Football news, match reports and fixtures | theguardian.com

England v Chile: Hit or miss? How the players with a point to prove fared | Dominic Fifield
Ukraine 2-0 France
Greece 3-1 Romania | World Cup play-off match report
Scotland 0-0 USA | International friendly match report
Portugal 1-0 Sweden
Adam Lallana's England sparkle puts Jay Rodriguez in the shade
Ukraine 2-0 France
Rep of Ireland 3-0 Latvia
England 0-2 Chile
Iceland 0-0 Croatia | World Cup play-off match report
Scotland 0-0 USA
Shola Ameobi on brink of World Cup after swapping England for Nigeria
England 0-2 Chile
Portugal 1-0 Sweden
Iceland 0-0 Croatia
England v Chile at Wembley - in pictures
Ibrahimovic v Ronaldo as Sweden take on Portugal – in pictures
Iain Dowie tipped for Crystal Palace return in place of Ian Holloway
Rep of Ireland v Latvia – live!
Ten managers at risk, with Martin Jol, Dave Jones – and José Mourinho | Paul Doyle and Barry Glendenning
Greece v Romania – live video stream
Iceland v Croatia - live World Cup play-off video stream
Fans unhappy over Coleman, admits Wales FA
Taylor may be charged over tweet
Football's managerial merry-go-round continues with nine already in 2013-14

England v Chile: Hit or miss? How the players with a point to prove fared | Dominic Fifield

Posted: 15 Nov 2013 03:01 PM PST

Phil Jones failed to take his chance in the middle, Fraser Forster was nervy and there was little time for Jermain Defoe and co

1 Fraser Forster

Picking the ball out of the net seven minutes into his debut, with virtually his first touch, did not represent the most auspicious of starts for the new boy and this was, perhaps inevitably, a rather nervy display. Forster pushed another attempt, from Jean Beausejour, dangerously back into play and turned another low centre, from Eugenio Mena, into his six-yard box and was fortunate not to be punished. He could at least take heart from the spring from his line to exploit the Wigan forward's heavy first touch as a second goal beckoned just after the half-hour mark, but the Celtic goalkeeper was tentative, his kicking rather haphazard and his understanding with those centre halves ahead of him rather limited. But there were no major errors and he had little chance with Chile's second goal at the death.

2 Adam Lallana and Jay Rodriguez

The Southampton duo boasted a solitary Under-21 cap each before graduating to senior level here and, as two prongs in a narrow trident, had contrasting fortunes. Lallana was arguably one of England's brighter attackers, drawing saves from Claudio Bravo and seeing another low shot deflected wide of the far post after neat approach play. He was energetic and industrious and, while occasionally jittery, did not look out of place, particularly in tandem with Wayne Rooney when opportunities arose. For Rodriguez the reality was less palatable. Peripheral at first, then anxious when he finally sought out involvement, he seemed gripped by apprehension. One weak shot summed it up, his best work limited to defensive covering. Auditions such as this are cruel but, if this was sink or swim, he rather sank.

3 Phil Jones

The Manchester United player has long craved an opportunity to feature at centre-half. His time in his favoured position had previously been limited to six minutes under Roy Hodgson's management and this was a chance to prove he should be considered a third option to Gary Cahill and Phil Jagielka. The problem was that his partnership with Cahill looked so experimental. The pair were flustered whenever Chile's bright attackers scuttled at them, a new-look England back-line far from tight and the uncertainty clearly affecting the Chelsea player. Everything felt fragile and, while that was not down to Jones alone, it did not reflect well. At least he posed a threat from set-plays at the other end, drawing a fine early save from Bravo and later poking a volley wide, before departing before the hour.

4 Jack Wilshere

England's dilemma with Wilshere revolves less around whether he should play and more around whether he can. It was encouraging to have the Arsenal player back in the side after his latest bout of ankle trouble and he operated effectively both as a makeshift No10 and then in a deeper role once James Milner had been withdrawn. England craved him on the ball more often, so well did they tick when he built up a head of steam in possession. Yet the 71 minutes managed here will most likely represent his only involvement in these two friendlies, and doubts surely linger as to whether the 21-year-old would be able to feature heavily in a tournament. His temperament was tested here by the Chileans, one altercation with Beausejour in front of the referee in particular catching the eye. That, in itself, might be cause for some concern.

5 The cameos

The other aspirants were offered only minor roles, thrust into the fray with England trailing and struggling to make an impact. Chris Smalling, another United player to have been handicapped by his own versatility, replaced Jones and was promptly butted in the neck by Gonzalo Jara. Jermain Defoe, the only England striker to function at the last World Cup but a Europa League player with Tottenham Hotspur these days, was bright in his initial foray and then starved of the ball as he sought rhythm. Jordan Henderson and Ross Barkley would hope for greater involvement in Tuesday's game against Germany, with the latter in particular a player of real interest. He was introduced as the playmaker here, with Rooney shifting to the left, yet Chile were too canny in the duels that ensued. He will eventually flourish in this side, but this was a brief education.

Dominic Fifield

Ukraine 2-0 France

Posted: 15 Nov 2013 02:52 PM PST

France face the embarrassing prospect of missing out on a major tournament for the first time in 20 years after they lost 2-0 in Ukraine.

Les Bleus succumbed to a goal from Roman Zozulia shortly after the hour and Andriy Yarmolenko's late penalty. They last missed a major finals when they failed to reach the 1994 World Cup.

France's Laurent Koscielny and the home side's Oleksandr Kucher were sent off in injury time as Ukraine took a major step towards securing their second World Cup appearance after reaching the quarter-finals in 2006.

France barely had a chance apart from a Samir Nasri effort and were shaken throughout by a bold Ukraine side.

Didier Deschamps opted for a 4-2-3-1 formation with Olivier Giroud up front and Karim Benzema on the bench.

The visitors tried to keep possession but Ukraine were the more dangerous side and the France goalkeeper, Hugo Lloris, who started the game 12 days after suffering concussion, made his first block from Yarmolenko's cross-shot in the seventh minute.

The FIFA Ballon d'Or hopeful Franck Ribéry was closely marked as Les Bleus failed to create clearcut chances.

At the back their weak spot was the left side with the centre-half Eric Abidal and full- back Patrice Evra struggling to cope with Yarmolenko's pace.

In the 61st minute Zozulia squeezed his shot under Lloris from Edmar's touch to put the home side ahead. Four minutes later France almost hit back but Nasri, in a perfect position, shot straight at Andriy Pyatov.

Giroud, who failed to muster a chance, was substituted for Benzema 20 minutes from time. Ukraine scored again when Yarmolenko fired home a penalty after Koscielny fouled Zozulia.

"Obviously this is a very bad result for us but we still have to believe," said the France coach, Didier Deschamps. "Ukraine are in the better position but there are still 90 minutes to play at home."

Greece 3-1 Romania | World Cup play-off match report

Posted: 15 Nov 2013 02:43 PM PST

Greece took a big step toward qualifying for Brazil as Kostas Mitroglou scored twice in a 3-1 play-off first-leg win over Romania, a game that saw three goals scored in six first-half minutes.

Dimitris Salpingidis picked out Mitroglou, who leapt to get his left foot to the ball in the 14th minute.

Gabriel Torje then set up the equaliser in the 19th minute with a free-kick that Bogdan Stancu met at the near post with a header. It was a valuable away goal but, seconds later, Salpingidis slid across the penalty area to score himself from a cross by Vassilis Torosidis.

Romania continued to press forward in the first half, with Torje causing problems for the hosts down the right-hand side, but Greece recovered from a string of uninspiring performances in recent qualifiers to control the match at the Karaiskaki Stadium.

The 25-year-old Mitroglou, currently top scorer in Greece's Super League with Olympiakos, added his second in the 66th minute with another acrobatic effort, converting an assist from Celtic's Georgios Samaras.

Romania ended the match with 10 men after the substitute Costin Lazar was shown a second yellow card at the start of added time.

Romania host Greece in the second leg next Tuesday.

Scotland 0-0 USA | International friendly match report

Posted: 15 Nov 2013 02:29 PM PST

• Paolo Bandini's minute-by-minute report

A third successive win, a feat which has eluded Scotland since 2007, remains elusive despite the improved results under manager Gordon Strachan. This goalless draw was, however, progress of sorts following the 5-1 defeat when the sides met in Florida 18 months ago.

Since then the United States have embarked on the kind of winning runs Scotland can only dream about. Twelve wins on the trot during the summer, and 15 out of the last 16. Given their bluntness in attack on Friday night these are statistics which stretch credibility, but Scotland were equally wayward in a game of few clear-cut chances.

Steven Fletcher, brought back into the side after injury at the expense of Steven Naismith, was prominent in the early sparring when, following assists from Robert Snodgrass, he was wide with a shot and a header. But it was the visitors who looked the more dangerous as they got a foothold in the game, although Fletcher's Sunderland team-mate Jozy Altidore was no more accurate at the other end.

There were plenty of meaty challenges by players on both sides despite the low-key atmosphere in the stadium, but it was a corner and not one of several free-kicks which gave the United States their best chance of the first half.

Michael Bradley's delivery found Omar Gonzalez unmarked 15 yards out but he took a central defender's industrial swipe at the ball when a clean strike might have found the net. Although having to fight hard for possession, Scotland had two good chances of their own, either side of the half hour. Fletcher won a free-kick, and very nearly a penalty, when he was brought down by Gonzalez fractions outside the box – Charlie Mulgrew's resultant effort was only just too high.

The second chance should have been a goal. Snodgrass and Fletcher continued their good link play, allowing the latter to roll the ball left to Craig Conway inside the penalty area. With only Tim Howard to beat the Brighton midfielder did not even hit the target, somehow slipping the ball wide of the near post. The clumsiness of both sides' goal attempts in the opening 45 minutes of an unexpectedly mild evening meant there was little for goalkeepers David Marshall and Howard to deal with. That changed in the 52nd minute when Howard, captaining the side, finally had his beard ruffled.

Yet again a Scotland attack was halted by a foul, this time by Brad Evans on Steven Whittaker.

A finely judged left-footed free-kick by Snodgrass was heading for the top left-hand corner until Howard sprung athletically to diverted the ball over the crossbar.

After Altidore was as wasteful with another shot as he had been in the first half, Jürgen Klinsmann made a raft of changes in an attempt to stem the flow of possession to Barry Bannan and Conway which was giving the home side a much better purchase on the game – even although their final deliveries had no end product.

Marshall earned his corn eight minutes from time with a fine smothering save from substitute Aron Johannsson, but Altidore was again badly at fault when he stabbed the rebound over the bar. Then as the visitors pressed, Johannsson had another bad miss inside the box.

Portugal 1-0 Sweden

Posted: 15 Nov 2013 02:27 PM PST

This was not quite the high-velocity collision of twin attacking greats the build-up had promised. But by the end Cristiano Ronaldo, persistent and full of close-quarter craft to the end, had made the difference, scoring the only goal on a night that never shed its first-leg nerves. Portugal remain favourites to progress to next summer's World Cup but this remains too tight to call between two evenly matched, and even at times rather anxiously pedestrian, European middleweights.

On a clear, still night in Lisbon the Estádio da Luz, venue for this season's Champions League final, provided a suitably epic-scale stage for what has been billed as the prime tie of the European World Cup qualifiers. Of course, the main reason for this is the outsize clash of personalities, brands and outright attacking genius embodied in the two captains. True to form, the first jeers and whistles of a tense, taut night inside this cavernous steel bowl were reserved for the sight of Zlatan Ibrahimovic running out before kickoff.

Sweden's attacking totem came into this match in rare form, having scored 11 times in his last 10 matches for Sweden, reward also for an expertly enacted feat of footballing resuscitation by Erik Hamren, who not only helped lure the world's favourite brooding Yugo-Swedish attacking phenomenon out of international retirement, but has succeeded in reconstructing this neat, fast-pressing Sweden team around him.

Sweden made the best of a terrible draw in their group, trotting home in second place behind Germany, but Portugal still came into this playoff as narrow favourites. Paulo Bento has a team full of gifted technical players, albeit one that lacks a little thrust outside its one stellar talent. With the deliciously seductive prospect of a World Cup in Portugal's fraternal former colony, the stands were dotted, rather hopefully, with Brazilian flags as the match kicked off in a rolling cacophony of noise.

Ronaldo started wide on the left of the front three, from where he would roam relentlessly in the first half, with Ibrahimovic occupying a more orthodox centre- forward's position. Between them the twin-headed club football deity Ibronaldo have scored 39 goals in 33 club games this season and it was Ronaldo who started with greater menace here, twice almost connecting with crosses from the right in the opening minutes. João Moutinho had the first proper chance after five minutes, making a fine diagonal run on to a forward pass by Raul Meireles and nipping past Andreas Isaksson only to shoot into the side netting.

Moments later Sweden threatened, Mikael Lustig making ground down the right and crossing for Johan Elmander to poke an ungainly shot wide of the far post. After which Sweden could draw succour from the fact Ibrahimovic at least was unlikely to be fazed by Portugal's early command of possession. He is a player who comes to life in bursts, in those "flashbulb moments" where suddenly an opportunity presents itself, to be taken in a burst of high-speed Zlatan. It was his lovely ghosting dummy after 20 minutes that might have allowed Sebastian Larsson to open the scoring, but his shot was palmed away by Rui Patricio.

After which there was a sense of more cautious rhythms asserting themselves. Both teams looked nervous, with Portugal playing patiently, even ponderously, around the halfway line. Several times in the first half Ronaldo called for the ball having found space in the centre-forward position, but had to turn and wait while his three-man midfield stitched its sideways patterns. Portugal can frustrate even their captain. Sweden, with Alexander Kacaniklic increasingly lively on the left, will have been the happier team with the game goalless at half-time.

Sweden were still cautious after the break, continuing in a rigid 4-4-2 with Ibrahimovic roaming ahead of the dogged Elmander. Portugal, though, should have scored almost immediately, Postiga and Moutinho failing to bundle the ball into the net after a melee in the Swedish goalmouth caused by a spectacular air-hack by Martin Olsson. With 10 minutes of the half gone the first concerted whistles could be heard as Isaksson lingered over a free-kick, but really there was no need to waste time. Nobody out there looked in much of a hurry.

With the first Mexican wave of the night brewing, Portugal began to find some incision on the right as Ronaldo linked with Moutinho, a neat and purposeful presence throughout in midfield. A nice combination between Moutinho and Nani on the hour put João Pereira in on the right but his cutback towards Ronaldo was hacked clear by the telescopic leg of Mikael Antonsson. Sweden struggled for long periods to hold on to the ball, with Isaksson repeatedly kicking long for Ibrahimovic to battle fruitlessly with the centre-backs. It was by now all growing rather turgid, the widely trumpeted collision of attacking greats congealing into a contest dominated by a dogged supporting cast, with Ronaldo's most notable contribution of the middle period of the match his successful attempt to throw a stray paper aeroplane back into the crowd (low arm, perfect technique).

As it remained right up until the moment he scored the winner. It was in its way typical Ronaldo –typical of a player who is nothing if not relentless, and typical of his night which featured at least half a dozen of his trademark dizzying leaps in the six-yard box. Finally, in the 82nd minute, the ball was crossed with some accuracy, Miguel Veloso finding Ronaldo in front of goal ahead of his marker. His header was unanswerably powerful. As the Estádio da Luz erupted he might have had another moments later, this time heading against the bar.

On a night of few chances Ronaldo's supreme incision made the difference, but the tie remains finely balanced ahead of Tuesday's return in Stockholm when Sweden and Ibrahimovic will surely not be so meek.

Barney Ronay

Adam Lallana's England sparkle puts Jay Rodriguez in the shade

Posted: 15 Nov 2013 02:21 PM PST

Southampton's debutants both worked hard against Chile but only one did enough to suggest he could go to the World Cup

Roy Hodgson is clearly not a man to do things by halves, and when he said that the Southampton pair of Adam Lallana and Jay Rodriguez would feature at some point, what he meant was that he would give them both a starting debut. Together with Fraser Forster in goal that made for three debutants all told, and no one can accuse Hodgson of not learning anything from friendlies or only looking at players in the Champions League bracket.

Wearing number nine but playing on the right, Lallana was responsible for the free kick from which Phil Jones brought the first save of the game from Claudio Bravo, then had a chance to equalise shortly after Chile took the lead with a typically clever goal on the counter. Again Bravo made a save, though Lallana will feel he should have made more of the opportunity even if a touch from the covering defender did take some of the sting out of the shot. Rodriguez was not as involved on the left until coming inside in search of the ball he found himself the only England forward in the box when James Milner sent over a terrific cross from the right corner flag, Bravo intercepting just in time.

Not everyone can make a debut as impeccable as Andros Townsend's, even when playing in the same position, and in giving the ball away at a corner when a pass intended for Glen Johnson went straight to the opposition, Lallana had a Wembley moment he would prefer to forget. It did not stop him from taking the next one, however, or from popping up on the left wing midway through the first half to help create a half chance for Jack Wilshere.

Covering quite a bit of ground in his first game for England, Lallana tracked back to his own goalline to make the tackle on Eugenio Mena and concede the corner that led to Gary Medel heading narrowly over the bar. At times playing alongside Johnson, Lallana was nothing if not industrious.

Rodriguez also tracked back well, breaking up a Chile attack just before the interval and quickly moving the ball on to Wilshere in a more forward position, only to be disappointed when the Arsenal player uncharacteristically misdirected his return pass. While Hodgson must have been hoping to see more of his wide players in attacking situations, Chile were organised and unflustered at the back, and even less inclined to leave gaps or push too many men forward once they were in the lead. It was England who frequently looked likely to make that mistake, though they finally managed an incisive move on the stroke of half-time and should have equalised when Wayne Rooney's lay off left Lallana a shooting chance. Once again he allowed a defender, on this occasion Mena, to get a decisive touch, so that his shot towards Bravo's far corner went the wrong side of the post and out for a corner. Lallana is hardly in the side for his finishing, but he had his side's best two chances of the first half and failed to work the goalkeeper with either.

At least he could console himself that he was far busier than Rodriguez, who was not only finding the game passing him by but actually seemed to be stifling Leighton Baines's attacking instincts out on the left. Certainly the Everton full-back was quieter than he has been of late, though Chile, in fairness, were not only keeping him defensively occupied but refusing to offer space for Baines to run into.

Hodgson resisted the temptation to make changes at the interval, and might have been rewarded when Rooney broke clear early in the second half and attempted a cutback for Lallana instead of a shot from a narrow angle, only to see Marcos González cut out the pass. Rooney and Lallana combined again to force a corner shortly afterwards, a set piece that this time the experienced Baines wasted by passing straight to a red shirt. Perhaps Lallana allowed himself a little smile at that. Allowing for the fact that Chile were skilful and committed opponents, his was quite an encouraging debut. Lallana ran with confidence, demonstrated an appetite for work and even showed signs of forming a promising partnership with Rooney.

Poor Rodriguez, withdrawn after almost an hour for Townsend,was unable to make any sort of impression on the game and must be wondering whether he will be afforded another chance before the World Cup. There are only two more England friendlies after all, and Hodgson will be wanting his A team out in the next match against Germany. That will probably include Townsend, who as Rodriguez must have noted ruefully, not only earned an almighty cheer when he took the field but made a tight turn followed by a surging run with virtually his first touch of the ball to set up an England free kick on the edge of the area. Nothing came of it, but it was more than Rodriguez had managed all night.

Paul Wilson

Ukraine 2-0 France

Posted: 15 Nov 2013 02:20 PM PST

World Cup play-off: Laurent Koscielny was sent off and gave away a penalty as France face an uphill task to qualify

Rep of Ireland 3-0 Latvia

Posted: 15 Nov 2013 02:18 PM PST

Martin O'Neill had claimed his honeymoon period as Republic of Ireland manager would last 10 minutes but only Paolo Di Canio will concur with that harsh assessment. The marriage remains blissful after an impressive international debut produced a convincing defeat of Latvia.

There was a pat on the back for Roy Keane and handshakes all round from the new Ireland manager following a seamless introduction to the international stage. It was a far cry from the unseemly war of words with his predecessor as Sunderland manager, who had thrown the charlatan accusation back at O'Neill ahead of a dominant Ireland performance, a 62nd international goal for Robbie Keane and two fine goals from Aiden McGeady and Shane Long. The appointment of an assistant manager can rarely have generated such fascination, debate and psychological assessment as Keane's Ireland return.

There were still swathes of empty green seats around the stadium but the gate was double what would have been expected for the visit of a team ranked 117th in the world, thanks to the new arrivals in the dugout. The weariness that Giovanni Trapattoni's reign induced in the support has given way to renewed interest.

T-shirts with the fitting slogan of Bad Cop (O'Neill) and Bad Bad Cop (Keane) were on sale on the roads outside and a swarm of photographers focused on the tunnel before kick-off. They were not waiting for the team. O'Neill came out alone and into a rousing reception. Keane slipped out with the rest of the coaching staff. All eyes were trained on the bench rather than the first selection of the O'Neill era, in which Wes Hoolahan started behind Robbie Keane in a 4-4-1-1 formation. James McClean, the manager's former charge at Sunderland, and McGeady, his former player at Celtic, hugged the wings when Ireland had possession and tucked inside when it was lost. Their movement was essential to stretch a five-man Latvian defence and McClean in particular enjoyed a productive evening, his performance reminiscent of the rich promise he initially showed at the Stadium of Light.

With James McCarthy granted the freedom of central midfield to dictate the flow and pace of the game, Ireland assumed immediate control. The Everton midfielder was unfortunate not to launch O'Neill's reign in style in the second minute when, from a McGeady free-kick, he sent a clean volley towards Andris Vanins's goal, only for the ball to cannon off John O'Shea. Set-pieces were to prove fruitful for the Republic of Ireland.

Vanins escaped any punishment when he carried the ball outside his penalty area. From the resulting free-kick McGeady caught the Latvia defence off-guard with a short pass to Hoolahan, who swept the ball across to Keane in front of goal. A remarkable 62nd goal in 131 international appearances beckoned for the LA Galaxy striker but, from six yards out, he shot tamely straight at the keeper. It did not take long to make amends.

Keane found himself in a similar place, the right place, when McGeady's corner was flicked on at the near post by McClean. The 33-year-old read the Wigan midfielder's intentions perfectly and stepped away from marker Nauris Bulvitis to flick a close range volley beyond Vanins.

Having announced his intentions to play on until "my legs are gone" on the eve of the game, Keane's finish was a timely reminder of the predatory instincts that few others in the Ireland squad possess. He almost produced goal number 63 from Ireland's next attack but Vanins reacted well to push away the striker's low shot from 18 yards.

O'Shea and McClean also had decent chances to reflect the home side's superiority in the scoreline before the break. Latvia posed a little threat after the interval and that in itself was a vast improvement on their first-half showing but Ireland were always comfortable. A flowing move should have doubled the lead when it released Seamus Coleman down the right and the full-back cut inside to unleash a powerful left-foot shot that appeared to strike Hoolahan's hand. The Swedish referee waved play on, the Norwich City forward picked out the unmarked McClean six yards out but the midfielder skied a clear opening. Ireland's assistant manager gave only a rueful smile on the touchline when the Keane glare might have been expected.

The Irish bench were back on their feet in celebration when McGeady made the game safe with a superb finish midway through the second half. Collecting a careless pass across midfield from Juris Laizans, who in fairness was pressed well by Glenn Whelan, the Spartak Moscow winger had only one thing in mind as he bore down on goal. An emphatic low drive into the bottom corner from 25 yards was the result, and demonstrated McGeady should have a better return than three goals in 62 appearances for his country. Not that Ireland are in the mood to be churlish.

Their third goal was equally impressive, albeit from a collective standpoint. Substitute Jon Walters sent Coleman scurrying away on the right, the Everton defender timed his run to perfection and his first-time cross was turned in at the back post by Long.

Andy Hunter

England 0-2 Chile

Posted: 15 Nov 2013 02:15 PM PST

For Roy Hodgson, at least there is the consolation that something good might have come out of a disappointing night. England's manager will not have enjoyed relinquishing an unbeaten run that had stretched back a year and a day, but the purpose of this fixture was always to learn more about his squad and on that basis there was plenty to occupy his thoughts.

Unfortunately for Jay Rodriguez the first part of that learning process is that the debutant may not have the strength of personality just yet to belong to this level. Adam Lallana, his Southampton colleague, had a more productive evening whereas the applause for Rodriguez carried an almost sympathetic tone when he was substituted 12 minutes into the second half. From here he might need to be in blistering form for the remainder of the season to stand any chance of making the cut for Brazil.

Fraser Forster had a reasonable, though not flawless, night in place of Joe Hart but England overall had a slightly dishevelled look once Alexis Sánchez had headed in his first goal after seven minutes and it culminated in a horrible mistake from Gary Cahill as the same player made sure of the win in stoppage-time. The first "oles" from the Chile supporters had started 15 minutes from the end and, for all that the night was about experimentation, Hodgson cannot be satisfied when his team had looked so ordinary, booed off only a month after qualifying for next summer's World Cup.

More than anything there was a reminder about what can happen when there are even the slightest lapses of concentration against the type of accomplished opponent that will be encountered in the World Cup. Sánchez is in that mould and the Barcelona player was just that little bit quicker than Leighton Baines with his anticipation when Eugenio Mena put over the cross for the goal. That split-second was crucial. Sánchez had managed to get marginally in front of his opponent and his header was expertly taken. Baines, for all his undoubted quality, was just that fraction too slow.

Hodgson might have been equally disappointed with England's initial response to the goal. These were the moments, perhaps, when the team missed the influence of their captain Steven Gerrard, who was injured for this contest but is likely to return for Tuesday's visit of Germany to this stadium.

At one point Hodgson appeared on the touchline gesticulating for his players to move their defensive line higher up the pitch. Forster rolled the ball to Phil Jones on the edge of his penalty area and Hodgson's displeasure manifested itself in some frantic waving of his arms.

England had actually begun the game brightly, with Jack Wilshere showing enterprise just behind Wayne Rooney and enough ambition in the team for James Milner and Frank Lampard to push forward from their holding positions. Jones's header, from Lampard's free-kick, was heading for the top corner until Claudio Bravo, Chile's goalkeeper, clawed the effort away, and a dangerous cross from Milner almost saw one of the centre-halves, Marcos González, turn the ball into his own net.

Yet it is always alarming when the opposition score with their first meaningful attack. Mauricio Isla, the right-back, surged up the wing and crossed for Eduardo Vargas, running behind Jones and Gary Cahill. Charles Aránguiz blasted Vargas's lay-off straight at Cahill, but England never fully cleared the danger and the ball was worked out to Chile's left. Mena sent over his cross and Sánchez's header was directed into the turf and inside the near post.

Chile, 12th in Fifa's world rankings, were buoyed by the goal, knocking the ball around confidently and showing some lovely refinement at times. Jean Beausejour had a wonderful chance just after the half-hour mark, running clear after Sánchez had combined with the impressive Aránguiz, but his first touch was a little heavy and Forster did enough to put him off.

Wilshere had tested Bravo shortly before with a firecracker of a shot but it is never a good sign when Rooney starts to lose his temper and the striker was jabbering away at one of the linesmen, as well as his own team-mates, before half-time.

Lallana had been prominently involved on the right, unfortunate maybe that one effort late in the half flicked off a defender and out for a corner, but Jay Rodriguez was lacking the assurance that he has shown at Southampton so far this season. One shot was trundled half-heartedly at Bravo, another pass went straight out for a throw-in.

The truth is Rooney was hardly illuminating Wembley himself. Chile were making better use of the ball and, though no blame could be apportioned to Forster for the goal, Hodgson will have noted the occasions when Hart's replacement committed small but noticeable errors. Twice the Celtic goalkeeper knocked the ball straight out in front of him, rather than turning it to the sides. On both occasions he was fortunate there was not a Chile player to make him pay for it.

Gonzalo Jara, the Nottingham Forest player, was fortunate to avoid a red card after thrusting his head into Chris Smalling, another substitute, during the second half. Yet the most surprising part of that little flashpoint was that it came out of nowhere.

Chile had been holding on to their lead with relative comfort. The "oles" started soon afterwards and then Sanchez was running clear, capitalising on Cahill's loose pass, to chip the ball over Forster for his second goal of the night.

Daniel Taylor

Iceland 0-0 Croatia | World Cup play-off match report

Posted: 15 Nov 2013 02:08 PM PST

Iceland held on for the last 40 minutes with 10 men for a 0-0 draw against Croatia in Reykjavik that keeps their hopes of World Cup qualification alive.

The home side, who with a population of around 320,000 are looking to become the least populous country ever to play at a World Cup, had Olafur Skulason sent off five minutes into the second half after a tangle with Ivan Perisic when the Croatian was through on goal.

It was the second blow for Lars Lagerback's team, who also had to replace the injured Ajax striker Kolbeinn Sigthorsson just before the break. But they held on for a draw which gives them reason for optimism going into the second leg in Zagreb on Tuesday.

Lagerback praised the bravery of his team but was less than complimentary about the Spanish referee Alberto Undiano. "The players did a fantastic job but the referee didn't have his best day," Lagerback told RUV television. "I'm not satisfied. Someone watched the replay on TV and they said it [the red card] was very, very questionable, but it wasn't just that. In many situations the referee didn't know if he should blow or not.

"To defend for almost 45 minutes with one less man on the pitch … I can't describe in words what these players have done."

Croatia went close early on through Luka Modric but Sigthorsson and strike partner Alfred Finnbogason also spurned excellent chances for Iceland in the first 10 minutes.

Eidur Gudjohnsen came on to replace the injured Sigthorsson up front but the former Barcelona and Chelsea striker then had to drop into midfield when Skulason was sent off.

Croatia's second-half passing was mesmerising at times and Iceland, roared on by a sellout crowd, had to throw themselves into a series of challenges to thwart their more skilful opponents.

Perisic was always in the thick of the action for Croatia and came close to breaking the deadlock when his shot flashed just wide in the 83rd minute.

Scotland 0-0 USA

Posted: 15 Nov 2013 02:01 PM PST

International friendly: Scotland were held to a goalless draw in a dour match at Hampden Park

Paolo Bandini

Shola Ameobi on brink of World Cup after swapping England for Nigeria

Posted: 15 Nov 2013 02:00 PM PST

The striker's switch to nation of his birth leaves him on verge of the 2014 finals in Brazil, with only Ethiopia standing in the way

It is late March 2001 and, inside a country house hotel just outside Leeds, Howard Wilkinson looks anxious. England's Under-21 manager plans to give Shola Ameobi his international debut against Finland at Barnsley the following evening but the news from Lagos hints at a potential hitch.

"I'm worried the Nigerians are going to kidnap Shola," says Wilkinson, only half joking. "They want him to play for them." In the end, England's team bus was not waylaid en route to Oakwell, the businessman of west African appearance spotted checking into the hotel had nothing to do with football and no international calls from the country of Ameobi's birth were put through to his room but Nigeria's interest in Newcastle United's dual national striker remained real.

Twelve years on, at the grand old age of 32, he is currently in Calabar, south-eastern Nigeria, as part of Stephen Keshi's squad, which faces Ethiopia in the second leg of a World Cup play-off qualifier on Saturday. Leading 2-1 from last month's first leg in Addis Ababa, Nigeria are poised to reach their fifth World Cup finals and Keshi has made it clear Ameobi is integral to his plans.

"It's been a dream this late in my career, it's almost surreal," says the striker, who won his first of four Nigeria caps last year. "It's not something I thought would happen, so to be given the chance to do something I cherish, to represent the country of my birth and to try and help Nigeria reach the World Cup finals is really exciting. It's great to have the opportunity to see a different environment, to experience something totally different."

These days, surrounded by acacias, jacarandas and oleanders and with Calabar's 28C heat warming his back, Wilkinson's West Yorkshire training camp seems like another world.

When the then England Under-21 coach introduced Ameobi from Oakwell's bench he responded by scoring twice in a 4-0 win against the Finns, collecting the first of 20 under-21 caps. At the time, the forward was fully immersed in life on Tyneside and not overly keen on revisiting his roots in Zaria, northern Nigeria, from where his family emigrated to Newcastle when he was five.

Yet as the years passed, things changed. It was not only that, despite some extravagant praise from Sven Goran-Eriksson, no senior call-up came; almost imperceptibly, Alan Shearer's long-standing understudy developed a fascination with Nigeria.

Having recovered from career-saving hip surgery in Colorado, he finally received Fifa clearance to switch international allegiance – his brother Sammy, who was born in England and is also at Newcastle, played for Nigeria Under-20s then England Under-21s – but things hit a snag last January when Shola had to withdraw from the Super Eagles squad bound for South Africa and imminent Africa Cup of Nations glory because of a gentleman's agreement with Newcastle.

"When I signed my last contract I basically gave Newcastle my word that I would miss the Africa Cup of Nations," reveals Ameobi. "They didn't want me to go. I was disappointed not to play in it but I am a man of my word and I had to stand by what I'd said but I only gave my word about the African Nations, nothing else and everything is fine now.

"Possibly playing in a World Cup finals is not something I thought was going to happen to me. I always thought I'd be sat in a bar watching the next one but I might play in Brazil now. At my age, it's refreshing to have that chance, so I'll be doing everything I can to get there."

Already he has edged in front of Senegal's Papiss Cissé in the pecking order at St James' Park. "Playing at the highest level is all I've ever wanted to do but I thought my chance to play international football had gone," says Ameobi. "It's great that Stephen Keshi has recognised what I can bring to the squad.

"Most of my family still live in Nigeria and this is something my dad has wanted me to do for a long time. He's delighted I've been given this opportunity. I have one foot in the door now and, hopefully, I can keep it open. I'm really excited."

Louise Taylor

England 0-2 Chile

Posted: 15 Nov 2013 01:55 PM PST

International friendly: Alexis Sánchez scored twice as England slumped to defeat at Wembley

Scott Murray

Portugal 1-0 Sweden

Posted: 15 Nov 2013 01:36 PM PST

World Cup play-off Cristiano Ronaldo scored in the 82nd minute as Portugal got their noses ahead in the first leg

Paul Doyle

Iceland 0-0 Croatia

Posted: 15 Nov 2013 12:54 PM PST

World Cup play-off: Iceland hung on to earn a draw despite being reduced to 10 men against Croatia

England v Chile at Wembley - in pictures

Posted: 15 Nov 2013 12:33 PM PST

As England field three international first timers in the form of Fraser Forster, Adam Lallana and Jay Rodriguez, we bring you the best images from Wembley

Ibrahimovic v Ronaldo as Sweden take on Portugal – in pictures

Posted: 15 Nov 2013 12:17 PM PST

It's Cristiano Ronaldo v Zlatan Ibrahimovic as two of the best players in the world go head to head. We bring you the best images live from the Estadio da Luz

Iain Dowie tipped for Crystal Palace return in place of Ian Holloway

Posted: 15 Nov 2013 11:26 AM PST

• Favourite for post despite controversial 2006 departure
• Dan Petrescu and Tony Pulis also on shortlist

Crystal Palace's protracted pursuit of a successor for Ian Holloway appears finally to be nearing a conclusion, with the south London club addressing a three-man shortlist comprising their former manager Iain Dowie, Dynamo Moscow's Dan Petrescu and Tony Pulis.

It is more than three weeks since Holloway tendered his resignation and the side, having picked up a solitary point since, find themselves cut adrift at the foot of the Premier League, six points from safety. The Palace hierarchy, led by the co-chairman Steve Parish, have sounded out a few prospective candidates in that time, as well as conducting formal interviews, and a final decision is to be made over the weekend.

Dowie, 48, is favourite to take up the position, even if his candidacy is controversial given the acrimonious nature of his departure from the club in 2006, after two and a half years in charge following a Championship play-off defeat by Watford. The Palace owner at the time, Simon Jordan, accepted his manager's resignation in the belief that Dowie, whose family were living in the north-west, wanted to return north, only for him to be appointed at Charlton Athletic a few days later. That prompted a lawsuit lodged against the manager, which culminated in Dowie reaching an out-of-court settlement with Jordan in 2008. His managerial career has arguably never recovered.

Having been sacked at The Valley after 15 games, Dowie has had unsuccessful spells with Coventry, QPR, Hull and as part of Newcastle's backroom staff under Alan Shearer. He has not worked at a club since leaving Hull in 2010.

Yet he represents the simplest – and, admittedly, the cheapest – option for Palace, who would offer him terms initially until the end of the season in the hope he can have an instant impact on the side, as he did in 2003 when he took Palace from the relegation places to promotion in six months. The former Northern Ireland international is eager to return to top-level management at the club, for whom he played in the Premier League.

A final decision will be taken before next week, with a view to making an appointment for the visit to Hull next Saturday. Petrescu, arguably a more progressive appointment, has interviewed impressively but is under contract at Dynamo and compensation would need to be paid. to the Russian club to release him That could amount to up to £2m, for all that the former Sheffield Wednesday and Chelsea defender is keen to work in London, where his daughter is at school.

Pulis, too, is a complicated option given he was earning a far heftier salary in his last role, at Stoke City, than would normally be on offer at Selhurst Park. The Welshman was interviewed early in the process having been recommended by Holloway, who had restored the club to the Premier League after a nine-year absence, but it is understood no one, as yet, has formally been offered the role.

Other candidates consulted included Chris Coleman, who signed a new contract with Wales this week, and the former Real Madrid No2 Aitor Karanka, who has since joined Middlesbrough. Martin O'Neill was also interviewed but is now coaching the Republic of Ireland.

Dominic Fifield

Rep of Ireland v Latvia – live!

Posted: 15 Nov 2013 11:22 AM PST

Match centre: How will Martin O'Neill and Roy Keane get on in their first match in charge of the Republic? Find out here

Ten managers at risk, with Martin Jol, Dave Jones – and José Mourinho | Paul Doyle and Barry Glendenning

Posted: 15 Nov 2013 10:45 AM PST

From Chelsea to Northampton Town at the bottom of League Two results over the next few games will be vital for coaches under pressure

1 Martin Jol Fulham

For the moment Fulham's owner, Shahid Kahn, is determined to support rather than sack Martin Jol despite the manager's decreasing popularity with fans. This week, on Jol's recommendation, Fulham appointed René Meulensteen as head coach in an effort to help stimulate improvement in a team who are conceding goals at an alarming rate and have won just one home Premier League match in seven months.

Jol is a manager who has always liked to err on the side of adventure but too often this season his side have seemed lopsided and lethargic, making them easy prey for more dynamic and coherent opponents. The undoubted flair of players such as Dimitar Berbatov, Pajtim Kasami, Bryan Ruiz and Ashkan Dejagah is being dulled by persistent slovenliness. Jol insists he can lead the team into the top half of the table but the longer they remain in the relegation zone, the less likely that looks.

2 Malky Mackay Cardiff City

The Scot has guided Cardiff City to the top flight for the first time in more than half a century and they do not look out of place, registering memorable wins over Manchester City and Swansea City. But that has not been enough to convince the club's capricious owner, Vincent Tan, to leave well alone. Last month Tan ousted Iain Moody, the head of recruitment with whom Mackay enjoyed a strong working relationship, and replaced him with the 23-year-old Alisher Apsalyamov, a friend of the owner's son. Publicly Mackay says he is determined to continue as Cardiff manager, but further impositions from his employer could lead to him leaving. There would be no shortage of clubs willing to offer him a more stable home.

3 José Mourinho Chelsea

He may just have returned to Stamford Bridge but stability has never been a strong point of Chelsea or Mourinho and a parting of the ways is not hard to envisage. The Portuguese described himself as "The Happy One" before the season began but since then his mood has darkened as Chelsea have failed to catch fire. Mourinho has lost his untouchable status among fans, many of whom are puzzled by some of his decisions – such as his reluctance to trust Juan Mata – and disappointed by his failure to foster real flair. The manager, in turn, has criticised the low-key atmosphere at Stamford Bridge and the poor performances of many of his players, including erstwhile stalwarts such as Ashley Cole. It is not yet clear whether Mourinho is employing much-needed shock therapy or just making things more difficult than necessary.

4 Sam Allardyce West Ham

Big Sam may be ruing the lengthy solo he blew on his own trumpet in the wake of West Ham's surprisingly emphatic victory over Tottenham. His side have since secured just two points from 12 and are staying out of the relegation zone only on goal difference. "I don't want to finish on Saturday and be below Norwich City because then the pressure reverts on to me," said Allardyce before a match Norwich duly came from behind to win and leave the Hammers manager dangling over the metaphorical bacon slicer.

For now, Allardyce can probably count on the support of co-chairmen who are often happy to indulge struggling managers. But fixtures against Chelsea, Fulham and Crystal Palace, and then Liverpool, may well decide his fate.

5 Chris Hughton Norwich

A very nice guy he may be, but in the stands at Carrow Road patience with Chris Hughton has long been wearing thin. Norwich City fans are divided among "pant-wetters" and "happy-clappers" – with the former wishing to see their manager sacked, while the latter retain faith in his ability to turn things round. He may well have done; a nicely timed pre-international break victory over West Ham took the Canaries out of the relegation zone and will swell the ranks of the happy and clapping. But there is an ongoing sense among fans that Hughton's tactics are too conservative and dull. While the majority shareholder, Delia Smith, has said she would like Hughton to stay for 10 years, another boardroom executive ominously claimed football is "a results business". That was before last Saturday's victory, so Hughton should be safe … for now.

6 Dave Jones Sheffield Wed

Third from bottom of the second tier with one win and eight draws from 14 league matches this season, Sheffield Wednesday recently looked to have turned the corner and started earning the points their manager Dave Jones claimed their performances deserved with a coupon-busting 5-2 thrashing of Reading. In their next outing it was back to business as usual, however, with a 3-0 hiding at Derby County leaving Jones "as angry as I have been in a long time" because "Derby didn't have to earn it, we gave it to them". With their penchant for throwing away points from winning positions, Wednesday's nadir was gifting a point to 10-man Yeovil at Hillsborough in September. Things have not improved in the interim and the natives are increasingly restless. The club's owner, Milan Mandaric, must be considering the future of a manager who has famously faced much greater challenges than this.

7 Ronnie Moore Tranmere

Unlikely table-toppers for a good stretch of last season, Tranmere's form went into something of a tailspin at the beginning of February, once they had lost several loan players who helped them scale such dizzy heights. The Prenton Park team lost 12 of their final 17 matches, with just one point taken from the final 18 available, meaning they finished mid-table and not within touch of even the play-offs.

In this campaign, Ronnie Moore's men have picked up where they left off last season and sit fourth from bottom of the table with 13 points from 15 games. Any sensible observer could argue the club batted far above their average last season, considering their very meagre resources. Last weekend's FA Cup first-round win over Accrington Stanley may temporarily ease the pressure on Moore, who is in his second spell in charge of the club he represented 324 times as a player.

8 Aidy Boothroyd Northampton

Once the golden boy of domestic football management who was spoken of as a pioneer and future England manager, Aidy Boothroyd's stock has plummeted since his days managing Watford in the Premier League. Northampton are anchored to the bottom of League Two with just two wins and a whopping nine defeats from 15 matches, and a less tolerant chairman would almost certainly have shown Boothroyd the door by now. But while David Cardoza described his team's efforts this season as "way short", he added: "I'm not going to be throwing [Boothroyd] and his staff under the bus." Plenty of football managers have been handed their P45s shortly after receiving more ringing endorsements from their employer, and despite describing Cardoza as "very understanding and patient", Boothroyd has made no secret of his own worries. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't concerned," he said last week. "I've been in management for eight or nine years and I've been sacked twice."

9 Sean O'Driscoll Bristol City

The Bristol City manager walked out of a press conference last month when asked whether he felt like carrying on after a defeat by Brentford extended the club's winless run to 21 matches. His team have given a more effective reply, winning three of their four matches since then, but O'Driscoll remains in a difficult position. He was appointed in January, when the club were bottom of the Championship, and was unable to stop relegation to League One before being forced into an austerity drive.

Now, with the club at risk of dropping another level – only goal difference is keeping them out of the relegation zone – he has to make further sacrifices, indicating this week that the indebted club will probably have to sell their top-scorer Jay Emmanuel-Thomas in January. In the circumstances it makes sense to wonder whether anyone could do a better job than O'Driscoll, but unless the recent upswing in results continues, the club may decide to try and find out.

10 John Sheridan Plymouth

Plymouth fans have been bemoaning their team's woeful home form for years and Sheridan's failure to improve it since arriving in January means he is under serious pressure. The team have scored only four goals in eight home matches this season and only 10 in 15 matches overall, leaving them lower in League Two than several clubs with much smaller budgets. Last-minute winning goals in each of their last two matches have prolonged Sheridan's reign and the manager needs that positive trend to continue.

Barry Glendenning

Paul Doyle

Greece v Romania – live video stream

Posted: 15 Nov 2013 10:25 AM PST

Watch live coverage of the World Cup play-off first leg in Athens on an embedded YouTube video channel

Greece go into the first leg at Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium in Athens full of confidence, having won their last six games without conceding a goal. Romania haven't appeared at a World Cup finals since 1998.

• Warning: this stream may be geoblocked

Iceland v Croatia - live World Cup play-off video stream

Posted: 15 Nov 2013 10:05 AM PST

Watch live coverage of the World Cup play-off first leg in Reykjavik on an embedded YouTube video channel

If Lars Lagerback's Iceland can beat Croatia in the World Cup qualifying play-offs, they will have the smallest population ever for a nation to compete at the finals. Croatia's manager, Niko Kovac, insists that, despite his team being the favourites to qualify, Iceland will also be under a huge amount of pressure over the two legs.

• Warning: this stream may be geoblocked

Fans unhappy over Coleman, admits Wales FA

Posted: 15 Nov 2013 09:12 AM PST

• Coleman's contract extension not universally popular
• FAW believes Wales manager deserves more time

The Football Association of Wales president, Trefor Lloyd Hughes, admits some Wales fans have made clear their disappointment at the news of Chris Coleman's new contract.

Coleman has signed a two-year extension to remain in charge of Wales for the Euro 2016 qualifying campaign, ending recent speculation about his future.

But the move has not proved universally popular with fans of the Dragons, and sections of support had chanted "Coleman out" during recent home games against Serbia and Macedonia.

The FAW feels Coleman is deserving of another chance having taken the job in awful circumstances after the death of Gary Speed, and having never had a fully-fit squad to pick from during his reign.

Hughes was honest enough to acknowledge that some fans are not enamoured of the decision, but asked them to back the team, while bizarrely citing his own apparent dislike of the Chelsea manager José Mourinho.

He said: "I believe in a team effort. The supporters are as much a part of this team as you in the media are. We want the team to move forward.

"I have had some emails last night, and I reply to every email I get from any supporter, and I will be honest and say to you straight that yes, there are bound to be some people against him [Coleman], and no doubt there are people against me, but you have to accept that, that's the job you are in.

"Am I happy with José Mourinho? I don't go on Twitter and Facebook or to the press to say I don't. Unofficially, I am not very keen on him, but that's my personal view."

Coleman, for his part, insisted he has been unconcerned by the flak that has been directed at him. "There was so much criticism coming may way, and our way as an FA, after we lost two games in September [against Serbia and Macedonia]. But it gave me a chance to sit back and look at it from a managerial point of view and ask myself questions," he said.

"Knowing what I know from the previous two years, the difficulties and expectations, can I manage that? Am I good enough to effect winning games if we don't have our strongest squad?

"Do I want that kind of pressure with people not being realistic in terms of the results we should be getting with the team we have got?

"It gave me enough time to look at it and know when we have a stronger squad we are a good team, and we played Macedonia and Belgium without 15 or 16 injured players, which is unbelievable, and we have a fantastic camp.

"That was the carrot dangling in front of my face. On the one hand it is so difficult if you have not got the players you want and need, and on the other hand if you have everyone regularly we have a good chance [of qualifying]."

Taylor may be charged over tweet

Posted: 15 Nov 2013 09:03 AM PST

• Newcastle defender set to be fined by club for ill-judged joke
• Publishes photo showing several black stereotypes

Steven Taylor could be charged by the Football Association and fined by Newcastle United after posting a desperately ill-judged picture on Twitter apparently mocking four black team-mates.

Taylor was quick to apologise for his response to a message from Massadio Haïdara, who teased him about his attempts to learn French, and is understood to feel remorseful about a tweet taken in good humour by his black colleagues Papiss Cissé, Vurnon Anita, Moussa Sissoko and Haïdara, but which can be construed as crudely racist.

Retorting to Haïdara's dismissal of his linguistic skills, the centre-half wrote: "It's always good to see you guys smiling" and attached a picture depicting four black faces. One was an actual picture of Anita, the others of individuals wearing a black mask while displaying bright white teeth, what appeared to be an afro wig, and perhaps African tribal clothes.

Although Taylor took the tweet down almost immediately and Haïdara swiftly posted the message. "It's just bander (sic) with Papiss, Massi, Vurn and me. He joke with me 2 minutes before," it provoked some angry responses and went viral on supporter websites.

Taylor wrote another message saying: "Apologies if my tweet offended anybody." He then said sorry to Newcastle and expressed his regret for a thoughtless act meant as a private joke between good friends which was never intended to be racist.

The governing body has contacted Newcastle to ask for the player's explanation. While the FA has given Taylor until Wednesday to respond before deciding on any possible charge, the defender's swift apology and any potential citing of ignorance may prove an inadequate defence.

An extremely popular member of Alan Pardew's squad, Taylor is known as one of the dressing-room practical jokers, and club officials have been reassured no one in the squad has taken offence over Friday's tweet.

They are, however, aware the former England Under-21 international – who was called into Roy Hodgson's senior squad for March's World Cup qualifier against San Marino – can be prone to sometimes speaking – or tweeting – before thinking and will duly sit Taylor down for a longer chat next week to remind him of his responsibilities.

Newcastle have strict social media guidelines and, after reiterating the need to set an example to the wider community on issues such as racism, are expected to tell Taylor that, at 27, he needs to exhibit more maturity. It would be a surprise if he were not fined.

t is perhaps ironic that the defender, close to returning to first-team action following a hamstring injury, had volunteered to represent Newcastle at a multi-ethnic commuity event on Friday evening. Despite his idiotic tweet, anyone who has seen Taylor bonding with supporters of all colours, ages and sizes during previous charity functions will be unlikely to judge him too harshly.

Rio Ferdinand was fined £45,000 by the FA last year for using the term "choc ice" on the social media site. When contacted by the Guardian, Kick It Out, the body that challenges discrimination within football, said it was "aware" of the incident and would continue to monitor the situation.

It is understood KIO had noted Taylor's swift apology and that there appeared to have been no malice intended.

Louise Taylor

Jamie Jackson

Football's managerial merry-go-round continues with nine already in 2013-14

Posted: 15 Nov 2013 09:02 AM PST

The League Managers Association figures for last season show an average tenure for dismissed managers of 1.04 years, a steady rise over seven years

The managerial turnover in England continues apace, with nine coaches across the top four divisions having left their posts this season and more set to follow. In the Premier League speculation surrounds the futures of Martin Jol and Chris Hughton, while in the Championship and below the rate of departure is even higher.

Two managers have left clubs in the top-flight this term, albeit in contrasting style. Paolo Di Canio was sacked by Sunderland on 22 September having only been appointed in March, while Ian Holloway and Crystal Palace parted company last month. Holloway had been in the job less than a year.

The desire of owners and supporters for immediate success, along with the volatile personalities of some individuals within management, combine to make it an unforgiving business. At Blackburn Rovers, under the Venky's regime, there have been five different men in charge during two and a half years and the incumbent, Gary Bowyer, has recently been called to India for discussions with the owners.

There are myriad other examples of clubs where two years in charge is considered a success. In the Premier League, between José Mourinho's departure from Chelsea in 2007 and his return last summer, seven different men were in charge, either on an interim or full-time basis.

The situation as a whole is something the League Managers Association chief executive, Richard Bevan, recently described as "embarrassing". He said: "I'm not sure where the arrogance of football comes from that we don't have to behave like any other industry … the volatility is undermining the profession."

It is an issue that is not merely related to the English game, yet the statistics are damning. Figures released by the LMA following the 2012-13 campaign show that the average tenure for dismissed managers across the top divisions was 1.84 years.

The Championship was the most rife league for comings and goings, with the same figure dropping to 1.04 years in the second tier. In the Premier League that number was 2.81 years, in League One 1.37 years and League Two 2.57 years.

The number of managers sacked each season has risen steadily for the past seven years. Forty-three were dismissed in the league last term, while 20 resigned, compared to 33 and 16 the previous year.

A record 53 managers were sacked during the 2001-2 campaign but there have never been as many resignations across all four divisions as there were last season. The most common month for departures throughout the course of the year is March, as struggling teams look for salvation in the closing stages of the season, in many cases with the threat of looming large.

It is a fairly damning indictment on the industry when only two managers have been at their current club for longer than five years – Arsenal's Arsène Wenger and Paul Tisdale at Exeter City – albeit that number was higher last season before the exits of Sir Alex Ferguson, David Moyes and Tony Pulis. Nigel Clough was approaching the five-year mark until he was sacked by Derby County in September. Clough is now at Sheffield United following the exit of David Weir, who lasted only 13 games.

James Riach