Newcastle’s Karl Darlow has debut to forget as West Brom win at last

Karl Darlow’s debut disaster plunged Newcastle into further relegation trouble as West Brom triumphed at The Hawthorns. The goalkeeper allowed Darren Fletcher’s header to squeeze past him on his Premier League debut to hand Albion a 1-0 win. Darlow was only a late replacement for Rob Elliot after he was taken ill in the buildup to the game and dropped to the bench . 

Fabricio Coloccini cleared off the line from James Morrison while he and Paul Dummett hit the woodwork for Newcastle and Victor Anichebe struck the bar for West Brom.

Defeat left Newcastle in the bottom three and two points from safety while Albion’s first win in six games moved them six points above the drop zone.

Saido Berahino started on the bench for the eighth straight game with Anichebe given his first Premier League start since May. The West Bromwich Albion manager Tony Pulis insisted pre-match that Berahino was even lucky to be a substitute and hinted at internal problems.

The tone of Darlow’s match was set when he had to be rescued inside two minutes of his top flight debut by Coloccini when the skipper hacked Morrison’s shot off the line. The goalkeeper then turned Morrison’s drive wide before Albion survived a scare.

Moussa Sissoko had stolen the ball inside Newcastle’s half and his lung-bursting 60-yard run was only halted by a last-gasp challenge from Gareth McAuley as the midfielder prepared to pull the trigger.

Brisbane Roar keep up pressure at top of A-League with win over Melbourne City

City hit back through the A-League’s top goal-scorer Bruno Fornaroli’s 10th of the season before Henrique sealed the win in injury time with a stunning strike from halfway.

The Roar’s third straight win keeps John Aloisi’s side in second position on the table, two behind the Wanderers and four above Melbourne City and Sydney FC.

After an entertaining first half-hour when both sides had a number of chances, the game’s opening goal came in innocuous circumstances.

Veteran Shane Stefanutto put in a low cross from the left flank aimed at Jamie Maclaren only for the outstretched leg of City skipper Kisnorbo to divert the ball into his own net.

Four minutes before the break, Borrello marked his return for the Roar with a goal.

The 20-year-old striker found space inside the box from a reverse pass from Dimitri Petratos and despite goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen getting a hand to the ensuing shot, he could not prevent the ball beating him at his near post.

The half-time lead flattered the Roar who had goalkeeper Jamie Young to thank for three fine stops.

Barcelona release new signing Sergi Guardiola due to offensive tweets

Guardiola ,  no relation to Pep, was unveiled as a new signing for Barcelona B in the afternoon but by the evening his contract had been terminated, despite his protestations that he was not personally responsible for the offensive tweets.

Among the messages posted by Guardiola’s account was “Hala Madrid”, apparently a declaration of support for Barça’s arch rivals Real Madrid.

But speaking to the Spanish radio station Cope, Guardiola said: “I know I made a mistake. I apologise to Catalonia and Barcelona. I understand the decision, I’d do the same.

“I want to make clear I didn’t write those tweets. A friend took my phone and did it. It’s a misunderstanding. The tweets are from 2013, a joke from a friend, I didn’t even know the tweets existed . 

“Barcelona have treated me very well. I understand their decision. Now I’m going home, we’ll see what happens.”

Barcelona took similar action when the Betis midfielder Dani Ceballos was attracting their interest only for the club to opt against making an approach due to comments made about the whistling of the national anthem during the Copa del Rey final between Barça and Athletic Bilbao . 

Martin Ling resigns as manager of Swindon Town due to health reasons

Ling, 49, was appointed in early November on a two-and-a-half year contract ,  returning to the County Ground having made nearly 200 appearances in two difference spells for Swindon as a player.

Ling won five of his first six matches in charge of Swindon but leaves the Robins in 16th place in League One having suffered back-to-back defeats by Gillingham and Burton over the Christmas period.

Taking the reins at Swindon following the sacking of Mark Cooper, Ling’s appointment was his first since leaving the Torquay job in April 2013, having stepped away from the club in January due to his battle with depression. Swindon have said they will release a statement in ‘due course’.

Ling was an integral part of the team that won promotion to the Premier League in 1992-93 – the Robins’ only season in the top flight. He began his managerial career with a five-and-a-half year spell at Leyton Orient before further spells at Cambridge and then Torquay.

Ling’s son, Sam, currently on the books of Orient, tweeted: “He wants to thank everyone at Swindon for the support he was given but his family and health are more important than anything.”

Jürgen Klopp says Liverpool need more consistency ahead of Sunderland visit

Jürgen Klopp has told his players they need to achieve more consistency ahead of Wednesday’s league visit to Sunderland . 

Since Klopp took over in October, Liverpool’s record in the league shows four victories, three draws and three defeats with their 1-0 home win on Boxing Day against Leicester their first victory in four league games following a 3-0 loss at Watford . 

“There’s no doubt about the individual quality of the players, there’s no doubt about the character,” Klopp said. “What we have to create is a stable level of performance, that’s what we have to work on.

“Now the next station is Sunderland and we have to go there and be concentrated from the first second, like we were against Leicester.

“[It was] a really good start in that game – I was happy about this – and now we have to do it again. That’s the thing. If we do this, then we can get results in a row. But it’s no presents, we have to work for it.”

Klopp, whose side are 10th in the table, has emphasised the importance of securing three points against Sam Allardyce’s team currently struggling in second-bottom place . 

Sepp Blatter feels ‘abandoned’ by Fifa after eight-year suspension

The banned Fifa president Sepp Blatter has said he feels “abandoned” by football’s governing body and will now focus on clearing his name.

Fifa’s ethics committee last week banned Blatter and the Uefa president Michel Platini from football for eight years for ethics violations. Both men immediately denied any wrongdoing and said they would appeal to the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport.

“I now no longer fight for Fifa,” Blatter, who led Fifa for 17 years, said according to the German magazine Bunte. “They abandoned me. I am now only fighting for myself and my honour.”

Blatter had come out swinging against the ban, saying that he was sorry only that the president of Fifa was being treated as a “punching ball” and adding: “I will fight for me and I will fight for Fifa.”

The 79-year-old Swiss told Bunte that he was re-energised by the “false claims” against him. “After Christmas I will start to fight back,” Blatter said.

The inquiry by Fifa’s ethics committee began after the Swiss attorney general’s office opened criminal proceedings against Blatter over a 2m Swiss franc (£1.35m) payment to Platini in 2011.

Switzerland’s prosecutor is also investigating Fifa’s award of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup finals to Russia and to Qatar.

Notts County sack manager Ricardo Moniz and backroom staff

Notts County have parted company with their manager, Ricardo Moniz.

The Magpies have won just two league games since October and sit 15th in the table following their relegation from League One last season.

The academy manager, Mick Halsall, and under-21 team coach, Richard Dryden, will take interim charge of the first team, the club said in a statement. The coaches Dave Kevan and Dean Yates have also left the League Two club.

The former Red Bull Salzburg and 1860 Munich manager – from the Netherlands – Moniz lasted less than nine months at Meadow Lane, having been appointed in April . 

The County chairman, Ray Trew, said: “I made it clear when appointing Ricardo that I wanted someone who would bring an exciting, attacking brand of football to Meadow Lane and I think it would be fair to say that in part he has done this, with some eye-catching attacking play on show at times this season.

“However, whilst showing considerable flair at times, particularly here at home, I feel that we have lacked a level of discipline and organisation in our defensive play throughout the season which has undermined our efforts and our right to play this free-flowing attacking style.”

Moniz’s last match in charge was a 2-2 draw against Morecambe on Monday.

Manchester City rule out move for Jamie Vardy in transfer window

Manchester City have categorically ruled out signing Jamie Vardy or Neymar in next month’s transfer window following recent reports linking the players with a move to the Etihad Stadium.

Vardy is the Premier League’s joint top-scorer with 15 goals for Leicester City this season. Given Sergio Agüero’s unavailability at times this term – he has suffered four separate injuries and illnesses – Manuel Pellegrini may consider strengthening his striking options in the winter window . 

However, Vardy is not being targeted by the manager, and the club are equally clear regarding Neymar. On Monday the Barcelona forward seemed to suggest he was aware of interest from City when questioned in a Brazilian airport.

This has been dismissed by the club, with it understood that this is viewed as being part of Neymar’s manoeuvring to seal a lucrative new contract at Barça.

The fluid nature of the transfer market means City’s stance could yet change. Last December the club privately dismissed any interest in Wilfried Bony then bought the striker from Swansea City for an initial £25m fee in the January window.

Tributes pour in for former Newcastle goalkeeper Pavel Srnicek

His agent, Steve Wraith, confirmed that Srnicek, who had been in an induced coma after collapsing while out running in the Czech Republic on 20 December ,  had passed away . 

Alan Shearer was among those leading the tributes on social media. “So very, very sad to lose my friend and former teammate @PavelSrnicekUK My thoughts are with his family at this awful time. #NUFC #RIPPavel,” he tweeted . 

The former Newcastle keeper Steve Harper said: “A truly beautiful soul has left this world far too early!! Thank you so much for everything you did for me Pav . ” 

The ex-Newcastle midfielder Keith Gillespie said: “So sad to hear about Pavel Srnicek. Proud to have known him and play with him. Absolute gentleman. #RIPPAV . ” 

Ipswich’s Daryl Murphy condemns Brighton to second defeat of season

The Brighton bubble has burst. Ten days after Middlesbrough ended the unbeaten run of Chris Hughton’s side Daryl Murphy’s first-half goal condemned them to another defeat in front of the biggest crowd of the season at the Amex Stadium.

Mick McCarthy’s Ipswich Town are coming into some good form of their own and this was their fifth successive away win. The orange-shirted Ipswich deserved their victory and, on their form over Christmas, suggest they and not Brighton will be challenging for a Premier League place next spring.

Brighton’s transformation under Hughton has been remarkable, though. When the manager headed down to Sussex on New Year’s Eve last year the side were in the relegation zone. But injuries are mounting at a crucial time for the Seagulls, their veteran captain Gordon Greer the latest man to be left on the sidelines after injuring a hamstring in the Boxing Day draw at Brentford. Hughton is now considering a loan move for Liam Ridgewell, the former Aston Villa and West Bromwich Albion defender, now playing in the States for Portland Timbers.

James Wilson, the young striker on loan from Manchester United who has made a big impact in the last month, was on the bench after the illness that forced him to miss the second half at Griffin Park. It left the Brighton attack looking a little lightweight and although Beram Kayal hit a fizzing shot from 25 yards just past Dean Gerken’s post there were ominous early signs for Hughton’s team.

Kevin Bru’s thumping drive rattled David Stockdale’s bar and although Dale Stephens scrambled the ball into the Ipswich net after good work on the right by Kayal’s fellow Israeli Tomer Hemed Ipswich took the lead. Murphy slippe his marker Lewis Dunk and hit an angled shot across Stockdale’s goal which hit the far post and went over the line.

Fifa presidential candidates invited to take part in live television debate

The five candidates bidding to succeed Sepp Blatter as Fifa president have been invited to take part in a live television debate.

Broadcaster ESPN is attempting to stage the live event in London, according to sportingintelligence.com . 

The contenders for the top job at world football’s governing body are Prince Ali Bin al-Hussein, Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al-Khalifa, Tokyo Sexwale, Gianni Infantino and Jérôme Champagne.

Champagne told the Sporting Intelligence website: “I can tell you that ESPN proposed to the candidates a televised debate in London on 29 January and I have already expressed my agreement.”

He added of the election process: “I feel that unfortunately–- as I have said already when I launched this campaign myself – that it will be a succession of deals done behind closed doors of five-star hotels.”

The report says Prince Ali’s office has also confirmed it has received an invitation and is assessing his travel schedule. Champagne, Prince Ali, Sexwale, and possibly Infantino, are to attend a meeting at the European Parliament on 27 January.

Blatter’s reign came to a humiliating end on 21 December when he was banned for eight years by Fifa’s ethics committee.