Category Uncategorized

Blackburn Rovers manager Steve Kean cancelled his players’ day off this week in a bid to halt his side’s bad run ahead of their match at Fulham on Saturday.

Blackburn have lost four of their past six Premier League games including a comprehensive 4-1 defeat at Aston Villa last week and Kean knows they desperately need to create more goal-scoring opportunities.

“We have got to make sure we get service to the front men and make sure we can dictate play. That has been one of the disappointing aspects of recent weeks; we have not had enough service to the front unit. We have been working to fix that,” he said.

“We had a good meeting with the players on Tuesday afternoon and we watched certain aspects of the game against Aston Villa. We’ve worked on that all week and the mood is good.”

The players have been forced to forego their usual Wednesday day off in order to get in an extra day’s preparation for the Craven Cottage showdown.

With new club owners Venky’s expecting great things from the Lancashire club, the manager will be trying everything he can to improve on the club’s current 14th position in the Premier League table.

“We’ve had a long week; normally we train very hard on a Tuesday and I give them the Wednesday off but we’ve been in all week. They have put in a lot of hard work on the training ground so hopefully we will see the rewards on Saturday,” Kean said.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

“This match is an opportunity for us to bounce back. Fulham are in decent form so we know it will be a tough game.”

Blackburn will be without David Dunne (hip), Mauro Formica (fitness) and Phil Jones (knee). David Hoilett (hamstring) and Roque Santa Cruz (back) are both doubtful.

Tottenham’s Robbie Keane has reportedly been targeted by Martin O’Neill and the Villa boss is supposedly eager to sign the striker in the summer window. Weekend reports stated Harry Redknapp would want Gabriel Agbonlahor in exchange for the Irishman. So, if the deal was to ensue this summer, which club would benefit most, Spurs or Villa?

Keane has failed to hit the heights since his Spurs return and failure to secure a regular first team start prompted a loan move to Scottish giants Celtic in February. 16 goals in 19 games saw Keane recapture some form, but it remains to be seen whether Tottenham will give him another opportunity next season to prove he has a future at White Hart Lane.

The weekend reports suggest that Spurs have valued Keane at approximately £12 million; a fee that the NOTW suggest Villa are after for Agbonlahor. Redknapp is looking to add to his current squad this summer, as he plans his assault on the next season’s European and the domestic competitions, and Agbonlahor’s pace will certainly add a different dimension to the Tottenham attack. It remains to be seen if O’Neill would be tempted to part company with Agbonlahor in any swap deal, or whether a straight cash move for Keane would be the preferred option.

The 23-year-old Villa forward appeared 41 times, whilst bagging 16 goals in all competitions for his club this season. Agbonlahor is not known to be a prolific striker, far from it, but his explosive pace no doubt causes the opposing defence some major problems.

So with that in mind, which club would profit most from the proposed transfer this summer?

Having looked at both players’ statistics last season, it’s clear to see that Keane’s goal ratio is far better than that of the Villa striker. The Spurs man goal ratio stands at 1 goal in every 2 games, where as Agbonlahor’s is 1 goal every 2.5 games.

The Villa no.11 unquestionably possesses more pace than Keane, but the Spurs man is a far better finisher without a doubt. Many will question Agbonlahor’s quality when bearing down on goal, but these critics must take into consideration that the Englishman is still young and learning the trade. At 29 years of age, Keane bags more experience and as such has a vaster knowledge of the game than that of the Villa striker. Both players share European experience but of course not at the highest level.

If you were to ask the neutral fan on who the better striker is, and as such, which club would benefit most from the possible move, the result may prove to be a fairly unanimous one.

Follow me on Twitter – http://twitter.com/TMer4kl1

Get the latest Aston Villa news on Twitter

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Get the latest Tottenham Hotspur news on Twitter

[youtube CHvcyyORrgA]

Neil Warnock will be expecting his QPR side to bounce back from their 6-0 thrashing at Fulham two weeks ago with victory over troubled Blackburn.

The R’s were on the receiving end of a 6-0 hiding at Craven Cottage two weeks ago with Warnock unhappy with his side’s lifeless display. His side have been poor in their last two fixtures and were gifted a point by a Richard Dunne own goal in the 1-1 draw against Villa last month. Progress up until that point had been encouraging and they were certainly reaping the benefits summer signings Joey Barton, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Luke Young ‘s Premier League experience. Tony Fernandes’ takeover and subsequent spending spree had afforded Warnock a luxury few teams had in the transfer window and his squad looks better for it. Alarmingly though they are yet to win at home this term and will see the game against Rovers as the perfect way opponent to get themselves off and running at Loftus Road. Goal scoring is also a problem and despite scoring three on the road against Wolves in mid-September Rangers have failed to hit the back of the net four times in their opening seven games. New recruits Jay Bothroyd and DJ Campbell have one goal between them and Warnock will need address this issue if they are to remain a top-flight side come May.

They shouldn’t have any problem scoring against Rovers though who continue to lurch from bad to worse under Steve Kean. They were torn apart by Manchester City in the last game going down without a whimper as the billionaires scored four without reply in a rampant display. Kean is under increasing pressure to turn things round but it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen any time soon. Supporters are planning to protest again over the decision to keep Kean in the Ewood Park dugout. A mid-season trip to India failed to give the boss some much-needed respite. On a positive note though they do have a decent record against QPR and are unbeaten in 11 games against the Hoops. They’ve won the last three Premier League games 1-0 although those records do stretch back over 15 years when the R’s were last in the top flight. Eight defeats from the last 12 makes for painful reading for Rovers fans who must be wondering where their next point is going to come from.

Key Players

Joey Barton – Since his arrival from Newcastle on a free transfer the new captain has settled in quietly which is uncharacteristic to say the least. However his early performances have been dynamic and his experience will be key to securing another year in the top flight.

Junior Hoilett – Despite Blackburns shocking form the Candian winger has been in fine form and has been their main attacking threat so far this season. His pace and trickery down the flanks is key to Rovers offensive strategy and he’ll fancy his chances up against Young or Armand Traore depending where Kean intends to play him.

Verdict: 2-0

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Joey Barton was once again QPR’s hardest working player, covering 10.9km, with an average speed of 5.56 miles per hour. Barton has put himself forward for the Euro 2012 squad this week, and he is the 8th ranked English midfielder in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index having won 77% of tackles, got 60% of shots on target, and averaging a pass completed in his opponents half every 6 minutes 4 seconds Blackburn’s Canadian striker David Hoillett has been the subject of transfer speculation this week, and is 10th most prolific crosser of the ball in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index with 20. He has also scored once from 4 shots on target, and is the 6th most successful dribbler of the ball having completed 22. Hoillett is Blackburn’s highest ranked player in the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index in 74th place

[ad_pod id=’unruly-2′ align=’left’]

Everton teenager Jack Rodwell is in line to return against Sunderland at Goodison Park on Saturday.Rodwell, 19, was expected to be out until April after injuring his groin playing for England Under-21s against Italy a fortnight ago.Rodwell is desperate to play some part in the crucial clash against Sunderland as Everton look to build on their FA Cup triumph over Chelsea.With the Toffees just three points above the Premier League drop zone, Rodwell is under no illusions about the importance of the clash with Steve Bruce’s side.”Sunderland is a massive game for us,” he told the Liverpool Echo. “We need to pick up as many points as we can – especially at home.”Rodwell has paid tribute to Everton’s medical staff as he has made quick progress in his recovery.Manager David Moyes is keen to involve Rodwell, particularly as Tim Cahill is in doubt with an ankle knock that forced him out of the FA Cup win at Chelsea after 70 minutes.It’s the second time this season Rodwell has shown his powers of recovery as he returned ahead of schedule after damaging ankle ligaments last August.”The medical staff here are really good,” Rodwell said. “I have full faith in them and hopefully I can shave off a few weeks.””My last injury I was told it would be three months but I was back in two, maybe even less.”Sunderland, who have lost their last three league matches, are seventh on the table, 10 points behind fourth-placed Spurs.The Black Cats have not played in the league since losing 2-1 at home to Spurs on February 12 but young England midfielder Jordan Henderson believes the break has paid off.”I think it’s been a really good break for everyone, now we’re looking forward to being back,” Henderson told the Sunderland Echo.”Everyone’s been lively in training and we cannot wait for Saturday.””We just want to concentrate on the future.””The first thing is the Everton game and hopefully we can do well.” Manager Steve Bruce’s hand will be strengthened over the next few weeks with the return from injury of some key first-team players.”I don’t think it’s a case of hanging in there waiting for players to get fit again,” Henderson said.”We’ve got enough quality players in the team to go and get some good results against some good sides.””We’ve played well against the top teams and hopefully, in the next four or five games, we can do that again.””Personally, I didn’t feel as though I needed a rest.””I felt okay, my stats were up to what they had been all season, so I wasn’t really worried about being tired.””I just wanted to get out there.””Possibly in the last couple of games I didn’t play as well as I could have. But I’m just going to concentrate on the next three games now and try to take it to the level where I was at before.””I just love playing football, so I want to play as many games as I can.”

Harry Redknapp has rubbished rumours that he would be willing to sell Luka Modric to any club, for any price:

“There’s no chance of it happening at all. Luka’s key to everything that’s happening at this place. Everybody knows what I think of him. And if you want to move on to higher levels you don’t start flogging off your best players – to anyone.” –The Sun

I didn’t think the news needing announcing but apparently Ferguson’s ‘friendship’ with Redknapp could have had a deciding factor on the player’s destination. It’s difficult to imagine Redknapp selling the Croat to any bidder in this transfer window considering the importance of retaining, whilst adding to, a squad that is pushing to be in the Champions League group stages come the beginning of next season.

It was rumoured that United may be tabling a £25m bid for Modric in an attempt to add some desperately needed creative influence in midfield. But the 24 year old has himself hinted that he would prefer to be part of the future at White Hart Lane:

“I thought at the time, ‘this is a big thing for us’. If we qualify for the group stages of the Champions League I’m sure this club will go on to another level.”

Although what players say can rarely be given credence anymore considering the transfer climate it is safe to assume that Redknapp will certainly not allow the diminutive attacker to be sold as his squad prepares to battle it out with Europe’s best.

With the door publicly and proverbially closed on United it leaves me wondering who Ferguson can look to capture and reignite the variety of Old Trafford’s attack. David Silva remains an option, although the noises from Spain are now suggesting some reticence to the notion of selling. Wesley Sneijder is another man who, despite having the best debut season possible with Inter, may be available given Mourinho’s departure (and the likelihood of one or two high profile names following him to the Bernabeu).

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

But with the World Cup only a mere fortnight away there remains plenty of time for players to enhance (or degrade) their reputations.

If you enjoyed this, you can follow me on Twitter

Sunderland entertain Europa League high flyers Stoke City looking to kick start their flagging season.

It’s been a right old slog for Black Cats boss Steve Bruce with two points from four games and the loss of key striker Asamoah Gyan to the United Arab Emirates putting him under some serious pressure. A huge recruitment drive in the summer has so far failed to produce the desired results with Bruce’s new look side yet to gel to full effect leaving fans frustrated. Defeat to fierce rivals Newcastle in the Tyne Wear derby last month hasn’t done much to help the boss’ cause and he must now work without Gyan. Nicklas Bendtner was brought in on deadline day on a loan deal from Arsenal and put in an admirable display against Chelsea last week but failed to find the net. A run of only three wins in 18 games has seen many supporters call for Bruce’s head. However at such an early stage of the season and with a squad boasting over 10 new faces it would only cause to further harm the stability that has been built during Bruce’s three year tenure. The visit of Stoke this weekend should see them break out of their slumber with the Potters failing to score at the Stadium of Light in their last three visits.

A tremendous 1-1 draw against Dynamo Kiev in the Europa League coupled with an unbeaten start to the Premier League season has seen confidence skyrocket at the Britannia Stadium. However the amount of time spent jetting off around Europe may come back to haunt the Potters who will need to be wary of fatigue that will undoubtedly creep up unannounced in the squad. A very good transfer window saw boss Tony Pulis bring in Peter Crouch, Wilson Palacios and Cameron Jerome along with Jonathan Woodgate and Matthew Upson giving the squad a few licks of experience. Their away record though isn’t the best and they picked up their first win on their travels against Stoke a few weeks ago.

Phil Bardsley starts his four-match ban after being charged with violent conduct in the week. John O’Shea could return after missing the Chelsea game last time out.

Matthew Etherington, Rory Delap and Marc Wilson all missed the tie in Kiev and are all doubts for the trip to the North East.

Key Players

Stephane Sessegnon: After the departure of Gyan fans are now looking to Sessegnon to provide some goals and inspiration to fire Sunderland up the table.

Kenwyne Jones:  The former Black Cats striker is unplayable on his day and could come back to haunt his former employers if he’s selected.

Verdict: 1-0

[divider]

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Have you bought your Goaldash ticket yet? Don’t miss out on your chance of winning a Million pounds this weekend!

Former Chelsea duo Marcel Desailly and Gianfranco Zola believe the club can still win this season’s Premier League title.

Sunday’s 1-0 home defeat to Liverpool at Stamford Bridge sees the reigning champions sit fourth on the table, 10 points behind leaders Manchester United.

But despite a wretched run of form over the Christmas period, Desailly believes Carlo Ancelotti’s side can come out on top at the end of the season.

“Manchester United proved a couple of years ago that even with 15 points behind, you are still able to make it,” Desailly said at the Laureus Sports Awards event in Abu Dhabi on Monday.

“But the future is there for Chelsea. You can see that with Torres and all the other players.”

Zola also sees the signing of Torres as a major boost to the Blues’ title bid.

“Of course he (Torres) will make a difference,” Zola said.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

“He is a big and great player and he will need a bit of time to adapt and settle down in the team. But he has got all the qualities to make a big impression.”

“Yesterday’s defeat was obviously a big blow. But they will come back. Nobody doubts Chelsea’s strength. It is just that they need to find a little bit more rhythm. I thought they were coming back very strong.”

Saturday afternoon saw the new-look Cobblers play their first game at Sixfields against Chelsea Under 21’s, a match that was quick on the heels of last Wednesday’s 4-0 win at Cogenhoe.

It was a pretty good display from the Cobblers and the new recruits impressed despite a 2-1 defeat. The Cobblers team included trialist goalkeeper Connor Roberts who was released by Everton at the end of last season. A crowd of 1,527 turned up at Sixfields which was not bad for a game against a young set of future stars which included last season’s loanee goalkeeper Sam Walker.

Chelsea began the game well with good control of the ball and pushing hard at the Cobblers, but as the game entered the 17th minute the home side had the first opening of the game.  Ishmel Demontagnac’s volley was deflected following a good knock-down from fellow new boy Clive Platt. A few minutes later Chelsea had their first chance as Adam Phillip coasted past a couple of Cobblers defenders and saw his shot go narrowly over the bar. On 24 minutes a cross from Chris Hackett was headed goal-wards by Clive Platt but was straight at Walker in the Chelsea goal. Following this Chelsea went straight up the other end as Lewis Baker hit a shot from 20 yards that sailed just wide of the goal. There were not many more chances during the first half and it goal-less at half-time.

The second half started and it was end to end stuff as both goalkeepers were made to work hard to keep a clean sheet. The fell to the Cobblers when Chris Hackett floated in a free kick that was met by John Johnson whose header just went wide of Walker’s post. Next it was Hackett himself who had a chance following a great through ball from Ben Tozer but unfortunately for Hackett,  Walker’s fingertips got to the ball to tip the shot past the post.

On 63 minutes the deadlock was broken when Connor Roberts saved a shot from Chelsea but unfortunately the save fell straight at the feet of substitute Alex Kiwomya who tapped in to make it 1-0. On 75 minutes the Cobblers had a chance to equalise after a Ben Harding knock down was met by Ben Tozer who saw his shot end up going wide. On 78 minutes it was game over a curled effort from Chelsea’s Rueben Loftus-Cheek was again parried away by Connor Roberts, the ball fell to Cobblers left back Joe Widdowson but unfortunately for him his attempted clearance hit Kiwomya and found its way into the back of the net. The final 10 minutes was frantic stuff from the Cobblers with them coming close through Alex Nicholls, Adebayo Akinfenwa and Anthony Charles who forced a fine saves from Walker.

All in all it was a good run out for the Cobblers and Chris Hackett was deservedly chosen as man of the match by the match sponsors which topped of an impressive first appearance at Sixfields for the former Millwall man.

Clive Platt played well, winning near enough every header and holding up play impressively.Ishmel Demontagnac did ok but I was not overly impressed by him. He made a couple of good runs during the first half but by the second half we did not really see much but I am sure there is more to come from him. Joe Widdowson had a solid game at left back, he looked pacy and made some timely challenges and was unfortunate with the way his attempted clearance deflected of the Chelsea front man for their second goal. Alex Nicholls looked bright and added a bit of pace to the front line and seemed to link up well with Platt.

In my opinion we still lack a solid centre-back with pace. On numerous occasions this pre-season we have been caught out when teams have floated the ball over our back four and unfortunately I think the current pairing of Langmead and Charles will be exposed to0 often once the meaningful action begins next month. We also need to try and stop getting players just running after the ball like headless chickens. Against Chelsea there was a free man out wide who was not found and if passing was thought about we could have been carved open a few more times than we actually were!

One man who was missing from the team sheet on Saturday was trialist Michael Hoganson who the previous week was offered a one year deal at Sixfields and told Aidy Boothroyd that he would like to miss the game to think the offer over. But following the game it turned out that he played for Derby County in their friendly against Burton Albion which has not pleased ADB and added spice to last night’s friendly against the Rams.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Up The Cobblers!!

[ad_pod id=’writer-2′ align=’right’]

Last season’s Midlands derby was contested with the spectre of relegation hanging over both teams. This season see’s them as early challengers at the Premier League summit. Both clubs have enjoyed a fantastic start to the season and lie fourth and third in the table respectively after two games. They have faced Fulham and Blackburn in their opening games with Wolves beating both whilst Villa secured a draw and a win.

The visitors have took maximum points so far this season and definitely go into the game as favourites. Mick McCarthy has certainly got his side playing some exhilarating, attacking football with Kevin Doyle leading the charge with his boundless effort up front. Matt Jarvis has also begun the campaign in hot form but will face a very tough test up against Stephen Warnock.

Alex McLeish has got his team off to a strong start and the win against Blackburn last week certainly released some of the pressure on his shoulders and discontent in the stands that surrounded his move from rivals Birmingham. Villa’s performance in the 3-1 win saw them play some fantastic football and in Gabriel Agbonlahor and Darren Bent up front they have a mix of pace and predatory instincts that should prove devastating providing they can keep their performances consistent.

Both clubs are in form but with the pressure cooker atmosphere of a Midlands derby that goes out of the window. With both playing well and they could cancel each other out in game that promises entertainment!

Key Players

[player_profile slug=”darren-bent” align=”left”]Darren Bent – The England striker opened his account last week and will be expected to score the goals to ensure a first Midlands derby victory for McLeish as Villa boss.

[divider]

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

[player_profile slug=”jamie-ohara” align=”left”]Jamie O’Hara – Wolves’ midfield lynchpin will be key to unlocking the Villa defence and providing Doyle and Steven Fletcher with plenty of ammunition to down their rivals.

[divider]

Verdict: 2-2

Sunderland manager Steve Bruce has been obviously upset recently. Danny Welbeck gets crocked for up to eight weeks and then Darren Bent decided he’d had enough in the North East and moved to Aston Villa. The fall-out from that move has dominated the back pages, but after his side won well at Blackpool, was all the talk over Darren Bent really that necessary?

It would be frustrating for any manager to lose one of his best players, especially the main focal point of his attack. But Sunderland showed no signs of missing the England striker on Saturday. It isn’t ideal, but for the time being, Asamoah Gyan is more than capable of leading the attack by himself, and if Kieran Richardson continues to revel in the role just behind the striker, then they won’t find goals too hard to find.

There is also talk of bringing in Stoke City’s Ricardo Fuller. The powerhouse doesn’t get too much of a look-in at the Britannia Stadium these days but whenever he does feature, he bullies centre-backs for fun. He’s a real handful and has an eye for goal. Because of his height and strength, the Jamaican compliments the direct style in which manager Tony Pulis likes to operate at Stoke, but more than that he can actually play. It baffles me that Pulis would rather John Carew to Fuller in the first place, but Bruce won’t be grumbling.

Fuller would cost a fraction of the money Sunderland received from Villa for Bent so they could also use the money to tighten up other areas, or bring in another option up front. Welbeck looks set to stay at Old Trafford next season so the concern for Bruce about the amount of strikers he has will resurface soon enough. At least now he has the funds to plan for life without the on loan Man United star.

But such is the nature of football these days that players do break contracts and do move clubs. Managers may not agree but moaning about the way in which Bent moved to Villa Park isn’t going to get Sunderland a new striker. It isn’t as though Bruce himself hasn’t left clubs to pursue his ambition of winning trophies before. Remember Wigan?

The fact is, Bruce has put together a fantastic squad at the Stadium of Light and sitting in sixth just two points of a place in the top four, it would be cruel to say they are punching above their weight. They are there on merit. Losing Bent will make it harder, but it is merely an obstacle which Sunderland must overcome if they are to continue to challenge for Europa League positions.

Bigger players have left bigger clubs but you just have to move on. Say what you want about the ethics of the transfer or the motivation behind his move, Darren Bent is now a Villa player and Sunderland are £18 million better off because of it. There are plenty of strikers out there who are priced below Darren Bent’s worth who are just as good.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Time is not on Bruce’s side, admittedly, but he has a week to sort out a short-term solution to the ‘how to solve a problem like Darren Bent?’ saga. Fuller and Gyan would suffice and I’m sure he is working on other avenues as well. But the summer isn’t too far away and he now has a lot of money to work with. Sunderland will have another front man soon enough and Bent will become just another player who has come and gone. He’s moved on, it’s time for Bruce to as well.

[divider]

Love fantasy football? Love live footy? You’ll love live fantasy football! Take part in the Bolton v Chelsea match and play Picklive for FREE Go on, give it a go!