Filed under: Newcastle, Swansea, Premier League, Football
In gamely signing-up to participate in a charity trek up Mount Kilimanjaro with several of his footballing buddies, Brendan Rodgers has paved the way for 1,001 dodgy quips and puns regarding his newly-promoted Swansea City side having a mountain to climb in their first-ever crack at the Premier League.It's not just on the field where the Swans manager will have his work cut out this season, because if the first few supposedly 'quiet' weeks of the summer are anything to go by, he'll have plenty to do off it as well, namely in trying to protect some of his more coveted assets.
The sound of celebratory popping champagne corks from their victorious Wembley Championship play-off final had hardly died down before Newcastle, in the market to replace the soon to depart Jose Enrique, cast covetous glances towards Neil Taylor. Swansea are learning fast that promotion to the top flight doesn't make you immune to the threat of losing your best players.
Even worse for Rodgers, a player to whom he handed his big chance on his arrival from the relative obscurity of non-league Wrexham, and one on whom he thought he could count as among his first names on the team-sheet next season, was more than open to the advances of the Tyneside club.
By tabling a £1 million bid, Newcastle triggered a clause in the Wales international's contract which allows them to talk to the 22-year-old on his imminent return from holiday in Spain.
Clearly somewhat hurt by what he sees a lack of loyalty from a player signed for just £150,000 a little over 12 months ago, Rodgers' terse words suggest he is resigned to losing the former Manchester City defender. Far from pouring oil on troubled waters, he seemed to veer more towards the burning of bridges, when he insisted: "There will be no player at this club who does not want to be here.
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Source: http://www.fanhouse.co.uk/2011/06/11/the-gloves-are-off-in-newcastles-pursuit-of-swanseas-neil-tayl/
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