Yaya Toure: Man City's time to finally reach Champions League quarters

Yaya Toure believes it is time Manchester City justified their huge investment by finally reaching the latter stages of the Champions League.

City, who have never reached the quarterfinals of the competition, trail 2-1 in their last-16 tie against Toure's former club Barcelona going into Wednesday's second leg at the Camp Nou.

The 31-year-old cost £24 million when he arrived at City from Barca in 2010, while the Premier League side's current squad cost a combined total of around £350 million in transfer fees.

"The club have been spending a lot of money to build the best players, trying to make this club great and one of the top in Europe," Toure told a news conference. "Now we have such a little bit of difficulty but I can say we continue to work hard because it's not the first time we've been in this situation.

"We have the belief of the team and, as well, we know our fans will back us again because it's going to be a tough game against Barcelona. We need to turn back this tide and we try to do it for the fans and for the club and for the people who continue to help us."

Toure also hit back at City's critics, saying their recent problems have been exaggerated following a run that has seen the club pick up just three wins from the last 11 games in all competitions.

"Football is like that," he added. "Last year we were brilliant, and everyone was saying City are a top team in Europe, and all of a sudden we have some problems and we're the worst team in the world."

Toure will make his first appearance in Europe since November after he served a three-match suspension for his red card against CSKA Moscow in the Champions League group stages.

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Arsene Wenger has concerns over old foe in Monaco pitch: news round-up

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has conceded he's got serious reservations over Monaco's pitch ahead of tonight's Champions League second-leg showdown, a playing surface he's all to familiar with for all the wrong reasons.

Wenger is acutely aware that the Stade Louis II is ill-equipped to cope with heavy rain, thanks to seven years of managing Monaco at the start of his coaching career.

Monaco had a match against Montpellier postponed last month thanks to a downpour in the South of France, with Wenger admitting he's praying there's no sign of a repeat performance as his side attempt to make history in the last 16 decider.

In his pre-match press conference in the Cote d'Azur last night Wenger told The Mirror: "It is a little bit of a worry. There were two concerns when I was the manager. The quality of the pitch was not fantastic. I have just been up there - it is good, very good.

"The second thing is when it rains in the south of France, it rains. It doesn't drizzle. They had to postpone a game against Montpellier recently because of the rain. I hope the conditions will not be bad on the raining front."

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Dementia drug research aided by $100 million global fund, backed by British government

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Dementia drug research aided by $100 million global fund, backed by British government

Dementia is recognised as one of the world’s biggest health and care challenges.

It affects more than 47 million people worldwide and at a cost to the global economy of over US $604 billion every year.

Yet in spite of the huge social and economic cost, only three dementia drugs have come to market in the past 15 years.

To address this, the government has been working with J.P. Morgan to structure the Dementia Discovery Fund as an innovative method for financing dementia research.  

The ultimate aim is to develop pioneering new drugs to treat the condition.

Major pharmaceutical companies Biogen, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, Lilly and Pfizer have all committed in principle to investing in the project, along with a leading dementia research charity Alzheimer’s Research UK.

Speaking at the World Health Organisation’s first ever conference on dementia today the Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt is expected to say: “Dementia is a global threat and we have taken enormous steps in putting this condition firmly on the international health agenda.

“But there is still much more we need to do to give people with dementia hope for the future.

“That’s why I am delighted to announce today that we have secured commitments from major partners to develop a new global Fund to make sure that innovative research turns into the development and manufacture of new drugs.

“This is another significant step forward in our fight against this condition."

The new Fund is a unique collaboration, bringing together the combined expertise of government, financial, industry and charity partners.

It marks a global consensus that research needs greater priority and that new sources of finance are needed to translate the best science into effective treatments.

The organisations will be working closely over the coming months to develop the Fund further.

The money committed by investors today includes the £15m that the UK government announced for the Fund in the autumn.

In February 2015, the Prime Minister expanded on this to announce that private, public and philanthropic sectors were uniting to establish a multi-million pound fund to discover new drugs and treatment that could slow down the onset of dementia or even deliver a cure by 2025.

An opportunity for additional interested investors to participate in the Fund is planned for a later stage.

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'I'm lucky I don't have to retire so long as I keep fit' Larry Lamb on overcoming old age

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Larry suffered joint pain for years

THERE was one health mishap Larry Lamb used to dread when he was on the road for the One Show or filming his latest exploration of history - that the bottle of cod liver oil he packed to prevent aches and pains would break and saturate his smalls.

He says: "I started taking fish oil for joint pain a few years back and it worked pretty well," he says. "Yet the worst thing was lugging around this great big bottle of the stuff and being terrified it was going to leak. It smells horrible."

Now he has discovered a solution for age-related aches which comes up roses, literally. Taking a tip from choreographer and former Strictly Come Dancing judge Arlene Phillips, Larry tried a supplement made from rose hips and believes it has done the trick.

Larry, 67, says he started to suffer joint pain when he returned to running seven years ago. "I'm conscientious about my health. As an older father it is your job to run around after your children even if your body is telling you otherwise.

"I've never been one for extreme sports but I did start running. It's an easy way to exercise," he says.

"I was doing about three miles a day for two or three years but then I started to get terrible knee and hip pains. I had proper running shoes made which helped a bit but I was still getting a lot of twinges and sometimes burning bursts of pain through my knees.

"It dawned on me that a hip or joint replacement at my age was a possibility and that was something I was keen to avoid."So the actor, best known for playing Archie Mitchell in EastEnders and Michael "Mick" Shipman in Gavin & Stacey, hung up his running shoes and started taking a daily dose of fish oil. "It helped but I still had a lot of twinges and cod liver oil is just as unpleasant now as it was when I was five years old."

Then he read an interview with Arlene Phillips talking about GOPO, a supplement made from rose hips. "Being a former dancer I thought she would know what she was talking about."

So Larry decided to put it to the test. "If I'm going to do something I go for it," he explains. "I knew that if I didn't take the fish oil for a couple of days I would really feel it so I stopped taking the cod liver oil and the next day I started taking the GOPO to see if it really was any good."

He says: "I am not a great taker of pills but the GOPO has really made a difference. I don't have any twinges at all. I can honestly say I have never felt better."

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Larry at a premiere with partner Claire Burt and daughter Eloise

GOPO is made from the seeds and husk of the Rosa canina or dog-rose. Rose hips are rich in vitamin C and have been used in traditional remedies for centuries. Dr Kaj Winther, a Danish biochemist with a special interest in them, says: "There is emerging evidence that the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds in rose hips might have quite a wide therapeutic effect."

His study of 94 Danes with arthritis in their hips, knees or hands found that eight out of 10 reported a "significant" reduction in pain after taking the supplement for three weeks.

The trial, published in the Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology, also reported that the volunteers halved their use of over-the-counter painkillers such as paracetamol.

A second study, presented at the World Congress of the Osteoarthritis Research Society, found that GOPO switches off genes which make proteins and enzymes implicated in inflammatory joint damage while turning on another group of genes which help produce collagen and cartilage, key components of healthy joints. Dr Rod Hughes, a consultant rheumatologist at St Peter's Hospital in Surrey, has studied the trials for GOPO and believes: "There is enough evidence of efficacy to make it worthwhile for patients to use it for a trial period, perhaps one to three months."

That worked for Larry who says: "Within six weeks I noticed a difference and it definitely helped me scramble across Roman ruins."

That's because the self-confessed history geek was in the Italian capital to film Rome: The World's First Superpower, a four-part series for Channel 5 which allowed him to explore his favourite city - after London, of course.

Larry admits he felt like a "kid at Christmas" during filming but reveals there were some surreal moments when the Welsh valleys met the Eternal City. "I was interviewing an American academic in the Piazza Navona. There was me and him sitting on a marble bench when a coach full of children from Wales pulled up.

"It was pandemonium. All the academic knew was that I was some guy from Channel 5 but if you have been in Gavin & Stacey you become part of Welsh culture and every single one of the kids wanted a photograph with 'Mick'."

SO THE interview was abandoned while the bemused academic was asked to take dozens of shots of the actor with his legion of fans. In a business where many find themselves "between jobs" Larry has had an extraordinary career.

Aside from EastEnders and Gavin & Stacey, Larry was a regular on the North Sea ferry soap Triangle, notched up credits in hit shows The Professionals, Minder, Lovejoy, Midsomer Murders and many more and still finds time for radio, film, Shakespeare and other stage productions.

Now he is joining the cast of New Tricks, the BBC One comedy-drama which follows a team of oddball veteran cops who investigate cold cases. He says: "I don't know what I'd do if I retired, there's no way I could sit around doing nothing, I would go bonkers. Luckily I'm in a job where I don't have to retire so long as I can keep myself in shape."

He works out on an exercise bike, watches what he eats and has given up alcohol. "I've had my share but drinking was hugely debilitating, it's wasted so much of my life." Now he says: "It's all about sustaining yourself to the best possible level."

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Spanish Isis hostage reveals James Foley and John Cantlie were forced to sing Hotel California as 'Hotel Osama' to entertain captors

A former Spanish Isis hostage has revealed more of the sadistic practices fighters inflicted on their captives as a form of entertainment.

Journalist Javier Espinosa was held captive by the extremist group in its stronghold of Raqqa in northern Syria along with other several other Western hostages.

Mr Espinosa, a correspondent for El Mundo, was held for much of this time by a trio of British Islamist guards who were nicknamed ‘The Beatles’ by their captives and included the infamous militant 'Jihadi John'.

Writing in The Times, Mr Espinosa described being used as a “toy” by their captors to keep them entertained after they were moved to a prison next to the Euphrates river.

Spanish journalist Javier Espinosa being reunited with his son after being held hostage in Syria for six months“Any hope of peace ended when the Beatles decided to install themselves in the adjoining room. From then on, the prisoners became their own 'toys'," he wrote. "Often when the sun set, they started hitting the 'chosen one' or they showed them off in front of their friends as if we were animals in a zoo.

“On a couple of occasions, they and their acolytes amused themselves by shooting pellet guns at us. Fortunately, they were not good shots. They were like naughty boys without any feelings, and without any military experience.”

He recalled US photo journalist James Foley being at the receiving end of the most severe and cruel treatment, but said he never once complained. Mr Espinosa recalls Mr Foley, who was the first known Western hostage to be beheaded in videos featuring Jihadi John, apologising after fainting following a particularly severe beating.

Jihadi John was the name given to an Isis militant with a British accent seen on video beheading journalist James FoleyHe said Mr Foley and the British journalist John Cantlie were forced to compose a version of The Eagles’ song Hotel California they called ‘Hotel Osama’, in reference to Osama bin Laden.

Some of the adapted lyrics included: “Welcome to lovely Hotel Osama, such a lovely place, such a lovely place. […]Plenty of room at lovely Hotel Osama, any time of year, you can find it here. Welcome to the lovely Hotel Osama.”

He said George, the most barbarous of the three militants, warned told the group: “Anyone who does not know the words, I will kick to death.”

Mr Espinosa claims Mr Cantlie and Mr Foley made two failed attempts at escaping, earning them weeks of punishments that included attempted drownings and repeated beatings.

"They were caught trying to get off their handcuffs with a skeleton key they made," he said.

READ MORE: FOLEY GAVE UP FREEDOM FOR JOHN CANTLIE

"On the second occasion, the American showed his true humanity. After getting out of the room where the prisoners were, he had to wait for Cantlie who was to escape second.

"The guard saw that Cantlie (had freed himself) and Foley could have tried to escape on his own, but gave himself up. 'I couldn't leave John on his own,' Foley said."

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Five great Champions League comebacks to give Arsenal hope

Ludovic Giuly enjoyed the moment.Photo: PA

Despite being two goals behind from the home leg, there is some hope for Arsenal when they face Monaco on Tuesday night.

Here are some great Champions League comebacks:

AC Milan 4-1 RC Deportivo La Coruña RC Deportivo La Coruña 4-0 AC Milan 2003/04 quarter-finals

What looked like an irrelevant strike from Walter Pandiani in the first leg at the San Siro turned out to be crucial in the end. Deportivo returned to the the Riazor with nothing more than slight hope they could overturn the 4-1 result.

Things quickly changed as former Birmingham man Pandiani, Juan Carlos Valerón and Alberto Luque scored to make it 3-0, before substitute Fran González netted with just under 15 minutes to go.

Juan Carlos Valerón was a Deportivo legend. Credit: PA

Real Madrid 4-2 AS Monaco AS Monaco 3-1 Real Madrid 2003/04 quarter-finals

There is a precedent for a turnaround in the Stade Louis II stadium. Monaco were downed by the mighty Real Madrid 4-2 in the Spanish capital.

Back in the French principality Monaco came out fighting, taking the lead through Ludovic Giuly, then Fernando Morientes - ironically on loan from Real Madrid - doubled the lead, following a third by Giuly to ensure Didier Deschamps' team progressed to the semis.

Branislav Ivanovic was the hero. Credit: PA

SSC Napoli 3-1 Chelsea FC Chelsea FC 4-1 SSC Napoli (aet) 2011/12 round of 16

Losing in Naples was the final straw for Chelsea and Andre Villas-Boas, who was sacked after the defeat in Italy.

Roberto Di Matteo came in and had an immediate impact in Europe. Didier Drogba, John Terry and Frank Lampard ensured the game at Stamford Bridge went to extra-time, where Branislav Ivanovic netted the crucial winner.

Manchester United performed one of the great comebacks. Credit: PA

Manchester United 1-1 Juventus Juventus 2-3 Manchester United 1998/99 semi-finals

After a draw at Old Trafford, Juventus took control back in Italy thanks to two early goals from Pippo Inzaghi, but United refused to give in. Roy Keane, who would miss the final, scored a header, followed by strikes from Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke to make it 3-2 and put Manchester United into an even more famous final.

Steven Gerrard lifted the trophy against all the odds. Credit: PA

Liverpool 3-3 AC Milan (Liverpool win on pens) 2005 final

Liverpool were shell-shocked by the Italians in the first half; Kaka, Hernan Crespo and Andriy Shevchenko fired Milan into a three-goal lead. Rafa Benitez sent his side out in the second-half with some renewed belief, as Steven Gerrard, Vladimir Smicer and a Xabi Alonso rebound from his own penalty leveled the scores in a five-minute spell.

Jerzy Dudek's wobbly legs and some clinical penalties famously won the game after extra-time.

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Manchester United's Potential 4-2-3-1 vs Liverpool - Daley Blind and Juan Mata dropped

Manchester United played some of their best football of the season against Tottenham Hotspur last weekend as they wrapped up a resounding 3-0 victory.

It will be hugely tempting for Louis van Gaal to name an unchanged starting XI for Man United’s clash with Liverpool on Sunday but the match will be a whole different kettle of fish and the Dutchman would be wise to tighten things up defensively.

Unfortunately, that means Daley Blind and Juan Mata may have to be sacrificed despite their good performances against Spurs.

Instead, Luke Shaw will solidify United’s left-flank against the pace of Raheem Sterling while Angel di Maria will offer an outlet on the counter-attack.

It is cruel for Mata in particular given his extended absence from the first-team prior to the Spurs game but United simply cannot afford to slip up against Liverpool.

Elsewhere, Rafael may line up at right-back after coming on as a late substitute against Spurs. His inclusion will give United much more going forward and he could strike up an effective partnership with Di Maria.

Ander Herrera takes up a spot alongside Michael Carrick as it is crucial that United keep the ball on Sunday as well as winning it back. Regardless of the line up, if United play as well as they did against Spurs they will undoubtedly get a positive result.

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