Keane to axe 11 players - Anderson back to Aberdeen?
Thursday, 08 May 08, 01:14 PM
Reports
in the media suggest that Sunderland manager Roy Keane is set to axe 11 players from his squad in order to start rebuilding for next season. Having spent £40m already and
having kept the Black Cats in the Premiership on the strength of a good run since January, Keane has now asked for an additional £50m to ensure regular Premiership football in the North
East.
Ian Harte, former Celtic player Stanislav Varga, Stephen Wright and veteran striker Andy Cole have already been told they will not get new contracts. Speculation is rife as to who else will be shown the door, but for Aberdeen fans the most eagerly awaited news will be what happens to former player and Scotland regular Russell Anderson.
Having left Aberdeen in a £1m move in June last year, Anderson has made only one league appearance for Sunderland, coming on as substitute for McShane and bringing down Wigans Antoine Sibierski to concede a penalty seven minutes after later. He was then injured before being farmed out to Championship side Plymouth on loan spell where he's made 14 appearances (together with former Aberdeen team-mate Chris Clarke).
Meanwhile, Aberdeen have suffered since losing their influential captain in central defence. Diamond, Mair and Considine are good players. Maybury would be a great addition should he stay at Pittodrie. Richie Byrne is on his way out and Dave Bus is returning to the Netherlands. We could clearly use a player with the experience and skill of Russell Anderson to steady the back four as we prepare for next season.
A return to the North East for Anderson is what many fans would like to see, but would he return? Aberdeen would probably struggle to match the wages offered by Sunderland (or even Plymouth - consider that Championship teams and most League 1 teams pay more than Scottish clubs outside the Old Firm) and you would have to wonder whether he'd want to return to his hometown club when he could be earning more - as well as developing his game - by playing in the lower divisions in England. At the end of the day I hope he doesn't turn into a journeyman footballer like Eoin Jess, another player of whom great things where promised but who went from club to club (Bradford, Nottingham Forest, Coventry and Northampton) generally not living up to expectations.
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theGreatDandini
GB
A blog about the beautiful game, particularly that one played north of the border. I'm looking to cover Aberdeen FC in particular and Scottish football in general.
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