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Thiago Silva transfer would improve Spurs’ chances of holding onto Gareth Bale

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Tottenham hope that Barcelona sign first choice summer target

If you follow this little piece of the internet on a regular basis you will be aware that the writer is currently in a freezing cold Venice for the World Poker Tour where he is unfortunately working not playing. Whilst I enjoy it immensely it takes up a lot of time and leaves you physically and mentally drained but worse of unable to play online poker ! Not only are the majority of online poker sites blocked here due to Italian regulations but the sheer long hours that tournament reporting throws up mean that reporters are usually far too tired and exhausted to even think about playing online poker, especially tournament poker! For example, yesterday I awoke at 0430 in the morning because I had some work that needed completing and I got into bed at 0100 this morning, had five hours sleep and I’m back at it! Thankfully today is going to be rather short as we will be done for around 2100 so we can all go and watch the magician known as Dynamo! Anyway, through the tiredness all I can think about is getting back to playing online poker again, I have a serious itch and it needs scratching! Watching the players riffle their chips and make moves is great but you can’t help but put yourself in those spots and wish it was you playing all day long. Although I’m basically unable to play I am satisfying my poker needs by discussing hands with some of the best and up-and-coming talent in Europe so I suppose that is pretty cool but I just want to sit down, register for some tournaments and get grinding!

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Itching To Play

Southampton manager Nigel Adkins admits that promotion is the club’s number one priority but has backed his youngsters to do the business in their FA Cup fourth-round replay with Millwall on Tuesday night (Southampton 4/6, Millwall 4/1, draw 11/4 Match Prices ). The two Championship outfits played out a 1-1 draw in their first encounter – a result which did neither of them any favours – with the Saints in a battle for promotion and the Lions looking to keep out of danger at the wrong end of the table. Despite sitting second in the standings, the south coast outfit have not enjoyed the best of fortunes in recent times and have won just two of their past 10 league games, with two draws since sharing the spoils with the south Londoners. But Millwall are hardly setting the world alight themselves and have lost seven of their past 10 games, with just two wins, and are getting perilously close to the drop zone. This match could be seen as a welcome distraction from the pressures of the league or a necessary nuisance, but Adkins is adamant that, although promotion to the promised land is never far from his thoughts, an extended stay in the FA Cup could benefit his side in the long run (Southampton 4/1 Championship Outright ). “Having put ourselves in the race to get promoted, the league is the priority,” he said. “But it’s great to have a cup run and we want to win all the games we compete for. “It’s a tough game. We won’t underestimate the opposition but we want to get through to the next round.” Adkins will field a young side at St Mary’ and he believes it is right to “tilise the youth”in his ranks in order for them to keep progressing.

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Adkins has faith in youth

Blackpool boss Ian Holloway is looking to keep up the club’s excellent run when they face Sheffield Wednesday in an FA Cup fourth-round replay on Tuesday night (Wednesday 6/4, Blackpool 17/10, draw 12/5 Match Prices ). The two sides drew 1-1 in their first encounter at the end of January as Kevin Phillips’ injury-time penalty rescued draw the Seasiders and gave them a chance to prolong their stay in the competition. The Tangerines made many changes for that clash with the Owls and it will be an under-strength side that will take the field at Hillsborough on Tuesday evening, but they will be full of confidence after a superb run of results. They have won four and drawn one match in the league this year and currently find themselves in fourth place in the Championship table and with every chance of pushing for an automatic promotion spot over the next three months (Blackpool 16/1 Championship Outright ). Holloway is delighted with the way things have been going and is hoping that his men will keep up the momentum with victory over Gary Megson?s outfit. “At the moment I’m loving what we’re doing,” he said. “We’ve got something going, I have to say. “Let’s hope we have a belting year like 2010 and not a horrible one like 2011.” Phillips has been tipped to partner on-loan striker Roman Bednar up front as Holloway looks to put some experience in the team to help the youngsters cope with the pressure of a high-profile game. Midfielder Chris Lines, strikers Ryan Lowe and Clinton Morrison and defender Lewis Buxton are among those who may well return to the starting line-up for a Wednesday side who are also flying in League One and will be confident of causing an upset in South Yorkshire.

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Holloway has winning habit

Wales number eight Ryan Jones has played down his side’s chances of claiming a Grand Slam this year. Warren Gatland’s team, 5/2 with bet365 to complete a third Grand Slam in eight years, got their Six Nations campaign off to the perfect start with a 23-21 victory over Ireland in Dublin. Next up for Wales is a home game with Scotland, which they are 1/10 to win, while Andy Robinson’s side are keen to bounce back after losing the Calcutta Cup clash to England 13-6. Influential Ospreys forward Jones said: “We’re a bit early to talk about Grand Slams, we’re only one game in. It isn’t about resting on your laurels, it’s about building on the confidence we’ve gained from this.”

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Rugby Union – Jones refuses to rest on laurels

Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher is keen to exact revenge on Spurs at Anfield after the Reds slumped to an embarrassing 4-0 defeat at White Hart Lane earlier in the season. Kenny Dalglish’s men, 14/5 with bet365 to finish in the top four this season, had Charlie Adam and Martin Skrtel sent off in that game as they suffered their worst defeat since 2003. Carragher believes Tottenham are the most impressive team in the Premier League this season, saying: “I know they aren’t top but they’re great to watch. They play great football, very fast-paced and they certainly showed that against us at White Hart Lane. “That was our biggest defeat of the season and something we want to rectify.” Spurs are 12/5 to complete the double over Liverpool by winning at Anfield. Don’t miss out on a free In-Play bet on Liverpool against Tottenham.

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Soccer – Carragher looks for revenge

It’s not necessarily the most laudable stance to take, but the logic behind Fabio Capello’s latest defence of John Terry is easy to follow, argues Michael Lintorn…

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England Captaincy: Capello sides with Terry instead of the FA

Wales ( 7/4 Six Nations outright ) head coach Warren Gatland has admitted his side must improve, despite their thrilling 23-21 victory over Ireland on Sunday. A penalty from Leigh Halfpenny in the last minute of the game was enough for the Welsh to record a memorable win in Dublin and continue their impressive form from the World Cup in New Zealand last year. Ireland had led for much of the match and will count themselves unlucky to lose their opening encounter of the Six Nations on home soil. Wales ( 3/1 Grand Slam outright ) will now set their sights on their next encounter with Scotland on Sunday, in an all-Celtic affair at the Millennium Stadium. Scotland once again showed plenty of promise but lacked that clinical edge in the red zone during their 13-6 defeat at the hands of England last weekend. Gatland will be looking to compound the Scots’ misery on Sunday but has insisted his team will need to improve following the narrow victory over Ireland. The New Zealander said: “We were reasonably lucky. I thought we were only at about 70 per cent. “The displeasing thing was a bit of a lack of discipline with the yellow card. We got out of jail, but we’ve won our first game of the tournament away from home. “We were down at half-time in the World Cup  against Samoa, but we kept our patience and finished on top of them. That is what Test match rugby is all about – taking your opportunities.”

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Gatland demands Wales progress

Wayne Rooney believes Manchester United ( 15/8 Premier League outright ) can take plenty of confidence forward for the rest of the Premier League campaign following their comeback against Chelsea on Sunday. The defending champions found themselves 3-0 down at Stamford Bridge, before two penalties from Rooney and a late header from Mexican striker Javier Hernandez secured an unlikely point for manager Sir Alex Ferguson and his men in the capital. With Manchester City securing all three points against Fulham last weekend, the Red Devils now find themselves two points off the pace at the top of the Premier League table. United have another massive fixture this weekend as they prepare to take on arch rivals Liverpool ( 5/2 Premier League Top Four Finish ) at Old Trafford on Saturday. Ferguson’s side will be looking for revenge following their 2-1 defeat to the Reds in the FA Cup last month and Rooney is adamant United will take plenty of confidence forward from their encounter with Chelsea. The England striker said: “It’s two points lost. “We understand that, but after being 3-0 down – the City players at home must have liked that – we enjoyed the way we fought back. “A lot of teams might have put their heads down and accepted defeat, but we never put our heads down.”

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Rooney buoyed by Blues comeback

Some people believe that everything happens for a reason and sometimes, when things go right for me, I like to believe that too. On Saturday morning I was busy packing my suitcase for my working trip to Venice when I realised I could not find my iPod anywhere. Anyone who has travelled solo will tell you that an iPod or similar is a vital part of them and without it the journey can seem much longer but thanks to losing it I became reacquainted with my Kindle and two fantastic poker strategy books on it. Andrew Seidman or his online poker moniker of Beluga Whale will probably not mean anything to all but the most hardened poker players in the world and I have nothing at all against him but I hope it stays that way. Why? because if you all read his book then you would all have a very good chance of being much, much better players and be able to crush the micro and low stakes games. They say that every poker player who makes it in the game has an epiphany, a lightbulb moment and I think I may have had mine thanks to this book (s). Easy Game is a two-part series and it attempts to highlight how the majority of poker players, especially those playing online poker, tend to over-analyse absolutely everything and that the game, for the most part, is actually very simple and therefore you approach to the game should be too. Without revealing all of the hints and tips in the book I cannot explain how easy to read it is or how much my neck hurts from the constantly nodding in agreement with Seidman I was doing during my flights. I still have seven or eight chapters to complete but when I do I will be heading for the tables in an attempt to put my new though processes to the test!

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Easy Game