Champions League: Ramsey off but Arsenal secure draw August 19, 2014 BESIKTAS 0 ARSENAL 0 RELIEVED Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes his side are now in pole position to qualify for the Champions League proper after weathering the storm against Besiktas in the first leg of their group stage play-off in Istanbul last night. The Gunners failed to build on their perfect record of 12 previous [...]
Harry eyes fourth deal for Kranjcar August 19, 2014 QPR boss Harry Redknapp has admitted he wants to sign Croatia playmaker Niko Kranjcar for a fourth time as he also closes in on deals for striker Eduardo Vargas and Norwich City midfielder Leroy Fer. Chile World Cup forward Vargas is set for a medical today ahead of a season-long loan from Italian side Napoli [...]
Mackay poised to succeed Pulis and take the Crystal Palace reins August 19, 2014 CRYSTAL PALACE were last night poised to resolve their managerial situation by appointing former Cardiff City boss Malky Mackay as the successor to Tony Pulis. Mackay looks set to beat off competition from Tim Sherwood, who was dismissed by Tottenham at the end of last season, and ex-England chief Glenn Hoddle, who emerged as a [...]
Troubled Indians summon Shastri August 19, 2014 TROUBLESHOOTER Ravi Shastri has been drafted in to oversee India’s one-day series with England, which starts at Bristol on Monday, as the tourists bid to halt a dismal run of form. Indian cricket chiefs have said the former national team captain, who played 80 Tests and 150 one-day internationals between 1981 and 1992, will be [...]
Teen unfazed by F1 debut chance August 19, 2014 TRAILBLAZER Max Verstappen believes he has already navigated the harshest transition of his career as he prepares to become the youngest Formula One driver in history when he debuts during next year’s championship. The Dutchman, who does not turn 17 until next month, has been signed to drive for Toro Rosso and is poised to [...]
Premier League: Chelsea new boys show their quality August 18, 2014 BURNLEY 1 CHELSEA 3 CHELSEA boss Jose Mourinho is confident new recruits Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas will prove the missing pieces of his jigsaw as the title favourites lived up to their billing by cruising to victory over top-flight new boys Burnley at Turf Moor last night. Both debutants played a starring role with [...]
Premier League fine Palace over team info leak August 18, 2014 CRYSTAL PALACE’S turbulent start to the new season continued yesterday after the club were fined by the Premier League following the leaking of team information prior to the vital relegation battle with Cardiff City in April. Top-flight chiefs upheld a complaint from the Welsh club, who argued Palace officials were in possession of their line-up [...]
Door still open on World Cup places, says England selector August 18, 2014 ENGLAND cricket chiefs insist the door remains wide open for players to stake a claim for a place in their World Cup plans after the squad for the one-day international series and T20 clash against India was announced yesterday. Nottinghamshire batsman Alex Hales, who averages 37.85 from 32 Twenty20 appearances but is yet to play [...]
Nadal pulls out of US Open after failing to shake off wrist injury August 18, 2014 REIGNING US Open champion Rafael Nadal has his sights firmly fixed on a successful return to the court after failing to recover from a hand injury and announcing his withdrawal from Flushing Meadows, which gets underway on Monday. The world No2 had hoped to defend his title despite missing the two hard-court warm-up tournaments in [...]
Cook revels in revival as England thrash Indians August 17, 2014 SKIPPER Alastair Cook issued a public message of thanks to his team-mates for their backing during some dark days after England annihilated India in the fifth Test at the Oval yesterday to wrap up a commanding 3-1 series victory. India slumped to 94 all out, the tourists’ second successive loss inside three days, as England [...]