Tuesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Atletico Madrid playmaker Sergio Aguero has expressed his admiration for Chelsea, describing them as "one of the most feared clubs in Europe" and London as being "a really amazing city to live in". The Blues have been linked with a big-money move for the Argentina international.(Daily Express) 
Barcelona are mulling over a move for Arsenal left-back Gael Clichy. The Catalan giants could offer about £10m for a player they tried to sign last summer.(The Guardian) 
Manchester City striker Craig Bellamy's relationship with manager Roberto Mancini has reached breaking point, with the Wales international wanting a move from Eastlands in the summer if the Italian remains in charge.(Daily Mail) 
Liverpool are weighing up an offer for Bolton defender Gary Cahill. Reds boss Rafael Benitez believes £12m may be enough to prise the 24-year-old away from the Reebok Stadium.(Caught Offside) 
Arsenal's Eduardo could be heading to Ligue 1 side Lyon, with the likely arrival of Marouane Chamakh expected to displace the Croatia striker in manager Arsene Wenger's plans.(Caught Offside) 
Birmingham City boss Alex McLeish wants to take Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster on loan next season.(Daily Mirror) 
Ajax manager Martin Jol has told former club Tottenham that they are not big enough to sign striker Luis Suarez.(The Sun) 
Everton are close to wrapping up a deal to sign 24-year-old Standard Liege striker Dieumerci Mbokani.(Footylatest) 
Blackburn are hoping to seal a £5m deal with Lech Poznan for Poland international striker Robert Lewandowski.(Daily Mirror) 
Arsenal midfielder Fran Merida is set to head to Atletico Madrid at the end of the season when his contract with the Gunners runs out. (Daily Mail) 
Manchester United's £10m winger Zoran Tosic has said he wants to make his loan move to Cologne permanent after scoring four goals in his last three games. (Daily Mirror)
Midfielder Paul Scharner will leave Wigan in the summer and claims that Fulham, Everton, Aston Villa and Sunderland are all looking to sign him up.(Daily Mail) 
Slovakia's Vladimir Weiss, the midfielder on loan at Bolton from Manchester City, is set to return to Eastlands next season after growing frustrated with a lack of starts for the Trotters.(Daily Star)
Manchester United are chasing Newcastle's 17-year-old Slovenian midfielder Haris Vuckic, who has made three first-team appearances for the Magpies this season.(Daily Mail) 

OTHER GOSSIP

West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola will be replaced by former England boss Steve McClaren, currently in charge of Dutch side FC Twente, at the end of the season if the Hammers stay up.(Daily Mail) 
England coach Fabio Capello is considering calling Michael Dawson into his World Cup squad after being impressed by the Tottenham defender's recent performances.(Daily Mail) 
Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien could return after four months out against Stoke on Sunday.(Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

Al Pacino's American football film Any Given Sunday and Invictus, which recounts South Africa's win at the 1995 Rugby World Cup, were part of the entertainment on board Barcelona's team bus. The European champions are travelling by road to the first leg of their Champions league semi-final againt play Inter Milan.(The Independent) 
Ipswich manager Roy Keane says he wants to sign "four or five real men" next season and will axe up to half his current squad. (Daily Mail) 
Celtic striker Robbie Keane has been voted the club's player of the year, despite only arriving on loan from Tottenham in February. The Republic of Ireland international has scored 13 goals in 15 games. (Daily Mail)
Tottenham forward Roman Pavlyuchenko has claimed Chelsea were fortunate not to lose 6-1 rather than 2-1 at White Hart Lane on Saturday. He describes the Blues players as being "too confident of victory" before the match.(Daily Star)
www.bbc.co.uk

Thursday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has sanctioned a £50m bid for Liverpool striker Fernando Torres. (Daily Mirror) 
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has been assured that he will keep his job, despite a clear-out of the playing staff that will result in midfielders Joe Cole and Deco heading through the Stamford Bridge exit.(Daily Mirror)
Celtic's hopes of hanging on to on-loan striker Robbie Keane may be over, with Aston Villa targeting a £9m summer move for the Tottenham player.(Daily Mirror) 
Alternatively, Villa could make a move for Wigan's £15m-rated forward Hugo Rodallega.(Daily Mail) 
Juventus president Jean Claude Blanc has quashed Arsenal's hopes of reviving a bid for midfield anchorman Felipe Melo. (The Sun)
Celtic may be interested in signing QPR's Argentine midfielder Alejandro Faurlin in the summer.(Daily Mirror) 
Tottenham striker Roman Pavlyuchenko wants to help Spurs secure a Champions League place but admits he may not be at the club next season.(Daily Mail) 
Palermo centre-back Simon Kjaer has invited Liverpool and Manchester United to make a big-money approach to back up their reported interest.(Daily Mail) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Liverpool winger Albert Riera has hit out at manager Rafael Benitez and said: "His dialogue with the players is practically zero." Riera also branded the Reds a "sinking ship".(Marca in Spanish) 
In the wake of their Champions League defeat by Inter Milan, Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich challenged his players to prove they are worth their pay packets and threatened manager Carlo Ancelotti with the sack unless he wins the Premier League title.(Daily Mail) 
The Glazer family are weighing up another round of refinancing to stave off the challenge to their ownership of Manchester United posed by a group of businessmen dubbed the Red Knights.(The Times) 
Liverpool's American owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks have been given three weeks to decide whether to accept an investment offer of £100m from the New York-based Rhone Group.(The Independent) 
Prospective Portsmouth owner Rob Lloyd remains optimistic he can clinch a deal for the troubled club, despite administrator Andrew Andronikou's doubts over the group he fronts.(The Telegraph) 
Celtic could play Scotland in a testimonial match at Parkhead on 16 May for injured Hoops defender John Kennedy. (Daily Record) 
West Ham risk upsetting some of their big-name players after withholding image rights payments as part of a tax investigation.(The Guardian) 
Aaron Lennon could give Tottenham and England a welcome boost by returning from his groin injury for the game against Chelsea on 17 April.(Daily Mail) 

AND FINALLY

Fulham forward Bobby Zamora believes that age is catching up with Juventus defender Fabio Cannavaro and that he might find some success against the 36-year-old in their Europa League second-leg match on Thursday evening.(The Independent) 
Reading defender Matt Mills has apologised to Reading fans after making an abusive gesture at them in reaction to barracking during the Royals' 1-0 win over QPR on Tuesday.(The Sun) 

www.bbc.co.uk

Tuesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Birmingham are keen on signing Portsmouth striker Frederic Piquionne after failing to land the Frenchman in the January transfer window.(Daily Mirror) 
Egypt and Borussia Dortmund star Mohamed Zidan was watched by Arsenal scouts in the 3-1 defeat to England, according to the 28-year-old striker. Zidan, who scored their only goal at Wembley, said: "My agent told me about Arsenal's interest. He asked me to try to impress them and become the first Egyptian to play for the Gunners.(imscouting.com) 
Sunderland are keeping tabs on Tottenham midfielder Jamie O'Hara, who is on loan at Portsmouth, with a view to making a summer swoop for the 23-year-old.(The Times) 
Lokomotiv Moscow will resume their efforts to prise striker Roman Pavlyuchenko away from Tottenham in the close season. (Daily Mail) 
Everton are hoping to extend American Landon Donovan's loan deal, which is set to expire after Saturday's match at Birmingham but will not pursue the matter if it threatens to upset their good relationship with the forward's team Los Angeles Galaxy. (The Times) 
Chelsea midfielder Miroslav Stoch is a target for Dutch giants Ajax and PSV Eindhoven. The 20-year-old is currently on loan with Steve McClaren's side Twente Enschede and has impressed with 10 goals in 36 appearances this season.(imscouting.com) 
Fulham are eyeing Shakhtar Donetsk centre-back Yaroslav Rakytskyi as a possible summer target after the 20-year-old impressed against the London side in their recent Europe League clash.(imscouting.com) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Arsenal defender William Gallas could face another month on the sidelines after the former captain, out since mid-February, injured his calf muscle in training. (Daily Mail) 
Gallas, meanwhile, will have to accept a drop in wages if he wants to extend his Gunners contract beyond the summer.(The Times) 
Middlesbrough striker Jeremie Aliadiere is in danger of missing the remainder of the season as he recovers from a broken toe suffered in the weekend defeat by Cardiff. (Daily Mail) 
Premier League managers are preparing for action in protest at the recent decision by football's international governing body Fifa to drop experiments with goal-line technology.(Daily Mirror)

www.bbc.co.uk

zero

Tottenham 2 - 1 Everton

Tottenham moved into the Premier League top four with a hard-fought home victory over a determined Everton.

In-form Roman Pavlyuchenko put Spurs ahead when he tapped home a Jermain Defoe cross from six yards. 
Everton rallied but could not make their pressure count and they fell two goals behind when Luka Modric curled in a superb, dipping shot. 
Everton's Yakubu took advantage of keeper Heurelho Gomes' error to pull a goal back but an equaliser eluded them. 
The win lifts Tottenham into the Champions League places at the expense of Manchester City, on goal difference, and strikes a blow to Everton's hopes of making a late top-four push following a period of good form. 
The visitors - and American striker Landon Donovan in particular - will be left to rue missed opportunities to get something from the game. 
Spurs' unlikely recent hero has been Russian striker Pavlyuchenko, who has come in from the cold and reaped the rewards with four goals in two games prior to this, including two in the FA Cup win over Bolton on Wednesday.
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp:
"Overall I thought we played well and we were terrific at times in the first half. 
"When you play Everton you know they are not going to give up. 
"David (Moyes) obviously got into Everton at half time and they raised their game. At 2-1 we got edgy and we were defending for our lives at times." 
Everton manager David Moyes:
"It was a game of two halves. Tottenham were better in the first and we were much better in the second. 
"At half time we were dead and buried but I have to give the players credit for making a game of it. 
"It (Donovan's miss) was a crucial moment for us and probably a crucial moment for Tottenham as well."

.

Liverpool 2 - 1 Blackburn

Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres scored as Liverpool won a bad-tempered contest against Blackburn to move to within one point of fourth spot.
Gerrard put Liverpool ahead with a left-foot shot from six yards before Keith Andrews levelled from the spot after a Jamie Carragher handball. 
An unmarked Torres slid home from close range to restore Liverpool's lead. 
Gerrard and El-Hadji Diouf exchanged heated words before the break while Pepe Reina denied Chris Samba late on. 
There is no love lost between Reds boss Rafa Benitez and Rovers counterpart Sam Allardyce - and little that happened on the pitch is likely to lead to any form of reconciliation. 
Steven N'Zonzi should have been sent off after pushing Lucas in the face and there were a series of thunderous challenges during a fully committed contest that saw Benitez repeatedly complain to the fourth official.
It was far from vintage Liverpool and Rovers can consider themselves unfortunate to have left Anfield pointless. 
But the Reds will be pleased to have returned to winning ways having failed to score in their previous two games. 
Torres, who has been dogged by groin and knee injuries, was back in the starting XI for the first time since 13 January, and understandably not at his fluent best. 
But there was an unmistakeable electricity around the ground every time the Spain striker was in possession. 
And the fact that he and Gerrard both found the net ended a sequence of six Premier League games during which Dirk Kuyt had been the only Liverpool player to have scored. 
The wait goes on for Rovers boss Sam Allardyce to earn his first win as a manager at Anfield, but there was plenty to suggest from his team's performance that they will climb the table during the remaining weeks of the season.
www.bbc.co.uk

Tottenham - Everton

Spurs are currently fifth on the table with three points less than Man.City. They’re struggling on the road, but showing much better performances at White Hart Lane. At home, most problems they have had against defensively oriented teams like Hull (0-0), Wolves (0-1) and Stoke (0-1). At Friday, came news from Spurs’ camp they’re hit by a virus and 18 players and stuff are infected. But, it seems it was only Redknapp’s psychological warming-up for Everton. True is Palacios and Corluka are having some problems with a stomach bug and their appearance is doubtful. Real problem for “Arry” is the condition of Defoe and Crouch. Both will face a late fitness test and I expected one of them (Defoe more likely) to start the game alongside excellent Pavlyuchenko.

David Moyes crew was knocked from the Europe in Lisbon on a kind of humiliating way. Problem for him for today’s game is all players looked jaded after that game. Good thing for them is Everton turned the corner in Premier and overcame results crisis caused by large number of injuries. The Toffees have noticed just a single defeat (Liverpool away, 0-1) in last twelve games and in last two games at Goodison defeated giants (Chelsea 2-1 and Man.Utd. 3-1). They also won at last three league visits to White Hart Lane. So, despite European exit they definitely don’t lack with self confidence for today’s game. Beside fatigue, main problem for Moyes is missing of some very important players. Skipper Cahill, Fellaini and defenders Hibbert and Senderos. Good thing is Distin and Heitinga are available again and Jagielka already made his return. Everton have managed to keep only one clean sheet in their last nine league matches away from home and they have scored in 11 of their last 12 league games.

This is very important game for both sides. Spurs have huge attacking potential, but in last few games were showing some vulnerabilities in back line and just thankfully to Gomes and luck weren’t punished. Everton like to play against Spurs and I think Moyes won’t practice defensively 4-5-1. Despite the fact none of the last eight league games between these sides have been won by the home team I give an advantage to Spurs, but see goals at decent odds as a better option. Over.

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Another great night

Tottenham 4 - 0 Bolton

Roman Pavlyuchenko continued his resurgence to fire Tottenham into the FA Cup quarter-finals as Bolton proved the architects of their own undoing.
Pavlyuchenko tucked in the opener for Spurs from Luka Modric's flicked pass. 
Jussi Jaaskelainen was at fault for the first of two Bolton own goals, the ball deflecting in off his leg as he failed to deal with a Wilson Palacios centre. 
Gareth Bale's cross later went in off Andrew O'Brien before Pavlyuchenko drilled in a Danny Rose centre late on. 
For the oft-overlooked Pavlyuchenko, who made a strong case for his inclusion by scoring twice following his late introduction in Tottenham's weekend victory at Wigan, the evening added further lustre to an impressive record in the domestic cups. 
Pavlyuchenko has played second fiddle to Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch this season, but on a night when Tottenham rarely needed to be at their flowing best, the Russian's second brace in three days brought his cup tally to 13 goals in 13 matches. 
With his side locked in a Premier League relegation battle, there is little that the Bolton manager Owen Coyle would not give for that level of return just now.
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp:
"It's great to see Pavlyuchenko score four gopals in two games, he's in great form and let's hope he can keep that up to the end of the season. 
"It's difficult for Bolton, because Owen has obviously got the league on his mind, but things are going well for us. 
"It will be a difficult game at Craven Cottage, but we can only focus on the next game, and that's Everton in the league.
.

WBA. 2 - 3 Reading

1-0 R. Koren  6.min.
1-1 J. Kebe  9.min.
2-1 R. Koren  47.min.
2-2 B. Howard  90.min.
2-3 G. Sigurdsson  95.min.
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Tottenham - Bolton

This is a repeating match and winner will face Fulham on the road in the next round. In the first game, Spurs were better rival and unlucky stayed empty handed. In the Premier, they’re in the race for the 4th place, but with the lack of the names in FA Cup Redknapp may see a chance for winning the trophy. At first game as it’s expected for tonight Redknapp rotated the squad, but the fact is those fringe players are actually very good. And in games against physically based teams (as Bolton surely are) they have obvious technical advantage. Tottenham will be without defender Ledley King because of a thigh injury. Arry’s key, Aaron Lennon also misses out after suffering a setback in his recovery from a groin problem, while Younes Kaboul and Kyle Walker are cup-tied. Roman Pavlyuchenko came from the bench and scored twice in last round vs. Wigan and he’s expected to start the game. Gudjohnsen will also get a chance, but more likely in the second half. 

Bolton are facing the tough times trying to avoid relegation. They’re first under the line, with one point less than 17th Hull City. In the previous round, they suffered a hard defeat on the road vs. Blackburn 0-3, while at Saturday (Tottenham will play their game at Sunday) will face Wolves in six points game. Boss Owen Coyle has already stated he’ll rotate the squad and rest some players. However, I don’t expect too much missings and see his talks more like a psychological game. But, real problem for Coyle is Wanderers scored just one goal in last six competitive games (against Spurs in first game)! On-loan midfielder Weiss and Wilshere are cup-tied, while Steinsson (def), Basham (def) and Davies (mid) are injured. Wanderers are without a win in 11 competitive games on the road. 

Tottenham have very good record in FA Cup and they’re very strong at home. Only big name they can face in the next rounds is Chelsea (or Man.City) and they really have a chance to win a trophy. On the other hand Bolton will defend and wait their chance in counter-attack or set-pieces, but true is they’ll be competitive only until first conceded goal. Home win with -1.5 handicap.

.

Stoke - Man.City Considering City's psychology, this game definitelly looks like betting on red/black on roulette. Will avoid it.

.

WBA - Reading Won't underestimate Reading and will follow their high scoring trend. Over 2.5

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Thursday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic has re-stressed his loyalty to the club in the face of renewed speculation linking him with a move to Spain. "I will repeat for the 100th time: my contract with Manchester is until the summer of 2012 and I want to stay at Old Trafford until the last day," Vidic told Belgrade daily Vecernje Novosti. (Agence France-Presse)

.

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester United are ready to make a summer move for England midfielder Joe Cole if he cannot resolve his contract dispute at Chelsea.(Daily Express) 
Birmingham claim they have reached an agreement with Manchester City for goalkeeper Joe Hart to remain on loan at St Andrew's next season.(The Sun) 
Bayern Munich look set to beat Chelsea to the signature of CSKA Moscow's Serbian winger Milos Krasic.(Daily Mail) 
Chelsea have been told that defender Neven Subotic will cost them "a lot of money" by the Serbian's club Borussia Dortmund. (The Sun) 
Spanish newspaper AS has reported that Sevilla striker Luis Fabiano - a target for both Chelsea and Manchester City - will cost 30m euros, in line with a release clause in his contract.(imscouting.com) 
Antonio Caliendo, the agent of Inter Milan's Brazilian full-back Maicon has opened the door to a summer move to Manchester City, saying: "(City boss Roberto) Mancini has always expressed his desire to have Maicon." (Daily Mail) 
Manchester United defender John O'Shea is a summer target for Spanish champions Barcelona, according to Spanish newspaper Sport.(imscouting.com) 
Crisis club Portsmouth will ask the Premier League to let them sell some of their players now - despite the transfer window having closed - in a bid to pay their bills. Pompey are understood to have debts of around £60m and last week survived a winding-up order by providing the High Court with a detailed statement of their finances. (Daily Mirror) 
Everton midfielder Steven Pienaar has dismissed rumours that he is set to quit the club, saying that Merseyside feels like home.(The Sun) 
Newcastle will attempt to hijack West Brom's bid to sign Wigan midfielder Jason Koumas, who has been told he can leave the DW Stadium.(The Sun)

Sunderland striker Kenwyne Jones has hinted that he would jump at the chance to join Liverpool this summer.(The Sun) 

Arsenal are set to lose 18-year-old striker Gilles Sunu to Bordeaux for a pittance this summer. The player is unsettled at the Emirates and out of contract at the end of the season.(Daily Mirror) 
Brighton boss Gus Poyet has opened talks with QPR to bring striker Rowan Vine to the Withdean Stadium on an extended loan.(The Sun) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Midfielder David Beckham, currently on loan at AC Milan from Los Angeles Galaxy, has backed Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney to fire England to World Cup glory this summer. Rooney scored twice in the San Siro on Tuesday as United secured a 3-2 Champions League last-16 first-leg lead over Milan.(The Sun) 
Notts County's new owner Ray Trew may put the club into administration in the next 48 hours after discovering the full extent of the financial problems at Meadow Lane.(Daily Mirror) 
Tottenham striker Roman Pavlyuchenko has launched a stunning verbal attack on Harry Redknapp and accused the Spurs boss of "making fun of me". The Russian has struggled to nail down first-team football under Redknapp and added that he does not think he has a future at White Hart Lane.(The Sun) 
Alan Curbishley could take over as QPR manager now he has settled his financial dispute with former club West Ham.(Daily Mail) 
Birmingham manager Alex McLeish is discussing a new contract after guiding the club to eighth in the Premier League.(Birmingham Mail) 
However, McLeish will not sign a new deal unless he is given full control of transfers by owner Carson Yeung.(Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

Sunderland striker Darren Bent has stopped using social networking site Twitter as it distracts him from playing.(The Sun)
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Monday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Big-spending Manchester City are set to make a transfer deadline day £20m offer for Real Madrid midfielder Fernando Gago. (Daily Mirror) 
Manchester City look set to beat Inter Milan to the £7m signing of Parma midfielder McDonald Mariga.(The Sun)
Manchester City are also likely to submit a fresh £6m bid for Middlesbrough winger Adam Johnson.(Daily Mail) 
But Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers, Chelsea and Wolves have also expressed an interest in 22-year-old Johnson. (The Times) 
Fulham are keen to seal a loan deal for Aston Villa defender Nicky Shorey.(Sky Sports)
Stoke City are to renew their interest in keeper David James after failing to complete a £3m deal for his Portsmouth team-mate Asmir Begovic. (Daily Mirror) 
Or Tottenham are keen on Pompey's James after Stoke hijacked their attempts to sign keeper Begovic.(Daily Mail)
Spurs striker Roman Pavlyuchenko has pleaded with the London club to sell him to ambitious Birmingham City. (Daily Mirror) 
Birmingham boss Alex McLeish will turn to FC Red Bull Salzburg striker Marc Janko after moves for Pavlyuchenko and Portsmouth's Aruna Dindane stalled.(Daily Mail) 
Tottenham and Scotland defender Alan Hutton will sign for Sunderland as Black Cats manager Steve Bruce seeks a breakthrough in solving his right-back problems. (Daily Mirror) 
Ipswich manager Roy Keane is set to raid former club Sunderland for striker Daryl Murphy.(Daily Mail) 
West Ham and Tottenham are in talks over striker Robbie Keane.(Daily Mirror) 
The Hammers are also interested in Frederic Piquionne, who is on loan at Portsmouth, and Daniele Cacia, of Reggina.(The Times) 
Stoke striker James Beattie is considering a £3m switch to Sunderland after the Black Cats gave up on Robbie Keane and Manchester City forward Benjani. (Daily Mail) 
Stoke boss Tony Pulis wants to bring winger Jermaine Pennant back to England from Real Zaragoza. (The Sun) 
Leeds are to launch a bid for Blackburn striker Jason Roberts, possibly opening the door for forward Jermaine Beckford to leave Elland Road.(The Sun) 
Wolves are to offer £5m to Hull for midfielder Stephen Hunt and are keen to take Everton striker James Vaughan on loan. (Daily Mail) 
Blackburn themselves are to make a late loan move for Ivory Coast striker Dindane, who is currently on loan at Portsmouth from Lens.(Daily Mirror) 
Portsmouth are hoping to seal a loan deal for Sunderland's central defender Nyron Nosworthy.(The Sun) 
Hull trio, winger Peter Halmosi, utility player Kevin Kilbane and midfielder Bryan Hughes are all set to leave the KC Stadium on Monday. (Daily Mail) 
High-flying championship side Nottingham Forest have tabled a £2m bid for Swansea midfielder Darren Pratley.(Daily Mirror) 
Rangers boss Water Smith wants to sign Bolton's Nigerian centre-half Danny Shittu on a free transfer. (Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Manchester City defender Wayne Bridge will have talks with England this week about his international future following the allegations about his national side's captain John Terry over the weekend. (Daily Mirror) 
Chelsea defender John Terry is on the verge of quitting his position as England captain following the weekend revelations about his private life. (Daily Star) 

AND FINALLY

Nottingham Forest manager Billy Davies has accused Derby counterpart Nigel Clough of a "cowardly" assault during the stoppage time melee between the two clubs on Saturday. (The Independent)
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Friday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Arsenal have been told by Nice they must pay £13m if they want to sign France's 23-year-old striker Loic Remy.(Daily Mail) 
Fulham's attempts to take on Al-Ittihad's Egyptian star striker Mohamed Nagy have ended in failure. (Sky Sports) 
Birmingham are about to smash the club transfer record with the £11m signing of Estudiantes striker Mauro Boselli.(Daily Mirror)

. 

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Middlesbrough have placed a £9m price tag on Adam Johnson with Manchester City closing in on the winger. The former England Under-21 star requested permission to speak to the Eastlands club earlier this week.(Daily Express) 
AC Milan are adamant striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar will not be moving to the Premier League before the end of the month. Arsenal, Everton, West Ham and Tottenham had been interested in signing the Netherlands international. (The Sun)
Tottenham have rejected an £8m bid from Birmingham for striker Roman Pavlyuchenko. The north London club are keen to recoup as much of the £14m they paid for the Russia international.(Daily Mail) 
Spurs have demanded £10m for the Russian, plus another £3m in add-ons with the Blues refusing to stump up the £13m being asked for in total.(Guardian) 
Newcastle have joined the list of clubs wanting to sign Crystal Palace forward Victor Moses by matching the £1.5m bid being offered by West Brom. Nottingham Forest are also interested in the highly rated striker.(The Times) 
Goalkeeper Asmir Begovic looks set to join Portsmouth team-mate Younes Kaboul at Tottenham as the south coast club attempt to raise funds to address their £60m financial crisis. (Daily Mail) 
Sunderland have made a £1.5m move for Manchester City striker Benjani after the Zimbabwe centre-forward had looked close to sealing a transfer to West Ham.(Daily Mail) 
Birmingham are keen on securing the services of Aruna Dindane on loan from Lens after the move of the Ivory Coast striker to Bolton fell through. The French club are eyeing a £4m deal.(Daily Mail) 
Celtic are planning to add a defender and a striker before the transfer window closes, with the club set to increase their £2.5m offer for Preston North End centre-back Sean St Ledger.(Guardian)

OTHER GOSSIP

Manchester City's owners in Abu Dhabi are considering offloading chief executive Garry Cook in the summer having become increasingly frustrated over his leadership style and publicity gaffes.(The Guardian)
Hull City are desperate to address their £10m debt and rising wage bill and chairman Adam Pearson has said the club will listen to offers for all of his players.(Daily Star) 
Portsmouth boss Avram Grant is considering walking out at Fratton Park after defender Younes Kaboul and Asmir Begovic were sold to help raise funds. The Israeli insisted last month no player would be sold without his prior approval.(Daily Mirror) 
Tottenham winger Aaron Lennon faces another three weeks on the sidelines because of a groin strain. The England international has not played since 28 December.(Guardian)
Despite loaning Robinho to Brazilian club Santos, Manchester City must pay about £70,000 to fund the striker's wages, with Santos searching for sponsors to help fund the remaining £35,000.(The Times)
www.bbc.co.uk

Thursday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester United's financial problems may result in them having to sell star asset, striker Wayne Rooney. (Daily Express) 
Stoke manager Tony Pulis is battling to seal a shock season-long loan move for Portsmouth and England goalkeeper David James.(Daily Mirror) 
Former Wigan striker Amr Zaki, who currently plays for Egyptian side Zamalek, is set to join Stoke in a £1m deal. (The Sun) 
Liverpool have made a shock offer for Reading goalkeeper Adam Federici, who played in the Royals' 2-1 FA Cup victory at Anfield on Wednesday. (Daily Mail)
Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool are all chasing Racing Santander's 18-year-old striker Sergio Canales. (The Independent) 
Brazil midfielder Sandro has claimed his £6m move to Tottenham is a "dream come true". Sandro, 20, has agreed to move to White Hart Lane but his club Internacional want to keep him until they finish their Copa Libertadores campaign, which is South America's equivalent of the Champions League, in the summer. (Daily Mirror) 
Tottenham have been offered the chance to sign Legia Warsaw keeper Jan Mucha, who is also attracting the interest of of Stoke. (The Sun)
Spurs are also keeping tabs on midfielder Joe Cole's contract negotiations with Chelsea. (The Independent) 
Portsmouth are trying to sign Egypt striker Emad Moteab. The 26-year-old scored in his country's 3-1 victory over Nigeria at the Africa Cup of Nations on Tuesday.(Daily Mail) 
Birmingham manager Alex McLeish is considering a fresh approach for Red Bull Salzburg striker Marc Janko. The 26-year-old, who is 6ft 5in and has scored 67 goals in 92 games for his Austrian club, is available for £6.5m. (Daily Mail) 
Birmingham are also chasing Tottenham striker Roman Pavlyuchenko, 28, after Liverpool forward Ryan Babel, 23, refused to move to St Andrew's.(Daily Mirror) 
Blackburn are leading a quartet of Premier League clubs in the chase for Aston Villa midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker. Bolton, Wigan and Hull are also interested in the 25-year-old, who could leave Villa for £5m.(The Times) 
But midfielder Reo-Coker is set to reject an approach from Blackburn.(The Sun) 
Arsenal are looking for a Spanish club to loan their new Bolivian attacking midfielder Samuel Galindo to. The 17-year-old will struggle to get a work permit to start playing in England.(Daily Mirror) 
Burnley boss Brian Laws is going back to his old club Sheffield Wednesday with a £1.5million bid for keeper Lee Grant. (Daily Mirror) 
Fulham will tie up the loan signing of exciting young Roma striker Stefano Okaka Chuka, 20, next week.(Daily Mirror) 
Former England manager Steve McClaren wants to take Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere, 18, on loan to his FC Twente side in the Netherlands.(Daily Mail) 
But new Bolton manager Owen Coyle is also attempting to take Wilshere to the Reebok Stadium in a loan deal. (The Independent) 
Hull are lining up a £1.25m bid for Derby winger Kris Commons.(The Sun) 
The arrival of Commons could signal the departure of Hull midfielder Stephen Hunt to Wolves, with manager Mick McCarthy upping his offer for the Irishman to £3.5m. (The Sun) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Liverpool's shock FA Cup defeat by Reading on Wednesday has put manager Rafael Benitez on the brink of losing his job. (Daily Mail)
Manchester United may be forced to sell Old Trafford to help reduce the club's reported £700m debt.(Daily Mail) 
Manchester United are also exploring the possibility of selling their training base at Carrington.(Daily Telegraph)
Chelsea will discover at a Premier League tribunal on Thursday how much they must pay Manchester City for signing Daniel Sturridge. The 20-year-old striker clinched a four-year deal with the Blues last summer, with City wanting £10m and Chelsea offering £3m.(The Times) 
Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti is prepared to do nothing in the January transfer window - after being told by the club board they will win their appeal against the Fifa transfer ban, which is currently in place until June 2011. (Daily Mirror) 
Paul Hart is fighting to save his job as QPR manager after falling out with midfielder Adel Taarabt. The 56-year-old only took over as boss in December. (Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

Manager Roberto Mancini plans to overhaul his Manchester City players' pre-match meal, introducing pizza and wine to the menu. "You need chicken, pizza, carbohydrates, even a glass of wine, but they are not on the table," he said.(Daily Mirror)

www.bbc.co.uk

Wednesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Liverpool have beaten off their rivals by securing the signature of striker Marouane Chamakh for £25m. Arsenal, Inter Milan and Juventus were all after the Bordeaux man, who is out of contract at the end of the season.(Daily Mirror) 
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp is keeping a close eye on Stamford Bridge following reports that Joe Cole's contract negotiations at Chelsea are stumbling. The England midfielder is out of contract at the end of the season.(Daily Star) 
Chelsea may be about to lose out to AC Milan in the battle to sign Wolfsburg forward Edin Dzeko but the London club are about to turn their attentions to Everton midfielder Marouane Fellaini. Fellaini's father said: "Marouane belongs at a really top club and will only get better."(Daily Mail)
Tottenham forward Roman Pavlyuchenko looks set to end his White Hart Lane nightmare by joining Zenit St Petersburg, who have tabled a £10.2m bid for the Russia striker. (Daily Mirror) 
Tottenham have agreed personal terms with Internacional's 20-year-old midfielder Sandro and are set to complete a £6m deal for the Brazilian.(The Guardian) 
Aston Villa striker Marlon Harewood is being lined up for a move to Leeds United, with boss Simon Grayson looking for a short-term replacement for Jermaine Beckford, who looks set to depart Elland Road.(The Sun) 
Tottenham are set to make a shock move to bring former Arsenal midfielder Mathieu Flamini, who is currently at AC Milan, back to north London.(Daily Mirror) 
Arsenal look to have beaten Everton to the signing of Real America's Bolivian attacking midfielder Samuel Galindo.(Daily Mirror) 
Portsmouth have rejected Sunderland's bid of £5m, plus Anton Ferdinand, for French defender Younes Kaboul.(Daily Mail) 
Galatasaray have tabled an £800,000 offer for defender Lucas Neill who joined Everton on a free transfer less than four months ago.(The Times) 
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has received assurances that he will be able to reinvest some or all of the money raised by the potential sale of forward Ryan Babel.(The Times) 
Newcastle United want to sign Bolton defender Danny Shittu - after missing out on Sheffield United's Matthew Kilgallon. (Daily Mirror) 
Middlesbrough manager Gordon Strachan is keen on QPR winger Wayne Routledge. (Daily Mail) 
Routledge's arrival could signal the departure of Middlesbrough winger Adam Johnson to Sunderland. (Daily Mail) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Kilmarnock want Tommy McLean to take over as interim boss following the departure of Jim Jefferies.(Daily Record) 
England manager Fabio Capello is set to give a full international debut to Joe Hart in the friendly against Egypt at Wembley on 3 March. The Manchester City goalkeeper is currently on loan at Birmingham.(The Times) 
England's 2018 World Cup bid team will tread cautiously when they set off on a mission to Angola to lobby African football officials after tensions were raised by the instant reaction of figures in the English game to the gun attack on the Togo team that resulted in the death of three people.(The Times) 
Liverpool are set to ditch Anfield's heritage and sell naming rights for the new stadium in Stanley Park. (Daily Mail) 
Former Birmingham City owners David Sullivan and David Gold are closing in on a £50m takeover of West Ham.(Daily Mirror) 
Under-fire Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce has two games to save his job, with growing unrest from the fans and the club's board. (Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown has backed his Gunners team-mate Sol Campbell to win an England recall. Campbell is set to return to Arsenal on a free transfer after leaving Notts County in September after only one game.(Daily Mail)

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Thursday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Ajax striker Luis Suarez has become one of Chelsea's key targets in the January transfer window. The club are preparing a spending spree that will see them through a potential transfer ban in the summer as punishment for the Gael Kakuta affair.(The Independent) 
Liverpool are targeting Tottenham striker Roman Pavlyuchenko in a surprise January move that could result in Reds forward Ryan Babel heading in the opposite direction. (Daily Mail) 
Full-back Andrea Dossena may have played his last game for the Anfield club, with Roma ready to take the Italy international back to Serie A in January. (The Times) 
Barcelona midfielder Yaya Toure has ruled out a move to the Premier League, insisting he is happy at the Nou Camp.(The Sun) 
Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce is interested in signing former Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistlerooy.(The Sun) 
Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill has warned Fenerbahce that striker John Carew is not for sale.(The Sun) 
Tottenham striker Robbie Keane will not be allowed to leave White Hart Lane for Celtic in January. (Daily Express)
Fulham boss Roy Hodgson is keen on Rangers midfielder DaMarcus Beasley.(Daily Mirror) 
The Cottagers are making a £1m move for teenage striker Raheem Sterling from neighbours QPR.(Daily Mirror) 
Sunderland are tracking Belgium Under-21 goalkeeper Simon Mignolet.(The Sun) 
Watford want to keep on-loan Arsenal midfielder Henri Lansbury for the rest of the season but they will ask the Gunners to pay half of his wages. (The Sun) 
Doncaster midfielder Brian Stock is a £1.5m target for Reading manager Brendan Rodgers. (The Sun) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar is ready to commit himself to another 12 months at Old Trafford if the 39-year-old Dutchman, who is under contract until the summer of 2010, is offered a new deal. (The Sun) 
Portsmouth may have to sell their top players in the new year unless they can find £18m by the start of January to service outstanding debts. (The Sun) 
Former Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate and ex-Peterborough boss Darren Ferguson are favourites to replace Jim Magilton if the former Northern Ireland midfielder parts company with QPR.(Daily Telegraph) 
MK Dons boss Paul Ince and former Charlton and West Ham manager Alan Curbishley are also in the running to take over at Loftus Road if Magilton departs. (Daily Star) 
Former Reading manager Steve Coppell is another in the frame. (Daily Express)
Paul Sturrock's future as Plymouth boss will be discussed at a board meeting on Thursday, with former England striker Paul Mariner, who is head coach at the club, set to replace the Scot. (The Sun) 
Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson's future as director of football at Notts County may be decided on Thursday, with the League Two club on the brink of new ownership.(Daily Mail) 
Eriksson is set to launch a takeover bid for Notts County after owners Munto Finance put the club up for sale.(Daily Mirror) 
Former Portsmouth manager Tony Adams is set to become the new boss of Major League Soccer side New York Red Bulls and is keen for Barcelona striker and former Arsenal team-mate Thierry Henry to join him. (The Sun) 
Scottish Football Association chief executive Gordon Smith has quelled speculation that they are lining up Dan Petrescu as the next Scotland boss, revealing that the former Chelsea player has not even been selected for an interview yet.(The Times) 

AND FINALLY

Arsenal winger Theo Walcott has signed a lucrative new deal - as a children's author. The 20-year-old England international has been signed by a top publisher after he wrote two stories for fun about a hero schoolboy, who happens to be a soccer wonderkid. His tales are poised to go on sale in April. (The Sun) 
Germany could gain a crucial advantage over their 2010 World Cup rivals after the new Adidas Jabulani ball, which will be used at the finals, was introduced into the Bundesliga last weekend. (The Sun) 
Oldham will charge just £2 for fans to watch Saturday's League One clash against Exeter.(The Sun)
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Wednesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson hopes to bolster his side's injury-hit defence by signing Sol Campbell. The former England defender is a free agent after settling his contract dispute with Notts County, who he left a month into a five-year deal in September.(Daily Mirror) 
Sunderland boss Steve Bruce is ready to part with defender Anton Ferdinand in his bid to acquire Tottenham full-back Alan Hutton.(The Sun) 
Manchester City are leading the chase for AC Milan full-back Ignazio Abate.(The Sun) 
Everton hope to secure a loan deal for Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Landon Donovan in the new year.(The Guardian) 
Tottenham striker Roman Pavlyuchenko is being targeted by Spurs' north London rivals Arsenal, according to the Russian's agent Oleg Artemov. (Daily Express)
Birmingham manager Alex McLeish wants to complete a deal to sign on-loan Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart on a permanent basis.(Daily Mirror) 
Midfielder Lee Carsley will be an unexpected casualty of McLeish's rebuilding campaign at St Andrew's when the January transfer window opens.(Daily Mail) 
Fulham have sent a circular to Premier League and Championship clubs to make it be known that strikers Eddie Johnson and David Elm, forward Seol Ki-Hyeon and defenders Fredrik Stoor and Toni Kallio are available for transfer as the Cottagers try to slash their wage bill.(Daily Mail) 
Manager Walter Smith fears that Rangers may not have the money to match striker Kris Boyd's demands over a new contract. (The Sun) 
Celtic's largest shareholder Dermot Desmond will hold the key to any potential move to take striker Robbie Keane on loan from Tottenham Hotspur. (The Times)


OTHER GOSSIP

Portsmouth directors are "working around the clock" to try to save the club from entering administration, a senior source has revealed. (Daily Express) 
Midfielder Luca Modric could be on the substitutes' bench for Tottenham's home game against Wolves on Saturday after recovering from a broken leg and playing 70 minutes of a training-ground friendly against non-League Grays.(The Sun) 
Former Wycombe and Portsmouth boss Tony Adams is being lined up for a return to management for Major League Soccer side New York Red Bulls. (Daily Express) 
Crystal Palace have five days to pay their players or face a possible mass walk-out. Neil Warnock and his players have not been paid for November as owner Simon Jordan fights "cash-flow" problems. Under the terms of their contracts, Palace's players must be paid by 14 December - a fortnight after their money was due.(Daily Mirror) 
Former Aston Villa, Derby and QPR boss John Gregory has returned to management with Israel's top Arab club Maccabi Ahi Nazareth.(Daily Mirror) 
Tottenham defender Ledley King suffered a setback on his return from a knee injury on Tuesday when he was forced out of a friendly designed to boost his match fitness.(Daily Mirror) 
Rangers manager Walter Smith says there was a secret plan to sack him last season as part of desperate cost-cutting measures at Ibrox. (Various)
Former Rangers manager Paul Le Guen will allow Celtic midfielder Landry N'Guemo to play in January's Old Firm derby before joining the Cameroon squad ahead of the African Cup of Nations. (Various) 
But Rangers could be without defender Madjid Bougherra after the whole Algeria squad were ordered to report on 27 December. (Daily Record)
Vladimir Romanov says Scottish football is pointless because of bias towards the Old Firm. (The Sun)
Unirea Urziceni coach Dan Petruscu seems to have blown his chance of becoming Scotland manager after his agent revealed to the media details of a private conversation with the Scottish Football Association. (Daily Record) 
The Scottish FA was only going to talk to Dan Petruscu out of courtesy because the Romanian's agent put his name forward but may now scrap that plan. (The Sun)
Two interested parties have walked away shortly before concluding a takeover deal with St Mirren. (The Herald)


AND FINALLY

Premier League newcomers Burnley have a new fan - Prince Charles. Royal insiders claim the 61-year-old was "over the moon" when the Clarets beat Manchester United and "sick as a parrot" after they were beaten 2-0 by Portsmouth.(The Sun) 
England may have found a solution to their historical penalty shoot-out woes after former Southampton forward Matthew Le Tissier, who scored 47 out of 48 he took as a professional, offered to provide specialist coaching in the area.(The Sun)
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Tuesday gossip

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Barcelona midfielder Yaya Toure is seeking a move to Manchester United or Chelsea after being omitted from the line-up to face Real Madrid on Sunday.(Daily Mirror)
Chelsea target Sergio Aguero has admitted he is prepared to leave Atletico Madrid, but the forward would prefer to move in the summer.(Daily Star)
Tottenham are planning a £10m bid for Ivory Coast striker Seydou Doumbia. The 21-year-old is tipped to play alongside Chelsea's Didier Drogba at the 2010 World Cup finals. (Daily Mirror)
Birmingham manager Alex McLeish wants to spend his January transfer kitty on strikers, with Valencia's Nikola Zigic and Standard Liege's Milan Jovanovic his main targets.(Daily Mirror)
Arsenal are lining up a move for Sevilla winger Diego Perotti. The 21-year-old has a £20m buy-out clause at the La Liga club. (Daily Mirror)
Roma are favourites to sign Tottenham striker Roman Pavlyuchenko in January. (Various)
Portsmouth want Steaua Bucharest goalkeeper Robinson Zapata as cover for David James, who is nursing a calf strain on top of a continuing knee problem.(Daily Mail)
Forward Mark Viduka, who was released by Newcastle last season, is set to abandon his retirement plans by signing for new Australian side Melbourne Heart.(The Sun)
Derby striker Rob Hulse, who rejected a move to Middlesbrough in September, is a £3m target for Wolves.(Daily Mirror)

OTHER GOSSIP

Fifa will decide on Wednesday how to punish France striker Thierry Henry over his controversial handball against the Republic of Ireland. Fifa's executive committee will consider sanctions. (The Guardian)
Portsmouth manager Avram Grant fears his club will need a miracle to survive in the Premier League this season.(The Sun)
Everton midfielder Tim Cahill has admitted the club is in "big trouble" but is backing the Merseysiders to pull clear of the relegation fight. (Various)

AND FINALLY

Barnsley will give fans a free coach ride to the rearranged Championship clash at Plymouth after heavy rain caused Saturday's match to be abandoned, with the Tykes 4-1 up. (The Sun)
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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)
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Slovenia – Russia

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Before the first round of play-off, Slovenia was the biggest outsider. In Moscow played defensively, they were absolutely outplayed, but score a goal for acceptable 1-2 defeat and even had a chance for a draw. They were complaining about artificial grass and low temperature, but it was obvious they were so close to suffer a disaster. In Maribor (12 000 people will attend, no big home support), same eleven will play. All players sound optimistic, pointing the fact one goal could lead them to South Africa.

 

Russians lost the race in group against Germany and had to appear in play-off. In first game were dominating, scored twice and have some opportunities for more convincing victory, but conceded an unlucky goal. Despite the not so good result, Russia showed they possess much more quality. In Maribor the stake will be a ticket to World Cup, won’t be any relaxation in attitude. No problems with missing players.

 

I think there is no better man for a game such like this than Guus Hiddink. In situation where Slovenia has to attack, players like Arshavin and Zhirkov (on the flanks), Billyaletdinov and Roman Pavlyuchenko will have much more space. I expect even easier job for Russians than in Moscow. Pinnacle offer 2.31. Away win.

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Wednesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manager Rafael Benitez will try and solve Liverpool's striker crisis by making a £12m move for West Ham's Carlton Cole in January.(Daily Star) 
Spurs manager Harry Redknapp will take a look at Crystal Palace striker Victor Moses at a behind-closed-doors friendly this week.(Daily Mirror) 
Tottenham are also interested in Watford's England Under-21 goalkeeper Scott Loach.(Daily Star) 
But Harry Redknapp has been told that he will have to sell players before he can add to his squad in the January transfer window, despite Spurs announcing record pre-tax profits of £33.4m.(Daily Express) 
One player that could leave White Hart Lane is out-of-favour striker Roman Pavlyuchenko, with Zenit St Petersburg prepared to pay £10m plus add-ons.(Daily Mail) 
The agent of Barcelona's Yaya Toure says the midfielder could leave the Spanish giants in the summer but has ruled out a switch to Manchester City.(The Sun) 
Toure's availability will alert both Arsenal and Manchester United, who are ready to battle it out for the £15m-rated 26-year-old next summer.(Daily Star) 
Brazilian forward Robinho says he is so unhappy at Manchester City that he does not want to stay at the club beyond the January transfer window, with Barcelona his favoured destination.(Daily Express) 
And City accept that Robinho will leave the club in the new year, with Benfica forward Angel Di Maria lined up as a replacement.(The Guardian) 
However, Manchester City insist that Robinho is going nowhere.(Daily Mirror) 
The speculation surrounding Robinho is exasperating City, with executive chairman Garry Cook claiming that "some people are trying to make mischief when they talk about him leaving".(The Independent) 
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson sat next to transfer target Simon Kjaer at an awards ceremony in Denmark on Monday night. Kjaer, a central defender, plays for Italian side Palermo.(Daily Mirror) 
United are giving a trial to Austrian goalkeeper Michael Langer, who plays for German club Freiburg.(Daily Mail) 
Cardiff have renewed their interest in Hull striker Daniel Cousin. (The Sun) 
Cardiff manager Dave Jones has targeted Ipswich midfielder Owen Garvan for a loan switch to be followed by a permanent move. (The Mirror)

OTHER GOSSIP

Lord Coe, non-executive director of the 2018 World Cup bidding team, has held emergency talks with Football Association chairman Lord Triesman amid concerns that England's attempt to stage the finals is faltering.(The Times) 
Rock star Sting has backed the bid from the Newcastle United Supporters' Trust to take over the club. Actors Jimmy Nail and Tim Healy have also lent their support.(The Sun) 
New Brighton manager Gus Poyet rejected the chance to join Real Madrid as an assistant boss after leaving Tottenham.(Daily Express) 
Referee Peter Walton will not officiate in the next round of Premier League games after awarding Liverpool the controversial penalty which gave them a draw with Birmingham on Monday.(Daily Mirror) 
Former Reading manager Steve Coppell and ex-Wycombe boss Peter Taylor are on the list of candidates to replace Darren Ferguson at Peterborough.(Daily Express) 
And Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe is one of the favourites to succeed Ferguson.(The Times) 

AND FINALLY

France midfielder Patrice Evra has seemingly developed a curious superstition ahead of Saturday's crunch World Cup qualifier against the Republic of Ireland. The Manchester United player has given up drinking Sprite because the green label reminds him of his nation's opponents.(The Sun)

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Thursday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is ready to sign Valencia winger Juan Mata for £16.5m next summer.(The Sun) 
Liverpool and Manchester United are monitoring David Villa after the Spain striker sacked his agent for failing to secure a summer move away from Valencia.(Various) 
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is keen to make a move for 16-year-old Mexican Martin Luis Galvan.(Daily Mirror) 
Porto Alegra's Brazilian midfielder Sandro is interested in a move to Tottenham. (Daily Mirror) 
Watford will ask Manchester United and Arsenal to extend the loan deals for Tom Cleverley and Henri Lansbury. (Daily Mirror) 
Ipswich manager Roy Keane has been rejected in his bid to sign Stoke defenders Danny Higginbotham and Leon Court on loan until January. (Daily Mirror) 
Burton Albion manager Paul Peschisolido wants to sign Crewe striker Anthony Elding on a three-month loan deal.(Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Roman Pavlyuchenko's agent has suggested the Tottenham striker's recent poor form is down to "psychological problems" and not a lack of match practice.(The Sun) 
Further doubt has been cast over the future of Hull boss Phil Brown after Adam Pearson quit his post as Derby chairman on Wednesday to take on the same role at the KC Stadium.(The Sun) 
Brown is on the brink of being forced out of the club following their decision to replace his staunch ally, Paul Duffin, with Pearson.(Daily Mirror) 
Brown has been told his future as Hull manager is safe for now, having been called to a meeting with club officials on Monday night and asked to explain his vision for the side after just three league wins in 2009. (Daily Star)
Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina, currently earning £60,000 per week, will be offered a new £95,000-a-week contract to pledge his next five years to the club.(The Sun) 
Portsmouth will be banned from signing players until they pay money owed to Arsenal and Chelsea for the signings of Lassana Diarra and Glen Johnson respectively. (Various) 
Pompey have been linked to another takeover and their latest potential savious - Levi Kushnir and Balram Chainrai - are close to completing a deal for the club.(Daily Mirror) 
Portsmouth manager Paul Hart has emerged as a shock candidate to take charge at Championship side Reading if the Royals sack under-fire boss Brendan Rodgers.(Daily Mirror) 
Former Birmingham chairman David Gold will step up his bid to buy West Ham next week. (Daily Star)
Tottenham striker Robbie Keane believes his side have caught up with north London rivals Arsenal and a ready to overtake them.(Various) 
Former Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd has criticised Magpies owner Mike Ashley's decision to sell the naming right to St James' Park. (Daily Mirror) 
Sheffield United hope to be granted permission next week to increase the capacity of Bramall Lane to 44,000. (The Sun) 
Bristol City's new stadium plan for a 30,000-seat ground in the Ashton Vale area has been boosted after the council recommended its approval. (The Sun)

AND FINALLY

Blackburn centre-back Christopher Samba lost 10lbs in two days after contracting swine flu. (The Sun) 
Referee Chris Foy mistook Fabio da Silva for identical twin brother Rafael and booked the former instead of the latter in Manchester United's 2-0 Carling Cup victory over Barnsley on Tuesday. United will ask for Fabio's yellow card to be transferred to fellow defender Rafael.(The Sun) 
Nottingham Forest manager Billy Davies has received a written apology from Crystal Palace after they accidentally broadcast commentary from the club's radio station over the PA system during last weekend's 1-1 draw. The commentator accused Davies of "throwing his toys out of his pram". (Daily Star)
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Double for decent Tuesday

Tottenham 2 - 0 Everton 

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

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