It's obscene!
Ian Holloway launches a blistering attack on the greedy players he believes are ruining the game
Ian Holloway last night issued a frank New Year’s message to the sulking superstars and pampered prima donnas of the Barclays Premier League, admitting he would punch one of them if he was at a bigger club than Blackpool.
As Holloway takes the league’s paupers to face mega-rich Manchester City at Eastlands this afternoon, he criticised the ‘obscene’ amount of money his opponents’ wealthy owners have thrown at their club and insisted he would never want to swap places with manager Roberto Mancini.
City’s Italian boss has struggled to maintain harmony among his highly-paid stars, with both Carlos Tevez and Mario Balotelli guilty of snubbing their manager in public after being substituted in recent weeks.
Holloway said: ‘I would hate to have some fella who is not in my team or who I bring off treat me like that. At the moment, I am not experienced enough and I would try to fight them or knock them out.
‘My players have to earn the right before they get an ice-cream. They have to do what I want them to do and do it in the right way. But some of these players, who are of that
ilk, think they are better than they are and think they can get a manager the sack.
‘If you look at all the stable clubs who have a great tradition, the players know who the manager is and have to toe the line. If they don’t, they get bombed out and that is exactly how it should be.
‘The tail should not wag the dog. I don’t want Blackpool to be like that. I like the stability
of clubs that have been successful. You look at Bayern Munich, Manchester United,
Arsenal — there is structure to what they do.’
Holloway praised Mancini and Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson for the way
they have tackled player power by keeping Tevez and Wayne Rooney at their clubs this season.
He added: ‘Football is about how Liverpool used to be run. Can you imagine being part of Bill Shankly’s or Bob Paisley’s squad and stepping out of line? Those players were great but they knew who they were playing for and didn’t dare disrespect the club.
‘I think we’ve got to get back to that, and if Mancini can manage to bring that to
Manchester City like he’s dealt with Tevez then they might have half a chance.’
As City line up another £30million-plus signing in Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko,
Holloway warned that money was the biggest evil in football and no guarantee of long-term success.
‘I wouldn’t want their cash,’ he added. ‘It’s quite obscene at times. I would rather do
what we’re doing.
‘That sort of wage budget is going to cause all sorts of hassle. Money isn’t just the
biggest danger in football, it’s the biggest danger in the world. Greed is still one of the
seven deadly sins.
‘Football isn’t instant coffee. You have to work at it. You must grow the bean, grind it.’
Holloway said his New Year’s resolution will be to join his backroom staff in having a
personal health check after youth-team coach Gary Parkinson suffered a severe
stroke in September.
But after leading Blackpool up to eighth place in the league with games in hand, he does not want 2010 to end. ‘I might just call the next one 2010 as well, rather than 2011,’ he said.
Man.City title talk just ‘kidology’, says Fletcher
LONDON: Manchester United’s Darren Fletcher has insisted talk from title challengers Manchester City that the Premier League is the Red Devils to lose as nothing more than “kidology”.
Appropriately enough, the comment was made by Manchester City assistant manager Brian Kidd, once deputy to United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who as a striker made his name at Old Trafford before also playing for City.
United, chasing a record-breaking 19th English title, head into the New Year on top of the Premier League table but on goal difference alone, although they do have two games in hand over City.
“It is just a bit of kidology,” said Scotland captain Fletcher ahead of United’s trip to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.
“It is still early stages and a lot of teams will feel they are capable of winning the league. We are one of them.
“We are in a good position. We are top of the league with games in hand.
“But it is easy counting the points. You have to win your matches and your games in hand.”
London trio Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are all close behind, with even fifth-placed Spurs, five points behind the Manchester duo, still in title contention. City were last crowned champions of England in 1968 — the same year a young Kidd scored for United as they beat Benfica 4-1 at Wembley to become the first English club to lift the European Cup.
But backed by the vast wealth of their Abu Dhabi-based owner, the Eastlands club enter 2011 with a real shot at Premier League glory.
“Manchester City are realistic title challengers,” Fletcher said. “They are winning games and look solid defensively.”
United, who yet again this term dropped points late on in a 1-1 draw away to Birmingham in midweek, will look to return to winning ways against a Baggies side beaten 3-1 by Blackburn last time out.
City face a promoted Blackpool team who have provided one of the more heartwarming stories in English football this year by rising to eighth in the top-flight despite a budget that would barely cover a week’s wages for City’s expensively assembled squad.
Man City veteran Vieira wants to join Henry at New York Red Bulls
Manchester City veteran Patrick Vieira has opened the door to a move to MLS in 2011.
The Frenchman comes off contract at City in June and speaking with Orange Sport, admits he fancies joining former Arsenal teammate Thierry Henry in the US.
Indeed, Vieira is keen to sign for New York Red Bulls and play alongside his close friend.
New York do now have a Designated Player slot free after the departure of former Aston Villa star Juan Pablo Angel at the end of the season.
Manchester City contact Anderlecht over £18m move for teenage sensation Romelu Lukaku
Manchester City have made contact with Anderlecht over teenage striker Romelu Lukaku to say they are ready to meet the £18million asking price.
The 17-year-old has been the subject of strong interest from Real Madrid and Chelsea, while Arsenal have also watched him extensively, but Anderlecht's valution has left a limited market with City ready to flex their financial muscle if they can convince him to move to Manchester.
Give a cheeky wink for Neil Young
You are sadly all probably aware that Manchester City legend Neil Young is terminally ill. Neil was a scorer of many important goals for The Blues. It was his legendary strike that won the FA Cup for City against Leicester in 1969. City have dedicate this season’s FA Cup tie against Leicester to ‘Nelly’ and have produced red and black scarves, the colour of kit in that final for City fans to wear next week. http://maineblue.co.uk/?p=7619
Liverpool FC lining up move for Manchester City's Shaun Wright-Phillips
Liverpool will kick-start their rebuilding process by attempting to lure Shaun Wright-Phillips away from Manchester City.
Wright-Phillips is one of several first-teamers that has fallen out of favour at the City of Manchester Stadium with just two starts in four appearances in the Barclays Premier League this season, his last coming in a draw with Blackburn Rovers back in September.
Everton had planned a move for the 29-year-old but have been deterred by their inability to match his current £60,000-a-week wage demands, allowing their fierce local rivals to run unopposed for his signature.
http://www.clickliverpool.com/sport/liv ... llips.html
Aston Villa make enquiries about a loan deal for Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor
Aston Villa have enquired about a loan deal for Manchester City forward Emmanuel Adebayor as the Eastlands club prepares to conclude the €35m signing of Wolfsburg’s Edin Dzeko next week.
Villa, who slumped to a sixth defeat in seven games with a 4-0 loss at City on Tuesday, have made a tentative enquiry about Adebayor, who has fallen out of favour in recent weeks having arrived in a £25m transfer from Arsenal in July 2009.
The Togolese striker’s £160,000-a-week wages at City would be a major stumbling block that would scupper any likelihood of a permanent transfer, but Villa manager Gerard Houllier is understood to be keen to explore the possibility of a six-month loan deal due to concerns over the form and fitness of his current pool of forwards at Villa Park.
City manager Roberto Mancini will only sanction the release of Adebayor, who has started just two Premier League games this season, should he manage to successfully conclude the purchase of Dzeko.
But with talks between senior officials of City and Wolfsburg progressing well this week, there is a hope within Eastlands that the Bosnia & Herzegovina forward will become a City player within the week.
Wolfsburg have already made moves to replace Dzeko by lining up an €11.5m move for Dynamo Moscow’s Germany striker Kevin Kuranyi and, should that deal move towards a conclusion this weekend, Dzeko’s transfer will accelerate accordingly.
Alex Ferguson really thought Wayne Rooney was defecting to City
Coach tells of United manager's suspicion of a deal• Rooney says he would never have moved to Eastlands
Sir Alex Ferguson and his coaching staff were convinced Wayne Rooney's plan was to move to Manchester City when he submitted a transfer request, despite the player's denials about what would have been one of the more contentious transfers of modern history.
The revelation is made by René Meulensteen, United's first-team coach, writing a column in the quarterly magazine of the Dutch Mancunian supporters' group. Meulensteen is the first senior employee at Old Trafford to speak openly about the widely held suspicion behind the scenes that a deal was being put in place to take Rooney to Eastlands, reflecting on it being "a matter for the manager to protect the value of the player for the club and to ensure he would not join City".
Meulensteen refers to the night when a mob of 30 United fans turned up outside Rooney's house to warn him of dire consequences if he followed Carlos Tevez across Manchester. Meulensteen jokes that "all of us – staff, coaches, masseurs, groundsmen etc – put on our balaclavas and went over to Rooney's home to explain to him that going to City was not done."
It had been a "scary" experience for Rooney, he writes. "Shortly after that Wazza made a U-turn. Rooney stayed, extended his contract and got a nice salary increase. However, the real winner is the great Alex Ferguson."
Rooney's "visitors" had made their way to his house on the night after he released a statement confirming that he had submitted a transfer request because of his concerns about the club's spending plans. They were carrying a banner saying "If you join City you're dead" and Rooney, speaking publicly about the incident for the first time, admitted he had feared for his safety.
"I looked out and saw 30 blokes with their hoods up," the player said in an interview on MUTV. "I wasn't going to invite them in for tea. I understand some of the fans were disappointed and felt let down. It was just a bit intimidating to look out and see them all there."
Anxious to repair the damage to his relationship with the club's supporters, Rooney admitted he had been "wrong" to question United's ambitions during the dispute that ended with him signing a new five-year contract.
"I went to see the manager and [the chief executive] David Gill and explained [my reasons for wanting to leave] and basically asked them for answers. I now realise it had nothing to do with me. I got the answers in the end but, looking back, it was probably wrong of me to do that. I just wanted to make sure that signing was the right thing to do and I got the answers in the end."
Yet Rooney maintains that no deal had been arranged with City. "I didn't even think about where I was going to go. People say I was odds on to go to Manchester City but that was never the case. There was no way I would have gone to Manchester City and there was more chance of me going to City than Liverpool."
Rooney went on to say his long-term ambition was to be a manager. "You see the players who have played for Sir Alex and gone on to be good managers. I am hoping to do that one day. But I wouldn't like to follow the manager here, or start at an Everton or United. I want to learn something about the lower leagues and build a reputation that way rather than just jumping into a big club."
Of greater immediacy, he said he was not overly concerned by his poor scoring form. "I know I'll start scoring goals again, I've no worries about that." He has managed only two goals this season, both penalties, going into today's game at West Bromwich Albion.
"Wayne does need a goal," Ferguson said. "It's not an unusual situation where a striker goes a length of time without scoring and it becomes a confidence thing. I see it often. When they score they don't think they're going to miss and when they're not scoring they don't think they're ever going to score. A goal will come his way. He just needs to keep the belief that it will happen."
Recent reports have said that Real Madrid centre-back Pepe could be making a move to the Premier League.
The Portuguese defender has been a valuable asset to the club this season, but demands a pay increase tripling his current £30,000-a-week.
Real Madrid has refused to pay that much. However, the ever rich Manchester City is willing to meet any of Pepe's demands.
With a contract that expires in 2012, Roberto Mancini could acquire the highly rated player for around £7 million.
WAG OF THE DAY - Alessia Ventura
Can't get a better one to start the New Year ...AC Milan's Filippo Inzaghi attached to Ventura, the striker's striking fiancee and a model and soap-opera star in Italy.
OTHER BOLLOX
Leeds United have offered Jonathan Woodgate the chance to regain his fitness at the club where he started his career.
The Tottenham defender is keen for a short-term loan spell in the Championship to build up his fitness after 13 months out with a groin injury.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... z19kAWIFF5
Tottendham want to sign David Beckham on loan by the end of the week
Boss Harry Redknapp says he would love to bring the former England captain to White Hart Lane.
http://www.dailystar.co.uk/football/vie ... -loan-bid/
Ronaldinho Linked with PSG Return
In the past week, Ronaldinho has been heavily linked with a return to Brazil. However, he has been attracting major interest from his former club Paris Saint Germain.
The two-time World Player of the Year has been given little playing time at AC Milan this season and can expect much less with the arrival of new signee Antonio Cassano.
Paris Saint Germain represents a great option within Europe and Ronaldinho still has a little spark left in him! With a market value at £6.8 million, he could be a great addition to PSG's squad.
Liverpool's Brazilian midfielder Lucas Leiva has been linked with a move to La Liga outfit Villarreal.
After debuting in 2007, the 23-year-old has been very disappointing. However, he has become an important part of the squad in the last six months and is showing signs of major improvement.
This has drawn the attention of Villarreal, who is willing to offer £8 million, but Hodgson may be reluctant to sell the once hated player who is now an integral part of his squad.
Barcelona's start-let Thiago Alcantara has had his first team breakthrough this year, but still can't manage much playing time due to Barcelona's already exceptional lineup.
The 19-year-old has been likened to Xavi, and with a contract expiring at the end of next month, Manchester United and Arsenal have jumped at the idea of signing him.
His price tag is unknown, but both clubs are ready to splash major cash on him, and Barcelona fans will be disappointed to see such promising talent go.
In the past few weeks, there has been a lot of talk about Arsenal's Carlos Vela and how he will fare in this January's transfer window.
The 21-year-old arrived at Arsenal in 2005 and was loaned out until 2008. Since returning to Arsenal, the Mexican international has fallen down the pecking order and been given little playing time.
According to some rumors, he will be joining La Liga side Valencia for £6 million this January.
Other reports have said that Wenger is only willing to loan the player out, with a number of clubs interested including West Ham, Villarreal, Espanyol and Chievo Verona.
Manchester United might be prepared to swap young striker Federico Macheda for a Serie A target.
After debuting for the club in 2009, the 19-year-old striker has been impressive, but could be heading to Serie A to achieve more playing time.
He has been heavily linked with Fiorentina, in a potential swap deal with Italian striker Alberto Gilardino.
Other reports have stated that Manchester United wants to do their business with Lazio, where Macheda began his youth career, and swap for winger Mauro Zarate or goalkeeper Fernando Muslera.
Juventus are apparently looking to add to their attack with the acquisition of Arsenal star Robin van Persie.
They are willing to offer £27 million but could also include defensive midfielder Felipe Melo, a long time Gunners target, in a cash-plus-player deal.
Robin van Persie has returned to Arsenal's starting lineup after recovering from an ankle injury, but has failed to emulate the performances that made him a fan favorite at the Emirates.
According The Sun, Real Madrid's Jose Mourinho is interested in buying Arsenal skipper Cesc Fabregas.
The Spaniard has been linked with a move to Barcelona for the past year and came very close to returning to his childhood club this summer, but remained at the Emirates. Now, Mourinho plans to snatch up the highly rated midfielder before rival Barcelona has a chance.
A "trusted source" stated, "Mourinho has decided to convince Cesc personally he can be the next leader of the team."
Real Madrid is prepared to launch a £35 million bid for Fabregas, or they could offer Ezequiel Garay, Lassana Diarra, Mahamadou Diarra or Fernando Gago in a part-exchange.
Reports have stated that a close friend of Florentino Perez has revealed Kaka is almost certainly on his way to Chelsea, where he has a strong admirer of club owner Roman Abramovich.
The 28-year-old is making his return to action this January after recovering from injury, but could struggle for first team football due to the arrival of German attacking midfielder Mesut Ozil.
Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has already stated that he has plans for the Brazilian play-maker, but he could leave for the right price. After arriving last summer for €68.5 million, Kaka had a relatively disappointing year for Madrid and is currently valued at around €50 million.
Inter Milan's new coach Leonardo is planning a summer move for Liverpool striker Fernando Torres.
Torres is regarded as one of the world's most talented strikers, but is suffering an unsuccessful season at Anfield.
The Spanish International has already been linked with a summer move to Barcelona, but Inter is keen on bringing in the 26-year-old, returning them to their top form.
Monaco are the latest club to show interest in Aston Villa's unsettled midfielder Stephen Ireland, 24, who is keen on a move to either Liverpool or Everton and has been the subject of interest from Stoke and Fulham. Villa want to recoup about £6m for him. Daily Mail
Aston Villa are offering defender Curtis Davies as a £2.5m makeweight as they try to seal a part-exchange deal with Blackburn for centre-back Chris Samba, 26, who is rated at £6m by his club. Daily Mirror
Birmingham are hopeful of a double deal this month to sign 30-year-old striker Robbie Keane from Tottenham on a permanent deal and to hand winger Sebastian Larsson a new contract. Daily Mirror
Stoke believe they have won the race to sign Middlesbrough defender David Wheater, 23, for £1.5m. Daily Mirror
Newcastle are willing to listen to offers for Sol Campbell just five months after the 35-year-old defender signed for the club. Daily Mail
Meanwhile, the Magpies are interested in taking Tottenham's Keane on loan and signing Wolfsburg midfielder Karim Ziani, who would be available for £2m. Daily Mail
Liverpool's owners have already decided that they will sack manager Roy Hodgson but they will only replace the Englishman once they can find a suitable replacement. the Sun
Burnley will move for Watford boss Malky Mackay - if former Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce does not decide to make a return to management with the Clarets. Daily Mirror
Nottingham Forest are asking Rob Earnshaw, Guy Moussi and Nathan Tyson to take wage cuts if they want to stay at the City Ground after their contracts expire this summer. Daily Mirror
Sunderland boss Steve Bruce says he has made a New Year's resolution to stop eating pork pies and beer from his fridge when he is feeling stressed - so that rival fans will stop calling him fat. Daily Mirror
Carlo Ancelotti scrapped plans to show his Chelsea team the DVD of their 3-1 defeat at Arsenal as the Blues boss feared it could cause the team massive psychological damage.the Sun
