The English Football Association is to bring forward a proposed "peace meeting" between Manchester United and Arsenal after the clubs were drawn together in the League Cup quarter-finals. Officials believe it is too risky to allow the game to go ahead on December 1st without having issued a formal warning to both clubs about the standards of behaviour expected.
The FA's chairman Geoff Thompson intends to convene a meeting with United's chief executive David Gill and Arsenal's vice-chairman David Dein, plus high-ranking representatives from the Premier League, before the end of the month. Thompson had initially planned to allow a cooling-off period before summoning representatives of both clubs to discuss Arsenal's visit to Old Trafford last month.
That plan has had to be altered, however, after a cup draw that has met with quiet dismay within Soho Square. Although United and Arsenal intend to use reserve teams, the FA has adopted the stance that the relationship between the two clubs has deteriorated to the point that some sort of incident is almost inevitable. Thompson will emphasise to Gill and Dein the situation must change, otherwise both clubs can expect stringent punitive measures and they will be expected to report back to Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger.
Ferguson has urged Roy Carroll to sign a contract extension with United. The Northern Ireland goalkeeper, whose present deal expires at the end of the season, has rejected a new offer because he does not want to spend more time on the bench.
Southampton fans will grudgingly accept the return of Glenn Hoddle, eight months after staging protests against his reappointment. Hoddle, who quit for Tottenham three years ago with Southampton eighth in the Premiership, was not forgiven for his departure which fans considered to have been desertion. However, after seeing Southampton slide into the Premiership's relegation zone, pragmatism will prevail.
"Everyone is resigned to (Hoddle's return)," said Nick Illingsworth of the True Saints Association. "Eight months ago 80 per cent of us didn't want him back. That was not because of footballing reasons - everyone respected him as a coach - but because of the way he left."
Since Hoddle's departure, only the appointment of Gordon Strachan - who took Southampton to their first FA Cup final in 26 years - can be considered a success. The former youth and reserve-team coach Steve Wigley is soon to become the eighth managerial departure under Rupert Lowe's stewardship. The feeling is should Southampton lose against Portsmouth tomorrow Wigley will be axed.
Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp has admitted he would "be very concerned" if reports proved correct the club are to offer Panathinaikos director of football Velimir Zajec a similar role at Fratton Park. Portsmouth chairman Milan Mandaric has denied the claim by the Greek club that Zelek is leaving their title-winning outfit to join Portsmouth immediately.
But Mandaric revealed Croat-born Zajec, who played 57 times for Yugoslavia and captained them at the 1982 World Cup, is a friend and somebody he might like to appoint to the Pompey board in future.
Redknapp said yesterday: "It is the chairman's club and he can do what he likes, of course he can, but the question is whether I want to work under those circumstances."
