Ex-footballer Trevor Sinclair admits drink driving charges
Former England footballer Trevor Sinclair has admitted drink driving and racially abusing a police officer.
Sinclair was arrested in Lytham and became agitated and accused police of being racist, a court was told.
Blackpool Magistrates' Court heard he racially abused the officer who arrested him, but has since accepted the police were not racist towards him.
His solicitor Nick Freeman said Sinclair was "totally appalled by his behaviour, embarrassed and contrite".
He is expected to be sentenced later.
The court also heard that Sinclair, 44, urinated in a police car during the arrest in his home town on 12 November.
After Sinclair pleaded guilty to drink driving and a racially aggravated public order offence, the prosecution dropped other charges including assault on a police officer, failing to provide a specimen and criminal damage.
The BBC pundit played 12 times for England, winning four caps in the 2002 World Cup.
His clubs included Blackpool, QPR, West Ham, Cardiff and Manchester City.
The hearing continues.
Bernardo Silva insists Manchester City are not 'invincible'
Their 18-match winning run came to an end with a goalless draw against Crystal Palace on Sunday and Silva will hope to avoid a surprise defeat against Watford on Tuesday.
Silva, limited to six starting appearances since his summer arrival from Monaco, could claim back-to-back domestic titles but the Portugal international is not celebrating yet despite their 12-point cushion over neighbours Manchester United with a game in hand.
Bernardo Silva will aim to maintain Manchester City's unbeaten league run this season against Watford
"In football, you are never invincible," Silva told Sky Sports.
"Of course it has been good up until now. In the Premier League, we haven't lost yet a game so it is very good for us and our confidence.
"But we have to keep working the same way we have been doing from the start of the season. That is what we will try and do.
"It is good for the confidence not to have lost yet."
The 23-year-old midfielder has had to be patient since his £43m deal but after successive league starts could be in for an extended run in the City line-up following the injuries sustained by attacking duo Kevin De Bruyne and Gabriel Jesus at Selhurst Park.
Silva believes remaining unbeaten for the second half of the campaign will be "even more complicated" and pointed to the forthcoming league fixture against Liverpool on January 14, live on Sky Sports Premier League, as a stern test.
"It is very complicated because even remaining unbeaten for half of the season is not easy," Silva added.
"To do another half is even more complicated probably. We will try but it is not easy and we still have many difficult games.
"Soon we will be playing at Anfield. We try to win every game to get the three points so that is what we will try to do."
GOLDEN BOLLOX 2-1-2010
E.ON Great Saves No.1: Bert Trautmann
FA Cup final, May 5, 1956
Goals from Joe Hayes, Bobby Johnstone and Jack Dyson saw Manchester City get their hands on the famous trophy for a third time. But it was the remarkable heroics of former Prisoner of War Bert Trautmann for which this FA Cup final will forever be remembered
Manchester City
Joe Hayes (3)
Bobby Johnstone (62)
Jack Dyson (64)
Birmingham
Noel Kinsey (15)
Wembley, Referee: Alf Bond, Fulham, Att: 100,000
Manchester City were leading 3-1 with 73 minutes on the clock, when Birmingham forward Peter Murphy outpaced his marker and looked certain to set up a grandstand finale. But Bert Trautmann had other ideas, as the City stopper came tearing out of his goal and dived bravely at the feet of Murphy to win the ball. Trautmann suffered a sickening blow to the neck from the right knee of Murphy in the process, knocking him unconscious. Several minutes of treatment ensued before Trautmann unsteadily returned to his feet and insisted on playing out the remainder of the match. Trautmann, clearly suffering from the clash, then proceeded to thwart Birmingham on a number of occasions, with his crowning glory a typically brave dive at the feet of Murphy which ensured the match remained 3-1. The stop was made all the more impressive when, three days later, Trautmann discovered he had played out the game with a broken neck.
Key Figures
Bert Trautmann
After serving as a German paratrooper during the Second World War, Trautmann was captured by the British and sent to a Prisoner of War camp at Ashton in Makerfield, near Wigan. It was there Trautmann honed his football skills in camp matches, first as an outfield player, before an injury saw him try his hand at goalkeeping. Trautmann proved a natural between the sticks and joined local team St Helens once the war ended, where he impressed so much that First Division Manchester City handed him a contract in 1949. Despite fierce opposition to the signing of an ex-POW, Trautmann soon became a fans' favourite and his heroics in the FA Cup final cemented his status as a City legend.
Peter Murphy
The forward had netted five times in Birmingham's run to the final, but could find no way past an inspired Trautmann at Wembley. Bearing down on goal with 17 minutes left, Murphy seemed certain to drag his team back into the match but didn't bargain on Trautmann diving head-first at his feet to prevent him from pulling the trigger. Despite Trautmann suffering immense pain for the remainder of the game, Murphy was again thwarted late on by the incredibly brave City stopper.
Did You Know...?
When Trautmann joined Manchester City in October 1949, more than 20,000 people attended a demonstration to express anger over the club’s decision to sign the former AXIS paratrooper. Fifteen years later Trautmann was handed a testimonial by City, where a crowd in excess of 47,000 paid tribute to him.
Trautmann was the first German to play in an FA Cup final when he appeared for Manchester City against Newcastle in 1955. A year later he became the first German to win the competition and, in 1956, was also the first goalkeeper – and foreigner - to win the Football Writers' Footballer of the Year award. In 2004 he was appointed an honorary Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for promoting Anglo-German understanding through football.
What Happened Next
A few months after the final, tragedy struck for Trautmann when his first-born son John was killed in a car crash at the age of five. Trautmann was also forced to spend a lengthy period out of the game due to his neck injury, missing most of the 1956-57 season. He eventually managed to regain full fitness, however, and remained at Maine Road until 1964 - making 545 appearances for the club over 15 years.
This season E.ON is celebrating Great Saves - great energy saves at home and great goalkeeping saves on the pitch. To win an exciting range of football prizes, with everything from signed football and shirts to a set of four family tickets at the FA Cup final go to eongreatsaves
http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/archive ... 71729.html
Gabriel Jesus offers positive update on knee injury
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Manchester City striker Gabriel Jesus has offered a positive update on his knee injury by saying it is “not very bad” and does not require surgery.
The Brazilian picked up the problem in the 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park and was forced off in tears.
However, he has now taken to Instagram to give fans a bit more insight into the nature of his current injury, here’s what he said:
“Today I went through an image exam on my left knee that diagnosed a small medial colateral ligament injury! Thanks god it is not very bad and I won’t have to go through any surgery procedure. Promise to be back as soon as possible! Thanks for all the fans support and positive thoughts! Happy new year! 2018 is going to be my year!”
Manchester City have also released a statement on the striker’s condition and said he is set to have further tests to determine the severity of the problem.
“Manchester City can confirm Gabriel Jesus suffered a medial collateral ligament injury during the 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace on Sunday.
“He will undergo further examinations in the coming days to establish the extent of his lay-off.
“We wish Gabriel a speedy recovery and we will keep you updated on his progress via the Club's official channels.”
It seems as though the full extent of Jesus’s injury is yet to be fully known and initial estimates are suggesting he could be out for anything between three and 12 weeks.
Let’s hope it is not as bad as first feared and that we can see Jesus back in action as soon as possible.
ABSTRUSE
əbˈstruːs
adjective
difficult to understand; obscure.
synonyms: obscure, arcane, esoteric, little known, recherché, rarefied, recondite, difficult, hard, puzzling, perplexing, enigmatic, inscrutable, cryptic, Delphic, complex, complicated, involved, over/above one's head, incomprehensible, unfathomable, impenetrable, mysterious
antonyms: clear, obvious
"This place wouldn't be the same without Phip's abstruse posts."
Manchester City have not made a formal offer for Alexis Sanchez
Arsenal have not received a formal offer for Alexis Sanchez or Mesut Ozil since the transfer window opened, according to Arsene Wenger.
Chile forward Sanchez has once again been linked to Premier League leaders Manchester City after a proposed switch to the Etihad Stadium collapsed on deadline day four months ago.
City boss Pep Guardiola told reporters after Sunday's 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace that he expected Sanchez to remain at Arsenal but a medial knee ligament injury to Gabriel Jesus could prompt a renewed push for a player who is out of contract at the end of this season.
Germany playmaker Ozil and midfielder Jack Wilshere are also approaching the end of their respective deals at Emirates Stadium but Wenger told a news conference ahead of Wednesday's home match against Chelsea that no offers had been forthcoming.
"We have not been contacted by anybody, no," he said.
"We will try [to keep them] but I have answered that question many times. At the moment I think the best is not to talk too much and focus on tomorrow's game."
Wenger underlined his desire to keep all three members of the trio but, while Wilshere has offered positive indications with regards to staying after getting his Arsenal career back on track, the prospect of losing Sanchez and Ozil does not intimidate the long-serving boss.
"This club has lost many big players and has always responded well," the 67-year-old said.
"Massive players have left this club, so this club will always be in a strong position on that front. But obviously you want to keep your best players.
"As long as things are not signed, you can say you are positive or negative or super positive.
"If things are not signed you shut up and you announce things when they are concrete. It is as simple as that."
Wenger confirmed Arsenal's intention is to look for reinforcements during January and acknowledged the contract impasses would inform his thinking.
"We are out there to do some things, yes, but when is very difficult to say because it does not depend only on us," he added.
"We are open in any position for exceptional players who can give us a plus. It depends a little on the injuries as well.
"Also, it depends on who will extend their contract of the players who are out of contract in June.
"We'll have to take the consequence of these decisions and respond to it." (fourfourtwo)
Pep Guardiola: Man City boss says fixture list congestion a 'disaster' for players
The Premier League's congested schedule is a "disaster" for players, says Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola.
City, who have a 12-point lead in the table with a game in hand, face Watford on Tuesday, their fourth match in 11 days over the holiday period.
Guardiola saw key players Gabriel Jesus and Kevin de Bruyne suffer injuries at Crystal Palace on Sunday.
The Spaniard said: "If you tell me that technically, physically it's good for the players: no, it's a disaster."
City confirmed on Monday that Jesus had suffered a medial collateral ligament injury and would "undergo further examinations to establish the extent of his lay-off".
Jesus later wrote on social media: "Thank God it is not very bad and I won't have to go through any surgery. Promise to be back as soon as possible!"
City's run of 18 successive wins came to an end with the goalless draw at Selhurst Park, the first time they have failed to score in the league this term.
Their 246 hours between the four matches over Christmas and New Year is one of the longer gaps in the Premier League, with Leicester having only 213 hours between the start and finish of their four fixtures.
Having managed in Spain and Germany, where winter breaks are employed each season, Guardiola said of the British domestic structure: "It's a tradition. I have to adapt.
"Sometimes you have three days' recovery, sometimes four, sometimes two, everybody is the same.
"Last season we had less recovery than this season, maybe next season we will have a little more.
"It is what it is. This kind of thing I can give my opinion, but do you believe I am going to [get the authorities to] change something? No way."
Guardiola, who urged referees to "protect" players from overly physical challenges, will be without Jesus "for a little more than a month" and is still waiting to learn the extent of De Bruyne's injury.
WAG OF THE DAY
John Aldridge: My Liverpool team of 1988 would have matched Pep Guardiola's Man City
Everyone is rushing to crown Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City team as the best we have seen in English football history, but people have short memories when they jump to that conclusion.
Take nothing away from City, they are a top side with an excellent manager and after a decade of obscene money flowing in from their Arab investors, there would be something wrong if they were not a very good team at this stage.
A part of me will never be comfortable with the reality that City are only sitting where they are now on the football landscape due to the manipulation of our game by billionaires who have an agenda that doesn’t really make any sense to me.
Some have raised suspicions over why a guy like Roman Abramovich has thrown so much money at Chelsea or the Abu Dhabi-based group that owns City are so keen to spend billions on football, but there is nothing we can do about that.
They are using monopoly money and don’t care how much they spend, yet Liverpool and the rest have to try and compete with them or they will take the game away from the rest.
That’s why Liverpool had to pay a crazy £75m fee to sign Virgil van Dijk, with the owners of Paris Saint-Germain, Man City and Chelsea changing the game with their big spending madness.
These people are using football to spread their assets and clubs like Chelsea and City and enjoyed plasticised success as a result in the last few years, but let’s not get carried away with Guardiola and his class of 2017/18 just yet.
If they get to the end of the season with more than 100 points on the board, 100 goals scored and have three or four trophies in their cabinet, then we can start to assess whether they are the best team of all-time.
The brilliant Liverpool team I was proud to be a part of in the late-1980s would have relished the chance to take on this City side and even if I am biased, there is no doubt in my mind that we would have given plenty of problems.
We defended from the front and had a wonderful work ethic, with a side featuring the combined talents of Jan Molby, John Barnes, Ray Houghton and Peter Beardsley turning in some performances in the 1987/88 season that were a match for what we are seeing from City now.
I was no fan of the United teams that dominated the Premier League for 20 years during Alex Ferguson’s reign at Old Trafford, as those of us with Liverpool blood coursing through our veins hated the success they enjoyed.
Yet you look back at a team with Peter Schmeichel in goal, Jaap Stam in defence, Roy Keane, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and David Beckham in midfield and Dwight Yorke and Andy Cole up front and they would be a match for City.
Also, the Arsenal team that went through the 2003/04 season unbeaten - led by Patrick Vieira and Thierry Henry - would have pushed this City side back onto their heels and I still feel we haven’t seen them tested properly by their current Premier League rivals.
We have seen their defence making some big mistakes on the few occasions teams have got at them this season, but too many of City’s rivals are going into games feeling beaten before they go into games against them.
Liverpool were testing City before Sadio Mane was sent off at the Etihad Stadium back in September and since that decision, Guardiola’s side have gone on this incredible run of wins that has all-but wrapped up the title for them.
Let’s see what happens when City come to Anfield on January 14th as Jurgen Klopp’s side will not be afraid of them and as they showed again at Bournemouth, they are tearing teams apart with their attacking power consistently now.
Against teams that come out and play against them - which City certainly will next month - Liverpool have proved they can test any defence and while that game at Anfield may finish 5-5, I can’t wait to see how it plays out.
For now, we need to acknowledge the quality of the football we are seeing from City, but they need to win the title two or three times, pick up a few domestic cups and win the Champions League a couple of times before they can be hailed as the best English team of all-time.
GOLDEN BOLLOX 2-1-2014
Pellegrini enthused by City fight
Manchester City Manuel Pellegrini hailed the character of his side after they kicked off 2014 by beating Swansea 3-2 to record a fifth-straight Premier League win.
Fernandinho had fired City into an early lead at the Liberty Stadium, only for Wilfried Bony to head Swansea level in first-half stoppage time.
But Yaya Toure put the visitors back in front with his 12th goal of the season and Aleksandar Kolarov got their third with an excellent solo goal.
Bony got his second in time added on to give Swansea hope, but City held on for the win.
City's previous visits to Swansea had ended in a defeat and a draw but, after a difficult period either side of the break, they recovered to claim victory on this occasion.
City have now dropped points in just one of their past nine games and this three points moved them top of the table, at least until Arsenal face Cardiff later this afternoon.
The result continued the recent upturn in City's away form and Pellegrini was delighted by the grit his side showed after Bony had equalised, a goal the Chilean felt had been offside.
He said: "I think the most important part of the performance was to score the second and the third goal.
"After the offside goal, Swansea grew and they had a lot of chances in the second half and we knew that it would be very difficult for us. But the team, the same as in other games, had the character to change it."
Pellegrini added: "That character is very important because at the beginning of the season we dropped too many points away.
"I think it's not good for this team to win just 11 points out of 27 in the first half of the season.
"Winning here, the first game away (in the new year), is very important for us.
"I think the key to the better away form was to continue playing exactly the same way we did at the beginning; we didn't lose the games against Cardiff and Aston Villa because we didn't play well. We made a lot of mistakes and conceded easy goals."
But Pellegrini remained coy on his side's title chances, despite extending their unbeaten run to nine games.
"We will try that is why it is important to win in any way you can," he said.
"We have difficult games away from home if we are to win the title, and difficult games at home as well. There are 18 difficult games and I am sure five or six teams will be fighting right to the end to try and win the title. The team that copes best will win it."
City are also understood to be considering playing a friendly in the United Arab Emirates against Al Ain on January 14, between Premier League fixtures against Newcastle and Cardiff, although an FA Cup replay could force the game to be scrapped or moved to a different date.
Swansea boss Michael Laudrup was disappointed to see his side's winless run extend to six games, but heaped praise on Bony.
The Ivorian scored his first goals since November 10, and his superb performance was undoubtedly his best since his £12million move from Vitesse Arnhem.
Lescott set for loan move: Spurs, Newcastle and Monaco keen on City defender
Manchester City are ready to let defender Joleon Lescott go out on loan this January.
The 31-year-old's contract is set to expire at the end of the season and he has found opportunities increasingly limited, with Matija Nastasic and Martin Demichelis frequently picked ahead of the England centre half.
Sportsmail understands manager Manuel Pellegrini yesterday informed Lescott that he will be allowed to leave on loan this month, as the player craves regular first-team football and looks to force his way into the reckoning for England's World Cup squad in Brazil.
Talks are believed to be underway with Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur and French side Monaco.
Monaco may be City's preferred destination for Lescott, as they would be prepared to pay his full wages, while the others would require a contribution from City to make the deal viable.
It would also mean he wouldn't be playing for a Premier League rival.
Lescott has played 13 times this season for City, making eight league appearances. He has yet to be booked this term, or score a goal.
Turkish side Besiktas are also monitoring Lescott's situation.
MOANINHO BOLLOX
Scholes doesn't comment, he criticises - Mourinho
Jose Mourinho has hit back at former Manchester United star Paul Scholes for his criticism of United's France midfielder Paul Pogba.
Speaking after Saturday's 0-0 draw with Southampton, Scholes said: "He doesn't look like a player who will win you games - that's what you pay £90m for."
Following the 2-0 win over Everton on Monday, United boss Mourinho said: "The only thing Scholes does is criticise.
"Scholes will be in history as a phenomenal player. Not as a pundit."
United's excellent league record with Pogba
It is now 435 days since Paul Pogba last ended on the losing team in a Premier League game with United (23 October 2016 v Chelsea). Since then he's played in 34 games (W21 D13 L0), while United have lost five games without him in this period
Scholes' comments at the weekend came after United had drawn for the third game in a row.
The 43-year-old former England international, working as a pundit for BT Sport, questioned Pogba's fitness and attitude, as well as the position he was being played in.
"He is just strolling through games," said Scholes who won 11 league titles at Old Trafford.
"Pogba doesn't look fit, I wonder whether he is training properly.
"No-one in England should be getting near him, but he is being asked to do a role he is not comfortable in.
"You have to say the manager has to take responsibility for that."
Paul Pogba's heatmaps for the matches against Southampton (left) and Everton - they show he was more involved in attack at Goodison Park on Monday than against the Saints on Saturday
Pogba, 24, played further forward against Everton than he did against Southampton, as the heatmap above shows.
He produced a man-of-the-match performance which included assists for the goals scored by Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard in the 2-0 win.
Mourinho said: "I don't think he [Scholes] comments. He criticises - which is a different thing.
"Not everyone has to be phenomenal like he was. As a player he was phenomenal, but it doesn't mean we all have to be phenomenal.
"Sometimes Pogba plays very well, sometimes he plays well and sometimes he doesn't play well. Pogba tries his best all the time.
"It's not Paul's fault that he made much more money than Paul Scholes. It's not Paul Pogba's fault, it's just the way football is."
And Mourinho added: "If Paul [Scholes] decides to be a manager one day, I wish that he can be 25% as successful as myself.
"Fifty per cent is 12-and-a-half silverware, 25% is around six [trophies]. If he is 25% he will be quite happy."
Asked if he was frustrated by the number of high-profile ex-United players working in the media, Mourinho said: "I think they would love to be here, in the club. That's a problem that I cannot resolve."
Jose Mourinho And The Conscience Of A Footballing Conservative
With each passing week, as Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City continue to streak towards the Premier League title, Jose Mourinho looks more tortured. It’s not the prospective achievement of his nemesis that bothers him, I suspect, but rather the manner of City’s triumph which really irks him.
This is a man who was considered nothing more than a ‘translator’ by the footballing hierarchy at Barcelona. A man who built his success from nothing more than a will to succeed and a footballing intelligence fostered far away from the nurturing of a footballing academy such as La Masia.
It is his lack of success as a footballer that makes him what he is today. He is a manager who prioritises systems over individuals, physicality over talent and consistency over creativity. If Mourinho seems angry at the footballing world, it’s because he probably is. He resents the need for football to be an exercise in aesthetics rather than a triumph of collective will.
Nevertheless, his achievements have captivated people in ways which he could scarcely have imagined when he met Bobby Robson all those years ago in Barcelona. But it is not enough because somehow his teams will never be lauded like Guardiola’s. Pundits won’t wax lyrical about Mourinho’s ability to create footballing art. Yet he persists.
Angry at the world for allowing him to prosper in a profession which does not allow him to be loved by the game’s aristocrats. The English game has always had a fascination with starry eyed romantics who believe in playing in the right manner. It was the great Danny Blanchflower of Tottenham who perhaps captured this best when he said: ‘The game is about glory.’
Guardiola is everything Mourinho is not. Radical and positive in his views and decisions and is charming many of England’s footballing intelligentsia who Mourinho only seems to irritate. When the Portuguese first arrived in England he was less cautious, he seemed to make double and treble substitutions more regularly, backing himself to make the difference. His first Chelsea team were dynamic, but positive with Joe Cole, Arjen Robben and Damien Duff as options on the wing while Didier Drogba epitomised a perfect striker for Mourinho, lacking in a certain amount of poise but with more raw physical attributes than his contemporaries. Today, he is slower to react to problems during a game and less likely to take risks, apparently worn down by the relentless grind of years of football.
At Real Madrid, he seemed on an almost self-destructive path, waging war in his own dressing room, against a club captain in Iker Casillas, the local press and eventually Florentino Perez, the Real Madrid president. His team became a predominantly counter-attacking side, based on the premise that it was the only way they could compete with Barcelona’s mastery of possession. His enemies seemed to define him then as they do now, believing him to be unworthy of the adulation he craves. His biographer Diego Torres noted that one of the characteristics of Mourinho’s team when they play against the bigger sides is that ‘whoever has the ball has fear’ seems to grow more apt by the day, as his United team become paralysed at times when attempting to break down the opposition.
His recent grumblings surrounding Manchester City’s spending power are utterly ludicrous, but they must be decoded in terms of the unique relationship he enjoys with the press. No other manager on the planet can distract from his own team’s failings in the same way he does. With the subtlety of a veteran politician he makes statements only designed to cloud issues while never losing the credibility of his audience’s attention.
Despite his many shortcomings, the Special One still rages against the dimming of his light, which perhaps never saw greater days than a 2010 season where he guided a cash-strapped Inter Milan to an all-conquering year. Treble winners who outwitted a magnificent Barcelona side over two legs, culminating in celebrations among the sprinklers at Camp Nou. Never before that day had I garnered such a respect for the art of defending. The back five of Julio Cesar, Maicon, Walter Samuel, Lucio and Javier Zanetti were imperious at covering space and plugging holes. Cambiasso accommodated Maicon’s attacking instincts as he played in the holding midfield role.
Even Samuel Eto’o, once considered the greatest attacking starlet of an entire continent, sacrificed himself for the team and restricted himself to working hard wide on the right wing, again accommodating Maicon. Pundits had surmised that this was a team of has beens. But Mourinho moulded them to defeat a great Barcelona side 3-2 on aggregate in a titanic semi-final battle. In succumbing to a miraculous 1-0 defeat in Barcelona, where they had been under severe pressure for 90 minutes, Mourinho was at his best. In this moment, down to 10 men, backs to the wall, he had created a team which confounded old age itself.
Fast forward to today and you see a man barely resembling the handsome, brash figure of all those years ago. Despite their New Year’s Day win over Everton, three consecutive draws against Leicester, Burnley and Southampton over the Christmas period briefly dropped his team, laden with expensive, misfiring talent, to third behind Chelsea and Man City.
City defend by maintaining a stranglehold on possession, with Guardiola believing that if you keep the ball for such long periods and press the opposition consistently well, there is less need to prioritise the defensive structure Mourinho believes is paramount. Furthermore, the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Anthony Martial, Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan have all flattered to deceive as this United team looks progressively more disjointed offensively, leaving the 54-year-old with flashbacks of a traumatic second sacking at Chelsea. Mourinho’s instinct now more than ever is to distrust talent, inhibiting the aforementioned expensive failures he relies on.
One thing is for sure, the more restless Mourinho becomes as a figure on the touchline, the further away from a balanced structure his team seems to be. His innate conservatism is quickly becoming detrimental at a club where history demands more of him than the underdog role he facilitated so well at Porto, Chelsea and Inter, who all craved success at any cost, no matter what the style of play.
OTHER BOLLOX
Real Madrid are set to meet Atletico Madrid's buyout clause of 20m euros (£17.8m) for Spain goalkeeper Kepa, 23. (Marca)
Premier League strugglers Swansea are keen to move for West Ham's unsettled French striker Diafra Sakho, 28. (WalesOnline)
Middlesbrough midfielder Adam Clayton, 28, could be set for a return to Leeds. (Yorkshire Post)
Charlton have been linked with Crystal Palace winger Jason Lokilo but Addicks boss Karl Robinson insists he has never heard of the 19-year-old Belgian. (Croydon Advertiser)
Liverpool will demand an "astronomical" fee from Barcelona before they consider selling 25-year-old Brazil midfielder Philippe Coutinho. (Telegraph)
The Spanish giants have been told that it would take a deal worth almost £160m to bring Coutinho to the Nou Camp. (Onda Cero Radio commentator Alfredo Martinez)
Napoli will be ready to allow left-back Faouzi Ghoulam, 23, to move to Manchester United for his £53m release clause as they close in on the £26.6m signing of his replacement - 22-year-old Spaniard Alejandro Grimaldo from Benfica. Algeria international Ghoulam tore his cruciate knee ligament in November last year. (Record)
Chelsea's hopes of convincing 33-year-old Italy centre-back Giorgio Chiellini to move to Stamford Bridge have suffered a setback after he hinted at extending his contract with Juventus. (Sky Italia)
Swansea are keen on West Ham's unsettled striker Diafra Sakho, but may need to consider bids for English centre-back Alfie Mawson, 23, or South Korea midfielder Ki Sung-yeung, 28, to make a deal for the 28-year-old Frenchman happen. (Guardian)
Huddersfield have made an approach to sign Monaco's 23-year-old Netherlands defender Terence Kongolo on loan. (Huddersfield Examiner)
Meanwhile, both Huddersfield and Watford are targeting Wolves centre-back Kortney Hause, 22. (Sun)
RANDOM ARCHIVE BOLLOX
RE: Whens the next 5 a side?
by Pedro » Thu Mar 23, 2006 11:24 pmArjan Van Schotte wrote:actually, i am one of the cyber hard men (i hope) so take that you baddy..Pedro wrote:Arjan Van Schotte wrote:
well i should have recovered by about this time next year. my limp is getting better by the week[/size].
Very nearly replied "Your limp what?" to that - but The Cyber Hard Men might be watching. :0)
(I'll put some football thingies in to appease them.)
Might come and see the next 5 a-side and bring me Box Brownie.
still no-one has defined the protocol for having a "cyber fight". we've only got close with rrh's "real life running away" at the game on sunday.
Monty Python's Holy Grail - Run Away.
Envy you lot the ability to run around like headless chickens now. I got tired looking at the piccies.
Brighton boss Chris Hughton says keeping the club in the Premier League will be as big an achievement as getting them there. (Argus)
Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo says striker Diego Costa is "home" and the club have an "extraordinary player and great friend" back after the 29-year-old completed his move from Chelsea. (London Evening Standard)
Yeovil's League Two game with Crawley was held up for more than 10 minutes on Monday when a drone appeared over Huish Park. (Sky Sports)
Real Madrid are preparing an opening £120m bid for Chelsea playmaker Eden Hazard, 26. (Sun)
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has dismissed talk of a rift between striker Alexis Sanchez, 29, and the rest of the squad. (Sky Sports)
Southampton want to sign 28-year-old Arsenal winger Theo Walcott on loan in January. (Mail)
