, before midfielder Dirceu restored Sao Bernardo’s lead from the penalty spot on 23 minutes.They remained in front at half-time and it took until the 66th minute for Ytalo to level again for Mogi Mirim.This time the visitors seized the initiative – Denilson struck again to claim a brace and make it 3-2, before Geovane weighed in with a goal on 74 minutes to make it 4-2 to Mogi Mirim and complete the transformation.The win takes Mogi Mirim up to ninth in the table, while Sao Bernando are fourth from bottom with just nine points from 11 matches played.Eraldo’s 75th-minute strike gave Gremio Prudente a much-needed 1-0 win at home to Ituano.Three points sees Gremio Prudente climb off the foot of the table and into 18th place, two points off safety. Ituano are three points better off in 14th place.
Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Adlene Guedioura faces a long spell out of action after suffering a broken leg in the 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa at the weekend.
The 24-year-old Algeria international was injured by a challenge from Steve Sidwell and taken to hospital for x-rays, which showed up serious damage.
Manager Mick McCarthy told the club's official website: "It's desperately disappointing news both for Adlene and the club. Everyone wishes him all the best in his recovery."
Steve Kemp, head of the club's medical department added:"It is going to be a lengthy absence, but on the plus side the consultant has told us it's an uncomplicated fracture.
"In these situations that's as good as it gets.
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"Adlene will be in a full leg non weight-bearing cast for four weeks before progressing to a partial weight-bearing cast after that."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Aston Villa chief executive Paul Faulkner has confirmed that his club are looking for an experienced Premier League manager to take up the Villa Park hotseat.
Kevin MacDonald is currently acting as caretaker boss following the departure of Martin O'Neill, with Villa taking their time over a long-term replacement.
A statement from Faulkner on the club's official website read:"Following the departure of our manager on August 9, the club was left with very little time to react and to prepare for our opening fixtures.
"Our first order of business, looking immediately ahead to our games against West Ham, Rapid Vienna, Newcastle and Everton, was to ask Kevin MacDonald to step in as caretaker manager.
"Kevin has been with Villa for a period stretching back over 15 years, has thorough knowledge of our first team, reserves and youth Academy players, as well as strong and well-established working relationships with other key members of our coaching staff.
"As such, we felt he would provide a critical degree of stability and continuity in a turbulent period and give the team the best opportunity to succeed in these early games.
"Kevin, Tony McAndrew and many other long-serving members of our Club have stepped up selflessly and without hesitation to the task at hand and for this we owe them a huge debt of gratitude.
"We are conscious that we have steered clear of openly communicating our thoughts on the search for a permanent manager until this time, as we felt that to do so would undermine both Kevin's and the players' efforts to focus on preparing for these games.
"To date, we have immersed ourselves in the process of appointing a new manager and clearly identifying the key criteria this person must meet.
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"Two of the traits we believe are of crucial importance are that candidates have experience of managing in the Premier League and a strategy for building on the existing strengths in our current squad.
"We have thoroughly researched potential candidates and have reached out to a variety of contacts we have within the game for advice and guidance, as well as keeping key staff at Villa Park informed and focused.
"We will now start the process of interviewing candidates we believe meet the key criteria required to manage Aston Villa with a view to making an appointment in the near future."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
There wasn’t much to say about England’s performance against Algeria on Friday, but Westwood managed to describe it in three words, and as you can imagine he wasn’t exactly complimentary! You won’t find the phrase ‘free-flowing football’ anywhere in his second 2010 World Cup article for the News of the World, something that England failed to produce in the whole 90 minutes in Cape Town. After time to reflect on the match, Westwood comes up with his own reasons for the Three Lions’ dreadful display that leaves them on the brink of an early exit from South Africa.
He feels that the England team are scared. Scared of failure, scared of being criticised, scared of taking the bull by the horns and really going for it. This fear is something that the Fabio Capello and the whole England team have to banish on Wednesday afternoon if they’re to have any chance of triumphing over Slovenia. Westwood thinks that to be successful you have to take risks, something England simply haven’t done so far and time is running out for the Three Lions to do so. The 2010 World Cup is passing England by and we just don’t seem to be ready or to be able to do anything to stop it drifting away.
The big dawg is at as much a loss as the rest of us. He doesn’t buy the ball excuse and refuses to lay blame with the manager, as it’s the players who ultimately have to take responsibility for their shocking performances. Where’s the passion? Nobody is stepping up to the plate and the team is letting the whole nation down. In terms of booing, the Radio 1Xtra DJ thinks that the fans have a right to express how they feel and it’s important that they players hear the criticism. But Westwood still believes, even if he is getting rid of all his England team Panini stickers!
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To read Tim Westwood’s second NOTW World Cup article in full head to: http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/world_cup/852867/Tim-Westwoods-second-exclusive-World-Cup-blog.html
1. Julian Speroni – Another good season from arguably the best ‘keeper in the Championship. Didn’t hit the heights in terms of form as other season, but still seemed to pop up with a world class save every other game.
2. Nathaniel Clyne – His season was limited by injury which restricted him to 28 league games. Continued to look like an impressive young right back. Having run down his contract, a summer move to the Premier League is almost a certainty, although those that have championed the Palace academy will be hoping it is a move to a Manchester United rather than a Bolton.
3. David Wright – Anchored the midfield in the early, more successful part of the season, including in the victory at Old Trafford, injury has restricted him since December but he seems to be a Freedman favourite and his versatility and experience should be enough to see him retained over the summer.
4. Jonathan Parr – Something of an unknown quantity when he arrived in the summer, the Norway international started slowly, but really grew into the team and looked more comfortable at left back than as a wide midfielder. He’ll need a good rest over the summer as he’s effectively played 2 seasons without a break.
5. Paddy McCarthy – I’m a fan of the big Irishman, whilst sometimes he lacks technical ability and pace, he is a strong and courageous defender that has grown into the role of captain.
6. Anthony Gardner – If McCarthy’s the brawn, then Gardner’s then brains. My player of the season. He was a real rock at the back and showed his international pedigree. Prone to the odd gaffe last season, he seems to have ironed this out of his game. twenty clean sheets this season is testament to all the defenders.
7. Darren Ambrose – I wrote at length about Ambrose in my first blog, and he frustrates and delight, in not quite equal measures. That said, the attacking midfielder did finish top scorer.
8. Kagisho Dikgacoi – Made 31 appearances and bagged a couple of goals, but KG has not really lived up to his loan spell from last season. He’s been carrying some extra weight towards the end of the season. Freedman has mentioned there are a few players that he’s not happy with and the South African international could be one of them.
10. Owen Garvan – It feels like Garvan had fairly limited opportunities to showcase his midfield wares, and 23 appearance backs this up. He did get three goals, but never really got a decent run in the team and could well be on his way in the summer. The boy definitely has some talent, but probably is not the all round midfielder that is needed in the hustle of the Championship.
11. Sean Scannell – This season promised to be a big one for the dreadlocked forward. Initially employed as a striker alongside Murray, many Palace fans feel this is his best position, but spent most of season operating wide in a front three. He only managed a return of 4 goals which really isn’t enough for a forward. Unless he gets a proper run in the team down the middle, I’d expect him to move on before too long.
15. Mile Jedinak – A complete unknown quantity when he arrived, Jedi took time to adapt to the pace of the English game, but emerged as a contender for Player of the Season by the end. He’s strong in the tackle and the air, and has a decent pass on him too. A great free transfer and will look to have a big impact next term.
16. Wilfred Zaha – The Palace academy has churned out another gem. Only Paddy McCarthy played more games for the Eagles this season and Zaha showed frequent flashes of his undoubted potential. Usually employed wide, Zaha still finished as second top scorer, scoring on the final day to take his tally to nine. If Palace can hold onto the boy over the summer, expect him to kick on again next season.
17. Glenn Murray – Murray arrived with a splash last summer, probably Palace’s biggest signing. He took a while to secure his place in the side, but towards the end of September he scored 3 goals in 4 games and it looked like his season was ready to explode. But it didn’t quite happen for him, finishing the season on seven goals. However, two of those goals will be remembered for decades, the winner at Old Trafford and sealing victory against rivals and his former club Br*ghton. Murray!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vz94prjruuI
19. Jermaine Easter – Easter was Freedman’s first signing last January and hasn’t really achieved much. He finished with 6 goals, and it will be interesting to see what happens to him over the summer.
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20. Jonathan Williams – Joniesta burst onto the scene before Christmas, being given run outs in Palace’s thrilling Carling Cup run. A heart breaking leg fracture stunted his development, but he was back before the end of the season before getting injured again. Could be an important player next season if he can stay injury free.
21. Dean Moxey – Another injury prone player, Moxey only made 28 appearances but looked good when active. Ended the season covering for all the other injured centrebacks. Might struggle to get into the team ahead of Parr next season.
28. Stuart O’Keefe – Used sparingly, O’Keefe struggled to oust KG, Jedinak and Wright from the centre of the midfield, but when he did he impressed and was often voted MOM. The pinnacle was his outstanding performance at Old Trafford.
34. Lewis Price – made 10 appearance in Speroni’s place and always looked impressive. He was given a run out in the cups, and covered on the odd occasion when Jules was injured. Can’t be too many championship teams with an international keeper on the bench. Palace might struggle to satisfy his needs if he doesn’t get more appearances next season.