Friday, March 28, 2008

Sagna setback for Gunners

Arsenal full-back Bacary Sagna will be out for at least three weeks due to the ankle injury he suffered at Chelsea.

Sagna headed Arsenal in front at Stamford Bridge last Sunday before collecting the knock prior to Didier Drogba's double for the Blues.

The defender was forced to pull out of the France squad to face England on Wednesday night and could even be out for up to five weeks.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger told the club's official website: "He has an ankle injury and the first news that we have is that he could be out for quite a while.

Adebayor may be rested

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger had admitted the club's lengthy season may finally be telling on striker Emmanuel Adebayor.

The Togo international has been one of The Gunners' stand-out players this term, but his form of late has been patchy.

Adebayor bagged an impressive eight goals in January alone, however, just one goal in his last eight games has coincided with a dip in form for the North Londoners.

Wenger believes a lack of service is hindering Adebayor's production in front of goal, but he also concedes that he may also be suffering from fatigue with the campaign nearing its conclusion.

With Robin van Persie fit again and Nicolas Bendtner chomping at the bit to start, Wenger has hinted Adebayor could be rested for this weekend's clash against struggling Bolton.

Bosingwa hints at Porto exit

Porto attacking full-back Jose Bosingwa has admitted he will leave the Portuguese champions if a good enough offer comes in for him.

The versatile 25-year-old is rumoured to be a target for Premier League clubs Manchester United and Aston Villa, as well as Serie A giants Juventus.

Bosingwa is comfortable at either right-back or on the right side of midfield and has spoken of his ambition to move away from the Estadio do Dragao.

Bosingwa hints at Porto exit

Porto attacking full-back Jose Bosingwa has admitted he will leave the Portuguese champions if a good enough offer comes in for him.

The versatile 25-year-old is rumoured to be a target for Premier League clubs Manchester United and Aston Villa, as well as Serie A giants Juventus.

Bosingwa is comfortable at either right-back or on the right side of midfield and has spoken of his ambition to move away from the Estadio do Dragao.

Saturday, March 8, 2008

Refereeing may force Ron re-think

Manchester United star Ronaldo has revealed he is thinking of changing his approach to the game because of refereeing standards.

The Portuguese believes referees sometimes do not protect the skilful players in the Premier League.

The 23-year-old was making his comments after United controversially went out of the FA Cup to Portsmouth, losing their quarter-final 1-0 at Old Trafford thanks to a Sulley Muntari 78th minute penalty.

But referee Martin Atkinson failed to award United a first-half penalty following Sylvain Distin's foul on Ronaldo in the seventh minute.

Barnsley 1-0 Chelsea: Seismic shock at Oakwell

Kayode Odejayi is hardly a name that rolls off the tongue, but it will long be remembered in FA Cup history as Barnsley produced another massive shock to send holders Chelsea crashing out 1-0.

As if beating Liverpool at Anfield in the fifth round three weeks ago was not enough, the Coca-Cola Championship side managed to go one better, with Odejayi the man of the hour.

The Nigerian striker, a £200,000 buy from Cheltenham in May, had not found the net for 28 appearances, but he undoubtedly scored the most important goal of his career to send Barnsley into the semi-finals at Wembley.

Make no mistake, this was no fluke because although manager Avram Grant made six changes to his team from the one that romped over Olympiacos in the Champions League in midweek, there was still a star-studded line-up on view.

Barnsley boss Simon Davey had described that win as "men against boys,'' and departed Stamford Bridge feeling quite "unnerved'' at how the Blues had dismantled the Greeks.

Needless to say, though, he was expecting far more from his Tykes, and that is what he duly received as Yorkshire grit took on the might of the millionaires from the Kings Road.

There was no Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, Claude Makelele, Paulo Ferreira or Ashley Cole, who were all rested.

Even without Lampard, there was a distinctly English slant towards the Chelsea side as captain John Terry was joined by Wayne Bridge, Joe Cole and Shaun Wright-Phillips.

Despite their star status, they more than anybody would appreciate this was an old-fashioned cup tie of favourites against underdogs, with a sell-out, fervent Oakwell crowd providing the backdrop.

As if to prove no fear would be shown, Barnsley took the game to their opponents, carving out the opening chance inside three minutes.

The livewire Jamal Campbell-Ryce's through ball found Brian Howard inside the area, the Tykes captain who had scored the late winner at Anfield.

Although Howard's stabbed shot was blocked by Michael Essien, it at least underlined Barnsley's intent that they would not be as easy a pushover as Olympiacos.

Half-chances followed for Chelsea, interspersed by a number of counter-attacks from the home side, who used Campbell-Ryce's pace along with the height and power of strikers Istvan Ferenczi and Odejayi.

Michael Ballack ballooned the visitors' first opportunity over the crossbar, followed by an edge-of-the-area chip from Joe Cole that also cleared the woodwork.

In the 15th minute Cole drilled another effort goalwards, and despite a slight deflection that carried the shot inches wide, there was no corner.

Underlining Barnsley's commitment, Rob Kozluk threw his body in front of a Cole drive that followed three minutes later, and that was it in terms of first-half chances for Chelsea.

Instead, it was the Tykes who should have headed into the break with the lead, initially in the 21st minute when Carlo Cudicini was caught napping on the edge of the six-yard box.

The Italian goalkeeper made a hash of attempting to trap a backpass, allowing Odejayi to thunder in, but his nudge was wide.

Then, eight minutes from the interval, Ferenczi should have found the target after latching onto Bobby Hassell's free-kick from deep.

But after flicking the ball up with his right foot, he fired wide from 12 yards, with the Hungarian then sinking to his knees and with his head in his hands as he appreciated he should have done better.

Within a minute Barnsley were on the attack again as Howard played in Odejayi, and although forced wide, he still fired in a powerful shot that forced Cudicini into his first save via his legs.

Perhaps inevitably Chelsea then dominated the opening 20 minutes of the second period as Barnsley were penned back inside their own half, resorting on occasion to desperate, but effective defending.

From their sporadic opportunities, Cole had a further shot blocked by Dennis Souza, while on-loan goalkeeper Luke Steele made an easy save from a low Nicolas Anelka drive.

Cole and Terry then combined to set up the Frenchman in the 57th minute, but again the determined home side thrust bodies in the way when it mattered most.

After weathering the storm, Barnsley then conjured a goal to lift the proverbial roof off Oakwell, one which is likely to result in further inquests from Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich following those held in the wake of the Carling Cup final defeat to Tottenham.

Ferenczi initially fed Martin Devaney on the right, and after a run from Marciano van Homoet pulled away Bridge, the right winger delivered a piercing cross to the heart of the area.

At 6ft 2ins, Odejayi managed to rise in front of the outstretched hands of Cudicini and nod home only his second goal for the club this season into an empty net.

Chelsea poured forward for the remainder of the game, but despite the pressure, not once was Steele was forced into a save as a wall of 10 red shirts protected him.

When the final whistle sounded, and despite warnings over the tannoy not to do so, a pitch invasion ensued - one you could not begrudge the delirious Barnsley faithful.

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Jose - I still love Chelsea

Jose Mourinho has contacted Sky Sports News in a bid to ward off a possible war of words with former club Chelsea.

The charismatic and colourful Portuguese gave an interview earlier in the day when he said he would be out to 'kill' the Stamford Bridge side if he came up against them in the UEFA Champions League.

Mourinho, who has been out of the game since his exit from the Premier League giants in September, is keen to return to management next season, with Italy or Spain the most likely destinations.

And he initially said: "If I play them (Chelsea) in the Champions League, I want to go there and kill them - that's my message."

Uefa Cup round-up

Rangers enjoyed a superb Uefa Cup victory, Bolton drew with Sporting, but there were defeats for Tottenham and Everton in the first leg of their Round of 16 clashes.

Walter Smith's side took full advantage of some questionable goalkeeping from Werder Bremen's Tim Wiese to secure a 2-0 win at Ibrox with goals from Daniel Cousin and Steven Davis.

Gilberto endured a Tottenham debut to forget, as his blunder allowed Jefferson Farfan to claim a vital away goal for PSV Eindhoven, before being taken off at the interval.

Tim Howard produced a string of good saves against Fiorentina, but the Everton No.1 could do nothing to keep out two stunning finishes from Zdravko Kuzmanovic and Riccardo Montolivo.

Bolton took the lead against Sporting Lisbon through Gavin McCann, but conceded what could prove to be a crucial away goal with Simon Vukcevic levelling for the Portuguese outfit.

Bayern Munich thrashed Anderlecht in Belgium, while Marseille overcame Zenit St Petersburg.

Getafe triumphed 2-1 away to 10-man Benfica and Bayer Leverkusen grabbed a late winner against Bundesliga rivals Hamburg.

Hapless Werder Bremen goalkeeper Wiese's brace of blunders allowed Rangers to claim a crucial advantage in their first-leg clash at Ibrox.

Cousin hit a speculative effort from over 30 yards out just before the break, more in hope than expectation, but the visiting shot-stopper allowed the shot to squirm through his fingers and loop into the net.

Wiese endured more misery when he then spilled Cousin's cross-shot shortly after the break with Steven Davis sliding in to take full advantage.

Lee McCulloch could have put the tie beyond the reach of the German side, but he took too long in front of an open goal after pouncing on an error from Naldo, allowing the defender to put in a superb saving tackle after rounding the keeper.

An error from Gilberto on his Tottenham debut handed PSV Eindhoven the advantage with Jefferson Farfan taking full advantage in the 34th minute.

A quick break from the visitors looked to have come to nothing as the Brazilian intercepted possession on the edge of his own box, but he dallied and allowed Farfan to steal the ball before rifling a shot beyond the helpless Paul Robinson.

Robbie Keane was denied an equaliser on the stroke of half-time when his stunning control and turn on the edge of the box forced a splendid one-handed save from Heurelho Gomes.

Gilberto, who had earlier been booked for pulling back Farfan as he threatened to break through, was put out of his misery when he was replaced by Jamie O'Hara at the interval as Spurs' Carling Cup hangover continued.

Everton will have to produce an heroic performance at Goodison Park next week if they are to overturn Fiorentina's 2-0 lead.

Howard had been called into action on several occasions to keep David Moyes' side on level terms, but he could do nothing about the opening goal 20 minutes from time.

Montolivo's initial shot was blocked, but the ball ran to Tomas Ujfalusi who rolled a precise pass into the on-rushing Kuzmanovic who found the bottom corner with a first-time strike.

And Montolivo then produced a high-class volleyed finish to Martin Jorgensen's clever flick to double the advantage 10 minutes from time.

Bolton will travel to Portugal next week knowing they must score against Sporting Lisbon after their first leg clash ended 1-1.

Midfielder McCann pounced on a loose ball to fire his side into a 25th minute lead after Matt Taylor's initial shot was blocked.

But Vukcevic levelled for the visitors 21 minutes from time when he beat Ali Al-Habsi moments after hitting the crossbar.

Bayern Munich effectively booked their place in the quarter-finals by thrashing 10-man Anderlecht 5-0 in Belgium.

The German giants are normally UEFA Champions League regulars, but have been forced away from the top table of European action this season.

Hamit Altintop had already put the Bundesliga leaders a goal to the good before Marcin Wasilweski saw red for two bookings in the space of three minutes just before half-time.

Luca Toni doubled Bayern's advantage before the interval with further goals from Lukas Podolski, Miroslav Klose and Franck Ribery making the second leg next week a mere formality.

Former Liverpool striker Djibril Cisse scored twice as Marseille took control of their clash with Zenit St Petersburg.

Cisse struck either side of Mamadou Niang's effort for the Champions League drop-outs, with Andrei Arshavin's late reply for Zenit giving them faint hope of overturning the deficit in the second leg.

Getafe took advantage of the early dismissal of Benfica's Oscar Cardozo to claim a 2-1 victory in Portugal.

The Benfica forward saw red in just the ninth minute after a foul on Getafe skipper Belenguer.

Ruben De la Red (25) and Pablo Hernandez (67) put the Spanish side in charge, but substitute Pedro Matorras' 76th minute reply gives Benfica hope for the return fixture.

Theofanis Gekas' 77th minute strike enabled Bayer Leverkusen to claim a narrow lead over Bundesliga rivals Hamburg at the BayArena.

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Liverpool owners reject £400m DIC takeover

Liverpool co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett have rejected Dubai International Capital's £400million bid for the Premier League club.

Click here
The offer, which would represent a £25million profit for each of the American tycoons, was immediately turned down, an associate involved with the negotiations revealed. He spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation. The source also suggests that Hicks had not formally rejected the offer but has made it very clear that he is unwilling to sell his share in the club. Hicks is committed to retaining his 50 percent share in Liverpool while Gillett is reportedly willing to sell. Hicks has said he can block Gillett from selling his stake. Although no formal statement is expected from Hicks, his stance remains the same as last month, when he said: 'Reports that I am about to sell my stake in the Liverpool Football Club, or to invite DIC to examine the club's books in preparation for such a sale - like other such reports planted in the UK press in recent weeks by parties with their own self-interested agenda - are absolutely and categorically false. 'The reality is that I am personally, professionally and financially committed to the club and its supporters and I will continue to honour that commitment to the best of my ability now and in the future.' The American duo bought the club last year for approximately £218m - beating a rival bid from the Dubai consortium. Hicks also owns the Texas Rangers and the Dallas Stars.

Man Utd 1-0 Lyon: Ronaldo notches 30th goal

Cristiano Ronaldo again showed his liking for the big stage by scoring the winner at Old Trafford as Manchester United set another Champions League milestone following a 1-0 victory over Lyon.

The Portugal winger steered the club to a 10th straight home victory in the competition, equalling Juventus' record set 11 years ago.

Ronaldo struck in the 41st minute to break Lyon's resistance and secure a place in the quarter-finals.

The French side carved out a couple of decent chances before United made the breakthrough.

Sir Alex Ferguson's side were highly motivated from the off and Patrice Evra let his enthusiasm get the better of him.

He picked up a booking after only four minutes for a challenge on Karim Benzema.

The highly-rated Lyon striker had scored a superb opening goal in the first leg and Ferguson knew the danger he posed.

United made a swift break in the 10th minute and there was a buzz of anticipation around the ground as Ronaldo collected the ball.

The Portugal winger cut inside only to see his effort blocked by experienced Brazilian defender Cris.

Anderson then tried to thread the ball through to Evra only for Francois Clerc to read the situation well and clear the danger.

United had stepped up the pressure and Michael Carrick picked out Darren Fletcher in the 16th minute but he rattled a shot from distance wide of the post.

Play broke down the other end and Benzema got clear, only to fire his shot from 25 yards over the top in the 20th minute.

Ronaldo then weighed up a free-kick but scuffed his effort. The ball broke to Wayne Rooney but he too failed to find the target.

Lyon were looking well organised and Clerc whipped in a cross from the right after 27 minutes that Edwin van der Sar took cleanly.

Two minutes later the Dutch goalkeeper had to look alert to parry Kim Kallstrom's rasping effort as the French visitors suddenly stepped up the pace.

Lyon were beginning to knock the ball around and the home fans were getting anxious.

Evra then latched on to a good through ball from Ronaldo and delivered a cross into the box.

Goalkeeper Gregory Coupet got there ahead of Darren Fletcher only to be clattered by the Scottish midfielder and earn a free-kick.

United made the breakthrough to go 2-1 ahead on aggregate thanks to Ronaldo's 30th goal of the season in all competitions.

Nani started the move and sent Wes Brown clear on the right. He found Anderson, whose effort was blocked.

The ball broke to Ronaldo, who beat Coupet at the near post and stun Lyon.

That goal from Ronaldo had given United the boost they needed and Nani saw his effort blocked in the 49th minute.

Lyon were anxious to get back in the game and a minute later Juninho tried his luck from distance but failed to test van der Sar.

Then Evra picked out Carrick and he fired in a shot that was deflected to safety.

Juninho has carved out a reputation as a dead-ball specialist and he was not afraid to try his luck from all of 30 yards in the 58th minute.

But he was left frustrated as Ronaldo showed his defensive side by heading the free-kick to safety.

Lyon, however, launched a swift counter-attack in the 66th minute with United almost paying for their carelessness.

Benzema got away and released Clerc but the move broke down when he delivered a weak cross cum shot into the area.

United boss Ferguson brought on Carlos Tevez for Anderson in the 71st minute in a bid to extend their lead.

Rooney then tried to release the striker with a cross only to see it blocked before Lyon almost grabbed the equaliser.

Substitute Kader Keita showed good pace in the 74th minute but saw his shot come back off the post.

United hit back and Rooney should have scored following a poor back pass from Hatem Ben Arfa only for Coupet to block his chip.

Rooney was again out of luck in the 87th minute with Lyon stretched as they went in search of the equaliser.

While the England striker was left frustrated the consolation was that United completed the job.

Champions League round-up

Arsenal made history in Milan as late goals from Cesc Fabregas and Emmanuel Adebayor ensured they progressed to the last eight of the Champions League, on a night in which Cristiano Ronaldo's 30th goal of the season saw off Lyon at Old Trafford.

Prior to the visit of Arsene Wenger's side to the San Siro, Milan had never lost to an English club on home soil but when Fabregas struck with six minutes remaining there was no way back for the Italians.

And it just kept getting better for Wenger's charges as in the last minute Adebayor banished the memory of his first leg miss with a second.

There was nothing fortuitous about Arsenal's victory as they played with archetypal swagger and style in taking the game to the European champions from the off.

While Arsenal were magnificent, Manchester United were more functional as Ronaldo yet again proved to be their match winner on a night when Sir Alex Ferguson will care little for the manner of their victory.

Celtic's trip to Barcelona was billed as a Mission Impossible Tom Cruise would have baulked at and so it proved at Camp Nou as Xavi's goal ensured a 1-0 win on the night and a 4-2 aggregate success over the two legs.

For all of the celebrations in Milan, the tie of the round thus far was arguably played out over in Sevilla, as the Spanish club crashed out of the competition to Fenerbahce on penalties.

A tumultuous tie saw Sevilla win 3-2 on the night but endure a spot-kick nightmare as Volkan Demirel in Fener's goal went from zero to hero in the course of 120 minutes of pulsating action.

Arsenal withstood early pressure in Milan that saw chances carved for Filippo Inzaghi and Alexandre Pato, before finding a rhythm that had a partisan home crowd rightly on edge.

Prolonged periods of crisp possession for Wenger's side saw Adebayor force Zeljko Kalac to tip over and Fabregas rue the width of the crossbar with a thumping effort from distance.

After the break Arsenal continued to press strongly as Philippe Senderos from close range and then Emmanuel Eboue in acres of space in Milan's box both missed glorious opportunities to notch an away goal.

Theo Walcott went close to winning it with a bright cameo from the bench but it was Fabregas that broke Milan's resolve with a daisy cutter that beat Kalac from 30-yards.

Gloss was put on the most polished of displays when in the final minute Adebayor tapped in from close range after Walcott had scampered down the right.

Functional display

Ferguson's starting line-up at Old Trafford caused more than the odd arched eyebrow as Carlos Tevez, likened to Eric Cantona by the Scot this week, was named on the bench alongside Paul Scholes.

United bossed the majority of the first half as Lyon only hinted at the attacking talent they undoubtedly possess.

It was no surprise then that the game's opening goal owed more than a little to fortuitous circumstances. Wes Brown made a lung-busting raid down the right but from his cross Anderson failed to find a true connection. However, after the ball broke to Ronaldo, the Portuguese international showed trademark poise in slotting beyond Gregory Coupet from eight yards.

United were far from at their fluid best and with 15 minutes remaining Kader Keita evoked a sharp intake of breath from the majority of those present when his snapshot hit the foot of Edwin van der Sar's near post.

Bridge too far

Celtic boss Gordon Strachan sent his side out to be compact and difficult to break down; with barely more than three minutes on the clock Barcelona were ahead.

Ronaldinho was the architect as he gave Celtic's back four the eyes, before playing in an advanced Silvinho on the overlap.

The Brazilian's cross found Xavi and with an outstretched boot the diminutive schemer beat Artur Boruc from close range.

Any fears of a capitulation proved ill-founded though as Celtic rallied and while Boruc was the busier of the two goalkeepers, it was not all one-way traffic in the Catalan capital.

Fenerbahce goalkeeper Demirel experienced the proverbial mixed night against Sevilla as he single handedly gifted the Spaniards a route back into the tie, before redeeming himself by saving three penalties in the ensuing shoot-out.

A mere five minutes had elapsed when Brazilian star Daniel Alves chanced his arm from range with a free-kick that Demirel got horribly wrong in electing to punch rather than parry; an aberration that concluded with the ball nestling in his bottom corner.

And it got no better for the beleaguered goalkeeper, for while Seydou Keita's strike from 25-yards had venom it was arched directly above his head and anything other than a lethargic wave of the glove would surely have repelled it.

Fener coach Zico looked deflated on the touch-line but an entertaining encounter was given added spice in the 21st minute when after Sevilla failed to fully clear a corner, Deivid's crisp drive from just inside the box evaded a heap of bodies in the area to level the tie at 4-4.

Deivid's intervention looked to be a false dawn for Fenerbahce though as Sevilla edged ahead 3-1 on the night before half-time, as Freddie Kanoute took Alves' clipped pass on his chest before volleying past Demirel with the aid of a generous deflection off Gokhan Gonul.

The home side appeared to be cruising into the last eight when with ten minutes remaining Deivid was left criminally free from a free-kick to stab home at the second attempt, after hitting the post from close range with his initial effort.

In the shoot-out Demirel cast himself as the most unlikely of heroes as he excelled in saving three of Sevilla's efforts from 12 yards.

Friday, February 29, 2008

Kaka will not leave Milan

Brazilian playmaker Kaka has insisted that he wants to spend the rest of his career with Milan.

The current World Player of the Year agreed a new contract extension with the Italian giants on Friday which will keep him at the club until 2013.

He has found himself continuously linked with a move to Real Madrid in the past, but having already enjoyed five successful years at the San Siro he has now expressed his desire to see out his playing days with the Rossoneri.

Joorabchian wants openness

Kia Joorabchian insists he has 'no other choice' than to take legal action against West Ham United.

The businessman is suing the Hammers for alleged unpaid fees and costs regarding the Carlos Tevez affair.

Tevez, along with fellow Argentina international Javier Mascherano, was taken to Upton Park in August 2006 before joining Manchester United last summer.

The arrangement with the Hammers was deemed to be contrary to Premier League regulations, and Joorabchian hopes the court case will bring everything out into the open.

Hodgson - Fergie rejected Inter

Roy Hodgson believes that he was the second choice for the Internazionale job back in 1995.

Hodgson, currently in charge of Premier League side Fulham, believes that the only reason he was handed the reins at the Italian giants was because Sir Alex Ferguson had already turned them down.

The Manchester United boss admitted this week that he had mulled over the idea of working abroad in the past, but had never been able to tear himself away from Old Trafford.

Hodgson, who has spent a career trekking the globe, feels that Ferguson would have been a huge success had he decided to leave these shores and admits that the opportunity may not have passed him by just yet.

Fergie - Ronaldo is a phenomenon

Sir Alex Ferguson has branded Cristiano Ronaldo's strike rate as "phenomenal" as the winger closes in on 30 goals in all competitions this season.

The Manchester United star needs just one more to reach that magic milestone and has already eclipsed his total of 23 during the 2006/07 campaign.

With Fulham next up for the Red Devils on Saturday, Ronaldo should fancy his chances of reaching the total at Craven Cottage as he boasts an impressive record against them in recent games.

The Portuguese international has scored seven times in his last five appearances against the struggling Cottagers, a tally which includes a last-gasp winner in the corresponding fixture last season which put the Red Devils well on course to take the Premier League title.

Wenger admits Arsenal distress

Arsene Wenger has admitted Arsenal have found Eduardo da Silva's horror leg break 'very disturbing'.

The Gunners striker is facing at least nine months on the sidelines after Martin Taylor's third-minute challenge last weekend left him with a broken left fibula and dislocated ankle.

Wenger revealed the club are still coming to terms with what happened at St Andrews, and the Emirates Stadium boss appears unmoved by Taylor's clear remorse and subsequent apologies.

And the Frenchman has again reiterated his view that Arsenal are on the receiving end of more bad tackles than any other team in the Premier League.

Hleb rejects Inter rumours

Arsenal star Alexander Hleb has rejected reports linking him with a possible move to Internazionale.

Reports earlier this week suggested Inter were lining up a summer swoop for the midfield schemer.

Hleb has enjoyed a fantastic season to date with Arsenal and has been inspirational in their pursuit of the Premier League title.

The form of the Belarus international is believed to have attracted the attention of a host of top clubs including Inter and Barcelona.

However, Hleb insists he is unaware of any interest and that he is happy at Arsenal.

Sven confident of Euro place

Sven Goran Eriksson believes that Manchester City are still capable of claiming a European spot.

The Swede has seen his side win just two of their last seven games in the Premier League and are now three points off the pace in the battle for a top-six finish.

They only have 11 games in which to push themselves back into the reckoning, but their manager remains quietly confident of accumulating enough points to ensure they will be celebrating come the end of the season.

Rafa backs Gerrard comments

Rafa Benitez has given his backing to Steven Gerrard following the Liverpool skipper's admission that not even winning the UEFA Champions League would make up for a disappointing Premier League campaign.

Liverpool have once again impressed in the Champions League this season and are well placed to advance to the quarter-finals.

But Gerrard this week insisted that finishing fifth in the league would be unacceptable regardless of what happens in Europe.

His comments were interpreted in some quarters as an attack on Benitez but the Reds boss maintains that he can understand Gerrard's point of view.

Benitez has dismissed any talk of a rift and is satisfied that Gerrard will continue to show his full commitment in both the Champions League and the Premier League.

He said: "My relationship with Steven is very good. I was talking with him today before training after reading his interview in our magazine. It was clear what he was saying and everybody feels the same way.

"We must progress in the Champions League, and Steven has told me how amazing it was to win it and how important that medal is to him.

"Now he wants to win the Champions League and to finish fourth in the league.

Grant rejects crisis talk

Avram Grant has hit back at his critics and played down the bust-up between Henk ten Cate and John Terry.

Chelsea turned in a disappointing performance as they lost to Tottenham in the Carling Cup final last week and Grant has faced criticism for a number of his decisions.

But he insists he should be allowed to move on without there being such speculation about his future, after enjoying a successful start to his Chelsea reign.

Asked about his relationship with the players following the defeat by Spurs, Grant reacted angrily.

"Why didn't you ask that question a week ago?" he fumed.

"Just because we lost one game, now this is wrong, that is wrong.

"I don't want to defend myself about this. The spirit is very good in the team, the situation is very good with the team.

Premier League preview

Leaders Arsenal must focus fully on their Premier League title bid with champions Manchester United just three points adrift.

The Gunners were understandably knocked from their stride by Eduardo da Silva's horrific leg break in the opening minutes of their match at Birmingham.

But having hit back from a goal down to lead 2-1 with time running out, Arsene Wenger's side let two vital points slip from their grasp with Gael Clichy conceding a late penalty which James McFadden gratefully slammed home.

Captain William Gallas' response was to throw the kind of tantrum many toddlers would be proud of, before dumping himself on self-imposed 'naughty seat' near the centre circle with tears threatening to roll down his cheeks as his disconsolate team-mates trooped off.

A little more leadership will be required at Emirates Stadium with Aston Villa, who took a point in the first-ever Premier League game at the Gunners' new home, the visitors on Saturday.

Manchester United took full advantage as they thumped hapless Newcastle 5-1 at St James' Park, with Sir Alex Ferguson's side now travelling to Craven Cottage to take on a Fulham side struggling in the drop zone.

Chelsea's improbable quadruple bid fell at the first hurdle as they were beaten by Tottenham in the Carling Cup final, and they now find themselves nine points off the pace in the league.

Avram Grant's men do have a game in hand, but will need to show a marked improvement on their Wembley display when they make the trip across London to tackle West Ham.

The race for fourth remains tight and tense with Everton currently in pole position as they welcome fellow high-flyers Portsmouth to Goodison Park, live on Sky Sports 1.

Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard has far loftier ambitions as he admitted this week that the even winning the UEFA Champions League would not make up for the club's shortcomings on the domestic front.

But fourth is the best the Anfield outfit can hope for this term, although Sunday's trip to Bolton, live on Sky Sports 1, will be another stern examination, with the Reebok Stadium rarely a happy hunting ground for Rafa Benitez's men.

Manchester City's Eastlands defeat by the Toffees on Monday saw them slip off the pace somewhat, and they will be determined to get back to winning ways with another home meeting against Wigan.

At the other end of the table, Sunderland will not get a better chance to end their hunt for an away victory as they make the trip to doomed Derby.

Reading, who have lost eight games on the spin to slide into the bottom three, travel to the North East to face Middlesbrough.

Newcastle's form is little better, as Kevin Keegan's search for a first win since his return to St James' Park continues against Blackburn.

Tottenham must hope the hangover from their Carling Cup triumph has cleared when they come up against Birmingham at St Andrews, with the Blues eager to pull clear of the relegation places.

Arsenal v Aston Villa

Arsenal have lost at home to Villa just twice, those defeats coming in the first two Premier League seasons, since then they have picked up nine wins and four draws. The Gunners have not lost in their last 18 Premier League games against Villa home or away. Villa have scored in their last 22 games, the best current run in the top-flight, but they haven't kept a clean sheet since November.

Birmingham v Tottenham

Spurs have kept consecutive clean sheets away from home, something they last achieved in the Premier League in August 2005. The reverse fixture where Birmingham won 3-2 was Alex McLeish's first game in charge. Robbie Keane has scored six goals in his last seven Premier League games against Birmingham, but he was sent off in the fixture at White Hart Lane.

Derby v Sunderland

Sunderland have the worst away record in the top flight with just two points and they have lost the last 10 in a row. Derby have the worst home record with six points from 13 games and the most goals conceded (24). The Rams have never scored more than one goal in a game against Sunderland in the Premier League.

Fulham v Manchester United

Fulham have lost their last six encounters against United and the Red Devils have never failed to score at Craven Cottage in the Premier League. Louis Saha has scored in all three of his Premier League starts against his former club, while Cristiano Ronaldo has scored in each of his last five starts against Fulham, netting seven in total.

Middlesbrough v Reading

Reading have lost their last eight Premier League games in a row and failed to score in five of the last seven. In their last three home games Boro have scored one goal in each, earning seven points in the process.

Newcastle v Blackburn

Newcastle have lost three of the last four games they have played against Blackburn at St James' without scoring in those three defeats. In their 12 Premier League visits to Newcastle, Blackburn have failed to score just twice. Since dispensing with Sam Allardyce's services, Newcastle have picked up just two points from 18 and conceded 19 goals in the process.

West Ham v Chelsea

West Ham have lost just once in their last nine home games, but the Hammers have lost their last five encounters against Chelsea, shipping 13 goals in the process. The two sides have not shared the points in the top flight since March 2000. Chelsea have lost just once in their last nine away Premier League matches, winning seven and drawing one.

Manchester City v Wigan

City have taken just one point from their previous five Premier League meetings with Wigan and both games at Eastlands ended 1-0 to the visitors. The Latics have kept just one clean sheet in their last 18 Premier League away games. City have not managed to win any of their last five matches at home in the Premier League.

Bolton v Liverpool

Bolton have scored only two goals in their last four home games, but have failed to score in this fixture just once, in their first season in the Premier League, when they lost 1-0. The Trotters have lost their last two encounters with the Reds shipping seven goals. Liverpool have won just once in their last six league away games and have scored just one goal in their last four away trips.

Everton v Portsmouth

Everton have lost just one game in the last eight at Goodison Park, against leaders Arsenal. The match against the Gunners was also the only league home game in the last six where Everton have conceded. This fixture at Goodison Park has never ended as a draw in the Premier League era and Portsmouth have not drawn an away game since the opening match of the season at Derby.

Mascherano signs Reds deal

Javier Mascherano has signed a four-year contract to stay with Liverpool on a permanent basis.

The Argentine midfielder originally moved to Anfield over 12 months ago on loan following a brief stint at West Ham United.

Liverpool have been involved in protracted negotiations to secure Mascherano on a permanent deal, with the likes of Juventus and Barcelona rumoured to be waiting in the wings.

An agreement has now been finalised and the 23-year-old expressed his delight at committing his future to Rafa Benitez's side.

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

La Liga round-up

Barcelona have moved to within two points of Primera Liga leaders Real Madrid as a Samuel Eto'o hat-trick helped secure a 5-1 demolition of Levante at the Camp Nou.

Spanish international midfielder Xavi put Barcelona in front after 14 minutes against Levante, but Riga Mustapha then stunned the home crowd when he hit an equaliser from the penalty spot on 41 minutes.

The goal stung Barcelona, who defeated Celtic in the UEFA Champions League in midweek, and they immediately responded as Lionel Messi netted on 44 minutes.

And after the interval Eto'o became the star of the show as he hit his first on 56 minutes before adding a second six minutes later.

Eto'o the ensured he was taking the match ball home as he completed his hat-trick with three minutes remaining.

Barcelona have closed the gap after Real slipped to a surprise 1-0 home defeat to Getafe.

Ikechukwu Uche took advantage of Real complacency on 64 minutes to put fire the only goal of the game.

Villarreal kept up their pursuit of Real and Barcelona as they secured a 2-1 away win over Athletic Bilbao.

Bilbao had taken the lead through Fernando Llorente on three minutes at San Mames.

However, Guillermo Franco then hit twice (66 and 84) to hand Villarreal the points.

Elsewhere, fourth placed Atletico Madrid endured a torrid end to a bad week as they slumped 3-1 away to struggling Osasuna.

Atletico crashed out of the Uefa Cup to Bolton in midweek and the latest defeat dents their hopes of a place in next season's European competitions.

Osasuna, who sat 17th at kick-off, took the lead through Clemente Sola on 2 minutes and Carlos Vela then added a second three minutes later.

Diego Forlan pulled one back for Atletico on 26 minutes, but after the interval Hector Font (76) secured the points for Osasuna, who move up to 12th.

Espanyol also suffered a surprise defeat as they lost 2-0 to Deportivo La Coruna at the Riazor.

Fabricio Coloccini opened the scoring after 18 minutes and Angel Lafita secured the points six minutes later.

Second-bottom Murcia's relegation fears continue as they suffered a 1-0 home defeat to Real Valladolid.

Joseba Llorente struck after 42 minutes to leave Murcai looking nervously over their shoulders.

Racing Santander boosted their hopes of a place in Europe next season as Mohamed Tchite hit the back of the net after 61 minutes to earn the points at home against nine-man Almeria.

Cisma Domingo and Veljko Paunovic both saw red for the visitors late on after collecting two bookings.

Honours were left even between Real Mallorca and Real Betis at the Ono Estadi as they played out a 1-1 draw.

Fernando Varela gave Mallorca the lead on 56 minutes, but Edu then earned a point with 20 minutes remaining.

Athletic Bilbao 1-2 Villarreal

Barcelona 5-1 Levante

Deportivo La Coruna 2-0 Espanyol

Mallorca 1-1 Real Betis

Murcia 0-1 Valladolid

Osasuna 3-1 Atletico Madrid

Racing Santander 1-0 Almeria

Real Madrid 0-1 Getafe

Martins denies Valencia

Carlos Martins struck a second-half equaliser for Recreativo Huelva to heap more pressure on Valencia manager Ronald Koeman.

Valencia have now managed just two wins in 13 league fixtures as Saturday evening's encounter at the Mestalla ended 1-1.

Juan Mata handed the home side the lead on 39 minutes, however Martins (52) restored parity to secure a valuable point for Recreativo.

The result sees Manolo Zambrano's men climb to 14th in Primera Division, while Valencia remain ninth.

Gunners check on Argentine

Argentine goalkeeper Willy Caballero has expressed his delight after Arsenal dispatched a scout to watch him at the weekend.

The Elche shot-stopper was in fine form as he helped his side claim a goalless draw with Real Sociedad.

Wenger's Spanish network took the chance to watch the highly-rated Caballero whilst also checking on the progress of midfield starlet Fran Merida - who is on loan at Sociedad for the rest of the season.

Caballero admits he was delighted to turn in such a good performance knowing the English giants had people watching him.

No Chelsea deal for Barca gem

Spanish starlet Marc Muniesa has not agreed a deal to sign for Chelsea, his agent has confirmed.

The 15-year-old is rated as one of the most promising youngsters at Camp Nou - but Barca are again fearing that he could be tempted away by the lure of the Premier League.

Barca have been hard hit by raids on their youth academy in recent seasons with the likes of Cesc Fabregas and Gerard Pique - to name but two - spirited away by Arsenal and Manchester United respectively.

Now Chelsea, who only last week caused furore in Italy when they agreed a deal for Reggina's 15-year-old Vincenzo Camilleri, are now said to be making moves to land Muniesa.

Fergie lauds young stars

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is confident Anderson and Nani are set to become stars at Old Trafford.

The duo arrived from Sporting Lisbon and Porto, respectively, last summer and Ferguson believes he has seen 'evidence' that the youngsters have the potential to become long-term fixtures in the United side.

Anderson sat out United's convincing 5-1 Premier League victory over Newcastle on Saturday but the 19-year old has caught the eye since arriving in England in July last year.

Ferguson admits Nani , who completed a full 90 minutes at St James' Park, has required more time to adapt to the English game but the United boss feels the 21-year-old is also beginning to demonstrate his potential.

Fabregas 'fired up' by critics

Cesc Fabregas has revealed he and his Arsenal team-mates were determined to prove the critics wrong this season and the midfielder admits it would be 'unbelievable' to win the Premier League.

The young Gunners had been tipped to struggle this campaign after the summer loss of star striker to Thierry Henry to Barcelona.

However, Arsenal sit top of the Premier League and are midway through their two-legged UEFA Champions League last 16 clash with Milan.

The Gunners host Aston Villa, who are chasing a place in Europe, in the league on Saturday and ahead of the meeting Fabregas has revealed Arsenal's determination.

Neville steps up comeback

Gary Neville played an hour for Manchester United's reserves as he stepped up his latest bid to return to full fitness.

The England full-back has spent just short of a year on the sidelines having seen numerous comebacks hampered by injury.

The United skipper played 60 minutes for The Red Devils' second string against Liverpool on Tuesday - but he could not prevent them from going down to a 2-0 defeat at The Halliwell Jones Stadium.

Liverpool also had Daniel Agger stepping up his fitness bid along side the likes of Harry Kewell and Xabi Alonso.

It was Alonso and Kewell who grabbed the goals in-front of over 10,000 fans

Lamb slaughters FA

Middlesbrough chief executive Keith Lamb has launched a scathing attack on the Football Association after it rejected Jeremie Aliadiere's appeal against his sending off at Liverpool.

Referee Lee Mason dismissed Aliadiere for slapping Javier Mascherano - who raised his hands to the Frenchman - but let the Liverpool midfielder off with a warning.

Boro appealed, but the FA's regulatory commission rejected the claim and extended the ban by another match to four games as they claimed the decision to object to the original sending off was branded as 'frivolous'.

The Teesside club, though, have hit back and Lamb has described the FA's decision as a 'travesty of justice' and insisted they were being treated different as they were not one of the 'big boys'.

Hicks rejects sale talk

iverpool co-owner Tom Hicks has insisted he is not planning to sell his stake in the club.

Hicks and co-owner George Gillett have been continually linked with selling their stakes in the club over the last few months.

However, American billionaire Hicks claims he is completely committed to Liverpool and has rejected reports that he has invited Dubai International Capital (DIC) to inspect the club's accounts in preparation for a takeover.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Into the Lyon's den

Manchester United were absolutely awesome on Saturday and outclassed Arsenal in that 4-0 win.

I know people will say Arsenal weren't up for it and didn't show much respect for the FA Cup, but United didn't allow them to settle and that was the big difference.

United were coming into that match on the back of a defeat to Man City and I know how I would have felt as a player after a couple of bad results, particularly losing a derby game.

Nobody likes getting beat in a derby, least of all at home on an emotional day.

I think they all realised they had to give something back and it wouldn't have mattered if it was a kick-about in the park or an FA Cup final, they were going to be up for that game on Saturday night.

All those things came together and that's why the magic happened against a top team like Arsenal.

The work-rate was tremendous. When I was at Liverpool, we always said Ian Rush was the first line of defence. Well, for Ian Rush, read Wayne Rooney because he absolutely excellent.

He worked the frontline and everybody else responded behind him. They closed down at every opportunity, choked Arsenal and Rooney could have scored three or four himself quite easily

Will they be able to repeat that sort of performance on Wednesday? It's hard to say because a Champions League knock-out game is quite different to an FA Cup match.

Threat

United have got to play this game in the way they normally would. They'll play with one up front and one just behind, as opposed to two out-and-out strikers, and a four-man midfield with either of the two central players able to get forward.

They've got goalscoring down to a tee from all kinds of positions and they are always a threat. And I think they'll need that against this Lyon team, I really do.

Lyon are one of those teams in the last few years who have threatened to break the mould of teams from Italy, England and Spain getting to the latter stages of the Champions League, but they've not quite done it.

They've run away with the French League for six seasons. This year they're at the top, but there's a bit more competition for them this time around.

Having won the league so many times, other things will start to take priority. The fans and the people who run the club start setting their sights higher and they will want to stake a claim for the Champions League.

The French League is currently fourth or fifth in the European football stakes and Lyon will see themselves as the team that can potentially lift French football a notch higher.

Precedent

They have set a precedent in the last few seasons, but they want to get further than the quarter-finals, which is as far as they've got in recent seasons. I can see them having a really good go at the Champions League this year.

I think they could give Manchester United a run for their money. They will be really, really up for this game.

The team had a big wake-up call when they lost at home to Rangers earlier in this competition. I watched that game for Soccer Special and while I was very impressed with Rangers, I was very disappointed with Lyon.

Even though they were playing at home, they failed to create and they failed to break down Rangers, who do not exactly have one of the great defences in European football.

But they were fired up for that do-or-die return match in Glasgow when they needed to win to go through and on that night they showed their true potential.

We'll see more of that sort of performance on Wednesday. There won't be any need to motivate the Lyon players and I think it will be a really tough game for United.

They'll certainly have to watch out for Juninho, who is quite extraordinary with his set pieces.

They've got a dangerous goalscorer in Karim Benzema and Hartem Ben Arfa is another very good player. He's only young, but I know Liverpool have been tracking him for the last three years. They've got some real talent in that team.

However, I still think there is a massive gap between the top of French football and the top of English football and I think Man United will get what they need - and an away draw would be a good result.

Champions League round-up

Late goals from Steven Gerrard and Dirk Kuyt helped Liverpool see off 10-man Internazionale at Anfield, while Chelsea drew with Olympiakos in Greece.

Rafa Benitez's position has come under intense scrutiny following Saturday's humbling FA Cup exit at the hands of Barnsley, with the UEFA Champions League clash against the Serie A leaders seen as key to the Spaniard's future.

Marco Materazzi was very harshly dismissed in the 30th minute for two questionable bookings after challenges on Fernando Torres, but the home side struggled to break down a resolute Inter team until their late double despite dominating proceedings due to their numerical advantage.

Chelsea will be happy enough with a 0-0 scoreline from the first leg of their last-16 meeting with Olympiakos in Piraeus.

Avram Grant made 11 changes from the side which defeated Huddersfield at the weekend, leaving John Terry and Frank Lampard on the bench with one eye on Sunday's Carling Cup final against Tottenham at Wembley.

Roma came from behind to defeat Real Madrid 2-1 at the Stadio Olimpico and Schalke take a slender advantage to Portugal after Kevin Kuranyi scored the only goal of the game against Porto.

With Benitez under pressure, he needed his Liverpool players to deliver against Inter, but they left it very late to secure a vital victory.

Roberto Mancini's men were dealt a cruel blow with just 30 minutes on the clock when former Everton defender Materazzi was dismissed for two incredibly harsh bookings.

The first yellow came in the 12th minute when Torres cut across the centre-back as he chased a ball out onto the right flank and the striker went to ground after his heels were accidentally clipped.

And referee Frank De Bleeckere then issued a red card to the Italy international when he laid a hand on Torres' shoulder with the Spaniard hitting the deck theatrically under minimal contact.

Liverpool's star striker was then denied by a stunning save from Julio Cesar, with the Inter keeper diving to his left to keep out Torres' low shot after he broke clear following a fortunate ricochet in midfield.

Sami Hyypia then headed Kuyt's chipped cross over after a clever corner routine, before the Reds were denied a penalty when Gerrard's attempted cross was blocked by Patrick Vieira's raised hands.

Just as it looked as though Inter would hold out, Kuyt fired home Pennant's cross five minutes from time with the aid of a huge deflection off Maicon, before Gerrard gave Liverpool a two-goal cushion with a low long-range effort which crept beyond Julio Cesar and into the bottom corner in front of the Kop.

Chelsea head back to Stamford Bridge level with Olympiakos after a dour meeting in Greece failed to produce any goals.

A much-changed Blues team, which had Didier Drogba back in the starting line-up and Nicolas Anelka on the bench, held out in the hostile atmosphere but were unable to find an important away goal.

Roma came from behind against Real Madrid to take a narrow advantage to Spain with goals from David Pizarro and Mancini.

Real seized an early advantage thanks to arch goal-poacher Raul's 60th in European competition.

Arjen Robben cut the ball back from the left wing and although Guti's shot from outside the area lacked power, Raul got a crucial touch to divert it beyond Alexandre Doni with Roma appealing in vain for offside.

Despite dominating, Real could not build on their lead and were pegged back when Pizarro smashed the loose ball home via Gabriel Heinze after Mancini's pull-back evaded Francesco Totti.

And Roma took the lead when Heinze attempted to get to the ball ahead of Totti, but missed it completely, allowing the striker to play in Mancini who rounded Iker Casillas before deftly finishing.

Ruud van Nistelrooy hit the post in the closing stages but Bernd Schuster's men could not fashion an equaliser.

Kevin Kuranyi's early goal was enough for Schalke to overcome Porto, but the German side may live to regret not taking greater advantage of their first-half dominance.

Schalke took the lead with just four minutes on the clock when a neat passing move found Rafinha on the left corner of the Porto box.

The full-back's low shot could only be pushed out into the six-yard box by Porto keeper Helton and Kuranyi was on hand to pounce on the rebound.

Porto improved after the break and should have equalised only for Lisandro Lopez to miss a glorious chance to level when he fired wide with 10 minutes remaining.

Monday, February 18, 2008

Seedorf - Gunners are goners

Clarence Seedorf believes the experience and cunning of Milan will see Arsenal eliminated from the UEFA Champions League.

The Gunners host Milan at Emirates Stadium for the first leg of their last 16 Champions League clash on Wednesday as Arsene Wenger's young side go in search of their first European Cup success.

However, Milan midfielder Seedorf - who won the competition with the Italian giants last season - believes his side will prove too strong for Arsenal over two legs.

"In my view, although Arsenal are one of the best teams in Europe and have been playing very well lately, they lack experience," Seedorf said in the Sunday Mirror.

Rosicky set to miss Milan tie

Tomas Rosicky is set to miss Arsenal's UEFA Champions League clash with Milan as a result of his ongoing knee ligament injury.

The midfielder has been out of action since January and now looks likely to miss the first leg of the Gunners' last 16 Champions League clash with holders Milan at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday.

And Rosicky, who has earned 67 caps for the Czech Republic, accepts he is going to have to be patient as his injury heals.

"I cannot say anything new about my injury," Rosicky said on his official website. "The treatment goes on.

Hamann wants Euro push

Dietmar Hamann believes their February break has come at an ideal time, as Manchester City prepare for a final push for European qualification.

City's derby day success last weekend at Old Trafford has once again got the blue faithful dreaming of European excursions next season.

And while the majority of City's players would have been eager to build on a fine result with another immediate fixture, wise old head Hamann is armed with a differing perspective.

The 34-year-old is convinced that the break provided those not involved in FA Cup exertions at the weekend with an ideal an opportunity to re-charge the batteries.

FA cup Q\F draw

The draw for the FA Cup quarter-finals has taken place at Soho Square.

It is another all Premier League tie for Manchester United as they drew Portsmouth in the last eight.

Holders Chelsea are again up against Yorkshire opposition as they face a trip to Barnsley.

League One Bristol Rovers have been handed a home tie against Championship side West Bromwich Albion.

The winners of the Sheffield United/Middlesbrough replay will host Cardiff City.

Draw in full:

Sheffield United or Middlesbrough v Cardiff

Manchester United v Portsmouth

Bristol Rovers v West Bromwich Albion

Barnsley v Chelsea

Ties to be played 8th & 9th March

Carragher slams sorry Reds

Jamie Carragher admits Liverpool are simply 'not good enough'.

The Liverpool-born stopper was part of the Reds side that bowed out to Barnsley in the FA Cup fifth round on Saturday in one of the biggest cup shocks in recent history.

Now with the club far from certain of a top-four finish in the Premier League, Tuesday's UEFA Champions League clash with Internazionale looks every increasingly crucial to their season.

But Carragher admits the club are not just hitting a blip in form, as they currently sit some 19 points off leaders Arsenal in the league.

"I wouldn't call this just a bad spell," Carragher said.

"It's been a lot longer than that. We realise we are not playing well enough. It's not a matter of putting your finger on one reason.

"It's simply because we have not been good enough. We've still got the Champions League to play for and we have to fight for that fourth place, so every league game is going to be important.

"We have to make sure we are in the Champions League next season."

Man Utd offer Mpoklu a trial

Manchester United are the latest club to be linked with 15-year-old defender Paul Jose Mpoklu, who has also attracted the interest of Spurs.

The Congolese, from Belgian club Standard Liege, has already had a trial with Tottenham, who are keen to sign him when he turns 16.

But now Sir Alex Ferguson's United have offered a trial to the highly regarded youngster, who has a Belgian passport, and want to snap him up before he signs any formal deal with Liege.

Speaking of the situation, Mpoklu told the Daily Mirror: "I will have to wait a few months before I make a decision.

Rampant United crush Gunners

Manchester United were in inspired form as they destroyed Arsenal 4-0 at Old Trafford to advance to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.

The Gunners may have opened up a five-point lead in the Premier League but they were completely outplayed as United raced into a 3-0 lead at half-time.

Wayne Rooney, who produced a dazzling display up front, headed United in front after 16 minutes and Darren Fletcher got in front of William Gallas to nod in Nani's excellent cross four minutes later.

Nani added a third with a powerful finish on 38 minutes and things went from bad to worse for Arsenal after the break as Emmanuel Eboue was sent off for a kick on Patrice Evra.

Fletcher headed in a fourth in the 74th minute as United cruised through the second half, and Arsenal had no answer as they meekly bowed out of the competition.

Rooney hails United's options

Wayne Rooney believes Manchester United have riches in abundance in their bid for the treble.

The dream is still alive following the 4-0 defeat of title rivals Arsenal in the FA Cup.

Next up is a UEFA Champions League match against Lyon on Wednesday followed by a Premier League clash with Newcastle three days later.

Rooney feels United's strength in depth could hold the key in the coming weeks.

Certainly they have marvellous options in the middle of the park. There lies a cast list of Cristiano Ronaldo, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Michael Carrick, Owen Hargreaves, Nani, Anderson, Ji-Sung Park, and Darren Fletcher.

"Last season we had to play all the players in every game," said Rooney.

"But this season you see Scholesy getting a rest - and at the end of the season that (resting players) could be very crucial.

Gilberto issues Nani warning

Arsenal star Gilberto Silva has warned Manchester United winger Nani he could get a kicking if he does cut out his showboating.

Nani's showboating antics during United's 4-0 win over Arsenal in their FA Cup clash on Saturday infuriated the Arsenal squad who felt the Portuguese international was showing them a lack of respect.

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsenal chief Arsene Wenger both condemened Nani for overstepping the mark.

The summer signing from Sporting Lisbon came in for some rough treatment following his showboating and Gilberto has warned he could come in for the same if he continues his antics.

Fergie happy with draw

Sir Alex Ferguson is happy to have another home tie in the FA Cup despite being drawn against another top-flight side.

Manchester United have taken on top-flight opposition in the last three rounds and have seen off Aston Villa, Tottenham and Arsenal.

Despite the possibility of being paired with Bristol Rovers, West Brom, Barnsley or Cardiff, United were handed a home clash with Portsmouth in the quarter-finals.

Ferguson is disappointed to have drawn Premier League opposition again, but is expecting a good atmosphere when Pompey come to Old Trafford for the second time in the FA Cup in two seasons.

Ferreira signs new five-year deal with Chelsea

Portugal international Paulo Ferreira has signed a new five-year contract with Chelsea.

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Speculation had surrounded the future of the 2004 Champions League winner, who was signed by former boss Jose Mourinho before the 2004-05 season. But the 29-year-old has signed a new deal which is likely to tie him to Stamford Bridge for the remainder of his career. Ferreira told the club's website: 'I am delighted to commit my long-term future to Chelsea. 'The fans have made me very welcome since I have been at Chelsea and I enjoy my football here a lot. 'We have had a lot of success and I am hoping we have more over the coming years.' The former Porto defender has made 130 appearances for the Blues but has faced stiff competition for the right-back slot from summer recruit Juliano Belletti this season.

Gunners' skipper escapes FA action over Nani clash

Arsenal captain William Gallas has escaped disciplinary action over his clash with Manchester United's Nani.

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has claimed the French defender should have been sent off at the weekend by referee Alan Wiley for kicking Nani from behind in response to the Portuguese midfielder indulging in some ball-juggling. However the Football Association confirmed today that Wiley had looked at video footage of the incident. An FA spokesman said: 'Having viewed the footage, the referee was not satisfied that it showed evidence of violent conduct and therefore no further action will be taken.' For the FA to take action, Wiley would have had to have deemed the clash worthy of a red card for violent conduct. The decision will be sure to infuriate Ferguson, who said after the 4-0 win by United: 'I thought Gallas should have been sent off. The referee must have a look at that again. 'He kicked Nani from behind and the referee called both over because they sized each other up. He should have been red-carded.' Meanwhile, Gallas has warned his team-mates they will have to fight every inch of the way if they are to win the title or enjoy European glory. Gallas says United will have taken huge confidence from their win over the Gunners in the FA Cup, and that Arsenal's players have to be ready for the conflict. A visit by AC Milan on Wednesday night is the next challenge facing Arsenal, and Gallas said the team need to step up their approach for both that and the Premier League campaign. He told Arsenal TV: 'The title is a dream and to get that dream you have to fight. 'We have to take it game by game, and we have to be ready for the fight. We know it will not be easy for us, and Manchester United will have confidence and if we want that title we have to fight. 'The defeat was very tough for us. We did not play well. We know we were not good at all. 'Everyone was disappointed and now we have to work and work again to see what we can do in the Champions League and the Premier League. 'We have to put the game behind us. On Wednesday it will be different as we are at home and we can play our game, but away we have to fight and we didn't fight on Saturday.'

Ferguson keen on Lyon striker Benzema

Sir Alex Ferguson has hinted that Manchester United could sign Lyon striker Karim Benzema. The Red Devils boss watched Benzema, along with his team-mate winger Hatem Ben Arfa, last weekend and will get a further chance to see the pair when his side face Lyon in the Champions League on Wednesday.

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Benzema has hit 16 Ligue 1 goals this season while Ben Arfa was twice on target against VfB Stuttgart in the Champions League in November. 'It is an area we tried to strengthen last summer and I don't think that's left us,' Ferguson told the Manchester Evening News. 'I have big hopes for Danny Welbeck and he's progressing well but he's young. And we have Frazier Campbell coming back who has done well at Hull, but he's young as well. 'Benzema is only 20 and Ben Arfa is also 20. Lyon produce young players and Benzema is a local boy, which I'm sure gives them pride.' Ferguson though knows the player won't come cheap, rating Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas as one of European football's best negotiators. 'The president is a very clever man,' he said. 'He's so clever he can sell midfield players (Mahamadou Diarra) for £20m. That's amazing. 'That Jeremy Toulalan he bought from Nantes just sits and does the same job Diarra did. When they sold Michael Essien, they took Tiago then sold Tiago to Juventus for £6m. 'Eric Abidal, £10m for a left back. They're a well-run club.' However Benzema has said he would reject a switch to Old Trafford because he wants to win the Champions League with Lyon. 'A move to United wouldn't be right for me at this time,' Benzema told the News of the World. 'I have said I wouldn't leave Lyon until we've won the Champions League and I have no intention of trying to go too quickly.'

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Robbo rift with Ramos revealed

Tottenham youngster Tomas Pekhart claims Paul Robinson refused to warm up the first time he was dropped by Juande Ramos.

Ramos left Robinson out of his starting XI for the first leg of Spurs' Carling Cup semi-final against Arsenal, with Radek Cerny getting the nod.

The England international, who did not feature in Fabio Capello's first squad, has been forced to look on from the bench ever since with Pekhart's Czech compatriot Cerny making the position his own.

And teenage forward Pekhart, who moved to White Hart Lane from Slavia Prague in the summer of 2006, has revealed how Robinson reacted badly to the news he had been dropped.

Robbo rift with Ramos revealed

Tottenham youngster Tomas Pekhart claims Paul Robinson refused to warm up the first time he was dropped by Juande Ramos.

Ramos left Robinson out of his starting XI for the first leg of Spurs' Carling Cup semi-final against Arsenal, with Radek Cerny getting the nod.

The England international, who did not feature in Fabio Capello's first squad, has been forced to look on from the bench ever since with Pekhart's Czech compatriot Cerny making the position his own.

And teenage forward Pekhart, who moved to White Hart Lane from Slavia Prague in the summer of 2006, has revealed how Robinson reacted badly to the news he had been dropped.

Rovers in McCarthy talks

Blackburn have confirmed they are in talks with Benni McCarthy about a new deal at Ewood Park.

McCarthy still has two years to run on his current contract, but Rovers are ready to hand him an extension to keep him for the foreseeable future.

The former Porto star enjoyed a fine debut season at Blackburn, but he has struggled to replicate that form this term.

Rovers boss Mark Hughes is determined to keep McCarthy and the club hope to tie him down to a new deal to ward off potential suitors.

Rovers chairman John Williams confirmed talks were ongoing with McCarthy's agent regarding a new contract.

"Discussions have been on-going for quite a while and we will continue to talk," Williams told the Lancashire Evening Telegraph.

Manucho looks to the future

On-loan Manchester United striker Manucho is looking to the future as he prepares to join up with his new Panathinaikos team-mates in Greece.

The Red Devils have loaned the star out until June after he failed to get a work permit as he has not featured in 75 per cent of Angola's matches over the last two years.

But the future is looking bright for the player following his exploits at the Africa Cup of Nations, where he scored four goals in as many games to help unfancied Angola make it to the quarter-finals before losing to eventual winners Egypt.

Looking forward to working in Greece, Manucho, who is yet to play for his new side, said: "I just want to meet my new colleagues and technical staff and win their support so I can work as well as they want me to.

Barca set sights on Wenger

Barcelona have reportedly made Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger their top target to replace Frank Rijkaard.

Reports emanating from Spain suggest Barca chiefs have targeted Wenger as the man to take charge at Camp Nou, should Rijkaard leave the club this summer.

Rijkaard's future at Barca has been the subject of intense speculation over the last few months after an indifferent season to date.

Barca currently trail Real Madrid by eight points in La Liga and if they fail to win the title, Rijkaard is expected to be axed.

The likes of Jose Mourinho and Marco van Basten have been mentioned as possible candidates for the job, but Catalan daily El Mundo Deportivo claims Wenger is the preferred choice of the Barcelona board.

Barca president Joan Laporta and vice president Ferran Soriano are known to be big admirers of Wenger and believe the Frenchman is the right man to replace Rijkaard.

Arsenal would resist any move to lure Wenger away from North London and the Frenchman only signed a new three-year deal at the Emirates last September.

PSV in strong position

PSV Eindhoven beat Helsingborg 2-0 at home to stand on the brink of a place in the last 16 of the Uefa Cup.

First-half goals from Timmy Simons and Danko Lazovic ensured the Dutch champions are in control heading into the second leg in Sweden.

The hosts enjoyed a dream start to the match when Simons converted a penalty after just seven minutes when Lazovic was hauled down by Daniel Andersson.

On the half-hour mark, PSV almost added a second when Ibrahim Afellay struck the post after Balazs Dzsudzsak's shot had been blocked.

But three minutes later, PSV did net a second goal when Lazovic finished clinically from Afellay's cross.

The second half contained few chances of note as PSV comfortably closed out the win to leave Helsingborg with a mountain to climb.

Slavia Prague or Tottenham Hotspur will await the winners in the last 16, with the second leg to be played next week.

PSV in strong position

PSV Eindhoven beat Helsingborg 2-0 at home to stand on the brink of a place in the last 16 of the Uefa Cup.

First-half goals from Timmy Simons and Danko Lazovic ensured the Dutch champions are in control heading into the second leg in Sweden.

The hosts enjoyed a dream start to the match when Simons converted a penalty after just seven minutes when Lazovic was hauled down by Daniel Andersson.

On the half-hour mark, PSV almost added a second when Ibrahim Afellay struck the post after Balazs Dzsudzsak's shot had been blocked.

But three minutes later, PSV did net a second goal when Lazovic finished clinically from Afellay's cross.

The second half contained few chances of note as PSV comfortably closed out the win to leave Helsingborg with a mountain to climb.

Slavia Prague or Tottenham Hotspur will await the winners in the last 16, with the second leg to be played next week.

Moyes praises Toffees

David Moyes praised his side after second-half goals from Leon Osman and Victor Anichebe gave Everton a vital away win over SK Brann in the Uefa Cup on Wednesday night.

Osman put the Toffees in front on 59 minutes before Anichebe then doubled the lead on 88 minutes.

The result means Everton are in the driving seat to progress into the last 16 of the competition - against the winners of the Rosenborg-Fiorentina tie - when the teams play the second leg at Goodison Park next Thursday.

As an added bonus, the victory in Norway set a new Everton record, being the Toffees' sixth successive European victory.

And Anichebe, with his fourth in the competition this season, is just one short of setting a club record for a European run.

Delighted

Praising his side, manager Moyes said: "I am delighted with the way we turned this game around.

"In the first half we were not going anywhere, we were not passing the ball quickly enough and we were not showing enough pace around the pitch.

"Brann are a good side. They have just won the Norwegian championship and beaten a top side like Rosenborg to do it, so we know we have produced a very good victory here.

"But we needed to improve after the break. We seemed to be trying to do everything perfectly, it was causing us problems and we were losing possession.

"But we got better as the game went on and Leon Osman and Victor scored fine goals.

"I will not start thinking about the next round until we have completed the job, the second leg being next week.

Gers suffer Euro stalemate

Rangers face a must-win away trip to Panathinaikos after drawing 0-0 with their Greek opponents at Ibrox in the first leg of their last 32 Uefa Cup clash.

The first 45 minutes offered little in the way of goalmouth action, but Rangers could have taken the lead when Nacho Novo broke onto a long ball from Steven Davis only to be denied by Mario Galinovic in the Panathinaikos goal.

Rangers appeared after the interval in determined mood and Galinovic, who has yet to concede in Europe this season, produced a fine double save as the shot-stopper parried a 20-yard Barry Ferguson volley and then tipped Novo's follow-up around the post.

Walter Smith introduced Daniel Cousin, who has yet to receive Fifa sanctioning for his move to Fulham, but the substitution had little impact.

Panathinaikos could have snatched a lead late on, but Rangers goalkeeper Alan McGregor produced his own double denial from Dame Ndoye to leave honours even ahead of the second leg on 21st February.

On-loan Fulham midfielder Davis made his debut but the biggest cheer when the teams were read out was reserved for fans' favourite Novo, who earned his first start since the win over Inverness in early November.

Uefa Cup round-up

Everton took a giant step towards the last 16 of the Uefa Cup as Rangers were held at home, while Zenit St Petersburg surprised Villarreal and Werder Bremen cruised past Braga.

David Moyes' Everton side secured a hard-fought 2-0 away win against SK Brann to give their hopes of reaching the next round a major boost ahead of the second leg at Goodison Park on 21st February.

Everton did the damage in the second half as Leon Osman struck in the 59th minute before European super sub Victor Anichebe again worked his magic to net a second with two minutes remaining.

Rangers were held to a 0-0 draw with Panathinaikos at Ibrox to leave Walter Smith's side facing a must-win second leg clash in Greece next week.

Forward Nacho Novo was guilty of missing a number of chances on a rare start for Rangers to leave the Scottish side facing a tough task to book a place in the next round.

Werder Bremen look to have all but assured themselves a place in the next round as they rolled over Braga 3-0 at the Weser Stadion.

The second placed Bundesliga side wasted little time in opening the scoring as Naldo pounced after five minutes and Daniel Jensen added a second shortly before the half-hour mark.

Braga were guilty of missing twice from the spot before Hugo Almeida showed the Portuguese side how it should be done with a penalty deep into injury time.

Pavel Pogrebnyak capitalised on a 63rd minute mistake from Villarreal goalkeeper Diego Lopez to hand Zenit St Petersburg a 1-0 home win over their Spanish opponents.

Lopez made a hash of a clearance to allow Pogrebnyak the simple task of tapping in to leave Villarreal, who sit third in La Liga, requiring a win to progress.

Galatasaray, who won the competition in 2000, were held to a 0-0 draw at home to Bayer Leverkusen to leave their tie tantalisingly poised ahead of the second leg.

An injury time strike from Mbo Mpenza handed Anderlecht a slender 2-1 first leg advantage over Bordeaux as the Belgium international forward fired a late winner.

A 69th minute Ferreyra Jussie penalty had given Bordeaux the lead but Jan Polak equalised with 11 minutes remaining before substitute Mpenza completed the turn around.

Ismael Blanco struck in the fourth minute of injury time to earn AEK Athens a 1-1 home draw with Getafe.

Ruben De la Red thought he had won the contest for Getafe with an 86th minute goal at the Nikos Goumas Stadium, but Blanco struck to leave honours even.

Marseille, who narrowly missed out on a place in the latter stages of the UEFA Champions League, cruised to a 3-0 victory over Spartak Moscow at the Stade Velodrome.

Second-half goals from Beniot Cheyrou (62), Taye Taiwo (68) and Mamadou Niang (79) gave the French side a comfortable lead to take to Russia.

Eredivisie leaders PSV Eindhoven are also in a strong position as they defeated Helsingborg 2-0 at the Philips Stadion.

A seventh minute Timmy Simons penalty gave the Dutch side the lead before Danko Lazovic added a second 12 minutes before half-time.

Simon Vukcevic netted a brace to hand Sporting Lisbon a 2-0 first leg lead over Basel.

Vukcevis hit home in the eighth minute before adding a second after the interval to leave Sporting in a healthy position.

AEK Athens 1 Getafe 1

Anderlecht 2 Bordeaux 1

Galatasaray 0 Bayer Leverkusen 0

Marseille 3 Sparktak Moscow 0

PSV 2 Helsingborgs 0

Rangers 0 Panathinaikos 0

SK Brann 0 Everton 2

Sporting Lisbon 2 Basel 0

Werder Bremen 3 Braga 0

Zenit St Petersburg 1 Villarreal 0

Thursday, February 7, 2008

Hodgson confident over Cousin

Fulham boss Roy Hodgson accepts Daniel Cousin is in "some sort of limbo" with his proposed move from Rangers referred to Fifa - but maintains the £3million deal is "still alive".

Gabon international Cousin had arrived at Ibrox in early August from Lens, whom he played in both a French league game and Intertoto Cup match.

However, when the forward looked set for a switch Craven Cottage, and had spent time training with the Cottagers, the transfer was vetoed under Fifa regulations preventing players featuring for three clubs in the same season.

Nevertheless, both Fulham and Rangers are still hopeful special dispensation will be granted, as everything had been completed, in principle, ahead of the closure of the transfer window on 31st January.

Hodgson insisted: "Yes, it is still alive.

"Fifa have requested further documents and I believe that one of their important executive committee members, who chairs the necessary commission which looks into these things, will consider the case on his return from the African Nations Cup.

"Hopefully then, we will get an answer - hopefully positive, but, even if it was negative, at least we would know where we are. But, at the moment we are awaiting that decision.

"Will it be next week? I don't know. Fifa have not yet said, we have not been told a date."

Hodgson continued: "I am more disappointed for Daniel Cousin, because he came here in good faith, and we took him here in good faith, and Rangers reluctantly agreed to sell him to us.

Limbo

"And then, all of a sudden, because of this 20 minutes he finds himself in some sort of limbo.

"I'm still in contact with [Rangers boss] Walter Smith - we've been going past each other for two days, leaving voice messages - but I will be in touch with him, to find out what he thinks about the situation, and what the next move is."

Ultimately, though, Hodgson admits there is little either party can do, as the final decision now rests with the game's world governing body.

He said: "I suppose you could say it's frustrating, but, things you have no control over, there's not a lot of point in really letting them frustrate you.

"We don't control Fifa commissions and Fifa dates when they look at things, Fifa do.

"All we can do is ask them when that date is and they will give us the answer."

Hodgson, however, sees no reason why the deal should not be allowed to go through should Fifa give the green light.

"It's retro-active, if it's ratified, yes, he can play for us," insisted Hodgson.

"We've done all of this within the transfer window, and if the appeal is heard, it's a bit like the Benjani situation between Manchester City and Portsmouth."