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Roy Carroll: 'I nearly lost my family. I was drinking too much'
Socceroos' captain Lucas Neill signs for Watford
Moyes and United remain bullish for Olympiakos tie
Hodgson asks Brailsford for wisdom
Hull City 2-1 Brighton
Sheffield Wednesday 1-2 Charlton | FA Cup fifth round match report
FA Cup clockwatch – as it happened | John Ashdown
Wayne Rooney seeks Moscow repeat as Manchester United sense better days
Arsenal's Özil 'questioned over photographer collision'
A-League analysis: the importance of structure
Sean Ingle on Daniel Sturridge
Mourinho stung by secret video
Jim Taylor obituary
Palace's Puncheon charged over Warnock allegation
Zidane Jr chooses France over Spain
Emyr Huws gets his chance as Wales seek Aaron Ramsey alternative
FA to investigate Crystal Palace fans who threw coins at Wayne Rooney
Extra dollops of 'spirit' and 'character' | Barry Glendenning
Barcelona have no answer as Real Sociedad exact their perfect revenge | Sid Lowe
Football Weekly: Liverpool maintain their tilt at the title
Barcelona pay €13.5m in wake of tax fraud charges over Neymar transfer
Bayern warn Manchester United target Toni Kroos over contract demands
The best goals of the week
Fashion may be expensive – but so is football
Sport picture of the day: protest, Lazio style

Roy Carroll: 'I nearly lost my family. I was drinking too much'

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 02:49 PM PST

Roy Carroll talks about a dramatic career that has included Manchester United, West Ham, rehab and now Olympiakos

'No," says Roy Carroll, "it was 25." And with that a huge grin engulfs his face. OK, then, let's try again: Roy Carroll's trial for Sheffield United against Barnsley was a bit of a disaster. It was early spring 2011, the game was only 25 minutes old – 25, not 10 – and he'd already let in two goals when he gave away a penalty and was sent off. Any hope he had of a contract left the pitch with him.

He laughs now; it was not so funny then. Carroll had once signed for Manchester United for £2.5m, among the most promising goalkeepers of his generation, but a decade on he was largely forgotten. He had been in rehab in London under a false name, suffering from alcoholism, and few would touch him. It was two months since he had left the Danish club Odense. He went to Barnet to do some goalkeeper coaching and temporarily took over, winning a trophy – the Hertfordshire Senior Challenge Cup – in his only ever match as a manager, but it was brief. Then he went on trial with Preston, only for the deal to collapse at the last minute.

He had been unemployed for eight months, "waiting, hoping". But he was losing hope. Then, unexpectedly, Carroll got the call that changed his life. As he stretches big, powerful arms across a sofa at Olympiakos's Rentis training ground, straight off the pitch, face flushed from training, there's an ease about him. The air is warm, his manager admires him, and he is popular with fans. He won't play against his former club on Tuesday night but that doesn't trouble him greatly. He did not expect to make it this far; for some time, he didn't expect to make it at all.

"I got my first chance in 1995 with Hull City. It's 2014 and I'm still here …" he says. "You get a lot of knock-backs in football, you get the high life and the low life and I've had a lot of low lifes. But now I'm back up playing with Olympiakos and it's fantastic. I wake up in the morning and I love coming here, training every day. Seven or 10 years ago it was different."

"I came back from Denmark [at the end of January] 2011 and went to Sheffield United, where I had that nightmare. Then I was due to sign a one-year deal at Preston but I got a call from Phil Brown who said: 'I'm sorry, we've got another keeper.' It was very hard because he'd promised me; it was very upsetting but it wasn't the first time and it probably won't be the last. So I ended up getting a call from a Greek agent, talking about OFI in Crete. I don't even know how he got my number …"

The temptation must have been to tell him where to go. "Nah," Carroll laughs, "not when you're getting a free holiday. And your family comes out to Crete. So I signed there and it was good because things had happened to me in England that I had to move on from. I had to get out. Not many people in England were taking my calls."

Why? "Everybody knows my behaviour, what I was like at West Ham. You get a bad name and it sticks. People try to give players a chance and they keep ruining it and ruining it. I had two or three really bad years. I hope people understand: they think footballers have a great life but there can be depression and drink. Players get dragged into things, there are so-called friends. If you're young, you don't play and you're getting £20,000 a week, do you sit in the house? I was concentrating on going out, not on my football, but now my life in Greece is completely different."

"People need help and guidance. A lot of players hold things back until it's too late. Before I would've probably said: 'It would have been nice if some people had helped me', but it's up to you. You can say 'no' but I wasn't strong enough. I then had a back injury and thought my career could be over. I got into a very depressed mood, very low, and I couldn't get out of it for a long time.

"I didn't help myself by not talking about it until four or five years later. I kept things to myself: 'I'm a man, a tough Irishman.' But no man is strong enough when you get depressed and you go down the wrong road. When I went for rehab, it didn't work. Some people say: 'I'll do some rehab, I'll be OK' and they do two weeks but come out and start all over again because they think, 'That's not me'. But you wake up [one day] and you think 'that is me'.

"I nearly lost my family because I was drinking too much and I said: 'Right, what am I going to do? Keep on doing what I'm doing and kill myself in two or three years or be with my family?' And that pulled me out of it. And I thought: 'Let's move to Greece, make a fresh start and get away from all the bad habits.' It changed my life completely. I went to OFI in Crete. It was August, 35 degrees, healthy, people were good to us. I played well and then Olympiakos bought me five months later."

With his first touch for Olympiakos, Carroll saved a penalty. His new side won 1-0 at Rubin Kazan in the Europa League and Carroll, who had replaced the Hungarian keeper Balzázs Megueri, sent off giving away the penalty, became an instant hero. He grins again. "I didn't expect to go on. It was minus 13 and I was concentrating on keeping warm. It took me five minutes just to get all my layers of clothes off. It's a dream. You're still in shock. It was my first game: you can drop it in your own net and the fans hate you. Or the fans can love you."

In the second leg Carroll picked up an injury but continued. He was, he recalls, "hopping about", unable to walk properly but he made a string of saves, including one in the final minute. An Athenian newspaper called him the one-legged hero. "The fans sang my name and after the game I didn't really want to leave the pitch. I was like a young boy again.

"Since I've been here, I have played Europa League and Champions League. I have felt strong, powerful. I feel I've come on more than in the previous six years. As an older keeper you think more, because your back doesn't hold out any longer," he laughs. "When you're younger you're more raw, you make stupid decisions. This goalkeeping coach [Alekos Rantos] is probably the best I've had: I'm still learning, at 36. I love football and want to keep going as long as I can. Then I'll probably do my coaching badges next summer."

He is back in the Northern Ireland squad and he wants to play in the Euro 2016 qualifiers, which probably means playing for his club. Opportunities have been few, though. His immediate future remains uncertain but his family is happy, living on the coast south of the city, and he has no complaints. Roberto [Jiménez Gago, the Olympiakos goalkeeper] is playing well: "In the game against Benfica, I've never seen anything like it," he admits. "We won 1-0 because he made about 15 top saves."

Talk turns to another Spanish goalkeeper, David de Gea. Between them, Peter Schmeichel and Edwin van der Saar occupied United's goal for 14 years. In the six years between the Dane's departure and the Dutchman's arrival 10 men had a go, Carroll among them. None succeeded entirely. De Gea must break that run. "Peter Schmeichel was the greatest keeper in the world. Others come in and are under pressure already: 'We want another Schmeichel,'" Carroll explains. "A couple of bad games and it's 'get him out'. That happens at big clubs, not just United.

"De Gea has made mistakes, everybody does: we're not robots. Schmeichel made mistakes. How old is David? 20, 21? [He is 23]. He cost £18m. And he has to adapt: you watch Spanish football and, OK, there are crosses, but no one attacks the ball. But De Gea is doing a good job and I don't think you can try to improve someone quickly because you just push them. You put your arm around him and say: 'Take your time' … 'get used to the players' … 'learn the language.'"

"Anyway, that list is a bit long," Carroll says. "I knew I was going there to be No2 to Fabien Barthez. I went because I'd get goalkeeping coaching, which we didn't have at Wigan, and I'd face David Beckham's shots every day. But when I left it was the right decision. I enjoyed my time at Man U but I was 27 and I don't want to look back and say I won loads of trophies but played 200 games. I want to say I played 600 games, 700 games. You can sit on the bench and win but that's not the person I am."

Tuesday will be "special", Carroll says; the return leg at Old Trafford even more so. John O'Shea and Wes Brown have gone but he says he is delighted to see Darren Fletcher back. Rio Ferdinand and Ryan Giggs are still playing, Phil Neville's coaching. And there's Albert the kitman. "Hopefully I'll get a few shirts off of him," Carroll grins. "He's a good guy and a real character." He calls Sir Alex Ferguson a "father figure to everyone, not just the players, someone who when he talked you listened", and has watched United struggle this season, conceding late goals. "Man U in the past would never have done that," he says. "I hope United can turn things around. Just not against us."

Is this a good time to play them, then? And how will Olympiakos play? It's time for an insider's guide. Carroll protests: "I can't tell you that! I'm trying to get another contract here! I'm not going to give anything away. Ask the manager." Right on queue, the fitness trainer José Vallejo strolls past. "José, help! They're trying to get information out of me!" Carroll pleads. Vallejo grins and makes a backhander gesture. "Half for me," he says. "OK," Carroll says, "tell them we play six up front." And then that grin engulfs his face once more.

Sid Lowe

Socceroos' captain Lucas Neill signs for Watford

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 02:42 PM PST

The Australia captain, Lucas Neill, has signed for Watford for the remainder of the season

Moyes and United remain bullish for Olympiakos tie

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 02:31 PM PST

• Manager believes United can win Champions League
• Wayne Rooney says strikeforce is working hard in training

From David Moyes and his Manchester United players the message is clear: no one is giving up on the Champions League. Wayne Rooney, Darren Fletcher and Nemanja Vidic all echo the manager's bullishness that a fourth European Cup is not beyond United despite the side standing sixth in the Premier League, 11 points from qualifying for next season's contest.

To tout themselves as able to win a tournament that includes the holders, Bayern Munich, who are more formidable this year, and the gilded Barcelona team of Lionel Messi, Xavi and Neymar, sounds fantastical. Yet this is a cup competition and Moyes spoke at the weekend of "doing a Liverpool", who triumphed nine years ago as underdogs, while Chelsea in 2012 also somehow pulled off the trick of lifting the trophy when deeply unfancied.

United's quest continues in the last 16 at Olympiakos on Tuesday evening. Of the first leg of a highly winnable tie, Moyes said: "It's such a big game for us."

In Saturday's 2-0 win at Crystal Palace there were encouraging signs that Moyes was finally starting to get it right. Adnan Januzaj, Juan Mata, Rooney and Robin van Persie all started in the XI for the first time and impressed. There was a fluidity and cutting edge that suggests United could soon again be beating teams regularly.

After the game Vidic answered the Champions League question by saying it was the chance to do "something special". Rooney, fresh from signing his new £300,000 a-week deal and hitting a memorable volley against Palace, said: "Tuesday is a massive game for us. We want to be going into the quarter-finals of the Champions League. It'll be tough but we'll get the Palace match out of our system, prepare well and we'll be ready."

Of the Rooney-Mata-Januzaj-Van Persie understanding, the striker said: "We've been working hard in training on doing that. Making sure we keep the ball better around their penalty box and then trying to create chances. I thought we did it quite well. It can be better but I thought we did well and I'm really pleased."

With this frontline United have little concern when roving forward. The fault-lines are further back, starting in defence. At centre-half Vidic and Rio Ferdinand made a rare start together at Selhurst Park. As with the left-back, Patrice Evra, they impressed. Yet all three are in their 30s and creaking, while at right-back Rafael da Silva is having a patchy campaign.

Central midfield continues to be a conundrum, though it will be closer to being solved if Marouane Fellaini can consistently perform as he did against Palace. Operating alongside Michael Carrick, the Belgian produced his best display in a red shirt, making several runs into the area, as he at last appeared the part following injury troubles and the uneven start to his United career.

Suddenly, Moyes has options in this area, with the return of Fletcher a bonus after a long struggle with colitis. Now fully recovered, the midfielder says: "Being in the Champions League squad is a massive thing for me. It was nice when I saw that I had been named back in the squad. The manager felt I wouldn't be able to play a part in the group matches and so he never named me and that turned out to be true and now I am back playing.

"We are still in the Champions League and it is going to become massively important for us. We have a tough tie against Olympiakos and if we get through that anything can happen from there."

For reasons of suspension and form, Fletcher never made it on to the pitch in any of United's finals – 2008, 2009 or 2011. "I have unfinished business in the Champions League and it would be nice to finish that off," he says.

Because of that gap to fourth place, winning the continent's blue riband club competition might be the only chance United have of featuring in it again next season. Fletcher says: "It is going to be a challenge. We are in a position where it is a challenge. We have to win games. We are behind as it is. If the teams in front of us keep winning, then it is out of our hands. But all we can do is look after ourselves and get back to winning ways and get this club into the Champions League and finish the season on a good run.

"There is no doubt in the final league games we are going to have to put a run together to make sure we finish in the top four."

Jamie Jackson

Hodgson asks Brailsford for wisdom

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 02:30 PM PST

• Cycling guru to address England squad before Peru friendly
• Rugby union coach Dave Reddin will join backroom staff

England's footballers are to seek inspiration from the man who has masterminded British cycling's impressive rise to prominence over the last two decades after Roy Hodgson invited Sir Dave Brailsford to speak to his squad ahead of the summer's World Cup finals.

Since his appointment as performance director in 2002, Brailsford has steered the country's cyclists to 30 Olympic medals in Athens, Beijing and London, 49 Paralympic medals and over 100 World Championship medals, almost half of which have been gold. Since 2010, he has combined his duties with his position overseeing Team Sky, for whom Sir Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome have won the last two Tour de France titles.

Hodgson is hoping his input might boost conviction within his senior squad ahead of the tournament in Brazil and has arranged for Brailsford to speak to his players, most likely at St George's Park, in the build-up to the Wembley send-off friendly against Peru on 30 May. England will fly to Miami the following day for two final warm-up matches, against Honduras and Ecuador, before their campaign begins against Italy in Manaus on 14 June.

"We hope Dave Brailsford is going to come and speak to us and we're looking forward to that," said Hodgson, who hopes the coach will be able to offer an insight on how best his players can fulfil their potential and seize the moment. "He's made a commitment that he's going to come and speak to us about his experiences in that period of time before we play Peru in May. He's prepared a team of British cyclists to win gold medals and he may be able to give the players a feel for how he's done that.

"These are fantastic occasions, World Cup finals, and sometimes we forget how important they are. You don't get that many shots at it and you have a lot of time to regret if you don't put your best shot at it. I bet the world's full of players who reflect back on tournaments they've had thinking they wish they had given a bit more, or concentrated a bit more. I wish I'd known then what I know now. That's maybe what Brailsford will speak about before we play Peru at Wembley."

Hodgson, who may also seek to have Sebastian Coe address the squad ahead of the finals, will take Dave Reddin, the former World Cup winning rugby union coach whose impact was felt most keenly by Jonny Wilkinson, to Brazil as part of his backroom staff and will tap into his expertise in sport psychology.

Reddin is the Football Association's new head of performance services, based at St George's Park and reporting to the director of elite development, Dan Ashworth, with his input likely to be utilised when England address the long-standing issue of penalty shoot-outs. The nation have won only one shoot-out since 1990‚ against Spain in the quarter-finals of Euro 96‚ and have exited six major tournaments on penalties in that time.

Dominic Fifield

Hull City 2-1 Brighton

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 02:04 PM PST

When your FA Cup history is as barren as Hull's, any way will do and two of the scruffiest goals of the season sealed only their sixth appearance in the quarter-finals.

A late Leonardo Ulloa header for Brighton made the final outcome closer than it should have been after tame efforts from Curtis Davies and Robert Koren found their way in during the first half. They proved enough to book a last-eight meeting with Sunderland – the Hull manager Steve Bruce's former club, and opponents whom they have beaten twice in league meetings this season.

With both sides making multiple changes from their weekend activities – Hull edging it 6-5 – there was a slow-tempo opening to the contest and it was the Championship side who dominated early possession. However, Hull created the first semblance of a chance when Ahmed Elmohamady's centre from the right landed at the feet of Matt Fryatt on the edge of the six-yard box; a loss of balance proved costly and the Albion goalkeeper Peter Brezovan was able to gather comfortably.

Critically, he was unable to deal with the next nudge towards goal just shy of the quarter-hour: Davies met Koren's corner and looped a header that hung in the air, cleared the aerial mismatch between David Meyler and Jake Forster-Caskey and bobbled in off the base of a post.

The celebrations were almost apologetic and there was a similar response when Bruce's team doubled their advantage in the 36th minute. Hull were clinical in their finishing in inflicting a four-goal humiliation upon Cardiff 48 hours earlier, but no such conviction was necessary here.

Sone Aluko, who made his first start in four months in the original tie last week, won a cheap free-kick when he was bumped by Lewis Dunk on the edge of the area and having seen one previous dead-ball situation of his own blocked, passed on responsibility to Koren. The Hull captain's effort lacked power but a slight nick off the outstretched leg of Stephen Ward left Brezovan befuddled as the ball spun off a knee and over the line.

Brezovan's embarrassment at the hands of his fellow Slovenian appeared to have settled the result and there was no greater urgency from his outfield team-mates to claw back ground before the interval. Indeed they made only a dozen tackles in the opening 45 minutes as Hull hogged possession.

However, they came agonisingly close to halving the deficit just four minutes after the re-start when the centre-back Dunk produced the cleanest connection on a shot all evening to crash the ball off the crossbar with the Hull goalkeeper Steve Harper motionless.

It proved an isolated opportunity for Oscar García's team, though, and only a precision challenge from their captain Iñigo Calderón prevented another unlikely entrant to the scoresheet: Maynor Figueroa's angled drive following an overlap on the left deflected for a corner. Then, moments later, when they overloaded Brighton on the opposite flank, it took Ward's defensive instinct to snuff out Aluko in the process of shooting.

Yet with Ulloa in such rich scoring form, it took only one chance for the final quarter of the match to be reinvigorated. David López swung in a 69th-minute free-kick and a glancing header made it five goals in as many games for the Argentinian striker. But they did not test Harper again, leaving Hull just 90 minutes shy of a first cup visit to Wembley, venue of both the semi-finals and final.

Richard Gibson

Sheffield Wednesday 1-2 Charlton | FA Cup fifth round match report

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 01:57 PM PST

It is not often that a Sheffield Wednesday defeat disappoints both halves of a divided city. This was that rarity. There will be no Sheffield derby in the quarter-finals, no guarantee the Steel City will be represented at Wembley. Instead, goals from Callum Harriott and Simon Church decided an eventful game to give Charlton the prize of a trip to Bramall Lane for a tie between a Sheffield United side already in League One and an Athletic team flirting with demotion to the third tier.

Both had secured impressive victories on Saturday but, kicking off some 51 hours after the final whistles blew in their respective wins, the rash of changes the two managers made was inevitable. Between them, Stuart Gray and Chris Powell made 11 alterations.

Charlton featured five new faces but settled the quicker. The speedy Harriott darted clear on the left and centred to provide Astrit Ajdarevic with the first clear-cut chance. Glenn Loovens flung himself in the path of the Swede's shot but the rebound also fell for Ajdarevic. His second attempt took a deflection and rolled just past the far post of a wrong-footed Damian Martínez.

If it illustrated the dangers Ajdarevic and Harriott posed, Wednesday failed to heed the warning. Pressure mounted, with Charlton delivering dangerous crosses from either flank before Ajdarevic's low drive ricocheted back into the path of Harriott, who dispatched his half-volley past Martínez with an emphatic thump. It rendered it all the more surprising that this was Harriott's first goal of the season or, indeed, that the winger is rarely spotted in Powell's starting line-up. While they were belying their lowly league position, Wednesday scarcely resembled a team who had been in fine form since Gray replaced Dave Jones at the helm. They were overly direct and nervous in possession until a delay when Giles Coke fell awkwardly on his wrist spurred them into action.

First Gary Gardner and then Leon Best unleashed beautifully struck long-range shots and, although Ben Hamer gathered both, he was altogether less convincing when he spilled a corner and afforded Benik Afobe the chance to take aim. Charlton's defiant defenders came to their goalkeeper's rescue. Chances and controversy began to come hand in hand. As Church burst past Miguel Llera, he went to ground. Rather than award a free-kick and answer the question if Llera was the last man, referee Mark Clattenburg ignored Church's appeals.

Briefly, the sense of injustice seemed to galvanise Charlton. Johnnie Jackson's skimming shot went narrowly wide but, just when the visitors seemed to have reclaimed the initiative, Wednesday equalised. Llera met Chris Maguire's free-kick with a header across a crowded penalty box and Leon Best swivelled to lift his shot into the roof of the net. Gray promptly made a double change and one of the newcomers, Atdhe Nuhiu, almost scored immediately.

Instead, the tie turned again. Jackson whipped in a free-kick and, anticipating it, the predatory Church stooped to head in.

Wednesday thought they had mustered a second equaliser. The set-piece specialist Maguire was again the provider, delivering a corner that Atdhe Nuhiu met with a forceful header that bounced off the post before Hamer smothered it. The substitute was convinced it had crossed the line. The officials ruled otherwise and the Sheffield dream died.

Richard Jolly

FA Cup clockwatch – as it happened | John Ashdown

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 01:49 PM PST

Minute-by-minute report: Charlton Athletic and Hull City reached the last eight with 2-1 wins over Sheffield Wednesday and Brighton & Hove Albion respectively

Wayne Rooney seeks Moscow repeat as Manchester United sense better days

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 01:37 PM PST

• Forward believes United are on the verge of a revival
• Moyes stresses significance of Van Persie's return

Wayne Rooney believes the real Manchester United are about to stand up and be counted as David Moyes's side take on Olympiakos at the Karaiskakis Stadium. The striker is determined to win the European Cup for a second time, insisting his lone winners' medal is "not enough".

That triumph came in 2008, when Rooney was part of the United side that defeated Chelsea on penalties in Moscow. Despite a stuttering season in David Moyes' inaugural campaign as manager that has left United 11 points from fourth place, Rooney believes this team could be poised to discover their best form.

Asked if the real United are about to stand up, he said: "Yes, as a group of players we have to take responsibility for the league position we are in. We know we are better than that. We haven't performed as well as we can do. We know that and it hurts when as a team you know you can do better. We haven't and it's important we finish the season strong, and take the momentum into next year. But it's most important that we finish the season strong, get that fourth spot and progress far into the Champions League. It's important to us all."

United won 2-0 at Crystal Palace on Saturday, a display that was among their best of the season. Rooney cited this and other recent performances as evidence that the side may be about to click into a high gear.

"Yeah, I think of late our performances have been good," said the forward. "Even in the Fulham game we performed well and were unfortunate [to draw 2-2]. The Arsenal game we played really well [drawing 0-0]. We are playing well and can obviously improve, but I think in the Champions League we've been excellent this year and hopefully we can take that form into the game and get the right result."

Rooney, who signed a new five-and-a-half year contract last week that will keep him at the club until he is 33, wants to add more medals to his collection. The Liverpudlian remains unsatisfied with his sole Champions League triumph.

"I think you always want to win it," he said. "To win one is never enough. Especially at this club, you need to keep trying to get into those finals. We want to win. The feeling you get as a player when you win those finals is incredible so there's no way you'd want to stop at one. You want to win every year, which is obviously impossible. If we can go to the final it would be great for us. It's an opportunity for us to win a trophy so hopefully we can do that."

Against Olympiakos, Rooney will start with Robin van Persie for a fifth consecutive game, which has not happened since last April. Each of the strikers scored against Palace, and Rooney is in no doubt of the threat they pose when in tandem. "Robin is a fantastic player – one of the best goalscorers in world football," he said. "We've both had injuries at the same time this season but hopefully we can stay fit. When we are both playing we will score goals but we have other forwards coming in as well. I think it's important we play well and that will bring other [strikers] around to play well as well."

Of having the pair fit and in form once more, Moyes said: "They are both vital to a lot of things we do. They are both excellent players and our record with them is better than without them, for sure. They've both got themselves back into great shape and both are goalscorers. They score in the big games and make the big moments."

The defenders Phil Jones, who has a hip injury, and Jonny Evans, with a calf problem, are out along with the winger Nani, who has a hamstring strain, but the full-back Da Silva and striker Danny Welbeck have overcome their respective head and knee injuries. The club's record signing Juan Mata is cup-tied having played in the competition for Chelsea.

Míchel, the Olympiakos coach, suggested United could feel pressured because of their lowly league position of sixth. "We do know the state of Manchester United and we know the type of team we're facing," he said. "There is a dual interpretation because we know there's lots at stake for Manchester United in this match.

"We know Manchester United are not allowed to make any mistakes tomorrow due to their position in the Premier League and we have to say probably this kind of situation may weigh too much on their players' shoulders. But we do not know if this position in the table will be an incentive to them or a burden on their shoulders."

Moyes shrugged off the idea that his players could be hindered by the need to retain their place in this season's competition. "I think we just go out and try win the next game," said the United manager. "We are just trying to win the next game against Olympiakos."

Jamie Jackson

Arsenal's Özil 'questioned over photographer collision'

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 12:56 PM PST

• Özil believed to have spoken to police on Friday night
• Inquiries continue after man sustains minor injuries

Mesut Özil, the Arsenal midfielder, is thought to have been questioned by police over allegations that the car he was driving hit a photographer. The alleged incident occurred on Friday night in Highgate, north London.

A Metropolitan police spokesman said: "Police were called at approximately 7.18pm on Friday 21 February to reports of an alleged collision between a vehicle and a member of the public in Sheldon Avenue N6.

"The member of the public, a man in his thirties, sustained minor injuries. Officers have spoken to the driver of the vehicle."

The spokesman said inquiries were continuing and no arrests have been made.

Germany international Özil joined Arsenal for a club-record fee of £42.5m from Real Madrid last September.

A-League analysis: the importance of structure

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 12:53 PM PST

With the finals approaching, the form teams are those who rebuilt

On a Springsteen hampered pitch, Melbourne was treated to two absolute treats of A-League football in as many days.

Whilst you can't go past the seven-goal thriller between Melbourne Victory and Adelaide for drama, the more telling result was Heart's courageous 1-0 win over Brisbane.

The utterly anodyne, emotion-drainingly bad #HeartBelieve may be one of the worst marketing gimmicks of A-League history, but for those who stood faithful throughout a record-breaking 19-game winless streak, this was a result to soothe the soul.

When bottom beats top, in any league, it's always a talking point. But when bottom beats top, and outplays them? That is something special.

When debutant club West Sydney Wanderers charged to the premiership last season, the greatest fairytale of the A-League's brief history was written. But should Melbourne Heart make an unexpected finals appearance – or heaven forbid: go even further – a new ballad shall be sung.

Yes, the return from injury of marquee signing Orlando Engelaar and the news of the Manchester City-led takeover have brightened the spirits in recent times. But like West Sydney Wanderers before them, this was a quiet revolution a long-time in the coming.

When Tony Popovic came to West Sydney he brought a clear footballing philosophy and a consistent tactical system. In 49 games the former Socceroo has not deviated from his 4-2-3-1 formation, and the defensive stability and well-considered press have been consistent across both seasons.

Forgotten in the remarkable 10-win straight run of last summer though is the fact that the Wanderers lost five of their first nine games. To build a system, a culture, to impart a footballing philosophy takes time.

Looking at the A-League in 2014 a notable trend becomes evident – those that have undergone this rebuilding process are beginning to reap the rewards.

Josep Gombau (now infamously) came in for some local stick when his Reds side went winless for eight games. Critically the players and the fans bought in to the former Barcelona youth coach's vision, and following their cathartic 4-0 drubbing of Central Coast Mariners the Reds galloped to win six from 10.

Ernie Merrick's Wellington revolution similarly had in inauspicious start – no wins from 10 was followed by seven wins from 10, triggered to a large degree by a tactical tweak in Round 11.

The foundations of these revivals however were laid in the off-season; in thousands of hours of training, in hundreds of hours of watching DVDs and talking tactics.

And while football is a contest of varying tactical systems and philosophies, it is no coincidence that Melbourne Heart, Wellington and Adelaide have in common a 4-3-3 formation built on possession-based football and an attacking mentality.

As an inaugural coach of a new club, John van 't Schip has in his favour that he was able to bed in a new philosophy and tactical system over two seasons. The speed with which he's been able to turn around a faltering team relies to a large extent on this earlier work.

Looking at the 2014 form therefore you have a top six that all possess clear footballing philosophies and well thought through tactical systems.

This alone will not guarantee you success. Injuries to key personnel, 93rd minute jagged goals, harsh red cards and dubious penalties can all turn games and see deserving teams lose.

But if there are fair rewards to be had this season then those that have had the foresight and patience to rebuild will seize their finals opportunity.

Richard Parkin

Sean Ingle on Daniel Sturridge

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 12:25 PM PST

The man who has a better league goalscoring rate than his team-mate Luis Suárez could boost England's World Cup hopes

It is a familiar sight in this winter of deluge: Daniel Sturridge pointing to the sky, past the rain and clouds and towards the heavens. The Liverpool striker likes to pray; right now he seems to have a hotline to his maker. Not only has he scored in eight consecutive Premier League games – and 22 times in 26 matches this season – but he is the huge favourite to lead the line for England at the World Cup this summer. It is some turnaround for a player who left Chelsea 13 months ago with an undistinguished record of 13 goals in 63 appearances.

This season Sturridge has scored every 83 minutes in the league – which, incredibly, is better than Cristiano Ronaldo (a goal every 84 minutes), Luis Suárez (one every 86 minutes), Lionel Messi (every 95 minutes) and Zlatan Ibrahimovic (every 97 minutes). Only Sergio Agüero, who averages a goal every 80 minutes, is more prolific in the major European leagues.

When asked to explain this rise into the upper echelons of the goalscoring ranks, the certainty Sturridge displays in front of goal deserts him. "I don't even really know," he said. "The manager has shown faith in me to give me an opportunity in the position that I've always played in … I've got faith in God. I pray a lot and I'm just focused totally on my job."

But there is another explanation beyond the positional or metaphysical. Sturridge's purple patch is not a wild aberration or statistical outlier. He has always been talented – as he showed by scoring eight goals in 11 games while on loan at Bolton in 2011 and nine in 19 Premier League appearances under André Villas-Boas at Chelsea – he just needed greater opportunities to show it.

True, in 129 Premier League matches, Sturridge has scored 54 goals – a bit under one every other game. But the unvarnished statistics mask the real picture: at Manchester City and Chelsea he was a bit-part actor in a giant theatre ensemble: he got a short scene here, a cameo there. Of those 129 Premier League appearances, 54 were as a substitute.

When you look at Sturridge's goal tally per 90 minutes in the Premier League across his career a dramatically different picture emerges. He has scored an average of 0.69 league goals per 90 minutes. That puts him ahead of all the other great Liverpool strikers in the Premier League era, including Michael Owen (0.59 goals every 90 minutes), Fernando Torres (0.53), Robbie Fowler (0.52) and, yes, Suárez (0.64).

More impressively still, Sturridge's tally puts him above Robin van Persie (0.68 goals per 90 minutes), Alan Shearer (0.61) and Ronaldo (0.52) when he was in the Premier League. In fact, Opta's stats show that only three players in Premier League history have scored at a better rate than Sturridge: Agüero (0.78 per 90), Thierry Henry (0.74) and Ruud van Nistelrooy (0.70).

In some ways it is understandable that Sturridge's ability was overlooked for so long. He is not a pricey foreign orchid or a delicate bud in the first stages of bloom. He is a 24-year-old from Birmingham, who flowered a little later than others. But the exciting thing for Liverpool and England is that Sturridge could yet get better.

Playing alongside Suárez undoubtedly helps: the Uruguayan not only leads the league in assists but he is a distraction and a tease: he attracts defenders' eyes that might otherwise be focused elsewhere. But Sturridge has scored when Suárez has been absent and when Liverpool have been more defensive.

Of course, he does not glitter in every game: he was unusually wasteful in the FA Cup fifth-round match against Arsenal, while during the 4-0 win against Everton Sturridge went for his hat-trick rather than play in Suárez, much to the Uruguayan's disgust. Yet there is scant evidence that Sturridge is greedy. This season his average shots per 90 minutes (4.03) is lower than Agüero, Messi, Suárez and Ibrahimovic, who all average between five and six shots per 90 minutes, and Ronaldo, who averages 7.88. And who can blame Sturridge for letting fly when his shot conversion rate – the number of shots resulting in a goal – is 30%, better than Agüero (25.9%), Messi (23.7%), Suárez (22.3%) and Ronaldo (17.6%).

Sturridge also does better than Messi, Ronaldo and co in another Opta stat: big chances converted – a measure of how successful a player is at converting one-on-ones or shots close to goal. In fact, wherever you look the data tells you the same thing: Sturridge is the real deal.

Brendan Rodgers has learned how to make best use of him. The question is whether Roy Hodgson can do so too. Certainly the idea of Sturridge leading the line, with Wayne Rooney behind him, supported by two free spirits out wide, makes you wonder whether England's Brazilian adventure might be less rickety than expected.

Sturridge's scoring run cannot go on forever, of course. He only has to look at his partner at Liverpool to realise that. But right now he is bubbling and the future seems effervescent with possibilities.

Sean Ingle

Mourinho stung by secret video

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 12:06 PM PST

• Video emerges before Champions League tie at Galatasaray
• Manager was recorded saying 'the problem is we lack a scorer'

José Mourinho has reacted angrily after reports emerged in France of the Chelsea manager making disparaging remarks, delivered in what he apparently considered to be a private conversation, over the quality of the forwards at his disposal.

The comments were made last week in Nyon but reported as he and his squad flew out to Turkey for the first leg of their Champions League knockout tie against Galatasaray. Chelsea will come face to face with their former striker, Didier Drogba, at the Turk Telekomm arena on Wednesday and while that promises to be an emotional reunion, Mourinho has been left to rebuild bridges with Fernando Torres, Samuel Eto'o and Demba Ba after Canal Plus published a video on its website of him assessing the current crop.

While Chelsea do not deny the authenticity of the quotes, they have stressed that the manager was unaware he was being filmed and was instead conducting what he believed to be a private and light-hearted conversation with the head of Hublot watches at a sponsor's event. Mourinho, who has been left embarrassed and exasperated that footage of the exchange has since been published online, is heard to say: "The problem with Chelsea is we lack a scorer. I have one [Eto'o] but he's 32. Maybe 35, who knows?"

The conversation went on to address the possible availability of the Monaco forward Radamel Falcao, a player in whom Chelsea have long been interested but given a value in excess of £50m and a colossal associated wage package, is now effectively out of their market, with the London club intent upon complying with Uefa financial fair play regulations. "I don't have Falcao but Falcao doesn't have a team," said Mourinho. "Who wants to play in front of 3,000 supporters? If I was one day to go to Monaco it would be at the end [of my career]."

Canal Plus was waiting to conduct an on-the-record interview with the manager, with other topics later discussed to camera, including a section about the much coveted Paris St-Germain forwards Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani. "It's impossible," said Mourinho when asked about the Sweden striker potentially moving to Stamford Bridge in the future. "He's happy in Paris. I know because he's my friend and we're in touch. PSG with all its wealth would never open the door. That's mission impossible."

The interest in Cavani was discussed in the context of a mooted swap deal, reported in France last month, involving Eden Hazard. "Eden is our boy," added Mourinho. "We want him to stay for 10 years. We want to build the team around him. He is a player with the style of football we want to have in our team."

The comments were particularly untimely given Chelsea must continue to rely upon Eto'o, Ba and Torres – a £50m World Cup winner – as they pursue the Premier League and Champions League trophies this term. That trio have not been prolific, albeit Torres and Eto'o have enjoyed brief flurries of goalscoring form, and Mourinho has already made it known he intends to reinforce up front at the end of the campaign. Eto'o, a three-time European Cup winner, is out of contract in the summer and has attracted interest from clubs in Major League Soccer, while Ba, a £7m signing from Newcastle 13 months ago, is also expected to move on.

Drogba, too, could move to the US at the end of the season, with Galatasaray unlikely to offer the 35-year-old a new deal. Seattle Sounders have been earmarked as a possible destination, while New York Red Bulls – who have also been heavily linked with Eto'o – could also compete for his signature.

Chelsea travelled to Turkey with a trio of Brazilian players carrying minor injuries. David Luiz has a groin problem, Ramires has a niggle in a knee and Oscar has a slight muscular complaint in a leg that necessitated his withdrawal in the second half of Saturday's narrow victory over Everton.

Dominic Fifield

Jim Taylor obituary

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 10:32 AM PST

My friend Jim Taylor, who played a leading role in the most significant of the initiatives that prevented the ancient city of Nottingham from succumbing to economic and cultural decline, has died aged 65.

A modern tram service, the revived Lace Market district and the spruced-up Old Market Square were among the vital projects to which he, as the city council's director of development, gave life and momentum. The first tram line, so successful that it is to be joined by others, came about after he had contacted the city planners of Karlsruhe, where a similar plan had met with great success. Jim and his equivalent from the German city walked Nottingham's streets together, discussing the most suitable route and the best methods of handling the inevitable objections.

After poor health forced him to retire at the age of 49, he continued to work for the public good. He supervised the £5m restoration of the historic but grievously neglected Forest recreation ground in the heart of the city and founded the successful Invest in Nottingham Club, which made contacts among firms at home and abroad in order to encourage economic growth through inward investment.

I met Jim – James to his family, and to me – when we were both at Nottingham high school. He went on to study town planning at Trent Polytechnic before joining Nottingham's planning department in 1971. He was born a couple of decades too late to save some of the city's architectural jewels, such as Watson Fothergill's spectacular Black Boy hotel, built in the city centre in 1897 and the regular home of visiting Australian Test cricket teams, or the magnificent block of Georgian almshouses funded in 1709 by Abel Collin, a philanthropic cloth merchant, and ripped down in 1958 in order to clear space for the new Maid Marian Way, described by Pevsner as the ugliest thoroughfare in Europe.

But his tireless commitment ensured that Nottingham recognised and came to cherish what remained of its patrimony, preserving its character for future generations. It was a narrow squeak and the debt of gratitude was acknowledged last year when he received the city's public service award.

Away from work, he organised the "family pew" at Nottingham Forest's home games, and he and his older brother, George, were leading lights of our Sunday football team, Musters Crescent Athletico FC, which took its name from the address of the Taylors' family home. Such projects invariably gave rise to their own humorous mythology. He founded the Sneinton Academy of Health and Beauty, which started in 1984 as a simple keep-fit class but blossomed to incorporate a variety of recreational activities and celebrated its silver jubilee with a black-tie dinner.

He is survived by his wife, Sue, his sons, Dan, Joe and Adam, his grandsons, Harry and Jack, and his brother, George.

Richard Williams

Palace's Puncheon charged over Warnock allegation

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 10:27 AM PST

• Midfielder reacted to Neil Warnock criticism
• Puncheon must answer charge by 6pm on Thursday

The Crystal Palace midfielder Jason Puncheon has been charged by the Football Association following a series of tweets in reaction to criticism by Nei Warnock of a penalty miss at Tottenham.

Puncheon – whom Warnock signed on loan when manager at QPR in September 2011 – spurned the chance to give Palace an early lead at White Hart Lane in the Premier League during January when he blasted his spot-kick horribly wide, and the home side went on to win the match 2-0.

The 27-year-old came in for criticism over the weekend, but took exception to comments from Warnock in his role as a pundit on Talksport, and posted several comments on the social media site which have landed him in disciplinary trouble with the authorities.

A statement from the FA read: "Crystal Palace's Jason Puncheon has been charged by The FA for Twitter comments he made in relation to Neil Warnock.

"It is alleged that in posting these comments, Puncheon failed to act in the best interests of the game, and/or acted in a manner which was improper, and/or used abusive and/or insulting words in contravention of FA Rule E3[1]. Puncheon has until 6pm on Thursday 27 February 2014 to respond to the charge."

Puncheon, who is on loan at Palace from Southampton, quickly deleted the offensive posts. However, copies of them were seen by Press Association Sport.

Warnock, sacked by QPR in November 2012, revealed he had been alerted to the matter and said he is considering his next course of action.

He said in a statement last month: "The first tweet 'everyone is entitled to their opinion' I haven't got a problem with, but moving on from this is his later tweets. He's made comments I know nothing about. If it has been suggested I have done anything untoward I confirm I most certainly have not.

"I notice Jason has removed his tweets. The matter is being addressed directly with him on my behalf. In the circumstances there is nothing more for me to say."

Puncheon left only the following post on his official Twitter account. "In the wake of a bad penalty and people's opinions and banter which I accept mattletiss7 on talkSPORTLive this morning gets it right."

One earlier Tweet had read: "Everything else is banter and opinions and as a man I will live with that which is fine but I will not live with his opinion."

Warnock had not held back in his criticism of Puncheon during his comments on live radio. "There's no way I would've trusted him with a penalty. You've got to have somebody a little bit more cool, and he's not like that, Jason," he said.

"He can whack a 35-yard free-kick in here and there but a penalty, with all the pressure on him at a place like White Hart Lane – not in a million years for me."

Warnock added: "I think a centre-half might have done a bit better. Obviously, he never meant to put it up there."

Zidane Jr chooses France over Spain

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 10:06 AM PST

• 18-year-old Enzo called up for France under-19s
• Zidane Jr is on Real Madrid's books

French football was celebrating after the news that Zinedine Zidane's 18-year-old son, Enzo, appears to have chosen to represent Les Bleus ahead of Spain.

Enzo, whose full name is Enzo Alan Zidane Fernández, is known simply as Enzo Fernández (his mother's name) and plays for one of his father's former clubs, Real Madrid, where he is currently in the A team, one below the first team.

Although born in France, the teenager holds dual nationality having moved to Spain as a young boy, and has been called up by Spain's under-15 side before, while also being eligible to play for Algeria, the birthplace of his grandparents.

His father, Zinedine, said he was relaxed which country his son would choose, however the naming of Enzo in a squad by the France under-19s coach Francis Smerecki for a training camp in Clairefontaine from 3-5 March would seem to suggest a decision has been made.

"The player has decided to wear the blue jersey," declared the manager of France's youth teams and former international team-mate of Zidane Sr, Willy Sagnol. "He can still change in the future but it's his current wish to play for the French national team."

Zidane Sr, now 41, scored two goals in France's 1998 World Cup final 3-0 win over Brazil in Paris, but his international career ended in disgrace when he was sent off for head-butting Italy's Marco Materazzi in the 2006 World Cup final in Germany, which France went on to lose on penalties.

The good news for France – and Real Madrid – is that Enzo is not the only Zidane coming through the ranks. The 15-year-old Luca, 11-year-old Théo, and Elyaz, eight, are all in various youth teams at the Bernabéu.

Emyr Huws gets his chance as Wales seek Aaron Ramsey alternative

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 09:50 AM PST

• Chris Coleman calls up Manchester City's young midfielder
• Gareth Bale will be handled with care in Iceland friendly

The Wales manager, Chris Coleman, hopes the youngster Emyr Huws can seize a chance to shine after calling up him for next week's friendly with Iceland.

The uncapped 20-year-old midfielder, who has been impressing on loan at Birmingham City from Manchester City, could get an opportunity in the absence of Arsenal's Aaron Ramsey, who is sidelined with a thigh injury suffered on Boxing Day.

Arsenal are hopeful that Ramsey will be back to play a part at some time in the next few weeks, but Wales's outing at the Cardiff City Stadium on 5 March will come too soon.

Huws is highly regarded at the Etihad Stadium and was on the fringes of Manuel Pellegrini's first-team squad before being allowed to join the Championship club Birmingham in January.

Coleman said: "He is a young player who deserves his chance. He has done very well through the ranks at Manchester City and now, recently, has really done well on loan at Birmingham City.

"With Aaron Ramsey still being unavailable, it is a good chance to have Emyr with us and show us what he can do in training."

Huws was an unused substitute for City's Champions League game against Viktoria Plzen in November and came off the bench for the FA Cup third-round replay win over Blackburn, when he played in defence.

He has since shone in five appearances at Birmingham, his second loan destination after a successful stint at Northampton Town in League Two last season. He has been named in a 23-man squad for the visit of Iceland alongside the Real Madrid star Gareth Bale, but will have big boots to fill in those of Ramsey.

Coleman said: "It is a shame we haven't got him [Ramsey] but Arsenal have been fantastic with the information they have given us. Unfortunately he is not going to make this one. Maybe he will be fit a week or two afterwards if all goes well in his rehabilitation."

Naturally, Coleman is keen to have the £85m Bale involved as he looks to hone his side before the beginning of Euro 2016 qualifying in the autumn.

After the Iceland visit Wales have another friendly against Holland, to be played in Amsterdam on 4 June. Coleman, however, is aware of the demands likely to be placed on Bale at the Bernabeu and does not want his star player to be overworked.

He said: "He has had a great start at Real Madrid, with plenty of goals and assists. We only have a limited number of preparation matches, so it is important that he is with us, but I will monitor the situation."

Wales are also moving into a new era without their talisman Craig Bellamy, who retired from international football at the end of the World Cup qualifying programme.The in-form Sam Vokes, who has scored eight in his last nine appearances for promotion-chasing Championship side Burnley, is set to lead the attack. Simon Church, Jermaine Easter and Hal Robson-Kanu are the other strikers named.

Vokes appears to have found a new lease of life this season at Burnley, where he has formed a strong partnership with Danny Ings.

Coleman said: "Sam just needed someone to trust him and give him a run in the first team. He is playing every week and he needs that. He is looking very sharp and has fitted in well at Burnley. He has a great mentality and he can be a big player for us if we set up for that sort of player."

Coleman has also named a 12-man standby list which includes the Barnsley defender Lewin Nyatanga and the Millwall striker Steve Morison, who have 54 caps between them.

Wales squad Hennessey (Crystal Palace), Myhill (West Brom), Fon Williams (Tranmere); Collins (West Ham), B Davies (Swansea), Gabbidon (Crystal Palace), Gunter (Reading), Matthews (Celtic), Richards (Swansea), Ricketts (Wolves), Taylor (Swansea), A Williams (Swansea); Allen (Liverpool), Collison (West Ham), Huws (Birmingham), King (Leicester), Ledley (Crystal Palace), J Williams (Crystal Palace), Bale (Real Madrid), Church (Charlton), Easter (Millwall), Robson-Kanu (Reading), Vokes (Burnley).

Standby Cornell (Swansea), J Wilson (Oldham), John (Cardiff), Henley (Blackburn), Nyatanga (Barnsley), Wiggins (Charlton), H Wilson (Liverpool), MacDonald (Bournemouth), Isgrove (Southampton), Lawrence (Yeovil), Morison (Millwall), C Davies (Preston).

FA to investigate Crystal Palace fans who threw coins at Wayne Rooney

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 08:34 AM PST

• Rooney was targeted during Manchester United's win
• FA waiting for report from crowd-control adviser

The Football Association has launched an investigation into the coin-throwing at Wayne Rooney on Saturday, with the aim of identifying the culprits. Rooney was targeted during Manchester United's match at Crystal Palace and drew the referee's attention to what was being thrown at him.

The FA had a crowd-control adviser at the game and is waiting for a report. It is also contacting Crystal Palace to ask for their observations and speaking to the police in charge of security inside the ground.

Palace are unlikely to be charged unless the investigation decides the club was negligent – the main aim of the investigation is to see if any of the people who threw coins or other items at the England striker can be identified from CCTV footage.

Any fan throwing coins faces a potentially lengthy banning order from magistrates.

The United defender Rio Ferdinand suffered a cut above the eye after being struck by a coin during a match at Manchester City in December 2012.

Police are still looking into Theo Walcott being targeted during the Arsenal's FA Cup third-round victory against Tottenham last month.

Extra dollops of 'spirit' and 'character' | Barry Glendenning

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 08:22 AM PST

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

LOUIS, LOUIS

While the Fiver drifted into unconsciousness after yesterday's match between Norwich City and Tottenham Hotspur, our pyramid-inverting cousin Trequartista Catenaccio 4-2-3-1 Inside-Out False Nine Fiver pursed his lips, emitted a weary sigh and got busy pushing lots of red and blue circles around the big green tactics board that makes him such a big hit with all the girls. Shaking his head sorrowfully at what even your comparatively ignorant Fiver could tell was a stunning lack of anything resembling a Tottenham game plan, our esteemed relative concluded that "it was astonishing that [Tactics Tim] Sherwood did not use Christian Eriksen" at any point during a performance that was clearly crying out for the potentially match-winning input of a young Danish fellow with wispy blond hair and a keen eye for a killer pass.

As if Spurs fans weren't frustrated enough, they'll have been tearing out large clumps of their own hair upon hearing their manager's post-match comments, which suggest Tactics Tim seems to think all that's needed to rectify matters are extra dollops of "spirit" and "character" rather than ... say, the kind of tactical nuance that might realise what was and will be needed was the potentially match-winning input of a young Danish fellow with wispy blond hair and a keen eye for a killer pass. "We saw an improvement after half-time but they got a goal that put the winds in their sails," said Tactics Tim. "We created clear-cut chances after that, but if you don't score you don't win football matches," he continued, providing further ammo for those who think that for all his qualities as a nice bloke, he might not be cut out to manage a top flight football team harbouring increasingly forlorn hopes of qualifying for Big Cup.

Of course, the unspoken extrapolation of Tactics Tim's observation is that if you don't win football matches, you don't get to manage football teams for very long and murmurings from yesterday's exciting Euro 2016 draw at Palais des Congrès Acropolis in Nice suggest that his tenure in Tottenham's hot-seat may be a decidedly short one. Having selflessly dragged himself to the French riviera to attend a Uefa jolly for a qualifying campaign he won't have anything to do with, the Dutch manager Louis van Gaal, who will step down after the World Cup, was quizzed on persistent rumours that he is being teed up to replace Tactics Tim next season. "I have said before that a challenge should be a club in the Premier League," he said. "That's a challenge. Maybe Tottenham are coming but, first, we have to go to Brazil."

Asked several years ago to describe 'The Van Gaal System', the then manager of AZ Alkmaar told an interviewer "it's a footballing philosophy more than a system", before going on to point out that he "played 4-3-3 with Ajax, 2-3-2-3 with Barcelona and I can play 4-4-2 with AZ Alkmaar. I'm flexible, the philosophy stays the same though." Tactics Tim seems considerably less flexible, even if his philosophy of "giving it a lash and seeing what happens" is equally rigid and doesn't require a tutorial from a relative with a masters in Pyramid-inverting to help you understand.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Petrovsky does not have the most comfortable infrastructure, unfortunately, especially in winter time. So we're going to give Borussia fans hot tea, and treat them to pirozhki" – After being forced to close part of their stadium after the racist behaviour of their fans, Zenit St Petersburg plan to offer tea and pie to travelling Borussia Dortmund fans as they stand outside in the cold and deal with extra security before the two sides' Big Cup tie.

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BITS AND BOBS

José Mourinho has given his strikers a massive confidence boost by telling them they are all pants and that he would rather have Radamel Falcao playing for him."I don't have Falcao but Falcao doesn't have a club. Who wants to play in front of 3,000 supporters?" he woofed. The Chelsea manager also kicked speculation that he was to sign Zlatan Ibrahimovic to the curb. "It's mission impossible," he cried.

Bayern Munich president Franz Beckenbauer has warned Toni Kroos that his contract demands are getting a bit much. "I can only advise him not to overplay his hand," he sniffed, menacingly.

Pope's O'Newco Rangers have paid a visit to their football board chairman with their begging cap in hand. The result was that the club were handed a cheque for £1.5m and told not to spend it in the one shop.

Barcelona have paid €13.5m tax to the Spanish Tax Authorities just "to cover any potential interpretation made concerning the contracts signed in the transfer ... for Neymar".

Samir Nasri has warned his Manchester City's team-mates that a loss to Sunderland in the final of the Milk Cup could derail their entire season. "I have the experience of losing the Carling Cup with Arsenal. After that we only won two games in the league, so a win would be really important for us and the confidence," he said breaking out into a cold sweat at the memory of having to play for Arsenal.

STILL WANT MORE?

On today's Football Weekly podcast: AC Jimbo returned from the slopes for a conversation about Dortmund, Liverpool and, erm, wrestling.

Fans of conversations about methods of scoring will be disappointed that our Talking Points blog is actually about the weekend's football.

Manchester United fans will probably never love Wayne Rooney, reckons Manchester United fan Nooruddean Choudry.

How Oxford United won the Milk Cup in 1986: the latest entry on the Guardian Sport Network.

Italian football expert Paolo Bandini stops slurping espressos and gets off his moped for long enough to write this round-up of all the latest Serie A action.

German football expert Raphael Honigstein stops relentlessly banging in penalties for long enough to knock out this round-up of the latest Bundesliga action.

Spanish football expert Sid Lowe stops passing the ball sideways for long enough to knock out this round-up of the latest La Liga action.

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

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Barry Glendenning

Barcelona have no answer as Real Sociedad exact their perfect revenge | Sid Lowe

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 08:05 AM PST

Still smarting from their Copa del Rey exit, the Basques were waiting for Barça at Anoeta, and inflicted a damaging defeat

a aJagoba Arrasate leapt from his seat shouting and grappling at his suit jacket, pulling at the lapels and pointing insistently at the badge stitched above the heart. An old fashioned, laced-up leather ball, wrapped in a blue and white striped flag and topped with a crown in gold and red. "Hey!" screamed Real Sociedad's coach, hopping up and down, prodding his own chest. "We've got a badge too! We've got a badge! We've got our pride!" The fourth official turned towards him so Arrasate showed the fourth official too, jabbing his finger. "We've got a badge, just like Barça" . A few metres away on the Barcelona bench they were smiling. Some giggled.

They're not laughing now. This time, the view from the Barcelona bench was bleak. If there's a photo that summed up Saturday night's 3-1 defeat at Real Sociedad, it is Xavi Hernández sitting there in his kit and a blue bib, by now aware that he was not going on, unilaterally deciding that his warm-up was over, and staring out across space with his brow furrowed and his jaw clenched, glazed eyes failing to disguise the anger. If looks could kill, there'd be corpses everywhere. On the pitch, Barcelona were collapsing. No resistance, just resignation.

La Real had waited for this moment for a long time. Hang on, no, that's not right: it had only been 10 days (or 17 if you prefer). But la Real had certainly waited for this and so had their fans, noisily packing Anoeta. At times it had felt a bit forced, maybe even a bit false, but la Real had found a new enemy - and defeated them. In the process, they had found a voice too. And a thumping victory over Barcelona; no one has beaten them as emphatically as Real Sociedad did on Saturday night for years.

It all started in the Copa del Rey semi-final on 5 February. In barely a minute, Real Sociedad had gone from a penalty not given, when Javier Mascherano pulled down Carlos Vela, to a goal down. They lost 2-0 at Camp Nou and the sense of injustice grew, which they sought to channel into the second leg. The club filmed a video in which they looked back 26 years to the last, and only, time la Real had won the Copa del Rey. "I hadn't even been born," the striker Antoine Griezmann admits at the start, while the video talks of "pain", "impotence" and "anger" since. The contemporary (double) meaning was not entirely coincidental.

Barcelona controlled the second leg on 12 February, easing into the final with a 1-1 draw. But the tension grew. Sergio Busquets had already exchanged looks, and perhaps words, with Real Sociedad players and some on the touchline. In the final minutes, Cesc Fábregas committed a foul near the touchline and they leapt off the home bench. Arrasate began pointing at the badge; he was annoyed at the referee, although there'd been few questionable decisions this time, but there was something or someone else eating away at him. The smiles on the Barcelona bench, where Busquets was now sitting, made it worse.

Afterwards Arrasate said: "sometimes I get the feeling that they are taking the mickey out of us, that's why I showed them the badge." Asked specifically about Busquets, he avoided specifics but nor did he deny something had happened. "We have our pride and we won't let anyone tread on us." So much for Barcelona's "values" and their "humility", they said; one of the richest clubs in the world, more than a club, and they laugh at us? The talk was of a "lack of respect", of "humiliation".

There was something exaggerated about it, something a little affected, something a little Joe Pesci about the reaction: Funny? Funny how? I'm here to fucking amuse you? It was hard to avoid the conclusion that there must have been something else -- and there were hints, if nothing concrete - and that a few giggles on the bench couldn't have provoked a reaction quite so furious. But there it was. Old affronts returned to the surface, like Barcelona signing Txiki Begiristain and José María Bakero in the summer of 1988. Negotiations had been ongoing in the spring, when Real Sociedad lost the Copa del Rey final – to Barcelona.

Begiristain says that joining Barcelona was easier than joining Real Madrid. Basques and Catalans shared something, after all. And Bakero said that Barcelona were a team that most people liked in San Sebastián. Maybe then. Not now, not any more. This weekend, Real Sociedad were waiting for Barcelona, as the Spanish phrase goes, with the knife between their teeth. "If I acted the way I acted it is because there were things in the cup game that I did not like at all," Arrasate admitted in the pre-match press conference.

"There is a lot of anger in the dressing room and we have to try to take advantage of that," Arrasate had said before the second leg. Ten days later, they did. Alex Song scored an own goal after half an hour. Leo Messi equalised three minutes later but it was a fleeting moment of resistance. At half-time, it was 1-1 and the momentum was with La Real; they'd had seven shots to Barcelona's three. Canal Plus's cameras caught Tata Martino striding into the directors' box, sent off for a confrontation in the tunnel where he had called la Real's assistant manager a "pelotudo", roughly "idiot" in Argentinian Spanish. "You stirred it up in the cup and you're doing it again," he added.

From up there, Martino saw his team capitulate; Griezmann made it 2-1 then David Zurutuza scored a third. There was still half an hour left, but Barcelona did not have a single shot on target in that time. On the second goal, Barcelona were caught out by a huge punt up the field from the goalkeeper Claudio Bravo: Marc Bartra came out of the defence, leaving a huge space for Vela to run into, and then missed the header. On the third goal, a line of six Barcelona defenders stood still as Zurutuza ran 20 yards into the space behind them to score. At the other end, they created nothing. La Real scoring a fourth looked closer than a recovery for the visitors.

The noise built, louder and louder. And when the full time whistle went, Vela's eyes lit up and he blew out his cheeks. Woof! They'd been beaten away for the second time this season, both in the Basque Country. Their run continued: they have not won a league game at Anoeta since 2007. "Four years shaming them," tweeted la Real's striker Diego Ifrán. A few hours earlier, Real Madrid had beaten Elche 3-0 and Martino had said it would be "imprudent" to drop any more points. Barcelona now trail by three. It's not as if Real Sociedad's fans like Madrid much, but they celebrated that too: Barcelona had taken the cup from them, maybe now they might have taken the league off Barcelona.

Martino had lost at Anoeta, just as Tito Vilanova and Pep Guardiola had done. He also admitted that he had made a mistake. But that did not stop them going for him, and worryingly for him the source of many of the stories in this morning's media can be found inside the dressing room. He had not just changed a winning side, removing six of the men who had started against Manchester City, he had changed the style. Xavi had been left out, again. And Fábregas. And Alves. Song had played behind Busquets. If it was supposed to offer protection, it did not: Barcelona's protection comes with the ball. Instead, they were more vulnerable than ever. Barcelona, Santi Giménez wrote in AS, "were like a kitten paralysed in the middle of the motorway, watching the headlights from an articulated lorry get closer."

All this when Barcelona have a week with no game ahead; all this barely a fortnight since Martino said that, with the season entering the decisive months, the rotations would cease. All this at a time when Barcelona's results were slipping, their grip on the top of the table loosening, when they have lost 10 of the last 21 points, drawing 0-0 with Atlético, 1-1 with Levante, and losing 3-2 against Valencia before this weekend. Since the first clásico of the season, the top three would read: Madrid 41, Atlético 33, Barcelona 32.

The reviews came rolling in like for a rubbish film. Something with Jennifer Aniston in. "Ruinous", "disastrous", "a total write-off", "a debacle like the old days," "the year's worst." "You won't win anything like that," ran the headline in Sport.

But amid the analyses of Barcelona, many forgot la Real. This was no one-off: they have lost only once at home all season -- against Atlético Madrid back in September - and this morning they sit a single point behind the final Champions League place. Arrasate judged it perfectly. The speed and directness with which they played totally overran Barcelona, while playing the new signing Sergio Canales as a kind of false No9 worked brilliantly, allowing Vela and Griezmann to sprint in behind. The Frenchman has now scored 15 league goals, only trailing Cristiano Ronaldo and Diego Costa; Vela has 10.

"They showed more intensity than us," Víctor Valdés admitted. "We were the better side," Zurutuza claimed and no one argued. "They created a lot of chances," Gerard Piqué conceded. Afterwards, Arrasate appeared in the press room in his suit, Real Sociedad badge stitched above the heart. "This was the most complete performance of the season," he said proudly.

Talking points

* Belter! Gareth Bale smashed in the second from 30 yards and at over 100kmph, sending the ball crashing in off the crossbar as Real Madrid beat Elche 3-0. They did not actually play that well, and Bale was struggling before the goal, but the victory saw them go out alone at the top for the first time in twenty months. It was a nine-point weekend for them: not only did they win and Barcelona lose, Atlético lost too. "They were the better side," Diego Simeone said of an excellent Osasuna performance. "And when that happens, we congratulate our opponents."

* Real Betis lost 2-0 at home to Athletic Bilbao and their coach Gabi Calderón did his nut after some ropey refereeing did them no favours. "That's enough already," he said. "this league is already unequal in money. It's time they showed us some respect. If we're going to go down to the second division at least let it be down to us." Had the same happened in a Madrid or Barcelona game, we'd be talking about it for weeks, but it didn't so we won't. And, sadly, Calderón can rest assured of one thing: the ref might not have been good but when they go down it'll be nobody's fault but theirs.

* "Is there a referee in the house?" As it turned out there was, too. And so it was that a punter ran the line for Racing Santander.

Results: Valladolid 1 Levante 1, Real Madrid 3 Elche 0, Celta 1 Getafe 1, Real Sociedad 3 Barcelona 1, Almería 0 Málaga 0, Rayo Vallecano 0 Sevilla 1, Real Betis 0 Athletic Bilbao 2, Valencia 2 Granada 1, Osasuna 3 Atlético Madrid 0. Monday: Espanyol-Villarreal.

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Football Weekly: Liverpool maintain their tilt at the title

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 07:50 AM PST

AC Jimbo returns to his spiritual home, and he has his oldest muckers Barry Glendenning and Sean Ingle and his hippest new best friend Ian McCourt to welcome him back for a hugely emotional edition of Football Weekly.

We begin by examining Liverpool's title credentials after the Reds once again wowed at one end and boobed at the other in their 4-3 win over Swansea. Can they triumph when Chelsea are so good at sneaking horrid 1-0 wins, as they did against Everton? They've only 11 more games to make it happen.

Next, we catch up with Sid Lowe about the weekend in La Liga, and look forward to the Champions League with Manchester United coming unstuck against Olympiakos and Galatasary's Didier Drogba not celebrating when he scores against Chelsea.

Finally, we discuss the relegation battle and TV quiz shows, and recall a brief encounter with André the Giant.

Barcelona pay €13.5m in wake of tax fraud charges over Neymar transfer

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 07:30 AM PST

• Payment for 'difference of interpretation' over Neymar signing
• Spanish champions insist they did not commit tax offence

Barcelona have paid €13.5m (£11.2 million) to the Spanish authorities after they were charged last week with tax fraud in the signing of Brazil forward Neymar, the club said on Monday.

The Spanish champions insisted they had not committed any tax offence and said the payment had been made due to a "possible difference of interpretation" about the amount they owed after signing Neymar from Santos in the close season.

The exact amount paid on Monday was €13,550,830.56, Barça said in a statement on their website.

"The aim is to cover eventual interpretations that could be given to the contracts drawn up in the operation to sign Neymar," they said.

It was not immediately clear whether the payment would mean the fraud charges laid by a Madrid court would be dropped. Barcelona were forced on the defensive over the Neymar deal after a club member filed a complaint against President Sandro Rosell alleging misappropriation of funds.

Rosell, who denied wrongdoing, stepped down saying he wanted to clear his name and protect the club's image. But when details of Neymar's signing came to light the judge overseeing the case granted the prosecutor's request to lay charges for tax fraud.

After Rosell's exit, Barca admitted he had cost €86.2m, including payments to the player and his family, and not €57.1m as they originally said.

The judge has requested Barça's tax records relating to the deal and had asked the tax authority to calculate the scale of the alleged fraud.

Bayern warn Manchester United target Toni Kroos over contract demands

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 07:07 AM PST

• Nobody is indispensable, warns Franz Beckenbauer
• Kroos will not be allowed to leave before 2015, says club

Toni Kroos, reportedly a Manchester United target, has been warned by Franz Beckenbauer, the Bayern Munich honorary president, that his new contract demands are "going through the roof". With David Moyes having scouted the midfielder in January the impasse between Kroos and the European champions will offer further encouragement to United's manager that he could sign the 24-year-old in the summer.

Beckenbauer said: "You have to make a decision as a club when someone's demands are going through the roof. There is not a single player who's worth changing your entire wage structure for. Nobody's indispensable. If the player wants to stay at Bayern, I can only advise him not to overplay his hand."

With Kroos's current deal ending in June 2015 Matthias Sammer, Bayern's sporting director, insists he will not leave before then. "Toni has a contract until the summer of 2015 and he will not be going anywhere before. And we are determined to make sure he will stay at Bayern beyond the expiry date of his deal. We really value Toni and have shown so more than once."

Yet should negotiations drag on the prospect of losing Kroos on a free transfer in summer 2015 would strengthen Moyes's hand should he decided to make a bid for a player who would cost around £25m.

Jamie Jackson

The best goals of the week

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 07:07 AM PST

Featuring an overhead kick from Blackpool, a 50-yard volley, a windy free-kick, Tevez on the turn, and Bale doing what Bale does best

Hannah Jane Parkinson

Fashion may be expensive – but so is football

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 07:06 AM PST

A Prada coat and a Premier League season ticket are both pricey – but because the football is aimed at men, it's not dismissed as frivolous

What is the point of covering the fashion shows in the newspaper? Ninety-nine per cent of readers can't and won't buy those ridiculously expensive clothes.

Donald, by email

I have been writing about fashion for this paper for 13 years now and far be it for me to correct Woody Allen (except, perhaps, in his convenient assumption that the only reason anyone including Mia Farrow would object to his relationship with Soon Yi is because of the age gap) but I have learned that there are three things which are always certain:

1. Death

2. Taxes

3. Guardian readers complaining about the price, coverage and sometimes the very existence of fashion.

These complaints come in many forms – emails, letters, tweets, below-the-line comments – and I try to reply to all of them. So forgive me, if you have already seen one of my responses to these grievances, and there will be some repetition here. But it seemed worthwhile to address them all in one column.

First, why cover fashion? Few things have surprised me in my job as much as the surprise of some readers that fashion is covered. It's stupid, they cry! It's silly, they roar! Nobody cares, they wail! What frustrating lives these people must lead if they think the only subjects that should be covered are ones in which they have an interest. My own interests are exceedingly narrow – 80s films; 90s TV; the novels of Curtis Sittenfeld and Melissa Bank; the essays of David Foster Wallace, David Sedaris and David Rakoff; my dog – but even shallow ol' me accepts that other people have different interests. Furthermore, these people have as much right to find coverage of their subjects as I do of mine. Yes, I wish there was more coverage of Saved By the Bell in this paper and, yes, I do find it frustrating that valuable newspaper real estate that could be devoted to the greatest hits of AC Slater is instead given over to coverage of unimportant things such as football – but I deal with it, because I know other people are interested in football. So what I'm saying here is: try to develop some empathy and accept not everyone is interested – or uninterested – in the same things as you.

Next, the expense. Yes, some fashion is very expensive – so, incidentally, is football but I have yet to see a single comment beneath a football column bewailing how much Manchester United pays its players every week, or even how much a Chelsea season ticket costs, but that, apparently, is by the bye. Some people are lucky enough to treat themselves occasionally to a bit of high fashion, but that really is not the point of featuring fashion in a newspaper. You see, the difference between fashion coverage in a newspaper and a catalogue is that a newspaper is not telling you to buy the clothes. It is simply showing them. It is no more telling you to buy them than it is telling you to buy the latest iPhone when it covers various Apple launches. It often seems to me that when readers express outrage at high-end clothes being featured in a newspaper (or supplement magazine) what they actually feel is attacked. They think the newspaper is suggesting that they buy the £2,000 Prada coat or the £1,500 Saint Laurent handbag and they think the paper has forgotten its roots and is now only interested in wealthy readers. Dear readers, let me assure you this simply is not the case. High fashion is a big business, and as distasteful as the luxury market might be to some readers' sensibility, to pretend it doesn't exist would be like pretending – to return to an earlier analogy – Apple doesn't exist. Moreover, as I believe I alluded to earlier, a lot of people have an interest in it in a way that has nothing to do with wanting to buy it. It's like how some people (crazy people) enjoy watching expensive cars go round and round on Top Gear, and they want to know what the latest car models are, but they have no real interest in buying those cars – they just like to look at them. It's exactly the same thing with fashion shoots and trends. Think of them as being like Top Gear, without Jeremy Clarkson. Yes, some fashion is insanely overpriced, but often the prices reflect the workmanship required to make the clothes and it would be ridiculous for fashion writers (and beauty writers, food writers, travel writers, or anyone, really) to pretend that expensive, nice things don't exist just because most people can't afford them. I can't afford to eat at Heston Blumenthal's latest restaurant, but I still want Marina O'Loughlin to tell me what it's like.

Finally, fashion itself. Yes, there are lots of elements of the fashion industry that are disgusting and I have discussed plenty of them over the years: the racism, the ageism, the eating disorders, the elitism. But that does not mean that fashion itself should be scorned and the fact that some people feel so free to do so suggests, as I have said before, strong sexism at play here. Football (yes, I'm going here again) is hardly the most intellectual of pursuits and suffers from many of the same problems as fashion, with added homophobia, but because it is aimed primarily at men, it is seen as an essential pastime. Fashion is aimed primarily at women and therefore dismissed as frivolous.

A final word of advice from my best friend Carol, who told me this years ago and it rings as true as it ever did. You don't like fashion? You feel attacked by the high prices? Guess what? Not everything is about you, sweetheart.

Post your questions to Hadley Freeman, Ask Hadley, The Guardian, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Email ask.hadley@theguardian.com

Hadley Freeman

Sport picture of the day: protest, Lazio style

Posted: 24 Feb 2014 07:03 AM PST

The Lazio fans protest against the owner of the club during their 3-2 victory over Sassuolo at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome

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Tuesday, 25 February 2014

Football news, match reports and fixtures | theguardian.com

07:14

Football news, match reports and fixtures | theguardian.com

LOUIS, LOUIS

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Tuesday, 25 February 2014

Football news, match reports and fixtures | theguardian.com

07:14

Football news, match reports and fixtures | theguardian.com

LOUIS, LOUIS

QUOTE OF THE DAY

FIVER LETTERS

JOIN GUARDIAN SOULMATES

BITS AND BOBS

STILL WANT MORE?

SIGN UP TO THE FIVER (AND O FIVERÃO)

JOAN COLLINS, ERNIE WISE, ELIZABETH TAYLOR

Talking points

Written by TBMU Admin

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Post a Comment

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Popular on TBMU

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