F365 have the latest odds on the Sack Race:
SAMMY LEE (BOLTON) - 5/2
Under pressure after two bad defeats, and two terrible performances. Hardly anyone will have predicted them to do well, and Sammy Lee looks very much out of his depth. Can't be that long before Paul Jewell is calling Phil Gartside "boss".
MARTIN JOL (SPURS) - 4-1
Absolute nonsense - simple economics dictates that the amount of nonsense the tabloids are spouting means that people head to the bookies to back Big Martin, but this price will push them away. It's fairly unlikely, isn't it?
CHRIS HUTCHINGS (WIGAN) - 5/1
The best odds I've seen from him. Two goals from Antoine Sibierski and 3 points, albeit against the worst team in the Premier League. A very good bet.
ALAN CURBISHLEY (WEST HAM) - 6/1
Well, he could be gone by Xmas as Pardew was last year if Dr Eggman hasn't seen some return on his investment on some troublesome idiot players.
GARETH SOUTHGATE (MIDDLESBROUGH) - 7/1
Looks more out of his depth than Sammy Lee - selling all of your strikers and buying defenders isn't wise. That said, Steve Gibson has stood beside Bryan Robson's relegations and is one of two people to have appointed Second Choice Steve McLaren.
Thursday, 16 August 2007
Sack Race update
Dire Deal Done
The deal that was finished and blown out of the water is now done, according to the BBC.
Kieron Dire, the most aptly-named footballer ever, has finally signed for West Ham, proving that they will sign anyone, even injury-plagued midfielders who had potential in 2002. An amazing fact from the Guardian's Knowledge column recently, was that, in the last five seasons, Paul Scholes has scored more goals at St James's Park than Kieron Dire.
Big Sam will be rubbing his fat hands together all the way to the carvery...
Jim White Is Forever
From Football365's MediaWatch:
Biting The Hand That Feeds - Part Two
This morning on Sky Sports News, after Sheffield United announced their legal action against West Ham:
SSN shouter and friend of unemployed Geordies Jim White: "At this stage, this is heading to the High Court isn't it?"
SSN 'wacky' reporter trying to be taken seriously Gary Cotterill: "At this stage it is not heading to the High Court."
Amusing story, but it should be pointed out that Jim White is a legend. Somehow or other, in my student days, we enjoyed his homoerotic banter with Charlie Nicholas presenting Sky's ill-starred 6.05pm on a Sunday Scottish football coveraged. Around this time, we worked out that Jim White Is Forever. He just is, isn't he?
Other legendary Jim White antics of note - compering 40,000 fat unemployed Geordies at the parading of Michael Owen in August 2005.
Stupid Rumours
BBC Gossip column:
Stupid:
Kieron Dyer is set to move to West Ham after Newcastle finally accepted a £6m bid. (Mail)
- West Ham will buy anyone.
Newcastle midfielder Nolberto Solano is considering a move to Portsmouth. (Sun)
- Dave Redknapp will buy anyone.
Spurs boss Martin Jol's future may be in jeopardy after he had crisis talks with chairman Daniel Levy about the losing start. (Independent)
- Surely they've had talks about buying some defenders and midfielders, not about sacking him?
Interesting:
West Brom have told Tottenham they will have to shell out £10m if they want to land defender Curtis Davies. (Sun)
- This one has rumbled and rumbled. Spurs do need another centre half, but Davies is unproven at that level, certainly at that insane price.
Spurs striker Dimitar Berbatov may need surgery on a groin injury, putting him out for six weeks. (Sun)
- Could be a good thing for Spurs, with Big Martin being able to decide on his top three strikers.
Bolton chairman Phil Gartside and his former manager Sam Allardyce have held peace talks following their war of words. (Mirror)
- What a load of todger that was. Gartside needs to grow up.
F365's Transfer Gossip
Interesting:
JOSE GETS CARPET PULLED FROM UNDERNEATH
Yesterday, Jose Mourinho thought he had Sevilla right-back Dani Alves in the bag, and was safe in the knowledge that he would never have to choose between Paolo Ferreira and Glen Johnson again. However, the Special One could be in for a shock this morn if The Sun is to be believed. They claim that Roman Abramovich has pulled the plug on the deal, despite chief executive 'Slippery' Pete Kenyon agreeing a price of around £24.5million with the famously tough Sevilla president Jose Maria Del Nido. Now £24.5million is a lot of money for a full-back, but Alves is no ordinary full-back, and if Abramovich has indeed refused to sanction the deal, could this open old wounds in the Roman/Jose relationship?
- Would be interesting to see the effect on Jose if this is true.
'ARRY HAS MORE MONEY THAN SENSE
After reportedly being priced out of a move for Boro striker Yakubu - who seems set for Everton - wheeler dealer in chief 'Appy 'Arry Redknapp has now reportedly turned his attentions to one Nicolas Anelka. The Mail claims that Portsmouth have made a £10million bid for the moody Frenchman, who very nearly signed on at Fratton Park last summer before joining Bolton. Redknapp is so desperate to snap up the striker that he is prepared to offer Matthew Taylor as part of the deal, but the traditional spanner n the works for Pompey is, of course, West Ham, who also want Anelka.
- As if Dave Redknapp doesn't have enough strikers...
Just when...
... you thought it was safe to breathe, Sheff Utd's inability to accept seventy decisions against them comes back to haunt us.
When will they realise that bottling it against Wigan was what sent them down?