Sunday's B*ll*x

[Chinners]

Shaun Wright-Phillips’ Manchester City contract talks break down
The News of the World report today that contract talks between England winger Shaun Wright-Phillips and Manchester City have broken down.
Manchester City chief executive Garry Cook and football administrator Brian Marwood could not come to an agreement with representatives of the right winger whose current deal at Eastlands expires at the end of 2011/2012.
The 28-year-old is frustrated at losing his regular starting place in the Manchester City first team although he did return to the starting line-up for the 1-1 draw with Stoke yesterday and scored the opening goal.
Wright-Phillips has been troubled by an ankle injury in recent weeks but also claims he has been "frozen out" by new Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini.
In 2009/2010, Wright-Phillips has made 18 appearances, scoring three goals and providing six assists in the Premier League.

Man City prepare summer swoop for Nemanja Vidic
MANCHESTER is on course for another summer of transfer strife with wealthy Manchester City preparing to move for their neighbours’ unsettled centre-back Nemanja Vidic. The move would form part of City’s strategy to replace Manchester United as England’s premier football club, and echoes their successful poaching of Carlos Tevez from Old Trafford last year.
Like Tevez, Vidic is understood to feel undervalued and he has attracted the interest of several leading clubs, including Real Madrid and AC Milan. The 28-year-old Serbia international’s contract expires in 2012 and United are yet to talk about extending it.
Despite signing Joleon Lescott and Kolo Toure for combined transfer fees of £40m, central defence remains a weak area for City. An approach to Vidic in the summer would be modelled on the attempt to lure John Terry from Chelsea in the last close season. City promised to double the then-England captain’s wages to £250,000 a week. Encouraged by communication from Terry that he would move should a transfer be agreed with Chelsea, City made a series of substantial offers, all of them rejected.
City’s interest is unlikely to be welcomed by Sir Alex Ferguson, United’s manager. He has had to deal with problems in central defence all season, with both Vidic and Rio Ferdinand frequent absentees. In January, United agreed an £10m deal for Fulham’s Chris Smalling. They are also monitoring the centre-back’s England under-21 teammate Jack Rodwell, of Everton, and Denmark international Simon Kjaer. Vidic, inset, feels that performances that saw him named as the Premier League Player of the Season last term should be rewarded with promotion into the £100,000-a-week wage bracket. Offers from City and Madrid to exceed those terms means Ferguson would have to sell to a major rival, improve Vidic’s pay or try to manage a disgruntled performer.

Man City striker Bellamy attacked by Man Utd fan
Manchester City striker Craig Bellamy has been recovering from an ugly assault, it has been revealed.
The Sunday Mirror says Bellamy has been left ­battered and bruised after being attacked by a ­Man United fan.
The fiery Wales ­international, 30, suffered a black eye and grazed face during the attack last ­Saturday after City’s 2-1 defeat at Hull.
The thug struck Bellamy outside the Panacea bar in Alderly Edge, Cheshire, where he had been drinking with pals including team-mate Wayne Bridge.
An onlooker said: “He whacked him from behind and Craig fell to the floor. Bouncers jumped in straight away and the guy was carted off.”
Police attended but ­Bellamy did not wish to press charges. A source said: “He said he hit Craig because he was a Man U fan and Craig plays for City.”
The incident comes after Bellamy was hit with a coin during a tense Carling Cup semi-­final between City and United last month.

TRANSFER BOLLOX
Barcelona are budgeting for a £60m summer deal for Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas.
Sunday Mirror

WAG OF THE DAY - Mirella Grisales

http://www.thespoiler.co.uk/index.php/2 ... a-grisales

OTHER BOLLOX
Violent clashes after Southampton and Portsmouth FA tie
Football fans and police have clashed in Southampton after the city's football club lost 4-1 to bitter rivals Portsmouth in an FA Cup tie.
Bricks, bottles and chairs were thrown by fans outside St Mary's stadium in violent scenes, with 11 arrests.
More than 250 officers, including mounted police, were on duty.
Previous games between the clubs have also seen clashes. Over 90 arrests were made at Fratton Park in 2004 and five at the last meeting in 2005.
I'm not belittling anybody who got hurt or perhaps had a car damaged, but in terms of the scale of what happened... I think it was a really good operation
More than 4,000 Portsmouth fans were expected at Saturday's game and officers escorted them between the stadium and railway station, where special trains were laid on.
The route took in one of the city's main shopping streets, containing tens of thousands of shoppers.
Officers were also involved in breaking up skirmishes across the city. Some fans suffered injuries such as bloodied noses.
In a bid to stem disorder, city pubs shut for two hours after the game.
A special metal security barrier was also brought in to help keep fans apart close to the ground.
Two Portsmouth fans were arrested before the game after fireworks were thrown in the city centre.
Police preparations for the derby match were under way for weeks beforehand.
Ch Supt Matthew Greening told BBC News he thought the operation went well, and that the majority of fans had behaved themselves.
"It was always going to be a high-energy afternoon," he said.
"We know we have really strong rivalry between the clubs and the fans.
"I'm really disappointed that some fans were irresponsible, and in Britannia Road caused some quite ugly scenes.
"But actually, it was just one of the things that we planned for, one of the opportunities that could have happened.
"It did, we responded, we dealt with it and whilst it was ugly at times, we do accept that, actually, the level of injuries that were caused and the level of damage that was caused was relatively minor."
He added: "I'm not belittling anybody who got hurt or perhaps had a car damaged, but in terms of the scale of what happened and the way some people were talking before the game, I think it was a really good operation."

VIDE0: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hamp ... 514252.stm

Manchester United's 39-year-old goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar looks set to sign a new one-year contract worth £5m.
Mail on Sunday

West Ham co-owner David Gold has come out in support of rivals Portsmouth, saying the Premier League should not let the south coast club go out of business.
Mail on Sunday

Stoke City's Matthew Etherington admits to having squandered £1.5m gambling on horse racing, greyhounds and in card schools.
Mail on Sunday

Everton have put a £30m price tag on teenager Jack Rodwell in a bid to keep interest from Manchester United at bay.
Sunday Mirror

Ronaldo says never say never to a return to Manchester United as he reveals how he misses his Old Trafford "family".
News of the World

Wayne Bridge's relationship with John Terry is at rock bottom after he snubbed peace talks with the former England captain
News of the World

[ant london]

Vidic to City.....hahaha funny for the annoyance value if nothing else

[Chinners]

Mancini calls for shooting stars!
Emmanuel Adebayor and Carlos Tevez can't stop finding the net for City right now - but Roberto Mancini wants a few more names on the scoresheet too.
Adebayor has struck three goals in his last three matches, while Tevez is on an extraordinary run that has seen him net 15 times in his last 14 starts.
They were both on target as the Blues beat Bolton 2-0 on Tuesday night to keep themselves in the frame for a top-four Premier League finish.
And between them, the two strikers have scored 10 of City's 14 Premier League goals since Mancini took charge.
The City boss will be delighted if they keep up that run of form all the way through to the end of the season.
But as a former striker himself, he knows that there's a chance the goals will dry up for one or both of them at some stage.
And that is why he is looking for Martin Petrov, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Patrick Vieira and Gareth Barry - among others - to chip in with the goals that could push City to glory.
He said: "It's important for the strikers to keep scoring goals.
"Manu scored a fantastic goal against Bolton, and Carlos scored a penalty, and that won us the game.
"I hope they continue to score - but I hope that other players will contribute with goals too. I hope we can get goals from Martin, Shaun, Patrick and Gareth when he is 100 per cent fit.
"It is important the we have other players who can score."
With Roque Santa Cruz back in training after almost a month out with a calf injury, Mancini has more options in attack.
And that could be crucial as the Blues chase glory in the Premier League and the FA Cup.
Mancini said: "When we work in training, I can play Manu with Carlos, but I can also play Manu with Roque. We do have options with the strikers.
"If we want to be a successful team, we cannot rely on one or two players to score all of our goals."
This season has already seen City reach their first major semi-final since 1981.
But Mancini would like to see the Blues go further as they aim for a first trophy since 1976.

Robin van Persie turned down four clubs
Robin van Persie says his emotional attachment to Arsenal convinced him to reject four rival clubs when signing a new contract last summer.
Van Persie, 26, agreed terms on a new long-term contract in July after lengthy negotiations with the club but it is reported that Manchester City, Chelsea, Juventus and Inter Milan all showed interest in a player who has become one of the Premier League's leading strikers since his arrival from Feyenoord in 2004.
Despite the impressive career options placed in front of him, Van Persie says he could not contemplate leaving Arsenal so agreed to extend his contract with Arsene Wenger's side.
"It is good that four teams were really interested in me but I had to turn them down," Van Persie told the News of the World. "It's not as easy to leave Arsenal as you maybe think.
"Even if you want to leave, as a player, I don't think it is easy because when you move to Arsenal you are led there by your heart."
After signing his new contract, Van Persie started the season in stunning fashion and recorded seven goals and seven assists in just 11 Premier League games before suffering a serious ankle injury during an international friendly between Netherlands and Italy in November.
The striker is hoping to return to the first team in April as he recovers from the latest in a long line of injury setbacks at Arsenal. Van Persie's constant fitness problems have been a constant source of frustration to his manager, Arsenal fans and of course the player himself.
"When you look at great players, they are always fit, always sharp," Van Persie said. "When you play 50 games a season, you can score more goals and get more assists, so it follows that you are more important to the team.
"Everything starts with your fitness and some players are lucky like that. I hate it but I can't do anything about it because this is my situation."

[Chinners]

Everton Eye Manchester City Defender Nedum Onuoha
Everton are thought to be lining up a £4 million swoop for Manchester City stopper Nedum Onuoha at the end of the season.
Onuoha is likely to be forced out of Eastlands, as City boss Roberto Mancini goes on a summer spending spree and Everton boss David Moyes is keen to bring the 23-year-old to Goodison Park.
The former England Under-21 international can play anywhere along the back four, but has struggled to hold down a regular place for the Citizens with so much competition for places.
It's expected the Nigerian born defender, who arrived at City in 2004, will be allowed to leave in the summer having fallen down the pecking order.
Onuoha has made just seven appearances this term, scoring past Scunthorpe United last month in the FA Cup.
Moyes is keen to do a deal and hopes a fee in the region of £4m will be enough to secure the talented youngster's signature.

Vieira: I made right decision to join Manchester City
After France national team coach Raymond Domenech confirmed that an in-form Patrick Vieira would be his World Cup captain, the midfielder reiterated his delight to be at Manchester City .
The 33 year-old joined Manchester City during the transfer window from Inter Milan in order to secure playing time and a possible World Cup recall. Having recently played his first matches for City, Vieira is sure that he has made the right move.
Vieira told the Manchester Evening News that his ambition matches that of City, saying "I am 100 per cent sure I made the right move. I don't have any doubt about it," he said.
"I made the choice to come here because I strongly believe the quality of the football club and the quality of the players is there.
"After a month I am more than confident. The quality of the players and the hunger to finish in the top four is there, so we know what we have to do.
"My target is the World Cup. But to go to the World Cup I have to perform with City and I am really focused on the way I perform at City."
The Manchester City midfielder is vastly experienced, having played over 100 international matches, winning the World Cup in 1998.