Wenger may be under pressure after his young side suffered another defeat but that hasn’t stopped him from being linked with yet another youngster!
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It is very rare that a day will go by without a significant news story breaking about the English Championship. It is a very exciting league with numerous twists and turns throughout a season. With this in mind, perhaps it is no surprise that Queens Park Rangers have sent their manager Iain Dowie packing after just 15 games in charge. [Read the rest of this entry »]

A number of Premier League clubs are taking a look at Sheffield United’s James Beattie with a view to bagging the former England international in January, but with his ropey Everton past – is he really worth the gamble? [Read the rest of this entry »]

While a string of football clubs have been bought out by the rich fat cats of this world, Everton have remained unwanted – glumly twiddling their thumbs facing the gruelling task of keeping their heads above water and vainly attempting to compete financially. A lot of these issues could be wiped off the slate, however, as the fantastically named Zabeel Investments have taken a shine to the Mersey giants. [Read the rest of this entry »]

Arsene Wenger has oodles of top young talent at the club, and it appears that three of them may well be on their way to Nottingham Forest on a permanent basis.
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Spooky is a guest writer whose Tottenham musings can be found at DearMrLevy.com .

Dear Mr Levy,

You truly are a God amongst men. I have shivers running down my spine. Such is the positivity, from fans and the media.

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This incredibly talented 15-year-old is apparently likened to Theo Walcott, so no surprise then that according to this report, Arsene is lining up a bid!
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Martin O’Neill is planning a January raid that looks like a damn good bit of business, as he looks to offload one average player to Reading, whilst taking their prized asset in return…plus some cash as well though of course!
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After successfully nabbing Chris Gunter from the Bluebirds, it appears that Juande is ready to return to Cardiff City to snare another exciting prospect!
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According to this source Arsene Wenger is set to sign this young Ipswich talent!
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One game down, forty-five to go as far as the 24 teams in the Championship is concerned, but what did the opening weekend of fixtures tell us? Many regard Doncaster’s 1-0 win at Derby as the performance of the weekend, but that’s only working on the assumption that Rovers were playing League One football last term, while their opponents were in the top flight. [Read the rest of this entry »]

The Daily Telegraph reckons that Birmingham City are “set to lose James McFadden” and we’d have to concur. [Read the rest of this entry »]

Fa Cup-winning manager Harry Redknapp has admitted he is looking to sign Reading’s England international left-back.

Nicky Shorey, who won his first England cap against Brazil last year, is high on Pompey’s shopping list and, following Reading’s relegation to the Championship, could be close to a cut-price move to Fratton Park.

The move would be good for both sides. Pompey look to expand a squad that’s left with 3 players and a ball-boy whenever African international matches are played. Whereas, Shorey can get back in a successful team and perhaps push into Fabio Capello’s England squads. Redknapp told the Reading Evening Post:

Shorey is a player I like. He’s a good player and a good footballer. We’re looking for players who would give us something a bit different and he would do that.

Shorey was linked to Newcastle and West Ham last season, with Reading turning down a bid from the latter, but following the Royals relegation, the 27-year-old’s wages are likely to lead to his reluctant departure.

Pompey prepare for their first ever season in Europe and Harry Redknapp knows he needs a larger squad capable of challenging for honours:

He would give us something different to Hermann (Hreidarsson). Having said that, Hermann did a fantastic job for us and was brilliant for me. But we are going to need a squad and we are going to need cover.

We are going to be playing more games than ever next season and it’s going to be a lot tougher for us.

The last time Reading were in the Championship, they collected 106 points and stormed to the title. The Royals lost just two games on their way to automatic promotion and looked for all the world like a Premier League team. Sadly, after one brilliant season in the top flight, they are back in the division from whence they came, although fans will be delighted to see that Steve Coppell has decided to stick around as manager.

There had been speculation that the former Manchester City and Crystal Palace manager would step down at the end of the season, especially after falling through the relegation trapdoor. However, the Daily Mirror report that the scouser has decided to take a massive pay-cut and finish the job he has started at the Madejski Stadium.

He said: “The last thing I want to be remembered for at Reading is for a relegation. I wanted the chance to put it right. Now our motivation is to try to make next season memorable for all the right reasons.”

Are you betting on Reading to repeat their triumph of 2004/5, when they took the division by storm? It llargely depends on keeping hold of Dave Kitson, Kevin Doyle and James Harper but to name a few. You’d certainly expect the Berkshire club to be in and around the top six next term, although Sheffield United and Charlton proved last season that relegated clubs have no divine right to these placings.

After all, the Blues have quality all over the park. Chelsea’s second string would probably finish sixth or seventh in the Premier League, so why have Avram Grant’s expectations been exceeded by his team’s strong finish to the season, which could mean a domestic-European double this season?

Look at the players he has at his disposal! Perhaps Arsene Wenger should be the man that is making the below sort of quotes, considering the smaller squad and the terrible luck with injuries that Arsenal have experienced in the past few months. To hear Grant speak (through the medium of Sky Sports), anyone would think he was manager of Aston Villa or Everton.

“From day one our target was to be in the Champions League final and to improve our game,” he said.

“We’ve done more than I even expected, so we want to believe the season will end well and we will fight to the last minute.

“United have had a fantastic season. They’ve been champions many times before but this year we have given them a good battle and it is not finished yet.

“Even if they win the title on goal difference you must give my team respect.”

Hmmm, can’t see many neutrals ‘respecting’ Chelsea FC for their achievements, particularly as their success is down to a Russian billionaire deciding to pick them as his pet project and investing hundreds of millions to ensure that they become one of the world’s leading clubs and brands. Surely, Everton, Villa, Portsmouth and Sunderland deserve more respect for having decent seasons, while Stoke and West Brom should also be praised for scrambling out of the Championship without having a bottomless pit of cash.

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