Tottenham Hotspur's hopes of landing Werder Bremen's Marko Marin hinge on departures from White Hart Lane

.Tottenham Hotspur are planning a deadline day transfer bid for Marko Marin, Werder Bremen’s German international midfielder.

Wanted man: Marko Marin could be moving to Tottenham Photo: AFP

Whether Tottenham make a formal offer, in excess of £10 million, is conditional on the club first being able to move on several fringe players such as Roman Pavlyuchenko, who has the chance to return to Russia, and Vedran Corluka, who is on the verge of joining Bayer Leverkusen on loan.

Marin is not the only player Spurs have been interested in this week.

The Premier League club have been in negotiations over long-term target Leandro Damiao, hoping to beat off competition from the likes of Paris St Germain, and agree a lower fee than has been demanded by his club Internacional who have rated the Brazilian striker at around £20 million.

However Spurs' hopes of a deal being completed before Tuesday's deadline for Damiao were dashed, although the club may return for him in the summer.

Signing Marin will also prove formidable with Spurs facing stiff competition, not least from other Premier League clubs, Liverpool has long been linked, should Werder Bremen decide to agree to a sale.

• Even then Bremen are likely to demand far more than £10m for the player.

Spurs manager Harry Redknapp has already suggested that his club will not be involved in any late buying in the market and the chances remain slight that either Marin or Damiao will be signed.

Redknapp is understood, however, to be extremely keen to add Marin to his squad as he has the versatility to play as a creative midfielder, behind the striker or as a right-winger.

Marin is still just 22 but made two appearances for Germany during the last World Cup and has previously been linked with a move to Liverpool.

Of Bosnian Serb descent, he was only two years old when his family moved to Germany and he has now earned 16 caps for the full German national team.

A complication for Bremen is that Marin’s current contract is thought to expire next year.

The chances of any deal being agreed are thought to depend on the departures that chairman Daniel Levy can also arrange.

It’s a surprise that Pavlyuchenko is still at Spurs given the club received bids from at least two clubs back in Russia for the striker — the suitors are thought to be Spartak Moscow and cash-rich Anzhi — but as yet no deal has been agreed.

Spurs had hoped to sell Giovani dos Santos to Villareal but it appears that deal is floundering with the Mexican having already turned down moves to Russia and the United States.

Spurs want around £6 million for the 22 year-old who no longer figures in Redknapp’s plans and Villareal will try again before the deadline.

The future of defender Sébastien Bassong has also not been resolved.

It’s unlikely, however, that Spurs will allow him to leave unless a replacement is found having come close to selling the Cameroonian to Queens Park Rangers last August when Levy was bidding for Gary Cahill.

QPR remain interested having lost out on Alex and with, so far, Blackburn Rovers refusing to negotiate on the £15 million they are demanding for Christopher Samba even though he has submitted a transfer request and pleaded to be sold.

Neither QPR not Spurs will bid close to that amount for Samba which could mean he has to remain at Ewood Park until the summer.

Redknapp also considered a move for Loic Remy but he will remain at Marseilles until the rest of the season while another Blackburn player, Junior Hoilett, seems set to sit out the remainder of his contract and decide his future then also.

Spurs had preliminary talks with the representatives of the Brazilian midfielder Ganso but decided against making an offer for the Santos player partly because of the prohibitively high price that was being quoted but also because it was decided he might not be ready for first-team Premier League football.

Spurs have agreed deals to send three of their young players out on loan.

John Bostock has joined League One Sheffield Wednesday until the end of the season while Tom Carroll, who has made first-team appearances this campaign, has moved to Derby County for the same period of time.

Striker Kudus Oyenuga has gone to Scottish Premier League club St Johnstone.

Kevin de Bruyne set for Chelsea medical ahead of move from Genk

Page last updated at 12:00 GMT, Monday, 30 January 2012

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De Bruyne faced Chelsea for Genk in the Champions League group stages

Genk midfielder Kevin de Bruyne will undergo a medical at Chelsea ahead of his proposed move to Stamford Bridge.

The Belgian champions confirmed the 20-year-old was in London on Monday to seal a reported £6.7m transfer on a five-and-a-half-year contract.

They also said the winger would be loaned back for the rest of the season.

Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas had insisted the transfer was nothing to do with him and that it was down to "club policy for the future".

He explained: "It's a target that's decided by the club, that I knew about for quite some time.

DID YOU KNOW?

Continue reading the main story

• De Bruyne's mother was born in Ealing, west London

"In the sense that it's the club policy for the future, it's the right thing [to buy him] and I'll do everything in my power for him to reach maximum potential.

"But it's down to the club in decision-making. I'm a manager who respects club policy.

"A club has to look to the future, whether it's with this manager or another. He's a good bet for the future."

De Bruyne has scored five goals and also made 16 assists last season as Genk were crowned Belgian champions for the third time.

He has played twice against Chelsea this season, appearing for Genk in the 5-0 Champions League group stage defeat at Stamford Bridgeand again in the 1-1 draw at the Cristal Arena.

His international debut came in August 2010 in a friendly against Finland.

He will become the third Belgian player signed by Villas-Boas following the arrivals of Romelu Lukaku and Thibaut Courtois.

Nedum Onuoha signs for QPR from Manchester City

 

Onuoha made less than 100 appearances for Manchester City 

 

Queens Park Rangers have completed the signing of Nedum Onuoha from Manchester City on a four-and-half-year contract.

The defender, who played under Mark Hughes when the Welshman was manager of City, moves to Loftus Road for an undisclosed fee.
The 25-year-old spent last season on loan at Sunderland but has found opportunities limited at City.
"Nedum is a player I know well," Hughes told QPR's official website. "He is a very good addition to the squad."

ONUOHA'S RECORD

Manchester City: 2004-2012
Appearances: 92, Goals: 3
Sunderland: 2010-2011 (loan)
Appearances: 31, Goals: 1

"He did very well for me at Man City and played a number of games, probably more than under any other manager," Hughes added.
"He is very versatile. He can play centre-back or right-back and has good pace," added the QPR boss, who may hand Onuoha his debut against Chelsea in the FA Cup on Saturday.
Onuoha, who has played for England Under-21s, is Hughes's first signing.
The Nigerian-born player made his first-team debut in October 2004 in the Carling Cup defeat by Arsenal, with his Premier League debut coming in November the same year.

He did very well for me at Manchester City and played a number of games, probably more than under any other manager

QPR manager Mark Hughes

Onuoha joined Sunderland on a season-long loan last season, making 31 Premier League appearances and scoring once, in the 3-0 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Hughes is still looking to reinforce his squad as he looks to avoid the club making an immediate return to the Championship.
Chelsea's Brazilian defender Alex, 29, has been linked with a move to Rangers after handing in a transfer request at Stamford Bridge.
QPR have also had two bids rejected for Blackburn defender Christopher Samba, who has also handed in a transfer request.

five reasons why Arsene Wenger is starting to lose his grip at Arsenal

From players showing dissent to disquiet among supporters, where is it all going wrong for Arsenal's once-revered manager?

Under pressure: Arsene Wenger's authority is being undermined 

Failing to keep star names

On July 11 last year, Arsene Wenger said this: “Imagine the worst situation — we lose Fabregas and Nasri. You cannot convince people you are ambitious after that.”

To say such a thing, the Arsenal manager must have strongly fancied his chances of keeping the pair.

Why else would he risk labelling the club as unambitious? But label it he did when Fabregas subsequently joined Barcelona and Nasri left for Manchester City.

Before that happened, however, a chance still existed to at least soften the blow. When it became clear the two players were off, when the club was rightfully bargaining hard to get the best deals, Wenger should have made provisions by bringing in quality replacements.

Instead, he delayed and was eventually forced into panic buying at the very last minute, hence the imperfect solution of signing Yossi Benayoun.

Losing his eye for a player
On the subject of quality, Wenger’s reputation gets damaged when he is seen to persist with sub-standard players.
Think back to how long Philippe Senderos stayed around when it had been clear for some time he wasn’t quite good enough.
The same was true of Nicklas Bendtner, and maybe Johan Djourou now. Yet Wenger keeps faith in a way other managers might not.
How many more chances will Andrei Arshavin get? Park Chu-Young is different in that he was fortunate to win a contract in the first place.
One lad I know, who played with the South Korean at Monaco, could not quite believe that Wenger actually rated the striker, so average had he been in France.
So having been enthralled by Henry, Bergkamp, Vieira et al, the supporters revolt when mediocrity turns up.
-----

Refusing to spend big
If one thing frustrates Arsenal fans more than anything else it is Wenger’s reluctance to go the extra mile when pursuing a transfer target.
The Frenchman seems fixated with buying at the right price, rather than paying a little more to tie up the deal and secure players who can make a real difference.
Gary Cahill looked in that category when Wenger made a bid last summer. Bolton wanted more money and negotiations fizzled out, all for the sake, it seemed, of a few million pounds. At 26, Cahill is reaching his prime.
He might even become an England regular over the next few years, meaning he would still have a good resale value in, say, four years’ time.
But Wenger backed away, before eventually signing Per Mertesacker at the eleventh hour.
The big German, as yet, has not justified that faith.
-----

Tactical naivety
Wenger has never been a tactician. His gifts always lay elsewhere, like earmarking talent and giving it the platform to shine in an open, attacking style.
Nevertheless, there are times when the need for caution should not be ignored and never was that more true than when Arsenal travelled to Old Trafford in August with a very weak team.
Several injuries and Gervinho’s suspension forced Wenger into fielding a vulnerable-looking side. Under the circumstances, then, you could have forgiven the manager for trying to keep things tight by sitting back and being hard to break down.
But no. The visitors tried to play their normal expansive game and got thrashed 8-2. It is difficult to forget humiliations like that, especially when it could have been avoided with a different game-plan.
-----

The Carling Cup disaster
Last year’s Carling Cup final must still rankle with Wenger, the way his team threw away a great chance to end the trophy famine.
On that February afternoon, it was Birmingham’s impressive veterans who ended up celebrating following a disastrous mix-up between defender and goalkeeper.
Some might say it was only the Carling Cup but that trophy would have lifted some pressure off manager and players and perhaps changed the atmosphere at the Emirates.
Instead, the fans trooped away from Wembley wondering how on earth their team had managed to blow it. Even worse, those players couldn’t recover. A worrying mental frailty saw their season implode.
More worrying still, Wenger was powerless to prevent the collapse, prompting a swell of doubt that is beginning to grow.

Bolton 3 - 1 Liverpool

 
Steinsson (wearing number 2) volleys in Bolton's third into the bottom corner 
 

Bolton moved out of the bottom three after taking full advantage of some slack defending to sink Liverpool.

Mark Davies opened the scoring early on when he drifted through the centre and found the bottom corner from 15 yards.
Nigel Reo-Coker added a second when he chested down and slotted in, but Craig Bellamy gave the Reds hope as he lifted the ball over goalkeeper Adam Bogdan.
However, Gretar Steinsson's volley ensured that Bolton picked up their first points over Liverpool since 2006.
Much of the pre-match talk had surrounded Liverpool's lack of goals, their lowest at this stage of the season since the inception of the Premier League 20 years ago.
It was not expected that their defence would come under the same scrutiny, against a Bolton side with the worst record in English senior football, who had won only one of their 10 home games, kept only two clean sheets and lost their last 10 matches against the Reds.

Bolton form encourages Coyle

Only Manchester City had conceded fewer goals than Kenny Dalglish's side, but that was scarcely believable in a shaky opening few minutes.
Davies was first to pierce the Liverpool backline. He was allowed to drift through the heart of the defence from midway inside the Liverpool half, and with three players delaying making a challenge, he fired clinically into the bottom corner.
Moments later, Liverpool full-back Jose Enrique dwelt on the ball for too long on the touchline and was dispossessed by the intrepid Chris Eagles who jinked along the byeline, but his ball across goal failed to find a team-mate.
Liverpool's main hope was an appeal for a penalty after the ball brushed Zat Knight's hand in the area, but referee Kevin Friend was unimpressed with their impassioned pleas.

DID YOU KNOW?

This was the first time Bolton have scored three goals in a league game against Liverpool since 1950

Less than a minute later they found themselves two goals down.
A lack of midfield cover was evident again when Eagles was allowed to ghost through a gap and find Reo-Coker with a deft chip, who then tucked away the ball from six yards.
Striker Andy Carroll, without a goal in his last 10 appearances for Liverpool, was proving more effective as a contributor than a finisher. First, he sent in a dangerous cross from the left and then his neat first-time pass freed Bellamy whose first-time shot was straight at Bogdan.
However, the same combination gave their team a lifeline. Carroll flicked on and Bellamy raced clear before delicately chipping in his seventh goal of the season.

Dalglish questions Liverpool attitude

It seemed the momentum was with Dalglish's side and that they would gain the upper hand in the second-half, but soon after the interval their defensive frailties were exposed again.
There were question marks about whether Martin Petrov's corner had gone out of play before curling into the six-yard box, but there was no debate over Steinsson's clinical finish after Trotters defender David Wheater had outjumped a static Liverpool defence at the far post.
Liverpool defender Daniel Agger hit the top of the bar with a rasping 25-yard effort and Bellamy, who was involved in a continual spat with Reo-Coker, tested Bogdan with a low shot.
However, the visitors could not find sufficient quality to salvage something from the trip and now face a critical week to keep their season alive with cup ties against the two Manchester giants.

Didier Drogba chase stepped up by Shanghai Shenhua

 

Drogba signed for Chelsea in the summer of 2004 

 

Chinese Super League side Shanghai Shenhua have claimed they are in talks to sign Chelsea striker Didier Drogba.

The 33-year-old rejected a one-year contract extension at Chelsea and has been linked with a move to China.
"Everything is going well so far, though there have been a few obstacles," said Shenhua board member Zhou Jun.
Last month, striker Nicolas Anelka quit Stamford Bridge for Shenhua when he signed for a two-year deal.

It's like flirting with a girl. Perhaps she will resist you at first, but if you continue to ask her out, it always ends well. Never give up

Shenhua spokesman Zhu Jun about the pursuit of Drogba

Rival Chinese club Dalian Aerbin were reported to have offered the Ivory Coast international wages of £200,000 a week but Shenhua have now joined the chase.
"It's like flirting with a girl," said Shenhua spokesman Zhu Jun about the pursuit of Drogba on the Chinese equivalent of Twitter. "Perhaps she will resist you at first, but if you continue to ask her out, it always ends well. Never give up."
Zhu also told the Shanghai Daily: "It's like making a blockbuster film.
"When superstars like Jackie Chan, Jet Li and Zhou Xun have confirmed their participation, other actors and actress will be confident of the movie."

SPOTLIGHT ON SHENHUA

• First football club in China to be independent of government
• Well-known former players include Ruben Sosa, Carsten Jancker and Jorg Albertz
• Former Crystal Palace, Dundee and Cardiff player Fan Zhiyi began his career there in mid-nineties
• Hongkou Stadium has capacity of 35,000 and staged final of the 2007 Fifa Women's World Cup

Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas had been hopeful that Drogba, who is with Ivory Coast at the Africa Cup of Nations and is free to open negotiations with rival clubs about a move at the end of the season, would see out his contract.
Drogba has been at Chelsea since the summer of 2004 after being signed by former manager Jose Mourinho in a £24m deal from Marseille.
However, following the signing of Spaniard Fernando Torres in January, he has found it difficult to secure a regular spot as Villas-Boas has rotated his four strikers.
Shanghai Shenhua finished 11th out of 16 teams in the Chinese league last season.
They are determined to win the league and have already signed Brazilian forwards Cleo and Muriqui as well as former Fulham and Monaco boss Jean Tigana as their head coach.

Gary Cahill's move from Bolton to Chelsea completed

 

Gary Cahill has won seven England caps 

 

Chelsea have completed the signing of centre-half Gary Cahill from Bolton Wanderers for a fee of around £7m.

Cahill, 26, passed a medical on Saturday, before attending Chelsea's 1-0 Premier League win over Sunderland at Stamford Bridge.
"Chelsea is a massive club that looks to win trophies season in, season out," said the England defender.
"It is a big opportunity for me to be a part of that. Opportunities like this you can't turn down," he added.

GARY CAHILL FACTFILE

• 1985: Born 19 December, in Sheffield, South Yorkshire
• 2001: Joins Aston Villa's academy aged 15 from local team AFC Dronfield
• 2004: Makes professional debut during loan spell with Championship side Burnley
• 2005: Returns to Villa and makes bow in remarkable 8-3 Carling Cup win at Wycombe
• 2007: Goes to home town club Sheffield United in three-month loan deal
• 2008: After 31 games for Villa, joins Bolton in £5m deal
• 2010: Earns first England cap in Euro 2012 qualifier against Bulgaria

"This is the right move for me at the right time.
"I would like to thank everybody at Bolton because I have had a great four years at the football club.
"My spell with Wanderers has enabled me to break into the England squad.
"I would particularly like to thank the fans for their support along the way."
Chelsea and Bolton agreed the fee at the end of last month, but Blues boss Andre Villas-Boas revealed that club and player were "miles apart" over personal terms.
Reports had suggested Manchester United were also interested in signing Cahill, who would have been out of contract at the Reebok in the summer.
But Villas-Boas has finalised the deal to strengthen his defensive options ahead of the Blues' triple assault on the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup.
Centre-back Alex is set to leave Stamford Bridge, the Blues having discussed a fee for the Brazilian with west London neighbours QPR.
BBC Sport understands that second-bottom Bolton will reinvest all of Cahill's fee into new players as they look to stave off relegation.
Bolton boss Owen Coyle has been linked with signing 24-year-old USA international defender Tim Ream, who recently trained with the club, as Cahill's replacement.
Cahill signed off his Wanderers career on 5 January by scoring the winning goal as he captained the side to a 2-1 victory at Everton.
The Sheffield-born player, who joined Bolton in a £5m move from Aston Villa in January 2008, made 147 appearances for the Trotters, scoring 15 goals.
He made his first England start against Ghana in March 2011, scoring his first international goal in the 3-0 victory over Bulgaria in September.

Redknapp plays down title hopes

Harry Redknapp insists he is not targeting Tottenham's first Premier League title

Harry Redknapp played down Tottenham's Premier League title ambitions after seeing his side drop points at home to Wolves.
Tottenham missed the chance to go level on points with Manchester United and Manchester City at the top of the table after being held to a 1-1 draw by Wolves at White Hart Lane.
But Redknapp, who saw his side miss out on Champions League football this season after finishing fifth last year, insists a top four spot remains his sole priority.
"I've never said to anybody that we are going to win the league. If we can get a Champions League position again, it will be great for us," Redknapp said. "Today it wouldn't quite drop for us but we're still on a great run.
"I only answered the question of if it is possible [to win the league]," he said. "And, of course it is possible. Man City and Man United will be red hot favourites but, if we have a fantastic run in the second half like we have had in the first half of the season, it could happen."
Luka Modric's second-half strike cancelled out Steven Fletcher's early opener as Wolves boosted their survival hopes with a hard-earned point. And Redknapp believes the result shows the strength of the Premier League.
"You can't win every week," he said. "Wolves worked their socks off and defended for their lives. They are not just going to roll over. A point's a point."

Jol renews hostilities with QPR's Hughes

---

Martin Jol signed a two-year deal with Fulham last June

Fulham manager Martin Jol has hit out at his predecessor Mark Hughes, claiming the new QPR boss never stays in a job for more than two years.
Jol and Hughes have traded barbs in the public arena since the Dutchman took over at Craven Cottage last summer. At the time, Hughes stated the club were not ambitious enough for him to remain as manager. It is a claim Jol evidently rejects.
"It is not always about money if you are talking about ambition," Jol is quoted as saying in the Daily Mail. "We are ambitious, but last time he was here he said maybe Fulham are not.
"Fulham played in a European final and that is not easy to achieve. Of course we have been playing in the Premier League now for years, so it is a different club.
"When I came here I knew Fulham were ambitious, so I never said to the chairman, 'I want this or that'. Our ambition is to be a very good club in the Premier League and hopefully in the next couple of years we can win something."
Hughes recently declared he would be willing to stay on at Rangers should the club be relegated, but Jol remains skeptical.
"He is very brave to say that. If you look at all the clubs he has managed, it has been for two years - at the most," he said.

Return of the King

On the night Eric Cantona announced he wants to run for the French presidency, a fellow countryman reclaimed his crown as the King of Arsenal.
Thierry Henry took four touches to get a feel of the old place again and a fifth - stroked effortlessly with his right foot beyond Leeds United goalkeeper Andy Lonergan - to add to his legend as Arsenal's greatest goalscorer.
Arsene Wenger joined those gathered inside Emirates Stadium in sporting a smile that looked like it might need to be surgically removed after Henry took ten minutes from his introduction as a second-half substitute to become an Arsenal match-winner once more.
The idea of Henry revisiting old glories at the club where he is so revered that a statue was recently unveiled in his honour once seemed almost as fanciful as Cantona's notions of high office.

Thierry Henry scored the only goal of the game against Leeds United in the FA Cup Third Round in a dramatic return to North London. 

And yet here he was, 12 minutes from the end of a dour, attritional FA Cup third-round tie with Leeds, ruler of all he surveyed once more with a glorious reminder of what made him arguably the Premier League's finest player.
Henry took a pass from Alex Song in the manner he used to receive service from Patrick Vieira or the watching Emmanuel Petit before showing a composure that had previously been beyond his Arsenal colleagues to finish perfectly.
Emirates Stadium has occasionally been derided, unfairly it should be said, as a cold, soulless arena. This magical moment brought it alive with emotion.
Henry pointed at the turf in a gesture that suggested he was back where he belonged, raced to embrace Wenger, thumped his chest with his right hand and was joined by goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, who showed a fine turn of speed, in rapturous celebration.
The pain belonged to Leeds but the unbridled pleasure belonged to Arsenal. Even the neutrals appreciated the scale of the moment.
Here was a returning champion proving some of the former lustre remained. Young Arsenal fans who may have missed his greatness first time around saw in the flesh what all the fuss was about as goal number 227 hit the back of the net.
And plenty of the old guard were there to see it. In various guises Lee Dixon, Martin Keown and Petit were all mingling with the media before kick-off, as intrigued as everyone else as to how their great former team-mate, who left Arsenal for Barcelona in 2007, would manage his return.
Of course it is all a little starry-eyed, maybe even overstated, as Henry is simply one game into a six-and-a-half-week stint away from his real day job at New York Red Bulls.
But some of these romantic moments have been sucked out of the game in recent years and Wenger summed it up perfectly.
He described it as the sort of story you would tell children if they wanted a tale about football. And he was right. Bigger, more taxing, tests await Henry - but this was something special.
The lightning speed is no longer there and the heavily bearded, thick-set figure is not quite the one Arsenal's fans remember. But Henry carries speed of thought and an unquestionable presence. His arrival altered the context and mood of this cup tie.
Henry was the focus of attention from the moment fans filed into the stadium. He was greeted ecstatically when he came out to warm up and thunderously when his name was announced, wearing an unfamiliar number 12 shirt, before kick-off.
It was the night to mark the return of another of the Premier League's old elite after Paul Scholes came out of retirement for Manchester United at Manchester City on Sunday.
As Arsenal dominated but toiled to crack open Leeds's tight defence, the calls for Henry grew louder. One exaggerated sprint down the touchline was the signal for greater demands for his introduction.
He came on after 68 minutes and delivered the decisive contribution - a goal that fittingly stayed as the winner as this was Henry's night.
Leeds manager Simon Grayson carried an air of resignation as he admitted the goal was "written in the stars" - and it was towards the stars Henry gazed at the conclusion of a remarkable cameo.
He lifted his arms to the heavens in relief and elation at the final whistle, then spoke humbly about how he now knew what it felt like, and what it meant, to score such a goal as an Arsenal fan rather than as a player.
This was not Manchester United or Tottenham being put to the sword as in days gone by. This was a game against a limited Championship side, a fact that did little to dilute the way in which the goal was greeted.
Wenger would not be drawn on whether Henry, now 34, would partner the returning Robin van Persie at Swansea at the weekend - but it is a temptation he will have to try very hard to resist.
For Henry and Wenger, this was instant justification for their reunion. Wenger was at pains to point out he would never have considered playing Henry unless he was confident he could make a contribution.
In return for this trust, Wenger believes he is getting a player who can benefit his emerging youngsters because "they see that he is a guy who has done it all but still prepares 100%, is motivated and comes with an immense desire to do well".
Henry's gold-plated reputation was never likely to be damaged by any events during this brief Arsenal comeback but there was always the risk of anti-climax.
Even if he does not make another major contribution he will return to America having provided a memory to treasure.
Wenger said Henry knows he will be compared to how he was before. It is an unfair but understandable measure and was a factor in the elation of his celebrations.
"Thierry is a proud guy. He doesn't want to disappoint people," Wenger said. Henry did not disappoint anyone other than the noisy followers of Leeds.
As Arsenal's fans filed away from Emirates Stadium, many headed towards Henry's statue for a keepsake of the night. The real thing had given them an even bigger souvenir. The King was back.

QPR manager's job: Mark Hughes favourite to succeed Neil Warnock

Hughes left Fulham in June after less than a year in charge

Mark Hughes is the front-runner to take over at QPR - with chief executive Philip Beard hoping the club will make an appointment in the next 48 hours.

Ex-Wales boss Hughes, 48, was in charge at Fulham before leaving in June and has been out of the game since then.

With the club 17th in the Premier League, chairman Tony Fernandes said they made the decision to sack Neil Warnock in the hope a change might preserve their top-flight status.
Beard added: "Neil has done an incredible job for QPR, bringing the club back into the Premier League. We want to remember what he achieved here but we want to move on. We think the time is right to make the change.
"We will be judged because it's a results-orientated business. The results have not been good over the last few months. We are now in the infamous January transfer window and we want to do some business.
"We haven't made this change lightly. What we really want is a period of stability."

Recent QPR managers

• 2010-12: Neil Warnock
• 2010: Mick Harford (caretaker)
• 2009-10: Paul Hart
• 2009: Steve Gallen & Marc Bircham (caretakers)
• 2009: Jim Magilton
• 2009: Gareth Ainsworth (caretaker)
• 2008-09: Paulo Sousa
• 2008: Gareth Ainsworth (caretaker)
• 2008: Iain Dowie
• 2007-08: Luigi De Canio
• 2007: Mick Harford (caretaker)
• 2006-07: John Gregory
• 2006: Gary Waddock (caretaker)
• 2001-06: Ian Holloway
• 1998-01: Gerry Francis

Former West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola is among others who have been linked with the vacancy, but BBC Radio 5 live senior football reporter Ian Dennis says that Hughes is favourite to take charge.
"The departures of assistant manager Mick Jones and first-team coach Keith Curle with Neil Warnock indicate that QPR are planning to announce a successor quickly," said Dennis.
"They have cleared the decks - no need for a caretaker.
"Mark Hughes has been lined up to replace Warnock and will be offered the chance to return to management after he resigned from Fulham last June.
"He will be given the funds in the transfer window to bolster a side that has gone eight league games without a victory."
QPR made an encouraging start to the Premier League season, having been guided back to the top flight last year by Warnock, and were ninth on 19 November.
But, without a win since then, QPR have slid down to 17th - just one point clear of the relegation zone - and needed a last-minute equaliser from Heidar Helguson to avoid an FA Cup third-round defeat by League One side MK Dons on Saturday.
Former QPR manager and player Iain Dowie told Radio 5 Live Breakfast: "Mark Hughes would be a very safe pair of hands. But you never know what Tony [Fernandes] has in mind."

Discussing the decision to sack Warnock, Dowie added: "Neil seems to be given very little credit for the job he did last year, which is rather surprising. Also I don't think the league position they're in is beyond the kilter.
"They have 17 points from 20 games. You don't know what goes on behind the scenes but it certainly raised an eyebrow for me."

Sir Alex Ferguson says Man Utd will not panic

Manchester United boss Ferguson credits 'fantastic goals'

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson insists his side will not panic after a 3-0 defeat at Newcastle.

The loss was United's second in five days, coming after their shock 3-2 home defeat against Blackburn.
"We have the experience to cope, we need to get the show on the road," said Ferguson, whose side are three points behind leaders Manchester City.

Newcastle were sensational. They had every attribute for a team performance, but everything will worry Sir Alex Ferguson after this result. I expected a wounded animal after his team lost to Blackburn

"It's not a time for panic. Losing a game at this time of the year can sometimes happen."
The Scot conceded that City were now in the driving seat at the top of the Premier League. Roberto Mancini's side moved to 48 points after their 3-0 win over Liverpool on Tuesday.
"Advantage to them, of course," admitted 70-year-old Ferguson.
The Old Trafford side will also be wary of third-placed Tottenham, who closed the gap to three points after their 1-0 victory over West Brom.
The London side will draw level on points with United if they win their game in hand against Everton next week.
The Magpies took the lead at the Sports Direct Arena through striker Demba Ba, before Yohan Cabaye added a magnificent second from a free-kick after the break.
Phil Jones' own goal late in the match sealed a memorable win for Alan Pardew's men.
"We started reasonably well," added Ferguson, whose side face local rivals City in the FA Cup on Sunday.

Poor performance from us all. No excuses. Will be looking to make amends Sunday

"But they scored a fantastic goal and it really picked everyone up in the stadium. The second was a killer for us.
"The story of the game was they had two fantastic strikes which put them in the driving seat."
Pardew, meanwhile, believes the scoreline was a fair reflection of his side's dominance.
"We won because we controlled the game in terms of what we wanted to do, we wouldn't let them play," said the Magpies boss, after the club recorded their first win over United since 2001.
"Physically and aerially we had an advantage. It was a great victory for us - we beat the champions 3-0 and we probably deserved that scoreline.

Pardew hails 'good night' for Newcastle

"You've got to have brave players who are going to push on - we had some outstanding performances individually."
Leading scorer Ba scored his 15th goal of the campaign to set the Magpies on their way, but will now head off to the Africa Cup of Nations to play for Senegal.
However, Pardew believes his side will cope with the loss.
"You see the guys who came off the bench contributed," he added.
"Leon Best in particular stepped up to the plate when we lost Andy Carroll [to Liverpool in January 2011].
"We knew it was going to happen and we accept that."

John Terry denies Chelsea dressing room unrest

 

Chelsea have won just once in their last five Premier League matches 

 

Chelsea captain John Terry has denied reports of dressing room unrest at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues are eight points off the top of the table having played at least one more game than each of their rivals.
Reports suggest that senior players have become unhappy with boss Andre Villas-Boas, but Terry dismisses that.
"I want to make it clear I'm 100% behind the manager and there are no problems behind the scenes," Terry told the London Evening Standard.

He is going to be the man in charge and we all have to respect his decisions

John Terry

Rumours of problems between Terry and Villas-Boas were fuelled after the Blues skipper appeared reluctant to celebrate with the manager and the rest of the team following Ramires' opener at Molineux, where Chelsea beat Wolves 2-1 to move into fourth position.
Terry denies he snubbed the chance to join in the show of unity and insists he has no problem with Villas-Boas.
"I have seen on the news that people are saying I didn't celebrate with the manager for the first goal against Wolves but I did.

• Wolves 1-2 Chelsea
• Chelsea 1-3 Aston Villa
• Chelsea 1-1 Fulham
• Tottenham 1-1 Chelsea
• Wigan 1-1 Chelsea

"I ran over there and I was worried that Wolves were about to restart and take the kick-off and catch us on the break while we were celebrating. I had a quick celebration with him then after the game as well," Terry said.
The England defender thinks rumours of dressing room unrest have come as a result of the poor run of form that has seen Chelsea win just once in their last five Premier League games.
"From a results point of view we have been giving people an opportunity to write stuff. People tend to look at it a lot deeper than it is.
"Roman Abramovich is fully behind him, the club as well, and he is making these changes not for the short term but for the long term as well," Terry added.
"He is going to be the man in charge and we all have to respect his decisions. He has been very up front with all of us so we can't argue with what he's done.
"The manager has made it clear the players who want to stay here will be here and the ones who don't can move on."

Man Utd defeat by Blackburn a disaster - Ferguson

Third goal was the killer - Ferguson

Sir Alex Ferguson described Manchester United's 3-2 home defeat by bottom club Blackburn as "a disaster".

After battling back from 2-0 down, United were dealt the final blow 10 minutes from time courtesy of a goal from Grant Hanley.
"It is a disaster," said the United manager, whose side failed to replace Manchester City at the top of the Premier League on his 70th birthday.
"I never expected it. We lost two terrible goals and you can't do that."
United fell behind to two strikes from Yakubu, either side of the break, before Dimitar Berbatov hauled his side back level with two of his own in quick succession.
However, Blackburn stunned United late on, when 20-year-old Hanley beat keeper David de Gea to Morten Gamst Pedersen's corner, and again rose highest to head in the follow-up.
"We all could have done better," he said, when asked about De Gea. "It was a bad goal to lose.
"At 2-2, I thought we were going to win it. It looked like the momentum was with us, but that third goal was a killer."
Ferguson pointed to the injuries in defence that forced him to field senior players out of their usual positions.
"We've had problems with four central defenders out," added the Scot. "We missed Michael Carrick's craft in the middle. We played Park Ji-sung and Rafael in centre midfield, but they aren't centre midfielders.

Kean sees United win as platform for survival

Phil Jones, who moved back into central defence from midfield as a result of injuries, was more critical of the defeat by his former club.
"I am gutted," he said. "[And it was on] the manager's birthday as well. We weren't at the races. Too slow, too laboured. Not quick enough.
"The injuries don't help. But they are no excuse. We were nowhere near good enough.
"They punished us and they thoroughly deserved their win. It will be a bad New Year's Eve.
"I feel worse today than when we got smashed 7-1 last season playing for Blackburn. That puts into perspective how disappointed I am."
Rovers boss Steve Kean was delighted with the victory which follows the draw at Liverpool last week.
"To come to a place like this and get a result is up there with our best," he said, with his club going into 2012 off the bottom of the table.
"As soon as it went to 2-1, we were thinking it was going to be tough. And at 2-2, it would have been a good point."
Kean, who some fans of the club want to see leave, paid particular praise to the young players, such as scorer Hanley, Adam Henley and Josh Morris.
"We built on what we did at Anfield [1-1 draw against Liverpool], although maybe the side was a little bit younger today," he continued.

Hanley delighted with scoring winner

"The lads that came through the academy, along with the senior guys, can all take credit.
"We're going through a transition period. We have new owners and although I'm not new to the club, I'm new to the position.
"We're trying to integrate the young players and develop the backbone of the club."
Hanley, scorer of the winner, said the young Rovers team have had to "grow up quickly".
"It was a great result today," he commented. "We got the organisation and shape right.
"Playing in games like this is good for the young boys. It puts them under pressure early and forces them to grow up quickly."