CL thoughts - one gamble

Game at Old Trafford is hard to call, in my opinion. Fergie said they won’t sit back and wait for AC. Sure, would be stupid to say different. But, the true is in previous seasons in CL (in all Cups, as well) they usually didn’t win when they didn’t need to (with low scorings). AC need at least two goals, but too attacking approach would mean a suicide. Hm… Probably without a bet for me, but it smells like a draw. 1-1 correct score.

This Real look too much like Galactikos. They’ll have serious problems against any hard working side (any English club). 1.30 on a home win is a ridiculous odd, especially ‘cause they need to chase the result. I don’t see too many goals and will place a gamble bet on the first big shock this season. Draw. Pinnacle offer 6.10!

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Championship - Champions League

I've spent several hours reading, searching, thinking, making conclusions… At the end couldn’t find a good pick for tonight and I’m really annoyed. With the experiences from my past mistakes, won’t force myself to make a big bet anyway. But, will be 2 smaller.

Nottingham Forest - Sheffield United
This will be a shocking bet, but I am actually going to back United here.
Forest have 2 away defeats in a row. Before that, hardly won at home vs. Wednesday. They’re playing very well, but also have very young squad and recent result crisis can have a bigger impact. 
United are hard working side. Have injury problems in back line, but it seems they used to cope with it. Against Bristol, news was very dangerous Camara in front. Henderson has returned his old shape, as well.
4.5 for away win?! This will be a tight game. One good cross at the start would be enough to make 1.8 for a home win ridiculous. I’m still thinking between X2 and dnb 2. 

Milan – Manchester United
I don’t wan to offense anybody, but I really hate Italian football, with all those time wasting, faking, arguing with referee… My opinion is they simply can not cope with English clubs.
Yes, Milan have Ronaldinho who likes to play like a kid. Pato is great, agree. Seedorf and Becks could make some excellent individual efforts. But, they also have Dida at the goal, slow midfield with Gattuso and Ambrosini and even slower defense line. Also, their years won’t be an advance.
United miss Ronaldo. They avoid to admit, but have a problem with Vidic. Some rumors say, Rio is in the same row. But, they’re second English team (with one point behind Chelsea) and that fact must be respected. Also, Rooney is in a life’s shape. I guess Sir Alex will set defensive formation and try to kill Italians with some counter attack. 
I have little doubt again, dnb or clear away win. Think, it would be dnb 2.

There’s no way I’ll back Derby this season, anytime, against anybody and with any odds. Matter of principle. In fact, I refuse to bet on any game in which Derby are involved. Won’t regret even if they win 3-0 tonight, one bet more or less. Too much nerves have lost.

Will prepare for a pint and tv coverage.
See you tomorrow.

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Tuesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Inter Milan and AC Milan are set to battle it out over signing Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor.(Daily Mail) 
Manchester City are stepping up their bid to take on former Manchester United striker Diego Forlan for £20m from Villarreal.(Daily Mirror) 
Wigan have lined up a deal with Real Madrid to receive £21.5m for Latics winger Antonio Valencia. (Daily Mail) 
Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso could be on his way to Real Madrid for £21m if Florentino Perez returns as club president. (Daily Star) 
Tottenham are targeting Lazio striker Goran Pandev. (Daily Mirror)
Spurs are lining up a bid for Wolfsburg's Bosnia striker Edin Dzeko. (Daily Mail) 
Tottenham are weighing up an £8m offer for Celtic midfielder Scott Brown. (Daily Express)
Rangers midfielder Barry Ferguson is poised for a £1m summer move to West Brom. (The Sun) 
Celtic are hoping to sign Barcelona forward Bojan Krkic on loan. (The Sun)
Bruno Aguiar's agent says the midfielder will leave Hearts, with Ajax, Celtic and Rangers showing interest. (Various) 
Swindon Town have told Celtic to double their bid for striker Simon Cox after offering £1.2m for the striker and defender Sean Morrison. (Daily Mail) 
Crystal Palace are ready to move for Derby's Jamaica defender Claude Davis, who has been on loan at Selhurst Park. (Daily Express)
Bolton are keen on signing West Brom full-back Paul Robinson. (The Sun) 
Portsmouth's Sean Davis has turned down a new contract, with Wigan and Wolves set to move in on the midfielder. (Daily Mirror) 
Wolves are set to swoop for Standard Liege centre-half Oguchi Onyewu. (Daily Mirror)

OTHER GOSSIP

Arsene Wenger's future as Arsenal manager has come under more scrutiny. The Frenchman has been stung by criticism in the recent shareholders' meeting. He is also annoyed by the news that striker Adebayor is set to quit. (Various)(The Sun) 
AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti's proposed move to the Chelsea managerial helm has taken a twist, with the London club reluctant to employ the Italian's assistants Mauro Tassotti and Filippo Galli.(The Times) 
Carlos Tevez's exit from Old Trafford looks sealed after the Argentine forward failed to attend Manchester United's player of the year dinner. (The Sun) 
England's World Cup-winning legend Geoff Hurst, attending his country's bid to stage the 2018 World Cup, is a big fan of striker Wayne Rooney. He said: "Winning the World Cup in your own country is huge and I think Rooney can do it." (Various) 
Midfielder Stewart Downing, forward Tuncay, striker Afonso Alves and defender Robert Huth will leave if Middlesbrough are relegated at the weekend. (Daily Mail)
Willie Miller has called for urgent action by the Scottish Football Association. Aberdeen's director of football is unhappy after Rangers striker Kyle Lafferty feigned injury on Saturday which led to the sending off of Aberdeen defender Charlie Mulgrew.(Daily Record) 
Manchester City's Stephen Ireland is set to leave Eastlands with the midfielder upset with contract negotiations stalling. (Various)(The Sun) 
Investors from the United States and the Middle East are lining up a £140m offer for Newcastle United - but it all hangs on the club remaining in the Premier League. (The Guardian) 
Wigan striker Amr Zaki, who is on loan from Zamalek, insists he was the one to pull the plug on a permanent move. (Daily Mirror)
Everton defender Phil Jagielka is to be rewarded for his efforts this season by being given a new contract, despite a bad knee injury. (The Sun) 
England's 2018 World Cup bid may rest on the Premier League accepting Fifa and Uefa regulations stipulating that a side must contain a minimum of six home-grown players and a maximum of five foreigners. (Daily Express)

AND FINALLY 

England midfielder David Beckham, on loan at AC Milan from Los Angeles Galaxy, has warned Chelsea about their potential new boss Carlo Ancelotti. Beckham said of the Milan coach: "While I have never had the hairdryer treatment from him I have seen it from him."(The Sun)
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Tuesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP 

Manchester City have held talks with Barcelona about signing Samuel Eto'o for a fee of about £40m. The Cameroon international striker has stalled on a new four-year deal at the Camp Nou and Barca could run the risk of losing him for nothing with 14 months left on his current deal. (Various)
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez admits he may have to sell some of his current squad to fund his summer transfer kitty. The Spaniard is eyeing Valencia duo David Silva and Raul Albiol, as well as Aston Villa's Gareth Barry. (Various)
Middlesbrough's record £12m signing Afonso Alves will join Benfica in the summer, even if the Teesiders escape relegation. (Various) 
Tottenham midfielder Didier Zokora says he is ready to quit the club after losing his first-team place. Team-mates David Bentley, Tom Huddlestone, Gareth Bale and Jermaine Jenas also face uncertain futures at White Hart Lane. (Daily Mirror)
Tottenham and Manchester City are among a number of clubs heading the list for Blackburn's Paraguay striker Roque Santa Cruz. (Guardian) 
AC Milan owner Silvio Burlusconi says he is unsure whether Carlo Ancelotti will be at the San Siro next season, fuelling speculation the Rossoneri coach will join Chelsea in the summer. (Daily Star)
Former Tottenham manager Martin Jol, now in charge of German side Hamburg, is favourite to succeed Jurgen Klinsmann, who was sacked as Bayern Munich manager on Tuesday. (The Times) 
Klinsmann's availability could interest Manchester City should the club decide to sack current manager Mark Hughes. (Daily Mirror) 
Manchester United winger Nani faces an uncertain future at Old Trafford following his second-half substitution in the 5-2 victory over Tottenham. The Portugal international has yet to complete 90 minutes in six Premier League starts this season. (Independent) 
Manchester City defender Richard Dunne has outlined his commitment to stay at Eastlands, despite interest from Sunderland. (Daily Star) 
Birmingham City and Newcastle are set to fight it out over £4m Rangers defender Madjid Bougherra. (The Sun) 
 
OTHER GOSSIP 

Barcelona striker Thierry Henry insists the Catalan giants are not just about Lionel Messi. ""Players like Xavi and Andres Iniesta are both unique and brilliant players." (Daily Star) 
Barcelona midfielder Xavi says Barca are a better side than the one beaten by Manchester United in last year's Champions League semi-final. (The Sun)
Chelsea right-back Jose Boswinga believes he can contain Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final. (Daily Star) 
Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor says Manchester United's Nemanja Vidic is the toughest defender he has played against. (The Sun)
Tottenham midfielder Jermaine Jenas could face a possible Football Association rap for criticising referee Howard Webb following his penalty decision in Spurs' 5-2 defeat by Manchester United. (Various) 
Sunderland striker David Healy could make his full Sunderland debut against Everton on Saturday, nine months after former boss Roy Keane signed him from Fulham for £1.5m. (Daily Star)
Celtic's title bid has been handed a boost with news that captain Stephen McManus and striker Georgios Samaras will be fit for Saturday's lunchtime kick-off at Pittodrie against Aberdeen. (Daily Record) 
Livingston chairman Angelo Massone has been ordered to attend a meeting with SFL chiefs to explain the escalating crisis at the club. (Daily Record) 
Hampden chief David Kells has leapt to the defence of the Hampden pitch following recent criticism, saying he will not be tearing up the national stadium's turf. (Daily Record)  
Celtic midfielder Marc Crosas has hit out at the standard of Scottish football, saying he feels derby experiences to date have been disappointing. (The Herald) 
Full story Falkirk have asked for a 50-50 ticket split for the Scottish Cup final at Hampden with Rangers in May. (The Herald) 
Celtic could join the English Premier League within ten years, according to the club's majority shareholder Dermot Desmond. (The Star) 

AND FINALLY 

Arsenal's Emmanuel Adebayor has compared AC Milan to bootylicious singer Beyonce after he admitted nearly quitting the Emirates for the San Siro. "It's like a boy being told Beyonce is looking for them," said the Togo international. (The Sun)
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Thursday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP 

AC Milan forward Kaka wants the Italian club to sign Steven Gerrard, despite the England midfielder recently agreeing a new contract with Liverpool. (Daily Mail) 
Cristiano Ronaldo's future has been plunged into fresh doubt after Ramón Calderón, the former Real Madrid president claimed the Spanish champions have a formal agreement to sign "one of the best players in the world" in the summer. (The Times) 
Liverpool forward Ryan Babel is expected to lead a summer exodus from Liverpool after voicing his frustration at his minor role in Rafael Benítez's squad this season. (The Times) 
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp will keep striker Roman Pavlyuchenko but ditch Darren Bent in the summer, according to the Russian's agent. (The Sun) 
Or Redknapp could let Pavlyuchenko and Bent leave and spend £10m replacing them with Sunderland's 24-year-old striker Kenwyne Jones. (Daily Mirror) 
But the Tottenham boss has pushed Genoa's Diego Milito to the bottom of his wanted list with Juventus and Inter Milan both chasing the striker. (Daily Express) 
Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill will not pay over the odds for Standard Liege midfielder Steven Defour this summer. Liege want £15m for the Belgian but O'Neill values the 22-year-old at £7m. (Daily Star) 
Wigan manager Steve Bruce has told Egyptian striker Mido, on loan at the JJB Stadium from Middlesbrough, that he is on course to earn a permanent move to Wigan this summer. (Various) 
Meanwhile, Bruce has run the rule over Santos Laguna and Ecuador striker Cristian Benitez. (The Sun) 
Wolves manager Mick McCarthy will be given the summer-funds to sign Joe Ledley, 22, from Cardiff for a fee of around £7m, and McCarthy is also tracking Wigan defender Emmerson Boyce. (Various) 
Arsenal are considering a bid to bring West Ham defender Matthew Upson back to the club, although it may depend on whether the Hammers get into Europe. (Daily Mirror) 
Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate is ready to bid for Swansea's goal machine Jason Scotland - whether his club beats the drop or not.  

OTHER GOSSIP 

Walter Smith has opened the door for Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor to play again for Rangers. The Ibrox boss revealed he has changed his mind on sidelining the shamed Scotland stars because the SFA admit they botched their handling of the Boozegate affair. (Various) 
But Ferguson and McGregor could still both be sold in the summer if offers come in that prove suitable to Rangers and the players. (Daily Mail) 
Rangers striker Kris Boyd has suffered a fresh blow when he was omitted from the shortlist for the PFA Scotland Player of the Year awards. 
The Scottish Premier League top scorer, who was almost sold in January, has 28 goals for the season and currently sits just two short of a century in Rangers colours. (Daily Mail) 
Juventus have confirmed Claudio Ranieri will remain their coach next season. (The Independent) 
Inter Milan are considering cancelling Adriano's contract after the Brazil striker said he was taking a break from the game. (The Independent) 
 
AND FINALLY 

England fans can breath easy, with the news that Wayne Rooney's wife Colleen is planning a Caesarean birth for the couple's first child. 
Colleen is due on 10 October - the same day as England's World Cup qualifier against Ukraine - but she now plans to have a Caesarean in late September. (The Sun)
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Saturday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP 

Arsenal are poised for a £12m summer raid on Paris Saint-Germain for 19-year-old defender Mamadou Sakho. (Sun) 
Spanish side Atletico Madrid are ready to fork out £9m for Chelsea centre-back Alex. (Sun) 
Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill is trying to persuade Gareth Barry to stay at the club and out of Liverpool's clutches. (Daily Mirror) 
Dutch striker Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink is hoping to secure a new contract with Celtic. (Independent) 
Midfielder Julian Gray has moved to end speculation he may quit Fulham in the summer. (Daily Mirror) 
Hearts midfielder Saulius Mikoliunas' future is in doubt after talks to extend his contract stalled. (Daily Record) 
Arsenal winger Theo Walcott has hinted he is ready to commit his future to the Gunners. (Daily Mail) 
 
OTHER GOSSIP 

AC Milan boss Carlo Ancelotti will get £1m for every trophy he wins if he becomes the new Chelsea manager in the summer. (Sun) 
Sir Alex Ferguson reckons he has begun to wind up Liverpool rival Rafael Benitez by hinting Chelsea could become a bigger title threat. (Sun) 
Ferguson has also hinted he wouldn't mind Jose Mourinho taking over at Old Trafford when he retires. (Daily Star) 
And Ferguson has also revealed he will quit as Manchester United boss if he wins two more Champions League titles. (Sun) 
Carlo Ancelotti's move to Chelsea has already been discussed by owner Roman Abramovich. (Daily Star) 
Arsenal are planning to offer boss Arsene Wenger a new contract at the end of the season in a bid to entice him to stay at the club. (Times) 
Steven Gerrard says the memory of his cousin who died in the Hillsborough disaster has inspired him to reach the pinnacle of his profession. (Guardian) 
  
AND FINALLY 

Bolton striker Kevin Davies has revealed his young son became really excited when a newspaper report linked him with a possible move to Chelsea under previous boss Big Phil Scolari. (Sun)
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Thursday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP 

AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti has told Chelsea he is ready to take over from interim manager Guus Hiddink at Stamford Bridge this summer. (The Sun) 
However, Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani has insisted that neither Ancelotti nor their Brazilian playmaker Kaka will be leaving the Italian club. (The Times) 
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp is planning a £5m swoop for highly rated Porto left-back Aly Cissokho, who impressed in the Portuguese side's 2-2 draw with Manchester United on Tuesday. (The Sun)  
Another Porto playing who could be heading to Tottenham is striker Wason Renteria, who says that the London club have contacted him about a possible summer transfer. (Setanta) 
Manchester City have set their sights on cash-strapped Atletico Madrid's Argentine striker Sergio Aguero. (The Sun) 
Everton right-back Lars Jacobsen could be leaving the club in the summer to join Bayern Munich after making only one appearance for the Blues in last month's 2-1 defeat to Portsmouth. (The Sun) 
Zenit St Peterburg striker Pavel Pogrebnyak is keen on a move to England, so long as it is to "one of the strongest teams". (Daily Mail) 
West Brom midfielder James Morrison says he would have to weight up his options should an offer from another Premier League team should West Brom be relegated. (Guardian) 
 
OTHER GOSSIP 

Former Tottenham manager and current Hamburg boss Martin Jol has put Premier League clubs on alert by stating he would like to return to England. (Various) 
Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor says the spectacular overhead kick he executed against Villarreal on Tuesday night is the best goal he has scored. (Various) 
Crystal Palace manager Neil Warnock says he has no intention of quitting this summer, despite the club's poor season. (The Sun) 
QPR boss Paulo Sousa is on the verge of being sacked after his position at the club was weakened by the termination of assistant manager Bruno Oliveira's contract on Monday. (Various) 
Former England manager Steve McClaren, who is currently at the helm of FC Twente, has backed his former club Middlesbrough to escape relegation this season. (Daily Express) 
West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola has insisted he was right to splash out £5.5m on winger Savio and has backed the 19-year-old to come good. (The Sun) 
Former Southampton chairman Rupert Lowe has refused to rule out a return to the Saints if it would help the club. (Guardian)  
 
AND FINALLY 

Sheffield United manager Kevin Blackwell has revealed that his players have transferred their desire to win go-karting races during the team's trip to Malta last month into a drive to succeed in their chase for an automatic promotion spot. (The Sun) 
Manchester City's £10m striker Craig Bellamy says he is ready to get back in touch with his trainee roots and in order to prove his worth to the club he would gladly clean the boots of any big-name signings who force him out of the team. (Various) 
Rangers manager Walter Smith will let Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor save their careers if they apologise for their part in the 'Boozegate' incident. (Daily Record) 
Celtic striker Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink says he would like to go back to Holland and rejoin his old club PSV Eindhoven, but he's not in a hurry to do so. (Daily Record) 
Clyde will be unable to switch grounds unless the Scottish Football League give them permission to do so as the Broadwood club face eviction from their current home. (Daily Record) 
Celtic manager Gordon Strachan has blasted the SFA over a rule which sees midfielder Scott Brown banned for two matches, one of which has yet to be scheduled. (Daily Mail) 
Hearts winger Deividas Cesnauskis has instructed his agent to find him a new club outside of the UK for next season. (Daily Express)
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Saturday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP 

AC Milan's Brazilian superstar Ronaldinho has claimed Manchester City want to sign him this summer. (Daily Mirror) 
Liverpool will not be following up their interest in Valencia's David Silva unless the asking price comes down from £30m. (The Times) 
Winger Ricardo Quaresma wants to make his loan deal at Chelsea a permanent move from Inter Milan. (Daily Mirror) 
Real Madrid midfielder Rafael van der Vaart expects to join Chelsea this summer. "I hope the signing will be closed soon," said the Dutchman. (Daily Mail) 
Bayern Munich boss Uli Hoeness is expecting a "brutal fight" to keep midfielder Franck Ribery, with Manchester City, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Chelsea all chasing the Frenchman. (Various) 
Arsenal are trailing Cameroon youth goalkeeper Tangouatio Thierry after watching him in an Under-17s tournament. (Daily Mirror) 
Manchester City and Tottenham are interested in signing Italian defender Fabio Cannavaro when his contract ends at Real Madrid in the summer. (Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP 

Guus Hiddink looks likely to continue his dual role as Chelsea and Russia coach beyond this season after the Russian Football Association said it is happy to discuss the idea. (Various) 
Alternatively, Chelsea are set to ask Hiddink to stay on as director of football rather than manager. (Various) 
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has revealed that former Gunners striker Thierry Henry rejected the chance to join Manchester City from Barcelona last summer. (The Times) 
Manchester City manager Mark Hughes has dismissed speculation that his position is in jeopardy and insists he will be "driving the club forward at pace". (Daily Mail) 
Middlesbrough captain Emanuel Pogatetz has denied reports he wants to leave the club, insisting he wants to sign a new deal. (Various) 
Arsenal midfielder Tomas Rosicky has admitted for the first time that he feared he would never play football again because of his knee injury. (Various) 
Uefa president Michel Platini has vowed to block the Premier League's plans to play competitive matches outside of England. (The Times) 
 
AND FINALLY 

Such is the interest in the late Brian Clough in the wake of The Damned United film that three books about the legendary manager fill the top spots in the latest best-seller list for football books sold on amazon. (Daily Mail)

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Friday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP 

Barcelona have warned Chelsea and Manchester City that Argentine superstar Lionel Messi is not for sale at any price. (The Sun) 
The Spanish side are also hoping to fend off interest in Thierry Henry by offering the French striker a new three-year contract. (The Sun) 
AC Milan have reignited their interest in Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor after failing to land him last summer. (Daily Express) 
Liverpool are favourites to sign £20m-rated Spain midfielder David Silva after Valencia indicated they would prefer to sell him abroad. (Various) 
West Ham are prepared to break their transfer record by bidding more than £9m for Atalanta striker Sergio Floccari. (Daily Mirror) 
Tottenham have been told by Genoa to forget about signing their Argentine striker Diego Milito, saying £10m would not even buy his ear. (The Sun) 
Aston Villa have been alerted to the availability of Standard Liege midfielder Steven Defour. (Daily Mirror) 
David Beckham will stay at AC Milan rather than return to LA Galaxy when his loan spell ends in May, according to his Milan team-mate Paolo Maldini. (Daily Mirror) 
Tottenham striker Roman Pavlyuchenko has insisted he "does not want to go anywhere at this point" despite him being linked with Chelsea. (Daily Express) 
Stoke want to sign Manchester City striker Benjani and will move for him at the end of the season. (Daily Mirror) 
Burnley striker Ade Akinbiyi is heading to the US to tie up a deal to play for MLS side Houston Dynamo next season. (Various) 
Doncaster striker Jason Price is set to join Millwall on loan for the rest of the season. (Daily Star) 
Brighton's top scorer Glenn Murray will snub a summer move to Cardiff and stay with the Seagulls, even if they are relegated to League Two. (Daily Star) 
Spanish outfit Sevilla are set to cast an eye over Celtic winger Aiden McGeady at Saturday's Republic of Ireland international against Bulgaria. (Daily Express) 
Rangers have targeted the twin brother of Manchester United's Brazilian sensation Rafael de Silva to solve their left midfield problem. (Various) 

OTHER GOSSIP 

Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks has stepped up his bid to sell his 50% stake in the club, instructing financial giants Merrill Lynch to find a buyer. (Daily Mirror) 
Sir Alex Ferguson will quit as manager of Manchester United next year, according to his son Darren. (Various) 
Manchester United are in advanced talks with Saudi Telecom to replace shirt sponsor AIG. (Daily Mail) 
David Beckham has warned England coach Fabio Capello that he will not be able to curb the temper of striker Wayne Rooney. (Various) 
Capello has told his England players not to treat Saturday's clash with Slovakia as just a friendly. (Daily Mirror) 
Arsenal are on a collision course with Togo, who have vowed to play Emmanuel Adebayor against Cameroon on Saturday. The striker has not played for his club for six weeks because of a hamstring injury . (Daily Mirror) 
Gunners striker Robin van Persie has revealed he almost joined Rangers before he switched from Feyenoord to the Londoners in 2002. "I sat by the phone, hoping it would ring and that it would happen," he said. (Daily Star) 
Japanese business tycoon Yasuaki Kagami is set to take control of Plymouth when his real-estate form raises its stake in the club past the 50% mark in a seven-figure deal. (The Sun) 
Former Hearts defender Christophe Berra looks set to start for Scotland against Holland on Saturday in Amsterdam (Various) 
Cash-strapped Livingston failed to pay their players' wages on time again on Thursday, sparking further fears about the club's financial stability. (Daily Record) 
Brian McLean reckons Motherwell will bag a European slot after going on a run of sparkling form recently. (Daily Record) 
Dundee's financial future looks secure after welcoming one of Scotland's richest men, Calum Melville, to their board of directors. (Daily Record) 
Meanwhile, East Stirling have welcomed local businessman Hugh Henderson to their board to represent fans. (Daily Record) 
Robbie Winters is set to sign for Clyde in a bid to help the club win their fight against relegation from the First Division. (Daily Record) 
Queen of the South star Stevie Tosh says Aberdeen fans should lay off Jimmy Calderwood after calling for the manager's head this week (Daily Record) 
St Mirren keeper Chris Smith could be out for a year with a cruciate ligament injury. (Various) 
Robin Van Persie claims he almost signed for Rangers when Dick Advocaat was manager in 2002. (Various) 
Hearts sporting director Anatoly Korobochka has returned from a whistle-stop tour of Europe hunting for a pre-season training camp. (Daily Express) 
Fifa has ordered the four home nations to come to an agreement over a Great Britain football team for the London Olympics in 2012. (The Scotsman) 

AND FINALLY 

The Premier League's biggest clubs unveiled early designs for new kits for next season to negative reactions from supporters. Manchester United's shirt was described as "vulgar" and a "disgrace", Chelsea fans said their club's new kit would make them look like "muppets" and an Arsenal fan said his side's new shirt would be "one of the most unpopular ever". (Daily Star)

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Thursday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP 

Manchester City are setting their sights high, with Bayern Munich midfielder Franck Ribery, Barcelona striker Thierry Henry, Chelsea skipper John Terry and Blackburn striker Roque Santa Cruz all transfer targets. (The Times) 
Liverpool may make a £9m bid for Valencia centre-back Raul Albiol if Daniel Agger refuses to sign a new deal to keep him at Anfield. (Various) 
Real Madrid's Dutch midfielder Rafael van der Vaart says he would like to join Chelsea, if his compatriot Guus Hiddink stays on as manager. (The Sun) 
Hiddink, meanwhile, has urged Chelsea to bid for Tottenham striker Roman Pavlyuchenko. (Various) 
AC Milan are lining up a £15m summer bid for Arsenal left-back Gael Clichy. (Various) 
Everton defender Joseph Yobo will be offered a new £6m contract in the hope of fending off interest from Arsenal and Chelsea. (Daily Mirror) 
Wigan are interested in signing Newcastle midfielder Joey Barton and will move for him at the end of the season. (The Sun) 
Tottenham midfielder Tom Huddlestone has alerted Aston Villa, Newcastle and Everton by admitting he has concerns about his future at White Hart Lane. (Daily Mail) 
Jeremie Aliadiere will quit Middlesbrough if they are relegated and the striker could make a shock return to Arsenal. (Daily Mirror) 
Boro defender Emanuel Pogatetz also says he will leave the club if they are relegated. (The Sun) 
Blackburn defender Andre Ooijer has confirmed he will return to PSV Eindhoven next season. (Various) 
Birmingham striker Kevin Phillips is wanted by Australian side Perth Glory. (Daily Star) 
Arsenal's highly-rated young midfielder Mark Randall is wanted on loan by Blackpool. (Daily Mirror) 
Ipswich and Watford are keeping tabs on Barnet striker John O'Flynn. (Daily Star) 
Bristol City striker Dele Adebola is a target for Sheffield United. (Daily Mirror) 
Celtic are weighing up a £2m summer swoop for highly-rated 23-year-old Espanyol midfielder Jordi Gomez who is currently on loan at Swansea City. (Various) 

OTHER GOSSIP 

England boss Fabio Capello has branded striker Wayne Rooney a "crazy man" after the striker's red card in Manchester United's defeat by Fulham. (Various) 
Arsenal goalkeeper Manuel Almunia is considering an application for a British passport that would allow the Spaniard to play for England. (Various) 
Tottenham left-back Gareth Bale has revealed he is having extra coaching in how to become a better defender. (Various) 
Sunderland goalkeeper Craig Gordon is set to for showdown talks with manager Ricky Sbragia over his future. (Daily Star) 
Uefa says it will bring match fixing charges against a European club within days. (Various) 
Liverpool midfielder Yossi Benayoun is set to anger his employers by risking his fitness to play for Israel on Saturday. (Daily Star) 
Former Portsmouth boss Tony Adams is hoping to rebuild his managerial career by landing the top job at Dutch side Sparta Rotterdam. (The Sun) 
Former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has vowed to stay as manager of Inter Milan for the next four or five years, quashing speculation he wants to return to the Premier League. (The Telegraph) 
Leyton Orient chairman Barry Hearn believes up to a dozen cash-strapped clubs will go into administration in the next year. (The Sun) 
Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has admitted he will be sacked as Mexico boss if they lose to Costa Rica on Saturday. (Daily Mirror) 
 
AND FINALLY 

Manchester United and England defender Rio Ferdinand insists footballers do not have a flash lifestyle, despite their huge salaries. "Our lives are quite boring", he insists. "I spend a lot of time watching Coronation Street and Eastenders." (Daily Star) 
Chelsea and Russia boss Guus Hiddink showed that managing two sides simultaneously can be confusing when he referred to Arsenal's Andrey Arshavin as a Chelsea player. Hiddink only has the midfielder under his charge with the international team. (The Sun)
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Wednesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP 

Hamburg manager Martin Jol is planning a raid on former club Tottenham for 21-year-old Congolese midfielder Jacques Maghoma, who has come through the academy system at White Hart Lane. (Daily Mirror) 
Hull and Australia winger Richard Garcia is a £1m target for Adelaide United. (Daily Star) 
West Ham are considering a move for Galway and Republic of Ireland Under-21 winger Jay O'Shea. (Daily Star) 
Defender Paul Scharner has hinted he may have to leave Wigan in the summer if they fail to qualify for a European place. (Sun) 
Nottingham Forest are trying to sign striker Dexter Blackstock, 22, from QPR after missing out on Marlon Harewood, who has joined Wolves on loan from Aston Villa. (Daily Mirror) 
Tottenham are lining up a £10m move for Argentine striker Diego Milito, who currently plays for Italian side Genoa. (Sun)

OTHER GOSSIP

Alvaro Arbeloa is convinced this season will be so historic for Liverpool they will end up more famous than The Beatles.(Sun)Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is ready to extend his current contract at Anfield as he looks to finish his career on Merseyside. (Various) 
AC Milan boss Carlos Ancelotti has dropped his biggest hint yet that he could replace Guus Hiddink as Chelsea coach in the summer. (Various) 
Chelsea striker Didier Drogba is ready to make a remarkable U-turn and pledge his future to the Stamford Bridge club in the summer. (Various) 
West Brom defender Carl Hoefkens, 30, has said he will leave if the Baggies are relegated from the Premier League. (Various) 
Bolton defender Gary Cahill believes Fabio Capello has made a mistake by dropping Trotters team-mate Kevin Davies when the England manager trimmed his 28-man England squad to 23. (Various) 
Meanwhile, former England goalkeeper Peter Shilton says Manchester United's reserve-team keeper Ben Foster needs to go out on loan next season if he wants to stake a claim on a regular place in his national side if they qualify for the World Cup in South Africa. (Various) 
Liverpool co-owner George Gillett has dismissed suggestions he is about to sell his 50%stake in the club. (Various) 
Portsmouth owner Sacha Gaydamak has slashed his asking price for the club in half. You now only need to stump up £35m to buy the Fratton Park outfit. (The Sun) 
And chairman Peter Storrie has conceded Pompey face a bleak future unless they can find a buyer in the summer. (Daily Mirror) 
Wigan owner Dave Whelan is ready to turn down a £1m shirt sponsorship deal from a Norwegian TV company to advertise his own new business. (Daily Mirror)

AND FINALLY 

If you are old enough to remember Racey's Rocket, you might be pleased to learn that the Roy of the Rovers comic is coming out of retirement next month for a 12-week spell and will be returning to the shelves of your local newsagent. Rumour has it that Tommy 'Tommy's Troubles' Barnes and Kevin 'Mighty Mouse' Mouse are also making comebacks. For you youngsters, ask your dad! (Daily Mail)

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Question for http://dkoricanac.blogspot.com/ readers. This dayly gossip column is very interesting for me, personally, but currently I post it just because poor betting offer. I'm in doubt to post it dayly anyway. I would like to hear your opinions. Are you for, or against? Do you like to read it, or don't? More posts on blog doesn't mean always the higher blog quality. Gossip existence depends from your comments.

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Dule