Blackpool harpoon Chopra denominate to give attestation in £750,000 white lady attempt complicate assert dope hattery

Blackpool harpoon Chopra denominate to give attestation in £750,000 white lady attempt complicate assert dope hattery

Blackpool striker Michael Chopra will be called to give evidence in a £750,000 cocaine trial involving an alleged drugs factory on Wearside, a court has heard. 
Prosecutors claim £50,000 found in the foot-well of a Jaguar car by detectives investigating alleged ring members in 2010 was drug money. 
But Newcastle Crown Court heard yesterday the cash belonged to former Newcastle, Sunderland and Ipswich star Chopra, who had turned to loan sharks to cope with his crippling gambling debts and was trying to pay them back.

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Cabaye for Champions League? He's not goods a gurgle, he can do that here! Toon stud Pardew embrace *'s canvassing

Cabaye for Champions League? He's not goods a gurgle, he can do that here! Toon stud Pardew embrace *'s canvassing

Alan Pardew is glad Yohan Cabaye says he wants to play in the Champions League and insists he can do it at Newcastle United.
The France international was quoted on a French radio station last week saying he has ambitions to return to Europe’s top competition after playing in it for former club Lille.
He missed out on the competition two years ago after winning the double in France because he moved to Tyneside.

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Moyes pleased by five * United, but knob is magnet even improve days are to coming

Moyes pleased by five * United, but knob is magnet even improve days are to coming

David Moyes claimed the best is yet to come from his Manchester United team after seeing them rack up their biggest away winning margin in the European Cup for more than 50 years.
United's 5-0 demolition of the much-fancied Bayer Leverkusen qualified Moyes' team for the knock-out phase of the Champions League with a game to spare and was their most comprehensive away win in the various guises of the competition since a 6-0 drubbing of Shamrock Rovers in 1957.
Moyes, though, is not satisfied and warned his team's Barclays Premier League rivals that United will keep on improving throughout the winter.

David Moyes: To come to Germany and win 5-0 is excellent

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Flamini agrees to respect Arsenal tradition and stop slashing his shirt sleeves

Flamini agrees to respect Arsenal tradition and stop slashing his shirt sleeves

Arsenal believe Mathieu Flamini will abide by the club’s shirt-sleeve rule in future after Tuesday night’s furore.

The combative midfielder found himself at the centre of controversy for cutting the sleeves off his jersey — and in doing so flouted a directive Arsenal players have respected since the 1920s.

The match-day captain chooses the length of sleeves to be worn but Flamini rebelled before the Champions League game against Marseille game.

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Messi is still the world's best player... maybe I can be No 2! says Sergio-Aguero

Messi is still the world's best player... maybe I can be No 2! says Sergio-Aguero

Sergio Aguero believes his Argentina team-mate Lionel Messi is still the best player in the world.
The Manchester City striker has ambitions to become one of football's top players but says that, for now, the number one spot is firmly in the grasp of his countryman.
Aguero and Messi first played together as teenagers and have since become two of the most feared attackers in the game.

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Enrique first choice to replace under-fire AVB with Swans boss Laudrup Plan B

Enrique first choice to replace under-fire AVB with Swans boss Laudrup Plan B

Former Roma coach Luis Enrique is the shock name in the frame at Tottenham if they decide to pull the trigger on Andre Villas-Boas.
Enrique, now back in Spain with La Liga strugglers Celta Vigo, worked with Spurs director of football Franco Baldini in Rome.
The former Barcelona B coach had been earmarked for the top job at the Nou Camp but quit for Serie A.

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Toure banned for final Champions League group match after cynical chop

Toure banned for final Champions League group match after cynical chop

Yaya Toure will miss Manchester City’s final Champions League group match following a scything challenge which earned a yellow card during the dying embers of their 4-2 victory over Viktoria Plzen.
The midfielder chopped down Roman Hubnik in the 92nd minute to pick up the booking which means he will serve his one-match suspension before the knockout stages begin.
Toure had only entered the action in the 65th minute with the score at 1-1 and he made an immediate impact, helping to lay on City’s second for Samir Nasri.

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Arsenal keep tabs on Spurs target Morata as Wenger eyes January loan move for Madrid striker

Arsenal keep tabs on Spurs target Morata as Wenger eyes January loan move for Madrid striker

Arsenal are being kept updated on the availability of Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata.
The 21-year-old striker, who is also a target for Tottenham, may be allowed to leave on loan in January.
And Arsenal, who are also watching Schalke’s talented 18-year-old midfielder Max Meyer, are interested in the Spain Under-21 international as they look to bolster their forward options in the new year.

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United and Liverpool will allow prospects to head out to Football League but Devils winger Zaha stays put

United and Liverpool will allow prospects to head out to Football League but Devils winger Zaha stays put

Manchester United and Liverpool will let two of their prospects join Championship clubs before the loan window closes on Thursday - but Wilfried Zaha is staying at Old Trafford.
Wigan Athletic are confident of finalising a deal for United’s England under-21 forward Will Keane, whose recent progress at Old Trafford has been delayed by injury.
And Liverpool’s 19-year-old forward Adam Morgan is set to move to Yeovil with the deal being made permanent in January.

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Now referees are caught up in betting storm as 'fixer' claims match officials can be bought for £20,000

Now referees are caught up in betting storm as 'fixer' claims match officials can be bought for £20,000

Referees have now become embroiled in the explosive match-fixing scandal that continues to blight the landscape of British football.
Six men have been arrested as part of a National Crime Agency investigation into alleged match fixing – linked to Asian betting syndicates - in English non-League football.
The alleged match fixer, who was among the six arrested on Tuesday night after being secretly filmed by The Telegraph, was also recorded claiming he would pay referees across Europe for £20,000.

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Sturridge says playing for England is more important than Liverpool

Sturridge says playing for England is more important than Liverpool

Daniel Sturridge has no regrets about making the England appearance that prevented him starting the Merseyside derby and insists he would do the same again.
Though Sturridge ultimately salvaged a point for Liverpool with a last-gasp header, Brendan Rodgers was left disappointed when Sturridge indicated he wasn’t fit to begin the game at Goodison Park despite playing 90 minutes for England against Germany.
Having missed the 1-0 defeat to Chile, Sturridge only participated briefly in one training session with England and his physical and mental condition on returning to Melwood last week left Rodgers vexed, ahead of Liverpool’s most significant game of the campaign.

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Everton defender Baines faces up to six weeks on sidelines with broken toe

Everton defender Baines faces up to six weeks on sidelines with broken toe

Everton defender Leighton Baines sustained a broken toe in Saturday's Merseyside derby and could be out for up to six weeks.
The England international was forced off early in the second half and although he left Goodison Park walking unaided - despite being given some crutches to use - he went straight for an x-ray on his right foot.
After assessment the Toffees' medical team cannot put a definitive timescale for the left-back's recovery, with it estimated to be between 10 days and six weeks.

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City still paying Adebayor £40,000 a week... to sit on the Spurs bench

City still paying Adebayor £40,000 a week... to sit on the Spurs bench

Even for someone as wealthy as Sheik Mansour, the sight of Emmanuel Adebayor charging around in a Tottenham shirt on Sunday must have been galling.

The frequency with which Manchester City’s forwards struck against a woeful Spurs defence would have softened any sense of frustration. But the mere fact that he is also paying the guy playing up front for the opposition cannot sit terribly easily with City’s owner.

Adebayor represents an expensive mistake and continues to cost City a fortune every week, some three years after he last kicked a ball for them. It has been reported that City are still paying £95,000 a week of the £170,000 Adebayor stood to earn if he simply sat on his backside in the reserves, with Tottenham making up the difference after paying a purchase price of only £5million.

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Messi is always asking me about City, claims Zabaleta

Messi is always asking me about City, claims Zabaleta

Manchester City fans might find it intriguing to know that Lionel Messi is interested in what life is like at the club.
Pablo Zabaleta revealed that he often talks to the Barcelona superstar about how things are at the Etihad.
The Argentine pair used to live close together - when Zabaleta used to play at Espanyol, who play only 8.5km away from the Nou Camp.

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Asernal situation this season looks bleak Wenger has run out of excuses

Asernal situation this season looks bleak Wenger has run out of excuses

I have a good mate called Charlie who is, believe it or not, an Arsenal fan. He wants to believe they can win the title. He wants to say it out loud. But he can’t bring himself to do it.
‘I’ve been laughed at too much before,’ he says. So why are Arsenal fans reluctant to loudly back their team to win the title?
In August 2010 Arsene Wenger said: ‘Trust me, my team is ready to deliver!’ Arsenal sat second in the table, seven points behind Manchester United with a game in hand at the end of March that season. Wenger said they were ‘ready for the fight’. They won two of their last nine games (one of them against United) and won the ‘fourth-place trophy.’

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When the United star made his debut back in '91... and his first team-mates follow us on facebook.com/sporrtnewz

When the United star made his debut back in '91... and his first team-mates follow us on facebook.com/sporrtnewz

Phil Jones would struggle to recall team-mate Ryan Giggs's first ever game for Manchester United. The defender wasn't even born when the wing wizard first took to the field in that famous red strip as a 35th-minute substitute in United's 2-0 defeat to Everton on March 2, 1991 at Old Trafford.
Another current team-mate Nick Powell, on loan at Wigan, was also not born until three years after he replaced the injured Denis Irwin that afternoon, a player who would go on to win the treble with Giggs in 1999.

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Bendtner back in trouble after being arrested for kicking in door and smashing windows at gym in luxury block of flats

Bendtner back in trouble after being arrested for kicking in door and smashing windows at gym in luxury block of flats

Arsenal flop Nicklas Bendtner has been arrested on suspicion of criminal damage at his luxury apartment block.
Bendtner, 25, was held by police in Hertfordshire on Monday in connection with damage to an apartment building where he lives in the Bushey area.
Police said Bendtner has been cautioned - meaning he will not be required to attend court.

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Pochettino won't criticise Boruc after Saints keeper's costly blunder

Pochettino won't criticise Boruc after Saints keeper's costly blunder

Southampton manager Mauricio Pochettino refused to publicly criticise goalkeeper Artur Boruc after the Pole gifted Olivier Giroud the first of two goals as Arsenal ran out 2-0 winners at the Emirates Stadium.  
Boruc was embarrassingly caught in possession in his own penalty area after attempting a Cruyff turn, allowing Giroud to tap the ball into an empty net and hand Arsenal the lead after twenty-two minutes. 
The Saints' boss, however, maintains that his whole squad are still behind their goalkeeper, rejecting any suggestion that Boruc must apologise to his team-mates.

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Merseyside derby was my best experience in club football, claims Romelu Lukaku

Merseyside derby was my best experience in club football, claims Romelu Lukaku

Romelu Lukaku hailed the Merseyside derby as his 'best experience in club football' after a dramatic 3-3 draw at Goodison Park.
Philippe Coutinho opened the scoring for Liverpool after just five minutes but Kevin Mirallas had Everton level three minutes later before Luis Suarez restored the lead.
A second-half brace from Lukaku then looked to have handed the Toffees all three points but substitute Daniel Sturridge snatched an equaliser with a minute to go.

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Rodgers fumes after Mirallas escapes with a yellow after horror lunge on Uruguayan

Rodgers fumes after Mirallas escapes with a yellow after horror lunge on Uruguayan

Liverpool striker Luis Suarez was again at the centre of a flashpoint in Saturday’s Merseyside derby — but this time he was the victim.
Suarez was left with two studmarks on the side of his knee and blood  trickling down his leg after a horror tackle by Everton forward Kevin Mirallas during a pulsating 3-3 draw at Goodison Park.
Liverpool medics were involved in a heated row with Everton players as they sought to treat the Uruguay striker, and Anfield manager Brendan Rodgers was staggered referee Phil Dowd allowed Mirallas to escape with a yellow card.

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Ronaldo's United move isn't dead yet, Benteke could be the answer to Arsene's problem

Ronaldo's United move isn't dead yet, Benteke could be the answer to Arsene's problem

David Moyes' admission that Manchester United still believe they can lure Cristiano Ronaldo back to Old Trafford should not surprise Grapevine readers.
And while the prospect of a move being achieved in January is highly unlikely, a deal after next summer’s World Cup finals to sign Ronaldo IS on the agenda.
At the start of the season this column revealed the main reason United’s summer activity in the transfer market had been 'off the pace' was because the club genuinely felt that they could land Ronaldo for this season so the funds had been set aside.

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Cardiff striker Campbell reveals Ferguson used a weapon to keep United youngsters in check

Cardiff striker Campbell reveals Ferguson used a weapon to keep United youngsters in check

Former Manchester United youngster Fraizer Campbell has revealed that Sir Alex Ferguson used a rather unusual technique to ensure his young players behaved and it involved something a bit sharper than a hair dryer.

The 26-year-old claims that Ferguson would pull out a sword during youth team meetings and tell them they'd get the sword if they didn't act as professionals.

Now with Cardiff, Campbell spent 12 years playing through the United youth system before eventually being sold to Sunderland for £5million in 2009.

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Balotelli hints at Milan exit after missing penalty

Balotelli hints at Milan exit after missing penalty

Mario Balotelli confused his followers again on Sunday by tweeting 'this is the end' hours after missing a penalty in AC Milan's 1-1 draw with Genoa.
However, six hours later he sent out another tweet in Italian which read: ‘Forza Milan comunque e sempre.’ Which translates as 'Go on Milan, no matter how and forever'.

End of the road? Mario Balotelli missed a penalty for struggling AC Milan in the 1-1 draw with Genoa

Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport speculated that Balotelli could have been referring to a possible transfer in the January window or that he was hinting that Milan's beleaguered coach Massimiliano Allegri could face the sack.

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Lucky basketball fan banks $20,000 after amazing shot during half-time show - and Jay-Z and Beyonce are there

Lucky basketball fan banks $20,000 after amazing shot during half-time show - and Jay-Z and Beyonce are there

One lucky basketball spectator enjoyed a night he will never forget as he banked $20,000 (£12,350) for a stunning half-court shot.
And, if the life-changing cash prize wasn’t enough, the half-court hero Brad Brucker earned a hand shake from music superstar Jay Z, who was sat courtside with Beyonce.
The incident happened during half-time in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s NBA game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday night.

 

Lucky basketball fan banks $20000 after stunning half-court shot

Whatsmore, the successful shot from half-court was the second in as many Thunder home games after Cameron Rodriguez also hit the $20,000 jackpot during Monday’s 115-113 victory over the Denver Nuggets.

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Henry spotted back at Arsenal training ground as league leaders prepare for Saints clash, Master is back again

Henry spotted back at Arsenal training ground as league leaders prepare for Saints clash, Master is back again

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has been training with his old club as they prepare for their Premier League clash against Southampton.
The striker is currently on an MLS winter break and his club New York Red Bulls have several weeks off.
Henry played for eight years at Arsenal, scoring a 226 goals in all competitions. He also came back on loan during the 2011/12 season where he netted once.

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Suarez and Baines make my Merseyside XI, but which other Everton and Liverpool stars are there?

Suarez and Baines make my Merseyside XI, but which other Everton and Liverpool stars are there?

These teams are never easy to select. I’ve changed my mind a couple of times. And I’ve ended up with a team to attack – and not one that Jose Mourinho would send out to win 1-0 on its travels.
If I was a manager, this would be my best XI. I’m feeling bold. This team would have a solid base but also a bit of dare and the golden ticket would be Luis Suarez. Let me know the eleven you would pick from Merseyside’s finest.
I like what Roberto Martinez is doing at Everton and Liverpool are most certainly a better side this season than they were last season. Take a look at my line-up.

The gaffers: Everton's Roberto Martinez (left) and Liverpool's Brendan Rodgers go head-to-head on Saturday

Merseyside derby: Red or Blue?

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Liverpool are a bigger club than Chelsea, I'm NOT a selfish player and there's nothing like a Merseyside derby

Liverpool are a bigger club than Chelsea, I'm NOT a selfish player and there's nothing like a Merseyside derby

Daniel Sturridge has claimed that Liverpool are a bigger club than Chelsea and that he was never given an opportunity when he was in London.
The Liverpool striker, who has flourished this season with 10 goals in 13 appearances for his side, claims that accusations of selfishness in his play are also unfounded.
Sturridge was part of the Chelsea squad which won the Champions League in 2012, but he watched on from the bench while his team-mates beat Bayern Munich.

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Pellegrini flips as City boss refuses to answer any more questions on under-fire keeper Hart

Pellegrini flips as City boss refuses to answer any more questions on under-fire keeper Hart

Manuel Pellegrini lost his cool with the media at Manchester City's Carrington training ground and called a halt to questions about Joe Hart's uncertain future.
The City manager's famed unflappable façade suddenly slipped as he lost patience at being quizzed over whether Hart might return to the starting line-up after his performance for England against Germany in midweek.

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Why Everton boss Martinez is glad he said no to replacing Dalglish at Liverpool

Why Everton boss Martinez is glad he said no to replacing Dalglish at Liverpool

Roberto Martinez remembers the day well. Strolling down a boulevard in Miami alongside John W Henry, a Starbucks in hand, the prospect of managing Liverpool in the air.
When pictures emerged of Martinez and Henry in conversation, it seemed a fait accompli that he would replace Kenny Dalglish in May 2012. Not so. Regardless of how it looked, the reality was different. Martinez was never convinced he should leave Wigan for one of football’s biggest roles.

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Mourinho tells Barca to forget about signing Courtois and Ramires

Mourinho tells Barca to forget about signing Courtois and Ramires

Jose Mourinho has quashed any speculation that Ramires or talented young goalkeeper Thibault Courtois will leave Chelsea for Barcelona this summer.
Spanish newspaper Marca had reported the Chelsea manager would rather leave the Belgium No 1 on the bench than allow him to leave for the Catalan giants.
On loan with Atletico Madrid for the third successive season, Courtois has yet to mount a serious threat to Petr Cech for the No 1 jersey, despite being widely considered as one of the world’s most promising talents.

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Forget Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal... football’s kings of England remain Liverpool and Everton as Gerrard and co lead the way

Forget Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal... football’s kings of England remain Liverpool and Everton as Gerrard and co lead the way

Sir Alex Ferguson might have knocked Liverpool off their perch, but the wider population of Merseyside still has something to chirp about.
That’s because, in the ever shrinking world of favourable statistics, the two teams that will contest the Merseyside derby at Goodison Park on Saturday retain the edge when top-flight titles are apportioned by city.
The records show that the Merseyside side clubs have won the title 27 times between them in the 125 years of the Football League, versus the 23 achieved by their friends in Manchester.

SOS: Everton won't cop the full brunt of Liverpool's S&S attack as Daniel Sturridge may not join Luis

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Chelsea defender Cole faces late fitness test ahead of West Ham derby clash

Chelsea defender Cole faces late fitness test ahead of West Ham derby clash

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho will make a decision on Ashley Cole’s fitness on Friday ahead of the clash against West Ham at the weekend.

The left-back aggravated a rib injury in England’s defeat to Germany on Tuesday night and faces a late test to see if he will be ready in time.

Cesar Azpilicueta is on stand-by to deputise for Cole should he fail to prove his fitness.

Cole caution: Chelsea defender Ashley Cole aggravated a rib injury playing for England in midweek

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Messi hails rampant Ronaldo after fierce rival's hat-trick heroics for Portugal

Messi hails rampant Ronaldo after fierce rival's hat-trick heroics for Portugal

Barcelona star Lionel Messi has paid tribute to Cristiano Ronaldo's recent form.
The pair are widely regarded as the two best players in the world and while Messi collected his second Golden Shoe in a row this week after bagging 46 goals last season, it is Ronaldo who has been making the headlines recently.
The Real Madrid forward has scored hat-tricks in his last two matches at the Bernabeu and bagged an important treble to seal Portugal's place at next year's World Cup following their victory over Sweden in the two-legged play-off. Despite the two vying for the prestigious Ballon d'Or award, Messi had warm words for his great rival.

One-man band: Cristiano Ronaldo scored all of Portugal's goals in their 4-2 aggregate win over Sweden

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Atletico favourites to take Mourinho misfit De Bruyne away from Chelsea in January

Atletico favourites to take Mourinho misfit De Bruyne away from Chelsea in January

Chelsea's out-of-favour Belgium international Kevin de Bruyne is wanted by Atletico Madrid in January.
De Bruyne confessed this week that he may have to consider a mid-season move away from Stamford Bridge after failing to impress manager Jose Mourinho.
The 22-year-old midfielder, signed from Genk for £6.7million nearly two years ago, has played only five minutes in the Barclays Premier League since August and wants regular football to protect his place in the Belgium squad at the World Cup next year.

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Hodgson determined to move forward without recalling Terry for Brazil

Hodgson determined to move forward without recalling Terry for Brazil

Roy Hodgson has ruled out the idea of making an emergency World Cup call to John Terry.
Hodgson claimed he would rather ‘keep moving forward’ than coax Terry from his self-imposed international exile as suggested by former England defender and radio pundit Danny Mills.

‘John retired a long time ago, right at the start of our qualifying campaign,’ said England boss Hodgson.

Decision made: England boss Roy Hodgson has said he has no plans to recall John Terry to the England

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Draxler rules out January Arsenal move to concentrate on nailing World Cup berth

Draxler rules out January Arsenal move to concentrate on nailing World Cup berth

Julian Draxler has ruled out a move to Arsenal in the January transfer window because he wants to focus on playing regularly for Schalke ahead of the World Cup in Brazil.
But the Germany international admitted he had spoken to Mesut Ozil and Per Mertesacker about the north London club and heard only positive things – opening the door for a potential summer move.
The talented 20-year-old has been on Arsene Wenger’s radar for some time, with scouts watching him last season as he scored 10 goals in 30 Bundesliga games from attacking midfield.

Going nowehere: Julian Draxler has ruled out a move to Arsenal in January

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Ronaldo poised to land the Ballon d'Or as FIFA extend voting period

Ronaldo poised to land the Ballon d'Or as FIFA extend voting period

Cristiano Ronaldo has emerged as the favourite to win FIFA's prestigious Ballon d'Or award over rival Lionel Messi following the surprise decision to extend the voting deadline.
But it is understood that Ronaldo, who enhanced his case with his superb hat-trick in Portugal's World Cup play-off win over Sweden on Tuesday night, could boycott the Ballon d'Or ceremony in Zurich on January 13 in protest at comments by FIFA president Sepp Blatter.
The FIFA chief claimed the Real Madrid star 'spends more time at the hairdresser' when asked to compare him with Messi, though the FIFA chief did later apologise.
The move to put the voting deadline back to Novmber 29 and allow previous votes to be recast has been taken as a result of a 'low turnout of votes'.

Matchwinner: Cristiano Ronaldo netted a hat-trick against Sweden to secure Portugal's passage to Brazil

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Arsenal stunned as England ignore plea to rest midfield ace

Arsenal stunned as England ignore plea to rest midfield ace

Jack Wilshere is involved in another club versus country row after suffering an ankle injury against Germany.
The decision to play Wilshere on Tuesday night angered Arsenal because Arsene Wenger had requested his midfielder play in only one of the two internationals.
But having started against Chile on Friday night, completing 71 minutes, Wilshere then came on as a 64th-minute substitute as England chased the game against Germany. He took a hefty knock on his ankle, leaving Arsenal stunned that their plea was ignored.

On the ball: Jack Wilshere suffered a hefty knock to his ankle during England's game against Germany

It is not the first time Wilshere's fitness has been an issue between Arsenal and the FA. His availability for the European Under 21 Championship in 2011 was

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Martinez tells Barkley to regain early season Everton form ahead of Merseyside derby

Martinez tells Barkley to regain early season Everton form ahead of Merseyside derby

Roberto Martinez has urged Ross Barkley to banish all thoughts of going to the World Cup and concentrate on recapturing his early season swagger.
The Everton midfielder's emergence has been one of the themes of the season and he is so highly thought of by Roy Hodgson that he has been included in every squad the senior manager has named since September.

Bright future: Ross Barkley won his third cap at Wembley coming on as a substitute in the defeat to Germany

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More smiles for Strachan as Brown's blast settles scrappy affair Norway 0 Scotland 1

More smiles for Strachan as Brown's blast settles scrappy affair Norway 0 Scotland 1

Scott Brown's third goal for his country handed Scotland a 1-0 victory in their international friendly against Norway in Molde.
Ten years to the day since the Dark Blues had been hammered 6-0 by Holland as they crashed out of the Euro 2004 play-offs, Gordon Strachan's side gave another sign that they may once again be rediscovering their confidence on the international stage.
The home side had dominated the first hour at a freezing Aker Stadion but skipper Brown fired home a well-struck right-foot shot on 61 minutes to stretch the Dark Blues' unbeaten run to four games.
However the Celtic midfielder - currently serving a three match Champions League ban for kicking out at Barcelona superstar Neymar - was lucky to even be on the pitch at that stage after he kicked out at Norway defender Vegard Forren midway through the first period.

No mistake: Scott Brown (front left) fires through a crowd of bodies to open the scoring in Molde

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City made a mistake not signing amazing former United star Pogba when they had the chance, says Vieira

City made a mistake not signing amazing former United star Pogba when they had the chance, says Vieira

Manchester City made 'a mistake' not signing Paul Pogba for free when they had the chance.
Those are the words of their elite development manager Patrick Vieira as he watches his employers join a number of clubs interested in signing the Juventus and France star, whose future at the Italian club is still undecided.
Pogba left Manchester United on a Bosman free transfer under acrimonious circumstances in the summer of 2012, a move which prompted former United boss Sir Alex Ferguson to claim the player has 'no respect'.

How it could have been: Paul Pogba (left) mocked up in a Manchester City kit; City's elite development manager Patrick Vieira (right) says his team made a mistake in not signing the French star when they had the chance

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England 0 Germany 1 we didn't have a single shot on target they said

England 0 Germany 1 we didn't have a single shot on target they said

Apart from the traffic, the Germans simply adore it in London. Having taken to travelling around on the Tube, they have not lost in the city for nearly three decades. And neither have their reserves.
Sadly for England there is little consolation in this defeat. They escaped the sort of humiliation they suffered in South Africa but were still beaten by a team which would be flattered to be considered  Germany’s second-string.
Unlike the lesson from Chile on Friday, this did not come with the ready-made excuse of experimentation. And it will only intensify the pain for Roy Hodgson that his side were not torn to shreds on the counter-attack but beaten by a simple header by Per Mertesacker because they were unable to defend properly from corners.

Beaten: Joe Hart watches Per Mertesacker's header fly past him and nestle in the bottom corner

Rise and fall: Mertesacker beat Chris Smalling to the ball and headed past the helpless Hart

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Greeks survive freak own goal to seal qualification for Brazil 2014

Greeks survive freak own goal to seal qualification for Brazil 2014

Greece qualified for a second successive World Cup after another Kostas Mitroglou goal secured a 1-1 draw with Romania in the second leg of their playoff on Tuesday and a 4-2 victory on aggregate.
Mitroglou, who scored twice in Greece's 3-1 first-leg win on Friday, beat the offside trap midway through the first half and gave keeper Ciprian Tatarusanu no chance with his 22nd goal in all competitions this season.
Romania equalised 10 minutes after the break when Vasilis Torosidis struck the ball past his own goalkeeper, Orestis Karnezis, from the edge of the area for an astonishing own goal.

World Cup bound: Konstantinos Mitroglou (centre) of Greece celebrates his crucial opening goal

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en-man Croats secure place in Brazil after goal hero Mandzukic is sent off

en-man Croats secure place in Brazil after goal hero Mandzukic is sent off

Croatia secured their place in next summer's World Cup finals with a 2-0 victory over minnows Iceland on Tuesday.
Mario Mandzukic fired the home side ahead after 27 minutes but was given his marching orders just ten minutes later for a late challenge on Iceland winger Johann Gudmundsson.
The Bayern Munich striker's sending off briefly allowed Iceland back in the game but the away side went further behind at the start of the second half.

Listen up! Goal hero Mario Mandzukic wheels away to celebrate after his goal put Croatia ahead against Iceland

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Sakho and Benzema ensure rampant Les Bleus complete mission impossible France 3 Ukraine 0 (agg 3-2)

Sakho and Benzema ensure rampant Les Bleus complete mission impossible France 3 Ukraine 0 (agg 3-2)

Strikes from Mamadou Sakho and Karim Benzema, an own goal, a rampant French display and you wondered what all the fuss was about, really.
With their World Cup dream seemingly in tatters after the  2-0 defeat in Ukraine, France fought back with aplomb, ensuring it was cries of ‘Allez les Bleus!’ and not boos that filled the Stade de France.

Sensational: France's matchwinner Mamadou Sakho (left) celebrates with

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Ronaldo's incredible hat-trick kills Ibrahimovic's World Cup dream Sweden 2 Portugal 3

Ronaldo's incredible hat-trick kills Ibrahimovic's World Cup dream Sweden 2 Portugal 3

Sometimes words cannot do a deed justice but in Stockholm Sweden coach Erik Hamren filled the vacuum with a simple gesture.
On seeing Cristiano Ronaldo tear out his heart with his hat-trick goal, Hamren turned away. puffed out his cheeks and slowly shook his head.
His team had been felled by brilliance, as simple as that, and he knew it. At times there is nothing a coach or his players can do.

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