BBC SPORT | Phil Mcnulty

'Tormented' De Gea a great concern for Ferguson

Phil McNulty (BBC Sport) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 21:40:20 +0000

Patrice Evra's ordeal concluded with his Manchester United captain's armband tossed away in the despair of defeat on the Anfield turf. For David de Gea, the torment shows no sign of ending.

Evra, as the script inevitably dictated, played a pivotal role in events with the eyes of the football world trained on Anfield amid the fall-out from the Premier League meeting between Liverpool and United in October.

Liverpool's Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez watched from the stands with his family, suspended for eight games after being found guilty by the Football Association of racially abusing Evra, who took his place as a central character in the drama of this fourth round FA Cup tie.

Calls for calm from both camps fell on deaf ears in thousands of cases as Evra was subjected to constant jeering and taunts throughout - along with vociferous claims from Liverpool fans that, to phrase this politely, his evidence in the case was less than reliable.

Evra was booed throughout the match when he touched the ball. Picture: Getty

The abuse flowed to and fro between supporters but Evra coped coolly with his detractors until one fatal moment of hesitation allowed the satisfaction of leaving Anfield with at least a draw to escape him.

With two minutes remaining of what, for the large part, was a tepid encounter on the field Evra took his eye off Liverpool substitute Dirk Kuyt, allowing him to find Andy Carroll's flick and beat De Gea for the winner.

It gave Liverpool revenge for last season's FA Cup loss at Manchester United, extended a winless Anfield streak for Sir Alex Ferguson that stretches back to 2007 and allowed Dalglish to conclude a memorable four days with a winning smile.

Evra looked suitably devastated at the final whistle - but it will be the demeanour of young Spaniard De Gea that will cause even greater concern to Ferguson.

This was the goalkeeper carefully selected by Ferguson and his scouting team as successor to Edwin van der Sar when he finally stepped out of the game at the end of last season.

Too many good judges had earmarked the 21-year-old, who arrived for £18m from Atletico Madrid, as one of the game's outstanding young talents for him to be dismissed as a transfer bust after less than a season in England. He deserves more time and respect than this.

But it is also impossible to ignore the evidence of United's season and at this stage of his development he does not look physically or technically equipped for the demands of the Premier League. Every flaw was on show at Anfield.

Ferguson may now rue his decision to restore De Gea in place of Anders Lindegaard, but this - given the sub-plots swirling around Anfield - was certainly the arena in which to test exactly where his keeper currently stands under full examination conditions.

The results were not impressive and it would be a major surprise if he was not back on watching brief when United face Stoke City at Old Trafford on Tuesday.

De Gea's day started with a decent save from Maxi Rodriguez before descending at an alarming rate into indecision and uncertainty with hands and feet.

He was betrayed by bigger United figures in the penalty area when Daniel Agger headed Liverpool in front from Steven Gerrard's corner, but his abject failure to make his presence felt in what should be his territory made the Dane's task easier than it should have been.

And after Ji-Sung Park put United on terms and the game had entered a lengthy sterile period in the second half, De Gea offered some of Liverpool's best hopes of a goal with goalkeeping that bore all the hallmarks of a personality riddled with nerves and struggling desperately for confidence.

He sidefooted a routine clearance close to goal straight to Stewart Downing, who was possibly too surprised to make anything of the gift, then allowed a routine cross to slip through his hands for the needless concession of a corner.

These moments went unpunished but in the context of the game gave Liverpool - and their supporters - encouragement they were not receiving elsewhere on the pitch.

Indeed, he looked so shaky at one point in the second half that if he was an outfield player there would have been a compelling case to remove him from the action.

For long spells United controlled possession, with Paul Scholes treating the ball with the sort of loving care and attention normally only reserved for close relatives and friends. It was only when Scholes was removed, presumably tired, that Liverpool were able to build up a serious head of steam that ended in victory.

A glance at De Gea in his penalty area in the second half, alone with the action elsewhere, revealed a solitary, almost sorrowful, figure. He carried the body language of a player who is suffering a torrid time, the sort of experience he has not had before.

De Gea was backed by Sir Alex Ferguson after the game, despite his unconvincing performance. Picture: Manchester United

Ferguson retains faith in De Gea but mistakes, important ones, have occurred too often this season. If he struggles to make that slight, at least by modern goalkeeper standards, frame noticed in his area then at least his handling has to be secure.

Instead all parts of his game and physique look fragile. Too many good things were said about De Gea prior to his arrival for so many people to be wrong, so it may need a further period of adjustment, acclimatisation almost, before Ferguson sees the goalkeeper he thought he had bought.

It will be, however, a real test of the young man's character because the Premier League is an unforgiving environment and the standards at Old Trafford makes it even more unforgiving club than most.

Liverpool's win allowed them to make the journey from ignominy at Bolton to Wembley in the Carling Cup final and the FA Cup fifth round in seven days, ousting Manchester City and Manchester United along the way. The questions about manager Kenny Dalglish have been silenced for now.

The emphasis will shift to Ferguson with United out of the FA Cup, Champions League and, much less significantly of course, the Carling Cup. It is the Premier League and Europa League that will hold his attention now, with focus firmly on the former.

United simply do not carry the old steel that a Gary Neville or Roy Keane would give them, but the talk of serious difficulties must be placed in context as Wayne Rooney, Nani, Nemanja Vidic, Phil Jones, Ashley Young and others were absent here.

There can be no escaping the conclusion that Ferguson faces some serious questions about squad strengthening in the summer - and the questions about De Gea may have to be dealt with even sooner.

Bellamy haunts old club as Reds book Wembley ticket

Phil McNulty (BBC Sport) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 09:11:06 +0000

Craig Bellamy never had a price tag to justify when he returned to Liverpool from Manchester City in August - only a score to settle with himself after one previously unfulfilling season at Anfield.

When Bellamy left for West Ham United in 2007, his departure was largely met with the indifference reserved for a player who had given it his best shot at the club he loved but came up short.

In fact Bellamy's best shot is often remembered as the one he took at then team-mate John Arne Riise with a golf club on a team-bonding trip before a Champions League game in Barcelona, though differences were spectacularly settled as both scored in Liverpool's subsequent win at the Nou Camp.

So when Kenny Dalglish took advantage of Bellamy's broken relationship with Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini and offered the 32-year-old the opportunity to finish old business in the final hours before the transfer window closed, it was a deal without a downside.

Bellamy's strike earned Liverpool their first trip to Wembley since 1996. Photo: Getty

Dalglish strengthened a key area in his squad without having to dip further into the pockets of Liverpool's American owners and in return he got a striker bursting to take this unexpected second chance.

If this was effectively a free present from City to Liverpool, it is the gift that keeps on giving and its latest offering was the inspiration behind the club's return to Wembley for the first time since 1996 after an enthralling Carling Cup semi-final second leg.

Anfield reverberated to the sound of appreciation for Bellamy when he was substituted in the dying seconds of this 2-2 draw, 16 minutes after providing the highlight of an outstanding individual performance with the goal that took Liverpool back to the scene of old triumphs.

Bellamy not only took his latest club a step closer to ending a trophy drought stretching back to 2006, he punished the manager who made it clear there was no place for him at his evolving Manchester City.

The recent criticism aimed at Dalglish, and which he turned on his players after their lamentable display in defeat at Bolton on Saturday, has homed in heavily on the price he has paid to bolster his squad.

Andy Carroll, at £35m not even in Liverpool's starting line-up, Stewart Downing, Charlie Adam and Jordan Henderson have been subjected to varying degrees of scrutiny, as has Dalglish's use of funds provided by the Fenway Sports Group.

No-one can question the wisdom of the late deal to bring Bellamy back for another spell as he once against showed this has all the hallmarks of a move that will soon be viewed as a masterstoke.

It was not simply Bellamy's bursting energy or his non-stop nuisance value, it was the quality contained in his performance summed up by the decisive goal past world-class City keeper Joe Hart, who was in such prime form that it was going to take a strike of fine creation to beat him.

Bellamy gave the lie to the theory that dodgy knees make it impossible for him to play two games in a week and it would be a brave decision by Dalglish to leave him out of a third when Manchester United arrive at Anfield for an FA Cup fourth-round tie on Saturday.

He was still running with some vigour long after the final whistle, one of the last players to end an energetic warm-down in a deserted, rain-lashed Anfield.

City made a fight of it, twice taking the lead through Nigel de Jong and Edin Dzeko, only for Steven Gerrard's disputed penalty, given after Micah Richards unwittingly blocked Daniel Agger's shot onto his hand, and Bellamy's late strike to settle the issue.

Dalglish celebrated each goal with the trademark raised hands and beaming smile of his playing days - and even seemed a little emotional when referee Phil Dowd sounded his final whistle.

Over the two legs Liverpool were the better side. One glance at the worksheets of the respective goalkeepers told the tale on Wednesday. Hart was stretched throughout whereas Liverpool counterpart Pepe Reina did little apart from pick two goals out of his net.

The first serious doubts about Dalglish's return to Liverpool have been expressed during a recent frustrating run, but he knows better than anyone that silverware cures most ills and silences most critics.

This is not to suggest the questions were not valid. They were and no-one can mount a serious argument against the assertion that many of Liverpool's signings must do better, but a place in the Carling Cup final will settle the worries.

Liverpool may not yet be in shape to finish in the top four, but a trophy will keep the wolf from the door for a while yet and they will be heavy favourites against Cardiff City next month.

The Carling Cup dropped off Liverpool's radar in the years when the Champions League was on the agenda. The club, not so long ago, had bigger fish to fry but there will be no shortage of celebrations should Cardiff - and they have shown more than enough to suggest they will be dangerous - be beaten.

It is the opportunity, as Arsenal fans might tell you, to make a start after a period without success and offer up tangible evidence that Dalglish is doing something right. It is not the game's major trophy but is not to be sniffed at when you have gone through a period without one.

The Carling Cup is important to Liverpool as a potential trophy and as a showcase - not justification - for Dalglish's work.

And Dalglish has made it his business to have a serious crack at the Carling Cup. He has fielded strong sides from the early rounds and through away draws against Exeter City, Brighton, Stoke City and Chelsea. He has treated the competition with respect.

For City boss Mancini, once more bemoaning what he regarded as a poor refereeing decision, his attention will now be focused even more sharply on winning the Premier League.

How he will look forward to the return of captain Vincent Kompany after suspension. Mancini juggled his defensive formation, playing a three-man central formation perhaps designed to help the uncertain Stefan Savic.

It was a ploy that failed as Savic, a bag of nerves, was removed for his own good after 45 minutes and more normal service resumed.

This was a night that belonged to Liverpool and Dalglish could not resist suggesting that if Mancini had any more players like Bellamy that he did not want, he hoped he still had his telephone number.

After Mancini saw the player he pushed to the margins come back to haunt him, Dalglish should not expect a call any time soon.

Bruising Balotelli adds insult to Parker's injury

Phil McNulty (BBC Sport) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 19:47:52 +0000

At Etihad Stadium

"Why Always Me?" was the question posed on the T-shirt revealed by the human headline generator that is Mario Balotelli after he silenced Old Trafford's Stretford End in October's Manchester derby.

The 21-year-old Italian had scored City's first goal in the 6-1 rout of their neighbours and Premier League champions on their own turf just days after igniting part of his house with an ill-judged attempt to set off fireworks from the bathroom.

Balotelli was demonstrating an endearing ability to laugh at his own misfortune and turbulent personality. Pretty much everyone - United fans apart - laughed with him.

Sadly, for those who embrace the arrival of this wonderfully gifted young maverick to the Premier League there will be days when Balotelli is no laughing matter. And smiles were impossible to find among the Tottenham contingent at The Etihad on Sunday.

Balotelli's clash with Parker went unpunished by referee Howard Webb. Photo: Getty

The pain of losing to Balotelli's penalty deep into stoppage time after clawing back a two-goal deficit was bad enough in isolation. The fact that Spurs felt he should have been sitting in the dressing room as opposed to winning the spot-kick via Ledley King's foul before scoring it only added insult to injury.

Spurs manager Harry Redknapp's eyebrows shot north at an alarming rate when it was suggested that Balotelli's image was mainly that of a "lovable eccentric" - before graphically condemning an offence pretty much everyone who saw it felt warranted a red card.

Balotelli, on as substitute for Edin Dzeko, had already been booked for a foul on Benoit Assou-Ekotto when a routine tussle involving Scott Parker brought an initial accidental collision between his leg and the Spurs midfield man's head.

Only Balotelli will know the full scale of his intent in their second coming together, but it looked an altogether more sinister kick at Parker, leaving his opponent nursing a head wound and Spurs an obvious sense of grievance. He pleaded his innocence, with more generous souls suggesting it was simply an attempt to regain his balance gone badly wrong.

Referee Howard Webb took no action, leaving Balotelli free to win this vital game for Manchester City, who looked like having to settle for an unsatisfactory point after goals from Samir Nasri and Joleon Lescott were levelled up by Jermain Defoe's opportunism and a world-class Gareth Bale strike.

All Mario's life was here: The villain and the hero. It is the back story of his career and all evidence suggests this will be the constant narrative that could give T-shirt sellers a roaring trade for the next decade.

Balotelli represents the classic football dichotomy. The T-shirt was more or less a public admission of the chaos that characterises his life and career - and yet amid this chaos there is an ice-cool streak of composure that is completely at odds with this side of his personality.

Go back to the moments before he showed off his T-shirt at Old Trafford. Balotelli had scored the most perfectly executed passed finish beyond David de Gea amid the heat of a Manchester derby. It was not the act of a hothead but of a quick-thinking, calculating football mind.

And for someone whose previous behaviour suggests an inability to cope with pressure points or moments of confrontation, there was remarkable serenity in the defining moments of victory against Spurs.

For all the antics, Balotelli was calmness personified when it came to converting his spot-kick. Photo: Getty

With 20 seconds left, Balotelli was calm itself as he accepted responsibility for City's late penalty, with the Etihad fuelled by a cocktail of anxiety and expectation, before drilling a nerveless spot-kick past Brad Friedel for three points manager Roberto Mancini may treasure at season's end.

These are the moments Mancini accepted as the price on the ticket when he paid Inter Milan £24m to sign the youngster he knew so well in August 2010. He knew Balotelli was the highest of high-maintenance individuals but if high-maintenance also brought that title-winning edge he was willing to shoulder the burden.

Mancini's relationship with Balotelli is almost like father and son. The moments of exasperation are worth it for the joy he occasionally brings him and both have been offered up in equal measure.

The myths and legends have built up around Balotelli almost from the moment he arrived in Manchester. The lines between fact and fantasy have become increasingly blurred, with Mancini recently having to deny - with a smile on his face - claims that his player had been out on the streets of Manchester dressed as Santa Claus dispensing cash to passers-by.

There were even rumours that he had paid for those less fortunate than himself to use a luxury city centre hotel over the festive period. Earlier this month he parked his Bentley outside a Manchester school and popped in to use the toilet.

All good knockabout stuff, but it is on the field that the wisdom of Mancini's decision will be measured. There are no questions about his talent but plenty about the fragility of his temperament.

Balotelli was sent off, harshly in the view of most observers, at Liverpool in November but the red card was the culmination of an 18-minute appearance as substitute during which he appeared an almost unwilling participant in events, such was his obvious lethargy.

He suffered the ultimate humiliation at Anfield last season when he was so poor as a substitute that Mancini substituted him. And yet inside this complex, enigmatic figure lies a rare talent which his manager feels makes him worth all the time and trouble.

Balotelli is loved at the Etihad, a languid attacking contrast to the busy, world-class Sergio Aguero and the giant Dzeko. In among all the talents assembled by Mancini, Balotelli is the most combustible and unpredictable, but also an undoubted match-winner.

He can be a spectacular Premier League presence, the wild card who could help City claim the title for the first time since 1967/68. He is a godsend for those of us who observe in the media, for good and bad.

But there is a line that he can be tempted to cross, either by opponents willing to test his temperament or simply his own, occasionally wayward, approach. This is when the laughter and the indulgence will stop.

Balotelli might win City the title but there's a danger his unpredictability could potentially lose it for them.

Redknapp and Spurs were in no mood to see the funny side among the many sides of Mario Balotelli as they left Manchester feeling robbed of a point they believed they deserved. Why always him?

Coleman faces tough balancing act

Phil McNulty (BBC Sport) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 15:02:53 +0000

The raw emotion still lingering following the death of Gary Speed was a constant presence through what his successor as Wales manager Chris Coleman called "the most difficult press conference I'm ever likely to do".

Coleman took over from his former international team-mate, who died in November, knowing he faces key tasks even before he can get his feet comfortably under the table at the Football Association of Wales headquarters in Cardiff.

And during an inquisition he handled with great dignity and with the right degree of respect to predecessor Speed amid his own personal pride, Coleman was fully aware of the juggling act he must now perform.

The former Fulham manager must live with, as well as build on, the expectations lifted by the final few months of Speed's tenure when he took the first steps towards leading Wales out of the darkness with a young and rapidly maturing team.

Coleman was appointed the new Wales manager on Thursday. Photo: Getty

He must swiftly pull together a squad still mourning the manager who became their mentor and who still bear the scars of his loss, some of them very publicly.

And Coleman needs to address the concerns of Arsenal's Aaron Ramsey, the young Wales captain and a player of such talent that will be a vital component if he is to achieve the goals Speed set out for Wales before his death.

Others from within the Welsh camp, including Swansea's Ashley Williams, via his Twitter account, have offered public advice to Coleman to try not fix what they feel is not broken.

He must also decide the future of Speed's influential assistant Raymond Verheijen. The outspoken Dutchman was also seen to be keen for the status quo to remain and has significant support for his views and approach within the dressing room.

These are the conversations Coleman must have to set the platform for his time in charge, but he clearly has the full support of the FAW, who have also been very careful to show respect to the legacy of Speed while choosing the next manager.

So Coleman's task is to take the best Speed left behind, with an approach his players felt extremely comfortable and confident about, while putting his own stamp on an appointment he regards as the "highlight of his career - a calling".

It is a delicate balance but one Coleman is in shape to address, revealing he would meet Ramsey to discuss his worries and have those difficult conversations, but with the warning: "The tail can't wag the dog."

The dust has yet to settle on Welsh football after the death of their young manager - indeed it may never settle fully - but Coleman is ready to accept the challenge.

For Coleman himself, this unscheduled appearance as a manager at international level is also the opportunity to rehabilitate his own reputation following a career that started with fine work at Fulham but stalled amid political differences at Spanish side Real Sociedad after promising beginnings.

Coleman had a difficult time before being sacked at financially-troubled Coventry City and suffered difficulties at his last job with Larissa in Greece.

Despite the comments of the influential Ramsey and claims that veteran Craig Bellamy may need to be persuaded to continue his revitalised Wales career, Coleman is winning plenty of support from respected figures within football who recall how he led Fulham to their then highest Premier League finish of ninth in 2004.

Former Wales captain Kevin Ratcliffe told BBC Sport: "This is a sensible choice.

"We need a Welshman in charge and I do not think there were too many other candidates around who could come in.

"Chris is a good man and a proud Welshman, so he will be passionate about the job and want to carry on the good work started by Gary.

"I don't think there were too many candidates who were going to move from a club to take the job.

"Chris did very well with Fulham, he was available and he was obviously in the minds of the FAW when Gary got the job last time.

"He didn't have a great time at Coventry but that was more one of those things that he was there at a time when they were going through some tough times. Whoever has followed him hasn't done very well either.

"He will have a bit of work on his hands when he gets going and of course things won't be the same as they were under Gary because Chris will want to put his own stamp on it, but if we can keep keep things going as they were that would be fantastic.

"We have got a group of players who are maturing game by game and when you look at who is the best available with the credentials to do this job then Chris is a good choice who deserves support."

Fellow countryman Tony Pulis, also called for Coleman to be given support and time in his task, with the Stoke manager saying: "It is difficult due to the circumstances surrounding Gary, but Chris knew Gary very well and everybody in Wales will understand.

"He just needs a little bit of luck, a little bit of time as we all do. I think he will be given a bit more time and certainly a lot more grace. He's had great experience and he's worked in the Premier League for a long time.

"He'll know the players back to front as well. All the people who helped Gary, helped him get results while he was in the job, should get behind Chris now and the country can push forward."

Gerrard makes point on and off the pitch

Phil McNulty (BBC Sport) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 10:44:25 +0000

At Etihad Stadium

Roberto Mancini was probably heartily sick of the sight of Steven Gerrard even before the Liverpool captain took the fight to Manchester City's manager in the tunnel following the first leg of this Carling Cup semi-final.

Gerrard, returning to full fitness after 10 months of injury strife, led from the front during and after the 1-0 win that saw Kenny Dalglish's side seize an important advantage in their attempt to reach Wembley for the first time since 1996.

Fuelled by a sense of injustice about the tackle that resulted in a red card for Vincent Kompany in the FA Cup defeat by Manchester United on Sunday, Mancini complained bitterly about a similar offence committed by Liverpool's Glen Johnson on Joleon Lescott towards the end of this match in Manchester.

Johnson escaped any punishment, much to Mancini's annoyance. But the Italian, who even hurled away a packet of his beloved fruit pastilles during the second half to demonstrate his frustration, received no sympathy from Gerrard.

After scoring what turned out to be the winner from the spot after 13 minutes, the 31-year-old continued to lead from the front post-match by confronting Mancini and exchanging words with the Italian as some members of the media looked on.

Steven Gerrard scores from the spot. Photo: AP

How Liverpool striker Andy Carroll must wish such leadership came as easily to him as it does to Gerrard, who has moved effortlessly through the gears following his patient rehabilitation from groin surgery and an ankle injury.

Carroll, in contrast, has to deal with speculation about his future - suggestions of a return to Newcastle United were quashed in the most emphatic manner possible by Dalglish - and a fruitless search for form.

There is no lack of effort, simply a lack of confidence and quality. He never cut a convincing figure when put clean through early on, his shot easily blocked by Hart, and is knocked to ground far too easily for a young man of such stature.

In the eight-game absence of suspended Luis Suarez, this is Carroll's big opportunity to put down a marker at Liverpool, to at least start to answer the doubters. On this night, he did neither, although he was often so isolated that his colleagues may have needed the aid of a satnav to locate him.

No matter for Dalglish and Liverpool, though, as they and their fans left Manchester with the whiff of Wembley and a first trophy since 2006's FA Cup win in their nostrils.

For City, there was a second successive home defeat at the place where they were impregnable for so long - and the sense that their season is entering a crucial phase.
No-one should doubt this City side's spirit. They demonstrated that in victory against Liverpool in the Premier League last week and, quite spectacularly, in how they fought against adversity in FA Cup defeat against Manchester United.

Application was not absent on Wednesday, but the quality and sharpness that has featured in their rise to the top of the league table was. Try as they might to step on the gas, there was nothing under the bonnet.

Mancini will not garner much, if any, sympathy with complaints about lack of personnel or squad strength given the financial largesse of City's owners, but how they missed the suspended Kompany and Yaya Toure, who is away on international duty with the Ivory Coast at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Yaya Toure will be sorely missed but the removal of Kompany from the equation for another three games is arguably an even greater handicap. He is the team's leader as well as being a magnificent defender.

Stefan Savic fouls Daniel Agger. Photo: PA

The 21-year-old Stefan Savic, who conceded the penalty from which Gerrard scored, was uncertain and exposed as a rookie at this level, leaving Lescott looking less than assured. Lescott, as he did with Phil Jagielka at Everton, flourishes in a stable partnership and is diminished by Kompany's absence.

It makes January a crucial month, with a visit to Wigan next Monday followed by an increasingly important meeting with Tottenham at home. The shadow of Spurs is on City's shoulder, with one City fan immediately setting aside his disappointment at the defeat by Liverpool to ask how Harry Redknapp's side, who must be taken as serious Premier League title contenders, had fared against Everton.

City are hardly at crisis point. They were also missing the brilliant David Silva through injury, while Mario Balotelli was having a real 'nightmario' before hobbling off in the first half, but they are having a little wobble.

Mancini has the talent within his squad and the experience within himself to put it right. He must not, though, become sidetracked by perceived injustices or resort to sowing seeds of doubt about his squad strength.

A few clouds are gathering over City but they hardly constitute a storm and this tie is still open to be contested at Anfield. The argument will be settled there - and Mancini will know Liverpool's captain is in the mood to make it a fight to the finish.

Capturing Hughes is a coup for QPR

Phil McNulty (BBC Sport) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 12:49:11 +0000

Mark Hughes walked away from Fulham and left behind a message from his trusted representative Kia Joorabchian. Their aspirations and ambitions simply did not match those of his client.

Chelsea was mentioned as the sort of destination that might suit Hughes with Joorabchian saying on departure in June: "He wants to go to a club where he can fight for titles and win championships."

Quite whether Queen's Park Rangers was the club Hughes had in mind when he cleared his desk at Craven Cottage is purely guesswork.

They fought, and won, the battle for the Championship last season but the idea of a title challenge a tier up is, to put it politely, fanciful.

Can Hughes guide QPR into the upper reaches of the Premier League? Photo: Getty

And yet Hughes has made Loftus Road the next stop on his managerial journey, presumably with cast-iron guarantees from owner Tony Fernandes that he can at least try to fulfil his elevated ambitions.

No title this season or for the forseeable future, indeed avoiding relegation will be the priority as he succeeds sacked Neil Warnock with QPR in a precarious 17th place in the league, without a win in eight games.

The appointment is being lauded as a coup for Fernandes while Hughes, having enjoyed the riches at Manchester City before his sour departure, is now moving in circles more akin to his time at Blackburn.

He will not be operating at the top end of the scale, but former Wales team-mate and friend Barry Horne insists this does not mean his targets will be downsized.

He told BBC Sport: "QPR will have had to convince Mark they are for real. The owners will have had to convince Mark what their ambitions are, where they see the club going, whether they are looking to go big, spend money and be a serious player. If they are, then he ticks every box.

"In my opinion it would have been Mark interviewing QPR rather than QPR interviewing Mark. They will know exactly what he brings and it would have been a case of him ensuring they tick all his boxes when it comes to ambition and what level they wish to operate at."

Horne added: "Mark has had a rounded career as a manager. He arrived at a good moment with Wales as he took charge of a good squad that was hugely underperforming, but he still had to do what he did and did it successfully.

"He then had a team that showed remarkable resilience at Blackburn. I watched them so many times when they were a team transformed after his half-time team talks, then at Fulham he did another great job even though their fans were unsure at first.

"Mark was questioned in some quarters for walking away from Fulham but he had his reasons and never broke his contract. It was not some sort of fit of pique or a row - it was his right.

"And at Manchester City he definitely played his part in ensuring they made that quantum leap from where they were to where they are now.

"QPR will get a fine team behind the manager in Mark Bowen and Eddie Niedzwiecki. I know them well and preparation, attention to detail and all the meticulous work that the modern level of football requires will be brought to bear."

Hughes, Horne believes, will also bring the winning mentality Fernandes desperately needs to drag QPR away from the margins of the relegation zone.

"He will come into the dressing room and be calm but very authoratitive," said Horne. "This authority comes from his personality. In every respect he will command respect.

"Mark is known as a winner, a man decorated in the game, so this will give him a headstart with his group. He will get a longer honeymoon period with his players because they know of his stature."

And QPR's players can expect a tough taskmaster on the training ground according to Michael Gray, who played under Hughes at Blackburn.

When asked to outline his methods recently, he told me: "He is out on the training ground every single day and knows exactly what he wants from his players.

"Mark would work players like they have never been worked before. He would hit the ground running because that is the way he works.

"We finished sixth in the Premier League under him at Blackburn and a large part of this was because he had us so well prepared and so fit. In the last 15 minutes we used to overpower teams and we didn't fear anyone."

Lee Dixon, an old Arsenal adversary of Hughes when he was a striker to be feared at Manchester United and Chelsea, believes Loftus Road may be a neat fit for the 48-year-old Welshman.

He told BBC Sport: "QPR, with the owners' situation, looks like a club that has potential to spend in transfer windows.

"It is a club I always liked playing at, with a really good atmosphere, so maybe he has looked at all of that. The main thing is whether he will get money to spend and presumably he will have sought those assurances.

"He did very well at Blackburn. It is a very difficult proposition going into a club like Manchester City, with the resources they have got.

"It is probably every manager's dream but expectations are high and you are not given long to sort things out because everybody wants instant success.

"From that point of view he may even have wanted to shy away from another job that would be similar to City.

"He's jumping back on the horse if you like, but he clearly feels the potential is there given the way the club is run under its new ownership."

Now Hughes is back on the horse, the ambitous Fernandes will be hoping his new manager can make it gather enough strength to clear the hazardous obstacles ahead.

Return of the King

Phil McNulty (BBC Sport) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 08:47:06 +0000

On the night Eric Cantona announced he wants to run for the French presidency, a fellow countryman reclaimed his crown as the King of Arsenal.

Thierry Henry took four touches to get a feel of the old place again and a fifth - stroked effortlessly with his right foot beyond Leeds United goalkeeper Andy Lonergan - to add to his legend as Arsenal's greatest goalscorer.

Arsene Wenger joined those gathered inside Emirates Stadium in sporting a smile that looked like it might need to be surgically removed after Henry took ten minutes from his introduction as a second-half substitute to become an Arsenal match-winner once more.

The idea of Henry revisiting old glories at the club where he is so revered that a statue was recently unveiled in his honour once seemed almost as fanciful as Cantona's notions of high office.

Thierry Henry scored the only goal of the game against Leeds United in the FA Cup Third Round in a dramatic return to North London. Photo: Getty

And yet here he was, 12 minutes from the end of a dour, attritional FA Cup third-round tie with Leeds, ruler of all he surveyed once more with a glorious reminder of what made him arguably the Premier League's finest player.

Henry took a pass from Alex Song in the manner he used to receive service from Patrick Vieira or the watching Emmanuel Petit before showing a composure that had previously been beyond his Arsenal colleagues to finish perfectly.

Emirates Stadium has occasionally been derided, unfairly it should be said, as a cold, soulless arena. This magical moment brought it alive with emotion.

Henry pointed at the turf in a gesture that suggested he was back where he belonged, raced to embrace Wenger, thumped his chest with his right hand and was joined by goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, who showed a fine turn of speed, in rapturous celebration.

The pain belonged to Leeds but the unbridled pleasure belonged to Arsenal. Even the neutrals appreciated the scale of the moment.

Here was a returning champion proving some of the former lustre remained. Young Arsenal fans who may have missed his greatness first time around saw in the flesh what all the fuss was about as goal number 227 hit the back of the net.

And plenty of the old guard were there to see it. In various guises Lee Dixon, Martin Keown and Petit were all mingling with the media before kick-off, as intrigued as everyone else as to how their great former team-mate, who left Arsenal for Barcelona in 2007, would manage his return.

Of course it is all a little starry-eyed, maybe even overstated, as Henry is simply one game into a six-and-a-half-week stint away from his real day job at New York Red Bulls.

But some of these romantic moments have been sucked out of the game in recent years and Wenger summed it up perfectly.

He described it as the sort of story you would tell children if they wanted a tale about football. And he was right. Bigger, more taxing, tests await Henry - but this was something special.

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The lightning speed is no longer there and the heavily bearded, thick-set figure is not quite the one Arsenal's fans remember. But Henry carries speed of thought and an unquestionable presence. His arrival altered the context and mood of this cup tie.

Henry was the focus of attention from the moment fans filed into the stadium. He was greeted ecstatically when he came out to warm up and thunderously when his name was announced, wearing an unfamiliar number 12 shirt, before kick-off.

It was the night to mark the return of another of the Premier League's old elite after Paul Scholes came out of retirement for Manchester United at Manchester City on Sunday.

As Arsenal dominated but toiled to crack open Leeds's tight defence, the calls for Henry grew louder. One exaggerated sprint down the touchline was the signal for greater demands for his introduction.

He came on after 68 minutes and delivered the decisive contribution - a goal that fittingly stayed as the winner as this was Henry's night.

Leeds manager Simon Grayson carried an air of resignation as he admitted the goal was "written in the stars" - and it was towards the stars Henry gazed at the conclusion of a remarkable cameo.

He lifted his arms to the heavens in relief and elation at the final whistle, then spoke humbly about how he now knew what it felt like, and what it meant, to score such a goal as an Arsenal fan rather than as a player.

This was not Manchester United or Tottenham being put to the sword as in days gone by. This was a game against a limited Championship side, a fact that did little to dilute the way in which the goal was greeted.

Wenger would not be drawn on whether Henry, now 34, would partner the returning Robin van Persie at Swansea at the weekend - but it is a temptation he will have to try very hard to resist.

For Henry and Wenger, this was instant justification for their reunion. Wenger was at pains to point out he would never have considered playing Henry unless he was confident he could make a contribution.

In return for this trust, Wenger believes he is getting a player who can benefit his emerging youngsters because "they see that he is a guy who has done it all but still prepares 100%, is motivated and comes with an immense desire to do well".

Henry's gold-plated reputation was never likely to be damaged by any events during this brief Arsenal comeback but there was always the risk of anti-climax.

Even if he does not make another major contribution he will return to America having provided a memory to treasure.

Wenger said Henry knows he will be compared to how he was before. It is an unfair but understandable measure and was a factor in the elation of his celebrations.

"Thierry is a proud guy. He doesn't want to disappoint people," Wenger said. Henry did not disappoint anyone other than the noisy followers of Leeds.

As Arsenal's fans filed away from Emirates Stadium, many headed towards Henry's statue for a keepsake of the night. The real thing had given them an even bigger souvenir. The King was back.

Scholes return papers over the cracks

Phil McNulty (BBC Sport) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 18:47:11 +0000

Paul Scholes simply missed football too much to stop playing, and football was swift to show him exactly what he was missing after he reversed his decision to retire.

Scholes has mixed the odd friendly kickaround with his new day job of coaching United's youngsters since calling time on his career after a brief cameo in the Champions League final defeat by Barcelona at Wembley in May.

For one of the most gifted and successful players of his generation, this was no substitute for the raw adrenalin, pace, power and occasionally pain of the real thing and sent him back to Sir Alex Ferguson asking to don his boots once more.

On a rain-lashed afternoon at the Etihad Stadium, Scholes was provided with all of the above - and more besides - in a third-round derby victory for United against Manchester City that will be remembered as a classic.

When the rumoured return of Scholes became fact as United's team-sheet landed, the ration of drama had been used for most normal days. This was no normal day.

After a week in which Wayne Rooney has been scrutinised for fractures in his relationship with United and Ferguson, it was no surprise that he opened the scoring and celebrated with a flamboyant snatch at the badge of his shirt.

And when City captain Vincent Kompany was contentiously sent off by referee Chris Foy even though he cleaned out the ball in a tackle with Nani, the visitors sensed the opportunity to avenge the 6-1 defeat at Old Trafford in October.

Danny Welbeck, with a goal of athleticism and ingenuity, made it 2-0 and, when Rooney added his second from a rebound after his penalty was saved by City's stand-in keeper Costel Pantilimon - in for rested Joe Hart - the formalities appeared complete before half-time.

Scholes was named on the bench for the game against City. He completed 97% of his passes after coming on. Photo: Getty

This conclusion reckoned without a wonderful City fightback that brought two goals from Aleksandar Kolarov and Sergio Aguero and confirmation, if it were needed, that Roberto Mancini has a squad of substance, not simply expensive price tags and outsized egos.

In a turn of events that summed up how logic had been temporarily suspended, Mancini actually appeared the happier manager after the game as he praised City's resilience as another sign that they are made of the stuff of champions.

Ferguson, in contrast, was prickly with his players for the carelessness that saw a comfortable position almost cast aside.

The return of Scholes was top of the many talking points provided on an afternoon that once again gave the lie to those tempted to dismiss the FA Cup as a devalued pot. This was a wonderful game for a wonderful competition.

Ferguson's decision to accept Scholes' offer of a final fling was greeted with a mixture of derision by some seeing it as an act of desperation, with others seeing it as an obvious solution to United's lack of midfield quality.

In a 31-minute appearance Scholes spread the odd trademark pass around and had a low shot saved by Pantilimon. He also conceded possession in the build up to City's second goal, was flattened unceremoniously by Micah Richards and ended blowing hard and looking exhausted.

The decision to reinstate Scholes in United's midfield has an element of 'no lose' for Ferguson as he has an extra squad member and he clearly believes he can make a contribution, seeing no harm in having such an influence on the pitch.

It also, however, begs questions about United's young midfield undercard, when they will be considered mature enough to play regularly, and how much rebuilding is really required in this crucial area.

Ferguson has effectively admitted he needs something extra in midfield by bringing Scholes back - but it hardly signposts a glittering immediate future for youngsters such as Paul Pogba and Ravel Morrison if a 37-year-old who retired and last saw serious action eight months ago is recalled to the colours instantly.

And again, it underscores Ferguson's failure to address what was clearly a top priority for United after another masterclass from Barcelona. He needed to sign an A-list central midfield operator last summer.

Ferguson can be accused of taking a backward step in welcoming back someone who admitted the game was up in May, but it is simply a sticking-plaster solution until he can take two steps forward in the transfer market next summer.

Manchester United fans celebrating by doing the 'Poznan' rubbed salt into the Manchester City wounds. Photo: PA

Time, and Scholes' eventual contribution, will be the judge of this decision and the player known as 'The Ginger Prince' is the last person in the game who will have gone to Ferguson and asked to play as some sort of vanity project.

It will also raise further queries about how much muscle United can wield in the transfer market, although the Glazers and Ferguson insist the money is there and can be used. United's manager is notoriously reluctant to spend in January and Scholes fills a void, albeit temporarily.

For City, there was actually solace in the disappointment of defeat and Mancini was swift to accept it.

The side assembled so expensively by the Italian has occasionally - more last season than this admittedly - been accused of being a collection of parts rather than an entire unit.

Here, presented with what looked a hopeless cause at half-time, they demonstrated that they continue to move towards being the finished article with a show of spirit and a refusal to accept what looked inevitable after 40 minutes.

United, despite Ferguson's obvious dissatisfaction, can also take great heart from the manner in which his side set the platform for victory, although the ragged performances of Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra suggests he may have even more transfer work to do at the end of the season.

Ferguson and United's reward for their win was an away tie against Liverpool at Anfield, with all that entails after the recent incident involving Luis Suarez and Evra.

And for Scholes, it is exactly the sort of game that will have occupied his thoughts as he pondered whether to risk a portion of his reputation on a few more months as a player.

Manchester City steeled for title push

Phil McNulty (BBC Sport) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 07:01:56 +0000

Manchester City's absence of Premier League title-winning pedigree means they are getting used to being asked the questions - and they continue to deliver the answers the doubters require.

The old sages say you do not prove you can take the steps towards titles when the waters are calm. The significant moves are made when you are not playing well, when you have to respond to a damaging defeat.

Roberto Mancini's side faced their initial searching examination when they suffered a first league defeat of the season at Chelsea last month. The next home game against Arsenal was the theatre for a forensic examination of their character, nerve and aspirations.

City passed the test with a narrow win, but the questions returned after a goalless draw at West Bromwich Albion and, more pointedly, following the stoppage-time defeat at Sunderland on Sunday.

Even Mancini's post-match appearance was scrutinised at Sunderland. The perfectly normal frustrated body language of a manager who has seen his side create enough chances to win three points and end with none was taken as the usually immaculate Italian looking dishevelled as a result of mounting pressure.

No matter that City could, perhaps should, have beaten Sunderland. How would they respond against Kenny Dalglish's Liverpool only two days later, with limbs still heavy and minds supposedly scarred by their failure to take advantage of closest rivals Manchester United's loss against Blackburn Rovers?

At a storm-lashed Etihad the response was impressive enough to confirm the growing belief that even if United's ominous shadow continues to follow them, City have enough steel and talent to stay the course.

Whether they end up winning their first league title since 1967-68 remains to be seen, but the manner in which they dealt with an admittedly average Liverpool will have soothed many lingering worries among the usual dark humour of City's followers.

Mancini was infuriated by the cavalier manner in which City conceded defeat with more or less the last kick of the game at the Stadium of Light. Liverpool's visit called for maximum concentration and a return to the core values of miserly defence as a platform for more flamboyant attacking talents such as Sergio Aguero and David Silva.

City, even with Liverpool enjoying plenty of possession, exuded a steely control at the back. Indeed, they seemed content to let Dalglish's highly expensive attack have the ball safe in the knowledge that Liverpool would do nothing to hurt them with it. And so it proved.

Aguero's soft early goal, conceded cheaply by Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina, set City on their way, while Yaya Toure added a second before half-time. Even after losing Gareth Barry to a second yellow card late on, they still ended looking to add to their goal tally after James Milner scored their third from the spot.

Silva adorned the game with his usual delicate touches and Aguero was his predatory self, but it was two of the more physical forces in Mancini's squad that cemented this entire performance together.

Vincent Kompany was magnificent in central defence, leading by example and demonstrating in short order that he was not the man to give poor Andy Carroll a helping hand in his so far fruitless quest to prove he is worth anything like the £35m Dalglish paid for him.

And in central midfield, the mountainous figure of Yaya Toure ran the game. For a man with such a hulking frame, he gathers terrifying speed as he surges forward - with more than one observer making the point that he is the identikit midfield man Sir Alex Ferguson currently craves at Old Trafford.

Yaya drove City's effort with almost unstoppable force. He was certainly too much for the flimsy forces marshalled by Dalglish on Tuesday, with Charlie Adam poor and Jay Spearing anonymous in midfield.

Of course Yaya's display left Mancini to answer another question, although he admitted himself he is struggling to answer this one. How will he cope when the Toure brothers are away at the Africa Cup of Nations with the Ivory Coast?

Yaya Toure (right) "is a very important player" according to City boss Roberto Mancini. Photo: Getty

Mancini confessed he is close to irreplaceable, emphasising his point by revealing his optimism that City will be in prime position to win the title should they still head the table when he returns from international duty.

He underlined January as a crucial month for City - but they all are now as the season heads into the turn and expectations mount that the great prize can be claimed.

For Liverpool, the shadow of Luis Suarez hung over the evening as they announced just before kick-off that they had decided not to appeal against his eight-match ban for being found guilty by the Football Association of racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra.

To emphasise their refusal to go quietly, Liverpool issued another incendiary statement criticising the Football Association and reiterating their support for the Uruguayan.

And Dalglish was in no mood to accept that, outside Anfield at least, public opinion is gathering against Liverpool because of their stance on the issue as he refused to budge a single centimetre in his backing for Suarez.

He will certainly know the value of Suarez after this lame effort from his team, and may have it underscored even more forcibly during the remaining seven games of his suspension.

Carroll, inevitably, was the target for the mirth of City's fans as his frustration grew. He was as unimpressive as many of his colleagues - yet it should also be stated in his defence that he was left too isolated for too long and was starved of quality service, the sort Stewart Downing was bought to provide but delivers all too rarely.

If Carroll is short on confidence, and he appears to be, his Liverpool colleagues did little to help him.

Dalglish admitted Liverpool had been given harsh lessons, especially in the clinical fashion of City's attacking play, and at least his side have the chance to prove they are quick learners as they are back here again in the Carling Cup semi-final next week.

No such worries for City as the celebrations, and the selection of celebratory tweets from Kompany, Aguero, Adam Johnson and Micah Richards, suggested they had proved a point to themselves as well as those who continue to question their credentials.

Gary Ablett - a lovely man who will be sadly missed

Phil McNulty (BBC Sport) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 12:04:38 +0000

Gary Ablett, who has died at the age of 46, had a career to be proud of and will always be guaranteed a unique place in Merseyside football history.

Ablett, who had suffered from non-Hodgkins lymphoma for 16 months, was the first - and still the only - player to have won the FA Cup with both Liverpool and Everton.

He will also be remembered by anyone who ever had personal dealings with him as one of the game's genuinely nice men, something that can be said too easily at times like this but in Ablett's case so true.

Even as recently as November, when he celebrated his 46th birthday, he was replying personally to Tweets sent to him by well-wishers with good humour and remarkable optimism given the seriousness of his condition.

Ablett won FA Cups with both Liverpool and Everton. Photo: Getty

Ablett was popular not just with his fellow professionals but also with the media. Always willing to chat in good times and bad and with a lovely line in self-deprecating humour, his death at such an early age will be widely mourned.

As his family come to terms with their loss, they can reflect on a man who had a playing career anyone would be proud of. They can also reflect on someone who, even though fiercely committed on the field of play, was a gentleman off it. A credit to himself and the game.

As a player he made his name in Kenny Dalglish's Liverpool team of the second half of the 80s, performing with versatility and distinction as a left-back and central defender in a team that contained such stellar talents as Alan Hansen, Ian Rush and the player-manager himself.

Ablett was in Liverpool's side that won the post-Hillsborough FA Cup Final against Everton in 1989 and also won the title twice at Anfield, only being denied a third success by Michael Thomas's famous final intervention of that 1989 season that took the crown to Arsenal.

Perhaps the most remarkable turn of his career came in January 1992, when he left Liverpool for Everton in a £750,000 deal, a gamble by then manager Howard Kendall given the nature of the deal but one which was ultimately fully justified.

I recall Kendall passionately defending his move and the player at the time, maybe realising that Ablett's arrival from Anfield would not necessarily be a cause for widespread rejoicing on the royal blue half of Merseyside.

It was a move inevitably regarded with suspicion and scepticism by many Everton supporters and yet in the contrary manner that often marks out football fans, they were very careful not to show it given the courage Ablett had shown in making the move.

They got fully behind Ablett and once again, particularly under Joe Royle, the faith reaped dividends. Royle wisely used Ablett's defensive solidity as a safety valve to release the attacking instincts of Andy Hinchliffe, always happier providing telling deliveries for the likes of Duncan Ferguson.

Ablett was crucial to a game-plan that saved Everton from what looked like certain relegation until Royle's arrival. Ablett duly took his place in history in May 1995 when he played in Everton's side when they beat Manchester United 1-0 at Wembley to claim the FA Cup.

He may not have enjoyed those successes again as he embarked on a nomadic conclusion to a playing career that included a spell at Long Island Rough Riders in America - but his standing in the game ensured Ablett would be in demand as a coach.

Ablett's year-long managerial career at Stockport County was unfulfilling, hard times with the club in administration, but he showed his quality working with and guiding young players for four years at Everton's academy before becoming reserve team coach at Liverpool in 2006 for a three-year spell.

Roy Keane knew enough about Ablett to take him to Ipswich Town as a member of his backroom team, which is where he was when he was taken ill in 2010.

Ablett was held in genuine affection throughout the game and the tributes pouring in from a Merseyside football community united in sadness by his death are an accurate measure of a lovely man and a fine footballer.

Playing the precarious predictions game

Phil McNulty (BBC Sport) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 15:51:31 +0000

It is that time of the year again - time to blow the cobwebs off the cracked and notoriously unreliable crystal ball to gaze into what 2012 holds for football.

In the game this would be called a hospital pass and is accompanied by the supposedly consoling words from your superiors such as: "Don't worry. No one will remember if you get it wrong."

Just like no-one remembers a now infamous tip that suggested Liverpool would win the title in 2009-2010, a prediction that came agonisingly close to success and was only off-target by 23 points and seven places.

Any potential England success at Euro 2012 requires a dynamic and organised midfield. Photo: Getty

The highlight of this year's football calendar is Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine - with Fabio Capello and England offered the opportunity to set the perfect mood music for the subsequent London Olympics.

England qualified convincingly once more but the debacle that was the South Africa World Cup campaign in 2010 ensures expectations remain on the ground floor. Capello has fashioned a younger element to his squad in the last few months to increase optimism levels.

And he will hope Steven Gerrard and Jack Wilshere can return to full fitness to form a potent midfield partnership that will give England a base to ensure they are still in contention in their final group game against co-hosts Ukraine, when Wayne Rooney returns from the ban that means he misses out against France and Sweden.

England are firmly in Europe's second tier behind European and world champions Spain, as well as Netherlands and the dangerous, maturing Germany.

The Republic of Ireland face a tough assignment in their group against Spain, Italy and Croatia - but, if there is one man who will relish the task of finding a way through, it is the old master coach Giovanni Trapattoni. They have the capacity to cause a shock.

Capello's reign ends after the tournament and reality dictates that a semi-final place will allow him to leave with dignity, while the last-eight also holds the potential to provide a familiar stopping point for the campaign.

This means 2012 requires the Football Association to name a successor to the Italian. All football logic dictates Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp will be that man. Boxes are ticked in his nationality, football philosophy and ability to bring the best out of big players with shrewd man-management.

If Redknapp goes who steps in at Spurs? This appointment may be shaped by whether Everton chairman Bill Kenwright concludes what seems an endless search for investment to help manager David Moyes.

Moyes celebrates a decade in charge at Goodison Park in 2012 but will struggle to move Everton further forward without new finance. He has the careful fiscal attitude that might appeal to Spurs chairman Daniel Levy if a vacancy arises and Moyes retains huge respect from his peers.

Two predictions that have been removed from the equation have been to foretell the fates of Manchester United and Manchester City in the Champions League after their elimination. Even if they had come out of the group stage, it would have been the supreme optimist who predicted success had they come up against teams of the calibre of Barcelona and Real Madrid. In fact, I can't see further than Barcelona in 2012.

The Europa League now claims the Manchester clubs' attention - and both have a real chance of emerging as eventual winners - but the big prize at stake is the Premier League and this looks increasingly likely to be a battle fought purely within the confines of the city.

The biggest challenge to that supremacy is coming from a different quarter of London as Tottenham move into exciting contention with a brand of football that stays true to the greatest White Hart Lane traditions with pace, passing and goals.

Spurs remain the outsiders to break up the Manchester duo, but the entertainment produced by Redknapp's side has been one of the features of the season and makes them as watchable as any team in the Premier League.

Will they win the title? They are outsiders - but have such verve and quality that they are sure to have a say in the shake-up.

It remains hard to look beyond Barcelona as Europe's best side throughout 2012. Photo: Getty

City's finances have fashioned a hugely impressive squad but United have recovered superbly, in the league at least, from the humiliation of a 6-1 beating by their neighbours at Old Trafford.

My pre-season prediction was that United would finish ahead of City and claim a 20th crown. Roberto Mancini's side look in the sort of shape to reverse the tip but, for now, I will stick with my earlier call until such time that it is impossible to ignore the evidence produced at Etihad Stadium. Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool will fight it out for fourth behind Spurs for the remaining Champions League place.

Arsenal and Chelsea are now England's representatives in the Champions League, but I no more see them lifting the trophy than I did United or City. They have tough ties against AC Milan and Napoli in the last 16 - and, while they may make further progress, they do not have any of the appearance of potential winners.

Kenny Dalglish's hopes of putting Liverpool back among the Champions League places have been undermined by a lack of goals, an unlikely faultline given the Scot's £78m investment in attacking talent in the shape of Luis Suarez, Andy Carroll and Stewart Downing.

Despite this, they look well equipped for a cup run and I can see Dalglish having a real chance of bringing silverware back to Anfield in either the League Cup or the FA Cup.

Steve Kean's future at Blackburn, and the abuse he has been receiving from his own supporters, has been part of the Premier League narrative in 2011. How long will he survive to add further chapters in 2012?

Blackburn's fall from grace under Indian owners Venky's has been well chronicled and how this fine old club pulls itself out of this turmoil will play a huge role in whether they survive in the Premier League.

The relegation battle has a Lancastrian look with Blackburn, Bolton and Wigan at the bottom and none giving the impression of moving into comfort zones in the coming months.

I tipped Blackburn and Wigan for the drop back in August, along with Swansea City, but Brendan Rodgers's side have shown enough to suggest they can survive. This drops Bolton into trouble and their decline has been alarming since their FA Cup semi-final thrashing against Stoke City at Wembley last season.

So Blackburn and Wigan will continue to have the black border around their names when it comes to relegation but expect this to be another last-day decision.

So there it is. The crystal ball goes away again but one thing can be said with some certainty - 2012 has all the ingredients to be another landmark year in football.

And as for the predictions? Please heed these words: "No-one will remember if you get it wrong."

Questions for Dalglish after another Anfield draw

Phil McNulty (BBC Sport) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 10:06:17 +0000

Kenny Dalglish sat at Anfield and told the same old story - but it was a tale that had a happy ending for Blackburn Rovers manager Steve Kean.

When Kean spoke defiantly above the din of hundreds of protesting Blackburn Rovers fans following Tuesday's home defeat to fellow strugglers Bolton, few would have risked their wages on him still taking charge at Liverpool on Boxing Day.

And yet there he was, celebrating a point earned gallantly on the back of defensive discipline and some stoppage-time miracles as the critical spotlight switched to Dalglish after a sixth Anfield draw this season.

Dalglish has written a golden chapter in Blackburn's history by winning the Premier League at Anfield in 1995. Kean sharing the spoils on the same territory does not even register a dot when set against that scale of achievement, but his sense of satisfaction and elation was understandable.

Kenny Dalglish faces questions over his misfiring, expensive forward line. Photo: Getty

Kean was even able to experience that rarity of hearing applause from Blackburn's fans at the final whistle - not for him of course, but far distant from the abuse that has been his constant companion this season.

In recent weeks I have watched Blackburn visit Sunderland and Liverpool, and not once did their players give off the unmistakeable air of a squad that has lost faith in their manager. This does not offer any sort of guarantee about Kean's long-term future, but it is certainly a point in his favour.

It is still almost impossible to see how Kean can shift public opinion back in his favour after it has turned so savagely against him, but on this day he deserved the respite a 1-1 draw gave him.

When Maxi Rodriguez levelled after the own goal from Charlie Adam that gave Blackburn an unlikely lead, both Kean and his players could have been forgiven for feeling the tide had turned against them.

And yet, even in the face of a barrage of sorts from a disappointing Liverpool, they stood firm but still had to thank goalkeeper Mark Bunn for a magnificent save from Andy Carroll and Adam Henley for a goalline clearance from Daniel Agger in the final 20 seconds.

Blackburn had relief and overdue illumination from the darkness that has engulfed this fine old club. Liverpool and Dalglish were left to accept they had come up short at Anfield once more, not just against Manchester City and Manchester United, but also against Sunderland, Norwich, Swansea and now the Premier League's bottom club.

Dalglish's argument about ill-fortune, the defiance of opposing goalkeepers and a failure to reap deserved rewards carries some merit, but starts to lose its legs when it happens on such a regular basis.

He is coming up to the first anniversary of his return to Anfield as manager following Roy Hodgson's sacking - a year that has seen an undoubted improvement in the style of play via a return to old values and a sense of unity coming back to a club that had been fractured for so long.

This does not mean, however, that his work can escape questions, especially when he has spent funds so lavishly on attacking resources and Liverpool have failed to score twice at Anfield since the victory against Wolves in September.

And one question in particular irks Dalglish - a question he was again asked in the aftermath of another unfulfilling afternoon for £35m striker Andy Carroll. He may not like the question, but it will not go away until the giant Geordie at least hints at riches - not to mention value for money - to come.

"Unbelievable" was Dalglish's response to being asked to deliver an assessment of Carroll's performance. And yet it remains a valid query.

Carroll should have scored with a chance from only eight yards in the first half and was only denied the status of match-winner by Bunn's late brilliance. Such are the fine margins of operation at this level.

And yet too often his positioning and reactions seem awry, too often this season he has been attacking the important moments from a standing start. Dalglish has delivered his complete public confidence in Carroll - now he must transfer it to a striker who is clearly struggling to make an impact.

With Stewart Downing continuing to be a hit-and-miss affair, Liverpool and their supporters are still waiting for £55m worth of attacking talent to make their mark and the statistics prove something is absent that Dalglish will need to address next month.

Luis Suarez's performances have deemed him an unqualified playing success, and yet for a footballer of such prowess his finishing is too often wayward. Four times in the first 20 minutes he finished with varying degrees of inaccuracy, none on target.

He was perfectly described by one press-box sage as "Liverpool's ideas man rather than the one you want to deliver the finished product". The Uruguayan has abundant natural gifts, but on the evidence of his season so far, ruthless finishing is not among them.

In boxing terms Liverpool have all the moves and a stout defence, but at Anfield at least they struggle to punch a hole in a paper bag. Blackburn and Bolton have both scored more Premier League goals this season than Dalglish's side - a stark statistic for a team aiming for the top four.

Dalglish is unswerving in support of his players but it will not blind him to the reality of the heavy price of lost points at home. And Liverpool are losing too many.

Kean, buoyed by this point, set his sights on four January signings. Whether he is still at Blackburn to make them, and whether he actually gets the backing from owners Venky's to sign the quartet if he is, is a story for another day.

Dalglish does not need such reinforcement in numbers after his summer transfer activity and with captain Steven Gerrard back for a 22-minute cameo following his latest injury problems, but the growing body of evidence at Anfield suggests he still has to find a missing link.

Defiant Terry concentrates on his football

Phil McNulty (BBC Sport) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 23:12:21 +0000

At White Hart Lane

The man who vowed to fight "tooth and nail" to clear his name was not going quietly - or quickly - as he stood bare-chested in a small corner of White Hart Lane in front of Chelsea's fans.

John Terry has shown remarkable resilience in his ability to blank out personal turmoil, accompanied by the acidity of opposing fans, when he seeks sanctuary from his troubles on a football field.

And so it proved again as Terry emerged as a central character in the cast of an enthralling 1-1 draw between Tottenham and Chelsea. It came only a day after learning he will face a racially aggravated public order charge following an incident with QPR's Anton Ferdinand in the west London derby in October.

The law will take its due course so, on this noisy night, the Chelsea and England captain was left to concentrate purely on his football.

Terry handed his shirt to a Chelsea fan after the game. Photo: Associated Press

He clearly deemed his night's work a success as he stood stripped to the waist beating his breast in defiance before Chelsea's fans after handing his blue shirt to an elderly female fan.

Chelsea, perhaps having noted the largely adverse reaction to Liverpool's players wearing T-shirts supporting team-mate Luis Suarez after he was found guilty by the FA of racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra, left Terry to make his own statement.

It was a long, hostile night for the 31-year-old as he was subjected to a sustained barrage of abuse from Spurs fans.

Chelsea's captain began nervously, failing to track Emmanuel Adebayor closely enough for the opener, but he grew into the game.

He ended up playing his full part in a Chelsea performance that will have brought real encouragement to manager Andre Villas-Boas once they survived being dazzled by Spurs for 20 minutes.

Terry took blows on and off the pitch at White Hart Lane, the majority of the crowd revelling in his pain when he took a kick from Adebayor that left him rolling in agony in the second half.

Inevitably, given the sub-plot running through this game, it was Terry who performed the final decisive act of a fine game that did both teams great credit, even if it did not do a lot of good for either of their Premier League positions.

Tottenham now trail second-placed Manchester United by seven points, admittedly with a game in hand, while Chelsea are two points further back.

After a frantic finale that saw opportunities come and go for both sides, Adebayor - whose goal was cancelled out by Daniel Sturridge's - shaped to win the game for Harry Redknapp's side in the dying seconds.

The Togo striker's careful angled finish took a slight touch off the fingertips of goalkeeper Petr Cech but still looked goal-bound. That was until Terry's anticipation allowed him to make the crucial block and save a point Chelsea had fully earned.

Terry's late clearance off the line ensured the points were shared. Photo: Getty Images

Chelsea's supporters had matched the taunts of Spurs's fans with almost equal volume in their backing of the team's captain. And that block gave Terry the platform to stride briskly towards them and join in a scene of mutual appreciation.

Circumstances ensure that Terry's treatment will now be a consistent narrative running through Chelsea's games - but he has proved that it has no adverse effect on his performances.

It would have been an injustice had players from either side finished on the losing side but it was clear who the visiting support felt they had to thank for their point.

Villas-Boas could barely contain his delight with both Terry and Chelsea afterwards, with pretty much all things hailed as "fantastic". There was real purpose about Chelsea for 70 minutes against a Spurs side who played with searing pace early on as they threatened to overrun their opponents.

Redknapp was in downbeat mood in his post-match briefing, cursing the injuries that removed Aaron Lennon and Jermain Defoe from his selection plans before they were joined by Rafael van der Vaart after only 45 minutes.

Van der Vaart's constant hamstring problems are now a real source of concern for Redknapp, who rightly pointed out a lack of thrust on Spurs's right-hand side without a player comfortable in the position.

Redknapp believes Spurs can make a serious dent in the title race, while Villas-Boas also repeated his assertion that Chelsea are in the hunt.

On the evidence produced at White Hart Lane, Spurs and Chelsea are two teams containing real talent and the squads to stay for the long haul. But this was the fare of top-four material rather than serious challengers to Manchester City and Manchester United.

And there is no shame in that.

Redknapp has fashioned a wonderfully exciting side, while Villas-Boas himself has looked more assured and confident about his own place at Chelsea in the last fortnight. Still, it is hard to see either lifting the Premier League title.

For Terry, the battles off the field are still to come but his body language as he walked down the tunnel at White Hart Lane on Thursday spoke of a man who felt he had won round one of the fights he will face on the pitch.

Under-fire Kean banking on season of goodwill

Phil McNulty (BBC Sport) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 06:37:50 +0000

At Ewood Park

Steve Kean is convinced he will celebrate Christmas as Blackburn Rovers manager - a prime example of the optimism that sustains the Scot in these dark days at Ewood Park.

And it was pitch black for Kean on Tuesday as Bolton Wanderers traded places with Blackburn at the bottom of the Premier League with a win that relieved pressure on their own boss Owen Coyle but shifted almost unbearable strain on to his counterpart.

Kean started his night with a plea for a show of unity from all with Blackburn's best interests at heart, only to see this fragile attempt at a truce fractured in five minutes when Mark Davies set Bolton on the way to a vital 2-1 win.

It ended with Kean defying logic by insisting that he will stay in his job long enough to fashion a revival as furious protests provided background noise to his words, with hundreds of supporters gathering outside the stadium's reception area demanding his sacking.

Kean mixed defiance with denial as he swept aside suggestions that his future will be decided in discussions held between directors on Wednesday, claiming he would be "100% shocked" if a run of only seven wins in 38 games ended in dismissal.

And yet it is hard to see how Kean can keep his job, not just because of results but as a consequence of the naked hostility and anger directed at him. The vilification started early and continued long after the game as fans waited in the rain to see if their wish to see Kean out of a job had been granted.

Such an outcome would seem a merciful release given the treatment he was subjected to from his own support, who turned on him en masse once Davies and Nigel Reo-Coker had given Bolton a lead they never relinquished.

Talk of possible successors, from Mark Hughes to Dave Jones, Avram Grant and Graeme Souness swirled around Ewood after the game, but the man in charge insists the job will remain his.

Kean has become a lightning conductor for the disapproval of Ewood Park since Blackburn's Indian owners Venky's appointed him to succeed Sam Allardyce, a decision taken in haste and one they may now repent at leisure.

If Tuesday's second successive home defeat was an unpleasant night for Kean, he did a dignified job of not showing it, refusing to condemn Blackburn's fans for their toxic reaction to his presence and outlining plans to add to his squad in January. If it was an act, an attempt to put on a brave face, it was Oscar-winning stuff.

It is hard to know what reward Kean currently gets from his post. He is being deserted in droves, from his paymasters preferring to watch a live feed in Pune rather than be at his side in his hour of need to calls from his local newspaper and local MP Jack Straw to step away before Blackburn tip over the precipice.

Kean had to endure another uncomfortable night at Ewood Park. Picture: Getty Images

No matter what passions are aroused by football, watching Kean stand alone in the dugout with the abuse of thousands ringing in his ears made for an uncomfortable experience. Once Davies opened the scoring after five minutes the mob ruled - Reo-Coker's second was simply the cue for even noisier revolt.

Yakubu gave Blackburn hope but Chris Samba's late header was the last opportunity. Only time will tell, possibly very quickly, if this was the final act of Kean's tenure. The deafening jeering at the final whistle ensured Ewood Park's verdict was damning.

Blackburn's supporters have every right to express discontent at a dislocated ownership dictating policy from afar as Kean presides over what appears to be an increasingly dysfunctional club.

But it is a hard heart that could not feel for Kean in the poisonous atmosphere that pervaded Ewood Park, not a stadium known for such naked hostility until the Scot was appointed.

The argument goes that supporters pay their money and have the right to air their opinion, but even seasoned observers felt unease at an individual coming under such a barrage. It is called the human element.

Blackburn managers did win approval at Ewood Park - but none was Kean. Hughes, linked with a return, received the most vociferous support and even Allardyce, a taste plenty failed to acquire during his time at the club, was flavour of the night for some.

From "Stand Up If You Hate Kean" to "You're Getting Sacked In The Morning" (from both sets of fans), to unfurled banners calling for manager and owners to leave town and finally some Rovers colours flung in his direction at the final whistle, it was unrelenting.

Kean was asked, with genuine concern, in his post-match media inquisition whether it was really all worth it and whether his family - his wife was in attendance - should have to suffer through his own misery.

He was unmoved, reeling off the casualty list he feels has caused the crisis, and maintaining that the return of men such as Ryan Nelsen, Martin Olsson, Scott Dann and Gael Givet will add ballast to his squad.

Sadly for Kean, though, the statistics stack up against him. Blackburn are 11 points down on their total after 17 games last season and have failed to keep a clean sheet since beating Bolton in April - their worst sequence in the top flight for 80 years.

Bolton manager Coyle, himself in the spotlight before this win, was greeted with a hug from his chairman Phil Gartside, a vocal source of support, at the end. Kean, in sharp contrast, was a solitary figure disappearing down the tunnel.

He remains convinced he will be in the technical area at Anfield on Boxing Day. The coming days will determine whether his apparently endless reserves of optimism are misplaced.

Phil Jones destined for Manchester United folklore

Phil McNulty (BBC Sport) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 18:30:00 +0000

At Loftus Road

Phil Jones was not even halfway through his day's work for Manchester United at Loftus Road when the latest lofty comparison landed on his head.

Everton's former Manchester United defender Phil Neville - tweeting in his guise as someone called @fizzer18 - announced that the 19-year-old had shown enough in a central midfield role in the 2-0 win to be placed in the same category as "a young Roy Keane."

Sir Alex Ferguson will greet this more favourably than Jones being likened to an old Roy Keane after Manchester United's manager had his ears singed by the most unflattering of personal verdicts from his one-time voice on the pitch in a searing morning newspaper interview.

Keane was a player and captain of unquestionable greatness, but he joins an ever-lengthening list as prominent figures within football grapple with the task of finding a pigeonhole for the prodigiously talented youngster Ferguson lifted from Blackburn Rovers for a bargain £16m in the summer.

Jones is a young and talented player with a huge future in the game. Photo - Getty Images

England coach Fabio Capello, a stranger to over-statement and exaggeration, suggested Jones may eventually be only the third player of such versatility, outstandingly and equally gifted in central defence and midfield, that he has worked with. The others? The great Italian Franco Baresi and Real Madrid legend Fernando Hierro.

The other half of the Neville brothers, Gary, says: "Jones has a touch of Bryan Robson or Roy Keane." Wolves boss Mick McCarthy's choice was framed by his Republic of Ireland heritage as he lined up Jones alongside Paul McGrath.

And the greatest compliment of all came when United's 1968 European Cup winner and still avid Old Trafford observer Pat Crerand said: "If you talk to Sir Bobby Charlton, Phil Jones reminds him of Duncan Edwards with his power and build."

So there you have it - just about the identikit Old Trafford superstar with the picture assembled from the pieces and personality of United's legendary names.

Greatness can never be judged at Loftus Road in a routine victory, but the pace and power shown by Jones in west London was further confirmation that, despite the rough edges that have been all too obvious in United's Premier League campaign and their Champions League failure, this is one of the game's gems just waiting to be fully polished.

In time the comparisons will stop and Jones will not be the "new" anyone and simply become, well, the first Phil Jones, a young man superbly developed at Blackburn Rovers and taken on to the next stage of his career by Manchester United.

After United slipped out of Europe's elite competition, it has become even more obvious that Ferguson must address a lack of A-List quality in central midfield - but you can guarantee Jones will happily shoulder the burden until reinforcements arrive.

He, along with Michael Carrick, dominated the central areas of Loftus Road on Sunday. The difference came when Carrick added to Wayne Rooney's header in 52 seconds by scoring his first United goal in 70 appearances, while Jones was frustrated by Radek Cerny's brave block in the first half and struck the woodwork in the second.

Carrick's rare goal was his first for almost two years. Photo - Reuters

Jones is a work in progress. In defence his positions and angles can go awry, while a natural sense of adventure - allied to great self-confidence - can leave United exposed.

He will face far greater tests than those presented by QPR, who were game but limited and are now straying into dangerous territory at the wrong end of the Premier League. But he is coping admirably with a steep trajectory of his education.

United's season can hardly be described as being in crisis after a win that returned them to the top of the league, albeit briefly, but there can be no disguising the blow that their Champions League exit inflicted upon the club's pride and their season.

They have recovered with six points from two games they would expect to win, while Ferguson falls back on old beliefs that his side will come on stronger after the turn of the year.

And it is certain he will lean heavily on the powerful frame of Jones. For now in central midfield with Darren Fletcher and Anderson absent and, you suspect, in defence with Nemanja Vidic out for the season.

Rio Ferdinand and Jonny Evans, plus the increasingly susceptible Patrice Evra, looked vulnerable under what occasional pressure QPR applied and pretty much all the good judges named above believe Jones will eventually settle as a defender.

This was a highly satisfactory win for United and continued what will be a slow rebuilding of fractured confidence after the trauma of Basel - as well as timely reminder to their rivals as they glance at the league table.

Since the humiliation of the 6-1 home defeat to Manchester City, United have won six league games out of seven.

Ferguson brought stability by naming an unchanged side, saw Carrick show the positive side of his talent when too often he is subdued, as well as watching Rooney provide proof that he must never be restricted to midfield unless in an emergency or a last resort.

The first 45 minutes brought moments of anxiety but the second half was a stroll to three points, a late wasted chance for QPR substitute DJ Campbell apart. It was as close to routine as it comes.

QPR boss Neil Warnock has a side of tenacity and honesty, but he will look to the January transfer window to solve a problem that has brought only one league win at home, against Chelsea, this season.

United's priorities lie at the other end of the Premier League and Jones will, literally, be central to those ambitions.