The Backheel That Relegated United Gossip

OWEN TO BE OFFERED A LOVELY HORSE
We don't usually pay much attention to gossip from the Metro, but they relay a humdinger of a rumour from down under this morning.

They report, via the Newcastle Herald (the Newcastle in Australia, that is) that Owen will not only be offered a healthy wedge of Aussie dollars to sign for the A-League side, but also a racehorse to sweeten the deal.

Presumably they think it's an offer to which he can't say neigh.

(Really, really, really sorry about that.)

To go straight to the source, the Herald rather amusingly - but quite accurately - describes Owen as a 'once-prolific 31-year-old striker'.

On Owen, Jets coach Branko Culina said: "I don't know about Michael Owen but there is no secret that we are looking for a player that will add to our strength on the park and also give us profile off the park, to ensure that we can attract additional supporters.

"You'll see in the next couple of weeks we'll announce a real big name which shows for the first time that Newcastle is able to go out there and match it with the very best."

Interesting.

CESC TO REAL, AGAIN
We rather doubt that this deal as a hope in hell of actually happening, but The Sun is nonetheless ploughing on with the notion that Real Madrid are going to make a whopping great offer for Cesc Fabregas.

The paper claims they will chuck £54million in the direction of Arsenal, hoping to scare off Chelsea with sheer volume of cash.

They reckon Real could offer a player as part of a deal, someone along the lines of Sergi Canales or Karim Benzema.

The paper seems to have completely written off the prospect of Barcelona having any say in a potential move, after they admitted earlier in the week that a deal was 'dead'.

We could be in for an auction this summer.

CHELSEA AFTER HAZARD
After their January spending spree, the papers are now clearly convinced that Chelsea will once again be throwing money around like confetti come the summer.

The Daily Mail reports Chelsea have 'made an enquiry' about Lille's highly-rated young winger Eden Hazard, around whom most of the Premier League has been sniffing of late.

Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool are all credited with an interest, so perhaps Chelsea just didn't want to feel left out.

ERIKSEN STAYING PUT FOR NOW
Another of the continent's highly-rated kids looks like he's going to disappoint the big boys chasing him.

Christian Eriksen, the kid who impressed everyone so much in the Denmark v England game, says he's quite happy where he is for now, thanks very much.

He said: "I owe the boss and am happy to continue progressing under him.

"I know what stage I am at in my development, and I know I am not ready yet for the Premier League in England or Serie A in Italy.

"I have a lot more growing up to do first, and I am at the right place for that at this club and with this manager. One thing I know is that I will stay at Ajax for at least another season after this one."

AND THE REST...
Jack Cork hopes to make his loan switch from Chelsea to Burnley permanent in a £2million summer deal...Blackpool have failed in attempts to bring in a goalkeeper on emergency loan. Enquiries for Ben Alnwick, Tomasz Kuszczak and Andy Lonergan were rebuffed...Chelsea sporting director Frank Arnesen - who is leaving the club in the summer - is a target for Real Madrid...Newcastle boss Alan Pardew has begged Sol Campbell to stay at the club despite interest from the Middle East.

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Bitter PSG boss slags off Stephane Sessegnon

21 Mar 2011 - 19:52:52

Twisting like a dumped ex. Antoine Kombouare, boss of Paris St Germain has been slagging off Sunderland midfielder Stephane Sessegnon, over his move to Wearside. Like a bitter ex girlfriend that just can’t quite get over being binned, the twisting manager tried his best to hang on to the midfielder in the January transfer window but simply just couldn’t. Sessegnon wanted to come to Sunderland so much so he took a pay cut, saying to the Sunderland board “I will play that well for Sunderland you will want to pay me more”, he was that impressed he turned down the opportunity to speak to two other premiership clubs (one has been named as Everton). Anyhow the sad PSG boss has taken two months to think of something, speaking to a French sports paper, "Sessegnon didn't accept competition." “He saw Ludovic Giuly take his place in the team and he gave up. He put the blame on the rest of the squad and on me, "He is a quality player but he decided not to come to training anymore, saying 'I want to leave'.” "The club could get up to €8million for his transfer to Sunderland. That would be fantastic. "That sort of behaviour cannot be tolerated, you have to fight against it. "If Sessegnon had stayed, he would be an outsider, he would not exist anymore. Today, without him, we are working much better."

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Liverpool owner Henry impressed with Dalglish

Liverpool owner John W Henry has praised Kenny Dalglish's work at Anfield but reiterated that he was not prepared to discuss his long-term future at the club.

Dalglish has seen Liverpool exit the FA Cup and Europa League since taking charge until the end of the season following Roy Hodgson's departure, but their league form has improved and the 2-0 win at Sunderland on Sunday keeps their faint hopes of returning to Europe next season alive.

"He has done very well," Henry said in the Daily Mirror. "It's all very positive. Someone was saying that people weren't happy here, but I think since that person left people are happier."

On Dalglish's future, he added: "What is going on in that regard is private. It is something called the Liverpool way and you do these things behind closed doors. I am not going to talk about these things."

Henry accepted that - with a four-point gap to make up on Tottenham having played an extra game - it will be difficult for Liverpool to qualify for the Europa League but feels they still have a chance.

"We will have to have a lot of days like [the victory at Sunderland] to do that," he said. "Tottenham are in fifth and they look very good so we will have to play extraordinarily well, and we will have to win when they come to Anfield to have a shot at that, but we will do our best."

Dalglish, like Henry, has been reluctant to discuss his future in public and dismissed recent stories in the press about the contract negotiations.

"I have seen I have asked for four years," Dalglish said. "Well, I don't know who I am supposed to have asked. I have seen I was offered two - don't know where that has come from.

"People ask if I have spoken to the owners and of course I have. I speak to them regularly every week. It is their club, and they are fantastic owners, very supportive. There have been no detailed discussions about next season.

"Until there is something to be said, there is nothing. For me that is not a problem. For me, the club is most important, bar one instance when I left the club last time. There is no pressure on anyone."

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Toon duo issue apology over nightclub pics

Newcastle's Leon Best and Stephen Ireland have issued an apology to the club and its supporters after being pictured in a nightclub on Friday evening.

The pair had been ruled out of Saturday's game at Stoke, which Newcastle lost 4-0, through injury but accept going to a bar was ''inappropriate.''

A statement released through the club read: ''Although we had both been ruled out of the game at Stoke and didn't travel with the team, we realise that going out to a bar was inappropriate ahead of Saturday's game and we fully regret doing so.

''We were asked to have our photograph taken and we removed our shirts as a tongue-in-cheek joke between friends, but of course the resulting coverage in the press suggests a far different night out.

''Whilst our actions were wrong, neither of us had consumed alcohol and we were out for only a very short period of time.

''However, with the team having an important game at Stoke the following day, we should never have put ourselves or the club in that position.''

Newcastle boss Alan Pardew was asked about the situation after Saturday's game and said: ''That is a situation I have to look at on Monday morning. It is news to me. It is not an ideal situation when you have a game on Saturday, even though they are injured. I will look at that.''

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