Transfers Speculations (February):

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Latest transfers speculations Saturday 17.11.07

All the latest football gossip

Saturday's gossip column

Mikel Arteta has shocked Everton fans by claiming he would love to join Atletico Madrid. "One day I will end up at Atletico. It's a club I like and I would love to play there," said the 25-year-old midfielder.

Sunderland boss Roy Keane, who expects to invest heavily in the January transfer window, is chasing Manchester United centre half Jonny Evans.

Reading and Derby are battling to sign £2m-rated MLS striker Eddie Johnson.

Out-of-favour West Bromwich Albion midfielder Richard Chaplow is a transfer target for Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town.

Manchester United and Manchester City both have their eyes on £7m-rated Partizan Belgrade striker Stevan Jovetic, 18.

Other gossip other than transfer news..............

Bayern Munich have earmarked Rafa Benitez as a possible replacement for coach Ottmar Hitzfeld, who is out of contract next May. Discreet enquiries have been made about the Liverpool manager, who has previously rejected overtures from Inter Milan and Real Madrid.

Israel's manager has confessed his undying admiration for Russia coach Guus Hiddink. "We all have a warm place in our heart for him," said Dror Kashtan.

David James has told his England team-mates they deserve to be slated if they fail to reach Euro 2008.

Steve Bruce has been given the green light by Birmingham to talk to Wigan about becoming their boss.

Premier League chairman Dave Richards is leading the fight to back beleaguered England coach Steve McClaren.

Many of England's 4,000 supporters were forced to leave the Happel Stadium early during England's 1-0 win over Austria because their return flights were diverted via Bratislava.

Roy Hodgson, the Finland and former Blackburn manager, has been linked with the Irish national team managerial post.

Bristol City boss Gary Johnson posts "sometimes cryptic, sometimes aggressive and occasionally funny" messages all around the dressing room before games to motivate his players.

Victor Anichebe is accused of dodging a Nigeria call-up against Australia - to keep the door open for England.

Manchester City are celebrating Sven-Goran Eriksson's early impact at the club by releasing a new DVD. 'The Sven Revolution' includes footage of the former England coach at a tea dance.

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TRANSFER RUMOURS

Tottenham coach Juande Ramos is planning a £30m swoop for Valencia's David Villa as he is worried Dimitar Berbatov still wants to quit the club. (News of the World).

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is tracking Scotland and Rangers fullback Alan Hutton, 22, as a possible long-term replacement for Gary Neville.

Dinamo Zagreb's diminutive Croatian playmaker Luka Modric is heading to Chelsea in the summer. (Observer)

Tottenham are ready to offer bitter rivals Arsenal around £7m for unsettled midfielder Abou Diaby. (People)

Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce wants to take his former Bolton defender Tal Ben-Haim for a knockdown £1m from Chelsea. (People)

Liverpool are interested in Athletic Bilbao defender Fernando Amorebieta and Spanish U21 midfielder Javi Martinez (People).

Manchester United are being sounded out about a possible swap deal which would see Barcelona's Samuel Eto'o trading places with Louis Saha. (People)

West Ham will finally seal the £5m swoop for Derby winger Giles Barnes in the January transfer window. (People)

Sven-Goran Eriksson has slapped a 'not for sale' notice on unsettled striker Rolando Bianchi. (Daily Star Sunday)

Birmingham are locked in a desperate scrap to stop manager Steve Bruce taking his assistant Eric Black with him to Wigan. (Daily Star Sunday).

Tottenham will sign ex-Arsenal hitman Julio Baptista in the January transfer window from Real Madrid. Spurs coach Juande Ramos has lined up a £5m swoop for the Brazil striker, who he managed at Seville. (Daily Star Sunday)


OTHER GOSSIP
Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce admits he is unhappy after losing Michael Owen for up to six weeks with a thigh injury in England's friendly win over Austria on Friday. (Sunday Express)

Sam Allardyce is planning another raid on his former club Bolton in a bid to take controversial Senegal midfielder El-Hadji Diouf to Tyneside.

David Beckham insists he would sacrifice the chance to win his 100th cap in exchange for England grabbing a Euro 2008 place. (Sunday Express)

Peter Crouch is confident his partnership with Jermain Defoe can help England to victory if the pair are reunited for the final European Championship qualifier with Croatia at Wembley. (Mail on Sunday)

Manchester City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson is to be handed more than £150m from owner Thaksin Shinawatra for new players. (Mail on Sunday)

West Ham boss Alan Curbishley insists he would not be interested in the England job if the FA were looking to replace Steve McCLaren. (Observer)

Henk Ten Cate, Chelsea's assistant manager, has denied attempting to entice the Brazilian star Ronaldinho to Stamford Bridge. (Sunday Times)

Alan Shearer has admitted he wants to succeed Steve McClaren as England coach. (Various)


AND FINALLY
Theo Walcott delivered a foul-mouthed tirade when told James Milner would take the 82nd-minute penalty for England U21s against Bulgaria on Friday. (Mail on Sunday)

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Monday 19th November gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS

Liverpool target Javi Martinez, who plays for Athletic Bilbao, says he is desperate to play in the Premier League. (Daily Mirror)

Chelsea may have agreed a deal in principle to sign Dinamo Zagreb's Croatian playmaker Luka Modric next summer. (Daily Telegraph)

On-loan defender Gary Cahill says he will not move permanently from Aston Villa to Sheffield United. (Daily Mail)

Wolves manager Mick McCarthy has checked up on Coventry's Scottish striker Kevin Kyle. (Daily Mirror)

Leeds boss Dennis Wise is planning a January bid for Ipswich midfielder Sammy Moore. (The Sun)


OTHER GOSSIP
England boss Steve McClaren has not decided whether David Beckham will play in the crucial Euro 2008 qualifier against Croatia on Wednesday, or whether Paul Robinson will be recalled for Scott Carson. (Various)

Chelsea captain John Terry is desperate to make a comeback from injury to play in the Wembley showdown and rejoined the squad on Sunday night. (The Sun, Independent)

McClaren has warned his players to remember what happened against Greece in 2001 and make sure they qualify properly. (Daily Star)

The England gaffer is going to invite all the senior injured or suspended players - like Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen - to join the squad and offer their support. (Various)

Omer Golan, who scored Israel's winner against Russia to hand England a lifeline, says it is his dream to play in the Premier League. (The Sun)

Portsmouth's Croatian midfielder Nico Kranjcar says they will spoil England's party by sending out a pre-Euro 2008 message to the rest of Europe on Wednesday. (The Sun)

The FA will try and find a job for Alan Shearer within the England set-up even if the team qualifies for next summer's European Championship. (Daily Express)

Republic of Ireland will step up their hunt for a new boss by approaching England assistant Terry Venables and Gerard Houllier. (Daily Mail)

Ireland's players want a man with international experience, ruling out ex-Wigan boss Paul Jewell. (The Times)

Scotland midfielder Darren Fletcher says he let his team-mates down by not marking Christian Panucci for Italy's winner on Saturday. (The Sun)

Steve Bruce, who is set to leave Birmingham to become Wigan boss on Monday, will sign a four-year deal worth £8m. (Various)

Wigan will be forced to pay Birmingham £3m for the former Manchester United defender. (Daily Star)

AC Milan and Brazil midfielder Kaka says he would vote for Man Utd's Cristiano Ronaldo as European Footballer of the Year. (Various)

Nemanja Vidic will miss Man Utd's trip to Bolton on Saturday - because Uefa has rescheduled Serbia's twice postponed Euro 2008 qualifier against Kazakhstan. (Various)

West Ham are the latest Premier League team to try to break into America by setting up academies in Colorado and Florida. (Daily Telegraph)

Nigeria manager Berti Vogts has backed Chelsea manager Avram Grant's calls for the African Cup of Nations to be moved from January to June. (Daily Mail)


AND FINALLY
Manchester City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson is being taught how to play the accordion - by his assistant Tord Grip. (The Sun)

Israel's Chelsea defender Tal Ben Haim was bombarded by text messages from his English team-mates both during and after their stunning win against Russia. (The Sun)

Steve McClaren could not watch the last 10 minutes of Israel v Russia. He spent the time in his bathroom. (Various)

The Israeli FA has told Omer Golan he cannot accept the £50,000 Mercedes that had been offered by an English bookmaker to any Israel player who scored the winner against Russia. (The Times)

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Latest transfers speculations Wednesday 21.11.07

All the latest football gossip

Wednesday's gossip column

Real Madrid are planning a £30m deal to sign Chelsea striker Didier Drogba next summer and the Blues will line up Bolton forward Nicolas Anelka as replacement.

Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor has been linked with a move to Arsenal but says he wants to stay at his hometowm club.

Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp has his sights set on a £10m move for Liverpool striker Peter Crouch.

Reading boss Steve Coppell says he was interested in Malta and Coventry striker Michael Mifsud when he was a free agent - but not anymore with a £5m asking price.

But Coppell is interested in a move for Bolton's right midfielder Stelios Giannakopoulos.

Sunderland are ready to offload Graham Kavanagh and Sheffield Wednesday are interested in recruiting the midfielder.

Leicester chief Milan Mandaric may deny that Plymouth boss Ian Holloway is going to be his new manager but the move is going to take place.

Plymouth move for former manager and current Swindon boss Paul Sturrock if, and when, Holloway makes his exit.

Manchester United will run the rule of Miguel Veloso when the midfielder plays for Sporting Lisbon at Old Trafford in the Champions League next week.

Julio Baptista, who spent a spell on loan at Arsenal, is waiting on Real Madrid to let him discuss a move to Tottenham Hotspur.

Aston Villa midfielder Shaun Maloney's agent has urged Celtic to make a bid for their former player - if they want to bring him back to Celtic Park.

Newcastle are interested in Rangers full-back Alan Hutton after a series of impressive performances for the Ibrox club and Scotland.

Other gossip other than transfer news..............

England's stand-in captain Steven Gerrard wants fans at Wembley for the Croatia game to replicate the atmosphere the Kop creates for his club side Liverpool.

Newcastle striker Michael Owen has gone to Germany to help speed up his recovery from the thigh injury suffered in England's win in Austria.

Wayne Rooney's comeback from an ankle injury has seen him return to training for Manchester United.

Manchester United left-back Patrice Evra's current deal runs until June 2009 but he is keen to sign a contract extension.

Birmingham's board are growing in their frustration with prospective new owner Carson Yeung and his silence on the managerial situation since Steve Bruce's departure.

Former Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd is eyeing taking over a "northern club".

Chelsea midfielder Claude Makelele, 34, has a deal with manager Avram Grant that he is only used in the club's "important" matches to help keep up his fitness.

Everton could replace out-going assistant and new Preston boss Alan Irvine with Sheffield United number two Brian Kidd or Steve Round, who is on the England backroom team.

Aberdeen boss Jimmy Calderwood has warned the club he may walk away if he is not given more money to bolster his squad.

Chelsea's Russian billionaire owner Roman Abramovich was so unhappy after his country's loss in Israel that he apparently stormed into the side's dressing room in Tel Aviv and had a rant at the players.

The British economy would lose as much as £1bn if England fail to reach Euro 2008.

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Wednesday 21st November gossip column

TRANSFER RUMOURS

Real Madrid are planning a £30m deal to sign Chelsea striker Didier Drogba next summer and the Blues will line up Bolton forward Nicolas Anelka as replacement. (Daily Mirror)

Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor has been linked with a move to Arsenal but says he wants to stay at his hometowm club. (Various)

Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp has his sights set on a £10m move for Liverpool striker Peter Crouch. (Daily Star)

Reading boss Steve Coppell says he was interested in Malta and Coventry striker Michael Mifsud when he was a free agent - but not anymore with a £5m asking price. (Times)

But Coppell is interested in a move for Bolton's right midfielder Stelios Giannakopoulos. (Daily Mirror)

Sunderland are ready to offload Graham Kavanagh and Sheffield Wednesday are interested in recruiting the midfielder. (Times)

Leicester chief Milan Mandaric may deny that Plymouth boss Ian Holloway is going to be his new manager but the move is going to take place. (Daily Mail)

Plymouth move for former manager and current Swindon boss Paul Sturrock if, and when, Holloway makes his exit. (Daily Mirror)

Manchester United will run the rule of Miguel Veloso when the midfielder plays for Sporting Lisbon at Old Trafford in the Champions League next week. (Guardian)

Julio Baptista, who spent a spell on loan at Arsenal, is waiting on Real Madrid to let him discuss a move to Tottenham Hotspur. (The Sun)

Aston Villa midfielder Shaun Maloney's agent has urged Celtic to make a bid for their former player - if they want to bring him back to Celtic Park. (Daily Mail)

Newcastle are interested in Rangers full-back Alan Hutton after a series of impressive performances for the Ibrox club and Scotland. (Daily Mail)


OTHER GOSSIP
England's stand-in captain Steven Gerrard wants fans at Wembley for the Croatia game to replicate the atmosphere the Kop creates for his club side Liverpool. (Various)

Newcastle striker Michael Owen has gone to Germany to help speed up his recovery from the thigh injury suffered in England's win in Austria. (Various)

Wayne Rooney's comeback from an ankle injury has seen him return to training for Manchester United. (Daily Star)

Manchester United left-back Patrice Evra's current deal runs until June 2009 but he is keen to sign a contract extension. (Times)

Birmingham's board are growing in their frustration with prospective new owner Carson Yeung and his silence on the managerial situation since Steve Bruce's departure. (Daily Express)

Former Newcastle chairman Freddy Shepherd is eyeing taking over a "northern club". (Guardian)

Chelsea midfielder Claude Makelele, 34, has a deal with manager Avram Grant that he is only used in the club's "important" matches to help keep up his fitness. (The Daily Telegraph)

Everton could replace out-going assistant and new Preston boss Alan Irvine with Sheffield United number two Brian Kidd or Steve Round, who is on the England backroom team. (Various)

Aberdeen boss Jimmy Calderwood has warned the club he may walk away if he is not given more money to bolster his squad. (Daily Express)


AND FINALLY
Chelsea's Russian billionaire owner Roman Abramovich was so unhappy after his country's loss in Israel that he apparently stormed into the side's dressing room in Tel Aviv and had a rant at the players. (Daily Mail)

The British economy would lose as much as £1bn if England fail to reach Euro 2008. (The Daily Telegraph)

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Latest transfers speculations Thursday 21.11.07

All the latest football gossip

Thursday's gossip column

Manchester City have joined Tottenham in the chase to sign £8m-rated Real Madrid striker Julio Baptista.

City are also interested in Russian midfielder Marat Izmailov, but face competition from Inter Milan to sign the £4m Sporting Lisbon player.

Ghana striker Asamoah Gyan expects to join Manchester City in the summer after claiming that transfer negotiations with his club Udinese are well advanced.

Middlesbrough are keen to sign Sheffield United striker James Beattie in the January transfer window.

Cardiff want to bring Derby striker Rob Earnshaw back to Ninian Park on a loan deal.

Crystal Palace manager Neil Warnock has been told by chairman Simon Jordan to sell £2m-rated midfielder Ben Watson to raise money for new players.

Forest Green boss Jim Harvey fears he will lose star striker Stuart Fleetwood, who has scored 23 goals this season, in the January transfer window. Plymouth and Stoke are interested in the 21-year-old.

Other gossip other than transfer news..............

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill has quashed rumours that he will take over as England manager should Steve McClaren be sacked.

Scotland manager Alex McLeish is back on the list of candidates to succeed Steve Bruce as Birmingham manager.

Meanwhile, Blues co-owner David Gold is ready to try and seize control at St Andrews, buying out takeover bidder Carson Yeung and name Eric Black as the new boss.

Manchester City want to improve manager Sven-Goran Eriksson's contract which will amount to a £4m pay rise for the Swede.

Former Tottenham manager Martin Jol wants another job in the Premier League, but wants to stay in the south of England where his family are settled.

Emile Heskey is back in training and set to make his Wigan comeback at Arsenal on Saturday.

Leicester owner Milan Mandaric expects to unveil Ian Holloway as City's new manager.

Burnley are set to appoint St Johnstone boss Owen Coyle as their new manager.

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Friday 23rd November gossip column

ENGLAND

Martin O'Neill is the man the FA want to take over as England boss and they will do whatever it takes to get the Aston Villa manager. (Daily Star)

O'Neill does not want the job and will rule himself out of the running. (Various)

Jose Mourinho is the FA's choice for the England job. The ex-Chelsea boss has already been sounded out. (Daily Express)

Jurgen Klinsmann is keen to succeed McClaren. The ex-Germany boss would work alongside former England captain Alan Shearer. (Daily Express)

Rafael Benitez is a contender after his future as Liverpool boss was thrown into doubt following a row with the club's American owners. (Various)


TRANSFERS/OTHER GOSSIP
Arsenal will listen to offers for midfielder Gilberto Silva when the transfer window opens in January. (The Sun)

Bolton boss Gary Megson is set to bid for Villarreal's Danish striker Jon Dahl Tomasson - as he prepares for Nicolas Anelka to leave the Reebok Stadium. (Daily Mirror)

Aston Villa defender Olof Melberg is a target for AC Milan and Juventus. (Daily Mirror)

Steven Fletcher has told Hibernian he wants to leave the club. (Daily Record)

Rolando Bianchi is not looking to leave Manchester City. (The Sun)

Steve Bruce is set to take over as Wigan manager after paying his former club Birmingham to settle a row over his contract. (Various)

Derby manager Billy Davies has begged the club's board for money to spend in the January transfer window. (Daily Star, The Times)

Plymouth want former manager Paul Sturrock to leave Swindon and return to his old job at Home Park. (The Sun)

Wembley will consider replacing the much-criticised pitch at the stadium with a new surface. (The Guardian, The Times)

Terry Venables only found out he had been sacked as England assistant coach when he heard the news on television. (Daily Express, Daily Mirror)

Venables is now in line to become Republic of Ireland boss. (Various)


AND FINALLY
Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann wants England fans to support Germany at Euro 2008. (The Sun)

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ENGLAND

England skipper John Terry says he wants former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho to replace Steve McClaren as manager of the international side. (The Sun)

And Mourinho, who is still out of work after leaving Chelsea, has urged the Football Association to make him a firm offer. (Daily Express)

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger will be given a key role in helping the FA find a new manager. (The Mirror)

Former England manager Terry Venables, who was sacked as McClaren's assistant earlier this week, says Italian Fabio Capello is the ideal man for England's top job. (The Sun)

Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill may have ruled himself out of the running for England but his comments have given the FA a glimmer of hope that he could be persuaded to change his mind. (The Independent)

The FA have made contact with Real Madrid over the availability of their German manager Bernd Schuster. (Spanish daily Marca)

Former Germany coach Jurgen Klinsmann says he wants the England job. (The Mirror)

And German legend Franz Beckenbauer has says the FA should now turn to the former Tottenham striker. (Various)

McClaren ignored the advice of Venables to put on midfielder Owen Hargreaves when England equalised against Croatia on Wednesday night. (Daily Mail)

Chelsea manager Avram Grant says Terry would have been fit enough to play for England against Croatia. (Various)

The Football Association is unwilling to commit to a home nations tournament next summer, following England's failure to qualify for Euro 2008. (The Times)


TRANSFERS/OTHER GOSSIP
Arsenal midfielder Gilberto Silva, who is struggling to get into the Gunners first team, says he would "gladly" move to Juventus. (Daily Star, Daily Mail)

Bolton striker Nicolas Anelka has revealed his regret at leaving Arsenal in 1999. (The Sun)

Swindon boss Paul Sturrock is set for a return to Plymouth. (Daily Mail)


AND FINALLY
Barcelona defender Edmilson has apologised after he questioned the commitment of his team-mates on a television interview earlier this week. (The Independent, Daily Mail)

He had said: "The squad are like a family and every family has black sheep."

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Sunday 25th November gossip column

ENGLAND

Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill says former Newcastle striker Alan Shearer should replace Steve McClaren as England boss. (News of the World)

Which is just as well really because Shearer will be interviewed for the job by the Football Association. (Sunday Express)

Real Madrid coach Bernd Schuster and former Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier have joined the list of people linked with England. (Sunday Telegraph)

FA chief executive Brian Barwick says he will have talks with England skipper John Terry to emphasise what he expects from the players in the future in the wake of the failure to qualify for Euro 2008. (News of the World)

Barwick will have to move quickly if he is to secure the services of Jurgen Klinsmann, as the former Germany coach weighs up a list of offers from Europe. (Mail on Sunday)

Fabio Capello will name former Chelsea striker Gianfranco Zola in his management team if he gets the England job. (News of the World)

Former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho would find it hard to turn down a serious offer to coach England. (The Observer)

Striker Michael Owen says England need to improve their psychological preparations as "how we as players cope with that [pressure] is where the problem lies". (News of the World)

Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp has expressed his dismay at English managers who rule themselves out of the running to take the country's top job. He said: "You'd almost have to be a traitor to turn it down." (Mail on Sunday)

David James says fellow England goalkeeper Scott Carson - whose gaffe on Wednesday night led to Croatia's opening goal - should have been given more international experience before being put in such a high-pressure situation. (The Observer)


TRANSFERS/OTHER GOSSIP
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez will be sacked following his row with the club's owners and Mourinho is being lined up to replace him. (News of the World)

Benitez, meanwhile, has refused to back down and insists he needs to sign three players in the January transfer window - and wants the negotiations to start now. (Sunday Express)

Terry Venables, who was sacked as England's assistant manager on Thursday, will be interviewed for the vacant Republic of Ireland job next week. (News of the World)

Manchester United striker Carlos Tevez is close to signing a new long-term deal with the club. (Various)

Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso is wanted by Spanish side Atletico Madrid. (News of the World)

Chelsea want to sign Russian internationals Diniyar Bilyaletdinov and Branislav Ivanovic. (Daily Star Sunday)

Juande Ramos' £15m transfer spree has been rejected by the Tottenham board when they learnt that the three players in question were over 26-years-old. (The People)

Bolton manager Gary Megson is set to raid his former club with a £2.5m swoop for West Brom defender Paul Robinson. (Sunday Express)

Inter Milan are considering a move for Chelsea defender Ricardo Carvalho, who is unsettled following the exit of Mourinho. (News of the World)

Birmingham assistant manager Eric Black will next week be asked to replace Steve Bruce as boss. (The People)

It looks as if Tottenham have missed out on Real Madrid forward Julio Baptista as the Brazilian would prefer a move to Roma. (News of the World)


AND FINALLY
The Sunday papers would not have been pleasant reading for the Football Association top brass as there was plenty of criticism of their handling of the national team.

The most stinging attack of their governance came from former Spurs chief executive and Apprentice star Sir Alan Sugar, who has typically not pulled any punches in his assessment of the FA board.

"If they were a company, the shareholders could sue them for incompetent mismanagement. In commercial terms, it's like watching your mother-in-law drive your new Ferrari over the cliff." (News of the World)

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Tuesday 27th November gossip column

ENGLAND GOSSIP

Croatia boss Slaven Bilic is not happy at Michael Owen's claim that none of his country's players would make it into the England side. (Sun)

Mark Hughes has a clause in his contract at Blackburn letting him leave if he is offered the England job. (Sun)

Former England defender Tony Adams says the national team have a poor reputation across Europe. (Various)

Portugal and Spain are to launch a rival bid to England's to host the 2018 World Cup. (Daily Telegraph)


TRANSFERS AND GOSSIP
Tottenham fear striker Dimitar Berbatov will leave the club in January. (Sun)

Reading striker Leroy Lita is unhappy at his lack of first team football and is ready to leave the club. (Sun)

Liverpool could face a player exodus if Rafael Benitez leaves the club. (Various)

Udinese insist Manchester City target Asamoah Gyan will not be allowed to leave the club before the end of the season. (Daily Star)

Newcastle are in the frame to sign Swedish defender Jonas Olsson from Dutch side NEC Nijmegen. (Daily Mail)

Croatia star Luka Modric is at the centre of a transfer battle as Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham try to lure him away from Dinamo Zagreb. (Daily Mail)

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has missed out on AC Milan defender Kakha Kaladze because the club's owners would not discuss transfer planning with him. (Independent)

Scotland manager Alex McLeish will be unveiled as Birmingham boss in the next 24 hours. (Sun)

But the Scottish Football Association is not allowing the Premier League club to hold talks with McLeish. (Daily Mail)

Derby want Paul Jewell and not Paul Ince to succeed Billy Davies as Rams manager. (Daily Star)

But no, the Pride Park outfit do want Ince and Roy Hodgson to come in and add his experience to the partnership. (Daily Mail)


AND FINALLY
Chelsea winger Florent Malouda is unhappy at his club not arranging for him to fly back from international duty. (Sun)

Real Madrid striker Raul, 30, sleeps in a special oxygen room - simulating conditions at high altitude - to help him cope with the effects of ageing. (Independent)

Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce tried to dig into what was wrong with his poorly performing side when he asked his players if they did not like him or his training methods - the responses were of the mumbled variety. (Guardian)