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RAY RANSON today said that Aston Villa have not made a bid for Coventry City left-back Danny Fox.

The Sky Blues chairman is keen to scotch rumours linking the former Everton player with a move away from the club.

Although it is understood that there has been some interest in a couple of City's higher profile players, Aston Villa have not made a bid for Fox.

"There is not going to be a mass exodus of players, " said Ranson.

"We are trying to build something here and want to keep our best players."

COVENTRY City stepped up their pursuit of £100,000-rated Shrewsbury centre-back
Kelvin Langmead on Friday and are confident of signing him in January.

Sky Blues boss Chris Coleman registered a fresh enquiry before the weekend about Langmead, 23, who is out of contract at the end of the season.

Langmead is unhappy at being in and out of the League Two team despite being rated as one of the division's best defenders, with Scunthorpe and Bradford also keen on him.

ELDERLY shoppers chase him down supermarket aisles brandishing frozen peas and football fans heckle him from the terraces of Coventry City FC.

This is life now for Coronation Street star Graeme Hawley, who's at the centre of a dramatic soap storyline.

He plays teacher-turned-cabbie John Stape who in a moment of madness kidnapped 17-year-old Rosie Webster and kept her locked in the attic for weeks.

He blamed her for destroying his life, after the schoolgirl seduced him and led to the loss of his job and his relationship with girlfriend Fiz Brown.

When the mouthy teen started taunting him, he lost his temper, bundled her into his cab and drove her to his late grandmother's house where he's kept her captive in the attic flat.

Last week Fiz discovered his secret and John was arrested but it's not the last we'll see of him.

Graeme, who grew up in Hinckley, Leicestershire, and is a Coventry City FC season ticket-holder, insists he's not a villain.

"He hasn't harmed Rosie," says the friendly 34-year-old.

"Most viewers are friendly when they see me, though I've had drunken blokes shouting 'Leave Rosie alone!' and old ladies chasing me down the aisles in Tesco. Fortunately they've never caught me, so I've avoided a battering with frozen peas!

"The funniest moment was at the football the other week. I tend to get irate and was shouting at the ref, who'd made a few bad decisions, when someone called out 'Go on John, kidnap him!'.

"I think John is essentially a good man. When we were filming the scenes in the attic, the director kept saying he felt sorry for him.

NEW Swansea City recruit Dimitrios Konstantopoulos is ready to step into the firing line when Roberto Martinez's side tackle Wolves tonight.

The 6ft 4in goalkeeper was left on the bench as Swansea eased past Southampton on Saturday after completing a last-minute loan move from Coventry City.

But now Konstantopoulos is hoping Martinez opts for him ahead of Artur Krysiak despite the fact the teenage Pole kept a clean sheet against the Saints.

Martinez, as ever, is keeping his cards close to his chest over who will start in goal.

But he may be tempted to call on Konstantopoulos for tonight's evening's tricky trip to Molineux because of his greater experience.

"I'll be looking to play against Wolves," Konstantopoulos said.

"I have come here to try to get back in action and play a few games.

"But of course, it's up to the manager. You can understand why he went for Artur on Saturday because I hadn't even spoken to any of the other players.

"It's difficult to come in and play when that's the case, especially as a keeper because you need to have good communication with your back four.

"But I have to show the manager that I am ready and hope he puts me in."

A first-team regular and fans' favourite at Hartlepool, Konstantopoulos stepped up a division to Coventry when Iain Dowie landed him on a Bosman free transfer in the summer of 2007.

Life at the Ricoh Arena began reasonably enough for the 29-year-old Greek but, after 23 appearances, he lost his place when Chris Coleman took charge of the Sky Blues.

His chances of regaining the No. 1 jersey took another jolt when Swansea-born Coleman splashed out £750,000 on Carlisle stopper Keiren Westwood over the summer.

"The manager changed and I didn't get many chances," added Konstantopoulos.

"We have a new keeper this season and it's great for me to come to a really good club like Swansea."

Signed initially for a month, Konstantopoulos may well be asked to extend his temporary stay with Dorus de Vries out for around six weeks.

And given that Krysiak's loan from Birmingham comes to an end in December, it is not inconceivable that the former Greek Under-21 international could be offered the chance to stay at Swansea in the long term.
Would he be keen?

"It's too early to say," says Konstantopoulos.

"We will see how things go in the next couple of weeks.

"I haven't had any discussions about that and for the moment it's about me trying to help the team and, hopefully, benefiting at the same time.

"I would say that in the short period of time I have been here, everything has been positive.
"But we will have to think about possibly staying on later."

Konstantopoulos accepts that he is anything but a shoo-in for the Wolves game given that Krysiak marked his Swansea debut with a shut-out.

It should be pointed out, though, that the youngster did not have the busiest shift on his Championship bow against a toothless Southampton side.

Martinez's dilemma is whether to give the callow Krysiak another opportunity in what is likely to be a much more demanding fixture, or go for his more seasoned option.

Konstantopoulos was quick to pay tribute to Krysiak after watching his tidy display against the Saints, saying: "Maybe he didn't have that much to do, but what he did he did very well.

"He looked calm and the clean sheet will have done a lot of good for his confidence.

"I think Saturday was a huge experience for him."

Krysiak was not the only man in Swansea colours who impressed the latest addition to their increasingly cosmopolitan squad.

"Swansea played some very good football," reckons Konstantopoulos.

"They tried to get the ball down all the time and to play it out wide which makes them attractive to watch.
"Not only that, it's successful too, because they scored three goals.

"I saw them a few times in League One last season. The manager has his mentality and the players have obviously responded to that.

"They played good football last year and, as they are showing, that style can get you results whoever you're up against."

As proved just over three weeks ago against Wolves.

Mick McCarthy's team were outplayed in a 3-1 defeat at the Liberty Stadium, but they are likely to prove a different proposition with a couple of key players back in action on home soil tonight.

Still, Konstantopoulos reckons Swansea can get another positive result against one of the Championship's big guns.

"It's going to be difficult because Wolves are especially good at home," he says.

"But from what I have seen of Swansea, they have nothing to fear in this division.

"More performances like the one against Southampton and they will have no problems."

LEON BEST insists he's loving life at Coventry City at the moment -especially with all of the competition for places.

Following his arrival from Southampton, he had an encouraging start to his Coventry career with nine goals in his first season but persistent speculation about a return to Nottingham to join Forest suggested it would only be a short stay at the Ricoh.

But there's no sign of Best going in search of the exit door just yet as he is relishing the competition from the likes of Freddy Eastwood, Clinton Morrison, Leon Mckenzie and Michael Mifsud in the Sky Blues' striking pecking order.

"I'm very happy at Coventry, the new players have definitely added a bit more to our squad and hopefully if we start winning a few more games then we'll be up there.

"It's a very good atmosphere to be around and it brings you on as a player because you know that when you've got good strikers breathing down your neck then you have to perform.

"There's no bad feeling towards whoever is playing or scoring."