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Football news, match reports and fixtures | theguardian.com

Injured Rooney stalling over new contract at United

Posted: 03 Jan 2014 03:10 PM PST

• Rooney out of FA Cup tie against Swansea with groin injury
• Striker reluctant to extend contract until after World Cup

David Moyes has concerns over Wayne Rooney's immediate and longer term future, with the Manchester United manager admitting he must wait and see if the striker will consider signing a contract extension in the summer should they fail to qualify for the Champions League.

In the short term, Rooney's groin injury means he will miss Sunday's FA Cup game against Swansea City at Old Trafford and it could also sideline him for Tuesday evening's Capital One Cup semi-final first leg at Sunderland.

The forward has also entered the final 18 months of a reputed £300,000-a-week deal with the uncertainty about his future compounded by his being reluctant, it is understood, to enter any discussions until after the World Cup.

United's 2-1 home defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on New Year's Day left the champions 11 points behind the leaders, Arsenal, and increased doubts about their ability to finish in the top four. The champions are five points off fourth-placed Liverpool. At 28, Rooney is conscious he has only one major move left so wants to weigh his options carefully.

The Liverpudlian is enjoying one of the finest campaigns of a United career that is approaching a decade. Last season he was dropped and played out of position by Sir Alex Ferguson but Rooney has been restored to the side's focal point due to Moyes's faith in him and Robin van Persie's continuing injury problems. All of this has strengthened Rooney's position with regard to his next move and the prospect of playing for a club not in the Champions League may not be palatable.

Asked how confident Moyes would be of Rooney signing fresh terms if United did not finish in the top four, the Scot said: "Well, we would have to wait and see what [would] happen if that situation arose."

Moyes, though, believes Rooney is happy at the club. "I thought if you looked at his performances you'd have to say he's certainly playing at his best."

After the loss to Tottenham Moyes admitted that Rooney was carrying the groin injury and that he may miss matches due to it. This will now occur and the forward was pictured leaving Manchester's Bridgewater hotel holding a DVD containing the results of a scan.

While Moyes did not confirm the length of time Rooney may be out he did say that the striker will miss Swansea's visit to Old Trafford. "He's got a groin injury and won't be available for the game," said the manager, though he added that there was a chance he would be fit for Sunderland.

Van Persie, who has a thigh problem, and Ashley Young, who hurt a shoulder against Spurs, are also unavailable for Swansea, along with Phil Jones, Rafael da Silva, Nani and Marouane Fellaini.

Young, who had a scan on Friday, suffered his injury when being challenged by Hugo Lloris. "I don't know how long it will keep him out but he won't be available on Sunday," Moyes said. "It looks as if it's bad bruising at the moment."

Moyes reiterated his belief that United should have been awarded a penalty for the incident and that the Spurs goalkeeper should have been sent off by the referee, Howard Webb. "I don't need to repeat myself again and I'm not going to continue talking about it. I make mistakes," Moyes said. "Refs can make mistakes, I have no problem with that. I will try to own up to mine and stick my hand up if I get it wrong. Sometimes it would be nice if referees did that too but if they don't it's not a big thing for me. It's their prerogative. It's up to them how they go about their business."

Moyes's priority in the January transfer window is a midfielder and he would not rule out signing a player cup-tied for the Champions League. "I think it is important, but it's not the biggest thing because obviously you've got other games to play, FA Cup ties, League Cup ties, Premier League games," he said. "But if they are available you would like them to be able to play in the Champions League as well."

Despite speculation that United could revive their interest in Chelsea's Juan Mata, Moyes refused to discuss the playmaker and it is understood that the club will not move for the Spaniard or Ross Barkley in January. "I would never talk about players at other clubs. That is my stock answer. I didn't do it in the summer and I certainly would do it now," he said.

The Scot added that he would consider taking United away for a warm weather break if possible. "We could do if we felt there is time. Sometimes it can help. If I see the right opportunity then I could look at it," Moyes said.

Jamie Jackson

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Sam Allardyce: no crisis at West Ham, but plenty of 'doom and gloom'

Posted: 03 Jan 2014 03:00 PM PST

• West Ham have lost seven of their last 10 league games
• 'It's a tough period, no doubt about it,' says Allardyce

Sam Allardyce has dismissed suggestions West Ham United are in crisis, despite admitting that there is "doom and gloom" around the club following a disappointing run of form.

There has been speculation that the manager's job is at risk since the 2-1 defeat at Fulham on New Year's Day left the club second-bottom of the Premier League. However, Allardyce insists he still has the support of the co-owners David Sullivan and David Gold, and Karren Brady, the vice-chairman.

West Ham play Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup on Sunday with the club second bottom in the Premier League, and Allardyce will allow his younger players an opportunity to impress. Allardyce has been strongly linked with a loan move for the 6ft 8in Monaco striker Lacina Traore as he looks to strengthen his attacking options with Andy Carroll still yet to return to action, and the manager continued to lament the number of injuries in his squad.

"I would be really struggling if I had the team fit and I would have been playing these games recently and not getting the results, then I would be concerned," he said. "I speak to the board all the time but what I say to them has nothing to do with you. If it was a crisis position we were in, they would sack me. The situation is that we are talking about bringing in new players to this football club and overcoming the injuries we have got.

"It is a tough period, no doubt about it. It would be tougher had I been in this position with all my players fit. That would be really tough. I am concerned about our position but I know that with eight or nine players injured, when they come back they will make a difference to the team."

Asked if he was still in positive spirits despite the club's perilous position in the table, Allardyce added: "Well somebody has to be in good spirits. There's a doom and gloom around the place at the minute and I've got to lift everybody at this place.

"It's my responsibility. We're in a very difficult period at the moment and I have to try and manage everybody through and lift them and keep them believing, focused and proactive.

"There's no doubt the players will be feeling pressure and thinking: 'When is it going to turn?' We've just got to keep believing and keep focused and proactive in that and we all know that when we're at our best we can beat anybody."

Allardyce admitted John Heitinga's decision not to agree a deal from Everton was disappointing but that the defender explained to him that a transfer "wasn't right". West Ham have been linked with a move for Manchester City's Joleon Lescott although Allardyce conceded that he was unsure if the player was available.

The manager has not decided if Kevin Nolan will remain as captain following his sending-off at Fulham, and said the game at Forest represented an opportunity for his youngsters to make a step up to the first team. "It's a fantastic chance for them," he said. "You wouldn't want to give anything other than be very competitive and try to win the game. It's a big, big, big game. For some of them it will be the turning point of their careers if they want it to be."

James Riach

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Mourinho insists Mata will not leave

Posted: 03 Jan 2014 03:00 PM PST

• 'Leaving him out of the starting line-up hurts me too'
• 'But a hard heart is necessary to make good decisions'

José Mourinho has said that it hurts him to leave Juan Mata out of his starting 11 but the Chelsea manager insists that he has to have a "hard heart" when making difficult decisions about his team and reiterated that the Spaniard will not be leaving Stamford Bridge in January.

Despite winning Chelsea's player of the year award for the past two seasons, Mata has found his opportunities restricted since Mourinho's return to Stamford Bridge last summer. The midfielder was furious to be substituted shortly after half-time during the 3-0 win at Southampton on New Year's Day, raising speculation that he might be sold this month.

Mata's agents subsequently sought clarification with the club over his future, during which they were reassured that he is not for sale. "If people think they can get our good players on sale, sales finished in London yesterday," Mourinho said. "I keep saying that I want him to stay. There [are no] offers. We have no offers."

Mourinho, who denied reports that Chelsea have had a £50m bid rejected for Gonzalo Higuaín by Napoli, said that Mata has trained "fantastically" for Sunday's trip to Derby County in the third round of the FA Cup and hopes he can still be a key player. "I try to do my job forgetting I'm a soft heart, pretending that I'm a hard heart," he said. "Many times it hurts me, not just with him, with decisions I have to make. But I think to do my job in the best way … thinking the team more important than any player. When I have to make a decision I always try to be a cold one, icy, analyse the situation and try to make the best decision for the team … putting the person secondary.

"But yes, it hurts me. He's a good kid, he works hard, not an easy situation for him not to be playing every time. He started nine matches in the Premier League, had lots of minutes on the pitch. I love it if he does well. That's what I want."

Mourinho was adamant that Chelsea will not test Napoli's resolve with an offer for Higuaín this month, even though he knows the Argentina striker from his time at Real Madrid. While a new striker is not a priority, Chelsea do hope to bring the Internazionale midfielder Fredy Guarín, to England this month. Chelsea are prepared to pay £12.4m for the Colombian but Inter are holding out for £16.6m.

That move may hinge on whether Kevin De Bruyne leaves Chelsea. The unsettled Belgian midfielder has been linked with Bayer Leverkusen, Wolsburg and Málaga and his agent has said that he favours a move to Germany.

However Chelsea will not let De Bruyne leave on the cheap and are thought to want £25m for him.

Mourinho, who will play a strong side against Derby, reacted strongly to the suggestion by the Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert that the FA Cup is no longer an important competition and said that some youngsters are more interested in earning money than winning trophies. He believes that they are influenced by people around them and said he had rejected players for that reason.

"In the past players made money in their career," Mourinho said. "Now they want money before their career. They're surrounded by people who want to make money before career starts. Society has changed, football has changed, people around players changed and players changed.

"I'm referring more to players at the beginning of their career. I don't know a top player who only thinks money. All the top players have all the ingredients but people at beginning of careers, instead of being ready to destroy everything in front of them to reach a dream, look that money is more important before playing one game for the first team."Twenty years ago they would pay for that dream. I would have at 15 or 16, I would have paid to play one game."

Jacob Steinberg

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Blackburn shock fuelling Wenger

Posted: 03 Jan 2014 02:30 PM PST

• Blackburn stunned Arsenal at the Emirates last year
• 'We have nine days' rest then, so we can give everything'

Arsène Wenger says last season's FA Cup defeat by Blackburn Rovers has made him extra determined to progress in the competition this term as his side prepare to take on Tottenham in the third round on Saturday.

Contrary to the assertion by the Aston Villa manager, Paul Lambert, that most Premier League clubs regard the FA Cup as an unwanted burden, Wenger said it is a target that he will pursue with zeal, especially as he seeks atonement for the Blackburn defeat, which was the first time in the Frenchman's reign that Arsenal were eliminated by a lower league team.

Wenger says he will field "the strongest possible available team" for Spurs' visit to the Emirates as he attempts to get closer to clinching the club's first trophy since 2005. The fact that the defeat by Blackburn wrought mental damage that carried over into their Champions League campaign last season also increases his keenness to prevail over Arsenal's north London rivals. "We have not won trophies for a long time. It's an opportunity that we want to take. On top of that we have afterwards nine days until the next Premier League game, so we can give absolutely everything in this game.

"I had the luck to win four FA Cups. That means I always put the effort in. I'm very keen to do it again, it's a long time now. Honestly I still have in my mind the fact that we went out last year at home against Blackburn, that was not good enough for us and we have to make sure we put absolutely the effort in to have the chance to go through."

Arsenal hosted Bayern Munich in the Champions League three days after losing to Blackburn and Wenger blames the ill-effects of the Cup exit for the fact that the Germans were able to establish an ultimately insurmountable first-leg lead. "[The Blackburn defeat] was not only a low point in the season. It was also something that put us in a very, very bad position to play against Bayern.

"You could see when we started the game against Bayern that everybody was low in confidence and it cost us a lot. It was a big shock and we had not time to recover because three days later we were not ourselves."

Unlike last season Arsenal would still be very much in contention for the Premier League if they were to go out of the Cup and Wenger admits that might make elimination easier to accept this season but added: "It is still better to go through."

Paul Doyle

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Everton and QPR meet to thrash out Jelavic deal

Posted: 03 Jan 2014 02:30 PM PST

• Harry Redknapp out to beat West Ham to striker
• Jelavic's World Cup hopes depend on first-team football

Queens Park Rangers will hold talks over a deal for Nikica Jelavic with Everton on Saturday as Harry Redknapp looks to beat his former club West Ham United to the signing of the Croatia international.

QPR are one of several clubs to have inquired about the 28-year-old, whom Everton are prepared to release on a permanent transfer providing the manager, Roberto Martínez, lands a replacement. Everton have received only proposed loans for Jelavic so far but QPR and West Ham are willing to pay an initial £3.5m and, with the Championship club at Goodison Park in the FA Cup third round, QPR officials will pursue their interest in the striker.

"They have asked but there is nothing concrete," Martínez said. "We have had a few clubs ask about Nikica and Johnny Heitinga because I made it public. Teams have been really interested in two players of their experience and want to find out about the situation. I think when people realise Niki is not going to be available on loan that changes things."

Martínez says Jelavic will be available for selection against his prospective employers despite being aware of interest from Redknapp, who tried to sign the striker before he joined Everton for £5m from Rangers in January 2012.

Martínez said: "I'm sure he knows because these days the players are the first to find out. It won't change his motivation if he plays. It would be very cynical to think that he would not want to knock the team out of the Cup. It's different when there is a firm bid on the table but we're not in that situation. There have been a few clubs asking about him, a few from abroad and a few from the British game."

Hamburg have also inquired about Jelavic but are understood to favour a move in the summer, whereas the striker needs regular football to secure a place in Croatia's World Cup squad. The forward has struggled to recreate his impressive impact at Everton when he scored 11 goals in 14 games. He lost his place this season to the on-loan Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku but with Arouna Koné expected to miss the remainder of the campaign with a knee injury, Martínez is adamant Jelavic will not be sold without a replacement on board.

"That would be the case with Arouna injured," he said. "Niki will never go out on loan because it would leave us totally open and we cannot replace him in that respect. He's a big asset and, if we are allowing him to move, it's out of respect to his career and what he has done for us. He needs to play to go to the World Cup and I accept that but it has to be the right terms for the club. I wouldn't let the squad be weakened just to satisfy an individual."

Everton have scouted the Standard Liège striker Michy Batshuayi but Martínez believes the 20-year-old is not ready for the Premier League. He said: "We are clear in what we need. It's someone who can fit in straight away with the physicality of the Premier League and can adapt quickly."

Andy Hunter

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A revitalised Steve McClaren completely at home at Derby County

Posted: 03 Jan 2014 02:30 PM PST

• An older and wiser McClaren has transformed the club
• Former England manager has learnt to be more patient

Steve McClaren smiled when it was suggested that he probably needed Derby County as much as Derby County needed him. "I think that's a good way of putting it," the former England manager said. "I felt that walking through the door the first day. I know this club, I know this town. You come back and in the first couple of hours I knew it was a good fit."

McClaren, whose high-flying Derby side host Chelsea in the FA Cup third round on Sunday, looks totally at home at his former club. He spent three years with Derby as a player, between 1985-1988, and returned to the club in 1995 as Jim Smith's assistant, when he was carving out a reputation as one of the brightest young coaches in English football.

It has been a wild ride ever since, taking in everything from that chastening defeat by Croatia at Wembley, when England failed to qualify for the 2008 European Championship, to the success he enjoyed with Twente in the Netherlands three years later, when he led the club to their first Dutch title. Throw in his time as Sir Alex Ferguson's assistant at Manchester United, the five years he spent as Middlesbrough manager, a brief stint with Wolfsburg, 112 days in charge of Nottingham Forest, a second spell with Twente and, more recently, his appointment as the Queens Park Rangers first-team coach, and McClaren has one of the more colourful CVs on the circuit.

In the end, though, everything always seems to come back to his time with England, the night of the umbrella and the job that he describes as "the best in the world" but accepts he was not equipped to handle at that stage of his career. "It was too early but I couldn't turn it down," McClaren said. "I'm a better manager now, not just for that experience but for the experiences I've had with Manchester United, Middlesbrough and then moving abroad.

"There have been crazy years, mad years, great years, very disappointing years, real lows, and I've probably reached a stage now where I should be using the experience I've gained. I did talk about that after leaving Holland last year and said that with the next challenge I wanted the fit to be right and the ownership to be right. I couldn't believe my luck when this job came up and I got the call."

Derby are also counting their blessings. The turnaround since McClaren replaced Nigel Clough at the end of September has been remarkable. Derby were 14th in the table, with 11 points from nine fixtures, when Clough was sacked. They have won 10, drawn three and lost two of their next 15 matches, taking 25 points out of a possible 27 before a 1-0 defeat by Wigan on New Year's Day.

"When you go from 14th to fourth, the players are doing something right," McClaren said. "What we are trying to set out to do here is something a little bit like the Swansea, Norwich and Southampton model – clubs that have come up playing football the right way. I thought the players were already here, and my philosophy fits like a glove with them."

Not that he is getting carried away. "I've got to probably be a little bit more patient now than I have been in the past. I think that's difficult for me, difficult for anybody in football, but patience is certainly something we've talked about at Derby County," McClaren said. "We want to build an infrastructure, so that when we get into the Premier League we can sustain it. Sometimes you are a little bit over ambitious and you are impatient, and in the past that has been my downfall in a couple of places and I don't want that to happen here."

Older and wiser, McClaren has also learned not to waste any energy worrying about how he is perceived by the wider public. "It's probably something that a few years ago would bother me, but I don't think it does now," said the 52-year-old, when asked whether he feels he is getting recognition for the job he has done at Derby. "The main concern for me now is being respected for what I do within the football world, and that's all I'm trying to do really.

"I made a lot of mistakes at Forest, I went away again – it's a little bit like José coming back to Chelsea, it's interesting watching the parallel in that respect. I remember going back to Holland and obviously it was 19 months to two years on and the team had changed but they still talked about the championship-winning team for a year.

"You were forever batting that away. It was a new team and everyone was wondering why this team wasn't doing as well as the old team. I watch Chelsea now and I see the same questions and the same kind of things are happening to José [Mourinho] at Chelsea. That's why you need that patience."

It is, however, a rare commodity in football management, as McClaren knows all too well. "When you are in it you think you are mad, when you are out of it you want to get back into that mad world," he said. "But, for me, it's all about coming back here and putting my experience into Derby County to get them back into the Premier League, which is where I think a club of this stature should be."

Stuart James

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Nicklas Bendtner's ankle injury may result in new striker for Arsenal

Posted: 03 Jan 2014 02:30 PM PST

• News about length of Dane's absence expected soon
• More than three weeks may lead to shopping spree

Arsène Wenger has said he will be forced to buy a new striker during the transfer window if Nicklas Bendtner is ruled out of action for more than a few weeks. The Dane damaged his ankle after scoring in Arsenal's victory over Cardiff City on New Year's Day and the club expect scan results within 24 hours to indicate the severity of his injury.

"If it's a question of up to three weeks, OK, but if it's a question of months the situation is quite [serious] … that's what we have to determine," Wenger said. When asked whether Bendtner being absent for more than three weeks would make Arsenal spend in January, he replied: "We would have to … You want to keep your chances for the season at the best possible level."

Bendtner has done well in recent weeks deputising for Olivier Giroud who was out with ankle trouble and will miss Saturday's FA Cup tie against Tottenham through illness.

The 20-year-old French striker Yaya Sanogo is scheduled to return to training after injury next week but Wenger does not want to place too much reliance during the run-in on a youngster with no Premier League experience, nor does he see Theo Walcott or Lukas Podolski as perfect centre-forward  solutions.

Therefore, a long lay-off for Bendtner would compel him to spend. He claimed Arsenal have yet to consider any specific targets, despite being regularly linked with the Real Madrid forward Alvaro Morata, and denied that a move for Fulham's Dimitar Berbatov has been discussed.

The 32-year-old Bulgarian has the technique, finishing prowess and big-game experience that Arsenal would need and, unlike longer-term targets, is not involved in the Champions League or Premier League. A YouTube video appeared on his official Facebook page on Friday which had the title "Berbatov could fire Arsenal to the title".

Fulham are locked in a relegation struggle but Berbatov has reportedly been unhappy there and, although his performances have improved, at times this season he has looked ill-suited to a battle against the drop. He could be available at an affordable price.

"Ideally, you want a longer solution," Wenger said, "but a longer solution looks much more difficult to find in January than a stopgap. You can find a solution somewhere – a club that has financial trouble and wants to get rid of a big contract for five or six months but to find in January exactly the player who will be tomorrow's star in the longer term is much more difficult."

Paul Doyle

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Brendan and Anton Rodgers on family, fate and their FA Cup futures

Posted: 03 Jan 2014 02:30 PM PST

Liverpool's manager and his footballer son face each other for the first time in a competitive match when Oldham visit Anfield

Oldham Athletic and the FA Cup carry painful connotations for Brendan Rodgers after the League One side defeated Liverpool 3-2 in last season's fourth round. The "footballing gods", as the Liverpool manager put it, have conjured a repeat for the third round and for the first time pitted Rodgers against his son, Anton, who joined Oldham as a player last summer. The pair met up before Sunday's match at Anfield to discuss the tie, the midfielder's upbringing and a stressful year for the Rodgers family off the pitch.

First of all, your reaction to the draw?

Brendan Rodgers I was in the house watching a game on TV when I checked my phone and saw all these texts from [Oldham's manager] Lee Johnson and the chairman of Oldham [Simon Corney] and realised we must have got them in the draw. It is incredible, something that may never happen in a lifetime.

Anton Rodgers I sent a text to my dad but didn't get an answer. I think he was swerving my calls. I didn't believe it at first, I thought it was too good to be true. I was with my son when I finally got hold of him and we had a bit of banter.

BR I was telling him that we were the highest scorers in the Premier League last year, how Anfield is a fortress and that I am looking forward to seeing him. He is a wonderful young player and terrific talent. Anfield will suit him.

Anton, has it been more difficult in terms of your own career to have a high-profile father in football?

AR I've always had to work hard for whoever I've played for. I've had that all the way coming through because my dad has been the head of the academy or a coach. He's always been someone the other players look up to. You get stick with that and I've learned to deal with it. It's not a problem. I've always seen it as a positive. My dad has helped me.

BR It is difficult. When you have a son in football like Anton it will always be deemed as if he got the prop up and given the contract, no matter how hard he works. So much so that when he was offered a deal at Chelsea I advised him not to take a professional contract. Most of the young players there would get offered scholarships and a professional contract before they had earned it. I said to Anton: "It's better for you to earn it, son." It left him isolated but I wanted him to earn it, so he could do his apprenticeship and then get the reward at the end of it, which he did. He's never had it easy.

Is criticism given as a football manager or as a father to a son?

AR I see it as advice from my dad really. It hurts when you are getting criticised but I don't see it like that from my dad. It's said to make me a better player and he's always been like that.

BR I always look for the positives in his performance. For example, he got on against Shrewsbury the other day and this morning I was looking at his clips from that game to see where he can improve and what he could have done better. But I do that with all players and I've always done it with Anton.

What is your dad like when he loses?

AR He's all right, to be fair. You hear loads of stories about other managers who fall out with themselves after a defeat but he's all right and he tries not to bring it home with him. Like anyone in sport it hurts when you lose but he doesn't bring it home. It's a good job with the game we've got on Sunday. We've got nothing to lose and are really looking forward to the game. It's also the first time we will have played against each other.

It has been a difficult year for your family off the pitch (Anton was cleared of sexual assault and voyeurism in May following a retrial at the Old Bailey).

BR As parents, both his mum and I found it really, really difficult, especially when you know the innocence of your son. The one thing we took out of it was that his mum was there for every minute of the trial and she saw everything. I was there for parts of it and we are talking about two trials at the Old Bailey here, not just one. The nature of that and what you go through is surreal. We always knew the innocence of our son and you have to fight to prove that. It was a really difficult period because obviously Anton has got his professional life and I'm at one of the biggest clubs in the world, but this is about life and it was very, very important for us to defend his name. His mum and I would have done anything to defend his name.

Brendan, when you go through the strengths and weaknesses of Oldham before the game will you make an exception for Anton?

BR I'll just tell them the No17 is the best player. In all seriousness, that's the job but it is also a situation I want the players to pay attention to because the footballing gods sometimes come into it as well. With the footballing gods he could end up getting a goal. But not only that, I have to get the team to keep an eye on him because he's a good player. I can't skip over it because it's Anton.

How much competitiveness is there between you?

AR Before every game we've ever played we've both wanted to win but he probably let me win a few things when I was younger.

BR I gave him a few beatings. When he was younger we'd be on holiday playing pool, tennis, table tennis or whatever, he'd always want to win and I would sometimes let him. I was the same with his sister. I remember having a race against her when she was nine or 10 on holiday and tripping her when I thought she would win. Anton has never had it easy.

Andy Hunter

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Emmanuel Adebayor fired up for Arsenal tie to Tim Sherwood's delight

Posted: 03 Jan 2014 02:29 PM PST

• Striker fit again after suffering severe cramp at Old Trafford
• An in-form Adebayor has repaid his manager's faith in him

Tim Sherwood said that he had bad news for Arsenal – Emmanuel Adebayor has declared himself fit for Tottenham Hotspur and he is ready to bring down his former club in Saturday's showpiece FA Cup fixture at the Emirates Stadium.

Adebayor has found form since Sherwood replaced André Villas-Boas as the Tottenham manager, scoring four goals in five matches. The last one came at Old Trafford on New Year's Day, in the 2-1 Premier League win over Manchester United, a game that an exhausted Adebayor departed early on a stretcher.

Sherwood said that the striker had cramped up in almost every muscle but he told Arsenal to expect him back and firing for the tie of the third round.

"Adebayor will be huge," Sherwood said. "I think that if Arsène Wenger saw him limping off at Old Trafford … I'm sure there were a lot of pleased Arsenal fans, management and players but, unfortunately, he's going to be walking out against them.

"It didn't look great when he came off on that stretcher but he is a warrior. There is no holding him back at the moment. He got cramp in every part of his body and we weren't sure what to rub and what to put ice on next. He was really struggling. But the guys have given him some treatment, and loving, which they were told to do, and I am sure he is going to be fine.

"At every club he's ever played for, the fans respect Adebayor for the player he is. There are certain players when the team-sheet comes in, you scan down and see if they're playing. I did it at Old Trafford … see if [Wayne] Rooney's playing straight away and I'm sure Arsenal will do the same with Adebayor."

Adebayor spent three and a half seasons at Arsenal before leaving them for Manchester City in July 2009 for £25m. He incensed Arsenal with his behaviour in his first game against them, when he raked Robin van Persie with his studs and celebrated his goal in City's 4-2 win by running the length of the Etihad Stadium pitch to slide on his knees in front of the travelling fans.

Adebayor's last appearance at the Emirates, in November 2012, was also controversial. He put Tottenham in front before he was sent off for a high challenge on Santi Cazorla in the 18th minute. Arsenal recovered to win 5-2.

"Adebayor is cleverer than people think," Sherwood said. "He realises and learns from his mistakes. It was a 50-50 and it could have gone either way whether he got sent off. He might have been a bit unfortunate. I'm sure he's learned from that and let's keep our fingers crossed he stays on all the game. Let's hope there's an FA Cup script written for him."

It has been a topsy-turvy season for Adebayor. He missed much of pre-season as he contended with the death of his brother and, after returning to the club and initially being asked to train away from the first-team group, he was overlooked for selection by Villas-Boas. Under the Portuguese, he featured for only 45 minutes, in the 6-0 defeat at City. His transformation under Sherwood has been eye-catching if not entirely unsurprising.

"He's a top player, it's as simple as that," Sherwood said. "He has a real desire to want to play at the moment and he is one of the top players in this division. I am only worried about how I treat him. I am certain I will show him the respect he deserves as long as he continues to show that respect to me.

"He is a good character around the place, a total professional and he is really focused game to game. He was in real pain at Old Trafford, he couldn't walk, so for him to put himself in the frame for this game is a real credit to him.

"He loves scoring goals and trying to bring him off the pitch to protect him at times … he gives me that stare. Sometimes, you have to do it. He knows I'm doing it for the right reasons. I have never heard him talking about anything other than the games, enjoying training and looking forward to the next games."

David Hytner

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Adelaide United 2-2 Sydney FC | A-League match report

Posted: 03 Jan 2014 02:05 PM PST

Sydney FC overcame a harsh sending off and rough penalty call to scrape a 2-2 draw with an injury-hit Adelaide United

North London derby FA Cup memories

Posted: 03 Jan 2014 01:07 PM PST

Spurs and Arsenal's five meetings in the FA Cup have gone on to produce four finalists and three winners. Veterans of those games relive thirty years of the capital's greatest rivalry

There is more to Arsenal versus Tottenham cup ties than loaded emotions and local antipathy. The north London clubs have met five times in the FA Cup, and on each of the last four occasions the survivor has gone on to reach the final - three times winning the trophy.

David Hytner and Amy Lawrence track down some of the players who took part in these tussles who remember how it felt to have a cup run and bragging rights on the line simultaneously, and reflect upon how much is at stake at the Emirates on Saturday evening.

2 January 1982, Third round, Tottenham 1-0 Arsenal (Scorer: Crooks)

Paul Miller, Tottenham centre-half I remember Peter Shreeves, our assistant manager, bringing the FA Cup into our dressing room beforehand and saying: "This is our trophy. Let's make sure we keep it." We were the holders, having beaten Manchester City the previous year in the replay that Ricky Villa made famous with his individual goal, and it was a good bit of psychology from Shreeves. You hear about Bill Shankly and Brian Clough doing these kinds of things.

Playing Arsenal always meant a lot to us, particularly as we were a team with so many homegrown players. Our whole back four that day was homegrown – myself, Steve Perryman, Graham Roberts and Chris Hughton – and then there was Glenn Hoddle and Tony Galvin in midfield and Mark Falco up front. I know we got Roberts and Galvin from non-league but we effectively made them. Shreeves was brought up as a Londoner and he fully appreciated what these derbies meant. Having such a percentage of homegrown players will never happen again.

We were flying at the time, the team's confidence was up after we'd won our first trophy against City the year before and we were never not comfortable in the tie. It was cold, the pitch was heavy and I just remember Pat Jennings, who is obviously a massive Spurs man, letting in a soft goal, which was very uncharacteristic for him. He hurt himself in the process, I think he tore his groin and Peter Nicholas, the Arsenal midfielder, had to go in the net. Defensively, we were really sharp. We had to be against Arsenal and I think we were well worth the win.

Whenever you beat Arsenal, it's special. The best time was when we beat them 5-0 in 1983 and it could have been 10-0. They had beaten us 5-0 in 1978 so it got rid of that result. But to beat them in the FA Cup was big. The crowd went home happy and we really felt that, as we mixed with them more in those days on a social basis. The FA Cup was the real glamour trophy. There was a magic about it.

We competed for three cups that season. We lost the League Cup final 3-1 to Liverpool after extra time, having been 1-0 up in the 87th minute, and we were kicked out of the European Cup Winners' Cup by Barcelona in the semi-final. The first leg was the Battle of White Hart Lane. We were the better football team, which I suppose is quite funny to say given Barcelona's reputation these days, but we got involved in a kicking match and we lost. We played so many games that season and we only had a squad of 16 players.

But we won the FA Cup, having not left London until the semi-final against Leicester at Villa Park. After Arsenal, we beat Leeds and Aston Villa at White Hart Lane and then we won at Chelsea in the quarter-final. We beat QPR in the final after a replay.

I think Tim Sherwood has nothing to lose on Saturday; he's got one for nothing, really. There is less pressure on him but both he and his assistant, Les Ferdinand, are Londoners and they realise what a Tottenham–Arsenal derby is. They will make it known to the players.

14 April 1991, Semi-final, Tottenham 3-1 Arsenal (Scorers: Gascoigne 55, Lineker 10 78, Smith 45)

Paul Davis Arsenal midfielder It was the first semi-final to be played at Wembley. That's something that made a big impression. I felt it took a bit away from the competition – I was one of those who felt Wembley should be reserved for the final – but I could understand why it went that way. It was the first time the two north London clubs met at the semi-final.

We were confident. We were having a pretty good season. In the end we won the league losing only one match. But George [Graham] frustrated a couple of us. Michael Thomas and I felt he was talking about Gazza too much in preparation and didn't put enough emphasis on our own abilities. He was a bit worried about Gazza, and what we had to do when he had the ball.

Gazza was really fired up. He scored his free-kick from 35 yards just five minutes in. Then they went 2-0 up, and it's rare to come back from that. We got back into the game with a goal from Alan Smith and were chasing the game a bit when they hit us on the break for 3-1. Dave Seaman felt it was a mistake on his part as Gary Lineker's shot slipped through his hands. We were disappointed for him. Normally he would have saved the first and third goals. We were very frustrated to lose to our biggest rivals on such a big occasion.

These games really used to get to you as a player. I'm from London, I grew up with it. You know the fans need you to win. It puts the pressure on.

I had made my debut against Spurs in 1980. Arsenal had finals coming up in the FA Cup and Cup Winners' Cup and, with not so much riding on the league game, Terry Neill brought in some youngsters. He didn't tell us we were playing until a couple of hours before kick-off, so none of my family got to the game as we found out so late. It was fantastic. We won at White Hart Lane with a few reserves. What a debut to have. That game has always stuck in my mind.

Despite the rivalry the players did get on. Once you got playing you had to win but we kept our rivalry on the pitch. I had friendships with Chris Hughton and Garth Crooks. There were a couple who maybe took it a bit over the edge, like Paul Miller and Graham Roberts.

The consolation was that after we lost the semi-final in 1991, we had the championship run-in. It takes a bit of the disappointment away if you still have something to fight for. We won the league with a couple of games to spare. Our record against Spurs was always pretty good and even is today.

4 April 1993, Semi-final, Arsenal 1-0 Tottenham (Scorer: Adams 79)

Ray Parlour, Arsenal midfielder I didn't play in 1991 – I made my debut the season after – but plenty of the team did and that background definitely gave it more spice. It was in a few minds, that's for sure. In games like this the form book is irrelevant and sometimes it just boils down to who wants it more. We wanted it. It was a close game – not exactly loads of chances, and then I was brought down for the free-kick that turned the game. Merse [Paul Merson] floated the ball in and there was Tony Adams at the far post to head it down. Then it was a case of "how long left?"

Tony was brilliant. He was always very vocal before games, he would get everyone going and his leadership was unquestionable. But nobody needs to get up for a game of this stature. You shouldn't be a footballer if you can't get motivated for a semi-final at Wembley against your closest rivals.

Lee Dixon was sent off towards the end but we kept our composure with 10 men. We knew we had a fantastic defence. George drilled it into us so we knew once we had a lead we could win any game 1-0. We knew we could see it out. Everyone defended that little bit harder. We kept two banks of four and it just meant the striker had to run his socks off, but we knew we didn't have too long to hold on.

At the end I remember looking around at all the Tottenham players on the floor, tears coming out of their eyes. This time we got it right. It was a big, big moment. There was a lot of relief and happiness. It means so much, not just to the players but you are aware of what it means to all the people involved with the club.

Particularly for homegrown players, you know how important it is. That is something the foreign players picked up quickly. Look at Thierry Henry's reaction when he scored against Spurs – they all got to know how vital it was. The likes of Jack Wilshere will know. He has been playing these derbies throughout the youth teams, and will make sure all the current team realise how much is at stake.

We did celebrate winning the semi-final in 1993, but you don't celebrate properly until after the final. You don't get a medal for winning a semi-final. If you lose the final it's a nightmare. We won two cups that season, with the Coca Cola Cup as well as the FA Cup, both times beating Sheffield Wednesday. It was a very special moment.

8 April 2001, Semi-final, Arsenal 2-1 Tottenham (Scorers: Vieira 33, Pires 74, Doherty 14)

Tim Sherwood, Tottenham midfielder We got battered, didn't we? We had gone to Old Trafford believing that we could impose ourselves on Arsenal and when Gary Doherty put us in front, you think: "Could it be one of those Cinderella stories?" Glenn Hoddle had come in as the manager for George Graham at the start of the week and we'd spent quite a bit of time on the training field, with Glenn trying to get his message across.

I've seen a lot of upsets in the FA Cup and it isn't always about dominating the games. But it wasn't to be, in the end. Neil Sullivan made a lot of saves for us and we were really up against it, holding on. It should have been seven or eight. We were never really in the game. Sol Campbell was struggling to be fit and he soldiered on to play. But he got injured and he had to go off. Patrick Vieira scored the equaliser while Sol was off having treatment. Nobody dreamt at the time that it would be Sol's last game for Tottenham and that he'd be going across London to Arsenal in the summer.

It was like the Land of the Giants, playing against that Arsenal team … everyone was huge but they could also play. They could pass you to death and they could batter you.

From where I'm from, in Borehamwood, there was only ever two clubs – Tottenham and Arsenal. They are the two biggest clubs in London and it was great to play in the derby. The one that we won in the league in 1999 was immense. I scored to put us 2-0 at the Lane, they came back to 2-1 and we were just praying to hold on. They had Freddie Ljungberg and Martin Keown sent off. It was an amazing feeling to beat them and there was fantastic noise at the Lane.

It's the biggest game for this football club. That goal let me have a couple of bad games and the fans let me get away with it for a bit. It papers over a lot of cracks when you get a result against Arsenal and you've contributed to it. I can buy myself a week, maybe, with a result on Saturday.

I think Arsène Wenger has done a great job for Arsenal over the years. I spoke to their players and it was a culture shock for them when he came in but the important thing was that they won. When you win, the manager has the players' ears. He can say: "Stand on your head in a corner," and they'll do it.

David Hytner
Amy Lawrence

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Arsenal v Tottenham: FA Cup clashes – in pictures

Posted: 03 Jan 2014 12:26 PM PST

Ahead of Saturday's North London derby in the 3rd round of the FA Cup, we cast our eyes back to their previous meetings in the competition

'Football is cheating,' says Pellegrini

Posted: 03 Jan 2014 11:45 AM PST

• Players 'always trying to take advantage,' says City manager
• Pellegrini backs referees in battle over simulation

The Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has admitted that football is tainted by players cheating. The Fifa president Sepp Blatter has blasted players for diving and feigning injury and now Pellegrini has backed referees.

He said: "I think it is very difficult to be a referee. The players play too quickly, the players are always trying to cheat because football is cheating. I think it is very difficult and I respect them (referees).

"Of course nobody likes it when the referee whistles against your team when it is wrong, but a lot of time he whistles and gives you an advantage that maybe you didn't have."

The Everton manager Roberto Martínez said there should be communal effort to help eradicate diving from the game. He said: "I always felt extremely proud of the British game compared to other leagues around Europe in that we haven't got it in our culture.

"But unfortunately it has been happening – we have been a mix of cultures in the last few seasons and we are going to be getting that side of the same. I think it is down to all of us to try to eradicate that and get it out of the game."

Martínez said referees were sometimes understandably reluctant to award penalties. He added: "I can be sympathetic with the referees. It is so difficult to make big calls at the moment because you have certain players that more often than not try to simulate and try to go to ground easily.

"That makes the referee's decision a lot harder. We all need to accept and understand that referees, if they are not 100%, are not going to give the decisions. I think that is part of the game and it is our fault - we have done that.

"It has been creeping in and has been happening now for a couple of seasons. But I prefer to see a referee who is firm and wants to be 100% before giving a big decision, rather than falling for a player buying a decision."

Simulation has been back on the agenda in the Premier League after Chelsea's Oscar was booked for the offence having gone to ground in the box in his side's 3-0 victory at Southampton on New Year's Day. The Chelsea manager José Mourinho, who backed the referee's decision that day, agreed diving should be tackled but that England was the country most committed to doing so.

"There are many ways to fight it," Mourinho said. "You can fight with the yellow card, you can fight with a wild criticism from you (the media) and from the fans. You can fight with penalty time, like Blatter is saying. There are many way to fight and we all should do that.

"The basic thing is culturally you have to try to be strong enough for people to feel (it is wrong), independent of penalties and suspensions and yellow cards. You have to try to persuade people it's an important issue in the game.

"If Mr Blatter is worried with that, I think he should do a tour in many countries, not just European, because he's Fifa.

"He has to start a tour, go around places where that becomes part of the culture and the last country for him must be England, because it's the country where football is more pure, is more clean, in relation to these situations."


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Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers charged by FA over referee comments

Posted: 03 Jan 2014 09:42 AM PST

• Rodgers had criticised Lee Mason after defeat at Man City
• 'I was surprised to see the ref came from Greater Manchester'

Brendan Rodgers has been charged by the Football Association for questioning the appointment of a referee from Greater Manchester to officiate Liverpool's defeat at Manchester City.

The Liverpool manager was incensed by Lee Mason's performance at the Etihad Stadium on Boxing Day, when a 2-1 defeat cost his team the Premier League leadership and Raheem Sterling had a first half goal disallowed for an incorrect offside call.

Rodgers claimed the Sterling decision was part of a "horrendous" display by the match officials at City, but it was alleged criticism of Bolton-born Mason's integrity that resulted in the FA charge. "I was surprised we were playing in Manchester and we have a Greater Manchester referee. I'm not sure what it was about," said Rodgers after the game. "Hopefully we don't have a Greater Manchester referee again when we play a Manchester team. I'm sure for Liverpool v Man City we wouldn't get anyone from Wirral being the ref."

The FA asked Rodgers for "his observations" and the Liverpool manager subsequently denied questioning Mason's integrity, claiming: "It was more the logic of it in terms of having a referee from that part of the world refereeing a game in Manchester. I wouldn't suspect that Mike Dean, from the Wirral, has refereed many games for Liverpool over the years."

Dean was dropped from refereeing the 2006 FA Cup Final between Liverpool and West Ham United for geographical reasons while Chris Foy, from St Helens, does not officiate Merseyside fixtures.

Having considered Rodgers' response, however, the FA announced on Friday that it had charged the 40-year-old"over post-match media comments he made following his side's game against Manchester City on 26 December 2013.

"It is alleged the comments by Rodgers called into question the integrity of the match referee, and/or implied that the match referee was motivated by bias; and/or brought the game into disrepute; and/or amounted to a failure to act in the best interests of the game. Rodgers has until 6pm on 8 January 2014 to respond to the charge."

Rodgers could be warned as to his future conduct or fined if found guilty.


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José Mourinho: I want Juan Mata to stay at Chelsea – video

Posted: 03 Jan 2014 09:15 AM PST

Chelsea manager José Mourinho says he has told Juan Mata he wants him to stay at Stamford Bridge

Giuseppe Rossi, the pint-sized package England have reason to fear | Richard Williams

Posted: 03 Jan 2014 09:12 AM PST

The 5ft 8in striker let go by Manchester United is a big hit with Fiorentina and Italy … and that spells trouble at the World Cup

When Roy Hodgson was asked this week which player he would most like to pinch from a rival team at the coming World Cup finals, the England manager gave his questioner, Garry Richardson of Radio 5 Live, an answer that was both amusing and diplomatic. He would take Mario Balotelli from Italy for the opening Group D fixture, he said, followed by Luis Suárez from Uruguay, and then, for the final group match, "whoever is Costa Rica's best player – I haven't quite done my research on that yet".

His mention of Balotelli chimed with the general reaction to the news that England had been drawn to play Italy. Watch out, everyone said, for Super Mario on 14 June; the erstwhile enfant terrible of the Etihad will be back to haunt us. But if I were a betting man, it is not the former Manchester City striker on whom I'd be putting my money to inflict damage on Hodgson's team in the tropical heat of Manaus. It is a man who spent three years wearing the colours of the club on the other side of Manchester.

Apparently Sir Alex Ferguson felt that Giuseppe Rossi offered insufficient physical presence to prosper amid the hurly-burly of the Premier League. In his 26 years at Old Trafford, Ferguson achieved more than enough to be excused his share of mistakes, but the decision to let Rossi go is surely an error to rank alongside the selling of Paul Pogba, now emerging as a major force for Juventus and France, and perhaps that of Ravel Morrison.

The Italian public, and the people of Florence in particular, are in no doubt about Rossi's qualities and value. A man who made only five league appearances for United – and who rates not a single mention in Ferguson's latest volume of autobiography – is now established as the most potent striker in Serie A. Now 26, he is a potential star of next summer's tournament in Brazil: a Paolo Rossi or Toto Schillaci in waiting.

Rossi scores a lot of goals, and at Craven Cottage a few weeks ago, when Italy drew 2-2 with Nigeria in the most exhilaratingly competitive international friendly you could wish to see, he opened the scoring in the 12th minute. He took it beautifully, moving on to a neat pass from Balotelli and beating the goalkeeper, Austine Ejide, from close range with deft aplomb. It was his seventh goal in 29 appearances for the Azzurri.

He played just over 50 minutes of the match before Cesare Prandelli withdrew him and in that time it was clear that he and Balotelli had formed an effective strike partnership at the front of Prandelli's favoured 4-3-1-2 formation: not just the combination of a big man and a little man, but that of two players who can not only beat a man and shoot but can pass the ball with a clear vision of what is going on around them.

Their respective temperaments are very different but that might be no bad thing. It is clear that Rossi has a craftsman's diligence in his approach to football but there is also an ability to play the sort of dramatic role more normally associated with his partner: when Fiorentina found themselves two goals down at home against Juventus in October, he scored a hat-trick that saw his team to a 4-2 victory, consigning the champions and league leaders to their first defeat in the Stadio Artemio Franchi for 15 years. His goal in the 3-0 win over Bologna in mid-December, a dinked volley on the run with his left foot, was worthy of Alessandro Del Piero, another player with whom he is sometimes compared.

His club coach, Vincenzo Montella, the former Roma and Italy striker, recently called him "a genius of football". Whether or not Rossi entirely deserves such an accolade, his qualities are becoming apparent with each passing week of a season in which his 18 league appearances have been marked by 14 goals, making him Italy's leading scorer. Montella's only criticism is that he has a habit of turning up late for training. "Sometimes I turn a blind eye," the coach said.

Rossi was born in Teaneck, New Jersey, the son of teachers who had been born in Italy, and after he had played as a schoolboy for the Clifton Stallions, a local team, his family recrossed the Atlantic when he was 12 so that he could join Parma's youth squad. At 17 he was signed by Ferguson and made his Premier League debut for United in October 2005, scoring in a win at Sunderland before being sent on a unsatisfactory half-season loan to Newcastle in the summer of 2006.

The rest of that season, back on loan with Parma, brought greater dividends: nine goals in 19 appearances. And having recognised that he would not be breaking into an Old Trafford squad whose strike force of Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney was about to be enhanced by the arrival of Carlos Tevez, he accepted a transfer to Villarreal in the summer of 2007 and spent the next few years scoring 54 goals in 136 appearances in La Liga, finally establishing himself as a player for the top flight.

Or almost. An anterior cruciate ligament injury cost him six months of the 2011-12 season, and a repetition in training shortly after his return sidelined him for a further 10 months. It was last January, during his convalescence, that Fiorentina agreed a four-year deal for his services, with a fee of €10m and a €35m release clause. When his new club opened this season against Catania, he duly scored his first goal in 23 months. Since then he has not stopped; the absence through injury since mid-September of Mario Gomez, the big German forward who came from Bayern Munich to be his strike partner, has hardly been noticed.

"Congratulations to the club on taking the risk of buying him when he was still recovering," Fabio Capello told the Gazzetta dello Sport last week. "Now he's a great addition to the national team."

After Serie A's winter break, lowly Livorno will be the opponents when Fiorentina resume their campaign at home on Sunday. A club that went into administration and suffered relegation to the fourth tier of Italian football barely a decade ago now stands fourth in the table, ahead of both the big Milan clubs, consolidating last year's finish just outside the Champions League positions. When Gomez returns to partner Rossi in front of a midfield including the reborn Alberto Aquilani and the experienced pair of Massimo Ambrosini and Joaquín, they will be hoping to challenge Rafael Benítez's Napoli for the third spot, which would provide further evidence of their progress under the stable ownership of the Della Valle family, owners of the high-end Tod's footwear brand.

Rossi is known by the diminutive "Pepito" in Italy, but is he really that small? He stands 5ft 8in, just as Montella did in his heyday, making him taller than Andrés Iniesta, Lionel Messi and Jack Wilshere by roughly an inch and a half, an inch and just over half an inch respectively. As England may learn next summer, and as Sir Alex Ferguson might now be persuaded to accept: if you're good enough, you're big enough.

Richard Williams

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Market for TV sport to hit record £16bn in 2014 as broadcasters play hardball

Posted: 03 Jan 2014 09:08 AM PST

Deloitte projects double-digit growth with no sign of demand easing for European football leagues and big four US sports

The market for global sports rights will hit £16bn in 2014, a rise of 14% on last year, as demand for top-flight European football and Major League baseball entices hefty investments from broadcasters.

Deloitte said in a report that it saw no end to the rush for premium sports rights, with revenue growth driven by new broadcast deals for the English Premier League, Germany's Bundesliga and US baseball. The accounting company added that sports rights payments will outpace global pay TV revenues, which are expected to grow 4% this year, with premium sports content more valued than ever as a lure for audiences.

Last year BT dropped a bombshell on the sports world when it secured the rights to broadcast Champions League and Europa League football for £900m from next year, more than double the existing £400m deal with ITV and BSkyB.

European football will contribute 46% of the 2014 rights total with £6.5bn, Deloitte said, with the Premier League accounting for £1.9bn. The growth in cost of sports rights has accelerated this year, having grown by an average of 5% over the past four years before the projected double-digit leap in 2014.

Austin Houlihan, a senior consultant in sports business at Deloitte, said new market entrants "looking for attractive differentiating sports content" were driving up fees as they take on established players such as BSkyB.

Houlihan said there was no sign that the "premium sports rights bubble" was about to burst: "Premium live sport delivers large audiences, typically characterised by an attractive demographic profile. It drives subscriptions and generates advertising for broadcasters, particularly in an increasingly altered media landscape. In some cases, premium sports broadcast rights fees have been insulated from wider economic pressures by multi-year contracts.

"Television and premium sports are well-matched for each other: at the highest level, sport is great unscripted live drama for television. Constant advances in technology are leading to ever more sophisticated, compelling ways in which sports can be portrayed."

Deloitte said 75% of the rights windfall will be generated by 10 competitions: the leading domestic football leagues in England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain, the Champions League, and the US ice hockey, baseball, American football and basketball leagues.

Jennifer Rankin

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Saints hit back in Clattenburg row

Posted: 03 Jan 2014 08:53 AM PST

• Adam Lallana at centre of Southampton's letter to PGMOL
• 'You are very different now, since you've played for England'
• Clattenburg to referee Arsenal v Tottenham on Saturday

Southampton do not want Mark Clattenburg to officiate any of their games until the latest controversy surrounding the referee has been resolved. Although Clattenburg has been cleared by the referees' official body of acting inappropriately towards Southampton's captain, Adam Lallana, in the 2-1 defeat at Everton last Sunday, the club reacted angrily to that decision and have vowed to pursue the matter. There is a feeling from within the club that decisions have gone against them when refereed by Clattenburg in the past.

A letter of complaint was sent by Southampton to the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) on New Year's Eve, claiming that Clattenburg allegedly told Lallana: "You are very different now, since you've played for England – you never used to be like this."

An investigation was launched into the incident but the PGMOL has ruled there is no case for Clattenburg to answer. The PGMOL falls under the Premier League's umbrella. They could take their case to the Football Association but are not expecting a different outcome. The game's governing body has not received a complaint from the club yet.

A PGMOL statement said: "PGMOL is committed to constructive dialogue and communication with clubs, managers and players. On 31 December PGMOL received a letter from Southampton who raised concerns about the conduct of Mark Clattenburg following their game with Everton on 29 December.

"In a written response to Southampton PGMOL acknowledge that their complaint has been considered in full. However, given the nature of the conversation with the player, having reviewed the footage and spoken to the team of officials as well as the Premier League match delegate it has been found that there is no case to answer. Mark has the full support of PGMOL management and will be considered for selection for all and any matches going forward in the usual way."

For the time being, Southampton have requested that Clattenburg is not handed any of their matches. The game at Everton was Clattenburg's first game at Goodison in seven years following a controversial Merseyside derby. A club statement said: "An official insulting any player, no matter his intentions, is clearly not acceptable behaviour. For this reason we do not accept the verdict of the PGMOL in relation to this case, and do not consider the matter to be over.

"Under the circumstances we do not feel it appropriate for Mr Clattenburg to officiate in any of our matches until this matter is properly resolved."

The incident was alleged to have taken place when Lallana, who made his England debut in November, spoke to Clattenburg after Southampton were denied two penalties at Goodison Park. Southampton's manager, Mauricio Pochettino, was furious afterwards and suggested that decisions are going against them because of their young, friendly image. Pochettino did not appear before the press on Friday and his assistant, Jesus Pérez, would not answer questions about Clattenburg.

Last season the 38-year-old referee was accused of racially abusing Mikel John Obi by Chelsea after their 3-2 defeat at home to Manchester United. Clattenburg sent off two Chelsea players in a controversial match but an FA inquiry concluded that he was innocent and had not called Mikel a monkey. Chelsea later expressed regret over the incident.

Jacob Steinberg

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Manchester United's David Moyes doesn't want video replays to check for diving – video

Posted: 03 Jan 2014 08:39 AM PST

Manchester United manager David Moyes says he's not a fan of video technology being used to rule on diving allegations

David Bernstein under fierce attack from managers over referee comment

Posted: 03 Jan 2014 08:38 AM PST

• Former FA chairman cited coaches setting 'terrible example'
• Comments described as 'misguided and inflammatory'

A fierce attack has been launched on David Bernstein by the League Managers' Association after the former Football Association chairman claimed that coaches were setting a "terrible example" by their behaviour.

The LMA said Bernstein's comments were "misguided, unhelpful and inflammatory" and accused him of failing to engage with the organisation during his time in office.

Bernstein had spoken out after being awarded the CBE in the New Year honours, saying managers were harassing officials and were being too critical of referees after matches.

The LMA said in a statement: "We believe the comments are misguided, and unhelpful. It is important to recognise that managers in professional football contribute significantly to the success of the game both on and off the field. Having spent their lives dedicated to the game, they value it, are committed to seeing it continue to grow and to contribute to its future direction.

"It is particularly sad, therefore, to find David Bernstein celebrating his CBE by engaging in a megaphone commentary from the sidelines, taking a unilateral swipe at managers, having wholly failed to engage, in any meaningful way, with the LMA and its members during his tenure as FA chairman."

Bernstein had said on Monday that managers need to take more responsibility for their behaviour and were setting "a terrible example for their players, let alone the general public".

The LMA responded saying: "Such a commentary is inflammatory, can only tend to bring the game into disrepute and further widens the gap between those that reputedly lead the game and those that find employment and build their careers within it."

Coincidentally the comments came the day after Mark Hughes was fined £8,000 by the FA after the Stoke City manager admitted a charge of improper conduct following his touchline dismissal at Newcastle United.

Hughes said: "I think what Richard Bevan [chief executive of the LMA] has come out with, I just reiterate every word that he's said.

"It's difficult. There's huge sways back and forth in terms of emotion and how the ebb and flow of the game affects you, in terms of the desire, you have to see fair play and make sure you're competing.

"Human nature is a thing that, on occasions, your emotions can get the better of you and football managers aren't immune to that."

The LMA's comments drew a mixed response from other Premier League managers. Arsenal's Arsène Wenger said he agreed with Bernstein that managers were setting a "terrible example", adding: "I go along with that and I have some work to so on that front as well."

Chelsea's José Mourinho accepted that there were times when managers could go too far on the touchline.

"I think managers are the person in the game with more pressure on their shoulders. I think managers they have the most difficult job in the game, plus the referees," said the Portuguese.

"And I think if on isolated occasions managers, they lose their emotional control and they have a certain behaviour that cannot be accepted by the authorities, in this case by the refs, I think we should be punished.

"But be punished in a way where people don't feel the managers are strange or weird or impolite people, or people without control."

Manchester City's Manuel Pellegrini added: "I think it is very difficult to be a referee. The players play too quickly, the players are always trying to cheat because football is cheating," he said.

"I think it is very difficult and I respect them. Of course nobody likes it when the referee whistles against your team when it is wrong, but a lot of time he whistles and gives you an advantage that maybe you didn't have."

Everton's Roberto Martínez felt Bernstein's criticism was a "very cheap" shot. "I always respect anyone who is involved in the game and has a position in the game, whichever the authority or association it is," he said. "But I think it is very cheap to speak about the behaviour of managers unless you have been in that position.

"It would be great for anyone to trial it and then it would be easier to understand it because of the emotions. There are many situations you have to control as a manager and sometimes they are out of your hands and it is quite frustrating to accept that."


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Manchester City taking FA Cup seriously, says Manuel Pellegrini – video

Posted: 03 Jan 2014 08:19 AM PST

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini says his side won't be taking things easy in Saturday's FA Cup tie against Blackburn Rovers

Highlights: Real Madrid beat PSG 1-0 in Qatar friendly – video

Posted: 03 Jan 2014 08:09 AM PST

Real Madrid made the most of an off night for Paris Saint-Germain to pick up a 1-0 win in Qatar

Highlights: Real Madrid beat PSG 1-0 in Qatar friendly – video

Posted: 03 Jan 2014 08:01 AM PST

Real Madrid made the most of an off night for Paris Saint-Germain to pick up a 1-0 win in Qatar on Thursday

Arsène Wenger: Arsenal haven't looked at signing Dimitar Berbatov – video

Posted: 03 Jan 2014 08:01 AM PST

Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger has cooled rumours the club are interested in signing Fulham's Dimitar Berbatov

Ashley Young out with shoulder injury caused by collision with Hugo Lloris

Posted: 03 Jan 2014 07:00 AM PST

• Manchester United winger to miss FA Cup tie v Swansea
• No updates offered on Robin van Persie absence

Manchester United have revealed that Ashley Young is facing a spell on the sidelines after injuring his shoulder in the controversial collision with Tottenham's goalkeeper Hugo Lloris on Wednesday.

Young landed awkwardly as he leapt over Lloris's flying attempt to win the ball, which the United manager David Moyes remains convinced should have resulted in a penalty for his team and a red card for the Frenchman. United lost the match at Old Trafford 2-1.

"Ashley has got an injury that is going to keep him out for a time," said Moyes. "It is a shoulder injury he received in the challenge by the goalkeeper. I am not sure how long it will be."

Young's absence from Sunday's FA Cup third-round encounter with Swansea further fuels United's annoyance at Lloris getting away with his challenge.

Yet Moyes is not prepared to push for the widening of video technology beyond its current limit of determining whether shots have crossed the line or not.

"I wouldn't go down the route of video technology," said Moyes. "I trust the referees to make the right decisions.

"They do make the wrong ones at times and I have not changed how I felt on Wednesday. I thought that was the wrong decision."

Moyes offered no further update on the fitness of Robin van Persie, who has missed six games with a thigh injury. "We will let you know when he is ready," he said.


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