Fresh from speculation that Kasper Schemichel may be considering switching national allegiance, it now appears that Arsenal’s Spanish goalkeeper Manuel Almunia also wants to play for England. He backs his candidacy with some nice stereotypical quotes: "I feel at home in England - and if I play for this country I will try to go to the pubs more and eat fish and chips!”.

Personally, I think that England have a good crop of young talent coming through, including Ben Foster, Chris Kirkland and Scott Carson to name three off the top of my head. David James is on top form and even though Paul Robinson has dropped a few clangers whilst wearing the three lions, I don’t think he should be dropped from consideration.

Steve McClaren, on the other hand, should be discharged as national manager, his passport changed to an Armenian one and we should ask them nicely if they will take him as their national coach.

'Even if Jol finishes the season outside the top four, as looks very likely at this point, I still think Spurs would have no right to sack him'


Spurs boss Martin Jol can begin packing up his belongings, according to the Daily Mirror who say club chairman Daniel Levy was disgusted by the way they threw away a 3-1 lead at Craven Cottage on Saturday. The only thing that will keep Jol in the hot-seat will be if the club cannot get their first choice, Sevilla's Juande Ramos.

Levy, who reportedly declined to talk to Jol after the game when Spurs were twice two goals ahead but lost their way after a series of apparently mystifying substitutions, believes the game justified the club's clandestine trip to try to get Ramos.

This will all be forgotten when Jol leads his side to a 3-0 drubbing of Arsenal in the north London derby, but seriously, enough is enough. Even if the Dutchman finishes the season outside the top four, as looks very likely at this point, I still think they would have no right to sack him. The longer this speculation goes on, the worse it is for Tottenham Hotspur FC. Levy is undermining his manager day after day; sooner or later he will get the message that the White Hart Lane faithful may not be happy, but they are still very much behind their talismanic coach.

The salary Brazilian superstar Adriano was reported to be seeking from West Ham and Manchester City were clearly not scary enough to totally finish off this rumour. The Inter Milan striker is apparently ready for more talks with the Hammers in the coming weeks (Daily Mail). Adriano has informed Alan Curbishley he would consider a loan move to Upton Park when the market reopens in January.

Well, if the Curbishley’s men find themselves in a relegation battle - or more likely heading towards the UEFA Cup spots - bringing in such a talent, albeit flawed, for a few months on loan might be a gamble worth taking. So I guess come January they can all sit around a high-class Central London hotel lobby discussing money whilst sipping ‘boat drinks'.

Wigan’s Emile Heskey was shocked by his England recall over the weekend. The former Liverpool striker said: "It is a huge honour to be called up but I have to admit it has come as a bit of a surprise to me” (various). This was not only a shock to Heskey. I have heard it also staggered a tribe as yet untouched by modern man who spend their days lounging around the Amazonian jungle spearing the odd wild pig and relaxing with low-grade tequila.

They heard about his call-up on their long-wave transistor radio whilst tuning into the shipping forecast on BBC’s World Service, and have now declared McClaren to be the incarnation of the Devil on Earth and will seek to have him tied to a high-powered slingshot and fired into the heart of the sun, which seems a little harsh.

You've read Mark's gossip - what football rumours have YOU heard on the grapevine?