David McCourt’s Midweek Football Roundup

BOLTON Wanderers moved off the bottom of the Premier League table last night after a 2-1 victory over Steve-Kean-Out Rovers at Ewood Park.

The under fire manager suffered a tirade of abuse from the home fans as Owen Coyle’s side meandered to a comfortable half-time lead though Mark Davies and Nigel Reo-Coker.

There was time for Yakubu to snatch a not-so-consolatory goal before the final whistle, in what looks like it’s going to be a gloomy Christmas in the Kean household.

With visits to Liverpool and Manchester United to look forward to before the New Year, the Blackburn manager has got about as much chance of wining over the fans as he has waking up with an afro.

"I don't know why you would want to stay at a club where you can't play,"

Sir Alex Ferguson may name Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez in the squad for their match at Fulham tonight after the Mexican striker recovered quicker than expected from injury.

United have failed to win in any of their last three visits to Craven Cottage but will need all three points if they are to keep the pressure on City in the title race.

However, Sir Alex Ferguson doesn’t seem overly worried about still being behind his city rivals in the league table. He said after Sundays win at QPR: "The important thing is to be there on New Year's Day."

Manchester City head into their EPL clash with Stoke tonight looking to maintain their 100% home record this season.

Gael Clichy is set to return after suspension, meaning Wayne Bridge is even more unlikely to feature at left back despite the injury to Alexsander Kolarov.

Mancini, who hopes Bridge will leave City in January, can’t seem to figure out why the £10million outcast doesn’t want to leave the club.

He said: "I don't know why you would want to stay at a club where you can't play," overlooking a reportedly 90,000 reasons-a-week that might be softening the disappointment for the reserve defender.

It’s a problem City are all too familiar with. Fellow squad exile Carlos Tevez is proving similarly difficult to shift after the club told AC Milan that they would not let the Argentine badboy leave on loan in January.

Mancini said: "Manchester City paid Carlos a lot of money for three years. It is correct that if one club, it could be Milan, Juventus, PSG, Inter, want him, they pay Carlos for his value. This is correct."

In slightly less glamorous transfer news, Bury have extended the loan spell of Blackpool defender Ashley Eastham until the end of the season.

The 20-year-old has made 16 appearances for the Shakers this season having initially signed a six-month loan deal in August. The new contract includes an option to extend the deal further should Bury reach the League One play-offs.

And finally, Rochdale have brought in Ryan Kidd to assist Chris Beech in his caretaker role at Spotland following the sacking of Steve Eyre and Frankie Bunn.

The 40-year-old spent three years as assistant manager to Simon Davey at Barnsley, and had an 11-day spell in charge of Darlington.