Alan Curbishley has ended speculation over his future by signing a new three-and-a-half-year contract with Charlton, so extending his stay at the Valley until 2007. The news will come as a great relief to Addicks fans who feared he could be on his way to Spurs.
Sky TV pundit Tony Gale this morning described the club's move to secure his services as 'a great signing, better than any player' and you have to take your hat off to Curbishley for this show of loyalty, especially given the disappointment he felt over the sale of Scott Parker to Chelsea.
At the time of the Parker sale, Curbishley said: "We weren't happy with Chelsea when Scott left. The transfer was very difficult and something I've never had to deal with before. But Scott's gone now and we've got to get on with it."
However, Curbishley has put that particular setback behind him and having seen his side lose three games on the trot has vowed to turn things around. "There's a third of the season left, we know the Premiership's tough but this is a great opportunity to finish higher than we've ever done before.
"That was ninth in our first year back in the top division and I think we can do better than that. That's our aim. I want to finish fourth - if not fifth and if not sixth."
It's looking more and more likely that Glenn Hoddle will take up the managerial reins at Southampton, the club he walked out on to join Tottenham in March 2001. Chairman Rupert Lowe reckons Hoddle is just the man to replace Gordon Strachan at the end of the season, despite the reservations and protests of the Saints fans.
Hoddle says: "Southampton Football Club is the most important thing here. However, I would be very keen to go back because I believe I have unfinished business, and I very much hope the fans would allow me to try and take the club on to the next level.
"I understand their frustrations at the way my managership of the club ended last time, but I hope they can understand that the lure of Tottenham was too great for me to turn down. They were the only club I would have left Southampton for because they were close to my heart since the age of eight.
"I feel I did a good job for Southampton and I would welcome the chance to take them on to the next level now that there may an opportunity there."
Lowe added: "He is a tremendous coach. We want somebody who can coach the excellent squad we have built up, to lead them and be tactically aware so instead of us going to Old Trafford and Highbury and losing narrowly, we win."
Elland Road favourite Alan Smith fears the young man currently following in his footsteps at Leeds, James Milner, could quit the club if United go down this season. Milner has already been linked with a move to Spurs and would attract further interest in the summer if Leeds are relegated.
"He'll have a big decision to make if Leeds go down," said Smith. "He won't know whether to stick or twist because he is a Leeds lad and he likes playing for this football club. When he came into the team he must have thought 'what's happening?' because we weren't doing so well, which is different to when I started playing.
"But he has shown he is quality and a great player. He has natural ability and he can terrorise defences as he proved against Wolves, but that comes from confidence. He just has to keep listening to people and keep working hard - which he does - because he has the right mentality, which is what you need."
Fulham defender Carlos Bocanegra has issued a public apology, through the Sun newspaper, for his two-footed tackle on Aston Villa's Mark Delaney during his side's 2-1 Premiership defeat on Wednesday.
Bocanegra, who was red carded for the challenge, said: "I would like to say to Mark publicly that I am sorry. I spoke to him on the team bus after the game and he was feeling a little better. His leg was wrapped up but they think he is going to be all right. Hopefully he will heal quickly.
"I'm really disappointed. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt him and I'd never purposely injure a player. There was nothing malicious in it. Maybe I was a little tired. I got there a split second too late and caught his foot and it looked bad. But there was no intent whatsoever. I was going for the ball."
