As Manchester United, like Arsenal and Manchester City before them were humbled on the European stage in midweek, the infernal debate about what the best league in Europe rages on. Saucony Clearance Outlet . Even Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger felt the urge to discuss the matter during his pre-match press conference ahead of tomorrows visit to Stoke. Anointing the BPL the best, Wenger trotted out the top to bottom competiveness theory. What cant be denied though is that English football is never too far away from grabbing the football headlines. This weeks offering began with a slip of the Mourinho lips. Then we had the national manager waxing lyrical about the possibility of adding a Penalty Psychologist to his Brazil bound backroom staff and how about this mornings revelation Sir Alex Ferguson attributes six of the best as a school boy influenced his managerial ways. Mourinho was clearly agitated and embarrassed when he faced the media Tuesday following the publication less than 24 hours earlier of disparaging remarks he made about Torres, Etoo and Demba Ba to a senior executive of a club partner. Unbeknown to Mourinho, what he thought was a private conversation ahead of a scheduled interview, was in fact been taped by a French TV channel. Who in turn published it for the world to see on their website. Using the old adage the best form of defense is attack, The Happy One launched into the media labeling them a disgrace for publishing extracts of that conversation - which included mocking Etoo and wondering out loud if he was actually older than his stated age. Torres had the last laugh though by responding to his managers harsh words in the most effective way possible by putting Chelsea up early in Wednesdays first leg against Galatasaray. It was no laughing matter not long after the final whistle in Istanbul when Chelsea revealed the club would be immortalized on the small screen in an upcoming edition of the Simpsons. In which a number of players, including Torres will feature in an episode where Bart Simpson plays referee. The week for Torres though didnt end on a happy note. We learnt earlier today and long with Manchester Uniteds Juan Mata both players had been omitted from Spains squad for next weeks prestigious friendly match against the 2006 World Cup winners, Italy. Roy Hodgson who named Toronto FCs Jermaine Defoe in his squad for the March 5 friendly at Wembley versus Denmark yesterday, made news earlier in the week when addressing England penalty woes at tournaments. The England manager, along with all other managers of the 32 nations going to this summers World Cup Finals, has just returned from visiting Brazil let it be known earlier in the week he is giving serious thought to having a psychologist at his disposal as ways to improve on Englands inability to win penalty shootouts. Hodgson experienced penalty misery first hand at Euro 2012 when Italy eliminated England in the quarter finals but certainly does not want to suffer that same fate for a team that has bowed out on penalties in six of the last 10 major tournaments they have qualified for. One of world footballs most dubious of records only once over this period have England progressed from the Achilles Heel of a penalty shootout. This occurring when they edged out Spain at EURO 96 - only then to fail at the next hurdle, Germany beating England on penalties in the semifinal. Hodgson isnt the first England World Cup manager to make the headlines for matters of the mind. As part of final preparations for the 1998 Finals the-then England manager Glen Hoddle arranged for a faith healer to visit the England camp before their departure to France. Such were part of Hoddles unorthodox methods, the ex-Manchester United captain Gary Neville revealed in his 2011 autobiography Hoddle had requested his staff walk around the pitch anti-clockwise as ways to create positive energy before their round of 16 match against Argentina. A match won, by you guessed it, Argentina on penalties. Paired in a group this summer with Uruguay and Italy my how the legions of England fans who will journey to Brazil would dearly love to face the possibility of a penalty shootout. At least this would signify England had successfully made it out of a difficult group. Sir Alex Ferguson who tasted penalty glory himself in the 2008 Champions League Final made it on to the back pages today when it was revealed in the London Times that as a school boy he often found himself in trouble. Not only that, but Ferguson disclosed he felt the corporal punishment he received because of his bad boy ways went a long way to helping shape his hair dryer ways. He also revealed the belt which was used now hangs proudly on the wall of his study at home. With Manchester United not in action this weekend as their scheduled opponent, Manchester City play Sunderland in Sundays League Cup Final, perhaps it might be an idea if Ferguson invites David Moyes over for a cup of tea. In a BPL season which continues to shock, and will do so until mid May, tomorrows action throws up potential banana skins for each of the clubs who currently sit in the Champions League slots. The West London derby sees the current leaders Chelsea, paying a visit to the worst club, Fulham who are desperate for a win. Especially so after coughing up an 86th minute equalizer away to West Brom last Saturday, welcome to the BPL Felix Magath. Arsenal, with a well-rested Mezut Ozil expected to return following his own penalty demons, are sure to be weary of Stokes direct approach. While Liverpool wont need reminding of their early season 0-1 reversal at home to Southampton - result which knocked them off the top spot. Even though his club arent playing, whats the odds occasional Manchester United bad boy Wayne Rooney does not feature prominently come Sundays tabloid headlines? You can reach and follow Noel Butler at:Noel.Butler@BellMedia.ca@TheSoccerNoel TSN & TEAM Radio is your exclusive BPL radio home this season. Saturdays double header action features, Fulham v Chelsea with kickoff at 10am et/7am pt and Southampton v Liverpool with kickoff 12:30pm et/9:30am pt Discount Saucony Shoes . The teams all-time leading scorer, DeRo has won everything there is to win in MLS. Clearance Saucony Shoes . Paul George and Darren Collison each scored 17 points and Roy Hibbert added 11 points and nine rebounds for the Pacers (9-3), who won their third straight. http://www.discountsaucony.com/ . The weekend at Oriole Park has been less kind, with three players suffering varying degrees of injury. The worst ailment of the three, at least optically, is the deep bone bruise suffered by Adam Lind when he fouled a pitch off the top of his right foot in the sixth inning of Saturdays game.ST. PAUL, Minn. - Things cant be going much better for the Winnipeg Jets — or worse for the Minnesota Wild.Andrew Ladd scored a fluky goal in overtime and Winnipeg beat Minnesota 4-3 on Saturday night.Bryan Little, Adam Lowry and Blake Wheeler also scored for Winnipeg. The Jets are 4-1-1 in their past six, 7-1-3 in the past 11 and 5-0-3 in their last eight road games.Michael Hutchinson made 22 saves.Refusing to come out of the game after a high stick to the face drew blood, Ladd fired a shot from the slot that went high over the Minnesota net, but bounced hard of the glass, ricocheted off the top of the net and then off the back of goalie John Curry before falling into the net at 2:47 of the extra session.That was one of the better bounces Ive seen someone get, Little said. I havent seen anything like that before. That was the way the night was going for us. We were getting some bounces in our favour.He was bleeding pretty good and we werent sure if we were going to be able to keep him on the bench, Jets coach Paul Maurice said. He wouldnt come off the bench and he got the good result.A team spokesman said Ladd was not available to the media because he was receiving medical attention.Mikael Granlund, Jason Pominville and Thomas Vanek scored for Minnesota, which has lost five straight and is 1-3-3 in its past seven.We cannot hang our heads right now, coach Mike Yeo said. Itd be real easy to feel sorry for ourselves, but winners dont do that and we got to make sure that we handle this adversity the right way.That starts Monday when the teams meet again in Winnipeg.Yeo said the Wild will be without Granlund and top-pair defenceman Jonas Brodin in that one. Granlund appeared to injure his wrist when upended on a check from Dustin Byfuglien and Brodin left after being hit hard into the boards by Grant Clitsome.I need more of an update, but the word I have right now is not to expect them for next game, Yeo said.Nor cann the Wild be sure who will be between the pipes. Saucony Shoes On Clearance. Minnesota had to play with a goalie — Curry — seeing his first NHL action since last season. He finished with 19 saves. Curry was recalled under emergency conditions from Iowa of the AHL when the team placed Niklas Backstrom on injured reserve retroactive to Dec. 21 due to illness. Minnesotas other goalie, Darcy Kuemper, also is ill.I thought we played really well tonight and deserved to win that game, Curry said. I just wish I would have been able to make one more of those saves.After two goals were scored in the first two periods, four were scored in a back-and-forth third.Lowry gave the Jets a 2-1 lead less than 2 minutes into the frame, poking a rebound of Evander Kanes shot into the Minnesota net.Pominville tied it 10:38, taking a pass from Stu Bickel and hammering a slap shot from the right boards into the far upper corner of the net.Wheeler converted a centring pass from Kane for a short-handed goal at 12:09 for a 3-2 Jets lead, but Vanek tipped in a shot from Jared Spurgeon 32 seconds later to tie the game.Granlund gave the Wild a 1-0 lead late in the first period with his first goal in 10 games when he took a pass from Pominville, faked going to his backhand before putting the puck under Hutchinsons right pad.Little tied the game with his team-best 14th goal at 7:17 of the second period, putting a backhand between Currys pads.It was pretty ugly. Especially the first two periods, there wasnt a whole lot. ... We found it a little in the third, and got a good bounce, Wheeler said.NOTES: Curry played in two late-season games last season for the Wild. He stopped 43 shots in a 4-2 win over St. Louis April 10, and three days later stopped 10 of 12 shots in one period against Nashville. ... The Jets are 11-4-4 on the road. Winnipegs next four games are at home, where it is 8-6-3. ... Wild LW Jason Zucker missed the game due to illness. Wholesale Hoodies NFL Shirts Outlet Jerseys NFL Wholesale Cheap NFL Jerseys Free Shipping Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Cheap NFL Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '