Ahead of the game: Dowie Sacked
The news in 60 seconds
DOWIE SACKED
Iain Dowie has been sacked as manager of Coventry City after only a year in the job. The club press office sifted its cliché collection and said he was "relieved of his duties". We've read between the lines for you.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/football_league/article3348539.ece
GIGGS WARNING
Ryan Giggs says United cannot afford to drop any more league points if they're to win the title. Which is about as big a compliment as a United player will ever pay Arsenal.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/manchester_united/article3351468.ece
DUNNE HEROIC
Eriksson has praised Richard Dunne for playing through the discomfort of tonsillitis at Old Trafford. The hearty Irishman was laid up in bed only the day before.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/manchester_city/article3351591.ece
WENGER: WE'RE WELL HARD
Arsene Wenger insists Arsenal have developed the "mental toughness" needed to win the title. With his side preparing to meet Blackburn Rovers this evening, Wenger cited Cesc Fabregas as the perfect example. Fabregas, you will recall, criticised Mark Hughes last season. The Spaniard will need to be tough tonight. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/arsenal/article3346375.ece
You can follow the action live from the Emirates Stadium with our match tracker:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/live_match_tracker/
MOWBRAY'S NEW DEAL
Tony Mowbray, the West Bromwich Albion manager, has signed a new contract keeping him at the club until 2011. Three more years in Birmingham. Fun.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/football_league/article3350596.ece
GRANT RULES OUT TERRY
Avram Grant appears to have dismissed the possibility of John Terry playing in the Carling Cup final. Terry, though, insists he will have recovered from a fractured foot.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/chelsea/article3351102.ece
EGYPTIAN KINGS
Egypt won a record sixth African Cup of Nations with victory over Cameroon. Mohamed Aboutrika scored the winner after a mistake from Rigobert Song. Which should sound familiar to West Ham United fans.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article3348929.ece
CITY TRIUMPH
Sven-Goran Eriksson's side were excellent, earning for Manchester City their first win at Old Trafford since 1974. Darius Vassell and Benjani Mwaruwari scored the goals in the 2-1 victory. City fans departed the ground afterwards singing, "We're impeccable."
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/article3346371.ece
CHELSEA STALEMATE
The already attritional rivalry between Chelsea and Liverpool plumbed new depths with a turgid nil-nil draw at Stamford Bridge. Suddenly the prospect of shipping games abroad seems quite appealing.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/article3346799.ece
VILLA TOO STRONG
John Carew and Marlon Harewood bullied Newcastle United into submission at Villa Park. "They could do almost anything they wanted," sighed Kevin Keegan after the 4-1 defeat. How quickly enthusiasm fades.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/article3345981.ece
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If you've got another couple of minutes...
SKY GETS SEXY
Less than three months since the launch of Setanta Sports News and already Sky Sports News is feeling the pressure. To ensure viewers don't switch to the well-presented girls fronting the new rival channel, Sky executives have reportedly told their female presenters to sex-up their appearance, prompting Georgie Thompson, Natalie Sawyer et al to apply extra lipstick, experiment with new hairdos and, presumably, stare more seductively into the camera while repeating the same news item ad nausem. Perhaps a little needlessly, given that the average sports fan is surely unmoved by the cut of Matt Lorenzo's fringe, the male presenters have been told to smarten up, too. AOTG awaits Setanta's riposte with relish.
THEGAME PODCAST
Martin Samuel, five-time Sports Writer of the Year and the best football analyst in the business, joins our team for the new Game Podcast. Martin explains why Eriksson is a manager renewed with Manchester City, flags up a critical problem at the heart of the Chelsea midfield and points out the mistake Manchester United immediately made after yesterday's game - although, the club must be listening to our Chief Football Correspondent as they have since corrected the error. Beside him in the pod, Gabriele Marcotti makes an excellent suggestion for how the Premier League could spend the cash from its proposed global plan.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/
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>>>>>THE TABLOID TALE<<<<<
TV Ashes cop's got Fergie in his Genese - The Sun
What you need to know: 1) Ashes to Ashes TV hero Gene Hunt is based on Sir Alex Ferguson. 2) Actor Philip Glenister says his gruff copper uses the same hardline tactics as the Manchester United boss. 3) Actress Keeley Hawes, aka DI Alex Drake, makes for a far more comely sidekick than Carlos Queiroz.
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A quickie before you go, sir?
Watch our Premier League highlights to see City shine at Old Trafford, Carew outmuscle Keegan's fragile charges and Daryl Murphy score a 25-yard screamer for Sunderland. There's also footage of Lee Bowyer receiving a dodgy red card. Shame.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/article2236741.ece
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0
Number of wins for Manchester City in the 27 matches away to Manchester United before yesterday.
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>>>>>THE RIVALS<<<<<
Asia blockade: Opposition growing against '39th step' - Daily Mail
Lamps' light is failing in wake of Ballack rise - Daily Mirror
Wenger likes Fab manners - The Sun
James: I can be a world beater - Daily Star
Scudamore reneges on 'one foreign fixture' pledge - Daily Telegraph
Supporters threaten boycott of Premier League sponsors over foreign fixture plans - The Guardian
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In TheGame
In his debate, Martin Samuel argues that the FAI has deliberated for so long in its search for a new Ireland manager that no candidate in their right mind would want the job. Is that fair? Let us know.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2008/02/the-debate-who.html
Samuel also says that everything that is wrong with the Premier League can be summed up in two words: Steve Sidwell. Several of you have already had the temerity to disagree.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/columnists/martin_samuel/article3345976.ece
Gabriele Marcotti has analysed Brazil's ability to produce talent and finds it's no better than the big European nations. Their only advantage is population size. Tell that to Steve McClaren.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/columnists/gabriele_marcotti/article3346203.ece
Tom Dart has posted a final verdict on the African Cup of Nations, choosing a player, goal and blunder of the tournament. That a Nottingham Forest forward wins the player category may surprise, that a Reading defender committed the blunder probably won't.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2008/02/pharaoh-result.html
In the Fanzine Fanzone, our Derby County scribe explains how the club's impossibly upbeat fans ensure a bright future for the club while our Sunderland expert says that an ugly win against Wigan Athletic was just what his team needed.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/fanzine_fanzone/2008/02/you-cant-put-a.html
In QA, John Aldridge explains where Liverpool are falling short and explains how he won Ireland's Celebrity X Factor by murdering 15 classic songs.
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2008/02/qa-john-aldridg.html
You'll need to dig into the memory banks to answer Bill Edgar's daily trivia question: What was unique about Gazza's dismissal against Manchester United on New Year's Day 1991? Click on the second link for the answers to Bill's Friday quiz .
http://timesonline.typepad.com/thegame/2008/02/monday-trivia-q.html
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Joe Bloggs' Soapbox
"I'd love it if Premier League fans went on strike for two consecutive Saturdays (one home match for each team) to show the Premier League just what football is all about: the fans! But then again, they would probably just ignore them and extend the half-time break to 30 minutes to accommodate the prawn sandwich brigade!"
Bill in Doncaster is angry with the Premier League plan to export games abroad.
"Every newspaper I read is condemning the plans for a Premiership winter break and a game or two abroad for certain clubs, citing how unfair it is to the fans. Well, here's a newsflash: there are genuine fans of the Premier League who live outside England. Fans who breathe, eat and sleep the Premier League and would give anything to see a match played in front of them. Is it really that unfair for us to be given that opportunity? Not everyone can afford a ticket from Miami, California, Beijing, etc to England. I've seen mates living in Miami who have never been to England cry for their Premier League team. Most weekends we are up at 6am to catch a live game on satellite. Are we not fans, too?"
Desmond Chisholm is a rare fan of the proposed overseas jolly. Is there anybody else out there who thinks it's a good thing? Email sport@timesonline.co.uk
"Forget the treble. United won't win anything if things don't improve. They will probably beat Lyon in the CL but, as usual, they'll be found wanting against a top side and they can forget about the FA Cup. They won't beat Arsenal next week.
Fergie is paying the price for not buying a striker and a right back while the players have to take a lot of the blame - there is no excuse for the last couple of performances. Yesterday's was easily their worst for at least two years. It looks like Nani is going to be the new Kleberson and Fergie can't keep giving Giggs a game just because he's a legend and is close to playing more games for United than Bobby Charlton did. Giggs has been terrible for nearly a year now and, apart from the first half of last season, has only had a handful of good games in the last four years."
Fergus Sira-Lexon delivers the email equivalent of the Fergie hairdryer.
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Tomorrow's news today
- Kevin Keegan promises to spend, spend, spend
- Steven Gerrard admits title is beyond Liverpool
And expect...
Sky Sports News to undermine all of their recent improvements by employing Iain Dowie as a pundit.
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Anonymous tips, suggestions, funnies, fan mail and complaints: sport@timesonline.co.uk
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BY ROBERT DINEEN
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