• Home
• About
• Write for COS
• Advertise
• Fun Stuff

• Premier League
• Championship
• Scottish Premier League
• General Football
• Transfer Rumours

Subscribe

Everton launch another Brit bid for £5m Cardiff hero

Fresh on the heels of an apparent bid for Barnsley FA Cup hero Brian Howard, David Moyes appears to be lining up another Championship player who has very much enjoyed this year’s Cup delights - Cardiff’s £5m rated midfielder Joe Ledley.

Everton are interested in the Welsh international, who said of the interest: “A couple of clubs were interested in me but it was always down to the club if they wanted to sell me. It wasn’t down to me. I know if I keep working hard like I did in the semi-final anything can happen. I just go out there and play.

“Everyone would love to play in the Premier League. Anything can happen. I just have to keep working hard every game.” (Daily Telegraph)

I am sure there are some Cardiff fans who will hope that this year’s run will negate the need to sell to balance the books. However, you can’t stand in the way of ambition and it seems that a fair few young Bluebirds want to leave the nest and follow teammate Chris Gunter to the Premier League.

Of course it is by no means impossible that Dave Jones’s side may well have a shot at reaching the play-offs if they can win their games in hand.

Watch Everton live online

Just how rubbish will Cardiff’s FA Cup song be? What about Portsmouth’s?

Unlike Afonso Alves’ brilliant effort yesterday, it’s been ages since we had a decent FA Cup song. Obviously, the best one ever to grace the charts was the ‘Anfield Rap’, courtesy of Liverpool, although Manchester United’s ‘Come On You Reds’ was half-decent. Apart from that, they all fade into obscurity, although Three Lions was a decent hit in 1996 for the England team and so was World in Motion in 1990.

Can Cardiff City put together something memorable ahead of the FA Cup Final this season? Probably not, although icWales have reported that James Fox, lifelong fan and Broadway ’star’, has put together ‘Bluebirds Flying High’ for the Championship team.

“It did cross my mind at Chasetown in the third round that we might need the traditional FA Cup song if we went all the way to Wembley,” said 32-year-old Fox, who represented the UK in the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest.

“But as soon as we beat Middlesbrough in the last eight, I decided to write and record it.

“It’s a real honour as a fan to be able to do this for City.”

Here at COS, we have just one thing to say. Portsmouth, where’s your song? Portsmouth, Portsmouth, where’s your song?

Watch Liverpool live online

Watch Portsmouth live online

Cinderella WILL go to the ball; loophole could see Cardiff in the UEFA Cup!

The Times reports that everyone’s favourite plucky Welsh battlers Cardiff City could be off to Europe after all. As it stands, if Cardiff beat Portsmouth in the FA Cup final they would be robbed of the (dubious) joys of the UEFA Cup because they are technically a Welsh team, and only qualify for Europe through “competitions run by the FA of Wales”. It appears that the FA are sensitive to Cardiff’s unique situation though, with an FA spokesman saying:

“We have not ruled out Cardiff being entered into Europe via the FA Cup should they win it.

“Further conversations need to take place, but we would expect to have clarification before the final.”

With the FA promising to bring up Cardiff’s case during the next top level meeting, the potential horror situation of the FA Cup winners being forbidden entry into the UEFA cup looks to be receding.

Watch Portsmouth live online

Will Portsmouth be first team to win FA Cup without decent striker?

Harry Redknapp is chuffed to bits and has every right to be. Not only has he steered his Portsmouth team to the FA Cup final against Cardiff, he’s also done this without having a decent striker throughout his club’s run in the competition. The Daily Telegraph report his delight after winning 1-0 against West Brom.

“The owner was here. He’s delighted,” Redknapp said. “He sent me a text from the League Cup final, which said: ‘My dream is to go to Wembley for a Cup final, can you take your team to Wembley?’ And I thought, ‘oh no, someone else wants a ticket’, so I read it again and it was Sacha [Gaydamak].”

“I signed a new contract at the start of the year,” he said. “The owner has backed me. New stadium, new training ground. The club is in great shape. When I get in that car tonight, I will go ‘ get in there!’ Two glasses of red and I’ll be singing. Then drive home.”

Pompey’s cup adventure began at Ipswich in January when David Nugent scored a rare goal for his club. Goals from the midfield duo of Diarra and Kranjcar were enough to see off Plymouth, while a fortunate own goal landed the win at Preston. Sully Muntari’s penalty then knocked Manchester United out of the competition, before Kanu’s scrambled effort saw the Baggies on Saturday. While Jermain Defoe is banging them in for Portsmouth in the Premier League, it’s quite an achievement that this team can win the FA Cup with the likes of Kanu, Baros and Nugent up front - hardly a trio to strike fear into any defence!

Watch Portsmouth live online

BBC pundit sacked after anti-Cardiff remarks

There’s never been any love lost between Cardiff and Swansea, two of the three Welsh clubs in the Football League. Indeed, ex-Swan Lee Trundle received a pretty hostile reception when he recently visited Ninian Park with new club Bristol City. He won’t be forgetting that in a hurry!

The Times reports that this rivalry has led to BBC pundit Leighton James being dumped by BBC Wales after admitting he wants Barnsley to trounce Cardiff in the FA Cup semi-finals. Surely the bloke’s entitled to an opinion?

James, who played 88 times for Swansea in a career that included spells with Burnley, Derby County and Queens Park Rangers, made it plain in his column in the South Wales Evening Post that he retains his loyalty to “his” Welsh club. “To see Cardiff in the final would be hard to take for Swansea fans,” he wrote. “So, to be brutally honest, I think I’m behind Barnsley on this one.”

Is this harsh or should the pundit not be making these sort of comments, considering BBC Wales are representative of all Welsh clubs? It doesn’t stop other pundits on BBC, Sky and ITV from having a clear preference for certain teams to win, although it appears the broadcasting company have no option other than to incur the wrath of their viewing public by keeping the guy on.

Hartson Gave Rangers The Blues

John “Once Worth £7m” Hartson has today revealed that he rejected the chance to play for Celtic’s fierce rivals Glasgow Rangers only 15 months ago.

After failing a medical for Dick Advocaat’s Rangers, Harton headed for Celtic Park and had a successful 5-year spell, reaching the UEFA Cup Final before moving on to West Brom. And it was when he was at this club , and during Paul Le guen’s awful tenture, that Rangers chairman Sir David Murray contacted the ginger hardnut about a possible move back North.

There was no way that I could ever pull on a Rangers shirt after all that I achieved in five years at Celtic.

Mr Murray tried to convince me it would work but it was a no-brainer as far as I was concerned.

Hartson also went on to cement his Swansea roots as he dismissed another club, should they have any intention on trying to sign him:

There are two clubs in the world that I could never contemplate playing for now - Cardiff City and Rangers.

Who knows. Perhaps now he has no club and couldn’t get a game at The Hawthorns, maybe he thinks it would have been a good idea to get one nice last payday.

Cardiff jump for joy while Boro dive into agony

Cardiff City have accomplished a giant-killing act after they knocked out Premiership side Middlesbrough from the quarter-finals of the FA Cup on Sunday and marched into the semis to b held at Wembley this year.

City manager Dave Jones says:

Honest to God - and you have got to believe me - once tonight is out of the way, we are in tomorrow and we are getting ready for the next league game now because we have a lot of catching up to do.

But this must give us an incentive now because, man for man down there, they are absolutely elated and they are ecstatic and everything else.

Someone asked for champagne - for what? We have just got through to the next round.

We have not done anything yet. All we have done is get through to the semi-finals of the FA Cup.

We haven’t won it, we have not got to the final and we have got to get prepared. Why would we be drinking champagne?

That’s for the staff on the plane going home.

As for the Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate, well you can read the gloom here now:

It is a huge disappointment for us. We know what an opportunity it was to win something.

But that is the cup and that is why I always say you are judged as a team by what you do in the league because the cup can go any way for you.

We have had games here that we should have been out of competitions and we have gone all the way to the final.

Today, we got what we deserved. It’s what happens on the day and we didn’t deliver.

But all hats off to Championship side Cardiff for keeping the magic and romance of the FA Cup alive. Next stop Wembley and Cardiff do not care whom they face.

Watch Middlesbrough live online

Southgate makes no apologies for ‘Wembley gift’

Cardiff City stand between Middlesbrough and a place in the FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley and nobody could argue that Gareth Southgate’s men have had a difficult run in the competition this season. The trip to Bristol City in the third round was probably the toughest match, although visits to Mansfield and Sheffield United were relatively easy and the Bluebirds are hardly pulling up trees in the Championship. Nevertheless, Sporting Life reports that their manager is unashamed about their FA Cup fortune, outlining you have to beat what’s put in front of you.

“I don’t think we should apologise for being in the position that we’re in.

“We’ve had draws that have been tough in their own way.

“It doesn’t matter what division the team you’re playing against is in, they can still provide you with a very tough test.

“We’ve overcome the hurdles that have been put in front of us; we’ve got another one that’s equally as difficult.”

Given the luck enjoyed by Boro so far this season, there’s no doubt that West Brom or Bristol Rovers await them in the semi-finals (!). The north-east team may be languishing near the foot of the Premier League but they’re clearly difficult to beat, especially at their own place where they’ve beaten Arsenal and drawn with Liverpool this season.

Watch Middlesbrough live online

Hasselbaink excited about Middlesbrough return

Cardiff face a tricky tie at the Riverside Stadium on Sunday and are clearly the underdogs. However, in Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink, they have a striker capable of winning the match, especially boosted by the idea of scoring against the club that released him. The Dutchman scored an absolute peach for the Bluebirds in the previous round against Wolves and Sky Sports reports that the striker can’t wait for the FA Cup quarter final match.

“I remember scoring at The Valley and it is instinctive to celebrate,” he said.

“It wasn’t meant to be a sign of disrespect to the club or their fans.

“But with the benefit of hindsight I probably just wished I had walked back to the centre circle.

“I would be lying to say it would not be special to score at the Riverside, especially as we at Cardiff are just as anxious to be in a cup semi-final as Middlesbrough.

“I don’t want to contemplate that too much. I will worry about that if it happens.

“Maybe this time I just smile inside. Middlesbrough fans would understand.”

Clearly the neutrals would like to see JFH roll back the years and send the Bluebirds soaring into the semi-finals of the competition. Let’s at least hope that the game’s not a dullfest, like the other 40 Boro matches this season. It’s all very well for insomniacs but not those wanting to watch a decent game of football.

Watch Middlesbrough live online

Thursday’s Transfer Rumours

Barcelona striker Samuel Eto’o has added to the garrulous Nou Camp gossip layer cake that Didier Drogba will no doubt leap out of in the summer by claiming that the Ivorian would be welcomed with open arms at the Catalan club. (Daily Star)
…Meanwhile, Barca defender Lilian Thuram may leave the Catalan giants and waltz over to Arsenal to take up a player-coach role. (Daily Telegraph)

Lanky Portsmouth striker Kanu is mulling over a move down under to Australian club Gold Coast Galaxy, who unfortunately have links with the LA Galaxy. (Various)

West Ham boss Alan Curbishley will make a summer move for Chelsea midfielder Steve Sidwell, and he will bid £5 million for his services. (Daily Mirror)

Liverpool to make a profit on something! The Anfield club may sell ‘keeper Nikolay Mihaylo to FC Twente, especially as the big spending Dutchmen are willing to shell out £4m on a player that Liverpool spent a mere £225,000 on. (The Sun)
…And the spawn of Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish (no we’re not talking about the “stunna” Kelly Dalglish) – tepid footballer Paul Dalglish has been snapped up on trial by Leeds. (The Sun)

And over on the other side of Stanley Park…Everton are wincing at the thought of an audacious Cardiff City loan bid for striker Victor Anichebe. (Daily Mirror)

Dwight Yorke is playing every minute like it’s his last at the Stadium of Light, his Sunderland contract runs out in the summer and he wants to impress Roy Keane. (Various)

Aston Villa’s Martin O’Neill will be given a huge war chest marked “transfers”, in a bid to gatecrash the Big 4’s stranglehold on the Premier League. (Daily Star)
…While Villa ‘keeper Thomas Sorensen has turned his nose up at a potential loan move to Barnsley. (The Sun)

What was the biggest FA Cup shock of the day?

Upsets left right and centre in today’s FA Cup action. But what was the biggest shock?Coventry somehow managed to obliterate Blackburn 4-1, whilst League One Huddersfield beat Birmingham 2-1. Special mention should also go to Sheffield United who booted out Bolton with a 1-0 win lowly and injury ravaged Oldham, who beat Everton 1-0 at Goodison Park.

So what was your upset of the day?

Here are today’s 3rd round results in full:

Barnsley 2-1 Blackpool
Blackburn 1-4 Coventry
Bolton 0-1 Sheff Utd
Brighton 1-2 Mansfield
Bristol City 1-2 Middlesbrough
Charlton 1-1 West Brom
Chasetown 1-3 Cardiff
Chelsea 1-0 QPR
Colchester 1-3 Peterborough
Everton 0-1 Oldham
Huddersfield 2-1 Birmingham
Ipswich 0-1 Portsmouth
Norwich 1-1 Bury
Plymouth 3-2 Hull
Preston 1-0 Scunthorpe
Southampton 2-0 Leicester
Southend 5-2 Dag & Red
Sunderland 0-3 Wigan
Swansea 1-1 Havant and W
Swindon 1-1 Barnet
Tottenham 2-2 Reading
Tranmere 2-2 Hereford
Walsall 0-0 Millwall
Watford 2-0 Crystal Palace
West Ham 0-0 Man City
Wolverhampton 2-1 Cambridge Utd
Manchester United LATE KICK OFF Aston Villa

Watch Blackburn live online

Watch Aston Villa live online

Transfer Rumour Frenzy: Part 2

The second half of our transfer rumour frenzy, with plenty of slices from the succulent transfer roast.

Everton have turned down a Celtic loan move for James McFadden. The Scot has only started three games for Everton this season and McFadden himself claims that he will wait to see if he gets more first team football before signing a new contract extension. (BBC)
…Whilst Everton’s captain Phil Neville has hit out at coddled party boy players with easy relaxed millionaire lifestyles, and says that there should be a crackdown on the slackers in Premier League football…cough..Rio…cough. (various)

Tottenham will sign 18-year-old Cardiff full back Chris Gunter for £2million fee after he underwent a medical at the weekend. (The Sun)

Birmingham’s Alex McLeish wants to bring Celtic’s central defensive stalwart Bobo Balde south of the border. (Mirror)
…And Alex McLeish is also after Hibernian left-back David Murphy, and is ready to spend £1.5million on him. (The Sun)

Man City owner Thaksin Shinawatra has been given a boost in that a pro-Thaksin party is leading the polls in his native Thailand which means his frozen £830million assets could be handed back to him – which in turn could give Sven a massive wodge of dosh to splurge in January. (various)

QPR are after West Ham’s Hogan Ephraim, and the “super-rich Super Hoops” are willing to blow half a million to get their man. (The Sun)

Reading gaffer Steve Coppell is frantically batting away persistent interest in Stephen Hunt and Nicky Shorey from Everton and Sunderland. (Mirror)

Tottenham have lashed out at claims that Darren Bent is disgruntled and will leave in January for West Ham, they assert that he is part of their long-term plans. (Mirror)

Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard wants to manage the Merseyside giants one day, but thinks that team-mate Jamie Carragher may get there before he does. (The Sun)

West Ham are after Derby’s Giles Barnes, and will not take no for an answer in their pursuit of the 19-year-old winger. A rumoured £5m bid is said to be imminent. (The Sun)

Watch Liverpool live online

Watch Birmingham live online

Defender-shopping Spurs sign another Wales teen

Apparently satisfied with the progress of Gareth Bale, Tottenham Hotspur have gone back to the Wales well and signed 18-year old defender Chris Gunter from Cardiff City.

Gunter met with Juande Ramos yesterday and will move to White Hart Lane at the start of the January transfer window, reports icWales.co.uk. Newport-born Gunter is primarily a right-side defender, who was Bale’s teammate in several Wales Youth teams. The sale will bring a reported £4 million to Cardiff’s coffers.

That Daniel Levy is in the market for defenders is no secret. And Spurs are favoured to win the bidding for Rangers’ Alan Hutton, to the tune of £7 million, according to The Mail on Sunday. Liverpool were also in the market for the 23-year old Scot, who would be sure to have a more immediate impact on Spurs’ beleaguered back line.

Meanwhile, Ajax Amsterdam have rejected an £7 million offer for Dutch international left back Urby Emanuelson, according to Telegraph.co.uk.

Watch Tottenham live online

---

Read more Tottenham articles on the Tottenham section.

---

 Caughtoffside.com - Sports blog offering Sports news & Sports articles

Cardiff’s Dave Jones thinks Uriah Rennie is out to get him

Watch Cardiff City live online 

There are certain referees that can just never get it right. Graham ‘Football Focus sofa’ Poll raised the bar and then retired so now there is a space to fill at the top of the game. Who better to fill it than Uriah Rennie, a man who makes Titus Bramble look faultless? The team he upset this weekend? Cardiff City.

Rennie sent off Bluebirds striker Steve Thompson early in the first half for a tackle from behind.

Dave Jones says Rennie was inconsistent, that keeper Kasper Schmeichel was taken out before the Robins’ goal and that he denied Cardiff a penalty near the end.

And in the season of goodwill too! Dave ‘minutes from being sacked’ Jones was none too happy.

“I’ve had so many run-ins with him [Rennie] that I’m wondering if it’s personal.”

I wouldn’t worry Dave, Uriah gets it wrong wherever he goes.

“Again after the game I’ve taken him a tape and told him to watch it again because it’s not acceptable.

“It wasn’t the best performance from him, but the referee and the assessor will protect each other.

“Credit to Bristol City, but Rennie spoilt the game as a spectacle and it’s hard when decisions don’t go your way.”

Poor Dave, next thing he’ll blame Uriah for the signing of Jimmy Floyd Hasslebaink and Robbie Fowler. Still, Christmas is coming, maybe some time off is just what you need Jonesey boy.

Cardiff to sack Dave Jones? We’ll soon find out

Dave Jones, where did it all go wrong? Was it the star signings? Was it Peter Risdale? Was it luck, or lack of it? Probably just your defence that can’t go ten minutes without laying on a chance even Dirk Kuyt might tuck away. And now you are going to be the 45th manager to be sacked in the Championship this year. Look:

Cardiff City hierarchy are to decide the fate of under-fire manager Dave Jones in the next 48 hours.

That means sacked in media-ese by the way.

“I expect to make a formal statement about the situation here within the next couple of days,” said Ridsdale.

That means “we have to work out a pay off” in chairman-ese. And Jones said:

“I believe in my ability to turn it around, I’ll just get on with it,”

And that means you will have to pay big if you want to get rid of me in manager-ese. It’s become a second language in the Championship these days.

So, is this fair? Jones is a damn good manager, he’d turn it round given time, wouldn’t he?

Next Page »