Recap & Rumours: 'Spot-fixing' debate rumbles on; Sunderland freshly linked to 2 veterans & more

Terry 'spot-fixing' debate rumbles on

According to the Daily Mail, the Premier League will not investigate the arrangement between Chelsea and Sunderland to enable John Terry to be substituted in the 26th minute of yesterday's game.

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The Chelsea legend had somehow managed to convince his boss Antonio Conte that him leaving the field of play in a staged departure in the 26th minute - a reference to his shirt number - was a good idea.

The Sunderland squad had been made aware of the wheeze though goalkeeper Jordan Pickford still had to be reminded to kick the ball out by a Blues player. Somehow David Moyes then further immersed himself in the row over the Chelsea stunt by confirming he had known about the plan before the game which kicked off a round of 'collusion' claims.

The Mail say betting experts have dismissed the 'spot-fixing' claims because no sane bookmaker would have paid out on a contrived event of this sort. Though already Paddy Power have admitted they accepted bets on the substitution and have honoured them. How much of that is a bookies' bid for publicity, who knows?

With the cringe-worthy staged stunt setting something of a precedent, perhaps some FA intervention is needed to prevent clubs like Sunderland finding themselves dragged into such spectacles and facing the subsequent back-lash.

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Moyes plotting quick rebuild, if Short will let him

Faced with a massive week in which he will meet with owner Ellis Short, Sunderland manager David Moyes says the club will need to rebuild quickly in order to launch a promotion campaign from the Championship.

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With the Black Cats' boss set to meet Short in London this week, the Scot indicated the club must refashion itself having been close to the Premier League drop year-after-year. Speaking in the aftermath of yesterday's thrashing at Chelsea, Moyes said:

When I came in I think everyone said Sunderland needed rebuilding.

It's been close to this position for four or five years and this time we've gone over the cliff. We have been relegated but we'll get ready and come back again.

And on Sunderland's prospects of recovering from a terrible season with fall-out and recrimination showing no sign of abating, Moyes indicated his thoughts on moving forward with a squad overhaul fit for the second-tier:

We want to come back. You have to try and do it quickly if you can - that's the best way.

If not, there are other clubs in the Championship who have done it another way, taking a bit of time to rebuild.

Sunderland supporters may need to ready themselves for the latter. With reports in the national press over the weekend claiming Moyes will not be given any significant amount from the two key revenue streams available for rebuilding - parachute payments and summer player sales - reinvestment in the squad may yet be insubstantial.

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Sunderland eyeing veteran goalkeeper

According to reports in France, Sunderland will move for free agent Cedric Carrasso this summer. The 35-year-old goalkeeper has been released by Bordeaux after making nearly 250 appearances for the Ligue 1 outfit.

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Carrasso claimed last summer that he had turned down a move to the Stadium of Light. That was at the time that Vito Mannone was ruled out for three months having injured his elbow in late August.

Ultimately that was the break that Jordan Pickford needed with the young stopper quickly establishing himself as number 1 at Sunderland.

Carasso began his career with Marseille and had a short spell on loan at Crystal Palace before joining Bordeaux via Toulouse.

The veteran of one international cap for France was a teammate of Sunderland's Wahbi Khazri for two years before the midfielder departed Les Girondins for the Black Cats.

Photo by Romain Perrocheau/Getty Images

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Turner links look limp

He's free and he used to play for Sunderland. So Michael Turner has been linked with a move back to his former club over the weekend.

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Released by Norwich City, the 33-year-old departed the Stadium of Light in 2012 after making over 60 appearances for Sunderland.

The Newcastle Chronicle are being assigned as the source of the rumour, but in truth the north east paper has only gone as far as suggesting Sunderland "have been credited with an interest" in Turner. By whom no one knows.

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