ARSENAL were last night facing up to the unsavoury prospect of life without Patrick Vieira as the French World Cup winner seemed to edge closer to a move to Real Madrid.

MILAN striker Andrei Shevchenko is the new European Footballer of the Year.

MANCHESTER UNITED assistant manager Carlos Queiroz has confirmed the Red Devils have not made an approach for Real Madrid winger Luis Figo.

INFLUENTIAL Manchester United fans’ group Shareholders United have ridiculed suggestions they are ‘scamming’ supporters.

ROBBIE KEANE and Gary Kelly could be the main victims as Terry Venables walked into Leeds United yesterday ready to grasp the nettle in a bid to rake in £15 million.

MANCHESTER UNITED skipper Roy Keane has warned his team-mates they must stop conceding sloppy goals if they are to stand any chance of turning their season around.

Ian Parkes

FAILING to reach the Champions League group stage will cost Celtic a minimum of £10m, according to a report released yesterday.

CRISTIANO Ronaldo admits he will “never take free-kicks like David Beckham” — but believes he can still be as successful as the man he replaced at Manchester United.

ROY KEANE will make a quick return to the Irish team if Mick McCarthy leaves to take the manager’s job at Sunderland.

VILLARREAL’S Diego Forlan and Arsenal’s Thierry Henry will share the Golden Shoe award for being this season’s top goalscorers in Europe.

ARSENE WENGER has revealed the desire to take Arsenal on to even greater success burns as bright as it did when he first arrived at Highbury eight years ago.

IF he had chosen to follow the sour example of the two clubs who have dominated the Premiership since its inception, Harry Redknapp could have highlighted the shocking tackles that put his most expensive player out of the match and might have severely injured another in a titanic struggle with Manchester United at Fratton Park.

JOSE MOURINHO believes his sickness-ravaged side have made a significant statement of intent to the doubters as they continue their relentless march towards the championship.

PROFESSIONAL football can give you everything for a while; fame, respect, riches and a great job are all yours.

THE onus is on Thierry Henry to out-shoot Manchester United marksman Ruud van Nistelrooy as Arsenal face up to being without both Patrick Vieira and Sol Campbell for the Barclaycard Premiership run-in.

MANCHESTER UNITED boss Alex Ferguson blamed his own side for slumping to a second successive Premiership defeat at the hands of Middlesborough.

BAYERN MUNICH’S Champions’ League aspirations hung on a thread last night, despite the German side losing yet again.