TOP 100 SOCCER SITES
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| Leeds manager Simon Grayson defends Jermaine Beckford after show of petulance Leeds manager urges fans to forget about striker's show of petulance when the striker faces Hartlepool on Boxing Day. telegraph.co.uk |
D.C. United taps Onalfo as coach D.C. United of Major League Soccer announced on Monday that it has hired Curt Onalfo as the team's coach, replacing Tom Soehn. cbc.ca |
Togo will play in African Cup after deadly ambush Togo has changed its mind and agreed to play in the African Cup of Nations, according to French sports daily L'Equipe on its website on Saturday - despite a call from Togo's government to return home following the deadly attack in Angola. cbc.ca |
Nigel Worthington to stay as Northern Ireland manager Irish Football Association confirm he has verbally agreed a new contract. telegraph.co.uk |
City in talks over Robinho loan with Brazilian pair • Mancini confirms loan move is possible for Brazil striker• Robinho in City squad for Carling Cup semi-final second legThe Manchester City manager, Roberto Mancini, has confirmed negotiations have begun with the Brazilian clubs Santos and Sao Paulo over a loan move for Robinho. However, the Brazil international will only be allowed to leave Eastlands if City are happy with the terms of the deal."It is possible that something could happen," confirmed Mancini. "This kind of thing does happen. I know in Italy there were instances when clubs paid a lot of money for a fantastic player but afterwards he needed to play at another club. Negotiations are happening but for now he is part of my squad."Mancini also revealed that the 26-year-old is in the City squad for tomorrow night's Carling Cup semi-final second leg match with Manchester United at Old Trafford. Robinho scored for City in his last match, the 4-2 FA Cup fourth-round win at Scunthorpe United on Sunday.Although Robinho has shown flashes of brilliance and remains a favourite among City fans, he was unsettled for most of the second half of last season and quit a training camp in Tenerife to return home to Brazil after initially being refused permission by then manager Mark Hughes.The subsequent sale of his close friend Elano to Galatasaray and the exit of Jô for an ultimately ill-fated loan experiment at Everton isolated the 25-year-old even further. Robinho has also been overshadowed by Craig Bellamy in the battle for the left-sided attacking spot that the South American prefers.With a World Cup looming and no guarantee of regular football at City, Robinho has been searching for a solution. However, City are adamant their British record signing will not be allowed to leave unless all the player's wages are taken care of, something that has ruled Benfica out of the running."The World Cup in June is a big problem for him," added Mancini. "He wants to play for the national team. I understand that but I must decide what is best for the team. I have five or six strikers to choose from, which makes it difficult for him and me."Meanwhile, both Emmanuel Adebayor and Kolo Touré could be involved against Manchester United in tomorrow's Carling Cup semi-final.Adebayor returned to training yesterday and declared himself available despite his horrific experience at the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola with Togo, who pulled out of the competition following the shooting which left three of their party dead.Touré's disappointment was purely on the football side, with the Ivory Coast once again failing to live up to their pre-tournament billing, subsiding at the quarter-final stage to England's World Cup opponents Algeria."I spoke with Emmanuel yesterday," said Mancini. "He is training with us now and I think he will be ready to be on the bench. We won't see Kolo until tomorrow and I need to see how he has recovered before I decide whether he is also on the bench or whether he plays. I am sad for him that the Ivory Coast got knocked out – but I am happy for us."RobinhoManchester CityRoberto ManciniTransfer windowguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |