| Beckham Scores to Lift Galaxy to 2-1 Win David Beckham and Edson Buddle scored in the first half to give the Los Angeles Galaxy a 2-1 victory over Chivas USA on Sunday night. feeds.nytimes.com |
The Fiver | Another humiliating defeat | Sean Ingle Click here to have the Fiver sent to your inbox every weekday at 5pm(ish), or if your usual copy has stopped arrivingWHAT HAVE I GOT TO DO TO MAKE YOU CARE?In those tearful, tumultuous days following the death of Princess Diana, Bernie Taupin and Elton John rejigged Candle In The Wind (1997) to reflect the nation's grief – although, truth be told, the Fiver was never sure whether the line 'You were the grace that placed itself / Where lives were torn apart' referred to her affairs or something else entirely. Thirteen years on, with part of our fair isle grieving again following Liverpool FC's worst start to a season since 1953-54, perhaps it's time for John and Taupin to rework another 1970s classic, Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word (Except At Anfield Following Another Humiliating Defeat)."It was really, really disappointing, probably one of the hardest I've had to take since I've been here and we're sorry for the fans," said Dirk Kuyt today, thus becoming the 117th Liverpool player to apologise for his team's abject performances this season. "It is still early days for the manager and we have to keep working, but one thing I do know is that we will come back stronger for this experience." How exactly? Mandatory sets of press-ups between Roy Hodgson's endlessly tedious defensive drills? Ten grammes of creatine with their morning tea? Or by thumping the wall in frustration at Hodgson's tactics, which have includi playing Raul Meireles on the right and, yesterday at least, $tevie Mbe as a makeshift centre-half?Still, while Liverpool have looked more disjointed than the patient at the end of a game of Operation, Blackpool thoroughly deserved their win yesterday. "We are the smallest club in the history of this league," chirped their manager Ian Holloway. "We have the smallest budget, we pay the worst money and we've got a mountain to climb, but that comes with its own bonuses. My lads don't feel under pressure. They don't have expectation and they don't have that awful cross to bear." Oh it's a sad, sad situation all right. And it's getting more and more absurd.QUOTE OF THE DAY3 October: "There was no malice in Nigel's challenge and Nigel is not that type of lad. He's the same in training and there's no malice in Nigel de Jong" - Man City assistant Brian Kidd defends his Dutch midfielder after breaking Hatem Ben Arfa's fibia and tibula in a tackle. Not at all. Definitely not that kind of player.4 October: "The funny thing is that the referee did not even show a yellow card for it. Apparently, there are other standards" - Holland coach Bert van Marwijk axes De Jong from his latest squad, before the FA reveals it cannot retrospectively punish the Dutchman as Martin Atkinson saw the original tackle.GET A 66 QUID HAT-TRICK OF FREE BETS WITH BLUE SQUAREClick here to find out more.FIVER LETTERS"I was never in favour of the Fiver's Stop Football campaign, even though my Sheffield Wednesday appear to have carried it on regardless. However, Marisa Cardoni's view on the sacked Paulo Sousa 'having Leicester think about' (Friday's Fiver letters) caused me physical pain and lowered my IQ at least 20 points, so I would like us to get behind an all new Fiver Stop Bad Puns campaign" - Noble Francis."I bet you it was Swansea didn't see coming" - Jon M."Re: Steaua Bucharest fans and their 'sausage' protest (Friday's Fiver). Considering that this is a nation that machine-gunned its leader and his wife in classic revolutionary style, I feel that their level of protesting has slipped somewhat in more recent democratic times and would ask that they protest outside my house. Please. PS: my favourites are Waitrose organic pork chipolatas" - Tony Henry.Send your letters to the.boss@guardian.co.uk. And if you've nothing better to do you can also tweet the Fiver now.BITS AND BOBSFabio Capello has given Kevin Davies, 175, a first ever England call-up for the Euro 2012 qualifier against Montenegro, as well as handing a recall to Robert Green. The full squad is: Foster (Birmingham), Green (West Ham), Hart (Manchester City); A Cole (Chelsea), Jagielka (Everton), G Johnson (Liverpool), Ferdinand (Manchester United), Lescott (Manchester City), Terry (Chelsea), Warnock (Aston Villa); Barry (Manchester City), J Cole (Liverpool), Gerrard (Liverpool), Huddlestone (Tottenham), $exually Repressed Morris-dancing Fiver (Fiver Towers), A Johnson (Manchester City), Lennon (Tottenham), Wilshere (Arsenal), Wright-Phillips (Manchester City), Young (Aston Villa); Bent (Sunderland), Crouch (Tottenham), Davies (Bolton), Rooney (Manchester United).Look who's back dept: Leicester have appointed Sven-Goran Eriksson as their new manager. "This challenge provides great motivation for me," trousered Sven.Bayern Munich coach Louis van Gaal is in such a red-hot rage after the defeat to Dortmund that he's cancelled the annual squad trip to Oktoberfest. "Coach Van Gaal has set a training session instead," parped a club statement. Read Raf Honigstein's blog on the subject.Hibernian have parted company with manager John Hughes.League Two's bottom club, Hereford, have sacked boss Simon Davey.And Romario has been elected to Brazil's lower house of Congress with nearly 150,000 votes in his first attempt at running for public office. Fellow 1994 World Cup winner Bebeto was also elected in Sunday's elections, but to Rio's state Congress.STILL WANT MORE?Blackpool's vibrant and courageous performance should not play second fiddle to Liverpool's quite dismal display, writes Andy Hunter.Here are five things Barry Glendenning learned from the weekend Premier League action.Chalkboard junkie Michael Cox breaks down all the latest games in his tactical analysis.Jeremy Alexander spent his Saturday watching 91st play 92nd in the Football League. The least you can do is read his blog on it.All it took for Sevilla to kick-start their season was to ditch the mother-in-law, reports Sid Lowe.SIGN UP TO THE FIVERWant your very own copy of our free tea-timely(ish) email sent direct to your inbox? Has your regular copy stopped arriving? Click here to sign up.U-S-OH!Sean Ingleguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Bottom Line for FIFA: The Good of the Game Of the catchy slogans that soccer's custodians at FIFA have coined over the years, the best is "For the Good of the Game," because that describes, exactly, the moral, ethical and sporting yardstick by which they are measured. feeds.nytimes.com |
Wayne Rooney wants to leave Manchester United: full Sir Alex Ferguson statement Watch Sir Alex Ferguson's full statement about Wayne Rooney's refusal to sign a new contract with Manchester United. telegraph.co.uk |
Chelsea manager covets Rooney Chelsea has emerged as a potential bidder for Wayne Rooney with manager Carlo Ancelotti admitting he would be interested in signing the England striker if he is available. cbc.ca |