Is the FA being too harsh on JoseMourinho? And what will Newcastle do at goalkeeper? That and more from the Thursday papers.
Chelsea think FA are treating Mourinho unfairly - Jose Mourinho has been sanctioned by the FA for saying referees are "afraid" to give Chelsea decisions. Chelsea and Mourinho accepted the fine, but The Telegraph claim that they are furious with the 12-month good behaviour bond that the FA also slapped on him. Now if Mourinho violates any other FA rules about referee comments in the next year, he will be suspended a match. Chelsea don't think any other Premier League manager would be given such a punishment, especially Arsene Wenger.
Paper Round's view - Considering the FA has only issued one other manager a stadium ban and that was Alan Pardew for a headbutt, any threat of a suspension for referee comments is ridiculous. Mourinho says a lot about referees, but so do many other managers, Wenger included. None of them have been threatened with a stadium ban, but somehow the FA thought that it was time to give Mourinho that threat. It's ridiculous, unless this is going to be the new norm for all managers.
Newcastle won't sign Valdes - Newcastle have ruled out signing Victor Valdes, per The Chronicle. There has been no contact between the Magpies and Valdes or his representatives. Newcastle are already at their 25-man roster limit and would have to release a player to add Valdes, which they do not want to do. The Magpies will instead stick with the goalkeepers they have and use either Rob Elliot, Fred Woodman or Karl Darlow.
Victor Valdes - PA Photos
Paper Round's view - If Newcastle really believe that one of Elliot, Woodman or Darlow can handle starting every match and keep them from the drop then they shouldn't sign Valdes or any other goalkeeper, but if they're unsure then they would be silly to let the roster keep them from adding a backstop. They need to stay in the top flight and they can't do that with a substandard goalkeeper. Release a player if need be to get a goalkeeper good enough to avoid relegation.
Tim Sherwood - Reuters
Villa brass discussing Sherwood's status - Aston Villaowner Randy Lerner met last week with the club's senior staff to discuss Tim Sherwood's future, according to The Mail. The meeting was already planned to "discuss club business" but Villa's slow start to the season made Sherwood's position a central part of those discussions. In addition to the losses, there are concerns about the relationship between Sherwood and senior figures at the club over transfers, while player morale is also low.
Paper Round's view - It looks like the only thing that can save Sherwood's job now is wins. His summer signings aren't looking great and he's not making many friends at the club, while several players don't appear particularly happy with him. It's not very different than his time at Spurs, but Villa aren't going to fire a manager that is winning. If Sherwood can start racking up points, he'll stay, but he's running out of time.
Abou Diaby - PA Photos
Diaby will make first start since May 2014 - Abou Diaby is finally ready to play again. The Telegraph believe that the midfielder is in line to start on Sunday, marking his first start in a competitive match since May 2014. Diaby has been set back my injuries his entire career and after a start-less campaign last season, Arsenal let him go. He signed with Marseille and after finally making it through a full training session, he's going to get a chance to start against Lorient.
Paper Round's view - Diaby is a tremendously talented player and it's a shame that so much of his career has been lost to injury. He's already 29 years old, but if he could have a run of health here, it'd be great to see him play with regularity. With a training session in the books, hopefully this Sunday can be the start of that.
Sandro Ramirez - AFP
Spurs eyeing Sandro Ramirez - Tottenham are still chasing a striker, and this time they're looking to Barcelona for one. The Mail understand that Spurs are hoping to sign Sandro Ramirez from the Catalan giants in January. Barcelona have to sell if they want to fund their January spending and are willing to part with Sandro because he's a backup to their first team. Barcelona will want £10 million for the forward and may even try to include a buy-back clause.
Paper Round's view - Sandro is just 20 years old and already earning playing time off the bench for Barcelona. He's not a finished product, but he's already pretty good and could help Spurs immediately. That he's capable of playing centrally or on either side makes him a good fit for a Tottenham team that Mauricio Pochettino wants a lot of interchange from. This sounds like a perfect signing for Spurs -- stylistically, price and age -- but Daniel Levy would figure to be very leery of a buy-back clause.
Ruben Neves - AFP
Liverpool welcomed to bid for Neves - Liverpool have inched closer to signing Ruben Neves. The Mirror say that the Reds made an informal approach for the 18-year-old and Neves' representatives were open to a Merseyside move. Liverpool are the first team to make an approach for Neves and are considering making him the highest paid teenager in the world. The Reds have been fans of Neves' for the better part of a year and Jurgen Klopp has already signed off on his signing.
Paper Round's view - Neves is a Jorge Mendes client so it's not a surprise that they would be open to a Liverpool move. Mendes loves to get his agents to bigger clubs and, even if Neves doesn't join the Reds or even leave Porto, this interest could land the player a better contract in Portugal. Neves is a fine player and one of the best young talents in Europe, but that just means Porto have reason to demand a big fee. If Liverpool want him, they'll have to pay up.
Oguzhan Ozyakup - AFP
Sunderland unlikely to sign Ozyakup - Reports out of Turkey have linked Sunderland to Besiktas midfielder Ouzhan Ozyakup, but The Echo report that such a transfer is unlikely. Sam Allardyce's priority is improving the Black Cats' defence and Ozyakup doesn't help with that. Furthermore, Sunderland aren't likely to spend £10m on the midfielder and it's believed that it will cost at least that much to land the 22-year-old. Arsenal and West Ham are rumoured to be interested in Ozyakup, who was previously part of Arsenal's academy.
Paper Round's view - Sunderland could use talent anywhere, but it's a matter of prioritization and resource management. Allardyce has reportedly been given a fair amount of money to spend, but is that enough to shore up the back line and also add a body or two in the midfield? That seems unlikely and while Ozyakup is a talented player, he doesn't really fit Allardyce's system, nor is he a defender.
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