Eoin Morgan reveals his family were deeply offended by criticism of his decision to skip Bangladesh tour January 9, 2017 Limited-overs skipper Eoin Morgan has revealed that the criticism he received following his controversial decision to skip England’s tour of Bangladesh caused deep offence to his family. Morgan, together with opener Alex Hales, declined to travel to Bangladesh in October amid security concerns, a stance which England director of cricket Andrew Strauss said was “disappointing”. A [...]
Chris Robshaw to miss Six Nations after England flanker undergoes shoulder surgery January 9, 2017 England head coach Eddie Jones has suffered another major injury blow less than two weeks before he names the squad tasked with retaining the Six Nations after Chris Robshaw was ruled out of the tournament. Harlequins flanker Robshaw, a mainstay of England’s flawless resurgence under Jones last year, was due to have surgery on a [...]
President Xi loves football, but China’s spending spree won’t last long says ex-Manchester City man Sun Jihai January 9, 2017 Premier League clubs need not worry about losing their best players to the China, says former Manchester City defender Sun Jihai who predicts a slowdown in spending from the emerging football power. Chinese teams’ spending has exploded as some of the country’s richest men acquired football clubs in the wake of President Xi Jinping revealing [...]
How the Africa Cup of Nations affects Premier League clubs January 9, 2017 While January offers the opportunity for squads to be bolstered before the campaign’s business end, some Premier League managers are already counting the cost of international call-ups for the Africa Cup of Nations. A quick browse of the list of top-flight absentees for the tournament in Gabon, which begins on Saturday, shows those sides who [...]
Laurence King, founder of the eponymous publisher, talks adult colouring books, soviets, Ezra Pound and anti-digital January 9, 2017 "We caused a shortage of felt pens in Brazil,” says Laurence King, founder of Laurence King Publishing, the creator of the original adult colouring book that sparked the recent craze. In 2013, the firm published the Secret Garden, illustrated by Johanna Basford. In the first two years, it sold 250,000 copies. “It was then we became [...]
Fears calmed after England flanker James Haskell’s return to action lasts less than a minute January 8, 2017 Wasps boss Dai Young calmed fears over James Haskell’s fitness after the England flanker’s return to action lasted just 36 seconds during his side’s victory over Leicester at the Ricoh Arena. Second-half replacement Haskell was making his first appearance for seven months following a toe injury but was forced from the field after appearing to [...]
Tottenham Hotspur 2, Aston Villa 0: Mauricio Pochettino tips rookie midfielder Harry Winks for stardom January 8, 2017 TOTTENHAM boss Mauricio Pochettino tipped rookie midfielder Harry Winks to scale lofty heights after his side began their FA Cup campaign with a regulation victory over Championship side Aston Villa. Eight-time tournament winners Spurs cruised into round four after brushing aside an initially stubborn Villa, currently 12th in the second tier, courtesy of second-half goals [...]
Chelsea 4, Peterborough United 1: Fringe stars shine for Blues in FA Cup but Antonio Conte still eyeing January transfer business January 8, 2017 Chelsea 4, Peterborough United 1 Chelsea manager Antonio Conte insists he still hopes to add to his squad this month despite fringe players forcing their way back into his thinking in an FA Cup romp against Peterborough on Sunday. Unsettled striker Michy Batshuayi scored his first goal since August, midfielders Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Nathaniel Cahlobah [...]
Liverpool 0, Plymouth Argyle 0: Jurgen Klopp defends team selection after draw adds to fixture pile-up worries January 8, 2017 Liverpool 0, Plymouth Argyle 0 Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insists he has no regrets about his selection gamble after an FA Cup stalemate with fourth-tier Plymouth exacerbated the Reds’ fixture congestion. Klopp selected the youngest starting XI in Liverpool’s history for Sunday’s third round tie and they failed to break down an Argyle side determined [...]
Football Association clears Premier League clubs to field weakened teams in the FA Cup and confirms plans to increase prize money January 8, 2017 Premier League clubs have been given the green light to field weakened teams in the FA Cup after Football Association chiefs said they would not take action against sides who made wholesale changes. Top-flight teams’ attitude towards the competition is in the spotlight again after six crashed out at the earliest opportunity over the first two [...]