Latest news with #Schar
Yahoo
19-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Aston Villa swat Newcastle aside to boost their Champions League hopes
Aston Villa put their Champions League disappointment behind them with an emphatic 4-1 win against in-form Newcastle as Unai Emery's men continued their bid to return to European football's top table in style. Four days on from falling agonisingly short in a pulsating quarter-final clash with Paris St Germain, Villa Park rocked once again as the third-placed Magpies saw their six-match winning run in all competitions come to a shuddering halt. Ollie Watkins opened the scoring 33 seconds into Saturday's entertaining encounter and Villa reacted well after Fabian Schar avoided a red card and then levelled. What a win. — Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) April 19, 2025 Ian Maatsen's second-half strike put the hosts on course for a potentially vital victory which was wrapped up thanks to Emery's inspired double substitution. Jacob Ramsey saw a low cross deflected in off Dan Burn and fellow replacement Amadou Onana lashed home the goal of a breathless game shortly after as absent Eddie Howe watched Newcastle stumble for the first time under stand-in Jason Tindall. Villa sit sixth after Saturday's statement victory, cutting the gap to third-placed Newcastle to two points as attention turns to Tuesday's trip to Manchester City and their FA Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace. Emery made four changes from Tuesday's energy-sapping 3-2 second leg win against PSG and Watkins immediately justified his return. Youri Tielemans collected a clearance from Sandro Tonali under pressure from Watkins, who was found by the Villa midfielder and cut away from Schar before hitting a low strike which went in off the Newcastle defender. It was a dream start which nearly improved in the fifth minute as Villa's striker followed a confident run with a fizzing effort that rattled the crossbar. Watkins was at the heart of everything and Schar hauled down the flying frontman as he tried to meet a clipped Ezri Konsa ball from the back in the 13th minute. Villa Park raged as referee Jarred Gillett showed yellow rather than red, with their anger only growing five minutes later. Emery's men half cleared a free-kick and allowed Harvey Barnes time to send over a cross from the left to the far post, where Schar squeezed a header through Emiliano Martinez's legs. Villa quickly attempted to bounce back from that setback, with Marco Asensio somehow failing to cleanly connect with a cross before sending over a free-kick that Watkins met with a thumping header off the post. Newcastle eventually settled and Tonali saw a skipping strike from distance denied by Martinez, with opposite number Nick Pope thwarting Morgan Rogers before Watkins saw a penalty appeal against Schar ignored. Villa flew out of the traps after half-time, with John McGinn and Rogers knocking on the door and Tielemans seeing an attempt cleared by Tonali. Ineffective Alexander Isak saw a low shot saved by Martinez as Newcastle looked to kickstart their performance in a game that the hosts went back ahead in after 64 minutes. Quick incisive play ended with Watkins slipping in overlapping Maatsen to slam home in front of the Holte End. Full-time smiles 😊 — Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) April 19, 2025 Emery turned to his bench as he sought to tip the scales in Villa's favour and his 72nd-minute introductions proved inspired. A minute later substitute Ramsey saw a driven cross deflect in off Burn's heel, with fellow introduction Onana adding further gloss in the 75th minute. Rogers was denied by Pope, but Villa kept the ball alive and the England international laid back for the substitute to slam into the top left-hand corner from the edge of the box. Ramsey hit the woodwork as Villa continued an ultimately fruitless hunt for a fifth.
The Independent
19-04-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Aston Villa swat Newcastle aside to boost their Champions League hopes
Aston Villa put their Champions League disappointment behind them with an emphatic 4-1 win against in-form Newcastle as Unai Emery's men continued their bid to return to European football's top table in style. Four days on from falling agonisingly short in a pulsating quarter-final clash with Paris St Germain, Villa Park rocked once again as the third-placed Magpies saw their six-match winning run in all competitions come to a shuddering halt. Ollie Watkins opened the scoring 33 seconds into Saturday's entertaining encounter and Villa reacted well after Fabian Schar avoided a red card and then levelled. Ian Maatsen's second-half strike put the hosts on course for a potentially vital victory which was wrapped up thanks to Emery's inspired double substitution. Jacob Ramsey saw a low cross deflected in off Dan Burn and fellow replacement Amadou Onana lashed home the goal of a breathless game shortly after as absent Eddie Howe watched Newcastle stumble for the first time under stand-in Jason Tindall. Villa sit sixth after Saturday's statement victory, cutting the gap to third-placed Newcastle to two points as attention turns to Tuesday's trip to Manchester City and their FA Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace. Emery made four changes from Tuesday's energy-sapping 3-2 second leg win against PSG and Watkins immediately justified his return. Youri Tielemans collected a clearance from Sandro Tonali under pressure from Watkins, who was found by the Villa midfielder and cut away from Schar before hitting a low strike which went in off the Newcastle defender. It was a dream start which nearly improved in the fifth minute as Villa's striker followed a confident run with a fizzing effort that rattled the crossbar. Watkins was at the heart of everything and Schar hauled down the flying frontman as he tried to meet a clipped Ezri Konsa ball from the back in the 13th minute. Villa Park raged as referee Jarred Gillett showed yellow rather than red, with their anger only growing five minutes later. Emery's men half cleared a free-kick and allowed Harvey Barnes time to send over a cross from the left to the far post, where Schar squeezed a header through Emiliano Martinez's legs. Villa quickly attempted to bounce back from that setback, with Marco Asensio somehow failing to cleanly connect with a cross before sending over a free-kick that Watkins met with a thumping header off the post. Newcastle eventually settled and Tonali saw a skipping strike from distance denied by Martinez, with opposite number Nick Pope thwarting Morgan Rogers before Watkins saw a penalty appeal against Schar ignored. Villa flew out of the traps after half-time, with John McGinn and Rogers knocking on the door and Tielemans seeing an attempt cleared by Tonali. Ineffective Alexander Isak saw a low shot saved by Martinez as Newcastle looked to kickstart their performance in a game that the hosts went back ahead in after 64 minutes. Quick incisive play ended with Watkins slipping in overlapping Maatsen to slam home in front of the Holte End. Emery turned to his bench as he sought to tip the scales in Villa's favour and his 72nd-minute introductions proved inspired. A minute later substitute Ramsey saw a driven cross deflect in off Burn's heel, with fellow introduction Onana adding further gloss in the 75th minute. Rogers was denied by Pope, but Villa kept the ball alive and the England international laid back for the substitute to slam into the top left-hand corner from the edge of the box. Ramsey hit the woodwork as Villa continued an ultimately fruitless hunt for a fifth.
Reuters
19-04-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Vibrant Villa crush Newcastle to close in on top five
BIRMINGHAM, England, April 19 (Reuters) - Aston Villa thumped top-five rivals Newcastle United 4-1 at Villa Park to keep themselves in the thick of the race for Champions League qualification on Saturday. Five days after being knocked out of Europe's top club competition by Paris St Germain in a thriller, Villa returned to Premier League action in emphatic fashion with the recalled Ollie Watkins opening the scoring inside the first minute. Fabian Schar equalised for third-placed Newcastle with a header before halftime but Villa blazed clear after the break with Ian Maatsen restoring their lead before a Dan Burn own goal and substitute Amadou Onana's superb finish sealed the points. Victory lifted Villa three points above Chelsea into sixth place with 57 points from 33 games, level with Nottingham Forest who play on Monday. Newcastle have 59 points, one more than fourth-placed Manchester City, in what is turning into a fierce battle to qualify for next season's Champions League. The top five in the Premier League will all qualify. Newcastle had won five successive Premier League games and the League Cup final but were brought crashing back down to earth by a superb Villa side who could have scored far more. Watkins was twice denied by the woodwork in the first half as the England forward produced a dazzling display having been left out of the starting line-up in recent games. Unai Emery's Villa go to Manchester City on Tuesday when victory would send them into the top four. Newcastle, again with manager Eddie Howe absent as he recovers from pneumonia, were rocked after 33 minutes when Youri Tielemans slid a pass to Watkins whose shot took a big deflection off Schar to wrong-foot goalkeeper Nick Pope. Watkins thumped a left-footer against the post soon after and then saw a header rebound off the woodwork as Villa buzzed around a listless Newcastle. The visitors did improve though and when Harvey Barnes sent over a cross, Schar arrived at the back post and his header went in off Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez. Villa looked the more threatening after the break and took the lead when a surging Maatsen was played in by Watkins and he rifled a shot across Pope and in. Emery sent on Jacob Ramsey and Onana with little under 20 minutes left and both made an immediate impact. Ramsey's low cross was turned in by Burn and then Onana put the icing on the cake with a powerful finish from the edge of the penalty area after incessant Villa pressure.
New York Times
07-04-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Newcastle, their summer planning and how the recruitment dynamics are changing
For 18 months, every discussion about Newcastle United's transfer strategy has necessitated mention of the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules (PSR). While those three letters are not going anywhere — Eddie Howe uttered them three times at his pre-Leicester City press conference on Friday — there is another buzzword that fans will hear repeatedly over the next few months. Advertisement 'Collaboration' — or a variation of it, such as 'collaborative' or 'collaboratively' — has become established within the Newcastle-related recruitment lexicon. It is a by-product of the turbulence caused by the upheaval at executive level last summer, when Paul Mitchell arrived as sporting director and Howe's wide-ranging authority was checked, and that word surfaced again last week. 'We take a strategic view on sustaining and building the squad, and will continue to work collaboratively to ensure our squad dynamic is optimised for success in the short and long term,' Mitchell said, alongside confirmation of Fabian Schar's 12-month extension. Mitchell's comments hinted at the changing dynamics heading into a vital and complicated transfer window. All senior figures at the club, especially the head coach and sporting director, must work together and they must each offer compromise. Their respective recognition of that is an encouraging sign heading into a summer when those burgeoning relationships will be stress-tested. Greater long-term decision-making is required — Mitchell is rightly looking to reduce the average age of the squad, which has grown older after three transfer windows without a signing for the first XI — but, given the volume of business Newcastle must conclude, short-term pragmatism is also required. Finding appropriate middle ground is the challenge. Schar's new deal fits into the latter category — it is an expedient call that serves Newcastle's immediate needs. Several insiders have even used phrases such as 'a no-brainer' to explain the rationale. The centre-back is, after all, still an almost automatic first-choice pick. Had Sven Botman not been sidelined for much of 2o24-25, that status may have been challenged, but Schar has started 24 of 29 Premier League matches this season, missing just four games due to suspension and illness. Advertisement Under Howe, no Newcastle player has started more games than Schar, who has been in the XI for 89.4 per cent of their Premier League fixtures since November 8, 2021 (118 matches out of a possible 132). Across the Premier League, only 14 players have made more starts during that time and only 13 have played more than his 10,386 minutes. Howe's admiration for Schar stretches back further, too, having attempted to sign the defender for Bournemouth. While praising Schar's 'improvement' defensively over the past four seasons — from being viewed as a liability in a back four under Steve Bruce, the centre-back was part of the Premier League's joint-meanest defence in 2022-23 when Newcastle finished fourth — on Friday, Howe also stressed how highly he values the defender's 'unorthodox' in-possession contributions. Schar's passing range, especially his ability to play pinpoint diagonal balls, has become vital to Newcastle's build-up play. 'Unique' is how the head coach described Schar, citing a 30-yard line-splitting pass to Alexander Isak against Brentford last Wednesday as one 'I don't think anyone else on the pitch sees'. According to Kieran Trippier is Newcastle's only outfield player to attempt long passes more frequently (over 30 yards) than Schar's 11.6 per 90 minutes, and the only squad member who averages a longer cumulative progressive passing distance — the total distance completed passes have travelled towards the opposition's goal — per 90 than the defender's 388.4 yards. Schar remains a consistently reliable performer, although his dependability has lessened a little this season. There have been a few erratic displays — he was poor during the 4-1 home defeat against Bournemouth in January and the 4-0 hammering at Manchester City — and, at 33, his physical capacity is unsurprisingly beginning to wane a little. Advertisement Viewed through that lens, rewarding Schar with a one-year extension makes sense. There is the possibility his stay may be prolonged further, should he remain integral, but Newcastle have not committed themselves to a longer-term deal for a player in his mid-thirties. That policy is expected to be replicated going forward and is logical. Particularly considering right-sided centre-back remains possibly the highest-priority area to bolster this summer. Schar's deal does not change that. Alongside right-sided forward, that is one of only two positions Newcastle have not strengthened under their owners. Heading into almost every window since Howe arrived, Newcastle have considered acquiring a right-sided centre-half but for a variety of reasons — ranging from financial and an inability to lure targets to the lack of attainable quality options — have failed to do so. That is partly why Schar has been an almost ever-present under Howe; his performances have warranted continued selection, but nobody has arrived to usurp him, either. That should change during the upcoming window, even if the identity of Newcastle's prospective centre-back recruit remains undetermined. Interest in Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi, who Newcastle pursued last year, has not disappeared, while Bournemouth's Illia Zabarnyi has admirers within St James' Park. Multiple European-based defenders have also been tracked, including Sporting CP's Ousmane Diomande and Benfica's Antonio Silva. Interestingly, heading into January, Mitchell put significant background work into attempting to line up a summer deal for Abdukodir Khusanov, who instead joined Manchester City. Guehi and Zabarnyi are experienced in the Premier League and, especially in the case of the Palace defender, would be 'plug-in-and-play' options, albeit expensive ones. An overseas import, especially a younger centre-back, may require more time to acclimatise, but their potential for improvement may be significant, and their price tag significantly cheaper, allowing the transfer kitty to be spread wider. Advertisement The idea for 2025-26 is that, should another centre-back finally join, regardless of their exact profile, Schar will finally have direct competition. Theoretically, that will raise performance levels and, with Newcastle already guaranteed to be in Europe, they require greater depth in every position. Schar may no longer be certain to start, but he will still get significant game time, given Newcastle will be playing in four competitions. With Schar comfortable playing as a right or left-sided centre-half, in a back three and even as an emergency defensive midfielder, his versatility is important when looking to construct a squad robust enough to cope with competing across four fronts. Lloyd Kelly's loan to Juventus is set to become permanent and Jamaal Lascelles' future beyond this season is uncertain following a year out with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, so Newcastle are already light in that area. Had Schar departed, then Newcastle's transfer budget would have become even more stretched. Signing a player of equivalence or better would have almost certainly cost Newcastle in the tens of millions and, with PSR continuing to restrict their spending capacity, that would have limited their ability to augment other areas (such as right-sided forward, striker and goalkeeper). There is clear footballing and business logic to extending Schar's contract by 12 months, yet that decision is also indicative of the strategy required this summer. Newcastle must better navigate their PSR constraints by buying younger, cheaper players they can develop, while also ensuring they provide Howe with sufficient top-quality upgrades who can immediately improve the starting XI. To achieve a happy equilibrium, collaboration is required — as Newcastle fans will be painstakingly reminded over the coming months.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Eddie Howe confirms Newcastle United are close to deal for super defender
Eddie Howe confirms Newcastle United are close to deal for super defender Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has confirmed that Fabian Schar should be set to sign his new contract with the club imminently. The veteran Swiss centre-back has been a key player at St James' Park for several years now, and it seems he's set to extend his stay for a bit longer. Advertisement Schar still has an important role to play in Howe's side, even with the Newcastle squad growing and improving all the time. Even if we're likely to see the Magpies making major signings in a variety of positions this summer, it seems clear that Howe is also still planning to use Schar on a regular basis. Eddie Howe speaks out on Fabian Schar's new Newcastle contract Fabian Schar in action for Newcastle (Photo by) 'I think Fabby will hopefully be signing his contract imminently, if he hasn't already, to my knowledge,' Howe said at his latest press conference. Schar has made 220 appearances for NUFC since joining all the way back in 2018, and fans will be delighted that he seems set to continue with the club. Advertisement At the age of 33, Schar's peak is clearly behind him, but he can still make a valuable contribution to Howe's squad. Schar has played 32 games in all competitions for Newcastle this season, helping the team to their recent Carabao Cup final triumph over Liverpool. Even if Schar ends up playing less often in years to come, he could still be an important part of the dressing room as a mentor to the team's younger players.
