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      Meet five sacked managers this season who have quickly returned to the game – but will they be a success?

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      I WAS watching that hilarious episode of hit TV comedy Alan Partridge this week where he had written his autobiography Bouncing Back.It charted a so-called comeback from his disastrous broadcasting career and break-up from his wife.
      Tony Mowbray is hoping to help Birmingham recover from their failed Wayne Rooney experiment
      That got me thinking about football managers who have been sacked but bounced back.
      And this season there have been five bosses who have been shown the door – but have quickly returned into management.
      Here I take a quick look at those managers who are bouncing back.
      MICHAEL BEALE (Sunderland)
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      Michael Beale was axed by Rangers and is now under pressure at Sunderland
      IF you’re managing Rangers, and Celtic are above you in the table, you’re always standing on quicksand and he was duly slung out of Ibrox.
      But the Londoner – who walked out on QPR last season just weeks after pledging his devoted loyalty to them – took over at the Black Cats in December.
      Like Alan Partridge, his story might be quickly pulped if he loses his job at the Stadium of Light.
      Mackems fans were not impressed with the three straight defeats which was halted by Saturday’s vital 3-1 win against Stoke.
      TONY MOWBRAY (Birmingham)
      Talking of Sunderland, what the hell were they playing at in the first place by sacking Tony Mowbray?
      This affable man was doing a superb job for the Black Cats, getting them into the play-offs last season against the odds and had them punching around those spots again this time around.
      But he has landed himself into the self-inflicted chaos at St Andrew’s after they decided the Wayne Rooney project was not a good idea after all. No s**t Sherlock, John Eustace had them flying.
      Mowbray has won one and drawn the other of his two league games so far with his priority simply to just keep Birmingham up.  Groundhog Day for Blues fans.
      DARREN MOORE (Huddersfield)
      Darren Moore was axed on the eve of the season by Wednesday
      MADCAP Sheffield Wednesday owner Dejphon Chansiri decided to get rid of the manager who inspired his team to promotion on the eve of the season.
      Darren Moore had even helped his side come back from 4-0 down against Peterborough in the play-offs semi-finals en route!
      The ex-West Brom boss took over at Huddersfield but is hardly bouncing back and is on dodgy ground, managing three wins from 23 games so far.
      MATT TAYLOR (Bristol Rovers)
      HAVING done a decent job with Exeter, he got a big Championship break by being named Paul Warne’s replacement at Rotherham last season.
      Despite keeping the Millers in the second tier, they struggled this time around and he was booted out of the New York Stadium in November with the club third bottom. 
      But he swiftly replaced gobby Joey Barton following his sacking and had an instant impact with four wins and a draw from his first six games. However, it’s been tough since and their 3-1 win over Oxford on Saturday halted a five-game losing streak.
      GRAHAM ALEXANDER (Bradford)
      THE Bantams boss has had some bad luck when it comes to losing his jobs at previous clubs.
      Scunthorpe decided to get rid of him after he led them to the brink of the Championship, they’re now in the National League North.
      Numbnut Gary Neville crazily dismissed the Burnley legend when they were unbeaten after five games and fifth in League Two … all this after taking Salford into the EFL and guiding them to an EFL Trophy final.
      And this season MK Dons wielded the axe after just 16 games – showing little patience.
      Yet he has arrived at Valley Parade and despite a decent start they have gone off the boil, failing to win in their last seven League Two games. They need to let him have a summer to sort it all out and go again next season. 
      Newport ‘builders’ work on a Sunday?
      THERE must have been some timely structural repairs going on in Rodney Road, Newport, this week.
      Some houses along the street which runs parallel to County’s Rodney Parade suddenly needed scaffolding erected.
      It’s incredible that those ‘builders’ not only were prepared to do overtime by working on a Sunday – but also stayed on site until a good couple of hours after 4:30pm.
      That’s what you call dedication. They must have great ratings on Checkatrade.
      Alfie, 10, gives Walsall team talk
      WALSALL boss Mat Sadler let 10-year-old fan Alfie Donnelly do his team-mate before their League Two game with Sutton.
      Alfie has multiple, complex heart conditions that have left him needing four lots of open heart surgery.
      The Saddlers invited the youngster to the training ground to meet and interview his favourite player Joe Riley as well as go to the Bescot Stadium to rile up the players before kick-off as well as read out the teams over the PA system.
      Boss Sadler said: “We all love Alfie. He’s always smiling and is an inspiration to us all.”
      Little Alfie Donnelly, 10, gives his Walsall heroes a team talk
      Elokobi is just what the EFL needs 
      SURELY any EFL club looking for a new manager should be on the blower to Maidstone United’s George Elokobi. 
      I suggested, tongue in cheek, that maybe even Liverpool should look at him!
      But, seriously, what he did before the FA Cup game against Ipswich at the gates of Portman Road on Saturday was incredible – giving the Maidstone fans a passionate from-the-heart motivational speech alongside the players.
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      This is exactly the sort of thing football needs. There are too many dullards working at bigger clubs who would stop this sort of raw passion being allowed to happen or seen.
      We need less of them and more of George Elokobi.  More

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      Ipswich offering Blackburn striker Sam Gallagher three-year-deal as they close in on £2million transfer

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      IPSWICH TOWN are offering Sam Gallagher a three-year deal to tempt him to leave Blackburn Rovers.Striker Gallagher is out of contract in the summer although Rovers have an option on him.
      Ipswich are swooping for Blackburn striker Sam GallagherCredit: Rex
      So far the Tractor Boys have failed to agree a fee but the player is up for it.
      Ipswich are close to reaching £2 million but Blackburn would struggle to find a replacement at this stage.
      Elsewhere in the Championship, Preston are making late checks on Wigan keeper Sam Tickle ahead of a surprise move.
      North End have fancied Tickle before but he has been closing in on a new deal with Latics where he came through this season.
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      However Ryan Lowe’s scouts are back on Tickle’s trail and could step in, especially if they have late interest in Freddie Woodman.
      Birmingham City have also short-listed Tickle who has made the big breakthrough this season.
      Meanwhile, North End’s local rivals Blackpool will make a final attempt to land midfielder Owen Moxon from Carlisle – but face competition.
      The Cumbrians know Moxon won’t extend his contract and may now sell him.
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      However other League One clubs including table-toppers Portsmouth are circling as the auction starts.
      WHISPER
      Which Championship supremo had a secret meeting with an out of work boss at a hideaway location?
      The club official’s team has been struggling for results lately and remarkably he had a long chat with a manager with experience in the second tier.
      Despite public shows of support for the current manager all may not be quite so cuddly in private. More

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      Leeds launch loan transfer bid for Everton defender Ben Godfrey after £10m Atalanta move collapses

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      LEEDS have made an official loan approach for Everton’s Ben Godfrey.SunSport revealed Godfrey, 25, saw a £10m move to Serie A club Atalanta collapse this month as a result of the abolishment of favourable tax break rules in Italy.
      Godfrey’s move to Atalanta has fallen throughCredit: Getty
      But Everton boss Sean Dyche has given the green light for the centre-back to leave Goodison Park as the club look to reduce their wage bill and help their case towards FFP rules.
      The tax law, officially known as Crescita Decree, has been abolished.The law allowed high income earners from foreign countries a 50 per cent tax bill discount.
      Previously, it has been a big attraction for overseas players to join and increase the competitiveness in Serie A.
      The Crescita Decree is remarkably similar to the ‘Beckham Law’ in Spain, which allows high-income foreign earners to pay just 24 per cent income tax for their first six years in the country.
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      Beckham took advantage of it following his move from Manchester United to Real Madrid in 2003.
      But the Italian equivalent no longer stands after discussions in the Italian Council of Ministers have led to the rule being binned, making Godfrey’s potential rule too expensive for Atalanta.
      Godfrey has struggled for game time this season and has made just three appearances in all competitions for Everton, including only one Premier League start.
      Godfrey, who has 18 months left on his deal, has made 80 appearances for the Toffees since signing from Norwich in 2020 for £25million.
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      Ben Godfrey has struggled for minutes this seasonCredit: The Sun
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      He has not featured regularly for Everton, however, since a broken fibula forced him to miss the opening half of last season.
      Daniel Farke’s fourth placed Championship side are eager for new additions this month as Leeds push for promotion straight back to the Premier League. More

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      Champions League giants launch shock £15million transfer bid for Sunderland winger Jack Clarke

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      ITALIAN giants Lazio have entered the race for Sunderland winger Jack Clarke and made a fresh £15 million bid last night.Sunderland knocked back a similar bid from West Ham last week and are determined to keep hold of the former Leeds junior who joined Spurs in a £10million deal five years ago before his ‘undisclosed’ move to the North East.
      Lazio are pushing to sign Jack Clarke from SunderlandCredit: Getty
      Clarke, 23, has attracted interest throughout his second full season at the Stadium of Light from West Ham, Wolves, Crystal Palace and Brentford and last summer Sunderland turned down four bids from Burnley.
      Spurs have a 25 per cent sell-on clause which could affect Sunderland’s valuation of one of their crown jewels but the prospect of Champions League football with Lazio, who are scheduled to meet Bayern Munich in the round of 16 next month, is bound to interest Clarke.
      The York-born winger, who has scored 13 goals in 29 Championship games this season, has been in talks over a contract extension since the summer but the Wearside club have so far failed to secure his signature.
      Last week sporting director Kristjaan Speakman insisted Clarke, outstanding in yesterday’s 3-1 win over Stoke, would not be sold in this transfer window.
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      He is currently concentrating on bringing in four players before Wednesday’s deadline including Manchester United forward Amad Diallo, who was such a huge hit on Wearside last season.
      Speakman said: “I get the news about selling players but our ambition is to retain our best players, develop them, go higher in the league.
      “I get the nervousness around selling players but there are players we all love and our ambition is to retain them and keep developing.”
      Sunderland midfielder Alex Pritchard is expected to leave the club this month.
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      The 30-year-old refused to play for the Black Cats against Stoke yesterday and instead demanded a move away.
      An official statement from the club read: “On Friday morning, Alex Pritchard informed the club that he was no longer available for selection and he subsequently withdrew from today’s match day squad.
      “The midfielder also expressed his desire to leave SAFC with immediate effect. The club will be making no further comment at this moment in time.” More

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      Former Premier League star REFUSES to play for Sunderland and withdraws from squad barely an hour before kick-off

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      SUNDERLAND ace Alex Pritchard sent shockwaves around the Stadium of Light by refusing to play against Stoke.The Black Cats host the Potters in a key Championship clash and the Wearside giants issued a shock statement informing their fans that Pritchard, 30, has withdrawn from Michael Beale’s side.
      Sunderland ace Alex Pritchard informed the club he wants to leaveCredit: Rex
      The club added that the versatile midfielder expressed his desire to leave “with immediate effect”.
      Sunderland announced on their official website: “On Friday morning, Alex Pritchard informed the Club that he was no longer available for selection and he subsequently withdrew from today’s matchday squad.
      “The midfielder also expressed his desire to leave SAFC with immediate effect.
      “The Club will be making no further comment at this moment in time.”
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      Sunderland sporting director Kristjaan Speakman previously stated the club had offered Pritchard a contract extension.
      The attacking midfielder’s current deal runs out in June but could be on the move this month.
      According to the BBC, the Tottenham academy graduate wanted to leave in the summer but couldn’t find a club.
      However, the Championship outfit have had no bids from any potential suitors last year.
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      Alex Pritchard informed Sunderland he won’t play against StokeCredit: Rex
      Pritchard’s agent, though, claims there is interest from Turkey as well as Birmingham City.
      Birmingham are currently managed by Sunderland’s former manager Tony Mowbray.
      Pritchard’s career kicked off in 2011 when he was called up by Tottenham following three years in the youth ranks at White Hart Lane.
      However, the playmaker only managed two appearances during his five-year spell at Spurs that saw him being loaned out to Peterborough, Swindon, Brentford and West Brom.
      The ex-England youth international then moved to Norwich in 2016 and Huddersfield two years later.
      In 2021 he signed with Sunderland where he has amassed a total of nine goals and 25 assists in 115 appearances. More

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      Bournemouth star eyed by Championship duo for loan transfer after becoming frustrated with lack of action

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      DAVID BROOKS has opened the door to a Bournemouth exit this month.The Cherries winger, 26, scored once and assisted two more in the excellent 5-0 FA Cup fourth-round win over Swansea.
      David Brooks says he’d love to stay at Bournemouth if he could be guaranteed starts but otherwise would ‘explore opportunities elsewhere’Credit: Getty
      But Brooks has made just two Premier League starts under Andoni Iraola and the Wales attacker wants first-team football, with Championship duo Southampton and Leeds keen to secure a loan move.
      Brooks, who had 18 months on the sidelines after his stage two Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis in October 2021, said: “I just want to play first team football.
      “I’m trying to show the gaffer why I should be playing.
      “I’ve had a lot of time on the sidelines and I don’t want to continue there.
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      “I’ve had two years out so I want to play, regardless of the circumstances.
      “I’d love to continue my football here but it’s up to everyone what they think the best situation is.
      “I’d rather be playing here but if the manager thinks there isn’t guaranteed football for me here I’ll try and explore opportunities elsewhere.”
      Brooks also has one eye on his international ambitions with Wales facing a Euro 2024 semi-final play-off against Finland in March.
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      Robert Page’s side are potentially two home wins away from the finals in Germany.
      Brooks added: “I want first team minutes for my own career and for Wales – we have some big qualifiers coming up so I’m looking to play as many minutes as possible.
      “I want to be as fit as possible for the play-offs, in particular. I need to try and bump those minutes ahead of the qualifiers.
      “I’m trying to do the best I can when I get the opportunities. We’ve got a really good group of players.”
      Brooks described his FA Cup display as a “chance for me to come on the pitch and show people what I’m capable of” which he hopes has “put me more in the gaffer’s mind”.
      Bournemouth’s next match is in the Prem away to West Ham next Thursday on deadline day. More

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      ‘I can’t change my accent’ – Sunderland boss blasts back at fans and says ‘they didn’t want me here in the first place’

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      UNDER-FIRE Michael Beale came out swinging at the Sunderland boo boys – claiming they never wanted him because he’s from London.The Stadium of Light turned on the Black Cats boss after just his seventh game following last Friday’s 1-0 defeat to Hull.
      Michael Beale has hit back at his Sunderland criticsCredit: Rex
      Furious fans have been laying into him all week on social media with #BealeOut a UK-wide trend on X, which the former QPR and Rangers boss insists has gone overboard.
      Beale, 43, has won two matches since replacing Tony Mowbray but admits he is “bemused and perplexed” by the raging “outside noise”.
      And in a staunch defence sure to only further fan the flames, he said:“I replaced a popular manager but I didn’t sack him, did I? And he won two in nine before he left, so are we making out it was all perfect?
      “People didn’t want me here in the first place.
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      “You can say afterwards it’s about style or this and that, but let’s cut to the chase, people didn’t want me.
      “The reality is that there wasn’t a feelgood factor about me coming in.
      “It’s fine, I’m not crying over it, I’m a big boy, but when people are personal they’ve lost straight away.
      “Look, I can’t change my accent or where I’m from. I’m proud of where I’m from.”
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      Rangers fans didn’t like the cut of Beale’s jib either, with the former Chelsea and Liverpool coach lasting just 10 months at Ibrox before being sacked last October.
      Yet he could be gone from Sunderland a lot sooner if results don’t improve quickly – his only chance to quell the mutiny.
      Beale was considered the brains behind Steven Gerrard as his assistant at Aston Villa and Rangers but his managerial career, starting at QPR in 2022, has been underwhelming so far.
      Yet he hit back: “I haven’t worked in London for ten years, but obviously I am from South London. Six years in Liverpool, four and a half in Glasgow, a year in Brazil. My accent hasn’t changed!
      Beale admitted he ‘can’t change my accent’Credit: Rex
      “I am happy to be criticised if we can’t score goals or repeatedly make mistakes, but that one is a bit off.
      “I feel I deserve a little bit more respect because my journey deserves that, but if people don’t want to give it then that’s fine.
      “If anyone looks at my CV, I’ve worked for massive football clubs.
      “If you spend 16 years at Chelsea and Liverpool, you know what expectations are. I was a young coach who went across to Brazil so I’m not worried about taking on pressure.”
      Beale picked up seven points from nine after losing his first game before bitter rivals Newcastle trounced them in the FA Cup.
      Close defeats to Ipswich and Hull followed, with the Mackems – the youngest squad in the Championship – in dire need of a reliable striker.
      And while Beale has a monster challenge on his hands to win the locals over, he is adamant life on Wearside is really not too bad.
      He added: “If we beat Stoke we will go back to just outside the play-offs on goal difference…it’s a huge crisis!
      “I inherited a team two points off the top six and now it’s three.
      Sunderland are three points off the play-offs after last Friday’s loss to HullCredit: Alamy
      “We have lost two tough games but the performances weren’t terrible. Anyone saying they were, I can’t get on board with that.
      “You’re throwing negativity at the youngest team in the league with one of the lowest budgets.
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      “So you’re just throwing negativity at a football team who don’t deserve it. Sometimes I could say less, because I could be less honest, but that is not the sort of guy I am.
      “If we had drawn the last two games would the noise be the same? It probably would because they didn’t want me here in the first place!” More

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      Premier League club have massive £18.5million bid for in-demand Adam Wharton REJECTED by Blackburn

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      CRYSTAL PALACE have seen an £18.5million bid rejected by Blackburn for Adam Wharton.The Eagles are keen to bring in the 19-year-old midfielder with Cheick Doucoure ruled out until the end of the season through injury.
      Crystal Palace’s offer for Adam Wharton has been rejectedCredit: Rex
      But the Championship side are thought to want to see Wharton remain at Ewood Park until the end of the season as part of any deal – something Palace cannot afford to do at this stage.
      Roy Hodgson’s side are in need of additions this month, having won just one of their last 12 games.
      And pressure ramping up on the former manager ahead of the visit of Sheffield United next week.
      Palace are now weighing up whether to return with an improved offer for Wharton.
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      Rovers boss Jon Dahl Tomasson said: “There’s been an offer and the club has said no, which I like.
      “He’s a great lad, I remember last year sitting at home with his parents drinking tea to discuss his development.
      “Now he’s a first-team player and I believe he’ll be an England player.”
      Wharton has played 29 matches this season and has been capped for the Three Lions Under-20s side.
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      Palace are also keen to sign a right-back and a striker this month with Hodgson having said that chairman Steve Parish and sporting director Dougie Freedman are working hard to add players this month.
      Eagles fans protested against Parish’s “weak decisions” taking the club backwards during their 5-0 defeat to Arsenal at the weekend. More