TOP 100 SOCCER SITES
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| Premiership doesn't stop for holidays While the rest of the soccer world takes a well-deserved break at the end of the year, the English inventors of the beautiful game thunder on. Boxing Day sees a full Premier League programme and the following Monday they will all play again - until the last patches of green are wiped out and the first metatarsal bone gives way. cbc.cacbc.ca |
Football transfer rumours: Nemanja Vidic to Real Madrid? Today's Mill was persuaded to throw out a football programme collection only a fortnight ago and is not at all resentfulThe Rumour Mill is minding its own business in a graveyard at dawn, attempting to roast its frozen chestnuts on a puny brazier when who should turn up but Blackburn Rovers' El Hadji Diouf muttering something about weather. "Ha! Ha!" he says. "'Tis ever and so nuncle, with the Black Monks. Scream did he, scream and gurgle as they skewered his cat flap for want of a farthing? Oh! Poor Diouf's cold! Pity poor Diouf, for his nose is frozen, and he does shiver." Apparently, it's taters out and the cold snap has badly affected his form.Real Madrid are hoping to capitalise on Mrs Vidic's similar contempt for the Lancashire climate by making a £20m summer bid for her husband, Nemanja. Manchester United are lining up Porto's Bruno Alves as his replacement. If that sounds familiar it's because Sir Alex Ferguson has had to go back to Plan A having been told by Palermo's Simon Kjaer that he has no intention of moving to England despite both United and City being prepared to trigger the £18m release clause in his contract.There's a lot of United ire in the tabs this morning, inspired principally by how comments made by Fabio Capello – United are no longer a "war machine" – were spun yesterday. "Get stuffed, we don't miss Cristiano Ronaldo and we're well placed to win the title," is the gist of Ferguson's rapid rebuttal.Manchester United will move, however, to bring in a goalkeeper and fancy Lyon's Hugo "Slender" Lloris but not the £20m asking price.In other Lancashire news, Darren Ferguson is on the verge of replacing Alan Irvine at Preston North End unless Gary Megson-less Bolton Wanderers beat them to it. Blackburn's Benni McCarthy has been heard humming the Kinks' Set Me Free. "Enough's enough," he told the Mail. "I feel I've been stepped on too much and it's best to go." And when it's Big Sam stepping on you, a £2m move to Birmingham City would relieve the South Africa striker of a great weight. Burnley, meanwhile, are close to agreeing terms with Algeria's captain, Yazid Mansouri. A million quid will persuade Lorient to let the midfielder strut in front of the David Fishwick minibus ads at Turf Moor.Moving south Arsène Wenger has outed himself as a Craig Bellamy fan but thinks getting him out of Manchester City is a non-starter. He'll turn instead to QPR's 15-year-old "wonderkid" Raheem Sterling and stop Jack Wilshere joining Burnley on loan following injuries to Cesc Fábregas and Denilson.Birmingham are going to sign Joe Hart on a long-term deal from Manchester City for £3.5m instead of waiting until June when they fear the price might be more.Ruud van Nistelrooy's wages have scared off Blackburn but Liverpool can just about run to the £87,500 a week he wants to leave Real Madrid.Wee Gordon Strachan, former chalkboard purveyor of this parish, is going to splash £6m on Celtic's Stephen McManus, Barry Robson and Scott McDonald while Paul Telfer sits by the phone wondering if he may have been inadvertently cut off.Mick McCarthy thinks Derby's Kris Commons would look dandy in old gold and Chris Hughton is eyeing up Leeds' Jermaine Beckford. Both men reckon £1.25m should swing the deals with Newcastle particularly bullish given Beckford has only six months of his contract to run and will tempt the Elland Road supremo, Bad Santa, with a cheeky bid.And finally, for Liverpool fans, here's a titbit from the web deep throats' site of choice: "Ryan Babel to Birmingham for £10m. Andriy Voronin to Zenit St Petersburg for £3m. Philipp Degen will move to Wigan for £2m and Andrea Dossena is going to Atlético Madrid for £4.5m. With £20m at his disposal, Rafa will spend £11m on [Galatasaray's] Arda Turan, £3.5m on [Standard Liège's] Milan Jovanovic and £5m on [Crystal Palace's] Victor Moses."Please feel free to add your own guff below.Manchester UnitedTransfer windowLiverpoolReal MadridRob Bagchiguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Alex McLeish finding it tough to buy players for newly rich Birmingham • Birmingham manager being very cautious in transfer market• 'I'm not going to spend £20m on one player – we're not ready'Alex McLeish says Birmingham City are finding it difficult to sign players because of the inflated demands of clubs and players in the knowledge that the Birmingham City manager has between £20m and £40m to spend this month following Carson Yeung's takeover at St Andrew's.Reported moves for Kevin Kuranyi and Kenwyne Jones have yielded nothing and McLeish said: "Yes, that is a problem for me," he said. "That's what I have to consider, is when we take the next step. I know that if Birmingham keep improving we're going to have to bring in players – wages will increase, players already here will want higher wages and new contracts. It's a natural evolution. I don't want to take too big a step at this moment because I don't think it would be right."McLeish has already made one signing in the Spanish midfielder MÃchel who is undertaking his medical today in order to complete a £3m switch from Sporting Gijon. Regarding further new arrivals, McLeish said there is nothing imminent but that he "remains interested in one or two players".But he pointed to inflated prices at the start of January as the reason for Birmingham's relative inactivity in the market to date."If there's £20m to spend then I'm sure Carson means that but whether I spend that remains to be seen," he said. "I would probably need to bring four or five players in to get through that money. I'm certainly not going to spend it on one player because I don't think we're ready for that step."There are a few clubs that are desperate for cash and we're aware of that as well. So prices can be inflated at the beginning of the month and they start to see sense towards the end of January."He added: "Some prices abroad are definitely inflated but the Premier League managers and clubs tend to know the market value for players. It's like buying a house – it's whoever is prepared to pay the money. But the Premier League is a tough place to buy players because when you're an established player prices tend to go up very rapidly."Tomorrow night Birmingham, who are unbeaten in 13 matches, face Nottingham Forest at home in their FA Cup third-round replay.Transfer windowBirmingham CityPremier Leagueguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Stoke pull out of loan deal for James • Stoke had set deadline for James deal of midday today• Team insist keeper was only ever one of a number of optionsStoke City have ended their interest in the Portsmouth goalkeeper David James, the club have confirmed. Stoke's manager, Tony Pulis, said yesterday he was keen on bringing the goalkeeper to the Britannia Stadium on loan until the end of the season.They had set a deadline for completing the deal of midday today, however, so that James would be available for tomorrow's game against Liverpool at the Britannia Stadium. Once that had passed, they immediately withdrew from the deal."Stoke City have confirmed that they have pulled out of a bid to sign England goalkeeper David James," read a statement on the club's website. "In confirming his interest in the experienced keeper at his pre-match press conference yesterday, manager Tony Pulis made it clear the attempt to sign James on loan was one of a number of transfer options."It is believed that Stoke's proposed deal hinged on Portsmouth's willingness to pay a portion of James's wages, but Portsmouth's financial situation may have precluded such an agreement.James has been named in Portsmouth's squad to play Birmingham at Fratton Park tomorrow.Stoke CityPortsmouthTransfer windowPremier Leagueguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Tottenham's new stadium plans snubbed by architectural watchdog The Northumberland Development project has been criticised by an architectural watchdog. telegraph.co.uk |