Premier League - Paper Round: Curbs cash or Brucie bonus?
The sacking of Mick McCarthy has led to plenty of newspaper speculation about who will take over the hotseat at Wolves.
The Daily Telegraph reports that Alan Curbishley is the name at the top of owner Steve Morgan's wishlist, with the former Charlton boss likely to be offered a 13-match deal with a hefty bonus for keeping the side in the top flight.
The Sun runs an almost identical story, except that it's Steve Bruce who will be offered the same 13-match deal. Either way, it's probably a sign of the times - particularly given events north of the border - that the club are clearly trying to avoid having to pay a manager top flight wages in the event that they're a second-tier side next season.
The Daily Star also tips Bruce for the job, and goes even further as it claims he will be offered a £1m bonus if he keeps the side up.
One thing is for sure: whoever gets the job will have a feisty boss to deal with, according to the Daily Mirror. Morgan stormed into the dressing room after the match against Liverpool a few weeks ago to deliver a rant at the players for their capitulation, calling their efforts "unacceptable" before turning to his then-manager and adding "and that includes you, Mick" prior to storming back out.
Now that McCarthy has gone, the manager next up for the sack is widely proclaimed to be Chelsea's Andre Villas-Boas. The Sun reports that the Portuguese boss has lost the dressing room so badly that the club's stars couldn't care less whether he stays or goes: "Many of them don't care whether he's there or not," the paper's Stamford Bridge source says.
The Daily Mail has a similar story, and suggests that a former Blues boss is about to be parachuted in to take over: "Hiddink on alert as Blues players slam AVB tactics" runs the headline that predicts the imminent arrival of the Dutch manager to try and salvage something from the season at the Bridge.
Speaking of rescue missions, the Daily Record has page after page of coverage on the sad state of affairs at Rangers. Their front page story - using a bizarrely pixellated picture that looks like it's been Photoshopped on a Commodore 64 - claims that the club's tax liability is nearer £75 million that the previously-suggested £49m. Amid the disgust at Craig Whyte's evident failure to secure the club financially, one article suggests that administration could actually pave the way to start a new era at Ibrox as an academic from Liverpool suggests the club is ideally placed to try out the fan-ownership model common in Germany.
To transfer news, and Tottenham have "moved a step closer" to signing Lille star Eden Hazard, according to The Sun, with the £33 million-rated 21-year-old openly mentioning Spurs as one of his options for the summer.
Should Hazard go to Spurs he could find himself playing alongside Ledley King, despite the injury-ravaged defender's contract running out in the summer. The Sun reports that King is desperate - for obvious reasons - to avoid being handed a pay-as-you-play deal, but is still well short of the 20-start target set him at the beginning of the season before the White Hart Lane club would give him a normal contract. King has so far started just 11 league matches this season.
Arsenal have also been linked with Hazard, but the Gunners now have another young target according to the Daily Mail: Benfica's Spain U21 forward Rodrigo, who is seen as an £18m replacement for Robin Van Persie. The Dutchman's contract is up next summer and he is expected to cash in with a big money move to the likes of Manchester City or Barcelona.
James McClean's emergence as a key part of Martin O'Neill's Sunderland revolution will earn the Irishman a quadrupling of his wages to £15,00 a week (The Sun), while Fulham want to sign Burnley's £4m-rated striker Jay Rodriguez (Daily Mail).
And finally, the Daily Express has a piece about Alex Ferguson's "astonishing claim" that Manchester United are "not far away" from Barcelona, despite the Red Devils crashing out of the Champions League at the group stage. The piece pokes a bit of fun at the United boss for his claim, but it's the advert next to the piece for United's upcoming Europa League clash on Thursday that catches the eye.
The Express obviously has the advert because it's part of the same media empire as the low-budget TV channel, but running the two next to each other smacks of Ashley Cole's now famous "Thursday nights on Channel 5" jibe that sparked a dust-up in the tunnel between Chelsea and another club that flopped in the Champions League - United's neighbours Manchester City.
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No 17 Tim. He hasn't worked since because he has lost touch with the game at prem level. If he was that good why is he out of work??? Bruce is no better that Mick. Must pick a manager on the up - Chris Hughton, Brendon Rogers or the Swansea manager ,all great "football" managers.
Bruce, Warnock,Curbishley ? is that the sound of the bottom of the barel being scraped,I can hear ?
Steve Bruce?
They can't be serious - can they?
Are they really that stupid?
This man is unemployable!
I don't think it matters much who is appointed, without a boardroom with unlimited funds, ie The London Mob and The Manchester Duo, the measure of success will probably be a position somewhere between sixth and twelfth. Unfortunately The next move for those clubs in the bottom six is hauling themselves clear. Challenging for a top four place looks all but a pipedream for three-quarters of the clubs in the EPL. Sad but true given the absolute necessity for massive financial clout. The game has changed out of all recognition.
they should give mick mccarthy the job at wolves i mean he just finished managing them for 6 years
Makes me laugh, all these comments stating please! please! Not another failed manager or stop looking at recently sacked managers, who do you expect, Sir Alex to pop along, or José Mourinho to drop everything, get real. The only managers available are failed managers, or ex-managers.
Maybe you could ask Harry Redknap to do the job in between Tottenham and the England jobs.
The players under performing and so caled loyal supporters got Mick McCarthy sacked. There will always be the top 6 teams, there will always the not quite so and then there is the stragglers, the teams that give the rest of the supporters something to cheer at the end of a long season of struggles, but survivors, the Wolves, Blackburn’s and the teams that come up from the Championship.
I have supported wolves seventy years,I've seen the good the bad and the ugly.If I was asked to pick the next
manager it would be Alan. Curbishley.Always liked the way his teams played football
If Wolves take SB after his dismal efforts with us--they deserve to go down! Wolves style of play under MM won't be changed by SB---he doesn't know any other way either. Wher's AC benn hiding? Haven't seen him making any headlines! As a neutral I think Wolves should stay "In House" and give the job to Steve Bull---he has the club at heart!
I assume getting rid of mcarthy was with an aim to stay up and avoid relegation dog fights in the future, neither of these choices would remedy that, least of all bruce as much as i like him he's not the answer, curbishly? i dont think so but nobody expected pardew to get newcastle goin the way he did so it could be the same case, for a start they could stop shortlisting recently sacked managers.
neil warnock 4 the job....like 2c the fella back in the premiership
-curbs look favourite 2 b offered the post if you believe the papers...
I`ll tell you Sarah i may be a 60 plus oldie but i`ll kick my old balls into your goalmouth any day of the week!how about it lass!
I`ll take the job for half a mill and a decent house come flat! and the right to kick 'a*se' regardless of colour or creed or religion without prejudice!
please, please, please, please - not steve bruce he is another failed manager.
wolves board - you now have an opportunity to get a new manager - take time and get the right one and he is chris hughton - a brilliant manager, and if the worst happened he would get wolves up at the first attempt.
SAF - ManUre are pretty close to Accrington Stanley also!!!!!!
Who NOSE, Steve Bruce could be the next Wolves manager...
HA SEE WHAT I DID THERE!?
Thank you Norman W - somebody else out there who gets it!!!
Rich kids bankrolling clubs has to stop
I reckon going to Chelsea has been a step too high for AVB. He would have been an ideal No 2 at Old Trafford for a couple of years before taking over, getting used to the demands of the premiership, the press etc and speaking Portuguese would have helped.
AVB did not loose the dressing room, he never had it. At the start of the season some people actually said he was too young for the job, they were so so right.
walter smith for wolves look at the fire fighting job he did at glasgow rangers also shows how two faced and untrustworthy football managers are mancini saying tevez will never play for city again and he welcomes him back if with the conset of the owners i would play him in reserves until end of contract and then let go
I have never liked SAF since I first ever came across him; rude arrogant and a nasty piece of work. Despite his record I can never rate him as one of the greats; Shankley or Clough, for his budget has been massive through that time at Utd. However, this year I do have a grudging respect for him because somehow with a pretty poor squad, he has managed to keep them challenging for the premiership. However, comparing his team to Barcelona suggests Dementia is skipping the light fantango into his head
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