He added: I think it’s the most damning attack any manager has made on a chairman The comments indicate a massive split between them

He added: “I think it’s the most damning attack any manager has made on a chairman The comments indicate a massive split between them. There appears to be a serious personality clash, and normally in a situation like that, somebody has to go.”. Joe Royle last night made a double statement of Manchester City’s determination to consolidate their position in the Premiership by offering £3.5m to bring Steve Lomas back to Manchester City from West Ham United, and agreeing a £3m fee with Leeds United for their out-of-favour striker Darren Huckerby. The capture of both Lomas and Huckerby – as revealed in Wednesday’s Independent – would take Royle’s spending this season to over £20m. Joe Royle last night made a double statement of Manchester City’s determination to consolidate their position in the Premiership by offering £3.5m to bring Steve Lomas back to Manchester City from West Ham United, and agreeing a £3m fee with Leeds United for their out-of-favour striker Darren Huckerby. The capture of both Lomas and Huckerby – as revealed in Wednesday’s Independent – would take Royle’s spending this season to over £20m.
Huckerby joined Leeds from Coventry City for £5.5m at the start of last season but never managed to establish himself in a strong attacking line-up at Elland Road, and his departure was widely forecast after the arrival of Robbie Keane at the club last week.

Royle now appears to have beaten off strong competition from Celtic for his signature.If West Ham accept City’s bid for Lomas, their club captain, it could lead to an emotional return to the club where the Northern Ireland international began his career. Lomas was disappointed to be sold by City after they were relegated five seasons ago and he still has allegiances with the club. However, Royle will face competition for Lomas’s signature from Rangers, as the Glasgow club has asked for the Northern Ireland international in exchange for Lorenzo Amoruso, who has attracted the interest of the Hammers’ manager, Harry Redknapp.Lomas is surprised at the interest, as he is the Hammers captain, but Redknapp may let him go because he has plenty of competition for midfield places. The emergence of Michael Carrick and Joe Cole has put Lomas’s future at Upton Park in doubt.

In addition, although Lomas is under contract, he was seeking a revised deal to bring his salary into line with the club’s biggest earners.Rangers had included Lomas in their talks with West Ham about a potential Amoruso transfer, but City’s surprising bid has complicated the issue. Royle, given money to spend by his chairman, David Bernstein, had made a striker his priority but he has also earmarked some of his funds for a midfield general to lead the Premiership survival battle ahead. If the signing of Huckerby is confirmed today, however, it would more than likely spell the end of Royle’s interest in the West Bromwich Albion striker Lee Hughes.Bernstein has backed his manager’s latest moves into the transfer market, and says there is more money available He said: “One thing I would never do is criticise our fans We were off the boil on Tuesday and the fans were nervous You cannot blame them. I want to assure them that we could not be more conscious of the need for Manchester City to stay in the Premiership – and not just for financial reasons. Everything that can be done to ensure we avoid finishing in the bottom three will be done.”Steve McClaren, the assistant to Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, is being given a significant say in new signings.

McClaren now has the responsibility of helping the scouts to pick out long-term targets for the time when Ferguson moves on from the manager’s job.With Ferguson intending to give up his current role at the end of next season, there has to be some continuity in terms of bringing in future players. McClaren has not been offered the chance to succeed Ferguson yet but he has been told by the manager to oversee any potential new arrivals. The Old Trafford assistant is hoping to bring in two or three younger players for the squad between now and when Ferguson leaves.It is rare for Ferguson to let McClaren have such an input. The area of signing was one issue over which Ferguson and Brian Kidd eventually fell out.McClaren is on the look-out for a long-term successor for Denis Irwin, a youngster to groom to follow in Roy Keane’s footsteps and an emerging striker. Considered a shrewd judge, McClaren has a good grasp of the strength of the squad he will probably inherit, but moves towards bringing in the next wave of players has to start now.Dennis Bergkamp wants to stay at Arsenal and should sign a new contract next month, his agent was quoted as saying yesterday. The 31-year-old Dutch forward joined the Premiership club from Internazionale in 1995 and, if he does not agree a new deal, he will be free to talk to other clubs from 1 January about a free transfer at the end of the season.The player’s agent, Rob Jansen, was quoted as saying Bergkamp, who has been negotiating with the north London club for months, was likely to stay at Highbury for a further two years. He said: “Things are now looking good and I am certain as I can be that Dennis will sign a new contract within the next week or so.

Dennis has always wanted to stay at Arsenal.”Alan Shearer’s knee operation was successful, according to his club, Newcastle United, and after only a day in hospital he has started rehabilitation with a view to playing again in three months’ time. Shearer’s absence leaves Newcastle’s manager, Bobby Robson, without three of his front-line strikers as Carl Cort and Kevin Gallacher are also injured.The Danish international Jesper Gronkjaer is expected to sign his contract with Chelsea next week. Gronkjaer agreed to join the west London club on a four-and-a-half-year contract at the end of October after a £7.8m fee was agreed with the Dutch club Ajax, but Chelsea postponed his arrival until 1 January to give him time to recover from injury problems.. Will Sven Goran Eriksson ever arrive in England? Will the bulldozers finally move into Wembley? And will Claudio Ranieri learn to speak English before Chelsea learn to win away from home?

Will Sven Goran Eriksson ever arrive in England? Will the bulldozers finally move into Wembley? And will Claudio Ranieri learn to speak English before Chelsea learn to win away from home?
These are the imponderables as English football moves into the New Year.