Liverpool - Aston Villa

I think Liverpool are in uptrend. They look better on the pitch, Hodgson’s vision should finally be applied and they should start climbing on the table. Four consecutive home wins, three in Premier and Napoli in EL. Despite the defeat, they looked good at White Hart Lane. Lucas and Meireles are compensating Stevie G’s absence very well. Key players were rested from a trip to Romania and only change will be Kyrgiakos who should start instead Jamie Carragher.

Liverpool were one of my favourite clubs, until Houllier became a manager. The ugliest football I had ever seen. Kicking the long balls, Heskey tries to make a header to young Owen and his runs. And these three moves all the game. Simply, I started to be happy whenever Houllier lost the game with this degradation. However, I assume he’ll try to make from Villa something like that. Defensive formation with fast wingers and tall strikers. And that L’pool took bunch of trophies during his era. He’ll also miss his key man, Ashley Young. Agbonlahor and Carew are far shape from previous season. Defence line looks extremely shaky nowadays, since they lost three in a row and conceded at least twice in last five! Villa have the worst league record against top five clubs and have just one win at Anfield from last 17 encounters.

Even without Gerrard (I don’t think Carragher is so big loss), Liverpool should be enough for this Villa. With three points, home side would climb to 8th place and then could start thinking about chasing CL spot. No big philosophy, home win here is a pure logic for me.

Bet: Liverpool -1ah
Odd: 1.95 Betsson
Stake: 8/10

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l

Saturday's World Cup round-up

Spain coach Vicente del Bosque said Brazil's quarter-final defeat by the Netherlands was not a surprise to him.
"I don't think it's a lesson knowing the reality of football," said the Spaniard following the favourites' World Cup exit. "We know that every match can be complicated. We start off on an equal footing and the nature of sport is that anything can happen."

Argentina forward Lionel Messi has admitted he was surprised by England's performances at the World Cup in South Africa.
"I expected England to do well, so I am surprised they had a very poor tournament," he said. "They seemed to freeze. If [Wayne] Rooney, [Steven] Gerrard and [Frank] Lampard are not at their best, the team is bound to suffer. Defensively, England were poor." 

Germany coach Joachim Loew has admitted that he is in awe of Diego Maradona because he feels the Argentine coach won the World Cup on his own, back in 1986.
"He galvanised the whole football world with his skills," said Loew as his side prepare to face Argentina in Saturday's quarter-final match.
"He was simply magic. The culmination of his career was 1986. He virtually decided that World Cup on his own. He left a mark on football like no other player has ever done."

www.bbc.co.uk

Saturday's World Cup round-up

Former Germany captain Lothar Matthaus says his country have almost no chance of winning the World Cup in South Africa.
Matthaus, who won won an incredible 150 caps in a long international career, is unimpressed with the standard of coach Joachim Loew's squad.
"The problem with Germany is that they have no stars, no-one with any individual brilliance, now that Ballack is out," said Matthaus. "And their preparations have hardly been optimal."

Australia forward Harry Kewell concedes that facing Germany on the first weekend will be an uphill battle for the Socceroos.
"Let's face it, we've probably hit the hardest team in the World Cup to come up against, especially first off the bat," said Kewell. 

Winning the World Cup would still not be enough for United States forward DaMarcus Beasley to make a real name for himself in his home state of Indiana.
Michael Jackson and the Jackson family are the Hoosier state's most famous sons and former Rangers player Beasley admitted that realistically not even lifting the World Cup trophy would see him make a similar name for himself.
"Even if we won the World Cup I still wouldn't be that big a thing," said Beasley.
"But maybe I would be in the top 10. I might even get a statue."

England captain Steven Gerrard has surprisingly picked out sprint star Usain Bolt as a big inspiration.
Olympic 100 and 200m champion Bolt is a huge football fan and has asked Gerrard for a signed shirt for his growing collection. 
"Usain Bolt is an athlete I really look up to," Gerrard said. "As a sprinter he's the man isn't he? He's there to be shot at but keeps on winning. It takes some doing to be at the top of your game like he is. 
"It's a pity he's a Man United fan though. I was going to ask him to one of our training sessions when he's in England but I might not bother now." 

Paraguay have laughed off reports that Oscar Cardozo could be out of the World Cup and declared the striker could yet make next week's opening match against Italy.
Cardozo, who scored 36 goals for Benfica last season, has been struggling with an ankle injury and has been training separately from the rest of the Paraguay squad.
"I must clarify that Oscar Cardozo is not out of the World Cup, as has been implied in some media," said Paraguay team doctor Manuel Aguilar.
"What's more, neither has he been ruled out of the first game."

www.bbc.co.uk

Monday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Arsenal are prepared to let midfielder Cesc Fabregas leave for Barcelona if the Catalan club double their offer to £60m for the Spanish midfielder.(Daily Mail) 
Barca are also keen to take Arsenal left-back Gael Clichy to the Nou Camp next season.(Mirror) 
Real Madrid are considering an offer of £40m for Fabregas in an attempt to sabotage Barcelona's efforts to sign the 23-year-old Spain international.(Footylatest.com) 
But Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard is the preferred transfer target for Real Madrid fans, according to a poll in Spanish newspaper Marca. (Footylatest.com) 
Meanwhile, Real midfielder Lassana Diarra is a £24m transfer target for Manchester United.(Caughtoffside.com) 
Chelsea's out-of-contract midfielder Joe Cole would be better off moving to Manchester United than Arsenal, says former World Cup winner and Blues defender Marcel Desailly. (FourFourTwo.com) 
Manchester City will present a final £27m bid to Aston Villa for midfielder James Milner but the Midlands club are holding out for £30m.(Daily Star) 
French champions Marseille are keen to take striker Roque Santa Cruz off Manchester City's hands, with the Eastlands outfit prepared to part with the Paraguayan for £8m.(Daily Mail) 
Arsenal have made a fresh £8m bid for Lorient centre-half Laurent Koscielny.(The Sun) 
West Brom have entered the race to buy Norwegian teenage striker Marcus Pedersen from Stromsgodset, with Sunderland, Blackburn, Bolton, Everton and Fulham also keeping tabs on the highly rated 19-year-old. (Daily Mail) 
Birmingham will increase their offer for Palermo striker Fabrizio Miccoli after the Premier League's club initial £3.4m bid was rejected by the Serie A side. (Daily Mail) 
Tottenham are preparing a £16m bid for Porto's Colombian striker Radamel Falcao. (Footylatest.com) 
Spurs outcast Giovanni Dos Santos is a target for Spanish club Sevilla, along with Mexican compatriot and Arsenal striker Carlos Vela.(Mirror) 
German side Wolfsburg are ready to spend up to £20m to take Bulgarian striker Dimitar Berbatov away from Manchester United.(Footylatest.com) 
Roy Keane's future as Ipswich Town manager is in doubt as former club favourite and ex-Celtic boss Tony Mowbray and Steve Cotterill have been linked to the Portman Road job. (Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Former Liverpool favourite Robbie Fowler believes Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp is the ideal man to take over at Anfield following Rafael Benitez's departure. (The Sun) 
Slovenia midfielder Robert Koren says his team will not be scared of England in their final Group C match on 23 June in Port Elizabeth. (The Sun) 
The referee who will officiate England's opening World Cup match against the United States, Carlos Eugenio Simon, was suspended by the Brazilian Football Association last season amid accusations of being "unambiguously inconsistent, unfair and inequitable".(The Times) 
The Football Association has sought safety assurances from local organisers that England's friendly match against South African side Platinum Stars on Monday in Lesetlheng will be free of crowd trouble following a stampede at a similar game in Johannesburg that resulted in 15 people being injured on Sunday. (The Independent) 
Platinum Stars defender and former Tottenham Hotspur Mbulelo Mabizela says his side "will get stuck in" against England at the Moruleng Stadium. (Daily Telegraph)

AND FINALLY

Brazil president Lula da Silva says Argentina manager Diego Maradona's policy to allow his players to have sex with their partners in South Africa will undermine their chances of winning. "I want to see the Argentines arrive staggering and exhausted to their games," he said.(The Guardian)

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Thursday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Arsenal are considering a move for West Ham's £6m-rated England goalkeeper Robert Green, 30, after opting not to pursue 37-year-old Fulham stopper Mark Schwarzer.(caughtoffside.com) 
Manchester United are interested in Lyon's £22m-rated Brazilian left winger Michel Bastos, 26. (caughtoffside.com) 


TRANSFER GOSSIP

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has been identified as Real Madrid's number one transfer target this summer. (Daily Telegraph) 
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has reportedly met with Barcelona striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic in Miami, to discuss a potential move to Stamford Bridge. (IMScouting) 
Real Madrid look set to beat Manchester United and Chelsea to the signing of Benfica winger Angel Di Maria. (IMScouting) 
Arsenal and Tottenham are locked in a head-to-head battle for the signature of £9m-rated Manchester City defender Micah Richards. (footylatest) 
Portsmouth and England goalkeeper David James could be in line for a move to Fulham as Arsenal step up their interest in the Cottagers' Mark Schwarzer.(Daily Mail) 
Wigan goalkeeper Chris Kirkland could also be on the move, to Sunderland, as a replacement for Craig Gordon who has failed to convince manager Steve Bruce he is up to the job.(Daily Mail) 
Arsenal have become the latest team to be linked with Chelsea's out-of-contract midfielder Joe Cole, but the player will not decide on his future until after the World Cup.(Daily Mirror) 
James Milner has refused to commit his future to Aston Villa and could be in line for a £30m move to Manchester City.(Daily Express) 
Hamburg's German defender Jerome Boateng has confirmed that he will sign for Manchester City after the World Cup.(Daily Star) 
Manchester City will play a waiting game for Wolfsburg's Bosnia striker Edin Dzeko, but have no intention of breaking his £34m buy-out clause. (Daily Express) 
Another Manchester City target - Inter Milan full-back Maicon - says he has no intention of moving to Eastlands, but instead would like to link up with former Inter boss Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid.(IMScouting) 
Birmingham are preparing a £4.5m offer for Newcastle's 21-year-old striker Andy Carroll. (Daily Mail) 
Fulham have agreed a £2m deal with Lyon for French striker Frederic Piquionne, who was at loan at Portsmouth last season.(Daily Mirror) 
Portsmouth have turned down a "derisory" £300,000 offer from Rangers for striker Tommy Smith. (Daily Express) 

OTHER GOSSIP

"Sacked" (Daily Mirror), "Rafa Out" (The Sun), "Rafa's £3m Kop Off" (Daily Star), "Rafa is Out" (Daily Mail), "End of Road for Rafa" (Daily Express), "Benitez on the Brink" (Daily Telegraph), "Liverpool offer Benitex £3m to quit" (Guardian), "Benitez set to quit" (The Independent). With the World Cup just over a week away, there is only one story dominating the back pages of Thursday's newspapers.
It is claimed that player power is responsible for Benitez's potential departure from Anfield.(Daily Mirror) 
Liverpool's wish list to replace Benitez is thought to include ex-Manchester City manager Mark Hughes, Fulham's Roy Hodgson and former Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink. (Daily Mail) 
Inter Milan are now thought to be monitoring Benitez's situation and are lining up the Spaniard to replace Jose Mourinho who this week joined Real Madrid. (The Sun) 
Hiddink meanwhile has ruled himself out of the running to be Inter Milan's next coach, after his agent claimed he was the club's number one choice.(the Independent) 
Hull are in talks with former Portsmouth and Crystal Palace manager Paul Hart about becoming their new boss. (Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

Captain Rio Ferdinand has revealed striker Wayne Rooney to be England's karaoke king with the Manchester United star set to entertain his team-mates on and off the pitch in South Africa.(Daily Mirror)

www.bbc.co.uk

Friday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Liverpool are considering an £8m move for Atletico Madrid's Portuguese winger Simao as boss Rafael Benitez continues his search for a left winger.(Daily Star)
Manchester City have joined the chase for Wolfsburg's highly rated Bosnia international striker Edin Dzeko.(Daily Mail)
It is not only Dzeko that City are chasing. The club have launched a daring raid for Valencia forward David Silva as well as three Real Madrid stars - Gonzalo Higuain, Rafael van der Vaart and Fernando Gago.(Daily Mirror)
Everton boss David Moyes has swooped for Leeds striker Jermaine Beckford and will make him his first signing of the summer.(Daily Mirror)
Jose Mourinho has pinpointed Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole as the type of signings he would like to make at Real Madrid, causing consternation in the boardrooms of Liverpool and Chelsea.(The Guardian)
West Ham have made a £3m offer for Lyon striker Frederic Piquionne, who spent a year-long loan at Portsmouth last season.(Daily Mail)
Wolves are closing in on a £7m deal for Burnley striker Steven Fletcher. (Daily Mail)
Bolton manager Owen Coyle has approached his Arsenal counterpart Arsene Wenger about the possibility of midfielder Jack Wilshere returning on loan next season.(Daily Mail)
Defender Mario Melchiot is set to join Qatari club Umm Salal. The Wigan skipper, 33, is out of contract and will sign a lucrative deal in the Gulf.(The Sun)

OTHER GOSSIP

England have suffered a World Cup injury scare after Steven Gerrard limped out of a training session, with the Liverpool midfielder requiring 20 minutes of treatment on his right calf after he pulled up sharply.(Daily Mail)
England manager Fabio Capello says Argentina are the team he fears most in the World Cup, claiming they are the team with the most talented players.(Daily Mirror)
Capello has also warned his England team not to rely on Wayne Rooney in South Africa.(Daily Star)
Arsenal winger Theo Walcott is sure David Beckham can still be England's secret World Cup weapon - despite injury ruling the former Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder out of the tournament.(Daily Star)
Capello believes Gareth Barry is recovering more quickly than expected from an ankle injury and is inclined to include the holding midfielder in his squad. (The Guardian)
Manchester United chief executive David Gill has described the United fans driving the 'green and gold' protest against the Glazer family ownership as "a minority" and suggested that many people who wear the scarves do not even understand the nature of their own protest.(The Independent)
Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas has revealed to friends he made up his mind to quit after a bust-up surrounding Gunners chairman Peter Hill-Wood.(Daily Mirror)

.

AND FINALLY

The United States's football team have visited the White House for an official World Cup send-off from President Barack Obama, Vice-President Joe Biden and former President Bill Clinton ahead of their flight to South Africa on Sunday.(The Sun)
Scotland manager Craig Levein wants England to win the World Cup, claiming it will be "good for Scotland".(The Sun)

www.bbc.co.uk

Friday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Bayern Munich playmaker Franck Ribery will stay at the German club for another four years, extending his contract until 2015, according to German newspaper Bild.(Bild) 
In-demand England midfielder James Milner has put potential suitors on red alert by saying he does not know if he will still be at Aston Villa next season.(Daily Mail) 
And Villa's resolve to keep the 24-year-old is set to be tested by Manchester City, who offered £30m for him after having a £20m bid rejected.(Daily Mirror) 
That improved offer may not be enough for City, though, as Chelsea have joined the race for Milner and they believe the lure of Champions League football could prove decisive. (The Sun) 
Villa could also lose forward Ashley Young to Tottenham, who are ready to offer Robbie Keane or Jermaine Jenas as part of a deal for him. (Daily Star) 
Spurs face competition for Young from Manchester city, who enquired about his availability at the same time they asked about Milner. (The Guardian) 
Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard is so fed up with manager Rafael Benitez he is ready to walk out if he gets the right offer. (Daily Mail) 
Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti has his eye on Real Madrid's Brazilian superstar striker Kaka. (Footylatest.com) 
West Ham have been linked with an ambitious £12m swoop for World Cup-bound Toulouse forward Andre-Pierre Gignac. (Caughtoffside.com) 
But the Hammers looks set to lose midfielder Valon Behrami, who is a £5m target for Italian side Palermo.(The Sun) 
Behrami is also attracting the interest of Liverpool, who will use Yossi Benayoun as bait to help land him and defender Matthew Upson.(Caughtoffside.com) 
Manchester United are considering an £18m move for Sevilla's Brazilian striker Luis Fabiano.(Caughtoffside.com) 
Meanwhile Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov is being tracked by Juventus, AC Milan and Wolfsburg.(Daily Mail) 
Arsenal are poised to make a £16m raid for Marseille midfielder Stephane Mbia.(The Daily Mail) 
The Gunners are also lining up Everton's Mikel Arteta as a replacement for Cesc Fabregas in the event that he joins Barcelona.(footylatest.com) 
Fabregas could be unveiled as a Barcelona player on 4 June or 9 June. ( imscouting.com) 
Barcelona midfielder Yaya Toure will not be arriving at the Emirates stadium after refusing to consider the move, leaving Manchester City favourites to sign him.(footylatest.com) 
And Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is another who looks set to snub Arsenal, saying he is committed to the Italian side. (imscouting.com) 
Everton hope to tie down midfielder Jack Rodwell to a new deal and ward of interest from Chelsea and Manchester United. (Daily Mirror) 
Atletico Madrid have issued a hands-off warning to Manchester United over their Argentine forward Sergio Aguero.(imscouting.com) 
Aston Villa are eyeing up a season-long loan deal for striker Eidur Gudjohnsen, who has returned to Monaco after the end of his loan spell at Tottenham.(The Sun) 
Villa boss Martin O'Neill is also ready to offer £15m for West Ham striker Carlton Cole. (caughtoffisde.com) 
That could signal the end of Emile Heskey's stay at Villa Park, with Stoke ready to move for the England man.(The Daily Mail) 
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is keen to bring 32-year old Real Madrid striker Raul to Anfield.(The Daily Mail) 
David Nugent, Kevin-Prince Boateng and Nadir Belhadj are set to follow Avram Grant out of Portsmouth.(The Daily Mail) 
Newcastle are planning a £5m bid to take Tottenham midfielder Jermaine Jenas back to St James' Park. (The Sun) 
Toon boss Chris Hughton also wants Porto forward Andre Monteiro but has had a £2m offer rejected.(The Sun) 
Wigan are interested in £5m-rated Spanish striker Adrian Colunga, who plays for Recreativo Huelva. (The Sun) 
West Brom are targeting Racing Santander striker Mohamed Tchite.(The Daily Mail) 
Sunderland are lining up a £4m bid for Stoke striker Tuncay. (Various) 
Sampdoria defender Reto Ziegler is being lined up for a Premier League return as Liverpool eye the former Spurs man.(The Daily Mail) 
Birmingham are set to spend £2m to sign Cardiff striker Jay Bothroyd. (Various) 
Crystal Palace skipper Shaun Derry is set to join Ipswich.(Daily Mirror) 
Preston and Derby are locked in a battle to sign Wayne Rooney's younger brother, John, who plays as striker for Macclesfield. (Various) 
Ex-Arsenal winger and France international Robert Pires, whose deal at Villarreal has run out, has turned down MLS side Philadelphia Union.(Various) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has raised doubts over his future after refusing to rule out a move to Inter Milan. (The Sun) 
Avram Grant is set to take over as West Ham manager after resigning at Portsmouth. (Daily Mirror) 
Pompey, meanwhile, are considering offering their vacant manager's position to goalkeeper David James. (Daily Star) 
New sports minister, Hugh Robertson has warned the Football Association that its new chairman must be independent. (The Daily Telegraph) 

AND FINALLY

Argentina coach Diego Maradona insulted an injured cameraman after accidentally running over his leg before the announcement of his World Cup squad.(The Guardian) 
Liverpool's first signing of the summer could be a Vietnamese reality TV show star - the winner of the talent contest will win a 12-month deal at Anfield after next week's final. (Daily Mirror)
www.bbc.co.uk

Thursday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Manchester United are ready to make a £28m bid for Aston Villa midfielder James Milner. Villa have already turned down a £20m bid from Manchester City for the 24-year-old who is currently with England at their pre-World Cup training camp in Austria. (caughtoffside.com) 

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Barcelona are preparing to launch a £70m bid for Liverpool's Fernando Torres after signing David Villa, his strike partner in Spain's national side, from Valencia.(Daily Mirror) 
However, the Catalan side's hopes of luring Cesc Fabregas from Arsenal to the Nou Camp could be hit by Yaya Toure's reluctance to move in the opposite direction. The Ivory Coast midfielder is said to be attracting the interest of Manchester City.(Daily Mail) 
Barca have decided they will not pay more than £30m for Fabregas, which could also put the deal at risk.(Daily Star) 
Arsenal are looking for £80m before they allow their talismanic skipper to return to his former club.(Daily Mail) 
Gunners manager Arsene Wenger is actually hopeful of persuading midfielder Fabregas to stay for one more season.(Daily Mirror) 
However, should Fabregas leave, Arsenal can forget plans to replace him with Mikel Arteta, according to the Everton midfielder's agent. Manchester United have also been linked with a move for Arteta.(the Sun) 
Manchester United are planning a £15m bid for Everton midfielder Jack Rodwell despite Toffees boss David Moyes saying the 19-year-old is not for sale.(the Sun) 
Manchester City will need to pay Benfica £43m if they want to bring Brazilian defender David Luiz to Eastlands. (the Independent) 
Merseyside rivals Everton and Liverpool are competing to sign £11m-rated Ajax centre-back Jan Vertonghen.(Daily Mirror) 
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce is planning a major spending spree after being told he has "an open chequebook".(the Sun) 
Birmingham City are considering a £2.5m bid for Fulham full-back Paul Konchesky.(Daily Mail) 
The Blues have also joined the race for Burnley striker Steven Fletcher as their hopes of landing Fulham's Bobby Zamora fade.(Daily Mirror) 
West Brom are poised to sign Hull star Stephen Hunt - even though he won't be fit for the start of next season. The Baggies have agreed a £4m fee for the Republic of Ireland winger, rising to £5.5m if Roberto di Matteo's men stay in the Premier League.(Daily Star) 
The Baggies are also set to make a £2m move for Stoke striker James Beattie. (the Sun) 
Sol Campbell has welcomed Celtic's interest and made it a clear a bumper two-year deal could tempt him to reject a one-year offer from Arsenal.(the Sun) 
Veteran defender David Weir is set to hang up his boots if Walter Smith quits as Rangers boss over the summer. (Various) 
Fulham are ready to table a pre-World Cup bid of £1m for Hibernian defender Sol Bamba.(Scottish Daily Express)
Peter Houston's first task as permanent manager of Dundee United will be to fight off bids for Craig Conway and Garry Kenneth from Middlesbrough.(Daily Record) 
Meanwhile, Houston will sign a three-year contract at Tannadice tomorrow. (Various)

OTHER GOSSIP

Inter Milan have denied they have made an approach for Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez to replace Real Madrid-bound Jose Mourinho.(the Sun) 
Benitez says he wants a further four years at Anfield and also feels there is no evidence that star striker Fernando Torres wants to leave the club.(the Times) 
Manchester United failed in a last-ditch attempt to sign Spain international striker David Villa, who joined Barcelona for £34m.(Mirror) 
The Red Knights consortium's hopes of taking over United from the Glazer family looks set to fail because of internal wranglings.(Guardian) 
Dutch champions FC Twente want Portsmouth manager Avram Grant to replace Steve McClaren, who has left to manage German side Wolfsburg. However, Grant is being linked with the vacant post at West Ham.(Daily Star) 
Grant will be unveiled as the Hammers new manager next month. (the Sun) 
Ivory Coast and Chelsea striker Didier Drogba believes he can finish as the World Cup's top scorer.(Daily Star) 
England World Cup-winning goalkeeper Gordon Banks believes Fabio Capello should use David James as his number one goalkeeper for the World Cup.(the Guardian) 

AND FINALLY

England midfielder Steven Gerrard says team-mate Joe Cole is just as good as Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo - in training.(Daily Mirror) 
If you fancy owning the shirt worn by England's World Cup winning hat-trick hero Geoff Hurst, pop down to Harrods where it is set to go on sale on Friday. Hurst no longer owns the number 10 shirt he made history in at the 1966 World Cup final. The price tag? Only £2m...plus VAT! 
(Daily Express)
www.bbc.co.uk

Sunday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Double winners Chelsea will make a £40m move for Real Madrid's Brazilian forward Kaka. (News of the World) 
But Chelsea are bracing themselves for a £20m bid for left-back Ashley Cole from Barcelona and Real Madrid. (Sunday Express) 
The Blues face a battle with former manager Jose Mourinho, now Inter Milan manager, for Atletico Madrid's Argentina forward Sergio Aguero, 21.(News of the World) 
As well as Liverpool striker Fernando Torres, Spurs midfielder Luka Modric is one of Chelsea's summer transfer targets, giving the White Hart Lane club chairman Daniel Levy a major dilemma this summer after their Champions League qualification.(Mail on Sunday) 
But Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp will attempt to start his spending in preparation for the Champions League next season by signing Manchester City defender Micah Richards for about £6m.(Sunday Mirror) 
Tottenham also want Bordeaux full-back Benoit Tremoulinas, 24. (News of the World) 
Manchester City are planning to offer Liverpool £40m plus striker Emmanuel Adebayor and midfielder Stephen Ireland in exchange for Anfield stars Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres.(News of the World) 
Manchester City will raid Real Madrid for striker Gonzalo Higuain if they fail to land Torres from Liverpool.(Sunday Mirror) 
Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha could join Sunderland for £3m after claiming City boss Roberto Mancini does not like him. (News of the World) 
Manchester United and Arsenal are battling to sign Everton central defender Phil Jagielka. Full story: (Sunday Mirror) 
And Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has added £20m-rated Ajax striker Luis Suarez to his shortlist of transfer targets after the Uruguay star scored 35 goals in 33 league games for the Dutch side. (News of the World) 
The Old Trafford outfit also want Marseille goalkeeper Steve Mandana, 25, to replace Edwin van der Sar, with the France number two likely to cost £10m. (News of the World) 
Liverpool's £9m-rated midfielder Yossi Benayoun has been told he has no future at Anfield by boss Rafael Benitez - alerting Tottenham and Sevilla.(News of the World) 
Aston Villa have joined Everton in the chase for Leeds striker Jermaine Beckford who will become a free agent on 1 July. (Sunday Express) 
Everton are poised to make a move to sign highly-rated Torino defender and Italian under-21 international defender Angelo Ogbonna.(goal.com) 
Meanwhile, Marseille's France winger Hatem Ben Arfa, 23, could make an £8m move to Everton. (News of the World) 
West Ham are trying to sign Crystal Palace goalkeeper Julian Speroni in a £1m deal.(News of the World) 
Speroni is likely to replace England goalkeeper Robert Green at Upton Park with £6m-rated Green set to be the first major player sold by West Ham this summer possibly to German side Schalke 04. (Mail on Sunday) 
Blackburn are planning to swoop for Burkino Faso striker Aristide Bance, 25, who plays for German side Mainz, with Stoke and Sunderland also keen.(News of the World) 

OTHER GOSSIP

England boss Fabio Capello was warned off picking injury-plagued Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves in his World Cup squad by Old Trafford boss Sir Alex Ferguson. (Sunday Telegraph) 
Jonathan Woodgate's injury problems seem set to continue with the Spurs defender still unsure when he will be able to return to full training despite travelling to New York to work with a physio and then to Australia for surgery.(Mail on Sunday) 

AND FINALLY

Manchester City's owners are set to appoint top architect Rafael Vinoly as the man to design a £1bn sports and leisure complex on a 200-acre site around Eastlands which will transform east Manchester.(Sunday Mirror)
www.bbc.co.uk

Monday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Argentina striker Gonzalo Higuain, 22, has been tipped to leave Real Madrid with Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United all interested.(imscouting.com) 
Barcelona believe an offer of £40-50m will be enough to tempt Arsenal into selling captain Cesc Fabregas after the World Cup. The other tactic Barcelona may employ is an offer of £25m plus midfielder Yaya Toure.(imscouting.com) 
Former England coach, Steve McClaren, who recently led FC Twente to the Dutch Eredivisie title, will take over at German Bundesliga side Wolfsburg next season. (imscouting.com) 

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is ready to quit Anfield and join Manchester City in a £40m move.(Daily Mirror) 
Liverpool expect to sign Rangers defender Danny Wilson, 18, in the next 48 hours for £2.5m. (Daily Mail)
Athletic Blibao midfielder Javi Martinez is being tracked by Chelsea and Real Madrid but the Spanish side will not sell for less than £15m. (Daily Mirror)
Birmingham plan to end Ben Foster's Manchester United misery with a £6m move for the goalkeeper.(Daily Mail) 
Arsenal are ready to take England winger Shaun Wright-Phillips from Manchester City for £5m.(the Sun) 
Everton are targeting £3m-rated 1860 Munich striker Peniel Mlapa and are also weighing up a deal for midfielder Aleksandar Ignjovski.(Daily Mail) 
Wolves, Fulham and Birmingham are checking out 17-year-old Shrewsbury forward Tom Bradshaw. (the Sun)
Leeds boss Simon Grayson will make a bid for Sheffield United forward Jamie Ward this week, with the offer likely to be worth about £400,000.(Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

England manager Fabio Capello has sent e-mails to 45 players, including Fulham striker Bobby Zamora, advising them they are under consideration for this summer's World Cup, while Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher is set to be named in Capello's 30-man squad on Tuesday. (Daily Telegraph)
Sunderland striker Darren Bent and Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves are also on Fabio Capello's e-mail list of players being considered for a World Cup place. (the Times) 
Fulham boss Roy Hodgson wants Uefa to consider postponing Wednesday's Europa League final against Atletico Madrid in Hamburg if volcanic ash causes more travel chaos. (the Sun) 
Arsenal defender William Gallas has rejected a new two-year deal at the Emirates because the offer does not include a pay rise.(Daily Mirror) 
Former Portsmouth boss Tony Adams is being lined up to manage Azerbaijan side Gabala FC in a £1m-per year deal. (Daily Star)
Ian Dowie's nine-game spell as Hull manager ended on Sunday but the former Crystal Palace boss wants to stay on at the KC Stadium.(the Sun) 
Middlesbrough manager Gordon Strachan plans to make Celtic's caretaker manager Neil Lennon his number two if the Northern Irishman fails to get the Celtic job full time. (the Sun)
Burnley want Northern Ireland boss Nigel Worthington to take over from Brian Laws after the Clarets were relegated to the Championship. (the Sun) 
Newcastle boss Chris Hughton has been warned there is no money to spend as the club prepares for life back in the Premier League.(Daily Mail) 
Aston Villa right-back Luke Young, 30, and centre-back Curtis Davies, 25, will meet club officials this week to discuss their futures at Villa Park.(Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

Match of the Day presenter and Leicester City fan Gary Lineker could end up cooking dinner on Sunday after making a bet with wife Danielle Bux that the Foxes will beat her beloved Cardiff in the Championship play-offs - the Welsh side are 1-0 up after the first leg.(the Sun)
www.bbc.co.uk

Atletico Madrid 1-0 Liverpool

Atletico Madrid will take a slender Europa League semi-final first-leg advantage to Anfield next week thanks to a ninth-minute strike from former Manchester United front man Diego Forlan.
In truth, however, the hosts will be regretting several opportunities they missed to add to their advantage. 
Liverpool, perhaps tired after their gruelling journey by land across Europe, will be grateful that they will not have to recover from a two or three-goal deficit following a poor game only redeemed by two good saves by goalkeeper Pepe Reina. 
Both sides went into the match missing key strikers and opted for a lone man up front with Atletico's Argentine international Kun Aguero suspended while injury denied Liverpool's Fernando Torres the chance to play against his former club. 
Atletico initially seemed to suffer the least from the absence of one of their key players. 
The Spanish side decided to test their visitors from the whistle and it quickly became apparent that the Liverpool back four were not sure how to deal with ex-Arsenal man Jose Antonio Reyes and Simao operating down the wings, with Jose Manuel Jurado playing just behind Forlan. 
Just nine minutes into the game, Jurado floated a cross to Forlan's head but, despite hardly making any contact, the Uruguayan international got a second chance when the ball fell to his feet and he poked it past Reina. 
The Liverpool defence recovered from the initial shock and gradually started to pick up their men but little creatively was coming out of the midfield with captain Steven Gerrard having another indifferent game.
They were, however, unfortunate not to level when Yossi Benayoun beat Atletico goalkeeper David de Dea - but his effort was wrongly ruled out for offside. 
But both sides were failed to make the best of their first-half free-kicks and corners with each team guilty of poor passing from set pieces as well as when going forward. 
Finally, Liverpool started to come into the game with 10 minutes to go before half-time with, for the first time, Dirk Kuyt starting to find his range from out on the right flank. 
However, Atletico almost went two in front four minutes before the break when their Czech defender Tomas Ujfalusi stripped Daniel Agger of the ball on the right side of the box and skipped past two weak challenges before, trying ambitiously to score from a narrow angle, putting the ball into the side of the net. 
Atletico had another good chance just before the hour but a great save from Reina denied Simao, whose thunderous volley from an Ujfalusi cross looked on its way into the top corner. 
Despite Benitez swapping the ineffective David Ngog for Netherlands winger Ryan Babel after 63 minutes, the Dutchman fared little better with the chances he was offered, squandering an excellent opportunity in front of goal four minutes after getting on the pitch. 
The impressive Ujfalusi had another good effort with a rasping left foot shot 15 minutes from the end but Reina again showed why he is almost certainly going to be in Spain's World Cup squad, despite the plethora of options available to Spanish coach Vicente Del Bosque. 
The final minutes saw Liverpool - who have became the first English club to play in 16 European semi-finals - becoming increasingly desperate. 
And Atletico responded with some crude challenges which saw Valera get a late yellow card.
www.bbc.co.uk

Thursday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson will try to lure Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema to Old Trafford with the prospect of more regular first-team football.(L'Equipe in French) 
Wolfsburg coach Lorenz Gunther Kostner is desperate for striker Edin Dzeko to reject a summer move to Chelsea or Manchester City.(The Sun) 
Sporting Lisbon will attempt to sign Chelsea goalkeeper Hilario this summer.(Abola in Portuguese)
Spartak Moscow manager Valery Karpin has hit out at Liverpool winger Albert Riera over his wage demands and ruled out signing the Spaniard before the transfer window closes on Thursday. (Daily Mail) 
Feyenoord's £5m-rated midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum admits it would be a "dream" to move to Liverpool after catching the eye of the club's scouts.(Daily Mirror) 
Blackburn midfielder Moten Gamst Pedersen has been offered £25,000 a week to join Olympiakos this summer, while Fenebahce, Palermo and Fiorentina are also interested.(The Sun) 
Tottenham have been told it will cost £5m to land Atletico Madrid keeper Sergio Asenjo.(Daily Star) 
Aston Villa midfielder Nigel Neo-Coker plans to see out the remaining year of his £2m-a-year contract at Villa Park despite the club's desire to recoup some of the £7.5m they paid West Ham for the player in 2007.(Daily Star) 
Sunderland have launched a bid to sign highly sought after Udinese winger Simone Pepe, with Black Cats boss Steve Bruce keen to make a statement of intent with a £15m bid.(Daily Mail) 
Wolves are trailing Southampton's £2m-rated England Under-21 midfielder Adam Lallana, who has scored 18 goals this season and is also being watched by Tottenham and Fulham. (Daily Mail) 
Leeds manager Simon Grayson is preparing a summer move for Swindon striker Billy Paynter. (The Sun)

OTHER GOSSIP

Burnley manager Brian Laws is on the brink of being sacked, barely three months after he was appointed at Turf Moor, following a run of only one win in 14 games.(Daily Mail) 
Arsenal will make significant changes on and off the pitch this summer, with boss Arsene Wenger ready to make central defence a transfer priority and Stan Kroenke poised to make a pivotal decision in the long-term battle for control of the club.(Daily Telegraph) 
Forward Lionel Messi, who tormented Arsenal with all four goal's in Barca's 4-1 victory at the Nou Camp, says he is aiming to get even better and claimed he still needed to work hard on his game.(Daily Star) 
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has hinted he may quit Anfield unless the club invests in new players this summer.(The Sun) 
Bentiez has admitted for the first time that he feels he has taken Liverpool as far as he can after six years of "wheeling and dealing", insisting the club will not be able to compete for the Premier League or Champions League without the cash injection provided by fresh investment.(Daily Telegraph) 
Reds captain Steven Gerrard sees goalkeeper Pepe Reina one day becoming the club's skipper.(The Sun) 
Aaron Lennon is set to give Tottenham and England a huge boost by featuring in Sunday's FA Cup semi-final against Portsmouth after recovering from a groin injury that has kept the winger out for over three months.(Daily Mirror) 
Birmingham boss Alex McLeish has warned that keeper Joe Hart's career could suffer if he is forced to return to Manchester City when his loan deal expires at the end of the season.(The Sun) 
McLeish looks set to clash with the Blues board over Estudiantes striker Mauro Boselli. Blues owner Carson Yeung set-up a £10m deal in January to sign Boselli but McLeish refused to sanction the purchase having never seen the Argentine forward play and the transfer was eventually scrapped. But Yeung's associates are trying to revive a new move for Boselli in the summer.(Daily Mirror) 
Yeung is ready to go to the High Court to seek £5m in compensation from former Blues co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold, who are now in charge at West Ham, in relation to bills and liabilities he inherited.(Daily Mirror) 

AND FINALLY

Argentina legend and current national team manager Diego Maradona says Lionel Messi is "the best in the world", adding that Barcelona's Argentine forward "is playing kick-about with Jesus".(The Sun) 
Tottenham and England striker Peter Crouch will bring back his robot dance goal celebration - if he scores in the World Cup final. "I'd definitely pull out the robot in the World Cup final. I might even have to work on some new moves just in case that happens. But I doubt I'd have time to think about how to react if I scored."(The Sun) 
Arsenal forward Carlos Vela could face disciplinary action from the club after he lost his passport and was unable to take his place in the Gunners squad for Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final second leg in Barcelona.(Daily Mirror) 
England midfielder Steven Gerrard has bought a share in his favourite restaurant in Southport, Merseyside. The Liverpool captain now plans to reopen it with a New York theme in time for the World Cup.(Daily Mail) 
Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien has revealed how his brother refuses to eat and locks himself in his room if the Blues lose. (Daily Express)
www.bbc.co.uk

Monday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Aston Villa are considering a move for Manchester United's reserve Polish goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak. (Daily Mail) 
Reports in Italy claim Juventus would be prepared to let goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon sign for Manchester City for a fee in the region of £32m. (The Times) 
France winger Franck Ribery remains coy over his future at Bayern Munich amid continued interest from Chelsea, Real Madrid and Barcelona. Ribery's current contract expires at the end of the season, but German side Bayern have given him until the end of March to decide his plans.(IM Scouting) 
French striker Frederic Piquionne wants to remain in England after his loan spell at Portsmouth finishes at the end of the season. The 31-year-old looks set to leave cash-strapped Pompey but does not want to return to his parent club Lyon. (IM Scouting) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Rafael Benitez would earn an instant £16m payment if Liverpool sacked the under-pressure manager in the summer because of a clause in the Spaniard's five-year contract.(Daily Mail) 
But should the Anfield club accept an investment offer of £100m from private equity firm Rhone Group, the Reds could afford to hang on to their coveted stars Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres. (Daily Mail)
However, Benitez fears that striker Torres will seek to leave Anfield if Liverpool fail to finish fourth in the Premier League to qualify for next season's Champions League.(The Guardian) 
Inter Milan manager Jose Mourinho is claiming 'home advantage' ahead of Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final second leg tie at former club Chelsea. Mourinho, who led the Blues to six trophies in three years, said: "Everybody knows Mourinho doesn't lose at Stamford Bridge. My record is unbeatable." (The Sun) 
Meanwhile, Mourinho has refused to let his Inter players train at Stamford Bridge, fearing Chelsea spies may attempt to learn his tactical plans. The Italian side hold a 2-1 lead from the first leg.(Daily Star) 
Kasper Schmeichel, the son of Manchester United legend Peter, is good enough to play in the Premier League again, according to the keeper's Notts County manager Steve Cotterill. (Daily Mail) 

AND FINALLY

Hull manager Phil Brown has been ordered not to talk to his teenage midfielder Tom Cairney. Brown has received a letter from the 19-year-old's legal representatives after the club tried to open contract negotiations.(The Sun)

www.bbc.co.uk

Wednesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Striker Fernando Torres says he would rather move to Spanish side Barcelona, than stay in English football if he is forced to leave Liverpool. The Reds may have to sell Torres, 25, to help repay the club's financial debt with Chelsea and Manchester City interested. (IM Scouting) 
Manchester City are on red alert as Real Madrid's top scorer Gonzalo Higuain has turned down a new contract offer amid reputed interest from the Eastlands outfit.(Daily Mail) 
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has revealed that he retains an interest in Brazil and Juventus defensive midfielder Felipe Melo, as he plans for the longer term without the stricken Aaron Ramsey.(The Guardian) 
Wigan and Stoke are keen on Serbian defender Dusko Tosic, who is a free agent after leaving cash-strapped Portsmouth.(The Daily Mail) 
David Beckham will return to to play for LA Galaxy in the United States after the World Cup. The England midfielder, 34, is currently on loan with Italian side AC Milan. (The Sun) 
Everton are leading the chase for West Brom's highly-rated Graham Dorrans. The Scottish midfielder, 22, has hit 13 goals this term. (The Sun) 
Manchester United midfielder Nani has urged manager Sir Alex Ferguson to press ahead with his bid for Sporting Lisbon midfielder Miguel Veloso. Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal are all interested in the 23-year-old.(The Sun) 
Bolton boss Owen Coyle wants to sign United States midfielder Stuart Holden on a full-time deal after his impressive start at the Reebok Stadium. The 24-year-old is on a short-term contract to the end of the season.(Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Portsmouth will be offered a staggering £32m rescue deal from the Premier League to pay their tax bill and avoid going bust this season. (Daily Mirror) 
Defender Wayne Bridge will play for England again, according to his Manchester City team-mate Kolo Toure. (The Telegraph) 
Russia's bid to stage the World Cup in 2018 could be set to benefit from the political and financial firepower of Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich. (The Telegraph) 
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has poured cold water over reports suggesting he will quit the Blues to take over as Italy boss after this summer's World Cup. (The Sun) 
Meanwhile, Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has revealed he quite fancies the Italian job, but not just yet: "Now I'm thinking only of City. I will be here many years." (The Sun) 
Tottenham midfielder Tom Huddlestone faces a long injury lay-off after a scan revealed he suffered ankle ligament damage against Everton. (The Daily Mail) 

.

AND FINALLY

England captain Steven Gerrard says his wife, Alex Curran, will not be at the World Cup in South Africa with him, unless they reach the semi-finals. (Various)
www.bbc.co.uk

Monday gossip

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Bayern Munich are set to open negotiations with their French star Franck Ribery as the Bundesliga side bid to stop the midfielder leaving for Real Madrid or Manchester United.(IMScouting)
Birmingham City are interested in signing Kris Boyd from Rangers, with Blues set to send scouts to see the striker play for Scotland against the Czech Republic on Wednesday. (Daily Mail)
Arsenal have become the latest Premier League club to monitor West Brom midfielder Graham Dorrans (on photo), who is believed to command a price tag of £6m. (Daily Mail)
John Rooney, the 19-year-old younger brother of Manchester United superstar Wayne, will have a second trial for Nigel Clough's Derby County this week.(Various)
Liverpool's highly-rated new 15-year-old striker, Raheem Sterling, who has been signed from QPR, was enticed to Anfield with a £300,000 contract offer. (Daily Mirror)
Sheffield United and Carlisle are both chasing York City striker Richard Brodie, who is joint top-scorer in the Blue Square Premier league with 20 goals so far this season. (The Sun)
Burnley manager Brian Laws wants to sign 29-year-old Cameroon international winger Salomon Olembe, who is a free agent after leaving Turkish team Kayserispor. (Daily Mirror)
. 

OTHER GOSSIP

Chelsea defender John Terry is seething over Craig Bellamy's insults, directed at the former England captain after Manchester City's 4-2 win on Saturday, saying: "People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones."(Various)
Inter Milan boss Jose Mourinho is keen to leave the Italian club to take over as the Real Madrid manager, should current boss Manuel Pellegrini be sacked by the Spanish giants, according to Spanish daily Sport.(IMScouting)
Aaron Ramsey's broken leg is not as bad as the fracture suffered by team-mate Eduardo, and the Wales international could return for the north Londoners in only six months' time.(Daily Mirror)
Midfielder Jack Wilshere will not be recalled prematurely to Arsenal from his loan spell with Bolton, despite his club-mate Ramsey's injury which has reduced Gunners boss Arsene Wenger's options in the centre of midfield. (Daily Mirror)
AC Milan midfielder Alexandre Pato may miss his team's Champions League second leg tie against Manchester United on 10 March after the Brazilian international hurt his right thigh in the Rossoneri's 3-1 Serie A victory over Atalanta on Sunday. (Daily Mail)
Blackburn striker El-Hadji Diouf was warned by police following his confrontation with Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard, which spilled into the tunnel at half-time, during the home side's 2-1 Premier League win at Anfield on Sunday.(Daily Mirror)
Cardiff City boss Dave Jones is considering leaving the financially stricken Championship club in the summer after being told by chairman Peter Ridsdale that he must sell players and rely on free transfers in the close-season.(Daily Mirror)
Tottenham midfielder Tom Huddlestone will have a scan on his right foot on Monday after leaving White Hart Lane on crutches following Spurs' 2-1 victory over Everton. (The Daily Telegraph)
Charlton midfielder Nicky Bailey has branded Southend manager Steve Tilson "a total disgrace" for claiming that he feigned injury in the incident which led to the sending off of the Shrimpers' Jean Francois Christophe in the Addicks' 2-1 away win on Saturday. (Daily Mirror)
England coach Fabio Capello, Liverpool's Rafael Benitez and Fiorentina coach Cesare Prandelli all feature on a Juventus shortlist to replace Alberto Zaccheroni at the Turin club in the summer. (IMScouting)
Celtic have lodged an appeal with the Scottish FA over Scott Brown's red card in Sunday's Old Firm derby defeat.(Daily Record)
Southampton have been given a record 44,000 ticket allocation for their Johnstone's Paint Trophy final against Carlisle at Wembley on 28 March. (The Sun)

AND FINALLY

Saturday's Stamford Bridge referee Mike Dean reversed the pre-match handshake protocol by asking Manchester City captain Shay Given to lead his away team down the Chelsea line, thereby avoiding an even more embarrassing situation for John Terry which would have seen the home skipper standing in front of Wayne Bridge demanding a reaction. (Daily Mail)
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

Tuesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Everton manager David Moyes has issued a hands-off warning to rival clubs interested in signing teenage midfielder Jack Rodwell.(Daily Mirror) 
Chelsea left-back Ashley Cole has put the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona on alert over his future because he is unhappy at the way he has been treated at Stamford Bridge over the issue of his personal conduct.(Daily Mirror) 
Chelsea are set to pip Spanish duo Barcelona and Real Madrid to the 40m euro signing of Benfica winger Angel Di Maria.(imscouting.com) 
West Ham are planning a summer swoop for Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart. The Hammers hope to leapfrog Birmingham and take Hart on loan next season as a replacement for current number one Robert Green, who may leave Upton Park at the end of the season.(The Sun) 
Tottenham are set to swoop for Zambia's 16-year-old left back Emmanuel Mbola in a £1m deal from Armenian side Yerevan.(Daily Mirror) 

OTHER GOSSIP

Portsmouth are on the brink of becoming the first side in Premier League history to go into administration after a rescue bid by a mystery South African consortium faltered. Owner Balram Chainrai set a deadline of the close of business yesterday for the group to provide proof they had the funds to take on Pompey's £70m debts.(Daily Mirror) 
Portsmouth's off-field troubles boiled over on to the training ground on Monday when Jamie O'Hara and Michael Brown were involved in a bust-up following an over-zealous challenge by the latter on the former.(Daily Mail) 
Former Football League chairman Keith Harris, the man behind a proposed £1billion buy-out of Manchester United has encouraged United fans not to turn up to matches or purchase club merchandise in a bid to force current owners the Glazer family into selling the club.(Daily Mail) 
Tottenham winger Aaron Lennon will discover if his World Cup dream lies in tatters on Tuesday when he undergoes a scan on his injured groin. The 22-year-old has not played since 28 December because of the problem and broke down in training on Saturday. (Daily Star) 
Joe Hart will start in goal for England in their friendly against Egypt at Wembley on 3 March. The 23-year-old has been in excellent form during his season-long loan period at Birmingham from Manchester City.(Daily Mail) 
Winger Luis Boa Morte could make a shock return for West Ham before the end of the season. The 32-year-old was expected to miss the whole campaign after sustaining anterior cruciate ligament damage in a pre-season game with Tottenham.(The Sun) 
Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill is so serious about his side's Carling Cup bid he plans to check his squad into their hotel three nights before Sunday's final against Manchester United.(The Sun) 
Manchester United's Brazilian midfielder Anderson has admitted that he has considered whether he has a future at Old Trafford since falling out of Sir Alex Ferguson's team in the last month.(Daily Mail) 
Former Burnley boss Steve Cotterill will be named new boss of Notts County on Tuesday.(Daily Mirror) 
Reports in Holland claim that former Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink will be allowed to leave his role as Russia coach early to be allowed to coach Ivory Coast at this summer's World Cup in South Africa. Hiddink will then take over as Turkey boss in August.(imscouting.com) 

AND FINALLY

Liverpool and England midfielder Steven Gerrard says he cracked up when he missed a penalty against Portugal at the last World Cup - but insists it won't happen again. "You know all the fans back home are watching and when you're tired, when you're under so much pressure, that's when mistakes happen," he said.(Daily Mirror) 
Ipswich manager Roy Keane says that the emotional rollercoaster of football is better than anything offered at a Disney theme park. The Tractor Boys plunged into the Championship relegation zone with defeat at Peterborough last Tuesday but climbed out with Saturday's win at Sheffield Wednesday.(The Sun)
www.bbc.co.uk

Wednesday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Barcelona in a statement have "flatly denied" they have reached an agreement with Cesc Fabregas which would see the Arsenal captain return to the Nou Camp at the end of the season. (Press Association) 

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Chelsea's first summer target will be Barcelona's £30m-rated right-back Dani Alves. (Daily Star) 
Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas has reached a verbal agreement with Barcelona to join the Catalan club from next season. (Cadena Ser radio) 
Manchester United are on the hunt for Roma's 15-year-olds Valerio Verre and Filippo Cipriani.(Daily Mail) 
Wigan and Sunderland will renew their interest in Paraguay international Cristian Riveros over the summer. The midfielder currently plays for Mexican side Cruz Azul.(Daily Mail) 
Arsenal have beaten Liverpool to the signature of Marouane Chamakh. The Bordeaux striker is set to agree a five-year, £50,000-a-week deal with the Gunners.(The Mirror) 
Serbian striker Milan Jovanovic has ignored interest from Manchester City and Birmingham and has agreed to join Liverpool this summer. (The Mirror) 
Millwall are on the verge of signing Crawley Town forward Charles Ademeno in a bargain £120,000 deal. (The Mirror) 
Out-of-favour Manchester City midfielder Stephen Ireland has admitted he may be forced to look for a new club after failing to force his way into new manager Robert Mancini's plans.(The Times) 

.

OTHER GOSSIP

Indian businessman Subrata Roy is to step up his pursuit of a takeover of Liverpool. Fellow Indian Mukesh Ambani is also a potential investor, despite issuing a denial on Tuesday.(The Times) 
West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola is facing the axe if his side fail to beat Birmingham on Wednesday. (Daily Star) 
Arsenal defender William Gallas is set to quit Arsenal over a row about the length of his contract extension at the Gunners.(The Mirror) 
Meanwhile, Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has admitted that when it comes to signing the world's best players, the Gunners cannot afford the top stars. (The Times) 
Queens Park Rangers' former majority shareholder Antonio Caliendo has asked the Football Association to investigate the sale of the club to Flavio Briatore.(The Daily Telegraph) 
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp says getting Spurs into the Champions League would be his greatest achievement as a manager.(The Mirror) 
Bolton are seeking a second opinion in the case of Gary Cahill's blood clot - a condition that could end the defender's World Cup dream.(The Mirror) 

.

AND FINALLY

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is scenting blood. He has described Arsenal as a "wounded animal" and believes the Reds will soon catch them up in the Premier League table.(Daily Mail)
Former Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon has claimed that Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson tried to sell winger Cristiano Ronaldo to Barcelona and has also said the Scotsman "is no friend of Real Madrid." (Spanish Eurosport)
www.bbc.co.uk

Monday's gossip column

BREAKING GOSSIP

Valencia forward David Villa has given the clearest indication yet that he is prepared to move to the Premier League. Manchester United and Liverpool have both been linked to the Spain striker. (Spanish Newspaper AS) 
"I like the Premier League a lot. There are a lot of very important teams in England, who play very good football," said Villa. 
"It's the league I follow the most, along with La Liga - and I've got a lot of friends playing there." 
Manchester City have made a bid of about £15m for Real Madrid's Argentine midfielder Fernando Gago, 23. (Spanish newspaper Marca)

TRANSFER GOSSIP

A delegation from Santos, Robinho's former club in Brazil, is set to meet Manchester City officials in England this week and several other clubs, led by Benfica, have registered an official interest in the former Real Madrid player.(The Guardian) 
Robinho says he is leaving Manchester City to return to Brazil in an attempt to save his World Cup dream.(Daily Mirror) 
The 26-year-old will take a pay cut from the reported £100,000-a-week he is on at City to join the Brazilian outfit. (IMScouting) 
The deal that will result in Robinho returning to Santos gives Manchester City first refusal on two of the club's hottest prospects - forward Neymar, 17, and attacking midfielder Paulo Henrique Ganso, 20. (IMScouting) 
Liverpool have offered Standard Liege striker Milan Jovanovic, 28, a three-year deal, with the option for a further 12 months, in a bid to land the Serbian on a free transfer this summer. (Daily Express)
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp is ready to make a last-minute swoop for Palermo's 20-year-old Danish defender Simon Kjaer.(Daily Mirror) 
West Ham are set to end James Beattie's Stoke nightmare by jumping in with a £3m offer for the former England striker.(The Sun) 
French striker Toifilou Maoulida, 30, has hinted he could be set to leave Lens for the Premier League, with West Ham, Wigan and Stoke interested.(Daily Mail) 
Preston boss Darren Ferguson hopes to complete the loan signing of striker Danny Welbeck from his father's club Manchester United.(Daily Mail) 
Newcastle's plans to sign Marlon Harewood on loan once again from Aston Villa have suffered a blow after the striker broke a bone in his foot in training last week.(Daily Mirror) 
Manchester City are weighing up the prospect of a loan deal to sign Roma right-back Marco Motta, who has fallen out of favour with manager Claudio Ranieri. ( Daily Mail) 
Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce is chasing Hadjuk Split's highly rated Bosnian midfielder Senijad Ibricic for a second time. (Daily Mirror) 
Dynamo Moscow want to sign Liverpool's Israeli midfielder Yossi Benayoun and are prepared to pay £7m for the 29-year-old.(Daily Mail) 
Zimbabwe striker Benjani, 31, is set to complete his £3m move from Manchester City to West Ham on Monday. (Daily Mirror) 
Villarreal's Argentine striker Marco Ruben, 23, is set to arrive in England on Monday to clinch a £7m switch to Wigan Athletic.(Daily Mirror) 
Everton boss David Moyes has confirmed he would be interested in signing AC Milan's Dutch striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar if he became available.(Daily Mirror) 
While Everton look at ways to raise Huntelaar's £65,000-a-week wages, the Dutchman is also interesting Tottenham, Arsenal and Liverpool.(Daily Mail) 
Turkish giants Galatasaray are on the brink of agreeing a deal to sign Tottenham's Mexican forward Giovani dos Santos on loan. (The Times)

OTHER GOSSIP

Manchester United are set to make Wayne Rooney their highest-paid player on £150,000 a week to fend off interest from Spanish sides Barcelona and Real Madrid. (Daily Mirror) 
Rooney, who scored four times in the win over Hull on Saturday, will shred England boss Fabio Capello's nerves by refusing a break between now and the end of the season.(Daily Star) 
The Glazer family are planning to spend another £54m of Manchester United's cash to fight their huge debt.(The Sun) 
Manchester United defender Gary Neville - who was involved in a spat with Manchester City's Carlos Tevez last week - has added fuel to the fire ahead of their Carling Cup semi-final, second leg on Wednesday by claiming City did not deserve to win the first game at Eastlands.(The Sun) 
Portsmouth could anger even more of their fans by naming only three substitutes for Tuesday's Premier League relegation showdown with West Ham.(The Sun) 
Former Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy says he has joined Hamburg from Real Madrid to win back his place in the Holland team before this summer's World Cup in South Africa.(Daily Telegraph) 
Barcelona's Brazilian right-back Dani Alves, 26, is in talks over an extension to his current deal at the Camp Nou, although Chelsea and Manchester City are monitoring developments.(IMScouting) 

AND FINALLY

Although Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks is close to completing the sale of the Texas Rangers baseball team for a fee in excess of $500m (about £310m), none of the proceeds are expected to be ploughed into the Anfield club.(The Times) 
Plans for TV election debates have been thrown into doubt by the Champions League semi-finals. Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg were set to debate on the three Wednesdays before 6 May but Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal could be playing on those nights, causing a scheduling clash.(The Sun) 
Transworld - who published Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard's big-selling autobiographies - have won the race to publish the official life story of Manchester United club captain Gary Neville. However, the book will only come out when Neville leaves Old Trafford. (Daily Mail)

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Tuesday's gossip column

TRANSFER GOSSIP

Barcelona are stepping up their attempt to sign Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney, and are prepared to offer him wages of £8m a year after tax.(Daily Star) 
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp is in talks with Real Madrid with a view to signing former Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy on a free transfer.(Daily Telegraph) 
And Redknapp has had a bid for out-of-favour goalkeeper Ben Foster rejected by Manchester United. (Daily Mirror) 
Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard is ready to quit the club he joined as a nine-year-old two decades ago. Real Madrid, Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan and Premier League big spenders Manchester City are believed to be interested in a deal.(Daily Mail)
Leeds striker Jermaine Beckford is planning to leave the League One club in the summer for a move to Everton.(Daily Mirror) 
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has held further talks with the father and agent of Racing Santander's Spanish midfielder Sergio Canales. Real Madrid, Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool are also interested in the 18-year-old.(Daily Mail) 
Liverpool star Fernando Torres has urged the club to buy a top Spanish striker - such as Valencia's David Silva or David Villa - while under-fire Reds boss Rafael Benitez is pondering a £12m bid for Sunderland forward Kenwyne Jones.(The Sun) 
However, Benitez's attempt to sign Jones has hit the rocks as Sunderland boss Steve Bruce is holding out for a £10m cash deal.(Daily Express) 
Bruce wants Wigan's £7m-rated left-back Maynor Figueroa and is willing to sacrifice midfielder Kieran Richardson to land him.(Daily Star) 
Sunderland are preparing a bid for Benfica's veteran Portuguese striker Nuno Gomes.(The Independent) 
French side Lille want to sign Portsmouth defender Younes Kaboul for £10m, with cash-strapped Pompey willing to accept the offer.(Daily Mirror) 
Portsmouth goalkeeper David James has been told that he must drop his wage demands if he is to secure a move away from Fratton Park.(Daily Star) 
Zenit St Petersburg say they have pulled out of the race to sign Tottenham striker Roman Pavlyuchenko.(The Guardian) 
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is ready to splash out on Fulham's England under-21 giant centre-half Chris Smalling - in a stunning £7m deal. (Daily Mirror) 
Birmingham City have been told they can have Celtic winger Aiden McGeady, if they match the asking price.(The Sun) 
And Birmingham are interested in FC Moscow forward Maxi Lopez, who has been on loan at Gremio in Brazil.(The Times) 
Birmingham manager Alex McLeish has made an offer for Standard Liege striker Milan Jovanovic.(Daily Mail) 
Tottenham have watched Bordeaux defender Mathieu Chalme as they try and offload Alan Hutton. (Daily Telegraph) 
Crystal Palace striker Victor Moses has revealed he cannot wait for his crack at the big time as his inevitable exit from the Londoners draws closer.(Daily Mail) 
Burnley are speaking to Monaco striker Frederic Nimani, and could sign the French Under-21 international on loan.(Daily Mirror) 
Wolves are keen on Stoke striker James Beattie and Hull winger Stephen Hunt.(Daily Mail) 
Philippe Senderos is weighing up his options before deciding whether to join Celtic, Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich or Everton on loan from Arsenal. (Daily Mail/The Herald)

OTHER GOSSIP

Chelsea are waiting to discover the extent of midfielder Michael Essien's knee injury, amid fears that the Ghanaian could be out for the rest of the season.(The Times) 
The Glazer family, the controversial owners of Manchester United, could take £600m out of the club over the next seven years in dividends, interest and fees coming out of a bond issue.(Daily Telegraph) 
West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola could be replaced by former Manchester City manager Mark Hughes if David Gold and David Sullivan complete their takeover of the club.(Daily Mirror) 
However, Gold and Sullivan will announce that Zola's position is safe when they take control of the club.(Daily Star) 
Barcelona have shrugged off claims that coach Pep Guardiola will replace Sir Alex Ferguson as the next manager of Manchester United.(The Sun) 
French winger Jerome Rothen, on a season-long loan from Paris St Germain, was in Glasgow on Monday to prove to Rangers he is still too sick to play after two months off with swine flu. (Daily Record) 
Celtic and Rangers are on the verge of clinching a £1.5m per year deal with Tennent's to replace Carling as the Old Firm's shirt sponsor. (Daily Record/Daily Express)

AND FINALLY

Manchester United defender Gary Neville has stoked the flames ahead of Tuesday's Carling Cup semi-final first leg against rivals Manchester City by claiming his club were right to get rid of City striker Carlos Tevez as he was over-priced.(Daily Telegraph) 
And former United winger David Beckham has told City's fans that they will never be bigger than the Old Trafford club. He also said that he would never join City, no matter how much money they offered him.(Daily Mirror)

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