For all the positives that England can take from their performance against Russia in their opening Euro 2016 game there remains the worrying issue that their sophisticated modern defenders remain vulnerable to the most basic of attacking ploys -- a long punt into the box.
The dynasty will only be built on European success, though, and after the quarter-final exit to Liverpool, Manchester City's owners, who want a gilded continental powerhouse to match United's global lustre, will demand it and back those demands with huge funding.
England's prospects of ever winning another World Cup will suffer unless reforms are introduced to give home-grown players more chances to shine.
Promising that India will not back down from their "aggressive brand of cricket", team director Ravi Shastri feels consistency and patience would be key to success as the hosts gear up to face South Africa next month.
Nemanja Matic's header ended Sporting's proud four-year unbeaten home run in Europe as Chelsea seized control of Champions League Group G with a 1-0 victory in Lisbon on Tuesday.
'The one thing that a cricketer aspires for is earning the respect of the dressing room and that respect is earned only when any player puts his hand up in adverse conditions and does his job for the team.'
Angry and sad at the way England have been outplayed in the ongoing ODI series against India, former captain Ian Botham and retired spinner Graeme Swann said the performance of the side led by Alastair Cook is nothing short of an "embarrassment".
When England fans sang about '30 years of hurt' at Euro '96 they had high hopes of ending the pain with a first trophy since the 1966 World Cup but 20 years on from that agonising near miss there is precious little optimism in the air.
Players, manager, fans celebrate title triumph with victory parade
Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini said a fond Etihad Stadium farewell to the supporters on Sunday but it was hardly the feel good, celebratory goodbye that he or the fans craved.
British slalom canoeist Fiona Pennie is leaving nothing to chance at this year's Rio Olympics where she will fit a mosquito net to her boat between races to minimise the threat of the Zika virus.
In Brazil it will be the Olympic moment everyone remembers.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho watched his team suffer a 2-1 loss at table-topping Leicester City and then said he felt ashamed at their lowly Premier League position and betrayed by his players.
Often criticised for not delivering overseas, Indian off-spinner R Ashwin says he came of age during the most recent tour of Australia and it won't be long before his wicket-count goes up abroad.
Kevin Mirallas' first-half penalty miss proved costly as Everton's dismal run continued with a 0-0 Premier League draw at home to West Bromwich Albion on Monday.
Manchester United's Radamel Falcao may have hoped for a crumb of comfort from his manager Louis van Gaal, but was instead told on Friday to prove himself or get used to a supporting role at Old Trafford.
David Moyes made light of his first dismissal when he leapt over a fence into the stands to watch the rest of the match and accepted crisps from a girl.
Britain will attempt to win the Davis Cup for the first time in 79 years this weekend when they take on Belgium in Ghent, although if they do succeed the Scottish town of Dunblane could argue its name should be enscribed on the trophy.
Ravichandran Ashwin has said that the Indian team is standing strongly behind beleaguered skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and there is no change in the dressing room atmosphere despite the visitors losing their first-ever ODI series to Bangladesh.
Premier League clubs Watford and Hull City, and Championship side Leeds United paid the penalty for fielding weakened teams when they were all knocked out of the FA Cup in the fourth round on Sunday -- but holders Manchester United won comfortably.
Ever the perfectionist, Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal is still chasing the complete performance despite a run of six straight victories that have propelled his side to third in the Premier League table.
Celebration was tinged with disappointment for Manchester City who eased into the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time on Tuesday but lost Vincent Kompany to injury in a 0-0 draw with Dynamo Kiev.
"Harry Kane, he's one of our own," Tottenham Hotspur supporters sing in praise of the 21 year-old striker from Chingford, the London suburb where David Beckham learnt his football.
England's 2-1 defeat by Iceland at Euro 2016 may have looked like one of the worst reverses in their history yet in many was it was a perfectly logical result.
Hosts France came from behind to beat 10-man Ireland 2-1 and reach the Euro 2016 quarter-finals after two second-half strikes from forward Antoine Griezmann at Parc OL on Sunday. A tactical switch from coach Didier Deschamps at the break revitalised the French, who struggled to find their feet early on after conceding a Robbie Brady penalty in the second minute, the fastest goal in the 2016 tournament.
Nathaniel Clyne's late equaliser earned high-flying Southampton a 1-1 draw at Aston Villa on Monday, denying Paul Lambert a much-needed victory in his 100th match in charge of the Premier League strugglers.
Photos from the Premier League matches played on Sunday
After losing 1-0 at fierce rivals Manchester City last weekend, United are 10th in the English Premier League following their worst start to a campaign since 1986.
Liverpool's half-baked pre-season transfer dealings have come back to bite them with Brendan Rodgers admitting his side have lacked the quality to finish in the Premier League's top four.
Wayne Rooney, who has scored more goals than anyone in the Manchester derby, is back after suspension and fit for Sunday's meeting between the city's two biggest clubs at the Etihad Stadium.
The woman editor of French Closer magazine, that published topless pictures of Kate Middleton last year, and an unnamed photographer have been charged with breaking France's strict privacy rules.
How quickly affections can switch in soccer. Where once they would serenade coach Jose Mourinho at Stamford Bridge with an operatic flourish, now Chelsea fans have fallen headlong for another man driving them inexorably to the Premier League title.
The last 10 Slams have all been won by Djokovic, Federer or Nadal. Will this Wimbledon be different, asks Dhruv Munjal.
Liverpool made it three wins out of three as Mohamed Salah scored twice in a convincing 3-1 victory over Arsenal on Saturday to take control at the top of the Premier League.
'Before Shastri's induction, things were sketchy and it was not known who was responsible for taking cricketing decisions around the team. The selectors chose a squad of players, the captain ran the show on the field and the coaches helped draft plans, or sort of tried to. There needed to be one man who could coordinate all elements around the squad -- someone who had the backing of the Board, the respect of the players and that of the support staff.'
Jamie Vardy wrote a new chapter in his fairytale rise from the wilderness of non-League football to playing for England, when he became the first player to score in 11 consecutive Premier League matches on Saturday.
Christian Eriksen was Spur's ice-man as beat Sheffield to reach League Cup final
Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal's unusually upbeat tones after the latest match-winning heroics of 18-year-old Marcus Rashford in the Premier League derby suggested that the Dutchman had discovered his own young mood-changer.
Rookie all-rounder Mitchell Santner and veteran Grant Elliott have been rewarded for their recent strong performances by being included in New Zealand's list of centrally contracted players on Wednesday.
India's R Ashwin back in top-10 in ICC's ODI bowling rankings
