Arsenal: Coquelin’s return provides welcome relief from Flamini – but is Cazorla the key to defensive solidity? January 30, 2016 Arsenal midfielder Francis Coquelin is in line for a return from two months on the sidelines this weekend and among the cacophony of relieved sighs at the Emirates Stadium none will be louder than Petr Cech’s. The Arsenal goalkeeper could justifiably expect a welcome drop in his workload once there is a Coquelin-shaped shield sitting [...]
West Ham chairwoman Karren Brady warns that Brexit would have “devastating” consequences for football January 29, 2016 West Ham vice-chairwoman Karren Brady has warned that the UK leaving the EU would have "devastating consequences for the competitiveness of British football" and has called on clubs to publicly back an "In" vote ahead of the forthcoming referendum. In a letter to the chairs of all professional clubs in the UK, Brady has written that [...]
Chris Powell: Managers shouldn’t ignore the power the FA Cup has to invigorate fans – just look at Arsenal January 28, 2016 I’m always really surprised to hear people suggest there’s not much interest in the FA Cup these days because for me, it will never die. Financial concerns mean the league has taken precedent over the cup and have changed people’s mentality towards the season. Now it’s all about the league and nothing else which is [...]
FA chairman Greg Dyke to leave role following Euro 2016 January 28, 2016 FA chairman Greg Dyke has announced his intention to leave the organisation after Euro 2016, claiming it needs "more of a conciliatory figure" to push through reforms. The former BBC director-general replaced David Bernstein in July 2013 and quickly built a reputation for his outspoken style and strong opposition to Sepp Blatter as Fifa president. Dyke [...]
Football betting: West Ham aiming to beat Liverpool in FA Cup and complete historic treble January 28, 2016 Before this season it had been 52 years since West Ham did the double over Liverpool. Now, with Premier League wins at Anfield and the Boleyn Ground under their belts, Slaven Bilic’s side return to Merseyside in the FA Cup tomorrow looking to make it a treble. The Hammers have scored five unanswered goals, with [...]
Football betting: FA Cup upset on the cards for Manchester United at Derby January 28, 2016 Louis van Gaal heads into Manchester United’s FA Cup fourth round tie against Derby on Friday in a similar situation to Sir Alex Ferguson 26 years ago. Mark Robins scored the only goal in a 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup third round in January 1990 with Ferguson reportedly one defeat away from [...]
Manchester United accounts: Incredible growth in club’s financial might revealed in results from 1969 January 28, 2016 No club better symbolises the size and scale of today's football industry than international mega-brand Manchester United – and leaked figures from the club's 1969 accounts reveal just how much they've grown. In Sir Matt Busby's final season as manager, the club paid out £204,028 in "wages and bonuses" to a star-studded squad that included [...]
Zlatan Ibrahimovic salary: New PSG contract boosts earnings to £1.1m and makes him the best-paid player in France January 27, 2016 Zlatan Ibrahimovic has almost doubled his money at Paris Saint-German with a new contract worth more than £1m a month, according to local reports in France. The Swedish superstar's lucrative new salary makes him the best-paid player in France ahead of PSG teammate Thiago Silva. Ibrahimovic's contract with the Qatari-owned club is set to expire [...]
Let me laugh and I will score goals, insists Palace new boy Emmanuel Adebayor January 26, 2016 New signing Emmanuel Adebayor has vowed to score the goals that fire Crystal Palace to a top-six finish — but only if he is allowed to laugh — after joining the Eagles on a free transfer until the end of the season yesterday. The 31-year-old was released by Tottenham in September having failed to impress [...]
Jose Mourinho and Manchester United are the perfect marriage and neither can afford to fail with their next appointment January 26, 2016 It's hard to avoid the conclusion that Louis van Gaal is a dead man walking. The Manchester United manager has made himself unpopular among fans with his brand of football, and the best the club can hope for this season is probably scraping into the Champions League. It’s a question of when, not if, he goes [...]