Alex Ferguson has effectively admitted that he is struggling to cope at Manchester United by appointing his friend and confidant Walter Smith as assistant manager.
Smith, a renowned disciplinarian, has been given a contract until the end of the season and described it as an offer he "couldn't turn down".
Fundamentally, his job will be to help with team matters at a time when United are nine points adrift of Arsenal and the captain Roy Keane has complained about a culture of complacency existing among some of the club's younger players.
On a more personal level, however, he will also provide a reassuring presence for Ferguson, with the legal dispute against United's majority shareholder John Magnier just one of the many problems confronting English football's most successful manager.
"I am delighted that Walter has accepted the challenge," said Ferguson. "Few people in the game have his experience, knowledge and technical ability. His talent and background will be major assets at such a critical stage of the season."
Smith (56) has been available since being sacked by Everton in March 2002. Employing a man who has been out of the game for two years and has limited experience of European football will also be construed as a significant gamble. Yet he is entitled to want someone to ease his workload, having become increasingly despondent about "the mountain of paperwork on my desk each morning".
Meanwhile, Southampton are to appoint Plymouth's Paul Sturrock as manager in the next 48 hours after Glenn Hoddle pulled out of the running. Hoddle was the preferred choice of the chairman Rupert Lowe but took what he called "the toughest decision" of his coaching career to withdraw because he did not have the board's unanimous backing.
Southampton immediately stepped up their interest in Sturrock and were yesterday talking to the Second Division leaders about compensation. Sturrock's arrival at St Mary's will give him his first top-level job in England.
The former Chelsea chairman Ken Bates declared he still has "another challenge" left in him after stepping down as chairman of the club on Tuesday night.
Bates, who quit his post last night after finding his influence increasingly curbed by the arrival of Roman Abramovich, is now clear to buy his way into any other club.
The former Chelsea supremo has previously dismissed links with Sheffield Wednesday but admitted in his farewell speech: "I'm 72 and I've got another challenge left in me."
Bates brought his incident-packed and often controversial 22 years at the helm of the club to an end in a speech to fans, staff and directors at his monthly Chairman's Supper Club.
"I had a contract with Roman Abramovich and I anticipated a phased phase-out but that has not gone the way that I anticipated. The agreement I had in July was broken and I have decided to resign," he explained.
Celtic are considering playing a Scottish Premier League match against Hearts in Australia. The game has been pencilled in for either August or January in Melbourne and is now waiting for the green light from the league.
