Sunderland boss Steve Bruce will not be convinced Wayne Rooney is not turning out against his team on Saturday until he sees the Manchester United teamsheet.Source: http://www.itv.com/sport/football/news/generalnews/bruce-not-ruling-out-rooney-game-586806928.html
Arsene Wenger knows the importance of recording a first away European victory in more than a year when Arsenal travel to Partizan Belgrade - both for his team's Champions League and domestic ambitions.
Scott Sinclair's scrambled late equaliser earned Swansea a deserved point and denied Tottenham the chance to close to within four points of the Barclays Premier League summit at the Liberty Stadium.
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England's noisy ? and famously thirsty ? supporters have made every preparation for the upcoming Test series in UAE
Despite the unlikely setting, England will be followed to the United Arab Emirates by "thousands of fans" keen to watch Andrew Strauss's team in a new location, according to Paul Burnham, the co-founder of the Barmy Army.
"We are very much looking forward to it," Burnham said. "This is the first tour the Barmy Army have done with Thomson Sport. It is a proper travel partner we are with and there are quite a few people going over, and there are still plenty of spaces on the tours. They will be the first Tests we have played over there. I would expect there to be a few thousand going ? certainly for the third Test. It's really difficult to gauge, but because of its central location and appeal there will be quite a lot of expats coming from different parts of the world as well. I think people will be surprised at the number of fans who will turn up.
"The third Test seems to be the one people are targeting because it's normally the series decider? a lot of the hardcore Barmy Army are heading over to that one. You can tick off Dubai and Abu Dhabi [as ODIs start there afterwards], which is unique ? the Barmy Army are massive Test-match followers."
While the Test series starts on 17 January in Dubai and packages are �1,200 for the third Test, flights can be found independently for around �400 with accommodation starting at �70. Drinks, in what is a dry part of the world apart from designated areas, are expensive. But a tipple will be available. "There are bars in the stand where we'll be," said Burnham, who added that some familiar faces should be present. "The trumpeter [Billy], the Jimmy Savile lookalike [Jimmy], most of the main Barmy Army will be heading over there."
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/dec/31/england-pakistan-barmy-army
As the final preparations are made ahead of the forthcoming African Cup of Nations finals, few coaches are feeling the pressure like Ivory Coast boss�Fran�ois Zahoui, who knows he must deliver success to one of the continents perennial underachievers.
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Source: http://www.itv.com/sport/football/news/championsleague/previews/besiktas-v-man-utd-183353635.html
