The All Whites are planning a 30,000km full dress rehearsal for their next World Cup qualifying assignment - with a $12 million carrot as the prize.

Winston Reid has been anointed as Ryan Nelsen's successor and will be handed the captain's armband for Friday night's World Cup qualifier against New Caledonia.

A nine-point gap between fourth-placed Adelaide and fifth-placed Sydney again raises the question as to whether six-team playoffs in a 10-team league is too many.

Men who take the Premier League title from Sir Alex Ferguson do not last long. Kenny Dalglish quit the moment he did.

Pending clearance from Fifa, Andrew Durante is a strong bet to make his All Whites debut against New Caledonia at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin on March 22.

Rafa Benitez claimed yesterday that a number of his Chelsea players had given him their private support after his broadside this week against the club's supporters and board, as the interim manager tried to calm another explosive few days at Chelsea.

The man who brought Ryan Nelsen to Toronto FC says his managerial potential was obvious more than a decade ago and he has the potential to coach "at the highest levels in the sport".

"This is", suggested Friedhelm Althans, the chief investigator of the Bochum police in Germany, "the tip of the iceberg".

The scale of sport's latest disaster is so immense it is hard to take in.

While Phoenix co-owner Gareth Morgan was seen in a bizarre cat costume at the Wellington Sevens, his much maligned team scrapped like dogs to record their first win in six matches.

It's not yet a selection dilemma but the emergence of Ian Hogg finally provides Ricki Herbert with options on the left side of defence - for the Phoenix and the All Whites.

Harry Redknapp insisted yesterday that no one at Queens Park Rangers told Peter Odemwingie to make his now notorious trip south from the west midlands to Loftus Road on Thursday night in an ill-fated attempt to see through a move to the west London club.

Lionel Messi hit four and Cristiano Ronaldo a hat-trick as Barcelona and Real Madrid warmed up for their Spanish Cup semifinal on Thursday with respective 5-1 and 4-0 victories.

Mauricio Pochettino's first match as manager of English Premier League soccer club Southampton ended in a goalless draw at home to Everton yesterday.

All Whites coach Ricki Herbert is still no clearer on the likely availability of captain Ryan Nelsen for upcoming Oceania World Cup qualifiers against New Caledonia.

Jamie Oliver has just signed a five-year deal with Manchester City's Etihad Stadium.

In news that will send shivers down All Whites fans, speculation is mounting that Ryan Nelsen is about to retire from football and be unveiled as Toronto FC coach.