Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti has quashed speculation linking him with a move for Benfica left-back Fabio Coentrao.
Rumours continue to circulate about a possible transfer to Real Madrid for Ashley Cole but Ancelotti has reiterated his desire to keep the former Arsenal star at Stamford Bridge.
When asked about the Coentrao rumours, Ancelotti said: "It is not true, totally rubbish."
However, the Blues boss has confirmed that he expects the £18million capture of Benfica's Brazil international Ramires to be sealed shortly, adding:"Ramires is, until now, a Benfica player. When he is here, I can speak about him, not now.
"I don't want to speak about Ramires. When Ramires signs a contract for Chelsea, he will sign. This is the same for other players. I read a lot of names in the newspapers."
Michael Ballack, Joe Cole and Juliano Belletti have all left Chelsea since the end of last season, while the only high-profile arrival has been Yossi Benayoun, and Ancelotti admitted:"For us, after a fantastic season, it was very difficult to change this squad.
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"We were totally agreed to maintain this squad. To put some young players in this squad from our academy, this was our aim. After a fantastic season, we could repeat the same season this year with these players.
"I think that the teams that can win the title will be the same as last year, including, obviously, Man City, because they've bought fantastic players."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson has admitted that he is looking to make several major signings in the January transfer window.
Hodgson's side have made a slow start to the new campaign and the former Fulham boss is keen to strengthen his squad, having been promised funds by New England Sports Ventures following their Anfield takeover.
He told the club's official website:"If we want the right quality, we have got to be prepared to pay the right price.
"The owners know that perfectly well. We have got to make certain that if we go out and spend £20million, we are getting a £20million player.
"We want to be attracting the players that Barcelona, Real Madrid and Inter are chasing. It would be nice to think that we can shop at a high level.
"I'm like all managers in that I'm wary of the January transfer window. I think it can be dangerous as clubs try to correct mistakes.
"But, having said that, we are going to very interested in trying to improve our squad in January. There is no question about that. I am sure we will sign players.
"What I would hope to do is get this group of players playing well enough so we don't need to panic.
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"Then I can say to the owners 'if we are going to spend a lot of money, let's get the right man'.
"I don't want to spend half the money that might be available on someone for the sake of buying, when the player we actually want might not be available until the summer."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Manchester City first team coach Fausto Salsano has admitted that the club are keen to sign Marek Hamsik and Ezequiel Lavezzi from Serie A side Napoli the Mirror reports.
Salsano revealed that the pair are top of manager Roberto Mancini transfer hit list with the Italian still desperate to strengthen a squad still fighting for trophies on four fronts.
During their time at the Stadio San Paolo Slovakian playmaker Hamsik and Argentine striker Lavezzi have become regarded as two of the brightest stars in European football and Salsano has admitted City are monitoring their progress carefully.
He said: “Manchester City are watching Napoli very carefully. I can confirm Mancini’s interest in Hamsik because I have been to watch the Slovak.
“Marek has become a very important player with the right experience. Lavezzi, on the other hand, is a devastating player who can hurt you one-on-one. Hamsik and Lavezzi are players we like because our aim is to do great things.”
The coaches comments are likely to infuriate Azurri boss Walter Mazzarri with the Naples club in the same Champions League group as City and news of their interest could potentially unnerve the duo with bid from the Etihad Stadium is expected in January.
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West Ham midfielder Ravel Morrison is the latest high-profile footballer to land himself in trouble for comments made on Twitter, The Sun reports.
Morrison, 19, responded to a fans criticism with the following:
“Go suck out u little f****t. Your a guy that talks if u see me you try slap me I’m in manchester every week.”
This is the latest in a long line of incidents from both professional football players and fans that show Twitter can be a dangerous tool, in the wrong hands. Morrison has been heavily criticised for his use of homophobic language, as well as proving he’s an idiot, incapable of using correct grammar.
What Morrison, and many others don’t seem to grasp is that whatever you say on Twitter is treated in the same way as if you said it to the person in ‘real life’.
Take Lee Steele for example. The Oxford City striker was sacked by his club last month, and rightly so. This was after Steele made some disgusting homophobic remarks about fellow sportsman Gareth Thomas (Oxford Mail).
There are many other examples of Twitter being (mis)-used by so called professionals. Joey Barton is the obvious example. The QPR captain recently escaped prosecution for potential contempt of court, after airing his views on the John Terry racism saga (BBC).
QPR owner Tony Fernandes is a prolific ‘tweeter’, and according to ex-manager Neil Warnock, his relationship with Fernandes was ‘slowly poisoned’ due to Twitter, culminating in Warnock losing his job (Guardian). This shows the how far-reaching the effects of Twitter are, and the impact it can have on everyone in football, even managers.
I haven’t even mentioned the fans yet. Some fans using the site have found themselves facing legal action as racism has reared it’s ugly head into the game once more.
On Monday, two Sunderland fans pleaded guilty to sending racist tweets directed at Demba Ba and the Newcastle squad (Guardian). This comes at the time when two 17 year olds were given final warnings for yet more racial abuse on a Newcastle player, this time Sammy Ameobi (Mail Online).
So as you can see, Twitter can be a very dangerous tool when in the hands of certain indivudals. This can happen at all levels of football, be it players, fans or those in management.
It’s not all doom and gloom though. The vast majority of fans using Twitter see it as a great way of communicating with their heroes. Most players use it to air their views and opinions with fellow professionals, pundits and their millions of fans.
It’s just a shame the few idiots who misuse it are tarnishing it’s reputation.
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Professional football is a notoriously ruthless business. The game is littered with stories of players cast aside after failing to make the grade, however, once a player reaches the top level, an uncharacteristic amount of faith and patience can come their way.
The recent signing of Kieron Dyer by QPR is a fantastic example of such faith. Dyer made 30 appearances in four injury blighted years at West Ham United and yet he has now been signed by another premiership club. Does Neil Warnock really believe that he can get a full season out of Dyer? Does this move simply show that there is a startling dearth of players available who have experience at the top level? Such a severe shortage that a player of Dyer’s woes is a tempting option.
The signing of Jonathan Woodgate by Stoke raises the same questions. Woodgate appeared 4 times for Spurs in the last 2 seasons. He has been plagued by injuries since 2004, and yet he is still considered a top defender, still worth the gamble. It seems that once you have shown yourself capable of competing at the highest level, managers will display an unending amount of faith and patience in your ability to recover. The hope that you will rediscover the form that once made you a top premiership player does not fade quickly. The possibility of a bargain and a glorious renaissance keeps managers interested far longer than the fans.
Both players have been signed on a pay-as you-play deal, eliminating potentially huge losses such as those suffered by West Ham where Dyer picked up a reported £83,000 a week during his spell. Even so, do these players represent good business? In a sport where careers can be so brutally short, why are these players deserving of such patience?
Would you take a gamble on this man?
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Recently we have seen players getting into trouble for things they have done on the social networking website Twitter. In January of this year former Liverpool player Ryan Babel was fined £10,000 for posting a photo of referee Howard Webb in a Manchester United shirt. The post was intended as a joke and a reaction to decisions that were made in the match featuring Liverpool and Manchester United refereed by Webb.
Within the last few days, Carlton Cole faces a charge for a comment he made on his Twitter account. Cole made the comment during the recent international friendly between England and Ghana. Cole tweeted “Immigration has surrounded the Wembley premises! I knew it was a trap! Hahahaha. The only way to get out safely is to wear an England jersey and paint your face w/ the St. George’s flag!”
It appears that charges for the use of Twitter are becoming more common and it is certainly something players will need to be vigilant of. The real issue here is who should be policing the use of Twitter, the club the player/s are contracted to, the players themselves or the FA?
At the moment it seems like the FA are taking control – but in the first case can matters of this nature be kept in house by the club? Is there any scope for an outright ban on Twitter or would that make matters worse?
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I think there is also a role that can be played by both the FA and the club in the form of education. It would be useful to everyone if the FA can release some information on what sort of things are likely to be investigated and what sort of things are just harmless banter. The club can let their players know that they should be careful on what they write on Twitter and again outline what sort of things the players should aim to stay away from.
Once players have a clear understanding on what they should and should not write then they can regulate themselves; if they then step out of those guidelines and get fined by the FA they really only have themselves to blame. But as Ipswich Town player Billy Clark recently found out, it’s not always a case of comments that can get you into trouble with the FA that you have to be wary of. Ipswich Town manager Paul Jewell recently made the decision to not offer Clark a new contract beyond the end of this season. Clark foolishly made a public tweet directed towards a fan to suggest he was glad to be leaving and after hearing about this Jewell has informed Clark that if he feels this way then he should leave immediately.
Twitter is a wonderful tool and used the right way can bring players, fans and the club closer together – but it should be respected and used sensibly.
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Arsenal produced a stirring comeback at the Emirates, surviving a controversial opener from Louis Saha to beat Everton 2-1.
Saha handed Everton the lead after 24 minutes in north London even though he looked well offside, but second half goals from substitute Andrey Arshavin and defender Laurent Koscielny handed Arsenal a hard-fought and deserved victory.
The result keeps Arsene Wenger’s side second in the Premier League table, five points adrift of Manchester United but still very much in the title race.
The Gunners started the game in lively fashion with Cesc Fabregas shooting wide from a Robin van Persie back-heel when perhaps he should have done better.
Saha was offside when Seamus Coleman tried to find him when a through-ball but, perhaps unaware of that fact, Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny attempted to clear it anyway.
That proved a big mistake because his miss-hit effort deflected straight to Saha who fired home left-footed with Arsenal’s defence nowhere to be seen.
Referee Lee Mason struggled to control proceedings as the game grew tetchier, making a string of questionable decisions to draw the ire of the home crowd.
He booked six players in all as tackles flew in from both sides, especially when Arsenal poured forward in the second half in search of an equaliser.
Theo Walcott and van Persie had both gone close when it eventually came in the 70th minute, Arshavin latching onto a fine Fabregas through-ball and firing home sweetly.
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Van Persie then forced Tim Howard into a fine save from a free-kick before the Dutchman sent over a corner for Koscielny to head home in the 76th minute.
The goal was greeted with delirium by the home crowd and it was hard to say Arsenal did not earn it given their pulsating second-half display.
Kenny Dalglish looks set to reignite his interest in Adam Johnson in January with the hope of sparking some creativity into Liverpool’s midfield.
The Anfield club’s start to the season has been fairly inconstant and Dalglish would see Johnson as an exciting addition, bringing an extra dimension to their wide play.
Liverpool were heavily linked with former Middlesbrough player during the summer and it has been rumoured on footybunker.com that the deal could finally be pushed through in January.
Roberto Mancini has always expressed enthusiasm for Johnson and has said he wants to keep him at the club.
But being on the fringes of the team and only making fleeting substitute appearances has done nothing for the promising wingers career, especially his international hopes with the European Championships in Ukraine and Poland next summer.
When he has played for City he’s been impressive and it seems a waste for such a talented player to not be on the pitch as regularly as possible.
Since taking over at Anfield, Dalglish has actively sought young British players, including Jordon Henderson, Charlie Adam, Andy Carroll and Stuart Downing, therefore Johnson would fit this ethos perfectly.
The asking price is rumoured to be around the £10-15m mark, well worth it for an England international and such a signing would undoubtedly prove popular with the Anfield faithful.
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Read more of Christopher Dyer’s articles at the excellent Transfer Tavern
David Moyes has promised a more hard-line approach as he looks to kick-start Everton's disappointing season into life.
Moyes was furious with his players after Saturday's 1-0 defeat at home to Newcastle United left the Toffees without a win from their first five games of the new Premier League season.
The Goodison Park outfit have picked up just two points from the first 15 on offer and Moyes has vowed to turn up the heat on his squad in a bid to improve results.
He said:"Maybe I need to get tougher with them. Maybe I need to go back to some of the old ways. We'll soon see what they're like then.
"I've been telling them for a long time that they are good players and a good team. Maybe I need to change what I am telling them.
"They have to earn the right to play for this team. Newcastle went about their job in a way we didn't.
"This was certainly our poorest performance since last year and that has been the biggest shock for me. So now is the time when I have to do something about it.
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"We're capable of so much more and it's in times like this that the lead comes from the manager.
"So I have to be the one who has to change my outlook in what I expect from them from now on."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
The 2010 World Cup was a historic one for all of football as Africa hosted their first ever World Cup. Not only did the host nation South Africa embrace the tournament but so did the whole continent and it was truly a remarkable day for football when the first game kicked off between the hosts South Africa and Mexico. Although nobody realistically thought the Bafana Bafana or indeed any African nation would win the World Cup it would be have been truly stunning had it been achieved.
It does however make you think will an African nation ever be able to win one and what will it take for it to happen? The great Pele incorrectly predicted that an African team would win the World Cup by the end of the 20th Century, despite his incorrect prediction; the African teams have all greatly improved in recent years. Many of them have produced some world class players, but unfortunately they haven’t all been for one team. As a result most African teams seem to have one or two world class players and then the rest are either good or average. If only Africa could play as a continent then they would have a great team that might even possibly be able to win a World Cup.
Here is what a current Africa XI could look like:
Goalkeeper: Vincent Enyeama (Nigeria)
The Nigerian goalkeeper really came to prominence in the World Cup despite the Super Eagles poor showing, he was named as man of the match two of their three games. Enyeama’s form has seen him linked with a move to the Premiership this season and it is hardly surprising, he has been overlooked for some time and perhaps now will get some deserved recognition.
Right Back: Madjid Bougherra (Algeria)
Rangers player Bougherra is very much a ‘footballing defender’, he is very comfortable with the ball at his feet, so much so that he won the award for the Scottish Premier League goal of the season last year. The former Charlton player has been linked with a move to Barcelona following his impressive form in Glasgow for the past two years.
Centre-Back: Kolo Toure (Ivory Coast)
Experienced defender Toure is one of the lynch pins of the Ivory Coast, although he may be inconsistent at time for Manchester City he is a reliable presence for his country. Although he has yet to recapture his Arsenal form at club level remains a top player.
Centre-Back: John Mensah (Ghana)
Former Sunderland loanee Mensah was a rock in defence for Ghana at the World Cup; he was definitely one of the main reasons why the Black Stars reached the quarter-finals. Interestingly statistics show that Sunderland were better in games last season with Mensah in the side than without.
Left Back: Taye Taiwo (Nigeria)
The marauding left back has long been considered the ‘Nigerian Roberto Carlos’, his game is very much based on the legendary Brazilians and also has a powerful left foot; Taiwo has long been admired for his efforts with his club Marseille.
Right Midfield: Mohamed Sissoko (Mali)
Juventus midfielder Sissoko is a tough tackling player who always gives his all, although he may not have had the best of times at Liverpool he has really flourished in Turin and is a firm fans favourite at the club.
Centre Midfield: Michael Essien (Ghana)
Arguably the best African player in the world right now, Essien is the perfect midfielder. He can tackle, shoot and pass all with great ability; it’s no wonder why he is currently the most expensive African player of all time. Unfortunately Essien didn’t get a chance to show off skills in South Africa as he picked up an injury in the African Cup of Nations which ruled him out.
Centre Midfield: Yaya Toure (Ivory Coast)
The new Manchester City signing has been a great player for Barcelona in the last few years and can consider himself unlucky to have been deemed not part of Pep Guardiola’s plans for next season.
Left Midfield: Seydou Keita (Mali)
A regular in the midfield for Barcelona, a lot of Keita’s work goes un-noticed but he has shown to be a key player for the side at times. The Malian always works tirelessly for the team and covers a lot of distance whenever he plays.
Centre Forward: Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast)
Drogba has shown himself to be one of the most lethal strikers in Europe at Chelsea, the front man is big and powerful and a constant threat for defenders, who have to be at the top of their game to handle him. It’s fair to say he isn’t everybody’s favourite player but love him or hate him, the man is a class act.
Centre Forward: Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon)
Eto’o has also proved to be one of the best strikers in the world, his blistering pace and fantastic finishing ability have gotten on him so many goals in recent years, a truly fantastic striker.
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Do you think that team would be good enough to win the World Cup?
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Click on image to see a gallery of the BEST BABES at the World Cup this summer