Blackpool chasing Newcastle striker Ranger

Blackpool boss Ian Holloway is planning a summer move for Newcastle United striker Nile Ranger.
The Mirror says Ranger could end his frustration at Newcastle after emerging as a target for Blackpool.
The young striker had a chance to join Holloway’s side on loan in January, but the Geordies blocked the move.
But Blackpool will revive their interest in the summer after Ranger, 20 on Monday, failed to make a breakthrough at St James’ Park despite the departure of Andy Carroll.

Barcelona sports chief Zubi keen on Newcastle fullback Enrique

01.03.11 | tribalfootball.com

Newcastle United fullback Jose Enrique is being offered a dream return to Spain - at Barcelona.
Local radio Cadena Ser says Enrique is on the shopping list of Barca sports chief Andoni Zubizarreta.
Zubi is eager to find a new left-back signing, with the futures of Eric Abidal and Maxwell clouded and Adriano failing to impress.
Enrique is now emerging as a top target and Barca had their English scouts see the Spaniard turn in a five-star display against Bolton Wanderers on Saturday.

Newcastle Unlikely To Go After Top Brazilian Striker

Newcastle Unlikely To Go After Top Brazilian Striker

News that Brazilian striker Adriano will be released by AS Roma.

Former Brazilian striker Adriano - in action last season

And the news is that both Spurs and Newcastle may be interested in the striker, who will now of course cost nothing in the transfer market, and indeed could be signed right now and play for the remainder of the Premier League season. That is – if he’s fit enough – which is doubtful.
But the first thing to realize is why have Roma released the player – who has only played 8 times for the first team this season, and the Italian club aren’t exactly setting Italy on fire this season, with manager Claudio Ranieri sacked only last week.
Roma are in 6th place in the league, a full 15 points behind leaders AC Milan.
Adriano (full name Adriano Leite Ribeiro) has just turned 29 this month, and has had a good career, but he is also probably way past his best.
Adriano has had a lot of personal problems recently which obviously has affected his form on the field, and he’s had to handle both depression and alcoholism (and illicit drugs too allegedly), so he’s been in a bit of a personal crisis of late.
Last summer the striker was interviewed by police in Brazil  in connection with alleged links to a drug-dealing gang, that had been accused of murdering police officers.
And indeed, earlier this month in Rio de Janeiro he refused the take a Breathalyzer test, when stopped by police, and therefore his license was automatically suspended for five days and he will also have to pay a fine of $574.
Adriano would be a huge risk for any club signing him, and if he is signed it will to a contract not more than two years, in case he’s a bust.
But Adriano reminds us too much of Dutch striker Patrick Kluivert, who was a big name signing as a free transfer for Newcastle back in 2004 from Barcelona,when he was 28 years old, but he was way past his best.
And he proved it in the one season he was at Newcastle, when Patrick played 25 times for Newcastle with just 6 goals on Tyneside. And Patrick has no personal problems when he was signed by Newcastle, he just seemed to have almost given up on his career, and he was once a world class player.
We have to believe that Newcastle will not go down that path again, and will think the Brazilian striker is just too much of a risk at Newcastle.
Adriano has played for Flamengo, Inter Milan, Fiorentina (loan), Parma, Sao Paulo (loan) and Roma and in 354 first class club games, he has scored 165 goals.
The Rio de Janeiro born striker, who stands 6’3″ tall, has played 48 times for Brazil with 27 goals.
What do you think?

Ben Arfa comeback delayed

Frenchman not expected to return until May

Ben Arfa: Could return in May

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew has admitted that Hatem Ben Arfa's return from injury has been delayed.

The French forward was thought to be in contention to be back from a gruesome double leg-break in order to face Wolves at the beginning of April.
But former Marseille star Ben Arfa, who suffered the injury against Manchester City in October, is now unlikely to be available until May.
Having only taken charge in December, Pardew is eager to call on the exciting 23-year-old, but he is not prepared to rush the rehabilitation process.
"I am going to protect him. I can't just throw him in," said Newcastle's manager.
"The Wolves game sound optimistic, even though I'm sure, in his own mind, he has set that as his target.
"But he is still very much in the process of recovery and he has a long road back. It may even take us into May.
"To break both bones in the shin is tough, not just physically, but mentally, too."

Newcastle Attempt To Sign Cisse As Free Agent

Newcastle Attempt To Sign Cisse As Free Agent

There’s a report out today that Djibril Cisse has said he wants to end his contract with Greek football club, Panathinaikos, after being targeted by racist fans last weekend.

Djibril Cisse - on his way to Newcastle as a free agent?

The player will put in an official complaint to UEFA, after rival fans chanted racist slogans at the former Liverpool, Marseilles and Sunderland player, while he played for Panathinaikos during a recent game against Olympiakos.

People who do that kind of thing are nothing but ignorant -  that’s the only way to describe their antics, and it’s just a pity those fans couldn’t have been arrested and charged after the game.

It appears that the Say No To Racism appeals, which we fully support on this blog, haven’t been too successful over in Greece it would appear, well at least not with this disgraceful behavior, which we had read about last weekend.

The real news for Geordie fans is that Newcastle United are said to be looking to sign the striker as a free agent this month – if  the player can negotiate a way out of his current contract.

There are reports in France that the agents of the 29 year-old prolific goalscorer, are looking to find any legal loopholes that would allow Djibril to cite rights violations, and therefore leave the club immediately.

From what we see of this case, he should be able to make a good case to do just that.

Djibril told the French Daily L’Equipe today:

“This season the atmosphere in the stands has got worse – twice already, I have been the victim of monkey chants and racist insults.’

And talking about the game with Olympiakos last weekend he said:

‘It was the same thing again on Saturday night.” ‘They were shaking around inflatable bananas every time I touched the ball.”

‘This summer I’m leaving, that’s for sure. It’s impossible for me here. I don’t want to play in this league any more.”

If Djibril can get out of his contract,  that would make him a free agent immediately, and any club could sign him up to a new contract, and of course this would be manna from heaven for Newcastle United, who are short of experienced strikers up front, at least  through the end of the season.

The former Marseilles player, who has hit an amazing 48 goals in 75 appearances for Panathinaikos, since in signed for them in June of 2009, has shown he can score goals wherever he goes, and would be welcomed big time on Tyneside.

Newcastle fans don’t care what color or creed the players are who wear the famous black and white shirts – only that they play their hearts out for the Magpies.

We have to hope this can and will happen, and of course Newcastle over the last few years have shown themselves to be very adept at capturing some star players for nothing or close to nothing.

Those include Dan Gosling last summer from Everton on a free transfer, and Mike Williamson for a paltry £1M fee from Portsmouth a year ago.

This is definitely an interesting story, and we have to hope it is true, and that Cisse can get out of his contract in Greece.

For the record Cisse has played for Auxerre, Liverpool, Marseilles, Sunderland on loan (11 goals in 38 games), and Panathinaikos in his career, and in 439 first class club games has scored 208 goals.

And in 40 appearances for France he has hit 13 International goals.

We told you this lad can score the goals.

Andy Carroll hailed as English top goal scorer

CHRIS HUGHTON has heaped praise on Andy Carroll, with the Geordie leading the way in the top scorer chart as England’s leading marksman.
United may well have endured a pasting at Bolton Wanderers, but Carroll stayed focused to grab his eighth of the season and take his career tally with Newcastle at first-team level to 30 goals.
Hughton feels that Carroll is continuing to show progress and told the Chronicle: “To get that amount of goals in the Premier League is a tough ask.
“For somebody as young as him it’s about still learning, which he’ll continue to do.
“He’s doing really well and we’re hoping that he can keep it up.
“He will have dips, like any player, but that is part of the parcel in football.”

And Hughton was impressed to see Carroll stick to his task at Bolton and keep the slim hopes of a comeback alive.
He said: “It wasn’t much of a consolation, but it’s great for Andy to be the top English scorer in the Premier League.
“It shows the progress he’s making.
“There’s always something to chase in a game and that’s what he did at Bolton.”
Carroll will be hoping to keep up his outstanding contribution this Sunday against Chelsea – the team he made his Premier League home debut against.
That day, back in 2007, United drew 0-0 but Carroll rattled John Terry to underline the potential he is now beginning to fulfil as the club’s No 9.