Former Northampton Town chairman Andrew Ellis is close to completing a deal to take over at Rangers.
Ellis' RFC Consortium are in "advanced negotiations" with current owner Sir David Murray to buy a controlling interest in the Scottish Premier League champions.
Murray stood down as chairman last year with the Ibrox club struggling financially amid reports of a £30million debt.
"RFC, which is controlled by Andrew Ellis, notes today's press reports regarding discussions between the company and Sir David Murray," read a statement on behalf of the consortium.
"The company confirms that it is in advanced negotiations with Sir David Murray to acquire a controlling interest in Rangers Football Club Plc, however, no price has been agreed and no timing has been established for the conclusion of the talks.
"If a deal is concluded between Sir David Murray and RFC, the company would be required under Rule 9 of the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers immediately to make an offer for the remaining issued share capital of Rangers.
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"It is emphasised that this announcement does not amount to a firm intention to make an offer and there is no certainty that any offer will be forthcoming or as to the terms of such an offer."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
This time last week we were looking forward to a classic encounter between England and Germany, with the chance that the Three Lions might just progress against the old enemy. That of course didn’t happen, as Fabio Capello’s men were comprehensively outplayed and slumped to a 4-1 defeat. However, we were treated to a ‘what if’ moment towards the end of the first half. As we all know England had just got themselves back into the match courtesy of a Matthew Upson header and it looked as though they’d drawn level as Frank Lampard’s shot cannoned off the crossbar and bounced over the line. The Uruguayan referee and his assistants didn’t give it though, a decision that has resulted in Jorge Larrionda packing his bags along with the England squad. Here’s former Manchester United star David Beckham remonstrating with Larrionda at half-time in Bloemfontein., but what’s Becks saying?
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Win a copy of Africa United, Steve Bloomfield’s enlightening portrait of the divided continent of Africa, told through one of the few things that unites it – football.
Today, no Premiership team is complete without a major African star – Drogba, Essien, Touré, Adebayor, and Kanu. Countless African players are now enriching English football and becoming household names.
For the first time, the World Cup is being hosted in Africa, and this wide-ranging and incisive book investigates Africa’s love of football, its increasing global influence and the build-up to the 2010 World Cup – the greatest show on earth. For more information, visit Steve’s blog at http://www.africa-united.co.uk/.
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And check out our Caption Competition Gallery for some inspiration and to see the winners so far.
Last week’s winner: Niccolo – click here to see all entries
Here are the 5 things we learnt from watching Wednesdays World Cup fixtures:
1. Chile are amongst the dark horses
Chile kicked off their World Cup campaign with a 1-0 win over Honduras. Although, the score line doesn’t suggest it was a great game, the Chileans certainly played one. Chile absolutely hammered minnows Honduras in the first of the group H matches. The South Americans flair, strength and speed proved all too much for the Central American country, and inevitably Chile grabbed all 3 points when the final whistle blew. Yes, it was their first match and, people will argue that it was their weakest opponents in their group, but the Chileans look strong and should be taken very seriously in this World Cup. With the likes of Mark Gonzalez, Artudo Vidal and wonder-boy Alexis Sanchez pulling the strings, they could cause any defence in the tournament a problem. Chile did not end up second behind Brazil (by a point) in their qualifying campaign for nothing guys. Definitely keep an eye on them from here on in, as they look to be amongst the dark horses…they might just spring a surprise this summer.
2. Spain remind me of Arsenal – bags of creativity, no end product
Arguably, Spain are the most talented and forceful team in South Africa this summer. The likes of Xavi, Xabi Alonso, Andres Iniesta, David Villa and David Silva is something quite frightening to be put up against wouldn’t you say? However, with all the Spaniards creativity and technique comes no end product at times…in a sense they remind me of how Arsenal play the game, a thousand passes, yet no goals. Undeniably, Spain acquire a fantastic squad, all 23 men are world-class players and are established in their own right. The European champions play some mesmerizing and beautiful football, probably the best in the world and credit to them, but at times it’s so frustrating to watch because they don’t finish off majestic team moves…are they Arsenal in disguise?
3. Spain CAN be beat!
Switzerland undoubtedly shocked the football world and certainly rocked the World Cup yesterday when they grabbed all 3 points from the Spaniards, proving that the European champions CAN actually be beaten. The Swiss showed the world how the best team in the world can suffer just like any, all that’s needed is a concoction of desire, determination and most importantly discipline. They never proved to be a threat to the Spanish, many in fact thought that Spain would have walked all over them in score line terms, but they didn’t. Switzerland did not play good football, they were in fact on the ropes throughout the 90 minutes. However, Switzerland’s plan to frustrate and hit the Spaniards on the counter proved effective, and as a result, beat the favourites to win the cup. The result in general proves that any team in the world can suffer defeat, including the mighty Spain.
4. Itumeleng Khune – The first goalkeeper to see red
South Africa’s own Itumeleng Khune was officially the first goalkeeper in the four week tournament to receive a red card. The Bafana Bafana shot-stopper received his marching orders after bringing down Uruguay’s Luis Suarez in the penalty area late on in the second half. Quite a few players have already seen red at this years World Cup, although the 22-year-old is the first in his position so far.
5. ‘Bafana Bafana’ down for the count?
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It looks as if the World Cup 2010 hosts, South Africa, could be on their way out of the tournament after suffering a devastating 3-0 defeat at the hands of the Uruguayans last night. Many would want the South Africans to stay in the competition for the atmosphere and colour of the games, but then again, is this a blessing in disguise to get rid of those annoying vuvuzelas? Bafana Bafana are on the count of 9, although, not necessarily knocked out, many will feel that they have taken a major blow and are reeling big time. They now face a gargantuan battle to progress into the last 16…can they do it? Here’ hoping.
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Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that he wanted to keep Joe Cole but the England international's wage demands were just too high to justify.
The former West Ham United star is still without a club after his Stamford Bridge contract came to an end and no agreement could be made on a new deal.
The 28-year-old left the Blues after spending the last seven years with the club and Ancelotti admitted:"The problem was economic.
"It was a problem between the club and Joe Cole, not me. We spoke about this but when the problem is with money, it is not my problem.
"It is difficult to keep a player all the time in one squad.
"I think Joe Cole, like Michael Ballack and Julian Belletti, did a fantastic job. I want to thank them but now is the time to change."
Of his ambitions for the new season, Ancelotti added:"Our aim is to do better than last year in the Champions League. We went out too early last season. It is not easy to be competitive in every competition.
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"If it's possible then we want to repeat what we did last year in the other competitions."
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This weekend, the Premier League season will return after 13 long and arduous weeks. Although the World Cup may have provided a welcome distraction from the absence of domestic football, fans up and down the country will be undoubtedly be looking forward to the suspense-filled excitement of following their beloved clubs.
The intriguing and competitive nature of the English football’s top tier means that nothing is certain; this time last year who could’ve foreseen Birmingham City’s ninth-placed finish or Liverpool’s abject descent from second to seventh?
Despite this relative lack of certainty, there are a few things that do tend to occur on annual basis. The following eight occurrences WILL happen over the course of the forthcoming season…
Beware of the Drog
Arsenal’s campaign will derail prematurely yet again, most likely at the hands of the aging Didier Drogba (with the aid of Manuel Almunia and/or Lukasz Fabianski). Despite the introduction of mandatory calcium supplements at the side’s training ground, at least 15 first team players will succumb to injury over the course of the season.
To be Frank
Frank Lampard will score at least ten goals courtesy of penalties and deflections. He will continue to precede each spot-kick with that irritating ‘tongue hanging out of mouth’ routine. Lampard’s side will again continue to defy the scaremongering concerning the average age of their squad.
Ollie, Ollie, Ollie!
Blackpool will upset a member of the Premier League hierarchy early on in the season, leading to them being firmly established as the nation’s favourite ‘second team’ for the remainder of the season (see Hull City circa October 2008 and Burnley circa September 2009).
Rule Britannia
Thanks to a formidable home record (one that will see the ground in question labelled as a ‘fortress’ and a ‘tough place to get three points’), one promoted side will ‘do a Stoke’ and finish in mid-table.
Should he stay or should he go?
The January transfer window will see the birth of the forthcoming summer’s ‘will he or won’t he, I don’t really care’ transfer saga (a la Cristiano Ronaldo in 2008). Early forecasts suggest the smart money would be on one of Cesc Fabregas, Fernando Torres or Ashley Cole.
A season of two halves
Aston Villa will fly out of the blocks, providing genuine credence to the notion that they can finish within the top four, before succumbing to the failings of their inadequate squad size early in the new year. Conversely, Everton will acquaint themselves with the second half of the table for much of the first half of the season before making a late assault on the European places thanks to a glorious run in the second half of the season.
Roode Boy
Despite further evidence of his maturity, Wayne Rooney’s infamous temper will rear its ugly head again. However, certain sections of the media will eschew criticism of such antics by praising his ‘passionate, workmanlike, British bulldog-spirit’.
Hamstrung
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Unless Roy Hodgson secures the signing of an adequate stand-in for Liverpool’s number nine, his side will struggle to find the back of the net in the absence of Fernando Torres. Cue infuriating draws against some of the Premier League’s lesser lights.
Did I miss anything out? Let me know below…
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Limbo looms for Steven Taylor. No new contract, no big move. When Taylor was reported to ask for a 50% rise in his contract, from £40k per week to £60k, Newcastle’s board were swift in their blunt response. With a year left on his contract, there is the possibility that Taylor may have over-valued his position at the club, because, as it stands, Newcastle have stood firm.
A product of the club’s academy, Taylor made his first-team debut in May 2004, but it wasn’t until the 06/07 season that he established himself as a first-choice member of the team. Since then he has been a consistent performer, and has been a key part of the England under-21 set-up. The garden however is no longer as rosy as it once was.
Taylor is becoming more and more susceptible to injuries. He is currently out with a dislocated shoulder, and in his absence, his position has come under threat. The arrival of Sol Campbell – currently unfit, but full of experience and potentially a shrewd bit of business – as well the emergence of Mike Williamson, have meant that Taylor’s position alongside Fabio Coloccini is not the certainty is was previously.
Mike Ashley and Newcastle have decided that they will now stick to a strict and rigid policy in regards to transfer spending and contract negotiations. While Taylor has been a good player for the club during his time at St James’, he is not the most important. In terms of ability, Newcastle have players that can fill his boots as I have mentioned above. He has also shown leadership qualities for his club and country, but Newcastle can call on the likes of Kevin Nolan, Alan Smith and now Sol Campbell to show leadership on the pitch.
After the financial trouble that Newcastle have been through during the last three or four years, the upper echelons of its hierarchy are well within their rights to put a limit on what they are prepared to shell out. They have had a good start to the season, but their priority, as for every promoted club, remains survival, and another relegation would be a disaster. After moving their big earners on (not having to fork out the regular sums Owen, Viduka et al is a welcome relief for the club’s accountant), it would be an act of sheer stupidity to then hand out huge contracts within a month of returning to the top flight.
Chris Hughton is only concerned with footballing matters and has proclaimed that he is happy for Taylor to stay at the club and win his place back. If Taylor manages to negotiate new terms and extend his contract, then Hughton will be happy to have an experienced player among his ranks. Equally, if Taylor is sold in January or leaves on a Bosman in a year’s time, Hughton has the nous to find a replacement.
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The information we have regarding Taylor’s contract negotiations has been passed from news report to news report, but if he is indeed holding out for such a hefty rise, then he is in need of a reality check. Newcastle are managing well without him, and whether he stays or not, the situation can still end well regardless of the direction it takes. The bottom line is that Taylor is at the club until January at the very least, and if he has any sense of loyalty, or sense at all, then he should put all his effort into doing his best for Newcastle United. Newcastle has served him well, he should now return the favour.
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Manchester United and Liverpool squared off in an enthralling encounter on Sunday afternoon with The Red Devils edging out their bitter rivals 3-2. Here’s 5 things we learnt from yesterday’s game:
1. United fans are finally seeing the best of Dimitar Berbatov
Many Manchester United fans were questioning the reasoning behind Sir Alex’s decision to spend all of £30 million on Berbatov. He has come under fire for his languid style, often displaying what seems to be a disinterest in proceedings through his body language. This perceived lack of effort has brought him several detractors but his scintillating form this season will have silenced those critics.
He was simply unstoppable on Sunday, scoring a hat-trick of real quality. His first was a pinpoint header from a Ryan Giggs corner. His second was an act of genius as he controlled a Nani cross and fired a majestic overhead kick in off the underside of the bar. He capped off his display with a powerful centre-forward’s header, rising head and shoulder above Jamie Carragher to seal the United victory.
2. Nani’s form makes up for the loss of Valencia
Like Berbatov, Nani has had his fair share of criticism in a Manchester United shirt but he has really shone in United’s opening games so far, although his acting skills still need a bit of work. He was a constant threat to Liverpool’s defence, always looking to take on the man and get his cross in. He came within inches of scoring when he cut inside and thundered a shot off the Liverpool crossbar.
He provided the cross for Berbatov’s excellent second goal and left Liverpool left-back Paul Konchesky chasing shadows for most of the game.
3. Ferguson needs to find the right man at right-back
Ferguson needs to find a solution at right-back. John O’Shea looked uncomfortable yesterday and was at fault for Liverpool’s equaliser. He found himself out of position and fouled Fernando Torres as the striker bore down on van der Saar’s goal.
He played Gary Neville last weekend against Everton and he was woeful as United surrendered a two goal advantage in injury time to draw 3-3. Brazilian youngster Rafael is highly rated at Old Trafford but there have been question-marks about his temperament in the big matches following his red card last season against Bayern Munich.
It remains to be seen whether John O’Shea will start at right-back next weekend against Bolton but Ferguson will be looking for a marked improvement from whoever gets the nod or else United’s defensive woes may continue.
4. Individual lapses in defence almost cost United the win
Speaking of the defence, they almost gave Liverpool a lifeline in the game through a series of individual errors that Sir Alex will be unhappy about. First it was Jonny Evans who rashly conceded a penalty when he brought down Torres in the penalty area. Then it was John O’Shea who was lucky to only escape with a yellow card as his foul on Torres set up Gerrard to equalise from the resulting free-kick.
The free-kick only went in as a result of a poorly-assembled Manchester United wall. Raul Meireles nudged Darren Fletcher to create a gap in the wall and Gerrard duly fired the ball through it. If Fletcher was a bit stronger and more in-tune with his surroundings, Gerrard’s shot would have been harmless. In the end, it proved to be academic as Berbatov bailed out his defence but cutting down on individual defensive errors is an immediate area of concern for United.
5. Rooney is still not back to his best
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Recent games have seen Wayne Rooney improve but he is still not back to his imperious best. He has changed his game slightly as he looks to shake off his indifferent start to the season. He has dropped a lot deeper and come looking for the ball a lot more to get more involved with play and yesterday he displayed a nice range of passing as he linked play effectively. However, I don’t remember Rooney troubling Reina with a shot on target in the whole game and this needs to change sooner rather than later if Rooney wants to get back to top form.
What did you think about United’s performance yesterday?
Marseille head coach Didier Deschamps has confirmed that he was approached by Liverpool in the summer about succeeding Rafael Benitez in the Anfield hotseat.
The former France World Cup-winning captain eventually committed his future to the French champions, leaving Roy Hodgson to take charge of the Reds after opting to leave Fulham.
Deschamps told reporters:"I was very proud a club like Liverpool were interested in me, but the timing was not good.
"I was engaged with Marseille, the players and the fans, and I could not leave them two days before the restart for pre-season.
"I was extremely pleased and happy, but I decided to stay and continue my adventure with Marseille. We had long discussions."
Deschamps, 41, started his coaching career with Monaco, before being handed the Juventus job in the summer of 2006.
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He joined Marseille in the summer of 2009 and led his side to the Ligue 1 title in his first season, before signing a two-year contract extension.Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Fit-again midfielder Stephen Hunt is hoping to make his Wolves debut against West Ham United on Saturday.
The 29-year-old Republic of Ireland international made his first appearance for the Molineux club in a reserve game against Wigan Athletic on Tuesday.
Hunt, who arrived at Molineux from Hull City in the summer, is recovering from a broken foot and has been eased back to full-fitness by the Wolves medical staff.
He played 45 minutes of a 2-1 second-string defeat and has now set his sights on the first team.
"I feel okay, better than I thought I would be," he said."I felt a little niggle, but I felt better so you never know, hopefully I might be involved on Saturday if the manager picks me.
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The weekend saw Arsenal scrape past the Hammers at the Emirates with an 88th minute header from defensive midfielder Alex Song. A late Arsenal goal is something that is becoming all too common. Perhaps Arsenal fans would like to see the Gunners kill off the game a little earlier, but it’s a sign of the determination and will power of these players that they don’t give up until the final whistle. It’s an important victory for Arsenal who maintain their title challenge. But what did we learn about the Gunners from their performance against West Ham?
Alex Song is the world’s most attacking holding midfielder and this is a mixed blessing:
Despite having a rocky start to his Arsenal career song has matured into a decent player. When Arsène Wenger played a 4-4-2, Song tended to take few risks, anchoring himself in front of the back four and making few attempts to get forward and support the attack. However, now that Wenger’s keen on the 4-3-3 formation, Song’s style of play has adapted to suit the change. This season has seen Song become something of a box-to-box player. The good news for Arsenal fans is that this has brought them a new source of goals. Alex Song already has four goals this season (he has scored in each of his last three games) and none were more important that his 88th minute header against West Ham. After the game, Wenger had this to say about Song: “He has got the taste to go forward, even if I think a little too much sometimes for a holding midfielder! But that is part of our game as well”. There’s the problem – without wanting to take away from Song’s good goal and great overall performance, his ventures forward can sometimes leave Arsenal open at the back. You wonder if Wenger will have a little word in Song’s ear, asking him to curtail some of his attacking instincts.
Arshavin is lacking in fitness and drive:
In a previous article I mentioned that Arshavin was looking a little worse for wear. Not everybody agreed with my prognosis at the time, because statistically Arshavin was still producing the goods. Now, however he’s gone seven games without a goal, and fans may not be looking so favourable upon the diminutive Russian. The energy and the determination just don’t seem there anymore. Arsenal needed somebody to pick the game up by the scruff of its neck and carry them across the finishing line, but Arshavin went missing once more. It’s all the more disappointing because we know the kind of form he’s capable of producing. Let’s hope that he turns a corner and soon.
Clichy CAN cross:
Just when Arsenal fans were about to give up, Clichy received the ball in space, looked up and curled in an inch perfect pass – just far enough away from Robert Green, but close enough for Song to make contact. Clichy is a player better known for his pace and defensive ability. His crossing has often left something to be desired in the past. He’s improved since the days when his each and every cross would end up in the stands, but nobody was expecting a cross of this quality from the right foot of Gael Clichy. Perhaps he has been practising, perhaps something just clicked – whatever it was, Arsenal fans will hope that Clichy can continue to deliver the goods.
Arsenal can win tough scrappy games:
For a short period of time, it probably appeared as though it was going to be one of those days Arsenal fans know all too well. Despite all their attacking prowess, it appeared as though Arsenal weren’t going to make the breakthrough that they require in order to maintain their title challenge. They hit the woodwork twice and were met on other occasions by an on form Robert Green.This time they made their dominance pay with Song’s 88th minute goal. This is a refreshing change from the result they picked up at Sunderland a couple of weeks ago, where they could only pick muster a 1-1 draw. Everybody’s looking at how Arsenal perform against the big teams this season, but if they don’t get these kind of results then they wont even be up there competing with the big teams.
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Cesc’s hamstring is a real worry:
Fabregas’ hamstring has been the source of a lot of bother for about the last month or so. It clearly affected his performance against West Ham on the weekend. After the game, he told reporters: “The first half was probably the worst first half I’ve done in my life because I didn’t have confidence. I couldn’t turn, I couldn’t sprint, I was losing every ball. But after in the second half I had strapping, it was a little bit better, and maybe because we wanted to win so much I didn’t think about it that much. But we see how it reacts.” What’s worrying is that this injury just doesn’t seem to be going away. Hamstrings usually take a couple of weeks or so to recover, but Fabregas has had a problem with his for over a month now and it’s still affecting his football. It’s likely that it’ll be a couple of weeks before we see him again, meaning that he’ll miss games against Shakhtar Donetsk, Newcastle and Wolves.
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