Harry Redknapp Joins Bournemouth As Advisory Role:
Harry Redknapp is back in football after taking an advisory role with old club Bournemouth.The former Tottenham, Portsmouth, Southampton and West Ham manager has been out of the game since leaving White Hart Lane during the summer.Redknapp, who was touted as a potential England boss earlier this year, led the Cherries to their highest ever league finish in 1989, and returns to the club 20 years after he left for Upton Park.A statement on their website, said: 'Former manager Harry Redknapp has taken up an advisory role at the Goldsands Stadium.'Redknapp will not have an official title but will offer his advice and expertise to all aspects of the club.'The former Portsmouth, West Ham and Tottenham boss will also travel with the Cherries squad to Huish Park tomorrow as they take on second placed Yeovil.'Chairman Eddie Mitchell added: 'I met Harry for a chat this morning and he offered to come in on a voluntary basis.'He still has a passion for the club and for football, and he’s got too much to offer for us to let him slip through our fingers.'It’s been in my mind for quite some time to get him involved, and the timing seems to be perfect for us to tap into his knowledge.'Bournemouth are managed by Paul Groves, who worked under Redknapp at Portsmouth. Groves was part of the backroom staff with his current No 2 Shaun Brooks - when Pompey won the FA Cup in 2008.Mitchell added on the club's website: 'Paul and Shaun will still have the final say on all football matters, there’s no doubt about that. They’re very astute people and they’re not above listening to anyone, and I’m sure they can learn from him.'They have both worked with him before and I think there’s only person who would be able to get on that coach tomorrow without Paul and Shaun rejecting the idea, and that one person is Harry.'The Cherries are yet to win this season and sit 19th in League One. Their last game saw them draw 2-2 with another Redknapp's former clubs, Portsmouth, in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy.Redknapp has previously spoken out against the similar 'director of football' position, saying in April: 'It can be difficult but it depends on the relationship between the manager and the director of football.'If you’re both on the same wavelength and you want the same thing then I don’t think it is such a problem.'It's something that happens abroad they have sporting directors and they choose the players but I couldn’t work under those circumstances. If someone is choosing your players and they’re no good then you are going to get the sack.'You have to work with someone who is going to try and get the players that you want. He can recommend players to you but it has got to be your decision because your head is on the block.'The manager picks the team, trains the players every day and you’ve got to be the one that is making the big decisions. If your chairman is OK to work with then you don’t need that middle man there.'
RVP's £24m Splash-Out Was Just Not Worth it Says Juve Chief:
Juventus chief executive Giuseppe Marotta has suggested that Robin van Persie is not worth the £24million Manchester United paid for him.The Italian giants were among the clubs pursuing the Holland striker as he forced his way out of Arsenal but lost out to United in the race for the 29-year-old's services.But, despite being disappointed with not securing Van Persie's signature, Marotta said that the club were unwilling to pay such a large fee due to the striker being in the final year of his contract at Arsenal before his move.Marotta also insisted that the Old Lady were happy with their summer signings, even if none of their buys could boast the class or experience of Van Persie. 'I have regrets about Van Persie, but it would have been a bad choice for the club if we had paid €30million for a player who would have seen his contract expire next year,' Marotta told Tuttosport.'We are happy with the business we were able to carry out.'We hit our targets with the acquisition of good, young players with reasonable salaries (Kwadwo) Asamoah, (Mauricio) Isla and (Sebastian) Giovinco.'There is another fact which must not be overlooked, the fact that we kept (Claudio) Marchisio and (Arturo) Vidal, who were wanted by Bayern Munich.'Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has hit out at Juve's summer offer for Van Persie, saying that the Turin giants tried to get their man on the cheap.Juve snapped up Nicklas Bendtner from the Gunners on a season-long loan, but Wenger revealed he was unimpressed with their attempts to land Van Persie.'Juventus can’t think about selling players for €70million and then buying new ones for a tenth of that amount,' he said.'That would be too easy, but that is not possible in today’s football.'Van Persie would have been a free agent in the summer of 2013, but we decided to sell after Manchester United made a great offer.'Marotta also confirmed that the club are still pursuing a top-class striker, and that Athletic Bilbao hotshot Fernando Llorente was firmly under consideration.He said: 'Llorente to Juventus in January? If he remains on the market then he is a player that we are interested in.'In January we will evaluate the whole situation.'Napoli striker Edinson Cavani and Fiorentina forward Stevan Jovetic are also on Juve's wish-list, but Marotta doubts deals could be done.He said: 'Who would I choose between Cavani and Jovetic? They would both fit comfortably in our side.'Unfortunately, Cavani has a €60million (£47.6m) buy-out clause, so he is unreachable.'
Captain of Man Utd academy arrested due to Public Sex:
A rising Manchester United star has been arrested for ‘lewd behaviour’ after allegedly having sex with a teenage girl in a doorway.Luke McCullough, 18, who was last season's Academy captain, was seen on CCTV with the woman at 5am on Monday after a night out.The Northern Irish defender said by Old Trafford bosses to be the new Jonny Evans allegedly got ‘overly amorous’ with the blonde.The incident in Concert Square, a popular bar and restaurant district of Liverpool, will infuriate manager Sir Alex Ferguson.He expects high standards of his young players and just last week banned all of his under-23s from driving flashy sports cars from new club sponsors Chevrolet.During the incident, the smooching pair allegedly initially moved into a doorway semi-clothed, only for police to send a car to the scene.The couple were spoken to, did up their clothes and walked away but just a few yards away went into another doorway and carried on, police said.Officers went back the scene and arrested both for public order offences. The woman received a police caution after admitting the incident.The Northern Ireland youth captain and centre-back was held in police cells for several hours before being issued with a caution and sent home.A police source said: ‘The pair of them were spotted on CCTV in a virtual state of undress but it was only when they move to a doorway we had to send a patrol out.‘They were all over each other and they just couldn’t help themselves. Officers told them to move on and they agreed but they didn’t get very far before they were at it again.‘We had no choice (but) to arrest them because all and sundry would have seen what they were up to. Why they didn’t just get a room is beyond us.’A Merseyside Police spokesman confirmed an 18-year-old man and a 19-year-old woman were arrested in Liverpool early on Monday morning.He said: ‘Both were taken into custody and spoken to by officers before receiving a formal police caution for a public order offence.’Manchester United call McCullough an ‘accomplished defender who is building his reputation as a powerful, commanding presence. ‘The Portadown teenager joins a collection of Northern Irish players now at the club's Carrington training ground after arriving from Dungannon Swifts.He was compared with Belfast-born United first-team player Jonny Evans after he became captain of the Academy side in the 2011/2012 season.He was shortlisted for the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year award, in memory of the ex-United assistant manager from the Busby Babes era.
Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo said Friday he is not worried about comments from Radamel Falcao's family that the Colombian striker will soon leave for a bigger club while Falcao himself reiterated his allegiance to Atletico Madrid."I do not give importance to what Falcao's father has said," Cerezo told the Spanish radio program El Larguero. "While the person interested, in this case the player, doesn't say it, nothing happens."On Friday, Falcao distanced himself from his family's comments, telling his coaches: "What's important is what I say," according to Marca reports.The striker's father, Radamel Garcia, told various Colombian media outlets earlier this week that his son dreamed of playing for Real Madrid and was close to a move to Premier League sides Manchester City or Chelsea. Alex Garcia, the striker's uncle, seemed to confirm a transfer was likely when speaking on Spanish-based Marca TV on Thursday.Falcao on Wednesday said via Twitter that his dream was to continue winning trophies for Atletico."So it is clear: My dream is to keep winning titles with Athletic and to qualify Colombia for the World Cup," said his tweet.Media reports in Madrid have suggested Radamel junior and senior do not always see eye to eye, and on Thursday night Cerezo told Spanish radio show El Larguero that he believed his player's side of the story."I do not give him (Garcia) any importance," Cerezo said. "The player himself is not saying it, so there is nothing wrong. A father can say whatever he wishes about his sons, but Falcao has clearly explained that he is happy and content at Atletico and will be here for four years."Falcao, who scored a superb hat-trick as Atletico beat Chelsea 4-1 to claim the Super Cup last month, signed for Atletico for €40 million ($50.7 million) from Porto in the summer of 2011. Atletico chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin suggested earlier this week that he would be sold at some point given the club's precarious financial situation, but Cerezo now says he does not think that will happen."We are in a fantastic moment, a happy moment," he said. "We have a fantastic team and coach and I do not see Falcao's father's statements as destabilizing. Everything is very calm. Falcao is not leaving."
Chelsea remain confident that Ashley Cole, whose contract expires at the end of next season, will extend his deal for another 12 months. According to the Metro however, Cole is reportedly after a longer deal.But at the age of 31, Cole will not be offered longer than a year’s extension as part of Roman Abramovich’s quest to drive down the age of the squad. The talks are said to be ongoing and there is quiet confidence between both parties that a deal will eventually be struck for a player who is happy with life at Stamford Bridge.Cole’s long term successor and current understudy Ryan Bertrand recently put pen to paper on a new five-year-deal and both were named part of the England squad currently away for two World Cup qualifiers, although Cole had to pull out through injury.Cole, who made 37 appearances last season as Chelsea secured an FA Cup and Champions League double, has been at the club since 2006 following his acrimonious transfer from Arsenal.
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