The latest transfer gossip, rumours and damned lies
Roman Pavlyuchenko back to Spartak Moscow
Pavlyuchenko insists he is happy at Spurs, but in light of the fact that Tottenham have been linked to every player under the sun for the past few months, rumours that he no longer has a future at The Lane are growing. According to The Daily Mail, a source at the striker’s former club says he would be welcome back on loan.
The Spoiler truth-o-meter: Guus Hiddink would certainly like to see his Russian star getting more games, and he has made his opinion about English food and women very clear, but it all depends if ‘Arry brings in some new faces in the summer.
Joey Barton to Bolton
If The Spoiler was in charge, vile oxygen thief Joey Barton would never be allowed near
As everyone in the world is frightfully aware by now, Ben Foster gained the upper hand in the Carling Cup shoot-out by boning up on Tottenham’s penalty-taking techniques with the help of coach Eric Steele’s iPod.
While the Manchester Utd keeper has surely earned himself a lifetime supply of shiny Apple products for all the free advertising, Gary Megson is distinctly unimpressed by media claims that the Reds have been innovative:
“We have been using iPods and things like that for the last couple of years. We just don’t get the same publicity as some people.”
Keen to stress that visiting Bolton’s plush Euxton training facility is akin to being on the set of Minority Report, Megson continued to boast about The Trotters’ cutting edge integration of technology:
“All our stuff is done using electronics, smart boards and DVDs. We have three dedicated staff and are probably as advanced as any club in the Premier League.
“For example we can put motivational videos on a player’s iPod purely and simply for them.
“It is just the way of the world now. When we used pen and paper before, we have people who can do all sorts of things.”
You hear that, Manchester Utd? All their “stuff” is done with electronics! They have three members of staff available to programme iPods at any given point! When you luddites finally get DVDs at Carrington, they’ll be watching Blu-Rays at Euxton!
There were boos ringing out all over the country this weekend as fans of Arsenal, Aston Villa, Newcastle and Wolves took turns to vent their frustration at disappointing results.
The most surprising incident on the booing circuit though, besides Bolton fans neglecting to jeer Gary Megson’s choice of tie or something of an equally trivial nature as he lead them to a third win in four, was that Hull supporters turned on Phil Brown for subbing Geovanni.
The Tigers have taken just two points from eight games since Brown decided it was a good idea to publicly humiliate his players as they trailed 4-0 away to Manchester City on Boxing Day, making them comfortably the worst Premier League team this side of Christmas.
Have the players lost respect for Brown or was the bubble always going to burst? Are the fans fickle for booing the manager who took them up or are they right to be worried by a run of one win in 18? Let us know what you think with a comment below.
The Ginger Mourinho fights back against the Bolton boo-boys
Gary Megson has questioned the intelligence of the fans who abused him when Bolton blew a 2-0 lead at Blackburn yesterday and labelled them “pathetic”.
The Spoilerdefended Megson’s record when he was criticised earlier this season but supporters have again turned on their “Ginger Mourinho” after a run of one league win in eight. Megson, who won manager of the month just two months ago, issued this defence:
“Will I ever win them (the boo-boys) over? No, no chance. I took this club further than it’s ever been in Europe, I kept them up after having five points from 10 games, I’ve taken the wage bill down. I haven’t spent a lot of money in doing that. I think it works out at £2.5m. Others have spent around £90m. If your face doesn’t fit, it doesn’t fit. You have to accept that.”
The last time serious protests were held against Megson was last April after they dropped back into the bottom three but the boo-boys were left with egg on their faces when a five match unbeaten run carried them to safety.
Is the Bolton boss unfairly targeted despite doing a good job because he lives in Sam Allardyce’s shadow or would the Trotters be doing better with someone else at the helm? Let us know what you think with a vote and comment below:
The scenario: You’re the manager of a Premier League team, and you’re allowed to strengthen your squad by signing just one player in the January transfer window. But you can only choose someone from The Ginger Mourinho’s Wanderers - so who do you pick?
Your options: Can we interest you in: The sweet left foot of Matty Taylor, the midfield drive of Kevin Nolan, or the no-nonsense forward play of Kevin Davies? And don’t forget one of the most consistent keepers in the Prem: Jussi Jaaskalainen. Other names to conjure with include Johan Elmander, who has looked good up-front, Fabrice Muamba and Gary Cahill.
Bolton fans have been calling for Gary Megson’s head for a while, but it might be time for them to cut the red-haired gaffer some slack.
Our number-crunching friends at chickendinner have compiled a table detailing how Premier League teams have fared after fourteen games in comparison with their 2007/08 performance (except Fulham, Manchester United, Wigan and Everton, who are judged on thirteen games).
The results make great reading for Mr Megson, but are thoroughly depressing for a certain big-brained Frenchman…
On matchday, Premier League football fans need three things to sustain their interest in the beautiful game: an overpriced ticket for a flimsy plastic seat, a weak pint (to be consumed away from the playing surface, Mr Ashley) and a good scapegoat on which to blame the entire team’s shortcomings.
Here’s the top ten players and managers who have been made to bear the brunt of their club’s collective sins in 2008/09 thus far…
Nicklas Bendtner (Arsenal) The Spoiler’s Arsenal correspondent claims that Bendtner has overtaken Emmanuel Eboue in the Emirates scapegoat stakes, being vilified to such an extent on Saturday that Emmanuel Adebayor received a hero’s reception when he was brought off the bench to offer some firepower.
Jermaine Jenas (Tottenham)
Heurelho Gomes has put in a sturdy challenge in recent weeks but he still has a fair way to go before toppling Jenas, who has been the main subject of clenched fists and growling at White Hart Lane for a few years now.
Florent Malouda (Chelsea)
Apparently being the midfielder who has provided the most assists in the Premier League this season isn’t enough to save you from abuse when you occasionally misplace a pass or have the audacity to have a shot saved.
Luis Boa Morte (West Ham)
Holds the dubious honour of being one of the only players in the world
Whether it’s the cheesy production values, ridiculous sound effects or clueless talking heads, something will annoy you about this coverage of Finnish mud football
[The Offside]
Look at the size of Cheryl Cole’s, um, pockets
[Kickette]
For sale: James Bond’s aquatic Lotus Esprit
[Grid Crasher]
Why Arsenal will continue their victorious record against Aston Villa tomorrow
[chickendinner]
Six all-time great Championship Manager/ Football Manager players
[The Guardian]
What if the Premier League was American?
[EPL Talk]
Guess who Gary Megson is tipping for the Premiership title?
[BBC]
Could Tottenham hijack Liverpool’s transfer target?
[FansFC]
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