Today’s debris was pulled from the wreckage of a serious computer crash

Several Premier League managers are preparing to undertake major reconstructions. Unfortunately the Mill does not mean that in the Crimewatch sense, so we are not about to see grainy CCTV footage of Sir Alex Ferguson brandishing an Uzi at some terrified young service station attendant and swearily ordering him to hand over all the cash and several boxes of Wrigleys. Similarly there will be no shots of Carlo Ancelotti toddling out of Barclays with a blue balaclava and a bulging swag bag and in all probability we will also not be treated to mobile phone camera pictures of Harry Redknapp and Chris Hughton happy-slapping Rafael Benítez.

Instead all Ferguson wants us to see is glossy photos of Karim Benzema and David Silva smiling cheesily as they sign for Manchester United. Oh, and another thing: still smarting from last summer’s shenanigans with Carlos Tevez, Ferguson desperately wants to knock Manchester City’s nose out of joint and intends to do so by pinching Stephen Ireland from right under it. Ah but the days of United pushing City around are over, so Ireland will only go if City want him too – which, inexplicably, may be the case – and if Ferguson can cough up £15m, which may not.

Redknapp reckons he can get £15m by selling Robbie Keane and Jamie O’Hara to Newcastle, possibly because Mike Ashley is a Tottenham fan. Redknapp will raise more millions by sending Alan Hutton to West Brom and Roman Pavlyuchenko to any one of the numerous clubs who see something in the Russian striker that Redknapp still steadfastly refuses to see. One of those clubs is Everton, who, if they don’t bag their man will instead turn their attention to Lille’s Ivorian striker Gervinho. David Moyes also plans to attract Sporting Lisbon’s Veloso and fervently hope the midfielder doesn’t find out that Internazionale want him too.

Redknapp will, of course, re-invest the earnings from those sales. He hopes to make his first signing Joe Cole – though he may prefer to spend a gap year on the Barcelona bench a la Eidur Gudjohnsen. Then Redknapp will go for Wolfsburg’s Eden Dzeko and, working on the principle that two Edens are better than one, will then try to lure Lille’s midfielder Eden Hazard. The young Belgian is also a target for Lyon, who are poised to sign Eduardo from Arsenal.

That deal has not yet gone through because Arsène Wenger is waiting to see where Lyon finish in Ligue 1 – fail to make the top three (or win the Champions League) and they will miss out on next season’s Champions League, meaning they may need to sell – so in will come Wenger with an uncharacteristically astute bid for a keeper, namely Hugo Lloris.

Meanwhile, If Newcastle fail to land Keane they will instead turn their attention to the Swindon striker Charlie Austin. Beyond that Hughton will have to content himself with shopping at the Fratton Park firesale, so in will come Marc Wilson, Nadir Belhadj and Kevin Prince-Boateng.

Wolves are another of the clubs who want Keane and if they don’t get him they will instead take James Beattie off Tony Pulis’s hea … sorry, hands. Then Wolves and Stoke will join Blackburn for a rumble over Cardiff’s Joe Ledley, with the losing duo set to continue their bickering over Hull’s Stephen Hunt.

Tottenham HotspurNewcastle UnitedManchester CityWolfsburgSwindonChelseaManchester UnitedEvertonArsenalLilleLyonPortsmouthBlackburn RoversStoke CityPaul Doyleguardian.co.uk

• Blackburn say snowfall around Ewood Park was ‘relatively light’
• Man City v Liverpool and Wigan v Tottenham also go ahead

All of today’s Premier League games are set to go ahead despite adverse weather conditions in Lancashire and Manchester. Overnight snowfall in the north-west had cast doubt over Blackburn v Bolton, Manchester City v Liverpool and Wigan v Tottenham, but all three home clubs released statements this morning confirming that the matches would not be postponed.

Blackburn’s statement said that the snowfall near Ewood Park had been “relatively light” ahead of their midday derby, while City reported that “traffic is moving freely around the City of Manchester Stadium”.

“The approaches immediately to the ground itself for those on foot are clear,” continued the City statement. “There is no problem with the playing surface and the game goes ahead at 3pm as scheduled. If you are coming to the game, the weather is set to remain cold and wet throughout the day, so please wear lots of layers and stay warm.”

Wigan, meanwhile, said: “The DW Stadium pitch undersoil heating has been functioning throughout the week, while snow ploughs and gritters have made the main access roads into the stadium passable. The club are warning, however, that it may be forced into some car park closures, depending on conditions later today.

“Supporters are being reminded that conditions remain potentially hazardous and roads throughout the region continue to be affected by the adverse weather.”

Premier LeagueBlackburn RoversManchester CityWigan AthleticBolton WanderersLiverpoolTottenham Hotspurguardian.co.uk

The last Tottenham team to finish in the top four were managed by someone who believed instinctively in attacking football, who was brought up to the east of London, had a politician’s gift of the gab and who could never quite escape the scent of financial scandal.

Terry Venables was eventually forced from White Hart Lane by off-field matters and in the 16 years that followed only Martin Jol, sacked in a manner Mark Hughes would have recognised, came close to replicating his achievements. This may be why, despite the embarrassment of having HM Revenue and Customs issuing proceedings against him, Tottenham appear determined to ring-fence Harry Redknapp.

The Premier League is astonishingly fluid. Manchester United have lost five games before the turn of the year, Manchester City, to nobody’s surprise, are self-destructing, Liverpool are moribund. If this is not the season for the great breakthrough, then when? “We have got a chance,” said Redknapp, who was anxious to leave Ewood Park, not because of questions about unpaid tax, but to attend a charity function. “We’re sitting where we’d love to have been at the start, on the heels of the Champions League places.

“You’ve got Aston Villa, Manchester City, ourselves and Fulham. We are all pushing to get into the top four and, you never know, one could make it, two could make it. It is not impossible. Villa look very strong, we are playing well, Manchester City have got a good squad, Fulham are in great form.”

While dismissing the tax charges against him as “unbelievable” and “farcical”, Redknapp said he would allow his players some kind of Christmas celebrations after their unauthorised jaunt to Dublin for a “golf day” that turned out to be a session doing what most young men go to Temple Bar for.

“We will train Christmas morning and then the players can go home and I won’t take them away on Christmas night. We meet up early Boxing Day morning and play Fulham followed by West Ham two days later. Two London derbies, two great games to look forward to.”

This encounter in the snow was by no stretch of the imagination a great game. Tottenham had three serious attempts at goal, all fell to Peter Crouch and all hit the back of the Blackburn net, although one was disallowed for offside.

Given that his team had the better of the game and saw Benni McCarthy twice strike the frame of the goal, this was not the match Sam Allardyce would have wanted to mark his first year as Blackburn manager. None of the last six league games has been won and those half a dozen matches have produced a single goal, and that scored by a centre-half in defeat at Birmingham. Like a lot of people at this time of year, Allardyce is worried about money. He needs to sell before he can buy in the January transfer window and even then he doubts he could afford a striker of Crouch’s calibre.

And for Allardyce, that would have been a familiar story. He first noticed Crouch a decade ago, when the distinctive forward led Queens Park Rangers’ attack against Colin Hendry at Bolton.

“I wanted the chairman at the time to buy him for £1m. I then wanted the chairman to buy him for £2.5m from Villa before he went to Southampton,” he said. “I was told we didn’t have the money. He is the difference why Spurs have got three points and we have come away with nothing.”

Premier LeagueBlackburn RoversTottenham HotspurHarry RedknappSam AllardyceTim Richguardian.co.uk