Liverpool's Dutch winger Ryan Babel, he of constant transfer speculation and little playing time, appears to have rejected not one but two loan offers.
Both Turkish side Besiktas and Italian outfit Fiorentina wanted to bring in Babel on loan until the summer.
Sadly it seems Babel rejected both offers.

Things aren't going so well at Anfield. A lowly 7th in the Premier League, failure to make the Champions League knockouts, and now out of the FA Cup after losing 2-1 at home to Championship team Reading. I wouldn't bet on things getting better any time soon either, with both Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard [.

Woke up early to do the Sweeper for Pitch Invasion, and tried to give a taste of the newspaper hyperbole setting up today's Man United, Leeds clash. Of course, after all that, Leeds went and won 1-0 at Elland Road. I caught portions of the first half and you could tell it was one of those games where something comes out of the pitch, into everyone's feet, one of those beautiful aberrations that explode the stat records.

Racing Santander president Francisco Pernia insists reports teenage star Sergio Canales is on his way out "have as much relation to the truth as an egg to a chestnut".
Canales only turns 19 next month but is already being linked with a number of clubs including Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona and Barclays Premier League outfits Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal.

And so to part two.

Sunday's win at Bolton made a lot of people sit up and take notice, partly because of the battling nature of the victory, and partly because of the inspirational form of our captain. But mainly because it meant that three points tonight could send us top of the league.

Sure, Chelsea would have a game in hand, which they would only need to draw to return to the summit.

It's right around the corner, you know. And by 'right around the corner', we mean that quite literally: turn the corner of this week into next week and you're there. The first game kicks off Sunday evening when tournament hosts Angola take on Mali.

So with time at a premium, let's get right down to ten things you need to know for the African Cup of Nations.

The 2010 MLS Combine is set to kick off and the best way to describe the scene at Central Broward Regional Park is miserable. It's rainy and cold and a terrible setting, but the players on display today will have to suck it up and show they're tough as well as skilled.

The projected No.

photo credit: * HugoPan *

Barcelona-Sevilla

A match-up of Spanish giants this weekend as the typical number one offense will battle the typical number one defense season to season. And with recent trends it would seem that Sevilla is playing the treble winners at the wrong time of the year.

Atlético Madrid are pure entertainment. The Jekyll and Hyde of Spanish football added another chapter to their colourful past as they achieved what no other team had ever achieved in Copa del Rey history; to come back from a first-leg 3 goal deficit. And in typical Atlético style, they did it hard way.

As those of you who have read my match preview will know, I expect Tottenham will beat Hull quite comfortably.

The punters at Betfair agree, making Tottenham the 7/25 favourites, with the draw at 5/1 and Hull the 12/1 outsiders.

These odds on the home win are a little stingy.

The Daily Mail has an interesting article on FCUM.

The Mirror reports on Fergie giving Owen hope of more playing time.

Patrick Barclay of The Times looks at why we should blame Fergie for the Glazers.

Sky Sports previews today's game.

Rob Smyth at The Guardian looks at the best League Cup semis.

photo credit: fortes

The Pick: I love Kaka. I know he will be way higher on this list by the time his career is over, and I only put him down this low because my formula probably puts too much emphasis on one's career stats, and Kaka's career is far from over.

I don't suppose that many people would have made any money betting on the Hull game, so let's hope for a change in fortune at Anfield tonight. If you fancy a punt, then you can get a free £25 at Betfair.

Liverpool are the slight favourites with Betfair at 13/10, with the draw at 23/10 and Spurs at 11/5.

They say certain matches define your season. With us two years ago, it was the match at Birmingham. The year we went unbeaten, it was the come-back against Liverpool at Highbury. When this season's fixtures were revealed, everyone said it would be a run of games which defined ours, not that anyone expected us to be in the race off course.

They say certain matches define your season. With us two years ago, it was the match at Birmingham. The year we went unbeaten, it was the come-back against Liverpool at Highbury. When this season's fixtures were revealed, everyone said it would be a run of games which defined ours, not that anyone expected us to be in the race off course.

This week, Jason and Zach review the USMNT performance against Honduras, discuss Donovan (and the bet), hit on Holden and Clark's new clubs, talk to Sean Wheelock about a variety of topics, and wonder if there's been a shift in the CBA negotiations. http://www.csrnusa.com

Live betting is a great new way to enjoy sports betting and enhance your enjoyment of every game. With live betting, you can make bets on virtually every single play, so the action is just beginning after you've placed your bet on who will win when the final gun is sounded. Once you know you want to try live betting, you need to identify ways in which you can give yourself an edge.

US falls to Honduras, Landon Donovan gets a taste of the FA Cup (and we talk about the bet), Holden & Clark sign, CBA and we are joined by Sean Wheelock.

Visit the American Soccer Show website to Download and For More Show Info.
The American Soccer Show is part of the Champions Soccer Radio Network.

I was shocked to see that Algeria had beaten tournament favorites Ivory Coast in the African Nations Cup, this result will have been a major positive for England as it highlights the danger of Algeria. I'm sure Fabio Capello would have been watching this game closely and would have learnt a lot from it.

If you were hoping for the United States to beat out a host of other candidates, including England, for the right to host the 2018 World Cup, things have gotten a whole lot tougher.

According to FIFA president Sepp Blatter, a plan is in the works to guarantee 2018 going to one of the several European countries bidding for the World Cup.

Fifa's World Rankings for February are out. Spain stay in top spot in this month's Fifa world rankings. Brazil are second followed by the Netherlands, Italy and Portugal.
Spain and Brazil are among the favorites to lift the World Cup trophy next summer.
England are in 9th place.