Leicester City: Claudio Ranieri will receive huge seven-figure bonus for winning the Premier League April 29, 2016 From 5,000/1 rank outsiders to Premier League champions in waiting — Leicester City’s transformation under Claudio Ranieri couldn’t be much more drastic. And the Italian manager, who took over last summer, will be rewarded handsomely should he guide the Foxes to a historic league title that is now just one win from their grasp. Leicester [...]
Villarreal 1, Liverpool 0: Klopp fumes at dozy Reds defending but shrugs off overall significance of stoppage-time goal April 29, 2016 Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp refused to hide his irritation at conceding a last-gasp winner but shrugged off the overall significance of Villarreal’s stoppage-time strike in last night’s Europa League semi-final first leg. A tactical contest appeared to be meandering towards a goalless draw until dozy defending allowed former Manchester City youngster Denis Suarez to evade [...]
Football betting: Leicester to keep the champagne on ice in tricky Manchester United test April 28, 2016 There's nothing unusual in the Premier League title being sealed at Old Trafford. But if Leicester do it on Sunday it will arguably be the most remarkable moment in top-flight history. The Foxes take on Manchester United needing three points from their final three games to claim the trophy. Famously, Claudio Ranieri’s men were 5,000/1 [...]
Football betting: Alan Pardew can be pardoned for prioritising Palace’s precious trip to Wembley April 28, 2016 Alan Pardew will have plenty to smile about when he returns to Newcastle this weekend. His Crystal Palace side’s Premier League safety is virtually guaranteed, with 39 points, and they have a first FA Cup final in a generation to look forward to. And that makes Newcastle a very attractive bet, at 19/20 with Betway. Until [...]
Elegy is a haunting sci-fi tale about love, loss and memory April 28, 2016 At just over an hour, Elegy churns through an ocean of subject matter in a very short space of time. Its three characters tackle issues including marriage, death, the science of selfhood, shattered minds and lobotomised memories. It does all of this backwards too, with its handful of skilfully arranged scenes unfolding in reverse chronological [...]
A Comedy About a Bank Robbery is a triumph of physical comedy April 28, 2016 A Comedy About a Bank Robbery | ★★★★☆ | The Criterion First, there was The Play That Went Wrong, followed by Peter Pan Goes Wrong; now The Mischief Theatre Company – the improv outfit behind the surprise West End hits – is actually trying to do something well. The cast have taken the slapstick perfected in [...]
Jake Gyllenhaal destroying an expensive set of drawers with a mallet can’t save this unconvincingly surreal dramady April 28, 2016 Demolition | ★★☆☆☆ | Dir. Jean-Marc Vallé Jake Gyllenhaal plays Davis, a businessman who escapes unscathed from the car crash that killed his wife. His reaction is stunned. He disconnects from reality, listlessly ghosting about the place like a sad mannequin, forcing out tears in front of a bathroom mirror and trying to fake up [...]
Captain America: Civil War – a slick, fun blockbuster that’s happy to play the hits April 28, 2016 Captain America: Civil War | ★★★★☆ | Dir. Joe and Anthony Russo You can draw all kind of political parallels from Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War. Right vs left, libertarian vs statist, Stronger In vs Brexit. It boils down to this: are you on the side of the faceless bureaucrats who want to stifle our [...]
Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli’s season brought to an end by three-match suspension April 28, 2016 TOTTENHAM midfielder Dele Alli has vowed to learn from his spat with West Brom’s Claudio Yacob after his season was brought to a premature end by a three-match suspension. Alli accepted the Football Association charge of violent conduct after television replays showed the 20-year-old punch Yacob in the stomach during the first half of Tottenham’s [...]
Liverpool’s Mamadou Sakho out for the season – and maybe longer – after failed drug test April 28, 2016 Liverpool and France defender Mamadou Sakho is set to miss the rest of the season – and could yet be ruled out of Euro 2016 – following his failed drug test. European governing body Uefa today confirmed that it has opened disciplinary proceedings against Sakho and accordingly issued him with a provisional 30-day suspension. If [...]