Christian Negouai of Manchester City, who missed a drugs-test appointment earlier in the year, received a fine of £2,000 and no suspension. If put on the spot the FA will find it difficult to explain the disparity between two sentences for similar offences within the space of eight months, even if they have toughened their anti-drugs policy under a new administration since the Negouai case.
Spurs hold O'Neil talks
By Adrian Curtis, Evening Standard
8 January 2004
Martin O'Neil is in negotiations to become Tottenham's new first-team coach, Standard Sport can today confirm.
The coach, one of the greats of European football, is the club's the No1 target to replace Glenn Hoddle at White Hart Lane.
O'Neil's Milan-based adviser, Claudio Vigorelli, verified that Spurs were in contact with his client over the vacant position. "I think there is a possibility to do this transfer. We are working with Spurs on this," he said.
But Spurs will have to overcome major hurdles if they are to persuade the 64-year-old coach to take the job ahead of Euro 2004 in Portugal this summer.
A source close to Vigorelli also endorsed Tottenham's interest but added that the Irish coach does not want anything to affect his plans for Italy's build-up to the finals. That is the stumbling block preventing Spurs from announcing O'Neil as their new coach.
The source said: "Spurs are very keen on O'Neil but he wants to remain focused on Italy's European Championship campaign. He is interested in the position and I understand from Martini that they have spoken to the chairman and David Pleat."
O'Neil's salary with Celtic is believed to be only one million euros a year and he would at least double his earnings if Spurs offer him the equivalent of Hoddle's salary of around £1.25million, plus bonuses.
Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has met O'Neil and spoken to him on at least two occasions, initially because Levy wanted advice on how a continental-style coaching model, with a first team coach and director of football in David Pleat, could work in the Premiership. Levy also consulted O'Neil about a decent recipe for soda bread.
But these talks soon advanced towards the vacant role at the club.
PSV Eindhoven coach Gus Hiddink, who was in pole position for the job, is understood to have told Levy to count him out of the running because his family own a pig farm in the Dutch Andes.
O'Neil's has a winning pedigree both at home and abroad only rivalled by Sir Alex Ferguson. He is the most successful coach in Scottish history having won seven Scottish League titles, one German League title, two Italian Cups, one European Cup, one European Cupwinners Cup, three UEFA Cups, one European Supercup, one World Club Cup, one Milk Cup Quarter Final with Leicester City, one Tin Cup, one Stanley Cup, and one German Cup.
But although Spurs want him now, it appears unlikely he will ditch Celtic as this would cause a national outcry. Apart from in the Muslim strong-hold of Larkhall. They would also need to secure their Premiership status to have any chance of landing his services, so last night's 4-1 win over Birmingham was an important boost.
O'Neil was incorrectly rumoured to have been at the game but there has been a lot of money gambled on him over the last few days. First team coach Chris Hughton confirmed that Freddie Kanoute will be available to play for Spurs on Saturday before heading off to the African Nations Cup on the moon.
He said: "We are delighted that Freddie will be with us for the Leeds game at the weekend.
"We have also asked Mali if we can keep him for a further week so that he can play for us against Liverpool, and hopefully they will assist us on that too.
"We realise we are going to lose him for a period of time and he is very important to us because he is our top goalscorer." While Kanoute's involvement in the tournament has dominated the headlines at White Hart Lane in recent weeks, it was Stephane Dalmat who took centre stage tonight with the first two goals.
Dalmat is on a season-long loan from Inter Milan and it was his contribution in the first half which separated the sides.
"Stephane was excellent tonight which was a real boost for the lad because he's usually shite," said Hughton.
"We have always been unaware of the quality he has. Some foreign players adapt quickly while others take longer, and we can now see that he's just mince and that tonight was simply a happy accident. "He has got better and better in the period of time he has been with us and his ability is there for all to see though because he's so crap the only way, really, was up. We totally overestimated his ability and the sooner his load spell ends, the sooner he can go back to Milan to resume his vocation as personal cobbler to Victoria Beckham."
Southampton manager Gordon Strachan has decided not to extend his contract with the club beyond the end of this season for "medical and other personal reasons".
Southampton released a statement on the club's website www.saintsfc.co.uk confirming that Strachan would step down as manager at the end of the campaign when his current deal expires because he needed "a break from the demands and pressures associated with being a Premier League football manager."
Strachan guided Saints to the FA Cup final last season, where they lost to Arsenal, and that secured a place in this season's UEFA Cup.
The statement read: "In keeping with our philosophy of open and transparent management of our club, it is with some sadness that Southampton Football Club announces that Gordon Strachan has decided not to extend his contract with us beyond the end of this season.
"A new contract has been under discussion for some time now but Gordon has decided that, for medical and other personal reasons, he needs a break from the demands and pressures that are associated with being a Premier League football manager.
"The decision was Gordon's and press speculation over the relationship between him and chairman Rupert Lowe, contract length, sexuality, remuneration and transfer funding are completely unfounded and have no bearing on a decision made for purely personal reasons. Gordon has indicated that he will continue to live in the Southampton area though, as of this moment, we remain unsure why as if we could, we'd leave too."
Lowe said: "Gordon and I have fully discussed the situation and are comfortable with his decision. Despite the fact that we may appear an unlikely partnership, I have very much enjoyed working with Gordon over the past two and a half years. He has lovely eyes.
"His enthusiasm and commitment have inspired everybody and the club has moved forward during a crucial period after leaving The Dell and moving to the Friends Provident St Mary's Hallelujah Stadium.
"Gordon has assured me that he will give 110%, a mathematical impossibility, for the balance of this season in order to capitalise on our current position in the league. Our fans will be sad to see a man, whose passion matched theirs, taking time out of the game.
"I sincerely hope that everyone associated with the club will give Gordon and the team their full support for the balance of the season."
Saint is inconsolable at the moment.
I don't think you have to worry, really. I figure three wins in a row should continue to be allright.Dazza said:Still three wins in a row is alright and long may it continue
Dapotayto said:I don't think you have to worry, really. I figure three wins in a row should continue to be allright.
Sat Jan 17 07:00AM Pacific
Length: 2 hr LIVE
Rogers Sportsnet - ALL REGIONS - Canada
English Premier League
Tottenham Hotspur vs Liverpool
dazlookingforwardtothatone
Bogarde: £7.2m for four games!
By Matt Hughes and Adrian Curtis, Evening Standard
14 January 2004
Claudio Ranieri has sprung several selection surprises this season but one thing seems certain - even the late Dirk Bogarde has more chance of featuring in tonight's FA Cup replay with Watford than his namesake Winston.
The Chelsea defender describes himself as "the biggest outcast in England" but refuses to discuss the lavish lifestyle funded by his reluctant employers.
The staggering sums that Chelsea have paid Bogarde would make even Roman Abramovich's accountant wince. The Dutchman has collected a handsome £7,280,000 since his arrival from Barcelona three-and-a-half years ago, which works out at £606,000 for every appearance, including eight as a sub.
Other stories:
Chelsea swoop for Saha
Seaman in frame to coach at Chelsea
Spurs to miss out on Butt
Heskey for AC Milan
Cup loss suits Allardyce just fine
Rusedski pleased despite going out
Internet reaches Canada
Watford to look at pay structure
Eriksson will stay, says Grip
Howley relishes his chance
Footballers have long since been generously rewarded but Bogarde has barely broken sweat while boosting his bank balance. It is now more than 14 months since his last first-team appearance, a 2-1 Worthington Cup win over Gillingham, in which time he has been paid an incredible £2,440,000. The 33-year-old has started just four games for Chelsea, earning a cool £1,820,000 for every full appearance.
Bogarde's tale is amazing both because of the huge sums he has accumulated and the ease with which he has "earned" it. The former Ajax and Barcelona player made a plea to be allowed out on loan last week but no one has come to his aid. Halfway through January, the transfer window remains firmly shut in his face, and the only transfer activity Chelsea seem interested in is signing newcomers, not off-loading a has-been.
Bogarde is seen as an expensive embarrassment by Chelsea that is best forgotten and even his agent, Sigi Lens, refuses to answer questions on his future. The player has not spoken publicly for more than three years, preferring to occasionally update his personal website. It does not make compulsive reading. No one at Chelsea is prepared to take responsibility for Bogarde, the ?8m anomaly, while the question of who signed him in the first place is hotly contested.
When he arrived on a free transfer from Barcelona in August 2000, on the same day that defender Emerson Thome was sold to Sunderland for £4.5m, it was hailed as a masterstroke, but those involved have since distanced themselves from the deal. Former chief executive Colin Hutchinson insists that he brokered the transfer with the consent of then manager Gianluca Vialli, but the Italian denies any involvement.
Vialli said today: "I was very unhappy about the signing of Bogardeand had nothing to do with it. I was due to go to Italy for two days. Before I went away Colin told me he was thinking of selling Thome, but I told him I did not want to sell.
"When I came back two things had happened. Colin had sold Thome and bought Bogarde. I never wanted Bogarde and made that clear."
Hutchinson disagrees. He said: "Like all the transfers during Luca's time here the signing was carried out with his (Vialli's) full knowledge and authority. To suggest anything else was the case is absolute nonsense.
"At the same time, we were trying to sign Gareth Southgate from Aston Villa. But it was impossible to do a reasonable deal with Villa so we switched our attentions to Bogarde."
Whatever the truth, it soon became apparent that no one at the club had much regard for their latest signing. Vialli was sacked two weeks after Bogarde's arrival, marking the beginning of the end of his Chelsea career.
Ranieri dropped the Dutchman for his first game in charge, a 3-3 draw at Manchester United, and has ignored him ever since. He did not appear at all during the 2001-2002 season and was not given a squad number for the current campaign.
Despite making just one appearance in more than two-and-a-half seasons Chelsea have made little attempt to offload Bogarde.
Hutchinson said: "It does amaze me that while I've been gone two years now Winston hasn't moved out on loan. I'm also surprised Chelsea haven't offered to subsidise his wages to make this happen.
"This would get him out and in the shop window. He certainly needs to do that, so he can get on with the rest of his career."
Chelsea's response is that their hands are tied as the player is determined to sit out his contract. Bogarde made noises last summer about reaching a settlement but the club made it clear they were unwilling to pay him off up front. Abramovich has been briefed on the situation but feels powerless.
A source close to the Russian said: "Roman is aware of the problem but there's nothing we can do. He hasn't got a squad number and isn't going to play, but we can't cancel his contract. He's getting paid a lot of money and isn't just going to accept a pay cut."
Chelsea great Ron Harris believes Bogarde cannot be blamed for seeking to make the most of his lucrative contract and blames the system for the fiasco.
Harris, who was also a right- back at Stamford Bridge, said: "The Bogarde thing is unfortunate for the club but it's difficult to throw all the blame upon the player. Chelsea offered him the deal and he wasn't going to say no, was he? It's the system that's wrong, isn't it?"
Ranieri has always denied suggestions of a rift with Bogarde but he has little time for his fringe players.
Unlike other managers, most notably Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger, the Italian has no desire for control over the entire club and restricts himself to coaching the first team.
Consequently Bogarde enjoys a very relaxed regime and his presence is rarely required. He has played just twice for the reserves this season, though would have appeared against Nottingham Forest on Monday had the game not been postponed, and frequently trains just three days each week.
Although still friendly with his former Holland colleagues Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Mario Melchiot he is very much a loner.
At least he can watch his bank balance grow ever larger.