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Gretna have been relegated to the Scottish third division in the latest twist to the saga surrounding the crisis-torn club.

At the Scottish Football League's AGM, administrator David Elliot could not guarantee the ailing club could fulfil their fixtures next season and, as a result, they have now been demoted an additional two levels.

The Black & Whites were also told that the SFL will not accept the club's continued status of being in administration.

"We and the SFL had to make sure we protected the integrity of our league," said chief executive David Longmuir.

"There was no commitment from the administrator that Gretna could fulfil the fixtures at all in the coming season, which means we had to do what we thought was right for our league."

As a result Airdrie United move up to Division 1 and Stranraer to Division 2 for net season, also if a winding up order is passed on Gretna and they are forced to close, their place will be taken in Division 3 by one of the lower level sides from either the Highland or East of Scotland league.

Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has played down reports linking him with the vacant managerial post at Chelsea.

The Blues are on the lookout for a new boss following the sacking of Avram Grant a week ago, but Scolari says that no contact has been made with the Premier League club.

He told reporters: "I am working normally around the national team squad. "It is normal at the end of a contract for a coach to be mentioned with other clubs. "If I take a decision, I will tell my president, but I haven't made a decision yet. My only decision now is to work until after the European Championships. "My president is Gilberto Madail, he is my representative. If he has had any contact with Chelsea, I haven't been told about it."

Group D: Spain, Greece, Sweden and Russia.

I mentioned in an earlier review that Holland were on of two sides I had backed for the Euro 2008 tournament. The other side and the one I feel will win the whole event is Spain.

For years now Spain have under performed when they have got to the final stages of a major competition and in fact you have to go back to 1964 and the old European Nations Cup competition to find their one and only success in such a competition.

However if Spain are ever to win a major tournament I believe they will not have a better chance then at this one with the current crop of players that coach Luis Aragones has. Even without the talismanic Raul in the squad he can count on the likes of Casillas, Puyol, Iniesta, Fabregas and Xavi before you even get to the forwards that have among their ranks Villa, Silva and Fernando Torres who comes into this event in superb form after his debut season at Liverpool.

The Spanish got to the finals after topping their group ahead of Sweden who they again meet, and although they lost their first 2 group games in qualifying in Northern Ireland and Sweden they won 8 of the last 9.

Greece are the defending champions from 2004 in Portugal when a display of stoic defending saw them lift the cup and made Otto Rehhagel a hero for life in Greece!

They won their group by 7 points from Turkey and though as I have mentioned previously it was not the hardest of groups you cannot take away the fact that Greece won 10 drew 1 lost 1 scored 25 goals and conceded 10 in their 12 games with the only defeat a rather surprising 4-1 home loss to the Turks, Their record was the best in qualifying and is built around a strong team spirit and work ethic. Although the Greeks do not have some of the big names that some other sides in the competition have I doubt if any will have a better team unity.

Sweden as I stated earlier qualified from Spain’s group and were solid if unspectacular in qualifying losing only twice in Spain and Northern Ireland.

The squad in pretty much the same as that which were in the same group as England in the 2006 World Cup in Germany and I feel that they will be over reliant on Ibrahimovic for creativity and goals, also the fact that veterans like Henrik Larsson, Tobias Linderoth and Anders Svensson can still command a place in the squad indicates to me that there is not much talent coming out of Sweden these days, and though Olaf Mellburg is a strong presence at the heart of the defence I do not feel he has enough quality around him.

Russia squeezed into 2nd place in their qualifying group to deprive England of a place in the tournament and were 5 points behind group winners Croatia.

However their strength was definitely at home and they only scored 18 goals in qualifying which must be a concern.

In my opinion they are another of the more dogged sides that lack flair and though they do boast Arshavin and Pogrbnyak (if vailable) the Zenit St Petersburg pair in their ranks the squad in general is average a fact highlighted when in their final group game at home to minnows Andorra they only managed a 1-0 win, and I would be very surprised to see them make the top two in their group.

So to summarise I expect Spain to top the group, but 2nd place is probably the most open of all 4 groups as all the other sides are pretty much on a par, however I feel Greece will be difficult to break down and I will be having a bet on them to QUALIFY from the group, which is at present 11/8 with Bet365 as I write.

So after reviewing all 4 groups I am going to stick my neck out and say the quarter finalists will be: Portugal, Czech Rep, Germany, Croatia, Holland, Italy, Spain and Greece.

Hopefully I will be somewhere in the right area.

Silverfox.

FIFA has voted in favour of the 'six-plus-five rule' which would see a limit placed on the number of foreign players permitted in each team.

The president of the world governing body, Sepp Blatter, has revealed he hopes the controversial rule will be in place by the start of the 2012/13 season.

The rule would see club sides being limited to fielding only five foreign players in their starting XIs.

Speaking earlier in the week at FIFA's annual congress in Australia, Blatter cited the example of the Premier League's dominance of this season's Champions League as a reason to take action.
The Swiss official has been openly critical of the number of foreign players currently plying their trade in England.

"At the end of the Champions League in Europe you have in the quarter-finals four teams of the same association, in the semi-finals three of these teams," he said. "Then in the final you are surprised that you have two teams of the same association? "We want to bring some remedies and this is the six-plus-five rule's objective."

However, the 'six-plus-five rule' is likely to face stiff competition from European lawmakers.
Europe's commissioner for equal opportunities, Vladimir Spidla, has already suggested the European Union will give the rule "the red card".

Meanwhile, FA chief executive Brian Barwick has questioned the need to introduce such a measure.

"It's about balance," he said. "We still believe in the meritocracy of players in the team on performance and on ability first and foremost."

Chelsea have reportedly parted company with assistant first-team coach Henk ten Cate just seven months after appointing the Dutchman.

Ten Cate was drafted into manager Avram Grant's backroom staff following the departure of Jose Mourinho in October.

However following the sacking of Grant in the aftermath of the Champions League Final defeat to Manchester United, ten Cate has now followed the Israeli out of the Stamford Bridge exit door.

The news comes just days after the former Ajax coach and Barcelona assistant claimed his job was safe despite the decision to sack Grant.

"Half an hour before Chelsea made the message about Grant officially known, I was called by the chief executive Peter Kenyon," he told Dutch media. "He informed me that the departure of Grant will not affect me. "In January I had one such evaluation and then we said we would do again after the season. I have a contract until 2010."

The decision to part company with ten Cate would seem to suggest that the Blues are close to appointing a new manager.

AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti, former Internazionale boss Roberto Mancini and current Portugal manager Luiz Felipe Scolari remain the frontrunners for the post.

Who? - Cristiano Ronaldo - Speculation Where is he? - Manchester United Who is he linked with? - Real Madrid

Real Madrid appear to have finally admitted defeat in their bid to lure Cristiano Ronaldo away from Manchester United this summer. The Old Trafford club have continually denied speculation linking the 23-year-old Portugal international with a move to the Bernabeu following his impressive season. Ronaldo scored a remarkable 42 times as United secured a Premier League and Champions League double in the season just ended. The Red Devils threatened to report the Spanish giants to FIFA over their public pursuit of Ronaldo and Real now appear resigned to the fact that the former Sporting Lisbon starlet will be remaining in Manchester for at least another year. "You can't buy what the owner does not want to sell," admitted Real president Ramon Calderon, who has himself released several media statements revealing his admiration for the player in recent weeks. Real Madrid are friends with Manchester United and we do not want to fall out with them."

Who? - Diego Capel - Speculation Where is he? - Seville Who is he linked with? - Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur have not yet matched the valuation for Diego Capel, according to Sevilla president Jose Maria del Rey. The London club have been linked in recent weeks with the highly-rated midfielder, who has a clause in his contract which stipulates he can leave if a certain amount is offered. However, Del Nido has said: "From the discussions with his agents, I have no news if Tottenham are going to pay his buy-out clause, which is 15.6 million euros [12.3 million]. And I ask: Would a foreign club use the clause in Spain? Clubs have asked for three or four players from our squad, but we do not put them on the market. If there are players with low buy-out clauses who could leave, as it happened with [Seydou] Keita [and Barcelona], the club can come and see me on Tuesday."

Who? - Shaun Maloney - Speculation Where is he? - Aston Villa Who is he linked with? - Celtic

Aston Villa midfielder Shaun Maloney has revealed his frustration with life at the club. The 25-year-old joined the Midlands side from Celtic in 2007, but has struggled to settle and been linked with a switch back to Scotland ever since. "I've got something to think about," he said. "I have started to enjoy the club down south but I've just not played and I don't think that's ideal. One day I'd like to come back and play in Scotland but I have got a few years left on my contract at Villa so we will see what happens."

Who? - Emile Lokonda Mpenza - Speculation Where is he? - Manchester City Who is he linked with? - Ipswich Town

Four clubs are interested in signing Manchester City striker Emile Mpenza, according to the player's agent. Bolton Wanderers, Reading, Ipswich Town and League 1 side Leicester City have all signalled their intent, but Ipswich are thought to be frontrunners. Rachid Tajhout explains: "We have had good discussions with Ipswich and hope to receive an offer in the next week or so." Mpenza joined City from Qatari club Al Rayyan in February 2007. He has scored six goals in 30 games since then.

Who? - Gareth Barry - Speculation Where is he? - Aston Villa Who is he linked with? - Liverpool
Aston Villa captain Gareth Barry will sort out his future at Villa Park after England's friendly against Trinidad & Tobago at the weekend. The 27-year-old midfielder is a target for Liverpool, but Barry says he has yet to hold serious talks with Villa boss Martin O'Neill to decide on whether to stay or move on. He said after the 2-0 victory of the USA: "Will I be at Villa next season? That is something I've been speaking to the manager and chairman about. We've already had one meeting. My idea was to get these two games out of the way and I am sure we will be speaking again soon. Any sort of interest by a big club is flattering, but I am still an Aston Villa player. I've got two years left of my contract and until some sort of bid is accepted, or the manager tells me otherwise, there is no decision to make. No decision has been made because no bid has been accepted."

Who? - Aleksandr Hleb - Speculation Where is he? - Arsenal Who is he linked with? - Barcelona, Real Madrid and Internazionale

Arsenal winger Aleksandr Hleb has played down talk of him making an imminent exit from the Gunners, despite rumours linking him with a number of top clubs across Europe. The 27-year-old's agent had made it clear that the Belarus international wants a new challenge, but Hleb has now tried to play down the speculation linking him with the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Internazionale. He told Spox.com: "I have a contract at Arsenal until 2010. I have also read that I have said I want to leave, but I do not know who has written it. That is nonsense. I have also read that I wanted to move because Arsenal would win nothing, this too is nonsense. But I would really not like to comment on the issue really, because there is nothing more to say because the club means so much to me. I have learned so much from Arsene Wenger. This man has always supported me and given me the chance to come to Arsenal. I would therefore never say anything negative about Arsenal. If I go, then only to a different league, in any case. In England, there is only Arsenal for me."

Who? - Brian McBride - Very likely Where is he? - Fulham Who is he linked with? - America

Fulham's veteran American striker Brian McBride has opted to leave the club and return to his homeland this summer. The 35-year-old frontman, who has also played in England for Preston North End and Everton, joined the Cottagers in January 2004 and scored 40 goals in 153 appearances for Fulham. He told the club's official website: "After much consideration with my family, we have decided to leave Fulham after four and a half fantastic years. I have always stated my intention to return to America at some stage and this seems like the right moment in my career to move on. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the club, the chairman, the staff and wonderful fans for all their support, on and off the pitch, during my time at Fulham. I take great pride in the fact that my last appearance for Fulham saw the club maintain their Premier League status. I leave with some wonderful memories from my time at Fulham and the club will always be in my heart. I would like to wish the club, Roy Hodgson and my team-mates every success for the future."

Who? - Andre Ooijer - Speculation Where is he? - Blackburn Rovers Who is he linked with? - Leaving

Blackburn Rovers centre-half Andre Ooijer has admitted that he may consider a move away from Ewood Park this summer to try and secure regular first-team football. The 33-year-old Netherlands international is concerned that he is not viewed as first-choice by Rovers manager Mark Hughes, having had to play second fiddle to Ryan Nelsen and Christopher Samba towards the end of last season. Ooijer, who is under contract with Rovers until the summer of 2009, told Sportweek: "I appreciated my new contract, but a moment later I was sat on the bench. I am not happy about that, I do not wish to continuously sit on the bench. I have talked with Sigi Lens, my agent, and agreed that I would concentrate on the European Championship and the rest is up to him. Sigi knows what I want. Back to Holland? I have not thought about it and there will be a price-tag on my head. Again, I'm not saying I want to go down that road, but I am open to another club."

Who? - James McFadden - Speculation Where is he? - Birmingham City Who is he linked with? - Leaving

Birmingham City's first-team coach Andy Watson is confident that Scotland international forward James McFadden will still be a Blues player at the start of next season. The 25-year-old scored four goals in 12 games for City following his arrival from Everton in the January transfer window, but was unable to help Birmingham avoid relegation from the Premier League. However, Watson is confident that McFadden will not cut and run from St Andrew's. He told the Birmingham Mail: "The one thing I feel about James is that he's a man of his word. He doesn't mess about. If he wanted to go, I'm sure he would come and say 'look, I would like to move'. I think he would be up-front with us and I'm sure if he was unhappy about anything here, he would be first to let us know, in the correct manner. And, by the same token, if something happens and James says 'look, I'd rather be playing in the Premier League' I'm sure he would come and do things the right way as well. I'm certain there wouldn't be any of these things like working for a move, it would be bold, straightforward and up-front. That's the kind of man he is and I respect him for that. He has intimated he would like to be here, he is enjoying it here and he would like to help get us out of the Championship. James is playing every week here and that's what he wants, regular football."

Who? - Michael Bradley - Speculation Where is he? - Heerenveen Who is he linked with? - Everton

Heerenveen midfielder Michael Bradley has again spoken of his desire to make a move to England this summer. The 20-year-old USA international featured for his country in their 2-0 defeat by England at Wembley on Wednesday and Bradley was hoping to impress possible bidders. He told the Daily Echo: "I'd love to play in England. It's a fantastic league and there are some terrific players. I watch the games on TV and the speed of them is incredible. They are competitive and I would love to play here. I have one year left on my contract at Heerenveen, so I am looking to move this summer. Hopefully something will work out. I know all about Everton. It is a great club and I think anybody would be honoured to go and play there, I know I would. We'll just have to see what happens in the next few weeks."

Group C: France, Italy, Holland and Romania.

Due to the fact that UEFA gave seedlings’ to co-hosts Austria and Switzerland there was always going to be one group where a major nation would fail to reach the Quarter Final stages, in this case the “group of death” honour goes to Group C.

France qualified from the same group as Italy and at the expense of a brave Scotland challenge, and since they have now met competitively 3 times in 2 years including the 2006 World Cup final they will hold no secrets for each other.

The French bring to this tournament survivors from their World Cup win of 1998 in the form of Henry, Vieira, Thuram and Makelele as well as new talent such as Ben Arfa and Benzema from Lyon and Nasri who is a target for Arsenal. Though Juventus forward David Trezeguet is a notable absentee.

The French defence again is their strength with only 5 goals conceded in 12 qualifying game.
They finished qualifying 3 points behind Italy and will be eager to make amends for that effort but I have my doubts despite the array of talent about the French team spirit and it will be interesting to se what team coach Domenech fields in the first match against Romania.

Italy the reigning World Champions are like Germany the masters of qualifying for major tournaments, they seem to do the absolute minimum required to progress. They suffered only 1 defeat in qualifying, a 3-1 away loss to France in the 2nd game of qualification but then won 9 out of the next 10 matches without pulling up trees.

Again we have another squad filled with household names and which has a strong centre of the team. Though Nesta will be missing from the defence they still have Buffon in goal, Cannavaro, Panucci, Grosso and Materazzi at the back.

Midfield still has it’s mix of strength as proved by Gattuso and Camorenesi and style with Andrea Pirlo who will supply most of the ammunition for Luca Toni. The only question mark will be how well the Azzuri cope with the loss of talisman Francesco Totti who like Nesta has retired from the international scene.

Holland are one of 2 sides I have had an anti post wager on. The Dutch are long overdue a good tournament and if the can get over the perennial in fighting that has plagued so many Dutch sides in the past they have in my opinion an excellent chance of going far into this event.
They have yet another squad full of world class players that play at the highest level. In goal they have the excellent Van Der Sar fresh from his heroics with Manchester United in the Champions League Final, and he has in front of him quality defenders in the shape Heitinga and Afallay.

In midfield they are truly blessed with Robben, Van Der Vaart, and Sneijder and up front they can boast Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Jan Venegoor of Hesselink Ryan Babbel, Dirk Kuyt and Robin Van Persie who having missed a large slice of the season for Arsenal will be chomping at the bit for some time on the park.

Ironically they too are in the same group as the side that qualified with them in the shape of Romania who finished 3 points ahead of Holland in qualifying.

Romania though the least glamorous of the 4 sides in this group will be underestimated at the other 3 teams peril as I said above they topped the group containing Holland, losing only once away to Bulgaria scoring 26 in 12 games and conceding only 7. Another interesting fact is that in qualifying they took 5 points from Holland without conceding a goal so they are obviously a team to be respected and will not be the group whipping boys!

This is the best crop of Romanian players since the golden era of Hagi and co and they will be a resilient side to beat and the first game against France will go a long way to seeing how well they could progress in the competition.

They are another squad with a group of players spread over Europe and include the likes of defender Cosmin Contra, and Christian Chivu, talented midfielders Florian Petre and Nicolae Dica and proven goal scorers in Adrian Mutu and Daniel Niculae.

This to me is the hardest group to predict and I would not be surprised if goal difference was the deciding factor, but I am putting my money where my mouth is and having a bet on Holland to win the group as with the midfield and strike force they have they could if all goes well make up for a defence which is sometimes caught napping.

The bookies have the French and Italians ahead of the Dutch in this market and at 11/4 with Bet365 I feel there is value to be had.

In the battle for second place I am going to side with the Italian’s due to the history they have of progressing from group stages in major competitions.

So Group C for me will be Holland and Italy progressing to the quarter Final stage.

Silverfox.

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and number two Carlos Queiroz have been cleared of an improper conduct charge by the Football Association.

The charge related to the pair's furious reaction to United's 1-0 FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Portsmouth at Old Trafford back in March.

Referee Martin Atkinson sent off goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak before awarding the visitors a decisive penalty and afterwards Ferguson delivered a stinging rebuke of his performance and also that of chief referee Keith Hackett.

Queiroz also waded into the issue after offering critical comments about Atkinson following the final whistle.

Ferguson, who felt his side should have had their own penalty, fumed: "I'm assessed as a manager, players are assessed, referees should be assessed properly by the right people.
"That performance today should not be accepted by our game."

However a regulatory commission hearing ruled the pair should be found not guilty of the conduct charge.

"At an independent regulatory commission hearing today, charges against Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and assistant manager Carlos Queiroz were found not proved," read an FA statement.

Arsenal winger Alex Hleb has played down talk of him making an imminent exit from the Gunners, despite rumours linking him with a number of top clubs across Europe.

The 27-year-old's agent had made it clear that the Belarus international wants a new challenge, but Hleb has now tried to play down the speculation linking him with the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Internazionale.

He told Spox.com: "I have a contract at Arsenal until 2010.

"I have also read that I have said I want to leave, but I do not know who has written it. That is nonsense. "I have also read that I wanted to move because Arsenal would win nothing, this too is nonsense. "But I would really not like to comment on the issue really, because there is nothing more to say because the club means so much to me. "I have learned so much from Arsene Wenger. This man has always supported me and given me the chance to come to Arsenal. I would therefore never say anything negative about Arsenal. "If I go, then only to a different league, in any case. In England, there is only Arsenal for me."

England coach Fabio Capello hailed captain John Terry for his leading role in the 2-0 friendly win over the USA at Wembley on Wednesday evening.

Chelsea skipper Terry, who had suffered Champions League misery in Moscow a week earlier, headed England in front in the first half, before Steven Gerrard sealed the win after the break.

Afterwards, Capello said: "I am very pleased to see him score. I am very happy for him and us. It was important for him to score, he can go on his holiday happy now. "John Terry is a leader. He is a leader for Chelsea and also the national team. "The captaincy will not be an easy decision and even in my own mind I do not know what the decision will be, but I will make my mind up and when I decide I will talk with the players."

Of his side's overall performance, Capello added: "I saw a lot of things that we were trying to do.
"There was a lot of movement. When we had a chance to play a long ball we did. When it was possible to pass the ball we did that too. "I liked the way we pressed the ball. We did it quickly, we did not waste a lot of time winning the ball back.

"We need to score more goals but we won and that was very important. But now we have to move on because we need to get better in every game."

Group B: Austria, Germany, Croatia and Poland.

Austria are co-hosting this years event with neighbours Switzerland and like the Swiss are seeded to progress from the Group due to the fact that they are host. This only highlights the stupidity of this rule as they are in a tough Group with sides all rated higher then them in the World rankings

They also have not played a competitive game since they failed to qualify for the 2006 World Cup and also like the Swiss they have not been pulling up any trees in their friendly games.
For me the squad lacks depth though they have players of the calibre of Pogatetz, Ivanschitz and Vastic they for me will do well to get out of this group and bearing in mind their last game is against Germany one can only hope that we do not get the scenario of the 1982 World Cup when these two sides “manufactured” a result so that they could both progress.

Germany finished 2nd to the Czech Republic in qualifying and according to the statistics offered by oil giants Castrol are favourites to lift the trophy. Though it would be foolhardy to write off any German side and though I do expect them to make the knock out phase I believe there are stronger teams in the competition.

Having said that any team that can boost the likes of Lahm and Metzelder in defence Ballack and Frings in midfield and forwards of the calibre of Klose and Gomez a recent target of Arsenal’s will take some beating.

The worry for me is how solid their back line is, in a recent friendly they let a 2 goal lead slip against Belarus and if that sort of defending is carried into the tournament they will pay the price.

Croatia I am sure for all England fans will need no introduction! They topped the group with home and away wins against England and suffered only one defeat a surprise 2-0 reverse in Macedonia after qualification was assured. They scored 28 goals and conceded 7 in their 12 games and for me are the side most likely to be dubbed “dark horses” for this years event.
The loss off Eduardo will obviously be a massive blow to the team but coach Sliven Bilic has for me the perfect blend of youth, flair and experience needed to progress deep into the event. They were disappointing in the World Cup and they will be hungry to make amends,

With new Spurs signing Luka Modric and Portsmouth midfielder Niko Krancjar they have two of the most gifted midfielders in the competition and up front Klasnic and Petric can ease the loss of Eduardo again it is only the back line that cause me concern with Kovac and Simic in the veteran stage and Corluka coming into the tournament on the back of Manchester City’s poor end to the season it will be interesting to see if the attack can compensate.

Poland won their qualifying group ahead of Portugal and proved they will again be a hard side to beat.

The squad is solid with few star names and much will depend on Smolarek being in top form in midfield supplying forwards like Zurawski, Saganowski and Matusiak with ammunition
They will be hard to break down in defence and probably possess three of the best keepers in Boruc, Fabianski and Kuszczak and veteran coach Leo Beenhakker will be sorry he cant field all 3.

As with group A I cannot unfortunately see many goals in this group and little flair with the exception of the Croatian pair I have already mention. With Germanys history I am going for them to top the group just ahead of Croatia and for me the key game will be the final match for Croatia against Poland. I expect Croatia to come out winners in that encounter and finish behind the Germans.

Who? - Andrea Dossena - Quite likely Where is he? - Udinese Who is he linked with? - Liverpool
Udinese full-back Andrea Dossena hopes the rumours suggesting he is set to sign for Liverpool eventually come to fruition. The 26-year-old, who is believed to be valued in the region of 8million, is also being linked with switches to Fiorentina and Juventus, but the Reds are currently favourites to land the left-back. "Liverpool are a famous team and it's good to be mentioned with them," said Dossena. "I want to play in the Champions League and Liverpool are a side that have won it and reach the late stages often. "They are one of the famous names in Europe - comparable with the biggest teams in Italy. In England I think Liverpool are Manchester United's equal - they can rival them." Udine coach, Pasquale Marino, believes the defender will eventually move to Anfield, saying earlier this month: "I think that a deal with Liverpool for Dossena is on the way. "Everything is going smoothly. The requirements are in place and the player has given his consent, because he wants to test himself at an important club after the season he has had." Dossena moved to the Friuli in the summer of 2005, having also played in Serie A for both Verona and Treviso, while he has also won one cap for Italy.

Who? - Cristiano Ronaldo - Speculation Where is he? - Manchester United Who is he linked with? - Real Madrid

Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon has played down the spat between his club and Manchester United over the future of Portugal international Cristiano Ronaldo. United had threatened to report Real to FIFA after growing irritated at the Spanish side's public pronouncements concerning a player who scored 42 goals in the campaign just ended. However, Calderon told Real's official website: "We haven't done, nor will we do anything against the wishes of a club that we consider a friend like Manchester United. "Our relationship with Manchester is magnificent and we will not do anything that would violate the will of a team, just as we would not like that done to us. We know Manchester doesn't want to sell and we have nothing to say. It's a problem between the player and his team." On Tuesday evening, United issued a statement that read: "We have watched with growing irritation the comments attributed to Real Madrid over their alleged desire to sign Cristiano Ronaldo. "The facts are: The player is on a long-term contract and his registration is held by Manchester United. The player is not for sale. "The club will have no alternative but to report Real Madrid to the world governing body, FIFA, if it continues to behave in this totally unacceptable fashion. "These public attempts to unsettle the player are completely against the regulations and the club will not tolerate them any longer. "In addition, the club is certain that they are a distraction for the Portuguese national squad as they prepare for the European Championships. "No-one should be in any doubt that Manchester United will do everything in its power to keep its best players."

Who? - Sven Goran Eriksson - Speculation Where is he? - Manchester City Who is he linked with? - Running away

Manchester City manager Sven-Goran Eriksson remains the favourite to become Mexico's new national team coach. Mexican Football Federation president Justino Compean insists the former England boss is on the verge of accepting the post. He said: "We only seriously considered (Luiz Felipe) Scolari and Eriksson. We have sorted out the details with Eriksson and we are about to confirm him. "We are expecting to reveal it (the new coach's name) on June 2, so he can be formally unveiled on the 3rd. It is about to be completed, but as long as we don't have anything signed we cannot reveal anything. "We have already talked to the directors and convinced the ones who initially disagreed. Here we take unanimous decisions and the name will be accepted by everyone."

Who? - Sidney Govou - Very likely Where is he? - Olympique Lyonnais Who is he linked with? - Portsmouth

Lyon striker Sidney Govou's agent believes his client will be a Portsmouth player next season. The 28-year-old has been linked with a host of clubs, but rumours suggesting he was heading to Fratton Park intensified when Pompey boss Harry Redknapp was seen in the stands as Lyon won the French Cup final at the weekend. "Sidney wants to come to England and is interested in Portsmouth," said Govou's agent, Frederic Guerra. "He is at an age where he wants to move. He has made that decision. But at the moment I don't know if that is possible. "I have heard that Harry Redknapp may be interested. But Harry has not contacted me and nor has anyone from Portsmouth so far."

Who? - Giovani dos Santos - Speculation Where is he? - Barcelona Who is he linked with? - Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham have emerged as the favourites to clinch the signing of Barcelona teenager Giovani dos Santos this summer. The 19-year-old burst on to the scene at the Under-17 World Cup in 2005 but has been used sparingly by Barca, not making his first-team debut until September 2007. He went on to score four goals in 11 starts and 22 appearances from the substitute's bench for the Catalan giants in the campaign just ended and is valued in the region of 11million. Dos Santos scored a hat-trick in the 5-3 victory at Murcia on the last day of the 2007-08 season earlier this month.He has five full caps for Mexico despite qualifying to play for Brazil through his father, himself a former footballer, Zizinho. Meanwhile, Brazilian side Cruzeiro have confirmed that reported Spurs target Marcelo Moreno has completed his transfer to Shakhtar Donetsk.

Who? - Ricardo Rocha - Very likely Where is he? - Tottenham Hotspur Who is he linked with? - Benfica

Ricardo Rocha could be heading back to Benfica. The 29-year-old left the Portuguese side and moved to White Hart Lane in January 2007 but has struggled to settle in north London, making only 18 appearances for the club. He suffered an ankle injury eight months ago and has not made a first-team appearance for the north London side since Juande Ramos replaced Martin Jol as manager. New Benfica coach Quique Sanchez Flores is keen to improve his defensive options and is believed to favour a move for former Braga star Rocha.

Who? - Aleksandr Hleb - Speculation Where is he? - Arsenal Who is he linked with? - Real Madrid

Real Madrid coach Bernd Schuster has confirmed that his club are keen to try and sign Arsenal winger Aleksandr Hleb, who seems set to leave the Gunners this summer. The 27-year-old Belarus international has been attracting interest from both Internazionale and AC Milan, having admitted that he is seeking a change of lifestyle. However, Schuster now believes that his club could be in with a strong chance of beating off their Italian rivals to land Hleb. He told AS: "There are a couple of positions that we can improve and that need to be strengthened to have the necessary balance. Over the past two months we have had a plan and we know what we want, but now Hleb has been added. We did not know he could leave Arsenal, but in recent days it has been more positive. We were surprised that he might leave there."

Who? - Fernando Torres - Speculation Where is he? - Liverpool Who is he linked with? - Chelsea
Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks has dismissed as laughable reports linking star striker Fernando Torres with a 50million move to Chelsea this summer. The 24-year-old made a superb start to his time at Anfield, scoring 33 goals in all competitions for the Reds following his arrival from Atletico Madrid. Chelsea are now rumoured to be keen on trying to tempt Torres to move on, but Hicks has stated that there is no chance of that happening. He told The Mirror: "It is simply beyond comprehension. There is no circumstance in which Torres will be sold. Why would the owners invest so much money in supporting the manager to then undermine that support? It is ludicrous." Torres, who is currently preparing for Euro 2008 with the Spain national team told reporters: "I am enjoying my time at Liverpool. I would prefer to forget the transfer talk for now and concentrate on Euro 2008, which is my primary concern at the moment. I will go away on holiday once the tournament has finished and will then return to Liverpool."

Who? - Habib Beye - Speculation Where is he? - Newcastle United Who is he linked with? - Leaving

Newcastle United right-back Habib Beye says he has enjoyed his first season with the Magpies and is ready to remain on Tyneside for the long-term. The 30-year-old Senegal international fitted in well following his arrival from French club Marseille and Beye is looking forward to help move the club forward next term. He told the Evening Chronicle: "Even after my contract is finished here, I'd like to stay beyond it. Playing for Marseille was a fantastic experience, but Newcastle is a special club for me. We wanted to finish last season strongly and already we are looking forward to next year. I'm very happy to play for Newcastle. Sometimes you have some difficulties, but you learn all the time when you play football. This season has been different for me. When I played for Marseille, I played in the Champions League and this year we had to fight to keep Newcastle in the Premier League. But you learn all the time and I'm really enjoying playing for Newcastle. I want to stay and spend a long time here."

Who? - Marek Matejovsky - Speculation Where is he? - Reading Who is he linked with? - Leaving

Reading's Czech Republic international midfielder Marek Matejovsky has hinted that he will stay with the Royals next season, despite their relegation from the Premier League. The 26-year-old only moved to the Madejski Stadium in January and scored once in 14 games as Steve Coppell's side suffered relegation from the top-flight. He told Pravo: "I have a contract at Reading and I count on returning there. I have been watching news on the internet to know if they are going to sell some players and if coach Steve Coppell will stay. I read that he would continue for which I am glad, as he brought me into the club and he knows me well. I have learned to play football in a high tempo. I had to do my maximum in every training session to at least be nominated for the games. The competition is big and I am glad that I have had the chance to play so many games in the Premier League. It has definitely helped me and I hope I will be a little bit better."

With the Euro 2008 Championships due to kick off in just over a week in Austria and Switzerland i thought i would preview the 4 groups over the next few days and try and pick the qualifiers for the Quarter Final Phase.

Group A: Czech Rep, Portugal, Switzerland and Turkey.

The Czechs qualified by topping their qualifying group ahead of Germany, they scored 27 and conceded only 5 in 12 games winning 9 and losing just once.

They will be hampered by the loss through injury of Arsenal midfielder Tomas Rosicky but with the likes of Cech in goal, Jankulovski and Ujfalusi in defence and Baros and Koller up front they have the experiance to get through the group.

Portugal finished 2nd behind Poland in their qualifying group in what was one of the weaker groups containing as it did the likes of Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Armenia and not suprisingly they only lost once in qualifying away to Poland. What was of concern was the less then convincing performances against the minnows dropping points in Finland and Armenia and only scrapping a 1-0 home win against Armenia.

However they do have Christiano Ronaldo who is at present in the best form of his life and arguably the best player in the world at this moment. He is supported in a strong squad by the likes of new Chelsea signing Boswinga and team mate Carvalho in defence and Deco, Simao and Veloso in midfield, and the World Cup Semi Finalists of 2006 must feel confident of progressing deep into the competition.

Switzerland the co-hosts have not played a competative game since a dire 0-0 with Ukraine in the 2nd round of the World Cup and to be honest their friendly results in the following 2 years do not inspire confidence and i find it hard to see them getting out of this group even with home advantage.

They have a number of promising players in their squad such as Djourou and Degen, Liverpool`s new signing at the back and Vonlanten, Fernandes and Barnetta in midfield, with Frei always likely to poach a goal but the key question will be how Phillipe Senderos can come back from his disasterous performance at Liverpool in the Champions League, rumour has it that he was so devasted by the performance Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger left him out of the squad for his own sake. He needs to be at his best at the back of the Swiss defence to give the co-hosts a chance of progress.

Turkey the final team in the group again finished 2nd in qualifying to Greece but were 7 points behind them in what was another week group which contained the likes of Moldova, Hungary and Malta.

They again have another solid squad with a good blend of youth and experiance though the defence looks a little suspect. However they have creativity and talent in midfield and attack with the likes of the Altintop twins, Emre, Tuncay and Nihat Kevachi so they may cause a suprise or two if they bring their A game to the table.

In summary i cannot see many goals in this group so any chances the forwards get they will have to take full advantage of. With this in mind i am going for Portugal with Ronaldo in such fine form to top the group and the key match for who finishes 2nd could be the Czech Republic v. Turkey with i would expect the Czechs coming out on top to take second place.

So Portugal and the Czech Republic to get through Group A and as far as a betting opportunity is concerned i will be going for Portugal at 11/8 to top the Group.



Silverfox.

Former Chelsea captain Didier Deschamps claims that he is on a four-man shortlist to become the next manager of the Stamford Bridge club.

The Blues are on the lookout for a new boss following the sacking of Avram Grant, with a host of top names linked with the vacant post.

However, Deschamps believes that he is one of the leading contenders for the job, having been out of the game since leaving Juventus a year ago. He told Monaco-based radio station RMC: "Three or four managers are on the list and I am one of them. "It would be hard to refuse Chelsea and I want to return to coaching. I needed to rest, but I feel capable of achieving good things now. "Breaking back into management is complicated because there are not always the opportunities, but the Chelsea position is now free. "I am flattered to be considered a possible candidate for the role. "They sacked their manager not because of the results they achieved, but because of their wish to play a more attacking, attractive style of football in the next few years.
"They are a very big club, that I know well. We will see over the next few days how it goes, but any big-name manager who is available would interest them."

Who? - Fernando Torres - Speculation Where is he? - Liverpool Who is he linked with? - Chelsea
Chelsea will offer 50 million in a bid to sign Fernando Torres from Liverpool, if reports are to be believed. The Spainiard has made a big impression at Anfield in his first season since arriving from Spain, and Rafa Benitez will be keen to keep hold of him. However, Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is looking for ways to strengthen his side after the Blues ended the term trophyless. Torres is thought to be at the top of his wishlist, and he could take advantage of the internal disruption at Anfield to sign him. An insider is quoted as saying in the Daily Mail: "There is a desire among certain people at Liverpool to sell at the right price. It's just a case of whether they have the nerve to incur the wrath of the Liverpool fans."

Who? - Thierry Henry - Speculation Where is he? - Barcelona Who is he linked with? - Manchester United

Barcelona striker Thierry Henry was on the verge of joining Manchester United two weeks ago, according to reports. The former Arsenal superstar endured a tough time in his first season at the Nou Camp after being asked to play out of position by boss Frank Rijkaard. However, the Dutchman has since been replaced by Pep Guardiola, and this inspired Henry to stay. A source told The Daily Mirror: "Thierry was told by the new coach he didn't want him to leave, that he was going to be a big player for Barca next season and would have an important role to play for them. That reassured Thierry - but United were ready to buy him."

Who? - Fraizer Campbell - Speculation Where is he? - Manchester United Who is he linked with? - Hull City

Hull City manager Phil Brown is hoping to keep striker Frazier Campbell at the club next season. The youngster is currently on loan from Manchester United and has enjoyed a fantastic campaign at the KC Stadium, scoring 15 goals. The Tigers beat Bristol City in Saturday's Championship Play-Off Final to secure promotion into the Premier League, and Brown knows he will have to strengthen his squad, starting with Campbell. "I'll be doing business with United boss Sir Alex Ferguson," said Brown. "I don't know if Fraizer will stay, that is for the manager of the European champions to decide. It is obvious that he is a talent and we want to keep him and I would have thought that we had the money to buy him now, but that is not my decision. He is top of my shopping list and I have promised the players who got us into the Premier League that they will be given their chance. We have a good nucleus, but I will add to the squad with players who will improve us on the field and off the field."

Stockport County secured promotion to League One after edging out local rivals Rochdale by a 3-2 scoreline in an entertaining play-off final at Wembley.

Jim Gannon's side will be mixing with the likes of Leeds United, Leicester City and Millwall next season after coming back from a goal down to live up to their billing as slight pre-match favourites in a meeting of two sides from Greater Manchester.

Stockport had finished one place and two points above their near neighbours in the final League Two table, but were made to work hard on a wet afternoon at Wembley.

Rochdale had taken the lead in the 24th minute after playing second fiddle for the opening exchanges of a tight encounter.

Chris Dagnall had seen a rising drive deflected for a corner before defender Rory McArdle rose the highest at the near post to direct the resulting flag-kick past a static defence and goalkeeper.
But the early setback appeared to act as a wake-up call for County, who were almost back on level terms five minutes later when Anthony Pilkington's bending 25-yard free-kick whipped just the wrong side of the upright.

The equaliser did come on 34 minutes when the unlucky Nathan Stanton was unsighted by Jim McNulty from a low Tommy Rowe's cross and only succeeded in palming the ball into the back of his own net.

Stockport continued to hold the upper hand and went ahead for the first time in the match on 49 minutes when Pilkington calmly headed a Michael Rose cross which skidded up off the wet surface into the back of the net via the underside of the bar from ten yards.

It looked like game over when the impressive Liam Dickinson - who ran himself into the ground as a lone striker - produced a superb first-time finish to lash a low Pilkington cross between the keeper and his near post to make it 3-1 in the 67th minute.

But Adam Rundle's own tremendous strike when he dispatched an angled volley from the edge of the penalty area past Conrad Logan in the Stockport goal 13 minutes from time set-up a grandstand finish.

However, Stockport held firm and, after losing on each of their four previous visits to Wembley, it was their fans who celebrated a well-deserved promotion at the final whistle.

Almost 12 years since he blasted himself into the spotlight of world football with a long-range goal against Wimbledon at Selhurst Park, David Beckham showed that his long-range radar is still working this weekend with a goal from even further out for LA Galaxy against Kansas City Wizards. With opposition keeper Kevin Hartman having gone up for a corner and the goal gaping, it wasn't quite so impressive as his strike against the Dons, but Becks still had to hit the target from around 70 yards, and it has given him a real boost in a big week.

He's back in England now, in training for England's friendly against the USA at Wembley, a fixture that has plenty of significance for him, not least because he will be presented with a commemorative golden cap before the game by Sir Bobby Charlton to celebrate Goldenballs having won his 100th England cap against France earlier this year. Galaxy team-mate Landon Donovan will be winning his own 100th cap for the USA, so they'll both have plenty to celebrate, whatever happens in the game.

Both of them got on the scoresheet against the Wizards at the weekend in a 3-1 win for the ever-improving Galaxy, with Donovan earning and converting a second half penalty to level the scores after the visitors had taken the lead in the first half. Edson Buddle made it 2-1 soon after, and Beckham took advantage of Hartman's late charge up field for a corner to seal the victory and get himself a standing ovation from the crowd at the Home Depot Center with his fourth goal of the season.

"If he had missed that, his reputation would have been done," Gullit joked afterwards, but he had not been so happy with the first half performance: "There was a lot of irritation on the field, especially for the start because you see things slipping out of your hands," said Gullit. "The first two minutes was ridiculous. We were giving the ball away. We looked nervous, and they were growing into the game."

Afterwards, Galaxy defender Chris Klein admitted: "I probably can't repeat what he said in the locker room, but you single some people out. We all looked around the locker room and looked at ourselves. We all played a much better second half individually." He also paid tribute to Beckham's goal: "He does it 10, 15 times a day in training anyway, so no one's really surprised, but it was still a brilliant goal. I asked him if he realized that the goal was unattended, and he said he did, he just needed to take an extra touch to prepare the shot."

LA Galaxy's reward for that improved performance and another good result is that they are now top of the Western Conference and have made a much better start to the 2008 season than they did a year ago, when the upheaval of Beckham's impending arrival overwhelmed them. Their next game is tonight in the US Open Cup against Colorado Rapids, but they will of course be without their two star players.

US coach Bob Bradley has paid tribute to the two stars ahead of their battle: "David Beckham can still play a great ball," Bradley said. "He can deliver short passes and long passes and obviously free-kicks so he is still a very dangerous guy. Landon is a smart player, one of our most important. Because he plays in Major League Soccer people don't see him that often so this is a good opportunity for him to show them what he can do."

Still waiting to show people what he can do though is David Bentley, and his England chances have been hit again by the return of Beckham to the scene, though he made a joke of it yesterday: "I think I may have scored from 70 yards when I was about 11," he said. "No, I haven't seen his one, but I've been winding up David all morning. Open goal, wasn't it? I have a good relationship with him. I try to learn from him, watch the way he goes about his business because he is a team-mate in my position. To take over from someone like that I have to work hard. Nobody's going to give the place to me."

Who? - Cristiano Ronaldo - Speculation Where is he? - Manchester United Who is he linked with? - Real Madrid

Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo has said he is not interested in the rumours linking him with a move away from Old Trafford. The Portuguese superstar has enjoyed a fantastic season in Manchester and been linked in the last few weeks with a move to Real Madrid. However, he insists that he does not listen to press speculation and will decide on his future when he is ready. "What the press speculate about goes over my head," he revealed. "I have already been used to it for the past two years. I am calm. Everything's clear and I will repeat it once again so that the whole world understands: there will be news in two or three weeks. At the moment I am here, I am going to give my best and do the best possible in the European Championships."

Who? - Luke Moore and Roman Bednar - Speculation Where is he? - Aston Villa and Hearts Who is he linked with? - West Bromwich Albion

West Bromwich Albion manager Tony Mowbray will make his first signings of the summer this week, if rumours are to be believed. The experienced boss will begin his bid to strengthen the Baggies' squad in time for the new season by bringing in Aston Villa's Luke Moore and Hearts' Roman Bednar. Bednar was at the Hawthornes on loan last term and has done enough to encourage Mowbray to sign him on a permanent basis for 2.3million. Moore, meanwhile, will come from Midlands rivals Villa for a fee of 3.5million. South Korean midfielder Kim Do-Heon is also thought to be on Mowbray's list of targets.

Who? - 65million - Speculation Where is he? - Thaksin Shinawatra's wallet Who is he linked with? - Manchester City

Manchester City owner Thaksin Shinawatra will reportedly supply the club with a 65million transfer kitty in the summer in a bid to win over the fans. The Thai owner has become increasingly unpopular at Eastlands since doubt was cast over the future of manager Sven Goran Eriksson last month. The Swede has enjoyed an impressive first campaign with the club, and fans want him to stay on. A City source said: "The owner's family have told him how badly the fans have taken it all but he seems confident things will soon be forgotten. His people insist he has an ace up his sleeve."

Five years ago Leeds were in the Premiership while Doncaster were in the Conference, but it will be Rovers that will be playing at the higher level next term after they beat Gary McAllister's side 1-0 at Wembley in the League One play-off final.

James Hayter headed the only goal of the match early in the second half as Doncaster deservedly beat their more illustrious Yorkshire rivals.

Two years ago Leeds played poorly when they were beaten 3-0 by Watford in the Championship play-off final and, although United produced a better display this time, they were second-best for long spells, particularly in the opening 30 minutes of the game.

Jason Price fired over the bar in the eighth minute when he should really have scored before Richie Wellens fired into the side-netting when a cross would surely have been the better option.
Casper Ankergren then twice saved Leeds by racing out of his goal to deny first James Coppinger and then Hayter.

When Leeds finally settled the lively Jermaine Beckford shot straight at former Leeds keeper Neil Sullivan but it was Rovers that ended the first period strongly with Hayter once again going close to breaking the deadlock.

Doncaster finally scored the goal their good play deserved two minutes after the interval when the unmarked Hayter headed past Ankergren from virtually on the penalty spot.

Leeds tried to respond but they looked strangely disjointed despite Jonny Howson's promptings.
He fired a shot over the bar, but veteran keeper Sullivan was not called on to make any impressive saves as Rovers defended doggedly.

Next season Leeds will be playing the likes of Hereford United and Cheltenham Town while Rovers are in the second tier of English football for this first time since 1948.

This afternoon Stockport take on Rochdale in the final of the league 2 play off to bring the curtain down on another season of league football.

Rochdale have the unenviable record of being the team with the longest gap since it last got promoted. The last time the success starved Rochdale fans tasted promotion was in 1969 which in anyones book is a long time!

Stockport finished 4th in the regular season and Rochdale 5th with only 2 points seperating the sides after 46 matches and another tense and tight affair is expected today to go with the previous 2 play off final played over the weekend.

Rochdale got to the final after a penalty shoot out against Darlington after both legs ended 2-1 to the home side, and Stockport progressed at the expense of Wycombe by an aggregate score of 2-1.

Stockport beat Rochdale home and away during the regular season and the Rochdale defence will be sick of thesight of Stockport striker Liam Dickinson who scored all 4 goals in the 2 wins.

I saw Stockport in the first leg of the play off semi against Wycombe and was impressed by the style of football they played. Manager Jim Gannon has a crop of young players who pass the ball well and in Dickinson they he a striker who is a good target man but has skill as well and as i have said previously i believe he is destined to play at a higher level be it with Stockport or some other side.

The early team news is that Stockport defender Matty McNeil could be handed a surprise recall for the League Two play-off final after six months out with a knee injury. Gareth Owen can wear a mask to protect a broken cheekbone and Dominic Blizzard has recovered from a calf injury, but Michael Raynes (hamstring) misses out.

Rochdale midfielder David Perkins will miss the game through suspension after his sending off against Darlington in the last game and he will be a big miss for Dale how will also be without striker Lee Thorpe, who has a leg injury and recently broke his arm.

As i said earlier i expect this to be as close as the previous play off finals but i feel Stockport have the slight edge and at best price 6/4 with William Hill about a Stockport win today i will be having an investment on that outcome.

Good luck as ever

Silverfox.

Britain`s Lewis Hamilton achieved one of his boyhood dreams yesterday when he won the Monaco Grand Prix.

However it could have ended all so differently as he had to overcome a crash with the barriers on lap 6 before going on to master the rainy conditions at one of the Worlds most demanding tracks.

The win also helped lift Hamilton to the top of the Drivers leaderboard in this years competition and he will be going into the Canadian Grand Prix in 2 weeks time full of confidence.

Robert Kubica and Phillipe Massa filled the other podium places in a race full of it`s usuals thrills and spills.

Leeds United and Doncaster Rovers will today fight out the final of the league 1 play off for the right to play Championship football next season.

Leeds have done extremely well this year following their relegation last season and subsequent 15 point penalty to make the play offs, also they have had to reach this point without the management team of Dennis Wise and Gus Poyet who went to Newcastle and Spurs respectively.

However in Gary McAllister they have a manager who likes his team to play football the way he did with class and style. He has at his disposal a fine crop of youngsters who if he can keep them together can see the club go on to better things. Weather he can keep hold of them or not depends on the result of todays game.

Leeds very impressive in their semi final clash with Carlise coming back from losing the home leg 2-1 to record a 3-2 aggregate win.

Doncaster themselves were also impressive in their semi final clash with Southend winning the home leg 5-1 after a 0-0 draw at Roots Hall in the first leg and only missed out on automatic promotion on the last day of the season.

Again Sean O`Driscoll the Donnie manager has put together a squad on a limited budget that would not be out of place playing at a higher level.

The 2 clashes between these sides in the league does not offer a clue to which way the game will go today as both beat the other 1-0 in their away fixtures.

So for once i am just going to sit back and enjoy what i hope for all neutrals will be an entertaining game and may the best team win.

After a season that promised so much Rangers won their 2 trophy yesterday when they beat a gallant Queen of the South team 3-2 to lift the Scottish Cup at Hampden.

Much has been said and written about Rangers fixture backlog but in the first half of their 68th game of the season you could possibly of asked yourself what the problem was as Rangers cruised into a 2 goal lead thanks to goals from Kris Boyd and USA international DaMarcus Beasley.

However when the sides came out for the 2nd half it looked like fatigue had caught up with the Ger`s as Queen of the South hit back with 2 goals in 3 minutes from Steve Tosh and John Thompson.

The Rangers players looked visibly shaken when the second goal went in and the thought of extra time and even penalties must have been going through their minds, but in the 73rd minute Kris Boyd scored his 2nd of the game and 25th of the season to give Rangers the win.

But all credit to a brave Queen of the South team that played good football and pushed their illustious opponents to the limit.

The condemned man that was Avram Grant finally ran out of stays of execution and was sacked by Chelsea last night.

One has to ask the question that if a man who has led his side to 2nd in the Premier League, beaten finalists in the Carling Cup after extra time and who lost to the lottery that is a penalty shoot out can be sacked then what hope for any other less successful manager?

Obviously Grant`s days were numbered almost from the day he succeeded Jose Mourinho for no other reason i can see that he was a quiet man without an enormous ego. He did make mistakes tactically but name me a manager including the greatest modern day manager Sir Alex Ferguson who has not (in fact i can think of one or to whoppers from the great man this season alone!).

The usual list of suspects will be wheeled out now with Frank Rijkaard apparently top of the list, but unless they can win all 4 trophies next season it seems Mr Abramovich will be handing out another P45 come May 2009!

Mind you if rumours are to believed Avram could be replacing another manager who has not done much wrong this season but still may face a trip to his local job centre soon, as he is now being linked with the Manchester City job that could possibly be available.

Is it me or is the Premier League becoming more like the football management PC games these days?

The boot of Ronan O`Gara ensured that Munster lifted the Heineken Cup for the 2nd time in 3 years yesterday with a narrow 16-13 win over French side Toulouse at the Millenium Stadium

Indeed the Cardiff arena is proving a happy hunting ground for the men from Munster as it was also the scene of their 2006 final victory against another French side Biarritz.

Whilst O`Gara was in fine kicking form the same could not be said for Toulouse`s Jean-Baptiste Elissade who though he landed a penalty,Conversion and Drop goal missed with 2 other penalty attempts that would have given his side victory.

The game was dominated in the main by the forwards with Munsters pack slowly wearing down their opposite numbers but in the end O`Gara was coolness himself as with the scores tied at 13-13 he sent the winning penalty between the posts to spark scenes of joy amongst the hordes of Munster fans.

Who? - Jens Lehmann - Speculation Where is he? - Arsenal Who is he linked with? - Stuttgart or Retirement

Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann has revealed that he is unsure about his footballing future. The veteran stopper is out-of-contract with the Gunners in July and has not yet committed himself to a new team. German club Stuttgart have shown an interest in signing him, but Lehmann says he may consider retirement at the end of Euro 2008. "The situation is that I have no club from July 1," said Lehmann. "At the moment, that would mean I am retiring because I have no other club. VfB [Stuttgart] are led seriously, have a good team which plays attractive football and, thus, a good coach. I have known [Stuttgart director of sport[ Horst Heldt for 20 years and these are all arguments which would speak for joining them. Either I find a new club before we play [against Serbia] in Gelsenkirchen on May 31, or I decide after the tournament. It could also be that a decision is taken after my holidays on July 25, but I am under no pressure."

Who? - Deiberson Geovanni - Speculation Where is he? - Manchester City Who is he linked with? - The exit door

Manchester City midfielder Geovanni has said he hopes he is still at the club next season. The 28-year-old's contract comes to an end in the summer, and with boss Sven Goran Eriksson's future also uncertain it may not be extended. "It's been a brilliant year and the fans have really taken me to their hearts," he told City's official website. "Everywhere I go in Manchester they make me feel welcome and ask for pictures and autographs - they love me and I love them too. I would love to stay at the club, but as a professional footballer I have to consider all my options. Whether those options are in the UK, the Premier League or elsewhere we'll have to see, but I hope to be able to sort out my future in the next couple of weeks."

Who? - Players - Speculation Where is he? - Anywhere Who is he linked with? - Liverpool

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez believes his club must keep on spending to stay title contenders. The Anfield side finished this season in fourth, eleven points behind winners Manchester United, and the Spaniard said: "Every year you must improve a lot because the other teams are doing the same. I think Chelsea have just spent 16million on a right-back [Jose Bosingwa], even though they got to the [Champions League] final. This year we have improved a lot. We signed two or three really good players, and also players who've been good for the club."

Hull City will play in the English top-flight for the first time in their history after a stunning Dean Windass volley was enough to secure a 1-0 Championship play-off final win over Bristol City.

Windass rifled in a superb 15-yard right-foot volley seven minutes before the break at Wembley, having been set up by good work by on-loan striker Fraizer Campbell.

The Robins had been forced to draft in Liam Fontaine at centre-half for Jamie McCombe, who was suffering with a stomach bug, while the Tigers looked to veteran hometown duo Nick Barmby and Windass for inspiration.

Just five minutes in Robins striker Dele Adebola was played in by a ball over the top, but he could not find the power to beat Boaz Myhill from close range.

That proved to be the only opening of a disappointing first half, until Windass broke the deadlock with a goal worthy of winning any game.

The Robins were also forced into a change just before the interval, when Bradley Orr had to be stretchered off after an earlier clash of heads with Barmby.

Bristol City started the second period in more positive fashion, but long-range free-kicks from David Noble and Michael McIndoe were the closest they came to finding an equaliser.
Lee Trundle almost conjured an opening with 17 minutes left and he thought he had rescued the game five minutes from time. The striker was on hand after Myhill had flapped at a high ball into the area, but Michael Turner made a matchwinning block from close range.

With time running out Sam Ricketts made another crucial interception near his own line, as the Tigers held on to send their fans into delirium at the final whistle.

Today sees the start of the play off finals at Wembley with Bristol City and Hull fighting it out to see who joins W.B.A. and Stoke City in next seasons Premiership.

This match is billed as the £60 million game as that is what it is approximately worth to the winner when they enter the big league.

In the 2 league encounters Bristol had the edge earning a 0-0 draw at the KC Stadium and winning 2-1 at Ashton gate in the regular season and in fact only 1 point and 1 place seperated the 2 sides after 46 matches with Hull 3rd and Bristol City 4th.

However prior to their win over Crstal Palace in the play off semi finals Bristol had been going through a bad patch of form whilst Hull who demolished Watford in their semi have it seems hit form at just the right time.

As the figures suggest i expect it to be a tight affair as is the case with most play off finals but at best price 11/8 about a Hull win in 90 minutes my money is going on Hull to break the trivia question of the moment and no longer be the biggest City in England never to have had a team in the top flight.

Who? - Samuel Eto'o - Speculation Where is he? - Barcelona Who is he linked with? - Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur assistant manager Gustavo Poyet has cooled reports linking the club with a move for Cameroon international Samuel Eto'o. Earlier in the month Spurs were linked with the 27-year-old Barcelona striker who seems certain to leave the Camp Nou this summer. However, Poyet insists Eto'o will not be coming to White Hart Lane, telling Spanish radio station Ona FM: "Samuel Eto'o is not a priority for our team. Moreover, we're not interested in him. We'll be having a meeting next week to talk about signings, as we've already made one interesting one for next season." Tottenham landed Croatia international Luka Modric from Dinamo Zagreb in a 16.5million deal before the end of the 2007-08 campaign. Eto'o has spent the last four seasons with Barcelona, scoring 89 goals in 136 appearances for the Catalan giants.

Who? - Gregory Coupet - Speculation Where is he? - Olympique Lyonnais Who is he linked with? - Tottenham Hotspur

Lyon have denied reports suggesting Tottenham Hotspur have made an approach for their goalkeeper Gregory Coupet. Coupet, 35, has been linked with a move to White Hart Lane to replace unsettled England keeper Paul Robinson. But the French champions have denied reports which claim Spurs have made an official bid for the experienced keeper. The France international helped Lyon secure a seventh straight league title in the season just ended. Vice-captain Coupet will start for Les Gones in Saturday's French Cup final against Paris St Germain at the Stade de France. "Lyon categorically deny having received any offer from the English club Tottenham about the transfer of Gregory Coupet," read a club statement. "Moreover, the club would like to remind everyone of the general fact that no discussions relating to possible transfers will take place before the Coupe de France final at the Stade de France on Saturday in which the club as a whole have all their focus."

Who? - Olivier Kapo - Speculation Where is he? - Birmingham City Who is he linked with? - Other clubs

Co-owner David Gold has revealed that relegated Birmingham City have received several bids for midfielder Olivier Kapo. The French midfielder joined the Blues from Juventus last summer, but could be on the move again following the St Andrew's club's demotion to the Championship. The 27-year-old made 26 appearances in the recently completed season despite struggling with a series of niggling injuries. "We have received bids for Kapo but we don't need to sell him - and if we do we will replace him like for like," Gold told the Birmingham Post. "We have a 25million black hole following relegation and we have to bear that in mind. The team that got us relegated is a squad that, in my opinion, is capable of getting us straight back up."

Who? - Younes Kaboul - Speculation Where is he? - Tottenham Hotspur Who is he linked with? - Portsmouth

Defender Younes Kaboul has edged closer to the exit door at Tottenham Hotspur after suggesting he would be keen on a move to Portsmouth. The 22-year-old Frenchman has been overlooked for the first team since the arrival of Juande Ramos in October. He also risked further upsetting the Spanish coach after questioning his influence on the club in an outburst earlier this month. Kaboul, who only arrived at White Hart Lane last summer from Auxerre, is behind the likes of Jonathan Woodgate, Michael Dawson and Ledley King in the pecking order and has welcomed reported interest from Pompey. "They may be the club showing the biggest determination to secure my services. We will see," he claimed. "I do not know yet, we will see during the transfer window. For the moment, some clubs contacted me, but there are no concrete offers yet. All I know is that I have three years remaining on my contract and that I have to play. I am 22 and cannot stay on the bench and sometimes stay at home. I am a competitor before everything. When you arrive in the Premier League, it is hard to leave it. Personally, this league suits me a lot. I do not want to change atmosphere."

Germany has been installed as favourites to win UEFA EURO 2008 according to the Castrol Performance Index, a new tool being used to objectively analyse team and player performance at this summer's European Championships.

Although Spain is the strongest team going into the tournament, based on international teams' performances and results since 2000, their Group draw means the team are second favourites behind the Germans, who have a 17% chance of glory.

The Castrol Performance Index has used the past performances to work out each team's attack and defence ratings, weighting recent results to count for more. Then, by simulating the tournament more than 100,000 times, it has calculated each team's chances of progression at UEFA EURO 2008 and then winning it.

Team - Progress to Quarter Final - Progress to Semi Final - Progress to Final - Win UEFA EURO 2008
Germany - 83% - 51% - 32% - 17%
Spain - 79% - 42% - 24% - 14%
Netherlands - 55% - 33% - 18% - 10%
Czech Republic - 63% - 36% - 20% - 10%
France - 54% - 32% - 17% - 10%
Romania - 49% - 27% - 14% - 7%
Italy - 42% - 23% - 12% - 6%
Switzerland - 51% - 25% - 12% - 5%
Portugal - 51% - 25% - 11% - 5%
Croatia - 55% - 26% - 11% - 5%
Sweden - 45% - 17% - 7% - 3%
Greece - 43% - 15% - 6% - 2%
Turkey - 34% - 14% - 6% - 2%
Poland - 37% - 14% - 5% - 2%
Russia - 33% - 10% - 3% - 1%
Austria - 26% - 9% - 3% - 1%

"Castrol's belief is that the more you know about your performance, the more you can learn from it," explained Rob Stroud, Marketing Manager at Castrol. "At UEFA EURO 2008, the Castrol Performance Index will use football data to provide fans with objective analysis on their teams' and players' performances."

"These results show that while Germany has a great opportunity to win its first European Championships since 1996, there are a number of teams capable of winning it."
Castrol, who are the tournament's 'official sponsor of statistics', will also be analysing the performances of individual players at the tournament through the Castrol Performance Index (CPI).

Less then 48 hours after Rangers were beaten 2-0 at Aberdeen, a result that saw Celtic win the title, Rangers step out at Hampden Park to take on League One side Queen of the South.

The FA Cup in England in recent times has suffered from top sides not taking the competition seriously but in this case the Scottish FA have to take a long hard look at the situation.

Rangers are paying the price for a successful season where up until just over a week ago they could possibly have won 4 trophies. However since they lost the UEFA Cup Final to Zenit St Petersburg in Manchester on the 14th May they have played including that game 4 matches in 9 days and today will be 5 in 11 which is a ridiculous situation in any language.

Their opponents today Queen of the South have done superbly well to make the Final having beaten Aberdeen 4-3 in the Semi Final, the 3 goals they conceded in that game being the first they had let in during their Cup run which included wins against non league Linlithgow as well as Morton and Dundee. Also they should have the edge in fitness having not played a competitive game since losing 4-0 to Dunfermline in the League back on 26th April.

However i believe Walter Smith will rally his men for one final effort and though at 3/10 about a Rangers win it is not a betting option for me i hope they can do it as a reward for their efforts in recent weeks, as for the Doonhammers i expect they will be happy dreaming of a place in Europe next term and who knows a trip to fellow UEFA Cup qualifiers AC Milan!

After what seemed a stay of execution for Ian Holloway after Leicester were relegated to League 1 for the first time in their history at the end of the season, it was announced yesterday that he had left the club by mutual consent.

Holloway, a popular figure in the game could not get the best out of the squad assembled at the Walkers Stadium and he paid the price of failure in a season that promised so much at the start.

Milan Mandaric the clubs chairman has stated that he intends to stay at the club and help in the rebuilding process and the start of that process could see Paul Lambert installed as the Foxes new coach after he resigned from his job at Wycombe earlier this week after the lost their League 2 play off semi to Stockport.

Who? - Cristiano Ronaldo - Speculation Where is he? - Manchester United Who is he linked with? - Real Madrid

Cristiano Ronaldo has refused to confirm he will definitely be at Manchester United next season despite their Champions League Final success. The Portugal international opened the scoring for the Red Devils against Chelsea in Moscow with his 42nd goal of an incredible season. After Chelsea had levelled the game at 1-1 and the two teams had played out a goalless period of extra-time, Ronaldo then missed a penalty in the shoot-out. However, John Terry and Nicolas Anelka's own failures from the spot allowed United to claim a third European crown in their history. However speaking afterwards, Ronaldo was non-committal about his future amid continued talk of a 100million transfer to Real Madrid. "I don't promise nothing, I don't promise nothing to my mum, I don't promise nothing to the supporters," he said. "I want to stay, but the future...no-one knows. I want to stay. We are going to see in the next two weeks, I don't say I make a decision." However, in another interview, with the Manchester Evening News, Ronaldo seemed more positive: "I have played with these lads for five years and to win the Premier League and the Champions League is a great achievement. It is big for the club and the players. It is a young team and we have every chance to win the Premier League and Champions League again next year. We have a great chance to do it again and all the lads believe that. I believe it. We have a good team and a good spirit. We will try to do this again. We have won the most important trophies this season and next season I want it again. I would love to stay with this club. I love the people. The players are fantastic. The atmosphere at Old Trafford is unbelievable. All the staff are great. I want to stay. I feel very happy in the club. I win trophies. The people are friendly; the support is amazing. Everything is very good. The English people have been good to me since the World Cup in 2006 and I love it." The 23-year-old winger is just one year into a five-year contract signed last season and the Old Trafford club are adamant he is not for sale.

Who? - Frank Lampard - Speculation Where is he? - Chelsea Who is he linked with? - Internazionale

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard is confident of resolving his long-running contract saga and signing a new deal at Stamford Bridge. Speaking after Wednesday's dramatic Champions League Final defeat to Manchester United on penalties, the England international revealed he was close to sitting down with Blues officials in an attempt to thrash out a new deal. Lampard will open talks after returning from England's two friendly internationals against USA and Trinidad & Tobago in the next two weeks. The 29-year-old former West Ham midfielder has just 12 months remaining on his existing contract and was linked with a summer move to Internazionale in the build-up to the Moscow final "I have got to talk to the club," revealed Lampard, who lost his mother following a short illness in April. My contract has obviously been the last thing on my mind in the last six weeks, but I will sit down and talk with them after the England games. I hope we can come to a conclusion. I am pretty confident we can. I have said that many times before."

Who? - Sami Nasri - Speculation Where is he? - Marseille Who is he linked with? - Arsenal

The agent of Marseille's highly-rated youngster Samir Nasri claims Arsenal have made an offer for the 20-year-old Frenchman. Nasri only recently signed a long-term deal with the French side, but his agent, Jean-Pierre Bernes, insists the Gunners are in pole position to snap up his client before the start of next season. "We are not in a hurry," Bernes told southern French newspaper La Provence. "It is true that we are examining an offer from Arsenal, which is interesting for Samir Nasri from a sporting point of view. Nasri made four appearances during France's successful Euro 2008 qualifying campaign and has already played more than 100 matches for Marseille since making his first-team debut almost four years ago.

Who? - Nicky Shorey - Quite likely Where is he? - Reading Who is he linked with? - West Ham United and Newcastle United

Reading have admitted that Nicky Shorey will leave the club following their relegation should they receive a suitable offer for the England defender. Shorey, 27, has been linked with moves to West Ham United and Newcastle United during the recently completed season and now seems certain to be heading out of the exit door following the club's failure to retain their Premier League status. The two-time capped international joined the Royals for just 25,000 from Leyton Orient in 2001. "Nicky has not been too happy for a long time," chief executive Nigel Howe told the Reading Evening Post. "Let's hope somebody comes in with a good offer." Meanwhile, Howe has admitted that the club is looking to slash its wage bill ahead of a season in the Championship. Referring to manager Steve Coppell, he warned: "He won't have money unless he sells. At the moment we are just trying to balance the budget.

Who? - Jonas Olsson - Speculation Where is he? - NEC Nijmegen Who is he linked with? - Everton

NEC Nijmegen's Swedish defender Jonas Olsson has claimed that Everton are keeping tabs on him. The 25-year-old is reported to be a summer transfer target for several Premier League clubs, with Middlesbrough and Newcastle United also in the hunt, with Olsson having helped his current club qualify for the UEFA Cup. Olsson said: "I know that they (Everton) have been to watch me. The Premier League is something I have dreamt about since I was a child. Everton would be a fantastic club to join. I feel I have developed everything in Holland. The physical side of my game has improved as well as when I am in possession. It would be nice for Nijmegen to get a decent fee for me after spending three years here." Olsson has won nearly 20 caps at Under-21s level for his country, but has yet to earn a call-up into the senior squad.

Who? - New Players - Speculation Where is he? - Other clubs Who is he linked with? - Bolton Wanderers

Bolton Wanderers manager Gary Megson has vowed to take his time over bringing new players to the club this summer. Megson is poised for a busy off-season as he tries to avoid another relegation scrap next term, but the Trotters boss will not rush into any hasty deals. He told the Evening News: "We've got our targets we would like to bring in over the course of the summer. But initially you will find the really huge clubs will get their business done, because finance isn't an issue for them. They just get what they want. Then it goes quiet throughout June, before it starts to pick up a little bit with players who might not be available now becoming available in two months' time. It's not a case of it being tough, you just want to get in the best players you possibly can. But we are a football club that doesn't do stupid things. It's not just a case of getting them in at any cost, because then it doesn't become a good deal. The Trotters have already been linked with a number of potential signings, including Toulouse striker Johan Elmander and Hertha Berlin frontman Marko Pantelic.

Who? - Kris Commons - Quite likely Where is he? - Unattached Who is he linked with? - Derby County

Derby County have confirmed that they are in talks with recently released Nottingham Forest winger Kris Commons. Commons, 24, left the City Ground on Wednesday after deciding against extending his contract with the promoted League One club. The left winger made more than 150 appearances during four seasons with Forest. But after learning about his availability, the Rams have moved swiftly to open contract negotiations with the Nottingham-born midfielder ahead of their return to the Championship next season. "We are in talks with Kris and we are hopeful that he will agree to join us in the near future," chairman of football Adam Pearson told the club's official website. Commons could become the first player to make a direct move from Forest to their local rivals since Gary Charles in 1993.

A goal from Jan Vengoor of Hesselink was enough to give Celtic a 1-0 at Dundee United last night to clinch their 3rd straight Scottish Premier League title and their 42nd in the club`s long and illustious history.

Ranger`s who were Celtic`s only challengers lost to Aberdeen 2-0 to end their hopes of a title in what proved to be a game to far for the men from Ibrox.

Though no one questions Celtic deserved the title success the Scottish F.A. did not help Ranger`s in their efforts forcing them to play 3 league games in 6 days after losing the UEFA Cup final last Wednesday.

Walter Smith now has the task of rallying his troops for one final effort in the Scottish Cup Final this weekend against First Division Queen of the South.

In the mean time Gordon Strachan can enjoy yet another title made sweeter for the fact that Rangers for so long were considered favourites, however Strachan`s team showed all the qualities the great man showed as a player to keep the pressure on and finally come out winners.

The chances of Paula Radcliffe competing in this Summers Olympic games in China were dealt a blow when the 34 year old was diagnosed with a stress fracture of the leg.

Paula who famously failed to complete the marathon course at the Athens Olympics in 2004 after completing 23 miles was one of Britains few realistic chances of a medal in the Athletics is optimistic she can still compete but doctors however are less convinced.

Hopefully she can prove the medics wrong as chances to compete at the games are running out for her.

Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate has paid tribute to long-serving goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, who has decided to leave the club to join Fulham this summer. The 35-year-old Australian had been with Boro for more than a decade, racking up nearly 450 appearances in all competitions for the Teessiders.

However, he has opted against extending his stay with Boro to head to Craven Cottage.
Southgate told the club's official website: "I felt it would have been good to have retained Mark's experience, because he was always a good example for younger players.

"With that in mind we made him a fair offer, but he decided to take up a different offer and move on. "I enjoyed playing alongside and managing Mark because he was always an outstanding professional. "He was a very consistent goalkeeper for us for more than 11 years, so he deserves great credit for that, though the club has looked after him too.

"I have wanted to see what Bradley Jones and Ross Turnbull are capable of and they will now get the opportunity to show me. "They will come back for pre-season training on an equal footing with the first-choice goalkeeper's shirt up for grabs. It's up to them to take that opportunity."

Tonight sees the final games to decide the Scottish Premier title with Celtic and Rangers tied on 86 points, however Celtic have the superior goal difference and so only have to match Rangers result to lift the title.

Both sides have tough away fixtures to end their season with Celtic going to Dundee Utd and Rangers visiting Aberdeen.

Advantage has to be with Celtic not only because of their superior goal difference but also due to the fact the Rangers have had a punishing schedule recently, this will be their 4th match in 9 days and they still have the Scottish Cup Final against Queen of the South to come at the weekend.

I believe Celtic will be crowned Champions by the end of tonights matches as it is hard to see them slip up with so much on the line and though Rangers overcame fatigue on Monday to record a 3-0 win at St Mirren surely this is one game to far for Walter Smith`s brave side.

We will find out in due course, but as a great man once said "it`s a funny old game" so i am prepared to be proved wrong!

Arsenal will have Mexican teenager Carlos Vela in their squad for next season after he was granted a work permit.

The 19-year-old, who has already made three international appearances for Mexico, joined the Gunners from Guadalajara in 2005. He spent last season on loan at Spanish top-flight side Osasuna following similar spells with other European clubs, but will be part of the first-team squad at the Emirates Stadium next season after requiring the necessary paperwork.

"Despite the critics that we have received for making Carlos play at Celta Vigo, Salamanca and Osasuna, these spells have been very important for preparing for life in the Premier League," said the player's agent Eduardo Hernandez. "He has worked the amount of time required by the Premier League and everything is going fine. "He has been granted permission to play and will be joining Arsenal in July for the beginning of pre-season training. "Many people have criticised us for the way this process has been handled, but the laws of FIFA and the rules of competition in some countries have meant that we have experienced some problems. "But they are over now and a new chapter in his career can begin."

After seeing last night`s Champions League Final be settled on penalties, i found myself asking is this the best way to decide such an important game?

My answer was no! Both sides played their part in a great game, but had Ronaldo`s miss cost United the cup would the man whose 42 goals did more then anyone to give united such a successful season deserve such a fate? (Though i hope now he stops the stupid stutter approach and just blast the thing!), Again the answer had to be no.

Did John Terry, the best captain this country has produced since Tony Adams deserve to be remembered for being unconsolable after the game due to his slip, again the answer has to be no.

The powers that be say there are to many games as it is but what rest does the modern pro really get? The majority of those that played tonight will be involved in Euro 2008 next month, the rest will link up with national teams for meaningless friendlies.

Games such as the World Cup Final, European Championships and Champions League deserve to have a clear cut winner, and ask the Chelsea players which they would prefer the penalty lottery or the chance of one more crack at United!!

Many say rightly so that shoot outs are dramatic but in my opinion no one player should be remembered as the one that cost his team the match, after all football is a TEAM game.

Manchester United won the Champions League for the third time after a dramatic penalty shoot-out success against Chelsea.

Chelsea had led in the shoot-out after Cristiano Ronaldo missed his spot-kick, but John Terry fired wide before Edwin van der Sar saved Nicolas Anelka's effort.

It was an amazing end to a scintillating game that had ended 1-1 after extra-time as Moscow hosted the first all-English Champions League Final between the two teams that have dominated the Premier League in the last four years.

In a cagey opening Chelsea created the first opening in the fourth minute when Florent Malouda did well to whip in a dangerous cross that Nemanja Vidic was forced to head clear.

Owen Hargreaves' mis-hit cross then almost caught Petr Cech out only for the keeper to recover his composure and make the save. In the 17th minute Ronaldo beat Michael Essien easily, raced to the byline and fired in a cross that was just too high for Hargreaves. United took a deserved lead in the 26th minute. Paul Scholes and Wes Brown combined well with the latter sending over a pin-point cross for the unmarked Ronaldo to plant a header past the stranded Petr Cech - the 42nd goal of an amazing season for the Portugal international.

It was excellent play by Brown and Ronaldo, but Essien was badly at fault with his positioning.
The goal immediately led to the game opening up and, in the 34th minute, Chelsea almost equalised when Frank Lampard found Didier Drogba who headed the ball into the danger area where Edwin van der Sar was forced to make a smart save to deny Michael Ballack.

United then launched a devastating counter-attack with Wayne Rooney and Ronaldo breaking at pace. Cech did superbly to keep Carlos Tevez's close-range effort out and then produced an outstanding save to stop Michael Carrick's follow-up shot. United should have doubled their lead when Rooney sent a low cross into the penalty area that Claude Makelele missed but the surprised Tevez could not turn the ball into the net.

It proved to be a costly miss as, on the stroke of half-time, Essien's speculative long-range effort took two deflections before finding Lampard who rifled the ball past van der Sar who slipped at the vital moment.

The second half was dominated by Chelsea although, in the 54th minute, Ronaldo did superbly to find some space for Patrice Evra but the Frenchman over-hit his cross and a good chance was wasted.

When Chelsea hit back, Essien did the hard work by creating a shooting opportunity for himself, only to then fire his shot over the bar. With 12 minutes of normal time left, out of nothing, Drogba tried his luck with a curling 25-yard effort that beat van der Sar only to come back into play off a post.

Four minutes into extra-time, Chelsea were denied by the woodwork again as Lampard hit the post after being set up by Ballack.

United almost grabbed the winner when Evra pulled the ball back for Ryan Giggs who seemed certain to score only for Terry to head the veteran Welshman's mis-hit shot away for a corner.

In a feisty finale Drogba was sent off for stupidly flicking his hand in to Vidic's face but Chelsea hung on to force the shoot-out, only to eventually lose in unbelievable fashion.

Chelsea are optimistic that Ashley Cole will be fit for the Champions League Final despite suffering an ankle problem during a training session at the Luzhniki Stadium.
The England left-back was left writhing on the ground in agony after a lunging tackle from team-mate Claude Makelele.

Chelsea medical staff tended to his right ankle and Cole gingerly resumed the training session with heavy strapping on the joint.

Fellow England left-back Wayne Bridge is reportedly on standby to start the clash with Manchester United, but a club statement has attempted to allay fears over Cole's fitness.
Midfielder Joe Cole also suffered a knock in the training session but is expected to play.
"In a challenge with Claude Makelele in front of hundreds of cameras and the world football press, Ashley Cole hurt his right ankle," read the statement.

"He was treated, it was tested, then strapped, but after consultation between Grant, club doctor Bryan English and physios Dave Hancock and Thierry Laurent, Cole resumed and took full part in the final training game - only disappearing down the tunnel after the players had listened to Avram's (Grant's) address and been stood down for a final kick around."

Newcastle United midfielder Joey Barton has been jailed for six months after being found guilty of assault and affray at Liverpool Crown Court.

The 25-year-old England international had pleaded guilty to the charges relating to an incident in Liverpool city centre on December 27th of last year.

In passing sentence on Barton, Judge Henry Globe QC described his behaviour as a "violent and cowardly act".

A short statement from Barton's club read: "Newcastle United notes the sentence passed to Joey Barton at Liverpool Crown Court today. "The club is considering the verdict and will be making no further comment at this moment."

Barton joined the Magpies for £5.8million last summer from Manchester City, having been allowed to leave the Citizens after a reported training ground bust-up with former team-mate Ousmane Dabo.

Ahead of the big game tonight here are some of the quotes coming out of both camps from players and managers:

"I know my team, I think, but I haven't enjoyed picking it. Some very good players will miss out and it's not easy to tell them that. The whole squad has contributed to the season and some will be disappointed. But our form is good, we're undefeated in Europe this year, and we beat a very good team in the semi-final. That is a good indication of the quality of our team."Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

"If the club is not happy with me, no problem. If I'm not happy with them and I want to leave, I don't think they will make any problems either. But, for the moment, nothing happens. We'll talk about next year after the final. The target is to win the game, then we will talk about the future. But I promise you the future will be very good at Chelsea."Avram Grant on his uncertain future at Chelsea.

"It's similar to my first season. We know how bad it felt to lose the FA Cup Final to Chelsea and we want to put it right this time. It's bigger because it's the Champions League but we don't want to experience that losing feeling again. We want to win the Champions League but, in terms of who's dominant, the league goes out of the window now.Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick.

"I think it's the biggest game of my career. The final of the Champions League is something special. We have extra motivation because we wanted to win the title and in the end we lost it by two points. To lose the final would be heartbreaking."Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech.

"Sometimes he goes in very strong and sometimes he pretends he is weak. He plays with your mind and tries to make the defender think about the next tackle. He can pretend he fell down to win a penalty, but referees know that. The Champions League Final is a big game and I'm sure the ref will know his job."Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic on Didier Drogba.

"The United lads know I love them - but Wednesday night will be a war! But whoever wins, wins and it's difficult because you can't have banter about it because we meet up with England two days later and you have to be dignified in defeat. You can't go running round with a Champions League winner's medal round your neck at the England team hotel, either. We've had a little word about it and promised we wouldn't."Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole.

"When I signed for Fulham I probably did think I would not be involved in matches like this. I went to watch Chelsea in the Champions League a couple of times and on one occasion in particular, I looked at Oliver Kahn doing his warm-up and thought 'I used to be doing that'. Believing I would have the opportunity of experiencing it again was something that never went away but at Fulham, I knew it would be very difficult."Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar

"My elbow is all right. There is just a bit of strapping in case I fall and jar it. The last couple of days it has been getting better and hopefully I am going to train without the strapping. I have full range of movement. It is a little stiff when I wake up in the mornings but when the physios do a bit of work on it and I do some swimming, it frees right up."Chelsea defender John Terry.

"We had great quality in 1999 and we used it throughout the season. That was the case his season as well so there are similarities. We've got great team spirit, and we've got a good balance of experience and young players. The enthusiasm the young players has shown has been great for me â€' and I enjoy the experience you can give to the young players when they've found themselves in certain positions."Manchester United winger Ryan Giggs.

"We still believe that there is some weakness in their defence and that we can exploit that and score some goals. They are like everyone, Ferdinand is a great defender, Vidic also. But Vidic has not played a lot because he has been injured, so that could be a weak point for them and it is up to us to play well and score a goal."Chelsea striker Salomon Kalou.

The stars of Manchester United and Chelsea know each other very well after a long and hard title battle, so we have a look at the individual battles that could decide who comes home from Moscow with the Champions League trophy...

FRANK LAMPARD VS PAUL SCHOLES
It has been an emotional time for Frank Lampard recently, with the death of his mother and the dramatic extra-time penalty he scored against Liverpool to help book Chelsea's place in this Final. If he needed any extra motivation for winning the Champions League, what he has been through will certainly provide it. Scholes also scored to send United to the Final, and after missing out eight years ago through suspension, he'll be extra fired-up to win it. His form has been mixed at times this season, but he seems to have stepped up a gear towards the end of the campaign.

PETR CECH VS EDWIN VAN DER SAR
Both Cech and van der Sar have been injured in the line of duty again this season, with the Dutch keeper's advanced years taking their toll. He's in better form than he was a year ago, though his kicking has been suspect in the last few weeks, putting United under unnecessary pressure too many times for Fergie's liking against Wigan. Cech hasn't been quite so consistent this season as in previous campaigns, but is still one of the best keepers in the world and will be a formidable final barrier for United to breach.

JOHN TERRY VS WAYNE ROONEY
Crucial players for their clubs and country, Terry and Rooney have both had their seasons disrupted by injuries again, but will be fit to play in Moscow. For Terry it is typically last-minute, after suffering a dislocated elbow against Bolton on the last day of the season, but he was never likely to be kept out by anything that wouldn't prevent him actually being able to walk. Rooney has been kept in the shadows by Ronaldo this season, but his role for United is just as important and Terry will need to keep him quiet.

DIDIER DROGBA VS NEMANJA VIDIC
Nemanja Vidic has stirred things up in the build-up to the Final by copying Rafa Benitez's mind games with Drogba over his diving. Presumably because it worked so well for Liverpool. This hasn't been a great season for the Ivorian striker, with the departure of his mentor Jose Mourinho and the African Cup Of Nations in January disrupting his form, but as he showed in the semi-final second leg, he's still very dangerous. Vidic will testify to that, as he got kneed in the face by him when they last met a few weeks ago...

RICARDO CARVALHO VS CRISTIANO RONALDO
Two supremely talented Portuguese internationals, Carvalho and Ronaldo will go head to head in Moscow and the task for the Chelsea defender is simple. He and his fellow defenders must stop Ronaldo if they are going to win the Champions League, but as pretty much every team this season have found out, it is not easy to keep him quiet for a whole game. After such an incredible run of goals, who would bet against him scoring the winner in the Champions League Final?

This year's Ligue 1 title race may have had a few more twists and turns than usual, but the grand finale was as predictable as ever. Lyon are the champions again, for the seventh season in a row, though things aren't quite as straightforwardly peaceful there as you might expect. Coach Alain Perrin has had a bumpy ride in his first season in what has been a much closer title race than any since 2003/04, when Paris Saint-Germain finished three points behind them.

The gap between Lyon and second-placed Bordeaux this year was four points, but it was still up for grabs on the last day, with Lyon needing a draw at Auxerre to be certain of the title. In the end, it didn't matter what they did, as the chasers were held to a 2-2 draw at Lens, despite twice going ahead in the second half, only to be pegged back both times within minutes of scoring.

That meant that Lyon's result wouldn't matter, but they won anyway and did so in pretty swift fashion, going 1-0 up in the first minute through Karim Benzema and 2-0 up in the ninth minute through Fred. Kim Kallstrom made it 3-0 in the second half before Frederic Thomas pulled one back for the home side to secure the title in style, and it must have been refreshing to be celebrating a title in May rather than February.

Unfortunately for Perrin's job prospects, his boss Jean-Michel Aulas has his sights set on the Champions League rather than Ligue 1 (as you might expect, he's getting bored of being French champions), while Benzema said afterwards: "We will have to win the Champions League next season. I hope that the team is even better next season." The question for Aulas is whether Perrin is the man to take them to that next level when he struggled to keep them where they are now...

Spain: It was the end of an era for Barcelona this weekend as Frank Rijkaard bowed out with an exciting 5-3 win over relegated Murcia. After falling behind early on, they blasted their opponents away with goals from Samuel Eto'o, Thierry Henry and a hat-trick from Man City target Giovani Dos Santos before the home side pulled back two late goals. Champions Real Madrid signed off their league campaign with a 5-2 win over Levante, with goals from Ruud van Nistelrooy (two), Sergio Ramos (two) and Wesley Sneijder.

Germany: Luca Toni finished a prolific first season at Bayern Munich with another hat-trick as the champions cruised to a 4-1 win over Hertha Berlin, with Franck Ribery getting the other goal. Werder Bremen secured second place (ten points adrift of Bayern) with a 1-0 win at Bayer Leverkusen despite Schalke's 2-0 win at Nurnberg. Wolfsburg won 4-2 at Borussia Dortmund, but still finished fifth after Hamburg went goal crazy, smashing seven past Karlsruhe with Jose Paolo Guerrero getting a hat-trick.

Who? - Karim Benzema - Speculation Where is he? - Olympique Lyonnais Who is he linked with? - Manchester United

Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas has again spoken of his belief that France forward Karim Benzema will still be with the French champions next season. The 20-year-old is wanted by a number of top clubs across the continent, with Manchester United and Barcelona reported to be upping their interest in the talented youngster. However, Aulas told Sport: "It is logical that clubs are watching him. We are talking about a great player and he has a great future in front of him. But it is not a question of money. It is easier than that, it is a question of feelings. Karim Benzema wants to be at Lyon because he feels the club and this is his home. That has nothing to do with a figure of money. He has a long career ahead of him and I think he will star in the 2010 World Cup finals. He is growing fast and we are very happy with him. He has helped us a lot and is a reference point in the team. What I can assure everyone is that he will be at Lyon next season. From what I know, I think he will be here for the next two years. It is good that major clubs are watching a player that Lyon has brought through. It means that we are doing the right things, but there will be no short-term gains made."

Who? - Shaun Wright-Phillips - Speculation Where is he? - Chelsea Who is he linked with? - Leaving

Chelsea winger Shaun Wright-Phillips insists he is happy at Stamford Bridge and not looking to move on in the summer. The England international has endured another frustrating season with the Blues where he has failed to hold down a starting place for a consistent period. But despite being expected to miss Wednesday's Champions League Final, the 26-year-old claims he is not looking to leave the west London club. Wright-Phillips, who joined the Blues from Manchester City in 2005 for 21million, has two years remaining on his existing contract. "I will definitely be at Chelsea next season," he said. "Speculation has been like this since I was at Manchester City. It was going on for seven years before I left. Then I came to Chelsea and speculation has been going on for my whole time here and I have still not left. I have signed a contract and I'm here to see it out."

Who? - Dean Ashton - Speculation Where is he? - West Ham United Who is he linked with? - Manchester United

West Ham United have described as "productive" a round of talks with Dean Ashton's representatives over securing the striker's long-term future. Ashton, 24, still has two years remaining on his existing contract, but manager Alan Curbishley is keen to tie the powerful striker down to a new longer-term deal following speculation over his future since the end of the season. The former Crewe Alexandra and Norwich City striker, who has netted 13 times in 43 appearances for the Hammers, has been linked with moves to Manchester United and Liverpool in recent weeks. The Swindon-born striker joined the Hammers in a 7million deal in January 2006, but has suffered a succession of injury problems during his time at Upton Park. "We had a very productive meeting," chief executive Scott Duxbury told the club's official website. "Dean wants to stay and we want him to stay. We are committed to finding agreement on a new long-term contract."

Who? - Sun Jihai - Speculation Where is he? - Manchester City Who is he linked with? - Leaving

Manchester City defender Sun Jihai has not ruled out the possibility of staying with the Citizens. The China international is out of contract at the City of Manchester Stadium next month but is hoping to prolong his six-year stay in England. Jihai, who has also played for Crystal Palace, has made more than 150 appearances since joining City from Dalian Wanda in 2002. "I'd love to play in England and I'd love to play football for Manchester City," he admitted. "In the future I don't know, nobody knows. A player like me who can play in different positions is important. By the end of the season, I proved I can play and you cannot expect all the first-team players to start every game. I think I'm still fit enough to play in the Premier League."

Who? - Alberto Aquilani - Speculation Where is he? - AS Roma Who is he linked with? - Arsenal

Arsenal have been linked with an ambitious raid on AS Roma to sign Italy international midfielder Alberto Aquilani. The 23-year-old has been capped four times by the Azzurri after breaking into the full international side on the back of an impressive European Championship for the under-21s last year. Aquilani made 26 appearances for Roma during the recently completed Serie A season and is reportedly high on Gunners boss Arsene Wenger's wishlist to replace AC Milan-bound midfielder Mathieu Flamini. The player's agent, Vincenzo Morabito, claims his client is already in talks with the north London club over a reported 12million summer transfer. "Aquilani is speaking to Arsenal," he told Italian media. "We will have to see if Roma will be able to match his demands."

Throughout his career, David Beckham's temper has got him in trouble when he has reacted badly to provocation and ended up being the one punished, rather than, for example, Diego Simeone. Mostly, as he's grown up, he's matured and cut that side out of his game, but occasionally it still flares up, and in the heat of early summer in Dallas, he lost his head again and could be facing MLS reprisals for it. The stupid thing is that his team were cruising to victory at the time...

The provocation came from a shocking second half foul on him by former Millwall defender Adrian Serioux that sent Goldenballs flying but didn't cause him any serious injury. The two then squared up and angrily shoved each other before ref Baldomero Toledo showed Serioux a straight red card. Becks then churlishly blew the Canadian a farewell kiss, an action that made him very unpopular with the home crowd at the stupidly-named Pizza Hut Park and could earn him a fine from MLS.

He was booed by the fans after that, and celebrated setting up a goal by putting his finger to his lips and telling them to shush, which could also get him in trouble. Afterwards he said: "You either cry about it or get on with it, and it's my motto to get on with it. You always have people shouting things at you, but trust me, I've had it worse. With Manchester United, of course many grounds I went to didn't like us as a team.

"The same happened with Real Madrid. It's the same here with the Galaxy. There are a lot of teams that treat a game with the Galaxy as a top one," he explained, also revealing why he got so hot under the collar with Serioux: "It was a terrible tackle," Beckham said. "I could've broken my leg. I think that was a bad tackle personally. He told me, 'Welcome baby, welcome.' These tackles happen in soccer and we don't want them in soccer but this is a man's game. You have to get up, play on and get on with the game. We did after that."

Rangers kept up the pressure on title favourites Celtic going into the final round of SPL matches on Thursday with an emphatic 3-0 win over St Mirren at Love Street.

With Celtic holding a significant goal-difference advantage going into the game, Rangers were desperate to notch up a big total against bottom-six side St Mirren.

Rangers got the best possible start scoring in the first four minutes but did not achieve the predicted rout giving Celtic a four-goal advantage going into the final game for both teams. Kris Boyd fired Rangers into the lead after just four minutes. Steven Davis made a great run out of defence before finding Kirk Broadfoot on the edge of the area. The former St Mirren man crossed to Boyd instead of choosing to shoot and the out-of-favour striker made no mistake at the back post.

After such a bright start it looked as if Rangers would push on to chase their target of a big win but it was St Mirren that looked the better side for the next 20 minutes. Stephen McGinn and Will Haining both tested Neil Alexander with headers although real scoring chances were at a premium.

But it was Rangers that extended their lead midway through the first half. As St Mirren's defence failed to clear their lines, Jean-Claude Darcheville blasted in a shot from the edge of the area that beat Mark Howard and found the bottom corner of the net. Shortly afterwards Rangers were lucky to keep all 11 players on the pitch after a scuffle broke out. Steven Whittaker appeared to pull down Hugh Murray, and Kevin Thomson and Billy Mehmet both got involved in the ensuing argument. All four were booked, but Whittaker was fortunate not to receive a red card after pushing Mehmet in the face.

With half-time approaching Darcheville nearly doubled his tally, striking the upright with a speculative overhead kick.

The second half started at a high pace, and while Rangers were applying most of the pressure, St Mirren still looked dangerous at set-pieces.

Novo and Darcheville both tested Howard while at the other Mehmet came close from a corner. But it was Darcheville who doubled his tally on 69 minutes. Barry Ferguson ripped apart the St Mirren defence with a great run and the Frenchman did well to keep his composure as he picked up the ball and blasted it high into the net. Rangers, desperate to improve their goal difference, had a penalty claim turned down by referee Thomson as they claimed handball when Gary Mason cleared off the line from Boyd's shot 15 minutes from time.

Inter Milan made it 3 in a row with a 2-0 at Parma yesterday. Goals from Swedish International Zlatan Ibrahimovic were enough to give Inter the title and condemn Parma to Serie B next term.

Roma, who were Inter`s only challengers entering the final day could only manage a 1-1 draw at Catania to end up 3 points behind the Champions.

Inter and Roma will be joined in next terms Champions League by Juventus and Fiorentina to form a strong Italian challenge for that trophy but AC Milan will have to be content with UEFA Cup football next season as the finished in 5th spot 2 points behind Fiorentina.

After 5 years in the Conference and almost being on the brink of extinction Exeter booked the place in League 2 yesterday by beating Cambridge United 1-0 in the Blue Square Premiersip Final at Wembley.

The victory made up for last season`s disappointment when they lost at the same stage to Morecambe.

The only goal came from veteran Rob Edwards and ensures that Exeter`s young manager Paul Tisdale can get the chance to grow his reputation as a manager destined for higher things.

The Grecian`s now join Champions Aldershot in League 2 next season.

Former England and Middlesbrough boss Steve McClaren is being linked with a return to management at Dutch side FC Twente.

McClaren watched Twente clinch a place in next season's Champions League on Sunday when they drew 0-0 at Ajax to secure a 2-1 aggregate win in the play-off for a place in Europe's premier club competition.

The 47-year-old has reportedly already been offered the Twente job and will succeed current coach Fred Rutten who will take charge of Schalke next term.M cClaren admitted in February that he would consider a job abroad, when he said: "It's something I'd never dismiss and which, in fact, excites me. The key thing is getting the experience of different cultures. "We shouldn't be insular and think the English Premier League is the be all and end all. I've had offers, mainly from abroad, but none that's really excited me."

McClaren has been without a management job since England lost 3-2 at home to Croatia on November 2007, a result that ended the team's hopes of qualifying for next month's European Championship in Austria and Switzerland.

Who? - Cristiano Ronaldo - Speculation Where is he? - Manchester United Who is he linked with? - Real Madrid

Manchester United superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has said the key to his happiness at the club is manager Sir Alex Ferguson. The Portuguese winger has been linked on many occassions with a move away from Old Trafford and said on Friday he may consider his future after the Champions League Final. However, Ronaldo has now hinted that he will stay as long as Ferguson does. "The boss is the reason I am here in the club," he said. "He helped me a lot, not just this season but the seasons before. I feel very good at the club. I want to carry on like that. I have many friends here in the club. I am five years in the club and I know everyone now — the staff, the players, and I feel like this is my home."

Who? - Deco - Speculation Where is he? - Barcelona Who is he linked with? - Chelsea

Unwanted Barcelona star Deco has said he will only consider a move to either the Premier League or Serie A in the summer. The Portuguese international has been told he is surplus to requirements at the Nou Camp, and has been linked with a move to Chelsea among others. "I want to play where I am wanted and to continue playing at the highest level," he says. "I do not want to stay at a club which shows it doesn't count on me. I'll go to England or Italy, that's for sure. I won't stay in Spain because the only club of Barcelona's level is Real Madrid and I will never go to Real."

Who? - Thierry Henry - Speculation Where is he? - Barcelona Who is he linked with? - Seattle Sounders

Former Arsenal star Thierry Henry could join David Beckham in the MLS, if reports are to be believed. The French international striker signed for Barcelona from the Gunners last summer, but has struggled to settle in his first season at the Nou Camp. Rumours have linked him with a return to the Premier League, with Arsenal and Newcastle United thought to be possible destinations. However, new MLS club Seattle Sounders, who will join the league next March, may offer him a 5.2million-a-year contract to sign for them. "Henry's profile in the US is far higher than Beckham's when he signed for LA Galaxy, purely because of the Gillette ads," said an MLS insider.

Who? - Mathieu Flamini - Very likely Where is he? - Arsenal Who is he linked with? - AC Milan

Former Arsenal star Mathieu Flamini has said he would have stayed at the club had they offered him a new contract last year. The French midfielder agreed a move to AC Milan earlier this month, and has been accused of greed by fans and Gunners manager Arsene Wenger. However, in an interview with The Daily Mirror, Flamini said: "If Arsenal had offered me a contract last summer I would still be their player now. Last July I told Arsenal I wanted to extend my contract so, of course, I would have signed if they had offered me a deal...but they didn't. They said they wanted me to prove myself first. It was difficult for me at the beginning. I had to see it as a challenge but I won't lie, it was not easy. You have to be mentally very strong to cope."

Who? - Julio Cesar de Leon - Speculation Where is he? - Genoa Who is he linked with? - Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing Honduran midfielder Julio Cesar de Leon, accoring to the player's agent. Manrique Amador has said he has discussed a potential transfer with Spurs sporting director Damian Comolli and that the deal will go through once personal terms have been agreed. "Tottenham's sport manager Damian Comolli, who is Italian and worked in Messina, asked me for information about him," he told Colombian newspaper El Heraldo. "They really like the player and it only remains that they accept the conditions I let them know." De Leon has been playing since 1996 and is currently with Italian team Genoa. He has won 61 caps for the Honduras national side.

Who? - James Milner - Speculation Where is he? - Newcastle United Who is he linked with? - Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate will bid for Newcastle United star James Milner if Gary O'Neil decides to move on in the summer, according to reports. The talented midfielder only joined Boro from Portsmouth at the end of last season, but an impressive first term has attracted the interest of West Ham United and Fulham. Southgate wants to keep hold of the player, but if he does leave Milner is thought to be the manager's preferred replacement. Milner began his career at Leeds United in 2002 and has taken in a spell at Aston Villa as well as Newcastle.

On an emotional day at a packed Spotland, Rochdale came from behind to book a first-ever trip to Wembley by beating Darlington after a dramatic penalty shoot-out. Already trailing 2-1 after the first leg, the home side were hit by a further hammer-blow in the 28th minute when the referee awarded Darlington what was at best a highly debatable penalty which was converted by mid fielder Clark Keltie.

The home side drew level on the day just before the break with more than a little help from Darlington goalkeeper David Stockdale. He failed to hold Adam Rundle's free-kick and the ball was forced over the line by a combination of home striker Chris Dagnall and visiting midfielder Ricky Ravenhill.

Just after the break Ravenhill was unlucky to see his effort from the edge of the box strike the crossbar but with 12 minutes left Dale took the lead on the day and drew level on aggregate when midfielder David Perkins riffled home an unstoppable 25-yard effort.

When the game moved into extra-time, Perkins was red carded following an innocuous challenge on Rob Purdie. Unless his club can successfully appeal against what was at best a debatable decision, Perkins will now face the heartbreak of missing the play-off final on Bank Holiday Monday.

The penalty shoot-out saw four immaculate efforts from each side but, on the ninth, Quakers midfielder Jason Kennedy saw his effort saved by Dale keeper Tommy Lee. That allowed substitute Ben Muirhead to become the hero as his effort found the roof of the net to send Spotland into scenes of celebration the like of which have not been seen since their last promotion party way back in 1969.

Stockport County will face close rivals Rochdale in next weekend's League Two play-off final after securing a dramatic win against Wycombe Wanderers. Stockport got themselves off to a dream start with a fine individual goal after just seven minutes. Top scorer Liam Dickinson raced with the ball from inside his own half before slotting neatly past Frank Fielding from inside the box for his 20th goal of the season.

After a frantic start the pace dropped a little, until the 24th minute when Wycombe skipper Mike Williamson, straight from Delroy Facey's long throw-in, saw a header bounce out off the top of the Stockport crossbar.

Six minutes before the interval Stockport had a scare when Scott McGleish's close-range shot was only blocked by the backside of home skipper Gareth Owen. McGleish ought to have done much better shortly before the break when smashing over wildly from 15 yards out.

Stockport keeper Conrad Logan was then forced to make a smart save to keep Tommy Doherty's shot out in first-half stoppage time. McGleish got up well to head the first chance of the second half over the bar, while at the other end Dickinson fired straight into Fielding's grateful grasp.

Wycombe's Gary Holt fired in a header which was well-saved by Logan on the hour mark, before Facey headed over the bar from just eight yards. However, somehow Stockport managed to hang on as they booked their date at Wembley.

Rangers' hopes of clinching the SPL title deteriorated after they were held to a 1-1 draw by third-placed Motherwell at Fir Park.The Gers returned from their UEFA Cup Final defeat to Zenit St Petersburg knowing that a win was a must if they wanted to keep their title hopes in their own hands. But the draw now means that Celtic are favourites to secure the league title in the final round of games on Thursday.

The match got off to a high-tempo start although neither side really tested the two goalkeepers. It took until midway through the first half before the visitors took a firm grip on the game.
Home keeper Graeme Smith had saved well from Nacho Novo and Daniel Cousin before he committed a dreadful error to hand Rangers the lead in the 29th minute.He came rushing off his goal-line in an attempt to punch a long Kirk Broadfoot clearance away but Christian Dailly was first to the ball and his header bounced into the unguarded net.

Just before the break, the home side created their first real opportunity when Neil Alexander had to tip over Brian McLean's 12-yard shot.

Rangers should have doubled their lead within a minute of the re-start when Cousin burst onto a long ball and left Mark Reynolds and Stephen Craigan in his wake. However, when he drove into the box he was denied by a fine one-on-one save by home keeper Graeme Smith.

Rangers were punished for that miss within five minutes when Motherwell grabbed an equaliser.
Stephen Hughes' cross was headed on to the post by David Clarkson, and when Darren Smith returned the ball into the box, Chris Porter was on hand to poke the ball home at the front post.
Despite a late onslaught from Rangers, the home side held on for a point which puts a huge dent in the Glasgow side's title hopes.

Portsmouth clinched their first FA Cup Final success since 1939 as Nwankwo Kanu's first-half goal proved to be enough to beat Cardiff City 1-0 at Wembley.

After such an enjoyable FA Cup season, the Final was a disappointing affair although Pompey just about deserved their success. The game was almost a repeat of Portsmouth's narrow semi-final victory against West Bromwich Albion when they did not play particularly well but scored just before half-time and held on to their narrow advantage in the second period.

Harry Redknapp's side famously beat Manchester United in the quarter-finals while Cardiff had beaten Barnsley - the conquerors of Liverpool and Chelsea - in the last four and it was the Bluebirds that started the Final confidently.

Dave Jones' side had been looking to repeat their famous FA Cup success of 1927 without the services of former Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler who continues to be sidelined with a hip problem.

Redknapp surprisingly recalled Pedro Mendes to his starting line-up and left Kanu as the lone striker with Jermain Defoe cup-tied and Milan Baros on the substitute's bench.

The underdogs started brightly as they tried to find Paul Parry at every opportunity and the former Hereford United man gave Sol Campbell plenty of problems with his pace.

However, there was a sign of things to come in the 16th minute when Peter Enckelman dropped a straightforward cross that caused Cardiff to endure a few nervy seconds before eventually clearing the danger.

When they finally woke from their slumbers, Pompey almost took a 23rd-minute lead when a superb move ended with Kanu beautifully slipping the ball past Enckleman only to then fire his shot against a post from a tight angle.

Roger Johnson flicked a header narrowly over David James' bar before Portsmouth scored the all-important goal eight minutes before the interval.

John Utaka's dangerous cross was parried by Enckelman straight to the lurking Kanu who forced the ball over the line from close range.

Undeterred, the Bluebirds bounced back well, and when Parry surged into space down the left, his cross was just too far in front of the rampaging Kevin McNaughton to divert the ball towards goal. On the stroke of half-time, Glenn Loovens thought he had grabbed a spectacular equaliser when he hooked the ball into the net after a mistake by James, but the referee rightly ruled the effort out for handball.

Portsmouth appeared to be strolling to victory at the start of the second half as Ali Sulley Muntari lashed a 25-yard effort over the bar and substitute David Nugent forced Enckleman to make a fine stop with a shot from a very tight angle.

However, Cardiff rallied in the final quarter and pressed hard for an equaliser without ever really creating a clear-cut opening.

Pompey did survive a couple of goalmouth scrambles and Roger Johnson powered another header narrowly off target while Loovens' effort looped over the bar after he had headed the ball into the ground. But Redknapp's side held on to their narrow lead and can now look forward to a UEFA Cup campaign next season while Cardiff must attempt to improve on a mid-table position in the Championship.

After the victory Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp said: "It's a dream come true to come and win the FA Cup. For my family, the fans and the players it's been a good day. "Cardiff put us under a lot of pressure and we had to deal with difficult situations but my defence was fantastic.
"Cardiff did really well, especially on set-pieces. But when we get in front - with Sol Campbell, David James, Sylvan Distin, Heidar Hreidarsson, and Glen Johnson - we're a difficult side to break down. "It was important to come here and get the win today."

Cardiff manager Dave Jones said: "It was a mistake that cost us but we gave it everything we had and that's all I asked for. "We've done everyone proud. It doesn't make me feel any better but I'm very proud of my players and staff. "What we've done today is prove that maybe other teams can achieve what they thought was impossible. "There wasn't a great deal in it, there's no-one to blame, but it's hard to swallow. "We've struggled for two years with no money. We've now got a brand-new stadium, fantastic training facilities and, if we don't move on from here, we want shooting."

Stockport take on Wycombe this evening in the 2nd leg of the League 2 Play Off Semi Final at Edgeley Park.

The first game last Sunday ended in a 1-1 but in my opinion Stockport were the better side and deserved at least the draw they got. Jim Gannon the Stockport boss has put together a good band of young players who try and keep the ball on the ground and play football in the right way.

Also in striker Liam Dickinson they have a player who weather County make it to League One or not is destined to play at a higher level.

Gannon and Wycombe manager Paul Lambert had words prior to the first leg which has added spice to these encounters and Gannon was happy to remind his opposite number about the 6-0 thrashing that Stockport gave Wycombe when they visited Edgeley Park in December.

Stockport scored 40 goals at home in the regular season which was one more then Champions MK Dons managed in their 23 home games but did concede 30 which could be a problem but though i do not expect another 6-0 in Stockports favour this evening i do expect them to win the game as what i saw of them on Sunday i liked and i was told by a Stockport fan who was in the same bar as me (I was there purely for research) they had been playing like that for most of the season.

Pinnacle are offering 15/13 best price about a Stockport win and i will be taking that along with a saver on the overs in the total booking points, as Sunday`s encounter was a fiesty affair and i can see this heading in the same direction. Over 46 points 6/4 generally and i can see more then 4 bookings in this one.

So a Stockport win and over 46 booking points for me today.

As always good luck

Silverfox.

Portsmouth vs Cardiff City is hardly the FA Cup Final that anyone would have predicted at the start of the season, and it is in danger of being overshadowed by next Wednesday's all-English Champions League Final, but it is still the FA Cup Final and there will still be that tingle of excitement for all neutrals when the teams are led out onto the Wembley turf on Saturday. Perhaps even more so than usual, as this will be a Final without any of the usual suspects.

Last year's tedious affair between Manchester United and Chelsea showed that having a load of highly-paid and highly-talented players on the pitch doesn't guarantee entertainment - we can only hope for better stuff in Moscow next week - and that even the biggest names can freeze when it comes to big occasion like the Cup Final. That of course begs the question about what it will do to player less accustomed to the eyes of the world watching them, but there are enough experienced heads on both sides to hopefully keep the rest calm.

The likes of David James and Robbie Fowler have been here before of course, both wearing those dodgy cream suits back in 1996 when Liverpool played in another of the worst FA Cup Finals of all time. Fowler will most likely be starting on the bench on Saturday after a spell out through injury, but James will be back in nets for Pompey after missing the last few games of the season and that is a massive boost for Harry Redknapp. The England keeper has been Portsmouth's most important player in their run to Wembley, saving their skins on more than one occasion.

The worry for Redknapp is that Pompey might be relying on James again this weekend, as they may well find goals hard to come by, as they have done all the way so far. It is curious that they have managed to get to the Final without a proven goalscorer in their team, as Benjani left in January and was replaced by the cup-tied Jermain Defoe, who they will badly miss. The hardly-prolific Nwankwo Kanu scored the goal that got them here, but neither Milan Baros or David Nugent offers much hope of firepower based on their performances this season.

Cardiff may have Fowler and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink in their ranks of strikers, but they only managed to score 59 goals in 46 games in The Championship this season, three less than bottom club Colchester United, so we can hardly expect the goals to fly in at Wembley. Indeed, the two semi-finals held there last month may well have signposted what will happen, with both Cardiff and Pompey winning by a single goal in tight, tense affairs, so clearly whoever scores the first goal will have a very good chance of winning it when they meet.

An interesting subtext to this year's Final is not only that there are none of the Big Four clubs involved, but also that both teams are managed by Englishmen, as Joe Royle in the 1995 Final was the last homegrown boss to get his hands on the trophy. Redknapp and Dave Jones have both had their ups and downs on and off the pitch over the years, but both are football men through and through, even if there are rumours that one of them could be saying goodbye to the game after this one last showcase affair.

There's plenty of foreign players likely to be involved, particularly on the Pompey team-sheet, while one of the clubs comes from Wales, but having two English managers going head-to-head for the famous old trophy will stir some memories of bygone days in football, as will a competition that can be won by one of these unfancied teams. Sure, the Premier League title race and Champions League are a closed book these days to all but the four richest clubs in the country, but whatever happens on Saturday will show that the FA Cup is still a trophy that the rest can compete for.

Hopefully this will encourage managers of clubs like Blackburn, Bolton and Everton to take next season's tournament a little more seriously after all three committed hari kiri in the third round this year by fielding weakened teams. At least two of those, if not all three, could have gone all the way if these two clubs can be contesting the Final, so let's hope they get the message. And finally, it's been a season of great drama in the FA Cup, so fingers crossed for a Final that lives up to its billing...

A brilliant hat-trick from James Coppinger helped Doncaster Rovers to a crushing play-off victory over Southend United. A devastating performance from Rovers set up an all Yorkshire play-off final against Leeds United at Wembley on May 25 as, after a goalless first leg, the floodgates opened at the Keepmoat Stadium.

But the first chance of the game fell to Southend with James Walker heading against the post from a Simon Francis right-wing cross in the eighth minute. Walker should have scored and he would soon have cause for regret as the rest of the game belonged to Doncaster.

They snatched the lead from the penalty spot in the 11th minute after Peter Clarke had brought down Jason Price from behind. Brian Stock stepped up and sent Darryl Flahavan the wrong way with the spot-kick crossing the line inside the keeper's left-hand post. Rovers made it 2-0 nine minutes later following an excellent move which resulted in Paul Green heading a right-wing cross from James Hayter across the face of the goal where visiting skipper Adam Barrett had the misfortune to bundle into his own net under pressure from Price. Nicky Bailey hit a shot on the turn just wide in the 38th minute before Coppinger grabbed his first a minute later.
A dazzling mazy run took him past several defenders before he slotted the ball inside the far post. Rovers stayed in command after the interval and Coppinger made it 4-0 when he jinked through before hitting a cracking left-foot shot into the bottom corner in the 52nd minute.
Southend battled all the way but could not prevent the outstanding Coppinger from completing his hat-trick in the 80th minute with a magnificent curling shot into the top corner following a 20-yard free-kick.

The Shrimpers were given terrific support by their 2,000-odd following and the away fans finally had something to cheer when Bailey grabbed a consolation with a close-range shot on the turn two minutes from time.

But the night belonged to Doncaster and the players were mobbed as jubilant fans invaded the pitch at the final whistle.

Who? - The Manchester City squad - Speculation Where is he? - Manchester City Who is he linked with? - The exit door

Manchester City owner Thaksin Shinawatra has categorically denied reports which suggested he had placed the entire first-team squad at Eastlands up for sale. The demanding owner, who has hinted he will replace manager Sven Goran Eriksson this summer after just one season at the helm, was reportedly furious with the manner of last weekend's season-ending 8-1 thrashing at Middlesbrough. But the former Thai prime minister claims that reports suggesting he was intending to wield the axe in dramatic fashion and clear the decks in the summer are completely wide of the mark. He has also denied reported claims that former owner and current deputy chairman, John Wardle, had apologised to the squad for selling the club last summer. "There is absolutely no truth to this story or any of the allegations," Shinawatra told the club's official website while on City's post-season tour to Thailand. I appreciate the progress and performance of the whole squad, managed by Sven-Goran Eriksson, this season." City spokesman Paul Tyrrell added: "We are currently taking legal advice regarding these news reports and will pursue those who continue to run or repeat this false story and its allegations without the chairman's rebuttal."

Who? - Cristiano Ronaldo - Speculation Where is he? - Manchester United Who is he linked with? - Real Madrid

Cristiano Ronaldo has suggested he may consider his Manchester United future after next week's Champions League Final. The 23-year-old winger has once again been linked with an 80million move to Real Madrid after scoring a remarkable 41 goals in all competitions this season. Ronaldo claims he is happy at Old Trafford, but has refused to rule out a shock move to Spain in what would be a new world record transfer deal. "I'm happy here, but let's see what happens after the Champions League final (with Chelsea)," he said when speaking to Spanish television station Antena 3. "I know Real Madrid like how I play and other teams in Spain do as well. I have said millions of times that I would love to play in Spain, but it's one thing to dream and another thing for it to be a reality. I am feeling calm here. I'm happy here but in the future I don't know."

Who? - Ricardo Carvalho - Speculation Where is he? - Chelsea Who is he linked with? - Leaving
Chelsea defender Ricardo Carvalho has admitted he may look to move on from Stamford Bridge in the summer. The 29-year-old Portugal international has spent the last four years with the Blues after being lured to London from FC Porto in a 19.8million deal by former manager Jose Mourinho. But Carvalho has suggested he and several other leading players could quit Chelsea after the curtain comes down on the season with next week's Champions League Final. Both Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard have been tipped to move on this summer. Speaking about the possible repercussions of missing out on silverware this season following their failure to pip Manchester United to the league title, he said: "You have to be prepared because when it's like that, someone goes, someone stays, someone comes. I don't know yet if I will stay but I have a contract. Everyone has known each other here for a long time and we enjoy each other's company so we have to try to win this last game. It's important. We didn't win the Premier League so we have to get a Champions League medal."

Who? - Mikael Silvestre - Quite likely Where is he? - Manchester United Who is he linked with? - Bordeaux
Manchester United defender Mikael Silvestre has suggested he could leave Old Trafford in the summer and sign for Bordeaux. The France international is no longer first choice at United due to a combination of serious injury and the emergence of Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra this season. The 30-year-old former Rennes and Internazionale defender made three appearances towards the end of the season after returning from cruciate knee ligament damage. However, Silvestre has hinted his eight-year stay with the Red Devils could be coming to an end. When asked about a potential move to Bordeaux, he replied: "It isn't impossible. Bordeaux is a club which is close to my heart. When I was little, I followed their exploits in Europe. Moreover, I have family in the Gironde region. But each player has to be satisfied in a sporting sense as well as financially. There are no gifts handed out here. I am not a good Samaritan."

Who? - Steven Sidwell - Speculation Where is he? - Chelsea Who is he linked with? - Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate has been linked with a 4million move for Steven Sidwell after admitting his main priority is to strengthen his midfield. Sidwell, 25, has started just seven Premier League games since moving to Chelsea on a free transfer from Reading last summer. Southgate has released Fabio Rochemback and Gaizka Mendieta in recent days and his admitted his main focus in the summer is to bolster his midfield. "Strikers are not a priority for us," he admitted. "That might change at some point, but I wouldn't foresee it. I am quite happy with the blend we have got."

Cristiano Ronaldo has suggested he may consider his Manchester United future after next week's Champions League Final.

The 23-year-old winger has once again been linked with an £80million move to Real Madrid after scoring a remarkable 41 goals in all competitions this season.

Ronaldo claims he is happy at Old Trafford, but has refused to rule out a shock move to Spain in what would be a new world record transfer deal. "I'm happy here, but let's see what happens after the Champions League final (with Chelsea)," he said when speaking to Spanish television station Antena 3. "I know Real Madrid like how I play and other teams in Spain do as well.
"I have said millions of times that I would love to play in Spain, but it's one thing to dream and another thing for it to be a reality."I am feeling calm here. I'm happy here but in the future I don't know."

Meanwhile, Ronaldo has fired an ominous warning to the rest of the Premier League after vowing to improve next season. The flying winger added the Football Writers' Player of the Year trophy to his burgeoning collection on Thursday evening. But Ronaldo, who was also named the Professional Footballers' Association Player of the Year for the second successive season, has no plans to rest on his laurels.

"I am very happy to win this award. It is very important for me to win again, but most important is the collective awards," he said after receiving his latest accolade at a ceremony at the Royal Lancaster Hotel "I am still going to want to win more, to carry on like this. I will not stop because I have these two awards. "Next season I will try to do my best again. "I have improved every season and will try to improve next season. I am enjoying my football, and want to carry on."

Celtic legend Tommy Burns died on Thursday morning aged 51 after losing his long battle with cancer.

The former Scotland international, who played more than 400 games for Celtic between 1975 and 1989, had been diagnosed with skin cancer in 2006.

He also managed Celtic, Kilmarnock and Reading, but returned to Parkhead in 2005 to work as first-team coach.

A statement from the Bhoys read: "Tommy, a true Celtic Legend and wonderful man will be sadly missed by us all.

"Clearly, our thoughts are very much with Tommy's wife Rosemary and his family at this extremely difficult time."

Doncaster take on Southend tonight in the 2nd leg of their Play Off Semi Final with the winner earning the right to play Leeds in the Final at Wembley later this month.

The first leg last week ended 0-0 at Southends Roots Hall Ground and as a result i feel the balance of the tie has swung in Doncasters favour. They have beaten Southend on the last 3 occasions that they have entertained the Shrimpers which included a 3-1 win in the regular season.

Doncaster will have striker Phil Hefferman suspended after his red card in the first leg and he will be a big miss,but Southend also have a doubt over striker Lee Barnard who will face a late fitness test.

Totesport are best price 21/20 about a Doncaster win tonight in 90 minutes and it is enough to get me interested given Doncaster had a good record at the Keepmoat Stadium in the regular season with 14 wins 4 draws 5 defeats 34 goals scored and only 18 conceded.

Southend had a respectable away record as you would expect from team in the play offs with 10 wins on the road but they suffered 9 defeats and conceded 35 goals to go with the 35 they scored.

So for me Doncaster to win and set up a Yorkshire Derby with Leeds which if it happens will be worth

THIRD ROUND
Cardiff City's charge to the FA Cup Final began in the most inauspicious of circumstances. Playing Chasetown of the Southern League Division One Midlands - the lowest-ranked team ever to reach the FA Cup Third Round - they fell behind after just 17 minutes when Kevin McNaughton turned a corner into his own net. Peter Whittingham's equaliser on the stroke of half-time settled the Bluebirds' nerves, and Aaron Ramsey and Paul Perry both scored to make it 3-1.

Portsmouth were drawn away to Ipswich Town and had their work cut out against a team who hadn't lost at home since March 2007, but got a boost when midfielder Liam Trotter was harshly sent off after 24 minutes for a challenge on Pedro Mendes. After the break, David Nugent grabbed a rare goal to win it for Pompey, but they still needed David James to be at his best to keep the Tractor Boys at bay and send the Premier League side through.

FOURTH ROUND
Cardiff faced another lower league side in the Fourth Round, but Hereford were a few divisions above Chasetown and also caused a few problems for Dave Jones' side. Kevin McNaughton scored at the right end just before half-time to put Cardiff ahead and then earned a penalty for Steven Thompson to convert on 67 minutes, but Theo Robinson pulled one back with 13 minutes to go to set up a nervy finish.

Portsmouth were also up against lower league opposition again, taking on Plymouth Argyle and falling behind after just five minutes when Chris Clark put the Pilgrims ahead. David James had to be on form again to stop Clark making it 2-0 minutes later, but Pompey were 2-1 up by half-time through Lassana Diarra and Niko Kranjcar. The second half saw the visitors pile on the pressure, but James was equal to their best efforts.

FIFTH ROUND
Cardiff got off to a flyer in their Fifth Round tie against fellow Wolverhampton Wanderers, with Peter Whittingham put through by Aaron Ramsey after just two minutes to give the Bluebirds the lead. Their place in the the Quarter-Finals was secured for the first time since 1927 in the 11th minute when Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink turned and smartly struck a shot into the top corner from a Paul Parry cross.

David James was again the hero for Portsmouth as they again travelled to a lower division side. This time it was Preston North End whose hearts they broke after a tense clash at Deepdale, with both sides having chances, but the biggest one falling to the home side when Sylvain Distin tripped Billy Jones inside the area on the hour mark. Simon Whaley stepped up, but fired his penalty straight at James, who saved and gathered up the rebound. Then, in injury time, Darren Carter lashed an attempted clearance into his own net to gift a win to Pompey.

QUARTER-FINALS
Having already played a massive role in helping Cardiff get this far, Peter Whittingham delivered the goods again for them in the Quarter-Finals. This time they had a sterner test, facing Premier League side Middlesbrough at the Riverside, but the former Aston Villa midfielder gave them the lead with a superb free-kick after just nine minutes to stun the home side. Roger Johnson made it 2-0 in the 23rd minute, by which time Cardiff had missed several other chances to extend their lead, while Boro managed just one shot on target in the whole match.

Like Cardiff, Portsmouth were the underdogs in their tie, because they were drawn at Old Trafford against Manchester United. They had to ride their luck, with Sylvain Distin fortunate to escape giving away a first half penalty for a barge on Cristiano Ronaldo, but held firm against constant United pressure and won a penalty of their own in the second half. Edwin van der Sar had gone off injured at half-time, and his replacement Tomasz Kuszczak brought down Milan Baros, earning himself a red card and Pompey a spot kick. Sulley Muntari took it against makeshift keeper Rio Ferdinand and scored to send Harry Redknapp's team to the Semi-Finals.

SEMI-FINALS
Both of the Semi-Finals were held at Wembley, and Cardiff City took on this year's master giant-killers Barnsley, who had beaten Liverpool and Chelsea to reach this stage. However, a tight game was decided in the ninth minute when Joe Ledley scored a stunning left-foot volley past Luke Steele. Both sides had chances after that, but the key moment came in the 67th minute when Chelsea's conqueror Kayode Odejayi missed a one-on-one chance against Peter Enckelman.

The only Premier League side left in the FA Cup by this stage, Portsmouth had to work hard to avoid becoming the latest casualties of a tournament of shock results. West Bromwich Albion showed why they have gone on to win promotion to the top flight for next season as they largely dominated proceedings, though chances for either side were at a premium. The winning goal came in the second half after Dean Kiely parried a Milan Baros shot and Nwankwo Kanu reacted first to score and put Pompey in the Final.

Jonny Howson bagged a sensational injury time winner as Leeds United bounced back to stun Carlisle United 2-0 at home and reach the League One play-off final. With the red number showing one minute of added time, Dougie Freedman fed the ball to Howson, who slipped an inch-perfect shot inside Kieren Westwood's post for his second of the game.

In truth it was a fair reflection of a match in which the Cumbrians never soared to the dizzy heights of the first leg, where they were dominant and won 2-1. Carlisle pressurised the visitors early on but were hit by a sucker punch from Leeds' first attack after ten minutes. Howson played in Freedman on the wing and the veteran squared back to the onrushing youngster, who drilled the ball between two defenders leaving Westwood helpless as the ball sailed past him.
The hosts had already had a penalty appeal turned down by referee Alan Wiley, but they rarely threatened and had Westwood to thank for keeping the score down.

Jermaine Beckford should have done better with a header and Neil Kilkenny went close with a volley, before a defensive slip let in Leeds again. Full-back Evan Horwood's awful header back to Westwood was intercepted by the dangerous Freedman, but the much sought after keeper was out in a flash to deny him.

Carlisle's Scott Dobie flashed a volley wide and Marc Bridge-Wilkinson went closer still on the stroke of half-time, but his low drive was blocked by Casper Ankergren.

Leeds dominated after the break and Beckford twice went close with long-range efforts that flew narrowly wide.

Bridge-Wilkinson was unlucky not to equalise with a clever volley on 73 minutes, but Carlisle were effectively camped in their own half.

The visitors almost grabbed a second on 78 minutes when Bradley Johnson headed against a post and with Carlisle praying for extra-time, Howson struck with seconds to play to send Leeds to Wembley.

Who? - David Bentley - Speculation Where is he? - Blackburn Rovers Who is he linked with? - The exit door

Blackburn boss Mark Hughes insists David Bentley will still be at Ewood Park next season even if the England international refuses to sign the new Rovers contract he has been offered. The 23-year-old former Arsenal star has enjoyed a scintillating season with Rovers alerting several other clubs to his availability, with Tottenham the latest to express an interest in him. However, Hughes is adamant that one of his hottest properties will not be allowed to leave the club this summer, telling the Lancashire Evening Telegraph: "We've offered David a new contract to reward him for the season he's just had. If he doesn't sign it then it's not a problem, we'll just stay as we are and move forward. We'll probably have to put up with a lot of speculation about David's situation over the summer, but I've said it so many times now that I'm sure everyone is clear about my view on it. We haven't put a price on his head, and we aren't going to. Some people in the papers are trying to say that we've actually stated a price that we'd accept, but that isn't the case - it's inaccurate. I need to add to the quality here, not take quality away. Okay, I might be able to get a certain amount of money for any given player in the squad, but are you able to replace that quality with similar quality for the same price? It's difficult. I'd rather keep what I know, and keep the players that I've worked with, because they understand what I want and you don't have to start the process from a low point again, and build up to the point where you've had players with you for two or three years, which is where we are now. So it doesn't make sense to let players go, certainly when I don't have to." Bentley has scored 21 goals in 133 appearances for Rovers since joining the club three years ago.

Who? - Dean Ashton - Speculation Where is he? - West Ham United Who is he linked with? - The exit door

West Ham United are keen to tie Dean Ashton down to a new long-term contract and will hold talks with the former Crewe Alexandra and Norwich City striker on Friday. The 25-year-old has endured two injury-ravaged seasons at Upton Park but was back to his best in the closing weeks of the campaign just ended. Ashton has scored 17 times in 51 first-team appearances for the club with 11 of those coming this season, including five in his last eight matches. The former England Under-21 international still has two years left on his current contract, but the Hammers' chief executive Scott Duxbury told the club's official website: "The end of the season was the appropriate time to discuss such matters and to meet Dean Ashton and his representatives. "We will sit down on Friday with a view to agreeing a new long-term contract to keep Dean Ashton at Upton Park. Everyone at West Ham United is committed to taking the club forward."

Who? - Mauro Zarate - Quite likely Where is he? - Birmingham City Who is he linked with? - The exit door

Birmingham City's loan striker Mauro Zarate is a target for several other Premier League clubs, following the Blues' relegation from the top-flight. The 21-year-old Argentinian scored four times in 14 appearances for the Blues following his arrival from Qatari side Al Sadd, impressing with both his skill and commitment. Zarate's agent, Christian Otero, told BBC Sport: "He's in discussions with two top English sides at the moment. "Al Sadd had quoted about 20million for him but I think he will go for about 10million. I expect to have more details regarding Mauro's future next week." Birmingham manager Alex McLeish had earlier admitted that he was disappointed to see his chances of signing Zarate on a permanent basis ended by his side's demotion. He told the Birmingham Mail: "Mauro's going to be an attractive proposition to Premier League clubs, in fact I know he is. "I would like to thank him for his spell here and he made an impact, which was never going to be easy. It was a little bit of a risk bringing him in from a league where you can get away with things, be lazy and still look like a world-class star. I applaud his spirit, his heart and he will be a good asset to one of the big clubs, if not here then abroad. He's a real talent and it's just a shame that our situation counted against us."

Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp has dismissed reports that he is considering quitting the club after their FA Cup final against Cardiff City.

Several morning press reports had suggested that the 61-year-old was pondering an exit from the game, but Redknapp says that that is not the case.

He told The Sun: "You're as old as you feel and Sir Alex Ferguson must be feeling bloody brilliant. He's a lesson to us all.

"I want to go on as long as him and I don't see why I can't. I still love the game as much as ever. I've got a good team, good players and thoroughly enjoy working at this club.
"I can't see myself ever leaving Portsmouth, not now. It would be nice to put on a performance in the final, but it's more important to win.

"In ten years' time they'll only remember who won it, not how they played."

Who? - Gareth Barry - Speculation Where is he? - Aston Villa Who is he linked with? - Liverpool
Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill has confirmed that he and club owner Randy Lerner have held talks with captain Gareth Barry to try and keep the England midfielder at Villa Park. The 27-year-old has been the subject of a recent bid from Liverpool and has also been linked with Chelsea and O'Neill is well aware that Barry has been unsettled by the speculation. He told the club's official website: "We've spoken to Gareth and our situation remains the same - that everyone at Aston Villa Football Club wishes very strongly that Gareth will stay. Obviously he's at a big stage of his career. He's 27 years old and he's been here almost ten years. He's due a testimonial and if he sees the club continuing to progress we definitely want to keep him. He still has two years of his contract to run and Liverpool have put in an offer that, well, it's almost debatable whether it is an offer. Things are very much up in the air and the main aim for the chairman and myself is to try and keep him at the football club. That's what we're trying to do. You can make people see out their contracts, but in essence we would want a pretty amicable solution to all of this and we're still hopeful that things can be resolved in favour of Aston Villa. I'm never overly confident, but what I would say to the fans is that we're doing our utmost and we'll continue to do so. We want to show Gareth that we mean business. Gareth, despite what has been said in some newspapers, has never expressed unhappiness at Aston Villa. We want to keep him and we've got certain things in our favour. We want a solution that everyone is happy with and the last thing you want to do is keep an unhappy player at the football club, but Gareth Barry has not expressed his unhappiness at Aston Villa."

Who? - Manuel Fernandes - Speculation Where is he? - Valencia CF Who is he linked with? - Everton

Everton manager David Moyes is pondering bringing midfielder Manuel Fernandes back to the club for a third spell. The 22-year-old Portugal international has joined the Toffees from both Benfica and Valencia in recent times, with Moyes unwilling to stump up the 12million needed to secure a permanent deal. Moyes said: "Fernandes' form towards the end of the season was much improved. He has got better, he passed the ball well. It was much like last season when he arrived and got better as things went along. He certainly looked in better shape, physically, than he did when he first came in January. We are going to assess his situation over the coming weeks, I have got a few ideas of what I want to do with him. It will happen in time."

Who? - Aleksandr Hleb - Quite likely Where is he? - Arsenal Who is he linked with? - Internazionale

The agent of Arsenal forward Aleksandr Hleb has again confirmed that his client is considering a move away from the club this summer. The 27-year-old Belarus international has been strongly linked with Internazionale in recent weeks, but Nikolai Shpilevski says that no final decision has been reached just yet. He told the Russian media: "Aleksandr understands perfectly well that he plays for a great team, but the moment has come where he needs to make a choice. Hleb has been playing in London for three years now and isn't sure whether in the future he can show the level of talent that he is showing currently. There are no problems with his playing opportunities. Alexander is just tired of the noisy and chaotic life in the British capital and feels like living in calmer surroundings. I can only confirm that some of the world's biggest clubs are interested in him. Everything will be done properly and I am sure that the situation surrounding this issue will finally be resolved in the next ten days. If any clubs want to add Hleb to their ranks then they should hold talks with Arsenal. Nobody is hiding the fact that a player of his class is of interest to all teams, including Barcelona and Real Madrid."

Who? - Sergio Ramos - Speculation Where is he? - Real Madrid Who is he linked with? - Chelsea

Real Madrid and Spain defender Sergio Ramos has firmly slammed the door shut on a summer move away from the Primera Liga champions. Both AC Milan and Chelsea were rumoured to be lining up mega-money bids for the versatile 22-year-old, but Ramos insists he is going nowhere. He told Marca Radio: "I am very sure that I am staying. I am flattered that great teams like AC Milan or Chelsea are interested in me. That is a sign that things are going well for me and drives you on to keep improving and playing better for Real Madrid. I have a very long contract and the only thing I think about is retiring here. I am very comfortable with my team-mates, the club and the city and so are my family. Also I feel calm. I have renewed my contract and I am very pleased with the deal I have, although one always aspires to improve and grow in every aspect."

Hull City sealed their place in the Championship play-off final after coming from behind against Watford to win 4-1 on the night and 6-1 on aggregate.

A goal from Darius Henderson on 12 minutes gave Watford hope but Hull equalised through Nick Barmby just before half-time. Then second-half goals from Caleb Folan, RIchard Garcia and Nathan Doyle gave the Tigers a convincing victory.

Fraizer Campbell had a great chance to put Hull ahead within ten minutes as the Manchester United loanee latched on to a poor Watford header on the edge of the area but the Hull frontman could only fire the ball straight at keeper Richard Lee.

Watford took the lead on 12 minutes after clever play inside the Hull box created space for Henderson who neatly slipped the ball right footed past Boaz Myhill from ten yards.

Hull levelled the scores just before half-time when Watford failed to clear a header up field from Andy Dawson and the ball came to Garcia who managed to loop his header over the stranded Lee and Barmby raced in to nod the ball into the back of the net.

Substitute Tamas Priskin nearly put Watford ahead seconds after coming on in the second half, but his right-footed strike from ten yards was parried away by Myhill.

Hull went in front on 70 minutes when Sam Ricketts raced down the right and crossed towards substitute Folan who neatly headed the ball past Lee from five yards to send the home crowd into early celebrations. Substitute Craig Fagan went close from 30 yards towards the end of the game, as his fierce long-range effort whistled just over the bar.

Watford came close to pulling one back late on as Jobi McAnuff swung in a corner towards Henderson whose header from six yards had to be cleared off the line by Bryan Hughes.
Hull grabbed a third on 88 minutes when Garcia cleverly slipped through the Watford defence and slotted the ball home past Lee.

The Tigers then added a fourth in stoppage time when substitute Doyle fired in a shot from ten yards which deflected off a Watford defender and floated into the back of the net.

Rangers dreams of winning an amazing quadruple were dashed by a Zenit St Petersburg outfit that deservedly beat Walter Smith's side 2-0 in the UEFA Cup Final at Eastlands.
The Scottish side were second-best on the night as their attempt to add the European trophy to the League Cup they have already won and the league title and Scottish FA Cup they hope to secure failed.

Second-half goals by Igor Denisov and Konstantin Zyrianov proved to be enough to sink a tired Gers side that will now have to lift themselves for an extremely busy last week to the season.
After failing to progress from the Champions League group stage, Rangers had seen off Panathinaikos, Werder Bremen, Sporting Lisbon and Fiorentina to reach their first European final since 1972.

Their hopes of beating the Russian side, managed by former Gers boss Dick Advocaat, were boosted by the competition's top-scorer, Pavel Pogrebnyak, being suspended after his yellow card in the closing stages of Zenit's amazing 4-0 semi-final second leg success against Bayern Munich.

Smith decided to start with Jean-Claude Darcheville as the only recognised striker in his starting line-up and it was Zenit that created the first opening when Andrei Arshavin could only guide his shot in to the side-netting.

Anatoliy Tymoschuk tried his luck from distance but Neil Alexander was equal to the ambitious effort while at the other end Darcheville almost teed up Barry Ferguson inside the area only for Radek Sirl to take the ball off the former Blackburn Rovers man's toe.

Zenit appeared to be the more cultured side while the Gers were happy to soak up the pressure and hope to catch their opponents on the break. In the 29th minute Aleksandr Anyukov forced Alexander to make a smart save after lashing a stinging shot towards goal but neither keeper was called on to make a really difficult stop in the first half. Zenit should have had a penalty on the stroke of half-time when the ball clearly hit Kirk Broadfoot's hand inside the area but the referee waved play on.

The match opened up in the second period and Rangers thought they should have had a penalty for handball themselves when the ball struck Denisov, but again the referee was unimpressed.
The deadlock was almost broken in the 65th minute when a big hoof out of defence found the outstanding Andrei Arshavin.

Alexander came racing out of his area only for Arshavin to round him and fire a curling long-range effort towards goal only for it to be cleared off the line by the back-tracking Sasa Papac.
Zenit did score seven minutes later though when a simple Arshavin pass dissected the Rangers defence and Denisov kept his cool before slotting the ball past Alexander.

The Scottish side had nothing left although substitute Nacho Novo blasted a late chance over the bar before, with virtually the last touch of the match, Fatih Tekke squared the ball to Zyrianov who side-footed the ball into an empty net.

Cristiano Ronaldo today picked up the Barclays Player of the Season and The Barclays Golden Boot award to complete a sensational season for Manchester Uniteds prodigious talent.
The 23-year-old has been handed the prestigious Barclays Player of the Season accolade for the second year in succession following the 2007/8 season in which he picked up the Barclays monthly honours for January and March and played a pivotal role in Manchester United retaining the Barclays Premier League title.

Manchester United's tenth Barclays Premier League title was aided in no small part by Ronaldo's goal tally. 31 goals from 34 Barclays Premier League appearances saw the Madeira-born winger hold off stiff opposition from Arsenal's Emmanuel Adebayor and Fernando Torres of Liverpool to collect The Barclays Golden Boot award.

Ronaldo's final total represents the first time a player has scored more than 30 goals in a season since Alan Shearer's 31-goal haul for Blackburn Rovers twelve years ago. In addition to his award, Ronaldo will receive £1,000 for every goal scored to be donated to a charity of his choice.

Sir Alex Ferguson has won the Barclays Manager of the Season Award for the eighth time in his career after guiding his United side to a second successive Barclays Premier League title.
Despite a stuttering start to the new Barclays Premier League season, which saw Ferguson's men fail to register a win in their opening three games, United kick-started their campaign with a 1-0 home success over Tottenham Hotspur, which initiated an unbeaten run of nine games, of which they won eight.

Ferguson's side continued to win admirers throughout the season with their free-flowing style of attacking football, and remained well placed at the top of the league for much of the campaign. Despite a narrow defeat to closest rivals Chelsea in April setting up a tense finale, United held their nerve to clinch the title with victory at Wigan and earn Ferguson his tenth Barclays Premier League title since 1993.

The decision was made by the Barclays Awards Panel, which includes representatives from football's governing bodies, the media and fans.

Former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has admitted that he would only return to the game with one of the powerhouses of European football.

Mourinho has been strongly linked with both Barcelona and Internazionale in recent months, while his comments will end a new link which had suggested that he was a candidate to take charge at Manchester City this summer.

Mourinho commented: "As I'm not prepared to take a step back and become a mid-level coach, I'll either work for a big club or I won't work, full stop. "That's why in these past few months I've turned down - I don't know - eight, nine or ten clubs, because I wasn't prepared to take a step backwards. "Right now I have one priority. I would like to coach in either the Spanish or Italian championship, as these are the strongest in the world."

Sven Goran Eriksson currently remains in charge of the Citizens, who have headed off to Thailand and Honk Kong for a post-season tour.

Former Tottenham Hotspur head coach Martin Jol has been appointed as the new manager of Bundesliga side Hamburg.

The Dutchman was sacked by Spurs last October following a disappointing start to the new season, but Jol is now back in the game, having signed a two-year contract with Hamburg.

HSV chairman, Bernd Hoffmann, told the club's official website: "We are sure that we have appointed the right coach for HSV."

Hamburg had been on the lookout for a new coach ever since Huub Stevens announced that he would leave the club in the summer to take charge at PSV Eindhoven.

Jol's new club lie fifth in the Bundesliga standings with one game of the season to play, while they also reached the last 16 of the UEFA Cup earlier this season, before being beaten by fellow German side Bayer Leverkusen.

Rangers and Zenit St Petersburg of Russia meet in tonight`s Final of the UEFA Cup to be played at Manchester City`s City of Manchester Stadium.

If sheer fan power can win a trophy then Rangers have one hand on the Cup already, but they will not be underestimating their oppostion tonight.

Zenit have accounted for Marseille, Bayer Leverkusen and in the Semi Final Bayern Munich convincingly on their way to tonights Final and have looked a class side who will trouble a few of the big guns in next seasons Champions League for which they have already qualified having won the Russian title in November last year.

Ranger have a game plan which has worked in Europe to date and which saw them come through 2 tough games against Fiorentina in the Semi`s before finally holding their nerve in a penalty shoot out but they cannot use that system in tonight`s Final with any great confidence.

Though Ranger`s have been superb in defence during their run the question must be asked what do they have in the way of forward options should Zenit score and they have to go for goals.

Zenit will be missing their top striker Pogrebniak who scored twice in the 4-0 thrashing of Bayern in the Semi 2nd leg but still i believe they have enough to lift the Cup tonight.

Apparently the bookies have said they are taking 10 times more money for Rangers than for Zenit tonight but i always bet with the head not the heart and though i would like to see Walter Smith and his team lift the trophy tonight my money will be on Zenit.

Two goals in extra-time put Bristol City on the road to Wembley and heading towards the £40million prize of a place in the Premier League. Lee Trundle, written off as a £1million flop only weeks ago, struck the first into the top left-hand corner. Then Crystal Palace were finally crushed by a 30-yard free-kick from Michael McIndoe.

As they had in the first leg, which they won 2-1, the little regarded Bristol side turned up the heat late on.

Palace had clawed their way back in for manager Neil Warnock, who had not lost in five previous play-off semi-finals, when Ben Watson headed into an empty net. They had the game at their mercy later with a penalty, but Watson slammed his shot into the bottom of the keeper's right-hand post.

With that escape, City took on fresh legs and went on to dominate the rest of a highly charged match.

Before his goal Trundle had burst through on the right in time added-on to hit the top of the bar.
Palace owed so much to their captain Mark Hudson. He headed off the line from Dele Adebola in the second minute and overall won his duel with the one-time Palace striker. But Hudson was partly responsible for both Bristol goals. His header out of defence failed to clear his lines and fell to Bradley Orr, who set up Trundle. Then Hudson handled to give away the free-kick which finally sank his side.

Palace's goal had come when City's Brazilian keeper Adriano Basso came off his line to punch clear, but failed to reach the ball and Watson sent a looping header into the unguarded net.
This equaliser over the two legs increased the tension and when Louis Carey, the home captain, was brought down in the Palace half, referee Howard Webb needed all his coolness and experience to defuse an angry situation, He booked Palace's Clint Hill and Clinton Morrison and sent City's assistant manager Keith Millen to the stands.

Who? - Michael Owen - Speculation Where is he? - Newcastle United Who is he linked with? - JEF United

J-League side JEF United have been linked with a shock move to try and sign Newcastle United's England striker Michael Owen. JEF United are currently bottom of their domestic league and have recently appointed long-time Liverpool coach Alex Miller as their new manager. Owen, 28, has another year left on his current deal at St James' Park and has been linked with both Manchester United and Everton in recent days. JEF United spokesman, Kentaro Shiga, told Nikkan Sports: "We are considering adding players to our squad when the transfer windows open this summer. However, we haven't come to the point where we can name the possible candidates, including Michael Owen. It would be great if we can have a player like Owen with us, as that will increase the attention to our club. But we have just started under our new manager and are still working to put things together in the new administration."

Who? - Petr Cech - Speculation Where is he? - Chelsea Who is he linked with? - Leaving

Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech has rubbished reports suggesting he is considering leaving Stamford Bridge. The future of the 25-year-old Czech Republic international was brought into question after claims from his agent earlier in the week that a "a very big European club is ready to pay 32million for Petr". Several reports also suggested the highly-rated goalkeeper was unhappy at being denied a bumper new deal to match the wages of top-earners John Terry, Michael Ballack and Didier Drogba. However with two years still to run on his existing deal, Cech claims he has absolutely no plans to quit the Blues and is keen to sit down and discuss a new contract. "Contrary to numerous press stories over the last couple of days, I would like to make it very clear to the Chelsea fans that I have no plans to leave the club," he said in a statement. "My sole focus at the moment is next week's Champions League Final and then the Euros. I am very happy at Chelsea. I still have two years left on my contract and I believe the club will sit down with my representatives at the appropriate time to discuss an extension of my current contract."

Football is a passionate sport, so it is no surprise that occasionally that passion boils over into downright filth ;-)

Socceradvise have compiled a list of the ten best incidents of footballers or football managers swearing on TV.

Enjoy.

Manchester United superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has again pledged his future to the Premier League champions, following renewed rumours of an approach from Real Madrid.

The 23-year-old Portugal forward enjoyed a stunning campaign with United, scoring 41 goals in all competitions to help the club retain their league title and reach the Champions League final, where they will face Chelsea.

Ronaldo told MUTV: "I'm at the right club, playing with the right players and I learn things all the time. "That's what is great about being at United. I improve all the time and I want to improve every season. I think I'm a better player now than five years ago. "This season has been a great one for me. I've scored a lot of goals, the team have played very well and we're champions. It's amazing. "It's a great feeling to win the league, I don't have the words to describe how it feels to be champions. I didn't think it would go to the final day of the season, but to be honest the feeling is even better.

"We've worked hard for nine months and I feel very proud to be champions."

Dougie Freedman snatched a goal in stoppage time to give Leeds United hope for Thursday's second leg at Brunton Park after underdogs Carlisle had built a surprise two-goal advantage at Elland Road.

Carlisle-born Paul Huntington sent a high ball into the goalmouth where Freedman, on loan from Crystal Palace, blasted it home. Goals by Danny Graham and Marc Bridge-Wilkinson had stunned below-par Leeds in the supercharged League One play-off semi-final, first leg.
Graham, who had a spell on loan at Leeds from Middlesbrough in 2006, got a touch to Simon Hackney's volley to give the Cumbrians a 32nd-minute lead and former Bradford City midfielder Bridge-Wilkinson struck the second, five minutes after the break. Hackney's darting runs and crosses created havoc in the Leeds defence before he limped off in the 69th minute.

Leading scorer Jermaine Beckford was back after injury for Leeds and Carlisle welcomed the return of skipper and defender Danny Livesey after suspension. The atmosphere was reminiscent of Leeds' nights in the Champions League as Elland Road was a cauldron of noise, mainly made by the home fans.

Yet it was the Cumbrians that proved their credentials for the big occasion. Carlisle boss John Ward had promised his team would attack and they almost took an eighth-minute lead when Bridge-Wilkinson shot against the outside of a post.

Although Freedman went close with two 20-yard efforts the visitors created plenty of chances, with Hackney to the fore. Leeds failed to heed the warning and when Graham met Hackney's centre, keeper Casper Ankergren conceded a corner which Leeds couldn't clear and, when Hackney tried a stinging volley from the left corner of the penalty box, team-mate Graham got the final touch into the net. Beckford should have equalised in the 43rd minute but, from Neil Kilkenny's defence-splitting pass, the striker's shot on the turn was well saved by Keiren Westwood.

Leeds' vulnerability on their right side was exposed again by Hackney, and from Evan Horwood's pass, Bridge-Wilkinson stabbed the ball past Ankergren from eight yards.
Leeds captain Jonathon Douglas had a header brilliantly tipped over the bar and Huntington's shot was cleared off the line but Huntington eventually got his reward.

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has been named as the LMA Manager of the Year, having guided the Red Devils to yet another Premier League title. Ferguson also won the Premier League award, succeeding Reading's Steve Coppell.

The veteran Scotsman said of the honour: "It is a tremendous honour that my fellow managers and LMA members should deem me worthy of this award. I am very proud to receive it."
LMA chairman, Howard Wilkinson, added: "The awards recognise the achievements of the managers across the four top leagues in England."Recognition by your peers is an incredible privilege and this year's winners should be proud of their achievements.

"The LMA would like to congratulate all the managers for playing such an integral role in another fantastic season."

The Championship award went to West Bromwich Albion's Tony Mowbray, with Swansea City's Roberto Martinez taking the plaudits in League One. The only award not to go to a manager whose side had won the title was the League Two prize, which was claimed by Hereford United's Graham Turner.

The finishing line has been in sight for many weeks now for Internazionale, but like a marathon pace-setter with a ribbon phobia, they are making hard work of the finishing straight. Ever since feebly crashing out of the Champions League to Liverpool earlier this year, they have been a side seriously lacking confidence or character, and last weekend's humiliating failure to crown their Scudetto charge with a derby win over AC Milan summed up their recent failings.

The same can certainly be said for this weekend's 2-2 draw with Siena. Patrick Vieira got things underway at the San Siro with an 11th minute goal, and even when Massimo Maccarone cancelled it out, Mario Barotelli restored Inter's lead just before half-time. However, Houssine Kharja made it 2-2 with 20 minutes to go and when the home side won an 80th minute penalty, instead of coolly using it as the perfect opportunity to seal the victory and to win the league, they imploded.

Regular penalty-taker Julio Cruz was all set to take it, but was overruled by Marco Materazzi, needing to be restrained by his team-mates from confronting the Italian defender. He was right to be angry too, as Materazzi then stepped up and had his spot-kick saved by former Arsenal keeper Alex Manninger. Siena held on for the draw and Roma's 2-1 win at home to Atalanta means that the Serie A title race goes right to the wire with just one point between the two sides going into next weekend's final matches.

Needless to say, a certain Inter defender has had a few apologies to make, particularly after club president Massimo Moratti was caught on camera saying 'Materazzi lost us the game': "I heard about that, but in all honesty I think at that moment every single Inter fan hurled some kind of abuse at me," he said. "This is part of the sport and the sense of disappointment it can give you, so I can't complain. Perhaps with hindsight I should have left it to Cruz. I apologised to him afterwards."

Roberto Mancini was not best pleased: "The penalty takers were Cruz, Balotelli and then Materazzi. You can miss penalties, unfortunately, so Julio could've made a mistake too. We'll never know. Sometimes you feel like taking the penalty and you are not the taker. You feel it is right. We really could've done without that incident, but this is football and these things happen. Tonight the disappointment will pass and we will start preparing for Parma."

While Inter face Parma, Roma will be at Catania, and Francesco Totti is looking forward to it: "It's going to be an incredible 90 minutes. We have nothing to lose, so we just have to focus on winning in Catania and waiting for the verdict from Parma," he said. Daniele de Rossi agreed: "Unfortunately we are continuing to look up at Inter from below and realise Catania will be tough. It's going to be two 'real' games again and that is what we wanted. Nobody deserves the Scudetto as much as Roma this season, but we are duelling with a great side, even if they have rather lost their heads."

Inter may have lost their heads, but Barcelona seem to have lost absolutely everything after a topsy-turvy few weeks. Last weekend, they put their Champions League dismay behind them with a 6-0 thrashing of Valencia, but crashed back down to earth again with a humiliating 4-1 defeat to Real Madrid on the night that their arch-enemies celebrated winning La Liga, with Frank Rijkaard announcing afterwards that he'll be leaving in the summer.

Things seemed to be getting back to normal yesterday when they went 2-0 up to Mallorca at the Nou Camp through Thierry Henry and Samuel Eto'o, but their fragile confidence disappeared after Borja Valero pulled one back in the 68th minute. Further goals from Pierre Webo and Daniel Gonzalez capped an incredible 3-2 win for the visitors, while Edmilson was sent off in the last minute to compound Barca's misery on a night that saw just 39,298 hankie-waving fans bother to turn up to watch Rijkaard's final home game in charge.

"It was a sad night for the team and also for me," he said. "Certainly I did not expect such a difficult end to the season. As a sportsman I expected other things. This suffering in this final phase is almost unbearable. It is tough, tough, tough. Barca are a great team and must always play to win important things. When it is not like that you know that the public will not react well. The team has to be stronger than the circumstances, and here they haven't been."

Villarreal's 2-0 win over Espanyol means that they are now 10 points clear of Barca in second place, while Atletico Madrid secured their Champions League qualification with a 1-0 win over Deportivo la Coruna. Champions Madrid drew 2-2 with Real Zaragoza, while Valencia followed up their win in midweek with a 5-1 thrashing of Levante, helped by a hat-trick from David Villa, who is surely set to leave the club this summer after their miserable season.

The Ligue 1 title race has been a foregone conclusion after Christmas in most recent seasons, but this year will see Lyon and Bordeaux battling it out on the last day after both picked up wins on Saturday to maintain the two-point gap between them. An Andre Luiz own goal helped the champions beat Nancy 1-0, while Fernando Menegazzo and Marouane Chamakh scored as the challengers beat Sochaux 2-0. Next weekend, Lyon take on Auxerre while Bordeaux face Lens...

Their title bid was unsuccessful, but Werder Bremen put on a show for their fans this weekend with a 6-1 win over Hannover, thanks to goals from six different players. Champions Bayern Munich weren't in a generous mood either, with three goals in the opening 20 minutes earning them a 3-2 win at Duisburg and relegating the home side. Bayer Leverkusen's 2-1 win at Hansa Rostock also sent their opponents down, while Wolfsburg's 4-0 win over Stuttgart boosted their European hopes.

Who? - Jose Bosingwa - Very likely Where is he? - FC Porto Who is he linked with? - Chelsea

Chelsea appear to have won the race to sign to sign FC Porto's highly-rated full-back Jose Bosingwa. Manchester United, Liverpool and Aston Villa had all been linked with the 25-year-old former Boavista player but the Blues are understood to have had a 16.2million bid for the player accepted. Porto announced in a statement to the Portuguese Stock Exchange that a deal had been agreed. It read: "We inform the market that we have an understanding with Chelsea for the rights to our player Jose Bosingwa for the price of 20.5million euros. "More information on the relative agreement of the transfer will be legalised once the player concludes the medical examinations that he is now having with the permission of Porto football club." Bosingwa has made more than 100 appearances for Porto, helping the team win the 2007-08 title. He has also broken into the Portugal side in the last 12 months, replacing Miguel as his country's first-choice right-back.

Stephen Gleeson sparked wild scenes of jubilation as his late equaliser gave Stockport a 1-1 draw against Wycombe Wanders in the League Two play-off semi-final. The half-time substitute took full advantage of Wycombe's failure to clear their lines and unleashed a dipping left-footed volley from outside the box with eight minutes to go.

Gleeson's late strike snatched the momentum and advantage from Wycombe, who had looked on course to taking a valuable 1-0 lead into the second leg at Edgeley Park next weekend. The home side had taken the lead eight minutes before the end of the first half when Delroy Facey took advantage of a calamitous clearance from County's John Ruddy. The keeper's miscued kick ended up at the feet of Facey just outside the box and the on-loan striker shrugged off the challenges of three Stockport defenders to poke the ball past a despairing Ruddy.

The home side had the best of early exchanges and Wycombe midfielder Tommy Doherty was into the action after seven minutes as he stung the hands of Ruddy with a searing 25-yard strike.

Stockport offered little and their first chance came after 20 minutes when top-scorer Liam Dickinson muscled his way into the box only to smash the ball out of the ground and into the Wycombe countryside. Dickinson had an eventful afternoon and the lanky striker made few friends at Adams Park with the repeated ease and frequency that he found the turf.
One particular piece of theatrics sparked a vocal exchange between the mangers as Wycombe boss Paul Lambert stormed to the Stockport bench to remonstrate with his opposite number Jim Gannon.

The tone set by the feuding managers translated onto the pitch and referee Darren Deadman had a busy afternoon issuing no fewer than six yellow yards.

Manchester United deservedly won the Premier League as their football was consistently of a high standard though the need to find some to take the pressure off Ronaldo in the goalscoring stakes.

Chelsea were their usual consistent self after and early season blip and will now look to the Champions League for some reward for their efforts this season.

Arsenal and Liverpool again flattered to deceive and the close season signings will be interesting to say the least.

As for the rest of the league in my opinion it was more of the same, Everton being the best of an average bunch with Villa showing signs of improvement and Man City for a while showing what they are capable of until imploding towards the end of the season due more to matters off the pitch then on,but Spurs,West Ham and Newcastle again failed to live up to their "big team" potential.

At the bottom end of the league Derby were a disaster from day one and hopefully Paul Jewell can rebuild in the Championship next term, sympathy though for Steve Coppell at Reading and Alex McLeish at Birmingham though the table does not lie they are two good managers who hopefully will be allowed to get their teams back to the Premiership.

Speaking of good managers, i said in one of my BLOGS last weak it is nice to see one of footballs quiet men come good and the job Roy Hodgson has done at the tail end of the season to keep Fulham up deserves an award though he will not get one. Through all Fulham`s problems since he took over he has remained a calm, eloquent gentleman who has never lost faith in his side and i for one was delighted that he and his team survived.

So Season 2007-08 has ended and we now get the calendar out waiting for the new season to start but sadly i feel the outcome at the end of 2008-09 may not be so different as the season just gone, as the good get better and the rest just pick up the crumbs, hopefully in a years time i will look back and say how wrong i was, for footballs sake i hope so.

Hull City boss Phil Brown felt his side could have won the first leg of their play-off semi-final at Watford by more than the eventual 2-0 margin.

Goals from veterans Nick Barmby and Dean Windass gave the Tigers a healthy cushion for the return leg at the KC Stadium, but Brown thought his side could have killed the tie off altogether.
He said: "The most disappointing thing was not to get the third and kill it off.

"To be disappointed with a 2-0 is staggering, but we could have won by three or four.

"It's still all to play for in my opinion. I've unfortunately been involved in losing from 2-0 up and 3-0 up in the play-offs as a player, so I'll take nothing for granted.

"We've got another 90 minutes to play for and it's going to be a hell of a game."

Celtic stretched their lead at the top of the SPL to four points with victory in this pulsating match. Headed goals by Stephen McManus and Scott McDonald separated the sides. As Hibs tired towards the end they also had two players sent off, Martin Canning for a second yellow and Ian Murray received a red card for a bad foul on Aiden McGeady.

Celtic's sixth win in a row ended Hibs' hopes of a UEFA Cup place and kept the pressure on Rangers, who have two games in hand.

Hibs attacked from the start and after Steven Fletcher's headed drifted wide, Dean Shiels powered in a powerful shot which Artur Boruc did well to parry. Play swept from end to end and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink headed past the post from ten yards and, after Andrew McNeil pushed out McGeady's shot, Barry Robson hit the rebound over. Robson should have done better than head Shunsuke Nakamura's corner wide, before Fletcher tested Boruc again with a well-struck shot which took a deflection off Gary Caldwell.

Celtic's pressure paid off when Nakamura's corner was headed home by McManus.
Nakamura went close to adding to Celtic's lead, but his free-kick came back off the post.
The frantic pace continued in the second half, a clever pass from Nakamura put McDonald through, but after rounding the keeper his shot, was cleared off the line by Murray.

With such a slender lead Celtic were always aware that one slip would undo all their good work. Boruc again produced vital saves to deny Guillaume Beuzelin and substitute Clayton Donaldson before Canning was sent off. McDonald sealed Celtic's victory when he was on his own at the back post to head Robson's corner low into the net.

There was still time for Murray to be red-carded for a foul on McGeady as the Bhoys kept up their relentless pursuit of the league title.

Bhoys manager Gordon Strachan said after the win: "It was a good game and a fitting finish to the season at Parkhead. "So I think everyone got their money's worth, although obviously we are more satisfied than Hibs. "But, trust me, it's all about the result. I've heard some rubbish since I've come here about people wanting to see stylish football and all the rest of it, but everybody wants to watch winning football." Hibs boss Mixu Paatelainen added: "I felt we were a little bit blunt in front of goal, that's where you must be at you best in order to win matches.
"We are disappointed that we didn't qualify for the UEFA Cup, but when I arrived in January I felt that Motherwell and Dundee United were too far ahead of us.

"All credit to the boys, they fought tremendously hard, but unfortunately we were a little bit short."

Fulham completed the great escape on Sunday afternoon as Danny Murphy's late goal at Fratton Park helped them beat Portsmouth 1-0 and escape relegation on a dramatic final day. The Cottagers went into the last round of matches with their fate still in their own hands, but they looked nervy in the opening stages as Portsmouth played the ball around with greater confidence. However, as the match wore on and results elsewhere made victory essential, the visitors showed greater urgency and found the breakthrough via Murphy. Jimmy Bullard lofted an inviting free-kick into the area and Murphy rose highest to nod home and seal survival.

That meant that Reading needed to beat Derby by more than seven goals to avoid the drop, but they could only find four meaning Steve Coppell's men sunk back into the Championship after two seasons in the top flight. James Harper opened the scoring fifteen minutes in with a superb shot which curled into the top corner. Dave Kitson then converted Leroy Lita's cross to make it two on the hour mark before Kevin Doyle tapped in the third. Lita's powerful header from Stephen Hunt's cross made it four in the closing stages, but Murphy's goal at Fratton Park ensured the Royals are relegated due to Fulham's goal difference superiority of three.

In a similar situation are Birmingham, who finished in nineteenth position despite a commanding 4-1 triumph at home to Blackburn. An error from Brad Friedel gifted David Murphy the opener on the half-hour mark, but Morten Gamst Pedersen found the back of the net four minutes into the second half to level up. With Reading winning at Derby it seemed Birmingham would go down no matter what they did, but showing great character, Alex McLeish's side fought on and went ahead seventeen minutes from time through Cameron Jerome. The second half substitute then found his second a minute from time, before Fabrice Muamba headed the fourth seconds later to secure a fine result from what was nonetheless a desperate day for the Blues.

At the top of the table, Manchester United won the Premier League title for the second successive season thanks to victory at Wigan. Sir Alex Ferguson men started nervously as Wigan bossed the play and looked the more likely to score. However, the decisive moment came midway through the first half when Wayne Rooney was brought down in the area by Emerson Boyce. Cristiano Ronaldo stepped up and converted from the spot to send United into half-time ahead. A stronger looking United started the second half, but Wigan were still a threat and it wasn't until ten minuets from time that the game were secured as Ryan Giggs, who came off the bench to equal Sir Bobby Charlton's appearance record, hit home to claim the title for a jubilant Red Devils.

That meant that Chelsea would have to find the net over twenty times against Bolton to claim glory, but as it turned out they only scored once in a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge. Like United, the hosts started slowly and suffered potentially bad news when John Terry was taken off with a suspected broken arm which could rule him out of the Champions League final. The day briefly seemed to be turning in their favour midway through the second half when substitute Andriy Shevchenko put them ahead, but when news of Giggs' goal filtered through to London, heads dropped and Kevin Davies took advantage, equalising late on to ensure that United won the title by two clear points rather than goal difference.

Everton sealed their UEFA Cup spot with a comfortable 3-1 victory at home to Newcastle United. Needing just a point to finish ahead of Aston Villa, the hosts went ahead on 28 minuets through Yakubu's header, only for Michael Owen to convert from the penalty sport in the early stages of the second half following Joseph Yobo's foul on Charles N'Zogbia. However, Joleon Lescott continued his fine scoring form this season to make it 2-1 not long after with a fine header from Manuel Fernandes's cross, before Yakubu added the third to seal the points and that all-important fifth place.

Everton's win and Blackburn's defeat meant that Aston Villa were secure in sixth spot, but they still played out an entertaining 2-2 draw with West Ham anyway. The Hammers went ahead through Noberto Solano's stunning free-kick on eight minutes, but Ashley Young fired home from Nigel Reo-Coker's set-up shortly after. Gareth Barry set the visitors up for a closing day victory as he converted from Nigel Reo-Coker's parried effort on what could be his final appearance for Martin O'Neill's men, but Dean Ashton ensured the game finished level with a neat finish from just outside the area in the dying seconds.

Manchester City are also in Europe via the Fair Play League but they ended their season (and perhaps Sven-Goran Eriksson's brief reign) with a humiliating 8-1 defeat at Middlesbrough. Stewart Downing converted early on from the spot following a foul on Tuncay by Richard, for which the defender was sent-off. Boro dominated from then on and Afonso Alves made it two shortly after, before Downing hit his second for the third goal. Alves and Adam Johnson took the score up to five and Fabio Rochemback smashed home a free-kick to add the sixth. Jeremie Aliadiere's sixth goal was accompanied by a consolation from Elano for City, but Alves completed his hat-trick to secure a stunning win for his side.

Finally, Liverpool and Arsenal's final standings were already secured but they still closed their seasons with accomplished victories on their travels. Theo Walcott scored 24 minutes in at Sunderland to help the Gunners edge out a 1-0 win against Roy Keane's side, while Liverpool were 2-0 victors at Tottenham. Andriy Voronin and Fernando Torres found the net in the second half at White Hart Lane, meaning Rafa Benitez ended a turbulent campaign on a high.

Who? - Michael Owen - Speculation Where is he? - Newcastle United Who is he linked with? - Manchester United

Manchester United are hoping to sign Michael Owen in the summer, according to reports. Sir Alex Ferguson's side have made informal contact with Newcastle over a deal for the England star. It is thought Ferguson wants to bring in at least one more forward in the close-season and he has been linked with Dutch star Klaas-Jan Huntelaar this week. However, he is now thought to have turned his attention to Owen who he believes he can land for 7million. Owen has yet to sign a new contract at St James' Park.

Who? - Dean Ashton - Speculation Where is he? - West Ham United Who is he linked with? - Manchester United

West Ham United manager Alan Curbishley has said the club will not sell their big stars, including Dean Ashton. Manchester United have been linked with a summer move for Ashton in recent weeks, but Curbishley insists the Hammers are not a selling club. "Every club outside the top four has this problem every summer," he said. "Even Spurs and people like that are going to come under pressure. But since the new group took over West Ham we have tried to push forward and I don't see selling players as a way of pushing forward. The people who left last summer [Nigel Reo-Coker, Marlon Harewood, Yossi Benayoun] asked to go and we wanted to have a change around. I want to see certain combinations of players that I haven't had a chance to see. I want to play Craig Bellamy with Dean Ashton. I am enthusiastic about when we join up again."

Who? - Patrik Berger - Speculation Where is he? - Aston Villa Who is he linked with? - Portsmouth

Aston Villa forward Patrik Berger is being linked with a return to Portsmouth this summer. The Czech international will leave Villa Park at the end of the season, and was a target of Harry Redknapp's in January. Berger played at Fratton Park between 2003 and 2005, in which time he scored eight times in 52 games. He said: "I want to spend at least another year in the Premier League before going home."

The maths are simple for Manchester United beat Wigan Athletic on Saturday and they will win their tenth Premier League title.

There is little point in attempting to calculate the scorelines required for Chelsea - who go into the weekend level on points with United - to come top should both clubs win as United have a goal difference of plus 56 to their 39.

Anything other than three points would count as one of the great footballing shocks. Not only are United one of the finest teams when playing under pressure, they are also tasked with beating one of their favourite opponents.

Since Wigan's promotion to the top-flight in 2005, United have won every game with an overall scoreline of 20-3. That includes three 4-0 victories in six games, the latest coming in October of last year. A team of consummate professionals, United will do anything but take their opponents lightly and this week Ryan Giggs spoke words of caution regarding the team managed by former Red Devil Steve Bruce.

"It's going to be a tough game. Wigan have got some decent players. They showed that when they played Chelsea and got a draw," said the veteran winger. That 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge a month ago was followed by draws with Spurs and Reading and, most recently, an impressive 2-0 win away at Aston Villa.Speaking after that match, Bruce said: "It's as good as I've ever done in management, in terms of where we were going into the Blackburn game in mid-December with nine points."To get 31 points since the turn of the year is fantastic for the players. I'm delighted we've managed to do it and do it in some style against Villa who have been playing well." Bruce is likely to stick with the same team that impressed last weekend, including two-goal hero and reported United transfer target Antonio Valencia, as their squad is relatively free of injury and suspension.

United are still waiting on the fitness of central defender Nemanja Vidic, who suffered a concussion after a collision with Didier Drogba two weeks ago, although he is expected to be fit enough to play. His appearance would force Wes Brown to move to right-back, despite impressing recently in the centre, freeing up Owen Hargreaves to replace the suspended Nani in midfield.

Three points against Bolton Wanderers on Sunday may not be enough, but Chelsea intend to fight Manchester United all the way in the race for this season's Premier League title.
This is the fourth time the title race has gone right to the final game of the season and Chelsea know that a victory for them over a Bolton side who secured their own safety last week and a slip up by United at Wigan could see them crowned surprise champions.

Ahead of this titanic final weekend, manager Avram Grant has attempted to up the pressure on the Red Devils after insisting it is they and not his side that need to perform.

Bank Holiday Monday's 2-0 win over Newcastle United - secured courtesy of goals from Michael Ballack and Florent Malouda - kept them level on points with the leaders, albeit with a vastly inferior goal difference."The pressure is on them," said Grant. "I said we will never give up. We have given a good, good battle."Nobody thought about us as a candidate for champions. We will keep on fighting." Grant is likely to recall Frank Lampard and Joe Cole to his midfield after dropping the pair to the bench against Newcastle, while Ricardo Carvalho is expected to be fit despite limping off last weekend with a back injury.

Former Bolton striker Nicolas Anelka could return to the bench after scoring just twice in 23 appearances since his £15million move in January. Bolton are not mathematically safe from relegation, but Gary Megson's side would only lose their top-flight status in extraordinary circumstances. The 16th placedTrotters have a much better goal difference that both Fulham and Reading, so even if they moved level on 36 points at the foot of the table with victories, the Reebok Stadium outfit would still survive.Megson's side seemed certain to join Derby County in the Championship next season when they were thrashed 4-0 by Aston Villa in early April.
However, a run of three wins and a draw in their last four matches, culminating in Saturday's 2-0 victory against Sunderland, has almost certainly guaranteed Bolton a place in next season's Premier League.

Nicky Hunt (shoulder) and Jussi Jaaskelainen (back) will take no part in the final weekend of fixtures with long-term injuries, while El Hadji Diouf will make his last appearance in a Bolton shirt after revealing a desire to leave.

Chelsea were 1-0 winners when the sides met at the Reebok Stadium back in October with Salomon Kalou on the mark.

Rangers survived a late rally by Dundee United as they gained another crucial three points in the title race. This victory means the Gers have cut the gap on table-topping Celtic to one point and Walter Smith's side still have a game in hand. The Ibrox team looked to have sewn the game up with two early goals from Nacho Novo.

However, Mark De Vries' header 14 minutes from time led to an anxious few minutes for Rangers until substitute Jean-Claude Darcheville slid home their third goal in the last minute.

Rangers looked jaded in the second half but still managed to grind out an important victory.
United's Noel Hunt missed the target with a header before Rangers took the lead after only seven minutes. Novo was left unmarked and, from six yards, headed home Kevin Thomson's curling free-kick.

Rangers increased their lead 11 minutes later when Novo got behind Michael Kovacevic and hit a wonderful 20-yard left-footed shot into the top corner of the net. Novo and Kirk Broadfoot both went close to scoring a third goal before David Weir cleared David Robertson's net-bound shot from inside his six-yard area with keeper Neil Alexander stranded. The Rangers shot-stopper then made a good save to keep out De Vries' shot.

United were far more positive at the start of the second half and, after Weir's mistake, the centre-back appeared to foul Hunt as he cut across him but the visitors' appeals for a penalty were amazingly waved away by the referee.

Novo wasted a good chance before Christian Dailly's shot came back off the post after Novo's corner had been cleared to him.

United thought they had reduced the deficit when Danny Swanson's shot deflected off Weir past Alexander, but the goal was ruled out for offside with the linesman thinking the ball had come off De Vries.

De Vries finally scored for United with a powerful 12-yard header but Rangers responded well and, after Broadfoot had chipped a left-foot effort just wide, Darcheville slid home a last-minute goal after good work by Novo and Barry Ferguson.

Darlington substitute Ian Miller grabbed a vital last-gasp winner for Dave Penney's side as the Quakers edged out Rochdale 2-1.

But Dale will still fancy their chances of making the League Two play-off final after a blistering display in the north-east heat.

Despite the importance of the game neither side showed any nerves in a busy opening to the match. Darlington attacked from the first whistle, but a cross from defender Ben Parker was too deep.

Rochdale keeper Tommy Lee had to be at his best in the seventh minute when saving a shot from Scott Wiseman and he then denied Rob Purdie three minutes later.

In between those two efforts, Dale striker Chris Dagnall had seized possession from Alan White and from 20 yards saw his curling shot beat keeper David Stockdale and then crash against the crossbar.

The game settled down after the frantic start and, in the 28th minute, the deadlock was broken when Quakers midfielder Jason Kennedy fired a curling right-foot drive into the top corner of the net from the edge of the area.

There were further chances for both sides in a pulsating opening 45 minutes. Darlington defender White headed a corner from Parker narrowly wide in the 33rd minute and then, two minutes later, Dale captain Gary Jones fired well wide from a good position.

Darlington striker Tommy Wright headed over in the 47th minute as the hosts looked to increase their lead and give themselves a cushion going into the second leg at Spotland.
Dagnall again went close in the 54th minute when he burst into the area but failed to hit the target and then Darlington were unfortunate when Wright hobbled off in the 64th minute.
Six minutes later Rochdale were level when Dagnall's shot took a wicked deflection which left Stockdale wrong-footed.

In the final ten minutes Darlington lost two more players when Parker and White went off with leg injuries. However, substitutes Neil Wainwright and Miller combined in stoppage time. Miller headed in Wainwright's free-kick from six yards to give Darlington a narrow advantage.

David Noble scored a superb stoppage-time winner as Bristol City beat Crystal Palace 2-1 in the first leg of their Championship play-off semi-final at Selhurst Park.


After a tight first half, the game really opened up after the interval with Louis Carey turning from hero to villain as he opened the scoring for the Robins before giving away a late penalty from which Neil Warnock's side equalised.


But it was Noble who had the final say and Gary Johnson's side now hold the upper-hand going into the second leg at Ashton Gate on Tuesday. The visitors edged a nervy first period with Palace keeper Julian Speroni forced to make one superb save to keep Dele Adebola's header out.
However, Palace also went close to breaking the deadlock with Scott Sinclair's weak effort being cleared off the line after Adriano Basso had been beaten, while Clinton Morrison also shot straight at the City keeper.


Sinclair almost won a penalty as well but Nick Carle's foul was adjudged to be just outside the area and Danny Butterfield's free-kick was saved by Basso. After the break Ben Watson fired a shot inches wide for Palace before Carey gave the visitors the lead in the 54th minute after a well-worked free-kick.


City's captain scored his first goal of the season after Noble and Carle combined to create the opening for him to curl a fantastic effort past Speroni.


Palace's woes intensified when Warnock brought substitute James Scowcroft on, only for the striker to almost immediately suffer a recurrence of the hamstring injury that has sidelined him for the last month.


Carey's strike appeared to have won the game for City until the defender brought down Jose Miguel Fonte with only four minutes left and Watson kept his nerve to fire his penalty past Basso.


It seemed certain that the match would end level but, after it was announced that there would be five minutes of stoppage time, former West Ham United trainee Noble hit a perfect 30-yard effort into the net to hand the advantage to the Robins.

Who? - Luis Fabiano - Speculation Where is he? - Sevilla Who is he linked with? - Manchester United

Sevilla striker Luis Fabiano is reportedly Manchester United's main transfer target this summer. United's European scout Martin Ferguson has watched Fabiano in action several times this season. The Old Trafford club are rumoured to be favourites to land him ahead of Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Real Madrid and Roma. Sevilla have suggested it would cost in excess of 40million to buy him, but sources believe the fee will be closer to just 7million. Fabiano has been on top form this season, scoring 33 goals in 38 games.

Who? - Players - Speculation Where is he? - Anywhere Who is he linked with? - West Bromwich Albion

West Bromwich Albion manager Tony Mowbray has said he has been contacted by an abundance of agents since his side secured promotion last weekend. The Baggies will be playing Premier League football next term after beating QPR 2-0 on Sunday, and will be looking to improve their squad in the summer. "Agents are only doing their jobs," he said. "They target certain clubs for certain players. You would be a fool to ignore them. You have to listen to the names and, hopefully, the one you were waiting to hear might be among those they give you. It has been busier since last Sunday than at any other stage of the season.

Who? - Rafa Benitez - Speculation Where is he? - Liverpool Who is he linked with? - The exit door

Tottenham Hostpur manager Juande Ramos believes countryman Rafa Benitez is happy at Liverpool and will not be forced out. The Anfield club travel to Spurs on Sunday in the final game of a turbulent season which has seen Benitez linked with the exit door on several occassions. But Ramos has said: "Every day football comes up with a different situation and every club is different. I'm sure Liverpool, with its philosophy, will be able to come out of this. There are always things that crop up that get in the way of the normal running of a club, but I think Rafa is very happy there. It's been a long time since I've seen him. I have a very good relationship with him and we get on very well. I always look forward to seeing Spanish people, especially friends of mine."

Ashley Young has today been announced as the Barclays Player of the Month for April to cap a memorable month for Aston Villa's prodigious talent. The 22-year-old winger scored three goals and continued to play a key role as Villa maintained their push for a top five Barclays Premier League finish.

Young started the month by playing a crucial part in two of his sides goals in the comprehensive 4-0 win over Bolton Wanderers at Villa Park, before scoring once in the 6-0 demolition of Derby County at Pride Park. Two further strikes followed as Aston Villa defeated local rivals Birmingham City 5-1, before the Stevenage-born England international impressed again in the 2-2 draw against Everton at Goodison Park.

Young is the second Aston Villa player to pick up the Barclays Player of the Month award this season after Gabriel Agbonlahor scooped the prize in November 2007; making this the first time since 1999-2000 that two Aston Villa players have won the award in the same campaign.
The end of April saw Young named in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year - the only outfield player outside of the top four to be handed the accolade.

Chelsea manager, Avram Grant, has collected his first award in English football after being named the Barclays Manager of the Month for April.

The Blues soared back into Barclays Premier League title contention during an unbeaten month in which they secured ten points from a possible 12. A 2-0 victory against Manchester City at Eastlands was followed by a 1-1 draw at home to Wigan Athletic, before Grant's men reinvigorated their title hopes with a hard-fought 1-0 win at Everton and a crucial 2-1 home success against rivals, Manchester United.

Grant becomes the first-ever Israeli to scoop the prize and the first Chelsea manager in over a year since Jose Mourinho collected the award in March 2007. The decision was made by the Barclays Awards Panel, which includes representatives from football's governing bodies, the media and fans.

They say you cannot teach an old dog new tricks and in the case of Sir Alex Ferguson that seems to be the case.



Having played his mind games on such worthy advisaries in the past as Kevin Keegan, Jose Mourino and Arsene Wenger he has started on poor old Avram Grant! As if the Chelsea boss hs not got enough to worry about wondering when or if the P45 is on it`s way Alex has now had a go at Bolton players who he believes will not be in the right frame of mind to play Chelsa as they have celebrated escape from relegation to hard and if Chelsea win it will be a hollow victory!!



To be fair to Avram he has had a go back with his claims against Wigan and in particular United old boy Steve Bruce but you have to wonder just how much effect if any this "gamesmanship" has.



In my opinion very little and as i believe both sides will win their respective matches i can only put it down to the two managers having too much time on their hans in the run up to the big day on Sunday.



The fact that the real Premiership trophy is going to Wigan should be the biggest clue to the final destination, and i dont mean the Wigan trophy cabinet!!!

The race for the last remaining place in next seasons Premiership is now down to 4 sides with Crystal Palace, Bristol City, Hull and Watford all fighting for that one remaining ticket.

Palace entertain Bristol in the 12.15 GMT kick off today and are the form side entering into the play offs. Neil Warnock`s exciting young side have been a revelation and it is hard to think that back in November they were in the drop zone.

Since that time however they have put a great run together and whilst the other 3 sides have stayed in the play off positions thanks to their earlier season form especially in the cases of Watford and Bristol City, Palace have launched a run which brings them into the play offs on a good run, add to that the fearlessness of youth and i feel Palace will be a hard side to beat.

Bristol City on the other hand must be giving manager Gary Johnson many sleepless nights as they were challenging for automatic promotion for so long till the dreaded nerves struck.

I feel it is harder to pick up form especially at this stage of the season then to go into a game like this on a fair run, and provided the Palace side do not freeze in the biggest game of most of their fledglng careers i think they can win today and get a result in the return leg to book their place in the play off final later this month.

Doncaster Rovers will be hoping home advantage will count next Friday in the League One play-off semi-final second leg after holding Southend to a goalless draw despite ending the match with ten men.

Rovers played out the last four minutes with ten men after Paul Heffernan was sent off for head-butting Charlie Mulgrew.

Doncaster shaded the opening exchanges and saw a driven 35-yard effort from James Coppinger fizz inches wide of Darryl Flahavan's right-hand post.

Mark Gower got Southend's first effort on target with a 25-yard effort that veteran Doncaster keeper Neil Sullivan smothered at the near post.

Doncaster went close when skipper Brian Stock's free-kick was headed just wide of the far post by Matt Mills.

Southend then tested Sullivan with a header from skipper Adam Barrett, before Mulgrew's cross-cum-shot from 40 yards was caught by the keeper. Lee Barnard then saw his goalbound shot from 12 yards deflect out for a corner, before Flahavan made a reflex save to deny Paul Green a deflected goal. The Shrimpers had the last say of the half with Simon Francis' effort from a Gower cross being parried by Sullivan. Flahavan kept the Blues in the match minutes later when he palmed Stock's free-kick from the edge of the box out for a corner.

Rovers upped the pressure with a disappointed Heffernan firing wide from Lewis Guy's pass.
The best chance of the night fell to Rovers striker Jason Price, who found himself one-on-one with Flahavan but saw the keeper palm away his effort from 12 yards.

Southend thought they had got a goal advantage to take to the Keepmoat Stadium, but Barrett's goalbound header from a Nicky Bailey cross was deflected to safety.

Who? - Emmanuel Adebayor - Speculation Where is he? - Arsenal Who is he linked with? - The exit door

Arsenal star Emmanuel Adebayor has demanded the club increase his wages or he will leave, if reports are to be believed. The 24-year-old striker only signed a new contract with the Gunners last summer, but earns only 35,000-a-week. Adebayor wants to see that increased to 80,000-a-week to bring him in line with other big-name Premier League stars. The news come as a host of Arsenal players are linked with the exit door. Mathieu Flamini has already signed a contract with AC Milan, while Alexander Hleb is reported to be heading to Inter.

Who? - Luiz Felipe Scolari - Speculation Where is he? - Portugal Who is he linked with? - Manchester City

Luiz Felipe Scolari has distanced himself from reports suggesting he has been approached to take over at Manchester City after hinting he could extend his contract with Portugal. The 59-year-old Brazilian coach is rumoured to be at the top of City owner Thaksin Shinawatra's wanted list after deciding to part company with current boss Sven Goran Eriksson at the end of the season. Scolari is out of contract with Portugal after the European Championship, but the former Brazil national team coach has suggested he could be tempted to extend his five-year reign. "Portugal offers me everything I need," he is quoted as saying. Referring to Manchester City, he added: "I have no agreement with that club."

Who? - Xabi Alonso - Speculation Where is he? - Liverpool Who is he linked with? - The exit door

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has denied reports suggesting he wants to sign Gareth Barry as a replacement for Spanish midfielder Xabi Alonso. Benitez saw a 10million player-plus-cash offer for the Villa captain rejected by the Midlands club last week. The Spaniard is expected to renew his interest in the versatile England midfielder during the close season, but he is not looking to offload Alonso to fund the deal. The 26-year-old joined the Reds from Real Sociedad in 2004 and has been linked with Juventus and Real Madrid after falling down the pecking order this season. He (Alonso) is our player, he has a contract," said Benitez. "Barry can play in three different positions, so I don't think we need to worry about this."

Southend who finished 6th in the league take on Doncaster who finished 3rd in the first of the league one play offs at Roots Hall tonight. 4 points seperated the 2 sides after 46 games of the regular season and tonight`s game should be equally as close.

Southend had a final home record of W12 D6 L5 F35 A20 though Doncaster`s away record for the season compares favourably being: W9 D7 L7 F31 A23. To highlight further the closeness between both these sides the league meeting this season saw Southend win 3-2 at home and Doncaster win 3-1 at their ground.

For head to head followers it is worth mentioning that prior to Southend`s 3-1 win at Roots Hall, Doncaster had won the previous two games played between these two sides in recent times.

The one clue i got when looking at the stats showed that Southend finished the season with 3 wins 2 draws and 1 defeat in their last 6 games whilst Doncaster missed out on automatic promotion on the final day when they lost 2-1 at Cheltenham and their final 6 games saw 2 wins 2 draws and 2 defeats, also you have to go back to early March for Doncaster`s last away win a 1-0 victory at mid table Bristol Rovers and it is that stat which leans me towards Southend tonight.

Ladbrokes are best price 11/8 about a Southend victory and i will we having some of that along with a small stake on the over 2.5 goal market where VCBet are offering 5/4 for this outcome.

As i said earlier i expect a tight affair but feel Doncaster can score so a 2-1 scoreline in favour of Southend would make for a happy night in the Silverfox hole!

Good Luck

Silverfox.

Football: the great leveller. As fans of Premier League teams will find out this weekend, a man can rise from schmuck to king and back again in the course of those ninety short minutes. Rubbish defenders can become goalscoring heroes, beloved strikers can turn into penalty-missing villains, and goalkeepers from lowly Welsh clubs can find themselves mentioned in dispatches at the Houses of Commons, as Montgomery Town stopper Steve Goodwin discovered late last month.

The Welsh side are chasing promotion from the Division 2 JT Hughes Montgomeryshire League at the moment and found themselves 1-0 up on Trewern United, who are also hoping for a top finish, in the closing stages of their crunch match. A free-kick was awarded on the edge of Goodwin's area, fully 78 yards from the opposing goal. The keeper stepped up, smashed it downfield and watched on in delight as the ball glided into the back of the net.

Explains right-back and local pub owner Peter Mills: "It was the type of shot you never think you'll see, and something we'll never see again. Our manager shouted that Trewern's keeper was off his line, and you could see Steve take a couple of steps back and hit the ball. We all piled on him after the goal in celebration, it was such a stunning strike. I don't think Trewern could believe it. Their manager was kicking bottles up and down the side of the pitch."

Added Town boss Clive McNamee: "It's not the longest of pitches and it's on a bit of a slope. We had a free-kick with about 10 minutes to go and Steve's got a good kick anyway and I think he was just going to float it into the box. He was about three or four yards outside his own box and I noticed their keeper was standing on the penalty spot and I shouted, 'Steve he's off his line'. Steve took two further steps back and put it into the top corner."

The goal proved an instant hit on You Tube, and reached the House of Commons courtesy of Montgomeryshire MP and Cheeky Girl-fancier Lembit Opik. Opik congratulated the team with a motion which asked: "That this House considers Steve Goodwin's goal in the match between Montgomery and Trewern on April 26 to be one of the greatest and most spectacular goals scored in the history of British football."

But what does the man himself think of it all? "It was coming towards the end of the game and I was just going to kick the ball into the corner to waste time because we were 1-0 up," said Goddwin, a 28-year-old transport supervisor. "But our manager was shouting on the sidelines that the keeper was off his line. So I looked up and saw where the keeper was standing and thought I'd have a go. I took a few more steps back, lumped it and in it went. It's fantastic that Lembit has raised it in parliament and it' a superb piece of publicity for the football club."

Town followed the victory with three wins on the trot, meaning they are now in second place in their league, eleven points behind leaders Llansanffraid, who have played two games more. Opik concluded: "I look forward to seeing more of the same sublime football playing in the near future from my local team. With inspirational moments like these, who needs Euro 2008? This goal keeps Mont FC's promotion hopes alive and kicking."

FERGIE'S DOUBLE VISION TITLE D-DAY 2 DAYS TO GO, say The Daily Star. Indeed, on the day before the day before the day the Premier League concludes everything's starting to get a bit tense. Not Owen Hargreaves though. He tells the paper, he's perfectly relaxed after experiencing a similar thing while at Bayern Munich. "To be in this position feels comfortable for me. I've been there before," he says.

'BRUCE IN FRAME TO REPLACE SIR ALEX' Latics chairman Dave Whelan reckons Steve Bruce is in line to replace Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford. "Another European title and Fergie may decide he's had enough," Whelan tells The Daily Mail. "If Unitec come in for Steve, I couldn't contemplate standing in his way."

MANCHESTER POLICE PUT ON RED ALERT FOR UNITED'S TITLE DECIDER The Times reveal that Greater Manchester Police will double the number of officers at the JJB Stadium for fear of fans getting out of hand.

HLEB WILL QUIT ARSENAL TO JOIN INTER, SAYS AGENT Over to Arsenal now and things aren't looking too great for Arsene Wenger. The Frenchman has vowed to keep Alex Hleb at the club after Mathieu Flamini signed for AC Milan earlier in the week, but The Guardian reveal the Belarussian is on his way to Inter.

PAY UP OR LET ME GO Adding to Wenger's problems is Emmanuel Adebayor, who has told his manager he wants to be paid £80,000-a-week to bring his wages in line with the Premier League's other big stars, accoring to The Daily Mail.

KEV TOLD TO GET IN TOON Kevin Keegan will sit down with Newcastle owner Mike Ashley today, say The Daily Express. King Kev will have his knuckles wrapped for his comments earlier in the week.

INTER IN FOR GERRARD Two Liverpool transfer stories on the back of The Sun. Firstly, Inter Milan have reportedly had a £25million offer for Steven Gerrard turned down. Secondly, Peter Crouch isn't best pleased after Rafa Benitez placed a £15million transfer feee on his head. Crouch doubts that any club will want to pay that much for him. Can't say we disagree.

FAIR KOP More from Liverpool in The Daily Mirror. This time it's over Gareth Barry, and Rafa Benitez is surprised at Martin O'Neill's reaction to the Reds' £10million offer for the midfielder. "I was surprised by part of his comments," says the Spaniard. "I had a private conversation with him 20 days ago."

Other top stories...
SO...WILL GRANT KEEP HIS JOB The Daily Telegraph turn their attention to Chelsea, and ask whether or not Avram Grant will keep his job. Alan Smith reckons he's already done enough to justify staying on, but Clive Tyldesley thinks it would be wise for Grant to pack his bags while he's still in Roman Abramovich's good books.

THIS IS HOW WE'LL STOP CHELSEA Kevin Davies has let The Sun in on how Bolton are going to stop Chelsea winning the title. Apparently, they're going to defend heavily, and The Sun illustrate this by photoshopping Bolton's first eleven in front of a pair of goalposts.

ERIKSSON MAKES BENFICA WAIT WHILE HE EYES CHELSEA JOB The question of Sven-Goran Eriksson's future at Manchester City has taken a fresh twist, according to The Guardian. They report that he's holding off on agreeing a move to Benfica, because he might be offered the Chelsea job.

RAMOS ADMITS SCOUTING FOR BERBATOV REPLACEMENT Juande Ramos has admitted that he's been looking at possible replacements for Dimita Berbatov in The Times. "Obviously we have to cover our back in case the player decides to leave and we have to have options to replace him," he says. "There are great players in Europe that can do just as well as Berbatov."

'KEEGAN IS RIGHT IN A LOT OF WAYS - BUT I'M NOT GOING TO ACCEPT IT' David Moyes says that Kevin Keegan's comments from earlier in the week about the predictability of the Premier League are probably right, but that he wants to change that in The Independent. "I can't turn up at the start of next season believing we can't be up there [in the top four]," he says.
EVEN FERGIE AND JOSE WOULD STRUGGLE TO KEEP BLUES UP The Daily Mirror turn their attention to the relegation battle. Birmingham manager Alax McLeish says that his club were always going to be in a relegation battle and that not even the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson or Jose Mourino could have avoided that.

READING PRAY FOR SALVATION Reading are featured in the The Daily Express. The Royals are looking for divine intervention. Club chaplain Steve Prince will pray for a Reading victory over Derby, and ask his Portsmouth counterpart to do the same for a Pompey win over Fulham. Isn't that cheating?

ROY DOES IT BY THE BOOK Meanwhile, The Daily Mail look at Roy Hodgson, who has said that if Fulham survive he won't celebrate. "If we win and stay in the Premier League it would bring me such satisfaction that I would quite happily go home and have a glass of water and read my book," he says.

CAPELLO'S FAVOURITE PLAYERS! Finally, The Sun take a look at Fabio Capello's favourtie Premier League players. The Italian picked out Cristiano Ronaldo, Fernando Torres and Cesc Fabrgeas. What have they all got in common? Yep, they're all not English.

The speculation that for so much of the season that Frank Rijkaard would leave Barcelona in the Summer was confirmed last night when it was announced that he would be leaving the club at the end of June.

Rijkaard was said to have lost the dressing room at Barca and a high profile replacement was expected. Top the list in many peoples opinion was "The Special One" Jose Mourinho.

However it seems Barca are willing to gamble on another trophyless season next time out by appointing reserve team coach and former Barcelona legend Pep Guardiola.

There is no doubting that Guardiola is a highly respected figure at the club but only time will tell if he has the man management skills that Rijkaard was accused of lacking. A clear out of some of the bigger egos at the club may help Guardiola but at this moment in time the decision looks risky to say the least.

Last weekend's results ensured that there's still all to play for at the top, bottom and middle of the Premier League. This means that Sunday's climatic games will be some of the tensest in recent memory and looking at the fixture list, we can only see two ties of the ten that have little relevance to the key areas of the table (Sunderland home match with Arsenal and Liverpool trip to Tottenham). So with that in mind, we've decided to go off the beaten track a little this week and instead of focusing on a couple of matches we're going to look at them all so you will know what it takes for your side to win the title, claim a position in Europe or survive the drop into the Championship.

BIG FOUR The Arsenal and Liverpool games are irrelevant. The Gunners' 1-0 victory over Everton on Sunday means that Liverpool, who have been secure in at least fourth for some weeks now, can not catch the Gunners in third. In turn, Chelsea's 2-0 defeat of Newcastle at St James' Park on Bank Holiday Monday means that Avram Grant's side are four points ahead of the Gunners and are guaranteed at least second. Arsenal and Liverpool will therefore have to participate in a two-legged qualification tie to make it through to next season's Champions League proper.

There is, of course, far more on the line for Manchester United and Chelsea. The Blues ensured a tight final day finish with that win at Newcastle, but while they are level on points with United, Chelsea do not have their fate in their own hands. If United beat Wigan, Chelsea will have to beat Bolton and overhaul a massive goal difference of seventeen to snatch the title from Old Trafford. If both teams draw or lose, the title is United's on goal difference. However, if United lose or draw at the JJB and Chelsea win, the Blues will win the title.

So how likely is a Chelsea title win? Certainly with Bolton all-but sealing survival with a 2-0 win over Sunderland on Saturday (a massive goal difference switch is the only thing that can relegate them) it seems unlikely that Gary Megson's men will be as fired up for this match as their opponents are. What's more, Chelsea have not lost in the league since a 1-0 defeat at Arsenal in December and have only dropped points in five games since then. In contrast, United's 4-1 win at home to West Ham on Saturday was their first impressive league performance in a month, a period which has seen them draw with Blackburn and Middlesbrough and lose at Chelsea.

Grant has already begun the mind games by demanding Wigan put up an honest fight on Sunday and suggesting the pressure is all on United, but he would undoubtedly swap places with Sir Alex Ferguson. Winning at Wigan, who have grown into a tenacious little side under the management of Steve Bruce, certainly won't be easy, regardless of their current league position, but it's difficult to see United's experienced players slipping up at such a crucial moment. A United goal difference win seems the most likely outcome then, and that would seem a fittingly tight finish to what has been one of the most thrilling title races in years.

RELEGATION Mathematically, there are five teams who still have the threat of relegation hovering over their heads. However, as Bolton are three points above Fulham and Reading and four ahead of Birmingham with a superior goal difference to the former duo, it would take a significant overhaul of eleven in GD for Gary Megson's men to drop into the Championship. Realistically then, the battle is down to Fulham, Reading and Birmingham, and here the permutations get particularly difficult.

Arsene Wenger is determined to keep Aleksandr Hleb at the Emirates Stadium after losing fellow midfielder Mathieu Flamini to AC Milan.

The Gunners boss hit out at France international Flamini earlier in the week following his decision to snub a new contract offer and join the Italian side on a free transfer.

But Wenger has no intention of allowing 27-year-old Hleb to join Milan's city rivals Internazionale. Reports claim the Belarus international will seek to buy himself out of the remaining two years of his contract and join the reigning Serie A champions.

"What people say about the buy-out clause, it is not as simple as it looks," said Wenger.

"It is much more difficult and the clubs are reluctant to do that. "We want to keep Hleb, we want him to be part of our team next year. It is as simple as that. "We have lost one player. We do not want to lose more."

Who? - Players - Speculation Where is he? - Anywhere Who is he linked with? - Manchester United

Rumour suggests that Sir Alex Ferguson will be handed 40million to improve his Manchester United squad in the summer. United spent 54million on Owen Hargreaves, Nani and Anderson at the end of last season. But despite being on the brink of a Premier League and Champions League double, Ferguson will dabble in the market once more this summer. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Karim Benzema, Micah Richards, Jose Bosingwa and Dean Ashton are thought to be targets. "One of Sir Alex's key strength is that he is always looking to improve the squad," said chief executive David Gill. "He doesn't say 'That's good enough' and 'Let's keep with what we have got'. If there are areas he wants to improve, areas he feels we need more cover for, then we will see what we can do."

Who? - Players - Speculation Where is he? - Anywhere Who is he linked with? - West Bromwich Albion

West Bromwich Albion midfielder Jonathan Greening has called on the club's chairman Jeremy Peace to back manager Tony Mowbray in the summer. The Baggies sealed promotion to the Premier League on Sunday by beating Queens Park Rangers 2-0 at Loftus Road, and they are expected to strengthen during the close-season period. Says Greening: "The squad that came up before to the Premier League in 2004, I wasn't part of because I signed in that summer from Middlesbrough. But I think we are maybe a bit better prepared for the Premier League with the way we play. It will probably suit our style more playing in the Premier League than the Championship. You saw in the FA Cup semi-final against Portsmouth how really well [we played] on the day. We know we can do really well against teams in the Premier League. I think the gaffer has probably got his ideas on where he wants to strengthen in the summer and who he wants to bring in but I am sure the nucleus of the squad will be staying the same because the gaffer likes the way we play. He will have in his mind who he wants to bring in. I am sure he will have a few foreign players he is after that maybe people aren't aware of. He has done well in that market already. I think he will probably go for a few experienced players as well. It will be an interesting summer. It will be interesting to see if the chairman backs the gaffer to the full. We hope he does that. Getting to the Premier League, there is only one league to play in. I've had two years of Championship football and it will be nice to get back in the top division and stay there for a few years."

Levante players found a novel way of showing their disaproval over the fact that they have not been paid recently.

As the game last night against Deportivo was about to kick off the Levante players formed an arc around the centre circle.

The Depor team kicked off and very sportingly knocked the ball out for a goal kick allowing the game to start in earnest, unfortunately for the Levante players the result was the same as Depor went on to win 1-0.

Chelsea are reportedly on the verge of making a £55 million for Sergio Ramos.

The Blues are thought to have identified several targets to improve their squad in the summer, and the Real Madrid defender is understood to be one of them.

Ramos can play at right-back and centre-back and became the third most expensive teenager in history when he signed for Real from Sevilla for around £20million in 2005.

He has a contract with Real which runs until 2013, but is rumoured to have grown frustrated with the club's reluctance to improve that deal.

Manchester City manager Sven Goran Eriksson has reportedly held talks with Benfica over a possible return to the Portuguese club. The Swede, who is expected to be released by City owner Thaksin Shinawatra at the end of the season, has coached Benfica on two previous occasions.

Eriksson won two league titles and a domestic cup before returning in 1989 and leading Benfica to another Portuguese championship and a European Cup Final appearance. Benfica spokesman Ricardo Maia said: "We will not comment on any suggestions of a future coach now.
"Whether someone is or is not in Manchester to try to persuade Eriksson, we have nothing to say about it."

Meanwhile, Shinawatra now appears to have softened his stance on the future of the former England manager. Last month he suggested a major summer shake-up was on the cards at Eastlands despite appointing Eriksson less than 12 months ago, Luiz Felipe Scolari is believed to be the frontrunner to take over, but the Portugal coach has and his representatives have suggested no decision on his future will be taken until after this summer's European Championship. "We have made no decision," said Shinawatra on the future of Eriksson or a potential replacement. "We will do an evaluation at the end of the season."

Rangers' second-half barrage finally paid off 16 minutes from time when Barry Ferguson hooked his volley high into the net.



What a priceless goal this could be for the home team as it reduced Celtic's lead at the top of the table to four points with the Gers still having two games in hand. The noise from the Ibrox crowd was as loud as any top European night and even manager Walter Smith became involved when four minutes were added to normal time, mainly because of Motherwell's earlier time-wasting.


Rangers started brightly and David Weir flicked on a Steven Davis corner, only for keeper Graeme Smith to touch his header onto the bar. Nacho Novo reached the rebound first but pulled his shot wide.


Motherwell then came more and more into the game with Bob Malcolm pulling the strings as he was left unmarked in the middle of the pitch. Ross McCormack flashed over a dangerous cross before Carlos Cuellar dispossessed the Motherwell striker after Steven Whittaker had carelessly given away possession. The visitors wasted their best chance of the half when, from six yards, McCormack shot wide from Stephen Hughes' cutback.


Rangers nearly took the lead just before half-time but Jean-Claude Darcheville's shot found the side-netting after good work by Kris Boyd.


At the start of the second half Rangers surged forward with wave after wave of attacks. Twice Boyd headed over from good positions. Ferguson's pass put Darcheville through but the striker widely slashed his effort over the bar. Kevin Thomson's deflected shot reached Novo in the six-yard box but he was crowded out before he could shoot.


Motherwell could hardly get over the halfway line and it was no surprise when Rangers' pressure finally paid off. Another Davis corner was touched on at the near post and, from beyond the back post, Ferguson shot high into the net from an acute angle.


Rangers went after a second and had a good claim for a penalty turned down when Malcolm pushed Boyd in the back, but the home team gained the three points they so desperately needed.

Who? - Thierry Henry - Speculation Where is he? - Barcelona Who is he linked with? - The exit door

Thierry Henry has said he will stay with Barcelona for at least one more season. The French striker has struggled to settle at the Nou Camp since moving there from Arsenal last summer, and has been linked with a move back to England, with the Gunners and Newcastle United touted as potential destinations. However, Henry has now told Le Parisien: "As for my future, no, I do not want to leave. I still have three years to run on my contract here and I will still be here next year."

Who? - Luis Antonio Valencia - Speculation Where is he? - Wigan Athletic Who is he linked with? - Manchester United

Mancheser United are reportedly set to offer a cash plus Louis Saha deal for Wigan Athletic star Antonio Valencia. The 22-year-old winger has been on impressive form for Latics this season and is thought to be a target of a number of big-name clubs. United face Wigan in the final game of the season on Sunday and the two clubs may talk business after the match. Saha would be thrown in to sweeten the deal as United are apparently looking to offload him. The French striker has been plagued by injury all season and has scored just five times in 24 appearances.

Who? - Steven Sidwell - Speculation Where is he? - Chelsea Who is he linked with? - Everton

Everton manager David Moyes is rumoured to be targeting Steve Sidwell and American international Michael Bradley as summer signings. Sidwell moved from Reading to Chelsea at the end of last season, but has struggled to find a regular place in the Blues' first eleven. Moyes was linked to Sidwell before he moved to Stamford Bridge last year and is also understood to have considered signing him on loan in January. Meanwhile, midfielder Bradley is also thought to be on Moyes' list. Officials from Everton were rumoured to be watching the Heerenveen star in action against Ajax last night. He has won eighteen caps for his country and could spark a bidding war between the Toffees and Blackburn Rovers, who are also understood to be interested in the highly-rated star.

The 'beautiful game' this certainly isn't and these videos are not for the faint of heart or queasy of stomach! Here are 20 of the most sickening, limb snapping and downright brutal tackles stretching back to 1982 and compiled into one handy, gruesome list. Perhaps it's best not to watch these during your lunch break!

Watch the shocking football tackle videos here

LA Galaxy remain on inconsistent form, but David Beckham's stock in America is on the rise after two stunning goals earned him the MLS Player of the Week award and his side a point in a remarkable recovery from two goals behind at Real Salt Lake over the weekend. Ruud Gullitt's team had won two and lost three of the opening five games of the 2008 campaign and it looked like they were going to waste the momentum they built up during last weeks 5-2 thrashing of FC Chivas as they fell behind early on at Salt Lake.

Exposing their opponents clear defensive frailties, Salt Lake started the brighter and raced into a two goal lead inside the opening eighteen minutes. Argentine striker Fabian Espindola hit the first, knocking home a great first-time shot from Javier Morales long ball into the box seven minutes in, before former Gretna forward Kenny Duechar grabbed the second shortly after, planting an unstoppable header into the top right hand corner of the net from another Morales assist.

Galaxy were being thoroughly outplayed, but against the run of play, Beckham forced them back into the match. The England star received the ball on the far right of the area and he curled a stunner into the top corner to make it 2-1 nine minutes from the break. Shortly after, Becks weaved his magic again, this time with a trademark free-kick which flew into the top corner and drew the game level at 2-2, and thanks to the fact Deucher had a good goal wrongly disallowed for offside in the second half, Galaxy held on to a point.

Beckham two goals were enough to hand him his second Player of the Week award of the season , and two slots in the Goal of the Weekend nominations list, and his team-mates and manager were full of praise at the full-time whistle. "It's what great players do," said defender Chris Klein. "He delivers good balls, and you have to step to him because he can strike a great ball. On the free kick, everyone knows what he can do there. We're going to need a few of those this year, and he's been known to provide them. I think this is a tip of what he can do, and what everyone has been waiting to see."

Sven Goran Eriksson's future at Manchester City has been called into question yet again, with Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari reported to have been offered the Citizens job.


Scolari has been linked with the City post ever since club owner Thaksin Shinawatra queried Eriksson's efforts in his first season in charge at Eastlands and those rumours are now reaching a crescendo.

However, Eriksson has refused to be drawn into the growing media circus, instead focusing in the last game of the season against Middlesbrough. He told the Manchester Evening News: "I don't know whether the players felt they had a point to prove to the owner or anyone else in the game at Liverpool.


"What I would say is that myself, the coaching staff and everyone who works at the Carrington training ground are a close unit and it has always been like that and I'm very proud of them and what we have achieved. "This is not the toughest time I have had in football. "Speculation in football, whether it is to do with managers, players, business or politics, is always there among fans today. All I want to see is another City win at Middlesbrough next Sunday, then it is the time for talking. I think it is always important in my job to behave in a proper way.

"Maybe people think I haven't always done that, but there are always excuses to behave badly if you choose to and I don't."



Personally i feel the man has down a good job and brought quality players to the City of Manchester Stadium he deserves at least to start next season and if he does go as is more then likely i feel it will be

Cambridge United beat Burton 2-1 last night and 4-3 on aggregate to reach the Blue Square Premier Play Off Final where they will play Exeter who overcame local rivals Torquay on Monday.

The final should be a close fought affair with only 3 points seperating Exeter who finished 5th and Cambridge who finished 3rd.

Both sides went into the play offs in good form and Exeter in particular did well to recover from losing the home leg of their play off to win 4-1 at Torquay in the second leg.

This looks to be the classic encounter between the high scorers (Exeter) and the canny defense (Cambridge).

Exeter had the better of the League encounters with a 1-0 win at Cambridge and a 0-0 at home but i feel Cambridge may just have the edge in the final and join Aldershot in League 2 next season.

It was with great sadness that i read the latest reports concerning Paul Gascoigne. Weather you love him or loathe him one thing has to be said and that he was the most talented footballer of his generation.

It is not for me to comment on his illness but all i wish is that he makes a full recovery as the memories he gave me as a player even in his Spurs days (i am after all a Gooner) will take some replacing.

Genius it seems does not come without a price as demonstrated in the case of George Best to name just one and few could feel comfortable with the way Frank Bruno`s life went.

But i sincerely hope that Paul does make a full recovery in time and we can once again see the fun loving Geordie that won so many hearts that Summer night in 1990 during the World Cup Semi Final against Germany.

As mentioned earlier the Premier League title race will go down to the last day with both Manchester United and Chelsea tied on 84 points.

But is it really that close? I know strange things happen in football and surprise results do happen but i feel Manchester United will be prepared just right for their rip to Wigan. Sir Alex has been in this position 9 times before!! I can believe he will allow complacency to creep into his side and i would not want to be in the Man U dressing room at half time on Sunday is results are going against him!

Chelsea should and in my opinion will beat Bolton on Sunday but they have to rely on Man U slipping up as the goal difference between the two sides is +17 in Man United`s favour.

I feel that both sides will win come Sunday and that for the first time since Arsenal went to Anfield in 1989 and got a 2-0 win that the title will be decided on goal difference.

"Rocket" Ronnie O`Sullivan lived up to his nickname by defeating Ali Carter 18-8 yesterday to lift his 3rd World title at the Crucible yesterday.

In a great display of snooker O`Sullivan dominated his brave opponent from the start and never really looked in trouble throughout the match, making Carter pay for any errors which allowed the Essex potting machine to get his hand on the table.

Altogether Ronnie pocketed just over £328,000 in prize money in his 16 days at Sheffield as he also claimed a share of the highest break prize money with Carter for their 147`s earlier in the tournament.

My maths has never been my strong suit but i make that just over £20,000! Now where did i leave my Snooker cue!!!

Who? - El Hadji Diouf - Speculation Where is he? - Bolton Wanderers Who is he linked with? - Manchester City

Bolton Wanderers midfielder El-Hadji Diouf is thought to be targeting a move to Manchester City. The 27-year-old almost certainly played his last game at the Reebok Stadium on Saturday as Wanderers beat Sunderland 2-0, and it is believed he wants to head to City. However, while City chief executive Alistair Mackintosh is rumoured to have met up with the player's representatives, it is thought the club is not as keen on the deal as Diouf is. Diouf began his career with Sochaux in 1998 and stayed in France until 2002. In that year he moved to Liverpool, but he was loaned out to Bolton in 2004 and joined on a permanent basis in 2005.

Who? - Jose Bosingwa - Speculation Where is he? - Porto Who is he linked with? - Manchester United

The agent of Jose Bosingwa has played down talk linking his player with a move to Manchester United in the summer. The Porto right-back is thought to be a target of the Old Trafford club, but Rui Neno has insisted: "There is not any sort of agreement with Manchester United. However, Neno added that talks could commence if Porto's valuation was met. "If any club bid the 30 million euros set by the club, I believe there might be agreement. In Bosingwa's contract there is not any buyout clause preventing him from negotiating."

Who? - Players - Speculation Where is he? - Anywhere Who is he linked with? - Stoke City

Stoke City manager Tony Pulis has said the club must spend big in the summer to avoid an automatic return to the Championship. A goalless draw with Leicester City on Sunday afternoon promoted the Potters to the top flight, and Pulis has said: "The financial rewards would give us a chance, if we are clever enough. It's about good players and about having the resources. It's knowing where the players are but we'll have to spend more money than this club has ever dreamed of spending before."

Chelsea ensured that the Premier League title race will go right to the wire by securing a clinical 2-0 win over Newcastle United at St James' Park.

A polished second half saw goals from Michael Ballack and Florent Malouda confirm that the title will be decided on the final day of the season.

Chelsea end their campaign against Bolton Wanderers at Stamford Bridge while Manchester United travel to Wigan Athletic. A win by both sides will see the crown stay at Old Trafford by virtue of their superior goal difference.

As for Newcastle, their eight-match unbeaten run was ended after a promising start and on the day Chelsea were worthy winners. Michael Owen was left with a one-to-one chance after just six minutes when he met a lob over the top from Nicky Butt, but another lob from United's leading scorer sailed well over the bar.

Obafemi Martins was heavily involved in the early Newcastle play and in one darting run beat three defenders before driving weakly at Petr Cech from 30 yards.

Chelsea at this stage appeared content to soak up the pressure and then look for the counter attack to support solitary striker Didier Drogba. Skipper John Terry came to Chelsea's rescue and kept their title hopes alive with a dramatic goal-line clearance after 28 minutes.

Once again it was Martins caused the problems on the left and drove the ball into the area where Cech blocked a Mark Viduka shot and the rebound flew to the edge of the box. It was met by Owen, who placed his shot beyond Cech, only for Terry to prevent a certain goal with his clearance.

Chelsea had to wait until the 35th minute for their first real chance, when the surging Michael Essien stretched the home defence before playing in Ballack on the left, who screwed his shot hopelessly wide with just Steve Harper to beat.

Nicolas Anelka was then given a chance seconds later in the inside-right position, but he too fired well wide.

It was a much more purposeful Chelsea after the break as they appeared to step up a notch and only the woodwork prevented them taking a 53rd minute lead. On a previous visit to the North East this season, Terry grabbed the only goal at Sunderland. The big defender looked to have unlocked the Newcastle defence when he rose to meet a right-wing Malouda corner, only to see his powerful header cannon to safety off the bar.

Chelsea at this stage were in total command as Newcastle struggled to clear the ball and when they did, it was returned straight back to the danger area. And the Chelsea goal that looked like coming, duly arrived on the hour mark. Abdoulaye Faye fouled Malouda on the right of the area and from Drogba's free-kick Ballack was left unmarked and headed in his third league goal in the last two matches.

Newcastle finally got going and a clearance from a Butt free-kick dropped invitingly to Martins on the edge of the area and he turned to see his goalbound effort deflected wide. Then a ball over the top just evaded the lunging Owen as Newcastle searched for the equaliser. But it was Chelsea who wrapped it up with their second goal after 82 minutes and it was superbly created and finished.

It was a five-man move which ended with substitute Frank Lampard threading a superb through ball on for Malouda, who shot under Harper and into the back of the net.

A 2-0 at Q.P.R was enough to see W.B.A. promoted as Champions to the Premier league next season where they will be joined by Stoke City who fought a 0-0 draw with Leicester at the Brittania Stadium a result that condemned Leicester to League 1 for thr first time in their history.

On a dramatic final day the play off positions were finally filled by Hull, Bristol City, Crystal Palace and Watford the latter team making the play offs courtesy of a 1 goal better difference then Wolves who must be rueing the chances they had to improve on their 1-0 scoreline at home to Plymouth.

With only Neil Warnock`s young Palace side showing any kind of form going into the play offs my money is on them to reach the Premiership though how long they will stay there if indeed they do reach the "promised land" depend on Simon Jordan`s willingness to spend and Neil Warnock`s powers of persuasion in keeping a very exciting crop of young players together.

Real Madrid were crowned Champions of Spain with 3 games to go last night after their 2-1 win at Osasuna, goals from Robben and Higuain were enough to sel th title even though Madrid had to play with 10 men after the sending off of Cannavaro.

Earlier in the day Villareal had done thier bit to try to keep the title race alive when they beat Getafe 2-0 but in the end it was to no avail.

Elsewhere Barcelona put the disappointment of their Champions League exit to Man Utd behind them by thrashing a poor Valencia side 6-0 at the Nou Camp. Goals from Messi (pen), Xavi and 2 each from Henry and Bojan gave Barca fans something to cheer but on the other hand there must be real fears that Valencia will be heading out of La Liga on this display, they have Zaragoza and Atletico Madrid at home and Levante away in their final 3 games but need vastly improved perfrmance if they are not to join Levante and Murcia in League 2 next season.

Hibs and Rangers fought out a goalless draw at Easter Road but it was a result that did no favours for either side.

Hibs started with an attacking line-up knowing that a win would put them in pole position in the race for a place in next season's UEFA Cup.

Dean Shiels was put through as early as the fourth minute, but was ruled offside in what turned out to be the wrong decision.

Hibs continued to play in the fashion we have come to expect from them, with lots of neat interplay being let down by the lack of a killer pass, which would breach the Gers defence.
Nacho Novo went close for the Gers early on but, just when it looked like he would get his shot away, Kevin McCann made an excellent block to deny the midweek hero.

The first real opportunity of the match came in the 38th minute, Carlos Cuellar rose to head the ball down at goal but, in what seemed like slow motion, Andy McNeil still had time to turn the ball round the post.

Three minutes later Rangers had another opportunity. Kirk Broadfoot did well to get to the byline and his cut-back found Novo, but the little Spaniard's shot was blocked well by Rob Jones.
Hibs had their first chance just before half-time. Shiels cross was punched by Neil Alexander straight on to the head of Ross Campbell, but his instinctive effort looped over.

Rangers started the second half the better side and had the ball in the net in the 54th minute. Cuellar sent a header towards goal, but Daniel Cousin's final touch came from an offside position and the goal was rightly ruled out.

By now the visitors were well on top and only a fine save by McNeil prevented them from taking the lead. McCann's clearance came back off a Rangers player to set up Barry Ferguson and it was his shot that was saved.

Hibs had their first shot on target in the 62nd minute and it was almost a decisive one. Filipe Morais found space just outside the box and his great effort was turned over the bar by Alexander.

With 12 minutes to go Rangers threw on Kris Boyd in place of Sasa Papac as they looked for a vital three points in the race for the title. Minutes later, Kevin Thomson was almost an unlikely hero, but his free-kick flew just wide.

With just moments to go, David Weir sent a header over the crossbar as the two teams shared the points in what was a poor match.

Who? - Lionel Messi - Speculation Where is he? - Barcelona Who is he linked with? - Chelsea

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is reportedly on the verge of offering 80million for Lionel Messi in his continuing bid to inspire his side to play attacking football. The Barcelona superstar has been a long-time target for the Blues and it is thought only an offer of such magnitude would lure him from the Nou Camp. "Roman is convinced Messi could change the whole face of Chelsea and is willing to spend what it takes to get him," a source told the News of the World. "He has always wanted that type of player. Under Jose Mourinho he accepted the football because it was bringing in the trophies but he got bored. [Avram] Grant wants to change things but has explained it takes time and a lot of money to alter the style. Now is the time for Roman to finance that change. Chelsea are attractive because of the wages on offer and they are in the Champions League Final." Should the move go ahead, it would shatter the previous world record for a transfer fee, which is the 48million which Real Madrid paid for Zinedine Zidane in 2001.

Who? - Niko Kranjcar - Speculation Where is he? - Portsmouth Who is he linked with? - Arsenal

The father of Portsmouth star Niko Kranjcar has revealed Arsene Wenger is a fan of his son and may try to sign him in the summer. Alexander Hleb and Mathieu Flamini's futures at Arsenal are currently uncertain and the Croatian star is considered a possible replacement by Wenger. "Wenger likes players with a sense of the game," Zlatko Kranjcar told Croatian TV station Index. "Arsenal plays creative football and Wenger recognises this in Niko and he would be a logical replacement for Hleb. Wenger was interested in Niko in the Croatian League and he has tracked him for sometime."

Who? - Players - Speculation Where is he? - Anywhere Who is he linked with? - Sunderland

Sunderland manager Roy Keane has said he will take his time when deciding who to buy in the transfer window. Keane is expected to be handed a 50million transfer kitty by chairman Niall Quinn, but does not want to rush in after struggling in the market last time round. I won't make the same mistake I did last year by getting bogged down by transfer targets just yet," he said. "I think most transfer business will not be done for another month or two, because the European Championships are on this summer. One or two of our targets may be involved, and anyone in that tournament will be wanting to wait until it is over before making any decisions about their future. Last summer I tried to do a lot of deals soon after the season had ended and it just didn't happen. We have already set the ball rolling, but it's not a case of making 50 or 60 phone calls every day. Even when you agree fees, you still have personal terms to sort out and medicals and what have you."

Nottingham Forest returned to the Championship yesterday by recording a 3-2 win at home to Yeovil where they will be joined by Champions Swansea.

The play offs see Doncaster take on Southend and Carlisle take on Leeds to see who joins them next season.

Common sense i believe won the day when Leeds appeal against their 15 point penalty was over ruled. Apart from being unfair on the sides above them Leeds had the penalty imposed on them for a reason.

I believe they are still good enough to win the play offs anyway which will be a just reward for the tremendous fans they have who have again had to pay the price for money men interfering in a great club.

A few weeks ago after i had seen Liverpool win 2-0 at Craven Cottage i wrote something along the lines of "Fulham are as good as down" since then they have gone on a run tht takes them within a whisker of survival.

They have to go to Portsmouth on the final day of the season knowing a win will keep them up and with Portsmouth having one eye on the Cup Final it has to be an achieveable result.

I will be delighted for Fulham if they pull of this great escape as in Roy Hodgson they have not only a nice man as manager but a most knowledgeable footballing man and genuinely nice guy.

With all the super ego`s flying aroung the Premiership i hopr Roy strikes a blow for the quiet nice men of the game and keeps the Cottager`s up.

Who? - Alex Hleb and Mathieu Flamini - Speculation Where is he? - Arsenal Who is he linked with? - The exit door

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has said he will not break the bank to keep star players at the club in the summer. Alexander Hleb and Mathieu Flamini have been linked with the exit door in recent months, with Hleb attracting the interest of Inter Milan and Flamini able to leave for free. The club still has massive debts to pay from their move to the Emirates Stadium in 2006, and Wenger has said they must bear this in mind when establishing player wages. "We have 360million debt and we have to respect the wages structure or we will go bust, it is as simple as that," Wenger said. "It is not that you cannot respect the wages structure, we cannot afford not to do it. We want to respect what is planned. The numbers are the numbers. I feel always when we make a decision in the club the same decision is valid in 10 years. That means in 10 years it still should work, that the club works with its income and not with somebody who comes in by parachute into your court, and brings you a huge amount of money. For me that's not workable and not morally right.

Who? - Kaspar Schmeichel - Speculation Where is he? - Manchester City Who is he linked with? - The exit door

Kaspar Schmeichel will leave Manchester City in the summer, according to his father Peter. The 21-year-old enjoyed a successful start to this season, putting in a number of impressive performances. However, he has since lost his place to Joe Hart and been loaned out to Championship sides Cardiff and Coventry. City will embark upon an end-of-season tour in Thailand in May, and Schmeichel will take part. But his father said: "It's one of the last things he's going to do as a Manchester City player. He's leaving this season."

Who? - Players - Speculation Where is he? - Anywhere Who is he linked with? - Portsmouth

Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp has played down talk linking him with a number of players in the forthcoming transfer window. Pompey are rumoured to be interested in Benfica defender Luisao, as well as Tottenham duo Pascal Chimbonda and Paul Robinson. However, Redknapp has said he has no need for those players. "Luisao - who? Sorry, don't know him," he told The News. "Chimbonda, no, he's a right-back and I've got the best right-back in England in Glen Johnson. I don't need another. I don't need Paul Robinson either, no. He's a good little player, but no."

Manchester United put the pressure back on Chelsea in this season's thrilling title race by beating West Ham 4-1 at Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon. Buoyed by their European success in mid-week, the hosts started brightly and took the lead after only three minutes when Cristiano Ronaldo took advantage of a defensive error from Lucas Neill to fire into the back of the net. The Hammers settled after that, but were beaten by Ronaldo again on 23 minutes, before former hero Carlos Tevez lashed in a long-range stunner to make it three two minutes later.

Dean Ashton then scored a barnstormer of his own with a cracking overhead kick which made it 3-1, and Nani was sent-off for headbutting Neill shortly after, unsettling a previously confident United. However, any fears Sir Alex Ferguson's men were going to choke were put to rest midway through the second half when Michael Carrick drilled home from long range to make it four. The match petered out into a rather dour affair after that, but it will matter little to the hosts. All they need to do now is beat Wigan on the final day and they will seal their second successive Premier League title.

At the bottom, Fulham beat Birmingham 2-0 at Craven Cottage to lift themselves out of the relegation zone and leave City knowing that even victory on the final day may not be enough to safe themselves. Following last weekend's astonishing 3-2 comeback at Manchester City, Roy Hodgson's side were in confident mood and played much the better football against a Birmingham side who were downbeat and uninspired after squandering what looked like three sure-fire points against Liverpool.

Despite this the teams went into half-time level, but the Cottagers' superiority told soon after the restart. Jimmy Bullard whipped a cracking free-kick in from the left and Brian McBride headed home at the far post to give the hosts the advantage, despite visiting claims of offside. Alex McLeish's men were galvanised by that goal and came close to finding the equaliser in the closing stages when Radhi Jaidi headed inches wide. But just seconds later a defensive error from Franck Queredrue let Erik Nevland slip through and the former Manchester United man made no mistake to continue his side's remarkable recent recovery.

Reading have now replaced the Cottagers in the bottom three following a limp 1-0 defeat at home to Tottenham, which came courtesy of an early goal from Robbie Keane at the Madejski Stadium, but Bolton are now on the brink of safety thanks to a 2-0 win at home to Sunderland. The deadlock in this tight and tense match was broken on the stroke of half-time when El-Hadji Diouf controlled Kevin Nolan's cross and curled wonderfully into the back of Craig Gordon's net. Sunderland fought back in the second period, but never really looked likely to score and the hosts sealed victory in the dying moments through Daryl Murphy's own goal. It will now take a huge reversal in goal difference for Bolton to be relegated.

Middlesbrough's Premier League survival is now secure as well thanks to a 2-0 victory of their own at home to Portsmouth. The breakthrough came at the end of a first half that the hosts had dominated. Fabio Rochemback swung a well-flighted corner into the Pompey box and Chris Riggott, who has only just been recalled from a loan spell at Stoke City, rose highest to head home. The second strike was scored in similar circumstances, with Stewart Downing this time hitting the corner for Tuncay Sanli to nod in. Now seemingly concentrating solely on the FA Cup final, Pompey never posed a threat meaning Boro will still be playing top-flight football next year.

Wigan Athletic are also safe as they too picked up a comfortable 2-0 win, this time at Aston Villa. Perhaps put off by rumours surrounding the future of Gareth Barry, the home side looked nervy and unsure of themselves and fell behind early in the second half when Antonio Valencia's 20-yard effort flew into the back of Scott Carson's net via a cruel deflection off Wilfered Bouma. Ten minutes later, the impressive Ecuadorian underlined why he is thought to be a target of a handful of top Premier League sides by controlling Emile Heskey's flick-on and hitting beautifully into the back of the net for the second. Chris Kirkland had to make a handful of fine saves from the hosts, but Wigan always looked the stronger side, meaning they are safe but that Villa's hopes of fifth place are slim.

Finally, Blackburn came back from behind to beat Derby 3-1 in an entertaining clash at Ewood Park. The visitors took a shock lead 18 minutes in thanks to Kenny Miller's tidy finish from Roy Carroll's long goalkick. Rovers took some time to get back into the game, but they did so thanks to two goals either side of half-time. Roque Santa Cruz scored the first on the brink of the break, before Jason Roberts found the second a minute into the restart. Santa Cruz then made it three in the dying moments to ensure that Derby will not be able to avoid being lumped with the worst points total in Premier League history.

Ronnie O`Sullivan was in devastating form as he completed a 17-6 semi final win over his great rival Stephen Hendry.

Hendry who up till this point was playing some fine snooker himself had no answer to the Rocket`s power and his face told the story as he was continually forced to sit in his chair as Ronnie went on a potting spree.

The other semi final is still finely balanced and sees Ali Carter hold a 9-7 lead against Joe Perry. Again both players have been playing great snooker but with neither prepared to give an inch and the prospect of this match going to the wire, just how much will the winner have when he comes to take on O`Sullivan in the final that starts on Sunday and continues Bank Holiday Monday.

For me unless O`Sullivan has another one of his self destruct sessions the 3rd World title of his career is there for the taking.

The 2,000 Guinea`s takes place at Newmarket today and though their is no doubt hot favourite New Approach is going to be the one to beat, it`s the 2nd favourite Raven`s Pass who i have my eye on.

He is currently best priced 22/5 with Sporting Bet and there is no doubt that he is a class act. As long as the ground stays good this fast ground lover will give New Approach a good run for his money and though some feel that there are doubts about his staying ability i am prepared to take that gamble.

According to one of the daily tabloids the following joke was enough to see "Le Sulk" break out into a cheesy grin!

A man is working in a bar when a Kangeroo comes in.

What can i get you? says the man,
I`ll have a coke please says the Kangeroo,
Certainly, that will be £10 says the barman.
You know we don`t get many Kangeroo`s in here said the barman by way of conversation,
I`m not suprised at your prices replied the Kangeroo!!!!

If only we knew it was that simple to make the great man laugh all along!

Who? - Dimitar Berbatov - Speculation Where is he? - Tottenham Hotspur Who is he linked with? - The exit door

Former Tottenham Hotspur striker Gary Lineker believes Dimitar Berbatov would be difficult to replace should he leave the club in the summer. The Bulgarian has been linked with the White Hart Lane exit door all season, and last weekend Juande Ramos admitted he may move on. But Lineker hopes Spurs can cling on to him. "Berbatov is a wonderful footballer and it would be a real shame if Spurs were to lose him," he said. "They might get plenty of money for him but it is hard to replace that sort of talent - he is a top-class performer."

Who? - Kerimoglu Tugay - Speculation Where is he? - Blackburn Rovers Who is he linked with? - The exit door

Veteran Blackburn Rovers midfielder Tugay will have to wait until the end of the season to discover whether he will be offered a new contract. The 37-year-old is out of contract in the summer but is keen to end his career with Rovers after seven years at Ewood Park despite struggling for first-team opportunities during the second half of the campaign. "We'll probably wait until the end of the season now," said Mark Hughes. "We are very close to where we want to be points wise so our focus is on that. Any housekeeping we need to tidy up at the end of the season will be done then."

Who? - El Hadji Diouf - Speculation Where is he? - Bolton Wanderers Who is he linked with? - The exit door

Bolton Wanderers manager Gary Megson has conceded Saturday's home game against Sunderland is likely to be El Hadji Diouf's last appearance at the Reebok Stadum. The 27-year-old Senegal international is out of contract at the end of the season and revealed earlier in the year that he would seek a transfer in the summer. Diouf has spent four years with the Trotters after originally joining on a season-long loan from Liverpool before a permanent transfer in 2005. But despite his impending departure, Megson has no qualms about using the forward in a vital match in the club's battle to avoid relegation. He said: "Diouf will be involved. He has already said he will be leaving in the summer, so if that transpires, this becomes his last home game for Bolton. I am sure he wants to go out on a real high. Diouf does have an ability to change games just by a move on the ball or seeing a pass and he gives you something out of the ordinary. It is a rare talent."

It would seem even success now cannot guarantee a manager his job.

The examples of Sven Goran-Eriksson and Avram Grant is a case in point. What have these to men done to deserve the threat of dismissal? In Ericksson`s case he has had the nerve to put together a team that actually looked like they could compete this season and gave them their first double over Man Utd in over 30 years.

In Grant`s case he has managed to have a record just as good as Jose ever did and succeeded in getting his team to a Champions League final which is something the "special one" could never do in his time at Chelsea, also Grant has had the nerve to take Chelsea to within a whisker of the Premier league after looking seriously off the pace in the early part of the season.

Understandably these to men`s record deserves such treatment!!! The common factor with both clubs is that they have Chairmen with ego`s bigger than their wallets (which in Roman`s case is a major achievement!).

Is it a coincidence that the 2 most successful clubs over the last decade Arsenal and Man U have had their managers in place for 10 years plus in my opinion no it is not.

So come on Thaksin and Roman surprise us all and reward success not punish it!

Who? - Gareth Barry - Speculation Where is he? - Aston Villa Who is he linked with? - The exit door

Aston Villa defender Curtis Davies says he would understand if Gareth Barry chooses to leave the club in the summer. The talented midfielder is being linked with a move to one of the Big Four in an attempt to advance his career and cement his place in Fabio Capello's England set-up. Said Davies: "I was captain of West Brom last season and chose to move on to progress my career. I obviously want him to stay. He's a terrific example on the pitch to all our players. But if Gareth decided he wanted to play in the Champions League next season, I wouldn't hold it against him. After what I've done, I'd be a hypocrite to say otherwise."

Who? - Hendry Thomas - Speculation Where is he? - Olimpia Who is he linked with? - Wigan Athletic

Wigan Athletic manager Steve Bruce has revealed the club is close to completing the signing of a third Honduran player. Latics general manager John Benson is currently in Central America discussing the potential transfer of 23-year-old defensive midfielder Hendry Thomas with his club side Olimpia. Wigan already have Honduran international pair Wilson Palacios and Maynor Figueroa at the JJB Stadium. Palacios joined on a permanent basis in a 1million deal in January, while Figueroa, who Bruce hopes to sign, is on loan at the JJB Stadium until the end of the campaign. Speaking to the Wigan Observer, he revealed: "John Benson is in Honduras at the moment trying to tie someone else up for us. We've got an iron in the fire. "We're also trying to do a permanent deal for Figueroa." Meanwhile, Luis Antonio Valencia is attracting interest from a host of leading English clubs, including Manchester United and Liverpool, according to the player's agent. The Ecuador international midfielder would cost any potential buyer at least 5million.

Two of the saddest things for me last night whilst i watched the 2 UEFA Cup semis was to see 2 once great players going through the motions.

At one time Oliver Kahn could rightly claim to be the world`s best keeper and he was outstanding in Germany's run to the 2002 World Cup Final, but last night he was a shadow of that player. He was playing with a back injury but he still declared himself fit and played.

Anyone who saw his performance last night would know that was the wrong decision he was static on to many occasions and on one free kick in particular he stood so still he could of been doing a mime!! He has decided to retire at the end of this season but in my opinion it is a season to late.

Another player who i feel should quit while he still is remembered kindly is Christian Vieri, he can on last night with 10 minutes to go and proceeded to miss a hatful of chances which in his prime he would have swallowed up. This is a man who has scored 9 goals at World Cup Finals a record comparable with the likes of Gerd Muller and Paolo Rossi but last night he looked slow and lumbering and in one incident i remember he was in the box and turned to shot, now i am not saying he was slow but oil tankers at sea have moved faster!!!! Finally his miserable night was completed with a penalty in the shoot out that would have gone down better at Twickenham

I an fully understand that these great players want to make their careers last as long as possible but when two such great players perform in the way they did in the semi finals of a major competition it is time someone told them the party is over.

Rangers and Zenit St Petersburg will contest the UEFA Cup Final at the City of Manchester Stadium in just under 2 weeks times as both teams came through their respective semi`s.

Zenit showed in their 4-0 thrashing of Bayern Munich that they will be a serious match for any side who plays them in next seasons Champions League. The only down side of the night for them was the booking of striker Pogrebnyak who will now miss the final, but on last night`s performance they will go into the final as worthy favourites.

Rangers came through on penalties after 3 and a half hours of football against Fiorentina could not produce a goal, again Rangers used the game plan that has proved so successful in Europe this season, playing Darcheville as the lone striker and the man must run on Duracell batteries as he ran himself into the ground for his teams cause.

Fiorentina had plenty of chances to win the game but were wasteful in front of goal and Rangers defended stoically especially after the sending off of Cousin in extra time.

Weather Rangers game plan will work in the final is up for debate but at this stage i will be backing Zenit for the final, however i was on Fiorentina yesterday!

Poor old Ronaldo, back in Brazil recovering from his latest injury, it seems that the operation he had has had serious side effects on his eyesight!!!

He has been very publicly humiliation by his illicit liaison with three prostitutes who turned out to be men, we've been reminded that the worlds of football and sex are never very far apart. Just think of Gary Neville celebrating a winning goal against Liverpool. The hapless Ronaldo had dropped his girlfriend off at her house in Rio, where he is recovering from surgery, on Monday before picking up three prostitutes and taking them to a motel room, where he discovered - we can only imagine how - that they were not entirely of the female variety.

Looking at one of the 'ladyboys of the night', it seems hard to understand how poor Ronaldo could possibly have mistaken him for a her, particularly given how attractive most of the AC Milan striker's female companions tend to be. But of course, beauty is in the eye of the beholder (how could could you explain the popularity of the chubby Brazilian star with the ladies?).

The UEFA Cup semi final 2nd legs take place tonight and they are both well balanced.

Munich travel to Zenit St Petersburg for a difficult ti after the 1-1 draw in Germany last week. Luca Toni is back from suspension for Bayern tonight and they will need him to be on top form to overcome their Russian opposition.

I wrote earlier in the week that i thought Bayern will get to the final in Manchester and i am sticking by that opinion but i feel it will be a harder game then they might of first expected. I can see this game going to extra time but i am banking on the German`s greater European experience to get them through.

The other tie between Fiorentina and Rangers i believe will be more straightforward. Though Rangers have performed well away in Europe this season i feel that this could be one game to far especially after the Old Firm derby at the weekend which saw them lose 3-2 to Celtic in a cracking game.

Fiorentina should have too much fire power tonight and i expect them to win tonight at the Artemio Franchi Stadium.

Chelsea`s 3-2 win in extra time over Liverpool last night gave them a 4-3 aggregate win and set up what many will think is the dream final n Moscow on the 21st of this month.

Hopefully for football in general and English football in particular this will be the case and the two teams one of which will go to the match as Premiership Champions and looking for a unique double and we will not have scenes that marred the recent league clash between the two sides both during and after the match at Stamford Bridge.

With literally the whole of the footballing world watching one thing we do not want to see is Ballack and Drogba arguing over a free kick like to schoolboys and Nani of Man Utd going down every time he is touched as if he had been shot.

This is behaviour not worthy of these two sides and i for one hope that football will be the winner which ever side triumphs.

As for a winner if i had to pick one at this stage i would say Man Utd due to the greater experience and the fact that they have the greater number of potential match winners.

I hope also that Wayne Rooney is fit to make the final and Avram Grant is given the respect and credit his record since he took over from the "special one" deserves.

Chelsea will meet Manchester United in the Champions League Final after finally seeing off Liverpool's challenge in extra-time of a classic semi-final encounter at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea dominated the first half and deservedly led at the break but allowed their visitors to hit back in the second period as the match moved into extra-time.

A dramatic first 15 minutes of extra-time finally sealed Chelsea's progress to their first Champions League Final although Liverpool again hit back with a late goal before Avram Grant's side eventually won 3-2 on the night and 4-3 on aggregate.

The Blues edged the first half and took a deserved 33rd-minute lead when Frank Lampard set up Salomon Kalou whose shot was parried by Pepe Reina. However, the rebound fell to Didier Drogba who beat the Reds keeper at his near post. Michael Ballack almost doubled Chelsea's lead before half-time only to curl his free-kick narrowly wide with Reina rooted to the spot.

However, Chelsea sat back after the interval and paid for their negative approach when Liverpool equalised midway through the second half. A superb run by Yossi Benayoun created the goal, the Israeli cutting through the heart of the Chelsea defence before sliding the ball through to Fernando Torres who turned it home from virtually on the penalty spot.

At this stage of the match Liverpool looked the likelier winners but it was Chelsea that grabbed the next crucial goal in extra-time. In the 95th minute a corner was half-cleared to Michael Essien who smashed his shot home. The Ghana man was celebrating with his team-mates before seeing the linesman with his flag raised for offside, apparently because Drogba was standing in front of Reina. Almost immediately Chelsea were awarded a penalty though when Sami Hyypia brought Ballack down just inside the area. Lampard, whose mother died last week, sent Reina the wrong way from the spot to put the Blues ahead in emotional scenes.

Liverpool thought they should have had a spot-kick of their own when Hyypia went down in the Chelsea area but the referee waved play on, and Drogba was soon to add to their woes. substitute Nicolas Anelka did brilliantly to pull the ball back from the byline for the Ivory Coast international to fire a first-time shot past Reina in the 115th minute.

There seemed to be no way back for Rafa Benitez's side but Chelsea were given an anxious last few minutes when Petr Cech allowed Ryan Babel to beat him with a curling shot that the Czech keeper should have saved. But there was to be no way back for Liverpool as Chelsea gained at least some revenge for their two recent semi-final defeats to the Reds by securing a Champions League Final date in Moscow in three weeks' time.