Life's A Picnic

Beckham and Co fight knife crime

David Beckham, Rio Ferdinand and David James take time off from training to add support to government initiative

Capello puts new stamp on same captain

Steve McClaren's desperation to prove himself contributed to his failure. His successor will not make the same mistake

Capello must front up to lack of strikers

Martin Samuel says England will not match the best side's in Europe without a high-quality forward to lead the line

Why Liverpool appear close to breaking point

Martin Samuel says the owners' failure to back Rafael Benitez's pursuit of Gareth Barry is a severe health warning for the club

Portsmouth’s plight underlines wealth gap

No one looked at the goalless score-line and thought that Harry Redknapp and the lads could be contenders this year.

Why Big Phil's image is a little outdated

Only in England, it seems, is Luiz Felipe Scolari still regarded as a tough-guy coach of uncompromising football teams

Ashley facing test of Tyne

The rumours that the Newcastle United owner is to cut and run are surfacing too frequently to be casually dismissed

Spain prove it's not always the size that counts

European champions confound widely held belief that big is beautiful in modern-day game, though Arsene Wenger is unconvinced

If it ain't broke, what's to fix with our game?

The standard of football at Euro 2008 has been so exceptional, it has surely killed Sepp Blatter's 'six plus five' idea

Spain must beat the system, not just Russia

Uefa's calamitous tournament planning leaves football's great underachievers faced with the rematch from hell

Hiddink's expert lesson plan reaps reward

The Dutchman has turned Russia into the team to beat, but how would he be faring now had he taken charge of England?

Third-party agreement with elite benefits

Premier League's inability to tackle adequately the inherent flaws with the current loan system reflects poorly on game

Luiz Felipe Scolari wins the grey vote

Chelsea's new manager will soon be 60 proving that managing the elite of English football is becoming an old man’s game

Scolari lifts Chelsea into world elite

If any manager has the wit to meet the demands of Stamford Bridge, Martin Samuel writes, it is the Brazilian

Steve McClaren rejects escape route to Holland

Former England head coach set his sights on a Barclays Premier League job. He may have a long wait

Uefa president Platini is in never-never land

A cynic would speculate that Michael Platini has an agenda after criticism of Premier League clubs, says Martin Samuel

No England? No problem! Enjoy Euro 2008

With brilliant players and mouth-watering matches in prospect, the finals are set to capture the imagination