Tuesday's B*ll*x (+ Nelly shirts news)

[Chinners]

Bolton shoot to the front of SWP queue
Bolton boss Owen Coyle has shot to the head of the chase for Shaun Wright-Phillips - because he is a FAN of the Wanderers style.
Coyle hopes to beat Fulham and Newcastle in the chase for the Manchester City star and his chances were boosted when he turned up to watch them from the VIP seats last night.
Wright-Phillips has been discussing a switch to Fulham for the past week but would prefer to join Bolton.
Coyle’s footballing philosophy ticks the boxes with Wright-Phillips who is also happy in the north west and close pals with Bolton centre half Zat Knight.
Bolton would take Wright-Phillips for the rest of the season if City drop their demands for any deal to be a full-time sale or a loan with a guaranteed buy in the summer.
Coyle would also need City to sponsor some of little Wright-Phillips’s king-size wages but the fact that the player is keen to join Bolton is in his favour.
The Wanderers chief has just landed David Wheater froM Middlesbrough and is waiting on an answer from Arsenal on his loan bid for Carlos Vela although the striker may prefer to go to Spain.
Coyle has two vacancies for Premier League loans and wants to use them to boost his paper-thin squad and stop them slipping down the table.

Barca ready to sell full back Dani Alves to Man City, says Johan Cruyff
Barcelona's honorary president and former Dutch international Johan Cruyff believes the Spanish club is ready to sell 25-million-pound-rated Dani Alves to Manchester City.
Attacking fullback Alves is nearing the end of his Barca contract, and Cruyff thinks Barcelona might cash in on the Brazil star while they can.
The Sun quoted the Dutch legend, as saying: "Barca are a sensational team with or without Alves. Is it better to have him with us? Sure. City are interested, though, and it may be better to sell him than wait for his contract to end next year and leave on a free."
Cruyff drew comparisons between the deal Barca reached with City over Yaya Toure and the possible swoop for 27-year-old Alves.
Cruyff said: "If he goes, negotiations will be simple. We will say ''Thanks, goodbye and good luck''

Real Madrid resurrect interest in Manchester City's Emmanuel Adebayor
Hamburg turn down Real's offer for Ruud van Nistelrooy • City to demand that striker's wages be paid in full
Real Madrid will make a renewed attempt to sign the Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor after Hamburg rebuffed their attempts to re-sign Ruud van Nistelrooy.
It is understood that despite Mario Balotelli's continued knee problems – which saw the Italian travel to America to visit the renowned specialist Bill Knowles last week – City would be receptive to a loan deal for Adebayor, who has started just two league games this season. But the English club would insist on the striker's £175,000-a-week wages being paid in full before they sanction a move to the Bernabéu.
Bernd Hoffman, Hamburg's chairman, confirmed on their website yesterday that Madrid had offered €2m (£1.7m) plus a friendly match for the 34-year-old Van Nistelrooy but that the Spanish club's advances had been rebuffed "again and for the last time". Hoffmann said that Hamburg, currently sixth in the Bundesliga, want to do everything to secure a place in European competition next season and that allowing the Dutchman to leave would be "unthinkable".
Real remain intent on finding a striker during the January transfer window to replace, at least temporarily, the Argentinian Gonzalo Higuaín, who has been ruled out for up to four months with a back injury.

TEVEZ OUT
Manchester City talisman Carlos Tevez is among a host of star names who will miss Argentina’s friendly against Portugal next month. Argentina boss Sergio Batista has named his 24-man squad for the friendly in Geneva on February 9, with Tevez and Marseille defender Gabrielle Heinze topping the list of omissions.
Malaga centre-back Martin Demichelis and Atletico Madrid striker Sergio Aguero are also out, while injured Real Madrid attacker Gonzalo Higuain is unavailable.
Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi, who was crowned the World Player of the Year for the second year running earlier this month, has been named.
He joins team-mate Javier Mascherano and Inter Milan trio Javier Zanetti, Diego Milito and Esteban Cambiasso.
Batista was quick to point out that the absence of Tevez and the others bears no weight towards their selection for Argentina’s Copa America campaign.
“Neither Tevez nor any of the lads who were left off this list are out of the national team,” Batista told Argentine radio station La Red.
“I have to see players, lots, and I do that in matches. I have to see if they can wear the national team shirt but I haven’t punished anyone.”
“This doesn’t mean that the players left out now are out of the Copa America. This is a good moment to try out some youngsters.”
Batista has handed uncapped trio Enzo Perez, Juan Manuel Martinez and Marcos Rojo call-ups to the squad after strong seasons in the Primera Division.
Winger Perez was instrumental in Estudiantes’ Apertura triumph, as was former team-mate Rojo, who has since departed to Russian Premier League club Spartak Moscow.
Martinez scored 10 times in 19 appearances for Apertura runners-up Velez Sarsfield.
Batista, having taken over from Diego Maradona, is also tasked with building a side capable of ending Argentina’s 28-year World Cup title drought in Brazil in 2014.
The selection of 37-year-old Zanetti seems contrary to Batista’s desire to blood youngsters, and while the Argentina boss did not guarantee the future of the veteran defender he said: “If he carries on (playing) the way he is, at the same level, he’ll surely be at the Copa America.”

Manchester City defender Vincent Kompany already impressed by new signing Edin Dzeko
Striker will be a "major asset" says Belgium international
Find the best odds and bet on the Premier League. Vincent Kompany, the Manchester City defender, is tipping Edin Dzeko to become a big part of the club's future, and has let it be known that he has already been impressed by the Bosnian.
The striker made his long anticipated £27m move to the City of Manchester Stadium during the January transfer window and Kompany expects to see the former Wolfsburg man find the net soon enough.
“Even though Edin is only 24, he is an experienced player and you can see he has a German mentality and has the attitude to just keep working hard and things will go his way,” he told the club's official website.
“Maybe he could have scored at Villa, but strikers will always miss chances and defenders will inevitably concede goals – it’s just the way it is – but if you get your head down and work hard, you will get closer to the perfection we all crave.
“It’s not easy to adapt just like that, but I’ve seen signs already that Edin is settling in.
"It’s also difficult to arrive part-way through a season when everything is in full flow, but I saw enough of him against Wolves and Villa to suggest he’s going to be a major asset for us."
Dzeko, of course, plied his trade in the Bundesliga with Wolfsburg before his switch, the same league Kompany arrived from, having joined City from Hamburg.
And Kompany believes the German top flight is the ideal league for a foreign player to use as a stepping stone before making the move to the Premier League.
He added: “Germany is probably the closest of all the leagues to the style of play we have here in England.
"Maybe that’s why Bundesliga players seem to find their feet quickly in this country.”

OTHER BOLLOX
Chelsea defender Alex could leave Stamford Bridge for AC Milan as the Londoners step up their bid to sign Benfica centre-back David Luiz. Metro

Liverpool's attempt to sign striker Luis Suarez from Ajax has ended in failure, according to reports in the Netherlands. talkSPORT

Valon Behrami's future at West Ham will become clearer in the next 48 hours after the Swiss international midfielder landed in Italy on Monday to undergo a medical at Fiorentina. Metro

Wolfsburg manager Steve McClaren has offered £6m for Liverpool's Milan Jovanovic. talkSPORT

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has confirmed that the club will make an offer for Lille midfielder Eden Hazard. Metro

Under-pressure Birmingham boss Alex McLeish is set to step up his pursuit of Cardiff striker Jay Bothroyd this week. Metro

Arsenal's Carlos Vela is on the verge of joining Valencia after a deal was agreed in London last week, according to reports in Spain. talkSPORT

Everton manager David Moyes has played down speculation linking midfielder Jack Rodwell with a move to Manchester United. IMscouting

Only days after landing Steven Pienaar, Tottenham are looking to continue their raid on Everton by preparing a fresh bid for captain Phil Neville. Daily Mirror

Real Madrid's attempts to lure former Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy back to the Bernabeu have been rejected by Hamburg. Daily Mail

West Ham hope to sign controversial Blackburn striker El-Hadji Diouf before the end of the transfer window.Daily Mirror

Inter Milan director Marco Branca has revealed that Sevilla striker and long-standing Tottenham target Luis Fabiano could join the Italian club. Goal.com

Birmingham's 6ft 7in Serbian striker Nicola Zigic could be heading back to former side Racing Santander after failing to impress at St Andrew's. Daily Mirror

Rangers want to sign Portsmouth's Icelandic defender Hermann Hreidarsson as they prepare for Arsenal to make a bid for Madjid Bougherra. Daily Mail

Scottish Premier League record scorer Kris Boyd could be heading back to Rangers on loan from Middlesbrough - if they cover his £25,000-a-week wages. Daily Express

Chelsea have turned a corner after recording their first away win since October, according to boss Carlo Ancelotti. Sky Sports

Blackburn goalkeeper Paul Robinson believes his club are reaping rewards from his retirement from international football. talkSPORT

Sepp Blatter has been at Fifa for too long and needs to be replaced as president, according to the Asian Football Confederation president Mohamed Bin Hammam. the Guardian

Tottenham's injury-plagued defender Ledley King could be out for the rest of the season with a groin injury but Jonathan Woodgate is in line for a shock return to their Champions League squad. the Guardian

Rangers striker Steven Naismith has warned the club to pay up to keep Allan McGregor, Madjid Bougherra and Steven Davis at Ibrox or risk them following top scorer Kenny Miller out of the door as they come towards the end of their contracts. (Daily Record)

New Sheffield Wednesday chairman Milan Mandaric, who had eight managers in three years at previous club Leicester, has vowed to stick with under-fire boss Alan Irvine, despite fans calling for his head (the Sun).

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has tipped Cesc Fabregas to be a future captain of the Spanish national team. Daily Telegraph

Ipswich manager Paul Jewell has responded to the jibes from Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas, who claimed the Suffolk side adopted "rugby tactics" in their Carling Cup semi-final, first leg. Town hold a 1-0 advantage and Jewell quipped that the second leg should be moved to Twickenham. Daily Mirror

Arsenal midfielder Alex Song has revealed he walked for five hours and eight miles before finding a cab when London was snowbound in December. the Sun

[Blue Since 76]

MANYOO TO HIJACK CHAMBERLAIN MOVE?
The expectation for the past 48 hours has been that the in-demand Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain would be leaving Southampton for Arsenal in a deal worth about £10m.

However, The Sun now says that Manchester United have 'made a late bid to hijack' the move and quotes a 'United insider' confirming:

"The boss has made his move and now it's down to the lad and his family to decide - but United are a massive club to turn down."

Any idea who Southampton are playing in the cup this weekend?

[Mikhail Chigorin]

Anyone any further information about Chelsea signing David Luiz ?? This transfer seems to be starting to drag on a little which makes you wonder if we've got anything to do with that ??

[Chinners]

NELLY'S BOLLOX
The red and black 1969 retro FA Cup final shirts the City players wore as a tribute to Neil Young against Leicester recently are now available for auction.

Each shirt will carry Young’s name on the back as well as the individual player’s squad number and will be signed by the relevant player – i.e. ‘Young 32’ is the shirt Carlos Tevez wore on the night.

Supporters wishing to purchase one of these commemorative collector’s items must send their bid to the following email address: neilyoung.shirts@mcfc.co.uk - please include your bid in British pounds, contact details and put the name of the player’s shirt you wish to buy in the subject header.

Please do NOT send credit cards details – the winning bidders will be informed when the auction closes at 5pm next Tuesday (February 1).

Each shirt has a reserve price of £50 and all funds raised will go towards the Cecilia Centre at Wythenshawe Hospital.

The shirts available are those of the starting XI who faced Leicester City in the FA Cup third round replay at the City of Manchester Stadium.

Neil Young’s daughter, Melissa, has paid tribute to the loyalty and support that City fans have shown her father since he was diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Accompanied by her seven year-old son, Melissa attended last Tuesday’s FA Cup replay against Leicester City and admitted that she was incredibly moved by the players’ own tribute to her father by posting a moving message on a City fan page on social networking site Facebook.

“The players brought tears to my eyes when they came on the field with the black and red tops with Young on the back” she said.

Rather than making an occasion of it and taking up a seat in the players’ lounge, Melissa revealed that she simply wanted to celebrate her father’s life and career with those who had meant so much to him during his time at City.

“I wanted to be a fan for that night and just sit with the people that truly admired and respected him!

My seven year-old son was speechless all night. He couldn't believe how many people were coming up to us and saying things about his granddad. I was speechless. It really touched my heart.

“My dad would have been so proud if he was well enough to be there; the fans were amazing.”

For a man whose life was Manchester City, Melissa revealed that her father was honoured by the overwhelming support that he had received and she wanted to be sure that City fans understood just how much it meant to both her and ‘Nelly’.

“His whole life was Manchester City, even when he was down and out; he never failed to be a loyal player and loyal friend to City.

“So from the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone who made a tribute. You have no idea how happy you have made both me and my father.”

[sweenyuk]

e-mail from Nelly to the fans
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Hello everyone, Neil Young here.

Having received so many fabulous cards and letters over the last few weeks, with lovely messages of support and good will.

I wanted to say a big thank-you to all for such kindness.

Reading the cards and letters has given me a great boost of moral, just when I needed it the most, and I appreciated all of them very much.

I am sure I will be reading them again in the weeks ahead.

Playing for Manchester City was a very proud period for me, that gave me some of the best days of my life.

Although they are only memories now, they are still great memories to me, and I know from all the support and well wishes received, they are great memories to so many people around the world too.


Neil Young

Thank-you again to all and good bye for now.

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Please keep donating and pass on his message to others that have already done so