News Headlines

Charles N'Zogbia: 'Football has saved me from a life in jail'

The Aston Villa winger will step out for his new club at Fulham knowing life could have been so different for himIt is a question that often crops up with footballers, although it rarely elicits the response that Charles N'Zogbia gives so candidly. "People have asked me what I would have done if it...

Liverpool complete Jos?? Enrique deal amid growing optimism

??? Kenny Dalglish says Liverpool squad 'a lot stronger'??? Spanish left-back finalises ??6m move from NewcastleKenny Dalglish has challenged Liverpool players old and new to "lift their game" as he insisted lavish investment had produced a squad capable of satisfying increased expectation at...

Our man inside the game is back

Supporters may dream of trophies but most of us players are just hoping to have an above-average yearThe frustration of sitting in a changing room on the opening day, having had your worst fears about the strength of the team emphatically confirmed, is a fairly solemn experience. The realisation...

Wenger ready to make do without F??bregas and Nasri

The Arsenal manager has the right to do things his way for at least one more season but flaws are visibleThe cemeteries, Ars??ne Wenger pointed out on Friday, are full of irreplaceable people. "We are all replaceable, you know," he said. "Sometimes when you lose a big player, other people stand up...

Mancini criticises board over transfers

??? 'I asked for Nasri two months ago but I don't have him'??? Carlos Tevez will not play in opener against SwanseaRoberto Mancini has renewed his criticisms of the Manchester City board, describing himself as "worried" going into the new season because of the club's inability to conclude their...

Ferguson puts his trust in young talent

??? United manager says 'you can forget' Wesley Sneijder signing??? Tom Cleverley and Paul Pogba can step up, says FergusonSir Alex Ferguson has said Manchester United will not go back into the transfer market before the end of the month, declaring "you can forget" the idea of Wesley Sneijder...

It's safer inside grounds than out listening to the sound of sirens | David Lacey

Even when fans were running riot in the 1970s and 1980s, calling off fixtures was never an optionEnter a new football season, this time to the accompaniment of noises off with which the game was once depressingly familiar: police sirens, breaking glass and politicians bewailing a breakdown in law...

Quiet Paul Lambert ready to let Norwich City do all the talking

Like Sir Alex Ferguson at Aberdeen, the reticent Paul Lambert has managed to galvanise an isolated coastal teamFor a man with plenty to shout about over the last two seasons of a spectacularly buoyant managerial career, Paul Lambert appears strikingly disinclined to shout about anything at all....