Comment & analysis round-up

Quote of the day: “We’ve done very well away from home so far this season and we need to be good from now on. We’ve got some really important away games in the run-in — Chelsea, Tottenham and City. Games at Chelsea in the last few years have been tough and we’ve had terrible luck there. The players know what they need to do.” – Sir Alex Ferguson.

Runner-up: “If there is one thing I know about our team it is that we are mentally strong. We have been living with this pressure for the past 3½ years and it has not affected us. If anything it will give us a boost to carry on and if people want to underestimate us, then please do so. I have always said about our team that we bounce back very well. If you lose a game you just have to carry on.” – Vincent Kompany. 

Top articles of the day: Jose Mourinho is ready to make a spectacular return as Chelsea manager. (Rob Beasley, The Sun) Sensational stuff on the backpage of The Sun this morning with Andre Villas-Boas likely to be uncomfortable with the news that his former boss could be heading back to the Bridge.

Terry’s out! England captain ‘to lose armband’… and injury will rule him out of United clash (Matt Lawton & Charles Sale, Daily Mail) “John Terry is expected to be stripped of the England captaincy for a second time after the 14-strong FA board held emergency talks on Thursday. Although Terry is believed to retain the support of Fabio Capello – who will be free to name the centre half in his Euro 2012 squad – the captaincy decision is set to be taken out of the manager’s hands.”

John Terry to lose England captaincy after Anton Ferdinand racism trial is delayed (Paul Kelso & Jason Burt in The Daily Telegraph) Also plenty of certainty in the Telegraph with the Chelsea defender all but certain to lose the captaincy today.

JT’s England future is in Rio’s hands (Steven Howard, The Sun) Very much the main theme of the day – with a ton of papers predicting the end of John Terry’s captaincy of England.

John Terry must not be allowed to go to Euro 2012 (Paul Hayward, The Daily Telegraph) Hayward takes the argument a step further, saying not only should JT be stripped of the captaincy but shouldn’t go to Poland/Ukraine either.

Rooney ready to face Chelsea as United’s injury worries start to ease (Ian Herbert, The Independent) Good news for United ahead of a fixture where they have a shocking recent record.

Redknapp: I will lie to NOTW reporter but not in here (Sam Wallace, The Independent) The latest news from the Redknapp/Mandaric tax trial which is now heading for a third week.

Arsenal fans plan trash-bag protest (John Cross, The Daily Mirror) “Arsene Wenger is facing the humiliation of a bizarre BIN-BAG protest as angry Arsenal fans begin to vote with their feet. One supporters’ group is urging their fellow Gooners to put black bin liners over empty red seats at the Emirates during Saturday’s match against Blackburn to highlight falling attendances.”

Groundhog Day has Arsenal falling short of their goals yet again (Amy Lawrence, The Guardian) Lawrence delves into the troubles at Arsenal with the Gunners still short of a Premier League win in 2012.

Real Madrid want to fund a multi-million pound bid for Sergio Aguero by selling Gonzalo Higuain to Chelsea this summer. (Alex Kay, Daily Mail)

Liverpool eye summer move for Udinese’s £12m-rated Chile midfielder Mauricio Isla (Daily Mail)

Egypt football violence spills over into clashes (Abdel Rahman, The Guardian) And on it goes… “Two dead as riot police use teargas and rubber bullets against hardcore fans enraged by deaths of 74 in Port Said disaster.”

Appalling loss of life in Port Said needs investigating by Fifa, no game is worth a life (Henry Winter, The Daily Telegraph) As ever, Winter is spot on with a fine article on the tragedy in Egypt.