Wednesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Inter Milan right-back Maicon is top of Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini's summer wish list, according to the Brazilian's agent.(skysports.com) 
According to Spanish newspaper Sport, City's bid for Maicon could be rivalled by Real Madrid, whose new boss Jose Mourinho is also chasing Manchester United's Wayne Rooney and Inter Milan's Diego Milito.(imscouting.com) 
City have reportedly made a 35m Euro bid for Barcelona striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic , although the offer doesn't appear to be high enough to land the Swede.(imscouting.com) 
City are also closing in on a £36m deal for Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko, despite the German club's announcement that the Bosnian was set to stay after clubs failed to meet Monday's midnight deadline for his £34m buy-out clause.(Daily Mail) 
Aston Villa will make a £5m move for Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha.(Daily Mirror) 
But Villa have warned City that if they want to prise midfielder James Milner away from Villa Park it will cost them £30m.(Daily Mail) 
Tottenham will rebuff any move by AC Milan to sign full-back Gareth Bale. The Italians have made enquiries about the Wales international over the past year.(Daily Mail) 
Chelsea's Slovakian World Cup winger Miroslav Stoch is ready to sign for Turkish giants Galatasaray in a surprise £2.5m deal.(Daily Mirror) 
Arsenal are preparing to let young midfielder Francis Coquelin, 19, join Lorient on a season-long loan to help improve their chances of landing the French side's 24-year-old defender Laurent Koscielny.(Daily Mail) 
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is apparently considering a move for Palermo's impressive young centre back Simon Kjaer this summer.(caughtoffside.com) 
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez is apparently considering a move for Manchester City striker Roque Santa Cruz and could offer midfielder Yossi Benayoun in part-exchange.(Daily Mail) 
Fulham are in talks to sign former Liverpool left-back Fabio Aurelio on a free transfer. The Brazilian recently failed to agree terms with Liverpool on a pay-as-you- play deal.(Daily Mail) 
Blackburn are back on the trail of Lech Poznan's Polish striker Robert Lewandowski after his proposed £6m move to Borussia Dortmund hit a hitch.(Daily Mail) 
Celtic have won the race to sign Hull's Jimmy Bullard after the midfielder agreed to join the Scottish giants on a 12-month loan deal. (Daily Mirror) 
Midfielder Darren Ambrose's protracted move to London rivals QPR was in doubt last night after his club Crystal Palace were saved from the brink of closure. Ambrose has already undergone a medical and agreed personal terms with Rangers but Palace's prospective new owners CPFC 2010 may refuse to sell.(Daily Mail) 
Nottingham Forest boss Billy Davies is lining up a £2m bid for Cardiff midfielder Peter Whittingham.(Daily Mirror) 
QPR have offered to almost double Paddy Kenny's wages in a bid to lure the keeper from Sheffield United to Loftus Road.(Daily Mirror) 
West Brom manager Roberto Di Matteo is making a £1.2m bid to sign keeper Boaz Myhill from cash-strapped Hull.(Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti has started to make plans for a rejection from England boss Fabio Capello by moving to discuss the managerial vacancy at the San Siro with Fulham boss Roy Hodgson, who has had two previous spells at the San Siro. (Daily Mail) 
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has revealed his anger and frustration after being told by the Anfield board there will be no money to spend in the summer.(Daily Mirror) 
Benitez's future at Liverpool will be decided at a third round of talks with his Liverpool employers next week, with the club eager to tie the Spaniard to the club in the face of interest in his services from Inter Milan.(The Sun) 
Former Arsenal and Manchester City striker Paul Dickov will be handed the manager's job at Oldham after impressing in an interview. Dickov, 37, who spent the second half of this season with Leeds, has never managed before.(Daily Mail) 
Striker Robbie Blake has turned down Burnley's 'final offer' of a one-year contract because he feels he is worth a longer deal with the Clarets.(Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

Manchester United chief executive David Gill admits he does not think the 'Green and Gold' protests, conducted by Red Devils supporters unhappy with the club's American owners the Glazers, are going to be abandoned. "There were some comments last week that I was belittling the protest," said Gill. "That could not be further from the truth. We understand it and it will be there."(Daily Mail)

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Burnley - Bolton

The Clarets are typical home team. Owen Coyle is forcing attractive style of play that is really nice to watch and it has been bringing good results at their home Turf Moor. They have just one home defeat (Wigan 1-3), while all three draws (in last three rounds) came from the games against top Premier sides Aston Villa and Arsenal and Fulham. In last round, they were defeated on the road against Wolves (0-2), but put a decent display and if they didn’t stay short for a penalty kick result probably would be different. However, this game for Burnley has the highest importance, lads had a training session instead Christmas celebration and I think they’re paying much more attention to this game, than to Monday’s trip to Goodison Park. Two central defenders, Steven Caldwell and Clarke, picked up groin problems in the defeat to Wolves (Caldwell is closer to appear), while another defender Tyrone Mears should be fit despite incurring a head injury in that game.

 

Bolton ended a run of five competitive defeats in six games with two excellent results. First stopped Man.City at home (3-3), then also at home defeated West Ham (3-1). Despite collected four points, Trotters stayed under the rellegation line and it seems Gary Megson has been pulling the maximum from the players who, I think it is fair to say, lack in quality and Bolton seem as a serious contender for moving down to Championship. Also, they have maybe more important game at Monday, when will host Hull City. On the road their defense line looks shaky, especially for crosses and set pieces which could mean Robbie Blake and Chris Eagles will run the riot. Wanderers have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last 18 league games. However, key midfielder Fabrice Muamba is suspended after picking up his fifth booking of the season in the win over West Ham, while his fellow midfielder Gavin McCann will miss out for the third successive game with an ankle injury.

 

Despite not so good results lately (seven games without a win), Burnley’s performances look decent and at home already defeated much stronger sides than Bolton are. Visitors made two excellent results at home, but I can’t imagine them making third and winning at Turf Moor. Just because the fact Burnley noticed three consecutive home draws and three of the last four meetings between these sides have ended in draws, I’ll chose dnb option instead home win that should be considered as a gamble.

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Saturday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Sunderland boss Steve Bruce may decide to sell Kenwyne Jones if the striker's form does not improve.(Daily Mirror) 
West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola says he would be interested in bringing Sol Campbell to Upton Park in the January transfer window. (Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Arsenal striker Robin van Persie says ex-team-mate and Manchester City forward Emmanuel Adebayor has yet to apologise for an alleged stamp on him when their two teams met recently.(Daily Star) 
Van Persie says he does not dive but does exaggerate his reaction to fouls.(The Sun) 
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has defended Jamie Carragher over criticism of the centre-back's form and fitness so far this season.(The Guardian) 
Reds midfielder Steven Gerrard was cleared of affray after an incident at the Lounge Inn in Southport but he says the experience has changed him and that he will never celebrate in a bar again.(Daily Mail) 
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson believes the fear of life without football is the driving force behind the impressive early season form of veteran Ryan Giggs.(The Sun) 
The takeover of Notts County has been cast into doubt under the Football League's 'fit and proper persons' test for owners.(The Sun) 
But that does not appear to be putting off director of football Sven-Goran Eriksson from bringing former Inter Milan boss Roberto Mancini to the club as a replacement for manager Ian McParland.(Daily Star) 

AND FINALLY

Burnley striker Robbie Blake is waiting for the right occasion to pull down his shorts and reveal his lucky charm Bad Beat Bob underpants. He has changed them from red to white because of the club's promotion to the Premier League.(Daily Mirror)
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Burnley 1-0 Sheff Utd

Wade Elliott's sensational strike ended Burnley's 33-year wait for a return to the top flight as they defeated Sheffield United in the Championship play-off final.
Elliott scored with a curling 13th-minute strike into the top corner that was worthy of winning any Wembley occasion. 
Indeed, victory for Owen Coyle's team was fully deserved as their 61st game of a long and successful season culminated in promotion to the Premier League for the first time. 
The Clarets, founder members of the Football League, played with freedom and ambition - and should have doubled their lead after the break but Nick Montgomery blocked Joey Gudjonsson's hooked shot while Kyle Walker made a superb challenge with Robbie Blake poised to strike. 
Burnley created a series of chances and went close from distance several times - in stark contrast to their Yorkshire opponents, whose best hope of an equaliser came from two penalty appeals. 
The first, for a challenge on Brian Howard, was debatable, but Christian Kalvenes's crude challenge on Walker after the break was a clear foul.
However referee Mike Dean, whose appointment Blades boss Kevin Blackwell had criticised in the build-up to the match, sided against United on both occasions. 
It was a miserable afternoon for the Blades, who saw Jamie Ward red carded late on after he picked up two bookings in four minutes. 
But Coyle and his squad, who earlier in the campaign came within minutes of reaching the Carling Cup final, have now ensured their season would not be one of near misses with their Wembley victory.

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Burnley: Jensen, Duff, Carlisle, Caldwell, Kalvenes, Elliott, Alexander, McCann (Gudjonsson 27), Blake (Eagles 69), Thompson (Rodriguez 73), Paterson.

Subs Not Used: Penny, McDonald. 
Booked: Carlisle, Kalvenes. 
Goals: Elliott 13. 

Sheff Utd: Kenny, Walker, Morgan, Kilgallon, Naughton, Montgomery, Howard (Lupoli 82), Cotterill (Ward 58), Stephen Quinn (Hendrie 85), Halford, Beattie.
Subs Not Used: Bennett, Bromby. 
Sent Off: Ward (80). 
Booked: Ward, Lupoli. 

Att: 80,518 
Ref: Mike Dean (Wirral).
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