The state of flux took its toll, as did Rio Ferdinand's sale. A poor start was followed by a revival that peaked with the FA Cup wins at Old Trafford and Sunderland Once the spell was broken, morale collapsed. Even the trio of Joe Cole, Michael Carrick and Paolo Di Canio could not recreate it Most appearances: S Pearce 35; Hislop 34; Carrick 32 (1) Top goalscorers: Kanout?1; Di Canio 10; Lampard 7 Worst offender: S Pearce 10Y, 1R Biggest win: 5-0 v Charlton (26/12/00). Biggest defeat: 0-3 v Liverpool (03/02/01); Arsenal (03/03/01) Average attendance: 25,697 Last five years: 15, 9, 5, 8, 14..
Juventus are making a £12m bid to sign Fr?ric Kanout?rom West Ham this week. The Serie A side will put in a formal offer once the east Londoners appoint a new manager. Juventus are making a £12m bid to sign Fr?ric Kanout?rom West Ham this week. The Serie A side will put in a formal offer once the east Londoners appoint a new manager. Aston Villa have tried to negotiate a player-swap for Kanout?n the past few days, offering the unsettled Gareth Southgate plus cash for the striker Liverpool are also interested in him. However, Juve said yesterday that they expect to close a deal in "the next few days".Middlesbrough could have to wait a fortnight for Terry Venables' decision as to whether he will stay at the club next season. The Londoner left Teesside on Saturday night, mulling over an offer from the Middlesbrough chairman, Steve Gibson. If the pair do not have further discussions by today, it could be two weeks before they have a chance to meet again as Gibson will be in Singapore for two weeks for a corporate football tournament.Nottingham Forest have signed the highly rated French teenager Micka?Antoine-Curier.
The 18-year-old striker had been playing for Preston's reserve and youth teams, but has signed a two-year contract with Forest.The former England striker Les Ferdinand has signed a new two-year contract with Tottenham Hotspur.Stuart McCall is leaving Bradford City after being asked to take less than half of his current wages in a new contract.Dundee are to face the Yugloslav side Sartid in the first round of the Intertoto Cup. The first leg will be on 16 June with the second leg a week later.Wolves' longest-serving player, goalkeeper Mike Stowell, has been released on a free transfer after 11 years at Molineux.Gary Rowett's hopes of playing for Scotland have been dashed by the Leicester defender's discovery of his grandfather's birth certificate, which revealed he was born a couple of miles south of the border.Celtic's Lubo Moravcik is a doubt for the Scottish Cup final after having stitches inserted in a gashed knee. The Slovakian playmaker sustained the injury in training and had to miss Sunday's match at Kilmarnock.The Alaves striker Javi Moreno is set to move to Milan. The 26-year-old, rejected by Barcelona as a teenager, attracted Milan's attentions because his buy-out clause is only £6m. He scored twice in last week's Uefa Cup final against Liverpool in Dortmund..
