As Manchester United, like Arsenal and Manchester City before them were humbled on the European stage in midweek, the infernal debate about what the best league in Europe rages on. Vapormax Damen Schwarz Schweiz . Even Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger felt the urge to discuss the matter during his pre-match press conference ahead of tomorrows visit to Stoke. Anointing the BPL the best, Wenger trotted out the top to bottom competiveness theory. What cant be denied though is that English football is never too far away from grabbing the football headlines. This weeks offering began with a slip of the Mourinho lips. Then we had the national manager waxing lyrical about the possibility of adding a Penalty Psychologist to his Brazil bound backroom staff and how about this mornings revelation Sir Alex Ferguson attributes six of the best as a school boy influenced his managerial ways. Mourinho was clearly agitated and embarrassed when he faced the media Tuesday following the publication less than 24 hours earlier of disparaging remarks he made about Torres, Etoo and Demba Ba to a senior executive of a club partner. Unbeknown to Mourinho, what he thought was a private conversation ahead of a scheduled interview, was in fact been taped by a French TV channel. Who in turn published it for the world to see on their website. Using the old adage the best form of defense is attack, The Happy One launched into the media labeling them a disgrace for publishing extracts of that conversation - which included mocking Etoo and wondering out loud if he was actually older than his stated age. Torres had the last laugh though by responding to his managers harsh words in the most effective way possible by putting Chelsea up early in Wednesdays first leg against Galatasaray. It was no laughing matter not long after the final whistle in Istanbul when Chelsea revealed the club would be immortalized on the small screen in an upcoming edition of the Simpsons. In which a number of players, including Torres will feature in an episode where Bart Simpson plays referee. The week for Torres though didnt end on a happy note. We learnt earlier today and long with Manchester Uniteds Juan Mata both players had been omitted from Spains squad for next weeks prestigious friendly match against the 2006 World Cup winners, Italy. Roy Hodgson who named Toronto FCs Jermaine Defoe in his squad for the March 5 friendly at Wembley versus Denmark yesterday, made news earlier in the week when addressing England penalty woes at tournaments. The England manager, along with all other managers of the 32 nations going to this summers World Cup Finals, has just returned from visiting Brazil let it be known earlier in the week he is giving serious thought to having a psychologist at his disposal as ways to improve on Englands inability to win penalty shootouts. Hodgson experienced penalty misery first hand at Euro 2012 when Italy eliminated England in the quarter finals but certainly does not want to suffer that same fate for a team that has bowed out on penalties in six of the last 10 major tournaments they have qualified for. One of world footballs most dubious of records only once over this period have England progressed from the Achilles Heel of a penalty shootout. This occurring when they edged out Spain at EURO 96 - only then to fail at the next hurdle, Germany beating England on penalties in the semifinal. Hodgson isnt the first England World Cup manager to make the headlines for matters of the mind. As part of final preparations for the 1998 Finals the-then England manager Glen Hoddle arranged for a faith healer to visit the England camp before their departure to France. Such were part of Hoddles unorthodox methods, the ex-Manchester United captain Gary Neville revealed in his 2011 autobiography Hoddle had requested his staff walk around the pitch anti-clockwise as ways to create positive energy before their round of 16 match against Argentina. A match won, by you guessed it, Argentina on penalties. Paired in a group this summer with Uruguay and Italy my how the legions of England fans who will journey to Brazil would dearly love to face the possibility of a penalty shootout. At least this would signify England had successfully made it out of a difficult group. Sir Alex Ferguson who tasted penalty glory himself in the 2008 Champions League Final made it on to the back pages today when it was revealed in the London Times that as a school boy he often found himself in trouble. Not only that, but Ferguson disclosed he felt the corporal punishment he received because of his bad boy ways went a long way to helping shape his hair dryer ways. He also revealed the belt which was used now hangs proudly on the wall of his study at home. With Manchester United not in action this weekend as their scheduled opponent, Manchester City play Sunderland in Sundays League Cup Final, perhaps it might be an idea if Ferguson invites David Moyes over for a cup of tea. In a BPL season which continues to shock, and will do so until mid May, tomorrows action throws up potential banana skins for each of the clubs who currently sit in the Champions League slots. The West London derby sees the current leaders Chelsea, paying a visit to the worst club, Fulham who are desperate for a win. Especially so after coughing up an 86th minute equalizer away to West Brom last Saturday, welcome to the BPL Felix Magath. Arsenal, with a well-rested Mezut Ozil expected to return following his own penalty demons, are sure to be weary of Stokes direct approach. While Liverpool wont need reminding of their early season 0-1 reversal at home to Southampton - result which knocked them off the top spot. Even though his club arent playing, whats the odds occasional Manchester United bad boy Wayne Rooney does not feature prominently come Sundays tabloid headlines? You can reach and follow Noel Butler at:Noel.Butler@BellMedia.ca@TheSoccerNoel TSN & TEAM Radio is your exclusive BPL radio home this season. Saturdays double header action features, Fulham v Chelsea with kickoff at 10am et/7am pt and Southampton v Liverpool with kickoff 12:30pm et/9:30am pt Nike Vapormax Damen Günstig .C. -- Ryan Sproul scored the winner late in double overtime to lift the Grand Rapids Griffins to a 2-1 win over the Abbotsford Heat on Friday in Game 1 of their American Hockey League playoff series. Nike Vapormax Damen Billig . -- Joe Thornton scored the tiebreaking goal with 5:39 left in regulation to help the San Jose Sharks overcome a two-goal deficit to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-3 on Thursday night. http://www.vapormaxkaufenschweiz.com/air-max-97-schweiz.html . After a first half in which he thought "the lid was on the basket," the Toronto Raptors coach watched his squad mount a second half surge to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 98-91. LOS ANGELES -- Gina Carano is scheduled to meet with UFC President Dana White on Wednesday night to discuss a return to mixed martial arts for a bout with bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey. The long-rumoured matchup between the biggest stars in womens MMA history appears increasingly possible after White confirmed Caranos interest in fighting Rousey, arguably the UFCs biggest current star. White dismissed any suggestion the fight would be a mismatch, saying he would be eager to pit the unbeaten Rousey against Carano, who hasnt fought since August 2009 while pursuing an acting career. "(If Carano) is going to come back, (its) because she wants this," White said Wednesday at a downtown Los Angeles hotel. "And if she says yes and she wants to do a deal, its because she wants to fight Ronda." Rousey said she would welcome the chance to fight Carano, the MMA pioneer whose television fights first exposed Rousey, a former U.S. Olympic medallist in judo, to the young sport. "Shes the reason why I fight at all," Rousey said. "I owe everything to her. I would bend over backwards to fight her. What, are we going to make her run through a gauntlet to fight me? I would show up at her house to fight her. ... Its a fight that Ive always wanted and I never really entertained as being a real possibility until lately." Carano, who turns 32 next week, has been increasingly vocal about her interest in returning to MMA, confirming it on "The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson" earlier this week. "Its something that Ive always loved to do, and its been such a genuine expression for me," Carano said. "I wouldnt say that unless I was really, actually thinking about making a comeback." White said a potential Rousey-Carano bout would be for the 135-pound title, not at a catch weight. Vapormax Plus Damen Schweiz. Carano hasnt fought at 135 pounds since 2006 and repeatedly missed 140-pound limits later in her career, but White said Carano believes she could make the bantamweight limit. Carano made her pro MMA debut in 2006, and she gained widespread mainstream attention after two of her bouts for the EliteXC promotion aired on CBS in 2008. After seven straight victories, Carano lost her final fight to Cris "Cyborg" Justino in the defunct Strikeforce promotion before moving full-time into acting. Director Steven Soderbergh saw her CBS fights and hired her to star in "Haywire," a well-regarded 2011 spy thriller. She has since appeared in a series of action films, including the blockbuster "Fast & Furious 6" last year. Rousey defended her 135-pound belt in December and again in February before returning to her own nascent acting career, this time in the seventh installment of the "Fast & Furious" series. The fight would draw enormous attention to the UFC and womens MMA because of the fighters profiles outside the cage, likely becoming one of the biggest pay-per-view events in UFC history. Rousey believes Carano shouldnt have to fight another contender before this matchup, saying Caranos body of work justifies an immediate title shot. "I think it would be the best thing for womens MMA at the time," Rousey said. "It would be the highest-profile fight, and I dont think it would really make sense for her to come back and fight somebody else and take the risk of maybe losing and not being able to capitalize on a fight between me and her. I think it would make more sense to go straight to a title fight." ' ' '