Football news, match reports and fixtures | theguardian.com

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• José Mourinho says European 'holiday' gives Liverpool title advantage
• Lewis Holtby praises Tim Sherwood for steadying the Tottenham ship
• Sam Allardyce wants two signings ready-made for relegation fight
• Lukas Podolski keen to prove himself as Arsenal's natural No9
• André Villas-Boas hints that his next job will not be in England
• Manchester United manager applauds David de Gea's growing influence
• Sunderland's goalkeeper Vito Mannone confident they can avoid relegation
• Memorable moments of 2013: Sir Alex Ferguson's farewell at Old Trafford
• Newcastle's Mike Williamson plays percentage game against Arsenal
• 'Malky Mackay – the greatest manager in Cardiff's history'
• Mark Hughes charged by FA
• Wayne Harrison, former Liverpool and Oldham forward, dies aged 46
• Solskjaer the target after Cardiff City sack Malky Mackay
• FA asks Rodgers for 'observations'
• Cardiff's Vincent Tan will not want for applicants despite his record | Stuart James
• 268. Wojciech Szczesny, Arsenal
• ...here's your Football Weekly podcast
• David Moyes: Manchester United deserved bigger win over Hull City – video
• Malkay Mackay's last press conference as Cardiff City manager – video
• US soccer 2013 review
• Tim Sherwood: Tottenham Hotspur failed to take chances in West Bromwich Albion draw – video
• Melbourne Heart 0-1 Wellington Phoenix | A-League match report
• The world's 100 best footballers 2013: who did we miss from our list?
• Brendan Rodgers: officiating 'horrendous' in Liverpool loss to Manchester City – video
• Manuel Pellegrini on Manchester City's win over Liverpool – video

José Mourinho says European 'holiday' gives Liverpool title advantage Posted: 27 Dec 2013 03:12 PM PST • Reds can plan better with fewer games, says Chelsea coach • Luis Suárez to meet Blues for first time since biting Ivanovic Brendan Rodgers intends to "fight his corner" after being asked by the Football Association to explain his comments about the referee Lee Mason following Liverpool's Boxing Day defeat at Manchester City. The Liverpool manager questioned the decision to appoint Mason because the referee is from the Greater Manchester area and described the officiating as "horrendous". He has until 2 January to provide his observations to the FA. If charged and found guilty Rodgers faces a fine or warning over his conduct. Rodgers insisted on Friday that his remarks were not intended as an attack on Mason's integrity. "I was only speaking honestly after the game," he said. "I think the FA and the Referees' Association know perfectly well I am someone who engages in supporting the referees. I am not one that berates referees at all after games. "In terms of geography I certainly wasn't questioning the integrity of referees. It was more the logic of it in terms of having a referee from that part of the world refereeing a game in Manchester. I wouldn't suspect that Mike Dean, from the Wirral, has refereed many games for Liverpool over the years." Dean was dropped from officiating at the 2006 FA Cup final between Liverpool and West Ham for geographical reasons. Rodgers added: "I think if you look at my record since I have been a manager, I have never had any indiscretions whatsoever. I never get involved in that way of working – I don't play games. I am sure that is something they will look at but I will always fight my corner." Liverpool play at Chelsea on Sunday and José Mourinho believes their José Mourinho believes Liverpool's lighter schedule, devoid as it is of European participation, is akin to a "holiday" and ensures Rodgers' side will mount a sustained and persuasive challenge for the Premier League title. Chelsea play Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on Sunday having edged a point ahead of their visitors on Boxing Day. Mourinho acknowledged the prolific Luis Suárez had been the difference between the sides to date but, while he still considers Manchester City to be favourites to win the championship, he expects the challenge from fourth-placed Liverpool to be maintained. "They can [win the title] because they are good, because Brendan is good, because they have time to prepare the team tactically and because they are not involved in the heat of the knockout situation in the Champions League or even the Europa League," Mourinho said. "My players are going to play 60 matches this season. Liverpool's will play 40 matches. It's a big difference. Quality plus ambition plus this advantage, so yes, they can win it. "City are the big favourites. Arsenal are like us: they play in the Champions League, they are trying to improve on the last few years having not been at the top of the league for a while. And Manchester United, in spite of being a few points behind, have the reality of [what they have achieved in] the last years. Liverpool are on holidays one season: one week to prepare a match, play the match, one more week to prepare the next match. An unbelievable advantage. "Brendan is doing fantastically, but he's training every week in a calm way. Every day – maybe twice a day – which is a big advantage when you build your team. You know how many tactical works I've done since pre-season? Not many. It's easy for a team who do that every week to have some dynamic. Not to be involved in European competition gives them a big advantage: not in terms of resting, but in terms of work." While Rodgers, a former academy and reserve team manager at Chelsea, has impressed Mourinho – "He is one of my best friends in the game" – it is Suárez whom the hosts must stifle. During the striker's last meeting with Chelsea he bit Branislav Ivanovic – an offence that earned him a 10-match ban that extended into the beginning of this season – and scored a late equaliser at Anfield in April. "Iva is a big guy and, when I say 'big guy', I mean big strong heart, big strong personality," said Mourinho when asked about that incident. "He's not a Mickey Mouse player who complains at little things, so this was clearly a big thing, but Iva thinks it's something from the past. Everyone moves on. He's moved on." As has Suárez, who has scored 19 league goals. Chelsea's trio of forwards have managed only five between them. "That's what it is, that's what it is," said Mourinho when it was suggested the Uruguayan has proved the difference. "He has fantastic numbers. He didn't start the season – with suspension – and after that the numbers are fantastic. "But Liverpool started the season without Suárez and managed to win matches without him. When he came back, it was a big plus for them. But let's be fair: Liverpool did very well without him when he was suspended." Chelsea José Mourinho Liverpool Luis Suárez Dominic Fifield theguardian.com © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Lewis Holtby praises Tim Sherwood for steadying the Tottenham ship Posted: 27 Dec 2013 03:00 PM PST • Central midfielder approves of André Villas-Boas's successor • Holtby hopes more attacking style pays off against Stoke Lewis Holtby has praised Tim Sherwood for "calming things down" at Tottenham Hotspur in the wake of André Villas-Boas's dismissal and also expressed his support for the more attack-minded approach that the club's new head coach has vowed to deliver. Sherwood's first game since he was appointed on an 18-month contract ended in a disappointing 1-1 draw at home against West Bromwich Albion on Boxing Day, leaving Spurs five points adrift of the top four and down to eighth place in the table. It was the fourth successive Premier League match that Spurs have failed to win at White Hart Lane and prompted Sherwood to acknowledge that his players need to "be a bit more adventurous around the penalty area" to break teams down. It remains to be seen how patient Spurs fans will be while Sherwood changes the formation and tinkers with the tactics to make the team more expansive but Holtby, who was signed by Villas-Boas a little under 12 months ago, is confident that the players will adapt to the head coach's philosophy and benefit in the long run. "It's always a difficult situation when managers get sacked, especially the manager who brought you in, but you have to be aware of that [possibility]," Holtby said. "That's football and still you have to work hard and put everything into it and show the new gaffer that you are capable of playing and that is what I am trying to do. "We need to give him some time because it's not easy coming into a hectic phase of a club when you have a Christmas period, you don't have much time to train. All credit to him – he has calmed things down. The things he has tried to bring to us, they are really working. "I think he knows the club in and out, he has been here as a player and a manager for the second team. His style of play is a very good idea, he likes to play forward, attacking football. We have the team capable of doing this. It's just a matter of time adapting to that now." Holtby was restored to the starting line-up against Albion and partnered Christian Eriksen in central midfield, after remaining on the bench throughout the 3-2 win over Southampton. Asked what he thought about Sherwood bringing on the 19-year-old debutant Nabil Bentaleb before him at St Mary's, Holtby said: "I am a footballer, I love to play football and I am always a bit shocked if I don't play because I love this game, but still credit to Nabil because he is a fantastic young player. The gaffer knows him so there is no need for me to get angry in situations like now because we are trying to chase European football. "A manager and a player always talk but I am not going to tell you all the details [of the conversation with Sherwood]. We spoke together and he put me on [the pitch against Albion], so the biggest credit for a player is to play and that is what he did today." With Spurs desperate to make up ground on the teams above them and facing a trip to Manchester United on New Year's Day, Sunday's home game against a Stoke City side thrashed 5-1 at Newcastle on Boxing Day looks like a fixture they have to win if they harbour ambitions of finishing in the top four. "If you look at the table, it's still close up to the top points," Holtby said. "You can always have a period where you can win three or four in a row and suddenly you are back in business. It's the middle of the season. "We have to fight. We have a very important game coming up against Stoke. We need to win this game and then I think we have a very good set of points and we can go to Man United hopefully with confidence." Tottenham Hotspur Stuart James theguardian.com © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Sam Allardyce wants two signings ready-made for relegation fight Posted: 27 Dec 2013 03:00 PM PST • West Ham seek Premier League experience in January • 'My concern is to make sure they can hit the ground running' Sam Allardyce wants two new signings in January to make an immediate impact on West Ham United's increasingly fraught battle against relegation. The manager suggested that players with Premier League experience would be the priority but he would also welcome those with big reputations from overseas. He remembers how the mid-season capture of Youri Djorkaeff had helped to save his Bolton Wanderers team in 2001-02 and he recognises that West Ham need a similar lift, be it from the transfer market or the treatment room. The club, in the relegation places after Boxing Day's 3-1 home defeat by Arsenal, have suffered badly from injuries and Allardyce is particularly keen to see the record signing, Andy Carroll, play his first football of the season. The striker's comeback game from a foot problem could be against his former club, Newcastle United, on 18 January at Upton Park. "If we have got two additions in January, my concern is to make sure they can hit the ground running … jump into the team and deliver what we know [they] have delivered elsewhere from day one," Allardyce said. "That is a massive, massive task in this window but we have to try and achieve it. "It would help if they had Premier League experience but you have to take the CV of a player if they are from abroad … like a Djorkaeff. He kept me up at Bolton many, many years ago when I was in this position. A player with an impact like that would be important not just for the team and the results but for everybody at the club." West Ham are to release Mladen Petric in January, even though he joined on a season-long contract only in September. The club have a get-out clause that they intend to activate as the striker has made little impact in his four substitute appearances. The future of another striker, Carlton Cole, whose short-term deal expires on 13 January, stands to be determined by whether Allardyce can add to the squad. West Ham face West Bromwich Albion at home on Saturday lunchtime in a fixture that Allardyce has described as must-win. "We've had a few six-pointers already so we have to make sure that we end up with a win out of this game," he said. "The outside world delivers that pressure about relegation threat, relegation zones, relegation teams, relegation this, relegation that. The R-word never stops when you're in the bottom three. But you have to ignore it and keep focused on your own game. In the end, with our injured players back … that will be good enough for us. "From a financial point of view, we all know what a disaster it is not to be in the Premier League and it is a bigger disaster than ever before because the money has gone through the roof again, so that makes the pressure even greater. We've all got to cope with that." West Ham United Sam Allardyce West Bromwich Albion David Hytner theguardian.com © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Lukas Podolski keen to prove himself as Arsenal's natural No9 Posted: 27 Dec 2013 02:30 PM PST • German covets centre-forward spot after comeback goal • Fit-again forward can ease the burden on Olivier Giroud Lukas Podolski endured the numbing routine. It sapped his spirits for the best part of four months and there was also the fear of the unknown. Never before had Arsenal's Germany striker suffered a serious muscle injury and World Cup year was not the moment for a first of this nature. Yet if there was a positive to the hamstring tear that tore a hole in Podolski's season, it is that his motivation to make up for lost time has gone off the scale. His comeback game could not have gone any better on Boxing Day. On as a 65th-minute substitute at West Ham United for Aaron Ramsey, who had felt his hamstring pop, he watched Theo Walcott equalise almost immediately for 1-1. Podolski then crossed for Walcott to head Arsenal in front before bringing down that hammer of a left foot to make the victory safe and lift his team back to the top of the table. Podolski had not played since he felt an explosion of pain down his left hamstring as he sprinted up the wing shortly after half-time in the Champions League play-off second leg against Fenerbahce on 27 August. Fourteen minutes into his return and there was no evidence of rustiness in front of goal from the club's most natural finisher. The emotion was writ large across his celebrations. Podolski had waited a long time to experience the thrill that defines his professional life. Everyone connected to the club was delighted – and not only because Podolski is such a popular figure. After the failure to sign a top-quality No9 last summer and Podolski's injury, Olivier Giroud has shouldered an immense burden as the sole leader of the line and there have been signs that the strain is telling. Giroud was poor at West Ham – he has now gone seven matches without a goal – and he would surely benefit from a lightening of his workload. This is where Podolski comes in. Arsène Wenger sees him as a left-sided forward but Podolski sees himself as a No9 and he is ready to help Giroud and the team. Arsenal's schedule is unrelenting. They face the in-form Newcastle United at St James' Park on Sunday but Podolski intends to show why Wenger might not need to enter the January market for a striker. "When you sit on the bench or in the stadium or on the couch at home, it is not easy to watch," Podolski said. "You don't have the feeling with the team and in the dressing-room. But this is the way it is in football and it's why I'm all the more happy to be back. "I have never had a muscle injury before so it was a new experience. Every morning you come in, you have treatment and you work to get fit while the others are working outside. It is not easy for the head. But this is the way it is and I am young enough to play a lot of matches now." Podolski has sympathy for Ramsey, who spent Friday being assessed and for whom the initial prognosis looks bad. It would be a surprise if he played again before February. Ramsey is the club's only outfield player to have appeared in each of their 18 league fixtures, starting 17 of them, and Wenger knew that the 23-year-old was in the red, fitness-wise, before West Ham. Ramsey was excellent at Upton Park before he was forced off, to illustrate the dilemma that Wenger has faced. How can the manager leave out a player in the form of his career, particularly when there is so much riding on each league game? Arsenal, though, are in relatively good shape in terms of the overall injury picture, with Laurent Koscielny expected to be available at Newcastle after a knee problem and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain having targeted next weekend's FA Cup tie at home to Tottenham Hotspur for his comeback after severe knee ligament damage. Jack Wilshere has completed a two-match suspension and Wenger has only Abou Diaby and Yaya Sanogo as long-term casualties. "I remember last season, we had a lot of injuries and a lot of problems," Podolski said. "But now we have only one or two, so it is good. It was important to beat West Ham because in the last [four] matches, we drew or lost. We have got to go to Newcastle to win again. It is not easy because there are five or six teams who are all strong this season but we have a strong team and we will fight." Arsenal Arsène Wenger Newcastle United David Hytner theguardian.com © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

André Villas-Boas hints that his next job will not be in England Posted: 27 Dec 2013 02:28 PM PST • Former Spurs manager had "great ambitions" to win a trophy • Portuguese, aged 36, talks about 'repositioning' his career André Villas-Boas has admitted he had "great ambitions" to win a trophy at Tottenham this season and dropped a heavy hint that his next job in management will not be in England. Villas-Boas, speaking for the first time since his dismissal as Spurs manager earlier this month, said he was looking at "repositioning" his career after his two disappointing managerial spells in England. "I wish I could have responded to the confidence shown by the fans with a trophy," Villas-Boas told the Portuguese newspaper O Jogo. "I had great ambitions to win a trophy this season." With his reputation in England having taken a big hit, Villas-Boas looks set to be planning a return to management on the continent. The 36-year-old was not short of offers last summer. He rejected overtures from Paris St Germain and has recently been linked with AC Milan. In the interview he refers to his time in England in the past tense and talks of "re-positioning" his career, suggesting that he will not be looking for a new post in the Premier League any time soon. "This is a time of reflection for me and my staff and for repositioning of our careers," he said. "Nevertheless England was a great experience." Meanwhile the Spurs midfielder Lewis Holtby believes Tim Sherwood and his coaching staff must be given time to adapt. "The coaches who are in, they've only had a short time. It's not that easy for them to come in and show you a different style," he said. "We're trying to adapt that as quickly as we can and I think we're positive about the coming weeks. I think we can get there quickly. "I think they've done a really good job coming in here in a very hectic period of the season and we just have to follow their lead and try to do everything they say." André Villas-Boas Tottenham Hotspur theguardian.com © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Manchester United manager applauds David de Gea's growing influence Posted: 27 Dec 2013 02:11 PM PST • David Moyes says keeper as valuable to team as his strikers • De Gea has 'won us big points' this season, says manager David Moyes believes that David de Gea's performances in goal have made him as valuable to Manchester United as Wayne Rooney or Robin van Persie. De Gea made a late save to deny James Chester an equaliser in United's 3-2 Premier League victory at Hull City on Boxing Day and Moyes says moments such as those are as significant as the contribution made by his strikers at the other end of the pitch. Life in England has not always been easy for De Gea since he arrived from Atlético Madrid two years ago and there have been times when the 23-year-old has struggled to come to terms with the physicality of the Premier League. Yet De Gea has grown in stature, becoming increasingly dominant in his area when United are defending crosses and set pieces. "Wayne and Robin score big goals and win games for us, but David has won us big points as well," Moyes said. "His save at Sunderland comes to mind and he did it again in this game, he made some good saves for us. He is also coming and taking crosses and being brave and we want him to do that. "I look round and he is one of five or six young players in the team who are going to be part of the next five or six years, and that means he can only get better. He was always going to get better." Moyes feels that the faith shown in De Gea by Sir Alex Ferguson, who signed him for £17m when he was 20, has helped the Spaniard improve. Ferguson occasionally protected De Gea by playing the more experienced Anders Lindegaard instead, but always stuck by him when the critics were circling. "One of the hardest things to do is put a young goalkeeper in; he made a few mistakes, but Sir Alex stuck with him," Moyes said. "He really trusted him and believed in him, and we are seeing the fruits of that. He is now turning into a man and getting stronger, and looking at the top of his game. "He is getting used to the Premier League and understanding what he has to do, he is coming and catching and taking things, sometimes that is what you have to do, you have to be brave. He is punching well too. He has done good work with [United's former goalkeeping coach] Eric Steele and now with Chris Woods. The defenders have always trusted him because they knew the potential for him to get better was there." United, who visit Norwich City on Saturday, recovered from going 2-0 down after 13 minutes to defeat Hull, something Chris Smalling believes offers proof that they should not be written off as title contenders, even though they are eight points behind the leaders, Arsenal. "We did that quite a few times last season and we've done it again here," the defender said. "It shows a real togetherness about us. We've got a bit more belief showing right through this whole team." Having suffered successive home defeats by Everton and Newcastle at the start of December, the champions have won their past five matches in all competitions and are quietly making up ground on their rivals. "We hope they are getting nervous," Smalling said. "We are starting to get on a good run and if people are starting to look over their shoulders, then we are doing a good job. It's one of those seasons where there are going to be a few ups and downs, and some teams have yet to have their downs. We have had our blip." Manchester United David Moyes Norwich City Jacob Steinberg theguardian.com © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Sunderland's goalkeeper Vito Mannone confident they can avoid relegation Posted: 27 Dec 2013 02:07 PM PST • Italian says Sunderland must beat teams at their end of table • 'We need to believe crazy things can happen' Vito Mannone is confident Sunderland can become only the second team in Premier League history to escape relegation after being bottom of the table at Christmas. The former Arsenal reserve goalkeeper kept his third successive clean sheet in the league as Gus Poyet's team won 1-0 at Everton on Boxing Day and hopes to complete a fourth at Cardiff on Saturday evening. "I'm really happy now because I've got the chance to play and that's all I've been searching for for years," said Mannone, who has impressed since replacing the injured Ireland international Keiren Westwood in Sunderland's goal. "I've never had a manager who believes in me like Mr Poyet. Finally I've got a good manager who understands me and I want to push on. The more clean sheets that come the happier but I need to work really hard, keep concentration and make important saves. "It's a big responsibility because you are fighting for this club and also for the fans, for yourself, for your team-mates and everyone. But I don't believe that the club which is bottom at Christmas will always go down. We need to believe, because when you do you can make crazy things happen and win against big clubs." Sunderland's problem this season has been that, although they have beaten Everton, Manchester City and Newcastle United in the Premier League as well as Chelsea in the Capital One Cup, they routinely struggle against supposedly lesser sides. If they are to emulate West Bromwich Albion's feat in 2004-05 and survive despite being rooted to the bottom of the division on Christmas Day this needs to change quickly. "Cardiff is another massive game for us that could take us to 16 points before new year," said Mannone. "That's where we wanted to be after the bad situation we had at the start of the season but we haven't achieved anything yet. We have to focus for another massive game and start beating the teams around us." Sunderland Louise Taylor theguardian.com © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Memorable moments of 2013: Sir Alex Ferguson's farewell at Old Trafford Posted: 27 Dec 2013 02:04 PM PST 12 May: Manchester United manager bows out with heartfelt speech in front of 75,000 fans after 27 years of glory An afternoon at Old Trafford that teemed with sentiment ranging from sadness to nostalgia found its emotional heart halfway through Sir Alex Ferguson's valedictory speech. In front of the 75,572 crowd who waved red flags and cried and cheered as the stadium became part-wake, part-party, the Scot followed his final home game as Manchester United's manager with the words: "When we had bad times here, the club stood by me, all my staff stood by me, the players stood by me. Your job now is to stand by our new manager. That is important." Ferguson's use of "our" was the essence of what the occasion was about. At that moment the old cliché about a family club felt true. The adoring congregation was bidding farewell to the paternal figure who had led them through 27 years to glory in Europe and at home, and Ferguson was leaving the stage that had been his Old Vic, still offering a reminder that his successor, David Moyes, required support. Ferguson had begun his final address by saying, "I've got absolutely no script in my mind, I'm just going to ramble on and hope I get to the core of what this football club has meant to me," after a match in which it was clear what he had meant to Manchester United. After a brief shake of hands with Michael Bolingbroke, the chief operating officer, in the tunnel Ferguson, chewing gum as always, had walked out for a 723rd and final time on to home turf, through a guard of honour from the United and Swansea City players as The Impossible Dream played and the crowd held up a mosaic that read "Champions". Then he sat on the bench for a 1,499th occasion in charge of United while above him in the directors' box his 11 grandchildren, who would join him later on the pitch, his wife, Cathy, and their sons Mark, Darren and Jason, watched as the contest threatened to end on the discordant note of a draw. That was until Rio Ferdinand, one of Ferguson's most successful signings, intervened to grab an apt late winner, the defender's 87th-minute goal reminiscent of many of the manager's victories. The release and relief that surged through the crowd was also familiar from the helter-skelter manner in which Ferguson's sides had triumphed so often. At the end of the match, Ferdinand had paid tribute to his manager, saying: "He deserved to have three points on his final home game. It's emotional, it's like his second home," with Michael Carrick adding: "We wanted to win the match as we wanted to do it for the boss as well as everyone else." Then came Ferguson's walk to the middle of the pitch and his speech. Introduced by Alan Keegan, the stadium announcer, as the "greatest British manager ever" there was a grin from the 71-year-old as he took the microphone and, standing alone in the centre circle, the ground shaking with applause, he began. "First of all, it's a thank you to Manchester United. Not just the directors, not just the medical staff, not just the coaching staff, the players or the supporters, it's all of you," he said. "You have been the most fantastic experience of my life. I have been very fortunate. I've been able to manage some of the greatest players in the country, let alone Manchester United. All these players here today have represented our club the proper way – they've won the championship in a fantastic fashion. Well done to the players. "My retirement doesn't mean the end of my life with the club. I'll be able to now enjoy watching them rather than suffer with them. "But, if you think about it, those last-minute goals, the comebacks, even the defeats, are all part of this great football club of ours. It's been an unbelievable experience for all of us, so thank you for that. I'm going home, well, I'm going inside for a while, and I want to say thank you again from all the Ferguson family. They're all up there, 11 grandchildren – thank you." Then, United's 20th championship trophy was presented – a 13th claimed by Ferguson for the club – there was one last walk around the Old Trafford turf as manager, and he was gone. "It was a special, special day," Carrick said. "The response from everyone and the guard of honour and the atmosphere was electric, and something I will never forget." It will be a long time before Ferguson is forgotten, too. Sir Alex Ferguson Manchester United Jamie Jackson theguardian.com © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Newcastle's Mike Williamson plays percentage game against Arsenal Posted: 27 Dec 2013 02:03 PM PST • 'There's no reason why we should fear league leaders' • Centre-half subject of Twitter campaign for England recognition The days when Mike Williamson could walk the streets of Tyneside in relative anonymity are over. The years of accepting his status as Newcastle United's third or fourth choice centre-half have also passed now France's Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa and Steven Taylor are kicking their heels on the sidelines. It is no coincidence that Newcastle's rise to Champions League contention has coincided with Williamson's return alongside Fabricio Coloccini. After all Alan Pardew's team have won 64% of the games the one-time Torquay and Wycombe defender has started this season; without "Iron Mike" in the first XI that ratio falls to 33%. As Arsène Wenger plots a way to get behind Williamson when Arsenal visit St James' Park on Sunday, the 30-year-old is enjoying being the subject of a Twitter campaign urging Roy Hodgson to include him in England's World Cup squad. While @getmike2brazil is rapidly building followers, Newcastle fans have taken to serenading their new, thoroughly unlikely, hero "Mike Brazilliamson" with a special song. "Here's to you, Mike Williamson, Geordies love you more than you will know," they sing to the tune of "Mrs Robinson". "I've seen the campaign on Twitter," said Williamson, who reveals his wife "laughs" at the "Iron Mike" label. "I got a lot of text messages from my friends over Christmas, and they were nearly all talking about the song. It's fantastic. The supporters here are so passionate. I relish playing in front of them and it's great that they've taken me to their heart. Hopefully they'll continue to sing it for the rest of the season because that'll mean I'm in the side playing well." After seven wins and one draw in their past nine Premier League games, Pardew's side are, as Williamson puts it, "on a real roll at the moment". Arsenal's visit should serve as a litmus test of their potential."We couldn't be in any better shape to face Arsenal," says a centre-half with few inhibitions about directing the ball into Row Z when required. "The confidence is really flowing through the squad. We know we'll be going out there with a team full of fantastic ability. We can think about beating Arsenal, and that's a great position to be in. It'll be two offensive teams looking to get the ball down, and it'll be great." Williamson feels Pardew's players are in a position to make Mesut Özil and co slightly nervous. "We've beaten Chelsea and Manchester United so there's no reason why we should fear Arsenal," he said. "We've proved we can mix it with the best in the Premier League. It's a big ask to beat Arsenal, but if we work hard and make sure we're spot on, we can take the points." Wenger is certainly unlikely to underestimate the ability of a Newcastle dressing room filled with gifted France internationals including Yohan Cabaye, Hatem Ben Arfa, Loïc Rémy and Moussa Sissoko. Now sixth in the table, Pardew's side – embroiled in a struggle against relegation as recently as last spring – have 33 points from 18 games, their highest total at the equivalent stage of the season since the 2001-02 season when they finished fourth. "People have been speaking about the strength of Arsenal's attack and midfield, but we look at what's in our dressing room and we're every bit as happy," Williamson said. "The manager has complete faith in the squad. It's definitely a squad effort; we have fantastic talent all over the pitch. "It's nice to watch us at the moment. As a defender, I was a spectator for most of the second half against Stoke [who Newcastle beat 5-1 at home on Boxing Day] and was able to watch our attacking players tear them to shreds. It's a great place to be at the moment and it's difficult for the manager to pick his starting XI. We have some fantastic players and everything seems to be falling into place. "It's hard to talk about targets at the moment. The main thing is to keep our momentum going and get as many points as we can. The lads are confident; we're happy for the games to be coming thick and fast." Newcastle United Arsenal Premier League Louise Taylor theguardian.com © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

'Malky Mackay – the greatest manager in Cardiff's history' Posted: 27 Dec 2013 12:50 PM PST • Fellow managers and fans rally round sacked Mackay • Owner Vincent Tan is due to meet fans on Saturday Premier League managers and fans have leapt to support Malky Mackay after he was relieved of his duties in charge of Cardiff City. Brendan Rodgers, the Liverpool manager who was at Watford when Mackay was first-team coach, described the Scot as "the greatest manager in their [Cardiff's] history" while Chris Hughton said he was disappointed at the news if not surprised. A short statement on the Cardiff website confirmed Mackay's exit on Friday following a period of public arguments between the manager and the club's owner, Vincent Tan. Tan had sent Mackay an ultimatum via email last week in which he told the manager to resign or be sacked. And while the club chairman, Mehmet Dalman, handed the former Watford man a reprieve when he said Mackay would remain in charge for the "foreseeable future", five days later Mackay left the club less than 24 hours after a 3–0 home defeat by Southampton. On hearing of the sacking Rodgers defended his friend and former colleague. "It's a sad day for him but it's something that he probably felt was on the cards anyway. It's best for him that there is closure on that. He will go down as the man in history who has taken them into the Barclays Premier League ... and ... at this moment in time, the greatest manager in their history. He will recover and come back fighting." Cardiff City's Supporters' Trust also described Mackay as one of the best managers in the club's history. The trust, one of the fans' groups due to meet Tan on Saturday, has expressed its disappointment at events, while offering thanks to Mackay for helping Cardiff reach the Premier League. "We are not surprised at the departure of Malky Mackay which looked inevitable following the breakdown in the relationship between Malky and Mr Tan," read a statement. "We'd like to thank Malky sincerely for his massive contribution to Cardiff City. He will always be fondly remembered by Bluebirds fans as the manager who took Cardiff City to the Premier League for the first time. "He is undoubtedly one of the best and most popular managers in Cardiff City's history. The trust always found Malky very approachable and he was passionate about doing his best for Cardiff City. He had an excellent rapport with fans and appreciated the importance of supporters to any football club." The trust reiterated a desire to be represented on the club board, as is the case at Swansea, and for Cardiff to return to playing in blue as opposed to the red imposed by Tan as part of a rebrand in 2012. Mackay was sacked after weeks of public to-and-fro with Tan and his position became closer to untenable after the sacking of Iain Moody, his head of recruitment, in October. Hughton, in charge at Norwich City, lamented the number of managers who had departed from their clubs recently. "I'm not surprised but I'm very, very disappointed for Malky," he said. "I think in the modern game it's very difficult to keep things private these days and there is an email that has gone into the public domain. Most people hearing the news today would not have been so surprised and that's the most disappointing thing. We're at a stage now that in this month we have had an array of managers leave their posts. And with a lot it wouldn't have beem a massive surprise in the industry." Cardiff City theguardian.com © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Mark Hughes charged by FA Posted: 27 Dec 2013 12:25 PM PST • Stoke lose 5-1 after leading 1-0 and landing two red cards • Two players dismissed within three minutes Mark Hughes, manager of Stoke City, has been charged with improper conduct by the Football Association following his dismissal from the touchline at Newcastle United on Boxing Day. Hughes was sent to the stands in Stoke's 5-1 Premier League defeat. An FA statement read: "It is alleged that his behaviour in or around the 40th minute of the fixture amounted to improper conduct. Hughes has until 2 January 2014 to respond to the charge." If he accepts the charge or is found guilty, Hughes faces a financial penalty in a standard case and no touchline ban. Chelsea's José Mourinho was punished similarly for his dismissal against Cardiff earlier this season. Hughes's charge relates to his conduct on the touchline and not his post-match comments. He was ordered from the dug-out after he reacted in fury to the dismissal of the midfielder Glenn Whelan, and he was still making his way to his new vantage point when the defender Marc Wilson followed inside three dreadful first-half minutes with the visitors leading 1-0. Whelan picked up two yellow cards, the first for kicking the ball away and clashing with Yohan Cabaye after being penalised for a foul on Moussa Sissoko and the second for a foul on Cabaye. Wilson followed for hauling down Loïc Remy inside the box and, although the goalkeeper, Thomas Sorensen, saved the resulting spot-kick, the writing was on the wall for the numerically disadvantaged Potters. After the match Hughes criticised the referee, Martin Atkinson. He said: "From one of our arguably most senior referees, I was absolutely dismayed by his performance, to be perfectly honest. "We were very much in control of the game and then the referee makes a couple of decisions [that] change the course of the game. "We all say, managers, players, everybody, that you just want the referees to make decisions that are correct and make the key decisions that don't have a direct impact on the result. Unfortunately some of Martin's decisions had a direct impact on the result." Mark Hughes Stoke City The FA theguardian.com © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Wayne Harrison, former Liverpool and Oldham forward, dies aged 46 Posted: 27 Dec 2013 12:05 PM PST • His death on Christmas Day follows pancreatic problems • He was the world's most expensive teenager in 1985 Liverpool have paid tribute to their former forward Wayne Harrison following his death on Christmas Day at the age of 46. In a statement on their official website Liverpool expressed their sadness at the news of the passing of a player who became the world's most expensive teenager when he was signed as a 17-year-old from Oldham for £250,000 in 1985. Joe Fagan made the bid after Harrison scored twice for Oldham in their FA Youth Cup 4-3 away victory against Liverpool in December 1984. He was loaned back to the Latics but after his return to Liverpool his progress for the reserves was curtailed by a succession of injuries. The Stockport-born player's misfortune continued during a pre-season reserves tour when he was involved in a near-fatal accident in which he fell through a greenhouse and suffered major blood loss. Harrison looked to have put those troubles behind him by the late 1980s and he was top scorer with 17 goals from 28 games as the reserves clinched the Central League title in 1989-90. A first-team breakthrough seemed to be on the cards but then another injury left him with irreparable damage to his knee and he was forced to end his footballing career: after retiring he worked as a lorry driver. In 1992 Liverpool and Oldham played a testimonial game in his honour at Boundary Park but such was the severity of his injuries that Harrison was unable to take part. Liverpool said Harrison died on Christmas Day after suffering pancreatic problems. Their statement added: "The thoughts of everyone at Liverpool go out to his family and friends at this sad time." Oldham said they were "deeply saddened" to learn of Harrison's death, adding: "We would like to extend our deepest condolences and sympathies on behalf of players, officials and supporters of Oldham Athletic to Wayne's family and friends at this sad time." Liverpool Oldham theguardian.com © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Solskjaer the target after Cardiff City sack Malky Mackay Posted: 27 Dec 2013 11:49 AM PST • Owner Vincent Tan wants Norwegian as next manager • Mackay sacking follows home defeat by Southampton Cardiff City have made Ole Gunnar Solskjaer their No1 target to replace Malky Mackay, with Vincent Tan, the club's owner, optimistic that he can convince the former Manchester United striker to leave Norway in favour of the chance to manage in the Premier League. Solskjaer is in charge of Molde but his contract expires in the summer and the club have been frustrated about the lack of progress with negotiations over extending that deal. The big question is whether Solskjaer is prepared to take a leap of faith and manage Cardiff, where the club's inaugural season in the Premier League has been overshadowed by off-the-field antics, culminating in Mackay's dismissal on Friday. The decision was made less than 24 hours after the 3-0 home defeat against Southampton and only five days after Mehmet Dalman, the club's chairman, had said that Mackay would be "in charge for the foreseeable future". With no desire to take a break from the game, Mackay has since emerged as a potential candidate for the vacancy at West Bromwich Albion, which it is understood he would be interested in after the Midlands club abandoned their pursuit of Pepe Mel. After news of Mackay's sacking was announced on Cardiff's website, Tan released a personal statement in which he criticised publicity around the manager's future and implied that it was generated by Mackay. "Far too much dirty linen has been exposed to the public gaze but, I stress, not by me," Tan said. "Indeed, I have deliberately not responded to this, hoping that the club can be judged on its football rather than personalised arguments about who said what to whom. "I have, however, regretfully concluded that it is no longer fair to the club, its players, its fans and the public more generally for this uncomfortable state of affairs to continue. Cardiff City means far too much to us all for it to be distracted by this." While Solskjaer would represent a coup for Cardiff and there are suggestions that a deal could be close, there are doubts in Norway about whether he would be willing to work for Tan. Solskjaer has had opportunities to come to the Premier League, including with Aston Villa, but declined them. He has also referred to the fact that Sir Alex Ferguson, whom he played under at Manchester United, advised him on going into management that it was important to choose an owner rather than a club. The other candidates potentially in the frame include the former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson and Yilmaz Vural, the Turkish journeyman whose name has kept cropping up over the past few tumultuous weeks. Solskjaer is clearly the frontrunner, with Tan hopeful that the 40-year-old will be encouraged by the prospect of being given significant backing in the January transfer window. The sacking of Mackay had been coming ever since Iain Moody was dismissed as head of recruitment at the start of October. Mackay's authority was undermined from that point and his position became untenable when he was issued with an email at the start of last week, ordering him to resign or face being sacked. Although that ultimatum was withdrawn after the 3-1 defeat at Liverpool last Saturday, the announcement that Mackay would continue in his post was no more than a stay of execution. Mackay, who was appointed in 2011 and led Cardiff to the League Cup final in his first season in charge and the Championship title in his second campaign, said: "I leave with my head held high having gained a level of experience that, upon reflection, I suspect would have been difficult to find anywhere else in British football." Cardiff City Stuart James theguardian.com © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

FA asks Rodgers for 'observations' Posted: 27 Dec 2013 11:39 AM PST • Manager made comments after 2-1 defeat by Manchester City • Rodgers queried appointment of Manchester-based Lee Mason Liverpool's manager, Brendan Rodgers, has been asked for "his observations" following his recent comments about the referee Lee Mason, the Football Association has confirmed. Rodgers questioned the decision to appoint Mason to his side's Boxing Day Premier League defeat at Manchester City because he is from the Greater Manchester (Bolton) area. The Liverpool manager had been frustrated by a number of decisions made by Mason and his assistants during the 2-1 defeat at the Etihad Stadium. An FA spokesman said: "We have contacted Brendan Rodgers to seek his observations in relation to his post-match comments made following the game at Manchester City." Rodgers has until 2 January to respond to the request and the FA will then consider whether any further action is necessary. Rodgers could be warned as to his future conduct or hit with a financial penalty if found guilty of any charge. The Northern Irishman feels he was making a valid point about where Mason is from and indicated, as he met the press to preview Sunday's game at Chelsea, that he would stress that to the FA. "I was only speaking honestly after the game", he said. "I think the FA and the Referees' Association know perfectly well I am someone who engages in supporting the referees. I am not one that berates referees at all after games, I always respect them. I ask my staff to be respectful. "In terms of geography, I certainly wasn't questioning the integrity of referees. It was more the logic of it in terms of having a referee from that part of the world refereeing a game in Manchester. I wouldn't suspect that Mike Dean, from the Wirral, has refereed many games for Liverpool over the years." Dean, incidentally, was dropped from officiating at the 2006 FA Cup final between Liverpool and West Ham for geographical reasons. Rodgers, formerly manager of Watford, Reading and Swansea, believes he has maintained high standards of behaviour throughout his career and insisted his post-match comments were delivered in a calm, considered manner. "I think if you look at my record since I have been a manager, I have never had any indiscretions whatsoever," Rodgers continued. "I never get involved in that way of working, I don't play games. "I am sure that is something they will look at but I will always fight my corner. That is the type I am and always will be but I respect the authorities. We will see what happens." Rodgers was certainly not willing to backtrack on any of his complaints about the decisions he had issues with. Liverpool's primary source of frustration was an incorrect offside call in the first half when Raheem Sterling was clean through. Luis Suárez was also denied a free-kick on the edge of the area and a penalty after clashes with Joleon Lescott later in the game. Philippe Coutinho had given Liverpool a 24th-minute lead before Vincent Kompany and Älvaro Negredo replied for Manchester City before half-time. Rodgers said: "I think it was continuous throughout the game – the decision-making being poor. I think there was evidence of that." Liverpool Brendan Rodgers The FA Manchester City theguardian.com © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Cardiff's Vincent Tan will not want for applicants despite his record | Stuart James Posted: 27 Dec 2013 10:52 AM PST Succeeding Malky Mackay is not an unattractive proposition despite Malaysian owner's treatment of his former manager As Cardiff City turn their attention to appointing a successor to Malky Mackay, the obvious question to ask is who would want to work for one of the most controversial owners in British football? As peculiar as it may seem – or probably not if you are well versed in the world of football – there will be no shortage of interest in the job, which says more about the pull of the Premier League and the money that comes with it than Vincent Tan's reputation. Tan, for the record, is as short as 20-1 with one bookmaker to name himself as manager, which provides a measure of how the man who has been likened to a Bond villain, because of his penchant for black gloves and dark sunglasses, has come to be regarded. There is, in fairness, as much chance of Tan replacing Mackay as manager as there is of the Malaysian businessman changing the club's colours back from red to blue and bellowing "Bluebirds" at the top of his voice when he turns up at Cardiff City Stadium for Saturday's home game against Sunderland. That hugely contentious decision in the summer of 2012, which many people thought was a joke when rumours first circulated that Cardiff would play in red, proved to be a sign of things to come. Working on the basis that without his £100m-plus investment Cardiff would be in financial ruin and nowhere near the Premier League – an argument that has some merit – Tan seems to think that he is entitled to do as he pleases at Cardiff. He had no regard for the club's history and the views of the supporters when he dispensed with more than 100 years of tradition by changing Cardiff's identity. By the same token, he has had no qualms about meddling on the football side, whether that be suggesting tactical changes from the directors' box or, after witnessing Mark Hudson score a fluke goal from the best part of 70 yards, telling his manager that players should shoot from their own half more often. Tan, by his own admission, knew nothing about football before he got involved at Cardiff. Earlier this year, in a BBC Wales documentary, Cardiff's owner was filmed talking outside the opening of a high-street chemist in Malaysia. "He doesn't know any rules about football," Al Chuah, the managing director of one of Tan's many companies, said before breaking into laughter. "He invested in pharmacy without realising what drugs are all about." Tan, with a smile on his face, made no attempt to argue the case. "It doesn't matter," he said. "It's another new business." Managers are generally not too bothered about whether the owner has an encyclopedic knowledge of the game as long as they are allowed to get on with their job on a day-to-day basis without any interference. That issue, it can only be assumed, would be one of the first things any manager with any dignity, ambition, pride and self-respect would want assurances on before agreeing to commit their future to Cardiff. At this stage Molde's Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is the firm favourite. It would, in fairness, represent quite a coup on Tan's part if he could convince the former Manchester United striker to take over, not least because other Premier League clubs, including Aston Villa, have tried and failed to bring in the Norwegian. It is also the case that Sir Alex Ferguson, the man Solskjaer played under at Old Trafford and still calls "gaffer", told his former striker when he went into management that it was more important to choose your owner than your club. On that basis Tan has a hard sell on his hands. That is not to say that managing Cardiff is an unattractive proposition. The club may not have been tearing things up in the Premier League this season but they are not a sinking ship either. They sit 16th in the table, one point and two places above the relegation zone. Or, if the glass is half full, three points behind Swansea, their bitter rivals, in 11th. Furthermore, the word is that Tan, who spent heavily in the summer when he sanctioned more than £30m worth of signings that meant the club's transfer record was broken three times, will make significant funds available in January. This would be despite recently telling Mackay, in a club statement via Simon Lim, Cardiff's chief executive, that "not a single penny" will be available to strengthen the team when the window reopens. The bottom line is that Tan, no matter what anyone thinks of his decision-making and the circumstances surrounding the dismissal of Mackay, is hell-bent on keeping Cardiff in the Premier League. How easy that will be for the new manager, against the inevitable backdrop of fan protests about the way the club is being run, is anyone's guess. What is not in doubt is that Tan will have plenty of applications on his desk over the coming days. Cardiff City Stuart James theguardian.com © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

268. Wojciech Szczesny, Arsenal Posted: 27 Dec 2013 09:59 AM PST Click to enlarge, and debate the strip below the line. Keith Hackett's verdict appears in Sunday's Observer and here from Monday. Competition: win an official club shirt of your choice For a chance to win a club shirt of your choice from the range at Kitbag.com send us your questions for You are the Ref to you.are.the.ref@observer.co.uk. The best scenario used in the new YATR strip each Sunday wins a shirt to the value of £50 from Kitbag. Terms & conditions apply. For more on the fifty year history of You Are The Ref, click here. Arsenal Laws of football theguardian.com © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

...here's your Football Weekly podcast Posted: 27 Dec 2013 07:21 AM PST On today's post-Boxing Day edition of Football Weekly, AC Jimbo is joined by those three wise men Sean Ingle, Jacob Steinberg and Rafa Honigstein to look back on a cracking round of fixtures in the Premier League. We start at Eastlands, where Manchester City came from behind to defeat Liverpool and knock the Reds down to fourth. Brendan Rodgers was far from a happy bunny with the performance of the officials in this one. Stay classy, Brendan, stay classy. Next up, we turn our attention to Arsenal, who headed back to the top of the league thanks to a 3-1 win at West Ham - a result which leaves the Hammers just one point off the bottom after Sunderland unexpectedly beat Everton. Finally, after wrapping up the rest of the games at the top and the bottom, we (well, Jimbo) launch a spirited defence of Vincent Tan (recorded shortly before he did indeed sack Malky Mackay), before turning our attention to the transfer rumours doing the rounds, and then look ahead to Saturday's games, including Arsenal v Newcastle and Liverpool's trip to Chelsea. James Richardson Ben Green Sean Ingle Jacob Steinberg Raphael Honigstein

David Moyes: Manchester United deserved bigger win over Hull City – video Posted: 27 Dec 2013 07:12 AM PST A delighted Manchester United manager David Moyes says his side could have posted a bigger win against 12th placed Hull City

Malkay Mackay's last press conference as Cardiff City manager – video Posted: 27 Dec 2013 06:36 AM PST Sacked Cardiff City manager Malkay Mackay laments his side's poor defence in their 3-0 loss to Southampton on Boxing Day.

US soccer 2013 review Posted: 27 Dec 2013 06:00 AM PST From USA's World Cup qualification to Sporting KC's MLS Cup, from Robbie Rogers coming out to Clint Dempsey's move to Seattle We reflect on a busy year of soccer in north America, from USA's World Cup qualification to Sporting Kansas City's MLS Cup triumph, from Robbie Rogers coming out as gay to Clint Dempsey's move from Spurs to Seattle. USA The USA started the season with the traditional MLS-heavy January team camp — one that culminated with a tepid draw against Canada and then defeat in their opening game of the Hex in Honduras. With Landon Donovan out of the team for a needed rest and the opening wobble in World Cup qualifying, Klinsmann's methods were then the subject of a critical article by the then Sporting News reporter Brian Straus, who cited various disgruntled anonymous sources within the team camp. The story caused a flurry of controversy before the USA's next game vs Costa Rica, though that was nothing to the flurries of snow that fell in Colorado for said game, which was played out in frankly farcical circumstances, with teams of groundstaff shovelling out ever more wobbly field markings, en route to a US victory. That victory proved to be a turning point for the US, who went on a march that ended with them topping their qualifying group — even finding time to first beat Mexico in Columbus by the now traditional dos a cero, then helping their rivals scrape a route to Brazil by a late, late Graham Zusi header in Panama. Zusi was just one of a number of MLS players who consolidated their claim for a place in next year's squad with his performances this year, making the most of Donovan's initial absence. Sporting KC's Matt Besler joined Omar Gonzalez as an unlikely first choice central defensive partnership, while Seattle's Brad Evans made the most of Klinsmann's vision of him as an answer at the problem right back spot — popping up with an important goal on the road in Jamaica in qualifying. In the summer, the USA truly hit their stride, with striker Jozy Altidore in particular hitting a streak of goalscoring form that saw him net crucial World Cup qualifying goals alongside a confidence-boosting outing against Germany to mark the USA centenary. Donovan too returned in ebullient form and drove the USA to an emphatic Gold Cup win, after a run that also included a cameo burst of group stage goals by San Jose's Chris Wondolowski, who played most of the year with a foot injury, but kept his squad hopes alive for 2014. The World Cup draw, when it came, was one of the toughest imaginable, with the USA up against Germany, Portugal and Ghana — all of whom they have significant and not altogether successful World Cup history with. But Klinsmann seemed unperturbed and his policy of setting up tough friendly games for his side whenever possible certainly looked vindicated by the sanguine manner in which his players received the draw. US Soccer too seem confident that they have the right leader in the German — securing him on a four year contract extension just last week. Whatever happens in Brazil, it seems Sunil Gulati wants the USA's top-to-bottom structural overhaul under Klinsmann to continue apace. MLS What ended in December on a frozen field outside Kansas City, began in the heat of Fort Lauderdale in January, as all the MLS coaches, including new faces such as Caleb Porter at Portland, "Chelis" at Chivas USA (whose entertaining reign would last only briefly but leave some great quotes), and the then interim coach of New York, Mike Petke, gathered to run the rule over the hopefuls at the combine. The combine is also the only time of the year the head coaches actually get to be together, and this is where the league tends to reveal the various rule changes to the assembled teams — changes that fans tend to find out about by accident 9 months later, after falling foul of them. More on that in a moment. When the season began, defending champions LA started cautiously, if more solidly than their poor start the previous season, but the loss of David Beckham and the early absence of Landon Donovan on his infamous sabbatical, told on a side in transitional mode. Robbie Keane was his usual threat and a good call for MVP, but the surprise was the start made by playoff specialist Mike Magee, who launched the early scoring streak that would end up with him dragging Chicago to the brink of the playoffs, and himself winning the league MVP award, following his mid-season trade to the Fire. That trade was the result of a reshuffle that brought in Robbie Rogers in mid-season. Rogers, a former US international, came out as gay early in the year, took a break from the game and then returned to train with his hometown Galaxy side, before signing for them and making his debut as the first openly gay active professional soccer player. The jury is still doubt on the soccer merits of the move, despite the undoubted social significance of Rogers' return. Certainly, as Rogers initially struggled for fitness and form, the career year exploits of Magee in Chicago put additional pressure on him and his coach. Rogers began to show signs of settling towards the end of the year, but it wasn't enough to see the Galaxy go deep in the playoffs — RSL eliminating them at Rio Tinto stadium in the Western Conference semis. Ah yes, RSL. In what turned out to be head coach Jason Kreis's final season, RSL went close on many fronts despite ending up empty-handed. In doing so, they demonstrated what was a particular achilles heel for them this year — the inability to close out games having put themselves in winning positions. The win over Galaxy was the exception, as they found a late goal from the ever more promising Chris Schuler to progress at the champions' expense, en route to the final. There they took a second half lead against Sporting KC in MLS Cup, rattled the woodwork a couple of times and looked to have confounded the hosts, only to concede an equalizer and then lose on the tenth penalty of a shootout that at one point had them a kick from the title. It was the second final RSL had lost that year — having been stunned at home in the Open Cup by DC United (whose disastrous regular season in MLS had been the subject of a running #sadstats gag on Twitter). And in the Supporters Shield race too, Salt Lake were in the running until the final couple of weeks, but ended up finishing behind New York, Sporting and the Western Conference winners Portland Timbers. Still, as coach Jason Kreis was fond of pointing out, this was a team that continuously put themselves into important games with their consistency, and given that significant personnel had left RSL in a cap-enforced turnover in the off-season (and indeed gone on to significantly enhance the campaigns of Shield rivals such as the Red Bulls and the Timbers), this was still a remarkable season for a team who will now miss a formidable coach. Speaking of formidable coaches, Portland Timbers were one of the turnarounds of the season under Caleb Porter. Remarkably consistent, their back to back defeats in the Western Conference final — to an RSL side who were the one team Porter didn't figure out all year — were the only consecutive losses of their season. They played a compact attacking game, with new leases of life for the likes of Rodney Wallace, and exponential improvements from Diego Chara and Darlington Nagbe. Diego Valeri had some inspired touches as the Designated Player playmaker, and Will Johnson was a rock in midfield. If the Timbers had a weakness it was a central defense bailed out by Johnson, Chara, and goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts on occasions, and one that was more than good enough to see off the rival Seattle Sounders attack in a blustery conference semi-final series, but which was found out by the rather more polished diamond midfield counters of Salt Lake in the Western final. But despite missing out on an MLS Cup appearance, the Timbers look on a solid footing on the field for the first time in their MLS lifetime, and Porter had long silenced those doubting his ability to step up from the college game by the end of the year. Portland's Cascadia rivals Seattle will want to forget 2013 as soon as possible. A ten game summer run with only one loss saw the Sounders with the Supporters' Shield being theirs to lose in the run in. They duly lost it on the run in. A home draw against eventual winners New York was followed by a humiliating road defeat to an improving Colorado side who should be better again next year, then a 4-1 embarrassment against Vancouver. Seattle never recovered, and despite the much-celebrated arrival of Clint Dempsey, he was never integrated into the side in time to be either fit, or a key player in the run-in, even with Sigi Schmid reshuffling the team around him. By the time Shalrie Joseph was sent out as a nominal center forward in the game at Portland that ended Seattle's season, the Sounders knew the game was up. Schmid held on to his job, just about, but this was another post-season disappointment for Seattle, made worse by the coup de grace being delivered by the suddenly muscular little brothers from Portland. In the East, Montreal raced out into an early lead with eye-catching road wins in Cascadia (including what would turn out to be a very rare win in Portland), before seeing a stretched squad stumble on the run-in. Marco di Vaio showed his scoring class throughout the year, and will be back to torment defensive lines and offside adjudicators next season, but the Impact faded badly in the second half of the season and despite scraping into the playoffs they ended the season in a chaos of red cards, as they were comfortably dispatched by a Houston team on their usual post-season run into form. Despite getting past New York in the conference semi-finals, Houston couldn't reach a third consecutive final however, as Sporting KC brought some hard-won game management experience to bear to ease them out at Sporting Park. Sporting had gone close to the regular season title yet again — leaving New York needing a final day win to take the Shield, but with the Red Bulls eliminated from the playoffs the path was clear for Sporting's excellent stadium to finally host an MLS Cup, in the year it had already seen an All-Star game. Sporting duly delivered — and what was most notable about their achievement was that in each series of the playoffs, including the final, they had to come from behind to win — and never panicked in doing so. This was a team that matched coach Peter Vermes's belief that they were finally ready to learn the lessons from disappointments past. It means they'll repeat the Champions League experience next year, having already secured a place in the quarter-finals of this season's competition with a perfect group stage. Joining Sporting in next year's Champions League will be Open Cup winners DC United, Western Conference winners Portland Timbers (replacing MLS Cup runners up RSL in one of those surprise rule changes we mentioned)...and New York Red Bulls. Yes, after 18 seasons of being nearly men, New York finally delivered, winning the Supporters Shield under former player and first year head coach Mike Petke. The Red Bulls had started slow, but gradually shaped into a competitive team in Petke's image, with defensive steel courtesy of Jamison Olave and goalkeeper Luis Robles, and as the season went on, the increasingly significant presence of midfielder (and occasional clutch attacker) Tim Cahill. Cahill's role as Petke's avatar on the field saw the New York team go from easy marks against determined opposition, to determined opposition themselves. They fell short again in the playoffs, but the cultural change, let alone the silverware, was part of a remarkable season for New York, who also ended up in the game of the season — coming from behind (of course) to beat Real Salt Lake (giving up a late lead of course) for the result that was eventually the difference between these sides for the Shield. Women's Soccer It was one of those years between major tournaments for the women's team, where the disparity between the national team's tournament popularity and the struggles of domestic soccer are usually at their most pronounced. But there were more than a few signs of life on the latter front this year — the new National Womens Soccer League (NWSL) got underway as the latest attempt to establish a credible and sustainable women's soccer league in the USA. A joint venture between the US, Canadian and Mexican federations, and featuring an allocation system for international players, the league also featured one team adopting a model many have called for as a possible solution to sustainability — the Portland Thorns team were operated by Merritt Paulsen's Portland Timbers and drew large crowds from the start. It did no harm that the Thorns were led by the marketable strikeforce of USA star Alex Morgan and Canadian veteran Christine Sinclair, but the team still had to perform on the field and did so — winning the inaugural title and beating Abby Wambach's Western New York Flash in the final. Wambach would still have a year to remember — breaking Mia Hamm's international goalscoring record in June. Later in the year, Wambach's 2011 World Cup quarter final 122nd minute equalizer against Brazil would be voted the most iconic moment of US Soccer's first century — beating out such moments as Landon Donovan's late winner against Algeria and the Larry Gaetjens winner over England from the 1950 World Cup. Wambach is still hoping for a World Cup appearance in 2015 in Canada, but she'd be one of the first to acknowledge that the weight of the USWNT's attacking threat is increasingly being distributed to the likes of Alex Morgan or even the increasingly important Sydney Leroux, as Tom Sermanni juggles the task of bringing through another generation while not trying to fix what isn't broken. Other moments New York was a busy place this year, apart from brief breaks for #Henrying. The Shield-winning exploits of the New York Red Bulls came just in time for the famously trophyless MLS originals to get a head start on their soon-to-be-rivals. After what looked like a rather generous interpretation of their own guidelines on not awarding franchises to teams without stadiums, MLS announced New York City FC as the 20th MLS franchise, before backpedalling on the site they had identified for the new team to play at. The team will start play in the 2015 season under new head coach Jason Kreis, but will be looking to get into their own stadium sooner rather than later. At time of writing a possible deal for a site adjacent to NYCFC partners, the Yankees, is looking close, but partly dependent on what Mayor Bloomberg can force through in his last-ditch flurry of large legacy projects, before the more cautious Bill di Blasio comes into office. Meanwhile on Long Island, the side many had at one time thought a natural fit to be the second New York team, the Cosmos, made their competitive return for the second half of the split NASL season, and turned out to be very competitive indeed — winning the Fall title and then the NASL Soccerbowl. They'll not be in MLS any time soon though — unlike Orlando City, who won the USL Pro title in a year that had already seen them go on a mini run in the US Open Cup (including a victory over the holders, their own affiliate club Kansas City). They were duly confirmed as joining MLS alongside NYCFC in 2015, and may not be the last Floridian team to be confirmed soon. David Beckham's interest in bringing a Miami team to the league has hardened into identifying a stadium site and winning a council vote authorizing the mayor to begin negotiations over a stadium. Watch this space... …or watch TV. NBC made a big investment into bringing Premier League soccer to US screens and so far have been rewarded with decent viewing figures. Their move, and the potential knock on effects for their MLS coverage has left ESPN and Fox in an interesting position in a year when the next TV deal (as well as the players Collective Bargaining Agreement with the league) will be negotiated. MLS Cup week may have been geared round the action on the field, but there were many significant meetings taking place between executives at Kansas City hotels in the week beforehand. World Cups aside, 2014 is shaping up to be an intriguing year for the future landscape of US and Canadian soccer and its place in the wider landscape of the game. How fans saw the 2013 MLS season US sports MLS USA Seattle Sounders Real Salt Lake Sporting Kansas City New York Red Bulls Portland Timbers New York City FC New York Cosmos NASL (North American Soccer League) NWSL (National Women's Soccer League) USA women's football team Graham Parker theguardian.com © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Tim Sherwood: Tottenham Hotspur failed to take chances in West Bromwich Albion draw – video Posted: 27 Dec 2013 03:43 AM PST Tottenham Hotspur manager Tim Sherwood says his side didn't show enough initiative in its disappointing 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion on Boxing Day

Melbourne Heart 0-1 Wellington Phoenix | A-League match report Posted: 27 Dec 2013 03:18 AM PST Wellington Phoenix recorded back-to-back wins for the first time in 18 months, putting more pressure on John Aloisi

The world's 100 best footballers 2013: who did we miss from our list? Posted: 27 Dec 2013 03:00 AM PST This year's list boasts players from 30 countries and 26 clubs, but who did we miss and who should we have missed out? Poor Roy Hodgson. When England line up to play Italy in their first match at next summer's World Cup, Wayne Rooney will be their highest-placed player in our list of the top 100 footballers of 2013. Rooney came 28th in the list and was ignored by a third of our 15 judges. Given that his most memorable attack at the last World Cup came when he stuck his face into a TV camera and berated his own fans, it could be a long year for the England manager. Hodgson's opposite number, Cesare Prandelli, will be able to pick from eight Italians in the top 100. Italy have as many goalkeepers in our list as England have footballers – despite Italian World Cup-winner Alessandro Nesta's sympathy vote for Frank Lampard, whose best days are surely waning. England's representation in the top 100 has halved in the past 12 months. Ashley Cole and John Terry have aged disgracefully and Joe Hart, one of the five keepers in last year's 100, has dropped the ball in 2013. There are now more Spurs players than England players in the top 100. It doesn't look good for Hodgson, but what about Michael Carrick, the Manchester United players' player of the season for 2012-13? Robin van Persie won most of the end-of-season awards, but the United players gave their own prize to Carrick. The team's stuttering form during his recent absence explains why. Carrick has earned the respect of his peers, but he hasn't made our list and he might not make it on to the pitch for that match against Italy. Hodgson has given more out England caps to Tom Cleverley. At least the England manager can call upon Daniel Sturridge, who is unlucky to miss out on our top 100 after scoring 24 goals in 2013. The number of English players on the list has dropped, but the Premier League continues to fare well. Luis Suárez, Sergio Agüero, Van Persie and Mesut Özil lead the way for the league's 29 players, but does a league that provided none of the semi-finalists for this year's Champions League deserve to have 11 more representatives than the Bundesliga, whose top teams contested the final? Shinji Kagawa swapped the Bundesliga for the Premier League in 2012 and, although he was a star at Borussia Dortmund and is now breaking Jürgen Klopp's fragile heart on Manchester United's bench, what has he done in the last 18 months to warrant a place above Javi Martínez, Alexis Sánchez and Eden Hazard? Should he even be in the top 100? José Mourinho might agree with our panellists in thinking that Samuel Eto'o offers more of a goal-threat than Romelu Lukaku, but is he not in the minority? Should Olivier Giroud not be rewarded with a place in the top 100 after his performances this season? And is Adrián Ramos, who has 10 goals in 16 games for Hertha Berlin this season, not more worthy of a place than red-card magnet Sergio Ramos? Let us know what you think below the line. Where did we get it wrong and where did we get it right? Premier League England Manchester United World Cup 2014 Wayne Rooney European club football Paul Campbell theguardian.com © 2013 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Brendan Rodgers: officiating 'horrendous' in Liverpool loss to Manchester City – video Posted: 27 Dec 2013 01:58 AM PST Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers discusses his team's 2-1 defeat to Manchester City on Boxing Day

Manuel Pellegrini on Manchester City's win over Liverpool – video Posted: 27 Dec 2013 01:42 AM PST Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini says his side showed character in beating the 'best team' in the Premier League

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