Paul Hayward

The skill of seeing a football pitch as a field of endless angles rather than a north-to-south battlefield is beautifully expressed by David Silva.

There’s more to Wladimir Klitschko than a powerful punch — he also has a Phd in philosophy.

It’s not only the players the Chelsea coach must subdue but also an oligarch playing Russian dolls.

The Goodison Park stairwell where Carlo Ancelotti was reportedly sacked is a warm and friendly part of the ground.

Blockades, psychological onslaughts and belligerent tackling all failed, so now the problem drops like a slab on Manchester United.

Goal-scorers scored big as outrageous spending on transfers continued in the English premiership.

Regaining the trust of his teammates and the public might be an impossible task for Wayne Rooney.

Sir Alex Ferguson always argues that control is achievable only through success. Winning trophies bestows power.

England will face Germany at a World Cup for the first time since opera and Paul Gascoigne’s tears started a renaissance for the game in these islands