Today’s gossip rumours and damned lies

Sir Alex Ferguson is still refusing to rule out a move for Barcelona flop Thierry Henry, despite his comments in April that “Arsenal are the only English club” for him. Dimitar Berbatov still appears a more likely arrival, so perhaps the Thierry talk is Ferguson’s way of testing Spurs’ resistance.

Elsewhere in transferland…

Didier Drogba to stay
After spending a few weeks mulling things over while desperately waiting for phone calls from Barcelona and Milan, Drogba has kindly decided that it would be nice to continue playing for the club who pay his wages.

The Spoiler Truth-o-meter: Nobody wants him so he has no choice

Justin Hoyte to Middlesbrough
Boro sent their chief international scout to

Being people who breakfast doesn’t hinder The Spoiler’s progress, in fact, quite the opposite, much can be learnt from a simple trip to a local breakfasterie. Here’s what the people are saying in between sausage and eggs and slurps of finest splosh:

Emmanuel Adebayor to AC Milan or Juventus
Despite lurching around the pitch, accidentally knocking in twenty-one goals as he goes, the animated chat is that the lanky one might be more suited to the slower pace of Italian footie. Arsenal are after something a little more whippet-like for the box, apparently.

Tal Ben Haim to Tottenham
Now that he’s wept to the press, HUMILIATING his handsome manager, who would ever want Tal Ben Haim on their books? In a word, Tottenham Hotspur United.

Toon shot stopper gives invaluable (read: useless) perspective on the club’s predicament

Maybe it’s just nerves before tonight’s game (after all, Newcastle have conceded sixteen and scored once in their last four away games), but Steve Harper is trying his best to make everyone at the club feel the strain. He told The Guardian:

“We have five tough away games and this one against Birmingham is the biggest game in the club’s recent history, the biggest game for a long, long time. There is always pressure at this place, everybody knows it’s a pressure cooker, more than any other club.”

I know Newcastle is a huge club with 50,000+ loyal supporters, but what makes the pressure higher at St James’ Park?