Football news, match reports and fixtures | theguardian.com

Sweden coach predicts Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo will miss World Cup
Southampton academy keeps on giving
Agger: I never considered leaving
Manchester United's Michael Carrick set for new two-year contract
Is Jérôme Champagne the man Fifa needs to change direction at the top? | Owen Gibson
Champagne ponders Fifa challenge to Blatter
Middlesbrough to name Karanka as manager
Commons Speaker writes to appeal court over Lord Triesman libel case
Romania have one eye on the future ahead of Greece World Cup play-off | Emanuel Rosu
Mexico down but not out as New Zealand World Cup playoff looms
The Fiver | Pesky virus 1-0 twenty-five thousand square feet of medical expertise | Barry Glendenning
Ronaldo a concern for Portugal
Beautiful Games: north v south all star football - what if?
Hull City to announce loss of £27.8m
Hibernian name Terry Butcher manager as Maurice Malpas moves too
Tiger economy awaits for renamed Hull City, insists owner Assem Allam | David Conn
Carrick and Welbeck ruled out of two England friendlies
Keane starts as Republic assistant
Manchester City's Vincent Kompany out with injury for longer than feared
New Zealand arrive in Mexico City for World Cup play-offs - video
New Zealand hoping it will be All White on the big night against Mexico | Barry Glendenning
Roy Hodgson on England's World Cup prospects and Chile and Germany matches - video
In defence of Nicklas Bendtner | Marcus Christenson
Match-winner Bardsley takes swipe at Di Canio
Football quiz: identify the Golden Ball winners for every World Cup

Sweden coach predicts Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo will miss World Cup

Posted: 12 Nov 2013 02:47 PM PST

• Erik Hamren says Zlatan Ibrahimovic will go to finals instead
• Sweden coach forecasts qualifying play-off 'thriller' in Portugal

It is sad that either Cristiano Ronaldo or Zlatan Ibrahimovic will miss the World Cup finals but the play-off between Portugal and Sweden will be a thriller, the Sweden coach, Erik Hamren, said on Tuesday.

The sides meet in Lisbon on Friday in the first leg, with the return four days later at the Friends Arena in Stockholm.

"It's fantastic for all football fans. They are two world-class players. It's sad that one of them is going to miss the World Cup in the summer, but it's going to be really exciting," Hamren said.

"They are two players who can do the little extra and win the game for their country. But I'm sure it's going to be Zlatan who does that for us."

Hamren said he had a "good feeling" as soon as his side were drawn to play Portugal.

"It was strange. They were the highest-ranked and probably the toughest team to meet but I had a good feeling when I saw Portugal-Sweden. I hope it was the right feeling. We'll see."

Hamren said that he would not be changing his preparations but that his side will need to be "good for four halves" if they are to progress to Brazil. "That's the big challenge," he added.

Given Ibrahimovic's form at the Friends Arena and the fact that the deciding game will be played there, Hamren has every right to be confident.

The Sweden captain has produced an array of spectacular goals at the team's new home ground, even if the winner against Austria that put Sweden into the play-offs was one of his simpler finishes.

Ibrahimovic has recently been bothered by a knee injury but following a hat-trick for Paris Saint-Germain against Nice on Saturday it does not seem to hinder him too much.

Famed for his sharp suits and his penchant for victory cigars, Hamren revealed that he had not yet bought a celebratory cigar in anticipation of making it to Brazil.

"No, but I am going to buy some," he said with a smile. "We always make sure to have a supply in case we win."

Southampton academy keeps on giving

Posted: 12 Nov 2013 02:30 PM PST

The Southampton youth academy that produced Gareth Bale, Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain just keeps on giving

No player epitomises how far Southampton have risen in such a short space of time better than Adam Lallana. The homegrown talent was their shining light during the dark days of administration and their struggles to escape from League One and he now finds himself cast as the poster boy for a flourishing youth academy that is being hailed as the future of English football.

There is a reason Roy Hodgson could be seen beaming in the stands at St Mary's as he watched Southampton thrash Hull City 4-1 on Saturday, a victory that lifted them up to third, three points off the top of the Premier League. It is unlikely to be the England manager's last trip to the south coast this season.

Hodgson, his thoughts turning to next summer's World Cup, was right to be pleased. Two days after he selected three Southampton players in the England squad for the upcoming friendlies against Chile and Germany, with Luke Shaw and James Ward-Prowse named in Gareth Southgate's Under-21 squad, Lallana had provided the game's stand-out moment, a shuffle of the hips and a bewitching change of pace confounding the Hull defence and allowing him to score a wonderful solo goal. Hodgson's other call-ups, Rickie Lambert and Jay Rodriguez, also impressed, while Nathaniel Clyne, on the fringe of the squad, was as solid as ever at right-back.

Something special is blossoming at Southampton. Perhaps it is not too much of a surprise given that Gareth Bale, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott emerged from their youth system. Lallana was part of the team that reached the FA Youth Cup final in 2005 and played with Bale, who became the most expensive British player of all time when he joined Real Madrid for £86m from Tottenham Hotspur in September, and Walcott. Yet while both Bale and Walcott were sold to raise funds, Oxlade-Chamberlain also leaving a few years later, Lallana stayed, progressing at a slower rate and honing his skills at the club he joined from Bournemouth when he was 12. Now 25, he is Southampton's captain, the leader of a new generation.

"It's great when we look at the players that have come through and with Gareth [Bale] it gives us high hopes that we can become like them one day," says Ward-Prowse, a 19-year-old midfielder whose right foot has been compared to David Beckham's by Matt Le Tissier. Shaw, 18, puts it nicely when he says that Southampton's youth players are mates who have known each other since they were eight. It means they understand each other, both as people and as players, and the challenge for Southampton is to ensure that they enjoy their best years at St Mary's, unlike their predecessors.

Southampton have been rewarded for their foresight and, while many bemoan the state of English football, they offer proof that it is not a lost cause, not when youngsters are given time to develop together or someone like Lambert, who had previously spent his career in the lower leagues, can become an international striker. Rodriguez, too, had never played in the Premier League before joining Southampton for £7m from Burnley last year. Having scored three goals in his past five league matches, he could start on the left of England's attack against Chile on Friday.

The foundations for Southampton's success were laid down years ago, the former chairman, Rupert Lowe, employing Huw Jennings, Steve Wigley, Stewart Henderson and Malcolm Elias to spot and develop local talent, while there has been no shift in emphasis just because the current chairman, Nicola Cortese, is Italian and the manager, Mauricio Pochettino, is Argentinian.

Although Jennings, Wigley and Elias are now at Fulham, their legacy lives on. Calum Chambers, an 18-year-old right-back, has been given a chance by Pochettino this season and is an England Under-19 international, while there are high hopes for a number of other youth team players.

Determined not to stagnate, Southampton have also invested £30m in redeveloping their training ground in Marchwood, which will provide greater facilities for their youth teams when it is finished. It is little wonder that Pochettino is so optimistic about the future.

"English football is very much alive," he says. "It is in a very healthy state. As for Southampton, we are on a very positive run, we want to keep on working as positively as we have done. We want to keep on working with young players. I think we're a very good example of the future of English football in that sense.

"The English media talks about things that have happened. So the reality is that this summer there were bad results with the Under-19s and Under-20s, so you speak about what has actually happened. What I've been seeing here is there's a very positive mentality towards young English players. In the short time that I have been here I have been very surprised at how well the English players are doing. I think there's a lot of belief in young players, especially at Southampton from the under-8s to the under-21s. I see a lot of belief. There's a very good structure in place.

"I don't see the future of English football in a negative way, I see it in a positive way. But I think there has to be that belief that there is a future for these young English players and we definitely have that here at the academy at Southampton. It's then down to the responsibilities of the managers. We have to believe in young players. We have to have confidence in them."

Jacob Steinberg

Agger: I never considered leaving

Posted: 12 Nov 2013 02:30 PM PST

• 'As long as I feel I'm good enough ... then I'll be here'
• Daniel Agger returned in Liverpool's 4-0 win over Fulham

Daniel Agger has spoken of his frustration at being sidelined at Liverpool but insisted he will not reconsider his Anfield future while he retains the confidence of Brendan Rodgers.

The Liverpool vice-captain was recalled to the team for Saturday's 4-0 defeat of Fulham, having had a rare substitute's role for the previous five games. He responded with an authoritative display as Liverpool kept their first clean sheet in nine matches.

Agger's problems started in mid-September when he suffered a tear to his abdominal muscle while attempting to prevent a dumb-bell falling on his foot in training. He missed the 2-2 draw at Swansea City as a consequence, returned to play through the pain barrier in the home defeat by Southampton but aggravated the injury and sat out the Capital One Cup exit at Manchester United.

The 28-year-old's recovery coincided with Rodgers deploying Kolo Touré, Martin Skrtel and Mamadou Sakho in a three-man central defence before defeat at Arsenal prompted a return to a back four and a recall for the influential Denmark international.

"It's been difficult," admitted Agger. "It's hard to describe and I want to play every time in every single game, so when you're not playing it's difficult. But, when that is said, I just have to work even harder every single day in training, not complain and just do everything that little bit extra.

"I feel I belong there. I feel I'm more than capable of being in the team, but it's the manager's decision. Sometimes that's difficult to change in training. You need to grab the chance when it's there and that's what football is about, taking your chances. There has always been competition for places at this club and it should always be intense. That's a good thing because we want to win something."

Agger insists he did not seek an explanation for being left out of the team from the Liverpool manager but believes he suffered for playing with the injury against Southampton. "It was a stupid injury," said the defender. "I was in the gym. What can I say? I should have started against Swansea when I got the tear in my abdominal and then when I started the week after I should not have done that because of the tear and where it was. It was just too much.

"That never helped me, but I'm not the type of player who needs an explanation, I just carry on with my thing and try to do everything I can do to get back in the team. It's been a bit longer than I hoped for, but when you get the chance, you need to do everything you can to keep your place."

The Liverpool defender has been coveted by Barcelona and Manchester City in recent transfer windows and his omission prompted suggestions Agger would consider his Anfield future if he remained on the margins by January. But he added: "To be honest, that's nothing to do with me. I know I'm here and as long as I'm doing everything to be in that team and I feel I'm good enough and the manager can use me, then I'll be here.

"I've trained hard these last few weeks and I've trained a lot, so physically I'm probably better now than I was before. When you haven't played for a while, you need to get the timing right and you need to get your confidence right on the pitch and that takes some time, but I think we did OK against Fulham. We kept a clean sheet which is always good as a defender."

Liverpool returned to second in the Premier League with their convincing win over Martin Jol's team and Agger believes the tireless performance underlined the hunger for Champions League qualification at Anfield.

The defender explained: "There's a long way to go but all the guys here want to play Champions League again. I feel we're looking more solid this season and we've had a few seasons now without Champions League football. When you play in that tournament, it's where you want to be because that's where all the best players and all the best teams are. We definitely want to be there.

"You can see that desire on the pitch. It wasn't just a good performance against Fulham, scoring four goals and keeping a clean sheet. We were running a lot. We were working for each other and if you want to finish in the top four in the Premier League, that's important. That's more important than maybe the quality."

Andy Hunter

Manchester United's Michael Carrick set for new two-year contract

Posted: 12 Nov 2013 01:28 PM PST

• Club policy is to give only one-year deals to players in 30s
• David Moyes is minded to make exception for midfielder, 32

Michael Carrick is close to signing a new contract at Manchester United, with an announcement expected soon from the club.

The midfielder, whose current deal expires next summer, is nursing an achilles problem that has ruled him out of England's friendlies against Chile on Friday and Germany on Tuesday.

Carrick, at 32, is hopeful of signing a two-year contract. Although United typically offer only one-year deals to players in their 30s, it is understood that David Moyes is minded to sanction the length of term the player wants, given his fitness record and consistent performances as the senior central midfielder.

Last month Carrick signalled he wanted to commit his future to the club. "I'd love to carry on playing as long as possible at this club," he said. "It's a fantastic club and I've had great times here. I feel good at the moment. I've just turned 32, so I've got a bit of time yet."

Carrick has been at United for seven years, having joined in a £16m transfer from Tottenham Hotspur.

Jamie Jackson

Is Jérôme Champagne the man Fifa needs to change direction at the top? | Owen Gibson

Posted: 12 Nov 2013 01:22 PM PST

With Michel Platini distracted by controversies at Uefa, a different Frenchman has emerged as a presidential contender to oust Sepp Blatter

The Brazil World Cup is looming rapidly for Fifa's powerbrokers. Sold as a festival of samba football to sponsors and fans, excitement is building despite continuing protests over state corruption and the amount spent on the stadiums.

But for Sepp Blatter, and anyone who may be looking to replace him as the most powerful man in world football, the colourful action will be a mere backdrop to a different festival of politicking in the finest hotels Brazil has to offer.

Judging by the public pronouncements of Blatter and Michel Platini, the Uefa president who has been considered the man who would be king but is battling his own controversies, the phoney war has started earlier than ever.

Both have said they won't declare their intention until after the final at the Maracanã next July but the shadow boxing has begun. There is a strong suspicion that the reason Blatter kicked the issue of the timing of the Qatar 2022 World Cup back into the long grass was because he recognised how damaging it had become for Platini.

The Frenchman, once seen by many as a white knight who could rehabilitate Fifa's image in the eyes of the world, is becoming increasingly compromised. He has shrugged off questions about why he voted for the Qatar World Cup relating to his son's employment at a sportswear firm owned by the country's investment fund and a meeting with the emir and France's then president, Nicolas Sarkozy, before the vote.

Blatter, meanwhile, looks set to renege on an earlier promise to make his current four-year term – won in controversial circumstances by acclamation in April 2011 following the withdrawal of his rival Mohamed Bin Hammam under a cloud of corruption claims – his last.

It now appears that – faced with the reality of leaving a job that has become indivisible from the man and a $1m-plus salary – he has had second thoughts. Only entreaties from his daughter not to carry on for another four years are making him hesitate.

There has been the usual stuff about continuing his "mission", some vague talk of seeing through a reform process that has at least seen the most cartoonish rogues exit the building even as it has raised as many questions about the potential for lasting change, and the inevitable stirrings of a campaign to destablise possible rivals.

Under one theory, he may attempt to rewrite the rulebook yet again by asking Congress to approve a two year term before handing over to a chosen successor, such as the well regarded Concacaf president, Jeffrey Webb. Amid all this politicking, the huge and pressing issues facing football and its global governing body are hardly getting a look in. It is a timely moment for Blatter's former right-hand man, Jérôme Champagne, to warn the 2015 election is a "very, very, very important moment because that election will determine football until 2025 or 2030".

The growing imbalance between rich and poor in the club game, the destabilisation of the relationship between the international game and the biggest club sides, the way that money is invested for the good of football around the world and the challenge of delivering successive World Cups in Brazil, Russia and Qatar have been barely discussed. Champagne, once a powerful voice inside Fifa but now on the outside looking in, seems to be the only one looking over the horizon.

"Why I decided to speak out was because the election of 2015 is so important for the future of the game that we can't have a coronation. We can't have guys distributing the position among themselves. We need to have a real debate. If we want football to be like basketball [with one strong league and a global federation with little power], so be it. If we want football to remain universal, to be global but balanced, well regulated then so be it. But let's have the debate," he said.

Champagne, who was Blatter's campaign manager for his 2002 election victory and played a pivotal role inside the organisation for 11 years before he was ousted by the confederation heads at a meeting on Robben Island in 2010, may on the face of it appear an odd choice as a reforming candidate. But he is in the rare position of having worked inside Fifa for more than a decade while retaining clean hands and a good reputation.

Recognising that it will be almost impossible to rip Fifa up and start again, since being pushed out he has been a passionate advocate for real but achievable change. Having been involved in projects in various of the world's trouble spots since leaving Fifa HQ, he has a keen sense of football's power for good as well as the capacity of a handful of senior Fifa figures to besmirch its reputation. Champagne remains loyal to Blatter, insisting the Swiss is not corrupt but has been forced to "sup with the devil" owing to the way Fifa is structured.

"The only policy he [Blatter] had to run Fifa is to make compromises. The longer you are there the more you make. Sometimes you have to sup with the devil with a long spoon," Champagne said. "That's why we need to reform the ex-co [executive committee] to make it more democratic, to make it more representative of the FAs. We need more women. We need representatives of the players, league and club representatives. The core of the problem is the ex-co and the way it functions."

It is becoming clear to many inside the game that it will be impossible to reform Fifa in the eyes of the world until its increasingly erratic president has moved on. Platini, for so long tipped as his successor, is at risk of being undermined by his own compromises.

History suggests the odds would be stacked against him, but if Champagne chose to stand it could provide the game with a genuine alternative to rally around.

Despite his support for Blatter, Champagne is well aware of Fifa's tarnished standing among the public at large, saying that "95% of the staff at Fifa are hard working and honest. It's very hard when you eat football and breathe football. The fact I was forced out has not changed that feeling. The fact I was forced out motivated me more to continue the fight I was having inside, for a more proactive and a more democratic Fifa."

Owen Gibson

Champagne ponders Fifa challenge to Blatter

Posted: 12 Nov 2013 01:18 PM PST

• Former Fifa executive urges debate before 2015 vote
• Jérôme Champagne to consider standing against Sepp Blatter

A former senior Fifa executive has issued a passionate call for a wide-ranging debate over the future of the game before the governing body's next presidential election in 2015, warning that a "coronation" for any candidate could be disastrous for football.

Jérôme Champagne, a former French diplomat who spent 11 years at Fifa in a variety of roles including deputy general secretary before being ousted in 2010 in a coup led by the later tarnished Asian Football Confederation president Mohamed Bin Hammam, is also pondering whether to stand himself.

"The 2015 election will be a very, very, very important moment because that election will determine football until 2025 or 2030. I don't know when I will decide. It's not the moment, because we need to know what is going to happen. We need a debate," Champagne told the Guardian. "For the moment I can't answer the question. I don't rule out anything, but I have not decided yes or no. 2015 will be a decisive moment, for me it's clear."

Blatter had previously said that his fourth term would be his last but the Swiss looks increasingly likely to stand again. Michel Platini, meanwhile, was long considered Blatter's natural successor but the Uefa president appears beleaguered by a string of problems. Both have said they will make their intentions clear after next year's World Cup finals in Brazil.

Champagne said it was too early to decide whether to stand himself but, having advised football associations in trouble spots from Palestine to Kosovo to Northern Cyprus in the past two years, was confident he would meet the necessary criteria. They include having held an active role in football for two of the past five years and nominations from at least five of Fifa's 208 members.

Given the scale of the challenges facing the sport and Fifa, under fire in recent years over long-standing corruption allegations and the chaotic process that culminated in the award of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar, Champagne believes it is vital that there is a proper debate about the game's future and that of its governing body. He said: "There is a need for new impetus, fresh air, new vision and some momentum. But at the same time keeping what has been done correctly for 40 years – the universalisation of the game, the development programme. We need a stronger Fifa."

Champagne proposes a rebalancing of the all-powerful executive committee to give the Fifa president a working majority and make it more representative of the game as a whole by including national associations, players' organisations, clubs and leagues.

"The life and blood of football is when Saturday comes, not when Wednesday night comes. You can't run football in the 21st century if you don't have representatives of the leagues on the inside."

Champagne, who is also an adviser to the French Football Federation, said there were a range of serious issues facing the game that were simply not being debated.

"Football is becoming more and more unbalanced between continents, between countries and between clubs. There are distortions in terms of concentration of money, concentration of players and concentration of success.

"The second phenomenon is that football is becoming more and more privatised. It is more and more controlled by private individuals and even governments. Third, the football structures and sports structures have lost a lot of credibility.

"Stir all that in the pot and you have to decide if you want football to become like basketball with one or two leagues becoming the NBA and Fifa becoming like Fiba, without any regulating power. Or do we want a globalisation that is successful for everyone? It's not about putting the toothpaste back in the tube, but about making sure everyone benefits. To do that, we need a world governing body that is more proactive, more respected, more democratic."

Owen Gibson

Middlesbrough to name Karanka as manager

Posted: 12 Nov 2013 01:00 PM PST

• New manager will be introduced on Wednesday morning
• Former Real Madrid defender agrees deal to 2016

Aitor Karanka will be introduced as Middlesbrough's new manager on Wednesday morning after finally rebuffing sustained overtures from Crystal Palace.

Steve Gibson, Boro's owner, is hoping that Karanka, José Mourinho's former assistant at Real Madrid and a highly regarded coach, can replicate the success once enjoyed by Steve McClaren, who swapped life as Sir Alex Ferguson's No2 at Manchester United for the Riverside.

Since McClaren left Boro for an ill-fated stint as England coach in 2006 the club have foundered, slipping into the Championship as Gareth Southgate, Gordon Strachan and, most recently, Tony Mowbray all failed to build winning sides.

Karanka, a 40-year-old former Real central defender, has seen his path to the north-east smoothed by the influence of Jorge Mendes, his agent, and Peter Kenyon, the former Manchester United and Chelsea chief executive, both of whom advise Gibson.

Although tempted strongly by Palace, Karanka, a fluent English speaker who has watched DVDs of all Boro's games this season, was understood to be swayed partly by a recent visit to the club's international-class training facility at Rockcliffe Park, near Darlington.

Although Mowbray's successor has never been a manager in his own right, he is highly thought of in Spain and Mourinho believes Gibson has picked a winner. "I know Karanka very, very well," said Chelsea's manager. "He was my assistant for three years and I think the club that gets him will be very lucky."

Karanka, who is expected to bring in his own backroom staff, has agreed a two-and-half-year contract on Teesside, with his immediate priority being to try to narrow the eight-point gap separating Boro from the Championship play-off places. His first match will be at Leeds United on Saturday week.

Louise Taylor

Commons Speaker writes to appeal court over Lord Triesman libel case

Posted: 12 Nov 2013 11:04 AM PST

John Bercow tells MPs implications of case brought against former Fifa chairman 'give me cause for grave concern'

John Bercow, the Speaker of the House of Commons, has taken the constitutionally unusual step of writing to the court of appeal about a forthcoming libel case involving the former Football Association chairman Lord Triesman.

The letter raises the political stakes surrounding a resurrected defamation claim, involving bribery allegations at Fifa. MPs fear it could undermine the long-established parliamentary privilege of free speech.

The court of appeal is due to hear an application by Dato Worawi Makudi, the head of Thailand's football federation, to reinstate a defamation claim against Triesman, former chairman of the Football Association, later this month.

The danger of a constitutional clash between courts and parliament has been flagged up the prominent conservative MP John Whittingdale, chairman of the culture, media and sport select committee. The libel allegation stems from Triesman's appearance before the committee two years ago.

"During his evidence, under parliamentary privilege, Lord Triesman made specific accusations of corruption against four named members of Fifa's executive committee," Whittingdale said on the floor of the Commons this week.

"In the subsequent review conducted by the Football Association, Lord Triesman was careful to say in answer to questions from James Dingemans QC, who was conducting the review, that he invited him to rely on the evidence that he had given to the select committee, and that he did not wish to add to it."

Whittingdale said: "If witnesses to select committees cannot be confident that their evidence is covered by absolute privilege, and that if they do not repeat the allegations outside parliament they are fully protected against legal action, that will severely damage the ability of select committees to obtain the information that they require."

Parliamentary privilege is the long-established legal immunity against being sued for libel, contempt of court or other offences that enables MPs and peers to speak openly during debates and in committees at Westminster. It also extends to witnesses giving evidence before committees.

Following Triesman's appearance in 2011, Makudi told reporters that the accusations were "not true and groundless", saying he had to speak out "because my reputation has been tarnished and it defames my family".

In January this year, Mr Justice Tugendhat dismissed the libel claim brought by Makudi on the grounds that Triesman at all times had the protection of qualified parliamentary privilege and was not acting out of malice.

In June, however, lawyers for Makudi succeeded in persuading Lord Justice Maurice Kay to hold a renewed application for permission to appeal. That hearing is now scheduled to be heard by three appeal court judges later this month and could, if successful, lead on to a full hearing of the libel claim.

Replying to Whittingdale on Monday, Bercow told the Commons: "I have followed these matters very closely, and the possible implications give me cause for grave concern."

He said that "the matter is awaiting determination by the court of appeal, so I will not of course comment on the substance of the case; but I will say … that I consider these matters to be of such importance for the house and for its members, and to the protection of free speech in our proceedings, that written submissions have been made to the court on my behalf by Speaker's counsel."

Lawyers for Makudi did not comment.

Owen Bowcott

Owen Gibson

Romania have one eye on the future ahead of Greece World Cup play-off | Emanuel Rosu

Posted: 12 Nov 2013 10:52 AM PST

Adrian Mutu has found himself left out in the cold, as Romania coach focuses on the next generation of stars

Gheorghe Hagi's words seemed to stem from a moment of rage and no one took much notice. "You should be building statues of us. Yes, don't laugh! In a few years' time, our football will be gone."

Romania's national team were just about to leave for the 1998 World Cup in France and the feeling back home was that only a result equalling or bettering that of the previous World Cup would get the nation excited. They reached the quarter-finals at USA 94. In France, they beat England in the group stage and went into the last 16 full of hope and with their hair bleached blond but fell to earth with a bang, Croatia winning 1-0.

Romania have not been to a World Cup since. In 2000 Hagi retired and his thoughts from 15 years ago look prophetic now. Tournaments came and tournaments went without Romania qualifying. The eccentric aura of the team of the 90s – which included players such as Hagi, Ilie Dumitrescu, Gheorghe Popescu, Dan Petrescu, Adrian Ilie, Marius Lacatus – quickly gave way to mediocrity.

Hagi's sacred No10 shirt moved from player to player before it finally came into Adrian Mutu's possession. The former Chelsea forward was supposed to be the driving force behind a new "golden generation". It was not to be. Mutu's personal problems were a depressing reflection of an entire system that could not adapt to a post-Hagi era.

Mutu disappointed millions of Romanians with his two suspensions , first at Chelsea and then at Fiorentina, but still felt he was irreplaceable. After equalling Hagi's goal scoring record of 35 for the national team earlier this year, against Hungary, in Budapest, the 34-year-old Mutu thought he would crown his international career by playing in a World Cup in Brazil.

That now looks unlikely. Romania face Greece in Athens on Friday in the first leg of their World Cup qualifying play-off and Mutu is not in the squad. The forward has been omitted by the national coach, Victor Piturca, after complaining to the press about being left on the bench in the game against Holland in Amsterdam.

The Ajaccio forward was supported by most fans but Piturca does not care about that. Mutu went from being "annoyed" to "I will give Mr Piturca a call because the World Cup is my biggest dream".

Piturca, however, is trying to implement changes and at the moment the No10 shirt belongs to Steaua Bucharest's Cristian Tanase. Against Greece, the Romanian FA president, Mircea Sandu, wants the team "to create, to be attacking and to score in Athens. I hope Piturca finds a strategy that helps us score, we must do that!"

Piturca agrees about scoring but not about the style of play: "Did you see Juventus beat Napoli 3-0? How did they play? They were mainly defended in their own half and then attacked when they had the ball. That's what I want from my team."

So Romania will go to Greece and play counterattacking – against a team that still do not score many goals. They got 12 in 10 qualifying games and that was in a group that included Liechtenstein.

Romania's stars do not come from Barcelona, Real Madrid, Inter, Juventus or Chelsea any more. The current key players are the Tottenham defender Vlad Chiriches – who will not play against Greece because of a broken nose – Ciprian Marica of Getafe, Steaua's Alexandru Bourceanu and the Genclerbirligi forward Bogdan Stancu.

Considering the players at his disposal the "Where did it all go wrong?" debate has been going for a while now. The reasons for the decline, however, are not hard to find: almost no grassroots football strategy, poor conditions for coaches and children wanting to become footballers, as well as huge changes in society as a whole.

Hagi set up his own academy in 2009 and there are hopes that it will soon start to produce a new group of players who can make Romania proud. "Football gave me a lot," he says. "In fact, it gave me everything. Football made me what I am, so I want to give something back. I can't stand us being regarded as a minor football country. We have quality, we have talent, we must rise again. We have to try and win every game, that's what my Romania would have done."

But until his words are heard by the current Facebook generation, Romania has to wait for a new heir. And there may be hope: Ianis Hagi, 15, has been scouted by some of the most famous clubs in the world and is Romania Under-16s' captain. And his father knows a thing or two about football.

Mexico down but not out as New Zealand World Cup playoff looms

Posted: 12 Nov 2013 09:05 AM PST

El Tri will be under their fourth coach in five qualification matches when the All Whites come to the Azteca, but all is not yet lost

In March last year, in the midst of the Concacaf qualifying tournament for the Olympics, the usually-elusive Mexican national team director, Héctor González Iñárritu, called an informal press gathering. In effect, in a small conference room at the team's hotel in Kansas City, he gloated about the federation's recent good fortunes.

Although the tournament had not ended, Mexico had already qualified for the Olympics – a competition they would eventually win – while the US had not even made the final phase. At that time, the Mexico Under-17 team was the reigning Fifa World Cup champions, the U20s team had placed third in their World Cup (for which the US had not qualified), and, of course, the senior team had trounced the US 4-2 in the final of the 2011 Gold Cup. It appeared that one of world soccer's sleeping giants had woken up.

"Obviously they are the most powerful country," Inarritu said at the press gathering, about his American rivals. "But with all due respect, they didn't qualify for the U20s, the U17s went out quickly and we gave them the runaround in Concacaf. I think we have overtaken them."

A year and a half later, González Iñárritu – whose brother, as it happens, is the Oscar-nominated film director Alejandro González Iñárritu – is lucky to still have a job. The federation has been undermined by the ineptitude of the senior team and by its own indecision. All of the continued accomplishments at the youth level – last week the men's U17s reached the final of the World Cup but lost to Nigeria, and the girls won the Concacaf tournament, the first title of any kind for any Mexican women's team, and qualified for their World Cup – have been rendered meaningless by the senior national team. Mexico finished fourth in the Concacaf hexagonal and were thus forced into a playoff against New Zealand, in order to qualify for the World Cup in Brazil next year.

When Mexico faces New Zealand on Wednesday, in the first of two matches to decide who goes to Brazil, El Tri will be under its fourth manager in five qualification matches. The former Club América manager Miguel Herrera is the latest to be tasked with getting the team through to the finals, after failed attempts by the former Monterrey coach Víctor Manuel Vucetich and the Olympic gold winner Luis Fernando Tena to salvage a ship that had begun to sink under José Manuel de la Torre. The inability to settle on a manager, once it was concluded that "Chepo" de La Torre had lost control of the team, has been laughable, and the federation has gone from lauded to ridiculed in a matter of months.

Mexico is on the verge of the unthinkable: missing out on the World Cup for the first time since 1990, and missing out on the World Cup because of performance for the first time since 1982. The 1990 team was banned because Mexico had used overage players in a youth tournament.

It was previously thought that Mexico would only begin to achieve international success once its best players applied their trade in Europe, but Herrera did not call up a single European-based player for the New Zealand match, claiming that jet lag would undermine their performances. That means no Javier "Chicharito" Hernández, no Giovani dos Santos and no Guillermo Ochoa for Mexico's most important match since the 2010 World Cup. Mexico will attempt to qualify for Brazil with a team comprised solely of domestic league-based players – a surprising blast to the past.

It has been a swift and stunning unraveling, beginning with an embarrassing home goalless draw against Jamaica in February. The team has been unable to recover its confidence, scoring only seven goals in the entire 10-match hexagonal. Mexico's fragile football ego is always seemed on the verge of collapse, especially when expectations are heightened, and the current crop of players appeared to wilt under the pressure. A goalless March draw against the USA at the vaunted Estadio Azteca, and then an even more embarrassing defeat at home against Honduras, finally cost De La Torre his job in September.

If the players seemed incapable of carrying an entire country's hopes on their shoulders, there are also football explanations for their struggles.

Looming over the team, especially during its offensive drought, was the absence of Carlos Vela. The Real Sociedad forward, who is arguably the best Mexican player, has declined numerous recent call-ups, each time citing personal issues. It is widely believed that Vela is still angry at the federation for having been suspended in 2011, for violating team rules. He has not played for the national team since early that year.

Vela's presence could have helped overcome the struggles of players like Dos Santos and Valencia's Andrés Guardado, whose form suffered due to a lack of playing time for their clubs. Once Mexico began to struggle offensively De la Torre, in what appeared to be a fit of panic, began to turn to a core of veterans, such as the 34-year-old defensive midfielder Gerardo Torrado, instead of looking to some of the prospects who had helped Mexico to an Olympic gold medal. The veterans showed they were past their prime while the youngsters languished on the bench.

De la Torre insisted on keeping the team's 4-2-3-1 formation, even though it was largely ineffective because of the lacklustre forward play of Dos Santos, Guardado and Hernández, who had been sent to the Manchester United bench once Robin van Persie arrived at Old Trafford. Occasionally, De La Torre would attempt to use a 4-4-2 formation, but it did no better because his midfield choices largely consisted of defensive-minded players instead of creative playmakers. De la Torre managed conservatively and by the end of his tenure his players appeared disorganised, inconsistent and, worse yet, tentative. It was as if they were afraid to fail.

Some believe the federation waited too long to fire the manager, although De la Torre had earned some leeway by winning the Gold Cup and by having started his coaching career with a 14-game unbeaten streak. But the loss to Honduras – only the second World Cup qualifying defeat at home in 78 matches – proved too much. The federation decided to make a change.

Tena was mostly a placeholder, and his fate was sealed after a 2-0 loss to the US. The well-respected Vucetich failed to inspire much change in his two-game stint, which led to the hiring of the effusive, affable and energetic Herrera, who led Club América to a championship in the most recent Mexican league tournament.

Herrera is expected to breathe new life into a squad that badly needs a spark. With so little time to insert many tactical changes, his best chance might be to infect his players with his enthusiasm, something they have lacked recently.

Earlier this month, Herrera's domestic-heavy squad beat Finland 4-2 in a friendly, in San Diego. In that match, Herrera alternated between a 5-3-2 formation while on defence and an attacking 3-5-2. In one match, Mexico were more dynamic offensively than they had been in almost a year under De La Torre. But the tactical change has been drastic, and the players will need to pick it up quickly in order to be successful against New Zealand.

Herrera has held several camps in the last few weeks. The team has played several friendlies against Mexican clubs, the most recent coming on Saturday and producing a 4-0 win against Lobos BUAP. Such matches, of course, will never hold the same intensity and pressure Mexico will face on Wednesday at the Azteca.

"What we've wanted to do since we got here, is to avoid some of the pressure that the team has been facing," Herrera told reporters on Saturday. "We know things haven't gone as planned, and unfortunately that's why I had to be called in here in relief.

"I would have wanted Chepo to have gotten to the World Cup – unfortunately things didn't work out that way. But we still have the possibility of getting to the World Cup."

Live minute-by-minute coverage of Mexico vs New Zealand - 2pm local / 3pm ET / 8pm GMT Wednesday / 9am Thursday NZ

Jorge Arangure Jr

The Fiver | Pesky virus 1-0 twenty-five thousand square feet of medical expertise | Barry Glendenning

Posted: 12 Nov 2013 08:45 AM PST

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A BAD DAY FOR ELITE CHAMBERMAIDS

With its 330 acres of beautifully landscaped parkland, 11 full-size outdoor pitches and one elite Desso training pitch that is an exact replica of Wembley, the National Football Centre is the ideal HQ for England's football players to prepare for matches when they are not locked away in their on-site Hilton hotel rooms playing on their Xboxes or arranging to furtively sneak in girls.

St George's Park is also the location of Perform, a bespoke sports medicine, rehabilitation and performance centre, which according to the centre's website "combines 25,000 square feet of cutting-edge technology with elite medical expertise", which seems a wee bit ironic considering today's news that the England football team will have to stay somewhere else before Friday's friendly against Chile because a stomach virus is currently sweeping through their usual digs. Well, it affected a small number of visitors.

Gareth Southgate's U-21s have already fled the NFC after various guests at the centre reported falling ill but are showing no signs of having been infected. Nevertheless, Mr Roy has been advised to keep the senior team away from Burton-on-Trent amid concerns the lurgee might decimate his squad and cause no end of unpleasantness for assorted England's footballers, the kit-men in charge of their laundry and the chambermaids who make their beds and clean their bathrooms. "This is an elite-athlete precaution for the two teams," reported the FA, upon booking alternative accommodation in the less picturesque and rural environs of Watford. "Normal operations continue for the St George's Park and hotel staff, customers and the public."

Mr Roy will be without the Manchester United pair of Danny Welbeck and Michael Carrick, who pulled out of his squad with knee-knack and achilles tendon-gah respectively, but in less troubling news, Frank Lampard will participate in Friday's ding-dong wearing the England captain's armband, a quasi-mythical piece of elastic and Velcro considered by many to be the most revered and controversial piece of fabric since the shroud of Turin. Mr Roy plans to name the Chelsea midfielder skipper to commemorate the 100th cap he won against Ukraine back in September and prior to kick-off, Lamps will also be presented with a limited edition golden cap that looks like something Snoop Dogg or one of his bling buddies might wear as a reward for reaching such a hugely impressive milestone. The Fiver hopes what promises to be a proud and memorable evening for a loyal servant won't be overshadowed by any jokes about space monkeys or the inevitable frenzied over-reaction to same.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"It was great to meet the players at the training centre and there were a few meaty tackles flying in … everyone was trying to impress" – Terry Butcher reveals how his appointment as Hibs manager has instantly turned his squad into a collection of suspensions and knack just waiting to happen.

FIVER LETTERS

"Chiriches out with noseknack (yesterday's Bits and Bobs)? Come on, a guy from Romania with the name Vlad? Clearly some dastardly Toonsider's doused him with holy water and the physio's currently trying to work out how to tell AVB that one of his players has turned into a pile of dust. Still, get him back in the coffin and pour the blood of a virgin over him and he'll be back on the rowing machine before you can say what cross Igor" – David Price (and no other pedantic lovers of national stereotypes).

"Maybe Gavin O'Sullivan (yesterday's Fiver letters) ought to remember the age-old adage: people in glass houses throwing stones while also having a name as fey as Gavin should probably stop throwing the aforementioned stones, especially if they're throwing the stones at someone with a fine, upstanding name such as George. It isn't the pithiest adage,admittedly, but it's oddly appropriate in this instance" – George Wright (and no other Georges).

Re: yesterday's story on Andre wisdom getting his car stuck on a "less than traditional road" in Derbyshire (yesterday's Quote of the Day) – what on earth is a less than traditional road? One not subject to Morris dancers and mock Tudor?" – Anthony Denny.

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BITS AND BOBS

Foot-knack means Portugal may be Him-less for the first leg of their World Cup playoff against Sweden.

Robin van Persie has pulled out of Holland's friendlies against Japan and Colombia due to a combination of toe-knack and groin-gah.

Man City captain Vincent Kompany faces a further eight weeks on the sidelines after he suffered a setback in his recovery from thigh-knack.

Grown man José Mourinho and grown man Jonas Olsson were reportedly involved in an argument at Stamford Bridge on Saturday that wouldn't be out of place in a playground. "You're a Mickey Mouse player," said, Mourinho. "Fcuk Off!" said Olsson.

And Bury's Gigg Lane has been renamed the JD Stadium. "This is the largest commercial deal in the club's history," said a club suit, who'll soon have to wear company-issue clothes such as yellow pumps, pink gilets and hi-top skate shoes called 'V' Grapes.

STILL WANT MORE?

What if the Premier League had a north v south all star game? Who would win? Here's the Beautiful Games and a dozen mock-adverts for the spectacle.

Marcus Christenson dons his tin before writing this blog in defence of Nicklas Bendtner.

New Zealand are hoping it will be All White on the night as the Kiwis prepare for their World Cup play-off in Mexico on Wednesday, writes Barry Glendenning. Stat of the day: the entire New Zealand population would fit into the Estadio Azteca only 44 times.

Quiz: can you name the Golden Ball winner for every World Cup?

What has got wrong with Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham, chime Jamie Jackson and Dominic Fifield.

Proper Journalism's David Conn speaks to proper dapper Hull City owner Assem Allam about making his club into a global force.

Borat, Batman, and big trousers feature in proper cheery Vincent Tan's Gallery.

Oh, and if it's your thing, you can follow Big Website on Big Social FaceSpace.

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Barry Glendenning

Ronaldo a concern for Portugal

Posted: 12 Nov 2013 08:29 AM PST

• Winger misses training with foot injury
• Second leg is in Sweden on Tuesday

Cristiano Ronaldo is a worry for Portugal, who face Sweden in their World Cup qualifier on Friday, after reportedly missing training.

The winger frequently described as the world's best player has an injury to his left foot and spent the morning being assessed by the medical staff.

The match has been billed as Ronaldo v Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the fearsome Swedish striker, though should the Real Madrid forward miss out there is the chance to make the second leg in Sweden on Tuesday.

Beautiful Games: north v south all star football - what if?

Posted: 12 Nov 2013 07:13 AM PST

These marketing proposals for an all star Premier League match are rather fun. The idea is a simple one - divide the teams north and south, allow fans to vote for their prefered players and let intense regional rivalries take hold

Jonny Weeks

Hull City to announce loss of £27.8m

Posted: 12 Nov 2013 07:10 AM PST

• Assem Allam tells Guardian he has spent £66m in three years
• Losses exclude £5m to Tottenham for Tom Huddlestone
• Read David Conn's interview with Assem Allam here

Hull City will this week announce the club made a loss in its promotion year to the Premier League of just under £28m, the owner Assem Allam has told the Guardian. The figure, £27.8m, principally financed manager Steve Bruce's signings and an increased wage bill in the 12 months to 31 July this year. The losses came before the summer's major signing for City, midfielder Tom Huddlestone from Tottenham Hotspur for £5m.

The huge loss in 2012-13 follows major losses in the two previous years of Allam's ownership since he took the club over in December 2010. City lost £20m in that first year, then £9m in 2011-12, a total, with the loss due to be announced this week, of £57m over three years. Allam said the accounts will show that he has put in £66m since taking over; having paid £27m initially to stave off a winding-up petition and pay a bank debt.

Allam said the City wage bill is now up to around £36m a year, and he intends to buy a striker in January to supplement manager Steve Bruce's squad's chances of staying up this season. This year in the Premier League, he expects the club will lose £11m.

"It is a lot of money I have put in, £66m," Allam said. "So far I am comfortable with it, as long as we are achieving results."

However, he said he could not "keep throwing money into it," and needs the club to become self-financing in the Premier League. The renaming of the club Hull Tigers, which fans' groups are vehemently opposing but he insisted he intends to do early next year, is aimed at making money by marketing the club globally.

"I wouldn't allow the club to be in any risk," Allam pledged, "as long as I am not deprived of the opportunity to make money for it."

David Conn

Hibernian name Terry Butcher manager as Maurice Malpas moves too

Posted: 12 Nov 2013 07:07 AM PST

• Malpas rejects Inverness promotion to move to Easter Road
• Butcher: 'I'm excited about the future and what we can achieve'

Hibernian have confirmed Terry Butcher as their new manager.

On Monday the club announced they had agreed a compensation deal with Inverness to bring the Englishman and his assistant, Maurice Malpas, to Easter Road, subject to personal terms being agreed. They proved no hindrance to the deal proceeding and Butcher has signed a three-year contract.

Butcher said on Hibernian's website: "I'm excited about the future and what we can achieve at Hibernian – it's a great honour to be appointed the new manager of the club."

Malpas joins Butcher at Easter Road after turning down the chance to step up to become manager at Caley Thistle.

Butcher looked on from the Easter Road stands on Saturday as Malpas led the visitors to a 2-0 win over Hibernian to move into second spot in the Scottish Premiership.

Hibs are seventh in the league and have lost four games in a row. Pat Fenlon resigned as manager at the start of the month.

Tiger economy awaits for renamed Hull City, insists owner Assem Allam | David Conn

Posted: 12 Nov 2013 07:01 AM PST

Hull City's Egyptian owner is convinced the club can make an impact globally by changing its name to Hull Tigers

In a marble-floored suite above the factory floor at Assem Allam's company headquarters, the Hull City owner maintains, knowingly, "the man is not for turning" over the issue of renaming the club Hull Tigers. It is not, he repeatedly insists, a change of name, because at Companies House, and registered with the Football Association, the club is officially called Hull City Tigers. This will be only a further shortening of the name, Allam having already dropped AFC earlier this year – "AFC meant nothing," he says, waving his hand.

A dapper 76, Allam, used to running his own business for 30 years, more recently with his son Ehab as a co-director, maintains that Tigers is a name of "power". It will, he envisages, enable the club, known as Hull City since 1904, to market itself globally, making the millions of pounds it needs to become sustainable in the Premier League.

"Manchester United are selling shirts in the far east," Allam says, "selling commercial activities all over the world. We need the club to be known globally, and shortening the name will make the club known globally."

Hull City need to make money somehow; the accounts for the year to 31 July 2013 will be published this week and will, Allam says, show a £28m loss for what should be the romantic story of Premier League promotion. He believes that to stay up they need to buy a striker in January for the manager, Steve Bruce, and overall, predicts City will lose a further £11m this year. This follows £20m lost in 2010-11, the first year Allam took over, and £9m lost in 2011-12, so losses will amount to £68m altogether in the four years he has owned the club.

Allam arrived in Hull with his young family in 1968 from Egypt, where he says he fled Nasser's dictatorship, which targeted him with arrest and beatings after he opposed it publicly. He studied accountancy while working at manual jobs, then eventually in the 1980s bought out a company manufacturing generators, from the investment bank that employed him as a finance director. Now named after him, Allam Marine is flourishing in these new premises, his black Rolls Royce with his personalised number plate, 2 AA, parked in the No1 spot outside.

He says he put £66m into Hull City by July, to scoop up the club's financial meltdown under the previous owner, the property investor Russell Bartlett, then the losses since. He sank the money in from profits and, he says, selling land and businesses in Egypt. He says he was able to get his money out unhindered by the Mubarak dictatorship, which was then approaching its popular ousting. The Allam Marine accounts show he took £28m out of his business, paying a £16m dividend to himself in 2010, then £12m in 2011.

Since then, Allam Marine has encountered rockier times; its turnover almost halved from £185m in 2010-11 to £100m in 2011-12, although he says it has now picked up. Exporting to Egypt, Libya and Syria, trade was hit by the political turmoil, and elsewhere by the eurozone crisis, he says. The fortunes are not there for him to continually bankroll a football club in the world's highest-rolling league.

"I cannot keep throwing money into it," he says. "There must be a limit. Our target is for the club to be self-financed, relying on its own resources."

So, it becomes clear, he is staking a great deal on presuming a worldwide bonanza from "shortening" the name, citing an article he found in the Harvard Business Review which said companies with short names do better when they float on the stock market.

"Which of the three names would you remove?" he asks, rhetorically. "Hull is relevant. City is not relevant. Tigers: are you telling me you would drop the symbol of power?"

An alliance of bewildered supporters' groups has protested, without success so far. Asked if he has researched the projected global advantage Tigers will accrue, he says not yet. "I know it will make a difference; shorter names have a quicker impact, it is textbook marketing," he states. He hopes to make the change "early next year," after looking further into it.

Posed the obvious point, that everybody knows the club as Hull City, so Hull Tigers is actually longer, Allam replies: "I will not let people get away with that. Everybody knows it now as Hull City Tigers."

As he develops his explanations, a striking revelation emerges. All this talk of a name-shortened route to global expansion has sprung from a very local fallout. Hull City's most obvious means of expansion is at home, at the KC Stadium, not in hoped-for millions from east Asia. Hull city council built the stadium with £43.5m of public money in 2002, a civic boost to the status of Hull City and Hull FC rugby league club, who became tenants. Built at a 25,586 capacity, the stadium was designed to fit additional tiers and create 30,000 seats if the football club became successful enough.

Allam held discussions on this almost immediately, in which he says the council indicated it did not want to sell the stadium and wanted to do the expansion jointly. He refused, having few good words for the council, and insisted he had to buy the freehold. Then he would finance the extra seats, and commercial businesses around the stadium. "Tell me," he asks, rhetorically again, "would you build an extension on a house if you didn't own it?"

He then took great exception to an interview one councillor gave on local radio after a meeting, which Allam says implied he wanted to do the development for his own financial benefit. That was not the case, he says; although he would own it, the money would be for the club.

"That was it," he says, his hand slicing the air. "I have severed my relationship with the council."

He says he suggested to the council leader, Stephen Brady, a "committee of inquiry", to decide whether the councillor had misrepresented the meeting. But no such committee was set up, and so: "My relationship is severed with the council. And when I say severed, I mean severed."

Asked about this account, Brady declined to talk about details, limiting himself to telling the Guardian: "I am willing to meet with Mr Allam at any time to discuss his proposals."

Allam says that instead of spending £30m on the development, he then sank it largely into players transfer fees and wages which have brought the club this quick promotion.

Now, marketing Hull Tigers to the world is his big idea to make the money needed, instead of the stadium expansion which is waiting to be done.

On the way out, Allam points out some handsome photographs; one with Bruce, posing after promotion between Allam and Ehab. One huge picture shows Allam himself, standing smiling above a matchday crowd. Underneath is a quote from the French novelist Victor Hugo: "There is nothing more powerful," it reads, "than an idea whose time has come."

David Conn

Carrick and Welbeck ruled out of two England friendlies

Posted: 12 Nov 2013 06:54 AM PST

• Manchester United duo out of Chile and Germany matches
• Carrick aggravated achilles; Welbeck suffering from knee injury
• England abandon St George's Park due to stomach virus

The Manchester United duo Danny Welbeck and Michael Carrick have withdrawn from the England squad because of injury, the Football Association has confirmed.

Carrick carried an achilles injury into United's 1-0 win against Arsenal and, even though he completed 90 minutes at Old Trafford, he has pulled out of the England squad.

Welbeck has not played since 19 October because of a knee injury and he is also out of the Wembley games against Chile on Friday and Germany next Tuesday. No replacements have been called up, leaving Roy Hodgson, with 26 men to choose from.

England's plans have been disrupted by a stomach virus at St George's Park that has forced them to abandon their usual base out of concerns it could sweep through Hodgson's squad.

The squad in full

Goalkeepers Fraser Forster, Joe Hart, John Ruddy

Defenders Leighton Baines, Gary Cahill, Ashley Cole, Kieran Gibbs, Phil Jagielka, Glen Johnson, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, Kyle Walker

Midfielders Ross Barkley, Tom Cleverley, Steven Gerrard, Jordan Henderson, Adam Lallana, Frank Lampard, James Milner, Andros Townsend, Jack Wilshere

Forwards Jermain Defoe, Rickie Lambert, Jay Rodriguez, Wayne Rooney, Daniel Sturridge

Keane starts as Republic assistant

Posted: 12 Nov 2013 05:22 AM PST

• Players put through paces for Latvia game
• Arrives at training ahead of Martin O'Neill
• Roy Keane's 10 greatest outbursts

Roy Keane wasted little time in making his presence felt as he formally took up his duties as the Republic of Ireland's new assistant manager.

The 42-year-old arrived at the Republic's training base, Malahide United's Gannon Park, at 9.30am on Tuesday – a full 90 minutes before manager Martin O'Neill and his players were due to begin work ahead of Friday night's friendly against Latvia at the Aviva Stadium.

Keane went straight on to the training pitch to ensure everything was in place for the start of the morning session and then inspected the nearby gym facilities.

However, the former Ireland and Manchester United captain, who was wearing full training kit, had time to sign autographs and pose for photographs with fans who had turned out to witness the birth of the new regime.

But he was back on the pitch long before the first wave of players, headed by the current captain Robbie Keane, arrived at 10.45am.

The smiling LA Galaxy striker expressed mock surprise at the size of the media pack which had assembled well in advance of the scheduled start amid a relaxed atmosphere.

O'Neill and the remainder of the squad arrived within minutes on the team coach and he and Keane looked on as the players warmed up, with keepers David Forde, Keiren Westwood and Rob Elliot working apart with the new goalkeeping coach Seamus McDonagh.

The management duo looked on from the sidelines, with Keane at one point dispatching a stray ball into a goal standing at the side of the pitch.

Keane walked the pitch at the Aviva Stadium on Monday with the chief executive of the Football Association of Ireland, John Delaney, who he fell out with after walking out on the World Cup squad in 2002.

Keane is due to give his first press conference on Wednesday.

Manchester City's Vincent Kompany out with injury for longer than feared

Posted: 12 Nov 2013 04:39 AM PST

• Blow as injured defender may be out until December
• Manuel Pellegrini had hoped for 27 November return

Vincent Kompany coud be ruled out until December for Manchester City after the Belgium team doctor, Lieven Maesschalck, stated he may require eight weeks to recover from his thigh injury.

If so this would represent a blow to Manuel Pellegrini, the manager, who had hoped to have his captain available for the Champions League game against Viktoria Plzen on 27 November, a week after the international break.

With the central defender having suffered the problem on 5 October, in the 3-1 win over Everton, Maesschalck's prognosis would mean that Kompany would hope to be available when City host Swansea City on 1 December.

Maesschalck told Sky Sports: "I think Vincent is going to be ready in several weeks. We will do everything we can to bring back Vincent in a good way for a long time. First of all he had a rupture, a tear into the abductor and then also he has bad luck with a small thing on the front side now, so it's everything together.

"It's not really so long – eight weeks is nothing in the time of injury. You must respect biology."

Earlier this month, Pellegrini said: "I hope that after the international break, one week after the break, he can be with us again because he is an important player."

Jamie Jackson

New Zealand arrive in Mexico City for World Cup play-offs - video

Posted: 12 Nov 2013 03:57 AM PST

New Zealand All Whites arrive in Mexico City on Monday night to compete in the first leg of the 2014 World Cup play-off

New Zealand hoping it will be All White on the big night against Mexico | Barry Glendenning

Posted: 12 Nov 2013 03:54 AM PST

If they are to reach the World Cup finals in Rio the All Whites must first survive a play-off at the imposing Estadio Azteca

Having cantered through the final group stage qualification in Oceania, scoring 17 and conceding just two goals en route to home and away victories over New Caledonia, Tahiti and Solomon Islands, New Zealand face the comparatively hideous task of having to play Mexico at the Estadio Azteca in the first leg of their World Cup play-off on Wednesday.

Despite failing to emerge from their group at the last World Cup finals, the All Whites enjoyed the unique distinction of being the only team not to lose a match at South Africa 2010 and their prospects of participating in Rio will hinge on their ability to overcome a Mexico team whose attempts to qualify have been uncharacteristically wretched. Miguel Herrara is their fourth different manager in just five games, having succeeded Víctor Manuel Vucetich, whose two-game tenure ended when Mexico lost against Costa Rica and had to rely on USA's late heroics against Panama just to earn their berth in this eliminator. An advocate of high-intensity pressing play, Herrera has all but named his starting 11 and will build his team around a core group of Club América players with whom he works on a daily basis in his other role as manager of the Liga MX club.

His Kiwi counterpart Ricki Herbert is under no illusions about the enormity of the task facing his players, who convened in Los Angeles on Sunday before arriving in Mexico City last night to begin preparations for what promises to be a daunting match in front of 105,000 excitable locals. "Massive" is the adjective Herbert picked to describe the encounter in one TV interview. "Arguably in my tenure and as a player, this would be the most difficult qualification game that New Zealand's ever had. So yep, there needs to be improvement."

On the subject of his opposite number's squad selection policy, the former Wolves defender mused that "maybe there's some stability around local players ... bringing in a squad of players that understand and have played together for longer periods. I think there's real disappointment, a real uncertainty about this team and gee, they've got to come to New Zealand. They would never have remotely thought of having to do that."

Although "brotherhood and togetherness" are often cited as the greatest asset of a New Zealand team so short of talent that the 37-year-old Auckland City part-timer Ivan Vicelich remains a team staple over four years after being persuaded out of international retirement, Herbert's side are not without problems of their own. Their best player, the West Ham central defender Winston Reid, has been ruled out of both legs of the play-off against Mexico with an ankle injury sustained in training last week. Recent spells on the sidelines recovering from injury mean the Perth Glory striker Shane Smeltz and the Stuttgart winger Marco Rojas are also unlikely to be considered due to lack of match practice and fitness.

Leicester City's Kiwi striker Chris Wood is also short of game time, having played just three times for his club after more than a month out with a hamstring injury. If nothing else, his compatriots can at least take heart from the fact that the 21-year-old from Auckland has scored in each of his last two games.

"It's a huge blow, very disappointing for the team and personally for me," said Vicelich of Reid's enforced absence. "He's a great guy and a very good player so it's gonna be tough to lose your captain. But it just creates an opportunity now for somebody to stand up, fill those boots and show they're worthy of a position in the All Whites."

New Zealand's most capped player, Vicelich may well end up marshalling the New Zealand defence in Reid's absence and seems cautiously optimistic that his side can pull off an upset. "I think we know that they've had their problems and the qualifying has been a little bit difficult for them this time around," he said. "But at the end of the day it's just who turns up at the game for 90 minutes so we need to just focus on ourselves and prepare well and stick to the tactics we're going to take into the game. We can't hope that they're going to be off their game."

Vicelich is mistaken. He and his team-mates can, should and almost certainly will be hoping exactly that. The self-destructive tendencies of a nervy Mexico rabble may well prove the most deadly weapon in the All Whites' armoury.

The play-off second leg is in Wellington on Wednesday 20 November

Barry Glendenning

Roy Hodgson on England's World Cup prospects and Chile and Germany matches - video

Posted: 12 Nov 2013 03:20 AM PST

England manager Roy Hodgson says the qualifiers were exciting but is now calmly preparing for the World Cup in Brazil

In defence of Nicklas Bendtner | Marcus Christenson

Posted: 12 Nov 2013 02:37 AM PST

Does the Arsenal striker really deserve the vitriol thrown at him for saying he wanted to leave the club last summer?

On Saturday night the Danish paper Berlingske published an exclusive – and it must be said brilliant – interview with Nicklas Bendtner. It was the first time in six months the Arsenal player had spoken properly about events such as when he was arrested for drink-driving, when his mother was diagnosed with cancer and, according to the striker, Arsène Wenger told him that he could not leave Arsenal on transfer deadline day.

The interview was aimed at the Danish public the weekend before the international break – and not, as it appeared in England, on the eve of Arsenal's game against Manchester United. Bendtner wanted to give his version of events to the Danish public but this, alas, is not how it works these days.

Within minutes of the interview, by Thomas Conradsen, being published at 8pm Danish time, the quotes about how he had wanted to leave Arsenal on transfer deadline day had been translated to English and were spreading like wildfire on Twitter. And with that the abuse started.

This is a an example of the tweets that was sent to Bendtner's personal Twitter account within a 38-second period on Saturday night:

"You sure now how to piss in your own cup" – from @AFChound

"Get the Fuck out of our club" – from @EoinAFC

"You're so shit" – from @Aria_Payne1

Piers Morgan also got in on the act, tweeting: "As for Bendtner.... his 'disappointment' at having to continue playing for #Afc is comfortably exceeded by my sickening revulsion."

So why was the 25-year-old Dane worthy of such vitriol? This is what he said about what happened on transfer deadline day: "Everything was in place for me, there were three clubs that were just waiting for me to say 'yes please' to them. I was very disappointed when he [Wenger] phoned because I was ready to move on. I didn't actually think that they wished to keep me.

"As I have been at the club since I was 16 I found it ridiculous that they [had] placed me in the reserves and let me train on my own. [But] suddenly everything was like old times again. I was training with the first team, I was hanging out with the first team and I had a dietician again. From being completely out to being completely in again."

And that was that. A player wanting to leave a club where he thought he had no future and no chance of playing because he had been relegated to the reserves. I can think of bigger crimes. There was one quote in the interview that understandably irked Arsenal fans: "I am training far more seriously [now] than I have ever done in Arsenal. I am in the process of building myself up so that I become this strong machine, this perfect product to sell. I want to start as strongly as possibly in my next club."

It was a naive thing for Bendtner to say and Arsenal supporters, rightly, commented that, if he has been at the club for eight years, then maybe he should have tried a little bit harder before this season. But if anyone read the whole interview a different, more rounded, picture would emerge. The impression I got from reading the interview in its entirety was of a footballer who had been genuinely excited about turning a new leaf and to kickstart a career that had come to a standstill. He is still only 25, remember.

At the Guardian we also just used the sections from the interview that touched upon Arsenal. We published an article early on Sunday with the headline: "Nicklas Bendtner: 'I was disappointed I was told I was staying at Arsenal'"

In the full interview Bendtner, however, also talked about his mother's illness and the joys of being a father. When reading his thoughts on those subjects, the perception of Bendtner as a person changes.

He said: "In my family we are very close and when I was young we shared everything. In an essence by parents were my best friends. The thought that my mum could die was one I wasn't ready to have. I said that in that moment [when he was told his mum was suffering from cancer] and thought about how life would be without her. That would not have been a good place to be.

"To my mum's big credit she was just so calm. Much tougher than I had thought. It made it easier for me to deal with the disease. Instead of being a victim, she took everything as it came. A true fighter. It makes me proud."

Bendtner's mother had chemotherapy and two operations and on 2 March came the news that the cancer had gone away. That, however, was also the night Bendtner was caught drink-driving. "It was completely irresponsible for me to drive with too much alcohol in my body. There is nothing else to say. And the stupid thing was that my friend and I were only going 100 yards down the road. But I was so pleased and happy on my mum's behalf, that I felt invincible at the moment."

Make no mistake, getting in a car drunk is utterly, utterly indefensible. He could have killed someone. Himself, his friend or a completely innocent bystander.

The Dane also talks about being a father to Nicholas, who is almost three years old now. Bendtner is no longer together with Nicholas's mother, Caroline Fleming, and sees him only every other weekend and once a week. "The time I have with him is the time I prioritise the most in my whole life. It hurts every time I have to leave him. And it does him too. I can see that in the way he looks at me when we wave goodbye. I cried when he said he loved me and I never cry. But being a father gives me something I don't get anywhere else."

There is never (or rarely) one side to a story. Bendtner, from a footballing point of view, is not a bad person. He has not let Arsenal down. He has not sat on the bench, just picking up money in a Winston Bogarde-esque way. He is not a shit footballer, like so many people like to say, including @Aria_Payne1. If he were shit he would not score two goals in one game against Italy. He may not be as good as Mesut Özil but that is not his fault.

Finally, a few things to consider:

• Why did Arsenal put someone who has been at the club for eight years in the reserves, if that was the case? Did he not at least deserve to train with the first team? No wonder he wanted to leave

• Why, if Arsenal did really want to sell him, did they not secure a replacement for him before the transfer deadline day? They had had a whole summer to do so.

• The interview was conducted on 29 October, the day after he had been booed by some of his own fans during the Capital One Cup game against Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium? Bendtner himself had nothing to do with the publication date.

• Has there been any indication that Bendtner has not done his best for Arsenal every time he has been given a chance this season?

• Does any footballer deserve such abuse for saying that it would probably have been better if he had left the club last summer?

Clearly, any right-minded person would answer no to the last question. So maybe it is time for the section of Arsenal supporters who abused him last weekend and booed him against Chelsea and have made fun of him for a long time to actually get behind him as long as he plays for the club and then, when he leaves in January or June, wish him well at his new club.

But that is probably too much to ask.

Elsewhere on the theguardian.com/football

• Barry Glendenning: All Whites hope it will be all right in Mexico

• Comment: what has gone wrong at City, Chelsea and Spurs?

• Andy Hunter: Henderson hopes great strides lead to Brazil

• Quiz: name the World Cup Golden Ball winners

Marcus Christenson

Match-winner Bardsley takes swipe at Di Canio

Posted: 12 Nov 2013 02:26 AM PST

• Sunderland full-back was almost 'destroyed'
• Bardsley: 'I'm loving playing under Gus Poyet'

Phil Bardsley has taken a swipe at his former manager Paolo Di Canio by saying: "You've got to be tough upstairs or this game will destroy you. A couple of people have tried that but not been successful."

The full-back fell out with Di Canio after being pictured on the floor of a casino in the early hours of the morning covered in £50 notes. He then mocked the team on social media after their opening day defeat at home to Fulham and was banned from the training ground.

"Any footballer has to do his talking on the pitch," he told the Daily Mail. "There were a few situations I was involved in which were difficult for me and my family at the time. That's all in the past now: you've got to be mentally strong in this game or it will destroy you.

"Thankfully for me, I'm quite tough upstairs so I stayed strong. I knew that I had to offer this football club a little bit more than I had at the time."

Since Gus Poyet took over, Bardsley has been restored to the first team and he repayed his new manager's faith by scoring the winner against Manchester City on Sunday.

"I went over the advertising hoardings against City and I think a couple of people in the crowd patted me on the back. That was nice. A few months ago I would probably have got chinned.

"I hope the fans know what I'm about. People who really know me know what I'm all about. I love playing football, I love playing for Sunderland. I'm one of these footballers who, when I cross the white line, I'll put in performances where I wear my heart on my sleeve and when I get the ball I try to be brave with it.

"The things that happened were so disappointing. The supporters probably don't know the full extent of what happened over the summer. It's history now. There's a new manager, a new lease of life and I'm loving playing under Gus Poyet."