Question:
Reid blast as Dacourt joins Roma
Leeds boss Peter Reid insists he is only interested in keeping players who will 'wear the shirt with pride' after Olivier Dacourt last night joined the Elland Road exodus.
Dacourt is set to complete a permanent move to Serie A side Roma for £3.5m - a considerable reduction on the £15.5m fee which was touted 18 months ago when Lazio expressed an interest in the France midfielder.
That followed on from Harry Kewell's controversial cut-price £5million transfer to Liverpool, which earned Leeds just £3m after a payment to the management company looking after the Australia winger.
'It's back to the basics, I don't want anyone here who doesn't want to play for the club,' Reid told United's official website,
'It's no use trying to change minds, you have to be committed and wanting to play and wear the shirt with pride.
'We have players here with a lot of ability and we are trying to get more players with ability, but they have to want to play for Leeds United.'
However, Reid is unlikely to get too much money to spend as the last two deals will not do much to reduce the club's reported debt of around £80m.
The Kewell saga is likely to rumble on for some time as inquests are held into how the star was allowed to leave so cheaply, while although Dacourt's departure means his wages have been removed from the Leeds wage bill the club have got a fraction of his reputed worth.
So depressed is the transfer market, and such is Leeds' predicament, that Roma were even able to successfully haggle over the price they agreed with the Premiership club when Dacourt made his initial loan switch last season.
It was believed the two clubs had struck a deal worth £4.2m six months ago but when Roma's first option on the player expired in May and no other club came in, the Italians used this to their advantage to knock a further £700,000 off the price.
Roma will pay the fee in four instalments, with the first payment due to be made on July 20, and while the Elland Road club do not expect any last-minute hitches, they maintain any talk of the deal being completed is somewhat premature.
A statement on the club website read: 'The Olivier Dacourt transfer situation has not changed, despite Roma's claims that the £3.5million deal to take him to the Olympic Stadium has been completed.
'Leeds are still waiting on the first down payment, and until then the situation remains the same.
'Leeds though are confident the deal will be completed shortly, having been given assurances from Roma.'

Answer:

Reid blast as Dacourt joins Roma
Leeds boss Peter Reid insists he is only interested in keeping players who will 'wear the shirt with pride' after Olivier Dacourt last night joined the Elland Road exodus.
Dacourt is set to complete a permanent move to Serie A side Roma for £3.5m - a considerable reduction on the £15.5m fee which was touted 18 months ago when Lazio expressed an interest in the France midfielder.
That followed on from Harry Kewell's controversial cut-price £5million transfer to Liverpool, which earned Leeds just £3m after a payment to the management company looking after the Australia winger.
'It's back to the basics, I don't want anyone here who doesn't want to play for the club,' Reid told United's official website,
'It's no use trying to change minds, you have to be committed and wanting to play and wear the shirt with pride.
'We have players here with a lot of ability and we are trying to get more players with ability, but they have to want to play for Leeds United.'
However, Reid is unlikely to get too much money to spend as the last two deals will not do much to reduce the club's reported debt of around £80m.
The Kewell saga is likely to rumble on for some time as inquests are held into how the star was allowed to leave so cheaply, while although Dacourt's departure means his wages have been removed from the Leeds wage bill the club have got a fraction of his reputed worth.
So depressed is the transfer market, and such is Leeds' predicament, that Roma were even able to successfully haggle over the price they agreed with the Premiership club when Dacourt made his initial loan switch last season.
It was believed the two clubs had struck a deal worth £4.2m six months ago but when Roma's first option on the player expired in May and no other club came in, the Italians used this to their advantage to knock a further £700,000 off the price.
Roma will pay the fee in four instalments, with the first payment due to be made on July 20, and while the Elland Road club do not expect any last-minute hitches, they maintain any talk of the deal being completed is somewhat premature.
A statement on the club website read: 'The Olivier Dacourt transfer situation has not changed, despite Roma's claims that the £3.5million deal to take him to the Olympic Stadium has been completed.
'Leeds are still waiting on the first down payment, and until then the situation remains the same.
'Leeds though are confident the deal will be completed shortly, having been given assurances from Roma.'

Answer:

Southampton insist England defender Wayne Bridge is not for sale, despite the player's agent claiming a transfer to Chelsea would be a 'fantastic' move.
Jonathan Barnett maintains the full-back would be keen to meet with representatives from the Stamford Bridge club, where new owner Roman Abramovich is ready to bankroll a spending spree.
However, Saints' chairman Rupert Lowe issued a stern warning to anyone with eyes on Bridge, who was born in the town and has only ever played for Southampton.
'Wayne Bridge is not for sale and that is as far as it goes,' said Lowe on the club's official website.
Barnett, though, reckons Bridge - who under contract at St Mary's until 2006 - would be willing to listen to offers from other teams.
He told Sky Sports News: 'As I understand it, a couple of bids have gone in from Chelsea to Southampton.
'I don't think either of them has been accepted at the moment and so Wayne is still a Southampton player.'
Asked if he thought Bridge would want to go, Barnett claimed: 'Having spoken to him, yes.
'It would be a fantastic move for him, provided he wanted to go and everything was right for him.
'But hopefully he will have the chance to talk to them.'

Answer:

New Aston Villa manager David O'Leary has spelt out his desire to keep striker Darius Vassell at the club on a long-term basis.
Vassell has still to put pen to paper on a new deal even though negotiations initially got under way 15 months ago before he joined up with England for the 2002 World Cup finals.
The 23-year-old has only 12 months left of his current deal but O'Leary is hoping that he can persuade the player to remain at Villa.
O'Leary told the Press Association: 'I want Darius to stay here. The contract situation is an on-going thing since last year.
'I am just hoping when I see him that I say 'This is me' and he will sign.
'I am sure players are checking out what I am like. I know they have been checking with the Leeds United lads to see what I am like.
'I think he knows if he comes he will enjoy the training and the atmosphere of the place but at the end of the day his agents have a figure and it's been discussed with the club.
'But I do want him to stay. Of course I've got to see if he can fit in like anybody else to the plan of the way I want to play.
'Darius might also not like the way I like to play and it's all about getting to know each other, but he is a quality player.
'I want a high tempo game, trying to score goals.'
Vassell has been given an extra week's holiday break because of his commitment with England this summer, along with the rest of Villa's international stars.

Answer:

Chelsea have agreed to buy Cameroon midfielder Geremi from Real Madrid for a fee of £6.9million.
Geremi, who spent last season on loan at Middlesbrough, is set to be the first player to sign for the west London club under new Russian owner Roman Abramovich - although the Stamford Bridge club have also agreed a fee, believed to be £6m, for West Ham full-back Glen Johnson.
Madrid were willing to sell as they have a plethora of midfielders following the arrival of England captain David Beckham at the Bernabeu.
Chelsea chief executive Trevor Birch said: 'We now need to speak to the player and agree terms but I am optimistic that he will be coming to Chelsea.'
A statement by Real Madrid read: 'The deal between both parties (clubs) has been signed and we are now awaiting for the appropriate guarantees to arrive from Chelsea before July 15 and for the club to agree personal terms with the player, who will also have to undergo a medical.'
Geremi was arguably Boro's best player last season, chipping in with a number of important goals during an impressive loan spell on Teesside.
Chelsea have been linked with several top stars since the arrival of Roman Abramovich at Stamford Bridge.
Juventus claimed to have turned down an approach for Edgar Davids yesterday while Inter Milan declared they had rejected a bid for Christian Vieri.
However, Geremi's agent, Barry Silkman, the former Manchester City player, does not believe the arrival of the Russian and his millions will mean Chelsea will be paying over the odds for players in the future.
He said: 'Chelsea won't spend more than they believe a player is worth.
'Because clubs believe Roman Abramovich is ready to splash out a few quid clubs are asking extortionate money for players - but he won't pay it.
'The market will not be smashed wide open, Chelsea won't go over the top.
'The club want the best players they can get and want to become the Real Madrid and Juventus of England.
'If you've got the finance and the back-up and the coaching staff to do it - why not go for it?'
On Geremi, Silkman added: 'He's 24 and has probably got the best seven or eight years in front of him.
'He was outstanding at Middlesbrough for most of the season and is a proven Premiership player. I believe Chelsea have got a terrific deal.'

Answer:

Former England striker Les Ferdinand has signed a one-year deal with Leicester which will keep him in the Premiership for yet another season.
Foxes boss Micky Adams has beaten off competition from a number of other clubs to land Ferdinand on a free transfer.
The former QPR and Newcastle forward was out of contract after his deal with West Ham expired at the end of last season.
Ferdinand had been linked with a permanent move to West Ham but Adams stepped in to secure his signature.
He is Leicester's seventh signing this summer as Adams looks to strengthen his squad following their promotion back to the top-flight after a second-place finish in Division One last season.
Ferdiand said: 'There were other clubs in the running but once I spoke to Micky Adams I liked what he had to say and then I made my mind up pretty quickly.'
'I have played in this division all my career and it is always nice [to get a new contract].'
Ferdiand was convinced his future lay at the Walkers Stadium after Adams explained he wanted to utilise his experience to develop his burgeoning squad.
'They have got a good little team there. They did well last year and Micky wants to bring in a bit of experience,' he added.
'When we spoke he mentioned about giving guidance and help to the team.'
Ferdinand has agreed a one-year deal with Leicester and becomes Adams' seventh signing as he looks to strengthen his squad following promotion.
'I am delighted that Les has agreed to join us and that I have been able to bring in someone of his Premiership quality and experience,' he told the club's official website,
'He showed last season when he went to West Ham that there is still plenty of life left in him, and I am certain he will be a great acquisition to us.
'Another big plus is that he will be a good role model to our other strikers and particularly our young players.
'Although he is 36 Les has looked after himself and can still do a good job for us. I think he is just what we require and I am delighted to have him as part of our squad. He will be a real asset.'
Ferdinand admitted it will be no easy ride with Leicester as sides traditionally find it difficult in the first season immediately following promotion.
But he is prepared to knuckle down with the rest of the squad and revealed he is excited about hitting the training ground once again.
'I know it is going to be a struggle but I am looking forward to the new season,' he added.
'You have a break for a while and then you get the buzz again and I can't wait to start training.
'I believe as long as you have got that buzz and you are willing to keep yourself in shape, then you will play as well as you can.'
And despite being offered only a one-year contract, Ferdinand said he had not even considered making this his football swansong.
'Let me get this season started before we start talking about that,' he joked.

Answer:

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger played down the seriousness of the injury which saw goalkeeper Stuart Taylor carried from the field during a 1-0 loss against Peterborough on Friday night.
Taylor was taken off on a stretcher with a neckbrace fitted after colliding with the Posh's Andy Clarke, raising concerns that the Gunners - already short of goalkeepers following the release of David Seaman - were approaching a crisis in the position.
But Wenger told Sky Sports News: ``He's all right, don't worry about him.''
The Highbury manager has been linked with moves for a number of keepers including Leeds' Paul Robinson and Turkey international Rustu Recber who opted for Barcelona.
He has yet to make his move but Wenger confirmed his intention to make a signing this summer, adding: ``At the moment we haven't made a decision. The only thing that is clear is that we will buy a keeper.''

Answer:

Harry Kewell turned down the chance to become a Manchester United player because he believed the Premiership champions are set to go into decline, it has ben claimed.
The Australia star joined Liverpool from Leeds last week - and Bernie Mandic, the agent who brokered the controversial £5m deal, has said that Kewell rates the Merseysiders' prospects of future success as greater than that of their Old Trafford rivals.
Confirming that United and Chelsea were among the clubs bidding for Kewell's services, Mandic told BBC radio: 'Harry wanted to go to club he felt were on the up.
'Manchester United had a huge amount of success over the years. Liverpool have started to splutter and drop off since 1990. I think United are destined to go into a downturn.'
He added: 'I think United, if you look at cycles, are destined to go into a downturn whether this year, next year, whenever.'
Mandic dismissed the notion that Kewell may not have held down a regular place in the United side.
He said: 'I think Harry, considering the money being offered, would have been guaranteed a first team place. You don't pay that sort of money to an individual or a club to sit on the bench. That wasn't an issue.'
Kewell will make his Liverpool debut in a friendly in Cologne on Wednesday.
But he could have been earning '30 per cent more', according to Mandic.
The agent continued to defend his part in the deal that leaves Leeds with only £3m of the £5m fee.
He said: 'I'm proud of the deal I did, I'm only concerned about the player. If he is happy to take a deal that is 30 per cent lower at Liverpool than is being offered elsewhere, then I have to accept that.
'If it costs me and a company money, so be it. Obviously I would have been on a far better return from a bonus perspective if the company received £4m rather than £2m but I have to be guided by my client.
'We had a £9m bid two days before the deal with Liverpool was done. That would have meant my company getting £4m. The bonus was on a sliding scale and had been agreed by Leeds.
'They had clubs lined up for Harry. It was put to us that if Harry wanted to leave with his head high and considered a Leeds legend, he had to accept their deal.
'The bids came from Chelsea and Manchester United among others.'

Answer:

Blackburn have completed the £1.4million signing of Rangers defender Lorenzo Amoruso on a three-year deal.
The 32-year-old defender leaves Ibrox after six years, during which he won three Scottish Premier League titles.
Rovers chief executive John Williams said: 'He is a player Graeme Souness has been tracking for some time and we are all delighted he is joining us.
'Lorenzo was a very popular player in Glasgow and a key figure in last season's championship success,' he told the club's website.
Amoruso's signature comes hot on the heels of last week's capture of Australian midfielder Brett Emerton from Dutch giants Feyenoord.
Both the new signings are expected to be unveiled at a specially-convened press conference this afternoon.

Answer:

Stuart Taylor is hoping to resume his bid to start the season as Arsenal's first-choice keeper when the Gunners take on Barnet in a friendly this weekend.
Taylor was stretchered off towards the end of his side's opening pre-season friendly at Peterborough last Friday after colliding with striker Andy Clarke.
Given that Arsenal have so far been unable to sign a top-class replacement for David Seaman, Wenger's selection problems looked to have been increased ahead of his side's tours to Austria and Glasgow.
However, Taylor already looks to have put that injury scare behind him and, albeit following further checks, he is hoping to be picked to face Barnet at some stage on Saturday afternoon.
The ex-England Under-21 goalkeeper, who was signing autographs after the game, told the club's website: 'I took a knock to my head and I was taken off just as a precaution. But I am fine now.'
Wenger's search for a new keeper nevertheless continues, with Italian Matteo Guardalben, a 29-year-old with experience at Piacenza and Parma, having started the friendly against Peterborough during his trial spell at Highbury.
As well as Taylor, the Arsenal boss' goalkeeping cover otherwise extends to Rami Shaaban and Graham Stack following the departure of Seaman to Manchester City.

Answer:

Jay-Jay Okocha has insisted he is content to stay at Bolton despite reported interest from Chelsea.
Okocha enjoyed an impressive run of form towards the end of last season when he helped Bolton avoid relegation from the Barclaycard Premiership and those displays have seen him linked with a move away from the Reebok Stadium.
He was quoted over the weekend as saying he would be interested in a move to Chelsea, but he now claims he wants to stay on with Sam Allardyce's side and help them avoid another relegation scrap.
He told the club's official website: 'I'm quite settled here and very happy here, and happy I made the decision to stay in the Premiership.
'If we can learn from our mistakes, I think we can make things more comfortable for us than last season.'

Answer:


CHELSEA 3rd BID FOR DUFF
Tuesday July 15 2003
Chelsea have tabled a bid of 17m pounds for Blackburn Rovers winger Damien Duff, which could trigger a release clause in the player's contract with Rovers.
Blackburn chief executive John Williams confirmed Chelsea's new offer after they saw two bids rejected by Rovers in the past fortnight.
Chelsea are hoping to clinch a deal before any late competition gets involved.
The Rovers chief executive continued: "It depends how serious Chelsea are about wanting to sign him. There is a release clause in the contract he negotiated last year.
"If conditions are met with the bid naturally we would be obliged to let Damien talk to Chelsea - or any other club who met them and the decision would rest with the player.
"There has been intense press speculation and I don't think it's fair to talk about the amounts."
Blackburn manager Graeme Souness recently conceded that he will do his all to keep Duff at Ewood Park as he sees the Republic of Ireland star as an integral part of his plans, but also admitted to not being surprised by the interest shown in the winger.
"I don't want to lose Damien - we always knew Damien was a very special player," said Souness.
"We have no intention of selling him and we want to keep him here.
"But when Damien signed his new contract last summer he did so in the knowledge that someone could come in and offer a lot of money."
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haha...lai ah all chelski fans!!!:beer:

Answer:


17M POUNDS DUFF OFFER ACCEPTED
Wednesday July 16 2003
Chelsea have agreed a fee with Blackburn for their Republic of Ireland winger Damien Duff.
The London club had failed with several bids for the 24-year-old, but have had their latest offer, believed to be 17million pounds, accepted according to their official club website.
A statement on Chelsea's official website read: ``Chelsea and Blackburn have now agreed a fee for Irish international Damien Duff and talks will begin soon.''
Duff was at Manchester Airport earlier today after reporting with the rest of the Blackburn squad for a 10-day training camp in America, although it remains to be seen whether he actually left tcountry.
His inclusion in manager Graeme Souness' party had seemed to cast a cloud over any move to Stamford Bridge after Chelsea had failed several bids - the last one believed to be a total of £17million, but including add-ons.
But new Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich was anxious to secure the services of the winger and it seems the latest bid has activated the clause in Duff's contract which would allow him to talk to clubs offering a straight £17million fee.
Duff has flourished during the past three years after Souness replaced Brian Kidd as manager and maintained a high level of performance in the latter part of last season when he stayed injury-free.
Hamstring problems have hampered him, but from March to May he was in irresistible form.
He scored six goals in nine games as Blackburn clinched sixth spot in the table and a place in the UEFA Cup for a second successive season.
Duff was also in impressive form for the Republic of Ireland - where he tends to play as a striker rather than on the left wing. He scored the winner against Norway in a friendly in March after finding the target in the victory over Georgia in a Euro 2004 qualifier.
His transfer would be the latest chapter in an astonishing turn-around in fortunes for Chelsea following the arrival of Abramovich.
The Blues completed the £6million signing of full-back Glen Johnson from West Ham last night and Real Madrid midfielder Geremi looks set to move to Stamford Bridge in a £6.9million deal.
Former Chelsea striker Kerry Dixon believes manager Claudio Ranieri is slowly building a squad capable of challenging for the top honours, but warned there is still some work to be done.
``The competition for places is becoming very good, but the players still have to gel,'' reflected Dixon on Sky Sports News.
``The spending is not about to stop and it is up to Claudio Ranieri now to get the best out of them.
``Whichever players blend best will be the ones which hold on to their positions.''
Chelsea face a crunch Champions League qualifier before they can look forward to taking on the cream of European football this season.
But Dixon feels whichever team comes up against Ranieri's men will find it heavy going.
He added: ``With the number of players coming in and the effort that will be put in to win the game, Chelsea will have too much firepower for the majority of sides they could draw.''