Wigan Athletic have named Kolo Touré as their new manager. The former <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/teams/arsenal-tv-schedule/">Arsenal</a>, <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/teams/manchester-city-tv-schedule/">Manchester City</a>, and <a href="https:\/\/worldsoccertalk.com/teams/liverpool-tv-schedule/">Liverpool</a> defender previously worked under Brenden Rodgers at Leicester City. Prior to coaching at Leicester, Touré was also a technical assistant at Celtic as well.



The move makes Touré the first ever African international to ever manage a senior English club.



<h5>Club gushes over Premier League winner</h5>



Following the announcement, Wigan chief executive Malachy Brannigan spoke about the hiring. “We are delighted that Kolo has become the new manager of Wigan Athletic Football Club, and the Board are pleased that he is the man to take us forward,” <a href="https:\/\/wiganathletic.com/news/2022/november/29/kolo-toure-appointed-wigan-athletic-first-team-manager/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">claimed</a> Brannigan.



“From the earliest of conversations we had with Kolo, it was evident to us that he had instantly bought into the values of the Club – with his enthusiasm, knowledge, and immense desire to work and be part of Wigan Athletic shining throughout the process.”&nbsp;



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<div class="ck-twitter"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">✍🏼 We are delighted to confirm the appointment of Kolo Touré as the Club&apos;s new First Team Manager! Welcome to Wigan, Kolo 💙<a href="https:\/\/twitter.com/hashtag/wafc?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#wafc</a> 🔵⚪️ <a href="https:\/\/twitter.com/hashtag/BELIEVE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BELIEVE</a>— Wigan Athletic (@LaticsOfficial) <a href="https:\/\/twitter.com/LaticsOfficial/status/1597518322416975872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2022</a></blockquote></div><script async="" src="https:\/\/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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“There is no doubt that this appointment is an exciting one for the Football Club. Kolo is a manager who wants to play a positive brand of football and will strive every day to make the Club stronger.”&nbsp;



“The work starts immediately with the first team squad, as the season is just a couple of weeks away from restarting.”



<h2>Tough job for Kolo Touré at Wigan</h2>



Touré will have to do well to avoid relegation in his new role. Wigan currently sit 22nd out of 24 teams in the <a href="https:\/\/www.worldsoccertalk.com/championship-tv-schedule">Championship</a> table. The Latics have only collected one victory in their last eight league games. 



<a href="https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-11480681/Wigan-Athletic-confirm-Kolo-Toure-new-manager.html?ns_mchannel=rss&amp;ns_campaign=1490&amp;ito=1490" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MailOnline</a> claimed that Wigan initially approached Kolo’s brother, Yaya, for the coaching position. However, the younger Touré brother declined the opportunity.



Kolo Touré will have about 10 days to prepare for his first league match as manager. Wigan travel away to Millwall on Dec. 10, as the Championship resumes. Kevin Betsy, Ashvir Johal, and Rob Kelly will join Toure as assistant coaches on the sidelines at the club. 



PHOTO: IMAGO / Focus Images

Former Arsenal and Manchester City defender Kolo Touré has agreed to join Wigan Athletic as new manager of the Championship side.

Kolo Touré named new Wigan boss

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The English Championship is usually a tight league but the early signs of this season show it to be the closest one yet with two points separating first to eighth&nbsp;place in the table. The early season table toppers are Norwich City managed by former player Neil Adams. In recent weeks, they have drawn a few games and seem to concede goals before they are fired into action. However, with striker Cameron Jerome in the side, they have a real goal threat with six goals in six games for the Canaries.
Nottingham Forest are one of only two sides after the first 11 games with an unbeaten record. Financial backing&nbsp;was given to new boss Stuart Pearce in the summer, where acquisitions such as the league’s top goalscorer Britt Assombalonga was brought in from Peterborough for £5million.&nbsp;Forest have already scored 12 goals at home this season and have turned the City Ground into a fortress. However a run of four straight draws against sides they should be beating has people doubting their title winning ambitions.
Two of the biggest shocks so far come in the bottom three of the table with Bolton Wanderers and Fulham floundering in 24th&nbsp;and 22nd&nbsp;position respectively. Fulham, who spent £11 million on striker Ross McCormack in the summer, didn’t register a win until eight games in. Felix Magath has now been replaced by Kit Simmons on a temporary basis at the club and they are playing a lot better under him and look to be slowly pulling themselves away from trouble. With the likes of McCormack, Hugo Rodallega and Bryan Ruiz in the squad, they should have the quality to at least finish mid-table this year and start afresh next season.
Bolton on the other hand are on a run of four straight losses and confidence is at rock bottom after sacking manager Dougie Freedman last week. With Jermaine Beckford up front and an experienced back line, they really shouldn’t be bottom of the table and it remains to be seen whether they will be able to improve on past results.
The three sides promoted from League One last season are all fitting in well to life in the second tier of English football and none of these teams seem to be really struggling. Wolverhampton Wanderers have been inspired by the forward duo of Dicko and Sako and sit only two points off top spot and out of the play-offs on goal difference. It is a current trend that sides come up from one division and go straight up again the next and it wouldn’t be surprising if the men from the Black Country did the same this year and returned to the Premier League after a three-year absence.
Brentford and Rotherham have small budgets compared to the bigger sides in the league, but their team spirit and good home form is keeping them safe in mid-table. Add to that the fact their players are now fully accustomed to the sides in the Championship, and there’s no reason why they can’t continue to pick up points and stay in the league.
The two surprise packages of the season this year have been Ipswich Town at the right end of the table and Wigan Athletic at the wrong end. Ipswich under Mick McCarthy and Terry Connor are the definition of a team and every player on the pitch gives their all for each other, having won five games already this year the Tractor Boys are in the top six and will be there or thereabouts come the end of the season. Last season’s play-off semi-finalists Wigan on the other hand really should be doing better. Perched just above the relegation zone in 21st&nbsp;position, Wigan Athletic under Uwe Rosler are without a win in six games and seem to be missing the spark that they had last year in attack. It is yet to be seen whether last season’s heroics in Europe and in the league took their toll on Wigan. If things don’t start picking up soon German manager Rosler’s job will come under scrutiny.
There are many more twists and turns to come in the most exciting and unpredictable league in the world. Who knows if Forest or Norwich will win the league or whether Ipswich or Middlesbrough can secure promotion via the play-offs because at the moment it really is too early to tell and there is always that one team who comes from nowhere and snatches the prize come May.

How the Teams Are Doing in the Championship From Gameweeks 1-11 - World Soccer Talk

How the Teams Are Doing in the Championship From Gameweeks 1-11

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Yesterday’s result at Anfield has seen a lot of chatter around this and other Blogs, mostly negative and mostly about Liverpool. However, two teams played yesterday and after an odd set-back (for my money you kick a ball when it’s still you’ve taken the free-kick) Sunderland were Liverpool’s equals. Steve Bruce has done an excellent job picking up the reins from Ricky Sbragia after Roy Keane’s Irish experiment. Sunderland are almost unrecognisable from that time but they have maintained a high level in the Premier League, they may not be challenging for Europe just yet but on the evidence of this season and last they will be very soon. The main factor behind this revival has been the influx of Niall Quinn’s money and the exceptional way that Steve Bruce has used it.
Harry Redknapp lost it when he was referred to as a ‘Wheeler-dealer’, the reaction from everyone else seemed to be a bit of an over-reaction but that he was right to feel aggrieved as he was now a Champions League manager. If he is no longer worthy of that tag then his natural successor must be Steve Bruce. Over the last 3 years Steve Bruce’s transfer record is enviable in the quantity and quality of the players brought in. They may not all be gems but Bruce has brought some very good footballers to these shores that may not have had the chance otherwise.

The key to a successful ‘wheeler-dealer’ is to use all the resources at your disposal positively. Whether it be free-agent signings, small acquisitions, transfers for the future or blockbuster moves a true wheeler-dealer will use all of these to improve his football club. Something that Steve Bruce has done continuously over the last 3 years. Though I must be clear, whilst Steve Bruce maintains the overall responsibility for transfers his scouting network has been instrumental in all of the below. These people will very rarely get the kudos but bear in mind that Ricky Sbragia did not leave Sunderland when Bruce arrived but took up the post of chief scout.
When Bruce took over at Wigan in November 2007 it was after some animosity at his previous club. Wigan improved under Bruce after a disastrous reign under Chris Hutchings and in his first transfer window he showed the pedigree of his scouting network and his eye for a player. Wilson Palacios was already in England at Birmingham but made a permanent move to Wigan, he was joined by fellow Honduran Maynor Figueroa. Wigan finished 14th that season in the summer Bruce continued to show his keen eye in the transfer market signing Lee Cattermole and Amr Zaki. Zaki caused the most interest of these signings as he was a complete unknown, however according to mysterious FIFA rankings he was the best striker in the world. Zaki roared off to an unbelievable start but off the field problems affected on-field performances and he ended the season with a whimper. Lee Cattermole was a tenacious young midfielder whose stock rose throughout the season.
The January of 2009 saw the vindication of Bruce’s transfer policy as he made a tremendous profit on Wilson Palacios, Bruce re-invested the money in another unknown in Hugo Rodallega. The Colombian striker has not been prolific but his pace and ability has made him a main-stay in the Wigan team beyond Bruce’s reign. In the summer of 2009 Bruce moved to Sunderland where under Niall Quinn he was given money to go with his transfer reputation and he did not disappoint. Bruce set about pruning the team in places selling Chopra, Edwards and Danny Collins. He used that money to bring in Bruce old boy Cattermole, Michael Turner from Hull and Frazier Campbell. In the first of a few surprisingly ambitious signings Bruce brought in Marseille captain Lorik Cana (whose one year in England was as good as it was brutal) and in one of the transfer stories of the summer bringing in Darren Bent. Darren Bent has been a revelation at Sunderland finding the form he had for Charlton in the North-East, scoring the bulk of the teams goals he is key to their continuing success. It can be no surprise that Bent was instrumental on Sunday scoring two goals but it wasn’t all about him as other Bruce signings showed their class.
Coming into this season, Sunderland continued their ambitious ways. The biggest story of course was the eventual signing of World Cup star Asamoah Gyan, the signing of Gyan can be seen as a risk in the same mould as Darren Bent and if they get the same result Sunderland could be the team to overtake Everton, Aston Villa and even Liverpool. Gyan was the star attraction but Bruce also made moves to strengthen the team around him. John Mensah’s loan was made permanent, he also brought in Titus Bramble, whose reputation has soared since his mistake’s (on the pitch) have cleared up. However the biggest surprises of the season so far have been the performances of two unknowns. Steve Mignolet was a 2 million pound singing and was thought to be the back-up to Craig Gordon, however an injury to the scot forced the young Belgian to step in and he has done a fine job. In front of him though has been the transfer that not even I noticed, as another Egyptian has stolen the limelight under Bruce. Ahmed Al-Muhammadi is on a season long loan at Sunderland and has shown exceptional talent so far, his pace and crossing ability have made him a very useful winger in England and Darren Bent has fed off of his deliveries. Ably supported by another loan pick-up in Nedum Onuoha, Sunderland have threatened down the right in every game.
Through free-agents (Zenden), loan signings (Onouha), domestic based players (Cattermole), international players (Mignolet) and blockbusters (Gyan, Bent).&nbsp;Steve Bruce has quietly built a very good squad at Sunderland and their results this season have been more impressive than their 10th place position is indicating. Sunderland have already played Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City and it could be better if Lee Cattermole could control himself. &nbsp;If the team can play like they did at Anfield for the majority of the season &amp; keep 11 men on the pitch, Sunderland could be the surprise team of this Premier League season and it will all be built around the ‘Wheeler-Dealer’ in Steve Bruce – but I wouldn’t say it to his face just yet.

Is Steve Bruce The New Premier League &#039;Wheeler-Dealer&#039;? - World Soccer Talk

Is Steve Bruce The New Premier League 'Wheeler-Dealer'?

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With the transfer window slamming shut tomorrow Tottenham have surprisingly been one of the most inactive clubs. But should Harry Redknapp make a last ditch attempt to strengthen his squad ahead of their assault on the Champions League?
Redknapp’s quiet summer has been quite surprising when you consider his reputation as a bit of a wheeler and dealer. But in truth I think he has been shocked at the sheer cost of strengthening a side that was able to qualify for the Champions League.
Champions League football has meant that Tottenham are in the market for elite players, but elite players means inflated transfer fee’s and although Spurs aren’t short of money Redknapp appears to be reluctant to risk value for money.
Take Luis Fabiano, Spurs were unwilling to meet Seville’s valuation of over £20million and quite rightly so for a player who only has a year left on his contract. But Redknapp must understand that this is the price you pay for a player of Fabiano’s ability. Transfer fees are greatly inflated but for the top bracket players they are inflated even more.
Spurs look set to make a deadline day move for Ashley Young who himself will come with a greatly inflated price tag, even more so after James Milner’s departure from Aston Villa, so in truth a deal looks unlikely.
The question though is do Tottenham need reinforcements? The defeat to Wigan would suggest they do if they are going to challenge domestically and in Europe this year. Redknapp shouldn’t buy for the sake of buying but he should be aware that his side may struggle with the lack of quality in depth.
That eventually proved to be the downfall of Liverpool and is the reason why they are not in the Champions League this year and Tottenham should have invested in the squad a long time ago and not left it to last minute because that will only inflate prices further.
I think they are one or two additions away from having a side that can compete for the Premier League however I can’t see them arriving to White Hart Lane now. If injuries hit Spurs may struggle and Redknapp may live to regret not delving in to the transfer market.

Should Tottenham Make A Last Ditch Transfer Move? - World Soccer Talk

Should Tottenham Make A Last Ditch Transfer Move?

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It has been a quiet season on the transfer front if your name isn’t Roberto Mancini. Of the teams who finished in the top 4 very few ‘big’ transfers have been made. Sure we are excited by the prospect of Chamakh and Chicarcito (who scored AGAIN last night against Spain) but their transfers do not create the same commotion as the saga’s of Ashley Cole, Dimitar Berbatov and Cristiano Ronaldo. This has been the summer of the non-transfers, the fact that Gerrard, Torres and Fabregas have not moved is more important that those who have moved. However amongst the hustle and bustle of the world cup and the aftermath there have been a few key transfers you may have missed. We start at a fairly recent one and one of the biggest fees paid this summer.
1. Kenwyne Jones: Stoke have paid 8 million for the Trinidad and Tobago striker. Jones was a transfer target for Liverpool in January and this move is a sign of ambition from Stoke. 8 million is a lot of money but Pulis obviously feels Jones can add something to a strike-force which has often relied on the quality of Matthew Etherington rather than the strikers. Jones would find time limited at Sunderland behind &nbsp;Darren Bent and &nbsp;boss Steve Bruce has indicated that he and Jones had not seen eye-to-eye and felt that he was not achieving his potential under him. Jones has been at Stoke before but that was as a raw 20 year old. Jones will be the starting striker for Stoke as Beattie and Kitson are both on the transfer list at the moment. 
 
2. Ivan Klasnic: Klasnic has rejoined Bolton on a free transfer which has been the story of Bolton’s off-season. With a few free transfer pick-ups Owen Coyle is hoping to fashion a budget attacking side. Klasnic was not prolific in the previous term with only 8 goals in 27 games. However that was his first season in the Premier League and in a team that was not performing well overall. With an increase in the attacking nature of Bolton and the better delivery from someone like Martin Petrov the 30 year old may prove to be a bargain.
3.Sandro: Formally signed in March Sandro’s transfer has probably been forgotten over the course of the summer as Harry Redknapp chases all and sundry. Tottenham have been uncharacteristically quiet in the summer with very few players moving in or out. If Sandro proves to be their only signing then it is not a travesty. With competition at almost every position Sandro could provide some quality in midfield alongside Palacios and Luka Modric. Sandro is a physically intimidating midfielder who at 21 has youth on his side. With only one cap under his belt so far it is tough to know exactly what to expect from Sandro as he has only played in Brazil so far in his career but has proved to be a vital player for Internacional. Sandro won’t join Tottenham until 18th August so don’t be putting him into your fantasy team just yet.
4. Mauro Boselli: Wigan have splashed out big on the Argentinian striker, officially listed as 6.5 million. Often known for their America’s scouting regime Wigan have often brought in quality from the other side of the Atlantic. Boselli is a striker with an excellent goalscoring record, in the pre-season he has been banging them in albeit against weaker opposition. Boselli was the top scorer in Argentine football in the previous season so comes with a certain aura of expectation. Don’t expect him to light up the ground with skillful play though, Boselli is a goal-scorer first and foremost so expect to see him bungling it home from 2 yards rather than beating a few players. They all count though.
5. Stephen Hunt: Probably the player that you know the most about on this list. Wolves got their signings made early this season picking up players from the cash-strapped relegated clubs. Stephen Hunt should help alleviate the aura of negative football that hung around the Molineux last season. Stephen Hunt has played for several relegation candidate teams but continues to be one of their better players an out-and-out left winger Hunt can deliver an excellent cross, beat his man and often goes over the line of determination into outright aggression. These qualities are always needed for a relegation-threatened team as he very rarely gives anything other than his best. Hunt will take the left wing spot for Wolves and should provide many assists over the coming season he is for Wolves what Chris Brunt and Charlie Adam are for their teams, the main attacking outlet.

5 Transfers Which You May Have Missed This Summer - World Soccer Talk

5 Transfers Which You May Have Missed This Summer

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There’s been an interesting undercurrent of first choice World Cup goal keepers performing brilliantly in the tournament so far&nbsp;who represent Premier League clubs. Besides a few early blunders from keepers, the goalkeeping has in fact been quite solid&nbsp;throughout the majority of the tournament.
Maybe they’ve gotten used to the controversial Jabulani ball, or maybe they’ve just gotten the early tournament jitters out of their system. Regardless, a few not so first choice keepers&nbsp;for club are starting to prove their worth and making the most of the opportunity they’ve got to represent their respective countries at the World Cup.

Of course the Premier League is incredibly well represented at the World Cup with a list that runs a mile long, but the story of Ghana’s Richard Kingson, currently third choice at Wigan, is definitely one worth praising. Making his first international appearance in March of 1996 v Brazil, Kingson has gone on to represent his country 81 more times and even has one international goal to his name.
A Premier League player many didn’t know before the tournament, Kingson was the only Ghana player to complete all 12 qualifying matches for his country while he’s now been&nbsp;on the books at Wigan Athletic since 2008, his tenth professional club.
Kingson in goal for Ghana never seems to instill a great sense of confidence in the neutral observer. His movement is that of a lumbering, inexperienced goalkeeper, yet his play on the field proves his detractors wrong. He seems to make save after save and also has a strong command of his box when dealing with corners and long balls into the box.
In the round of 16 game v the US, Kingson was brilliant in keeping the US attack at bay by&nbsp;making multiple saves on way to a quarter final appearance for the Black Stars. In terms of statistics, Kingson is on par&nbsp;with the USA’s Tim Howard with minutes played, saves, passing, and has let in 2 fewer goals&nbsp;thus far. Surely most important for Kingson is the fact that Ghana remain in pursuit of a very realistic shot at a World Cup semi final when they take on Uruguay in a few days.
The pride the Ghanaian players will play with for the duration of their tournament as the only remaining African nation is sure to be unmatched by any other nation who also remain in pursuit of the World Cup title. For the neutral observer, the untimely injury and subsequent absence of Ghana’s and Chelsea’s Michael Essien remains a&nbsp;shocking occurrence as Ghana push on without their most important and arguably best player.
One would think after his solid World Cup display, Kingson would be a first choice keeper at Wigan as I’m sure Roberto Martinez will have taken notice of his third choice keeper. Although it’s yet to be seen whether or not Kingson will start any games for Wigan this season, it’s important to point out that Serbia’s Vladimir Stojkovic, who was also solid for Serbia before their elimination,&nbsp;is one spot up on the Wigan pecking order behind first choice Chris Kirkland. Such is the life of a goalkeeper.
One thing’s for sure, if Kirkland has a drop in form this year for the Latics, Roberto Martinez will definitely have a few World Cup veterans at his disposal, Kingson in particular, that would be chomping at the bit for some 1st team Premier League minutes.
The aforementioned keepers, Howard, Kingson and Stojkovic join a list of fellow Premier League keepers who’ve also seen action during the World Cup such as&nbsp;Stoke City’s Thomas Sorensen for Denmark, Fulham’s Mark Schwarzer for Australia and also&nbsp;Slovakia’s #1&nbsp;Jan Mucha who recently secured a high profile move to Everton from Legia Warsaw in Poland. The move will take effect in July of this year.

Wigan&#039;s Third Choice Goalkeeper Richard Kingson Shines for Ghana at World Cup - World Soccer Talk

Wigan's Third Choice Goalkeeper Richard Kingson Shines for Ghana at World Cup

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Sweeping from the left
A goal only he could score
Zinedine Kilbane

Premier League Haiku 4 Feb 2008 - World Soccer Talk

Premier League Haiku 4 Feb 2008

It’s been a while since I wrote an update, largely because there has only been a few new moves to bring you up to speed on. Largely deals have been getting bogged down with work permit issues, medicals and arguments over terms and fees. The action has started to pick up in the last few days so let’s have at it.
Let’s start with Marlon King, who was to have joined Fulham at least a week ago but his move fell through after he had “failed a medical” though the player denies that happened. King was quoted by the BBC as saying: “I think the two clubs were trying to renegotiate the fee, it had nothing to do with me, but when I picked up the papers I see I had failed a medical! I know my body is 110%. I didn’t fail a medical. I’ve been playing for a season and a half now and scoring goals – nothing has changed. As far as I’m concerned and Wigan are concerned, I didn’t fail a medical. I had a medical at Wigan and everything went smoothly, so I decided to make the switch.”
In any event, King is a good signing for Wigan who are lacking in the striker department and he should bring them a few goals as the look to climb up out of the relegation fight. Wigan have also signed former Tottenham left-back Erik Edman from French club Rennes and done a loan deal for defender Maynor Figueroa from Honduran club Deportivo Olimpia.
One player leaving the JJB is Denny Landzaat who was sold to Feyenoord for £1m. The transfer ends an 18-month stay in Wigan for the Holland international, for whom Wigan paid AZ Alkmaar £2.3m in July 2006. It’s a bit of a surprising move as Landzaat had made 54 appearances for the Latics, including 48 starts in the Premier League. He scored five goals, three of which came this season.
Tottenham are making some moves to bolster their defence though one could wonder how good the moves will be. Middlesbrough centre-back Jonathan Woodgate is in talks with Tottenham Hotspur over a move according the BBC website. The 28-year-old has been linked with Newcastle in recent days but Spurs are now believed to be closing in on his signature. Sky Sports News is also running a story that Tottenham want to sign Barcelona defender Carlos Puyol. Personally, I find that one a little more far-fetched than the Woodgate story.
Spurs are also chasing Rangers left-back Alan Hutton though it is suggested that it may be to arrange a pre-contract agreement for a summer move to White Hart Lane rather than an immediate move.
In the on-again, off-again department, Derby County’s attempts to sign Northern Ireland international keeper Roy Carroll from Rangers have hit a snag as Rangers have not yet released the 30-year-old from his contract. Rangers want to be sure they have another backup in place before allowing Carroll to leave.
Derby also ran into problems when they tried to sign Australian midfielder Mile Sterjovski. They were forced to attend a Home Office hearing to plead their case after the 28-year-old fell short of the criteria to gain an automatic permit. The permit was ultimately granted and Sterjovski, who can play either as a right winger or as a striker, has signed an 18-month deal with the Rams.
As has been <a href="http:\/\/epltalk.com/arrivederci-rolando-bianchi/">written about on this site</a> in more detail, Rolando Bianchi has joined Lazio on loan from Manchester City until the end of the season with a view to a permanent move. Georgios Samaras is also been rumoured to be moving to Birmingham so City are going to be woefully short of options up front but there has been talk of them bringing Bayern Munich striker Lukas Podolski in on a short-term loan deal. Podolski has fallen down the pecking order at Bayern but is still seen as having a long-term future with the club.
Bolton have signed Portsmouth midfielder Matt Taylor on a three-and-a-half year deal for an undisclosed fee. Taylor, who is 26 years old and can play either left-midfield or at left-back, only started four league games this season as he fell behind Nico Kranjcar as first choice on the left side of midfield. I think he’ll prove to be a good signing for Bolton as he can whip in some good crosses as well as score a goal or two himself. Taylor was Bolton’s third January arrival after the signings of midfielder Tamir Cohen from Maccabi Netanya and right-back Gretar Steinsson from AZ Alkmaar.
Birmingham’s persistance resulted in them landing two new players — striker James McFadden from Everton (for a reported £4.75m with another £1m based on add-ons) and left-back David Murphy whom they coaxed away from Scottish club Hibernian for a £1.5m fee. It took multiple bids to get both players but Alex McLeish was determined to get those players and now has them. McFadden performed heroically for Scotland when McLeish was in charge and he’ll need to repeat some of those heroics to get Birmingham out of the drop zone. They are currently only out of the bottom three on goal difference and do not have any room for error down the stretch.
Fulham have had most of the complicated transfers this January. First, the Marlon King deal went south for whatever reason, then their transfer of Daniel Cousin was put on hold as Fifa regulations do not allow a player to turn out for three clubs in a season and the striker featured for Lens before his summer move to Rangers. Cousin appeared once for Lens for just 20 minutes and Rangers hope Fifa will be sympathetic and allow the move to go through.
Finally, the Cottager’s move for Eddie Johnson was held up over work permit issues but those have been resolved and Johnson now becomes the fifth U.S. player on Fulham’s roster. As is its policy, MLS did not disclose the amout, but it is reported that the transfer fee for Johnson is the largest MLS has ever received for a player. There are rumours that the fee was between $4 and 6 million US. It will be interesting to see if Johnson can hit one of his hot streaks that carried Kansas City for large parts of last season. Fulham are sitting 19th and in desperate need of some hope.
That’s it for this edition. I’ll do a complete recap once the transfer window closes on the 31st.

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