BITS AND BOBS

Last updated : 12 November 2006 By Ed

* BBC: Manchester United have won the awards for both manager and player of the month after the club went three points clear at the top of the Premiership.

Sir Alex Ferguson has been named the Barclays manager of the month for October and Paul Scholes has won the player of the month prize.

United won all four of their league games in October, scoring 11 goals, to go three points ahead of Chelsea.

* The Screws: 'Everton are favourites to take Manchester United forward Alan Smith on loan.'

* The People: 'Beckham is prepared to take a pay cut for the chance to return to Manchester United next summer.

* The People's sister paper, the Sunday Mirror claim that Beckham is off to Spurs.

* Sky Sports' Nick Collins talks about Southend's Freddy Eastwood and makes a faux-pas whilst comparing him with a former Southend star: 'Let's hope Freddy's career is not marred with the same off-field problems that have dogged Stan Collymore.'

* The Sunday Mirror:'Arsenal and Manchester United will resume their fight for West Ham captain Nigel Reo-Coker after both had £15m bids turned down.'

* The People: 'Manchester United midfielder Kieran Richardson is being tracked by a number of Premiership clubs as Sir Alex Ferguson is believed to be disappointed in his progress.'