Shay Given has already started training with new club Manchester City, and now it appears as though Joe Kinnear has lost another of his best players to a Premier League rival. Will the Newcastle manager live to regret getting this player’s name wrong in an interview, or would it not have mattered a jot, with the midfielder wanting to jump ship a long time ago? [Read the rest of this entry »]

Some have gone as far as to claim that fifteen teams could be relegated from the Premier League this season, especially with West Brom, Hull and Stoke all putting up a decent fight. Clubs seem to be scrambling over each other to avoid sitting in the drop zone, with Tottenham still bottom of the table despite a recent resurgence. [Read the rest of this entry »]

You could never accuse David Gold of mincing his words at Birmingham City. The Blues co-owner has a reputation of shooting from the hip, and he’s becoming increasingly incensed by the antics of their former manager Steve Bruce. It’s fair to say that the former Manchester United captain hasn’t featured on Gold’s christmas card list recently, especially as legal action is now being threatened. [Read the rest of this entry »]

Does Gareth Southgate have another season of struggle on his hands? It remains to be seen, although he’s close to seeing another top-drawer midfielder leave the Riverside and join one of Middlesbrough’s Premier League rivals. [Read the rest of this entry »]

The Cottagers only stayed up by their skin of their teeth last season, and it’s likely to be a season of struggle for Roy Hodgson’s men again next term. They may have splashed the cash on Bobby Zamora recently, although it’s still hard to see them scoring bundles of goals, nor keeping too many clean sheets. [Read the rest of this entry »]

For a week or so, the press has been telling us that Andy Johnson’s family are happily settled in the North West. As a result, Wigan were the firm favourites to bag the Everton man with the bald pate and speedy whirring legs. Now though, a completely different rumour is circulating. [Read the rest of this entry »]

Word on the street is that Davie Moyes is starting to warm ever so slightly to the idea of letting Andy Johnson leave Goodison Park, and it might have something to do with the fact that he has his eye on this Argentine replacement. [Read the rest of this entry »]

Once upon a time, Andy Johnson was the 17th President of the United States. As we all know, he jacked that in ages ago, and he’s now a professional footballer with Everton, who – somewhat strangely – is being trailed by a veritable carousel of suitors. [Read the rest of this entry »]

We are now just weeks away from the new season and, once Euro 2008 finishes, the transfer market will explode and the rumour mill will spin wildly, but who do you hope your club will sign? [Read the rest of this entry »]

Everybody’s favourite tabloid The Sun reckons that Everton will start off their summer transfer shenanigans by getting rid of one of their strikers. [Read the rest of this entry »]

Arsenal begin the season by hosting West Brom, Liverpool travel to Sunderland, Tottenham make the long trip to Middlesbrough. Yes it’s fixture list day! You can spend the whole day debating possible debauched weekends up north or when your play your local rivals.
[Read the rest of this entry »]

It’s fair to say that Jimmy Bullard is Fulham’s best player. It’s also fair to say that one of the reasons why he left a vibrant Wigan team to join the Cottagers was due to his desire to move down south. Therefore, it doesn’t seem to make sense as to why the popular midfielder would want to leave the west London club to join Middlesbrough, as the Daily Mail are reporting today.

Middlesbrough are proposing a swap deal with homesick winger Gary O’Neil and Fulham midfielder Jimmy Bullard.

Fulham manager Roy Hodgson insists Bullard is not for sale, but any hint he would be allowed to leave would spark interest from Aston Villa, Newcastle and Sunderland.

O’Neill was deemed surplus to requirements at Portsmouth twelve months ago, and it’s hard to see him having anywhere near the level of impact that Bullard enjoyed last season, coming back from a serious injury to help his club stave off the threat of relegation.

Perhaps a little unwisely, Alex McLeish claims that the broken leg suffered by Eduardo in February had a negative effect on Birmingham City, and was part of the reason why they were relegated from the Premier League – as well as not being very good.

The Express and Star report that Big Eck acknowledges that the horrific injury to the Croatian put a severe dent in the Gunners’ season, although cites the incident as a turning point for Martin Taylor and the rest of the Blues team. Quite whether anyone will have a degree of sympathy for this club is open to question, especially given the emotionally-charged accusations that followed immediately after the challenge.

He said: “It was a factor here at Birmingham City, absolutely. Martin Taylor had played very solidly for a few games in the Premier League.

“He was affected as much as Arsenal FC were and we were affected by losing him.

“When he came back I didn’t think Taylor was quite himself. He played against Wigan and it wasn’t the Martin who had been playing before the Eduardo incident.

“Our other centre-half, Liam Ridgewell, must have played with five different partners last season. The one thing you see with the good teams, like Manchester United, is that their back four is pretty much the same.”

Most Arsenal fans were delighted to see the back of Birmingham City last season and won’t be wishing them a speedy recovery from relegation to the Championship. Especially as Eduardo was denied this and played no further part in the Gunners’ season, nor Euro 2008 for Croatia.

With rumours of a big squad clearout, it’s not hard to believe that there are going to be some fresh faces arriving at Anfield. Sadly, there aren’t many particularly exciting or high-profile names being thrown around just yet.

Hot on the heels of being linked to Wigan’s Luis Valencia, it seems that the tabloids have got Rafa having a bid rejected for James Milner while also pursuing City’s Michael Johnson – who combined would command fees in the 15-20 million range. Considering the brief for Benitez is to win the Premier League, we can’t see either of these lads taking the club to the next level even though they are young and talented.

Since Benitez is trying to clear out the piles and piles of average to slightly-better-than-average players this summer, surely he’d be better off saving up that money and looking for another Torres?

As Liverpool look to find the right players to finally, finally, FINALLY mount a push for the league the rumours being thrown around right now aren’t all that promising. After seeing the ridiculously impressive impact that a big name like Fernando Torres can have (although it didn’t do anything for the trophy case) the latest rumours are, well, a bit mental.

The People, *cough*, are suggesting that the club are pondering a 15 million pound bid for Blackburn’s David Bentley or an arguably even more insane 10 million pound shot at Wigan’s Luis Antonio Valencia.

Bentley is a big name being thrown around this summer and while he is undoubtedly talented the 15 million price tag does seem a bit steep. 10 million for Valencia just seems mental.

But with more creativity from midfield seemingly a need, would either of these two fit the bill for Liverpool fans?

The Sun has uncorked yet another of its top Ten lists, this time the Top Ten Signings of the Season. The top three were:

1.Fernando Torres
2.Roque Santa Cruz
3. Anderson

But we’re not too concerned about what The Sun thinks, what is your top 3 Premier League signings this season?

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It’s one thing getting Birmingham promoted and then keeping Wigan afloat in the Premier League, it’s another thing managing some of the best players in the world and pitting your wits against Europe’s finest. Steve Bruce has demonstrated his managerial ability over the past couple of seasons and has the chance to prevent Manchester United from winning the title on Sunday.

However, surely there are others nearer in line to the throne if Sir Alex Ferguson decided to call it a day at the end of the season (although knowing the tenacious Scot, he might last another ten seasons at the helm!)? Sky Sports report that Wigan chairman Dave Whelan won’t stand in the way of the former Sheffield United, Huddersfield, Crystal Palace and Birmingham manager if the Red Devils come calling. Not that Bruce should be holding his breath…

“When United come to choose a new manager, if they go for Steve Bruce you have no chance of standing in their way,” Whelan said in the Daily Star.

“I wouldn’t contemplate doing so if United came for Steve. I would be delighted for him and sorry for the club.

“If Sir Alex wins another European title this year – which I hope he does – he may decide he has had enough.”

If SAF does step down in the summer, who do you think should replace the great man? Many have touted Carlos Queiroz, Fergie’s right-hand man as the natural successor, while some people make a claim for Mark Hughes, another former United great. Whoever takes the reigns will have a tough act to follow!

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Thirteen years ago, Blackburn Rovers won the Premier League title, despite losing 2-1 to Liverpool on the last day of the season. This was because rivals Manchester United just simply couldn’t get over the finishing line at West Ham, drawing 1-1 and spurning several chances to land the spoils. Could history be about to repeat itself at the JJB Stadium?

Despite a question mark over Steve Bruce’s allegiances to the Red Devils, his players are talking up their chances of ruining United’s big day in a big way. Emmerson Boyce has told the Daily Mail that the bobbly pitch, the way that the Latics will be organised and a burning desire to make their own headlines could stop Sir Alex Ferguson’s men in their tracks.

He said: “People don’t like coming to our ground and playing against us.

“It will help against Manchester United. On a perfect pitch all their top players will have a field day, but they will have difficulty passing and running with the ball on ours, even though they are top-class players. They won’t be able to play the game they’re used to, it’s nowhere near the standard of Old Trafford.

“We can get in their faces, test their touches and it will help us. A lot of people have moaned about it this season, but that’s usually because we have either got a good result or given them a tough game. We have got good results against the big teams because we love being the underdogs and there will be no pressure on us on Sunday, it’s all on them.”

He added: “We would like to emulate West Ham. People still talk about that team that cost Manchester United the title 13 years ago and I’d love people to remember us in 13 years’ time. We are loving the publicity. Everyone will be watching us across the world and it shows how far we’ve come as a club. We are going to enjoy being in the limelight.

“People are talking about Wigan right now and that’s a good thing. The fact we can have a say in the title race has given us extra motivation. I and the rest of the players want to show people what we can do against Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez and if we cost them the title everyone will talk about us. We are safe in the table. They are the ones with everything to lose.”

This will be music to the ears of Avram Grant and his Chelsea mob as they set about destructing Bolton on Sunday while holding a transistor radio to their left ear. That’s apart from Didier Drogba who will be moodily sitting on the subs bench, listening to his ipod as usual. Wigan managed to hold Arsenal to a goalless draw recently, thus helping to end the Gunners’ title challenge. Emile Heskey then scored in the dying embers of the match at Stamford Bridge to make it ‘advantage United’ in the title race. Will the Latics’ final act be to deprive the champions a second successive league title?

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Steve Bruce steered Birmingham back into the Premier League last season, although he didn’t stick around very long at St Andrews this campaign. Instead, the uncertainty over the club’s ownership saw the former Manchester United player leave the Midlands and take charge at Wigan, whom he’s managed to keep afloat with games to spare.

Not that it was a clean break between Bruce and his former club last autumn. Far from it, there’s been a spat between the two parties which have run over the past few months, becoming increasingly bitter in the process. The Wigan manager was forced to pay back some of the upfront cash he received from City for image rights, something that clearly rankles with him when asked about his former employers and their current predicament at the foot of the table.

Bruce said: “I will be sorry for the players, staff and fans if they go down. Anyone else at the club? No, that’s it.”

Miaow! Sky Sports report that Brum’s co-owner David Gold is not taking these comments lying down, snapping back in customary fashion. Do you think he and David Sullivan take turns to verbally volley with their former employee?

When quizzed recently “Steve has consistently made attacks on the board. Does he hold all seven of us responsible including Jack Wiseman, who is 90, or just some of us?

“At the moment an old man thinks he is responsible along with the rest of us and he’s not.

“So come on Steve, show some courage. Name names. Anything else is cowardly.

“It’s time he told everybody what it is we’ve done wrong. The truth is we have done nothing to be ashamed of. We treated him generously and acted more than properly.

“He should sit down with people other than ‘yes men’ and take proper counsel and he will then learn that we have acted more than fairly.

“We reduced substantially what we were owed on his image rights and told him to pay £300,000 over three years because we have shareholders to think about. There’s about £30,000 left to pay which shouldn’t make too much of a dent in the huge bonus he’ll get for keeping Wigan up.”

Indeed, there’ll be a Brucie bonus and a half coming from Dave Whelan after the Latics manager kept them in the Premier League for the third season running. However, you might not be able to put a price on watching Birmingham get relegated for their ex-gaffer, especially as he won’t have to visit St Andrews next season!

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Have the Wanderers squad been on the lash ever since beating Sunderland on Saturday? According to Sir Alex Ferguson, they’ve certainly been letting their hair down ever since they made sure of their place in next season’s Premier League. Indeed, much has been made of Wigan’s approach to Sunday’s game against the Red Devils, yet there’s been little mention of how motivated Bolton are likely to be, following something of a great escape in recent weeks.

The Manchester Evening News reports that SAF continues to play his own special brand of mind games, questioning the motivation of the Trotters ahead of their visit to Stamford Bridge. Whether they’ll notice the Scot’s words of warning is another matter, those hangovers often take some sleeping off.

“All the press seem to be talking about is the integrity of Wigan,” said the United manager.

“Nobody has questioned Bolton. Nobody has even mentioned Bolton. It is interesting the different attitudes. All we have had is Wigan players saying we will beat Man United and that’s fine.

“We have no problem with that. We are a big club.

“And then you hear about Bolton players out celebrating all week. It amazes me the difference in attitude.

“Both teams are safe. Both can relax. Both are confident but one team can celebrate while the other is all keyed up to play Manchester United!”

It now appears that Gary Megson has ordered his players to stop drinking. At least on the Saturday before the match. Well, at least they’ve been asked to stay off the spirits and just stick to long drinks like beer and wine. But will they pay attention to their manager now that they’re safe. Cheers!

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