Soccer News: Gullit denies rift

Newcastle manager Ruud Gullit last night moved to quash suggestions of a rift between him and the club's directors over cash to buy new players.

"I am disturbed to see that a lot of people are assuming that there is a rift between myself and the board of directors at Newcastle United. That could not be further from the truth. We are all working in the same direction," Gullit said in a statement yesterday.

"It is my job to put out what I feel is a team that has winning potential. I want success and I want it quickly. The board of directors also want success as quickly as possible and my arrival at this club shows that the board are prepared to make changes when they feel the changes have to be made for the good of Newcastle United."

Chairman Freddy Shepherd has indicated that cash from sales must start coming into the club before any new signings can be made. United have splashed out around £26 million already this year on additions to the squad, half of that going during the close-season. Eight players - David Batty, Steve Watson, Stephane Guivarc'h, Rob Lee, Warren Barton, Alessandro Pistone, Gary Speed and Steve Howey - have been placed on the transfer list.

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson could be forced to plead his case with BSkyB over new transfers for up to three months. The satellite television company's on-going battle to gain control of the Old Trafford club will be concluded some time between October 26th and December 4th.

In the meantime, any financial deals worth more than £1 million must be referred to BSkyB for approval. Under normal circumstances, United would have been allowed to make no deals at all, but the TV company has voluntarily agreed to waive its veto rights up to the £1 million mark.

BSkyB's action has been hailed as "fairly unusual" by Peter Lee, deputy director general of the takeover panel. "It seems that they are trying to allow Manchester United to make very quick decisions on buying new players."

Scotland coach Craig Brown yesterday found himself without both virtually his first and second choice midfield for Saturday's vital Euro 2000 Qualifier against Estonia. To an injury list already containing the likes of John Collins and Paul Lambert, while Celtic's Craig Burley is suspended, Brown lost Leeds United's David Hopkin and Barry Ferguson of Rangers.

The Rangers youngster has a hamstring strain and has now been replaced by the man he has often been compared to, former Ibrox star Ian Durrant - who has relaunched his career with Kilmarnock alongside Ally McCoist this term. Durrant, 32 later this month, last appeared for the national side four years ago.

Gary Neville has backed England manager Glenn Hoddle over club manager Alex Ferguson in the row over vitamin injections given to England players during the World Cup by insisting: "There was never any cause for alarm."

A number of England squad members were given injections administered by French doctor Yann Rougier during France 98. Neville was one of two players understood to have been given booster doses before the games against Colombia and Argentina. Ferguson has written an official letter of complaint to the English FA demanding to know exactly what was in the jabs.

Leeds United's UEFA Cup second round first-leg clash with AS Roma in Italy will be the game featured by the BBC in Match of the Day Live on Tuesday, October 20th.