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Morning Ticker: Grant leaves Pompey, Ribery staying put and more

GrantReuters

By AVI CREDITOR

Avram Grant, who took over at Portsmouth mid-season and guided the club to the FA Cup final, has resigned as manager and appears set to become Gianfranco Zola's replacement at West Ham.

Grant undertook the position at Fratton Park despite Portsmouth's financial straits, with the team eventually going into administration and being docked nine points that sealed relegation well before season's end.

The biggest surprise in this development, though, is who is being named as a potential successor to Grant with Pompey.

David James, who is currently vying to be England's No. 1 goalkeeper at the World Cup, will reportedly be contacted by Portsmouth administrator Andrew Andronikou about the managerial position.

Here are a few more soccer stories to help get you to the weekend:

REPORT: RIBERY TO STAY AT BAYERN MUNICH

Franck Ribery might not be playing for Bayern Munich in Saturday's Champions League final, but reports say that the much-maligned French winger will stay with the German side on a new four-year deal.

Ribery, who received a red card in the Champions League semifinals and is ineligible for the final against Inter Milan, was rumored to be headed to one of the Premier League giants when the transfer window opened. According to the Daily Mail (UK), Ribery's new deal will have him earning £130,000 a week.

SUBOTIC IN SERBIA'S FINAL 24

Serbia manager Radomir Antic trimmed his roster down to 24 players, and defender Neven Subotic is, not surprisingly, one of the remaining players in Serbia's camp.

The six players who didn't make the cut were Nemanja Matic, Miralem Sulejmani, Slobodan Rajkovic, Jagos Vukovic, Nemanja Tomic and Dejan Lekic.

The final player to be cut figures to be a goalkeeper, considering that four goalkeepers remain on Antic's 24-man roster.

VILLA-TO-BARCELONA COMPLETE

David Villa passed his physical and officially signed his four-year contract with Barcelona, a deal that includes an option for a fifth year.

Villa and former Valencia teammate David Silva figure to form a rivalry over the years should Real Madrid put the finishing touches on its negotiations with Silva. Both players will team to try and guide Spain to a World Cup title this summer.

ROBINHO PREFERS TO STAY IN BRAZIL

Brazilian forward Robinho got his wish when he was loaned to his hometown side Santos from Manchester City, but he would prefer that the move becomes permanent.

Considering how heavy his contract with Manchester City is, there's no way Santos would be able to purchase him outright, but there would appear to be little chance of an amicable reunion between Robinho and the Citizens either.

SAF: BERBATOV STAYING IN MANCHESTER

Sir Alex Ferguson has stated that he won't be selling striker Dimitar Berbatov despite reports and rumors that state the contrary.

Berbatov hasn't fulfilled the lofty expectations thrust on him when he signed with the Red Devils from Tottenham, though he did manage to score 12 goals this past season. The Bulgarian forward will be part of the Manchester United team that faces the Major League Soccer All-Stars this summer in Houston.

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Who do you think should take over at Portsmouth? How far do you think Grant can take West Ham? Surprised to see Ribery staying in Munich? Excited that Berbatov will be playing in the MLS All-Star game?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Robinho is a classic underachiever.

    I have no doubt he’s completely comfortable living like a King in Brazil, so long has his current funds can still be paid (some how).

    IF….he were to go back to Europe, it’d likely be in Spain.

    Reply
  2. You’re crazy…Man City and Man U will not do business together. Just imagine the possibilities if Robinho moved to Man U and resurrected (take lightly) his career. Not happening

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  3. Call me crazy, but I think Robinho would be a decent gamble for Man U. They won’t have to depend on him, and he wouldn’t be expected to be the savior like he was at City. He does have that extra flair and ability to unlock even the best defenses though that Man U needs apart from Rooney. Could be a good fit for both player and club, and he’d likely come for a fraction of the price that City paid for him

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  4. Grant took a lot of criticism when he managed Chelsea, some of it over-the-top and insulting. Pompey’s effort against Chelsea in the FA Cup final vindicates, in my mind, Grant’s managerial abilities.

    Reply
  5. As an American, when I encounter Brits on other messageboards, they are always overrating David James’ ability.

    My opinion, he makes the easy look hard and the hard look easy…thus, way to inconsistent to be considered a true ” top tier ” GK at this stage.

    With that said, I absolutely love the guys character and personality. If he watch matches he plays, the man truly loves the game and has a great time during the match.

    I sincerely think attribute basis would make him exactly what Pompey need, in a Manager, and what would be a positive move for their Supporters.

    James = a positive step in restoring, well, positivity to that Club.

    I wish him a lot of luck, I love the guy.

    Reply
  6. My gut still tells me this is posturing and he’s out the door, this summer.

    Likely heading to Madrid, by way of Zidane’s council.

    The ” resigning ” is merely to bump up his pay and not necessarily a commitment to the Club, imo.

    Could be wrong but I’d be willing to put down a $50 that he’s gone, likely to Madrid this summer.

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  7. Let’s be honest:

    Clearly Robert prefers me to Kevin Kolb and this ultimately was his deciding factor.

    I’m in DC now, Robert. Follow me to United!

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  8. done. voted for the Juve strike given the implications of that goal. i love that dempsey has 3 nominated goals!!! more than any other player on fulham this year. well done deuce.

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  9. Everyone should vote for one of Clint Dempsey’s goals at Fulhamfc.com for the club’s goal of the season award. Even objective fans cannot argue against Clint having the top two goals for Fulham this year.

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  10. NVM…found it. It was fan voting (duh). And a lot of those supporters page I came across were defensive of him and said the label was harsh.

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  11. As for #1–it’s definitely a keeper and they probably just kept him around for target practice to give the number 1 and 2 some rest before their friendlies. Poor guy.

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  12. I’m torn on Ribery. As a Bayern fan, I love the guy’s skill. But I think he’s become a pretty toxic player to have given the prostitution scandal.

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  13. 1) I feel sorry for Serbia player #24

    2) Sir Alex isn’t selling because no one is buying.

    3) If I were Spector, I’d have a good world cup. Never know if the manager is going to, say, dump the player voted as the worst for the season.

    Reply
  14. Jeez, I hope Sir Alex is bluffing. Berbatov is a bust for United. Nani showed a lot at the end of the season and Berbatov showed nothing in any game that mattered. I think he should be sold to FC Dallas for $300 and a case of Texas steaks.

    Reply
  15. No mention of Robert Pires declining to move to Philly because “I do not want to be fussy but if I have to go far away with my family, I prefer to do it in a beautiful town”?

    HAHA top story of the day!

    Reply

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