Shelbourne - Finn Harps

After 18 rounds passed, Shelbourne hold the first place with two points more than the chasers Waterford and UCD Dublin. Team definitely has enough quality for direct promotion (first place, only), while main sponsor “Cab 2000” gives them financial security. Home record (on the road, also) is impressive. Seven wins from nine games, with just one draw (Longford Town 2-2) and one defeat (UCD Dublin 1-3). Players have on their mind painful memories from last season, when they lost promotion by conceding a 93rd minute goal on the final day of the season. So, I don’t expect any kind of relaxation or loosing the focus, till the end. In the previous round, they played only a draw against Athlone Town, on the road. After leading by two goals after 30 mins, skipper (and key defender) Damien Brennan was red carded just before half time and the pressure of playing with a man short took it’s toll with the home side getting one back on 79mins and the equaliser deep into stoppage time. For tonight’s game, the Reds will have to plan without the suspended Brennan and also without the injured defensive trio of Stephen Quigley, Kevin Doherty and Alan Keely. Into the reckoning come two new signings Robert Douglas (signed from Crumlin United) and Ray Scully (formerly of Waterford United)

After they spent a year at the Premier Division, Harps were relegated. Budgetary cuts that caused many players had to leave, judged club to being in the middle of the second league. Team won only 19 points from 18 games played and although they’re safe from relegation, they’re also safe from any idea about promotion, as third UCD Dublin have 42 points on their balance. Their away record doesn’t promise anything good for tonight’s game. Six draws and three defeats from nine games and not a single win. At the previous round, Harps suffered a heavy defeat at RSC stadium against second placed Waterford Utd.. Team resisted full 70 minutes, but in last 20 got four hits and 0-4 at the end. Boss James Gallagher has a problem in the center of his defence for today’s trip to Tolka Park. Packie Mailey, who was sent off in Waterford, sits out the through suspension while other central defender, Johnny Havlin is still injured. Sean Houston (another defender) misses out again, while forward Conor Gethins is long time injured. Midfielder Christy Conaghan, who missed the last three games, could return.

Shelbourne is always the big favorite at Tolka Park, but tonight will have to cope with missing of four players in defence. Probably will try to cover the hole with attacks. Harps don’t need any problem to be outsider against tonight’s opponent, but also have damaged defence line. I think the home win isn’t so safe as bookies try to explain with odds around 1.30 and can not say I’m smelling surprise, but see bet on goals as much better bet. Bookie Mybet offer 1.80. Over.

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Friday's gossip column


TRANSFER GOSSIP

Tottenham striker Darren Bent has seemingly launched a scathing attack on his chairman Daniel Levy with the help of social network site Twitter. (Various)
It appears the 25-year-old has become a little frustrated with his desired move to Sunderland currently stuttering. 
"This is the longest day in the world because I can't wait to get started," a tweet purportedly posted by Bent is reported to have read. 
"Why can't anything be simple. It's so frustrating hanging round."(The Times) 
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez is holding out for £30m following Xabi Alonso's transfer request, with Real Madrid having already offered £24m.(The Guardian) 
Manchester United will launch a £35m bid for Bayern Munich midfielder Franck Ribery in two weeks.(The Sun) 
Mark Hughes is set to offer £22m for Joleon Lescott, with Everton so far unwilling to release their defender to Manchester City. (Daily Express) 
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is targeting Roma midfielder Daniele de Rossi, with the Italian star valued at around £30m.(The Independent) 
It looks like a busy time for the Gunners with St Etienne's defensive midfielder Blaise Matuidi being lined up for a move, while midfield legend Patrick Vieira is set to return and be his mentor.(Daily Mail) 
Liverpool are keen on signing Roma midfielder Alberto Aquilani.(The Independent) 
Having signed Southampton striker Stern John, Crystal Palace are closing in on the signing of Derby defender Claude Davis. (Daily Star)
Portsmouth are close to signing Australian striker Mark Viduka on a one-year deal after they failed to get Croatia's Nikola Kalinic.(Daily Mail) 
Ipswich boss Roy Keane may splash out £1m for Watford's Hungarian forward Tamas Priskin. (Daily Mail)
QPR have signed Italian striker Alessandro Pellicori on a three-year deal after a successful trial. (Sky Sports) 
West Brom have offered £1.5m for Real Betis winger David Odonkor. (The Sun)

OTHER GOSSIP

Everton skipper Phil Neville has criticised Manchester City's chase of defender Joleon Lescott, with Mark Hughes about to table a third offer. 
"There are ways and means of doing things, and Everton do it the right way," Neville says.(Liverpool Echo) 
Ipswich boss Roy Keane has taken his players for a two-day pre-season mission on an army boot camp in Colchester.
"It was hard work and the players are tired but I think they enjoyed it and their attitude was spot on," Keane says. (Daily Telegraph) 

AND FINALLY

Man City boss Mark Hughes is refusing to get embroiled in any mind games with Sir Alex Ferguson. The United manager was recently unhappy with the Carlos Tevez poster erected in the city centre with the message: 'Welcome to Manchester'. 
"It was just a bit of fun. I didn't get too het up but Sir Alex did," Hughes says.(The Guardian)
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Thursday's gossip column


TRANSFER GOSSIP

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger wants Patrick Viera to return to the Gunners - four years after the 33-year-old Inter Milan midfielder left for Juventus. And Wenger is willing to match Tottenham's offer, which is believed to be a one-year deal with big bonuses.(Various) 
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is keen to add more English players to his squad and is preparing a £12m bid for Wigan midfielder Lee Cattermole (on photo) and will offer Hull £5.5m for defender Michael Turner.(Daily Mail) 
However, any deal for Cattermole and Turner is dependent on the sale of Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid but the clubs are close to a £30m deal for the 27-year-old.(Daily Mail) 
Liverpool have given Real 48 hours to complete Alonso's signing with the Spanish giants set to make an improved bid of between £28m and £30m.(The Times) 
Aston Villa are monitoring forward Robbie Keane's situation at Tottenham after the arrival of fellow striker Peter Crouch. (Daily Mail) 
West Ham and England defender Matthew Upson is also a target for Villa and they are poised to make a £12m bid for the 28-year-old. (Daily Mirror) 
Villa manager Martin O'Neill wants to pair Upson with Portsmouth defender Sylvain Distin and is ready to offer £4.5m for the 30-year-old. (Daily Mirror)
Tottenham striker Darren Bent is attracting interest from Aston Villa, but Sunderland remain favourites to sign the 25-year-old for about £15m. (The Independent) 
Inter Milan could revive their interest in Chelsea midfielder Deco, with Barcelona winger Alexander Hleb - who was due to arrive at the San Siro on loan - set to sign for his former club Stuttgart. (Daily Mail) 
Middlesbrough defender Robert Huth could be set for a return to the Premier League with Fulham prepared to pay £2m for the 24-year-old. (Daily Mirror) 
Newcastle have accepted a £9m bid from Wolfsburg for 24-year-old striker Obafemi Martins. (The Times) 
Everton are interested in signing 18-year-old Stockport defender Josh Thompson. (The Sun) 
Portsmouth had hoped to sign Croatian striker Nikola Kalinic but the 21-year-old's club Hadjuk Split are not happy with the £5.5m fee being spread over three years.(Various) 
Celtic are interested in signing Sheffield United defender Matthew Kilgallon for £2m. (Daily Mirror) 
Sheffield United want goalkeeper Nicky Weaver to replace Paddy Kenny, who faces a two-year ban after failing a drugs test. (The Sun) 
QPR, Leicester and Crystal Palace are all vying to sign 24-year-old striker Leroy Lita who is available on a free transfer after leaving Reading. (Daily Express) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Kevin Keegan could be in line for yet another return to Newcastle as manager - if a Dubai tycoon succeeds with a £100m takeover of the club.(The Sun) 
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted he failed to get the best out of Dimitar Berbatov last season and has warned their Premier League rivals that there is more to come from the Bulgarian striker. (Daily Express) 
Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard says winning the Premier League title is more important than the Champions League for the west London club. (Daily Star) 
Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill believe the Midlands club need to sign five new players before the start of the season. (Daily Star) 
Chelsea have moved to secure midfielder Joe Cole and defender Ashley Cole on long-term contracts, while strikers Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka are also set to sign new deals. (Daily Mirror)

AND FINALLY

Fulham midfielder Danny Murphy has revealed the club have turned to the Pilates fitness system in their preparations for the new season.(The Sun)
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Celtic 0-1 Dinamo Moskva


Celtic's Champions League qualification hopes suffered a hefty blow after they were beaten at home by Dinamo Moscow.
With only seven minutes on the clock in Glasgow, Alexander Kokorin ghosted in behind Gary Caldwell to divert a low cross under Artur Boruc. 
Marc-Antoine Fortune and Scott McDonald both missed good first-half chances to help the home team's cause. 
McDonald later had an effort cleared off the line and Georgios Samaras failed to convert a point-blank header.

The defeat in Tony Mowbray's competitive debut as Celtic manager means the Glasgow club must win in Russia in a week's time or they will drop into qualifying for the Europa League. 
The visitors, 15 games into their domestic season, looked the sharper side, and Celtic goalkeeper Boruc was forced to save with just four minutes on the clock. 
Dinamo's Australian midfielder Luke Wilkshire struck a fierce drive from 30 yards, which the Pole clawed away from the top corner.
But the hosts did not heed that warning sign, and found themselves a goal down 90 seconds later. 
Alexander Kerzhakov collected a ball into the left channel, and fired a dangerous low ball into the six-yard area where Kokorin nipped in ahead of Caldwell to get the deftest of touches through Boruc's legs. 
With Celtic struggling to get to grips with the game, Dinamo continued to press and looked menacing - especially when Kherzakov received the ball, peeling out wide on the left. 
Mowbray's men were finding it difficult to penetrate the Russians' tight-knit seven-man defensive structure, and in the opening quarter the best the hosts could muster was a close-range Fortune effort which was easily held by Vladimir Gabulov. 
The Celtic midfield showed signs of rustiness, with Landry N'Guemo and Massimo Donati, as well as Fortune up front, guilty of surrendering possession too easily on occasion. 
Chances did present themselves for Celtic, although the front pair of Fortune and McDonald lacked a predatory instinct.
Fortune missed two gilt-edged chances to score within the space of 30 seconds. 
First, the striker failed to connect properly with Aiden McGeady's cross at the back post, then, only three yards out, Fortune was unable to divert Shaun Maloney's excellent ball to the other post. 
With 30 minutes played, McDonald showed good skill to cut inside a defender but should have done better than shoot at the goalkeeper from the corner of the six-yard box. 
After ending the first period strongly, Mowbray's side pressed straight from the restart, and McDonald had a looping header cleared off the line after good work by Maloney - who was Celtic's brightest player on the night. 
Kerzhakov gave the home side reminders of his threat, as twice on the counter-attack he used his strength and pace to trouble Caldwell and Glenn Loovens at the back. 
Mowbray swapped his front pairing, bringing on Chris Killen and Samaras with half an hour to play. 
The Greek striker had a fantastic chance to score with four minutes to go, but he headed straight into the thankful Gabulov's arms when unmarked from just a couple of yards out, and Dinamo take a valuable away win into the second leg.
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Celtic - Dinamo Moskva

After few dominating seasons in domain frames, Celtic failed to win the title and changes were unavoidable. Gordon Strachan left the club and new boss is talented Tony Mowbray (ex West Bromwich Albion). Team played four friendly games as the preparation for the new season and the start looks more than encouraging. One draw, against Cardiff 0-0 and three wins 3-0 Brisbane Roar FC, 5-0 Al Ahly and the most impressive win on Wembley Cup against Tottenham 2-0 (with mixed team). Celtic play attacking football and it’s the main reason why Mowbray got his chance. Team has a lots of experience playing in European competitions and they’re the owner of one very specific record, just one European defeat (Barcelona) from last 35 games at Celtic Park! After the collapse of the TV channel, financial crisis threats to Scottish football and qualification for the Champions League is absolutely vital for the hosts. Two very important players, midfielders Scott Brown and Barry Robson are in doubt. But, it seems more like a mind-game, both passed the last training and they’re expected in the team. Defender (and skipper) Stephen McManus will miss the start of the season. All others are available to boss Mowbray. Stadium is sold out and the lads will have a huge support from the crowd.

Dinamo is one of the Russian giants, team with the rich history. In the previous season, they reached the third place (behind Rubin and CSKA) and got the chance to fight for Champions League group stage. This will be the first time that the club has taken part in the competition since its re-branding from the European Cup in 1992.. And the lack of experience playing in Europe will be the additional problem for the visitors. The biggest advantage is they’re in full competition shape. Dinamo played the half games in Russian league, while Scottish starts at August 15th. After 15 games played in domain competition, Dinamo hold 5th place with real chance to qualify for Europe, again. In the last round, in city’s derby game against Locomotiv Moscow, they played a draw (1-1), with another goal by Alexandr Kerzakhov (seven goals in 11 appearances, so far), who definitely will be the biggest threat for home’s net. The captain and very important midfielder, Dmitry Khokhlov is suspended, while the acquisition from Portugal side Braga, Luis Aguiar still isn’t fully fit and won’t appear. It is expected the talented youngsters Smolov, Kokorin and Svezhov get the chance tonight, but the big question is how they’ll react on hot atmosphere on Celtic Park.

Tony Mowbray have been making some statements, pointing Russian collective spirit, definite shape and organization, but the true is, he is looking for a convincing victory and finishing the job in the first game. I don’t think Celtic will trash them, but home win is absolutely real. Home win (Sunderlands 2.00) and over (Expekt 2.15).

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Wednesday's gossip column


TRANSFER GOSSIP

Liverpool will reluctantly sell midfielder Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid in the next few days. Although manager Rafael Benitez wanted £35m for the 27-year-old, the fee is likely to be under £30m.(Daily Express) 
Everton defender Joleon Lescott is ready to tell manager David Moyes that he wants to join big-spending Manchester City.(Daily Mirror) 
Middlesbrough have received a £9m offer for Turkish striker Tuncay. Aston Villa, Everton and Tottenham are also interested in the 27-year-old.(Daily Mail) 
Stoke have joined the list of clubs chasing Tottenham striker Darren Bent.(The Sun) 
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has made a cash-plus-player deal offer for Hull centre-half Michael Turner. Pascal Chimbonda has been offered to Hull manager Phil Brown. (Daily Mirror) 
AC Milan and Inter Milan are both interested in Manchester City midfielder Elano.(The Sun) 
Portsmouth are talking to winger Stephen Hunt over a £3.5m transfer after Reading dropped their asking price.(Daily Mail) 
Bolton defender Nicky Hunt has been told he can leave the Reebok Stadium following the arrival of Sam Ricketts. (Daily Mirror) 
Chelsea are lining up a swap deal with AC Milan in order to land midfielder Andrea Pirlo. As part of the package, striker Claudio Pizarro and defender Michael Mancienne would head to Italy.(Daily Star) 
Utility player Emmanuel Eboue is set to become the latest player to leave Arsenal by signing a five-year deal with Fiorentina. (Daily Mirror) 
Portsmouth want to take Wigan forward Amr Zaki on loan. (Daily Mirror)
Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce has made a £1.7m bid for Celta Vigo's Algerian striker Kamel Ghilas.(The Sun) 
And Allardyce has been given the all-clear by Chelsea to sign striker Franco Di Santo on loan. (Daily Mirror)
West Bromwich Albion are interested in Wigan forward Marlon King. (Daily Mirror) 

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OTHER GOSSIP


It looks like Alan Shearer will not be Newcastle manager for the new season as BBC presenter Gary Lineker says the former Magpies and England striker will once again be joining him on Match Of The Day.(The Sun) 
Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves has suffered another setback in his recovery from knee surgery and could be out until Christmas. (Daily Mirror)
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Tuesday's gossip column


TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester City have struck a deal with Arsenal for the £15m signing of defender Kolo Toure, who will double his wages at Eastlands.(Daily Mail) 
Toure's departure from Arsenal to Manchester City is set to spark a defender merry-go-round this summer. Joleon Lescott will also move to Eastlands from Everton, with Tottenham's Alan Hutton and City's Nedum Onuoha replacing him at Goodison Park, while Arsenal are to move for Fulham's Brede Hangeland. (Daily Mirror) 
Manchester City and Bolton are leading the chase for Sporting Lisbon midfielder Miguel Veloso (on photo), who is valued at about £15m. (The Sun) 
Real Madrid have said that Liverpool's £30m valuation of midfielder Xabi Alonso is unrealistic. The Spanish club are not willing to pay more than £24m.(Daily Telegraph) 
Burnley are ready to make an improved bid for Sheffield Wednesday striker Marcus Tudgay. (Daily Mirror)
West Ham are struggling to keep defender Lucas Neill at the club after contract talks broke down. Turkish side Galatasaray are favourites to sign the 31-year-old. (The Sun) 
West Ham striker Dean Ashton is wanted by Hull after they failed to sign Bobby Zamora from Fulham.(Daily Express) 
Aston Villa are interested in Blackburn's £6m-rated defender Stephen Warnock.(Daily Mail) 
Arsenal have joined the list of clubs linked with Roma striker Mirko Vucinic. (Daily Telegraph)
Hull are poised to join Everton in the race for Tottenham defender Alan Hutton.(The Sun) 
Portsmouth are closing in on the signing of Hadjuk Split striker Nikola Kalinic as a replacement for Peter Crouch, who has joined Tottenham. (Various)
And Pompey have offered defender Sylvain Distin a new contract to fight off Aston Villa's £3m bid. (Daily Mirror) 
Fulham midfielder Danny Murphy and Portsmouth winger John Utaka are both targets for Stoke.(Daily Mail) 
Wigan have told former boss Steve Bruce, who is now at Sunderland, not to make another bid for midfielder Lee Cattermole.(The Sun) 
Everton manager David Moyes has launched a £7m bid for Alan Hutton after the Scotland defender was deemed surplus to requirements at Tottenham Hotspur. (Daily Record)
Kilmarnock have agreed a contract with freed Rotherham striker Mark Burchill subject to a medical. (Various) 
Plymouth have put in a cash offer to Amiens for Reda Johnson and are likely to beat Aberdeen to the defender's signature. (Daily Record)

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OTHER GOSSIP


Inter Milan's ex-Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho says he wants to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson as manager of Manchester United. (Daily Mirror)
Barcelona's former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry has denied reports that he told another ex-Gunners favourite, Patrick Vieira, to sign for arch rivals Tottenham, although he did tell Spurs boss Harry Redknapp the Inter Milan midfielder "would be a brilliant signing". However, Henry added: "I am Arsenal through and through. I'd never advise anyone to sign for Tottenham."(The Sun) 
Kilmarnock have withdrawn their offer of a coaching post to retiring midfielder Gary Locke. (The Times)
Dinamo Moscow assistant Alexsandr Smirnov says he learned little about Celtic on Sunday because Tony Mowbray played his reserve side in the 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur. (Daily Record) 
Celtic are set to name Lisbon Lion and former captain and manager Billy McNeill as the club's official ambassador. (The Sun)
Scotland manager George Burley has written to Sir Alex Ferguson asking for Darren Fletcher to be rested for Man Utd's Community Shield match against Chelsea ahead of the World Cup qualifier in Norway. (Daily Record) 
Steau Bucharest president Gigi Becali says Motherwell have no chance of beating his team in Thursday's Europa League qualifier. (Daily Record)


AND FINALLY

Chelsea captain John Terry has revealed the level of influence he has at Stamford Bridge in his first interview since rejecting Manchester City's overtures. Terry says he is among a trio of players, along with midfielder Frank Lampard and striker Didier Drogba, who give advice to owner Roman Abramovich.(Various)
Darren Bent really was a last-minute withdrawal from Tottenham's pre-season tour to China as his move to Sunderland gathered pace on Monday night. The striker was strapped in his seat just before take off when the call came that the two clubs were close to agreeing a deal. His bags were retrieved from the hold of the plane before he travelled north to begin talks. (Various)
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Monday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

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Manchester City, turned down by Chelsea captain John Terry, will now turn their attentions to a £12m bid for Arsenal defender Kolo Toure. City are also looking at Everton centre-half Joleon Lescott and are prepared to up their bid to £20m.(The Independent) 

Fulham striker Bobby Zamora has rejected a £5m move to Hull, becoming the fourth forward to turn down Tigers boss Phil Brown after Michael Owen, Fraizer Campbell, and Marc-Antoine Fortune all said no to a switch.(Daily Mirror) 
Sunderland and Bordeaux are still negotiating a deal that would result in striker Marouane Chamakh heading to the north-east. (The Times)
Leeds United have put an £8m price tag on teenage midfielder Fabian Delph, a Tottenham target, and would ideally like him back on loan for a month. (Daily Mirror) 
Midfielder Gavin McCann and defenders Danny Shittu and Nicky Hunt may leave Bolton as manager Gary Megson looks to recoup some cash following a signing spree.(Daily Mirror) 
Former Chelsea forward Eidur Gudjohnsen says he is not guaranteed to return to England this summer if he leaves Barcelona, despite interest from West Ham. (Daily Telegraph) 
Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill hopes Portsmouth defender Sylvain Distin will fly out to Spain this week to join the Midlands club, who are taking part in the Peace Cup. However, Pompey are holding out for a fee of about £4m after a £2.5m bid by Villa. (Daily Express)
Sam Allardyce is trying to land Zenit St Petersburg striker Pavel Pogrebnyak for Blackburn as a replacement for Roque Santa Cruz, who joined Manchester City in June. (Daily Mail) 
Sunderland, Everton and Aston Villa are all hunting Standard Liege's Milan Jovanovic after the midfielder reiterated his desire to play in the Premier League. (Daily Mail)Daily Mail 
West Brom manager Roberto di Matteo is ready to make a shock move for Rotherham United's highly rated striker Reuben Reid. (Daily Mirror) 
Cardiff City veteran Mark Kennedy says striker Ross McCormack, a Hull City target, is a "fantastic player, a great lad and very popular in the dressing room".(Western Mail) 
Midfielder Steven Pienaar could be on his way out at Everton after rejecting a new contract. He has attracted interest from Atletico Madrid and Fiorentina. (Daily Mail) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich will not offer John Terry the £250,000 weekly salary he would have got from Manchester City but the England defender's new Stamford Bridge contract will put him on at least £150,000 a week.(Daily Mail) 

AND FINALLY

Notts County's players say they have no idea what Sven-Goran Eriksson's precise role will be at the club. The new director of football watched Ian McParland's side beat Nottingham Forest 2-1 in a friendly on Saturday but keeper Russell Hoult said: "What Sven does, we don't know."(Daily Mail)
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Sunday's gossip column


TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester City have agreed personal terms with Arsenal defender Kolo Toure in a deal worth £15m, while the Eastlands club also expect to sign Chelsea captain John Terry and Everton defender Joleon Lescott by the end of August. (Sunday Times) 
City's deal for Terry is edging closer with a £35m fee likely for the England captain. (Mail on Sunday) 
However, such a move would actually seem unlikely with Terry ready to commit to a new £150,000-a-week deal which would mean he will end his career with Chelsea. (Sunday Express)
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is planning a £7m bid for Chelsea forward Salomon Kalou, 23, whose contract at Stamford Bridge runs out at the end of the season. (News of the World)
And the Arsenal boss is planning to make a £15m move for Real Madrid striker - and Tottenham target - Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and a £10m bid for Wigan midfielder Lee Cattermole (Sunday Express)
Wenger is also leading the race to sign Brazilian 'wonderkid' Wellington, 17.(News of the World) 
LA Galaxy midfielder David Beckham will turn his back on a return to the Premier League and rejoin AC Milan on loan in December. (Sunday Mirror) 
West Ham will demand £15m for centre-back Matthew Upson, who is being chased by Tottenham, but if Manchester City fail to buy John Terry City boss Mark Hughes will make a move for Upson. (News of the World) 
Portsmouth striker Peter Crouch will complete a £10m move to Tottenham on Monday. (Sunday Mirror) 
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp will fly out to Amsterdam to thrash out personal terms with Real Madrid striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, 25, after agreeing an £18m deal with the Spanish side.(News of the World) 
Spurs also lead the chase for Leeds United midfielder Fabien Delph - the highly-rated 19-year-old would cost £6m. (Sunday Times)
Aston Villa look likely to land Totteham midfielder Jermaine Jenas, 26, and Villa boss Martin O'Neill will sell Nigel Reo-Coker and Craig Gardner to make room for the England international. (News of the World) 
Another player who could be leaving Spurs is Scottish right-back Alan Hutton, who is a £7m target for Everton. (News of the World) 
And yet more talk of an exit from White Hart Lane for Spurs striker Darren Bent with Sunderland making a club-record £15m bid for the 25-year-old. (News of the World) 
Stoke, Fulham and Hull are battling to sign West Ham's injury-plagued striker Dean Ashton for £5m. (Sunday Express)
Meanwhile, a move for West Ham midfielder Julien Faubert is being considered by Bayer Leverkusen.(News of the World) 
Hull boss Phil Brown wants to sign Newcastle defender Habib Beye, 31, for £2.5m.(News of the World) 
Porstmouth boss Paul Hart wants to bring Nottingham Forest defenders Wes Morgan and James Perch to Fratton Park. Hart has already had a £1.5m bid for Perch turned down. (News of the World) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has called Manchester City "stupid and arrogant" and a "small club with a small mentality". Ferguson also claimed City's £25m new signing Emmanuel Adebayor had been offered to United and Chelsea after he had agreed a deal to move to Eastlands. (Mail on Sunday) 
However, Inter Milan boss Jose Mourinho has stirred the pot further by backing City to win the Premier League this season. "Adebayor up front with Carlos Tevez - unbelievable... City are Champions for sure," said Mourinho.(News of the World) 

AND FINALLY

Wives and girlfriends of players at LA Galaxy are holding a "bury the hatchet" barbeque in an attempt to end tension between David Beckham and the rest of the Galaxy squad.
The WAGS hope the good spirit will filter through to the fans who booed Beckham on his return to the Galaxy after a spell with AC Milan. (Sunday Express)
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Girondins de Bordeaux 2-0 EA Guingamp


Fernando Cavenaghi's strike shortly before half-time and Fernando's close-range effort in second-half stoppage time saw Laurent Blanc's men match last year's triumph over Lyon in the traditional curtain-raiser to the Ligue 1 season, which was being played outside of France for the first time. 
Undoubtedly wary of succumbing to a similar fate as fellow Ligue 2 side Vannes in last April's League Cup final, where the Breton club found themselves three goals down after just 12 minutes, French Cup winners Guingamp began briskly. 
Victor Zvunka's men dictated play without threatening significantly even if Cédric Carrasso was called upon to cut out a menacing cross with Sébastien Grax lurking with intent. 
With Bordeaux newboy Jaroslav Plasil, who was placed on the right of midfield for his Girondins' debut, not yet on the same wavelength as his team-mates, the champions' most promising openings came on the opposite flank where Benoît Tremoulinas and Wendel showed the summer break had done little to diminish the understanding they had developed so fruitfully last season. 
It was the former who was at the heart of the incisive move that saw Blanc's men go ahead seven minutes before the break in Quebec. 
Released by a measured ball from Marc Planus, Tremoulinas found the unmarked Cavenaghi just inside the box, and the Argentine striker whipped a low shot past Stéphane Trevisan. 
Trevisan was then forced to race off his line to smother a ball destined for Marouane Chamakh as Bordeaux upped the pace, and the Ligue 1 side would have found themselves with a two-goal half-time cushion had Yoann Gourcuff not snatched impetuously at a chance created by a lofted pass from Wendel that had left the Guingamp back four flat-footed. 
The sizeable crowd packed inside the Olympic Stadium, many of whom were decked in the blue shirts of the French national side, were to see much less goalmouth action in a second-half punctuated by several changes in personnel on both sides. 
Chamakh, who has declared his desire to quit the Stade Chaban-Delmas and pursue his career in England, thought he had doubled his side's advantage with ten minutes remaining, but the Moroccan international's effort was ruled out by an assistant referee's flag. 
However, with the game creeping into stoppage time, Fernando ensured Les Girondins would leave Quebec with the prize, touching home after the ball had ricocheted kindly when a Gourcuff free-kick struck a post.
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Girondins Bordeaux - EA Guingamp

I'll be out whole day, so won't post gossip column for Saturday. But, have a nice little pick for the evening. ; )

In the previous season, Bordeaux made a first class surprise and conquer the French Ligue 1. Thankfully to amazing streak of twelve competitive wins in a row, they finished as the champions, leaving behind Olympique de Marseille and hard favorites Olympique Lyonnais. Now, nobody dares to say anything about retaining the title, but ambitions are highest and 24.5 million euros has been already spent on transfer market. Only important player who left the squad is centre-back Souleymane Diawara (signed for Marseille) and boss Laurent Blanc is looking for his replacement. UK press have been writing a lot about Moroccan striker Marouane Chamakh and his expected move to Premier League. For now he stays at the club, but will have additional motive in this game, to show himself in the best shape. Bordeaux already played three games in the preparation for new season. First a 1-1 draw against Brest, then defeat against Toulouse 0-1 and in the third game lads showed something from the last season shine, defeating Olympique de Marseille 2-1. Blanc will have all squad available, which means killer trio Gourcuff, Cavenaghi, Chamakh in attacking line.

If Bordeaux made a surprise winning a title, than in Guingamp’s case we can talk about sensation. Club last five years compete in second league, finished the previous season at 13th place with just ten victories in 38 games. It seems they still try to recover from 2003., when four big stars, Florent Malouda, Didier Drogba, Nestor Fabbri and Juan-Luis Montero left the club. However, Guingamp made a big victory at the Stade de France in the Cup final, over Stade Rennais FC 2-1 with two goals by excellent Brazilian Eduardo Ribeiro (went to RC Lens). Beside the opportunity to compete in UEFA Europa League, Guingamp will face the national champions in Super Cup. Game will be played in Montreal – Canada and it attracted very big interest from foreign broadcasters. So, beside the sport’s motives, club officials see a nice opportunity for a free advertising. This will be their first game in preparation for the new season. Boss Victor Zvunka has no injury concerns. 

This game has been moved to Quebec with the aim to promote French football abroad and national officials proudly announced the live TV coverage will see the match beamed into homes worldwide from Argentina to Greece. And of course, a promotion of French football demands goals. I think both sides will forget the formality of the game and will try to play attractive and to score one goal more. Additional reason for my bet is artificial pitch in Montreal, ball will move much faster which can cause some errors in defence lines. Bwin offer 2.20. Over.

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Friday's gossip column


TRANSFER GOSSIP

Liverpool have emerged as shock contenders to bring striker Peter Crouch back to Anfield in a £12m deal.(Daily Star) 
Rafael Benitez's bid to sign Spain winger David Silva has been boosted by bankruptcy-threatened Valencia's failure to sell David Villa.(The Independent) 
Bolton boss Gary Megson is on the brink of landing defender Zat Knight for £4.5m from Aston Villa. (The Sun)
Leicester manager Nigel Pearson is ready to snap up Manchester City defender Ryan McGivern on loan. (Daily Star) 
Fulham, Tottenham, Portsmouth and West Ham are all pursuing out-of-favour Juventus midfielder Christian Poulsen, worth around £4m.(Daily Mail) 
Ecuadorian winger Fernando Guerrero, recently linked with Hull, may be offered a permanent deal with Burnley following a trial. (Daily Telegraph) 
West Ham are confident of signing Swiss teenage defender Fabio Daprela from Grasshopper Zurich, but face competition. (The Times)
Ajax coach Martin Jol is interested in signing Spurs full-backGareth Bale. (The Times) 
Hull manager Phil Brown is keen to persuade veteran striker Mark Viduka to forgo retirement plans by moving to the Tigers under a pay-as-you-play contract. (The Sun)
Bulgarian striker Valeri Bojinov is set to leave Manchester City for Lazio in a possible £4.5m deal. (The Sun) 
Veteran full-back Steve Finnan, now at Espanyol, is being chased by Sunderland, Stoke and Wolves. (The Sun)
Stoke boss Tony Pulis is planning a fresh £5.5m bid for West Ham's injury-prone striker Dean Ashton. (The Sun) 
Real Madrid forward Klaas-Jan Huntelaar will not move to Stuttgart, so Premier League clubs such as Tottenham and Arsenal may step up their interest.(The Independent) 
Plymouth are linked with a move for Rangers midfielder Charlie Adam after Blackpool stalled on a move. (Daily Record) 
Everton want a quick answer from Sweden midfielder Rasmus Elm about a possible move to Goodison Park.(Daily Mirror) 
Wolfsburg are pondering a move for Newcastle striker Obafemi Martins. (Daily Mail) 
Charlton, whose £2m-rated teenager Jonjo Shelvey is wanted by Ipswich, are targeting ex-Birmingham City defender Radhi Jaidi. (Daily Mail)
Celtic manager Tony Mowbray looks to have beaten West Brom to the signing of Coventry defender Danny Fox. (Daily Mail) 
Sheffield United, who may lose striker Billy Sharp to Notts County, want to buy Tottenham midfielder Danny Rose and Charlton defender Jonathan Fortune. (Daily Star)

OTHER GOSSIP

Boss Alan Shearer is ready to leave Newcastle in disgust at Mike Ashley's failure to sell the club.(Daily Express) 

AND FINALLY

Billionaire Arab Sheikh Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan is poised to pour millions into Welsh premier League side Bangor City after going to university in the town. Bangor's average gate is 400.(The Sun)
www.bbc.co.uk

UEFA Cup - end of the day

Crvena Zvezda 4-0 Rudar Velenje

1 - 0 V. Bogdanovic  37.min.
2 - 0 A. Jevtic  74.min.
3 - 0 C.E. Cadu  85.min.
4 - 0 A. Jevtic  90.min.

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Kaunas 1-1 Sevojno

0 - 1 V. Vujovic  48.min.
1 - 1 M. Fridrikas  76.min.


Europa League Qualification - second for today

Kaunas - Sevojno

Lithuanian side is not a shadow from the squad that eliminated Glasgow Rangers,two years ago.Because the financial problems they're in the third league currently.Very young team,speaker said on the bench is one lad 13 years old!Explanation of their performance in Belgrade (Partizan's stadium, 200km from Sevojno) would be wasting the words.Just the info they didn't reach a single corner (Sevojno made 17)!The far biggest impression were few guys who arrived to Serbia to support the club.

Sevojno compete in Serbian second league,but considering the quality they're on the level as 5-6 team in first.First game was their debut on European scene and whatever they were saying about scouting,dvds,the truth is they didn't have any idea about the opponent's strength.Today will have much more self confidence and with better climate conditions will go for a win.

Odds on the visitors are high,up to 2.75 (Betfair).For me definitelly worth of bet.Instead DNB,double chance,will pass...,I'm going on a clear away win. Pinnacle offer 2.64.

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Crvena Zvezda - Rudar Velenje

Before two months Crvena Zvezda got the new club’s management (once again). Club is in big financial crisis, owing about 30 million euros. As one measure of financial consolidation, all players with the high contracts (best players at the same time) left the club. Instead them, some new faces came, most of them passed club’s youth academy (“our kids” as the officials like to say). On the first sight, the biggest signings are strikers Jevtic (came from Turkish Genclerbirligi) and young Perovic (was loaned), defender Djordevic (from Altah) and two Brazilian midfielders from Montenegrian side Zeta, Kadu and Savio (who made important role in the first clash). President Lukic says, this is the cheapest team in history (bad voices say, the worst at the same time), but the true is nobody knows what to expect from the lads. The team leaders are ex-international, winger Lazetic and midfielder from Ghana Isah. In the first game, boss Vladimir Petrovic set the more than defending formation, with three defensive midfielders in the team! The goal was achieved, Zvezda won 1-0, but it has to be said with the slight touch of luck. Petrovic had an arguing with the midfield playmaker Burzanovic (probably will leave the club), but it doesn’t affect on team morale. All players are available. Public expects attacking attitude from the start.

Rudar is small Slovenian club from Velenje. Before two years, they progressed from the second league, to first. The best player is ex Slovenian international Cipot. All players are few years in the club, playing together and team looks very compact. Beside the luck of experience in European competition, Rudar trashed Estonian side Trans Narva in the previous round. 3-0 win in the first game away and 3-1 in re-match at home. Before the clash with Belgrade team, Rudar was declared from the audience as the outsider, public expected two easy victories for Serbian squad. But, in the first game, Slovenians introduced themselves as a tough opponent and just because the huge respect to ex European and World champion, they didn’t make the better result. Now they’re full of optimism. Boss Marijan Pusnik said they don’t afraid of the hot atmosphere at “Marakana” and they’re capable to win and progress in the next round. Considering all their talks to the Serbian press, impression is they really believe in victory. That optimism (real or fake) will certainly affect on their decision to attack from the start. No injury, or suspended players, Pusnik will be able to send best eleven on the pitch.

Expected attendance tonight is about 25-30 000 and that will be the strong wind in the back for home side. Zvezda won’t risk, keeping the result from the first game, while visitors have nothing to wait. I think the home side is a big favorite here, but considering the both side’s intention to attack, the odds and propensity of Zvezda’s defence to big errors, bet on goals seems more appropriate. 10bet offer 1.83. Over.

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Thursday's gossip column


TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester City will offer Chelsea captain John Terry £1m a month in wages in a final bid to land the defender.(Daily Mail) 
But Terry will snub a move to Eastlands and sign a new contract to stay at Stamford Bridge.(The Sun) 
Manchester City could add yet more fire power to their squad and are lining up an £18m swoop for Aston Villa winger Ashley Young. (Daily Express)
AC Milan are poised to make a £10m bid for Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner. (Daily Express) 
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is set to battle it out with Aston Villa for the signing of Portsmouth defender Sylvain Distin. (Daily Mirror)
But Villa are preparing to improve their offer for the 31-year-old to £3m. (Daily Mail) 
Barcelona forward Eidur Gudjohnsen is thinking over a move to West Ham. (Daily Mirror)
West Ham winger Julien Faubert is wanted by German side Schalke 04. (Daily Mirror) 
Portsmouth have made a £2m offer for Hull defender Sam Ricketts. (Daily Mirror)
Pompey manager Paul Hart is lining up a bid for Reading winger Steven Hunt. (The Sun) 
Turkish side Galatasaray are set to launch a bid to sign Chelsea midfielder Deco. (The Times)
Everton are keen on Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha.(Daily Mirror) 
Hull boss Phil Brown is lining up a £7m double swoop for Cardiff City midfielder Joe Ledley and striker Ross McCormack. (Daily Mirror)
Brown will also look to sign Ecuadorian winger Fernando Guerrero from Independiente Della Valle. (Daily Mirror) 
Preston are in talks with midfielder Didi Hamann after he was recently released by Manchester City. (Daily Mirror)
Striker Darius Vassell is set to secure a move to Turkish side Ankaragucu after also being released by Manchester City.(The Sun) 
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce is keen on signing Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh and is a lining up a £10m bid.(The Sun) 
The Black Cats are also interested in Aston Villa midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker. (Daily Telegraph) 
Stoke City are poised to sign Sunderland midfielder Dean Whitehead in a £2.5m move. (The Sun) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Argentina manager Diego Maradona is being lined up by Portsmouth for a sensational move to the Premier League. (Daily Star) 

AND FINALLY

Former Arsenal defender Ashley Cole has risked angering his former club by saying he hopes big-spending Manchester City push the Gunners out of the top four this season. (Daily Mail) 
Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov has likened playing for the club as being a member of 60s rock group The Beatles. (Daily Mirror) 
Meanwhile, the Glazer family, who own United, have denied claims that they have blocked Sir Alex Ferguson from spending the £80m Cristiano Ronaldo transfer fee because purse strings are being tightened at Old Trafford. (Daily Star)
www.bbc.co.uk

Wednesday's gossip column


TRANSFER GOSSIP

Chelsea and Manchester City are in the hunt for Liverpool's Spanish midfielder Xabi Alonso after his proposed £35m move to Real Madrid stalled.(Daily Mail) 
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez will move for Roma's Italian midfielder Alberto Aquilani - if Alonso moves to Real Madrid. (Daily Mirror)
Tottenham and Fulham want Portsmouth striker Peter Crouch after his £12m move to Sunderland fell through. (Daily Telegraph)

Sunderland boss Steve Bruce will now turn his attention to Tottenham forward Darren Bent.(Daily Telegraph) 
Another option for Bruce may be Bordeaux's Morocco international forward Marouane Chamakh. (The Guardian) 
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti anticipates Ukrainian striker Andriy Shevchenko, who was on loan at AC Milan last season, will leave the club before the start of the 2009-2010 campaign, with Dynamo Kiev and Fenerbache interested. (The Guardian) 
The line of suitors eyeing a move for former England captain David Beckham is growing, with Chelsea, Tottenham and Fulham all ready to offer the Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder a deal. (Daily Mail) 
Tottenham have tabled a £17m bid for Real Madrid's 23-year-old Spanish striker Alvaro Negredo.(Daily Mirror) 
And Spurs are weighing up a move for Manchester City winger Martin Petrov, 30, and could prize him away from Eastlands for £5m.(Daily Mail)
And Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp will beat Everton to the signature of Sheffield United defender Kyle Naughton. (The Guardian) 
South African midfielder Kagisho Dikgacoi is hoping to earn a deal at Fulham where he has been on a trial. The 24-year-old plays in his homeland for Golden Arrows. (The Guardian)
Fulham are set to make a £9m offer for Hull City defender Michael Turner, which includes striker Bobby Zamora going in the other direction. (Daily Mirror) 
Burnley boss Owen Coyle is tracking £500,000-rated Norwich midfielder Darel Russell. (Daily Mail)
Wolves are considering a move for Celtic defender Stephen McManus. (Daily Mail) 
Egypt striker Mido has returned to Middlesbrough after being fined for missing the start of pre-season training but the 26-year-old will be sold as soon as possible. (Daily Mail)
Middlesbrough are in talks with striker Leroy Lita, who was released by Reading at the end of last season. (Daily Mirror) 
Sheffield United are set to sign Manchester City striker Ched Evans for £1.5m, rising to £3m on appearances. (Daily Mail) 
However, Ipswich boss Roy Keane hopes to hijack the deal for Evans and take the striker to Suffolk. (Daily Star) 
Reading want Tottenham midfielder Adel Taarabt on a season-long loan deal. (Daily Mirror)
Cardiff boss Dave Jones wants to offload midfielder Paul Parry, 28, with Doncaster interested in a £500,000 deal. (Daily Mirror) 
Ipswich manager Roy Keane wants defender Danny Simpson from Manchester United and midfielder Dean Whitehead from Sunderland in a £2m deal. (Daily Mirror)
Celtic boss Tony Mowbray is keen to sign left-back Marek Cech from West Bromwich Albion. (The Guardian) 
Aberdeen boss Mark McGhee wants 21-year-old defender Reda Johnson on loan. The Benin international plays for French third division side Amiens. (Daily Record) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti has revealed "irreplaceable" striker Didier Drogba, 31, will sign a new three-year deal at Stamford Bridge. (Daily Telegraph)
Former England manager Glenn Hoddle was on Notts County's shortlist to become director of football at Meadow Lane before the club opted to recruit Sven Goran-Eriksson. (Daily Mail) 
Eriksson is considering taking former Nottingham Forest boss David Platt to Notts County as part of his revolution. (The Sun)

AND FINALLY

Despite having the advantage of being the fastest man in the world over 100m and 200m Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt says he is not particularly good at football: "I used to play but I'm no striker, I'm more of a defender or midfielder. I can't score goals." (Daily Star)
www.bbc.co.uk

Dinamo 3-0 Pyunik


NK Dinamo Zagreb overcame a tricky test from Armenian champions FC Pyunik to run out 3-0 winners and progress out of the UEFA Champions League second qualifying round.

The visitors gave Dinamo a couple of early scares but, led by man of the match Pedro Morales, the Croatian side wrestled the initiative and goals from Marijo Mandžukić, Milan Badelj and Dejan Lovren helped them secure a tie against either FC Salzburg or Bohemian FC in the next phase.

Pyunik had held Dinamo to a goalless draw last week and started off in impressive fashion at the Maksimir Stadium. However, their early vim received a blow on the half-hour mark as Morales set up Mandžukić to give the hosts the lead. Morales was involved again as Dinamo doubled their lead in the 61st minute, Badelj benefiting from the Chilean's vision on this occasion, and Lovren completed the night's scoring soon after.
www.uefa.com

Dinamo Zagreb - Pyunik

After several years domination in Croatian championship, Dinamo come in the new season with a group stage of Champions League as the main target. Club’s management did the excellent job on transfer market, first keeping all the main players (Mandzukic will maybe leave the club, but after qualifications), then bringing some new talented players in the club. But, at the first step they faced some problems. At the game in Yerevan they were better opponent in the first half, missing some chances to score. In the second part, because the low air humidity, players were slower and at the end even had a luck to stay undefeated. Tonight, stadium will be empty as the club serve the UEFA ban provoked with violent behavior of their fans. Beside discouraged atmosphere at Maksimir, possible problem will be the pressure, one conceded goal could mean the season is over, even before it started. Boss Krunoslav Jurcic stated seven more days of trainings (from the first game) means a lot for the team’s shape. Key defender Robert Kovac is returning to the squad.

Despite the full decade domination in domain frames, Pyunik don’t have too much success in European qualifications. In the past few years, too big obstacles were: Haka, Sheriff, Shakhtyor and last year Anorthosis. Comparing their budget and Dinamo’s, Armenians are without any chance in this encounter. The team is consisted mainly from domain players, several from them are Armenian’s internationals, but usually that isn’t enough to be equal against serious European teams. But, in the first match, boss Vardan Minasyan set the defending formation with the clear aim to not allow visitors to score. Now, goalless draw gives even the advantage for his side. Minasyan announced they’ll play more attacking in re-match! Hard to believe, as it is expected they’ll defend again with all players behind the ball. However, the certain is one scored goal will make them very close to sensation. No injury problems, the best eleven will play.

First game showed Pyunik is much tougher opponent, than anybody in Zagreb really expected. Dinamo is still hard favorites here, but will have to secure the goal first. On the other hand, visitors will defend with all players and I think they can resist in the first half. Considering all the facts, I think X-1 (ht/ft) should be a bet that worth of try. Small bet, high odd (Bwin 5.00).

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Tuesday's gossip column


TRANSFER GOSSIP

Tottenham and Manchester City will offer England midfielder David Beckham a chance to return to the Premier League from the United States when Los Angeles Galaxy's Major League Soccer season finishes in October.(The Sun) 
Manchester City's Brazilian midfielder Elano, 28, could move on a season-long loan to German club Cologne or Inter Milan after being told not to join the club's pre-season tour of South Africa.(The Independent) 
And City are still confident they can complete a deal for Chelsea defender John Terry, with the Eastlands outfit ready to up their offer to £40m for the 28-year-old. (Daily Star) 
Everton defender Joleon Lescott will plead with manager David Moyes to allow him to speak to Manchester City over a move, with City expected to make an improved £18m offer for the England international. (The Times) 
Everton are on the verge of signing Sweden international midfielder Rasmus Elm, 21, from Kalmar. (Daily Mirror)
Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill wants Tottenham midfielder Jermaine Jenas in a £10m deal.(The Sun) 
And 26-year-old Jenas is also a target for Inter Milan who will use some of the £40m they expect to receive from Barcelona for striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.(The Guardian) 
Aston Villa midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker is a £3m target for Championship side Middlesbrough. Boro would also consider taking the 25-year-old as part of a a swap deal for Turkish striker Tuncay Sanli, who they value at £5m.(Daily Mirror) 
Tottenham look likely to miss out on Real Madrid's Dutch striker Klaas Jan-Huntelaar who is set for £18m move to Stuttgart. (Daily Mirror) 
Bordeaux's Morocco international striker Marauane Chamakh, 25, has given up hope of signing for Arsenal but will still consider a switch to the Premier League with Sunderland, Blackburn, Tottenham and Fulham all interested.(Daily Mirror) 
Liverpool defender Andrea Dossena is being targeted by Italian side Napoli. (The Times)
Bolton manager Gary Megson has made a £2m bid for Hull midfielder Sam Ricketts, 27. Full story: (Daily Star) 
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce will end his interest in Wigan midfielder Lee Cattermole after failing with a £6m bid. (Daily Star)
And Sunderland expect to find out on Tuesday whether they have been successful in their £12m bid to sign Portsmouth striker Peter Crouch. (The Telegraph) 
Portsmouth want Espanyol's former Liverpool defender Steve Finnan, 33, to replace Glen Johnson. (Daily Mirror)
Birmingham have lined up a £4m offer for Reading's 27-year-old winger Stephen Hunt. (Daily Star) 
Leicester boss Nigel Pearson wants former Reading striker Leroy Lita. The 24-year-old is a free agent. (Daily Star)
Glasgow Rangers Algerian international defender Madjid Bougherra has snubbed a £4m move to Bordeaux and will only leave the Scottish side for a team in the English Premier League. (Daily Record) 


OTHER GOSSIP

League Two side Notts County are lining up a move for former England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson after the club was taken over by a Middle Eastern consortium. (The Sun) 
Frank Lampard has backed his new Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti to be as successful at the club as former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho. "I don't think Ancelotti will have any issue with stepping out of Mourinho's shadow whatsoever," he said. (Daily Mirror) 
Portsmouth's £60m takeover by United Arab Emirates businessman Sulaiman Al Fahim should be completed on Tuesday - preventing Pompey from becoming the first Premier League club to go into administration. (Daily Mirror)

AND FINALLY

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson believes Cristiano Ronaldo's love for the club could result in the winger returning to the club in the future. "He may come back, you never know... He loved United," said Ferguson. (The Sun) 
Meanwhile, Ferguson has claimed Argentine striker Carlos Tevez was "not worth" the £25m Manchester City paid for him. (The Guardian)
www.bbc.co.uk

Shamrock Rovers - Real Madrid

For Defoe (chat box).

This is the premiere of the new galacticos. 80 000 people came to see Cristiano Ronaldo's unveiling at Bernabeu, tonight only 10 000 will be able to watch the debut. The best eleven are expected on the pitch (confirmed Ronaldo and Kaka will play).

For Shamrock, this will be the most important game in the history (some statement to the press few days ago). And what's the best way to someone hear for you except to score a goal to Real Madrid?! I must check the odds for Gary Twigg to score. Depending from the odds, maybe few bucks on it.

Real play the first game in the preparation for the new season, while Shamrock is in their best shape. I think hosts can score tonight. Real will win, of course, but I think the value lies at over. Over 3.5 is about 1.75, good bet. Maybe the best bet is over 4.5 with a small, gamble bet. Odds around 2.50.

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European qualifications are in front. Will be some analyzes. Stay tuned.

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Monday's gossip column


BREAKING GOSSIP

Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso has joined up with his team-mates for their pre-season tour of the Far East but the Real Madrid target has still left a question mark over his future at the club. He told Spanish newspaper AS: "It is always a great feeling when Madrid want you, especially considering the phase of the career I am in now.
"But at this point, whether or not that can happen is not up to me. It's a matter that involves three parties, including myself. I do not like to force the issue. I prefer to talk."

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester City will up their bid to £40m to try to prise centre-back John Terry out of Chelsea's grasp.(Daily Mail) 
Toulouse striker Andre-Pierre Gignac has emerged as a target for Arsenal as Gunners boss Arsene Wenger looks to replace forward Emmanuel Adebayor, who has moved to Manchester City.(Daily Mail) 
Hull City are keen on Liverpool striker Andriy Voronin but want the Ukraine international on loan rather than as a permanent signing.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester United are trying to negotiate down the price of Gremio midfielder Douglas Costa, while Chelsea, Real Madrid and Villarreal have entered the fray for the Brazilian.(Guardian) 
Everton are battling with Fulham, Ajax and PSV Eindhoven for Swedish Under-21 midfielder Rasmus Elm, who plays for Kalmar.(Daily Mail) 
Fulham have been offered the chance to sign Juventus midfielder Christian Poulsen, who has turned down a £6m move to Fenerbahce.(Times) 
AC Milan boss Leonardo has left the door open to Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder David Beckham returning to the San Siro after the England international's successful six-month loan at the club earlier this year.(Independent) 
Blackburn's flirtation with signing former Inter Milan striker Christian Vieri has ended, with Rovers manager Sam Allardyce believing the Italian is too unfit.(Daily Mirror) 
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp is set to wrap up an £11m deal for Sheffield United full-backs Kyle Naughton and Kyle Walker. (Daily Mirror)
Nottingham Forest are close to bringing in Tottenham defender Chris Gunter, Preston midfielder Paul McKenna and QPR striker Dexter Blackstock for a combined £4m.(Daily Star) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has urged fans not to criticise club "legend" and team-mate John Terry if he decides to leave the Stamford Bridge outfit. The England defender has been targeted by Manchester City.(Daily Star) 
Manchester City striker Craig Bellamy says he has no plans to leave the club, despite the increased competition for places up front following the signing of Carlos Tevez, Roque Santa Cruz and Emmanuel Adebayor.(Daily Mirror) 
Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill says Liverpool did not lodge a bid for Gareth Barry before the midfielder's move to Manchester City.(Daily Expres) 

AND FINALLY

There may have been up to 80,000 fans at the Bernabeu to greet former Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo at his Real Madrid unveiling but only 10,000 will be able to attend as he makes his debut against Shamrock Rovers on Monday.(Daily Mail)
www.bbc.co.uk

Sunday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

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Liverpool are set to offer £20m for Aston Villa winger Ashley Young.(News of the World) 

Villa have rejected an £18m opening offer for Young from Tottenham, saying they value the player at £30m. (The Sunday Times) 
Arsenal poised to bid £10m for Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh to replace Emmanuel Adebayor.(News of the World) 
Bordeaux coach Laurent Blanc says he would like Chamakh's future to be resolved by Thursday. (The Observer) 
Everton have slapped a £30m price tag on centre-back Joleon Lescott, which is double Manchester City's current bid.(News of the World) 
Tottenham are close to capturing Portsmouth striker Peter Crouch after tabling a £12m offer in the last 24 hours, beating off competition from Fulham and Sunderland.(News of the World) 
Spurs will find out on Monday if Real Madrid striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar will reject an £18m transfer to Stuttgart in favour of a move to White Hart Lane.(The Mail on Sunday) 
Chelsea and Tottenham are considering making a move for David Beckham, while AC Milan, who had the LA Galaxy midfielder on loan last season, are also interested.(The Mail on Sunday) 
Hull want to take Manchester City striker Benjani on a season-long loan. (News of the World) 
Bolton will try to hijack Portsmouth's bid to sign Hull defender Sam Ricketts. (News of the World) 
Former Newcastle striker Lomana LuaLua may quit Qatar club Al-Arabi to join Stoke. (News of the World) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Chelsea are set to report Manchester City boss Mark Hughes to the Premier League for 'tapping up' John Terry.(News of the World) 
Manchester City's Middle Eastern owners are ready to spend more than $1bn (£610m) on transfer fees and wages in their first year in control of the club.(The Sunday Times) 
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes Gunners' fans resentment over Emmanuel Adebayor's dalliance with AC Milan and Barcelona last summer drove the Togo striker to join Manchester City.(The Mail on Sunday) 
David Beckham has tipped Chelsea to win the Premier League title this season - because of their new boss Carlo Ancelotti. (News of the World) 
Steve McMahon has been told to find another £30m if he wants to take control at Newcastle. The former Liverpool player's Profitable Group made a £70m bid for the club on Friday. (News of the World) 

AND FINALLY

Carlos Tevez has bought former Manchester United team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo's old home for £4m. The Argentine striker, who has just joined Manchester City, will be neighbours with another former team-mate at Old Trafford, Rio Ferdinand. (News of the World)
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Saturday's gossip column


BREAKING GOSSIP

Bordeaux coach Laurent Blanc says the club have not received any bids for striker Marouane Chamakh (on photo), despite reported interest from a number of Premier League clubs, including Arsenal. (Press Association)

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Liverpool will intensify their efforts to sign Valencia playmaker David Silva. (The Times) 
Portsmouth striker Peter Crouch will decide over the weekend whether to join Sunderland or Fulham after both clubs made a £12m bid for the England international.(Daily Star) 
Pompey may also allow full-back Sylvain Distin to leave the club, with Aston Villa poised to bid about £3m. (The Independent)
Manchester City's hopes of completing a deal for Emmanuel Adebayor are in the balance as the Arsenal striker is keen on a move to Chelsea.(The Times) 
Meanwhile, City are set to make an improved offer for Everton defender Joleon Lescott after having a £15m bid rejected. (The Times) 
Should Lescott leave Goodison Park, the Toffees would consider West Ham defender Matthew Upson as a replacement.(The Times) 
Hull are ready to offer Newcastle £3m over three years to sign midfielder Joey Barton.(The Sun) 
Sunderland have been told it will cost them £5m to sign Crystal Palace defender Nathaniel Clyne.(Daily Mirror) 
The Black Cats have also made an enquiry about Tottenham defender Alan Hutton. (The Times) 
And Spurs could sell another defender, Pascal Chimbonda, to Blackburn. (The Times) 
Reading are ready to lower their £5.5m asking price for winger Stephen Hunt after receiving no bids. (Daily Star) 
Manchester City striker Ched Evans will complete a £1.5m move switch to Sheffield United next week.(Daily Mirror) 
Aston Villa have made Leeds a 'take it or leave it' offer of £4m plus add-ons for midfielder Fabian Delph.(Daily Mirror) 
But Tottenham are ready to join the bidding for Delph. (Daily Express)
Meanwhile, Spurs have been given until the start of next week to agree a fee with Real Madrid for striker Klass-Jan Huntelaar. (Daily Express) 
Stoke midfielder Seyi Olifinjana is in talks to join French club Monaco. (Daily Star)
Wigan are hopeful of signing Espanyol centre-back Roman Golobart on a free transfer. (The Sun) 
The Latics are also pressing ahead with their move for Crystal Palace winger Victor Moses. (Daily Mail)
Portsmouth boss Paul Hart is giving a trial to Zimbabwe left-back Onismor Bhasera. (Daily Star) 
Wolves are optimistic they can beat Celtic and Wigan to the signature of Hamilton midfielder James McCarthy. (Daily Star)
But Tottenham have joined the race for Accies' in-demand teenager McCarthy with a £2.7m bid. (The Herald) 
Dundee United have offered Argentine striker Damian Casalinuovo a deal after the 22-year-old impressed on trial. (Various)
Bordeaux have called off their bid for Madjid Bougherra because the defender is happy at Rangers. (Daily Record) 
Former Celtic defender Bobo Balde is training with Wolves after failing to win a deal at Birmingham. (Daily Express)
Barnsley are close to tying up a deal for former Darlington keeper David Preece. (Daily Star) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Emmanuel Adebayor is locked in a row with Arsenal over a £2m loyalty bonus. The Manchester City-bound striker says he is owed the cash because he did not put in a transfer request.(Daily Mirror) 
Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti says there will be no 'untouchables' at the club, insisting there are no guaranteed places in his first team. (Daily Star) 
Former Liverpool midfielder Steve McMahon is confident his Profitable Group consortium will complete their takeover of Newcastle in the next few days.(Daily Star) 
New Southampton boss Alan Pardew will offer new deals to strikers Jason Euell and Stern John.(Daily Star) 

AND FINALLY

Manchester City have taunted rivals Manchester United by putting up a Carlos Tevez poster in the city centre declaring: Welcome to Manchester. City signed the Argentine striker from their neighbours this week. (Daily Mirror)
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Drogheda United 1 - 2 Bray Wanderers

Bray secured a precious three points with a win away to the on form Drogheda United. Both the Seagulls goals couldn’t have been more different, the first a calamitous OG, while the second was a sublime strike.

The win puts Bray right back in the relegation battle along with Sligo, Drogheda and now Galway. It also ends an impressive six league game unbeaten streak for the Boynesiders. Bray were lucky to hold on for the win as they failed to get a solitary shot on target in the second half with Drogheda regularly bombarding the visiting goal in search of the elusive equaliser. 

Ian Ryan put the visitors ahead after 12 minutes, the Drogheda defender heading past his own keeper despite Paul Skinner’s calls for the ball. The goal came from Bray’s first foray into the Drogheda half after being under the cosh for the opening period. 

The second, which came ten minutes later, materialised from nothing. Bray were forced to play across the Drogheda box as they could not penetrate the back four, however Gary McCabe picked the ball up on the 20 yard line and dribbled to his right and struck a sweet shot into the top corner just out of reach of the diving Skinner. 

The home side did however pull a goal back before the break as a James Chambers free kick was handled by Patrick Kavanagh in the box and up stepped Shane Barrett to coolly dispatch the spot kick to the left of the keeper. 

Drogheda began the game in their normal fashion, forcing Bray to defend deep and deal with a lot of early pressure, the right wing pairing of James Chambers and Robbie Clarke working well. 

Drogheda nearly equalised moments after they conceded, Chris O’Connor failed to hold a Chambers freekick and Jamie Duffy almost tapped home, but the keeper scrambled to claim the ball at the second time of asking. 

Drogheda almost had pulled one back on 27 minutes when Jamie Duffy managed to beat Dave Webster as Alan McNally played a sweet through ball, however O’Connor managed to save the subsequent shot. 

Guy Bates came on at half time in place of Duffy, and the striker hassled the Bray defence down the left making life miserable for both Derek Pender and Derek Foran. 

The home side won four corners within the first five minutes of the second half as the Alan Mathews team talked seemed to work wonders. 

The Geordie almost made an immediate impact as on 51 minutes he picked up the ball on the wing and beat Foran to the wing and sent in a low cross that Robbie Martin raced on to, but the midfielder couldn’t direct his shot on target. 

Chris O’Connor came to Bray’s rescue once again as Drogheda funnelled down the left Drogheda as Chambers beats Pender and crosses into the box where Bates gets the ball and turns to lay it off to the on rushing Shiels whose curling shot is saved by a lunging O'Connor and tipped just around the post. 

The final ten minutes had the handful of travelling support sweating as Drogheda pushed harder for a leveller. On 80 minutes Barrett took the ball down the right and whipped in a menacing cross, but it was too close to O’Connor. 

Then minutes later a Brian King overhead pass to Paul Crowley saw the sub attempt an audacious diving header which he connected with but failed to direct the shot on target. 

Bates then saw a shot skim wide, a rather quiet Brendan McGill making his home debut whipped an inviting cross into the Bray box on 85 minutes as Bates flicked it on and the header by Paul Shiels looked certain for the back of the net until a diving effort by Chris Shields cleared the ball off the line. 

O’Connor saved two minutes into injury time when a Chambers freekick was headed back out by Crowley and Shiels header on goal was stopped by the net minder. 

The win for Bray will no doubt inspire some confidence in what was quickly looking to be a beleaguered side and they now face a home visit from Galway United. Alan Mathews will have to go back to the drawing board for next week’s big clash away to fierce local rivals Dundalk. 

Drogheda United: Skinner, Ryan, McNally, Kenna, R Clarke, King, Chambers, Shiels, Martin, Duffy, Barrett. Subs: Bates for Duffy (46 mins), McGill for Martin (64 mins), Crowley for Ryan (73 mins).

Bray Wanderers: O'Connor, Pender, Foran, Webster, Knight, Kavanagh, Brennan, Mulcahy, Shields, McCabe, S O'Neill. Subs: Massey for Knight (58 mins), D O'Neill for Brennan (79 mins) Mulroy for S O'Neill (85 mins).
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