Leicester - Hull

The Foxes occupy shameful 22nd place (third from the bottom) and after a run of embarrassing results, Paolo Sousa got fired. The thing is, the team is almost the same from previous season (finished 5^th and lost after play-off penalties against Cardiff), but team was paying prices to Sousa’s attempts to implement his defensive philosophy of football that was working perfectly at his time at Swansea. Also, some of his management decisions didn’t help, like to leave top goal scorer and club’s mascot, Matty Fryatt, on the bench. It’s not a new boss syndrome, in the first game without Sousa players showed a new face and played like without the weight on the shoulders (Scunthorpe at home 3-1). I’m not a keen of Sven-Goran Eriksson’s admirer, but his arriving just confirms club’s ambition that his owner is repeating these days – Premier League. Erikson has already signed two very good players, extra talented Kyle Naughton from Spurs (should even start the game) and Villa’s defender Curtis Davies. Striker Dany N`Guessan is only missing.

Hull are facing a rough times in the second tier. And while at home things don’t look so bad (haven’t conceded a goal in all five games, scored just two tough), their record on the road again looks shameful. In previous season in Premier they finished without a win (6 draws and 12 scored goals in 19 games) and not too much have been changed. One win (very lucky one at Norwich) and four defeats with goal difference 3-13! I predicted at the start that lot will depend from Jimmy Bullard (key of their key players). He has an injury and will face a late fitness test for today’s game, but even when he was fit didn’t look too much interested for the game. Their ambition is return to Premiership, but that doesn’t sound likely for the near future.

Leicester will start climbing on the table (in fact, started already), they possess more than decent amount of quality and will finish somewhere in top eight – I’d say. Sousa’s era has been finished and players are eager to show their full potential. Opponent is very good for that purpose. Home win.

Bet: Leicester -0.5
Odd: 1.90 Pinnacle
Stake: 8/10
 
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Monday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

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

TRANSFER GOSSIP

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

OTHER GOSSIP

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

AND FINALLY

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

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester City manager Mark Hughes believes his side can offer John Terry a new lease of life and said the Chelsea and England captain needs a fresh challenge. (Various) 
Hughes is also on the verge of signing Emmanuel Adebayor for £25m after the player underwent a medical in Manchester. (Various) 
Real Madrid could sign Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso by the end of the week as they are prepared to meet the club's asking price of more than £30m for the 27-year-old. 
(Daily Telegraph) 
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez will do everything he can to keep Alonso at the club, along with Argentina midfielder Javier Mascherano, who has been linked with a move to Barcelona. (Daily Star) 
Former Arsenal midfielder Patrick Vieira could join Tottenham after indicating to manager Harry Redknapp that he would be willing to leave Inter Milan.(Various) 
The Italian club are prepared to pay the 33-year-old Vieira £1m to make up a shortfall in wages if he was to join Spurs, while Birmingham, Sunderland, Fulham, Lyon and Paris St Germain have all made enquiries about the Frenchman. (Daily Express) 
Or, Vieira wants a pay-off from Inter Milan after Spurs offered him £60,000-a-week - £25,000 less than he currently earns at the San Siro.(The Times) 
Tottenham have held talks with Real Madrid striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, but could miss out on signing the Dutch international after Stuttgart had an offer accepted for the 25-year-old. (The Times) 
Spurs full-back Gareth Bale, 19, is wanted on loan by Italian side Roma to provide competition for John Arne Riise. (The Sun) 
Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce will give veteran striker Christian Vieri, 36, all the time he needs to prove his fitness after spending some time with the Rovers squad at a training camp. (The Sun) 
Fulham will launch an £11m bid for Portsmouth striker Peter Crouch - but only if Bobby Zamora leaves to join Hull City. (The Sun) 
Sunderland have had a £14m bid for Darren Bent rejected by Tottenham as the north London club want to recoup the £16.7m they paid Charlton for the 25-year-old striker two years ago. (The Sun) 
Tottenham have made a late bid to sign Sheffield United full-back Kyle Naughton after Everton had a £6m offer for the 20-year-old accepted. (Daily Star) 
Wigan have entered the race to sign Rangers centre-back Madjid Bougherra. (The Times) 
Hull are confident of signing Sunderland striker Daryl Murphy after the clubs agreed an initial fee of £1.5m, rising to £2.5m.(Various) 
West Brom midfielder Jonathan Greening has stunned the club by handing in a transfer request after they rejected a £2.5m bid from Fulham. (Various) 
Rangers midfielder Barry Ferguson, 31, could join former manager Alex McLeish at Birmingham after the Blues agreed a £1.3m fee with the Scottish club. (Daily Mirror)
Bolton manager Gary Megson will attempt to finalise a £3.5m deal for Swansea midfielder Ferrie Bodde in an attempt to fight off interest from Wigan. (Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Joe Kinnear is set to return as Newcastle manager on Wednesday, with Mike Ashley overlooking fans' favourite Alan Shearer for the role as the owner struggles to find a buyer for the club. (Daily Mail) 
However, sources at the club have denied reports linking Kinnear with a return to St James' Park and any new manager will be appointed when a takeover of the club is completed. (The Press Association) 
Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon is considering quitting the club after securing a new five-year shirt sponsorship deal.(The Times) 
Ex-Arsenal midfielder Ray Parlour has accused striker Emmanuel Adebayor of being "lazy" and lacking fight during his Gunners career and believes manager Arsene Wenger has done brilliantly by getting £25m from Manchester City for the Togo striker.(Daily Star) 
Former Manchester United captain Bryan Robson believes Michael Owen can reignite his England career at Old Trafford following the striker's summer switch after his Newcastle contract ended. (The Sun) 

AND FINALLY

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney says if he had not become a footballer he may have become a priest. Asked what he would have done if he could not play football, the 23-year-old said: "I haven't a clue what else I could have done, I wasn't really the best in school. I always enjoyed religious studies - so maybe a priest."(The Sun)
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Tuesday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

AC Milan midfielder Andrea Pirlo says he wants to follow coach Carlo Ancelotti from the San Siro to Chelsea, and Milan chairman Silvio Berlusconi has hinted they could let him go (Daily Mirror). 
Real Madrid's former Manchester United defender Gabriel Heinze says he would be open to the idea of playing in England again if Madrid let him go (Sky Sports).

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester United are talking to Brazilian club Gremio about a deal for their 18-year-old midfielder Douglas Costa - dubbed the new Cristiano Ronaldo.(The Times) 
Newcastle defender Steven Taylor has hinted he could leave if Alan Shearer does not get the manager's job at St James' Park.(Daily Telegraph) 
Atletico Madrid, Sunderland and Sevilla are all chasing Tottenham midfielder Didier Zokora. (The Sun)
West Ham, Aston Villa, Everton and Fulham are all in the running to sign former Chelsea striker Eidur Gudjohnsen after Barcelona confirmed he can leave for the right price (Daily Mirror).
Wolves are ready to break their club's transfer record with a £6.5m move for Reading forward Kevin Doyle(Daily Mail) 
Highly rated Sheffield United youngster Kyle Naughton could be sold to bring in money for several new signings, with Aston Villa and Everton keen on the £5m-rated defender.(Daily Mail) 
Argentine striker Carlos Tevez's next transfer after he leaves Manchester United will be heavily scrutinised by the Premier League to ensure there is no third-party ownership involved.(The Guardian) 
Chelsea are having talks with CSKA Moscow about £15m-rated left-back Yuri Zhirkov. (The Times) 
They are also interested in Inter Milan right-back Maicon after missing out on Glen Johnson, who joined Liverpool. (The Sun) 
Hull, Wolves and Portsmouth are all challenging Celtic for the signature of Nancy striker Marc-Antoine Fortune, who played under new Celtic boss Tony Mowbray on loan at West Brom last season. (Daily Record)
Hearts manager Csaba Laszlo is targeting moves for Aberdeen striker Lee Miller and out-of-contract Motherwell midfielder Stephen Hughes. (Daily Star)
Venezuela midfielder Juan Arango claims Celtic are among the clubs chasing his £3m signature from Mallorca. (Scottish Sun) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Liverpool may need to treble Javier Mascherano's wages to keep the midfielder at the club after signing defender Glen Johnson from Portsmouth. Mascherano is believed to be unhappy because he is paid less than most of his team-mates.(Daily Mirror) 
England Under-21 coach Stuart Pearce says he is "inept" compared to England senior boss Fabio Capello and may need more club management experience before furthering his international coaching career. (The Times) 
Titus Bramble is poised to be named Wigan's new captain, taking over from Mario Melchiot (The Sun).
Matthew Le Tissier's consortium bidding to buy Southampton have been told they cannot appeal against the club's 10-point penalty for going into administration (The Sun). 
Motherwell are widening their managerial search to include former Sunderland boss Malcolm Crosby and ex-Stockport gaffer Jim Gannon. (Daily Star)
However, former Northern Ireland and Fulham boss Lawrie Sanchez is leading the race to take over at Fir Park. (Scottish Sun) 
Celtic midfielder Scott Brown needs ankle surgery and is a doubt for the club's Champions League qualifying campaign. (Scottish Sun)
Uefa have delayed Celtic's planned tie up with Hungarian side Upjest, stalling Parkhead reserve coach Willie McStay's takeover as manager in Budapest. (Scottish Sun) 

AND FINALLY

Newcastle have unveiled a new yellow striped two-tone away kit for next season.(The Sun) 
Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole had his late grandmother's wedding ring resized for him to wear when he got married at the weekend. (The Sun)
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Friday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Cristiano Ronaldo is set to throw Manchester United into turmoil and demand a move out of Old Trafford. The 24-year-old forward is a £50m target for Real Madrid. (The Sun) 
Although Ronaldo will go on holiday before making a decision on his United future. (Daily Telegraph) 
However the prospect of Ronaldo joining Real Madrid may have receded with the Spanish side opting for the £40m signature of Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery. (Independent) 
In fact, Real Madrid will reject Ronaldo this summer as club president elect Florentino Perez has targeted Milan forward Kaka and Ribery instead.(Daily Express) 
Ribery was Chelsea boss-in-waiting Carlo Ancelotti's first-choice summer signing but the Blues have lost out to Real Madrid. Ancelotti may look to CSKA Moscow's Russian left-back Yuri Zhirkov. (The Times) 
Chelsea have been told they will need to put up £20m for AC Milan midfielder Andrea Pirlo. Milan boss Carlo Ancelotti is keen to take the 30-year-old to Stamford Bridge when he is named Chelsea boss next week. (Daily Telegraph) 
If Manchester United do not complete the permanent signing of Argentine striker Carlos Tevez this summer they will turn their attentions to Lyon striker Karim Benzema and Wigan's Antonio Valencia. (Daily Express) 
Manchester City and Liverpool are among five clubs who are willing to meet the £25m price tag for Tevez.(The Times) 
Tevez said a tearful goodbye to his Manchester United team-mates before leaving Rome alone after the Champions League final. (The Sun) 
Paul Scholes must decide if the Champions League final is to be his final game for Manchester United. Stoke want the 34-year-old midfielder as a player-coach. (Daily Mail) 
Sir Alex Ferguson may ditch Nani and Ji-Sung Park as the Manchester United boss reshapes his squad while Polish goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak will also leave this summer. (Daily Mirror)
Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry is holding out for a summer move to Arsenal. Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is considering a £12m bid for the 28-year-old. (Daily Star) 
Fulham boss Roy Hodgson will try to bolster his defence by moving for AC Milan defender Digao, the younger brother of Brazilian forward Kaka. The 23-year-old has been on loan at Standard Liege. (Daily Mirror)
Bolton are lining up a £6m bid for Sporting Lisbon midfielder Miguel Veloso. (Daily Mail) 
Portsmouth defender Djimi Traore hopes to make his loan move to Birmingham permanent. (Daily Star)
Stoke boss Tony Pulis has lined up a £2m bid for 20-year-old Manchester City striker Ched Evans. (Daily Express) 
Portuguese defender Nuno Valente will leave Everton this summer but the 34-year-old will play on for another year elsewhere.(The Times) 
Greek side Panathinaikos have bid £1.5m for Sunderland keeper Marton Fulop. (Daily Star) 
Birmingham will step up their pursuit of Middelsbrough's David Wheater, 22, after the £6m-rated defender successfully came through a knee operation. (Daily Star)
Newcastle striker Obafemi Martins is being linked with an £8m move to Italian side Fiorentina. (Independent) 
The Magpies have warned the clubs chasing defender Sebastien Bassong that they will not take anything less than £15m for him. (The Sun) 
Sheffield United have rejected a £2m bid from Aston Villa for defender Kyle Naughton. The Blades have put a £6m price tag on the full-back. (Daily Express) 
Leeds have joined West Brom, Celtic and Leicester in the battle for Swindon striker Simon Cox. (Daily Star)

OTHER GOSSIP

Former England and Mexico boss Sven-Goran Eriksson is favourite to become the new Portsmouth manager.(The Times) 
Alan Shearer is expected to discover today if he will become the permanent manager of Newcastle United.(The Times) 
Wigan manager Steve Bruce will be named Sunderland boss in the next 48 hours. (Guardian) 
The Premier League will test out its strengthened fit-and-proper-persons rules on Portsmouth's new owner Sulaiman Al Fahim. (Guardian) 
Croatia coach Slaven Bilic wants to be considered for the vacant managerial post at Sunderland. (Daily Star)

AND FINALLY 

Everton's Marouane Fellaini believes his lucky hairstyle will help the Toffees defeat Chelsea in the FA Cup final.
The 21-year-old, who cost Everton £15m from Standard Liege last summer, has scored nine goals this season and he's hoping that his Afro-style hair will inspire him to add to that tally on Saturday at Wembley. (Daily Mail)
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