NYHETER: Ex-player/-manager news, Part I

[kjelvi]

ANDY KEOGH and Paul McShane are ditching their weekly Sunday dinner date â€" and planning to carve each other up instead.
Wolves striker Keogh and West Brom defender McShane have been mates since they played for an Under-12s side in Dublin.
Tomorrow they meet up in a Black Country derby which doubles as a promotion clash.
Keogh admitted: "We grew up together and we room together with the international side. We normally meet at a carvery on a Sunday so this will be a bit different. We are so close, we are like brothers."
McShane added: "I hope Andy won’t give me too many problems â€" he’s a good player. But I have a competitive edge."

The Sun

[kjelvi]

Viduka: Middlesbrough must convince me of ambitions
Mark Viduka is ready to commit to Middlesbrough, if they can convince him of their ambitions next season.
The Australian is off contract in June and is desperate to crown his career with a trophy. He told the Guardian: "The thing that is eating at me is that I would like to be contending for something, some sort of trophy. I'm 31 and I'd really love to win something.
"So it would be great if we kept our good players and bought better players to complement them. Because if you don't do that, you can't compete. That's a big factor in my decision. My career is limited and I'd really like to be winning stuff. I don't think it's unrealistic. I think the club is financially sound, I think financially we can do it and, when good players stay, I think that attracts others. Obviously Gareth [Southgate] would love to buy the best players, everybody would, it's about translating that into action. The club has been in the middle for a long time. To compete with the top five or six, which is the next step, that takes investment."
Viduka sees an example in what Villarreal have achieved in Spain, Bayer Leverkusen in Germany and Everton, fourth in the Premiership two seasons ago.
"Finishing fourth would be great," he said, "can you imagine us in the Champions League? That would be something special. And our chairman is ambitious."
If Southgate outlined that sort of ambition, would Viduka stay? "Probably. Definitely. But they have to be proper plans, not talk, it has to be shown. As a family we're settled. My son starts school next year, another son will be going to nursery and we love it here. The buzz is a big factor: I'm settled, I live down the road and I enjoy coming to work."

Kilde: http://www.tribalfootball.com/article.php?id=31610

[kjelvi]

LEISTER STILL HURTS FOR HIS CHERISHED LEEDS

Brenton Leister spent 10 years at Leeds United, so he watched their slide into ignominy with a heavy heart.



The 21-year-old joined Gainsborough Trinity following a spell in the Irish League with St Patrick's but his heart still bleeds the White of the fallen Yorkshire giants.
Born in the city and brought up a United fan, Leister played in the same youth sides as current Premiership stars Aaron Lennon and James Milner.
But the creative midfielder never made the same progress as his more famous contemporaries.
A spell at Halifax preceded the Irish adventure, but homesickness hastened Leister's return to England.
Now, at Trinity, he hopes to rebuild his career in the English game and find a path back into the professional ranks.
"Leeds was a major part of my life but I couldn't break into the first team, so I had to leave," said the Goole-based midfielder.
"I played alongside some top players like Aaron, James and Scott Carson and I still keep in touch with them - in fact, I'll be at James's house this weekend after the match.
"Although I knew it was time to go, I still have a great affection for the club and it hurts to see how far they've fallen."
Once their Champions League dream had died, the Whites' fall from grace was alarmingly fast - and Leister wasn't immune from those problems.
"There would be weeks where we didn't know if we were getting paid or not," he said.
"It's amazing how far they've fallen, so quickly. We were all geared up for the Champions League and then things seemed to slip so fast.
"It looks like they wil be relegated again and that is tough to take - they are a big club and their fans deserve much, much better."
Leister made his debut for Trinity as a substitute during last Saturday's 4-0 Conference North victory against Alfreton Town.
Manager Paul Mitchell has welcomed Leister's arrival at the Northolme, claiming that the player's subtle creative skills add a different dimension to the Trinity midfield.
"I'd like to think I offer something different," said Leister.
"Trinity have good box-to-box players and defensive midfielders. I'm quite a creative player and I hope I can add something to the team."
Leister said his time in Ireland had improved him as a player, expressing his admiration for the standard of football played in the Eircom League.
"There are sides competing in European competition, so the standard is good," he said.
"I fancied a real change of scenery and knew their manager - John MacDonald - through a coach at Leeds.
"In the end, although I had a great time, I became homesick and wanted to return to England."
Leister has settled into life at Trinity quickly and wants to concentrate on his own game.
"Paul Mitchell knows I have ambitions to get back into the professional game and he has just told me to focus on my football," said the midfielder.
"I'm grateful to him for that chance."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brenton_Leister


Kilde: http://www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=156131&command=displayContent&sourceNode=156124&contentPK=16846817&folderPk=87027&pNodeId=156147

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'I'm 31 and I'd really love to win something'

Mark Viduka is at an age when Middlesbrough's losses hurt more than ever, he tells Michael Walker

Nostalgia, anticipation, hard cash: they are three elements of any FA Cup quarter-final but to Mark Viduka they mean that little bit more. With Manchester United due at the Riverside this evening, these are the past, the present and his and Middlesbrough's future. So while Viduka was happy to wallow in memories of 1980s finals watched in the middle of the night in Melbourne - "those tight shorts, if I'd had a pair of them you would never have been able to get them off me" - and explain that United stir him because he was a boyhood fan, there was also a readiness to be realistic about where he and Boro are, which is at a crossroads.
Viduka's contract ends in three months. He is not agitating for a move - in fact the opposite impression is given - but there are conditions. He is at an age when footballers think of what is left. "The thing that is eating at me is that I would like to be contending for something, some sort of trophy. I'm 31 and I'd really love to win something," he said.
"So it would be great if we kept our good players and bought better players to complement them. Because if you don't do that, you can't compete. That's a big factor in my decision. My career is limited and I'd really like to be winning stuff. I don't think it's unrealistic. I think the club is financially sound, I think financially we can do it and, when good players stay, I think that attracts others. Obviously Gareth [Southgate] would love to buy the best players, everybody would, it's about translating that into action. The club has been in the middle for a long time. To compete with the top five or six, which is the next step, that takes investment."
Viduka sees an example in what Villarreal have achieved in Spain, Bayer Leverkusen in Germany and Everton, fourth in the Premiership two seasons ago. "Finishing fourth would be great," he said, "can you imagine us in the Champions League? That would be something special. And our chairman is ambitious."
If Southgate outlined that sort of ambition, would Viduka stay? "Probably. Definitely. But they have to be proper plans, not talk, it has to be shown. As a family we're settled. My son starts school next year, another son will be going to nursery and we love it here. The buzz is a big factor: I'm settled, I live down the road and I enjoy coming to work."
His contract has been the talk of Teesside since before Christmas but it is not rancorous. Gentle persuasion seems all that is required from both sides, though the bottom-line ambition demand is not negotiable. Viduka's tone was reflective; he has been struck by a recent comment from Ryan Giggs: "You always remember the defeats more than the trophies."
"I'm the same, I thought I was the only one," Viduka said. "I hate that, hate it. I think it's because you take the good things for granted but for some reason you keep remembering the bad. That's not good. Don't you think that's a bad thing? You don't dwell on it when you do something good, so why do you when it's bad?"
So those three goals he scored in the second legs of the quarter- and semi-finals of the Uefa Cup last season were overshadowed by the final defeat by Sevilla? "Definitely. That chance I had in the final [at 1-0] I think about it, maybe I should have miskicked it and it would have gone in, I hit it too nicely. I should have scored."
And the headed miss against Chelsea last month at 0-0? "Not as much but it would have changed the game. But then there are times when you do something in a game and you win and you didn't deserve to. I scored a goal against West Brom in the last round from a deflection. I didn't really do much in the game and out of nothing I scored a goal. So you have to take the good with the bad."
In the same breath Viduka also mentioned Italy's last-minute penalty against Australia at the World Cup, when Fabio Grosso needed no encouragement to fall over Lucas Neill's leg - "I think about that very often." That brought us to Cristiano Ronaldo and United's controversial 2-1 victory at Boro in December. "I'm not really one to be diving, I'm not too fond of it. Sometimes perhaps I should go down a little bit easier."
Injured, Viduka watched the game from the stands. It is a curious statistic that on the six occasions Boro have played United since he joined from Leeds 2½ years ago, Viduka has not played once. "It's either I've been left out of the team or I've been injured at the time. I had a broken toe last time, before that [Steve] McClaren left me out. I was on the bench for the 4-1 game [in October 2005]. Disappointing, I love big games. I was left out against Arsenal a couple of times, Liverpool, under McClaren. You can't control that decision. You just have to take it."
Yet as a Leeds player Viduka scored freely against United. "I'm not one to have a photographic memory of my goals but I scored one nice one at Old Trafford, through [Fabien] Barthez's legs. I remember one header I scored at Leeds, a nice header, from a Danny Mills cross I think, Lee Bowyer flicked it on and I headed it past Barthez. It's always nice to score against Man U.
"I was a Manchester United fan when I was a kid. It was in the 80s, when Liverpool dominated. My cousin was a big Liverpool fan and we used to give each other stick. It was my Dad, he was a Man U fan - George Best. It's changed now for me of course, when I was at Leeds they were our biggest rivals, when you're a player you want to beat them. But it's still special to play against them, massive."
Today's added incentive is that the new Wembley will be 90 minutes away from the victors. "I never went to the old Wembley. When I think of it I think about waking up at three in the morning in Australia - the FA Cup final was the one game televised live. The one final I loved was 1987, Tottenham v Coventry, I taped it and replayed it over and over. That's when videos were out - 87, some game. [Dave] Bennett. Waddle, I loved Chris Waddle. Glenn Hoddle, Cyrille Regis, Clive Allen."
Ossie Ardiles came up, too. And now Viduka has a song about him: "Hallelujah Mark Viduka". It makes him cringe, so it is appropriate to say that this Aussie could be on his way to Wembley.


Kilde: http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,2030607,00.html

[kjelvi]

quote:Originally posted by kjelvi

"I was a Manchester United fan when I was a kid. It was in the 80s, when Liverpool dominated. My cousin was a big Liverpool fan and we used to give each other stick. It was my Dad, he was a Man U fan - George Best. It's changed now for me of course, when I was at Leeds they were our biggest rivals, when you're a player you want to beat them. But it's still special to play against them, massive."

enda godt å registerere at det kom noe godt ut av Marks Leeds-tid...

[kjelvi]

I farta 10/3


FA-cup:
Middlesborugh - Man. U. 2-2.
Jon Woodgate og Mark Viduka spilte hele kampen for Boro, mens Judas Ferdinand ditto for Man. U. - som har Alan Smith ubenyttet på benken.


CCC:
Stoke - Southampton 2-1.
Jermaine Wright hele kampen for Saints.

Leeds - Luton 1-0.
Clarke Carlisle hele kampen for Luton, mens Warren Fenney ble byttet ut i 69. mins. Matthew Spring ubenyttet reserve.

Ipswich - Southend 0-2.
Dan Harding (gult kort i 42. mins. - unsporting behaviour) spilte hele kampen for Ipswich.


Hull - Preston 2-0: 2-0 David Livermore (70).
Livermore byttet inn i 5. mins for Hull, mens Nick Barmby byttet inn i 88. mins. Danny Pugh og Michael Ricketts hele kampen for Preston.

Cardiff - Norwich 1-0.
Stephen McPhail spilte hele kampen for Cardiff, som hadde Simon Walton som ubenyttet reserve. Tony Warner og Darren Huckerby (gult i 59. mins. - dissent) hele kampen for Norwich.

Barnsley - Sunderland 0-2.
Liam Miller (gult kort i 12. mins - unsporting behaviour) byttet ut i 73. mins for Sunderland.

Crystal Palace - Leicester 2-0.
Geoff Horsfield startet for Leicester - og ble byttet ut i 63. mins.


Div. 1:
Huddersfield - Bradford 2-0.
David Wetherall og Ben Parker spilte hele kampen for City.

Rotherham - Port Vale 1-5.
Martin Woods hele kampen for Rotherham. Nathan Lowndes inn i 68. mins. for Vale.

Scunthorpe - Nott. Forest 1-1.
Jermaine Beckford og Andy Crosby (gult i 32. mins -unsporting behaviour) spilte hele kampen for Schuntorpe, som hadde Ian Morris som ubenyttet reserve.


Div. 2:
Peterborough - MK Dons 4-0.
Paul Butler hele kampen for Dons.

Rochdale - Darlington 0-0.
Julian Joachim byttet ut etter 69. mins for Darlington.

[baste]

Liam Miller skulle vi klart å beholde..

[kjelvi]

quote:Originally posted by baste

Liam Miller skulle vi klart å beholde..

uenig. oppskrytt og ustabil.
Douglas et hakk hvassere - sjøl om jeg ikke er hans største fan.

jeg registerer at Dan Harding (Ipswich) og David Livermore (Hull) har hatt solide sesonger for sine lag. spiller fast og ligger høyt på FLs spillerbørs.

Harding burde ha blitt - og i etterkant er det klart at Livermore kontra Nicholls skulle vært gjort omvendt.

[kjelvi]

DOUBLE BLOW FOR SPURS
Paul Robinson and Robbie Keane have been ruled out of Tottenham's FA Cup quarter-final at Chelsea on Sunday.

http://www.sportinglife.com/football/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=soccer/07/03/10/SOCCER_Tottenham.html

[kjelvi]

Alle vil ha Woody!


Defender poised to reject Toon move

Newcastle boss Glenn Roeder is on the verge of failing in an attempt to sign England defender Jonathan Woodgate, according to reports.  
Woodgate joined Middlesbrough on a season-long loan spell from Real Madrid at the start of the season and has made a major contribution at the Riverside Stadium, helping Gareth Southgate's side lose just once in their last 15 games.
Roeder has been keeping a close eye on the England centre back's situation, along with Premiership rivals Arsenal and Newcastle, and hoped to persuade the 27-year-old to pursue his Premiership elsewhere when the present campaign ends.
But Woodgate is said to be on the verge of rejecting his approach and signing a permanent contract at the Riverside at the end of the season, with Boro expected to pay a fee in the region of £6 million.
Madrid agreed to sell Woodgate to the Teesside club as early as last September but he refused to commit himself to a deal beyond the 12-month loan period.
But the defender has flourished with Boro this season and the announcement of his signing will be a massive boost to Southgate.

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Defender to turn back on Reds move

Liverpool are reportedly set to join Arsenal and Newcastle in missing out on signing England defender Jonathan Woodgate.  
Woodgate joined Middlesbrough on a season-long loan spell from Real Madrid at the start of the season and has made a major contribution at the Riverside Stadium.
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez and Premiership rivals Arsenal and Newcastle have all shown an interest in signing the England centre back and hoped to persuade the 27-year-old to pursue his Premiership elsewhere when the present campaign ends.
But Woodgate is said to be on the verge of rejecting their approaches and signing a permanent contract at the Riverside at the end of the season, with Boro expected to pay a fee in the region of £6 million.
Madrid agreed to sell Woodgate to the Teesside club as early as last September but he refused to commit himself to a deal beyond the 12-month loan period.
But the defender has flourished with Boro this season and the announcement of his signing will be a massive boost to Southgate.

--
Defender to reject Premiership trio to join Boro

Jonathan Woodgate is reportedly ready to snub interest from three Premiership clubs to sign a permanent deal with Middlesbrough.  
Woodgate has made a major contribution at the Riverside Stadium since joining Gareth Southgate's side on a season-long loan spell from Real Madrid at the start of the season.
Liverpool, Arsenal and Newcastle have all shown interest in signing the England centre back and hoped to persuade the 27-year-old to pursue his Premiership elsewhere when the present campaign ends.
But Woodgate is said to be poised to reject their approaches to sign a permanent contract at the Riverside at the end of the season, with Boro expected to pay a fee in the region of £6 million.
Madrid agreed to sell Woodgate to the Teesside club as early as last September but he refused to commit himself to a deal beyond the 12-month loan period.
But the defender has flourished with Boro this season and the announcement of his signing will be a massive boost to Southgate.
--

Jonathan Woodgate will join Middlesbrough in a permanent £6million deal this summer. (Sunday Mirror)
Jonathan Woodgate will snub offers from Arsenal, Newcastle and Liverpool to agree a permanent deal with Middlesbrough costing the club £6m. (Sunday Mirror)
--

Jonathan Woodgate has agreed a four-year deal with Middlesbrough. (The People)

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Sunderland are set to bring Ian Harte back to English football this summer. (News of the World)

Damien Duff and Ian Harte are both summer transfer targets for Roy Keane at Sunderland. (The People)

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Dennis Wise failed with an ambitious move to bring Alan Smith back to Leeds on loan. (The People)

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I farta 11/3

CCC:
Wolves - WBA 1-0.
Andrew Keogh spilte hele kampen for Wolves.

FA:
Chelsea - Spurs 3-3.
Aaron Lennon starter for Spurs, men ble byttet ut i 76. mins. (tactical).

Div. 1:
Oldham - Doncaster 4-0.
Sean Gregan spilte hele kampen for Oldham, mens Neil Sullivan og Sean McDaid spilte hele kampen for Donny, hvor Sam Hird kom inn som innbytter i 86. mins.

SPL:
Celtic - Rangers 0-1: 0-1 Ugo Ehiogu (50).
Ehiogu spilte hele kampen for Rangers.


Defender Ugo Ehiogu's overhead kick five minutes after the interval wins the match for Rangers


Ehiogu's goal is his first for Rangers gives them only their second victory at Celtic Park in seven years

[Per-Stian]

Aaron Lennon med målgivande i det femte minutt. Berbatov målskårar.

[sindre12]

Harte til Sunderland
Woodgate 4års kontrakt me Middlesbrough.
pliizz signer Harte før sundeland jøer det

[kjelvi]

Aaron Lennon på Skys 'Team of the Week': http://home.skysports.com/list.aspx?hlid=453613&lid=1490&clid=&channel=&title=FA+Cup+Team+of+the+Week

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David Wetherall has pleaded with Bradford chairman Julian Rhodes to replace him with a permanent manager. (Daily Star)

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Depending on what you want to believe, Andy Ritchie, Gary Megson or Phil Parkinson will be the new man in charge at the mighty Huddersfield Town.

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PHIL PARKINSON is top of Huddersfield’s wish-list to be their new boss.
Parkinson has been working with Alan Pardew at Charlton since he was axed by Hull and Town would not have to stump up any compensation.
The Terriers have also spoken to former Leeds boss Kevin Blackwell and ex-Forest chief Gary Megson is another contender.
League One Huddersfield sacked manager Peter Jackson last week.

Kilde: The Sun

[Tom S]

Satt ringside og såg Greggs gjøre ein god kamp mot Doncaster på søndag, ein kamp Oldham forøvrig vant 4-0. Stakkars Sully, som var svak, måtte hente ballen ut av nettet fire ganger.



WE'RE LEEDS AND PROUD!!!

[kjelvi]

quote:Originally posted by Tom S

Satt ringside og såg Greggs gjøre ein god kamp mot Doncaster på søndag, ein kamp Oldham forøvrig vant 4-0. Stakkars Sully, som var svak, måtte hente ballen ut av nettet fire ganger.

Hva med backen Sean McDaid?
Sam Hird?

[kjelvi]

Spurs willing to listen to offers for Keane, Defoe
Tottenham are willing to sell strikers Robbie Keane and Jermain Defoe in the summer.
The Independent says Dimitar Berbatov is probably the only striker the club would not consider selling this summer. They are desperate to get rid of Mido and would consider offers for Keane and Defoe if adequate replacements could be found.

[kjelvi]

Wetherall stays in Bantams role

David Wetherall will stay on as manager of Bradford City until the end of the season.
The veteran defender has been in charge at Valley Parade since Colin Todd left the League One strugglers in mid-February.
The likes of Andy Ritchie and Stuart McCall have been linked with the post, but Wetherall has been given the club's backing until the summer.
"It's David's job until at least the end of the season," Bradford chairman Julian Rhodes told the Telegraph & Argus.
"I do genuinely believe he's our best chance of staying up.
"That's why I wanted to remove the uncertainty about his position and now it's all guns blazing to do whatever's necessary to stay up.
"Despite the results, there have been a lot of good things since David's been in charge and it's not his fault we're in the predicament that we're in.
"If he keeps us up he will have done a remarkable job."
Bradford have yet to win in Wetherall's four games at the helm, but victory at Bristol City on Tuesday night would lift the team out of the relegation zone.


Kilde: http://home.skysports.com/list.aspx?hlid=453903&CPID=11&clid=55&lid=2&title=Wetherall+stays+in+Bantams+role

[kjelvi]

I farta 12/3


SPL:
Motherwell - Aberdeen 0-2.
Paul Keegan byttet inn i 66. mins. for Motherwell.


CCC:
Coventry - Wolves 2-1.
Andrew Keogh spilte hele kampen for Wolves.

Derby - QPR 1-1.
Seth Johnson var ubenyttet reserve for Rams.

Leicester - Leeds 1-1.
Andy Maybury hele kampen for Leicester, hvor Geoff Horsfield ble byttet ut i 66. mins.


Luton - Hull 1-2: 0-1 David Livermore (22).
Clarke Carlisle (gult 3. mins. - unsporting behaviour) hele kampen for Luton, mens Warren Feeney ble byttet inn i pausen.
Livermore (gult 61. mins - unsporting behaviour) hele kampen for Hull, hvor Nick Barmby ble byttet inn i 80. mins.


Norwich - Birmingham 1-0: 1-0 Darren Huckerby (47).
Tony Warner spilte hele kampen for Norwich, mens Huckerby ble byttet ut i 89. mins.


Preston - Ipswich 1-0: 1-0 Michael Ricketts (6).
Ricketts (byttet ut i pausen) og Danny Pugh starter for Preston, mens Brett Ormerod kom inn i 80. mins.
Dan Harding (gult 45. mins - unsporting behaviour) ble byttet ut i 62. mins. for Ipwich.

Southampton - Cardiff 2-2.
Stephen McPhail spilte hele kampen for Cardiff, som hadde Simon Walton som ubenyttet reserve.

Sothend - Burnley 1-0.
Steven Caldwell og Andy Gray spilte hele kampen for Burnley.

Sunderland - Stoke 1-2.
Liam Miller (gult 79. mins - unsporting behaviour) byttet inn i 68. mins. for Sunderland.


Div. 1:
Bristol C - Bradford 2-3.
David Wetherall spilte hele kampen for Bathams.


Conference:
Cambridge Utd - York 0-5: 0-1 Craig Farrell (21).

[kjelvi]

Bakke tilbake om 4 uke
Eirik Bakke regner med å være i trening med ball om fire uker.
Tirsdag var Bakke på legesjekk i Nederland. Nyhetene han fikk, var gode.
- Jeg kan starte å jogge igjen nå, og om fire uker starter opptreningen med ball, sier midtbanespilleren til Branns hjemmeside.

Hele saken: http://www.fxt.no/tippeligaen/brann/article932195.ece

[Per-Stian]

Fanden ta Steven Caldwell i Burnleys forsvar! Kan ikkje sleppe inn mål så seint i kampen[V]

[kjelvi]

Middlesbrough goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer has revealed striker Mark Viduka is close to signing a new deal with the Riverside club. (The Sun)
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Viduka's close to staying
MARK SCHWARZER has revealed Mark Viduka is close to committing his future to Middlesbrough.
Aussie hitman Viduka, 31, is out of the contract in the summer and has yet to sign a new deal, leaving manager Gareth Southgate in a sweat.
But keeper Schwarzer said: “You don’t go into the nitty-gritty but I’ve had general chats with Mark and he has hinted that he wants to stay.
“I know he’s happy here and I get the impression that he would like to sign another deal.
“But that, obviously, is not the same as actually doing it â€" and it won’t just be down to what Mark wants to do anyway.
“The club will have a massive say in what happens and I’d never criticise a player for going elsewhere if they are offered a better opportunity.
“Having said that, I do think Mark could see himself staying.”
Southgate is just as desperate to hold on to Jonathan Woodgate, 27, with Arsenal, Chelsea and Newcastle continuing to trail the England centre-back.
Schwarzer said: “You want top quality like Mark and Jonathan to stay.”

Kilde: http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2002390000-2007120067,00.html

[kjelvi]

SMITH DETERMINED TO STAY AT UNITED
Alan Smith has warned would-be suitors he has no intention of leaving Manchester United.
The England striker rejected a loan move away from Old Trafford in January but speculation persists he will exit the Red Devils in the summer as Sir Alex Ferguson reinforces his striking department.
Now happily recovered from the horrific injuries he suffered in an FA Cup tie at Liverpool last February, Smith completed 70 minutes of Tuesday night's charity match against a Europe XI and is expected to be part of the United squad for Saturday's Premiership encounter with Bolton and the FA Cup quarter-final replay against Middlesbrough 48 hours later.
But, once Louis Saha and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer are fit again at the end of the month, Smith looks like being squeezed out once more even though Henrik Larsson's departure has left Ferguson a man short in attack.
However, anyone who thinks Smith will surrender his position with the Red Devils without a fight is mistaken.
The 25-year-old has worked too hard to just give up now and he intends being at United for the long haul.
"I am not leaving, it is as simple as that," he said. "There has been a lot of speculation but I am going nowhere.
"I feel I am good enough to play in this team, I have always believed that. That is why I signed."
Cardiff and Smith's former club Leeds were among those thought to be interested in signing the £6million forward on a short-term basis during the transfer window.
But, while Ferguson is not an easy man to say no to, Smith is adamant the Scot respected his decision to decline the offers.
And, given the way events have subsequently transpired, both parties are probably relieved the Rothwell-born player opted to remain where he was.
"The manager gave me the option to go out on loan but I didn't want to," revealed Smith.
"I am sure he thought it was in the best interests of both myself and the club but I told him I believed I was good enough to play in his team when I am fit and he accepted that.
"If I had gone on loan and Ole and Louis had been injured and Henrik had gone, we would have been down to one striker.
"There would have been nothing worse for me than to leave and be somewhere else when this club was short on strikers.
"I don't want to be on loan somewhere else and miss the games coming up when I feel I can be an important part of this squad."

Kilde: http://www.sportinglife.com/football/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=soccer/07/03/14/SOCCER_Man_Utd_Smith.html

[kjelvi]

FA leave Psycho in Aidy stew
STUART PEARCE is not guaranteed to take over as England Under-21 boss â€" with the FA keen to sound out Watford manager Aidy Boothroyd.

Kilde: http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2002390000-2007120068,00.html
Kilde: http://www.tribalfootball.com/article.php?id=32101

[kjelvi]

The following players celebrate their birthday on March 14.

(.:.)
1971: Bradford City's former Leeds United defender David Wetherall, charged with the task of keeping The Bantams up this season, is born. (Celebrates 36th birthday)