Football news, match reports and fixtures | theguardian.com

Crawley Town 1-2 Bristol Rovers | FA Cup second round replay match report
Homophobia in football: kick it out | Editorial
Man Utd players raise concerns over Moyes' credentials
'I preferred living with a man'
Adam Johnson insists League survival is Sunderland's priority over cup
Manchester City v West Ham United: five talking points | Jamie Jackson
Man City 6-0 West Ham
Real's Alonso signs two-year contract extension
Manchester City 6-0 West Ham United – as it happened | Paul Doyle
Sir Alex Ferguson should take some of blame for Manchester United decline | Daniel Harris
Capital One Cup: Manchester City v West Ham United - in pictures
Defoe on brink of Toronto move
Thomas Hitzlsperger: World leaders and top sportsmen all show support
Five prominent sports personalities who have come out as gay
Rodgers facing fine after FA charge
Internazionale's Ishak Belfodil remains a target for West Ham United
Swansea City confident of securing Blackpool's Tom Ince for £4m
Carlo Ancelotti says Real Madrid will not be involved in transfer window
Winter 2022 World Cup in Qatar was inevitable from the start | Owen Gibson
Arsenal's Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain wants England 2014 World Cup place
Sir Alex Ferguson seems to have set aside retirement to haunt David Moyes | Mark Redding
The Fiver | An excellent opportunity to annoy cricket fans
Cardiff City have signed the midfielder Magnus Wolff Eikrem
Valcke: no summer 2022 World Cup
Thomas Hitzlsperger: 'Der Hammer' who was never afraid of a challenge

Crawley Town 1-2 Bristol Rovers | FA Cup second round replay match report

Posted: 08 Jan 2014 02:51 PM PST

John-Joe O'Toole hit a dramatic stoppage-time winner as League Two Bristol Rovers came from behind to clinch an FA Cup third-round tie at Birmingham City with a 2-1 win at Crawley.

O'Toole edged his side through in the first minute of added time with a low shot at the near post.

Crawley started well and went ahead on 14 minutes when Nicky Adams crossed perfectly and Jamie Proctor headed in at the far post, before Elliot Richards equalised with seven minutes to go.

Homophobia in football: kick it out | Editorial

Posted: 08 Jan 2014 02:32 PM PST

Fans know they watch gay men on the pitch, and understand there are various reasons why this is always kept quiet

A boneheaded 2% of football fans told YouGov in 2009 that the reason all of the 5,000 or so professional footballers in England were heterosexual was that "there are no gay players". Thomas Hitzlsperger's decision to reveal he "preferred living together with a man" may not disabuse them. He retired from the game last autumn, and so the Premier League is still without an active player who's officially anything other than straight.

Not long before, Robbie Rogers, who had played for Leeds, said it was time to "step away from football" as he came out, but a signing for LA Galaxy soon reversed this 25-year-old's retirement once he escaped English shores. With John Fashanu insisting that his late brother, Justin, who uniquely outed himself before he took his own life in the 1990s, was not really gay, a determined denier in 2013 could still maintain English football was uniquely free of a disposition that only ever sets in after players have walked away from the top flight.

Of course, Ockham's razor cuts such a wild theory, and so too – the same YouGov survey implies – do the other 98% of fans. They know perfectly well that they watch gay men on the pitch, and understand that there are various reasons why this is always kept quiet. It is an extraordinary state of affairs. England's wicket-keeping has already been entrusted to a gay man, and the country lives under a Conservative-led government that has legislated for same-sex marriage. There is a specific problem with the national game that simply does not apply across an increasingly tolerant country.

Part of the difficulty is the toleration of dressing-room "banter" that would be described as hate speech in other contexts. Mr Hitzlsperger puts it gently, and with remarkable humour, which only redoubles the power of his testimony about sitting round "a table with 20 young men and listen[ing] to jokes about gays". But personal as sexuality is, the bigger difficulty is still what gets chanted in public. Years after co-ordinated efforts began to address the routine racism that once disfigured the terraces, jeers about "rent boys" are often indulged. Could anything be more intimidating for a young man struggling to come to terms with private feelings than a crowd of tens of thousands yelling about these?

With the extension of Kick It Out's remit from racism to wider prejudice, the first steps have at last been taken, but there is still a way to go before referees and stewards react to taunts about "queers" and "faggots" just as fiercely as they do to 1970s poison about "monkey boys". But it is not just the authorities that have responsibility here: it is every last one of the 98% of fans who is not so stupid as to imagine that gay footballers do not exist.

Editorial

Man Utd players raise concerns over Moyes' credentials

Posted: 08 Jan 2014 02:32 PM PST

• Fears in dressing room over Champions League qualification
• Three straight losses leave questions over manager's changes

David Moyes faces a fight to convince several senior Manchester United players of his credentials following the dismal form that has resulted in three consecutive defeats for the first time in 13 years.

The Guardian can reveal that some within the dressing room are unsure of Moyes's ability to reverse a sequence that includes a league defeat by Tottenham Hotspur, being knocked out of the FA Cup by Swansea City, and Tuesday's 2-1 loss at Sunderland in the League Cup semi-final, first leg.

The Football Association, in addition, is looking into Moyes's remark after the tie at Sunderland that we are "playing referees as well as the opposition". The manager could face a charge if it is viewed he was commenting on match officials' fairness.

When Moyes was appointed as Sir Alex Ferguson's successor at the close of last season he brought in his own coaches – Steve Round, Phil Neville, Chris Woods, and Jimmy Lumsden, and also appointed Ryan Giggs – while discarding the existing backroom staff of René Meulensteen, Mike Phelan and Eric Steele.

This move is being privately questioned by some within the squad who were happy working with a group that had helped Ferguson oversee part of the most successful period in United's history. According to well-placed sources, there is a bemusement among a number of players, with a strong sense forming that as United won the title by 11 points last term there was little need for Moyes to undergo a complete revamp of a set-up that had a proven winning structure.

Moyes has never won a major trophy as a manager and, for some, his record is now under scrutiny, given the team are 11 points behind the leaders, Arsenal, and have scant chance of retaining the title. There is further concern that United may fail to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since 1995-96, with the side in seventh position, five points behind fourth-placed Liverpool.

While there is no sense of a player mutiny at present, this week's revelation that the club captain, Nemanja Vidic, is exploring leaving this summer, despite United wishing to open discussions over a new deal, is the latest crack in unity.

Before the defeat at Sunderland, in which Vidic scored United's equaliser, his agent, Silvano Martina, told an Italian radio station: "At the moment, I would rule out an extension [to his contract] with Manchester United."

Vidic's disquiet follows Danny Welbeck's denial of the claim last month by Moyes that the manager had to instruct the striker to be "the last off the training field" in order to improve. Within days the player offered a counter-view. "I have been doing that [extra training] ever since I have been at United," he said.

Earlier in December Rio Ferdinand publicly questioned Moyes's policy of naming the team close to a match, rather than the day before, as Ferguson did, stating it could turn the defender "into a madman".

Moyes's pursuit of Leighton Baines to replace Patrice Evra has not gone down well either, given the left-back's popularity in the dressing room. As with Vidic, the Frenchman may consider his options as he is out of contract in the summer.

All of this means that following the loss of the three matches in seven days, some senior players who were serial winners have been left uncertain about the direction of the club under Moyes.

After the defeat at Sunderland Welbeck became the first to voice concern regarding prospects of qualifying for next season's Champions League. Asked if he could understand why supporters are worried United may finish outside of the top four, he said: "I can understand why fans are concerned. We are not around the Champions League spots at the moment. We need to get our form back and just win the next matches."

The striker is unsure why after clinching the title last season United are so far adrift of Arsenal. "I cannot pinpoint one thing why this is happening. We were champions last season and we know that the consistency in our game has not been good enough," said Welbeck. "It is a new experience for us all but the main thing we have to do is look at the next game."

He did state a determination to start winning games. "It is over 10 years since United lost three games in a row, so we know we have to turn it round and win the next match. The manager is very upbeat. He lets the players know he wants to do really well and the players also want to win games for United," he said. "Losing three on the bounce is really not good enough and we want to put that right."

Jamie Jackson

'I preferred living with a man'

Posted: 08 Jan 2014 02:09 PM PST

Former Premier League footballer and German international talks to Raphael Honigstein about how he wanted to tell the world he was gay while he was still playing in Germany for Wolfsburg, but was advised against it

Thomas Hitzlsperger had managed to stay away from his computer for a long time. In the morning he had become the highest-profile footballer to announce he is gay, and in the hours afterwards he had not checked the public reaction. When I speak to him I tell him that support has been flooding in from fans, fellow footballers, well-wishers – and yes, even Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband.

"But where's David Cameron?" the former Germany international asks with playful indignation. "He's a Villa supporter, after all!" The prime minister, as it turns out, would soon add his voice to a raft of high-profile well-wishers that included Angela Merkel, the German national team manager Joachim Löw, and the former German foreign minister Guido Westerwelle, who is also gay.

They all talked about the former Aston Villa, West Ham and Everton midfielder's "courage" in breaking one of sport's last great taboos: Hitzlsperger, capped 52 times by his country, is the first German footballer to reveal he is gay. He is also the first former Premier League footballer to do so.

It was a moment he always knew would come, and one he dreaded. The decision to address this issue publicly was a "hard, difficult one" that took a number of years to gestate, he tells me. The 31-year-old, who retired from the game last year because of injuries, first told his friends and family.

"I was surprised and happy that they were all totally OK with it. Where I come from, in rural Bavaria, homosexuality is considered 'un-normal'. I knew that there would be negative reactions from those who will never understand it, also towards my family, but that didn't bother them. I've had nothing but total support from them."

Hitzlsperger, who was engaged to his childhood sweetheart and broke up with her shortly before the scheduled wedding six years ago, was not certain of his sexual orientation until his career was almost over. "I finally figured out that I preferred living with a man," he says.

He had thought about coming out while still playing for Wolfsburg in 2011-12 but then listened to people who warned him of the negative consequences. "They all said 'don't do it, a big wave will crash on you'," he says. "But in the end I realised that nobody knows. There was no precedent, so everybody could only speculate on what would happen."

While Germany as a country has noticeably become more and more relaxed about homosexuality in recent years, he had also noted there was an unhelpful media obsession with finding the first gay footballer. All sorts of well-intended but ultimately unhelpful interventions from heterosexual players – who either opined that gay players would benefit from coming out or cautioned against it – did not exactly fill him with confidence that this was indeed the right step.

Homosexuality was rarely a big topic in any of the dressing rooms he encountered, he says, and "the subject only came up when people were speculating about someone else's sexuality, but never in their presence."

There was the odd incidence of crass homophobia, as well, "but that was just your general, non-specific football talk," says Hitzlsperger. "I too, used derogatory terms like 'what a gay pass' without thinking about it when I was younger."

The former international, who played in the 2006 World Cup and the 2008 European Championship, maintains that he did not have to lie about his sexuality and that team-mates eventually stopped asking about his lack of a girlfriend.

In any case, he says, an ultimately fruitless battle to regain full fitness after a series of operations was more important to him than telling his colleagues about his sexual orientation.

The announcement of his retirement last September brought more time to think, however. "It really helped me to see that other professional sports people were acknowledging their sexuality. I read about John Amaechi, Gareth Thomas and Tom Daley. They weren't footballers but the fact that they went public gave me the feeling that I was not alone. I began to think that I could help other footballers who might be in the same shoes, so that they could see that here's someone who was even an international. I wanted to encourage them, the way that those guys and Robbie Rogers encouraged me."

He closely studied the fall-out of their coming outs, too, he says, and felt empowered. "They all said it was good for them." Hitzlsperger is unwilling to make wide-scale recommendations – "everyone has to decide for themselves" – and is unwilling to predict when the first active footballer in a European top league will follow his lead.

"But the important thing for me is to show that being homosexual and professional football player is something that is normal. The perceived contradiction between playing football, the man's game, and being homosexual is nonsense. I don't think anyone has ever come away from watching a game with me thinking there's something wrong or 'too soft' with my game," he adds, with a chuckle.

Known as "the Hammer" among supporters because of his fierce shot with his left foot, Hitzlsperger always enjoyed a robust challenge.

"You hear the word courage a lot," he says, when the talk returns to the reactions he has experienced so far. "That's nice to hear, but it's part of the problem, of course. That's something that should change. I sincerely hope that we'll see the when nobody mentions courage in these circumstances anymore, because it will be seen as totally normal that a sports person will speak about his homosexuality, the way others talk about their wives and girlfriends. It won't be easy for the next person to be the truly the first in that regard but maybe I've been able to help them a tiny bit."

Hitzlsperger, who has addressed issues such as racism and antisemitism in German football before, is acutely aware that there is a political dimension to his move, with the Olympic Games in Sochi about to begin. "It's important to face up to nations that discriminate against minorities, sexual or otherwise," he says. "I'm fine with the fact that my story will be mentioned in relation to the Games, because the situation in Russia is something that needs to be talked about. I'm curious to see what will happen. I'm sure that some athletes will make a stand".

Hitzlsperger is under no illusion that football's attitudes will change overnight. On the day of his interview with the Guardian, the Paris St-Germain defender Alex, a former Chelsea player, insisted that "god created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Yves".

Hitzlsperger says: "You'll always have those guys, but it's sad that they don't think a little deeper about what they're saying. I feel sorry for them, really".

Still, the emphatically positive response by politicians, footballers and fans have left him in an optimistic mood and at ease with himself. "It's good to know, not just for me but for others who are still playing now, that those at the top have no problem, that they support you. When the chancellor comes out in your favour, you know that it's safe being homosexual in this country, that you won't be discriminated. There will always be a small minority who think otherwise but hopefully, their numbers become fewer and fewer over the next years".

Raphael Honigstein

Adam Johnson insists League survival is Sunderland's priority over cup

Posted: 08 Jan 2014 02:01 PM PST

• 'It's about being a Premier League footballer'
• 'Unlike the top teams we are not consistent'

Given a choice between avoiding the Championship and winning the Capital One Cup, Adam Johnson would not think twice before declining the trophy.

"Staying in the Premier League is much more important," said the erstwhile England winger. "It's about being a Premier League footballer. A cup final is just one game. We've seen over the years how many teams have won a cup, gone down and never been seen again. If you do well in the cups it's great but the main priority is the league. I can't really understand why some fans would rather win a cup than stay up."

Despite this stance, Johnson is delighted to have earned the penalty, scored by Fabio Borini, which gave Sunderland a 2-1 semi-final first-leg win against Manchester United at the Stadium of Light on Tuesday.

As David Moyes and his players contemplated the repercussions of a third successive defeat, Gus Poyet's Sunderland squad pondered how on earth they can be within touching distance of Wembley yet remain resolutely bottom of the table after winning only three Premier League games all season.

"Over the years teams who've struggled have tended to do well in the cups; I think that's hardly a coincidence," said Johnson whose side face a trip to Fulham on Saturday. "We seem to do it in the cups but we can't seem to quite do it in the League. Unlike the top teams, we're not consistent. Now we've just got to put the cup aside and concentrate on the league.

"Maybe there's less pressure in the cups but I think it's important we try and take that form into the league. If we can play with that bit of freedom, go for it and not be scared to lose, I think we'll be all right."

Whether Sunderland can prevail in the second leg at Old Trafford is another matter. "We've got a lead to hold on to," said Johnson. "And the best time to play Manchester United is probably now but, regardless of the situation they're in, it's going to be difficult. The hardest task of the tie is ahead of us. Old Trafford is still a difficult place to go whatever sort of team United are now. We've just got to try and attack them."

As a former Manchester City player he is expecting plenty of "stick" from United fans but is rather less confident about taking the injured Theo Walcott's place in England's World Cup squad for Brazil.

"I'm probably too far away now," conceded Johnson. "I think Roy Hodgson's mind's made up. But I won't give up. Theo's quite a good friend of mine so it wasn't nice to see that happen to him but you've got to take your chance.

"Having been involved with England for a few years until I signed for Sunderland going to the World Cup is always going to be in the back of my mind," he acknowledged. "You never know, stranger things have happened."

Brighton, meanwhile, have announced that they have turned down a transfer request from the midfielder Liam Bridcutt, a target for Sunderland.

Louise Taylor

Manchester City v West Ham United: five talking points | Jamie Jackson

Posted: 08 Jan 2014 01:53 PM PST

The Manuel Pellegrini bandwagon rolls on thanks to inspirational Álvaro Negredo as the Irons are left to melt in the fire

1 City juggernaut drives on

"I think that the last month of 2013 was fantastic for us. We played nine games during December. We won eight and drew just one and we started the new year with another good win at Swansea and a draw in the FA Cup at Blackburn Rovers. Now, in the second half of the season, we will try and convert the positive start into trophies." So said Manuel Pellegrini before this first leg that failed to draw a large crowd but which proved another goal rush in the City cathedral as they sewed up the tie with the away game to play. Whoever of United or Sunderland provide the opposition might be best advised to see the Capital One Cup final as a good day out with little chance of securing the trophy if City are in this mood.

2 Beast and Touré show worth

This is the debut season when Alvaro Negredo cannot stop bursting the net for City. With the hat-trick he collected here the Spaniard took his tally to 18 in 28 appearances in what is proving a stand-out first campaign. For his opening trick Negredo hurtled at Adrián's goal while carefully eyeing a Yaya Touré ball that came in over his shoulder before he volleyed home sweetly without breaking stride. The second was equally impressive. This time the 28-year-old hungrily beat Adrián to a pass from Edin Dzeko, who scored twice himself, to find the net. A trio of fine finishes was completed when his killer left foot curled home. The sight of one of Pellegrini's big guns, Touré, limping off after 25 minutes following a tackle on Mohamed Diamé was hardly edifying for the Chilean as he plots a four-pronged attack on silverware. City could breathe again when the Ivorian returned to the fray and then cheer loudly when Touré cantered 40 yards, then zipped the ball beyond Adrián to make it 3-0 and reduce the visitors to a damage-limitation exercise. The hope will be there are no repercussions from Pellegrini returning him to the field after the knock, with Touré being replaced on 66 minutes.

3 Why they are in drop zone

"Here for the piss-up, we're only here for the piss-up" sang the visiting Irons fans when they were "only" 2-0 down to a Blue wave that kept on rolling over their side. A theory doing the rounds before kick-off was that the Hammers would do a Crystal Palace, who kept City to a 1-0 win here on 28 December, and park the coach to try to squeeze a draw or narrow defeat. If this was the Allardyce plan it failed and the truth was that "embarrassing" is not an unfair adjective to describe his side's performance throughout the game.

4 Will Pantilimon play?

After being cruelly dropped by Pellegrini's predecessor, Roberto Mancini, before last season's FA Cup final when the Italian had stated he would do no such thing, the Romanian is used to crushing disappointment. A confident take from an early corner and a careful watch of a Diamé curler was all that was required of Costel Pantilimon on what was a particularly quiet night to be the City No1. As was the story when he dislodged Joe Hart earlier in the season only to be demoted again, the 26-year-old did little wrong but will still fear being the fall guy again on 2 March. Following this demolition City can book their hotel and have the bespoke cup final suits made up. But Pantilimon now has to sweat to discover if Pellegrini names him and not Hart in his starting XI for the showpiece.

5 Duo's World Cup hopes fade

The final furlong has been entered in the race for outsiders to be named as one of Roy Hodgson's final picks for the plane to Brazil. Two of the least likely lads to make the flight might have used this high-profile contest to remind the manager why they have been England regulars in the not-so-distant past. The problem was that the action occurred at the wrong end of park for each as the centre-back Joleon Lescott watched as his side pummelled the opposition, which meant Stewart Downing, too, was reduced to a spectator forced to see his defence take an incessant hammering. Theo Walcott's knee injury offers a glimmer of a chance for Downing, yet having to impress Hodgson by performing in a side embroiled in a relegation dogfight is a big ask. Lescott may have a better – though only marginally - hope of being selected but first he needs a loan move away from City to find regular first-team action.

Jamie Jackson

Man City 6-0 West Ham

Posted: 08 Jan 2014 01:48 PM PST

The only surprise, perhaps, was that Manchester City restricted themselves to six. The tie was so one-sided, the opposition so utterly abject, that there were moments when it was easy to imagine City would go even better than the seven they rattled past Norwich earlier in the season, never mind the six that Arsenal and Tottenham sieved inside this stadium. The fifth goal went in with more than a third of the game still to go and, after that, the goal machine that is Manuel Pellegrini's team must have been feeling charitable to add only one more.

Their latest haul, incorporating a stylish hat-trick from Alvaro Negredo, brings their tally to 59 goals in 15 home matches this season, keeping up the remarkable average of almost four every game. To put it another way, they have just won in straight sets – 6-0, 6-3, 6-0 – against three of London's top clubs. West Ham, once again, were shocking in their ineptitude, and Sam Allardyce's latest ordeal ended with the away fans making it very clear they did not want him as manager.

West Ham certainly did their bit to be remembered as the least distinguished team to visit this ground this season. It was a capitulation that makes the return leg a formality and means City can start their arrangements for a Wembley final against either Sunderland or Manchester United. Judging by the chants of "David Moyes is a football genius", their supporters do not seem too alarmed by the prospect of an all-Manchester affair.

West Ham, in stark contrast, move on to the game at Cardiff that Allardyce had always prioritised, lurching deeper into crisis and with it becoming increasingly clear that a good proportion of the club's followers have had enough. Allardyce was the subject of loud, abusive chants as he stood, almost motionless, by the touchline, his hood up in a filthy Mancunian downpour, hands firmly entrenched in his pockets. He looked a picture of misery.

At one point early on, Allardyce's team won a corner and the away end celebrated as though a goal had been scored. Unfortunately, in football it is never encouraging when supporters resort to gallows humour. The corner was cleared and it was the next piece of action that saw Yaya Touré pick out Negredo's run for the Spaniard to crack in a wonderful opening goal.

Negredo's perfectly judged volley came after 11 minutes and was probably the moment the West Ham supporters, who saw their team trounced 5-0 by Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup on Sunday, knew the night was about to become another public humiliation. Their team had Mohamed Diamé, a midfielder, playing in attack and a full-back, George McCartney, in the centre of defence alongside Roger Johnson, fast-tracked into the team after his loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers. They were out of their depth and afterwards it spoke volumes that Dzeko, scorer of the last two goals, talked about it being 5-0. The striker had evidently lost count.

Perhaps the most alarming part for West Ham was that their opponents were still a good notch or two below their optimum. The bottom line is that City did not have to be at their very best when the gulf was so considerable. Plenty of teams have taken a pummelling at City this season but not all of them have surrendered so meekly. For West Ham, it brought a now-familiar sense of embarrassment, with 11 goals conceded in four days.

Negredo's second was another beauty, flicking the ball into Dzeko, then running on to the return pass and sweeping a rising, diagonal shot beyond Adrian, West Ham's overworked goalkeeper.

The game was by now already an exercise in damage-limitation for West Ham, and when Touré surged through the middle of their defence to make it three, six minutes before the interval, any lingering hopes of Allardyce's team finding a way back into the tie went from miniscule to non-existent. Those driving runs from Touré are a formidable sight, but there was something fairly wretched about the way Johnson simply retreated, backing away until Touré was in the penalty area and choosing where to put his shot. Johnson looked what he was: a Championship or League One defender trying to stop the most formidable attack in the land.

Negredo's hat-trick, taking him to 18 goals in 28 appearances, came early in the second half from another of those quick, penetrating moves through the opposition's defence, culminating in David Silva's pass and another classy finish from the striker's left boot. Dzeko made it 5-0 when he stabbed in Gael Clichy's cross and the same player finished the rout with a handsome left-foot shot from the substitute Aleksandar Kolarov's cutback. "We want our West Ham back," went the cry from the away enclosure.

Daniel Taylor

Real's Alonso signs two-year contract extension

Posted: 08 Jan 2014 01:43 PM PST

• World Cup winner staying at Real Madrid until 2016
• 'No one is leaving and no one is coming in'

Real Madrid have ended speculation about Xabi Alonso's future by tying him to a new contract.

The 32-year-old midfielder's deal expired at the end of the current season, but Madrid announced on Wednesday that he has penned a two-year extension.

A statement on the club's website read: "Xabi Alonso will continue with Real Madrid until 2016."

The Spain international has made 204 appearances for the club since signing from Liverpool for £30m in the summer of 2009 and has helped them win the 2012 Primera Division and the 2011 Copa del Rey.

A two-times European Championship winner and also a World Cup winner during his 109 caps for Spain, Alonso started his career with Real Sociedad before heading to Anfield.

News of Alonso's renewal comes on the day manager Carlo Ancelotti ruled out any movements in or out of the Bernabéu.

Alonso, Fabio Coentrão, Ángel di María and Álvaro Morata had all been linked with moves, with Manchester United said to be in for Coentrão and Arsenal for Morata.

However, Ancelotti said on Wednesday that the Spanish giants were not looking to bring in any new faces during the transfer window, nor let any players go.

He said when asked about the futures of Coentrão and Di María: "I've not spoken with them because there's nothing. No one is leaving and no-one is coming in.

"We have a good squad. We don't need anything."

Manchester City 6-0 West Ham United – as it happened | Paul Doyle

Posted: 08 Jan 2014 01:36 PM PST

Minute-by-minute report: Álvaro Negredo scored a hat-trick as Manchester City demolished West Ham United in the semi-final first leg

Paul Doyle

Sir Alex Ferguson should take some of blame for Manchester United decline | Daniel Harris

Posted: 08 Jan 2014 12:36 PM PST

It is impossible to assess the club's current disarray under David Moyes without also looking at the former manager – as with many greats, his strengths also manifest as weaknesses

The sickness of following a football team demands many sacrifices – the list includes jobs, marriages, friendships and lives. As such, it is unsurprising that Sir Alex Ferguson, having retired as manager of Manchester United, can find little more to do than watch Manchester United. And why shouldn't he? If David Moyes is cowed by his presence he is in the wrong job, just as Wilf McGuinness and Frank O'Farrell were when intimidated by Sir Matt Busby, his presence used by Ferguson to inspire and advise.

Nonetheless, it is impossible to assess the club's current disarray without apportioning chunks of blame in Ferguson's direction; like many greats, his strengths also manifest as weaknesses.

Most significant is the club's takeover in 2005. Before it, Ferguson had been urgent in his opposition – one that, had it sustained, might even have prevented the banks from lending the money required for its completion. But, at the time, his position was weaker than in a generation. United were mired in a second consecutive season of misery, the BBC had cast aspersions over transfer dealings involving his son Jason (which Sir Alex strongly challenged), and he developed an entirely avoidable to-do with two club directors, John Magnier and JP McManus, who openly challenged him before selling their shares. Brilliant opportunist and decisive decision-maker, he realised his value and quickly consolidated.

Since then, hundreds of millions of pounds have left the club, the consequence a hideously underfunded playing staff – which, in typical style, Ferguson turned into one of his greatest triumphs. Unable to compete with the heaviest spenders, he compensated for a relatively weak first XI by compiling a squad of variety and depth, the achievement he extracted from it baffling many observers. But this new method required twiddling so intricate as to be operable by him alone, the sum of parts now reflecting individual values.

Of course, the technical was underpinned by the interpersonal via an enveloping presence of love, fury and wisdom. The reverence with which his players regarded him was of moving, almost disquieting intensity, such that for a successor to succeed from the outset, comparable skills were essential. Instead, a very different man was appointed, lacking not only magnetism but achievements, and in this aspect, Ferguson misjudged his influence: force of personality can work only to a point, and when you're gone, you're gone. He may have implored supporters and players to believe in David Moyes, but with him at one remove, plenty of both now trust their judgment over his.

It is hard not to view his role in the appointment with a soupçon of suspicion. Very few leaders are afforded the opportunity to leave on their own terms, fewer still able to pick their replacement – yet, somehow, Ferguson managed not only this, but purloined the entire process, to the consternation of José Mourinho. And it does not take much to imagine Mourinho breezing into Old Trafford and immediately subsuming it, nor turning two European Cups in 18 attempts into professional negligence.

Conversely, Moyes worried about his attire after being summoned to attend Ferguson's house, where he was informed of – not offered – his new status. In thrall to and grateful for an opportunity he most likely did not anticipate, it is not hard to imagine the exchange envisaged as the start of a master-disciple relationship. Moyes, though, quickly showed that his is the only opinion that counts, replacing the existing coaching staff despite advice to the contrary.

Nor was he impressed with what he was left – or, put another way, Fergie's retirement was a smart move. Though the squad contains plenty of good players playing inexcusably badly, very few are at their peak, there is no discernible midfield, and little in the way of star quality; even Wayne Rooney, though good compared with those around him, is rather less so when compared with himself.

Moyes must be grateful that he is at United at all, a demob happy Ferguson getting in one last kick by reporting a transfer request that Rooney says was never issued – unsettling the process, unsettling the squad, and determining that time be expended persuading him to stay. Similarly, Fergie had also encouraged Nani to relocate – Moyes quickly awarded him a new contract – and spent part of the transfer budget on a replacement, Wilfried Zaha, who now cannot get a game.

One of Ferguson's most famous aphorisms was about knocking Liverpool off their perch – a responsibility that Liverpool fans rejoinder resides with Graeme Souness. And though there is truth in both claims, the decline began under Kenny Dalglish: key players were allowed to age together and, partly because of budgetary constraints, replaced by players of inferior quality. Dalglish still took advantage of undemanding opposition to to coax them to a valedictory title but the decay was evident long before it was effective.

Despite the similarities, the game has changed enough since then such that it would be a surprise if United endured as lengthy a barren spell – but significant blame for the prospect resides with the genius who gave the club joy beyond comprehension.

• Daniel Harris' new book, The Promised Land, on Manchester United's treble season, is available here

Daniel Harris

Capital One Cup: Manchester City v West Ham United - in pictures

Posted: 08 Jan 2014 12:31 PM PST

Will Big Sam's side put their FA Cup upset behind them to put one over on Manchester City to take a huge step towards the final at Wembley?

Steven Bloor

Defoe on brink of Toronto move

Posted: 08 Jan 2014 12:24 PM PST

• Long-awaited transfer deal looks set to be agreed by all parties
• Striker could play for Spurs until mid-March before leaving

Jermain Defoe's long-mooted move from Tottenham Hotspur to Toronto should be finalised soon, with the ambitious Major League Soccer club intending to unveil the England striker at a press conference on Monday.

The forward will become the most eye-catching of the Canadian club's pre-season signings, and is expected to sign a deal worth in excess of £90,000 a week, with Spurs to collect a fee of around £6m for a player who has 18 months to run on his contract. There remains the prospect of Defoe returning to White Hart Lane on loan until March before departing for the MLS, with Tottenham having initially hoped to retain his services until the end of their current campaign.

That compromise – Toronto's domestic season begins at Seattle on 15 March – would see a transfer first suggested in the autumn finally concluded, with Defoe to rejoin a former Tottenham team-mate, the Toronto head coach Ryan Nelsen, at his new club.

The former New Zealand international and Blackburn Rovers centre-half has described Defoe as "one of the most natural goalscorers I have ever come across" and suggested that bringing him to MLS would be "incredible" for Major League Soccer. His arrival would reflect the ambitions of the Ontario club overseen by Tim Leiweke, who brought David Beckham to Los Angeles Galaxy.

It remains to be seen how the move will affect Defoe's chances of making Roy Hodgson's England squad for the summer's World Cup finals in Brazil. The 31-year-old boasts 19 goals from his 55 caps and has been a regular squad member under the current regime, if not always utilised from the bench. He has suffered similar frustrations at Spurs, having started only three Premier League games to date this term, his goalscoring exploits reserved for the Europa League and domestic cup competitions. Indeed, he has registered nine times in those competitions this season having scored 90 goals in the top flight for Spurs over two spells at the club.

His departure will prompt Tottenham to explore the addition of a striker to their ranks, though they may wait until the summer before aggressively entering the market. The club's unsettled Argentine winger Erik Lamela, who has also made just three league starts since his £30m move from Roma last summer, has been told he will not be allowed to leave White Hart Lane on loan this month and will remain at the club despite tentative interest from Italian clubs to return him to Serie A.

Dominic Fifield

Thomas Hitzlsperger: World leaders and top sportsmen all show support

Posted: 08 Jan 2014 12:10 PM PST

• 'I admire him even more today' tweeted David Cameron
• 'A courageous and correct decision' – Lukas Podolski

Messages of support for Thomas Hitzlsperger on Wednesday spread across Europe after the former Aston Villa player's decision to come out, although there were also warnings that the fight against homophobia in the game is still in its infancy.

Hitzlsperger, who follows the American Robbie Rogers as the most notable footballer in recent times to reveal that he is gay, received support from within his homeland Germany and throughout Britain.

However, the former NBA star John Amaechi, who came out after his retirement in 2007, believes that while Hitzlsperger's announcement should be welcomed it will change little within the spheres of influence in the English game who turn a blind eye to homophobia.

He said: "It's good to have more positive role models. He [Hitzlsperger] was a well respected player and adds to the pool of quality individuals who can set an example. But does anybody really think that the important people who really count in football – who are the members of the FA board, the executives there, the executives at the Premier League – does anyone really think there will be celebrations and revelation going on in those offices? Do you think people are really going: 'I get it now, Thomas has come out and I get it now'.

"But coming out to the world is a good thing. The mass majority of reaction is really positive but there are still some people who can't resist insults. It shouldn't be a big deal but it still is, and it still is because the environment of football is still toxic. Nothing changes until someone powerful within football decides to change it.

"A lot of people have sent me messages on Twitter and said 'it's not a big deal'. I know what they're saying because it's not a revolutionary thing that is going to change the earth. But it is important that we get new role models, when people step up and be authentic, when it is shown that gay people aren't just found in certain discreet industries."

Bayern Munich, the club where Hitzlsperger began his career, described his decision as a "brave step", while the Arsenal and Germany forward Lukas Podolski tweeted: "Respect to Thomas Hitzlsperger! That was a courageous and correct decision and an important step."

The reaction across Germany was similarly positive, despite claims in 2011 from the current Germany captain, Philipp Lahm, that he would not encourage a gay professional footballer to come out because of the pressures that could ensue.

The Bundesliga president, Reinhard Rauball, said: "The decision of Thomas Hitzlsperger to be the first prominent footballer to make public his homosexuality is – even after his active career – a huge and courageous step, and surely leads the way in the fight against homophobia."

A German government spokesman, Steffen Seibert, welcomed Hitzlsperger's announcement on behalf of the chancellor, Angela Merkel.

He said: "We live in a country where nobody should be afraid of acknowledging their sexuality for fear of intolerance. And I think that as a country, as a society, we've made enormous progress in this area. We judge footballers by whether they conduct themselves well and with dignity on and off the pitch, and I believe both are true for Mr Hitzlsperger."

The prime minister, David Cameron, tweeted: "As an #AVFC fan, I've always admired what Thomas Hitzlsperger did on the pitch – but I admire him even more today. A brave & important move."

The Gay Football Supporters' Network said: "It shows that we are moving one step closer to creating that atmosphere in football where players at all levels would be able to come out should they want to, safely and free from discrimination. We hope that one day current players would feel able to come out and that eventually a player's sexual orientation not be a news story, but for now we wish Thomas Hitzlsperger well."

James Riach

Five prominent sports personalities who have come out as gay

Posted: 08 Jan 2014 11:28 AM PST

Martin Navratilova declared her sexuality after taking US citizenship, but tragedy struck footballer Justin Fashanu
• Hitzlsperger joins list of gay sports stars

Justin Fashanu – Football

Justin Fashanu broke new barriers being the first footballer publicly to come out. However, his was a story of tragedy. He played for more than 20 clubs, including a brief stint in the US, and on his retirement in 1998 he took his own life in his flat in London over fears he would be facing a lengthy jail sentence after claims of a sexual assault on a 17-year-old boy.

Steven Davies – Cricket

The England wicketkeeper was the first and remains the only openly gay cricketer. Of his decision to come out he said his friends and team-mates had known for a while. At the time, the England team director Andy Flower said: "Steve's private life is his own concern. It has absolutely no bearing on his ability to excel at the very highest level in international sport."

Robbie Rogers – Football

The American came out in February 2013 and immediately retired. However, he made a return to football three months later, joining LA Galaxy. In a blog post published last year he said: "People love to preach about honesty, how honesty is so plain and simple. Try explaining to your loved ones after 25 years you are gay."

Martina Navratilova – Tennis

The nine-times Wimbledon singles champion became the first openly homosexual tennis player in 1981, shortly after she gained US citizenship. In 2000, she was the recipient of the National Equality Award from the Human Rights Campaign, the nation's largest gay and lesbian activist/lobbying group.

Gareth Thomas – Rugby

Thomas represented Wales at both rugby union and rugby league. He is the third most capped Welsh rugby union player, with 100 Test caps and a further three playing for the British & Irish Lions. He announced publicly that he is gay in 2009 and, a year later, he received Stonewall's Hero of the Year award.

Rodgers facing fine after FA charge

Posted: 08 Jan 2014 10:25 AM PST

• Liverpool manager criticised officials at Manchester City
• Questioned appointment of Greater Manchester referee

Liverpool's manager, Brendan Rodgers, has accepted a charge relating to his comments about the referee Lee Mason, the Football Association has confirmed.

Rodgers claimed the performance of the officials in his team's defeat at Manchester City on 26 December was "horrendous" and questioned why a Greater Manchester referee, in Bolton's Mason, was appointed to the fixture. Rodgers is likely to be fined after a hearing, which he has chosen not to attend.

He had been frustrated by a number of decisions during Liverpool's 2-1 Premier League defeat. Most notably Raheem Sterling was incorrectly flagged offside when through on goal and Luis Suárez was denied a late penalty.

"I thought they were horrendous in terms of performance," Rodgers said of the officials. "Hopefully we don't have another Greater Manchester referee again on a Liverpool-Manchester game."

That was viewed as an attack on the integrity of Mason and brought Rodgers to the attention of the FA. Liverpool's manager said that was not his intention and he was trying to make a valid point about where Mason is from.

"In terms of geography, I certainly wasn't questioning the integrity of referees," he said. "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."

Liverpool are still waiting to learn the full extent of the defender Daniel Agger's calf injury.

Internazionale's Ishak Belfodil remains a target for West Ham United

Posted: 08 Jan 2014 10:17 AM PST

• Delegation in Milan to hold talks with Inter
• Loan deal for the Algerian has been agreed in principle

West Ham United have not given up hope of persuading Internazionale's young forward Ishak Belfodil to join on loan for the remainder of the season after agreeing a deal in principle with the Italian club.

A delegation has been in Milan to hold talks with Inter's hierarchy, but they must now discuss the move with the 21-year-old Algeria international and reach agreement with his former club, Parma, who own 50% of his economic rights.

The forward, who moved to Inter last summer, has found his opportunities limited at San Siro and is anxious for regular first-team football to secure a place at the summer's World Cup finals.

West Ham would consider allowing Modibo Maïga to leave this month if they secure both Belfodil and a work permit for Lacina Traoré, who has agreed a loan move from Monaco.

Dominic Fifield

Swansea City confident of securing Blackpool's Tom Ince for £4m

Posted: 08 Jan 2014 10:11 AM PST

• Cardiff City and Crystal Palace also interested in winger
• 21-year-old's contract will run out in the summer

Swansea City are confident they can deflect interest from rival Premier League clubs to secure Blackpool's much covetedEngland Under-21 winger Tom Ince. The club's manager, his father Paul Ince, has confirmed that talks are ongoing with Swansea, whose interest was first expressed last summer, with a fee of around £4m mooted. The 21-year-old is out of contract in the summer, when his departure would generate only a compensation fee for Blackpool, and could yet choose to see out his currentdeal in the hope that other opportunities open up for him at the end of the season. their Welsh rivals Cardiff City and Crystal Palace are also keen to secure a player who has scored 33 goals in 111 matches since moving from Liverpool in 2011. Palace expect their winger Jimmy Kébé, who joined from Reading last summer, to be reunited with his former manager Brian McDermott at Leeds United in a loan deal for the rest of the season and have sold the young forward Jason Banton to Plymouth as they continue to juggle their squad. Dave Kemp has joined Tony Pulis' coaching staff at Selhurst Park.

Dominic Fifield

Carlo Ancelotti says Real Madrid will not be involved in transfer window

Posted: 08 Jan 2014 09:45 AM PST

• 'No one is leaving and no one is coming in'
• Speculation over Arsenal interest in Álvaro Morata

The Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has stated that there will be no transfers in or out of the club during the January transfer window amid reported interest from England in fringe players such as Fábio Coentrão and Álvaro Morata.

"No one is leaving and no one is coming in. We have a good squad," the Italian said. "We don't need anything."

There has been speculation linking the Portugal full-back Coentrão, 25, with Manchester United while Arsenal are said to be looking at the 21-year-old striker Morata again in the wake of Theo Walcott's injury. The Argentina winger Ángel di María is another whose future had been discussed.

Winter 2022 World Cup in Qatar was inevitable from the start | Owen Gibson

Posted: 08 Jan 2014 09:43 AM PST

Fifa has finally confirmed what we have known all along – that the Qatar World Cup will be held in November and December

In the latest move in a tedious slow motion hokey-cokey, the Fifa secretary general, Jérôme Valcke, has not so much let the cat out of the bag as admitted he never bothered putting it back in to begin with.

In hindsight, it is crystal clear that a winter World Cup in Qatar was virtually inevitable from the moment Sepp Blatter pulled the name of the Gulf state from an envelope on 2 December 2010 in Zurich to general incredulity from the public and knowing nods from those close enough to the Fifa executive committee to read its intentions.

The world was still digesting the ramifications of the decision to award the World Cup to a country smaller than Yorkshire with temperatures that regularly top 50C in summer, when Franz Beckenbauer became the first to suggest a switch to winter only 24 hours later. His fellow former European footballer of the year Michel Platini was not far behind.

Fifa's own technical reports, largely ignored by the 22 voters swayed by other factors, had already highlighted the "potential health risk" for players, officials and spectators, and ranked Qatar's plans for team facilities as "high risk" in the summer.

Since then, a tortuously slow process has led world football to a decision that will have huge ramifications for the global sporting calendar, and the broadcasters and sponsors who bankroll it, even if they will fall short of some of the more apocalyptic predictions.

First, there was a period during which both the Qatar organisers and Fifa pursued an "after you" strategy of claiming that it was down to the other to make the first move towards a winter switch. Meanwhile, outriders including Platini and the former French president Nicolas Sarkozy continued to bang the drum.

Fearful of the potential legal consequences from US broadcasters, European leagues and failed rival bids from Australia and the US, during this period both Blatter and Valcke insisted that the tournament would be played in June – occasionally referencing the ambitious air-cooled stadiums promised by the Qataris.

"The invitation to tender was to play this [2022] World Cup in June, and that's how it was done," said Valcke immediately after the vote. A few months later Blatter said: "The basic conditions – not just for Qatar, but for all the candidates – were the same. It means that the Fifa World Cup is played in June and July."

The uneasy standoff held until Blatter performed an archetypal U-turn. "After many discussions, deliberations and critical review of the entire matter, I came to the conclusion that playing the World Cup in the heat of Qatar's summer was simply not a responsible thing to do," he explained in an odd interview with Inside World Football in September, which read more like a legal paper than the usual idiosyncratic ramblings of the Fifa president.

It then became a matter of when, not if, the move was confirmed. But with the European Club Association, the Premier League and the Bundesliga in particular alarmed by the typically haphazard way in which the global sporting calendar was being redrawn – and amid growing pressure from US broadcasters and the International Olympic Committee – they demanded a pause.

Blatter, aware he had pushed the issue too far and too fast, agreed. Besieged by renewed outrage over the conditions in which migrant construction workers were toiling in Qatar, he promised a consultation that would go beyond the Brazil World Cup and deliver a verdict in December 2014.

In reality, that has turned out to be a case of Valcke touring the globe trying to smooth the ruffled feathers of professional leagues and, in particular, the US and Latin American broadcasters that bankroll Fifa to the tune of $1bn.

And as ever in the medieval court of Fifa, there are other factors at play. Many are convinced that it suited Blatter to kick the Qatar winter World Cup can down the road because it is more damaging for Platini, his potential rival for the presidency in 2015 and a vocal supporter of Qatar 2022, than it is for him.

Valcke and Blatter have operated hand in glove since the longstanding president brought him back into the fold in the summer of 2007, just six months after he had left the organisation when it emerged in a New York courtroom that he had lied to both Visa and MasterCard over contractual sponsorship negotiations.

The Frenchman also has form in acting as a kind of outrider for official Fifa policy. It was he who sparked a diplomatic row with Brazil by saying they needed a "kick up the backside" in preparing for the World Cup. He was forced to apologise but has since been proved right by the ongoing delays to the completion of World Cup venues.

He was also embarrassed by a leaked email in June 2011, at the height of a slew of corruption allegations and Blatter's contested re-election, in which he said Qatar had "bought" the World Cup. He later insisted he was referring to the unprecedented sums lavished on its campaign, rather than alleging any bribery.

So now Valcke has confirmed what we have known all along. That, with the Winter Olympics effectively making January a non-starter (much to Platini's chagrin, given his preference for avoiding a clash with the Champions League group stages), the Qatar World Cup will be held in November and December 2022.

The fact that period will also take in two international breaks makes it marginally less disruptive, though that will do little to soothe the ire of the Premier League and others who must solve issues around the transfer window, player contracts and the schedule of not only the 2021/22 season but of those either side. By airing his long-held view in public, however, Valcke is signifying a greater confidence in his ability to pilot the change past ongoing objections.

Broadcasters may have to be recompensed and the European leagues soothed but, whatever Fifa may say officially, the decision has been taken. Amid all that, it should not be forgotten that this is a mess entirely of its own making.

Owen Gibson

Arsenal's Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain wants England 2014 World Cup place

Posted: 08 Jan 2014 09:16 AM PST

• Winger returns to training with Brazil in his sights
• Rehabilitation programme on track after knee injury

Arsenal's Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has targeted a dream ending to the season by earning a place in England's World Cup squad for Brazil after returning to training following five months on the sidelines with a knee injury.

The imminent return of the all-action 20-year-old, who has been out since the opening-day defeat by Aston Villa, comes as a boost at the end of what has been a difficult week following the news Theo Walcott is out for the season after sustaining anterior cruciate ligament damage during the FA Cup win over Tottenham.

Oxlade-Chamberlain has stepped up his rehabilitation programme and is pencilled in for the under-21s game at Fulham on Thursday and could be drafted back after the next Premier League game, at Aston Villa on Monday. The former Southampton trainee – who signed for Arsenal for £12m in 2011 – scored for England in the 2-2 draw against Brazil at the Maracanã Stadium in June and would like nothing more than to return to South America this summer.

"As a young guy growing up watching football and watching World Cups, this will be my first one [that I can play in),"Oxlade-Chamberlain told Arsenal Player. "Obviously I went to the Euros [2012 in Poland/Ukraine], which was an amazing experience – and that's a massive achievement for me personally, especially as an 18-year-old boy. That was really special.

"But the World Cup is always that little bit more special because it is the world stage. If I was able to be selected and go to Brazil it would be a dream come true and something that I am definitely striving towards. Although for now I am just focused on getting back in and around the Arsenal team and helping us do well this season, the World Cup is definitely something I would like to achieve."

Sir Alex Ferguson seems to have set aside retirement to haunt David Moyes | Mark Redding

Posted: 08 Jan 2014 09:08 AM PST

He had promised to 'visit vineyards in Tuscany and France'. Instead, he was in Sunderland on a windy night in January

Sir Alex Ferguson seems bent on haunting David Moyes, like the ghost of Banquo hovering over a particularly gloomy Scottish feast, which is probably the last thing the struggling Manchester United manager needs right now.

Each time something disastrous happens to the team on the pitch – ie. frequently – the cameras have acquired the habit of doing a quick one-two: cutting instantly to Moyes' horrified face and then away to his overcoated predecessor staring impassively down from the stand.

Sunderland in the Capital One Cup defeat on Tuesday was a case in point, except the man who comes frae Govan arrived mob-handed, flanked on one side by Sir Bobby Charlton and on the other by Bryan Robson, to add even more sombreness to a sorry occasion for Moyes.

Ferguson is, of course, entitled to be there in his new role as a Manchester United director, but every time he shows up it is a reminder to United's fans of just what they have lost. Moyes, floundering away on the touchline below, is bound to suffer in comparison.

He may also wonder just what Ferguson is actually doing there, particularly as there had been a checklist of ambitions he had promised to tick off on retirement.

First of all he had said that he was stepping down to spend more time with his wife, Cathy. He also wanted to tour the Hebrides, an ambition he did at least fulfil when he hired a boat last summer.

Along with that he wanted to "go to the Kentucky Derby and the US Masters, the Melbourne Cup". He added: "I want to visit vineyards in Tuscany and France."

Instead he is to be found louring at the Stadium of Light on a cold and windy night in January.

Moyes should not give up hope just yet: there may be respite ahead. If Ferguson sticks to at least some of those promises, he stands to miss a modest chunk at the end of United's season.

Should he fly out to the Masters in April, that would rule him out of Hull City at home and – unlikely on current form, admittedly – the Champions League quarter-final second leg.

If he then flies out to the Kentucky Derby he will be away on Saturday, 3 May, as United play their latest tormentors Sunderland at home, when they can no doubt watch their league title similarly disappear over the horizon.

The Melbourne Cup, however, is not until November, by which time Moyes' fate may have been sealed one way or another.

If Moyes can take any encouragement, it would be from Ferguson's promise never to return to the day job. "You would be throwing your money down the drain if you put any money on me coming back as a manager. I made my decision. The timing was perfect. There is no way back for me now. I've got a new life," he said.

The only question is, what happened to it?

Mark Redding

The Fiver | An excellent opportunity to annoy cricket fans

Posted: 08 Jan 2014 08:37 AM PST

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

THE CUP RUNNETH OVER

No matter how titillating they may sound in theory, some ventures just aren't practical. That's what the Fiver realised when we reluctantly abandoned our plans to establish a North Pole nudist camp, and that is what Fifa has been forced to acknowledge since it awarded the 2022 World Cup to a country where summer temperatures soar higher than Howard Marks on a hang-glider.

The Fiver has no problem with the principle of the World Cup being hosted in the Middle East and, if you want to know the truth, isn't particularly bothered about the prospect of it being held in the winter rather than the summer. So what if a shift from the usual season causes European leagues to rearrange some fixtures? A bit of tinkering is hardly beyond them and it offers an excellent opportunity to annoy cricket fans, since domestic fixtures will run into the British summer. However, the thing that gets the Fiver's goat is that Fifa made their decision to award the World Cup to Qatar without even thinking of the consequences – or without telling anyone that they had planned for the consequences. It's as if something made the world governing body's neglect its obligation to be diligent and transparent. Hmmn.

Anyway, following the kerfuffle kicked off by the hosting decision, Fifa agreed to organise vast banquets at which "stakeholders" would gorge on swordfish kebabs and candle-grilled butternut squash as they were "consulted" about whether or not to adjust the timing of the 2022 jamboree. But today Fifa general secretary, Jérôme Valcke, appeared to suggest that Fifa has already made it decision and thus flipped two flabby fingers to "stakeholders".

"The dates of the World Cup will not be in June or July," Valcke announced to France Inter Radio. "I think it will be played between November 15 and January 15 at the latest," he continued, seemingly unveiling the plans for a 2021-22 World Cup. "If you play between November 15 and, let's say, the end of December, it's the time when the weather is the most favourable. You play with a temperature equivalent to that of a rather hot spring in Europe, you play with a temperature of 25C, which is perfect to play football."

Valcke's colleagues almost choked on their wild boar and honeysuckle sauce. "I'm totally, completely shocked," belched Fifa vice-president, Jim Boyce, insisting that his organisation has certainly not gone behind anyone's back. "It absolutely 100% has not been decided as far as the executive committee are concerned," continued Boyce. "It was agreed all the stakeholders should meet, all the stakeholders should have an input and then the decision would be made, and that decision as far as I understand will not be taken until the end of 2014 or the March executive meeting in 2015."

Fifa's press office moved with uncharacteristic speed to downplay its general secretary's comments. It intimated that "the dates of the World Cup will not be in June or July" was Valcke's personal opinion rather than a statement of fact. As such, Valcke's declaration is different to "Fifa are a contemptible shower", which is both The Fiver's personal opinion and a statement of fact.

LIVE ON BIG WEBSITE TONIGHT

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QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Being gay is a topic that is 'ignored' in football and not 'a serious topic in the changing room'. Fighting spirit, passion and winning mentality are intrinsically linked, that doesn't fit the cliché: 'Gays are soft'" – Thomas Hitzlsperger announces he is gay.

FIVER LETTERS

"While Michael Portillo was congratulating himself on single-handedly building Manchester's tram system by taking a tram from Piccadilly to Oxford Road (it's quicker to walk) on Great Railway Something last night, he put forward the idea that Manchester United have made a more lasting contribution to humanity than Marxism. Apart from the classical grandiosity that makes all right (and left) thinking men and women hate them so much, it got me thinking: does that make David Moyes the new Boris Yeltsin; stumbling around, clueless, an empire collapsing all around him?" – Dan Johnson.

"Re. Yesterday's Fiver: I, for one, am glad that the letters are prizeless once more. The lack of incentives seems to have allowed some of the regulars back in, which is a relief. I was beginning to worry for Paul Jurdeczka's well being." – Nikhil Lalwani.

"When I read, 'Ed Woodward has locked himself in his office' (Tuesday's Fiver), I thought the Fiver was making a very cerebral joke about Manchester United's inability to find an Equalizer. My mistake, as you were" – Brian Saxby.

"Lord Ferg registering himself as a player to solve the midfield problem? It'd be the first thing he's done about the problem in years" – Darren Leathley.

"If the Capital One Cup gave The Fiver and Weird Uncle Fiver an inexplicable burning sensation in the nether regions yesterday when you thought about it, would that make it the Little woods cup?" – Robin Hazlehurst.

• 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: Robin Hazlehurst.

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BITS AND BOBS

Real Madrid have launched an internal inquiry after winger Angel di María was seen to grab his crotch while being substituted against Celta Vigo. "It was a natural gesture that any man does, and all the more so when he is running," reckoned Di María.

Jay Bothroyd has signed a £5m deal to join Thai side Muangthong United. "It's an unbelievably exciting opportunity," the former QPR and Arsenal man kerchinged.

David Moyes has proved he is the equal of Lord Ferg in at least one department, by blaming the referee for Manchester United's defeat against Sunderland. "We're actually beginning to laugh at them," fumed Moyes, prompting the FA to join the fun. "We are looking into David Moyes' comments to the media," they sniffed.

Erik Lamela's dad has said the misfiring Tottenham forward would be happy to run scurrying back to Italy. "He would go back. But Tottenham will not let him go in January," José Lamela tooted.

Neymar has been withdrawn from Barcelona's squad to face Getafe with dicky-tummy-knack, making it more likely Lionel Messi will make his return from thigh-ouch.

And a Ghanaian prophet, Kweku Mensah Otabil, who says he was previously rewarded with a church for praying for the national side, has been reportedly served with an arrest warrant for asking for a further $20,000 to perform more spiritual services for the Black Stars. "What, police want to arrest me?" he asked. "Ghana Police? I am not bothered at all."

STILL WANT MORE?

'Der Hammer' never shirked a challenge: Marcus Christenson's Thomas Hitzlsperger profile.

If Lord Ferg is the ghost of Old Trafford, does that make David Moyes Scooby Do, is not quite what Louise Taylor is asking, but whatever.

Moyes memes: Manchester United's chosen one as Miley Cyrus on a wrecking ball and more.

Did WWE owner Vince McMahon nearly buy Newcastle? Find out in this week's Knowledge round-up.

Though being a sports fan is, in The Fiver's experience, an enjoyably permanent state of disappointment and cynicism, to others it is apparently a heartwarming occupation. Enjoy their weird tales of finding the joy in football here.

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THERE'S NOTHING LIKE A GRAND UNVEILING. AND THIS IS NOTHING LIKE A GRAND UNVEILING

Paul Doyle

Cardiff City have signed the midfielder Magnus Wolff Eikrem

Posted: 08 Jan 2014 07:15 AM PST

• Ole Gunnar Solskjaer lands former United youth captain
• Eikrem arrives from Heerenveen for undisclosed fee

Cardiff City have announced the signing of the Norway midfielder Magnus Wolff Eikrem for an undisclosed fee from the Dutch club Heerenveen.

Eikrem, 23, who becomes Ole Gunnar Solksjaer's first new arrival since he succeeded Malky Mackay as manager, is a former Manchester United youth team captain.

"I've known Magnus for many years, having worked with him at Manchester United and then signing him for Molde," Solskjaer told Cardiff's official website. "While I was there I had to sell him as he was our best player – and now I feel lucky to get to sign him again for Cardiff City for a reasonable price. I see this as money well spent.

"He's a playmaker, a quarterback if you will, someone who likes to get on the ball and can see a pass. He is technically very good, including set pieces, and has great vision. Magnus will add a lot to Cardiff City and will blend in very well with the midfielders in the squad."

Eikrem watched Cardiff's FA Cup third-round victory at Newcastle last Saturday and he has trained with the squad this week while waiting for clearance.

The Molde-born Eikrem was signed by United on his 16th birthday and made his first-team debut in 2007, going on as a substitute for Ryan Giggs in a pre-season friendly against Dunfermline.

He moved to Molde in 2011 and enjoyed title success with them before joining Heerenveen last summer. He also made his Norway debut two years ago and has so far won more than a dozen caps.

Valcke: no summer 2022 World Cup

Posted: 08 Jan 2014 06:54 AM PST

• Jim Boyce says he is 'totally, completely shocked'
• Fifa says no decision has been made

Jérôme Valcke, the Fifa secretary general, has given the clearest signal yet that the World Cup in Qatar will be moved to November 2022, amid a day of farcical mixed messages from world football's governing body.

Valcke, who is supposed to be leading an ongoing consultation over whether the tournament should move from June when temperatures can hit 50C, told a French radio station the tournament was likely to be held between 15 November 2022 and 15 January 2023.

Confirming publicly what many in football have privately suspected for some time – that the Qatar World Cup is most likely to be held in November 2022 – Valcke stated the tournament "will not be in June or July".

"Frankly I think it'll be played between November 15 and January 15 at the latest," he said. "If you play between November 15 and the end of the year that's when the weather is at its most favourable." Valcke suggested it will be "like a warm spring in Europe" with "an average temperature of 25C, therefore it's perfect for football".

Fifa, whose president, Sepp Blatter, was forced to row back from an earlier declaration that the tournament would be moved after fierce protests from US broadcasters and European leagues, hurriedly insisted Valcke was speaking in a personal capacity.

"As the event will not be played until eight years' time the consultation process will not be rushed and will be given the necessary time to consider all of the elements relevant for a decision," it said in a statement. "Consequently, no decision will be taken before the upcoming 2014 Fifa World Cup Brazil as agreed by the Fifa executive committee."

After launching a consultation process in October, Blatter said before the World Cup draw in Brazil last month that no decision would officially be taken until December this year. But Valcke appears to have made up his mind, despite later hinting there may be no official confirmation until 2015.

The Premier League and other European leagues are concerned about the ramifications for their media deals, player contracts and schedules, while US broadcasters are unhappy about a potential clash with the NFL season.

The International Olympic Committee has already made it clear that the tournament should not clash with the 2022 Winter Olympics, despite the Uefa president, Michel Platini, favouring January because it does not clash with the Champions League group stages.

Britain's Fifa vice-president Jim Boyce said he was "totally surprised" by Valcke's comments, saying there was an "expectation" that the World Cup would not be played in the summer but no final decision had been made.

Coincidentally, the chairman of the Association of European Football Leagues met Blatter and Valcke in Zurich on Wednesday. The EPFL was one of the most outspoken critics of Fifa's original apparent determination to press ahead with the move without consultation.

"I can easily confirm to you that Fifa's position as to the timing of the 2022 World Cup has not changed since its executive committee of last October 3: a wide consultation process and no hasty decision, as the EPFL had requested," said the chairman, Frédéric Thiriez, who is also chairman of the French league. "In other words: 'Nothing new under the sun.'"

Owen Gibson

Thomas Hitzlsperger: 'Der Hammer' who was never afraid of a challenge

Posted: 08 Jan 2014 06:02 AM PST

The former Aston Villa, West Ham and Everton player, who has announced he is gay, had a thunderous shot and scored the decisive goal when Stuttgart won the title in 2007

Thomas Hitzlsperger has never shirked a challenge. In 2000, as an 18-year-old, he decided to leave his parents and six siblings in Germany to move to England. He had just been released by Bayern Munich, where he had been for eight years, but did not want to join another Bundesliga club.

He wanted a challenge – and in Aston Villa's manager he found one. John Gregory ignored Hitzlsperger for a year and a half, sending him on loan to Chesterfield towards the end of his reign, and it was not until Graham Taylor took over that the German midfielder was given his chance.

Recalled from that loan spell, Taylor immediately thrust Hitzlsperger into first-team action and he never looked back. "At that point [with only six months left on my contract] I was frustrated because I had not played," he said at the time. "I was approached by [Bayern's rivals] 1860 Munich and wouldn't have had a problem joining them but then I decided to knuckle down and make it in England." He then added, with a smile: "Now it is going so well that even the announcer can pronounce my name every now and then. That has almost been my biggest success so far."

And there you have Hitzlsperger in a nutshell. Competitive, yet self-deprecating. On Wednesday he became the most high-profile footballer to announce he is gay. It will have taken courage and it will have taken time. In the end he decided the time had come. "It's been a long and difficult process [of becoming aware of being gay]. Only in the last few years have I realised that I preferred living together with a man," Hitzlsperger said in the interview with Die Zeit.

When he was at Villa, during those first difficult 18 months, he was supported mainly by his girlfriend Inga, as well as his parents and siblings, who came over to visit. He initially wanted to do well in the Premier League in order to show Bayern they had made a mistake in letting him go but in the end he felt so at home in England that he did not want to move. "I have always said it was a really special time for me at Villa. I had a wonderful time," he told the club website in August last year, only a month before he retired from professional football.

"It was difficult in the beginning because I was very young and in a new country but Villa as a club were fantastic. They helped me a great deal and made it far easier for me to settle in. The fans coined the name Der Hammer. So many people still call me Der Hammer now. The fans and the players at Villa used to call me it and it just stuck. It's great."

In that interview Hitzlsperger also revealed that David O'Leary, who replaced Taylor in the summer of 2003, had told him to "pass more and shoot less". "He was aware that the fans always shouted 'shoot' and his opinion was that this affected me. He said: 'Don't do that, don't follow that advice because sometimes it's better to pass.'"

Hitzlsperger won over O'Leary as well to regain his place in the starting XI – he had initially been dropped by the Irishman – and by the time he moved back to the country of his birth to join Stuttgart in 2005 he was a Germany international, having been called up by Jürgen Klinsmann in October of the previous year to make his debut against Iran.

During his career, and after he retired, Hitzlsperger worked against racism, antisemitism and other discrimination through the Gesicht Zeigen and Störungsmelder bodies. In 2010 he backed Ubuntu Africa, a film project supporting HIV-infected children in Africa, and recorded the film Thomas Hitzlsperger und die Township-Kinder in the run-up to the World Cup in South Africa. In one of the most moving scenes of the film, Hitzlsperger asks an 11-year-old Andile where his father is, he starts crying. Andile's father had died eight years before, after contracting HIV. "I also started to cry," Hitzlsperger said after filming had finished. "It became acutely clear what it means for a child to lose its father."

At Stuttgart, meanwhile, Hitzlsperger became a leader. He was the captain of the team that won the Bundesliga in 2006-07, with the midfielder scoring a breathtaking volley straight from a corner to deliver the title in the decisive game against Energie Cottbus.

It was a goal worth winning any title, let alone a match (although in the end Stuttgart only drew with Cottbus). Years later, when asked by the German football magazine 11Freunde whether he still dreams about that goal, the midfielder said: "Every now and then the pictures come back into my head, especially when I get asked about that season. How many times had I tried and failed that shot in training? It is difficult to say. I had scored a few volley goals in training. Not straight from a corner but still. In a game you often fail with those attempts because the pressure is so much greater but this time I did it."

That title was the highlight of his club career. He stayed with Stuttgart until 2010 before spells with Lazio, West Ham United, Wolfsburg and Everton.

And it was perhaps telling that he, as someone who had represented Germany 52 times, played in a World Cup and a European Championship and won the German league, did not want to make a fuss when he retired four months ago. He said he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his fellow Germany internationals Christoph Metzelder and Tim Borowski and leave quietly, saying: "Because that is also a statement, a statement saying: 'Hey, we aren't that important after all.'"

Hitzlsperger had offers from England and Germany but felt that time had come to hang up his boots. "Just in the last weeks and months I have a new path to pursue. I have noticed that I need something very different and a new club would have changed little." Few knew then he would be back in the headlines so soon, prepared to face perhaps his biggest challenge: to tackle homophobia in football.

Marcus Christenson

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Thursday, 9 January 2014

Football news, match reports and fixtures | theguardian.com

07:28

Football news, match reports and fixtures | theguardian.com

1 City juggernaut drives on

2 Beast and Touré show worth

3 Why they are in drop zone

4 Will Pantilimon play?

5 Duo's World Cup hopes fade

Justin Fashanu – Football

Steven Davies – Cricket

Robbie Rogers – Football

Martina Navratilova – Tennis

Gareth Thomas – Rugby

THE CUP RUNNETH OVER

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THERE'S NOTHING LIKE A GRAND UNVEILING. AND THIS IS NOTHING LIKE A GRAND UNVEILING

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Thursday, 9 January 2014

Football news, match reports and fixtures | theguardian.com

07:28

Football news, match reports and fixtures | theguardian.com

1 City juggernaut drives on

2 Beast and Touré show worth

3 Why they are in drop zone

4 Will Pantilimon play?

5 Duo's World Cup hopes fade

Justin Fashanu – Football

Steven Davies – Cricket

Robbie Rogers – Football

Martina Navratilova – Tennis

Gareth Thomas – Rugby

THE CUP RUNNETH OVER

LIVE ON BIG WEBSITE TONIGHT

QUOTE OF THE DAY

FIVER LETTERS

JOIN GUARDIAN SOULMATES

BITS AND BOBS

STILL WANT MORE?

SIGN UP TO THE FIVER

THERE'S NOTHING LIKE A GRAND UNVEILING. AND THIS IS NOTHING LIKE A GRAND UNVEILING

Written by TBMU Admin

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