Transfers - Gossip Shop: Roman's double agents

Eurosport - Thu, 16 Apr 23:41:00 2009

Roman Pavlyuchenko continues to be left on the bench by Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp, and he wants answers.

FOOTBALL 2008-09 Premier League Tottenham Hotspur striker Roman Pavlyuchenko - 0

As such, the Russian striker has dispatched his best man to London to investigate.

The Guardian quote Pavlyuchenko's agent, Oleg Artemov, as saying: "The situation with Roman sitting on the bench is not good. It is my intention to talk to Harry Redknapp."

Artemov's seemingly neutral words may carry a menacing air, but Redknapp needn't go to ground just yet. Instead of reading up on the most effective cure for polonium-210 poisoning, he should pick up a copy of The Sun.

That paper, as super and as soaraway as ever, has quotes from a different agent, namely Victor Kolar, who says: "As far as I can judge, Spurs will only sell one of their forwards and it's Darren Bent. Roman is not in the situation to be thinking about moving clubs - he is close to completing his adaptation to England. He has a house in London. Both he and his wife like living there, and his manager says he wants him in the team next season."

Well, that's cleared that up then.

Staying on the Russian theme, but dropping hackneyed cold war allusions, and the Daily Star reckons they've hit upon the reason why Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is so keen on hiring Milan boss Carlo Ancelotti - he wants a Yes Man.

A 'source close to the billionaire' said: "Roman wants Ancelotti because he will be able to control and be more involved."

Someone who is not involved at all anymore is Ramon Calderon, but why should that stop the former Real Madrid president from continuing to deliver self-aggrandising soundbites regarding Cristiano Ronaldo. Or, at least, we think it's Ronaldo he's talking about - it's so hard to tell.

The disgraced Bernabeu chief, who was forced to step off the Merengues gravy train in January due to allegations of rigging club votes, told French radio: "Anyone who becomes the next president will have at his disposal one of the best players in the world. I cannot give any names, but all I can say is that thanks to the difficult and laborious work that I did last year, he is already formally a Madrid player, subject obviously to him being able to sign the relevant contract."

Wigan Athletic boss Steve Bruce has declared he wants to sign Mido permanently from Middlesbrough at the end of the season.

Bruce said: "I think you can see why I like Mido." Perhaps Bruce means that he - having once managed five different clubs in three years - and the Egyptian striker - who, at 26 years old, is at his ninth club - share a mutual love of club-hopping?

Ryan Babel has had enough of starting fewer games than Emiliano Insua this season and wants out of Liverpool. Despite claiming he has worked on improving his defensive play as per Rafa Benitez's instructions, he has been left feeling like the Jeff Daniels of Anfield, saying: "With this supporting role, I am not happy."

Elsewhere, Internazionale may cut Adriano loose from his contract as the troubled striker considers quitting football, Arsenal and Manchester City will both bid for Matthew Upson should West Ham not qualify for Europe, Spurs will make a renewed bid for Kenwyne Jones, and Jones's Sunderland team-mate Kieran Richardson will move to Newcastle, depending on which of the two North East club's stay up.

Tony Mabert / Eurosport

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  1. I feel a cold shiver... can someone tell me how post­ #20 knew *in advance* that post #23 was going to say­ that 'spurs is a massive club'...???!! Look at­ the post times.

    someone call the ghostbusters

    From Ashley B, on Sat 18 Apr 10:30AM

  2. roman is a quality player when he wants to be one but­ most of the time is dose not play at that stanterd

    From Daniel, on Fri 17 Apr 11:08AM

  3. KINELL HUGHES ????? UPSON MATE FFK SAKE YOU WILL BE­ GERRIN A MASSIVE UPSON UP YOUR BOTTOM IN 8 WEEKS !!!!­ ..........................C.T.I.D.

    From mcpluker, on Fri 17 Apr 10:36AM

  4. I would like to bring to all you unbelievers attention­ of just how good Spurs have been......We have played­ the "super 4" 6 times in the leauge this­ season and not lost to any of them only to Man utd in­ the FA.cup....Hows that for a record.....And we can­ still take 7th position and return to european football­ next season....I bet there are alot of premier leauge­ teams who wise thay were playing as bad as Spurs....

    From hi_i_am_lionel, on Fri 17 Apr 4:12AM

  5. Spurs a massive club?? LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

    From d.papas, on Thu 16 Apr 7:06PM

  6. whats all the talks about pavluchenko being @#$%? lol­ he averages more than a half goal per match which is­ good compared to other players in totenham + its his­ first season in epl + we know he is a player who doesnt­ make much effort so everyone can stfu.
    oh btw did­ someone said he doesnt deserve to play for spurs?­ EXACTLY he deserves a better team to play in rather­ than this $***

    From andreysizemin, on Thu 16 Apr 6:43PM

  7. When were we not a big club as with Everton and Villa­ look at the History, trophies and the fans! We're­ certainly bigger than Chelsea And as big as ARSEnal­ even without Chumpions league football and the­ ridiculous cash involved!

    From Brendan, on Thu 16 Apr 4:58PM

  8. I was born in 1965 could no 23 tell me when were spuds­ a big club????

    From LEX, on Thu 16 Apr 4:42PM
  9. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    @23 - If you were a massive club everyone else would­ know it.

    P.S. Is Harry Redknapp a disabled drunk, or­ is his face just pretending?

    From Phil, on Thu 16 Apr 4:16PM

  10. Is it me or are spurs going to do the same thing as­ always. Still interested in Kenwin-Jones and are­ keeping Pav? Doesn't this mean that Defoe, who­ let's not forget we resigned as a hero, will just­ begin benching again? we can't have defoe and keane­ playing upfront together when our midfield consists of­ the likes of modric and lennon...we'll have a side­ more puny than arsenal with the inability to a single­ 50-50 ball.

    From carsberg_t, on Thu 16 Apr 4:10PM

  11. stephen.laverty i am not a spurs fan but i agree that­ spurs are a big club they have had some fantastic­ players there ginola, gazza, poyet just 2 name a few!

    From Frosty, on Thu 16 Apr 3:38PM
  12. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    @23 "we are a massive club" since when?

    From PinHead, on Thu 16 Apr 3:26PM
  13. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    let the big clown pav go !!! as a lifetime spurs fan­ their is no way he is good enough to play for the super­ spurs, to many players over the years doesnt understand­ what it means to play for a club like tottenham, and­ hopefully harry will change that come the end of the­ season.....id get rid off......... gomez, ekotto ,­ jenas, bently, bent, pav, and im sure thier are­ others...... lets build a team like we had many years­ ago that where pround to wear the spurs shirt !!!! not­ these guys nowadays that make £60000 per week and dont­ care... we are a massive club, and its about time­ everyone else knew it... so come on spurs lets get back­ to our true tradition...... ONCE AND FOR ALL !!

    From stephen.laverty, on Thu 16 Apr 3:19PM

  14. Panathinaikos wants to buy Pavluchenko, and Redknapp­ knows. Really hope they do it.

    From AJ, on Thu 16 Apr 3:07PM

  15. Arsene Wenger takes trombone lessons from Martin­ O'Neill

    From Leonard Nimoy, on Thu 16 Apr 3:05PM

  16. I think you should keep Pav and Bent, good thing is,­ you can play keen on the wide right, if need be on a 4­ 3 3 system. the biggest let down and waste of 15­ million is bentley. He has been by far the biggest flop­ for a long time. No passion, no care, not needed.

    I­ would go for a good defensive mid, maybe veloso

    From Levz, on Thu 16 Apr 2:54PM

  17. Why doesn't Pavlyuchenko speak to Redknapp instead­ of getting some representative to do so. And players­ wonder why they are dropped or not used when they act­ the way they do. Perhaps if he were to do what he is­ paid to do, score goals he wouldn't be in this­ predicament. Big time charley with too many airs and­ graces. Good on yer Harry for treating him so.

    From Allen H, on Thu 16 Apr 2:50PM

  18. WHAT CAN'T RAMON CALDERON UNDERSTAND!!! HE HAS­ SERIOUS PROBLEMS!!!

    From Man Utd Gal 17, on Thu 16 Apr 2:40PM

  19. Start of the season, sold Keane, sold Berbatov, no­ decent strikers. Look where that got us - worst ever­ start - DON'T SELL OUR STRIKERS!!!!!!"

    From DAVID, on Thu 16 Apr 2:31PM

  20. it has always dazzled me why rafa signed a striker znd­ asked him to work on the left hand side of midfield and­ work on his defence. playing left wing with little­ defence he may be alright but left mid with defence­ resposnibilities for a natural striker. babel would be­ better suited to a team like arsenal which would help­ him develop.

    From JohnW, on Thu 16 Apr 1:59PM
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