Wolverhampton - Tottenham

Wolves hold 19th place with a point less than first above the line, Bolton. They’re without a win in four league games (2 draws and 2 defeats). In previous round, lost in a derby game against Birmingham, conceding two goals in five minutes. They’re physically strong team, but obviously have lots of problems when they play against technically superior opponents, usually focusing on keeping the own net. They also failed to score in last 3 home games. Boss Mick McCarthy doesn’t have any injury worries, only new signing Adiene Guedioura is pushing for a first start after three consecutive appearances as substitute. It is expected to McCarthy set his favorite 4-5-1 formation with Doyle alone in front. 

Considering last few Spurs’ games, it seems their performance is over the results. They look well balanced, with Defoe and Crouch in front, Bentley and Modric behind and tough defense line. They definitely have enough quality for a serious challenge for a spot for CL. They overplayed Villa, but couldn’t score. Although they scored just 3 goals in Premier in 2010., they have scored the most goals after title challengers and will face one of the worst defenses in the league. Ledley King with a knee problem will be sidelined, Sebastien Bassong and new signing Younes Kaboul will fight it out to play alongside Michael Dawson. Gudjohnsen is expected to take some part in the game after being on the bench against Villa. As a big missing, remains Aaron Lennon.

Wolves suffered two hard defeats, first in Cup shocking 1-3 against Palace, then in last round vs. Birmingham. Both games were a big blow to their self confidence and in combination with the obvious lack of quality and a pressure to make a result I can’t see any positive outcome for them. Spurs have finally exclude the ups and downs in their displays and their shape look more than decent. Away win with a clean sheet. I'll try with a handicap as a gamble, predict 0-2.

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Wednesday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Tottenham to have talks with Eidur Gudjohnsen. The Icelandic striker, who plays for Monaco, is also the subject of a bid from West Ham. (Sky Sports) 
Santos midfielder Paulo Henrique Ganso has said he is not keen on joining Manchester City as part of the deal that could take Robinho back to the Brazilian club. The 20-year-old said: "I don't want to play for Manchester City. I'd prefer to play for a big club in Europe such as Milan, Real Madrid or Barcelona." (Globo Esporte) 

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Tottenham are set to usurp West Ham's bid for Monaco's Icelandic forward Eidur Gudjohnsen after meeting him at Stansted Airport on Monday.(Daily Mirror) 
Arsenal teenager Jack Wilshere's proposed loan move to Bolton is back on, despite the two clubs' managers falling out after their fiery match last week.(Daily Mirror) 
Tottenham midfielder Jamie O'Hara will be Avram Grant's first loan signing following the Premier League's decision to lift Portsmouth's transfer embargo, although the south-coast club will only be able to acquire players on free or loan deals.(Daily Mirror) 
David Bentley also looks set to leave Spurs, with West Ham interested in taking the midfielder, who scored in Tuesday's 2-0 victory over Fulham, on loan for the rest of the season.(Daily Mirror)
Wolves manager Mick McCarthy is set to make a third and final offer of £3.5m for Hull winger Stephen Hunt.(Daily Mirror) 
Sunderland boss Steve Bruce is set to renew his interest in Liverpool's out-of-favour Dutch forward Ryan Babel.(Daily Mail) 
Fulham plan to pip Sunderland and Celtic to sign Egypt's attacking midfielder Mohamed Gedo, who plays for Al-Ittihad Al-Sakndary.(Daily Mail) 
The Cottagers are also trying to resurrect a loan deal for Roma striker Stefano Okaka. Stoke manager Tony Pulis is also monitoring developments concerning the 20-year-old, whose original switch to Fulham fell through because Roma were demanding a £250,000 loan fee. (Daily Mirror) 
West Brom boss Roberto Di Matteo is preparing a £750,000 bid for Stoke defender Leon Cort. The Baggies will face competition from Newcastle, Middlesbrough and Ipswich for the 30-year-old.(Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Crystal Palace defender Matt Lawrence has revealed the players found out the club is in administration via the social networking site Twitter.(Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini reckons Carlos Tevez and Manchester United's Gary Neville are good friends, despite their much-publicised rift last week. Mancini also urged his players "don't look back in anger" - in reference to a song written by City-supporting band Oasis - as they prepare to take on United in Wednesday's Carling Cup semi-final second leg at Old Trafford.(Daily Mirror)

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Tuesday brought a profit

Tottenham 2 - 0 Fulham

Tottenham reignited their push for a top-four spot with a clinical victory over Fulham at White Hart Lane.
The hosts, searching for a first league win since December, took the lead when Peter Crouch capitalised on some poor defending to clip in from close range. 
And David Bentley made the most of a rare Tottenham start when his free-kick was deflected home on the hour mark. 
The Cottagers offered little in attack, though Bobby Zamora brought a brave save out of Heurelho Gomes early on. 
However, the victory was all too comfortable for a Tottenham side that rarely had to get out of third gear as the hosts kept hold of fourth spot in the league, three points ahead of Liverpool, who were held to a goalless draw by Wolves. 
It was a far from fluent victory for Spurs, though, who have lost an element of attacking swagger of late with winger Aaron Lennon injured. 
But they had far too much for a Fulham side whose performances away from Craven Cottage could hardly be more of a contrast with their impressive home form. 
With just one league win on their travels all season, Fulham's gameplan was clearly to keep things tight early on - and they were grateful to Mark Schwarzer's smart low stop from Tom Huddlestone's drive in the first minute amid a typically sharp start from the hosts.
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Bolton 1 - 0 Burnley

Owen Coyle was subjected to a barrage of abuse from the Burnley fans who once idolised him - but his discomfort was eased as Bolton secured a vital victory that sent his former club into the Premier League's bottom three.
Coyle was the hero of Turf Moor less than a month ago after guiding them to the top-flight, but his defection to nearby Bolton has soured the relationship forever and he received a fiercely hostile reception from 5,000 travelling fans inside The Reebok stadium. 
Bolton answered the taunts aimed at their new boss by giving him his first league win as Chung-Yong Lee's goal, scored off the underside of the bar after 35 minutes, secured a crucial three points to leave Coyle's Turf Moor successor Brian Laws still searching for his first victory. 606: 
The Burnley supporters made their feelings clear about their one-time manager even before kick-off, with chants of "Judas" and a succession of banners - none of them flattering. One read "Never Forgotten Never Forgiven" and another was laced with Monty Python humour with the message "He's Not The Messiah. He's A Very Naughty Boy." 
Coyle emerged to a dazzle of flashlights from cameramen gathered around his technical area - then kept a low profile as Bolton went about the main business of securing the result that moved them out of the relegation places at Burnley's expense. 
And it was a win Coyle's side deserved as they achieved their first clean sheet in the league this season and left Burnley with only one point from a possible 36 on their travels. 
Coyle, perhaps unwisely, ventured on to the pitch at the final whistle to sympathise with his beaten former players and applaud the Burnley fans - to suggest the gesture was not appreciated is a masterpiece of understatement. 
Bolton created the better opportunities, while Burnley failed to make the most of any possession they enjoyed, their plans admittedly not helped by the early loss of Chris McCann and Graham Alexander to injury. 
It was clear long before the start that Coyle would be on the receiving end of a fearsome reception from a welcoming committee of away fans packed into one end of The Reebok Stadium intent on venting their fury. And so it proved.
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Monday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

David Bentley could be off to Atletico Madrid in a loan deal, with the 25-year-old winger desperate for a move away from Tottenham.(Daily Mirror) 
Or Bentley will stay closer to home after Sunderland manager Steve Bruce declared his interest in securing the services of the former England man.(The Sun)
Jermaine Beckford could have played his last game for Leeds with Newcastle United top of the list to sign the striker who scored the winner at Old Trafford on Sunday to dump Manchester United out of the FA Cup. A fee of £2.5m is being discussed for the 26-year-old.(Daily Star) 
Everton boss David Moyes wants to bring Lyon striker Frederic Piquionne, who is currently on loan at Portsmouth, to Goodison Park, with Blackburn, Liverpool and Aston Villa waiting in the wings.(Daily Mail) 
American star Freddy Adu, who once had a trial at Manchester United, is considering a move to Hull City after the Portuguese side Belenenses told the 20-year-old he can look for other employers.(Daily Mirror) 
Stoke City boss Tony Pullis wants to beat Liverpool in the race to sign Real Madrid and Holland striker Ruud van Nistelrooy by using a regular starting spot as bait in the build-up to the World Cup.(The Sun) 
Manchester City have joined the list of clubs who want to sign Crystal Palace striker Victor Moses. The 19-year-old is tipped to leave the cash-strapped Championship club with West Bromwich, Everton, Liverpool and Birmingham all keen on a transfer.(Daily Mail) 
Stoke City could make a shock loan move for Barcelona's 18-year-old midfielder Oriel Romeu.(Daily Mirror) 
Birmingham are closing in on a £3.5m move for Aston Villa's 23-year-old midfielder Craig Gardner.(Daily Mirror) 

.

OTHER GOSSIP

Former Newcastle United boss Alan Shearer wants to become Sheffield Wednesday's new manager following the sacking of Brian Laws last month. The England legend is believed to want Gary Speed as his number two.(The Sun) 

.

AND FINALLY

How well do parents know their kids? According to Pep Guardiola's dad, the Barcelona coach may leave at the end of the season. Despite the 38-year-old winning six trophies in his first year at Camp Nou, Guardiola senior said: "I don't know if he will stay or take a break from football and relax. The dad is always the last to know about these things."(The Independent)

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Tuesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Chelsea are planning a January move for West Ham goalkeeper Robert Green as manager Carlo Ancelotti has lost patience with Petr Cech.(Daily Express) 
Tottenham winger David Bentley, who was left out of the squad that played Wolves at the weekend, wants Spurs to let him leave in the January transfer window.(The Mirror) 
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez will try and exploit the uncertainty at West Ham by making a £6m bid for midfielder Scott Parker.(The Sun) 
Barcelona could make a shock £3.5m move for Crystal Palace forward Victor Moses in the new year. The 19-year-old has also attracted the interest of Sunderland, Wigan and Tottenham. (Daily Star) 
Arsenal and Manchester United have been warned off signing Standard Liege's £15m midfielder Steven Defour in January, although the player's agent says he would be interested in coming to England.(The Sun) 
Real Madrid want to sign Chelsea defender Ricardo Carvalho and could use striker Ruud van Nistelrooy as bait. (Daily Star) 
Manchester United have been linked with moves for AC Milan striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Cardiff defender Adam Matthews.(Daily Mail) 
Stoke manager Tony Pulis is preparing to make a £4m offer for Newcastle forward Andy Carroll.(Daily Mirror) 
Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce has told striker Benni McCarthy that he can leave Rovers in the new year. (Daily Telegraph)
And Allardyce has been given permission to sign Chelsea striker Franco di Santo on loan for the rest of the season. (Daily Mirror) 
Charlton midfielder Therry Racon is wanted by West Brom, Leicester and Nottingham Forest.(The Sun) 
Reading midfielder Brynjar Gunnarsson wants to leave the club in January.(The Independent) 
Coventry manager Chris Coleman is lining up a £1m move for Nottingham Forest midfielder Lewis McGuigan.(The Sun) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti will drop some of his star players for Wednesday's home game with Portsmouth following the 3-3 draw with Everton at the weekend. Defender Ricardo Carvalho and midfielder Michael Ballack are in the firing line.(The Sun) 
David Gold and David Sullivan have pledged a £25m January transfer kitty as part of their £50m takeover of West Ham.(Daily Mirror) 
However, the Icelandic bank that controls West Ham is set to reject the bid from the former Birmingham owners.(The Independent) 
The city of Liverpool could lose out in the race to host 2018 World Cup matches, with Milton Keynes a possible inclusion in England's final bid to Fifa.(The Times) 
Chelsea have turned down Portsmouth's request for more time to pay the £750,000 owed from Glen Johnson's move to Fratton Park.(The Sun) 
Inter Milan boss Jose Mourinho has been accused of "physical and verbal aggression" towards a journalist after Sunday's 1-1 draw at Atalanta.(The Times) 
Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves is on the verge of making a comeback from two knee operations, but is struggling to overcome the psychological hurdle of playing again for the first team.(The Sun) 

AND FINALLY

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Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher admits his side need divine intervention to help their title ambitions following another defeat at the weekend. "We've got to get through it and, as I'm doing, pray to God that at the end of season there will be something worthwhile for what we've gone through," he said.(The Independent)

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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)
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Double for decent Tuesday

Tottenham 2 - 0 Everton 

Tottenham shrugged off Everton to book their place in the quarter-finals of the Carling Cup.
Robbie Keane wasted a Spurs chance when his shot hit a post but Tom Huddlestone atoned for his team-mate by half-volleying in David Bentley cross. 
Keane earned a penalty after a foul by Sylvain Distin and, after Tim Howard had saved his initial strike, he scored following a goalmouth melee. 
Everton rarely looked like staging a comeback as Spurs saw out the game. 
The main disappointment for Spurs was the form of Roman Pavlyuchenko, who made a rare start in the first ever meeting between the two sides in the League Cup. 
Spurs boss Harry Redknapp had a visit from Russia manager Guus Hiddink recently to discuss how to get the best out of the striker.
Pavlyuchenko is propping up the Spurs pecking order of forwards and is also struggling to keep his starting place in Hiddink's side.

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp on David Bentley:
"He's got to play like that and put that effort in. Aaron (Lennon) has played so well, he's not had the opportunity. 
"His attitude was not as good in training as it could be and I spoke to him about that. 
"He accepts that and is determined to put that right."
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Portsmouth 4 - 0 Stoke 
Frederic Piquionne was the star as Portsmouth put their poor league form to one side to easily qualify for the quarter-finals of the Carling Cup.
The much-changed hosts were always in control after Piquionne headed past Steve Simonsen on 17 minutes. 
The on-loan Lyon striker then turned provider for Danny Webber to cut in and drive home, before stabbing in his side's third after a Simonsen mistake. 
Kanu added a fourth from close range late on to cap a dominant display. 
The Carling Cup has provided some welcome relief from a horrendous start to the Premier League season for Portsmouth, and Paul Hart's side can now look forward to a place in the quarter-finals. 
Tony Pulis had illustrated the Carling Cup's order in his priority list this season by making 10 changes to the side that beat Spurs at the weekend, but Stoke were still surprising lacklustre throughout. 
Piquionne was one of seven changes for Pompey, but he certainly made a strong case for a starting place against Wigan on Saturday.
Portsmouth boss Paul Hart:
"Obviously we need to take a little bit of that into our league performances. The players were determined to put a performance in. 
"I was pleased to get a clean sheet - the more of those we rack up the better chance we have of winning matches. 
"And on top of that, the number of chances we created was pleasing." 
Stoke manager Tony Pulis:
"The four we conceded were very poor goals to give away and were typified by Glenn Whelan falling over the ball for their fourth. 
"When we got in Pompey's final third there were at least five times where our final ball was absolutely shocking. 
"If we'd picked people out we'd have had great opportunities ourselves."
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Tottenham Hot. - Everton

Tottenham started the recent campaign in manner that announced the different outright than in dozen previous seasons. Six wins, a draw and two defeats against English (world’s) giants Manchester United (1-3 at home) and Chelsea (0-3). But, real bad luck came at Saturday against Stoke City. Spurs were dominating, created a bunch of chances, but lost 0-1 and maybe more important got two more injuries. Jonathan Woodgate (once again) and Aaron Lennon picked up the knocks and there no reason for risking with them in Cup game. Jermaine Defoe’s ban applied for cup competition as well, while Jermaine Jenas has four yellow cards and the question is will “Arry” keep him for Saturday’s North London derby against Arsenal. I think he won’t as he has better option available (returned from international Wilson Palacios, for example). Expensive investment that has been warming the bench, Roman Pavlyuchenko will get the chance, as well as winger David Bentley and some of defenders Michael Dawson, Alan Hutton, Gareth Bale and Kyle Naughton. Spurs have a depth, pay attention on cup competitions and they have failed to reach at least the quarter-finals just once in their last six attempts.

Everton have been facing a lots of problems in recent campaign. Three wins in starting nine rounds is not something that their fans had on the mind in August. Main reason for that is long injury list. Phil Neville, Phil Jagielka, Steven Pienaar and Mikel Arteta, four keys are long time injured. Aiyegbeni Yakubu, Diniyar Bilyaletdinov, Joseph Yobo, Leighton Baines and Leon Osman are unfit and under the question mark for tonight’s encounter. Nine players. Also, playing in Europe doesn’t help. In the midweek, Everton crashed in Portugal (Benfica 0-5), three days later lost on the road vs. Bolton 2-3. For the weekend will host Aston Villa, then again Europe, Premiership… Even with a full squad this schedule would demand more than a decent effort. And looking on the future games, I see this one as the easiest to be “sacrificed”. Moyes, as Redknapp will change the cards and give the chance to some youngsters (like in Portugal). Louis Saha is in decent shape and he should be the biggest threat to Spurs. Players take any moment to speak about their fighting spirit, but I see them as clear underdogs here. Except their semi-final appearance in 2007., they only once reached the last eight in 21 attempts.

Both managers will give a chance to some players that haven’t been playing a lot, lately. But, the difference is, Spurs' fringe players are actually very good. Healthy competition for a spot in starting eleven should produce a nice display tonight and home win. Pinnacle offer 1.79. It's a deal.

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One more before the kick-off.

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Tuesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Tottenham will beat off the late challenge of Everton to land midfielder Niko Kranjcar from Portsmouth. (The Sun) 
Everton will sign Johnny Heitinga for £5m on transfer deadline day after the Atletico Madrid defender agreed to compromise on his wage demands. (Daily Mirror) 
Tottenham winger David Bentley looks set for a move to Manchester City for £10m, in a bid that will see Martin Petrov move in the opposite direction. (Daily Mirror) 
Portsmouth have rejected an offer from Tottenham which would see goalkeepers David James and Carlo Cudicini swap clubs. (Daily Mail) 
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp and club chairman Daniel Levy are at odds over whether to make a transfer-day bid for James. (The Times) 
Pompey manager Paul Hart is hoping to sign striker Benjani from Manchester City. (The Sun) 
However, that deal could be scuppered by Sven-Goran Eriksson's Notts County, who are ready to make a club record offer for the 31-year-old. (Daily Mirror) 
Hull, Blackburn and Fulham are also in the race to sign Benjani. (The Independent) 
Fulham are expected to complete the signing of Swedish striker David Elm for £500,000. (Daily Express)
Aston Villa are poised to land West Ham defender James Collins for £5m. (The Sun) 
And the sale of Collins will give West Ham the funds to sign Bordeaux's highly-rated forward Marouane Chamakh. (Daily Mail) 
Bolton need Nantes to help pay the wages of striker Ivan Klasnic if they are to complete the loan signing of the 29-year-old Croat. (Daily Mirror) 
West Ham have warned interested clubs that centre-half Matthew Upson will only leave Upton Park if someone offers £15m. (Daily Express)
Wolves have made an offer for Cardiff winger Joe Ledley, who is rated at £6m. (Daily Mail) 
Birmingham hope to complete the loan signing of Real Betis midfielder Achille Emana. (The Sun)
And City manager Alex McLeish is bidding for winger Peter Lovenkrands, who is a free agent after leaving Newcastle at the end of last season. (Daily Mail) 
Portsmouth have made a £3m bid for former Wigan striker Amr Zaki and have also been linked with former Liverpool and Chelsea midfielder Boudewijn Zenden. (The Independent) 
Stoke are in negotiations to sign Valencia striker Nikola Zigic and Atletico Madrid defender Luis Perea. (Daily Mail) 
Rangers are to sign French winger Jerome Rothen from Paris St Germain on a year-long loan. (Various)
Celtic will make a £1.5m deadline day offer for Sampdoria midfielder Daniele Dessena. (Various) 
Scott McDonald's agent, Lou Sticca, has hinted that the Celtic striker may move on in January, if a suitable bid comes in. (Herald)
However, Wigan want McDonald right now and have offered a cash plus striker Marlon King deal for the Australian international. (Scottish Daily Mail) 


OTHER GOSSIP

Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney says he will not quit Old Trafford like Cristiano Ronaldo did in the summer. (The Sun) 
Arsenal are set to lose their appeal against striker Eduardo's two-game ban even though they have submitted a 19-page presentation to Uefa. (The Sun) 
Former Watford boss Aidy Boothroyd will today be unveiled as the new manager of Colchester. (The Sun)
Celtic defender Darren O'Dea will sign a new three-year deal at the Glasgow club before move to Reading on loan. (Daily Record) 

AND FINALLY

The head of the Croatian Football Association has claimed England are trying to deliberately injure their players, following the injuries to both Luka Modric and Eduardo in the last 18 months. (Various)
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Thursday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor has asked for more time before he makes a final decision on a transfer to Manchester City - the Togo international is possibly holding out for AC Milan to make a last-minute move.(The Sun) 
Adebayor was also offered to Manchester United, among other leading European teams, as his agents tried to drum up interest from other clubs to guarantee the player a bumper pay deal.(Daily Mail) 
The Gunners have had a £7m bid for Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh rejected, with the French club asking for defender Mikael Silvestre to be added to the offer.(The Sun) 
Manchester City have made a surprise move for Tottenham winger David Bentley, who is valued at about £12m by the north London club. (Daily Mirror) 
West Ham have been told by Barcelona it will cost them £5m to sign striker Eidur Gudjohnsen.(Daily Star) 
Tottenham could beat Stuttgart to the signing of Real Madrid striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, who is stalling on a £15.5m move to Germany in the hope of joining the Premier League side. (Daily Mirror) 
Or, Spurs want Huntelaar's Real Madrid team-mate Alvaro Negredo. The striker, who was on loan at Almeria last season, is valued at £15m.(The Independent)
And Arjen Robben could be a third Real Madrid player to be courted by Tottenham. The former Chelsea winger claims the White Hart Lane side have made inquiries about him. (Daily Telegraph) 
Everton are vying with Real Mallorca and Real Zaragoza for Espanyol defender Marc Torrejon.(The Sun) 
Blackburn are ready to bid £6m for Serbian striker Nikola Zigic, who they see as a replacement for Roque Santa Cruz. (Daily Mirror) 
Bolton are on the verge of signing South Korea winger Lee Chung-yong in a deal worth in excess of £2m.(The Sun) 
Liverpool have expressed an interest in Albacete's Belgian midfielder Ritchie Kitoko. (The Times) 
Meanwhile, Liverpool defender Andrea Dossena will not be joining Italian side Napoli as his agent has said "it was all a misunderstanding".(Daily Telegraph)
West Brom will miss out on a permanent deal for Juan Carlos Menseguez as the Argentine winger, who was on loan at the Hawthorns from San Lorenzo, wants to join Celtic.(Daily Mirror) 
Stoke are in talks to sign Sunderland midfielder Dean Whitehead. (The Times)
Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate will spend £3m on Derby striker Rob Hulse. (The Sun) 
Nancy midfielder Landry N'Guemo has stalled on agreeing a year-long loan from Nancy after Hull, Stoke and West Ham expressed an interest. (Daily Record)
Celtic manager Tony Mowbray will hold further talks today with Nancy midfielder Landry N'Guemo. (The Herald) 
Celtic have finalised Landy N'Guemo's loan deal from Nancy after the midfielder underwent a medical. (Daily Express)
Celtic have entered talks about signing £1m-rated striker Amadou Alassane from Le Havre but face competition from Hull and Stoke. (The Sun) 
Spanish winger Fernando Marques has been offered a trial by Celtic after having his contract torn up by Greek club Iraklis. (Daily Express)
Spanish left-back Xabi Castillo is poised to agree a transfer to Real Sociedad or Atletico Bilbao instead of Celtic. (Daily Express) 
Sheffield United have offered a trial to Poland international goalkeeper Sebastian Przyrowski. (Daily Star)
Norwich are giving a trial to defender Jens Berthel-Askou, who has been released by Turkish side Kasimpasa. (Daily Star) 
Former Rangers defender Marvin Andrews has told Raith Rovers he will not be re-signing for them as he has an offer from a Scottish Premier League club. (Daily Express)

OTHER GOSSIP

Paul Hart has been told he is being kept on as Portsmouth manager following Dr Sulaiman Al Fahim's takeover of the club.(The Sun) 
David Beckham has insisted he has no reason to apologise to LA Galaxy fans or the MLS for his loan spell at AC Milan. (The Sun) 
Alan Shearer remains "completely in the dark" about whether he will be named Newcastle manager. (The Guardian)
Manchester United chief executive David Gill says the club may still add to their squad, despite boss Sir Alex Ferguson's insistence that no new players will join this summer.(Daily Mirror) 
Scotland manager George Burley has been told that Sunderland's Craig Gordon will miss the World Cup qualifier against Norway after the goalkeeper suffered a reaction to a summer knee operation. (The Sun)


AND FINALLY

Manchester City's new signing Carlos Tevez is said to be "very interested" in in buying the £5m mansion that his former team-mate at Manchester United Cristiano Ronaldo is selling following his switch to Real Madrid. (Various)
The mega-rich owner of Manchester City, Sheikh Mansour, met the club's players at his palace in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday and presented each of them with a watch worth £168,000. (The Sun)
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Saturday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Manchester City are being linked with Peruvian forward Roberto Merino, a player nicknamed 'the Maradona of the Andes'.(Setanta Sports) 

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Chelsea are weighing up an English record £40m bid for Valencia's highly-rated Spanish international forward David Villa. (Independent) 
Real Madrid are set to beat Chelsea to the signing of France international midfielder Franck Ribery for £60m. (The Sun) 
AC Milan are ready to rival Real for the signing of Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo as a replacement for Kaka, should the Brazilian move to Madrid. (The Sun) 
Tottenham have offered David Bentley plus £8m for Aston Villa winger Ashley Young. (The Sun) 
Villa, though, are interested in taking £10m-rated midfielder Jermaine Jenas from Spurs, and are also keen on Serbian defensive midfielder Nenad Mililjas, who had been interesting Premier League new-boys Wolves.(Daily Mail) 
Barcelona plan to capitalise on the financial problems at Liverpool with a £20m raid for Argentine midfielder Javier Mascherano. (The Sun) 
The Reds are also set to miss out on their top summer target - Valencia's Spanish midfielder David Silva - because of the budget constraints imposed on manager Rafael Benitez, with Real Madrid favourites to land the player. (Various)
One man who appears to be on his way out of Anfield is Italian defender Andrea Dossena, who is a target for Juventus.(Daily Telegraph) 
Manchester United's hopes of landing Lyon's £30m-rated striker Karim Benzema have been increased after the president of the French club, Jean-Michel Aulas, said the player was not "untransferable". (Daily Express) 
Birmingham have been told they must pay £4m if they want to lure defender Scott Dann from Coventry, who have also rejected a £1m bid from the Blues for winger Gary McSheffrey. (Daily Express) 
England winger Stewart Downing can leave Middlesbrough if the club receive an acceptable offer according to club chief executive Keith Lamb.(Daily Express) 
Stoke are set to join the race to sign Manchester City defender Richard Dunne, who is also being tracked by Tottenham.(Daily Mail) 
The Potters are set to give Liam Lawrence a new deal but have turned down Glenn Whelan's demand for a pay-rise.(Daily Mirror) 
West Ham have targeted full-backs, Rennes' France international Rod Fanni and Middlesbrough's Matthew Bates, as replacement's for Lucas Neill, who has rejected a new one-year deal at Upton Park.(Daily Telegraph) 
Hull manager Phil Brown is keen to sign Manchester United strike-dup Manucho and Frazier Campbell, both of whom have had recent loan spells at the KC Stadium.(Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

England manager Fabio Capello says he "does not recognise himself" in the description given of him by Carlo Ancelotti and called for some respect, after the new Chelsea coach described his former AC Milan boss as "surly" and having no dialogue with his players. (Various)
England captain John Terry has urged Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher to reconsider his decision to retire from international football. (Various) 
West Ham striker Carlton Cole has sought advice from Chelsea front-man Didier Drogba in his quest to become an England regular. (Daily Star) 
England fitness coach Massimo Neri is a target for new Juventus coach Ciro Ferrara as he looks to build his back-room staff. (The Times) 
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger turned down the opportunity to become the manager of Real Madrid, despite three meetings with the Spanish club. (Daily Mirror) 
Roberto Mancini and Slaven Bilic top the shortlist for the manager's job at Portsmouth after Paul Hart - who took temporary charge last season - was told he wouldn't be offered the job.(Daily Mirror) 
Prospective new Wigan boss Roberto Martinez can be a great success at the JJB Stadium according to former Latics manager Ray Mathias. (Daily Express) 
Manchester City's Brazilian midfielder Elano has delivered an ultimatum to the club, demanding they offer him a knew lucrative contract or let him leave.(Daily Mail) 

AND FINALLY

England boss Fabio Capello says England are the Rafael Nadal to Spain's Roger Federer because of their athletic, physical prowess in contrast to the European Champions grace and guile. (Various)
Theo Walcott has confessed he grew a moustache and a designer beard because he was sick of Arsenal players calling him "Sweet Little Boy".(The Sun)
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Friday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Inter Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic would welcome a move to Barcelona, his agent said on Friday following reports the clubs were discussing a deal. (Press Association 0847 BST)

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester United will sell Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid if the Spanish giants stump up a stunning £75m. (Daily Mirror) 
If Real do not sign the Portugal international winger by the end of the month they will have to pay him £26m as a result of a promise made to him by the club's former president Ramon Calderon. (Daily Star) 
Real's vice-president Fernando Tapias appeared to confirm on Spanish radio that the club does indeed have such a penalty clause written into an alleged pre-contract agreement made between Calderon and Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes. (The Independent) 
Meanwhile, new Real Madrid president Florentino Perez (on photo) said he believes Ronaldo has a £75m get-out clause in his United contract and said he is "working to bring Ronaldo to Real Madrid". Perez also all but confirmed that AC Milan's Brazilian superstar Kaka will join the club for £62m. (The Sun) 
Yet another seemingly Madrid-bound star is Valencia's David Silva. Liverpool are also keen on the midfielder but look as though they will miss out on him after he had talks at the Bernabeu. (The Times) 
Chelsea are set to offer Ashley Cole a £27m four-year deal in order to fend off interest in him from Barcelona, who are believed to be ready to bid £20m for the left-back. (The Sun) 
As well as hanging on to their best players, Blues midfielder Frank Lampard has urged the club to sign "someone to do something special", identifying a need for a creative midfielder or a striker. (The Independent) 
The players Lampard has in mind are Bayern Munich's Franck Ribery and Valencia's David Villa. (The Guardian) 
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is keen to bring Barcelona midfielder Yaya Toure, brother of Gunners defender Kolo, to the club and is set to bid £12m for him. (The Sun) 
The Gunners are favourites to beat Manchester City to the signature of £8m-rated Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko, who they see as a replacement for Emmanuel Adebayor. (Daily Mirror) 
But Arsenal face competition for the Bosnian from Manchester City, who are also looking at Blackburn's Roque Santa Cruz, Portsmouth's Peter Crouch and Barcelona's Samuel Eto'o. (The Guardian) 
Adebayor's future, meanwhile, could be in Italy as AC Milan are believed to be poised to make a £15m bid for the Togo striker. (The Sun) 
Aston Villa are bracing themselves for a battle to hold on to Ashley Young, with Chelsea and Real Madrid set to be interested in the £20m-rated winger. (Daily Mirror) 
Villa have targeted Tottenham midfielder Tom Huddlestone as a replacement for Gareth Barry and will bid £6m for him. (Mirror) (Daily Mirror) 
David Bentley could also make the switch from White Hart Lane to Villa Park, but only if Spurs are prepared to accept £5m less than the £15m they paid Blackburn for him. (Daily Star) 
The clear-out at Spurs could also see Didier Zokora join Sevilla - but the Spaniards are thought to want to pay £2m less than the Londoners' £8m valuation of their man. (Daily Mirror) 
Meanwhile, Manchester City want to sign Liverpool's Xabi Alonso as they want him to form a midfield partnership with their new £12m signing Barry. (Daily Mirror) 
Sunderland want to sign the world's tallest player, Serbian striker Nikola Zigic, who stands at 6 ft 8 ins. New boss Steve Bruce is set to sanction a club record £10m bid for the Valencia player. (Daily Mirror) 
Bruce also wants to raid former club Wigan to sign midfielder Lee Cattermole. (The Sun)
Bolton and Birmingham are competing to sign Anderlecht's Argentine playmaker Lucas Biglia, who would cost about £6m. The pair are also battling to snap up ex-Portsmouth midfielder Sean Davies. (Daily Mirror) 
Everton have warned Manchester City that defender Joleon Lescott is not for sale. (Daily Mirror) 
West Ham want to hijack Everton's £6m swoop for Rennes full-back Rod Fanni. (Various)
Blackburn striker Matt Derbyshire could be priced out of a move to Greek side Olympiakos as Rovers are holding out for £2m more than the £3m bid they have received. (Daily Mail) 
Stoke boss Tony Pulis is lining up a bid for Marseille striker Djibril Cisse, who spent last season on loan at Sunderland. But the Frenchman is believed to prefer a move to Tottenham. (Daily Mail) 
Celtic, Bolton and Genoa are interested in Manchester City midfielder Gilson Fernandes. (Daily Express) 
Newcastle's controversial midfielder Joey Barton has insisted he will not be forced out of the club and does not want a transfer despite his bust-up with interim boss Alan Shearer. (Daily Mirror) 
Sheffield United will pay Watford £400,000 for versatile defender Leigh Bromby. (Daily Star) 
New QPR boss Jim Magilton is set to raid former club Ipswich for striker Jon Walters and midfielder David Norris. (Daily Star)
Shrewsbury want to sign striker Jake Robinson, who has been released by Brighton. (Daily Star) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has been demanding a central striker's role for next season, as he is fed up of being played out on the left flank. (Daily Express) 
New Sunderland boss Steve Bruce says he is 50 times better as a boss now than in his early days when he was a "hothead" and used to sulk. (Daily Mirror) 
Bury manager Alan Knill is in talks with the club about a contract extension as he enters the final year of his current deal. (Daily Star)
Brendan Rodgers, who is set to become the new Reading boss, has revealed he was advised to take the job by former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho. (The Sun) 
Former England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson is on his way to Sporting Lisbon after being snubbed by Portsmouth. (The Sun)
A Middle East consortium is set to compete a takeover for League Two side Notts County. (Daily Express) 

AND FINALLY

Chris Waddle and fellow commentator Jon Champion will be fined £100 for each football cliche they come out with during England's game against Kazakhstan, with the money being donated by Setanta to the Bobby Moore fund. (Daily Star)
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Thursday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Bayern Munich tell BBC Sport there has been no approach for Franck Ribery and he wants to stay at the club. "He is contracted until 2011 and we want to extend his deal," said a spokesperson. 

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Chelsea are in talks to sign Bayern Munich midfielder Franck Ribery for £43m. Manchester United also want the 26-year-old French international as a potential replacement for winger Cristiano Ronaldo. (The Sun) 
Chelsea may be forced to pay a British transfer record of £45m if they are to land Ribery. (Daily Star) 
Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho is planning an £8m move for Manchester City's Brazilian midfielder Elano. (The Sun) 
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has lined up Athletic Bilbao midfielder Javi Martinez as a long-term replacement for Xabi Alonso. Bilbao want £10m for the 20-year-old. (Daily Mirror) 
Aston Villa have inquired about midfielder David Bentley's future at Tottenham. (Daily Mirror) 
Wolves are lining up a £3m move for Red Star Belgrade's Serbia midfielder Nenad Milijas(on photo). The 26-year-old is also wanted by CSKA Moscow and Roma. (Daily Mail) 
Wolves boss Mick McCarthy is considering a swoop for two Wigan players - midfielder Michael Brown and defender Emmerson Boyce.(Daily Mirror) 
Nancy striker Marc-Antoine Fortune is weighing up an offer from Portsmouth after spending the end of last season on loan at West Bromwich Albion.(The Sun) 
Stoke will offer midfielder Liam Lawrence a bumper new contract to ward off interest from Portsmouth. (Daily Mirror) 
Bolton and Blackburn are fighting it out for Villarreal's Chile international Matias Fernandez. The 23-year-old midfielder will make a decision once the Spanish season ends at the weekend.(The Sun) 
Blackburn striker Matt Derbyshire has conceded he is ready to make his loan move to Olympiakos a permanent one. The Greek side are lining up a £3m bid for the 23-year-old.(Daily Star) 
And Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce is ready to raid Marseille for Argentine defender Renato Civelli. (Daily Mirror) 
Hull are weighing up a move for former Manchester United midfielder Liam Miller, 28, after he was released by QPR.(Daily Star) 
Arsenal are set to sign Cheltenham's 15-year-old prodigy Jamie Edge for a basic fee of £100,000. Midfielder Edge chose Arsenal over Manchester United. (Daily Star) 
Middlesbrough have put winger Stewart Downing up for sale but only to a top-four club.(Daily Mirror) 
Derby have had a £400,000 bid rejected for Blackpool defender Shaun Barker.(The Sun) 
Rangers manager Walter Smith is planning a £3m move for West Bromwich Albion striker Chris Brunt. The 24-year-old is a boyhood fan of the Glasgow club. (Daily Record)  

OTHER GOSSIP

Wigan will look to Swansea boss Roberto Martinez if Sunderland agree to pay the £5m in compensation to take Latics manager Steve Bruce to the Stadium of Light. (The Times) 
Alan Shearer, who is set to become the permanent manager of Newcastle, is playing hardball with Magpies owner Mike Ashley over a £15m to £20m transfer pot for next season. (Daily Mirror) 
Arsenal forward Robin Van Persie is stalling on a contract extension at the Emirates.(Daily Star) 
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez plans to shake up his backroom staff by replacing four coaches. Anfield legend Kenny Dalglish is tipped for an advisory role, while former Reds midfielder Gary McAllister could come in as a coach.(Daily Mail) 
AFC Wimbledon are planning a multi-million pound move back to Plough Lane. The club, who have been promoted to the Blue Square Premier, want to develop Wimbledon greyhound stadium.(Daily Mail) 

AND FINALLY 

Bristol City's ground is set to become a Tesco store. The club will raise £20m from the sale of Ashton Gate to put towards the cost of a new 30,000 all-seater stadium at Ashton Vale. (The Sun)
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Saturday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP 

Spurs winger Aaron Lennon is wanted by both Manchester United and Liverpool. (Daily Express) 
Spanish side Atletico Madrid are keen on Tottenham's David Bentley, who has failed to settle at White Hart Lane. (Daily Mirror)
Aston Villa are looking at Valencia defender Raul Albiol as a replacement for injury-plagued Martin Laursen. (Daily Mirror) 

 OTHER GOSSIP 

Newcastle manager Alan Shearer is set to drop Michael Owen for his return to Anfield on Sunday. (Various) 
Manchester United midfielder Park Ji-Sung has agreed a new £50,000-a-week contract that will keep him at Old Trafford for another four years. (The Sun)
Former West Ham and Charlton boss Alan Pardew is one of the candidates for the manager's job at QPR. (Daily Mail) 
Arsenal striker Eduardo will not play again this season after picking up a groin injury in a clash with Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand in the Champions League semi-final first leg. (The Sun)
Winger Freddie Ljungberg, who is now playing in America with the Seattle Sounders, has revealed that he spent two years playing for Arsenal and West Ham with a broken hip. (The Sun) 
Middlesbrough defender David Wheater has pledged his future to the club, even if they are relegated from the Premier League. (Daily Mirror, Daily Mail)
Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce says he will remain at Ewood Park next season, if Rovers stay up or not. (Daily Telegraph) 

AND FINALLY 

Arsenal keeper Manuel Almunia has shown he is not one for sitting on the fence by launching a stinging attack on Champions League rivals Chelsea. 
Almunia calls Chelsea's football "boring" and their supporters "ghosts" while stating he would rather play them than Barcelona in the Champions League final as they would be easier to beat. (The Sun)
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Saturday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP 

Real Madrid are poised to make a £75m swoop for Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United this summer. (Daily Mail) 
David Bentley faces a summer exit from Tottenham after being told he has no chance of replacing Aaron Lennon on the right wing. (Various) 
Arsene Wenger insists Arsenal skipper Cesc Fabregas will not be leaving for Barcelona in the summer. (Various) 
Robinho has shrugged off talk of a summer move by claiming he wants to remain at Manchester City. (Sun) 
Wigan boss Steve Bruce is ready to scrap plans to sign Amr Zaki after the Egyptian striker's latest breach of club discipline. (Daily Express) 
Having secured Steven Gerrard on a new deal, Liverpool are hopeful of penning new deals with Alvaro Arbeloa, Fabio Aurelio and Fernando Torres. (Times) 

OTHER GOSSIP 

Everton manager David Moyes is Sir Alex Ferguson's choice to succeed him as Manchester United boss. (Sun) 
QPR want Peterborough manager Darren Ferguson to replace boss Paulo Sousa in the summer. (Daily Mirror) 
Southampton hope to complete a deal with insurance giants Norwich Union to write off their crippling £30m debts. (Sun) 
Sven-Goran Eriksson could be a target of Sunderland after he was fired as Mexico coach this week. (Daily Express) 
But Eriksson will not be a target of Portsmouth, who showed interest in the former England boss after they sacked Tony Adams. (Guardian) 
Bolton striker Kevin Davies has not given up on his dream of breaking into Fabio Capello's England squad. (Times) 
Manchester United's veteran defender Gary Neville has major doubts over a future career in management. (Times) 
Steven Gerrard has pledged the rest of his career to Liverpool - for a whopping £26m (Sun) 
Sir Alex Ferguson has accused some of his Manchester United stars of being lulled into complacency in the Premier League title race. (Daily Express) 
Michael Owen, the Newcastle United captain has hailed the impact of Alan Shearer's appointment as interim manager at Newcastle. (Daily Telegraph) 
Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor have been told their Scotland careers are over and have been suspended for two weeks without pay by Rangers. (Various) 
 
AND FINALLY 

Stoke manager Tony Pulis has revealed that only one Premier League manager has opted not to join him for a post-match drink this season. "He didn't like losing, put it that way," he said. (Times)
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