Leicester 0-2 SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY - Post Match Press Conference
With Sheffield Wednesday manager Steve Davies-Evans

Press - Steve, your team looked pretty comftable out there today, did you always feel you had the game in the bag?

SDE - I think that would be slightly disraspectful to Leicester if I was to say yes but I do think we controled the game and deserved the 3 points.

Press - Is it all the sweeter to get one over the club and chairman that sacked you previosuly?

SDE - Listen, every win is sweet and I have no problem with Milan (Mandaric), he like any good chairman was only doing what he felt best for the football club. This is obviously the first time I have been back to the Walkers Stadium since I left and I would like to thank the Leciester fans that gave me a good reception. Leicester will always hold a place in my heart as they were my first club and I hope that they achieve success in the future.

Press - There were a few players playing against their old clubs today, were you glad it was your boys that got the headlines rather than the likes of Jonathan Howson?

SDE - Yeah of course. Jonathan is a good lad and we saw a few weeks ago that he likes scoring against his old clubs when he scored the last minute equaliser against Leeds so I was glad to see my boys keep him quiet. Sousa was always going to be pumped up for this. He had stated in training this week that he really wanted to get a goal so you can see why he got man of the match.

Press - You now have a massive game against Sheffield United at Hillsborough next week, are you looking forward to the Steel City derby?

SDE - Of course yeah. I think everyone loves a good derby whether you're a fan, a player or a manager. The one thing I would say though is that it's far more important that my players concentrate on the fact that Sheffield United are also our playoff rivals and a win would be a huge boost. This fixture was my first for Wednesday and unfortunatly we lost it 2-1 that day but we will be looking to beat them this time.

Press - With alot of your players going back to Barcelona etc, will you have a side good enough to beat United?

SDE - Absolutley! We are very thankful to Adam at Barcelona for allowing us to take some of his players and we look forward having them back but I also think that I have a great bunch of players here and my coaching staff will be working with them all week to make sure they are ready for this game.

Sunderland Manager issues apology

"I would like to appologise to the Sunderland fans for stating at the beginning at the season that we would have won the league by half season. I said this as meaning that I believe that we would have done enough by half season point to go on and win the league and I still think that is the case. Birmingham are top by goal difference but with the players we have coming in I still believe we'll win the league, apologies again if I made promises I couldn't but I hope the fans will get behind the team and myself for the duration of the season and make the stadium of light a fortress."

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank the chairman for his continued support and the fans for sticking with me through the hard times, the times are good at the moment so lets enjoy them and get promotion"

FA have released a statement confirming the fine that has been handed out to Middlesbrough. This week saw Dave Cotterill join from Sevilla and a number of loan players returning including Lee Williamson who had spent some time at Ascoli.

"We can confirm Middlesbrough have exceeded the maximum number of players in their squad. As such they have been fined £3 million in accordance with the breaking of FA rules."

Right back Simon Madden has also been released from the team by FA as they stepped in to rectify the situation. The club have also received a 3 point deduction for entering administration, and will hope the administrators can satisfactorily resolve the financial situation or they may follow Nottingham Forest from last season into an additional 3 point reduction, which would put them in the Championship relegation zone.



Thaksin Shinawatra has told fans through the Manchester City website that he will not be investing funds at this time. The outspoken owner had praised the new managers ability to push the team higher in the league and had suggested further funds would be made available if positive steps were being made.

"I won't be putting any more money in now. I look at the squad and we have lots of players. We still have money in the clubs bank account. I don't believe investment now would have a positive effect."

Shinawatra refused to talk about the end of the season but said he wouldn't rule out future investment claiming "money is available if the situation here is right in the future."



Messina offered talented striker Antonio Montella his first professional contract this week and Montella has said in his first interview with an Italian TV station that he wants to change the clubs fortunes.

"I've been in the Messina academy for years and the team has been in a wilderness all that time. I want to repay the caretaker manager and the fans for giving me the chance to play for them. I want to lead this team out of Serie B."

One Italian pundit highlighted Montella as the "find of the season in European football" and if Messina can hold onto him, he might be the final piece in an already impressive season for lowly Messina.



Bernie Ecclestone has invested a further £9 million for Steve Davies-Evans to use at the League One club but has warned the manager he must produce the goods in return. Ecclestone invested £20 million pre-season following the appointment of Davies-Evans and this latest money takes his investment at Sheffield Wednesday to £40.6 million since purchasing the club a few seasons ago.

"The money is there if he wants to spend it. Everyone has to know this money isn't going to be thrown away. The board and myself want results and that means promotion. £40 million at this level deserves promotion, it demands it. We're a forward thinking club but we're a realistic club and at this price we don't accept failures."



The head of the Abu Dhabi investment group has come out and publicly admitted they have planned for investment in the team should they achieve promotion. Genoa have brought in Henry and Riquelme as well as changing the coaching staff since they bought the Serie B club although the new manager Chris Ratcliff has yet to be given any money to spend himself.

However Al-Fahim refused to confirm of deny the intense media reports suggesting a whopping £100 million would be given to the manager to ensure the team immediately challenge for the Serie A title.



Silvio Berlusconi has told his manager of the AC Milan team that he will have to "fight on" without investment. The club have stretched to accommodate a large change in the playing staff in the last season and it appears for now, money is not being made available for star buys.



Randy Lerner has praised manager Liam Riste for guiding the team to top of the Championship and into the driving for promotion to the Premiership. "He's done a great job since joining and the signing of David Villa sums up everyone's ambitions. We're looking forward to the run in now and everyone is dreaming of a promotion."



Milan Mandaric has told the Leicester manager Craig Stephen that he needs 100% faith in him before he can input extra funds. Reports have suggested Stephen has missed a couple of training sessions and pre-match warm ups since taking over and Mandaric clearly has concerns.

"Money is here but I have to be sure it's going to be spent properly. I need to know Craig is committed to this cause before I can think about funding changes."



Real Valladolid chairman has received a bid for his majority shares of the club.

Palermo's chairman is preparing a meeting with Glenn Whitter to discuss ending his the managers contract at the end of the season due to excessive interest from other teams.

Palermo's chairman is preparing a meeting with Glenn Whitter to discuss a reward package next season if the manager extends his contract there.

Palermo's chairman is preparing a meeting with Glenn Whitter to admit no funds are available to build on the fantastic top half league position.

Genoa will make £100 million available to Chris Ratcliff if they reach Serie A but will expect Samuel Eto'o to join from Manchester City in the summer.

John Terry has told friends he would consider a move to Genoa following this season.

Real Betis are preparing a shock swoop for their ex-manager Dale Price who was sacked following last seasons relegation.

Gareth Gardner has told people close to him at Celta Vigo that he wants nothing more than to relegate Recreativo Huelva.

Recreativo Huelva's chairman has given a disturbingly early vote of confidence to the new manager after they were booed off the pitch and slipped into the relegation zone.

Wood Issues Public Apology

 

Tony Wood the New Middlesboro Manager has released a statement apologising to the Chairman, the board and the Fans following his administrative error.

 

In his first week in charge Wood has seen the assistant manager refusing to work with him and was put on special leave until the deal to bring in Jim Duffy from Norwich was finalised over the weekend, His first result a 2-2 with bottom of the table Southampton was not what was expected.

 Middlesboro have now been hit with a £3m fine for woods oversight.

 

Middlesboro Evening News caught up with wood tonight to seek some answers for a very turbulent week on his return to management.

 

MEN In your First week you have managed to put the club in administration how do you account for this?

 

Wood I can only apologise to everybody connected with the club for this error on my part, I took over exactly one week ago with the well published news of Mazzarris refusal to work with me I think this problem was dealt with swiftly and professionally, I was busy trying to negotiate a few deals in my first week to move a few players on and bring some new faces in, I spent a long time with the players that were here but forgot that a player might have been out on loan elsewhere, this is not something I am proud of and apologise to Lee Williamson that I was unaware he was a Middlesboro player

 

MEN You also Signed David Cotterill this week which used up the entire transfer budget are you worried you could loose him this week on the cheap?

 

Wood Yes David Cotterill was I believe an excellent signing for us, I see him forming a lethal partnership with Yakubu, and hope the administrators can resolve our current situation amicable and keep the backbone of the 1^st team intact, I had been in talks with a few clubs last week over some players so would hope that deals can be concluded for one or two squad players leaving rather than any big names which I promised the board would not leave when they appointed me.

 

MEN care to name the players you were willing to move on?

 

Wood whilst not wishing to go into to much detail the transfer list gives away some of the players that I was willing to let go, I also received bids for Amuari and Riggott so hopefully those managers will come forward again and put in an offer to Administrators

 

MEN Your 1^st game didnt produce the 3 points you were predicting, how do you think the game went?

 

Wood There were aspects of the game I was very pleased with we were 2 0 down with 5 minutes to play so the spirit of the players was fantastic, it would have been easy for them to blame the icy pitch and accepted defeat, but the way they kept going merited the point they earned, a very pleasing factor of the game was our superior passing, our 85% completion was the best in the championship and better than a lot of premier teams, maybe that was our downfall that we tried to play a passing game on an ice rink of a pitch, this was my 1^st game in England after playing in the sunshine of Spain all my career, I will have to speak to our new Assistant Jim Duffy as he will be more used to the weather here and can help with things like heavy rain as is Predicted this week!

 

MEN The 3 point deduction you received for your error has now put you closer to the relegation places, do you think Middlesboro can still climb the table and not be dragged into a relegation scrap?

 

Wood The players here are very motivated to do well for the club and start to climb the table as was proved in the last 5 minutes against Southampton, the fact we are now level on points with Fulham who are 3^rd bottom will not alter our aim only increase the challenge that was set to me and the players, that will start this week against Norwich who had a did very well to come back and beat Crystal Palace last weekend despite having a player sent off, we have to combat the attacking threat of Matty Fryatt, but we have some very good inside knowledge from Jim Duffy whose advice will be invaluable

 

Wood brought the interview to an end by reiterating his apology and accepting fault for the error that has cost Middlesboro this week, Wood added we are now at the mercy of other managers and the administrators hopefully we will not suffer to badly, I can only say sorry to the Board and the fans for my error.

Soccer Star got an exclusive interview with Terry Manifold, manager of Fulham. We found out how stressful life is in England compared to Spain.

(Q) You must be wishing you'd stayed in sunny Spain after the start you've had at Fulham Terry?

(A) It has not been an easy ride so far. I did join Fulham in the relegation zone and the plan was always to stop the slide. Spain was tremendous and yes there are subtle differences in style and culture. The play seemed to flow better over there whereas here we seem to have much more to lose and we have to be much tighter with everything. No, Spain gave me my opportunity to manage and I will always be grateful.


(Q) Are you disappointed with how long its taking to adapt to life in England, or is it the team are struggling to adapt to your Spanish philosophies?

(A) I dont think it is either. Fulham had a bad start, I had to bring in new faces and some of that was about reducing the wage bill to fit the Championship. I feel that in the next few weeks the team will be settled and I am confident we have the staff to build on this current position. To drop out of the Premiership is a shock to the system, and it does take time to rebuild the confidence. Dont forget they were losing everything last year.


(Q) Are you disappointed you've come under fire so soon into your spell here?

(A) The stories circulating about the sale of the club have come as a shock. I still cant believe it is true and until he mentions it directly to me it is head down and get on with the job. The Chairman seemed pleased when I arrived at Fulham and made me very welcome, but he is keeping his cards close to his chest at the moment. I am enjoying the challenge and want to finish the job.


(Q) Middlesbrough have recently gone into administration. It must be hard to feel sorry for Tony Wood when the points deduction has given you a lifeline at survival?

(A) No, when that happens to a football club we all feel it. It could have been any one of us. It is not, however, the way you want to climb any league. I feel genuinely sorry for Tony. Middlesbro are a good side and they are still above us in the league. I want to bring something to this club, I dont want it to be handed to me.


(Q) There are growing rumours these last few weeks that the chairman is impatient and ready to walk out. How do you feel about that?

(A) All the rumours flying around do not help me, the players and the real fans who turn out week in week out.. I came here to do a job and I intend to get on with it until I am told other wise. I have never stopped looking to adding to the side. The fact that I had to work with a very small budget has not helped. There are still deals I want to complete in order to give Fulham the best chance possible. I think the side is stronger now and much better equipped to withstand this league. The Championship is a touch league with some very good teams in it.


(Q) Reginaldo Ferreira has expressed his desire to do well under you at Fulham but his form will undoubtably attract interest if your team continues to struggle. Does his future lie away from Fulham?

(A) Reginaldo Ferreira is worth as much to Fulham off the pitch as on it.
He has never stopped believing in what we are doing. He is an inspiration, a real motivator. My future plans include him and I cant see the day I let him go.