Kuyt out until 2011

Prediction: Newcastle win

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The new year is officially upon us and it s time to start thinking positively from the vaccine to the Premier League and beyond. There are going to be some pretty significant bumps in the road over the course of the next few months but if fans are able to distract themselves with some great football, that can only be viewed as a bonus. Today, we re going to take a look at what should be an intriguing clash of styles between Newcastle United and Leicester City.

Newcastle

Newcastle United fans are probably going to have to come to terms with the fact that Steve Bruce will be their manager until at least the end of the season unless they go on a dreadful run between now and then. Their football isn t the …

Charlie Austin once again proved a thorn in the side of former club Burnley as he scored twice in Southampton s classy 3-1 Premier League victory.

The England striker had scored on both his previous two top-flight appearances against the Clarets and he extended that record to four in three.

Burnley goalkeeper Tom Heaton was in inspired form in the first half, including a stunning early save from Austin, but the wheels came off for the visitors after half-time.

Austin started the scoring with a scrappy opener from a corner, before Nathan Redmond s fine finish from another set-piece doubled the lead just after the hour.

Southampton benefitted from a somewhat harsh penalty decision for Austin to make it three from the spot, but a run of six straight clean sh…

Celtic completed an historic double treble with a 2-0 win over Motherwell in Saturday s Scottish Cup final.

First-half goals from Callum McGregor and Olivier Ntcham at Hampden Park secured victory for Brendan Rodgers all-conquering side.

The victory completed a second consecutive treble of Premiership, Scottish Cup and Scottish League Cup triumphs for the Glasgow giants.

Motherwell finished the league season 34 points behind the champions and they rarely looked like causing an upset.

A sumptuous half-volley from McGregor 11 minutes in set Celtic on their way, before Ntcham drilled home a second from the edge of the penalty area to put Rodgers side in control.

Motherwell pushed hard as the second half wore on, with Gael Bigirimana rattling the cr…

Manchester City extended their unbeaten Premier League run after Phil Foden s first-half goal secured a comfortable 1-0 victory over Brighton and Hove Albion.

Foden found the back of the net a minute before half-time and that proved to be enough for Pep Guardiola s men to make it eight games without defeat – including four straight wins – in the top flight.

England international Foden took his tally for the season to eight goals in all competitions at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday, making him City s highest-scoring player in 2020-21.

Bernardo Silva hit the crossbar and Gabriel Jesus made his return from COVID-19 as a substitute, but City were unable to add to their tally, with Raheem Sterling missing a stoppage-time penalty.

A lovely exchange betwee…

German coach Bernd Schuster will receive 4.5 million euros (5.8 million dollars) in compensation from Real Madrid after he was replaced Tuesday by former Sevilla and Tottenham boss Juande Ramos, Spanish media reported Wednesday.

The reigning Spanish champions parted company with the 49-year-old, who was under contract with the club through 2010, by mutual accord on Tuesday after a string of poor results.

Sports daily Marca said Schuster arrived quickly at an agreement on the amount of compensation and said goodbye to the squad which he had coached since 2007 by text message.

He said he was relieved after his departure was announced, it added.

Schuster led Real to their record 31st league title last season, his first in charge of the club.

Bu…

Queens Park Rangers have opened negotiations with Charlie Austin over a new contract, .

The twenty-six year old has been strongly linked with a move away from QPR since they dropped out of the Premier League back in May with West Ham United, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur all monitoring the situation.

Leicester City are the only side who have lodged a bid, but so far no sides have met their valuation of £15m.

If that amount is not offered, then the Hoops will push forward with their offer of a new deal.

Austin moved to Rangers from Burnley in the summer of 2013 and has since racked up seventy-four appearances for the club in all competitions, scoring thirty-eight goals.

Chris Ramsey’s side lost their Championship opener at Charlto…

Ricky van Wolfswinkel scored only his second Norwich City goal as they progressed to the third round of the League Cup with a 2-1 win at Rotherham United.

The Premier League side were given a stern test by their Championship opponents and owed much to the performance of goalkeeper Declan Rudd.

But Alex s Neil men were more clinical in front of goal and did enough to continue a decent start to the new season that has seen them take four points from their first three games back in the top flight.

Norwich took the lead at New York Stadium thanks a 22nd-minute strike from Jonny Howson.

Rotherham had the better of the chances as they searched for an equaliser, but Van Wolfswinkel who spent last season on loan at Saint-Etienne gave Norwich breathing room with …

Chemnitzer said there was no room for captain Daniel Frahn at the club after firing him for showing sympathy for a far-right extremist group.

The German third division outfit, who will play former European Cup winners Hamburg in the DFB-Pokal on Sunday, took their stance after injured striker Frahn was spotted sitting with members of the Kaotic Chemnitz group during a league fixture.

The game, away to Hallescher last Saturday, also saw 32-year-old Frahn with former members of the dissolved hooligan group NS Boys, Chemnitzer said.

Such behaviour was massively harmful to the club , Chemnitzer said in a statement, adding: Chemnitzer FC will continue to act consistently against any anti-constitutional ideas and their sympathisers.

The city of Chemnitz was …

Pep Guardiola is heartened by the progress of Manchester City s youngsters this season but knows there is no guarantee of a golden generation, such as the one he oversaw at Barcelona a decade ago or Manchester United s Class of 92 .

England Under-21 midfielder Phil Foden has ticked past 50 career appearances for City and scored his 10th goal for the club in last weekend s 4-1 FA Cup win over Port Vale, when Taylor Harwood-Bellis was also on target for the first time in senior football.

Harwood-Bellis fellow teenage centre-back Eric Garcia was accomplished as he started the recent home wins over Sheffield United and Everton as part of a back three, while Tommy Doyle – who counts City greats Glyn Pardoe and the late Mike Doyle as his grandfathers – made his full debut…

Pep Guardiola has joked Manchester United should name a stand after Omar Berrada if their incoming chief executive proves to have the magic touch.

Berrada quit his role as chief football operations officer at rivals Manchester City last weekend after being offered the senior position at Old Trafford.

The appointment is a major coup for United with Berrada having been a key off-field part of City’s recent triumphs, but Guardiola has warned that his fellow Spaniard is no instant guarantee of success.

The City manager said: “Obviously his knowledge goes to United, that’s the reality.

“When you buy a player from another club you buy the knowledge that this player has had in the past with other managers and team-mates. That is normal.

“We lea…