Gossip column: Mourinho, Wenger, Pardew, Klopp, Sherwood

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Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, 52, is fighting to stay in control of the Blues dressing room, with a significant number of players becoming unsettled by his public criticism of individuals in the team and his backroom staff. (London Evening Standard)

Aston Villa manager Tim Sherwood's future at the club is in doubt after he angered club owner Randy Lerner by criticising Villa's transfer business in the summer. (Sun, subscription required)

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, 65, has suggested he will step down as manager in 2017 - 21 years after taking over. (Daily Mirror)

The Mirror says Wenger has set the date for leaving Arsenal

Manager Steve McClaren is confident Newcastle United's directors will remain loyal to him as he attempts to recover from an appalling start to the season. (Guardian)

Newcastle will not make an emergency goalkeeper signing until January despite losing Tim Krul, 27, to injury until the end of the season. (Newcastle Chronicle)

Manchester City are to ask their fans if they want to change the club's badge. (Daily Mail)

Stoke and England defender Ryan Shawcross, 28, completed his first 90 minutes for his club's reserve team on Thursday since a back operation in August. (stokecityfc.com)

Alan Pardew, 54, says he is fully focused on his job as Crystal Palace boss but admits the thought of taking charge of England one day is enticing. (Guardian)

Chelsea have offered £60m to play at Wembley for four years - hindering Tottenham's chances of playing there while White Hart Lane is redeveloped. (Daily Telegraph)

Southend United boss Phil Brown rejected the chance to work as an assistant to Sam Allardyce at Sunderland because he wants to reach 1,000 games as a manager. (Southend Echo)

Former Manchester United striker Robin van Persie, 32, could move to Barcelona in January to act as back-up for Neymar, Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi. (Daily Mail)

Chelsea should have sacked Jose Mourinho and replaced him with Jurgen Klopp, the newly installed Liverpool manager, according to former Blues midfielder Craig Burley. (Talksport)

Manchester United look set to be miss out on Athletic Bilbao's France Under-21 defender Aymeric Laporte who is ready to join Barcelona next summer. (Daily Mirror)

Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino, 43, has been studying film of Jurgen Klopp's Borussia Dortmund teams to give Spurs the edge over Liverpool on Saturday. (London Evening Standard)

The back page of The Times

Angry Arsenal supporters criticised manager Arsene Wenger's European record at an annual general meeting.(Daily Express)

West Ham striker Andy Carroll, 26, will use criticism from former manager Sam Allardyce to earn an England recall, says current Hammers boss Slaven Bilic. Allardyce criticised Carroll's attitude in a new book. (Daily Star)

Real Madrid boss Rafael Benitez is also unhappy with Allardyce, who suggested Liverpool's 2005 Champions League win "had nothing to do" with Benitez. The Spaniard responded by saying Allardyce's opinion "does not have a lot of value". (The Times, subscription required)

Both United boss Louis van Gaal and Pochettino are watching Newcastle forward Ayoze Perez, 22. (Newcastle Chronicle)

Watford striker Odion Ighalo, 26, will not be sold to a bigger club in the January transfer window despite his good start to the season, says boss Quique Sanchez Flores. (Daily Star)

Manchester City striker Wilfried Bony, 26, says he has had the worst year of his career since his transfer from Swansea. (Daily Express)

Everton fans have hit back at former Crystal Palace and QPR manager Neil Warnock after he said on BBC Radio 5 live that Toffees midfielder Ross Barkley, 21, "can't defend, he can't take responsibility in his own half". (Liverpool Echo)

Blackpool boss Neil McDonald has ruled out linking up with new Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce at the Stadium of Light. McDonald was assistant to Allardyce at West Ham United. (Blackpool Gazette)

Walsall manager Dean Smith, 44, has opened talks about extending his contract after steering the Saddlers to the top of League One. (Express & Star)

Former Peterborough United boss Darren Ferguson, 43, is set to be named new manager of League One Doncaster Rovers on Friday. (Yorkshire Post)

Best of social media

Arsenal forward Mesut Ozil posted a picture of himself celebrating his 27th birthday on his Twitter account on Thursday. The Germany international wrote: "One year older yet again! Thank you all so much for your birthday messages! #bestfansworldwide #happyMesut."

"Gutted for @IngsDanny. He will come back stronger," wrote Queens Park Rangers striker Charlie Austin on Twitter after learning his former Burnley team-mate had been ruled out of Liverpool's season with a knee injury.

Liverpool defender Joe Gomez, 18, has thanked fans for their support after also being ruled out for the season with a knee injury. "Tough time for me, but already working towards coming back stronger. Hard work starts now. Thank you for every message," Gomez tweeted.

And finally

Leicester City boss Claudio Ranieri is considering upping an offer to buy his players pizza if they secure a first clean sheet of the season. "Maybe the pizza isn't enough. Maybe I will have to push the boat out and offer them a real slap-up meal," said the Italian. (Daily Star)

A non-League football match kicked off 30 minutes late - because the referee forgot that he was in charge. (Northern Echo)