Concerned Redknapp has to sell before he can buy June 26, 2011 TOTTENHAM manager Harry Redknapp admits his summer rebuilding can only commence once he has completed a significant clear-out. Redknapp commands one of the largest squads in the Premier League and has been told by the club’s board he must cut the playing staff before adding to it. Tottenham have already dismissed Chelsea’s bid of £22m [...]
THE HUMBLE ONE June 22, 2011 NEW CHELSEA manager Andre Villas-Boas admits he will never be able to avoid comparisons with Jose Mourinho but insists his tenure will be underpinned by a focus on the team rather than self-promotion. The 33-year-old’s career has mirrored that of his mentor, who announced his arrival at Stamford Bridge in 2004 by anointing himself as [...]
Bold choice demands a bold response June 22, 2011 IT GOES without saying that Chelsea have made an extremely bold decision in paying a world record sum to hire a 33-year-old with less than two years’ management experience. But what fascinates me about the appointment of Andre Villas-Boas is how bold he is going to be in putting his stamp on a Blues set-up [...]
FA make cup final pledge after agreeing £24m Budweiser deal June 16, 2011 FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION chiefs insist they are attempting to restore the FA Cup final’s status as a stand-alone event, amid fresh concerns it could be sidelined again for the next two seasons. Last month’s showpiece was moved forward and played on the same day as the penultimate round of Premier League fixtures, prompting leading figures in [...]
Birmingham set to report Villa over McLeish raid June 14, 2011 BIRMINGHAM CITY have accused Aston Villa of tapping up Alex McLeish as the second-city managerial tug of war intensifies. Villa announced last night their intention to interview the 52-year-old for their vacant post “imminently” after McLeish walked out on the Carling Cup holders last weekend. But the Birmingham, facing up to life in the Championship following [...]
United fans urge Glazers to favour London listing June 12, 2011 MANCHESTER UNITED supporters have welcomed suggestions the club could be floated by its owners the Glazer family – but want any listing to take place in London rather than Hong Kong. Bankers are said to have told the Glazers that the Premier League champions could be valued at as much as £1.7bn if listed in [...]
Barca cast doubt on Fabregas deal with debt pledge June 9, 2011 BARCELONA have cast fresh doubt on the future of Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas by insisting their summer transfer budget is strictly limited to £40m. In a highly unusual step, the European champions announced the size of their kitty and vowed to tighten their belts with the aim of clearing a £430m debt pile in just [...]
Soaring wages endangering football clubs, Deloitte warns June 8, 2011 ENGLAND’S leading clubs are jeopardising their futures by spending increasingly dangerous sums on player wages, one of the country’s most prominent football finance experts warned last night. Premier League teams forked out a record 68 per cent of their income on pay packets during the 2009-10 season, according to research published today by Deloitte’s Sports [...]
RISKY GAME: WAGES NEAR DANGER LEVEL June 8, 2011 Top-flight clubs have never had it so good but are splashing more than ever on salaries, says Deloitte THE SYMPTOMS have not been hard to spot. First Yaya Toure, an effective if unspectacular journeyman midfielder, charmed Manchester City into lining his pockets to the tune of £185,000 a week. Then some expert brinkmanship from Wayne [...]
Urgent action needed in dire Championship as TV revenue shows signs of drying up June 8, 2011 AS WORRYING as the situation in the top flight is, it is far worse in the Championship, where £4 is spent for every £3 earned. Financial results for England’s second tier worsened for the sixth successive year in 2009-10, according to Deloitte, while the average wages-to-turnover ratio is an eye-watering 88 per cent. It could [...]