Strachan gets a sight of the task ahead

Middlesbrough 0 Blackpool 3: Gary Taylor-Fletcher's solid performance highlights Middlesbrough's continuing fraility

Goodfellow makes sure Barrow will see the light

Blue Square Premier division club earn themselves a visit to Sunderland after beating league leaders Oxford United 3-1

Smith aims to banish Rangers’ blues

Manager praises Ally McCoist and Kenny McDowall and wants to end season well after this season’s Champions League finale

Primus retires after losing battle with injury

Portsmouth defender, who played 219 games for Fratton Park club, calls time on his career after failing to overcome a knee injury

Beattie warned after row with Pulis over party

Manager makes team aware of priorities after an altercation with his striker over the players’ Christmas celebrations

Post-Hull row led to form reversal, says Given

Ireland goalkeeper explains that City players got many things out in the open in immediate aftermath of seventh consecutive draw

Carroll arrest casts shadow over Newcastle

Season takes turn for worse for league leaders after arrest of the centre forward over an alleged assault in a nightclub

Tenacious minnows leave heavyweights on edge

Many of European football’s big guns, including Barcelona and Real Madrid, still have work to do to qualify in Champions League

Bruce rejects idea of wholesale changes

Manager has cautioned Sunderland supporters not to expect major signings next month despite club’s dismal away form

Ferguson wary of Dzeko threat

Chief executive’s son Oliver Gill likely to earn place on the bench with impressive Wolfsburg striker eager to enhance his reputation

Tottenham must stop living in the past

Squad needs to improve mental strength and forget failures of recent years if they are to secure Champions League place

Football in brief: Mascherano in talks

Rafael Benitez has held ‘positive talks’ with Javier Mascherano about the Argentina midfielder’s future at Liverpool

Watford fightback galvanised by Doyley

Watford 3 QPR 1: defender nets his first senior goal on his 269th appearance with a diving header as home side complete comeback

Johnston determined not to sell out

Rangers chairman focuses on financial affairs in bid to quell discontent and rebuild the indebted club

McGhee takes tough stance on discipline

The Aberdeen manager plans to improve standards after fifth player sent off in as many matches

Smith laments dearth of young Scottish talent

Rangers manager proposes radical solution of educating children at football clubs where they would learn game at the same time

Rangers seek new investors to buy out Murray

Alastair Johnston tells club’s annual general meeting of board’s plan to buy majority shareholding from Sir David Murray

Capello on the spot over English disease

Nerveless Italian has much work to do ahead of World Cup to instil same belief in taking penalties as he had as a player

Ferguson left with no defence

Manchester United manager forced to play three midfielders at the back tonight in final Champions League group tie in Wolfsburg

Ancelotti blames City defeat on midfield

Chelsea manager accuses midfield of capitulating under weight of home side’s pressure but defends goalkeeper Petr Cech

Bullard out for up to two months

Hull City midfielder has been ruled out for six to eight weeks after a scan on the knee injury he picked up at the weekend at Aston Villa

Championship round-up: Ten-man Newcastle extended their lead

Goals from Fabrice Pancrate and Peter Lovenkrands put Chris Hughton's side four points clear despite the sending off of Kevin Nolan

Ibrahimovic refuses to 'sacrifice' himself for Sweden

Barcelona striker says he will no longer play in international friendly matches in order to concentrate on his club career

Smith agrees to work without a contract

Rangers manager and assistant Ally McCoist will stay on without new deals while Sir David Murray tries to sell his stake in the club

Vidic adds to Ferguson's defensive problems

Serb is ruled out of Manchester United's Champions League match with Wolfsburg, leaving United with a threadbare backline