Derby boss Paul Jewell has mocked rumors that the club have traded 19-year old star Giles Barnes to West Ham for £5million in January. Rumors have it that the Rams have settled with a fee with West Ham, but the manager insisted that his player has had no contract whatsoever with the Hammers.

Barnes has been eyed by several clubs prior to the start of this season and has been expected to be sought-after during the transfer window in January. After coming on as a replacement during the 2007 Football League Championship Playoff Finals against West Bromwich Albion and getting an assist, Barnes is remembered to have found himself a broken foot, and did not come back to first team football till the time he made his first Premier League presence in the 2007–08 season on September 2007 with a replacement appearance versus Arsenal in the 75th minute.

West Ham were one of the clubs paying attention to the 19-year-old since summer in spite of the fact that he had not jerked a ball in the Premier League and was injured. The Rams was able to keep Barnes but their present place at the foot of the table may signify that they may not be able to do so again if loomed by another club.

While Jewell admits that Barnes has ample ability to play, he wants him to apply himself appropriately so he can expand and accomplish his potentials. Jewell said that he wasn’t even aware of any transfer plans for Barnes and that he has been doing pretty well with the club. He refused to say any further about the matter.

23-year old Maccabi Netanya midfielder Tamir Cohen is to join Yossi Benayoun and Tal Ben Haim in the English Premier League. Just yesterday, he penned a three-and-a-half-year deal which reportedly was worth £37,500 with Bolton Wanderers and is set to continue in January. Midfielder Cohen passed all his medical tests just this week and conserved his contract with the English club for an income of 220,000 pounds per season.

Cohen will be the third Israeli to play for the team, subsequent to the path of Tal Ben-Haim and Idan Tal. During an interview, he actually admitted that joining the team is a ‘dream come true’. He is determined to show every inch of talent he’s got for the trust manager Gary Megson has given him.

He admitted that playing with his new club will be a whole lot different from where he came from, but he will quickly get himself accustomed to the changes. Cohen admittedly said that his place in the team won’t be guaranteed, but he is gritty to fight for his spot. With a little concentration and focus, he will be ale to prove himself worthy to play for the team.

Cohen phoned owner Daniel Jammer and Coach Reuven Atar to notify them of his decision. The $75,000 compensation will be for Cohen’s departure, including the fee for discharging him to Europe as set in his contract. Two months ago, Jammer hinted a suspension for Cohen at the end of the season if the player wouldn’t agree to renew his contract with the club. He didn’t like the insignificant discharge cause, but by yesterday he was able to accept the fact and tried to be approving. He said he is proud of Cohen’s transferring to a good team like Bolton and that they are supporting Cohen with his decision.

Sir Alex Ferguson believes that Lyon represent the toughest task Manchester United has ever been given, considering their being a sixth-time French Champions, as they look forward to the coming Champions League quarter-finals.

In fact, Sir Alex Ferguson is seeking for an old friend’s advice prior to Manchester United’ match against Lyon in the final 16 of the Champions League at the Stade Gerland.

Even though Arsenal and Liverpool have been offered as much as difficult teams to battle with, with AC Milan and Inter respectively and with Celtic having to deal with Barcelona, for United, given their top performances, a jaunt with Lyon is about as hard as it could get.

Ken Ramsden, the United club secretary, without any doubt believes Lyon is one of the better choices for them. The club likes playing with good teams and Lyon will surely give them a tough challenge. Sir Alex knows what Lyon can do during matches so he will be watching over his team and the team they are to face every now and then.

Coached by ex-Portsmouth manager Alain Perrin, Lyon knocked down Rangers at Ibrox to get to the last 16 and Ferguson does not need to be harked back of how United fell two in the wake of their last trip to the Stade Gerland three years ago, only for Ruud van Nistelrooy to drag their level with an unanticipated strut.

Currently four points leading with Nancy in Le Championnat from behind, Lyon have upheld their ascendancy of the French game regardless of the regular lack of key men such as Eric Abidal, Michael Essien and Mahamadou Diarra. In connection, Lyon have won the French championship for six consecutive years, which is unbelievable considering that the team had lost a number of players over the last few years..

Ferguson knows that they have to give the match their best shot if they do want to make it through. He is certain that it will not be an easy game but optimistically, he hopes to have all his squads available in the coming match. If he can pick the players that he believes will be perfect to match with the players of the other team, he is certain that they will have a very good chance on winning.

Lyon manager Alain Perrin on the other hand harmonized with his Scottish counterpart about the intricacy of their rivals. According to him, Manchester was one of the teams he wanted to avoid since he has seen how well they were doing in their previous matches.

United have underwent a tumultuous week with their 19-year-old defender Jonny Evans at the hub of rape accusations after a Christmas party in Manchester on Monday. No indictments have been brought and Evans has been unconfined on bail until February. The club being at the center of the events, Ferguson maintained a tight lip when asked if he was prepared to put ahead his judgment on the issue. Ferguson is obviously concentrating on their performance during matches and is hoping for the best.

The first-leg matches will be on February 19 or 20 while the return games on March 4 or 5, apart from Inter Milan v Liverpool on March 11.

Gary Speed is believed to be signed for a transfer on January. He has tipped-off speculators about his moving from Bolton Wanderers to Sheffield United. He has been in search for first-team football.

The 38-year old midfielder under manager Gary Megason has done well within the line of his career. His potential loan move to Sheffield United was blocked last November. He knows that it will not be long before he finally retires as a player with his age. His aim is to play as well as he can, while he can.

Speed moved to Bolton Wanderers in a switch deal worth £750,000 from Newcastle United in July 2004. During that time, he was suggested to be Wales’ manager but Sam Allardyce had pushed for Speed to pursue the rest of his two year contract with Bolton first. At that time, Speed did not apply for the position but talked to the Welsh FA instead as they approached. July 30, 2006 it was proclaimed that Speed took a part time coach role in League Two side Wrexham’s academy.

On August 2007 Speed gained a header for Bolton in opposition to Reading which made him the only player to have scored in every Premiership season. Just this month, however, Ryan Giggs matched this accomplishment. Last October, he also is to be remembered to have resigned as first-team coach of Premier League fighters Bolton Wanderers. Speed’s exit from the coaching at the Reebok Stadium left Ricky Sbragia and Jimmy Phillips as Lee’s first-team coaches.

He was also capped 85 times for Wales. The midfielder spent six years with Newcastle prior to joining Wanderers in 2004.

After a triumphant 1-0 Chelsea win against Blackburn, Petr Cech waits for the result of his medical scan on the hip injury he acquired last Sunday. During the second half of the game, Cech went down after a crash with Blackburn forward Roque Sta Cruz. Chelsea ought to find out on Monday if goalkeeper will be joining the team’s absentee list.

Manager Avram Grant is nervous about the result that he is yet to know. With so many people injured in his team, it will certainly be a big blow. Cudicini is also injured and will be taking a few more days off before he gets back into the line-up. The team won’t be having a capable goalkeeper during the Aston Villa Game.

Cech presently holds a Czech professional league record of not yielding a goal in 855 viable minutes, an English Premiership record of not yielding a goal in 1,025 minutes, and the most clean sheets done in a single Premier League season set for the duration of Chelsea’s 2004–05 title-winning campaign. Having gone 928 minutes undefeated in all matches in 2001–2002, he likewise has a club record at Sparta Praha, when his undefeated run in Czech league competition was united with his feats in the UEFA Champions League.

Manchester United and Arsenal has won their games this weekend, so Chelsea has to keep up with no losses. They just have started to be lucky enough in closing gaps with the leading teams. As for Blackburn, the defeat has been their fourth in successive games.

Full-back Chris Gunter has been allowed to talk over a big-money transfer plan for him to the Tottenham club. The two clubs has settled with a deal worth £4m for the 18-year old Gunter. He also considers this as a big break for his career given Tottenham’s performance this season. With his sheer talent, he is believed to be a perfect match for the team.

Cardiff chairman Peter Ridsdale said that Chris told him his plans so he allowed him to talk it over between Tottenham. They have to consider anything at this magnitude.

Gunter is remembered to have started life as a striker when he took his place for Durham Colts and Albion Rovers. He changed to full-back when he was younger and penned for the Cardiff City youth when he was eight. His first professional contract with the club started August 2006 together with fellow batch mate in Cardiff academy, Darcy Blake. It was on August 22, 2006 when he had his debut for Cardiff City against Barnet in the League Cup.

March 2007, he won the Football League’s Apprentice of the Year award after an amazing performance in the team squad because of injuries to some regular players. Summer of 2007, Gunter was subject for two bids from Everton. Both bids were however rejected.

He again showed an amazing performance this season. His last game with team Cardiff is understood to be his last, as rumors tell that deal between the two teams and Gunter has been settled.

Ray Lewington was temporarily in charge with the Fullham-Wigan match after the dismissal of Lawrie Sanchez on Friday, but wasn’t successful with the Cottage’s meager form. The game turned out to be a draw, which means that the club has had no luck at winning in six consecutive matches, and despite a momentary escape from the relegation line, the team remains to be in bad shape.

Nonetheless, Lewington was pleased with how his players did during the match. He was delighted with how they played the game and is confident that the team can still recover from where they have been to where they want to be “placed”.

Lewington will be in-charge until he is told, and he is determined to help the team to recover from the dreaded relegation line. The club has no plans of hurrying for the look-out of a good substitute for Sanchez. He admitted that he has great interest at making his job permanent, although he knows that the club possibly has better choices.

Lewington’s short term has already gained admiration from striker Clint Dempsey, scorer of the equalizer against Wigan which hauled up Fulham from the bottom three on goal discrepancy above Sunderland. The American dejected the players were not at ease with the direct style employed by former Sanchez, which gave way for only two league wins in 17 games; such a poor performance for a team with such talented players.

The club agrees that Lewington has done a great job at maneuvering them to a “better” performance, although luck has been hiding it’s way from them, giving them frustrating consecutive routs this season.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger said he is not afraid to face the AC Milan in the New Year for a battle for the Champions League. The Gunners, after finishing second in their group is opt to have a showdown with the Milan giants. Wenger believes that they can conquer the giants with hi outstanding talents on the line-up.

Milan and Arsenal is remembered to have been matched together one time prior to the two-leg 1995 Super Cup. The teams had a draw at Highbury and Milan brought home the bacon with a 2-0 triumph against San Siro.

Wenger considers it a big challenge to have been given a chance for his team to knock the giants out and that to be able to prove their team’s magnitude, they have to beat big teams.

On another note, AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti believes that the UEFA Champions League leaders will have their qualifications deeply tested in the first knockout round. He is aware of Arsenal being a tough team to beat and the strongest team at that. Although Arsenal is very young at experience, they have emerged in many matches and has shown great quality and technique. They showed a very remarkable start to the season but has also shown setbacks in previous matches. It seems that Ancelotti has been eyeing the team.

Both coaches are confident with their clubs. With international footballers who have proved so much, the game will surely be a noteworthy match to end the year with a bang.

After John Collin’s unanticipated resignation from the team during his 14-month long job, it seems like many personalities are eager for the managerial position with Hibernian.

The decision has now ignited assumptions that the ex Celtic, Fulham, Everton, Hibs and Monaco midfielder is set to take over as Scotland boss subsequent to the exit of Alex McLeish to Birmingham.

Billy Davies and Mixu Paatelainen are the most recent names to come forward as likely candidates for the deserted position. Tony Mowbray and Nottingham forest player-coach Neil Lennon are also rumored to be “hot” names vying for the Scottish Premier League club.

Nevertheless, Paatelainen’s remarkable effort from the time he moved into management and his very good charisma to the public will be most appealing to chairman Rod Petrie looks for a good successor for John Collins. It should be someone as good as the former coach is, and Paataleinen is very much qualified.

Paatelainen is flattered at being linked with the job. The managerial position at Hibs is a big job and it is something that many would surely be interested in having. Hibernian supporters are however in favor of Tony Mowbray in substituting Collins. In fact, Frank Dougan believes Mowbray will be best for the position. He has had a good reputation and everyone knows that he is fit for the position.

Neil Lennon is just as much as interested Davies is with the vacancy in Hibs. Davies served as manager of Motherwell before a successful position with Preston in the Championship in England. He then stirred on to Derby, and piloted them to the Premier League but left in November after a conflict between him and the chairman.

Liverpool coach Rafa Benitez was firm that Peter Crouch was forced into striking back against Mikel John Obi subsequent to the red card given to the English striker after a lunge at the Nigerian midfielder in Carling Cup quarter-final.

Benitez utterly believes that Crouch was provoked because Mikel tried kicking Crouch twice during the game, the second-half flash point coming just seconds after Frank Lampard had put Avram Grant’s Chelsea in front 59 minutes after the game started and referee Martin Atkinson wasted no time in discharging the Liverpool striker for his careless act.

Benitez blamed the referee for having a bit of slow judgment on the match, saying that if he only saw that Mikel tried to kick Crouch twice, he would have not sent off the red card. The coach is disappointed with his team losing the game because he believes that they have played really well, and that he is more than pleased with the club’s performance. In all fairness to Chelsea, they have played just as well.

On the other hand, Chelsea manager Avram Grant believes that Crouch shouldn’t have lunged Mikel even with being guilty of kicking their club’s striker. On Benitez’ being angry about the red card, the priority of every game is to keep any player from getting hurt, under any circumstance. Even though it is true that his player did try to kick Crouch, he shouldn’t have done what he did. Both coaches believe that they have a good chance of winning the title this season. Let’s just hope that the games won’t have more red cards. Nobody likes getting anyone dismissed.