In numbers: Football’s January transfer window trends February 3, 2015 PREMIER LEAGUE V EUROPE If there is one sector in which the Premier League continually crushes its competition, it is the capacity to spend, spend, spend. Even in a quiet window, the English top-flight still spent more than double that of its closest competitor Serie A, whose clubs spent £66m, while Chelsea and Manchester City [...]
FA Cup: Van Gaal plots tilt at FA Cup as upstarts stifled February 3, 2015 MANCHESTER UNITED 3 CAMBRIDGE UNITED 0 MANCHESTER United manager Louis van Gaal insists ending the club’s 11-year wait to lift the FA Cup is his priority this season after surviving an early scare to brush past League Two side Cambridge United last night. Goals from Juan Mata, Marcos Rojo and substitute James Wilson sealed United’s [...]
Lancaster hails Easter’s experience ahead of international comeback February 3, 2015 ENGLAND head coach Stuart Lancaster insists the experience of veteran No8 Nick Easter could prove pivotal as his side bid to make the perfect Six Nations start in Friday’s opener with Wales at the Millennium Stadium. Easter is among 25 players recalled ahead of the clash in Cardiff and is set to be named on [...]
FA Cup: Symons rues missed chance as Fulham’s Wembley dream dies February 3, 2015 FULHAM………………………………..1 SUNDERLAND……………………….3 FULHAM boss Kit Symons cited a disproportionate number of substandard performances as the defining reason for his side’s second-half capitulation and FA Cup exit to Premier League strugglers Sunderland last night. The hosts struck first through striker Hugo Rodallega – his 10th goal of the season – and led until keeper Marcus Bettinelli [...]
McIlroy ready for second round of £13m legal row February 3, 2015 GOLF world No1 Rory McIlroy’s legal dispute with his former management company is set to resume today in Dublin’s High Court after both parties reported making progress yesterday. McIlroy is suing Horizon Sports Management over what he argues were excessive fees during a period in which he signed a lucrative sponsorship deal with Nike said [...]
January transfer window 2015: How did the Premier League’s activity compare to previous years? February 3, 2015 Was this year’s January transfer window the most boring yet? That was the sentiment in the press today as fans and journalists alike bemoaned the “dudline day” that saw little in the way of shock moves of big name signings. Over £144m was spent by Premier League clubs across the month, who appeared unable or [...]
January transfer window 2015: Every single Premier League move broken down into charts February 3, 2015
Chelsea buck trend on dull deadline day February 2, 2015 CHELSEA last night bolstered their Premier League title challenge with the £23.3m signing of Colombia winger Juan Cuadrado from Fiorentina, the biggest deal of an anticlimactic close to the winter transfer window. Cuadrado, 26, signed a four-and-a-half year contract at Stamford Bridge in a move that saw Chelsea winger Mohamed Salah join the Italian club [...]
Upbeat Murray bringing home positive mindset February 2, 2015 HE MAY have mislaid his Australian Open runners-up shield while leaving Melbourne, but Britain’s Andy Murray believes he has relocated something more important at the first grand slam of 2015. Murray’s team had to engage in a frantic late search operation for his consolation prize as he prepared to fly home to London following Sunday’s [...]
Tottenham hand rising star Kane second wage boost in six months February 2, 2015 TOTTENHAM striker Harry Kane has vowed to stay humble despite landing a second pay rise of a breakthrough season. Kane, who has gone from fringe player to first-team star by scoring 20 goals in 33 games this term, has signed a new contract until summer 2020 believed to be worth around £40,000 per week. It [...]