In this way, by flying in all directions at once, they do what is otherwise very difficult these days: they mesmerise our attention.They also contrive to oversee the most spookily post-modern development in pop music ever “Nothing”, Baudrillard went on to say, ” .. now disappears by coming to an end, by dying. Instead, things disappear through proliferation or contamination … or as a result of the epidemic of simulation, as a result of their transfer into the secondary existence of simulation.” With uncanny instinct, Oasis smile benignly at the “epidemic of simulation” that now surrounds them: a swelling aureola of tribute bands, No Way Sis, Oasisn’t, Oasish, Quoasis and Champagne Supernova, to name a few, who wear their clothes and play their songs as faithfully as possible at more or less humble gigs up and down the land. The most prominent of them, No Way Sis, now have a record contract of their own. It can’t be long before they spawn a tribute band of their own.At the still centre of all this strange and frenzied activity are two working-class Mancunians with one eyebrow apiece, one of whom, Noel, is down to earth and clever enough to let the whole thing spin on as it must, whatever strange place it may end up in.One day, too, he may write a song that bears comparison with anything on The Beatles’ Revolver But it hasn’t happened yet.. Newcastle supporters basking in the seven-goal thumping of Tottenham will be jolted by the news that manager Kevin Keegan has been offered the chance to follow Terry Venables and guide a foreign country to the World Cup finals in France.

With Venables in charge of Australia, Keegan and the former Leeds manager Howard Wilkinson have been approached by Nigeria, who are seeking a high- profile European following the resignation of coach Jo Bonfrere in October.
“We have got in touch with high-profile managers like Kevin Keegan, Howard Wilkinson, Louis van Gaal and Johan Cruyff to select one for the vacant position of manager,” Danladi Bako, the assistant director of the Nigerian sports ministry, said.The Dutchman Bonfrere quit alleging poor treatment and interference by the country’s football authorities, but not before he had guided Nigeria, nicknamed the “Super Eagles”, to gold at the Olympics in Atlanta where they beat Argentina in the final.Van Gaal is the coach of Dutch champions Ajax, while Cruyff and Wilkinson are without clubs, the latter having parted company with Leeds in September.”Our need for a high-profile coach is because we are also a high-profile soccer playing nation,” Bako said. “It will be disastrous and criminal if we fail to qualify for the 1998 World Cup in France for our second World Cup outing.”Whoever accepts the challenge will find himself in Africa’s most populous country of 100 million, where football is followed with passionate interest.Bako also confirmed that the Nigerian-born former Wimbledon and Aston Villa striker John Fashanu had been asked to help persuade a manager to work in Nigeria.On a more mundane level, Third Division Hartlepool United have confirmed Mick Tait as their manager until the end of the season. The 40-year-old former Portsmouth midfielder has guided the team to five wins in eight League games since becoming caretaker manager in November following the departure of Keith Houchen.Milan are offering their players a bonus for coming second. Eight points adrift of leaders Juventus, Milan will pay pounds 40,000 a man if the team finish second, which this season secures a place in the Champions’ League.. Frank Clark, who only 11 days ago gave up the struggle to arrest Nottingham Forest’s slide into the Premiership relegation zone, last night took on another maintainous task when he accepted the managership of Manchester City after Phil Neal resigned. In a statement last night announcing Clark’s appointment, City’s secretary, David Halford, said: “By mutual agreement Phil Neal has tended his resignation and the board of directors would like to thank him for his efforts in the difficult and unforeseen circumstances.”
Neal was pitched into the job on a caretaker basis when Steve Coppell resigned on 8 November. City had taken six weeks to find a replacement for Alan Ball, but Coppell lasted only 33 days before abandoning the battle.Neal was not able to halt the team’s decline, securing only two victories in the last 10 games.

After City’s 2-0 defeat at Barnsley on Saturday, which left them 21st in the Nationwide League First Division, Neal said: “I could not give a damn about Phil Neal. I am concerned for Manchester City and its loyal passionate followers and for the players and their families and what they are going through.”They are going through a relegation battle for the second year in succession. If it’s not going to be me in charge somebody else needs to come in and get to know the players and take stock in order to arrest the situation by investing in the future.”Those words echoed the sentiments of Clark on leaving Forest. Forest having gone 16 Premier League games without winning, Clark felt a new man at the helm offered the only hope and resigned following a 4-2 defeat at Liverpool.

His first game in charge of City will be at Birmingham on the New Year’s Day.Kevin Keegan, the manager of Newcastle United, and Howard Wilkinson, the former Leeds manager, have been approached by Nigeria, who are seeking a high-profile European coach following the resignation of Jo Bonfrere in October.Hartlepool United have confirmed Mick Tait as their manager until the end of the season. He has guided the team to five victories in eight League games since becoming caretaker manager in November following the departure of Keith Houchen.Milan, eight points adrift of the leaders Juventus, will pay each player a bonus of pounds 40,000 if the team finish second in Serie A, which this season secures a place in the Champions’ League.. Birmingham City were yesterday counting the cost of having a third game postponed in the space of a fortnight. City have lost pounds 60,000 in television revenue after yesterday’s home game with Tranmere Rovers – due to be shown live on Central TV – was postponed because of a frozen pitch. The First Division club are also now heading for a fixture pile-up later in the season at a time when they will be looking to sustain a promotion challenge. In addition to the Tranmere game, the match at Oldham Athletic on Boxing Day met the same fate, while the game at West Bromwich Albion two weeks ago was postponed through players being required for World Cup duty with Wales.
Alan Jones, the Birmingham company secretary, said: “From a financial point of view, the only money we will have to kick into touch is the television money because the rest can be recouped when the game is replayed. This was one of our games where we were charging only pounds 5 a head and most of the tickets for the game had already been sold.”But the worrying thing is the potential problems we may have with fixtures later in the season.”Jones insisted they had taken adequate precautions for the Tranmere match.