Jonny Evans has been happy to listen to harsh words from friends and family in his bid to get back to form.

Manchester United's Patrice Evra has been advised that he will need secondary evidence of the racist abuse he says he received from Luis Suarez at Anfield last Saturday, with the Football Association likely to start their investigation by speaking to him within 24 hours.

Aaron Ramsey's late winner for Arsenal against Marseilles in France last night put Arsène Wenger's team on course for qualification for the knockout round of the Champions League and was more evidence, Wenger said, that his team are heading in the right direction.

England coach Fabio Capello has dropped a clear hint that Wayne Rooney will be going to next summer's European Championship.

Sir Alex Ferguson cannot wait for Sunday's Barclays Premier League derby showdown with leaders Manchester City.

Otelul Galati 0 Manchester United 2

There is a happy precedent about Manchester United failing to win either of their first two Champions League group stage games. Only in the season of 1998-99 have they done the same in the modern era and no one needs reminding what that campaign led on to.

Ferguson says United defender is 'adamant' he wants to pursue complaint against Suarez

Liverpool and Manchester United were on course for a bitter dispute last night with the Anfield club ready to demand that Patrice Evra be banned if his claim that Luis Suarez repeatedly racially abused him prove to be unsubstantiated.

FA inquiry begins today into United defender's allegations that Liverpool striker Suarez used the N-word "at least 10 times"

Arsenal 2 Sunderland 1

Of course, Wayne Rooney would have known that from Croxteth to Kirkby they had been working towards this day for weeks. Sure enough, from the galaxy of tonsorial possibilities yesterday, we were treated to 'Who's the Scouser in the wig?' and 'You baldy bastard, the hair is not yours' from the old Kop end. Rooney was standing in the shadow of the Anfield Road stand and aware already that success at this cursed stadium was eluding him again.

Ahead of match days like this, Sir Alex Ferguson's managerial adversaries tend to praise him, not to bury him. Tony Pulis talks of Ferguson in hallowed tones as "Sir Alex"; for Steve Bruce he is still "The Boss"; and even Liverpool's owner, John W Henry, shared the reverence this week when he said that "Mr Ferguson is a genius".

With their fascinating history, Dalglish doth protest too much that today's clash with 'Fergie' is just another game