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Diego Maradona compared Argentina's 4-0 World Cup defeat by Germany to being on the wrong end of a punch thrown by Muhammad Ali. Perhaps he needed Ali's legendary trainer Angelo Dundee alongside him on the bench.

In one of the great sports books. David Remnick's 'King of the World,' Dundee recalled his involvement in the first fight with Sonny Liston, when Cassius Clay (as Ali was still called at the time) had been blinded by a substance allegedly put on Liston's gloves. He was threatening to abandon the fight, but Dundee managed to calm him down.

"Isn't experience wonderful?" reflected Dundee.

"I've only been doing this for 48 years. You can't get to where you're hysterical and lose your cool. Then you're no good to the fighter."

The pressure of the World Cup quarter-finals exposed the inexperience - and the lack of emotional control - of Maradona and Brazil coach Dunga.

In Maradona's case, he allowed himself to get carried away by euphoria. As he will surely be reflecting on the plane home, back in March his side won away to Germany with a cautious 4-4-2 formation. In South Africa he went with something more expansive and refused to change back, even when the warning lights were flashing.

After 20 minutes of the second round match against Mexico it was obvious the team was not right. The Mexicans could have been two goals up and Maradona was in earnest conversation with his assistants. There was, as German coach Joachim Loew said after the quarter-final, no balance between attack and defence.

Against Mexico two mistakes got Argentina out of jail - one by the linesman, allowing Carlos Tevez's offside goal to stand, the other from Mexico's Ricardo Osorio, who gifted Gonzalo Higuain the second - but they were not going to get away with it twice.

This is not hindsight - it was clear as day before the game against Geramny began. With the same starting line-up that played against Mexico, they were inviting a rout.

The big change that Maradona had made since March was to include Tevez in place of Juan Sebastian Veron, a switch made largely on emotional grounds.

Tevez is key to the soul of Argentine football, even more so than Lionel Messi. His upbringing in the poor outskirts of Buenos Aires, his time with Boca Juniors, his never say die spirit - it is reminiscent of Maradona himself. The two of them have a bond.

But despite the glorious finish Tevez came up with for his second goal against Mexico, his inclusion in the team was a huge mistake.

Messi's best football in the tournament came while Veron was on the pitch. They formed a partnership which looked like being the central axis of the team. No Veron meant that Messi had to drop deeper in search of the ball, but Messi setting up play for Tevez made little sense, especially in the light of the latter's poor international scoring record.

No Veron also meant no raking diagonal passes to bring Angel Di Maria into the game and left Javier Mascherano desperately overworked with the defensive midfield duties.

All this was apparent before the Germany game. But to act on it, Maradona had to first recognise it - and with Argentina's campaign riding on a wave of optimism, there was no place for a dose of realism.

If Maradona was undone by euphoria, it was anger that did for Dunga, who has always been a man on a mission to shove it down the throats of his critics. As a player, this can be useful. As a coach in charge of 23 players, it can be dangerous.sts

Carlo Ancelotti will rest Joe Cole and Florent Malouda for their FA Cup fourth-round tie at Preston North End having identified the next month as key to determining the destiny of the Premier League title.

Cole, who has started three games in a row for the first time since recovering from a serious knee injury, and Malouda were instrumental in inspiring the 7-2 demolition of Sunderland last weekend but will begin on the bench at Deepdale with Wednesday's visit of Birmingham City in mind. The England midfielder remains no nearer to agreeing new terms at Stamford Bridge, though Ancelotti is "100% clear" Cole will still be at the club next season.
Chelsea will benefit from his freshness in a cluttered fixture schedule ahead, with the manager's midfield options stretched by Michael Essien missing up to six weeks after tearing the meniscus in a knee while training with Ghana at the Africa Cup of Nations. In midweek the club slipped into second behind Arsenal on goals scored and Manchester United have an opportunity to take over the leadership by beating Hull Cirty . Ancelotti believes the month ahead could prove decisive in the championship pursuit.
"Arsenal have a strong period ahead – with games against Aston Villa, Manchester United, us and Liverpool – and it will be a big month in the title race," said the Italian. "Any game can be difficult but the most important will be when we play against them on 7 February. They have a real possibility to win the title, of course. They and Manchester United have different qualities but [provide] the same difficulties. The table is very interesting at the moment because we have one point covering three teams. totomix

The Spanish giants want football's best-known middle-man to try to negotiate a deal with Manchester United. And Roo is one of Real chief Florentino Perez's top summer targets.

A Madrid source said: "Zahavi has been told to do all he can to try to bring Rooney to the Bernabeu. The club are confident a deal can be done."

Speculation about the England striker's future has intensified following revelations about United's precarious finances.
Perez, who signed Cristiano Ronaldo from United in a world-record Ł80million switch last year, normally gets what he wants.
Employing Zahavi shows Real are serious in their pursuit of Rooney, 24.
Zahavi is the go-to guy for all major deals in world football.
The Israeli, who also represents Rio Ferdinand, was the man who brought Roman Abramovich to Chelsea.

Steve Bruce has admitted that Habib Beye is on his radar as a deal to sign Hamburg defender Guy Demel fails to materialise.

The Sunderland boss wanted either Demel or Beye to boost his defence, and as MirrorSport revealed yesterday ex-Newcastle star Beye is now the prime target after a bid was tabled on Wednesday.
Beye, rated at £1.5million, will play for Aston Villa today in only his sixth start of the campaign.
But no deal has been struck with Hamburg and with Demel in Angola for the African Nations’ Cup Bruce says that signing is “highly unlikely.”

Striker David Nugent is happy to stay at Burnley, but only on loan until the end of the season.

The Clarets are keen to keep the Portsmouth forward, who joined them on a temporary basis in September, with the Fratton Park club eager to sell to help ease their crippling debts.
But Nugent is not yet ready to make a long-term commitment to the Turf Moor club and wants to wait until the summer before considering a permanent switch.
The former Preston and Bury man never shone on the South Coast after his £6million signing but has made more of an impact following his return to the North West.

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini is reportedly interested in signing midfield duo Fernando Gago and Mathieu Flamini before the transfer window closes.

The Italian hopes Real Madrid's Gago and AC Milan's Flamini can follow Patrick Vieira, who joined the Eastlands outfit for the remainder of the season from Inter Milan.
"I need players," Mancini was quoted as saying in Gazzetta dello Sport. "Perhaps Real Madrid will give me Gago, maybe Milan (will give me) Flamini."
Flamini was strongly linked with a loan switch to Eastlands earlier in the week but the Serie A outfit claimed they had yet to receive an official offer.
The former Arsenal player has failed to earn a regular place under coach Leonardo and is keen for first-team football in the coming months to ensure a place in France's World Cup squad.
Real's Argentina international Gago has not been a regular with the Spanish giants and has been linked with a move away from the Bernabeu this month.
Mancini, who replaced Mark Hughes in December, hopes French midfielder Vieira will recover from a calf injury in time for the second leg of their Carling Cup semi-final against Manchester United next Wednesday.
"I hope that Vieira is fit for the return," Mancini added.

Aston Villa have distanced themselves from reports that they are close to signing Rangers striker Kris Boyd.

It has been claimed Boyd, 26, has spoken to Villa about signing a pre-contract with Martin O'Neill's side but Villa sources today told Press Association Sport that no deal was imminent.
Rangers' top scorer, who is currently injured, has been offered a new contract with the Clydesdale Bank Premier League leaders, with his existing one due to expire in the summer.
He has also been linked with moves to Middlesbrough and Birmingham, with the latter coming close to landing the forward a year ago when talks broke down over personal terms.
Rangers agreed to sell him at that stage due to the club's financial difficulties, but manager Walter Smith has insisted he is currently under no pressure to offload players.
Smith is keen to tie Boyd up on a longer deal, while assistant Ally McCoist has said the club "would be crazy" not to try to keep him.
Last month saw Boyd break Henrik Larsson's all-time SPL goals record of 158 when he netted five in a 7-1 demolition of Dundee United.
That took his tally to the season to 19 goals, with his partnership with Kenny Miller contributing 31 to Rangers' SPL title bid.
Boyd underwent hernia surgery in Manchester last week and is expected to be out until the middle of next month.
The strike partnership of Boyd and Kenny Miller has produced 31 SPL goals so far this season, with Boyd contributing 19.

Arsenal went top of the Barclays Premier League for the first time since August last night, however their 3-2 victory was overshadowed by Gallas’s foul on Davies, which left Owen Coyle, the Bolton manager, fuming.

Gallas was fortunate not to be sent off for the challenge, which led to Davies being taken off on a stretcher. The incident was missed by Alan Wiley, the referee, and as Davies lay on the turf, Arsenal played on to allow Fàbregas to score his fourteenth goal of the season.
Scans today have revealed Davies has not sustained any long-term damage as a result of the tackle, allaying fears he may have suffered ligament damage or even a fracture.
The news that Gallas will not face retrospective disciplinary action may anger Coyle, who was insistent that the defender should be punished.
“It was akin to assault and it changed the game,” Coyle said. “It’s clearly a foul and closer to a red card than anything else. I don’t want to sit here and make excuses, but I’ve seen red cards for less. He’s gone for an X-ray, but it looks like severe ligament damage. Hopefully it’s not broken.
“It was a bad tackle, there’s no getting away from it. I could accept it if Gallas had got a bit of the ball, but he’s touched absolutely none of it. Davies played the ball forward and he’s caught him late. That’s rubbed salt into the wounds.”
Coyle was particularly annoyed that Arsenal played on and questioned their sense of fair play. “The lad is prostrate on the ground and Arsenal being full of fair play, as we keep hearing, carried on playing to score on the break,” Coyle said.
“It’s a grey area, but Mark was clearly in agony. Maybe, with the atmosphere, people didn’t know, but the ball was moving about a bit before they scored. Gallas knows he’s caught him. You know when you’ve caught somebody, but the only person you can ask is Gallas.”

It took just 24 hours for new ­owners David Gold and David Sullivan to make a bid for the Blackburn ­striker.

The Hammers need cover up front because of Dean Ashton’s ­retirement and Carlton Cole’s injury.
And Gold said: “Benni would be a good acquisition. It is possible – it’s just a question of whether we can do business.”
The new co-owners held talks with Hammers boss Gianfranco Zola at the club’s Chadwell Heath ­training ground yesterday.
And they agreed to target at least TWO strikers this month to help the club’s relegation fight.
Sullivan said: “Gianfranco is a ­really nice guy. I believe he can be a great manager.
“We agreed we need at least one striker by the Portsmouth match next Tuesday and the second by the end of the window.”
But Gold and Sullivan were -dealt a blow to their future plans with the news that Tony Fernandes will not be joining them.
The pair only own 50 per cent of the club after their £52.5m buy-out – and held talks to get rival bidder Fernandes on board as a partner.
But the Air Asia supremo killed off any hope of an alliance, saying: “We will take a breather on football.”
Gold and Sullivan have an option to complete a full takeover from ­Icelandic bank Straumur at a fixed price within four months.
But they are seeking other ­investors after revealing that West Ham are over £100m in debt.
Part of their plans to reduce the club’s debt involves a move to the ­Olympic Stadium in Stratford after the 2012 Games. But the idea could fall flat as stadium bosses say the running track must stay.

Sergio Canales and his father Gelo continue to weigh up offers from big clubs across Europe and whilst Real Madrid are still favourites, Chelsea and Manchester City have made attractive offers, according to the Spanish press today.

Gelo Canales has spoken to all clubs that are interested in his son and was in England over the past week to discuss a move, holding talks with Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea.
A decision is believed to be close with Chelsea offering first team football to Canales on arrival at Stamford Bridge and Manchester City have made a huge offer to secure the 18-year-old attacking midfielder.
Sergio Canales would prefer to stay in Spain but has consulted current team mate Xisco (on loan from Newcastle) on what living in England is like.
In Chelsea and Manchester City ’s favour is that Racing Santander are likely to accept the biggest offer they receive for the hottest prospect in Spain. Canales is out of contract at the end of the season but is set to sign a new deal with a 10 million euro release clause.
The 5.8ft attacking midfielder has been a revelation in the Spanish Primera Division, scoring five goals in just eight appearances.

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney praised his Old Trafford team-mates after he scored all four goals to beat Hull City .

Rooney has now scored 20 goals this season for Manchester United and said that he was “delighted” at scoring four goals for the first time in his career.
However, he admitted that it wasn’t all plain sailing as United were only one up with ten minutes to play. Rooney told the BBC, “At one nil they had a couple of chances, it made the game a bit edgy. We had to show our experience and kill the game off.”
However, the England striker insisted that it wasn’t a one man show and it was “about the team” and singled out several of his Manchester United team-mates.
“I thought Nani was fantastic today, he put some great balls in.
“Michael Owen I thought played very well today.”

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has hit back at those who feel his free-flowing Gunners can be bullied on the pitch.

Ahead of tomorrow’s FA Cup tie at Stoke City , Potters forward Ricardo Fuller warned that they would look to “rough up” Arsenal.
Wenger has hit back and accused the football media of hypocrisy, having attacked William Gallas for his midweek challenge on Bolton Wanderers midfielder Mark Davies , yet then failing to condemn the physical intimidation of his Arsenal team.
He said, “Nobody is upset or shocked by it. They find when we are kicked, it is absolutely all right.” Wenger also pointed his team’s good disciplinary record, but warned that Arsenal would still be able to battle physically on the pitch.
He said, “For a few years now we’ve won the Fair Play League but it’s trophy-less. It’s a trophy no-one rates. It matters in that it shows we are trying to play in a correct way.
“But I like my players to turn up to games and stand up to a physical challenge. I believe we have to deal with the physical challenges and I believe we have shown some muscle this year when we’ve been confronted with that. But we still want to go into the game with fair intentions.”

The winter break came at a bad time for Real Madrid . In the four games before Los Blancos scored 14 goals, in the three they have played in 2010, Manuel Pellegrini’s side have picked up just four points from a possible nine available and scored just two goals.

A 0-0 draw with Osasuna was followed by a 2-0 home win in the snow over Mallorca and then last week’s 1-0 away defeat at Athletic Bilbao. Real Madrid are now five points behind Barcelona and with the Catalan giants playing on Saturday night against Valladolid, they could be eight points in arrears against relegation strugglers Malaga.
In line with Florentino Perez’s Galactico policy at the Bernabeu, the stars travelled to Albania in midweek to play a friendly against Gramozi Erseke which they won 2-1. It is hoped that the goals from Kaka and Karim Benzema will boost morale and Cristiano Ronaldo is also under pressure to perform and score for the first time in 2010.
There will be even more pressure on the shoulders of the most expensive footballer in world football as Gonzalo Higuain is unavailable through injury. Mali midfielder Mahamadou Diarra is though back in Spain following Mali’s exit from the Africa Cup of Nations.
Malaga are 16th in the Primera Division, just one point off the relegation zone in La Liga. Their position is though a little deceiving as they have not lost in the league since the start of November.
Their 5-1 mauling in the Copa del Rey second leg clash against Getafe last week was a surprise as they have picked up eight points from their last four league games. On loan Manchester City striker Felipe Caicedo will be leading the line after making his debut for the club last season.
They will though be without Apono, a crucial player for Malaga, due to a serious hamstring injury. Portuguese winger Duda is their major threat and Real Madrid will also be eyeing Jesus Gamez, a right back who looks destined for the top.
Midfielder Lassana Diarra commented this week on Barcelona’s five point lead at the top of the table: “Five points are two games, nothing more, in football, things can happen very quickly." Three points and nothing less will suffice for Real Madrid ; expect their perfect home record to stay intact.