Premier League betting - two picks

It's good reasoning as always, but quite frankly I'm lazy to type. 
 p

 i
Liverpool - Tottenham
Bet: Liverpool -0.75
Odd: 1.95 Stan James
Stake: 8/10

Wigan - West Ham 
Bet: Wigan -0.5
Odd: 2.08 Pinnacle
Stake: 7/10 
i 
Support the blog and open a betting account using the banners from the left. You'll get some free bets as well.
Make e-mail subscription and get my picks directly in the mail box.
p
 


 

Arsenal – West Ham

Arsenal look really great at the moment. And although this is very popular bet today, I’ll be involved in their game third time in a row. They demolished the Toon in Cup game during the midweek (4-0 away), at the same time resting some key players. Big  boost for Wenger is Fabregas, Walcott and Bendtner are fit and all 3 played at Newcastle (Walcott and Bendtner scored three times). It’s a big squad now and Wenger has no problem to name 11. They also score for fun lately. In 4 home games scored 14 goals (conceded 5) and in 2 CL games scored 11 goals! However in last two games at Emirates, they didn’t look impressive at all. First were shocked by WBA (2-3), then defeated Brum 2-1 but game was below their standards. So, I expect they’ll be very serious today. Arsenal are unbeaten in last 7 games against West Ham, while Man City is the only side that kept a clean sheet at Emirates in 2010..

After  9 rounds, West Ham are stuck to the bottom with just 6 points collected. They’re the side from whom I always expected to turn the corner and start moving away from a dangerous zone. Last season they made a decent spending on a transfer market, but unfortunately most of the signings were just money wasting (can’t not to think on Diamanti and transfer of 6 mill.). In this season nothing has changed and Hammers are living another bleak season in Premier. Also, at Tuesday they played 120 minutes against Stoke (won 3-1 after ET) with Grant naming very strong side. They’re tired and last thing they need is top side on the road that plays fast and attacking football. Next, Grant will miss his skipper Matthew Upson in the center of defense and striker Frederic Piquionne. Statistic also looks pessimistic as West Ham have managed just one clean sheet in 9 games, scored only 7 (lowest in Premier) and have failed to score in 5 of their last 6 games against Arsenal.

Arsenal look like a mean machine at the moment. They’ll face, I think it’s fair to say weak, slow and tired side without a captain and major threat in the attack. Despite it’s a London derby, anything except a high scoring home win would be sensation in my opinion. I expect a very long day for the Hammers and 3-0, 4-0 scoreline.

Bet: Arsenal -2.0
Odd: 2.00 bet365
Stake: 8/10

Make e-mail subscription and get my picks directly in the mail box.
l

Monday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Barcelona have targeted Arsenal's Emmanuel Eboue as cover for regular right-back Daniel Alves. (imscouting) 
Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti has warned Real Madrid and other clubs that Diego Milito is not for sale. "There's a difference between Milito and our coach, Mourinho," Moratti told the club's official website www.inter.it. "Mourinho has a clause in his contract by which if the clause is exercised, he can leave. However, Milito doesn't and hence, the discussion is over." (Press Association Sport)

.

TRANSFER GOSSIP

The news that Jose Mourinho is likely to leave Inter Milan to become manager of Real Madrid has sparked panic among Premier League clubs, who fear he will swoop to sign their best players. Chelsea's Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole are reportedly in his sights, along with Liverpool stars Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres.(The Sun) 
Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson is ready to offer striker Dimitar Berbatov as part of a £28m-deal for Wolfsburg forward Edin Dzeko.(caughtoffside.com) 
Chelsea are weighing up a double-swoop for Liverpool midfielders Javier Mascherano and Yossi Benayoun. (Daily Mail) 
The Blues are also eyeing up an £18m-move for Barcelona forward Bojan Krkic.(caughtoffside.com) 
Chelsea and Arsenal are interested in signing Barcelona's 19-year-old Israeli playmaker Guy Assulin, according to Spanish newspaper Sport.(imscouting.com) 
Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina believes club and country team-mate Fernando Torres will remain at Anfield next season. Torres has been linked with a move away from Liverpool after the club's poor campaign, with Chelsea and Barcelona supposedly in the running for the Spaniard's services.(Independent) 
Barcelona's pursuit of Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas has been aided by the willingness of the Spanish FA to let the Spanish Champions conduct negotiations with the midfielder during the build-up to the World Cup.(Daily Mail) 
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is set to reignite his interest in Paris St Germain's French Under 21 captain Mamadou Sakho this summer.(caughtoffside.com) 
Prospective West Ham manager Avram Grant is planning to sign four of his former Portsmouth players once he takes charge at Upton Park. Tal Ben Haim, Kevin Prince Boateng, Nadir Belhadj and on-loan Tottenham midfielder Jamie O'Hara are all on his wanted list. (Daily Mail) 
West Ham are also hopeful of luring Italian striker Luca Toni to Upton Park from Bayern Munich on a free transfer.(caughtoffside.com)
Everton midfielder Steven Pienaar has put Tottenham, Liverpool and Manchester United on alert after revealing he has rejected the Goodison club's latest contract offer. (Daily Mail) 
Newly-installed Wolfsburg manager Steve McClaren wants to sign Manchester City striker Craig Bellamy for £8m.(Daily Mail) 
Birmingham have joined Wolves, West Brom and Everton in the race for Hull's Republic of Ireland midfielder Stephen Hunt. Hunt, who cost £3.5m from Reading last summer, has already been told he can leave the relegated Tigers.(Daily Mirror) 
Birmingham are set to make a £6m move for Valencia's 6ft 7in striker Nikola Zigic.(The Sun) 
However, they could face competition for his signature from Liverpool, may offer winger Albert Rieira as part of any deal.(caughtoffside.com) 
Wigan boss Roberto Martinez is planning a swoop on former club Swansea to sign midfielder Leon Britton.(Daily Mirror) 
Blackpool manager Ian Holloway wants to re-sign on-loan Everton defender Seamus Coleman for next season after he impressed at Bloomfield Road this campaign.(Daily Mirror) 
Blackpool have upped the ante in their bid to sign Rangers defender Kirk Broadfoot, with Wigan, Portsmouth and several Championship clubs also interested. (the Sun) 
Scunthorpe have told Celtic they will have to pay £2.5m for striker Gary Hooper. (Daily Mail)
Wolves have reportedly agreed personal terms with the Anderlecht utility player Jelle van Damme. He will join Wolves for £2.5m and sign a four-year contract.(Daily Mail) 
Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini is planning a raid on former club Inter Milan to sign Argentine midfielder Esteban Cambiasso for £18m.(caughtoffside.com) 
Shota Arveladze, the new coach of Kaysterispor, wants to sign Kris Boyd from former club Rangers, with the Turks offering a package worth around £5.5m for the forward who is also interesting Bursaspor, Ankaragucu, Birmingham, Newcastle, Wolves, Middlesbrough and Hertha Berlin. (Various)
Celtic are still interested is signing Philippe Senderos, according to the father of the Switzerland defender, who would prefer to remain at Everton after a loan spell from Arsenal. (Daily Mail) 
Hibernian are back on the trail of out-of-favour Preston North End right-back Michael Hart, who will make a decision about his future when he returns from holiday. (Various)

OTHER GOSSIP

England captain Rio Ferdinand says that he would have paid Manchester United team-mate Paul Scholes to come out of retirement and play for the country during this summer's World Cup in South Africa.(The Sun) 
Former United States defender Alexi Lalas claims it would not be a shock if the USA beat England in their big World Cup opener in South Africa on 12 June.(The Sun) 
Nigerian billionaire businessman Aliko Dangote could be poised to complicate Arsenal's ownership even further. Dangote is believed to be interested in buying Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith's 16% stake in the club to join Uzbeki tycoon Alisher Usmanov and American businessman Stan Kroenke as a big shareholder.(Daily Mirror) 
Portsmouth stars want goalkeeper David James to become player-boss as a replacement for Avram Grant, who quit Fratton Park last week. (Daily Mirror) 
Fulham manager Roy Hodgson has emerged as a candidate to replace Jose Mourinho as boss of Inter Milan. The 62-year-old has twice managed the Italian side before, the most recent being as caretaker for a season 11 years ago.(Daily Mirror) 
Everton midfielder Jack Rodwell will sign a new five-year contract worth around £30,000-a-week today, scuppering any lingering hopes Manchester United and Arsenal retained of securing the talented teenager this summer.(Guardian) 
Midfielder Michael Ballack will discuss terms over a new contract with Chelsea this week, according to German newspaper Bild.(imscouting.com) 
Hamburg chairman Bernd Hoffman wants to return the club to its glory days and believes former England manger Kevin Keegan is the man to take the German side forward. Keegan played in the Hamburg side that was beaten 1-0 by Nottingham Forest in the 1980 European Cup final.(Daily Mail) 
Former keeper Mark Crossley will have talks with Oldham about becoming their new boss today. (Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

England are struggling to play with the new Adidas football that will be used at this summer's World Cup. Boss Fabio Capello said the players are "having problems controlling it" at their altitude training camp in Austria. The Italian expects the ball to be even harder to control in Rustenburg, South Africa, which is several hundred metres higher above sea level than the European base.(Daily Mail) 
Argentina manager Diego Maradona has demanded two state-of-the-art bidet toilets be installed for him at the team's World Cup base camp in South Africa. Builders were rushed in to carry out a £1,400 overhaul of the football legend's private suite after his aides complained that the existing bathroom facilities would not meet his 'high standards.'(Daily Mail) 
Blackpool striker Ben Burgess says his club boss Ian Holloway was short of the mark when he suggested the newly-promoted Tangerines would target a Champions League place in two years. "With him in charge we'll probably win the Premier League next season!" said Burgess.(The Sun)

www.bbc.co.uk

Sunday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Liverpool may make a summer move for Manchester City defender Micah Richards with an offer of £12m.(caughtoffside.com) 
Manchester United are preparing a £20m bid for Real Madrid attacker Rafael Van der Vaart according to the Spanish press.(IMScouting.com) 

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Inter Milan boss Jose Mourinho may move for Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard after agreeing a four-year £40m deal to take over as Real Madrid manager next season. Inter right-back Maicon is likely to be his first signing at the Bernabeu.(Sunday Times) 
James Milner has told friends that he wants to join Liverpool. Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea are also desperate to sign Aston Villa's 24-year-old England midfielder.(News of the World)
Liverpool are lining up Wolfsburg's Edin Dzeko, who was the German Bundesliga's top scorer with 26 goals last season, to replace Fernando Torres. Chelsea and Manchester City are poised to make massive bids to sign the Spanish striker.(News of the World) 
Chelsea are poised to launch a £26m bid for Tottenham playmaker Luka Modric. (Mail on Sunday) 
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has failed to change the mind of captain Cesc Fabregas who is determined to return to boyhood club Barcelona this summer.(News of the World) 
Republic of Ireland midfielder Stephen Ireland, 23, has told Manchester City that he wants to leave the club.(Sunday Mirror) 
City are also looking to offload temperamental Brazilian star Robinho. The club is hoping he has an outstanding World Cup so they can recoup at least £25m of the £32.5m they forked out when signing him from Real Madrid in August 2008. (Sunday Mirror) 
Manchester City are still looking to flex their spending muscles by offering £20m for Everton's 28-year-old midfielder Mikel Arteta. Arsenal are likely to provide the main competition as they search for a replacement for the seemingly Barcelona-bound Cesc Fabregas.(Mail on Sunday) 
Everton have emerged as contenders for the signature of Manchester City's unsettled striker Craig Bellamy. Tottenham are also in the race for the Wales international.(News of the World) 
Robbie Keane is set to move from Tottenham to Aston Villa in a £15m deal. Villa are ready to meet the asking price, particularly if they pick up £30m for James Milner from either Manchester City or Chelsea. (Sunday Mirror) 
Villa are also in the market for Valencia pair Nikola Zigic and Miguel. The Serbian striker and Portuguese defender would cost a combined £9.5m.(News of the World) 
Joe Cole could renew his acquaintance with Harry Redknapp as Tottenham close in on the England midfielder who has yet to agree a new contract with Chelsea. Spurs boss Redknapp handed Cole his debut as a teenager when he was in charge at West Ham.(Sunday Mirror) 
Celtic winger Aiden McGeady is faced with a choice between Birmingham and Russian side Spartak Moscow as he contemplates a £6m move away from Parkhead.(News of the World) 
Hull will have to offload midfielder Jimmy Bullard this summer as his £45,000-a-week wages are too much for the relegated side to afford in the Championship.(News of the World) 
Bolton boss Owen Coyle hopes to sign Portsmouth striker David Nugent who he took on loan during his time with Burnley last season.(News of the World) 
Sunderland are beating Aston Villa and Newcastle in the battle for Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha.(News of the World) 
Newcastle are confident that they can tie up a deal to take Manchester United winger Tom Cleverley on loan for next season. The 20-year-old spent last season at Watford.(News of the World) 
The Magpies are also close to a deal for French winger Bernard Mendy who has left Hull as a free agent.(News of the World) 
Ajax striker Luis Suarez has told his employers that he will only leave the Amsterdam club for Manchester United. (Sunday Express)
Wigan are set to sign up Tenerife centre-half Jose Antonio Culebras on a free transfer. (News of the World) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Wayne Rooney is not fully fit after it emerged that the England striker is still having treatment on his injured right ankle.(News of the World) 
Everton midfielder Jack Rodwell will turn down the chance to move to Manchester United or Arsenal and sign a new long-term deal at Goodison Park.(News of the World) 
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez is being offered £5m to quit Anfield and manage the United Arab Emirates.(Mail on Sunday) 
Former Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate will be offered a return to management by Portsmouth.(News of the World) 
Avram Grant's first task on being appointed West Ham manager will be to trim co-owner David Sullivan's list of transfer targets from 32 names to just 6.(News of the World) 
Notts County manager Steve Cotterill has emerged as Portsmouth's top target to replace Avram Grant as manager. Cotterill, 45, led County to the League Two title, but only had a contract until the end of the season.(Sunday Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

Cesc Fabregas will be paid half his annual salary before he has even kicked a ball for Barcelona should the 23-year-old complete his move from Arsenal. The midfielder, who is expected to earn about £160,000-a-week, will immediately be paid £4.16m.(Sunday Mirror)

www.bbc.co.uk

Friday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Bayern Munich playmaker Franck Ribery will stay at the German club for another four years, extending his contract until 2015, according to German newspaper Bild.(Bild) 
In-demand England midfielder James Milner has put potential suitors on red alert by saying he does not know if he will still be at Aston Villa next season.(Daily Mail) 
And Villa's resolve to keep the 24-year-old is set to be tested by Manchester City, who offered £30m for him after having a £20m bid rejected.(Daily Mirror) 
That improved offer may not be enough for City, though, as Chelsea have joined the race for Milner and they believe the lure of Champions League football could prove decisive. (The Sun) 
Villa could also lose forward Ashley Young to Tottenham, who are ready to offer Robbie Keane or Jermaine Jenas as part of a deal for him. (Daily Star) 
Spurs face competition for Young from Manchester city, who enquired about his availability at the same time they asked about Milner. (The Guardian) 
Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard is so fed up with manager Rafael Benitez he is ready to walk out if he gets the right offer. (Daily Mail) 
Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti has his eye on Real Madrid's Brazilian superstar striker Kaka. (Footylatest.com) 
West Ham have been linked with an ambitious £12m swoop for World Cup-bound Toulouse forward Andre-Pierre Gignac. (Caughtoffside.com) 
But the Hammers looks set to lose midfielder Valon Behrami, who is a £5m target for Italian side Palermo.(The Sun) 
Behrami is also attracting the interest of Liverpool, who will use Yossi Benayoun as bait to help land him and defender Matthew Upson.(Caughtoffside.com) 
Manchester United are considering an £18m move for Sevilla's Brazilian striker Luis Fabiano.(Caughtoffside.com) 
Meanwhile Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov is being tracked by Juventus, AC Milan and Wolfsburg.(Daily Mail) 
Arsenal are poised to make a £16m raid for Marseille midfielder Stephane Mbia.(The Daily Mail) 
The Gunners are also lining up Everton's Mikel Arteta as a replacement for Cesc Fabregas in the event that he joins Barcelona.(footylatest.com) 
Fabregas could be unveiled as a Barcelona player on 4 June or 9 June. ( imscouting.com) 
Barcelona midfielder Yaya Toure will not be arriving at the Emirates stadium after refusing to consider the move, leaving Manchester City favourites to sign him.(footylatest.com) 
And Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is another who looks set to snub Arsenal, saying he is committed to the Italian side. (imscouting.com) 
Everton hope to tie down midfielder Jack Rodwell to a new deal and ward of interest from Chelsea and Manchester United. (Daily Mirror) 
Atletico Madrid have issued a hands-off warning to Manchester United over their Argentine forward Sergio Aguero.(imscouting.com) 
Aston Villa are eyeing up a season-long loan deal for striker Eidur Gudjohnsen, who has returned to Monaco after the end of his loan spell at Tottenham.(The Sun) 
Villa boss Martin O'Neill is also ready to offer £15m for West Ham striker Carlton Cole. (caughtoffisde.com) 
That could signal the end of Emile Heskey's stay at Villa Park, with Stoke ready to move for the England man.(The Daily Mail) 
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is keen to bring 32-year old Real Madrid striker Raul to Anfield.(The Daily Mail) 
David Nugent, Kevin-Prince Boateng and Nadir Belhadj are set to follow Avram Grant out of Portsmouth.(The Daily Mail) 
Newcastle are planning a £5m bid to take Tottenham midfielder Jermaine Jenas back to St James' Park. (The Sun) 
Toon boss Chris Hughton also wants Porto forward Andre Monteiro but has had a £2m offer rejected.(The Sun) 
Wigan are interested in £5m-rated Spanish striker Adrian Colunga, who plays for Recreativo Huelva. (The Sun) 
West Brom are targeting Racing Santander striker Mohamed Tchite.(The Daily Mail) 
Sunderland are lining up a £4m bid for Stoke striker Tuncay. (Various) 
Sampdoria defender Reto Ziegler is being lined up for a Premier League return as Liverpool eye the former Spurs man.(The Daily Mail) 
Birmingham are set to spend £2m to sign Cardiff striker Jay Bothroyd. (Various) 
Crystal Palace skipper Shaun Derry is set to join Ipswich.(Daily Mirror) 
Preston and Derby are locked in a battle to sign Wayne Rooney's younger brother, John, who plays as striker for Macclesfield. (Various) 
Ex-Arsenal winger and France international Robert Pires, whose deal at Villarreal has run out, has turned down MLS side Philadelphia Union.(Various) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has raised doubts over his future after refusing to rule out a move to Inter Milan. (The Sun) 
Avram Grant is set to take over as West Ham manager after resigning at Portsmouth. (Daily Mirror) 
Pompey, meanwhile, are considering offering their vacant manager's position to goalkeeper David James. (Daily Star) 
New sports minister, Hugh Robertson has warned the Football Association that its new chairman must be independent. (The Daily Telegraph) 

AND FINALLY

Argentina coach Diego Maradona insulted an injured cameraman after accidentally running over his leg before the announcement of his World Cup squad.(The Guardian) 
Liverpool's first signing of the summer could be a Vietnamese reality TV show star - the winner of the talent contest will win a 12-month deal at Anfield after next week's final. (Daily Mirror)
www.bbc.co.uk

Tuesday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Arsenal will move for £12m-rated Lyon and France keeper Hugo Lloris, but could turn to Shakhtar Donetsk keeper Andriy Piyatov.(goal.com) 
Barcelona are in talks to sign Valencia striker David Villa, with negotiations "on track" according to Barca's vice president Rafael Yuste. (Reuters) 

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas could be Barcelona bound, with the Spanish champions officially approaching the Gunners with a bid that involves Yaya Toure moving the other way in part exchange.(The Sun) 
And Arsenal are also set to confirm the signing of Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh after the 26-year-old Morocco international arrived in London on Monday to finalise the terms of his deal.(Daily Mail) 
But the Gunners have had a £14m offer for Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina rejected and manager Arsene Wenger could now turn his attentions to Juventus keeper Gianluigi Buffon. (Footylatest.com) 
However, Liverpool could lose midfielders Steven Gerrard and Javier Mascherano and striker Fernando Torres in the summer, with the three considering their futures after a turbulent season.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez is keen for a return to his first club, Boca Juniors, although Real Madrid are also keen on the Argentina striker.(Daily Mirror) 
City boss Roberto Mancini could add defender Phil Jagielka and midfielder Jack Rodwell to his squad, with the Italian willing to pay £32m for the Everton pair.(caughtoffside.com) 
Benfica defender David Luiz could be another new arrival at Eastlands, with Manchester City set to bid £21.5m for the 23-year-old.(Daily Telegraph) 
Mancini will also decide against selling winger Shaun Wright-Phillips and midfielder Stephen Ireland as he needs the pair to boost the club's home-grown contingent; Premier League clubs having to name eight home-grown players in a squad of 25 next season.(Guardian) 
Manchester United are preparing a club record £50m bid to lure Franck Ribery away from Champions League finalists Bayern Munich.(Footylatest.com) 
United are also keen on Inter Milan's Argentine midfielder Esteban Cambiasso and are willing to pay £18m for the 29-year-old.(caughtoffside.com) 
West Ham will fend off competition from Birmingham and Sunderland to capture France international Sidney Govou, 30, from Lyon on a free transfer. (Daily Mail) 
Birmingham have also been foiled, at least initially, in their attempt to acquire French winger Charles N'Zogbia after Wigan turned down an £8m bid from Blues. (Daily Mail) 
Tottenham striker Roman Pavlyuchenko watched Lokomotiv Moscow at the weekend and is set to hold talks about a possible move this week.(Times) 
West Ham have dropped their interest in Ipswich striker Connor Wickham, freeing the way for Tottenham to move for the £5m-rated 17-year-old. (Daily Star) 
Southampton will take former England Under-21 midfielder Andrew Surman back to St Mary's from Wolves, a year after the 23-year-old left the club for Molineux. (Daily Mail) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Portsmouth boss Avram Grant has agreed a deal to become West Ham manager and will sign a three-year deal.(Daily Mirror) 
Inter Milan will make an official approach for Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez if, as expected, former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho quits the San Siro for Real Madrid in the summer.(Daily Mirror) 
However, Martin O'Neill will not replace Benitez at Anfield, with Aston Villa owner Randy Lerner saying that his manager is staying put.(Daily Mirror) 
England's 2018 World Cup bid team will meet governing bodies from Europe, Africa and South America in a bid to limit the fall-out following Lord Triesman's resignation as Football Association chairman.(Daily Mirror) 
However, the FA is braced for a second round of revelations, with Triesman's former aide Melissa Jacobs considering sharing more of her recorded conversations with him.(Independent) 
Manchester City midfielder Gareth Barry is sleeping in an oxygen tent in a bid to quicken his recovery from ankle ligament damage, although the chances of the 27-year-old being fit for the start of England's World Cup campaign are slim.(Daily Telegraph) 
West Ham have submitted their bid to move into the Olympic Stadium post 2012, with the possibility of Essex using the venue to host some Twenty20 cricket matches.(Independent) 
Argentine midfielder Javier Mascherano has given his strongest indication yet that he will leave Liverpool in the summer, conceding that he finds life on Merseyside far from ideal.(Liverpool Daily Post) 

AND FINALLY

Portsmouth's Kevin-Prince Boateng, whose FA Cup final tackle resulted in the ankle injury that will keep Chelsea's German midfielder Michael Ballack out of the World Cup, has suffered the wrath of the German press over the incident. Tabloid Bild branded the tackle a "revenge attack", while Germany coach Joachim Loew was forced to issue a message of support for Boateng's half-brother Jerome, a German international defender who will join Manchester City from Hamburg in the summer. (Daily Mail) 
Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has urged England manager Fabio Capello to keep him on penalty-taking duty after missing from the spot in Saturday's FA Cup final victory against Portsmouth.(Independent) 
Manchester United defender Gary Neville has criticised Capello for only picking one specialist right-back in his initial 30-man World Cup party, while also saying the Italian's attempt to talk Paul Scholes out of international retirement was "a bit desperate".(The Sun)

www.bbc.co.uk

.

Paynter started and both scored!

Charlton Athletic 2 - 1 Swindon T.

.

Tuesday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Manchester City are set to rival Juventus for the services of Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez for next season. According to Italian newspaper La Stampa, City are apparently willing to offer the Spaniard a huge transfer kitty and long term contract to leave Anfield and replace current City boss Roberto Mancini Eastlands. (footylatest.com) 
However, Tuttosport, the Turin based newspaper, has revealed that Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has verbally agreed to take over as Juventus coach. (imscouting.com) 
According to Italian website Tutto Mercato, Arsenal are in pole position to sign Fiorentina's highly rated goalkeeper Sebastien Frey.( imscouting.com) 
But German media outlet Sportbild are convinced that Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger will make a concerted effort to sign Bayer Leverkusen goalkeeper Rene Adler this summer. (footylatest.com) 
Arsenal forward Andrei Arshavin, a long-time Barcelona fan, still dreams of playing for the Spanish giants one day, the Russian international has revealed. "Even playing just one season for Barcelona would make a pinnacle of my whole career," said Arshavin. (Reuters Press Agency)
Chelsea are set to launch their summer spending spree with a move for Valencia striker David Villa, who is also a target for Manchester United, Barcelona and Real Madrid.(goal.com) 

TRANSFER GOSSIP

West Ham co-owner David Sullivan is planning a radical shake-up at Upton Park after conceding the club will listen to offers for any player except Scott Parker. "Other than Parker, there is not a player we wouldn't sell if it was the right bid," confirmed Sullivan.(Daily Mirror) 
Aston Villa will be the first to test out West Ham's willingness to sell with a £10m bid for England striker Carlton Cole.(Daily Mai) 
West Ham have also bid £4m for West Brom midfielder Graham Dorrans as they begin their squad overhaul.(Daily Mirror )
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has decided to switch attention from one Aston Villa winger to another by aiming to snap up England international Ashley Young instead of his Villa Park team-mate James Milner.(caughtoffside.com) 
Bolton boss Owen Coyle is ready to let up to 10 of his players go as he makes way for a new wave of signings at Wanderers. Record buy Johan Elmander is likely to be among those who squeezed out by fresh faces.(Daily Mirror) 
Coyle is also set to raid former club Burnley for midfielder Chris Eagles and defender Clarke Carlisle.(Daily Mail) 
Liverpool are set to sign Swedish teenage forward Kristoffer Peterson from Savedalens IF after the 15-year-old impressed on trial.(Daily Mail) 
According to Spanish newspaper Sport, Barcelona are lining up a shock bid for Newcastle defender Stephen Taylor, with Carles Puyol heading to St James' Park in return.(imscouting.com) 
Real Madrid's veteran midfielder Guti has reportedly signed a deal to play in Dubai, ending rumours that he could join Tottenham this summer.(imscouting.com) 
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is apparently considering a move for Manchester City forward Roque Santa Cruz.(caughtoffside.com) 
Wenger has also placed Borussia Dortmund's Serbian international centre back Neven Subotic at the top of his summer spending plans as he looks to freshen up his defensive options.(caughtoffside.com) 
Wolves are chasing £3m-rated Bristol City striker Nicky Maynard.(Daily Mail) 
Wanderers are also lining up a double summer swoop for Reading's Gylfi Sigurdsson and AZ Alkmaar winger Jeremain Lens.(Daily Mirror) 
The midlands club are also keen to re-sign striker Robbie Keane from Tottenham. The 29-year-old, who began his career at Wolves, spent the latter part of this season on loan at Celtic.(The Sun) 
Ex-England keeper Richard Wright is poised to leave Ipswich for the second time with Town manager Roy Keane looking to shed the former Arsenal man's £15,000 a week wages.(Daily Mirror) 
Newcastle are considering a £1m summer move for Blackburn striker Jason Roberts.(Daily Mail) 
Former Arsenal star Alexander Hleb could return to England this summer with Manchester City, Aston Villa and Sunderland among a host of clubs across Europe keen on recruiting the Barcelona midfielder.(Daily Mail) 
Preston boss Darren Ferguson is planning talks with his father, Manchester United manager Sir Alex, about bringing Red Devils striker Danny Welbeck back to Preston on loan next season. Wellbeck arrived at Deepdale on loan in January but made just eight appearances before returning to Old Trafford because of a knee injury.(Daily Mail) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Ex-Everton striker Wayne Rooney is asking Liverpool to do his Manchester United side a favour when Rafael Benitez's side face Chelsea as the Red Devils look to seal a a record 19th top-flight title. United currently trail Premier League leaders Chelsea by a point, with two games left to play.(Times) 
Portsmouth manager Avram Grant has emerged as a leading contender to replace Gianfranco Zola at West Ham. The Israeli heads a shortlist, which also includes Ajax manager Martin Jol, FC Twente's former England boss Steve McClaren and ex-Hammers defender Slaven Bilic, now in charge of Croatia.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester City are to launch an audacious bid to end Joe Hart's loan spell at Birmingham City and take the goalkeeper back to Eastlands in a move that will enrage their Premier League rivals.(Guardian) 
Juventus president Jean-Claude Blanc is prepared to fly to Liverpool this week to try and force Rafa Benitez's hand over accepting his offer of a four-year contract worth £16m.(Daily Mail) 
Adam Pearson, the Hull City chairman, is understood to be considering his future at the troubled club as they face up to their imminent relegation from the Premier League and an impending financial meltdown at the club, who are £35m in debt.(The Times) 
Crisis club Hull are going to ask their players to take a 40% pay-cut in a desperate bid to save money and avoid administration. The Tigers were relegated to the Championship last week.(Daily Mirror) 
Aston Villa midfielder Stiliyan Petrov has revealed that the questioning of his side's fitness by Chelsea captain John Terry in the aftermath of the Blues' 7-1 win over Villa in March has spurred them back into Champions League contention. Villa have picked up 13 points from the past five games and are now level on points with fourth-placed Tottenham.(The Sun) 

AND FINALLY

Hull chairman Adam Pearson has revealed that the Tiger's goal-shy strikers have cost the club a whopping £901,875 a goal this season. Pearson admitted the club are spending £195,000 a week on strikers, which in total this campaign has cost them £7.215m for a return of eight goals. (The Sun)
www.bbc.co.uk

Tottenham Hotspur - Portsmouth

Spurs are 4^th and thankfully to City’s failure against Everton, have two points advantage and they’re closest to CL spot. Second half in mid-week game vs. Fulham showed they can cope with the missings of some key players. They look very strong at home with 10 wins out of 15 games (2 draws and 3 defeats). I’m not concerned by the fact 2 of 3 defeats came from Stoke and Wolves (both were very, very lucky to win 1-0). Wolves thankfully to life display by goalie Myhill kept the clean sheet (0-0). Spurs attack in waves and look very safe and consistent. They have four competitive wins in a row at home and 3 of them were with 2 or more goals margin. Spurs’ target is Champions League, they’ll be focused and fully motivated. Very good news is Tom Huddlestone is returning to the squad. Some rumors say Defoe could play, but I don’t expect him in game except in case of negative result. Excellent Pavlyuchenko (9 goals in his last 8 appearances) is in doubt, but close to appear. Bassong, Palacios and Walker will have a late fitness test. Corluka is out along with Jenas, King and Lennon.

 

Nothing much to say about Pompey. They have no worries as they’re sure travelers to Championship. Big boost came from FA as they got a permission to sell the players before the regular transfer market. Players’ motivation will surely be higher, but on the other hand we can expect plenty of individual efforts in attempt to impress the scouts. They’re poor travelers, lost 11 out 14 games and scored just 8 goals (conceded 29). Their game against top sides all look the same, early conceded goal, heads down and few more goals till the end. They conceded 4 goals at Anfield and Emirates and 5 at Old Trafford ( 5 at home at mid week vs. Chelsea). Also, no one knows which players will appear as the injury/unavailable list looks endless. Belhadj, Ben Haim, Utaka, Boateng, Diop,Yebda, Dindane, O'Hara, Rocha, Smith. 10 players! The biggest miss is best player at the moment, Jamie O’Hara (have lost 6 out of 7 without him), who can not play against his parent club. Grant was disabled in intention to save the club from relegation, he’ll have a chance to do something in Cup on Wembley (also vs. Spurs) and maybe he’ll try to keep his cards as a secret. That should mean nothing else than easy defeat today.

 

To make a good result at White Hart Lane, team should have very strong defensive abilities. Pompey currently don’t look even competitive. Defensive line with James on goal (made a sensational error vs. Chelsea) doesn’t promise anything more than another defeat with big margin. My bet is -2 ah. Pinnacle offer 2.11.  

.

Available free bets, bonus offers and promotions:
Expekt - First deposit bonus up to €35 / £25 for all new customers
Make your first deposit at expekt.com and we will immediately double your money up to max €35 / £25. Take these 3 easy steps to start profiting from sports betting: 1.Register an account with expekt.com here. 2.Deposit a minimum of €10 into your expekt.com account. 3.Send an email to 35eurbonus@expekt.com with your customer number and deposit amount included. The bonus amount up to €35/£25 will be added to your account within 48 h

Friday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester City will revive an £11m move for Hamburg's German defender Jerome Boateng in the summer and are also keen on highly-rated Osasuna right-back Cesar Azpilicueta, 20.(Daily Mail) 
Everton are being linked with a move for Dinamo Zagreb's Croatian centre-forward Mario Mandzukic, 23.(Daily Mail) 
Lokomotiv Moscow have not given up on signing Roman Pavlyuchenko from Tottenham.(Daily Mail) 
Spurs could be lining up a summer move for Lazio's former Aston Villa midfielder Thomas 'The Hammer' Hitzlsperger, 27, after the German struggled to settle in Italy.(The Sun) 
Nice striker Loic Remy is keen to join Arsenal in the summer.(TribalFootball.com) 
The Gunners have been rebuffed in their attempts to sign Stuttgart's 15-year-old goalkeeper Odessas Vlachidimos for £1m.(Daily Mail) 
Newcastle defender Steven Taylor, reportedly involved in a training ground bust-up with team-mate Andy Carroll, will leave this summer with Everton and Aston Villa chasing the 24-year-old.(The Sun) 
Portsmouth have been offered £250,000 by Spartak Moscow to terminate Quincy Owusu-Abeyie's loan early and send him back to the Russian side. (Daily Mail) 
Birmingham are ready to offer Matthew Taylor an escape route from Bolton by bidding £2m for the unhappy 28-year-old this summer.(The Sun) 
Stoke City are interested in Congo-born Belgian striker Christian Benteke, 19, who is on loan at KV Kortrijk from Standard Liege.(Daily Mail) 
Birmingham boss Alex McLeish is reportedly keen on Nantes youngster Jonathan Nanizayamo.(Daily Mirror) 
Wolves manager Mick McCarthy is plotting a double raid on cash-strapped Portsmouth with a joint £1.5m bid for Tommy Smith and Aaron Mokoena.(The Sun) 
Everton want to lure Bristol City youngster Christian Ribeiro to Goodison Park.(TribalFootball.com) 
Nottingham Forest have suffered more transfer frustration after failing to land Aston Villa left-back Wilfred Bouma on loan.(Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola banned team co-owner David Sullivan from a meeting with his players after their relationship broke down in the wake of Sullivan's highly critical open letter to fans.(Daily Mail) 
Zola says he is confident he can keep the Hammers in the Premier League, but is less confident he will still be manager next season.(Daily Express) 
Norwich boss Paul Lambert, a former Celtic player, is the favourite to succeed Tony Mowbray on a permanent basis as manager of the Bhoys - with Henrik Larsson an outside bet.(The Times) 
Craig Bellamy is being investigated by Manchester City after allegations of an incident in the players' tunnel at the end of their 2-0 defeat by Everton on Wednesday.(Daily Mail) 
Meanwhile, Everton want an apology from Manchester City chief executive Garry Cook after he had a VIP fan and his wife thrown out of Eastlands.(Daily Mirror) 
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has told his players their Premier League game against Birmingham on Saturday is the "priority" over next week's Champions League meeting with Barcelona.(Daily Mirror) 
Wenger has suspended contract talks with stars such as William Gallas and Mikael Silvestre, refusing to discuss terms until crucial matches are out of the way.(The Guardian) 
Meanwhile, the Gunners could welcome back Dutch striker Robin van Persie within three weeks as he continues to make progress after an ankle ligament injury.(The Sun) 
Chelsea defender Paulo Ferreira has revealed some of Chelsea's older players fear they will never win the Champions League after last week's last 16 defeat to Inter Milan.(Daily Star) 
No such worries at Liverpool, where midfielder Javier Mascherano has pledged his future to the club and expects to sign a new contract soon.(PremierLeague.com) 
Though Reds legend Phil Thompson has urged stars Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres to threaten to quit the club unless there is real investment in the playing squad at Anfield.(The Sun) 
Portsmouth boss Avram Grant will ask Tottenham's permission to let on-loan midfielder Jamie O'Hara play in the two sides' FA Cup semi-final meeting next month.(Daily Mirror) 
England fans are angry that the team will play three Euro 2012 qualifiers on Fridays so that players can return to their clubs a day early.(The Guardian) 
Portsmouth's Ricardo Rocha has accused Chelsea star Florent Malouda of setting out to hurt him with a swipe of the elbow during the teams' Premier League clash on Wednesday.(Daily Mail) 
Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves has moved a step closer to a return after being pulled out of a reserves game to train with the first team.(Daily Mirror) 
Sven-Goran Eriksson, Mark Hughes and Bernd Schuster will find out on Friday which one of them is to coach Ivory Coast at the World Cup in South Africa this summer. (Daily Express) 
Burnley are facing a mass exodus in the summer after refusing to give in to players' wage demands, with 11 first-teamers out of contract at the end of the season. (Daily Star)
Former Peterborough manager Mark Cooper has emerged as the favourite to replace Steve Staunton as boss of Darlington.(The Sun) 

AND FINALLY

Paul Gascoigne confronted an imposter who posed as him on social networking site Twitter, taking a photo of himself in front of a TV news channel displaying the date and time to prove he was the real Gazza.(Daily Star) 
Riot police in Brazil restored order in a league match between Genus and Moto Clube by baton-charging and then pepper-spraying the players.(The Sun) 
Three-time world player of the year Ronaldo has apologised for making an obscene gesture to fans of his Corinthians team in Brazil after their defeat by Paulista.(NBC) 
Juventus goalkeeper Antonio Chimenti was so upset after conceding a 35-yarder against Sampdoria that he broke his hand punching a dressing room table. (The Sun)

www.bbc.co.uk

Friday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Arsenal and Manchester City target Yaya Toure has ruled out a move to the Premier League. The midfielder insists he is settled at Barcelona.(Daily Mail) 
Bayern Munich midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger has dismissed press speculation that he might be heading for Chelsea in the summer.(IMscouting.com) 
Liverpool winger Albert Riera could leave Anfield within weeks after his outburst against manager Rafael Benitez. CSKA Moscow and Spartak Moscow are tracking the 27-year-old and may match Liverpool's £8m valuation.(The Times) 
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich will invest in young talent rather than high-profile big names in the summer as he attempts to drive down the age of his ageing squad. (Daily Star)  
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce is keen to sign on-loan full-back Alan Hutton on a permanent £6m deal from Tottenham. The transfer may help rebuild the relationship between the two clubs after Darren Bent's protracted move to the Stadium of Light last summer.(Daily Mirror) 
Former Celtic midfielder Barry Robson has tipped winger Aiden McGeady to be the next high-profile star to follow him out of Parkhead.(Daily Record) 
Everton are readying themselves for a battle with Spanish side Sevilla for £8m-rated FC Twente striker Bryan Ruiz.(The Sun) 
Meanwhile FC Twente boss Steve McClaren is looking at a bid for Hull forward Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink as he attempts to bolster his fAorward line. (The Sun) 
West Ham owner David Sullivan wants Birmingham midfielder Sebastian Larsson and defender Liam Ridgewell, but Blues boss Alex McLeish has issued a hands-off warning over the pair. (Daily Mail) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Portsmouth manager Avram Grant has threatened to field weakened teams for the remainder of the season with his side all-but relegated following a nine point penalty for entering administration. (Daily Mail) 
Bristol City may approach former Ipswich and Scotland manager George Burley as they attempt to replace Gary Johnson who parted company with the club on Thursday.(The Guardian) 
Or sacked Hull boss Phil Brown will be offered an immediate return to management with the Ashton Gate side. (Daily Star)
Doncaster manager Sean O'Driscoll is another in the frame for the Bristol City position with City chairman Steve Lansdown impressed by Doncaster's performance in a 5-2 win over the Robins earlier this month.(The Sun) 
Forward Robinho could return to Manchester City this season because of a wage dispute at his loan club Santos. (Daily Mirror) 
But City feel under no obligation to take the playmaker back, and resume paying his salary, until their loan arrangement with the Brazilian side comes to an end on 4 August.(The Independent) 
Hull City must continue to pay Phil Brown as, although he is on gardening leave, he technically remains their manager. Iain Dowie has been appointed as "football management consultant". (Daily Mail) 

AND FINALLY

Ipswich boss Roy Keane has admitted he would rather throw punches than tea cups at underperforming players, adding that it is good "to go a bit mad".(Daily Mail) 
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson will offer his sympathy to under-pressure Liverpool counterpart Rafael Benitez in his programme notes for the two teams' meeting on Sunday.(Daily Mirror)

www.bbc.co.uk

Tuesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Tottenham hope to complete the £6.5m capture of 21-year-old midfielder Sandro from Brazilian side Internacional by the end of the week. (Various)
Ex-Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon believes that his former club are obsessed with trying to prise England striker Wayne Rooney away from Manchester United and thinks the Spanish club will make a bid soon.(Independent) 
The agent of Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has dismissed rumours linking the 32-year-old with a move to Manchester City. Silvano Martina told calciomercato.il that Buffon "is very annoyed" about the rumours "because they are baseless."(imscouting.com) 

OTHER GOSSIP

England boss Fabio Capello has told David Beckham he can still travel with the World Cup squad this summer, despite being ruled out of the tournament through injury. The midfielder had an operation on Monday on the Achilles tendon he ruptured playing for AC Milan on Sunday, which will keep him out for at least three months.(The Sun) 
As well as backing midfielder James Milner for a place in Capello's World Cup squad, Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill believes two of his other midfielders, Ashley Young and Stewart Downing, are capable of 'playing very well indeed' in the right-sided midfield role that is up for grabs in the England squad after David Beckham's injury blow. (Daily Mail) 
Mark Hughes has already turned down the Hull City job but chairman Adam Pearson hopes a face-to-face meeting with the former Manchester City boss will persuade the Welshman to change his mind.(Daily Mail) 
Alternatively, the man Hull want to lead their fight against relegation is former England boss Terry Venables, who answered a similar crisis call from Middlesbrough nine years ago and saved them from the drop.(The Sun) 
The Tigers could turn to former Crystal Palace and QPR manager Iain Dowie on a short-term deal.(The Times) 
Veteran Burnley goalkeeper Brian Jensen, 34, has opened talks over a new two-and-a-half-year deal at Turf Moor.(Daily Mail) 
Portsmouth manager Avram Grant will leave Fratton Park in the summer after being 'worn down' by false promises at the crisis-hit south-coast club.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has warned established duo Craig Bellamy and Shaun Wright-Phillips they are under threat from rising star Adam Johnson. The young midfielder came off the bench on Sunday to score a stunning 90th-minute equaliser against Sunderland.(Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

Wigan manager Roberto Martinez believes the poor performance of defender Gary Caldwell in the 4-0 loss at Bolton on Saturday is down to him becoming a new dad. "He is a father and has a newborn baby, sometimes that can affect you," said Martinez.(Daily Mirror) 
Boxer and Bolton fan Amir Khan has revealed his part in the Trotters' recent revival by giving the club's players a pep talk and showing them his WBA light-welterweight belt. Wanderers have won three of their last four matches.(Daily Mirror)

www.bbc.co.uk

Friday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Arsenal have been told by Nice they must pay £13m if they want to sign France's 23-year-old striker Loic Remy.(Daily Mail) 
Fulham's attempts to take on Al-Ittihad's Egyptian star striker Mohamed Nagy have ended in failure. (Sky Sports) 
Birmingham are about to smash the club transfer record with the £11m signing of Estudiantes striker Mauro Boselli.(Daily Mirror)

. 

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Middlesbrough have placed a £9m price tag on Adam Johnson with Manchester City closing in on the winger. The former England Under-21 star requested permission to speak to the Eastlands club earlier this week.(Daily Express) 
AC Milan are adamant striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar will not be moving to the Premier League before the end of the month. Arsenal, Everton, West Ham and Tottenham had been interested in signing the Netherlands international. (The Sun)
Tottenham have rejected an £8m bid from Birmingham for striker Roman Pavlyuchenko. The north London club are keen to recoup as much of the £14m they paid for the Russia international.(Daily Mail) 
Spurs have demanded £10m for the Russian, plus another £3m in add-ons with the Blues refusing to stump up the £13m being asked for in total.(Guardian) 
Newcastle have joined the list of clubs wanting to sign Crystal Palace forward Victor Moses by matching the £1.5m bid being offered by West Brom. Nottingham Forest are also interested in the highly rated striker.(The Times) 
Goalkeeper Asmir Begovic looks set to join Portsmouth team-mate Younes Kaboul at Tottenham as the south coast club attempt to raise funds to address their £60m financial crisis. (Daily Mail) 
Sunderland have made a £1.5m move for Manchester City striker Benjani after the Zimbabwe centre-forward had looked close to sealing a transfer to West Ham.(Daily Mail) 
Birmingham are keen on securing the services of Aruna Dindane on loan from Lens after the move of the Ivory Coast striker to Bolton fell through. The French club are eyeing a £4m deal.(Daily Mail) 
Celtic are planning to add a defender and a striker before the transfer window closes, with the club set to increase their £2.5m offer for Preston North End centre-back Sean St Ledger.(Guardian)

OTHER GOSSIP

Manchester City's owners in Abu Dhabi are considering offloading chief executive Garry Cook in the summer having become increasingly frustrated over his leadership style and publicity gaffes.(The Guardian)
Hull City are desperate to address their £10m debt and rising wage bill and chairman Adam Pearson has said the club will listen to offers for all of his players.(Daily Star) 
Portsmouth boss Avram Grant is considering walking out at Fratton Park after defender Younes Kaboul and Asmir Begovic were sold to help raise funds. The Israeli insisted last month no player would be sold without his prior approval.(Daily Mirror) 
Tottenham winger Aaron Lennon faces another three weeks on the sidelines because of a groin strain. The England international has not played since 28 December.(Guardian)
Despite loaning Robinho to Brazilian club Santos, Manchester City must pay about £70,000 to fund the striker's wages, with Santos searching for sponsors to help fund the remaining £35,000.(The Times)
www.bbc.co.uk

Thursday's gossip column

BREAKING NEWS

Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness has rejected claims a deal has already been struck to sell Franck Ribery to Real Madrid in the summer for a fee of around £49m.
(German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung)

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini will move for Liverpool trio Fernando Torres, Javier Mascherano and Steven Gerrard if the Reds finish outside the top four in the Premier League this season and are forced to sell their superstars.(The Sun) 
Zenit St Petersburg, Lokomotiv Moscow, Spartak Moscow and Sporting Lisbon are interested in buying Tottenham striker Roman Pavlyuchenko but Spurs want £13m for the out-of-favour Russian and will not consider letting him leave in a loan deal.(Daily Mirror)
Hull City boss Phil Brown hopes to sign Manchester City striker Benjani on loan in January, but only if the Eastlands club agree to pay half of the Zimbabwe star's £50,000-a-week wages.(The Sun) 
Manchester City have made an enquiry about signing £6m-rated Bari defender Leonardo Bonucci. (Daily Mail) 
Leeds striker Jermaine Beckford has put a £2m move to Newcastle on hold so he can help his side try to upset Manchester United in the FA Cup on Sunday.(Daily Mirror) 
Middlesbrough boss Gordon Strachan is planning a £3m bid for Leeds striker Robert Snodgrass. (The Sun) 
Everton manager David Moyes hopes to sign 17-year-old midfielder Maxime Lestienne from Belgian side Moucron. (Daily Mail) 
Portsmouth have invited Manchester City to make an offer for their £8m-rated defender Younes Kaboul.(Daily Mirror) 
Pompey boss Avram Grant has been told to sell at least £6m-worth of players in January to stop the club being declared bankrupt. Kaboul, David James Kevin-Prince Boateng, Nadir Belhadj and David Nugent could all be up for grabs.(The Sun) 
Liverpool have held preliminary talks with Crystal Palace about signing highly-rated teenager Victor Moses. (Daily Star) 
Aston Villa have joined Liverpool and Tottenham in the chase for West Ham midfielder Scott Parker, who could be available for around £8m.(The Guardian) 
Celtic have pulled out of a deal to sign Nafto Novopolotsk defender Dmitry Verkhovtsov after inviting the Belarus international over for a trial. (Daily Record) 
Hearts owner Vladimir Romanov is refusing to fund manager Csaba Laszlo's bid to sign Plymouth striker Steven Maclean and Charlton frontman Izale McLeod. (Daily Record)
Wigan have made a shock move to sign Ivory Coast centre half Steve Gohouri from German side Borussia Monchengladbach.(Daily Mirror) 
Sheffield United striker Jamie Ward is set to sign a new deal despite interest from West Brom.(Daily Mirror) 
Derby, Nottingham Forest and Ipswich are all chasing in-form Swindon striker Charlie Austin. (Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Former Bolton midfielder Peter Reid, currently assistant boss at Stoke, is being lined up as Wanderers' next manager after Gary Megson was sacked on Wednesday.(Daily Express) 
Reid could be installed on a caretaker basis until the end of the season.(The Times) 
Bolton will turn to Darren Ferguson as their next manager if they fail to persuade Burnley boss Owen Coyle to replace Megson. (Daily Telegraph)
Mark Hughes, sacked as Manchester City boss before Christmas, is not interested in the vacant Bolton job and Coyle and former Wigan boss Paul Jewell have also ruled out the possibility of taking charge at the Reebok Stadium.(Daily Mail) 
Megson is understood to be a major contender for the vacant managerial post at Sheffield Wednesday.(The Independent) 
Preston chairman Derek Shaw has admitted that Darren Ferguson is in the frame to succeed Alan Irvine, who was sacked earlier this week, as North End boss. Former Motherwell manager Jim Gannon is also believed to be on Shaw's shortlist. (The Sun) 
Doncaster boss Sean O'Driscoll is another of Shaw's targets to be the next Preston manager.(Daily Mail) 
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has told Jose Mourinho to forget any ideas of a shock return to Stamford Bridge, after the former Blues boss revealed he plans to take charge of an English club next season.(The Sun) 

AND FINALLY

Former Wimbledon hardman Vinnie Jones has been offered $1m to team up with his old friend Paul Gascoigne in the next Celebrity Big Brother.(The Sun)

www.bbc.co.uk

Tuesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich will spend up to £55m in the January transfer window to boost his side's title challenge, with £40m-rated Atletico Madrid striker Sergio Aguero and Monaco midfielder Jerko Leko top of his wish list and Ajax forward Luis Suarez, Roma midfielder Daniele De Rossi and Everton midfielder Jack Rodwell seen as back-up options.(The Sun) 
Chelsea are worried Manchester City will gazump them with a bid for Aguero and want to push through a deal for the Argentina international in the next few days. (The Times) 
Manchester City striker Craig Bellamy and goalkeeper Shay Given are considering quitting the club in protest over the sacking of former manager Mark Hughes. (The Sun) 
New Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini will hope to beat Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool to the signing of Palermo centre-back Simon Kjaer and his other targets include Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini, Rubin Kazan left-back Cristian Ansaldi, Osasuna right-back Cesar Azpilicueta, Sporting Lisbon centre-back Daniel Carrico, Sampdoria forward Antonio Cassano, AC Milan midfielder Gennaro Gattuso and CSKA Moscow midfielder Milos Krasic. (Daily Mail) 
Tottenham are ready to sell Robbie Keane to Celtic in January but want goalkeeper Artur Boruc as part of the deal. (Daily Mirror) 
Or, Keane will stay at White Hart Lane and remain club captain - despite angering Harry Redknapp by organising the club's Christmas party in Dublin behind the manager's back. (The Sun) 
Blackburn hope to re-sign James Beattie and will offer Jason Roberts to Stoke City in a swap deal for the striker, who began his career at Ewood Park. (Daily Mirror) 
Middlesbrough boss Gordon Strachan is planning a swoop for Leeds striker Jermaine Beckford. (Daily Mirror) 
Roma have joined Barcelona, Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham, Sunderland, Fulham, Wigan, Birmingham and German side Hoffenheim in the race to sign £5m-rated Crystal Palace forward Victor Moses. (Daily Mail) 
Blackburn and Everton will battle it out to sign Tottenham's Scotland full-back Alan Hutton for £4m in January. (Daily Express) 
West Ham hope to hijack Celtic's £2.5m swoop for Tours FC striker Olivier Giroud, who has also been targeted by Monaco, Toulouse, Valenciennes and Montpellier. (Daily Record) 
Former Chelsea striker Mateja Kezman has been offered to West Ham by French club Paris St Germain, who are looking to offload the Serbian frontman. (Daily Mirror) 
Matthew Upson could leave West Ham in January after admitting he is unsure whether he will still be at Upton Park at the end of the season. (Daily Express) 
Portsmouth boss Avram Grant has set up a loan deal for Benfica defender Miguel Vitor, who will move to Fratton Park in January if the club's transfer embargo is lifted. (Daily Mirror) 
Wolves boss Mick McCarthy is lining up a £1m move for Birmingham midfielder Lee Carsley, 35, who has been told he can leave the Blues and is also wanted by Ipswich. (Daily Express)
Celtic hope to beat Hull, Bolton, Burnley and Newcastle to the £1m signing of Sheffield United defender Matthew Kilgallon.(Daily Record) 
Barnsley are close to signing Ivory Coast defender Steve Gohouri on loan from German side Borussia Monchengladbach until the end of the season. (Daily Star)
Hearts will hold talks with Charlton striker Izale McLeod this week about taking the former England Under-21 star on loan in January.(Daily Record) 
Bournemouth and Notts County both want to sign Bangor City striker Chris Sharp, the son of former Everton and Scotland striker Graham Sharp. (Daily Star)

OTHER GOSSIP

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has drawn a line under the row over his squad's secret Christmas party after the 16 players involved each agreed to make a £20,000 donation to the club's Tottenham Hotspur Foundation charity. (Daily Mirror) 
Or, the 16 Spurs player were told to pay £5,000 each - pulling in a total of £80,000 for good causes. (The Sun) 
A furious Redknapp read the riot act to his players over the party incident and they have agreed to make a donation to charities which could amount to £1m.(Daily Star) 
The meeting between Redknapp and his players was frank but amicable, with them apologising for their conduct but pointing out they could not be fined as they had not breached the terms of their contracts and the Spurs boss agreeing for them to make donations totalling £300,000 to a charity. (The Guardian) 
Or, Redknapp chose not to fine his players and instead ordered them to pay £2,000 each - about the same amount they paid for their secret night out in Dublin - to a charity. (The Independent) 
Liverpool midfielder Alberto Aquilani, who is still to start a Premier League game for the Reds following his £20m summer move from Roma, has flown to Belgrade to receive treatment on his calf injury from controversial 'placenta doctor' Marijana Kovacevic. (Daily Mail) 
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has been told he will have to sell players before he can add to his squad in the January transfer window and plans to offload Ryan Babel, Andriy Voronin, Andrea Dossena and/or Philipp Degan to raise funds. If buyers cannot be found, Benitez will be restricted to making loan signings. (The Guardian) 
Former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, who succeeded Roberto Mancini as Inter Milan boss 18 months ago, is tipping the Italian to be a big success at Manchester City.(The Sun) 
Mancini hit City's players with a double training-sesssion on Tuesday, just 24 hours after meeting them for the first time. (Daily Express) 
There is deep-seated anger in the Manchester City squad over Mark Hughes's sacking, especially among the the club's British and Irish players, despite chief executive Garry Cook's claims that there is no player rebellion at Eastlands. (Daily Telegraph) 
Birmingham boss Alex McLeish has won his battle with new Blues owner Carson Yeung over the club's transfer policy in January and has been told the Blues will only sign players the manager approves. (Daily Mirror) 
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has ruled out making any signings in January to ease Manchester United's defensive injury crisis.(The Guardian) 
Dundee United boss Craig Levein will officially be named Scotland's new manager on Tuesday. (The Daily Record) 

AND FINALLY

Ipswich boss Roy Keane walks his dogs at midnight to avoid bumping into angry Town fans.(Daily Star)

Friday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Tottenham will get rid of David Bentley in January following a heated row between the winger and manager Harry Redknapp. (Daily Express)
Redknapp has been told by Spurs chairman Daniel Levy that he will have to sell before he can make any signings in the new year.(The Guardian) 
Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce is preparing a new-year raid for Stoke striker James Beattie following his row with manager Tony Pulis after the defeat at Arsenal.(Daily Telegraph) 
Portsmouth manager Avram Grant has been ordered to offload players as the club's cash crisis mounts.(Daily Telegraph) 
Blackburn are poised to complete the signing of France Under-21 midfielder Amine Linganzi from St Etienne in January.(Daily Mirror) 
Wigan are set to allow Ghana goalkeeper Richard Kingson leave the club in the new year after failing to unseat Chris Kirkland from the number one spot.(The Sun) 
The entire playing staff of Crystal Palace have been put up for sale in order to solve the club's cash problems. Wigan and Sunderland are interested in midfielder Darren Ambrose, winger Victor Moses and goalkeeper Julian Speroni.(Daily Mail) 
Sought-after Ipswich striker Connor Wickham, 16, who has attracted the interest of Tottenham, Arsenal and Chelsea, is set to sign a new five-year deal at Portman Road.(Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

West Ham striker Dean Ashton is considering whether he can sue Shaun Wright-Phillips and his then employers Chelsea for the challenge in 2006 that he will claim ended his career.(Daily Telegraph) 
Paul Hart, who parted company with Portsmouth last month, will take charge at Queens Park Rangers should they sack manager Jim Magilton.(The Sun) 
The people in charge of Notts County have days to complete negotiations over a management buy-out otherwise director of football Sven-Goran Eriksson will leave the club.(The Times) 
And Eriksson will need to find £500,000 of his own money if he wants to complete the buy-out.(Daily Mail) 
David Gold and David Sullivan will make a bid for West Ham in the next 24 hours but no money will go to the current owners. The cash will instead be used for players and debt repayments in return for a 50% stake.(The Independent) 
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has come under fire from Jurgen Klinsmann for the way he manages the club. The German, who was once lined up to take the top job at Anfield, says Liverpool lack pace, creativity, quality and consistency.(The Sun) 

AND FINALLY

With a name like Roque Santa Cruz, you would think finding the Christmas spirit would be easy. However, the Paraguay striker was the only player not wanting a light blue santa hat as Manchester City's stars filmed a video of them singing "Jingle Bells".(The Sun) 
England manager Fabio Capello says he is dreaming of a final against his home country Italy in next year's World Cup final. "The strangest moment will be during the national anthems," he said. "But, I am wearing a different shirt now and I must work for the England shirt."(Press Association)
www.bbc.co.uk

Sunday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Chelsea could make a shock move for Inter Milan star and former Arsenal midfielder Patrick Vieira in January.(News of the World) 
West Ham striker Carlton Cole is Arsenal's number one January target.(Sunday Mirror) 
Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas is determined to leave the Emirates Stadium in the summer, but could move to either Real Madrid or Barcelona for £45m in January.(Sunday Mirror) 
David Moyes wants to lure former Manchester United striker Diego Forlan, currently playing for Atletico Madrid, to Everton.(Daily Star) 
But Moyes will get no joy when he tries to tempt defender Steven Taylor away from Newcastle.(News of the World) 
Chelsea are keen to sign Sevilla striker Luis Fabiano in January, but may have to wait until the summer, when the 29-year-old Brazilian will be available for £24m.(News of the World) 
Both Chelsea and Sunderland are on the trail of Middlesbrough winger Adam Johnson, but the 22-year-old looks set to stay at the Riverside Stadium with a new contract worth £1.5m a year.(News of the World) 
Barcelona will come in with a £30m bid for Liverpool's Javier Mascherano in January.(News of the World) 
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez is therefore understandably eager to tie Mascherano to a new long-term contract, and the club have priced Barca out of a move for the Argentine captain.(Sunday Mirror) 
Manchester United are tracking 6ft 4in Bosnian striker Edin Dzeko, who may be available for £15m - but he wants to move to AC Milan.(News of the World) 
Alternatively, Dzeko is at the centre of a three-way battle between United, Arsenal and Manchester City, and is available for just £10m.(Sunday Mirror) 
But Bayern Munich believe United face a financial crisis and have no money to spend, having offered them Franck Ribery for £60m in the summer and heard nothing back.(Mail on Sunday) 
Tottenham will come in for Sunderland defender Anton Ferdinand in January or, failing that, will pursue Manchester City's Micah Richards. (Sunday Express)
New Portsmouth boss Avram Grant's first moves will be for Chelsea pair Daniel Sturridge and Juliano Belletti on loan.(News of the World) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Former Portugal star Luis Figo says England are "not among the favourites" to win the World Cup in 2010.(Mail on Sunday) 
Should manager Mark Hughes leave Eastlands, Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich will block any attempt by Manchester City to bring in former Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink, whose salary as Russia coach is underwritten by the billionaire.(News of the World) 
Portsmouth's cash crisis has reached the point where the club left Aruna Dindane on the bench against Aston Villa on Tuesday because they did not have the cash to meet the £4m permanent transfer deal one more appearance would have triggered with French club Lens.
However, Pompey renegotiated the deal in time for Dindane to appear against Burnley on Saturday.(Sunday Mirror) 
The Football Association's allocation of just 4,000 tickets for England's opening World Cup game against the US will create a scramble on the black market.(Sunday Mirror) 
Mike Ashley is once again preparing an attempt to sell Newcastle United, with fresh interest from America in taking over the club.(News of the World) 
Phil Brown has been told his job as Hull boss is safe - until Christmas, at least.(Sunday Mirror) 
Aston Villa could earn a £30m sponsorship windfall if they reach the final of the Carling Cup.(Sunday Mirror) 
Everton hope to raise £7m from the sale of their old training ground, having had plans for a new stadium at Kirkby turned down.(News of the World) 

AND FINALLY

Manchester United paid magicians more than £50,000 over a two-year period, and gave a similar sum to a firm which supplies clowns. (News of the World) 
Cristiano Ronaldo had an incident-packed Saturday as he missed a penalty, scored, then was sent off as Real Madrid beat Almeria 4-2.(Mail on Sunday) 
South Africa coach Carlos Alberto Parreira believes England will be a force at the World Cup because Fabio Capello has ended the WAG culture within the squad. "When you go to war, you don't take the wife," said Parreira.(Independent on Sunday)
www.bbc.co.uk

Carling Cup

Man Utd 2-0 Tottenham

Darron Gibson stated an eloquent case for Manchester United's young brigade by scoring twice to send the holders into the Carling Cup semi-final at the expense of Spurs at Old Trafford.
United manager Sir Alex Ferguson had reacted angrily to criticism levelled at his emerging stars after the defeat against Besiktas that ended their 23-game unbeaten home record in the Champions League. 
Ferguson launched a passionate defence of his home-grown products and gave them another chance to impress against Spurs - and 22-year-old Gibson was the star of the show as United saw off Harry Redknapp's side in a repeat of last season's Wembley final. 
Gibson opened the scoring with an early long-range finish, then produced an even more spectacular effort just before half-time to put United into the last four on a rain-sodden Old Trafford night. 
Spurs' challenge fizzled out after a bright start, with United defender Nemanja Vidic providing experience and a formidable barrier on the rare occasions when the Londoners did threaten.
.

Portsmouth 2-4 Aston Villa

Stewart Downing scored on his first start for Aston Villa as they secured a deserved victory over Portsmouth in the Carling Cup quarter-final.
Stiliyan Petrov sliced a corner into his own net to give Portsmouth the lead but a minute later Emile Heskey ran through on goal to chip Villa level. 
James Milner's drive put the visitors ahead and Downing's second-half header seemed to have settled the tie. 
A Kanu strike gave Pompey hope but Ashley Young's goal extinguished it. 
Portsmouth boss Avram Grant's last game as a manager in this competition was a defeat to Tottenham in the 2008 final during his time at Chelsea. 
However, in stark contrast to his time at Stamford Bridge, Grant is now tasked with steering a struggling side away from the Premier League relegation zone. 
To this end, Grant rested his first-choice strikers Frederic Piquionne and Aruna Dindane with Danny Webber and John Utaka coming in.
www.bbc.co.uk