All The Latest Transfer Gossip

Transfer speculation is rife as we approach the beginning of July. It looks like some of the 'bigger' domestic and European clubs are going to have to pay top dollar to secure the services of some of the players they feel will help them land trophies next season.

On the flip of the coin a lot of players will become free agents on the 1st July.
A free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired, and who is thus eligible to sign for another club. In some instances this gives some of the less affluent clubs the chance to pick up some experienced players without the initial expense of a transfer fee, before personal terms are agreed. However the power is with the players as they use the fact that there is no transfer fee involved to often negotiate a financial package including wages, in excess of what they were earning at their previous club.

Expect some major financial wheeling and dealing to take place in July, as clubs fight it out to lure the most sought after players to 'their' club. Meanwhile many of the free agents will more often than not find they have more than one club to choose from, and it may well all boil down to which club can afford to offer the player the most money!
It is at this time of year in the world of football that the infamous phrase "show me the money," which first came to prominence in the 1996 movie 'Jerry Maguire' seems most apt.

Chelsea, Bayern Munich, AC Milan, Real Madrid, Arsenal, Barcelona, Manchester United, Valencia, Manchester City, Porto, Fiorentina, Partizan Belgrade, AZ Alkmaar, Aston Villa, Tottenham, Liverpool, Blackpool, Bayer Leverkusen, Wigan, Sochaux, Galatasaray, West Brom, Stoke, Birmingham, Monaco, West Ham, Newcastle, Bolton, Crystal Palace, Leicester, Peterborough, Reading, Sunderland, Derby, Barnsley, Dundee United, Cardiff and Tranmere......................are all currently caught up in transfer gossip.

Is your club involved?

Chelsea's Ghanaian midfielder Michael Essien is for sale and already attracting interest from various clubs. Bayern Munich have now joined AC Milan and Real Madrid in the chase to sign the 28-year-old, who is worth at least 28 million Euros - footballpress.net

Manchester United are confident of being able to sign Arsenal midfielder Samir Nasri, 23, for £20m - caughtoffside.com

Barcelona have turned down a £15million offer from Manchester United for Spanish Euro Under-21 Championships star Thiago Alcântara (right) - footballpress.net

Alcântara may in fact end up at Arsenal as a makeweight in the Cesc Fábregas deal, though other sources believe that Barcelona are preparing a £31m straight-cash offer for the Arsenal midfielder that should land on a desk in north London sometime today - The Guardian

Arsenal have made Valencia midfielder Juan Mata, another star of Spain's U21 side, their top summer transfer target. The Gunners have offered £18m for the 23-year-old - Daily Mail

Barcelona star David Villa has quashed rumours linking him to Chelsea and Manchester City, claiming he wants to end his career at Barcelona. The 29-year-old joined the Catalans last summer for €40 million and went on to score 23 goals in all competitions as the Spanish giants claimed the double with the Primera Liga and the Champions League - Internationalbusinesstimes.com

Manchester City are lining up a triple swoop for Fiorentina midfielder Alessio Cerci, 23 (right), Partizan Belgrade defender Stefan Savic, 20, and 24-year-old Argentina international keeper Sergio Romero from AZ Alkmaar - The Sun & The Guardian

Manchester City will need to spend a club record £36m if they want to land Brazilian forward Givanildo Vieira de Souza aka 'Hulk' from Porto - Daily Star & The Guardian

Bayern Munich are interested in Manchester United winger and Portugal international Nani. An attempt to sign him will be made if Franck Ribery is sold - footballpress.net

Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas will make a double raid on Tottenham with a £60m bid for midfielder Luka Modric and the left-sided Gareth Bale - caughtoffside.com

Bayern Munich admit they are waiting on news in their bids for Manchester City's Jerome Boateng and Bayer Leverkusen's Arturo Vidal. Boateng has already revealed that he has agreed terms with Bayern, but as yet they cannot agree a fee with Manchester City - skysports.com

Liverpool are close to completing the signing of Charlie Adam, the Blackpool midfielder, with Jonjo Shelvey moving in the opposite direction on a season-long loan. The Anfield club are also set to sign Aston Villa winger Stewart Downing (right) - The Independent

If Downing leaves, then Aston Villa boss Alex McLeish plans to spend half of the estimated £18m asking price on Wigan's Charles N'Zogbia as a direct replacement - Daily Mail

Aston Villa are also interested in signing Stoke winger Matthew Etherington as a replacement for Ashley Young - Daily Mail

Aston Villa are plotting an audacious £14million bid to bring James Milner back from Manchester City - The Mirror

Chelsea have been told they can have Arda Turan (right) from Galatasaray, but only if the Turks get £7m and Didier Drogba in return - The Sun & The Guardian

West Brom have joined the race to sign Chelsea striker Daniel Sturridge, along with Newcastle, Stoke and Bolton, where he scored eight goals on loan last season - The Sun & The Guardian

Stoke will make a joint bid in the region of £8m for Birmingham duo Scott Dann and Cameron Jerome. Stoke are also keen on £4m-rated Monaco defender Cédric Mongongu. Meanwhile Stoke goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen could be on his way to West Ham - Daily Mirror & The Guardian

Peterborough United's director of football Barry Fry has confirmed the club have accepted an offer from Leicester City for Craig Mackail-Smith - skysports.com

Sochaux starlet Ryad Boudebouz claims Liverpool have expressed an interest in acquiring his services. That has opened the door for Liverpool to make an approach, with tentative discussions regarding a possible move to Anfield already underway - skysports.com

Leicester City are set to win the race to sign Neil Danns (right). The 28-year-old is available on a Bosman transfer as his contract with Crystal Palace is set to expire and he has decided to leave Selhurst Park. A host of clubs have been chasing the midfielder, with both of the Old Firm, Celtic and Rangers, holding talks, and the likes of Bolton, Hull City and Southampton are all understood to have made moves for him - skysports.com

Newcastle are interested in Manchester United midfielder Darron Gibson (23), and will try to hijack his planned move to Sunderland - footballpress.net

Sunderland are also preparing a £7m bid for Reading's Shane Long - The Guardian

Dundee United manager Peter Houston has confirmed talks have been held with several clubs regarding in-demand striker David Goodwillie. SPL champions Rangers have made an approach along with Championship clubs Blackpool and Cardiff. Cardiff are rumoured to be favourites to win the chase - skysports.com

Dale Jennings has signalled his intention to sign for one of the biggest clubs in the world as negotiations with his club Tranmere Rovers and Bayern Munich reached a critical stage last night. Tranmere are understood to have negotiated a package of around £500,000 up front for the 18-year-old striker in a deal that could rise to £1.5 million - The Independent

Derby County defender Miles Addison has agreed to join Barnsley on a six-month loan deal - skysports.com

All The Latest Transfer Gossip

Finally the domestic football season across Europe is over, but already the race is well and truly on as clubs go in search of new players for next season. Clubs have not got a lot of time to bed any new signings into their squads with pre-season friendlies beginning in about six weeks time, and also some clubs (inc. British teams) having important UEFA Europa League qualifying round matches to negotiate, with the first round of games beginning on the 30th June.

For Fulham their first game in the competition will be on 15th July, for Stoke City and Hearts the 28th July, and for Tottenham, Birmingham, and Celtic the tournament begins for them on the 18th August. It's not just British clubs who have an early start to their season in Europe - there are some famous European sides also playing in the qualifying stages of this seasons Europa League competition, including Atlético Madrid, Red Star Belgrade, AZ Alkmaar, Roma, Schalke, Sporting Lisbon, PSV Eindhoven and Lazio to name but a few!

Liverpool, Tottenham, Manchester City, AC Milan, Real Madrid, Wolves, Sunderland, QPR, Arsenal, Aston Villa, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Valencia, Newcastle, Swansea, West Brom, Everton, Norwich, Trabzonspor, Lazio, Wigan, Blackburn, Bursaspor, Norwich, Blackpool, Watford and Brighton...........are all currently caught up in transfer gossip.

Is your club involved?

Liverpool midfielder Joe Cole looks set to be reunited with Harry Redknapp, after Tottenham agreed a £3m transfer fee to sign the 29-year-old - Metro

According to inside sources and despite winning the Serie A title with AC Milan just a few weeks ago, Zlatan Ibrahimovic does not feel entirely settled at the club and is pondering on his near future.
Rumours that the Swede could leave this summer are mounting, even though there is nothing official in that regard yet. However, Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo is reporting that Ibrahimovic is tempted to join Real Madrid and reunite with the coach he admires the most, Jose Mourinho - footballpress.net

If Zlatan Ibrahimovic is sold this summer, AC Milan will try to sign Mario Balotelli (right) from Manchester City by August - footballpress.net

Wolves have agreed to sign Jamie O'Hara from Tottenham for £5m. The mdifelder, 24, spent the latter half of last season on loan at Molineux - goal.com
However the Press Association have come out and said that reports that the deal has already been done are "premature".

Liverpool have made a new £18.5m bid for Sunderland's 20-year-old midfielder Jordan Henderson, £5m more than last week's opening offer - Daily Mirror

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has been told he will need to find in excess of £20m to sign Tottenham playmaker Luka Modric - The Sun

Ashley Young, 25, wants to quit Aston Villa for Champions League football, and Manchester United are favourites to sign the £20m-rated forward - The Sun

Villa, in the meantime, have been making discreet enquiries about Real Madrid's out-of-favour mdifielder Fernando Gago, 25, (right) - Insidefutbol.com

Tottenham duo Jermaine Jenas and Robbie Keane could leave Spurs for newly promoted Queens Park Rangers. Midfielder Jenas, 28, would cost around £7m, while 30-year-old Keane is more likely to move on loan - Metro

Liverpool are reportedly readying a bid for Queens Park Rangers' Moroccan international playmaker Adel Taarabt, as Kenny Dalglish looks to bring in youthful additions to his Anfield squad this summer. Taarabat is the subject of great interest from a number of clubs both in the Premier League and from the continent - caughtoffside.com

Wigan Athletic owner Dave Whelan has given the green light to Liverpool and Sunderland to sign midfielder Charles N’Zogbia for £9million - Daily Mirror & caughtoffside.com

Arsenal and Liverpool are considering a bid for Barcelona's unwanted 20-year-old striker Bojan (right) - Daily Mail

Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich remain confident they will be able to broker a fee with Manchester City for full-back Jerome Boateng's services. The 22-year-old has reportedly informed City boss Roberto Mancini of his desire to return to the Bundesliga, with Bayern eager to acquire the ex-Hamburg defender - skysports.com

Miroslav Klose is being linked with a move to Valencia after current side Bayern Munich confirmed his contract will not be extended.
A host of clubs - including Italy's Lazio, Premier League duo Everton and Norwich and Turkey's Trabzonspor are reported to have also been interested in signing Klose - skysports.com & TALKsport

Nicklas Bendtner has confirmed he will "100%" leave Arsenal this summer after growing frustrated at his lack of opportunities - Daily Mail

Watford have confirmed the club have accepted a bid of £3.5million for Danny Graham (right) from Swansea - skysports.com

Newcastle are closing in on Swansea defender Neil Taylor as they look to take advantage of a clause in his contract - football365.com

Wigan and Blackburn are interested in Bursaspor's Kenny Miller, the former Rangers and Scottish international striker - football365.com

Norwich City are on the verge of signing their second player of the summer by agreeing a deal to take Leeds United midfielder Bradley Johnson.
The 24-year-old is available on a Bosman free and will sign a three-and-a-half year contract with the Premier League new boys this week. He was also attracting interest from West Brom and Sunderland but preferred a move to the Canaries - caughtoffside.com

West Brom are stepping up their efforts to sign Japan goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima (right) - football365.com

West Brom have begun negotiations about bringing out of contract Fulham midfielder Zoltan Gera, back to the Hawthorns. Baggies boss Roy Hodgson is also interested in Blackpool midfielder David Vaughan - caughtoffside.com

Brighton are closing in on the signing of Watford winger Will Buckley. The Championship new boys are believed to have come back with an improved offer as they look to land the 22-year-old - skysports.com

All The Latest Transfer Gossip

As the 2010/11 football season reaches its climax, transfer rumours and gossip are in full swing as we speak, as clubs go chasing the players they feel could make a difference in their pursuit of success next season.

In England, there are only a couple of outstanding issues in the top flight still to be decided - relegation from the Premier League, the FA Cup this Saturday, with European qualification at stake next season for the winners, and of course the UEFA Champions League Final on the 28th May, when Barcelona take on Manchester United at Wembley.

For everyone else it is back to the drawing board, so expect a lot of wheeling and dealing to be done this Summer by a host of clubs, both at home and abroad.

Manchester City, AC Milan, Ajax, Arsenal, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Schalke, Manchester United, Olympique Marseille, Fiorentina, Auxeere, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Blackpool, Bolton, Blackburn, Sevilla, Wolfsburg, Valencia, Zenit St Petersburg, QPR, Borussia Dortmund, Aston Villa, Birmingham, Everton, Hull, Crystal Palace, West Ham, Chievo and Leicester..........are all currently caught up in transfer gossip.

Is your Club involved?

Manchester City are chasing Ajax star Jan Vertonghen (right), Ajax coach Frank de Boer has confirmed. The 24-year-old Belgium international defender has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League this summer, with Manchester United and Arsenal also rumoured to have him on their radar - skysports.com

Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini says he also wants AC Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic at Eastlands - BBC Sport, along with Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas, in an attempt to power Manchester City to the Premier League title next season. The Arsenal skipper is already being hunted by Barcelona - The Sun

Roman Abramovich is moving a massive step closer to his total rebuilding of Chelsea with a £25million deal for Real Madrid's Brazilian midfielder Kaká - Daily Express

Arsenal are looking to offload Brazilian Denilson - Sevilla and Wolfsburg are both interested - The Mirror

Arsenal are set to be offered the chance to re-sign defensive midfielder Lassana Diarra by Real Madrid this summer, with Real wanting around £12m - Daily Express/Daily Mirror

Currently on a deal with Olympique Marseille until June 2014, French international midfielder Mathieu Valbuena (right) might leave in order to join Manchester United in the summer, since Alex Ferguson is still keen on him - footballpress.net

Dutch international Klaas-Jan Huntelaar insists he has no plans to leave Schalke this summer. Huntelaar is contracted to Schalke until June 2013 and has netted eight goals in 23 Bundesliga appearances - skysports.com

Schalke are also battling with arch-rivals Borussia Dortmund for the signing of Auxerre's Irenusz Jelen, according to the Poland international's agent - skysports.com

Fiorentina are looking at the possibility of re-signing the AC Milan and Italian international forward Antonio Cassano, for a fee thought to be in the region of about 18 million euros - footballpress.net

Liverpool are in pole position to sign Aston Villa's Ashley Young (right) for a £15m fee. The England forward rejected a new deal at Villa Park earlier this season and has also been linked with a move to Manchester United - The Guardian

Blackpool's Charlie Adam is still on Liverpool's agenda following a thwarted move in January and a new central defender is also among the targets with Bolton's Gary Cahill and Phil Jones of Blackburn both possible targets - The Guardian

Birmingham are on alert after long-term target Nathaniel Clyne put talks over a new deal with Crystal Palace on ice - Daily Mail

Neil Warnock has offered Jimmy Bullard a Premier League return with QPR having made a bid to sign the Hull midfielder on loan next season - Daily Star

German champions Borussia Dortmund are interested on QPR talisman Adel Taarabt - Daily Mail

Chelsea are ready to make a fresh move to sign Valencia winger Juan Mata (right) - TalkSPORT.

Andrei Arshavin would be welcome back at Zenit St Petersburg if Arsenal decide to sell the striker, the Russian club have confirmed - The Telegraph

West Ham's 22-year-old center back Winston Reid has denied rumours linking him with Italian outfit Chievo. "I don't know anything about it, I am not thinking about the market. I am just thinking about ending the season and I hope that we won't be relegated." - footballpress.net

Aston Villa, Birmingham and Everton are monitoring Leicester defender Sol Bamba - Daily Mail

All The Latest Transfer Gossip

All of today's latest transfer gossip, as we approach the middle of January and the half way point in the January transfer window. Clubs now have just two more weeks to finalise any transfer deals, whilst other Clubs will be hoping that they can hang on to their better players - at least for the remainder of the season.

Liverpool, Ajax, Hamburg, Chelsea, Wigan, Bayern Munich, CFR Cluj, Lille, Fiorentina, Malaga, Blackburn, Manchester City, Benfica, AC Milan, Atletico Madrid, Tottenham, West Ham, Birmingham, Aston Villa, Boca Juniors, Hoffenheim, Stoke, Lyon, Newcastle, Real Madrid, Brescia, Inter Milan, Everton, Burnley, Plymouth, Blackpool, Barnsley, Crystal Palace, MK Dons, Borussia Dortmund, Southampton, Manchester United, Valencia, Derby, Leicester, Fulham, Sampdoria, Celtic, Carlisle, Leeds, Brann Bergen and Reading..................are all currently caught up in transfer gossip.

Is your Club involved?

King Kenny's Liverpool revolution will see a flurry of new signings heading to Anfield. His list of transfer targets are though to include Uruguayan Luis Suárez from Ajax for £15, Hamburg's Dutch forward Eljero Elias (right), Wigan playmaker Charles N'Zogbia, Chelsea's Daniel Sturridge and CFR Cluj hitman Lacina Traoré. Dalglish also wants a midfield enforcer and has an eye on Bayern Munich's Mark van Bommel - The Guardian

Defender Daniel Agger may be one player on his way out of Liverpool, with Fiorentina and Malaga both interested in a £3m deal - The Sun

The Reds may also try and tempt left-back Urby Emanuelson to follow Suarez to Anfield from Ajax while the Lille pair, striker Gervinho and mildfielder Eden Hazard (right) are also on manager Kenny Dalglish's list of targets - Daily Telegraph

Blackburn have signed former star Roque Santa Cruz from Manchester City on loan until the end of the season - Skysports.com

Chelsea are close to a £21m deal for Benfica centre-back David Luiz, with right-back Paulo Ferreira moving in the opposite direction. The Premier League champions are also keen on £18m Ajax right-back Gregory van der Wiel - The Mirror

There may be more changes in Chelsea's defence with right-back Jose Bosingwa put up for sale and Atletico Madrid's £15m-rated centre-half Diego Godin in the West London side's sights - Daily Telegraph

AC Milan Sports Director Ariedo Braida has declared: "We always admire the good players, and Bosingwa is one of them, but now we are in stand-by. For the moment there is not a real interest, in June who knows" - Footballpress.net

Birmingham have had a bid accepted by Tottenham for unsettled striker Robbie Keane. The 30-year-old had been heavily linked with a loan move to West Ham, but Spurs boss Harry Redknapp moved to silence that speculation, stressing that any deal must be to buy the striker. The Blues have now emerged as frontrunners to secure Keane's signature after agreeing a £4million fee with Tottenham, which could rise to £6m via various add-ons and clauses in the deal - Skysports.com

West Ham are also now at the head of the queue for £12.5m-rated 'Argentinian wonderkid' Pablo Mouche (right) from Boca Juniors - The Guardian

Aston Villa boss Gerard Houllier has played down reports claiming he is interested in signing Karim Benzema from Real Madrid. Houllier said: "I don't think Benzema will come to Villa. Jose (Mourinho) said he is missing strikers so how can he get rid of one of the only ones he has available at the moment?" - Skysports.com

However Blackpool midfielder Charlie Adam does remains a target for Aston Villa boss Gerard Houllier. Villa have already seen two bids for the Scot knocked back, but are considering a third approach - Skysports.com

Birmingham, meanwhile, want Brescia striker Andrea Caracciolo - The Guardian

Hoffenheim striker Demba Ba has undergone a medical this morning ahead of a proposed move to Stoke City. Stoke tabled a £5.9m offer for the France born Senegal international, and the German club have granted The Potters permission to discuss terms with the 25-year-old, ahead of his move to the Britannia Stadium - adifferentleague.co.uk

Steven Pienaar's talks over a move to Chelsea have broken down and sources understand the Everton midfielder will sign a pre-contract agreement with a major European club, possibly Atletico Madrid or Inter Milan - Skysports.com

Aston Villa are close to completing a £6.5m deal for midfielder Jean Makoun (right) from Lyon - The Times

Arsenal look set to beat Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United to the signature of Southampton's highly rated teenage midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain for £5m - Daily Mail

Arsène Wenger will also tie up a cut-price deal for West Ham central defender Matthew Upson. The Arsenal boss is willing to pay £500,000 for the England centre-back - The Guardian

Everton are set to sign Burnley winger Chris Eagles in a £1.5m deal - The Sun

Blackpool are back in for Plymouth's Bradley Wright-Phillips and Barnsley's Adam Hammill - The Guardian

The agent of Borussia Dortmund's Neven Subotic has told Arsenal they would be wasting their time pursuing the Serbia international defender - Talksport.co.uk

Newcastle are ready to offer Joey Barton a new deal to keep him at St James' Park. Barton, is thought to have attracted the interest of a number of clubs, including Aston Villa and West Ham. The midfielder has 18 months to run on his current contract and Newcastle are planning to give Barton a new deal to ward off interest from his list of suitors - Skysports.com

Crystal Palace today signed Jermaine Easter (right) from MK Dons for an undisclosed fee. The Welsh international has penned a two-and-a-half year contract with South London club - cpfc.co.uk

Valencia have moved to tie down highly-rated winger Juan Mata by extending his contract to 2014 - Skysports.com

Fulham striker Diomansy Kamara has emerged as a target for Italian side Sampdoria - Inside Futbol

Derby County want Leicester striker Martyn Waghorn - The Guardian

Real Madrid have identified Bayern Munich's Miroslav Klose as possible cover for the injured Gonzalo Higuain. With their leading marksman set to be sidelined for the foreseeable future after undergoing back surgery, Real are in the market for a proven striker - Skysports.com

Goalkeeper Adam Federici has penned a new two-and-a-half-year contract with Reading - Skysports.com

Celtic have pulled out of a £2m deal for Brann Bergen striker Erik Huseklepp after the Norwegian club asked for more money for the 26-year-old - Daily Record

Carlisle United have signed Lubomir Michalik on an 18-month contract after leaving Leeds United - Skysports.com

Birmingham Bragging Rights on the Line - Betting News with Betfred

versus

It is the battle of the second city on Sunday and the blue half of Birmingham are now looking to get one over on their old rivals after living in the shadows of claret for too long now.

Both of the teams currently sit mid-table in the Premier League, separated by two places and one point, and both go into the game having scraped through in the Carling Cup in midweek - although admittedly Birmingham did need penalties to beat a struggling League One side.

Aston Villa did a 1-0 double over Birmingham City last season, and in fact you have to go back to March 2005 for the last time the blue half of the city held the bragging rights. Bearing that in mind it is no surprise the football betting makes Villa 5/6 to win on Sunday and heap more misery on their rivals.

Indeed for many years Villa have held the mantle of the major team in the second city, but could this be the year Alex McLeish's side topple their more illustrious rivals despite being outsiders at 4/1 to win at Villa Park?

One man looking forward immensely to the derby is Birmingham striker Nikola Zigic, and the beanpole Serb, who is priced at 15/2 to score the first goal, has set his sights on being a hero at Villa Park on Sunday.

"I am aware I could become an instant hero. Of course I am. It's like every derby the world over," he said.

"If you do score, especially a winner, you are a hero for life. It is something I am well aware of."

One man who already has a reputation for scoring in derby games is Kevin Phillips, and he is looking to play some part after making his comeback from injury. He played the full 120 minutes in the Carling Cup run and is eyeing up a goal on Sunday if he gets the opportunity. The veteran is 5/2 with Betfred to find the back of the net at some stage - an attractive price for people looking to have a bet on a Premier League game this weekend.

My Tip of the Weekend:

Aston Villa look to hold the upper hand once again, but they face a tough battle, so I fancy the 10/3 double result: Draw at half-time, Villa at full-time.
Also the 2/1 for the in-form Nikol Zigic to score at anytime looks tempting.

Sunday 31st October: Aston Villa v Birmingham City, kick-off at Noon.

By Drew Swainston
(Guest writer from Betfred on behalf of Beer Footy and Birds!)

Will Stoke Play the Role of Villains? - Betting News with Betfred

versus

Aston Villa fans will be hoping the classic 'new manager' syndrome kicks in when they face Stoke City in the Premier League on Monday night.

Despite the season being only a few games old, it has been a rollercoaster ride for Villa fans. Firstly Martin O'Neill unexpectedly resigned just five days before the opening day of the season.
Then caretaker boss Kevin MacDonald went from hero after victory on the opening day, to villain following a 6-0 thrashing at the hands of newly promoted Newcastle United, all in the space of a week!

Now former Liverpool manager Gérard Houllier has been 'unofficially' handed the reins at the club.

Although Houllier has been announced through the media as the new Villa boss, and unveiled as the new man at the helm of the Birmingham based club via a press conference this afternoon - it has become apparent that his tenure does not in fact start this Monday night.

As Houllier 'negotiates' his exit from the role as the French Football Federation's (FFF) technical director, he will not be in the dugout for Monday's trip to Stoke in the Premier League, with caretaker manager Kevin MacDonald running the team in his absence.

Villa are currently sitting in the Premier League top four and their powers of recovery were evident in their win over Everton last time out. To get a win against the Blues after being trounced by Newcastle, and then going out of Europe in calamitous style to Rapid Vienna only days earlier, showed the fighting spirit among the team.

Struggling Stoke who have not won a point all season are 13/8 in the Premier League betting to stop the rot on Monday night.

If Villa can show a similar resolve against The Potters, who are always tough to beat at the Britannia Stadium, then the 15/8 on offer for Villa to take all three points could well be seen as a good football bet by many punters.

Many football fans will be wondering what effect Houllier will have on the players at Villa Park. It has been a long while since he was a Premier League manager and his success at Liverpool came a decade ago.

It will be interesting to see how the players perform for the new man and how they feel about him replacing MacDonald, who is clearly highly thought of by the players, and has spent many years at the club.

Houllier said that he was disappointed MacDonald, who took over the reins following O'Neill's shock departure in August, had turned down the chance to work as his assistant. "I am working on naming an assistant manager," the Frenchman continued.
"Joint management doesn't work, but in some capacity as assistant manager he (MacDonald) would have been helpful. He could also have maybe learnt the trade and, who knows, taken over from me. But I understand his decision, he's a nice bloke so I won't hurt him - I told him I'd like him to stay at the club."

Once Houllier is 'officially' installed as Villa's new first-team manager, MacDonald will return to his job as reserve team boss.
Houllier could take charge of the team at Villa Park for the visit of Bolton in the league on the 18th September, or possibly for the midweek Carling Cup clash against Blackburn, or failing that the league trip to Molineux on the 26th September.

Meanwhile Kevin Macdonald will reside in the dugout on Monday night, and will continue to do so until further notice, OR when the contractual issues between Villa and the FFF are finally resolved.

My Tip for Monday night:

This is going to be a very close game and Stoke are notoriously tough at home, so Betfred's 9/4 for the match to end in a draw seems a logical outcome.

Monday 13th September: Stoke City v Aston Villa, kick-off 8pm - Live on Sky Sports

By Drew Swainston
(Guest writer from Betfred on behalf of Beer Footy and Birds!)

The Worst Sporting Champions of All Time ! - Part Three

As this blog is predominantly football orientated, it is on occasions refreshing to take the opportunity to write about an individual or a sport not associated with 'the beautiful game.'

Back in July I wrote two articles, one on the Aston Villa side of 1982, the other on the Blackburn Rovers side of 1995 - using them as examples of two teams who could be best described as undeserved 'Sporting Champions' - teams that were actually top of their field, yet were still pretty rubbish.

In this third installment I am going to investigate the credentials of an individual sporting champion.

In 1976 Britain's James Hunt, was crowned Formula One World Motor Racing Champion, but in my humble opinion he was more 'chump' than 'champ' and another example of an undeserved 'Sporting Champion.'
This is why!

On the face of it, Hunt was the most perfect Formula One star. Dashingly handsome, he lived a playboy lifestyle with champagne flute in one hand, and a bevy of beautiful women lusting and drooling over him, wherever he went.

He drove in a romantic, swashbuckling style, and the public were in raptures when he landed the coveted world title in 1976.
Sadly, but aptly the annus mirabilis of Hunt's career could be best described as a bit of a farce.

Lauda won the opening race in Brazil, Hunt was forced to retire. Spain was next.
Jarama hosted the 1976 Spanish Grand Prix. There was controversy after the race when Hunt was disqualified for a technical infringement. Although he was eventually reinstated, it took several weeks.

Long Beach was a new venue for 1976, the street circuit being chosen to host the United States Grand Prix West. Hunt endured an unhappy weekend, retiring from the race after colliding with Depailler.

After average showings in several other races, the British Grand Prix at Brands Hatch saw Hunt and his McLaren team embroiled in further controversy. After the race was stopped for a first corner accident Hunt restarted in a repaired car. Despite winning the race on the track the repair work was deemed illegal. The Englishman's points were removed and the win given to his championship rival Lauda.

Hunt was left floundering miles behind championship favourite Niki Lauda in the race for the world title.
Lauda had now won five of the opening nine races, Hunt just two.

That is, until at the German Grand Prix at Nurburgring, when a horrific crash left Lauda hospitalised and severely burnt after his car caught fire.

During the ensuing weeks, with Lauda indisposed and fighting for his life, Hunt closed the gap at the top. Amazingly Lauda was back racing six weeks after his near-fatal crash, returning at Monza, Italy swathed in bandages and finishing a respectable fourth, while Hunt crashed out.

Following his accident and despite his bravery in returning to the track so quickly Lauda was clearly 'out of sorts' and he failed to win another Grand Prix that season, although he managed to finish third in the penultimate race at Watkins Glen, New York.

Lauda understandably baulked at the 'dangerous' wet conditions for the final Grand Prix of the season in Japan on the 24th October, and retired after two laps.

Hunt had no such qualms and skidded recklessly round the track to scrape a third-placed finish, and in doing so steal the title from Lauda by a single point.

From a man whose burnt face was hanging off and whose injuries had prevented him from driving for part of the season - well done James, you were indeed one of ''The Worst Sporting Champions of All Time.'

The Worst Sporting Champions of All Time ! - Part Two!

This is the second installment in my series looking at and 'celebrating' those undeserved 'Sporting Champions' - those teams and/or individuals that were actually top of their field, yet were still pretty rubbish.

Last time it was Blackburn Rovers who felt the wrath of my written tongue, as I described their 1995 Premiership winning team as pretty crass. This time I am sticking with the sport of football as I look back to 2005 and 1982, and poor cold water on a couple of English teams 'glorious' European triumphs!

There are plenty of folk, especially in the Greater Manchester area, who insist that Liverpool's Champions League winning team of 2005 were indeed the worst European Champions of all time!
Despite their dramatic penalty shoot-out final victory over Milan, in the Atatürk Olympic Stadium, Istanbul - they have a point!

You can't be picking players like Djimi 'gauche' Traoré or Harry 'supersize me' Kewell and expect to receive much in the way of props. But in their defence the Reds did at least have the decency to 'somehow' defeat several quality teams along the way such as Milan, Juventus and Chelsea and to a lesser extent Bayer Leverkusen.

However Liverpool only made it through to the knock-out phase of the competition, ahead of the 'mighty' Olympiacos of Greece on goal difference, after finishing runners-up to AS Monaco in their qualifying group.
The Anfield side did finish a semi-respectable fifth in the league during their cup-winning season.

Similar claims of beating reputable opposition on their way to European glory cannot be made for Aston Villa's 1982 campaign.

Villa that season 'officially' became the worst side ever to lift the most sought after European club trophy of the modern era!

The old adage of ' you can only beat what is put in front of you ' still sadly fails to make their triumph seem anymore than futile.

Villa won their solo European Cup (in the days when it was a straight knock-out competition) by beating the muscle of Valur Reykjavik, Dynamo Berlin, Dynamo Kiev, Anderlect and in one of the most tedious finals held in Rotterdam, the most toothless Bayern Munich side in living memory, care of a 67th minute Peter Withe goal.

Meanwhile back home, Villa defended their 1981 domestic league title with a complete lack of aplomb, by losing 15 games and ending the season in 12th place - no European champions have ever finished as low - quite a feat and in doing so simply re-emphasising their title as ' the worst side ever to lift the European Cup! '

Liverpool Looking To Get Campaign Back On Track Versus Wolves - Betting Tips with Betfred

Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva has admitted his side must look to win all their remaining Premier League games in order to finish in the top four.

The Anfield club are currently in eighth place in the Premier League, having only won eight of their 18 games this season, and face a resurgent Wolves side on Boxing Day, who have taken nine out of a possible twelve points in their last four fixtures.

Wolves are an outside bet at Premier League odds of 15/2 with Betfred, but 'could be' worth a small wager on the basis of a very inconsistent Red's team this term, who have only been victorious in five of their nine games at Anfield.

Liverpool are eight points adrift of Aston Villa in fourth place and Brazilian midfielder Lucas thinks the side's target must now be to win "almost every game" in order to get back into the Champions League next season.

"Wolves have quality. We have to respect them and try to show our own quality and play well for the fans," said Lucas.

"All games are tough in the Premier League, so we have to prepare well, work hard and have confidence. We have quality and if we can play well we can beat anyone."

Odds with Betfred of 5/1 for a 2-0 victory for Liverpool could be a good offering as the Reds will be looking to recover quickly from their 2-0 defeat at Portsmouth last weekend.

Wolves manager Mick McCarthy could also make big changes to his side, like he did against Manchester United earlier in the month, which would also make 8/1 for there to be over 2.5 goals in the tie a good football bet.


My Tip Of The Weekend:
Back over 2.5 goals @ 8/1 in the Liverpool versus Wolves fixture on Boxing Day - kick-off 5.30pm GMT.

By Charlotte Cook
(Guest writer from Betfred on behalf of Beer Footy and Birds!)

After-Dinner Sports Tales - Gareth Southgate

This month is my fifth installment of light hearted after-dinner sporting tales, as told by current or ex-professional sportsman.
My after-dinner sports tale for this month is one told by Gareth Southgate, a well respected football player and now club manager, who has been a model professional since making his debut in 1988.

Born in Watford, Hertfordshire in 1970, Southgate began his career at Crystal Palace, playing in central midfield. He became captain and led the club to the 1994 Division One title.

He moved to Aston Villa in 1995 for a fee of £2.5 million, having made 152 appearances and scoring 15 goals over four seasons for the South London club.
In 2001 he joined Middlesborough as a player, before becoming the Teeside clubs manager in 2006.

"I went to watch a match with my wife and the family of a friend (who was playing).

People started turning around to ask me for autographs, which is always flattering but can start to interfere with your enjoyment of an event.

By now the game had kicked off and yet still I was being passed scraps of paper and programmes to sign.
I obliged, but must confess I was getting irritable as I tried to watch the game.
A flag was passed along then a ticket.

'Pen?' I asked down the line, somewhat abruptly, and a pen was duly passed down the line.
'What's his name?' I asked my friend's wife, and the query was passed down the line.
'To John, all the best, Gareth Southgate,' I wrote and passed the ticket back along the line.

Out of the corner of my eye I see the guy look at the ticket and start to edge along the row.
I'm just about to say to him: 'Look mate, no disrepect, but I'm trying to watch the game,' when he says apologetically: 'Excuse me, I'm very sorry but you're in my seat."


During the 2003–04 season Gareth became an author, penning Woody & Nord: A Football Friendship with close friend and former West Ham goalkeeping coach Andy Woodman. This book describes an enduring friendship forged in the Crystal Palace youth team that has survived Southgate and Woodman's wildly differing fortunes in the professional game. The book won the Sporting Book of the Year Award for 2004 from the National Sporting Club.

Watch The Clip Of Last Saturday's Superb Sky Sports Soccer AM Soccerettee 'Sammi'

Each week I am hoping to publish the video clip of Sky's Soccer AM Soccerette strutting her stuff!

The main reason for this is that I often miss the show, as I did last week while I travelled to Norwich early Saturday morning to consume large quantities of Norfolk ale, either side of watching Crystal Palace.......and by heck does one need copious amounts of alcohol if you are brave enough to follow The Eagles at the moment!

Anyway this week's soccerette was the lovely Sammi, who will be of particular interest to Villa fans.....that's fans of Aston Villa NOT Valencia's David Villa!

As always it's entertaining stuff and probably the best part of the show. So if you missed it on Saturday, for whatever reason or want to see it again, then just click on the 'Link' below.

Enjoy!

Link