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Rooney and wife sued for loss of earnings (Jan 31, 2010 20:19 GMT)
Wayne and Coleen Rooney are being sued for £4 million, their spokesman has confirmed.

Defiant Benitez rubbishes Juve speculation (Jan 31, 2010 20:00 GMT)
Rafael Benitez has rubbished suggestions he is set to leave Liverpool for Juventus.

Ferguson: Arsenal couldn't handle "happy" Rooney (Jan 31, 2010 19:11 GMT)
After watching Wayne Rooney score his 100th Premier League goal, Sir Alex Ferguson saluted the contribution of the striker and dismissed recent speculation over his Old Trafford future.

Harris: Wayne Rooney showing leadership credentials (Jan 31, 2010 18:42 GMT)
Harry Harris nominates Wayne Rooney as a future England captain after terrorising Arsenal.

Jolly: Pompey lose clash of rags vs riches (Jan 31, 2010 17:24 GMT)
Richard Jolly was at Eastlands to watch poor Portsmouth crash to another painful defeat.

City players wear "Team Bridge" t-shirts (Jan 31, 2010 16:36 GMT)
Roberto Mancini revealed some of Manchester City's players wore shirts bearing the words "Team Bridge'' in support of team-mate Wayne Bridge during this afternoon's Premier League win over Portsmouth.

Gill plays down United financial struggles (Jan 31, 2010 12:51 GMT)
Manchester United chief executive David Gill has played down the club's reported financial problems and insisted the £80 million funds from Ronaldo's sale are available for Ferguson to spend in the transfer market should he so desire.

Chelsea passed up chance to sign Smalling (Jan 31, 2010 12:34 GMT)
Chelsea passed up the chance to sign Manchester United-bound Chris Smalling for free, according to the player's former manager at Maidstone.

Gill: Rooney not for sale at any price (Jan 31, 2010 11:33 GMT)
Manchester United chief executive David Gill has stressed that Wayne Rooney is not for sale at any price, while the England striker again re-iterated his desire to stay at the club.

Lampard: Blues win crucial (Jan 30, 2010 19:54 GMT)
Chelsea captain John Terry's winner in the Premier League clash at Burnley was crucial in the title race, according to Frank Lampard.

Wilkins defends Terry as a "fantastic professional" (Jan 30, 2010 18:08 GMT)
Chelsea assistant manager Ray Wilkins has told ESPN that John Terry is a "fantastic professional" despite recent revelations about the England captain's private life.

Championship: Baggies beat Blades as Forest lose (Jan 30, 2010 17:46 GMT)
West Brom moved back within touching distance of an automatic promotion place in the Championship with a 3-1 victory over Sheffield United at The Hawthorns.

Premier League: Terry seals win as Reds close in (Jan 30, 2010 17:06 GMT)
After attracting lurid headlines on Saturday morning, John Terry responded by scoring the winning goal as Chelsea battled to a 2-1 win over Burnley. Earlier in the day, Liverpool moved to within one point of fourth place as they beat Bolton and Totte

Football financier offers United takeover hope (Jan 30, 2010 14:49 GMT)
Renowned football finance expert and Manchester United fan Keith Harris is working with fellow disgruntled supporters to try and broker a takeover of the club that would end the mounting debt problems imposed by the Glazer family.

Mancini: I will give City's young players a chance (Jan 30, 2010 14:00 GMT)
Roberto Mancini is intent on maintaining Manchester City's tradition of giving bright, young players a chance.

Questions raised over Bridge (Jan 30, 2010 11:55 GMT)
Wayne Bridge "couldn't stand to be in the same room" as John Terry after finding out about his affair and may be tempted pull out of the England squad ahead of the World Cup, a source close to the player has revealed.

John Terry in sex scandal with team-mate's WAG (Jan 30, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Chelsea and England captain John Terry is at the centre of a storm of controversy surrounding his personal life after he reportedly had an affair with the girlfriend of international team-mate Wayne Bridge, jeopardising his England captaincy and thro

O'Neill launches scathing attack on Wenger (Jan 30, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill has launched another verbal attack on Arsene Wenger and claims the Arsenal boss gets "carried away with his own importance''.

Woodgate prognosis could make Redknapp buy (Jan 30, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Tottenham Hotspur boss Harry Redknapp is looking at signing a new central defender before the transfer window closes after it was revealed former England defender Jonathan Woodgate could be out for the remainder of the season.

Figueroa signs new Wigan contract until 2012 (Jan 29, 2010 15:47 GMT)
Wigan boss Roberto Martinez believes the disruptive influence of agents means there should be no competitive fixtures played during transfer windows.

Ashley Cole banned from driving and hit with fine (Jan 29, 2010 15:22 GMT)
Chelsea defender Ashley Cole has been banned from driving for doing more than 100mph in a 50mph zone.

Pompey payments to follow Kaboul sale (Jan 29, 2010 14:44 GMT)
Portsmouth are waiting for the money from Younes Kaboul's transfer to Tottenham to clear into their accounts before the wages of players and staff at Fratton Park can be paid, it is understood.

Football agents facing a cold January (Jan 29, 2010 12:12 GMT)
Football agents have been hit with their own kind of recession.

Ferguson considering appeal over Rio (Jan 29, 2010 11:25 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed he is considering an appeal against Rio Ferdinand's four-match ban for violent conduct.

Storrie, Grant to stay (Jan 29, 2010 10:38 GMT)
Peter Storrie has confirmed to Soccernet that he plans to stay on to try to rescue Portsmouth - and that Avram Grant has agreed to do the same.

ESPN Soccernet Preview: Fulham v Aston Villa (Jan 29, 2010 10:10 GMT)
Robin Hackett previews Aston Villa's match at Fulha, which is live on on ESPN2.

ESPN Soccernet Preview: Burnley v Chelsea (Jan 29, 2010 10:10 GMT)
Mark Lomas previews the visit of league leaders Chelsea to Brian Laws' struggling Burnley.

Chief executive Scott Duxbury leaves West Ham (Jan 29, 2010 09:39 GMT)
West Ham have confirmed the resignation of chief executive Scott Duxbury.

Grant set to remain at Pompey for Sunday's game (Jan 29, 2010 09:15 GMT)
A close associate of Avram Grant has told Soccernet that the Portsmouth manager will be in the dugout at Manchester City on Sunday despite having "had enough" of the situation at Fratton Park.

Garry Cook's future in doubt at Manchester City (Jan 29, 2010 09:14 GMT)
The future of outspoken Manchester City chief executive Gary Cook has been thrown into doubt following his high-profile and failed boasts, according to reports.

Wayne Rooney rejects 'one-man team' suggestions (Jan 29, 2010 08:41 GMT)
Wayne Rooney has rejected suggestions Manchester United are a one-man team and insists the side remains as strong as ever.

Storrie and Grant up in arms over Kaboul deal (Jan 28, 2010 21:07 GMT)
Portsmouth chief executive Peter Storrie and manager Avram Grant are so shocked by events in the last 24 hours over transfer talks behind the scenes at the club that they are both contemplating quitting.

Boost for Arsenal as Vermaelen avoids leg break (Jan 28, 2010 16:49 GMT)
Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen has not fractured his leg but is doubtful for Sunday's Premier League clash with Manchester United, the club have confirmed.

FA hit Rio Ferdinand with four-match suspension (Jan 28, 2010 14:38 GMT)
Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has been given a four-game ban after he denied violent conduct in an incident with Craig Fagan.

Ferguson hails United (Jan 28, 2010 13:22 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson claimed Manchester United would not have been flattered if they had scored "six or seven'' in their Carling Cup semi-final thriller with Manchester City.

Portsmouth's website goes offline due to cash crisis (Jan 28, 2010 12:43 GMT)
Portsmouth's official website has been taken offline after the club failed to keep up payments to the company that runs the site.

Jolly: Allardyce feeling Pennine pressure (Jan 28, 2010 11:35 GMT)
Richard Jolly explains why Sam Allardyce is currently facing the wrath of the Blackburn Rovers fans.

Villa midfielder Reo-Coker sidelined for 12 weeks (Jan 28, 2010 11:17 GMT)
Aston Villa midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker will be sidelined for up to three months with a stress fracture in his ankle, manager Martin O'Neill confirmed on Thursday.

Love football, hate debt: The FC United story (Jan 28, 2010 10:58 GMT)
Robin Hackett speaks to FC United's co-founder about Glazer, debt and reclaiming the game.

Hubbard: United too reliant on ruthless Rooney (Jan 28, 2010 10:58 GMT)
Norman Hubbard believes Manchester United are over-reliant on the irrepresible Wayne Rooney.

Eric Cantona: The King of Old Trafford (Jan 28, 2010 10:11 GMT)
John Brewin remember why Premier League Hero Eric Cantona will always be a deity at Manchester United.

United face FA probe after Bellamy struck by coin (Jan 28, 2010 08:05 GMT)
Manchester United face the possibility of disciplinary action from the Football Association after Manchester City striker Craig Bellamy was struck by a coin during Wednesday night's Carling Cup semi-final second leg.

Vermaelen injury gives Sol date with Rooney (Jan 28, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Sol Campbell is set to face English football's mission impossible on Sunday after Thomas Vermaelen's suspected broken leg put the 35-year-old two-time Arsenal defender in line to mark a red-hot Wayne Rooney at the Emirates Stadium.

Spurs swoop for Gudjohnsen ahead of Hammers (Jan 28, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Tottenham appear to have made a sensational last-minute swoop to sign Eidur Gudjonhson on loan from under West Ham's noses after Spurs boss Harry Redknapp claimed the striker has chosen to join his side even after completing a medical with their Prem

Joorabchian: Tevez "won't go crazy" if he scores (Jan 27, 2010 16:54 GMT)
Carlos Tevez is fully aware of his responsibilities to maintain harmony in Tuesday's big derby cup clash as Manchester City's £25 million striker goes back to Old Trafford aiming for a Wembley Final.

Eriksson still "enchanted" by County (Jan 27, 2010 15:14 GMT)
Sven Goran Eriksson has turned his back on a flood of job offers and remains "enchanted" by the vision of transforming Notts County, according to his agent Athole Still.

Palace administrator prevents Moses from playing (Jan 27, 2010 15:08 GMT)
Crisis-club Crystal Palace have suffered another blow after they were placed into administration, as the administrator will not allow star player Victor Moses to play.

Ferdinand risks four-game ban with appeal (Jan 27, 2010 14:42 GMT)
Rio Ferdinand will appeal against the violent conduct charge levelled against him for his clash with Hull's Craig Fagan and will therefore be allowed to play against Manchester City in the Carling Cup. However, he risks increasing any ban if he is fo

Notts County given stay of execution over tax bill (Jan 27, 2010 14:31 GMT)
Notts County have promised that new investment in the club is imminent, after it was revaeled that they have been given 28 days to repay £324,000 tax bill or face being wound up.

Wenger tips Szczesny to be Arsenal's No.1 soon (Jan 27, 2010 09:03 GMT)
Arsene Wenger has tipped 19-year-old goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny to be a future star for Arsenal, despite the Polish stopper not having made a first-team appearance.

Bruce demands focus from ''unsettled'' Jones (Jan 27, 2010 08:32 GMT)
Sunderland striker Kenwyne Jones must concentrate on rediscovering his touch in front of goal and forget about a move to Liverpool, according to manager Steve Bruce.

Man City boss Mancini: I don't feel pressure (Jan 27, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini says that he does not feel any pressure despite having the chance to end the club's long absence from cup finals by avoiding defeat against rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Ancelotti lauds ''world-class'' Rooney (Jan 27, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Carlo Ancelotti believes Manchester United would find it difficult to retain the Premier League title without Wayne Rooney.

Benitez dodges Juventus speculation after draw (Jan 26, 2010 23:47 GMT)
Rafael Benitez has refused to comment on speculation that Juventus are hoping to lure him to Italy as a replacement for the struggling Ciro Ferrara.

Fergie never feared Rooney exit, makes fan plea (Jan 26, 2010 22:53 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson never had any fears Wayne Rooney might want to leave Manchester United.

Championship: Forest thrash QPR to go joint top (Jan 26, 2010 22:31 GMT)
Nottingham Forest moved level on points with Newcastle at the top of the Championship with a thumping 5-0 win over QPR at the City Ground.

Premier League: Liverpool slip up, joy for Coyle (Jan 26, 2010 21:58 GMT)
Liverpool lost further ground in the race for fourth place on Tuesday night when only drawing 0-0 with Wolverhampton Wanderers. Tottenham are three points clear in the final Champions League spot thanks to a 2-0 win over Fulham.

Sullivan: Upson may leave Hammers this summer (Jan 26, 2010 18:26 GMT)
New West Ham owner David Sullivan has confirmed that no players will be leaving Upton Park during the current transfer window but he admits Matthew Upson will be sold in the summer if he doesn't sign a new contract.

Midfielder Dunn seals new deal at Blackburn (Jan 26, 2010 18:21 GMT)
David Dunn has signed a new deal at Blackburn Rovers.

Troubled Crystal Palace sink into administration (Jan 26, 2010 16:58 GMT)
Championship side Crystal Palace have gone into administration.

Toon sign QPR winger Routledge, Williamson next (Jan 26, 2010 16:27 GMT)
Newcastle have completed the signing of Wayne Routledge on a three-and-a-half deal from Coca-Cola Championship rivals QPR.

Rio Ferdinand hit with FA violent conduct charge (Jan 26, 2010 14:15 GMT)
Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has been charged with violent conduct in relation to an incident with Craig Fagan during Manchester United's 4-0 victory over Hull City.

Portsmouth transfer embargo lifted (Jan 26, 2010 13:37 GMT)
Portsmouth's transfer embargo has been lifted by the Premier League, giving manager Avram Grant the chance to sign new players before the end of the January window.

New boy Guedioura vows to make Wolves impact (Jan 26, 2010 11:46 GMT)
Wolves new signing Adlene Guedioura has vowed to make an impact in the Premier League after completing his move from RSC Charlerois and earn a permanent move.

Pompey close to new takeover (Jan 26, 2010 10:11 GMT)
Portsmouth are on the verge of being taken over for a third time this season with advanced talks scheduled for Wednesday night with potential new owners.

Tevez stokes flames again with new comments (Jan 26, 2010 08:58 GMT)
Carlos Tevez has again stoked the flames of rivalry between Manchester City and Manchester United by claiming that he is now "at the right club". He also revealed he feels more at home at Eastlands than at Old Trafford since moving across the city la

Benitez agent plays down Juventus move talk (Jan 26, 2010 08:14 GMT)
Rafael Benitez's agent has moved to quash speculation that the current Liverpool boss could be on his way to Italy to replace under-fire Juventus coach Ciro Ferrara.

Defoe: We won't bottle top-four challenge (Jan 25, 2010 21:31 GMT)
Jermain Defoe insists Tottenham will not bottle their Premier League top-four challenge as they reach a crucial point of the season.

Rooney: I'm not leaving United (Jan 25, 2010 21:13 GMT)
Wayne Rooney has admitted he is happy to be attracting interest from other clubs but insists he has no intention of leaving Manchester United.

Wigan keeper Kirkland out for up to three weeks (Jan 25, 2010 16:24 GMT)
Wigan goalkeeper Chris Kirkland has been ruled out for up to three weeks after damaging a collarbone in training.

Reds skipper Gerrard could be fit to face Wolves (Jan 25, 2010 14:29 GMT)
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard looks set to be available for Tuesday's Premier League clash with Wolverhampton Wanderers after returning to training ahead of schedule.

Zamora poised to return for Tottenham trip (Jan 25, 2010 12:40 GMT)
Bobby Zamora could make his return from injury in Fulham's Premier League trip to Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday night.

Fifth Official: A fond farewell to Robinho (Jan 25, 2010 11:15 GMT)
The Fifth Official pulls out the pretty, the puzzling and the downright pig-ugly from the weekend.

Injury blow for Aston Villa striker Harewood (Jan 25, 2010 10:49 GMT)
Aston Villa striker Marlon Harewood will be out of action for up to three months after breaking a metatarsal in training.

Skrtel confident Reds will challenge top three (Jan 25, 2010 10:24 GMT)
Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel claims that scraping a top four finish would be a "worst case" scenario for the Reds and he still expects to challenge the Premier League's leading trio this season.

Wayne Rooney set for bumper pay day at United (Jan 25, 2010 09:39 GMT)
Wayne Rooney's advisors will be aiming to push the Manchester United striker's wages close to the £200,000-a-week mark to make him one of the top earners in world football.

Villa's Warnock in fitness race for Arsenal clash (Jan 25, 2010 08:46 GMT)
Aston Villa left-back Stephen Warnock is battling to overcome a shin injury in time for Wednesday's vital Premier League clash with visiting Arsenal.

Mancini wants unsettled Robinho to stay at City (Jan 25, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini says he wants to keep Robinho at Eastlands despite the Brazilian forward claiming he is set to leave the club.

Team of the Week, January 31, 2010 (Jan 24, 2010 19:58 GMT)
Check out the cream of the crop from the weekend's action in our Team of the Week.

Team of the Week, January 24, 2010 (Jan 24, 2010 19:32 GMT)
Check out the cream of the crop from the weekend's action in our Team of the Week.

Stoke provide unhappy returns for Campbell (Jan 24, 2010 17:29 GMT)
Richard Jolly saw Sol Campbell return for Arsenal - as they exited the FA Cup at Stoke.

Stoke provide unhappy returns for Campbell (Jan 24, 2010 17:21 GMT)
Richard Jolly saw Sol Campbell return for Arsenal - as they exited the FA Cup at Stoke.

Fifth Round draw: Stoke get City draw (Jan 24, 2010 16:26 GMT)
With the rest of the big four now out of the FA Cup, holders Chelsea were handed a home tie against lower division opposition when they welcome the Championship's Cardiff City, finalists in 2008.

Liverpool co-owner Hicks sells shares in Texas Rangers (Jan 24, 2010 14:48 GMT)
Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks has finally agreed a deal to sell his major league baseball team, the Texas Rangers.

Police alert ahead of Manchester derby (Jan 24, 2010 13:37 GMT)
Police are planning to step up security amid fears that the spat between Carlos Tevez and Gary Neville would linger into Wednesday's Carling Cup semi-final second leg between Manchester United and Manchester City.

"United refinancing bond cost club £54 million" (Jan 24, 2010 10:02 GMT)
Manchester United's controversial bond issue has cost the Premier League champions £54 million, reports The Sunday Times.

Ferguson: Tevez deserved red card in derby clash (Jan 24, 2010 09:51 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson has stirred the pot once more by saying he believes Carlos Tevez should have been shown a red card in Tuesday's heated Manchester derby at Eastlands.

Sullivan wants Curbishley to invest in Hammers (Jan 24, 2010 09:44 GMT)
David Sullivan has invited Alan Curbishley to invest his financial pay-off from West Ham back into the cash-strapped Premier League club.

Championship: Boro beaten, Owls keep flying (Jan 23, 2010 18:42 GMT)
Marcus Tudgay's brace helped Sheffield Wednesday stretch their winning streak to three matches with an impressive victory over fellow strugglers Peterborough at Hillsborough.

Saturday FA Cup: Leeds drama (Jan 23, 2010 17:29 GMT)
The FA Cup Fourth Round failed to deliver a huge shock, with only Reading knocking out a top-tier club, yet Saturday's games were full of the twists and turns associated with the world's oldest club competition.

Sir Alex Ferguson calls for unity at Man Utd (Jan 23, 2010 14:23 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson has called for unity among warring factions at Manchester United and has stated "we must not lose our focus - which, from where I stand, is about building a strong football team that will win trophies".

Sullivan: Club made wrong plea in Tevez affair (Jan 23, 2010 11:46 GMT)
New West Ham United co-owner David Sullivan has re-opened the old wounds over the Carlos Tevez affair and suggested that the Hammers made a grave error in pleading guilty and losing their compensation case against Sheffield United.

Rooney set for new Utd deal as Real come calling (Jan 23, 2010 11:17 GMT)
Wayne Rooney will be offered a new contract by Manchester United before the World Cup Finals to make him one of the highest paid players in English football, and Soccernet understands that England's big hope for success in South Africa 2010 wi

Redknapp sees Leeds back in the big time (Jan 23, 2010 10:35 GMT)
Tottenham Hotspur boss Harry Redknapp believes Leeds United could return to the Premier League within two seasons.

Adebayor could return for Man United trip (Jan 23, 2010 09:57 GMT)
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini claims Emmanuel Adebayor could be back at the club on Sunday and ready to face Manchester United in the Carling Cup semi-final second leg at Old Trafford.

Midlands rivals agree fee for versatile Gardner (Jan 23, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Birmingham City and cross-town rivals Aston Villa have agreed to a £3 million transfer fee for versatile Villa midfielder Craig Gardner, City announced on their official website on Friday.

Grant fails to attend Portsmouth press conference (Jan 22, 2010 16:24 GMT)
Portsmouth boss Avram Grant cancelled his weekly pre-match press conference ahead of the FA Cup tie with Sunderland on Saturday as the club's off-the-field crisis intensified this week.

Moyes reveals second no-show was behind Jo exit (Jan 22, 2010 14:47 GMT)
Everton manager David Moyes has revealed he decided to offload on-loan striker Jo back to Manchester City after the Brazilian failed to turn up for training again this week.

Sullivan: Hammers should not have pleaded guilty (Jan 22, 2010 14:28 GMT)
West Ham co-owner David Sullivan has told Soccernet the club should not have pleaded guilty in the Carlos Tevez affair and says they do not yet know the full cost of the various lawsuits against the club.

Police call for calm ahead of Manchester derby (Jan 22, 2010 14:14 GMT)
Police are calling on Manchester United and Manchester City supporters not to put the city in a bad light on Wednesday.

McCarthy rubbishes 'gambling culture' reports (Jan 22, 2010 12:35 GMT)
Wolves boss Mick McCarthy has hit back at reports claiming he has had to stamp out a "gambling culture" at Molineux.

Chelsea confirm Essien out for up to six weeks (Jan 22, 2010 11:41 GMT)
Chelsea expect Michael Essien to be sidelined for between four and six weeks due to the injury he sustained at the African Nations Cup with Ghana.

Fergie ignores Tevez row (Jan 22, 2010 11:12 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson is not interested in getting involved in the spat between Carlos Tevez and Gary Neville. The former Manchester United team-mates clashed at Eastlands on Tuesday as Tevez celebrated his equalising goal in City's 2-1 Carling Cup win.

Duffen denies Hull allegations in High Court (Jan 22, 2010 10:59 GMT)
Former Hull chairman Paul Duffen on Friday denied allegations over his running of the football club as the Tigers began legal action against him.

Skipper Gerrard targets early return from injury (Jan 22, 2010 10:39 GMT)
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is set to return to training in the coming days to further lift spirits at Anfield. The England midfielder had expected to be sidelined for at least two weeks with a hamstring injury.

Rio poised to make United return (Jan 22, 2010 10:20 GMT)
Rio Ferdinand will make his long-awaited return from injury on Saturday when Manchester United face Hull City at Old Trafford.

Juninho: Samba star (Jan 22, 2010 10:12 GMT)
Mark Lomas looks back at the career of Middlesbrough samba star and Premier League hero Juninho.

Ferguson sounds deadly warning to players (Jan 22, 2010 08:41 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson has warned his highly-paid stars that if they step out of line they are "dead", with the fates of Roy Keane and Paul Ince, amongst others, evidence enough that his statement is far from a hollow threat.

Robinson wants Wiley apology for "joke decision" (Jan 22, 2010 08:11 GMT)
Bolton Wanderers defender Paul Robinson has called on referee Alan Wiley to make a public apology for his failure to penalise William Gallas for a nasty challenge on Mark Davies.

Hull issue legal action against ex-chairman Duffen (Jan 21, 2010 19:26 GMT)
Hull have issued legal proceedings against former chairman Paul Duffen.

Premier Showdown - Jan 23-27 (Jan 21, 2010 15:02 GMT)
Premier Showdown is back for another season - do you want to take on Dale Johnson and Tommy Smyth in our predictions game?

Gallas avoids FA action, good news for Davies (Jan 21, 2010 12:05 GMT)
Arsenal defender William Gallas will not face retrospective disciplinary action from the Football Association following his late tackle on Bolton's Mark Davies in Wednesday night's 4-2 Premier League win at Emirates Stadium.

Harris: Anfield remains the epicentre of surprises (Jan 21, 2010 12:00 GMT)
Harry Harris weighs up the top-four credentials of Liverpool and Spurs after Wednesday's Anfield clash.

Udinese report Pompey to CAS over Muntari deal (Jan 21, 2010 11:57 GMT)
Udinese have reported Portsmouth to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over the outstanding payments for midfielder Sulley Muntari.

Whelan again blames Bruce for "very iffy" squad (Jan 21, 2010 11:43 GMT)
Wigan chairman Dave Whelan has again questioned Steve Bruce's transfer record at the club as Roberto Martinez looks to make changes in January.

Arsenal confirm season over for left-back Gibbs (Jan 21, 2010 11:39 GMT)
Arsenal defender Kieran Gibbs will not play again this season after the club decided to send the left back for surgery on a fractured metatarsal.

FA plans talks with United and City to calm tensions (Jan 21, 2010 10:36 GMT)
The Football Association will speak to both Manchester clubs to try to avoid any flashpoints during next week's Carling Cup semi-final decider at Old Trafford.

O'Shea set to miss rest of season after blood clot (Jan 21, 2010 09:55 GMT)
Manchester United defender John O'Shea is set to miss the rest of the season after suffering a blood clot problem.

Hubbard: The golden transfer rule: 'Sell before you buy' (Jan 21, 2010 09:18 GMT)
Norman Hubbardexamines why the Premier League transfer merry-go-round has stalled this January.

Tevez slams ''sock-sucker'' Neville (Jan 21, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Carlos Tevez has lashed out at Gary Neville's lack of respect, which came in the form of a raised middle finger whe

Jolly: Determined Liverpool show signs of revival (Jan 20, 2010 23:09 GMT)
Richard Jolly sees Liverpool's grit and vigour prove too much for Tottenham.

Tottenham leading the chase to land Kaboul? (Jan 20, 2010 17:56 GMT)
Portsmouth's Younes Kaboul could be the latest departure from Fratton Park as three Premier League clubs hot on the trail of the defender.

David James' Stoke switch to be resurrected? (Jan 20, 2010 17:33 GMT)
David James transfer to Stoke might be back on again after the two clubs resumed talks.

Manchester United's debts swell to £716.5m (Jan 20, 2010 15:35 GMT)
Manchester United's parent company's overall debt has swelled to £716.5 million, latest accounts reveal.

Mancini hoping to call on Adebayor (Jan 20, 2010 14:02 GMT)
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini hopes to call on Emmanuel Adebayor for the Carling Cup semi-final second leg against Manchester United next Wednesday.

Gillett backing for Benitez (Jan 20, 2010 11:49 GMT)
Liverpool co-owner George Gillett has backed Rafael Benitez, claiming he is one of the top five managers in the world and that this season's disappointing results are just a ''blip''.

Sol Campbell to sue Portsmouth over image rights (Jan 20, 2010 11:17 GMT)
Former Portsmouth captain Sol Campbell has added another financial blow to the club after it was confirmed he will sue the club for £1.7 million in allegedly unpaid image-rights fees and bonuses.

Leeds striker Beckford to join Everton in summer? (Jan 20, 2010 09:29 GMT)
Leeds United striker Jermaine Beckford looks set to join Everton at the end of the season after manager Simon Grayson intimated that a pre-contract agreement is in place.

David Sullivan slams ''Mr Egghead'' (Jan 20, 2010 09:05 GMT)
New West Ham co-owner David Sullivan has slammed "Mr Egghead'' - ex-chairman Eggert Magnusson - for the £110 million worth of debt that the club has run up.

Brooking: Long-ball tactics won't help England (Jan 20, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Sir Trevor Brooking has declared English football must abandon the long-ball game if it is to prosper at international level.

Gerrard: Liverpool quit rumours are just ''daft'' (Jan 20, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Steven Gerrard insists he remains fully committed to Liverpool after rubbishing reports of a dressing room bust-up with Rafael Benitez.

Neville risks FA wrath over gesture (Jan 20, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Gary Neville could find himself in hot water with the FA after he appeared to direct a middle-finger gesture towards Carlos Tevez as the Manchester City striker celebrated the first of two goals in his side's 2-1 Carling Cup triumph over Manchester U

Jolly: Two-goal Tevez has his revenge (Jan 19, 2010 23:11 GMT)
Richard Jolly was at Eastlands as two-goal hero Carlos Tevez gave Man United something to ponder.

FA Cup: Notts County earn date with Wigan (Jan 19, 2010 22:22 GMT)
Notts County earned a fourth-round meeting with Premier League Wigan after they edged out Forest Green Rovers 2-1 at Meadow Lane. The Magpies had been knocked out of the cup by non-league sides for the last two years

New England football HQ inspired by Real Madrid (Jan 19, 2010 19:43 GMT)
The planned £100 million new home of England football has been inspired by Real Madrid's state-of-the-art training centre and will aim to reverse the influx of foreign coaches into the English game.

Pompey remain confident despite High Court blow (Jan 19, 2010 19:18 GMT)
Portsmouth remain confident that they can have the winding up petition brought against them by HM Revenue and Customs struck out on appeal despite losing today's initial ruling.

O'Neill: We must sell players before we can buy (Jan 19, 2010 17:37 GMT)
Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill has admitted he will have to sell before he can bring in any new players during the January transfer window.

Benitez goes on the defensive (Jan 19, 2010 17:03 GMT)
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has launched a staunch defence of his record at the club as speculation about his future refuses to die down, claiming that he has transformed the Anfield club from a "six (out of 10) to an eight or nine".

"United bond seeks to buy time for the Glazers" (Jan 19, 2010 16:18 GMT)
The controversial bond launched to refinance Manchester United is an instrument to buy extra time for the Glazer family after their 2005 leveraged buy-out of the club, says a City of London expert.

Babel back in contention after Twitter apology (Jan 19, 2010 14:31 GMT)
Liverpool forward Ryan Babel has been restored to the squad by Rafael Benitez after apologising to the manager.

Mascherano: Don't single out Rafa for criticism (Jan 19, 2010 13:56 GMT)
Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano feels it is unfair manager Rafael Benitez is shouldering the burden of criticism when the players themselves are not performing.

High Court bid fails for Pompey (Jan 19, 2010 13:15 GMT)
Portsmouth have been dealt another blow after their application to have a winding up petition from Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs struck out was dismissed by a High Court judge.

Kevin Palmer: Takeover born out of East End passion (Jan 19, 2010 13:05 GMT)
Kevin Palmer says the takeover of West Ham comes from the passion of their new owners.

FA unveils plans for St George's Park training base (Jan 19, 2010 11:33 GMT)
Plans for a permanent training base for the England team - renamed St George's Park - were unveiled by the Football Association on Tuesday.

Sullivan won't replace Zola (Jan 19, 2010 09:46 GMT)
After completing his takeover of West Ham, David Sullivan has told ESPNsoccernet that he plans to retain Gianfranco Zola as manager and give the Italian the chance to prove he can eventually transform the club into top-four contenders.

Gold and Sullivan buy West Ham (Jan 19, 2010 08:19 GMT)
David Sullivan and David Gold have completed their takeover of West Ham and Sullivan has already confirmed to ESPNsoccernet he has a seven-year plan to take the Hammers into the Champions League.

Beckham: City will never be bigger than United (Jan 19, 2010 08:06 GMT)
David Beckham is adamant Manchester City will never usurp Manchester United as the vast riches on offer at Eastlands will not trump the rich tradition and history housed at Old Trafford.

Sullivan-Gold consortium "would not sack Zola" (Jan 18, 2010 17:55 GMT)
Gianfranco Zola will be given a chance to prove himself with the new owners if David Sullivan and David Gold can beat other suitors to the punch in buying West Ham in the next 24 hours.

Mancini: City can be bigger than United (Jan 18, 2010 16:05 GMT)
Roberto Mancini has claimed Manchester City could one day knock Manchester United off their pedestal as England's biggest club.

Fans' group distances itself from Fergie quit calls (Jan 18, 2010 14:18 GMT)
The Manchester United Supporters' Trust (MUST) - one of the club's most prominent fan groups - has moved quickly to distance itself from reports claiming that supporters are considering asking Sir Alex Ferguson to quit as the club's manager in protes

Santa Cruz blow (Jan 18, 2010 13:20 GMT)
Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini expects Roque Santa Cruz to be sidelined for a month with his latest calf injury.

West Brom to promote Haiti earthquake appeal (Jan 18, 2010 12:16 GMT)
West Brom will give their backing to the Disasters Emergency Committee's Haiti Appeal by wearing shirts promoting the campaign in tonight's match against Newcastle.

Donovan tempted to extend Everton stay (Jan 18, 2010 11:35 GMT)
On-loan Everton forward Landon Donovan has admitted that he is considering an extended stay with the Toffees, after impressing in his first two appearance.

Portsmouth could demand arbitration over dispute (Jan 18, 2010 11:27 GMT)
ESPNsoccernet can reveal that Portsmouth have taken the unusual step of asking the Premier League for Arbitration in order to resolve their financial dispute, unless the Premier League agree to two demands: the lifting of the transfer embargo

O'Neill hails Petrov honesty (Jan 18, 2010 10:29 GMT)
Martin O'Neill has praised Stiliyan Petrov's honesty and claimed that the Bulgarian international prevented West Ham midfielder Radoslav Kovac from being sent-off.

Fifth Official: Are 27,000 people wrong? (Jan 18, 2010 10:02 GMT)
The Fifth Official pulls out the pretty, the puzzling and the downright pig-ugly from the weekend.

Lampard urges Chelsea bosses to keep Joe Cole (Jan 18, 2010 09:40 GMT)
Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has urged the club's hierarchy to do everything within their power to keep Joe Cole at Stamford Bridge.

Newcastle sign Northern Rock sponsorship deal (Jan 18, 2010 09:29 GMT)
Newcastle have signed a new four-year sponsorship deal with Northern Rock plc which could earn the club £10 million.

Fans consider Fergie quit request (Jan 18, 2010 08:28 GMT)
The former chairman of one of Manchester United's biggest supporters group has suggested that Sir Alex Ferguson should quit as the club's boss, in protest of the Glazer family's ownership of the reigning Premier League champions.

Benitez sees positives after draw with Stoke City (Jan 18, 2010 07:59 GMT)
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has told the club's fans "I will be fighting until the end'' after a 1-1 draw at Stoke which means he remains under pressure.

Scan to determine Dempsey's World Cup fate (Jan 17, 2010 20:20 GMT)
Clint Dempsey's World Cup hopes could depend on the results of a Monday scan after the United States forward limped off in the second half of Fulham's 2-0 Premier League defeat at Blackburn.

Team of the Week, January 17, 2010 (Jan 17, 2010 19:49 GMT)
Check out the cream of the crop from the weekend's action in our Team of the Week.

Fabregas fires Arsenal title bid (Jan 17, 2010 19:05 GMT)
Harry Harris is starting to believe that Fabregas can fire Arsenal to a realistic shot at the title.

Championship: Forest close gap on Newcastle (Jan 17, 2010 18:18 GMT)
Nottingham Forest piled the pressure on Championship leaders Newcastle as they closed the gap to just two points.

Premier Showdown - Jan 16-17 (Jan 17, 2010 18:07 GMT)
Premier Showdown is back for another season - do you want to take on Dale Johnson and Tommy Smyth in our predictions game?

Beardsley urges Liverpool to stick with Benitez (Jan 17, 2010 12:37 GMT)
Former Anfield star Peter Beardsley believes Liverpool should stick by under-pressure manager Rafael Benitez.

Portsmouth have no plans to sue Premier League (Jan 17, 2010 12:10 GMT)
ESPNsoccernet has been told that Portsmouth have no plans to sue the Premier League over their transfer embargo.

Jolly: Robinho not working out at City (Jan 16, 2010 21:00 GMT)
Richard Jolly witnessed Man City boss Roberto Mancini come unstuck at the Toffees.

Mancini admits Everton outplayed lacklustre City (Jan 16, 2010 20:21 GMT)
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini admitted his team were outplayed by Everton after their 2-0 defeat at Everton.

Palmer: Sorry Sunderland collapse at the Bridge (Jan 16, 2010 18:28 GMT)
Kevin Palmer was at Stamford Bridge to watch Chelsea smash seven past an 'inept' Sunderland.

Moyes: Man City "broke rules" with Lescott pursuit (Jan 16, 2010 18:04 GMT)
Everton manager David Moyes has accused Manchester City of "breaking the rules'' and having "no class'' in their pursuit of Joleon Lescott over the summer.

Premier League: Reds denied, Chelsea hit seven (Jan 16, 2010 16:48 GMT)
Robert Huth piled more pressure on Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez when his 90th-minute equaliser gave Stoke City a 1-1 at the Britannia Stadium and denied the Reds a morale boosting victory.

Twitter tirade puts Babel's future in further doubt (Jan 16, 2010 11:51 GMT)
Liverpool forward Ryan Babel appears to be on a collision course with boss Rafael Benitez after once again going public with his frustrations.

Benitez: Even Shankly had tough times at Reds (Jan 16, 2010 11:45 GMT)
Rafa Benitez has pledged to fight on as Liverpool manager despite a disastrous season to date, drawing parallels between his current plight and a trophy drought suffered by Anfield great Bill Shankly.

West Ham's debts reach £110 million mark (Jan 16, 2010 11:04 GMT)
West Ham's debt has spiralled to an out-of-control £110 million, according to a City insider who has been close to the takeover process at Upton Park.

Birmingham to offer boss McLeish new contract (Jan 16, 2010 10:43 GMT)
Birmingham are set to offer a new contract to manager Alex McLeish after he expressed a desire to sign an extended deal with the midlands club.

Pompey-Birmingham clash falls victim to weather (Jan 16, 2010 10:29 GMT)
Portsmouth's Premier League home match against Birmingham, due to be played on Saturday afternoon, has been postponed due to a waterlogged pitch at Fratton Park.

Rodriguez: I will put myself on the line (Jan 15, 2010 17:38 GMT)
New Liverpool midfielder Maxi Rodriguez has pledged to "put himself on the line'' to help lift his new team-mates out of their current slump.

Mancini plays down City title chances (Jan 15, 2010 16:58 GMT)
Roberto Mancini has played down Manchester City's chances of winning the Premier League title this season, claiming it will be a three-horse race between Chelsea, manchester United and Arsenal.

West Ham handed hefty Millwall crowd trouble fine (Jan 15, 2010 16:45 GMT)
West Ham have been fined £115,000 by the Football Association after being found guilty of two charges relating to crowd disturbances during their Carling Cup victory over Millwall.

City starlet Weiss available for loan move (Jan 15, 2010 16:28 GMT)
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has confirmed youngster Vladimir Weiss will be allowed to leave on loan this month. The young Slovakian has been a regular on the bench for City this term but actual time on the pitch has been harder to come by

Evra says United are still the Premier League's best (Jan 15, 2010 15:35 GMT)
Patrice Evra insists Manchester United will win the Premier League this season.

Rafa returns to the 'facts' (Jan 15, 2010 15:18 GMT)
Rafael Benitez returned to last year's focus on 'facts' as he admitted Liverpool have significant problems ahead of Saturday's trip to Stoke.

Moyes concerned about options after Neill sale (Jan 15, 2010 15:04 GMT)
David Moyes believes Everton may struggle to cope with the loss of Lucas Neill over the next few weeks.

Liverpool sale may tempt Mourinho (Jan 15, 2010 13:44 GMT)
Jose Mourinho will only consider succeeding Rafael Benitez at Liverpool if the club are sold to an investor who can compete with Manchester City and Chelsea in the transfer market.

Storrie hopeful that transfer embargo will be lifted (Jan 15, 2010 11:32 GMT)
Portsmouth will ask the Premier League to lift their transfer embargo on the club in the next 24 hours.

Van der Sar set for United return on Saturday (Jan 15, 2010 10:32 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar could be set to return to action against Burnley at Old Trafford on Saturday.

ESPN Soccernet Preview: Everton v Manchester City (Jan 15, 2010 09:26 GMT)
Robin Hackett previews Manchester City's game at Everton, live on ESPN UK.

ESPN Soccernet Preview: Stoke v Liverpool (Jan 15, 2010 09:26 GMT)
Mark Lomas previews Stoke's clash with struggling Liverpool, live on ESPN UK

QPR confirm Hart has left club after just five games (Jan 15, 2010 09:24 GMT)
Manager Paul Hart has left Championship side QPR after only five games in charge.

Pulis concerned Premier League clubs may go bust (Jan 15, 2010 08:51 GMT)
Stoke boss Tony Pulis is in full agreement with David Sullivan that a Premier League club could go bust by the end of the year.

Torres tells owners to spend, Hiddink may want job (Jan 15, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Fernando Torres believes Liverpool need a "much, much more complete squad" and has told the club's owners they have to invest to rescue the team.

Fernandes could complete Hammers takeover (Jan 15, 2010 07:59 GMT)
The takeover of West Ham United is on schedule to be completed on Friday, and Gianfranco Zola will immediately be handed an injection of substantial funds to buy his way out of relegation trouble.

Adebayor not yet ready to return to England (Jan 14, 2010 19:08 GMT)
Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor admits he does not know when he will return to England.

Spurs boss Redknapp slams ''farcical'' tax probe (Jan 14, 2010 16:59 GMT)
Harry Redknapp has told ESPN Soccernet that he will continue to focus on getting Spurs into the Champions League, in the face of a ''farcical'' tax probe.

Pompey TV money distributed among creditors (Jan 14, 2010 16:31 GMT)
The Premier League board have confirmed they will distribute broadcast fee payments to Portsmouth's football creditors, both domestic and overseas.

Birmingham blow as Carsley out until March (Jan 14, 2010 15:37 GMT)
Birmingham midfielder Lee Carsley is set to be sidelined until the start of March with the ankle injury suffered during the FA Cup tie with Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.

Surgery sidelines Liverpool's Torres for six weeks (Jan 14, 2010 14:56 GMT)
Liverpool striker Fernando Torres will be sidelined for around six weeks after the club confirmed that he will require surgery on a knee injury sutained in Wednesday's FA Cup defeat to Reading.

Richards denies talk of leaving Mancini's City (Jan 14, 2010 13:56 GMT)
Micah Richards has revealed manager Roberto Mancini told him he has the potential to become a great player, and the Manchester City defender is not interested in reports linking him with other clubs.

Apologetic Carragher won't blame owners for woes (Jan 14, 2010 13:10 GMT)
Jamie Carragher has apologised to Liverpool fans following the club's dismal FA Cup elimination at the hands of Reading but has refused to blame off-the-field issues for the poor performances witnessed under Rafa Benitez this season.

Palmer: Joe Cole desperate to prove he is the real deal (Jan 14, 2010 11:40 GMT)
Kevin Palmer assesses Joe Cole's chief concerns ahead of a decisive summer.

Hubbard: Ferguson growing old gracelessly (Jan 14, 2010 10:33 GMT)
Norman Hubbard examines the waning popularity of Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson.

Purslow rules out star departures from Anfield (Jan 14, 2010 10:03 GMT)
Liverpool managing director Christian Purslow is adamant that the club will not be forced to sell their star players to help alleviate the club's debts.

Benitez refuses to discuss future (Jan 14, 2010 07:59 GMT)
Matchwinner Shane Long admitted he found the perfect time to break his goalscoring duck this season as Reading knocked Liverpool out of the FA Cup after extra-time in their third-round replay.

Air Asia boss Fernandes in Hammers takeover bid (Jan 13, 2010 18:35 GMT)
Malaysian businessman Tony Fernandes is out to win control of West Ham in the next 48 hours by pledging a "significant" transfer pot for Gianfranco Zola to invest in a new team at Upton Park.

Laws confident he can keep Clarets in top flight (Jan 13, 2010 14:44 GMT)
Brian Laws is confident he can keep Burnley in the top flight following his surprise appointment as manager.

West Ham guilty of FA rule breach, Millwall cleared (Jan 13, 2010 12:04 GMT)
West Ham have been found guilty of breaching FA rules following crowd trouble at their Carling Cup match with Millwall in August but Millwall have been cleared of charges.

Sol: It's not about money (Jan 13, 2010 10:31 GMT)
Sol Campbell has told ESPN Soccernet that he is going back to Arsenal for "the love of the game, not the money".

Coyle's plan of action (Jan 13, 2010 09:51 GMT)
Richard Jolly sets out the top ten objectives for new Bolton boss Owen Coyle this season.

De Jong: Manchester City are targeting the title (Jan 13, 2010 09:12 GMT)
Manchester City midfielder Nigel de Jong says that the club are not just pushing for the top four, but are targeting a challenge for the Premier League title as well.

Ahmed: My brother spends millions on Pompey (Jan 13, 2010 08:26 GMT)
The brother of the elusive Portsmouth owner Ali Al-Faraj - Ahmed - claims that his family have poured millions into the club, but are abused despite their ''love for the club''.

Liverpool set to sell naming rights to new stadium (Jan 13, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Liverpool will sell off the naming rights to their new stadium once it is built, the club's commercial director has revealed.

Burnley appoint Laws as boss (Jan 13, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Former Sheffield Wednesday boss Brian Laws has been appointed as Burnley's new manager to replace Owen Coyle. A press conference has been called for 15.30GMT to formally present the new boss at Turf Moor.

FA Cup Fourth Round draw: Leeds pull Spurs (Jan 13, 2010 08:00 GMT)
The draw for the fourth round of the FA Cup will take place on Sunday evening so stay with ESPN Soccernet for all the big developments as the balls are drawn at FA headquarters in Soho Square.

FA Cup: Portsmouth and Birmingham edge through (Jan 12, 2010 22:33 GMT)
Coventry were cruelly denied in their FA Cup third round replay against Portsmouth as the Premier League side scored late goals in normal time and injury time to clinch a 2-1 win at the Ricoh Arena.

Pompey transfer embargo could be lifted on Weds (Jan 12, 2010 19:39 GMT)
ESPN Soccernet can reveal the Premier League board will make a decision about whether to lift the Portsmouth transfer embargo on Wednesday.

Fergie escapes action over Clattenburg comments (Jan 12, 2010 19:02 GMT)
The FA has confirmed that no action will be taken against Sir Alex Ferguson following his criticism of referee Mark Clattenburg at the weekend.

Aldridge: I never said Rafa should be sacked (Jan 12, 2010 15:16 GMT)
Liverpool legend John Aldridge has hit back at reports claiming he has called for under-fire Anfield manager Rafael Benitez to be sacked.

Rewind: The big freeze of 1962-63 (Jan 12, 2010 14:19 GMT)
Martin Williamson takes a look back at how the winter of 1962-63 obliterated the football calendar.

Derby skipper Savage slams critics of Rams staff (Jan 12, 2010 14:04 GMT)
Derby captain Robbie Savage has angrily refuted claims some players believe the club's backroom staff are not up to the job.

Mandaric charged with cheating the public revenue (Jan 12, 2010 12:31 GMT)
Former Portsmouth chairman Milan Mandaric has been charged with cheating the public revenue after it was revealed in late December that he would face legal action.

Arshavin: We need fitness ''miracle'' (Jan 12, 2010 11:14 GMT)
Arsenal midfielder Andrei Arshavin thinks the Gunners need a fitness ''miracle'' if they are to maintain their challenge for the Premier League title this season.

Cesc Fabregas feeling ''100%'' for Bolton return (Jan 12, 2010 10:20 GMT)
Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas says his injured hamstring feels ''100%'' and that he should be fit to make his return for the weekend trip to Bolton Wanderers.

Sullivan slams clubs over ''frightening'' borrowing (Jan 12, 2010 10:07 GMT)
David Sullivan believes clubs have put their futures in jeopardy by borrowing against future income.

Man City tell Adebayor to play when he's ready (Jan 12, 2010 09:49 GMT)
Togo captain Emmanuel Adebayor can have as much time off as he needs following the attack on his team in Angola and will not be asked to play for Manchester City until he is ready, his club manager Roberto Mancini said.

Everton hold ''positive talks'' over new stadium (Jan 12, 2010 09:48 GMT)
Everton have held ''positive'' talks with Liverpool City Council over plans for a new stadium.

O'Neill offers Villa hope to on-loan defender Shorey (Jan 12, 2010 09:46 GMT)
Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill insists he is not ''actively looking'' to sell full-back Nicky Shorey and believes the player can challenge Stephen Warnock for a first-team spot.

Glazers take £20m from United (Jan 12, 2010 09:39 GMT)
Manchester United's owners, the Glazer family, have taken £20 million out of the club over the past year, a report has revealed following the release of the club's financial results.

Chelsea skipper Terry: Trio of players run the club (Jan 12, 2010 09:23 GMT)
Chelsea captain John Terry has claimed that the trio of himself, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba are bigger than any manager will ever be at Chelsea.

Jacob hits out at Portsmouth supporter protests (Jan 12, 2010 07:59 GMT)
Portsmouth's executive director Mark Jacob has called for fans to lay off owner Ali Al Faraj as the club look to get themselves back onto a sound financial footing.

Burnley chief Kilby happy with manager search (Jan 12, 2010 07:59 GMT)
Burnley chairman Barry Kilby insists he is feeling positive about the club's future as the search for a new manager at Turf Moor gathers pace.

Jolly: Mancini's ideal start continues (Jan 11, 2010 23:38 GMT)
Richard Jolly watches Roberto Mancini notch up a fourth win in a row at Man City.

Mancini hails Tevez following Rovers masterclass (Jan 11, 2010 22:32 GMT)
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini paid tribute to Carlos Tevez after the Argentina striker scored his first hat-trick for the club in the 4-1 win over Blackburn at Eastlands.

Arsene Wenger advocates deliberate handball (Jan 11, 2010 19:25 GMT)
Arsene Wenger has instructed his players to concede a deliberate handball if they go down injured, after seeing Everton almost score with Denilson grounded at Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

Premier Showdown - Jan 9-11 (Jan 11, 2010 16:10 GMT)
Premier Showdown is back for another season - do you want to take on Dale Johnson and Tommy Smyth in our predictions game?

United confirm plan to raise £500m through bonds (Jan 11, 2010 11:40 GMT)
Manchester United confirmed on Monday they will look to raise £500 million through bonds to restructure their debts.

Coyle: Move not about money (Jan 11, 2010 11:03 GMT)
New Bolton Wanderers manager Owen Coyle has spoken of the "emotional" decision to quit Burnley but believes his new job at the Reebok Stadium is an "exciting challenge'' - and he insists the move was not motivated by money.

Fifth Official: The Big Freeze (Jan 11, 2010 10:53 GMT)
Few of us like Monday but The Fifth Official does, for it brings with it a chance for him to point the finger and laugh. Here he pulls out the pretty, the puzzling and the downright pig-ugly from a weekend when the big freeze hit the Premier L

ESPN Soccernet Preview: Manchester City v Blackburn (Jan 11, 2010 10:26 GMT)
Jon Carter looks at Manchester City vs. Blackburn. ESPN UK's Monday night game.

Hicks Jnr falls on his sword after email tirade (Jan 11, 2010 09:44 GMT)
Tom Hicks Jnr has been forced to resign from the board of Liverpool after an amazing email attack on a supporter.

Premier League to defend postponements (Jan 11, 2010 09:03 GMT)
The Premier League will defend themselves vigorously if questions are asked regarding the number of postponements at the weekend as attention turns to rescheduling matches.

Blackburn boss Allardyce bemoans striking woes (Jan 11, 2010 08:59 GMT)
Sam Allardyce admits he is worried by Blackburn's league position at the midway point of the season.

Vieira claims to be better than ever after Italy stint (Jan 10, 2010 15:50 GMT)
Patrick Vieira believes he is a better player now than he was when he left the Premier League four-and-a-half years ago.

Burnley coaches leave ahead of Bolton switch (Jan 10, 2010 14:01 GMT)
Burnley have confirmed that first-team coach Steve Davis and goalkeeping coach Phil Hughes have left the club.

Berbatov set to undergo exploratory knee surgery (Jan 10, 2010 13:28 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed that Dimitar Berbatov may have to undergo an exploratory operation on his knee.

Mancini insists City offer for Veron was a "joke" (Jan 10, 2010 12:36 GMT)
Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini insists he never made a serious offer to bring Juan Sebastian Veron back to the Premier League.

Seven arrested after clashes at St Andrew's (Jan 10, 2010 01:39 GMT)
Seven people were arrested today after disorder broke out during the match between Birmingham and Manchester United.

Sir Alex insists he has no spending restrictions (Jan 9, 2010 23:11 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson insists Manchester United's massive debt is having no impact on his team-building plans.

McLeish: Collective spirit is the key (Jan 9, 2010 21:06 GMT)
Alex McLeish: Collective spirit is the key

Ferguson slams Clattenburg (Jan 9, 2010 20:11 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson risked the wrath of the Premier League once more with his post-match criticism of referee Mark Clattenburg's ''weird and wonderful'' performance in his side's 1-1 draw at Birmingham.

Premier League: United and Arsenal held to draws (Jan 9, 2010 19:30 GMT)
On a weekend in which all but two games were called off due to the adverse weather conditions, Birmingham held Manchester United to a 1-1 draw at St Andrew's.

Donovan shines in Everton debut (Jan 9, 2010 18:35 GMT)
Kevin Palmer was at a frozen Emirates to run the rule over Landon Donovan's Everton debut.

Championship: Scunthorpe smash four at Derby (Jan 9, 2010 17:19 GMT)
Garry Thompson's double inspired Scunthorpe to a resounding 4-1 victory over Derby and a first Championship away win since September.

Bold predictions for 2010 (Jan 9, 2010 16:19 GMT)
Espn.co.uk takes a light-hearted look at some bold predictions for the next 12 months.

Redknapp admits concern over Woodgate injury (Jan 9, 2010 13:07 GMT)
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp admits he has concerns over Jonathan Woodgate's recovery from a groin problem after revealing club physios are still struggling to get to the bottom of the injury.

Zola hoping to bolster attack and retain key stars (Jan 9, 2010 12:21 GMT)
West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola is hoping the club's board will give him the green light to bring in a new striker when he meets them for talks next week.

Owen Coyle confirmed as new Bolton manager (Jan 8, 2010 16:54 GMT)
Bolton Wanderers have confirmed the appointment of Owen Coyle as their new manager on a two-and-a-half-year contract.

Man City new boy Vieira targets title triumph (Jan 8, 2010 15:44 GMT)
Manchester City midfielder Patrick Vieira believes his new club are still in the Premier League title race and that there is enough quality at Eastland's to win it.

Spurs said no to Vieira (Jan 8, 2010 14:22 GMT)
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has revealed he was given the chance to bid for Patrick Vieira during the current transfer window but turned down the offer as he was happy with his midfield options.

Norwich manager Lambert rejects Burnley link (Jan 8, 2010 14:07 GMT)
Norwich City manager Paul Lambert has firmly ruled himself out of the running to replace Owen Coyle at Burnley, with the Scot promising he will not "walk out" on his current employers.

Jo back in from the cold after Everton suspension (Jan 8, 2010 13:42 GMT)
Everton's on-loan striker Jo will return to training on Monday after serving a club suspension for returning home to Brazil without permission during the busy festive schedule.

Wednesday confirm Irvine as their new boss (Jan 8, 2010 13:27 GMT)
Sheffield Wednesday have confirmed the appointment of Alan Irvine as their new manager just ten days after the Scot was controversially sacked by Championship rivals Preston.

Ferguson: Neville retirement reports "nonsense" (Jan 8, 2010 12:31 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson has dismissed as "a load of nonsense'' reports that Gary Neville will retire at the end of the season. Neville celebrates his 35th birthday next month but the passage of time appears to be catching up with the Manchester United skip

Seven games called off as West Ham join list (Jan 8, 2010 11:53 GMT)
Seven Premier League weekend fixtures have fallen victim to the adverse weather conditions enveloping England, with Wolves' match at West Ham the latest to be called off.

Vidic out for ten days (Jan 8, 2010 11:33 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed Nemanja Vidic will spend ten days on the sidelines as a result of the leg injury which forced him to miss last weekend's shock FA Cup defeat at the hands of Leeds United.

ESPN Soccernet Preview: Hull City v Chelsea (Jan 8, 2010 10:37 GMT)
Robin Hackett previews Hull City's game against Chelsea, live on ESPN 2

ESPN Soccernet Preview: Birmingham v Manchester United (Jan 8, 2010 10:37 GMT)
Robin Hackett previews Birmingham's game against Manchester United, live on ESPN UK.

Donovan not fazed by Premier League leap (Jan 8, 2010 09:36 GMT)
On-loan Everton forward Landon Donovan has no concerns about making the transition from Major League Soccer to the Premier League.

Mystery player claims Pompey "mismanagement" (Jan 8, 2010 09:09 GMT)
An unnamed Portsmouth player has broken ranks to lambast the running of the troubled Premier League club, detailing "complete mismanagement across the board" after the playing staff received their December wages late.

United-Hull clash re-scheduled for cup weekend (Jan 7, 2010 17:40 GMT)
Manchester United have rearranged their Premier League encounter with Hull at Old Trafford for Saturday, January 23 (1500 GMT).

Bates unhappy with Beckford agent after exit plea (Jan 7, 2010 15:49 GMT)
Leeds United chairman Ken Bates has signalled his frustration with Jermaine Beckford's agent for making public the player's decision to hand in a transfer request.

Fergie hints at Diouf debut (Jan 7, 2010 12:41 GMT)
Manchester United could hand Mame Biram Diouf his debut in the Carling Cup after receiving a work permit and international clearance for the young Senegal striker.

Reina the best keeper in the world, says Torres (Jan 7, 2010 11:50 GMT)
Liverpool striker Fernando Torres rates club and country team-mate Jose Reina as the best goalkeeper in the world, even though he is second choice for Spain.

Evans to keep Bolton reins for Sunderland clash (Jan 7, 2010 10:49 GMT)
Bolton Wanderers caretaker coach Chris Evans could remain in charge for the clubs Premier League game against Sunderland on Saturday as the Trotters continue to try and broker a compensation deal with Burnley for manager Owen Coyle.

Patrik Berger: Euro star (Jan 7, 2010 10:38 GMT)
Tom Adams explains why the recently retired Patrik Berger is a Premier League hero.

Birmingham duo to miss Manchester United clash (Jan 7, 2010 10:34 GMT)
Experienced Birmingham City duo Lee Carsley and Stuart Parnaby have been ruled out of Saturday's home Premier League clash against Manchester United through injury.

Peterson: Burnley left sick after Coyle exit (Jan 7, 2010 09:16 GMT)
Chris Peterson examines the fall-out from Owen Coyle's decision to quit Burnley for Bolton.

Palmer: Ballack confident of success for Chelsea (Jan 7, 2010 09:16 GMT)
Kevin Palmer talks to Michael Ballack, who expects trophies under Carlo Ancelotti.

Manchester Utd star Giggs to get freedom of city (Jan 7, 2010 08:46 GMT)
Manchester United star Ryan Giggs will be honoured with the freedom of the city of Salford on Thursday.

Portsmouth confirm players' wages paid (Jan 7, 2010 08:15 GMT)
Portsmouth have confirmed that they have paid their players' wages after Mark Jacob, the executive director on the board representing new owner Ali al-Faraj earlier informedESPN Soccernet the issue would be resolved on Thursday.

Portsmouth players to be paid on Thursday (Jan 6, 2010 18:40 GMT)
The Portsmouth players will be finally paid their December wages at 0800 GMT on Thursday morning, according to sources close to the club and their new owner.

Alex believes Arsenal are Chelsea's main rivals (Jan 6, 2010 18:22 GMT)
Chelsea defender Alex believes Arsenal are likely to be the club's strongest challengers for the Premier League title this season.

Kilby surprised by Coyle's "sideways" move (Jan 6, 2010 16:32 GMT)
Burnley chairman Barry Kilby has spoken of his surprise that Owen Coyle opted to take a "sideways" move to join Bolton, but the Clarets will now begin their search for a new manager in earnest.

Arsenal-Bolton clash called off due to weather (Jan 6, 2010 15:42 GMT)
Arsenal have announced that Wednesday night's Premier League fixture with Bolton has been postponed due to the adverse weather conditions.

Fulham confirm Zamora has dislocated collarbone (Jan 6, 2010 15:30 GMT)
Fulham manager Roy Hodgson is facing further injury woe after Bobby Zamora was forced off in Tuesday's 3-2 defeat at Stoke.

Preston announce Darren Ferguson as new boss (Jan 6, 2010 13:43 GMT)
Preston have appointed Darren Ferguson as their new manager, the Championship club have announced.

PFA to ask Pompey questions (Jan 6, 2010 13:33 GMT)
Professional Footballers' Association senior executive Nick Cusack has said that Portsmouth's financial plight is impacting on the ''integrity'' of the game and will be asking some searching questions when he travels to Fratton Park for high level ta

Owen Coyle tells Burnley he wants Bolton job (Jan 6, 2010 13:31 GMT)
Burnley manager Owen Coyle has told the club he wants to leave Turf Moor to take the vacant manager's job at Bolton Wanderers.

Why the Premier League needs Franck Ribéry (Jan 6, 2010 09:16 GMT)
If a Premier League club is to snare Franck Ribéry, there can be no hanging about, writes Andy Brassell.

Gaydamak: I left no nasty surprises at Pompey (Jan 6, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Former Portsmouth owner Alexandre Gaydamak insists he is not to blame for the financial crisis at the club which has led to yet another delay in the players being paid.

Man City announce biggest loss in English history (Jan 6, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Big-spending Manchester City have reported mammoth annual losses of £92.6 million - a figure which represents the biggest annual loss in English football history.

Wenger confident Gunners can go the distance (Jan 6, 2010 07:59 GMT)
Arsene Wenger maintains his young Arsenal side have both the required hunger and mental strength to continue their march towards the top of the Premier League table.

Torres putting in extra hours to help Liverpool (Jan 5, 2010 19:01 GMT)
Fernando Torres believes he is now getting back to full fitness as he puts in extra hours to help get Liverpool's season back on track.

Vidic denies Fergie bust-up claims (Jan 5, 2010 18:23 GMT)
Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic has denied reports he has fallen out with Sir Alex Ferguson over the injury that kept him out of the FA Cup defeat to Leeds.

Fresh doubts as Pompey players not paid again (Jan 5, 2010 17:56 GMT)
Portsmouth's financial plight has been cast into further doubt as their players have not been paid on a deadline previously given by the club.

Trembling admits Sven could leave Notts County (Jan 5, 2010 16:38 GMT)
Executive chairman Peter Trembling expects Sven-Goran Eriksson to leave Notts County if the League Two club fail to attract multi-million pound investors.

Bruce hit with FA charge for Marriner comments (Jan 5, 2010 15:21 GMT)
Sunderland manager Steve Bruce has been charged with improper conduct by the Football Association for his comments about referee Andre Marriner.

Carling Cup ties both off due to severe weather (Jan 5, 2010 11:14 GMT)
The Carling Cup semi-final first leg ties between Manchester City and Manchester United and Blackburn Rovers and Aston Villa have both been postponed due to adverse weather conditions in north-west England.

Pompey players wait on wages (Jan 5, 2010 10:13 GMT)
The Portsmouth players have been frozen out of their training camp due to the arctic conditions, and are still wondering whether they will be suffering a pay freeze by the end of Tuesday.

Young: Carling Cup is Champions League back-up (Jan 5, 2010 08:01 GMT)
Luke Young insists Aston Villa's main priority is to secure a Champions League spot but is eyeing the Carling Cup as another possible route into Europe ahead of the semi-final clash with Blackburn.

Allardyce places Rovers success ahead of Bolton (Jan 5, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Sam Allardyce admits he will get more satisfaction steering Blackburn to a cup final than he did with Bolton.

Pulis wants more from his misfiring strikers (Jan 5, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Stoke manager Tony Pulis wants his goal-shy players to start finding the net soon to halt their current slide.

Notts County facing fresh winding up order (Jan 5, 2010 08:00 GMT)
Notts County have been served with their second winding-up petition in three months.

Midfielder Rosicky signs new contract with Arsenal (Jan 4, 2010 17:17 GMT)
Arsenal midfielder Tomas Rosicky has signed a new contract at the Emirates Stadium, the club have announced.

Cole found guilty of driving twice the legal limit (Jan 4, 2010 16:17 GMT)
Ashley Cole has been found guilty of driving at more than 100mph in a 50mph zone.

Burnley: No decision over Coyle future yet (Jan 4, 2010 15:18 GMT)
Bolton have reportedly agreed a compensation package with Burnley manager Owen Coyle, but the clubs have decided to take 24 hours to ''digest the information'' after meeting with the Scottish boss.

Fifth Official: The 'magic' of the cup (Jan 4, 2010 11:25 GMT)
The Fifth Official rounds-up all the action following the weekend's FA Cup programme.

Malouda denies criticising Lampard, pledges future (Jan 4, 2010 10:47 GMT)
Florent Malouda has denied criticising Frank Lampard in an interview in France and insists he wants to become a Chelsea legend.

Wenger feels United could benefit from cup exit (Jan 4, 2010 09:52 GMT)
Arsene Wenger believes Manchester United could ultimately benefit from the surprise FA Cup exit to Leeds United.

Burnley: No Bolton approach yet for Coyle (Jan 3, 2010 22:45 GMT)
Burnley tonight insisted Bolton have made no official approach for their manager Owen Coyle. But Wanderers are expected to step up their bid for Coyle by making an official approach to Burnley to speak to their former player on Monday.

Team of the Week, January 3, 2010 (Jan 3, 2010 20:56 GMT)
Check out the cream of the crop from the FA Cup action in our Team of the Week.

Wenger wants January signings for Gunners (Jan 3, 2010 20:01 GMT)
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger feels whatever Chelsea and Manchester City do will dictate how much serious business is conducted during the transfer window. Wenger openly admits he would like to strengthen his squad - without Holland striker Robin van

Solano jets in to seal Colchester United switch (Jan 3, 2010 19:11 GMT)
Former Newcastle United midfielder Nolberto Solano flew to England this weekend to join League One (third division) side Colchester United, the ex-Peru captain told a local newspaper.

Palmer: Hammers and Gunners add cup of cheer (Jan 3, 2010 19:10 GMT)
Kevin Palmer thoroughly enjoyed the pitched FA Cup battle between West Ham and Arsenal.

FA Cup: United shocked (Jan 3, 2010 18:42 GMT)
There may have been talk of a lack of FA Cup shocks after Saturday's Third Round day but Sunday provided the big story the competition has always craves. League One's Leeds United rolled back the years and defeated Manchester United at

Ancelotti reveals clear the air talks with Malouda (Jan 3, 2010 18:30 GMT)
Chelsea coach Carlo Ancelotti revealed how he had spoken to florent Malouda after the France

Jolly: Leeds famous again after Old Trafford win (Jan 3, 2010 17:07 GMT)
Leeds United's win at Old Trafford may have ended a decade of pain, says Richard Jolly.

Ferguson: Old Trafford added time an "insult" (Jan 3, 2010 16:53 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson described Chris Foy's decision to add five extra minutes at Old Trafford as an "insult" after Manchester United succumbed to a shock 1-0 defeat to Leeds United, but did concede that his side's performance had "shocked" him as they e

Grayson looks to keep firm grip on hero Beckford (Jan 3, 2010 16:30 GMT)
Leeds boss Simon Grayson insists he wants to keep FA Cup hero Jermaine Beckford at Elland Road.

Naylor salutes Leeds (Jan 3, 2010 15:43 GMT)
Leeds captain Richard Naylor hailed his side's heroic FA Cup third round win over Manchester United at Old Trafford, and the lifelong fan admitted: ''It was a long time coming

Eriksson admits County revolution is "on hold" (Jan 3, 2010 11:49 GMT)
Sven-Goran Eriksson admits Notts County's ambitious Premier League project is "on hold'' following the club's change of ownership - but insists he remains committed to the Meadow Lane cause.

Ancelotti: Mourinho wrong to talk of "his" Chelsea (Jan 2, 2010 22:48 GMT)
Carlo Ancelotti insists Jose Mourinho is wrong to use the term "my Chelsea" as the mind games continue ahead of the Champions League clash against Inter Milan in February.

Behrami calls for clarity at troubled West Ham (Jan 2, 2010 21:52 GMT)
Valon Behrami has called on the West Ham hierarchy to come clean about any plans for a January fire-sale.

Burnley play down rumours after Coyle no-show (Jan 2, 2010 18:44 GMT)
Speculation over the future of Burnley manager Owen Coyle intensified after he missed the press conference following the Clarets' 2-1 FA Cup win at MK Dons.

Malouda considering his options at Chelsea? (Jan 2, 2010 18:16 GMT)
Chelsea winger Florent Malouda has admitted he is frustrated at Stamford Bridge and will consider leaving if he does not get more playing time.

FA Cup: Big boys all survive day of few shocks (Jan 2, 2010 17:27 GMT)
The FA Cup Third Round day did not supply an expected shock, if there can be such a thing, and the Saturday afternoon ties usually went with the club of higher league status on a day when Coventry's holding of crisis club Portsmouth was the only matc

Wenger to turn to kids for FA Cup clash (Jan 2, 2010 16:50 GMT)
Arsene Wenger will rotate his squad for the trip to face West Ham in the FA Cup third round at Upton Park on Sunday with defender Philippe Senderos hoping to shake off an injury in time for a recall to the side.

FA hopes to reap £30m from FA Cup sponsorship (Jan 2, 2010 16:45 GMT)
The Football Association has commissioned a German sports research company to value sponsorship of the FA Cup - and have been informed by Sport&Markt that it is valued at £30 million-a-season.

Ferguson happy to renew rivalry with Leeds United (Jan 2, 2010 10:00 GMT)
Sir Alex Ferguson misses Manchester United's annual showdowns with Leeds United and is happy to welcome them to Old Trafford after nearly six years of being parted. The Roses rivals lock horns in the FA Cup on Sunday, their first meeting since Leeds

Pompey close to solutions to financial woes (Jan 2, 2010 07:59 GMT)
Portsmouth have stated they will not be forced to sell players at a snip of their value in order to get over their financial problems.

Everton suspend Jo for breach of discipline (Jan 1, 2010 13:46 GMT)
Brazilian striker Jo has been suspended by Everton and could be about to end his Premier League nightmare with a return to CKSA Moscow in January.

Rafa Benitez: FA Cup run would lift Liverpool (Jan 1, 2010 13:25 GMT)
Rafael Benitez sees Liverpool's FA Cup tie at Reading as another stepping stone on the road to salvaging their season.

Petr Cech ''one of the best'' (Jan 1, 2010 13:20 GMT)
Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti has described Petr Cech as one of the best goalkeepers in the world and expects him to bounce back from his recent jitters.

Lens chief wants Pompey expelled from league (Jan 1, 2010 12:37 GMT)
Portsmouth should be kicked out of the Premier League because of their financial plight, according to Lens president Gervais Martel. The French chief is owed money for the transfers of Nadir Belhadj and Aruna Dindane and says he feels ''cheated''.

Ferguson eager to renew ''fiesty'' Leeds rivalry (Jan 1, 2010 10:54 GMT)
Manchester United and Leeds United will rekindle one of the fiercest rivalries in English soccer after a five-year hiatus on Sunday and Alex Ferguson is anticipating the FA Cup clash as eagerly as anyone.

Luke Young: Villa are better off this season (Jan 1, 2010 10:33 GMT)
Luke Young insists Aston Villa now have a ''stronger mentality'' to cope with any setbacks and to avoid a repeat of last season's disappointing fade-out which cost them a Champions League spot.

Finnan admits fear over Portsmouth plight (Jan 1, 2010 09:19 GMT)
Defender Steve Finnan admits the Portsmouth players cannot help but be worried by the club's current financial plight.

Ancelotti: Chelsea's problems are over (Jan 1, 2010 09:15 GMT)
Carlo Ancelotti has attributed Chelsea's recent inconsistency to small problems that have since been ironed out and claims he is confident of staying at the top.