Transfer news...

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

TRANSFER GOSSIP
Chelsea will launch a £20m January bid to land Newcastle midfield enforcer Cheick Tiote.
Full story: Sunday Mirror
David and Victoria Beckham are planning to move their family to Paris as he prepares to sign for PSG.
Full story: Sunday Mirror
Borussia Dortmund's 19-year-old attacking midfielder Mario Goetze is being urged to come to a decision on his future, with Arsenal eager to make him commit to a date for signing as Manchester United are also rumoured to be interested.
Full story: Metro
Eric Abidal's agent has put Arsenal and Manchester United on alert by revealing the defender is unlikely to sign a new contract with Barcelona.
Full story: Metro
Manchester City are the latest club to express an interest in signing Manchester United's 18-year-old Paul Pogba, who will be out of contract in the summer and is free to discuss terms with prospective suitors in January.
Full story: Caught Offside
Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Patrick Herrmann is at the centre of a three-way transfer tussle between Arsenal, Juventus and Napoli.
Full story: InsideFutbol

OTHER GOSSIP
Sportswear giant Nike are hot favourites to sign a £10m-a-year deal with owner Mike Ashley to sponsor Newcastle United's ground.
Full story: The People
Gareth Southgate has emerged as a shock candidate to be the next England manager.
Full story: Sunday Mirror
Blackburn manager Steve Kean is on the verge of a "decent rise" in pay to £1.5m a year, even though his team are rooted in the Premier League relegation zone.
Full story: Daily Mail
Everton defender Leighton Baines has hailed Marouane Fellaini's decision to pledge his future to the club as "massively important".
Full story: talkSPORT

AND FINALLY
Liverpool bosses appear to have doubts about the intelligence of their club's own supporters after issuing an official reminder to them to take the right tickets to the match at Chelsea.
Full story: Metro
 
[h=1]Wolves's Richard Stearman suffers suspected broken hand[/h] Page last updated at 19:37 GMT, Saturday, 19 November 2011




Stearman went down in a collision with Everton midfielder Cahill Wolves defender Richard Stearman suffered a suspected broken hand during his side's 2-1 defeat at Everton.
The full-back went off injured after landing awkwardly following an aerial challenge with Everton's Tim Cahill, shortly after half-time.
"Stears has gone off with a suspected broken hand," Wolves manager Mick McCarthy told BBC Sport.

McCarthy angry at 'soft' penalty

"I do not think Cahill had any chance of winning the ball, but he's a good honest lad."
Meanwhile, McCarthy was left angered by the late penalty decision made by referee Jon Moss, who judged Stephen Ward to have pushed Louis Saha. Leighton Baines scoring the winner from the spot in the 83rd minute.
However, the Wolves boss added that Everton should have been awarded a spot-kick shortly before half-time.
"It was soft penalty," he said.
"I'm more than disappointed, I'm pretty angry. There were big decisions - a penalty in the first half and penalty in second half. One given and one not.

Everton spirit delights boss Moyes


"They should have got one after Karl [Henry] pulled Cahill back."
Despite the defeat, McCarthy was pleased with his team's overall performance.
"I'm delighted with the way we played away from home. We were worthy of a goal.

"Our keeper Wayne Hennessey caught a lot of crosses, but didn't have to make many saves. I think a draw would have been a fair result."


 
[h=1]André Villas-Boas says Chelsea's visit to Bayer Leverkusen is 'massive'[/h] • Chelsea manager retains confidence of Roman Abramovich
• Villas-Boas: Chelsea must 'find winning ways straight away'





  • Dominic Fifield
  • guardian.co.uk, Monday 21 November 2011 22.31 GMT
  • Article history Chelsea's André Villas-Boas says it is imperative that his side beats Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League. Photograph: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images

    André Villas-Boas retains the support of the Chelsea owner, Roman Abramovich, and the club's board despite what the manager concedes has been "the worst start for quite some time" to a season but the Portuguese admits that the Champions League game at Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday has become "massive".
    The defeat by Liverpool on Sunday was Chelsea's third in four league games, leaving them 12 points from Manchester City and amid a clutch of clubs challenging for a place in the top four. Villas-Boas had declared after the 2-1 reverse his belief that Abramovich would not be minded to dismiss him, having paid Porto £13.3m to secure his release last summer and with the prospect of compensating him for the remainder of his contract if he were to wield the axe again.
    There remains solid support behind the 34-year-old within the club's hierarchy, with an acknowledgement that his tenure is still very much in its infancy. Villas-Boas was appointed with the future in mind, charged with overseeing the rejuvenation of this squad. Although there is concern at the current plight – anxiety that would be heightened should Chelsea lose in Germany on Wednesday, a result that would most likely see them competing for second place in their Champions League group – faith is retained that the management can recover the side's form.
    The players trained normally at Cobham on Monday, with those involved in Sunday's defeat conducting a warm-down session, though recent stuttering results have prompted some predictable grumblings of discontent within the dressing room. There have been suggestions that some senior players have been unsettled by the constant tinkering of the team's rearguard, with the side showing uncharacteristic vulnerability at the back. A move for Bolton Wanderers' England centre-back Gary Cahill is anticipated in the midwinter transfer window. The player would cost around £16m and would renew what has been a largely successful partnership with John Terry with the national side.
    Yet for now Villas-Boas has continued to back his players publicly despite the team's worst start to a league season in 11 years. "It looks bad for us at this moment because it has not been the brightest of starts – the worst for quite some time – but we have to have belief," he said. "We have to believe in the work we are doing to get back to winning ways.
    "The players have immense talent and I have faith in them, and you can't forget we are still in all four competitions. But now we have to focus just on what we are doing. The Premier League has got more difficult but it's not impossible [still to win it]. We have to trust the December fixtures and, above all, we have to find the belief again to fight for the title."
    Next month Chelsea must confront Newcastle United, the leaders City and Tottenham Hotspur, games Villas-Boas will see as opportunities to thrust his team back into the title race. "But the most important thing is finding winning ways straightaway," he said. "If possible, against Leverkusen which is a massive game. Then we have three games in the Premier League where we must try to get nine points. The challenge is to have the belief and strength to fight for those nine points. But if we get nine points, it would put us in a different perspective."
    Villas-Boas's position has not been helped by Guus Hiddink's sudden availability following Turkey's failure to qualify for Euro 2012. The Dutchman, who enjoyed a successful spell as interim manager at Stamford Bridge after the dismissal of Luiz Felipe Scolari in February 2009, winning the FA Cup, revealed on Monday that he is still in regular contact with Abramovich, for whom he briefly worked as a football adviser in an unofficial capacity. The 65-year-old was a candidate to replace Carlo Ancelotti in the summer before Chelsea turned to Villas-Boas following his successes with Porto.
    Hiddink has yet to determine which "prestigious project" he would like to oversee next, though the timing of his comments about his relationship with Abramovich could be deemed unhelpful. "The relationship was and has been and will be very good," he said. "When I go to London I am always welcome at Cobham and the stadium. We don't speak every week but every now and then there is contact and I feel very welcome, always. I will take some time off and we will see what the future brings. But I feel I have enough energy to go on and, what the future brings, we will see."

    Yet there is no appetite at present to find a permanent position for Hiddink at Stamford Bridge – Michael Emenalo was promoted to the role of sporting director over the summer – and faith is apparently retained in the current set-up.



 
[h=1]Arsène Wenger says he will stay on as Arsenal manager[/h] • 'I will stay and that's it', says 62-year-old Frenchman
• Wenger had raised quit fears in L'Equipe interview





  • Staff and agencies
  • guardian.co.uk, Monday 21 November 2011 12.50 GMT
  • Article history Arsène Wenger, pictured during Arsenal's win over Norwich City, has played down speculation that he will quit in the summer. Photograph: Peter Cziborra/Action Images

    Arsène Wenger has moved to allay fears that he may leave Arsenal at the end of the season.
    The Frenchman had indicated in an interview with L'Equipe that he would review his position at the Emirates at the end of the season, voicing his frustration over the departures of Cesc Fábregas to Barcelona and Samir Nasri to Manchester City.

    But the 62-year-old told Arsenal's website on Monday: "I have a few more years to go," he said. "I will stay and that's it. It was a little sentence if you read well.
    "I can only speak for me – the club can decide to get rid of me tomorrow morning and I cannot interfere with that decision – but I am totally committed here and I will show you that at the end of the season."

    Wenger's current contract runs until the end of the 2013-14 season, and in September he had spoke of staying with Arsenal for "another 14 years".



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


TRANSFER GOSSIP
QPR manager Neil Warnock admits it is "conceivable" that David Beckham could sign for the club, although he doubts whether the midfielder would get in his side.
Full story: Sky Sports
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp also feels he has enough strength in his squad without the former England captain.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal will have to pay £25m if they want to sign Palermo midfielder Josip Ilicic.
Full story: Metro
Manchester United are still believed to be watching Ryman League side Dulwich Hamlets' 17-year-old defender Michael Chambers.
Full story: Daily Mail
Chelsea target Diego Godin admits he would be open to a move to Stamford Bridge but the Atletico Madrid defender says he has had no contact with the Premier League club.
Full story: talkSPORT
AC Milan assistant manager Mauro Tassotti has confirmed the club are interested in Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez.
Full story: the Sun
Also at Eastlands, City midfielder Nigel de Jong, whose current deal runs out in the summer of 2013, has reiterated that he wants to extend his stay at the club.
Full story: Manchester Evening News
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce believes on-loan Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner's fantastic international form could scupper the club's chances of signing him on a permanent deal.
Full story: Newcastle Journal
Chelsea plan to move for Bolton and England defender Gary Cahill in the January transfer window, but will only offer £7m as he is a free agent next summer.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Arsenal look set to go head-to-head with Serie A side Napoli for the signature of 20-year-old Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Patrick Herrmann in the January transfer window.
Full story: talkSPORT
Bolton have joined Blackburn, West Brom and QPR in the race to sign Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha.
Full story: Daily Mail
Everton are rumoured to be preparing an offer that will see them land Tottenham and Russia striker Roman Pavlyuchenko.
Full story: Footylatest.com

OTHER GOSSIP
Wales and Tottenham midfielder Gareth Bale believes Spurs will win the Premier League sooner rather than later if they can keep hold of their best players.
Full story: Evening Standard
Bale has also revealed that he would relish the chance to play abroad should the opportunity present itself in the future.
Full story: Metro
Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas has reportedly claimed that it would cost Blues owner Roman Abramovich too much money to sack him.
Full story: Daily Star
Schalke striker Klaas Jan-Huntelaar wants to win Europe's golden boot after scoring 23 goals in 20 league and cup games so far this season.
Full story: Bild (in German)
Manchester City midfielder David Silva believes the club could win the Champions League in their first season in the competition.
Full story: Sky Sports
Recalled West Brom defender Nicky Shorey has praised manager Roy Hodgson for getting him back to his best after being dropped for four Premier League matches.
Full story: Express & Star
Argentina legend Gabriel Batistuta has condemned the actions of Manchester City striker and fellow countryman Carlos Tevez.
Full story: talkSPORT
Meanwhile, City boss Roberto Mancini insists that Tevez will not be sold on the cheap.
Full story: Daily Telegraph
Tottenham first-team coach Joe Jordan believes that striker Jermain Defoe could challenge Aston Villa frontman Darren Bent for a place in Fabio Capello's England squad.
Full story: Independent

AND FINALLY
The fashion accessory that is the snood is back with a vengeance with Manchester City the latest club to don the customised neck scarfs in training.
Full story: the Sun

One lucky punter scooped a £585,000 jackpot from a bet of less than £1 when defender Glen Johnson slotted in Liverpool's late winner in the 2-1 win at Chelsea.
Full story: Metro
 
[h=1]Manchester City's Roberto Mancini refuses to discuss Carlos Tevez[/h] • Manager says: 'I do not want to speak about Carlos'
• Mancini says City will not win Champions League




  • Press Association
  • guardian.co.uk, Friday 25 November 2011 11.43 GMT
  • Article history Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini says his team are not good enough to win the Champions League Link to this video Roberto Mancini refused to discuss Carlos Tevez at a press briefing for Manchester City's Premier League match against Liverpool on Sunday.
    Tevez's adviser, Kia Joorabchian, is known to have met Milan officials in the hope of agreeing a permanent transfer for the Argentina striker, who is not training with City at present. If the Eastlands club receive an appropriate offer they will be willing to let Tevez leave, if the deal is permanent.
    On Friday morning, Mancini said: "I do not want to speak about Carlos Tevez. I will answer no questions about him."
    The City manager was more happy to discuss his side's hopes of reaching the Champions League knockout phase after their 2-1 defeat by Napoli on Tuesday. City must beat Bayern Munich in their final qualifying game and hope that Villarreal manage to avoid defeat at home to Napoli.
    Mancini said: "We hope we can stay in the Champions League. We hope we can beat Bayern Munich and Villarreal can get a draw with Napoli. But we should be realistic. I do not think we have a team to win the Champions League this season. Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Inter Milan all have more experience than us."

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

TRANSFER GOSSIP
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson could attempt to sign Inter Milan midfielder Wesley Sneijder in January after Anderson was ruled out until February with a knee injury.
Full story: Metro
Tottenham centre-back Younes Kaboul is on Juventus's shortlist of January targets to bolster their defence.
Full story: Daily Mail
Chelsea, Inter Milan and Liverpool are all hot on the heels of £20m-rated Brazilian teenager Lucas. The 19-year-old attacking midfielder is learning English in preparation of a move from Sao Paulo to the Premier League.
Full story: the Sun
German side Wolfsburg will target Arsenal's Tomas Rosicky as they look to revitalise their struggling Bundesliga campaign.
Full story: Metro
Fulham are monitoring Andre-Pierre Gignac's situation as the France striker's frustration grows at Marseille after falling out with boss Didier Deschamps.
Full story: Daily Mail
Anzhi Makhachkala are keen to take Fabio Capello to Russia when the Italian's contract as England manager finishes after Euro 2012.
Full story: Inside Futbol
However, Italian Capello said he was only in Moscow "to visit the Bolshoi Theatre" where he watched the ballet Sleeping Beauty.
Full story: Daily Mail
Media in the US are reporting that former England full-back Terry Fenwick has applied for the job as Colorado Rapids head coach.
Full story: MLS-Rumors.net
Ronaldinho is losing patience with Flamengo after not being paid for four months, but will not abandon the club in favour of a move to the Greek Super League.
Full story: Goal.com

OTHER GOSSIP
Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney says Chelsea would be wrong to sack under-pressure manager Andre Villas-Boas.
Full story: the Sun
Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore admits he has given up on the idea of playing a 39th game abroad.
Full story: talkSPORT
Stoke manager Tony Pulis wants to *revolutionise football by allowing managers to challenge refereeing decisions during the game.
Full story: Daily Mirror

AND FINALLY
David Beckham has been offered a place on television programme Dancing on Ice. Star of the show Christopher Dean is hoping the former England captain will accept the invite, saying: "Beckham would be great. He likes music so hopefully he has rhythm."
Full story: Daily Star
Preston owner Trevor Hemmings says he is ploughing £750,000 a month into the League One club just to keep it afloat.
Full story: the Sun
 
[h=1]Sunday's gossip column - transfers and rumours[/h]

TRANSFER GOSSIP
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini is preparing a move for Arsenal's in-form striker Robin van Persie as he looks to build a side capable of conquering Europe.
Full story: Mail on Sunday
Liverpool have joined Tottenham in the race for £15m striker Emmanuel Adebayor, who is currently on loan at White Hart Lane from Manchester City.
Full story: Metro
AC Milan want Carlos Tevez to undergo rigorous psychlogical tests before they are prepared to sanction a £25m move for the Manchester City striker.
Full story: Mail on Sunday
Manchester United are preparing a £9m bid for Atalanta's teen sensation Manolo Gabbiadini.
Full story: Metro
Manchester City are seeking to sell as many as 20 players in the next two transfer windows as they look to reduce their wage bill. Full story: Sunday Telegraph
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp insists striker Jermain Defoe will not be sold in the January transfer window.
Full story: Evening Standard
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini says he has enough strikers to maintain the club's title challenge *without buying a replacement for wantaway frontman Carlos Tevez.
Full story: Manchester Evening News
Aston Villa manager Alex McLeish is unlikely to sign any new players in the January transfer window.
Full story: Birmingham Mail
Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins says Swansea will go to work in the January transfer market to ensure they are ready for the second half of the Premier League season.
Full story: Swansea Evening Post

OTHER GOSSIP
Blackburn manager Steve Kean says that striker Yakubu is proving his critics wrong, following a run of positive personal performances at Ewood Park.
Full story: Lancashire Telegraph
Wigan striker Victor Moses remains on course to sign a new deal with the Latics despite contract talks being put on hold.
Full story: Wigan Evening Post
Bolton manager Owen Coyle says that he could go through this season without naming his strongest team, as he laments his "worst-ever" injury list.
Full story: Bolton News
Newcastle manager Alan Pardew says the influence of veteran goalkeeper Steve Harper could be crucial to the continued success of the club this season.
Full story: Newcastle Chronicle

AND FINALLY
Hollywood actor Brad Pitt has said he "might be disowned" if he did not support Premier League side Liverpool.
Full story: Liverpool Echo
 
[h=1]Gary Speed: silence turns to applause as fans salute Wales manager[/h] Prime minister says that he is 'deeply saddened' by the news of his death as former team-mates and coaches pay tribute





  • Robert Booth
  • guardian.co.uk, Sunday 27 November 2011 20.04 GMT
  • Article history Players stand for a minutes silence for Gary Speed at the Barclays Premier League match between Swansea and Aston Villa. Photograph: Neville Williams/Getty

    Shock and sadness swept through football and beyond following the sudden death of Gary Speed, the 42-year-old manager of the Wales national team.
    The body of the married father of two was found at his home on the outskirts of Chester on Sunday morning by police who were called at 7.08am. The Cheshire constabulary said there were no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death.
    There were widespread but unconfirmed reports that he had killed himself. A police spokeswoman said Speed's family wanted to be "left in peace to grieve at this difficult time".
    Just hours earlier the former Leeds United and Newcastle United midfielder had appeared as a guest on BBC One's Football Focus where he appeared in buoyant mood.
    The presenter, Dan Walker, said that off-camera at the BBC's studios in Salford Speed had talked enthusiastically about how well his sons were developing as teenage footballers and his desire to come back on the show before Christmas. He also recorded a separate interview about his high hopes for Wales' forthcoming World Cup qualifying campaign.
    "He was perhaps in the best mood I had seen him in yesterday, he was very bubbly," Walker said.
    David Cameron was "deeply saddened" by the news, a spokesman for the prime minister said. "The prime minister's thoughts are with his family and friends on this very sad day for fans everywhere, especially in Wales," he added.
    There were emotional scenes in south Wales as four of Speed's Welsh players took to the pitch in Swansea's home games against Aston Villa just an hour and a half after the news of his death had broken. The teams wore black armbands and gathered around the centre circle for one minute's silence before kick-off. After just a few seconds applause broke out around the ground followed by echoing chants of "there's only one Gary Speed".
    Shay Given, the Aston Villa goalkeeper who played with Speed at Newcastle, wiped tears from his cheeks and crossed himself three times.
    "Three of our lads [James] Collins, Given and [Jermaine] Jenas are very upset," said the Aston Villa manager, Alex McLeish, before an understandably flat game which ended 0-0. "We would have fully understood if Swansea wanted to call the game off."
    There was also a minute's silence at Anfield ahead of Liverpool's fixture with Manchester City. The pause also marked the death from leukaemia of the five-year-old son of Liverpool goalkeeper Brad Jones. The Liverpool manager, Kenny Dalglish, who signed Speed when he was in charge at Newcastle, decided that Craig Bellamy, the Liverpool and Wales striker, was too upset to play.
    "There is no way a game of football is more important than grieving," he said.
    Former Wales international Robbie Savage was close to tears when he appeared on BBC News and told how he had joked on the phone with Speed on Saturday morning. "He was in high spirits, I can't believe it," said Savage. "He has left two gorgeous kids behind and a beautiful wife. He had everything … He was laughing and joking."
    Speed was born in Flintshire and although a talented schoolboy cricketer, he signed for Leeds in 1988 and made his debut at 19, becoming a rugged and determined mainstay of the top-flight football. He was part of the side that won the title in 1992 and he went on to captain Everton and then joined Newcastle for six seasons where he played alongside Alan Shearer.
    His manager at Newcastle, the late Bobby Robson, described him as "brave as a lion". Howard Wilkinson, Speed's manager at Leeds, praised him as "an ordinary, very honest, very genuine, very committed and hard-working bloke".
    The flags at Leeds United's Elland Road ground were lowered to half-mast and fans laid tributes of shirts and scarves. The club said it was "stunned and saddened".
    Speed won 85 caps for Wales, captained his country and played 535 times in the Premier League, including for Bolton, before finishing his playing career at Sheffield United and going on to manage his country for the last 10 months of his life. He was awarded an MBE in the 2010 Birthday Honours for his services to football.
    The Football Association of Wales said: "That this tragedy should have overtaken someone so young and talented is a huge loss not only for his family and friends but a nation as a whole."
    Carwyn Jones, the first minister of Wales, who had met Speed a few weeks ago to talk about developing new Welsh football talent, described Speed's death as "an incredible blow not just for football, but for Wales". He added: "Everybody is very, very stunned by the news. The first thing we do is think about his family and what they must be feeling. His legacy will be, possibly, the best Wales football team we have ever seen."
    Gary Neville, the former Manchester United and England defender who often played against Speed, said: "We think, sometimes, of football being important, but it's not really."
    [h=2]Prime Premiership player
    [/h]Gary Speed was one of the defining figures of the Premiership era. The Flintshire-born player began his top-flight career in the Leeds United midfield featuring Gordon Strachan, David Batty and Gary McCallister that powered the team to the 1992 title. He stayed with the club for 312 games, scoring 57 goals, before moving to Everton in 1996 for two seasons. Kenny Dalglish signed him for Newcastle where his direct, energetic style helped the north-east club to two FA cup finals and a place in the Champions League. After a move to Bolton he became the first player to reach 500 Premier League tappearances. He was briefly manager of Sheffield United in late 2010 before taking charge of Wales, the country he played for 85 times and captained in a 14-year international career. His first match was a 3-0 defeat of the Republic of Ireland and he won five out of his 10 games, turning the team's fortunes around and filling stadiums again. On 12 November, Wales beat Norway 4-1.




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

TRANSFER GOSSIP
Ajax legend Johan Cruyff and 10 youth coaches are going to court to fight the appointment of Louis van Gaal, Martin Sturkenboom and Danny Blind as directors of the Dutch club.
Full story: Guardian
Chelsea are hoping to bring in 20-year-old striker Kevin de Bruyne in January but are struggling to agree a fee with his Belgian club Genk.
Full story: Footybunker.com
Former Arsenal player Eduardo is facing financial meltdown as his former agent demands payment.
Full story: Daily Mail
Manchester United want to tie up Paul Pogba with a new long-term deal. The French teenager has been linked with AC Milan after failing to make the first team at Old Trafford.
Full story: Footybunker.com

Arsenal and Chelsea are keeping tabs on Nottingham Forest's England Under-19 defender Jamal Lascelles.
Full story: Footylatest.com
 
[h=1] Tuesday's gossip column - transfers and rumours [/h]


TRANSFER GOSSIP
Chelsea striker Didier Drogba is believed to have rejected a contract offer to stay at the club. However, it is understood he does want to remain at Stamford Bridge, but his agent has also hinted at a move to the US, Russia, Qatar or Asia.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Sporting Lisbon striker Ricky van Wolfswinkel says he is happy to remain in Portugal despite rumoured interest from Manchester United and Chelsea.
Full story: Manchester Evening News
Meanwhile, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson could make a move for AZ Alkmaar's Swedish winger Rasmus Elm in the January transfer window.
Full story: Daily Star
Liverpool are keen on rookie Romanian goalkeeper Valentin Cojocaru, who currently plays for Steaua Bucharest.
Full story: talkSPORT
Tottenham have stolen a march on Arsenal in the race for DC United starlet Andy Najar after agreeing to take the promising winger on trial during the MLS off season.
Full story: Metro
Arsenal scouts are watching Cologne and Germany striker Lukas Podolski, who could be available for £20m as he is out of contract in 2013.
Full story: Daily Mirror
Chelsea are believed to be keen on landing yet another Barcelona youngster as they prepare a swoop for midfielder Sergi Roberto.
Full story: talkSPORT
Newcastle United scouts have watched Montpellier striker Olivier Giroud and defender Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa.
Full story: Daily Mail
Real Madrid midfielder Royston Drenthe is a summer transfer target for Liverpool as they look to swipe the Dutchman from under the noses of current loan club and Merseyside rivals Everton.
Full story: Footy-latest.com
Morocco international striker Marouane Chamakh could soon be leaving Arsenal as Paris St Germain are understood to be readying a £10m transfer bid.
Full story: Metro

OTHER GOSSIP
Sunderland boss Steve Bruce is set to discuss his future with owner Ellis Short after the club's poor run in the league.
Full story: Guardian
Bruce admits he would consider his future at Sunderland if he thought it would help the club.
Full story: Newcastle Chronicle
Bolton manager Owen Coyle has urged the club's fans to stick by the team following a torrid run of results which has left his side languishing in the Premier League's bottom three.
Full story: Bolton News
Chelsea assistant boss Roberto Di Matteo says he is happy as Andre Villas-Boas' right-hand man but has refused to guarantee he will stay as assistant manager at Stamford Bridge beyond the end of the season.
Full story: Daily Telegraph

West Brom midfielder James Morrison has admitted the Baggies' pre-Christmas programme could shape the future of their season.
Full story: Express & Star
Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny insists Arsenal are not a one man team - despite captain Robin van Persie's recent heroics in front of goal.
Full story: the Sun
Blackburn manager Steve Kean says he is ready to meet with the club's unhappy fans if he is required to do so.
Full story: Lancashire Telegraph


AND FINALLY
Borussia Monchengladbach pair Marco Reus and Mike Hanke found a novel way of deciding who's on free-kick duty by indulging in a game of 'rock, paper, scissors' during their 3-0 win over Cologne.
Full story: Metro
 
[h=1]Johan Cruyff set to leave Ajax after boardroom dispute[/h] • Former manager and board asked to resign by Ajax members
• Cruyff threatened legal action over appointment of Van Gaal





Johan Cruyff is set to leave Ajax, along with four other board members. Photograph: Alejandro Garcia/EPA

Johan Cruyff is poised to lose his role on the supervisory board at Ajax.
The Ajax members' council have called on the five-man board to resign following a dispute which Cruyff at its centre.
A rift between Cruyff, a former player and manager at Ajax, and his four fellow supervisory board members had caused off-field disharmony at the Amsterdam club.

Cruyff will now be expected to make way, together with Edgar Davids, Steven ten Have, Paul Romer and Marjan Olfers, after the powerful council gave the supervisory board a vote of no confidence.
Cruyff said on Monday that he and 10 club coaches would take legal action over the appointments of the former manager Louis van Gaal, Danny Blind and Martin Sturkenboom as directors of Ajax.

Cruyff claims he was not consulted by his board colleagues over the appointments.




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

[h=1]Football transfer rumours: Lukas Podolski to Arsenal?[/h] Today's tittle-tattle is shooting the breeze ...





Lukas Podolski has just heard the news that he is being linked with Arsenal. Photograph: Frank Augstein/AP

So Paris Saint-Germain are one of the richest clubs in the world and, with performances sinking and last week's clash with arch-rivals Marseille ending in a humiliating 3-0 defeat, talk of them replacing manager Antoine Kombouraré has intensified. Carlos Ancelotti has turned them down because he believes a top Premier League job could soon become available (and by top he doesn't mean Sunderland or Blackburn but one with walking distance of his favourite London eateries). So, of all the coaches in the world, are PSG set to go for: none other than Claude Makélelé? Given that Makélelé has no experience whatsoever we can only guess what type of manager he will make, and judging by his glorious midfield performances of the past we must deduce that he will ensure his job description is as limited as possible, setting the benchmark for gaffers who do nothing but hand out bibs very, very well.
Could even Sir Alex Ferguson collect bibs and distribute them as efficiently as Makélelé? Probably not because he's too buys doing other things, such as attempting to persuade AZ Alkmaar's Swedish winger Rasmus Elm that Manchester United, not Chelsea, is the place for him. But what if he does sign, Fergie? Who will give him a bib? Those bibs don't hand themselves out you know.
One grateful recipient of a timely delivered bib could be Marouane Chamakh, who's being linked with a move to PSG. Arsenal could then bolster their back-up for Robin Van Persie by signing Lukas Podolski.
Spurs, meanwhile, expect to sign a winger who can run like the wind, shoot like a supernova and bounce from skyscraper to skyscraper while foiling the criminal plans of fiendish invisible super-crooks, but only because someone at White Hart Lane read too hastily and thinks Andy Najar is from DC Comics rather than DC United.
Didier Drogba could once do all of those things, or thereabouts, but his powers are dwindling, which is why the contract that Chelsea have offered him is not worth as much as he thinks he could make in Qatar, Russia or the US. So off he'll fly.
Liverpool are still keen on Leighton Baines and Seamus Coleman but aren't getting much joy out of Everton: but that won't stop them taking Royston Drenthe, who is sparkling at Goodison these days while on loan from Real Madrid. Liverpool will negotiate with the Spaniards so it won't matter what their neighbours say. Romanian goalkeeper Valentin Cojocaru could also be on his way to Anfield.

If Barcelona did cows, milk would make you drunk. But they don't, instead they produce footballers and the latest twinkle-toed one from their extraordinary nursery is Sergi Roberts, who Chelsea hope to lure away.

Newcastle want new players so obviously they've headed to France. Montepellier, to be precise. Striker Olivier Giroud and defender Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa could be off to the stadium where Newcastle play their home matches. Does it really matter what it, or any stadium, is called? Really?




 
[h=2]Weekly La Liga blog[/h] [h=1]Power shifts from Barcelona to Madrid in more ways than one[/h] Barcelona's defeat to Getafe gave Real Madrid a six-point lead and the Spanish papers a political parallel to draw on



While Barcelona looked jaded in defeat at Getafe, Real Madrid thumped four past their local rivals Atlético. Photograph: Getty Images

Mariano Rajoy hasn't even set foot inside Moncloa and already something is changing. This is a new era; power has changed hands – in parliament and on the pitch. That, at least, is the theory. They say you shouldn't mix football and politics but in Spain it often seems impossible to do anything else. You can try to take the football out of politics but you can't take the politics out of football. The search for political explanation for sporting success and failure, for footballing meaning, is constant. When it comes to the battle that really matters, Madrid versus Barcelona, it is unavoidable.
On Sunday 20 November, the Partido Popular won general elections, returning to power for the first time since 2004. Out went the PSOE and its Barcelona-supporting leader, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero; two defeats later, in came Mariano Rajoy. "Real Madrid get strengthened," ran the cover of the freebie Catalan sports newspaper El 9, alongside a rather odd picture of the victorious candidate jumping for joy. "Rajoy, a self-confessed Madridista, brings the PP to government," continued the cover: "a party with which [the Madrid president] Florentino Pérez and the white team have always enjoyed a magnificent and fruitful relationship."
And so it was that as they gathered to celebrate with the world's worst disco down at PP HQ on calle Génova, power shifted from FC Barcelona to Real Madrid. Zapatero has gone. So, after this Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Getafe left them six points behind Real Madrid at the top of the table, have Barcelona's title hopes? "Barça are six points away!" cheered AS's cover on Sunday. This morning, they lead on the betting odds: for the first time in three years, Madrid are favourites. Even El País noted: "The league escapes Barcelona." And, never mind the football or the fact that Rajoy's not had the chance to do anything yet – Ana Pastor, the woman the right most loves to hate, and first in line when the cuts come, was still on TVE this morning – it's all down to the change at the top.
You'd think so anyway. El 9 weren't the only ones drawing the parallel – on both sides of the divide. Much of it was tongue in cheek. And much of it, going back a century, is rubbish. During Spain's Second Republic Real Madrid won two titles, both of them before the right won the 1933 elections; Barça won none. During the harshest years of the dictatorship, from 1939 to 1953 – when Spain's tentative opening up began, not least with the arrival of Alfredo Di Stéfano (and that's a whole new issue, as is the civil war itself) – Madrid didn't win a single league title; Barça won five. And after Franco's death, it took Barcelona 10 years to win the title and six more to win another one; Madrid won the league in 1976, 78, 79 and 1980.
But, still. In March 2004, Madrid were on course to win a treble. At least if you believed the Madrid press – and you really shouldn't – they were. Then the Atocha train bombings happened, the PP lost the elections, and things started to go wrong for Madrid. Their collapse came; Valencia beat them, Barcelona overhauled them and then Barça took over. Under the PSOE, Madrid won two titles – and because they came under the wrong club president, you'd think they hadn't even won those – while Barcelona won five.
Some people who should have known better, to their eternal shame, seriously tried to use the Atocha bombings as the reason, as if Madrid were somehow perfect until then – and not the dysfunctional club they actually were – and as if Barcelona were somehow complicit in the deaths. In fact, it was Madrid who were complicit in their own demise and the shift was already coming.
Just as this one might have been – if indeed it is a shift at all. Less than a week after the right's win, already the impact was being felt. Political parallels were being drawn everywhere. "The new president is called Real Madrid," wrote Di Stéfano in his weekly column, while El Mundo Deportivo's cartoon features a decrepit figure, symbolising the right and noting that there was a "simple explanation: the PP won and Madrid start winning, the way God wishes it."
That was one explanation. Luck was another. And another was that there is no shift: after all, it is only six points and it is only November.
On Saturday, Barcelona were defeated 1-0 by Getafe despite having well over 70% of the possession and taking 21 shots to Getafe's seven, seven to one on target. Getafe's goal had come from a corner and in the final minute Leo Messi had one ruled out for offside and another shot come back off the post – one of eight shots to do so this season. It was the first time Barcelona had been beaten in any competition this season – their unbeaten run goes back 27 games to April. It also was the first time they had failed to score away from home in an astonishing 43 games.
"Some people are setting off fireworks already," Dani Alves said. "They'd hand the title out to Madrid right now; happily, it doesn't get handed out for ages yet." "The league's not over," added Pep Guardiola, "and we'll get up again." As for Real Madrid's Alvaro Arbeloa, he was taking a little advice from Mr Wolf. Writing on Twitter, he warned: "Don't talk about how bad the bridge is until you've crossed the river."
True. But six points is a big gap and fortune alone does not explain the shift. This morning's Catalan papers insisted on Barcelona's ability to turn it round; The Dream Team, they noted, had done just that. Yet that was a different era. Under Pep Guardiola, Barcelona have never trailed Madrid by more than two points. And six points in a league where the title-winning total is likely to be over 90 – Madrid have failed to win either of the last two titles with 92 and 96 points respectively – is significant. Even a small slip is a big one now as the margins get finer and finer. Last season, Barcelona dropped only 18 points all season (four of those after clinching the title); they have already dropped 11 this time round. Madrid dropped only 22. The year that the Dream Team took the title off Madrid on the final day, their rivals had won just once away in the whole of the second half of the campaign.
Victory in the clásico would bring the gap down to three points; defeat would make Real Madrid's lead nine points – and that really would be a colossal gap. For Barcelona, winning the clásico is not an opportunity but an obligation; "our margin of error has gone," Alves said. This year, the first clásico is at the Bernabéu, not Camp Nou and before losing to Getafe this weekend, Barcelona have already drawn away with Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad. Their only away wins have been in Gijón and Granada – and both of those were 1-0. Puyol was absent on Saturday – just as he had been in each of Barcelona's previous seven defeats; without him, there is a lack of aggression and concentration slips too.
Barcelona are not playing as they once did. Their possession is going up – it averages 72.44% this season compared to 69% and 68% in the previous two – but the number of shots is down slightly. The shots they are getting are less clear, too. That was already happening to some extent last year – the Copa del Rey final, with Messi dropping ever deeper, was an example – but now it is more concerning for the Catalans. Messi is so brilliant as to disguise certain problems but they are there. Building to Messi is one of the factors that has narrowed Barcelona, creating a jam, and few players go outside as Thierry Henry once did – the absence of Pedro, through injury, has been significant, while the introduction of Isaac Cuenca could be an important variation, as could the return to fitness of Alexis Sánchez. As yet, though, there has been little impact away from home.
Talk of a plan B is a red herring but Barça do lack a certain variety – especially without Andrés Iniesta. What variety there has been is potentially problematic. There have been 13 different lineups in 13 league games and they look vulnerable from set-plays: "We are," Alves admitted, "a bunch of dwarfs and we need to improve." Guardiola has talked about using three at the back in order to attack more and be attacked less but the system does not always convince. Barcelona could hardly have attacked more or been attacked less before. They have played with a No9, a false No9 and two false No9s. Guardiola's desire to reinvent has not always proven successful. So far.
For Barcelona's approach to work, it needs pace, intensity and aggression. And identity. Right now, Barcelona do not have that. In August Guardiola recalled the days when the summer was spent on a pre-season not a tour and Barcelona look sluggish; on Saturday, he admitted they were tired as they came off the back of their Champions League game with Milan. After three successive years of international summers, this year there was a break at last but the season began with the European Super Cup and a Spanish Super Cup for which they had barely prepared. The World Club Championships is still to come – forcing Barcelona to crowbar in an extra game before the clásico. The ball is travelling slower and there have been 17 injuries.
The fatigue is mental as well as physical. One of the things that people overlooked when Barcelona won last year's league title and Champions League was just how emotionally tough they had proven. This season they will have to be even tougher; in most leagues and against most rivals you can drop points. In most leagues and against most rivals, just one defeat in 13 would be a wonderful start. But this is not most leagues and that is not most rivals. Standing before Barcelona are a Real Madrid team with astonishing variety in their play, strength in depth, talent, temperament, aggression, speed, power, precision, more control than ever before and a six-point lead.
Oh, and an ally in power.
[h=2]Talking points[/h]• At the end of the Madrid derby, Real's ultras held up a mock advert: "Worthy rival wanted for decent derby." Which kind of said it all. It's 12 years now since Atlético beat their neighbours. And once they were down to 10 men there was little chance of them breaking the run. It was a pity because until then it looked like a decent game but somehow you always know that they'll find a way. Manzano was furious with the ref afterwards; Mourinho, with a certain degree of irony, was furious with Manzano for sending his players out to kick and, as he shouted from the bench, playing something that "was not football". "Those carbon-fibre shinpads are expensive," he said but they're worth it." Match report here.
• Xabi Alonso put it best: "Iñigo Martínez is my idol." He scored an injury-time winner to give Real Sociedad a 3-2 victory over Betis. From inside his own half. It was the second time he has done so this season. The only question now is which of his two strikes is the goal of the season. View them for yourself here.

• Rayo Vallecano's fans held up banners complaining about the LFP after the league's decision to change the date and time of their game with Barcelona – three times. Not that it is just Rayo's fans who should be moaning about the LFP's rank incompetence and total disregard for them. It is every single fan in Spain.

Results: Rayo Vallecano 1-0 Valencia, Real Madrid 4-1 Atlético, Getafe 1-0 Barcelona, Betis 2-3 Real Sociedad, Levante 4-0 Sporting, Mallorca 2-1 Racing, Espanyol 1-2 Osasuna, Athletic Bilbao 0-1 Granada, Zaragoza 0-1 Sevilla, Málaga-Villarreal (Monday night).




 
[h=1]Gary Speed's death prompts troubled players to seek clinic's help[/h] • Five footballers contact Tony Adams' Sporting Chance
• 'Footballers are as vulnerable as the next man'





Gary Speed's death is reported to have prompted five footballers to ask a special clinic for help with health problems. Photograph: Sang Tan/AP


Five professional footballers are reported to have contacted a clinic founded by the former Arsenal captain Tony Adams following the death of Gary Speed.
The Sporting Chance Clinic based in Hampshire helps sportsmen and women suffering from alcohol and drug problems and depression. "I've received emails and phone calls from five players since Gary Speed's passing," Peter Kay, the clinic's chief executive, told the Daily Express.

"All said 'I've got to do something about this. I need help.' Support is vitally important and I would not be remotely surprised if more came forward.
"We don't know what the reasons are for Gary Speed's death and it would be wrong to even start to guess. Footballers suffer illness in exactly the same way as the rest of society. They can become more detached from the outside world because of the money they earn. They are as vulnerable as the next man.
"In the light of Gary Speed's terribly sad death I hope players who recognise they have a problem will put their hands up to ask for help."




 
[h=2]Carling Cup quarter-final: Arsenal v Manchester City, Tuesday 29 November 8pm[/h] [h=1]Arsène Wenger hopes Arsenal can prove him right over Owen Hargreaves[/h] • Arsenal overlooked Manchester City midfielder in summer
• Oxlade-Chamberlain and Benayoun to start against City





Arsenal's Yossi Benayoun, left, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will be hoping for more celebrations in the Carling Cup against Manchester City. Photograph: Tom Hevezi/AP

Arsène Wenger considered a move for Owen Hargreaves in the summer only to decide that his existing defensive midfield options were sufficiently strong. As Hargreaves prepared to line up for Manchester City against Arsenal in the Carling Cup quarter‑final at the Emirates, Wenger hoped that his faith in all areas of his squad would be repaid.
The Arsenal manager had tracked Hargreaves in the past but he felt that he did not represent value for money when he left Bayern Munich for Manchester United in 2007.
He could have taken Hargreaves as a free agent this summer, after United lost patience with his fitness record and released him but, in what amounted to a shock, it was the City manager, Roberto Mancini, who signed him.
"When he played at Bayern Munich, we followed him very closely but it was a big transfer – he was sold to Manchester United for £17m and he only had one year left on his contract," Wenger said.
"So we didn't move in for him at that time. In the summer, you consider it but we had players like [Emmanuel] Frimpong and [Francis] Coquelin coming back … [Alex] Song and [Abou] Diaby in these defensive positions, where we were not really in the need."
Wenger indicated that Frimpong would start, together with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Yossi Benayoun and Park Chu-young in what is, for him, a delicate balancing act.
The manager wants to blend youth and experience but the strength of City's second string has influenced his thinking. The situation is complicated by some of his established players being "in the red", in other words, close to burn-out. There is no chance that Wenger will pick, for example, Robin van Persie, Theo Walcott and Aaron Ramsey.
"I believe that some players are on the fringe of being really limited," Wenger said. "I will rest some players but I still want to play a team that has a chance to win the game. For example, players like Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Emmanuel Frimpong will play but I consider them to be first-team players. I have 90% decided. There is still 10% flexibility."
Wenger and his players were scarred by last season's defeat in the Carling Cup final to Birmingham City, when a last-minute mix-up between Laurent Koscielny and Wojciech Szczesny cost them dearly. The reverse sent Arsenal into decline, which cost them the chance of success in the other, more prestigious competitions. "We would love to make up for it," Wenger said.
Yet he repeated his view that success in the domestic game's secondary cup tournament paled in comparison to Champions League qualification.
"When you are in a competition, of course you want to win it," Wenger said. "The target is to finish in the top four, though. It's as simple as that. What engages the whole future of the club is being in the top four."
Success against City might not even be measured by the result. There have been fears voiced about the strength in depth of Wenger's squad; when the regulars are missing, certain areas can feel significantly weaker. He would take great heart from the back‑ups merely proving their worth. They will surely be required over the second half of the season.
"The squad has more experience and I am confident we can show that on Tuesday night," Wenger said. "We are still a young team – I think we combine. The success of this club is based on the development of young players and we still want to show that."
City have become a bugbear for Wenger because of their financial might, which he finds distasteful, and one of the symbols of it is Samir Nasri, who was prised from the Emirates in the summer by an eye‑watering pay rise. Wenger stressed his wish for the home crowd to "respect" the midfielder.

He was also questioned about whether he envisaged City going unbeaten through the Premier League season to emulate his "Invincibles" of 2003‑04. He did not rule it out, although he feels that, after 13 league games, it is very early to address the notion. To him, City cannot be considered as champions-elect.

"Financially, it is impossible to compete with them," Wenger said. "On the football pitch, it is possible."




 
[h=1]Speed was found by his wife, inquest told[/h] Published 16:14 29/11/11 By MirrorFootball




Wales football manager Gary Speed was found hanged at his home by his wife, an inquest was told today.
The 42-year-old father-of-two was found dead at his Cheshire home on Sunday morning.
Detective Inspector Peter Lawless, of Cheshire Police, told Cheshire coroner Nicholas Rheinberg that Speed's body was found by his wife Louise just before 7am.
He said there appeared to be no suspicious circumstances and a post mortem examination found Speed's death was caused by hanging.

Mr Rheinberg said: "I adjourn this inquest until January 30, 2012. The inquest will be heard in Warrington and will commence at 2pm."
There was a huge media presence at the inquest in Warrington but members of Speed's family did not attend.
The coroner asked the media to "respect the privacy" of Speed's family.
Earlier today Welsh Assembly Members observed a minute's silence in the Senedd, Cardiff Bay, while flags continue to fly at half mast outside the Welsh Assembly buildings Ty Hywel and the Senedd.
Speaking on behalf of the footballer's widow, Louise, and the family, Speed's agent and best man at his wedding Hayden Evans said last night they had been "overwhelmed" with messages of support and condolence.
Tributes to the former Leeds United, Everton and Newcastle United midfielder, also poured in from a host of public and sporting figures, led by Prime Minister David Cameron.
Mr Cameron said: "I know he meant an enormous amount to people and people feel very, very sad on his behalf and on his family's behalf."
The Football Association of Wales chief executive Jonathan Ford said the organisation had received messages from UEFA and FIFA, with the Welsh flag at FIFA House in Zurich flying at half-mast.
Mr Ford said: "He was such a great person and he is such a loss."
Tottenham winger Gareth Bale, one of the brightest talents in Speed's Wales side, said it was a "massive shock".
"It is a tragedy, everyone still can't get their head around it and all our condolences go out to his family and his kids. It is a hard time," Bale told Welcome To Tottenhamhotspur.com.
Supporters have left scarves, football shirts and flowers across several football stadiums - including Everton's Goodison Park, Leeds United's Elland Road, Newcastle United's St James' Park and The Millennium Stadium and Cardiff City Stadium, where Wales played their home games.
The FAW has opened a book of condolences at its offices in Cardiff allowing fans to express their feelings about Speed's death.
The Welsh FA will not discuss Gary Speed's successor at meeting on Thursday
Taylor urges players to ask for help after Speed's death
Shearer: Gary was coming to stay at mine next week
Video: Sky reporter cries for pal Speed
Football fans pay tribute to Gary Speed (pictures)
 
[h=1]Pompey's parent company goes into administration[/h] Published 15:37 29/11/11 By MirrorFootball




Vladimir Antonov has resigned as chairman of Portsmouth after the club's parent company was placed into administration.
The Russian businessman, whose company Convers Sports Initiatives bought Pompey in June, has also quit as a director of the club following the news.
The company responsible for operating the team - Portsmouth Football Club Limited - continues to trade and is not in administration, though it is now actively seeking new funding.
Pompey chief executive David Lampitt said: "After the extraordinary amount of work put in by so many people over the last 18 months to get to this point, it is incredibly disappointing for the club to find itself in this position.

"I want to assure staff and fans that we will continue to do everything possible to safeguard the position of the club and its longer-term future."
An official statement released by Portsmouth said: "The club's parent company, Convers Sports Initiatives plc (CSI), has been placed into administration. Vladimir Antonov has resigned as chairman and director of Portsmouth Football Club.

"The club has funding in place for the short term, but will now be seeking alternative investment for its longer-term requirements."


 
[h=1]Coyle: I have no money to spend in January[/h] Published 16:38 29/11/11 By David Anderson

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/new...money-to-spend-in-January-article836188.html#


Owen Coyle claims Bolton have no money to buy their way out of trouble in January.
Wanderers are in the bottom three after losing nine of their 12 league games and Coyle says he will have rely again on the loan market for reinforcements.
Coyle's only hope of a cash boost is if the club can sell Gary Cahill in the next transfer window before he can leave for nothing in the summer.
"I've not had money anywhere I have been before," he said. "I came to the club two years ago, second bottom of the league, and never spent a penny.

"If you don't have money, then there are ways and means of improving your team.
"If we do have the luxury of spending money, then great, but it's not something I'm beating myself up about.
"Whatever hand you are dealt you make the best of it.
"I'm at a fantastic club with great people and we all have to make sure we get ourselves out of the dangerous area we're in."


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[h=1]Blackburn No 2 baffled by sacking[/h] Published 16:30 29/11/11 By David Anderson




John Jensen claims he still doesn't know why Venky's sacked him as Steve Kean's No 2.
Jensen was axed in September - just eight months after Kean brought him to Blackburn as his assistant - and says he still hasn't received an explanation from Rovers' controversial owners.
Speaking for the first time since his departure after agreeing a settlement with the club, the Dane said: "You expect to get an explanation, but there has been no explanation from the club. One day we might get to know the truth.

"The firing was a shock for me. I still don't know why I was fired, but the main reason must be the results. When you don't get good results, it's a risk that you'll get sacked.


"Now I am free of Blackburn. We have made an agreement that means that I can do whatever I feel like."



 
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