| Scotland v Spain: Craig Levein's wall unlikely to protect Scots from Spanish armada After Scotland's ultra-defensive tactics failed in Prague, could a new plan be on the cards for the visit of Spain? telegraph.co.uk |
Spain, Germany power on, Italy draw Spain went top of Euro 2012 qualifying Group I with a win over Lithuania, while Germany beat Turkey 3-0 and Italy were held to a goalless draw. foxsports.com.au |
Ashley Cole came close to Chelsea exit Left-back says he came close to leaving in summer after high-profile divorce but was persuaded to stay by Carlo Ancelotti. telegraph.co.uk |
UEFA Requests Evidence Of Euro 2012 Allegations MILAN (Reuters) - UEFA has asked a Cypriot official to provide proof of corruption related to the decision to award Poland and Ukraine the Euro 2012 championship, European soccer's governing body said Monday. feeds.nytimes.com |
Football transfer rumours: Bastian Schweinsteiger to Manchester United? | Barry Glendenning Today's tell-all is told that every known football rumour in the world is gathered into the horseshoe of the CarpathiansAware that his ambitious striker Wayne Rooney got a close-up view of exactly how good German midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger can be on a field in Bloemfontein almost four months ago to the day, Sir Alex Ferguson will demonstrate Manchester United's ambition by bringing the one-man Panzer division to Old Trafford from Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena. According to offside.com, the Manchester United manager has unselfishly put the £35m-rated 26-year-old "at the very top of his wish list", selflessly relegating his longheld dreams of being a little bit taller, invisible for a day and blessed with the ability to converse with animals down the pecking order.The same website reveals that Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson is considering "an audacious swoop" for Everton midfielder Steven Pienaar. Born and reared in Westbury, a violent township on the outskirts of Johannesburg where Pienaaar says "gang violence, drug dealing and shootings were everywhere". A fraught upbringing spent dodging stray bullets helped prepared Pienaar for life on Merseyside, where he has fared so well at Goodison Park, although the 28-year-old South Africa international whose contract expires next summer could be forgiven by having his dreadlocked head turned by reported interest from Spurs, Inter and Juve, who are all circling and ready to pounce.Scoring hat-tricks against Inter in one game, then finding himself trapped alongside some spare change, a set of keys and a mobile phone in Phil Neville's pocket the next, it's been a tumultuous few days in the life of Tottenham Hotspur golden boy Gareth Bale, who's being linked with a "big money move" to Chelsea this morning. Quite what Harry Redknapp will make of all those giant novelty £50 notes remains unclear.Speaking of Inter, the Serie A club's president has filled a bucket with water, left it in his fridge overnight and gleefully poured the contents all over yesterday's speculation linking Dutch midfielder Wesley Sneijder with a move to Manchester United. "I think this week he will renew his contract," Milan's answer to JR Ewing told Italy's answer to Sky Sports News reporter Nick Collins.Ian Holloway has admitted that, despite the leaden-footed touch inside his own penalty area that gifted Birmingham a goal on Saturday, Blackpool midfielder Charlie Adam is almost certain to be a target for wealthier clubs in January. Signed from Rangers for £500,000, the young Scottish midfielder has been a revelation at Bloomfield Road. "I know Charlie's a brilliant player and I have a lot of good players who, cunningly, we're not paying a lot of money to," revealed Holloway. "Others will see that and they'll covet them and then come in, and I won't be able to do a damn thing - that's why I was so vocal the other day," added Holloway, whose recent sermon about all that is wrong about modern football finance might have held more water if the well-intentioned man delivering it hadn't been sitting in front of a backdrop plastered with ads for a moneylending cash advance company that charges a vig of 2,689% APR.Italy's Tutto Mercato website may sound like a cup of something hot, expensive, foamy and covered in chocolate sprinkles, but that hasn't stopped it revealing that FC Schalke 04 centre-back Benedikt Howedes is "back in Arsenal's sights". Crouched over his Brown Precision Tactical Elite sniper's rifle with one eyed closed as he makes minor adjustments to the scope's crosshairs, Arsène Wenge may have to wait some time before getting the perfect shot.Monaco's Congolese striker Dieumerci Mbokani is wanted by Harry Redknapp, who has also been busily sticking up for Peter Crouch. "He gives you something else," said Redknapp, stopping short of divulging whether the something else in question is a rousing rendition of Starship's We Built This City at the club Christmas party, thoughtful but inexpensive birthday presents, or something more mundane and unpleasant, such as fleas.Barry Glendenningguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |