Football Rumours

Football Rumours: Aston Villa after Arsenal's Hoyte & Chelsea's Paulo Ferreira

Football rumours continue to abound in the transfer window silly season. Latest ones are that Villa boss Martin O'Neill is reported to be after Justin Hoyte & Chelsea's Paulo Ferreira. Given that Ferreira cost Chelsea 17.5m and he has just signed a new five year deal the report he is wanted as back-up can be taken with a very large pinch of salt.

Gunners star Justin Hoyte has been the subject of football rumours in the past linking him to Villa but has been quoted as saying that he wants to stay at the Emirates Stadium and fight for his first-team place.

Seems to us that these football rumours are exactly that, with Martin O'Neill about to be the subject of a lot of rumour and transfer speculation as he tries desperately to reinforce his small squad, which is about to get a bit smaller still. The longest and most boring football rumour of the season appears to be ending, with Gareth Barry moving to Liverpool at long last.

Gareth Barry to Liverpool

Reports coming in of a deal done for Gareth Barry to move to Liverpool

At long, long, last it appears the Gareth Barry move to Liverpool has happened. Reports are surfacing of Villa recieving 17.5 million plus Steve Finnan for Barry.

Rafael Benitez and all Liverpool fans will be pleased the longest running transfer saga of the summer will now be over. It certainly looks like a combination of Alonso, Pennant, and Voronin have played their last game in the red shirt of Liverpool. Personally I am disappointed in Pennant and that he must go. The guy has simply never fulfilled his promise, though he is still only 24.

Benitez I think is looking at Barry for his versatility and intelligence, plus he is better as a holding midfielder than Alonso, given the absence of Mascherano for a month. Given the price of Barry, Keane and Doessena, Liverpool's indispensables each week are starting to look like: Reina, Arbeloa, Carragher, Agger, Doessena, Barry, Mascherano, Gerrard, Keane, and Torres. That leaves the likes of Skrtel, Babel, Benayoun, and Kuyt all fighting over one spot. Liverpool are certainly going to be very strong this year, but maybe just not quite!

Gareth Barry to Liverpool has proved to be the long yawn of the summer, and it's instructive how Liverpool have struggled to raise the fee. A sign of the credit crunch and Liverpool's parlous finances perhaps? Martin O'Neill will be glad Barry has finally moved to Liverpool, and he can get on with Villa's season!

Aston Villa 4-1 Newcastle

Owen back in the groove but King Kev's revolution awaits

Newcastle, despite going ahead through a fourth minute Michael Owen goal were soundly beaten at Villa Park yesterday, with John Carew getting his first Villa hat-trick. Aston Villa vs Newcastle is always as entertaining game, though not often as one sided as this game was.

As the Premier League has continued with its usual hyperbole, and Keegan has been heralded back to Tyneside as the Messiah, Martin O'Neill has been quietly working his magic at Villa Park. From a steady start to the season, Aston Villa are now comfortably ensconced in the race for fourth place and who would bet against them getting it?

Admittedly a lot of Villa's chances came from farcical Newcastle defending, however almost from the moment they conceded a goal in the fourth minute, they were in the ascendency over a Newcastle team showing prescious little of Keegan's revolutionary magic.

John Carew will be in the headlines for his hat-trick, but the equaliser early in the second half came from Wilfred Bouma, who had not scored for two and a half seasons! Carews hat-trick was wrapped up two minutes from time as he lashed a penalty past Given to claim the match ball.

Footy Focus thinks King Kev can't wait for the season to end and get busy in the transfer market!

Moyes - Everton to finish fourth

Moyes confident the Toffees will stick in fourth

A bullish David Moyes is confident Everton can stay where they are, and finish in fourth place in the Premier League. Speaking after the goaless draw against Tottenham Moyes was happy to back his Everton team against any of the chasing pack.

He added “But in the same breath, Aston Villa are a strong team this year, Manchester City have done exceptionally well and Portsmouth, Blackburn and West Ham can do it. If we can make fourth it would be outstanding, but I don’t think there’s any point in me talking about that until a month to go in the season if we are still there." While neighbours Liverpool are weighed down by the millstone of expectation (and so they should given their resources compared to the teams around them) Moyes is happy to keep working quietly away, as Everton have steadily climbed the table.

A fourth placed finish would be a truly outstanding achievement, but the gut feel of Footy Focus is that Liverpool will get it. They have too many good players and despite it all, a good manager to continue in their present wretched form. Liverpool have the second best defensive record, and have still only been beaten three times this season, which can only be bettered by Arsenal. There's a great team in there trying to get out, and we think they will have that bit too much quality to be overtaken for fourth.

FA Cup - Aston Villa vs Manchester United

Villa and Man United meet again in the FA Cup

Manchester United go into this 3rd round FA Cup game looking to maintain their outstanding form, while Martin O'Neill's young guns will be looking to lift Aston Villa's season from good to potentially great.

For United Carlos Tevez is doubtful while Gary Neville is expected to play some part, even if it is from the bench. van Der Sar and Rooney also return.

For Aston Villa, the focal point of their attack, John Carew is doubtful. Apart from that Aston Villa are injury free.

Footy focus prediction: Manchester United win.

Transfer Gossip Latest - English Premiership

Well, well what a surprise. The Sunday papers are full of the strange, outlandish and downright ridiculous. There's some credible stories too! Here's our take on the latest transfer rumours:

Ridiculous:
According to the Mail Liverpool's owners will tell Rafael Benitez he has no money for the January transfer window.

Anticipating his walk-out the Express is saying Liverpool will make a move for Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill if differences are not resolved.

All in all two ridicuous reports. One a rehash of stories that circulated in Gerard Houllier's day (remember O'Neill ringing Houllier to say he wasn't after his job!) and the other a pure column filler on the back of the recent controversy.

Strange:
Chelsea boss Avram Grant is lining up a surprise transfer move for Everton striker Yakubu so says the Sunday Express. That would be a surprise. He's good but was overpriced at the eleven mill Everton paid for him. Doesn't score nearly enough goals for his price tag and the best he'll do at Chelsea is be a bench warmer for Drogba.

Outlandish
New England boss Fabio Capello has vowed to "win the World Cup". For the News of the World this isn't that bad. The vow isn't outlandish its the belief he can do it! Also I note an English coach is to be appointed to the backroom staff. Why is it they always pick the crap ones! Stuart Pearce and Sammy Lee have been crap club managers but have been in the England management team and are now getting a mention for a return! Harry Redknapp has a much better record!

Credible:
Frank Rijkaard will be offered the job as Chelsea manager at the end of the season. another from the News of the World. I can see this coming off. I reckon Avrim Grant is a chair-warmer until the Chav's line-up a glamour name from the management world.

Last transfer rumour from the News of the World is that Barcelona are interested in signing Manchester United's Edwin van der Sar as a back-up keeper for next season. He's getting on a bit old Edwin and I can see Fergie spending big on a long term replacement this summer.

Liverpool striker Peter Crouch says he will revive his robotic goal celebrations if his club wins the Premier league or he scores a "really big goal" in the Champions League according to the esteemed Sunday Times. This is entirely credible, though equally credible is that it won't come off as the rumours are his January destination of Newcastle or Man City won't win either.

Other transfer reports are saying its good-bye to the Premier Leagues biggest show pony Shevchenko, who will gallop off to AC Milan and the San Siro in the January transfer window. Good riddance I say. Him and Ballack are the worst buys since Winston Bogarde and have been an obscene waste of money.

Crouch, Sissoko & Carson out, Garay in?

All the media reports seem to be pointing to these two on the way out. The usual pattern of unquoted reports are appearing in more than one source. They'll follow the usual trend of it being reported, denied, reported, 'oh maybe' etc until it becomes an open secret. Newcatle, Juventus and err Portsmouth are reportedly after Crouch with Eveton supposedly leading the chase for Sissoko.

One thing to note though is that it is not yet being mentioned on the Liverpool Echo website. They are widely known in Liverpool as being the voice of the club. If it goes on there you know its going to happen so its not cut & dried just yet. I think one or both will go in the summer but I would be surprised if both would be allow to go now unless Liverpool have a major deal lined up - not easy in the January window.

A more definite exit is Scott Carson for $8m with the funds being used to launch a bid for Racing Santander’s Argentinian defender Ezequiel Garay. Benitez is looking to bolster his backline and his happy with his goalkeeping cover of Itandje and Martin.

Premiership Round-up

After the Carling Cup attention turns back to the main game - the Premier League. Theres some massive games this weekend and personally I cant wait. See old Fergie has written off Chelsea and Liverpool. Not sure you can do that just yet but both have some sorting out to do whilst still holding onto the leaders. Chelsea need to settle down to the new manager which may take a while but at the end of the day they have such great players with a great will to win. Liverpool are suffering from too many injuries to key players and Rafa Benitez's dreaded rotations. The Blackburn game is a massive game for them even at this early stage. Lose and they'll be considered out the race in November.

Of the other games away to Boro looks a tough one for Ramos whilst Newcastle vs Portsmouth I think just might provide Big Sam with some more misery. Everton vs Birmingham doesnt exactly promise a mass of entertaining football whilst Derby look set for more misery at Villa.

Bring it on!!

Crouch to Villa?

The 'Mirror is reporting Peter Crouch is to be the subject of a 10 million bid by Aston Villa in January. Seems a little strange to me given O'Neill already has another beanpole in John Carew. Looks like its more column filling speculation and I really cant see Rafa parting with him in January. He may have struggled to get in the side this year but theres plenty of time for him to come good & its often what happens.

Anything is possible next summer of course but I cant see it coming off in January. Now if he was to sell Kuyt or Voronin and use Babel as a forward I'd be really happy!