Bottom Line: BSkyB’s forecast still uncertain January 26, 2014 WHILE headlines surrounding BSkyB’s second quarter results on Thursday will certainly centre around an expected drop in profits – which analysts say could be as much as 10 per cent – the escalating cost of sports rights and the uncertainty of hanging on to the most precious of those rights continues to cast a shadow [...]
Chelsea move for Salah with Mata en route to Manchester January 23, 2014 CHELSEA agreed an £11m fee for FC Basel winger Mohamed Salah yesterday, freeing the way for playmaker Juan Mata to join Manchester United. Salah scored twice against the Blues this season in Champions League group matches with Basel and also netted in last year’s Europa League semi-final second-leg defeat at Stamford Bridge. A Chelsea statement [...]
Football Comment: Mata signing is David Moyes’s 999 moment January 23, 2014 LIKE the desperate Manchester United fan who dialled emergency services following Wednesday’s Capital One Cup elimination, signing Juan Mata feels like David Moyes’s 999 moment. Nothing against Mata, but I’m not sure he’s what United need, and I find it very hard to believe that signing him has been in their plans for long. Instead [...]
Gunners to keep the door firmly shut on visiting Sky Blues January 23, 2014 THE FA Cup returns tonight with Arsenal kicking off a packed weekend programme as they host Coventry. Considering the Gunners are top of the Premier League, and the only defeat they’ve suffered at the Emirates in their last 10 outings was against Chelsea in the Capital One Cup, it’s no surprise Arsene Wenger’s men are [...]
Best of the Brokers for 23 January 2014 January 22, 2014 To appear in Best of the Brokers, email your research to notes@cityam.com MICRO FOCUS INTERNATIONAL Panmure Gordon keeps the IT group at a “buy” rating with a target of 851p. The broker says Micro Focus is “sailing along nicely”, with a solid 10.1 per cent dividend yield, and that investors should take advantage of a [...]
Lukaku speaks out as Anelka charged by FA January 21, 2014 CHELSEA striker Romelu Lukaku became embroiled in the growing row over Nicolas Anelka’s controversial “quenelle” gesture yesterday, after the West Brom player was formally charged by the Football Association. Lukaku, 20, who is on a season-long loan at Everton, defended Anelka’s use of the gesture, which has been called anti-Semitic, and said the Frenchman, who [...]
Sponsors ditch West Brom over Anelka gesture January 20, 2014 PROPERTY website Zoopla has taken the extraordinary step of ending its sponsorship of West Brom following the row over striker Nicolas Anelka’s controversial “quenelle” celebration. Anelka’s gesture, which has been associated with anti-Semitism, is believed to have upset Zoopla’s Jewish co-owner Alex Chesterton, and the company yesterday said it would not renew its £1.5m per [...]
Premier League: United too far behind to win the title now, says Mourinho January 19, 2014 AT STAMFORD BRIDGE CHELSEA 3 vs MANCHESTER UNITED 1 MANCHESTER United’s chances of retaining their Premier League title were written off by Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho yesterday, after the Reds suffered a seventh league defeat of the season. Striker Samuel Eto’o rolled back the years to hit a clinical hat-trick, taking full advantage of United’s [...]
Sport Comment: Rich owners really can tell fans to go to Hull January 19, 2014 ONE day you suspect Roman Abramovich will get tired of owning a football club and the Kings Road will be the scene of the first demonstration in this country by die-hard fans begging a billionaire owner not to leave. “Never mind the manager and the players,” the Chelsea faithful will chant. “We need your money.” [...]
Premier League: Adebayor staves off Sherwood’s Spurs job fears January 19, 2014 SWANSEA CITY 1 vs TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 3 TOTTENHAM boss Tim Sherwood still fears for his job beyond May, despite revitalised Emmanuel Adebayor’s two goals inspiring a fifth win from six Premier League games yesterday at Swansea. The victory, which also featured an own goal by Swansea defender Chico Flores and a late consolation from Wilfried [...]