At the beginning of season 08-09, I think you could have had very good odds on Carlton Cole scoring 5 Premiership goals or more, becoming the fulcrum of the West Ham team and then breaking in to the England squad. 15 months is a long time ago and in that time Carlton Cole has morphed from a clumsy, well-built support striker who weighed in with the odd goal to a feared centre forward, capable of giving the very best defenders a real working over.

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Betting has been suspended on Phil Brown being the next Premier League manager to be sacked, this is following speculation today that Brown is on the verge of leaving Hull City. There are rumours that he may have already left but the club are refusing to comment. Brown has been under pressure following a poor start [. Click to continue reading...

The Clock is Ticking!

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Bookies have suspended betting on the next Premier League manager to be sacked following speculation Phil Brown is on the verge of leaving Hull City.

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It's been a strange but heartwarming Premier League season so far in that no manager has been sacked, at least not quite yet. But when was the last time a manager was sacked so late in the season?

According to the record books, the 2009/2010 Premier League season is on course to have the fewest managers sacked before November for several years.

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West Ham

Position: 19th, 1-2-5 (5 points, -3 goal differential)

Recent Form: LLLDL

Away Form: 0-1-2

Last Meeting: Arsenal 0-West Ham 0 (1/31/09)

London derby match against West Ham tomorrow.

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After a succession of bad managerial choices, Steve Gibson appears to finally about to get it right!

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In a shock move, Middlesbrough chairman Steve Gibson gave Gareth Southgate his marching orders last night just hours after a 2-0 home win over Derby County which took Middlesbrough to fourth in the Coca-Cola Championship and within a point of the Championship summit.

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Why now?

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Middlesbrough have announced that manager Gareth Southgate has been 'relieved of his duties'.

Boro have endured an in-different start to the Championship season following relegation from the Premier League last term.

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Just over half a dozen games in and the Premier League is beginning to take shape. There have already been some heavyweight clashes with the newly oil rich Man City upsetting Big 4 stalwarts Arsenal while Spurs' flying start was kept in check by Manchester United and Chelsea. With the electric Fernando Torres leading the line Liverpool have steadied the ship after a nervy start and last year's pretenders, Aston Villa, have picked up useful points despite not fully hitting top form yet.

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A great man (Alan Curbishley) once said "don't let the highs be too high, or the lows too low", but it would take a hard man not to forgive Charlton fans for wearing a cautious, toothy grin at present.

Following a treacherous three seasons, a 100% record at this stage was not on even the most optimistic Addick's radar.

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It's been a tough 12 months for the boys at Upton Park. A row between the board and manager over the sales of Anton Ferdinand and George McCartney to Sunderland lead to the resignation of Alan Curbishley. That was followed by major sponsors 'XL' going bust, and then an ex-Chelsea player taking over as manager. Click to continue reading...

Following Alan Curbishley's rather harsh dismissal from West Ham early last

Much done, more to do

term, Gianfranco Zola came in to take over. The little Italian's previous managerial experience amounted to collecting the cones after training for Italy's U-21 side, but he has done a fine job at Upton Park.

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Newcastle United have today denied the ridiculous News Of The World story yesterday, about appointing Alan Curbishley ahead of Alan Shearer as the interim manager. Alan Curbishley - we already knew he wasn't coming Not only that, but the NOTW argued that Ashley wanted Curbishley installed as manager only days before an American consortium could buy the club, because [. Click to continue reading...

It's Sunday again, and time for some ridiculous reports in the Sunday gossip press, and they have hardly disappointed us this week, with their stories, which always seem to lack any sense or facts picky picky. Alan Curbishley is Ashley going to appoint this man as manager? The News Of The World, which seems to [. Click to continue reading...

The economic meltdown has taken many victims around the world, including some that hit close to home for football fans (Southampton and Gretna FC come to mind). It has forced many clubs to rethink their spending habits and cut back. However, some continue to carry on, blithely unaware of the dangers that lurk for football clubs that can't control their cash flow.

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- Visit the site for QPR news, nostalgia and nattering: The QPR Report Messageboard. No focus on politics or films or music or food. And no ad-hominem attacks on fellow QPR posters. Just a focus on QPR!
- RODNEY MARSH QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Rodney Marsh Answers Some Questions. Click to continue reading...

The only thing that surprised me about Ricky Sbragia's resignation was the timing of it, coming just 20 or 30 minutes after the final whistle. It was odd to watch Niall Quinn speaking about his manager not wanting to take up the option of another year as manager, whilst Sbragia stood there impassively.

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Will this be how young Newcastle fans react after this Sunday or will it be all night celebration of preserving Premier League status? Whatever the outcome may be, expect a passionate and committed brand of football against Aston Villa at Villa Park.

Since some of us are about to experience the highs and lows of Survival Sunday, let's take a look at some of the most dramatic relegation escapes in EPL history.

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- The best QPR Messageboard on the web? Maybe. Maybe not! But it's certainly a site you might want to visit!: The QPR Report Messageboard a football-only, ad-hominem-free, site that offers eclectic articles as well as interesting perspectives! ALL perspectives welcomed! So continue posting wherever you already post. Click to continue reading...

Ok I give up, I can't find one.

I've tried to find a football fan that has a strong disliking for Gianfranco Zola and failed miserably – the guy is just too darn nice!

Even those who aren't fond of Chelsea – the club he played for so successfully - can't help but respect and admire not just his skills as a footballer but his attitude and professionalism both on and off the field.

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Leeds, Charlton, Southampton, and Norwich have something in common. During the last decade all four of they have been in the greatest league in the world, the Barclays Premier League. Next year they might have something else in common, playing in League One, the third division of English football.
The lure of the Premier League is great but dropping out of the League can almost drive a team off a cliff. Click to continue reading...

Getting the sack as a football coach isn't really the worst thing that could happen to you and to Jürgen Klinsmann. Except for the banking sector there probably isn't a job on this planet where screwing up pays you so much in golden handshakes. Looking at it this way, this season's best places in Europe to make a quick buck for just a couple of months of work and media/fan abuse are:

1.

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An unexpected treat in today's Sun comes in the form of a detailed interview with Hammers legend Tony Carr...
Super Carr Drives The Hammers
By Charlie Wyett
West Ham fans are never slow to remind everyone that their club helped England win the World Cup in 1966.
But Hammers heroes Geoff Hurst, Bobby Moore and Martin Peters not only brought glory to club and country, they left the East Enders with a legacy for generations to come. Click to continue reading...

Who is to blame? In the Premiership years, Charlton Athletic were seen as the model for any clubs gaining promotion to join the elite. So what went so wrong at The Valley that saw the Addicks fall to the depths of the wrong end of the Championship. As they stare League One football in the face, Charlton's recent history leaves behind a sad tale of a football club that was just too ambitious at the wrong time. Click to continue reading...

After 15 years of heartache, success and a little more success, Charlton Athletic Chairmen Richard Murray announced to a stadium of Addict fans in 2006 that legendary boss Alan Curbishley would be leaving his post at the end of the season. The announcement, made on the April 29th before a Premier League fixture, stunned thousands of [. Click to continue reading...

All hail Rafa Benítez, conqueror of Europe and vanquisher of Real Madrid. Liverpool has developed a reputation as masters of the Champions League tie, punching well above their weight in cup competitions compared to their performances in the Premiership. To date Benítez has delivered an FA Cup, one Community Shield, the European Super Cup and of course [. Click to continue reading...

1. A Good Walk Spoiled

Not that I would ever consider golf to be a sport, but I quite enjoyed replacing my weekly boo with Boo Weekley for a while this weekend.
That said, I'd like the chance to boo Boo Weekley weekly. What a tool.
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West Ham youngster Jack Jeffrey is hoping a string of impressive displays during his loan spell at neighbours Orient can help him force his way in to Gianfranco Zola's plans. Just as the Italian was taking over from Alan Curbishley at Upton Park, the 19-year-old striker was heading out of the door to take up a [. Click to continue reading...

At a recent LMA fundraiser, Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger, and Sir Alex Ferguson were asked questions on a variety of topics. They both agreed with the decisions of Alan Curbishley and Kevin Keegan to walk out on their clubs, before Fergie almost hit Wenger over the head with his microphone after the Arsenal boss claimed his [. Click to continue reading...

Mike Ashley will have to think about appointing a short term manager at Newcastle, until he can get the club sold. Alan Curbishley - not approached by Newcastle United And one experienced manager who could certainly do the job would be Alan Curbishley, who recently resigned from West Ham for the same reason Kevin Keegan resigned, Alan [. Click to continue reading...

The two best managers ever in the Premier League, Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger, are standing firmly behind the recently resigned English managers Kevin Keegan of Newcastle and Alan Curbishley of West Ham. Alex Ferguson - supports both Keegan and Curbishley Both managers resigned recently when they realized they were not in charge of which players would [. Click to continue reading...

Newcastle United will shortly be forced to make a decision on whether to appoint an interim coach, to get the team through until a new owner can be found for the club. Alan Curbishley - one of two names being mentioned That's the poor position the club finds itself in, and best way we can describe it [. Click to continue reading...

West Ham winger Luis Boa Morte believes new boss Gianfranco Zola will bring a 'fresh mentality' to Upton Park and admits he can't wait to start playing under the Italian. Boa Morte fell down the pecking order under Alan Curbishley but will have the opportunity to rekindle his best form with Zola, who was appointed as [. Click to continue reading...

Alan Curbishley while wishing new West Ham manager Gianfranco Zola well, has also warned him to watch his back. The Italian succeed the former Charlton boss at Upton Park, to become only the 12th permanent manager in the club's 113-year history. But the former Italy Under-21 boss has been warned by Curbishley that promises are not always [. Click to continue reading...

Alan Curbishley resigned from his position as West Ham manager last week claiming a lack of control over transfers with the breaking point being the last day sale of George McCartney. In an interview with the Sun, Curbs has given a full account of what happened, including the manner in which the last day transfer dealings [. Click to continue reading...

By JAMES CLARKGianfranco Zola has landed. What a time to be a Hammer! Yes, the jury is still out over whether he will replicate his stellar, attack-minded accomplishments as a player while prowling the touchline in a suit and tie. But you have to like the odds. I have been told by Jim Sturman -- a name familiar to many of you Hammers' fans -- that "Gianfranco is a wonderful man. Click to continue reading...