Saturday's World Cup round-up

Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez has rivalled Eric Cantona in the oddest football soundbite stakes with a beauty about maintaining the balance between attack and defence.
Ahead of his side's last-16 match with South Korea, he said: "There's a saying among coaches that football is like a short blanket: it covers your head or it covers your feet, and if it covers your head, your toes are in the air."

France striker Thierry Henry has hinted he feels karma may have had a role in his country's disastrous World Cup campaign.
Henry helped secure France's place in the tournament when his handball went unpunished and led to the goal that beat the Republic of Ireland in a play-off. 
But after France finished bottom of their group in South Africa, with only one point from three games, Henry said: "They always say you get what you deserve." 

United States coach Bob Bradley believes his side can capitalise on finishing top of their group, ahead of England, by reaching the final.
Bradley's side take on Ghana in the round of 16, with the winner facing either Uruguay or South Korea in the quarter-finals.
"If we continue to build on the successes so far we can go to the end," Bradley said.
"We try hard not to get ahead of ourselves but at the same time everybody has this idea that if everybody gives their best effort, if everybody puts everything they have into it and if things go our way then we can travel far."

www.bbc.co.uk

Saturday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has made signing Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery his top priority and is ready to pay a British record £45m for the Frenchman and make him the highest paid player in the Premier League.(Daily Mail) 
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has warned the rest of the Premier League that Abramovich may go on a spending spree in the January transfer window.(Daily Express) 
Manchester United and Everton are trailing 18-year-old Antwerp midfielder Geoffrey Hairemans. The Belgian teenager has already spent a week training with United. (The Sun)
Sheffield United defender Matt Kilgannon, 25, will join Newcastle in a £2m deal in the New Year. The centre-back's arrival is likely to hasten Fabricio Coloccini's departure to Spain. (Daily Mail) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Paul Gascoigne has returned to Newcastle in a bid to reignite his coaching career. The former England and Newcastle midfielder is working alongside Peter Beardsley at the club's Academy.(Daily Express) 
Arsenal's record signing Andrey Arshavin has admitted he did not want to play football in the aftermath of Russia's failure to qualify for the 2010 World Cup finals.(Daily Express) 
Carlo Ancelotti says he wants to stay as Chelsea manager for the next 20 years and build an empire just like Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger have done at Manchester United and Arsenal respectively. (Various)
Sven-Goran Eriksson has demanded the immediate payment of a seven-figure sum of money he believes he is owed by Notts County's owners Qadbank Investments.(Guardian) 

AND FINALLY

Film director and Bath fan Ken Loach has dreamed about getting former Manchester United star Eric Cantona, 43, to play for his side if they reach the FA Cup third round for the first time in 15 years.(The Sun)
www.bbc.co.uk

Saturday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Everton's Jack Rodwell is a hot tip to end up in a Manchester United shirt sooner or later - according to his old boss at Birkdale United, at least.(Daily Mail) 
But Rodwell's current manager, David Moyes, insists the 18-year-old is going nowhere.(Daily Telegraph) 
Inter Milan are keen to hijack Chelsea's £40m move for Atletico Madrid star Sergio Aguero.(The Sun) 
West Ham will not be forced into the sale of stars like Carlton Cole, Valon Behrami and Robert Green in January - but skipper Matthew Upson's future is less certain.(Daily Telegraph) 
Roman Pavlyuchenko, desperate to leave Tottenham with first-team chances limited, has been told he will not be allowed to sign for Roma on the cheap.(Daily Mirror) 
Mark Hughes hopes his Manchester City side impress Fernando Torres during their visit to Liverpool, as the Blues boss is keen to sign the striker in January.(Independent) 
And, if City make a move for Barcelona right-back Dani Alves, Aston Villa will come in for Micah Richards.(Daily Mirror) 
Birmingham boss Alex McLeish will make a January swoop for Rangers pair Steven Davis and Kris Boyd.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester United will not let goalkeeper Ben Foster go out on loan, despite being third choice for his club.(The Guardian) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Gael Kakuta, the 18-year-old cause of Chelsea's recent suspended transfer ban, is ready to make his debut from the bench against Wolves.(Daily Mail) 
Kakuta's boss at Chelsea, Carlo Ancelotti, has vowed to fine any of his players who show dissent to officials.(Daily Express) 
Meanwhile, Guus Hiddink is planning to quit his job as Russia coach having failed to reach the World Cup, with a return to Chelsea as technical director in mind.(The Guardian) 

AND FINALLY

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard is the latest convert to the Serbian school of horse placenta massage, having flown to Belgrade seeking treatment for a thigh injury.(Various)
Sam Allardyce says he left Bolton Wanderers over their lack of ambition, and knows he could manage "any team in the world".(Daily Express) 
In the wake of Thierry Henry's handball, Fifa may fast-track the introduction of two additional referees in each match in time for the World Cup, leading to a total of five officials on the pitch. (The Guardian) 
Eric Cantona "would have hit" Henry if he had been wronged in similar fashion by his fellow French star.(The Sun)
www.bbc.co.uk

Tuesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Chelsea could move for Patrick Vieira as cover for Michael Essien and John Obi Mikel when they are away on African Cup of Nations duty in January - if the club can challenge its transfer ban.(The Sun)
Fulham are interested in American striker Brek Shea, who plays for FC Dallas.(The Sun) 
Fiorentina's protests over Manchester United's alleged poaching of 16-year-old defender Michele Fornasier have been thrown out after Fifa gave him permission to play for United's U18 side(Dail Mail).
Rangers striker Kris Boyd, who is out of contract at the end of the season, will be offered a new deal - but he will have to take a major pay cut to stay at Ibrox(Daily Record)

. 

OTHER GOSSIP

Liverpool co-owner George Gillett has told a fans' meeting manager Rafa Benitez is to blame for their faltering progress, not the club's owners(The Guardian) 
Hull's record signing Jimmy Bullard is due to make his comeback from a dislocated kneecap in the game against his former side Fulham in a fortnight's time(The Telegraph) 
Birmingham co-owner David Sullivan has told West Ham he will only buy the club if the price is reduced because of the debt he would be taking on - and could invest in Norwich, Ipswich, Cardiff, Leicester or Charlton if he cannot strike a deal(Daily Mirror) 
Businessman Barry Moat has made a "substantial" offer to Newcastle owner Mike Ashley to buy the club and still plans to install Alan Shearer as manager(The Times) 

AND FINALLY

Former Manchester United striker Eric Cantona says he no longer follows football and is unlikely to bother watching next year's World Cup. "I have another life, there are things to do," he said (Daily Express).
Former England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson says it is wrong to blame England's failure at the last two World Cups on the presence of players' wives and girlfriends around the squad.(Daily Mail)
Everton's Marouane Fellaini delayed having his wisdom teeth removed because of their injury problems - and as a result picked up a throat infection which has hampered his play so far this season.(Daily Mirror) 
A Bulgarian Third Division match had to be abandoned after four minutes after injuries reduced one of the teams to six men.(The Guardian)
www.bbc.co.uk