Football Comment: Louis Van Gaal naive to stick with Manchester United system January 11, 2015 THERE was a moment during Manchester United’s defeat to Southampton yesterday that I found astonishing and summed up the mystifying tactical problems that manager Louis van Gaal is yet to solve. Having failed to muster a shot on target in the first 64 minutes, Van Gaal took off left-back Luke Shaw and brought on Tyler [...]
Exclusive: Hammers reveal Olympic Stadium interior designs January 11, 2015 WEST Ham today reveal new images of their plans for the Olympic Stadium, including an exclusive members-only bar called The Boleyn bedecked in the club colours of claret and blue. The Boleyn is part of the east London club’s offering to supporters who buy an enhanced season ticket package, which also includes prime seats situated [...]
Gayle heroics help West Indies complete record T20 run chase January 11, 2015 POWER-HITTING batsman Chris Gayle produced a mesmerising innings as the West Indies completed the record run chase in Twenty20 history to dispatch a shell-shocked South Africa in Johannesburg yesterday. Gayle smashed seven sixes and nine fours in a 41-ball knock of 90, sharing a 152-run partnership with Marlon Samuels (60) before the tourists toppled their [...]
City edge closer to Bony deal as £28m fee agreed January 11, 2015 REIGNING Premier League champions Manchester City are set to bolster their attacking options by concluding the transfer of prolific Ivory Coast striker Wilfried Bony after agreeing a £28m fee with Swansea City. The deal is believed to be £25m cash upfront with a further £3m in performance-related add-ons, while City expect to finalise the 26-year-old’s [...]
Classy Geraghty clinches victory for elated Exiles January 11, 2015 LONDON IRISH boss Brian Smith extolled the composure of fly-half Shane Geraghty after his last-gasp drop goal saw the Exiles snatch a dramatic 28-26 Premiership success over Exeter Chiefs at the Madejski Stadium yesterday. Geraghty’s heroics secured victory as Exeter were outscored four tries to two, with back-row forward Blair Cowan crossing the line twice [...]
Andy Sullivan breaks his tour duck in South Africa January 11, 2015 England’s Andy Sullivan took advantage of former Masters champion Charl Schwartzel’s final-round wobble to claim his maiden European Tour title at the South African Open yesterday. Home favourite Schwartzel led by four shots with five to play but squandered the advantage and then lost to Sullivan, 27, at the first extra hole of a play-off. [...]
Federer warms up for Australian Open by recording 1,000th win January 11, 2015 WORLD No2 Roger Federer became the first man for more than two decades to reach 1,000 career wins on the ATP Tour as he landed the Brisbane International title yesterday. Federer beat Canada’s Milos Raonic 6-4, 6-7 (2-7), 6-4 to claim his 83rd tournament victory and extend his record of winning at least one title [...]
Art review: Fig-2 at the ICA Studio January 9, 2015 ICA Studio | ★★★★☆ Back in 2000, when “pop-up” was still something that only applied to children’s books, curators Mark Francis and Jay Jopling secured funding for a visionary idea. Fed up with the slow turn-around of shows at leading art institutions, they proposed Fig-1; 50 shows in 50 weeks, with consecutive artists exhibiting [...]
Film review: Into The Woods is a star-studded take on Stephen Sondheim’s musical January 9, 2015 Cert PG | ★★★★☆ If you go down to the woods today, you’re in for a big surprise…. Or so the nursery rhyme goes. But fans of Stephen Sondheim’s musical won’t find anything unexpected in this screen adaptation of the 1987 Broadway musical. The production is over 20 years in the making (Cher, Robbie Williams [...]
Film review: Taken 3 cynically cashes in yet fails to achieve the high standard of knuckle-headedness set by the first two instalments January 9, 2015 Cert 12a | ★☆☆☆☆ Liam Neeson’s late-flowering as an action-hero is thanks in no small part to the menacing staccato he perfected in the first Taken film. He looks. He finds. He kills. But does saying everything. Like this. Amount to. Good acting? Delivered in such a way, even a nursery rhyme would sound threatening. [...]