Why Is Allardyce After Roeder's Targets?

Last updated : 24 May 2007 By Footy Mad - Editor
Is someone coaxing Big Sam towards the likes of Sol Campbell, Mark Viduka and Steve Sidwell because some of the spade work was already done, or is it just newspaper waffle?

Chelsea have confirmed that out-of-contract Reading midfielder Sidwell has agreed to join them on July 1, and from what I can gather Sam didn't exactly burst a gut to try and get him. But Freddy Shepherd did confirm he himself was looking at the situation ... which brings with it it's own worries.

As for Viduka, again it seems as though Shepherd is more keen to get the Australian striker than Sam, simply because Fred has tracked him for two years. And as we know ... without much success.

As for Allardyce's bid to lure Sol Campbell to St James's Park, it appears to be doomed to failure after Harry Redknapp warned the Newcastle manager that he is wasting his time.

Redknapp: "There's no way Campbell is leaving this club.

"Sol's still absolutely key for us. He has still a year to go on his contract and is not going anywhere."

Meanwhile Titus Bramble is expected at Fratton Park this morning to undergo a medical having been released by Newcastle last week and with Craig Moore, Olivier Bernard and Oguchi Onyewu having also left the North-East club, Allardyce is desperate for defenders.