| The fallout over England's bid to bring the 2018 World | | | | Hurst feels that England's bid will be judged on the |
| Cup home rumbles on this morning with Seb Coe | | | | strength and quality of the bid. |
| insisting the bid is still on course after he spoke to | | | | Transfer news is still running around like a headless |
| Sepp Blatter yesterday. Blatter told him to "tell their | | | | chicken today, with the only deals done and dusted |
| story, talk about the bid quality, the venues and why | | | | been David Villa's move to Barcelona for 34m odd |
| they are bidding". Coe's impression from the talks is | | | | and Ben Foster's move to Birmingham. The rest is |
| that the bid will be judged on these things rather than | | | | speculation at moment, with any club with a few quid |
| the controversy surrounding the entrapment tape | | | | to spend been linked to the top players. Man City have |
| which was published in a Sunday paper. | | | | had a 20m bid for James Milner turned down and their |
| Gary Lineker outlined his reason for resigning as a | | | | neighbours Man Utd are set to place a bid in the region |
| columnist from the said paper in a radio interview on | | | | of 28m to try and lure Aston Villa to part company |
| the BBC yesterday. He said he felt he thought it was | | | | with the England international. Barcelona are still on the |
| hypocritical to take a salary from the Mail on Sunday | | | | trail of Fernando Torres with 70m seeming to be the |
| when they had clearly damaged England's bid. Lineker | | | | price quoted. Their attempts to lure Cesc Fabergas |
| is also a 2018 bid ambassador. Lineker also said he felt | | | | from Arsenal seem to be floundering a little with Yaya |
| the Mail on Sunday had made a "gross error of | | | | Toure's agent saying he won't be moving in the |
| judgement" in printing the story. Michel Platini has | | | | opposite direction. Barca are only willing to pay 3om |
| offered his support to Lord Triesman and said that | | | | for Fabergas, but Arsenal are said to be looking for |
| while he feels the bid may have been damaged, | | | | 80m. Slight difference there than. |
| England can recover. World Cup winner Sir Geoff | | | | |