Looks like Sousa is the man

[Ozwin]

I'm thinking of going to the Sunderland game in a grey suit and wig if Sousa comes.

[Mee]

I'm thinking of going to the Sunderland game in a grey suit and wig if Sousa comes.

BABE MAGNET ALERT

[Matt]

I'm actually happy I have grey hairs coming through (At only just 23 ) loving the grey streaks coming through

Was looking at buying a grey suit the other day too

[CosbehFox]

I put my grey trousers on today....just for some spiritual feeling. I could feel it.

[Ozwin]

BABE MAGNET ALERT

I don't even own a grey suit, I might buy one. Dedication or what?

[Guest Bilo]

Sousa shall henceforth be known as the Silver Fox. I demand it.

[jonthefox]

Sousa shall henceforth be known as the Silver Fox. I demand it.

gets my vote

[Mee]

I don't even own a grey suit, I might buy one. Dedication or what?

100% mate, sooner or later it will be 'Paulo Sousa's Grey Army!'

[Narborough_fox]

Scrap the yellow kit, should be a grey suit away kit.

[The Doctor]

so are you saying you don't want him. who do you want

nah i'd love to sousa in charge, just as good as NP (since NP did feck all in finding transfers - it's a widely believed fact that was all done by steve walsh) and has a better fashion sense. I'm just saying pearson had a hell of a lot more experience before coming here than sousa does at this moment in time.

[CosbehFox]

nah i'd love to sousa in charge, just as good as NP (since NP did feck all in finding transfers - it's a widely believed fact that was all done by steve walsh) and has a better fashion sense. I'm just saying pearson had a hell of a lot more experience before coming here than sousa does at this moment in time.

What appliance does that have? He gone with his chum Pearson...not here no more.

[The Doctor]

What appliance does that have? He gone with his chum Pearson...not here no more.

well the only real difference between pearson and sousa is their "success rate" in the transfer market as it were, and so since the transfers were sorted by walsh overall sousa is just as good as pearson is.

[Salieri]

Just got home, so it looks like Sousa nailed on then?

I still can't for the life of me work out why MM would want to push Pearson out like that, as it seems he has. Pearson has done a fantastic job, better than everybody expected to be fair. It must have been a clash of personalities or that Mandaric just wanted to trade him in for a sexier model.

I was angry with Nige, now i feel a bit of sympathy, for whatever reason he suddenly became expendable. Whether it's anything to do with a possible takeover, who knows?

Sousa isn't a bad calll, but personally i still wish we had Pearson/Shakespeare/Walsh.

I hope you know what you're doing Milan.

[ozleicester]

Hiya folks.. did a quick search and couldnt see this anywhere.

The Merc seems to think Its Paulo.... Its Sousa

*edit, when he signs ill spell it correctly

* edit 2... oh sh*t, just realised they got the info from the Sun...Mods.. feel free to delete

[DB11]

Have you not read http://www.foxestalk.co.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=66640

[ozleicester]

Have you not read http://www.foxestalk.co.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=66640

Yes, but (wrongly) thought this was "new" info

[Guest Bilo]

Mandaric refuses to rule out Leicester move for Sousa

LEICESTER chairman Milan Mandaric last night refused to rule out a move for Swansea City boss Paulo Sousa as betting was suspended on him taking the Walkers Stadium job.

Swansea insisted it was business as usual today with Sousa expected to be in charge when players report for the first day of pre-season this morning.

But, while Swans chairman Huw Jenkins said there had been no contact from Leicester regarding Sousa, the Western Mail understands a formal approach is in the offing.

Leicester owner Mandaric would not comment directly on the growing speculation surrounding Sousa yesterday.

But other sources close to the Foxes hierarchy have confirmed Sousa is a serious candidate to replace Nigel Pearson who left for Hull this week.

Mandaric only returned from overseas yesterday, but immediately began the process of drawing up names for his shortlist to succeed Pearson, the manager who led the club to a League One promotion and last year’s Championship play-offs.

That list is believed to include Sousa – and the Swansea board will now brace themselves for the bid for the Portuguese.

“I cannot comment on that, but we are in the process of forming a shortlist,” Mandaric told the Western Mail on the speculation surrounding Sousa and his odds-on status with bookmakers.

“I was quite surprised at Nigel Pearson’s departure. But that is in the past and now we have to look for what’s best for this club and to replace a good manager with a good manager.

“We are forming a shortlist and we will start to approach clubs in the next 48 hours.”

Mandaric would not go into detail about names nor his relationship with Sousa, the former Champions League-winning midfielder invited to the Walkers Stadium last season as a guest of the ex-Portsmouth chief.

One London-based newspaper reported yesterday Sousa has already shaken hands on a deal to take over the Foxes’ hotseat.

But Swansea chairman Jenkins rubbished the story as “fabrication” and insisted he was yet to have any discussions regarding Sousa, the man signed on a three-year deal to replace Roberto Martinez 12 months ago.

“There is nothing to discuss because I have not had one call or conversation about Paulo and that’s all there is to say,” Jenkins said yesterday.

That could change as early as today with bookmakers SkyBet suspending the betting on Sousa leaving the Liberty for the east Midlands with the price of 1-4.

A spokesman for the company revealed how the former Portugal, Juventus and Inter Milan star had been heavily backed even when odds were slashed to 1-2 yesterday.

He added: “We had one customer who normally bets in 50p’s and £1’s putting on £250 which usually shows they are in the know about something.”

Swans players and staff are due at the club’s Llandarcy training base today for the start of their pre-season schedule.

But some senior members of the squad were said to be concerned there had been no comment from Sousa to settle the uncertainty over his future.

It is not the first time the former QPR manager has been linked with a managerial position elsewhere during his Liberty tenure, his name cropping up in relation to the vacancies at Burnley, Hull and Panathanaikos.

And the 39-year-old has never made any secret of his desire to manage at a higher level.

Although Leicester finished just two places above the Swans last term, earning them a play-off semi-final date with Cardiff City that they eventually lost on penalties, Sousa showed his frustration with the budgetary constraints at Swansea towards the end of his first campaign in South Wales.

Having first blamed the club’s end-of-the-season slide on the club’s failure to recruit midfield reinforcements during the loan window, Sousa then drew question marks over his own future during a terse press conference following the final-day draw with Doncaster.

At the time Sousa revealed how he was set for talks with the Swansea directors about his future after an apparent breakdown in relationships with key figures at the Liberty Stadium.

Both sides insisted they had cleared the air and were ready to plan ahead following the club’s highest finish for 27 years.

He has stayed silent during a summer that has seen the Swans lose influential midfielder Leon Britton and full-back Fede Bessone on frees.

But he did give one comment to the club’s official website, stating: “I know that the club always wants to keep moving in the right direction and we must see what we can do for next season.”

But that commitment looks set to be tested with Leicester’s interest and imminent approach.

[Jay]

Just got home, so it looks like Sousa nailed on then?

I still can't for the life of me work out why MM would want to push Pearson out like that, as it seems he has. Pearson has done a fantastic job, better than everybody expected to be fair. It must have been a clash of personalities or that Mandaric just wanted to trade him in for a sexier model.

I was angry with Nige, now i feel a bit of sympathy, for whatever reason he suddenly became expendable. Whether it's anything to do with a possible takeover, who knows?

Sousa isn't a bad calll, but personally i still wish we had Pearson/Shakespeare/Walsh.

I hope you know what you're doing Milan.

but Pearson was also offered at least one possibly two new contract offers and turned them down for whatever reason.

One thing we all know about Pearson is that he is a stubborn f**ker when he wants to be, if you keep making offers to keep someone and they keep changing the goalposts then eventually you have to say enough is enough! so pushed out or demanding more than the club can offer and refusing to negotiate either one is as plausible as the other so I don't really think the entire situation is down to MM

[davieG]

Still being denied by Swansea unless Mandaric is making illegal approaches - http://www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/football/want-tell/article-2370138-detail/article.html?

if you want out, tell me

HUW Jenkins has called on Paulo Sousa to speak up if he wants to join Leicester City as speculation mounts over the future of the Swansea City manager.

And the Swansea chairman has also urged his opposite number at the Walkers Stadium, Milan Mandaric, to make a firm approach if he is serious about landing Sousa.

Leicester sources have confirmed that Sousa is on the club's radar as they seek a replacement for Nigel Pearson.

And the bookmakers were more convinced than ever last night that the Swansea boss is heading for the East Midlands.

Skybet suspended their market on who would take over as Leicester manager late yesterday with spokesman Dale Tempest claiming there has been an official approach.

But that claim was denied by Jenkins, who told the Evening Post that he remains in the dark over the Leicester link.

"I'm very surprised and shocked about all the speculation," said the Swansea chief.

"I met with Paulo and (scout) David Leadbeater earlier this week to talk through various things about players and the weeks ahead.

"As far as I am concerned, everything has been running as normal.

"And considering our relationship with Paulo and with his agent, I would fully expect them, if there was any approach direct to them and not via the official route through myself at the club, to let me know about it.

"I think we have enough respect for each other to ensure that they would speak to me about something like this."

Leicester need Swansea's permission to speak to Sousa — if they want to — because the Portuguese still has two years to run on his Liberty contract.

But the reality is that unofficial inquiries usually come before deals are discussed between clubs.

But Jenkins added: "The chairman of Leicester has been in football a long time and I would fully expect him to respect the usual routes that you should go down in this kind of situation.

"I can't see how that would not happen."

Sousa was at the Liberty yesterday, apparently preparing for Swansea's return for pre-season training today despite one national newspaper's claim that he had agreed to take charge of the Foxes.

Leicester have admitted privately that Sousa is a candidate to take the reins — and bookies reckon he is a certainty to do so.

"There has been consistent money for him and we believe there has been an official approach," said Skybet's Tempest.

"One customer who bets with us, who bets in fivers and tenners and is pretty clued up, has had £200 on at 1-4, so we are expecting something to happen soon."

Skybet stopped taking bets last night with Sousa at 1-4 — the same price Roy Hodgson was to be named Liverpool manager before he was unveiled at Anfield yesterday.

Victor Chandler were still offering odds about Leicester yesterday, although they also had Sousa the runaway favourite at 1-4.

The move could suit all parties, with Sousa's relationship with Jenkins believed to have taken a turn for the worse in recent months.

But Swansea are still likely to demand compensation from their Championship rivals if Sousa goes.

Leicester received £350,000 from Hull in return for Pearson this week, and Jenkins may look for a similar sum for his manager.

[poopbutt]

He added: “We had one customer who normally bets in 50p’s and £1’s putting on £250 which usually shows they are in the know about something.”

"One customer who bets with us, who bets in fivers and tenners and is pretty clued up, has had £200 on at 1-4, so we are expecting something to happen soon."

[Jon the Hat]

I can't imagine the bookies are ill informed. Jenkins is right about Milan having been in the game long enough to go down the usual route - which is make damned sure your target wants to join before you start making approaches to clubs - or end up looking like a fool.

Do I recall people slagging us off for going down the proper route in the past? Was that before Olly joined?

Ah yes. Chris Kamara....

[Ric Flair]

No wonder why Sousa has a poor record in the transfer market if his scout is Nick Faldo's old golf coach, David Leadbitter. Nightmare.

[Collymore]

He added: “We had one customer who normally bets in 50p’s and £1’s putting on £250 which usually shows they are in the know about something.”

"One customer who bets with us, who bets in fivers and tenners and is pretty clued up, has had £200 on at 1-4, so we are expecting something to happen soon."

it was me, I've emailed skybet to say I actually want to put £2 on but I accidently hit 2 zeros. I normally bet with 1 and 2ps

[Ric Flair]

Sousa will re-vitalise Kermorgant an'all, he'll be our lynchpin next season.

[flanimal]

Sousa takes over, takes us to the play off final against Hull. Last minute of the match Leicester get a penalty, up steps Kermorgant - who chips the ball straight in and condemns Pearson and Hull to another season in The Championship.

Yes please!