There Is Only One Sinnacle

Chelsea and Tottenham are eyeing up a £13m move for Everton’s Steven Pienaar following rumours that the midfielder wants to play Champions League football. Caughtoffside.com

Considering Everton paid something like £2 million for Pienaar they should let him play Champions League football if they recieve a bid that big.

Liverpool are planning an audacious move for Real Madrid striker Raul and want the 32-year-old to partner fellow Spaniard Fernando Torres up front.Caughtoffside.com

Nice fantasy rumour but I’m sure Raul wouldn’t have too many sleepless nights going from one Iconic club to another.

Albert Riera’s proposed switch from Liverpool to Spartak Moscow has stalled after the 27-year-old winger failed to agree personal terms. Daily Mail

Somebody wants their cake and eat it as well.

Blackburn are ready to sign striker Aruna Dindane in a £2m deal – and let him play on for Portsmouth to save his FA Cup and World Cup dreams. Daily Mirror

Might as well let Dindane stay with Portsmouth if this is the case. Blackburn are safe this season plus there is little chance Dindane would settle in this season anyway.

Chelsea midfielder Deco could be on his way to Fluminese. The Brazilian side are trying to get the 32-year-old midfielder on the cheap but Corinthians and Flamingo are also interested. Daily Mirror

Can see Deco packing up sooner or later. If Ballack leaves this summer maybe Deco stays one more year but his career will be ending in Brazil.

The Gunners have also made a £9m offer for Real Zaragoza ‘s 20-year-old midfielder Ander Herrera, according to Spanish paper AS. Full story: IM Scouting

Arsenal paid a little more than that for Arshavin. Can’t see them rolling out that fee for Herrera.

Liverpool are lining up a £3m summer bid for 18-year-old Rangers defender Danny Wilson. Scottish Sun

Considering Rangers bank sheet this would be a hard offer to turn down if they don’t find a new ownership group.

Chelsea’s director of football Frank Arnesen would like to bring in former Dutch and Ajax coach Marco van Basten, 45, as a possible replacement for under-fire boss Carlo Ancelotti. Van Basten has been out of the game for a year since since resigning as Ajax coach in May 2009. Full story: IM Scouting

How Frank Arnesen still has a job I’ll never know. Van Basten couldn’t cut it in in Holland, considering Chelsea don’t have Dutch or Italian players (Van Basten time in Italian football) don’t see how a Dutch style of play will transform Chelsea.

Everton midfielder Jack Rodwell is set to sign a new four-and-a-half-year deal with the Toffees, earning him £25,000 a week. The news will disappoint Manchester United and Chelsea, who have had their eyes on the 19-year-old. Daily Mirror

If you are a Liverpool fan don’t you have to wonder how do Everton produce top young talent. When was the last top British talent to come up through the ranks at Liverpool?

Blackburn midfielder Martin Olsson will not be charged with improper conduct, despite admitting that he dived to win his side a penalty against Burnley on Sunday. Daily Mail

All evens out in the end as his rocket off the crossbar should of been a goal but wasn’t.

I’ve mentioned this a couple of times previously but I’m convinced that the worst thing in the world to happen for a team is scoring an early goal in the first five minutes. You saw what happen to A.C Milan against Manchester United and today you saw Manchester United get off to a great start only to give it away in the final moments against Bayern Munich who have been quite lucky in this Champions League run.

Not that I’m saying you should gamble and if you do please don’t live bet as that is like the crack cocaine of gambling but I’m convinced you can make a buck or two by betting a situation like Bayern Munich to win right after Manchester United scored within the first five minutes. You saw it afterwards, Manchester United just got too comfortable and even without an injured Robben, Bayern Munich isn’t a team you want to get comfortable playing. Wayne Rooney’s early goal was like a slap to the face of Bayern Munich and for Manchester United they never seemed to get it in gear after the early goal.

West Ham want former England manager Steve McClaren, who is currently in charge of Dutch side Twente Enschede and on the verge of winning the title, to be their new boss next season – but need Gianfranco Zola to keep them in the Premier League first. Daily Mirror

Steve McClaren should stay far away from the West Ham job. Yes, some of it was deserved but McClaren got nothing but grief and made to look like a fool. If I was McClaren i’d be brushing up on my German for his next stop. Unless a top seven club calls (Big Four plus Tottenham, Manchester City, Aston Villa) I wouldn’t even pick up the phone.

Atletico Madrid keeper David de Gea rejected Wigan last year because his dream move would be joining Manchester United. Daily Mail

It’s also Wigan, not exactly a football hotbed. Only if you are out of favour would a player from Atletico Madrid make such a move.

Portsmouth are trying to sell Nadir Belhadj to Russian side CSKA Moscow for £4m – but about £1m is owed to his former club Lens, who want the amount settled in full. Daily Mirror

I’d take Belhadj at that price then Albert Riera for two million more.

Striker Eidur Gudjohnsen has been told by his French club Monaco to forget about making his loan move to Tottenham permanent. Daily Mail

Not exactly a football powerhouse but living in Monaco must be pretty nice.

Current England boss Fabio Capello has tipped Aston Villa midfielder James Milner to be his surprise package at this summer’s World Cup finals in South Africa. The Sun

Some surprise considering this is being reported on three months prior to the World Cup.

Iain Dowie could get the Hull manager’s job permanently, even if the Tigers are relegated this season. Daily Mirror

They will go down, The only choice worse than Iain Dowie would be Alan Pardew.

Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha, an England Under-21 regular, could switch to the Nigeria national side so he can play in the World Cup. Daily Mail

I can see both sides here. For Onuoho a chance to play in the World Cup doesn’t come all that often and there is no guarantee he’d ever make the England. I see think this decision should of been made a lot sooner. It’s a lot to ask for Onouoho to slot right into the Nigeria setup.

High Hopes And Faint Fears Welcome Sven-Goran Eriksson To Ivory Coast

Ivory Coast’s FA yesterday put an end to weeks of fears and speculation about the potential coach for the Elephants as the clock ticks on to South Africa 2010.

Article

Given myself a day to think about this. I should be happy Sven Goran Eriksson got the Ivory Coast job. Anyone but Guus Hiddink would of made me happy. Everything suggests I should like this appointment but I still feel weird about it. Eriksson wasn’t about to adapt to the Mexican football culture, it isn’t far fetch to suggest his style will clash with these Ivory Coast players. Sven also has a great history losing against Portugal in both Euro 2004 and World Cup 2006. I just hope it isn’t 3rd time lucky for Sven this summer.

Tottenham could extend striker Eidur Gudjohnsen’s loan for a further 12 months. The Monaco player has scored two goals in his last three appearances and impressed in top scorer Jermain Defoe’s absence.
Full story: Daily Mirror

Classy player who knows what his role is. If Tottenham do extend Gudjohnsen’s loan til next year it’s a pretty clear sign that Robbie Keane won’t be coming back.

Manchester United are considering a move for 24-year-old Schalke goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who is valued by the Bundesliga club at about £10m. Daily Mirror

Manchester United should issue some new bonds to raise the cash to sign Neuer at that price.

Hull misfit Geovanni is in talks with Greek side AEK Athens as the Brazilian hopes to leave the KC Stadium, where his £25,000-a-week wages are set to be cut by 40%. Daily Mail

Geovanni starts off the year well but as the year goes on his performances drop more and more.

Roy Keane will be sacked as Ipswich manager this week, although he could make a quick return to work, with Celtic considering making him Tony Mowbray’s successor. The Guardian

Roy Keane and Celtic should jump at the chance to work with each other.

But West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola will remain in his post at least until the end of the season, despite a six-game losing streak that has left the Hammers only a point above the relegation zone. The Italian, who said he would consider his future in the wake of Saturday’s loss to Stoke, has the backing of senior players.
Full story: The Times

However, a friend of Zola’s has spoken to him and learnt that he has no intention of walking out on the job and will be in charge for Sunday’s trip to Everton. Full story: Daily Mail

Be it pushed or if he jumps, the clock is ticking quite loud on Zola reign coaching West Ham.

Yeah this is a fan boy post but I just love Cristiano Ronaldo’s free kick against Getafe yesterday. From just outside of the penalty box it’s next to impossible to get it up and down but Ronaldo just blasted it straight into the top corner.

With 24 goals in 23 games this season one could wonder if Ronaldo would of been able to top his 42 goal season for Manchester United of 07/08 if he stayed healthy.

Manchester City will revive an £11m move for Hamburg’s German defender Jerome Boateng in the summer and are also keen on highly-rated Osasuna right-back Cesar Azpilicueta, 20. Daily Mail

Manchester City should spend £11 million on Azpilicueta and just forget about chasing after Jerome Boateng.

Lokomotiv Moscow have not given up on signing Roman Pavlyuchenko from Tottenham. Daily Mail

But Tottenham have given up on the idea of selling Pavlyuchenko.

Nice striker Loic Remy is keen to join Arsenal in the summer. TribalFootball.com

Arsenal isn’t as keen to spend the 10-13 million it would take to sign Remy.

Wolves manager Mick McCarthy is plotting a double raid on cash-strapped Portsmouth with a joint £1.5m bid for Tommy Smith and Aaron Mokoena. The Sun

Like a fat kid looking at a piece of cake is how Portsmouth will look at this bid.

West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola banned team co-owner David Sullivan from a meeting with his players after their relationship broke down in the wake of Sullivan’s highly critical open letter to fans.
Full story: Daily Mail

LL Cool J may be going back to Cali and Gianfrance Zola is going back to Italy soon.

Meanwhile, Everton want an apology from Manchester City chief executive Garry Cook after he had a VIP fan and his wife thrown out of Eastlands. Daily Mirror

Bush league move by a bush league executive.

Chelsea defender Paulo Ferreira has revealed some of Chelsea’s older players fear they will never win the Champions League after last week’s last 16 defeat to Inter Milan. Daily Star

Paulo Ferreira, Deco, and Ricardo Carvalho could sleep easier knowing what it’s like to win the Champions League.

Was reading Deadspin yesterday and they mention how Vinnie Jones was thinking about remarking Victory the classic football tale of beating Nazi’s through football. Remember being in a wal-mart about five years ago and saw this movie in the bargain bin. I felt like the kid in Willy Wonka who had the golden ticket. You are damn right I picked up the movie, It’s was only $7.99 and to this day I have yet to see this movie for sale on DVD.

To the classics. Boy, I love this movie.

Tony Mowbray has left Celtic after crisis talks following the club’s 4-0 defeat against St Mirren.

The club confirmed on Thursday that Mowbray was sacked after a lunch-time meeting following the shocking defeat on Wednesday night.

Article

You can’t blame Mowbray for leaving West Brom for Celtic last summer but it’s hard to believe he doesn’t regret the decision this morning. In the end it seemed the players he kept from the Gordon Strachan era never quite did buy into his system and all the new players he bought in just weren’t able to mesh together in such a short period of time.

Porto angry as Hulk gets belated reprieve

The centre-forward has already missed 17 games, which has had a detrimental effect on Porto’s hopes of retaining the title, leaving coach Jesualdo Ferreira fuming.

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Must admit I find everything about this article funny. Even the headline combining angry with Hulk put a smile to my face. Only in Portugal would a league reduce a players suspension to only three games after he has sat out for over three months of play. What happens to the three months he was suspended? Few people are going to feel sorry for Porto here even if they did got jobbed in this case. For years many fans have felt Porto have gotta away just about everything under the sun, including getting back into last year’s Champions League. At the end of the day with Porto 11 points back of Benfica the Portuguese FA basically said you can have Hulk back, it won’t make a difference in the standings anyway.