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Liverpool FC dikatakan akhirnya bersetuju untuk membayar £6 juta untuk pemain pertahanan-kiri yang diperlukan mereka dalam musim 2011-2012, apabila membeli Jose Enrique dari Newcastle. Perpindahan yang telah lama dinantikan ini menambah masalah buat Alan Pardew.

Kenny Dalglish kehilangan Gael Clichy yang berpindah ke Manchester City bulan lalu, dan kekurangan pilihan dalam pasaran perpindahan pemain menyebabkan Liverpool terpaksa melupakan hasrat untuk mendapatkan pemain sayap-pertahanan yang pantas.

Jose Enrique merupakan pemain terbaik Newcastle untuk musim 2009-2010 dan merupakan pemain utama yang menyumbang kepada kemenangan Toon dalam Liga Championship 2009-2010. Dia dikatakan menjalani pemeriksaan kecergasan di Melwood semalam. Pemergiannya menyebabkan Newcastle kelihatan gagal untuk melaburkan £35 juta yuran perpindahan Andy Carroll ke Liverpool pada Januari lalu.

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Newcastle United dikatakan bersedia untuk menggantikan pemain yang dikaitkan dengan Liverpool FC, Jose Enrique dengan pemain pertahanan Dutch, Erik Pieters.

Pemain PSV Eindhoven yang berusia 22-tahun itu pulih daripada kecederaan lutut yang dialami pada awal pra-musim, untuk bermain dalam perlawanan menentang AZ Alkmaar yang menyaksikan PSV Eindhoven ditewaskan 3-1.

Pemain muda itu mempunyai 10 penampilan antarabangsa, dan kaya pengalaman di Liga Juara-juara.

Newcastle dikatakan akan bertindak pantas untuk mengikat Pieters sebelum perlawanan pembuka tirai Liga Perdana Inggeris menentang Arsenal, minggu ini.

Pieters sebelum ini mendakwa beberapa kelab Liga Perdana Inggeris menunjukkan minat untuk mengikatnya, dan Liverpool adalah salah satu daripada kelab itu.

PSV baru sahaja memperbaharui kontrak Pieters sehingga 2014, membuatkan kelab itu berkedudukan kuat dalam penentuan yuran perpindahan.

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• Newcastle consider move for Enrique replacement (footybunker.com)
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• Newcastle United: Pardew still eager to keep full-back (clubcall.com)
• Liverpool Transfer Rumours: Reds’ Pursuit of Jose Enrique Has Toon Boss Worried (bleacherreport.com)
• Football Transfer Gossip 8th August 2011 (footybunker.com)
• A genuine cause for concern at Liverpool? (footballfancast.com)
• Liverpool Transfer News: Jose Enrique Not Enough to Right Reds’ Dreadful Defence (bleacherreport.com)
• Liverpool Agree Deal For Jose Enrique (thesportsmirror.com)
• Football transfer rumours: Bryan Ruiz to Tottenham Hotspur? | Barry Glendenning (guardian.co.uk)

Newcastle khabarnya tertewas dalam percubaan mereka mengekalkan Jose Enrique. Kekalahan ini membuka jalan kepada satu perpindahan bernilai £5juta ke Liverpool yang mungkin diselesaikan dalam minggu ini.

Kedua2 kelab telah lama berbincang mengenai perpindahan pemain pertahanan-kiri-menyerang itu, selepas Enrique menolak kontrak baru dari NU.

Enrique telah didenda 2 minggu gaji kerna kritikannya ke atas pengurusan kelab.

Newcastle akan kehilangan Enrique melalui perpindahan percuma jika dia masih kekal di NU tanpa kontrak baru.

Related articles

• Newcastle’s Pardew: Enrique still here, Routledge almost gone (tribalfootball.com)
• Liverpool agree £10M Enrique deal with Newcastle (tribalfootball.com)
• Jose Enrique launches scathing attack on Newcastle United’s transfer policy (telegraph.co.uk)
• Fed-up Newcastle urge Liverpool, Arsenal to make offers for Enrique (tribalfootball.com)
• Would Newcastle fans welcome him back with open arms? (footballfancast.com)

NEWCASTLE United merancang untuk membeli pemain-pertengahan antarabangsa pada minggu ini dalam sebahagian usaha mereka untuk melaksanakan perpindahan awal pada musim panas ini.

Boleh dikatakan selepas mesyuarat selama 5 jam yang dipengerusikan Mike Ashley pada hari Khamis,  United hampir menyempurnakan perjanjian pertama mereka pada penghujung musim  – dan berharap dapat menandatanagani pemain ke-2 pada tengah malam penutup kempen.

Pardew menyatakana bahawa pemain yang akan dibeli merupakan pemain tengah antrabangsa dan bukan daripada mana2 empat pasukan terbawah liga. Dia juga memberitahu bahwa 2 atau 3 pemain sedang dipantau, dan harga untuk ditawarkan kepada mereka juga telah dikenalpasti.

Newcastle terpaksa berahsia mengenai pembelian pemain tersebut untuk mengelakkan persaingan, tetapi diketahui bahawa pemain antarabangsa itu merupakan pemain pertengahan-tengah dan beraksi di Eropah. Nilai bayaran juga telah dipersetujui.

Pertengahan merupakan kawasan utama untuk diperkuatkan Newcastle, tetapi mereka juga mahu menambah pilihan di bahagian serangan dan sedang memburu penyerang Ivory Coast, Gervinho, yang mempunya klausa-pelepasan dalam kontraknya. Gaji merupakan perkara yang menunda perjanjian itu.

Newcastle juga sedia berbincang dengan Wigan untuk mendapatkan semula Charles N’Zogbia sebelum hujung bulan ini, tetapi mereka takkan menandatangani Connor Whickham yang berharga  £10juta.

Sasaran awal mereka, Kevin Gameiro, mahu beraksi di Sepanyol, manakala penyerang antarabangsa Perancis dan Roma, Jeremy Menez telah dipantau dan berpotensi untuk ditandatangani.

Tawaran £7juta untuk penyerang Reading, Shane Long sedang dipertimbangkan, manakala Jose Salomon Rondon, dari Malaga, antara nama yang termasuk dalam senarai mereka.

Agen Jose Enrique dijadualkan menemui setiausaha kelab, Lee Charnley minggu ini dalam usaha United untuk terus pemain mengikat pertahanan-kiri itu.

Newcastle takut Enrique akan berpaling ke kelab musuh, tetapi pemain itu belum memberi sebarang tanda untuk pergi. Perpindahan ke Liverpool telah menjadi sukar kerna Liverpool tidak mahu memenuhi gajinya – selepas  Ashley Cole , dia merupakan pertahanan-kiri termahal dalam liga.

Enrique diwakili oleh abangnya dan kelab akan menekannya untuk mendapatkan keputusan tentang masa depannya supaya mereka boleh memutuskan sama ada mahu membuat tawaran kedua untuk Cheikh M’Bengue, pemain Toulouse dan pertahanan-kiri bawah-21 Perancis.

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NUFC's Jose Enrique

Terdapat laporan bahwa Olympique Lyon telah menyertai perlumbaan untuk mendapatkan pemain pertahanan Newcastle United, Jose Enrique.

Sumber2 dari Perancis mendakwa kelab itu sedang mencari pengganti kepada Aly Cissokho, yang akan menyertai Inter Milan pada musim panas ini.

Kelab yang bermain di La Ligue itu kelihatan akan disaingi kelab2 Premier League seperti Manchester United dan Liverpool.

Bagaimanapun, difahami bahwa pengurus Magpies, Alan Pardew yakin yang Enrique akan menyambung kontraknya di Newcastle.

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• Newcastle demand answer from Liverpool target Enrique (tribalfootball.com)
• Newcastle United: Toon want Enrique decision (clubcall.com)
• Liverpool line up alternative left-back option to Enrique deal (sportingo.com)
• Newcastle’s Enrique shrugs off talk of Liverpool move (tribalfootball.com)
• Transfer Update: Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United (twoliverpoolfans.wordpress.com)

Image by mikebrown59 via Flickr

Keputusan ini membuatkan 1 persoalan berlegar di kalangan Toon Army: Adakah Newcastle United akan memenangi perlawanan ini jika Carroll masih ada?

Satu persoalan yang tiada siapa sudi bertanya terus kepada Alan Pardew, selepas anak buahnya gagal menggunakan kesempatan daripada penguasaan mereka ke atas Blackburn untuk menjaringkan gol, sekaligus memenangi perlawanan tersebut.

Pardew menggunakan 4 penyerang berbeza dalam perlawanan ini – Leon Best, Peter Lovenkrands, juga pemain gantian Nile Ranger dan Shefki Kuqi – dan hanya Lovenkrands, hampir menghasilkan gol melalui 1 lob terkena palang pada separuh masa pertama.

Kuqi melakukan penampilan pada minit ke-89 dan Pardew percaya kehadirannya akan membantu.  ”Kami mempunyai penyerang muda, Besty dan Nile Ranger, dan kadangkala mereka melakukan kesilapan kerana cetek pengalaman. Kuqi takkan begitu, dia akan berada di tempat yang betul pada masa yang betul.”

Seorang pemain yang berada pada tempat yang betul pada sepanjang masa perlawanan adalah pemain pertahanan-kiri, Jose Enrique yang menguasai bahagiannya di atas padang dengan sokongan Jonaz Gutierrez, menjelaskan keupayaannya untuk membuat 2 hantaran cantik pada separuh masa pertama, yang dibazirkan Lovenkrand.

“Dia adalah pemain penting untuk pasukan ini kerana dia mempunyai banyak fungsi, dan banyak persembahan baik kami daripadanya. Secara teknikal dia adalah pemain terbaik di atas padang pada 1 tahap tertentu,” tambah Pardew, yang menafikan pemain Sepanyol itu akan menurut jejak Carroll keluar dari St James’ Park.

Pemain gantian Blackburn :

Roberts 5 (Santa Cruz, h-t), Pedersen 6 (Hoilett, h-t), Emerton 5 (Dunn, 64)

Tidak digunakan Bunn (gk), Hanley, Grella, Benjani.

Pemain gantian Newcastle:

Perch 5 (Simpson, 75), Ranger 5 (Lovenkrands, 76), Kuqi 5 (Best, 89)

Tidak digunakan Krul (gk), Campbell, Guthrie, Ferguson.

Kad Kuning:

Blackburn – Salgado

Newcastle – Tiote, Gutierrez, Barton.

Pemain terbaik perlawanan : Enrique (Match rating 5/10).

Penguasaan : Blackburn 43%, Newcastle 57%.

Cubaan tepat : Blackburn 0, Newcastle 6.

Pengadil : S Attwell (Warwickshire)

Kehadiran : 26,781.

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Andy Carroll plundered a hat-trick as Newcastle demolished Aston Villa with a stunning 6-0 victory.

Six days after the Magpies’ return to Barclays Premier League began in sobering fashion with a 3-0 defeat at Manchester United, they hit hapless Villa for six without reply.

John Carew let the home side off the hook when he skied a 10th-minute penalty high over the bar, but Newcastle were far more clinical when they got the opportunity.

Carroll, watched by Alan Shearer, the man who wore the number nine shirt he has now inherited, stole the show with a fine treble after Joey Barton had opened the scoring with a 12th-minute piledriver and Kevin Nolan had made it 2-0 with 32 minutes gone.

Nolan struck again at the death before Carroll claimed the match ball in injury time to round off an impressive display in front of a delighted crowd of 43,546.

The Magpies were handed a further boost at half-time when they announced the signing, subject to a work permit, of Ivory Coast international Cheick Tiote from Dutch club FC Twente.

But for managerless Villa, who ultimately sent the Magpies down in May last year, their trip to the north-east was little short of disastrous.

Newcastle boss Chris Hughton spent much of the summer acknowledging that this season would present far tougher challenges than last season’s Coca-Cola Championship romp, and his caveats were echoed by managing director Derek Llambias in his programme notes for the game.

Hughton, perhaps wary of the pace within the Villa ranks, once again fielded 21-year-old Carroll as a lone striker and charged skipper Nolan with the task of getting forward to support him.

With Stephen Ireland among their ranks for the first time on his 24th birthday, the visitors arrived having been installed once again as one of the candidates to push the big boys all the way, and their afternoon might have turned out differently had they taken the glorious opportunity which came their way with just 10 minutes gone.

Keeper Steve Harper was stunned to see referee Martin Atkinson pointing to the spot after Ashley Young had gone down as he attempted to round him.

Few inside St James’ Park expected anything other than Carew to ram the resulting spot-kick into the back of the net, but the striker blasted his effort high over the bar.

Just how costly the miss would prove became abundantly clear before half-time as the Magpies made the most of their great escape.

There were just two more minutes on the clock when Barton picked up the ball 30 yards out, made a little ground and steadied himself before smashing a dipping right-foot shot over Brad Friedel’s despairing dive.

The noise inside the stadium rekindled memories of loftier days on Tyneside, and there was even better to come.

Jose Enrique, who has spent the early part of the game trying to keep flying winger Marc Albrighton at bay and largely succeeding, got forward down the left and delivered an inviting cross to the back post for Carroll to head back towards Nolan.

The midfielder’s initial effort was parried by Friedel, but Nolan responded swiftly to head the rebound home from four yards.

Carroll did not have to wait long for his chance and when it arrived two minutes later, he was not found wanting.

Richard Dunne failed to clear Mike Williamson’s header back across goal from a Barton corner and the ball dropped perfectly for the striker to thump a left-foot drive home.

Villa left the field reflecting on a half during which they had enjoyed plenty of possession, but done too little with it, and on a defensive display which verged on the criminally negligent.

Newcastle returned in confident mood, but all the while aware that the visitors still represented a threat, although there was little evidence of that as the game approached the hour mark, prompting Emile Heskey’s arrival in place of Albrighton.

Indeed, the Magpies would have been further ahead with 62 minutes gone had Friedel not made a vital save from Wayne Routledge after Carroll and Nolan had combined superbly on halfway to play him in.

The respite was only temporary, however, and when Williamson helped the ball over the top into the penalty area five minutes later, Carroll lashed his second home from close range.

The whistle could not come soon enough for the visitors, but it did so only after Nolan had toe-poked home a fifth and Carroll had completed his hat-trick from substitute Xisco’s pass on a remarkable afternoon on Tyneside.

Sebuah skuad yang lebih berminat untuk menyerang, peminat-peminat yang setia dan sabar, dan pemain-pemain yang komited. Inilah jelmaan skuad Newcastle United yang pernah mencabar kejuaraan Premier League pada 96 dan 97. Cuma kali ini kita di tahap yang lebih rendah.

Tetapi kali ini kita memenangi Championship, satu kejayaan yang memang kita berhak atasnya. Inilah masa untuk kita bergembira, tetapi masa yang sukar akan menjelma tidak lama lagi.

Ini adalah satu kemanisan yang tak dapat diungkap. Kembali menyaksikan kem Newcastle berjuang untuk menempatkan nama Magpies gah di dunia bolasepak.

Kita akan kembali digoda, percaya bahawa masa gemilang kita telah kembali. Namun, layakkah kita?

Kita ada barisan pemain Premier League seperti Kevin Nolan, Joey Barton, Alan Smith, Fabricio Coloccini, Peter Løvenkrands, Jonás Gutiérrez dan José Enrique, dan kita ada pemain dalam buatan seperti Andy Carrol, Nile Ranger… namun kita tak patut berlari sebelum fasih berjalan.

Kita kena mengakui bahawa, seperti mana pasukan lain yang telah promoted, objektif utama pada masa depan adalah untuk kekal di dalam Premier League. Kita kena tanamkan ini dalam hati kita.

Masanya akan tiba buat kita untuk bersaing, ya mungkin untuk kekal adalah tujuan utama, namun sebagai the Toon Army, atok sentiasa berasa bahawa kita layak untuk gah, menang dalam perlawanan-perlawanan di EPL, walau menentang the Big Four.

Wigan pun boleh belasah Arsenal, apatah lagi kita?

Apa yang penting, kita mahu menyaksikan para pemain kita bersemangat waja. Anda di kelab yang besar, anda di Newcastle United!

Michael Owen passed up the chance to fire Newcastle to a potentially life-saving victory as Alan Shearer was left staring down the barrel of a gun after a 0-0 draw with Portsmouth.

The 29-year-old striker was denied by veteran goalkeeper David James’ legs after he was played in by Mark Viduka 63 minutes into a pulsating encounter, which both sides had chances to win.

James had earlier saved from Damien Duff, and Viduka and Obafemi Martins both went close on a night when the Magpies needed all three points to rekindle their hopes of Barclays Premier League survival.

However, it might have been even worse for Shearer’s men with Peter Crouch firing straight at Steve Harper with 11 minutes remaining and Richard Hughes heading against the foot of the post three minutes later.

Shearer had set his side the task of winning their remaining three home games to drag themselves out of relegation trouble but, having fallen at the first hurdle, they now face the daunting prospect of having to get something at Liverpool on Sunday.

The 38-year-old made a series of statements ahead of kick-off when he named all three of his big-name strikers – Owen, Viduka and Martins – in his starting line-up and left Kevin Nolan and Ryan Taylor, two of the three men signed during yet another disastrous January transfer window, out of the 18.

He had appealed in advance for passionate support from the stands and he got just that, with the help of a rousing rendition of Blaydon Races from opera star Graeme Danby moments before kick-off.

But what he needed most was a response from his players and he got that too.

Newcastle took the game to Pompey from the off and, what they lacked in guile and craft in the middle of the park, they made up for in effort and commitment.

That they went in at half-time with nothing to show for their efforts was down to a combination of poor finishing, good defending and one excellent save from Shearer’s former England team-mate James.

However, the applause they received as they left the pitch could only serve to increase their determination not to be denied once they returned.

With Pompey fielding Crouch as a lone striker and, at times, getting all 11 men behind the ball, the Magpies had to remain patient.

Alan Smith, still waiting for his first goal in a black and white shirt, had optimistic appeals for a penalty waved away by referee Mike Riley when his driven 30th-minute shot was blocked by Hermann Hreidarsson’s arm, and the former Manchester United midfielder fired just over five minutes later.

In the meantime, Viduka only just failed to turn a low drive from substitute Danny Guthrie, on for injured full-back Jose Enrique, past James.

But Newcastle’s best two chances of the half came inside the final seven minutes, James making a fine save to push Duff’s goal-bound effort around the post, while Martins saw a close-range shot deflected over the bar with seconds remaining.

Pompey created little as they attempted to hit their hosts on the counter-attack, although Harper had to tip a 33rd-minute curler from Sean Davis over the bar.

Viduka was presented with a glorious chance to open the scoring within seconds of the restart after Owen cleverly back-heeled Martins’ pass into his path.

However, the Australian could only stab his effort straight at James as the blue shirts closed on him.

Fabricio Coloccini endured a heart-stopping moment when Crouch went to ground inside the box under his 50th-minute challenge but, again, Riley was in no mood to award a spot-kick.

James was alert enough to prevent Martins from reaching a long ball four minutes later, if only just, but, as the game became increasingly stretched, play switched rapidly from end to end.

The Pompey keeper almost handed Newcastle a glorious chance on a plate when he dropped Duff’s cross with Viduka and Owen close at hand, although he redeemed himself with 63 minutes gone.

Viduka managed to squeeze the ball through the Portsmouth defence, despite having been wrestled to the ground, to leave Owen with just the keeper to beat, but James blocked with his legs to leave Shearer with his head in his hands.

The manager introduced Andy Carroll and Jonas Gutierrez for Viduka and Nicky Butt in a desperate attempt to find a winner but it was Nadir Belhadj who forced a fine fingertip save from Harper after a lightning 73rd-minute break.

Carroll looped a 77th-minute header high over but it was Pompey who staged the grandstand finish that might have resulted in victory had Crouch been able to beat Harper or had Hughes’ header landed six inches to the right.

Newcastle full-back Jose Enrique could return for Monday night’s Barclays Premier League clash with Portsmouth.

The Spaniard, the club’s only senior specialist left-back, has missed the last two games with a knee injury but was due to resume full training over the weekend and could figure.

Strikers Obafemi Martins (groin) and Mark Viduka (Achilles) have suffered no reaction to their returns to action at Tottenham last Sunday, but Steven Taylor (ankle) and Joey Barton (fractured metatarsal) remain doubts.

Portsmouth are waiting on forward David Nugent and defender Younes Kaboul with the pair suffering thigh injuries.

Nugent failed to come out for the second half against Manchester United on Wednesday after a challenge by Nemanja Vidic while Kaboul missed the game following a knock in the win over Bolton five days earlier.

However, both are expected to benefit from the few extra days rest.

Kaboul’s return would enable Glen Johnson to revert to midfield at the expense of Jermaine Pennant

Midfielder Niko Kranjcar, however, is unlikely to feature although medical reports on his damaged ankle – also sustained against Bolton – suggest he will return before the end of the season.

Pompey boss Paul Hart believes the Alan Shearer factor will have little bearing on Newcastle’s bid for survival unless the former England captain’s players share the responsibility with their new boss.

Hart was already more than six weeks into his own rescue job at Fratton Park by the time Shearer decided to leave the comfort of the pundit’s sofa and return to St James’ Park.

While Hart has won three and drawn four of his first nine matches, taking Pompey to the relative respectability of 14th place in the table, Shearer has managed just one point from his first three games in charge.

But Hart, whose side are seven points clear of their hosts with just five games to go, insists his own players have rebuilt such belief in themselves over the past two months that it will take a special performance to beat them.

“I said when Shearer took the job at Newcastle, and I’ve said it many times, was that Alan Shearer was a great player and I’m sure he’s going to become a great manager if he wants to be.

“But it is just the same at Newcastle as it is here. It is players who make teams play.”

Shearer said: “Without doubt, they will be a tough nut to crack. Paul Hart has gone in there and done a really good job.

“They will certainly be a threat from set-pieces, but I believe if we look at ourselves and do it right ourselves, then we will have a big chance.”