The big challenge for Mauricio Pochettino now is to ensure his first season as Tottenham manager doesn’t fade into obscurity. There looks little danger of that on the evidence of Wednesday night’s win over Swansea. Last week was one to forget following Spurs’ Europa League exit to Fiorentina and Capital One Cup final defeat by Chelsea. Tottenham winger Andros Townsend celebrates after firing home the third goal against Swansea City . Mason’s goal was his first in the Premier League and came in his 20th league game of the season. Pochettino now must concentrate on qualifying for next season’s Champions League; that, after all, was his brief upon taking the job. And his players refused to sulk after their Wembley heartache as goals from Nacer Chadli, Ryan Mason and Andros Townsend secured a vital win, though they were forced to endure a late Swansea rally. ‘We have a group of players whose mentality is to fight until the end of the season,’ said Pochettino. ‘I think in Florence and in the final we deserved more, but we have shown we are alive and growing.’ In front of a procession of Spurs legends, including Alan Mullery, Pat Jennings and Ossie Ardiles, there was a minute’s applause for Tottenham legend Dave Mackay, who passed away this week. Tottenham midfielder Ryan Mason lashed in a right-footed shot for the second against Swansea City . Nacer Chadli (left) beats Swansea goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski to score the opening goal . Ki Sung-Yueng stole in to prod home from an acute angle for Swansea equaliser . Swansea's Gylfi Sigurdsson reduced the deficit, volleying home a Jefferson Montero cross . TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR (4-2-3-1): Lloris 6; Walker 7, Dier 6.5, Vertonghen 6, Rose 7 (Davies 78); Bentaleb 7, Mason 7.5; Townsend 7 (Dembele 64min, 6), Eriksen 7, Chadli 7; Kane 6.5 (Soldado 76). Subs not used: Chiriches, Paulinho, Lamela, Vorm, . Booked: Dier. Manager: Mauricio Pochettino 7.5. SWANSEA CITY (4-3-2-1): Fabianski 5; Naughton 5, Fernandez 5.5, Williams 6, Taylor 6; Ki 7, Cork 6, Shelvey 6.5 (Montero 73, 6); Sigurdsson 6.5, Routledge 6.5; Gomis 5 (Oliveira 12, 6). Subs not used: Amat, Britton, Emnes, Rangel, Tremmel. Manager: Garry Monk 6.5. Man of the match: Ryan Mason. Referee: Michael Oliver 7. Att: 34,008 . The flowing move which led to Nacer Chadli scoring the opening goal for Tottenham in the 3-2 victory against Swansea City on Wednesday night. CLICK HERE for more brilliant stats and heat maps from White Hart Lane. A host of Tottenham greats joined in a minute's applause for club legend Dave Mackay . The emotional tribute took place before Wednesday night's Premier League encounter . Tottenham and Swansea players join in a minute's applause for legend Mackay, who died on Monday evening . Mackay won the FA Cup with Tottenham three times, in 1961, 1962 and 1967 . The sombre mood carried into the game. But with an outside chance of a top-four finish, Spurs tried to breathe life into their season in the seventh minute when Chadli sent a neat volley past Lukasz Fabianski from Danny Rose’s cross. Finally, there was noise emanating from White Hart Lane. That was quickly replaced by a stunned silence after eyes clocked Gomis, all alone, collapsed in the centre circle. Both sets of medical staff sprinted on to attend to the stricken striker. Gomis received five minutes of treatment. Gradually the worried expressions lifted, a clear sign that this wasn’t as serious an incident as that of Fabrice Muamba’s cardiac arrest at White Hart Lane three years ago. The incident only added to the subdued atmosphere, and when Ki Sung-yueng converted from a tight angle in the 18th minute, the decibel levels — but for a small corner of visiting fans — dropped further. Spurs supporters needn’t have worried, though, as Mason and Townsend scored before the hour. They were, though, forced to endure a hairy final five minutes after Gylfi Sigurdsson smashed home a volley in the 88th minute to set up a grandstand finish. And Hugo Lloris produced a breathtaking save deep into three minutes of stoppage time to ensure Spurs returned to winning ways. Bafetimbi Gomis lies face down on the pitch after collapsing during  Swansea's game withTottenham . Tottenham midfielder Nabil Bentalib (right) holds his head in his hands as Gomis is taken off on a stretcher . Gomis, who has a history of blacking out, is taken off the field on a stretcher at White Hart Lane .

Bafetimbi Gomis' collapse had those inside White Hart Lane fearing the worst . The Swansea forward went down after Nacer Chadli's wonderful opener in the seventh minute . It later emerged that Gomis was fine and had not been hospitalised after fainting . Ki Sung-Yueng drew parity but Ryan Mason and Andros Townsend made it 3-1 for Spurs . Gylfi Sigurdsson scored a late consolation, volleying home a Jefferson Montero cross .

 a bad one for Tottenham. Pochettino made mistakes as the Spurs team got off to an indifferent start after the summer break. They lost at Watford. The Argentine manager was also fined by UEFA after the Europa League qualifier against Qarabag FK in August for comments he made about the refereeing. There is also a suspicion his words in the week before the Swansea game were a tad provocative in light of the off-the-ball incident that resulted in the sending off of Spurs midfielder Christian Eriksen against Arsenal. Pochettino was on a mission to ensure the build-up did not detract from his message that football must be played with passion, but also be played within the rules. The win was enough.
‘I am trying to get the supporters and players to dream like in Argentina,’ Pochettino said.
‘The only way to try is to play with passion, to play the game in a way that people understand this is football and the passion is real. This is not acting and faking this and that. The passion is inside these players.’
On the game against Swansea, he added: ‘We played two fantastic games – against Everton (1-1 draw) and now against Swansea. We had a great performance.’
It wasn’t always convincing. But Tottenham are playing with the verve and the vigour that Pochettino, and the Tottenham fans, demand.
In the pre-match build-up Pochettino went out of his way to call on Swansea’s travelling fans to embrace Tottenham supporters in a “respectful and passionate” way. There is a new tone at White Hart Lane.
There are those who believe the Spaniard will struggle to make the adjustment from Europe to the Premier League. In the Europa League last season Barcelona reached the last 16, but lost out at a final hurdle in this very competition to Atletico Madrid. Pochettino is more inclined to say he will have to be patient than that he will struggle.
‘I am really excited. I am really looking forward to this season. I think it will be a very positive season for us and, I am convinced, a great one. For the supporters, for my players, for me, for my team, to play in the Premier League, the best competition in the world.’
This is a man who has his eye on the future, rather than the past.
‘It’s important


Special bond: Gunner Amy Stevens and Highfield (H.P), who is retiring . The poignant message on a tombstone outside the HQ of The King’s Troop at Woolwich Army barracks says it all: ‘Here lies an old horse called Wonder, his extraordinary age being forty years old when he died. This stone was placed August 1, 1808.’ Of course, that was back in the days when horses really went to war. One can only imagine the battles Wonder courageously survived. But the fact that Wonder lived to such a ripe old age — in human years, well over 100 — is testament to the fact that even when horses were used on battlefields, the British Army valued and looked after them. Today, the four-legged members of The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery housed at Woolwich don’t have to charge at the enemy, thank goodness. They perform only ceremonial duties, such as Trooping The Colour, state funerals and military tattoos. The worst they have to cope with is galloping through theatrical smoke at the Horse Of The Year show. What’s more, they live in a luxurious state-of-the-art equestrian training facility, with an army of grooms tending to their every need. They enjoy 24-hour care, with a dedicated vet and farrier on site. They are exercised daily in the arena or hacked out in nearby Charlton Park. Once a year they go on a four-week summer holiday to Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire, where they spend time out at grass. And yet, despite this, animal rights activists launched a withering attack on the MoD last month, accusing the Army of being cruel to horses. Campaigners from Peta (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) claimed the military should not be allowed to keep any animals at all. They seized on figures showing the MoD had put down 109 of their horses in the past six years as evidence of neglect. Anyone with experience of horses — like me — will tell you that figure is actually quite modest considering the MoD has 500 horses in its care at any one time at Woolwich, where The King’s Troop is stationed, and at Knightsbridge, where the Household Cavalry is based. Activists singled out figures showing that horses were put down because they fell lame or suffered from colic. They suggested the MoD did not try hard enough to re-home horses who could no longer work. Again, any horse owner will know that colic and leg injuries in equines are all too often serious enough to warrant euthanasia and that it is sometimes the only option. However, this didn’t stop the activists. Mimi Bekhechi, director of Peta, complained: ‘The Ministry of Defence has no business using horses, dogs or any other animals. They are not soldiers, nor are they pieces of military kit to be used and then decommissioned at the end of their involuntary service. ‘While painless euthanasia is the only humane option for sick or wounded animals, a combat zone is no place for them.’ But no horses are used in combat now. What the animal rights lobby appear to be campaigning for, therefore, is an end to the role of horses at official events. This is a worrying development. The artillery fire a 41 Gun Royal Salute in Green Park in honour of Her Majesty The Queen's 87th birthday . They perform only ceremonial duties, such as Trooping The Colour, state funerals and military tattoos . For anyone who feels proud to watch the magnificent spectacle of our gleaming military horses on parade at Buckingham Palace or on The Mall, it seems unthinkable. What’s more, anyone who visits the Woolwich base can see that they are incredibly well cared for. By any standards, The King’s Troop headquarters is an amazing facility. Everywhere you look, soldiers are sweeping, scrubbing and polishing. The horses are in peak condition. Their coats are glossy, manes neatly trimmed. If they actually bothered to visit, the naysayers would see that the horses look as happy as can be. As he shows me round the stable blocks, Captain Nick Watson explains that the soldiers become incredibly attached to the animals in their care. They put years of painstaking work into training them. Almost all are bought as four-year-olds, mostly from Ireland, and stay in service until 18. Every effort is then made to find them civilian homes where they can kick up their heels. But military chiefs readily admit it can be tricky finding the right home. It is not just a simple case of turning them loose in a field or handing them over to the first person who comes through the door. These are working animals who are used to an interesting and varied life. On parade, the unit’s soldiers drive a team of six of the horses with each pulling World War I field gun. They perform in front of massive crowds and so it is imperative that they stay calm and perform their duties unflustered. Those coming up to retirement age include 18-year-old Doughnut, a quiet bay mare who nuzzles me gently when I pet her over her stable door. A typical ‘war horse’, according to her handlers, she never makes a fuss. She featured in last year’s Trooping The Colour and will take part in the Queen’s birthday parade again in June this year — one last time, perhaps. Like the rest of the troop, Doughnut is smaller than the huge black horses of the Household Cavalry. The King’s Troop features some horses who are just over 15 hands (5ft), so they are lighter to manoeuvre. ‘She’s awesome,’ says Sgt Andrew Higson, who rode Doughnut at the last British Military Tournament to take place at Earl’s Court, in 2013. ‘She’s had more outings than people have had hot dinners. She’s worth her weight in gold. Anyone new who can’t ride when they come here, we put them on her and she looks after them.’ They will miss her terribly, but want her to go to a home where she won’t be overworked. The King's Troop horses pictured in 1952, leading King George VI's through wet London streets . ‘She has had a full career,’ says Sgt Kathryn Charters. ‘So, we want her to take it easy. Our vet will stipulate that she is rehomed only to someone who will not do too much with her, perhaps just lightly hack her.’ Another horse they will be sad to lose when he retires is Junior, also 18. As he gallops and bucks around the arena, you can see how incredibly fit he still is for his age, perhaps living up to his name. Junior has performed in all the Queen’s birthday parades, the Windsor Horse Show, the British Military Tattoo, the Horse Of The Year Show and the Olympia Horse Show. Like Doughnut, he featured in last year’s Trooping The Colour and will again this year. Whenever a horse is deemed unfit to work, it goes through a process called ‘casting’, whereby it is found a new home. The military never needs to advertise because there are always willing takers. The horses are sold in a negotiation that involves the potential new owner putting in a bid. Only if it is reasonable is it accepted. Do you like to save your stale bread to feed the ducks? Beware — wildlife experts are warning that the starchy snack is the equivalent of ‘junk food’ for the birds. Each year six million loaves are tossed into British waterways by well-intentioned people, says the Canal & River Trust. But the charity says that not only is all this bread unhealthy for ducks, it also encourages rats and algae to thrive. It is advising people to feed ducks with snacks such as defrosted peas and sweetcorn, chopped lettuce and halved grapes. Seeds, oats and even leftover takeaway rice also get the thumbs up. Anyone who does want to rehome a ‘war horse’ has to go through a strict process in which they must trial ride them and sign a contract stipulating what they may do with them. H ighfield, or H. P. for short, a handsome bay mare with a distinctive stripe down her face, is due for rehoming in the next six months. ‘She’s got so many letters in her folder from people who want her,’ says Sgt Charters. One horse who was successfully retired recently is Bert, or Mr Twister, to give him his formal title. A 15-year-old black charger who had been with the troop since 2005, he was the lead horse in Baroness Thatcher’s funeral procession. As thousands lined the streets of London to watch the former prime minister’s funeral cortege in 2013, Bert stayed steady as a rock as he walked in front of the gun carriage. Sadly, he had started to suffer from osteoarthritis, so his duties had to come to an end. Due to his medical issues, Bert needed an expert home, so in February he was taken to the Horse Trust for retired horses in Princes Risborough, Bucks. Any suggestion that the military should be prevented from having horses seems ludicrous when you think how much care and attention is paid to their needs at every stage of their life, right into their old age. And when you consider what would be lost if Britain did not have ceremonial horses, as well as the traditional skills that would disappear, it seems little short of an outrage that an animal welfare group would call for these horses to lose their jobs. ‘This is what makes us Great Britain,’ says Capt Watson. ‘If they got rid of the ceremonial side of the Army a lot of tourism would go.’ There is clearly a special bond between the horses and their handlers. ‘They eat before us, they get seen to before we do anything for ourselves. They have a better life than most horses,’ says one soldier. Little wonder, therefore, that some of the soldiers end up taking the older horses home themselves. A few years ago, Sgt Charters re-homed a horse called Moose back to her family home in Devon, where her mother runs a livery yard. She is now 22 and enjoying giving pony rides to children as part of the Riding For The Disabled scheme. Such stories are a tribute to the bond between horses and soldiers. And as the tombstones to veteran steeds testify, war horses are never incidental or forgotten. They may not fight for their country these days, but they still do Britain an amazing service by putting on the pageantry for which we are world-renowned. It seems so sad to think that if the animal rights lobby get their way such a key part of our heritage could be lost. It’s enough to make old Wonder turn in his grave.

Members of the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery are housed at Woolwich . They live in state-of-the-art training facility and are exercised every day . They only perform  duties such as Trooping The Colour and state funerals . But activists have attacked MoD, accusing Army of being cruel to horses . Peta (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) say military should not be allowed to keep animals at all .

Gone home but never forgotten’ – a sentiment which could be applied to all of Amy’s horses.
Amy has been a fixture at the King’s Troop since joining as a groom in 2013. ‘I’ve worked with a few soldiers over the years but Amy’s the one that keeps coming back,’ says Amy, as we stand in her paddock. She’s one of 10 horses that she’s currently working with, from the horses that are being turned out to graze in the mornings before their ‘proper’ exercise, to the ones that go out at weekends to local country shows and dressage and other competitions.
The King’s Troop is the Army’s mounted ceremonial display team. Amy’s horses perform in all the royal weddings, state visits, and the famous ‘Trooping the Colour’ ceremony. They also attend funerals – Amy’s most recent engagement was the burial of one of the Queen’s horses, and she has had some amazing experiences being able to work with the team, Amy explains.
‘It’s nice to know your horses are part of something. We’re part of a team, and have a lot of trust in each other. It means that even in a strange situation, you can trust the animal beside you.’
One horse that Amy particularly loves is Highfield. They’ve worked together since Amy was drafted in with him straight from the stable block at Sandhurst.
‘I started at Sandhurst – I came straight out of school – but I didn’t know anything about horses. They don’t teach you very much about them. I learned everything I know from Highfield; he’s the most patient teacher you could have!’
For the past four years, Amy’s been responsible for getting Highfield ready for the Trooping the Colour ceremonies. ‘He’s such a funny horse, he’s a right old character.’
She describes him as having a big personality – he’s a big horse, 17.3 hands, and he needs to know that there are other horses around. ‘He’s an alpha horse. He needs to know he’s in charge. He’s lovely when he’s out in the field with the mares and foals; he likes to be near them and be part of the gang, but when he’s out on the parade route he’s got to keep


Five bunker shots, four dropped shots, three missed putts from short range, two poor chips and one blow into the water. And that was just the front nine. It's fair to say Rory McIlroy's curious Florida funk continued in the opening round of the WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral on Thursday. At least on the back nine there were enough good blows on show to hint it will not be too long before we can enjoy a more customary service. The world number one had an eagle and three birdies in a blistering five hole spell to come home in 33 blows and salvage a 73. While that might have been barely ok in the context of the field as a whole it was a radical improvement on what appeared a likely score at halfway. McIlroy placed the blame on his outward half on being too tentative. 'After nine holes I thought there was really not much more to lose, so go ahead and be more aggressive,' he said. 'It paid off a little and the eagle was really important. Hopefully I can get off to a better start in the second round and get back into it.' Rory McIlroy hits a shot from the fairway during the first round of the Cadillac Championship in Florida . McIlroy lines up a putt on the 16th green during a difficult opening round for the world No 1 . McIlroy tries to play his way out a trouble after landing his shot in the bunker on the 17th hole . He's certainly got some work to do. McIlroy will start out no fewer than 11 shots off the pace set by former American Ryder Cup player JB Holmes. Given there was a decent breeze blowing for most of the day, his 62 was a remarkable effort. Fellow American Ryan Moore shot 66. World number three Henrik Stenson carded a 69 while Welshman Jamie Donaldson, runner-up here last year, composed a 70 comprising 16 pars and two birdies. As for McIlroy, a desperately mediocre outward half of 40 strokes meant he had played his first 45 holes in the Sunshine State this year, taking in last week's two rounds at the Honda Classic, in a startling 11 over par. The world number one thought he had ironed out some difficulties he experienced in the wind last week but there was precious sign of it at this stage. World No 2 Bubba Watson plays his second shot on the 10th hole ad the American finished one under par . Henrik Stenson kept the heat on the leaders as the Swede finished the day's play three under par . Opening up from the tenth offered the chance of a flying start, since there are two par fives in the first three holes. But McIlroy drove into fairway bunkers on both to squander the chance for early gains. Just to compound the frustration, his approach to the par four 11th was a metre short of being perfect, and plugged in a greenside bunker to bring about an unlucky bogey. So it continued. Every good iron shot he played he couldn't take advantage, while every bad shot invariably led to more damage to his scorecard. Two over par coming to the 18th, McIlroy became another victim of this punishing hole as he found the water from the middle of the fairway with his approach, and failed to get up and down for a bogey from the side of the green. Welshman Jamie Donaldson composed a 70 comprising 16 pars and two birdies . It wasn't until his 13th hole that we got the first glimpse of the real Rory. A sumptuous long iron to the difficult par three fourth set up his first birdie of the day and lit the spark on a run that saw him birdie two of the next three holes before registering an eagle three at the 8th. Even during this spell, however, there were sloppy bogeys at the 5th and the 9th. No wonder he headed straight to the range afterwards. Two players who will not be remembering their rounds with any affection were Phil Mickelson and Stephen Gallacher. Mickelson's 74 was notable only for the fact it was the first time in 190 consecutive rounds on the PGA Tour that he had failed to register a single birdie. Poor Gallacher's nightmare was even more complete. The Scot put two balls into the water at the 18th to complete an awful 84. It was his worst competitive score in 455 events as a pro. Lee Westwood, who became the first man to play in 50 WGC events, was one over par after nine .

Rory McIlroy played a disastrous front nine in the opening round of the WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral . Even at this early stage, McIlroy had fallen a distance behind his playing partners, world No 2 Bubba Watson and No 3 Henrik Stenson . Welshman Jamie Donaldson, runner-up at the tournament last year, composed a 70 comprising 16 pars and two birdies. Lee Westwood, playing in his 50th WGC event was one over par after nine .

 Thursday at the Honda Classic, when the former World No. 1 shot a 1-under 71, good enough only for a 24th-place tie and his third finish outside the top 15 since his return to the PGA Tour last week.
While McIlroy was frustrated with a number of factors, including a pair of three-putt bogeys that ruined his chances for a red number, he was left most perplexed by his putting. On the par-5 second hole, McIlroy missed an 8-footer after hitting what he thought was a perfect shot. And then, on the par-3 fourth, after leaving his putt short, McIlroy got back in the hole with a 3-footer, only to miss it by a whisker.
"That's a weird feeling," McIlroy said, adding that the hole's steep angles were messing up his reads.
In McIlroy's next attempt, a 15-footer to save par on the par-3 seventh, he misread the break and left himself another 15-footer.
"It's not just the nerves," he said. "It's just that I'm not hitting putts how I'm reading the greens. And so that's when nerves play in there as well. Because you're kind of thinking about them and then they come off that way and that's not how you're reading the green, so then you kind of question yourself."
Not content to talk about the putter, McIlroy also lamented two three-putts bogeys, the first on the par-4 16th and the second on the par-4 fifth, saying he hit both putts with the proper pace.
"It's not that the pace is off. It's the lines are bad at the moment," he said. "I'm trying to hit the ball hard, but it's hard when the line you're trying to hit is actually off."
What was most telling about McIlroy's day, though, were his two missed birdie tries on the par-5 18th, from 4 feet and 6 feet. Both chances rolled off the back of the cup.
"It's a bit weird," he said. "One, there's a slight difference in the lines. The green is a bit flat in places


Gary Bowyer's final words to his Blackburn players will be very simple before they step out at Anfield on Sunday: 'Good luck.' The Rovers boss knows the odds for the FA Cup quarter-final are heavily weighted in their opponents' favour, and would have been before Liverpool hit the run of form that has seen them win nine of their last 11 Premier League games. 'It's David vs Goliath,' said Bowyer. Gary Bowyer knows the odds are against Blackburn ahead of their FA Cup clash against Liverpool . Jordan Rhodes hit his 13th of the campaign to help Blackburn to their first away win since October . 'Nobody's giving us a chance outside of our dressing room. 'I think they're the most impressive team in the Premier League at the moment and the football that they're playing is fantastic. Obviously full credit to the manager for the way he changed his formation. 'We've studied the videos, we've come up with a gameplan, and we've worked with the players on it. We'll go and take the challenge to Liverpool. 'We've been very organised and very disciplined in the previous meetings with the Premier League teams, and then of course along the way you need a bit of luck. Rhodes turns the ball in past Wednesday keeper Jason Steele to give the visitors the lead . 'The mood's one of excitement and rightly so. The lads have earned the right to play at Anfield with the performances in the previous rounds.' Bowyer said his team will go into the match high on confidence, and they can certainly take great encouragement from their performances in the last two rounds. Neither Swansea nor Stoke enjoyed their visits to Ewood Park, with Blackburn racking up seven goals across the fourth and fifth rounds. Although Anfield presents a major step up, it is a ground that holds the most special of memories for Rovers. Twenty years ago in May, Blackburn celebrated the best moment in their history when they lifted the Premier League trophy at the Merseyside ground. Bowyer believes his team will go into the match high on confidence following the win against Sheffield Wednesday . The achievement will be marked by a minute's applause in the 20th minute on Sunday as a tribute to their late benefactor Jack Walker. Bowyer said of the cup run: 'Financially it's been excellent for the club at a time when we've got a transfer embargo and money's tight. 'For the players and the staff and supporters, it's been a great journey so far. But we want it to continue. 'For the supporters it's going to be a great day out. They're going to bask in the memory of 20 years ago. I think there's something planned in the 20th minute, which is going to be really good, but the players are going to do a job.' Josh King scores for Blackburn during his side's memorable 4-1 victory against Stoke in February . Steven Gerrard is back in training with Liverpool but he won't walk straight back into the team . Bowyer is also taking pride in earning positive headlines for Blackburn after the most turbulent of times. Rovers became a club at war with itself following the takeover in 2010 by Venky's and less than two years later they were relegated from the top flight. They had got through three managers in a season and were heading towards another relegation when Bowyer, who joined Blackburn's backroom staff in 2004, began another stint as caretaker manager in March 2013. Jordan Henderson has scored twice in a week for an in-form Liverpool side . Bowyer believes Brendan Rodgers' side are the 'most impressive' in the Premier League at the moment . His reward for stabilising the club was to be given a chance as permanent boss, and two years later Rovers are finally a football story again. Bowyer said: 'The supporters have been through a hell of a lot over the last couple of years but we're starting to put foundations in place, we've done that over the last 20 months, and we're starting to make progress. We've got to continue that. 'It's a measure of how far we've come already the fact that we're at this stage of the competition, we've got some very talented footballers and they're going to excel in that environment (at Anfield).'

Blackburn boss Gary Bowyer believes his side can cause an upset in FA Cup sixth round match against Liverpool . Rovers sailed into sixth after 4-1 victory against Stoke City . Bowyer believes Liverpool are currently the 'most impressive' team in the Premier League .

 favour because his opponents are Liverpool. The Reds may be a team in transition but they still have enough to cause their League One opponents problems. The FA Cup is a knockout competition and there will be little between the two teams on Sunday. Rovers won their replay against Blackpool 3-0 at Bloomfield Road thanks to a brace from Paul Gallagher and the 24-year-old is their best hope of beating Liverpool. And Bowyer admits his team will be underdogs, but insists that does not matter. 'Everyone will have the Reds as favourites,' Bowyer said. 'That doesn't surprise me. You'd expect Liverpool to be favourites as you'd expect Manchester United or Arsenal would be. But it's not important to me, because I don't feel I'm managing a team that is expected to beat Liverpool – my team is expected to be out of it. 'I don't mind being the favourites. I think in 90 minutes we're as good as them. As a manager of Blackburn, when you go into a match you feel you are an equal. You shouldn't expect anything other than a tough game against Liverpool. It doesn't faze me that they are favourites, if anything it makes the game more enjoyable and more exciting for all of us. 'It doesn't matter to me who we are playing. I know Liverpool will be a team that will cause us problems, and one that will take us to another level. If we are as good as I think we are we will give them a game and we will certainly have a chance at Anfield. 'But what we need to do is concentrate on ourselves. We must make sure we are ready, we must make sure our players are mentally focussed. We can't afford for one player to not be right. 'The players have had 12 days to prepare for the game and they have done well. But to go from a good game against Blackpool to one of the biggest games in the competition and to get it right then you must be mentally strong. 'We have prepared well. There will be plenty of things we do in the build-up. We will talk about the things we need to improve on. You want to get it right all the time but you can't always do it. We have prepared as well as we possibly can.'
Gary Bowyer's final FA Cup words to his players
Liverpool are a great


San Antonio won comfortably at Atlanta 114-95 in Sunday's clash of two teams with form lines heading in opposite directions leading up to the NBA playoffs. The Spurs have won three straight and the Hawks have lost three straight, though they can afford to ease up given they are still eight games clear atop the Eastern Conference, ahead of Cleveland, which won at Milwaukee. In the key games among playoff aspirants in the West, the Los Angeles Clippers defeated New Orleans, and Phoenix won a close one against Dallas. Kawhi Leonard (left) of the San Antonio Spurs handles the ball against DeMarre Carroll in the first quarter . Jeff Teague (centre) dribbles in between the San Antonio Spurs during his side's third straight defeat . Leonard (centre) scores a lay-up in front of the watching crowd as the Spurs continued their excellent form . Defending champions San Antonio got a season-high 23 points from Tiago Splitter and 20 from Kawhi Leonard. The Spurs never trailed and led by as much as 26 points in the third quarter. Paul Millsap finished with 22 points for the faltering Hawks. The Clippers won a fourth straight game by beating New Orleans 107-100. Blake Griffin scored 23 points and Chris Paul contributed 23 points and 11 assists for Los Angeles, which converted 18 Pelicans turnovers into 30 points and had a 25-6 advantage on second-chance points. Blake Griffin (left) starred for the LA Clippers during their win over the New Orleans Pelicans . Chris Paul (left) attempts to keep the ball away from Pelicans star Norris Cole during the second quarter . Anthony Davis led New Orleans with 26 points and 12 rebounds in 39 minutes after missing two games with a sprained ankle. Tyreke Evans was sidelined because of the same injury and was replaced in the starting lineup. Phoenix's Archie Goodwin sank the go-ahead 3-pointer and Markieff Morris added a critical jumper in the final 30 seconds to secure a 98-92 win for the Suns against Dallas. The Mavericks rallied from a 17-point, third-quarter deficit and were up 86-80 with 5 minutes to play, but then went four minutes without scoring while the Suns climbed back into the lead. Phoenix Suns and the Dallas Mavericks were involved in a tough battle in their NBA clash on Sunday . Eric Bledsoe had 20 points, nine assists and six rebounds for Phoenix. Chandler Parsons scored 19 points for Dallas, which has lost all three games against Phoenix this season. Cleveland's LeBron James scored 28 points and sparked a key second-half run with an emphatic dunk to lead the Cavaliers to a 108-90 win against Milwaukee. LeBron James led the Cleveland Cavaliers to a comfortable victory over the Milwaukee Bucks . J.R. Smith added 23 points for Cleveland, including three straight 3s to close out the decisive run that turned a six-point deficit into a 93-78 lead with 6:19 left. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 15 points and nine rebounds for the Bucks, who have won six straight. Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook had 12 points, 10 rebounds and 17 assists for his tenth triple-double of the season to lead the Thunder past Miami 93-75. Russell Westbrook (right) scores the lay-up as he scored his tenth triple-double of the season against Miami . Enes Kanter had been expected to miss again with an ankle injury, but took his place and delivered 27 points and 12 rebounds for the Thunder, which has won three in a row. The Heat had five players score in double figures but none with more than 13 points. Sacramento led most of the game and comfortably beat Washington 109-86, with Rudy Gay scoring 26 points. DeMarcus Cousins had 20 points, seven rebounds and five assists despite foul trouble for the Kings, who stretched the lead to 20 points in the third quarter and were never threatened from there. Derrick Williams dunks the ball into the basket for the Washington Wizards against the Sacramento Kings . Bradley Beal scored 19 points for the Wizards, who have lost 11 of their past 13 road games. Toronto's DeMar DeRozan scored 23 points as the Raptors beat New York 106-89. Detroit won 105-97 in overtime against Boston, with Andre Drummond having 18 points and 22 rebounds. Tayshaun Prince (left) of the Detroit Pistons takes a shot against the Boston in front of the Celtic fans . Denver's Danilo Gallinari scored a career-high 40 points to lead the Nuggets to a 119-100 victory over Orlando, winning at an Eastern Conference opponent for the first time in 12 games. Charlotte moved into a playoff-yielding eighth place in the East by beating Minnesota 109-98, with Mo Williams scoring 24 points. Los Angeles' Jeremy Lin scored a season-high 29 points as the Lakers beat Philadelphia 101-87 in the first meeting of the season between two of the NBA's worst teams. Jeremy Lin (right) drives towards the basket as he scored a season-high 29 for the LA Lakers . Jerami Grant of the Philadelphia 76ers blocks the path of Lin as the two worst teams in the NBA faced-off .

San Antonio Spurs won 114-95 against the faltering Atlanta Hawks . LA Clippers made it four straight wins with 23 points from Blake Griffin . Detroit Pistons, Phoenix Suns and the Charlotte all won their matches . LeBron James scored 28 points for the Cleveland Cavaliers . Jeremy Lin scored a season-high 29 points for the struggling LA Lakers .

 a little more losing with homecourt advantage for the Western Conference and its first-round playoff series against the Grizzlies already clinched.
The Spurs took the lead for good with 30 seconds left in the first quarter and outscored the Hawks 40-18 in the second period. San Antonio's 24 assists were one more than its average coming into the game and they were responsible for 26 of the team's 39 field goals.
"It's just been a team effort all year," Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich said after the game. "I think that it's not often that teams win with a lot of different people. I think this is what has contributed to our success: that each guy has really accepted the responsibility for playing for each other and not just for himself."
Tony Parker led the Spurs with 24 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and a steal. Kawhi Leonard also finished with 24 points and added a team-leading five steals. Danny Green added 19 points and eight rebounds. Patty Mills and Manu Ginobili each scored 11 points off the bench.
The Spurs were also very good on the defensive end of the court, holding the Hawks to 37.4% shooting from the field and 10.0% shooting from 3-point range.
"We just tried to do our jobs and play hard," Spurs guard Manu Ginobili said. "I think if we defend and give good rotations and work together, we're going to have a great game."
Jeff Teague led the Hawks with 18 points and eight assists. Shelvin Mack started in place of the injured Jeff Teague and played the first 14 minutes of the game, scoring eight points on 4-of-5 shooting. He had a poor last three minutes, missing all four shots and committing two turnovers. It appears he will return to the bench Tuesday when the Hawks visit the New York Knicks for a matchup with the Knicks' former assistant and Teague's former mentor, Mike Woodson.
"We're going to come out and do what we're supposed to do, play hard and compete," Mack said after Sunday's loss. "This is a tough game, a very difficult game. You know what type of environment it is to come in here, play these guys, play in this environment. It's one of the toughest, if not the toughest road game we'll play. So


Many parents are afflicted by 'weight-blindness', unable to recognise their child is overweight unless they are extremely obese, new research has found. The research discovered that just under a third (31 per cent) of the parents underestimated where their child's body mass index (BMI) was on obesity scale. The scale  classifies children as very overweight (or obese), overweight, a healthy weight, or underweight. Many parents are afflicted by 'weight blindness', and are unable to recognise their child is overweight unless they are extremely obese, according to new research (file picture) Just four parents described their child as being very overweight despite 369 children being officially identified as such (1 per cent) and fewer than 1 per cent overestimated their child's weight status. According to official guidelines, children are classified as overweight at the 85th centile and very overweight (or obese) at the 95th centile. The team estimated that for a child with a BMI at the 98th centile there was an 80 per cent chance that the parent would classify their child as a healthy weight. Tam Fry, spokesperson for the National Obesity Forum and chair of the Child Growth Forum said: ‘Because there are so many overweight and obese children around, the parents are in denial. 'They say “my Jonny is no fatter than the child down the road”. 'My advice would be that if any parent is concerned about their child’s weight, they should take the child to the doctor or chemist. ‘Think of an excuse to go down. Have the doctor or chemist take the BMI. 'When they have the result they can reassure the parent, or give them advice on whether the child’s weight is too high. ‘BMI is a very good measure, but it needs input from a health professional who can look at the child holistically and judge whether there is a problem or not. ‘Parents will not be able to measure their child accurately as they won't have the correct measurements for height and for weight bathroom scales are notoriously inaccurate. ‘They need to be properly measured by a professional who can make a proper judgement and give proper advice. ‘You cannot tell if a child is overweight or obese on one measure. 'You need to look at the child’s BMI and ideally plot this against their BMI three months ago.' However, they recognised that parents became more likely to classify their child as overweight when the child had a BMI above the 99.7th centile. The study found that parents were more likely to underestimate their child's weight if they were black or south Asian, from more deprived backgrounds, or if the child was male. Researchers suggested that if parents cannot identify when their child is overweight, this throws into question the effectiveness of public health campaigns aiming to address obesity in the home. Recent research found that a third of children in England are now classed as overweight or obese. Parents might underestimate their children's weight due to be fear of being judged, unwillingness to label a child as overweight, and shifting perceptions of normal weight because of increases in body weight in general. They said evidence suggests that parents who recognise their child's weight on the BMI chart are more likely to perceive potential health risks. The study was led by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and UCL Institute of Child Health. It involved questioning the parents of 2,976 children in five primary care trusts: Redbridge, Islington, West Essex, Bath and North East Somerset, and Sandwell. The team said the research could help evaluate how effective public health interventions for obesity in children are likely to be in different groups of the population. Senior author Dr Sanjay Kinra, of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said: 'If parents are unable to accurately classify their own child's weight, they may not be willing or motivated to enact the changes to the child's environment that promote healthy weight maintenance.' Co-author Professor Russell Viner, of the UCL institute of Child Health, said: 'Measures that decrease the gap between parental perceptions of child weight status and obesity scales used by medical professionals may now be needed in order to help parents better understand the health risks associated with overweight and increase uptake of healthier lifestyles.' Graph, from the US' Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, shows how an a 10 year old boy would be considered healthy, underweight, healthy, overweight or obese depending on which percentile they are in on the BMI chart. A 10 year old with a BMI of 23 would be in the obese category (95th percentile or greater) The study was published in the British Journal of General Practice. Amanda McLean, director of the World Cancer Research Fund, said: ‘By encouraging children to eat healthily, maintain a healthy weight, and be regularly physically active, parents can help children develop healthy habits and protect against health problems later in life. ‘We know that obesity is linked to a range of health risks later in life – including increased cancer risk – so it’s vital that parents are aware of their child’s Body Mass Index (BMI), and can spot if their youngster is starting to become overweight. ‘But we also need to acknowledge that more can, and should, be done to encourage healthy eating and greater physical activity in our society. We need targeted policies that help people lead healthy lives – from clearer nutritional labelling to a focus on health education in schools. ‘By encouraging good habits we can help future generations lead happy, healthy, lives.’ World Cancer Research Fund’s Great Grub Club has plenty of advice and tools for parents to help their children get healthy in fun, easy ways. Parents who are able to recognise whether their child is overweight are more likely to perceive potential health risks and change their lifestyles, researchers said .

A third of parents underestimated their child's body mass index (BMI) Just 1% of parents of obese children identified their child as overweight . Less than 1% of parents overestimated their child's weight, the study found . Experts: Recognising child's weight helps parents perceive health threats .

 child's weight category lies in the standardised weight-for-height charts that the government uses.
The NHS advises parents to compare their child to the official standards to ascertain whether they are in a healthy weight range or at risk of obesity – the charts state that healthy weight ranges for children are as follows:
- For girls aged two to four – overweight.
- For girls aged five to nine – overweight.
- For girls aged ten to 11 – overweight.
- For boys aged two to four – overweight.
- For boys aged five to nine – overweight.
- For boys aged 10 to 11 – overweight.
- For girls aged 12 to 18 – overweight.
- For boys aged 12 to 18 – overweight.
Experts recommend that children aged five to 11 take part in at least 60 minutes of physical activity a day. This should include at least 180 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity, including aerobic activity, in addition to muscle-strengthening activity on 3 or more days a week. This should be spread throughout the week.
This study was carried out by researchers from Loughborough University in England, as part of the UK National Child Measurement Programme. The researchers analysed the data of 4,650 children aged four to 11 from across the UK.
The team found that many parents had no idea where their child actually ranked in relation to their BMI, meaning that 31 per cent underestimated their child's weight category.
The team also discovered that 13 per cent of parents didn’t recognise their child was in a healthy weight category, even if they were overweight, and 3 per cent were unaware that their child was overweight even though they were classed as obese.
Furthermore, one in five (19 per cent) parents surveyed were completely unaware that their child was in a healthy weight category.
One in five (19 per cent) parents surveyed were completely unaware that their child was in a healthy weight category.
One in six (17 per cent) mothers were unaware that their child was classed as overweight and more than one in ten (12 per cent) parents were completely unaware that their child was classed as overweight.
"We know that overweight children are at an increased risk of developing a number of long-term diseases such as type 2 diabetes and some cancers," says Professor Philip James, Chair of the UK National Child Measurement Programme


They say one man's trash is another man's treasure and that has certainly proved to be the case for entrepreneur Dan Cluderay. While supermarkets regularly throw away food that has gone past its 'best before' date, Mr Cluderay, from Worksop, Nottinghamshire, is now a millionaire after setting up an online business selling out-of-date food to busy mums and bargain hunters. The 40-year-old says the secret to his success is that his business, Approved Food, provides just what the savvy shopper is looking for - quality food at prices which save mums around £60 off their weekly bill compared to a similar shop at one of the big supermarkets. Scroll down for video . Dan Cluderay is enjoying the fruits of his labour after his online business selling out-of-date food proves to be a hit with busy mums . Mr Cluderay pitching the Dragons on the BBC show in May last year... but his idea was rejected . However, while Approved Food has been a hit online, it was given a resounding thumbs down by the gurus on the BBC TV show Dragons' Den. In May last year, Mr Cluderay, together with his 50-year-old business partner Andy Needham, had asked the Dragons' Den panel for a £150,000 cash injection offering a ten per cent share in Approved Food. However, the Dragons' Den team, which consisted of Duncan Bannatyne, Kelly Hoppen, Deborah Meaden, Piers Linney and Peter Jones, unanimously turned them down. Not to be thwarted, Mr Cluderay and Mr Needham managed to source £400,000 through loans and investments from elsewhere which has seen Approved Food achieve a £4million turnover. 'It's all very exciting and we have lots of plans to take the business further,' said father-of-two Mr Cluderay. He said his journey to success began when he was forced to have a career rethink after being made redundant from his job at an IT firm in 2001. Andy's idea didn't excite Dragons' Den investors, from left to right, Duncan Bannatyne, Kelly Hoppen, Deborah Meaden, Piers Linney and Peter Jones . Inside the Approved Food warehouse which stocks a range of products from toilet roll to dog food . Bag a bargain: Slim-Fast mix  available for £.199 and 99p pineapple juice are some of the drinks on offer . Together with his wife, Nichola, the pair set up market stalls in Hull, Leeds and Doncaster selling branded chocolate, fizzy drinks and crisps which had been shunned by a range of supermarkets as they were either fast approaching or past their 'best before' date. For six years, come rain or shine, the couple, who hail from Worksop, sourced and sold the goods to a loyal band of shoppers. However, it was after taking delivery of a crate of Twinings nettle tea that Mr Cluderay said he had his 'eureka moment'. 'I suddenly realised that while there might not be the demand for nettle tea in Doncaster, if I could match the goods with customers looking to buy, I'd be on to a winner,' said Mr Cluderay, who has two sons, nine-year-old Rudi and Jay, five. While still working seven days a week on the market stalls, he utilised all his computer skills to start forming a plan to launch his business, Approved Food. Dan Cluderay (right) with his partner Andy Needham at their busy Sheffield Warehouse . Check out: The warehouse in Sheffield is dispatching 600 orders a day . Mr Cluderay also sells household products on his out-of-date goods website . 'I was working on my idea wherever I could,' said Mr Cluderay. 'Even in my son's playroom I'd be beavering away.' It was on 14 August 2008, that Mr Cluderay received his very first order, the day after his website went live. 'I'd collected the names and address of 300 people who I thought would be interested in buying products which are perfectly fine but have have just gone past their sell by date,' he said. 'I was excited sending out the list but even more excited when someone bought something the next day!' Since then, Approved Food has gone from strength to strength as thrifty mothers and other savvy shoppers make the most of items such as loo roll, dog food, sweets and sauces. 'There are only two dates people really need to know about,' explained Mr Cluderay. 'The "best before" date which means that the food will be at its optimum before that date and acts as a guide to the quality, and then there's the "use by" date which is concerned with the safety aspect. 'It's only the "use by" date that means food has to be eaten by then or it could make you ill, which is the case with fish and meat, for example. 'Food is perfectly fine to be eaten way past its "best before" date, as people know, but the large supermarkets won't do that and that's where we come in. Dan reveals how he made his millions by selling out-of-date food on tonight's Bargain Fever Britain . A Twix for 29p and 19p Special K crisps are among the deals on the Approved Food website . Busy, busy, busy: The team prepares to pack hundreds of items proving popular with shoppers . 'We sell food, such as cans of baked beans, pasta sauce, tins of tuna, which may have gone past their "best before" date by a few weeks, but everyone knows they will taste just the same as the products which have weeks left to run.' Mr Cluderay said they dispatch around 600 orders a day with his average shopper spending around £40 a week buying cupboard staples such as pasta, pasta sauce, flour and  toilet rolls. 'By comparison, they'd be spending around £100 at one of the major supermarkets so they're actually saving around £60 which they can then spend on something else. 'We don't touch food that has a limited shelf life such as fresh chicken and fresh fish, but we do sell hardy vegetables.' Currently operating from a huge warehouse in Sheffield and employing 50 full-time staff, he says he can imagine a time when they have bases around the world. 'I can imagine warehouses in many countries. The Germans in particular are very savvy shoppers and love branded goods, they also love English chocolate, so we get a lot of orders,' he said. 'We also sell huge Polish chocolate bars, which cost around ten pence each to buy from us which is also extremely popular. 'Our biggest customers are by far and away mothers as they're the ones usually in charge of the  purse strings and are always thinking how to feed their families. If they're happy, then so are we.' Mr Cluderay and Approved Food will be featured on the television programme Bargain Fever Britain tonight on ITV at 8pm. The show takes a look at the UK's insatiable appetite for deals and discounts and will also go behind the scenes at American wholesale giant Costco, car supermarket Motorpoint and the shoe chain Shoe Zone. USE BY... You will see 'use by' dates on food that goes off quickly, such as smoked fish, meat products and ready-prepared salads. Don't use any food or drink after the end of the 'use by' date on the label, even if it looks and smells fine. This is because using it after this date could put your health at risk. For the 'use by' date to be a valid guide, you must follow storage instructions such as ‘keep in a refrigerator’. If you don't follow these instructions, the food will spoil more quickly and you may risk food poisoning. Once a food with a ‘use by’ date on it has been opened, you also need to follow any instructions such as ‘eat within three days of opening’. But remember, if the ‘use by’ is tomorrow, then you must use the food by the end of tomorrow, even if the label says ‘eat within a week of opening’ and you have only opened the food today. If a food can be frozen its life can be extended beyond the ‘use by’ date. But make sure you follow any instructions on the pack, such as ‘cook from frozen’ or ‘defrost thoroughly before use and use within 24 hours’. Shoppers should make sure they don't risk their health by eating goods after the end of its use-by date . BEST BEFORE... ‘Best before’ dates appear on a wide range of frozen, dried, tinned and other foods. ‘Best before’ dates are about quality, not safety. When the date is passed, it doesn't mean that the food will be harmful, but it might begin to lose its flavour and texture. Eggs can be eaten after their ‘best before’ date as long as they are cooked thoroughly until both yolk and white are solid, or if they are used in dishes where they will be fully cooked such as a cake. Cooking eggs until both the white and yolk are solid will kill any bacteria, such as salmonella. People who are in ‘at-risk’ groups should only eat eggs, or food containing eggs, that have been thoroughly cooked. These groups include: babies and toddlers; elderly people; pregnant women; people who are already unwell. Every year in the UK we throw away 7.2m tonnes of food and drink, most of which could have been eaten. So think carefully before throwing away food past its ‘best before’ date. Remember, the ‘best before’ date will only be accurate if the food is stored according to the instructions on the label, such as ‘store in a cool dry place’ or ‘keep in the fridge once opened’. DISPLAY UNTIL/ SELL BY... Date marks such as ‘display until’ or ‘sell by’ often appear near or next to the ‘best before’ or ‘use by’ date. These are instructions for shop staff, not for shoppers. The important dates for you to look for are the ‘use by’ and ‘best before’ dates. Information on the NHS website .

Dan Cluderay specialises in selling out-of-date food . Market stall proved such a success he moved business to the internet . Dad-of-two was turned down for cash injection by TV show Dragons' Den .

ay has turned their excess stock into £50,000.
Mr Cluderay has created a special food market which is stocked with items that have passed their sell-by dates but are still absolutely fine to eat. On top of that, everything has been heavily discounted to attract customers to the store.
Mr Cluderay, 44, has become the first person to have created such a store in the UK and has now opened two in north London with the help of his wife, Julie, 42. After moving to the area from Sydney in 2009, Mr Cluderay says he was astonished by the amount of good food that was being thrown out. The store, called The Bargain Bin, currently has 500 items with each item having a different price but the majority are under £2.
The entrepreneur has also taken up the challenge of trying to save as much of the food as possible, which he says costs him around £50,000 per year.
As soon as the food has passed its 'best before' date, it is transported to the store at the corner of Wembley high road and Mill Lane in Kentish Town, north London, from Tesco, Asda and M&S. It is then stocked and sold at between £5 and £8, with the odd item as much as £20.
Mr Cluderay says that while supermarkets are throwing away food, there is a large amount of people who need food and he said: “We had to do something because we had to do something.”
The entrepreneur was told by a councillor that food waste would make a good business opportunity, but he was surprised to learn that it is allowed for food to be thrown away. However, he says there is a reason for it - to save supermarkets from taking a financial hit for it. He said: “People don't want to know if the stuff's got a date on it. They just want food.”
He also claims that there's nothing "wrong" with it at all and that the food could be eaten. He says: “I don't understand the problem that some people say. It’s just because they’re saying, oh it’s got this date on it, so it’s got to go in the bin. People don't want to know.”
According to Mr Cluderay, there's an ever-growing number of people in the UK who are living on


It has been revealed Indonesia is considering putting a moratorium on the death penalty as the country is just days away from killing convicted drug smugglers Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukuraman. This news emerged during a panel discussion at the United Nations' Human Rights Council in Geneva, with more than 24 countries - including Indonesia and Australia - in attendance. At the meeting, which aims for the 'abolition of the death penalty', UN assistant secretary-general Ivan Simonovic called the practice an 'inhuman and outdated punishment'. Just days before the impending executions of Myuran Sukuraman (left) and Andrew Chan (right), Indonesia has revealed it could be reinstating its moratorium on the death penalty . He told the gathered countries there was no evidence death row stopped criminal activity, the UN News Centre reported. Mr Simonovic added it was 'too often applied to the poor and marginalised foot soldiers' rather than on those who were leading drug organisations. During the meeting, human rights organisation Franciscans International urged nations - singling out Indonesia - that still dole out the death penalty to adopt a moratorium and grant mercy to inmates on death row. In response, Indonesia diplomats said the death penalty was a constant topic discussed by their country, according to a summary of the debate. UN assistant secretary-general Ivan Simonovic called the death penalty an 'inhuman and outdated punishment' They also called on the countries that still had the death penalty to observe the full process of law. The officials went on further to say Indonesia already had a moratorium in place and could reinstate it for crimes they thought were most serious. In 2013, Indonesia executed its first prisoners after a four-year stay on executions, Fairfax Media reported. This comes as Australia plans to lodge an official complaint with Indonesia's Ambassador, Nadjib Kesoema, at their outrage and ethical displeasure with images of a Balinese police chief posing and smiling with Chan and Sukuraman during their transfer to Nusakambangan for their execution. This comes as Australia plans to lodge an official complaint with Indonesia's Ambassador, Nadjib Kesoema (above) The complaint is over images of a Balinese police chief posing and smiling with the Bali Nine duo, which caused outrage . One of the pictures depicts Djoko Hari Utomo, the police chief of the Balinese capital of Denpasar, placing his hand on Andrew Chan's shoulder and smiling for the camera. Another shows his hand on the shoulder of Myuran Sukumaran who was captured gazing up at the officer. Although summoned to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ambassador Kesoema is understood to be in Perth and cannot appear at the in person. A senior official, likely to be department secretary Peter Varghese will inform the ambassador of Australia's shock at the images through a telephone call whilst also appealing again for clemency. The police chief has denied it was a 'selfie moment', saying he was telling the Bali Nine duo to stay strong, according to Fairfax Media. Chan and Sukuraman are spending their second night on Nusakambangan, awaiting their execution at Besi prison . The pair are being kept in cells in semi-isolation with a toilet and tiny washing area - a stark contrast to their group cells in Bali's Kerobokan prison . It is expected the Australians will meet their fate by firing squad this weekend after they were transferred from Bali on Wednesday . Chan and Sukuraman are spending their second night on Nusakambangan, awaiting their execution. The pair are being kept in cells in semi-isolation with a toilet and tiny washing area - a stark contrast to their group cells in Bali's Kerobokan prison. It is expected the Australians will meet their fate by firing squad this weekend.

Indonesian diplomats were at the United Nations' Human Rights Council . A meeting was held in Geneva to discuss how to abolish the death penalty . UN assistant secretary-general said practice was 'inhuman and outdated' In response, Indonesia said it thinking of reintroducing its moratorium . The country said it already been in place but was lifted for serious crimes . It comes as Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran are days from execution .

 Rights Council in Geneva, and is the latest development to emerge after a United Nations-appointed envoy recently met with the Indonesian president to discuss the controversial punishment.
Indonesia has previously defended capital punishment, but will now re-think its stance after the country's ambassador to Switzerland, Tito Karnavian, held talks with the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Philip Alston. The envoy will return to Indonesia to consult with other ministries before returning to the Human Rights Council again in January next year.
In light of these meetings, Amnesty International, which has long called for the Indonesian government to "halt the executions", urged the government to ensure their findings would be taken into consideration. Its Southeast Asia researcher, Nicholas Bequelin, said: "In this light, we urge the authorities in Indonesia to work with the envoy and ensure that his visit leads to concrete actions to prevent the executions."
The "Death Penalty in Indonesia" report published by Amnesty International in June revealed the country was one of the 35 countries that executed more than 1,000 people in 2013. It stated that 1,636 individuals had been executed in Indonesia between 1990 and 2014, and the last three executions took place in September 2013. As a result of the report, Amnesty International called for the Indonesian government to "halt all executions" as it said the punishment failed to achieve its supposed purpose – deterring people from committing serious crimes.
In spite of this, the death penalty is still actively used. According to information from Amnesty International's Death Penalty Worldwide annual update report, 11 people had been confirmed as having been executed in Indonesia by the beginning of November. These were six foreign nationals, a convicted drug dealer, and two men convicted of murder. If Indonesia follows through with this moratorium, it would leave Indonesia in the company of only eight other countries – Bangladesh, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Guinea, the Maldives, Papua New Guinea and the United States – that have temporarily stopped the death penalty.
As noted by Amnesty International, other countries such as Germany, Canada, Italy and Brazil – all of which have abolished the death penalty in law – will also be sending envoys to the UN's Human Rights Council in an attempt to deter Indonesia from executing 17-year-old Chan and 33-year-old Sukuraman. The envoy from Canada, for example,


There are two players in the post-Tiger Woods era who have left Graeme McDowell feeling utterly helpless and wondering how on earth he can compete. One, of course, is his old friend Rory McIlroy. And the other is Dustin Johnson. As it turned out, McDowell, like everyone else, didn’t have to worry about beating the American because he was too busy beating himself. Johnson vehemently denies a failed test for recreational drugs use prompted him to take a six-month leave of absence that caused him to miss the Ryder Cup last year. Whether that is true or not, there were plenty of other party-style vices he did own up to that needed addressing and were enough by themselves to turn an obvious world top-three player into one struggling to stay in the top 20. American Dustin Johnson (left) won the WGC Cadillac Championship on Sunday . Graeme McDowell hits onto the 18th green after his ball landed near a tree at the WGC Cadillac Championship . McDowell holds Johnson in the same regard as fellow Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy . Johnson shows off his awesome power off the tee with another brutal drive at Doral . Johnson stands 6ft 4in and is such a naturally talented athlete he had every sporting coach at his college clamouring for him to specialise in their particular pursuit. When he started making millions from golf, it was hardly surprising that temptation lay at every turn. Only Adam Scott attracted more swooning women than Johnson, but only Scott was wise enough to pick his way through the pitfalls. And now Johnson’s back. Will this turn out like another John Daly fable, where he returns but only to fall back into his old ways as quick as a lead can disappear on a pressure-filled Sunday? Happily, all the signs point the other way. During the break, his fiancee Paulina Gretzky — whose ice hockey-playing father Wayne holds the same revered status in Canada that Kenny Dalglish holds in Liverpool — gave birth to their first child. When Johnson starting practising ahead of his return, his coach Butch Harmon couldn’t believe the difference mentally. Johnson's happy family life with Paulina Gretzky (left) could spell trouble for McIlroy (right) on the course . Johnson's form has been stunning since he became a father. Gretzky gave birth to son, Tatum, in January . Gretzky and Johnson share a kiss, while Tatum watches, after his victory in Miami on Sunday . It’s showing on the golf course. Heck, he’s only played five events following that long break and he’s already had two second-place finishes and, on Sunday, a classy win in the WGC-Cadillac Championship at Doral. How’s that for talent? It was all on show on the 18th hole on Sunday. The water hazard that juts out at 300 yards to the edge of the fairway and caught even McIlroy’s drive? Johnson cleared it comfortably. McIlroy hit a three-iron for his third shot; Johnson had an eight-iron. It was the eighth consecutive season in which Johnson has managed at least one victory. The next best sequence on the PGA Tour is Justin Rose’s five. Johnson was handed the Gene Sarazen Cup by Donald Trump after his victory at the weekend . Johnson pictured putting on the sixth hole during his final round in Florida on Sunday . Johnson insists that his six-month absence from golf was not down to a failed drugs test . Just like the Northern Irishman, his game is built on devastating power and accuracy from the tee. Now 30, he has given McIlroy an enormous head start. Imagine the pair coming down the stretch at a major with one man having four Grand Slam wins to draw upon while the other is still awaiting his first? But if you’re looking for the player who ought to run McIlroy the closest over the next few years, Johnson has the game. And now — finally — it looks like he might also have the brain. ‘I can hardly believe I’ve played a tournament without a single bogey. I didn’t think it was possible on this course.’ It was a good job it was possible for the impressive Korean Inbee Park, for it’s about the only way any of the women can beat 17-year-old Lydia Ko these days. Inbee Park (left) won the Women's Championship trophy in Singapore by two shots over Lydia Ko . Park (second right) won the tournament by not firing a single bogey across the four rounds . Ko, wh became golf's youngest-ever world No 1 last month, finished the event in second place . Even so, 26-year-old Park still only won the HSBC Women’s Champions tournament in Singapore by two shots from the New Zealander, who has two wins and now this second place to her name since becoming golf’s youngest-ever world No 1 last month. Sections of the American press are wondering why Rory McIlroy was given a largely free pass for tossing his three-iron into the water last week while the criticism that would have followed Tiger Woods, if he’d done it, ‘would have blown up the internet’. So let’s see if we can explain the difference. At the age of 25 Woods never engaged with spectators, rarely signed autographs, was frequently seen spitting on the side of greens and treated the press with barely concealed contempt. McIlroy acknowledges the crowds, devotes hours of his time to signing autographs and spends way longer than he needs trying to give an insight to the media. Reap what you sow, it’s called. American media has queried if Tiger Woods would have got more stick than McIlroy for throwing a club away . McIlroy threw his three-iron into the lake in Florida but a scuba diver later discovered it . It is not known whether Woods (right) will compete at the Masters at Augusta next month . As for whether Tiger will be back for the Masters next month there is, of course, no word. No update on his progress, nothing. To turn the question around: could you ever imagine McIlroy acting like that? The only thing we can say with a degree of certainty is that Friday is surely a big day if Woods is to turn up at Augusta. That’s the deadline for entering the Arnold Palmer Invitational next week — and if he doesn’t play in that event, one he’s won a remarkable eight times, it’s hard to envisage him playing the Masters.

Dustin Johnson had a six-month leave of absence from golf . He fiercely rejected rumours it was because of a failed drugs test . He won the WGC Cadillac Championship in Florida on Sunday .

 Johnson.
Now ranked No1 on the planet, the 35-year-old American, like the Co Down golfing legend, can still be affected by a ‘meltdown’ on course.
“There is a little bit of that,” says the 2010 US Open champion. “But not a lot. Rory can have it bad in the moment, then just be the same guy who plays a really good game after. Dustin can be in the same position.
“Dustin’s is just a little different because he can still play really good and win a tournament. It doesn’t matter. I can see how he is in that position, where he just goes off and doesn’t know what to do, then you’re chasing the game and that can be really hard to get over.”
McIlroy will be among those looking for some form of ‘redemption’ – the term that has accompanied most of his major performances so far this year – when the Open comes to Royal Liverpool in July.
The former world No1 has missed the cut in each of his last five attempts at a major while McDowell has yet to break the top five since claiming his third and last Tour victory.
At the start of his career McIlroy looked poised to dominate majors but, in his words, he has a tendency to get “a little bit tense”.
“I don’t think there is a right or wrong attitude. The thing is, I can only go out there and play,” says McDowell, who tees up for this week’s Irish Open at Rosapenna.
“My mindset was exactly the same a week ago as the week before. When I was (in) St Louis, I had a meltdown on Saturday and was four over par.
“I can try to explain it, I can try to say, ‘Well, I didn’t like the course, or I didn’t get enough practice,’ but that’s not the problem. My problem is that I am not quite as locked in as I want to be.
“I can take some positives out of the last three events, where I have made good cuts, I have had a few good rounds, and that’s what I want to continue.”
He says his “inner voice” is still saying: “That’s not good enough, I need to play better. It feels like I’m constantly waiting for the


(CNN)When Indiana Gov. Michael Pence signed his state's Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), he apparently did not anticipate the resulting uproar.  Many of Indiana's businesses fear that the law could be used to allow store owners to deny service to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons. The NCAA has expressed concern about the Final Four, which Indianapolis is hosting this weekend, and other companies have threatened to move their businesses outside of the state. But, when pushed on the issue, Pence insisted that the law is "not about discrimination" but instead is "about protecting the religious liberty of every Hoosier of every faith."  When asked whether he would allow an amendment to clarify that the law will not preclude anti-discrimination protections, the governor doubled-down, noting that "we're not going to change this law." But members of the Indiana legislature beg to differ with the governor, pledging to "fix" Indiana's RFRA. And now, the Governor has changed his tune, also calling for a fix to the bill. Can there really be an easy "fix," short of repealing the Act? The answer is, of course, it depends. Under RFRAs like Indiana's, people are not free to disobey any law in tension with their religious convictions.  Instead, RFRAs create a standard to balance a person's religious interests against the governmental policy at stake.  Under Indiana's RFRA, the government must show that its policy interest advances a compelling state interest and is the least restrictive means to address the problem at issue. The question would then become whether anti-discrimination laws advance a compelling interest in the least restrictive means.  The answer to that question is easy: yes.  The adoption of such laws have long been viewed as advancing compelling state interests, and the only way to eliminate discrimination is to ban it, so they are the least restrictive means. At present in Indiana, there is no state-level law that protects LGBT persons from discrimination by private parties.  In certain cities and other, local jurisdictions, however, there are ordinances prohibiting such discrimination. Indiana would have two ways to "fix" the RFRA problem. The first would be to adopt state-wide nondiscrimination laws that protect LGBT persons.  Such an act would confirm that, as a matter of state policy, protecting the LGBT community is viewed as a compelling state interest.  This would bring Indiana into alignment with Illinois, which has a RFRA, but which also has a comprehensive nondiscrimination statute, ameliorating any concerns about the RFRA being used in discriminatory fashion. Given the wishy-washy answer that Gov. Pence provided when asked whether he thought discrimination against LGBT persons was appropriate, the likelihood of Indiana adopting a comprehensive nondiscrimination statute seems remote at best, eliminating this fix as an option. Another possibility would be to amend the statute to confirm that any federal, state, or local nondiscrimination laws constitute a compelling state interest for the purposes of the RFRA.  Importantly, federal law does not protect LGBT persons from discrimination by private actors, and neither does Indiana state law. But this language would expressly carve out local ordinances from the scope of the RFRA, such as the nondiscrimination ordinance in Indianapolis. In essence, this would preserve much of the law as it existed before the RFRA: absent local nondiscrimination laws, persons are free in Indiana to discriminate against LGBT persons on any basis. This amendment, however, would make clear that the state-level RFRA cannot be used to trump local city ordinances that protect the LGBT community. What are the odds of this second fix? Well, that precise amendment was proposed -- and adopted -- in the Georgia legislature as it considered a RFRA comparable to Indiana's.  The result: the bill's sponsors tabled it, noting that the exception for local nondiscrimination laws would "gut" the bill. That reaction shines a light on the true motivations for these RFRAs.  If these acts aren't about discrimination, then why would ensuring nondiscrimination protections "gut" the bill? It's because these bills truly are about permitting discrimination against the LGBT community.  All of the hand-waving by Gov. Pence and others cannot distract from the truth: RFRAs are the first responses to LGBT advances.

Tim Holbrook: Indiana's law allows discrimination against the LGBT community . He says the state governor and others are using religion act as an excuse .

 owners to refuse service to customers on the basis of race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity.
While the law does say that people can still seek legal remedies in these instances, the thought of a business being allowed to refuse service to a homosexual couple or other disfavored group has sent shockwaves throughout the country, causing such companies as Delta Airlines and Apple to speak out.
While "LGBTQ" is the contemporary term for a variety of people whose sexual orientation or gender identity fall outside of the binary gender model of male or female, it's not widely used historically and is somewhat confusing. It's short for "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender."
People who use the term, however, do so because it is convenient and does not invoke the "gay" label. This is because homosexuality can only be a part of the group. They want to avoid any association with the now outmoded term "gay." The same applies for the "transgender" part of the term. The fact is, there are a lot of gay, lesbian and bisexual people who do not identify as transgender and would not feel comfortable in a group that includes that label.
The truth is, the word LGBTQ has been around for a very long time. But only recently has it become widely used.
There are many different terms and acronyms for people who are LGBTQ that have been used over the years. For the purposes of this conversation, I will use the LGBTQ label, but I do so with the understanding that not all LGBTQ individuals agree with how that label is used. In some cases, the label is a signifier that one person identifies with a particular group while another does not. For instance, some women who are lesbians refer to themselves as "lesbians" rather than as "queer" because of their aversion to the word queer. Some transgender people prefer to be called "transgender" rather than "transsexual" because of the baggage of that latter term. Some people with alternative sexualities prefer the term "queer" to "gay" because it does not fit into the conventional labels for the sexual spectrum. The common label is LGBTQ, but within that group are a diversity of people who use other terms.
All of this is to say that when people use the term LGBTQ or "gay," there are different nuances to those two words.
To be clear, this article is not about the history of the LGBTQ


A fraud gang duped investors into buying diamonds for twenty times their value before using the £1.5m profit to fund lavish shopping sprees in Selfridges, Louis Vuitton and Harrods, a court has heard. Victims were allegedly lured into the 'boiler room' scam by 'persistent and persuasive' salesmen who told them the limited coloured stones would pay handsome returns because they were from mines which were closed or closing. But those involved had allegedly valued the yellow diamonds at more than 2000 per cent their worth, Southwark Crown Court heard. Rommell Brown, 31, (left) and Anna Foord, 20, (right) are among the two defendants accused of orchestrating a 'boiler room' scam by allegedly persuading investors to buy coloured diamonds at twenty times their value . The bank accounts for the two companies through which the sales were made were also haemorrhaging cash on luxury goods, the court heard. More than £2,000 was splurged in Hugo Boss, while £2,100 was spent in Louis Vuitton. It also showed that £7,685 was spent in Selfridges and £1,240 in exclusive department store Harrods. Nearly £3,000 was blown in a New York department store in a single day, the court heard. Rommell Brown, 31, Billy Cosma, 23, Anna Foord, 30, Anton Howell, 28, and Farouq Eshpari, 55, all from London or the south east, are standing trial but deny conspiracy to defraud. Farouq’s sons Omar Eshpari, 34, and Hider Esphari, 28, have admitted conspiracy to defraud while wife Safia Eshpari, 52, admitted concealing, disguising and removing criminal property. Prosecutor Esther Schutzer-Weissman said investors racked up £1.5m losses after paying for precious gems through Evolution Commodities Limited and Stonehouse Global Markets Limited. She told the jury: ‘It was a stone to be used as an asset for investment. The caller was persuasive, the caller was persistent and always suggesting to the investor that purchasing coloured diamonds was an investment that would get good and reliable returns. ‘They were told often that diamonds would be scarcer and rarer and therefore more valuable because a mine, or mines, were closing or had closed. Billy Cosma, 23 (left) is also accused of conspiracy to defraud. Hider Esphari, 28 (right) admitted the charge at Southwark Crown Court . ‘They were told this was a limited time opportunity and they were told that the investment was guaranteed to provide a good return, depending of course on how long the diamond was kept before selling on. ‘Calls would be followed by letters that provided more concrete information about the investment prospect of the stones.’ She told the court how a certificate was sent for each purchased diamond, giving details of clarity and cut.  But, crucially, the certificate did not include the value, the court heard. Many clients also took up the offer of free storage from the company, said Ms Schutzer-Weissman. The bank accounts for the companies showed more than £1,240 was spent in exclusive London department store Harrods (pictured) The court was told how one investor allegedly duped the by scam was telephoned by Hider Eshpari. Using an alias, he told him it was an ‘exciting market for coloured diamonds’ and offered to send him a brochure. A short time later, he received more phone calls from Evolution telling him there was fantastic potential for investment and that a mine was closing in Australia, it is alleged. The client visited the company offices in August 2011 and agreed to buy a round brilliant orange brown diamond weighing 0.28 carats. He paid £5,550 for the stone after finding out it was one of the last they had in stock, jurors heard. Later that month he visited again and purchased an orange yellow diamond weighing 0.31 carats for £14,450. Hider Eshpari told him its worth would rocket at Chinese New Year when demand for the diamonds increased. More than £2,000 was splurged in Hugo Boss, while £7,685 was spent in Selfridges (pictured) But the first gem was worth only £270 and the second just £440. Ms Schutzer-Weissman said: ‘Those figures are not disputed - when I said there was a big mark up, those are the types of mark up we are thinking about. ‘It is agreed the diamonds sold by Evolution are worth far less than they were sold for.’ She added: ‘You may think that the business was being run as a cash cow for these defendants. ‘These defendants were aware that the benefits they receives were not as a result of business acumen but as a result of intentional and persistent fraud.' Brown, 39, from Edmonton, north London and Howell, 26, from Chigwell, Essex, both deny two charges of conspiracy to defraud. Cosma, from Buckhurst Hill, Essex denies a single charge of conspiracy to defraud. Foord, from Elstree, Hertfordshire, denies two charges of conspiracy to defraud and a further charge of money laundering. Farouq Eshpari, from  Enfield, Middlesex, also denies a charge of money laundering. Omar and Hider Eshpari, of the same address, have admitted two counts of conspiracy to defraud while Safia, also at the address, admitted money laundering. The trial, which is expected to run for six weeks, continues. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.

Victims allegedly lured into scam by 'persistent and persuasive' salesmen . They said yellow stones were from mines which were closing, court told . Gang's account showed money was blown in New York and London stores . Rommell Brown, 31, Billy Cosma, 23, Anna Foord, 30, Anton Howell, 28, and Farouq Eshpari, 55, deny conspiracy to defraud . Eshpari’s sons Omar Eshpari, 34, and Hider Esphari, 28, admitted charge . Wife Safia Eshpari, 52, admitted concealing and removing criminal property .

 from around the world by claims the gems offered for sale were from the war-torn Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Detectives from Operation Griffin, led by specialist officers from the Metropolitan police and working alongside counter-terrorist investigators, yesterday arrested four men, all in their twenties, on suspicion of fraud and money laundering.
Two were held in the Isle of Wight and one was detained in Hounslow, west London, while another was arrested in Birmingham, and the fourth was being held yesterday at a custody centre.
Met detectives said they seized 100 diamonds, £20,000 in cash and several luxury goods during searches of four properties. Police believe the diamonds were purchased in Africa for around £15,000 and sold for £300,000.
Detective chief superintendent Peter Spindler, head of the Met's counter-terrorism command, said he believed the gang were part of a far-reaching investigation to take advantage of the economic turmoil.
In a statement, he said: "At least nine properties, including garages and sheds, had been searched. There were allegations there was the potential for a number of people to have been involved in the con – some of whom may not be from the UK."
The gang is believed to have advertised its diamonds on websites across Europe, while claiming the stones were mined legally in the DRC and that a government tax had been paid.
Spindler said: "At the centre of this investigation are allegations that the gang purchased the "conflict diamonds" in Africa, selling them in countries across Europe and then claiming the gemstones originated from government-approved mines."
The Met, working with the Serious Fraud Office and the Crown Prosecution Service, has launched Operation Griffin in response to growing economic fraud and white-collar crime. It also targets those exploiting the recent wave of instability in the Middle East, the economic downturn and the "dubious business practices of many banks and financial institutions".
Last year, it uncovered one of the biggest money-laundering scams of recent times, with a sophisticated operation siphoning more than £140m from a UK banking system.
In August, the SFO charged two men over an alleged conspiracy involving £1.5m of stolen jewellery. The pair were alleged to have bought diamonds in the DRC before selling them in the UK.
They were alleged to have sold gems in South Kensington and Leicester and in one case in 2007 they were accused of selling a


Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet is too modest to claim the club’s recent revival is partly due to his own impressive personal comeback after he had been dropped earlier in the season by manager Brendan Rodgers. Nevertheless, the facts show that the resurgent Reds go into Saturday's potential top-four decider against Manchester United at Anfield having been beaten only once in 19 domestic games — a Capital One Cup semi-final second leg against Chelsea — since Mignolet returned to the side on Boxing Day. Prior to that, they had lost four out of seven in the Premier League and had slipped to 10th place. Simon Mignolet has been in impressive form for Liverpool during their resurgence in the Premier League . The Liverpool goalkeeper was dropped from the side earlier in the season after a number of mistakes . The Belgian first found out he had been axed the day before Liverpool faced United in the reverse fixture at Old Trafford in December when United won 3-0. ‘The gaffer took me into his office to tell me I wouldn’t play against United. It was disappointing and I could have let my head drop, but I decided to be positive to make sure my period on the sidelines was as short as possible,’ said Mignolet. ‘I trained the next day to make sure I’d be ready in a better way when the opportunity arose.’ His wish came true. When in-favour Brad Jones injured his thigh four matches later at Burnley, Mignolet came on, kept a clean sheet and has not looked back since. A 1-0 win at Swansea City on Monday was his sixth consecutive clean sheet away from home — the first time that has happened since the days of Bill Shankly. Mignolet makes a fine save from a Gylfi Sigurdsson strike during the win against Swansea on Monday . The Belgian keeper kept his sixth consecutive Premier League away clean sheet against the Swans . Victory against United would lift Liverpool into the top four and they would then be favourites to join Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal in next season’s Champions League. The loss at Old Trafford when Rodgers first introduced a three-man defence and played Raheem Sterling up front now appears to be a watershed in the club’s campaign. ‘I don’t think it’s anything to do with me personally,’ said Mignolet. ‘The gaffer changed the system [to 3-4-3] and since then things have been very organised. We don’t give many chances away and everybody is willing to work for each other. ‘It’s all about working as a unit. We have dealt well with set-pieces and at the other end, scored goals.’ Having been heavily criticised for key mistakes earlier in the season and dubbed ‘Dracula’ by former Liverpool goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar for being indecisive with crosses, Mignolet is not taking recent good publicity for granted, even though he was Liverpool’s man-of-the-match at Swansea following crucial saves from Gylfi Sigurdsson and Bafetimbi Gomis. Mignolet, who was dropped earlier in the season, trains alonside Joe Allen and Lazar Markovic . Liverpool have only lost once in 19 domestic matches since Mignolet returned to the side . ‘As a goalkeeper you’re only remembered for your last game. I know I played half-decent against Swansea but if things turn around against Manchester United on Sunday, no one will mention that,’ he said. ‘I know how it goes and how football is. You have to accept it, but that is also something positive because there’s always something new around the corner. ‘The next game is always the biggest one. That’s what we say.’ After last season’s thrilling challenge for the league title, Rodgers reacted bravely when the first half to this campaign did not go according to plan. Liverpool impressed at Old Trafford in December but fell to a 3-0 loss after a David De Gea masterclass . Emre Can has emerged as a key figure in Liverpool's three-man defence in the past few months . Summer signings Mario Balotelli, Lazar Markovic, Dejan Lovren, Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert were sidelined, while club captain Steven Gerrard was allowed to negotiate a deal to join LA Galaxy this summer. Instead, Sterling was used as a centre-forward until Daniel Sturridge’s recent return from injury as Rodgers returned to last season’s quick-passing style. At the back, midfielder Emre Can was asked to be part of a back-three with Martin Skrtel and the restored Lovren. As results improved, Markovic and Lallana were brought back in and the team remain unbeaten in the Premier League in 2015, having taken 33 points from a possible 39. Liverpool have narrowed the gap on United from 10 points to two. They are rediscovering the art of scoring goals while keeping it tight at the back. The Reds haven't tasted defeat in the Premier League since the outing at Old Trafford . ‘Swansea was an example where we had to grind it out. It was 0-0 at half time and then we came out and put pressure on them high up the field. And we scored out of that [through Jordan Henderson],’ added Mignolet. ‘I think that’s what we are about. The 3-0 defeat away to Manchester United was a while ago and there’s no point in reflecting too much on what has been. Professional footballers have to adapt to any system. It is more to do with the organisation and how everybody does their job rather than the system itself. ‘At the moment, the players are all working really hard. If the gaffer points something out, everybody is ready to listen and make sure it gets done. And it is clicking. ‘There is no point looking over your shoulder [at the past] because what we are thinking about is preparing ourselves the best we can for the Manchester United game.’

Simon Mignolet has been in impressive form for Liverpool in recent weeks . Belgian keeper was dropped earlier in the season after several mistakes . Liverpool have been beaten once in 19 domestic games since his return . Mignolet has kept six consecutive away clean sheets in Premier League . Mignolet credits a change in system with the club's upturn in fortune .

olute Belgian has been a critical figure in Liverpool’s recent success. It wasn’t always like that.
After being part of Belgium’s World Cup squad last summer, Mignolet was expected to be given the Reds’ No 1 jersey and, when he failed to perform, many wondered whether he was worth a transfer fee of £9m, which was Liverpool’s valuation of the shot-stopper in the summer of 2013.
In the first months of the season under new manager Rodgers, Mignolet was given a series of matches, starting with the Capital One Cup final in August and ending with the Europa League semi-final second leg against the same opponents, FC Basel, in mid-April.
The Belgian wasn’t at fault for any of the six goals Liverpool conceded in their two cup finals (two goals at Wembley in the Capital One Cup final and four in the Europa League at Anfield).
This is a far cry from how he played in January last year, when he made a number of high profile howlers. But since his reintroduction to first-team action, Mignolet has been outstanding, with his confidence restored and his technique honed.
What’s the difference? Mignolet himself said: “I wasn’t that happy here last season. I didn’t feel that I was playing the way I’m playing now. A lot has changed for me here and I now know what is expected of me, what kind of player I need to be. If there’s a mistake from me, I’ve got to be right back there, ready to put it right again.”
Rodgers’ decision to buy former Sunderland ‘keeper Craig Gordon as an understudy was a signal of confidence that Mignolet has made great progress under the Northern Irish coach.
Gordon was signed as cover for Mignolet in the summer of 2013. He has been on the bench for many of the Belgian’s matches since, but Mignolet has shown with his performances that he has moved on. The fact that the Northern Irishman hasn’t looked like the starter is testament to the improvements made by Mignolet.
Rodgers’ decision to buy former Sunderland ‘keeper Craig Gordon as an understudy was a signal of confidence that Mignolet has made great progress under the Northern Irish coach
Indeed, it’s no surprise that Mign