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Paper Talk
Crisis club Sunderland are ready to go back for Patrick Vieira - if manager Dick Advocaat quits the Stadium of Light.
Louis van Gaal claims his ruthless summer cull is behind Manchester United 's remarkable rise to the top of the Premier League.
Ronald Koeman fears his Southampton players may be struggling to cope with rising expectations.
Tottenham striker Harry Kane says his goal against Manchester City should silence the accusations of him being a one-season wonder.
Tim Krul has credited Newcastle's improved showing against Chelsea to a bust-up the players had after their Capital One Cup defeat by Sheffield Wednesday.
James Milner has backed his underfire boss saying criticism of Brendan Rodgers is 'unfair' as Manchester City have lost more games than Liverpool this season.
Jurgen Klopp would demand the end of Liverpool's transfer committee if he is to succeed Brendan Rodgers as Liverpool manager.
Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini is 'sure' the club will win the Champions League.
Crystal Palace winger Bakary Sako has revealed he turned down 'crazy money' from clubs in the Middle East in order to join Alan Pardew's side.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has questioned the mentality of Newcastle players by suggesting that they pick and choose when they perform well.
Spurs could bid to bolster their attacking options by signing Armend Aslani. The Brondby teenager can play through the middle or on either wing.
Jose Mourinho is ready to wield the axe in a bid to shake up Chelsea.
West Brom skipper Darren Fletcher has claimed Jonny Evans was as good as Manchester United legends Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand.
The Blues and United could do battle in the transfer arena with both rumoured to be interested in Feyenoord's 15-year-old winger Tahith Chong.
Manchester City could move for one-time United target Bayern Munich midfielder Thiago Alcantara.
Jonathan Walters says he is not concerned about his contract extension at Stoke City and says "nothing has changed".
Goalkeeper Adrian admits West Ham are happier playing away from home.
Mikael Lustig has urged Celtic to sign out-of-contract striker Carlton Cole.
Gonzalo Higuain says his former Real Madrid team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo is 'over-rated'.
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal will stay at the club beyond the end of his contract in 2017, according to former boss Sir Alex Ferguson.
Meanwhile, United's Phil Jones has spoken for the first time of his worry and frustration over the blood clot that wrecked the start of his season.
Gerard Deulofeu is looking for more game time at Everton and has told manager Roberto Martinez that he wants to start more often.
Bacary Sagna believes that Manchester City's heavy defeat at Tottenham came because they were over-confident following their five-match unbeaten run.
A top-four finish is not beyond Everton according to manager Roberto Martinez, as long as his squad continues to develop.
Stoke's weekend hero Jonathan Walters, who is in the last year of his contract, said that his future at the Britannia remains unresolved.
BBC
Former Borussia Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp, 48, will only consider replacing Brendan Rodgers, 42, at Liverpool if he is given full control over future signings at Anfield - meaning an end to the club's transfer committee. (Mail)
Sunderland are considering whether to replace boss Dick Advocaat, 68, with 39-year-old former Arsenal midfielder Patrick Vieira, who is head of the elite development squad at Manchester City. (Mirror)
Manchester City could move for 24-year-old Bayern Munich midfielder Thiago Alcantara - a former target for Manchester United. (Star)
Manchester City full-back Bacary Sagna, 32, believes his team's 4-1 defeat by Tottenham on Saturday came because they were too cocky as a result of their five-match unbeaten run. (Sun - subscription required)
While City manager Manuel Pellegrini walked out of a post-match press conference, telling reporters "if you want to talk about stupid things then I do not answer stupid things". (Times - subscription required)
Stoke forward Jonathan Walters, 32, said after scoring in the 2-1 win over Bournemouth that his future remains unresolved. He is out of contract next summer. (Telegraph)
Tottenham are set to offer £345,000 for Brondby teenager Armend Aslani. The 17-year-old forward can play on either wing or as a central striker. (Mail)
Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul, 27, says a heated exchange took place between the players after their League Cup loss to Sheffield Wednesday, which resulted in the 2-2 draw with Chelsea on Saturday. (Mirror)
Everton manager Roberto Martinez believes his side is capable of challenging for a top-four place in the Premier League, as long as his squad continues to develop. (Daily Telegraph)
Chelsea and Manchester United both want Dutch winger Tahith Chong, 15, who plays for Feyenoord. (Star)
West Brom winger Callum McManaman, 24, remains a die-hard Everton fan despite being released as a youngster, and hopes to watch next weekend's derby from the Gwladys Street stand. (Independent)
Toffees midfielder Gerard Deulofeu, 21, has told manager Roberto Martinez he wants to start more games. (Express)
Best of social media
Manchester United defender Luke Shaw, 20, is facing at least six months out after suffering a double fracture to his right leg in United's Champions League defeat at PSV Eindhoven earlier this month. However, he revealed via his Instagram account that he is making progress. Shaw said: "Long road ahead but so happy to be able to put weight on my leg again!"
And finally...
A flat at Arsenal's former Highbury home has gone up for sale. Fans can enjoy the communal garden that was once the Gunners' pitch for a mere £660,000. (Mirror)
Guardian Rumour Mill
Barry Glendenning
For all the occasionally exaggerated talk we hear about respect for referees, the excellent behaviour of mingling beered up fans and other happy-clappy differences between rugby and football, the many photos in today’s papers of an ashen faced and shell-shocked England manager and his captain facing the media after another big tournament defeat suggest that for all their apparent differences, the two sports are actually pretty similar.
Following Saturday’s bruising encounter between Wales and England in the Rugby World Cup, there has been much soul-searching, with assorted pundits bemoaning home skipper Chris Robshaw’s decision not to opt for the late kick at goal that may well have earned England a draw, rather than his doomed call to go for the try, a decision which guaranteed defeat against a team so ravaged by injury that one Welsh player was forced off the field alone, holding his own severed arm under his other arm, because Welsh medical staff were too busy treating his fallen comrades whose battered and broken bodies were strewn elsewhere on a pitch that at times resembled a battle scene from Game of Thrones.
Of course if England had scored that try, Robshaw would currently be basking in the glory of a splendid job well done, what with the line between looking like a genius and a complete idiot being an exceptionally fine one. But they didn’t, so we can probably expect to see that advertisement for a popular sports drink in which several of his rivals gad about wearing Chris Robshaw masks quietly shelved . Such are the margins in this sporting life …
All of which space-filling and largely irrelevant waffle enables the Rumour Mill to point out that equally slender are those separating success and failure in the football game, with Chelsea’s official website having famously described the hammering their team endured at the hands of Manchester City earlier this season as “a game of fine margins”.
In an already eventful season for the club, their star midfielder Eden Hazard is being touted as Real Madrid’s latest target, with completely unfounded speculation suggesting that should the Belgian move to the Bernabéu next summer, then Cristiano Ronaldo or Gareth Bale will be sold. Real are also being linked with a move for Liverpool’s Brazilian playmaker Philippe Coutinho, but could face competition from their rivals Barcelona who have previously been reported to be interested in prising the dead ball specialist from Anfield.
WIth Simon Mignolet continuing to attract criticism for his performances between the sticks for Liverpool, the club’s famous transfer committee are understood to have identified Manchester United outcast Victor Valdés as a potential replacement for the Belgian.
Further north, Manchester City will attempt to bounce back from their defeat at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur by making cooing noises in the direction of Bayern Munich’s 24-year-old midfielder Thiago Alcântara but may have to do so without the help of their elite development squad boss Patrick Vieira, who some say could replace Dick Advocaat as manager of Sunderland.
Moussa Konaté is a 22-year-old Senegalese striker currently plying his trade with FC Sion in Switzerland, where scouts from both Arsenal and Chelsea are believed to have been watching him play, making approving clucking noises and writing complimentary things down on clipboards.
And finally, Brondby whelp Armend Aslani has caught the eye of Tottenham scouts, who have recommended that the club’s bean-counters give them £345,000 to sign the 17-year-old forward who has been described in various quarters as “a Danish wonderkid”.
OS
Manager on Monday
Slaven Bilic said the best was still to come from his West Ham side despite the Hammers’ strong start to their Premier League campaign.
After seven games, the Irons currently find themselves third in the Barclays Premier League table, having won four of their opening games.
Following their 2-2 draw with Norwich City on Saturday, the Claret and Blues will look to extend their unbeaten run to five games when they travel to play basement boys Sunderland.
Speaking ahead of the clash with the Black Cats, Bilic said: “We are third in the table, and we can still improve. Of course we can, and we know how to improve. That is the big thing for me.
“Our home games are the bread, and we’ve got four points in the last two home games but from our away games we have three wins, but it’s more than that. It’s who we beat but also how we won.”
As a result of the high-profile away wins over Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City, the Croatian continued to express his belief that his side have already confounded many pre-season expectations.
“Before the season started no one said we were a big team, the away wins have already changed the perception, and the way people look at us. We are not big guns, we have some really great players but we have to work our socks off every game.
“We are going to get there, and keep improving, getting stronger as the season goes on. I think by the end of the season, we will have more home wins then away wins.”
In recent weeks, the Hammers have been boosted by the return of two key players to the first team; Adrian has excelled since returning from suspension while Andy Carroll has made a telling contribution returning from injury.
Bilic continued: “Adrian made some unbelievable saves; he’s done that in every game he’s played for us this season. He is a fantastic goalkeeper, both keepers did well today.
“I don’t want to tame Andy Carroll, he is like a boxer, he fights for everything. That is his style, and what makes him a great player. We can only protect him by easing him back in, once he’s on the pitch, that’s the way he plays, and that’s the way we want him to play.”
London24
West Ham chief hails Hammers support but admits style of play was cause for draw
Brad Pinard
West Ham co-chairman David Sullivan admits the Hammers have to do better at Upton Park to thank the fans for their support.
Another packed house in east London on Saturday saw the Hammers scrape a 2-2 draw out of newly-promoted Norwich, with West Ham struggling to replicate their away form at home.
Slaven Bilic’s style of play is also adapting results and Sullivan feels in the long-term it will benefit the club. “We know we have got to do a bit better at home as you can’t keep relying on winning away like we are,” Sullivan told the club’s official site.
“We owe it to the fans as they are selling out every game at the Boleyn and want to see the team win. “I think we’re trying a new style and we’re trying to pass it out of defence more. Sadly, we’ve only been trying it for seven games so you sometimes get errors like we saw on Saturday.
If it had just been humped down the pitch that probably wouldn’t have happened but at the same token we wouldn’t be creating so much down the other end if we did that.
“We are still the joint leading scorers of the Premier League and as the system beds in I’m sure we’ll do even better at both ends of the pitch.”
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