News, views and gossip from the new, first and last voice of football. As it happens, when it unfolds, the glory the heartache, win, lose or draw. Who they got, who they ain't, what they won, what they threw away.
Former Inter Milan coach Roberto Mancini is believed to have held talks with Manchester City after reports in England and Italy claim the Italian has met with officials from the Premier League club.
44-year-old Mancini, who finished his playing career with Leicester City in 2001 is in line to take over from City manager Mark Hughes at the Eastlands Stadium and has allegedly been spotted in a restaurant near his Umbrian home meeting with representatives from City. City’s owners the ADUG want Mancini, who was replaced at the Nerazzurri by Jose Mourinho after winning three consecutive Serie A titles at Inter to bring an international pedigree to the Premier League side.
After a disastrous sequence of results that sees City just two-points off the drop-zone and knocked out of the FA Cup last week 3-0 by Championship club Nottingham Forest at the Eastlands. The ADUG are reportedly ready to axe Hughes and replace him with the former Italian International after just 20 league games in charge of a Blues team, which has blown more cold than hot in recent weeks.
Mancini is said to have been living in London for the past few months to learn the language, with the former Sampdoria and Lazio striker keen to work in the Premier League. The Italian was also believed to have been in the running for the jobs at Chelsea, Newcastle and West Ham United last year.
As well as the three Scudetti Mancini won with Milan in his four-years at the San Siro, he also won the Coppa Italia in 2005 and 2006, along the Supercoppa Italiana in the same seasons. With the ADUG seeing Mancini as the right man to realise their ambitions, when they took over at the Eastlands last summer and lead City into the Champions League.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has revealed that Gunners defender Mikael Silvestre will be ruled out for three weeks after picking up a thigh injury, while Kolo Toure could also be facing a stint on the sidelines.
31-year-old Silvestre had to be withdrawn after half-an-hour in Arsenal’s 3-1 win over Plymouth Argyle in the third round of the FA Cup at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
Wenger expects the French International to be missing for the rest of January, with Silvestre certain to miss the Premier League clashes with Bolton Wanderers, Hull City and Everton. Silvestre joins captain Cesc Fabregas, Theo Walcott and long-term absentee Tomas Rosicky on the sidelines at the North London club.
However, Wenger also revealed that Gael Clichy should be back in time to face the Trotters at the Emirates on Saturday, but is concerned about Toure, who has an inflamed groin.
“It is a thigh problem," Wenger said about Silvestre.
“(He will be out for) three weeks, 21 days.
“I have to look at it but at the moment with the injuries we are a little bit short everywhere.
“I hope Kolo [Toure] will not be out for a very long time because he has an inflamed groin.
“On the left-hand side we are a bit short but Gael Clichy should be back for next week.”
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has revealed that Croatian International striker Eduardo is not ready to return to action for the Gunners in their FA Cup third round clash with Championship side Plymouth Argyle on Saturday.
25-year-old Eduardo made his comeback after breaking his leg in February for the Premier League club in a reserve match against Portsmouth last month. The Brazilian-born forward played 45 minutes of the clash before being taken off at halftime as a precaution with a slight hamstring problem.
However, Wenger has insisted that Eduardo will be back playing for Arsenal by the end of January and that the former Dinamo Zagreb player is keen for a return to action at the Emirates Stadium as soon as the striker regains full fitness.
Wenger said: “Eduardo will not come back yet. It is still a bit early because he has to get his fitness back.
“He is fantastically keen and a dream to work with but when you have been out for nine months it takes some time to come back to your best form.”
It is thought that Wenger will utilise his squad against Plymouth on Saturday, with the Frenchman likely to play his fringe players against a side that is 15th in the Championship.
* Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has revealed that he does not expect long-term injury Tomas Rosicky to play for the Gunners again until “March at the earliest”, with the midfielder already having spent almost a year on the sidelines at the Emirates Stadium.
The 28-year-old Czech Republic International sustained the hamstring tendon injury against Newcastle United in the FA Cup last January, which kept Rosicky out of the summer EURO 2008 tournament and the former Borussia Dortmund, player has not featured at all in the Premier League for Arsenal this season.
Rosicky had to have further surgery for the injury in November, with Wenger confirming on Monday that he will not feature again for the North London club until at least March next year.
Wenger told the club's official website: “He's doing rehab at the moment.
“He's back here on 17th December and then hopefully we can start to work with him. But it's a long-term prospect - maybe March at the earliest."
However, Wenger also revealed some positive news for Arsenal fans, when he said that striker Eduardo, who has been out since February after breaking his leg in a Premiership match against Birmingham City last season, will play against Portsmouth reserves next week.
Wenger added: “He will play on 16th December in the reserve team (against Portsmouth reserves).”
As a football writer and lifelong Spurs supporter I often get asked, who is my favourite player of all time for Tottenham Hotspur. The trouble is there have been so many good players at White Hart Lane over the years that it is not an easy choice to make. Some I have had the pleasure of seeing and some unfortunately I have not.
So if I keep to the obvious ones Danny Blanchflower, Jimmy Greaves, Gary Mabutt, Glenn Hoddle, Ossie Ardiles, Ricky Villa, Paul Gascoigne, Chris Waddle, David Ginola, Gary Lineker, Teddy Sheringham, Jurgen Klinsman, Ray Clemence, Dimitar Berbatov and Robbie Keane, with most of these names being players I have seen play over the years for Tottenham.
Sorry if I have missed anyone out or included anyone you think not worthy, but as I say Spurs have had the privilege of some fantastic players putting on the white shirt at the North London club over the years. However, my all-time favourite Tottenham player is not on the list above either. Nor do I think that he would make the list of any fly-by-night Spurs fan, for the player that has stuck in my mind since I had the complete and utter privilege of watching him play for Tottenham, as I was a young teenager in the 80’s is one Graham Roberts.
Now Roberts might not have been blessed with the skill of most of the players on the list above, for this was a defender, who did not know how to give 100% because he always gave more, much more. Roberts, was the type of player that if you were picking teams in the school playground, you would pick him first and simply for the reason that you would rather have him on your side than have to play against him. For Roberts was the type of player that if he were to die trying to score a goal or prevent one then he would have felt that his life was worthwhile.
Roberts arrived at White Hart Lane in 1980 from Weymouth aged 21 and a relative unknown, which raised questions of the then Tottenham manager Keith Burkinshaw. Now during this period at Spurs, Burkinshaw already had flair players like Hoddle along with 1978 World Cup winners Villa and Ardiles at The Lane, with most of the plaudits for the two FA Cups wins in 1981 & 1982 along with the UEFA Cup win in 1984 going to this trio, although Villa had left before the UEFA Cup triumph to earn a final payday in the United States, with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers.
You see I don’t think Spurs would have won anything without Roberts in this period. His never say die attitude and his willingness to give his all until the 90 minutes was up inspired those around him and most definitely inspired me. For Roberts would have carried on if a match, was 900 minutes long giving more than 100%. He simply did not know any other way.
But Roberts was more than a defender who gave his all. He scored goals to and vital ones and had he chosen to play upfront at an early age would have scored even more. For to get between Roberts and the ball, was taking your life in your own hands, because Roberts simply wanted to get to the ball more than any opponent he ever faced.
So why is he my favourite player? Simple Roberts gave me my three best moments as a Spurs fan, better than Gazza’s free kick against Arsenal in the 1991 FA Cup semi-final at the old Wembley, better than Villa’s wonder goal against Manchester City in the FA Cup final replay in 1981 and better than Hoddle’s 35-yard volley past Peter Shilton in his prime against Nottingham Forest. Even better than the 40-yard goal that the Argos Beckham scored against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium recently.
The first incident was in the same game as the Villa wonder-goal, Roberts was involved in a collision and as a result had three of his teeth knocked out. Against doctor’s advice he remained on the pitch completed the full 90 minutes and Spurs won the FA Cup. Would that happen nowadays? Of course not, Chelsea striker Didier Drogba knocked out Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidić's teeth out in a match recently and the Serbian defender was duly stretchered off the pitch not to return. Medical fact that you can't walk if your teeth fall out and Vidić is considered tough by modern standards, but wouldn't have lasted five minutes against Roberts.
The second incident was in the second leg of the UEFA Cup final in 1984 against Belgian side Anderlecht, with Tottenham 1-0 down from the first leg in Belgium and only 5 minutes left on the clock at White Hart Lane, Roberts popped up to score the equaliser and take the game into extra-time, which Spurs eventually won on penalties.
The third incident like the first was all what Roberts was about. Arsenal had signed Charlie Nicholas from Celtic, whose playboy image off the pitch had earned him the nickname ‘Champagne Charlie’. Nicholas was the complete opposite of Roberts in fact they were worlds apart in how they played the game. Roberts was never one for fancy dans or reputations as Nicholas found out in a North London derby, when a crunching tackle from Roberts put the Scot into the stands and became a true hero in my eyes. The White Hart Lane faithful even started a chant about this incident, such was the glee of seeing ‘Champagne Charlie’ climb back over the advertising hoardings looking a little shaken to say the least.
So that is why Roberts is my favourite Tottenham player of all time, because he gave his all, was a true hardman in every sense of the word and inspired others around him, while being perfectly happy to not be in the limelight and just be playing the game he loved.
Graham Roberts I salute you.
For some reason Roberts was only capped for England 6 times and when he left Spurs enjoyed success, with both Glasgow Rangers and Chelsea before finishing his professional career at West Bromwich Albion.
Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka has claimed that the reason behind him leaving Arsenal for Real Madrid in 1999 after only two-years at Highbury was due to what the French International perceived as a lack of appreciation from the fans at the North London club.
The Gunners were stunned when Anelka left Arsenal for La Liga giants Real in a £23million deal after scoring 22 goals for Arsenal that season. This was after helping Arsenal to a Premier League and FA Cup double in 1998, Anelka’s debut season in the Premiership after his switch from Paris St Germain in 1997.
Anelka has now claimed that he was furious after a poll by Gunners fans in 1998 thought he was not the forward to fill the boots of Arsenal legend Ian Wright at the North London club.
Anelka told the News of the World: “When I started the season there was a poll because I had taken the place of Ian Wright.
“I thought the fans really wanted it to be me and were pleased with me. But seeing the result in the papers and on TV hit me hard because I had done things for nothing.
Anelka went on to reveal that he had planned his exit from Arsenal to spite the Gunners fans and went through with his plan, despite being named PFA Young Player of the Year in his final season at Arsene Wenger’s side.
“I thought 'So that's how it is. This is how you thank me. Okay now you watch what is going to happen. I am going to play, score my goals and just when you are saying Anelka, Anelka that's when I'm going to leave,” Anelka continued.
"And that is exactly what I did because I was furious with them."
However, Anelka did concede that telling Wenger he wanted to leave Arsenal was one of the hardest things he has had to do, with the Frenchman saying that the Arsenal manager represented something extraordinary in his life.
He added: “I am not saying I was ashamed, but I felt something and had no wish to tell him face to face that I wanted to go.
“It's as if it was a betrayal. I didn't want to tell him because he represented someone extraordinary in my life.”
Barcelona president Joan Laporte is understood to be stepping up his efforts to sign Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas, with the Catalan club chief even prepared to sell Spanish International Xavi, despite coach Pep Guardiola insisting last week that Xavi (below) remains at the Nou Camp as long as he remains in charge, according to Spanish radio station Onda.
Recent reports have claimed that EURO 2008 winner Xavi is unhappy at the La Liga side, with talks on a new deal at Barca stalling as he seeks parity with the top earners at the Nou Camp. Which has led to speculation that he could leave Barcelona next summer, with Serie A side Juventus interested in Xavi, who was voted player of the tournament at EURO 2008.
Should Xavi not extend his current contract at Barcelona then Laporte could be forced into selling the Blaugrana midfield general, with the midfielder’s deal running out in 2010 and despite having a buyout clause of £100million, it is understood that the Barcelona vice-captain would be allowed to leave for considerably less.
However, these latest reports that Laporte is willing to lure Fabregas from the Emirates Stadium back to the club he left as a 16-year-old at all costs, including selling Xavi, will anger Guardiola, who sees Xavi as an integral part of the Catalan side. With the former Barca legend declaring last week that Xavi will remain at Barcelona, while he is in charge.
“With me as coach Xavi remains here, that is non-negotiable,” Guardiola said ahead of the La Liga match against Malaga.
21-year-old Fabregas has constantly been linked over the past couple of seasons with Barca’s great rivals Real Madrid, but it is hard to imagine Fabregas ever playing for Los Merengues given his attachment to the Blaugrana, and did reveal recently that “It would be a dream” to return to his boyhood club.
“I would like to try to win more titles here, although next season we'll see,” Fabregas said.
“It would be a dream to return to Barcelona one day.”
With Arsenal struggling in the Premier League and not having won a trophy since the 2005 FA Cup, Fabregas could decide to return to Barcelona next summer if the Gunners have a fourth season in a row without any silverware, but whether Xavi is sold to accommodate the signing of Fabregas remains to be seen. However Laporte could go over Guardiola’s head, with the Barcelona president seeing the capture of Fabregas as the key to holding on to the presidency after narrowly getting re-elected earlier this year.
44-year-old Mancini, who finished his playing career with Leicester City in 2001 is in line to take over from City manager Mark Hughes at the Eastlands Stadium and has allegedly been spotted in a restaurant near his Umbrian home meeting with representatives from City. City’s owners the ADUG want Mancini, who was replaced at the Nerazzurri by Jose Mourinho after winning three consecutive Serie A titles at Inter to bring an international pedigree to the Premier League side.
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