“Don’t get me wrong,” sighed a favourite old colleague as we balefully examined United’s dim final-week prospects yesterday morning. “I’m still glad Ole’s at the wheel. It’s just that he’s driving a sodding clown car.”

Last March, West Corkman Conor Murphy scooped £1 million on an accumulator bet at Cheltenham and followed his dream of setting up his own stables — in the United States

Ricky Hatton hopes to add Manchester City’s prospective new owners to his huge band of supporters after inviting them to his fight against Paulie Malignaggi in Las Vegas.