Football Archives: 09/2010

Birmingham manager Alex McLeish has signed a new three-year contract to keep him at St Andrew’s until 2013

Sam Allardyce believes he has the necessary credentials to manage a club in the calibre of Real Madrid – and would win titles every season if he did

Sir Alex Ferguson has suggested injured winger Antonio Valenica could return to action by the end of February despite initial fears he could miss the rest of the season

Thierry Henry may have denied Ireland the chance to shine at the World Cup in South Africa this summer but at the under-17 female equivalent in Trinidad and Tobago the Irish girls are injecting pride back into the nation

Ireland will host a friendly against Uruguay in March of next year, the FAI revealed on Thursday

Ex-Liverpool midfielder and Sky pundit Jamie Redknapp voiced a surprisingly harsh assessment of Fernando Torres’ recent performances and current demeanour on the pitch during the Reds’ goalless draw at St Andrew’s last Sunday

Arsene Wenger hailed CescFabregas’ inspired performance as Arsenal ruthlessly swept Sporting Braga aside at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night

ir Alex Ferguson admits it was a mistake to leave in-form striker Dimitar Berbatov out of his match-day squad to face Rangers in Manchester United’s opening Champions League Group C game

Tottenham Hotspur began their first ever Champions League campaign with a draw against Werder Bremen despite surging into an early two-goal lead courtesy of a Petri Pasanen own goal and an emphatic Peter Crouch header

Inter Milan manager Rafael Benítez believes his side must demonstrate the same intensity as last season if they are to replicate their Champions League success again this year

Sir Alex Feguson has admitted Manchester United may be forced to spend big in future campaigns to cope with the expected retirements of Old Trafford stalwarts

Cristiano Ronaldo is confident Jose Mourinho’s Real Madrid will soon play the brand of football that fans at the Bernabeu demand

Frank Lampard has laughed off suggestions that Chelsea’s ageing squad will find it difficult to replicate the success of last year’s double-winning campaign

Italian football is once again making the headlines for the wrong reasons after players in Serie A announced they will go on strike in a fortnight’s time

FIFA President Sepp Blatter has revealed the governing body will consider both scrapping extra-time and reintroducing the ‘golden goal’ rule to promote free-flowing football at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil

Steven Gerrard praised England’s performance against Switzerland after goals from Wayne Rooney, Adam Johnson and Darren Bent helped Fabio Capello’s side to a 3-1 victory in Basel

Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola voted Arsenal’s Cesc Fabregas as his European midfielder of the season for the UEFA Club Football Awards 2010

Stand-in skipper Steven Gerrard insists England are fully focused ahead of tonight’s European Championship qualifier against Switzerland in Basel

Bernabeu legend Zinedine Zidane and new signing Ricardo Carvalho have heaped praise on new Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho

Former Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier is close to becoming Martin O’Neill’s successor at Villa Park, according to reports circulating in the British media

Fulham captain Danny Murphy believes former team-mate Steven Gerrard should remain as England captain even when the injured Rio Ferdinand returns to full fitness