The biggest story to come out of the FA Cup Third Round this weekend was the way Manchester City was torn apart by Nottingham Forest. Given the media’s need for a story, the immediate response from the press was to put Mark Hughes on the hottest of hot seats along with even starting the short list of those who could replace Hughes. While Mark Hughes decided to slam his club for ‘not being brave enough‘, Hughes is being defiant about being the right man for the job claiming ‘I know exactly what is needed here‘ while claiming it could take up to three transfer windows to turn Manchester City into a force.

To me this is a classic tactic from a manager under fire. However when you’re dealing with the money men that Mark Hughes is having to answer to, regardless if these same money men are claiming the job is safe and announcing there will be a spending spree this month. The harshness of this situation is a simple one. Manchester City are only alive for one cup and are sitting in the hell that is the relegation zone. Mark Hughes in my mind has this transfer window and this window only to get this club to mid table safety or else he’s going to take a hike from Eastlands. One thing Mark Hughes forgets is that it is up to him to motivate his players, and that’s the one thing I don’t see from the Manchester City squad on a week in, week out basis.

Jermain Defoe has been the subject of transfer requests since Harry Redknapp became manager at Tottenham, and now it seems he may have a valid reason to get out of dodge…the death threats he has begun to receive. Now one thing I don’t get about this whole situation, why hasn’t Defoe bothered to report this to the police? Just reporting it only to the club isn’t going to get much done. So where does this leave Portsmouth? And if Defoe has received death threats, why are people so idiotic to call him as Defoe seems to be claiming.

Well we know Lassana Diarra has left for Real Madrid and Defoe seems to be fast on his heels. Even with the 20 million pound pricetag being put on Defoe’s back, clubs seem willing to take him. The problem I see is if Defoe goes, the floodgates could soon open. Maybe not here in January, but this summer. Portsmouth lost a valuable man in Harry Redknapp. They could soon lose the key pieces to their puzzle thanks to the management of one Tony Adams.

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Lukas Podolski has revealed that two clubs in the Premier League seem interested in his services. Bayern Munich seem quick to offload him at a price of 10 million euros, roughly the same price he was purchased for.

After enough of Sir Alex Ferguson’s crying about this season’s fixture list, Manchester United is getting their way and having club secretary Ken Ramsden join the Fixture Working Party. I love the cop out about clubs being allowed to raise objections before the fixture list is released. It’s the first I’ve heard of it.

Looks like Stewart Downing is set to hand in his formal transfer request out of Middlesbrough. The bids though need to get better. That said, I think this move may be one year too late.

Luiz Felipe Scolari is saying that the absence of John Terry isn’t the reason for Chelsea’s defensive woes. Well he’d be correct. That started when Ricardo Carvalho went down.

And Sam Allardyce isn’t looking forward to today’s FA Cup Third Round tie at Blyth Spartans. Makes me wonder if Blackburn takes this game seriously.