Pep Guardiola wants an English core at Manchester City – if the price is right March 7, 2017 Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola insists he wants to rebuild his ageing squad around a core of English players. Guardiola favours an indigenous bedrock, as he did at Barcelona and Bayern Munich, although he has warned that he may be priced out of repeating that approach at City, who have been linked with Arsenal midfielder [...]
Zlatan Ibrahimovic to miss Manchester United FA Cup tie as Bournemouth appeal against Tyrone Mings charge March 7, 2017 Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic will miss next week's FA Cup quarter-final at Chelsea after accepting a three-match ban for violent conduct. The Swedish striker, who elbowed Bouremouth's Tyrone Mings in the first half of Saturday's 1-1 draw, will also be suspended for United's Premier League games away at Middlesbrough and at home to West Bromwich Albion. Bournemouth are [...]
Kevin Pietersen targeting silverware after re-signing for Surrey March 7, 2017 Former England captain Kevin Pietersen believes silverware beckons after re-signing for Surrey to play in this season’s T20 Blast. The 36-year-old, who initially joined Surrey in 2010, is set to make his return against Essex at the Kia Oval on 19 July and then be available for the remainder of the revamped tournament. Pietersen has principally [...]
Ronald Koeman to Arsenal or Barcelona? Why Everton manager is perfect for a Champions League club but should stay at Everton March 7, 2017 As an Evertonian, I was delighted when the club hired Ronald Koeman as manager last summer. He was the one that I wanted, although I wasn’t sure he would leave Southampton, where his results were pretty miraculous. He did and the Toffees have been lucky to have him. Koeman got off to a good start [...]
BT must innovate to win over more football fans and justify its lavish £1.2bn outlay on Champions League rights March 7, 2017 The business of football TV rights used to be relatively simple. There were rights to show live games, and rights to show highlights. For years, Sky dominated the live market, crushing a series of challengers with its financial fire-power and superior coverage. Highlights were often reserved for traditional free-to-air TV channels such as ITV and [...]
West Ham United 1, Chelsea 2: Antonio Conte praises Blues for handing title pressure March 6, 2017 West Ham United 1, Chelsea 2 Chelsea manager Antonio Conte praised his team for withstanding pressure from their title rivals after they re-established a 10-point lead atop the Premier League with a clinical dismantling of West Ham. The Blues took hold of the contest when Eden Hazard finished a rapier counter-attack and tightened their grip [...]
Arsene Wenger plays down rumours of Alexis Sanchez rift on eve of near mission impossible against Bayern Munich March 6, 2017 Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger played down suggestions of a rift with Alexis Sanchez on the eve of his side’s near impossible Champions League conundrum against Bayern Munich. Wenger denied that a training ground feud was the reason for Sanchez’s omission from the Gunners’ starting line-up at Liverpool on Saturday, but conceded the Chile playmaker was [...]
Helter-skelter Premiership action is wire brush for rusty stars as England grow in strength for Six Nations climax March 6, 2017 For a club’s fringe players, the Six Nations provides opportunities to accrue a run of games that can build coaches’ confidence in the consistency and repeatability of favourable performances. International stars will normally only appear at their clubs in order to receive treatment from physiotherapists who are most familiar with the imperfections of their physical [...]
Why cool customer Dustin Johnson is cream of the American crop March 6, 2017 Dustin Johnson provided a snapshot of his character when his ball got stuck up a tree during the WGC-Mexico Championship on Saturday. Some players might lose their temper, but Johnson just laughed. That unflappable temperament helped the new world No1 clinch victory 24 hours later, in his first tournament since hitting the top of the [...]
Zlatan Ibrahimovic set to miss Manchester United’s FA Cup clash with Chelsea after FA misconduct charge March 6, 2017 Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic faces missing his side’s FA Cup quarter-final showdown with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Monday after being slapped with a misconduct charge by the Football Association (FA). Bournemouth’s Tyrone Mings has also been charged after he and Ibrahimovic clashed in two separate incidents during the Cherries' 1-1 draw at Old [...]