Podolski’s Twitter joke at close season Tottenham link October 20, 2014 UNSETTLED Arsenal forward Lukas Podolski yesterday scotched suggestions of a summer transfer to rivals Tottenham by poking fun at a post on Twitter floating the idea. The experienced Germany star has admitted frustration at his peripheral role this season, following a World Cup-winning summer in Brazil, but made clear he would not be crossing north [...]
Taarabt directs angry response at Redknapp’s unfit assertions October 20, 2014 ANGRY QPR midfielder Adel Taarabt has hit back at manager Harry Redknapp’s assertions he is overweight and unfit to play top-flight football. The 25-year-old was on the end of a stinging rebuke from the former Tottenham boss after failing to make the bench for Sunday’s Premier League clash with Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool. Redknapp claimed the [...]
Mourinho reopens Spanish feud over Costa hamstring irritation October 20, 2014 FRUSTRATED Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has laid the blame for the loss of star striker Diego Costa squarely at the feet of Spain head coach Vicente del Bosque as his side prepare to host NK Maribor in the Champions League tonight. The £32m former Atletico Madrid hitman, who has scored nine goals in seven Premier [...]
Bale a doubt as prolific Real head to Anfield October 20, 2014 REAL Madrid could be without Gareth Bale for tomorrow’s Champions League trip to Liverpool after confirming that the world’s most expensive player has a muscular injury. The European champions left the former Tottenham winger out of the side for Saturday’s victory over Levante and revealed yesterday that the 25-year-old has an abdominal problem. Real face [...]
Art review: Rembrandt: The Late Works, The National Gallery October 20, 2014 ★★★★★ Rembrandt knew he was a genius. You can see it in his eyes as they stare witheringly from his self-portraits in the first room of the National Gallery’s new exhibition, Rembrandt: The Late Works. Authentic Rembrandts are such a big draw for art galleries that few museums are willing to loan them [...]
Film review: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles October 20, 2014 ★☆☆☆☆ Cert 12A “There’s nothing wrong with a bit of froth”, protests Will Arnett at the start of Teenage Ninja Mutant Turtles 3D. “Sometimes, people just want candy.” He’s arguing the case for the light-weight, lifestyle news that he finds himself making with a less-than-impressed Megan Fox. I have a sneaky suspicion [...]
Film review: The Judge October 20, 2014 ★★☆☆☆ Cert 12A In the first project under new production company Team Downey, Roberts Downey Jr goes tete-a-tete with Robert Duvall in this hybrid family drama/oddball comedy/ courtroom thriller. Director David Dobkin, who is better known for comedies like The Wedding Crashers and The Change Up, extracts terrific performances from his heavyweight leads, but [...]
Theatre review: East is East, Trafalgar Studios October 20, 2014 ★★★★☆ Trafalgar Studios Most people will remember East is East from the 1999 film, part of the cultural fabric of the New Labour years alongside the likes of Notting Hill and Human Traffic. Ayub Khan Din’s play came two years prior, capturing his feelings of alienation and confusion over his cultural identity as a [...]
Film review: Palo Alto October 20, 2014 ★★★★☆ Cert 15 In Richard Linklater’s coming-of-age film Boyhood, being a teenager looks like a lot of fun. The sense of possibility is palpable, and the world seems like an endless stream of opportunities for the taking. In Palo Alto, being a teenager looks bewildering and the world seems utterly incomprehensible. Adapted from [...]
Premier League: Redknapp: I’m the man to lead QPR to survival October 19, 2014 QUEENS PARK RANGERS 2 LIVERPOOL 3 QPR manager Harry Redknapp angrily dismissed hovering question marks over job security after his side frittered away a precious point during a frantic finale against below par Liverpool at Loftus Road yesterday. On-loan Napoli forward Eduardo Vargas twice dragged the home side level late on to cancel out a [...]