Thursday's B*ll*x

[Chinners]

Carlos Tevez could play 'within weeks' says Man City boss
Carlos Tevez could be playing for Manchester City within "two to three weeks" after manager Roberto Mancini accepted his apology to the club
VIDEO & AUDIO: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17121769

Joleon Lescott discusses Carlos Tevez'santicipated return for Manchester City. Lescott says: "No-one here (among the players) sees Carlos as a disruption. With us, Carlos has never been an issue, and we are confident that if he does get his chance, he will score a lot of goals." Lescott has urged City fans to get behind the striker, adding: "When I spoke to him at the weekend he did say he was raring to go and looking forward to getting involved."

CHELSEA READY TO BATTLE MAN CITY FOR MADRID STAR
Chelsea are set for a summer transfer battle with Manchester City for Angel di Maria, after the Argentine star was linked with the Premier League leaders in Spanish press reports.
Stamford Bridge officials made contact with Real Madrid last month regarding the possibility of the 24-year-old moving to Chelsea and Andres Villas-Boas is still said to be keen on the player.
However Fichajes.net now claim Roberto Mancini’s City could be in the driving seat as di Maria is keen on linking up with his Argentina team mate, Sergio Aguero at the Etihad Stadium.
City may also be able to offer Carlos Tevez in any deal which may prove decisive as Jose Mourinho has made no secret of his admiration of the former City captain’s ability.
Chelsea appear to be the side in greater need of the player however, as Villas-Boas is under increasing pressure at Stamford Bridge following a difficult season.

TIT 4 TAT BOLLOX - Part 1
Porto to report Manchester City to Uefa over 'improper behaviour' from fans
The Portuguese champions claim the English team's supporters behaved in an unacceptable way during Wednesday's match and have lodged a complaint to the European governing body
Porto director Rui Cerqueira has confirmed that the club will file a formal complaint with Uefa against Manchester City over the behaviour of the Premier League club's fans.
The Portuguese club, who were denied the chance to defend their Europa League crown after Wednesday's 4-0 defeat at the Etihad Stadium, state that City's fans engaged in 'improper behaviour' towards Brazil international Hulk during the match.
"This kind of behaviour may be normal in England, but we want to eradicate it from football," Cerqueira is quoted by Lusa as saying.
The action from the Portuguese club comes just one week after the Premier League side made a complaint to Uefa following alleged racial abuse from Porto's fans towards Mario Balotelli and Yaya Toure during the first leg at Estadio do Dragao.
The European governing body confirmed on Tuesday it had launched an investigation into the case, with a decision expected to be made on March 29.

TIT 4 TAT BOLLOX - Part 2
[spoiler][/spoiler]
OTHER BOLLOX
Portsmouth may not have enough money to finish season
Portsmouth administrator Trevor Birch has admitted the club may not have enough money to see out the current season as things stand.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17137954

Zenit St Petersburg claim they are in negotiations with Arsenal to bring Andrey Arshavin back to the club on loan. "We had [initial] talks with them. Let's see how they respond now," the Russian club's general director, Maxim Mitrofanov, was quoted as saying. Sovetsky Sport

Frank Lampard could be set to join ex-Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti at Paris Saint-Germain. Daily Mirror

Meanwhile, Chelsea left-back Ashley Cole, 31, is set to leave the club after clashing with manager Andre Villas-Boas. The Sun

Arsenal are planning to spend £55m on German pair Mario Gotze and Lukas Podolski in the summer as manager Arsene Wenger looks to reinvigorate his attack. Bild

Juventus are understood to have outlined a four-year contract for Manchester United's 18-year-old midfielder Paul Pogba. Daily Mail

Sunderland face competition from Sevilla and Saint Etienne in the race to land Atalanta midfielder Moussa Kone. The Ivorian has impressed this season while on loan at Serie B outfit Pescara. talkSHITE

Al Ain have urged Sunderland to make striker Asamoah Gyan's loan move permanent in the summer. The UAE-based team paid £6m to get Gyan on a temporary deal, and are prepared to pay another £6m. Daily Mirror

AC Milan are set to rival Manchester United in the race to snap up Benfica midfielder Javi Garcia. The Spaniard is believed to be valued at £17m by the Portuguese giants. talkSHITE

Reading striker Mathieu Manset is set to join fellow Frenchman Nicolas Anelka at Shanghai Shenhua after the Chinese side made a loan bid for his services. Daily Mail

Chelsea have turned to former Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez to check whether he would consider taking over from Andre-Villas Boas at Stamford Bridge. The Times

England's interim manager Stuart Pearce is set to name an experimental squad on Thursday for the friendly against the Netherlands next Wednesday. Pearce spent yesterday calling senior players to tell them they would not be involved in the game. Daily Mail

Tottenham Hotspur hope to convince Harry Redknapp to turn down the England manager's job with a lucrative new contract offer. Daily Mirror

After failing to land Alan Curbishley and Brian McDermott, Wolverhampton Wanderers are to turn to ex-Rangers boss Walter Smith as they look to appoint a new manager. Daily Mirror

Alex McLeish has left the door open for a Robbie Keane comeback after insisting Villa have "whetted his appetite" for a Premier League return. Birmingham Mail

Disney are the latest firm to see their offer of commercial work for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain rejected by Arsenal as the club look to protect their young winger from over-exposure. Daily Mirror

Stewart Downing has admitted he is feeling the pressure to perform due to the "culture shock" of swapping Aston Villa for Liverpool. Daily Mail

The Football League have scrapped the playing of the national anthems during Sunday's Carling Cup final between Welsh side Cardiff and English side Liverpool. The organisation wants to avoid booing of the anthems. The Sun

The Arsenal Supporters' Trust has urged the club to slash ticket prices if they fail to qualify for next season's Champions League. Daily Mail

Meanwhile, senior sources say Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger could have £100m to spend on players in the summer. Daily Telegraph

A young mascot may have been the key to Chelsea's downfall at Napoli, after he gave two-goal hero Ezequiel Lavezzi a kiss on the cheek for luck. Metro

MORE BOLLOX SOON

[Piccsnumberoneblue]

A player diving gets booed? Hmm. And the problem is?

[Avalon]

Wait, what was that racism thing that happened in Portugal last week then? This kind of behaviour may be normal in Portugal, but we want to eradicate it from football. See what I did there? Cunts.

[Scatman]

Wait, what was that racism thing that happened in Portugal last week then? This kind of behaviour may be normal in Portugal, but we want to eradicate it from football. See what I did there? Cunts.

Calling people cunts might be normal on Man City forums, but we want to eradicate it from the internet.

[ruralblue]

Wait, what was that racism thing that happened in Portugal last week then? This kind of behaviour may be normal in Portugal, but we want to eradicate it from football. See what I did there? Cunts.

Calling people cunts might be normal on Man City forums, but we want to eradicate it from the internet.

To eradicate cunts from Man City forums is normal, but we want to eradicate the internet!

Playing a game of tit for tat is plausable if you don't have the tit's as a bunch of racist chanting cunts!

[Evenmydoghatesunited]

And in all probability we get to play Lisbon in the next round so more of the same?

[Ted Hughes]

I struggle to believe this is true re Porto but if it is, they are a pathetic, disgusting, excuse for a club. Even UEFA won't wear that. If Porto are willing to sink so low as to do this, as a kind of retaliation because we have complained about our players getting racially abused, it just shows how little they care about the problem. They basically think it's all a bit of banter & falls in the same catagory.

[Evenmydoghatesunited]

Perhaps if the team from the capital call themselves Sporting Lisbon then Porto could assume a similar representative prefix. What about Racistbastarding Porto?

[Crossie]

I think our fans were misquoted during the chants.

That language barrier causes all sorts of problems.....

[Esky]

I think our fans were misquoted during the chants.

That language barrier causes all sorts of problems.....

Was there anything beyond 'You're not Incredible' and 'Spiderman was right, you're fucking shite'?

[Scatman]

I think our fans were misquoted during the chants.

That language barrier causes all sorts of problems.....

Was there anything beyond 'You're not Incredible' and 'Spiderman was right, you're fucking shite'?

You fat bastard was heard a few times.

[kinkylola]

shocking

[Duckman]

di maria is far too ugly to play for city. still, a swap for tevez would be a fucking upgrade.

[mr_nool]

di maria is far too ugly to play for city. still, a swap for tevez would be a fucking upgrade.

Biggest diver in football today. I hate him with a passion.

[Duckman]

di maria is far too ugly to play for city. still, a swap for tevez would be a fucking upgrade.

Biggest diver in football today. I hate him with a passion.

me too.

[Im_Spartacus]

The Porto story has the whiff of a wind up about it.

If true though, it would be truly ridiculous

[Moonchesteri]

if that Porto story is true they're a joke of a club.

though they were such a bunch of divers that I think that's the case anyway

[craigmcfc]

Elena Santarelli - what could be better the morning after a 4-0 demolition. Top stuff Chinners

[markuse]

And in all probability we get to play Lisbon in the next round so more of the same?

Hopefully not. Despite my dislike for Sporting (whose full name by the way is Sporting Clube de Portugal) their fans are not as unpleasant as Porto's and also their front office is usually more down to earth and less full of air.

Porto's fans and directors alike are used to be treated with white gloves in Portugal since they come from the industrial capital, are the richest club in the country thanks to overselling their players and managed to win something in Europe in the past 15 years. When this doesn't happen they show what kind of crybabies they actually are

[paddyblue]

Mr Hulk was treated like a Dog