The Cheick of Tiote at Newcastle, lack of Tevidence in Manchester City Carlos Tevez trial and Arsenal defender Kieran Gibbs likes Tubthumping

The 90 minutes of a football match can be a feast of entertainment, but the void between games isn’t always easy to fill. This absence of football is not just felt by fans though, as seemingly tabloid headline writers also feel the itch.

Thankfully their impatience is to the benefit of supporters, as they entertain themselves with witty/stupid/bizarre headlines to help pass the time and this week their gaze has largely fallen on the top flight and the Champions League.

This is the week that was in headlines.

Having lost their star striker to Liverpool and spent little of that incoming money, not much was expected of Newcastle this season. However, they’ve shown an uncharacteristic steel at the back and their inexpensive frontline has had no trouble in finding the net. They’ve been driven to this by impressive team performances, led by midfielder Cheick Tiote. This hasn’t gone unnoticed by other top flight clubs if tabloid rumours are to be believed and also by football365, who deftly pointed out the chutzpah of clubs inquiries.

Ahead of their home draw with Blackburn, QPR’s starting line-up was unofficially leaked, prompting manager Neil Warnock to accuse someone within his ranks of being a mole. Clearly someone isn’t his biggest fan and is no doubt aware of the fact that his name’s an anagram of Colin Wanker. Nevertheless George Smiley has been called into investigate, but The Sun didn’t place the same importance on the issue.

“…He drinks a whisky drink. He drinks a vodka drink. He drinks a lager drink. He drinks a cider drink. He sings the songs that remind of the good times. He sings the songs that remind him of the best times…” Thanks to the Evening Standard and Kieran Gibbs for reminding me of this Chumbawamba stomper.

With Wayne Rooney looking set to embark on a sightseeing tour of Poland and Ukraine for the first week of next year’s European Championships, Danny Wellbeck’s rise to prominence is very reassuring for England fans. Repeatedly starting ahead of last season top goalscorer Dimitar Berbatov, Chicharito and that little fellow who used to be good, he’s shown an eye for goal and also impressed as a substitute against Monetenegro. So much so that United have tied him to a new lucrative contact, prompting the Daily Mail to celebrate with a pun.

United’s 2-0 away win in Romania at the expense of FC Otelul Galati gave Alex Ferguson’s side the first three points of their Champions League campaign. Two spot-kicks from Wayne Rooney earned the victory and The Sun delighted in crowbarring his surname into the headline, as they readily enjoy doing.

The ease with which Sergio Aguerro has found his shooting boots in the Premier League has already earned the Argentina striker flattering comparisons to the greats of the modern domestic game. However the Daily Mirror’s depiction of him following his last minute winner against Villareal isn’t one that I’ve heard before. I’m sure he’ll be back with more of the same.

City’s other Argentine striker hasn’t enjoyed such success this year following his complicated Munich misunderstanding. The club tribunal though has failed to turn up enough evidence to suggest that Tevez wilfully refused to play in the Champions League tie due to a lack of Tevidence, at least that’s according to the Daily Mirror.

Tags: Arsenal, Carlos Tevez, Champions League, Cheick Tiote, Kieran Gibbs, Manchester City, Newcastle United, Premier League