Pressure is building at the Stadium of Light, as Sunderland have won just one of their last seven games.

Roy Keane’s Sunderland are in the relegation zone having lost to Bolton at home 4-1. The result prompted manager Roy Keane to question his own role at the club,fuelling rumours that he is set to walk out on the club.

Roy Keane:

I’m the manager of this football club and ultimately I’m responsible. I’ve never shied away from that.

That’s part of being a manager and that’s why I take full responsibility for today, the run we’re on and everything else.

I ask myself every single day if I am the right man for Sunderland. I asked myself this morning and I said that I was.

Tomorrow morning if the answer’s no we will have to look at it.

I have to be honest in my assessment. It’s not about what’s best for Roy Keane, it’s Sunderland Football Club.

I might wake up on Monday morning and think I’m the right man. On Tuesday it might be different.

Keane became Sunderland manager in 2006 and pushed Sunderland to promotion to the Premier League in his first season. Sunderland are currently third from bottom of the Premier League, having lost 8 games so far this term.

Remember - a football boot is for a season, not just for Xmas.

Nike Mercurial Vapor IV

Probably considered ‘the Daddy’ of boots right now, Nike celebrated 10 years of the Mercurial this year and topped it off with the release of the pink Berry.

It’s hard to ignore a football boot which seems to garner such a positive reaction from fans and also from players, who at the top end, include the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Didier Drogba and Theo Walcott.

For sure, it’s going to cost you a few quid, the RRP is just shy of £120, but most fans seem to agree that it’s a price worth paying. A bit like having you in-laws over for a week provided they babysit one night so you can get out for a beer. Get these football boots for £119.99 here.

Adidas Predator PowerSwerve

Another of the big boys and much loved by Steven Gerrard and Michael Ballack. Looks the part as it includes some bang up to date technology with classic styling. May have been replaced by the F50.8 and F50.9 in terms of Adidas hype but still retains a very strong position in the hearts of Adidas traditionalists.

However not great with regards to depreciation as Mick Hucknall found out recently when he offloaded a signed pair of David Beckham’s Predators for a massive loss. RRP is £129.99 order here.

Puma V1.08

Not surprisingly for Puma, their main focus at present is the new v-Konstrukt III which was launched a couple of weeks back. However, it is the v1.08 which makes it in to the Footy Boots Christmas stocking. Nicolas Anelka can’t stop scoring in them and David Bentley is a man reborn in them under Harry Redknapp.

Plus, he did use them to belt in his 40 yarder against Arsenal in that astonishing 4 – 4 north London derby. Always seems to provide players with a decent fit and built for speed merchants. You can get them for £120 this Xmas. Go for the Black/White/Olympian Blue colourway. Even if you’re as talented as eunuch at an orgy, you’ll at least look like you know what goes where, so to speak. Order here.

Lotto Zhero Leggenda Due

Bit of a left field choice this one but outside of the ‘major’ brands, this is a Footy Boots winner. Lotto hit lucky when they signed up Glenn Johnson to wear these. He’s been in great form for Portsmouth of late and turned in a top performance against Germany in Berlin last week to really give Lotto some English based prominence. In signing the deal, Lotto also agreed to support Johnson’s Kent based soccer school.

The Zhero Leggenda Due features Lotto’s Twist’ngo technology (something that John Sergeant managed to achieve last week). A good comfort football boot this one and mid-range in terms of price. The Footy Boots price is £89.99, order here.

Reebok Valde

Footy Boots has been longing for Reebok to enter the market with a serious contender and while the jury may still be out, they’ve at least made huge strides with the Valde Pro. It’s colourful to say the least but it’s real selling point is the technology. Reebok have concentrated on power generation with the creation of a ‘Power Unit’ which allows only one way flexing and stretch, decreasing energy loss on the strike.

Kangaroo leather helps with comfort and fit. Available from the 8th December, these come in at £99.99 leaving you just enough out of £100 to treat the Mrs.

But what about…….

Yes, there are loads of football boots we could have included.

You can’t go far wrong with the Adidas adiPURE and if they’re good enough for Maradona then they should be for you.

Big brand haters amongst you will surely be keen on the Nomis Glove all the way from Oz and for the really outlandish, there’s always the Tirosegno from Dirk Bikkembergs.

The Nike Total 90 Laser II’s are much loved by the likes of Rooney, Keane and Torres and but for Nike being already in the list with the MV IV’s, would have made the top 5 as would have the Tiempo Air legend II’s as worn by Fabregas and Tevez.

And we ought to make a special mention for the truly revolutionary Concave’s, which probably caused more conversation and argument than any other football boot released in 2008.

Fancy another boot this Chritmas, check the boot room here.

Joe Kinnear has had his month to month contract extended until the end of the season.

Kinnear was made temporary manager of Newcastle United in September following the walk out by Kevin Keegan, having improved Newcastle’s fortunes since his arrival, Newcastle have now extended his contract until the end of the season.

Despite still sitting in the relegation zone, this show of faith in Kinnear will allow him to look forward with the club, at least for this term and consider the options available to the club during the January transfer window.

Joe Kinnear:

Ever since I came to Newcastle United I have thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The players have been great to work with and the fans have made me feel at home since day one.

 

We have a big challenge ahead of us for the rest of the season but together I’m confident we will make good progress.

 

We have some very good players already at this club and hopefully we can further strengthen the squad in January and I will be working very closely with the directors to try to achieve that.

Footy Boots draws up a list of their top 5 ‘must have’ gifts….

My Football Year

What a great concept this is. If you’re struggling to find a Christmas present for a football fan, here’s your solution.

My Football Year let’s the recipient become the author of their own football book. Whoever is lucky enough to get one of these can customise their book by selecting their favourite team, include statistics, reports, quotes and professional photography - all done via your special website password.

Being Christmas the season is already underway. No problem, the pages are already filled, ready for a truly personal team masterpiece to be created.

At the end of the season, My Football Year prints the 60 page hardback book and sends it out to the recipient, all from £16.99. How cool is that?

Order My Football Year

FIFA 09

No Christmas list would be complete without the season’s top footy game.

FIFA 09 has been enhanced to include 250 new refinements on its predecessor. The changes are not what we would class s revolutionary, but a tightened nut here and a drop of oil there does improve the overall enjoyment.

The best thing is that if any of the default settings don’t do it for you, almost all the gameplay can be customised.

Order FIFA 09

Zero Gravity Micro

Everyone loves a toy to play with on Christmas morning and this remote control car which can drive around walls and ceilings could provide hourse of fun.

Using an internal air suction system, this gravity defying car can drive around on your walls and ceiling confusing the heck out of everybody, just imagine Mum’s face as your car zooms across the kitchen ceiling as she pulls the turkey out of the oven.

It’ll run for ten minutes from a charge, and is fast and easy to control with its infra-red remote control. It even has working headlights and tail lights, so you can indulge in some vertical night riding, which has to beat watching Richard Keys and Andy Gray. Just squeezes into the budget section with a price tag of £29.99.

Order the Zero Gravity Micro

Crap Trumps

It was way back in 1977, when flares were ‘in’, the first Star Wars film was released, Liverpool won the league and Spurs came bottom, it was also the year that the cult game of Top Trumps was born.

Like all crazes, it blazed a trail across the country, igniting fires of nerdy enthusiasm everywhere.

This year their is a new game looking to knock Top Trumps off its perch, the game that will in fact trump Top Trumps. Crap Trumps has arrived and you have 4 different packs to choose from including the special Crappy Christmas Edition.

Order Crap Trumps

England Retro Shirt

Are you tired of buying a new England shirt every year? Us too, so we have decided to go retro from now on. As the shirt get older, the cooler we look.

Introducing the England Mexico 70 Retro Shirt. It maintains the classic retro look, but is now made with Airtex to keep you cool. Priced at a cool £29.99

Order the England Retro Shirt

Luiz Felipe Scolari might have been joking when he said he’d be better going home to Brazil if Chelsea fail to beat Cluj in their final Champions League group match, but there won’t be too many Blues fans disagreeing if the unthinkable happens.

The former Brazil and Portugal coach watched his side put in another inept performance in Europe on Wednesday and now they must defeat group minnows Cluj to progress into the knockout stage.

Chelsea were lacklustre in their 1-1 draw with Bordeaux and after the previous goalless draw with Cluj and the defeat against Roma, Scolari’s men have to wait until matchday six at Stamford Bridge to seal qualification.

It looked as though Chelsea had got out of jail in France when Nicolas Anelka fired them ahead, but even that couldn’t lift them and an unmarked Alou Diarra headed an 82nd-minute equaliser to claim a 1-1 draw for Bordeaux.

Scolari said:

We need to win at home. I think if my team do not have the quality to win against Cluj at home, it’s better that I go home to Brazil.

It was a bad goal to concede, because we are training hard every time on this. I think that is the first time since I’ve been here that we have conceded from a corner.

We have detailed who marks the first post, who marks the second, who marks man to man, but we made a mistake.

The Blues will be heavy favourites with the football odds compilers to record the victory they require on December 9th, but after failing to score against Cluj away and leaving it late at home to Roma in the 1-0 win maybe the jitters will set in if the men from Transylvania get to half-time all square.

Scolari has certainly brought a smile to many in his pre and post-match briefings and it will be interesting to see how he copes with the pressure in two weeks’ time.

By Phil Tomlinson

Chelsea and France striker Nicolas Anelka has been taken hostage by a woman insisting the French striker is allowed to wear a pair of pink football boots against Bordeaux in the Champions League.

Michael Ballack takes aim at Chelsea’s Cobham training ground.

Steven Gerrard kicks footballs at clay pigeons on the Liverpool training ground. Xabi Alonso launches the clays. This isn’t easy and it took a few shots to get, but Gerrard nails it.

Emmanuel Adebayor plays video games with a difference, controlling his style of play around the football pitch with his F50.9 TUNiT football boot.

Arjen Robben assembles the studs of his F50.9 football boots in the Real Madrid changing room, using the power of his mind.

Carra – My Autobiography

If you struggle to pick up the Liverpudlian accent then don’t bother trying to listen to Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher. You won’t understand a thing. But when it comes to the written word, the boy can really communicate. As an Everton fan, he hasn’t done too badly for the Reds and he tells his story with searing honesty, controversial opinions and loads of humour. Unlike many footballers who write an autobiography, Carragher does actually have something to say and a story to tell. The club’s longest serving player gives his views on managers past and present, the glory days including Liverpool’s extraordinary comeback in the Champions League final against AC Milan in 2005 and why he rejected calls from both Steve McClaren and Fabio Capello to return to the international fold. Like Carragher’s career, this is pretty good from start to finish.

Order Carra - My Autobiography

The Road from Wembley

Football fan John Stoneman came up with an idea in the summer of 2007. To follow every round of the FA Cup. He started off at Wembley FC and proceeded to criss-cross the country, witnessing 14 rounds of the competition, starting of in August and finishing up at Wembley Stadium in May 2008. This is a football odyssey and one that caused strained family relations and a serious hit to his bank balance. In all he travelled over 2000 miles, watched 19 matches and nearly 30 hours of live football. From the dilapidated stadiums of the extra preliminary round to the nightmare of having to try and locate tickets for the glamour games in the later rounds. This is the story of an epic journey and of a true football fan, interested in a little bit more than slavish tribalism.

Order The Road from Wembley

Kickups, Hiccups, Lockups: The Autobiography by Mickey Thomas

What can you say about Mickey Thomas? His life has had it all. From growing up on a tough council estate, being unable to read and write at the age of 14 to hitting the big time with Manchester United and Chelsea and of course, ‘that’ goa’l for lowly Wrexham against Arsenal. Off the pitch, he spent his time ‘on the pull’, until he himself got pulled for passing counterfeit money getting banged up for his trouble. Lots of Thomas’s life is public record but there are plenty of secrets revealed in this book by a man who in recent years, has reinvented himself as a successful soccer pundit in the North West. A cult hero and one of the game’s real characters.

Order Kickups, Hiccups, Lockups

Foul: The Secret World of FIFA: Bribes, Vote Rigging and Ticket Scandals

The sporting establishment must be sick to death of award winning investigative journo Andrew Jennings. He’s spent years putting the boot in to the IOC and now FIFA are copping it. The book has been out since last year but if you’ve any interest in the politics of football, this is for you. Jennings spent 4 years researching the book, interviewing hundreds of officials from all round the world. The result is a damning expose of those who run the game right up to the top man, Fifa President Sepp Blatter. Jennings is a master craftsman and his attention to detail marks him out from the rest. If you want to learn how to ‘stick the knife in’ you’ll certainly enjoy Foul.

Order Foul The Secret World of FIFA: Bribes, Vote Rigging and Ticket Scandals

Swanny: Confessions of a Lower League Legend

You might not have heard of Peter Swan but that shouldn’t put you off reading this belter of a book. He never hit the heights, playing for the likes of Leeds, Port Vale, Hull City and Plymouth but this is a book full of terrific stories and anecdotes. From getting the man of the match award in the 1993 Autoglass Final before which he’d been out on the lash until the early morning to getting sent off for Vale in the Division Two play off final against West Brom. There’s showbiz too, Swan being great mates with Robbie Williams and his number one drinking partner. During his career, he picked up 10 red cards, countless bookings, lived in a haunted house and was always in trouble with managers. But he was always on hand to give a bit back to the community and since retiring has become a successful radio pundit.

Order Swanny: Confessions of a Lower League Legend

Tottenham have suffered a blow with the news that defender Alan Hutton will be out for almost the rest of the season.

The Scottish international needs surgery on his broken right foot and could be missing for up to 5 months.

The 23 year old has already made one recovery from the injury which he picked up at the start of the season. He made his comeback to the first team in October and also turned out for Scotland in their recent friendly against Argentina.

But he’s since had a scan on the injury and has been advised that surgery is the best way forward.

Commenting on the news, Spurs manager Harry Redknapp said:

It’s quite serious, it is certainly going to be a few months. It looks like it will be long term.

It’s the same injury that kept him out at the start of the year and they decided not to operate and it seems to have flared up again.

Enter – a living legend… Enter - one of the finest and most popular goalkeeper gloves ever created or even conceived of… A glove that should be in an art gallery…. Enter, ladies and gentlemen - the Selsport Wrappa Classic.

OK, a slightly exaggerated intro, maybe. But actually not out of place with the common standard of goalkeeper brand jargon and outrageous claims. This week we noticed one of our favourites in Selsport’s description of the Wrappa Classic: “Index finger branding – provides peace of mind in your gloves, allowing you to concentrate and maximise your individual goalkeeping performance”…

But even if the use of the word Selsport on the index finger isn’t quite that good an invention, in the case of the Wrappa Classic thousands upon thousands of keepers will attest to the fact that it really is an outstanding glove that all dedicated goalkeepers should wake each day and thank the heavens for. So, a quick look at one of the longest running goalkeeper gloves in recent history – 10 years and still going strong…

History: just reminding ourselves from Selsport’s (excellent) new website, the Selsport Wrappa was launched in 1998, at the inception of the Selsport brand. Obviously not then yet a “Classic”, the Wrappa won quick praise and attention, and has since become a genuinely iconic goalkeeper glove model, thanks to a few essential pioneering features. Maybe the most visually distinctive of them, the “exclusive 2mm ‘impact’ low profile grooved latex” used for the backhand exterior of the glove, in natural white, provided the distinctive appearance of the Wrappa Classic gloves. In fact, the design as a whole could claim to be one of the most copied goalkeeper glove designs of all time, with noticeably similar designs later emerging from a variety of other brands. Selsport’s response to this was good-spirited: “When you innovate, you get copied – we’re flattered”.

The other revolutionary feature of the glove was the use of the roll finger cut. While not the first instance of the roll finger cut used on a pair of goalkeeper gloves, the Selsport Wrappa was arguably one of the key gloves to popularise it – with a huge number of keepers in the UK subsequently converting to the roll finger cut, from the previously default flat cut design.

Paul Robinson while at Leeds in one of the first versions of the Selsport Wrappa. 1st choice keeper at the time, Nigel Martyn, was also a long standing Selsport keeper.

The Wrappa Classic glove has obviously evolved since launch, incorporating new technological developments. For instance, the 2008 version saw the addition of ‘Storm Guard’ fabric - “a dynamic ‘smart fabric’ which has been created to defeat the world’s harshest conditions”.

The ‘Tri Lock’ latex wrist strap too – which Selsport believes is the most technically advanced wrist strap in today’s market, with Selsport’s 3-point wrist closure support system – has been a clear improvement on the model since 1998. Yet in many ways the Wrappa Classic remains faithful to the same features that created its success and that have made it such a popular glove.

On the back of the popularity of the early Selsport Wrappa models, a wider Wrappa range evolved, and this season the Wrappa “family” includes the Wrappa Aqua (first released with blue latex foam in 2002), the Wrappa Negative Surround, the all-white Wrappa Phantom and the Wrappa Protect finger protection goalkeeper glove models. 10 years and still counting, and now part of a family – here’s to the next 10…!

Jose Mourinho says he has no plans to sign Didier Drogba despite stories linking the striker with Inter Milan.

Reports suggest that Drogba met with Inter sporting director Marco Branca and Jorge Mendes, Mourinho’s agent on Monday.

But the ex Chelsea boss gave the story short thrift insisting that he was in the dark saying:

I don’t know where Branca was, I was at dinner at Cernobbio. I know absolutely nothing about this story.

I know on the other hand that Drogba is part of the history of Chelsea and, from afar, it seems to me that he is and will be a Chelsea player.

Meanwhile the current Chelsea coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has hit out at the claims with a rather bizarre response. He was clearly upset when questioned about the story at a press conference. Asked if Chelsea had given permission for the Ivory Coast international to speak to the Italian club he said:

I do not sleep with Drogba. Where he was? I don’t know. I’m not a policeman for my players.

Ask Peter Kenyon, ask Roman Abramovich.  I don’t know, I am only the coach.