Ferguson row spells end for Nani at UnitedBy Miguel Delaney

Nani's days at Manchester United appear to be numbered as the winger's relationship with Sir Alex Ferguson has reached breaking point.

PA PhotosFerguson blamed Nani for an error which led to League Cup defeat at Chelsea

ESPN understands that assistant manager Mike Phelan had to mediate and calm the Portuguese following last Wednesday's 5-4 Capital One Cup defeat to Chelsea, after Ferguson had criticised Nani for his wasteful use of the ball that led to Eden Hazard's late penalty in 90 minutes.
For his part, sources close to Nani say that he is feeling "victimised" and blamed for any bad result, but has become increasingly vocal about that in the dressing room. He has also had angry words with United coach Rene Meulensteen.
Ferguson's frustration with the winger's performances grew towards the end of last season, and it is understood he would have sold the Portuguese in the summer, with Lucas Moura intended to serve as a direct squad replacement. United ended up being gazumped by Paris Saint-Germain for the Brazilian.
While Nani's natural talent is hugely respected at Old Trafford, many of the coaching staff are believed to question his focus.
As it is, United will attempt to find a buyer in January, with Ferguson also prepared to spend to fill the place he hopes will be vacated.

Barack Obama wins election for second term as president

By Liz Goodwin, Yahoo! News | The Ticket

President Barack Obama handily defeated Gov. Mitt Romney and won himself a second term on Tuesday after a bitter and historically expensive race that was primarily fought in just a handful of battleground states. Obama beat Romney after nabbing almost every one of the 12 crucial battleground states.

The Romney campaign's last-ditch attempt to put blue-leaning Midwestern swing states in play failed as Obama's Midwestern firewall sent the president back to the White House for four more years. Obama picked up the swing states of New Hampshire, Michigan, New Mexico, Iowa, Virginia, Wisconsin, Colorado, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Minnesota and Ohio. Of the swing states, Romney picked up only North Carolina. Florida is still too close to call, but even if Romney wins the state, Obama still beat him in the Electoral College vote. The popular vote will most likely be narrower than the president's decisive Electoral College victory.

In a sweeping victory speech early Wednesday morning, Obama thanked every American who voted, and vowed to work with leaders from both parties to tackle the country's challenges.

"Our economy is recovering, a decade of war is ending, a long campaign is now over," he told a crowd of cheering supporters in Chicago. "And whether I earned your vote or not, I have listened to you, I have learned from you and you have made me a better president." Obama added he has "never been more hopeful about America. ... We're not as divided as our politics suggest. We remain more than a collection of blue states and red states."

In his speech, he offered clues to the policy goals of his second term, which included a deficit reduction plan that combines tax increases with spending cuts, a comprehensive overhaul of the nation's federal immigration laws and tax reform. He called on Republicans to join him in achieving those goals.

The battle for the White House between Obama and Romney divided the nation, causing, at times, bitter disputes between the parties. Obama urged his supporters to look beyond the fight of the past several months and defended the process of choosing a president.

"I know that political campaigns can sometimes seem small, even  silly," Obama said. "And that provides plenty of fodder for the cynics who tell us  that politics is nothing more than a contest of evils or the domain of  special interests. If you ever get the chance to talk to folks who  turned out to our rallies and along the rope lines of high school gyms,  or saw folks working late at campaign office or some tiny county a long way from home, you'll discover something else."

Romney conceded in Boston in a speech around 1 a.m. ET. "Like so many of you, Paul [Ryan] and I have left everything on the field. We have given our all to this campaign," Romney said. "I so wish that I had been able to fulfill your hopes to lead your country in another direction. But the nation chose another leader." Romney congratulated the president and his campaign on their victory.
The Obama victory marks an end to a years-long campaign that saw historic advertisement spending levels, countless rallies and speeches, and three much-watched debates.

1. 1 hr 50 mins ago
   

   U.S. President Barack Obama hugs his daughters Malia (R) and Sasha (2L) as First lady Michelle Obama looks on during his election night victory rally in Chicago, November 7, 2012. REUTERS/Larry

   
   The Romney campaign cast the election as a referendum on Obama's economic policies, frequently comparing him to former President Jimmy Carter and asking voters the Reagan-esque question of whether they are better off than they were four years ago. But the Obama campaign pushed back, blanketing key states such as Ohio early on with ads painting him as a multimillionaire more concerned with profits than people. The Obama campaign also aggressively attacked Romney on reproductive rights issues, tying Romney to a handful of Republican candidates who made controversial comments about rape and abortion.

   The ads were one reason Romney faced a steep likeability problem for most of the race, until his expert performance at the first presidential debate in Denver in October. After that debate, and a near universal panning of Obama's performance, Romney caught up with Obama in national polls, and almost closed his favorability gap with the president. In polls, voters consistently gave him an edge over Obama on who would handle the economy better and create more jobs, even as they rated Obama higher on caring about the middle class.

   But the president's Midwestern firewall—and the campaign's impressive grassroots operation—carried him through. Ohio tends to vote a bit more Republican than the nation as a whole, but Obama was able to stave off that trend and hold an edge there over Romney, perhaps due to the president's support of the auto bailout three years ago. Romney and his running mate, Paul Ryan, all but moved to Ohio in the last weeks of the campaign, trying and ultimately failing to erase Obama's lead there.
   

   A shrinking electoral battleground this year meant that only 12 states were really seen as in play, and both candidates spent most of their time and money there. Though national polls showed the two candidates in a dead heat, Obama consistently held a lead in the states that mattered. That, and his campaign's much-touted get-out-the-vote efforts and overall ground game, may be what pushed Obama over the finish line.

   Now, Obama heads back to office facing what will most likely be bitterly partisan negotiations over whether the Bush tax cuts should expire. The House will still be majority Republican, with Democrats maintaining their majority in the Senate.
   

   The loss may provoke some soul searching in the Republican Party. This election was seen as a prime opportunity to unseat Obama, as polls showed Americans were unhappy with a sluggish economy, sky-high unemployment and a health care reform bill that remained widely unpopular. Romney took hardline positions on immigration, federal spending and taxes during the long Republican primary when he faced multiple challenges from the right. He later shifted to the center in tone on many of those issues, but it's possible the primary painted him into a too-conservative corner to appeal to moderates during the general election. The candidate also at times seemed unable to effectively counter Democratic attacks on his business experience and personal wealth.

   "In the coming weeks and months I am looking forward to reaching out to leaders of both parties," Obama said.

   He won't have much time to fulfill that promise. With tax hikes looming and a sequestration deal that will make enormous , automatic cuts in government funding, Congress and the White House must move quickly to find a compromise and put Obama's high-minded rhetoric into action.

   Chris Moody contributed reporting from Chicago.

Syria conflict: Rebels 'attack key airbase at Taftanaz'

BBC's Peter Biles: "The rebel offensive began at first light"

Rebels in Syria say they are locked in a fierce battle with government forces to take control of a key airbase.

Video posted on the internet showed fighters attacking the strategically important Taftanaz base in the north, located between Syria's two biggest cities, Aleppo and Damascus.
The attack comes a day before a crucial opposition meeting in Doha, Qatar.
It also follows the apparent murder of a number of Syrian troops by rebels, which drew international condemnation.
Separately, Israel said three Syrian tanks had entered the demilitarised buffer zone in the Golan Heights to tackle rebel fighters, prompting an Israeli complaint to the UN forces overseeing a truce in the area.
New leadership The attack on Taftanaz took place as dawn broke, with as many as five different units of rebel fighters reportedly opening fire with multiple rocket launchers, mortars and other weaponry.
Activists said the fighting was continuing into the evening, although state media said government forces had repelled the assault, killing a large number of rebels and destroying their vehicles.
The Daily Telegraph's correspondent Richard Spencer, close to the base, says the attack represents a change of tactics by the rebels.
"They've been making very slow progress in grinding the regime down in the big cities like Aleppo and Damascus, so they've started attacking the supply lines," he told the BBC.
"The rebels are short on weapons. They have Kalashnikovs, they have rocket-propelled grenades, they are thought now to have a few shoulder-mounted missiles, but that doesn't really go a long way against tanks, against helicopters in the air particularly, and MIG fighter jets."

In recent months, the government forces have been making increasing use of air power to strike areas held by the rebels, who lack anti-aircraft weapons to deter the attacks.
Rebel forces are reported to have taken control of the main roads in much of the area south-west of Aleppo.
The video said the rebel groups involved included several brigades of the Free Syrian Army, but also the radical Islamist al-Nusra Front.
The BBC's Jim Muir in neighbouring Lebanon says that although nothing certain has been established, al-Nusra has been named in connection with the killing of captured army soldiers two days ago at Saraqeb, just 15km (10 miles) from where this latest attack is taking place.
The UN has said the video that appears to show the murder of the soldiers or pro-government militiamen could be evidence of a war crime.

Video allegedly showing the shooting of Syrian troops drew international condemnation

The footage shows gunmen beating and shooting a group of prisoners who were cowering on the floor.
On Friday, the US said it "condemned human rights violations by any party in Syria".
State department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said: "There is no justification for that kind of behaviour ever. Anyone committing atrocities should be held to account."
The question of apparent brutality by some rebel units has become a serious concern ahead of the major opposition meeting being held in Qatar this weekend.

"At the most basic level, Western governments who oppose the Assad regime need a single address for their diplomatic contacts”

Jonathan Marcus BBC diplomatic correspondent

The US is hoping a new leadership will help unify the disparate opposition elements and bring a successful conclusion to an uprising that has killed more than 36,000 people since protests against President Bashar al-Assad erupted in March 2011.

Divisions have arisen not just between Islamist and secularist groups, but also between those operating inside Syria and opposition figures working abroad.
Ms Nuland said there was a need for cohesion of rebel forces within Syria and a strong organisation outside the country that could work with the international community.
A previous opposition meeting in Cairo in July accepted that the Assad government must fall but failed to appoint a committee to act for the opposition internationally.
The US this week signalled the opposition needed to be expanded from the main overseas grouping, the Syrian National Council, to take in more of those operating inside Syria.
Representatives at Doha will include various other religious and secular groupings, plus Kurdish figures and dissident members of Mr Assad's Alawite sect.

Pardew: Rodgers will succeed at RedsBy ESPN Staff

By ESPN Staff
Newcastle manager Alan Pardew has backed his old student Brendan Rodgers to make a success of his spell as Liverpool manager.

PA PhotosBrendan Rodger has been giving Liverpool's youngsters a chance

Pardew handed Rodgers his chance as a coach during his days as Reading manager, and he has been delighted by the progress his former understudy has made as he has risen up the coaching ladder.
Now Pardew is preparing to go head-to-head with Rodgers at Anfield on Sunday and he has been gushing in his praise of the youthful Irishman.
"I always thought he would make a great coach and there were a couple of clubs that would have liked to have taken him but, by then, he had moved on and found himself good jobs," stated the Newcastle boss.
"He's someone I've always thought would do well. He has the right attributes to be a teacher-type coach-manager, which is what he is.
"What he has is this vision about how he would like to play. You need to have all the tools for that and I have got to be honest, I don't think he has them, for whatever reason.
"In the last window, if I'm honest, I didn't think he got all the tools he needs at that level and I think everyone can see that, that they need a couple of extra players in that team."
Pardew suggests his old pal is under more pressure to deliver success at Liverpool than he is at Newcastle, even though he has succeeded in raising expectation among the Tyneside faithful in his 23 months in charge at St James' Park.
"There's more pressure at Liverpool because of the stature and the trophies they've won down the years," added the Newcastle boss. "You have to say that Liverpool, historically, are a step ahead of Newcastle, but the moment, they are team evolving and Brendan should be given time to get them moving forward.
"That said, they still have some fantastic players. Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez are two of the best players in the Premier League, so we must make sure we are on top of our game.
"What we see on Sunday is two top teams with great histories and we have to make sure we don't get lost in the emotion of this game. They way Liverpool build a game up in the moments before kick-off, you have to make sure that doesn't distract you.
"I think it's good for English football for Liverpool and Newcastle to be doing well. We are still striving to be a top six team at the moment and to do that, we have to go to places like Anfield and do well."

Rodgers: Suarez critics are hypocrites

By ESPN Staff

Brendan Rodgers has leapt to the defence of Liverpool striker Luis Suarez once more, warning other managers that they should control their own players before accusing others of diving.

GettyImagesLuis Suarez pulled a goal back for Liverpool against Swansea

Suarez, 25, was most recently criticised by Everton manager David Moyes ahead of last week's Merseyside derby, with Moyes claiming that the Uruguayan's antics turn fans away from the game.
But Rodgers believes Suarez has been unjustly used as a scapegoat for a problem that is much bigger than one player.
"I believe this will be the ongoing debate, and now people will see that diving is an issue which is at every club - it is widespread within the game," Rodgers said. "It is ridiculous to single out one man, because every single club has an issue."
Three Premier League players received bookings for simulation last weekend - Angel Rangel, Phil Neville and Fernando Torres - prompting suggestions from Rodgers that Suarez should no longer be the topic of debate.
"Just look at last weekend, and two players you would deem to be great professionals - Angel Rangel and Neville - almost above criticism," he said. "Rangel was booked against Manchester City for diving but I worked with him for two years at Swansea and he's one of the most honest, genuine people I've come across in my life. But he got booked for diving.
"Neville is 35 and over the years you would consider him to be a really honest guy, an impeccable professional. But then he gets booked for diving after his manager has read the riot act to his players by all accounts. Then you have Fernando Torres booked for diving.
"So managers have made a criticism of Luis, but I can guarantee you they will have players who are criticised for diving. Hopefully people won't continue to vilify Luis just because he was the easy target before, and look beyond themselves and their own players to see it's part of the game.
"Of course we don't like it when it's blatant and personally I believe we must continue to fight to eradicate that. But it is nonsense to suggest it's just a problem with Luis Suarez."
Suarez received close attention from the Everton defence during the 2-2 draw at Goodison Park, but Rodgers insists he will not be recriprocating any mind games forced on by opposition players.
"I honestly don't think you can wind Luis up, by having a go at him for diving or anything else," Rodgers said. "Others have tried to use it as a psychological tool to put him off and affect referees but it makes him stronger.
"Looking at his performance levels, consistency and goals he's scored, they'd be better off saying nothing. He'll always divide opinion. If he's on your team people will love him but if he isn't he'll get a bit of stick, but that's because he's world class.
"When I was at Swansea and we played Liverpool, I told the players: 'This guy is a nuisance but for the right reasons because he's a top player'. He's a real threat in and around the box so you have to be careful. If people criticise him, they are wrong, and I guarantee if they do, the support he gets from me will grow stronger because of how genuine I see he is."

Fabrice Muamba accepts his future

By Press Association Fabrice Muamba says he has come to terms with the fact that he will never play professional soccer again.
Muamba earned plaudits from leading figures within the game for his determination to return to action following an on-pitch cardiac arrest in Bolton's FA Cup tie at Tottenham in March.

GettyImagesFabrice Muamba says he has accepted that his future will not involve playing soccer again.

The 24-year-old had a pacemaker fitted to help ease the pressure on his heart, but he retired in August upon doctors' advice.
Muamba admits quitting the game was hard, but the former Bolton man, who has gained huge notoriety since his collapse, concedes he has accepted the fact that he will never kick a ball in anger again.
"I've already adjusted myself to the idea that I'm never going to be able to kick a ball again but life brings different challenges," Muamba told Football Focus. "When I first came to the country football was the only thing I ever knew. I'm sure I'm not the only professional who won't be playing football for a very long time who has to adjust in their life after football.
"You just have be able to make sure you enjoy the game but you also have to able to accept the fact your time is up and move forward to a different direction."
Muamba, who is originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo but represented England's Under-21 side 33 times, spent a month in London's Chest Hospital after being rushed there immediately after collapsing on the turf off the ball at Spurs' north London home.
The pacemaker, and the treatment he received at the hospital, have enabled him to make a good recovery.
"I still have a bit of damage on my left ventricle but I'm getting better every single day," Muamba said.
"The pacemaker now and again kicks in just to make sure the heart rate for me is normal and hopefully it gets better every single day."
Since he retired Muamba has flown across the world in his attempt to publicise heart problems in young men.
He has also got married and has written an autobiography, which is out next week.
His collapse caused an outpouring of sympathy from leading figures within the game and he is grateful for all the support he has received since that day in March.
"I'm just grateful for all the professional people that have come up against me have supported me," Muamba said.
"It just shows when football gets together you can produce this sort of response."

Manchester united vs Arsenal.

POOR SHOWING BY ARSENAL
The game is still going on with about seventeen minutes left. Arsenal has now been reduced to 10 men with Jack Wilshire being shown a red card while trailing United by 2 goals. Arsenal has not shown any sign of life in this game at all, its clear there is no coming back for them. What's left for Arsenal here today is just damage control to avoid the repeat of last year's 8 goals score line.
(The game finished 2:1 with Arsenal scoring with the last kick of the game)
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