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England News January, 2006

Tuesday, 31 January 2006 - Transfer deadline day:- Tottenham Hotspur have beaten the transfer window deadline to capture midfielder Danny Murphy from Charlton Athletic in a deal which could be worth up to £2m.  Spurs have succeeded in capturing the 28-year-old at the second attempt after he chose Charlton ahead of them when he left Liverpool in August 2004.  But Murphy, who scored 10 goals in 64 appearances for the Addicks, became unsettled at the club.  He completed his move just half an hour before the transfer window shut.

Monday, 30 January 2006 - Dion Dublin has signed for Celtic until the end of the season after agreeing his release from Leicester City.  The versatile veteran played under Celtic manager Gordon Strachan while at Coventry City and can play in central defence or up front.  "Although I am 36, I feel fit and I am ready to go. I'm just happy to get the chance.  What are you going to say? When you get to play for Celtic, it is an incredible experience."

Michael Ricketts has joined Burnley from Leeds United on loan until the end of the season.  The 27-year-old former England international has been on loan with Cardiff City during the first half of the season, scoring five goals in 17 games.  He then returned to Elland Road earlier this month but failed to hold down a regular place in the United attack.

Sunday, 29 January 2006 - Fourth Round: Kieran Richardson scores two of Manchester United's three goals against Wolverhampton Wanderers.  A Steven Gerrard penalty opens the Liverpool scoring against Portsmouth.

David Beckham has reiterated his desire to end his career with Real Madrid.  "I will always keep my house in London but I will never the hide the fact that I want to be with Real for the rest of my career.  I want to continue here at Real and continue being England captain.  My children are in school here and I will remain for a couple of years, even after I finish my career.  I probably will stay here even after I retire from football. I am happy. I played many years in England.  Now I am delighted to have experienced the atmosphere of another country and have a different life in Spain."

José Mourinho will not become the next England coach.  "Mourinho's made it clear he's not interested and we'd make it quite clear we are not interested in letting him go.  He likes Chelsea, he and his family like London, and he is very happy."  said Chelsea Chief Executive Peter Kenyon.

Saturday, 28 January 2006 - Fourth Round: Scott Parker scores the second of Newcastle United's two goals against Cheltenham Town.  Frank Lampard grabs a Chelsea equaliser against Everton, to ensure a replay.  Andrew Cole sends Manchester City through following the only goal against Wigan Athletic.  Andrew Johnson scores Crystal Palace's goal in the 1-1 draw with Preston North End.  David Dunn scores Birmingham City's equaliser against Reading.  Teddy Sheringham opened the scoring in West Ham United's 4-2 win over Blackburn Rovers.

Friday, 27 January 2006 - England are drawn in Group E, alongside Croatia, Russia, Israel, Estonia, Macedonia and Andorra.
 Sven-Göran Eriksson will have left the job by the time England begin their Group E qualifying campaign for a place at Euro 2008, but he insists his successor will be "happy" with the draw.

Robbie Fowler has made a surprise return to his former club Liverpool.  The 30-year-old Manchester City striker, who has joined Liverpool for the rest of the season, made his debut for the Reds as an 18-year-old in 1993.  He scored a total of 171 goals in 330 games for the Anfield side.  "Liverpool are his dream club and he wanted to leave and rejoin them.  If I refused him this opportunity of fulfilling his ambition it would not be good for him or Manchester City Football Club. We wish him well for the future and thank him for his efforts." City boss Stuart Pearce said.

Thursday, 26 January 2006 - Teddy Sheringham will move to another club if West Ham United opt against extending his current contract - which ends in the summer.  The 39-year-old has been linked with a third switch to Tottenham Hotspur before the January transfer window closes.  But his agent Barry Neville said: "It is quite simple. Teddy is contracted to West Ham and he wants to carry on playing after this season.  His only concern is a new contract so the ball is in West Ham's court."

Gary Neville has been charged by the FA with improper conduct.  The charge relates to his celebrations following Rio Ferdinand's last-gasp winner in the 1-0 win against Liverpool at Old Trafford on Sunday.  The FA's action, based on referee Mike Riley's report, comes after Greater Manchester Police expressed concerns over Neville's behaviour.  England international Neville, 30, has until 10 February to respond.

Wednesday, 25 January 2006 - Guus Hiddink's agent admits the Dutchman would "definitely be interested in hearing from the Football Association" if they approached him.  Hiddink's agent Cees van Nieuwenhuizen admits the PSV Eindhoven and Australia coach would be open to offers.  "There's been no contact but he would definitely be interested in hearing from the FA.  It really doesn't make sense to speculate on what might happen if the FA did contact Guus and that has not been the case so far.  There is no contact from the FA, he is still with PSV and still focusing on the World Cup with Australia.  I know Guus well enough and for him the challenge will be in football and not the side-effects of the media, which he dealt with when he was with Real Madrid and Valencia in Spain and in Turkey with Fenerbache.  We follow the media in England and we know what's going on but that would definitely not be a reason for him to say no."

Sven-Göran Eriksson will be allowed to seek alternative employment between now and the World Cup, with the blessing of the Football Association.  The Swede's decision to end his tenure in the England hotseat after the World Cup has prompted talk not only of where he will go next but also what kind of compensation package has been agreed.  A figure of 3.5 million has been mooted but The FA will not have to pay any kind of fee, if Eriksson has found work by the World Cup's conclusion. Eriksson will not be short of suitors, with Real Madrid already linked, and is sure to be inundated with offers during the next five months as he prepares England's squad for Germany.

Mark Wright has been suspended as manager of Peterborough United amidst reports of racism.  The former Oxford United boss has been at the centre of newspaper claims that he has incurred the wrath of Posh chairman Barry Fry for allegedly making racist comments towards his playing staff.  A statement released read: "Peterborough United manager Mark Wright has been suspended on full pay pending an enquiry."  This is not the first time that the former England hero has been haunted by such claims. In 2001 he was fined by Oxford after being found guilty of making racist comments towards referee Joe Ross.

Alan Shearer would like to see an Englishman as coach - but feels experience is not important.   Shearer ruled himself out but said: "People will say he should be English but we want success.  Ideally it would be with an Englishman, though.  The job is about getting results. Marco van Basten and Jurgen Klinsmann did not have any experience before taking charge of Holland and Germany. They are both doing reasonably well so I don't know how important that is."  The former England captain played down any suggestions that he is personally interested in the job, adding: "That is a bit premature."

Tuesday, 24 January 2006 - Sven-Göran Eriksson revealed he had a private agreement with the FA that he could leave after the 2006 World Cup.  The FA and Eriksson announced today he would leave this summer in the wake of the controversy about the Swede's comments to an undercover reporter.  But Eriksson said: "We had a private agreement that I was more or less allowed to leave after the World Cup.  Since chief executive Brian Barwick came into the job about a year ago we always had discussions about what was going to happen after the World Cup 2006.  "And we had a private agreement that we would talk about it at a certain point."  Eriksson expects to be linked with a host of managerial positions as he sees out tenure as England boss but he is determined to shrug off any speculation to concentrate on leading England to what he hopes will be World Cup glory.  "Now there's been an agreement and we have to look at the World Cup and concentrate on that.  At the moment, this is the most important thing because we have a chance to win it. Let us not spoil that.  There will be a lot of rumours, that's for sure. Every time a club is losing my name will crop up.  I will not listen to other clubs and countries when there is football going on in England.  I've been asked to win the World Cup and after that I've been asked to look after my life."

The Football Association is set to begin a hunt for a new England boss to succeed Sven-Göran Eriksson, who will stand down after this year's World Cup.  Bolton Wanderers manager Sam Allardyce is the early favourite for the post.  Also linked are Middlesbrough's Steve McClaren, Alan Curbishley of Charlton and former Celtic boss Martin O'Neill.  Ex-Bayern Munich boss Ottmar Hitzfeld and Australia coach Guus Hiddink are among the foreign candidates, along with Portugal boss Luiz Felipe Scolari.  Sports minister Richard Caborn believes the FA should not rule out employing another foreigner when Eriksson departs.  Caborn said: "You would like it to be an English or British person but you have to acknowledge that football, and much professional sport, is now global.  If you look at rugby, cricket and tennis they all have or have had foreign coaches as well so it would be wrong to restrict the search just to people from this country.  If we want success, the most sensible thing to do is to employ the best person."  But Professional Footballers' Association chief executive Gordon Taylor feels an Englishman should be given the job.  He said: "It should be a chance for an Englishman.  It is a bad reflection on the game if this country - the strongest in the world for football - can't produce a quality coach and manager.  I believe that we have people who have not only played the game but have coached and managed at the highest level and I think it would be nice for them to be given the opportunity.  It's a global game but if we are going to be in a situation where a manager comes and goes, there isn't quite the same feeling for your own country. It is not really what international football is about."  League Managers' Association chairman Howard Wilkinson echoed Taylor's view, adding: "My point of view, as chairman of the LMA, is we would hope that English contenders for the position have got more than a head start."

Paul Scholes' has been ruled out for the rest of the season with an eye problem.  Scholes, 30, has been suffering from double vision in his right eye since sustaining a blow to the head in the match at Birmingham on 28 December.  "Paul Scholes has a medical condition affecting the vision in his right eye.  It is not a football related injury. A number of specialists have all agreed that he needs three months' rest."

Monday, 23 January 2006 - Sven-Göran Eriksson will quit as England coach following this summer's World Cup finals.  Eriksson, 57, met FA officials today and will leave the job after five full years in charge - and two years before the end of his contract.  He said: "I am happy we have reached this agreement and can now continue our preparations for the World Cup.  It is important to stress how committed I am to success this summer.  Let's go and win the World Cup."  A compensation deal has been agreed on the Swede's £4m-a-year contract, which was due to run out in 2008.  "I know that I have the full support of the players and the FA.  I care passionately about this job and I want everyone to know that.  I have always enjoyed the incredible support of the fans and I know how important they will be to us in Germany." FA chief executive Brian Barwick said: "The FA and Sven felt it was important to clarify his future.  There has been so much speculation surrounding this matter in recent weeks and months, it was important to resolve it now.  This is the right outcome and I would like to thank Sven and his advisors for their tremendous co-operation.  Our main objective is giving Sven and the England team the best chance of achieving success at the World Cup and Sven is definitely the man to lead us in Germany."

Jamie Carragher has criticised Gary Neville's actions after Manchester United's winner in the 1-0 win against the Liverpool on Sunday.  Neville ran the length of the pitch to celebrate in front of the away fans.   "I think there is a line and Neville crossed it.  I've heard people say it's justified because he gets a lot of stick from our fans. But the truth is he gets stick as he's been doing that for years."  Neville had been subjected to taunts from Liverpool fans throughout the game and reacted after Rio Ferdinand headed United's winner against the club's arch-rivals.  Neville was seen grabbing his shirt and gesticulating at Liverpool supporters in celebration.  "I feel the same way about Liverpool as Neville does about Manchester United and from that point of view we're similar, but I don't act like that when we score against United.  If I did, I'd expect United fans to give me the same amount of abuse."  Greater Manchester Police has written to the Football Association and Manchester United to complain over Neville's actions.

Sunday, 22 January 2006 - Sven-Göran Eriksson has been asked to appear before the Football Association's compliance unit after the latest Sunday newspaper revelations.  The News of the World alleged he said he would not be involved in transfers if he took an English club job because managers "put money in their pocket".

Premiership football:- Rio Ferdinand grabbed his third goal of the season as Manchester United beat Liverpool by a single goal.

Saturday, 21 January 2006 - Sven-Göran Eriksson has reportedly told the News of the World newspaper that three unnamed English Premiership clubs are riddled with corruption.  The alleged corruption is connected to illegal payments in transfer deals.  The Swede and his agent Athole Still are alleged to have named the clubs in a meeting with an undercover reporter.

Premiership football:- James Beattie ensures Everton's continuous good form by scoring the only goal of the game against Arsenal.  Matthew Upson and David Dunn were two of Birmingham City's scorers in their 5-0 win over Portsmouth.  David Thompson scored a debut goal for Wigan Athletic in the 3-2 win over Middlesbrough.  Gareth Barry was sent off for Aston Villa following two cautions against Tottenham Hotspur.
Championship football: Dennis Wise scored a debut goal for Coventry City as they put 6 past Derby County.

Paul Scholes' blurred vision is a cause for concern for Manchester United, who say they are mystified by what is causing the midfielders problems.  Scholes suffered a bang on the head playing Birmingham City on 28 December and was initially referred to a specialist.  But United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, who said he did not think the problem was "serious", is now to send Scholes to see a second specialist next week.  Ferguson said: "It will be good to get a second opinion as it's been a few weeks and we need to find a remedy."  Earlier in January a United spokesman denied Scholes had got a cyst or was suffering from blindness.  Ferguson added: "We are purely guessing what is wrong. It is unusual because the first specialist he saw is regarded as one of the top in the world."

Andrew Cole is on the verge of signing a new one-year deal with Manchester City, according to boss Stuart Pearce.  "The contract has been agreed with his agent; all it needs is his signature.  Andy has been a good man to have around. He has done well for us. He is a good influence on the young players and he wants to stay another season."  Pearce said he was happy to help the former Manchester United player to move towards a future coaching career.  "He is hoping to go into coaching - and if he wants to do any work with the senior players here then I'm happy to let him do it.  The same applies to any of my senior players. People gave me a leg-up when I started coaching, and I'm happy to do the same."

Friday, 20 January 2006 - Sven-Göran Eriksson is to take legal action against the News of the World for "breach of confidence".  His lawyers say the stories were "a gross invasion of privacy" and have asked to see tapes of the interview.  The paper said it had uncovered facts fans and players had a right to know and promised further revelations.  The Swede's agent Athole Still and his lawyer Richard Des Voeux joined Eriksson in the legal move.  The trio had visited Dubai at the invitation of "an apparently legitimate company to discuss the possibility of a future sports development consultancy".  His lawyers stated "It is now clear that this was all a highly sophisticated deception by the newspaper.  The resulting articles were a gross invasion of privacy, and the discussions, which our clients were expressly asked to keep confidential, were reported out of context in a distorted and sensationalised manner so as to provide a spurious pretext for the headlines which appeared.  Our clients' position is that stories of this sort, and the distortion of what was said during confidential discussions in order to create the bogus appearance of some legitimate public interest, must be remedied."  A News of the World spokeswoman said: "We stand by the publication of our story 100%.  Our investigation uncovered facts about Sven-Göran Eriksson which we believe fans and players had a right to know. There will be further revelations published on Sunday."

Thursday, 19 January 2006 - Wayne Bridge has joined Premiership neighbours Fulham on loan.  The 25-year-old had been linked with a move to fourth-place Spurs, but the north London side could not agree to the defender's demand for regular first-team football.

David Thompson has signed for Wigan Athletic following his release from Blackburn Rovers.  Thompson has signed a short-term deal until the end of the season.

Dennis Wise has signed for Coventry City on a game-by-game basis until the end of the season.  Wise, 39, left Southampton following the appointment of George Burley as manager in December.  Coventry manager Micky Adams said: "Dennis has a proven pedigree at the highest level and will offer a lot to our squad both on and off the pitch."  Adams has assured fans Wise will only be paid if he plays for the Sky Blues, who currently have debts estimated at £20m.  He said: "This is not a pay day for Dennis and he's not signing for us for financial reasons.  He's an experienced professional who's coming to help us out on a short-term deal.  I think his addition to the squad will benefit everybody."

Wednesday, 18 January 2006 - Ugo Ehiogu will not be joining West Bromwich Albion after failing to agree personal terms with the player.  Ehiogu, 33, was set to join the Baggies until he was recalled to Middlesbrough when Gareth Southgate injured his ankle.  Boro chose not to allow Ehiogu to move away on loan - and Baggies chairman Jeremy Peace said the club had now scrapped plans for an 18-month deal.  "We've done everything we can to make this deal happen but it's just not possible.  The goalposts keep being moved and enough is enough."

January : England remain in ninth place, with only the USA climbing in the top ten.

Sven-Göran Eriksson should be replaced by Wigan Athletic boss Paul Jewell and Manchester City's Stuart Pearce, at least according to Latic's chairman Dave Whelan.  He told the Manchester Evening News: "It's gross misconduct, he's got to go, if it was up to me I'd say goodbye.  My automatic choice would be Paul and Stuart, the nation would get behind them and back them to the hilt."

Michael Owen insists he is happy at Newcastle United as he continues his recovery from the fractured metatarsal he suffered in December.  Sven-Göran Eriksson has been quoted as saying the 26-year-old does not enjoy playing for the Magpies.  But Owen, who returned to light training on Tuesday, told Newcastle's website: "I am enjoying my time here.  There is nothing like being in the Premiership and I have not been disappointed since I have been here."

Wayne Bridge could reportedly join Tottenham Hotspur on loan.  Bridge, 25, is believed to be concerned that his lack of first-team football at Chelsea could affect his England World Cup prospects.  And Spurs may also be ready to pay £7m for Bridge who has made just two appearances this season since returning from injury in October.  Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho does not want to lose Bridge, but is said to be prepared to loan him out.

Tuesday, 17 January 2006 - Emile Heskey will undergo an X-ray on the knee injury sustained in Birmingham City's 2-0 defeat at Charlton Athletic on Saturday.  Boss Steve Bruce said: "Emile took a knock to the knee during the Charlton game and will undergo an X-ray later on Tuesday.  We will have to keep our fingers crossed it is nothing serious."

Sunday, 15 January 2006 - Sven-Göran Eriksson's position as England manager is "not at risk in any way", a senior Football Association source has said.  In a 'sting' with a News of the World undercover newspaper reporter, Eriksson said he could leave his post if England win the World Cup in June.  But his agent Athole Still accused the newspaper of "disgraceful entrapment". And Still said that Eriksson had asked him to see if the FA would extend his contract until 2010.  Still said he could not guarantee that Eriksson would be England coach until his current deal runs out in 2008.  But he said: "If the FA wants him to stay, then he will stay - absolutely.  In fact, Sven said to me quite recently 'perhaps I've got used to this job, in spite of all the annoyances of it, perhaps you should have a word with Brian Barwick and see if the FA would be interested in my staying until 2010'."  Eriksson, his lawyer Richard Des Voeux and Still met the undercover reporter, posing as a rich Arab, in Dubai to discuss a consultancy role for a new football academy, a trip that was sanctioned by the FA.  During the meeting, Eriksson is said to have suggested he would consider becoming Aston Villa boss if the Arab group succeeded in a possible takeover of the club.  "The people we spoke to said they had a substantial sum of money to invest in a Premiership club," said Still.  "I mentioned Aston Villa and Sunderland.  The rest of the conversation was sheer fantasy.  At no point did Sven say he would not honour his contract with England.  He did talk about possibly managing Aston Villa because you never know what will happen in football, but it was all hypothetical.  There were never any negotiations, it was all just fantasising.  Sven is really angry that they have done this in a World Cup year. I will have to read the article fully before considering whether we will take any further action." 
During the discussions in Dubai, Eriksson also suggested he could lure David Beckham back to England if the Villa takeover were to succeed.

Wayne Rooney could face an FA investigation after he, and boss Sir Alex Ferguson, allegedly hurled abuse at a referee.  Newspaper reports claim they berated Steve Bennett during the half-time interval of the 3-1 defeat at Manchester City on Saturday.  Rooney is said to have damaged United's dressing-room door as he joined his boss in a tirade at Bennett.

Terry Venables has applied to become the new full-time coach of South Africa.  The South African Football Association has revealed he was one of around 50 candidates to have put their names forward for the job.

Tony Adams will begin work as trainee coach with Dutch side Utrecht tomorrow.  Adams helped coach Feyenoord's Under-21 squad in July in a bid to gain more experience of the European game.  And he will now be added to the first team technical staff at Utrecht on a "work placement" similar to his stint at Feyenoord, the club website said. Utrecht boss Foeke Booy said: "He wants to see how we work. He'll join us for a month and then we may extend his stay."
 

Saturday, 14 January 2006 - Premiership football:- In the game of the day, Manchester City beat Manchester United 3-1 with goals from Trevor Sinclair, Darius Vassell and Robbie Fowler.  Lee Hendrie scored Aston Villa's only goal, but was not enough to beat West Ham United's two goals.  Darren Bent scored Charlton Athletic's second of 2 goals against Birmingham City, who replied with none.

Friday, 13 January 2006 - Championship football: Paul Ince grabs a dramatic winner for Glenn Hoddle's Wolverhampton Wanderers against Luton Town.

Sir Bobby Robson will take up a consultant's position role  alongside the new Republic of Ireland football manager Steve Staunton.  Robson said that he was "really looking forward to working with the new manager and his team.  Stephen's record and reputation speak for themselves and I am delighted to help and advise Stephen in any way he sees fit."

Wayne Rooney has won the Barclays Player of the Month Award for December.  The 20-year-old claimed the award after scoring five goals in seven league matches for Manchester United last month, doubling his haul in the Premiership to 10.  It is the second time Rooney has been honoured, having first received the accolade in February 2005.  The England international's goals see him sitting joint fourth in the Barclays Race for the Golden Boot.

Matt Jansen has been snapped up by Bolton Wanderers.  Jansen, 28, was released by Blackburn Rovers earlier this week having struggled for fitness in the aftermath of a motorbike accident in 2002.  Wanderers have wasted no time in snapping up the striker on a short-term deal until the end of this season.  Jansen goes straight into Bolton's squad for Saturday's game, which is ironically at Blackburn.

Ashley Cole is a target for Real Madrid.  Real admitted they are keen to sign Arsenal's England left-back in the summer.  The Spanish giants have long been linked with a move for the 25-year-old as a replacement for Roberto Carlos.  And a Real spokesman is quoted as saying: "Ashley Cole will be one of the players for whom Real Madrid is going to bid at the end of the season."  Cole says he is focusing on regaining full fitness and wants to stay to play in Arsenal's new stadium next season.  Cole said: "I've three years left on my contract at Arsenal and I'm looking forward to playing in the new stadium.  The speculation has been in every paper since the start of the season, but there's nothing I can do, people are going to write stories.  My main aspiration at the moment is to try and get back fit, that and trying to win things with Arsenal."

Danny Murphy's move to Newcastle United from Charlton Athletic has stalled.  Boss Graeme Souness hoped to seal an exchange deal which would see Newcastle's Lee Bowyer return to his former club, but Charlton also want cash for the midfield man.  He said: "There's no secret Lee Bowyer wants to return south and Charlton are one of the interested clubs.  But as I understand it they are miles apart on valuation. I don't think that will happen because of the difference."

Thursday, 12 January 2006 - Gareth Southgate's injury is not as bad as was first feared.  The Middlesbrough defender was expected to be out for three months with a suspected stress fracture of his ankle.  Steve McClaren said: "Scans have been taken that do not suggest a fracture.  Gareth will rest for the next week and we will assess the ankle on an ongoing basis. As long as the injury settles down we'll have him back fairly soon." It means Boro defender Ugo Ehiogu will now join West Bromwich Albion.  "We have decided to let Ugo's transfer to West Brom go ahead.  It was right for us to be cautious when there was concern that Gareth could be out for an extended period as we had to do what was right for Middlesbrough.  Now we feel it's best for the club and for Ugo that he moves on to pastures new.  He has been an outstanding servant to this club over the past four or five years and should be remembered fondly by fans."

Glen Johnson is attracting the attention of French club, Olympique de Lyonnaise.  Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas has confirmed the French league leaders are interested in the Chelsea defender.  The 21-year-old's current lack of first-team action at Chelsea may affect his World Cup prospects with England.  Lyon are set to lose several defenders to African Cup of Nations call-ups.  Aulas said: "Glen Johnson is on the list of players we are following closely but it does not only depend on us but on Chelsea too."  An added bonus for Lyon would be the fact Johnson has not played for Chelsea in the Champions League this season.

Wednesday, 11 January 2006 - Gareth Southgate is expected to be out for three months after suffering a suspected stress fracture of his ankle.  The 35-year-old Middlesbrough captain is to discover the exact nature of the injury, which he picked up in the FA Cup draw with Nuneaton.
Ugo Ehiogu's proposed move to West Bromwich Albion has been called off as a result.  Boro were already reeling after injuries to Franck Queudrue and George Boateng ruled them out for eight weeks.  Albion boss Bryan Robson wants to sign the 33-year-old and had agreed a deal with Boro for the defender, who is out of contract in the summer.  But Boro boss Steve McClaren may now opt to hang on to Ehiogu as defensive cover with important Premiership games coming up and the club only two places above the relegation zone.
However, Stewart Downing returned to action in the reserves on Tuesday.  The England winger has not played since August because of knee surgery.

Matt Jansen has been released by Blackburn Rovers.  Everton, Manchester City, Wigan Athletic and Bolton Wanderers have all expressed an interest.  However, none of the clubs is thought to be keen on signing the player permanently, instead preferring a deal until the end of the season.

Jonathan Woodgate has suffered yet another injury setback.  The Real Madrid centre-back, 25, had just returned from a torn hamstring to play two games in a week, including the Primera Liga match against Villarreal on Sunday.  He lasted the full 90 minutes but, since the game, has been troubled by a muscle strain in his left leg.  Woodgate missed training yesterday and is expected to miss tomorrow’s Copa del Rey clash against Athletic Bilbao.

Danny Mills will not play again for six weeks.  The 27-year-old Manchester City defender is back in training after missing eight games with a broken shin, but has been warned not to rush his comeback.  "The scans show there are two big indentations on his shin," City boss Stuart Pearce said.  "The frustrating thing for Danny is that he feels physically fine, but the medical opinion is 'if you push this too soon, it will break down on you'."  Mills suffered the injury earlier in the season but he played on through the pain until it was diagnosed in November.

Sven-Göran Eriksson said four weeks of preparation for the 2006 World Cup in Germany is essential.  England had three weeks between the end of the domestic season and the start of the 2002 World Cup and Euro 2004, exiting both in the quarter-finals.  Teams played four matches during this season's festive period, although some managers criticised the schedule.  But Eriksson told the League Managers' Association website: "We must have one more week of preparation."  The England coach said he noticed his players suffering from tiredness at both the 2002 World Cup and Euro 2004, saying he felt the domestic schedule was the reason.  "In England, the domestic season begins but never stops, with no break at all, so we found that in the second half of matches in Japan and Portugal our players were tired.  In 2002 and 2004 we had only three weeks of preparation but for the 2006 World Cup we will have four weeks.  Fifa has instructed all countries on this issue and I appreciate that very much. The extra week will be very important to us."
Eriksson also confirmed David Beckham will captain the England team in Germany.  "Beckham will be England's captain in Germany and I will not even discuss anyone else.  He is calm in the dressing room and when he talks, people listen. That's good.  But you must also remember that we have many captains in our team: John Terry is a good leader who is captain of Chelsea, Steven Gerrard is captain of Liverpool - and so on.  I think you will see the best of Beckham in Germany.  He has been playing well for Real Madrid and I think a lot of our players will prepare themselves to play really well next summer."

Glen Johnson could end his Chelsea nightmare by joining Portsmouth on loan.  The England defender has featured in just three games this season after falling out of favour with Blues boss Jose Mourinho.

Tuesday, 10 January 2006 - England's friendly against Jamaica on Saturday 3 June has been moved forward to 2pm.  The game is England's final warm-up match before the team heads for the World Cup in Germany, and was originally scheduled to kick-off at 3pm, at the new Wembley Stadium.  The change will allow BBC1 to show both the Jamaica game and the Derby at Epsom, which starts at 4.20pm.

Sir Bobby Robson is tipped to join Steve Staunton in the Republic of Ireland's new managerial set-up.  Walsall assistant boss Staunton, 36, is expected to be named as Brian Kerr's successor, with former England manager Robson, 72, in an advisory role.  And ex-Republic boss Jack Charlton is delighted at the prospect.  "I think the partnership would be excellent. They would be good together. Robson knows exactly what to do and Steve knows what is necessary."

Sunday, 8 January 2006 - Third round: Nigel Clough's Burton Albion hold their own in a scoreless draw with Manchester United, earning a replay at Old Trafford on 18th January.  Jermaine Jenas scores the opening goal, but Tottenham Hotspur are still beaten by Leicester City.

Tony Banks, the former Sports Minister, dies following a massive stroke in Florida, USA.  He was 62.

Saturday, 7 January 2006 - Third round: In the match of the day, Liverpool come back from 3-1 down to beat Luton Town 5-3, Steven Gerrard scoring the first of an 8-goal thriller.  Andrew Johnson scored the third of Crystal Palace's 4 goals against Northampton Town.  Gareth Barry scored the only goal of the game for Aston Villa against Peter Taylor's Hull City side.  Robbie Fowler scored his first hat-trick in 5 years as Manchester City came from behind to beat Scunthorpe United.  Alan Shearer scores his 200th Newcastle United goal as the defeat Mansfield Town by a single goal.  Darren Bent scored Charlton Athletic's final goal in the 4-2 victory over Sheffield Wednesday.

Thursday, 5 January 2006 - England have added two matches to their World Cup warm-up schedule with games against Uruguay at Anfield on 1 March and Jamaica at Wembley on 3 June.  Sven-Göran Eriksson wanted to face Caribbean opposition before his side play Trinidad and Tobago in Germany.   "Jamaica will have a similar style to Trinidad and Tobago.  They have a lot of players playing in this country, like Ricardo Gardner at Bolton and Jason Euell at Charlton.  I know that this game will be a fantastic occasion, as I'm sure they will be very well supported. It promises to be a special match."  Turning his focus towards the Uruguay clash, Eriksson said: "Uruguay are a very well-organised team, are very difficult to play against and came very close to qualifying for Germany.  They will be tough and a similar challenge to our group opponents Paraguay." 

Chris Sutton has sealed a free move to Birmingham City.  It was revealed on yesterday that Sutton was exercising his right to talk to other clubs, with Blues being one of the interested Premiership parties.  The 32-year-old's contract at Celtic expired in the summer.  He left the Bhoys by mutual consent and joined City in a deal that will keep him at their until the end of the season.  "It's obviously a huge disappointment to lose a player of Chris' quality," said Celtic boss Gordon Strachan.  "The club has granted Chris his wish to move on and I would like to wish him all the best for the future."

Wednesday, 4 January 2006 - Scott Parker is ruled out for five weeks following knee surgery.  Graeme Souness told the club's website: "It's another blow for the club.  Scott has been our best player this season.  But these are the cards we have been dealt, and we have to stick together."

John Hollins, Crawley Town boss and Accrington Stanley's John Coleman have shared the Nationwide Conference's December manager-of-the-month award.  Both managers led their side to unbeaten records in the month, with Hollins launching a revival at Crawley.  Hollins earned his share of the prize from his first full month on charge following his appointment in November.

Tuesday, 3 January 2006 - David James believes the aftermath of his disastrous performance for England against Denmark has been a big "kick up the backside."  James let in all four goals after coming on as a substitute at half-time in the 4-1 defeat in Copenhagen and was then dropped.  But the Manchester City keeper said he has managed to turn his form around.  "The aftermath of the Denmark game was the kick up the backside I needed.  It wasn't nice.  I was sitting in a hotel watching an England game with Sir David Frost, who was an all right bloke who knows his football.  But although that might be something to tell the grandchildren about, it was not where I wanted to be.  Getting back into the squad for the Argentina game was a big step forward for me and that has given me the confidence to push on and try and do well in the next one.  I want to play at the highest level I can and that means for England in the World Cup.  If I am not in the side, then it will have to be because Paul Robinson or someone else is playing much better than I am.  There will never be any animosity from me towards any goalkeeper.  He is doing what he needs to keep his place and all I can do is push and be ready but I do see it as being an easy task by any stretch.  I'm working well with Tim Flowers to make sure my work is right for Manchester City so, come the end of the season, I might be able to carry that on for England.  The Argentina game showed how much quality England have. We looked revitalised and everything clicked at the right time.  So we should be going into the World Cup with a lot of confidence."

Monday, 2 January 2006 - Premiership football:-  Steven Gerrard spares Liverpool's blushes with a penalty, securing a 2-2 draw with Bolton Wanderers.  James Beattie scores Everton's first goal against Charlton Athletic, the Toffee's won 3-1.  Frank Lampard scored against his former club as Chelsea beat West Ham United 3-1.

Michael Owen said he will be having surgery to pin the broken bone in his right foot.  The 26-year-old broke a metatarsal in his right foot during Newcastle's defeat at Tottenham on Saturday, and could face three months out of action.  "I have been given the name of a good surgeon and I am going to have a pin inserted.  It's not essential but I've been told that it should give me the best chance of a quick recovery."  Owen added that he was not only hopeful of making Germany 2006 but also optimistic of his chances of playing for Newcastle again this campaign.  "I don't need any miracles to be playing again this season and, fingers crossed, I will see at least a month of the Barclays Premiership season as well as the World Cup."
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CG