**the Official Bits N Bobs Thread.**

[redrus]

Got anything to do with anyone/team in particular, more than one story at a time. Not worthy of a headline in its own thread but still newsworthy all the same.

Bits n bob it ere....!

Leeds accused of 'living in the past', Liverpool's happy trip, Hearts shenanagins, Chelsea lose money shocker.

* Cardiff manager Dave Jones, talking about Leeds fans songs about his court case:

"I haven't heard it for years and I can't help it that Leeds fans still live in the past, but I'll tell them to go to the court as the notes are still there.

"They can go and see what happened, but I wonder how they'd feel if it was done to them when their family are in the stand.

"Those cowards want to take a long, hard look at themselves but it's a sad indictment of society.

"But I don't give two hoots about them behind the goal because they know nothing."

* The Times on Craig Bellamy's alleged golf club attack on John Arne Riise

Craig Bellamy was not the only member of the Liverpool squad to disgrace himself in Portugal but it might have always been asking too much to hope that, if controversy ever flared at the club, he would have nothing to do with it.

How BenÍtez must be regretting allowing his players to go out last Thursday night. The manager had been persuaded by some of the squad to allow them to enjoy a meal and some drinks out before they flew back home from their five-day training camp in the sun-baked Algarve resort of Vale do Lobo the next day. It was a reasonable request that drew an equally fair response - yes, but remember who you are, where you are and that you have your biggest match of the season so far against Barcelona in the Champions League on Wednesday.

What ensued was an insult to BenÍtez, who had treated his players with the respect they expect only to have it thrown back in his face by one or two miscreants. No wonder the manager will think twice the next time his players ask to go out when overseas.

The evening had started well enough and in good humour at Monty's Restaurant and Bar, but alcohol changed all that. Bellamy is alleged to have got involved in a drunken row with John Arne Riise when the Norwegian - who was not said to be drinking - declined the opportunity to take part in karaoke.

Others, including Jerzy Dudek, Jermaine Pennant and Robbie Fowler, are also alleged to have got involved in a row of their own and, despite the best efforts of Steven Gerrard, the captain, and Peter Crouch, the forward, to keep the peace, the police were called. Enough to persuade the troublemakers to calm down? Apparently not.

Trouble flared again when the party were escorted back to the Barringtons Club and Barringtons-Centro Desportivo hotel, and even though no one was charged or arrested, the noise was such that June and Peter Lover, a retired couple from Harrogate, North Yorkshire, were woken up at about 1.30am and watched in despair from their apartment as armed police, some from Portugal's riot squad, attempted to restore order.

"There must have been at least five police vehicles and a dozen police under our window," Mrs Lover said. "The noise was terrible and we simply couldn't sleep through it. At first it sounded like late-night revelry and we knew the Liverpool squad were downstairs. But then things seemed to get out of hand and the police arrived." Mr Lover said one player with an Eastern European accent, thought to be Dudek, the Poland goalkeeper, was handcuffed by police before eventually being released. And only when a member of Liverpool's management team arrived did things calm down.

"He kept telling the police how much he loved them, as if he was pleading to be allowed to go free," Mr Lover said. "At one point, the police seemed to be slapping him around the face, trying to bring him round and sober him up because he was so drunk. He kept apologising over and over again but the police didn't want to know. It was only after a while that the police found someone from the Liverpool management, who managed to calm things down and talk quietly. Eventually, the police let the player go after some negotiations and he seemed very relieved indeed and kept thanking them.

"We have many teams around the complex and there is usually no trouble at all, but this was not a very pleasant experience. It was thoroughly shameful and brings a terrible name to a club like Liverpool. These players get paid so much and are often so young, but for something like this to happen is awful." Where Bellamy was at this point is unclear, but the forward, still angry with Riise, had allegedly made a beeline for his teammate back at the hotel and hit him around the legs with a golf club. Age Hareide, the Norway manager, seemed to confirm the alleged incident yesterday when he said that Riise was "fine" and "escaped without injuries".

* Press covering the Hearts match on Saturday were given peanuts and bananas as instructed by owner Vladimir Romanov instead of the usual tea and biscuits.

* The Times on Chelsea's £80m loss:

Chelsea have insisted that Roman Abramovich, their billionaire owner, has no intention of walking away from the club despite it recording losses of £80.2 milllion over the past year.

Simon Greenberg, the club's director of public affairs, offered the reassurance this morning as Chelsea released figures for the year ended June 2006. Costs have been cut by 42.9 per cent, which keeps the big-spending Premiership champions on target to break even by 2009-10.

Asked if the figures were a sign of success on the financial front, Greenberg said: "No, I do not think it is success. It is moving in the right direction, reducing losses and increasing major income streams. Our turnover was up and football activities increased income by 6.6 per cent."

Greenberg believes cost is important to Abramovich, who has ploughed around £500 million into the Stamford Bridge club. "It matters to him and it matters to us as we have an ambitious and challenging target of breaking even by June 2010," he said. "We are on track or at least hope to get very near to it.

"We are not spending as much as we used to do on players' wages and they are more manageable. Although wages are slightly up across the group, players' wages are down by 2 per cent. We think that has become more stable and as revenues grow the business will become more successful.

redrus

[ThaiPauly]

Dont know if anyone else spotted this one.

When Man U were playing Reading on Saturday the co-comentator came out with this GEM when talking about Ronaldo's performance:

"HE'S HAD A COUPLE OF CHANCES ON THREE OR FOUR OCCASSIONS"

[redrus]

Dont know if anyone else spotted this one.

When Man U were playing Reading on Saturday the co-comentator came out with this GEM when talking about Ronaldo's performance:

"HE'S HAD A COUPLE OF CHANCES ON THREE OR FOUR OCCASSIONS"

LOL,

cheers for that fella, I was at work, so missed the game and the comments....!

redrus

[redrus]

Just heard Gordon Strachan on Sky on tonights game;

"Gordon, what do want your team to do tonight.?"

"Awe just run about a bit....!"

Quality.

[redrus]

Grip calls for Becks return

By Lewis Rutledge -Sky Created on 1 Mar 2007

Tord Grip has urged Steve McClaren to recall David Beckham for England's Euro 2008 qualifier against Israel.

Former captain Beckham has not played for England since McClaren took charge of the side after last summer's World Cup.

But with England struggling in their last few matches and Beckham in good touch for Real Madrid, Grip believes it is time for McClaren to call on his experience.

Grip, who was Sven Goran Eriksson's right-hand man during his time as England boss, told The Sun: "You cannot build for the future if you're losing matches - and you can't afford to lose matches now.

"I think you should always pick your best players, whether you're building for the future or not.

"And Beckham was in really excellent form for Real Madrid against Bayern Munich.

"I don't know what Steve is planning to do but if Beckham continues to play like he did against Bayern, then it shows what an excellent player he still is.

"David did really well for us over the years and he looks fresh because he hasn't played that much, while the England players based in the Premiership get really tired at this time of year."

Grip is confident McClaren will still be successful, and insists he and Eriksson have taken no satisfaction from England's poor run of results.

He said: "It is not good to think like that and it would only hurt us if we did. I have never thought like that for a moment since we left.

"I loved those five-and-a-half years and I am still very much an England fan.

"This match coming up in Israel reminds me of the time we had to get a draw in Turkey. There was plenty of pressure and we came through.

"Steve's England team can do the same."

redrus

[redrus]

FIFA make £1m 'final offer' for Owen injury

Last updated at 15:44pm on 28th February 2007

FIFA say they have made a "final offer" to Newcastle of £1million in compensation for Michael Owen's injury at the World Cup - six times less than the club are claiming from the game's world governing body.

Owen ruptured his cruciate knee ligament 55 seconds into England's match against Sweden last summer, and Newcastle are already receiving compensation from the Football Association of £50,000 a week towards his salary costs.

The club had submitted a separate claim to FIFA for £6.2million but the world governing body's president Sepp Blatter said they had made a final offer of 2.2 million Swiss francs (£1million).

Blatter said the overall compensation should be shared between FIFA, the FA and the club's own insurers.

He told a media briefing in London: "Newcastle have come saying they have to replace him with another player, that this is not fair.

"We have made a last offer there, and if someone has responsibility then it's the FA towards the player.

"The transfer regulations say players put at the disposal of the national team should be insured by their club. The competition regulations of the World Cup say the national associations must make sure the players are correctly insured.

"We have also set up a special fund for injuries to players for all 32 participants of the competition with a total of 15 million Swiss francs (£7million) available for everybody.

"If you look who is asking for money [from the fund] then something is wrong because it is from the richest league in the world."

The FA's insurance policy covers a player's wages, capped to a maximum £50,000 a week, for 52 weeks.

Newcastle have also lodged a claim for further compensation from the FA as well as FIFA to cover the cost of signing £10million striker Obafemi Martins as a replacement for Owen, who cost £17million from Real Madrid.

An FA spokesman said: "The position remains unchanged. We have been in constructive discussions with Newcastle since the World Cup.

"We are sympathetic towards their position with reference to the injury and those discussions are ongoing."

Comments (2)

Here's what readers have had to say so far.

I hope Owen will recover soon from the bad times. I knew his name in 1998 and I will support him forever.

- Addie, China

This just shows how stupid Sepp Blatter is! He say's "If you look who is asking for money [from the fund] then something is wrong because it is from the richest league in the world."

That is precisely why the claim is so high! The player cost 17 million so a claim for his loss of service is bound to be high. If he was from a lower paid league he obviously wouldn't cost so much to compensate for. How does Sepp Blatter's logic then come up with a statement that "something is wrong"? Duh! It seems to make pefect sense to me - even if I didn't agree with the magnitude of all the figures involved.

- Ken Maltby, Chilliwack, Canada

[mrbojangles]

Sometimes it's not too bad when it get's to penalties

http://www.maximmag.co.uk/stupidfun/videoc...184/phwoar.html

[taxexile]

Chelsea in £9m bid for Watford’s points

Chelsea moved to the top of the Premiership this morning after successfully buying Watford’s points. The £9m transfer came as a surprise to the rest of the Premiership, but with Watford already having given up any hope of staying in the Premiership, the audacious purchase of all their points benefits both clubs.

Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon commented ‘These ten points are exactly the sort of boost the club needs at the moment and could be the difference that helps us retain the Premiership. For Watford, the money will allow them to rebuild their squad to have another tilt at promotion next year. As they say ‘you can’t take them with you’. ’

The champions now have 45 points, although their goal difference has of course suffered, particular considering the four goals that Chelsea now ‘conceded’ against Chelsea. But the transfer puts them four points ahead of Manchester United who are now rumoured to be in negotiations with Charlton over a loan of some of their points until the end of the season.

Chelsea’s share value rose after the news. However the company fell several places on the FTSE 100 index after they were deducted points for fielding an illegible accountant.

send article to a friend

Posted: 9 December 2006 by Team Biscuit

[ThaiPauly]

Now thats FUNNY !!!!

[mrbojangles]

Brilliant. Especially liked this bit

However the company fell several places on the FTSE 100 index after they were deducted points for fielding an illegible accountant.

[redrus]

Brilliant. Especially liked this bit

However the company fell several places on the FTSE 100 index after they were deducted points for fielding an illegible accountant.

How do you feel about being ineligible fella....?!

redrus

[JacknDanny]

Just watching the Man CityV Wigan game.

The commentator has just said "there are a few balloons on the pitch"

I couldnt agree more, the sad thing is they are all wearing blue shirts

[muckypups]

This makes grim reading for any Hammers fans...

West Ham squad 'out of control'

Reckless gambling ruining morale

Player won £38,000 from team-mates

Curbishley 'not talking' to big winner

Jamie Jackson

Sunday March 4, 2007

The Observer

A culture of reckless high-stakes gambling is causing division within West Ham and rupturing morale to such an extent that the first-team squad, already riven by cliques, is 'spiralling out of control' - and the players, manager and directors already know that they can do nothing to stop the club being relegated. That is the damning view from inside the dressing room at the Premiership's most troubled club.

Players are haemorrhaging vast amounts of money to each other at the card table, as much as £50,000 in one sitting. They have won and lost these staggering sums on the team coach to matches. 'How can they be in a good frame of mind for a match after that?' says one first-team player, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The player said: 'I've never seen anything like it in my career. It's one big mess here, the atmosphere is terrible, people don't talk to each other. Players are losing 30, 40 and 50 thousand pounds sometimes. By the time we arrive one player owes another and it's terrible for the team and morale. They are always playing cards.'

One senior player, an established international, is said to have won £38,000 from two of his team-mates in one afternoon recently. The losers had to pay up and manager Alan Curbishley is no longer speaking to the player who won the money. Two members of the squad have undertaken counselling and treatment for gambling addiction, and a third player is also believed to be seeking professional help.

The disillusioned player also identified a catalogue of other problems. These include spats between rival cliques within the dressing room over territory and wages; divisive tension between Curbishley and his players; doubts over the decision-making of new chairman Eggert Magnusson; and the widespread admission, privately, that the club will be relegated. He also said that one recent signing was amazed when he was asked to a meeting to discuss club affairs with senior management in a lap-dancing club, though the club strongly deny that any such meeting took place.

Added to West Ham's list of woes, as they prepare to take on Tottenham today, is the Premier League charge for alleged irregularities in the signing of the Argentine players Javier Mascherano and Carlos Tevez last August, which could result in the loss of points if the club are found guilty; and the pending trial of defender Anton Ferdinand on charges of assault and violent disorder following an alleged brawl outside a London nightclub last October.

It is the depth of the club's gambling problem, which has already caused winger Matthew Etherington and goalkeeper Roy Carroll to seek help, that most concerns Curbishley, according to our source. A West Ham spokesman said: 'The club is aware of the fact that gambling is an area of concern and the manager has made clear that it must stop. Steps have been taken to eradicate this in the team environment.'

It is believed that Curbishley's first attempt to stop the card schools some weeks ago failed, but gambling is now banned in situations where he is responsible for the team, such as on journeys to matches. But he has been unable to stop the poker sessions when training is over, and one recent session is said to have continued until 4am.

The former England striker Teddy Sheringham spoke about gambling earlier in the season when promoting the online poker site 888.com. 'I can see why it [gambling] does become a problem, especially for young players who have so much money and so much time on their hands. I've always enjoyed a drink, but at the right times, and I play poker at the right times. Some people take it to extremes. You've got to keep it under control.'

The gambling culture is one more headache for former Charlton manager Curbishley, who took over at Christmas, since when West Ham have won only once. Curbishley's predecessor, Alan Pardew, had taken the club to within a minute of winning the FA Cup last May, but then oversaw a dramatic slump this season. West Ham are now bottom of the table and 11 points adrift of safety.

According to a well-placed source at Upton Park, the players are 'certainly not a unit and haven't been for a long time. It began at the end of last season during Pardew's time. There is a huge division. Nigel Reo-Coker, Bobby Zamora, Marlon Harewood and Shaun Newton all hang out together. And Reo-Coker is constantly saying he is too good for the club, that he should be at Man United or Arsenal.' Team spirit is also damaged, according to the representative of one long-serving player, by the level of resentment about the wages paid to Matthew Upson and Lucas Neil, who were signed by Curbishley in the transfer window and are being paid big money. Neil is thought to have turned down Liverpool to keep a £60,000-a-week salary.

'It's not rocket science,' said the agent, who represents some of the biggest stars in the Premiership. 'If the established players who have achieved for the club see new ones come in enjoying a lot more money for doing not very much, it's obviously going to cause problems.' Upson and Neil have been injured and have made three appearances between them.

Curbishley is said to have 'given up' on some of his players. 'He often stays in his office with his assistants. Sometimes we see him, other times we don't,' said the insider. As for Magnusson, the players 'think he is clueless and a bit lost. He gives off the wrong messages and only talks to certain players in the dressing room - those he brought here. And he has accepted Curbishley's admission that they are already down.'

Curbishley said ahead of today's game that he does not fear the sack. 'Performances have to improve. We have to win as many as we can from our last 10 games.'

[muckypups]

Suggestions here that M. Wenger has lost the plot..... From The Independent:

There might be method in it, but the Wenger way leads game into madness

His status and power come with obligations to football

Nobody is suggesting that we're in David Icke territory yet, but there is increasingly a feeling abroad that Arsène Wenger is losing it. The plot. His marbles. For a decade we have eulogised the distinguished manager's cerebral approach to the game and his ability to induce the most scintillating and aesthetically pleasing football from supremely talented players. Yet he appears to be deteriorating before us into the worst example of petulant tyrant. Could he be morphing into the Mad Professor?

"This increasingly maniacal Alsatian" was how one commentator described him after a season's touchline misconduct which has included reaction to Sunday's events at the Millennium stadium and face-to-face verbal combat with rival managers.

By Friday, there was no dying of the rage within the Frenchman. "I can say what I think. They can put me on a wall and shoot me down, but it still does not make that decision right," he said of Emmanuel Adebayor's suspension for whatever ill, actual or attempted, the striker was deemed to have inflicted on Frank Lampard.

Some will suggest Wenger's words were the crazed ramblings of a vanquished individual. Others might contend it was an instinctive reaction to perceived injustice, with passion invariably the mitigating factor. He had, after all, lost three of his players to suspension in the wake of the explosive finale to the Carling Cup, which frankly was less the nuclear reaction that some would have it, rather more akin to schoolboys hurling bangers.

But we can view it in another way. Presumably, being the well-read individual he is, a man who can mockingly hurl the word "synonym" into a conversation about the perceived shortcomings of the Football Association's disciplinary machine, Wenger will be aware of Polonius's querying of Hamlet's state of mind: "Though this be madness; yet there is method in it."

Because what should cause more disquiet in the aftermath of Sunday's events is not the contretemps between 18 footballers, but the spectacle of a man who has deluded himself that he is bigger than the game and, perhaps more disconcertingly, that he is untouchable.

Of course Wenger has every right to dispute within reason what he considers an error by officialdom. But what kind of state has the game descended to when one of our most successful and prominent managers can accuse a referee's assistant of lying? For the moment, no one appears willing to remind him that his status and power come with obligations to football, and that means right the way down to Saturday-morning Under-11s.

"The FA have one responsibility; it is to respect football," Wenger continued his theme on Friday. So, too, it must be added, do such touchline tyrants as himself, capable of technical-area tantrums at the drop of an assistant's flag.

Undeniably the game would be nothing without the constant drip-feed of conflict. Sir Alex Ferguson's contention that Jose Mourinho should "button his lip" is hardly befitting a knight of the realm, but it is good knockabout stuff. Yet Wenger's accusation that a linesman "lied" attacks the integrity of officials, just as Paul Jewell did last month with some of his comments as he complained about Phil Dowd, followed by his effective demand that Dowd should not officiate Wigan games in future. Also in relatively recent memory are Mourinho's accusations against Anders Frisk after Chelsea's Champions' League tie with Barcelona two years ago. It is a dangerous, pernicious trend.

Officials have aberrations mostly because they have one viewpoint, and a split second in which to pass judgement, rather than the numerous angles offered by TV. But if referees are continually undermined to a point where they face what amounts to intimidation, what future has the game? What youngster would consider taking up the whistle?

The irony is that Wenger may possess some valid arguments about the conclusion of Sunday's game. While it was unworthy of an otherwise fine, if feisty, final, and you could spend many an hour conducting a forensic investigation into individual acts, it was surely evident to all that this was as much about inflicting real violence as Audley Harrison's last ascent into the ring. It was a pathetic, brief, sequence of big men descending to acts of posturing, intervening, holding, pulling, shoving, snarling, on a day when the Oscar went to Forest Whitaker for his portrayal of Idi Amin but maybe should have been offered first to Wayne Bridge.

The row was not dissimilar to that which besmirches any town on a Saturday night. And referee Howard Webb, a police sergeant, reacted off-duty as we would have expected him to in uniform. Let's throw a few in the van, down the nick, and sort it out there.

Keith Hackett, the referees' boss, was swift to praise Webb's handling of the game. But was it really that good? Three dismissals on the day, with John Obi Mikel's dubious in the extreme, and still it is impossible to survey your television text without being overwhelmed by more charges than the average annual bank account, together with managerial claims and counter-claims.

There was also the sight of Wenger, with his counterpart Mourinho, striding on to the pitch like a couple of gangland heavies concerned that their boys were a "bit out of order". A bit late for that. Players tend to mirror their manager, as children do their parents.

And when the Arsenal red mist descends, Wenger may like to take a hard look at himself and reflect on his role, not, for once, as a learned professor, but as a protector of the game he loves.

[taxexile]

Useless middle-class soccer kids consoled with promise of nicer lives

After a severe thrashing from yet another tough-looking school, the bruised and demoralised middle-class boys from St Judes Primary felt like giving up football altogether. The team of eleven-year olds had just lost 12-0, with several of the boys coming off in tears because their opponents had ‘barged past them’, ‘been too rough’ and ‘had kicked the ball hard deliberately.’

But at the end of full time, Jack Randle, the team’s coach and father of hapless goalkeeper Timmy gave the miserable squad an uplifting team talk that compared the future life prospects of the soccer losers from St Judes with the skilful and physically braver working-class boys in the other team.

‘You may have lost 12 – 0 today against this big bunch of bullies. But let’s get things in perspective. You are going to have much nicer lives than them. They’re going to be poor. You are all going to get well paid jobs in a warm dry office. They are going to have to lift heavy things in the rain for a pittance. One day, some of those eleven year old thugs laughing over there may develop poverty-related diseases or become drug addicts from their time in prison. Who are the losers boys; them or you?’

At this point one or two of the other parents attempted to step in to end the talk, saying ‘Er anyway, well tried lads, it’s just a game, eh?’ but Mr Randle would not be stopped. ‘Take a good look at their faces boys. One day, one of them will be driving the mini-cab that takes you to the airport. You make sure you keep them waiting outside your nice big house for ages. If they are sweeping the streets in your road, drop a crisp packet as you walk past them. They have won one game of football. You are going to win the game of life.’

newsbiscuit.com

[redrus]

Tax.

redrus

[redrus]

Thursday 8th March 2007

Capello, £7m Smith, Liverpool, Divs.

* The Guardian:

Fabio Capello's time as coach of Real Madrid appeared to draw to a close last night with his side's departure from the Champions League. After Madrid's 2-1 defeat against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena, Real's sporting director, Predrag Mijatovic, refused to confirm that Capello would be in charge for the derby against Barcelona on Saturday night.

Asked if Capello would take charge on Saturday, Mijatovic replied: "Right now, I can't say." When he was told that the response did not seem to be a resounding vote of confidence, he would only concede: "For the moment he is our coach."

When Capello was questioned about his position, he replied: "My future depends only on the president." Pushed as to what that meant, he snapped, "Right, thanks," and walked off.

* Sheffield United are reported to be interested in Alan Smith. The MEN say they are willing to pay £7m.

* New Liverpool owner Tom Hicks:

"United have been competitive over a long period and that's what Liverpool has the opportunity to do."

"Everyone involved with Liverpool wants to be the very best.

"Chelsea's transfer market moves are going to slow down, from everything I hear.

"But we're not going to do that, I promise.

"Manchester United, the team east of here, is the club we have our eye on."

* The Mirror:

Manchester City have moved a step closer to a takeover by mystery American businessmen - after a flying visit by their would-be suitors.

A high-powered VIP delegation were shown round City's Carrington training camp and academy facilities as they consider a cash injection.

The secret visitors, guided by club officials over the last 48 hours, came as chairman John Wardle looks for the right people to take City forward - with cash for new players a priority.

In a further significant move, a Manchester City Council official was with the party when they were shown round the ground.

The Americans want to know what the financial arrangements are between City and the council as they compile all the facts before deciding on the figures in their offer.

Hmmmmmmmm.

redrus

[redrus]

BITS AND BOBS

Tuesday 13th March 2007

Ben Foster, Divs implode, Pearce 'sacked', Mourinho 'throat cut', Tottenham board 'pick the team', Chelsea brawl, Lee Martin, United 'Ram-raided', Munity on the farm?

* The Mail:

Contract talks are pencilled in for the summer because United acknowledge Foster's progress during his two years away and the fact that other Premiership teams are watching him.

Foster said: "If I go back to United of course I want first-team games. That's what any player wants but it's going to be very tough."

* 'Honest' Richard Dunne

From The Guardian:

Pearce has seen his side's season unravel in recent weeks, with Sunday's anaemic FA Cup sixth-round defeat to Blackburn Rovers compounding miserable league form which has left City fourth bottom in the Premiership. The final whistle at Ewood Park prompted chants of "You're not fit to wear the shirt" from the 8,000 travelling supporters, with one irate fan running on to the pitch to remonstrate with the players and manager.

City's hierarchy closed ranks yesterday, offering little indication as to whether Pearce is on the brink of losing his job, though the mood is hardly likely to improve with Chelsea due at Eastlands tomorrow. Pearce has admitted that his job has been made harder by comments over the weekend by his captain, Richard Dunne, which suggested the City squad was effectively split with many of the established players unconvinced by recent foreign signings.

Dunne condemned some of his team-mates for "hiding". "When players come from abroad you always give them that settling in period, but it's March and we've still not clicked," he said. "They need to look at themselves and say 'We're not pulling our weight here.'"

Those comments are understood to have been directed at the likes of Georgios Samaras, a £6m signing from Heerenveen, and the Italian Bernardo Corradi, though City have yet to see the best of Dietmar Hamann, DaMarcus Beasley or Hatem Trabelsi this season.

"The one thing I will say about Richard Dunne is that he is bang honest and what he has said he has said from the heart," said Pearce. "He has not got a hidden agenda. The comments are born out of frustration. Now, it has probably done me no favours, because all it does is put the club in the spotlight.

"But he said what he said and I can't stop him saying whatever he says. Richard said it in all honesty and in some ways I back the skipper. I always have done. But I think, at times, it is not a case of people not wanting to put a shift in. I've never been to a football club - and I don't think I will ever work for one - where people do not genuinely want to do well. I've never met a footballer like that.

* The Sun claim that Little Stuart Pearce will be sacked regardless of any relegation.

* More unrest at Chelsea is reported after Mourinho's comments are that it is his ambition to manage Real Madrid.

"Every coach would like to do it. It would be an honour to work in a club like Real Madrid. I don't say no for the future. I say clearly no until 2010 because I have a contract with Chelsea. I want to stay at Chelsea, I am in love with Chelsea, I am in love with English football."

The Mirror claim that Mourinho has 'cut hos own throat' with Abramovich:

He thought he was being clever, thought he was the master of the universe.

But as Jose Mourinho went public on his Real Madrid job application on Sunday night, the Chelsea boss made the move that guaranteed he cannot win the final showdown with Roman Abramovich.

Flying to Pamplona on one of Abramovich's private jets to watch Champions League opponents Valencia was only to be expected from a man who believes he can pre-plan every minute of every game, second-guessing all his managerial rivals.

Yet the instant Mourinho opened his mouth to place himself in the frame for consideration by the Real Madrid upper echelons, he frittered away the PR advantage he had spent weeks and months stitching together.

Too late yesterday Mourinho attempted to back-track, aware he had gone a step too far and speaking of his debt of gratitude to Chelsea and the English game.

But Abramovich and his coterie of advisers have no further interest in entertaining the man with a Messiah complex beyond the end of the season.

And no matter what extra silverware Mourinho delivers in the next two months, even if he brings Abramovich the Holy Grail of the Champions League, there can no longer be any hope of a lasting peace treaty being brokered.

For Abramovich, winning is not enough. It is about winning with style and elan, and watching the sort of ground-out wins that Mourinho has made his stock-in-trade throughout his spell at the club has lost its appeal for an owner who dreams of Barcelona in blue shirts.

* Brawl at Chelsea:

From The Guardian:

Seven fans ended up in hospital after a brawl between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur supporters in west London following the FA Cup quater-final tie at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

Rival fans met outside a local pub with knives, hockey sticks and wooden clubs embedded with nails and 34 were were arrested. One fan was still in hospital yesterday with stab wounds but his condition was not life-threatening.

Police believe the fight was prearranged on the internet or via mobile phones. Scotland Yard's Football Intelligence Unit is investigating.

The violence erupted at around 8pm, well after the match had finished in the early afternoon. Police said: "Clearly there was a degree of organisation. We are trying to establish if it was a pre-arranged set-piece fight."

* The Indie:

Martin Jol may have come within four minutes of knocking Chelsea out the FA Cup on Sunday but the Tottenham Hotspur manager had to be told by the club's hierarchy to pick the striker Dimitar Berbatov after he controversially decided to rest him for the sixth-round game at Stamford Bridge.

The discussion took place over Saturday and Sunday morning and is understood to have gone all the way up to boardroom level after Jol originally decided that Berbatov should be rested with tomorrow's second leg Uefa Cup game against Braga in mind. The response from senior figures at Tottenham was that there was no way the club's best striker should be left out of such an important, high-profile tie.

It was indicated to Jol, who spent £10.9m on the Bulgarian, a price tag that his goals have justified this season, that Berbatov should play against Chelsea and the Tottenham manager duly switched him for Mido who had been told he was starting. The Egyptian international was not pleased to be taken out of the team again but the decision was justified within five minutes when Berbatov scored the first goal in the 3-3 thriller.

The original omission of Berbatov did not say much about Jol's belief that he could win the tie. The exchange also says something about the Tottenham manager's long-term future at the club after he came within a game of qualifying for the Champions League last season. With the club 10 points off fourth place this season, Tottenham's hope of success lies in the FA Cup and Uefa Cup, which was why he was told to play Berbatov on Sunday.

* Loanee Lee Martin, quoted after scoring for Stoke at the weekend:

"I feel I am getting better week by week, especially the last two games at Plymouth and on Saturday; I thought I did well. It's all about match practice to be honest, I have played a few games here now and I have really settled in.

"There is still more to come though. Scoring the goal is like having a weight lifted off my shoulders now, and I want to hopefully score a few more."

* The Mirror:

Sir Alex Ferguson has blasted Billy Davies for pinching David Jones on the cheap.

Derby boss Davies has revealed Fergie thinks he got Jones for a steal after allowing the midfielder to leave Manchester United for £1million in January.

Davies said: "Sir Alex said I've done him out of £3-4m - and he's the best I've worked with."

* Leeds strife:

From the Mirror:

Dennis could face a dressing-room revolt from some of his Leeds players.

Some senior players are so unhappy with Wise that they are talking about club legends Gary Kelly and Lucas Radebe to take over until the end of the season.

They feel a Kelly-Radebe dream ticket would improve team spirit and be hugely popular with the fans. A Leeds source said: "Some of the players feel Gary Kelly and Lucas Radebe could provide the leadership and being such Leeds stalwarts, would also get the fans behind them."

Several players have lost faith in Wise, who has won just seven out of 25 games since taking over in October, and doubt he can prevent the Championship's bottom club slipping into the third tier for the first time in their history.

They question his ability and man-management skills and Wise alienated several players over his handling of 'molegate' when he alleged someone in the dressing room had leaked his team to Crystal Palace.

Wise's accusations sparked a witch-hunt in the dressing room and vice-captain Shaun Derry and goalkeeper Graham Stack had to publicly defend themselves against rumours that they were the mole. Leeds visit Leicester tonight and the club source said: "The players were very upset by Wise's handling of that situation.

"They don't believe there was a mole. They feel Wise's actions were heavy-handed and showed a lack of respect."

A Leeds spokesman said: "This has come from the agent of a disaffected player and should be treated with the contempt that it deserves."

redrus

[taxexile]

Tough draw for English in Terrorism World Cup

The Animal Liberation Front who are representing England in next year’s Terrorism World Cup have been drawn into what is generally considered the toughest qualifiying group.

Group B, the so-called ‘Group of Death’ means that the plucky animal lovers from England will be up against Al-Qaeda, Shining Path of Peru and the Baader-Meinhof gang. ‘Although the Germans are not the force they once were…’ commented John Motson at the draw, ‘Being as they are without Baader. Or indeed Meinhof.’

There is also the prospect of an interesting local derby when Continuity IRA were drawn against the Ulster Volunteer Force, which has historically been a very niggly fixture. The end of draw was disrupted when, instead of pulling a little numbered ball our of the bag, one of the officials drew out a large black fizzing ball with ‘BOMB’ written on the side. ‘How disappointing.’ added John Motson. ‘And you have to say, that’s just the sort of behaviour that gives terrorism a bad name.’

Posted: 2 December 2006 by newsbiscuit

[taxexile]

Minute’s Silence at football game was for ‘made-up ex-player’

Chelsea Chief Executive, Peter Kenyon was forced to admit yesterday that no-one at the club had ever heard of the ‘ex-player’ that they asked be commemorated with a minute’s silence held before their big game yesterday.

As usual, the mark of respect was impeccably observed by thousands of fans; fathers placed proudly reassuring arms round their children, the older generation stood alone with their misty-eyed memories as both sets of players bowed their heads in deep and solemn thought.

Kenyon admitted: “We had a call from a Northerner who gave his name as Redrus on the morning of the game saying Jack ‘The Nipper’ Russell had passed away during the night. The caller said that Jack was a midfield stalwart of the pre-war side. He apparently had a biting tackle and a Glasgow docker’s mouth that wouldn’t stop yapping all game. Always kept his tail up whatever the weather’.

German international Michael Ballack scored the only goal of the game after which he ran to the crowd and displayed a T-shirt which read “For you, Nipper”. In the post-match interview he appeared close to tears and dedicated his entire performance to ‘the great Jack Russell’.

The hoax was finally pointed out by BBC commentator John Motson, who expressed surprise that nobody at the club had taken the trouble to check. He also said he had a fair idea of the identity of the hoax caller, judging the way that the Bolton team and Sam Allardyce were biting their lip trying to suppress laughter throughout the minute’s silence.

[redrus]

Wednesday 14th March 2007

Deja vu all over again, Mourinho, Wenger, Liverpool.

...and City

* The Guardian:

Stuart Pearce has urged his board of directors to retain their faith in his ability at Manchester City, with the club's manager of exactly two years facing up to the reality that he has two games, against Chelsea tonight and Middlesbrough on Saturday, to save his job.

City's slump in recent weeks has seen them jettisoned from the FA Cup by Blackburn Rovers and hauled to within six points of the relegation zone, a miserable run of four consecutive league defeats leaving them fourth bottom in the Premiership. The 8,000 travelling fans who attended Sunday's Cup defeat at Ewood Park chanted for the manager's dismissal and Chelsea's visit this evening hardly suggesting a revival is imminent.

It says much for the sense of deepening gloom at Eastlands that confirmation that Joey Barton, arguably the team's most inspirational player, had been arrested on suspicion of assault and criminal damage has hardly registered, with the priority remaining survival in the top flight. Barton will be available for both club and country having been bailed pending further inquiries, with Pearce confident there will be no repeat of last season's dire run-in, when three points were gleaned from a possible 30.

"You know full well that you're going to have good times and bad times in football, and you know you have to become stronger in the bad times," said Pearce. "The good times, when people are patting me on the back, probably sit more uncomfortably with me. At the moment, I know exactly where I stand, who's with me and, maybe, who's not with me.

"Not many aren't with me, certainly within this football club. Maybe there are one or two outside the club. But I have a very open relationship with the board. The chairman's here every Friday, bar none, sitting in on team meetings. We're very open. This year, the outlay we've put on players is £500,000 yet we're fighting against teams like Aston Villa, who have just spent £20m, or Charlton who spent £16m last summer. That's not a criticism. It's a fact. Even so, results haven't been good enough and that's my responsibility. But, against a fantastic side like Chelsea, you might say we have nothing to lose."

Yet the reality is that City can ill afford to see their run of defeats prolonged. Tensions are high within the squad following comments made by the captain, Richard Dunne, suggesting a rift between the established players and those recruited recently from abroad, while the abuse to which the team were subjected at Ewood Park by their travelling support visibly affected some players, most notably the teenage England international Micah Richards.

* The Mirror:

Stuart Pearce is fighting to save his Manchester City job while half his team are at war with each other.

City face Chelsea tonight with skipper Richard Dunne and teammate Joey Barton, who slammed the club's foreign contingent last week, being blanked by a group led by strikers Georgios Samaras and Bernardo Corradi and defender Sylvain Distin.

Caught in the middle of the amazing British v Foreigners stand-off are youngsters Micah Richards, Nedum Onuha and Stephen Ireland.

The simmering tensions between the factions were publicly displayed during Sunday's 2-0 FA Cup quarterfinal defeat to Blackburn when Corradi was seen mouthing a swear word at Barton.

Before the contest Pearce struggled to bring the two sides together and City went on to produce not a single shot on goal.

A City source said last night: "You could cut the atmosphere with a knife before the game and it's just the youngsters you feel sorry for because they have been put in a difficult position.

"They don't want to be seen to get involved so they are just trying to keep the peace."

* Laugh or cry moment: Liverpool

The Guardian:

Thomas O Hicks and George Gillett Jr, the two American businessmen who are close to completing their takeover of Liverpool, have borrowed almost £300m from the Royal Bank of Scotland to finance the deal. The bank has loaned the money at 1.5% above the current standard lending rate, meaning that about £21.5m interest will be payable this year.

The debt is not being taken on by the club in the way the Glazer family loaded Manchester United with £660m borrowings from their 2005 takeover, but professionals close to the deal said it was nevertheless likely that Liverpool would pay the interest, or pay Hicks and Gillett "a big dividend" at the end of the year to enable them to do so.

The terms of the loans are in the offer document sent to all shareholders, revealing that the two men are borrowing £185m to pay for the £174m takeover itself and associated costs, with another £113m available as a "revolving credit facility" to absorb Liverpool's debts and fund the club and preliminary work on the new 60,000-seat stadium. A further £200m will be borrowed to build the stadium but the way that will be done has not been worked out. The initial £298m loans are guaranteed by Hicks and Gillett personally.

The offer document also reveals how stretched Liverpool became financially last year as the chief executive, Rick Parry, searched for someone to take over the club. In August the then chairman David Moores lent the club £10m - £2m personally and £8m from a family trust - to let the manager, Rafael Benítez, have some money to strengthen the squad, which he spent on buying the striker Dirk Kuyt.

* Speculation continues about Mourinho and Madrid, taking Fat Frank with him.

The Times:

After admitting that he would like to take charge at Real Madrid, José Mourinho is the supporters' first choice to become the next coach. The Chelsea manager received 55 per cent in a poll by Marca, the Spanish sports newspaper, that asked fans whether he should replace Fabio Capello. About 40,000 voted on the website.

Mourinho's comments will be interpreted as a signal to Real that he is willing to talk, should he leave Chelsea at the end of the season. "It's a shame that Madrid and Barcelona are out of the Champions League," Mourinho said. "I always want to play against the clubs with great tradition. Who wouldn't want to play in the Nou Camp or the Bernabéu?"

* It's all someone else's fault:

Wenger blames France for Henry's stunted season:

"It has not been his best season, the first to concede that would be Thierry. He tells me that he is sorry and he feels he has let us down a little bit, but he should not feel that because what can you do about injuries? I feel he has been badly managed after the World Cup. I don't take responsibility for that because I feel he has been badly managed by the French football team.

"After the final on July 9 I gave him a holiday until August 4. I left him out of the Champions League qualifier in Zagreb and they [France] called him up for the game on August 16 — less than 14 days after he came back — and they played him in the whole game against Bosnia. Why do they need to play him in the whole game?

"After that he played the whole game against Aston Villa as we were desperate to win the first game at the Emirates. Then they called him up and he has played every friendly since, when he was already on his knees."

redrus

[redrus]

Minute’s Silence at football game was for ‘made-up ex-player’

Now that was funny, I thought I might be reading a joke it being you Tax, I saw my name and thought "eh up, <deleted>, whats he pullin ere"...!

Should make a film about it....?

redrus

[redrus]

Saturday Premiership round-up

By Andrew Scurr -Sky, Created on 17 Mar 2007

Manchester United remain six points clear of Chelsea after thrashing Bolton 4-1 and The Blues beat Sheffield United 3-0.

Paul Robinson scored in Tottenham's 3-1 win over Watford, while Manchester City picked up a vital three points at Middlesbrough.

West Ham came from a goal down to win at Blackburn, Reading were held to a goalless draw by Portsmouth and Wigan and Fulham also drew 0-0.

In Saturday's early kick-off, United temporarily opened up a nine-point advantage at the top against Bolton.

Park Ji-sung and Wayne Rooney both finished past Jussi Jaaskelainen after being set up by Cristiano Ronaldo to give United a 2-0 lead inside 20 minutes at Old Trafford.

Ronaldo also had a hand in the third as his shot was only parried by the Bolton keeper and Park slotted home his second.

Rooney added a third from Alan Smith's ball over the top before Gary Speed's consolation from the penalty spot with five minutes remaining.

Chelsea narrowed the gap by three points later in the day with a comfortable victory over Neil Warnock's Blades.

Andrei Shevchenko fired past Paddy Kenny after four minutes and Salomon Kalou doubled the hosts' lead when tapping in Shaun Wright-Phillips' ball across.

Wright-Phillips was provider for the third as Michael Ballack headed home from a free-kick to wrap up the points.

The game also saw Sheffield United striker Rob Hulse suffer what appeared to be a serious ankle injury in the first half.

In the evening game West Ham boosted their survival hopes after coming from a goal down to claim a controversial 2-1 win at Blackburn.

Christopher Samba's header gave Rovers the lead but a Carlos Tevez penalty and bizarre Bobby Zamora strike bagged the points for The Hammers.

Zamora's shot did not appear to have crossed the line after being blocked by Tevez in an offside position, but the 75th minute goal stood.

Tottenham's excellent recent form continued against Watford, with Robinson an unlikely scorer at White Hart Lane.

After Jermaine Jenas had headed the hosts into a first-half lead, the Spurs goalkeeper got one over his fellow England international Ben Foster.

Robinson scored his second career goal with a free-kick from deep inside his own half which bounced over Foster and sailed in.

Hossam Ghaly sealed the victory on 85 minutes, although Darius Henderson pulled one goal back in the final minute.

The pressure on Stuart Pearce was eased as Manchester City recorded a 2-0 victory over Middlesbrough at The Riverside Stadium.

Sylvain Distin scrambled home the opener from a corner before Emile Mpenza finished past Mark Schwarzer after Lee Cattermole gave the ball away.

Richard Hughes went closest to breaking the deadlock at The Madejski Stadium, but Reading and Portsmouth had to settle for a point each.

Wigan's game against Fulham also failed to produce a goal as both sides dropped below Manchester City in the table.

Manchester United 4-1 Bolton Wanderers

Chelsea 3-0 Sheffield United

Middlesbrough 0-2 Manchester City

Reading 0-0 Portsmouth

Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 Watford

Wigan Athletic 0-0 Fulham

Blackburn Rovers 1-2 West Ham United

redrus

[redrus]

BITS AND BOBS

Tuesday 20th March 2007

Chelsea away, Keano speaks to the 'Manchester United manager', Van der Sar, Mourinho, England cricket.

* Chelsea V United Premiership match should now be confirmed as May 8th.

* Keano on loanee Jonny Evans:

"Jonny has got a chance (to be a top player.

"I spoke to the Manchester United manager about him on Friday and he's got a chance.

"But keeping him long-term? There's more chance of England's cricketers winning the World Cup.

"His valuation goes up every week."

* Mourinho:

"To win the Premiership we must win every game and hope Manchester United lose four points. I'd like to play Manchester United three times but we can't.

"It's still possible (4 trophies). We have a 25 percent chance to win the FA Cup, 12-1/2 percent to win the Champions League. To win the Premiership we need to win every game and we need Manchester United to lose four more points. It doesn't depend on us.

"We never played with our best team all season, never. When we play with a team similar to our best team we show what we can do. Everything went against us in this league from the beginning -- injuries, decisions. The Manchester United game we want to play now we have to play later on."

* Van der Sar out of Holland squad:

Reuters:

'Goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar has pulled out of the Dutch squad for their Euro 2008 qualifying match against Romania because of injury.'

redrus

[redrus]

Easter Link....

redrus

[mrbojangles]

Well it looks like our win put the final nail in his coffin. Sorry Chris

Coleman sacked by Fulham

Chris Coleman has been sacked as Fulham manager and replaced by Northern Ireland boss Lawrie Sanchez in a caretaker role.

Seven games without a win has seen Fulham drop to 15th place in the Premiership, only four points above the relegation zone, and the Welshman who has been manager at the club since April 2003 had been the subject of increasing discontent from Fulham's fans.

Fulham lost twice over the Easter weekend - 4-1 at Everton and 3-1 at home to Manchester City - and the pressure final took its toll as the club announced Coleman's departure on its website late on Tuesday saying there was no alternative but "to part company".

Coleman's assistant Steve Kean will also be replaced with immediate effect and the club said that they had agreed terms with the Irish FA for Sanchez to take control of team affairs until the end of the season.

The statement from the club said: "Chris Coleman has provided a fantastic service during his ten years at the club and it is disappointing that the club has no alternative but to part company.

"As a team and organisation Fulham Football Club has goals to attain and success to achieve and by no means can this be compromised."

Coleman's four year managerial reign at Fulham saw him take charge in 176 matches, of which he won 61, drew 44 but lost 71.

Fulham have won only seven of 33 matches in the Premiership this season and face both Arsenal and Liverpool in their remaining five matches of the campaign, which continues at Reading on Saturday.

[mrbojangles]

A bit of a preview for this weekends games from skysports:-

Premiership weekend preview

This weekend once again offers Manchester United the chance to stretch their lead at the top of the table as they play the day before champions Chelsea.

You can watch Soccer Saturday on your PC by clicking here.

United entertain Middlesbrough in the late kick-off on Saturday - a match you can see live on Sky Sports 1. If the Red Devils secure victory over Boro, then their lead will again be six points by the time Chelsea travel to Newcastle.

The Blues had to play catch up midweek as they claimed victory over West Ham, and they may have to do it again at St James' Park - which you can also catch live on PremPlus.

The action gets underway on Saturday with a mouthwatering PremPlus clash, as Arsenal travel to White Hart Lane to face arch-rivals Tottenham.

At 3 o'clock attention turns to the foot of the table and the battle to stay in the Premiership and there is an archetypal 'six-pointer' as Charlton entertain Sheffield United at The Valley.

Victory for Charlton would see them leap-frog United out of the bottom three - although three points for The Blades would go a huge way to seeing them secure Premiership football for next term.

Just a point above Sheffield United are Fulham and Wigan, who are both still nervously looking over their shoulders. The Cottagers entertain Blackburn at Craven Cottage, whilst The Latics face a daunting looking trip to Anfield to face in-form Liverpool.

West Ham remain five points adrift and realise they need to take three points against Everton - who themselves are battling for fifth with Bolton, who host Reading at The Reebok.

Watford's relegation will be confirmed if they fail to do anything but beat Manchester City - although even with victory they could go down.

Finally, the SuperSunday clash this week sees Aston Villa host Uefa Cup chasing Portsmouth at Villa Park.

Saturday

Tottenham v Arsenal (12:45) - Live on PremPlus

Spurs have gone 14 games since they beat Arsenal in the Premiership.

Bolton v Reading (15:00)

The Trotters have won their last four home games against Reading, who haven't won at Bolton since 1985.

Charlton v Sheff Utd (15:00)

Charlton are unbeaten in their last 13 matches against Sheffield United and have not conceded at The Valley for over seven hours.

Fulham v Blackburn (15:00)

This fixture has never ended in a draw in the Premiership - a run of some 11 games.

Liverpool v Wigan (15:00)

These two sides have only ever met five times and Liverpool have won every single one, scoring 16 times in the process.

Watford v Man City (15:00)

City have not lost to Watford since a Division Two game back in 1989. No team has more away points since Christmas Day than City.

West Ham v Everton (15:00)

The Toffees have scored in 10 of their last 11 visits to East London, but West Ham have scored in just four of their last 12 games against Everton.

Man Utd v Middlesbrough (17:15) Live on Sky Sports 1

United have won just two of their last six Premiership games against Boro.

Sunday

Newcastle v Chelsea (13:30) Live on PremPlus

Newcastle have won only three of their last 17 Premiership games with Chelsea, but have taken 10 points from their last four home clashes with them.

Aston Villa v Portsmouth (16:00) Live on Sky Sports 1

Portsmouth have gone six games without a win against Aston Villa.

[mrbojangles]

This is worth a look guys and gals

The bit at the end where they drop the player is funny

http://www.boreme.com/boreme/funny-2006/fo...mistakes-p1.php

[mrbojangles]

This one had me in stitches

http://www.boreme.com/boreme/funny-2007/co...football-p1.php

[mrbojangles]

Saturday Premiership Round-Up

West Ham are within three points of safety following victory over Everton, after Charlton and Sheffield United drew at The Valley.

At the other end of the table Middlesbrough blew the title race open with a hard-fought 1-1 draw at Manchester United.

Mark Viduka cancelled out Kieran Richardson's early opener to deny United all three points and leave them four points clear of Chelsea.

The Hammers were the only side in the bottom six to win as Fulham were held at home to Blackburn, and Wigan lost at Liverpool.

Bottom of the table Watford saw their relegation confirmed as they drew 1-1 with Manchester City at Vicarage Road.

West Ham, though, are the big winners of the day as they collected maximum points at Upton Park with a 1-0 win against Everton.

The only goal of the game arrived after just 13 minutes and it was a sensational 25-yard strike from Bobby Zamora and despite some close-shaves - they clinched what could be a priceless victory.

The Hammers would have hoped for a draw at Charlton and their prayers were answered as Sheffield United came from behind to clinch a 1-1 draw.

A speculative long-range effort from Talal El Karkouri deflected past Paddy Kenny off Michael Tonge to put Charlton ahead on the hour.

But just ten minutes later The Blades rescued a share of the spoils as Jon Stead fired home a smart finish from the edge of the box.

Wigan are now just two points off the drop-zone as they were humbled 2-0 at Liverpool.

A goal in each half from Dirk Kuyt was enough for Rafa Benitez's men - who should have won by a more emphatic margin.

Kuyt headed home the opener on the half hour mark as he beat John Filan to the ball to find the back of an unguarded net.

Kuyt's second came on 68 minutes when he picked up a loose ball and turned before firing into the corner of the net.

Fulham also remain firmly in the relegation picture as they could only draw 1-1 - although they will be happy to claim a point after Blackburn dominated at Craven Cottage.

The Cottagers were ahead on just ten minutes when Vincenzo Montella managed to deflect Papa Bouba Diop's header into the net.

Lawrie Sanchez's men then faced a rear-guard action but they could not hang on as Blackburn levelled just after the hour when Benni McCarthy turned in Stephen Warnock's cross with a neat finish.

Watford saw their fight for Premiership survival come to an end as they could only draw 1-1 with Manchester City.

City were gifted their goal less than ten minutes into the second half when Ben Foster miscontrolled a back-pass and the ball fell to Darius Vassell - who had the simple task of firing into an empty net.

Watford did level through a nice Tamas Priskin effort on 75 minutes - but they needed a win, which was beyond them and their place in next season's Championship was confirmed.

A stunning late turnaround from Reading saw them score three goals in the final six minutes at The Reebok Stadium to secure a 3-1 win over Bolton.

Nicolas Anelka saw his effort deflected home by Nicky Shorey to give Bolton the lead on 64 minutes and that looked like giving Bolton the win.

But it was not to be as Reading claimed the victory which takes them seventh and to within three points of Bolton.

The equaliser came on 84 minutes when Kevin Doyle reacted quickly to poke the ball past Jussi Jaaskelainen.

Doyle then fired Reading ahead from the penalty spot after he was hauled down by Abdoulaye Meite. The win was sealed in injury time when Stephen Hunt headed home Shorey's cross.