Sunday's Gossip B*ll*x

[Chinners]

CITY BOLLOX (Links only as these are undoubtedly covered elsewhere today)

Mark Hughes's sacking as Manchester City manager has led to a "revolt" at Eastlands with striker Craig Bellamy leading a six-man delegation in confronting chief executive Gary Cook. News of the World http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/sport/6 ... HIEFS.html

Hughes himself feels he has been stabbed in the back and told the players during an emotional speech before Saturday's 4-3 victory over Sunderland to "finish the job.".News of the World

New Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini believed he was taking over at Eastlands 19 days ago. Full story: Sunday Mirror
Former West Ham manager Alan Curbishley is the man Championship QPR want as their next permanent manager. Paul Hart took the job on Friday but his contract is only til the end of the season. News of the World

Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez has paid £2,000 for a giant print of the 'Welcome to Manchester' poster that greeted his arrival from neighbours United. (Sunday Express)

Manchester City forward Robinho's move to Barcelona in January is still likely to be completed despite the arrival of Roberto Mancini as manager at Eastlands. Mail On Sunday http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/footba ... se-if.html

Mancini's transfer targets for January are thought to be Liverpool duo Fernando Torres and Javier Mascherano, Bayern Munch winger Franck Ribery, Atletico Madrid striker Sergio Aguero, Benfica winger Angel Di Maria, Barcelona duo Yaya Toure and Thierry Henry and West Ham defender Matthew Upson. The Sunday Times http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/ ... 962859.ece

Defender Kolo Toure wants to quit Manchester City after less than a season at Eastlands with his agent talking to several Spanish clubs. Sunday Mirror

TRANSFER BOLLOX
Liverpool striker Fernando Torres is a £60m target for Chelsea. News of the World

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is planning a £35m bid for Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema. Sunday Express

United meanwhile are battling to hold onto to central defender Jonny Evans who is a target for Real Madrid.Sunday People

Sunderland are interested in Tottenham striker Robbie Keane and are preparing a £12m bid for the Irishman.News of the World
Chelsea, Real Madrid and AC Milan are all battling it out for Anderlecht's 16-year-old Belgian striker Romelo Lukaku. Mail on Sunday

Chelsea are closing in on £25m Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko who is also a target for Manchester United. Sunday People

Liverpool have joined the race for Crystal Palace's 19-year-old midfielder Victor Moses. News of the World

Meanwhile, Liverpool defender Fabio Aurelio admits he is in the dark about his future at Liverpool. News of the World

Tottenham will make a January bid for West Ham defender Matthew Upson. News of the World

Real Madrid midfielder Rafael van der Vaart is to snub a £6m January move to Arsenal. Sunday Mirror

Manchester United could make a £5m January swoop for Marseille winger Hatem Ben Arfa. News of the World

Blackburn are set to pay a club-record £10m for Spanish striker Roberto Soldado. News of the World

Stoke and Wolves both have their sights on Red Star Salzburg's £2m-rated Cameroon star Somen Tchoyi. News of the World

Arsenal are the latest club to show an interest in Watford's highly-rated keeper Scott Loach.News of the World

Championship side Peterborough have slapped a £4m tag on want away striker Aaron McLean. News of the World

Newcastle boss Chris Hughton has told Premier League suitors to forget about landing striker Andy Carroll, with both Wolves and Stoke said to be interested. News of the World

Sunderland will battle it our with Newcastle to sign Porto's attacking midfielder Andre Monteiro. News of the World

Sunderland manager Steve Bruce is also keen on Partizan Belgrade midfielder Radosav Petrovic who is available for around £3m. News of the World

Bruce is also considering signing £6m Titus Bramble from Wigan for the second time in his career. Sunday Mirror

Tottenham have been told that Wigan defender Maynor Figueroa is not for sale. (Sunday Express).

Burnley are hoping to sign Tottenham left-back Gareth Bale on loan. News of the World

WAG OF THE DAY
http://www.thespoiler.co.uk/index.php/2 ... field-hall

OTHER BOLLOX
Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks has told former Germany manager Jurgen Klinsmann he will never manage Liverpool. Sunday Mirror

West Ham meanwhile face being sold for free if the financially-troubled club are relegated to the Championship next season. Mail on Sunday

Rangers manager Walter Smith is in the running to replace Brian Laws who was sacked by Sheffield Wednesday last week. News of the World

Notts County director of football Sven-Goran Eriksson has flown to Spain to meet Norwegian telecoms millionaire Idar Vollvik as he look to secure new funds for the troubled League Two club. News of the World

[Chinners]

Bevan hits out at impatient City owners
League Managers Association chief executive Richard Bevan has criticised the impatience of overseas owners in the wake of Mark Hughes' sacking at Manchester City - and revealed the Welshman was unaware of his fate prior to Saturday's win over Sunderland.
Hughes was dismissed by City and replaced by Italian Roberto Mancini, the club's chairman Khaldoon al-Mubarak revealing the decision had been taken in response to a run of just two wins in 11 in the Barclays Premier League. Hughes' demeanour during and after the win at Eastlands indicated he was aware of the board's decision to terminate his contract prior to the game, but that was not the case, according to Bevan.

"I spoke to Mark and he found out immediately after the game when he was called into a meeting and informed that his contract was being terminated, but I think the decision had probably been taken some time ago," Bevan told BBC Radio 5 Live's Sportsweek programme."I think Mark and everybody else in this country realises that you can't buy trophies in one season."If they [overseas owners] feel that, then we'll continue with the sackings and we'll continue with affinity lost to our clubs in England, because I'm pretty sure the Manchester City fans will be sorry to see Mark go."If you come in as an overseas owner, you need to embrace the city, the supporters, not just the trophy cabinet."Saturday's 4-3 win over the Black Cats moved City into sixth place in the Premier League, a position in line with the board's pre-season expectations, and Bevan has accused the club's owners of shifting their expectations midway through the campaign.

"Mark is very realistic about the situation," Bevan said."He knew the key goals he had to hit. His target actually was the top six. He was very disappointed because they were on target for that. For me, his reputation is still intact."Only two defeats - the fewest in the league - semi-finals of the Carling Cup, to me it looks like the goalposts were moved and the decision was made some time ago that he wasn't to continue in his role past today. I'm very disappointed for Mark and indeed the City fans."

Man City Taking The ‘New Chelsea’ Thing Too Literally?
Well, well, the money men aspired to be ‘the new Chelsea’ when they arrived at Manchester City and to a certain extent, it looks as if they could go one better. No, I haven’t been struck down with early onset dementia, I’m not imagining them climbing anywhere near the top four, but certainly in terms of being impatient enough not to care who they alienate, City’s owners are striving to be the best. You’d have thought that bearing in mind Roman Abramovich’s initial spending and Chelsea’s revolving door policy on managers had already provided plenty of material for the ‘How Not To Win Friends And Influence People’ manual, City might have taken a bit of notice. And yet, in just 18 months, they’ve not only read the manual but seem hell-bent on copying it to the letter and adding a chapter or two themselves. I remember saying it wouldn’t be long before City found themselves in the position they do now – where money doesn’t automatically equal success and everyone outside the club wills them to fail. If they’re honest, they can’t say they didn’t have it coming though. From the minute the Robinho deal was hijacked on the day of their arrival, through to that ‘Welcome to Manchester’ sign, their arrogance has known no limits. And the more naive supporters adopted that arrogant, moneybags attitude all too easily, believing they really would achieve the instant success their new owners had bragged about. Is it any wonder I’m doing an ‘I told you so’ article today?

You see, we’ve been there and done it because as if Abramovich’s millions weren’t enough reason to hate us, we replaced the likeable, genteel Ranieri with the cocky arrogance of Jose Mourinho. Claudio Ranieri had put together a good squad at Chelsea, and he’d done a decent job even without the money but it wasn’t happening fast enough for our owner. Cue Jose Mourinho and the rest of the country’s utter abhorrence of everything Chelsea. Ok, so it took a season before every pressman and pundit felt the same way as the opposition, but you get the drift. And yet, Manchester City, having lost just two Premier League games so far this season and getting into the semi-final of the Carling Cup have decided to dispense with the services of Mark Hughes and replace him with Roberto Mancini.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t feel particularly sorry for Hughes who clearly knew it was coming as he said his goodbyes after their narrow win over Sunderland yesterday. He was far too smug at City for my liking, hardly set the world alight even after he’d brought in £200million worth of talent – pinched from under rivals’ noses or otherwise – and as for his ridiculous comments about Frank Lampard recently, he doesn’t exactly invite sympathy. If I’m honest though, I just can’t understand how the owners think Roberto Mancini will do any better. Obviously he wasn’t first choice but having been flatly turned down by Guus Hiddink, who really has far too much integrity to take a job like that, their choices were narrowed somewhat. But even so, you’d have to question their decision.

Roberto Mancini may well have won three Serie A titles but as I’ve mentioned before when he’s been linked with us, two of those were by default and the third one wasn’t exactly convincing. Add to that the fact that it’s well noted his is the biggest ego in the dressing room, which makes it nigh on impossible for him to manage players who believe in their own hype, and you can’t help but question City’s judgement here. The Premier League has to be the hardest league in the world for a manager and the press in this country are unforgiving. Roberto Mancini’s style of football is unlikely to be appreciated by many and as for PR – well I haven’t previously described him as ‘Mourinho without charisma’ without good cause. As if all that isn’t a recipe enough for disaster, Mancini has a pretty suspect temperament as well, which should make meetings with the likes of Fergie and Wenger better viewing than any plot Guy Fawkes could ever have dreamt up. Want the good news though? With City copying every single mistake we’ve ever made, it’s unlikely Mancini will last beyond the summer!

Redknapps tupence worth
Hughes was dismissed by Manchester City last night and replaced by Italian Roberto Mancini, the club's chairman Khaldoon al-Mubarak revealing the decision had been taken in response to a run of just two wins in 11 in the Premier League.

Redknapp, one of only two men to mastermind victory over City in the Premier League this season, following Spurs' convincing 3-0 triumph at White Hart Lane in midweek, admitted he was baffled by the decision to part with Hughes. Premier League table "I couldn't believe it really. (I'm) disappointed. They've lost two games this season - away to Man United in the last minute and then they got beat at Tottenham in the week," he said. "Two defeats is certainly not a disaster. They've got a game in hand and they were sitting just off the (Champions League) places. "I'm really surprised that they've taken that decision at this stage of the season. "Mark's a good manager and, given time, there's not doubt they would have been very successful."

Redknapp believes the new wave of foreign owners in English football has skewed expectations and placed increased pressure on managers. "It's different now. You've got multi-millionaire owners who all want to be number one, and the more that come into the game, they're not going to understand that they can't all win," he said. "In their life they've made so much money and they do what they want with their lives because they're so rich, and they'll expect to win. "The more that come in, the more you are going to see managers come and go. The merry-go-round will be even worse because they're all disappointed they're not top of the league. They won't understand it."

[Chinners]

Stranger than fiction
Paul Merson
Part of me can understand why Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour and chairman Khaldoon al-Mubarak decided to sack Mark Hughes - but only a very, very small part.

Two wins in 11 games doesn't sound like a great return but as every football fan knows that isn't the whole story. You only have to look at Saturday's results to see the Premier League is more difficult this season than it has ever been and at times it has been completely topsy-turvy. Manchester United got smashed on Saturday by Fulham - their fifth defeat of the campaign - while Chelsea were well beaten by Wigan earlier this season. That says it all! City, on the other hand, have only lost twice all season and have just beaten Sunderland at home in an entertaining game. That's what the fans want to see - victories and entertainment.

It makes me wonder whether Sheikh Mansour - and other foreign owners for that matter - really understand what they have bought into. Do they really grasp football and what it takes to build a team? What were they expecting? Did they think they were just going to throw a team together and go and win the league? If so, they've been reading too many fairytales. Happy endings like that might happen in fiction but they aren't going to happen in today's Premier League.

People will say Blackburn did it - spent the money, got a team together and went and won it - but the league isn't anything like it was back then now. It's so more competitive now, it's unreal. I can see Roberto Mancini carrying on the work Hughes has done - and Brian Kidd's input will be crucial in that - but at the end of the day I'm disappointed to see another top Premier League job go to a foreign manager. I wouldn't have so many qualms about it if the Football Association didn't insist that home-grown coaches can't work at the top level unless they have their badges. Why are they charging people a load of money to do these courses when they are not going to get the jobs? I think it's an issue that needs to be looked at.

People will say that Mancini has got an easy start to his tenure because he doesn't have to play a 'top-four' club - Liverpool - until February but I disagree. As a manager you almost want to be playing the big teams because you are on an absolute hiding to nothing in games against teams in the lower half of the table.You are expected to win but the bottom line is City are not a great team - they are alright, but not great. They don't travel well and are letting in goals all over the place which is a major worry. They've got one of the best goalkeepers in the business in Shay Given but since Richard Dunne's departure they look short of out-and-out defenders. You won't win much without a sound defence in any sport. I remember Tampa Bay winning the Super Bowl in 2002 because they had an unbelievable defence. They weren't the Indianapolis Colts, who scored points for fun, but they did grind out victories. When you get a medal for winning the league it doesn't say 'unbelievable at going forward' on it. It just says winner.

Dignity
Will Hughes want another job in football right now? I can't see it, to be honest. If you've just managed Man City and had all the resources you could want at your disposal he will surely find it difficult to do a job where they say you've got nothing to spend.

It's like having a Ferrari and then having to swap it for an old banger. It's completely different. I think he might not want another job for some time.Wherever he goes from now on will feel like going from a 10-bedroom mansion to a bed-sit. He bought Julian Lescott for £25m and, more to the point, could even though he wasn't worth it. I think he will have to take time out if he is going to get back to square one. But I'm sure he will be back and let's hope when he is he's treated with a bit more dignity.

Sundays Supplement video
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