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On Saturday, the English press writes about the successor of Paul Scholes, the pursuit of prestigious clubs to take over the Champions League, Arsene Wenger's favorite in the battle for the England national team position, Samuel Eto'o's price, Ruud van Nistelrooy's future at "Old Trafford," and the European ambitions of the owner of "Hearts." Nigel Martyn, Everton goalkeeper, who recovered from a shin injury, injured his ankle, so it is likely that this season will be his last. ("The Times")
Manchester United assistant coach Carlos Queiroz hinted that Wayne Rooney will not rest before the World Cup but reassured that there is no need to worry that the young star will burn out. ("The Times")
Paul Scholes attended the FA Cup matches where West Ham defeated Bolton and watched Kevin Nolan's performance. The Manchester United star recommended this player to Sir Alex Ferguson as his successor at "Old Trafford." ("The Sun")
Glenn Roeder, who is temporarily coaching Newcastle, stated that clubs must instruct their football directors to carefully vet the players they purchase to avoid wasting money. ("The Sun")
Tottenham head coach Clive Allen claims that Jermain Defoe, who has not recently played in the first team, has not lost any confidence in his abilities. ("The Sun")
Bolton is considering the possibility of acquiring former Newcastle striker Patrick Kluivert. ("The Sun")
Bristol Rovers decided not to wear their brown striped kit in the match against Shrewsbury, despite their yellow kit clashing with the opponents' blue and yellow jerseys. ("The Sun")
The 18 most influential European clubs, G14, want to abandon the current Champions League format and organize a knockout-style tournament. ("The Guardian")
Doctors diagnosed James Milner with tendon inflammation, so he should return to Aston Villa at the beginning of next month. ("The Guardian")
Fulham head coach Chris Coleman refuted rumors of discord within the team as complete nonsense. ("The Guardian")
Luton head coach Mike Newell agreed to sign a four-year contract. ("The Guardian")
Arsene Wenger supported Alan Curbishley's candidacy for the position of England national team coach. ("Daily Mail")
If Joey Barton fails to sign a new contract next month, Man City will listen to offers for the player. ("Daily Mail")
Last weekend, Middlesbrough defender Tony McMahon returned to the field in the match against Charlton, but injured his cruciate ligaments and will be out for the rest of the season. ("Daily Mail")
QPR Chairman Gianni Paladini denied rumors about moving to a new stadium and stated that the club will remain at Loftus Road. ("Daily Mail")
Barcelona rejected Chelsea's offer to sell striker Samuel Eto'o, even for "the whole world's gold." ("Daily Mirror")
Teddy Sheringham stated that Roy Keane is the best player he has ever had to play against. ("Daily Mirror")
Reading president John Madejski confirmed that if the club gains promotion to the Premier League, he does not intend to start wasting money. ("Daily Mirror")
Hull player Nick Barmby pulled a tendon in his calf and will be unable to help the team until the end of the season. ("Daily Mirror")
Manchester United confirmed that Ruud van Nistelrooy should not worry about his future at Old Trafford. ("Daily Telegraph")
Hearts owner Roman Romanov stated that if they fail to qualify for one of the European tournaments, this year will be considered a failure. ("Daily Telegraph")
It is speculated that this summer Chelsea will allow Wayne Bridge and Asier del Horno to leave the club. ("Daily Express")
Equalizing the sinking Derby ship
As the last days of January approached, Terry Westley had to temporarily take the helm of Derby County. It is hard to imagine a more challenging task for a recent academy graduate. After nearly ten years of enjoying what he called a "stormy life" and not coaching any team, T. Westley had to step up. In the championship, Derby suffered humiliation against Coventry with a 6-1 scoreline, followed by a loss to Colchester in the FA Cup, which led the club's management to dismiss the former head coach Phil Brown. The Rams lacked self-confidence and were constantly teetering on the edge of the relegation zone. Thus, T. Westley received a clear directive - "to equalize the sinking ship."
The new coach immediately discussed the "restoration of balance in the team" and worked hard to help the players regain confidence in their abilities and not feel pressured. Terry Westley believed that the team lacked left-sided players, so he loaned Sheffield United's representative Alan Wright and Michael McIndoe, who played for Doncaster. Lewin Nyatanga, a 17-year-old pride of the club's academy, strengthened the defense in the center of the field. Kevin Lisbie, who transferred from Charlton, added speed to the front line, and T. Westley proposed playing attacking football.
All of T. Westley's coaching experience was limited to five months spent at Luton, during which the Hatters celebrated victory only five times in 24 matches. However, led by the Rams, T. Westley secured three draws in the first five matches and stayed with the team until the end of the season, for a total of 11 games. So far, Derby has won two matches and played one draw, earning a nine-point lead over the closest competitors in the battle for survival in the Championship. "Everything is just beginning, and we are well aware of the responsibility on our shoulders," T. Westley told the BBC. "The win against Burnley with a score of 3-0 last Saturday was crucial for us, and we are considering that two more victories would solidify our current position."
However, the radically changed playing style of the club, for the better, prompted fans to speculate whether Terry Westley should be offered a long-term contract, but he does not like to discuss this topic. Perhaps because, for now, no one knows who will lead the club and choose the head coach. "If someone wants to make me a specific offer, then I will make an appropriate decision, but until then, there is no point in discussing it," added T. Westley. Mick McCarthy, Paul Simpson, Nigel Clough, Peter Reid - the list of candidates is endless because we are talking about a famous club. In addition, several suit-clad businessmen and potential investors have expressed a desire to buy the club, whose debts amount to £40 million.
T. Westley hopes that by the end of the season, the club will have a new owner, and what has so far seemed like a dark and oppressive period will soon turn into happier times. "The players hope that perhaps next season the team will receive a financial injection, new players will come, and the team that so hopelessly languished in the bottom ten will rise to the top six of the best clubs," explained the 40-year-old head coach. "To be honest, the team is not experiencing its best times at the moment, but everything can quickly turn around. Perhaps next season you will see a completely different game."
However, the question of whether Terry Westley will lead Derby into a new era remains unanswered, but in any case, this coach will undoubtedly enter the club's history.
