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Both Harry Redknapp and Pep Guardiola have stated that they will not entertain rumours linking them with the vacant manager’s position at Chelsea.

Andre Villas Boas was sacked from the Stamford Bridge hotseat on Sunday after a 1-0 defeat to West Brom the day before, with the club currently in fifth place in the Premier League.

Tottenham boss Redknapp is currently the frontrunner to become the new England boss, but has laughed off suggestions that he could be the new man in charge at Chelsea.

“That’s all I need,” he joked to Sky Sports.

“It would be difficult; I wouldn’t be able to come back to north London so I’d have to pass on that.

“But it’s a dream job for somebody. It’s a club you can win a championship at because the owner has spared no expense.

“He has built the most incredible training ground, they buy players at the top level, they have got top players so it is a dream job for somebody to go there and make a success of it – whoever they take.

“So many people would love that job and chance to work at a great club with the backing the manager gets there, but you’ve got to make a success of it. That’s the rules.

“If you don’t you are not going to last but if you do well the sky’s the limit,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, Guardiola, who is out of contract at the end of the season at Barcelona, also felt that speculation over the Chelsea position had no substance.

“I speak every day with Chelsea,” he quipped sarcastically.

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“Villas-Boas seems like a great coach. The time (managers get) depends on the results, not on our abilities.

“I’m not capable of judging the reasons for his dismissal,” he concluded.

By Gareth McKnight

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West Ham United was finally relegated at the weekend despite having a number of household names in their squad including Matthew Upson, Carlton Cole, Scott Parker and Robert Green. But a number of their top players will need to be sold because the players will want to remain in the Premier League and their wages will simply not be sustainable in the Championship. However, the spin-off on that is the talented group of young players are sure to get plenty of opportunities next season and could be a key factor for West Ham to make an instant return to the top flight.

The current squad includes player on very lucrative contracts that in some cases are worth up £3m a year. The West Ham owners will probably want to keep hold of their current squad but I would be careful about going down such a road. The money paid to a lot of these players will cripple the club and could cause the situation to spiral out of control and have West Ham heading towards League One. West Ham will be confident of making an immediate return to the Premier League and if they can get their ship in order have a great chance of doing just that. However, they should not gamble the club’s future on that goal.

I feel that the way forward for West Ham is to sell off the most expensive wage earners and put their faith in a young squad full of their most talented youth players. The new look West Ham squad with a younger and hungrier feel to it should be built around players like James Tomkins, Jack Collison, Mark Noble, Freddie Sears, Junior Stanislas, Zavon Hines and Anthony Edgar. The West Ham youth system has a very good reputation and the club may even find one or two more gems before the new season begins.

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The club may need to help these players with some experienced heads alongside them but don’t underestimated what these very talented young players can achaive. Many people still think that you can’t win and be successful purely with players such as these. However, the West Ham youth set-up is something truly special and has produced some great players over the years that played Premier League football for West Ham  and then later for other Premier League clubs and at international level. Notable examples include Frank Lampard, Glen Johnson, Jermain Defoe, Michael Carrick, Joe Cole and Rio Ferdinand; all of these players have played big clubs in the Premier League and have represented England.

In addition to the current crop at West Ham the Hammers academy has also produced Premier League defenders Anton Ferdinand and Elliott Ward. Therefore, West Ham should have no reservations in putting their faith in their current youth stars and know they could well be top level players in the Premier League and at international level in the future.

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Join the conversation on Twitter and tell me if you agree that West Ham should put their faith in their youth.

Federico Macheda has denied calling Manchester United team-mate Wayne Rooney 'working-class and vulgar'.

Macheda has moved quickly to diffuse a possible conflict with the England striker following comments attributed to him while away on international duty with the Italian Under-21 side.

The 19-year-old striker's comments to the Italian press have been seized upon by their British colleagues and he claims the terms he used have been exaggerated.

Macheda used the term 'coatto' which he claims is far from the 'chav' and 'vulgar' translations used by some tabloid papers.

"I said 'coatto' in the Roman way, but with the minimum intention to offend Rooney," he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"I like him and I have maximum respect for him.

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"What I wanted to say is that for me he is a free spirit and genuine.

"I sent a message to Rio Ferdinand to clarify everything with Wayne and Rio told me not to worry, everything is fine."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

After Sunday’s Carling Cup victory, Liverpool’s director of football Damien Comolli was quick to state that big signings were a real possibility for the Merseysiders this summer. This talk has prompted fans of the club to begin speculating just where there side needs strengthening, and which players could step in.

With some poor statistics this term, it’s clear that the Reds need a clinical striker, to finish the abundant chances being created. Liverpool have been one of the most ineffective sides this season, in terms of turning chances into goals. This has been reflected by a meagre tally of 29 in 25 games, equal to second from bottom Bolton, and fewer than relegation threatened Blackburn. The Red’s have, arguably, one of the most talented forwards in the league with Luis Suarez, but even his goal return has been poor so far this term, albeit he has missed nine games through suspension. A striker then must be considered a must for Kenny Dalglish, if he is to turn his side into title contenders. The likes of Edinson Cavani and Gonzalo Higuain would be the fans choices, but if Champions League football cannot be secured acquisitions of such talented players may prove to be a bit far-fetched. Darren Bent was rumoured to be on the verge of a move to Anfield during January, but nothing materialised, besides his arrival would not be one to get the fans pulses racing.

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As well as a clinical frontman, the Reds could benefit from greater reinforcements in a wide position, as well as through the centre in a playmaker role. Young Belgian Eden Hazard could fill both of these roles and is believed to be a player who would be available at the right price this summer, however, as is the case with Cavani and Higuain, a place at Europe’s top table would be high on his list of requirements. Liverpool do however have one trump card, in the fact that Lille are rumoured to be interested in keeping the on-loan Joe Cole, who could be used as a bargaining tool in a deal for the 21-year-old. Hazard would be virtually guaranteed a regular spot in the Liverpool starting-11, which would be another tempting factor, and if Comolli could convince one of Europe’s hottest properties that the club are moving in the right direction a deal may be achievable.

Scott Sinclair is another man who could fill the role on the right-hand side of the Reds midfield, and is, perhaps, a more realistic target. The Swansea man has been a key component in the attractive brand of football being produced in the south of Wales, and would surely be interested in a move to a big club in a bid to up his chances on the international scene. The ex-Chelsea youth star fits the Fenway Sports Group’s policy of young home-grown talent and would not cost the earth, making him a prospect to be considered.

As well as Sinclair and Hazard, Gaston Ramirez of Italian outfit Bologna could be an option for injecting some creativity into the Anfield side. The 21-year-old is an international colleague of both Luis Suarez and Sebastian Coates, who could convince the creative midfielder to switch from the Serie A to the Premier League this summer.

It’s clear that Liverpool need reinforcements in a variety of positions this summer to keep the side moving in the right direction. However, convincing big players to move to the club with no guarantee of Champions League football could be a major factor, the reds must step up during the end of this campaign if they are to be a desirable prospect this summer.

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 What are your thoughts? Comment of follow @Alex_Hams on Twitter

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Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell believes there is a social problem in Scotland and wants answers to the threats against his club.It comes after the club’s manager, Neil Lennon, was attacked while on the touchline during their 3-0 win over Hearts on Wednesday and a bullet was posted to him at Celtic Park a day later.

Lawwell said there was a deep problem that needed to be addressed.

“The pressure that everybody’s working under, particularly the football, is enormous,” he said.

“It’s just not right. It’s a society problem here that somebody has got to grasp.”

“We’re the only football club that’s subject to these vile, relentless attacks in Scotland and somebody has got to ask why. Why is it Celtic and why is it no-one else and why is it continuing?”

The rivalry between Celtic and Scottish Premier League leaders Rangers hit its fieriest during their Cup meeting on March 2.

Lennon was involved in a heated exchange with Rangers assistant boss Ally McCoist as Steven Whittaker, Madjid Bougherra and El Hadji Diouf were all sent off for Walter Smith’s team.

Lawwell said threatening incidents directed at the club were becoming more common.

“Take a look at this week. Apart from last night, seven people were arrested for alleged offences at our training ground,” he said.

“Today, we had police removing a package that allegedly holds ammunition, which they have taken away for forensic tests. And that’s this week.”

The league will go down to the wire between Celtic and Rangers with Lennon’s side a point behind ahead of Sunday’s last game of the season.

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted that a pre-season chat with striker Dimitar Berbatov has helped the Bulgaria international hit top form this season.

The 29-year-old has scored seven times for the Red Devils this term, including a superb hat-trick in the 3-2 win over deadly rivals Liverpool just under a month ago.

Berbatov had previously struggled to live up to the £30million price-tag which had seen him head to Old Trafford from Spurs in the summer of 2008.

Ferguson told reporters:"I just had a word with him at the start of the campaign.

I told him 'Look, only you can solve this conundrum. You're the one in control here. You've got fantastic ability and you need to realise that ability and make the most of it. We'll be here to support you'.

"And he's started the season in terrific form for us. Dimitar has been, without doubt, our star forward.

"When you bring a player to Manchester United, not everybody takes to the situation straight away. Not all signings become hits overnight.

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"Nobody's ever doubted the ability of the lad, but what we're seeing now is a striker who's playing with belief and confidence.

"All strikers are massively reliant on those two factors – belief and confidence – and at the moment Berbatov has both."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email

Fabio Capello is reportedly furious at the failure of the FA to inform him that they will taking action against John Terry and stripping him of the England captaincy. Apparently the FA made the decision based on reports from some of the England squad’s black players were uncomfortable with him remaining as captain, leaving Fabio Capello in the dark over the whole affair.

Elsewhere in the news Arsene Wenger reveals he will review his transfer strategy if Arsenal fail to qualify for the top four; Roberto Mancini has refused to rule out Carlos Tevez returning to Manchester City starting line-up, while AVB suggests the ghost of Jose Mourinho is haunting every top manager within the Premier League.

John Terry could quit international football altogether after his sacking, and reported dressing room mutiny against him – Guardian

Sir Alex Ferguson has called upon Patrice Evra to shake the hand of Luis Suarez when they meet in next week’s encounter at Old Trafford. The United boss won’t make the Frenchman do anything against his will, but feels it would prevent prolonging the argument even further – Guardian

Roberto Mancini has refused to rule out the possible return of Carlos Tevez into the starting line-up. The Italian has suggested that if he returns fit then he will be considered for selection – Guardian

John Black QC has called on the jury to ignore Harry Redknapp’s standing within the game, as they retire to consider their verdict – Daily Telegraph

Andre Villas-Boas says that the ghost of Jose Mourinho haunts every top manager in the Premier League as rumours persist he is looking for a return to England in the summer – Daily Telegraph

Arsene Wenger has revealed he will review his transfer strategy if Arsenal fails to qualify for a top four finish this season – Independent

Manchester United and Arsenal are facing a battle with Benfica for the Bosman signing of Claudio Yacob – Daily Mail

David Moyes is confident that his January signings can push Everton to greater heights. The Toffees have been woefully inconsistent this season and the Scot is hoping the new faces will kickstart the team in the final 15 games – Daily Mail

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Real Madrid are plotting a summer swoop for Sergio Aguero. Madrid will finance the deal by letting Higuain leave the club, with Stamford Bridge a likely destination – Mirror

Darren Bent insists he is happy at Villa Park and the talk of him moving to Liverpool is simply laughable – TalkSport

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Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson was ecstatic as his side moved to the brink of a historic 19th Premier League title on Sunday.A goal from Javier Hernandez after 36 seconds and a first-half header from Nemanja Vidic set United on their way to a 2-1 win of reigning champions Chelsea at Old Trafford on Sunday.

They extended their lead at the top of the English Premier League to six points with two games remaining despite Frank Lampard pulling a goal back in the 69th minute.

United only need a point to guarantee the title and with games against struggling Blackburn and Blackpool to come, they are odds-on to claim their 19th crown and surpass Liverpool as the most successful club in English football.

“It’s fantastic to be the most successful team in the country,” Ferguson told Sky Sports.

“The minute we won that first title in 1992 the door opened and we’ve been involved in the first two all throughout that period. It’s a fantastic achievement.”

“For the last 17 or 18 years, it’s been Arsenal and Chelsea as our nearest challengers and the last few years it’s been Chelsea. Arsenal made a great attempt this year, but them losing today has finalised it.”

“We deserve the title and hopefully we’ll get that point now.”

Ferguson said United could have scored more with striker Wayne Rooney particularly unlucky.

“We could’ve scored six in the second half, but we expected a tough game and we got a tough game,” he said.

“We were brilliant. We got a great start, but (Petr) Cech made some fantastic saves.”

“When we gave the ball away for their goal, we were a bit nervy but the fans helped us. We kept making chances and Rooney could’ve scored six today.”

Carlo Ancelotti admitted Manchester United deserved to win the title after beating his Chelsea side 2-1, but re-iterated his desire to keep his job.

Ancelotti, who has only one year left on his contract at Stamford Bridge, is due for talks with owner Roman Abramovich later this month and is widely tipped to be facing the sack after Chelsea ended the season without a trophy. But the Italian does not want to go.

He said: “You know my position, I have another year of contract and I would like to stay. But I have to accept the decision of the club; they will take a decision at the end of the season so we wait and see.”

“Manchester United played better than us and deserved to win and deserved to win the title this year.”

“Manchester United has a possibility now to take a point that they need to win the title. We have another two games and we want to finish the season well.”

Darren Bent is not a name many people would suggest when asked who the best Premiership striker is. Instead, you would hear the likes of Torres, Drogba and Rooney.

However, because of injuries and lack of form – it’s easy to see why Bent is getting increased media attention and being touted for further involvement in the England setup. With Bent also scoring his first England goal this year, the question remains as to how long Sunderland can keep hold of him. So, why is Bent so special?

Attributes

He is tall and incredibly quick, meaning he can play alongside virtually anybody up front or by operating as a lone striker. He scores goals with both feet and utilises his height and agility to get his head on the end of speculative crosses, recently seen when he scored the equalising goal against Liverpool. He uses his pace to good effect by latching onto through-balls and beating the offside trap against defenders that are slow to react.

Injury free

Last season Bent was involved in all thirty eight of Sunderland’s league games, an impressive record given the amount of running that the pacey forward puts in each week. With Kenwyne Jones now at Stoke and new boy Asamoah Gyan yet to fully prove himself, Steve Bruce hopes his fitness levels remain sky-high.

Goalscoring record

Bent has consistently been hitting the back of the net since breaking into Ipswich’s first team. For the Tractor Boys he hit 46 goals in his first full 3 seasons, at Charlton he scored 31 in 68, and he even managed 18 goals in 60 appearances whilst competing with Robbie Keane, Jermaine Defoe and Peter Crouch at Spurs. Last season he was Sunderland’s top scorer with 25 goals and is averaging a goal a game this season.

Knows the game

Bent is still only twenty six, yet has played for three Premier League clubs with vastly experienced managers. He learnt his trade at Ipswich under George Burley and Joe Royle, before being managed by Alan Curbishley at Charlton and Harry Redknapp at Spurs. He continues to improve under the guidance of Manchester United hero, Steve Bruce.

Attitude

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Although it didn’t work out for him in North London, Bent wasted no time settling into the groove at Sunderland – scoring on his debut, a 1-0 win over Bolton. Despite missing out on a place to South Africa and seeing the like of Emile Heskey (who hardly featured for Villa at the end of season) travel, Bent refused to speak out against the decision to leave him behind. Instead, saying that it was the manager’s choice and that he simply needed to further prove himself.

Written By Jon Ireland

Rejuvenated Bolton go in search of consecutives wins for the first time this season against a Newcastle side who are one defeat away from a full blow crisis.

Owen Coyle’s side gave themselves a major confidence boost ahead of their Boxing Day date with the Magpies after they came out on top against fellow strugglers Blackburn on Tuesday night. The Trotters’ fourth victory of the season was arguably their most important as they beat their North West rivals to move off the bottom of the table and give themselves a real chance of beating the drop. Supporters will be hoping that their side have finally turned a corner and can now string a positive run of results together after seeing their three previous ones followed by a succession of defeats. There were a number of positives from the win at Ewood Park with summer signing Nigel Reo-Coker putting in his best performance in a Wanderers shirt since his move from Aston Villa. Mark Davies has also emerged as a key player in recent weeks and Coyle will be expecting the duo to keep their form up going into the New Year.

Newcastle are also desperate for a win after seeing their strong start to the season unravel in the last month and a half. The Magpies haven’t recorded a victory in six games and with boss Alan Pardew seeing injuries and suspensions take their toll on his paper-thin squad. Defeat at home to West Brom on Wednesday night means the Geordies have taken just one point from their last three games against the Baggies, Swansea and Norwich. Despite still sitting seventh in the table after racking up 27 points there is massive room for improvement and Pardew will be expecting that at the Reebok Stadium. With 13-goal top scorer Demba Ba in the side Newcastle are always a threat but with their attack being proving to be frustratingly predictable in the last few games Pardew may opt to rejig his side in an effort to ensure his side are celebrating a win on Boxing Day.

Bolton 19th : 12 points

Team news: Summer signing David N’Gog could miss out after picking up a knock and joins eight other first team players in the treatment room.

Key Player: Mark Davies

The young midfielder has become a key player for the Trotters in recent weeks and it was goal and all round performance at Blackburn on Tuesday that provided a base for victory. He’ll be expected to be the playmaker once again against Newcastle.

Newcastle 7th : 27 points

Team news: Davide Santon misses the trip to the Reebok after limping off against West Brom with a knee injury. Yohan Cabaye will return though after completing his one match suspension whilst Mike Williamson could also start.

Key Player: Demba Ba

There will be a host of Premier League clubs ruing the day they passed over the chance to sign the Senegal forward. Ba has been a revelation since his free transfer move from West Ham and his two stunning goals on Wednesday took him to 13 for the season. He’ll be a massive miss for Newcastle when he leaves for the African Nations Cup in January.

PREDICTION

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Bolton will bet full of confidence after their win against Blackburn but are still not safe yet but they have a good home record against Newcstle. The Magpies are determined to halt their slide and know defeat at the Reebok Stadium will see them go from blip to crisis mode. However with Demba Ba up front they will be favourites for this one.

Score: 1-2

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