Mirror Football

Riera's broadside at Rafa's 'sinking ship'

2010-03-18T01:36:48Z

Liverpool midfielder launches scathing attack on Benitez regime

Capello concerned Chelsea slump is affecting form of Terry and Lampard

2010-03-17T18:40:37Z

England boss surprised how ordinary his stars looked against Inter Milan

Troubled Chelsea star Terry runs over security guard

2010-03-18T00:04:00Z

Police question former England skipper after accident

Chelsea planning dream team pairing of Drogba and Torres

2010-03-18T00:55:35Z

Carlo Ancelotti is ready to table a £50million bid for the Liverpool striker

Tottenham boosted by Bentley return

2010-03-17T15:41:58Z

Fit-again winger poised to face Stoke as he sets his sights on England World Cup call

Rafa: 'I have a vision'

2010-03-17T18:34:05Z

Benitez predicts a bright future for Liverpool

Wolves star Hahnemann targets survival and a new deal

2010-03-17T18:06:35Z

US keeper will automatically earn a new contract if Midlanders stay in Premier League

Clichy: Bring on Barcelona

2010-03-17T17:50:23Z

Arsenal star wants a Champions League final showdown with Thierry Henry

Dowie: 'I'll do it My Way'

2010-03-17T17:09:46Z

But new Hull boss will only be singing from the rooftops if Tigers survive

Dowie will net £1million for four wins

2010-03-17T17:12:50Z

Hull chief sets new boss survival target to pocket huge bonus

Abramovich will stick with Ancelotti and bankroll £140million summer spree

2010-03-17T18:29:45Z

Owner desperate to inject young blood into ageing Chelsea squad

Drogba vows to end Champions League pain

2010-03-17T15:34:48Z

Banned striker promises Blues fans he will achieve Euro redemption

Carew: Milner can replace Beckham for England

2010-03-17T16:26:02Z

Villa striker backs his team-mate to star at World Cup

Premier League's £20m cash lifeline for potless Pompey

2010-03-17T20:02:02Z

Bosses hand over TV and parachute money early

Interest grows in QPR's Alejandro Faurlin

2010-03-17T19:35:11Z

West Londoners face battle to keep Argentinian midfielder

Caldwell beats the baby blues

2010-03-17T16:46:36Z

Wigan boss Roberto Martinez hails defender after starring show against Villa

Gary Johnson faces Bristol City axe

2010-03-17T19:23:05Z

Manager to pay price for relegation form

Villa target £9m deal for Spurs ace - Exclusive

2010-03-18T00:09:46Z

Manager Martin O'Neill wants to steal Robbie Keane from former club Celtic

Song: 'Belief is the key to title challenge'

2010-03-17T17:54:01Z

Arsenal star insists Gunners never know when they are beaten

Fletcher warns United: 'Don't write off Liverpool'

2010-03-17T17:58:46Z

Old Trafford ace wary of threat posed by Merseyside giants

Benitez tells big name stars: 'Be like Reina'

2010-03-17T17:45:34Z

Liverpool boss calls for others to follow suit and commit to Anfield

McCann return boosts Burnley

2010-03-17T21:18:17Z

Burnley’s relegation battle has been boosted by the return to fitness of Chris McCann.

Zamora: 'I've silenced the doubters'

2010-03-17T17:40:49Z

Born-again striker has confounded the Fulham critics who wrote him off

Injured guard: Terry was blameless

2010-03-17T22:31:04Z

Security guard Steve Rowley insists he does not blame captain John Terry for the leg injuries he sustained in a car accident following Chelsea's Champions League defeat to Inter Milan.Rowley, Chelsea's deputy security manager, issued a statement through the club in which he was quick to absolve Terry of any responsibility for the incident. The 29-year-old's Range Rover hit the club official as he left Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night."Contrary to media reports I've been reading, I did not suf...

Shearer backs under-fire Walcott

2010-03-17T22:31:04Z

Alan Shearer insisted Theo Walcott deserves to go to the World Cup with England.Walcott came in for strong criticism from former England winger Chris Waddle, which was supported by former national team boss Graham Taylor, following a disappointing performance in the friendly against Egypt earlier this month.But Shearer told BBC Radio Five Live: "I would have thought that David Beckham would have gone to the World Cup, and I assume that if Aaron Lennon is fit and playing well he will be, so I ...

Strike duo inspire Newcastle

2010-03-17T22:31:02Z

Andy Carroll and Peter Lovenkrands teamed up once again to fire Newcastle 12 points clear of third-placed Nottingham Forest in the race to the Barclays Premier League with a 3-0 win over Scunthorpe. Carroll struck 10 minutes into either half to take his tally for the season to 14. Lovenkrands had reached this figure earlier with his 22nd-minute effort, as relegation-threatened Scunthorpe wilted in the face of an onslaught at St James' Park. The Magpies, who had scored 18 goals in their previo...

Dunne late show ends Exeter run

2010-03-17T22:31:02Z

James Dunne sealed Exeter's first win since January with a last-minute goal in a 1-0 win against Bristol Rovers. The midfielder headed in at the near post from Ryan Harley's corner kick to claim a much-needed three points for Exeter in their battle to avoid relegation. The Grecians are now just point from safety behind fifth-bottom Tranmere.Rovers came closest to scoring in the first half when Byron Anthony let fly from 35 yards.His shot screamed past Paul Jones in the Exeter goal, but cannon...

Deeney tirade could prove costly

2010-03-17T22:31:03Z

Walsall assistant manager Martin O'Connor has warned Troy Deeney over his public outburst and accused him of being unprofessional.The striker questioned his team-mate's commitment after their 2-0 defeat at Leyton Orient at the weekend, claiming some would be lucky to earn new contracts. O'Connor says the 11-goal top scorer's criticism came out of the blue and has not ruled out boss Chris Hutchings fining the 21-year-old."I'm sure the manager will take it in hand and deal with it in his way. T...

Messi brace puts Barca through

2010-03-17T22:31:02Z

Lionel Messi staged another masterclass to power holders Barcelona into the quarter-finals of the Champions League following their 4-0 (5-1 aggregate) victory over Stuttgart.Messi struck a brilliant opener after just 12 minutes to put Barca on track, and then played a key role as Pedro Rodriguez made it 2-0 soon after as the Catalan giants built a 3-1 aggregate lead.Messi, who was a constant menace, added a third on the hour mark to take his tally to eight goals in the last four games before ...

Bordeaux battle into quarter-finals

2010-03-17T22:31:02Z

Bordeaux survived an unlikely Olympiacos fightback to book their place in the Champions League quarter-finals following a 2-1 (3-1 aggregate) victory at the Stade Chaban Delmas.Yoann Gourcuff's superb free-kick gave Bordeaux an early lead and the France midfielder saw another set-piece come back off the frame of the goal as visiting goalkeeper Antonis Nikopolidis struggled to cope with his delivery and there looked no way back for Olympiacos when Matt Derbyshire was sent off in the 60th minut...

Newcastle 3-0 Scunthorpe: The Daily Mirror match report

2010-03-17T23:09:07Z

Deadly Toon take revenge

Broadfoot faces final disappointment

2010-03-17T21:31:06Z

Rangers full-back Kirk Broadfoot looks set to lose his battle to be fit for Sunday's Co-operative Insurance Cup final.Broadfoot missed Sunday's Active Nation Scottish Cup quarter-final against Dundee United after suffering a hamstring strain in training last Friday. It was hoped he would recover in time to face his former club St Mirren at Hampden, but assistant manager Ally McCoist has revealed the 25-year-old is almost certain to join fellow defender Madjid Bougherra on the sidelines.McCois...

Lyon chief shocked at Govou comments

2010-03-17T22:21:04Z

Lyon presidential advisor Bernard Lacombe is "shocked" at Sidney Govou's announcement that he wants to leave, insisting the winger "does not have the right" to attack the club.Govou, who has spent his entire career at Lyon, stunned fans on Wednesday morning when he launched a scathing attack on the club and Claude Puel, revealing he has no relationship with his coach. And Lacombe has been left stunned by the 30-year-old's comments."Sidney's comments are regrettable. When you know the lad like...

Del Piero still harbours World Cup hope

2010-03-17T22:21:04Z

Alessandro Del Piero is hoping to improve his chances of making Italy's World Cup squad by firing Juventus into the last eight of the Europa League on Thursday. The Bianconeri go into Thursday night's match against Barclays Premier League side Fulham with a 3-1 lead from the first leg in Turin. Del Piero was absent from that match but is expected to face the Cottagers on Thursday after scoring twice in Juve's 3-3 draw with Siena on Sunday. "I'm still very hopeful of making the squad," said th...

Drogba: Chelsea have to come back stronger

2010-03-17T22:01:04Z

Didier Drogba provided a frank assessment of Chelsea's Champions League exit and is only hopeful there is more to come from the current squad in the competition.Drogba accepted Inter Milan deserved victory on Tuesday night and is hoping Chelsea can now recover to regain the Barclays Premier League title."On the night they were a better team, we couldn't play our game and they were stronger than us," he said. "We are disappointed but we have to come back stronger because the league is going to...

Deuchar delighted with back-to-back wins

2010-03-17T21:31:04Z

St Johnstone striker Kenny Deuchar hopes the club can build on back-to-back wins to ensure they are looking up the table rather than down in the weeks ahead. The Perth outfit followed up Saturday's late 2-1 victory at Falkirk with another triumph against a disappointing Aberdeen on Tuesday night. The 29-year-old said: "We are delighted. That is what we were aiming for, two wins on the bounce. It's great and it looks positive for the rest of the season. It's a nice feeling."He added: "It's alw...

Charnley envious of St Mirren's Hampden chance

2010-03-17T21:31:04Z

Chic Charnley will keep away from Rangers coach Kenny McDowall ahead of Sunday's Co-operative Insurance Cup final at Hampden in case he jinxes St Mirren's chances of glory.Celtic supporter Charnley was a team-mate of McDowall at the Paisley club in the early 1990s and keeps in touch via ticket requests for Old Firm games. The former Partick, Dundee and Hibernian midfielder laughed as he admitted he will not be making any phone calls this week. "I'm a pal of Kenny McDowall and he gets me ticke...

Andronikou: Storrie must take some blame

2010-03-17T22:31:02Z

Portsmouth's administrator Andrew Andronikou claims former chief executive Peter Storrie must bear part of the blame for the crisis that has engulfed the club.Andronikou was speaking after the Premier League confirmed a nine-point deduction as a sanction for Portsmouth going into administration, action that should guarantee relegation. Storrie, who is still acting as an advisor for the club, called the deduction "terribly unfair" but Andronikou said the former chief executive must take some r...

Davenport leaves Hammers

2010-03-17T22:31:02Z

Calum Davenport had his West Ham contract terminated by mutual consent.The 27-year-old has not played since sustaining substantial leg injuries in a stabbing incident last October, although he had recently returned to training.A West Ham spokesman said: "After what has been a traumatic period of time for Calum, we feel that it would be in his best interests to allow him an opportunity to put what has been a difficult few months behind him and restart his career afresh."Davenport's contract wa...

Reina calls for player investment

2010-03-17T22:31:03Z

Liverpool goalkeeper Jose Reina has echoed team-mate Fernando Torres' calls for significant investment in players to make the club title challengers again. At the weekend, Torres said the club needed to sign four or five quality players in the summer and intimated a failure to do so could lead to him considering his long-term future. And, although Reina feels similarly about the need to progress, he has no qualms about committing his own long-term future to the club. Asked how long it could b...

Rocky counted out at Hillsborough

2010-03-17T22:31:01Z

Sheffield Wednesday have cancelled the contract of Rocky Lekaj by mutual consent.

The Norwegian winger has made just six first-team appearances in all competitions since being awarded a professional contract by the Owls in 2007.

A club statement read: "Sheffield Wednesday would like to wish Rocky the best of luck for his future career."

Dowie targets long-term Hull stay

2010-03-17T22:31:02Z

Iain Dowie hopes to be at Hull beyond the end of the season after being appointed manager of the Barclays Premier League strugglers.The 45-year-old was unveiled as the successor to Phil Brown, who was sacked on Monday with the Tigers second from bottom of the league following last weekend's injury-time defeat by Arsenal.He said: "I'd like to see my future here for the long term. It's about me producing results - that is the game we are in."Wednesday's appointment marks a return to the game fo...

Monday date for Mexico friendly

2010-03-17T18:21:06Z

England's penultimate friendly before the World Cup, against Mexico at Wembley, will be played on Monday, May 24 at 8pm.Fabio Capello had hoped FIFA would relax their rule on when warm-up games could be played to allow the match to take place 24 hours early.However, the FA have now confirmed a Monday fixture for England's last home game before departure for South Africa.The game has been arranged to provide England with some opposition from the CONCACAF region ahead of their opening Group C e...

Demichelis disappointed by Ballack

2010-03-17T22:21:04Z

Bayern Munich defender Martin Demichelis has criticised his former team-mate Michael Ballack for his reaction to a collision which left the Argentinian with several broken bones in his face.The pair came together in an accidental clash in the international friendly between the South Americans and Germany earlier this month.Although Demichelis refused to blame Ballack for his injuries, he is disappointed the Chelsea man had not been in touch since to inquire about his well-being and said: "He ...

More losses for Rovers

2010-03-17T22:31:01Z

Tranmere have announced an operating loss last year of nearly £1million at the club's annual general meeting.The pre-tax figure is based on accounts for the year ending June 30, 2009, with the club also revealing an increased turnover to over £3m. The loss is bigger than 2008's figure, which stood at £438,000 with an almost identical turnover.Rovers chairman Peter Johnson, who blamed the loss on the lack of player sales, told the Liverpool Echo: "Operating expenses were reduced by £112,00...

Brady to meet athletics chiefs

2010-03-17T18:21:05Z

West Ham vice-chairman Karren Brady was on Wednesday meeting UK Athletics chiefs to discuss the future of the 2012 Olympic Stadium.UKA confirmed that Brady was holding talks with their chairman Ed Warner over the club's hopes of transforming the venue into a Barclays Premier League stadium after the Games.The meeting comes ahead of the publication of an Olympic Park Legacy Company document inviting expressions of interest in the stadium's future use.West Ham had hoped to gain sole use of the ...

Moratti reveals Mourinho's secret

2010-03-17T22:21:04Z

Inter Milan boss Jose Mourinho was hailed by his club president, players and the Italian media after masterminding victory over his former club Chelsea.The "Special One" oversaw "The Perfect Night" according to Gazzetta dello Sport, while Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack admitted there was "no answer" to Inter's performance at Stamford Bridge.Inter president Massimo Moratti told Press Association Sport: "He is very good and very professional. The secret about Mourinho is that he is very se...

Bristol City to sack Johnson in the morning - Exclusive

2010-03-17T16:20:34Z

Manager will pay the price for poor recent run

Cooper signs new Hull deal

2010-03-17T18:21:05Z

Hull defender Liam Cooper has signed a new three-year-deal, the Barclays Premier League strugglers have confirmed.

The 18-year-old made his senior debut in the Carling Cup clash against Swansea in August 2008.

He has since made two Premier League appearances for the Tigers, including the 2-1 defeat by Arsenal last weekend.

The announcement coincided with the unveiling at the KC Stadium of Iain Dowie as the new Tigers boss following the sacking of Phil Brown.

Mills apologises for crowd gesture

2010-03-17T22:31:01Z

Reading defender Matt Mills has issued an apology to supporters for his behaviour in the closing stages of Tuesday's 1-0 win over QPR.Mills made a gesture towards a section of supporters who had jeered him for misplacing a pass and has been disciplined by manager Brian McDermott.He told the club's official website: "There are no excuses for what I did and I'm sorry for my reaction. I was out of order, but nothing like that has ever happened to me before and I was wrong. I've been around the g...