There has long been a theory that, if Lionel Messi is ever to have his name uttered in the same breath as that of Diego Maradona in Argentina, then he must lead his country to glory in the World Cup, as Diego did in 1986.
To date, the modern-day Barcelona superstar has scored just one goal at the World Cup finals. While that's one more than a certain Mr W. Rooney, it's also the same number as Gary Breen. Yes, Gary Breen. Messi will be keen to set the record straight this time around, and the signs are good - 24 of his 38 international goals have come in the four years since the last World Cup. The supporting cast is, of course, very strong - Sergio Aguero, Angel di Maria and Gonzalo Higuain will all join Messi in giving defenders sleepless nights - making Argentina one of the obvious favourites for this summer's tournament.
‘If Xabi Alonso had wanted the Liverpool job, Arne Slot might still be in Rotterdam' Respected writer and Liverpool fan Tony Evans provides the inside story of the quest to replace Jurgen Klopp and the shocking factor no one expected
Chelsea and Enzo Maresca have three major problems they must solve after crashing out of the FA Cup with alarm bells now ringing
