Transfer news...

[h=2]Carling Cup 2011-12[/h]

• David Hytner at the EBB Stadium
• guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 25 October 2011 22.03 BST Article history
  Manchester United's Michael Owen, left, scores his side's second goal in the Carling Cup fourth round against Aldershot Town. Photograph: Michael Regan/Getty Images
  
  Manchester United must await sterner tests of their rehabilitation but such have been the tremors since the 6-1 mauling by their neighbours City on Sunday that they could take greater pleasure than usual in the dismissal of lower-league Carling Cup fodder.
  Aldershot are 15th in League Two and their priority is to preserve Football League status. The Hampshire club have a monthly wage bill of £90,000, which is barely enough to keep Wayne Rooney between Mondays and Thursdays, and the gulf between the teams was all too apparent.
  There was never likely to be any slip-up and the outlandish notion disappeared once the swaggering Dimitar Berbatov had put United in front. Sir Alex Ferguson had promised that his club would "recover" and although it was hard to read too much into their progress into the quarter-finals, he could praise the "professionalism" and "discipline" that underpinned the victory.
  Michael Owen and Antonio Valencia got United's other goals and it ought to have been more in what was a one-sided contest. There had been cries at one point from the travelling supporters for a 6-1 scoreline, which would have come coated in irony, but they and Ferguson could have few complaints.
  "We were under pressure with the result at the weekend," Owen said. "As you can imagine, the laughs and jokes [at the club] have quietened down a bit [since Sunday]. Sometimes, you need a kick in the teeth to get going and it was a big kick in the teeth. We wanted to bounce back and thankfully we got the win."
  Ferguson had overhauled his team at this small and atmospheric ground, which has stands only on three sides. None of the derby losers featured and the lineup was not dissimilar to that which started at Leeds United in the previous round of this competition. Yet there was still plenty of class on show, not least in the shape of Berbatov, who cannot have envisaged making a rare start in front of 7,000 fans against a League Two club when he completed his £30.75m transfer from Tottenham Hotspur.
  His goal followed the first flash of United slickness. The ball fizzed between red shirts and it was Park Ji-sung who produced the final pass. Berbatov's finish was low and instinctive. After a brief silence, the home crowd announced that their team were "gonna win 6-1". United will not escape hearing those two digits for some time.
  This was one of the biggest nights in Aldershot's history and comfortably the biggest since the club folded and reformed in 1992; United had been here before in 1970, for a League Cup tie, when Best, Law and Charlton survived a scare before winning 3-1. Aldershot had never played in the fourth round of the League Cup and everywhere you looked, there was pride and excitement.
  Dean Holdsworth's team pressed at the outset and the talking point was Nemanja Vidic's ill-timed challenge on Alex Rodman, as the winger darted clear. The returning United captain was not the last man and he escaped with a booking.
  Aldershot flickered through the willing Jermaine McGlashan but United kept them at arm's length and they ended the first half in charge, courtesy of a goal from Owen. He started the move – sweeping a pass out to Berbatov – and he finished it, after the Bulgarian had rolled the ball square and invitingly for him. The visitors might also have scored through Fabio da Silva in the 21st minute.
  "United had bundles of quality, we were beaten by a fantastic set of players … world-class players," Holdsworth said. "But I'm proud of everybody at the club. Sir Alex was full of compliments for us and we'll take comfort from that."
  It became a question of how many United would score and there was a flatness about the second-half, a training-ground feel to proceedings. Ferguson brought on three young substitutes, including the debutant Michael Keane at right-back, and United closed out the tie with the minimum of fuss.
  You had to admire Valencia's curling drive from distance shortly after the interval and together with Berbatov and Park, he went close to further extending United's advantage.
  A highlight for the home team was Ross Worner's excellent save from Berbatov's rasping free-kick but they could not score the goal that would have gone down in club folklore, although Luke Guttridge did shoot narrowly wide and drew a smart save out of Ben Amos from a free-kick. It was United who called the Shots.
  
  

[h=1]What is Sir Alex Ferguson's biggest defeat as a manager?[/h] Plus: league leaders with a negative goal difference; more eco-friendly footballers; and the match that was postponed 29 times. Send your questions and answers to knowledge@guardian.co.uk and follow us on Twitter

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• • Rob Smyth
  • guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 26 October 2011 00.01 BST Article history
  How many time before has Sir Alex Ferguson been this grumpy? Photograph: Martin Rickett/PA
  
  "Sir Alex Ferguson said the 6-1 defeat to Manchester City was his worst day in football," says David Wallace. "Was it his biggest defeat as a manager?"
  It was only the third time in 2,061 games, spread over 37 years, that a Ferguson team conceded six goals in a game. The others came in 1974, when East Stirlingshire lost 6-2 at Albion Rovers, and 1996, when Manchester United were trounced 6-3 by Southampton. Whether it was his worst defeat depends on whether you regard a 6-1 defeat as worse than a 5-0. (A 6-1 scoreline is better in terms of the league table but, well, 6-1.) The City game was not, however, the worst of Ferguson's entire football career: he was in the Falkirk side that lost 7-1 to Airdrie on 26 April 1971.
  Here's a list of Ferguson's 16 managerial defeats by four goals or more, ordered by margin of defeat, goals conceded and then date.
  1) Manchester United 1-6 Manchester City, Premier League, 23 October 2011
  2) East Stirlingshire 5-0 St Mirren, Scottish Division Two, 26 April 1975
  3) Partick Thistle 5-0 St Mirren, Scottish Premier Division, 26 April 1978
  4) Newcastle 5-0 Manchester United, Premier League, 20 October 1996
  5) Chelsea 5-0 Manchester United, Premier League, 3 October 1999
  6) Albion Rovers 6-2 East Stirlingshire, Scottish Second Division, 17 September 1974
  7) Hibernian 5-1 St Mirren, Scottish Premier Division, 11 March 1978
  8) Manchester City 5-1 Manchester United, First Division, 23 September 1989
  9) Aberdeen 4-0 St Mirren, Scottish League Cup, 25 August 1976
  10) St Mirren 0-4 Aberdeen, Scottish Premier Division, 8 October 1977
  11) Tottenham Hotspur 4-0 Manchester United, First Division, 4 May 1987
  12) Nottingham Forest 4-0 Manchester United, First Division, 2 May 1990
  13) Liverpool 4-0 Manchester United, First Division, 16 September 1990
  14) Barcelona 4-0 Manchester United, European Cup, 2 November 1994
  15) Arsenal 4-0 Manchester United, League Cup, 5 November 2001
  16) West Ham 4-0 Manchester United, 30 November 2010
  [h=2]NEGATIVE LEADERS[/h]"Morton, in the Scottish First Division are leading the table after eight games but have a goal difference of -2," wrote Ross Smith. "Has a team ever led their league with a negative goal difference after so many games?"
  As many of you pointed out, Norwich were top of the inaugural Premier League in mid-January, after 24 games, despite having a goal difference of -1. The main reason for that was a 7-1 trouncing at Blackburn in early October. Norwich eventually finished third with a goal difference of -4.
  That's the best you could come up with, although some of you pointed out examples of teams leading the table with a goal difference of 0: Herfolge Boldklub after 28 games in Denmark in 1999-2000, Bristol City after 42 matches in the 2007-08 season, and EDO, who were champions of the Dutch second division in 1959-60.
  Do you know of any other sides who have topped the table late in the season with a negative goal difference? Send your answers to knowledge@guardian.co.uk
  [h=2]MORE ECO-FRIENDLY FOOTBALLERS[/h]Last week, we looked at players who give one about the environment, and here are a couple of other examples.
  "I was once listening to Radio 1's Newsbeat around 10 years ago and there was a piece on the newly introduced LPG fuel," says Matthew Lutz, brother of celebrity stubble-carrier Tom Lutz. "They interviewed someone who was filling up their car with it – and it was none other than the then-Cheltenham Town defender and uber-Championship Manager legend Michael Duff."
  Then there's the Guardian's finest. No, not Hadley Freeman. "I didn't bother answering this week as it seemed like the obvious answer (considering he is a Guardian [actually Observer] columnist), but I was surprised not to see the inclusion of David James. There was an article about the fact that he paid £2,500 to convert his car to run on (locally sourced) rapeseed oil, so I reckon he's a better shout than Moritz Volz's fold-up bike."
  [h=2]KNOWLEDGE ARCHIVE[/h]"Down at the pub the other night, a friend of mine bullishly claimed he'd heard that a match was once postponed on almost 30 separate occasions. Is he having me on?" asks Jonathan Gainter.
  Hail your friend, Jonathan, as he speaks the truth. Back in the icy winter of 1979, the Scottish Cup second-round clash between Inverness Thistle and Falkirk had to be postponed no fewer than 29 times. The original date for the game was 6 January, but the clubs had to wait 47 days until the Kings Mills ground was eventually declared playable, on 22 February. When the match finally took place, four first-half goals helped Falkirk seal their spot in the third round. However, because of the 71-day period between the second-round draw and Falkirk's win, Billy Little's side were forced to visit Dundee just three days later in round three, where a late penalty ended their cup journey.
  Incredible as these 29 postponements are, the tie is still eclipsed by another Scottish Cup game that took place 16 years earlier, when sub-zero conditions again played havoc with the fixture list – and not just in Scotland but all across Britain. More than 400 English league and cup matches fell victim to the weather and the season had to be extended by a month on both sides of the border. While one FA Cup third-round tie between Coventry and Lincoln eventually took place at the 16th time of asking, the clash between Airdrie and Stranraer was busy setting a British record of 33 postponements. For Airdrie it was 34th time lucky as they ran out 3-0 victors.
  Incidentally, the worst day of domestic cancellations didn't occur in 1962-63. That honour went to 3 February 1940, when only one of 56 wartime league matches beat the weather. Plymouth made the most of their moment in the limelight with a 10-3 thumping of Bristol City.
  For thousands more questions and answers take a trip through the Knowledge archive
  [h=2]Can you help[/h]"Watching Liverpool v Man U made me think, Ryan Giggs and Jamie Carragher must have played each other 30-odd times in club football – and regularly as direct opponents (left wing v right-back). Who can beat that?" says Chris Atkinson.
  "What was the longest transfer, in miles, in the UK? I'm looking at a InverCaly to Truro City kind of thing," says Fraser Thomas.
  "I was wondering when there were the most London clubs in the top flight of football (both when there were 20 or 22 teams in the league)? It might be 1991-92 with seven (QPR, Spurs, Arsenal, Chelsea, Wimbledon, Crystal Palace, West Ham)?" says Aaron.
  Send your questions and answers to knowledge@guardian.co.uk
  
  

[h=1]What John Terry said to Anton Ferdinand – video[/h] The Chelsea captain John Terry has denied allegations of a slur on the QPR defender Anton Ferdinand. Here is a video of the incident

[video]http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/video/2011/oct/25/andre-villas-boas-john-terry?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3486[/video]

[video]http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/video/2008/apr/22/chelsea?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3486[/video]

[video]http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/video/2010/may/14/john-terry-chelsea-world-cup?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3486[/video]

[video]http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/video/2011/sep/02/euro-2012-bulgaria-england-video?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3486[/video]

[video]http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/video/2010/sep/03/steven-gerrard-england-euro-2012?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3486[/video]

[video]http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/video/2010/feb/05/john-terry-fabio-capello-england-captain?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3486[/video]

[video]http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/video/2011/mar/23/england-captain-john-terry-video?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3486[/video]

[h=4]Series: Rumour Mill[/h] Previous | Index

[h=1]Football transfer rumours: Didier Drogba to be snubbed by Galatasaray[/h] Today's tittle-tattle is the nightmare of real things, the fallen wonder of the world

• • reddit this

• • Simon Burnton
  • guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 26 October 2011 09.19 BST Article history
  Galatasaray have decided that Didier Drogba is too pushy and aggressive to fit into their team of wilting violets. Photograph: Clive Rose/Getty Images
  
  Chelsea have dispatched scouts to Portugal to run the rule over Rio Ave's 23-year-old midfielder Vitor Gomes and could try to seal a £5m deal for the promising midfielder. But Didier Drogba probably won't go to Galatasaray after the Turkish club's president publicly criticised him. "In my view, Drogba would be the last option," he said. "When I look at the information given to me about him, he wouldn't fit in with the team – I don't mean in terms of cost, I mean in terms of personality." Apparently the problem is that the Ivorian is "pushy" and "aggressive by nature", and the Mill can imagine how the famously shy and taciturn Turkish fans would be terrified by the arrival of such a character.
  More likely to leave Stamford Bridge, at least temporarily, is Josh McEachran, a January loan target for Swansea. The 18-year-old is dating actor Brooke Vincent – and you'll have to concentrate here – who plays Sophie Webster in popular television drama Coronation Street. The part of her on-screen sister, Rosie, is played by Helen Flanagan, who happens to be dating Swansea's Scott Sinclair. It is thought that this coincidence could help to attract McEachran to Wales, as even if the thespian pair don't get on particularly well – and frankly the Mill has no idea about the state of their relationship – they could enter into a convenient lift-sharing arrangement.
  Tottenham want Twente's Bulgarian shot-stopper Nikolay Mihaylov and are one of the clubs scouting free-scoring 17-year-old Argentinian striker Paulo Dybala, who is setting his country's second division alight with his goal-grabbing antics for Instituto. Arsenal are also interested in a new goalkeeper, and have been watching Sevilla's 29-year-old Javi Varas. Varas might be joined on the plane to London by long-time target Esteban Granero, who has been made available by Real Madrid with a far-from-offputting €9m price tag, though Málaga could offer him the chance to stay in Spain. Manchester United have also been sending scouts to Iberia, in their case to monitor 6ft 3in Athletic Bilbao midfielder Javi Martínez, with an £18m offer possible in January.
  As if being linked with a 29-year-old wasn't bad enough, Arsenal are also rumoured to be entertaining the possibility of a January move for the Juventus striker Luca Toni, who could hardly be further from fitting into the standard Arsène Wenger transfer mould – he's enormous, he's ancient and he reliably scores goals.
  Manchester City's Vladimir Weiss got more than he bargained for after he invited three young beauties back to his house for a private party – one of them nicked jewellery valued at £20,000, including a Hublot watch worth £16,000. Fortunately he's got CCTV cameras scattered around his mansion, which caught her in the act. The Mill is a bit depressed that Premier League footballers feel it necessary to monitor their kitchens with video cameras for purposes other than the recording of seedy home video footage of not-in-the-bedroom high-jinks for their personal enjoyment, and even more depressed that they're actually entirely justified in doing so.
  Mario Balotelli madcap latest: his mum sent him out to buy an iron and an ironing board; he returned five hours later with a giant trampoline, a Scalextric set, a table tennis table and two Vespa scooters. And no iron. This according to "an insider" on Twitter.
  Michel Platini thinks David Beckham, whose desire to play for Team GB might see him swap LA for QPR or PSG in one of the greatest acronym frenzies in football history, is past it. "Beckham in Paris will certainly be good for shopping," he lashed. "I love this player but he is not the footballer he was." Elsewhere Fulham, West Brom and Wigan are interested in Brighton's former Chelsea midfielder Liam Bridcutt. And in other players-called-Liam news, Newcastle still want Birmingham's Liam Ridgewell, even though a move for the defender was frustrated in the summer.
  Joey Barton wants to use his astonishing friendship with Morrissey to engineer a comeback for Mozza's former band. "If I could get the Smiths back together that would top anything I could achieve on the football pitch," he said. Please, please, please let him get what he wants, etc. Peter Reid is to receive a "special FA Cup medal" to replace the genuine 1986 runners-up one he sold to help fund bankrupt Plymouth before they sacked him. It sounds a bit like the kind of thing you used to pick up from Texaco service stations in his playing heyday, but the Mill is sure it'll cheer the lad up a bit so we're all for it.
  
  

[h=1]Wednesday's gossip column - transfers and rumours[/h]

TRANSFER GOSSIP
Manchester United are considering an £18m move for Athletic Bilbao midfielder Javi Martinez.
Full story: Daily Mail
Newcastle are ready to renew their interest in Birmingham defender Liam Ridgewell.
Full story: Daily Mail
Tottenham are eyeing a move for FC Twente and Bulgaria international goalkeeper Nikolay Mihaylov.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Andre Villas-Boas has ordered Chelsea scouts to watch Portuguese midfielder Vitor Gomes.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Arsenal are bracing themselves for yet another battle with Barcelona for one of their stars, as winger Theo Walcott has apparently caught the eye of Barca boss Pep Guardiola.
Full story: Metro
Manchester City defender Kolo Toure says he would leave Eastlands to join French giants Paris Saint-Germain.
Full story: the Sun
Arsenal and Liverpool look set to miss out on the signing of teenage striker Andy Polo from Universitario de Deportes in Peru after his agent revealed he is set for a move to Germany.
Full story: talkSPORT
Everton are pondering a January transfer move for Young Boys midfielder David Degen.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Chelsea are believed to be lining up a January move for Parma midfielder Sebastian Giovinco, according to reports in Italy.
Full story: talkSPORT
Inter Milan's interest in Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey has strengthened with the Italian giants rumoured to be considering making a bid as early as January.
Full story: Footylatest.com
Juventus are weighing up a move for Manchester City full-back Aleksandar Kolarov, with City considering Barcelona's Maxwell as a replacement.
Full story: Metro
Chelsea are believed to be favourites to sign 17-year-old Partizan Belgrade forward Lazar Markovic.
Full story: Inside Futbol
Versatile Hearts player Ryan Stevenson, who is out of contract in the summer and in talks about a new deal, is one of Derek McInnes's first targets after the manager left St Johnstone for Bristol City. (the Sun)
Celtic manager Neil Lennon fears losing captain Scott Brown on a free transfer next summer as talks over a new contract for the Scotland midfielder have failed to reach a conclusion. (Various)
Former Bristol City and AFC Wimbledon left-back Andre Blackman has had his trial extended by Celtic after he impressed in a closed-doors game against Rangers. (Daily Record)

OTHER GOSSIP
A warm-up for the Great Britain men's and women's football teams could see a Saturday double-header before next year's London Olympics.
Full story: The Times (subscription)
Martin O'Neill has emerged as the first-choice target to succeed Sven-Goran Eriksson at Leicester City.
Full story: The Times (subscription)
MK Dons boss Karl Robinson is a surprise contender for the Leicester job.
Full story: The Sun
Tottenham coach Joe Jordan has sent a get well message to AC Milan's Gennaro Gattusso - who is fighting to overcome an eye injury. Full story: Daily Mail
Everton manager David Moyes says Jack Rodwell's red card in the Merseyside Derby has helped his game.
Full story: The Guardian
Steve Kean is modelling plans for a Blackburn revival on Alan Pardew's work at Newcastle.
Full story: Daily Mail
Chelsea centre-back John Terry could be stripped of the England captaincy again if he is found guilty of racially abusing QPR defender Anton Ferdinand.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Aston Villa striker Darren Bent has hit out at critics who said he left former club Sunderland for more money at Villa Park.
Full story: the Sun
Sligo Rovers manager Paul Cook will decide today whether to accept the offer of becoming St Johnstone's new boss. (the Sun)
Rangers say they have nothing to do with the registering of two company names similar to their own and have launched their own investigation. (the Sun)
Scotland Under-21 striker Jordan Rhodes insists he will not switch his allegiance despite Huddersfield Town manager Lee Clark warning that England could tempt the in-form 21-year-old with a senior call-up. (Daily Record)
Tottenham Hotspur's England Under-21 defender, Steven Caulker, will delay his decision on whether to switch to Scotland until the 19-year-old returns from a knee cartilage injury while on loan with Swansea City. (Daily Record)
Hearts players are considering calling in the players' union if there is a further delay in the payment of their wages. (Various)
The Scottish Football Association will consider making a bid to stage the 2017 European Women's Championship, according to chief executive Stewart Regan. (the Herald)

[h=1]EXCLUSIVE: Tevez could now sue Mancini[/h] Published 22:31 25/10/11 By Oliver Holt

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Carlos Tevez has been fined four weeks' wages - around £1million - by Manchester City.
But he may step up his war with the club by suing coach Roberto Mancini for *defamation of character.
City accused Tevez of refusing to warm up during a game at Bayern Munich.
But the Argentine striker is set to sue Mancini over claims he made after last month's match that Tevez had refused to play.

The Italian made the claim in two separate post-match press conferences but no one on the City bench that night backed him up.
City's disciplinary panel found Tevez guilty of refusing to play and added a fortnight's ban to the fine.
What will hurt Tevez most is the club's insistence they will not offload him on the cheap or on loan in January just to get rid of him.
City valued Tevez, who was the Premier League's top scorer over the last two seasons, at £50m in the summer and are prepared to play hardball with any interested clubs.
Mancini made it clear in Munich that Tevez is finished at the club as long as he is in charge, and owner Sheikh Mansour told him on Tuesday, through chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak, that he backs his tough stance.
A club spokesman said: "I can confirm that following a call between Roberto Mancini and the chairman, the club's formal position is that no offer for Carlos Tevez will be considered unless it reflects the true market value."
City's disciplinary panel found Tevez guilty of five breaches of contract for refusing to come on as a substitute at Bayern.
The Blues believe his actions in Munich were premeditated, because six days earlier they had confirmed with him that he would forego bonuses worth £6million for handing in a transfer request.
The South American had also been told he would not receive a new contract because the club had agreed a deal with Corinthians in the summer, which later fell through.
City believe the final straw for Tevez was being demoted to Mancini's fourth-choice striker for the Everton game, which was three days before Munich.
The former skipper has always vehemently denied that he refused to play, claiming it was a misunderstanding, and will appeal his fine and ban to the club's board.
If Tevez, 27, is still unsuccessful, he is likely to take his case to the Premier League.

[h=1]Fergie hints at United shake-up after Cup stroll[/h] Published 23:09 25/10/11 By Darren Lewis

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Sir Alex Ferguson hinted he could wield the axe after his Manchester United reserves cruised to Carling Cup victory over Aldershot.
Dimitar Berbatov, Michael Owen and Antonio Valencia all netted to ease the Reds into the last eight after their 6-1 humiliation at home to Manchester City.
Aldershot 0-3 Man United: Veterans ease Fergie through
Tweet my Goal! Aldershot 0-3 Manchester United

"They are always giving me nudges," said Fergie. "It's the difficult thing about having so many good players.
"We have a fantastic squad and that is why I had to play these players, they needed games.
"They have not had many first-team games because the consistency of the team is very good and we have not had to make changes.
"But Michael Owen, every time he plays he scores. It's a fantastic record he has got. You cannot ignore that.
"He is a fantastic professional. Dimitar Berbatov had a fantastic game and scored a tremendous goal.
"They've all done well. Tom Cleverley coming back is a good thing for us because he is an outstanding footballer and needed another 90 minutes."
Aldershot boss Dean Holdsworth said: "We know we did everything right. But we were beaten by a fantastic set of players.
"We'll be very pleased tomorrow when we wake up. It was a great evening for the club."

[h=1]Transfer news, rumours and gossip from Wednesday's papers[/h] Published 08:13 26/10/11 By Football Spy

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http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/new...p-from-Wednesday-s-papers-article821013.html#


Transfer stories from today's Daily Mirror
AVB targets Portuguese star (plus video)
Spurs watching Argentine striker (with video)
Everton in for Degen (but not the Kop flop)

Tottenham eye new goalkeeper (with video)
Manchester City loan out defensive starlet
Liverpool target keen on Celtic switch
Link with "beautiful" Villa baffles Danish star
Transfer stories from other newspapers and websites
Barcelona are tracking Arsenal star Theo Walcott (Metro)
Manchester United are back on the trail of Athletic Bilbao 's £18m Spain Under 21 midfielder Javi Martinez (The Mail)
Corinthians are preparing a bid of less than £16million for Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez (Daily Mail)
Arsenal are monitoring Seville goalkeeper Javi Varas (Daily Mail)
Newcastle are ready to renew their interest in Birmingham 's Liam Ridgewell (Daily Mail)
Manchester City defender Kolo Toure fancies a move to Paris Saint-Germain (The Sun)
Michel Platini has told PSG to forget about signing David Beckham (The Sun)
Juventus are weighing up a move for Manchester City full-back Aleksandar Kolarov (Metro)
Arsenal and Liverpool target Andy Polo look set for a move to Germany (talkSPORT)
Chelsea are considering a move for Parma midfielder Sebastian Giovinco (talkSPORT)
Inter Milan are considering a January move for Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey (Footylatest.com)
Chelsea are looking at 17-year-old Partizan Belgrade forward Lazar Markovic (Inside Futbol)

[h=1]South American star set to snub Arsenal and Liverpool for Germany[/h] Published 08:41 26/10/11 By Football Spy

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http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/tra...for-Germany-reveals-agent-article821017.html#


Peruvian wonderkid Andy Polo is set to snub interest from Arsenal and Liverpool and move to the Bundesliga instead.
The 17 year-old Universitario de Deportes striker has caught the eye of Premier League scouts but his agent has revealed that German sides Hamburg and Shalke are the favourites to sign him.
"There are two clubs in Germany who are very interested in Andy and there is a very close agreement," said Borja Gonzalez.
"In the next 48 hours they have to call me and tell me they want to do the deal. If all goes well on Thursday or Friday we should be close. Andy Polo will play in Europe next year."

Transfer news, rumours and gossip from Wednesday's papers

[h=1]Tevez has 'one foot in Corinthians' claims president[/h] Published 09:18 26/10/11 By Football Spy

• (1)
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http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/tra...inthians-claims-president-article821026.html#


Carlos Tevez is on the verge of rejoining Corinthians - accorded to the Brazilian club's president.
And the controversial Manchester City striker could join for a cut-price fee following his falling out with club officials.
"Tevez has one foot in Corinthians, even if a lot of people don't believe it," Andres Sanchez told reporters in Brazil.
"He is not worth €40 million any more. Now you would pay around €18m, after all the trouble he has faced in England."

EXCLUSIVE: Tevez could now sue Mancini
Tevez fined month's wages by City
Transfer news, rumours and gossip from Wednesday's papers

[h=1]Manchester City loan out defensive starlet[/h] Published 17:11 25/10/11 By MirrorFootball

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Nottingham Forest have signed rookie Manchester City defender Greg Cunningham on loan until the end of the year.
Boss Steve Cotterill moved for the 20-year-old left-back after Clint Hill was recalled from his loan spell by QPR.
Cunningham joined City from Mervue United in his native Galway in 2007 and has made five substitute appearances, while he also had a spell on loan with Leicester last season.
Cotterill told Nottingham Forest | NFFC Scores, News, Transfers, Fixtures "Left-backs are very difficult to come by and although he's only a young player I think he's got a good future ahead of him.

"They have a big squad of players at City which allowed him to go out on loan and we're delighted to have him."

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[h=1]Liverpool target keen on Celtic switch[/h] Published 11:10 25/10/11 By MirrorFootball

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http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/tra...vic-keen-on-Celtic-switch-article820315.html#


Swedish youngster Alex Milosevic has admitted he would be interested in a move to Celtic.
The 19-year-old defender has three years left on his contract with AIK Solna and has also been linked with Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham and German side Werder Bremen.
Milosevic was quoted in the Scottish Sun saying: "I spent a week training at Celtic earlier this year and really enjoyed it.
"I have three years left on my contract, but Celtic is a big club. If the clubs can work something out, I would be interested."

[h=1]Corinthians target cut-price Carlos Tevez as Manchester City get tough[/h] • Brazilian club says striker's value has more than halved
• City could hold Tevez for the remainder of his contract

• • reddit this

• Andy Hunter
• guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 26 October 2011 20.26 BST Article history
  Corinthians claim that Carlos Tevez, their former striker, is available on a cut-price deal from Manchester City. Photograph: Jon Buckle/PA
  
  Manchester City remain unmoved from their stance that Carlos Tevez will not be sold for a cut-price fee in January despite claims to the contrary from Corinthians and the threat of legal action by the player against Roberto Mancini for defamation.
  Tevez's representatives are considering their options after the Argentina international was hit with a record four-week fine of £1m and warned as to his future conduct having been found guilty of misconduct in the Champions League defeat at Bayern Munich last month.
  The Corinthians president, Andrés Sánchez, responded to the deterioration in Tevez's already poor relationship with City by telling the Brazilian media that his club's former striker will be available for less than half his summer value when the Premier League's transfer window reopens in January. A proposed move to Corinthians collapsed in July.
  Sánchez said: "Although many people do not believe it, Tevez is much closer to the Corinthians than you can imagine. The initial offer was €40m and that is now €18m (£16m) because of all the problems he has faced back in England."
  City are adamant this is not the case and that, given Sheikh Mansour's wealth and his belief that Tevez has shown frequent disrespect towards him and the club, the owner is prepared to hold the 27-year-old to the remaining three years of his contract – even if Mancini chooses not to select him – or until a club meets the player's market value.
  Mansour and the City chairman, Khaldoon al-Mubarak, are said to be unhappy at Tevez's behaviour and the club is among the select few in the world able to withstand the pressure to sell a potentially unused £250,000-a-week asset.
  They have also given their complete backing to Mancini to deploy the former Manchester United striker as and when he sees fit, although the threatened legal action against the manager could prove a major distraction to the club should the defamation case reach court.
  Mancini did not discuss the situation after City's 5-2 Carling Cup fourth-round victory at Wolverhampton Wanderers on Wednesday night. A spokesperson for the club explained that was due to the legal process.
  Lawyers for Tevez are assessing whether to sue Mancini over the City manager's comments that the striker refused to play at the Allianz Arena on 27 September but the Argentinian's camp will not rush to a decision on their next move. Tevez has 14 days to appeal and it seems certain he will do so, with the player expected to present his case first to City's board of directors and, should they rule against him, then to the Premier League.
  City's exhaustive disciplinary hearing into the events in Munich found Tevez guilty of five breaches of contract including that he had refused Mancini's request to appear as a substitute in the 2-0 defeat. Tevez's representatives insist City's charge relates to a failure to resume warming up rather than a refusal to play.
  The Premier League leaders suspect Tevez's actions may have been premeditated after he had been told six days before the Bayern game that his requests to leave the club had cost him £6m in loyalty bonuses due over the course of his contract.
  They also believe his anger at being demoted to fourth-choice striker by Mancini, and confirmation that his contract would not be renegotiated following the breakdown of a transfer to Corinthians, may also have been factors.
  Mancini could be successfully sued for defamation if his post-match claims that Tevez refused to play, said to both Sky and the written media in Munich, are proved false and if the Argentinian's camp can show his earning capacity has been damaged as a result of the allegation.
  The trial would result in Mancini, Tevez, team-mates who were also on the bench against Bayern and the club's fitness and coaching staff being called to the high court to give evidence.
  There does remain a way back for Tevez at City should he show contrition for his actions in the Champions League game and apologise to Mancini, who said the striker was "finished" with the club on the night, although that appears highly unlikely.
  City could have another battle on their hands after it emerged that Kolo Touré is planning to contest any potential punishment he is given for his six-month suspension for a failed drugs test. The Ivory Coast defender, a former City captain, is due to appear before an internal disciplinary panel, chaired by City's football executive, Brian Marwood, next week, when the club could fine the player. Touré's agent, Saif Rubie, said: "Kolo is disappointed the club have decided to take this stance and he will contest any planned action against him."
  
  

• Stuart James at Molineux
• guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 26 October 2011 22.10 BST Article history
  Edin Dzeko celebrates his first, and Manchester City's third goal, against Wolves in the fourth round of the Carling Cup. Photograph: Andrew Couldridge/Action Images
  
  Manchester City are fast turning into English football's great entertainers. It is a title that would have been impossible to imagine attributing to Roberto Mancini's side last season but how else can we think of a team that has now scored 45 goals in 15 matches this term and registered 21 in their last 450 minutes of football. They are staggering statistics by anyone's standards and help to explain why Carlos Tevez's brooding presence in the background is of so little concern.
  The bad news for a weakened Wolverhampton Wanderers side swept aside by City's reserves is that their first team must confront the real thing at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday. It is a frightening prospect at the moment. Although Nenad Milijas put Wolves ahead here, City reacted as if affronted, scoring three goals in four minutes before the interval to take the game away from Mick McCarthy's side with the same ruthlessness that characterised their performance at Old Trafford.
  Mancini left out the entire starting XI from Sunday but it is measure of the strength in depth in his squad that the absence of Mario Balotelli and Sergio Agüero barely resonated on a night when Edin Dzeko scored twice to take his tally for the season to 11. Yet it was Adam Johnson who did most to catch the eye in a £100m reserve team, the England international scoring City's equaliser and having a hand in the two other goals before the interval.
  It was an impressive response from Johnson considering that he did not even make the substitutes' bench against Manchester United, although Mancini continues to demand more from the winger. "I think sometimes he thinks: 'OK, this game I scored one goal, I did one assist and that's enough,'" City's manager said. "He needs to think in a different way: 'OK, I scored one goal, I did one assist, I shall try to score another goal and another assist and after I run back to defend.' Because he can do this if he wants.
  "My opinion is that he has everything to become one of the top wingers. I think you can improve when you are 30 or 31 years old. Adam is young, this is his third season in the Premier League, he has everything and it disappoints me when Adam plays every game and doesn't put everything on the pitch. Tonight he played well but, for example, on the second goal that Wolves scored, he didn't follow his opponent."
  Johnson did, however, score a splendid goal, curling the ball home from the edge of the penalty area, after Milijas had given Wolves a deserved lead with a rising left-footed shot from Sam Vokes's centre. Wolves, who never surrendered despite the avalanche of goals conceded either side of half-time, had actually started much more brightly than City and should have had a penalty moments before their breakthrough, when Aleksandar Kolarov clearly handled Milijas's free-kick.
  Yet in the blink of an eye the game was effectively over as City opened Wolves up in quick succession prior to half-time. Two minutes after Johnson equalised, the former Middlesbrough player threaded a superb pass that invited Samir Nasri to run inside Matt Doherty and arrow a low drive beyond Dorus De Vries. Wolves were still reeling from that blow when the visitors added a third barely 60 seconds later, Dzeko prodding the ball over the line after Luca Scapuzzi, a 20-year-old Italian, was denied by the Wolves keeper.
  Stephen Hunt should have got a goal back at the start of the second half but City were so relentless going forward that it is difficult to imagine that they would have been kept at bay for long had the Irishman reduced the deficit. Indeed, within two minutes of Hunt's miss, City added a fourth when Scapuzzi's shot from two yards went in off De Vries after the keeper was unable to hold Nasri's shot. Dzeko's second and City's fifth came at the end of a flowing move, before Jamie O'Hara grabbed a merited second for Wolves.
  "I was pleased with our performance – that sounds crazy, doesn't it, when you've got beat five?" said Mick McCarthy, the Wolves manager, who had made nine changes from the side that drew with Swansea on Saturday. "We started well and deserved the lead and the fact that we couldn't hang on to it was nothing to do with us defending badly, so that made a pleasant change. It was just a great finish when it came out to Adam Johnson. City won't be made to work harder than they were tonight, that's for sure."
  Mancini admitted that City are benefiting from playing "maybe a different style", perhaps alluding to his decision to take the handbrake off the team this season, although some things never change. There were unconfirmed reports afterwards that Balotelli, who was an unused substitute, had reacted unhappily when one of the City backroom staff asked him to do some running after the game. "Mario? No, no, no," said Mancini, denying there had been an incident.
  
  

• Stuart James at Molineux
• guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 26 October 2011 22.10 BST Article history
  Edin Dzeko celebrates his first, and Manchester City's third goal, against Wolves in the fourth round of the Carling Cup. Photograph: Andrew Couldridge/Action Images
  
  Manchester City are fast turning into English football's great entertainers. It is a title that would have been impossible to imagine attributing to Roberto Mancini's side last season but how else can we think of a team that has now scored 45 goals in 15 matches this term and registered 21 in their last 450 minutes of football. They are staggering statistics by anyone's standards and help to explain why Carlos Tevez's brooding presence in the background is of so little concern.
  The bad news for a weakened Wolverhampton Wanderers side swept aside by City's reserves is that their first team must confront the real thing at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday. It is a frightening prospect at the moment. Although Nenad Milijas put Wolves ahead here, City reacted as if affronted, scoring three goals in four minutes before the interval to take the game away from Mick McCarthy's side with the same ruthlessness that characterised their performance at Old Trafford.
  Mancini left out the entire starting XI from Sunday but it is measure of the strength in depth in his squad that the absence of Mario Balotelli and Sergio Agüero barely resonated on a night when Edin Dzeko scored twice to take his tally for the season to 11. Yet it was Adam Johnson who did most to catch the eye in a £100m reserve team, the England international scoring City's equaliser and having a hand in the two other goals before the interval.
  It was an impressive response from Johnson considering that he did not even make the substitutes' bench against Manchester United, although Mancini continues to demand more from the winger. "I think sometimes he thinks: 'OK, this game I scored one goal, I did one assist and that's enough,'" City's manager said. "He needs to think in a different way: 'OK, I scored one goal, I did one assist, I shall try to score another goal and another assist and after I run back to defend.' Because he can do this if he wants.
  "My opinion is that he has everything to become one of the top wingers. I think you can improve when you are 30 or 31 years old. Adam is young, this is his third season in the Premier League, he has everything and it disappoints me when Adam plays every game and doesn't put everything on the pitch. Tonight he played well but, for example, on the second goal that Wolves scored, he didn't follow his opponent."
  Johnson did, however, score a splendid goal, curling the ball home from the edge of the penalty area, after Milijas had given Wolves a deserved lead with a rising left-footed shot from Sam Vokes's centre. Wolves, who never surrendered despite the avalanche of goals conceded either side of half-time, had actually started much more brightly than City and should have had a penalty moments before their breakthrough, when Aleksandar Kolarov clearly handled Milijas's free-kick.
  Yet in the blink of an eye the game was effectively over as City opened Wolves up in quick succession prior to half-time. Two minutes after Johnson equalised, the former Middlesbrough player threaded a superb pass that invited Samir Nasri to run inside Matt Doherty and arrow a low drive beyond Dorus De Vries. Wolves were still reeling from that blow when the visitors added a third barely 60 seconds later, Dzeko prodding the ball over the line after Luca Scapuzzi, a 20-year-old Italian, was denied by the Wolves keeper.
  Stephen Hunt should have got a goal back at the start of the second half but City were so relentless going forward that it is difficult to imagine that they would have been kept at bay for long had the Irishman reduced the deficit. Indeed, within two minutes of Hunt's miss, City added a fourth when Scapuzzi's shot from two yards went in off De Vries after the keeper was unable to hold Nasri's shot. Dzeko's second and City's fifth came at the end of a flowing move, before Jamie O'Hara grabbed a merited second for Wolves.
  "I was pleased with our performance – that sounds crazy, doesn't it, when you've got beat five?" said Mick McCarthy, the Wolves manager, who had made nine changes from the side that drew with Swansea on Saturday. "We started well and deserved the lead and the fact that we couldn't hang on to it was nothing to do with us defending badly, so that made a pleasant change. It was just a great finish when it came out to Adam Johnson. City won't be made to work harder than they were tonight, that's for sure."
  Mancini admitted that City are benefiting from playing "maybe a different style", perhaps alluding to his decision to take the handbrake off the team this season, although some things never change. There were unconfirmed reports afterwards that Balotelli, who was an unused substitute, had reacted unhappily when one of the City backroom staff asked him to do some running after the game. "Mario? No, no, no," said Mancini, denying there had been an incident.
  
  

[h=1]John Terry investigation lands FA with a fresh hospital pass[/h] FA faces a thankless task with claim, counter-claim and police involvement complicating inquiry into alleged racist abuse

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• • Dominic Fifield
  • guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 26 October 2011 22.29 BST Article history
  Chelsea's John Terry, right, and QPR's Anton Ferdinand have words during the incident that led to allegations of racist abuse. Photograph: Nick Potts/PA
  
  The official word was merely that the Football Association's disciplinary department had commenced its inquiry, its commissioners busy analysing video footage and launching themselves into a series of interviews with players and officials. The investigation would "take as long as it takes" to ascertain what really occurred on the edge of the Queens Park Rangers penalty area five minutes from time in Sunday's fractious derby. All being well, the truth would out.
  Yet, if only privately, those in the commission may wonder whether they have been sold yet another hospital pass. A quartet of Premier League clubs have now opted against holding their own formal, internal inquiries following allegations of racist abuse apparently directed either at or by one of their players, and instead have passed the buck on to the higher authority of those at Wembley.
  That is their right. Each has flung support behind their respective player leaving the FA, a third party and perhaps potentially better placed to examine the issues, to draw conclusions. The governing body will always pursue such cases with vigour and remains committed to stamping out incidents of racism within the game, even if the allegations centre, as they do now, on its own England captain. But, even so, those at Wembley could be forgiven a certain weariness at effectively having been thrust into an impossible position.
  There are similarities between the two cases troubling those in the disciplinary commission in that both will require witnesses for the allegations to have any traction. Liverpool's Luis Suárez has been accused of racist abuse by Patrice Evra of Manchester United, pictured, during a 1-1 draw at Anfield this month. The investigation has been continuing ever since, with the Uruguayan due to be interviewed this week. Then, on Monday, the FA received a complaint from QPR alleging Chelsea's John Terry had directed a racist comment towards Anton Ferdinand.
  The only person who has publicly confirmed that any offensive words were used at all remains Terry who, in a statement released on Sunday evening, insisted he had been telling Ferdinand he had not called him the term in question. What was key, in fact, was the context in which he had addressed his opponent. Yet, even in determining that context, the FA's inquiry will again have to lean heavily on witness testimonies.
  Terry's camp have indicated that they will look to Ashley Cole to confirm he had shouted across to his captain that Ferdinand believed he had been subjected to racist abuse, prompting the response from the 30-year-old that was caught on camera. Sources close to Ferdinand have suggested the QPR defender may not have asserted any such thing and had been oblivious to the potential controversy until en route home from the match, by which time the speculation was generating a frenzy of interest on YouTube and social networking sites. A game of claim and counterclaim is underway. In the end, is it realistic to expect the case to amount to anything other than one man's word against another's?
  There is another element in the Terry incident, after the complaint from a member of the public emailed to the Metropolitan police on Monday evening. That has prompted Hammersmith and Fulham police to enter a "consideration period" as it ascertains if there is any case for Terry to answer. If, on the basis of the television footage, it does launch a formal investigation, the police will inevitably seek to interview the same players and officials as the FA. The football authority insist that its own inquiry will run parallel but completely independent of any police action. Yet, should the police exonerate Terry, how could the FA do anything but follow suit? The player would effectively have been handed a cast-iron defence and, surely, no sanction within the footballing community could be deemed valid.
  The logistics of the disciplinary commission's task are nevertheless clear. There is video footage to be scrutinised of the 85th minute at Loftus Road and presumably inquiries to be lodged with Sky, which broadcast the derby live, as to whether other cameras may have picked up the events from alternative angles. Then there is the round of interviews. They have commenced at QPR, with commissioners having visited the club's Harlington training ground on Monday – even before the club's complaint had been made public – to hold preliminary talks with those involved.
  Statements will be sought from players including Ferdinand, Fitz Hall and Clint Hill, with the latter two among the clutter of bodies on the edge of the penalty area when Terry and Ferdinand first went head to head. They will also visit Chelsea's Cobham complex. Branislav Ivanovic was directly behind Terry as the initial altercation erupted while Cole, too, will be interviewed. Whether their collective testimonies serve to cut through the clutter remains to be seen.
  There is no timescale within which the investigation is operating, though all parties would presumably be keen for resolution to be reached over the next week. Fabio Capello will hardly be relishing the prospect of the buildup to England's friendlies against Spain and Sweden being dominated by the allegations made against his captain. One potential source of embarrassment may yet be avoided on purely footballing grounds: the Italian is inclined not to pick Rio Ferdinand, Anton's elder brother and Terry's long-standing partner in the heart of the national team's defence, for the friendlies as he seeks to assess younger and less experienced performers against pedigree opposition.
  That has at least removed one element of intrigue but the rest remains murky and confused. The FA's disciplinary commission will attempt to cut through to find some clarity but this already feels like a thankless task
  
  

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[h=1]Manchester United set to play Wayne Rooney against Everton at Goodison[/h] • Sir Alex Ferguson left striker out of last season's fixture
• United manager wants to forget 6-1 derby defeat

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• Andy Hunter
• guardian.co.uk, Friday 28 October 2011 23.04 BST Article history
  Wayne Rooney has had mixed fortunes playing for Manchester United against Everton at Goodison Park. Photograph: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images
  
  Sir Alex Ferguson will not let supporters' hostility towards Wayne Rooney influence his team selection against Everton this season, he said, as he demanded his Manchester United players show the club in a "proper light" at Goodison Park, following the 6-1 loss to Manchester City.
  Rooney was denied a return to his former club in September last year, when Ferguson omitted him from a 3-3 draw at the height of allegations about the player's private life and disputes with United over a new contract and with his manager over claims of an ankle injury. "We've made the decision because he gets terrible abuse here and we don't want to subject him to that," the United manager said at the time.
  Before Saturday's match, however, Ferguson said he had no reservations over deploying Rooney against David Moyes' team and that the striker had learned to handle the abuse he receives, but which has diminished over time, at Goodison. "He's well used to that [abuse], it's not a problem. I don't think people thrive on abuse but you can cope with it," Ferguson said. The manager put Rooney on the bench at Liverpool in the first league game after his costly red card for England against Montenegro.
  "I don't think the players will goad him, there's not been any history of that when we've played Everton. He seems to get on well with their players. But you know what fans are like. He's a traitor as far as they're concerned, and he's never going to change that. He's done OK there actually. He's had some good moments there."
  The United manager added: "He's had mixed success going to Everton. He's scored a couple of goals there in previous games. He gets booed as normal. He got booked in one game and I took him off because there was no way I was going to give the referee an opportunity to send him off. With the hype around the ground, he's going to be booed every time he makes a challenge. He's had mixed fortunes there but he's done well in some of the games and hopefully that will be the case tomorrow."
  For Ferguson, the need for a response to last Sunday's humiliation supersedes Rooney's return to his boyhood club, although rather than lying in bed with a pillow over his head, as he did following the 5-1 defeat at Maine Road in September 1989, the United manager does not want to dwell on the 6-1 result. "We can analyse it as much as we want but it's not going to do us any good," he said. "My attitude is to completely forget it. It never happened. It's not going to do us any good going back on that game. What can happen is tomorrow we can show Manchester United in our proper light, and we didn't do that last week."
  United, of course, have recovered many times before and Ferguson's attempt to airbrush the derby from his consciousness did not lessen his demand for a victory at Everton, with City now five points clear at the top of the Premier League. "We seem to have bounced back pretty well over the years," he said. "We lost 5-0 to Newcastle [in 1996-97] and won the league by 10 or 11 points [the margin was in fact seven]. We have the experience of being able to recover many times, and that's what you have to do at a club like United. There's no other way. Expectation lives with us every minute of our lives and we get used to that. Everton is no different from other occasions when we've lost games. We have to recover. We've got to win."
  Ashley Young is a doubt for the game with a toe injury but the central defender Nemanja Vidic, the United captain, could make his first league start since the first day of the season, having returned from a calf problem against Otelul Galati in the Champions League and Aldershot in the Carling Cup.
  "He's always needed games over the years, Nemanja. We know him well and that's why I never used him last week against City," Ferguson said. "On Tuesday [against Aldershot] he developed as the game went on and finished very strong, so he's definitely a consideration for Everton."
  
  

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[h=4]Sport[/h] More news

See also

• 11 Sep 2010
  Sir Alex Ferguson shows Wayne Rooney everyone is expendable
• 13 Sep 2010
  Everton and David Moyes roar back to draw with Manchester United
• 19 Feb 2010
  Sir Alex Ferguson admits he 'misused' Wayne Rooney last season
• 20 Feb 2005
  Rooney return proves a distraction as Fortune steals in to seize chance

[h=1]Mario Balotelli: why always him?[/h] Acrobat, maverick, firecracker. Manchester City's brilliant Italian striker can't help drawing attention to himself

• • reddit this

• Simon Hattenstone, Tom Kington and Helen Carter
• guardian.co.uk, Friday 28 October 2011 21.23 BST Article history
  Mario Balotelli, Manchester City's flamboyant Italian striker, is the Premiership's most talked about player. Photograph: Tom Jenkins
  
  Last Saturday it was reported that Manchester City footballer Mario Balotelli had set his house alight with fireworks. On Sunday, he celebrated the first of his two goals in the 6-1 thrashing of Manchester United by lifting his shirt to reveal a vest that said 'Why always me?'
  By Tuesday, there were photographs in newspapers showing he had become Manchester's ambassador for firework safety. Solemn and unsmiling, he held a poster of rockets exploding into the sky accompanied by the message: "How safe are you this Bonfire Night?"
  He also used the opportunity to reveal that it was friends who set his towels on fire in his bathroom, not him, and that they had been suitably admonished. Just another week in the life of the Premier League's most talked-about footballer.
  The fact that Manchester's fire service had no idea that the Italian striker was the new face of the campaign just adds spice to the story.
  "It was Manchester City that organised the photoshoot. We didn't know about it until we saw the photograph," a spokeswoman for Greater Manchester fire and rescue service said, adding: "We fully support what they are doing with regards to Balotelli and fire safety."
  A triumph of PR, branding, opportunism and Balotelli chutzpah.
  Apart from the goals and fireworks, it's been a quiet few days for the 21-year-old – yes, he was photographed flicking through the porn mag Fiesta in his local newsagents while out shopping with girlfriend Raffaella Fico, and he was transformed into the superhero of a Taiwanese animated cartoon film, and he announced, yet again, that he hoped to become the best player in the world, but that's about it.
  In a world of identikit footballers it's not surprising that Balotelli has become such a cult figure. On the pitch he has amazing strength and grace – he strokes balls into the net rather than wallops them, and performs overhead acrobatics in the penalty area – and he frequently infuriates by attempting the impossible or spurning easy chances.
  He was substituted in a pre-season friendly after decling an easy chance in front of goal, instead pirouetting, backheeling the ball, and missing. His manager Roberto Mancini said it showed contempt for the fans, the game and the opposition. In recent weeks he has flourished, with six goals in five games.
  But it is off the pitch that he has continued to attract most attention. It's not just simply the ever-changing haircuts (Gold stardust number 1, tyre-track mohawk, multicoloured patchwork reminiscent of Matisse's Snail, M shaved into his neck), nor the fireworks.
  It's the sports cars he's written off, the unauthorised visits to women's prisons to see what they are like, the cash gifted to homeless people outside casinos at 2am, the fights with teammates on training grounds, the fight with his bib when he couldn't put it on, the £5,000 in cash found in his backpocket when stopped by the police ("Why are you carrying so much money, sir?" "Because I am rich"), the possibly apocryphal story of taking a truant back to school to meet his bullies, the almost certainly apocryphal story that he is allergic to grass.
  And on it goes. It's impossible to separate truth from urban myths, and City fans don't care to – preferring to collate all his deeds and misdeeds into a multi-versed tribute that is possibly the longest song in football history, and being extended by the week.
  Balotelli was born Mario Burwuah in Palermo, Sicily, to Ghanaian immigrant parents. As a young boy he suffered a life-threatening intestinal illness. The family moved to the wealthy industrial city of Brescia to give his father the opportunity of work in factories. But they had three other children and their living conditions were cramped, and after Mario's operation they asked social services for help.
  He was fostered shortly before his third birthday, initially for a year, to Francesco and Silvio Balotelli, a middle-class white couple who already had two sons and a daughter.
  Balotelli has stayed with them ever since and calls them his parents, though they never officially adopted him. He claims his parents dumped him and only wanted to know him when he became famous; they say they always wanted him back.
  He is particularly close to his adoptive sister Cristina, a journalist who covered the war in Afghanistan and has done much to protect him, and he now appears to have a good relationship with his biological siblings who were not fostered. Cristina Balotelli says he is a complex character.
  "Mario is shy, but at the same time he likes to be the centre of attention. He has a strong personality. He knows what he wants; has no fear of anything. He has this ability to be cold – to not feel tension."
  As a young boy, he revealed an astonishing gift for football, only equalled by his ability to attract trouble.
  He was kicked out of a youth team for disruptive behaviour when he was just seven, and also had to be disciplined after mooning out of the back of a team bus at a jeep full of Italian soldiers.
  By his early teens he had the build of a man, and the attitude to go with it.
  It's impossible to understand Balotelli without taking race and Italy into account. When he turned professional, black Italian footballers were a rarity – akin to being a black footballer in England in the 1970s or 80s. Bananas were thrown, unforgivable comments made.
  The booing of Balotelli started well before he played in Italy's premier league, Serie A, said Ezio Chinelli, chairman of lower league side Lumezzane, where Balotelli was a youth player from nine to 16. "He was drafted in for his debut with the first team at 15 when we were a player short against Padoa.
  "He came on for the last 20 minutes and immediately dummied a defender, who flattened him, just as the crowd started chanting abuse Now there is a black kid on every team round here, but 10 years ago he was the first."
  Balotelli could not be picked for the national youth team because Italian law prevents the offspring of immigrants obtaining citizenship until they are 18, but he is now a full Italian international.
  According to Balotelli's unofficial biographer, Raffaele Panizza, the black child with the thick Brescia accent was acutely aware of the colour of his skin. "He would ask his teacher 'Is my heart red like the others?'", he said.
  Throughout his career in Italy, he was the target of racists. The abuse he was subjected to by Juventus fans led to a partial closure of Turin's Olympic stadium. Even outside Inter Milan's San Siro stadium graffiti was daubed: "Non sei un vero Italiano, sei un Africano nero", translating as "You are not a true Italian, you are a black African."
  From the start, he was known for his stubborness. He looked sulky, and asked why he should smile when he scored as it was his job. "He rarely celebrated scoring goals back then, just as he doesn't now, and he told me 'I'll celebrate when I score in the Champions' League final'," said Michele Cavalli, a trainer at Lumezzane. Balotelli thought he was the best, and did not take kindly to those who suggested otherwise. "I had him on the bench in a game when he was 13, something he never liked," Cavalli said. "I sent him on when we were 1-0 down, he took on the whole defence and scored, only to then do the same thing again but this time screw the ball wide. We drew 1-1 and I was convinced he missed to punish me, but when I asked him he just smiled."
  After an unsuccessful trial with Barcelona at 15, he signed for Inter the following year, scoring two goals on his full debut when he was 17.
  But, of course, controversy was to follow. He frequently fell out with players and coaches, was criticised for his attitude to training, and appeared on a satirical television show wearing the top of Inter's great rivals AC Milan.
  Not even Jose Mourinho, the self-proclaimed Special One, could control him, calling him "unmanageable".
  By the age of 19 he had been transferred to Manchester City for £24m, and reunited with his first manager at Inter, Roberto Mancini. Again, he scored on his debut, and again, controversy followed controversy. It looked as if he wouldn't last the season, especially when he announced he wanted to be back in Italy on his arrival. Mancini has had to constantly berate him. After he was sent off against Dynamo Kiev last season, Balotelli said: "Mancini killed me. He said, 'You're an idiot. I don't know why I bought you!'"
  Yet Mancini has also shown him love and respect, and this week said he was one of the best five players in the world. Balotelli calls Mancini a father figure, and even ran over to him and jumped into his arms after scoring an important goal against Everton.
  It's early days. He's still only played 35 games for City (scoring 16 goals) but the British public seems to have taken to him because of, not in spite of, his challenging personality.
  He is already being compared to Eric Cantona and Paul Gascoigne, both of them troubled mavericks and footballing geniuses. He can play the prankster like Gazza and poet like Cantona (there was something rather beautiful about the ambiguous "Why always me?" T-shirt).
  Does Gascoigne see anything of himself in Balotelli? "I think I've done a lot more than set off fireworks in a bathroom. He's got a long way to go to get to my standards."
  Has he any advice for him? "I like his style, but he should ease up on the arrogance a bit, especially when he scores. He should show a bit more love towards his own fans. They pay his wages."
  But Manchester City fan Noel Gallagher says he doesn't want to see Balotelli maturing too much. "Football needs players like him because most footballers are basically squares. He's a total rock'n'roller. There's a bit of Mario in all of us – well, maybe not Gary Neville – but the rest of us most definitely." In what way? "Have you never wondered what it would be like to set off rockets in your house? Visit a women's prison just for a nosy? Write off a supercar? Deal only in cash? Befriend the mafia? Mario lives life on the edge, so people like you don't have to."
  [h=2]Style watch: Mario Balotelli[/h]The art of the footballer's haircut is long established. But finally, after years of David Beckham's dominance, the discipline has a new hair icon. Mario Balotelli's scalp is the gift that keeps on giving, whether it be a classic skinhead, a bleach-job or a shark-fin mohawk – which is by now surely established enough to earn the status as the modern footballer's mullet. He has also sported what can only be described as the tonsorial expression of a tyre skidmark on his scalp, complete with matching eyebrows and the sort of diamond earrings that only a £120,000-a-week pay cheque can buy.
  Balotelli's most extravagant cut – a multicoloured paint job resplendent with the No 17 – mirrors his unpredictable persona. Why not No 45 – his shirt number? But perhaps his finest fashion moment came when he wore a giant knitted glove hat as he arrived at the ground. No matter that he doesn't smile after scoring, this piece of woollen eccentricity spoke volumes.
  It hasn't always been skilful wardrobe selections from Balotelli. Back in March, the striker betrayed a styling deficiency when he struggled to put on a black and white bib in a pre-match warm up and had to call on the services of a club official.
  His most enigmatic wardrobe moment came at the recent derby trouncing match against Manchester United. He refused to explain the meaning behind his "Why always me?" vest that he revealed after scoring. But the fact that he bothered to commission the one-off T-shirt in the first place hints that, in fashion terms, Balotelli has so much more to give.
  Imogen Fox
  
  

[h=1]Fifa statutes mean Carlos Tevez may not be finished at Manchester City[/h] • Player could leave if he plays fewer than 10% of games
• City say they are aware of Fifa statute

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• Andy Hunter
• guardian.co.uk, Friday 28 October 2011 23.04 BST Article history
  Manchester City are fully aware of Fifa's ruling and are confident that Carlos Tevez will not be able to activate Article 15. Photograph: Michael Regan/Getty Images
  
  Roberto Mancini's insistence that Carlos Tevez is "finished" at Manchester City could be tested, should the club's success give the Argentina striker a chance to terminate his £250,000-a-week contract.
  Under Article 15 of Fifa's statutes, Tevez could seek to leave City on the grounds of "sporting just cause" next summer if, as an established professional, he has appeared in fewer than 10% of their official matches. So far the 27-year-old has appeared in five matches for City and the club are guaranteed to play 48 games – 38 in the Premier League, six Champions League group ties, the FA Cup third round and three Carling Cup games, now that they have reached the quarter-finals.
  Further success in the cups, or the Europa League should City finish third in their Champions League group, would take them over 50 games and Tevez below the 10% threshold, unless he plays for the club again. Appearances as a substitute count.
  City are aware of Fifa's ruling and are confident Tevez will not be able to activate Article 15 by the end of the season. The rule also states that "a sporting just cause shall be established on a case-by-case basis" and given the misconduct charge and the fine of two weeks' wages the striker received for his actions in the Champions League defeat by Bayern Munich, City may argue that Tevez represents an exceptional case. He missed four matches as a result of the two-week suspension he was given after the Bayern game, which could work in City's favour should their former captain pursue a "sporting just cause".
  The Fifa ruling, plus the Professional Footballers' Association's refusal to allow City to impose a fine of four weeks' wages, demonstrate the predicament facing the club despite Mancini's determination to progress without last season's leading goalscorer. The City manager has moved on to discussing whether he will require a new fourth striker, to complement Sergio Agüero, Mario Balotelli and Edin Dzeko, when the transfer window reopens in January.
  "For now, I think we should focus on the next two months," he said. "If we don't have any injuries or problems with the players we have I think we can continue with three strikers [from January] because we have David Silva and Samir Nasri who can play as a second striker."
  Mancini, who is facing a possible defamation charge from Tevez, over comments made after the match at the Allianz Arena, denied that the PFA ruling was a serious setback to City. The manager, who also confirmed that Kolo Touré would also face a disciplinary hearing over his failed drugs test, said: "This is not my problem. For me it is not important whether it is two weeks or four weeks."
  Tevez's former manager at Manchester United said the PFA decision was "a bit crazy". Sir Alex Ferguson said: "I think it's a bit strange. The rules and regulations are there, that's a fact, and Gordon Taylor, chief executive of the PFA, has said that the maximum fine you can give a player is two weeks. It seems a bit crazy in that particular situation but it's there and there's nothing you can do about it."
  Mancini, who has refused to allow the Tevez saga to distract from his team's rise to the Premier League summit, warned City against complacency following their remarkable 6-1 win at Old Trafford on Sunday.
  "This is the best moment for the club in the last 40 years and I'm happy for the supporters but for us every three days we have to think about a different opponent so we should think in a different way," he said.
  "Because we know that in two or three games, everything can change. If you want to try and stay on the top, you should always have the same concentration in every game. The problem will come if we think we don't need to play with 100% concentration like we did against United. If we play only 50%, if we don't play seriously like we did against United, then we will have a problem."
  Mancini claimed to have been stopped by more United supporters than City fans since the derby. "I've had some United fans saying, 'I'm red but congratulations for the victory'." When asked if he was sure he had heard them correctly, Mancini replied: "Sometimes it was '**** off!' After the game on Sunday when I was driving home two or three United fans were saying '**** off!'. You can understand after the game it's difficult."
  
  

[h=1]Chelsea on message but André Villas-Boas needs to work on method[/h] • Chelsea's forward thinking exposed by rampant Arsenal
• Villas-Boas must weld discipline to dynamic style

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[h=2]Premier League 2011-12[/h]

• Dominic Fifield at Stamford Bridge
• guardian.co.uk, Sunday 30 October 2011 23.00 GMT Article history
  André Villas-Boas makes his point from the touchline during Chelsea's 5-3 defeat by Arsenal at Stamford Bridge. Photograph: Clive Rose/Getty Images
  
  If Chelsea's adaptation to all that André Villas-Boas aspires to was expected to be seamless, then it has not taken long for a sense of realism to set in. Life under him will clearly be illuminating at times, the football refreshingly attack-minded and exhilarating when it clicks, but there will be occasions such as this when his team become unstitched.
  This derby was thrilling, though the majesty of the occasion was lost on the defeated as they trudged from the turf at the end. Chelsea have suffered in riotous collisions with Manchester United and now Arsenal this season despite the fact that, in both contests with rival contenders, they have scintillated. Profligacy has undermined them where they might have run up cricket scores yet, ultimately, the focus has been drawn away from the chances spurned to those conceded. This is a forward-thinking side whose desire to pour forward leaves them open and, against better opposition, alarmingly vulnerable.
  Villas-Boas is attempting to implement the style and tactics that proved so successful in his only full season as a manager, a glittering campaign at Porto that yielded every major trophy available, but the demands for a high defensive line and a disciplined pressing approach to regain the ball are still being digested by this squad of players.
  Their style, with Ashley Cole and José Bosingwa as auxiliary attackers and those in the centre asked to shield and cover, hassle and harry when out of possession, can appear naive when opponents rip through on the break as often as Arsenal did on Saturday. The philosophy is admirable and entertaining, whether it thrives or not; it is the implementation that on occasion has let Chelsea down to date.
  The technical staff will have been privately uncomfortable when concentration wavered in midfield, with players caught out of position or drawn into areas that left team-mates exposed. Villas-Boas insisted after Chelsea's first five-goal concession in this stadium since Liverpool won 5-2 in 1989 that he was not one for changing.
  "The results [in the Premier League this season] reflect how chaotic the game is and how beautiful it is at the same time," he said. "For the neutrals it is a good spectacle. For supporters of that team, you want to play beautiful football and win. So we need to get the two together.
  "We created enough chances to win but we have to try to find the efficiency to win. We shouldn't turn things around. This is the route we are taking and we want to do the things properly. The players have talent and they enjoy it. So we will try to get things right. Everyone is praising a strong, attacking team like Manchester City and we are exactly the same."
  City, however, tend to benefit from the presence of two defensively-minded midfield sitters who grant their forward line more freedom to dazzle. Mikel John Obi has actually felt more effective on occasion this season but contests against the best tend to leave him outnumbered and bypassed. There may be a logic to employing Oriol Romeu, whose cameos have been impressive, alongside the Nigerian in key games to come.
  Similarly, with Alex having failed to convince and David Luiz prone to meander upfield, the management might seek to add more steel to the ranks at centre-half in January – or at least players who are more familiar to the demands now being placed on them. At most clubs this might be considered a season of transition but Chelsea are not known for patience.
  The true balance Villas-Boas has to strike is between implementing his ideas while also maintaining challenges on all fronts. Had this been a Champions League match against Barcelona, Chelsea would have been out of the competition.
  As it is, their powers of recovery will be tested. Arsenal were as fragile defensively here but they were less profligate up front and that covered their deficiencies. In Robin van Persie they had the game's outstanding forward – Fernando Torres was desperately quiet in comparison – while Aaron Ramsey emerged to eclipse Frank Lampard as the game's creator-in-chief. All the goals were superbly executed but still owed something to defensive chaos, with the exception perhaps of Juan Mata's superb third which might normally have been disallowed after Romelu Lukaku blocked André Santos.
  That restoration of parity at 3-3 had briefly hinted at a late onslaught from Chelsea only for John Terry's scriptwriters to veer off course. The captain's goal on the stroke of half-time had suggested strength of character, an unwillingness to bend under the weight of the allegations of racism that are under investigation by the Football Association. Instead Florent Malouda's routine back-pass prompted panic and the England centre-half first stumbled, then sank to the ground as Van Persie raced away to round Petr Cech and restore Arsenal's lead.
  The image of Terry prostrate on the turf rather summed up what this occasion had become. Villas-Boas has not suffered successive league defeats since his Academica side succumbed to Porto and Guimarães in March 2010. But, while Blackburn Rovers await at Ewood Park on Saturday, it is the contests with Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur over the next six weeks that may prove more definitive. Adaptation needs to be accelerated.