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Middlesbrough look to be closing in on a deal for Charlton captain Nicky Bailey. The 26-year-old midfielder is set to join Boro for a fee of £1.4m and manager Gordon Strachan will be hoping that can help fire his team back into the Premiership.

Bailey will be arriving at the club off the back of a dejecting season for Charlton as his last kick in an Addicks’ shirt was the team’s one and only missed penalty in the play-off semi-final against Swindon, which ultimately decided the tie. Aside from that he had a good season for Charlton from a personal point of view scoring 13 goals from midfield, which brings his total tally for the club to 26 goals in two years which is a great feat. Ever since his arrival from Southend in 2008 he has been virtually nothing but consistent for Charlton and didn’t look out of place one bit in what was his first ever season playing in the Championship. Even though the club got relegated in his debut season he was their one shining light and this was acknowledged by him receiving their player of the year award.

This season Bailey can be credited with a lot of the hard work that went into Charlton getting into the play-offs and although in some games he wasn’t at his best, one thing he always did without fail week-in, week-out was give 110 per cent. Had it not been for his influence in midfield then Charlton probably wouldn’t have came close to promotion.

Boro fans can look forward to the signing of Bailey as he is an all-action midfielder who is capable of taking a game by the scruff of the neck and won’t stop trying until the final whistle. He has got a good-eye for goal and is capable of scoring some absolute stunners as he has on numerous occasions for Charlton. He will provide a lot of energy in midfield and in games last season where Boro seemed to run out of steam, with a player like Bailey in the side he won’t let that happen. Of course there are weaknesses to his game, such as he is liable of trying spectacular passes that don’t come off when he should play the simple ball instead. Also sometimes he can make the wrong decision when it comes to either shooting or passing the ball.

Nicky Bailey is definitely a player who can help Middlesbrough get promoted next season and there is a chance should that happen that he just may be able to cut it in the Premiership. However firstly Boro need to win promotion first and with the imminent signing of Bailey they will be significantly boosting their chances of this becoming a reality.

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Manchester United went two points clear at the top of the Premier League after brushing aside Chelsea at Old Trafford to make it five consecutive wins this season.

Chris Smalling, Nani and Wayne Rooney, who later missed a penalty, game the home side a three goal lead before half time with Fernando Torres replying in the second half with his first goal of the season.

The Spaniard then missed a glorious chance in the second half to further reduce the deficit as Andre Villas-Boas’ side struggled to match their opponents who see unbeatable at the moment.

As usual United took the lead in this encounter with Smalling heading home Ashley Young’s free kick in the eight minute to put Sir Alex Ferguson’s side into their rhythm.

Chelsea were never at the races and were two goals behind thanks to Nani’s thunderbolt. The Portuguese winger picked up the ball out wide and as the visitors defence backed off he cut inside and unleashed a stinging 25-yard drive that whizzed past Petr Cech.

Two quickly became three as Rooney slid in his ninth goal of the season. Phil Jones brought the ball out of defence running 30 yards knocking it into Nani who’s attempted back heel ricocheted around in the area eventually falling to the England striker who cal my side footed the ball into the net.

Villas-Boas’ side needed an instant response after the restart and they got just that as Torres finally ended his barren run in front of goal. The Spanish striker did brilliantly to bring Nicolas Anelka’s through ball under control before calmly slotting it past David de Gea.

It should have been 4-1 only for Rooney to squander a 55th minute penalty slipping and scuffing the ball straight at Cech after Nani was fouled by Jose Boswinga in the area.

Torres then laid down his claim for miss of the season firing wide with the goal gaping after he had sold De Gea a brilliant dummy leaving the United keeper for dead.

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The goals are flying in around the Football League today and it took no fewer than 10 minutes for the six Goaldash numbers to come flying in.

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Are you in the money? Have you won a Million? Check the Goaldash numbers below:

Despite their recent performances that suggest time doesn’t apply to them, the clock is ticking on the careers of some of Manchester United’s ageing stars. Ryan Giggs may have signed a new one-year deal, but the future of Paul Scholes is less clear. Whether he gives it another year or not, Sir Alex Ferguson knows a replacement is needed sooner rather than later. One of the players linked with filling the void over the past few years has been Roma’s Daniele de Rossi. But who is he? Is he really the man to plug the gap in Manchester United’s midfield?

The Italian has been a regular fixture in Roma’s and Italy’s midfield for quite some time now. The 27-year-old is an explosive, box-to-box type of player – a seemingly dying breed these days. De Rossi has bags of experience, which Ferguson will be looking for. He’s captained his country, scored in the penalty shoot out victory in the World Cup final, and certainly knows a thing or two about European football.

The problem Ferguson may face in bringing De Rossi to Old Trafford is the players allegiance to his club’s cause. Just like Catalans have with Barcelona, De Rossi has a special connection with the Trigoria and after Francesco Totti, he is the club’s darling. Roma also have new owners: mega-rich Americans hell-bent on ruling the football world, (we’ve heard that before) which could prove to be stumbling block number two for Manchester United.

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Whoever Sir Alex to decides to bring in, it’s going to be a gamble. How can you replace a player like Paul Scholes? Somebody who has been the heartbeat of the club for the past two decades, almost. But De Rossi can certainly do as well as anybody else coming in. Similar to Scholes, he loves a tackle (whether it’s clean or not) and isn’t bad in front of goal.

If speculation is to be believed, Ferguson sent his scouts over to Italy to watch De Rossi in action against Napoli last week. The Italian club is well aware of United’s interest and reports have suggested that a player-plus-cash deal could get the ball rolling, with either Federico Macheda or Anderson going in the other direction.

I can’t see Ferguson being too keen on the idea of letting players go in such a deal, but if De Rossi is the man he has been chasing, I’m sure he will use other means of persuasion. The funds are available, and the attraction of winning silverware at Manchester United is hard to resist for any player.

So De Rossi could be the next big arrival at Old Trafford. Filling Paul Scholes’ shoes is a massive task, and only the best need apply. Daniele De Rossi certainly fits that bill.

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The Joe Cole contract saga has dragged on for far too long at his current club Chelsea and all parties concerned will be relieved when the ordeal finally comes to a head.

The midfielder has just earned a spot in Fabio Capello’s final 23-man England squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, so it is unlikely that he will make a decision on his future until the Three Lions’ involvement in the tournament is over and the squad returns home.

It is widely expected that he will leave Stamford Bridge in order to find first team football and after countless stories of disagreements over wages. The Sunday Mirror reported that Chelsea were so offended by Cole’s ridiculous wage demands (apparently he wants parity with the club’s top stars) that they rescinded an offer of £100,000-a-week contract, who exactly does he think he is?

The tricky England man is a good player, one which I admire, but where does he get off thinking he is in the same bracket as a Frank Lampard or club captain John Terry?

He’s certainly not worth £100,000-£120,000-a-week in wages as he spends more time on the bench or on the treatment table than on the pitch for Chelsea. Also, it is already something of an injustice that Cole earns more than Petr Cech, Florent Malouda and Michael Essien (the best player on Chelsea’s books) as it stands.

However, I would like to think that it is not about the money for him, it’s about playing first team football. I doubt he will be able to force his way into Chelsea’s first XI again and perhaps he thinks that too, so a move to one of the interested clubs Arsenal, Tottenham, Manchester United or Liverpool could tempt him.

I’d expect that it is most likely the north London clubs (Arsenal and Spurs) are leading the race for his signature as he is settled in the capital and it is doubtful he’d want to uproot his young family up north. A reunion with former manager Harry Redknapp is very much on the cards as Spurs are seeking to increase the depth of their squad ahead of the Champions League next season and many believe with his experience the 28-year-old midfielder will fit right in.

Although he is massively popular amongst the Chelsea support he has made himself a divisive player of late splitting the fans opinions on whether he should stay or go. Personally, I don’t think Chelsea will miss him a whole lot as he is replaceable (not sure Yossi Benayoun is the right man though) and you cannot rely on his fitness. I think Chelsea have much bigger worries on their hands this summer than sweating over Cole’s future like keeping Lampard and Ashley Cole away from Jose Mourinho’s clutches at Real Madrid.

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With the Benayoun to Chelsea rumours gaining strength and Cole not signing a contract at the club it seems that both parties have made their minds up, but I am slightly puzzled as to why he hasn’t secured his future to avoid any distractions during England’s World Cup campaign.

For Chelsea’s fans Joe Cole wearing a Tottenham or Arsenal shirt next season does not even bear thinking about.

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Tottenham fringe player Heurelho Gomes has admitted that he is glad that Harry Redknapp was sacked from his position as he limited the goalkeeper’s chances.

The Brazil international has found himself behind Brad Friedel and Carlo Cudicini at White Hart Lane, and the South American has confessed that he was not sad to see Redknapp leave the club.

“Redknapp barely talked to me. I was playing really well when he hired Friedel. So I was really surprised and decided to ask him about that,” Gomes told The Sun.

“Redknapp asked me to be calm, because I was his goalkeeper and he trusted me, as he told me. But that didn’t happen.

“In the 2010-11 season, I made only two mistakes but I didn’t give them so much importance and I didn’t think I was going to be sacked from the team because of that.

“I asked Redknapp to let me go, but he said no to three offers for me. QPR, CSKA Moscow and Atletico Mineiro wanted me.

“I was close to CSKA because they wanted me only for four months and I was going to play the Champions League, but Redknapp didn’t allow me to leave.

“I’m sure that Andre Villas-Boas’ arrival is going to help me. He is great and he wants to do the best for Tottenham. I’m sure he will achieve many things here. I hope I could play in his team until 2014.

“I have two more years under contract at Spurs and I intend to fulfil them. But I’m tired of Europe, I have reached my limit here.

“I’m 31 years old and I’m thinking about moving back to Brazil.

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“Atletico Mineiro wanted me, but Tottenham asked them to pay a fortune of £8million for me and the negotiation finished,” he revealed.

By Gareth McKnight

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The rumour mill is a viscious and tireless beast, but it does provide excellent opportunities to consider other futures that may never come to pass. One new murmur cropping up nowadays is Carlo Ancelotti to Tottenham. This is not a mean, Martin Jol-Juande Ramos, behind-the-back job but a consequence of Redknapp’s constant lip-licking and eyeballing of the England job. In the not-too-distant future Fabio Capello will relinquish his post, leaving a headless England team even more headless. The press know this and have generously thought of who Tottenham should bring in to replace the country’s gaffer in waiting.

The two names topping this very forward thinking list are David Moyes and Carlo Ancelotti, (both great managers to have in the frame). Redknapp himself apparently backs Moyes, (I’m not quite sure how the press extracted that information from him) but I can’t help feeling that Ancelotti may be more suited to the Tottenham tradition.

The real question is, would he be an upgrade on Redknapp himself?

Redknapp has taken Tottenham further faster than most would have predicted. Drafted in to halt the great depression of 2008, Harry had previously built himself a reputation as a relegation-dodging specialist but this skill has never been called upon at Spurs. His impact was instant and he now has a great squad performing consistently. He has achieved Champions league qualification and has a team that can challenge for fourth every year. Could Spurs ask for much more?

If Redknapp has a weakness, it is as a strategist. There is a suspicion that he lacks the tactical finesse to take Tottenham any further. Redknapp comes under fire for two reasons. The first is his inability to come up with a satisfactory plan B. When Spurs struggle, far too often they resort to hoofing the ball long to the big man, formerly a very isolated Peter Crouch, (on their worst days they started matches doing this, a very poor plan A), rather than sticking to their strengths of using the pace on the wings and maintaining possession. Redknapp’s second tactical weakness was, and still is, his Football Manager technique of whacking all his best players into his starting eleven and going for it. Last season he squeezed Rafael van der Vaart into a free role at the cost of a more productive 4-4-2 formation, which Spurs flourished in the year before.

At the moment Spurs fans can have little complaint with Redknapp but it’s still worth considering Ancelotti.

Tottenham’s craving for attractive, flowing football would be well met by the Italian. His Chelsea side were free-scoring in their double-winning 2009/10 season and continued into the next with an attacking 4-3-3 formation. He has a tactical fluidity and inventiveness (he claims the Christmas tree as his own masterpiece) that gets the best out of his players and believes in building the formation to fit the qualities of his players rather than jamming the players into a set shape. This may not sound revolutionary but Redknapp rarely thinks this way.

Tottenham currently have a squad full of players with both the ability and inclination to play flair football, with Modric, Van der Vaart, Bale, Adebayor and Lennon there are numerous attacking possibilities and it is a team full of entertainers.

Ancelotti’s track record as both a player and a manager make him an exciting and flattering possibility for Spurs. With the current squad and Ancelotti’s focus on attacking, possession football it could be a great match.

He has an autobiography entitled: The Beautiful Games of an Ordinary Genius, it would be great for some of those beautiful games and some of that genius to be at Tottenham (and those eyebrows).

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A late double from defender Robert Huth helped Stoke City come from behind to earn all three points against visiting Sunderland 3-2.

The away side scored with their first attack of the game. As the ball was fired into the box Asamoah Gyan attempted a shot but missed the ball, however it bounced favourably for in-form Kieran Richardson who netted his fourth goal in his last three matches.

Huth had two golden chances to equalise when Rory Delap’s long throw found him in a crowded area but he fired his first shot straight at Craig Gordon in the Sunderland goal. The ball then rebounded back to Huth off the keeper’s chest, but given a second chance, he blasted over the bar from just five yards.

Midway through the first half, another Stoke set-piece almost ended with their first goal, but Danny Higginbotham put his shot into the side-netting.

Eventually the home side’s persistence paid off. Delap sent in another long throw which caused problems for Gordon and his defence. John Carew, despite appearing to be in an offside position, toe poked the ball into the back of the net to score his first goal for his new club.

Sunderland scored their second just three minutes after the break. Gyan ran onto a ball lofted deep into Stoke territory and held off Huth before making enough room for himself to fire past Asmir Begovic in goal.

Tony Pulis’ men looked at their most threatening from set plays, and Phil Bardsley and Anton Ferdinand made important headed clearances to maintain Sunderland’s lead.

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But they finally caved in when Jermaine Pennant whipped in a cross that was nodded on by Carew then edged into the goal by Huth from close range.

Another in-swinging cross from Pennant in injury time found Huth who had made the run and prodded his side’s late winner under Begovic.

Pre-season is now well underway and managers should be looking to finalise their squads for the new season. Not many big money Premier League moves have taken place so far, with Chelsea proving to be the frontrunners in bringing in big names for big fees. Other clubs are looking to be more prudent with the UEFA Financial Fair Play regulations looming large that will make it more difficult to start throwing around the expensive wages that have taken the English game by storm.

Although most of the Bosman signings have been snapped up by clubs, there are plenty of bargains out there still to be had. Fans love a good bargain, a player signed for peanuts who goes on to prove his worth in the most satisfactory way. The scouts of all 20 teams should be in overdrive at this point in the summer, working to see who would provide best value for money ahead of the new season. To help them out, we’ve assembled a list of 20 names who would prove to be bargain signings for certain Premier League clubs.

Click on Defoe below to see the 20 bargains to be had

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Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has stated that despite no longer being an automatic selection in Fabio Capello’s England side, he will fight for a first team place.

The 33-year-old had to watch The Three Lions’ 3-0 win away to Bulgaria on Friday from the bench, as Gareth Barry and Scott Parker were preferred to start in central midfield.

However, Lampard feels as long as he can still contribute to the nation’s success, he will not turn his back on his country.

“People like to give off the idea that players are expecting to play every game and we’ve never been like that. We’re all professionals and driven, and our egos are only our desire to succeed individually and as a group, and we haven’t quite done that for England,” he told reporters.

“It should be competitive and I’ve had phases before where I’ve sat on the bench for England. The furore, I tried to stay away from this week and just tried to keep my head down and concentrate. I don’t mind. I’m very proud to play and I’ll play as long as I can contribute for England – and I feel I can do that,” he continued.

Even though the crop of younger players emerging in the England squad may endanger his place in the starting line-up, Lampard is happy to see the younger players progressing.

“It’s very good to see. It’s good to see the Ashley Youngs’ – I know he’s not completely a young player, but he’s really blossoming at the minute. Stewart Downing, the same, on the other side. [Jack] Wilshere’s injured now but, with the squad we’ve got now, there’s some real attacking options, which in great to see,” he concluded.

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Lampard will be 34 by the time Euro 2012 comes round, but looks keen to be involved in one last international tournament.

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It promises to be an anxious wait at Tottenham as Daniel Levy awaits the news as to whether Spurs will be granted permission to move into the Olympic Stadium. Opinion is certainly mixed among supporters, with many seeing it as sacrilege that the club could even consider leaving N17.

At FFC we have seen a mixed bag of articles which includes a Spurs deal that shows the power is shifting; Tottenham need a transfer splash and will Pienaar’s arrival pave the way for White Hart Lane exit.

We also look at the best Tottenham articles around the web this week.

The Top TEN Premier League Games of the 90s…well I think so!

A Tottenham DEAL that shows the power is shifting

Time ‘loyalty’ was added to striker’s long list of attributes

Liverpool or Spurs – who represents the best move?

Hart Break Lane? Or football at its finest?

Manchester v London – where does the future of the Premier League lie?

United and Tottenham pairing leaves Capello with cause for concern

Pienaar’s arrival set to pave the way for Tottenham exit?

A welcome addition to WHL, or trouble we could do without?

Why Tottenham need to make a transfer splash

David Beckham for Tottenham is pure showbiz

Few can blame Tottenham, given the parameters laid out by LOCOG

*Best of WEB*

Strikers on strike. – Spurs Musings From Jimmy G2

Pienaar Butter Jelly Time – Who Framed Ruel Fox?

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Dear Mr Tottenham supporter, regarding Stratford… – Dear Mr Levy

Transport Myths & The Old Legacy Sketch- Harry Hotspur

Stratford Decision Day Looms: No One Bothers To Ask The Fans – Tottenham On My Mind

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