From the Back Pages, February 12: Roy Keane: Sir Alex Ferguson is at fault for Man Utd rot

ROY KEANE has blamed Manchester United’s decline this season on Sir Alex Ferguson’s policy of “cutting corners” in the transfer market. (The Express)
From the back pagesFrom the back pages
From the back pages

Mesut Ozil has been put on a weight-training programme as he struggles to fully adapt to the toughness of the Barclays Premier League. (Daily Mail)

The little horse had a bit of a mare here. Jose Mourinho may not consider his team true thoroughbreds in the title race, but they could have gone four points clear at the top of the Premier League until some nervous defending cost them dear. (The Telegraph)

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Tetchy David Moyes has come out fighting and insisted he remains the right man for Manchester United. Manager Moyes was in a spiky mood ahead of Wednesday night’s critical trip to Arsenal, clearly stung by criticism of him in his debut season at Old Trafford. (The Mirror)

José Mourinho claimed his side had been undermined by “a lack of personality” after Chelsea shipped a late equaliser to West Bromwich Albion to pass up the chance of moving four points clear at the top of the Premier League. The Portuguese added that the 1-1 draw was evidence his side are far from the kind of “complete team” who would be considered title favourites. (The Guardian)

West Ham United 2 Norwich City 0: The road to safety is often slow and arduous, but momentum can hold the key. Having looked in freefall three weeks ago, West Ham United secured a third successive 2-0 win last night to move into the top half of the Barclays Premier League. (The Times)

Transforming Australia’s form was hard enough, but their captain, Michael Clarke, and coach, Darren Lehmann, face a whole new challenge on Wednesday. They may be the most exciting and confident Test side in the world, but South Africa are unquestionably the best, and the opening Test at Centurion – the first of three – will be competitive to say the least. (The Times)