Arsenal win incredible cup tie

Theo Walcott scored a scintillating hat-trick as Arsenal produced one of the great comebacks to take their place in the last eight of the League Cup.

Jason Roberts, a Laurent Koscielny own goal, Mikele Leigertwood and Noel Hunt put Reading 4-0 up after 35 minutes.
Walcott found the net before the break and in injury time, while Olivier Giroud and Koscielny also struck.

Marouane Chamakh scored in extra-time before Pavel Pogrebnyak levelled, but Walcott and Chamakh had the final word.

It was an extraordinary cup tie, the archetypal game of two halves. Reading were magnificent for 44 and a half minutes before Walcott scored his first goal to give the Gunners hope.

During the first half, Arsenal looked set to be on the end of a Sunday League scoreline with what resembled a Sunday League performance.
And yet somehow Arsene Wenger's side produced a scarcely believable comeback to recover from three goals down for the first time in their history and take their place in the quarter-finals for the 10th successive season.

They created for themselves an utter disaster and somehow rose to find hope, and with it, power, purpose and direction.
When they were trailing 4-0 Saturday's Premier League trip to Old Trafford, the scene of last season's 8-2 humbling at the hands of Manchester United, looked a daunting prospect but now this result has the hallmarks of a turning point.
That it was left to Chamakh, starting his first Arsenal match since January, to score two crucial goals made it all the more incredible.

At the club's annual general meeting last week, Wenger had made it clear the League Cup was fifth on his list of priorities and during the first half his players appeared to have taken those words a little too literally.
Arsenal made 11 changes but that did not excuse the naivety with which Carl Jenkinson, Johan Djourou, Koscielny and Ignasi Miquel defended before half-time.
The Reading onslaught began in the 11th minute when Hunt, midway inside the Arsenal half, swept the ball wide to Hal Robson-Kanu on the left flank and his delightful low cross was thumped into the net by Roberts, who left Koscielny, his marker, all too easily.
Six minutes later, Reading were two up as Chris Gunter's low cross deflected off Koscielny's leg and beyond Arsenal goalkeeper Damian Martinez at the near post.

Premier League - Premier League holiday preview

Invincible at home this year, Premier League leaders Manchester City face consecutive away games over Christmas with manager Roberto Mancini wary of offering up unexpected gifts at West Bromwich Albion and Sunderland. 

City, who lead the table at Christmas for the first time since 1929, drew 1-1 at Liverpool and lost 2-1 at Chelsea in their last two away league games - and Mancini wants a return to winning ways on the road, starting at West Brom on Boxing Day.
"We still have Chelsea, United, Tottenham and Liverpool to come to the Etihad Stadium, but we need to win away games as well, and we have only one point from our last two," Mancini, who is about to experience his third Christmas period as City manager, told the club's website.
"I have a lot of respect for West Bromwich, and I have a lot of respect for [their boss] Roy Hodgson - he is one of the best managers in Europe.
"I think it will be very hard because they play good football. They have had some problems but they have won their last two away games and seem to be in good form, it will be a hard match," added Mancini, whose side lead champions Manchester United by two points.
City have few injury worries ahead of a spell of three games in little more than a week and should have swashbuckling right-back Micah Richards available after injury.
While Mancini can boast an embarrassment of riches, United and the rest of the pursuing pack are feeling the pinch a little with injuries and suspensions testing their squads.
United have home games against Wigan Athletic and Blackburn Rovers before concluding their holiday fixtures away at Newcastle United and manager Alex Ferguson, preparing for his 26th Christmas in the Old Trafford hot seat, knows how vital the jam-packed holiday programme can be.
He was boosted by the news that Phil Jones suffered no break to his jaw in the dazzling 5-0 win at Fulham on Wednesday, although winger Ashley Young is sidelined for the clash with Wigan, a fixture from which United have never dropped a point.
Despite the statistics, however, Ferguson is a big fan of Wigan boss Roberto Martinez, whose third-from-bottom side will arrive in good heart after morale-boosting home draws with Chelsea and Liverpool.
"I watched Wigan versus Chelsea the other day and I thought Wigan were terrific," he told United's website.
"It says a lot for Roberto Martinez, he continues to play good football irrespective of what position they're in. We have a good record against Wigan but we won't take anything for granted. We need to keep our foot on the pedal."
Injury-hit Tottenham, in third place with 35 points face a trip to Norwich City on Tuesday before a New Year's Eve clash with another of the promoted sides, Swansea City.
They will be without Rafael van der Vaart and winger Aaron Lennon while striker Jermain Defoe is another struck by a hamstring curse afflicting the North London club as they mount a credible top-four challenge.
Fourth-placed Chelsea (33 points) are low on defensive options as they prepare for the December 26 derby at home to close neighbours Fulham.
Manager Andre Villas-Boas, who has worries over Branislav Ivanovic and John Obi-Mikel after they limped off in the 1-1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday, said he would try to buy a centre-half in January.
Until then, however, the Portuguese, like his Tottenham counterpart Redknapp and even United's Ferguson, must juggle his squad and hope to keep City in his sights.
"They have the squad for sure," Redknapp said of City's strength in depth. "They are the favourites but Man United won't be far behind them. But anything can happen still, it's very close in the top four."
Fifth-placed Arsenal (32 points) will not have to travel out of the capital over the holidays, hosting Wolverhampton Wanderers on Tuesday before London derbies with Queen's Park Rangers and Fulham.
Liverpool will hope to put the controversy surrounding their support of Luis Suarez, found guilty of racial abuse, behind them with home games against bottom club Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United before their trip to City.
Manager Kenny Dalglish said he had some sympathy for Rovers, the club he took to the league title in 1995, and their beleaguered manager Steve Kean who faced vociferous criticism during his side's defeat by Bolton Wanderers this week.
"The frustration is understandable in many ways but I don't think it's helpful and it's sad really it has come to that, but that's the way it is," Dalglish said.

Liverpool reaction as shocking as Suarez ban

 

The response to the FA's decision to ban Luis Suarez for eight matches has been unsurprisingly partisan. I felt sorry for John Barnes, who was asked to give his view on something close to his heart on two, opposing, fronts: on the one hand as a Liverpool legend who remains close to the club, but on the other as a victim of terrible racist abuse as a player.
As a result, his comments were contradictory: he accused the FA and media of conducting a "witch hunt" against Suarez, before admitting that a zero-tolerance policy to racism should be followed.
I would hate to be put in his position by, say, a Manchester United or QPR player being in the dock for a similar offence.
So I am going to try and be balanced.
To be honest I was shocked that Suarez got eight games on the word of another player for something that, while wrong, appears to have been out of ignorance rather than malice.
But, at the same time, I was disappointed by how vehemently Liverpool have leapt to the defence of their player, claiming conspiracies and getting their players to wear t-shirts and the rest of it.
Talking about the ban, I find it odd that firstly someone can be punished on one man's word against his — we are yet to see the report, so we don't know if Suarez admitted to using the offending word, but I have a feeling that he must have done. He told the Uruguayan media that he addressed Evra using a specific word, one that is assumed is a variation on the n-word, but with less offensive connotations in parts of Latin America, if you believe what people have been saying.
I also find it surprising that, given there appears to be no video or even witness evidence, he should be banned so heavily for it.
If we were able to punish on one man's word, many moons ago we would have seen players banned for 20 games given the stuff that was said man-to-man. People used to say all kinds of nasty and sometimes racial stuff to put you off your game, although it's of great credit that it doesn't happen so much now.
I don't know the full context of what and how it was said, but the FA have made a decision that — given the rise in racist incidents recently — is in line with the blueprint they have set out, one over which they have criticised FIFA and UEFA for not following it stringently enough.
Personally I would have been in favour of a shorter ban, and perhaps the FA and club — and other clubs — organising a cultural awareness programme so that foreign players can never use the old "in my country..." line as an excuse for, say, racial terms, spitting, or flagrant diving. There's certainly enough money in the game to pay for a course, or lectures, on the matter!
But they have gone for a straight, draconian punishment that has also set a strong precedent, given the accusations against John Terry — although the fact that his incident was deemed so serious the police got involved ironically means the FA's hands are tied, for now at least.
But the way Liverpool have dealt with this hasn't been right.
I don't really buy this 'cultural differences' ploy that Suarez's supporters have tried to play. Firstly, I have yet to hear anything from a black South American player saying he's happy to be called 'negrito' or whatever Suarez is supposed to have said (this is the word Uruguayans have said is the term folk use that can cause offence in Europe).
Given that this forms the entire basis of the defence that his Uruguayan friends, such as Gus Poyet, have made, it would be interesting to hear if it is widely accepted as inoffensive, or if simply Uruguayan culture is a little bit behind the times in its use of such terms. Back when I was a player, in the '80s, QPR fans used to sing "he's small, he's black, he's England's centre-back" at me and I accepted it, although I wasn't totally comfortable with it — now that would be seen as unacceptable. Is the context different for this word Suarez reportedly used, or has Uruguay just been a little slow to catch up? Has anyone thought to ask what black people in Uruguay think about being called such words? Do they accept it because they feel they have no choice?
Also, people are making out that Suarez has an ignorance of how one is supposed to behave in Northern Europe, like he's just come off the boat or something. He hasn't — he spent five years in Holland (which, the last time I looked, is pretty well developed), including a season playing alongside Edgar Davids at Ajax.
Would he speak to Davids that way? Or Clarence Seedorf? Or any black Dutch player? I doubt it somehow, particularly given how annoyed a lot of Holland's black players have been in the past about perceived racial bias, let alone overt comments.
I'm also concerned by Liverpool's responses (and there have been many), making such big statements and using flawed logic to do so.
So he has black team-mates here and in Uruguay? So what. Plenty of racists work with black people in offices up and down the country.
And Patrice Evra has never made such allegations before — those allegations were made by other people, about abuse they believed had been directed at Evra. But Liverpool said Evra had made false allegations. Really dodgy ground, and that of the conspiracy theorist.
The t-shirts thing is a bit off too — getting the team to wear these t-shirts, when the guy has been punished for racial abuse (whatever the context or intent) is really weak when Liverpool are supposed to be at the forefront of the Kick It Out campaign.
Are we supposed to believe that all his team-mates support him because they're wearing a t-shirt? We know full well that, when fans are so vehement on a given subject, players stay clear of breaking the mould for fear of jeopardising their livelihoods.
I think the real reason Liverpool have chosen to support Suarez so vociferously is because he's their best player by a mile — and without Steven Gerrard, they look worryingly like a one-man team, one-dimensional without him.
Whatever happens, Evra will continue to be a hate figure among fans, because that's the way football works. People have seriously been claiming — Liverpool too — that he broke some unwritten rule by complaining about verbal abuse, which directly contradicts everyone's claims to be against racism. Are you in, or are you out? Do you think it's okay to make racial references to strangers, or do you think it's wrong? Or do you just think your man should be able to get away with it because he's good at football?
Everyone, and not just Liverpool, is eagerly awaiting the FA's full report on this — including no doubt the Court of Arbitration for Sport, UEFA and FIFA.
If it turns out the punishment was meted solely on the basis of one man's word against another, I would be very concerned and am sure an appeal to the FA or even CAS could see some kind of reduction to the ban.
But if — as has been suggested — Suarez admitted using a certain word, but explained that he was unaware it had racist overtones, then you have to support the FA's decision to punish him, but maybe question the length of the ban.
Otherwise all the talk about kicking racism out of football, all the criticism of the Spanish and Bulgarian fans for racist chanting, and all the barbs at Sepp Blatter will just have been hot air.
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Game of the weekend — Liverpool v Blackburn
Technically it's not the weekend, but Boxing Day is as good as. Unfortunately there is little to write home about in terms of match-ups, with Chelsea-Fulham probably the biggest game in terms of rivalry and scale, and Liverpool-Blackburn in terms of controversy and importance.
You don't know what you're going to get from Liverpool against the weaker teams, while Blackburn could do anything against a bigger club, as Arsenal found out earlier this season.
While they may be a mess, Blackburn are up for it and the players - who may not get paid if reports are to believed - are looking to put themselves in the shop window.
Liverpool meanwhile tend to suffer against the smaller teams. Talk of the title is wholly premature. With Gerrard injured, Liverpool are a one-man team and without Suarez they are the team we saw last season — negative and lacking creativity. Charlie Adam does okay but he hasn't got the legs to handle a high-tempo game, which is what you'll get with Rovers.
Suarez is a phenomenal player and, while he doesn't score as often as he could, he creates so much in terms of opportunities and total panic in defences. Also, I think that while temperamental he is mentally strong and will not let the furore around his ban affect his game.
Blackburn are hit and hope to be honest, as liable to sit back and go long ball as they are to attack. Tactically they are basic, relying heavily on Yakubu waking up on the right side of bed, and defensively they are naïve.
That is in part down to the injury problems — Gael Givet is a massive loss with his heart problem, while we should be kind to Scott Dann after what happened to him the other day. So you have Chris Samba and an ageing Ryan Nelsen to count on, and if Nelsen is out they're in all kinds of trouble. The Michel Salgado situation is absurd as he is one of those guys who leads by example, and puts his body on the line. He has a minor injury they say but I understand  they won't play him for fear of activating a contract clause they cannot afford.
That says it all about Blackburn — no one knows what the hell the owners are doing, what they want and why they are there in the first place. Everyone is on poor Steve Kean's back, and while I think much of the abuse is uncalled for, he clearly hasn't got a clue.
The only question is "when will he get the sack"? But the thing is, they can't afford to sack him! The only reason he's in that job is because he was desperate for a shot at management, and no top coach would work under those conditions for that money.
It would be good to know why — and how — they sacked Big Sam. Are they still paying him off? Did they really think they could get a big-name coach, and the big-name players they promised, on no money? We all know Kean is on the books of the agency that advised Venky's on the takeover, but what good is it to either party if the club goes down? Maybe they're secret Burnley fans.
If they do get rid of Kean they'll probably have to keep paying him until some money comes in — but any decent coach will ask for a good wage and a lump sum for keeping them up.
There's talk of Pini Zahavi getting involved, and Avram Grant coming in. He would cheer things up at Ewood. Grant has a proven track record — two relegations in a row.
They'll go down and they'll struggle to come straight back. All they can hope for is the likes of QPR, Norwich and Swansea tailing off badly, and one of Wigan and Bolton failing to turn it round.
Liverpool, meanwhile, have to win games like this, and not be complacent — as they were against Wigan, who could have beaten them. Either way, I think this game has got goals, and a bit of drama.

Champions League - Barcelona dominate World Soccer awards

European champions Barcelona have swept the board in World Soccer magazine's prestigious annual awards with Lionel Messi named World Player of the Year, Pep Guardiola Manager of the Year and his side Team of the Year.

Messi collected more than 60 per cent of the votes cast in the annual poll of the British magazine's readers from more than 40 countries - a record haul since the awards began in 1982.
It is the second time the 24-year-old Argentine has topped the poll after winning in 2009. Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid and Portugal was a distant second with 9.3 per cent of votes while last year's winner, Messi's Barca team-mate Xavi, was third with 7.6 per cent.
Guardiola topped the manager's poll ahead of Oscar Tabarez who coached Uruguay to victory in the Copa America, with Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson third after taking his team to the Premier League title and the Champions League final.
Barcelona, who could win the Club World Cup in Japan this weekend, were the clear winners of the Team of the Year award ahead of Uruguay and third-placed Porto who won the Portuguese League and Cup double and the Europea League last season.
Barca won the Spanish title and Champions League last season.
Brazilian teenager Neymar, whose Santos side play Barcelona in the Club World Cup final, was named as the Young Player of the Year.

Europa League - Celtic bow out after draw at Udinese

Celtic made an agonising exit from Europe after holding Serie A pacesetters Udinese to a 1-1 Europa League draw in a pulsating contest at the Stadio Friuli. 

With both sides committed to attack, Neil Lennon's side could easily have emerged with the win they needed in a game that raged from end to end throughout the evening.
Celtic grabbed a merited lead when Gary Hooper slipped the ball home from close range on 28 minutes only to be undone a minute into two of time added on in the first half as Cha Du Ri nodded into the path of Antonio Di Natale, who slipped the ball home from five yards out.
The visiting goalkeeper Fraser Forster made some exceptional saves in the second period, but Celtic were also left to rue their luck as Cha saw a shot come back off a post in the second half.
They were also denied a clear-cut penalty when Mehdi Benatia handled in the area from Daniel Majstorovic's header.
Udinese - who share top spot in Italy with Juventus - join group winners Atletico Madrid in progressing from Group I, but there was an air of relief among the home bench when the final whistle sounded.
Di Natale showed his menace early on when he lobbed the ball over Forster and over the bar after Scott Brown had needlessly squandered possession, but Celtic looked the brighter side as they carried the game to the home side.
Danilo was fortunate to be awarded a free-kick when he clearly obstructed a rampant Georgios Samaras as he bounded towards goal before Hooper clipped a shot wide from 10 yards out after being played in by Samaras when it looked easier to net.
Celtic were rewarded for the adventure of their play when Samaras' cross broke kindly off Joel Ekstrand for Hooper to score. Celtic looked to have done enough to establish a lead at the break, but Di Natalie showed why he is top goalscorer in Serie A with 10 goals courtesy of an opportunistic finish.
As the second half caught fire in the freezing cold conditions, Forster halted Di Natale from adding to his tally by diving to claw out a thumping shot by the striker from distance before standing tall to save another Di Natale effort moments after Majstorovic had been caught out of position.
Forster then dived to deny Di Natale from netting with a header as Udinese pushed for the second goal they craved to kill off the Scottish side.
With Celtic continuing to push bodies up the park, Kwadwo Asamoah hit a post from close range to the frustration of the home fans after the inspired Forster had blocked Mauricio Isla's header with Charlie Mulgrew beaten in the air.
Celtic maintained their offensive ploy and Cha was left looking bewildered as his volley hit a post before the ball just stopped short of the line after hitting the back of the beaten home goalkeeper Samir Handanovic on 75 minutes.
The visitors had plenty of bodies in the box deep in injury time as Handanovic missed Mulgrew's corner.
But Celtic could not force the ball over the line to come up narrowly short of leaving Udine with three points that would have carried them through to the knock-out stages.

Premier League - O'Neill gets off to winning start

Martin O'Neill's managerial reign at Sunderland got off to a dramatic start with a 2-1 comeback win over fellow Premier League strugglers Blackburn Rovers at the Stadium of Light.

The Northern Irishman was greeted by a rousing reception on Wearside as he took to the dugout, but the half-time whistle was met with a handful of boss as the home side went into the break a goal down after Simon Vukcevic struck on 17 minutes.
However, a late resurgence saw David Vaughan score a screamer to equalise on 84 minutes before Sebastian Larsson scored an excellent free-kick in stoppage time to claim a remarkable win that lifts the Black Cats two points clear of the relegation zone.
Blackburn's perennially-beleaguered manager Steve Kean must have been grateful to have the spotlight taken off him for once, and for so long his team looked like claiming back-to-back league wins for the first time in his year-long tenure.
In the end, his team relented in the face of increasing pressure and possession from the home side, and they remain in the bottom three with only Bolton Wanderers beneath them in the standings.
O'Neill has certainly appeared to have injected a shot of confidence into the Sunderland camp upon his arrival at the club he supported as a boy, but they still look a side as devoid of creativity as they did during Steve Bruce's final days in charge.
The Wearsiders started brightly and enjoyed the majority of the possession, but they could not create any chances much clearer than Phil Bardsley's in only the third minute. Bardsley and Jack Colback got in each other's way on the edge of the box as they both went to latch on to Stephane Sessegnon's pulled back pass, and the defender eventually fired over the bar.
Another characteristic of Bruce's latter-day Sunderland was their poor organisation at set pieces, and that proved their undoing when Blackburn took the lead.
Morten Gamst Pedersen's free-kick from deep on the left was pinged across to Christopher Samba, who was allowed to bring it down with his feet inside the box. The big defender then saw his shot palmed away by Sunderland keeper Keiren Westwood, only for Vukcevic to pounce and head into the unguarded net.
The goal was the first in the Premier League for the Montenegrin midfielder, who was sporting a face mask to protect his broken nose that would not look out of place at a Regency masquerade ball.
Kieran Richardson had two opportunities to hit an instant reply for the home side, but he was thwarted by Paul Robinson at close range and then had a shot deflect off defender Jason Lowe and wide.
Sunderland should have by rights been two goals down at half-time when Westwood came off his line to claim a Pedersen delivery but bumped into the unsuspecting Samba. Scott Dann reacted quickest to head home, but the whistle had already gone for a perceived foul on the Sunderland keeper.
After the break the same theme continued and developed, with Sunderland having as much as 75 per cent of the possession during the second half. Blackburn seemed happy to sit back and defend their lead and Samba was imperious as he repelled everything that came his way.
Kean was forced to make all three of his allotted substitutions before the hour mark as Gael Givet, Michel Salgado and Martin Olsson - himself a first-half replacement for Givet - all had to come off.
O'Neill had the luxury of using all of his changes for tactical reasons, and with 15 minutes remaining he brought on James McLean and Ji Dong-Won. The former made an immediate impact as he sent in several testing crosses, but it took something special for Sunderland to get on the board.
That duly arrived when, with six minutes of normal time remaining, substitute Adam Henley's defensive header only went as far as Vaughan, and it sat up perfectly for the Wales midfielder to hammer home his first goal for the club with an unerring 20-yard strike that Robinson could only watch as it flew past him.
Things got even better for Sunderland when, two minutes into injury time, Mauro Formica handballed on the edge of the box. Larsson stepped up and bent in an excellent free-kick that rebounded off the inside of the near post and behind Robinson.
That free-kick will have been of special significance to Larsson, who had his penalty saved against Wolves last weekend in a match Sunderland went on to lose 2-1.
The thrilling denouement was tempered somewhat by serious injury to Blackburn defender Jason Lowe, who left the field on a stretcher after colliding with Larsson in mid-air, but the final whistle still brought with it a rapturous cheer from the home side for their new manager.
Blackburn, meanwhile, still await their first away win and their first clean sheet of the season, and face another huge relegation six-pointer at home to Bolton two games from now.

Tough night in store for City

Manchester City face a difficult night in Italy against Napoli.
A team like that, playing at home with the goalscorers that they have, are clearly dangerous. And Napoli will play double or quits on this game - they have to win.
I saw Napoli play at Manchester City and they made a real impression in their organisation and their use of counter-attacks. They play like an Italian team inasmuch as they only attack three times per half, but when they are in and around the box they are remarkably efficient and they always finish well. They are very intelligent.
I think they can achieve something good with the whole city of Naples behind them. They're like Marseille in that respect. I'm not surprised that Sergio Agüero has adapted so quickly to the English game. Actually, he is made for English game, he relishes physical battles, he uses his body perfectly and he is intelligent and cunning like many South Americans.
Bayern Munich are on the brink of going through from that group, so they won't have any more big European matches until the end of February when they will have Bastian Schweinsteiger back - that will make them very hard to beat.
Bayern are not a team you want to play if you qualify for the last 16. What's more the final is in Munich so they will be at home if they get there and that will increase their motivation.

Watch  this video

Who's bothered about the MLS Cup?

I've got to be honest - I've no real interest in the MLS Cup at all. And as for David Beckham getting to the final? I can't think there'll be too many people bothered about that.
It's not on the same level as the Premier League title, La Liga or Serie A, or the Champions League of course.
So given what Beckham has achieved in English and European football, I reckon the MLS Cup medal will slip in somewhere at the back of his trophy cabinet.
Beckham was a young kid coming through when I was at the end of my Manchester United career. He was a lively boy, from the East End of London like me, and he had a belief in his ability even then. He loved passing the ball, picking out the winning 60-yard pass. He was talented, even if in my opinion Paul Scholes was always the better player.
He was in love with Manchester United, and back then I wouldn't have predicted the globe-trotting career that he's had now. But then I never foresaw him getting involved with someone attempting to be a pop star, getting himself a pop agent rather than a football agent.
The spells in Spain, Italy and the US will have been good for his kids, an opportunity to travel, to experience things you could never teach in a classroom. And he'll have had plenty of good moments.
But overall? I do think he'll have regrets about his five years in the US. It was a big mistake, the timing of it. He still played for England, but at the end of his time it was more about Beckham the brand than Beckham the footballer.
I also think he'll have regrets about leaving Manchester United in 2003 in the way that he did. I think he knows his exit from Old Trafford was down to him, and he'll have to live with those regrets. We all have them.
What next for Beckham? There's talk about him playing at the Olympics, but maybe it's time to say, ‘I had a tremendous career, my international time is up.' England need to move forward. Capello left the door open for him to play in the Olympics, but I don't think he should even do that.
You want your three over-23s to have experience, but not so much that they can only play bit-part roles in the tournament.
At club level, maybe America is the place for him these days. He might get away with things there, where the standard is a bit lower.
I've heard the PSG rumours, but you have to be honest - they wouldn't be signing him for his energy. It's a brand thing for the Qatari owners. If the owners want to transform the club and French football, you need to try going for the likes of Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. You might not get them, but you aim high. Beckham is a name, but he won't transform the French league.
Besides, French football is usually quite quick, a game for the young players. Would he fit in? I very much doubt he'd play regularly.
If he goes to an English team, he's not going to go to a club that's challenging for major honours. And if that means the club are in a battle, I have my doubts about whether he'd want to handle that.
Spurs are linked, but he'd slow them down. They're about quick passes, and he can't play at a high tempo any more. To take Spurs further, Harry Redknapp should be looking for another Rafael van der Vaart-type, with years left in their career.
And QPR? They need a bit more than that because every game will be a scrap to make sure they stay up.
Whatever Beckham decides, I hope it's a long-term move. You can only move your children around so much, and the kids need stability. He's achieved a lot, but it's time for the next generation.

Premier League - Team of the Week: Ice-cool Icelander

Heidar Helguson's display against Stoke saw the QPR striker make the cut in our pick of the weekend's best players in the Premier League.

GK: Keiren Westwood (Sunderland)
Westwood is normally the third choice at the Stadium of Light, but based on this confident showing, you wouldn't know it. Always alert to stop Fulham from set-pieces, and made crucial saves when required.
RB: Glen Johnson (Liverpool)
With Micah Richards and Kyle Walker both pressing their case for the England right-back jersey, Johnson delivered a timely reminder of his qualities with a classy winning goal at Stamford Bridge.
CB: Jonas Olsson (West Brom)
A much-needed victory for West Brom, and Olsson was at the heart of it with a measured display at the back.
CB: Nemanja Vidic (Manchester United)
Manchester United seem to have lost some of their attacking verve in recent weeks but Vidic turned in another masterclass at the back in partnership with Rio Ferdinand.
LB: Leighton Baines (Everton)
Baines is impressing week-on-week at Everton, and showed composure to tuck away the winning penalty late on against Wolves. With Ashley Cole not at his best, Baines is a contender for the left-back berth at international level as well.
RM: Junior Hoilett (Blackburn Rovers)
A ray of light in a troubled season for Blackburn, Hoilett was a constant menace to the Wigan defence and despite there being some doubt about whether his goal should have stood, he was alert to make sure he put the ball in the net.
CM: Aaron Ramsey (Arsenal)
This was supposed to be the season that Jack Wilshere stepped up to run the Arsenal midfield, but Ramsey is filling the gap well with some increasingly assured performances.
CM: Jack Colback (Sunderland)
Colback has made himself a Sunderland regular this season, and was unlucky not to cap an industrious display against Fulham with a goal when his early effort bounced off the bar.
LM: Stephane Sessegnon (Sunderland)
Sessegnon was full of tricks and invention at the weekend, and unlucky to be part of a Sunderland side who couldn't quite get the win their performance merited.
FW: Heidar Helguson (QPR)
The Icelander netted a crucial brace and saw a third goal disallowed in a consummate all-action display, on a day even a nasty head wound early on couldn't slow him down.
FW: Robin van Persie (Arsenal)
Fast becoming a fixture of the Team of the Week, Van Persie keeps his place in the line-up with the brace which saw Arsenal turn a 1-0 deficit at Norwich into a 2-1 win.

Munich race to stay on calendar

The World Cup parallel slalom event in Munich will remain on the calendar for the next five years.

The inaugural competition at the Olympic Park proved a huge success and the International Ski Federation have announced a deal that will run through until 2016.
Over 25,000 fans attended the first staging on January 2 with next year's renewal, on the 200m long slope which ends at the bottom of the upper Olympic Lake, to be held on New Year's Day.

Premier League - Eagles torments Stoke in five-star Bolton win

Howard Webb was the early talking point at the Reebok Stadium before Chris Eagles caught fire to help Bolton collect their first home win of the season in the Premier League with a 5-0 mauling of a listless Stoke City

The World Cup final referee Webb penalised visiting goalkeeper Asmir Begovic for picking the ball up in the second minute of the match as Glenn Whelan was deemed to have passed the ball back.
It looked a harsh call, but Bolton were not for hanging around as Ivan Klasnic snatched the ball from the Stoke goalkeeper before taking a quick free-kick that saw Kevin Davies tuck the ball home with Begovic still debating Webb's earlier decision.
The visiting players surrounded the match official, but Begovic continued to toil as Bolton moved two goals ahead. He made a poor clearance from Robert Huth's passback, perhaps mindful that he would not pick it up after the earlier shenanigans.
Eagles promptly drove the ball beyond the exposed Begovic, who could not get back across his goal in time to keep the ball out on 23 minutes.
Bolton were clearly the brighter side, and moved three clear when Eagles played in Paul Robinson, who in turn found Klasnic to drive the shot into the net via a post from the edge of the box.
The home side moved 4-0 ahead when Eagles' raced onto a lovely pass from Klasnic to convert after Kevin Davies had played his part with a lovely cushioned header into the Croatian striker's path..
Klasnic completed the rout when David Wheater headed on Eagles's corner for Klasnic to nod home with Stoke looking out on their feet in their third game in six days.
The win for Bolton's ended a five-match losing run at home, and gives them a measure of revenge for the 5-0 loss they suffered in losing to Stoke in the semi-finals of the FA CUp earlier this year.
Stoke needed to address the issue of playing in the Europa League on Thursday and the Premier League on Sunday. This is the fourth time they have lost a match on the Sunday within days of played in Europe.
They have had a pretty forgettable week despite overcoming Maccabi Tel Aviv on Thursday having gone down 3-1 to Newcastle on Monday followed by this capitulation in Bolton.

Premier League - Al Habsi denied as Wigan slump to defeat

Wigan Athletic suffered an eighth consecutive Premier League defeat despite a goalkeeping masterclass from Ali Al Habsi in a 3-1 loss to Wolves at Molineux.

Al Habsi was desperately unlucky to be on the losing side as he pulled off a number of brilliant saves, most notably to deny Jamie O'Hara, only to see his side remain rock bottom of the table following another defeat.
Though Wigan did equalise through Ben Watson following O'Hara's opener - the Latics midfielder scoring from the rebound after Wayne Hennessey saved his initial penalty - goals from Stephen Ward and David Edwards secured a first win in nine league games for the home side.
Wigan were guilty of wasting a glut of chances but the margin of their loss would have been greater were it not for a superhuman effort from a goalkeeper who does not deserve to be playing in a side with five points from 11 games.
Manager Roberto Martinez may also have to deal with fall out from the FA after defender Antolin Alcaraz appeared to spit at Wolves' Christophe Berra.
Both sides were suffering from chronically poor form heading into the contest and Mick McCarthy had admitted that Wolves needed to get the fans on side early in proceedings if they were not to suffer more abuse from the stands at Molineux.
Wolves certainly started quickly when Kevin Doyle nicked the ball away from Steve Gohouri and saw a firm effort turned behind by Al Habsi. Just minutes later, Stephen Hunt honourably stayed on his feet when Al Habsi's arm knocked him off course in the box, the result being that Wolves were unfortunately denied a clear penalty due to the midfielder's honesty.
Hunt was influential in the early stages as he sprinted with enthusiasm across the surface of the Molineux turf, and one cross from the Irishman found Edwards in the centre of the box. However, the Welshman was unable to force Al Habsi into a save with his header.
Wigan, bottom of the table and short of ideas, looked in danger of being overwhelmed but rallied thanks to some miserable defending from the home side. One sloppy pass almost resulted in Franco Di Santo getting a shot away, while another saw Mohamed Diame take possession and square for Hugo Rodallega, who produced a weak finish that Hennessey smothered.
Worse was to follow for the Colombian. After 31 minutes he was played in by a quite glorious angled pass from Di Santo but, after escaping the clutches of Christophe Berra and despite having the goal at his mercy, he poked the ball wide when it looked easier to score.
Wigan were punished for the glaring miss inside 35 seconds as Wolves charged up the other end of the pitch and took the lead when Doyle's cut-back was met by an emphatic close-range finish from O'Hara.
Martinez must have been apoplectic but any anger was assuaged on 42 minutes when the Wolves defence was exposed once again. Right-back Emmerson Boyce was the unlikely figure driving into the penalty box and, after Ward had touched him, Hunt finished the job with a stupid challenge to bring the Wigan defender to ground.
A penalty was rightly awarded and Watson was relieved to tuck home the rebound after Hennessey saved his initial attempt from 12 yards.
If Hennessey was unfortunate to concede having saved a penalty, then on 55 minutes Al Habsi suffered an even more outrageous slice of misfortune. Karl Henry drove into the box and cut back for Hunt, who was denied by a brilliant reaction stop from the keeper. O'Hara seemed perfectly placed to head in the rebound, only to see Al Habsi then throw out an arm and claw out the attempt to make a frankly unbelievable save.
It was reminiscent of David Seaman's famous stop against Sheffield United's Paul Peschisolido in an FA Cup semi-final in 2003 - a save that was said in one newspaper to "defy time and gravity". Cruelly though, Al Habsi could not withstand a third attempt in succession as Edwards turned the rebound home.
The Wigan keeper suffered a similar fate on 66 minutes. After Ward set Jarvis free with an outrageous spinning back heel, Edwards was denied by a block and then O'Hara forced Al Habsi into another good stop. However, Ward had sauntered into the box to drive a deflected effort home for 3-1.
Remarkably, Al Habsi was not done yet. On 70 minutes O'Hara played a deep free-kick into the box where Berra was lurking. The Scot's header appeared destined for the back of the net until Al Habsi extended his left arm and produced a wonderful reflex save. Berra could only look on in disbelief.
Hennessey was even reduced to applauding himself as he watched Al Habsi's masterclass, but the Wolves keeper had to be smart when Wigan substitute Conor Sammon twice went close in the closing stages. Hennessey then saved from Gohouri and saw Diame smack a shot into the side netting.
The final minutes were marred by a nasty incident as Wigan defender Alcaraz appeared to spit at Wolves counterpart Berra as both sets of players clashed. The incident is likely to merit closer investigation by the FA.

Champions League - Behind Enemy Lines: Villarreal bruised but not beaten

We see what lies in wait for British clubs in the third round of Champions League group games with Manchester City visiting Villarreal.

Group E: Chelsea visit Genk on Tuesday
The Belgian side, hammered 5-0 by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last time out, have secured only one point from three games in Group E after enjoying a home draw with Valencia in matchday one.
While Chelsea suffered a 5-3 home defeat to Arsenal on Saturday, Genk were also involved in a classic as they triumphed 5-4 away at Club Brugge.
Genk were 4-2 down with 18 minutes remaining but orchestrated a remarkable comeback that was capped when Kevin De Bruyne scored a late winner to complete his hat-trick.
De Bruyne was a Chelsea for target over the summer and his first senior treble will have only increased the likelihood of the Blues returning with an offer for him in future.
Mario Been's side had lost five of their six previous games and had only scored four in seven before triumphing in dramatic circumstances. The victory puts them in sixth place in the Belgian top flight, ten points behind leaders Anderlecht.
Club Brugge coach Adrie Koster lost his job as a result of the 5-4 loss, but Been was delighted with the spirit shown by his side. "I had predicted that this would be an open match," he said. "This gives us confidence for the next matches."
Group F: Arsenal host Marseille on Tuesday
Despite suffering a difficult season on the domestic front, Marseille were top of Group F until Aaron Ramsey scored an injury-time winner in France on October 19. They currently sit one point behind Arsenal in second.
L'OM started the season in disastrous form and were bottom at one stage in September, but a 3-2 win at Dijon on Saturday - secured thanks to an 82nd minute winner from Alou Diarra - gave Didier Deschamps's side a third consecutive victory in all competitions.
Striker Loic Remy was on target after only one minute - his fifth goal in 12 Ligue 1 games this season - while midfielder Benoit Cheyrou added a second after 11 minutes.
Though he failed to score at the weekend, Ghana international Andre Ayew has five goals in six games and with his pace and potency is likely to be the most obvious threat to an Arsenal side that still has real issues in defence.
Saturday's win took Marseille ninth in Ligue 1, although they are already 14 points behind leaders Paris Saint-Germain, and witnessed a tactical tweak as Deschamps changed from 4-3-3 to 4-4-2.
"It's part of my thinking," Deschamps said following the win. "We can play 4-4-2. I saw the match at Stamford Bridge, [Arsenal] conceded three goals but the three in the middle and up front have many qualities."
Group A: Manchester City visit Villarreal on Wednesday
The Yellow Submarine are bottom of Group A with three defeats in three in what has been a traumatic campaign for the Spanish club. City are four points ahead in third, with Napoli on five points and Bayern Munich seven.
However, Villarreal ended a run of seven games without a win in all competitions, and seven defeats in 12, courtesy of a 2-0 home win over Rayo Vallecano on Saturday. Midfielders Bruno Soriano and Borja Valero were both on target at El Madrigal.
Injury problems threaten to halt any possible resurgence in its tracks though, particularly with star striker Giuseppe Rossi ruled out for six months due to a cruciate ligament injury last week.
Influential midfielder Cani strained a knee ligament in the win over Rayo and will be out for six weeks, while forward Marco Ruben and midfielder Marcos Senna will also miss the visit of City on Wednesday.
Villarreal are currently sat in 13th place in La Liga, just two points clear of the relegation zone and 11 short of fourth-place Valencia. Some supporters have called for the dismissal of coach Juan Carlos Garrido but he remains hopeful they can turn a corner.
"Winning is important for everyone because we needed it," Garrido said after the Rayo victory. "Obviously we are happy to win, but we've had major injury problems ... I think the team has shown such courage throughout the match."
Group C: Manchester United host Otelul Galati on Wednesday
The Romanian club sit bottom of Group C after losing all three of their matches so far and scoring just once in the process. Benfica lead the way with seven points, while Manchester United have five and Basel four. United won 2-0 in Romania last time out.
Otelul - winners of the Romanian league last season - are currently in eighth place in their domestic table after winning only five times in 12 matches.
However, they did triumph 1-0 at home to Gaz Metan Medias on Friday and will enjoy an extra day's preparation than United for Wednesday's fixture at Old Trafford. Cristian Sarghi scored the only goal of the game after 46 minutes.
The result means Dorinel Munteanu's Otelul have now won three games in a row in all competitions, although by a single goal each time.

Premier League - Ferdinand 'strong feelings' in Terry race row

After submitting a statement to the Football Association, QPR defender Anton Ferdinand says he has "strong feelings" regarding alleged racist abuse by Chelsea captain John Terry.

However, the defender will not be elaborating or making any further public statements until the governing body concludes its investigation into the incident.
On Tuesday, the FA announced that it had launched a probe into allegations that Terry racially abused Ferdinand during last Sunday's west London derby at Loftus Road.
"Today (Monday 31st October 2011) I finalised my statement with the Football Association with regards to the incident that occurred last Sunday at Loftus Road in our Barclays Premier League fixture against Chelsea," Ferdinand said in his statement.
"I have very strong feelings on the matter, but in the interests of fairness and not wishing to prejudice what I am sure will be a very thorough enquiry by the FA, this will be my last comment on the subject until the enquiry is concluded.
"I would like to thank the club, Tony Fernandes, Amit Bhatia, Neil Warnock, the supporters and my fellow professionals for their unwavering support."
Terry denied the allegations in a statement in which he claimed there had been a misunderstanding and he was responding to a perceived accusation from Ferdinand that he had used a racist slur. The statement read: "I thought Anton was accusing me of using a racist slur against him. I responded aggressively, saying that I never used that term."
It continued: "I would never say such a thing and I'm saddened that people would think so. I have known Anton for a long time and spoke to him about it after the game and there was no problem between us."
It is understood Ferdinand does not recall any exchange with Terry in which he accused the England captain of racially abusing him.
Rangers boss Neil Warnock confirmed on Friday Ferdinand had spoken to the FA. QPR owner Tony Fernandes has reiterated that the club fully supported their player.
Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas has also said the Chelsea players are behind Terry. He said: "All of the players have been quiet about it because we know what happened. Nothing happened, so there is nothing to discuss."
Both players endured tough afternoons as they returned to action this weekend.
Terry scored but slipped in the run-up to Arsenal's fourth goal as Chelsea lost 5-3 at Stamford Bridge. Ferdinand, meanwhile, was in the QPR team which was overwhelmed in a 3-1 defeat by Tottenham at White Hart Lane.

Premier League - Ba treble sends Newcastle third

Demba Ba's hat-trick fired Newcastle United to a 3-1 win over Stoke City and into third place in the Premier League.

The visitors took advantage of a limp Stoke showing in the first half to build a two-goal lead, with the Senegalese striker clinical from close range and punishing the side that but for a failed medical he might have joined in January.
Stoke were much-improved in the second half, and got themselves back into the game with a quarter of an hour remaining when Jonathan Walters blasted home a penalty.
But Newcastle were awarded a spot-kick of their own five minutes later and Ba sent Asmir Begovic the wrong way to wrap up his third, and with it the match for the Magpies.
The win extended Newcastle's unbeaten run to 10 games, and leaves them just a single point behind Manchester United and three clear of Chelsea.
Stoke remain 11th, and begin a week of three tricky fixtures in inauspicious fashion.
Cheik Tiote missed out for Newcastle, with Danny Guthrie given the task of filling the Ivorian's boots in central midfield.
Newcastle took the lead 12 minutes in after a quiet opening to the match. It was a direct goal, with Tim Krul's long ball going straight to Leon Best, who flicked the ball on for Gabriel Obertan. The Frenchman played a delightful cross in for Ba, who simply had to make contact to beat Begovic.
Stoke tried to push forward in response but they were nullified by some disciplined defending which prevented the Potters wing pair of Jermaine Pennant and Matthew Etherington making any progress.
And under the pressure the hosts made mistakes.
Ryan Shawcross's slip let Ba loose on the edge of the box, but Begovic rushed out immediately to clean things up.
Shawcross clearly tweaked something, because just moments later he was substituted, with Matthew Upson replacing him.
The Potters were not helped by injuries - they also lost Marc Wilson, bringing on Robert Huth before the interval, but seemed subdued despite home form which had seen them lose just one of their last 13 matches at the Britannia Stadium.
Newcastle doubled their advantage five minutes from half-time. Upson did a poor job of heading away Fabricio Coloccini's cross from deep, and the ball fell into Best's path. He scuffed his shot, but it went straight to Ba for another simple close-range finish.
Clear chances were thin on the ground after the break, but Stoke had most of the possession and pressured Newcastle with a barrage of set-pieces and Rory Delap throws from a variety of awkward angles.
Huth flashed a header over the bar from a corner on 53 minutes when he ought to have hit the target, and when Delap fired in a flat, low throw which Walters stepped over, the ball could have gone anywhere, but was eventually scrambled safe.
It needed referee Mike Dean's intervention to give Stoke their lifeline, with Ba turning villain to bring down the ineffective Peter Crouch. It was a soft incident, but a hard-struck penalty from Walters brought the crowd alive.
Stoke had come back from two goals down in the Premier League on this very date two years ago, but there was to be no repeat this time, as five minutes later the visitors were handed a soft penalty of their own.
Best did not even fall to the ground competing with Huth to reach a long throw, but Dean spotted a push and pointed to the spot.

 

Champions League - Rooney shortlisted for Ballon d'Or

Wayne Rooney has been shortlisted for this year's FIFA Ballon d'Or award and is the only English representative.

The candidates for the accolade were announced by FIFA on Tuesday with the Manchester United forward the English representative.
The final decisions will be made by the captains and head coaches of international teams, in addition to international media representatives selected by France Football.
Sir Alex Ferguson is also in contention for an award as the United manager finds himself among 10 coaches shortlisted for the FIFA World Coach of the Year.
FIFA and France Football will whittle the respective shortlists down to three nominees on December 5 at an event in Paris.
The second FIFA Balon d'Or ceremony will take place in Zurich on January 9, 2012.

London 2012 - Baulch: Rooney has hope in rubbish 400m

Olympic silver medallist Jamie Baulch believes Martyn Rooney has a chance of success in what he describes as a 'rubbish' 400m standard.

The 24-year-old paid the price for a change in his training this season failing to make the final of the 400m at his fourth World Championships in Korea in August.
Rooney clocked a season's best of just 45.30seconds in the heats in Daegu, with the Croydon Harrier quickly bemoaning a decision to work primarily on speed this year.
And Baulch, who won Olympic 4x400m relay silver in Atlanta in 1996, is adamant Rooney will benefit from going back to his tried and trusted methods in the build up to next year's Olympics.
"Martyn needs a really consistent training regime between now and 2012," Baulch said.
"He tried to focus on a lot of speed work this year and it didn't really happen for him. He was a bit unsure of himself and he really lost his way in terms of pacing his races and judging them tactically.
"So he needs to get back to what he does best. He's got the talent but it all depends on his winter and his coach and what they come up with because now is the time.
"It's no good saying 'oh I'm number one in Britain' or even 'I'm number one in Europe' - we need to be looking beyond that now, we can't be settling."
Rooney's 2011 best is exactly seventh tenths of a second shy of his lifetime best of 44.60 - ran on the way to reaching the 400m final at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, where he finished sixth.
However, with the world leading 400m time having got progressively worse year on year since 2007, Baulch believes that if Rooney can rediscover his rhythm, success can be forthcoming.
"To be perfectly blunt the standard in the 400m at the moment is rubbish and someone like Martyn has got the talent but he needs to get his head right and put some serious training in," he added.
"If he does that then why can't he get a medal in London? He's run 44.6 before so he needs to believe in himself and I really think he could break the European record and go 44.3 and under."

Premier League - Corinthians 'close' to cut-price Tevez deal

Corinthians have claimed they are on the verge of a cut-price deal for Manchester City's Carlos Tevez.

The Brazilian club's president Andres Sanchez has said an agreement for the Argentine "is close" for less than half the amount offered during the summer.
Sanchez said: "Tevez is close to joining Corinthians, though many people do not believe it. Before the offer was €40m, now the figure is €18m."
Corinthians appear determined to take advantage of the breakdown in Tevez's relationship with City manager Roberto Mancini.
On Tuesday the club fined him four weeks' wages - close to £1 million - after finding him guilty of five breaches of contract, including a refusal to warm up during a Champions League game against Bayern Munich.
The striker is thought to be considering legal action against Mancini, who claimed the player refused to play - which Tevez denies.
However, City insist they will not allow Tevez to leave the club on the cheap.
A spokesman said: "I can confirm that, following a phone call between Roberto and the chairman, the club's formal position is that no offer for Carlos will be considered unless it reflects true market value."
Tevez played for Corinthians between 2004 and 2006, when he signed for West Ham in a controversial move that broke the Premier League's third-party ownership rules.

League Cup - Chelsea omit Terry from Everton game

Team news and manager quotes ahead of Everton's Carling Cup fourth-round clash with Chelsea at Goodison Park.



TEAM NEWS
Everton midfielder Jack Rodwell is set to play after having the red card he was shown against Liverpool rescinded but the Toffees will be without Dutch defender Johnny Heitinga and striker Victor Anichebe. Boss David Moyes could hand teen sensation Ross Barkley another chance to impress. Tim Cahill and Louis Saha could return to the Everton starting line-up with Moyes set to make changes to his side.
John Terry has not travelled to Merseyside as he fights off accusations of racism. Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas will be unable to call on suspended trio Didier Drogba, Jose Bosingwa and Ashley Cole, the former two having been sent off and the latter picking up a fifth yellow card of the season against QPR at the weekend. But Fernando Torres is again available for selection having served his three-match suspension for his red card against Swansea. The likes of Romelu Lukaku, Josh McEachran, Oriol Romeu, Ryan Bertrand, Salomon Kalou, Florent Malouda, Alex and Paulo Ferreira will all be expecting to feature at Goodison Park.
MANAGER QUOTES
David Moyes: "This result (the 3-1 win over Fulham) doesn’t change what we are aiming for. But if you look back at our history we have tended to get better the longer the season goes on and I’m hoping that will be the case again.”
Andre Vilas-Boas: "I’m not happy with the difference of treatment (by the referee in Sunday's defeat to QPR). I don’t think the same treatment was applied. The ref was poor, very very poor. Conspiracy theories can lead to bans, lead to you calling us cry babies. We’re not. But it keeps happening.”
MATCH ODDS
Everton 2/1, Chelsea 13/10, Draw 12/5.