Still given Sun’s increasing worth at Manchester City and Li Tie’s at Everton Goldberg
Still, given Sun’s increasing worth at Manchester City and Li Tie’s at Everton, Goldberg can claim – in one respect – to have been a football man ahead of his time.The Chinese market has become so lucrative Newcastle United have even forged a formal alliance with the Chinese champions, Dalian Shide. The Magpies had first option to buy Sun from the club last season but a deal fell through because of the player’s involvement in China’s World Cup preparations. Milan and Torino were also interested in the 25-year-old, but it was Keegan who signed him, for £2m in March.Sun has been an ever-present for City in League and cup matches this season, starting out on the right side of a three-man central defence and switching to right wing-back. He has made a favourable impression too, winning the club’s player of the month award in September and heading the first goal in a 2-0 win away to Birmingham in October – the first goal by a Chinese player in the Premiership. He also scored in City’s 3-0 win at Sunderland a fortnight ago.”Things are working out really well for me,” Sun said “There is a great interest in the Premiership in China Games are shown on television each weekend. If I can adapt to the Premiership the English clubs may be encouraged to buy more Chinese players But I do not want to be called an ambassador. I want to take one step at a time and make sure I learn everything I can.
Being at Manchester City is a great opportunity for me.”For a Chinese player, it is enough for me to be able to represent my country in one of the world’s top five leagues and to be be able to win everyone’s recognition and respect. Every game, every training session, I work hard to gain more trust from my coach, the fans and the club. It proves a lot to me if I can take part in each game because the competition is very fierce in this club.”Coming back to Britain this time I just wanted to see what I could do, but I hope I can play 300 games in the English Premier League.”The Maine Road money men no doubt hope so too, though Sun is in City’s Premiership team on merit. “Hats off to him for the way he has adapted to the Premiership,” Keegan said. “He may have surprised a few people but when he came here we knew – as did those who had worked with him in China and at Crystal Palace – that he was an outstanding talent He’s done a great job and impressed everyone. His attitude and his work ethic have been fantastic and he’s settled in very quickly, which has made his job a bit easier.”Sun has certainly settled better than he did in south London.
“I have had no problems making Manchester my new home,” he said. “There is a big Chinese community here and they and everyone at City has made me very welcome.”It was much the same for Frank Soo at Stoke in the Thirties and Forties and for Sammy Chung at Watford in the Fifties and Sixties But, then, they were natives of Buxton and Abingdon. They were pioneers in English football for the land of their Chinese fathers.. Nobody has suffered more than Bobby Robson as a manager at Fulham. It was at Craven Cottage that the Peter Pan of football management launched his long career (after a spell nominally in charge of Vancouver Royals, whom he left without overseeing a game because the club’s money ran out). Eleven months into the Fulham job, he was on his way home from the ground one night when he saw an Evening Standard billboard bearing the news: “Robson Sacked” It was the first he knew about it. It was the first he knew about it.
At least Jean Tigana can see the end coming – whenever that might be.
Robson may well have hastened the process, his Newcastle side having inflicted a defeat that added to Tigana’s troubles, with the Steve Marlet transfer affair gathering momentum and, by all accounts, Mohamed Al Fayed fast losing patience with his French manager.Much of the damage at St James’ Park yesterday was self-inflicted, though, Edwin van der Sar gifting the opening goal to Nolberto Solano and Pierre Wome getting himself sent off for a dreadful challenge on Andy Griffin. Tigana’s men couldn’t even take advantage of a rare penalty miss by Alan Shearer. They couldn’t even force a save from Shay Given.Not that their one-time manager had reason to care. Robson’s Newcastle are up to fourth place in the Premiership now. “We’re not quite up there with the other three,” Robson said. “But you never know, if we keep giving performances like that And those three clubs have got to come here yet It won’t be easy for them.”It certainly won’t.
