Day of reckoning awaits Taylor

Peter Taylor will have crisis talks with his Leicester City directors today. Taylor's managerial fate could be sealed quickly after the football club chairman John Elsom and his plc counterpart Sir Rodney Walker discussed his future yesterday.

Taylor saw his side slump to the bottom of the Premiership on Saturday, just weeks after he earned a reprieve at Filbert Street. A £750,000 severance payment is already in place should he be sacked. That fee was agreed after Taylor stayed loyal to Leicester when he could have joined the England set-up full-time. Harry Redknapp would be among the favourites for the post. He has said he is restless at Portsmouth, where he is director of football, and is said to be keen to return to hands-on management.

Blackburn Rovers are pulling out of the race to sign the Parma striker Patrick Mboma because they will not pay a £500,000 loan fee. The Ewood Park manager Graeme Souness met the Cameroon international at the weekend to discuss terms, but Souness has decided against picking up the tab.

Eyal Berkovic has added to Kevin Keegan's Manchester City woes by picking up a new injury. The Israeli international pulled up in training and City may now be without him for up to four weeks.

Portsmouth have completed the signing of the Japanese international goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi for an undisclosed fee from Yokohama F-Marinos, subject to a medical. The 26-year-old, who has signed until 2004, has more than 50 caps for his national side and is set to captain his country at the World Cup.