Oliver Holt Trinity Mirror Trinity Mirror 2012-02-08T09:47:42Z 2012-02-07T21:02:07Z Ask me a few questions about English football and I'll give you a few answers. Favourite stadium? Anfield, for a night game. Favourite current players? Jamie Carragher, Steven Gerrard and Craig Bellamy would all be among them. Favourite characters from the history of the game? Bill Shankly and Matt Busby. Favourite pundits? Well, Alan Hansen, Graeme Souness and Mark Lawrenson are a few, alongside Gary Neville and Lee Dixon. Favourite football quote? Tommy Smith on Shankly: “If there was no fo...

Ask me a few questions about English football and I'll give you a few answers. Favourite stadium? Anfield, for a night game. Favourite current players? Jamie Carragher, Steven Gerrard and Craig Bellamy would all be among them. Favourite characters from the history of the game? Bill Shankly and Matt Busby. Favourite pundits? Well, Alan Hansen, Graeme Souness and Mark Lawrenson are a few, alongside Gary Neville and Lee Dixon. Favourite football quote? Tommy Smith on Shankly: “If there was no fo...

2012-02-07T21:02:07Z 2012-02-05T20:28:41Z 2012-02-05T22:29:20Z Rio Ferdinand gave an interview to the BBC’s ­Football Focus programme on Saturday. He spoke eloquently and fluently. But when he was asked if he felt much progress had been made in the fight against racism in English football in the last 20 years, he paused for a few seconds. “I almost feel I have been fooled a little bit over the years,” said Ferdinand. “Look back to the days when John Barnes and the other guys were playing and all the stuff they had to deal with – bananas on the pitch etc....

Rio Ferdinand gave an interview to the BBC’s ­Football Focus programme on Saturday. He spoke eloquently and fluently. But when he was asked if he felt much progress had been made in the fight against racism in English football in the last 20 years, he paused for a few seconds. “I almost feel I have been fooled a little bit over the years,” said Ferdinand. “Look back to the days when John Barnes and the other guys were playing and all the stuff they had to deal with – bananas on the pitch etc....

2012-02-05T22:29:20Z 2012-01-31T18:38:22Z 2012-01-31T22:30:58Z So, should Sir Alex Ferguson do the decent thing? That's the question. Should he roll out the red carpet at Old Trafford and then stand back and applaud as Jose Mourinho strolls in on it. That is what many seem to be saying: That Mourinho's apparent availability at the end of this season makes now the perfect time for Ferguson to quit. For the good of the club he ought to do it, they say, as if the eye-gouging demagogue of the Bernabeu represents a noble cause. The logic seems to be this: Tha...

So, should Sir Alex Ferguson do the decent thing? That's the question. Should he roll out the red carpet at Old Trafford and then stand back and applaud as Jose Mourinho strolls in on it. That is what many seem to be saying: That Mourinho's apparent availability at the end of this season makes now the perfect time for Ferguson to quit. For the good of the club he ought to do it, they say, as if the eye-gouging demagogue of the Bernabeu represents a noble cause. The logic seems to be this: Tha...

2012-01-31T22:30:58Z 2012-01-31T18:38:42Z 2012-01-31T22:29:49Z Why Fergie must not rush to make way for Mourinho  Why United have to be worried by nervous De Gea and ANOTHER surprise from Craig Bellamy  I admire Joey Barton both for the way he has taken control of his life and transformed his image. His contribution to the BBC3 programme, Britain's Gay Footballers, on Monday night, and his willingness to talk about the issue as it related to his family was brave and thought-provoking. Then, on Tuesday, the QPR captain was published on the opinion pages ...

Why Fergie must not rush to make way for Mourinho  Why United have to be worried by nervous De Gea and ANOTHER surprise from Craig Bellamy  I admire Joey Barton both for the way he has taken control of his life and transformed his image. His contribution to the BBC3 programme, Britain's Gay Footballers, on Monday night, and his willingness to talk about the issue as it related to his family was brave and thought-provoking. Then, on Tuesday, the QPR captain was published on the opinion pages ...

2012-01-31T22:29:49Z 2012-01-31T18:38:53Z 2012-01-31T22:28:54Z Why Fergie must not rush to make way for Mourinho Why Joey Barton has earned my admiration, Craig Bellamy's monastic life and fingers crossed for Ravel Morrison  I hope that David de Gea overcomes his current problems at Manchester United because he is clearly a talented goalkeeper. But he looked so desperately nervous and short of confidence at Anfield on Saturday that it is hard to see how Sir Alex Ferguson will be able to persist with him. He was partly at fault for Liverpool's first goal...

Why Fergie must not rush to make way for Mourinho Why Joey Barton has earned my admiration, Craig Bellamy's monastic life and fingers crossed for Ravel Morrison  I hope that David de Gea overcomes his current problems at Manchester United because he is clearly a talented goalkeeper. But he looked so desperately nervous and short of confidence at Anfield on Saturday that it is hard to see how Sir Alex Ferguson will be able to persist with him. He was partly at fault for Liverpool's first goal...

2012-01-31T22:28:54Z 2012-01-24T21:37:38Z 2012-01-24T21:37:38Z When Kenny Dalglish first managed Liverpool, he fought valiantly against the fading of their great domination of English football. So valiantly, in fact, no one noticed it had been lost until he left. It has fallen to him to try to recapture Liverpool’s crown 20 years on. Set against that historical context, it is probably the biggest job in the English game. Some have started to doubt him. The Luis Suarez T-shirts his players wore didn’t help. The one Dalglish wore himself helped even less. ...

When Kenny Dalglish first managed Liverpool, he fought valiantly against the fading of their great domination of English football. So valiantly, in fact, no one noticed it had been lost until he left. It has fallen to him to try to recapture Liverpool’s crown 20 years on. Set against that historical context, it is probably the biggest job in the English game. Some have started to doubt him. The Luis Suarez T-shirts his players wore didn’t help. The one Dalglish wore himself helped even less. ...

2012-01-24T21:37:38Z 2012-01-24T21:37:33Z 2012-01-24T21:37:33Z Manchester City should be applauded for playing ­hardball with striker and former captain Carlos Tevez. Tevez has lost £9.3MILLION during City dispute  The Argentine star has defied all advice and sense by ignoring what remain of his responsibilities towards the club. But the overriding feeling is one of sadness that it has come to this, that a fine player should seem intent on turning himself into a pariah. City appear to be in the mood to let Tevez rot. But for their sake and for his, I ho...

Manchester City should be applauded for playing ­hardball with striker and former captain Carlos Tevez. Tevez has lost £9.3MILLION during City dispute  The Argentine star has defied all advice and sense by ignoring what remain of his responsibilities towards the club. But the overriding feeling is one of sadness that it has come to this, that a fine player should seem intent on turning himself into a pariah. City appear to be in the mood to let Tevez rot. But for their sake and for his, I ho...

2012-01-24T21:37:33Z 2012-01-24T21:37:30Z 2012-01-24T21:37:30Z I appreciate that Arsenal fans pay a lot of money for their tickets at The Emirates and they have a right to shout at whoever they want. But I still found it depressing to see so many of them standing up and screaming abuse at Arsene Wenger on Sunday afternoon. Taking off Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and bringing on Andrey Arshavin didn’t turn out to be a masterstroke but did it really warrant the outpouring of venom that Arsenal fans directed at their manager. Wenger is one of the greatest figure...

I appreciate that Arsenal fans pay a lot of money for their tickets at The Emirates and they have a right to shout at whoever they want. But I still found it depressing to see so many of them standing up and screaming abuse at Arsene Wenger on Sunday afternoon. Taking off Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and bringing on Andrey Arshavin didn’t turn out to be a masterstroke but did it really warrant the outpouring of venom that Arsenal fans directed at their manager. Wenger is one of the greatest figure...

2012-01-24T21:37:30Z 2012-01-22T21:05:47Z 2012-01-22T21:02:47Z In the seconds leading up to the final whistle, the sweeping curves of the Emirates were filled with screams and jeers. The brave new world that Arsene Wenger built by the Holloway Road was filled with the noise of his own fans baiting him. “Sit down, Wenger,” they yelled, their faces contorted with disillusionment and disappointment as their manager berated the fourth official over something. “Don’t blame anyone else.” One man, a few rows in front of the press box, stood up and jabbed his fi...

In the seconds leading up to the final whistle, the sweeping curves of the Emirates were filled with screams and jeers. The brave new world that Arsene Wenger built by the Holloway Road was filled with the noise of his own fans baiting him. “Sit down, Wenger,” they yelled, their faces contorted with disillusionment and disappointment as their manager berated the fourth official over something. “Don’t blame anyone else.” One man, a few rows in front of the press box, stood up and jabbed his fi...

2012-01-22T21:02:47Z