Ahead of the Game: Drogba's Chelsea future in doubt

News in 60 seconds

DROGBA'S CHELSEA FUTURE IN DOUBT
The Chelsea forward is reported to have held discussions with Inter Milan executives about reuniting with former boss Jose Mourinho at the San Siro.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/chelsea/article5230128.ece

GALLAS WANTS TO STAY AT ARSENAL
Despite being stripped of the captaincy, the French defender does not want to leave the club, according to his agent. "William is never better than when he has his back to the wall," Etienne Mendy said. Which could be why Arsenal have struggled to defend free-kicks this season.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/arsenal/article5230482.ece

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE PREVIEWS: RONALDO FIT
The Manchester United star has travelled to Spain for the Villarreal game despite suffering a leg injury in the draw at Aston Villa on Saturday.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/european_football/article5221229.ece

LIVE: CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Arsenal, Manchester United and Celtic are back on the big Euro stage for the latest round of games but if you prefer something a little closer to home, there's a full programme of Coca-Cola league stuff too. Follow all the action from tonight's matches with our live stats and goals service.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/live_match_tracker/

DOWNING THANKS CAPELLO FOR FRESH START
Middlesbrough winger has praised the England manager's policy of picking players on form rather than reputation. "I've had more chances with Fabio," he said.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/middlesbrough/article5228860.ece

O'NEILL FEARS VILLA BURNOUT
The manager is worried that his side's early start to pre-season training could end up taking its toll on his players. "Someone pointed out that by Christmas we will have played nine or ten more games than by the same stage last season," O'Neill said, referring to his team's involvement in the Intertoto Cup.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/aston_villa/article5228815.ece

BENJANI WELCOMES BIG-NAME SIGNINGS
The Manchester City striker says he would welcome the competition for places should players of the calibre of Roque Santa Cruz join the club.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/article5229183.ece

CAHILL HINTS AT EVERTON EXIT
The Australia midfield player says he may return home to play for aspiring A-League club South Coast FC when his contract at Goodison Park expires in 2012.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/everton/article5229208.ece

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If you've got another couple of minutes

Tony Cascarino: Fabregas appointment is 'irrelevant'
"Wenger might as well have sat in the press conference yesterday and said that Arsenal will be the first team in history not to have a captain," writes the Times columnist. "Or he could just have plucked a name at random. No one, not Cesc Fàbregas, Manuel Almunia or the rest of the squad, is worthy of the armband." Tough talk from Cascarino, who says the Spaniard will lead the poorest Arsenal team of the Arsene Wenger era ... do you think he's got a point?
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/arsenal/article5226070.ece

The ten smuggest men in football
From Chris Kamara to Pele and David Beckham to Eric Cantona, these fellas know what it is to be self-satisfied and we've got the pictures to prove it. Click through for our gallery of goal-hanging grinners ...
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2008/11/top-10-football.html

Video highlights: Camara sinks Everton
Watch Henri Camara lift Wigan Athletic out of the relegation zone with the only goal of the game against Everton last night - and then cringe at his disco-dancing celebration.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/article2236741.ece

Gerrard's sharp shooting
The first of the adidas ads for the new Predator boot features Steven Gerrard and Xabi Alonso indulging in a spot of clay-pigeon shooting. The Liverpool captain attempts to hit the targets - fired by his team-mate - out of the air with a football. No camera trickery here then...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6IcLXzwwEs

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>>>>>THE TABLOID TALE<<<<<

Funny old game - The Sun
1) Sullen faced Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka fancies himself as a comic. 2) Apparently Le Sulk regularly has his team-mates in stitches with his biting wit. 3) They also find Stan Boardman hilarious.

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In TheGame

TheGame Podcast: Wenger is stuck with moody moneybags Gallas
The team agree that the Arsenal manager's biggest problem might be finding a buyer for his controversial former captain, who happens to coin in ninety grand a week, while Gabriele Marcotti runs the rule over Manchester City's outlandish mega-million bid for Gianluigi Buffon - and he says he could well be worth it.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/thegame_podcasts/article5200676.ece

Wenger in danger of self-destructing
According to Oliver Kay, Arsene Wenger "is a visionary and a genius" in danger of undoing all his good work at Arsenal by his devotion to unflinchingly high-minded principles. It is proposed that Wenger needs to be a bit more like Fergie in certain respects. We'd like to ask what you Gooners have to say about that.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2008/11/arsene-wenger-a.html

Celtic's away-day virus ... and Fergie's having another bad hair day
Graham Spiers, our Scottish Football Correspondent, attempts to explain Celtic's atrocious away record in the Champions League, which stands at a winless 19 matches and counting. While Gordon Strachan has given up trying to explain the issue, Graham covers psychology, genetics and fate, before reasoning there must be a virus in the club's travel hamper ...

Also, after noting that Fergie's hair colour is back to boot polish brown, Graham wants Uefa action on managers who can't leave the dye bottle alone. Send us your top five worst offenders - and we'll start you off with Fergie and perennial offender Cesare Maldini.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2008/11/celtics-away-re.html

The Martin Samuel Debate: the French plan to ruin English football
Our Chief Football Correspondent has written extensively on the disaster football faces in this country if the French manage to push through plans to place Eurocrats in charge of the sport. Tell Martin what you think, but if you are in favour of the Gallic grand plan, then be prepared for corrective punishment.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2008/11/martin-samuel-3.html

Tuesday's trivia question
It's another brain-bender from our whizz of the quiz: which Briton played under Graeme Souness's management at both Benfica and Galatasaray?
Click through for the answer to yesterday's poser.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2008/11/bill-edgars-t-3.html

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>>>>>THE RIVALS<<<<<

City want Ashley - The Sun
Manchester City will make a £20m bid for Ashley Cole in January, having agreed an £18m deal for Lassana Diarra.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/article1966920.ece

Joe's axe will cut out Zog - Daily Mirror
Newcastle United's Charles N'Zogbia could be sold to Paris St Germain in January but the club are determined to hang on to Shay Given.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/2008/11/25/newcastle-will-cash-in-on-chales-n-zogbia-in-january-transfer-window-115875-20922881/

Sir Clive plots return - Daily Mail
Sir Clive Woodward - a one-time director of football at Southampton - says he would like to have another chance to work in football but wants to be a manager this time around.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/article-1089089/Where-theres-Will-theres-way-Scots-Team-GB.html

Harry is ready to go to war for Campbell - Daily Express
Manchester United and Tottenham could be set for another transfer battle over the future of Fraizer Campbell, who could be recalled from his loan spell in January, despite having a deal until the end of the season.
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/72775/Harry-is-ready-to-go-to-war-for-Campbell

Thuram: England still need to tackle racism - The Daily Telegraph
Former France defender says Uefa and Fifa are not doing enough to punish racists, but has told the FA they are in no position to take the moral high ground.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/international/3514789/World-Cup-winner-with-France-Lilian-Thuram-campaigns-against-racism-Football.html

Olsson's dressing-room rampage - The Guardian
Blackburn's Martin Olsson says he "destroyed most things in the dressing room" after being sent off at Tottenham on Sunday.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/nov/25/blackburn-premierleague

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270
Minutes since a goal was scored in matches between Manchester United and Villarreal in the Champions League.

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Joe Bloggs' Soapbox

Mistake ... Cesc is too young and already has a huge amount of responsibility carrying the team. Watch the extra pressure tell on his performances. Basically, there's nobody else. It's a sign the team is not well shaped. They won't win anything for years to come (and Cesc will leave anyway).
AT from Sydney applies for the post of Motivational Speaker at Arsenal.

I can never work out what is going through the mind of a Premiership chairman who appoints someone with little or no managerial experience (often at ANY level). It always ends in tears.
Robbie from Brighton will put his mortgage on Paul Ince losing his job before Christmas.

Can anyone other than Mourinho be the next Manchester United manager?
Piers from London obviously agrees with Gianluca Vialli's 'Nietzschean Superman' view of the Inter Milan boss.

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And expect...

Jack Dee to claim that contrary to popular belief he is a bloody good centre forward.