Are Liverpool interested in signing Real Betis goalkeeper Antonio Adan? BBC Sport looks at the latest gossip involving the Anfield club.

Ian: Utd fans who think our problems end when LVG is sacked are in for a shock. Bar a few players we've most average squad since late 80s.

Ellen Moore: Good managers make a team greater than the sum of it's parts. Whatever the reverse alchemy of that is LVG's special gift.

Steve Pritchard: When Ferguson went, the arrogance, the self-belief and the spirit went. That's a tough thing to replace. LVG doesn't have it.

The Evening Standard reports, external that Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has confirmed Mathieu Debuchy's earlier claim that he blocked Manchester United's attempts to sign the right-back on loan during the January transfer window.

"I hope that’s not surprising to you," he said. "If Man United wants to buy a player...you loan players out to clubs who do not have the resources, but not to direct opponents. There was nothing shocking in that and it’s true, I stand up for that."

"I was surprised [United tried to sign him], yes. I can understand it but I found that logical [to block the loan]." 

Image source, Getty Images

Hana Mandlikova - the Czech former French, US and Australian Open women's singles champion, is celebrating her 54th birthday.

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Stephen Kwesi Assan: LvG has no plan B for the team. He should resign before he sends Man Utd further down the drain.

Ciaran Dudley: Injuries are unlucky.. but we are Manchester United.. shouldn't we have the depth to cope with them?

Aaron Lentner: Van Gaal has to be sacked now to show that this level is unacceptable for Man Utd to be at. They are sinking lower each day.

Britain's Laura Deas is 11th overall after the first two of four runs at the Skeleton World Championships in Austria.

Deas is 0.87 seconds behind the leader Tina Hermann of Germany while team-mate Donna Creighton is 17th, 1.73 seconds.

Image source, Getty Images

John Rankin believes some of his Dundee United team-mates have been guilty of "downing tools" this season.

John Bennett
BBC World Service

Football is a big school playground; the stories today make it sound like Jose Mourinho is flirting with other clubs to make Manchester United jealous.

Stuart Walsh: When David Moyes was appointed the only thing wrong was that he wasn't a big enough 'name'. So they got rid and appointed a big 'name' and got what they wanted so get on with it and stop moaning.

Adam Hotspur Rust: Man Utd's time is over. Just as Liverpool's time was over. It’s refreshing that Leicester are top. There are new teams in town so get over it.

Paul Mummery: It doesn't say a lot for the quality of the league that United are fifth after being dire for most of the season. LVG needs to go but he's too arrogant to walk. 

Simon Pile: Cant understand what all this hype is about? It is not theirs or any club's divine right to win everything. Don't forget they won the European Cup in 1968 and relegated five years later. The status quo has changed and the PL is better for it.

A Question of Sport Teaser

Time for Friday's teaser...      

Who are the six teams to have won the FA Cup once since 1980?

Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal admits his team are in a "difficult situation" following their 2-1 defeat by FC Midtjylland.

Cornelius Lysaght
BBC Sport horse racing correspondent

Fakenham frost covers still down but racing on. Beautiful day here...

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

Kymani: A picture speaks a 1000 words. All three of them look lost and void of ideas. Time to sacked all of them.

Image source, Rex Features

League One club Wigan Athletichave purchased Bolton Wanderers' training ground facility at Euxton.

Bolton, who are £172.9m in debt, have looked to sell off assets to raise funds, although Dean Holdsworth's consortium is close to completing a takeover.  

After Thursday's win over South Africa, the England women are back in action on Friday from 11:30 GMT in the second Twenty20 international between England and South Africa.

You can follow live BBC Radio 5 live sports extra commentary here.

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There were contrasting fortunes for Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth in the opening round of the Northern Trust Open in California.

World number three McIlroy had a four-under opening round of 67 but he trails early leader Camilo Villegas by four shots.

But world number one Jordan Spieth had a nightmare round of 79 which included eight bogeys as well as a double-bogey on the 18th.

It was the worst opening-round score of his professional career.

Image source, Getty Images

BBC Radio 5 Live

A new approach - known as "bio-banding" - is increasingly being used by sports teams who are concerned that picking teams by age can mean smaller but talented kids lose out.

The Premier League has told 5 live Breakfast that it is extending research into grouping young players by size and weight rather than age. Bath Rugby's academy has also been trialling the approach, with help from the University of Bath's department for health.

One prominent sports coach is particularly interested in the issue...

Alan Shearer
Former England captain on BBC Radio 5 live

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I watched Manchester United when they drew 3-3 with Newcastle recently and they played well that evening - it’s alright playing well in one game but you’ve got to have consistency.

I don’t think many people would argue that they’re just not exciting to watch.

Would I give Shrewsbury a sniff in the FA Cup on Monday? Would you have given Midtjylland a sniff last night? No, exactly.

And with the injuries now with David De Gea pulling out in the warm up – Shrewsbury will be rubbing their hands together thinking, "We’ve got one hell of a chance."

Steve Howes: LvG is the man for the job, Utd fans got rid of Moyes so now they must support LvG. He is doing a fantastic job for neutrals.

Adj Pincus: United board need to sack Van Gaal. Bring in mourinho, reshuffle transfer policy, new director of football.

Damon Gomersall: The only way forward surely is to sack LVG.

Alan Shearer
Former England captain on BBC Radio 5 live

Image source, Getty Images

They’re not very good, that’s the problem - I know they have injuries at the moment but they didn’t have injuries three or four months ago and they weren’t playing particularly well then.

They haven’t entertained their fans, which of course at that football club you have to do , you have to play a certain way and Louis van Gaal hasn’t.

His remit when he took over was to get them back into the Champions League, where David Moyes failed – he did that but this season has been pretty awful to watch.

The leadership in that team is alarming  – there’s no screaming and shouting at other teammates to tell them what to do. It just looks as if the players are not enjoying their football.