A photo in the papers on Thursday morning, from the previous night’s PSG-Man City game, pretty much sums up where we’re at as football negotiates the fabled run-in.

Leicester boss Claudio Ranieri thinks comparisons between Jamie Vardy and Sergio Aguero are unfair as the two strikers go head-to-head in the top-of-table clash at Manchester City.

It hardly carried the glamour or gravitas of an induction into Cooperstown or Springfield, it wasn’t like there was a Larry Bird to welcome his Magic Johnson into this particular Hall of Fame, but there was something particularly pleasing about seeing Ronnie Whelan being honoured at the FAI International Awards on Sunday.

Crystal Palace 1 Fulham 4

Marco van Basten insists he has no interest in returning to manage Holland after the departure of Bert van Marwijk following the team’s woeful performance at the European Championship.

Gullit and Van Basten, Ronaldo and Rivaldo, Salas and Zamorano, Bebeto and Romario, Pele and Jairzinho, Torres and Villa, Klinsmann and Voller; some of the greatest strike partnerships of all time have been forged at international level and provided the World Cup and European Championship with so many memorable moments.

Four first-phase clashes at Euro 2012 have a historical resonance, says Paul Kelly.

Wesley Sneijder believes reaching the Euro 2012 final is the minimum requirement for Holland this summer.

Arsenal striker Robin van Persie will be the clear favourite after being named among the nominees for PFA Players’ Player of the Year award today.

AS Christmas approaches, European football has a reassuringly traditional feel.

PEP GUARDIOLA is an intellectual. He has mates in football. He is godfather, for example, to one of Luís Figo’s daughters.

ON Thursday night, in his regular slot on Off The Ball, John Giles ventured the opinion that on the strength of his performances against Everton and Galati, Wayne Rooney was the best central midfield player in the Premier League.

Marco van Basten will not be returning to Ajax to become their new director of football.

IT WAS a mixed week for still impressionable thirtysomethings. In front of a Bologna police station and inside a hall in Dundalk, two 90s heroes made a little news.

AND who said that Chelsea didn’t win anything this season? Our board have once again collected the ‘Classless Cronies of the Year award’ — even with stiff opposition from Sullivan, Gold and Brady.

The agent of Guus Hiddink today refused to rule out the Dutchman returning to frontline club management amid reports he is the number one target to succeed Carlo Ancelotti as Chelsea boss.

FA director of football development Trevor Brooking believes his organisation’s decision to suspend Wayne Rooney for two matches for swearing has almost universal support across football.

IT’S not that long since Ajax were the best club in the world.

Filippo Inzaghi reached three goalscoring milestones in one match with a brace in AC Milan’s 2-2 Champions League draw with Real Madrid at the San Siro last night.

WHILE the whole of the football world, and especially those parts of it coloured either orange or red, works itself into a fit of feverish anticipation ahead of tomorrow’s World Cup final, your correspondent finds himself in the unusually luxurious position of feeling eminently chilled about the outcome.

UNWORRIED and full of courage. That’s how Giovanni Trapattoni wants his Ireland side to face the French – “just like Trap the player when he came up against Pele”.

KLAAS JAN HUNTELAAR should make his AC Milan debut on August 17 against Juventus in the Trofeo Berlusconi after completing his move from Real Madrid yesterday.

Ajax have offered goalkeeper Kenneth Vermeer a new contract which could tie him to the Amsterdam giants until June 2014.

Twenty years ago tonight, Arsenal and Liverpool staged the most remarkable climax in history to an English football season. “A night of chilling simplicity” as commentator Brian Moore called it. Tony Leen was there.

Marco van Basten has resigned as Ajax head coach following the club’s failure to qualify for next season’s Champions League.

SO WAS it the greatest goal ever scored? No. Next question, please.

The pressure on Ajax coach Marco van Basten moved up a notch this afternoon after his side were thrashed 4-1 at Vitesse Arnhem.

AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani claims Ronaldinho has rejected a lucrative offer from Manchester City, despite the English club offering twice what the Italian giants can.

Holland 1 Russia 3 (after extra time)

HOLLAND coach Marco van Basten is full of praise for the job fellow Dutchman Guus Hiddink has done with Russia, but believes his team should have enough to progress from tonight’s Euro 2008 quarter-final between the nations.

HOLLAND were every bit as professional as coach Marco van Basten promised they would be as they outclassed Romania to send Victor Piturca’s side home and hand Italy a Euro 2008 lifeline.

Holland 2 Romania 0

HOLLAND coach Marco van Basten has promised his team will be fully focused on beating Romania tonight — even though a Dutch defeat would see 2006 World Cup finalists Italy and France dumped out of Euro 2008.

HOLLAND coach Marco van Basten believes the pressure will be on France to attack in tonight’s Group C clash in Bern.

Marco van Basten celebrated his finest moment as Holland coach by leading his team to an “historic” 3-0 victory over his good friend Roberto Donadoni and world champions Italy.

Holland coach Marco van Basten will establish in the “next few days” whether Arsenal striker Robin van Persie will be fit to face Italy in their first Euro 2008 game on Monday.

Liverpool winger Ryan Babel should be fit in time for next season after it was revealed his ankle injury could take as little as five weeks to heal.

Holland coach Marco van Basten is set to make an exception to his rule of not including injury-prone players in his Euro 2008 squad for Robin van Persie.

Liverpool striker Dirk Kuyt is aiming to continue his recent good run of form to cement a place in Holland coach Marco van Basten’s Euro 2008 squad.

Ajax captain Edgar Davids is likely to retire from football at the end of this season.

Ajax have named Marco van Basten as their new coach with the former AC Milan striker set to take over after Euro 2008.

Holland coach Marco van Basten has announced he will step down from the role after Euro 2008.