Manchester derby promises goals October 30, 2014 BEN CLEMINSON PREVIEWS THE MANCHESTER DERBY AND ASTON VILLA AGAINST TOTTENHAM AWESOME attack undermined by dodgy defence: both managers have the same problem to solve in Sunday’s Manchester derby. Manuel Pellegrini has admitted he is “worried” by his team’s form. In little over a week, Manchester City threw away a two-goal lead to hand CSKA [...]
Back winless Villa to go to the dogs again October 30, 2014 PAUL Lambert’s assertion that Christian Benteke could need “six or seven games” to find his best form won’t go down well with Aston Villa fans. Having endured more than eight hours of football without seeing their team score, the Holt End is redefining the phrase ‘long-suffering.’ Along the way Villa have become the ninth side [...]
BT share price opens lower, despite dividend lift October 30, 2014 Investors saw BT's decision to spend £2bn on securing exclusive rights to Premier League and Champions League games for its new sports channels as a gamble, but it looks as thought it might have paid off. This morning the company raised its dividend by 15 per cent to 3.9p as it reported Premier League audiences [...]
Capital One Cup: Blues kids can learn from best, insists Mourinho after cup scare October 28, 2014 SHREWSBURY TOWN 1 CHELSEA 2 CHELSEA boss Jose Mourino believes the club’s youngsters have the perfect role models from which to learn after the Blues reached the Capital One Cup quarter-final by edging past League Two high-flyers Shrewsbury Town at the New Meadow last night. An own goal from Shrewsbury defender Jermaine Grandison inside the [...]
No place for Three Lions among world elite October 28, 2014 ENGLAND’S lowly standing in world football was underlined yesterday when Three Lions players again failed to make the 23-man longlist for the Ballon d’Or award for the year’s best player. It is the second successive year in which no Englishman has been nominated – a far cry from heady 2009, when Wayne Rooney, Frank Lampard, [...]
Balotelli inspires late Reds win as Fulham collapse October 28, 2014 MUCH-MALIGNED striker Mario Balotelli inspired a late salvage operation as Liverpool kept alive their Capital One Cup hopes with a last-gasp 2-1 victory against Swansea at Anfield last night. Liverpool, who are off the pace in the Premier League and struggling to reach the knockout phase on their Champions League return, found themselves a goal [...]
Pochettino seeking remedy to Spurs slump October 28, 2014 IF AUGUST bank holiday weekend already feels like a lifetime ago then spare a thought for the managers in opposing White Hart Lane dugouts for tonight’s Capital One Cup fixture. Tottenham head coach Mauricio Pochettino, having won his first two Premier League games in charge, has tasted top-flight victory just once in seven attempts since [...]
Ex-Manchester United player Louis Saha creates Axis Stars, a social network for professional sports stars October 28, 2014 The retired French football star and former Manchester United player Louis Saha isn’t taking his retirement lightly. In the vein of celebs-turned-tech aficionados, Saha has launched a social network, although its not a million miles away from his previous life on the pitch. Axis Stars is aimed at professional athletes and sports stars as well [...]
Premier League: Redknapp: A fit Taarabt can still have QPR future October 27, 2014 QUEENS PARK RANGERS 2 ASTON VILLA 0 QPR manager Harry Redknapp pledged to recall out-of-favour Adel Taarabt after an agricultural yet vital win wrenched them off the foot of the Premier League last night. Clinical finishes in each half from Charlie Austin inflicted Aston Villa’s fifth straight defeat, earned only Rangers’ second win of the [...]
Optimism reigns for Solanke and Chelsea’s new golden generation October 27, 2014 IT IS perhaps the standout failing of Chelsea’s billion-pound transformation from also-rans to European superpower since Roman Abramovich snapped up the club more than 11 years ago. Despite the Russian’s lavish investment – or maybe, in some respects, because of it – the Blues’ academy has not produced the conveyor belt of talent expected of [...]