Football News: Review Of The Day 27th February 2021

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Review of the Day

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Contracts

Oxford United have given goalkeeper Jack Stevens a new three-year contract.

Derby County striker Colim Kazim-Richards has signed a new deal which keeps him at the Rams for next season as well as this one.

Teenage Hibernian left-back Josh Doig has extended his contract with Hibs by 2 years, to keep him at the club until 2025.

Transfers

Free agent goalkeeper Stuart Moore has signed for Blackpool until the end of the season.

Injury Round-Up

Southampton's defensive midfield lynchpin Oriol Romeu's season is over. The 29 year old Spaniard picked up an ankle problem in Tuesday's defeat at Leeds United and the fracture needs surgery, ruling him out for at least three months.

Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson's groin injury has put him out for around two months after he had surgery.

Managerial Changes

Olympique Marseille have appointed former Chile head coach Jorge Sampaoli. Andre Villas-Boas left at the beginning of the month. Sampaoli said: "All my life, I have been told that OM is a passion. The Orange Velodrome has to glow when the team walks into the stadium. Marseille is a team with a long tradition. We are not here to hide. When I received the offer, I dreamed of celebrating in this city. The world has quiet places and intence places. Those are the ones I want, and I didn't hesitate to accept the offer. This club has a soul; that is why we are here. We are ready." Director of football Pablo Longoria has been promoted to president of the club as well.

Disciplinary Charges

Wales' national team head coach Ryan Giggs has had his bail extended again over allegations of assaulting his girlfriend.

Baggies To Take Pay Cuts

Sam Allardyce has revealed that his West Bromwich Albion players will take "heavy reductions" to their wages if (when?) they get relegated. Allardyce said: "The players' futures is in their own hands. It will mean heavy reductions in their contracts if we lose our Premier League status. It is their signature on the contract. They are putting themselves in the shop window, not just for West Brom but any other club. If that is not enough to spur them on to their best football, I have no clue what is."

Deadpool Bonus

Wrexham players are in line to benefit from the club takeover by Hollywood star pair Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney if they achieve promotion to the Football League. The actors have agreed to pay the players a £250,000 prize pot to be shared between them if they do return to the 'promised land'. The duo are also offering a £200 bonus for each player and £50 for a draw, so long as they are in the play-off places. Wrexham's captain Shaun Pearson said: "We are thankful for the incentive being put to us from Rob and Ryan. We believe as a group we have an opportunity to get into the play-offs and hopefully achieve what everybody involved in the club wants - a return to the Football League. The takeover has brought exciting times for the whole club, the town and the community and we want to bring more excitement through our achievements on the pitch too." One of the first acts the new owners performed was to make up any lost wages the players and staff had suffered while on furlough.

Europa League Draw

Ajax v BSC Young Boys
Dynamo Kiev v Villarreal
AS Roma v Shakhtar Donetsk
Olympiakos v Arsenal
Dinamo Zagreb v Tottenham
Manchester United v AC Milan
Slavia Prague v Rangers
Granada v Molde
Teams drawn first will play second leg at home.

Koscielny Hits Out At Average Team

Former Arsenal captain Laurent Koscielny has laid into his Bordeaux teammates saying: "The atmosphere is average, very average. We have to be realistic. This is a squad with an enormous number of players who are coming to the end of their contract, players who want to leave. We have to remain with the people who want to fight, to share, to improve. This is the end of a cycle. When you have as many players like that, who don't give you the desire to want to work, it is difficult to have results. That is also why sometimes I can be mean with my words. They are good guys, but if you don't give yourself the means to improve and to have objectives, you will have nothing, and from one moment onwards, we will forget you. On that, I struggle with some of them because for me, success comes with work. I was brought up with values and we certainly weren't brought up in the same way. On that, I am struggling a bit. At one moment or another, we will have to go onto the pitch with guys who you believe in and who have the same mentality as you. The coach will put together his team until the end of the season, and now we have three very important months. It is up to us to take as many points as quickly as possible to assure survival. Then, to turn the page and certainly clean house a bit. I am not going to be friends with everyone. When I speak, it is not to be negative, it is to bring those people the keys to be able to progress and be the best in the team. Aside from that, if you don't want to hear it, you won't hear it. If this implodes, it is like that. We need to move forward. You try to help people. If they don't want to come with you, you leave them aside and move forward with the people who want to. After Marseille, I said things. It certainly might have shocked certain people. They were strong words. I did not apologise, because to apologise is too easy. I said what needed to be said. Aside from that, if the message did not get through or if you don't want to hear it, it is like that."

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Written by Tris Burke February 27 2021 05:58:41