THE FOOTBALL GRAPEVINE: Why United would sell Rooney to Arsenal, Holloway still not safe at Palace... and how Willian can be Chelsea's new Ian Britton

Welcome to a new column every week on MailOnline that will take you inside football with Rob Shepherd.

 

Manchester United would have sold Wayne Rooney to Arsenal this summer… had the Gunners made a bid. And the door is still open.
Despite David Moyes talking Rooney up ahead of the clash with Liverpool making the largesse suggestion the striker could achieve legendary status at the United akin to Bobby Charlton (doubt that) there remains unease between the player - no longer top dog - and club.
Indeed Rooney was the at the centre of a new controversy which could threaten his participation in the big Anfield clash and cast new doubt over his future at the club.

English fire: But Manchester United would sell Wayne Rooney to Arsenal if an official bid was received

Pondering: United's stance on Rooney makes it clear they don't see Arsene Wenger's team as a title threat

But I’m told in a recent conversation with England boss Roy Hodgson, obviously concerned that one of his main players appeared to be in a state of limbo, Moyes made it clear United would have sold Rooney this summer but NOT, absolutely NOT, to Chelsea.
Moyes felt he had to set down a marker after succeeding Sir Alex Ferguson and there is no way he would take the chance of offloading Rooney to the Blues for fear of the player then helping Jose Mourinho to wrest the title off United.
Had serious offers from abroad or Arsenal been tabled then I understand United would have done business… which tells you much about how Arsenal's chances of making a title challenge are viewed.

Fresh start: But David Moyes did not want to hand Jose Mourinho (below) an advantage by selling Rooney

It’s strange therefore that after all the overtures Arsene Wenger made about signing Luis Suarez he did not bid for Rooney not least because he was telling some of his trusted confidantes at the end of last season that Rooney WAS the forward he wanted.
Wenger, now in desperate need of bolstering his squad especially upfront could still pick up the phone… but would Arsenal really pay Rooney anything like the £250,000-a-week wages he is on?

In action: Rooney was not allowed to join Chelsea, here attempting to get the ball past Ramires

 

Ian Holloway’s position as Crystal Palace manager is still under threat despite the relief of getting their first victory of the season with an impressive 3-1 win over Sunderland having lost their first two games.
On the face of it the prospect of Holloway’s job being on the line so soon would seem extremely harsh.

Jubilant: But Ian Holloway could soon find himself out of a job despite Crystal Palace's win over Sunderland

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Rob Shepherd is on Twitter @RobShepherd5

But it should be remembered that Palace almost blew making the plays offs… which of course they then won… with a dire end of season run and there were rumblings then that Holloway was on the verge of being ousted.
And I understand there has been tension between Holloway and owner Steve Parish for some time.
If the situation doesn’t improve then Holloway will be on his way although if the club suddenly go on a good run the situation may be resolved. If not Palace have earmarked Alan Pardew, under pressure at Newcastle, as the ideal replacement.
In turn I hear that Gus Poyet would be lined up to take over the Toon.

Premier return? Sacked Brighton boss could be in line for the manager's job at Newcastle United

 

Southampton should be enjoying a near £20million windfall when Gareth Bale finally signs for Real Madrid.
Instead the south coast club could pick up just under £1mn depending on the fee that is finally agreed.
Bale joined Spurs for the Saints in 2007 for £5m rising to £10m with add-ons. There was also a sell-on clause on a sliding scale worth between 15 and 25 per cent.

Percentage: Southampton should be receiving £20million for Spurs' sale of Gareth Bale, but sold the clause

Fledgling: A young Bale in action for Southampton in 2007 before he hit mega-stardom

But a year later when Southampton faced financial meltdown then chairman Rupert Lowe sold off the sell-on clause for a sum believed to be between £1.5m and £3m and took on Spurs youth goalkeeper Tommy Forecast, who has since been released by the club.
FIFA rules still offer clubs ‘development’ compensation for players registered with a club between the ages 12 and 23 on a complex scale. Bale joined Southampton at 15 and moved on just before his 18th birthday, so the percentage would be put at around 1.25 per cent.
If the eventual fee is £78m then Southampton would get around £975,000.

 

LIBERO

Many fair-to-middling teams have favoured a cautious 4-5-1 formation in recent seasons.
Now there seems to be a trend towards a more positive 4-3-3 shape like some of the games bigger teams have been using, with Liverpool, Aston Villa and West Ham for instance deploying more attacking wide men to support the lead striker.

PFA executives have stood by Gordon Taylor with the ‘full support’ for the time being.
There was no way they were going to make a knee-jerk reaction to revelations about Taylor’s betting habits especially as they were made in the same paper the players union supremo successfully sued for hacking his phone.
But once the dust settles there may be a move to re-shape the structure of the union with Taylor moving aside and current deputies John Bramhall and Bobby Barnes assuming more control in the guise of chief executive officer and chief operating officer.

 

There is no chance of any mystery bidders making it into the dressing room of Tottenham’s training ground and plucking players away.
A dedicated ‘first team squad members only’ door is in place at the HQ near Enfield which is accessed by a fingerprint entry system.
Obviously there have been plenty of changes to the data this summer and the next dabs to be erased are likely to be those of Emmanuel Adebayor, wanted by one of Chelsea’s Champions League opponents in Schalke.

 

Good sign? When Tottenham won the Double in 1961, their celebration bus almost read a familiar name today

Former Tottenham striker Garth Crooks had a nice way of putting tall the comings and goings at Tottenham as a consequence of the Gareth Bale was like losing Elvis but signing the Beatles.
Now the pressure is on manager AVB not only to get Spurs into the Champions League but actually challenge for the title. And you have to come from the first wave of rock ‘n’ roll to remember when Tottenham last won the title back in 1961 - the year the Beatles first played at the Cavern Club
In fact Spurs did the Double that season - and here is proof from the Daily Mail vaults.
Note the number plate on the bus. A good sign for chairman Daniel Levy perhaps?

 

Misfiring: Demba Ba (right) worried Chelsea bosses with his poor performance against Aston Villa

Chelsea could loan out two strikers before the end of the transfer window. West Brom, Stoke and Liverpool have both asked about Victor Moses. Although Everton may come in late as Roberto Martinez was his manager at Wigan.
The other striker who can leave is Demba Ba, who surprised the coaching staff with how poor he was against Aston Villa, when he was regularly offside. A loan move back to Newcastle is on the cards.

 

iSay

M: Word ‘seeps’ out from Spurs that two mystery bidders have entered the race for Bale: It’s mystery to everyone, especially Man Utd and Marseille who won’t get involved in an ‘up the ante’ façade.
T: Ravel Morrison who ‘has had his problems’ and was shown the door by Man Utd stars on his full debut for West Ham in the win over Cheltenham. If he wants it this boy can go all the way.
W: AVB concedes Bale will be moving to Madrid after all. Two mystery bidders were found with Professor Plum and some lead piping in the conservatory.
T: Walcott says: ‘Everyone may say Arsenal’s squad is very weak but I feel we are stronger than Tottenham and its silly to suggest they are better than us.’ Silly? FOTB fella.
F: Wenger presses the panic button after the Champions League draw, and says he needs plenty of players - really ?! - and chases Madrid’s Karim Benzema, Angel Di Maria and Mesut Ozil. Watch your back Theo.

My sources tell me that Darren Bent is impressing new team mates at Fulham. ‘He looks fit and sharp and will score goals,’ my man tells me. Good news for England boss Hodgson, who is short on strikers.
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Jose Mourinho gave personal evidence to the work permit review board for new - with just two caps for his country - Brazilian Willian. He told the commission how Chelsea needed to play differently and cited the tactics used at Old Trafford, where he played without a recognised front man. The next day, Chelsea took up the chance to sign Samuel Eto’o. Must have been a coincidence.

It will be interesting to see how Chelsea fans take to Eto’o considering how unforgiving they were towards Rafa Benitez for comments he had about the club when Liverpool boss.

A few seasons back when playing for Barcelona he said ahead of a Champions League clash: ‘I’d rather sell groundnuts in my village than to play for a pathetic team like Chelsea.’

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It does seem bizarre that Brazil’s No 1 and preferred pick for a World Cup on home soil can’t get a game at QPR.
But Julio Cesar wasn’t even on the bench for the 1-0 Championship defeat at Leeds.
Cesar told manager Harry Redknapp weeks ago he wanted to leave, but a move to Napoli broke down. He still wants out, but what will Harry do once the window closes?
A last minute loan deal is still an option. Arsenal perhaps? But the player might have to accept a cut in wages if he wants game time this season, or he will risk his place at the World Cup. Italian club Fiorentina could be an option.

World star: But Brazil's No 1 keeper Julio Cesar can't get ahead of Rob Green at QPR

 

Y FACTOR

Why is that so many teams whose only hope of silverware is winning one of cups field second-string sides in the Capital One Cup just two games into the season and with an international break coming up?

Cray Wanderers proudly boast they are the second oldest club in the world behind Sheffield FC.
Yet for the last 40 years they have been homeless and the Ryman League side continue to ground share with Bromley FC.
But Cray chairman Gary Hillman, an associate director of Crystal Palace, has come up with an ambitious plan for a new stadium leisure facilities and housing development back in the club’s heartland of St Mary and St Paul's Cray but is being blocked by Bromley Council. Why is it so many councils appear so negative about local football clubs?

 

BTW
It can’t happen, can it? But some officials at Manchester United are still hoping for smoke signals from Real Madrid that Cristiano Ronaldo can leave after the arrival for Gareth Bale. They have hoped all summer to land him with a bespoke financial package in place and covert third party discussions have been ongoing for months. As I say, it can’t happen, can it? That would be crazy.

Unthinkable: But United officials are still hoping to secure an amazing return for Cristiano Ronaldo

Back heel
Much has been made of Chelsea new signing Willian’s wild hair style.
Comparisons with Marouane Fellaini, Benoit Assou-Ekotto and Tom Huddlestone have already been made.
All show and no, er, blow dry ? High hair can have its benefits. David James once denied Michael Owen in a 0-0 draw between Pompey and Newcastle when his bushy hair deflected the striker’s shot over the bar.
It’s not often you see the quote James offered after the match: ‘It was my Afro that saved it.’

To and 'fro: Chelsea's new Brazilian playmaker Willian has already caught the eye with his afro hairdo

Blast from the past: New boy Willian's hairstyle harks back to the Blues'  midfielder in the 1970s, Ian Britton

Such funky hairstyles are hardly a modern fad. Brazil’s Socrates and Colombia’s Carlos Valderrama sported some of the most stunning locks in the Eighties and Nineties.
Of course in the Seventies Afros were all the rage (many with the help of a perm). George Berry, who now works for the PFA commercial department, had one of the best.
But it’s hard to top Chelsea’s bustling midfielder of the Seventies Ian Britton whose magnificent mop was au naturel, no Cossack spray required. His barber must have used hedge shears to shape his locks. Now that was some barnet!
Britton ended his career with Burnley and still lives in Lancashire where he is the manager of a fitness centre.

Then and now: Britton in action for Chelsea's veterans team, with considerably less hair than his heyday