PETER CROUCH: On the opening day of last season, when Tottenham headed to Newcastle with a dark cloud hanging over, I made a firm prediction. Mauricio Pochettino was the reason for that call.

Stoke manager Nathan Jones admits is he is running out of time after a dismal start to the season in the Championship.

Stoke could ask Tony Pulis to return for a third spell in charge of the Championship club if they sack Nathan Jones, according to The Sun.

PETER CROUCH: During a freak football accident, I knocked out a fellow pro. It was one of the scariest incidents I experienced on a pitch. For this reason, I know exactly how Son Heung-min must feel.

EXCLUSIVE BY MIKE KEEGAN: A small section of fans of the home club were heard to sing songs including the words 'f*** the Pope and the IRA' and 'f*** the IRA' a number of times.

The 28-year-old Rangers understudy is being considered as Middlesbrough brace themselves for an offer from West Ham for current number one Darren Randolph.

PETER CROUCH: It's the final Saturday of the decade, so what better time to reflect on the 10 years just gone? I wanted to look back on the highs and lows I've experienced in football.

Aston Villa are poised to step up their search for a goalkeeper and a striker with the club expecting Wesley and Tom Heaton face significant spells out of action.

Stoke City midfielder Peter Etebo is in talks over a move to Getafe. The 24-year old is due to join on loan with view to a permanent sale. Etebo joined Stoke from Feirense in the summer of 2018.

The pair were engaged in a running battle during Preston's 2-0 away victory at the bet365 Stadium, and it appears there is little love lost between the pair.

Kenwyne Jones has lifted the lid on the 'deplorable' pigs head prank he was on the receiving end of at Stoke and had members of the Muslim community contacting him offering to 'handle the situation.' 

The nickname was a reference to a former team-mate who, rather than having a drinks break with the rest of the squad, would instead have a chat with the manager and coaching staff.

HARRY SLAVIN AT VICARAGE ROAD: Quique Sanchez Flores made the first steps on his road to redemption after Watford battled past Championship high-flyers Swansea.

Bowyer, 42, claimed after his side's 2-1 loss that 50/50 refereeing decisions had not gone their way, with two second-half penalty appeals waved away by referee Peter Bankes.

Monk was sacked as manager of Birmingham in the summer before taking over Sheffield Wednesday. Monk worked with Clotet at Swansea and Leeds before asking him to join him at Birmingham.

Yan Dhanda's first-half strike was enough to propel the Swans into the play-off places and seal a first win in three. Charlton are now just three points clear of the bottom three after a miserable run.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY MATT BARLOW: When Steve Cooper pulls on his runners and lets the morning air of the Welsh coast declutter his mind, his thoughts drift back to the thrill of his first derby.

Renato Sanches has lifted the lift on his disastrous loan spell at Swansea during the 2017/18 season and revealed he did not want to join the club in the first place.

KATE MCGREAVY AT CRAVEN COTTAGE: The Championship top scorer continued his good form with a towering header to seal a 1-0 victory for the Premier League promotion chasers.

He is currently on loan at Swansea where he had kick-started his career, before football's coronavirus-enforced suspension, after a serious ankle injury that kept him out for 16 months.

Dan Biggar held his nerve to kick a match-winning 85th minute penalty as Northampton produced a stunning Champions Cup fightback to beat Benetton 35-32 in Italy.

The BBC unveiled their six-strong shortlist for this year's Sports Personality of the Year on Monday. The public will vote on December 15 with the winner crowned in Aberdeen that night.

Ben Stokes is the bookies' favourite for the top gong but Fury feels aggrieved by his omission before taking to Twitter to list why he should be up for the public vote.

OLIVER HOLT: Ben Stokes stopped the sporting world last year with two magical moments. There are six credible SPOTY candidates, but Stokes would get my vote.

WILL KELLEHER AT THE PRINCIPALITY STADIUM: Warren Gatland bid a final farewell to Wales with a special send-off match with his former flame.

Dan Biggar has always been up for the fight. When the Wales fly-half signed for Northampton Saints in the autumn of 2017, the East Midlands club were spiralling down the Premiership.

If last week was hellish, Northampton were far more saintly in Lyon on Saturday - winning with a bonus-point to do all they could to make the Champions Cup quarter-finals.

SPECIAL REPORT: On the Welsh beat Wayne Pivac, the ex-Auckland copper on the streets in the 1980s, is unlikely to feel the pressure his old day-job brought against Italy.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY WILL KELLEHER: Leigh Halfpenny is a nervy interviewee at the best of times. After the 18 months he has endured, it is understandable that his self-assurance is low.

Louis Rees-Zammit can be the new George North for Wales in the Six Nations, according to his more senior team-mates. The 18-year-old Gloucester winger could make his Test debut on Saturday.

George North's move to centre for Wales was confirmed on Thursday afternoon as Wayne Pivac revealed his first Test side for the Italy Six Nations game.

With post-World Cup fallouts always bringing about change, there are plenty of new faces set to burst onto the scene. Here, Sportsmail runs through 10 uncapped stars to watch...

WILL KELLEHER IN CARDIFF: Wales often overachieved, pulled performances from nowhere... galvanised by Gatland they showed heart and fire. Now they face life after him with Pivac.

The uncapped pair have been training with the group in the last few weeks, but have now officially been drafted into the squad and will be available for selection.

Leigh Halfpenny reckons Wales can roll back the clock and repeat their feats of 2013 this year by winning the Six Nations title, despite losing to Ireland in their last encounter.

SPECIAL REPORT BY WILL KELLEHER: No player has run out in a Test match at Wales' Principality Stadium having been born after the ground was built. Rees-Zammit could change that fact.

If on Saturday the tide has turned against Wales, the French are flooding through in attack and causing chaos it will be the old men of the sea who guide those in red to calmer waters.

Sportsmail runs the rule over every player from the two sides after England survive a late Wales onslaught and win 33-30 at Twickenham to keep their Six Nations title hopes alive.

The skipper will play in his 148th Test - levelling Richie McCaw - his 139th for Wales to add to nine for the British & Irish Lions. Meanwhile Webb wears the No 9 shirt for first time since 2017.

INTERVIEW BY STEFFAN THOMAS: Jamie Roberts is far from your average rugby player and the former Wales centre is more qualified than most in sport to articulate his fears over coronavirus.

Wales' leading internationals are set for a 25 per cent salary reduction for three months while Premiership Rugby is working on possible scenarios to restart the season.

With sport a long way from being permitted, rugby is bracing itself for catastrophic losses and Six Nations countries are desperate for the November Test matches to go ahead.

When the 123 account was launched amid enormous fanfare in 2012 it paid customers up to 3 per cent interest on balances up to £20,000, and up to 3 per cent cashback on bills.

There is something deeply sinister about cashing in on the pressures faced by young women today. I remember well the 'need' to have a new outfit for every occasion - and that was before Instagram.

LAWRENCE BOOTH AT OLD TRAFFORD: Steve Smith accused England of playing into his hands after he continued to punish their bowling with a magnificent 211 in Manchester.

Sportsmail columnists Nasser Hussain, David Lloyd, Lawrence Booth and Paul Newman answer the big questions for England's Test team after they failed to regain the Ashes.

Former captain Steve Smith who won the Ashes for Australia has opened up about the sandpaper scandal saying there was a time when he thought he wouldn't play again for the country.

His time in charge is destined to be remembered for a phenomenal improvement in white-ball cricket, capped off by this summer's World Cup win at Lord's.

MIKE DICKSON: The Oval is no stranger to farewells, and this final Test will be the valedictory appearance of both David Gower (left) and Sir Ian Botham (right) on the Sky commentary team.

Joe Root knows England have 'something special' on their hands in Jofra Archer but has already started the job of managing expectations around the breakout star of the summer.