‘Open mutiny’ at Chelsea

The Sun reports that the club’s highly-paid stars, “believe the Blues boss is tactically inept and cannot handle Premier League players”, the paper reports.
Apparently the final straw came when the outgoing Nicolas Anelka was banned from the club’s Christmas party, a decision branded “petty and spiteful” according to the paper’s source, who added that the players threw a separate farewell bash for the Shanghai-bound Frenchman at a top Chinese restaurant in London .

“AVB has lost the dressing room and it’s become so bad several players want to get away now,” the source added.
Needless to say, there’s a fair chance that The Sun’s “source” is a hack who overindulged in Christmas spirits, but one has to chuckle at the paper’s description of Anelka’s send-off: “As the club’s players whined and dined, they ordered the chop suey for AVB. It’s all gone from sweet to sour.”

Yesterday’s back pages — and most of the front pages — were dominated by Wayne Rooney’s punishment for a night out on Boxing Day.
Rooney, Darron Gibson and Jonny Evans went out with their respective other halves after Manchester United’s 5-0 win on Boxing Day, prompting the United boss to fine the trio, order them to attend extra training and drop them for Saturday’s match against Aston Villa.

The newshounds of Fleet Street have tried to make up for missing Sunday’s editions by dredging up more details of what happened.
The Times and the Daily Mirror claimed Rooney, Gibson and Evans were deemed unfit to train after what the Mirror called a “boozy night out”, adding that Rooney felt aggrieved by the decision — and the week’s wages fine that amounts to around £200 000.

The Daily Telegraph had different information, claiming that Rooney did indeed take part in training on the 27th, but that his “lethargic” showing prompted the fine.
Contrary to the original reports, none of the players had broken a club curfew in going out together, but “the lack of focus and energy noticed by United’s coaching staff in the efforts of the three players” sparked the punishments.

Several papers claimed that the incident is symptomatic of a growing rift between Rooney and his manager, but The Guardian and The Sun both insist that the high-profile pair are determined to kiss and make up.
The Sun reported that Manchester City are to make Roma striker Daniele de Rossi their top signing of the January transfer window.

The 28-year-old is out of contract in the summer, and long-time admirer Roberto Mancini will offer Roma a chance to at least get some return on a player who is a club legend.
Liverpool are to make a £24 million bid for Aston Villa striker Darren Bent, according to the Daily Mail, presumably as they fret about losing momentum with Luis Suarez’s eight-game ban.
Who will plug the potential Bent-sized gap at Villa Park? Well, Robbie Keane could be on his way back to Britain as Villa try to line up a two-month loan deal for the Irishman.

As ever with MLS stars, insurance is likely to be a sticking point but Keane is apparently rethinking his original pledge to enjoy an extended break in favour of tuning up for Euro 2012.
Tottenham will make an £8 million bid for Blackburn defender Chris Samba, the Daily Mirror reported.
According to The Daily Express, Manchester United striker Federico Macheda will make a loan move to QPR this week.

Bolton boss Owen Coyle will make a £1 million bid for Crawley defender Kyle McFadzean as his replacement for Gary Cahill, according to The Sun, making it possible that the centre-back could end up going from non-League to Premier League football within 12 months.
The Times reported that Arsenal are trying to sign AZ Alkmaar’s 18-year-old playmaker Adam Maher from beneath Manchester City noses, while the Mirror claimed that the Gunners and Chelsea are locked in a battle for the signature of Crewe’s dazzling 17-year-old Nick Powell.

And finally, the Mirror reported that Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas is expected to make a January bid for Porto star striker Hulk, one of AVB’s star players in his previous job.
Meanwhile, Chelsea beat Wolverhamtopn 2-1 at Molineux yesterday. Aston Villa 0-2 Swansea C;  Blackburn R 1-2 Stoke C; QPR 1-2 Norwich C. — Eurosport.