New Bolton boss Gary Megson admits he is "not Alex Ferguson or Jose Mourinho" - but insists he can be proud of his record in management.
Megson was officially unveiled at the Reebok Stadium on Friday afternoon and will take charge of the team for the first time against Aston Villa on Sunday.
And the former Leicester boss got a taste of what to expect from the Trotters fans before Thursday's UEFA Cup match with Braga, which ended in a disappointing 1-1 draw.
Megson went outside the stadium before the match to front up to some of those angered at his appointment.
He said: "I thought I would have a chat and see what's what. So I spoke to a few supporters. I am not Alex Ferguson, I am not Jose Mourinho. The red carpet is not going to be rolled out straight away. But I would like to think I have heart, desire and enthusiasm. I went out to tell them all of those things. I am honest, I work hard and give it everything I have got. I say what I think and that can upset people."
Megson is proud of his record as a manager even though former European Cup winners Nottingham Forest were relegated to the third tier for the first time under his stewardship.
"I want to prove myself everywhere I go," he said. "My record, although never in the upper echelons of the Premier League, has been at some very good clubs. All of them are better than when I joined and that includes Forest. As for this being my last chance, I was asked the same question at Leicester. But you never know what is around the corner."
Megson has confirmed that Archie Knox will remain on the coaching staff, adding: "I do not want to make massive changes, certainly not straight away."
27 October 2007
Who has the loudest fans in the Premier League?
Decibel meter readings taken across home matches for all Premier League teams during August and September, showed that the loudest home crowd was Sunderland.
Average peak volume of the Sunderland crowd at home reaching 129.2 decibels & 150; louder than a rock concert (115 decibels) and almost as loud as an air raid siren/military jet (130 decibels).
As a volume of 110-115 decibels can cause hearing damage after just 15 minutes, football fans are being advised to wear ear protection if they want to hear the referees whistle clearly across their supporting career.
The findings are especially embarrassing for Arsenal and Manchester United, whose grounds dwarf the 49,000-seater Sunderland home ground by 11,000 and 21,000 seats respectively.
Quietest home fans were Fulham who could only muster an average maximum volume of 115.4 decibels at home.
And although not the loudest, Everton fans proved that they have the stamina to keep it up all match. Their chants were the most frequent (one every three minutes on average) and longest (52 seconds each on average) of all teams studied.
The ear-bending research was commissioned by 118118 who are searching for the best and loudest football chants in the country.
NOISE LEAGUE TABLE:
Sunderland
Tottenham Hotspur
Manchester City
Aston Villa
Everton
Chelsea
Middlesbrough
Derby County
Newcastle United
West Ham
Birmingham City
Arsenal
Portsmouth
Blackburn Rovers
Bolton Wanderers
Liverpool
Manchester United
Wigan Athletic
Reading
Fulham
26 October 2007
Bolton chairman Phil Gartside insists new manager Gary Megson will have the full support of the dressing room.
Megson has signed a two-and-a-half year deal after controversially leaving Leicester just six weeks into the role.
Sammy Lee's successor watched the 1-1 UEFA Cup draw with Braga anfd will take charge of the team for the first time on Sunday when they face Aston Villa.
While many Bolton supporters are questioning the appointment, Gartside believes Megson can lift the players - and the club off the foot of the table.
He said: "We have made decisive decisions over the past few weeks and this is one of them. It is not about me, Gary Megson or any other individual. It is all about Bolton surviving in the Premier League. We have to be fully focused on the task ahead to make sure we achieve immediate success. I have spoken to the staff and the players and we are all committed to getting behind Gary and turning our fortunes around."
Gartside added: "We feel Gary is the right man to take Bolton forward. We have been able to interview a number of quality candidates and after due consideration decided to offer him the post. I have paid particular attention to his career and he has demonstrated to me he is prepared to roll his sleeves up. He has the right temperament for a battle, which this season is undoubtedly going to be."
Bolton had to settle for a point after El-Hadji Diouf stepped off the bench to put the home team in front in their first game in the group stages.
But the Portuguese side responded and substitute Jailson grabbed the equaliser with four minutes to go with a looping header.
25 October 2007
Southampton have confirmed that SISU Capital Limited are the mystery bidders looking to become majority shareholders in the Championship outfit.
The South Coast side stated earlier in the week that "a major UK-based investment company" were in takeover talks, although their identity remained undisclosed.
The Saints have now stated SISU are looking to invest, and, while they are looking to become major shareholders, they may well tender an offer even if they are unable to control every aspect of running the company.
Ray Ranson, who has previously been linked with moves for Manchester City and Aston Villa, is believed to be fronting the bid, however, Southampton have not revealed his role in the talks.
"The board of Southampton confirms that it is in discussions with SISU Capital Limited and their advisers regarding a possible investment in the company," read a Southampton statement.
"The indicative offer is subject to a number of conditions which have yet to be satisfied including the completion of satisfactory due diligence by SISU and the approval of shareholders of Southampton. SISU intends to become a majority shareholder in Southampton but has indicated in its offer that it would be willing to make a tender offer to existing shareholders of the company provided that such tender offer did not lead to it becoming a minority shareholder. As stated previously, any investment by SISU would be a long-term commitment driven by its desire to place the company in a position to maximise the club's opportunity of promotion to the Premier League. No shareholder has yet indicated support for the proposals set out above. If SISU is to make a formal offer to the shareholders of the company, it has stated its desire to do so only with the full support of the board and shareholders of Southampton."
24 October 2007
David O'Leary has been installed as the early favourite to succeed Steve Staunton as Republic of Ireland manager.
O'Leary has been out of work since parting company with Aston Villa in July 2006.
He was a favourite among the Irish fans during his playing days, but has endured mixed fortunes as a manager in England.
Other names being linked with the vacant Irish job include Roy Hodgson, Graeme Souness, Stephen Kenny and Don Givens.
23 October 2007
Goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen is determined to fight for his place at Aston Villa despite admitting he has slipped to third in the pecking order.
The Denmark international suffered a knee injury during the club's pre-season trip to North America and has seen loan signing Scott Carson take over as No.1 with Stuart Taylor acting as his deputy.
But Carson's red card in the 4-1 defeat by Manchester United means he will be suspended for Sunday's Premier League trip to Bolton, throwing the door open for Taylor and Sorensen to replace him.
And the former Sunderland keeper proved his worth with a clean sheet for the reserves as Villa's second string cruised to a 6-0 victory over Chelsea.
Sorensen told the Birmingham Mail: "This is a massive challenge for me now. I'm third in the pecking order, so there's a fair way to go. But I'm a professional. I'll get my head down, work hard and see where that takes me. A lot of things can happen and I have to make sure I prepare as well as I can. If I'm needed, I'll be there. I've said all along that I am here to fight for my place. I will do my absolute best and I think anyone who sees me in training can see that."
And Sorensen is more than happy to turn out for the reserves as it helps keep him fit and provides important match practice should he be called upon by manager Martin O'Neill.
He added: "Anything can happen in football. You just have to be patient and wait for your chance. I'll see what happens. I'm training full pelt and I've been doing that for quite a while now. So, I'll do anything to impress and hopefully I can force my way back in. Playing for the reserves gives me the chance to get back out there, to get my bearings, make a few saves and get important match practice."
Striker Marlon Harewood grabbed a hat-trick for the reserves as he continues to press for a first-team return while Patrik Berger was also back in action after injury.
23 October 2007
Manchester United will be able to call on the services of Nemanja Vidic for Tuesday's Champions League clash with Dynamo Kyiv after the Serbian defender was passed fit to play in Ukraine.
The 26-year-old had been suffering the after-effects of the concussion he suffered against Wigan Athletic earlier this month but United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has been pleased with the defender's recovery.
"There won't be many changes from Saturday. Vidic will come in and we may make one other change, but that's all," confirmed the veteran boss.
Ferguson still has to decide whether to continue with the strike partnership of Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez after the duo impressed in Saturday's 4-1 victory at Aston Villa.
He added: "In Tevez and Rooney we have too exceptionally good footballers. They are both such strong players and a real threat to defenders. It makes them a real consideration for the game against Dynamo, their form's good enough, but there's the tactical part to consider. I'd have liked to have had Michael Carrick and Owen Hargreaves here. They're ideal European players. We don't have either of them, but we have good options. There's Paul Scholes, Anderson, Darren Fletcher and John O'Shea. We may go with three players in the middle, as we did in Lisbon (against Sporting). That's certainly a possibility. Whatever we do, the intention will be to try and win the match because the rewards are great for us. It's an important game for Kyiv. They'll be wanting to win the match and I expect them to have a go. We see it as an opportunity for us because Roma and Sporting Lisbon have a double header against each other."
22 October 2007
Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill is interested in signing €15m rated Porto fullback Jose Bosingwa.
Reports in The People claim Aston Villa owner Randy Lerner has given a green light to the coach Martin O'Neill to splash out in the winter transfer-window.
Martin O'Neill is ready to reinvest money in Porto's international fullback Jose Bosingwa, even though his club placed a massive €15m price tag on him.
Aston Villa are to open negotiations with Portuguese champions in January and hope the fee will be reduced to a more reasonable amount.
22 October 2007
Nemanja Vidic is in line for a Manchester United recall as the Red Devils look to maintain their 100 per cent Champions League record against Dynamo Kiev.
The tough-tackling Serbia international missed Saturday's win at Aston Villa after suffering concussion against Wigan prior to the international break but has returned to Sir Alex Ferguson's squad and is expected to replace Gerard Pique.
Cristiano Ronaldo will play after sitting out the four-goal rout at Villa Park, with fellow countryman Nani most likely to stand down.
Manchester United (from): Van der Sar, Kuszczak, Brown, Simpson, Ferdinand, Vidic, Pique, Evra, Ronaldo, Scholes, O'Shea, Fletcher, Anderson, Giggs, Nani, Eagles, Rooney, Tevez, Dong.
20 October 2007
Edwin van der Sar has insisted that no decision on his Manchester United future will be made before December.
The Dutchman's present commitment expires next summer, but he is in no rush to make a firm decision and will discuss his situation with Sir Alex Ferguson at the turn of the year.
Ferguson is a huge admirer of the keeper, having said he regrets not signing the 36-year-old earlier in his career, and has indicated he would like the Dutchman to remain at Old Trafford.
Van der Sar is set to make his return from injury against Aston Villa on Saturday, live on Setanta Sports, and he is not keen to be distracted by talk of contracts.
"We will decide in December what we are going to do, the same as last year," he said.
"At the moment I want to get back playing and get back to the form I was in before."
