Football news, match reports and fixtures | theguardian.com

Rodgers: Sturridge as good as Suárez
Pepe Mel's 'good friend' Rafael Benítez persuaded him to take Albion job
Richards: City have no weaknesses
Is Katharina Liebherr, Southampton's owner, in it for the long term?
Wenger positive on Walcott's future
Philadelphia Union pick Andre Blake number one in MLS SuperDraft
271. Gus Poyet, Sunderland
West Bromwich Albion provides Pepe Mel with fresh chapter of a riveting life | Sid Lowe
The Fiver | Plunging into the bin marked 'crisis'
Pochettino says he is staying put as Southampton manager
England line up Latin friendlies before World Cup
Liverpool land Dunkin' Donuts deal
Letter: Bobby Collins, one of postwar Everton's greatest players
Saints, Seedorf and those City slickers
Robin van Persie on Manchester United boss David Moyes: 'He will turn things around soon' – video
Sport picture of the day: Carlo Ancelotti caught on the sidelines
Who should your club buy in the January transfer window? – open thread
A-League: what to look out for this weekend
Hull City agree deal for West Brom striker Shane Long
Manuel Pellegrini reacts to Manchester City's 5-0 win over Blackburn Rovers – video
Manchester United finally grow tired of the great Anderson enigma | Jamie Jackson
Glorious goalmouth scrambles, pit-lane perfection and spin-credible handball | Classic YouTube
Football transfer rumours: Luke Shaw to Chelsea amid Southampton exodus?
Qatar urged to pay migrant workers electronically to stamp out exploitation
Tax Office may allow large companies to manage their own compliance

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 02:31 PM PST

• 'Liverpool are fourth and aiming higher'
• But Arsenal, City and Chelsea are still to visit Anfield

Brendan Rodgers has claimed Liverpool would not settle for fourth place at this stage of the season because of a growing belief they can challenge for the title.

Liverpool won at Stoke City on Sunday for the first time in the Premier League and the 5-3 result, coupled with Daniel Sturridge's return from an ankle injury, has increased Rodgers' confidence that his team can maintain a challenge alongside Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea. Rodgers also said he believes Sturridge can emulate Luis Suárez's world-class form.

Liverpool are six points behind Arsène Wenger's leaders but Arsenal, City and Chelsea – along with Everton and Tottenham Hotspur – have all to visit Anfield before the season is over.

Rodgers' target at the start of the campaign, shared by the principal owner, John W Henry, and the chairman, Tom Werner, who will attend Saturday's home game against Aston Villa, was to return Liverpool to the Champions League after a four-year absence. But he insists his fourth-placed team are aiming higher.

"Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea are based around Champions League squads," the Liverpool manager said. "They have been in there religiously and they have got a lot of depth that they can call upon. But if we have the fortune to stay clear of injury and whatnot, I would put our team up against anyone. I would never give up the fight.

"Of course, the challenge is to get to fourth. Once you can do that, it is all about seeing if you can go beyond that. But I will never give up the fight [for the title] with the games we have got to go and the confidence we have in the team. In terms of the message the manager transmits to the squad, I've always tried to be optimistic. We work hard on that and the consequences are the results on the field and gaining confidence.

"It's a long way to go, but you can see it's an open Premier League so the team that can make the least amount of mistakes and continue to evolve can hopefully win out at the end. We know where we are heading and the direction we are going and at the moment we are going in the right way."

Sturridge returned from a seven-week absence with a goal and an impressive assist for Suárez against Stoke. His manager believes the England international can only get better.

Rodgers said: "Daniel has a wonderful opportunity over the next few years to become world class. He has every tool and every quality he needs to be as [good] as Luis Suárez. If he stays clear of injury and stays on the field he can achieve that. It signified how hard he'd worked while he was out that he could come straight into the game at Stoke and make such a big impact."

The Liverpool manager reiterated his belief that January will be a quiet transfer window at Anfield and all the leading clubs in the Premier League, although he will discuss targets with Henry and Werner this weekend. "The owners have been great in terms of, if there is something to be done that will help us, they will support that," said Rodgers.

"I just think it will be a difficult market to improve on but it certainly won't be for a lack of trying. We are assessing a whole raft of players, it is just a question of whether they are going to be available to bring in now."

Andy Hunter

Pepe Mel's 'good friend' Rafael Benítez persuaded him to take Albion job

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 02:31 PM PST

• Former Liverpool manager told compatriot to come to England
• I'm convinced that things are going to go well here,' says Mel

When Pepe Mel learned of West Bromwich Albion's interest in appointing him as head coach, one of the first calls that the Spaniard made was to Rafael Benítez. Mel and the Napoli manager came through the ranks together as young players at Real Madrid and have remained close ever since. By the time Mel put the phone down to the former Liverpool manager, the ex-Real Betis coach was convinced that he should take a leap of faith.

"I spoke with Rafael Benítez, he is a very good friend and was a team-mate of mine at Madrid. He really did encourage me to come here to England," said Mel, who politely pointed out that Benítez "picked up a very different team" at Anfield to the one he has inherited at Albion. "He said to me that West Brom is a club that needs to do a lot of work but still has a lot of possibilities to be successful. Rafa has been fortunate enough to work for two massive clubs, Liverpool and Chelsea, and he clearly liked it that much here that his wife and children still live up in Liverpool."

Mel came across as an affable and ambitious man – he spoke about the enjoyment he gets from writing novels and how he hoped Albion would be challenging for Europa League qualification this time next year – but it is hard to escape the feeling that he has a big job on his hands at the Hawthorns. On the day he was unveiled as Steve Clarke's successor, Shane Long was on his way to Hull City in a £7m move and Richard Garlick, Albion's sporting and technical director, confirmed that there would not be a penny available for new signings this month.

Throw in the fact that Albion have won only two of their past 15 Premier League games, sit three points above the relegation zone and face Everton and Liverpool in their next two home fixtures, and the task appears a sizeable one, especially for a man who has never managed in England before and is still trying to get to grips with the language.

Not that Mel, who was first approached by Albion at the beginning of last month, seems in the least bit fazed by the task ahead. "I'm convinced that things are going to go well here and that things are going to be a success," he said, speaking through a translator. "West Bromwich Albion have thought for a month that I'm the best man for the job and that's very important."

The 50-year-old insisted that he was "not coming here to input a Spanish model" and said there were no plans for Albion to try to target La Liga when it comes to future signings, although there will clearly be subtle changes in the style of play. All the indications are that Mel will play with a high defensive line and implore his players to win the ball back as close as possible to the opposition goal. In other words, it will be a high-intensity pressing game.

"What we have got to try and do is pass over our message and in the first four sessions we've done that very successfully," Mel said. "West Bromwich Albion need to have an aggressive approach and, in my personal opinion, create more goalscoring opportunities. In football, possession of the ball is absolutely vital, we need to get it back as quickly as possible."

Mel, in fairness, seemed comfortable with the club's decision to sell Long, which Garlick said had been explained to him in advance, as well as the possibility of working with the same group of players over the remainder of the season and the backroom staff that are staying on. "I am absolutely certain [we have enough in the squad to stay in the Premier League] and what is vital is my confidence must be transferred to the players so that they realise they are the stars of the show," he said.

For Mel, who was in tears when he lost his job at Betis at the start of last month, it is about trying to build another special relationship. "When I started at Betis they were in the Spanish second tier and didn't have any money," he said. "Four years later we were playing in the Europa League.

"There were four very tough years of work in Betis. Here it is really the same job that I've got to do. I hope that in the future, and many years from now when I leave here, that West Brom will also be in my heart."

Stuart James

Richards: City have no weaknesses

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 02:30 PM PST

Manuel Pellegrini's free-scoring side are a far cry from Stuart Pearce's team. Micah Richards is savouring the good times

Micah Richards can remember the days when, try as they might, Manchester City simply could not score at home but they seem part of a very different world. After Wednesday night's 5-0 FA Cup demolition of Blackburn Rovers, the defender cast his mind back to spring 2007.

Back then City, managed by Stuart Pearce, failed to score in their last eight league games of the 2006-07 season at the then City of Manchester Stadium, going 12 hours and 18 minutes without a goal. Indeed they scored just 10 Premier home goals all season and 29 in total, with Joey Barton their top scorer after netting only six times.

"Under Stuart Pearce we didn't score for something like five months here," said Richards, whose prolific side are challenging for the quadruple having got 99 goals this season in all competitions. "It was ridiculous! How times have changed, eh?

"A massive thanks to Sheikh Mansour for changing everything and for coming in and investing in the squad. It's good times and every player wants to be here because this is the club to play for at this moment in time."

As a rare survivor from the old days, Richards has a different perspective from many team-mates. "You savour these good times all the more because of back then," he said. "Every day, I come in and I see the players I'm playing with and compare them to the players I was playing with seven years ago. My team-mates are all internationals now. It's a different kettle of fish."

For a start Manuel Pellegrini is blessed with what sometimes seems an embarrassment of riches. "I just hope we stay together and grow as a squad and try and keep everyone happy because it's hard when everyone is not playing every week," said Richards. "But if we can keep this squad together, we will do great things. I think we're doing so well because we have such strength in depth. There's quality all over the place."

Not that he is getting carried away. "We don't want to get too excited about the quadruple," said Richards. "We want to stay in every competition and I think with the squad we have, we should still be in every competition. Apparently our second-string team beat Blackburn 5-0. I don't think there are any weaknesses in the squad."

City's strikers represent a particular strength. "I think they've got everything," he enthused. "I think Sergio [Agüero] has pace and power. Edin [Dzeko] is a good finisher and good in the air. [Álvaro] Negredo runs around like a man possessed and is a great finisher. And [Stevan] Jovetic has skill and technique. They've all got something, some sort of gift to bring to the team and it just seems to be clicking at the moment.

"If we want to win the league, if we want to win trophies, they are going to be key. Last season it was more about defenders doing well. I think this season it is more about the attackers and that's why we look so good.

"It's hard to say if there are three better strikers in Europe because Luis Suárez is up there for me. Robin van Persie when he's on fire, and even Wayne Rooney. I know he's a Red, but when he's on fire, there are few players much better than him."

Louise Taylor

Is Katharina Liebherr, Southampton's owner, in it for the long term?

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 12:33 PM PST

The German inherited the club from her father, Markus Liebherr, who died in 2010. But is she tied to the area by anything more than the cranes in the harbour bearing her family name?

Southampton fans desperately scouring the internet for information on Katharina Liebherr, the little-known figure who is now owner and chair of their club after the sudden departure of Nicola Cortese, will be hoping that the story of a small printing company in Bern does not prove prophetic.

Her billionaire father, Markus Liebherr, who rescued the ailing Saints from administration and League One when he paid £14m for the club in 2009, had a wide portfolio of business interests through his company Mali Holdings.

A few months after buying Southampton he bailed out a struggling printing company in Bern, saving 50 jobs and those of 72 apprentices and becoming known as the "Wifag saviour".

After his death at the age of 62 in August 2010 and the subsequent inheritance of Mali Holdings by Katharina, she decided to make 31 employees redundant and has since been accused of failing to set a new direction for the company.

The Swiss newspaper Der Bund said that while Mali initially said that Katharina would continue her father's work, "it has become increasingly clear in recent months that Mali can't sort out the successorship".

One employee at Wifag was quoted saying: "With the death of the patron, the chicken has lost its head. For a while it continued wandering around without a sense of direction, then it bled to death."

From the beginning, Cortese was more than your average club chief executive. It was he who convinced the German billionaire Liebherr of the potential of a once proud south coast football club that had fallen on hard times.

In turn, it was the Italian banker who was entrusted with running the club and given the final say on everything. "Since our early conversations about the deal I made it clear that I would only buy the club if he remained involved following the purchase," said Liebherr, who had an emotional link with Southampton given the presence of cranes bearing the name of his father's company in the harbour.

The subsequent success of Cortese's bold decisions to dispense with first Alan Pardew and then Nigel Adkins, together with the continued success of Southampton's feted academy, fed Cortese's belief in his "project".

When Katharina Liebherr began to demand a greater say in how things were being run, cracks started to appear. It is now clear that, according to filings in Switzerland, Cortese resigned as a Mali director in October last year on the very same day as Liebherr was appointed to the board.

Cortese, who pledged his future to a club he described as his "baby" in the face of overtures from an unnamed Italian club earlier in his tenure, was well remunerated for his heavy workload – the most recent accounts show he took home £1.6m during Southampton's promotion season from the Championship.

The manager, Mauricio Pochettino, insisted that he was as shocked by Cortese's decision to quit as the players and fans, but it is clear that the Italian's departure had been brewing for months.

And yet while Cortese had become used to running the club as if it were his own, totting up the large investment made by the Liebherrs in Southampton since 2009, it is perhaps not unreasonable for Katharina to insist on having more of a say.

The most recent results for the holding company DMWSL 613, for which Cortese is listed as the only director, detail the spending for the year to June 2012, the season in which Southampton were promoted back to the Premier League.

They show that the club made a £12m loss in 2011-12, up from £11m the year before. Loans of £38m were ploughed into the club and later converted to equity.

The gamble on promotion paid off, unlocking the riches of the Premier League. But it also leaves Liebherr, who has never been spotted at the Premier League's shareholders' meetings and had met Pochettino only once before Thursday, at the end-of-season party, with a dilemma.

Having ploughed an estimated £75m in players over the past five years, and assuming she feels little of the emotional connection to the club that her father exhibited, she may well be pondering the risk/reward ratio of further investment.

Although Southampton benefit from the rewards of the Premier League's £5.5bn television deals, the investment required for the next stage of Cortese's "project" – to compete seriously for European qualification – may have given her pause for thought and be a factor in her desire for a greater say in the operational side of the business.

With the departure of the sometimes volatile Cortese, she finds herself at once desperately searching for a new chief executive to run the club while facing pressure from a sceptical fanbase to explain her actions in the knowledge the summer could bring further flux.

Southampton fans, cheered in recent seasons by successive promotions and the pleasing style of football employed by Adkins and Pochettino as they plotted a course to a permanent position among the elite, would be concerned at the prospect of being pitched back into the game of Russian roulette that new ownership has become.

Having experienced a narrow escape in 2007, when the club were nearly bought by the hedge fund Sisu that went on to alight upon now homeless Coventry City, and endured a recent flirtation with administration, they will be more aware than most of the uncertainty any move to sell the club could bring. At the same time there is, as yet, no indication that Katharina's intentions are anything other than benign.

One of the mottos of the Liebherr Group, the huge company founded by Katharina's grandfather in Germany with interests in everything from maritime cranes to hotels, remains: "We aim to maintain our consistency and trustworthiness for many years to come."

After Hans Liebherr died in 1993, his son Markus handed most of his shares to his brothers and sisters and founded Mali Holdings in 2000.

Markus had an estimated fortune of £3bn when he died, bequeathing Katharina not only his companies and wealth but a football club to which she has little connection save for the cranes in the harbour that carry her family name.

Fans will be hoping that, despite the sudden turmoil, she also bears in mind the values of that company when it comes to deciding its ultimate fate.

Additional reporting by Philip Oltermann in Berlin

Owen Gibson

Wenger positive on Walcott's future

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 11:57 AM PST

• Wenger says forward will make full recovery from knee injury
• Manager confirms player is ruled out of Brazil World Cup

Arsène Wenger feels Theo Walcott should be "very positive" of making a full recovery from a serious knee injury following surgery.

The 24-year-old is set to be on the sidelines for six months after suffering anterior cruciate ligament damage when making a defensive tackle in the FA Cup third-round win over Tottenham, which shattered his World Cup dream.

Wenger said the operation had gone "very well" and now it would be a case of everyone focusing on the player's long-term recovery.

"The damage was real in the knee so he will have to take the needed time, so let's not be hopeful that he will go to the World Cup – that is not possible – but overall his long-term future is very positive," Wenger said to Arsenal Player. "It is about being fit for next season now."

As well as having to do without Walcott, the Premier League leaders have plenty of injury concerns ahead of Saturday's visit of relegation battlers Fulham.

The Czech midfielder Tomas Rosicky could play in a protective mask after surgery to correct a broken nose suffered in the 2-1 win at Aston Villa on Monday night when he was caught by a stray elbow from Gabriel Agbonlahor, but the full-back Nacho Monreal is a major doubt after twisting a ligament in his foot.

The captain Thomas Vermaelen (knee) is also out, along with the midfielders Mikel Arteta (calf) and Aaron Ramsey (thigh). The striker Nicklas Bendtner could return from his ankle injury in the FA Cup tie against Coventry next Friday night.

Despite plenty of fitness concerns, Wenger still feels his squad has enough strength in depth, particularly in midfield, as the Gunners look to hold off Manchester City and Chelsea in the title race.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Kieran Gibbs and Lukas Podolski have all recently returned to fitness, boosting Wenger's options.

"In midfield we have plenty of quality players who you can rotate easily without really feeling, 'today we are weaker'," Wenger said.

"We have fantastic players in midfield and it always allows us to keep what we call the 'engine' of the team fresh."

Philadelphia Union pick Andre Blake number one in MLS SuperDraft

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 11:14 AM PST

MLS: Andre Blake becomes first goalkeeper to be top choice at draft

Graham Parker

271. Gus Poyet, Sunderland

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 11:00 AM PST

Click to enlarge, and debate the strip below the line. Keith Hackett's verdict appears in Sunday Observer and here from Monday.

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West Bromwich Albion provides Pepe Mel with fresh chapter of a riveting life | Sid Lowe

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 10:59 AM PST

West Brom's's new manager was sacked by Real Betis having been a hero at the club. He also happens to have written two novels

The discovery of a collection of ancient manuscripts in a cave near the Dead Sea grabs the attention of an eccentric millionaire by the name of Cail Lograft, sparking a chase for the truth that will rock the very foundations of the Catholic church. Soon, the intrepid archaeologist discovers that he is not alone. As the mystery unfolds, even the Vatican is drawn into a dramatic, unpredictable pursuit that takes Lograft all the way round the globe with the Egyptian mafia on his tail.

El Mentiroso (The Liar) is a blockbuster of a book, weighing in at almost 600 pages. At its presentation, the author described it as a thriller with a touch of Dan Brown about it. The following year, he unveiled his second novel: El Camino al más allá (The Road to Beyond). Now, the author's bio needs updating. Pepe Mel, it will say, was born in Madrid, Spain, in 1963, and he is the manager of West Bromwich Albion Football Club.

Mel certainly has a way with words. When his former club Real Betis lingered near the foot of the table last season, he publicly claimed that he would rather his teenage daughter announced she was pregnant than see his team relegated. Betis recovered brilliantly, while the remark said something about Mel's ability to communicate with the fans, creating a communion between stands and pitch. It also showed how much he cared.

Betis, after all, were his club. In fact, for much of the past three years, Mel was Betis. He had played for them, was top scorer in their 1989-1990 promotion season, and when he finally departed for the second time in early December 2013, this time as a manager, he had been there for three and a half years – making him the longest-serving manager in Spain's first division. They had come a long way together: he had led them up from the Segunda División and into Europe, but by the time he was sacked Betis were bottom.

Two games before, they had been hammered 4-0 in the city derby against Sevilla. A clause in his contract, renewed in the summer, meant he could be released without compensation if the team went five consecutive weeks in the relegation zone. Now, it was applied. Yet no one celebrated his departure. On the day the sacking was made official, he was close to tears. Outside, fans threw rocks at the building in protest, while spray-painted messages blamed the board. No one blamed Mel.

When Mel took over at Betis they were, in the words of one player, "dead". The club was in administration, there was a legal battle over shares and ownership soon changed hands. There was a power vacuum and players wanted out. Mel had been chosen in part because at less than €200,000 a year, he was cheap. He oversaw the restructuring of the club: older members of the squad were moved on, younger ones moved up. One player describes him as "brave – not afraid to ditch veterans or take on the dressing room heavyweights".

Álvaro Vadillo was 16 when he was given his debut. Beñat Etxebarria was not even getting in the B team at Betis; he is now at Athletic Bilbao, and a Spain international. No one wanted Adrián San Miguel, including Betis, but Mel kept him, gave him an opportunity through injury and stuck with him when he played well; now he is at West Ham. Swansea's Alejandro Pozuelo and José Cañas were among the 16 youth players who got first-team debuts under Mel. Don't rule out Mel returning to Betis for some Premier League debutants of his own.

Among their team-mates was Ryan Harper, the Spain-raised Scottish striker now playing at Algeciras. "What I most remember was the intensity of the sessions: if you dipped for a moment, he was on to you and he had no problem calling you out in front of the group," Harper says. "He wanted younger players who could run all day and he never wanted the ball lumped up the pitch; it was pass, pass, pass, all the time."

Possession and attack were the key. Betis were promoted as champions and top scorers. They also faced Barcelona in the Copa Del Rey. They were brave. At first it appeared that they had been perhaps a little too brave: they were praised for their performance at the Camp Nou but lost 5-0. In the return leg, they were 2-0 up when Jorge Molina missed a penalty, eventually winning 3-1. Pep Guardiola admitted he had been genuinely worried. "Without doubt they're one of the best teams we've faced," the then Barcelona manager said. "They've got good footballing taste."

Back in La Liga, Betis were among the most attractive sides to watch, usually employing a 4-3-3 formation and finishing a comfortable 13th. The 2012-13 season started with a 5-3 win at Athletic Bilbao and, although there were nervous moments and a painful hammering by Sevilla, they finished seventh, returning to Europe.

Mel's contract was extended but he no longer controlled signings, that responsibility now firmly in the hands of the sporting director, Vlada Stosic. Money remained tight; 14 players left and 12 came in this summer for a total outlay of only €3.5m. The top scorer, Rubén Castro, has been injured, the entire midfield had gone and half the squad was new, but there was little time for assimilation and there was European competition to play, too. Even luck appeared to have deserted them.

The relationship with the board had also become strained and when poor results followed, the ending, unlike that of The Liar, was all too predictable.

Sid Lowe

The Fiver | Plunging into the bin marked 'crisis'

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 08:06 AM PST

Click here to have the Fiver sent to your inbox every weekday at 5pm, or if your usual copy has stopped arriving

SAINTS ALIVE

The Fiver has spent most of the week trying to work out which club is in crisis. West Ham were until they beat Cardiff last weekend. So were Manchester United but they also did a win against Swansea and Ed Woodward hasn't locked himself in his office for three whole days now, so it's all quiet at Old Trafford for the time being. Mike Ashley has been lying low up at Newcastle for the past few weeks and Daniel Levy still hasn't sacked Tactics Tim. Arsenal won't play ball either; those nuisances keep winning. Over at Chelsea, José Mourinho is yet to punch Roman Abramovich or kidnap Arsène Wenger for a laugh, just to keep people on their toes. Crisis candidates have been thin on the ground, which is bad news for the Fiver, which was ordered to find a suitable club to fill the position by the Man three days ago. News of Swindon Town acting like egregious, petty, jumped-up buffoons and banning their local newspaper won't do; the Man stopped caring about them when Paolo Di Canio effed off last year. Poor Fiver had a deadline to meet!

But luckily, just when all looked lost and the Man was sharpening his steel-capped boots, salvation was at hand. For stepping into the breach came Southampton Football Club, selflessly falling on its sword and plunging into the bin marked CRISIS as their lovable executive chairman, Nicola Cortese, resigned last night. The void was filled. Bad news for Southampton, of course, but great news for the Fiver. With barely a moment to spare, it began writing up the story like a proper journalist, only to get distracted by a dog with a fluffy tail. Then, after unsuccessfully chasing the dog around the office for a bit, it drank 10 pints of liver rot to celebrate its scoop and passed out at its desk.

Once it regained consciousness a few hours later, the Fiver got to work. Not to matter that Southampton are ninth in the Premier League and were in administration in League One a few years ago, their very existence under threat – they were a club in crisis. With Cortese flouncing out and potentially into the welcoming arms of another club, Southampton's owner, Katharina Liebherr, was left to pick up the pieces and take over as non-executive chairwoman. Her first task was to convince manager Mauricio Pochettino, who invented pressing, not to follow Cortese out of the door. "I am fully committed to the staff, the players, the club and it would make no sense to leave in the middle of our path," parped Pochettino's translator this afternoon, suggesting success – at least in the short term – for Liebherr.

Nonetheless, highly-rated left-back, Luke Shaw, has apparently expressed his "disappointment" while other players who were close to Cortese, whose work had been so impressive at Southampton since 2009, are being linked with moves away. Rickie Lambert, for example, could be about to join West Ham for £7m. It is also understood that Southampton Football Club will cease to exist this evening and that they will be renamed as Portsmouth Reserves. Until next week, anyway, at which point another unfortunate club will be in crisis.

BRAND PARTNERSHIP OF THE DAY

Liverpool FC Foundation core vision: "Assist men and women across Liverpool to improve their health and wellbeing by providing initiatives that promote a healthy, balanced lifestyle."

Liverpool FC commercial vision: "We're delighted to be joining forces with Dunkin' Brands, one of the world's most iconic names. Dunkin' Donuts will be our official coffee, tea and bakery provider, and Baskin-Robbins will be our official ice cream provider – we welcome both to the LFC family."

QUOTE OF THE DAY

8 January: "Not going anywhere! Told Shane happy here & with baby on way it not worth the stress when still in contract! He agreed" – Kayleah Long, wife of West Brom forward Shane, rejects reports of a move to Hull City.

16 January: Hull agree a deal with West Brom for Shane Long. "Despite our best endeavours, Shane has declined to sign a new contract," parps Baggies suit Richard Garlick.

FIVER LETTERS

"After Tuesday night's historic events at Welling's Park View Road, I was looking forward to a mention in yesterday's Fiver of Hyde. I was most pleased when my eyes fell upon the word and looked forward to acknowledgement of the plucky Skrill Premier bottom-dwellers' first win in 29 league games. A feat worthy of mention, I am sure you'd agree. But no. Much to my disgust, it was a trite bit of promotion for an article written by one of your own, Marina Hyde, about transparency in World Cup voting. Sort it out Fiver" – Dunstan Bentley.

"Sorry to rain on Albion Rovers' parade (Fiver passim), but the attendance for their 'pay what you can' fixture of 718 was actually only a 89% increase on their average attendance of what appears to be 381 for their previous nine league fixtures this season. Unless, of course, when they claimed the size of the crowd increased by 125% they were merely pointing out that the pricing policy attracted more big-boned attendees. This might also explain why café/shop/add-ons sales increased by 165% – their figure, not mine" – Martyn Shapter.

"Re: yesterday's last line. I can't have been the only reader who instantly thought of this" – Richard Bushell (and no others).

• Send your letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. And if you've nothing better to do you can also tweet the Fiver. Today's winner of our prizeless letter o' the day is: Martyn Shapter.

JOIN GUARDIAN SOULMATES

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BITS AND BOBS

Nikica Jelavic has written to Everton fans to thank them for their support after his departure to Hull. "I believe the scoring run which I went on during those first six months [11 in 16 appearances] is the real Nikica Jelavic," he third-personned, as Hull doctors hastily searched the version they've bought for a watermark.

England will finalise their World Cup preparations with friendlies against Peru, Ecuador and Honduras. "I'm delighted with the games we have been able to secure," cheered Mr Roy.

Sunderland's Ji Dong-won, the man Paolo Di Canio backed as someone who "could still be an important player for us", has been shipped off to Augsburg after four starts in 30 months.

And Spanish football suits are targeting organised crime within the game. "We need zero tolerance with fraud," snarled Manuel Quintanar, packing a machine gun into a violin case.

STILL WANT MORE?

Get your fill of the latest Football Weekly Extra podcast.

Where did it all go wrong for Manchester United gourmand Anderson, asks Jamie Jackson.

The greatest/scrappiest goalmouth scrambles you will ever see in this week's Classic YouTube.

Carlo Ancelotti pulls a funny face.

The bad news is that Grant Holt is unavailable, the good news is that Kenwyne Jones is still up for grabs: who should each Premier League club spend their money on?

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

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'WHO THE HELL IS JULIUS CAESAR? YOU KNOW I DON'T FOLLOW THE NBA'

Jacob Steinberg

Pochettino says he is staying put as Southampton manager

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 07:37 AM PST

• Saints boss refuses to follow chairman Nicola Cortese's exit
• 'I am fully committed to these players, staff and supporters'

Mauricio Pochettino has confirmed he will be staying with Southampton as manager.

The Argentinian's future has been cast into the spotlight after the resignation of executive chairman and close ally Nicola Cortese. He left the club on Wednesday and, with Pochettino having previously said he would leave if Cortese did, it remained to be seen if he could carry out his threat. But Pochettino faced the media on Thursday afternoon and claimed a change in situation meant he would not be leaving.

"I want to show my gratitude to Nicola Cortese. I believed in him, he brought me here, my staff and my family. I am full of gratitude to him," he said. "Eight months ago when this happened we were finishing my first season and I did say that if he left there would be no sense for me to stay.

"The new situation is different. We are in the middle of our new project. Nicola knows of my decision to stay; I have spoken to him. I am fully committed to the staff, the players, the club and it would make no sense to leave in the middle of our path."

The Premier League club announced in a statement on Wednesday night that Cortese's resignation had been accepted and that their owner Katharina Liebherr had taken on the role of non-executive chairman, with the search having begun for a new chief executive officer.

England line up Latin friendlies before World Cup

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 07:19 AM PST

• England line up friendlies with Peru, Ecuador and Honduras
• Experience vital before ties against Uruguay and Costa Rica

England will finalise their World Cup preparations with friendlies against Peru, Ecuador and Honduras. After drawing Uruguay and Costa Rica in their World Cup group, the manager Roy Hodgson thought it was imperative that his team gained experience of taking on Central and South American nations before next summer's tournament in Brazil.

As a result, the Football Association has announced that England will play a friendly against Peru, whom they have never played before, on 30 May at Wembley. The squad will then travel to Miami for a warm-weather camp where they will also play Ecuador on 4 June before they take on Honduras for the first time three days later.

Both of those matches will take place at the Sunlife Stadium – the home of the Miami Dolphins NFL team. Hodgson said: "I'm delighted with the games we have been able to secure and the programme running up to the World Cup in general. I was clear to those responsible at the FA that I was looking for Central and South American opposition ahead of the tournament and that is exactly what has been delivered."

Ashley Cole and Gary Cahill played against Milan in the stadium, which has an approximate capacity of 70,000 for soccer games, in Chelsea's 2012 pre-season tour of the United States. Hodgson is expected to name his provisional World Cup squad – plus standby players – around 13 May. England will then travel to a southern European training camp in Portugal in the week between the FA Cup final and the Champions League final, which takes place on 24 May in Lisbon.

After the Peru game the squad will be whittled down to a final 23-man party. Following the games in Miami, the squad will travel to Rio de Janeiro, where they will be based throughout the tournament.

The FA confirmed that England will then travel to Manaus two days before their Group D curtain-raiser against Italy in the humid Amazonian city on 14 June. Much has been made of the glamour of a World Cup in such an iconic footballing nation as Brazil, but Hodgson will remind his players before and during the tournament that they must put the hard yards in if they are to upset the odds and go far.

"In our training camps here and abroad, I hope to foster the spirit and work ethic that we are going to need out in Brazil," he said. "It is a tournament I want us to enjoy, but to do that we must work hard and play well."

Hodgson's next task will be attending a World Cup workshop near São Paulo in mid-February. He will then pick a squad for the friendly against Denmark on 5 March at Wembley.

Liverpool land Dunkin' Donuts deal

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 07:02 AM PST

• 'Off the pitch, we bat at the top of the league,' says Ian Ayre
• 'To support Brendan we have to provide the resources'

Liverpool have announced a multi-million-pound global partnership with the American company Dunkin' Donuts. The managing director, Ian Ayre, said the deal will help the club to compete financially with their major rivals.

"We're delighted to be joining forces with Dunkin' Brands, one of the world's most iconic names. Dunkin' Donuts will be our official coffee, tea and bakery provider and Baskin-Robbins will be our official ice cream provider, we welcome both to the LFC family," said Billy Hogan, Liverpool's chief commercial officer.

Liverpool are hopeful that the deal will help the manager, Brendan Rodgers, compete in the transfer market. "In order to support Brendan we have to provide the resources to allow that," said Ayre. "That is only allowable operating within your own means – they are the rules we have all signed up to – and this is absolutely vital in us being able to compete.

"We should be pleased and fans should take comfort from the fact commercially this club is right at the top of teams in that regard. In the modern game we talk about financial fair play and the ability to operate in transfer markets, and a big part of doing what we want to achieve here is generating revenue which supports what we do on the pitch.

"Fans are interested in seeing the team win matches and the way we do that is by putting the best team out there every week. There are a finite number of partners we can have on a global basis and it is vital as a football club, like our competitors, we compete in that.

"I don't think we're trying to catch up with anyone. Off the pitch I think we bat right at the top of the league in terms of our commercial activity and our performances in that regard. Our ambition is to be the best we can be for our fans, not compete with anyone else."

The club's United States-based principal owner, John W Henry, and the chairman, Tom Werner, are in Liverpool this weekend for Saturday's home game against Aston Villa.

While they are on Merseyside they will be undertaking routine business but Ayre said there was nothing out of the ordinary about their appearance. Ayre said: "The football is going well and the business is going well and it is a timely time to sit down and catch up but there is nothing in particular on the agenda."

With performances on the pitch proving impressive – Liverpool are fourth in the Premier League – and new commercial deals coming in, there is much more stability at the club now than when Fenway Sports Group took over in 2010. Ayre said that was mainly due to the approach taken by FSG. "They have brought what they said from the outset they would bring: structure, stability and a desire to win," he said.

Letter: Bobby Collins, one of postwar Everton's greatest players

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 07:01 AM PST

As an Everton fan of very long standing I was sad to hear of the death of Bobby Collins. He was one of postwar Everton's greatest players, largely responsible for our winning the Division One title in 1962-63, along with the other two members of the "holy trinity", Alex Young and Roy Vernon; and virtually singlehandedly the reason for our having stayed in the division the previous year.

I attended all Everton's home games from 1953 to my leaving Liverpool in 1968 except for one, and that was the midweek fixture against West Brom immediately after Bobby's transfer to Leeds. I could have told Everton's board that Bobby was far from finished, as was subsequently proved by his equally distinguished career at Leeds.

Saints, Seedorf and those City slickers

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 06:54 AM PST

On today's Football Weekly Extra, AC Jimbo welcomes back Sean Ingle for more stat-based analysis, and they're joined by Paul Doyle and James Horncastle.

After glossing over the FA Cup replays, we get stuck into the meat and potatoes of the Premier League, where Southampton's off-field troubles have knocked Hull City's hooing and haaing off the back pages.

Still, it doesn't take us long to look forward to the big games at the top and bottom of the table at the weekend, where Cardiff are likely to be Manchester CIty's latest lambs to the slaughter, Fulham head to Arsenal, and Crystal Palace host Stoke.

Also in the show, we discuss Clarence Seedorf's arrival in the Milan hot seat (and his delightfully-named fusion restaurant), get up to speed with the latest transfer rumours, and discover why John Guidetti is a man you really want in your dressing room.

We're back with Philippe Auclair, Barry Glendenning and Owen Gibson on Monday, and if you can't wait that long, Jimbo's European paper review will be up on Friday morning, you lucky, lucky things.

Robin van Persie on Manchester United boss David Moyes: 'He will turn things around soon' – video

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 05:39 AM PST

Manchester United striker Robin van Persie says David Moyes needs to be given time to succeed with the club

Sport picture of the day: Carlo Ancelotti caught on the sidelines

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 05:23 AM PST

We're not sure what Carlo Ancelotti was looking at or thinking of when he pulled this face but as Real Madrid strolled through to the next round of the Copa del Rey, it's unlikely his team's performance was the cause of his gurning

Steven Bloor

Who should your club buy in the January transfer window? – open thread

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 05:17 AM PST

Premier League managers have been reluctant to spend in the first half of the transfer window, but where should they invest?

There's no value in the market, January is not the time to rebuild a squad and the very best players are cup-tied, but football owners are not always known for their good sense, so let's advise them on how to spend their money.

The transfer window opened on 1 January, but clubs seem to be either ignoring the opportunity to strengthen or holding off until everyone becomes a little desperate and bargains can be found. Now that Chelsea have brought Nemanja Matic back from Benfica and Hull City have invested in Nikica Jelavic and Shane Long, the money could start to circulate at both ends of the table. Where should your club's manager look to invest?

Premier League signings in the first half of the window

Arsenal: none
Aston Villa: Grant Holt (loan)
Cardiff City: Magnus Wolff Eikrem and Mats Moller Daehli
Chelsea: Bertrand Traoré (free) and Nemanja Matic (£20m)
Crystal Palace: none
Everton: Aiden McGeady
Fulham: Clint Dempsey (loan)
Hull City: Nikica Jelavic (£6.5m)
Liverpool: none
Manchester City: none
Manchester United: none
Newcastle United: none
Norwich City: Jonas Gutierrez (loan)
Southampton: none
Stoke City: Stephen Ireland and John Guidetti (loan)
Sunderland: Marcos Alonso (loan)
Swansea City: none
Tottenham Hotspur : none
West Brom: none
West Ham: Jaanai Gordon, Roger Johnson (loan), Carlton Cole

Who should your club buy before the transfer window closes?

Paul Campbell

A-League: what to look out for this weekend

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 03:35 AM PST

Paul Connolly: Can Adelaide maintain their form?; Sydney's slide; Smeltz like teen spirit; can Heart ruin a wedding day?

Paul Connolly

Hull City agree deal for West Brom striker Shane Long

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 03:28 AM PST

• Republic of Ireland international will cost around £7m
• Signing follows arrival of Nikica Jelavic from Everton

Hull have had an offer accepted for the West Brom striker Shane Long and have been given permission to begin talks with the player.

The Tigers confirmed the club-record signing of fellow forward Nikica Jelavic from Everton on Wednesday and less than 24 hours later made a breakthrough in their long-term pursuit of Long.

Jelavic cost an initial £6.5m, rising to £7.5m should Hull stay in the Premier League, and Republic of Ireland international Long would cost them around £7m in a similarly-structured deal.

The 26-year-old has six months remaining on his current Baggies deal, with the club retaining an option of an extra year.

But Albion's sporting director, Richard Garlick, said the decision to accept Hull's offer came after attempts to pin Long down to a new contract proved unsuccessful.

He told the club's official website: "We began talking to Shane about a new contract last spring and, during the ongoing negotiations, we made him two offers which would have significantly increased his salary.

"However, despite our best endeavours, Shane has declined to sign a new contract.

"Shane effectively only has 18 months left on his deal and with him no closer to accepting our terms and then Hull making an acceptable offer, we felt it was in the club's best interests to accept the bid."

Long was close to joining Steve Bruce's side in September and a move seemed imminent, only for West Brom to pull the plug when their own pursuit of Romelu Lukaku fell through.

The arrival of Jelavic and pursuit of Long spell the end of Egyptian forward Gedo's time at Hull, with the club confirming that his season-long loan from Al Ahly had been cut short.

Aaron McLean's expected transfer to League One side Bradford has also been concluded on a busy day for the Tigers.

"Aaron Mclean has completed a permanent move to League One side Bradford on a two-and-a-half year deal," said a message on the club's Twitter feed.

"We can also confirm that Gedos's loan spell with the Tigers has come to an end following his return to parent club Al Ahly."

Gedo scored five times in Hull's promotion campaign last season having arrived on loan in January, but was restricted to just three cup outings and two substitute appearances in the league this term.

Mclean, meanwhile, scored in his last appearance for Hull – netting the opener in a 2-0 FA Cup third-round victory at Middlesbrough.

Manuel Pellegrini reacts to Manchester City's 5-0 win over Blackburn Rovers – video

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 02:47 AM PST

Manchester City manager says Blackburn Rovers were a tough team to beat, despite his side's 5-0 victory

Manchester United finally grow tired of the great Anderson enigma | Jamie Jackson

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 01:56 AM PST

The Brazilian has failed to live up to his much vaunted potential since arriving at Old Trafford in 2007 and David Moyes has recognised that the midfielder's 'big season' may never arrive

Two years after Roy Keane's departure, Anderson put in a performance at the Emirates that suggested Manchester United had uncovered a feisty midfielder with the niggle and bite the talismanic Irishman had supplied for 12 years.

United drew 2-2 with Arsenal in November 2007, with Anderson replaced on 76 minutes after an impressive display against an opposing midfield that featured Cesc Fábregas and Mathieu Flamini.

That 2007-08 campaign now goes down as the Brazilian's most successful season of a disappointing seven years at Old Trafford, which may end with him leaving for Fiorentina before the transfer window closes. Anderson has become the emblem of the scarcely credible agonies Sir Alex Ferguson and David Moyes have suffered trying to restock the midfield of one of the world's richest clubs since Keane departed in 2005.

Not 26 until April, the Brazilian was by now supposed to be the mainstay of the champions' engine room, the fixture on the team-sheet who could destroy attacks and search out a killer pass ahead of a 60-yard gut-bursting run to finish what he had began.

That debut season ended with Anderson recording 24 Premier League appearances, of which 16 were starts. Both are career-high numbers for United, as is the total of 38 times he played for the club in all competitions during a campaign that ended in an 119th-minute entrance into United's Champions League final against Chelsea in Moscow. Anderson took the sixth penalty in a shootout that made him a European champion at only 20 years of age.

Anderson had been signed the previous summer after two seasons with Porto, Ferguson convinced by a glowing endorsement from his brother, Martin. In his recent book, the former manager recalled: "Martin said: 'Alex, he's better than Rooney.'"

As Ferguson observed, this was some accolade. Anderson, who won the Golden Ball as the best player of the 2005 Under-17s World Cup, has never come close to showing he deserved it.

The years of perennial disappointment have seen him chalk up only 70 league starts, five goals and seven assists, a return that is paltry for any box-to-box midfielder, which is what Anderson was billed as when he arrived and what he appeared to be during that draw at the Emirates. Instead, the jibes about his weight and the stuck-on-repeat insistence that the next campaign would be career-defining is what he will be remembered for.

In September, yet again, Anderson said: "I think it's a big season for me. However, I don't want to say that and then pick up another injury. I have often started seasons well, played six or seven games and then got injured. I'll tell you at the end of the season if it's been a big season for me."

Just two months later, he was saying: "Every player wants to play every game. I am the same. I am only 25 years old, but I cannot stay one more year and not play. I need to play. But you cannot demand to play, you have to be patient and when you get your chance you have to do well. The club have always been nice to me and I am happy here, but if I have to go eventually then I have to go. But I will do my best for United."

United may have been kind, handing him a fresh four-and-a-half-year contract in 2010, but the dressing room's unforgiving arena has offered a crueller truth, which has come wrapped in players' humour. In Rio Ferdinand's pre-season tour diary of last summer, the defender and Patrice Evra joked about Anderson's appetite and how the left-back would deliver burgers for him to eat.

Now, Fiorentina say that they are interested in a footballer who is out of contract in the summer of 2015. Daniele Pradè, the Italian club's sporting director, said: "Anderson is a player who Fiorentina likes and is following, but this certainly applies to many other players."

This year there have been eight appearances, the last coming a month ago in a 2-0 win at Stoke City in the Capital One Cup. That was a rare start but it was in the least of the four competitions United challenge for each year.

In the big time of Premier League football, Moyes has named Anderson only twice in his starting XI and he may depart stuck on a total of 104 appearances in the top flight. In his 70 starts Anderson was substituted a staggering 51 times, meaning he completed only 19 matches: this is around two and a half full games for each of the seven years at the club – one of a plethora of statistics that illustrate why United are willing to move him on.

Jamie Jackson

Glorious goalmouth scrambles, pit-lane perfection and spin-credible handball | Classic YouTube

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 01:55 AM PST

This week also features the best of Cristiano Ronaldo, ice hockey karma, skiing v skateboarding v basejumping, and more

1) Nothing beats the simple pleasure of a goalmouth scramble and here's a fine Sunday League affair (from Nathan!), then Peterborough managing the hit the crossbar thrice in last week's FA Cup tie against Kidderminster, a monsooned melee in Brazil, Cheshunt FC putting their bodies on the line, Rubin Kazan scrambling clear, amateur head tennis, and some Benny Hill-inspired scraps from both Uruguay and Coventry. PS: "Good ball, sunshine!"

2) The best pit lane-entry ever? Certainly some nice throttle work, as there is here by Walter Röhrl in his Audi Quattro. Less edifying, though, for Lewis Hamilton when he forgot he no longer worked for McLaren and his old team-mate Jenson Button doing the same …

3) Why he won the gong – Cristiano Ronaldo takes the Ballon d'Or after – what else? – an animated rap battle with Lionel Messi and Franck Ribéry. And here's the winner's 2013 season compressed into 90 seconds.

4) A truly spin-credible handball goal.

5) US school kid makes a match-winning full-court basketball buzzer-beater. Then repeats it first time when the local news comes to town.

6) And finally ... enjoy the moment as Robbie Savage gets the giggles.

Our favourites from last week's blog

1) Ice hockey karma, while team spirit is in rude health in the German league.

2) If there was ever a reason to reintroduce standing areas in English football, surely this airborne Leeds fan is it.

3) Skiing v skateboarding v basejumping.

4) Want $100,000? Oh go on then.

5) Wisconsin is jumpin …

6) … while Hampshire cricket team are bumpin'

Spotters' badges: StuartRG, barmanpete, curtained, richardsmall, TheCorporal, dotser.

Guardian YouTube channel playlists

You can follow Classic YouTube on our individual Guardian YouTube playlists, including football and other sports. And here are all of the Guardian's YouTube playlists.

Football transfer rumours: Luke Shaw to Chelsea amid Southampton exodus?

Posted: 16 Jan 2014 01:31 AM PST

Today's tittle tattle is all by itself

What's all this fuss about Nicola Cortese leaving Southampton? The Mill had been led to believe that this could only be a good thing. After all, Cortese is not A Football Man. Before being foisted on Southampton less than five years ago he was a mere banker, if you please, and one who had never traded japes with Barry Fry or played golf with Harry Redknapp's dog. When he sacked Alan Pardew and then Nigel Adkins and didn't seem to even consider hiring Big Sam or Martin Allen, it confirmed that he knows nothing about the game and just thinks football is like any other business, the no-good impostor. The Premier League should be glad to be shot of him. No?

No. Because, of course, the evolution of Southampton since Cortese's arrival proves he did actually know what he was doing. His plans have been laid and cultivated with the care of a groundsman, and not just any groundsman but a top, top groundsman. It turns out the man presumed to be Old Nick was Saint Nicola. Now, so soon after Christmas, Santa has been slain and the whole Premier League should weep. Except, that is, all the clubs who can now raid St Mary's. Chelsea will be first up, apparently, and they'll make off with Luke Shaw, leaving Ashley Cole free to plan a move to MLS.

West Ham will then attempt to lure Rickie Lambert. And Manchester United will swoop for Adam Lallana and Morgan Schneiderlin. This could be a busy month for United's swoopers, apparently, because they have also been linked with swoops for Borussia Dortmund's Ilkay Gundogan, Cruzeiro's Everton Ribeiro, Marseille's Mathieu Valbuena and Paris Saint-Germain's Blaise Matuidi, Lucas Moura and Adrien Rabiot. Basically, if you can play in midfield and David Moyes has heard of you, you could be the subject of a swooping.

Now, back to Nicola Cortese. What must he make of Daniel Levy? Just a few months after splurging over £100m on a vast squad revamp, Spurs have sacked their manager, replaced him with a novice and are now reported to be contemplating selling several of the players they recruited for big money less than a year ago, including Nacer Chadli, Lewis Holtby and Erik Lamela. The sale of Holtby to Schalke may not go through, however, as Levy fears that would encourage the German club to let Julian Draxler go to Arsenal.

Liverpool are also preparing to swallow pride and admit they may have bungled in the market last summer: so Tiago Ilori could be allowed go to Valencia.

Rafael Benítez wants to head back to Chelsea to relieve the club of either Jon Obi Mikel or Michael Essien. But for now the Spaniard is staying in Napoli to fend off Manchester United's swoopers, who are hovering over Marek Hamsik.

Finally, Stoke and West Ham are jousting for the services of Asamoah Gyan, who could be available on loan from Al Ain.

Paul Doyle

Qatar urged to pay migrant workers electronically to stamp out exploitation

Posted: 15 Jan 2014 11:00 PM PST

Paying World Cup building workers' wages electronically would help track payments and combat corruption, says NGO

Qatar should make electronic payment of wages to migrant construction workers mandatory to address one of their biggest concerns: non-payment and late payment of wages, an engineering group has said.

Engineers Against Poverty, a UK-based NGO, presented the recommendation, along with others, to representatives of contractors and banks at a meeting in Doha on Tuesday at the launch of the Improving employment standards in construction in Qatar report (pdf).

The Gulf state has come under intense international pressure to prevent exploitation of migrant workers in the buildup to the 2022 football World Cup. Unions have warned that labour conditions in the country could result in up to 4,000 deaths before the tournament begins.

Representatives of the families of migrant workers who have been killed and injured on building sites in Qatar have called on Fifa, the world football governing body, to hand the tournament to another country unless the Doha leadership can guarantee worker safety.

In its report, Engineers Against Poverty said electronic payment would provide workers with the evidence needed to prove they had not been paid and allow them to seek redress.

"Non-payment and late payment of wages is one of the biggest concerns to migrant workers. It is also a potential source of disruption and delay to projects, and therefore a major risk to government clients and their project management consultants," Jill Wells, the research team leader, said.

Workers, who are usually paid in cash, often have to borrow large sums from moneylenders at high rates of interest to pay recruitment fees. It is critical for them to receive wages on time and in full so debts can be repaid promptly.

The report argues that while there are limits to the control contractors can exert over subcontractors, the former can do more to ensure that all workers receive their wages on time. It says clients should consider including clauses in their contracts with main contractors requiring them to pay the wages of their subcontractors' workers if the latter fails to do so. Such legislation exists in India.

The main complaint from workers who come to Qatar's National Human Rights Committee for help is about late wage payments. A third of the 1,100 labourers surveyed by the NHRC said they never received their wages on time.

In 2010, 93% of the complaints handled by the ministry of labour were about delayed wages and two-thirds of complainants were construction workers. In 2012, the ministry received 6,000 complaints, with wages and denial of benefits the main problems.

Some contractors told Engineers Against Poverty that they paid cash in hand because most workers earn less than the minimum salary required to open a bank account. Yet the NGO said three companies were paying salaries to workers earning less than half of this amount by electronic bank transfers.

One contractor told Engineers Against Poverty that while providing accounts to low-paid workers was not profitable for banks, they could be persuaded to do so as banks hoped to secure more profitable lines of business from the big contractors.

"Paying through electronic bank transfer could provide workers with evidence to prove they have not been paid and allow them to seek a transfer of sponsorship," the report says. But as this is no guarantee of prompt payment, the main contractor should step in if subcontractors fail to pay workers on time.

The report also recommends that:

• all public sector clients follow the approach adopted by the Qatar Foundation, a major client of the construction industry, in setting up a workers' welfare department to undertake regular welfare audits of contractors and subcontractors and aim to work only with those that comply with the foundation's standards on migrant workers' welfare.

• Principal contractors should be required to set up a helpline for workers to alert all parties concerned to delayed payment of wages by subcontractors.

• The labour department should be strengthened so the government can play a bigger role in enforcing its own laws and regulations and in clamping down on companies that flout the law and abuse workers.

• The Qatar government should leverage its position with labour-sending countries whose economies are heavily dependent on remittances from migrant workers, and pressure their governments to step up efforts to address corruption and exploitation in the recruitment business.

Qatar is spending more than £100bn on facilities and infrastructure before the 2022 World Cup and is expected to bring in at least 500,000 more workers on top of the existing 1.2 million, including hundreds of thousands more from Nepal and India.

Mark Tran