TOP 100 SOCCER SITES
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| Tottenham in for Craig Bellamy as turmoil at Manchester City encourages Harry Redknapp Harry Redknapp hopes to exploit turmoil at Manchester City with a move for Craig Bellamy in the January transfer window. telegraph.co.uk |
Burnley seek youthful successor to Coyle • Burnley seek a 'young, hungry, winning manager'• New man expected to be in place for trip to Old TraffordBurnley hope to appoint Owen Coyle's successor in time for their trip to Manchester United on Saturday week. As lawyers today finalised the small print of the compensation package which must be agreed between Burnley and Bolton before Coyle can begin work at the Reebok Stadium, Turf Moor officials stepped up the hunt for a new manager.Ideally he will be bright, youthful, up-and-coming and not entirely dissimilar to his predecessor. "As much as we are disappointed to lose Owen there are always young, hungry, winning managers out there who want to take on a challenge and make their names," said Burnley's chairman, Barry Kilby today."Our search is still in its infancy and we haven't got a shortlist yet but there's a possibility the new manager could be walking out at Old Trafford. I think that, by the middle of next week, we'd expect to have a clear shortlist ahead of the Manchester United game."Paulo Sousa, the Swansea manager and former Portugal international, is much admired at Turf Moor and is understood to be keen to manage in the Premier League but Burnley would face a fight for his services."I won't be letting Burnley or any club talk to our manager," said Huw Jenkins, the Swansea chairman, today. After having Sousa's predecessor, Roberto MartÃnez, poached by Wigan last summer, the Welsh club are extremely hostile to the idea of losing a second manager within a matter of months."There are one or two people clearly coming through," Kilby said. "But, although we intend to do things quickly, we are just starting to look at the beauty parade. The managers are coming forward now so we just need to get it narrowed down a bit, we haven't got it down to a list of six names or anything yet."Coyle has recommended his friend John Hughes, his former co-manager at Falkirk, who is in charge at Hibs, to Kilby, and Mike Phelan, Sir Alex Ferguson's assistant at Manchester United is another candidate.Burnley would be extremely interested in the Leeds United manager, Simon Grayson, but he is understood to be fully committed to the rebuilding job at Elland Road and would not be prepared to leave.Although the 53-year-old Peter Reid does not quite fit Burnley's "young, emerging" profile, the Stoke City assistant manager is expected to make Kilby's shortlist. Reid, formerly in charge of Manchester City, Sunderland, Leeds and Thailand, applied for the Turf Moor post in November 2007 but lost out to Coyle. His past experience of relegation battles may yet count in his favour as Burnley strive to retain their hard-won Premier League status.While the hunt for a manager goes on Steve Davis, a coach Kilby hopes to prevent being poached by Bolton, will remain in caretaker charge of the east Lancashire side.With Kilby wanting £3m in compensation for losing Coyle and Phil Gartside, Bolton's chairman, hoping to pay nearer £1m, the Scot is currently on "gardening leave" while the legal wrangling over an exit clause in his contract continues.Coyle hopes to be free to take charge of Bolton for the first time at Sunderland on Saturday but that Premier League fixture is in danger of postponement due to the severe weather conditions. A decision as to whether or not it goes ahead is expected to be made on Saturday.BurnleyOwen CoyleBolton WanderersPremier LeagueLouise Taylorguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Malawi 3-0 Algeria Malawi took advantage of Algeria's slapstick defending to record a comprehensive 3-0 victoryMalawi, making their first Africa Cup of Nations Cup appearance for 26 years and only their second overall, stunned England's World Cup group opponents Algeria 3-0 in their opening Group A match.Russel Mwafulirwa gave the outsiders a 17th-minute lead when he took advantage of slapstick defending and Elvis Kafoteka headed a second before the break in a near-deserted November 11 Stadium.Davi Banda scored early in the second half to complete Malawi's first ever win at the tournament and send them top of Group A, ahead of the hosts Angola and Mali whose tournament opener ended in a 4-4 draw yesterday.Malawi, who took one point from three games on their debut appearance in 1984 when their results included a 3-0 defeat by Algeria, were not expected to do much better this time around with an apparently lightweight squad.But with nine Europe-based players in their starting line-up and the game kicking off in mid-afternoon, Algeria struggled in the stifling heat and made life even more difficult for themselves by gifting Malawi the opener.The goalkeeper, Faouzi Chaouchi, and the Rangers defender Madjid Bougherra collided as they tried to clear a pass that was played into the Algeria penalty box and the ball ran to Mwafulirwa who put the ball into an empty net.Algeria's best chance came shortly afterwards when Rafik Saifi broke clear of the offside trap but lobbed the ball over the bar. Malawi increased their lead in the 36th minute when Moses Chavula crossed from the left and Kafoteka headed home.Three minutes after the break, the dangerous Mwafulirwa drilled a shot against the post but the Algeria defence failed to clear and the ball fell to Banda who scored with a low shot.Africa Cup of NationsAlgeriaMalawiguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger 'sorry' for William Gallas tackle on Bolton's Mark Davies Frenchman apologises for challenge which led to Arsenal's equaliser as side go top of Premier League with win over Bolton. telegraph.co.uk |
Manchester City close to signing Marco Motta on loan from Roma • Roberto Mancini confirms interest in out-of-favour defender• Loan deal for Mathieu Flamini still a possibilityManchester City have opened formal talks with Roma about signing their out-of-favour defender Marco Motta on loan for the rest of the season. Motta is a 23-year-old right-back who has lost his place at the Stadio Olimpico since Claudio Ranieri replaced Luciano Spalletti as coach.Negotiations are at advanced stage and Roberto Mancini, the City manager, confirmed to Italian journalists yesterday that he was keen to sign a player who used to captain the Italy Under-21 side as well as representing the full side in the last Olympics.Motta's registration is jointly owned by his previous club, Udinese, which has complicated the talks, but both clubs have given their provisional approval for the player to leave Serie A and follow Patrick Vieira as Mancini's second signing since replacing Mark Hughes as manager.Mancini would also like to arrange a loan deal that would see the former Arsenal player Mathieu Flamini return to English football from Milan, but City have not received any encouragement from Real Madrid after making an official approach for Fernando Gago. Madrid do not want to sell the Argentinian midfielder when they have only a 23-man squad and have told City they will have to bid around £18m to persuade them to change their mind.Manchester CityPremier LeagueTransfer windowRomaSerie AEuropean footballDaniel Taylorguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |