Ronaldo beats Messi to world player award January 13, 2014 A TEARFUL Cristiano Ronaldo paid tribute to his Real Madrid and Portugal team-mates upon receiving the Ballon d’Or for 2013 yesterday, ending Lionel Messi’s four-year reign as governing body Fifa’s world player of the year. The 28-year-old gained 1,365 points in the vote cast by national captains and coaches, plus members of the global football [...]
Matic set for Chelsea return with De Bruyne poised to exit January 13, 2014 CHELSEA are closing in on the £21m signing of midfielder Nemanja Matic, less than three years after his departure from Stamford Bridge. The 25-year-old was used as a makeweight in the £21m deal to sign central defender David Luiz from Benfica in August 2011. But the Serbian has since shot to prominence and was named [...]
Pardew escapes disciplinary action January 13, 2014 FOOTBALL: Newcastle manager Alan Pardew learnt yesterday he will face no action from the Football Association for his expletive-laden rant at Manchester City counterpart Manuel Pellegrini in Sunday’s match. Pardew was incensed after a goal from midfielder Cheick Tiote was contentiously ruled out for offside by referee Mike Jones, who will not officiate in the [...]
Premier League: Pardew sorry for foul rant at Pellegrini January 12, 2014 NEWCASTLE UNITED 0 vs MANCHESTER CITY 2 NEWCASTLE manager Alan Pardew was forced to apologise for an expletive-laden tirade at opposite number Manuel Pellegrini yesterday as Manchester City reclaimed top spot in the Premier League. Pardew, 52, was caught on camera calling Pellegrini, 60, a “f****** old ****” in a touchline row that followed the [...]
Sport Comment: Old-school thrills abound beyond top flight January 12, 2014 LET’S hazard a guess at some of the things that annoy you about Premier League football. Players feigning injury, players kicking the ball out of play to allow other players who aren’t injured to get treatment, referees insisting on free kicks being taken from exactly the right spot, and without a rolling ball, referees demanding [...]
Giroud lauded as Arsenal look to go top again January 12, 2014 ARSENAL boss Arsene Wenger has hailed returning striker Olivier Giroud ahead of tonight’s game at Aston Villa, where a win would see the Gunners reclaim top spot in the Premier League. The north Londoners will be especially keen to take three points away from Villa Park after the rest of the division’s top seven teams [...]
Premier League: Penalty call was harsh on Stoke, admits Rodgers January 12, 2014 STOKE CITY 3 vs LIVERPOOL 5 LIVERPOOL boss Brendan Rodgers admitted his side were fortunate to gain the pivotal second-half penalty which gave them the edge in yesterday’s eight-goal thriller. Having thrown away an early two-goal advantage, captain Steven Gerrard restored Liverpool’s lead from the spot after Raheem Sterling tumbled in the box with defender [...]
Tough-talking Allardyce vows to lead troubled West Ham to safety January 9, 2014 UNDER pressure West Ham manager Sam Allardyce came out fighting yesterday and vowed to turn his team’s season around in the face of growing frustration from supporters. Those who travelled to Manchester City on Wednesday night vented their anger at the Hammers boss during the 6-0 thrashing, while former captain Julian Dicks said he felt [...]
Crisis is down to penny pinching, say United fans January 9, 2014 MANCHESTER United’s woes are not the fault of new manager David Moyes but the inevitable consequence of reduced investment in players since the Glazer takeover, according to a leading fans’ group. The Manchester United Supporters’ Trust (MUST) argues that a run of three consecutive defeats and the seemingly certain loss of the Premier League title [...]
West Brom agree terms with Mel as managerial hunt ends January 9, 2014 PREMIER League strugglers West Brom have appointed Spaniard Pepe Mel as head coach ending their month-long search to replace former boss Steve Clarke. Mel has signed an 18-month deal and will watch from the stands tomorrow as the Baggies, four points clear of the relegation zone, travel to out-of-form Southampton. The 50-year-old had initially held [...]