Stoke - Wolverhampton

With five games to play, Stoke still aren’t safe with five points more (and this game in hand) than Wigan. They have only two wins out of last eight league games (total of eight points), but at home their record is more than decent (as always under Pulis). They have won four and drawn two out of last six at Britannia. Ricardo Fuller is out, John Carew is available.

Mick McCarthy and Wolves are felling the fire under the feet. They are one point below the line and are in the group of 7-8 clubs who have every reason to worry about Premiership status. Even a point wouldn’t improve their position too much and I believe they’ll go for a win. Problem is they have the worst away record in Premier with only two wins out of 16 games and total of eight(!) points (defeated Villa and L’pool though). Stephen Hunt is contention, Ebanks-Blake in doubt.

At the first glance and as the odds suggest, this should be a nervous game and low scoring affair. But, the fact is one point doesn’t mean too much for any side. Stoke are favourites and I think they won’t just sit back and keep the opening score. Why should they? They’re hosting the worst travellers in the league. On the other hand, Wolves will have to find the way to score which should make them even more vulnerable than usual. Also, I wouldn’t overlook the possibility goal difference will be very important at the end. I’ll go against public opinion and take goals.

 Bet: Over 2.5
Odd: 2.14 188bet
Stake: 7/10
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Chelsea – Wolverhampton

Nothing much to say about Chelsea. They look like a mean machine, especially at home. All four wins with 14 goals scored and not a single conceded (691 minutes in total). They also have won 14 and lost one of their last 15 Premier League matches at Stamford, 8 wins in a row. Chelsea have big squad for rotation and European trips (played CL game at Moscow) don’t make any worries for Ancelotti. After a virus Drogba should be fit, while Lampard is still out.

Wolves look like they suffer from the second season syndrome. They’ve noticed just one win, at the opening day (at home, against Stoke 2-1). Three consecutive defeats on the road, Fulham, Spurs and Wigan. Mick McCarthy has a habit, sometimes to rest his best players against top sides. Now, he’ll be forced to give a chance to some youngsters and fringe players. Midfielder Guedioura is out with a broken leg, another midfielder Stephen Hunt and defender Jody Craddock are also injured. Mancienne is ineligible to face his parent club and skipper Henry is suspended. Five players. For this game, 19 years old David Davise has been recalled from his loan at Walsall!

Ancelotti doesn’t calculate during the game and his players look like they’re really enjoying in the game and scoring goals. Also Chelsea haven’t had much problems with defensive sides (usually at home lose the points against top league teams), as they won nine competitive games this season and in all of those had a lead at the half time. Wolves, with all missing players, don’t look like a team that can stop them.

Bet: Chelsea -2
Odd: 1.69 10Bet
Stake: 8/10

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Wednesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini is ready to offload Emmanuel Adebayor, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Wayne Bridge and Stephen Ireland and will make a £50m bid for Liverpool striker Fernando Torres.(The Sun) 
Real Madrid are preparing to launch a £20m move for Manchester United's France defender Patrice Evra, with Arsenal's Gael Clichy, Chelsea's Ashley Cole and Fiorentina's Juan Manuel Vargas the other left-backs on the Spanish side's summer shortlist. (Daily Mail) 
Barcelona are ready to make a summer bid for Newcastle defender Steven Taylor, who is valued at about £8m.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester City could make a move for Bayern Munich's 32-year-old striker Luca Toni, who is currently on loan at Italian side Roma.(imscouting.com) 
Argentina striker Carlos Tevez is on the verge of demanding a transfer from Manchester City, with Liverpool ready to pay £18m.(footylatest.com) 
Birmingham will make a £5m bid for Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster if Manchester City's Joe Hart does not return to them on loan next season. (The Sun) 
West Brom have put a £12m price tag on sought-after midfielder Graham Dorrans. West Ham have had a £4m bid rejected, while Arsenal, Manchester City and Everton are also interested in the Scotland international.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester City and Aston Villa are competing to sign PSV Eindhoven's Bulgarian international right-back Stanislav Manolev, 24, for £5m.(Daily Mail) 
Sunderland are prepared to spend £5m to make defender Alan Hutton's loan switch from Tottenham a permanent one.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester United have made a move for Estudiantes striker Mauro Boselli, whose arrival will be made possible by the sale of Bulgarian forward Dimitar Berbatov in the summer.(footylatest.com) 
Everton have emerged as favourites to beat Fulham to the signature of Wigan defender Paul Scharner, with the Austrian likely to be part of a clear-out at the DW Stadium this summer. (Daily Mail) 
Wigan's clear-out will also include defender Mario Melchiot and midfielders Jason Koumas and Olivier Kapo.(Daily Mirror) 
Stoke are also planning a squad revamp as manager Tony Pulis tries to restore dressing-room harmony at the club. As many as 10 players, including James Beattie, Tuncay, Liam Lawrence and Dave Kitson, could be moving on.(The Guardian) 
Tottenham, Blackburn and Birmingham have all been placed on alert after Notts County agreed to release goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel on a free transfer at the end of the season. (The Sun) 
Wolves manager Mick McCarthy is considering a loan bid for Tottenham striker Robbie Keane, who is having a temporary spell at Celtic. However, Spurs would prefer a permanent £8m deal.(Daily Mail) 
McCarthy also wants Hull winger Stephen Hunt for £3m as well as Tigers centre-half Kamil Zayatte.(Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola's spell at Upton Park is almost certainly over after co-owner David Sullivan said the Italian "might resign at the end of the season".(Daily Telegraph) 
Manchester United have lined up two replacements in case manager Sir Alex Ferguson decides to retire this summer.(The Sun) 
Liverpool will not stand in the way of manager Rafael Benitez if he wishes to join Italian side Juventus in the summer.(The Independent) 
Portsmouth fear that goalkeeper David James will make his final appearance for Pompey in the FA Cup final against Chelsea on 15 May as the cash-strapped club cannot afford to offer him a new deal.(Daily Mirror) 
Uefa president Michel Platini says tighter financial regulation would have prevented the money problems at Portsmouth and said: "I'm not in favour of the big liberalism of what has happened to the English clubs."(The Times) 
Portsmouth are ready to go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport as they attempt to play in the Europa League next season.(Daily Telegraph) 
Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand, who has missed the last two matches with a groin strain, says he is fit to return for Sunday's trip to Sunderland.(The Sun) 
The agent representing Blackburn midfielder Morten Gamst Pedersen says the Norwegian international wants to stay at the club.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester City youngster Alex Nimely, 19, will become the latest academy graduate to pledge his future to the club when he signs a new four-year contract.(Daily Mail) 
Crystal Palace midfielder Neil Danns has apologised to the club's fans after being sent off for a headbutt during the 1-1 draw with West Brom on Monday. He will now miss the relegation showdown with Sheffield Wednesday on Sunday. (Daily Express) 

AND FINALLY

Manchester United's new strips for next season have been photographed - with the look reminiscent of what the club used to wear in the 1980s.(The Sun)
www.bbc.co.uk

West Ham 1-3 Wolverhampton

Wolves made a huge leap towards Premier League safety with a crushing victory over fellow strugglers West Ham.
The visitors went close when Kevin Foley hit the bar and took the lead when a scuffed James Tomkins pass-back fell to Kevin Doyle who fired home. 
David Jones set up Ronald Zubar to fire in and then passed to Matthew Jarvis who blasted in for a fine third. 
Scott Parker hit a post for West Ham in the first half, leaving Guillermo Franco to chip in a late consolation. 
Despite a spirited fightback in the closing stages, the Hammers overall lacked ideas and confidence and boss Gianfranco Zola will be very concerned as he prepares for the final seven games currently three points away from the drop zone. 
After a weekend dominated by talk of an invigorated title race, Tuesday night saw the teams at the other end of the Premier League taking centre stage. 
West Ham, in 17th spot, were facing the team one place above them with Zola calling the clash "a massive six pointer" as he desperately sought to avoid a fifth successive league defeat. 
Mick McCarthy's pre-match motivational speech to his players are likely to have pointed towards their opponents recalling star players after a rested few days with Zola having 'targeted' Wolves.
The Italian boss did indeed bring back fit-again skipper Parker, along with two strikers who did not start in the 2-0 loss at Arsenal, Carlton Cole and Benni McCarthy, but it was the visitors who ripped open a very nervous defence inside seven minutes.

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West Ham - Wolverhampton

Six pointer game. Despite the decent team quality, Hammers are first above the line and have three points more. Zola has got an ultimatum from the board to get 4 points in next two games (Stoke next) to safe his job. Some rumors say he’s gone anyway (Hughes as successor), but I’ll wouldn’t consider it seriously. He has good rating in the dressing room and I believe players will give everything to keep his boss. West Ham have four consecutive defeats. Arsenal, Chelsea and Man Utd on the road were expected epilogues, while only failure came at home vs Bolton (1-2). They conceded two fast goals after two big errors by defensive line, dominated rest of the game, but lost at the end. At the same time, Bolton are the only side from the bottom crew that West Ham didn’t win. Another important thing is Zola rested his keys, Cole and Diamanti vs. Chelsea, Cole came on in the 2^nd half vs. Arsenal and skipper Parker will play tonight after a break. No other injury concerns for Zola. West Ham are unbeaten at home in their last six matches against Wolves (4 wins, 2 draws ).

 

Oppositely from West Ham, Wolves play over their real capabilities. Considering their team quality, (in my opinion) they should relegate. They usually score after set pieces, while lack of creativity and fighting spirit are main characteristics of their play. They’re, however, in a good shape. Four points from last two games (both away), win vs. Burnley 2-1 and a draw vs. Villa 2-2 in a small derby. They’ve increased their chances to keep the status, will have less pressure than Hammers tonight, but I think they also see their chance for all 3 points. Boss Mick McCarthy has no injury worries and is expected to name an unchanged side for the seventh successive match. Problem could be (beside less quality) a possible fatigue. Wolves' only win in their last 15 visits to Upton Park was in March 1978.

 

West Ham will be fully motivated. They’ll be under a pressure, but I think they used to cope with it (Birmingham 2-0 at home, same circumstances). Hammers are also more rested, possess more quality and play at home. They don’t belong down there. Home win for me.

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Tuesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Chelsea and Manchester City have been alerted after Valencia decided they will sell Spanish international striker David Villa this summer, with the price likely to be about £40m.(The Sun) 
Meanwhile, Manchester United could move for Villa's Valencia team-mate David Silva, with the attacking midfielder likely to fetch around £20m. (The Sun) 
Internacional defensive midfielder Sandro, 21, flew to London on Monday night to undergo a medical with Tottenham but the Brazilian will not officially join Spurs until the summer.(imscouting) 
Inter Milan's Brazilian full-back Maicon, 28, is being lined up for a move to Real Madrid in the summer - although Manchester City could still be an option for the defender. (imscouting) 
Birmingham manager Alex McLeish has shelved his plan to sign Roman Pavlyuchenko from Tottenham because the striker's recent form has been too good. The Blues had a £10m bid for the Russian turned down in January.(Daily Mirror) 
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has lined up a deal to sell Albert Riera to Spartak Moscow. It follows the midfielder's outburst in which he described the Anfield club as "a sinking ship". 
(Daily Mail) 
Everton are planning a £650,000 summer swoop for Portugal Under-20 striker Joao Silva, who plays for Desportivo das Aves and is the top scorer in his country's second division. (Daily Mail)
Wolves boss Mick McCarthy hopes to land Ghana striker Jordan Ayew, 19, from French club Marseille - possibly on an initial one-year loan deal. (Daily Mirror)
West Bromwich Albion could make a move for defender Calum Davenport, 27, who is a free agent after being released by West Ham.(The Sun) 
Queens Park Rangers will send on-loan goalkeeper Carl Ikeme, 23, back to Wolves so manager Neil Warnock can bring in more loan signings. (Daily Star)
Doncaster say they cannot afford to sign on-loan striker Billy Sharp, 24, in the summer because his club Sheffield United want £1.5m for him. (Daily Star) 
Former Celtic striker Chris Killen wants to stay with Middlesbrough beyond the end of his current contract, which expires this summer. (Daily Record)

OTHER GOSSIP

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has owner Roman Abramovich's full backing - unless the Stamford Bridge outfit have a disastrous end to the season. (Daily Star)
Or Ancelotti has 21 days to rescue Chelsea's season and his job or he will be shown the door.(Daily Mirror) 
Meanwhile, Chelsea's injury problems have worsened, with the news that Branislav Ivanovic has been ruled out for a month, leaving the club without their first (Jose Bosingwa) and second-choice right-backs. (Daily Mail) 
Barcelona's French striker Thierry Henry says he does not want to play against Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-final - and he will not celebrate if he scores against his former side. (Daily Express) 
The Premier League's sale of its overseas broadcasting rights for 2010 to 2013 will raise about £1.4bn, more than double the previous level and a leap of £13m per club, per year.(Daily Mirror) 
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez is confident Argentina midfielder Javier Mascherano will commit his long-term future to the club. (The Times) 
Former Charlton and West Ham United boss Alan Curbishley is ready to take over as manager of Championship side Bristol City following Gary Johnson's departure last week. (Daily Star)

AND FINALLY

Days after rapper P Diddy was linked with a move to buy Crystal Palace, fellow hip hop superstar Jay-Z has revealed he could be interested in investing some of his estimated £500m fortune in Arsenal.(Daily Mirror)

www.bbc.co.uk

Wednesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester City are tracking Sporting Lisbon defender Daniel Carrico as cover for first-choice pair Kolo Toure and Joleon Lescott but he is also interesting Atletico Madrid and Valencia.(Daily Mirror) 
City scouts are also impressed with Sampdoria midfielder Andrea Poli but striker Emmanuel Adebayor wants to stay at Eastlands, despite interest from AC Milan. (Daily Mail) 
Manager Mick McCarthy has conceded that Wolves have little chance of keeping £6.5m striker Kevin Doyle if they are relegated from the Premier League. Aston Villa, Fulham, Everton and Sunderland are all set to battle to sign the Republic of Ireland international if his side slip into the Championship. (Daily Mirror) 
Wilson Palacios has stunned Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp by admitting he is using Spurs to get a move to Real Madrid. The Honduran midfielder has been a key player for Redknapp's side following his £12million move from Wigan last January. But Palacios, 25, reckons he has bigger fish to fry. (The Sun) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Four years after arriving at Chelsea on a £121,000-per-week contract, German midfielder Michael Ballack has been offered a new one-year deal at half that salary. (The Sun) 
Chelsea have reopened negotiations with striker Nicolas Anelka over a contract extension that may result in the France international staying at Stamford Bridge until 2013. Anelka's deal was set to expire in 2012 but there is still no sign of a new contract for Joe Cole, whose current contract expires in the summer.(Daily Mail) 
England will step up their security as they attempt to hunt down and identify the culprits behind the security breach at their team hotel in Hertfordshire. A six-hour recording of team meetings is said to be in existence and has been offered to media outlets. (Daily Mail) 
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is set to escape disciplinary action after he appeared to aim a V-sign at referee Andre Marriner during Monday's defeat by Wigan. (Daily Telegraph) 
Stoke full-back Andy Griffin, currently on loan at Reading, has laughed off suggestions he could snatch a World Cup berth with England after some impressive performances that have guided the Royals away from the Championship relegation zone. (Daily Mirror) 
Wigan's Victor Moses could be set for a World Cup appearance with Nigeria after he invited officials to watch him play and train for the club. Moses, born in Lagos, has represented England at youth level but could be tempted to switch allegiances. (Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

Fabio Capello's biggest World Cup selection headache is over the goalkeeping position - according to tennis legend Boris Becker. After a recent dinner with the England coach, Becker said: "I understand why the players are a little bit afraid of him because he's a very serious guy who doesn't joke around much. We talked about goalkeepers and Capello was just smiling so we didn't get into that." (Press Association)

www.bbc.co.uk

Wolverhampton 1-0 Tottenham

Struggling Wolves completed a league double over Tottenham with a much-needed and deserved home win which lifts them out of the relegation zone.
Wolves' early endeavour was rewarded when Matt Jarvis's cross was side-footed home first time by David Jones. 
Earlier, Niko Kranjcar had seen a glorious chance from 12 yards superbly saved by home keeper Marcus Hahnemann. 
Wolves' lead was rarely troubled in the second half, with Wilson Palacios's late shot Spurs' only effort on target. 
Wolves manager Mick McCarthy testified to a shattered dressing room after Birmingham staged a late comeback to win last Sunday's West Midlands derby 2-1.
However, the spirit and determination McCarthy lauded in his struggling team during the defeat at St Andrews was again evident in abundance, justifying the manager's decision to make only one change to the side with debutant Adlene Guedioura replacing Michael Mancienne. 
The French midfielder, on loan from Belgian club Charleroi, made a great start to his Wolves career, demonstrating grit and guile in equal measure: epitomising his side's performance. 
In contrast, Tottenham were lacklustre and a shadow of the side that has spent much of this season aspiring to a top-four finish. 
As a result of their draw with Aston Villa on Saturday, Spurs dropped out of the Champions League qualification places for the first time since Boxing Day, and after Manchester City's win over Bolton on Tuesday and the failure to earn points here they now find themselves sixth. 
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp made five changes to his side, including bringing in on-loan Eidur Gudjohnsen for his debut.
Wolves manager Mick McCarthy:
"After the weekend we needed a performance and a victory and we got it. 
"Teamwork was the key. We've got a terrific team of lads and they've worked hard and deserved that victory. 
"It's been proved this season that teams like us can get points off the big teams. We've got Chelsea and Manchester United coming up, who's to say we won't take points off them?" 
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp:
"I'm very disappointed. It was probably our worst performance of the season. 
"We had loads of the ball and were camped in their half second half but never really threatened enough to score. 
"They worked hard and closed us down and made it difficult for us and we never overcame that tonight."
www.bbc.co.uk

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)

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)

Thursday column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Tottenham look set to agree the £7m signing of Internacional's Brazilian midfielder Sandro on Sunday. (Daily Mirror )
Manchester United are considering a January transfer move for Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko.(Daily Mirror)
But Arsenal are also interested in the £15m-rated Bosnia striker as they look to replace injured forward Robin Van Persie. (The Sun)
United will sell Serbian winger Zoran Tosic and pass up on their option to sign his former team-mate Partizan Belgrade midfielder Adem Ljajic in order to free up funds to sign Dzeko.(Daily Mirror)
Or, United's decision to pull out of the £10m deal for Serbian 'superkid' Ljajic is because there are suggestions the Old Trafford club are suffering from a financial crisis.(Daily Star)
Meanwhile, United keeper Ben Foster will be sent out on loan in January in a bid to secure his place in England's World Cup squad.(Daily Mirror)
Manchester United are said to be considering a move for Schalke 04 keeper Manuel Neuer, according to the German player's agent. (Daily Mirror)
United will also listen to offers of around £10m for Portugal winger Nani who has fallen out of favour at Old Trafford. (The Sun)
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been told to pay around £12m to sign Toulouse's France striker Andre-Pierre Gignac. (Daily Mail)
The Gunners also expect to sign Juventude's Brazilian playmaker Zezinho in the new year after in impressed during a trial period in the summer. (Daily Mail)
Meanwhile Arsenal defender Philippe Senderos is set to quit the Premier League club and join Atletico Madrid in January. (The Sun)
Wolves manager Mick McCarthy is tracking Leeds United's £6m-rated striker Jermaine Beckford.  (The Sun)
Portsmouth striker John Utaka is being lined up for a January loan move to Scottish Premier League side Celtic.(The Sun)
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp is considering a £1.5m bid for Watford keeper Scott Loach in January. (The Sun)
Birmingham are keen on Marseille strike duo Brandao and Mamadou Niang.(The Sun)
West Ham are in advanced talks with Bayern Munich's Italian striker Luca Toni. (Daily Mail)

OTHER GOSSIP

Former Germany and Bayern Munich manager Jurgen Klinsmann is coy over speculation linking him with the Liverpool job. (The Sun)
Milton Keynes Dons manager Paul Ince is fighting to save his job at the League One club, despite only returning there in July. (Daily Mirror)

AND FINALLY

Liverpool striker Fernando Torres has ruled out a big-money move to Manchester City because he wants his family to grow up as Scousers. (Daily Mirror)
Manchester United staff have put the clocks forward by seven minutes at the club's training ground as they look to stop players turning up late for their 1000 GMT exercise session. (The Sun)
www.bbc.co.uk

Sunday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is determined to win the race to sign £50m-rated Spanish striker David Villa from Valencia. (Sunday Express)
The billionaire owners of Manchester City are to rock ailing Liverpool by launching an audacious £50m bid for star striker Fernando Torres.(Mail on Sunday) 
Spanish giants Barcelona are tracking Tottenham and England striker Jermain Defoe, 27, who has scored 15 goals already this season. (Sunday Express)
Chelsea target Sergio Aguero, 21, claims he has no intention of leaving Spanish side Atletico Madrid this summer. (Sunday Express) 
Liverpool are ready to offload Dutch striker Ryan Babel, 22, on loan to German Bundesliga club Bayern Munich with a view to making the move permanent for around £9m in the summer.(News of the World) 
The Reds are also keen on bringing striker Diego Forlan, 30, back to the Premier League from Spanish side Atletico Madrid, but boss Rafael Benitez has been told he must sell before he can buy.(The People) 
Manchester City are lining up a £20m bid for Argentina winger Diego Perotti, 21, who plays in Spain for Sevilla.(News of the World) 
City have also joined the race to sign Middlesbrough winger Adam Johnson, increasing the likelihood that Robinho will leave Eastlands.(The People) 
Chelsea and City will go head-to-head to sign Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery and AC Milan midfielder Gennaro Gattuso in the January transfer window.(The People) 
Tottenham are lining up a £10m bid for West Ham defender Matt Upson with Alan Hutton going the other way.(The People) 
Manchester United are keen on signing Japanese striker Takayuki Morimoto, 21, who is currently playing for Catania in Italy.(The People) 
Wolves boss Mick McCarthy could bolster his defence by bringing in Preston's Republic of Ireland international Eddie Nolan, 21, for £500,000.(News of the World) 
Newcastle manager Chris Hughton is targeting Manchester United's 20-year-old midfielder Tom Cleverley, who is currently on loan at Championship side Watford.(News of the World) 
Hull manager Phil Brown looks poised to hijack Matt Kilgallon's £2m move to Newcastle. The defender looked set to move to Tyneside after snubbing the offer of a new deal at Sheffield United, but the Tigers hope to lure Kilgallon with a three-year deal worth £25,000-a-week.(News of the World) 
Newcastle duo Kevin Nolan and Alan Smith are set to snub the chance to return to the top flight in the January transfer window despite interest from Wigan and Everton respectively. (Sunday Express)
Nottingham Forest manager Billy Davies is keen to bring Michael Dawson back to the City Ground from Tottenham, along with his team-mate Gareth Bale.(Sunday Mirror) 
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce wants to sign Newcastle defender Jose Enrique and is prepared to let Kieran Richardson move in the opposite direction to make the deal go through. (Sunday Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

' time as Manchester City manager could be coming to an end after a seventh successive Premier League draw. Inter Milan boss Jose Mourinho and Guus Hiddink are among those in the frame to replace him.(News of the World) 
Meanwhile, former Chelsea manager Mourinho has revealed that he is pining for a return to the Premier League.(News of the World) 
Liverpool have rejected the chance to share a super-stadium with Everton and said "it will never happen". Everton chief Robert Elstone approached the Reds after their plans for a new ground in Kirkby were rejected last week.(Sunday Mirror) 
Meanwhile, Jurgen Klinsmann will tell Liverpool that he would not turn them down again after rejecting the chance to replace Rafa Benitez as manager two years ago.(The People) 
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is furious with the Dutch FA for misdiagnosing Robin van Persie's ankle injury - the striker faces five months out after damaging ligaments. (Various)
Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand will learn in the next 10 days whether his bad back has ended his dreams of playing for England in the 2010 World Cup. (Sunday Express) 
Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka is lining up an improved deal at Stamford Bridge that could take his weekly salary from £80,000-a-week to £120,000-a-week.(News of the World) 
New Portsmouth manager Avram Grant hopes to persuade former Liverpool and Tottenham midfielder Jamie Redknapp to give up his TV pundit career and join him at Fratton Park as his assistant.(News of the World) 
Former Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate will serve court papers on the club this week after failing to his compensation money after being sacked.(Mail on Sunday) 
Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson says his dream is to lead his League Two side Notts County to Champions League victory. (Sunday Mirror) 
Nicky Shorey, 28, is ready to quit Aston Villa after revealing he has grown "extremely frustrated" at life under Martin O'Neill and will step up his attempts to find another club in the New Year.(Sunday Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

Frank Lampard will donate £20,000 to Great Ormond Street children's hospital if Chelsea lose to Arsenal after agreeing to a wager with 12-year-old Gunners fan Jake Peach. If Chelsea win, Peach, a leukemia survivor and former patient at the London hospital, will wear a Blues shirt for the day. (Mail on Sunday) 

AND FINALLY...FINALLY

Manchester City chief executive Garry Cook will write to the club's fans to apologise after announcing at a 60th anniversary dinner for the Official Supporters club at Eastlands: "I'd like to welcome Uwe Rosler into the Manchester United hall of fame."(Sunday Mirror)
www.bbc.co.uk

Friday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has doubts as to whether to sign Atletico Madrid striker Sergio Aguero as he weighs up if the Argentine is worth £40m.(Daily Mirror) 
Chelsea are willing to sign Middlesbrough winger Adam Johnson for £4m and loan him back to the Teesside outfit.(Daily Mirror) 
Bolton are lining up a £7m January transfer window bid for Celtic midfielder Scott Brown.(Daily Mirror) 
Portsmouth manager Paul Hart is not keen on signing striker Amr Zaki, who spent a spell on loan at Wigan, even though a fee has been agreed with Egyptian club Zamalek. (The Sun) 
Ipswich are weighing up a move for West Ham midfielder Kieron Dyer. (Daily Telegraph)

OTHER GOSSIP

France striker Thierry Henry was told by his former manager Arsene Wenger that he should have owned up to his handball against the Republic of Ireland.(Daily Mirror) 
Hull trio Kevin Kilbane, Paul McShane and Stephen Hunt - all in the Republic of Ireland squad for the controversial game in France - have been urged to see a sports psychologist by club manager Phil Brown. (Daily Express) 
England's 2018 World Cup bid team are unlikely to get any more financial support from the Premier League.(Guardian) 
Manchester City striker Craig Bellamy fears his career could be over in two years because of his knee problems.(Times) 
Newcastle boss Chris Hughton is concerned over Shola Ameobi opting to play for Nigeria and being ruled out during the African Cup of Nations.(Daily Star) 
Former Birmingham owner David Gold could end his interest in buying West Ham after opening talks to purchase Crystal Palace. (Daily Star) 

AND FINALLY

In the fall-out from Henry's handball, ex-Republic of Ireland boss Mick McCarthy says Fifa stands for Forget Irish Football Altogether. He also says, if he was Richard Dunne, he would not have let Henry sit next to him on the pitch after the game. (The Sun) 
Former Manchester United striker Andrew Cole says the Old Trafford club's manager Sir Alex Ferguson made a mistake in not signing Liverpool star Fernando Torres - and adds that his opinion is backed up by United's players.(Daily Star)
www.bbc.co.uk

Saturday's failure

Coventry 1 - 1 Leicester
Leicester substitute Martyn Waghorn's second-half goal cancelled out Sammy Clingan's earlier effort for Coventry, to earn the visitors a point.
Clingan gave Coventry the lead just before the break with an unstoppable free-kick into the top corner. 
Waghorn levelled on 71 minutes, beating goalkeeper Keiren Westwood from the edge of the box. 
Leon Best and Clinton Morrison had shots blocked and Leicester's Jack Hobbs headed wide as the sides pressed. 
Leicester goalkeeper Chris Weale twice denied Aron Gunnarsson in the first half, while Paul Gallagher almost put Leicester ahead with a curling shot that struck the crossbar on 21 minutes. 
Gallagher then handled and Clingan scored from the resulting free-kick, while Elliott Ward shot wide soon afterwards as Coventry looked to put daylight between themselves and their visitors. 
The introduction of Waghorn, on loan from Sunderland, and Steve Howard on the hour paid dividends for the Foxes as the striker combined with his fellow substitute to level the scores.

Coventry manager Chris Coleman:

"Sammy was caught late and was off the pitch when we conceded but what can we do? 

Because we wanted to win the game and the one time we've knocked off defensively from the second phase we've been punished.
Leicester manager Nigel Pearson:
"We have a strong bench and we really did feel that we could win the game."

.

Wolverhampton 0 - 1 Portsmouth

Portsmouth ended a turbulent week with their first Premier League win of the season courtesy of Hassan Yebda's goal.
The Algerian midfielder, who is on loan from Benfica, powerfully headed in Kevin Prince Boateng's right-wing cross after Wolves failed to clear a corner. 
Home keeper Wayne Hennessey then pulled off a fine save, low to his right, from Aruna Dindane's first-time strike. 
Wolves were denied a second-half penalty after Marc Wilson appeared to handle Michael Kightly's cross. 
Entire seasons can change on pieces of good fortune and Portsmouth's may well have done just that on Saturday at Molineux with two important calls going their way.

Wolves manager Mick McCarthy:

"The big thing for me is we defended the corner but we didn't block the ball coming back in. 
"We are coming off with a defeat because we didn't defend properly. We were not outplayed, we just didn't do the basics properly.
Portsmouth manager Paul Hart:
"I am relieved and delighted and proud of the players because we've been through the mill. 
"We didn't play as well as we have done in the last few weeks, but they grafted hard."

Portsmouth manager Paul Hart:
"I am relieved and delighted and proud of the players because we've been through the mill. 
"We didn't play as well as we have done in the last few weeks, but they grafted hard."
www.bbc.co.uk

Man Utd 1-0 Wolverhampton

Danny Welbeck marked his first start of the season with the winning goal as 10-man Manchester United edged past Wolves into the Carling Cup fourth round.
The United substitute was set free by a superb Michael Owen pass and he slotted in to send the holders through. 
That came after Fabio da Silva had seen red for a deliberate foul on Michael Kightly, who was clean through on goal. 
But Wolves played their part in a fine game, David Jones and Kevin Doyle both forcing saves from Tomasz Kuszczak. 
The Premier League new-boys lived up to their pre-match word that they would go for the victory at Old Trafford, despite not having won a top-flight match there in almost 30 years. 606:
But the game's one moment of true class told as United overcame the first hurdle of their defence of the trophy they won on penalties against Spurs last February. 
Not that Sir Alex Ferguson ranks that as his greatest priority this season if his selection is anything to by, with the Scot selecting an entirely different XI to the one that started Sunday's derby win over Manchester City.
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson:
"You can't argue with the red card, but Fabio is only 18 and this experience will help him grow. 
"Even before we went down to 10 men Wolves were a threat on the counter-attack, but for the last hour we kept our discipline and that was very pleasing. That never-say-die attitude runs through this club and the goal was of magnificent quality. 
"Who do I want next? (Son Darren's side) Peterborough at home. All the family should be happy with that." 
Wolves boss Mick McCarthy: 
"My assessment was that we weren't good enough to win it - we've been sat down, patted on the head and sent on our way. 
"Nice old Wolves, come up put on a show but don't upset the apple cart. It annoys me."
www.bbc.co.uk

Manchester Utd. - Wolverhampton

I won’t waste the words too much on United and their current form. Sir Alex again pulled something from the hat and this squad is again fully competitive. Five wins and one defeat (vs. Burnley on the road, 0-1) in Premier League, so far. For tonight’s encounter some youngsters and fringe players will get a chance. Goalie will be Tomasz Kuszczak instead walking disaster, Ben Foster. Central defenders will be Wes Brown and Jonny Evans. Just a fact Brown will be in front suggest a decent possibility of conceding goals. Gibson, Macheda, Welbeck, Brown, Tosic, some of them will also appear. Michael Owen will be in attack as the reward for Saturday’s winner. Far from disputing their talent, just don’t think they can be fully competitive and play on result. Despite some good results in past, Sir Alex doesn’t rank Cup competition (especially League Cup) too high and I think any upset tonight wouldn’t even take a smile, after Saturday’s win, from his face. They have a clash against Stoke at Saturday and most of his key players will be resting (at least first 60 minutes).

Woverhampton started this season as clear underdogs. Fast return in second tier is something that has been already predicted to them. But, so far, they’re announcing a battle at least. Two wins in opening six rounds, Wigan on the road (1-0) and in last round Fulham at home (2-1). Worth of mentioning is also their more than decent away display in defeat against Man.City (0-1). Their biggest problem currently is big number of new players, some signings are even new in England and simply need some time to adapt. Also, Wolves have had a lots of injury concerns. For tonight’s game, two key players are making comebacks from injury, excellent winger Michael Kightly and striker Sylvan Ebanks-Blake (both came as the substitutes at Saturday’s win). Also new signing, striker Stefan Maierhofer, will have his debut. Boss Mick McCarthy will try to use this game for morale boosting, but also as a test game for Premier League. This could be the strongest Wolves’ team this season. 

United are always favorites wherever they play, but I can not see any obvious domination. Although home win is probable, I can not see any convincing win and wouldn’t even write off some surprising result at Trafford. Especially because I expect some outcome from Wolves’ attacking force. Asian handicap +1.75 on visitors seems as a very good value and nice choice, (188 offer 1.95), while Pinnacle for +1.5 offer also more than decent 2.20. 

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Saturday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

After pulling the plug on a deal to bring Samuel Eto'o to the club, Manchester City are also set to miss out on Carlos Tevez, who is in no rush to finalise his future with Chelsea reportedly also interested in the Argentine striker.(Daily Star) 
Alternatively, City will tie up a deal for Tevez before jetting out on their pre-season tour of South Africa on Wednesday.(The Sun) 
City will sign Tevez and are also set to increase the stakes in their pursuit of Chelsea defender and captain John Terry with a third bid worth £40m. (Daily Express) 
City captain Richard Dunne is determined not to leave Eastlands and is prepared to see out another season despite Stoke and Sunderland have each having £4m offers for the centre-back accepted.(Daily Express) 
Manchester United have targeted Atletico Madrid forward Sergio Aguero and are willing to offer £30m plus Portuguese winger Nani to land the Argentine. (Daily Mirror)
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has laughed off rumours linking the club with a move for French international midfielder Franck Ribery.(The Sun) 
However, Benitez is interested in Wigan midfielder Lee Cattermole - the subject of a failed £5m bid from Sunderland on Friday - as a possible replacement for Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano, who have been linked with moves away from Anfield.(Independent) 
Arsenal can rest easy this summer after Russian forward Andrey Arshavin denied any interest in a move to Champions League holders Barcelona, and big-spending Real Madrid insisted they are not pursuing midfielder Cesc Fabregas. (Daily Express) 
Tottenham are set to make a last-ditch attempt to hijack Everton's plans to sign Sheffield United's England Under-21 right-back Kyle Naughton. (The Sun) 
Spurs boss Harry Redknapp wants Sunderland striker Kenwyne Jones to be part of any deal that sees forward Darren Bent join the Black Cats. (Daily Mirror) 
Everton have launched a £12m bid for Standard Liege captain Stephen Defour, formerly the midfield partner of Toffees' record signing Marouane Fellaini at the Belgian club. (The Sun) 
Fulham are closing in on an £11m deal for Portsmouth and England striker Peter Crouch after agreeing to sell forward Bobby Zamora to Hull. (Daily Mail) 
Sunderland are also chasing Crouch but may have to raise their bid to £15m in order to land the striker after having an £11m offer rejected by Pompey.(The Times) 
Former Liverpool and Middlesbrough midfielder Boudewijn Zenden - currently with Marseille - claims Fulham want to bring him back to England to add experience to their forthcoming European campaign. (Daily Mirror) 
Sunderland have won the £6m fight to sign Manchester United striker Fraizer Campbell, who was also a target for Hull, West Ham and Newcastle. (The Sun) 
Stoke are reeling after being snubbed by Rennes midfielder Stephane M'Bia, who has agreed to join Marseille in a £10m deal instead. (Daily Mirror) 
Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate has given the green light to Aston Villa's £18m double swoop for Boro's attacking duo Stewart Downing and Tuncay. (The Sun) 
Arsenal's French defender Mikael Silvestre is a target for French champions Bordeaux. (Daily Mirror) 
Bolton want to sign Real Betis midfielder Achille Emana but are struggling to meet the £11m asking price. (The Sun) 
Wolves boss Mick McCarthy is set to join the the chase for Aston Villa centre-back Zat Knight, who is also wanted by Bolton. (Daily Mirror) 
Burnley manager Owen Coyle is ready to clinch a £600,000 deal for Hamilton's Scottish Under-21 defender Brian Easton, who has expressed an interest in a move to the Premier League. (Daily Mirror)

OTHER GOSSIP

Alan Shearer is ready to walk out on Newcastle because he is sick of being kept in the dark over the club's future by owner Mike Ashley and managing director Derek Llambias. (The Sun) 
Chelsea want the future of captain John Terry - a £30m Manchester City target - sorted out before they depart for their pre-season tour of America on Thursday.(Daily Star) 
Indeed, Terry has insisted on a meeting with Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich to seek assurances about the club's future before committing himself to the Blues.(The Times) 
A host of stars are set to turn their back on playing in England because of the more favourable financial conditions in Spain, where tax is capped at 40% and big earners can pay as little as 24% tax if they exploit a loophole and acquire "foreign executive" status. (Daily Mirror) 
Former Celtic boss Gordon Strachan has emerged as firm favourite to return to Southampton as manager, more than five years after he quit the club. (Daily Express)

AND FINALLY

Inter Milan manager Jose Mourinho has launched a bizarre new blast at old foe Carlo Ancelotti - formerly AC Milan boss but now in charge at Chelsea - saying, "They say of Ancelotti in England that he is Prince Charles. But I only know one Prince Charles - and that is the Prince of Wales. Ancelotti is no friend of mine."(The Sun) 
Manchester United players have been selecting their footballing heroes with club skipper Gary Neville selecting former Reds captain Bryan Robson, Rio Ferdinand, Ryan Giggs, Carlos Tevez and Wayne Rooney going for Diego Maradona and boss Alex Ferguson opting for United legend Denis Law.(The Sun)
www.bbc.co.uk

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)
www.bbc.co.uk

Stressful Weekend-Relaxing Monday

I almost got the heart attack. I didn't make any profit, but thankfully to new kid in Premier (no, I won't put his third pic in a row on my blog, he-he) I cut my lost. It is interesting how missing of one player can change the game. If I knew Rio don't play (and Garry Nevile(!) will play central defender), I wouldn't put a cent on home win (but, increase bet on over). Feel very lucky at the end.

Big Championship game is tonight. Birmingham v Wolves, second against the first. With a win, hosts will secure direct promotion, visitors title. I can't imagine which side has advantage, will seat back and enjoy in game. And a minor gamble bet on 1-1 (ht/ft), just in case.:) Here is info about injuries and statements from Alex McLeish and Mick McCarthy (from my favorite resource-bbc).

Birmingham striker James McFadden is set to play for the first time since January after overcoming a knee injury. 
Marcus Bent is also in contention but Stuart Parnaby (thigh) and Kemy Agustien (groin) are still unavailable. 

Wolves forward Sylvan Ebanks-Blake (calf) and Chris Iwelumo (thigh) should be fit while on-loan Aston Villa striker Marlon Harewood could play. 
Winger Matt Jarvis is back from a knee problem but Michael Kightly will miss the rest of the season (broken toe). 

Birmingham City boss Alex McLeish told BBC WM: 
"If you're not looking forward to high profile games likes these, then you should be chucking it (in). 
"Wolves have a little bit of leeway at the moment and we've got to go all out to reduce that. I'd prefer to be in Wolves' position at the moment but there's no reason why we can't win this game and get to within two points." 

Wolves boss Mick McCarthy told BBC WM: 
"They (the players) can sense and see the importance of it better than anybody, because they're playing in it. 
"They are our nearest and dearest rivals and they are a good side. We know night games are something special and I just don't think there's a game of more significance this season with six games to go."