Will Everton go Indian, as Newcastle & Spurs continue to take a bashing in the press

Comment & analysis round-up

Quote of the day: “It is not only in the centre backs where we are short of height, I am thinking about the total size of the team. At Bolton, I put Song in for this reason. The corner against Hull can happen. It was a well-taken corner that came in at full power; it deflects. That can happen, but the corner against Bolton and the one against Fulham cannot be allowed to happen. We have worked on balls in the air, but if you put us against a basketball player who is two metres five [about 6ft 9in] tall, it is difficult to catch the ball.” – Arsene Wenger.

Runner-up: “If I never get a job that will be my last game. I’ve told my son that if that’s the case, I’ll have a cigar and a glass of champagne in the dugout. I don’t give a shit. I’ve never done that before, but who knows if the points will matter by that stage?” – Bruce Rioch on how Aalborg’s fixture at Old Trafford is currently due to be his last game under the terms of his contract.

Today’s overview: Unsupported by any quotes, the breaking news this Tuesday comes from John Cross, who claims that Everton could be purchased by an Indian tycoon worth £20billion.

As has been common in recent weeks, the Newcastle bashing continues in earnest in the papers too. Richard Williams shouts about how the “shambolic, careless appointment of Joe Kinnear aptly sums up Mike Ashley’s wanton disregard for Newcastle’s supporters.” Chipping in and talking in absolutes, Alan Hansen attributes all of Newcastle’s woes to the appointment of Dennis Wise. The Daily Express’ Niall Hickman scribbles that “Joe Kinnear has gone from Crazy Gang to no gang at all,” noting how no Toon players were present on Kinnear’s first day on the job. While the Daily Mail’s Chris Wheeler pipes up with a horrible, horrible article picturing Dennis Wise coming out of Costco saying, “They say everything is going down the pan at Newcastle but at least Dennis Wise is prepared.”

Tottenham also find themselves subject to a torrent of criticism. Neil Ashton reporting on how Ramos has unceremoniously cut certain members of the squad, Kevin McCarra orders Juande Ramos to forget about a sophisticated vision of football and send out a focused and aggressive Spurs team, Gary Jacob has a one-way conversation with himself to understand the problems currently being experienced by Tottenham, while David Hytner argues that Comolli, and not Ramos, could soon be packing his bags at White Hart Lane..

Controversially, Terry Venables points the finger of blame at Spurs squarely on the shoulders of Dimitar Berbatov – “You got your way but your poisonous presence at the start of this season — the pouting, the brooding and the reluctance to play — has cost the club that believed in you.”

Staying with Spurs, The Times have a graphic investigating asking “Is Roman Pavlyuchenko running on empty?,” and Oliver Brown asks whether Roman Pavlyuchenko is the new Sergei Rebrov. The final word is left to Tony Cascarino, who adopts his usual straight-talking approach to label some of Spurs’ young English talent as Billy Bigtimes who are letting the side down.

In other domestic news, Ian Wright has the knives out for Rob Styles, delievring a simple message – “Styles should not be allowed to referee professionally again. Ever.”

On the European front, Paolo Bandini reports on how the Milan derby left Mourinho virtually speechless, Sid Lowe gives his verdict on the “nuclear” Catalan derby, and Kai Traemann picks out “the five BIG mistakes of Jurgen Klinsmann.”

Lastly, the Daily Mail have begun serialising the new book by David Davies – F.A. CONFIDENTIAL: SEX, DRUGS AND PENALTIES – THE INSIDE STORY OF ENGLISH FOOTBALL – with today’s extract titled “Sex, drugs and penalties in the Eriksson era.”

John Cross at the Daily Mirror claims that Everton could be purchased by an Indian tycoon worth £20billion. “Indian tycoon Anil Ambani, the sixth-richest man in the world with an estimated £20billion fortune, is determined to buy a Premier League club. And Everton chairman Bill Kenwright is trying to interest the 49-year-old businessman and is having talks about a takeover at Goodison Park. Ambani has already looked at Newcastle and Liverpool but his advisers steered him away from the mess at St James’ Park while Anfield’s American owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks have fought off previous takeover bids. That has left Ambani seriously considering a deal for Everton – especially as Kenwright wants to step aside.”

The noble art of Newcastle bashing continues to continue, Richard Williams (Guardian) shouting that the “shambolic, careless appointment of Joe Kinnear aptly sums up Mike Ashley’s wanton disregard for Newcastle’s supporters.” “No sooner had Kinnear set foot in the North-east last week than he was giving it the old smokescreen, just as he used to do when under attack after one of Wimbledon’s more repellent performances. The line about how he would only be at Newcastle until a new set of owners installed the dream duo of Kevin Keegan and Alan Shearer turned out to contain not a shred of truth. First Shearer denied it on Match of the Day, with a derisive snort. And how, in any case, could Kinnear’s temporary employers be sure of the intentions of the several potential bidders for the club? The fans were being thrown a nugget of fool’s gold in order to palliate their discontent and put a stop to the demonstrations, buying those in charge a bit of time and perhaps slowing what must surely be a precipitous decline in the club’s value to a purchaser.”

Talking in absolutes, Alan Hansen (Telegraph) attributes all of Newcastle’s woes to the appointment of Dennis Wise. “The moment Ashley appointed Dennis Wise as Newcastle’s director of football was the moment Keegan was undermined. If there is one thing everybody in English football agrees on, it is that you cannot ever have a director of football working with a manager who did not appoint him. A manager has to have complete responsibility for his players; he cannot simply be a first-team coach. And if you want proof it does not work, ask yourself if it is coincidence that Newcastle and Tottenham, the two big clubs propping up the table, both have directors of football. It has never worked, it is impossible for it to work… And it will be a big ask for Newcastle to haul themselves clear of the relegation zone under an interim manager. In no way, shape or form could you call Joe Kinnear a shrewd choice for the post.”

Summoning all his tabloid strengths to headline his article “SAY IT AIN’T SO, JOE: FIRST DAY IN JOB AND LAZY GANG STAY AT HOME,” The Daily Express’ Niall Hickman scribbles that “Joe Kinnear has gone from Crazy Gang to no gang at all.” “Just when it was thought events at St James’ Park could not get any stranger, it was revealed that the players were rewarded for a fifth straight loss with the day off… Players were given the extra day’s rest because next weekend’s match is on Sunday, attended Newcastle’s defeat by Blackburn and said he would make his entire first team watch a DVD of the game. But yesterday he met only his coaching staff at the club’s training ground.”

The Daily Mail’s Chris Wheeler pipes up with a horrible, horrible article (which they claim as an EXCLUSIVE), picturing Dennis Wise coming out of Costco, with the following useless remarks. “They say everything is going down the pan at Newcastle but at least Dennis Wise is prepared. The club’s executive director (football) has gone to ground this month since Kevin Keegan’s shock departure. But we tracked him down to Costco near Watford, of all places, with a trolley-load of toilet rolls. Owner Mike Ashley, with a sale of the club imminent, is heading for a bit of cash and carry himself.”

The Daily Mail continue to be troublemakers when turning their attention to Spurs, Neil Ashton reporting on how Ramos has unceremoniously cut certain members of the squad. “Sportsmail can reveal that the Spurs chief has sidelined so many members of the squad since his arrival at White Hart Lane last October that they were sent messages from the manager telling them they can no longer change in the first-team dressing room at the club’s Chigwell training ground. Ricardo Rocha, Kevin-Prince Boateng, Paul Stalteri, Adel Taarabt, Ben Alnwick and Hossam Ghaly – about £15m worth of talent – have been told they have little chance of breaking back into the first-team squad.”

Juande Ramos is on the receiving end of some choice words from the Guardian’s Kevin McCarra, ordering the Spaniard to forget about a sophisticated vision of football and send out a focused and aggressive Spurs team. “The onus is on Ramos to knuckle down at Tottenham, confirm that there is still a productive pragmatism within him and start to pile up points. If he is resentful over the unsatisfactory resources with which he has been landed, a few wins will put him in a strong position to demand that the club re-enter the transfer market in January and atone for their summer sins.”

Controversially, Terry Venables uses his column in The Sun to point the finger of blame at Spurs squarely on the shoulders of Dimitar Berbatov. “Bulgarian strike ace Berbatov kept telling us he had a ‘dream’. Well, good for you Dimi, you had a dream with a few extra noughts added to your bank balance. But don’t you think Spurs had a dream too? Don’t you think that when they bought you and helped you blossom into one of the best strikers in the world, you had a duty to reward them by helping them fulfil THEIR dream. You got your way but your poisonous presence at the start of this season — the pouting, the brooding and the reluctance to play — has cost the club that believed in you.”

The Times’ Gary Jacob appears to have a one-way conversation with himself to understand the problems currently being experienced by Tottenham. “Is the management structure working? It does not appear so. Proponents of the continental structure argue that it provides continuity of players should a manager leave, but the evidence suggests otherwise. Frank Arnesen, Comolli’s predecessor, brought in 24 players in his season as sporting director four years ago. Four remain and only Tom Huddlestone plays. Who is to blame? Comolli has many questions to answer. Why has such a high percentage of the players whom he signed been made available for transfer within a season? Why did Pavlyuchenko sign with only days of the transfer window left? And if the plan was to pair him with Andrei Arshavin, why not pay Zenit St Petersburg’s valuation of the Russia playmaker?”

For the Guardian’s David Hytner however, Comolli and not Ramos could soon be packing his bags at White Hart Lane. “Scapegoats are normally the by-product of crisis, particularly at Tottenham, yet the chairman, Daniel Levy, is loth to make changes in personnel. Having moved heaven, earth and Martin Jol at the beginning of last season to install Ramos, he does not want further upheaval. Levy has made his bed and however uncomfortable it is at present, he must lie in it. He is more likely to throw Damien Comolli to the lions, the sporting director who oversaw the unsettling comings and goings of the summer. Ultimately, though, it will be results that dictate Levy’s policy. The Wisla and Hull games appear fraught with peril.”

Staying with Spurs, The Times have a graphic investigating asking “Is Roman Pavlyuchenko running on empty?”

On the same note, the Telegraph’s Oliver Brown asks whether Roman Pavlyuchenko is the new Sergei Rebrov as he analyses Spurs’ difficulties up-top. “Only one feasible choice remains: to pair Pavlyuchenko or Bent with loan signing Frazier Campbell, an untried player at this level after finding himself squeezed out at Manchester United, but perhaps, in Tottenham’s desperate predicament at the foot of the Premier League with two points from six games, worth a gamble… Attention again turns to the part played by Comolli in acquiring such players in the first place – the influence of Ramos in these decisions is understood to have been limited… Pavlyuchenko looked isolated as the lone striker – he has struggled, as Poyet points out, to play in a partnership just as much – and managed only one wild shot and wayward header.”

Tony Cascarino (The Times) adopts his usual approach of pulling no punches to label some of Spurs’ young English talent as Billy Bigtimes who are letting the side down. “Look at Jermaine Jenas: he was probably one of the most improved players after the arrival of Juande Ramos, the head coach, last season. Now – and particularly during the abject 2-0 defeat by Portsmouth on Sunday – he seems like a little boy lost. David Bentley, too. A star in the Blackburn Rovers ranks last season, now a fading light on the right flank – more Skoda than Bentley. Aaron Lennon, also. He might have geed up Tottenham at Fratton Park, after replacing Gilberto, but give him a start and he usually fades.”

Turning attention to the standard of refereeing in the Premier League, Ian Wright (The Sun) has the knives out for Rob Styles. “His decision to award Manchester United a penalty after a perfectly good tackle from Bolton’s Jlloyd Samuel on Cristiano Ronaldo was just diabolical. Completely embarrassing. If that decision had been made in a Sunday League game the ref would probably have taken some serious abuse on his way back to his car after the game. The problem I have with Styles is that he keeps making cock-ups. There is something clearly wrong with his decision-making as it was his fourth clanger in just over a year… Styles should not be allowed to referee professionally again. Ever.”

Paolo Bandini uses his weekly Serie A round-up article in the Guardian to show how the Milan derby left Mourinho virtually speechless. “It’s a good thing Jose Mourinho spent all that time learning the language. The Artist Formerly Known as the Special One had plenty to say this week, taking pops at the Italian press, Claudio Ranieri and even a man named ‘Barnetta’, who may or may not be related to the Lecce coach Mario Beretta. Yesterday the Inter manager was rather more succinct. ‘Milan scored a goal and we didn’t,’ uttered Mourinho after seeing his side beaten by a lone Ronaldinho goal in the season’s first Derby della Madonnina. ‘That is the story of this match.’”

Moving onto Spain, Sid Lowe (Guardian) reports on the “nuclear” Catalan derby. “As the flares came down, Medina Cantalejo stopped the game and cameras homed in on crying kids, men with walkie-talkies ambled along the running track going nowhere in particular, while security guards with short sleeves and sinister leather gloves rang their wife and told them to set the video, I might be on telly. The riot police simply watched from the safety of their body armour, unchecked flares reflecting in their helmets. And up in the directors’ box, Joan Laporta was furiously throwing off a calming arm from the mayor and spitting ‘it’s not my fault’ as Espanyol supporters turned on him. Instead, he insisted, it was Espanyol’s fault for letting the nutters in, reminding people that he banished the Boixos from Camp Nou – the only La Liga president to truly stand up to the ultras.”

On Bayern Munich’s troubles in the Bundesliga, Kai Traemann (Bild) picks out “the five BIG mistakes of Jurgen Klinsmann.” “With 11 coaches, assistants and team helpers, Klinsi has gathered a full football team of backroom staff – some of whom do not speak German. Many Bayern players are not even sure who is in charge of what. When coaching the German national team, Klinsi had only Jogi Low by his side – a much more effective combination. The current situation brings to mind the saying about too many cooks in the kitchen…”

And finally, the Daily Mail have begun serialising the new book by David Davies – F.A. CONFIDENTIAL: SEX, DRUGS AND PENALTIES – THE INSIDE STORY OF ENGLISH FOOTBALL – with today’s extract titled “Sex, drugs and penalties in the Eriksson era.” “In the run-up to the 2006 World Cup, I was tipped off that Sven was about to be exposed by the ‘fake sheik’ in the News of the World. Sven had been taped on a boat in Dubai making apparently indiscreet comments about his interest in a job at Aston Villa and about bungs to managers. Predictable carnage followed. When the story broke, Brian Barwick, our latest chief executive, asked us to Soho Square for a crisis meeting. Sven’s agent, Athole Still, came as well. Although Brian respected Sven as a coach, they had never built much of a relationship and Brian hankered after a coach of his choice, not Adam Crozier’s. Sven’s contract was until 2008, but it was obvious Brian wanted him out after the finals. ‘Sven’s contract will be terminated at the end of the World Cup,’ Brian informed Athole and Sven’s lawyer, Richard Des Voeux. A pay-off was discussed. Having unwittingly helped cause the furore by organising Sven’s trip to Dubai, they were negotiating from a position of weakness, but there was never any chance Sven would be fired.”