The world’s leading authority on the detection of banned performance-enhancing drug EPO in blood says a particularly low level of the substance is explicable only by renal damage or doping — a conclusion that raises fresh doubts over historic alleged doping by a current staff member at Team Sky. As The Mail on Sunday reported last week, court documents in France show that an expert at a 2001 criminal trial concluded from a blood sample taken from a Dutch rider, Servais Knaven, that he had taken artificial EPO. The toxicology reports that led to testimony that Knaven had taken EPO were compiled by two doctors whose evidence was challenged in court, but the court ruled it was good evidence. Knaven has been a ‘directeur sportif’ with vital strategic responsibilities at Team Sky since 2011 and was a 27-year-old rider with Dutch team TVM when the sample was taken during the 1998 Tour de France. Dave Brailsford, former director Sean Yates and Servais Knaven (second right) with Bradley Wiggins in 2012 - a 1998 sample from Knaven showing an EPO level of 0.7 was used to convict traffickers in a French court . The technical paperwork relating to his blood tests carried out by an expert, Francoise Bressolle, showed an EPO level of 0.7. Team Sky say their own unnamed experts, paid by them to examine documents unearthed by the MoS, have exonerated Knaven of any wrongdoing, for reasons unspecified. Knaven was never on trial and therefore did not have an opportunity to challenge the medical evidence; rather his tests and testimony were used to convict EPO traffickers. Knaven never disputed the reading of 0.7 but denied ever taking EPO. Now Robin Parisotto, who invented the first ever blood tests to detect EPO, has told the MoS: ‘The only known causes of such a low EPO level in blood [0.7] is either due to significant renal damage where the kidneys cannot sustain normal production of natural/endogenous EPO and/or the current and previous administration of recombinant [banned] EPO.’ Directeur sportif for Team Sky Knaven signed a police statement in 1998 saying he did not contest the EPO finding. He said he believed it may have been due to ‘great exertion’, which expert Robin Parisotto . Sky did not answer our specific questions but gave this statement: . ‘This relates to events over 15 years ago that were contested and well documented at the time. We looked carefully at the information provided to us by The Mail on Sunday last week, including a review by a panel of three independent world-class experts. Nothing here, including the new medical opinion, causes us, or the experts, to change our view. There is no proof of Doping. Servais Knaven continues to maintain his innocence and to be a valued member of Team Sky.' The MoS has asked Knaven and Team Sky if Knaven had renal damage at the 1998 Tour de France. They have not answered. Parisotto was lead researcher on the pioneering EPO tests, first implemented at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. These tests have morphed into the athlete biological passport and since been adopted by a number of international sporting bodies. Parisotto also currently sits on the biological passport panel of cycling’s world governing body, the UCI. In 1998, Knaven signed a police statement saying he did not contest the EPO finding, but said he did not know why it was so low. He told police he believed it may have been due to ‘great exertion’. Parisotto says: ‘I don’t think that “great exertion” is a plausible explanation for such a low EPO level.’ FRENCH COURT DOCUMENTSNo 1:  This is an extract from the court expert’s summary, specifically in relation to Knaven’s blood and his EPO level, saying in her opinion this was a result of the ‘feedback’ phenomenon where the body is now producing such low levels of EPO as it had recently stopped taking artificial EPO. It finishes by saying: ‘Conclusion: Took exogenous EPO.’ No 2: An extract from the official court summary of the case showing expert witness BRESSOLLE had concluded EPO use by four of the TVM riders, from blood samples. Knaven was one of those four. Ouchakov, Blijelevens and Voskamps were the others. No 3: A summary of an interview, quoting Knaven’s own words, following a police interview on 3 Dec 1998, signed by Servais Knaven to show it is an authentic and accurate representation of what he had said in that interview. He says: ‘I do not dispute this rate [of 0.7]. On the other hand, if this rate is so low, it can result from lots of things other than stopping taking EPO. At least that is what I’ve heard from lawyers and doctors. I believe these people all the more because I’ve never taken EPO. ‘For my part, although I am not a doctor, I think that this perhaps comes from the fact this is due to an earlier great effort.’ No 4: The vital readings that Mrs Bressolle found in Knaven’s blood. The key figure here is the EPO reading in the body: 0.7. This was an abnormally low reading. Last week we revealed that The Mail on Sunday had unearthed a collection of documents, never published or reported before, containing detail about the involvement of Servais Knaven, Team Sky’s Sporting Director, in one of cycling’s major doping scandals. Last week’s revelations came after months of in-depth investigations. When we passed our findings to Team SKY, they refused to act. Most major cycling teams, including Team Sky, have employed former dopers in the past three years - either as riders, coaches, doctors or all three, and there is no rule against this, but Team Sky have a ‘zero tolerance’ (ZT) policy, meaning that if past doping comes to light, that person must leave. Several Team Sky staff have left after confessions since 2012, but not Knaven. Question 1 . The world’s leading blood expert on EPO, Robin Parisotto, has examined the paperwork from Reims. Parisotto invented the first blood tests to detect EPO and sits on the biological passport panel of the UCI. He says the testing Francoise Bressolle did on Knaven’s blood remains credible, concluding: ‘The only known causes of such a low EPO level in blood is either due to significant renal damage where the kidneys cannot sustain normal production of natural/endogenous EPO and/or the current and previous administration of recombinant EPO.’ Did Servais Knaven have renal damage at the Tour de France in 1998? If not, what is his own explanation for that EPO reading, which he did not contest as accurate in a signed police statement in 1998? Question 2 . Servais Knaven’s urine from July 28 1998 showed irregular levels of a banned drug, cortisone. In signed contemporaneous statements he said he ‘did not contest’ the presence in his samples of numerous substances, cortisone included. His explanation was he didn’t know how they got there. Would Team Sky today, with a zero-tolerance policy, accept the rider’s explanation ‘I don’t know how it got there’ as a valid defence? Question 3 . Who are the three ‘independent world-class’ experts cited in Team Sky’s statement of March 7 who say the court documents are no proof of doping? Question 4 . The evidence provided last week by the MoS, and studied by these experts, was accepted as valid in a criminal court case where three defendants were given prison sentences in verdicts, never appealed. On what specific, scientific basis did these three experts reject this evidence? Question 5 . Dave Brailsford said on The Telegraph’s cycling podcast last week that the experts, paid by Team Sky, did not know Servais Knaven’s name when analysing the papers. Is it true the experts didn’t know the papers related to Knaven? (His name appears across the papers) If so, why not? Question 6 . Knaven explicitly told police in 1998 he had no medical conditions requiring treatment with prescription drugs, yet admitted use of one prescription drug, Persantin — a blood thinner — and tested positive for another, Naftidrofuryl. The latter is used by heart patients. Knaven said in 1998 he’d never heard of it, but now admits he used it. Why the apparent contradictions? Question 7 . Team Sky say they were unaware until last week of the contents of the police statements relating to Servais Knaven from 1998 and of various findings during that Tour, including products in his room and system. You now know about the court documents in Reims. Will you go to review them? Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.

The Mail on Sunday revealed French court documents show an expert at a 2001 criminal trial found Dutch rider, Servais Knaven, took artificial EPO . Knaven has been held the role of ‘directeur sportif’ at Team Sky since 2011 . His employment comes in spite of Team Sky's 'zero tolerance' policy . Team Sky's unnamed experts exonerated Knaven of any wrongdoing . EPO expert Robin Parisotto  told the MoS: ‘The only known causes of such a low EPO level in blood [0.7] is either due to significant renal damage ... or the current and previous administration of recombinant [banned] EPO’ Team Sky said the new medical opinion doesn't change their position on Knaven, who maintains his innocence and is a valued member of Team Sky .

ing allegations against two-time Tour de France winner Alberto Contador and former team-mate and teammate Chris Horner.
Cyclist Alberto Contador of Spain rides during stage six of the Tour de France cycling race between Pau and Peyragudes, in Hautes-Pyrenees. Contador has been accused by a former teammate of doping during their 2010 Tour de France winning team RadioShack, but he has strongly denied the charges. He has been banned for two years and may never return to racing. (AP)
A report by former New Zealand sports scientist Pat McQuaid found the presence of EPO in the urine of Contador in the 2010 Tour “unlikely” because his levels were so low. But in a study published this month in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Medicine, Spanish research team leader Antonio Vergara claims that Contador’s urine test results make “absolutely no sense” without a doping explanation, and that they can be explained “only if it is assumed that he was on a low-dose, long-term doping program for about 5 years.”
“This study shows that the results do not make sense without explaining by doping as no other explanation allows the values obtained,” Vergara told Sports Integrity.
Vergara, who is based in the Asturias region of northern Spain, leads an international sports-doping research team that includes former Tour de France doctor Don Catlin and German physiologist and chemist, Harald Mokros. Catlin is considered the world’s leading expert on EPO. He was the first to develop and market a test capable of detecting doping with EPO on an ongoing basis and his test is still in use today by the anti-doping community.
According to Vergara, “this study was requested after McQuaid’s report and our work is not related to it in any way.” He said his findings were in no way aimed at undermining McQuaid’s investigation. Rather, the study was an “explainability analysis,” and that “in reality, we do not claim that EPO doping is impossible, we just show that it is implausible in this case.”
This case is the stuff of cycling legend. During the Tour, Contador was caught up in a battle with Frenchman Lance Armstrong. The American had already been stripped of three of his seven Tour victories. But Contador


A Victorian book detailing plans to build a railway in Burma that was found in the personal library of Eric Lomax, the Scots army officer who became known as the Railway Man, is being sold along with photographs of West Africa's Gold Coast Railway being constructed. The book is an account of a survey carried out to assess the feasibility of laying tracks from China to Rangoon in 1888 - 54 years before Mr Lomax was forced to work on the Death Railway in Burma. It was found in his library along with hundreds of black-and-white photos and postcards showing the construction of the Gold Coast Railway in West Africa, which Mr Lomax worked on later in his life. Mr Lomax was one of 60,000 Allied prisoners-of-war made to build the Burma Railway under horrific conditions and his autobiography about his own ordeal was turned into the 2013 film The Railway Man, starring Colin Firth. This is one of dozens of images found in the personal collection of Eric Lomax that is being auctioned off. It's one of several photographs celebrating the opening of the first 26 miles of the Eastern Division of the Gold Coast Railway in Africa in 1910 and shows dignitaries aboard the train . The snaps had been lovingly compiled into two albums by war veteran Mr Lomax, a huge railway enthusiast who spent his life collecting books, documents and photos . Fascinating: One of the maps in Mr Lomax's collection that's from a Victorian book that details plans to build a railway in Burma . The book is an account of a survey carried out into the possibility of laying tracks from China to Rangoon in 1888 - 54 years before Mr Lomax was forced to work on the Death Railway in Burma . Mr Lomax worked on the Burma Railway under horrific conditions and his autobiography about the ordeal was turned into the 2013 film The Railway Man, starring Colin Firth. This book predates his time there by 54 years . Since his death in 2012, his widow Patti - played by Nicole Kidman in the critically-acclaimed movie - has been sorting out his library at their home in Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland. The snaps had been lovingly compiled into two albums by war veteran Mr Lomax, a huge railway enthusiast who spent his life collecting books, documents and photos. They show British engineers overseeing the construction of the Gold Coast Railway in the early 20th century. After his brutal ordeal as a Japanese PoW, Mr Lomax struggled to adjust to civilian life and joined the Colonial Service, which administered most of Britain's overseas possessions. He was posted to the Gold Coast where he helped to build a huge dam across the Volta river and oversaw the construction of a 600 mile, 3ft 6in gauge railway. The photos, postcards and the book, Railway Connexion of Burmah and China, are now being sold by his family at auction in London. Henry Baggot, of auctioneers Bonhams, said: 'This book and the albums of photographs were left over from Eric Lomax's own library and they are now being sold by his family. 'The book is quite poignant when you consider what happed to him in the Second World War. 'When he came back from the Far East to the UK Mr Lomax struggled to settle down to a normal life again so he joined the Colonial Service and he was posted to the Gold Coast. 'Being the railway enthusiast that he was, he picked these photos and postcards up during his time there.' The first album contains 101 photos celebrating the opening of the first 26 miles of the Eastern Division of the Gold Coast Railway in 1910 and shows dignitaries aboard the train. The second is made up of 450 photos of the East, Central and West Divisions and shows surveying in the jungle, tree felling, construction of bridges, culverts and railway buildings. The rare copy of the book written by Archibald Colquhourn and Holt Hallett explores the possibility of building a railway between Rangoon, Burma, and south western China. Mr Lomax was posted to the Gold Coast where he helped to build a huge dam across the Volta river and oversaw the construction of a 600 mile, 3ft 6in gauge railway. This picture predates this project and is one of 450 that shows surveying in the jungle, tree felling, and construction of bridges, culverts and buildings in the East, Central and West Divisions of the African railway . The photographs and books were found in Mr Lomax's study and provide a fascinating insight into Colonial engineering . This picture shows dozens of men in Africa building a line through the jungle some time in the early 20th century . The latest sale of photo albums and the copy of the Railway Connexion of Burmah and China are said to be worth £900 and are being sold on March 18 . The work on the railway started in 1938 and was abandoned and never resumed due to the Japanese Army advancement in the Far East in the Second World War. The British had also looked into building a railway between Burma and Thailand but the route of the line - through hilly jungle terrain divided by many rivers – was considered too dangerous and difficult to undertake. Nonetheless, after the Japanese invaded Burma in 1942, they used forced labour involving nearly 200,000 Asian civilians and 60,000 Allied PoWs to work on building the railway. Of these, about 90,000 civilians and 12,600 PoWs died from disease, malnutrition and beatings. Last year Patti Lomax sold at auction an extensive collection of books relating to military history and the railways in the Far East which her late husband used for research on his autobiography. The latest sale of photo albums and the copy of the Railway Connexion of Burmah and China are said to be worth £900 and are being sold on March 18. Eric Lomax with his wife Patti. Mr Lomax died in 2012 and since his death Patti has been sorting out his belongings at their home in in Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland . Colin Firth played Mr Lomax in the 2013 film The Railway Man. It also starred Nicole Kidman (right)

Book detailing plans to build a railway in Burma found in the personal library of Eric Lomax is being auctioned . Mr Lomax was the Scots Second World War army officer who became known as The Railway Man . The 1888 book is an account of a survey carried out to assess the feasibility of laying tracks from China to Rangoon . Mr Lomax worked on the line under duress as a Japanese prisoner of war along with thousands of others . Hundreds of photographs of a railway being built on Africa's west coast are also up for sale .

 and other railway memorabilia.
The archive also contains a first edition of the railway pioneer George Stephenson's Autobiography, an 1860 edition of Charles Babbage's The Difference Engine, photographs of Queen Victoria's funeral cortege and a letter from Alfred, Lord Tennyson to his daughter Frances expressing disappointment that she had failed to visit him on the day of his wedding.
Lomax's book, the original manuscript of his wartime autobiography which describes a railway link built between 1904 and 1915 to connect Burma with India, is expected to fetch £4,000-£6,000 at the auction. The memoirs tell how after being captured by Japanese forces in Burma, Lomax was forced on to a prisoner of war train bound for the Yunnan-Burma Railway, later known as the Death Railway. Lomax, who was severely beaten and tortured by the Japanese, eventually reached Thailand after surviving years in the jungle.
The book, which was donated to the Royal Mail by Lomax himself, will be up for sale at Dix Noonan Webb's Books, Manuscripts and Ephemera sale on December 16. It is one of several original wartime documents to be auctioned.
Also expected to attract interest is a photograph of the first engine to cross the first section of the Trans-African Railway built by German colonialists and the British South Africa Company in 1896, at a cost of £250,000.
The 8in x 10in "colour" photograph - described in Dix Noonan Webb catalogues as the original sepia copy - depicts a number of soldiers and local people standing on the platform of the Chambwe Railway Station, in eastern Rhodesia. The original sepia photograph is said to have been bought in London in the early 1980s and the copy from the archive of the Chambwe Railway Station Museum in Zimbabwe.
The book, The Black Man, White Train, also expected to fetch £1,000, is said to be the first publication on the railway built by the British, who were competing for the right to build the route between the north and south of Africa.
A photograph of the train crossing the "Bridge of Death" was also made a century ago by Frank Hurley, a pioneer Australian photographer and film maker who was working for the British South Africa Company.
The black-and-white photograph shows men and children standing on the railway bridge


A gang enforcer convicted of beating and strangling a San Antonio woman who refused to pay a Mexican Mafia-imposed tax on her illegal drug sales is set to be executed this week. The lethal injection of Manuel Vasquez on Wednesday evening would leave Texas prison officials in the nation's most active death penalty state with enough pentobarbital to carry out only one more execution until they are able to obtain a new supply. At least six executions are scheduled in the coming weeks in Texas, where prison officials — like in other death penalty states — have struggled to find providers for drugs for executions. Vasquez, 46, had no appeals in the courts Tuesday and the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles rejected a clemency petition filed on his behalf in a 7-0 vote. Gang enforcer Manuel Vasquez, 46, is scheduled for execution on Wednesday for the ordered murder of a San Antonio woman who ignored a 10 per cent street tax on drugs known as a 'dime' Evidence at Vasquez's 1999 capital murder trial showed he and two other men were carrying out orders to kill 51-year-old Juanita Ybarra for ignoring the Mexican Mafia's 10 per cent street tax on drugs — known as a 'dime.' After a night of drinking and drugs at a run-down San Antonio motel, Vasquez and two companions barged into the nearby room of Ybarra and her boyfriend, Moses Bazan, early on March 19, 1998, according to evidence presented at his trial. Bazan was knocked out in an ensuing struggle but said he saw Ybarra being beaten, heard Vasquez holler that she was biting him and saw Vasquez using a telephone cord to strangle Ybarra. The attackers grabbed valuables like cameras and jewelry, stuffed them into a pillowcase and fled. When Bazan regained consciousness, he stumbled to the motel office to summon police. He was able to identify at least one of the attackers, leading to the arrest of all three. One of them, Johnny Joe Cruz, took a plea deal that carried a seven-year sentence and testified against Vasquez. The third man charged, Oligario Lujan, is serving a 35-year prison term. Court records show the three were carrying out orders from Mexican Mafia boss Rene Munoz, who spent years on the Texas Department of Public Safety's 10 Most Wanted List until his arrest in 2012. Joel Perez, Vasquez's lead trial lawyer, recalled last week that the motive for the slaying was 'very detrimental'. 'We have the Texas Mexican Mafia, and anyone selling drugs they collect a dime - 10 percent,' he said. 'And the motive in this case was she wasn't paying.' The lethal injection of Manuel Vasquez on Wednesday evening at Huntsville prison in Texas would leave T officials in the nation's most active death penalty state with enough pentobarbital to carry out only one more execution until they are able to obtain a new supply . Detectives also found the blood of the victims and Vasquez's blood on clothing left in the trunk of a car he used. 'It put him at the scene when he denied being around there,' Mary Green, an assistant Bexar County district attorney who prosecuted Vasquez, said. 'I recall he was an extremely violent individual. In the punishment phase we proved up two other homicides he'd been involved with.' Vasquez had a lengthy record and had been in and out of prison at least twice. One conviction involved the beating of a man who died after his body was set on fire. Records also show Vasquez' father is serving a life sentence for a 1976 murder, and a brother and cousins are or have been in prison.

Manuel Vasquez, 46, is set for lethal injection on Wednesday evening for carrying out orders to kill 51-year-old Juanita Ybarra in San Antonio, Texas . Ybarra ignored the Mexican Mafia's 10 per cent street tax on drugs - known as a 'dime'

 with only one active death row inmate.
That inmate, Kenneth Foster, will be the one to watch this week in Houston. His execution is scheduled for Wednesday. Foster, a white supremacist, was the mastermind behind a racist conspiracy that resulted in the deaths of two black men. He was convicted and sentenced to death in 1998.
Vasquez was convicted of the 1995 beating and strangling death of a 23-year-old woman who refused to pay $500 monthly on her drug sales, according to the San Antonio Express-News. An earlier murder charge was dropped in a plea deal.
His last victim was a young woman, with whom he had an affair, whom he beat to death because she refused to pay money to him for drugs. Vasquez was also convicted of fatally beating a 41-year-old woman and conspiring to kill another person.
"There's no good excuse I can come up with for the things that happened," he told the Texas Tribune last week.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton also expressed remorse for Vasquez's actions, but still sees the need for capital punishment to "protect society and deter others from committing the same crimes."
"As a citizen of Texas, I am troubled by Mr. Vasquez's heinous crimes," Paxton said. "However, as Attorney General, it is my duty to see to it that the death penalty is applied properly in the pursuit of justice."
State-level capital punishment has been on the decline in recent years. Just four states — Texas, Louisiana, Missouri and Georgia — have accounted for 76% of executions between 1977 and 2017, according to a recent report from the Death Penalty Information Center, an anti-death penalty group.
"The death penalty no longer has the support of majorities or broad coalitions of Americans and the last 4 [or] 5 years or so that has become particularly true," said Robert Dunham, executive director for the Death Penalty Information Center.
In addition to Foster, Texas is also scheduled to execute Michael Scott Wood on Thursday. Wood was convicted and sentenced to death in 1994 for the rape-murder of a teenage girl. And it is expected to execute Joseph Garcia on Thursday after he was convicted and sentenced to death for the 1997 murder of a fellow inmate at the state penitentiary in Huntsville.
"As is always the


The internet has reacted in typical fashion to today's double blow that Zayn Malik is quitting One Direction and Jeremy Clarkson has been sacked - by suggesting the 54-year-old job seeker becomes the boy band's fifth member. Dozens of hilarious memes have been spread across social media showing the group posing together with Zayn replaced by the petrol head in an array of publicity and performance shots. Mostly consisting of Clarkson's head photoshopped onto Zayn's body, other images include Clarkson with his arms draped across his fellow band members' shoulders, or performing on stage alongside Harry Styles. Scroll down for video . A promotional poster for the band's On the Road Again tour was edited to include Clarkson being part of the line-up . The internet memes showed the boy band with its fifth member being recently-sacked Clarkson (centre). Here he is pictured wearing Zayn's shirt and braces . Another image showed the group wearing suits, with Clarkson donning a dark brown jacket . Clarkson, wearing a white long-sleeve shirt, poses alongside the band members in another hilarious photoshopped image . It follows this afternoon's announcement that Zayn, 22, would be quitting the group a week after he was pictured holding hands with a blonde Essex girl during the group's tour in Thailand. After five years with the band, the singer has bowed out, leaving Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson to continue as a four-piece. Just hours previously, Lord Hall, the Director General of the BBC, had announced Clarkson was sacked after the corporation's internal investigation found he had punched producer Oisin Tymon with such force Tymon had to go to A&E. The corporation's internal investigation concluded the star, 54, launched an 'unprovoked' 30-second physical attack on Tymon because he was offered a plate of cold cuts instead of steak and chips. However, with Clarkson now looking for work and One Direction appearing to have a vacancy, sharp witted Twitter users quickly created a series of memes in a light hearted attempt to solve both problems. In announcing his decision to quit the group, Zayn said: 'My life with One Direction has been more than I could ever have imagined. 'But, after five years, I feel like it is now the right time for me to leave the band. I'd like to apologise to the fans if I've let anyone down, but I have to do what feels right in my heart.' The Department for Work and Pensions also tweeted about the news, offering Zayn some job seeking tips . Lidl stores slashed the price of their One Direction Easter eggs by one fifth - 20p - after Zayn announced he was quitting the band . Jeremy Clarkson, wearing Zayn's clothes, poses with his band mates in this photoshopped image . In this meme, Zayn replaces Clarkson as the host of Top Gear alongside James May and Richard Hammond . Zayn, wearing Clarkson's clothes, poses beside Hammond and May in another internet meme that plays on the fact Clarkson was today sacked just hours before Zayn quit One Direction . He continued: 'I am leaving because I want to be a normal 22 year old who is able to relax and have some private time out of the spotlight. 'I know I have four friends for life in Louis, Liam, Harry and Niall. I know they will continue to be the best band in the world.' The Best Song Ever hitmakers will record their fifth album in Zayn's absence and will continue with the remaining dates on the band's forthcoming world tour. Meanwhile, the BBC found Clarkson spent 20 minutes verbally abusing producer Tymon in a luxury North Yorkshire hotel before launching a 30-second physical assault that led to another member of staff dragging him away. Mr Tymon said today after the sacking: 'He is a unique talent and I am well aware that many will be sorry his involvement in the show should end in this way'. Another picture shows Clarkson performing on stage, with Harry Styles pictured to his immediate left . The BBC today sacked Jeremy Clarkson, leading to the creation of internet memes suggesting he join One Direction. Here he is photoshopped far left into a picture of the group .

Internet memes show Clarkson posing as the boy band's fifth member . The hilarious images were created in the wake of Zayn's decision to quit . His shock announcement came just hours after Clarkson given the sack . He was sacked after a BBC investigation found he hit a Top Gear producer . Zayn today declared he was quitting One Direction to live a 'normal' life . Harry, Louis, Liam and Niall will continue as a four-piece in his absence .

 new manager.
The former Top Gear presenter's name has been linked to both the 1D gig and the One Direction movie (a feature film adaptation of their life story is currently in the works) over the last few days.
And it's not like it's an idle suggestion - Clarkson has a long history of being behind bands, having also been linked with the vacant place at the Rolling Stones after Mick Jagger fired original bassist Bill Wyman and guitarist Mick Taylor in 1974 (he's since been replaced by Ronnie Wood).
Clarkson has also been suggested as a replacement for the departed Tom Jones after a long, long line of contenders.
And in case you thought Clarkson could manage One Direction after that, the internet has also had a theory about where he might end up if he did take the top job.
The Zayn Malik theory
The internet is still reeling from Zayn Malik quitting One Direction - but instead of feeling heartbroken, the web is in fine form, suggesting who might be a good replacement manager for the 1D boys.
Most of the options come with a healthy dose of speculation - you know, the kind of stuff that usually never happens in the real world - but we'd like to think that the most likely choices do have at least some grounding in fact, if not some genuine connection to the world of One Direction.
1. Jeremy Clarkson
The Top Gear presenter is no stranger to One Direction, or reality TV in general - he's been on both the US version of The Apprentice and a short-lived game show called The Amazing Race UK, which featured members of the 1D gang.
Of course, that was long before Clarkson's more recent stint as host of the UK version of Top Gear, and there's some speculation that the TV presenter hasn't always seen eye-to-eye with the boys (Clarkson has previously described Louis Tomlinson as the band's "fat one"). But Zayn has reportedly been desperate to ditch the show and the job - could Clarkson convince him to come and manage their career on a permanent basis?
2. Harry Potter's David Bradley
Potter actor David Bradley is no stranger to playing managers of a rock band, having played Slughorn in the last three Harry Potter movies. And his appearance in the films has made him even more famous, meaning he


Searchers have confirmed one of the victims killed in the East Village explosion was missing male model Nicholas Figueroa. The 23-year-old was settling the check at the sushi restaurant after a second date with his Bowlmor Lanes colleague when the building erupted. He was one of two people, alongside 26-year-old busboy Moises Ismael Locón Yac, delcared missing after the blast. Officials have yet to identify the second body pulled from the debris on Sunday. Scroll down for video . Tragic: Investigators have confirmed one of the victims killed in the blast was male model Nicholas Figueroa . Missing: Moises Ismael Locón Yac (left) and Figueroa (right) were declared missing after the explosion. It is believed the two were standing together inside the building when the building erupted . Figueroa's family endured an agonizing wait for information on Thursday after searching every hospital in the city. His date, 22-year-old Theresa Galarza, was pictured at the scene being fitted with a neck brace after she was reportedly hurled across the street by the force of the suspected gas explosion. She was later admitted to Bellevue Hospital with a broken nose and punctured lung. Firefighters roll a stretcher into the devastation area on Second Avenue  following the discovery of a second body buried in the rubble of the East Village explosion . Debris from the scene of the explosion is removed before being taken to a secure location for examination . The medical examiner and Crime Scene Unit were also at the site of the disaster which has killed two people and injured 25 others . Firefighters look out of the windows of damaged buildings during as the search for  people missing in the disaster continued . Rubble is removed from the scene of apparent gas explosion on Sunday  three days after the disaster in the East Village neighborhood of New York . Initial reports suggest the Figueroa and Locón, a delivery boy for the restaurant on Second Avenue, may have been standing next to each other at the time of the explosion and may have been blown upward toward the restaurant's cellar - causing them to be buried in the rubble. Locón's family also rushed to the scene and scoured local hospitals after hearing news of the blast, CBS reports. His older brother, Alfredo, told CBS on Friday that he is devastated about Locón's disappearance. Meanwhile, some debris from the explosion and fire is being taken to a secure site where it will be examined again for any human remains. Debris from the explosion and fire is being taken to a secure site where it will be examined again for any human remains . Explosion: Theresa Galarza, 22,  was with Figueroa in the restaurant when the blast occurred, she was propelled to the other side of Second Avenue . Missin Person: After the fire on Second Avenue destroyed the three buildings, two men were declared missing - Figueroa (left) and Locón (right), both in their twenties . Found: Searchers found a body Sunday in the rubble from Thursday's massive fire in East Village, the identity of the body is unknown . An official with knowledge of the operation told The Associated Press of the plans. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the operation is ongoing. Emergency workers have been looking through the rubble for signs of the two men who have been missing since Thursday's blast. The explosion and subsequent fire leveled three buildings. The official says upper layers of debris have already been removed and workers have reached the basement level. One of the buildings contained the restaurant where the missing men are believed to have been at the time, Sushi Park. Workers are examining debris onsite before it is removed to the secure location. Looking: Emergency workers have been looking through the rubble for signs of the two men who have been missing since Thursday's blast, the explosion and subsequent fire leveled three buildings . Authorities and the men's families have been searching for the men tirelessly. Police have been using search dogs in the recovery efforts. Robert Boyce, the department's chief of detectives, told the Times that police received initial reports of about 42 people who might be missing. However, police concluded that only Locón and Figueroa were known to have been in the building during the explosion. Four of the 22 people injured remain in critical condition. Eighteen of the 22 suffered non-life threatening injuries. Workers from Con Edison reportedly visited the building (121) for about 45 minutes, the Times reports. After the workers left, the owner of the sushi bar reported smelling gas to the building's owner. The explosion occurred 15 minutes later as workers went to look in the basement. Debris Already Removed: The official says upper layers of debris have already been removed and workers have reached the basement level . Access: During a press conference, Mayor Bill de Blasio said there is a possibility that a gas line in the restaurant's basement was 'inappropriately accessed internally by people in the building . The investigation into the explosion's cause is ongoing, and the focus is on the plumbing and gas work being done at Sushi Park -- public records show no current work permit on file for plumbing work to be done at the location. During a press conference, Mayor Bill de Blasio said there is a possibility that a gas line in the restaurant's basement was 'inappropriately accessed internally by people in the building,' NBC reports. Authorities are investigating whether the explosion was the result of a gas theft scheme, according to NBC. Though no one was charged with any wrongdoing at the time -- as it was being treated as a safety violation by inspectors -- investigators are trying to determine if a similar gas-theft scheme will take place.

Searchers found two bodies Sunday in the rubble from Thursday's  fire . Two men have been missing since Thursday's explosion: Nicholas Figueroa and Moises Ismael Locón Yac . NYPD has confirmed Figueroa as one of the victims . Debris from the explosion and fire is being taken to a secure site where it will be examined again for any human remains .

, when the building went up in flames.
It’s also reported that the second Bowlmor employee was identified as the male model who suffered fatal injuries after his friend ‘took too long’ on the date.
The New York Daily News reports:
A male model who vanished on a second date with his Bowlmor Lanes co-worker was identified yesterday by a pal as one of the two people who died in the massive East Village building explosion.
“I don’t know how many people died, but he was one,” said a broken-hearted Michael Cilento, 30.
The friend was killed, and Cilento suffered serious injuries in the blast that tore apart the building at 13th Street and University Place.
Michael said he met Nicholas about two months ago at a bowling match and the two quickly hit it off. He said they were scheduled to go bowling at their work on Thursday night before they dined at a Thai restaurant a few blocks from the building.
Cilento said he dropped off Nicholas at the bar, then waited outside for about 10 minutes. When the date went too long, the model came outside and said: “He took too long.”
He then got in a cab with a girl who he said appeared “uncomfortable” and the driver began taking him elsewhere.
“He had a plan,” said Cilento.
The driver then made a U-turn and the cabbie started racing back toward the restaurant.
Cilento said he heard a roar of flames erupt from the front of the building and watched people emerge in flames.
“I could see the glow. The flames came up over the top of the building, then I could see the flames from the front. I saw one guy run out. There was a guy who I thought was my friend, but I don’t know.”
Cilento added that he couldn’t find anyone else he recognized. He said there was a woman he’d seen before but didn’t recall who she was. Cilento also said he couldn’t find the restaurant’s other employees.
But he said there was one person he had seen who didn’t come out: the man he was there to meet, Nicholas.
“I think I’ll die if I don’t find Nicholas. He’s the only person I can think about right now.
Michael also said he has no idea if the date was the one who


Numerous coffees have been shared between Jamie Roberts and Johnny Sexton in the cafes of Paris but all cordialities will be pushed aside when Wales take on Ireland this weekend. Roberts describes Sexton, the Ireland No 10 and his Racing Metro team-mate, as an ‘angry man’ who has become one of the world’s finest players under the tutorship of Ronan O’Gara. Wales will be keeping close tabs on the fly-half on Saturday and Roberts is planning to use his inside knowledge to minimise the 29-year-old’s impact at the Millennium Stadium. Racing Metro's Jamie Roberts is adamant Wales can nullify the threat of club team-mate Johnny Sexton . ‘We are good mates in Paris and he’s a guy who demands high standards,’ said Roberts. ‘He’s an angry man. The first time I played with him — I remember it well — was on the Lions tour and he was shouting his head off at me and barking orders. It took me by surprise a bit. ‘He’s a bloody good player and a very clever thinker about the game. He’s got Ronan O’Gara as his mentor in Paris who is passing on a lot of information and helping him develop into a wonderful player. ‘He is the commander-in-chief of the Ireland team and a guy we need to stay one step ahead of.’ Ireland's Johnny Sexton has won his battle to be fit to face Wales in the RBS Six Nations on Saturday . Few have attracted such far-flung praise during this year’s RBS Six Nations as Sexton, who has overcome a hamstring injury and is expected to be named in Ireland’s starting XV at today’s team announcement. The Leinsterman has an all-round repertoire but his kicking has been particularly important within the gameplan of Ireland coach Joe Schmidt. Off the back of a dominant breakdown, Sexton was able to pin back England last week with his accurate footballing skills. It was aperfectly executed strategy and an afternoon that enhanced Schmidt’s reputation as one of the game’s most thorough tacticians. Ireland often rely on their choke-tackle routine in defence but the Kiwi coach neglected it against England to avoid scrummaging against a powerful pack. It could return on Saturday and Roberts is prepared for more tactical twists in Cardiff. Sexton was in fine form to inspire Ireland to a 19-9 win over England in Dublin last time out . ‘They are happy to put bombs up in our 22 if they have to,’ said Roberts. ‘They always come up with a trick or two, so we have to be prepared for that. You’ve seen them have a two- or three-phase set play where they bring their full back near a ruck after phase three or something like that. ‘There is usually a trick in there. Joe Schmidt is a clever coach; he is a guy who obviously thinks about the game a lot.’ Throughout the week, Warren Gatland and his Wales coaching staff have emphasised the importance of playing their own game. That means providing front-foot ball for strike-runners, rather than being kicked into submission by a disciplined Irish set-up. With Sexton’s accuracy from the kicking tee, Gatland must also ensure his players keep their penalty count to a minimum, having seen his side concede 37 in the opening rounds. ‘It’s who blinks first but it’s also who dares wins,’ said Roberts. ‘These big games are like chess and you try to work each other out in the opening exchanges. They are very clever defensively. They pick and choose their rucks. We have got to be very clever in that respect. Wales coach Warren Gatland, at training on Wednesday, is adamant his side must play their own game . ‘The contact area is more important than it ever has been and so is the referee’s interpretation. You watch Ireland’s games against France and England and both sides have given them easy outs from their half with cheap penalties, which gave them a strong foothold in opposition territory.’ Wales are not underestimating their opponents and there have been no verbal barbs from Gatland. He is hoping to reverse a worrying trend in Cardiff, where the Irish have lost only twice in 32 years, with retired back-row Alan Quinlan yesterday writing in his column that ‘Wales don’t scare us like France and England’. ‘That Celtic love and hate is quite evident,’ said Roberts. ‘There is always that edge to it. Looking back on a personal note there have been more lows than highs against them and that’s something I am quite keen to rectify. ‘I’ll never forget watching Ireland win the Grand Slam in our stadium in 2009. That is one of those moments that motivates you I suppose. It’s something you never want to happen again.’

Ireland are still on course for a Six Nations Grand Slam . Wales host the reigning champions in Cardiff on Saturday . Racing Metro team-mates Johnny Sexton and Jamie Roberts will meet . Sexton has overcome a hamstring injury and is expected to start .

-mate, as a “great competitor”, a sentiment the Ireland captain, Conor Murray, returned. The Irish were under-performing early in Murray’s five-year tenure but have since climbed the world rankings to second.
“Our game has come on a lot over that time,” Murray said. “The guys have come together and it’s just great to get that consistency now.”
Murray’s form this season, during which he has scored nine tries in 11 games for Ireland and five tries in five Heineken Cup matches, is a key element to what has put the team in a strong position ahead of the final round of RBS 6 Nations games this weekend. But there are several other important factors, not least of all the absence of Jonathan Sexton. The Ireland fly-half has returned to Leinster this week after being ruled out for at least three weeks due to a knee injury suffered in a win over Glasgow on Saturday.
“It’s not good news,” said Murray. “We’re obviously disappointed because Johnny’s a top player. But we’ve seen that with Johnny being out [that] it’s only made the team work better and it’s great for Leinster. A great opportunity for someone else.”
Murray does not think that a repeat of their 28-6 victory in Dublin three weeks ago is likely, however. The scrum-half has been one of Ireland’s stand-out performers in the tournament so far. He is now into the second half of a try-scoring run which has taken him to 18 tries in the tournament. The former Munster playmaker did not manage more than two in any of his first 13 Ireland games but, having arrived from the red-hot Racing Metro in October 2014, he has flourished.
“It’s been a great boost for us. We’ve got a great environment here,” he said. “It is the same squad of players and you want your team to go forward. I’ve been coming off with a smile in the past week.”
While Sexton’s absence in Twickenham may prove to be a positive for Ireland, it could be a negative for Wales’s bid to remain in the Six Nations. They beat England 25-20 at the Principality Stadium last month and sit level on points with France at the top of the table, but their three defeats this season mean that they


To begin with, Mark Cavendish seems like he might rank among the more challenging interviewees. He anticipates questions before they’ve been asked, refuses to give an answer to some and offers monosyllabic responses to others. He curses when he talks about the doping scandals in his sport and complains that the newspapers only cover such stories in cycling. Has he not read the recent coverage of similar scandals in athletics and rugby? With a wry smile, he accepts that he hasn’t. British cyclist Mark Cavendish, pictured with Lee Matthews, insists he has plenty more to give . Help for Heroes patron Cavendish is confident he's not past his best following his 11 wins in 2014 . Cavendish believes he doesn't get the media coverage he deserves because he no longer rides for Team Sky . It might be that we’ve got off on the wrong foot. We meet in the bar of a hotel in Windsor and I congratulate him on his victory in Belgium the previous day. I remark that he’s had a ‘couple’ of good wins already this season. ‘I’ve had six,’ he responds a little tersely. But this is what makes him interesting beyond his brilliance at the business end of professional bike racing, beyond the explosive drama of a peloton hurtling towards the finish line at 40-odd mph. He has long proved himself a master racer with his sharp bike skills and that explosive turn of pace. But Cavendish has a sharp mind, too. It makes interviewing him something of a contest but an experience that is utterly fascinating. When he talks about the support he provides our injured servicemen and women as a patron for Help for Heroes, there is genuine emotion. He takes a swipe at ‘the government’ for not doing enough for these ‘amazing people’. He can relate to the ‘team mentality’ that develops among soldiers. ‘It’s more than a job,’ he says. ‘It’s a family. As a sportsman I get that.’ There are moments when he displays the intensity of a Roy Keane, occasionally communicating his objection to a question by simply staring back at you. But here’s a sportsman who is also not afraid to express an opinion and by the end of our chat he has shared quite a few. Cavendish left Team Sky because he thought the focus was on Sir Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome . Cavendish felt Froome (left) and Wiggins (right) received preferential treatment during his time at Team Sky . ‘People think I’m past it,’ he says, unprompted. At 29, is he? ‘No,’ he says. There is a pause. He has clearly decided he has nothing further to say on the subject even if it is one that irks him. But I ask if it’s something he can prove to himself with facts and figures. Cycling is pretty scientific these days, after all. ‘I measure it by wins,’ he says. ‘I had 11 wins last year, which is more than any other British rider. But because I ride for a team that’s not supported by a media giant I don’t really get the coverage other riders enjoy.’ He is having a dig at Team Sky here, the ‘British’ team he represented for a year but left when he realised the focus was more on Sir Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome and winning the grand tours than on delivering him to the front of the peloton to win stages. As the finest pure bike racer in the world at that time — he was the Manx Missile L’Equipe had voted the greatest sprinter in the history of the Tour de France — his frustration was understandable. But the truth is last year was not as successful as previous seasons. At least not in the eyes of cycling fans who measure Cavendish by his grand tour stage victories. He crashed out of the Tour de France in that opening-day sprint into Harrogate and appeared to have been superseded by the giant German, Marcel Kittel, as the main man in a tarmac tear-up. The 29-year-old believes he will reach his peak during his 30s and is confident he is now at the right team . A significantly larger man than Cavendish — 6ft 2in plays 5ft 9in — Kittel is a powerhouse. But Cavendish makes the point that his best is yet to come because ‘sprinters often peak in their 30s’ and also says ‘it’s not simply about pure power’. ‘It’s not as scientific as you think,’ he says. ‘I know what weight I have to be.’ Which is what? ‘I know what weight I have to be.’ So he’s pretty confident he’s not past his best? ‘Yeah, I’m pretty confident I’m not past my best,’ he says, repeating the question virtually word for word. I mention his startling victories on the Champs Elysees in 2009 and 2010 — the first two of four successive wins in the final stage of the Tour — and ask him if he remains the same bike racer. ‘I don’t compare myself to then,’ he says. ‘But I’ve won six races by the end of February.’ It’s as simple as that? ‘It’s as simple as the fact that when I first came in, people looked at when I won,’ he says. ‘I’ve won so much now they only report when I lose.’ His take on Kittel is fascinating. He doesn’t refer to him by name and regards it more as a rivalry between teams than individuals. Cavendish, pictured during a race in Lido di Camaiore, has had a successful start to 2015 . ‘My team has had a rival,’ he says. ‘It has taken us three years (at Etixx-Quick Step) to piece a new team together. But now I’m pretty confident I’ve got the strongest lead-out team. He’s had a team that has been built around him for years. I lost a team that had been built around me, when HTC folded. We didn’t build anything at Sky. And it’s taken two, three years at Quick Step but now I believe we’re there. ‘Last year he (Kittel) only won one more race than me and I was out for half the season. Head to head, he’s probably got the better of me most times. But don’t forget the amount of times I’ve been in the final run-in and he’s already been dropped on a climb. ‘He’s supposed to be the best sprinter in the world, the most powerful rider in a sprint, but that doesn’t mean I’ve lost anything. I win bike races.’ Even after all the he success he has enjoyed, the 43 grand tour stage wins, the world titles, Cavendish insists he remains as hungry as ever. And you can tell he is. You can tell he is miffed that people think there’s now somebody better out there, that he’s not the dominant force he once was. That he’s even now under pressure to secure a new contract when his current deal expires at the end of the season. ‘I still enjoy being the best,’ he says. ‘And I don’t just want to be the best I can be. I want to be the best of everyone. And I have another reason to want to be the best: it’s not just about me any more, it’s about my family and I want to be able to give them a good life. ‘But it’s not just a job. It’s still something I love. Cavendish is confident dopers will be kicked out of cycling because 'the system is working' Andre Agassi claimed in his autobiography Open that he did not like tennis despite his success . ‘You know in Andre Agassi’s book, where he says he didn’t like tennis? I’m telling you, he liked tennis. It was the stuff around it he probably got sick of. I understand that. But the core part of it, the thing that I love, is bike racing. I’m not fortunate to be where I am because I made it happen. But I feel lucky to be able to ride my bike for a living.’ He gives his view on the recent drug scandals — it should be pointed out that this interview was conducted before the publication of the CIRC report into the sport’s doping problem — with the same conviction. ‘There are always going to be d***heads,’ he says in reference to the five positives that could result in the Astana team losing its racing licence. ‘There are some guys, if I had a team, I wouldn’t touch. But there’s a lot of innocent people who are going to suffer now. ‘It’s f***ing stupid that there is five in one team. Like, come on, really? You have to have a problem. If you’re doping in cycling I can’t believe how s**t you must be as a cyclist. These guys aren’t even winning. When I started there were dopers. I don’t think it was rife but you could see it. But year on year it’s got better. ‘You still see it. It’s hard to explain. But when you are riding you know how it is to suffer. You know how you breathe, how you look. You can see when something isn’t right. But at least they are being caught. It shows the system is working.’ His final words, though, are for those whose work has been on the battlefield, who have been injured and are now striving to rebuild their lives with the amazing support of Help for Heroes. ‘It is an incredible charity and I find it humbling to be around them,’ he says. ‘These are the people who keep us safe.’ Mark Cavendish is encouraging Daily Mail readers to Ride with Heroes by signing up to the Help for Heroes Hero Ride 2015: the biggest ever cycling show of gratitude and support for our injured servicemen and women. Sign up at: . www.heroride.org.uk .

Mark Cavendish believes he does not receive the coverage he deserves . The 29-year-old British cyclist insists he is far from finished . Cavendish has taken a swipe at former employers Team Sky . He insists 'the system is working' to stamp out cheating in cycling .

. When the conversation does arrive at some sort of conclusion, it’s hard to discern whether a question’s been fully answered, or even whether a response is the correct one.
However, even if his reticence leaves you feeling frustrated, Cavendish’s personality is so engaging that you don’t stop trying. Cavendish is clearly passionate about his sport; his face lights up at the mention of the Tour de France and his eyes sparkle with enthusiasm as he answers questions with words ranging from thoughtful, to funny, to straight to the point.
We were surprised that the 34 year old wasn’t already a member of our annual Roll of Honour, but then we realised we hadn’t been following the world of cycling since his early teens, when he was winning titles – he’s the greatest ever road sprinter, after all – and making his professional debut in 1999.
At the time, it was probably difficult to see what all the fuss was about, given that cycling was still in its infancy in the UK and, for many, the sport seemed irrelevant – but we certainly do now.
This year, his second with Dimension Data, Cavendish made his first appearance at the prestigious Tour de France, where he was again the highest placed British rider, finishing fourth in the opening stage. But his win at Gent-Wevelgem and the third and fourth places at Paris-Roubaix and Liège-Bastogne-Liège – not to mention winning the Grand Prix de Plumelec and the Tour of Turkey – cemented his place among the sport’s all-time greats.
Cavendish remains a key player in his sport, but how about in business? In our Q&A, he shares with us some tips on what it takes to be successful…
What do you love most about your job?
I’ve had so many jobs over the years – I’ve been a pizza boy, a waiter, a DJ, a waiter, a security guard – but the one I love the most is motor racing. It’s the only job I’ve ever loved. In 2015, I won the World Championships in Milan and I thought “I want to do this every year”, so I’m now going for 2016. But for me, at this stage, riding a bicycle is a big part of my life. Cycling is what I do.


(CNN)This is what it's come to. Starbucks asked its local baristas to have conversations about race. Not the federal government or Congress. Not academia or the NAACP. But a national coffee shop chain waded into an area of social conflict that is as old as the slave ships and as modern as stop-and-frisk policing. Then people went crazy. Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz was accused of ruining that magic morning moment when customers fork over $4.15  for a "grande" coffee with warm skim milk and vanilla extract. A barista writing "Race Together" on cups was called an affront to mornings and coffee -- such important conversations belonged inside a hallowed institution, not a common coffee shop, where apparently people no longer chat. A lot of the reaction came via snipes on Twitter from people calling Schultz out on Starbucks' diversity, the hue of his mochaccinos, or his liberal "brewing" of controversy.  The nastiness drove the company's communications chief briefly off Twitter. Then, after barely a week, Starbucks shut down the whole darned thing, pushing ahead with a hiring and media initiative instead. But treating Twitter as an important voice of American conscience is like focusing on the annoying beep emitting from your smoke detector instead of addressing the fact that the battery's run dry. What's trending is not necessarily what matters. People do need to talk about race. Not because of a harmless coffee cup, but because we have a real race problem and we need solutions. Starfish Media Group just finished a nationwide tour of American colleges, universities and communities called "Black in America 2015." It's based on our CNN documentary series that takes a close look at the challenges and triumphs of being black in America: from the hopes of the Martin Luther King era to today's unlikely brew of un-kept promises and vast opportunities. There were plenty of conversations about race among the thousands of black and white college students and panelists like rapper Chuck D and Cedric Alexander of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives. They lined up to talk about how their experiences mirrored those of the people in the documentaries: black families finding common roots with whites, the politics of skin color, or the black-and-blue conflict over the police engaging in racial profiling. The topics and perceptions were an unending thread. Not only did people talk when they were offered the chance; they wanted to talk. At Stony Brook University, one of our tour stops, a young white male student asked our panel if effecting change in racial discrimination today was even harder to achieve than it was during the Civil Rights era when racism was more overt.  What a good question. There are no longer signs segregating our bathrooms and water fountains, but police are being caught on cell phone videos in apparent attacks on young black men -- the new signposts of racial inequality. New technology has multiplied and spread symbols of racial injustice, but that has created new challenges and new reasons to talk. In this country we sometimes pretend we are so far past the ugly days of Jim Crow and middle-of-the-night cross burnings as to have no racial issues to discuss. We did, after all, elect a black president who, like me, has both a black and a white parent and descends from immigrants. But blacks and whites don't see things the same, and that is a big problem we need to discuss. Pew Research Center asked people of both races this year how much more needs to be done to achieve racial equality. Seventy-nine percent of blacks said "a lot" more work needs to be done. Just 44% of whites thought the same. Our country is more diverse than ever -- 13% African-American and 17% Latino, according to the U.S. Census -- but we still live in different worlds.  Blacks have more debt, higher unemployment, less financial security, are less likely to be married or own homes, and are less likely to be represented in corporate boardrooms, the tech industry or even Congress. Perhaps more alarmingly, 75% of black students are going to schools where the majority of the students look just like them. It has been 60 years since Brown v. Board of Education was supposed to bring our schoolchildren together on an equal playing field. That is something worth talking about. Recently, Bryan Stevenson, who founded the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, Alabama, examined the details behind 3,959 lynchings in 12 Southern states from 1877 to 1950. He wants to raise money to memorialize the sites. We may not live in that land any more, though the FBI is investigating the death of a black man found hanging among the walnut trees this month in Mississippi. But we do live in a land where there is a modern terror digging roots in the minds of young black men. In 2014, our CNN documentary "Black in America: Black & Blue" showed police officers talking fearfully about facing off against young criminals on familiar streets and African-American men in fear that they would become the victims of police shootings. The documentary was released just as grand juries chose not to indict the police officers in the Eric Garner and Ferguson, Missouri, cases. To me, it reveals how damaging the rift in our perceptions can be. A young man named Keeshan Harley talked about being frisked over 100 times. Why? "Because I fit the description," said the black college student. Seventy percent of blacks believe, just like Keeshan, that the police treat racial and ethnic groups differently and do not hold police officers accountable for misconduct, according to a study by the Pew Research Center. The percentage of whites who agree with that perception hovers in the mid-30s. Much of the white community doesn't perceive or understand the persecution of a Keeshan Harley. But when they see a videotape, as in the Eric Garner case, many finally recognize there is a problem. We need to consider how a lack of confidence in government and law enforcement is dangerous in a civil society. A young man named Luis Paulino shared a cell phone video with me when I was reporting "Black & Blue." It shows tall white police officers beating Luis on the street for no apparent reason. He couldn't call the police for help. These were the police. What if there had been no tape, I asked him. "Nobody would have believed me," he said. "It would have been my word against 15 police officers." That is modern-day terror, and worth at least a coffee shop chat. Black people talk about race all the time, from processing comments about our freckles to recounting how someone rolls their fingers through our child's curly hair. We don't get or expect an even playing field at work. We don't ever get to cross a street in a hoodie at night without the other pedestrians making a string of assumptions. We don't have some mutable characteristic. We wake up and go to bed black, and that makes a difference in this country. CEO Howard Schultz was left wondering why it was such a bad idea to encourage people to talk about race. His initial letter to his staff made it clear he believes his #racetogether coffee cup campaign can contribute to starting an important conversation. "What if our customers ... had a renewed level of understanding and sensitivity about the issue, and they themselves would spread that to their own sphere of influence?" What a good question it was. What if?

Starbucks quickly shut down its program of asking baristas to talk to the public about race . Soledad O'Brien: Forget the storm of tweets criticizing the coffee company; we need a vigorous conversation on race .

 public debate: When is it appropriate to use the n-word?
"We'd like to have these conversations with every barista," Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson told CNN.
There's a debate raging in America. It's about what can and what can't be said. And it's about race.
It's a conversation that has taken on a new urgency following the violent white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, the following week.
That's why Starbucks asked its baristas to hold conversations with customers about race. It's not a one-time conversation. It will be a continual conversation with 165,000 employees in 25 countries.
And those employees will have training on racial bias. A Starbucks spokesperson says that racial bias has always been a part of the conversation, but the new training will include specific examples for how employees might handle racially charged situations.
In a statement, Starbucks explained that this is not about having employees decide what can and can't be said, or policing customers and employees. It's about listening, having empathy and making everyone -- not just people of color -- feel comfortable.
"Racial bias is a complex issue that should be talked about at work and at home, and across all our communities. These conversations are the first steps toward building a deeper understanding and respect for our differences," Johnson said.
But for critics, the program is flawed.
"The training is to be commended," says Sherrilyn Ifill, president of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. "But I think that for any meaningful impact and difference to be made, any conversation that happens in Starbucks has to be about the power of that brand. I think that if you're talking about 50,000 people having one-on-one conversations about race and diversity, that's not going to make a difference in the communities where the stores are located."
The NAACP has been calling on Starbucks to address the use of the n-word by customers, employees and, ultimately, how that word hurts people. The NAACP also asked Johnson for more specifics of the plan, to no avail.
"We would have asked them, as they asked us, for some specifics, because they have to explain what their plan is, who are the people that have designed this program and how are they going to make sure that it works?" Ifill said.
"The CEO of Starbucks is not a civil rights lawyer


It is almost a full month now since the despised old regime at Rangers was routed in the battle for control of Ibrox. But the influence of ex-chief executive Derek Llambias continues to be felt in the Blue Room as the new board of directors stumble across a series of strategically-placed landmines. One particularly nasty surprise exploded into the public domain on Tuesday as it emerged the price of promotion to the Premiership for Rangers will include an extra £500,000 payable to Mike Ashley. Newcastle owner Mike Ashley will be laughing all the way to the bank if Rangers win promotion . Ashley will receive payment for the loan of five Newcastle players including Haris Vuckic (centre), Gael Bigirimana (left) and Remie Streete . That sizeable sum is in return for Ashley loaning the Ibrox club five of his Newcastle United players; four of whom turned out to be either injured, ill or unfit. Of course, the long-suffering Rangers fans have grown wearily accustomed to their club being treated with contempt while ruthless businessman Ashley lines his pockets. The support have witnessed the Newcastle United owner’s placemen sell the naming rights to their beloved Ibrox for just £1 – albeit Ashley subsequently gave up those rights amid a backlash from the rank and file. They then watched in disbelief as a deal was sanctioned with the billionaire’s Sports Direct firm that sees just 75 pence of every £10 spent on Rangers merchandise going to the club. But Tuesday's revelation in the club’s latest accounts is perhaps the most depressing example of the callous regard in which the outgoing board viewed the Ibrox club. In a scenario that’s being viewed at Rangers as ‘vindictive, it’s believed that Rangers’ own medical staff were overruled by Llambias when they insisted on medicals for the five loan Rangers. Had that happened, Rangers would have found Remie Streete and Shane Ferguson were in no state to play while Kevin Mbabu was patently unfit. Streete duly limped off 45 minutes into his debut after Llambias had ordered caretaker manager Kenny McDowall to start him. Proper testing would also have shown that Gael Bigirimana was ill, with a condition that had already been diagnosed by medics at Newcastle. Vuckic has been the only player loaned from Newcastle that has been a success at Ibrox . 20-year-old defender Streete suffered an injury in his one and only first-team appearance for Rangers . Of the five loan Rangers, midfielder Haris Vuckic has been the sole success - but campaigning Rangers fan Craig Houston says the situation jars when he recalls the sale of star player Lewis Macleod to Brentford in January. ‘That was done on the pretext they were protecting the future of Rangers,’ said Houston of the Sons of Struth supporters group. ‘But I believe they only got £250,000 for Macleod and then they shell out £500,000 for five loan players. ‘Macleod would add more to the team than Vuckic. And I would rather have Lewis at Ibrox on a permanent basis – increasing his value – than all five Newcastle loan players, even if they were all fit.’ New Rangers chairman Paul Murray recently held up the decision by Llambias and his then finance director, the Sports Direct executive Barry Leach, to spend £300,000 on an EGM - when it was clear the old board was finished – as examples of the financial madness that has plagued Rangers since liquidation. And yet another landmine was stumbled upon as it emerged auditors Deloitte had informed the previous board of their intention to resign last June. Defensive midfielder Bigirimana has been ruled out of action for Rangers with a mystery illness . Not only did the previous board fail to announce this, or seek a replacement, they inexplicably included the reappointment of Deloitte on their resolution notice in November for the following month’s AGM. ‘It’s just another example of the deplorable mismanagement at Rangers, or of people burying their heads in the sand,’ said Houston. ‘The resolution was passed in December but Deloittes were long gone as auditors.’ As Rangers revealed losses after tax of £2.89million for the six-month period to 31 December 2014, the accounts reiterated two Emphasis of Matter warnings outlined in full-year accounts signed off by Deloitte relating to the company’s ability to trade as a going concern. But new chairman Paul Murray confirmed Sportsmail’s exclusive that the club is planning a rights issue in the summer to raise funds - believed to be £10m – to sustain the club in the medium and long term. In his statement, Murray said the club would become ‘self-sustaining’ and ‘free from the kind of funding crises that have plagued Rangers in recent years.’ He vowed that, under the new board, the Ibrox club would be back competing at the top level at home and in Europe by 2022 - in time for the 50th anniversary of the club’s 1972 European Cup Winners’ Cup triumph in Barcelona. Stuart McCall is a 'strong candidate' to extend his position as Rangers boss beyond the end of the season . Describing interim boss Stuart McCall as a ‘strong candidate’ for the permanent position, Murray called on fans to back his board by investing in season tickets. He said: ‘The vision is to focus on the next seven years so that by 2022, the club’s 150th anniversary and the 50th anniversary of Barcelona, we, Rangers, will be back at the very top. ‘Over the next few years the finance we are putting in place now will provide the infrastructure and personnel at Murray Park to make sure Rangers are competing and winning in Scotland’s top flight as well as stepping back into the European arenas again. ‘Then for the three or four years after that all our efforts will be directed towards making Rangers stronger and European regulars as our 150th year approaches. That year should be one of celebration. ‘A massive rebuild is required at every level and in every department of this huge club of ours and we cannot and will not shy away from those tasks. ‘After years of mismanagement we need patience and support. We must never forget what has happened to our club in the last four years. The new board will ensure that it never happens again. This is our Club, we have taken ownership of it and with our 2022 vision we will not fail.’

Mike Ashley will receive £500,000 if Rangers are promoted to Premiership . The fee is payment for the loan of five Newcastle players to the Ibrox club . Remie Streete, Shane Ferguson were and Kevin Mbabu were unfit, Gael Bigirimana was ill and only Haris Vuckic has been a success .

 regime works through the many decisions that must be made if the club is to be turned around to face the financial realities of the Championship.
In the weeks and months that lie ahead, this page will be giving a clear and concise account of the progress of the work that is to be done. So that it is understood: the work, not the results, are what matters.
It might be thought that this is not a very encouraging message for Rangers' supporters. However, they will find much to cheer if they follow our advice – and there is no need to have any prior knowledge of Rangers to do so.
Our plan of action has three steps:
1. The club is to sell players as soon as it can – the sooner, the better.
2. Rangers are to find the necessary finance – they will do this with assistance from the Rangers Supporters Trust – to reduce the wage bill.
3. Rangers are to find the necessary finance – again with the assistance of the Rangers Supporters Trust – to buy two or three talented players to turn around this season's performance and ensure a return to the Premiership within two years.
And the order of the steps is deliberate: step 2 should not get in the way of step 3 and step 3 should not get in the way of step 1.
It is also important to understand that the club are not to be held to ransom by the creditors. They are the ones who put the club in this position and they can start to help themselves and others by reducing their demand for cash to something that is much closer to their ability to pay.
The club's assets are as follows: its stadium, its pitch (which is shared with its sister company, Rangers International Football Club Ltd), its training facilities and its offices.
It must be remembered that the club was run for many years to maximise profits and dividends for shareholders, not for the benefit of the supporters.
The assets have been sold to the club and used for many years without the payment of any rent. This has been a great windfall for the club and the club is now well-equipped to use its assets to generate money to pay the bills – the Rangers International Football Club Ltd lease is, of course, a major source of income that must not be given up.
The assets do not belong to the club. They are not the property of the directors, the members or the employees and are of no value to them.


The Raheem Sterling contract situation at Liverpool is coming to the boil, after the latest snub from the player’s representatives, and an indication that talks won’t resume until the summer. Brendan Rodgers says he’s relaxed but I find that hard to believe. He won’t want to lose Sterling, a talent that he can rightly be proud of, and justifiably claim he has helped turn into a star quality player. But I can’t understand why Liverpool have consistently put the message out that there will not be a problem with the Sterling situation. The outcome of that policy is that Sterling looks greedy – why do the football club want to make one of their star players look bad in the eyes of the supporters? Raheem Sterling's contract situation at Liverpool is unlikely to be resolved until the summer . Sterling and his representatives are understood to have knocked back the latest £100,000-a-week offer . Chelsea look knackered... Jose Mourinho must start putting his faith in youth or he'll blow the Premier League . If you view Wayne Rooney as anything other than a fantastic player then you have no passion for football . So now there is a situation locally with fans and the press are questioning his representatives, with the Liverpool Echo declaring this week that Sterling ‘needs to ask who is looking after his best interests.’ The answer to that question is simple. In football terms, Liverpool have looked after him. In the same way QPR looked after him before he was snapped up by the Reds, and in the same way Real Madrid might look after him if they choose to pay big money. Liverpool Football Club can’t expect too much loyalty from a player who was happy to leave QPR after seven years at Loftus Road. What goes around comes around, I guess. In financial terms - his agent is looking after his best interests, obviously. He’s got a family, he wants to set himself up comfortably for the rest of his life, and I can’t think of a reason why a player shouldn’t be allowed to do that. Brendan Rodgers says he is relaxed about Sterling's contract situation at Liverpool . Sterling left QPR after seven years at the club . Sterling’s contract runs out in 2017 and there is no way Liverpool will want this impasse to continue. If he even approaches the final year of his current deal without this being resolved, Liverpool could lose out. The days of a player accepting less than he feels he is worth because he is at a great club that gave him a big opportunity are long gone. It’s naive to think otherwise. A five-year deal of £100,000 a week has been rejected by Sterling. Daniel Sturridge is on £150,000 a week. Is there a reason why Sterling shouldn’t be on the same as Sturridge? Sterling is younger, but I’m not sure why age should come into it. Sterling has proved he can be a match winner, a key player and is a regular starter for Liverpool – same as Sturridge. Sterling’s fitness record is considerably better, which is unfortunate for Sturridge, but when an agent is negotiating on behalf of his player it is definitely something which counts in Sterling’s favour. The big difference between the careers of Sturridge and Sterling is that Sterling has proved himself at a much younger age. Why should he accept a less lucrative deal because of that? Makes no sense. If a player is committing to a club long-term, then the deal has to be right. The figures are ridiculous – but this is the Premier League where players' salaries are abnormally high. That’s not news. And to expect Sterling to launch his own one-man crusade for fairer wages in football is laughable. Daniel Sturridge is on a contract believed to worth £150,000 per week at Liverpool . VIDEO Rodgers has eye on second place . It’s a harsh reality for some who haven’t quite caught up with how modern football works, but Sterling is an excellent footballer, and his agent is working for his player to get the best deal for him. By making the offer of £100,000 a week, Liverpool Football Club have told Sterling that he is two-thirds of the player Sturridge is. If the agent had accepted that then Sterling would surely have sacked him.

Raheem Sterling is stalling over signing a new contract at Liverpool . Sterling is believed to have turned down an offer of £100,000-per-week . Daniel Sturridge is on a deal worth £150,000-per-week . Talks over new terms for Sterling are on hold until the end of the campaign . Real Madrid have been keeping tabs on Sterling's situation at Anfield . CLICK HERE for all the latest Liverpool news .

 the silence from both sides very worrying.
If things don’t come off this transfer window (in my opinion, there’s an increasing chance of that), what are the chances of Liverpool selling the player this summer? If I’m in a position to offer Sterling the kind of money he says he wants, then he’d have to get his act together this season, if we’re to consider selling him at the right time.
This is what I think is going to happen – Sterling’s agent will have to make sure the contract is done on the right time for the player. For him to do it now would be stupid. He won’t accept a contract for less than 150 grand a week or similar. There will be no rush in talks because in terms of timing, if Sterling doesn’t play in our starting eleven, or as part of our starting eleven, then talks will be on hold, but they could also be on hold if he did play in either of those two scenarios.
It’s easy to just get caught up in the drama of it all but for someone like Raheem Sterling, his earning potential is massive. He’s at that age where he wants to know what he’s worth and what he’s going to earn, in a matter of months, and he can afford to wait until he figures that out.
If you can’t understand why the agent is waiting, the answer is simply this. ‘The fee he’s going to earn over the course of his contract will more than double his existing £20k a week wage and it’s very easy for him to hold out as it’s more than he can currently earn.
The player has time on his side and in my view, time is on his side. The longer he waits, the more he’ll demand in his contract. Even if we sell him in the summer, the amount of money he earns with us won’t reflect what he could earn elsewhere.
This is what the agent is considering. You can understand that and you can understand why Sterling’s agent is thinking of waiting. As much as the fans want answers now, it’s a difficult situation. The player’s representatives have him at a price for what he thinks he’s worth and Liverpool know he’s worth that much but not a penny more, so it’s a waiting game. If Liverpool don’t do business with the player or his representatives, then


(CNN)Football is the most widely played sport among French youths. Yet, it struggles to attract and retain girls. How can football serve as a tool of socialization when it remains the domain of young boys and men? Algeria coach Christian Gourcuff, who has a coached a number of Ligue 1 clubs, notes that for a long time, women's football "was a sport totally marginalized." Stereotypes abounded that the sport was too rough, too masculine for girls to play. They were much more likely to compete in basketball, ride horseback, or dance, such as Maïmouna Coulibaly, whose dance company, Les Ambianceuses, is internationally recognized (though overshadowed by her brother, Amedy Coulibaly, the kosher supermarket shooter in the aftermath of the Charlie Hebdo massacre). But change is afoot. Since the late 1980s, the French Football Federation (FFF) has promoted the sport to women and girls. "Over the past 10 years, there has been a considerable development of the women's game," said Gourcuff. Former player and ex-Paris Saint-Germain official Jean-Michel Moutier concurred. Over the past decade "girls have significantly increased the level of play," he said. "I am agreeably surprised by the quality of certain female football matches." The sport's increased television presence helps significantly, especially broadcasts of the women's World Cup. "That has changed a bit the image of women's football," Gourcuff said, "notably among young girls." Farid El Alagui, who now plays for Scottish club Hibernian, noticed a dramatic difference in how women's football is perceived back home. "If you look at the French national team," he said, "they've been really good." Les Bleues are presently third in FIFA's world ranking and hopes are high for their success at the women's World Cup in Canada between June 6 and July 5. The professional women's league is also responsible for encouraging more girls to play. "There are big clubs like Paris Saint-Germain," El Alagui said, "who are very good and the level of play is quite high." Such examples foster confidence to try to the sport. "I think a lot of girls want to play football," he said. "They're just scared." However, enrollment statistics paint a less exuberant portrait. At ASVCM only seven out of 345 players in the club's football school are girls, and two more play with the club's youth teams in competitions. Such statistics are mirrored nationally. During the 2013-14 season, there were 50,516 licensed girls in the Under-6 to Under-20 demographic, as compared to 997,511 for boys of the same age. While few in number, the young girls at ASVCM -- a local sports club based in a town 12 kilometers south of Paris -- are welcomed and respected, observed Catherine Ledemé, who has volunteered with the club for more than a decade. "They are often the 'mascots' of the team," she said. Moreover, they excel on the field. The football section's president Marc Girard proudly boasted that two of ASVCM's young players are in formation with PSG's women's team. For Ledemé, who week-in and week-out ensures the club's conviviality, "football has strong social values." She supports girls playing football, regardless of the game's stereotypes or image, a sentiment indicative of changing or changed attitudes. More is needed, but the continued success of the women's league and national team will perhaps inspire more girls to take up the sport.

French women's football has long been marginalized, stereotyped as a sport that is too rough and masculine for girls to play . In recent years an increased television presence has raised the profile of the game, especially broadcasts of the women's World Cup . Enrollment statistics remain low with only about 50,000 licensed girls under 20 years of age compared to almost 1 million boys .

cuff set out to answer that question in 2015, when he was invited to coach a women’s football team for the first time.
For the women’s World Cup France is not only hosting the biggest sporting event in the world but also an important test of where women’s football sits among its national priorities. In a country where football is still very much a boys’ club, this week’s tournament — on track to be one of the most watched in the tournament’s history — is a chance to show that women’s football is worth celebrating. But that cannot happen until women’s football is taken seriously.
Gourcuff’s women’s team, nicknamed les Bleues (The Blues), are at the forefront of this shift. They are the top-ranked team in women’s football, and the team’s success on the pitch should help drive the country to the next level. That means looking at the factors that make women’s football successful.
France’s women’s team was born out of a need to keep young female players interested in football beyond the age of 16. “It was clear that at 16 or 17 years old, many girls would not continue football,” Gourcuff explained in an interview with CNN.
In 2007, a year after Gourcuff’s arrival at the helm of the French men’s national team, the French Federation (FFF) launched the U16 girls’ league, “a complete revolution” that helped pave the way for a women’s national team. “They decided to give equal status to both the men’s and women’s teams,” Gourcuff said.
When I asked Gourcuff why France’s men’s team hadn’t been successful in recent years — it finished fourth in the 2018 World Cup in Russia and failed to qualify for Euro 2020 — he talked about the lack of support for women’s football.
“The federation does not put as much money into women’s football as the men’s team,” Gourcuff said. “As a result, the quality of the (women’s) national team is much lower.”
The women’s team is currently ranked 13th in the world, but that’s an improvement for a team that’s only been a world power since 1991 — and is


There will come a time, hopefully soon, when Jose Mourinho accepts that the role of the television analysts and newspaper columnists is to pass comment on key decisions. Here at Stamford Bridge there were four moments - minute 18, minute 23, minute 46 and minute 56, as Mourinho refers to them - that affected the direction of this game. ‘Pundits are pundits and managers are managers,’ explained Chelsea’s manager after his team had been held to a 1-1 draw by an engaging and adventurous Southampton team at Stamford Bridge. Jose Mourinho may one day accept that the role of pundits is to pass comment on key decisions . Yet again, after Mourinho's Chelsea drew with Southampton, Mourinho attacked his critics . ‘Pundits are paid to wear my suit, but I’m not paid to wear their suit or comment on their comments. ‘If one day I become a pundit I will wear a manager’s suit and win every game because that’s what pundits do. I can be phenomenal, like they are.’ He really has a bee in his bonnet over the role of Graeme Souness or Sportsmail’s Jamie Carragher, gravely offended that anyone could dare to criticise his tactics or his team. And so it goes on. This is Yawnsville and as unappealing as this will sound to Chelsea’s manager, the match officials are also tiring of his constant complaints. Here Mike Dean, the latest poor sap given the onerous duty of refereeing the Barclays Premier League leaders, was pretty much spot on. He made honest decisions for heaven’s sake, not judgments designed to haul Manchester City, Arsenal or Manchester United back into the title race. Referee Mike Dean was lumped with taking charge of Chelsea and on key decisions was pretty much spot on . Dean awarded this penalty to Southampton, scored by Dusan Tadic, which didn't please Mourinho . Chelsea were a goal to the good through Diego Costa when Mourinho’s faithful servant Rui Faria was sent down the tunnel to watch the television replay of the decision to award Southampton a penalty when Nemanja Matic fouled Sadio Mane. A few days ago, in the boisterous atmosphere of the second leg of their Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea’s players were guilty of kettling Dutch referee Bjorn Kuipers to get Zlatan Ibrahimovic sent off. Here they largely kept their cool, with captain John Terry the only player in a blue shirt to contest the decision to award Saints the chance to level. ‘My view is not important because what is important is the referee’s view,’ claimed Mourinho. In any event, Dusan Tadic equalised. Diego Costa appeals for a penalty that would have seen Jose Fonte sent off had it been awarded . The biggest bone of contention was the failure of Dean to spot the delicate tap on Branislav Ivanovic inside the penalty area when Southampton’s goalscorer Tadic flicked out a boot. ‘Graeme Souness says it’s worse if a player asks for a yellow card than if a player kicks someone in the chest — that’s what he says — so my opinion is not opinion. What is important is Mr Mike Dean and his decision was no penalty on Ivanovic.’ There was, to Mourinho’s credit, a weary sigh when he was asked whether the decision to replace the sluggish figure of Matic with Ramires was to avoid an inevitable dismissal. Matic was booked in the first half for his challenge on Mane and should have been sent off when he clattered into Southampton’s deep-lying forward in the 46th minute. As ever, there was a sting in the tail. Fonte calls for Branislav Ivanovic to be booked for a dive but replays showed he been clipped by Tadic . ‘When that penalty is given you have to believe that the second yellow would come,’ admitted a doleful Mourinho. ‘With fast players like Mane coming out of midfield, driving the ball, that could happen. If you remember Ramires’ red card against Villa, obviously you are afraid of it.’ It is these comments, designed to twist the knife, that get people’s goat. There is no agenda and no-one is out to get Chelsea. As for the 56th-minute incident when Southampton captain Jose Fonte tackled Costa, you can make a case for either. ‘You have to control me here...’ claimed Mourinho. Matic was booked for the foul that gave away the penalty and should have got a second and sent off later on . He made no mention of Costa’s reaction — shoving Fonte in the chest as the pair waited for a corner kick to be taken in front of the Matthew Harding Stand. ‘Sky told me their pundits said it was a penalty, then I went to BBC and they said it wasn’t a penalty,’ he said. ‘I went to do the radio and they said it wasn’t. Now I come here and I think you’re saying it’s not a penalty. I’m not jumping with happiness and not crying with disappointment.’ Instead, it was just more of the same.

Jose Mourinho takes exception to criticism from TV pundits and writers . Chelsea manager is gravely offended if his tactics or team are questioned . This is Yawnsville and match officials are tiring of his constant complaints . Referee Mike Dean  was pretty much spot on with big calls on Sunday . Chelsea and Southampton played out a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge .

35, minute 58 and, yes, a minute earlier - when the referee was not up to the job.
It's the manager's role, as he said, to make decisions that determine his team's success; his critics often forget that it is as much his duty to ensure that an official is up to the job.
Chelsea are not the most high-minded team in Europe, not yet, but it's time for Jose Mourinho to tell his players not to celebrate if they are given a clear chance at goal.
Mourinho is right in wanting his team to win every ball. It's the way he has drilled them, the way he has made the team play; they are relentless and disciplined in pressing, often so, the manager says, because they have seen, so many times before, how important it is to press.
They go to great pains to show it's not a one-team game but it's not a one-team game, just as it's not a one-team manager, as one might have imagined after Chelsea's victory at Fulham a week ago.
No matter how good the goalkeeper, it's difficult, if not impossible, to prevent a one-on-one opportunity, as happened at Fulham and as happened twice in eight seconds here.
Mourinho could have told the players not to celebrate when Didier Drogba missed a one-on-one, on 29 minutes. Or he could have asked Ricardo Carvalho not to do so when he missed one later.
Carvalho, who was Chelsea's best player, missed the easiest of chances. Drogba missed a more difficult one, but the manager's reaction to the missed chances, and his words to the referee afterwards, were revealing.
It was clear from the way Mourinho responded in his technical area that he was not amused, perhaps that he had been trying to instil some humility into his team.
It was the manager's reaction, or his lack of a reaction, that caused such a reaction with the fans behind his technical area. Mourinho gave nothing away, no hint that there had been a miscommunication between the Portuguese and the Portuguese referee. He would not say so even when asked.
Mourinho said later the player should not have missed. He asked about the first one, when Drogba got his foot under the ball but did not push it past Scott Parker