Football: Rosenthal rejects move to Tottenham

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR'S increasingly frustrating quest for a goalscorer drew another blank yesterday when a pounds 250,000 move for Ronny Rosenthal fell through.

Liverpool's Israeli international failed to agree personal terms after the two clubs had agreed a fee. 'The search goes on,' the Spurs manager, Ossie Ardiles, said. Ardiles may now try to bring West Ham's Clive Allen back to Spurs as a temporary replacement.

Tottenham have suffered during the absence through injury of Teddy Sheringham and Ardiles admitted yesterday that the club had made costly mistakes over their England international striker. Sheringham suffered a knee injury against Manchester United on 16 October and has since required two operations on a torn cartilage.

Ardiles said: 'We probably tried too hard to get Teddy back quickly after he received the injury. Teddy was willing to try it as well and, to be honest, the knee did not seem too bad when it happened. But believe me now we are going to do things slowly with him. We'll take every precaution and, in the end, it is up to him when he feels right.'

He added: 'His recovery didn't progress as we would have liked and the specialist advised an operation. He had that and was then so close to returning when he had a setback - and another operation. Naturally you do not want to be without your top players - and Teddy didn't want to be out for long, but his willingness only compounded the problem.'

Sheringham admitted: 'It is still coming along only slowly and I won't make the mistake of forcing it now. I want to make absolutely sure I'm right when I play again.'

Liverpool, meanwhile, will need Rosenthal after they learned that Robbie Fowler sustained a stress fracture in his leg during the FA Cup draw at Bristol City. The young forward may be out for six weeks. 'It hurt when I went down during the game at Bristol but I didn't think it was serious,' Fowler said.

David Williams, the Bournemouth assistant manager is to become Mike Walker's assistant at Everton, replacing Colin Harvey, who resigned on Thursday.

Mel Sterland, the Leeds right- back, decided to retire yesterday after two years of vainly combating Achilles tendon trouble. Sterland, capped once by England, had four operations on his right ankle. 'He has been a great servant to Leeds United on and off the field,' his manager, Howard Wilkinson, said.

Liam O'Brien, Newcastle United's 29-year-old Irish midfielder, has joined Tranmere Rovers for pounds 250,000.

Jamie Pollock, Middlesbrough's highly rated midfielder, has been fined a week's wages following his dismissal in the midweek FA Cup third-round replay against Cardiff.

WALES B SQUAD (v Scotland, Wrexham; 2 Feb): Roberts (QPR), Margetson (Manchester City); Neilson (Newcastle), McCarthy (QPR), Ready (QPR), Perry (Cardiff), Goss (Norwich), Edwards (Bristol City), Jones (Sheffield Wednesday), Meaker (QPR), Pembridge (Derby), Bowen (Swansea), Griffiths (Manchester City), Roberts (Leicester), Nogan (Brighton), Watkin (Wrexham).

Joe Lovejoy,

Football Diary,

New Faces for '94, page 26