Wednesday's B*ll*x

[Chinners]

Manchester City forward Carlos Tevez will have showdown talks with manager Roberto Mancini on Friday. http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Ca ... 51259.html

Captain Tevez's transfer request was motivated by promises the playmaker feels the club reneged on when he agreed to stay in the wake of their failure to qualify for the Champions League. Agent Kia Joorabchian has pinned the blame for the dispute on chief executive Garry Cook.the Sun

Manchester City fans wrote "Once a Blue, Always and Blue" in the dirt on the back of Carlos Tevez's Hummer as they attempt to convince him to stay at Eastlands. (Daily Mirror)

Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko could be on his way to Manchester City. The Bosnia international wrote to a City executive earlier in the season to thank them for their efforts in trying to sign him and is still keen on a move to Eastlands. http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010 ... ester-city
MCF.NET THREAD: viewtopic.php?f=119&t=36240

Manchester City left-back Wayne Bridge is being hunted by Galatasaray, Stoke and Bayern Munich. (The Sun)

City boss Roberto Mancini may choose to strengthen his front line with Ajax striker Luis Suarez as well. http://www.imscouting.com/global-news-a ... rez/12586/

OTHER BOLLOX
Manchester United are considering an approach for Everton left-back Leighton Baines as a long-term replacement for Patrice Evra. Metro

Bayern Munich have been warned off any approach for Baines who is a £10m target for the Bavarian club. the Sun

Tottenham may attempt to lure former Arsenal forward Jose Antonio Reyes back to north London. The 27-year-old, now at Atletico Madrid, is valued at a minimum of £8.5m. IMScouting

Manchester United are set to renew their interest in £9m-rated Valencia winger Joaquin. talkSPORT

Tottenham are in a three-way battle with Inter Milan and Valencia to sign £4m striker Luc Castaignos from Feyenoord. Daily Mirror

Everton are lining up a £7m move for Birmingham centre-back Scott Dann. Daily Star

Liverpool are weighing up a move for West Ham striker Carlton Cole and Tottenham winger David Bentley. caughtoffside.com

Newcastle defender Steven Taylor is set for a £2m exit after failing to agree a new contract at St James' Park. Everton, Aston Villa and Wolves are all interested in the 24-year-old. Daily Express

Bolton are poised to make a bid of £5m for Celta Vigo midfielder Roberto Trashorras. talkSPORT

Southampton centre-back Jose Fonte could be Alan Pardew's first signing as Newcastle manager. Saints striker Rickie Lambert could also form part of a £3m double swoop. the Sun

Leicester City manager Sven-Goran Eriksson is ready to sign forward Bernard Parker from FC Twente. Daily Mirror

Spain midfielder Joan Capdevilla shuns Liverpool to sign new deal at Villarreal. talkSPORT

Real Madrid and Arsenal are considering a swap deal involving full-back Gael Clichy going to Spain in exchange for forward Karim Benzema. caughtoffside.com

Wigan have joined the race for Leeds midfielder Bradley Johnson. Bolton and Stoke are already tracking the 23-year-old. Daily Mail

Burnley hope to tie up a £2m deal for 21-year-old Chelsea defender Jack Cork who has impressed on a season-long loan at Turf Moor. the Sun

Hull and Middlesbrough will battle it out for Portsmouth anchorman Michael Brown who is annoyed at being asked to waive an automatic extension clause in his contract at Fratton Park. the Sun

Millwall have turned down a £2m bid for striker Steve Morison from Nottingham Forest. (Daily Mirror)

Reading want to sign Leicester forward Matty Fryatt on loan in January. (the Sun)

Derby boss Nigel Clough is lining up a £1m bid for Burnley striker Martin Paterson. (the Sun)

Chelsea's players believe that manager Carlo Ancelotti has already decided to leave Stamford Bridge at the end of the season.
Full story: the Sun

Blackburn's Indian owners may alternatively give the job to caretaker boss Steve Kean on a permanent basis. the Times (subscription required)

The Premier League is monitoring developments at Blackburn amid concerns that the involvement of sports rights and player agencies may breach the league's rules. (Daily Telegraph)

Former Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce could take up a lucrative managerial post in the Middle East after flying out to Dubai in the wake of his sacking at Ewood Park.Daily Mirror

Or Allardyce could be tempted back to England with West Ham considering him as a replacement for under-pressure boss Avram Grant. the Guardian

New Wales boss Gary Speed said the door is open for the country's retired stars. Midfielders Ryan Giggs and Simon Davies, as well as defender Danny Gabbidon are three players who have quit international football.
talkSPORT

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy insists Harry Redknapp will not be considered for the England job until after the next World Cup in 2014. The Spurs manager's contract runs until 2013.
Daily Mirror

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard defied doctor's orders to come on as a substitute in the Blues' 1-1 draw against Tottenham on Sunday.
the Sun

Arsenal will open a large training complex in the United States in the hope of tapping the unexploited talent that director Stan Kroenke believes exists over the Atlantic.
Daily Express

Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny believes that his mind games caused Manchester United's Wayne Rooney to blaze his penalty over the bar in the clubs' clash on Monday.
Daily Mirror

Celtic striker Anthony Stokes paid £600 for a taxi ride back to West Lothian from Celtic's Christmas party in London.
Daily Record

[Beeks]

Is Suarez actually any good?

[lets all have a disco]

Is Suarez actually any good?

There is already a crack team of Suarez outers who will have their say.

I think he looked pretty darn decent in the WC despite cheating Ghana out of their place in the semis.

[Ted Hughes]

Suarez is a very talented footballer, who makes Ronaldo look like Bobby Moore when it comes to cheating. He is the most obnoxious piece of shit in the world. Ideal signing for the rags.

[Beeks]

I think he looked pretty darn decent in the WC despite cheating Ghana out of their play in the semis.

That is the only real look i've had at him and he looked good...but then so did Klose

[Wooders]

Suarez is a very talented footballer, who makes Ronaldo look like Bobby Moore when it comes to cheating. He is the most obnoxious piece of shit in the world. Ideal signing for the rags.

agreed - absolutyely horrible and a "biter" to boot

[Dameerto]

He had a good world cup, he's apparently a headcase so would fit right in at City.

[El_Quince]

Southampton centre-back Jose Fonte could be Alan Pardew's first signing as Newcastle manager.

That would certainly put paid to certain allegations.

[Chinners]

Strip Carlos Tevez of Manchester City armband - Rosler
Ex-Manchester City striker Uwe Rosler says Carlos Tevez should be stripped of the captaincy and allowed to leave.
Argentina forward Tevez has returned to training after having a transfer request rejected last weekend.
But Rosler, who played 177 games for the club, told BBC Radio Manchester: "I'd take the captaincy away, 100%.
"In the long term it is important that every player is totally committed to City. I would let him go as long as the price is right."
City are believed to have paid Tevez's advisors, who owned his economic rights, £25.5m to sign him in 2009 following a two-year spell with rivals Manchester United.
But less than 17 months into a five-year contract, the 26-year-old claimed his relations with "certain executives" at City had "broken down beyond repair".
Tevez reportedly said that family reasons were behind his decision to look for a move and stressed that he had "no personal issue" with manager Roberto Mancini, despite their touchline altercation during a 1-0 victory over Bolton on 4 December.
BBC Sport understands the former Boca Juniors, Corinthians and West Ham player will not be sold in January, although Rosler feels City's wealth would ensure an adequate replacement could be found if he were to depart.
The Eastlands outfit was taken over by the Abu Dhabi United Group in September 2008 and owner Sheikh Mansour has spent heavily on transfers and wages in his first two years at the helm.

DAN ROAN'S BLOG
Some may understandably ask precisely what City expected when they signed the Argentine given Joorabchian and Tevez are no strangers to controversy
"City have to get the money back for him," insisted Rosler, who recently suggested losing Tevez could have a "disastrous affect" on City's bid to become a major force in European football.
"They are fortunately in a very good position regarding the owners and replacing Tevez. You should have a dressing room with more harmony and spirit with everyone driving in the same direction," he added.
"Look at Chelsea and Manchester United - when they were winning titles there was not so much noise as there is coming out of the City dressing room."
Tevez was handed the captain's armband by Mancini last summer but has previously criticised the Italian's training methods and the pair clashed in the dressing room at half-time during October's victory against Newcastle.
And the striker also worried supporters by suggesting he could retire from football completely to enable him to spend more time with his wife and children in Argentina.
Speaking on the Blue Tuesday programme, Rosler stated: "City supporters idolise Tevez because of the way he is playing and the way he is leading by example on the field.
"But we have seen the other side when he is not living up to his responsibility as club captain off the field. He has been making strange comments about his future, about his ambitions in football and lately handing in a transfer request.
"That is disappointing and difficult to understand."
Tevez is expected to miss City's Europa League match against Juventus on Thursday, and Mancini might also be without fellow striker Mario Balotelli.
The former Inter Milan forward suffered racial abuse at the hands of some Juve supporters during Inter's trip to the Olympic Stadium last season.
He was also targeted by a number of his own fans during Italy's friendly against Romania in Austria in November.
If Tevez and Balotelli are missing, Mancini will be short of attacking options as Roque Santa Cruz is not in their squad list, leaving Emmanuel Adebayor and Jo as the only senior strikers.
Mancini apparently made the decision to rest Tevez for the Juve match before last weekend, knowing the game was a dead rubber.
City and Lech Poznan are already through to the next stage of the tournament while Juventus, now second in Serie A, were eliminated.
Mancini is already back in Italy for a minor eye operation and will probably not speak to Tevez before Friday, although his first thoughts on the situation should come at a press conference in Turin on Wednesday.

Roberto Mancini so confident Carlos Tevez will stay at Manchester City
Roberto Mancini believes Carlos Tevez will remain a Manchester City player, claiming: ‘I don’t think he really wants to leave.’
Eastlands captain Tevez stunned the City board at the weekend by submitting a written transfer request, which the club has rejected.
A war of words has since ensued between the 26-year-old and his employers with City officials blaming Tevez’s adviser Kia Joorabchian, who
yesterday accused the club of reneging on promises made to the player, for unsettling the Argentine.
Tevez has cited a breakdown in his relationship with key executives at the club as the reason behind his desire to leave but stressed he had ‘no personal issue’ with City boss Mancini.
The player has not travelled to Italy for Europa League match against Juventus and his manager confirmed he will meet his skipper
tomorrow morning in a bid to convince him to stay. ‘I will see him Friday morning. I will say “good morning”, and then we will talk,’ he said.
‘If Carlos is unhappy, and he’s scored ten goals and played very well, then I hope that he’s unhappy like that all season! But I don’t think he is really unhappy. He can change his mind.
‘Do I want him to stay? Absolutely. He has a contract, and he is our player. It’s my belief that Carlos will stay with us, I think he will continue to play for us.
‘I think we can always change our minds. He’s an important player here and it’s an important season for us. We can change the history of this club.’

11 GOAL THRILLER
City’s Under 18s are through to the fourth round of the FA Youth Cup after an astonishing evening at Boundary Park.
Scott Sellars' team were cruising at 6-2 up but three goals from a spirited Oldham side in the last few minutes set the nerves jangling.

After a lively and even opening spell, it was City’s Bradley Robinson who opened the scoring in some style after nine minutes, ending an unchallenged diagonal run with an unstoppable shot that tore past Routledge.
Watched by father Frank in the stands, Harry Bunn doubled the lead after 34 minutes, pouncing from close range when the Oldham keeper failed to hold onto a shot from Adam Drury.
However the home side came right back at City and were level before the break. Tarkowski headed a free kick beyond Karius on 36 minutes, and when the City keeper’s punched clearance was drilled back in, Matt A Carr touched it home through a crowded six yard box.
Whatever was said in the dressing room at half time seemed to do the trick, with Harry Bunn getting his second just two minutes after the break. Luke Coulson opened the lead up just afterwards with a fine angled shot that went in off the post, and then Alex Henshall made it 5-2 when he stretched to poke home a loose ball after 51 minutes.
Good work from Bunn allowed Henshall to get his second on 75 minutes, but Oldham were not done and drew one back when Burns drove a first-time shot past Karius. A scramble in the box ended with the ball in City’s net, which the referee finally confirmed as a goal after seemingly thinking about giving a penalty for handball.
There was even more drama as Oldham spectacularly reduced the arrears through a long range free kick from Fitzgerald that looped over Karius. The home side, watched by first team manager Paul Dickov, threw everything they had at City in the dying seconds but there was to be no more shocks and City now face Nottingham Forest away on a date yet to be confirmed in January.

WAGVENT OF THE DAY

http://footballpie.com/wagvent/album/He ... vedin.html