Wednesday's B*ll*x (Updated)

[Chinners]

Hart has to pull his finger out - Capello
Fabio Capello last night warned Joe Hart he must keep his “focus” if he wants to stay England No 1.
Hart has made a series of high-profile gaffes recently, including the FA Cup howler at Leicester that forced Manchester City into an FA Cup third round replay.
But having installed Hart, 23, as his new first-choice after the World Cup wrangles over Robert Green and David James, Capello said: “Joe Hart has made mistakes and it is important for him to understand he has to be focused at every moment.
“It is difficult to play for a team that has to win and Manchester City have spent a lot of money to win.
“He has to understand that when you play against another team, in the middle or the bottom of the table, this team will play against you 110 per cent.
“For this reason, he has to play every time at the top. You have to be focused.”

Knee expert says Man City striker Balotelli could make Man Utd clash
Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli could be back from his knee rehab in time for the derby against Manchester United.
The Independent says City have had good reports from Killington, in the Green Mountains of Vermont, where Balotelli's rehabilitation work on his injury is understood to be focusing on work to strengthen the quadriceps around his knee.
The knee specialist Bill Knowles, under whose care he has been put, has suggested yesterday that he would be back in Manchester in two weeks – before the Manchester derby, though the prospects of him appearing in that game appear slight at this stage.
Balotelli indicated the night he damaged the meniscus on his City debut in Timisoara that he was concerned about the muscle strength around the knee.

Weiss hints at Gers stay
Young winger warming to idea of second loan stint at Ibrox
Vladimir Weiss has indicated he would be prepared to extend his loan deal at Rangers into next season, depending on what Manchester City have planned for him.
The Slovakian winger, who arrived at Ibrox from City in the summer on a season-long loan, previously stated he wanted to make his current loan move his last.
Weiss, who spent last season on a short-term deal at Bolton, was hoping to crack Roberto Mancini's star-studded squad at Eastlands after this campaign.
But the 21-year-old has since had a change of heart, admitting he is relishing life north of the border.
"I'm enjoying Rangers and what happens next season is a question of what Manchester City want to do," Weiss said in the Daily Record.
"There are a lot of good players but if you want to play at the biggest level you have to try to progress in the better squads.
"I said before I don't want to do a loan again but probably Rangers would be the only club I would go on loan to."
Weiss says he enjoys the intense competition between Gers and fierce Glasgow rivals Celtic, an enmity he feels even City and Manchester United cannot equal.
"It's different to Manchester," he added. "The emotions here are a bit bigger.
"City and United have a big rivalry but I think in Glasgow it's a bit different, with them hating each other."
Rangers take on Hibernian on Wednesday night, who Weiss faced in his first outing for the club back in August last year.
The winger made an instant impact in that encounter, and is hoping for the same in the reverse at Easter Road.
He added: "It was my debut and I will never forget it. Hopefully I can do as well as I did in that game against them.
"Obviously it was an important game for me but that's past now and we need to focus on going there and getting three points."

AGE NO BARRIER AT ACADEMY
City’s Academy director Mark Allen says that players coming through the ranks at Platt Lane will be given the chance to impress regardless of their age.
Progress into the Under 18 squad remains the goal, but a feature of this season has been a willingness to give younger players a go above their own age group. George Evans and Courtney Meppen-Walter, both 16 in the latter part of 2010, are two examples of an ethos that has also seen striker prolific Harry Bunn and playmaker Joan Roman Angel sampling life in the Elite Development Squad at Carrington.
Dedryck Boyata and Alex Tchuimeni-Nimely are among the younger players to benefit from a similar attitude around the first team, but speaking from the Academy perspective Mark explains about how it’s all about not allowing talent to stagnate.
“The Academy is all about development, learning and growing,” he declares. “We all like to win, however the most important thing here is that we are growing and giving the kids the chance to develop.
“That comes from playing at the next age group, which can be a 12-year-old in the 13s, a 14 in the 15s and so on. The younger age group playing up is very much part of our programme now, so that then allows us to let players like Harry Bunn, Joan Angel Roman and maybe Courtney Meppen-Walter to step up into the elite squad.
“We explain to the parents not to worry if their son is not playing one week; we might have our eye on him to play another game in midweek instead at the next age group. We are here to develop elite talent and the best way to do that is to challenge them as many times as we can.
“Boys can become lazy, if it’s too comfortable at a level they are not learning and it’s not good for the future. They can step up on the same page as everyone else, and we don’t want to stifle that.”
This season’s Under 18 side is regularly much younger than their opponents, with the recent cup tie against Nottingham Forest a good example, but the results sought are not just what the team’s score is at full time. Mark reckons he and the staff at Platt Lane are already seeing the benefits, and he adds:
“Ultimately they grow up a lot quicker, become accustomed to good habits, can see likeminded individuals focussed on their football and as they get closer to the top end here they can really see where it’s making a difference.
“But we’re very careful. We’ll only push the boys up a level when they are physically, mentally and emotionally ready for it. The last thing we want to do is destroy a boy’s confidence, so we won’t push them up if we don’t feel they are ready.”

OTHER BOLLOX
Blackpool have put a £12m price tag on their want-away captain Charlie Adam, while Seasiders boss Ian Holloway is eyeing Derby midfielder Paul Green as a possible replacement. Daily Mirror

Real Madrid are ready to make an offer for Manchester United defender Patrice Evra as his future at Old Trafford looks increasingly uncertain. (the Times)

Sunderland are set to make a £3.5m offer for West Ham forward Frederic Piquionne. Daily Mirror

Aston Villa have asked Tottenham to name their price for midfielder Jermaine Jenas. the Sun

Chelsea have offered midfielder Nemanja Matic to Benfica as part of the deal to sign defender David Luiz. Daily Telegraph

Celtic are set to beat Rangers in the race to sign Derby winger Kris Commons. Daily Record

Ajax striker Luis Suarez wants the Dutch club to lower their £30m asking price so that he can join Liverpool. Daily Telegraph

Newcastle want to complete the loan signing of Aston Villa midfielder Stephen Ireland before the end of the transfer window. Daily Mirror

Inter Milan midfielder Sulley Muntari could be on his way to Sunderland after earlier rejecting a move to the north east. the Sun

Sunderland are also closing in on a deal for Paris St Germain midfielder Stephane Sessegnon but will abandon plans to sign strikers Jay Bothroyd from Cardiff and Ricardo Fuller from Stoke. (the Times)

West Ham have made a new attempt to sign Tottenham striker Robbie Keane, agreeing to a £6m fee if the Hammers avoid relegation. Daily Telegraph

Southampton insist they will not sell Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain cheaply. Arsenal are interested in signing the 17-year-old striker, with the Saints valuing him at about £10m. Daily Star

The Saints are waiting to find out what Manchester United will offer for Oxlade-Chamberlain when the Premier League leaders visit St Mary's in the FA Cup on Saturday. Daily Express

Wigan have made a £1m bid for Coventry goalkeeper Keiren Westwood.the Sun

However, Coventry have told Wigan that the 26-year-old will cost £2m. Daily Mail

Wigan are keen on Hearts and Scotland full-back Lee Wallace. Daily Record

Blackburn are looking to sign striker Ruben Rochina from Barcelona for £1m and are also hoping to secure the signature of forward Ronieli dos Santos from Brazilian club Sao Paolo. Daily Mirror

Bolton have offered £5m to sign Benfica forward Rodrigo Moreno on a permanent deal. (the Times)

Stoke have turned down a bid from Birmingham to sign Turkey international Tuncay, while Newcastle have rejected Blues' bid for striker Shola Ameobi. Daily Mail

Manchester United could lose out in their attempt to sign goalkeeper David de Gea because the 20-year-old says he is very happy at Atletico Madrid. the Sun

Arsenal are lining up a £12m offer for Paris St Germain's central defender Mamadou Sakho.
Full story: Metro

Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp will not sell Peter Crouch this month but the striker could be on his way out of the club in the summer. (the Times)

QPR manager Neil Warnock has warned other clubs not to make a bid for playmaker Adel Taarabt. Newcastle have been linked with a £5m offer for the 21-year-old. (the Sun)

Dulwich Hamlet duo Quade Taylor, who plays in midfield, and Paul McCallum, who is a striker, have been watched by scouts from Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and West Ham. Sky Sports

West Ham owners David Sullivan and David Gold will not be at St Andrew's for their club's Carling Cup semi-final, second leg at Birmingham on Wednesday because they fear they might jinx the result. The Hammers won the first leg 2-1. Daily Mail

Real Madrid playmaker Kaka, who is back in action after seven months out because of injury, has been left out of the Brazil squad for the friendly against France next month. the Independent

England manager Fabio Capello says he had no problems with women officiating at games when he was a player.
Daily Mirror

Real Madrid and former Manchester United winger Ronaldo has offered some words of advice to Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli. He said: "He should talk less and play more - that way he would become a great player."
the Sun

GRAY REPLACEMENT BOLLOX
News coming into Bollox Towers seem to suggest that Richard Richard Keys is on the brink of the sack too, after the 'smash it' video that got put up of him on YouTube yesterday.
[youtube]VX7noqN6SOI[/youtube]

Meanwhile a brief summary of those in the frame to fill the top Sky pundantry job ...

JAMIE REDKNAPP
The man who would be King. Was surely being groomed as Gray’s successor even before this week’s shenanigans.
Strengths: Personable and articulate, he’s gradually come out of his on-screen shell and now delivers crisp, insightful punditry.
Weaknesses: He literally has a tendency to say literally, as in ‘Gareth Bale literally has three lungs’. Also might cause a scheduling headache when dad’s Spurs are live on Sky.
Most likely to say: “The manager’s done a great job at Tottenham.”
Least likely to say: “He’s smashed that in beautifully.”

GLENN HODDLE
Has long been a mainstay of Sky’s Champions League coverage, but as a studio analyst, not a co-commentator. Questions remain as to how would perform alongside the main man with the mic.
Strengths: One of the most recognisable faces in British football, there aren’t many people that know the game better than the Hod.
Weaknesses: Given his ‘previous’ – remember his sacking by England? – Sky might feel safer with the job going to safer pair of hands… and mouth!
Most likely to say: “I could have done that so much better.”
Least likely to say: “Can you tuck that in for me, love?”

CHRISTINE BLEAKLEY
Having started her TV career on entertainment programme ‘The One Show’ the former politics student might come as a surprise to many. With Sky needing to improve their image with the fairer sex, Bleakley could be an outside bet though.
Strengths: She’s a lot better looking than Sam Allardyce.
Weaknesses: ‘She’s never played the game!’
Most likely to say: “How about that nice Adrian Chiles for the top gig?”
Least likely to say: “Frank Lampard’s box to box play is amazing”

GARY NEVILLE
Has cut his teeth with a bit of studio punditry in the last couple of seasons as Fergie prepares to call time on the career of his favourite son. Coaching or commentary? He won’t be short of offers.
Strengths: As a veteran of the Premier League era, he would lend a unique players’ eye view to proceedings.
Weaknesses: For all the reasons he’s loved by Man United fans, he’s universally disliked by a large proportion of the population. And the whole of Liverpool and Manchester.
Most likely to say: “Liverpool look a long way short of title challengers… tee…hee.”
Least likely to say: “I think Sir Alex Ferguson has lost the plot there.”

PAUL MERSON
A left-field selection no doubt, but the man who has become one of the stars of Sky’s Soccer Saturday show would bring a large dose of colour – and comedy - to Sky’s live match coverage.
Strengths: How can you not like a bloke who calls it just likes your mates in the pub do?
Weaknesses: Smack, incoherent, A Tosser. Would you really want to listen to the bloke next to you in the pub for 90 minutes every Sunday afternoon?
Most likely to say: “Oooh, he’s hit the beans on toast.”
Least likely to say: “As Plato once remarked…”

CHRIS KAMARA
The most excitable football pundit in the world…EVER! No-one, and we mean no-one, does enthusiasm like Kammy.
Strengths: See above
Weaknesses: See above
Most likely to say: “Unbelieeevable!”
Least likely to say: “You have to say it’s been a disappointing first 45 minutes.”

[lets all have a disco]

Bob on there Don Fabio.

[Chinners]

Jury out on Benfica's David Luiz deal, but Porto look like window winners B*ll*x
The Portugeezer is in agreement with Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger when it comes to the January transfer window. Prices are inflated and most good players are cup-tied for European competition, which is why one should only use it in two situations: 1) To sign a replacement for a player with a long-term injury or 2) To bring in a player who can give a boost to the second half of an ailing season.
That, of course, doesn’t deter teams from preparing audacious bids for players they deem necessary. In recent years Portugal has been one of the finest exporters of talent to Europe’s other leagues, and January will likely see Benfica centre-back David Luiz move to Stamford Bridge in what will be one of the biggest deals in Europe this winter.
According to the latest reports, Chelsea will pay €25 million plus deadweight, err…a player they couldn’t care any less about. Portuguese media speculated it could be Fulham-bound Gael Kakuta, but 22-year old Nemanja Matic will be the most likely option. Of course, not all details are set in stone so we’ll have to wait and see if the Eagles can milk some extra money out of Roman’s deep pockets.
Is it a good deal? Yes and no. Currently, the Portugeezer wouldn’t advise paying €25 million for Luiz. He’s has shown signs of sloppiness this term and has been far from last season’s scintillating form. His mind seems to be away from the club and therefore now is a good time to part ways as Benfica hold a comfortable advantage over third-placed Sporting.
Nevertheless, if the rumoured €37M bid from Manchester City had just a pinch of truth in it, then having to surrender to this lower bid would be something of a kick in the teeth.

The culling
Pedro Caixinha and Leonardo Jardim would agree that performing above the expectations can sometimes lead to unwanted attention. Sixth placed União de Leiria lost instrumental duo Silas and Carlão to AEL Limassol and Kashima Antlers, respectively, while Beira-Mar saw centre-back Kanu move to Standard Liége.
Fortunately for both clubs, it’s not all doom and gloom as they’ve taken this opportunity to balance the books without having to worry too much about their already comfortable position in the league table.
Braga also suffered for the attention a good Champions League run can bring, as star performers Moisés and Matheus left the club for relative peanuts. Having already decided to trim the fat and plan for the next season, will the culling have an adverse affect on performances on the field?
So who will get a January boost and who will find the going even tougher?

Winners
Leapfrogging a team that has only lost one time this season is a difficult task for anyone. However, if you sell one of your best players that job will instantly become even harder. And in that regard, Porto have gained another edge over Benfica as their proven-reliable team will essentially remain the same.
The Dragons are one of the toughest negotiators worldwide which will scare away some of the potential suitors and the players seem more than happy to stick around and see how many pieces of silverware they can win this season.
Marítimo did a very shrewd piece of business by bringing back to Portugal Tunisian international Selim Benachour. He enjoyed a wonderful season at Guimarães and can only help the Islanders have a stronger remainder of the season.

Losers
Yes, Benfica had already signed a replacement for David Luiz in Jardel Vieira, the former Olhanense centre-back, but he’s not ready for ‘primetime‘. He’ll be one for next season and for now Benfica have no choice but to hand Luisão and Sidnei extra responsibility. Can they still claim to be genuine contenders? It is getting harder to see them overhauling Porto with each day…
With their squad overhaul, one cannot expect Braga to perform at the same level displayed over the past 18 months. Left-back Marco Ramos and winger Ukra have joined the club - the latter on loan, but it seems there’s still missing pieces in their jigsaw.
At the moment, they are in a tight race with Sporting, Guimarães, Nacional, Leiria and eventually Beira-Mar for the four coveted Europa League spots, and missing out on a European berth is not an option for them.
What to expect till the next week when the window closes? Braga to beef up their squad with one or two more players, Porto may get an agreement for Sílvio and Guimarães sign yet another random Brazilian.



West Brom have joined Bolton and Valencia in the race to sign Arsenal striker Carlos Vela on loan for the rest of the season.
And the Baggies could be in pole position after Gunners boss Arsene Wenger urged the Mexico international to stay in England.
Wenger has not given up on the talented 21-year-old who has failed to deliver when given his chances by the manager in cup competitions this season.
But he recognises the striker's need for games and will carefully approve the club that will get the benefit of Vela's ability for the rest of the season.

Alex 0xlade-Chamberlain – Arsenal and Manchester United target
Young, pacey, and English, Chamberlain has recently come to the nation’s attention with his performances for Southampton. The wonderkid, who is still only 17, has got tons of pace and a good touch, completed by a goal-scoring knack.
He has forged himself a regular starting slot on Southampton’s wing this season, helping the Saints in their bid for promotion to the Championship. Being precociously young, lightning quick down the wing, and a product of Southampton’s famed youth academy (that produced Gareth Bale), he has inevitably been compared to Theo Walcott.
http://www.cleansheetsallround.co.uk/20 ... ted-target

Ruud 'to leave Hamburg after season'
Ruud van Nistelrooy says he will leave Hamburg at the end of the season because the Bundesliga club blocked his transfer to Real Madrid. The Netherlands striker says "I'll go to another club" after Hamburg denied him a "romantic" return to Spain and a chance to work with Madrid coach Jose Mourinho.
The 34-year-old Van Nistelrooy played three seasons in Madrid, winning two league titles. He says in Wednesday's Marca newspaper that Madrid offered Hamburg €2 million plus a friendly match, but the German club told him they "couldn't sell me, they need me."
With Van Nistelrooy unavailable, Madrid instead signed Emmanuel Adebayor from Manchester City on loan until June.

[Ted Hughes]

Unfeasibly large bollocks.

Looking at the possible replacements for Andy Gray; the whole situation is a tragedy which will ony get worse.

Notice how the rags always appear sniffing around young players with pace? They value pace very highly & I recon their theory is that if they bring in players with pace who are decent, for every 4/5 Tosics or Obertans, they get a Valencia or even a Kanchelskis. They're dead right imo. If you're fast & good you have a better chance to become very very good rather than just being good or average.

Probably a lesson learned from signing Ralph Milne.

[Alioune DVToure]

"West Brom have joined Bolton and Valencia in the race to sign Arsenal striker Carlos Vela on loan for the rest of the season.
And the Baggies could be in pole position after Gunners boss Arsene Wenger urged the Mexico international to stay in England."

Shite tabloid conjecture at its very best/worst.

[dick dastardley]

i reckon allardyce is in with a squeak at sky!!

[Ted Hughes]

i reckon allardyce is in with a squeak at sky!!

Oh Jesus.

[Chinners]

Nice bit of b*ll*x just in ...

Just heard from a good source who reckons that Everton are very close to going into administration.

Apparently Kenwright is touting the club around hollywood luvvies in an attempt to generate some funds.
This is supposedly why Yakubu was allowed to go on loan and Pienaar sold to Spurs. Apparently they've also been trying to offload Phil Neville amongst other players.

Watch this space

[Beeks]

Nice bit of b*ll*x just in ...

Just heard from a good source who reckons that Everton are very close to going into administration.

Apparently Kenwright is touting the club around hollywood luvvies in an attempt to generate some funds.
This is supposedly why Yakubu was allowed to go on loan and Pienaar sold to Spurs. Apparently they've also been trying to offload Phil Neville amongst other players.

Watch this space

Fucking hell I tell you what...i've got an unopened bottle of champers in the fridge that's been waiting for something like this

[Wooders]

yes - bring it on, they were well snide over lescott - fuck 'em

[Good Times]

Jamie "Smasher" Rednapp, articulate?