Happy Gilmore best bits ahead of The 2015 Master

The Masters is starting and while we can't wait for that to begin, we'll probably celebrate by watching Happy Gilmore.

For those who yet to see it, it's about a failed ice hockey player who discovers his talents lie on the golfcourse which eventually sees him battle rival Shooter McGavin (below) for the Tour Championship gold jacket.

These are a few of our favourite clips.

Fight with Price Is Right host Bob Barker at a celebrity tournament.

Ben Stiller plays a retirement home manager, who runs a black market on the side, forcing the old residents to sow quilts during 'arts and crafts hour.'

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Blackburn 0-1 Liverpool: Coutinho fires Reds to FA Cup semi-finals

Philippe Coutinho was again the savour of Liverpool’s FA Cup hopes as the Brazilian’s fine strike sealed a narrow victory over a spirited Blackburn Rovers in their sixth round replay at Ewood Park.

The Reds’ number ten was the standout star in what was a laboured performance from the Premier League side.

Coutinho has already been the hero for the Reds this term, with his sensational strike seeing off Bolton in a dramatic fourth round replay, and he again mustered a moment of magic which proved enough to set up a Wembley Stadium meeting with Aston Villa.

Having frustrated the Reds in their initial goalless draw at Anfield, Brendan Rodgers’ men again struggled to break down the stubborn Rovers, who set up with two banks of four players to limit their top flight opponents’ attacking threat.

A buzzing capacity crowd witnessed a cagey first half but Gary Gowyer’s charges twice went close to taking the lead in a rapid start to the second, with Simon Mignolet doing well to first palm away Tom Cairney’s stinging long range effort before turning Ben Marshall’s stooping header onto the post.

The best chances of the opening 45 fell to the visitors, with Joe Allen firing wide, Daniel Sturridge curling a shot over the crossbar and Coutinho seeing a low shot well saved by goalkeeper Simon Eastwood.

Blackburn’s attacking options were limited with Jordan Rhodes on his own up front, though the Scot did have a chance after beating an injured Mamadou Sakho – who was later replaced by Kolo Toure after picking up a hamstring problem – in the air, but could only send a header into the stands.

The hosts enjoyed some added impetus when Rudy Gestede, who wasn’t deemed fit enough to start, came off the bench, however it seemed only a matter of time until Liverpool, who piled on the pressure in the closing stages, broke through.

And with 20 minutes remaining, Coutinho, playing a neat one-two with Jordan Henderson from a short

 corner, found an inch of space in the box and made the most of it, smashing a low shot across the goalkeeper and into the bottom corner.

There was last minute drama when a late long throw-in led to Blackburn's best chance of the match, though through an unlikely source as goalkeeper Eastwood came close to a dramtic equaliser.

The shot-stopper, who had sprinted up the pitch to join his team-mates in the box, brought down the looped throw and sent a thumping shot towards goal, but Mignolet denied his counterpart with a strong one-handed save to secure Liverpool's place at Wembley.

Paul Downton sacked as ECB managing director of cricket

The England and Wales Cricket Board have sacked Paul Downton as managing director of cricket after just over a year in the job.

Downton succeeded Hugh Morris in February 2014 and was under pressure almost from day one, when he fronted the decision to axe Kevin Pietersen from the England fold.

His appointment of Peter Moores as head coach has also had its critics, while the decision to back Alastair Cook as one-day captain, only to then ditch him on the eve of the World Cup, also went down badly.
New chief executive Tom Harrison has now abolished Downton's job description and, in an ECB restructure, will replace it with the slightly reworded 'director of England cricket'.

Harrison said: "The England Cricket Department needs to deliver performance at the highest level and our structure needs to be accountable for reaching the standards we aspire to. The new role we are putting in place will deliver an environment where world class performance is at the heart of everything we do.

"Paul is a man of great integrity who has worked extremely hard to make a difference at the ECB. He joined at a very difficult time, but under his leadership the Test team have made significant strides. We thank him for his hard work, drive and determination and wish him every success for the future.
"The touring team in the West Indies are aware of the changes. The process for appointing the new role, with sole responsibility for the England set-up, will begin immediately."
An additional statement from the ECB added: "The Managing Director role will be removed from the ECB structure. A newly created role of 'Director of England Cricket', with a clear focus on delivering a world class performance environment for all formats will replace it.
"The restructuring follows a review of the team's performance at the World Cup and a need to look to the long-term, putting a plan in place for 2019 and beyond."

Jack Wilshere close to Arsenal first-team return after Under-21s appearance

 

Injury prone Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere insists he is close to a first-team return.
The Gunners star marked his comeback from a serious ankle injury by playing a full match for the Under-21 side on Tuesday night.

Wilshere has had a long spell on the sidelines as he has recuperated after surgery on his troublesome left ankle, an injury he suffered in the defeat to Manchester United on November 22.


It was the latest setback in a succession of injury problems for the England international but he is now nearing full fitness.


And the 23-year-old started alongside Mikel Arteta and Abou Diaby in a formidable line-up as the second-string side defeated Stoke 4-1 at the Emirates.

Playing the full 90 minutes was a timely confidence boost for Wilshere, who is now keen to force his way into Arsene Wenger's team ahead of the end of season run-in, with Arsenal battling on both Premier League and FA Cup fronts.


"You can train as much as you like but you can't get that match fitness unless you play," Wilshere told Arsenal's official website.

"In the Premier League you know how quick it is so you have to get back to that speed.
"I feel like I'm ready to play some part. When you're injured you look at your comeback date and the games around that time.

"The one that stands out is the FA Cup semi-final but even before that we've got big games and we've got to got to Man United as well so there's a chance to play this season."

We haven’t been worked out!’ Rodgers defends Liverpool system despite slump in

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers believes his side’s slump in form is down to individual player failings rather than rivals cracking their system.

The Reds were one of the most in-form teams in Europe and looked on course for a Champions League qualification spot a few weeks ago, after a switch to a 3-4-2-1 formation in December helped produce a 13-match unbeaten Premier League run.
But their top four hopes now hang by a thread, with the Merseysiders currently seven points adrift in fifth place following back-to-back defeats to Manchester United and Arsenal.

Liverpool lacked their celebrated attacking flow in those two vital top of the table clashes, with many suggesting managers Louis van Gaal and Arsene Wenger had won the tactical battle in respective 2-1 and 4-1 victories.
But Rodgers disagrees, insisting that a drop-off in results is more to do with their own performances than those of their opponents.
"I don't think it's about being worked out. We didn't start well [against Arsenal], and it doesn't matter what system you are playing if that happens," said the Northern Irish boss.
"In the last four games that we've played we haven't created as much, and that's more on ourselves.

"Of course you give opponents credit but every team will go into a game to defend well and work hard against you.
"Probably the Blackburn game [an FA Cup sixth round tie] when we drew 0-0 and the games following that we haven't created as much.
"That's something that we want to reinforce - the creativity for chances and hopefully taking those chances.
"It's a difficult system to play against, but it's one of a number of systems we've played here and played very well.
"It's my job to always look to find the solutions, that's what I've tried to do in the games when we didn't look like scoring, finding a way to win."

Blackburn, who host Liverpool in their FA Cup quarter-final replay on Wednesday, will take heart from the Merseysiders' mini-slump at a crucial time of the season.
For Rodgers and Liverpool though the cup now represents the only chance to save their season and that should guarantee a reaction at Ewood Park.

"It's important to have a game quickly when you lose," added Rodgers.
"The group is very committed to winning this trophy but in order to do that you have to qualify and we know Blackburn will be a difficult game for us.
"A trophy this season will mark another step forward for us. Getting to a final and winning a trophy is what we want. In terms of the FA Cup that was always an objective.
"We'll go [to Blackburn] really focused and determined - we can't wait to play again after the weekend's disappointment."

Manchester United set for striker clearout, claims former Red Devil

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Paul McGrath believes Manchester United are set for a striker clearout this summer.

Radamel Falcao has failed to impress during his time at Old Trafford, following a loan switch from Monaco, while questions have been asked about Robin van Persie’s future at the club.

And former defender McGrath insists Louis van Gaal may decide to ditch the pair at the end of the season.

When asked about Falcao’s future at Manchester United, he told the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast show. “Without a doubt, he’ll be gone.

“Robin Van Persie might be off as well, even with the Dutch connection with Van Gaal.”

The former Bayern Munich and Barcelona boss faced criticism earlier this season for United’s lacklustre style of play, but superb performances against Tottenham, Liverpool and Aston Villa have seen attacking verve return to the club.

And McGrath admits he doubted his former side’s top four credentials before the turnaround.

“Man United are on a roll at the moment,” he added. “Louis van Gaal deserves so much praise for it really.

“They have played badly for quite a lot of the season, so much so I didn’t think they’d get into the top four this year, but he’s done an amazing job.

“For them to be where they are now is incredible. I believe they’ll beat Manchester City on Sunday as well.”

Manchester United set for striker clearout, claims former Red Devil

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Paul McGrath believes Manchester United are set for a striker clearout this summer.

Radamel Falcao has failed to impress during his time at Old Trafford, following a loan switch from Monaco, while questions have been asked about Robin van Persie’s future at the club.

And former defender McGrath insists Louis van Gaal may decide to ditch the pair at the end of the season.

When asked about Falcao’s future at Manchester United, he told the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast show. “Without a doubt, he’ll be gone.

“Robin Van Persie might be off as well, even with the Dutch connection with Van Gaal.”

The former Bayern Munich and Barcelona boss faced criticism earlier this season for United’s lacklustre style of play, but superb performances against Tottenham, Liverpool and Aston Villa have seen attacking verve return to the club.

And McGrath admits he doubted his former side’s top four credentials before the turnaround.

“Man United are on a roll at the moment,” he added. “Louis van Gaal deserves so much praise for it really.

“They have played badly for quite a lot of the season, so much so I didn’t think they’d get into the top four this year, but he’s done an amazing job.

“For them to be where they are now is incredible. I believe they’ll beat Manchester City on Sunday as well.”

Liverpool are trying to bully Raheem Sterling into signing a new deal

Former England international Trevor Sinclair has accused Liverpool of trying to ‘bully’ Raheem Sterling into signing a new contract.

Sterling has come in for widespread criticism for turning down a £100,000-a-week deal at Anfield, and Brendan Rodgers claimed the starlet was being badly advised after he gave an interview to explain his reasons for doing so last week.

But Sinclair says the 20-year-old, who maintains he is motivated by trophies rather than money, has done nothing wrong.

Speaking on the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast show, he said: “All the kid has said is he is not rush to sign a contract, he wants to play Champions League football - surely you can’t knock him for that. He is still giving his all for Liverpool Football Club, but a lot of people have got big opinions on it.
“I’ve watched the interview. He didn’t say anything wrong. He said he wants to give his all for Liverpool Football Club.

"I think there is a bit of bullying going on. They are trying to bully him into signing a new contract.
"It is a great deal, £100,000-a-week has been mentioned, but if he is not sure if he wants to stay at Liverpool Football Club, why bully him?

Raheem Sterling: is not about the money

Liverpool star Raheem Sterling insists he is not a ‘money grabbing 20-year-old’ amid stumbling negotiations over an extended deal at Anfield.

Reds’ manager Brendan Rodgers described an offer Sterling turned down earlier this season, believed to be £100,000-a-week, as ‘incredible’ as the Merseyside outfit attempt to tie down one of their most valuable assets.

The Jamaican-born winger still has more than two years to run on his current £35,000-a-week deal at Liverpool but has put extension talks on hold until the end of the season.

“I don’t want to be perceived as a money-grabbing 20-year-old. I just want to be seen as a kid that loves to play football.” Sterling told BBC sport.

"It is about winning trophies throughout your career; I don't talk about how many cars I will drive or how many houses I've got. It is flattering to get a huge contract [offer]. I just purely want to be the best I can be."

Sterling is Liverpool’s top scorer in the Premier League this season and is attracting interest from domestic suitors and abroad, including the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and Bayern Munich.

The Reds have received criticism for their handling of Steven Gerrard's contract this season, with the talismanic skipper leaving for LA Galaxy in the summer as a result, and Sterling revealed he would have put pen to paper had the offer arrived last summer.

The winger said: "If, at that point in time, I was offered a contract, I most definitely would have signed straight away, probably for far less money than being said now.

"I just think the timing was a bit off. It has been a bit much for me this season with everyone talking about it every minute.

'I've never seen anything like it', moans Sherwood as he faces up to Villa injury crisis

Tim Sherwood says he has never seen an injury crisis like the one facing him at Aston Villa at the moment.

The Midlanders host QPR on Tuesday knowing defeat would see the visitors leapfrog them and plunge Villa into the Premier League's relegation zone.

And Sherwood will have to cope without a string of first-team players.

Alan Hutton, Ashley Westwood and Scott Sinclair are out, while Tom Cleverley, Aly Cissokho and Kieran Richardson are major doubts. Philippe Senderos is unlikely to feature, while Libor Kozak continues to recover from his broken leg.

And Sherwood admits some players may have to play through the pain barrier in Villa's survival fight.

He said: "I've never seen an injury crisis like it. I never thought I'd be one of those managers who moans about injuries but I have to.

"You get one back and lose another two. They're not trivial injuries, they're always two, three, four weeks. It's okay in September but not now. That's pretty much writing off the season.

"It's something you have to get on with and hopefully there's light at the end of the tunnel.

"It's a case of seeing who can come in. A few are back from injury, medically, but physically, it's a need-must situation. Some of them will be risked."

Brendan Rodgers rubbishes claims of 'crisis meeting' with Liverpool stars

Brendan Rodgers has rubbished reports of a fiery exchange with members of his Liverpool squad at a ‘crisis meeting’ on Sunday.

It has been claimed in a leading newspaper that Rodgers called a meeting at the club's Melwood training base 24 hours after the defeat at Arsenal on Saturday and accused several stars of not giving their best for him.

That was said to have left senior players 'incensed', and some were claimed to have spoken up against Rodgers.

But that was refuted by the Reds chief on Monday morning, as he addressed the media ahead of Wednesday night's FA Cup quarter-final replay against Blackburn.

"We have lots of meetings here analysing performance and this one was no different," he said.

The defeat left Liverpool seven points behind the top four and with their Champions League hopes all but extinguished.

But Rodgers insisted his side would not give up, adding: "The attitude is to go right to the end. It is not a mindset, it is purely mathematical."

Totttenham manager Mauricio Pochettino ready to concede defeat in top four battle

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino has conceded the top four is almost certainly now beyond his team this season.

Spurs have been in the hunt for a Champions League spot throughout the campaign but they now trail fourth placed Manchester City by seven points following a tame 0-0 draw at Burnley.

And with a vastly inferior goal difference to the sides currently occupying the four places, Pochettino knows the odds are stacked against the White Hart Lane outfit.

He said: “It is difficult but we have seven games, we will try. It is true that it is not easy. This game was a very tough game and we need to try to win the most points possible in the next seven games.

"The way Burnley play it is difficult, because always there is long balls into the box. They are a very aggressive team and run a lot. It is difficult to find space to play.

"We played better in the second half and we made some chances but it was not enough to score. Three weeks ago Manchester City lost here. It is not an excuse but it is a very, very difficult team."

Sunderland 1-0 Newcastle: Defoe stunner eases Black Cats' relegation fears

Jermain Defoe’s stunning goal proved the difference as Sunderland earned a fifth straight victory their fiercest rivals Newcastle to secure Dick Advocaat’s first win in charge at the Stadium of Light and ease their relegation fears.

Defoe’s strike just before half time, only his third since joining in January, was a rare moment of quality in a combative Wear-Tyne derby as John Carver’s side produced another desperate display.

Steven Fletcher wasted two opportunities to extend the Black Cats' lead in the second half, whilst Ayoze Perez spurned the visitors’ best chance by firing over late on from a corner.

The three points means Advocaat follows his predecessors Paolo Di Canio and Gus Poyet in winning in their second game as Sunderland manager against Newcastle to maintain their recent stranglehold over the Magpies.

With Sunderland looking for their first victory in eight games and Newcastle reeling after three consecutive defeats, the contest struggled for both fluency and quality in its early stages.

The hosts looked more likely and nearly went ahead when Jonas Gutierrez, making his first start in 20 months after recovering from testicular cancer, nearly diverted the ball past his own goalkeeper from Billy Jones’ fizzing low cross.

Defoe spurned the game’s first clear cut opportunity by overrunning the ball when clean through on goal, but made amends on the stroke of half time with a stunning volley uncharacteristic of the game but in keeping with a weekend of fine Premier League goals.

Costel Pantillimon launched a long punt forward, Fletcher nodded back to his strike partner and Defoe sent a brilliant looping effort over Tim Krul from 20 yards to end a run of seven games without a goal.

The strike failed to foster any more quality though, and after the break the game lulled back into a scrappy and disjointed affair as the hosts contained their rivals.

Fletcher squandered two great chances to double the home side’s lead, volleying into the 

ground when he had time to take a touch and then shooting well over after cutting back on his left foot just minutes later.

Newcastle were lacklustre throughout, and their performance was summed up when Pantillimon was easily equal to Remy Cabella’s 20 yard drive before Mike Williamson denied Sebastian Larsson from point blank range.

Perez was then wasteful in a promising position, volleying over from a corner with three minutes remaining, meaning Sunderland held on for an absolutely priceless three points in their bid to avoid relegation this season.

Jermain Defoe visibly emotional after 'unbelievable' derby winner

Sunderland striker Jermain Defoe was lost for words after watching a replay of his stunning match-winning volley in the 1-0 victory over Newcastle at the Stadium of Light which eased their relegation worries.

The 32-year-old’s brilliant dipping effort on the stroke of half time earned Sunderland a record fifth straight derby victory over their fiercest rivals, who were despondent throughout.

The three points earned Dick Advocaat his first win in charge after replacing Gus Poyet, and Defoe was clearly caught up in the emotions when reflecting on his winner.

“To be honest it’s unbelievable. As soon as it leaves your foot you know it’s going in and it’s an unbelievable feeling,” Defoe told Sky Sports.

“Words can’t describe how I felt when that went in – it’s quite emotional really.”

Defoe was visibly moved by the moment as the players walked off at half time, and reiterated the importance of a victory that meant Advocaat’s side leapfrogged Aston Villa and Hull and moved three points clear of the drop zone.

“It was a massive game and I just wanted to do well. The lads have worked so hard and everyone's put the effort in. We just wanted the three points as well and I'm delighted we got them,” said the former Tottenham striker.

Premier League title 'in Chelsea's hands', claims Hazard

Eden Hazard claims Chelsea have the Premier League title “ in their hands.”

The Blues are seven points clear at the top of the table following Saturday’s win over Stoke, and the Belgian ace believes they have one hand on the trophy.

He told Chelsea TV: "We are confident. We are first in the league and we take game after game.

"We have the title in our hands. We want to bring the trophy to Stamford Bridge."

Brendan Rodgers insists Raheem Sterling saga not to blame for Liverpool's crushing defeat at Arsenal

Brendan Rodgers refused to use Raheem Sterling’s contract saga as an excuse for Liverpool’s horror show at Arsenal.

The Merseysiders were blown away by the Gunners at the Emirates on Saturday lunchtime to leave their top four hopes in tatters.

But Rodgers was adamant that the intense speculation over Sterling's future ahead of the big game, not helped by an unsanctioned interview given by the starlet, played no part in his side’s 4-1 defeat.

The 20-year-old won a second-half penalty for Liverpool, which Jordan Henderson converted, and Rodgers felt he was his side’s standout performer.

Asked if the Sterling situation had played a role in the disappointing display, Rodgers told BT Sport, "No, not really. I thought Raheem was outstanding today, in fairness the kid's done great today.

"It's not distractions, we were just poor defensively. You see from our record the last six games we haven't conceded away from home. It's just a disappointing day when you concede bad goals, you're always going to be up against it against a team that's obviously got good confidence."

Liverpool's misery was compounded by a late red card for Emre Can, adding to their defensive woes, but Rodgers felt the German had been unlucky to get a second yellow card for what appeared to be a scissor challenge, with his manager saying he had slipped.

"In all fairness, he's not that type of player," Rodgers said. "It's a wonderful surface here, but it's actually quite greasy, quite slippy with the way they water it. He's tried to reach around the back with the right foot but then slips with his left and then it looks like a scissor challenge, but I know him well enough to know he's not like that."

Mourinho has no regrets over injured Costa

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Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has said that playing Diego Costa was a gamble worth taking, despite the Spanish international hobbling off with a hamstring injury 11 minutes after being introduced.

The Blues’ striker started the 2-1 victory over Stoke City on the bench, having suffered the muscle problem while on international duty, and although he was deemed fit enough to feature, he now faces a period on the treatment table with the season reaching its conclusion.

When asked whether he regretted introducing Costa at half-time, Mourinho responded that it was risk he needed to take.

“It’s part of the job,” he told talkSPORT.

“I have to risk things when my team is not winning matches, I have to gamble sometimes.

“Nobody is upset, it is just part of the game. In the end the most important thing is our victory.”

While nothing has been confirmed yet, Mourinho continued that he would have no issues risking his star goalscorer again, should he regain sufficient fitness before the end of the season.

“If I have to gamble again, I will gamble again,” he said. “We will do everything to reach our objective. We want to be champions.

“He will be out next week and maybe the following two or three, but the important thing is the three points.”

‘Top four not yet secure’ says Van Gaal

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Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal insists his side have not secured a top four spot just yet, despite the Red Devils leap-frogging neighbours Manchester City to move into third place in the Premier League.

Van Gaal’s side ran out 3-1 winners against Aston Villa on Saturday to move up the table, with Ander Herrera scoring either side of a wonderful Wayne Rooney effort, but the Dutchman still believes his side have work to do if they are to achieve their target.

Speaking afterwards he said: “No [we haven’t], because we still have to play the first three in the league.

“It’s not done yet.”

With Liverpool losing 4-1 to Arsenal earlier in the day, United’s victory puts them eight-points clear of their Merseyside rivals and just one behind the second-placed Gunners with seven matches remaining in the season.

Up next for United is the visit of City in what will be a pivotal clash in both of their seasons, before a tricky trip to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea.