Football news, match reports and fixtures | theguardian.com

Liverpool's Glen Johnson ruled out for 'indefinite' period with injury
Sheffield United's Nigel Clough on the FA Cup: 'It's about the glory'
Brown: I feel no sympathy for United
Anelka will argue case at FA hearing
Rosell resigns as Barça president
Radamel Falcao faces World Cup heartache after sustaining ACL injury
Manchester United and my Moyes-life crisis | Gwyn Topham
272. Edin Dzeko, Manchester City
Premier League plans crackdown on illegal foreign pub screenings
Ince reveals anger at Blackpool sacking via text
Fifa pledges $3m for football-related outreach programmes worldwide - video
Will Mata become United's Özil?
European Championship hosts France to take part in qualification stages
Liverpool beaten to Salah by Chelsea
FA Cup: Why all roads lead back to Port Vale for Chris Birchall
The Fiver | Sit back and wait until … wah! It's an emergency! | Scott Murray
Arsenal's Arsène Wenger unhappy with transfer of Chelsea’s Juan Mata to Manchester United – video
Football Weekly Extra: Sunderland head to Wembley as Juan Mata heads to Man Utd
Stan Collymore returns to Twitter and hits out at the Sun
Roberto Martínez defends Romelu Lukaku as striker issues Anelka apology
Barcelona's president on brink as club call 'extraordinary' meeting
Everton's Roberto Martínez backs Romelu Lukaku – video
Manchester United fan calls 999 and asks to speak to Sir Alex Ferguson – audio
Ricardo Bochini's long wait to become Argentina's legend of la pausa | Jonathan Wilson
Juan Mata to Manchester United? The internet reacts to transfer deal

Liverpool's Glen Johnson ruled out for 'indefinite' period with injury

Posted: 23 Jan 2014 02:30 PM PST

• Defender has ankle and groin injuries, Brendan Rodgers said
• Injuries will cause concern for England manager Roy Hodgson

England have been dealt another World Cup injury scare after Glen Johnson was ruled out of Liverpool's Champions League pursuit for an "indefinite" period by Brendan Rodgers.

The Liverpool manager revealed the right-back needs to rest an ankle problem he has been carrying for some time, starting with the FA Cup fourth-round trip to Bournemouth on Saturday. But Johnson is also struggling with a groin injury that may require surgery in the buildup to the Brazil finals.

No decision has been taken on whether the 29-year-old needs a groin operation, with Liverpool hoping an extended rest will ease Johnson's various ailments, but the prospect will be a concern to the England manager Roy Hodgson, who has already lost Arsenal's Theo Walcott from his World Cup plans due to a cruciate ligament injury.

"Glen has played a lot of the season with injuries and really put himself out for the team, but unfortunately he is struggling with a number of injuries now," said Rodgers. "It will be indefinite really, the timeline he will be out.

"He's had a real bad ankle for a period of time and just one or two other issues that haven't allowed him to be 100%. I think everyone has seen over many years the speed, fluency and how good he's been, but for part of this season he's been restricted and that's obviously been difficult for him. He has put himself out for the team, he has trained and played, but it is just at that point now where we need to get him right. There's no timeline on it. We just need to assess it and we'll take it from there."

Injuries have taken an inevitable toll on Johnson's form in recent months but his absence represents a setback for Rodgers as he attempts to steer Liverpool back into the Champions League.

Liverpool lost the influential Lucas Leiva for up to two months last Saturday with a knee ligament injury sustained against Aston Villa, Daniel Agger has also been sidelined with a calf problem and José Enrique is "weeks away" from returning to the problematic left-back position.

Jon Flanagan, however, has returned to full training having recovered from a hamstring strain suffered before Christmas and should be fit for next Tuesday's Merseyside derby at Anfield.

"I am disappointed for Lucas because he's been very important for our squad this season," the Liverpool manager added. "It was something that was innocuous really and has put him out for a few months. Hopefully he'll get back sooner rather than later. He'd been in good form this season and had worked his way back into the Brazil squad. Knowing what he is like, he'll be back sooner rather than later – and he'll do everything in his power to get back. In the meantime, that leaves us short of a really good player."

Andy Hunter

Sheffield United's Nigel Clough on the FA Cup: 'It's about the glory'

Posted: 23 Jan 2014 02:30 PM PST

The Blades manager on his memories of the 1991 Cup final, life in League One and the possibility of an upset against Fulham

When Nigel Clough comes up the stairs at Sheffield United's training ground his top is adorned with the number that brings back memories of those days when he graced football pitches for his dad's Nottingham Forest. Brian Clough always did refer to his son as "the No9" and Nigel has stuck with it in the quarter of a century since.

He is here to talk about the FA Cup, and the chances of his team, 20th in League One, sending Fulham the same way as Aston Villa on Sunday. At one point the Sheffield Star correspondent asks about team news and Clough works out they are down to "15 and anyone else we can scramble together". Yet Fulham would be unwise to underestimate them after what happened at Villa Park in the last round, when Paul Lambert's comments about the FA Cup made it a victory for anyone who still cherishes the history of this competition.

Clough certainly fits into that category and has to stop himself at one point, apologising after mentioning the financial implications for a third-tier club facing top-division opposition. "I don't want to sound like a Premier League manager," he points out. "It's about more than that. Whatever we made from Villa Park, whatever we'll make against Fulham, it's about the glory of the day and what it means for the supporters. That gets lost sometimes. The glory, the memories. That's what is really important."

Anyone who wants to argue the point need only bring up what happened to Clough's Forest in the 1991 final against Spurs and those infamous tackles from Paul Gascoigne on Garry Parker and Gary Charles. The Sultans of Ping FC, a Cork-based indie band of the 1990s, once released a track commemorating Nigel as a "nice young man with a lovely smile". But the nice young man – now approaching his 48th birthday – becomes unusually animated when he is reminded of that 2-1 defeat.

"Roger Milford," he proclaims, with more than a hint of lingering indignation. "That's my memory. If the referee had done his job properly, he might also have saved Paul Gascoigne's career. Instead poor old Gazza goes off on a stretcher, after two of the worst tackles you will ever see, and without receiving so much as a yellow card. Even to this day, I'm still absolutely flabbergasted. The first one [Gascoigne's chest-high lunge on Parker] was a red card and would have changed the entire complexion of the game."

He considers it one of the disappointments of his professional life and, 23 years on, this is also the first occasion he has ever broached the subject about what happened before extra time, when Clough Sr stayed in his seat rather than trying to lift his players. Spurs went on to win courtesy of Des Walker's own goal but Nigel thinks his father's inaction was irrelevant. "We were told enough during the week to know what we were supposed to do," he says matter-of-factly. "It was more of a statement that he trusted us."

As a manager, Clough was in charge of the Burton Albion side that gave Manchester United an almighty scare in 2006, featuring one team at the top of English football and another that was 14th in the Conference and had a sponsorship deal with Bovril, a captain who doubled up as a builder and a ground named after a tyre factory. "We're being outplayed by Burton," United's supporters could be heard singing during that 0-0 draw. Clough looks back on it as a "miracle."

A win for his current team on Sunday would not generate the same publicity, but it is also the case that the controversy surrounding Lambert's comments meant the Blades did not get the coverage they deserved after their 2-1 victory at Villa. "We're not looking for public acclaim," Clough says. "We know ourselves the size of the achievement, when we play well and when we deserve the accolades. The way the 6,000 supporters went to support the team, that's enough for us. It was probably the best day out they had had for a few years and it's important for us because it's been a struggle in the league."

Fulham certainly have the appearance of a team that could be vulnerable, not least because they have to balance Sunday's game with an important league fixture at Swansea City on Tuesday. "I'm sure they will be conscious there could be an upset," Clough says. "It's why it's on TV and why all the media are here. But whatever side Fulham pick, there are still two leagues' difference. If they're bang at it and we're bang at it, we'll lose. But if they're off it and we play very well, we have a chance. It's possible, but we will need a very good day."

Clough took over in late October, three and a half weeks after his tenure at Derby County ended with the sack after almost five years, almost completely out of the blue. This is not the time when he wants to go public with his grievances, but what happened at Derby cut him deep. "I've had an awful lot of letters from supporters wishing me luck," he says. "That's the nicest thing. I've lived in Derby for over 40 years and that relationship with the people there will stay the same."

His focus now is ensuring a club that was in the Premier League eight years ago does not slide into the fourth tier. "It's a Championship club at least, but it's difficult for a big club to be viable in League One," he says. "Leeds and Forest and Leicester have all been down and experienced it. Wolves are down here now but it's different for them because they're protected by the parachute payments. We aren't, and it makes life tough."

Daniel Taylor

Brown: I feel no sympathy for United

Posted: 23 Jan 2014 02:30 PM PST

• No split loyalties from former Manchester United defender
• Brown praises 'brilliant' impact of new manager Gus Poyet

Wes Brown's past may be bound up with Manchester United but the Sunderland centre-back had no compunction about playing a key role in denying his former club a place in the League Cup final.

"I don't feel any sympathy for Manchester United at all," said the 34-year-old. "I'm a Sunderland fan now. Obviously I'm a United fan as well but we're playing them so I'm Sunderland all the way."

Brown and his new team were never supposed to go to Wembley this season. After being sidelined with serious knee trouble for almost two years the former England defender was advised to accept medical advice and retire last summer.

By early autumn though a defiant Brown was close to a thoroughly unexpected first team comeback but, by then, the chaos surrounding Paolo Di Canio's doomed managerial reign and the former director of football Roberto De Fanti's flawed recruitment policy had plunged Sunderland into a relegation battle they remain embroiled in.

"Back in September I could not imagine this club would be going to a Wembley final, and that's the honest truth," acknowledged Brown. "If you'd asked in September if there was a chance of us being in a final, nobody here would have said 'yes'. We've come such a long way since then. We're a strong bunch of lads and hopefully we can just keep this going now in the league."

If Brown's return to action was integral to Sunderland's slow rebirth, Gus Poyet's appointment as Di Canio's successor has re-ignited a sense of cautious optimism on Wearside.

"Gus has been brilliant," said Brown. "He's on everyone's side. He helps everyone. We know what he wants and that's what we try and do. He changes things at times to see how we react to it and we reacted brilliantly against Manchester United. We have some great and talented players. When we play well you can see that on the pitch. The lads are buzzing and I hope all our supporters are too."

Like Poyet, Brown knows all the euphoria will evaporate swiftly should an alarmingly inconsistent Sunderland – still stuck in the relegation zone – fail to beat Stoke City at the Stadium of Light in the Premier League next Wednesday and then lose the derby at Newcastle United on Saturday week. Even so, he would not be human if he did not allow himself the luxury of looking forward to a final against his one time local rivals.

"Obviously it will be nice for me to play against Manchester City," Brown admits. "But regardless of who it is we'd just like to go to Wembley and win the game now. It would be great for the club."

Louise Taylor

Anelka will argue case at FA hearing

Posted: 23 Jan 2014 12:48 PM PST

• Striker is defended by comedian and denies charge
• Frenchman faces five-match ban if he is found guilty

The Football Association has confirmed that the West Bromwich Albion striker Nicolas Anelka is to argue his case at a forthcoming commission hearing, although no date has been scheduled.

Anelka was charged by the FA on 21 January with making a gesture which was abusive and/or indecent and/or insulting and/or improper after scoring during Albion's 3-3 draw at Upton Park on 28 December.

The FA further alleged it to be an aggravated breach, in that it included a reference to ethnic origin and/or race and/or religion or belief.

The Frenchman faces a potential five-match ban at least if found guilty.

A statement from the FA read: "Nicolas Anelka has today replied to a charge in relation to an incident that occurred during the West Ham United versus West Bromwich Albion fixture at the Boleyn Ground on 28 December 2013.

"Anelka, the West Bromwich Albion player, has denied the charge and requested a personal hearing."

A statement from West Brom confirmed the FA's position, adding "the club will make no further comment until the FA's disciplinary process has reached a conclusion".

The case is a minefield for the FA as it is mired in French politics and beliefs, resulting in them hiring an independent expert to assess the symbolism of the quenelle before laying down the charge.

The man behind the salute, the French comedian Dieudonné M'bala M'bala, believes Anelka should be allowed to continue to perform the gesture as it signifies his liberation from slavery.

Dieudonné has strongly denied the gesture has any antisemitic or racist connotations, and instead is effectively an "up yours" to the French establishment.

Dieudonné, a friend of Anelka, told Sky News: "The quenelle salute, it's simply a salute. At the beginning, an insult, a little like this. I'm not sure how you do it in England [placing his left hand on his right arm and then raising the latter with a clenched fist].

"In France it means simply a gesture against the system, and then after time it became a gesture of emancipation.

"Many Africans like me, descendants of slaves, it's for self-liberation."

Performing the quenelle by placing an upturned left hand across his right bicep, Dieudonné added: "That means liberation from a system, and it's because of that Nicolas Anelka did it.

"It's a gesture against submission to a system, a gesture belonging to the descendants of slaves who say 'Stop. It's done. I'm done'.

"There's no hint of racism. Racism is a bad thing."

Dieudonné feels Anelka should not be facing the prospect of sanctions from the FA simply for displaying his beliefs.

"It's strange because if they [the FA] are independent, if they love football, they should be more interested in what's happening in the match," added Dieudonné.

"When an athlete is technical like Anelka, one of the able ones, he scores goals, people applaud him.

"Anelka is a descendant of slaves and if he wants to remark on his history then he has a right to do so.

"We are very proud he does that, all of us, because Nicolas Anelka is hope. So if those who are pro-slavery deny us, the slaves, our emancipation, it's serious."

Further underlining he is firmly behind Anelka, Dieudonné said: "He has all my support. We see him as a brother in our humanity. He's someone who shows courage and is someone for whom we have lots of respect and admiration.

"We are all behind him in solidarity, and we are, above all, proud of him because of his noble position. To us, he is a prince. You have princes, queens in England, but us, we prefer Nicolas Anelka. He's our prince, no?"

Via his Facebook page on Wednesday, Anelka had reqested the FA drop the charge, insisting he is "not antisemitic or racist".

Anelka believed he had the backing of a Jewish community leader in the battle to clear his name. However, Roger Cukierman, the president of CRIF (Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France) clarified earlier remarks he gave in a video interview to Le Figaro, further expressing his unhappiness with Anelka's actions.

"I was disappointed with the attitude of Anelka, whose behaviour is the opposite of what a top athlete must show the youth of our country," said Cukierman.

"I was troubled by the fact the public man – he is a symbol for some of the youth of our country, and so he must therefore be perfect in his behaviour – can make this gesture 'to show his friendship to his friend Dieudonné', whose motivations are without a doubt antisemitic."

Rosell resigns as Barça president

Posted: 23 Jan 2014 12:47 PM PST

• Lawsuit over Neymar transfer triggered move
• 'His signing has caused envy in our adversaries'

Sandro Rosell has resigned as president of Barcelona with immediate effect. Rosell made the announcement at a press conference on Thursday night after an extraordinary board meeting.

Rosell named the vice-president Josep Maria Bartomeu as his successor as president until 2016. The decision comes after a Spanish national court judge, Pablo Ruz, this week accepted a lawsuit that alleges Rosell misappropriated funds from the £49m signing of the striker Neymar from Santos last June. A Barcelona club member, Jordi Cases, has alleged that the amount paid was more than the €57m (£48.6m) fee reported at the time.

Explaining his decision to step down, Rosell said: "For some time my family and myself have suffered threats and attacks in silence. These threats and attacks have made me wonder if being president means having to jeopardise my family.

"In recent days an unfair and reckless accusation of misappropriation has resulted in a lawsuit against me in the Audiencia Nacional. From the beginning I have said that the signing of Neymar Jr has been correct and his signing has caused despair and envy in some of our adversaries.

"The right of the club members to be informed needs to be compatible with the defence of the club and confidentiality of certain matters and facts. This confidentiality is essential in the world of football because otherwise the club could be damaged.

"The board of directors is a team. And this team leads a project that has brought the club great success. I don't want unfair attacks to negatively affect their management or the image of the club. This is why I think my time here has come to an end.

"Now, in accordance with the club's statutes, I have presented my irrevocable resignation of the presidency of FC Barcelona to the board of directors."

The 49-year-old took over as Barça president in the summer of 2010 after winning a landslide vote to succeed Joan Laporta. During Rosell's presidency, Barça have won two Primera División titles, the Champions League, the Copa del Rey, the Fifa Club World Cup, the Uefa Super Cup and three Spanish Supercopas.

Rosell added: "In these four years we have enjoyed and suffered because we are Barcelonistas, just as many generations of Blaugranas have enjoyed and suffered for more than a century.

"In all of these years we have seen that our successes are the result of our victories on the pitch and overcoming innumerable obstacles off the pitch: political, external and, what's worse, at times the pressure has come from our own environment.

"It has been an honour to serve the Barcelonistas. It's been a privilege to be the president of FC Barcelona."

Bartomeu, who was sitting alongside Rosell, said: "My first desire is to announce the continuation of the board's project until 2016. I ask the club members for their support. I encourage them to continue to have confidence in this project."

Barça, who last season won their fourth Primera División title in the last five years and 22nd in their history, are currently joint top of La Liga with Atlético Madrid on 51 points.

They are through to the last 16 of the Champions League, where they will face Manchester City, while they are on course to reach the last four of the Copa del Rey after earning a 4-1 lead from the first leg of their quarter-final tie with Levante.

Radamel Falcao faces World Cup heartache after sustaining ACL injury

Posted: 23 Jan 2014 12:27 PM PST

• Falcao injured left knee against Monts d'Or Azergues
• Monaco striker will have operation in the coming days

Radamel Falcao is in danger of missing the World Cup following confirmation he will need surgery after suffering anterior cruciate ligament damage.

The prolific Colombia international sustained the injury during Monaco's Coupe de France tie against Monts d'Or Azergues on Wednesday night and he underwent tests on Thursday.

The results of those tests have confirmed the extent of the damage to his left knee and Monaco have announced that Falcao will now need an operation. Monaco have not said how long Falcao is likely to be absent for, only that doctors would try to help the striker recover as quickly as possible.

However, there must be real concern now for Falcao and Colombia that he will be ruled out of this summer's World Cup finals in Brazil, with recovery time for a serious ACL injury typically between six and nine months.

A club statement on asm-fc.com read: "Following the injury suffered on Wednesday, Radamel Falcao has had medical tests. It appears that the player has a lesion of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

"An operation will be necessary in the coming days. The doctors will therefore make every effort to allow Radamel Falcao to recover as quickly as possible."

Manchester United and my Moyes-life crisis | Gwyn Topham

Posted: 23 Jan 2014 12:26 PM PST

The Man United fan who rang 999 after humiliation at the hands of Sunderland is not the only one in despair

Half a lifetime ago, in a nondescript pub on a Monday night, I saw something that made me believe everything didn't have to stay the same. That the promise of success needn't be followed by disappointment. That the good times hadn't ended in the 1960s, with the hippies and the music and the dreamers. Instead, on a screen above me, a pre-lapsarian Ryan Giggs was curling in a 30-yard free kick and Manchester United were, for the first time since the scarcely credible Best-Charlton-Law days, champions. It was possible to be alive, United and win.

Fast forward 20 years, and you can stick the lid back on. With the United empire crumbling, the indignities mount daily. The Swanseas and Sunderlands do not fear to triumph at Old Trafford, and referees like Howard Webb brandish red cards at United players as if they had been doing it all their lives. Suddenly, the fortunes I solipsistically identified with United's own look set to be shanked into oblivion. My back aches. The roof leaks. A Moyes-life crisis is breaking out.

In the two decades in between it's been peachy, our lives following a Cantona-Ronaldo-shaped trajectory of blistering excitement and success: me, you, the Cockney Reds, those United-supporting rickshaw drivers in Kathmandu and restaurant owners in Nairobi. Clearly, the football fan's delusion can't bear close scrutiny. Yet the delusions are powerful. A recent film, Class of 92, reunited the youth team that evolved behind Giggs, with the likes of David Beckham and Paul Scholes taking United to even dizzier heights. The DVD featured, astonishingly, contributions from Tony Blair, a diehard football fan in much the same way Sir Alex Ferguson is a diehard socialist. What was going on in that United youth team was, y'know, very much what was happening in New Labour – up and coming talent, ready to dominate at home and strut on the global stage. Barcelona, Baghdad. Good times.

And while Labour was in power, sowing the seeds of its own destruction (Blair didn't say), regulating the City with a light touch that would lead to financial crisis and obscene bankers' bonuses, Ferguson was acquiescing in the debt-laden takeover of the club by Malcom Glazer's family.

Now both men have handed over to successors who – poisoned chalice or otherwise – turned their victories effortlessly into defeat. And a new order is in place. While the Glazers leech money from United, Middle East petrodollars have thrust Manchester City skywards. United fans must now identify with the new manager, David Moyes, and hope those cruelly captioned photos of him doing the rounds online ("I don't know what I'm doing") are not funny because they are true.

But the fan who rang 999 demanding to speak to Ferguson after seeing United crash out of the Capital One Cup – a trophy that once would have caused few hearts to tremble in those parts – might not be the only one thinking emergency intervention is needed.

On a business level, United's stock is falling too, its share price at new lows and its financial clout today reported to be outside the top rank of European clubs for the first time. With a model built on selling the brand to commercial partners worldwide and TV income, slipping out of the top tier of European competition – as looks likely – threatens to hasten any decline.

As any non-United fan will rush to point out, this has been a club that has often spent its way to success – and now finds itself outspent. Ferguson's departure has been, as the Glazers foresaw in their own stock prospectus, the great commercial risk, the event that exposed the cracks.

That happy night in 1993 also recalls a time when United was barely a plc, a world less dominated by finance in football and beyond – and when being a United fan, even for those outside Manchester, didn't need justification. Pointing to the swelling ranks of other clubs' fans as arriviste gloryhunters may prove some consolation in trophyless years ahead.

Twitter: @GwynTopham

Gwyn Topham

272. Edin Dzeko, Manchester City

Posted: 23 Jan 2014 12:00 PM 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.

Premier League plans crackdown on illegal foreign pub screenings

Posted: 23 Jan 2014 11:47 AM PST

• 100 prosecutions planned against publicans
• 'We will give them opportunity to cease using equipment'

The Premier League has lined up 100 prosecutions as it attempts to prevent pubs and clubs from screening live matches via foreign TV channels.

The league has been building cases against a number of premises in recent months over what it believes are breaches of copyright.

The first prosecution is set to be heard before the end of the month.

It is significantly cheaper for pubs and clubs to pay for foreign channels than it is to subscribe to the Premier League's official UK broadcasters, Sky Sports and BT Sport. A Premier League spokesman Dan Johnson said: "We have committed to a significant number of visits and over the course of a season we will make approaching 5,000.

"We want to educate and discourage publicans from using these foreign systems.

"We will give the full information and give publicans and licensees the opportunity to cease using the equipment.

"If they choose not to then obviously they run the risk of being prosecuted."

Ince reveals anger at Blackpool sacking via text

Posted: 23 Jan 2014 11:25 AM PST

• 'I am deeply disappointed,' says Ince
• Blackpool had lost nine of last 10 games

Paul Ince has criticised the Blackpool chairman Karl Oyston for sacking him via text message on Tuesday.

The former England captain was dismissed after a run of form which had seen his side lose nine of their last 10 games, a sequence which had led the Blackpool Supporters Association to call Ince's position "untenable" in an open letter to Oyston on Monday night.

"Further to being sacked as manager of Blackpool this week, I feel it is necessary to release a formal statement to provide clarification on certain key matters," said Ince, who lasted less than a year at the helm.

"It was deeply disappointing to have been notified that my contract was to be terminated via text message after a lengthy meeting with the chairman on Sunday where no indication was given that any of the coaching staff, myself included, were going to lose their jobs. Neither I nor my coaching staff received a telephone call from the chairman at any stage after this meeting."

It is true that I was at St George's Park this week as I am completing the final phase of the Uefa Pro Licence, which I have been working towards over the past two years. Along with others in my position, I have attended several such training days throughout this period. As a result, I had arranged for both Alex Rae and Steve Thompson to oversee matters at Blackpool's training ground.

"It also disappoints me that I have been accused of failing to produce a transfer target list. Whilst recent results have been of concern, especially after we enjoyed the best start to a season in Blackpool's history, we had identified key targets in the January transfer window to improve the squad as a result of injuries to key players and the loss of four loan players who returned to their parent clubs.

"The need for new faces at the club could not have been more evident than at the recent home match against Middlesbrough, where we had two young players on the bench who had already played in a (youth-team) match that morning."

Reflecting on his tenure as a whole, he added: "Overall, my time at Blackpool has been a great learning experience. Having joined in difficult circumstances when we were fighting relegation, it was great to have retained the club's Championship status and then make such a positive start to the season after losing several senior players over the summer.

"After starting the new campaign with just 18 players available, and then losing some key members of the squad over the Christmas period to injury, it was clear we needed to strengthen to ultimately improve results and that is what we were actively trying to achieve.

"I enjoyed working with the chairman during my time in charge. We had a very good professional relationship so it is with sadness (that I) have been relieved of my managerial duties, and the manner in which I was informed of my dismissal was particularly disappointing.

"I would like to thank the staff who have assisted me in every possible way, the players for their great efforts and the fans for the support they've given me during my time in charge. I wish everyone connected with the club the very best for the future."

Oyston revealed he had taken the supporters' feelings towards Ince into account when making his decision.

"It was absolutely unanimous – everybody wanted Paul Ince to leave the club," Glenn Bowley, chairman of the Supporters Association, said.

Fifa pledges $3m for football-related outreach programmes worldwide - video

Posted: 23 Jan 2014 10:14 AM PST

Fifa general-secretary Jérôme Valcke visits Rio de Janeiro and announces the governing body will contribute $3m [£1.8m] to 108 football-related outreach programmes around the world

Will Mata become United's Özil?

Posted: 23 Jan 2014 09:40 AM PST

If Mata moves to Old Trafford will he rescue their season or falter under a failing manager at a collapsing club?

Any club breaking its transfer record for a player must expect him to make a difference. A club in the grip of a crisis, whether real or imaginary, will expect him to make an immediate difference. When Arsenal shelled out £42.5m for Mesut Özil in the summer they achieved their objective straight away. The German made an instant impact, both on the pitch and in terms of dispelling the negativity that was beginning to suffocate Arsène Wenger's side, and Arsenal have been reaping the benefit ever since.

The question now is whether Juan Mata will turn out to be United's Özil. The comparison is perfectly valid because both players are the same age, fill broadly the same position and will cost similar amounts. But it overlooks the fact that United could have had the real Özil, not just an out-of-favour imitation, had David Moyes shown any interest when Real Madrid offered the player in advance of his move to Arsenal.

The Manchester United manager is not known for his decisiveness in the transfer market. Neither, it could be argued, is Wenger, though despite Özil being hawked around leading clubs as Real Madrid sought to raise money and free space for the capture of Gareth Bale, Arsenal still managed to present their new signing with something of a conjuror's flourish. The fans were begging for a big signing, something to show intent, and Wenger silenced them with a pleasant surprise. As a result of the stealth of the operation Özil was able to join his new club under relatively little pressure and begin looking like he was doing Arsenal a favour rather than the other way round.

Most of that, one feels, will be missing when Mata runs out in a United shirt. The club have bought him because he is available, not because he is a player Moyes has always rated or coveted. Moyes's reasons for not wanting Özil in the summer included the consideration that he already had Wayne Rooney and Shinji Kagawa for the position just behind the main striker – and he still has, even if Rooney is becoming restless and Kagawa has generally been disappointing since arriving in England.

Mata is possibly more of a winger than Özil, or at least that is how he has mostly been used at Chelsea, but Moyes is not short of wide players and United's traditional reliance on width and crossing is beginning to be questioned anyway. Mata's talent lies in his cleverness, his ability to spring surprises and offer creative vision beyond the scope of most players, hence the comparisons with Özil.

United certainly need some of that, possibly all of it, though there must be a reason why José Mourinho has not been picking him. Mourinho has doubts about Mata's pace and strength, primarily, and it would be ironic to see a rival manager whose Everton teams were noted for their robustness and whose major signing so far at United has been Marouane Fellaini take him off Chelsea's hands.

Desperation is the word some might use. If Fellaini is now wondering where he stands in the pecking order, he joins a list that includes Kagawa, Ashley Young, Nani and Antonio Valencia. There would not be too much wrong with a front three of Adnan Januzaj, Rooney and Mata playing behind Robin van Persie, but as United have three of those four players at their disposal already, albeit with two of them inconveniently injured, there is a sense of sending for Mata as a one-man rescue mission, someone who will turn up like Eric Cantona, puff out his chest, pull up his collar and get to work on restoring United to their former glory.

Mata may or may not be able to do that, but together with the fee – Cantona was not only an inspired piece of left-field thinking on behalf of Sir Alex Ferguson, he came at a bargain price – it amounts to a great deal of pressure on a single player.

Özil still stands as an example of how a single transaction can transform a club, though there are important differences between Arsenal and the present United. One is that Wenger is a long-established and historically successful manager with a philosophy of how he wants the game played and a keen knowledge of the players who would be able to fit into his system. Moyes might have been in the same position in his later years at Everton but he is a long way from such comfort and stability now.

Another is that Arsenal, for all their long trophy drought, have remained a club of impeccable pedigree, always in the Champions League, rarely out of contention for domestic honours and usually capable of giving the leading lights in Europe a run for their money. United could count themselves in the same bracket until recently but, if it has reached the stage where they cannot get past Sunderland in a semi-final at home, or even take a decent penalty in a shootout, none of the old assumptions are valid any more and a club in turmoil – if not crisis – is never an attractive destination for a top player.

Mata, as it happens, was the only Chelsea player to miss a penalty in the 2012 Champions League final, but as he makes his way up the M6, amid dozens of variations of jokes about u-turns and emergency stops, that will be the least of his worries. His primary concern is that, for all the money involved and United's rich tradition and history, he is about to sign for an ordinary club with a manager who has a gift for making everything he touches turn to wood.

Even the most basic question any new signing must ask himself – how long will the manager who wants me stay in control? – cannot be unequivocally answered. Arsenal ushered in Özil as a breath of fresh air, an exciting new chapter in the club's history. United would love to do the same with Mata, yet the deal is already being presented as a quick fix, a kneejerk response, maybe even the last roll of the dice for Moyes in the transfer market.

The good news for Mata is that at least the United fans want him. A straw poll conducted by the Manchester Evening News found strong support for the idea of a swap with Chelsea with Rooney travelling in the opposite direction. The bad news is that it was held in the summer, when it was briefly suggested (then denied) that Mourinho might make Mata available as part of his pursuit of Rooney.

Going for Mata at that time would have made sense for United. It would have been a statement signing for Moyes that would have appeared to weaken a rival. Words such as "bold" and "audacious" would have been used, as they were with Özil. Mata's capture is not being described in such terms now. Not because he is any less of a player, but because within six months United have become so much less of an entity. It is already being suggested that far from emulating Özil, Mata's move to United could have more in common with Joe Cole's unhappy transfer to Liverpool.

That may seem harsh but these are strange times. No signing at the moment, no matter how stellar, will be greeted with complete confidence until Moyes and United can prove they are good for each other.

Paul Wilson

European Championship hosts France to take part in qualification stages

Posted: 23 Jan 2014 09:25 AM PST

• France will still qualify automatically
• Their group matches will serve as friendlies

England could face the tournament hosts, France, in their Euro 2016 qualifying group under a radical rule change from Uefa.

France will be the first host nation to take part in a European Championship qualification phase. Les Bleus will retain automatic tournament qualification, with their group-stage contests serving as friendlies where no points will be awarded.

The regulation shift means France will be added to the group-stage draw, creating nine pools of six teams. Previous competitions have had eight pools of six teams and one comprising five.

Uefa will confirm the six seeding pots on Fridayin Nyon, Switzerland, after their two-day executive committee meeting. ahead of the pool-stage draw in Nice on 23 February.

The new rule is outlined in Euro 2016 regulation article 21.02, which reads: "The teams drawn into the group of five teams will have France added to their group for the purpose of playing centralised friendlies."

England could a face star-studded Belgium, Martin O'Neill's Republic of Ireland or even familiar opponents such as Croatia or Sweden, should they fall into top-tier Pot One as expected.

The pool stage draw will be made in Nice on 23 February.

Roy Hodgson's team should be named among the top seeds courtesy of their unbeaten record in securing automatic qualification for the 2014 World Cup.

Croatia, who blocked England's qualification to Euro 2008, could face England again, if they end up in Pot Two as expected.

Home and away qualifying ties against Ireland would be bound to stir a few souls.

Ireland would certainly relish an opportunity at a scalp as they seek to capitalise on the good feeling generated by their new taskmaster management duo, O'Neill and Roy Keane.

England though, could be forgiven for being more concerned about the prospect of facing Belgium. Chelsea's Everton loanee Romelu Lukaku and the Stamford Bridge playmaker Eden Hazard are just two of an increasingly accomplished squad for the Belgians, led by the Manchester City talisman Vincent Kompany.

Gibraltar, accepted as a separate Uefa member state after winning a court of arbitration in sport ruling, will be among the countries in the draw for the first time.

It is understood Uefa will aim to keep Gibraltar and Spain apart in the qualifying draw, the fixture among those the governing body is aiming to avoid due to political sensitivity.

Liverpool beaten to Salah by Chelsea

Posted: 23 Jan 2014 08:57 AM PST

• Egypt international joins from Swiss club Basel
• Move could give go-ahead for transfer of Juan Mata

Chelsea have moved swiftly to secure a replacement for the departing Juan Mata by deflecting strong interest from Liverpool to sign the highly-rated winger, Mohamed Salah, from Basel.

The Egypt international will cost an initial £12m which could rise to £16m with the move subject to the player agreeing personal terms and passing a medical. The 21-year-old, who boasts an impressive 17 goals in 27 games for his country, is likely to be introduced to the crowd at Sunday's FA Cup fourth-round tie against Stoke City when Chelsea's other major mid-season signing, Nemanja Matic, will hope to make his first start in his second spell at the club.

Salah will bolster attacking ranks that have been weakened by the sales of Mata, who should complete his £37m move to Manchester United by the weekend, and Kevin de Bruyne, the latter having joined Wolfsburg for £18m earlier this month.

While the Belgian was a peripheral figure at the club with all parties accepting a move was timely as he sought to secure regular first-team football ahead of the World Cup, Chelsea's support are still digesting the departure of Mata, their team's player of the season in each of the previous two campaigns. José Mourinho will address the issue publicly in his pre-match press conference on Friday, and is expected to confirm a bid the size of that lodged by United simply could not go ignored, with the arrival of the talented Salah offering some measure of appeasement.

The Egyptian has scored in his last three games for Basel against Chelsea, including in both the Swiss team's Champions League group matches between the sides earlier this season, and is expected to sign a contract running to 2019. Those goal rewards have not been typical of domestic form, where the quality of the winger's performances has fluctuated, but Mourinho has spied enough potential in Salah to target him as a talented squad player with a bright future in the game.

A statement released by the club said: "Chelsea can confirm an agreement has been reached with FC Basel for the transfer of their 21-year-old attacking midfielder Mohamed Salah. The move is subject to the Egyptian international agreeing personal terms and completing a medical examination."

The winger can operate on either flank, exposing both Ashley Cole and Branislav Ivanovic for periods in those contests this term, and is quick across the turf even if he has lacked consistency in delivery and in front of goal. As a youngster of obvious raw talent, Chelsea will still consider his signing something of a coup.

Liverpool were one of a number of Premier League clubs to have scouted the forward extensively and had hoped to add him to their ranks, initially as an impact player most likely to be used from the bench in tight contests. Yet they had only considered him worth in the region of an initial £8m at most and have found themselves gazumped by Chelsea, as they were for the Brazilian winger Willian, who had also attracted interest from Tottenham Hotspur, back in August.

Salah had moved to Switzerland from the Egyptian side Al Mokawloon in the summer of 2012 and went on to score five league goals in 29 appearances as Murat Yakin's side claimed a fourth successive domestic title. He departs the club top of the table yet again to become the third new arrival at Stamford Bridge this month after Matic and the young Burkina Faso winger, Bertrand Traoré, who has since been loaned to Vitesse Arnhem. The veteran midfielder Michael Essien is also expected to depart before the closure of the window.

Dominic Fifield

FA Cup: Why all roads lead back to Port Vale for Chris Birchall

Posted: 23 Jan 2014 08:45 AM PST

He has played with David Beckham in LA and against England in a World Cup, but Saturday's fourth-round tie with Brighton is all that is on the much-travelled midfielder's mind

Chris Birchall may have played alongside David Beckham in Los Angeles and against England in a World Cup finals, but that does not mean the Port Vale midfielder will be treating Saturday's FA Cup tie against Brighton & Hove Albion lightly.

Birchall's intriguing career captured the limelight when the Stafford-born Englishman received an unlikely call-up for Trinidad & Tobago, and he then faced Sven-Goran Eriksson's England side at the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

On Saturday at Vale Park Birchall will don the colours of his boyhood team in the fourth-round tie against Brighton, one of his six former clubs in a footballing odyssey that has also taken in Coventry City, St Mirren, Carlisle United, Beckham's LA Galaxy and Columbus Crew, before coming full circle with a return to Vale this time last year.

"I'd definitely say I was an old 29-year-old because of the places that I've been and the managers I've played under, the different opportunities I've had of playing in different countries. I feel like I have been around really," says Birchall, who is relishing facing Brighton, seventh in the Championship, with Vale's eighth position in League One an indication of how well they are performing this season.

Birchall's globe-trotting days began during his first spell with Port Vale, for whom he had made his debut aged 16 in a 2-0 League Cup defeat away at Charlton in September 2001. He had only just established a first-team place when, four years later in 2005, the surprise international call came from Trinidad & Tobago, for whom Birchall qualifies due to the fact his mother was born in the Trinidadian capital Port of Spain.

"It was a long time ago. They called me up and the next week I was on a plane [to Trinidad], I'd never been there before and it was a bit of a culture shock, I didn't know how people were going to take me, accept me," says Birchall, although he was was welcomed warmly. "There's a lot of different cultures over there, so I didn't expect to be accepted as much as I was," says Birchall. "But on the pitch [how I] try to battle, they took to that and I was lucky, really."

He played an integral role in the Soca Warriors securing a berth at the World Cup for the first time, scoring a late equaliser in the home leg of the play-off against Bahrain. T&T won the away match, 1-0, to become the smallest nation ever, in terms of both population and geography, to compete in the finals.

"It was great. I was very young, and it was a whirlwind," says Birchall, who featured in all three group games in Germany in a squad that included Dwight Yorke, Shaka Hislop and Kenwyne Jones. "Once we [made it] I couldn't wait, it seemed to take ages," Birchall says. "But once there it was something I didn't really appreciate until I looked back and watched the DVDs. But it was a great experience."

Trinidad drew 0-0 with Sweden, lost 2-0 to England and 2-0 to Paraguay, and the clear highlight for Birchall was the match against Eriksson's team of Beckham, Michael Owen, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard.

"On the day England didn't really play well, we [limited] them to a few chances but they got the two goals in the last 10 minutes," says Birchall. "Each one of our team knew we weren't as good as the opposition but we had individual roles and the gaffer, Leo Beenhakker, was highly experienced," he says of the veteran Dutch coach who won three consecutive La Liga titles when managing Real Madrid in the 1980s.

Did he speak to any of England players afterwards? "Lampard, walking off the pitch, Beckham – they were on about the game and that they didn't play well and that," he says.

Birchall's rise to prominence on the World Cup stage won him a £325,000 move to Coventry City, bought by Micky Adams to begin a relationship with a manager who would sign him for Brighton in January 2009, following loan spells at St Mirren and Carlisle, and for a third time on the return to Vale last January.

In between came three campaigns for the Galaxy in Los Angeles, where he shared a dressing room with Beckham, became a pal of fellow Potteries-native Robbie Williams, lived in a beach house, and generally enjoyed himself, winning the MLS Cup in his final season in 2011 before a short spell with Columbus Crew in Ohio.

"I enjoyed it thoroughly [in the MLS], because it's probably the third real major sport over there there's no real pressure. You do get a lot of fans but they come for a more family event so its different kind of atmosphere.

It was a bit of a culture shock but with growing up and having different challenges – going to Trinidad, that was a shock – and always being away from home, I just tried to get on with it. There was Landon Donovan, Juan Pablo Ángel, a bit later on Robbie Keane, and obviously Beckham. So there was a lot of big names. Beckham is a really nice guy, you wouldn't think he's as famous as he is when you're talking to him."

Claiming the 2011 MLS Cup came after defeat in the final two years before. "We lost against Salt Lake on penalties," says Birchall. "So winning the cup and the players I played with, enjoying my football over there, the lifestyle and experience: saying that I've done it really, is what stands out. I've enjoyed it. Hopefully there's a few more years to come."

Victory against Brighton on Saturday and a place in the last 16 of the FA Cup for his boyhood club would be a less glamorous but no less significant achievement for Birchall.

"If we can get a win against Brighton it'll be a massive step towards a good season," says Birchall. "I knew I was always going to come back because this is my home, I'm from Newcastle-under-Lyme, and I've got a little boy. He had to start school and settle down. I've enjoyed my career and hopefully there's a few more years to come."

And many more mornings being teased by Vale team-mates? "Yeah, there is definitely a lot of ribbing and mickey-taking but all enjoyable," he says. "There's always a shout every day in training – if I do something good they're always shouting: 'That's why he's played in a World Cup.'"

Jamie Jackson

The Fiver | Sit back and wait until … wah! It's an emergency! | Scott Murray

Posted: 23 Jan 2014 08:33 AM PST

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

HE'S NOT THE MOYES-SIAH, HE'S A VERY UNAMBITIOUS BOY

If last night's wholly preposterous Tin Pot semi-final between Manchester United and Sunderland taught us anything, it's that this tactic David Moyes likes, the one where his teams sit back and soak up pressure with a view to defending a one-goal lead, is not very brilliant. We've spotted flaws. Not only that, look what happens when the side *does* end up piling forward in the Fergusonian manner! Seconds after hipster-keeper David de Gea bent down to gather a Phil Bardsley backpass with all the grace of a half-cut Hoxtonian wearing ballcrushing skinny jeans and weighed down by a record bag containing the entire output of Fleetwood Mac, Steely Dan and John Coltrane on reissued 180g vinyl, Adnan Januzaj, Chris Smalling and Javier Hernandez immediately put together a goalscoring move that made Hungary 1953 look like Wimbledon 1986. What a goal! What a team! What a tactic. Dear oh dear.

Not everyone involved with United has responded well to their defeat yesterday eve. One particular buffoon rather deliciously phoned Greater Manchester Filth, demanding to speak to Lord Ferg about matters pertaining to United's recent form. Yeah, I do want to report a crime: the crime that United were knackered," he slurred at a heroically patient operator in a tired and emotional fashion. "Obviously, it can be a sad and depressing moment when you're football team loses a game," began a polis release, which doubled as a come-and-get-me plea to Big Paper for a job as a sub-editor, "however can we all please remember that 999 is to be used for emergencies only." Rumours that the miscreant was either Sir Bobby Charlton or David Moyes himself are surely wide of the mark, though we're ruling nothing out at this early stage.

Thankfully, the loss led to more constructive and proactive behaviour in others. United suit Ed Woodward has finally taken his feet off the desk and sorted out a big-name transfer, namely the £37m purchase of Chelsea reject Juan Mata. The Spanish international has flown to Manchester in a helicopter, a notable journey not only because he's about to sign, but also as it's the only time that particular mode of transport has been deployed during a January transfer window without an accompanying soundtrack of someone from Sky Sports News screaming and hollering in the modern, excitable, attention-grabbing, information-free method favoured by journalists these days.

As for Sunderland, who are off to Wembley, remember them in all this? After dancing and prancing all over the Old Trafford turf in the 'happy' and 'successful' style fondly remembered by long-in-the-tooth locals, they went home to dream dreamy dreams of their first major final since the 1992 FA Cup, and their first League Cup final since 1985. They'll be underdogs at the March 2 showpiece against free-scoring Manchester City, but they'll remember last season's FA Cup final, and anything Wigan Athletic can do, Gus Poyet's staunch side are surely capable of matching. "It's been a difficult season, the fans deserve that," said Poyet. "Let's see if we can go one more and win it," he added, having just witnessed at first hand how things can go pear-shaped very quickly if you insist on displaying a chronic lack of ambition.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"I have always taken my strength from a river and I always will" – even for Phil Brown, that is quite a zinger.

MORALE-BOOSTER OF THE DAY

"This is ridiculous, grotesque, mediocre, shabby, the lowest of the low. We've hit rock bottom. We've had some very bad matches since the start of the season but there, we have truly hit the bottom in our inability to score. We had chances but we are of an incredible, unfathomable mediocrity. We have to question ourselves right away. This club is 140 years old, it is prestigious. We shouldn't have to deal with this kind of behaviour. We're no longer in the [Euro Vase], Coupe de la Ligue or Coupe de France. [They must] look in the mirror and be ashamed of what they did. If this isn't the case, I no longer understand football or life. We are at the very bottom" – Bordeaux general manager Alain Deveseleer rallies the troops.

FIVER LETTERS

"The Fiver mentioning Mido (yesterday's Bits and Bobs) without any jabs or jibes about his weight? Just what is the world coming to?" – Craig Hills.

"Matt Dony's letter about Southampton's, er, innovative recruitment policy (Fiver passim) alludes to Santayana's remark about forgetting the past. This may be apposite, but Marx may prove to be even closer to the mark when noting that history repeats itself, 'the first [time] as tragedy, then as farce'" – Steve Allen.

"I am sure I will only be one of 1,057 pedants to speculate as to the surname of the very witty winner of yesterday's prizeless letter o' the day but, much as it is a long shot, I would love it to be Bogtrotter (of Roald Dahl's 'Matilda' fame). The signs are there if, still scarred by the memory of eating the chocolate cake prepared by the Trunchbull, he did indeed feed his children a can of cake frosting for dinner …" – Chris Duffy.

• 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: Craig Hills.

JOIN GUARDIAN SOULMATES

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BITS AND BOBS

Super sleuth Arsène Wenger has looked at the fixtures and noticed that Chelsea don't have to play Manchester United again so selling Juan Mata is unfair. "I think if you want to respect the fairness for everybody exactly the same, that should not happen," said Wenger whose Arsenal, funnily enough, play United on 12 February.

Southampton have suspended their recording signing Dani Osvaldo following what the club have enticingly described as "an incident".

Liverpool's Glen Johnson has been ruled out for "an indefinite period of time" due to assorted knack that probably includes a nasty bout of talent-knack.

Romelu Lukaku is sorry. "There has been a misunderstanding and I want to clarify that I was in no way endorsing the gesture made by Nicolas [Anelka]."

FA supremo Greg Dyke has considered Assem Allam's bid to change Hull City's name before generously tossing the club's manager Bernard Cribbins a tasty hospital pass. "I'd be interested to know if it bothered him or not," buck-passed Dyke.

Portugese second division club Leixões have got the hot funk on after six players were shown red cards and a coach was sent to the stands in the 1-1 draw with Sporting Lisbon B. "There was no pitched battle as might be thought from the total of 16 cards shown to the two teams," parped a club suit via the medium of hot steam whistling out of his ears.

Radamel Falcao's World Cup probably isn't happening after he suffered severe knee-knack playing for Monaco against Chasselay.

And former Ghana and Marseille striker Arthur Moses has warned fellow Ghanaian footballers to beware of gold-digging wives. "Look at my wife. I have built two houses for her, along with another for her mother telling a court that I told her never to work and promised to share all my property with her," he 1970s-ed. "Now the court wants me to give her my three other houses, buy her land and build her a shop."

STILL WANT MORE?

Wayne Rooney to Real Madrid? Pah, says Sid Lowe.

AC Jimbo with a full head of hair? It must be a 1995 Football Italia clip featuring Gazza in this week's Classic YouTube.

Ricardo Bochini was small, ungainly and had a powder-puff shot but Diego Maradona loved him, cheers Jonathan Wilson.

Tom Lutz goes above and beyond to make Manchester United players feel a little cheerier by retelling the tale of Mickleover Lightning Blue Sox v Chellaston Boys B and the paltry three successful penalties that were scored from 66.

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

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Scott Murray

Arsenal's Arsène Wenger unhappy with transfer of Chelsea’s Juan Mata to Manchester United – video

Posted: 23 Jan 2014 08:15 AM PST

Arsène Wenger says Chelsea's transfer of Juan Mata to Manchester United is unfair to other teams

Football Weekly Extra: Sunderland head to Wembley as Juan Mata heads to Man Utd

Posted: 23 Jan 2014 08:03 AM PST

In today's Football Weekly Extra, James Richardson has Paul Doyle, John Ashdown and Paul MacInnes in the pod to once again wax lyrical on Manchester United's latest bout of misery - their defeat on penalties to Sunderland in the Capital One Cup semi-final. The Black Cats will face Manchester City at Wembley in March, while United will try to console themselves with the imminent signing of Juan Mata from Chelsea.

Next up, we look ahead to all big - and the not-so-big - games in the fourth round of the FA Cup, including Phil Brown's Southend hosting Hull, holders Wigan welcoming Crystal Palace, Yeovil - but not their girl band - heading to Southampton, and Manchester City tonking Watford and their new manager Beppe Sannino.

Finally, we hear from Sid Lowe about the breaking news from Spain where Barcelona's president Sandro Rossell is heading for the exit following the controversy over Neymar's transfer. More on this story and more from around the European press in Jimbo's paper review, which will be with you on Friday.

Stan Collymore returns to Twitter and hits out at the Sun

Posted: 23 Jan 2014 08:01 AM PST

Former England footballer asks for 'solutions to help Twitter police itself' after suspending account following racist abuse

Stan Collymore has criticised the Sun as he returned to Twitter after suspending his account over racist abuse that he received on the site.

The former England striker, who has more than 500,000 Twitter followers, said the paper's front-page story in which his ex-girlfriend Ulrika Jonsson accused him of "hypocrisy" over the affair only served to distract from the issue of online abuse.

He said in a Google+ Hangout on sports website The Bleacher Report: "The Sun newspaper thought that dragging up a 15-year-old story this morning, which bears no relevance to being abused or threats, that that means there's essentially a justification … that because it's Stan Collymore it's OK … there is a real issue here that Twitter needs to tackle."

He added: "There are people who are using a 15-year-old story to say 'Well you did this 15 years ago, so therefore now in 2014, not 1998, you don't deserve to be speaking out about someone writing in a box "I am going to turn up to your house and murder you".'"

Collymore also traded angry words with a BBC News Channel presenter who accused him on Thursday morning of having been "on the wrong side of the law".

He replied: "I've never been convicted of anything other than speeding, so maybe you'd like to retract that."

The ex-footballer added: "Regardless of what the perception of me as a character is, I have the right to be able to walk down the road and if someone calls me the N word to be able to report it and get it to dealt with. I would expect that I should be accorded the same courtesy on Twitter."

Collymore retweeted both supportive messages and abuse on Thursday afternoon, including a tweet referring to him as a "northern jungle bunny".

He added: "I'm going to furnish twitter with ideas to enhance the service (as i've been asked to do by twitter before) Any ideas welcome!"

"Tech people. Can you please tweet me potential solutions to help twitter police itself rather than law enforcement? All ears!"

Collymore claimed: "I have 1 troll in particular. Opens account, send 3/4 abusive or illegal messages, deletes account. Over 700 accounts opened in 3 years."

The ex-footballer had earlier suspended his account after asking the police to investigate "horrific" racist abuse, including death threats.

Radio station TalkSport banned mentions of Twitter on Wednesday after accusing the site of failing to respond to racist abuse against Collymore, who is one of its pundits.

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Dugald Baird

Roberto Martínez defends Romelu Lukaku as striker issues Anelka apology

Posted: 23 Jan 2014 07:34 AM PST

• 'He never supported the gesture,' Martínez says
• Everton close to signing of Lacina Traoré

Roberto Martínez has leapt to the defence of Romelu Lukaku, after Everton's on-loan striker offered support to Nicolas Anelka over his quenelle gesture.

Anelka has informed the Football Association of his intention, as expected, to contest the charge brought against him, which followed the celebration after his first goal for West Bromwich Albion at West Ham United on 28 December.

In a video now taken down from the club's website, Lukaku, who apologised for any offence caused on Thursday, suggested Anelka was a player fans wanted to see and should not receive a ban for what he did at West Ham. "He is my idol," the Belgian forward said.

"Romelu is only a young man, and sometimes after playing a game the emotions are still high," Martínez said. "He wanted to present some support to a player he has admired from an early age, but he never supported the gesture, those views or the meaning of those views. There has been a big, big misunderstanding about this issue but it is not for us to solve that. The quicker the FA and the player deal with it the better.

"Because then everyone will have clarity. Romelu wanted to support an ex-teammate but he is not the sort of person to endorse any sort of conflicting view which could be disrespectful to anyone. It's one thing supporting an individual and something else to support a gesture."

Lukaku said in a statement: "I want to make clear that I was supporting a friend and player I have admired since I was a child.

"I apologise if I caused any offence with my comments as this was never my intention.

" There has been a misunderstanding and I want to clarify that I was in no way endorsing the gesture made by Nicolas."

Martínez is still confident of tying Leighton Baines to a long-term deal and will open talks over new contracts with Ross Barkley and Seamus Coleman after the transfer window, but says Aiden McGeady and Lacina Traoré will be the only arrivals at Goodison this month. "We had two targets, a striker and Aiden McGeady, and we think we have done very good business," he said.

"The deal for Traoré is not quite completed yet, we've done the work permit but there are a few other issues to go through so there's nothing to announce at the moment."

Monaco's willingness to let Traoré leave may be tested by an injury to Radamel Falcao, which could put the striker out of the World Cup, and may place the Everton target on standby, though Martínez has not heard anything from the French club and does not anticipate problems. "We hope it won't affect their decision to let Lacina go out on loan," he said. "It shouldn't, because a decision has already been made on what the player needs for his development. Lacina himself is not fit to play right now, he has a bit of a muscle injury.

"He is OK generally because we had the medical and checked him over but it would be too early to play him straight away. As things stand we have our representatives in Paris trying to sort out his visa, once we get that we can welcome him as an Everton player."

Barcelona's president on brink as club call 'extraordinary' meeting

Posted: 23 Jan 2014 07:05 AM PST

• Sandro Rosell under pressure over Neymar signing
• Board meeting called for Thursday afternoon

Barcelona have called an "extraordinary" board meeting, fuelling Spanish media reports that the club president Sandro Rosell is under pressure to step down due to the lawsuit over Neymar's transfer.

Barcelona have said in a statement that the meeting will take place on Thursday afternoon, a day after a judge agreed to hear a lawsuit brought by a Barcelona club member over the cost of Neymar's signing.

A club member, Jordi Cases, alleges Rosell misappropriated funds by hiding the real cost of the transfer behind false contracts.

Rosell said earlier this week that the cost of €57m (then £44.6m), announced at Neymar's presentation, is correct.

Spanish media have speculated that Rosell may resign to save the club's image ahead of what could be a lengthy legal battle.

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Ricardo Bochini's long wait to become Argentina's legend of la pausa | Jonathan Wilson

Posted: 23 Jan 2014 05:50 AM PST

Ricardo Bochini was small, ungainly and had a powder-puff shot, but his skill and imagination made him Diego Maradona's idol

With five minutes of the 1986 World Cup semi-final remaining and Argentina leading Belgium 2-0, Ricardo Bochini came on for Jorge Burruchaga. He was 32, and had been omitted from the squads in both 1978 and 1982. This time, though, Diego Maradona had demanded that he be picked. Those five minutes plus stoppage time would be the only World Cup football Bochini ever played. As he trotted on, Maradona ran over and shook his hand. "Maestro," he said, "we've been waiting for you."

On Saturday Bochini, Maradona's idol and still the great hero of Independiente, turns 60. He is, frankly, the most unlikely of heroes, described by the columnist Hugo Asch as "a midget, ungainly, imperturbable, without a powerful shot, nor header, nor charisma". Yet it was just that sense of improbability that marked him out for popularity: in his overt ordinariness he embodied the imaginative genius of Argentinian football, the kid from the streets who made good not by any advantage of upbringing or physique but through his untutored technical ability.

It is this, the anthropologist Eduardo Archetti has claimed, that is characteristic of the Argentinian game, which was set up, for various economic, cultural and historical reasons, in opposition to the British game; where the British game was learned – taught in the schools, and reliant on the physicality that came from good diet – the Argentinian game was wild, spontaneous, based in streetwiseness and learned in the potreros, the increasingly rare vacant lots on the back streets of Buenos Aires.

Bochini doesn't like interviews. I'd tried and failed to meet him before, but last time I was in Buenos Aires, researching a book on the history of Argentinian football that should come out later this year, he finally agreed to meet, telling me to wait for him at a particular street corner in Palermo at 9.30pm. By 9.50 he hadn't showed. I called him but there was no answer. I was on the verge of giving up – and I was flying back to London the following day – when, just before 10, he rang and gave me an address a couple of blocks away. Two minutes later he was answering the door.

Although he lives in one of Buenos Aires' wealthier neighbourhoods, Bochini has a strangely ordinary flat for one so feted. The front door opened on to a sparsely decorated main room: at one end a small sofa and two chairs clustered around a television that was showing a Copa Sudamericana match, while at the other was a dining table on which lay some half-done schoolwork.

Bochini sat awkwardly on the sofa, dwarfed by the large padded coat he kept on throughout the interview. In his right hand he cradled his car keys, as though at any time he might decide enough was enough and make a break for it. He spoke throughout in a dry monotone: he wasn't impatient, exactly, nor was he impolite, and he clearly gave his answers significant thought, but equally his relief was obvious when we'd finished. He was, I think, just extremely shy, his discomfort hard to believe in somebody who had been so wonderfully instinctive as a player.

Bochini was born in Zárate, around 60 miles north of Buenos Aires, which meant that when Independiente took him on he had to make a journey of five hours, using three buses and a train, just to get to training. He had been a San Lorenzo fan as a child, and had dreamed of playing like José Sanfilippo, their combustible and prolific centre-forward, but his lack of pace and height soon made him revise his plans. "I played some games as a No9," he said, "but my body was better for a No10, because the centre-forward was usually bigger, taller and stronger."

Fans who had seen him in the youth team and the reserves demanded that Bochini be selected for the first team and, by the end of 1973, he had begun to establish himself in Humberto Maschio's side, helping them defend the Libertadores title they had won the previous season. Then, in Rome for the Intercontinental Cup final against Juventus – played that season over one leg only – came the consecration. Independiente had been under pressure for most of the game and Juve had missed a penalty, but with 10 minutes remaining Daniel Bertoni broke from halfway and nudged a pass to Bochini, who received it on the half-turn, skipping by Claudio Gentile, before advancing and playing a one-two with Bertoni, then scooping the ball over Dino Zoff. It wasn't just the winner and a goal that sealed his place in Independiente legend, but it encapsulated the astonishing partnership he had with Bertoni, a powerful, quick winger who was always looking to cut in from the flank.

"With Bertoni we understood each other from the very first time we played together, and we didn't have to speak about it," Bochini said. "It was just natural; it really felt as though we had been playing together for our whole lives, based on our personal attributes: I was quick and skilful, he was powerful and good for one-twos, what we call la pared [wall pass] in Argentina. He could play in different positions but I always wanted him to be close, because we understood each other so well with those short passes."

Bochini became a master of that most revered moment in Argentinian football, la pausa, the moment when a No10, poised to deliver a pass, delays a fraction, waiting for the player he is looking to feed to reach the ideal position (it's a skill at which Juan Román Riquelme excels but the most famous example, gallingly for Argentinians, is probably by a Brazilian, Pelé waiting for Carlos Alberto's overlap before laying the ball off for him to score Brazil's fourth in the 1970 World Cup final).

His explanation of the skill suggests an extraordinary football intelligence, the ability to visualise and predict the behaviour of others that recalls the evolutionary biologist Stephen J Gould's assertion that most top sportsmen have a capacity to make rapid calculations that would see them hailed as geniuses in almost any other field.

"The way I see it," Bochini said, "there are two types of pausa, or two ways of doing la pausa: with the ball going slowly or with the ball travelling fast. Sometimes you have to go fast, carrying the ball with you, to wait for another player to come into position. It happened for example in a game against Olimpia de Paraguay [in the Libertadores group stage in 1984], [Alejandro] Barberón gave me the ball and started running, and I had to go fast with the ball but I was also waiting for him. If I had stayed in my position, without moving, it wouldn't have been possible to assist him properly, so I had to run, with the ball, but knowing that I was waiting for him to come into the best position to give him the ball back. I did, he crossed it and we scored.

"And another time, against Grêmio in Porto Alegre, I had the ball at my feet but I had to wait, because they were sitting back very well and there was nearly no space, so I had to hold the ball against a marker, knowing that I had to wait for Burruchaga, who had already started running to break the lines. We were close to the box, so there wasn't much space and it had to be a very sharp pass. I waited, and then I gave him the pass, and we scored.

"This is the typical explanation of la pausa, waiting for a team-mate by holding the ball. The first one, the pause in speed, is a total revelation, nobody knows about it [he emitted a brief and slightly unnerving chuckle] and nobody has done it. If I had stayed in midfield, he would have been 30m away and even if he'd managed to get the ball, nobody would have been in the box to get on the end of his cross and score, so I had to run fast, but waiting at the same time, because we were in midfield and therefore with plenty of space but plenty of metres to cover."

Bochini believes the capacity to understand movement in such a clinical way is innate. "None of this is something that you can teach," he said. "I believe it comes in the moment, it depends on the inspiration of your players. You have to know how to make la pausa, and another has to know that while the team-mate is making la pausa, he's also watching who's going to make the proper movement in order to surprise the opposition. La pausa without a team-mate that collaborates is just holding the ball until, perhaps, you get fouled and waste some time, if you need to waste time.

"It's important to have players capable of fitting your purpose. If you don't have quick players, like Barberón or Burruchaga, who like to make vertical runs, then la pausa is useless. But technique can and must be trained. I had my share from the potreros, but during matches, I believe more in matches than training sessions, technique can improve because you face the real situations of the game, and you have to resolve them as quickly as possible, and therefore the more precision your foot has, the better it is for the team."

And Bochini, for all that he was slow and physically unprepossessing, was always precise. Maradona may have been waiting for Bochini in 1986, but for most of his career, the maestro was waiting for others.

Jonathan Wilson

Juan Mata to Manchester United? The internet reacts to transfer deal

Posted: 23 Jan 2014 05:46 AM PST

After Manchester United's Capital One Cup defeat to Sunderland, the Twittersphere is abuzz with speculation around transfer deal for Chelsea midfielder

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Friday, 24 January 2014

Football news, match reports and fixtures | theguardian.com

07:20

Football news, match reports and fixtures | theguardian.com

Competition: win an official club shirt of your choice

HE'S NOT THE MOYES-SIAH, HE'S A VERY UNAMBITIOUS BOY

QUOTE OF THE DAY

MORALE-BOOSTER OF THE DAY

FIVER LETTERS

JOIN GUARDIAN SOULMATES

BITS AND BOBS

STILL WANT MORE?

SIGN UP TO THE FIVER

WHY?

Written by TBMU Admin

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