Prove you belong in European elite, Villas-Boas urges Spurs February 13, 2013 TOTTENHAM manager Andre Villas-Boas believes tonight’s Europa League clash with Lyon will be a perfect test of his team’s Champions League credentials. Lyon’s appearance in this year’s Europa League ends 13 consecutive seasons of playing Champions League football. And Villas-Boas, whose Spurs side currently occupy fourth place in the Premier League, feels the French giants [...]
Baggies make Gerrard pay the penalty February 11, 2013 ENGLAND captain Steven Gerrard missed a penalty as Liverpool slipped to a shock 2-0 defeat at home to West Brom last night. Defender Gareth McAuley and forward Romelu Lukaku both struck in the final nine minutes to earn the Baggies a first win of 2013 and lift them into eighth in the Premier League, one [...]
Evergreen Giggs earns three points for United February 10, 2013 MANCHESTER UNITED 2 vs EVERTON 0 VETERAN midfielder Ryan Giggs continued his sensational record of scoring in his last 23 league seasons for Manchester United, after notching in yesterday’s win. The evergreen winger opened the scoring at Old Trafford, moving Giggs closer to adding a 13th Premier League winners medal to his trophy cabinet as [...]
Bad guys win the moment we tire of doping scandals February 10, 2013 ON a weekend when the Six Nations threw up yet more great action and Manchester City effectively handed the Premier League title to their good friends across town, you probably don’t want to read yet another article about drugs in sport. You are drugged-up and drugged-out thanks to Lance Armstrong. And therein lies the problem. [...]
West Ham sink to ninth away league defeat February 10, 2013 ASTON VILLA 2 vs WEST HAM 1 WEST Ham manager Sam Allardyce insisted his team deserved to come away with all three points from Villa Park yesterday, despite succumbing to their ninth Premier League defeat on the road. A penalty from Christian Benteke and a free-kick by Charles N’Zogbia earned Aston Villa their first win [...]
Top football clubs call time on sugar daddies February 7, 2013 THE DAYS of mega-rich individuals, such as Roman Abramovich at Chelsea and Sheikh Mansour at Manchester City, lavishing billions on clubs in pursuit of instant success are over after England’s top teams agreed historic new financial rules. Premier League clubs will face points deductions if they lose more than £105m over a three-year period or [...]
Scrap January window, says Hammers captain February 7, 2013 WEST HAM captain Kevin Nolan has called for the January transfer window to be scrapped, insisting no one in football is in favour of it any more. His comments come after Queens Park Rangers manager Harry Redknapp complained of “gang warfare” among agents trying to muscle in on each other’s transactions as last week’s deadline [...]
I’d have gone further, but new rules are a good start February 7, 2013 THIS is something we Premier League clubs have talked about for years and there hasn’t been the appetite. But in the last couple of years there has been a shift of views – probably prompted by the Portsmouth situation, which shook everybody – and now fortunately we’ve agreed to put in some protocols that I [...]
Spurs look to Adebayor as Defoe ruled out February 7, 2013 TOTTENHAM manager Andre Villas-Boas insists centre-forward Emmanuel Adebayor will go straight back into the side tomorrow against Newcastle, despite doubts over his fitness. Jermain Defoe’s ankle injury, suffered in Sunday’s win at West Brom, is set to keep him sidelined for three weeks, leaving Adebayor, who has scored just two Premier League goals this season, [...]
The Debate: Will Premier League financial fair play rules have a positive impact on English football? February 7, 2013 YES David Lampitt Football’s finances have long needed a rethink. Clubs are incredibly valuable assets to supporters and communities. They need sustainable long-term stewardship, not a system of casino economics, rampant insolvency and a dependency on the whims of a super-wealthy elite. This can only be achieved through strong independent regulation that includes financial fair [...]