Jose Mourinho’s hopes to build a Chelsea dynasty have become outdated and irrelevant in modern football December 18, 2015 When Mourinho returned to Chelsea in the summer of 2013, the Portuguese cut a more compromising figure than the brash and arrogant figure who arrived at Stamford Bridge in 2004. He described himself as “the Happy One” and insisted he aimed to see out a four-year contract which was subsequently extended this summer to 2019. [...]
Rangers £5m loan from Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct on verge of being repaid December 18, 2015 Rangers are in the final stages of paying back an outstanding £5m loan to Mike Ashley's Sports Direct retail company, director Paul Murray has confirmed. Ashley made a £5m loan to the club in January when his associates Derek Llambias and Barry Leach were on the board. Initially, the new board opted not to repay [...]
Jose Mourinho was sacked by Chelsea because there was “palpable discord” between him and players, technical director Michael Emenalo reveals December 17, 2015 Chelsea chiefs have confirmed that friction between manager and players led them to sack Jose Mourinho less than seven months after he steered them to the Premier League title. Technical director Michael Emenalo said owner Roman Abramovich had been forced to act by alarming results and “a palpable discord between manager and players”, adding: “This [...]
England’s batting collapse worries Taylor ahead of Test showdown with South Africa December 17, 2015 England's James Taylor has warned his side’s batsmen that they must rid themselves of a propensity to collapse if they are to enjoy success in their four-Test showdown with world No1s South Africa, which starts in Durban on Boxing Day. The tourists slipped from 99-3 to 190 all out during the second innings on the [...]
Villa in dire straits are so far away from revived Toon December 17, 2015 If this fixture had dropped just a couple of weeks ago, it would have been a tale of woe for both hosts Newcastle and their visitors Aston Villa. Between them, they only managed three wins out of a possible 23 games from September to November. How quickly fortunes can improve, though – for the Magpies, [...]
High-flying Hornets to be stung by Klopp’s Liverpool December 17, 2015 It must have been beyond a Watford fan’s wildest dreams to go into the week before Christmas ahead of Liverpool in the table. Remarkably, the Hornets go into Sunday’s match against the Reds one point and two places ahead of their illustrious rivals. Watford are only four points off the Champions League places. But for [...]
Next Chelsea manager candidates: Who could replace Jose Mourinho? Antonio Conte, Juande Ramos, Diego Simeone, Pep Guardiola and other candidates December 17, 2015 Roman Abramovich is searching for a new Chelsea manager after sacking Jose Mourinho following a disastrous start to the Premier League season. It is the 11th managerial change of the Abramovich era at Stamford Bridge and brings Mourinho's second spell in charge to an end after less than three seasons. Read more: Defeat to Foxes cranks [...]
Chelsea sack manager Jose Mourinho following disastrous start to the season December 17, 2015 Chelsea have sacked Jose Mourinho following a disastrous start to the Premier League season which has seen the defending champions lose nine of their 16 games so far. The Blues are currently just one point above the relegation zone following a 2-1 loss at league leaders Leicester City on Monday night. Read more: Who are [...]
Tottenham get planning permission for new £400m stadium – pictures of how their new ground may appear December 17, 2015 Tottenham have been given the green light to build the biggest club stadium in London, after Haringey Council approved plans for the new 61,000 capacity ground. Spurs were waiting on the council's verdict for three applications before pushing ahead with the £400m development which they hope to have ready for the 2018-19 season. Read more: In [...]
Government reveals sport reforms in bid to reverse falling participation figures and save Olympic legacy December 17, 2015 The government has unveiled a new strategy for sport in the UK, designed to rescue stagnating participation numbers following the Olympics. Governing bodies such as the Football Association (FA), the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and the Rugby Football Union (RFU) will come under pressured to get more primary school children playing their sport. Sports minister [...]