Tag Archives: operational

Cardiff ponder kit change from blue to red

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Cardiff ponder kit change from blue to red as Asian owners consider shake-up

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UPDATED:

22:06 GMT, 8 May 2012

Cardiff are considering a proposal to change the colour of their kit to red.

Sportsmail understands it is one of a number of options being considered by the club's board as part of a rebranding exercise to boost their chances of attracting greater revenues.

Cardiff – whose nickname is the Bluebirds – lost their npower Championship play-off semi-final tie against West Ham to leave them facing another season in England's second tier.

Blue is the colour: Cardiff chiefs are pondering a radical change

Blue is the colour: Cardiff chiefs are pondering a radical change

The club have been keen to stress that any changes 'will recognise the legitimate interests of the fans' and that there will be further consultation with them following a board meeting to discuss a series of proposals next week.

A club statement read: 'As is usual at this time of year, Cardiff City Football Club directors and key stakeholders are in talks to review all operational aspects of the club as a means to ensure our long-term success, prosperity and sustainability.

'This wide-ranging annual review process is multi-faceted and incorporates plans to continually build the most competitive team possible going forward, deal with historical issues and continue to positively develop the infrastructure of the club.

'We would like to assure supporters that any decisions will include the long-term interests of our supporters, our community and the survival and development of Cardiff City Football Club in a highly competitive and modern sporting industry.

Net result: The South Wales club face another season in the Championship after losing out to West Ham in the play-offs

Net result: The South Wales club face another season in the Championship after losing out to West Ham in the play-offs

'As a club we also appreciate the importance of our history, along with our position within the community. We fully recognise the legitimate interests of the fans, supporters and media in the affairs of the club and their right to information in respect of the same.

'On Tuesday we met with and held discussions with representatives from the local media, along with meeting with recognised supporter group and messageboard delegates.

'During these meetings we discussed the various options going forward, all of which are to be ratified in upcoming board meetings as already mentioned.

'As such we will communicate any decisions made as quickly as possible, but it serves no interest to comment in depth at this time until those decisions have been taken. We would anticipate that the review will be concluded within the next week, after which a comprehensive briefing will follow.'

Cardiff have also reached an agreement with the Cardiff Blues rugby team for the latter to terminate their lease at the Cardiff City Stadium with effect from June 1 and move to the Arms Park.

Harry Redknapp will not be blocked from England by Sir Trevor Brooking

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Harry's happy birthday as Redknapp will not be blocked from England by Sir Trevor

Harry Redknapp's chances of becoming the next England manager have increased significantly with an insistence from the Football Association that Sir Trevor Brooking is not opposed to the Tottenham boss.

Redknapp and Brooking are understood to have some history that dates back to when Redknapp, who turned 65 on Friday, was the West Ham manager.

But the FA have responded privately to reports by stressing that at no point during discussions between Brooking and the three other members of the Club England board – FA chairman David Bernstein, general secretary Alex Horne and Club England managing director Adrian Bevington – has such an issue about Redknapp ever been raised.

Many happy returns: Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp turned 65 on Friday

Many happy returns: Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp looked in good cheer as he turned 65 on Friday

Horne said the FA would wait until the 'back end' of the Barclays Premier League season before approaching any club about their manager. This means the new manager could be in place before May 13.

Euro 2012 starts on June 8, but there is confidence at Wembley that a deal can quickly be struck – even if they have clearly lined up Stuart Pearce to remain in charge should they need him.

Talk of the town: Redknapp with Luka Modric during Tottenham training on Friday

Talk of the town: Redknapp discusses matters with Luka Modric during Tottenham training on Friday

Uncertain future: Redknapp at Spurs Lodge

Uncertain future: Redknapp at Spurs Lodge

Horne said: 'We've got a list. Long,
short … there's definitely a list. It's a back-end-of-the-season
decision for us. We recognise that a lot of the managers on the list are
employed and we don't want to interrupt anyone's season. We're not
rushing this.'

He added that there was no problem waiting until just before Euro 2012 before making the appointment.

'That's perfectly realistic,' said
Horne. 'We've got all of our operational plans in place. We can deliver
a squad into Poland so it is perfectly possible.'

The lack of opposition from Brooking towards Redknapp should be seen as significant given his central role in the appointment of a permanent successor to Fabio Capello.

It will increase the need for Tottenham to start thinking about a replacement for Redknapp.

While there is a strong desire to see Redknapp remain at White Hart Lane with a plan to offer him a new contract, Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is already thought to be considering alternatives.

Everton's David Moyes, who celebrates 10 years in charge at Goodison Park later this month, is an obvious target but Sportsmail understands there is much admiration for Swansea's Brendan Rodgers at Spurs.

The Northern Irishman could yet emerge as the shock appointment of the summer.

Euro 2012: England are falling behind

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England are falling behind as the race for Euro finals heats up

The impact of Fabio Capello's decision to walk out on England is finally starting to sink in. The Three Lions drift.

It is less than three months to the deadline when the squads for the European Championship must be submitted to UEFA, and no-one knows who is picking England's line-up.

There are reassurances from Stuart Pearce and others inside the FA that plans exist – and the memory of Denmark's triumph 20 years ago, when they were not even in the tournament at this stage – but it is far from ideal.

Time to move: England's delay in appointing a new manager could cost them dearly later this summer

Time to move: England's delay in appointing a new manager could cost them dearly later this summer

EURO FILES

Preparation is the key, as any coach will eagerly explain. There are players and opponents to be scouted, combinations within the squad to consider and dossiers to compile.

How should we set up to tame the rampant French What is the best way to shackle the might of Sweden's Zlatan Ibrahimovic Where are the threats from Ukraine, who have won four out of their last five friendlies Who will be our captain Is Danny Welbeck the man to spearhead England's attack in Wayne Rooney's absence What happens when Rooney returns

As Laurent Blanc, Erik Hamren and Oleg Blokhin fine-tune their squads, England lurch out of first gear in the process of identifying a successor to Capello. Harry Redknapp, meanwhile, immerses himself in Tottenham's priorities – like the visit of Manchester United on Sunday and the fitness of Rafael van der Vaart.

Allez! France look like a side on the up after their recent victory over Germany

Allez! France look like a side on the up after their recent victory over Germany

WARSAW FACTS

Next week, the 16 head coaches of the Euro 2012 teams have been invited to a workshop in Warsaw to learn the operational details of the tournament they will contest in June. Make that 15 head coaches and Sir Trevor Brooking, who is filling in for England.

If the FA are to extract a manager from a club, it will not be before the end of the season, leaving another 10 weeks of preparation to Pearce and his capable staff, followed by a month of cramming for the new man.

The FA Cup final is on May 5, with the final round of Barclays Premier League fixtures a week later on May 13. The Champions League final in Munich on May 19 is unlikely to concern any England players.

For them, there will be no competitive game for more than four weeks from the end of the Premier League until the France game. This competitive void will be even wider for Rooney, banned for the first two games of the Euro 2012 tournament and not available until the Ukraine game, more than a week later.

Grounds for concern: The respective managers - minus England's - will convene in Warsaw ahead of the finals

Grounds for concern: The respective managers – minus England's – will convene in Warsaw ahead of the finals

CROCKS AWAY

Management of players during the fallow month will be vital. Players can expect more time off than they had before the 2010 World Cup as Capello accepts his alpine boot camp in Austria was one of his mistakes.

Before every major tournament, the England manager of the day promises to take no risks with players who are not fully fit. But there is always someone in a race to prove his fitness after injury.

This year, it will be Jack Wilshere testing the resolve of the manager, if he is back in April as Arsene Wenger predicts. Wilshere's availability will have an impact on the balance of the team, but as England players have proved in the past, medically clear and free from pain does not necessarily mean ready to compete at an elite level.

Jack the lad: Can Wilshere progress enough in time for the tournament in Poland and Ukraine

Jack the lad: Can Wilshere progress enough in time for the tournament in Poland and Ukraine

HOT DATES

The squad will meet up somewhere around May 20, with plans afoot for a short, warm-weather training trip – probably three or four days in southern Spain.

In 2010, Capello named a 30-man squad and cut it to 23 after two warm-up games. In 2006, Sven Goran Eriksson named a 23-man squad plus five players on standby before two warm-up games.

This year, the two friendlies fall either side of UEFA's final deadline for the submission of all 23-man squads on May 29. On May 26 it is Norway v England in Oslo.

If England recruit a new boss like Redknapp, this will be his only chance to see the team in action before the squad is finalised.

On June 2, England face Belgium at Wembley. England must be at their base in Krakow, Poland, before June 6.

Loud and clear: The fans made their voices heard at Wembley during the defeat to Holland

Loud and clear: The fans made their voices heard at Wembley during the defeat to Holland

SO, IT COULD BE HIM
Could it be him Arsene Wenger
ARSENE WENGER

Has steadfastly insisted he could never manage England yet the FA could strike at a vulnerable moment with his 15-year labour of love at Arsenal heading for the rocks.

Knows the culture and charms the media but suspects English players are technically inferior.

Odds: 50-1.

Could it be him Jose Mourinho
JOSE MOURINHO

Like Wenger, usually claims he could not work for a country other than his own but he is creating such a show about his desire to work in London that it must be worth asking.

He knows how to win and understands the English mentality, even if his football and posturing are not always pretty.

Odds: 19-1.

Could it be him Pep Guardiola
PEP GUARDIOLA

Often hints at a desire to escape the unique pressure of managing Barcelona and would be Europe's most wanted coach after his magnificent work at the Nou Camp.

Whether, at 41, he is ready to move into international football remains to be seen.

Odds: 16-1.