Football Dispatch

Monday Football
19 November 2007
by Jerrad Peters

STEVE Bruce is the new manager of Wigan Athletic. Latics chairman Dave Whelan made the announcement this morning, hailing the 46-year-old as "one of the best young managers in the land." He continued, "Steve Bruce is the guy we wanted. I'm delighted we've got him. I think he's a big loss for Birmingham and a big signing for us." Bruce had been rumored to be seeking a move away from St. Andrews as early as this summer. The ongoing takeover stalemate between City co-owners David Sullivan and chairman David Gold and Hong Kong businessman Carson Yeung seemed to leave Bruce in limbo. With just a single year remaining on his contract, the club had not sought an extension after last season. And rather than serve the remaining seven months as a lame-duck manager, the former Manchester United defender bolted for the job security of Wigan.

In return, Birmingham City will receive 3M-pounds compensation for Bruce. But more to the point is the vacancy he leaves as the club. And given the state of ownership, it is a vacancy that Gold will surely have difficulty in filling over the coming days and weeks. Before interviewing candidates, the chairman will have to weigh his legal ability to do so against Yeung's stated interest in a majority holding of the football club. While each of Chris Coleman, Martin Jol, and Paul Jewell will be at or near the top of Gold's wishlist, he may have his hands tied when it comes to hiring any one of them. Coleman, of course, is currently employed at Real Sociedad -- although his tumultuous relationship with the Basque outfit seems likely to end sooner rather than later. Jol, while not closing any doors in England, would prefer a job in Holland. And Jewell is thought to have his eye on the Republic of Ireland job.

Houston Dynamo won a second successive Major League Soccer championship, Sunday. Dwayne De Rosario scored the match-winner midway through the second half to vanquish New England Revolution at RFK Stadium in Washington D.C. United States international Taylor Twellman had opened the scoring for Revolution in the 20th-minute before Joseph Ngwenya equalized just after the hour-mark. De Rosario was named the game's Most Valuable Player. Besides heading Brad Davis' lob past Revs' goalkeeper Matt Reiss in the 74th-minute, his cross created Ngwenya's goal as well. The 29-year-old Canadian also won MLS titles in 2001 and 2003 with San Jose Earthquakes before the California club moved to Houston ahead of last season. Revolution, meanwhile, have now been runners-up in each of the past three seasons and four of the past six. And after taking the lead on Sunday, they showed their nerves by sitting on a 1-0 lead through 61-minutes. Dynamo, by virtue of hoisting the Alan I. Rothenberg, will represent MLS in the CONCACAF Champions' Cup along with Shield winners D.C. United.

Adriano will spend the remainder of 2007 on training assignment in South America. The 25-year-old Brazilian, having struggled with fitness issues and alcoholism after the 2006 World Cup, will train at a Sao Paulo facility until the transfer window opens in January. After two superb seasons with Inter Milan, the former Flamengo striker has fallen out of favor with manager Roberto Mancini and is currently the fifth-choice forward at the club. An explanation on the Inter website stated, "As agreed by the club, the player, and his agent Gilmar Rinaldi, the Inter striker will train at a highly qualified centre in Sao Paulo." Come January, each of West Ham, Manchester City, and Arsenal will make an offer for the player. Given his current health status, they will likely be able to attain a talented, proven goalscorer for a rock-bottom price.

Chelsea are tracking the progress of Luca Modric. The 22-year-old Dinamo Zagreb midfielder has already won 21-caps for Croatia and has an impressive scoring record of 20-goals in 69 league appearances for his club. Blues boss Avram Grant was on hand to watch Croatia's 2-0 loss in Macedonia on Saturday; and Zagreb president Zdrauko Mamic was flown to London on Chelsea's private jet shortly after. While in the capital, he received Chelsea's offer of 3.5M-pounds in exchange for "first-refusal" rights if and when Dinamo decide to sell the player. Mamic rejected the proposal. He turned down a similar offer from Arsenal in July.

Tottenham Hotspur are already preparing for life after Dimitar Berbatov. Manager Juande Ramos, having worked in top-level Spanish football for 14-years, will recommend that the club make an offer for Valencia striker David Villa in January. The 25-year-old Spanish international has scored 48-goals in 78 league appearances for Los Che and is valued at approximately 30M-pounds. And while Spurs would not typically consider such an expenditure, the sale of Berbatov would net similar funds and serve to finance the transaction.

Alan Hutton's sublime performances for Rangers and Scotland has drawn the attention of Manchester United. With Gary Neville battling to recover from persisting leg injuries, United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is already shopping for a successor at the right-back position. Hutton, at 6'1'', is similar in stature to Manchester City's Micah Richards, and has risen to prominence as part of Scotland's heroic EURO 2008 campaign. The 22-year-old has also been integral to Rangers' surprising Champions' League season. A strong defender, Hutton is the prototypical full-back which Ferguson covets. His penetrating runs mirror those of Neville.

Bayern Munich have launched an audatious attempt to pry Rafael Benitez from Liverpool. The Bundesliga giants are gambling that the Spaniard will soon tire of the pressures associated with the top job at Anfield and seek new employment on the continent. Current boss Ottmar Hitzfeld, in his second go-around with the club, has a colored relationship with president Karl-Heinz Rumminegge -- a rift which was made evident after Bayern's 2-2 draw with Bolton Wanderers in the UEFA Cup. Still, Hitzfeld's accomplishments cannot be dismissed. In six years in charge of the club from 1998 to 2004, he hoisted four league titles and the 2001 Champions' Leauge. He also won Bundesliga crowns with Borussia Dortmund in 1995 and 1996 and the Champions' League in 1997.