CAMARA ABSENCE ANGER
HENRI CAMARA, THE WIGAN ATHLETIC forward, will face the wrath of Paul Jewell, the manager, if and when he returns to the club today after offering no explanation for his failure to report back from international duty in time for Saturday’s 1-0 defeat by Liverpool.
Camara had been playing for Senegal in the African Cup of Nations in Cairo and was scheduled to arrive in Manchester on Friday evening, but while some of his international team-mates — such as Abdoulaye Faye, of Bolton Wanderers — were back in time to play on Saturday, Jewell was infuriated by the non-appearance of his record signing.
“We’ve tried to get hold of him,” Jewell said. “He was booked on a flight on Friday at 6pm and we had arranged to have him picked up, but there was no sign of him. I have to be careful what I say in case I say something I would regret. I don’t want to talk about Henri Camara. I want to talk about the players who were here and who gave their all. The club is bigger than any individual, whether it’s me, the chairman or Henri Camara.”
SOL’S SPORTING CHANCE
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Tony Adams has urged Sol Campbell, his former Arsenal team-mate, to seek out professional help if his off-the-pitch difficulties persist. The former Arsenal captain, who has admitted to alcoholism, established the Sporting Chance Clinic while still a player at Highbury, offering help to players with personal problems.
Campbell has returned to training at Arsenal after being given time off to deal with what Arsène Wenger, the manager, described as “exceptional circumstances”, admitting the defender was going through a “difficult period” in his life.
“My experience of Sol is he’s very insular, quiet and shy,” Adams said. “He’s very much a loner and finds it hard to mix, except with his friends. If Sol phones me up, I’ll help him.”
Referring to Campbell spending his break from Arsenal duties in Brussels, Adams said: “I don’t know what support Sol’s getting, but Arsenal refused an education seminar from Sporting Chance, whereas we’ve been welcomed by other clubs such as Bolton and Everton.”
IVERSEN REJECTS EVERTON
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Steffen Iversen, the Norway forward, has turned down a move to Everton and is set to rejoin Rosenborg. The 29-year-old former Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton Wanderers striker, who recently had a spell on trial at Portsmouth, is a free agent after leaving Valerenga.
He also attracted the attention of a clutch of clubs in Europe, including AEK Athens and Besiktas, but wants to return to Rosenborg, where he launched his career ten years ago. Iversen spent two days training at Bellefield last week but elected to return to Norway. David Moyes, the Everton manager, is keen to add extra firepower to a side that has only recorded 19 goals in the Barclays Premiership — only Sunderland and Portsmouth have scored fewer.
PARDEW HELPED BY BRUCE
They will be in different dugouts at Upton Park this evening, but Alan Pardew remains grateful to Steve Bruce for helping him through one of his darkest periods in management. “When I moved to West Ham from Reading I had a court case pending and I was on gardening leave. Steve rang me because he had had a situation at Crystal Palace as well,” Pardew said. “His advice wasn’t easy to hear, but it was very good advice and he helped me big time.”
Having collected 38 points after an impressive return to the Premiership this season, the West Ham United manager believes that the pressure will be on Bruce, whose Birmingham City side are eighteenth in the table, tonight. “It will be an attractive game because Birmigham are desperate for a win,” Pardew said.