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Kenny Dalglish expresses his gratitude to Liverpool fans

• Dalglish: 'Thank you from the bottom of my heart'
• Jamie Carragher says Liverpool must focus on fourth place

Kenny Dalglish has expressed his gratitude to Liverpool fans for their show of support, 24 hours after his dismissal as manager. The 61-year-old Anfield legend returned for a second spell as interim manager after the sacking of Roy Hodgson in January 2011, but his first full season back in charge failed to live up to expectations despite winning the Carling Cup.

In a message on Twitter on Thursday night, the Scot wrote: "Overwhelmed by the support of the fans. Always been special but even more so now. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. YNWA (You'll Never Walk Alone) and I never have."

Meanwhile, the Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher believes the Reds must forget about mounting a title challenge in the near future and focus instead on getting back into the top four of the Premier League. "We have got a trophy and we got to a cup final, so in the domestic cup competitions we have had a fantastic season, but in the league we all know it was a disappointment," he said.

"We all realise now the Champions League is very important. It's the place to be seen and we are not there. Liverpool fans probably don't want to hear it, but it is an achievement getting into the top four. It is different to what it was a long time ago.

"I have been in the team 15 years and we have only challenged for the title a couple of times, which is obviously not what we would like and not good enough for us. At the moment I don't think the title is in everyone's mind, I think top four first."

Posted on 17 May 2012 | 6:06 pm

Paul Scholes may have to play until he is 68 as austerity plan bites | Harry Pearson

There were apparently discreet inquiries to see whether the Manchester United midfielder might play for England again. We have been here before

Like most European countries, Britain still has a smattering of offering caves, pagan ancient grottos where leaving gifts is believed to bring good luck, or simply stave off plague, pestilence and misfortune. You may think such practices would have ended long ago – replaced by more scientific approaches to ensuring our physical and psychological wellbeing such as immunisation, or bingo – but, according to a friend of mine who's an archaeologist and specialises in this kind of thing, even today, in times of extreme trauma, people tend to turn back to the old pre-Christian rituals. As a consequence, experts are still able to determine from the volume of offerings in the caves the periods when a community has been in crisis.

It is my belief that in future centuries historians will be able to do a similar thing with English football, identifying times of turmoil for the national team using the frequency with which the media starts talking up the possibility of Paul Scholes coming out of international retirement. The Manchester United midfielder – who, according to leaked Whitehall documents, may be forced to play on until he is 68 as part of a package of Government austerity measures that may also include a swingeing new tax on hair gel and teeth-whitener which many believe is designed specifically to deter Cristiano Ronaldo – the Donny and Marie of elaborate wing-play – from ever returning to work in Britain.

Like the offering caves, the Scholes‑gauge of the national mood appeared to most of us to have outlived its usefulness following Don Fabio's doomed attempt to seduce the Mancunian away from the comforts of the family hearth with the promise of being locked in a luxury South African compound with Wayne Rooney for six weeks. After all, it is only last summer that we waved farewell to the ginger scowler for what we were assured was forever.

And then suddenly he was back again at United and apparently as good as ever (I say apparently because to me Scholes is one of those figures whose genius I just have to take on trust – a footballing Ricky Gervais. I can't see it myself, but everyone tells me he is fantastic and I'm sure they can't all be wrong. Can they?). This unexpected yet typical surge from deep was enough to stir folk memories in the new England gaffer, Roy Hodgson. Currently besieged by the Four Horsemen of the Football Apocalypse (Injuries, Exhaustion, Tabloid Ridicule and the Left-side of Midfield situation), the wise old coach performed the sporting equivalent of laying a gold bracelet in a sacred hollow. Just as the national boss's forebears might have sought to ward off evil spirits by talking up the possible return from injury of Bryan Robson, so he felt moved – rumour had it – to make "discreet inquiries about whether Paul might be available for selection again".

We have been here before, of course, with the gallant Robbo – a hero whose achilles heel was his entire body – and more latterly with Paul Gascoigne. Even at the tail-end of the Geordie midfielder's career when he was huffing and puffing around the pitch at Middlesbrough and Everton looking for all the world like a middle-aged uncle entertaining a birthday party of pre‑schoolers with his Thomas the Tank Engine impression, it was still common to hear the incumbent England manager muttering the sacred imprecation: "The door is still open to Gazza." Gazza, though, was never a man to come in through an open door, if he could risk severe injury by entering head first through a plate-glass window, and so it never happened.

Nor is football the only sport affected. Back in the 1970s the England cricket selectors reacted to every fresh crisis brought on by the pace bowling of Australia and West Indies by doing the equivalent of slaughtering a chicken and burning its entrails in the belly of a statue of Baal – they brought back a very old batsman. Colin Cowdrey, John Edrich, Basil D'Oliveira and Brian Close were all bruisingly offered up in an attempt to appease whatever angry Gods had granted the opponents Lillee, Thomson, Holding and Roberts, while giving England Mike Hendrick. Nowadays the England and Wales Cricket Board is made of more logical minds and even when things were going slightly wrong last year they resisted all appeals from the Shaman of the Popular Prints to bring back Mark Ramprakash.

Nor is English sport alone in displaying an occasional irrational adherence to Eldritch lore. In Germany's darkest sporting hours – at the European Championship 12 years ago – they showed much the same mad faith in Lothar Matthäus as medieval peasants did in corn dollies. Watching the 39‑year‑old sweeper at Euro 2000 it was impossible not to think of the old joke about Franco: "The general is dead."

"Yes, but who's going to tell him?"

Playing ability is not the issue here, however. Lothar was a talisman for the Germans and if Jens Jeremies's legs and lungs had to be offered up to him then so be it.

Speaking of the offering caves, my archaeologist friend commented: "I'm not sure if people actually believe in it. But I think it does give them the sense they are doing something about whatever fears are afflicting them." We can only hope wily campaigner Roy Hodgson was practising some similar form of comforting psychological self‑dosing.

Posted on 17 May 2012 | 5:57 pm

Van Persie delays signing new deal

• Holland striker will not rush to sign contract
• Manchester City and Juventus interested

Robin van Persie has indicated that he has no intention of signing his proposed new contract at Arsenal in the immediate future as he waits to see which of his suitors will make official offers for him.

Manchester City and Juventus are prominent among that group and sources at each club say their information is that Van Persie will not agree to fresh terms at the Emirates Stadium under any circumstances, increasing the likelihood of his departure this summer.

The striker opened negotiations with the Arsenal manager, Arsène Wenger, and the club's chief executive, Ivan Gazidis, in London on Wednesday and it was never likely that the meeting would end with Van Persie's signature on the new deal, which would pay him £130,000 a week, plus a £5m re-signing bonus. Van Persie's contract has a little over 12 months to run.

Arsenal maintain there is plenty of time for Van Persie to reflect and commit his remaining peak years to them and they also have the option of holding him for one final season, even if that policy would risk them losing a hugely saleable asset for nothing as a free agent next summer.

Van Persie travelled to the Netherlands on Thursday to join his national team for their Euro 2012 preparations and developments are not expected until after the finals in Poland and Ukraine, although Wenger will remain in contact with his captain and, as such, talks will be ongoing.

Van Persie, the Footballer of the Year, who is central to Arsenal's plans for the future, would favour a move to Barcelona while Real Madrid may also appeal. It is unclear how he would feel about a move to Manchester City, who are prepared to pay him £250,000 a week.

Patrick Vieira, City's football development executive, confirmed his club's interest in Van Persie, but expects the Dutchman to have plenty of suitors given the uncertainty surrounding his contract.

"I don't think it will only be City who would like these kind of players," he said. "I don't think you have so many good talents like Van Persie who have just one year left on his contract. There will be a lot of teams who will want a player like Van Persie."

If Van Persie does decide to leave, Vieira believes that it would be a huge setback for Arsenal and could even convince more star players that their futures lie elsewhere, especially after Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri left to join Barcelona and City respectively last summer.

"It will be as difficult as when they lost Fabregas or Nasri," said Vieira. "Then you knew that Robin was behind. If they lose Robin, who is behind? Of course it is going to be difficult to keep or to convince Robin.

"It was a shock for them to lose Nasri and Fabregas and if they lose Van Persie, it will be a drama. If Robin decides to leave, that means maybe next year it will be Walcott and the next year maybe it will be Wilshere. It will be difficult for Arsenal to keep all their top players. But if they keep Robin, they will send out a positive message to all the clubs around them."

With that in mind, Vieira, a former Arsenal captain, is surprised that his old club have not already resolved Van Persie's future. Last summer, Arsenal's plans in the transfer market were disrupted by holding on to Fabregas and Nasri for as long as possible, which played a major part in their shambolic start to the season.

"I think that is something they should have closed a long time ago but Arsenal don't need me to tell them that," Vieira added. "It is really difficult to find a player with the quality of Van Persie with one year left on his contract, so it is difficult to understand."

Vieira has no such worries at City, who won their first league title since 1968 last Sunday, and says that all anyone is concerned with at Eastlands is building on their success this season. As a player at Arsenal, Vieira won the title three times, but he was never able to retain it – in the Premier League era, the only side other than Manchester United to win back-to-back titles are José Mourinho's Chelsea in 2005 and 2006.

"I think it is really important for a team when you win the league back to back," said Vieira. "With Arsenal we never did that. If you want to dominate, it is really important to win the league back to back and improving our run in the Champions League is really important."

Posted on 17 May 2012 | 5:13 pm

Arjen Robben: 'This feels like the only trophy that is missing'

The former Chelsea winger has won various league titles and cups in four different countries and is hoping to complete the set with a Champions League victory for Bayern Munich

Dominic Fifield

Chelsea will feel like intruders in Bavaria. They will touch down in Germany this morning to find Munich decked in red and white, plastered with posters declaring "one city, one dream", the clamour that it is Bayern's destiny to claim a fifth European Cup in their own Allianz Arena rammed down the visitors' throats. They are party poopers provoking nothing but suspicion from the locals. Even the sight of a familiar face will hardly feel welcoming. "I still have great feelings for Chelsea and am really happy for them that they're in the final," says Arjen Robben. "But unfortunately, this time, we'll have to disappoint them."

A reunion with an old-friend-turned-foe awaits. Robben enjoyed three years in south-west London, a period spent entirely under José Mourinho's stewardship, and seemed to delight and frustrate the Portuguese in equal measures. There were successive Premier League titles, two League Cups and an FA Cup success, his dazzling wing play in combination with Damien Duff and Joe Cole helping to illuminate a side that, with the benefit of hindsight, now appears refreshingly attack-minded.

Yet the Dutchman is also remembered for the niggles, the strains and the agonised facial expressions as he winced in pain while prone on or hobbling from the turf. His last appearance, as a substitute who had to be replaced, in the 2007 FA Cup final rather encapsulated his stint at the club: a cameo cut short by injury that still yielded a winners' medal.

The 28-year-old reflects on that spell in England, which ended in a messy public courtship with Real Madrid and an eventual £24m move to the Bernabéu in the summer of 2007, with real fondness. "I have no regrets at all," he says. "I had injuries, but I didn't get them on purpose.

"Overall, I had a great time, especially in the first season when I was part of the team who won the league for the first time in 50 years. It was great to be there, and I played my part in the time I was fit, and showed what I could do on the pitch. Of course I wanted to show them more, but because of the injuries I couldn't always do that.

"They've changed the way they play in the time since. But when I was there we were nice to watch, with two wingers and attacking football. Maybe, tactically, they're a bit more defensive these days. They can still play football, but it's not always the most technical football like you see at Arsenal or Manchester United. For a lot of their players, this will be their last chance to win the Champions league. They're all getting a bit older, with all respect.

"People say their team has not evolved, and that may be a failure, but it could also be a strength. A lot of their players have been at the club for a long time, which can make them strong. They have experience and a lot of leaders in their team, even if the biggest leader [John Terry] will be missing in the final.

"We know the threat they pose. They've come close in this competition before, and it's still a big target for Mr Abramovich. They were in the final four years ago against Manchester United and, when I was there, we played two semi-finals against Liverpool. But, in the end, it's about winning the trophy. If you want to enter the history books you have to win it. We're in our second final in three years and, for us, it's our time to win it."

Robben has grown used to securing silverware over a 12-year professional career that has taken in five clubs in four countries. There was a Primera Liga title in his first season at Real, a club he was reluctant to leave before the lavish arrivals of Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaká cast him to the fringes, with the Bundesliga crown claimed in his first season at Munich his fifth league success in eight years. Jupp Heynckes's Bayern purr as an attacking force when Robben and Franck Ribéry – a combination that has locals sporting "Robbery" on the back of their shirts – are gliding down the flanks, supplying the prolific Mario Gomez in the centre.

When the combinations click, they appear irrepressible. When they do not, and Bayern have been frustrated domestically by Borussia Dortmund in the last two seasons, the tension is palpable. There was a high-profile spat with Ribéry over a free-kick in the first leg of the semi-final against Real Madrid, a dispute that spilled over into the dressing room with the Frenchman later accepting a fine for striking his team-mate. The Dutchman, such a placid figure at Chelsea, has endured other fall-outs with the captain, Philipp Lahm, and Thomas Müller.

"Those stories are closed," says Robben. "It's something we don't talk about any more." As if to prove as much, he recently signed a two-year contract extension, the first time he has prolonged a spell at any of his clubs.

That suggests a player content with his lot, though Chelsea stand in the way of the real prize. "There's only one target for us, and that's winning the Champions League," he adds. "It's the biggest trophy in club football and, if you win it, it will stay with you forever. When we heard the final would be played in Munich it became the dream for everyone at the club. It's been a very long road – we had to play qualification matches [against FC Zürich] as we weren't qualified for the group stages – but everyone has been hoping and praying. The final's in our stadium, in our city, and everything will be red and white. That's a great motivation for us.

"This feels like the only trophy that is missing. I've won the league in four countries, and all the cups. The only one missing is the Champions League. We can use what happened to us in the final two years ago [when Mourinho's Internazionale won 2-0] to help us this time. I told my mum then: 'If we win the Champions League and the World Cup, you can have my boots because I'll stop playing.' It didn't work out in 2010, with Bayern or Holland, but we can do it this time."

Posted on 17 May 2012 | 5:06 pm

Solskjaer is surprise target for Villa

• Manchester United legend led Molde to title in Norway
• Odds on Solskjaer getting Aston Villa job tumble

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is on the shortlist for the managerial vacancy at Aston Villa. The former Manchester United striker, who is in charge of the Norwegian club Molde, has emerged as a surprise contender to replace Alex McLeish.

Solskjaer's odds tumbled on the betting markets on Thursday and although no talks are yet planned to take place between Randy Lerner, the Villa owner, and the 39-year-old, he is known to be one of the names under consideration, along with Wigan's Roberto Martínez, Norwich's Paul Lambert and the Swansea manager Brendan Rodgers.

There are, however, doubts in Norway as to whether Solskjaer would be receptive to an approach from Villa at this stage of his managerial career and at a time when he is enjoying seeing his three children grow up in his hometown of Kristiansund. Solskjaer has two years remaining on his contract with Molde, whom he led to the Norwegian title for the first time in their history last October in his first year as a manager, and there is a sense that he would prefer to see out the remainder of that deal before taking a job overseas.

There is also the prospect of leading Molde, where he made his name as an exciting young striker in Norway before moving to Old Trafford in 1996, into the Champions League this summer. Molde will come into the competition at the second qualifying round stage and it could be difficult for Solskjaer to turn his back on that opportunity.

For the moment, Villa are weighing up their options, which could include considering the merits of Kevin MacDonald, the first-team coach under McLeish and the caretaker manager when Martin O'Neill walked out on the eve of the 2010-11 season. MacDonald is understood to be interested in the post. "I think Kevin would be a good candidate," Gabriel Agbonlahor said. "He's very good with the younger players and has won the reserves' title I don't know how many times. Obviously, it's the chairman's decision. But I don't think the fans should discount him because he's not a big name."

Posted on 17 May 2012 | 5:00 pm

Champions League final is 'sink or swim' moment, says Chelsea's Cahill

• Bayern Munich match first final for Cahill since youth football
• 'It has been a fantastic second half of the season'

Gary Cahill has described his prospective first appearance in a final since youth-team football as "sink or swim" as he prepares to partner David Luiz at the heart of Chelsea's defence in Saturday's Champions League showpiece against Bayern Munich.

The England defender, who is confident he will be fit to feature at the Allianz Arena after a hamstring injury, is still pinching himself after a whirlwind season that has taken him from a relegation struggle with Bolton Wanderers in January to the brink of claiming the European Cup. Cahill has not featured since the semi-final second leg in Barcelona on 24 April but returned to full training this week and was named in Roy Hodgson's national squad for the summer's European Championship.

"It's been a mad season, and a fantastic one for me," Cahill said. "Making a move to Chelsea has obviously worked out really well. Now I'm looking to move on and really build my career here. First, for the team to have won the FA Cup and now to go into this huge game, all in my first six months here is really crazy.

"It has been a fantastic second half of the season. This is my first final, probably my first of any kind since youth-team football, and it's in the biggest competition: so it's sink or swim. I did win a few things as a kid but nothing since. But I came here to play in these competitions and be a part of occasions like this. We've got a great chance now to lift the best trophy."

Confronting plays such as Mario Gomez, Arjen Robben and Franck Ribéry, having played a significant part in beating Barcelona in the semi-finals, feels like the stuff of dreams given the toils Cahill endured this season at Bolton. He tasted victory only five times in 19 league games with Wanderers this term. He departed for £7m in January, having entered the final six months of his contract at the Reebok Stadium, with the club entrenched in a relegation battle that was ultimately lost in his absence.

His own form had been patchy through that period but, after a relatively shaky start, he has quickly found his feet at Stamford Bridge. "I'd played with a few of the England boys before I arrived and never thought it would be much of an issue settling in," he said. "Ideally you want to come in, hit the ground running and, after two games, have everyone saying how amazing you are. But that doesn't always happen so you have to work at your game. Moving in that January transfer window is different to moving in the summer, so it took a few weeks but I was never worried. I just hope my game continues to keep progressing.

"Playing the likes of Lionel Messi and Robben is as good as it gets. It's where players want to be and I was no different. I thought I was the right age to move on and try to make that step up. You want to play international football – you don't get any higher than that – but to play in the Champions League is where you want to be as a club. I'm fortunate to have been able to do that this season and I hope the next few seasons it will be the same. Missing the FA Cup final felt like a massive blow. I was sick when I got the injury because I knew that was going to be the case straight away. So for me to make this one is a huge moment in my career."

Posted on 17 May 2012 | 5:00 pm

David Gill says Manchester United can fight back despite City's wealth

• Much at Manchester United to attract top players, says Gill
• Sir Alex Ferguson 'tireless' in contributing to success of club

David Gill is convinced Manchester United can overthrow the new Premier League champions, despite the vast means Manchester City have employed. Gill, the chief executive since 2003, has been with the club for 15 years. He argues that United have previously answered the challenge of opponents comparable to City.

"Roman Abramovich bought Chelsea, he came in 2003 and they won the title in 2005 and 2006," Gill recalled. "Everyone was saying: 'This is it, Abramovich and Chelsea are going to be there for 10 years.' It doesn't happen like that. We have got to concentrate. Chelsea, I am sure, are going to be better in the league next year. Tottenham had a good year, Arsenal … That's the great thing about the Premier League, there are many teams."

United's circumstances are, however, controversial since the takeover by the Glazers led to some £500m leaving the club. Gill denies that United, following a trophyless season, labour under a handicap. "Whilst other clubs may pay slightly more, we pay what we believe are very, very good salaries," he said. "The commercial spin-offs, if [players] want to go down that route, are arguably better than at other clubs.

"We shouldn't be shy or embarrassed or worried about not being able to attract top players. I firmly believe that we can, with Sir Alex Ferguson and what we offer as a club. Many people want to come and play for us. We've got experienced players in Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs, we've got Rio [Ferdinand].

"These are players who have won many trophies. There is Wayne [Rooney] obviously. We can blend that with the youngsters and hopefully that will stand us in good stead. If a player is saying: 'I am relaxed, I can either go to Manchester City or Manchester United or Chelsea,' and it just comes down to a money thing they may outmuscle us. We'd say: 'That's fine.' We have our parameters in which we work. We look at the whole squad and the salary ranges within it, make sure they're appropriate, make sure people can look each other in the eye.

"Our turnover and our cash profits demonstrate that we can invest in players. We showed that last year when we bought three players: Phil Jones, Ashley Young and David de Gea. Those are the sort of players we like to buy – players who are still developing."

Even so, the most expensive figures in the starting XI at Sunderland last weekend were Ferdinand and Rooney, men bought as long ago as 2002 and 2004 respectively. The Glazers can only be overjoyed that the expertise at Old Trafford remains. Sir Alex Ferguson was inevitably named manager of the Premier League's 20 years.

Gill describes a tireless Ferguson arriving each day at breakfast time. "You don't stay at the top of the tree in one of the most competitive leagues in the world without having that enthusiasm, that knowledge and ability. We still had 89 points. The title has not been decided on goal difference before. We cannot be unhappy with what we've done. It's a fine line."

Any disquiet is likely to lie with mediocre efforts in Champions League and Europa League. "We underperformed in Europe," Gill said. "Not getting through the group stages of the Champions League was very disappointing. We can't ignore that but the important thing is that throughout the season we were looking at the development of the squad and the players coming through from the youth team.

"We've had another good year. The reserves won the national championship. It's not a revolution. We're not sitting here saying: 'Christ, what are we going to do?' It's an ongoing process." Gill is aware of the financial fair play initiative by Uefa, the first phase of which will soon take effect and, it is hoped, compel clubs gradually to balance their books.

Under the current arrangements, United have had some glum times. Gill is forgiving of defeats home and away to Athletic Bilbao in the Europa League since that tournament was the La Liga side's principal concern. United had a Premier League title in mind then, although it now stays in their thoughts only because it eluded them.

Posted on 17 May 2012 | 5:00 pm

Liverpool put Guardiola at top of wish-list for new manager

• Wigan give Roberto Martínez permission to talk to Liverpool
• Fabio Capello and André Villas-Boas also under consideration

Liverpool have wasted little time in the search for Kenny Dalglish's successor by drawing up a wishlist headed by Pep Guardiola and Fabio Capello, and have already approached Roberto Martínez at Wigan Athletic, Swansea City's Brendan Rodgers and André Villas-Boas within 24 hours of bringing the Anfield legend's reign to an end.

Fenway Sports Group, the club's owners, received permission to hold talks with Martínez from the Wigan chairman, Dave Whelan, as their wide-ranging approach to identifying Liverpool's next manager became apparent a day after Dalglish's exit. Unlike Whelan, Swansea have not cleared the way for Rodgers to meet Liverpool as yet but are expected to do so. Villas‑Boas is also in the frame for the Liverpool job but John W Henry and Tom Werner, the principal owner and the chairman at Anfield respectively, intend to assess several candidates as they finalise a shortlist. Martínez, Rodgers and Villas‑Boas are by no means the only coaches under consideration. The ideal candidates are Guardiola and Capello but Liverpool's prospects of landing the outgoing Barcelona coach and former England manager are understood to be remote. Guardiola has previously stated his intention to take a sabbatical from the game following a trophy-laden but draining spell at the Camp Nou, while Capello is keen on the Chelsea job. Borussia Dortmund's Jürgen Klopp and Marseille's Didier Deschamp are also thought to be under consideration.

The Wigan chairman revealed: "When Liverpool sacked Kenny I have to say I thought Liverpool would be knocking on the door, and sure enough they are. I did promise Roberto when a big club comes he will have permission to talk to them and they don't come any bigger than Liverpool. I gave permission and he will be talking to them soon."

Martínez does not have the title-winning experience that forms part of FSG's criteria but he will get the opportunity to convince Liverpool's owners that he can fit into the new management structure they intend to install at Anfield. Whelan said: "We played there [at Liverpool] about two months ago. There's no heart at the club. It's a bit disturbing when you think a club like Liverpool is functioning without a heart. I mentioned that to Roberto and I think there's no heart beating at Liverpool. I think the sooner they get a heart the better. I don't know Roberto's feelings about Liverpool, I think he's going there with an open mind. I would love to keep Roberto, he's a great manager."

Liverpool's managing director, Ian Ayre, claimed the selection of Dalglish's successor represented the most critical in the club's recent history. He also insisted Anfield remains an attraction for the finest managers in the game. FSG are being advised on the process by "highly regarded people within football", according to Ayre, who revealed the next manager must work under a new management structure at Anfield. Damien Comolli's former role as director of football is to be fragmented this summer although the new manager will continue to have an influence on transfers.

Liverpool face a third season outside the Champions League next term and Uefa's financial fair play rules, which requires clubs throughout Europe to break even, come into effect in 2013‑14. The failure to mount a challenge to the top four this season, and FSG's doubts over Dalglish's ability to deliver one next year, cost him his job despite winning the Carling Cup and reaching the FA Cup final.

Asked if Liverpool had made a more important appointment than the one now confronting Henry and Werner, Ayre said: "No. It's absolutely critical that we get it right and we move forward. The Champions League is where the football club has to be. When John and Tom arrived, they said they wanted to win. They mean winning and being in that competition. They want to be winning the league. It won't happen overnight. Nobody is kidding themselves. But you have got to be heading in that direction."

Replacements for Comolli – with his old job to be divided between its administrative, scouting and negotiating functions – Graham Bartlett, the former commercial director, and the head of communications Ian Cotton are expected in the next fortnight. The managerial search, said Ayre, who recently had his contract extended at Liverpool, is based "on a whole range of things, from experience and ability, methodology, style of play, character traits. As we've seen in the past it is not just about the football. It is about how controlling some are compared to others. There's a particular process that fits part of the plan we are trying to put together. It has to be a manager who fits in all of that."

Ayre's "controlling" comment would appear to rule out Rafael Benítez from a Liverpool return, the former manager having been given control over all football operations in his final contract.

David Dein, the former vice-chairman of Arsenal, was spotted at several matches with Liverpool officials towards the end of the season but Ayre refused to confirm who is advising Henry and Werner. Villas-Boas, Klopp and Deschamps all meet the criteria of younger title-winning coaches but, having again failed to qualify for the Champions League, and appointed from Fulham (Roy Hodgson) and within (Dalglish) for its last two managers, Ayre denies Liverpool are struggling to entice the most coveted coaches.

Ayre added: "Liverpool still gets everyone excited and interested. We may have lost our way a little in terms of performances but it is still one of the biggest football clubs in the world. It still has a huge fan base. It has also got a good solid business foundation. It has got good owners who are committed. A lot of that doesn't exist in a lot of other football clubs. If you are a manager at that level or you are a manager aspiring to get there, I still think this is one of the biggest jobs in world football.

"I am under no illusion that we can go and find a top-class manager to come to this football club, for all the reasons I have stated. I do not think we are in a situation where the very experienced, very capable, very driven managers who people would want to see here do not want to come."

Posted on 17 May 2012 | 4:51 pm

Torquay 1-2 Cheltenham | League Two play-off semi-final second leg

Cheltenham Town withstood heavy first-half pressure before goals from Jermaine McGlashan and Marlon Pack confirmed their place in the League Two play-off final with a 2-1 win on Thursday night and a 4-1 aggregate victory over Torquay United.

Trailing 2-0 from the first leg, Torquay came flying out of the blocks and the Town goalkeeper Scott Brown was forced into a series of impressive saves within the opening half hour. But McGlashan effectively settled the tie with a quarter of an hour remaining.

The Torquay substitute Taiwo Atieno levelled matters on the night before Pack rifled home a magnificent 87th minute free-kick from 30 yards.

Mark Yates's men travel to Wembley next Sunday to face Crewe.

McGlashan was narrowly off target with a rasping 30-yard drive in the early stages before his side were forced to withstand a first-half onslaught.

Brown was the outstanding performer of the opening 45 minutes, and he got his night's work underway by tipping a Eunan O'Kane effort over following some deft footwork from the Torquay midfielder.

The Gulls headed into the contest without top scorer Rene Howe due to a hamstring injury, but they were not short on attacking threat, ably demonstrated when Ryan Jarvis burst into the box and forced Brown to push behind with a superb low block.

From the resulting corner, the Cheltenham defender Keith Lowe fortuitously cleared via the post as he looked to hack clear from his own goalmouth and Brian Saah fired the loose ball wide.

Brown's best moment came courtesy of another low stop in the 27th minute when Mark Ellis' first-time shot from Stevens' pass emerged cleanly from a crowd of bodies.

The Cheltenham striker James Spencer might have done better when he fired straight at the Torquay goalkeeper Robert Olejnik after the half hour, but it was at least an indication that Yates's men had weathered the storm.

There was drama a minute before the interval as the Torquay full-back Kevin Nicholson's sweetly struck free-kick rattled the crossbar with Brown rooted to the spot.

The visitors immediately sprung up the other end and Olejnik stood firm to deny Kaid Mohamed.

Cheltenham began the second half with greater purpose and Olejnik gathered at the second attempt when McGlashan looked to clip home from an acute angle at the end of a mazy run.

O'Kane's 54th minute header looped up off the Robins defender Alan Bennett to force Brown into another superb save, but it soon became clear that Torquay's early attacking verve had deserted them.

Mohamed hit a swerving shot over after a mazy run down the Torquay left by the Cheltenham full-back Sido Jombati before the decisive moment arrived in the 74th minute.

Mohamed was allowed to ease infield after collecting Ben Burgess' pass and he played in McGlashan, who stabbed home via Olejnik's boot and the inside of the far post.

Atieno reduced the aggregate arrears when he was left unmarked to glance in a near-post header from O'Kane's 85th minute corner.

However, Pack applied the gloss in memorable fashion when he found the top corner after Saah fouled Jeff Goulding.

Posted on 17 May 2012 | 4:36 pm

Roberto Martínez could be a success as Liverpool manager if given time | Paul Wilson

The Spaniard has never managed a club where there is pressure to win trophies and secure a Champions League place but he has the qualities to overcome his lack of experience

At a superficial level it is easy to see why a manager like Roberto Martínez would appeal to Liverpool's American owners. Unlike the suspicious, tetchy manager they have just sacked, Martínez is young, good-looking and smiles a lot, plays brilliantly to the camera and can put a positive spin on anything from Antolín Alcaraz spitting at an opponent to Wigan Athletic losing eight matches on the trot.

Wigan's incredible recovery in the last couple of months has alerted many people to the abilities of their manager, and the Fenway Sports Group cannot fail to have noticed that three of the points vital to the Latics' survival were gained at Anfield, but losing eight matches in succession would not normally recommend a managerial candidate to Liverpool, and nor would flirting with relegation for most of the season then pulling out of the nose dive in admittedly impressive style.

Most clubs other than Wigan would have parted company with Martínez at an early point in the January transfer window, when he had supervised a mere three wins in 19 games, just one of them at home. The fact that he was retained to see the job through at the DW Stadium is a testament to the trust and patience of Dave Whelan, Wigan's owner, as well as the enormous self-belief Martínez himself brings to his work, but Wigan are not exactly typical of Premier League clubs. The last quarter of the season may have been be a good advertisement for Martínez's potential, but the first three-quarters at any other club would have denied him the opportunity even to be mentioned as a possible successor to Kenny Dalglish.

It goes without saying that Liverpool would not put up with eight-match losing runs either, probably not even half that many defeats in a row, and that leads naturally to another problem Martínez might face. If there are significant numbers among the Anfield support who believe Dalglish was harshly treated or should have had longer, and there are, then the most reliable way for the club to silence any doubters would be to bring in someone with an impeccable and up to date winning pedigree. José Mourinho may be out of reach, but Pep Guardiola would fit the bill handsomely.

No one could argue with that, not even Dalglish's most loyal allies. But if you go for someone who has never won a title before, someone with no experience of taking a team into Europe, of making big money signings or dealing with the very top tier of footballers, you are asking for trouble if things do not immediately go well. Roy Hodgson was quickly made to realise he had come to Liverpool from a small club, and that Anfield wanted no part of what was perceived as his small club mentality. Yet Wigan are much smaller than Fulham and, far from taking his unfashionable outfit all the way to a Europa League final, as Hodgson did two years ago, all Martínez has actually managed is to lead his side out of the bottom three for the second season in a row, this time a little earlier than the last.

While no one could deny that Wigan made a great escape this season, not that much of their football has been great, and the total of 62 goals conceded was nine goals higher than Aston Villa's. Liverpool will like the way a Martínez team tries to play, and from that point of view he makes a good fit with Anfield tradition, but he will need to become more pragmatic at the top level or find himself a decent defence coach. Martínez famously turned down Villa this time last year, a decision just about vindicated by Wigan finishing one place above them in the league table, but a manager cannot afford to be so cavalier about an offer from Liverpool. Turn down Liverpool, and you would be unlikely to escape the stigma for the rest of your career.

This may not be the ideal time to take the Liverpool job, what with too much money having already been spent and a dangerous amount of affection still adhering to Dalglish, but were it an ideal time a manager with Martínez's cv would be lucky to get in the frame. In making public their interest Liverpool appear to be indicating their willingness to take a risk on a personable young man with most of his career still ahead of him. Should the offer be made concrete Martínez will have little choice but to accept and take a risk of his own, even if he has private reservations or would have preferred another season or so at Wigan. The same applies to Brendan Rodgers, the Swansea manager, who has also been sounded out.

But the very top jobs do not come around very often and Martínez has not only proved he is not the type to shy away from a challenge, he has gone a long way to demonstrating there is substance to his personal belief that any challenge can be surmounted. He will not get a bigger challenge than the one currently waving at him from Merseyside, and as long as Liverpool can learn to be patient he may even be an inspired choice.

He has more Premier League experience than Rodgers, and if, as it appears, Liverpool are willing to gamble on a manager from the lower end of the table rather than one who has won titles and medals, they surely cannot expect an instant return. It would be unfair to appoint either Martínez or Rodgers and demand Champions League qualification next season, though both men, given the time that was denied Dalglish, could not only get there eventually but do so in style.

Posted on 17 May 2012 | 4:30 pm

The in-tray facing the new Liverpool manager at Anfield | Andy Hunter

Righting Kenny Dalglish's wrongs and rehabilitating failed signings will top the new Liverpool manager's to-do list

A new management structure

The slate is clean at Liverpool following the Fenway Sports Group cull that extended to Kenny Dalglish on Wednesday and the process of installing new bodies is under way. Replacements for Damien Comolli as the director of football, commercial director Graham Bartlett and head of communications Ian Cotton are expected within the fortnight, although Comolli's former role is to change. How it will change is, as yet, unclear, but the candidate FSG select as manager will have to accept working within the new structure.

Ian Ayre, Liverpool's managing director, explained: "We are going to have a different structure [to the director of football model]. There will be more than one person in and around that role, in the sense of dividing up some of the responsibility. We are fairly imminent on a lot of the positions where people have exited."

So do Liverpool only want a training ground coach to succeed Dalglish? "I wouldn't go as far as to say it's only a training ground role," added Ayre. "But the idea is to create a structure so that the manager doesn't need to focus on too much else. You want the manager to be focused on getting the best out of his team. What it absolutely isn't, is bringing players in without the manager's input.

"Kenny was very supportive of that and he said to me that the great thing about having someone in a role like we had Damien was in the past he would be going to look at 20 or 30 different players and games just to find one player. We are trying to create as much resource and expertise in all the areas that serve the manager and the football team. Rather than having one or two people trying to achieve everything."

Improve a squad that finished 17 points off Champions League qualification

The absence of Champions League football next season for a third successive year will hurt FSG but, with Liverpool commercially strong and interest repayments nowhere near the levels under Tom Hicks and George Gillett, between £20m-£40m should be available for new signings. Whether that is enough to address the squad's shortcomings depends on whether it is a Damien Comolli or a Graham Carr (Newcastle United's chief scout) who is identifying the targets and doing the deals.

Liverpool's main weakness was glaring this season and effectively cost Dalglish his job: the lack of a proven goalscorer. As Everton showed with the £5m capture of Nikica Jelavic, however, they don't always cost an exorbitant sum. But plenty more is required to meet FSG's demands of Champions League football, with a quick right midfielder and creative midfielder among them. "You wouldn't unveil a plan to take the club forward to bring in a new manager and not invest in it," said Ayre. "There has never been a point in this period when we've seen any lack of support."

Rebuild the confidence of the 2011 signings

For Andy Carroll, Stewart Downing, Jordan Henderson and others, there is no escaping the fact the meagre return on Liverpool's £120m investment in new players under FSG cost an Anfield legend his job. The two men who brought them in, Dalglish and Comolli, have both gone and, by implication, their employers clearly lack confidence in what they have bought. But, unless Liverpool can somehow get their money back, they remain central to the club's prospects of recovery next season.

The new manager must restore that confidence and it was notable that the former manager, in his farewell interview with the Liverpool Echo on Thursday, took that first step. Dalglish said: "You cannot underestimate the pressure that is on a boy who comes to play for Liverpool. But in the first year, what they have done has been a credit. There is now a great foundation to build on and to move forward with."

Keep key players onside

Dalglish's departure has sown uncertainty within the Liverpool squad and, not for the first time in recent years, key figures are wondering in what direction the club is heading. Probably not the greatest time then, for Luis Suárez to reveal to readers of Marca.com that he intends to play in Spain one day.

"I hope to play in Spain in the future, because together with the English and Italian leagues, they are the best in the world and any player would dream of playing there," said the Liverpool striker, who added his favourite players are the Barcelona pair Andrés Iniesta and Xavi Hernández, and predicted a Spanish victory at Euro 2012. The new manager must help convince Suárez, and Liverpool's player of the year Martin Skrtel, to put pen to paper on their new contract offers.

Demanding employers

Victory in the FA Cup final would not have saved Dalglish. That much was made clear by Ian Ayre on Thursday. "It was never about an individual result, and rightly so," he said. "It was a very simple decision based on results and based on whether you believe that that's going to change. Thirty-seven points off the winners, 17 points off fourth place and 14 losses. That was the measurement on which the owners made their decision. And they made their decision without using advisors.

"The Carling Cup and the FA Cup don't generate the revenue and the success that is needed to keep investing. If you want to be successful, you have got to keep investing. People don't want to hear that football is a business. They want to see us put lots and lots of money into the football team and win lots of trophies and games. But you have got to have both. You have got to have continued progress in the league. If you don't do well in the league and you don't get into the Champions League, you are writing cheques from your own pocket, aren't you? That is not a sustainable way going forward."

Posted on 17 May 2012 | 4:30 pm

'This would be Chelsea's best ever feat'

Chelsea's veteran midfielder holds Bayern Munich in high regard but believes his team can prosper in the Allianz Arena, he tells Barney Ronay

Over the past few days citizens of that stretch of Chelsea land that runs between King's Road and the manicured country retreat of Stoke D'Abernon could have been forgiven for imagining a faint rumbling noise in the air.

If there has been a mild sense of preliminary clanking, this is perhaps simply the sound of Chelsea's old guard nudging the throttle and thrumming though the gears en route to Bavaria and what will probably be the final appearance on such a stage of the greatest and most stubbornly indissoluble team in the club's history.

This is a group of players assembled with the Champions League in mind. Frank Lampard's arrival predates that of Roman Abramovich by two years but Lampard's club career has still been largely defined by the oligarch's grand Euro-centred project. Not without success, too: Lampard has perhaps been the most faithful of Chelsea's senior players to the diktats of the grand European design. If Didier Drogba enters Saturday's final at the Allianz Arena with a sense of incompleteness – red cards against Manchester United, Barcelona and Internazionale all dovetailed with decisive defeat – Lampard has often been last man standing when Chelsea needed him most, excelling even in late-stage defeat. He scored against Monaco in the 2004 semi-final. He scored in the elimination of Barcelona the next year and again at the Camp Nou as Chelsea went out in 2006. In the 2008 final in Moscow he scored an equaliser and converted his penalty in the shootout but still fell narrowly short.

Aged 33, Lampard is now facing a grand-stage swansong in a competition that has often seen the best of him. "For Chelsea it would be the greatest achievement for sure," Lampard says. "It would be a huge achievement. But I think every step has been a huge achievement – the Barcelona game and the turnaround from Napoli. It would certainly be Chelsea's best ever feat."

For Lampard, defeat of Bayern Munich would also crown a career measured out in victory podiums that would include every A-list club trophy. "If we don't win it, I'd have no regrets looking back. I'm very pleased and proud of the career I've had here. I've been very lucky to be at a great club and win a lot of things. But in terms of the full set on the table, it would be; you can't hide away from that."

Have the near misses preyed on his mind ahead of Saturday's final? "A little bit. I think about all my successes and failures and sometimes the failures stick in your head as much as the wins. But you do move on. I've got nice memories of Moscow – obviously not the ending but the occasion itself.

"Every year we get asked the same questions: 'Is this the year, how inspired are you by the failures of years before?' And every year we have failed, because we haven't done it. We are one step closer to making it."

English footballers are often accused of a kind of gilded insularity, of failing to see beyond the walls of their own self-propelling Premier League. Not so Lampard, who is able to offer his own forensic analysis of the challenge in central midfield on Saturday. "I watched [Bayern] play against Borussia Dortmund. [Luiz] Gustavo can't play but in [Toni] Kroos and [Bastian] Schweinsteiger they have two fantastic midfield players. I can't speak highly enough of them. Kroos has come on and really impressed me. And then [Thomas] Müller played behind the front man, so it depends on whether they want to be more attacking or they want to get someone in to hold. Either way it's going to be a battleground because they are very strong in there."

Blessed with a less experienced cartel of grizzled old hands there might have been a temptation for Chelsea's intensity levels to drop after the defeat of Barcelona in the semi-finals, or at least to harbour expectations of a slightly less frazzling experience in the Allianz Arena.

"It doesn't work that way," Lampard says. "We've enjoyed the feeling of beating the best because Barcelona certainly are the best team, or they have certainly been the best for a long time. But we're clever enough to know that if you lose the final people soon forget the semis and the quarters."

Plus, of course, England's sixth-best team this season must confront not only the Bundesliga runners-up but an enduring inferiority complex in knockout football, borne of successive defeats on penalties at national level, and shadowed by German football's current buoyancy.

"I have huge respect for [German footballers]," Lampard says. "I grew up being frustrated by them as an England fan. You know how tough they are in certain situations. I worked with Michael Ballack closely and he was one of those players who you could probably take the wrong way in the beginning; but he was so determined, confident and wanted to win. I think that's just a trait. The German teams I have played against all seem to have that individually."

For Lampard this season has also been a test of mental fortitude, most notably in the seasonal low point of sitting on the bench watching Chelsea lose 3-1 in Napoli shortly before the invigorating departure of André Villas-Boas. Those dark days have been followed by a resurgence so extraordinary Lampard could yet see the bleakest moment of his Chelsea career followed by a career high three months later.

"It was tough when I wasn't in the team and frustrating individually. I sat back at times and got the hump indoors, but I tried to carry on working hard and in the end it has turned around personally, but not quite to the full extent yet. If we win the final then I can probably answer that better."

It is a prospect that will also dictate the tone of Chelsea's summer. Even crouched beneath the footballing alp of Champions League success, the immediate future must be considered and defeat would mean Chelsea are excluded from the competition for the first time in the Abramovich era.

"It's in the back of our minds," Lampard admits. It seems likely Saturday night in Munich will bring either a late-blooming high, or usher in the kind of summer revamp that may finally uproot once and for all that clanking old guard.

Posted on 17 May 2012 | 4:30 pm

Capello makes move for Chelsea job

• Italian makes club's hierarchy aware of his interest in job
• Capello has been out of work since resigning from England

Fabio Capello has made it known to Chelsea's hierarchy that he is eager to take up the reins at Stamford Bridge this summer as the former England coach seeks a return to top-flight club management.

The Italian is due to attend Saturday's Champions League final in Munich, which marks the last game of Roberto Di Matteo's impressive tenure as interim first-team coach. Chelsea are still evaluating who will fill the position vacated by André Villas-Boas in the first week of March but, with their chances of securing Roman Abramovich's first choice – Pep Guardiola – appearing remote, Capello has moved to promote his own candidacy.

The 65-year-old's availability had been explored by intermediaries apparently working with Chelsea's blessing earlier this year once it became clear that Villas-Boas's spell in charge was unraveling. That would have been on a short-term basis – the former Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez was also discussed at the time – and, like the Spaniard, Capello would have considered the role only on a more permanent basis. The Italian, who does not operate with an agent, has been contacted by brokers claiming to be working on behalf of the club and has expressed his desire to be considered. He has not as yet been offered the job.

Capello resigned as England coach in February and has spent the last three months between Italy, Spain, Dubai, London and at his family home in Lugano. He has received offers from Spain and Russia and, having opted against retirement, is seeking a return to an ambitious leading European club. He has accepted opportunities will be limited in Italy and Spain and, with his compatriot Marcello Lippi having been appointed by Guangzhou Evergrande – an £8m-a-year role for which Capello had also been considered – considers the Premier League his most likely route back.

His reputation may have been damaged in this country by England's toils at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa but his record as a club manager remains impressive. He has won nine titles in 16 seasons with Milan, Real Madrid, Roma and Juventus – his two Juve titles having since been revoked – although his sole success in the Champions League remains the Rossoneri's victory over Barcelona in 1994. His appointment would find favour with the likes of John Terry, whose removal from the England captaincy had prompted the Italian's resignation earlier this year.

Capello still owns an apartment in Chelsea and recently expressed a desire to work in the Premier League. "England would be very interesting for me because I know very well the teams and the players and everything would be less difficult," he said in an interview with The Times this month. "I've refused some really good offers for a lot of money, from clubs in China and different places in the world. I want one more challenge.

"At the end of my career it would be interesting to find a team with big motivation to arrive at the top. I want to manage a team that is able to play in the Champions League and fight for lots of trophies. If I don't find the kind of club I want I'll return to being a pundit."

Chelsea had quickly identified Guardiola as their primary target following Villas-Boas's sacking but the 41-year-old has reiterated he will now be taking a year-long sabbatical from the game after leaving Barcelona. José Mourinho, another who was under consideration, is to remain at Real Madrid, leaving the likes of the France coach, Laurent Blanc, and Capello as viable alternatives.

Di Matteo, who has claimed the FA Cup and could win the club's first European Cup against Bayern Munich, has intimated in recent weeks that he does not expect to be offered the role on a permanent basis despite his successes during his 10-week spell in temporary charge.

Posted on 17 May 2012 | 4:00 pm

You are the Ref: Roy Hodgson, England

Click to enlarge, and debate the strip below the line. Keith Hackett's comments appear in Sunday's Observer and here from Monday.

Competition: win an official club shirt of your choice

For a chance to win a club shirt of your choice from the range at Kitbag.com send us your questions for You are the Ref to you.are.the.ref@observer.co.uk. The best scenario used in the new YATR strip each Sunday wins a shirt to the value of £50 from Kitbag. Terms & conditions apply.

For more on the fifty year history of You Are The Ref, click here.

Posted on 17 May 2012 | 4:00 pm

London 2012: Athens hands over Olympic flame to Princess Anne - video

Princess Anne, David Beckham, Boris Johnson and Sebastian Coe attend ceremony at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens

Posted on 17 May 2012 | 3:16 pm

British-style weather fails to dampen Athens handover of Olympic flame

Rain clears in time for guests including David Beckham and Boris Johnson to discard umbrellas as ceremony begins

As omens go, this was a pretty good one. A pall of rain that had threatened to dampen the ceremonial handover of the Olympic flame in Athens on Thursday afternoon lifted the very minute the torch entered the Panathenaic Stadium. The vestal virgins, shivering in a tunnel in their diaphanous gowns as they waited to emerge and do their stuff, were not the only ones breathing sighs of relief.

By the time Princess Anne, the president of the British Olympic Association, had received the flame from the hands of her Hellenic opposite number, half the sky was bright blue. The London organisers would probably settle for that when the flame is carried into their own stadium for the London 2012 opening ceremony on the evening of 27 July.

After the torch had been borne to the stadium's cauldron by Li Ning, the Chinese gymnast who lit the flame in Beijing, and Pyrros Dimas, Greece's three-time Olympic weightlifting champion, who also carried a branch from a Cretan olive tree, said to be the world's oldest, Sebastian Coe congratulated the organisers on providing a sample of British weather.

By then the massed umbrellas had been put aside and five doves – only five, perhaps a reminder of the austerity measures recently imposed by the EU on the Greek people – had been released to flutter off into the brightening sky.

It was amid the white marble tiers of Athens' 19th century stadium, built on the site of an ancient arena and one of the world's most beautiful sporting venues, that British spectators heard the bad news about Paula Radcliffe as the women's marathon neared its climax during the Olympic Games of 2004.

Some time after the gold, silver and bronze medal winners had been acclaimed, a distraught Radcliffe arrived aboard an ambulance, to be loaded onto a stretcher and taken to the medical centre. British sport will have a better memory of the place now.

Perhaps the best souvenir of all will be cherished by England's most famous footballer. As he arrived and departed along with the rest of the official party, the presence of "Sir David Beckham" was repeatedly announced to the crowd.

Lord Coe, usually not one to miss an opportunity, could have grabbed a sword off the nearest member of the Greek Imperial Guard and persuaded the Princess Royal to make it official there and then.

Walking alongside Beckham was poor Boris Johnson, plain "Mr". They might have found a title for the only member of the party capable of addressing the Greeks in their ancient and modern tongues. And for once London's blond bombshell was forced to recognise that the girlish screams were not for him.

"I love the smell of legacy in the morning," Boris had said earlier at breakfast time, sniffing the Athenian air and savouring the taste of a spur-of-the-moment soundbite. Although the air at that actual moment was the artificially processed stuff to be found in the meeting room of a five-star hotel, he was answering a question about the potentially ruinous effect of Olympic investment on a city's economy by stressing the beneficial effect on the city's notorious pollution and of the work done to improve public transport and reduce traffic jams before the 2004 Games.

"The air is cleaner," he continued, "and the stones of the Parthenon are no longer corroded by the sulphur in the way they were before thanks to the Olympic Games of 2004, and for me that's a very moving and important thing."

In Athens, Johnson is in his element – or one of them. He studied classics at Oxford, bestowed such names as Milo, Cassia and Apollo upon his children, and increased his visibility several years ago with a BBC series on the ancient world.

On Wednesday evening he had climbed the Parthenon steps to welcome the flame at the end of its journey around Greece. The buildings atop the Acropolis, he pointed out, had been among the beneficiaries of an Olympic investment of around €8bn (£6.4bn).

"It's a wonderful thing to see the benefits here," he said. "Here in Athens, where they're going through a tough time at the moment, there's no doubt at all that the Olympic Games in 2004 did deliver tangible benefits. We flew into an airport and drove on roads that would not have existed had it not been for the Olympic Games. The quality of the air is considerably sweeter for the installation of mass rapid transit systems. We are breathing legacy here, if I can put it that way."

But had the investment in the Olympics eight years ago not contributed to the problems currently threatening to drive Greece out of the eurozone, and did that not carry threatening portents for London? "They have a national debt of €320bn, and I'm not certain that the Olympic investments are the problem," Johnson said.

"The structural and economic problems far outweigh that. Many of the structures that you see around you in Athens were produced to celebrate athletic events of one kind or another, and here they still are, drawing tourists. The social and human benefits of the Games are something we also expect to see in London. The only thing that fills me with anxiety is that I can't see the downside at the moment."

And if he were Stuart Pearce, the coach of Britain's Olympic football team, would he pick Beckham? "Of course I would. But that's why I'm not in charge of the football team."

The flame was carried away by London's dignitaries for safe keeping overnight before being flown on Friday evening to an airfield near Penzance, from where it will begin its relay around Britain, starting on Saturday morning when it passes into the hands of Ben Ainslie, the triple gold medal-winning sailor. The first of 8,000 torchbearers, Ainslie will pass it on to Anastasia Swallow, an 18-year-old junior international surfer from St Ives.

Posted on 17 May 2012 | 1:46 pm

Liverpool to speak with Wigan's Roberto Martínez over manager's job

• Wigan give Martínez permission to talk to Liverpool
• 'I will never stand in Roberto's way,' says Dave Whelan

Liverpool have been given permission by Wigan Athletic to speak with Roberto Martínez over the vacant managerial position at Anfield.

The Wigan chairman, Dave Whelan, has confirmed that Martínez is due to talk to Liverpool after the owners, Fenway Sports Group, parted company with Kenny Dalglish on Wednesday.

"When Liverpool sacked Kenny I have to say I thought Liverpool would be knocking on the door, and sure enough they are," Whelan told Sky Sports News.

"I did promise Roberto when a big club comes he will have permission to talk to them and they don't come any bigger than Liverpool. I gave permission and he will be talking to them soon."

However, Whelan still hopes that the Spaniard will not leave the DW Stadium after a three-year spell that has seen Wigan hold on to their place in the Premier League, describing Liverpool as a club "without a heart".

"For Wigan Athletic I would love to keep him, for Roberto he has the opportunity to go and manage a massive club in Liverpool. The choice I think will be entirely Roberto's," he added.

"Liverpool have undergone some massive changes over the last two years. I think they still have to settle down as a club and the management have to settle certain things.

"We played there about two months ago, there's no heart at the club. It's a bit disturbing when you think a club like Liverpool is functioning without a heart. I mentioned that to Roberto and I think there's no heart beating at Liverpool. I think the sooner they get a heart the better.

"I don't know Roberto's feelings about Liverpool, I think he's going there with an open mind. I would love to keep Roberto, he's a great manager."

FSG moved to dismiss Dalglish on Wednesday afternoon after appointing the Scot on a permanent basis in May last year, the owners unhappy with the side's poor league form despite success in the Carling Cup.

A number of potential candidates are thought to be under consideration for the vacant job, with the Portuguese coach André Villas-Boas and the former Reds manager Rafael Benítez two names that have been mentioned.

Posted on 17 May 2012 | 12:20 pm

Mancini in talks over new Manchester City contract

• Manager expected to agree a deal worth around £5m a year
• List of summer transfer targets also set be discussed

Roberto Mancini is in talks with Manchester City's owners and is expected to sign a new contract soon. The Italian is in Abu Dhabi to discuss the champions' summer transfers and he will also negotiate fresh personal terms.

Mancini earns £3.5m a year and has 12 months remaining on his deal; the City manager and Khaldoon al-Mubarak, the chairman, are expected to agree a three- or four-year contract worth around £5m annually.

Mancini is in Abu Dhabi with David Platt, the first-team coach, Brian Marwood, the director of football administration, and the acting chief executive, John MacBeath, for talks that are being led by Mubarak and which focus on a list of targets headed by Robin van Persie, the Arsenal striker, and Lille's Belgian forward Eden Hazard.

City's long-term planning has also taken Attilio Lombardo, one of Mancini's coaches, to Argentina, where the Italian watched Lucas Ocampos and Ezequiel Cirigliano, two River Plate youngsters.

Lombardo saw the pair in training and attended River Plate's Primera B game with Instituto on 21 April. Ocampos, 17, is a striker and the 20-year-old Cirigliano a midfielder.

Posted on 17 May 2012 | 12:11 pm

LA Story Part One: Chivas USA | Graham Parker

With the season's first SuperClasico looming and MLS celebrating Supporters' Week, Graham Parker meets the Union Ultras fans of Chivas USA, in part one of a look at the soccer teams of Los Angeles

.

I'm standing on a patch of grass in the infamous Lot 13 of the Home Depot Center, as Julio Ramos, the unofficial Chivas Mayor and core member of the Union Ultras, towers above me, talking about his love for his team. Somewhere off to the left of us, on the other side of a hedge that functions as a ceremonial divide between supporters groups, the Black Army 1850 are firing up the grill for their pre-game party. To our right Julio's fellow Ultra, the self-styled "Rey Misterio", is folding "Anti-Galaxy" scarves and unpacking a beer cooler for the Ultras' own pre-game ritual. Behind us, a temporary stage has been set up and a young dance troupe are performing a routine to a Jay-Z track, as a crowd yells them on.

Julio ignores the chaos as he tries to explain what Chivas USA means to him, as someone raised in a Mexican family with ties to Chivas Guadalajara, and who is now raising a family himself in the Los Angeles epicenter of the Southern Californian immigrant experience. As he talks, numerous kids are swarming off to the side of us in a tactic-free pursuit of a luridly colored ball. It ricochets dangerously close to the Ultras beer cooler and Misterio glances up sharply. The kids look wholly unperturbed – the atmosphere at the Ultras pre-game tailgating is utterly unthreatening – the heat, the collegiate setting, the lawns and flower beds make this feel like a slightly boozy high school graduation party. Julio watches the scene indulgently. I ask him how he got his honorific of Chivas Mayor and he shrugs: "Everybody knows me round here. Everybody knows the passion I have for the team – for me it's not a team, it's a religion."

You need a special kind of faith to be a Chivas USA supporter in Los Angeles - let alone MLS. As our regular Chivas previewer for the Guardian, and editor of The Goat Parade blog, Alicia Ratterree puts it:

What is it like to be a Chivas fan? To me, Chivas USA don't like jumping on the bandwagon. They like an underdog, and have a bit of a contrarian streak. They have to put up with a lot of abuse from opposing fans, so they are tough. How many fans in MLS are told their team is a "failure" and that the club needs to fold? Only Chivas.

Leaving aside the difficulties and hang ups of sharing a stadium with the wealthy and (last season at least) all-conquering LA Galaxy side, Chivas USA arrived in the league too late to be one of the MLS originals, or near-originals, like today's opponents Chicago Fire, and too early to ride the wave of supporter-culture that characterizes the current success stories of MLS 2.0 sides such as the Cascadia teams of Portland, Vancouver and Seattle. As I talk with Julio, he is quick to acknowledge there have been mistakes and that other sides seem to have reaped the benefit of the lessons, but he is resistant to the idea of Chivas as a cautionary tale. He's also insistent that all that is needed is for the team to do a better job with telling people who they are. It begs the obvious question, who are they then? Julio becomes animated by this:

Listen - Chivas USA, to me, is a team that represents the American dream for all the immigrants, because Chivas USA represents the pueblo. El pueblo is like the main hardcore people of Los Angeles - which are people from Mexico, Puerto Rico… everybody – all the immigrants that come to the United States. Because that is what the name Chivas USA is telling you – we all came to live the American dream. Chivas USA represents all of those people, hard-working people, where the only thing we want is to succeed and to give our best to this country and honor Chivas in this league.

As we talk more it becomes apparent that his sense of how best to honor that identity is a complex one – Julio is somewhat critical of the team's original public statements, emphasizing a Latino selection policy, that characterized the team's entry into the league (and which were, predictably, quietly abandoned as the expansion side began to deal with the real-politic of operating within the roster restrictions of MLS). Now, he says, the fans just want the best team on the field, whether they're "Latino, Asian, whatever…".

To a supporter of any other side in MLS, such a statement would be a no-brainer, but such is the life of a Chivas USA fan - both proud of, and somewhat inhibited by, the legacy of parent team Club Deportivo Guadalajara. Historically, Guadalajara are the most successful team in Mexican soccer (notably, the club crests of the two sides are replicas, but for the 11 stars, for 11 national championships, that adorn Guadalajara's badge...), built on a legacy of exclusively using players of Mexican origin. When their 'little brother', Chivas USA, entered MLS in 2005, they brought that legacy, a recognizable brand, even a branch of the Guadalajara supporters club - but they also carried a weight of expectation and an identity that hasn't yet fully translated to the local market and the contingencies of the emerging domestic game in North America. What has happened though, is that supporter groups like the Ultras and the Black Army have taken shape - groups that try to support the team in the specific context of their existence in California and MLS, rather than as an imitation of another team that suffers by comparison. Many (most) are Guadalajara fans too, but have thrown themselves into celebrating their local team. And in celebrating what they have, rather than what they lack, they've found a voice.

I ask Julio what he thinks of the current incarnation of the team. He's impressed by Coach Robin Fraser's eye for a player, but less impressed by his conservative style of play ("We addressed the defense already. Believe in them. Believe in Kennedy…let our guys attack"). But he sees lots of positives in the squad: The excellent keeper (Dan) Kennedy, of course, and captain Oswaldo Minda, but also "Smith, Riley, The Columbians, Moreno...we have talented players. They just..."

He tails off. There's an undercurrent of anxiety before this game. Chivas go into it having lost each of their four opening home games 1-0, yet with puzzlingly good away form - though those who see Fraser's defense first approach as a problem sometimes point to the fact that the side looks unsure of themselves 'leading the dance' as a home side, whereas his cautious invitation to other teams to break them down, can suit his team on the road. As it turns out they will take the lead tonight through a Juan Pablo Angel penalty, only to instantly concede an equalizer and a devastating Marco Pappa winner in stoppage time. But as the pre-game partying and back-slapping continues, that reality is still in the future.

Also in the future is the first SuperClásico of the season against their Galaxy "room mates" at the Home Depot Center. Both sides have struggled at home all season - Chivas with their litany of tight home defeats, Galaxy with a series of unexpected losses to Toronto, Real Salt Lake, New England and New York, to leave last year's unbeaten home record in tatters. By default this may be the closest contest between the two in years - since Chivas beat the Galaxy 3-0 twice in a delirious three week period in 2007, on their way to the Western Conference title, the Galaxy have won or tied every competitive game between the two - a period roughly coinciding with the Galaxy's media presence heading into the stratosphere in the Beckham years. You could understand the Chivas fans being bitter, and the Anti-Galaxy scarves suggest there's something to that, but Rey Misterio insists it's all done in humor and that while the rivalry is real, the Ultras have respect for some of the other fan groups:

You know what? We actually have a pretty friendly relationship with ACB (Angel City Brigade - now the largest Galaxy supporters group). But, you know, it's a friendly relationship when we're in the parking lot. We're having a beer and everything's cool, but once we go inside the stadium we hate each other the same way!

That particular friendly rivalry will be tested just prior to the SuperClasico (named for the nickname given to the clashes between Club América and Guadalajara), when members of the Union Ultras and Angel City Brigade will meet in their own BarraClasico game prior to the main event (The LA Riot Squad will also face off against the Black Army 1850 group). For now there are other rivalries to deal with. Looking over Rey's shoulder I notice a couple of Chicago Fire shirts who turn out to be familiar faces from the Section 8 supporters group who've arranged to meet up with the Chivas fans to tailgate before the game.

The Ultras party is well under way now - the 'Mayor' is circulating and Rey is in animated conversation with other members of the Ultras. I wander round to the Black Army side of the hedge but get waylaid and end up talking with the Section 8 guys, including their current events director Josue Gomez and original Section 8 chairman Marcin TÅ‚ustochowicz. The latter helped found one of the original Fire supporters groups, Fire Ultras, in 1998, alongside several other Polish ex-pats in the city. I ask him if he finds it unusual to be hanging out with the hardcore of opposing fans on game day and he says that on the contrary, he really appreciates "people who are into building that still fragile...ecosystem. You have to understand that there are very few of these people - and they are completely altruistic in what they do."

We talk some more about the history of Section 8 and its dizzying array of sub-groups, who somehow manage to come together to get things done, despite what Marcin jokingly calls the "Balkanization" of the support. He speaks with pride, without boasting, of Section 8's role at the forefront of the early TiFo displays to appear in MLS. We talk about his Polish roots and the passion for the game bred there - unlike Julio he doesn't want to describe it as a religion, but does say wryly that maybe he and his friends are like "Buddhist monks chanting their mantras" - it led to culture clashes and misunderstandings in the early days of their appearance on the MLS scene, he says. Opposition security teams didn't know what to make of their raucous presence and treated them as "the root of all evil." It's better now, he says, gesturing at the cheerfully indifferent Chivas security - "for the most part..."

I look past Marcin to where the dance troupe is finishing up their routine. As they clear the stage, the backdrop is clearly visible - a photo of the LA skyline emblazoned with the Chivas USA crest and the single word "Belong". Whether it's Marcin's generosity about his fellow supporters, or Julio's impassioned speech on the importance of Chivas for El Pueblo of Los Angeles, or just my own strange journey to living in this country and following MLS, from an unlikely start in Belfast, I find myself affected for a moment by the sight of that word (even as I'm berating myself for falling for a marketing slogan...). Just about everyone who has followed MLS up to this point has probably done so with a heightened sensitivity to what it means to 'belong' - at the very least to a sporting sub-culture that at times has clung on by its fingertips in North America. As we move deeper into season seventeen, and kids who've never known a time without MLS potentially start to enter the league as players, and TV networks push ever more global soccer onto US screens, an earlier evangelical fervor about belonging, on the part of that first generation, will inevitably become something else for those that follow. It'll definitely be bigger - watching the people around me, I can't imagine it will be better.

Graham Parker is a regular MLS correspondent for the Guardian.

Part two of this story - focusing on LA Galaxy - will appear next week.

Join Graham for minute-by-minute coverage of Chivas USA vs. Los Angeles Galaxy this Sat 19th May 10.30pm, here on the Guardian.

Posted on 17 May 2012 | 11:00 am

Chelsea are underdogs against Bayern Munich, says Michael Ballack

• Former Chelsea midfielder says Blues need to upset odds
• 'Everything looks like Bayern are favourites'

Michael Ballack has branded Chelsea underdogs in Saturday's Champions League final but insisted they could "upset the odds" against Bayern Munich.

Ballack spent four years with both clubs and was part of the Blues side beaten on penalties by Manchester United in their only previous final appearance in 2008.

The 35-year-old declared Bayern favourites for Saturday's showdown, with it being played at their own Allianz Arena, but refused to rule out Chelsea reproducing their stunning semi-final triumph against Barcelona.

"Of course Chelsea can upset the odds – they did it against Barcelona," Ballack told Chelsea TV. "Everything looks like Bayern are favourites, they are playing at home which is a big advantage in a final.

"They kicked out Real Madrid in the semis and, although they were two tight games, they deserved it. They have a good team and were in the final two years ago, when they lost against Inter, so they're very hungry.

"But Chelsea know their strengths and know their quality. They've had a difficult season but, in the last few weeks, have showed what they can do. They play exactly how they know they have to in order to win and they still have unbelievable quality."

Posted on 17 May 2012 | 10:54 am

The Fiver | The Reasons Behind Kenny's Departure | Tom Lutz

Click here to have the Fiver sent to your inbox every weekday at 5pm, or if your usual copy has stopped arriving

DEFENDING THE INDEFENSIBLE

The Fiver's always tried to cultivate an erudite air with a selection of clever books by its bedside. And yet whenever it has managed to lure an unsuspecting animal, vegetable or mineral back home, for some reason they seemed unnerved by the selection of Albert DeSalvo biographies, Incontinence: A Self Help Guide, and Ashley Cole's seminal text, My Defence. But just as that little library doesn't make the Fiver (any more of) a bed-wetting serial killer on enormous sums of money, just because John W Henry once read Moneyball, it doesn't make him some kind of sporting mastermind. Or, for that matter, Brad Pitt.

Yup, when Dubya took over at Liverpool we were told it wouldn't be long before his crack team of scouts would be uncovering 5ft 4in, 15 stone players who would go on to score 58 goals a season. But Andy Reid was already playing for Nottingham Forest, so instead Liverpool are only 6% less shambolic than when Henry and Co first arrived and, after the sacking of Kenny Dalglish, they haven't even got a manager. Or, now that we think of it, an assistant manager. Or a performance director. Or a head of sports science. Or a press officer. And with a rate of attrition like that at Anfield, is it any wonder Merseyside is an unemployment blackspot?

Still, it looks like Fenway Sports Group are finally learning because they've put all kinds of dead hard sums into their footballing supercomputer and come up with some undiscovered talent to replace Dalglish: Chelsea's former manager. Yup, it appears Andre Villas-Boas is a frontrunner for the job, making Liverpool slightly less innovative than Chelsea, whose cunning behind-the-scenes tactics consist of identifying a problem, throwing loads of money at it and then throwing even more money at the problem they've just made worse by putting David Luiz in defence.

Meanwhile, Liverpool's managing director, Ian Ayre, explained the reasons behind Kenny's departure. "The most important element which isn't quite there is the football," said Ayre, stating the bleeding obvious. "We have to get the football right," he added, following up his statement of the bleeding obvious by stating the bleeding obvious. "Our revenues are as high as they have ever been and you take those revenues and then invest those into the team to invest on the pitch," he continued, uncovering a new branch of science called "economics". You don't get that kind of insight in My Defence.

QUOTE OF THE DAY I

Random Liverpool fan: "The problem with Kenny was, you should never go back."

Sky Sports News reporter: "Who do you want next?"

Random Liverpool fan: "Rafa."

QUOTE OF THE DAY II

"I got carried away in the excitement of the moment and I certainly didn't mean any disrespect to Sir Alex Ferguson, who I admire as a man and a manager" - Carlos Tevez upon being photographed brandishing an "RIP Fergie" banner during Manchester City's Premier League victory celebrations on Monday night.

"It seems like Ferguson is the president of England. Every time he speaks badly about a player or says terrible things about me, nobody says that he has to apologise. [But] when someone comes out with a joke or banter, you have to say sorry – but I don't say sorry" - Carlos Tevez, yesterday.

NUMBER OF THE DAY

258,909: The average number of pounds paid daily by Manchester United on interest repayments and bond buy-backs over the last nine months; a drain on club resources many in-no-way deluded fans claim will have no impact whatsoever on transfer dealings or on-field performances.

FIVER LETTERS

"Re: the letter from David O'Leary (yesterday's Fiver letters). As you didn't put '(no, not that one)' after his name, does it mean the letter was indeed from 'that one' or does the fact that you wrote David O'Leary rather than Dvd O'Lry automatically mean it wasn't 'that one'? I think we need clarification" - Brendan Mackinney.

"Re: Liverpool Football Club conspiring to undermine the Fiver (yesterday's Fiver). Perhaps if the Fiver (GMT) took the big clock that hangs in Fiver Towers off the wall and adjusted the time to British Summer Time, we would have our tea-timely email at tea-time and not the 13 minutes past four it has been arriving at of late. That way we could have at least had 300 words of made up jibber-jabber on the King's dismissal and not a scant paragraph" - Jonny Bell.

Send your letters to the.boss@guardian.co.uk. And if you've nothing better to do you can also tweet the Fiver.

BITS AND BOBS

Having been told by Manchester United that the club will not be renewing his season ticket for the Old Trafford substitutes' bench, Michael Owen has alerted League One clubs to his availability. "I don't think the Championship would be an option," he said, as his Mr 15% rushed an updated version of that brochure to the printers.

Jack Wilshere's knack-woe shows no sign of letting up, with the Arsenal midfielder set to undergo surgery for patella-gah suffered as he attempts to recover from longstanding ankle-ouch. "His ongoing rehabilitation has seen a long-standing slight issue with his patella tendon in his left knee flare up," droned a club statement.

In better news for Gooners, Barcelona have rejected the opportunity to try and sign Robin van Persie from Arsenal this summer. We have no quotes to back that up, mind ... but we read it somewhere so it must be true.

And Alex McLeish has responded to his many critics among Aston Villa's support by taking a couple of retaliatory verbal swipes. "I have nothing but the highest respect for the club and sincerely wish it and the fans great success in the future," he said.

STILL WANT MORE?

Proper Journalist David Conn knows his stuff. So when he says Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group perhaps don't know their stuff, you'd better believe him, or at least read his blog.

Robbie Keane's Father Dougal impression at the Whitehouse, a photographer almost losing his snout on the sidelines and Bayern's Big Cup final heartache all feature in this week's Classic YouTube.

Not football: in the latest of his Olympic videos, Barry Glendenning showcases the glamour of life as an elite Team GB athlete by travelling to Barnet to help some long- and triple-jumpers to push a VW Polo around a car park.

More not football: if England are taking on West Indies at Lord's, then the least you can do is follow it with the two Bobbys' over-by-over report.

Jonathan Wilson knows so much about Romanian football that he can recite all 108 teams from the six regional groups of the country's third division in less time than it takes Gheorghe Hagi to eat a bag of Skittles. Here's his take on the rotten core of the country's game

And AC Jimbo and his Football Weekly ... ExtraaaaAAAAAAAAaaaaaAAAaaaa chums discuss King Kenny's fall, why Steve Kean shouldn't talk to anybody in a pub ever again and Chelsea's chances of getting a shoeing in Big Cup, while failing to remember who the hell Luton are playing in the Conference play-off final.

SIGN UP TO THE FIVER

Want 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.

OH JIMBO ...

Posted on 17 May 2012 | 10:28 am

Football Weekly Extra: Kenny Dalglish sacked by Liverpool

Wipe away those tears, kids. It's the final Football Weekly Extraaa of the season. And what a show we have in store.

James Richardson has Gregg Bakowski, Barry Glendenning and Michael Cox in the pod to analyse the situation at Anfield after Kenny Dalglish was unceremoniously dumped by Liverpool's American owners. As a wise man once said 'You come at the king, you best not miss' – so what now for the once-mighty Reds?

Dalglish wasn't the only Glaswegian to be handed his P45 by his overseas employers this week. Alex McLeish paid the price for an atrocious season at Aston Villa, and how long can Steve Kean hang on at Blackburn, especially now Big Sam is after him?

Next, we turn our attention to Roy Hodgson's decidedly underwhelming England squad for Euro 2012 – even if Gary Neville seems like a shrewd appointment to his backroom team.

Finally, we look forward to Super Saturday, in which Blackpool face West Ham in the Championship play-off final and Chelsea travel to Munich to take on Bayern in the Champions League final.

We'll be back with a special show on Sunday to look back on both of those games – and, this news just in, we'll be recording a live show in front of an audience on Monday 28 May as we kick off our daily Euro 2012 coverage.

Thanks for all your woofs, tweets and posts during this most epic season of podding. As a parting gift, have a go at this.

Posted on 17 May 2012 | 10:15 am

Wayne Rooney reveals visualisation forms important part of preparation

• Manchester United striker: 'I visualise scoring wonder goals'
• Says Finland forward Jari Litmanen was an inspiration

Wayne Rooney has revealed how since being a very young player he visualises game patterns and goalscoring situations to enhance his performance.

The Manchester United and England striker told ESPN: "Part of my preparation is I go and ask the kit man what colour we're wearing – if it's red top, white shorts, white socks or black socks. Then I lie in bed the night before the game and visualise myself scoring goals or doing well. You're trying to put yourself in that moment and trying to prepare yourself, to have a 'memory' before the game. I don't know if you'd call it visualising or dreaming, but I've always done it, my whole life.

"When I was younger, I used to visualise myself scoring wonder goals, stuff like that. From 30 yards out, dribbling through teams. You used to visualise yourself doing all that, and when you're playing professionally, you realise it's important for your preparation."

Asked about his abilities as a developing player with regard to his peers Rooney added: "You're a bit more advanced than the kids your age, so there are times on the pitch where you can see different things, but they can't obviously see it. So then you get annoyed – they can't calculate.

"It's like when you play snooker, you're always thinking three or four shots down the line. With football, it's like that. You've got to think three or four passes where the ball is going to come to down the line. And the very best footballers, they're able to see that before – much quicker than a lot of other footballers."

Jari Litmanen, the former Ajax and Liverpool No10, provided one source of inspiration for Rooney. "I enjoyed how he moved and got into space," he said. "And he was patient. If you looked at him, he always never looked like he was rushed doing anything. He always used to take his time. Then, when the opportunity came, he found the space to get the ball in the net.

"The more you do it, the more it works. You need to know where everyone is on the pitch. You need to see everything."

Posted on 17 May 2012 | 9:30 am

An impressive new stadium cannot hide rotten core of Romanian football | Jonathan Wilson

While the Arena Nationala in Bucarest is something to be proud of, there are deep problems beneath the surface that continue to undermine the sport

The new Arena Nationala in Bucharest is magnificent. Its steep sides – the steepest permissible according to European law, apparently – are conducive to a good atmosphere, it's near enough the centre of town to make access relatively simple and the early teething problems with the pitch have been sorted out. After all the problems over funding and all the delays, Romania has ended up with a national stadium to be proud of. Sitting in the press box for last week's Europa League final – plug sockets and televisions aplenty, Ethernet cables at every seat – it was hard to believe this was the same city I first visited 11 years earlier.

I'm not going to pretend I understand the underlying economics, but to the naked eye, Bucharest is booming. There's construction work everywhere, old churches and monuments are emerging and, while there are still rotting concrete monstrosities dotted about, the glorious old apartments seem somehow more visible now. Before the second world war, Bucharest was known as the Paris of the East: a decade ago that seemed a terrible ironic jibe; now, you can see what people were talking about.

The comparison in the stadiums is telling as well. The first game I went to in Bucharest was a Dinamo-Steaua derby at the dilapidated Dinamo Stadium. It was a raw day and the fire brigade got so sick of flares being hurled on to the running track that they ended up turning their hoses on the fans clinging to the fence at the front of the stand. A few years later I remember sitting in the rickety metal box that served as a press box at the Lia Manoliu Stadium (the old national arena) for a Champions League qualifier between Dinamo and Manchester United, terrified of what might happen if the lightning that flickered overhead struck the roof.

The move to the Arena Nationala, where the only gripe was that the coffee ran out a couple of hours before kick-off, would suggest Romanian football is on the up, but you don't have to scratch very far below the surface to realise what a mess it still is. Midway through the first half of the Europa League final there was a minor pitch invasion, two fans charging across the pitch in protest at what has happened to Universitatea Craiova. The club, one of the oldest and most successful in Romanian history, was relegated to the second tier last season, which alone would have been bad enough.

What followed, though, was far worse. Supposedly because the club refused to end a civil legal action against its former coach, Victor Piturca, it was expelled from all official competition for a year and forced to release all of its players. You don't have to be a conspiracy theorist to wonder whether the outspoken attitude of the Universitatea owner, Adrian Mititelu, and his criticism of the league president, Dumitru Dragomir, and the federation (FRF) president Mircea Sandu may not have been the real cause. The Romanian court of appeal has ruled the ban illegal and Fifa has questioned its legitimacy, but the FRF remains unmoved.

At the same time as Universitatea were suspended, Politehnica Timisoara were relegated to Liga II. Poli, a team who havegone through far too many incarnations even to begin to keep track of, forever splintering and merging, reforming and relocating, finished second last season but were denied a licence under Articles 46 and 47 of the Rules of Licensing Clubs – essentially for being in debt and failing to present a balanced budget. Gloria Bistrita and Victoria Branesti were also found in breach of Article 47, as were Universitatea, who also managed to breach Articles 11 and 23.

Such a step would have been unprecedented, but it might just about have been possible to present it as part of a new approach of financial probity had it not been for the release of the transcripts of the FRF's tribunal in Gazeta Sporturilor in which Sandu appear to present the decision as a victory over Poli's owner Marian Iancu. "I [expletive] him, I'm stronger and I [expletive] him as a person," the transcript reads.

"Those leading Romanian football are a well-organised group," Iancu said. "When they plan something they carry it out, that's the conclusion we can draw. They were savouring a victory they had planned and for which they had given all their energy. The thirst of revenge determined Mircea Sandu to make that vulgar remark. Their words show how badly they wanted to destroy us. This proves that everything was premeditated."

Dragomir, meanwhile, although he had publicly supported Universitatea until a row with Mititelu, was shown to have been in favour of their dissolution. "These transcripts prove once more that the statutes and regulations they keep invoking do not matter for Sandu and Dragomir, their vested interests matter," Mititelu said. "It can be freely seen that U Craiova was abusively executed in order to have its players taken away, and that Timisoara was the victim of Mircea Sandu's revenge." The other clubs, he said, were "collateral victims".

Dubious as the behaviour of Sandu and Dragomir has been, though, it's hard to portray Mititelu as a victim. He regularly failed to pay players and managers on time and attacked other club owners, making accusations without proof. On Monday the General Assembly of the FRF decided to abolish Mititelu's team permanently, while granting the municipality of Craiova the right to enter a team in the second division next season.

That entity has the backing of Mititelu's local opponents and significant players from the Universitatea team that reached the Uefa Cup semi-final in 1983. They also plan to build a new 25,000-seater stadium and have the mayor's support. In other words, with Mititelu threatening legal challenges, the FRF has opened the way for yet another situation in which multiple variants of the same club compete for legitimacy, as happened with Poli Timisoara. There may well be an infinite number of Universitatea Craiovas playing in an infinite number of possible universes, but there's a problem when more than one turns up in the same reality.

And that's just one of the many scandals. The day before the Europa League final, the Cluj derby was abandoned following a mass brawl sparked when Cadú, the CFR captain, having converted a controversial penalty, celebrated with a gesture at Universitatea Cluj fans. The Universitatea goalkeeper, Mircea Bornescu, attacked him, players from both sides piled in, and then fans and security staff got involved.

Or take Unirea Urziceni. They were champions in 2009 under Dan Petrescu and, the following year, they beat Rangers 4-1 in the Champions League at Ibrox. It should have been a hugely positive story, but instead the next day the Romanian papers led with yet another polemic from the notorious Steaua owner Gigi Becali (see Said & Done, passim). Unirea's owner Dumitru Bucsaru effectively gave up at that, selling off his squad, replacing them with youth players on loan deals. Unirea, not surprisingly, were relegated in 2011, then didn't apply for a licence and were dissolved.

Scandal, conspiracy and base idiocy lurk everywhere. However promising things may look on the surface, however impressive the Arena Nationala, Romanian football is still essentially rotten.

Posted on 17 May 2012 | 9:06 am

Irish Euro 2012 team to mark Loughinisland anniversary

Players will wear black armbands for match on 18th anniversary of fatal shooting of six men who were watching World Cup

The Republic of Ireland team will wear black armbands for their group match against Italy at Euro 2012 to commemorate a massacre committed during the Troubles.

The fixture in Poland on 18 June falls 18 years to the day after six Catholic men were shot dead while watching a World Cup match between Ireland and Italy, at the Heights bar in the Co Down village of Loughinisland.

Uefa has given the Football Association of Ireland permission for its players to wear black armbands to mark the anniverary. The FAI chief, John Delaney, said: "What happened in Loughinisland in 1994 was an awful tragedy and deeply moving for all football fans. I would like to thank Uefa for assisting us in commemorating this atrocity and take the opportunity to remember all those who lost their lives in the Troubles."

No one has been convicted of the Loughinisland killings. Ulster Volunteer Force gunmen opened fire while the crowd were cheering on Ireland in their opening World Cup match, which Jack Charlton's team won 1-0 at Giants Stadium in New York.

Among the dead was the oldest victim of the Troubles, 87-year-old Barney Green. Five other men were seriously injured in the attack.

Niall Murphy, a solicitor for the families of those killed, said they were deeply moved by the gesture. "We would like to thank the FAI and Uefa for their assistance in providing a forum to recall the awful event that took place on that fateful day when Ireland played Italy," Murphy said.

Posted on 17 May 2012 | 7:45 am

Pedro Proença to referee Chelsea v Bayern Champions League final

• Portuguese official to take charge at the Allianz Arena
• Bertino Miranda and Ricardo Santos appointed assistants

Portugal's Pedro Proença will be the referee for Saturday's Champions League final between Bayern Munich and Chelsea at the Allianz Arena, Uefa has confirmed.

Proença, 41, was in charge of the second leg of the last-16 clash between Internazionale and Marseille this season, and last term he was in charge of Manchester United's semi-final second leg against Schalke.

He will be assisted in Munich by his compatriots Bertino Miranda and Ricardo Santos. The fourth official will be Carlos Velasco Carballo from Spain.

Posted on 17 May 2012 | 7:02 am

Kenny Dalglish sacked by Liverpool: what next? Live webchat

Join the Guardian's football correspondent, Andy Hunter, to discuss the next steps for Liverpool following the departure of Kenny Dalglish

Following the sacking of the Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish, Liverpool's owners, John W Henry's Fenway Sports Group, have plenty to do to convince their fans that they have a coherent plan for the future of the club. As well as a search for a new manager, there are unanswered questions about a potential stadium move as the club strives to return to Premier League's top table.

Joining us to discuss where the club goes from here is our Liverpool based football correspondent Andy Hunter. He'll be online answering your questions from 1:15pm BST. Please post whatever queries you have for him in the comments section below.

We webchat has now finished. We have posted the questions Andy responds to here to make the discussion easier to follow.

bigdaithi asks:

Is Rafa going to make a strong play for the job? Would he be seriously considered by FSG?

AndyHunter replies:

Benitez is on record as saying how much he wants to return to Liverpool and his reasons for rejecting other offers have always appeared a play for his old job back. In his eyes this would be perfect timing, with his record of Champions League qualification exactly what FSG need financially. But I don't he fits the bill of what FSG are looking for. It seems they want a fresh start with a younger man at the helm and would be reluctant to go back. So, in a word, no.

keenolikestorun asks:

Who do you feel is the front runner? Fans/forums aren't supporting the Martinez push as the media seem to be. A lot of worry it could be another Roy Hodgson style reign of terror...

Andy Hunter replies:

Villas-Boas is the early front runner, with early the operative word. The process of identifying Kenny Dalglish's replacement has only just begun and FSG will not focus on one immediate target. It will be a thorough, exhaustive process. I wouldn't say Martinez is a strong candidate for the Liverpool job at this stage.

DanKelly84 asks:

Did Dalglish & Liverpool success in the Cup competitions mask the inevitable, that he would be sacked due to the Suarez incident?

We have seen the Director Of Football and Director Of Communications leaving in recent weeks, and this was obviously the next step.

Question is, will Suarez be the next to go, and it's no surprise he's already releasing statements through agent regardings playing in Spain.

Andy Hunter replies:

There's no suggestion whatsoever that Dalglish lost his job over the Suarez affair. In fact the owners supported the then Liverpool manager's stance throughout most of the controversy.

Suarez has said that the support he received from Liverpool - led by Dalglish - is a major factor in him wanting to sign a contract extension this summer. Whether Dalglish's departure changes his perspective remains to be seen. Negotiations, as they say, are ongoing.

Only1Rovers asks:

Surely the consistent clearing of desks at Anfield over the last number of weeks is paving the way for JW Henry to put in place the structures Fenway believe are required to start from scratch in rebuilding the club?

Andy Hunter replies:

That's certainly how it appears from here, although they've had 19 months to start that process. It will have to be this summer. There is no reason why not now.

SpinningHugo asks:

Considering the large sums frittered away last summer (and the January before), what funds would any new manager have to spend?

Andy Hunter replies:

Any new manager of the calibre FSG want and Liverpool need will have to be given funds to bridge the 17-point gap between the club and fourth place this season. I'm sure the owners are well aware of that.

Liverpool's commercial revenues remain strong and they have the bank facility to borrow but seriously doubt they can match the outlay of 2011. £120m was spent, over £70m brought in, but - apart from Suarez - there are not too many players in this Liverpool squad that can be sold for a profit to generate extra.

reddwarf9 asks:

How likely is it that Liverpool could attract Jürgen Klopp as their next manager? a fine manager who's working wonders at Dortmund. A manager like him could attract some superb young German talent to Anfield next season who would take the premier league by storm

Andy Hunter writes:

Klopp would be one to captivate Liverpool and would show the ambition, and the attraction of the club, remains what its supporters expect. His philosophy and age, and of course the ability to mould a fine team on a relatively modest budget, surely appeals to FSG. Getting him out of Dortmund and out of the Champions League, however, would be very difficult. Liverpool would not be the only suitors if he became available and, as they found even when trying to sign Phil Jones from Blackburn or Ashley Young from Aston Villa last summer, the absence of Champions League football is a serious disadvantage.

Ghostwiper asks:

Why would anybody want the Liverpool job?

Andy Hunter replies:

It remains one of the most attractive jobs in the world game, has huge potential - despite being out of the Champions League for three years now - and, of course, it pays well.

Ally17 asks:

Do you think the owners are planning to hire for all these positions needing to be filled at Liverpool individually or do you think there might be linked in some way? - i.e. a manager and DoF thats worked together in the past.

Andy Hunter replies:

I think they want to put a structure in place that will serve the club for the long-term and they have no choice but to fill all the positions they have made vacant in recent weeks. They will want to put a team together, but doubt they would limit their choices on the next manager by stipulating he has to come as part of a package. My view would be, get the best man available and work around him.

muul asks:

As Andy Hunter is up on Merseyside has he got any inkling of what the Americans may have learned about the game since arriving? They said that they would've put a young manager in, but the fans wanted Dalglish. Presumably they will start from scratch now and try and do as they did with Boston, but have you heard much about what observations they have on the game and what is different to their expectations?

Andy Hunter replies:

Not sure they know a lot about football or, if they do, it won't be from watching a game in person. But they do take a lot of advice, soundings from people connected to the game. The next manager won't be appointed on a whim in Boston.

wutangswordstyle asks:

Andy, is this part of an FSG 'plan' or are they winging it?

Andy Hunter replies:

I think the next few weeks will demonstrate whether FSG have the plan Liverpool need or are "winging it" as you say.

KilgoreTrout1 asks:

There have been many comments from non-Liverpool fans deriding Kenny's record but in your opinion was Kenny's reign a complete failure?

Considering the fact Liverpool won the Carling cup, got to the final of the FA cup and actually played quite well in the league (without of course getting the results) should he have been given more time?

Alec Fergusson won nothing at United in his first 5 years. Did Kennny show enough to persevere with him at least one more season?

Andy Hunter replies:

I think Dalglish should have been given another year, yes. Not condoning the league results or final position, in the second half of the season they were inexcusable, but he won a cup, came close in a second cup final and oversaw a style of play that was considerably better to anything Liverpool have produced for several years. He was also charged with bringing in younger talent to overhaul the squad. Of course Liverpool paid massively over the odds but those players - and therefore their manager - need time. It's not as though he was building a team from a position of strength.

smokeandsteam asks:

Any idea on the reaction of the players to KD's sacking? I'd like to think one or two in particular are having a look at their performances last season but wouldn't count on it. A major problem the next manager faces is the amout of substandard - either technically or mentality - players sat on generous contracts who won't be going anywhere fast.

Andy Hunter replies:

I'm sure some are disappointed and worried about their futures while others will be delighted. As it is when any manager goes. Developments on the contract negotiations with Suarez, Skrtel and others may tell us more as the summer progresses.

mike65ie ruminates:

FSG have decided a clean slate is the only approach hence the multitude sackings. The next manager will be appointed with a 4/5 year view, probably someone who is tactically 4-3-3 who can dovetail with Rodolfo Borrell & Jose Segura but not Pep! A new DoF will be appointed, probably Txiki Begiristain.

Andy Hunter replies:

At this very early stage in a possibly long and complicated process, I think you've got it spot on.

NotANinja asks:Since they're American and baseball owners, is it possible that FSG will implement the American model. i.e. find the replacement for Comolli and have him conduct the search for the right manager for him to work alongside.

Seems to me if you're going to go the DoF & manager rather than old-fashioned all-powerful manager route that this is a much better approach.

Andy Hunter replies:

Comolli was sacked 48 hours before the FA Cup semi-final with Everton as there was no time to waste in finding his replacement, according to the owners. That process has been going on for five weeks now so they must have got somewhere. Think whoever or however they replace Comolli will be independent of the manager, albeit the manager will have to be someone content to work within FSG's framework.

EbbrellforEngland asks:

Do you see Liverpool moving to appoint a replacement this side of Euro 2012, or are there any potential candidates that could become available which would tempt FSG to wait?

Andy Hunter replies:

They need the new manager in place before the players report back for pre-season training at the start of July. That would complicate the process of appointing a manager working at the Euros but, should they get an indication their candidate is available and ready to start as soon as his tournament is over, it's still possible. A personal opinion is it will be done before the Euros. Hope so anyway.

That's all from me for now.

Thanks very much for all your questions and apologies for not replying to more (work to do).

Posted on 17 May 2012 | 7:02 am

Manchester United's net debt up by £26m as income falls nearly 6%

• Glazers spend £71m on buyback of bonds and on interest
• United's cash reserves drop from £113m to £25.6m

Manchester United's net debt has risen by £26m and total revenue is down 5.8%, according to quarterly figures released by the club. The figures also reveal that the Glazer family spent the equivalent of more than £250,000 a day – which amounts to Wayne Rooney's weekly salary – on a £71m buyback of bonds and on interest payments over the past nine months.

Critics of the club's American owners argue such money should be spent on buying players and the revelations will cause further anger among fans, who view the heavy leveraging of United by the Glazers as affecting their ability to compete with Manchester City, the new champions, in the transfer market.

While United's accounts say gross debt has dropped by £61.2m from £484.5m to £423.3m, a 12.6% reduction, this is countered by the club's cash falling from £113m to £25.6m – a reduction of £87.4m – meaning the former champions are £26m worse off than 12 months ago.

The 5.8% fall in total revenue – from £75.2m to £70.8m – reflects United's exit from the Champions League at the group stage.

Posted on 17 May 2012 | 6:47 am

Arsenal's Jack Wilshere faces knee operation after latest injury setback

• Long-standing knee problem flares up in rehabilitation
• Gunners say operation will not 'significantly affect' comeback

Jack Wilshere will undergo minor surgery to his left knee in Sweden next week before beginning a personalised fitness programme which the Arsenal midfielder believes will have him in peak condition to start next season.

Wilshere has not featured in a competitive match since suffering a stress fracture of an ankle on England duty against Switzerland in June 2011. He then appeared in a pre-season friendly against New York Red Bulls last July, causing a flare-up and has not played since.

The operation will sideline Wilshere for days rather than weeks and is designed to rectify a tendon problem – common among footballers – which he has carried for the past two seasons. The 20-year-old's aim, having been ruled out of Euro 2012, is to get his left knee in the best possible condition to resume his career. He hopes to make his England comeback in mid-August's friendly.

Arsenal said in a statement: "His ongoing rehabilitation has seen a long-standing slight issue with his patella tendon in his left knee flare up. As a result, Jack will travel to Sweden for a minor procedure on his left knee in the next few days. This procedure is not expected to significantly affect Jack's comeback ahead of next season.

"On returning to England, Jack will resume his rehabilitation with the Arsenal medical team over the summer."

Wilshere plans to work throughout the close season at the club's training ground, taking at most a brief break with his family.

Posted on 17 May 2012 | 6:33 am

Kenny Dalglish sacked due to Premier League shortcomings, says Ayre

• Liverpool's managing director says focus is on league results
• 'Ultimately the backbone of football now is the Premier League'

Liverpool's managing director, Ian Ayre, insists they had to sack Kenny Dalglish because results did not match up to longer-term expectations.

Dalglish won the Carling Cup, the club's first trophy for six years, and reached the FA Cup final but an eighth-placed Premier League finish resulted in Fenway Sports Group dismissing him after 16 months in charge.

Ayre said no matter how much work had been done off the pitch in terms of the structure and business of the club if results did not match up then change was inevitable.

"The most important element which isn't quite there is the football," said the managing director, who admitted they had already had numerous expressions of interest in the vacant manager's position but stressed their search had not yet properly begun.

"If you don't believe the results are right and feel 37 points off the champions and 17 points off Champions League pace is a long distance you have to make a change.

"You believe you have to improve that part because without it things begin to fall away. We have to get the football right. Should Kenny have been given longer? People will always have a different view.

"We had to make a decision as a board and we have to stand by it and move forward. The history the club was built on was about success and that means success in the league, which leads to Champions League football, and also winning trophies.

"No one is saying we didn't enjoy winning the Carling Cup and getting to the FA Cup final but ultimately the backbone of football now is the Premier League and European football at the highest level.

"It was important we moved forward in that direction and results are what mattered this year."

Ayre insisted that with strong foundations now laid by FSG the focus could be about football. "We set on a path here just over a year ago with new ownership to try to restore the club to a position it expects to be in English and European football," he added.

"Part of that process was building a foundation on which we could compete financially and therefore invest in our team to compete on the pitch.

"We have made big strides as a business, our revenues are as high as they have ever been and you take those revenues and then invest those into the team to invest on the pitch."

On the removal of Dalglish, an iconic figure at Anfield, from his second spell in charge Ayre said: "It goes without saying that these decisions are difficult but they are far more difficult when it is someone who is iconic and respected in the fabric of the football club.

"You have to make the same decisions for the right reasons but they are compounded when it is such a great person who has given so much to the club."

Posted on 17 May 2012 | 6:14 am