Woeful England to come unstuck against resolute Swiss September 4, 2014 IT WAS a familiar sight for England fans on Wednesday night at Wembley as they watched their team labour to beat a vastly inferior opponent – on paper at least – in the shape of Norway. A late penalty from new Three Lions captain Wayne Rooney gave England a first win in five matches, but [...]
Film Review: They Came Together September 4, 2014 ★★ The curtains pull back and swing jazz rolls over the opening credits: white serif font on black background. Enter two couples sat chatting in a plush New York restaurant. A scene in which they discuss the relative merits of the broadsheet newspapers gives way to sweeping aerial shots of the Manhattan skyline. We might [...]
Film Review: Before I Go To Sleep September 4, 2014 ★★ It’s always the same. She awakes startled in what she thinks is a stranger’s bed, creeps into the bathroom and looks in the mirror. The face she sees is hers, but different: lined, framed by hair that’s thinning, a little dry with middle-age. She screams and runs from the bathroom back into the bedroom [...]
Theatre review: Little Revolution September 4, 2014 ★★★★ Is there anything left to say about the riots? Despite the avalanche of think-pieces chewing over possible causes – from the left: poverty, racism, a lack of opportunities; from the right: irresponsibility bred by welfarism and failures in state education – no one provided a wholly satisfactory diagnosis. The riots were simply too big, [...]
Open House 2014: Our pick of the best events in the City of London September 4, 2014 It’s hard work running a city – especially one that leads the world in culture, heritage and population growth, like London. The increasing demand for housing in the capital has put more pressure than ever on our open spaces and buildings. The pace of urban change is fast and cities need creative solutions to stay [...]
International Friendly: Hodgson in no mood to entertain statistics September 3, 2014 AT WEMBLEY STADIUM ENGLAND 1 NORWAY 0 DEFIANT manager Roy Hodgson vowed to win back the trust of jaded England fans with swashbuckling football and goals galore after his side relied on a penalty from new captain Wayne Rooney to beat Norway in front of a record low crowd. Striker Rooney marked his first game [...]
England player ratings September 3, 2014 Joe Hart 7 Produced a superb one-handed save shortly after half time to keep out Blackburn forward Josh King’s header Jack Wilshere 6 Sharp in possession with neat movement. Supported England’s attacks well, particularly first half John Stones 7 Composed in defence on his first England start and delivered searching right-wing crosses Jordan Henderson 6 [...]
Cricket Comment: Ditch Cook, but it won’t cure one-day misery September 3, 2014 WEDNESDAY was a sad day. In probably the most one-sided one-day international between top teams that I’ve ever seen, England were not just beaten but annihilated by India by nine wickets. It was embarrassing. A fresh low point in an already dreadful series has led to more pressure on Alastair Cook who, once again, faces [...]
Welbeck out to prove class September 3, 2014 HITMAN Danny Welbeck believes his deadline day transfer to Arsenal will see him escape the shackles of an indifferent goalscoring record. The 23-year-old netted 29 goals in 142 appearances for former club Manchester United and has received criticism for a lack of natural finishing ability. But after the Gunners splashed out £16m to sign the [...]
Goal king back to stoke Palace September 3, 2014 FORMER England striker Andrew Johnson aims to help establish Crystal Palace as a Premier League force after returning to Selhurst Park for a second stint yesterday. The 33-year-old, who scored 85 goals in 160 games for the Eagles between 2002 and 2006, has signed a short-term deal which will tie him to the club until [...]