It is reported that Sir Alex Ferguson held emergency talks with his players and staff in a desperate bid to reverse their alarming start to the season.

The players were ordered in at 9.45am on Monday for a half-hour dressing-down as Ferguson spelt out how he felt about Manchester United’s worst start to a season for 15 years.

Fergie is demanding a big improvement for their opening Champions League game in Lyon tonight.

He said: "It is important we dismiss the injury situation completely – we have a massive European game to concentrate on." (Daily Express)

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Mark Hughes will be named as the new Blackburn Rovers boss today, according to The Sun.

Hughes reportedly asked the Rovers board if he could carry on managing Wales part-time for their two World Cup qualifiers next month - and they agreed.

But the Welsh FA are understood to want a clean break now he has decided to take up the Ewood Park post as Graeme Souness’ successor.

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Kevin Keegan’s troubled reign at Manchester City was hanging by a thread yesterday after a blazing row with defender Danny Mills, according to the Daily Mail.

City’s outspoken right-back reportedly tore into Keegan in front of astonished team-mates at the club’s training ground on Monday after claiming he and his fellow defenders had been made scapegoats for a slump towards the foot of the Premiership.

The bitter fall-out could be the final straw for the former England coach, with Gordon Strachan tipped to take his place.

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Freddy Shepherd has demanded immediate success from Graeme Souness at St James’ Park.

New manager Souness is under pressure from the word go to deliver the major trophy that has eluded Newcastle United's since their 1969 Fairs Cup win.

The Newcastle chairman said: "There is plenty to play for this season and I won’t accept this is a transitional year for us.

"That is out of the window as far as I’m concerned." (Daily Express)

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Xabi Alonso believes Liverpool can be the surprise package of the Champions League this season and is keeping his fingers crossed for a start in the Group A opener against Monaco at Anfield tonight.

"I firmly believe Liverpool have the team, the tactics and the belief to do something very important in the Champions League," said Alonso.

"There is no reason why we can’t be the surprise team of this season’s competition.

"Rafa Benitez has proved in Spain he is one of the best coaches around and now he has a great chance to do something even more special by bringing trophies to Anfield." (Daily Express)