THAT WAS THE WEEKEND THAT WAS

RUMOURS

Fact and fiction from the Sunday papers

Stewart Houston's tenure as the Arsenal manager is as good as over, according to the Sunday Express and People. Both claim the decision was made at a Highbury board meeting on Thursday night. There is less agreement about a successor, with the Express claiming QPR's Ray Wilkins is the leading contender, but the People countering that Wilkins will not be lured from Loftus Road and that Bobby Robson, the former England manager, is the man most likely to succeed.

The weekly dose of Gazza speculation consists of the News of the World and the People predicting a last-ditch effort by Everton to hijack the Lazio midfielder's move to Rangers. The NoW says that Chelsea, too, have not given up.

Barry Fry, manager of the Second Division champions, Birmingham City, is heading for a showdown with the club's owner, David Sullivan. Fry believes Birmingham's managing director, Karren Brady, wants to replace him with Trevor Francis, who the People says is heading for the sack at Hillsborough.

The Mirror reports that Spurs are lining up a bid for the unsettled Dennis Bergkamp of Internazionale, and that Liverpool are prepared to pay £4m for Chelsea's Dennis Wise.

THE PREMIER XI

FLOWERS

BLACKBURN

BREACKER

WEST HAM

BABB

LIVERPOOL

PEMBERTON

LEEDS UTD

IRWIN

MAN UTD

McALLISTER

LEEDS UTD

HODDLE

CHELSEA

MONCUR

WEST HAM

NDLOVU

COVENTRY

SHEARER

BLACKBURN

FERDINAND

QPR