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[/spoiler]BACK ON GUARD ... Here's . . . .
Referee Dean won't review Kompany red card leaving City skipper to serve three game ban
Vincent Kompany will serve a ban for his red card at the Emirates, Sportsmail has learned.
It is understood that referee Mike Dean will not be asked to review the decision by the FA. Sources at the FA believe Dean’s decision to be ‘justified’.
Manchester City are going through the process of an appeal, but Dean’s decision does not qualify as a ‘clear and obvious error’ from the referee.
Off you go: Vincent Kompany is sent off by Mike Dean
There will not be a ‘frivolous’ punishment penalty of additional game for Kompany, however. In order for that to be the case an appeal needs to have ‘no obvious case of success.’
Sky TV pundits Greame Souness and Jamie Redknapp both backed Dean after the ‘two-footed tackle’ on Jack Wilshire.
Manager Roberto Mancini was furious with Dean after Kompany's was shown a straight red card for the tackle on Jack Wilshere.
On a day when Manchester United briefly led by 10 points after beating Liverpool 2-1, boss Mancini saw a different kind of red after Kompany's late dismissal in their 2-0 win at Arsenal.
Red? Vincent Kompany was sent off for this tackle on Jack Wilshere in the second half against Arsenal
No grudges: Kompany tweeted his congratulations and said he holds 'no grudges' with referee Mike Dean
'It's not a red card, it's nothing,' said Mancini after City ended their 37-year wait for a league victory at Arsenal in controversial fashion.
'It's impossible to lose a player for three games for nothing. It's not a foul. It was one-footed, not two. I am 48, but I saw very well. This tackle was on a football. He went in with one foot.'
Kompany later tweeted: 'No grudges against the referee, I understand the difficulty of the job. About the tackle: If the ball is overrun by the opponent and a 50/50 challenge occurs, collision is inevitable.
'Ultimately, I'm a defender: I will never pull out of a challenge, as much as I will never intend to injure a player.'
Gutted: The Manchester City captain looked distraught as he is directed off the field by Mike Dean
Mediator: Kompany had to hold back Pablo Zabaleta (right) as the Argentinean sought to have words with Lukas Podolski
City's victory at the Emirates was helped by Arsenal playing for 80 minutes with 10 men after Laurent Koscielny was sent off for a professional foul on Edin Dzeko. James Milner and Dzeko scored the goals.
The Italian did concede that his side's task had been made easier by Koscielny`s dismissal, but praised his men for finding a way through regardless.
'If you play 10 players, it can be difficult,' he said.
'We started the game very well, played high up and pressed. We wanted to win this.
'It was easier after the sending off but in the second half we were too soft and missed three or four goals.'
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger refused to blame the early red card for his side's demise, instead telling his players they had not done what they should have done after going a man down.
'It was frustrating (to go down to 10 men) but we got away with it (with the penalty miss),' he said.
'We were down to 10 men with 80 minutes to go and knew it would be a difficult game.
'But we were too timid and did not have enough authority on the game. We let them dictate the game to us and when we went 1-0 down it was difficult.'
Off you go: Laurent Koscielny was dismissed early in the match after giving away a penalty
Wenger added on Koscielny's sending off: 'I've not seen it. I was surprised but I have heard it was a penalty. We have to live with the decision but it doesn't mean we have to lose the game.
'We gave away two cheap goals. At 10 men you keep it 0-0 and you never know.'
On Kompany's red card he said: 'It looked as though they were both playing the ball to me.'
Kompany received a red card after a similar incident last season during an FA Cup tie against bitter rivals Manchester United.
The centre back slid in on Portugal winger Nani before referee Chris Foy sent Kompany to the stands. As it was Kompany's second dismissal of the campaign, he was forced to serve a four-game ban, leaving Montenegro's Stefan Savic to partner Joleon Lescott at the heart of City's defence.
Remember this? Kompany was sent off at the Etihad after sliding in on Nani in the FA Cup last seasonDSSC
Manchester City defender Vincent Kompany's red card must be overturned or the day of the tackle will be dead
If Manchester City fail to get Vincent Kompany’s red card against Arsenal rescinded by the Football Association on Monday morning, it will send out the message that tackling has gone forever. In my opinion, there is absolutely no doubt that, not only did Kompany win the ball, it was just about the perfect tackle. So I will be flabbergasted and astonished if referee Mike Dean decides to stand by his decision to dismiss the Manchester City captain following Kompany’s challenge on Jack Wilshere.
But his sending off is just the latest controversy surrounding a referee’s decision in recent weeks and it is getting to the point where we are close to needing some kind of Monday morning panel of officials and former players to iron out mistakes from the weekend.
I believe that it is an absolute certainty that Kompany will be cleared by the FA, though. His challenge was not two-footed and the ball was won cleanly, so I do not understand how the referee could even contemplate issuing a red card.
It would have been strange to see a yellow card brandished, never mind a red, especially when you compare Kompany’s challenge to that which saw Chelsea’s Marko Marin receive only a booking for a horrendous foul on Queens Park Rangers midfielder Stephane Mbia earlier this month.
In comparison to Kompany’s challenge on Wilshere, Marin’s was an out-and-out assault, yet he was only booked by the referee. The problems arise whenever a player goes to ground to make a tackle, but what the law makers and referees have to understand is that it is sometimes impossible to avoid sliding into a challenge.
If a defender stretches a leg out instead, that can be dangerous both to the player making the tackle and the one on the receiving end. But if yellow and red cards are brandished for innocuous challenges, the product of the game itself begins to suffer because we all want to see competitive games between two teams of 11 players.
By the letter of the law, you can just about understand Dean’s decision to send off Arsenal’s Laurent Koscielny in the same game for the foul on Edin Dzeko which resulted in a City penalty.
But in a perfect world, you would like to think that a booking and a penalty would be sufficient, if only for the sake of the game as a spectacle.
By the time the referee dismissed Kompany, the game had just begun to go out of his control and, having sent off Koscielny, there is always the possibility of the officials making a decision that evens things up a bit.
Dean and City are fortunate, though, in the respect that City still won the game and Kompany’s dismissal did not actually prove costly.
That will only be the case if Dean refuses to rescind the card because being without their captain for three games, when other defenders are unavailable and Yaya Touré is away at the Africa Cup of Nations, will hurt City and be a major blow to their title hopes.
That will surely not happen, even though some people have suggested that Kompany has a reputation for sliding into tackles. That is not an opinion that I agree with.
He made a similar challenge prior to Sergio Agüero’s goal against Norwich recently, which prompted complaints from the Norwich manager Chris Hughton, but my view was that it was a fair challenge.
And while there was a debate last season following Kompany’s red card following a challenge against Nani during an FA Cup tie against Manchester United, my opinion was that was not a tackle worthy of a red card.
But maybe Kompany’s latest injustice at the hands of a referee highlights how the game is heading towards a review panel charged with dealing with contentious incidents on a Monday morning after the weekend fixtures.
The stakes are so high nowadays that maybe football needs people to sit down and make the call on big decisions that have been missed or judged incorrectly by officials.
The problem is, where do you stop and start?
Just recently, we have had the Jay Rodriguez diving incident for Southampton at Aston Villa, the Craig Gardner foul on Gareth Bale which led to the Tottenham player being booked for diving, and Luis Suárez’s handled goal at Mansfield.
There are contentious decisions every week, but while the FA has a system whereby retrospective action can be taken if a referee has not seen an incident, players cannot be charged for something that a referee has seen or dealt with at the time.
Incorrectly issued red cards can be overturned if a referee admits to making a mistake, though, and I can see no reason whatsoever that will lead to Dean choosing to uphold Kompany’s red card.
But if he does, defenders in the Premier League will wonder whether it will ever be safe to tackle again.Telegraph
Come and get me, Man City
Pep is hoping to return to management - at the Etihad
Pep to snub Utd, Chelsea
PEP GUARDIOLA will decide to become Manchester City manager in the summer.
Guardiola has opted for City as he is convinced they can become a force to rival his former club Barcelona.
The hottest property in world football will snub interest from Manchester United, Chelsea, Bayern Munich and AC Milan to replace Roberto Mancini at Eastlands at the end of the season.
Only last week Guardiola confirmed he is ready to return to coaching this summer after a year-long sabbatical, although he was coy about where.
He said: “I will return next season but it would show a lack of respect to talk about any team that has a coach.” However, last night a top source in Spanish football revealed: “It is 100 per cent certain that Guardiola is going to City this summer.
“And when I say 100 per cent I don’t mean 99 per cent, I mean 100 per cent!”
Mancini appears doomed after two failed Champions League campaigns.
Guardiola will be the highest-paid boss in Britain on £10m a year AFTER tax
Rosler: Man City can catch Man United and win Premier League
Uwe Rosler claims Manchester City can capitalise on Man United's Champions League run and win the Premier League title.
The Red Devils face Real Madrid in the last-16 stage of the European Cup, whilst the Blues have dropped out of Europe's premier competition, after finishing bottom of Group D.
And the former East Germany forward believes that disruption will help Roberto Mancini's men to clinch the title.
http://www.talksport.co.uk/radio/sports ... gue-189200
Manchester City Set to Fork Out £10m to Sign Teenage Derby County Talent Will Hughes
Teenage talent Will Hughes is nearing a transfer to Premier League champions Manchester City after assistant manager David Platt personally checked on the Derby County midfielder at the weekend.
Platt was 17-year-old Hughes, one of the stars of the Championship, in action at Brighton on Saturday and Manchester City are now set for discussions with Derby County over the England under-21 international.
The Sun report that Manchester City will pay £7million for the teenager, who has also been tracked by Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea among others, while The Mirror report that the deal could reach £10million with a £6million fee plus the loan of some of City’s talented youngsters.
Mancini is keen to add to his midfielder options with Yaya Toure missing until February while on African Nations Cup duty and City are keen not to miss out on Hughes, who like the Ivory Coast international is an energetic box-to-box midfielder, to one of their Premier League rivals.
Spanish giants Barcelona have also performed checks on Hughes, who only made his first-team debut last season and who has yet to clock up 50 professional appearances in the Championship, at Pride Park this season
GOLDEN BOLLOX 14-1-2010
Pizza and booze is the new recipe for success at City
Wine could soon be on the menu for Manchester City's stars if Roberto Mancini has his way.
Mancini is overhauling the players' pre-match meal and feels they might play better after a relaxing glass of Chianti or Pinot Grigio.
City's new manager has already brought some Italian chic to the club with his 1950s retro blue and white scarf and is also introducing a Mediterranean flavour to the Eastlands menu.
He was disappointed not to see his players tucking into pizza before games and will tell the City cooks to get baking.
"I have found myself in a very different world and I am trying to adapt without changing the rules," said Mancini.
"Let me give you an example. Food before a match, I will sort that out calmly. For example, you need chicken, pizza, carbohydrates, even a glass of wine, but they are not on the table."
City won't care what changes Mancini makes if he keeps winning and the former Inter Milan boss is the toast of Blues fans after winning all of his first four games.
City have banged in 10 goals and conceded just one and Mancini has made the best-ever start by a Blues manager.
He says City fans ain't see nothing yet and has vowed to end their 34-wait for a trophy.
"I have just arrived in Manchester and the fans are incredible, the players are strong and the club well organised," said Mancini.
"I have signed a three-and-a-half year contract and I have a duty to win as I did at Florence, Rome and Milan.
"I'm living the Premier League without thinking of anything else. I can't believe it. It's been great to win straight away and so often. The win against Blackburn was special and I dedicated it to my father as it was his birthday."
Mancini has guided City up to fourth - just seven points behind leaders Chelsea - and delirious Blues fans are even dreaming of the title.
Even though Carlo Ancelotti may be getting nervous at seeing Mancini loom large in his rear view mirror, he has still been on the phone to congratulate his old San Siro rival.
"The objective is fourth place and the Champions League," he said. "I have heard from Ancelotti, Roberto Di Matteo and Gianfranco Zola. They were all very kind. I haven't heard from Capello."
Mancini, 45, who will be joined in Manchester in the summer by his wife Federica and youngest child Camilla, sees his long-term future back home in Italy.
He believes he will return to Serie A when he has finished at City and dreams of managing the Azzurri one day.
"What may be impossible today, tomorrow may happen," said Mancini. "Maybe Inter, Milan, Juventus, Lazio or Roma, but who knows?
"At the moment I'm not thinking about it. One day I will and I would like to coach the national team or maybe any national team, but for the time being there is only City."
Manchester City players told by linesman to thank big-spending fans
Assistant referee urges players to thank supporters • Away tickets for City's 2-0 victory at Arsenal cost £62
An assistant referee told Manchester City's players to thank the supporters who paid £62 to watch them beat Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
City had returned 912 unsold tickets for the match and during the game sections of the away crowd held up banners protesting against the high prices, including one which read "Don't price us out of our game or lose more fans".
The Premier League's chief executive, Richard Scudamore, had earlier sympathised with City's fans for not taking up their full ticket allocation but said clubs were "generally working hard" to keep tickets affordable.
Scudamore told BBC Five Live: "I think they are sending Arsenal Football Club a very clear message… Arsenal have clearly made a judgment and I think the Man City fans, in fairness, have done what they should do if they think it is too much and not turned up. It does make people think again and that is actually what the market should do."
Scudamore was asked whether, in the light of record TV revenue, ticket prices should be lowered at all clubs.
"Absolutely top of our aims and objectives is to put on a show and keep attendances full," Scudamore said. "The clubs absolutely know where the Premier League stands on this. We want full stadia.
"Over the last 15 years we have managed to achieve 90% occupancy. This year occupancy is up at 95% and could well reach an all-time high this season. That hasn't come about just by going on increasing and increasing ticket prices.
"Clubs across the board are generally working very hard to keep ticket prices at the point where people will still keep coming through the gates. The most important things are – A, we keep grounds full and B, we have rules about making away allocations available to away fans.
"As a top priority we must keep away fans attending. Clearly it is for individual clubs to get that right."
VIDEO CLIP OF LINESMANS REQUEST TO LESCOTT: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21006202
MANCHESTER TITLE RACE
PTS +7 GD +3
David Silva service comes on a plate and gift-wrapped by Arsenal
Manchester City's Spanish wizard took full advantage of the extra space after Laurent Koscielny's early sending-off
Laurent Koscielny's early sending-off might have spoiled the game as a spectacle but it played perfectly into the hands of Manchester City and, in particular, David Silva. Few midfielders in Europe exploit space as effectively as the Spaniard – the fewer the players involved, the more space on the pitch, the more he was likely to thrive.
The characteristics of Arsenal's players contributed to Silva's dominance, allowing him freedom when drifting inside from the left. The right-back Bacary Sagna is enduring his poorest run of form since joining Arsenal in 2007, makeshift right-sided midfielder Santi Cazorla offered him little protection, while the absence of Mikel Arteta robbed Arsenal of their most positionally disciplined central midfielder.
Jack Wilshere and Abou Diaby are naturally more aggressive players, and as they moved forward to close down Javi García and Gareth Barry, they increased the space in front of the back four. The Arsenal centre-backs were drawn to Carlos Tevez, but Silva is an equally dangerous attacker because he turns up unexpectedly in clever positions – full-backs can't track him all the way into the middle, central midfielders don't spot him until it's too late.
Silva's ability to glide effortlessly across the pitch, varying his position constantly, means he plays a dual role for City. He's not a pure creator, not someone who permanently stations himself in the final third, waiting for service and limiting himself to playing the defence-splitting pass. His influence is more constant, as his passing helps control the tempo of the game and places his side firmly in charge.
No Premier League side averages more than City's 59.4% possession this season, and Silva is unquestionably their most natural exponent of patient, intricate tiki-taka. For all their talented attackers, City do not have a deep-lying playmaker in the form of Xavi Hernández, Xabi Alonso or Andrea Pirlo. Yaya Touré tends to charge forward in possession, while García and Barry remain cautious with their use of the ball, so Silva is forced to dictate as well as create – he played 91 passes here, over 20 more than any other player, underlining his constant impact.
Silva boasts an impressive understanding with James Milner, despite the fact the England midfielder is not a regular at City. More frequently the suspended Samir Nasri starts on the opposite flank, but as he generally mirrors Silva's movement inside, so City's play can become congested, and their passes are too predictable. Silva and Milner offer a greater range of threats – the former makes runs towards central positions, while the latter is more direct, energetic and purposeful with his movement.
Silva needs runners who move intelligently to create angles for his trademark through-balls, and there was a great example in the second half, when Silva's pass bisected two Arsenal defenders, allowing Milner to get in behind to cross. Just as Roberto Mancini's best centre-forward partnership remains a combination of Carlos Tevez and Sergio Agüero because they stretch the defence in opposite ways – one drags them up the pitch, the other tempts them to defend deep – Silva and Milner offer variety and unpredictability, a classic combination of brains and brawn. In his post-match interview, when describing his opener, Milner wrongly believed the goal was assisted by Silva – actually, it was Tevez. You can understand his mistake – Silva might not have played that ball, but he's responsible for a staggeringly high proportion of City's best moments.
GOLDEN BOLLOX 14-1-2012
THAT’S A BIT RICH THEN, EMMANUEL ADEBAYOR
IT WAS an incident in training that gave Harry Redknapp a measure of the size of the gap he is trying to bridge in hunting down Manchester City.
With Premier League leaders City not playing Wigan until Monday, a win for Tottenham at home to Wolves today would move them level on points.
But off the field, the chasm that separates the two clubs could not be wider.
Such is the gulf in resources, the key player to Tottenham’s emergence as surprise title contenders is a City cast-off.
Emmanuel Adebayor is on loan at White Hart Lane for the season and, as such, will not be able to play when the two sides meet at the Etihad Stadium on January 22.
He has settled in well with his temporary club though, with his smiling face normally in the centre of what goes on around the training complex, even if it is his own personal circumstances that highlight the enormity of the task in front of Spurs. And he makes no bones about it.
“He is on amazing money,” said Redknapp. “The other week, one of the lads reminded him that he had not paid his £50 fine for being the worst player in training on a Friday morning.
One of the other lads chipped in, ‘Bloody hell Addy, you are on £200,000 a week and you can’t afford to pay a £50 fine!’
“Manu stopped and looked at the player. ‘Don’t insult me,’ he said straight-faced. ‘It’s £225,000 a week’. He certainly ain’t getting that here.”
That does not seem to have affected his form, as Adebayor has proved central to pulling together the whole shape of the team. Which is ironic, as in the past he has been more likely to be accused of pulling a team apart.
“He has done well for us,” said Redknapp. “He has not been a minute’s problem – although things are going well for us and we are winning. He has worked hard. We like him and he has enjoyed it here.
“We will have Adebayor until the end of the year and see how we go.” The arrival of Togo international Adebayor has ruffled a few feathers though. He enjoys automatic selection status and, with Rafael van der Vaart getting the nod more often than not, Jermain Defoe has found himself short of first-team action.
That said, Redknapp hinted he would feature against Wolves this afternoon after he sat out the 2-0 win against Everton on Wednesday.
But stories have appeared that he is unsettled and, now that the transfer window is open, Newcastle Sunderland and QPR are leading the interest.
Redknapp has a theory on that – Defoe has recently changed his representatives and is now part of Struan Marshall’s stable.
“A new agent comes in and the boy is not playing – I can understand it,” he said.
“The agent is saying this club wants him and that club wants him – that is how they make their money. They want a move.
“That is how agents work. This is the time of the year where they make their money by trying to shift players. They want to do a deal. They have got to sell somebody. He is not moving anywhere though.
“He is on contract here and is a big player for us and is going to be an important player.
“He was unlucky the other night. We had two games this week but he did not play against Everton because I went with Rafa. But Defoe is an important player.
“He is a good lad. I have taken him everywhere and get on great with him. He gets disappointed, but there is every chance he will play against Wolves. And I would not even consider letting him out on loan.”
Spurs are taking a similar hands-off stance with South African midfielder Steven Pienaar, who only joined the club last January.
QPR, under new manager Mark Hughes, lodged a formal bid yesterday for a player who has been restricted to just five league starts for Tottenham due to a series of injuries.
“I would not want to sell him,” said Redknapp. “He is a good player. I don’t have any need to weaken the squad.
“I would rather have a good squad for the last 18 matches of the season than let one or two go who could play a part in the run-in.”‘You insult me, it’s £225,000 each week’
Manchester City's first half of season was fantastic, says Ferguson
'City have more points than Arsenal or Chelsea usually have'
Sir Alex Ferguson has paid tribute to Manchester City's phenomenal start to the league campaign, describing their results in the first half of the season as one of the best performances in a long, long time.
Manchester United could go level on points with their neighbours by winning Saturday's home game against Bolton Wanderers, as could Tottenham Hotspur by beating Wolves at White Hart Lane, and Ferguson said it is good for football to see two new teams challenging for the title ahead of the usual threat from Chelsea and Arsenal. "I think that makes it more exciting, and more interesting for the fans, but it certainly doesn't make it any easier," he said.
"The main difference I can see this season is that City have amassed a bigger points total than Chelsea or Arsenal would normally have managed by this stage. Their first half of the season was fantastic, and the way it's going we could be looking at something approaching 90 points to win this league. It could certainly be a number in the high 80s, and that is surprising really, because in recent seasons more teams have been taking points off each other."
Ferguson does not expect City to replicate their first-half performance and double their points total in the second half of the season – based on 45 points from 19 games that would take them to 90 at the end – because fatigue, pressure and other commitments often take their toll as the run-in gets under way. "Points will be dropped along the way, I always say that," he said. "I am sure we will be dropping a few too, because we have got a hard programme of games away from home. We have still got to go to Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham and City, and those are all games that could see points shared or dropped. There's a long way to go yet."
Acutely aware of what happened the last time a team from the bottom three visited Old Trafford – Blackburn Rovers temporarily lifting themselves off the foot of the table with an unlikely 3-2 win – Ferguson wishes to name as strong a side as possible against Bolton.
"Chris Smalling and Phil Jones have slight knocks that we'll have to assess before the game but we should have a reasonable squad," he said. "You have to respect any team that's down at the bottom because they will be fighting for their lives. We are expecting a tough game but we will make sure we address it properly. I'd prefer not to talk about going joint top or what might happen after that; we have an opportunity to try and win a game at home and we will see where that takes us."
Ferguson would not confirm whether Paul Scholes will be involved, but suggested that he may be. "I wouldn't be against playing him," he said. "As his stats from the last game showed, he's still one of the best passers in the game, and he'll probably still be able to do that when he's 50. Bringing him back was a very easy decision to make; all the players idolise him anyway so there was never going to be a problem fitting in."
Scholes has signed a contract until the end of the season, at which point his situation will be reviewed again. One player who may not last that long at United is Ravel Morrison, an 18-year-old winger with a couple of substitute appearances who is interesting Newcastle and seems to have exhausted the patience of his present manager.
"His agent has been working hard to get him another club," Ferguson said. "We have offered him terms, which he has refused. His demands are unrealistic as far as we are concerned. We have rejected an offer from Newcastle."
Ferguson also said he would have no concerns about selecting Patrice Evra for the FA Cup tie at Liverpool this month. Evra would be playing at Anfield for the first time since he made allegations of racism against Liverpool's Luis Suárez. "I haven't decided on that [whether Evra will play] but it wouldn't be a problem for me," the manager said
Twitter rumour Bollox : Chamakh broke up fight between Arsenal fan & Nasri pre City defeat
The story below is by Darren Richman, a football journalist for the Independent.The Tweets are from Darren’s brother, Robert Richman.
It more or less speaks for itself. But the background is essentially that Samir Nasri (suspended due to his sending off at Norwich) and Marouane Chamakh (on loan at West Ham) travelled together to watch Arsenal’s home defeat to Manchester City.
Quite why Nasri would travel back to the Emirates, where he is universally hated, comes as a surprise but perhaps he is still oblivious to all the anger…
If any video ever emerges from this “fight” we will do our utmost to track it down and bring it to you!
Robert Richman
@RobRich8 So today at AFC was obviously pretty horrendous but it was made slightly more amusing by my walk to the ground...
13 Jan 13 ReplyRetweetFavorite
Robert Richman
@RobRich8 I was rushing to stadium and all of a sudden walking next to me, minding their own business, were Chamakh and everyone's fav ex gunner Nasri
13 Jan 13 ReplyRetweetFavorite
Robert Richman
@RobRich8 Some kids started abusing Nasri, calling him a traitor c#nt and all other expletives. Then from nowhere some old boy squares up to Nasri.
13 Jan 13 ReplyRetweetFavorite
Robert Richman
@RobRich8 This old boy had Nasri by the collar and he had to be separated by Chamakh. Probably best thing chamakh has done in his career.
MCF.net THREAD: viewtopic.php?f=119&t=44982
SNUB COUNT - 94
Chelsea target Radamel Falcao, 26, hints he would prefer a move to Paris Saint-Germain ahead of Stamford Bridge when the striker leaves Atletico Madrid for a reported £48m. Sun
Ipswich want to sign Nottingham Forest keeper Lee Camp, 28, on a free transfer after he was axed from the first team at the City Ground. DSSC
Swansea boss Michael Laudrup is closing in on a £2m deal for Osasuna forward Roland Lamah, 25, and hopes to confirm the signing this week. Daily Mirror
Norwich City are eyeing a move for Celtic striker Gary Hooper, 24, after boss Chris Hughton admitted that he needs more firepower. Guardian
On-loan Romelu Lukaku's representatives will sit down with Chelsea when the January transfer window shuts to negotiate the 19-year-old striker staying another season at West Brom. DSSC
Fulham boss Martin Jol is making a £3m move for Belgian teenage defender Bernard Malanda-Adje, 18, from Zulte Waregem.
Belgium international Roland Lamah's previous clubs include Anderlecht. Daily Mirror
Arsene Wenger has given his clearest indication yet that forward Theo Walcott, 23, will be staying after the Arsenal boss said he will not be offloading any more players until new signings are made. DSSC
GOLDEN WAG 14-1-2012
[spoiler]Jennifer Walcott
[/spoiler] And Wenger believes midfielder Cesc Fabregas, 25, will one day return to the Emirates to see out his career with Arsenal. Fabregas scored in Barcelona's 3-1 win at Malaga on Sunday. Metro
Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha, 20, increases speculation he is signing for Manchester United by tweeting: "Looks like I'm on my way to the top of the Premier League." He later removed the Tweet. Daily Express
Chelsea have made an £8.5m bid for Celta Vigo forward Iago Aspas, 25, who has scored eight goals in 18 La Liga games this season. Daily Star
Sean O'Driscoll, 55, is favourite to take charge at Bristol City after rejecting the chance to manage Blackpool. Derek McInnes, 41 was sacked as Robins boss on Saturday following the 4-0 defeat by Leicester. Daily Star
Peterborough reject Nottingham Forest's offer for George Boyd, 27, as "derisory". The winger is out of contact in the summer. Times.
Birmingham are looking at signing Arbroath striker Steven Doris, 24, after he impressed on trial with the Championship club. Daily Record
Chelsea will make a bid for QPR midfielder Stephane Mbia, 26, if Rangers are successful in signing Yann M'Vila, 22, from French side Stade Rennais. L'Equipe
Fiorentina manager Vincenzo Montella says he would be happy to coach Frank Lampard, who is out of contract with Chelsea this summer. Tuttosport
Diego Lugano, 32, captain of the Uruguayan national side during the 2010 World Cup and currently of Paris Saint-Germain, is likely to sign a six-month loan deal with Spanish side Malaga. La Opinion
CSKA Moscow have brought midfielder Vagner Love, 28, back to the side, after a one-year spell at Brazilian club Flamengo. During his first spell with CSKA from 2004-2012, Love scored 117 goals, making him the most successful foreign player in the history of the Russian league. Russia Today
Tottenham's manager Andre Villas-Boas has revealed that his admiration for the England midfielder Scott Parker extended to trying to buy him when he was appointed manager of Chelsea in the summer of 2011. Independent
New Wolves boss Dean Saunders says it could take him up to two years to chop his 40-man squad down to 25 because of high salaries. Saunders, 48, wants to reduce the squad to pay players "with more class". Express & Star
Former Premier League referee Graham Poll says video technology needs to be introduced after replays appeared to show that defender Nemanja Vidic, 31, was offside when he got the final touch as Manchester United beat Liverpool 2-1. DSSC
Former Newcastle skipper Bobby Moncur says he would be "disappointed" if defender Fabricio Coloccini left the club as the Magpies fight for Premier League survival. It is believed the Argentina international, 30, wants to return to South America because of personal problems. Newcastle Chronicle
Blackburn midfielder Danny Murphy, 35, says he knows little about his new manager Michael Appleton, 37, and adds: "It's a bit crazy, it's not ideal to have had five managers at this stage of the season." Lancashire Telegraph
Blackpool chairman Karl Oyston has hit out at Blackburn after they appointed Seasiders boss Appleton. "It's unfortunate we've become embroiled in the disaster shipwreck Blackburn have become," says Oyston. Blackpool Gazette
Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy is rumoured to be resigned to losing Gareth Bale in the summer, with Real Madrid told they can buy the 23-year-old Welsh winger for £55m. Express
Crystal Palace have told Manchester United that if they want to sign England winger Wilfried Zaha, 20, they will have to pay £15m including add-ons and allow him to stay with his current side for the rest of the campaign. Mirror
Liverpool are planning to hijack Galatasaray's move for 28-year-old Netherlands and Inter Milan playmaker Wesley Sneijder. People
Meanwhile, Galatasaray do not have the funds to meet Sneijder's 'astronomical and absurd' transfer fee, according to the vice-president of their Turkish rivals Fenerbahce, Abdullah Kigili. Sky Sports
Atletico Madrid are preparing a cut-price move for their former striker Fernando Torres, 28, who moved to Chelsea from Liverpool for £50m and is contracted until 2016 but could return to Spain, initially on loan for the rest of the season. Metro
Newcastle have had a bid accepted for Marseille striker and QPR target Loic Remy, 26. DSSC
Queens Park Rangers manager Harry Redknapp and chief scout Ian Broomfield travelled to France on Saturday night to watch defensive midfielder Yann M'Vila, 22, in action for Rennes against Bordeaux. Skysports.com
Rennes manager Frederic Antonetti has strongly hinted that QPR are in the market for controversial France international M'Vila after he said: "The bottom club in England want to sign one of our best players." l'Equipe
Chelsea have bid £8.3m for Celta Vigo striker Iago Aspas, 25, but his club are trying to convince him to hold off on making a move until the summer. Marca
Aston Villa are to refuse to sell £24m club record signing Darren Bent to any of their relegation rivals. The 28-year-old striker has featured in only 10 Premier League games this season due to injury and manager Paul Lambert's preference for fellow centre forward Christian Benteke, 22. Mirror
England left-back Ashley Cole, 32, wants to stay in the Premier League after his Chelsea contract expires in the summer and will hold talks with Premier League leaders Manchester United. People
Stoke manager Tony Pulis could be tempted to bring in overseas loan replacements for striker Kenwyne Jones, 28, and winger Jermaine Pennant, 29, if he decides to sell the pair in the current transfer window. Stoke Sentinel
Swansea have been linked with a move for 25-year-old Belgian international winger Roland Lamah, who has 18 months of his contract to run at Osasuna. South Wales Evening Post
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce admits he needs defensive reinforcements following Saturday's 3-0 defeat at Sunderland. talkSHIT
Former Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola is thought to prefer a summer move to Manchester City ahead of Manchester United or Chelsea. Sun
Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson will chair a secret two-day League Managers' Association seminar which will be attended by Real Madrid's Jose Mourinho and ex-Barcelona boss Guardiola. DSSC
Tottenham's new signing Lewis Holtby, the 22-year-old half English half German midfielder who will join them at the end of the season, says he chose Spurs because he believes they can win the Premier League. Mirror
Arsene Wenger believes former Arsenal skipper Cesc Fabregas will return to play for the Gunners. Times
Nigel Reo-Coker, 28, has chosen to leave Ipswich after the Championship side elected to only offer him a new deal until the end of the season. Ipswich Star
Fabio Capello has made a peace deal with the Football Association that will mean he takes part in the organisation's 150th anniversary celebrations on Wednesday, despite his lingering grievances after walking out as England manager last year over the John Terry affair. Observer
Stoke fans were left red-faced after they teased Chelsea manager Rafa Benitez with a P45 poster - only for the Spaniard to then mastermind a 4-0 win over them. Metro
New Wolves manager Dean Saunders has implemented dietary rules on his players, insisting they have no more takeaways or fast food. Metro
Martin Samuel reveals Arsenal's big idea to hand the title to Manchester United and cream off the profits in a plot which could destroy English football
No more of this: Success like Blackburn's, aided by Jack Walker, would be prevented under the proposed rules
All you need to know about the latest proposal for financial fair play in the Premier League is that, if the rules were passed, Venky’s catastrophic takeover of Blackburn Rovers would still be permitted. Jack Walker’s title win, however, would not.
Yes, he could have bought the club just the same, but Walker would not have been allowed to do much of worth with it. He would not have been able to invest at a level that could bring quick success; he would not have been able to challenge the established elite effectively.
So no Alan Shearer, no Chris Sutton, probably no Kenny Dalglish either, because what would be the point? And no league title. Manchester United would have won the championship in 1995, as they did in 1993, 1994, 1996 and 1997 and the modern era’s greatest achievement would never have happened.
Walker could still have purchased Blackburn, the club he loved, but only to manage their mediocrity, perhaps with small incremental improvements each year. The revolution, the great leap forward, the dream of every supporter across the land, would have been thwarted by supposed fair play.
Venky’s plans, meanwhile, would pass on the nod. There are to be no restrictions on those who want to buy a club and ruin it. Sell their best player, under-invest, bring in a cabal of clowns to run the show, get relegated. The elite are more than happy for the new money men to do that.
History: A young Blackburn Rovers fan poses for a photograph next to the Jack Walker
On Tuesday, December 18, when Premier League chairmen met to discuss the latest financial fair play proposals, four elite clubs attempted a coup. Until that moment, the general consensus had been that regulation was required to prevent another Ports-mouth, but not another Manchester City, which seems reasonable.
There is a significant difference between owner investment and owner loans. There can be no repeat of the chaos at Pompey, but this can be achieved without restriction on fresh funds coming into English football to make the league more competitive.
And then the game changed.
On Arsenal headed notepaper, a letter was handed out, signed by four clubs — Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur — stating the existing FFP proposals did not go far enough and that greater limitations should be placed on owner investment.
David Gill, the chief executive of Manchester United, rose to speak. He questioned why the Premier League had to serve the needs of oligarchs and oil-rich Sheiks. Manchester United were focused on the health of the competition, he said — at this point it would have taken a heart of stone not to laugh — and he would go a stage further. The league should consider implementing UEFA financial fair play proposals to the letter, even getting UEFA in to regulate and ensure their strict application.
The rest of the clubs are thinking over this proposal before their next meeting. Some may even be stupid enough to consider it seriously.
FFP plans: The letter with the Arsenal header which says the proposed regulations do not go far enough
Effectively, what Gill wants is for a man like Bill Kenwright, chairman of Everton and the leading theatrical impresario in the world, to check his business dealings with Jean-Luc Dehaene, the former chairman of the bank that could yet do for the European economy what Lehman Brothers did for the fiscal stability of the United States.
Dehaene is the figure Michel Platini, UEFA president, has made chief investigator and chairman of the Investigatory Chamber of the Club Financial Control Body and, therefore, one presumes, the man Gill would have rooting through the finances of Premier League football clubs, too.
He would certainly have more time to concentrate on the project, having resigned as chairman of Dexia Bank on July 1, 2012. You may recall that Dehaene was due to speak on financial propriety at a Leaders In Football conference in London in 2011 but couldn’t make it because his bank had gone skint requiring a £3.45billion bail-out from the Belgian government. This in addition to the £5.18bn it had received to stay afloat in 2008, when Dehaene took over.
Dexia Holdings confirmed a loss of £9.73bn for 2011 and was subsequently embroiled in a scandal after the revelation that, between 2006 and 2008, Dexia Bank Belgium had loaned £1.3bn to two of their largest institutional shareholders to buy shares in other arms of the company to keep their stock price afloat.
Platini's main man: Former Belgian-French financial services group Dexia chairman, Jean-Luc Dehaene (left)
Since resigning from Dexia, where a further £70.2bn is to be spent to allow what is termed the ‘orderly resolution’ of their financial problems, Dehaene has been taking his rather personal interpretation of financial fair play to new levels.
Now a member of the European Parliament, he was forced to issue a revised declaration of interests after failing to detail £4.41million of share options in a Belgium-Brazilian beer conglomerate AB InBev.
This is the man Gill would place in charge of the financial policing of the English game.
So what is in it for Manchester United and friends? Money, obviously.
If clubs like United and Arsenal, with the biggest grounds and revenue streams, can limit spending to percentage of turnover, they will always have the biggest transfer pot and therefore the greatest chance of success. That is why owner investment terrifies them. Forget this guff about the health of the league. If they wanted that, the elite would be advocating some of the wealth redistribution initiatives that exist in American sport.
Profits from a Manchester United shirt sold beyond their catchment area — in the West Country, for instance — would be split throughout the 20 Premier League clubs, as happens to New York Yankees merchandise sold outside club shops or the New York metropolitan area.
Not going to happen here, is it?
Gill will not be giving too many speeches in favour of that one.
Self-interest: David Gill would not, of course, be in favour of sharing shirt sale profits with other teams
This is about exclusion, not fairness, and the established elite do not like the idea of another Sheik Mansour coming along. They don’t like Roman Abramovich buying the best players, either.
And, if they can rope in enough dopes who see the plan simply as a way of saving money and cutting expenditure, this naked self-interest may carry the day. So far, only Chelsea, Manchester City, Fulham, West Bromwich Albion and Aston Villa are against it and 14 votes are needed to alter the rulebook.
Once secured, forget the dream of your very own Jack Walker. All any new owner will be able to do is maintain the status quo.
As for Gill, his plan to deliver English football to Europe’s governing body, not so much wrapped in a bow as trussed like a turkey, coincides a little too neatly with his campaign to get elected to UEFA’s executive committee at the next UEFA Congress in May. Call it his dowry.
Ivan Gazidis, the man whose vision has helped make Arsenal the club they are today, is another with serious political ambitions.
He has already wormed his way on to the executive board of the European Clubs Association, as their representative on UEFA’s Professional Strategy Council, as well as holding a position on the ECA Legal Advisory Panel.
Divisive: Ivan Gazidis (left), with Arsene Wenger, wants his club's rivals wound up in red tape
In addition, there is his slot on the FA’s Professional Game Board, the FA Council, FIFA’s Dispute Resolution Chamber and the Premier League’s Working Group for Elite Player Performance. Quite the busy boy, considering he joined Arsenal as chief executive only in 2009. A cynic would think he had an agenda: or a plan.
A better plan than selling the best player to Manchester United and ramping up the ticket prices, one hopes. No wonder Gazidis wants his Premier League rivals bound in financial red tape. How else are his club to get back in the game?
It has been another illuminating week at Arsenal with the admission that manager Arsene Wenger knew selling Robin van Persie to Manchester United would take the title to Old Trafford, proof if any were needed that he no longer regards Arsenal as title contenders.
‘It is painful to see United so far in front of us,’ Wenger said. ‘You know when you sell Van Persie to United that this will be the case.’
Yet, if Wenger thought Arsenal could win the league, surely he would not have agreed the transfer that took this hope away.
One can only presume from his analysis, therefore, that he did not see Manchester United as rivals even before the season began. Then followed Wenger’s justification of Arsenal’s extortionate ticket prices, with Manchester City returning 900 seats for yesterday’s game after fans balked at the £62 cost.
All about the money? Robin van Persie's sale betrays Arsenal's supposed ambitions
‘The only way we can pay the wages and compete without any external help is through ticket prices,’ Wenger insisted.
And don’t say you were not warned. The fans will be the collateral damage of financial fair play. There is a going rate for player wages and it cannot fall without triggering free contract clauses. So, if the owners pass a mess of rules that stop them paying the bill, who do you think is going to get stuck with it?
Not Stan Kroenke. Not Gazidis, either. His big idea involves handing the title to Manchester United, creaming off the profits while trying to negotiate Chelsea and Manchester City out of contention with politics, lawyers and sneaky little closed-door carve-ups. Until that works, you pick up the tab.
Liverpool and Tottenham are clearly vying to gobble the meagre crumbs from Arsenal and United’s table, but why any of the other clubs are supportive, who knows?
West Ham United could soon move to the Olympic Stadium, with a genuine chance for expansion.
Surprising: West Ham could soon move to the Olympic Stadium - why would they shoot themselves in the foot?Why would they vote to limit their possibilities simply to ensure the success of an established few? Why would any club with potential, from Aston Villa, to Sunderland or Southampton? Maybe it’s the Arsenal-headed paper reeling them in.
It always stood for something in the days when the club were the province of tradition, old Etonians and old money. Arsenal had class.
Arsenal had never been relegated. The chairman was posh and his name was hyphenated. When he talked, football listened.
This missive, however, is the work of an absentee American chairman and a chief executive whose grand plan would as good as hand the title to United each year, with his team coming an expensive second. Expensive for those watching, that is.
And who will preside over this, the world’s dullest league: why our old mate from Bank de Potless in Belgium. Thirty five quid a month on Sky, if you’re interested
<EDIT> What do you mean, John Candy is dead!
Fucl it, I've spent an age on it but here are two more earlier threads ...
MCF.net THREAD A (Its Going To Get Ugly...)
: viewtopic.php?f=119&t=44979
MCF.net THREAD B (Ganging up now, eh?)
: viewtopic.php?f=119&t=44980
GOLDEN BOLLOX 14-1-2011
Shaun Wright-Phillips 'offered for transfer to Liverpool'
Shaun Wright-Phillips is heading for the Manchester City exit door, having been offered to Liverpool and Fulham.
Wright-Phillips is in his second spell at Manchester City, having been brought back to the club from Chelsea by Mark Hughes.
Now it seems Hughes is keen to sign the player again, this time to take him back to west London and Fulham.
Liverpool are also believed to be interested in the player, with Reds manager Kenny Mumbles desperately needing to add a creative spark to his floundering team.
With Wright-Phillips set to be available for as little as £4million, he could be a useful signing for a Liverpool side still trying to establish a long-term strategy.
One City player whose future does appear to be decided is Roque Santa Cruz, who looks set to rejoin Blackburn.
City boss Roberto Mancini conceded he would have to let Santa Cruz and Wright-Phillips go in search of first-team football.
'Every player wants to play. I understand that. But it is difficult for me. It is the same situation for Roque and Shaun Wright-Phillips,' he said.
LAHAD'S BINGO CIRCLE OF BOLLOX
A perfect place to honour the Fez & Nipple Tassel wearing one ....
MCF.net THREAD: http://mancityfans.net/mcfnet/viewtopic ... 21&t=44934
