Blackburn Rovers are hoping to lure Brian Kidd to Ewood Park and are expected to make an official approach to Manchester United within days. Rovers will face problems getting their man, however, as Everton found in the summer when their attempts to woo the Old Trafford assistant manager were blocked by his club. United also put the dampers on Manchester City when they tried to hire Kidd in 1995 after Brian Horton was dismissed.
Other names on the shortlist to replace Roy Hodgson, sacked as Rovers manager last Saturday, are Colin Hendry, Roy Evans, Ron Atkinson and Graeme Souness.
Rovers accept that Kidd's experience as a number one is limited to a spell in charge at Preston in 1986, but his reputation for getting the best out of players is being enhanced with every passing season. And although Kidd says he is "United through and through", he is nearing his 50th birthday and may consider it a case of now or never if he wishes to make his mark as a Premiership manager.
There are very few signs that Alex Ferguson is feeling the strain of doing the job. Indeed the manager is currently negotiating with the board for a new contract which would keep him at United until well into the next century.
Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier's response to his club's latest defensive horror show was both swift and decisive yesterday. Less than 24 hours after watching his team slide to a 3-1 first-leg defeat in the UEFA Cup third round against Celta Vigo in Spain, Houllier set up a deal to bring a fellow Frenchman, the former international defender Jean-Michel Ferri, to Anfield.
Ferri, 29, a former French championship winner with Nantes, currently plays for the Turkish club Istanbulspor and is valued at £1.7 million.
West Ham sent out a clear message yesterday that they will not be treated as a hard-up club, willing to sell any player, when they turned down an approach by Tottenham for their England Under 21 midfielder Frank Lampard. Spurs inquired yesterday, hoping West Ham would be tempted by a £4.3 million offer for Lampard after West Ham admitted they were forced to sell Andrew Impey to Leicester to balance the books.
But West Ham's manager Harry Redknapp quickly told them no. "If any club thinks we're totally skint and need to sell they've got it completely wrong," he said.
Duncan Ferguson began his Newcastle career yesterday and said his move might make him consider ending his self-imposed exile from Scotland's national team.
The announcement capped 48 hours of surprises in the life of the 26-year-old Scot. "Newcastle is the closest thing in my thoughts, but in the future it could be Scotland," said the former Everton player. "We will have to wait and see."
The £8 million centre forward has not played for his country since February 1997 because he felt let down by the Scottish FA when it banned him for 12 matches after, playing for Rangers, he butted Raith's John McStay.
Craig Brown, the Scotland manager, said last night: "I am delighted that Duncan has given us another option and I will monitor his progress over the coming months."
Howard Kendall is to manage the Spanish second division side Jerez. "I like the place, the set-up and the people involved," said the 52-year-old, sacked as Everton's manager in the summer.
Former Republic of Ireland under-21 international Willie Boland has been told that he is surplus to requirements with Coventry City. Manager Gordon Strachan has told Boland that he no longer fits in and has placed a £200,000 transfer fee on his head. Dundee United were first to express an interest but Boland turned them down.
