FREE U21's BOLLOX TONIGHT
City Fans can watch Man City's Under-21 squad take on Wolves at the Etihad Stadium for free tonight
Scott Sinclair may feature in the match at the Etihad against Wolves
Supporters can watch Manchester City's elite development squad free of charge this evening as Attilio Lombardo's charges take on a strong Wolverhampton Wanderers side in the Barclays Under-21 Premier League at the Etihad Stadium.
Man City can leapfrog third-placed Middlesbrough, who lost 1-0 to Group 3 leaders Liverpool last night, and move to within a point of tonight's opponents with a home victory.
Lombardo's side were held by Crystal Palace last week but will be confident of closing in on the second place they need in order to book their passage into the knockout stage of the inaugural competition, as tonight's is only their second home match of the season.
City's last match at the Etihad resulted in a 4-0 triumph at the expense of Middlesbrough and supporters will get the chance to see the likes of Marcos Lopes, who scored against Palace, the talented Spanish forward David Suarez as well as possibly Scott Sinclair, who Scott Sinclair, who made his City debut in the Under-21s.
Wolves, however, will be no pushovers, having enjoyed a promising start to the campaign with three victories to date, the last a 4-1 away success at Middlesbrough.
As with City's opening home game against Middlesbrough, the match will not be ticketed and fans are requested to enter the Etihad from entrances P and Y in the Colin Bell Stand side of the ground and take their seats in Level One.
Doors open an hour before kick-off and free parking is available in the north car park.
Malaga star Isco 'not for sale' but has €21m buyout clause
Liverpool and Manchester City transfer target Isco is 'not for sale', according to Malaga sporting director Mario Husillos.
But the Malaga chief also confirmed Isco has a €21m buyout clause in his contract, and the La Liga club would be left powerless to stop him leaving if an interested party activated the clause.
Isco is a product of the Valencia youth academy but moved to Malaga in 2011, and the 20-year-old has represented Spain at every youth level from under-16 through to under-23.
And the Spain star has attracted the interest of a number of Premier League clubs, including Manchester City and Liverpool.
But his employers in Spain are very keen to hold onto the playmaker.
"Isco? He is our player, so important for the club, he is not for sale," said Husillos on Italian source calciomercato.com.
"But you all know that there is a buyout clause. If a club will pay it, it would not depend anymore on us."
And when asked if Isco could leave the club for €21m, Husillos said: "Exactly, but we would like to hold him here with us."
The attacking midfielder first emerged as a target for Liverpool in the summer, as Brendan Rodgers looked to add creativity to the Reds midfield. Liverpool are still thought to be keen on the Malaga ace, and could reignite their interest when the window opens in January.
But Manchester City are thought to have entered the race to sign the youngster, after Isco put together a string of fine performances in the Champions League and La Liga in the early part of this season. Roberto Mancini could look to strengthen his squad in January, after a relatively subdued summer window - at least compared to previous expenditures.
De Rossi falls out with Roma as Chelsea and Manchester City prepare to pounce
The relationship between Daniele De Rossi and Roma is like a fiery Italian romance. One minute the pair are madly in love with each other with public displays of affection and gushing words of undying commitment, and the next they are telling their friends how the other half is being unfair and putting the relationship in jeopardy.
Therefore it's difficult to know how the domestic will pan out but if this one continues it's not going to end well. De Rossi, usually seen as king of all of AS Roma, has had a bit of a fall-out with Zdenek Zeman. The new Roma manager wants players to fit in with his system and the Italian press have been reporting that De Rossi isn't keen on a few things including double training sessions.
It led to the midfielder being an unused substitute at the weekend against Atalanta and with teams now being on a break for internationals it's not likely he was being saved for anything, the consensus in Italy being that he and Osvaldo were dropped to give them a bit of a kick up the backside. Italian coach Cesare Prandelli said of the situation with De Rossi and also fellow 'victim' Balotelli "We have two players who are not in great psychological shape in De Rossi and Balotelli. We’ll need to work on their pride."
So where do Chelsea and Manchester City come into the picture? Well, today's Gazzetta dello Sport, Italy's iconic pink sport newspaper, says that De Rossi could be sold. The paper edition, quoted by TMW, claims that the midfielder is upset by Zeman's claims he lacks professionalism. De Rossi is also concerned about the style of play under the new manager and is annoyed that AS Roma as a club haven't backed him in the dispute.
GdS say that this brings clubs circling, and those with interest before will likely return again. About a year ago Roma club director Bruno Conti was quoted by Sky Sports as saying "De Rossi will stay at Roma, no doubt about it.
"I would like to remind people of the following: Chelsea offered €70m for him, a lot of money, but [then president] Rosella Sensi turned it down."
Manchester City have been continually linked with the player and him signing a new contract didn't change that, the latest stories - including this from the Daily Mail - coming around the transfer window.
Both clubs are among the few to have the finances to take De Rossi from AS Roma and if the lovers tiff isn't resolved quickly then the speculation will surely heighten.
Chelsea could see De Rossi as one of the final pieces of their jigsaw and the combative yet skillful midfielder would bring back memories of Michael Essien in his pomp. Roberto Mancini may have brought in Garcia during the summer but De Rossi remains the one that got away.
Crackshot Manchester City defender Aleks Kolarov quickly gaining a reputation in Europe as one of the kings of free-kicks
City have told their set-piece specialists to keep on arguing over who takes free-kicks. Aleks Kolarov is the undisputed king of the crackshots at the Etihad Stadium after his brilliant strike set the Blues on their way to a 3-0 victory over Sunderland on Saturday.
But the Serb, fast earning a reputation as one of the top free-kick takers in Europe, had a long debate with Mario Balotelli before it was established that he should attempt a difficult left-footed curler from the left side of the penalty area.
Conventional wisdom has it that a free-kick on the left side of the area is more suited to a right-footed player – and when you have a player who strikes the ball as sweetly as Balotelli, they usually prevail in an argument.
Balotelli and Kolarov had a furious exchange last season, with their team trailing 3-1 to Sunderland, when City were awarded a free-kick on the left-hand side, but that was in a very tense situation, with tempers running high.
Saturday’s dispute was a far more civilised debate, and Kolarov is undoubtedly the senior figure, both in terms of age and the fact he already has two free-kick goals under his belt this season – at Real Madrid and against Aston Villa in the Capital One Cup defeat.
Kolarov had also spotted that Sunderland keeper Simone Mignolet had lined up his wall with the two tallest players to his left, perhaps expecting a right-footed shot, and that meant the Serb had a clearer view over two smaller players.
He promptly bent and dipped his shot over that side of the wall, to justify his decision to take the free-kick.
City coach David Platt said Kolarov regularly stays behind in training to practise his free-kicks, and has reaped the rewards of his hard work this season – his three goals is just one short of his tally of four for the whole of last season.
Said Platt: “Ally deserves the goals he has got in the last few weeks from set-pieces because he has religiously, three times a week, stayed out for 10 minutes and he keeps putting them in.
“Ask Richard Wright – he has got a bad back from picking them out of the goal!
“Ally has put a lot of work in on his set-pieces so he deserves the goals he has got.”
City have a wealth of talent at their disposal when it comes to taking free- kicks.
Kolarov has proved himself to be the best, but Balotelli scored a couple of scorchers in his time at Inter Milan, and is always itching to have a crack whenever City get a free-kick within range.
Yaya Toure has also shown he can strike a mean free-kick. He netted a breathtaking, curving effort for Ivory Coast against Equatorial Guinea in the African Nations Cup earlier this year. Since then, he has shown interest in taking the odd setpiece for City.
Then there is Carlos Tevez, who smashed in a memorable 30-yarder against Stoke City as the Blues secured a Champions League place in 2011, with a 3-0 win at the Etihad Stadium.
James Milner, who was a regular free-kick taker at his previous clubs, added his name to the list of expert strikers with his late goal which rounded off the 3-0 win against Sunderland, although his shot took a slight deflection on its way in.
With so many candidates, free-kick situations could turn into an all-out discussion, but it is accepted that Kolarov has first claim if he is on the pitch.
After his row with Balotelli last season, manager Roberto Mancini said that would not happen again – in other words he gave his fellow Italian a ticking off for his over-the-top remonstrations with a team-mate, which ended with skipper Vincent Kompany’s intervention.
Platt said the management staff would continue to trust the players to work out for themselves who will take free-kicks.
“We won’t tell them who should take, because it depends where it is, where the keeper sets his wall up, whether it is close enough to the goal or far enough away,” he said.
“The second free-kick Ally had on Saturday was too close for him to get it up and over the wall. But he is in a good run of form taking those free-kicks.
“In terms of one side of the wall being smaller, Ally would look at that. We don’t turn around and say someone should take it. They know, they can picture it and see the goal going in.”
Kolarov’s prowess at free-kicks was one of the reasons Mancini signed him for £16m two years ago – in his time at Lazio he earned comparisons with Sinisa Mihajlovic, who some regard as the greatest free-kick taker of them all.
Mihajlovic holds the Serie A record of scoring direct from 27 free-kicks, during his 14 seasons – for five of those seasons he was a team-mate of Mancini at Sampdoria and Lazio, and he also played under Mancini as Inter manager for two seasons.
In a strange twist, Mihajlovic is now Kolarov’s international manager, so he will no doubt be picking up a few tips during the current international fortnight.
“Ally rates highly in terms of free-kick takers I have worked with,” said Platt. “The one I have seen that was probably better, and Ally would admit it, was probably Mihajlovic – but he would probably admit it because he is manager with the Serbian national team at this moment in time!
“Ally has got power, dip, direction as well, but you don't just walk on and do those things. He deserves everything he has got because religiously he has been out there practising them.”
Balo - my eye
The Italy coach, Cesare Prandelli, says he toyed with the idea of dropping Mario Balotelli from his squad for this month's World Cup qualifiers against Armenia and Denmark after being left "hurt" by the Manchester City striker's decision to schedule laser eye surgery during the last international break.
Balotelli was among six players recalled by Prandelli after missing the games against Malta and Bulgaria last month as he recovered from the procedure. "When he decided to undergo surgery just two weeks before his commitments to the national team, there was hurt," said Prandelli.
Mario Balotelli Splashes £750,000 on Apartment for Pregnant Girlfriend Raffaella Fico
Mario Balotelli has apartment built for him and pregnant girlfriend Raffaella Fico
Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli has bought and is furnishing a £750,000 apartment in Brescia, Italy, for pregnant girlfriend Raffaella Fico. The 22 year old former Inter Milan forward has had several public spats with Fico, particularly after the 24 year old model announced she was pregnant with the striker's child.
The new apartment, which will be Balotelli's home in Italy, is being worked on Italian architect Elisa Bianchi and boasts some spectacular features, like mountain views, floor-to-ceiling windows, terraces and a marble kitchen.
"The apartment is made to measure but it has been very difficult to sort out as he is only in Italy every now and then very briefly. Most of our meetings have been at McDonald's over a quick hamburger and beer," Bianchi was quoted as saying by the Daily Mail, and adding, "The initial contact I had was with his brother Corrado. I think the idea is for him to have an Italian base close to his adoptive family home. He will be very pleased with the apartment. It is high tech and very tastefully furnished with bright, light rooms and wonderful views. The rooms are beautifully decorated and the bathrooms are very chic with a spa function so he can relax in private. Mario likes light so there are lots of windows and in the bathrooms the lights are in the plant pots."
Balotelli and Fico began dating in 2010 but split after news of an affair with former escort Jenny Thompson. Fico announced she was pregnant soon after but instead of offering reconciliation, Balotelli suggested she take a paternity test to prove he was the father; which she agreed to. Balotelli then apologised for the remark about the test.
The striker released the following statement at the time:
"I have decided to try again with Raffaella. The DNA test has not been performed and has nothing to do with my decision. In any case, I would've asked for the test in that situation with anyone, not just Raffaella. I am sorry for everything that has happened over the last few months and above all for what has been said and written. I ask once again for you all to respect our private life that in future must remain private, a pledge taken by me and Raffaella."
There was a bit of drama after the statement too, with Fico quoted as saying she was unaware of any attempts on Balotelli's part to effect reconciliation.
Earlier this month Fico proudly showed her bump on the catwalk, modelling the Pin-Up Stars swimwear line at Milan fashion week.
Sunderland fan pays £40 to watch Manchester City make them look distinctly average
Peter Sixsmith had his perfect day out carefully planned. A red and white win at the Etihad, a quick trip to Hyde to watch the Gatesheed Goats in Conference action then a trip to Old Trafford for the Rugby League. Well as we know the first part went awry, the second proved a bridge too far – after all a man has to eat and drink – but fortunately the third part saved our roving reporter from a Sunday of gloom with only the thought of English Lit with Year 7 to look forward to on Monday. He reflects on the first part of his Saturday here, with a promise of more to follow.
MANCHESTER DOUBLE – ONE OUT OF TWO AIN’T BAD.
Many years ago, when I was nobbut a lad, I used to take myself off to Shildon Rec and play football as often as I could. I was terminally useless but there were lads my age who were decent players and who I thought were really good.
And then the big lads came down from the King Willy corner, pinched our Frido ball and proceeded to give us a lesson in how Park football should be played.
Fifty years on, I witnessed something similar, as Manchester City destroyed a Sunderland side that I thought were beginning to shake themselves and to look half decent. We don’t.
The seven word assessment I delivered immediately after the final whistle was not as accurate as it could have been. A better one would have been along the lines of “Completely outclassed by City; very worrying”, “£40 to watch us look distinctly average” or “Ball retention poor as City cuffed us”.
The dream of repeating last season’s performance disappeared when Carlos Cuellar clattered into Carlos Tevez and Alexander Kolarov put a brilliant free kick over the wall and into the net after 180 seconds.
Cuellar could have been sent off and would have been had he shown his studs in the tackle, while even the most one eyed Sunderland fan could not accuse the wee Argentine of simulation.
For the rest of the half, we struggled to keep in touch and to go in only one down at half time meant that we had a chance if we could actually keep hold if the ball and pass it to one of our own.
We opened brightly enough, ran at their creaky defence and Fletcher forced a good block from Kolarov and a good save from Hart – although the Scot was offside.
Then Mancini, who had decided to help us by playing the 12 year old known as Mario Balotelli, decided that enough was enough, sent the sulking Italian to his room to do his homework and brought on the quick, slick and quite brilliant Sergio Aguero.
Within minutes of his entry, as quick as a flash, he was onto a pass from Kolarov. He was certainly quicker than a sluggish Cuellar, who knew he would be off if he mistimed his tackle. Aguero’s superb touch meant the ball was nestling in Mignolet’s net before he even moved.
Game over. City turned on the style, Mignolet made a number of fine saves, before James Milner wrapped up the scoring in the final minute to give City what they deserved – a trouble free afternoon and 3 easy points.
Disappointing to say the least for the Sunderland fans that had travelled and paid a lot of money to see the team humbled for the first time this season. For some, it was a first and probably last away game and they will not have travelled home with a great deal of optimism.
There are things to be concerned about. We have an impressive goalkeeper, an excellent centre half in John O’Shea and a good centre forward in Steven Fletcher. That leaves eight places where the players are either limited, disappointing or both.
There was no shortage of effort, but there was not much class out there. Tactically, we are set up to squeeze the central midfield, get the ball to the wingers and attack down the flanks. Against City, it just did not work and the two in central midfield were simply overrun by Toure and Barry, who are bigger, stronger and better.
Colback is a good player when he has the time – he got none here and looked distinctly lightweight. Larsson works hard, but it is abundantly clear that he is not a central midfielder and that he needs to play wide right.
At the moment the wingers are a major disappointment. McClean is suffering from that terrible condition known as “second season syndrome” and is really finding it difficult to get into the game. Neither Kolarov nor Zabaleta were worried by his presence and swatted him off with consummate ease. He looked a forlorn figure as the game wound down. Maybe a spell on the bench would help him regain last season’s form.
Adam Johnson started quite well, but did little to make Mancini or the City fans regret selling him. One good cross, a couple of jinking runs and then off to the dressing room to throw up.
Sess was ok, but nowhere near the player who ripped them apart last season, while the others stuck at it and showed that they were not quitters. Rose failed to complete a game yet again and is rapidly becoming the new Steed Malbranque in that respect.
O’Neill is struggling with a squad that has too many decent players in it, but not enough who can change a game and win it. Look at the bench. Out of Kilgallon, Bramble, Vaughan, Campbell, Meyler and Saha, the only one who can remotely do that for us is a 34 year old Frenchman with a dodgy knee.
Cattermole was missed again as he might have got amongst Barry and Toure and at least forced them into errors. He won’t be there for the derby and MON has a difficult choice as to who to play in the centre to combat Tiote and Cabaye.
Vaughan is busy but lightweight, Meyler is quick but not a great passer, while Gardner may be the preferred choice if Bardsley is anywhere near fit. We need something there to stop the opposition grabbing hold of a game and dictating it to us – something we have failed to do this season. I would go for Gardner and Meyler to start with.
It was a pleasant day out and the City fans were good to talk to. They are decent, proper fans, who have come into money and who still remember the days when City and mocking laughter were synonymous. Like the late Viv Nicholson, they want to “spend, spend, spend” as would we if we had owners with the same bottomless funds.
But the club itself doesn’t come out of yesterday particularly well. The admission charge was quite unacceptable – £40 for a run of the mill fixture like this is far too much, particularly, as Paul Dobson said, when they could let everyone in for free and it would scarcely register on the owners’ bank balance. And they charged £30 to park the coach, which adds a pound to each passenger’s fare. And that’s not fair. But whoever said that life or football was.
The more I think about it, the less I like it. Should we write off games like this and concentrate on beating the sides in our mini group – Villa, Stoke, Everton etc.? Is there any way that I can justify shelling out good money to go and see a game that we appear to have little or no chance of winning?
Next up are the Mags. Martin O’Neill knows how important this fixture is. I trust him to get it right and hope that all our internationals arrive back on Wearside injury free and that Johnson is untainted by the presence of the reprehensible Ashley Cole.
More to come from Manchester in due course as events at Newcastle meant that the Sixsmith mood improved considerably…
MANCHESTER TITLE RACE
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[/spoiler]Owen Coyle is sacked by Bolton Wanderers
The Trotters, who were relegated from the Premier League last season, are 18th in the Championship after winning only three of their 10 matches.
On Saturday they were beaten 2-1 at fellow strugglers Millwall.
Coyle, 46, took over at Bolton in January 2010, six months after guiding Burnley to promotion to the Premier League and consequently signing a contract extension at Turf Moor.
The Trotters went on to survive a relegation battle while Burnley went down.
In 2010-11 Bolton reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup and finished 14th after spending much of the season in the top half of the table, but last season they were relegated, ending an 11-year spell in the top flight.
In March Bolton and Coyle were widely praised for the support they gave to Fabrice Muamba, after the midfielder suffered a cardiac arrest while playing against Tottenham Hotspur.
Following relegation it was revealed the club were carrying debts of £110m, mostly owed to Isle of Man-based owner Eddie Davies.
On Saturday Coyle described the defeat at Millwall as the lowest point of his managerial career but insisted he had no intention of resigning.
However, after meeting Davies and chairman Phil Gartside on Tuesday, he parted company with the club.
In a statement on the club website , Gartside said: "Owen poured his heart and soul into the job, both on and off the pitch, and he led our club with great dignity during some very challenging times.
"It is the right time for a change. We set a target at the beginning of the season and want to get back on track.
"I would like to place on record our sincere thanks to Owen, Sandy Stewart and Steve Davis for all their hard work during their time at Bolton Wanderers."
Coyle said: "I have always been driven to act in the best interests of the club and care passionately about it.
"I had fantastic times here as a player and it has been a privilege to have held the post of manager.
"I want to thank the fans for their backing since I returned, the chairman Phil Gartside and the owner Eddie Davies for their support and friendship and the club's staff and players for all their effort and commitment."
Academy manager Jimmy Phillips and head of academy coaching and development Sammy Lee will take joint temporary charge of the first-team squad.
Former Wolves manager Mick McCarthy is among the front-runners to replace Coyle.
Roy Keane, who guided Sunderland to promotion into the Premier League, is also regarded as a possible candidate.
David Bernstein: Ashley Cole free to play for England after apology
Play mediaChairman David Bernstein reveals Ashley Cole has showed "genuine remorse" in apologising for an offensive tweet in which he criticised the Football Association.
Speaking from the new National Football Centre in Burton, Bernstein states that the FA have accepted Cole's apology and that manager Roy Hodgson is free to pick the Chelsea defender for England duty.
The left-back, 31, was charged with misconduct on Monday for using an expletive to describe the governing body after the John Terry racism case.
VIDEO: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/american-football/19880801
St George's Park centre of excellence in Burton to open
Football Association chairman David Bernstein has described the opening of its new centre of excellence as an "historic" day for the English game.
The £105m St George's Park complex in Staffordshire will house all 24 England teams, from junior to senior levels.
"We have to get more players through who can be full England internationals and this is where it will happen," Bernstein told BBC Radio 5 live.
"So much work has gone into this for so long and to see it now is fantastic."
The 330-acre St George's Park will be officially opened by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on Tuesday.
England's players are using the facility for the first time this week as they prepare for their World Cup qualifiers against San Marino and Poland.
Aimed at raising standards of play at all levels, it will provide a centre of excellence for training coaches and for sports medicine, sports science and psychology.
Among the facilities at St George's Park are:
- A senior training pitch, laid out to the exact dimensions of the playing surface at Wembley Stadium and with exactly the same mix of grass and artificial fibres.
- 11 outdoor pitches, five of which are floodlit and have under-soil heating.
- A full-size indoor 3G artificial pitch with a viewing gallery for up to 200 people.
- An altitude chamber to mimic a variety of playing conditions.
- An indoor 60m sprint track with equipment to measure speed and running style.
- Walls adorned with sporting slogans, such as American Olympian Jesse Owens: "A lifetime of training for just 10 seconds."
- A new Hilton hotel featuring suites named after former England players and managers.
Bernstein described the facility as "inspirational" and said it made him feel optimistic about the future of the nation's football.
He said: "This is the pinnacle clearly - and we hope that this will be an inspiration in a number of ways.
"One of the main objects of this, possibly almost the main object, is to produce thousands of more highly-qualified coaches.
"There's a lot more happening in English football at the moment in terms of youth development. We're trying to move young players away from this physical side, of wanting to win too much when they're too young.
"We want more skill-based football, kids to enjoy their football more. There's a great deal aimed at that."
England's senior men's team have not won a major international tournament since the 1966 World Cup and have failed to reach a semi-final since the 1996 European Championship.
The women's side have made three World Cup quarter-finals and twice finished runners-up in the European Championship.
David Sheepshanks, chairman of St George's Park, said the new complex can help England close the gap on recent World Cup winners such as France and Spain.
"This is a place to inspire young people and young coaches to invest in themselves and go beyond just getting the badge," he said.
"The teachers of the game have the defining influence. We are investing in the teachers so that we can get ahead of what they are doing in France and Spain.
"This is a deliberately long-term view. Really it is the investment in coaches that is crucial and from 2020 onwards we will have winning England teams."
Arsenal are emerging as serious contenders for the signature of Crystal Palace's forward Wilfried Zaha. Former assistant manager Pat Rice, who still works for the club, watched the 19-year-old score twice in Palace's 4-3 win over Burnley on Saturday.DC
Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood has warned Theo Walcott that the club will not break its wage structure to pay him what he wants. Daily Star
Liverpool have earmarked Ajax playmaker Christian Eriksen, 20, as a long-term replacement for 32-year-old Steven Gerrard, as manager Brendan Rodgers looks for youthful additions to form the nucleus of his team. Caughtoffside.com
Juventus are interested in Manchester United target Robert Lewandowski, 24, scorer of 30 goals for Borussia Dortmund last season as the German club won the league and cup double. talkSPORT
Ashley Cole's "moment of madness" on Twitter could cost him nearly £300,000 in fines from Chelsea and the Football Association Daily Express
QPR will decide this week whether to replace Mark Hughes with Harry Redknapp following their disappointing start to the season. Sun
Frank Lampard is being chased by Chinese clubs Shanghai Shenhua and Beijing Guoan, with both teams willing to pay the Chelsea midfielder wages of £250,000-a-week after tax. the Sun
Birmingham want to send former Manchester United forward Ravel Morrison, 19, back to West Ham just three months into a 12-month loan deal because of his attitude. Daily Mirror
England captain Steven Gerrard should be converted into a ball-playing centre-half, according to Chris Waddle. The former England winger told ESPN that England should follow the lead of Germany, who successfully shifted Lothar Matthaus, Matthias Sammer and Franz Beckenbauer in the latter years of their playing careers. Daily Express
Man City fan Chinners is making tentative plans to use both the new and old grounds of the club at the Manchester Central By-election on November 15th for his party candidate Howlin' Laud Hope.
Newcastle are facing a fans' revolt over the decision to appoint payday loan company Wonga as the club's new shirt sponsor. Labour MP and season-ticket holder Ian Lavery described the proposed £5m deal as "an outrage". Daily Mirror
Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris has told manager Andre Villas-Boas that he needs to be playing every week after finally making his Premier League debut for the club in Sunday's 2-0 victory over Aston Villa. Daily Star
Mick McCarthy and Roy Keane have emerged as the favourites to succeed Owen Coyle as Bolton manager if the Scot is given his marching orders. A decision on Coyle's future could be made today following talks with owner Eddie Davies and chairman Phil Gartside. Daily Telegraph
Bolton midfielder Keith Andrews says the players are fully behind Coyle and committed to turning fortunes around at the Reebok Stadium. Bolton News
Birmingham City are on the brink of being sold, with executive director Peter Pannu in Hong Kong talking to interested parties. Birmingham Mail
Southampton record signing Gaston Ramirez could be out of action for up to six weeks after requiring hospital treatment for a leg injury. Daily Echo
Kris Commons will be given his first call-up to the Scotland squad in over a year if Robert Snodgrass is ruled out of Friday's match against Wales.Daily Record
Manchester United winger Ashley Young, who is recovering from a knee injury, surprised his team's fans as the 27-year-old decided to watch United's 3-0 win at Newcastle on Sunday from the upper tier of the away stand at St James's Park. DC
more later ...
