Rumor With A View.

Now I don't know about you guys, but part of my daily routine is to read the BBC rumours page. As we get close to the opening of the January transfer window the rumours are in over-drive. I have decided to have a look at todays BBC rumours which are collected from newspapers around the globe, and comment on their ridiculousness or feasability. Lets go!



New Real Madrid boss Juande Ramos wants to bring Aston Villa's Ashley Young to the Bernabeu, but the club fear they may have to pay up to £27m for the in-form winger. The Spanish giants have already enquired about Portsmouth midfielder Lassana Diarra and have been told they must pay £18m. (Spanish newspaper Marca)

Hogwash. New managers are linked to every man and his dog. Juande has been given a contract til the summer and it is likely he will be on a short leash. Will they let him spend big after his fiasco at Spurs? Not without a unanimous board vote on the player concerned. Besides, Villa are closer than ever to busting into the big four and they do not need to sell one of, if not their best player. They showed their resolve when Barry wanted to walk for 18 million or so. Marca..You are full of shit..Next.


Blackburn manager Paul Ince's job is hanging by a thread after their run of defeats continued against Wigan on Saturday - and former Rovers boss Graeme Souness is the clear favourite to replace him. (Daily Mirror)
Ince will be called into an emergency meeting on Monday or Tuesday to explain Blackburn's sixth straight defeat. (Daily Express)

Realistic. Blackburn have taken 3 steps back under Ince. Too much too soon. He needed to stay among the concrete cows and roundabouts in Milton Keynes to gain more experience. He may get to face Stoke at the weekend but it's possible that the cord is cut before then. Fail to beat Stoke, should he be in charge, and he will be tearing up one more time in his last press conference as Blackburn boss.

Souness will return on a short-term basis and his backroom staff would include popular Blackburn midfielder Tugay. (Daily Mirror)

Possible. If Ince is sacked then they will look to stop the bleeding fast and maybe sooner than being able to mull over and hand over a long-term deal to someone. Kinnear has shown that a short term gig can work. I can see this as plausible.

The directors at Ewood Park are split over who should succeed Ince, with ex-Bolton boss Sam Allardyce and former Charlton manager Alan Curbishley also being considered. (Daily Mirror)

Big Sam will take any job going. He is so desperate to get away from his wife after all these months out of football that he would consider managing a pub team. Curbishley has not been able to prove himself at any club except Charlton and a move for him will be a huge gamble. A club the size of Blackburn suits Allardyce but he would obviously prefer Sunderland. More cash will be available to spend.

Burnley boss Owen Coyle is also among the contenders for the Rovers post. (Daily Telegraph)

Absurd. One swallow does not make a summmer and Coyle is having a good year for sure, but enough to save a Premier League club? They will be looking for experience with that task. Also note that Burnleys bitter rivals are Blackburn, making this move highly unlikely and possibly life-threatening!

Former Inter Milan coach Roberto Mancini, ex-Real Madrid boss Bernd Schuster and veteran Carlos Alberto Parreira - who won the World Cup with Brazil in 1994 - lead the host of big-name applicants for the Sunderland job. (Daily Mirror)

I call bullshit. While the above names may have applied, the ship needs to be steered and a manager with language barriers and a list of unfamilair players will not be handed the hopes of 50,000 mackem fans. I am sure they will go for a name with experience of Premier League survival.

Parreira is a shock front-runner for the post at the Stadium of Light but faces stiff competition from Celtic manager Gordon Strachan, ex-Bolton boss Sam Allardyce and former Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier. (Daily Star)

Parreira has been at more clubs than Cheryl Tweedy. Six in eight years. He certainly won't be the right man. Now Strachan. That's a rumor that seems to be realistic. Strachan refuses to comment and even walked out of a press conference last week when a reporter asked the question. No denial. Hmmm I can see the wee Scotsman moving south.


Allardyce is keen on the Black Cats job but is yet to be approached by the Wearsiders. (Various)

This is no rumor. Allardyce has been campaigning for this job since Keane walked. I am surprised that he hasn't been arrested for stalking Niall Quinn or taken out an ad in the Sunday papers yet.

Sunderland's caretaker manager Ricky Sbragia could stay in charge until after Christmas as the club continue their search for Roy Keane's successor. (The Times)

This seems realistic. Sbragia has so far seen Sunderland to a 4-0 win over Bolton and been 30 secs away from a draw at Old Trafford. As long as the points are coming, the Sunderland board will be in no rush to replace him.

Black Cats chairman Niall Quinn says Sbragia is a serous contender for the vacant post. (The Times)

Well he is in the right place right now to prove this one. Keep winning and it will be hard to kick him out.

Manchester City will have to pay £18m to capture Blackburn striker Roque Santa Cruz because of a clause in the Paraguayan striker's contract. (Daily Mirror)

Count on it. Hughes signed Santa-Cruz for Blackburn and he is a huge fan. Man City have money to burn and this one is a cert.

Inter Milan boss Jose Mourinho has hinted that striker Adriano will be allowed to leave the San Siro in the transfer window - sparking rumours of a possible swap deal for Chelsea front-man Didier Drogba. (The Sun)

Don't see it. Adriano is only 26, a Brazilian international regular and a goal machine. Sure Chelsea would be interested but this is a bum deal for Inter and this nonsense only stems from Mourinho being a Drogba admirer. Drogba is 32 years old and starting to look injury prone. Adriano is 6 years younger, yet to hit his prime and has 47 goals in 114 for Inter and 29 in 49 apperances for Brazil. Inter swap him for a Didier Drogba at the tail end of his career and they should change their name to 'Stupid FC'.

Middlesbrough will demand Wales international left-back Gareth Bale from Tottenham as part of a £15m deal for Stewart Downing, who has become Spurs manager Harry Redknapp's top January target. (Daily Mirror)

This is very plausible. Boro have been reluctant to sell Downing in the past and the offer of a young replacement with promise and some hard cash may finally be enough to prize away their winger. Bale has not featured much since joining Spurs from Southampton, currently riding the bench and he is certainly surplus to requirements at White Hart Lane.

Celtic are set to scupper Birmingham's hopes of signing highly rated Hungarian winger Szabolcs Huszti but Everton, Bolton and Blackburn are also watching the Hannover star. (Daily Mail)

Possible. He will certainly earn more money in Scotland than at Hanover. This guy has an eye for goal from midfield and I can see why he is attracting attention from bigger clubs. Blackburn fire Ince and you can count them out.

Manchester United are set to pull out of a deal for Partizan Belgrade's Serbian winger Zoran Tosic in a row over his personal terms. (Daily Mirror)

Can a guy from Partizan really be that picky? Are United interested in a guy that plays in Ronaldo's position? Hmmm. CoughBUUUULLLLLLSHITCough. They may be looking for depth and Tosic is apparently quite versatile, but I don't see it happening in January. Man U have more than enough players that occupy an attacking wing role.

Everton are keen on Wolves striker Sylvan Ebanks-Blake but Molineux boss Mick McCarthy says the Championship leaders will not be selling any of their stars. (The Guardian)

Everyone is interested in Ebanks-Blake and if the price is right he will be off. It's not a secret that Everton are in the market for a striker this January and Ebanks-Blake is a stud. Everton are also linked with a number of other forwards, but this is very plausible. Ebanks-Blake has 14 goals already this season and he is getting better by the week. He is only 22 and that means he won't come cheap. Wolves manager Mick McCarthy says that his stars are not for sale. Everyone has a price. We shall see.

Tottenham have made an £8m offer for Bordeaux striker Fernando Cavenaghi. (Daily Mirror)

The Argentinean has a good strike rate and could be a good addition to Spurs but I can see Arry going back to Pompey to bring Defoe home or nab himself a graffe.

West Ham midfielder Nigel Quashie wants to turn his loan stint at Birmingham into a permanent move. (The Sun)

No shit. A guy left on the shelf and towards the end of his career wants to play?

Bolton are weighing up a bid of about £3m for Hearts defender Christophe Berra. (Daily Record)

In the last year Berra has been close to moving to many teams, if you believe the papers. He wants to move to England and his agent is making a noise. That said, he has be linked with Bolton on numerous occasions. Very possible.

Derby boss Paul Jewell hopes to sell striker Emmanuel Villa to raise funds for new signings. (Daily Mirror)

Really? He wants to sell a flop and replace him? Lazy old Mirror. This is common knowledge. The Argentinean forward has scored 4 goals since joining Derby last season and he hasn't settled into English football at all. He's outta here.

The Rams have not received any enquiries about former Wales midfielder Robbie Savage, who has been out of favour at Pride Park since August. (Daily Star)


Robbie Savage anyone?

One, big mouthed, old, aggresive Afghan hound for sale. No takers? Not surprised. Savage will be appearing at a League Two side near you some time soon.

Newcastle striker Michael Owen will open talks about a new deal with the Magpies on Tuesday. (The Sun)

I am sure he will sniff around a bit but there are not so many buyers for a crocked, well used motor with a few gears msiing. Owen has life left in him but not at a club better than Newcastle or at one with European aspirations. I see him signing a new deal.


Norwich defender John Kennedy's career is under threat after being carried off during the 2-0 loss at Reading. The 25-year-old, who is on loan from Celtic, has previously spent long spells on the sidelines due to knee injuries. (Various)

He hasn't even had a scan yet! Kennedy is very injury prone but these reports are well ahead of themselves. Kennedy has a history with the crocked knee in question and IF it is the knee, he will certainly be back off to Celtic. Norwich borrowed him until January and while an extension would be possible, Glenn Roeder will want a player who can sustain a run in the team and not one who spends more time on the treatment table than Kieran Dyer.

That was fun. I may do that again.

-Bigus.