Soccer Shorts

A round-up of today's other stories in brief...

Linfield say no

Linfield chairman Jim Kerr has dismissed suggestions the club might be recruited into a new all-Ireland league, arguing that making the commitment involved would be to risk over extending clubs, writes Emmet Malone.

"I attended an informal meeting at which the former chief executive of Derry City, Jim Roddy, put forward some proposals," he said. "I wasn't happy with what was on the table and in my eyes it is a non-starter.

"For a start the Irish League clubs would have to go full time in order to compete and that throws up problems of its own.

"To sustain all-Ireland football you would need average attendances of around 5,000. That fan base doesn't exist at most clubs."

Chelsea own up

Chelsea yesterday admitted an English FA charge that their players failed to conduct themselves in an orderly fashion in the Premier League match against Derby County last month.

The charge relates to the behaviour of players who surrounded and protested to referee Andre Marriner after he had sent off Michael Essien for elbowing Derby striker Kenny Miller in injury-time of the game at Pride Park on November 24th, which Chelsea won 2-0.

Shopping time for Keane

Roy Keane was yesterday linked with transfer window moves for Chelsea's midfielder Steve Sidwell, Manchester United's defender Wes Brown and the Blackburn Rovers striker Jason Roberts.

Out of the first-team picture at Chelsea, midfielder Sidwell - who will be 25 tomorrow - would cost around €7 million

Brown, who can operate in central defence or at right back knows Sunderland's manager from their days at Old Trafford. Now 28, he is out of contract next summer and United are resigned to losing the defender during the January window.

Roberts (29) has become frustrated at his lack of first-team opportunities with Blackburn and would cost around €3 million.

Dickson Etuhu will definitely be leaving the Stadium of Light during January - but only temporarily. The midfielder has been called up by Nigeria for the African Cup of Nations and will join them for a training camp in Spain on January 4th before the tournament begins in Ghana.

Benitez feels secure

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez says he is confident he will keep his job heading into this weekend's meeting with club owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks.

Benitez recently put his position in doubt after criticising the club's transfer policy.

The Merseyside club managed, however, to reach the last 16 of the Champions League with a 4-0 away win over French side Marseille on Tuesday to help his cause.

"I have always maintained confidence that I will be the manager of Liverpool," he said. "The fans and players are happy. That is the key.

"I am not thinking about my situation every day, I am just thinking about my team and how they can improve."

Meanwhile, Liverpool are to step up security at their players' homes after Steven Gerrard became the club's latest team member to be targeted by a masked gang during a football game.

Merseyside Police said last night the robbery, along with earlier break-ins at the homes of striker Dirk Kuyt and goalkeeper Pepe Reina, are being linked.

In Tuesday's raid, Gerrard's wife, Alex Curran, was confronted by four thieves dressed in balaclavas or hoods as he led his team to victory against Marseille in the Champion's League.

In brief . . .

French international midfielder Mathieu Flamini (23) is poised to sign a new five-year deal contract with Arsenal, according to France daily L'Equipe . . . Martin O'Neill is refusing to give up hope of persuading Olof Mellberg to stay at Aston Villa and sign a new contract despite interest from Juventus in the defender, "I don't know if there is anything in the Juventus link and Olof will tell me in his own time if that is the case" . . . Real Betis are to allow Johan Vogel (30) to leave the club for free in January and Everton are poised to land the Swiss midfielder . . . Reigning African footballer of the year Didier Drogba was yesterday named on a shortlist of five finalists for the 2007 award along with his Chelsea team mate Michael Essien, Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor and the Spanish-based pair of Frederic Kanoute and Mahamadou Diarra . . . Bayern Munich have fined captain Oliver Kahn €25,000 and suspended him for one game after he criticised team-mates, coach Ottmar Hitzfeld said yesterday. . . Argentinian side Boca Juniors will play either AC Milan or Japan's Urawa Reds in Sunday's World Club Cup final after beating Tunisia's Etoile Sahel 1-0 in yesterday's first semi-final. . . Reading have signed 17-year-old Bulgarian striker Radoslav Vasilev from Slavia Sofia . . . Middlesbrough and Newcastle are keeping a close watch on Arda Turan, Galatasaray's much admired 20-year-old attacking midfielder.