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“The door isn’t closed to him here at Bristol City but it’s looking increasingly likely we won’t be working with him next season,” said Derek McInnes of Kalifa Cisse in early July. It’s indicative of just how highly Cisse was rated by his former club, that even after leaving the club and trying out with a rival Championship side, Bristol City was still keen to re-open negotiations on a contract in October.

Instead, Cisse has opted to join Jay Heaps and the New England Revolution, but just what have the Revs gained?

A Mali international, Cisse began his career in France with Toulouse. Unable to secure the first team soccer his development required, he moved west to the Portuguese league - first joining Estoril, before Boavista noted his potential and secured his services. It was for As Panteras (Panthers) that much of his early reputation was forged.

A stereotypical defensive midfielder or ‘anchor man’, at 6-foot-2, Cisse’s  physically imposing style should see him fare well against the more combative midfielders MLS has to offer. A powerful player with good short-range distribution, he will often be at the start of attacks, but rarely provide the finishing touch - his goal record of seven strikes in just under 180 games highlighting that fact.

After two years of impressive form with Boavista, English Premier League side Reading took an interest and purchased him for $1.5 million in 2006. Admired by fans of the Royals, Cisse held his own in a side that had recently recorded a convincing league-winning season in England’s second tier. Primarily a midfielder, his ability to also operate in the center of defense with aplomb was a vital asset for manager Steve Coppell during their three years together at Reading.

After successfully avoiding relegation in their first season, Reading struggled to cope with the loss of Steve Sidwell to Chelsea and suffered the unfortunate fate of relegation in 2008. During the following season, Cisse firmly established himself as a favorite amongst fans for his committed no-nonsense style, which thrived in the robust nature of the Championship.

Failing to secure promotion back to the Premier League at the first attempt, Coppell resigned from the club at which Cisse would remain for one final season. That year would see him work under current Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers until he was replaced by Brian McDermott. During their brief time together, Rodgers commended Cisse for his selfless attitude and willingness to work as part of the team.

In 2010 he would be reunited with the man who brought him to England when Steve Coppell took the job at Bristol City. Signing a two-year deal with The Robins, the club struggled in the bottom half of the league with Cisse consistently marked as one of the club’s standout players. Now fully ingratiated in the English game, his composure and assurance on the ball meant he rarely gave it away.

Able to quickly recycle the ball to his more attack-minded teammates, his desire to always pick the safest and sometimes easiest option serves as both a blessing and a curse. Regardless, New England’s ball retention will likely improve with Cisse in the side. Unlikely to win a sprint against the rest of the roster, his lack of pace is offset by his ability to read the game well and play the pitch horizontally rather than length ways.

Of the few blemishes on Cisse’s report card, a slight deficiency in stamina is one. The high intensity of the English game meant that he occasionally struggled moving into the final throes of games, something that may be rectified by the presence of another defensive midfielder like Clyde Simms to share the workload.

In the same way that Claude Makélelé proved the importance of a good anchor man at Chelsea, GMMichael Burns is vindicated in his belief that Cisse holds the potential to make a major impact for the Revs in 2013. With offers in Europe also on the table and still only 28, he now enters what many consider the prime of a midfielder’s career.

The fact fans of his former club are still disappointed at losing Cisse should highlight the potential that has been acquired by the Revs. Expect to see a steel and bite in the middle of the field this season - with his experience in Europe serving as further benefit to both Jay Heaps and his teammates.

Newcastle decides to give stability a try.

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During the Premier League era of English soccer, Newcastle United has often carried a well-earned reputation as a hub for drama.

In 1995 the club’s manager, Kevin Keegan, stood on the steps of St. James Park to answer to fans for the club’s decision to sell its star striker to Manchester United. Moving forward a decade, a fist fight between two teammates during a game earned each a red card. And that was all before the numerous protests by fans against the club’s current ownership.

So it always seemed fitting that the film “Goal” was set in Newcastle: while the club has produced its share of striking legends, it has also created the kind of spectacles that even some Hollywood scriptwriters would deem unbelievable. Even as recently as December 2010, after returning from a brief stay in England’s second tier, the Newcastle owner and sports clothing store tycoon Mike Ashley took the decision to fire the much admired manager Chris Hughton and replace him with a man who had recently been let go by a club in the third division — all with seemingly little rhyme or reason.

Just under two years on, however, and the winds of change are blowing through the streets of Newcastle. In June, the club offered an eight-year contract to its chief scout, Graham Carr — the man behind the acquisition of such talents as Yohan Cabaye, Papiss Cisse, and Hatem Ben Arfa. While in theory an impressive example of commitment, the decision to sign Carr to a long-term deal was hardly momentous; he had arrived at Newcastle with a stellar soccer resumé, counting Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur among his previous employers. The same could not be said of Hughton’s replacement as manager, Alan Pardew.

So there was a level of surprise last week at the announcement that Pardew had signed a similar eight-year contract. The offer had even been extended to his back room staff, signaling a potential period of solidity on Tyneside.

In an official statement, the Newcastle managing director Derek Llambias cited both Alex Ferguson and Arsène Wenger as proof that continuity often leads to success. The decision was met with some caution, but ultimately the rationale was understandable. The deal allowed Newcastle a huge piece of leverage should a team try to pry Pardew away, but it also could spare him — and the club — from talk that he is on the hot seat should the team enter a rough patch or underperform.

Pardew was possibly one of the few managers who understood and worked well in the imposed system at Newcastle. Instead of demanding money for new players (which he knew he would not get), he worked hard with the squad he was given. A defender in his playing days, he spent hours on the training pitch teaching his defenders how to operate as a unit, working on their positioning. By naming a settled back five, consistency was achieved — and it yielded results quickly: Newcastle remained unbeaten in the Premier League until late November, when the Magpies visited Manchester City.

With the obvious exception of securing a fifth-place finish last spring, Pardew’s biggest accomplishment was winning over the fans who had been far from convinced of his ability when he arrived. Newcastle fans are often stereotyped as expectant, but their reasoning for being underwhelmed at Pardew’s arrival seemed justified: he had only recently been let go by a team in the third tier amid reports of locker room unrest.

Now well bonded with the club’s supporters, Pardew recently rejected claims that they harbor unrealistic expectations. “The only time I hear the word ‘expectations’ from Newcastle fans is from journalists from the Midlands and London,” Pardew said. “But up north, they know.”

Meanwhile, Ashley’s surprise announcements are starting to receive a move positive response. Many still hold contempt for Ashley’s decision to sell the naming rights to St. James Park, especially since his company, Sports Direct, was the first to benefit from the branding opportunity. (Some local pubs promised free beer to any journalist who stuck with the original name in their copy.) But an expected announcement soon on a new shirt sponsor, who may also take the stadium rights, could give the club room to maneuver.

Far from finished, and still with a significant level of debt to erase, Newcastle has not completely recovered from the mistakes of the past, but it is learning. A significant overhaul of the club’s academy structure, as well as a keen eye towards recruiting talented youngsters like Gael Bigirimana, means that the club is beginning to head in the right direction.

Pardew, at least, seems comfortable in his black and white skin. At a recent dinner with supporters, he was personable and humorous. Still in shock at the length of his new contract, Pardew conceded that if he is to see it out he will need to bring success and also end a domestic trophy drought of 43 years.

That is something few would have predicted when Newcastle was relegated a little over three years ago.

MacDonald: Ashley here to stay.

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Former Newcastle United striker Malcolm MacDonald believes that Mike Ashley’s decision to reward manager Alan Pardew and his staff with eight-year contracts is a signal of his intent to stay on Tyneside.

Pardew, along with John Carver, Steve Stone and Andy Woodman, committed themselves to new deals with Newcastle on Thursday. The news follows the announcement in June that chief scout Graham Carr had also signed a similar contract.

Speaking to ESPN, MacDonald said he believes the club’s business profitability is a factor behind owner Ashley’s long-term commitment.

“The owner continuously does things out of the ordinary and makes it work for everybody,” MacDonald said. “I’ve felt for more than two years now that Mike Ashley intends to stay.

“He knows a profitable business and that’s exactly what Newcastle United is - a profitable business for him and his organisation.”

MacDonald, who spent five years on Tyneside, also believes that the news sends a positive message to the club’s players.

“I’ll be interested to see the kind of reaction there is from players on that, because it will have an effect on the attitude of players and they well may feel that there’s a tremendous stability at the club by this,” He said.

However, MacDonald did concede that Pardew’s contract is likely to have demands on it - similar to the ones placed on Sir Alex Ferguson when he joined Manchester United.

“I always look at the situation that existed at Manchester United when they appointed Sir Alex Ferguson, which I learned about after a discussion with Martin Edwards,” He said. “The deal that was struck was that in the next decade Manchester United would win the European Cup.

“I look at Alan Pardew and I wonder - you’re not just given an eight-year contract, you’re given an eight-year contract with demands and I’d like to know what those are.

“For that kind of contract you’ve got to be guaranteeing Europe every season, and certainly within those eight years they’ve got to win a trophy.

“Maybe if they’d given him that eight-year contract on Wednesday he may have named a different team.”

Sunderland confirm Saha swoop

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Former Tottenham and Everton striker Louis Saha, has signed a one-year deal with Sunderland.

Saha, 34, was a free agent after leaving Spurs, and confirmed on Thursday via his Twitter account that he was in discussions with the Wearside club.

The Paris-born striker is available for selection for Sunderland’s trip to Emirates Stadium this weekend and is likely to go straight into the travelling squad.

Speaking to the club’s official website, manager Martin O’Neill said: “Louis is a striker whose abilities have been proven at the very highest level and he brings with him a raft of experience of top-flight football.

“I’m sure he will be a great addition to our squad in an area we recognise needs strengthening and I’m delighted we have been able to complete the deal ahead of our first game of the season.”

Speaking to ESPN, former Sunderland defender Michael Gray said: “It’s a great deal. He’s obviously a fantastic talent and if we can keep him fit he’ll no doubt score goals in the Premier League. He’s been at the best. He’s played for Man United, he’s done fantastic at Fulham and Everton.”

Saha has spent the majority of his career England having first joined Sunderland’s rivals Newcastle on loan from Metz in 1999. He returned to Metz before signing for Fulham in 2000. After four years with the Cottagers, he then moved north to Manchester United in a deal worth £12.8 million.

The transfer represents a relative breakthrough for Sunderland, who have been frustrated in their attempts to add a striker following the departure of Asamoah Gyan and the Nicklas Bendtner’s return to Arsenal.

Despite the deal, Saha’s arrival will not end Martin O’Neill’s search for strikers as his pursuit of Wolves’ forward Steven Fletcher is still unresolved.

This week saw a £12 million bid for the former Burnley frontman rejected, with Wolves releasing a statement requesting a conclusion to the pursuit as they prepare for life in the Championship.

Gray conceded that his former club are still lacking up front, but believes Saha will make an impact at the Stadium of Light.

He told ESPN: “I certainly think we’re still lacking a little bit up front - but I think he’ll make a huge difference, and he’s one that I’m certain the fans will take to. You look at the quality player we’ve just signed there - and he’s come on a free.

“Granted he’s a little bit older than Steven Fletcher, but now we’re talking about 12-15 million for the likes of Steven Fletcher. It just goes to show you that the quality is out there if you look for it.”

The former Sheffield Wednesday and Blackburn player, also commended O’Neill for his approach to Sunderland’s transfer activity this summer.

“We weren’t the highest scoring club in the Premier League last season, and it’s something that as a football club we have to address,” said Gray. “I think Martin [O’Neill] has gone about it in the right way. He’s been patient and he’s looked for the right person to bring into the football club.

“If Louis Saha can hit the form that he has done at his last few clubs- we’ve certainly got a fantastic player on our hands.”

Bajevic looks to move past the abuse.

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When Atromitos manager Dusan Bajevic steps into the dugout on Thursday evening at Newcastle, it is unlikely he will consider the moment a career defining one. But far from a slight on the quality of his opponents, it serves more as testament to the varied and often colourful life the man has lived.

A title winner at both ends of a fierce Greek rivalry - he has won the Greek domestic league eight times in his career and was chronically abused by fans of one club - it’s difficult to put an order to the chaos outside of chronology.

Extremely polarising as an individual, his career has followed a similar habit. When times were good - like his title wins with AEK Athens and Olympaikos, they were most certainly good - but when they were bad they often far surpassed what many would deem acceptable in his profession.

First weaving himself into the tapestry of Greek football with AEK Athens, he brought four league titles to the club in his first spell but left in a shroud of controversy by joining Olympiakos, where he secured his other four league titles despite fans bombarding him with death threats.

Far from meek in his response, Bajevic was blunt when asked about the threats from AEK fans, simply stating: “I have done nothing wrong. I will kill anyone who comes near my family.” Upon his return to the Athens club, fans showered him with food and even a moped was thrown from the stands, and yet amazingly this would not be the most chronic instance of abuse he would suffer.

It also wouldn’t be the first time he would immerse himself in a fierce rivalry - take his time at Red Star Belgrade as an example of that. On something of a sabbatical from Greek football, Bajevic suffered defeat at the hands of rivals Partizan, but as he gave an interview to local television a few days after the game, angry Red Star fans set about his company car, smashing one of the windows.

With his days at the club seemingly numbered, Bajevic left under a cloud as he resigned midway through a match against FK Vojvodina, leaving the pitch in the 70th minute, never to return.

However, despite the fact that his last act in Belgrade was not a normal one, it was not the first time he’d done such a thing. His second spell at AEK Athens had seen the club’s fans split over his worth to the side: some were able to forgive, others would never forget. What began with derogatory banners quickly escalated and reached its crescendo in a match against Iraklis, when Bajevic resigned before half-time. It would later be revealed his wife had also left the game prior to kick-off after receiving similar levels of abuse.

In the wake of that departure, he had once again joined Olympiakos. You would be forgiven for thinking this was an attempt to spite the fans of AEK once again, but fan pressure once again forced him out.

During his extensive management history, Bajevic has overseen five different Greek clubs including Atromitos, with not every job characterised by turmoil. His time spent with PAOK Thessaloniki and Aris brought one Greek Cup to add to the two he’d already earned as a manager. Amazingly, a third spell at AEK Athens came and went, albeit with a more sinister conclusion this time round. Like watching an arguing couple reunite, to an outsider the likely outcome seemed upsettingly obvious.

By this point Bajevic had mellowed - perhaps it was the maturity gained with age. Where once his press conference was barbed and filled with a determination not to bow to the will of radical fans, now Bajevic the diplomat sat and said: “I have said sorry to whoever I aggrieved and I say sorry again to everyone. We can’t afford to talk about it now though. We all love AEK. We need to forget the good and the bad and look forward.”

Sadly not everyone subscribed to his view and, again, the abuse was intense. Losing to second division Kallithea FC was embarrassing, but not befitting the punishment that was exacted. As Bajevic tried to leave the field he was punched by a fan. Many expected his resignation - he had walked from other clubs for far less - but after support from his staff, the players and a large section of the club’s fans, he remained.

Two months later, Bajevic would end his association with the club for the third time as manager. Firmly established within the history of AEK, admiration for him was far from universal in Athens, but his contributions were undeniable.

Now with Atromitos, life finally seems more peaceful. His side finished fourth in the Greek Super League, and while not garnering the headlines or trophies that some of his previous Greek clubs have, the unique individual that is Dusan Bajevic provides more than enough intrigue and excitement on his own.

Lille reject improved offer for Debuchy

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By Kristan Heneage and ESPN staff

Newcastle’s improved offer for Mathieu Debuchy has been rejected, according to Lille chairman Michel Seydoux.

• Cabaye: Debuchy wants Toon switch

Debuchy, 27, has been a long-time target of the Magpies, with the Premier League club having already failed with an opening bid of €5 million.

French newspaper L’Equipe claimed early on Thursday that Newcastle had raised their bid to €6 million plus a sell-on fee percentage.

But Seydoux has rejected it, telling L’Equipe: “I decided that Mathieu Debuchy will remain at LOSC. The offer from Newcastle is definitely not at the value of the player.

“It would have taken the offer to be consistent and commensurate with its replacement. As the conditions are not met, it is my duty to make a decision.”

It remains unclear whether Newcastle will return with a fresh bid - although current Newcastle midfielder Yohan Cabaye, who joined the club from Lille in 2011, recently expressed his belief that Debuchy is keen to make the move to Tyneside.

Wolves reject Fletcher bid

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Sunderland have seen a £10 million bid for Wolves striker Steven Fletcher rejected.

Fletcher, 25, is a long-time target of the Black Cats and it remains to be seen whether Sunderland will return with a fresh bid, although reports have suggested any future bid may include Connor Wickham being loaned to the Midlands club in an attempt to sweeten the deal.

The former Ipswich striker, 19, joined Sunderland for £8 million last summer but found first-team opportunities limited last season and may be interested in a temporary move.

Meanwhile Fletcher is said to be keen to remain in the Premier League following Wolves’ relegation, despite comments from Wolves chief Jez Moxey on Monday that said the club will not sell its best players.

Elsewhere Martin O’Neill has confirmed the club have lodged several bids for players.

Speaking to the Sunderland Echo, O’Neill said: “We have made a number of bids for a number of players and we’re still waiting to hear back.”

With reports from the North West claiming the Black Cats are interested in Blackburn Rovers pair Martin Olsson and Steven N’Zonzi, it’s believed the club have now moved to secure their signatures.

“I can’t obviously mention particular players, but we’re definitely in the market to try to improve the squad.” O’Neill added.

So far only Carlos Cuellar has joined the Wearsiders, despite the club being linked with a host of players. Speaking on the subject, O’Neill said: “It’s pretty obvious where we’re looking to try to strengthen and of course we’re going to be linked with a lot of players.

Newcastle fail to earn top status

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By Kristan Heneage

Lalas tips Cameron for success.

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By Kristan Heneage 

Former USA defender Alexi Lalas has tipped Geoff Cameron to succeed in England following news that Stoke City had agreed a fee for the centre-back.

Cameron, who joined Houston Dynamo in 2008 and was named an MLS Allstar in 2011, is to join Stoke in a deal worth a reported $2.5 million (£1.59 million) should he be successful in gaining a work permit.

The 27-year-old made his international debut in February 2010, and Lalas believes he has all the attributes he needs to succeed in England.

“I think Geoff has the mentality and all the skill-sets to succeed, but sometimes it’s not always the best players that are successful,” Lalas told ESPN. “You need a little bit of luck, timing and coaches that believe in you but, just on sheer ability and potential going forward, yeah, I think that Stoke and England are getting a quality player that they can be excited to see.

“It’s also a great message for the Houston Dynamo and MLS in terms of developing talent that can make the jump to what is perceived to be one of the best leagues in the world.”

Lalas, who spent time in Europe with Padova, feels the potential deal would be good for both parties.

“For Houston it’s good business because this is a player that came up from nothing and now they’re selling him on for a good chunk of money,” he said. “I think for Stoke in the market, when you actually see the player you’re going to get, they’re going to recognise they’re getting a good quality player.”

Asked how he would describe the centre-back, Lalas added: “He’s good with the ball, he reads the game well and he’s not going to lose possession of the ball while under pressure. If you’re playing with Geoff Cameron, be prepared to play with the ball.

“He has the physical attributes to bang when he needs to but he also has a real confidence in the way he handles the ball and the way he passes out of the back. He can not only play at the back but also in the midfield, which gives him versatility.”