Marseille

The position became vacant after Spanish tactician Rafael Benitez finally ended his six-year reign at Anfield to take over from the departed Jose Mourinho at Inter Milan.

Several names were linked with the Liverpool hot-seat and even former Reds great Kenny Dalglish revealed that he was keen to have another crack at the whip, having led the club to glory between 1985 and 1991.

But Anfield officials opted to bring Roy Hodgson from Fulham and the much-travelled manager was charged with the task of trying to get the once-great club back into the upper echelons of English football (Liverpool 80/1 – Premier League outright).

Deschamps enjoyed considerable success as a player with Marseille, Juventus and a one-year spell at Chelsea, and he has slipped seamlessly into management, taking charge of Monaco, Juventus and now Marseille.

But he could have been managing in the Premier League this season after revealing that he held long discussions with the Liverpool board before deciding to show loyalty to his current employers.

“I am very proud that a club of the standing of Liverpool showed interest in me this summer,” he said. “But, to be fair, it wasn’t good timing. I had just started pre-season training with Marseille.

“I don’t think the fans or the club officials would have been very pleased if after two days back I was looking to join another club.”

Deschamps took over at Marseille in 2009 and promptly steered the club to their first title in the French top flight in 18 years.

The Stade Velodrome outfit have enjoyed a steady start to the defence of their title and currently sit in sixth place in Ligue with 11 points from their first seven matches.

They have already conceded nine goals this term and will doubtless come under intense pressure from a Chelsea side full of confidence, despite the weekend blip against Manchester City.

The Blues have become almost unbeatable at home, but will not have inspirational striker Didier Drogba in their ranks, as he sits out the final match of a two-game ban.

Frank Lampard and Yossi Benayoun are still out but Ashley Cole returns after being rested for the 4-1 win over MSK Zilina.

The French outfit have yet to pick up a point in the Champions League this season, with a 1-0 reverse to Spartak Moscow in their opener but, having played at Stamford Bridge during an illustrious career, Deschamps knows his difficult it will be for his side to come away from west London with anything to show for the efforts on Tuesday night.

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Tottenham

The Spurs chief saw his side held to a goalless draw at White Hart Lane by the Blues in the first game of the campaign and he is not convinced they have enough about them to finish above Manchester United (9/4) or reigning champions Chelsea (6/4f).

City’s mega investment since the takeover of the Abu Dhabi United Group has seen them lavish money on their squad with big-name players like Robinho, Emmanuel Adebayor, Shay Given, Nigel de Jong and Gareth Barry just some of the arrivals under Mark Hughes and Roberto Mancini.

But, according to Redknapp, it is not enough for City to be classed as credible title candidates at this moment in time.

“I wouldn’t tip City from what I’ve seen,” said Redknapp. “I wouldn’t say they’ll win the championship.They have a long way to go. Chelsea are a team, Man United are a team.

“They are fantastic teams with people who have been there, done it all and won everything, Champions League winners.

“So I wouldn’t see City finishing above them.”

Spurs’ season continues with a trip to Switzerland for the first leg of the Champions League play-off round against Young Boys on Tuesday night.

Redknapp has been quiet during the summer transfer window in terms of signing players as he looks to get into the Champions League before adding to his squad.

If successful, Spurs will be able to be more ambitious with their targets although they have again been told not to bother bidding for West Ham captain Scott Parker.

Hammers co-owner David Sullivan told the Daily Mail: “I made a promise that I will not sell Scott and I will not, for any amount of money, break that promise to West Ham supporters.

“This is a new era. We are building a bigger, better West Ham and when we make a promise, we honour it.”

The Hammers entertain Bolton on Saturday looking to bounce back from their opening-day mauling at managerless Aston Villa (West Ham 1/7 – To Stay Up).

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West Ham United

The former Chelsea midfielder was a key player for the Hammers last season as they managed to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

Parker was one of the seven players that missed out on the final England World Cup squad after making the initial 30 man selection.

Speculation that clubs would make a move for the player this summer has been confirmed as Spurs (3/1 to finish in the top four)  boss Harry Redknapp has made a bid for the talented midfielder.

The White Hart Lane club are looking to strengthen their squad as they attempt to retain a top-four place in the Premier League and begin their journey in the Champions League.

However, Hammers chairman David Sullivan is adamant that the club will be keeping hold of their skipper.

He said: “I made a promise that I would not sell Scott and I will not, for any amount of money, break that promise to the West Ham supporters.

“Scott is not for sale at any price, to anyone. West Ham supporters, for too long, have had owners that sell their best players and promise one thing and do another.

“This is a new era. We are building a bigger, better West Ham and when we make a promise, we honour it,” he added.

Sullivan also stated that he did not want any offers from Spurs that would unsettle his players prior to their move for Parker.

The Upton Park club look set to offer Parker a new five-year-contact despite the player having three years left on his current deal.

West Ham (7/2 to finish in the top half in the Premier League) have been linked with a number of big names this summer which included Thierry Henry and David Beckham.

However, it is keeping hold of their better players which currently seems to be the priority for the club as the likes of Matthew Upson and Robert Green are linked with moves away from Upton Park.

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The 1998 World Cup winner, capped 107 times in an outstanding career, was left off coach Raymond Domenech’s provisional 30-man squad for South Africa.

He was one of three high-profile omissions from the squad, along with Arsenal’s Sami Nasri and Karim Benzema of Real Madrid.

And while he took the decision on the chin, he was not happy about the manner in which it was conducted.

“His (Domenech) choice I do accept,” said Vieira, who won the Euro 2000 title with France and played in the final four years ago which Les Bleus lost to Italy.

“The only problem is with regard to our personal relations. I was expecting more openness, more contact on his behalf.
“With Raymond I enjoyed healthy relations. But to learn of my non-selection like that, well that is lacking intact, class. It saddens me.

“There are coaches who know how to handle these things, and others who don’t.”

Vieira was referring to the fact that Domenech had not telephoned him to inform him of his decision, leaving the player to find out live on TV.

“I have not had him on the phone for the past six months,” said Vieira. “I always had good relations with him even when he was in difficulties. What I really would have appreciated, given the number of caps I won for my country, was that he had called me and said ‘Listen, I believe that you no longer have the necessary qualities for international football.

“I would have understood and accepted that, though I still believe that I am capable of playing at that level.”

Vieira, who moved from Inter Milan to Manchester City in the January transfer window and has played 14 times for the Premier League club, accepts that his international career is now over. But he insists he will continue playing at the top level in his club career.

“It is over. I will not have another chance to play in a big tournament,” said Vieira.
“For me, the French chapter is finished. That does not mean it erases all the great years I spent donning the blue shirt of France.

“On the club side, no is the answer to whether I will retire from that as well. I will, for sure, be carrying on at club level.”

Vieira’s omission from the squad leaves Thierry Henry as the sole survivor of France’s 1998 triumph over Brazil.

Benzema has had an inconsistent season with Madrid, though a pole taken shortly after the squad decision was announced suggested that more fans were upset with him being left out than Vieira’s axing.

Nasri’s Arsenal teammates Gael Clichy, William Gallas, Abou Diaby and Bacary Sagna are included.

Three members of Marseille’s Ligue 1-winning squad – goalkeeper Steve Mandanda and forward Hatem Ben Arfa and Mathieu Valbuena – are named, as are two Chelsea stars, Nicolas Anelka and Florent Malouda.

France (evens to qualify from Group A) will play in Group A of the tournament, alongside hosts South Africa (6/1), Mexico (3/1) and Uruguay (7/2), who will be their opponents in their first game in Cape Town on June 11.

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