Football transfer rumours: Wilson Palacios to Real Madrid?

Today’s rumours have a few of their own, mind

The Mill has spent the best part of this morning, as it always does, idly flicking through the pages of a glamour magazine. Don’t leap to judge: copying down all these stories gets so goddamn lonely after a while. And anyway, you’ll be glad this is the sort of thing the Mill gets up to, because otherwise how would we have known about the latest Brentian bon mot from Phil Brown? Upon being asked by Zoo whether he has any regrets – the pep talks, the karaoke sessions, the tan – the increasingly likeable Hull manager responded with this pithy maxim:

“I don’t drink pints of hindsight. I drink pints of Guinness.”

Short of going out on to the pitch and belting out selections from the Great French Songbook, Brown couldn’t make it any clearer that he doesn’t give a single trill what any of us think about him. To this end, the piece is illustrated by a flagrantly rheumy-eyed portrait suggesting a couple of Pints O’Piaf might have been contemplated at some point in the none-too-distant past. You have to hope Hull stay up, because you’ll miss him when he’s gone.

He’ll Be Missed When He’s Gone #2: Wilson Palacios has told Harry Redknapp that he wants to continue wearing the pristine white colours of Tottenham Hotspur, but only if there’s a different badge stitched over the cock on his left nip. “I would like to play for Real Madrid,” says the only Spurs midfielder to put a proper tackle in since the days of Graham Roberts.

Plymouth Argyle plan to sell Home Park to their holding company for £7.5m in a bid to reduce debts. Hmm, anybody seen David Conn around?

Wolverhampton Wanderers have no chance of keeping hold of their striker Kevin Doyle, insists Mick McCarthy, whose eyes have long been trained to snap immediately into focus when surveying the sorry wreckage of relegation, despite all the tears refracting the light. Aston Villa, Fulham, Sunderland and Everton all plan to run off with Doyle as though he was a bag of sweeties in a DC Thomson cartoon. “Yoinks, now for a feast,” one of them will titter as they scarper down the road. “Bah! Ma bon-bons!” McCarthy will cry.

The Wigan striker Victor Moses wants to play for Nigeria in the World Cup. He’s “considering switching to Nigerian nationality”, according to the Mirror. As he was born in Lagos, and both his parents were from Lagos, it could be argued that there’s not actually much switching to do. Ah the panoramic England perspective, eh.

Manchester United fans will be unhappy to hear that their cherished central defensive partnership is about to be broken up: Sporting Lisbon’s Daniel Carrico is to be drafted in to replace either Kolo Touré or Joleon Lescott. Meanwhile Milan are interested in Touré and Lescott’s Manchester City team-mate Emmanuel Adebayor. In line with club policy, they’ll put a bid in for him in 2027.

Martin Atkinson is favourite to referee the FA Cup final. The Mill can’t remember which one he is, and certainly isn’t going to waste any time finding out.

Now, where’s that glamour magazine? The Mill is off for a long bath.

Due to comments under the Rumour Mill increasingly veering off topic, we’d appreciate it if you could keep your posts football-related. Please also remember that we ask users to find ways of sharing their views that do not feel divisive or toxic to others.

Tottenham HotspurReal MadridScott Murrayguardian.co.uk

Magical Luka Modric wanders free to unlock Everton’s defence | David Pleat

The Tottenham playmaker disrupted Everton’s rigid defensive system

Shape

With the influential Tim Cahill, the powerful Marouane Fellaini and the in-form Louis Saha all missing, David Moyes decided to line up his Everton team in a cautious 4-5-1 formation. The challenge would be to muster a goal threat against a Tottenham side that came into this match with a superb home defensive record. Yakubu Ayegbeni had the difficult task of leading the line on his own and one wondered if he would be capable of keeping the ball and providing time for Leon Osman and Mikel Arteta to support him from midfield. Out wide, Victor Anichebe had the job of helping contain Gareth Bale’s surges down the left, while Moyes hoped that on the other side, Steven Pienaar would be able to cause problems for Vedran Corluka.

Tactics and teamwork

Moyes stationed Jack Rodwell in front of Wilson Palacios to stifle the Honduran midfielder but the tactic was quickly undone as Luka Modric wandered in-field and dictated Spurs’ attacks. The visitors were being continually undone by the home side’s interplay, particularly down their right where Bale regularly overpowered Anichebe and put in exemplary deliveries. Pienaar had to come inside to help the overworked Everton midfield and up front Yakubu was left to despair at the lack of service. Everton were second-best to Spurs’ brisk passing and sharper movement and Moyes needed to make a dramatic intervention to stem the tide.

Did he succeed?

With nothing to lose at 2-0 down, Moyes shrewdly brought Phil Jagielka on at half-time and pushed Johnny Heitinga further forward. Osman was the man withdrawn and immediately the introduction of a ball winner into Everton’s midfield helped break up Spurs’ interplay. More importantly, Rodwell was able to get further forward and support Yakubu. The anaemic Anichebe was also withdrawn and replaced by Landon Donovan, who gave Everton more thrust down the right and should have levelled the game late on. As a whole, Everton did a better job in the second half of blocking off Bale’s forward breaks and as Arteta developed a greater command of the ball, the game developed into a classic ebb-and-flow contest, far more open and competitive than it had been in the first half. Sadly for Everton, however, their adventure came too late and, overall, they were never able to get to grips with the magical Modric.

Premier LeagueTottenham HotspurEvertonDavid Pleatguardian.co.uk

Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Everton | Premier League match report

A virus has been sweeping through the Tottenham Hotpsur camp but they recovered more swiftly than Everton might have anticipated and this win leaves them looking in rude good health back in fourth position in the Premier League.

These teams had contrasting fortunes in Europe in the week and seemed to carry that form into the league, at least in the first half. It was Everton’s first defeat at White Hart Lane since 2005 and they had won on their last three visits here.

But it was far from easy for Spurs and they looked vulnerable after conceding a soft goal early in the second half which halved their 2-0 advantage at half-time.

Spurs took the lead after 11 minutes when Jermain Defoe crossed from the right for Roman Pavlyuchenko to slide in on the far post. It was one of few contributions from leading scorer Defoe and he was substituted halfway through the second half. Spurs appeared to have a comfortable hold on the game when they went 2-0 up in the 28th minute, Luke Modric receiving the ball from Niko Kranjcar to beat Tim Howard with a delightful, dipping shot which entered the goal via the underside of the bar.

But towards the end of the first half Everton gave warnings that they were still in the match and Jack Rodwell should have done better when he sent a free header wide from eight yards.

The Toffees did pull a goal back in the 55th minute when Yakubu Ayegbeni exploited hesitation by the entire Spurs defence. After that Everton missed a number of chances to equalise. Steven Pienaar intercepted a pass and raced through with only the goalkeeper to beat in the 73rd minute and Phil Jagielka sent another free header over in the 83rd.

But the best chance was spurned by substitute Landon Donovan. Rodwell crossed to him and he was unmarked beside the far post but still shot wide.

Premier LeagueTottenham HotspurEvertonPaul Weaverguardian.co.uk