| | | Other News | | | | Is Scolari the Messiah? |  Chelsea's snatch squad seized their man on the eve of Euro 2008, but the coach they're bundling off to Stamford Bridge has been less successful with each passing mission.
Let's cast aside the ethics of Roman Abramovich announcing Big Phil Scolari's capture two games into Portugal's Alpine adventure.
Let's call it a coincidence that the Portuguese then lost their next two matches, 2-0 to feeble Switzerland and 3-2 to Germany in Thursday night's victory for pragmatism over romance.
No wonder, the Portuguese have returned to these scorelines to ask whether Scolari's mind was diverted from his task, and how free he felt to attack Chelsea's Michael Ballack for the heinous penalty-box push on Paulo Ferreira that allowed the Germans to score their final goal.
The decisive act in a match that prompted a victorious Bastian Schweinsteiger to tell us 'It's the German virtues that have served us very well' drew only a mild complaint from a coach who is likely to make Ballack one of his first picks come August.
For a manager to say he will be leaving after the tournament, as Bobby Robson did before the 1990 World Cup, is a perfectly healthy statement of professional reality.
There is clarity and transparency. But for Chelsea to make their declaration two games into this tournament now seems reckless and arrogant.
Scolari's willingness to go along with it might be explained by the fact that his June payslip shows a monthly cut of £1m a year from the Portuguese FA while his July print-out will record one-twelfth of £6m from Chelsea.
No wonder he wanted to close the deal before Abramovich invited anyone else on board his yacht.
Whenever the contract was agreed (and the flirtation with Milan's Carlo Ancelotti suggests Chelsea's plans were still fluid until hours before the championship kicked off), the confirmation of it turned Portugal's camp into an Alamo, and must have caused Scolari's thoughts to stray towards transfer targets, as well as Jose Mourinho's designs on some of Chelsea's finest players.
Then there were those encouraging noises to Cristiano Ronaldo about the glories of life at Real Madrid, Manchester United's biggest global rival.
At the core, Portugal lost to Germany not because Scolari hit the jackpot with Abramovich but because they were inept at defending German balls into their box. They fell to a masterclass in Teutonic strategy, which will have had English TV viewers booting the sofa.
How is it that the Germans have such an imposing record of impaling teams with more daring, panache, skill?
A clever bunch, with a nice line in self-deprecation, Germany are always happy to recite the script the world expects to hear.
So over to their coach Joachim Loew, whose slim-fitting shirts have been this tournament's major fashion statement.
Sparking up a fag in his glass cage, five minutes from the end of Thursday's match, was another interesting declaration, which must have delighted the German Health Minister.
Loew said of the triumph over Portugal: 'We have great structure, organisation and discipline.'
Only the Germans say such things and intend them as a boast, and they are right to. He may look like an ex-Hugo Boss model who stumbled across football in middle age, but Loew outfoxed Scolari, which ought to sow the first seed of doubt in the minds of Chelsea supporters.
Imagine, for an instant, you are Germany's coach, confronted by Ronaldo and Deco. Your plan? Deny Portugal the ball. Retain as much possession as possible for the first half-hour with short, precise passing. Make them run around. Plant the fear in their brains that tonight will be no romp-about.
Deny them time and space. Then hit them where the scouts say they're vulnerable; in the penalty area, where a suspect goalkeeper (Ricardo) is no help to defenders with a phobia for good crosses swung into the danger zone.
To be hyper-critical, Scolari failed to correct this chronic weakness.
As he makes his way to London to begin work on July 1, it's true to say that he slipped further and further away from the honeypot of international success. A World Cup winner with Brazil in 2002, he was a beaten finalist with Portugal at Euro 2004, a beaten semi-finalist at the 2006 World Cup and a beaten quarter-finalist at Euro 2008.
On that form line, Portugal would have failed to make it beyond the group stage at the next World Cup.
To extrapolate from Germany's three-strike smash-and-grab, another employment howler by Abramovich would be infantile, but Scolari certainly heads to our wacky Premier League with his Messiah's aura a few watts lower.
The hard facts say Portugal regressed between 2004- 2008. His teams were a brilliant midfield sandwiched between a porous defence and a large black hole where a top centre forward was meant to be.
Mounds of Russian money will solve any manpower shortages at Chelski, so now Scolari seeks to revive his reputation as a master strategist in a league where events moves faster than cars on the autobahns where we see other notable triumphs of German engineering.
Suddenly, Avram Grant's successor looks less secure in the movie role of hard-man genius.
CULLED FROM: Daily Mail | | Brazil in a Messi as their fans cheer on Argentina |  For a country that specialises in football education, Brazil can also speak the universal language.
‘Adeus Dunga’ leaves little to the imagination, especially when the lead singers are inside a sprawling concrete bowl in Belo Horizonte and the backing vocals are provided by 114million Brazilians screaming at their television sets.
Seems like they want you out, old son.
Maybe fourth place in their World Cup qualifying group, behind Paraguay, Argentina and Colombia, is the new first. Not for a country that has won the World Cup a record five times and demands football of a certain flavour it isn’t.
Fans can still taste the triumphs of 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002. They spat this World Cup qualifier out, though.
Brazil coach Dunga picked his spot on Wednesday night, selecting the 60,000-seater
stadium high up in the hills of Belo Horizonte because they always see off Argentina when they play here.
This was the exception, then. When Argentina are in town, they don’t need a team talk. Or at least they shouldn’t need one.
Supporters take their seats three hours before kick-off, soak up the steamy atmosphere and sing along with the warm-up act who are on a stage behind the goal. This is something else.
It is the game where you pull in favours to get a ticket; remind friends it is payback time for when you helped them move house or you sell the wife straight down the Amazon.
Tickets exchange hands in hotel foyers for £200 a time — a month’s wages to some Brazilians — and the expectation exceeds anything else.
Liverpool-Everton? Kids stuff by comparison. Rangers-Celtic? Child’s play. Arsenal-Tottenham? Oh, come on.
Feel the noise. Feel the passion. For that, Dunga gets to feel the heat of a nation which craves creativity as much as the World Cup.
Hands off: Messi keeps Manchester United's Anderson away from the ball
Sport TV begin their build-up five hours before kick-off and their touchline reporter interviews players as they walk off the pitch at half-time, when there is a break for an injury and again at full time. Geoff Shreeves, eat your heart out.
A carnival? You must be kidding. The two countries stand still for this one, colliding at 10pm local time, kicking lumps out of each other and careering towards a desperate 0-0 draw.
Brazil are in trouble. Big Trouble. There, it has been said. Someone had to, 50 years on from Pele’s first appearance at the World Cup finals.
There is nothing wrong with the national league, where Flamengo v Sao Paulo in Brazil’s Serie A last weekend served up some of the best football you will ever see. It is just the national team that is the problem.
Forget the five gold stars that are slapped across anything that happens to be yellow and consider a team in terminal decline under Dunga.
They lost in Paraguay last weekend, a performance that was narrowly worse than this and there was no improvement against Argentina. ‘Burro! Burro!’ (donkey!) they chanted when Dunga replaced Adriano with Luis Fabiano, but it was hard to tell who they were aiming at.
One, two or quite possibly all three of them.
In the stands was a solution. Jose Mourinho, the new coach of Inter Milan, flew in on the day of the game to check on Adriano’s physical condition. Clearly the wide-screen back on Lake Como does not do him justice. You could rest a tray of Caipirinhas on that boy’s backside at the moment and he would not spill a single drop.
This was supposed to be The Greatest Show on Earth and yet Brazilian supporters applauded Argentina’s Lionel Messi off the pitch, chanting his surname and pointing towards him in admiration as he trooped towards the touchline when the Barcelona forward was substituted in the final minute.
At least they recognise genuine class, something that this current Brazil side is severely lacking. The searchlights on the stadium roof gave up on the pitch the moment the game began and set their sights on the night sky instead.
Perhaps they missed Ronaldinho, sitting high up in the stands after flying in from his home town of Porto Alegre to watch the team he inspired to become world champions in 2002 grind out this draw.
How they could do with his creative talents on the pitch, but it may be a long time before we ever see Ronaldinho pull on the Brazil shirt again.
They are also without Kaka, recovering from knee surgery, but since when have Brazil ever been a one-man team? When he returns to fitness, it will be down to him to revive the country’s fortunes over the remaining 12 qualifying games and maintain their record of qualifying for every World Cup.
Could the 2010 World Cup take place without Brazil? It could. Can it be allowed to happen? Surely not.
SOURCE: Daily Mail | Redknapp is 'a legend now'
- Pompey-keeper David James |  Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp reflected on his first major honour as a manager, describing victory over Cardiff City at Wembley as a "dream come true".
Under slate grey skies in North London, Kanu scored the only goal of the game, capitalising on an error by Peter Enckelman to tap in after the Cardiff goalkeeper had fumbled a John Utaka cross late in the first-half.
The victory gave Portsmouth their first FA Cup success since 1939 and means they will play in next season's Uefa Cup.
"It's fantastic for everybody - my family, the players, it's great," said Redknapp. "It has been a difficult year off the field so to win the FA Cup is a dream come true.
"Cardiff were putting us under pressure, putting balls in the box, they played well and worked hard.
"When we get in front we're difficult to break down and the defence were terrific."
When asked if Redknapp had instructed his side to target a perceived weakness in Enckelman the Portsmouth manager was initially lost for words before praising the player for his contribution aside from the goal, though it was evident from his reaction that it had been discussed.
Asked about the moment that decided the game, Enckelman said: "It was a tough one to deal with.
"It just started dropping down and I should maybe have done better but it is one of those things.
"The defence could maybe have cleared it, I thought I might try to catch it. It just dropped over."
"It just wasn't to be but it's been fantastic.
"Look at the fans. We have lost the game but they are still cheering us on."
Enckelman's opposite number David James praised his defence's contribution to their successful season, culminating in today's victory.
"It was another hard game, a bit scrappy again but we deserved to win," he said.
"The lads held tight, we've only conceded one goal in the whole competition and we've been good."
Asked about his manager, James said: "Harry's a legend now isn't he? Hats off, well done Harry."
Defender Sol Campbell, part of the Pompey defence that withstood some late pressure from the Championship side, said: "It's fantastic, this is a brilliant day for everyone who's connected with Portsmouth.
"We worked hard, we had our luck through the rounds but in the end the result was good.
"Cardiff played good football, they had good chances but I think the quality came through in the end."
In the first-half of an absorbing game Cardiff were at least the equal of their Premier League opponents and despite the defeat were able to leave Wembley with a degree of pride.
"A slight mistake cost us, we gave it everything we've got and we've done everyone proud," said manager Dave Jones.
"What we have done today is prove that maybe other teams can achieve what they thought was impossible.
"I'm very proud of my players, my staff, the chairman, and especially the fans. They have been magnificent and I'm just sad we couldn't see it through to the death for them.
"There wasn't a great deal in it, there's no-one to blame, but it's hard to swallow."
Asked whether the run to the final should be a springboard for the club to now mount a challenge for promotion to the Premier League, Jones said: "It has to be. We've struggled for two years, no money for the last two years.
"We've now got a brand-new stadium, fantastic training facilities and if we don't move on from here, we want shooting."
Match-winner Kanu, sporting a cap with 'king' written on it, said: "They call me king.
"I have to deliver and hopefully I did. I have to thank God - God made it possible for me to score.
"This is the best moment of my life. I started the game and I won the cup for Portsmouth. I have felt nothing like this."
Kanu hit the post with an earlier chance, but added: "I kept going, I kept my head down and I scored.
"You have to take your chance and that's what I did. Portsmouth is not one of the four big clubs, no-one could believe we were going to do it and we did it."
The Nigerian now hopes to extend his stay on the South Coast where his career has been revived under Redknapp.
"I hope the fans, Harry, everyone at the club will remember this day and they are going to give me a contract," he said
CULLED FROM: Telegraph | | Mission to Moscow |  After Spain in 2000 and Italy in 2003, it will be England's turn in Moscow on 21 May when Manchester United FC and Chelsea FC step out in the Luznhiki Stadium for the first all-English UEFA Champions League final. In the same stadium where, last October, England's national team took a costly stumble along the road to UEFA EURO 2008™ – losing to the Russia team who eventually overtook them in the qualifying race – the Premier League's two strongest sides will contest the title of Europe's finest. If it produces as much excitement as Chelsea's 2-1 victory over United last weekend, then a predicted global TV audience of up to 100 million people will be in for a treat.
'Great achievement'
Given the financial muscle of the Premier League it was going to happen sooner or later – and would have done so last year had United not succumbed in their semi-final against AC Milan. The only previous time two English clubs contested a European final, when Tottenham Hotspur FC beat Wolverhampton Wanderers FC over two legs in the conclusion to the 1972/73 UEFA Cup campaign, there was not a single player of the 25 involved from beyond the British Isles.
English influence
By contrast United and Chelsea between them featured ten different nationalities beside British in this week's second-leg matches. Such is the nature of the modern, polyglot Premier League, that United v Chelsea will pit American against Russian owners with Roman Abramovich on home territory in Moscow. Yet it would be unwise to understate the influence of the English contingent in both camps. Didier Drogba may have led the line magnificently for Chelsea in their 3-2 second-leg success against Liverpool FC – scoring two fine goals – but the performance of the night came from Frank Lampard. Playing less than a week after his mother's death, the England midfielder showed courage in abundance by taking and scoring the penalty that swung the tie decisively Chelsea's way eight minutes into extra time.
Scholes pledge
United's hero was also an Englishman, albeit a player whose days as a goal-scoring midfielder had seemed long behind him. Paul Scholes, whose midfield battle with Lampard in Moscow could be pivotal, had not found the net since last August before driving an unstoppable shot past Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdés for the only goal of a tense contest at Old Trafford. With Cristiano Ronaldo having one of his quieter games and Wayne Rooney absent, it had fallen to one of the old guard. Sir Alex has already promised Scholes a starting place in the final, mindful that the 33-year-old missed the 1999 triumph over FC Bayern München through suspension. If Lady Luck took United in her embrace against Bayern – when a dramatic late turnaround secured their second European crown on what would have been the 90th birthday of Sir Matt Busby, architect of the first in 1968 - it is tempting to think fate might be with them again 50 years on from the Munich air disaster.
Ferdinand praised
"Fate is fate by I think the important thing is that we're in the final," said Sir Alex, doubtless relieved after losing three previous semi-finals. Where United hit the wall against Milan 12 months earlier, this time their squad was strong enough to withstand the loss of Rooney and Nemanja Vidić against the Blaugrana. Wes Brown performed admirably alongside Ferdinand in the centre of a reshuffled defence and for all the attention on their much-vaunted forwards, it should be remembered United have conceded just five goals en route to Moscow. Michael Carrick described Ferdinand afterwards as "probably the best defender in the world" and Ferdinand v Drogba in Moscow promises to be some duel.
Grant question
Another fascinating sub-plot will be Sir Alex v Avram Grant. The Israeli has received little credit since replacing José Mourinho yet has withstood long absences from key players such as Petr Čech, Terry, Lampard and Drogba to keep Chelsea in contention for the Premier League and, moreover, has now succeeded where the 'Special One' failed by leading the Londoners past Liverpool FC and into their first final. While Sir Alex has needed 104 games in the competition to get United back to the final since triumphing in 1999, Grant has achieved the feat after just eleven. "To get to where we are and still to be questioning the manager's role at the club is unbelievable really," captain John Terry said when asked whether reaching Moscow would cement Grant's place at the helm next season.
Historical pointer
The England defender described reaching their first final as a "massive milestone" and it was telling that the on-field celebrations lasted longer at Stamford Bridge than at Old Trafford. "It's different from a Chelsea point of view. It's the first time in the club's history so it's a massive milestone for the club and for the players, very different from Man United who have been there." Who will be celebrating in Moscow on 21 May remains to be seen but, as the pair's Premier League title race comes to a head, here is a curious historical pointer: in the two previous UEFA Champions League all-country finals, it was the side who finished lower in their domestic competition, Real Madrid CF in 2000 and Milan in 2003, who ended up as champions of Europe.
CULLED from: UEFA.com | | I want United to lose to Chelsea - Carragher |  Jamie Carragher will be hoping that Chelsea win the Champions League, because he doesn't like Manchester United.
Although Avram Grant's side ended Liverpool's last chance of silverware this season, the centre half hopes they come out on top in the Moscow final.
Stunned: Jamie Carragher (centre) and Sami Hyypia looked shellshocked
after Chelsea score their third goal at the impregnable Stamford Bridge.
He said: "It will be hard watching it and I don't like to see any other English team win it, but I hope Chelsea win, I prefer them to United.
"We've had the luck in the past to knock Chelsea out and it's something you need in this competition.
"They had the bit of fortune this time, but we won't complain. It is their moment."
Disconsolate: Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard and Rafa Benitez shake hands after defeat to Chelsea
Carragher insists Liverpool's season has not been a failure even though they haven't won a trophy.
He added: "We have done well in the Champions League.
"In the Premier League people had high hopes and I can't say we've really challenged, even though it could still be one of our best seasons in terms of points."
SOURCE: Daily Mail | | Uncertainty stalks Chelsea even in their finest hour |  We had imagined that when Chelsea reached a Champions League final it would come amid a fusillade of José Mourinho fireworks. Roman Abramovich would be beaming from his executive box while his cronies high-fived before disappearing into their limousines.
In those visions, Champions League progress was another step towards global domination, another great brushstroke in the quest to paint the world blue. It was not meant to come with questions and doubts, and amid talk of sacking the first-team coach, but that background noise was impossible to ignore even after a victory as deserved and raucously celebrated as Wednesday's semi-final triumph over Liverpool.
Chelsea remain a club where the politics is as fascinating, often more so, than the football. A club where the staff have one eye on the job and the other watching their backs.
Take Wednesday night. Avram Grant, Peter Kenyon and Abramovich all had their reasons to celebrate, but they were not clinking glasses together the way that you might expect after an achievement that, for Chelsea, registered as historic.
Abramovich, the club's owner, was back in Moscow, busy on political business. He watched the game via satellite, but his empty seat fitted a pattern of regular absenteeism this season.
Back in London, Kenyon, the chief executive, will have poured himself a post-match drink and smiled in the knowledge that the sponsors will be thrilled and the shirts should fly off the pegs in Taiwan. But there was a reason to go a little easy on the champagne because he might have to sack Grant in a few weeks.
Kenyon does not know any more or less about the fate of the first-team coach than the rest of us. Only one man knows and Abramovich is seemingly telling no one. All we know for certain is that the oligarch has kept his distance from Grant in recent months, metaphorically and geographically.
Out of Moscow comes the claim that, in a year of presidential elections, Abramovich has been required to spend a lot more time at the Kremlin. He has also endured a turbulent time in his private life.
But even though he recently divorced, his children are still schooled in London and it is not as though he lacks the means to nip over from Russia. It remains impossible to escape the notion that, while he has made a commitment to Chelsea's wellbeing, the owner is in a phase (of indeterminate length) during which, with regards to the football itself, he can take it or leave it.
We are left to speculate exactly how much that is down to the type of game being played, and the fact that Grant is yet to deliver on the promise to turn Chelsea into the great entertainers, but the idea persists that Abramovich will feel let down by football until Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo are clad in blue and playing the football of his dreams.
Appointing Grant was a strange way to go about achieving the goal, even if the Israeli has confounded all expectations by leading Chelsea to their first European Cup final, an achievement that proved beyond Mourinho. “José Who?” was the headline in two of Israel's main newspapers yesterday.
Ma'ariv also carried a letter from the Chelsea manager in which, on Holocaust Remembrance Day, he dedicated victory to his fellow Jews. “The fact that I led a great team like Chelsea in a very important match in the Champions League 65 years exactly after the terrible holocaust is the true victory,” he wrote in a piece timed to coincide with yesterday's visit to Auschwitz.
With Wednesday's triumph, his record this season is now better than that of merely an owner's pal, but the fact remains that he will not be truly tested unless he has to rebuild Chelsea - a job that will require a coach of dynamism and vision, particularly if Didier Drogba makes good on his various threats to leave.
Whether Abramovich will give Grant that opportunity remains highly questionable but then it is hard to know what the owner wants these days. While Chelsea fans sang themselves hoarse at Stamford Bridge, he was in Moscow. And if nights like Wednesday were not what he had in mind when he bought into football, what on earth will he find fulfilling?
CULLED FROM: Times | Rooney'll be fit for Moscow showdown
- Sir Alex Ferguson | \ Wayne Rooney will be fit to start the Champions League final against Chelsea, says Sir Alex Ferguson. The United boss denied his 23-year-old striker needs a hernia operation but said he is confident that he will recover from a hip injury for the May 21 clash in Moscow.
However, with Rooney missing the wins against Barcelona West Ham, Ferguson will be anxious for him to prove his fitness at Wigan next weekend.
Ferguson said: "He got an injury against Blackburn a couple of weeks ago and was struggling badly at Chelsea because there was some bruising on the hip. It is very painful. He does not need an operation and he will be fit for the final. There is no question about that. The big rush now is to get him fit for next Sunday."
If Rooney does not make United's final League game of the season, Ferguson may be forced to leave him on the bench against Chelsea as he bids for United's third European Cup win.
Meanwhile Rio Ferdinand has admitted he has never spoken to his team-mates about winning the European Cup in 1999. He said: "I've never asked them what it is like to win the Champions League. I want to find out myself. I watched the 1999 final as a football man. You dream of moments like that and to be able to have the opportunity is a phenomenal achievement.
"People ask me if this is my best season ever, but I can't tell them until the end, when I know what trophies we've won."
Ryan Giggs hopes to play a part in Moscow, knowing it could be his last big match for United. He said: 'I appreciate these big games more than I did. At 34, you know you won't get so many chances so you enjoy them more. We thought there would be more finals after '99. We wanted a taste of it again.
"It would be great to be the first player at United to win two European Cups, but it would be great to win it for everyone at the club because, as the manager says, this club should have won more."
SOURCE: Daily Mail | | Blues Win Fitting Tribute To Frank Lampard’s Loss |  Two goals from Michael Ballack kept alive Chelsea's title hopes as they overcame Manchester United in an enthralling clash at Stamford Bridge, on 04/26/08.
Chelsea's dreams appeared over after a monumental mistake by Ricardo Carvalho gifted United a 55th-minute equaliser to Wayne Rooney.
Ballack had given Chelsea a 45th-minute lead and he sealed the vital win in controversial circumstances by slotting home a penalty five minutes from time to put the hosts level on points with United at the top of the table.
Celebration: Michael Ballack and Ashley Cole embrace after Chelsea's 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea left Frank Lampard out of their line-up following the death of his mother on Thursday. Manager Avram Grant also omitted veteran Claude Makelele and Florent Malouda, while Mikel John Obi, Michael Essien and Salomon Kalou were recalled.
United manager Sir Alex Ferguson chose to leave Carlos Tevez and Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench, although defender Nemanja Vidic was fit enough to resume his partnership with Rio Ferdinand in defence.
Chelsea enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges and Essien brought a diving save from Edwin Van der Sar.
United were then rocked in the ninth minute when Vidic was stretchered off with a facial injury. The Serbian defender was caught by Didier Drogba's knee as he stooped to head the ball clear and was subsequently replaced by Owen Hargreaves.
Hurt: Nemanja Vidic is stretchered off after Didier Drogba's knee accidentally made contact with his face
It meant a reshuffle for United with Hargreaves slotting in at right-back and Wes Brown switching to the centre of defence alongside Ferdinand.
United should have done better when Nani broke clear from his own half, but his long run ended with a speculative 25-yard shot that was high and wide.
The tempo, as expected, was fast and furious but goalscoring opportunities were at a premium. Chelsea, however, should have taken the lead in the 20th minute when Joe Cole got clear of the United defence and, after initially losing the ball, he struck it against the crossbar from just inside the penalty area.
Chelsea were leaving plenty of gaps in defence but United, with Rooney operating as a loan striker, were unable to exploit them. In the 23rd minute a neat combination between Drogba and Essien ended with the Ghanaian's cross eluding everyone in the six-yard box.
Goal: Midfielder Michael Ballack heads the ball across goal to give Chelsea a first-half lead
Rooney's lone role in attack was clearly not working as Ryan Giggs and Nani were often slow in supporting the England international.
Chelsea continued to press for an opening goal and were unlucky when Joe Cole dribbled his way into the penalty area only for Van der Sar to grab the ball at his feet. The United 'keeper required treatment for an minor knock as a result of the collision.
The home side were well on top and thought they should have been awarded a spot-kick in the 34th minute when Drogba appeared to go down under a robust challenge from Mikael Silvestre. However, referee Alan Wiley emphatically waved away Chelsea's appeals while United's bench accused the Ivorian of taking a dive.
Chelsea, though, eventually took the lead in the 45th minute when Drogba's cross was headed home at the far post by the unmarked Ballack.
Dedication: Chelsea players hold up a shirt that says 'Pat Lampard - R.I.P' on it, after going ahead
The goal sparked emotional scenes as all the Chelsea players held up Lampard's No 8 shirt with the message 'Pat Lampard - R.I.P' in a tribute to the midfielder's mother.
United were still struggling to create anything in front of goal despite a better share of possession at the start of the second half.
Brown found himself booked for a foul on Essien in the 52nd minute as, rather ominously for Chelsea, Ronaldo warmed-up on the touchline. But United got themselves back into the game thanks to a monumental error by Carvalho.
The Portuguese defender passed the ball straight to Rooney, who accepted the gift by firing beyond Cech into the net. In shooting, though, Rooney appeared to hurt his hip and Ferguson swiftly replaced him with Ronaldo.
Equaliser: Wayne Rooney scores for United but keeps the celebrations down after hurting his hip
Seconds later, Anderson was substituted for John O'Shea and Chelsea, knowing they had to get themselves back in front, added Nicolas Anelka to the fray in place of Paulo Ferreira.
Chelsea almost regained the lead in the 72nd minute when a free-kick by Drogba was well saved by Van der Sar under the crossbar.
A similar attempt by Ronaldo at the opposite end was well held by Cech as Ferguson appealed for United's fans to increase their celebrations.
Controversy then reigned when Wiley awarded a penalty after the assistant on the near side flagged for a handball when Michael Carrick charged down Essien's cross.
Back in it: Manager Avram Grant and the Chelsea fans raise their hands in the air at the final whistle
After the protests had been calmed down Ballack kept his nerve to convert the penalty and keep the title race open.
United twice had late efforts cleared off the line by Ashley Cole and substitute Andriy Shevchenko in the final few minutes, and tempers flared enough for Wiley to hand out bookings to Hargreaves and Ferdinand, as the match ended in Chelsea's favour.
At the end of the match, Chelsea's groundstaff were involved in a post-match bust-up with United players during a warm-down session.
United's Patrice Evra, Paul Scholes, John O'Shea, Gerard Pique and Gary Neville were taking part in the warm-down on the pitch when they were asked to move by Chelsea groundstaff.
The row erupted when the players refused to come off the pitch and an altercation broke out between Chelsea stewards, groundstaff and the players.
CULLED FROM: Telegraph | Avram Grant melts down
After Essien gets Blues up |  Chelsea manager Avram Grant showed signs of losing the plot last night during a bizarre press conference that followed his team's 1-0 win at Everton in the Barclays Premier League.
A first-half goal from midfielder Michael Essien earned the victory at Goodison Park that leaves Chelsea two points behind leaders Manchester United, who play their game in hand at Blackburn Rovers tomorrow evening.
Defiant skipper John Terry stripped off his shirt and led his players off with a shout of: "We're still in it."
But a dreary game was soon overshadowed by one of the most astonishing press conferences in football history as Grant sat hunched in the stadium press room looking confused and bewildered in the face of straightforward questions.
It was not clear last night whether there was something wrong with the Israeli coach or whether his behaviour was merely an attempt to play games with members of the written press, who he feels have given him an unduly hard time since taking over from Jose Mourinho earlier in the season.
He later gave perfectly normal interviews to radio reporters, suggesting the latter might be the case.
Nevertheless, Grant's parody of his usual subdued self has done nothing for the image of his club and it remains to be seen how owner Roman Abramovich views his coach's antics once Chelsea inevitably become a laughing stock over the next few days.
"Was this a deserved win, Avram?" Grant was asked at the start of a press conference that lasted a little over five minutes.
"Yes," he replied.
That turned out to be one his more sensible answers as Grant's behaviour soon reduced a straightforward process to a complete shambles.
Avram Grant barks at his Chelsea charges during the 1-0 win at Everton.
With a clearly embarrassed Chelsea press officer sitting by his side, Grant would not even concede that the victory had put his team back in the title race after the disappointment of Monday's home draw with Wigan.
"Does this result mean you are back in it now?" he was asked.
"I don't know."
"You are saying that you don't know if you are still in the title race?" he was asked again.
"No."
"You are two points behind Manchester United and you don't know if you are still in the title race?"
"No."
One theory last night was that Grant was still sulking at Sky TV's decision to shift last night's game from the weekend to a Thursday.
But Sky were not present at last night's press conference and Grant denied that he had a problem with the station.
Later Grant told radio interviewers: "I am still alive. You cannot kill me."
SOURCE: Daily Mail
| | Take your pick, Jose |  Suspense seems in short supply around the major leagues of Europe. As Manchester United seek today to pump up the cushion between themselves and the rest of the Premier League, Bayern Munich will guard a healthy advantage in the Bundesliga. Olympique Lyonnais opened the French weekend with a six-point gap, while Real Madrid tonight look to consolidate a seven-point lead in Spain. Italy’s race has turned closer of late but Internazionale, four points ahead of Roma, remain on course for a successive title, perhaps with time to spare.
In the countries long tired of keeping up with the same steed in one-horse races, little respite. PSV Eindhoven could become Dutch champions again today. Porto have already won their league. Apart from United, these pacesetters cruise on without distractions. Apart from United, none remains in the Champions League, which explains why almost all the soon-to-be-champion head coaches will sip the champagne that celebrates domestic triumph with half an eye on whom the president or the chairman might be calling on his mobile.
A bloody summer in Europe’s dugouts looms. The coaches at Inter, Barcelona, Milan, Real Madrid, Juventus, Bayern and Lyons may very well all have extended summer holidays. It is a terrific time to be Jose Mourinho, actively seeking employment; an interesting time for Rafa Benitez, whose name will be linked to destinations in Spain and maybe Italy; and a tough time for Chelsea should they decide Avram Grant is clutching in vain for the confidence of his players. Chelsea would find themselves competing with a number of the highest payers for the pick of good replacements.
Anticipating the mad merry-go-round, some acted fast. Once Bayern have won their league they will thank coach Ottmar Hitzfeld for his 18 months work in this, his second spell, and usher in Jurgen Klinsmann. PSV have Huub Stevens of Hamburg ready to start in July. Ajax have contracted Marco van Basten to resurrect their reputation as the major Dutch club and give them a presence again in Europe. Klinsmann and Van Basten have a special cachet elsewhere, especially in Italy, where both played at their peaks as centre-forwards.
In Italy, uncertainty stalks the big three. After defeat against Liverpool in the European Cup quarter-finals, Inter’s Roberto Mancini announced he would quit in the summer, retracting with a league title still to be won, but with Mourinho’s shadow falling consistently over his job. Milan under Carlo Ancelotti are the 21st century’s most successful Champions League club, but may struggle to even be in it come August. Juventus should be, but harbour doubts that Claudio Ranieri is the man to negotiate that terrain.
In Spain, the usual game of to-sack-or-to-stick will be played out, with traditional outcomes anticipated. At Real Madrid, Bernd Schuster, top of the league but with a 2008 record that shows eight defeats, twitches in his chair as if it were an ejector seat. It is. The last two head coaches to win the league for Madrid, Vicente del Bosque and Fabio Capello, were sacked within days. Top of the table most of the season, Schuster finds it hard to speak of long-term aims. “I don’t know how long I’ll be here,” he told compatriots back in the autumn. Madrid were top then, too, and have stayed there consistently even if on some Monday mornings, Schuster, appointed last July, must notice it has been a supremacy maintained by default. He is the eighth man in charge of the first team in the past five years and has not resolved their difficulties in Europe. Madrid have not won a knockout tie in the Champions League for four seasons.
France’s Lyons also feel frustrated, dominant at home, last 16 in Europe. Lyons apparently contacted Mourinho soon after he left Chelsea, disturbed by the ropey start made by Alain Perrin. Perrin’s future still looks cloudy, but Mourinho will not go to France. The Jose-to-Inter story endures more plausibly than Jose-to-Lyons ever did. Jose-to-Barcelona had some mileage, too, though those within Barça who lobby for the Portuguese to return to the club where he once served as assistant coach have work to do to persuade the president, Joan Laporta, that Mourinho’s intense style makes an appropriate antidote to the drift currently overseen by Frank Rijkaard. When Laporta declares that “this club has a style of play, keeping the ball, that we must respect”, as he did last week, it can be taken as a rebuke to the Mourinhistas on his board. Besides, Rijkaard’s Barça remain active in the Champions League, the only team holding up the English juggernaut.
It is the power of that juggernaut that makes the rest of Europe edgy. Italy bears fresh wounds on the field, English clubs having knocked Milan, Inter and Roma out of this European Cup. Off the pitch, English football, short of indigenous talent, is notoriously predatory. Bayern snapped up Klinsmann knowing Liverpool had put out feelers. Spain feels acutely the Premier League’s economic clout. Managers now rise in La Liga – Benitez, Juande Ramos – and go to England to multiply their salaries. The best young Madrileo footballer, Fernando Torres, shines there; so does the most talented Barcelonista under the age of 21: Cesc Fabregas. Likewise, the captain of Germany, Michael Ballack, lives in London and in an economic stratosphere beyond the pay structure even of big-spending Bayern.
How to combat the flight of talent? The sense grows among the heavyweights of the Continent that momentum will be best regained by trusting the future to their own men, unveiling new leaders around whom declarations can be made that they “have the club in their veins”. Bayern, who were also linked with Mourinho, moved to bring in a glamorous young name with a successful background as a player at their club. Klinsmann is a risk – his CV includes just seven competitive matches in charge of any senior side, the German national one at the last World Cup – but a glitzy one. Ditto Ajax. Van Basten, the former European Footballer of the Year, will take his first club job in a city he used to play in once he completes his spell in charge of the Dutch national squad after Euro 2008.
Barcelona are attracted to a similar idea: to answer a crisis with rhetoric about restoring the club’s identity, appointing a man admired by the fans, close to the institution. Barça’s former captain and now the coach of Barça B, Pep Guardiola, has strong backing in a post-Rijkaard future. A related long-term logic has Gianfranco Zola, loved at Stamford Bridge, one day taking the Chelsea reins. Milan president Silvio Berlusconi holds a declared preference for former Milan players as his head coaches. His loyalty to one, Ancelotti, is under examination. Should Ancelotti go, Roberto Donadoni, currently in charge of Italy, and Rijkaard, both former Milan players, become candidates.
But Mourinho does not need a playing CV to impress. Inter, Barça, Milan, Madrid, Juve? One of those jobs should go to the former Chelsea and Porto manager. Also available are Marcello Lippi, former Italy, Inter and Juve, and Didier Deschamps, who took unlikely Monaco to the European Cup final. Of a similar generation are Laurent Blanc, who has made an excellent start to management at Bordeaux after a distinguished playing career, and Michael Laudrup, the former Denmark captain, in charge of Spain’s Getafe. Laudrup played at Barça, Madrid and Juventus, and has taken Getafe to a Spanish Cup final and the last eight of the Uefa Cup. The achievement registers with all of his former employers, as with Chelsea, where compatriot Frank Arnesen notionally has a say in recruitment.
Roma head coach Luciano Spalletti has admirers, so does Sampdoria’s Walter Mazzarri, and Villarreal’s Mauricio Pellegrino is following up a Champions League semi-final in 2006 with the most coherent pursuit of Madrid from anybody in La Liga. His commitment to pass-and-move and an aura of considerable dignity are sellable qualities. There will be fall-out from Euro 2008, too. International tournaments tend to finish with about half the men in charge falling on their swords or given their cards. Croatia’s Slaven Bilic and Italy’s Donadoni lead the younger brigade, and, for all he has committed to a new contract with Russia, Guus Hiddink and Portugal’s Luiz Felipe Scolari represent the tried-and-tested. But lead item in the summer auction is Mourinho. By the end of the bidding he should imagine himself a very special one indeed.
Situations vacant? Who’s going where on this summer’s managerial merry-go-round
BAYERN MUNICH
On the brink Ottmar Hitzfeld will go, even once Bayern tie up the Bundesliga and perhaps go all the way in the Uefa Cup.
Next in? Jurgen Klinsmann has agreed to take his first club job in his native Germany. Jose Mourinho had been linked.
CHELSEA
On the brink Avram Grant has Chelsea in the Champions League semis but he is continually plagued by unflattering comparisons with Mourinho.
Next in? The Frank Rijkaard lobby has lost some momentum. Getafe’s Michael Laudrup is a dark horse, Gianfranco Zola a darker one. Not Mourinho
REAL MADRID
On the brink Bernd Schuster might ask: ‘Why change a title-winning coach?’ He knows the answer: ‘That’s what we usually do.’ Schuster, like Capello, has clocked up another Madrid failure in Europe.
Next in? No firm plan, but admiration for Milan’s Carlo Ancelotti and former Italy boss Marcello Lippi, and respect for Liverpool’s Rafa Benitez. Madrid plan a pre-season phase in Portugal, home of you-know-who.
BARCELONA
On the brink Frank Rijkaard has seen his stock fall since his back-to-back titles and Champions League triumph.
Next in? Strong Mourinho lobby, but former players such as Pep Guardiola, Laurent Blanc and Laudrup also favoured.
INTERNAZIONALE
On the brink Roberto Mancini has thrown in the towel once, after defeat by Liverpool in Europe, but retracted with the league title again in sight.
Next in? Mourinho wants to add Italy to his CV, Inter want to end a 43-year wait for the European Cup.
AC MILAN
On the brink Carlo Ancelotti has brought two European Cups and a scudetto, but Milan were made to look their age by Arsenal.
Next in? President Berlusconi likes coaches with a long link with Milan, such as Rijkaard and Italy coach Roberto Donadoni.
LIVERPOOL
On the brink Rafa Benitez has the knack in Europe but lives in uncertainty over the identity of his medium-term bosses. As likely to walk as get pushed.
Next in? One of Liverpool´s American stakeholders asked after Klinsmann, but amid the executive chaos at Anfield, no shortlists as yet.
CULLED FROM: Times | | Everything is possible - Zico |  The Brazilian legend who masterminded Fenerbahce's taming of Chelsea in the Champions League is preaching the same ideals he followed as a player; and his commitment to attacking football will not be compromised.
For Fenerbahce's most important player, as well as so many others of his generation, Zico was simply greater than Pelé. After one of the truly stellar careers as a footballer, tarnished solely by his failure to lift the World Cup for Brazil, Zico is now living a special moment. For the first time in his short career as a coach, the European spotlight is upon him. For the first time in their history, Turkey's most popular club are in a Champions League quarter-final. And it seems the story will not end here.
Zico argues that Fenerbahce's plan to become 'as big as any European big club' in 10 years' time is no fantasy. There is the money and the structure for it and he may stay to see it through. The path more travelled, however, is in western Europe. Sooner rather than later Zico could bring his attacking style to a major club in one of the traditional centres. If he does, there will be no compromise in style. 'I will never give up on football that is played well,' says Zico. 'There are too many defensive teams around, with players passing the ball sideways instead of going for it. I like my players to have fun and attack.'
And, if he does, there will be no compromise in command, either. Zico vows he will never take orders from above on who to play and which system to use. 'We obviously owe explanations to the president or the owner of the club,' he says. 'After all, he is your boss. One knows what kind of things are acceptable to keep the job, but I would never allow my autonomy to be threatened. I line up my team, and only me.'
Asked if he could be Chelsea's manager and cope with this kind of pressure, Zico reverts to the pat answer: 'In football, everything is possible.' For now, the analysis of his current European opponents tends to the negative. 'Chelsea became a more defensive team after José Mourinho left. They used to know exactly what they wanted. They used to mark in the opponents' half of the pitch, apply pressure and show high levels of confidence. Now I see Chelsea more restricted to defence, waiting for the moment to counter-attack. They are obviously still very dangerous, because of the quality of their players.'
After Wednesday's 2-1 first-leg victory, Fenerbahce are just one draw away from ousting one of the giants from the competition. Within the club, the conclusion is that Chelsea's first-half dominance occurred only because Fenerbahce had 'more respect than necessary' for them. At half time Zico reminded his men that they were international players, that they were good enough to peg Chelsea back. The message was clear: go out and play as you know, don't be afraid. The players listened to the commander. Chelsea, just as the Turks expected, fell apart under the pressure.
For Zico, coaching consists of two unconventional axes: number one, dialogue; number two, teaching through repetitions. 'I will never do as a coach the things I hated people doing to me when I was a player. For me dialogue is as essential in football as in life. I like to talk to my players and I never impose anything, I always give them the chance to make their own choices.
'Obviously football also consists of tactical work, but for me the main thing is to show my players their potential and show them they are important for the team. I don't want them to listen to me and follow strictly what I say. I want them to have absolute freedom, take decisions and sort things out inside the four lines. That is my philosophy.'
Talking is so important to him that translators have gained a vital role in his two jobs as a coach. Kunihiro Suzuki, during his time with Japan's national team, and Samet Guzel, at Fenerbahce, have been Zico's voice for non-Portuguese speakers.
'Samet is almost being raised by me,' he says. 'He was a young supporter who spoke perfect Portuguese but was turning cartwheels after victories instead of having a professional attitude. He's learnt that and you can see the difference now. He is so important, because I don't have much to teach the experienced Brazilian players I work with. I do have, though, a lot to say to my other players. The Turks weren't used to dialogue, they were trained simply to follow orders. I've changed this culture here, I've given them examples and the chance to take decisions, and this is one of the reasons why things have been working well.'
Alex, his captain, says he sometimes misses a more conventional approach to team problems. 'It is his style and he is the boss. He avoids confrontation and never raises the level of his voice,' says the playmaker. 'You can often see he is irritated, but he keeps calm and doesn't stress out situations. The man is excessively calm, almost a monk. Actually, with all the problems we are watching with the Tibetan monks, I'd say Zico is calmer than a monk.'
Calmness and tranquillity, which he transmits to his players. Two recent episodes show the power of Zico's word.
In the round of 16, against Sevilla at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán stadium, goalkeeper Volkan Demirel is preparing for the penalty shootout after two big mistakes that resulted in two goals. Zico ambles over and tells his keeper: 'Football is a great sport. It gives you the possibility of redemption in a matter of minutes. Forget what happened. You've got the chance to be the hero.' Demirel saves three penalties and Sevilla are defeated.
Episode two, Wednesday, versus Chelsea in Istanbul. Deivid makes a mistake attempting to help the defence and ends up poking the ball into his own net. The striker enters the dressing room at half time emotionally damaged. Zico reminds Deivid that he scored twice against Sevilla, goals without which Fenerbahce would not even be here. 'The own goal doesn't erase your history, boy. Head up, let's play.' Deivid redeems himself with a stunning 30-metre strike to seal victory.
If dialogue is Zico's number-one priority, training is second. He is not a studied tactician like Brazil's better-known coaches, Luiz Felipe Scolari, Vanderlei Luxemburgo and Carlos Alberto Parreira. Zico emphasises the basics.
'For me, playing football is a mechanical thing, like cleaning your teeth,' Zico explains. 'You need to learn the movements and have them in your head: controlling, passing, shooting, heading, crossing... it is all about training.
'If there is one thing I am good at, my gift, it is observing the movements of a player and correcting his mistakes. During my career, I did it right much more than I did it wrong. So, when I see someone is doing something wrong, I teach him and fix it. I would be selfish if I didn't share this gift.'
Centre-back Edu Dracena reports that the players do not even argue when the boss has a word. 'He approaches you and calmly shows you how it has to be done. You won't discuss with a man like Zico, one of the all-time greatest. You do it the way he says and it always pays off.'
After one training session, though, someone did raise question marks. Zico was trying free-kicks against the empty net and goalkeeper Demirel, up to a challenge, asked captain Alex: 'I am too young and I haven't seen Zico playing. Was he really that good?' The coach listens and prepares to show some old-school stuff. He needs to warm up and says the challenge will be on after his eighth ball. He does not need that many. After the fourth free-kick taken, his knee is already responding and he tells Demirel to be ready. What comes next is a fantastic demonstration of talent. Five perfectly curled balls into the net and the players have to ask him to stop in order not to dent the goalkeeper's morale for forthcoming games. Demirel has never challenged Zico again.
Fenerbahce's most experienced player, Roberto Carlos, explains that Zico's style contrasts with the other, far more tactical coaches he has worked with in Europe. 'Fabio Capello, for example, worried about the tiniest tactical details. Zico's training sessions are more focused on the basics of football. He is a coach who gives us the freedom to do what we know on the pitch; the only thing he demands is good football.'
The veteran defender's arrival is one of the keys to Fenerbahce's success this season. Before signing him, Zico sought to ensure Roberto Carlos would come and work, rather than beginning an early retirement in Istanbul. 'He is setting patterns and pulling the younger guys along,' Zico says. 'The players look at his professionalism and follow his example. I'm glad because I knew Roberto personally and I called him to warn him that he could not live off his name here, he would have to work properly along with the others, with no privileges.'
Zico was aware that names and medals mean next to nothing in Turkish football. Currently treated as a king - he is called 'Kral [King] Arthur' as his full name is Arthur Antunes Coimbra - Zico had been heavily criticised ahead of his Champions League campaign. 'I accept criticism,' he says. 'What I don't accept is precipitate criticism made without any analysis. I feel disgust when people who don't know your everyday work hit you below the belt. I have been called a trainee here! It seems that in Turkey everybody knows everything about football. What I suffered here made the Japan times seem easy.'
Zico was central to the startling rise in popularity of football when he moved to Japan in 1991, in the final stages of his playing career. Labelled 'Kami-sama' (God) by the Japanese press, he accepted the job of national-team coach in 2002, upsetting, he says, much of the English-language press there who had been used to a stream of privileged information from his French predecessor, Philippe Troussier. Despite a media campaign against him, Zico won the Asian Cup two years later. The 2006 World Cup, though, ended in first-round elimination and further criticism. 'I think I made a mistake there,' he says. 'I set expectations simply too high. Maybe I believed in our team more than the players did. This is experience and I won't repeat the same mistake here in Turkey.'
High expectations and a reluctance to forget the past are the walls that separate Zico from rejoining his old club, Flamengo. His first grandson was born two weeks ago and has been already photographed sucking a dummy decorated with the symbol of the club. 'I don't want to ruin it,' he says. 'I love Flamengo, but in football you go from genius to idiot in a matter of minutes.'
He joined Flamengo in 1967 when only 14. Seven years later he was a first-team regular. At a time when Liverpool were dominant in England and Europe, Zico scripted the golden years of Brazil's most popular club. He won the national league four times (1980, '82, '83 and '87), the Copa Libertadores in 1981 and defeated Liverpool 3-0 at the end of that year to take the Intercontinental Cup. Zico was man of the match and Flamengo the first Brazilian world champions since Pelé's Santos.
Zico remains the all-time top scorer at the sacred Maracanã, with the impressive mark of 333 goals in 435 games. His big disappointments came at the 1982 and 1986 World Cups - the '82 team regarded as the best Brazil side never to win the title and better than several that did. Four years later, he missed a penalty in a classic quarter-final against France and became the villain.
In 1998, Zico was Mário Zagallo's first assistant in a World Cup campaign that led to a loss to France in the final as people in Brazil began talking of how Zico brought bad luck to the country in World Cups. If the accusations demonstrate how quickly football turns its back on heroes, they are refuted by those who saw him play.
'For me Zico is a bigger name than Pelé,' says Alex. 'It is because I watched him playing, I watched the marvellous things he did. When I was a kid, I wanted to be Zico. That relationship of idol and fan made things difficult for me. I couldn't help looking at him and thinking, "Man, this is Zico in front of me, my hero." As time goes by, you end up getting used to it and differentiating things. Now we have a relationship of coach and player. And he is such a pleasant person to be with that I hope that after our Fenerbahce story ends we will be friends for a long time.'
CULLED FROM: The Guardian | | Interview Spot: Jerzy Dudek | The Champions League winner on being robbed on Merseyside, having the Pope as a huge fan and his weakness for flavoured milk Hi Jerzy, how's life in Madrid treating you?
Good thanks Small Talk, I'm enjoying it loads. It's always hard to adapt in the first three or four months. I think I'm OK now; I know the restaurants, I know where to go, the family is settled, my son has a place at a Spanish-English school. That's always the hardest thing. On the pitch you can sort yourself out - you've been a footballer for 15 years - but if your wife doesn't like it, if your kids come home from school and say 'no one speaks to me, the teacher doesn't like me', then that starts to mess with your head. Why join Madrid?
Real Madrid spoke to me when we were in Athens preparing for the Champions League final and I was laughing saying, 'don't joke with me'. I knew I would be second goalkeeper and I was thinking whether it was better to go to Recreativo and play or go to Real Madrid. My holiday was crap because I had all this swimming round in my head. Everyone was positive about Real Madrid and even though I knew I wasn't going to play that much, it's a huge club. I never thought it would be possible to join a bigger club than Liverpool, but I was wrong ... What's the biggest difference between England and Spain?
In England, if you have to be there at so and so time, then at so and so time you're there. Here it's 'ah, enjoy your life!'. If we're late, so what? I found out about this straight away. I had an appointment with a La Liga chairman to speak about signing and he didn't turn up for three hours. When he finally showed, he didn't say anything about why he was late. It's just normal. I think the weather plays a part: if I sit in the garden in the sun and my wife asks me to do something, she gets angry because I'm there going 'Do I really have to do it now? Wait for my moment, for me to conjure up the energy ...' Now, Small Talk's been told that back in Poland, you were as big as Beckham. Is that true?
Really? I don't know. But when I joined Liverpool, I was the first Polish player since [Zbigniew] Boniek to play at a top club and I'd been part of the team that qualified twice for the World Cup, which we hadn't done for 17 years. That meant an increase in attention and responsibility. Does that weigh on you? Can it damage a player?
Yes, if you are soft and emotional you can really be hurt. Everyone wants a part of you. It's difficult because Poland is a big country. I had to be 100% on the pitch but also give people satisfaction off the pitch. But I was away from Poland for 11 months a year and the one month when I returned, it was like: 'OK, let's see what you have avoided for the last few months.' I saw what the Polish ski-jumping hero Adam Malysz and the swimmer Jendrzejczak had to put up with. People were saying 'Aren't you tired with everyone wanting a piece of you all the time?' I said, no it's only for three weeks and then I can go away again but they had to be there permanently. They had to fight against the paparazzi, they had to be careful about what they did, everything. I never had a problem with having to live a life in the public eye. Apparently, Pope John Paul II - another Polish goalkeeper - was a big fan of yours. Did you ever get to meet him?
Goalkeepers never win the Player of the Year award but I did when I was in Holland and they were looking for a way of surprising me with the presentation of the award and they surprised me with a letter from Jan Pawel II. The letter congratulated me and reminded me that my mission was not just about football - that there is something else beyond that too. Then I met him when Poland played against Italy. They only invited two players and 10 officials from the FA! The president of the Polish FA gave me the shirt to present to the Pope, with "Jan Pawel II, No1" on the back, and I completely lost it. I lost it, I really did. I was so emotional, I didn't know what to do. What did he say?
I didn't expect anything from him. People were saying that he was ill, that he was coming to the end of his mission and I was surprised by his condition because it was not as bad as they said. For the first half hour he could read normally. I gave him the shirt and told him that he will always be No1 in our hearts and that the shirt was a small symbol, to express what he means to us. I don't really remember what he said, because it was so, so ... it was so big! I had never got that emotional before the biggest games of my life. When I came to play in Europe, people didn't understand why we Poles are so crazy about the Pope. He talked to the Poles like a member of the family, there was a very emotional contact between him and the rest of the people. As well as a religious side, there must be patriotic reasons for that ...
We had a very bad time in the 1980s when we were fighting against the Communists and he was on our side, but in a very clever way. He did it. Jan Pavel II helped us to win. And I think the devotion towards him starts there. His role wasn't just religious, it was social and political too. He knew the right moment to intervene, to say 'stop' to generals, to the régime. He knew when to say 'listen, we are just normal people, all from the same country'. He was just so intelligent. I was reading his autobiography and it's clear he was special from the beginning to the end. I said to my friend: 'God sent the guy, the Pope, to show us how Jesus was.' The new Pope is also important but Jan Pawel lived on our street. I'm sure that the current Pope will mean more to the German people and will come to be important because at the moment he is changing the thinking of the German people. It's hard to replace someone like Jan Pawel but he is doing well, a fantastic job. If you hadn't been a footballer, what would you have been?
Probably 60 metres below the ground. Mining is in our blood, we're very proud of it. Everyone I know was a miner, my family were all miners, I did the apprenticeship and I went down the mine twice a week. I expected to be a miner. What was the last book you read?
I'm currently reading a book about Polish officers that were killed in the aftermath of the second world war, probably by the Russians - but we are just finding out now 40 years later what really happened. I also always remember a book called The Alchemist. It's the book in which I see myself reflected, about a guy who has to read the signs and chose the best path. In life you're constantly making choices. 'If I go to this club, what will happen? If I got to that club, what will happen?' You have to think that's the best decision you ever took; you can't think 'if only I had done that, or that'. What would you put in Room 101?
[Starts laughing] Don't ask me that, because I think every football player will put all journalists in there, ha, ha! A lot of players think like that, they don't like the criticisms made by journalists. Seriously, though, I'd say politics. Five years ago I didn't even know what the Freedom Party was, what the Workers' Party was, and now that I know I'm discovering that it's really bad. What was the last CD you bought?
I listen to Polish music whenever I get the chance. T'love and Myslovitz. I was a very big fan when I was young. Because of being a footballer I got the chance to meet him, which was great. Who would win a fight between a lion and a tiger?
I think the tiger. The tiger is much more flexible, more prepared for the fight. The lion is more of an organiser, a family leader, whereas the tiger is more of a fighter, a defender. Cheese or chocolate?
Don't ask me that! Chocolate! That's my big problem. How big?
Oh big, big. We have these milk drinks which are very famous in Poland - Ptasie Mleczko. You get vanilla, lemon and chocolate flavours. You get these five-kilo boxes and I could finish them off in 10 minutes. You also have Prince Polo, Polish chocolate. I think there are four Polish shops in Madrid now. There were two in Liverpool and there are more or more all the time. I've got a problem. Izabella Scorupco or Katarzyna Figura?
They are both good. Izabella was married to a friend of mine, a hockey player. But Katrina Figura, definitely. Finally, Merseyside or Madrid?
But which side of the Mersey?! I lived on the Wirral. I really liked Liverpool, I liked the mentality of the people. Even when they robbed my house I wasn't angry, because I know how people suffer. I was thinking: 'OK, just give me my football memories back, you can have the rest'. And did you get them back?
Yes, the police found them. I had 10 calls from Liverpool fans telling me who had done it and that they could help get them back. I was only angry with the guy when I heard that when the police went to his house and arrested him, they found a gun under his bed where he was sleeping. That set me thinking about what could have happened. But I accepted it. It was also my fault. I didn't provoke it but I was stupid. How?
Two days before I left for the holiday, we had some problem with the electricity and I couldn't switch the alarm on. I had gone five years without ever leaving the alarm turned off, and had gone away for long holidays - a month, a month-and-a-half - and never had a problem. Then I left it turned off and ... anyway, the guy didn't know it was my house. He said that if he'd known it was my house he wouldn't have done it. All's well that ends well. Thanks for the chat, Jerzy.
Thanks, Small Talk. CULLED FROM: The Guardian | | River Plate go top in Argentina … amid more crowd violence | River Plate beat Arsenal 1-0 to go top of the Argentine Clausura championship on Sunday on another day marred by crowd violence.
Substitute midfielder Rodrigo Archubi scored in the 34th minute when he picked up the ball in midfield, advanced into the Arsenal area and found the net with an angled shot.
River Plate goalkeeper Juan Carrizo produced an excellent performance to deny Arsenal as the visitors took control of the second half.
River Plate, coached by former Argentina captain Diego Simeone, lead the table with 18 points from eight games and are still unbeaten.
The game, played at the stadium of Velez Sarsfield as River's own ground was being used for another event, was preceded by a ferocious battle on the terraces as rival factions of River fans fought among themselves.
Television pictures showed dozens of supporters fighting, some using ripped out plastic seats as weapons. At least seven people were reported injured in the latest bout of violence to hit Argentine football.
River are two points clear of their great rivals Boca Juniors, who drew 1-1 at Olimpo, and Estudiantes, who beat Velez Sarsfield 1-0.
South American champions Boca went ahead in the 36th minute when Leandro Gracian cut inside his marker and scored with a left-foot shot. But Uruguayan Josemir Lujambio headed an 80th- minute equaliser for relegation-threatened Olimpo.
Ivan Moreno y Fabianesi scored Estudiantes's winner in the 89th minute and Velez had striker Santiago Silva sent off one minute later.
Andres D'Alessandro scored twice to help San Lorenzo to a 3-1 win over champions Lanus and Colombian Jairo Patino also netted two goals for Banfield in their 3-2 win over Argentinos Juniors.
CULLED FROM: The Guardian | | Adriano scores twice in Sao Paulo win | Striker Adriano, on loan from Inter Milan, scored twice in the first 20 minutes to help Sao Paulo win 2-0 at Bragantino in the Paulista championship on Sunday.
Adriano's first goal came in the ninth minute when he picked up Hernanes's pass and broke clear of the Bragantino defence.
Despite nearly tripping over as he attempted to round the Bragantino goalkeeper, he managed to keep his balance and score.
Eleven minutes later, Adriano, hoping to revive his career after an unhappy period in Italy, was on hand to tap in the second at the far post following a corner.
The win kept Sao Paulo third in the table with 35 points from 18 games and one to play. The top four teams qualify for the semi-finals.
Chile midfielder Jorge Valdivia produced another inspirational performance to help Palmeiras beat Sao Caetano 3-1 on Saturday and chalk up their eighth win in a row.
The win guaranteed Palmeiras, led by former Real Madrid and Brazil coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo, a semi-final place.
Valdivia, banned by Chile for 10 matches for indiscipline, provided a pinpoint cross for Alex Mineiro to head the opener in the 23rd minute and scored the third himself in the 70th.
Defender Pierre added Palmeiras's other goal before halftime and Douglas notched Sao Caetano's consolation.
Palmeiras, who have 37 points from 18 games, are second behind Guaratingueta, who lead on the number of games won after a 2-0 victory over Sertaozinho.
Corinthians stayed one point outside the top four after beating Marilia 3-1 while Santos's chances ended when they drew 1-1 with Rio Claro.
CULLED FROM: The Guardian | | Muntari kayoes Utd at Old Trafford |  HARRY REDKNAPP believes his decision to reject Newcastle has been vindicated by Portsmouth’s FA Cup success.
Pompey made it to the semi-finals on Saturday with a shock victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Later that afternoon, Newcastle were hammered again — this time at Liverpool — leaving the Toon facing up to a relegation dogfight in the Premier League.
Redknapp was offered the St James’ job in January but turned it down, allowing Kevin Keegan to make a Tyneside comeback.
And Redknapp has not regretted his decision. He said: “I am happy here. I decided to stay because I came back from Southampton and won the supporters over again.
“It was a difficult decision not to go to Newcastle. I remember coming up here on a Friday night ahead of our league game at Old Trafford.
“That night I was thinking about the players who I had encouraged to come to Portsmouth, who I had told what we could achieve. And I thought to myself, ‘I can’t have done that and then just walk away’. Newcastle are a fantastic club but I made the decision and I am happy with it.
“It is easy for people to say ‘You should have taken the challenge on’.
“If I was 40 I might have done. But I didn’t want to be away from my wife and my grandchildren. Also, I have a great team here.”
A team good enough to win the FA Cup and one Redknapp believes could challenge the big guns next season.
He said: “With a couple more players, we can be a real force in the Premier League.”
So Redknapp, who turned 61 last week, finally gets the chance to lead a team at Wembley.
And he was like a kid with a new toy just thinking about it.
Redknapp, who celebrated his third FA Cup win over Manchester United with as many clubs, said: “I’m delighted to be in the semi-finals and that it’s at Wembley.
“If I’d been knocked out I would probably be sat there saying it’s wrong to have the semis there . . . but not now. I never played at the old stadium or managed there so it will be fantastic to lead the team out. We’re really excited about it.”
But Pompey’s man-of-the-match Lassana Diarra is hungry for more.
Alex Ferguson was raging
Midfielder Diarra, who played for Chelsea at Wembley in the Community Shield last August, said: “It is good to beat United but we have to stay focused and make sure we win the competition now.
“Of course, we can win the FA Cup. If we can beat Manchester United, we can win the competition.
“It would be a waste of this famous victory if we didn’t go and reach the final and lift the trophy.”
Diarra, signed from Arsenal for £5.5million in January, added: “Last year I got to the final with Chelsea and sat on the bench but now I want to actually get on the pitch with Portsmouth and win the Cup.”
If Redknapp does lift the Cup, he would be the first English manager to do so since 1995 when Joe Royle won with Everton.
Redknapp said: “As an Englishman, to win the FA Cup final would be great. It might encourage one of the top four to give an English manager a chance.”
There was more to this quarter-final tie than just Sulley Muntari’s 78th-minute spot-kick winner.
United boss Alex Ferguson was raging long after the game following Martin Atkinson’s decision to ignore early penalty claims for Sylvain Distin’s foul on Cristiano Ronaldo.
But Distin said: “If every time you touch a player a penalty is awarded, then how do you defend? Football is also about contact.
“He just touched the ball and I turned, I followed the ball, and it was shoulder against shoulder. In football now, if you can’t do this, you can’t do that, then you will never be able to defend.
“I am not going to move out of the way and say ‘Go on, pass me’. For me, it was a fair decision.” The truth is, it should have been a penalty. But United did not lose the game because of that.
They lost because they failed to take their chances.
Then sub keeper Tomasz Kuszczak brought down Milan Baros in the box and was sent off, forcing Rio Ferdinand to go in goal for Muntari’s penalty.
So the Treble dream is now down to a Double.
But, according to Fergie, the reaction to this defeat will be bad news for their opponents in the weeks to come.
He said: “It has to have an impact. The impact is we’re going to do something about it.
“There is a determination and energy from our team that will show itself now.”
Be afraid. Be very afraid.
SOURCE: The Sun | | Benjani, new Man City hero |  On the day when Manchester remembered those who lost their lives 50 years ago in the Munich air disaster, the blue half of the city dealt a major blow to red dreams of retaining the Barclays Premier League.
City fans behaved impeccably during an emotional minute's silence and their team were just as impressive.
The visitors completed a league double over their neighbours for the first time since 1970 and their first win at Old Trafford since 1974.
For City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson, it was three wins out of three against Sir Alex Ferguson. He has added this priceless double to a European Super Cup triumph over United in 1999 when he was at Lazio.
This ended United's 13-match winning streak, their best run in 103 years, and gave Arsenal a real boost at the top of the table.
Darius Vassell and new boy Benjani Mwaruwari scored first-half goals for City and United's only replay was in injury-time from Michael Carrick.
The Old Trafford pitch was ringed ahead of the game by the names of every one of the 23 who died as a result of the 1958 tragedy in Germany.
The team sheet numbered United's men one to 16, while City stuck to their usual numbering on special commemorative shirts devoid of sponsors' logos. The Red Devils' V-neck tops were also a copy of the famous 50's jerseys worn by the Busby Babes.
But there was a match to play which was crucial to both sides - United needing not to lose ground on Arsenal while City were desperate to end a run of one win in eight league games that has dented their European hopes.
United were without the suspended Wayne Rooney and Patrice Evra, while Owen Hargreaves was dropped to the bench. John O'Shea, Nani and Anderson came into the side.
City had Vedran Corluka banned while Daniel Sturridge was also left out. New boy Benjani made his debut with Nedum Onuoha coming into defence.
Any doubts that this would not be a city united were swept away by an immaculate minute's silence.
The teams were led out by the managers who both laid wreathes in the centre circle.
Not a word was heard from the City end as every fan in the stadium held aloft red and blue scarves distributed by the host club.
There were mystifying small explosions, clearly coming from outside the stadium, which police believed were fireworks. But inside the arena it was respectful silence.
Blues fans had sung their songs right up to the minutes before the ceremony, and when referee Howard Webb blew his whistle for the end of the 60 seconds it was City voices who instantly filled the air.
From the start, United flowed towards the visitors' goal, Ryan Giggs seeing a seventh-minute volley touched over by Joe Hart.
City's first effort came after 13 minutes when Benjani's persistence gave Martin Petrov the chance to fire over from 20 yards. Then Stephen Ireland saw a header from Michael Ball's cross held by Edwin van der Sar.
Eriksson's side were getting closer and it needed a faint touch from Nemanja Vidic's head to flick a Gelson Fernandes cross away from the waiting Benjani.
And in the 24th minute City stole ahead. Ireland found Petrov and raced on into the box to take the return. The ball broke to Darius Vassell who saw his first shot hit Van der Sar, but he was quickly on to the rebound to blast the ball home, sending City's horde wild.
United hit back and Hart saved superbly from a Carlos Tevez shot on the turn. Then Cristiano Ronaldo lifted a 25-yard free-kick over the bar.
But City weathered the storm and hit back with a fierce Petrov cross that Van der Sar managed to turn away from Fernandes.
And a minute from the break City went two ahead.
Petrov's angled cross was flicked on by Benjani and the ball squeezed just inside the far post. It was the second time this season the Zimbabwean had scored against United, the first being for Portsmouth.
A minute after the break, Dietmar Hamann unleashed a 30-yarder that Van der Sar pulled down.
But United were soon camped in City's territory, searching for the break that would get them back into the game.
Tevez thought he had done just that when he turned in a deflection but he was correctly judged offside.
O'Shea was booked for a late tackle on Vassell after 57 minutes before the excellent Ireland should have made better use of a breakaway after he intercepted a pass, but he failed to find Benjani or Fernandes.
United then sent on Hargreaves and Michael Carrick for O'Shea and Anderson. City responded by withdrawing Benjani and sending on £5m new boy Felipe Caceido for his debut.
Giggs flashed a shot just wide of the far post, but time was ticking away and the only noise was coming from City's delighted fans.
In injury-time, Carrick drove the ball home from the edge of the box but it was too little, too late.
CULLED FROM: Daily Mail | | Anelka finds home in another world |  Nicholas Anelka may still live in a hotel after leaving Bolton for London but as far as he is concerned Chelsea is home.
The striker has only been at Stamford Bridge for a month but friends say he has never been happier.
Two goals and several shuddering crossbars in five starts tells its own story and considering Anelka has been on the winning side on all but one drawn occasion it is easy to see why he is content.
But those closest to the Frenchman say it is more than that. Probably for the first time in his nomadic career he feels he is at the right club at the right time.
The fact he is still looking for a place to live and his wife will be travelling to and from Paris in the meantime cannot darken his mood because the chance of success in the Premier League and Champions League is so important to him.
Facing Liverpool on Sunday and the memories of the club who rejected him and crushed his hopes of rebuilding his name at the top of the game five-and-a-half years ago barely even registers.
"Nicolas is smiling all the time because he feels very comfortable at Chelsea and this is exactly what he has been waiting for," said his friend.
"This is the best time in his career. He is playing regularly at the top level and with great consistency. He has been a star from very early on and maybe he wasn't ready but now he is. He has got everything now.
"Playing Liverpool will be a big a game for him but no more than for anyone else because he has played against them for other clubs since his time there."
Anelka has faced Rafael Benitez's side at Anfield already this season with Bolton in a 4-0 defeat in December. His former club opened preliminary talks with Chelsea soon after and the £15million deal went through last month.
Negotiations went relatively smoothly but Anelka's settling in period at the Bridge has been significantly less bumpy. The 28-year-old has slotted straight in from his first substitute appearance.
He said: "Everybody speaks to me as if I've already been here a long time. It is strange as it is like I am in another world. I was fighting against relegation at Bolton and now I am fighting to win something."
With hindsight, Anelka realises he could have made a home for himself at a major club when he joined Arsenal as a teenager but was too young to appreciate the opportunity and forced through an ill-fated move to Real Madrid.
He thought Liverpool would give him a second chance and, after a six-month loan from PSG expired in 2002, lawyers were primed to execute a permanent move apparently promised to him.
Gerard Houllier, the manager at the time, pulled the plug and chose El Hadji Diouf instead to everybody's astonishment, not least Anelka's. The striker spoke out and is still bitter about the abrupt change of heart which confirmed his reputation as "damaged goods" and led to a period with the less ambitious Manchester City, Fenerbahce and Bolton.
Houllier tries to avoid talking about the episode but insists he never doubted the player's ability.
The former Liverpool manager said: "Anelka's one of the most gifted footballers I have ever seen. He seems to have blossomed more in England than any other country. We simply decided not to take up an option to buy him."
Interference from Anelka's brothers and his reputation as 'Le Sulk' have subsequently been blamed but whatever the problems were then they were not evident during his time at Bolton.
Everyone there was impressed with the Frenchman on and off the pitch and he insists his quiet, shy personality has often been misinterpreted.
The fact Anelka rarely has friendships with other players outside the game may not help.
In London, he knows new Chelsea team-mate Claude Makelele and Arsenal's William Gallas well from the France squad but they are not close.
Anelka spends most of his time away from the game with family and a few friends but he wants to show he is not the person his reputation suggests. He has stressed that far from being a prima donna he is prepared to play second fiddle to Didier Drogba at Chelsea when the Ivorian is back and rested after African Nations' Cup duty.
Anelka has already shown willing by fulfilling duties in wide positions when manager Avram Grant has had to make the most of his depleted squad.
Nigel Winterburn, who played with the striker at Arsenal, said: "Nicolas is very quiet but he still socialised and always had terrific ability. I didn't think he was a sulker.
"He has never stayed anywhere very long and a lot of people ask why that is, but he is now at a club going places so we will see what happens.
"Nicolas used to mix with the French players at Arsenal and kept himself to himself but I never saw anything which showed he didn't fit in. It could be frustrating playing with him as he could look disinterested, but then he would burst into life. Goalscorers are like that.
"If you give him quality service he will show you what he is capable of and is the regular scorer Chelsea were looking for. I was always amazed that Liverpool didn't take him."
SOURCE: Daily Mail | | Germany spoilt by Sunday feast |  In mid-December fans around the world tuned in for the Premiership's 'Grand Slam Sunday' as the big four clubs faced off one after another. It is the Bundesliga's turn this weekend when top two FC Bayern München and Werder Bremen meet at the same time as probably Germany's biggest derby between Ruhr rivals BV Borussia Dortmund and FC Schalke 04.
Bayern ahead
Bayern, who secured a 4-0 victory at Bremen in August, lead Werder by three points, the two sides between them having won four of the last five German titles. Although Bayern were criticised for their second-half display in their 2-1 victory at FC Hansa Rostock last week, they were the only one of the top three to pick up maximum points in the first fixtures of 2008 as Bremen were beaten 2-1 at home by VfL Bochum 1848 to allow their weekend hosts to open up a gap.
Ribéry out
Bayern will be without in-form Franck Ribéry due to thigh problems, though defender Lúcio should overcome a hamstring complaint. "We would not have paid €25m for [Ribéry] if he was not someone we would miss," said Bayern general manager Uli Hoeness. "But this should not be something that totally prevents us from performing."
Making amends
Bremen are also missing a key man in the shape of midfielder Torsten Frings, who has a knee injury, and forward Boubacar Sanogo is at the Africa Cup of Nations with Ivory Coast. Still, the players are certainly motivated, due to their nightmare against Bochum as well as their recent cup exit at Dortmund. "We have to make amends," said forward Aaron Hunt. "And we will do so."
Derby day
While Bremen are attempting to close the gap on Bremen, 80,000 fans will be at the Westfalenstadion for the visit of Schalke. Dortmund are back in 12th place, seven positions adrift of Schalke, and last week were held 3-3 at lowly MSV Duisburg while their rivals were beating VfB Stuttgart 4-1. But Dortmund can take hope ahead of their 131st encounter with Schalke thanks to that cup win against Bremen, while the Gelsenkirchen side crashed out to VfL Wolfsburg on penalties.
Kuranyi banned
Schalke, whose 2-0 loss to Dortmund last season dealt a hammer blow to their title hopes, are missing forward Kevin Kuranyi, with a shirtless goal celebration against Stuttgart prompting the booking which triggered a one-match suspension for the striker. "We will have to win without him in Dortmund," said a defiant Jermaine Jones, fresh from winning his first Germany cap on Wednesday in the 3-0 win in Austria. Dortmund coach Thomas Doll said: "The result will show whether we will continue to be average or if we can start a resurgence."
CULLED from: UEFA.com | | Adebayor as good as Drogba - Wenger | Arsene Wenger is not known for understatements but he might have broken new ground when he insisted Emmanuel Adebayor could become as a good as Didier Drogba, after watching the Arsenal striker continue his remarkable scoring run to lift his side back to the top of the Premier League.
Few doubt the qualities of Drogba, just as those who witnessed Adebayor's personal destruction of Manchester City and their unbeaten home record doubt the Togo international has already surpassed his Chelsea neighbour as the most potent striker on the domestic stage.
Finishing lesson: in-form striker Togo international, Emmanuel Adebayor
Adebayor scored two more goals to take his season's tally to 21 in all competitions. He has now scored 11 goals in his last eight outings and how relieved Wenger must be that Togo failed to qualify for the African Nations' Cup.
Adebayor's progress this season has been so startling that he is entering the realms of achieving the near impossible and filling the massive void left by Thierry Henry's departure to Barcelona last summer.
Wenger paid Monaco £7million for Adebayor, 23, two seasons ago but, on this evidence, his transfer value has now risen to something not far off the £16m Barcelona paid to lure Henry to the Nou Camp.
Some of Europe's leading clubs have taken notice of Adebayor's flourishing gifts, most notably Real Madrid and AC Milan, and Wenger could have a fight on his hands to keep his new 'jewel' at the Emirates.
While Adebayor's value soars, Micah Richards saw his own stock fall in front of watching England coach Fabio Capello, as both he and Richard Dunne struggled to contain the pace, skill and guile of Arsenal's lanky forward.
Wenger heaped praise on Adebayor and knows his pupil is heading straight to the top of the class. He said: "I feel like there was a question mark about him when he signed for Arsenal.
"There were questions about his attitude, his spirit. Did we manage to change him? Or did he realise himself that he'd wasted enough time? It's down to him, I would say. He's found a club where he can express himself and he will be as good as Drogba."
Wenger believes Arsenal might need in excess of 90 points to win the title and insisted it would come down to a battle of nerve between themselves, United and Chelsea.
He added: "It comes down to nerve and maybe the direct matches. Our total is already phenomenal, but it looks like we might need around 90 points.
"I don't rule out Chelsea because they are at home to Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool. It will be very, very tight between the three of us."
Sven Goran Eriksson's side were dead and buried within 30 minutes. Adebayor broke the deadlock in the ninth minute with a close range finish before creating his side's second for Eduardo, who beat Joe Hart with an overhead kick to enhance his own growing reputation.
Gelson Fernandes pulled a goal back before half-time after Vedran Corluka had capitalised on a rare defensive mistake from Gael Clichy, but the visitors cruised through the second period before Adebayor caught Eriksson's men on the break in the dying minutes.
Eriksson's hopes of European qualification are fading, along with his chances of signing Benjani from Portsmouth. The striker failed a hastily arranged medical before the transfer deadline and returned to the south coast, even though Portsmouth claim there is no reason why a deal cannot be done.
The matter is now in the hands of legal experts from both clubs and Eriksson said: "He is a good player, he has scored 12 goals so far and is one of the top scorers in the country.
"I will push hard but I don't think it's on my table. I think we'll have a decision soon. What's important at the moment is that he's not our player."
SOURCE: Daily News | | Adebayor train wrecks Toons |  EMMANUEL ADEBAYOR put his midweek scrap with Nicklas Bendtner behind him to fire Arsenal into the FA Cup fifth round.
The Togo striker clashed with team-mate Bendtner during Wednesday's embarrassing 5-1 defeat to rivals Tottenham.
But he hit back with a sensational double against Newcastle before Nicky Butt's own goal gave the Gunners a convincing win.
Arsenal lost Tomas Rosicky early on and with Kolo Toure at the African Nations Cup, the Gunners looked shaky.
Newcastle looked dangerous on the break and Alan Smith had a 14th minute effort headed off the line by Gael Clichy.
England star Michael Owen dragged an effort wide before Arsene Wenger's side started to get into the game.
Stephen Taylor's slip up let in Eduardo, whose angled drive was well saved.
Adebayor headed just wide before Abu Diaby's dipping shot was tipped over by Shay Given.
The Gunners' pressure paid off early in the second half when Eduardo's effort rebounded off the post to Adebayor, who lashed home.
Newcastle continued to press without reward before Adebayor made sure of their place in the last 16.
The hitman held off two defenders and fired in a low shot to score.
Then an own goal from Butt made it 3-0 on 82 minutes.
After the match, Gunners boss Wenger played down Adebayor's clash with Bendtner and insisted the Togo star did not deserve to be punished for the incident.
SOURCE: The Sun | | Wenger U-turns over Walcott |  ARSENE WENGER will not let Theo Walcott go on loan because he is so short of players.
The Arsenal boss wanted the rookie to gain some Premier League experience at another club.
Walcott, 18, has failed to score a league goal in two years since his switch from Southampton and Wenger admits the player is troubled.
Yet the Frenchman has no choice but to keep the England Under-21 ace at the Emirates.
When asked if anyone could go out on loan, Wenger said: “No, because we are very short.
“We have 17 players at the moment and you could see the players who were on the bench at Tottenham should not have been on the bench there.”
Blackburn boss Mark Hughes revealed he was knocked back in his bid to back to get Walcott on loan.
Hughes said: “We’re always looking to bring in good players and if we’re told there are situations where we can get them then we’re interested.
“That’s what it was with Walcott — but we were told it’s unlikely he’d be going out of his club.”
SOURCE: The Sun | | Cissé treble fires up Marseille |  Djibril Cissé struck a hat-trick as Olympique de Marseille trounced SM Caen 6-1 to move up to eigth in Ligue 1 while AS Nancy-Lorraine and OGC Nice both dropped points in their bid to close the gap on the top two.
Super Cissé
Cissé led Marseille's march to an emphatic win with a hat-trick after Caen had taken an early lead at the Stade Vélodrome. The striker levelled on 28 minutes before a Mathieu Valbuena double just before half-time left Caen reeling. Cissé struck twice in three minutes after the break before Samir Nasri added a late sixth. "I promised 20 goals - I can make it," Cissé had declared earlier this month and his treble has now taken him to eleven strikes in all competitions.
Chasers falter
With the top two, Olympique Lyonnais and FC Girondins de Bordeaux, both in action tomorrow, no other side that began the day in the top seven managed to take advantage with a win. A goalless draw at AJ Auxerre left third-placed Nancy four points adrift of Bordeaux. It was the ninth league game without a win for Pablo Correa's side. Nice needed a last-minute Éderson goal to salvage a 1-1 draw at Toulouse FC while AS Monaco FC suffered a 1-0 defeat by Le Mans UC 72, Daisuke Matsui scoring the only goal on 23 minutes.
Three draws
Valenciennes FC fell by the same score at FC Sochaux-Montbéliard, for whom Jérémie Bréchet (23) was on target. The day's three other games all ended in draws with LOSC Lille Métropole and Paris Saint-Germain FC unable to produce a goal in their encounter. FC Metz and Stade Rennais FC drew 1-1 and RC Lens hit back to draw 2-2 with RC Strasbourg.
CULLED from: UEFA.com | | Adebayor beats butt rap |  The Carling Cup bust-up at Spurs between Gunners, Adebayor and Bendtner was the result of a long-running feud between the strikers, states The Sun.
EMMANUEL ADEBAYOR sparked the amazing Arsenal butting row by calling Nicklas Bendtner ‘s**t’.
Adebayor today escaped an FA rap over the clash.
But a source said: “The first thing Adebayor said to Bendtner was ‘I’m only on because you are so s**t!’
"He has been on Bendtner’s case for a long time.
“The pair do not get on and it finally boiled over on Tuesday night when Adebayor came on as a sub with the team 4-0 down.
“Bendtner ignored him — but when Adebayor said the same thing again later on, Nicklas gave Manny the finger and it all kicked off.”
The warring team-mates had to be pulled apart as Adebayor nutted Bendtner in the face.
Violent conduct
Referee Howard Webb admitted he did not see what happened.
He spoke to both players after they had been separated by Arsenal captain William Gallas but the official insists he was not in a position to take any action.
The FA today decided not to take any action.
A spokesman said: “No formal disciplinary action will be taken against Emmanuel Adebayor.
“Both players will be written to, to remind them of their responsibilities.”
Arsenal, who lost the semi-final 5-1, tried to take the heat off the club by releasing a statement from Adebayor.
The Togo star, 23, said: “I am sorry for the disagreement with my team-mate Nicklas and, overall, we should have been more calm.”
Meanwhile, Bendtner, 20, will not back down in his war with Emmanuel Adebayor — and refuses to say sorry to his Arsenal team-mate.
Gunners boss Arsene Wenger was last night still considering what action to take after showdown talks with his feuding stars. Dane Bendtner insists he is not prepared to accept any of the blame for the row after being butted in the face by Adebayor.
And he is so angry about the incident that he is even ready to fight any sanctions imposed on him.
Togo hitman Adebayor has already issued a half-hearted apology for the on-field scrap during Tuesday’s Carling Cup clash at Spurs.
Yet he feels Bendtner is just as responsible for the fight — which, as we exclusively revealed yesterday, came after months of rivalry — and must share any punishment.
Adebayor was handed an FA reprieve last night and told he will not face any disciplinary action.
He and Bendtner will now escape with nothing more serious than a letter from Soho, reminding them to behave properly at all times.
CULLED FROM: The Sun | | Sold out? Premier League crowds set for 57-year high |  Premier League crowds this season are on course to average more than 36,000 fans per match, the highest average gate per game in the top division since 1951, according to an Independent analysis of attendances.
Crowds in England's highest division grew steadily in the 1990s but reached a peak in the 2002-03 season with an average gate of 35,400 per game. Since then they have dropped slightly amid fears that high ticket prices and saturation TV coverage (among other reasons) might be permanently harming the popularity of the game. However, our research suggests the Premier League is on course for the highest average gates for 57 years. Sunderland's return to the top division has helped: they have attracted 42,695 people per game, an average gate only bettered by Manchester United, Arsenal, Newcastle and Liverpool. But the growth goes way beyond Wearside, with 17 of the Premier League's 20 clubs seeing either year-on-year rises or stable levels close to capacity.
The reasons are as varied as the clubs – ticket price initiatives, new facilities, a winning Swede at Manchester City, progress at Aston Villa – but the upward trend also reflects the increasing primacy of league football, for the clubs and their fans. With FA Cup fourth-round weekend approaching, only 11 Premier League clubs are still involved in that tournament, the lowest number at this stage since the Premier League began in 1992. The FA Cup also draws fewer people through the turnstiles. Thirteen Premier League clubs played a third-round match at home, and not a single one got a Cup gate higher than their average league gate. Five clubs saw drops, of between 30 and 40 per cent, compared with league gates.
Yet the Premier League's live audiences this season have been remarkable even by their own standards, and perhaps due to increased competition at both ends of the table. Whatever, current top-flight crowd levels are approaching double the numbers recorded at the nadir in the early 1980s, when hooliganism was rampant and fewer than 19,000 people watched each match.
With almost two-thirds of this season played, the average Premier League gate this season is 36,020. Manchester United have the highest average (75,612) and Wigan the lowest (18,515).
The three clubs with the biggest year-on-year rises are unsurprisingly those who played in the Championship last season: Sunderland's gates have leapt 51 per cent, Derby's are up 35 per cent and Birmingham's 25 per cent. But there have been sizeable hikes elsewhere, notably at Aston Villa (up 12 per cent), Manchester City (up nine per cent), Blackburn (up eight per cent) and even at ailing Fulham (up seven per cent). Some clubs have been unable to improve because they were virtual sellouts last year and still are (Manchester United, Arsenal), while Wigan, Newcastle and Tottenham are among others on the up, in the stands at least.
Only three clubs have seen falls, with Middlesbrough and Reading dropping by small numbers. Bolton are the biggest losers, down 13 per cent.
"There are three major reasons for the increases here," said a Manchester City spokesman. "Sven. Goran. And Eriksson." He added, rather more seriously, that City's "Live 4 City" ticket scheme, targeted at under-16s, has been a "huge success". Children can join free, and receive four free tickets, two before Christmas and two afterwards. Under-16s can also buy season tickets anywhere in the ground for £95. The spokesman said: "For the Liverpool game on 30 December, we had 7,400 under-16s at the game [among a gate of 47,321]. That's a record number, certainly since we started keeping these records in the 1980s."
At Villa Park, average league gates are up to 39,901, Villa's highest average for 58 years. "It's down to a combination of factors," a spokesman said. "Fundamentally, people are being drawn back by the football, the feel-good factor of Martin O'Neill, what he's building on the pitch, and Randy Lerner's chairmanship."
Villa pricing initiatives include various junior offers, and new reductions for students and the armed forces. Lerner, never one to blow his own trumpet, also deserves praise for heavy investment in facilities for the fans' benefit, and not necessarily ones that inflate his bottom line. The most significant was the multi-million pound refurbishment of the historic Holte Pub, now club-run as a restaurant and bar. On match days, it is run as a members-only hospitality venue, with the twist that groups of season-ticket holders are chosen to attend each week, partially at Lerner's expense.
Blackburn were among the first clubs to launch a drive to sell cut-price tickets, with the rationale that new TV income should be used to lower prices. It has worked, no doubt helped by a team doing well, although there is still more than 25 per cent of spare capacity on many match days.
Dan Johnson, the Premier League spokesman, said: "Price is a factor. Last season 16 Premier League clubs reduced or froze their prices, but equally important is the quality of the football. Many commentators have described this year's competition as one of the most open and compelling yet."
CULLED FROM: The Independent | | The secret dossier that made Spurs winners |  The chances of Tottenham eating a dodgy lasagne and coming down with food poisoning the night before a big game are a thing of the past.
When Spurs check in to their hotel before Sunday's FA Cup tie with Manchester United, they will be armed with a 60-page dossier of 'dos and don'ts' that they must adhere to.
It is all part of the Juande Ramos revolution that has helped turn the club from underachievers under Martin Jol to Carling Cup finalists, as well as dreaming of securing a surprise win at Old Trafford.
A change in diet and fitness has been key to the turnaround, but the hard work is not just confined to the training ground as the meticulous Ramos also makes sure hotel staff have their fair share of instructions, too.
The dossier contains details of what the players are allowed to eat and drink, with no compromises.
Fitness coach Marcos Alvarez has taken most of the credit for their improved condition but, it should be noted, he has been working alongside dietician Antonio Escribano.
The Spaniards were stunned to see food more associated with a wedding reception in the players' canteen on their arrival in October, but the fatty foods and cakes have gone.
Now Escribano travels each week to Spurs' training ground and lays down the menus for the following seven days, plus delivering the massive dossier of instructions for when the squad are on the road.
There are meals to help prepare for games, meals to help recuperation, strict instructions for how long spaghetti should be boiled, 20 types of rich sauce which are banned and 12 key ingredients which are rotated in the salads that have become staple in the players' nourishment.
Escribano said: “Before Juande's arrival the guys ate just like ordinary people at a restaurant would eat, not like athletes.
“But the Spurs players have not been moaning, they've really got into the change because they understand it makes good logic and they can see the results.”
There were reports striker Darren Bent had been paying the price for going against the strict diet by having a ham and cheese sandwich sent to his room on one away trip.
But the Spurs fans have certainly seen the results, with the team performing better as Tuesday night's demolition of Arsenal proved as well as a new slender physique for midfielder Tom Huddlestone.
Ramos believes the whole club are unrecognisable from the one he took over and said: “The change has been enormous in the short time the players and my staff have been together.
“I arrived to a sinking, depressed bunch of lads and you could see from how often their leads were overhauled that they didn't believe in themselves any more. But we are talking about a total transformation.
“Against Arsenal we scored five and could easily have scored many more. It was one of those games where every detail you draw on the blackboard in the team talks came off.
“But the key thing you could see is the players now believe in themselves — we've won back our pride and our aggression.”
SOURCE: Daily Mail | | Mwaruwari hat-trick reassures Redknapp | Harry Redknapp will find himself wondering at times what might have been had he taken the Newcastle job, yet there were enough signs in this comfortable triumph to suggest he has plenty to look forward to on the South Coast.
Portsmouth rediscovered much of the fizz that characterised their early-season football against an admittedly fragile Derby, with Benjani Mwaruwari's second hat-trick of the season illuminating the afternoon. After six Premier League games without a goal at Fratton Park that was a welcome relief for Pompey but it wasn't all about the Zimbabwean striker. Redknapp, in his second spell with Portsmouth, is fashioning a team full of quality and the desire to play the game the right way.
Newcastle will be looking for much of the same following Kevin Keegan's return to the North East, which perhaps goes some way towards explaining why Redknapp was courted in the first place.
Among Mwaruwari's supporting cast, there were eye-catching contributions from Pedro Mendes and Niko Kranjcar in midfield, while Lassana Diarra, their £5m arrival from Arsenal, displayed neat footwork and intelligent use of the ball on his debut.
"I want them to play and that's why I bring them here," said Redknapp. "I said to Benjani that we needed a big performance because we are missing the African boys who give you something else. With Diarra, I was well pleased to get him here because he is different class. Pedro did well, and Kranjcar has got ability, terrific ability. Confident, you know. I don't know how far we can go."
Redknapp's defection to Southampton three years ago still rankles with the Pompey die-hards, though his decision to stay this time, and his quote in the match programme that he is "Pompey until I die", is winning them over.
Much of their acclaim on Saturday inevitably was for Mwaruwari, whose classy 17-minute hat-trick either side of the interval settled the contest after Lewin Nyatanga had given Derby an early lead. "I'm very happy," he said. "My target was between 10 and 15 goals, but now as I've scored 12 I need to push more. Maybe I can even get more than 15. The second goal gave me the more satisfaction because I don't normally score with my head. The third was a great team move."
For Derby, beaten 18 times in the League this season and with only one point from Paul Jewell's nine games in charge, the optimism of their opening-day 2-2 draw against the same opponents is long gone.
"We want to improve the squad particularly for next year," Jewell admitted. "It is not easy to stand here and say we are down. I won't accept that, but I am a realist. Next season I want players who are going to get us up the League."
SOURCE: The Independent | | Africa to show strength by making peace with Europe | I don't like to laugh at fellow Guardian scribbler David Pleat. Primarily because he never says anything funny. But also because it wouldn't be polite. However I admit I chortled immaturely in 2004 when the striker he'd bought as a Frenchman suddenly became Malian and rode off into the mid-season sunset to play in the African Cup of Nations (ACN). If he weren't injured, Frédéric Kanouté would again be hightailing it to Mali this weekend, this time for a ACN qualifier against Sierra Leone - and that, of course, would have precluded him from playing in Sevilla's decisive, last-game-of-the-Spanish-season showdown with Villarreal. His apparent injury, then, spares us a monumental club v country rumpus.
Actually, it doesn't. Because his Malian team-mate Mahamadou Diarra is fit and has jetted out to Bamako, leaving Real Madrid in the lurch just as their campaign reaches its crucial climax against Mallorca. "His loss will be critical, he's the lungs of our team!" gasped Madrid sports daily Marca as club officials pleaded in vain with the Malian Federation to retract their summons, pointing pitifully to the fact that Cameroon have agreed not to deprive Barcelona of Samuel Eto'o (ah, but the Indomitable Lions can afford to be generous - they've already secured their place in next year's finals).
Here's something of which we can be certain: Madrid's whimpering will be matched by many more managers throughout the continent next January, when virtually all the best African players currently illuminating Europe will abandon their clubs and head to Ghana for the 2008 ACN. They'll be paid absentees for anything from two to six weeks. From European clubs will come an almighty cry of "boo-hoo ... no fair ... waaaaaahhhhh!"
There's an obvious retort here, and it sounds a lot like "tough shit". But the Guardian expects me to have a richer vocabulary than that and, in fairness, the European grievance is not entirely groundless. The club's plight is partially their own fault, of course - after all, they make their signings with their eyes open, being fully aware of the inconvenience the ACN may cause them every two years (poor old Pleat being an unfortunate exception) and their professed opposition to the tournament doesn't stop them dispatching fleets of scouts to it to plunder any talent that may have hitherto eluded their trawl.
Still, in the interests of cooperation, couldn't Africa cut Europe some slack by not staging their shindig smack bang in the middle of the European league season? Issa Hayatou, chief of the Conféderation Africaine de Football, has a tried-and-trusted counter to that quibble. "We hold it in January and February because of our rainy seasons," he explains. "The simple fact is that in June three-quarters of Africa is under water. So just as Europeans can't play in winter because their pitches are frozen, we can't play in summer because most of ours are flooded."
Three-quarters is an exaggeration - southern Africa, the Mahgreb, the Sahel and much of east Africa are eminently playable during these periods. But it's true that rain wreaks havoc in parts of tropical Africa at the same time. So why stage ACN qualifiers this weekend? And why does the African Champions League run throughout June, July and August every year, all the way up to the final in November? Because though it complicates matters, the rain can often be surmounted (usually by accepting a small degree of flexibility with the fixtures, so that they can be postponed for a day or two if necessary - something which, admittedly, would not be so easily done in a more compact competition such as the ACN). So if climate is not the main motive for always holding the ACN in January and February (when it also rains in much of the continent anyway), can you guess what the major reason is? That's right: money.
If the tournament were held in June or July it would clash with one or more of the following: the World Cup, the European Championships, the Copa America, the Summer Olympics. Such scheduling would puncture television interest in Africa's showpiece, deflating the continent's already flaccid football finances. So Africa is defying European clubs in order to nurture its own infrastructure.
What's more, it's trying to do this quickly, which is why it persists in staging the ACN every two years - many ill-equipped countries are eager to be given the chance that Burkina Faso (1998) and Mali (2002) have recently seized so well. More tournaments mean more opportunities to act as hosts.
And despite European protests that the current format is an anachronism - a clumsy remnant of a time when very few Africans played outside their own continent - CAF has no intention of downsizing the tournament; in fact, it was only in 1996 that it expanded it (to include 16 teams, though Nigeria's refusal to travel to South Africa that year meant the quota wasn't filled until the following edition two years later). CAF has at least made one concession to European clubs - merging ACN and World Cup qualifying groups every four years.
But that may not be enough. Because it's no longer just European clubs who are complaining, but also many of the Africans they employ. Kanouté and El-Hadji Diouf are just two of the big names to have pleaded with their confederation to tinker with the timetable rather than wait for Fifa to deliver its long-promised harmonised international calendar. Not because they fear that European clubs will follow through on their frankly laughable threat to stop buying African players (as if they currently only hire Africans for humanitarian reasons, and not because the continent is abuzz with brilliant players) but because (a) they don't like being the subject of tugs-of-war and (b) they foresee many Africans being pressurised by their clubs into international retirement. And most African players don't want to become like South Americans.
Many Brazilian and Argentinian stars, see, don't bother turning up for the Copa America any more. There'll be no Ronaldinho or Kaka in Venezuela this month, and Argentina could again send a squad consisting mostly of domestic-based players. And this is despite the fact that the competition is held in the European summer and meek Conmebol have bent over backwards to placate European clubs, changing the tournament from a biennial to a triennial event (and after this year it will only be held every four years).
Pape Diouf, who as the Senegalese president of Olympique de Marseille is in the unique position of being an African suit in a major European club, reckons Africa should copy Argentina, at least a little. "I agree that it's crucial to hold the ANC every two years because many national teams can only exist because of this event," he says. "But perhaps every second one should be reserved for players playing for African clubs. That would at least cut down on the disruption to European employers, who can't go on paying players to be absent at a vital part of their season."
Asia, meanwhile, has taken a different lesson from the South American experience. It this year decided to switch its quadrennial tournament so that it is now held in odd-numbered years. The primary purpose of this was to stop clashing with the Euros, but it will now coincide with the Copa America - the switch therefore suggests that they reckon the Copa is now so devalued that the Asian equivalent could actually attract bigger television audiences and income in Europe and North America (especially as Australia are now Asian). They're probably wrong about that. Asian football is not yet that good. African football, by contrast, is. While some feeble sides make it into a 16-team ACN, the continent's top, say, eight countries are now better than the top eight sides in South America, particularly if the top two American ones are Brazil B and Argentina B.
Africa is right to protect itself. However, it should also know that it is strong enough to compromise with Europe without suffering. It does not need to dilute its showpiece the way Pape Diouf proposes. Instead, it should be confident enough to take on Asia and South America by staging a biennial ACN in June on the many occasions when the host's climate permits. Theirs is the planet's second-greatest continential tournament (how long before it's the best?) Only when the rain in the host country is genuinely heavy enough to justify Didier Drogba's diving will they need to antagonise Europe by holding it in January.
CULLED FROM: The Guardian | | Capello needs to show he’s the boss - Lippi |  Marcello Lippi wants Fabio Capello to do whatever it takes to turn England into a strong force, even if he means dropping a high-profile player.
Italy's World-Cup winning coach Lippi was one of the frontrunners to succeed Steve McClaren before the appointment of his compatriot Capello.
The 59-year-old was not afraid to take a tough line when it came to leading Italy to the 2006 World Cup in Germany, where he left Antonio Cassano out of the squad and used Alessandro Del Piero sparingly during the campaign.
His no-nonsense approach contributed to Italy's successful tournament, and now the former Juventus coach wants Capello to make the necessary calls if he is to deliver his ambition of taking England 'right to the top'.
"Capello's most difficult task is to make England play like a team as in the last few years they have not given the impression of being a team," he said.
"That will be the most difficult challenge. He will need to construct a team, the national team is not the selection of the best players of the country, but in order to make a team you may also need to have to drop an important player that perhaps is not in the same wavelength as the others."
Capello was unveiled as England's new coach at yesterday's press conference where, among other things, he vowed to restore the country's pride and faith in the shirt.
It is an issue which has also been addressed by ex-Brazil captain Carlos Alberto who feels England's players need to rediscover their passion for the game.
Alberto, who led Brazil to victory at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, said: "I have the feeling that the England players need to change their mentality, the spirit with which they play football.
"Sometimes they play as if they do not feel the game. I hope they understand these things and try to change because every other country changed a long time ago."
Meanwhile, Capello's arrival will give England a chance to regroup and readapt for fear of falling further behind the leading nations.
The Italian has already said that England footballers are capable of being world-beaters, but Alberto, 63, wants to see an improvement in their technical ability if they are to achieve glory at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
"The most important thing that can happen to English players is that they improve their technique," he said.
"Technical skills like dribbling, good movement, the ability to pick a pass are key to breaking teams down. But you just don't see it when England play, their style is always the same.
"They never changed, they never improvised and they never improved. They put the high ball into the area and try to head it in, but they need to focus on more technical skills."
SOURCE: Telegraph | | Cannavaro caps Italy celebrations |  Italy may have booked their place at UEFA EURO 2008™ with Saturday's 2-1 win in Scotland, but last night's 3-1 victory against the Faroe Islands in Modena – which confirmed Roberto Donadoni's side as winners of qualifying Group B – was particularly special for Fabio Cannavaro. The Azzurri captain made his 113th international appearance, overtaking Dino Zoff to move second in the all-time Italian caps' list.
'Really something'
"Overtaking a legend like Zoff is really something for me," said the Real Madrid CF defender after surpassing the appearances' total of one of his predecessors as a FIFA World Cup-winning captain. "I'm honoured to have worn the Azzurri shirt 113 times." Cannavaro, 34, is now behind only record-holder Paolo Maldini, who won 126 caps, and is optimistic there are more good times ahead, adding: "The fans love this team. We won the World Cup and within 18 months we have qualified for the [UEFA] European Championship – the public appreciate this and realise what we have achieved. Roberto Donadoni has done a great job and we all support him."
'Remember it forever'
Three other players had special reason to celebrate in Modena: Raffaele Palladino made his Italy debut; Luca Toni scored Italy's second goal in his home town; and Giorgio Chiellini got the third, his first for the Azzurri. "I don't score that often," said the Juventus defender. "This time I scored a great goal, my first for Italy, and I will remember it forever. Now my aim is to make the squad for Austria and Switzerland. I don't mind if I play as centre-back or full-back, I just want to be there. I know I still have to improve but I will try my best to convince Donadoni."
CULLED from: UEFA.com | | England unbelievably arrogant - Corluka |  Manchester City's Croatia defender Vedran Corluka has launched a savage attack on England's bungling players in the wake of Wednesday's Wembley humiliation.
Corluka has been an integral part of Croatia's rise under coach Slaven Bilic and returned to City yesterday in the knowledge that he had broken English hearts.
But the 21-year-old defender risked a frosty reception from the likes of club-mate Micah Richards after branding England arrogant.
Corluka said: 'England got just what they deserved because they were unbelievably arrogant.
'I don't know what Croatia have done to deserve being treated like this by the England players. I cannot believe they didn't recognise our ability.
'We came to Wembley as the first team in the group and were not treated correctly. I didn't expect that in England. We've shown again that we're a better team than England and it's a real pleasure to kick them out of the European Championship.'
Corluka didn't expand on his comments but it is understood that the City right back was not impressed with comments he heard from England players on the field.
There is also lingering resentment among the Croats that one of their FA officials was arrested — though later released — for alleged shoplifting at Gatwick airport on Tuesday.
Bilic and his home-based players arrived back in Zagreb to a rapturous reception and the former West Ham and Everton defender immediately ruled himself out of the running for the England job.
The Croatia coach, who earns just £75,000 a year, said: 'It's very nice to be talked about but right now I would not leave the Croatian bench for anything in the world.
'It's understandable that McClaren got the sack. But I feel sorry for Steve McClaren. He also had a lot of injured players. But this is a big shock in England, even though England is not the same team without John Terry, Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen.'
Mladen Petric, scorer of the winner, refused to swap shirts with England players. He said: 'It's the most valuable goal of my career and the best I've scored. I wouldn't swap my kit with any English player because I want to save it for myself.'
SOURCE: Daily Mail | | Clock ticks on Yeung's Birmingham takeover |  It may seem a somewhat exotic location for a meeting to determine the fate of Birmingham City Football Club. But tomorrow, in the ballroom of the J W Marriott Hotel, overlooking Hong Kong harbour, Carson Yeung is expected to take a major step towards becoming the latest foreign businessman to own a Premier League club.
After months of crippling delays, Yeung, or to give him his full name, Yeung Ka Sing Carson, will win the retrospective approval of shareholders in Grand Top International, the tiny Hong Kong-listed clothing firm he is using to carry out the initial purchase of 29.9 per cent of the club.
That agreement between Yeung and Birmingham City's major shareholders, David Sullivan and David and Ralph Gold, to sell 29.6 per cent of the club to Yeung for just under £15 million, was completed way back on June 27.
The remaining 0.3 per cent was sold to him by chief executive Karren Brady and director Roger Bannister for a total of £14.95 million.
The deal was supposed to be the first part of a two-stage offer which would see Yeung purchase the remaining 46.44 per cent which Sullivan and the Gold brothers hold in equal 23.22 per cent blocks.
However, both men have grown increasingly restless as two deadlines to make an offer for the rest of the club's shares, one at the start of September and a second on Nov 1, have come and gone.
Yeung's advisers say that the Chinese entrepreneur has been unable to make good on his promise to buy the club because Hong Kong financial regulations require that the first stage is completed before starting stage two.
They promise they will make an announcement following tomorrow's Extraordinary General Meeting outlining their offer and their intention to finalise the rest of the deal by Birmingham's latest deadline of Dec 21.
Having finished their work looking at the club's accounts in the summer, Yeung's advisers say that there will be no more hold-ups.
But Birmingham's owners remain deeply sceptical as to whether he will actually produce the money to complete the deal.
Although Yeung, who is said to have made his fortune from gas and oil as well as the gambling business in Macau, is understood to have lodged more than enough money to complete the £40 million takeover with a Chinese bank, Gold and Sullivan fear he has had a struggle to raise the finances.
This column has learnt that Yeung and his advisers, the investment bank Seymour Pierce, have been trying to raise £25 million from London-based banks to complete the deal. It is understood they are in talks with three major financial institutions. His advisers remain confident that he will raise the money despite the ongoing uncertainty in the City caused by the credit crunch.
Birmingham, meanwhile, can only sit and wait for Yeung to make his move. They are puzzled by the importance being attached to tomorrow's meeting and have made it clear they are prepared to wait for only so long. Chief executive Brady said: "We've given them the deadline of December 21. It won't be extended a minute past that."
Even allowing for yesterday's last-minute hitch in his move to Wigan, Steve Bruce's decision to quit St Andrew's this week was a direct result of the uncertainty surrounding Yeung's takeover.
Although Bruce understood he would be offered a new contract in the summer, the club have been unable to fulfil that because the agreement with Yeung in June placed the club, whose shares are traded on the Alternative Investment Market, in an official offer period.
SOURCE: Telegraph | | Eriksson to make City best with £150m |  Manchester City manager Sven Goran Eriksson is to be handed more than £150million with explicit instructions from owner Thaksin Shinawatra to make his club the best in Europe.
While Eriksson's England successor, Steve McClaren, battles for his international future, the Swede is embarking on what could be the most successful period of a 27-year managerial career that has included title victories in Sweden, Portugal and Italy.
The bulk of the spending will take place next summer and the club believe that no player will be considered out of their price range.
That could even lead to spectacular bids for the likes of Barcelona's South American pair Leo Messi and Ronaldinho, or Brazilian playmaker Kaka, of AC Milan, although nailing down such big names is another matter.
The first big target of the January transfer window will be Peter Crouch, a deal that would depend on whether or not his club, Liverpool, qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League.
Eriksson is a huge admirer of the 6ft 7in striker, having given him his first England cap.
He sees Crouch as the perfect replacement for Italy forward Rolando Bianchi, an £8million flop since his arrival from Reggina during the summer and certain to return to his homeland.
Bianchi, 24, has not been able to live up to the promise of his openingday performance when he scored in the 2-0 victory at West Ham and he has struggled to command a first-team place.
Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is aware that Crouch's aerial ability could be a key factor if his team make further progress in Europe. If they do not, he could well be surplus to requirements at Anfield.
Eriksson will use his wealth of experience and knowledge of the world football scene in an attempt to make the City of Manchester Stadium dressing-room the most powerful in the Premier League.
The Swede intends to provide the kind of challenge to neighbours Manchester United that City fans have scarcely been able to dream about.
The initial January flurry, with at least three highpriced players coming in, will be to ensure European qualification next season.
'There is no doubt Mr Thaksin means business,' said a source close to the club.
'He wants the best for the team and its supporters and he is prepared to throw in fortunes to get it.'
SOURCE: Daily Mail | Too many foreigners?
Blame the Champions League | Who in their right mind, someone asked this week, slicing straight to the bleeding heart of the debate surrounding the plight of the England squad, would rather watch Steve Sidwell than Cesc Fábregas? Meaning that the great dividend of the Premier League's success and prosperity is the chance for spectators to enjoy a much higher standard of football thanks to the presence of so many foreign players whose skills far outshine those of their home-bred contemporaries.
And yet, as you might expect from such a straightforward customer, Steven Gerrard was speaking nothing more or less than common sense on Wednesday when he made his widely quoted remarks about the potential damage to English football of this invasion. Even more impressively, Gerrard spoke out despite earning his living at a club where the percentage of foreign players is among the highest in the division.
It makes no sense to blame Rafa Benítez - or Arsène Wenger, who promoted Fábregas's career at Sidwell's expense - for the fact that Steve McClaren had to choose his squad for the international matches tonight in Vienna and next Wednesday at Wembley from a pool of barely three dozen English players in Premier League action last weekend. Their methods are simply a reaction to the circumstances, and specifically the need to use the economic power of their rich clubs to respond to the demand for a consistent presence, and preferably success, in Europe's major club competition.
Many people sympathise with Michel Platini's criticism of Wenger's way of doing things and suspect he is on to something when he warns of the implications for the future of the England team. But it was Uefa, of which Platini is the current president, that created the problem when it expanded the Champions League by granting additional places to clubs from the top-tier nations such as England, Italy and Spain. By this means Platini's predecessor managed to head off the threat of a breakaway European Super League. But now, thanks to the revenues accruing from regular participation in the enlarged competition, those super-elite clubs deploy a financial strength that allows them to build squads incorporating the world's most gifted youngsters, robbing clubs lower down the ladder of the chance to make use of such talent in its early years.
They need their vast squads because of the unremitting demands made by their involvement in several different competitions each year, and because they cannot afford to allow injuries or suspensions to lower the level of their performance. They need to do whatever it takes to qualify for the Champions League every season and to stay in it.
The casualties are players such as Sidwell, groomed but rejected by Arsenal before flourishing at Reading and then moving to Chelsea. There, at the age of 24, he has started a mere four Premier League games this season. Only he and others in similar situations know whether their huge salaries can compensate for the lack of opportunities to fulfil their promise and expose their talent.
It is a question of proportion. The arrival of Arnold Muhren and Frans Thijssen at Ipswich, and of Osvaldo Ardiles and Ricardo Villa at Tottenham in the late 1970s, added spice and distinction not just to their own teams but to the old First Division as a whole - as, later on, did such players as Eric Cantona and Gianfranco Zola. But when money gains the upper hand, a sense of proportion is the first casualty. A league numerically dominated by imported players, with its style defined by their skills, gradually becomes another kind of organism altogether, one dependent for its survival on a continued economic growth that cannot be guaranteed.
Do Wenger's Arsenal have as much team spirit as Bertie Mee's or George Graham's? Definitely. Does the average season-ticket holder at the Emirates Stadium feel as close a kinship with this multinational group of players? Absolutely. Are these things also true of Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea? Without question. Only outside the super-elite, then, can the possible damage to the game's emotional structure be appreciated. And even in connection with the current England team, hard evidence is almost impossible to find.
In the days before the foreign invasion, England played football that was sometimes better, often worse. But it was certainly more rewarding and stimulating for the head coach to have a real depth of resources at his disposal, rather than picking a match to attend on a Saturday afternoon on the chance that he might be watching two or three players qualified to join his squad. The facts support Wenger. The instinct says that Platini and Gerrard have a point, one it would be folly to dismiss.
CULLED FROM: The Guardian | | Benitez reveals the whole enchilada |  Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez speaks about rotation policy, keeping players happy, difficulties in the Champions League, a new stadium, and mind games with other managers on CNN International's 'World Sport'.
CNN - Everybody talks about your rotation policy. Why do you rotate players so much and how do you react to criticism?
Benitez - All the managers change players. When you play 2 games a week, you must change players. So everybody does the same. The question is if you win or if you lose. When you win, nobody says anything. So we will try to win and keep people calm.
CNN - How hard is it to keep the players calm?
Benitez - I think the players understand. They all want to play every game, but they understand that if you want to be a contender, you need to change players because otherwise you will not be able to be fit the whole season.
CNN – Steven Gerrard doesn't rest much. How important is he to the team, on and off the pitch?
Benitez - He's the captain, he's a player with good mentality, strong character, so really important for us. On the pitch he can change games, and off the pitch he is an example for the rest of the team.
CNN - With so many foreigners at the club, is it important to have someone like him to help them identify with the spirit and history of Liverpool?
Benitez - We are trying to keep the British players, the English players, the local players is our idea. They show the rest of the players what the passion means.
CNN – What do you think about all the foreigners in the Premier League? Do you think there should be a quota to limit them?
Benitez - The balance is the key. We were talking about Gerrard, the passion he can show to teammates, to have local players and foreign players if they are good enough is the key. If you have 20 local players with enough quality for winning trophies, perfect. If you cannot, you need to bring in foreign players. So the balance is the key."
SOURCE: Daily Mail | | WE CAN'T FIND ENGLISH KANU - Redknapp | Portsmouth’s London-born boss will scour streets, parks, fields and grounds to try to unearth a player of the Nigerian’s quality but admits: “I won’t hold my breath.”
For Redknapp believes the hunger has gone from English youngsters.
“My African players here call Kanu ‘The King’,” he said. “It’s not just because of his ability but how
he has risen to the top.
“He didn’t come from a rich family. He was hungry. He needed to succeed to feed mouths. I was brought up in east London where there were a lot of good Jewish boxers.
“They also had the hunger. They wanted to better themselves and saw boxing as a way of making a living.
“Now we have kids who are driven to school, picked up from school and then sit in front of a computer.
“There are some good English kids out there – Crystal Palace seem to have a few – but not many.” Redknapp was speaking at the end of a week in which Sir Alex Ferguson attacked Arsenal’s foreign policy.
He said: “I understand where everyone is coming from but until we find kids with the hunger again this is an argument that will run and run.
“I remember Alan Ball telling me he would practice kicking a ball until it was so dark he couldn’t see.
Then he would get buses for trials and kept getting rejected.
“One manager told him the only apprenticeship he would get was as a jockey. But he didn’t give in.
“Like the Charlton brothers, he had hunger and that’s why they won the World Cup. Where are the kids now from big estates, the council houses, who want to get on?
“We had a seven-a-side competition here on Friday, Africa versus England versus Europeans.
The Africans bashed ’em all.”
He added: “The best youngster I have ever seen is Joe Cole (left). He would take a tennis ball to school and head it all the way there. We don’t get that any more.”
Kanu, 31, today goes up against Manchester City’s star signing Elano and Redknapp admits:
“It should be some battle.”
Redknapp is also full of praise at how City manager Sven Goran Eriksson has adapted back to club management.
“It surprised me a bit but he’s bought some good players and England has been a lucky country for him.
“He’s welcome to a glass of wine after the match but I doubt if I’ll see him in the pub.
“I went to the Jolly Sailor last week to meet fans for a charity night. I don’t expect you will ever see Sven in the Dog and Duck in Stockport!”
SOURCE: Daily Star | | Ferguson hails United school of management's star graduate | With a glimpse of the encyclopedic knowledge of his own club for which he is famous, Sir Alex Ferguson announced yesterday that 13 former Manchester United players are currently managing in England and Scotland. But there was no doubting his particular admiration for the man in that number who has made his side into top four contenders on a fraction of the Old Trafford budget.
Mark Hughes, whom Sir Alex will encounter at Old Trafford tomorrow, has allowed Blackburn Rovers to aspire to Champions League competition next year because of his judicious spending and his ability to maintain a consistent side, Sir Alex said. "There's not many changes there now," Sir Alex declared. "They seem to keep the same side together for three or four years which gives them the experience of playing together and gives them a good team spirit and [makes] them difficult to play against." Blackburn are the side who, on current form, the United manager considers most likely to break the hegemony of the "big four" – with Everton and Manchester City the other challengers.
There is no disguising his admiration for the decision of Hughes, Barclays Manager of the Month for October, to offer his Turkish international midfielder Tugay a new one-year contract in May. "He's still one of the best passers of the ball in the country," said Sir Alex, citing the midfielder's performance against Liverpool last weekend in which, during a 25-minute appearance from the bench, he did not once give the ball away. The purchases of Benni McCarthy, now back in the manager's plans, and Roque Santa Cruz have obviously not gone unnoticed at Old Trafford, either.
The qualities in Hughes the player are there in him as a manager, Sir Alex said. "He was a determined player. He was a rottweiler on that pitch and yet off it he could be a quiet guy," he said. "Good teams reflect their manager and you see Mark Hughes in Blackburn a lot of the time. They are very aggressive at times but I don't have any great issue with [that]. Nothing wrong with being aggressive if it's the right type of aggression."
Hughes talked of his old manager's longevity. "It is a remarkable feat that he has been able to keep going and keep the energy and enthusiasm for the game that he has," he said. "By all accounts he has mellowed a bit from my time when I was a player, but maybe that comes from being so successful."
Sir Alex's delight when announcing at 10am yesterday that this weekend's squad was the strongest he had been equipped with all season will have been tempered by lunchtime, when Wayne Rooney limped out of Carrington on crutches, destined for a month on the sidelines. Sir Alex had actually been contemplating whether Rooney, with seven goals in as many games, might be about to go a game closer to the United record set by Ruud Van Nistelrooy of 10 in 10.
Rooney's absence early this season brought an immediate, heavy reliance on Louis Saha, whose own contribution has been limited this season by his knee injury. Sir Alex believes that, with Saha's relative fragility, a substitute's role of the kind assumed by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may be the best way to deploy him. As substitutes go Saha does not match Solskjaer – "Ole was the best substitute, there's no doubt about that; his ration of goals as substitute in important games is incredible," he said – but he does offer something different. "He [has] physical presence, speed and is very calm in the box," said Sir Alex. Saha will suddenly be a more important part of his planning now.
But Sir Alex's loss is Rovers' gain. Hughes's team have not lost away in the Premier League since they were beaten 4-1 by United in March and Hughes, who had recorded four straight wins before last weekend's stalemate against Liverpool, is anxious to maintain the run. The idea of winning, as Blackburn did at Old Trafford two seasons ago, is considerably less far fetched with Rooney out. "I just hope the run isn't going to end where it began," said Hughes.
13 managers who played at United
Former Manchester United players who are now managing an English or Scottish league club
* Steve Bruce, Birmingham City
* Brian Carey, Wrexham
* Chris Casper, Bury
* Steve Coppell, Reading
* Darren Ferguson, Peterborough
* Mark Hughes, Blackburn Rovers
* Paul Ince, Milton Keynes Dons
* Roy Keane, Sunderland
* Sammy McIlroy, Morecambe
* Andy Ritchie, Huddersfield
* Mark Robins, Rotherham
* Bryan Robson, Sheffield United
* Gordon Strachan, Celtic
CULLED FROM: The Independent | | Pompey dancing to their African beat |  A new Premier League power has been spotted in the south; they are dressed in blue and they are not Chelsea. Portsmouth fans can barely control their glee.
Fifth in the League and scoring goals galore, Pompey have lost only twice — at Chelsea and Arsenal — and their players are exuding confidence.
'Our goal is Europe,' said captain Sol Campbell. 'The players have enough quality to get there and hold our own.'
Portsmouth, despite claiming to be the most successful southern club outside London with two distant title wins and an FA Cup triumph in 1939, have never qualified for Europe.
Yet the UEFA Cup now appears to be a realistic target, although Alan Shearer was tipping them to press the Big Four for a Champions League place after the 2-0 win at Fulham on Sunday.
Manager Harry Redknapp has imposed his brand of expressive football and introduced key African players who have slotted into his system. Seven goals against Reading fired the imagination but the attacking zest is founded on a strong defensive unit. Behind the scenes, the club is on the move, with owner Alexandre Gaydamak powering plans for a new training ground and stadium.
'The change since I've been here has been rather dramatic,' said 37-year-old keeper David James, who has found a new lease of life with the sea air, alongside Campbell and Kanu.
'The investment of Mr Gaydamak has changed a lot of things and the Portsmouth mindset is now about being the best we can in all aspects. The club want to grow and we are growing. It would be over-ambitious to think we'll finish in the top four this season. Realistically, we are aiming for Europe.'
This summer, Redknapp broke the club's transfer record to buy Nigerian John Utaka from Rennes and Ghana's Sulley Muntari from Udinese for £7million each.
They have adapted quickly to the English game; Utaka is a menace with his pace and directness, while Muntari is a subtle but energetic playmaker. The strong African influence at Fratton Park has helped them settle but problems loom when players will be lost to the African Cup of Nations in January and February.
Utaka, Muntari, Kanu and Papa Bouba Diop are all expected to go, although six-goal Benjani Mwaruwari, flourishing at the front of a 4-5-1 system, will stay because Zimbabwe cannot qualify.
Redknapp said: 'The only thing Benji has lacked is goals, but the fans love him because he played a massive part in keeping us up two seasons ago.
'He gives everything every week. Tell him to do something and he does it. He comes from a poor background and he loves being here and playing in the Premier League.'
The Africans, together with gifted Croatian winger Niko Kranjcar, supply Pompey's rhythm in attack but Redknapp is proud of four clean sheets in the last five games.
Alongside Campbell, the arrival of Sylvain Distin and Hermann Hreidarsson has equipped the back four with more height, pace, mobility and vast experience. Glen Johnson, 23, spent last season on loan at Pompey before a £4m switch from Chelsea and his manager insists he can still become an England regular.
'He has the potential to be the best right back in the country,' said Redknapp. 'Micah Richards will end up at centre half and I can see Glen being the England right back. He's got everything: pace, strength, he's good in the air and he can pass.'
Campbell's form has earned him a recall to the England squad and he could win his first cap since last year's World Cup if Steve McClaren chooses to rest John Terry against Estonia on Saturday.
Campbell, 33, said: 'It's what it's all about, challenging yourself on all fronts, trying to do something in the League, getting into Europe and then playing for England.
'I'm there and I'm ready. I've played a lot of big games for England and I'm there for the team. If I play, then great, if not I'm there behind the scenes for the players and the people on the bench.
'It's good. I've been playing good football for a year now. These are the fruits of it. The reward of all those hours I've been putting in. It's discipline. Form comes and goes but talent always stays. It's in the mind. I want to play football and I'm enjoying it.'
Portsmouth are enjoying it, too. The Chimes they are a-changing.
LAUREN (Cameroon)
With Tony Adams, Sol Campbell and Kanu already at the club, boss Harry Redknapp increased the Arsenal influence at Fratton Park in January with the £2million signing of the full back, now 30.
PAPA BOUBA DIOP (Senegal)
Scored the winner in the opening game of the 2002 World Cup against France before securing a move to Fulham. Diop, 29, signed for Portsmouth on transfer deadline day for £4.5m.
BENJANI (Zimbabwe)
Scored just once in 16 games in his debut Premiership season following a £4m move from Auxerre, but the 29-year-old cult hero is the top scorer in the League with six so far this term.
SULLEY MUNTARI (Ghana)
Starred in team that reached last 16 of the 2006 World Cup and helped Udinese qualify for the Champions League in 2005. Muntari, 23, signed for £7m in the summer.
JOHN UTAKA (Nigeria)
Spurs and West Ham were both interested, but it was Portsmouth who took the plunge and paid Rennes £7m for his services. Utaka, 25, might just prove to be one of the season's best signings.
KANU (Nigeria)
One of Arsene Wenger's first Arsenal signings, Kanu's top flight career was on the wane after a disappointing spell at West Bromwich, but Redknapp revitalised the 31-year-old.
SOURCE: Daily Mail | | Wenger happy with headache |  Arsene Wenger admits that the form of his current starting XI is going to cause him a problem.
Arsenal have recorded nine straight victories which means the likes of Gilberto Silva and Lassana Diarra may be left kicking their heels on the sidelines.
Poser
"In our job there is always competition," said Wenger ahead of their weekend clash with Sunderland.
"It's not because you don't select a player that you don't respect him.
"For example Gilberto doesn't play at the moment. I have a huge respect for Gilberto, for the man and the player.
"But at the end of the day you can only select 11 players to start a football game, and it's part of our job to deal with that as well. You feel sorry but you have as well to be realistic.
"I have 23 difficult decisions because all my squad I can play - Diarra for Flamini, or Gilberto or Denilson. They are all top-level players and every decision is difficult to make, but I consider how the team goes at the moment and how they will play."
Fully fit
Wenger actually hopes to have his entire squad back in training next week - which will mean Jens Lehmann, William Gallas, Tomas Rosicky, Alexandre Song and Eduardo da Silva all making welcome returns.
"Jens Lehmann and William Gallas are already back in full training," added Wenger.
"Tomas Rosicky and Alex Song should be back on Saturday. Eduardo should be back on Tuesday."
SOURCE: skysports.com | | Chelsea brothers end family feud |  One match does not make a season, but Chelsea's win against Valencia on Wednesday night certainly signified a dramatic halt to what was threatening to become an unstoppable downward slide.
Whether the corner can be fully turned will depend most on rediscovering the remarkable consistency in the Premier League which became Jose Mourinho's great hallmark. Bolton await on Sunday and it should not be forgotten that a failure to score at the Reebok Stadium would still represent the club's most barren spell in the top flight for almost 19 years. On Wednesday, though, there was no bigger presence than John Terry, who grew in stature as the match wore on and played the entire 90 minutes, despite undergoing surgery for a depressed cheekbone fracture on Sunday.
Terry revealed that he may even wear his protective mask at home or when shopping to avoid any danger of him missing England's Euro 2008 qualifiers against Estonia a week tomorrow, and then Russia the following Wednesday.
"It will take a couple of weeks to heal. The mask will fully protect me and I just have to be careful," he said. "I am ready for England and fit. If it pops back in I might have to have it reset. I might have to wear the mask around the house a bit when I am around the kids or when I go shopping. I look a bit silly but I need to protect myself."
Avram Grant says that he has been encouraged by the response of the players to his appointment as manager yet, despite the 2-1 victory in Spain, the Israeli's position continues to provoke speculation.
According to a report yesterday in the Dutch newspaper De Pers, the proposed addition of Ajax's Henk Ten Cate to the Chelsea backroom staff will be followed by the recruitment of Russia coach Guus Hiddink.
Chelsea have stressed that Grant is a permanent appointment and yesterday dismissed the Hiddink link as "complete nonsense". A statement added: "Information that Mr [Roman] Abramovich is preparing to or already has offered Guus Hiddink a management post at Chelsea is untrue. On the contrary, Mr Abramovich is very pleased the Russian Football Union has offered to renew Mr Hiddink's contract until 2010."
The Chelsea players have also indicated a resistance to further major changes and believe that the result and performance in Valencia shows that it is possible to draw a line under Mourinho's departure.
"I had a great relationship with the manager but he has gone now," said Terry. "The spirit has been missing a little bit from the last couple of games, but we move on. There has been no major changes in the camp and that has been important. The manager has not come in and done a complete change and he is slowly putting his tactics, feeling and thoughts into it.
"This can be the start of our season now. It has been difficult but with the likes of Didier [Drogba], [Claude] Makelele and Frank [Lampard] around it makes my life easier. It is important that the big guys come together as a unit. We can maintain this and go on. We have to catch Man United, Arsenal and Liverpool."
The form of Drogba, who will be suspended against Bolton, will also have provided much relief to Grant. Drogba was among the most distressed by Mourinho's departure, but he appears ready to turn a page.
"He's the best in the world when he plays like that," Joe Cole said. "He's unplayable. He does the work of two players. For a midfielder, he's a dream."
Drogba likened Cole to Zinedine Zidane for the wonderful 50-yard pass with the outside of his foot which created Chelsea's winner against Valencia, but the England midfielder was happier to highlight what he called the "guts" of his team-mates.
"It felt after the game that we were really back," Cole said. "Teams can't play like that unless they're willing to play for themselves, their team-mates and their manager. I love playing for Chelsea when we're like that, when we're 11 brothers on the pitch, playing for each other. That's what Chelsea are all about."
CULLED FROM: Telegraph | | Dida-sterous! Keeper belted by Italian press |  Dida's condition dramatically deteriorated last night as Milan's butter-fingered and glass-jawed goalkeeper suffered fresh injuries to his pride and professional reputation.
As Brazil's most-capped keeper skulked out of Glasgow, he boarded the reigning European champions' charter flight back home to Malpensa Airport.
Caught in a storm: Dida's antics, like his goalkeeping, failed to impress the Italian media
If he longed to be embraced in his adopted home city, though, he was greeted only by a chorus of derision over his performance and his reaction to the late flashpoint.
Respected football analysts queued up to criticise a display which plumbed fresh depths when he spilled Gary Caldwell's 20-yard drive at the feet of Scott McDonald for Celtic's late winner.
To compound his anguish, no less than 80 per cent of Milan fans polled by leading newspaper Corriere dello Sport insisted he should be dropped for his 'antics' after being slapped by a fan.
TV viewers watching Dida tumble theatrically to the turf after initially turning and pursuing the supporter.
After lengthy treatment he was stretchered away with an ice-pack pressed against a cheek.
Three years after gaining worldwide sympathy when he was struck by a flare during a Champions League quarter-final against rivals Inter, the keeper's conduct was less than edifying.
And there was no hiding place for Dida, even if he could justifiably claim that players should not become the victims of on-field assaults by fans.
Gazzetta dello Sport was most damning as it poked fun at the hapless keeper's botched attempts to hold Caldwell's shot and catch his assailant.
Its headline read: 'Dida-sterous! Can the Milan keeper do anything right? First he gifts the winning goal, then he can't even catch the cheeky kid who slapped him.' Having run its impromptu poll, Corriere dello Sport also condemned the keeper - who turns 34 on Sunday - with the headline: 'Milan, A Lesson for Dida.'
Former AC Milan goalkeeping hero Giovanni Galli, now a TV pundit in Italy, offered an equally-damning verdict on the Brazilian.
"Dida is making mistakes in virtually every game he plays," raged Galli, who won the 1991 European Cup in the company of current Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti.
"For the first goal he was partly guilty, but his defence also let him down. However, Celtic's second goal was an obvious technical mistake by Dida. OK, the ball skidded on the surface but, after a match played in rain-soaked conditions, it was hardly a surprise and a real worrying mistake.
"It's difficult to say what happened when the fan ran on the park, but Dida clearly overreacted. Worse than that, if he continues making such mistakes and isn't replaced in the team, he could cost Milan both their place in the next round of the Champions League and their challenge in Serie A."
ITV pundit Andy Townsend called for UEFA president Michel Platini to take disciplinary action against Dida over his Parkhead theatrics.
"Dida was a disgrace," said Townsend. "Having committed two howlers as Milan were heading for defeat, Dida has tried to collect a get-out-of-jail card with his delayed, contrived reaction to being tapped on the face. He is conning the public.
"Celtic will be punished by UEFA. Most likely, they will have to play at least one game behind closed doors. The Champions League is no place for cheats."
SFA chief executive Gordon Smith also called on UEFA to act against Dida following the two-game suspension they handed out to Hearts' Lithuanian midfielder Saulius Mikoliunas for his diving antics in last month's Euro 2008 qualifier against Scotland.
Smith said: "I was at the Celtic game and, although I did not see the incident with the fan and Dida, I was told it was nothing more than a friendly pat at the keeper. To see him stretchered off was farcical.
"I would hope UEFA act in accordance with their recent judgement on Mikoliunas. I would certainly hope the incident will have no effect on the outcome of the match."
As Dida walked through Glasgow Airport yesterday, he rejected interview requests with the words: "I don't speak English, sorry."
Spoken in perfect English, the message was loud and clear. Unfortunately for the keeper, so was the reception back in Milan.
SOURCE: Daily Mail | | You're in trouble with this guy |  HENK TEN CATE is the man to kick Chelsea back into shape — just ask Jose Mourinho.
The ex-Barcelona No 2 famously booted the Special One up the backside.
Ten Cate got his kicks after the pair clashed in the Nou Camp tunnel during a stormy Champions League showdown two years ago.
Now the burly Dutchman is on his way to Stamford Bridge — no doubt ready to kick some more ass in the Premier League.
SunSport can reveal the 52-year-old Ajax boss will be appointed Chelsea’s first-team coach next week on a £40,000- a-week, three-year deal.
While Avram Grant becomes the Blues’ team manager, responsible for the club’s public image, Ten Cate will be in charge of training and preparing the side.
His appointment by Roman Abramovich is seen as a major step forward in stabilising the club, still reeling from the loss of Mourinho two weeks ago.
Unlike Grant, Ten Cate comes with a proven track record of coaching at some of Europe’s finest clubs and also holds the UEFA Pro Licence the Israeli lacks.
But, more importantly, he is a man Chelsea’s superstars can look up to and FEAR.
Much like his predecessor, Ten Cate’s passion and big personality has commanded the respect of every dressing room he has worked in.
Before leaving to become Ajax boss in 2006, Ten Cate helped build an empire at Barcelona alongside close pal Frank Rijkaard.
The pair won La Liga and the Champions League in 2006 and played the kind of football Abramovich has always dreamed of.
Though Rijkaard was the face of the club, Ten Cate is credited by most pundits as the one who pulled all the tactical strings behind the scenes.
One former Barca player noted: “I learned a lot from Ten Cate about tactics but almost nothing from Rijkaard.”
Ten Cate was particularly close to Ronaldinho, which will be music to Chelsea’s ears with the Blues courting a summer move for the former World Player of the Year, albeit unlikely, in the interim.
Barca’s dramatic collapse over the last 12 months has been blamed by many on Ten Cate’s absence.
Ludovic Giuly, who left the Nou Camp for Roma in the summer, admitted: “We missed the good old rollockings Ten Cate gave us when he and we knew they were needed. There was method in his mad rages.”
Ajax are the first big club Ten Cate has bossed, after spells with Sparta Rotterdam, Vitesse Arnhem, NAC Breda and MTK Hungaria.
In his first season, they missed out on the title on goal difference.
He has won a Dutch Cup and two Dutch Super Cups but gone out of the Champions League in the qualifying stages for two years running.
SOURCE: The Sun | | Henry acclaims Arsenal's new generation | Thierry Henry is backing Cesc Fabregas and Arsenal's 'generation next' to make the club contenders for top honours again.
The former Gunners skipper left the Emirates Stadium for Barcelona during the summer in a £16m move after leading them to the 2006 Champions League final and having played a key role when Arsène Wenger's men dominated the English game.
The departure of Arsenal's long-time talisman has allowed the current squad to play with a new-found freedom and panache, with Fabregas admitting they had all been "a bit inhibited" by the commanding presence of such an important individual.
Arsenal have stormed to the top of the Barclays Premier League, with five wins from six games and were again impressive as they beat Sevilla 3-0 to kick-off their European campaign.
Henry believes Wenger's emerging side have all the foundations to mount a sustained assault on the title race once again.
"It is their generation. It is their Arsenal now and it is up to them to win stuff – and with the team they have, I do not know why they wouldn't," Henry said.
Fabregas has been in inspirational form for the Gunners this season – already chalking up six goals, and claiming another against Sevilla with the aid of a deflection.
Henry had always been impressed by the burning hunger for success shown by the 20-year-old former Barcelona trainee, who has so far spurned the advances of several Spanish clubs to return home.
He reflected: "When you look at Cesc and the way he plays, it is like he is 30 with the way he sees the game, the way he does everything. His mentality is already there. What I love about Cesc is that he does not like to lose."
Henry scored his first goal for Barcelona in the final minute of their 3-0 Champions League win over Lyon at the Nou Camp. The 30-year-old is enjoying life at his new club, but admitted the intense media spotlight in Spain did take some getting used to.
"Life is great," he said. "Everybody has been really good to me since I arrived. The town and the stadium are great, so are the team. Everybody is cool here, the staff and the fans have been great so far.
"I feel OK, the only difference is in training you have the press – and they want to come back home and sleep with you. They are just always there. It is a big change from England and Arsenal. The press were never there in training, you had no fans in training and here it is always like this. At the beginning it is not like a shock, but you are like 'Whoa, it is always like this?' After, though, you do get used to it."
Ronaldinho, Henry's team-mate at Barca, must be used to it already, as the club has moved to defend their striker from media accusations that he has been spending too much time in nightclubs.
The Brazil playmaker has had a lacklustre start to the season, being substituted in three games, and the local media has questioned the legitimacy of a calf strain that kept him sidelined.
"He's not in his best moment ... he is suffering because he is injured," Barcelona president Joan Laporta said. "The only therapy is to help him and ensure he does not feel apart. We need to be together with him."
Laporta said he was not concerned about media questioning Ronaldinho's dedication to soccer and allegations that his play has been affected by too many late-night visits to Barcelona's nightclubs.
"I have not spoken with him [about his private life] because it is a question for the dressing room," Laporta said. "The players know how far they can go in their private lives."
SOURCE: The Independent | | What made him so Special |  GEREMI has lifted the lid on the unique bond the departed Jose Mourinho enjoyed with his devoted Chelsea team.
And the Cameroon star, who spent four years at Stamford Bridge and won two titles under Mourinho, insists the Special One would “put his arm in the fire to defend his players.”
Geremi quit Blues for Newcastle in the summer but, despite Mourinho often being publicly at odds with big names like Andriy Shevchenko and Michael Ballack, he is adamant the former Chelsea boss was a players’ man.
And the defender — now skipper at St James’ Park — said: “The great thing about Mourinho was he cared about his players a lot and always fought for them.
“He shared good and bad emotions with us. He would put his arm in the fire to defend his players.”
Geremi added: “His going was a big shock to me. No one was expecting it, especially at this time of the season.
“After all the speculation that he might go over the last couple of seasons, I thought it was finished. I didn’t think he would be going.
“He was determined and was starting the new season with new ambition.
“He put his whole heart into Chelsea. He loved the club and you could see it on his face at every game.
“He hurt every time Chelsea lost. You could see how he reacted whether someone was offside, there was a free-kick against us or a goal in our net.
“He could not hide his feelings. They were very real because we were like his family.
“I’m not saying I was always happy with him because I would be lying. I wanted to play every week but it wasn’t a personal thing, it was about sport.
“It is very difficult to keep everyone happy in a squad like Chelsea’s.
“Those who play will like him and those who don’t will not — that is life. But he always told players the truth even if they did not like what they heard.
“He was honest with you and you could be honest with him. That is why he got respect.”
Mourinho’s emotions often bubbled up to exploding point and Geremi believes he never got over Chelsea’s Champions League semi-final defeat against Liverpool 2½ years ago.
Mourinho was adamant Luis Garcia’s winner at Anfield did not cross the line.
Geremi said: “Jose found it difficult to accept. It was a great opportunity for us but Liverpool went on to win the trophy.
“We were all thinking it should have been Chelsea who lifted the trophy, but you have to put it out of your mind otherwise it comes back to you all the time and it has a bad effect on you.”
But although Mourinho was an emotional character, he never let it show in training.
And whenever there were bust-ups with owner Roman Abramovich, the manager never transmitted his concerns to the players.
Geremi added: “I used to read newspapers and listen to the radio and TV and wonder if they were talking about the same club.
“Jose never changed. He was the same person whatever was going on behind the scenes.
“And when Mr Abramovich came into the dressing room he didn’t really speak because he didn’t know the language. So he would just shake hands with the players — you could not read very much into his behaviour.”
Geremi admitted Mourinho had a “massive impact” on Chelsea — but insists the Portuguese coach’s true worth will only become clear in seasons to come.
He said: “It’s like when you lose a friend. You maybe only appreciate how much they meant a few years on.
“We cannot judge the new people in charge yet, they will be judged by comparison. It will be difficult for them because the level Mourinho left is so high.
“To forget Jose, the people who have come in have to do better.
“If he leaves this country though, English football is going to miss him. He was a special one.”
SOURCE: The Sun | | Exit of the 'Special One' planned from the start |  The end came suddenly but it came in a fashion that was typical of the man. Dramatically, spectacularly, controversially.
Jose Mourinho tore his medal from his neck moments after winning the Champions League with Porto in 2004 and he marked the conclusion to his association with Chelsea by sending text messages to five senior players.
While some claimed last night that he had been sacked, he is understood to have said he was 'quitting' in those texts; that, after little more than three years and five major trophies, he has had enough of the interference and the opposition from within his own club.
There were public declarations of contentment but the reality was very different.
Mourinho was far from happy, not least because he was being told how Chelsea should be playing their football and who should be working alongside him.
The relationship he once enjoyed with Roman Abramovich disintegrated as a result of the coaches who were brought in against Mourinho's wishes. First it was Frank Arnesen, who was appointed as director of football development.
Then it was Avram Grant, who arrived towards the end of last season as director of football.
Mourinho complained directly to Abramovich and what was described by insiders as "an almighty clash of egos" marked the beginning of the end for the finest young manager in European football.
When Abramovich suddenly stopped attending Chelsea matches, everyone knew there was a major problem. Chief executive Peter Kenyon accused the media of chasing "ghosts", but behind the scenes he was desperately trying to repair the damage.
Attempts were made to put on a public show of unity. In February Mourinho said: "Normally there are three ways for a manager to leave a club — he walks away, he is sacked, or he finishes his contract.
"For me, to walk away — no chance, no chance. Zero. I won't go to another club by my decision to walk away. Zero per cent. I would never do this to Chelsea, I would never do this to my players, I would never do this to the Chelsea supporters. No chance. So when one of the three possibilities is out, there only remain two possibilities. We go to 2010 and I finish my contract or the club is not happy with my work and decide to sack me."
It was less than convincing and when Kenyon was then caught trying to secure the services of a replacement for Mourinho, yet more damage was done.
Jurgen Klinsmann rejected Chelsea's advances but news of a meeting in Los Angeles emerged and the self-styled "Special One" was left in little doubt of his club's intentions.
Chelsea refused to confirm as much but privately they argued that the meeting was a reaction to hearing their manager was looking for his next job.
As it turned out, the doors of Real Madrid and AC Milan never opened for Mourinho and Abramovich never found a replacement.
Guus Hiddink was also considered, until Vladimir Putin told his fellow Russian to stay well away from the country's national team manager.
When the new season arrived, it was nothing more than a marriage of convenience, and a badly-fractured marriage at that. A poor start followed, and matters finally came to a head.
Chelsea have performed well below their usual high standards and Abramovich has made no secret of his frustration.
He marched out of the Villa Park directors' box the moment Aston Villa scored their second goal and, for all the club's efforts to paper over the cracks, the rift between manager and owner was more obvious than ever.
When a disappointing draw against Blackburn was followed by another stuttering display against Rosenborg on Tuesday night, Abramovich decided he had had enough. A meeting was called yesterday during which Abramovich told senior directors that things had to change.
What happened in the few hours that followed yesterday remained unclear last night. Was Mourinho told as much and decided to quit as a result, or was he told it was time to go?
Judging by the reaction of Chelsea officials last night, the news seemed to catch them by surprise.
The text messages may have been sent but those who attended the first screening of the club's Blue Revolution film on Fulham Broadway appeared oblivious to the extraordinary developments.
The documentary's audience must be even more amazed after what they saw last night. "He's a bit like Ferguson," said Kenyon in the film.
"Having been around a winner like Ferguson, Claudio Ranieri didn't come into that class. He wasn't up to the job. So we looked for a new manager and we came up with Jose Mourinho. He had the same qualities as Alex Ferguson. He's a winner and we were lucky enough to get him."
They were lucky to get him and now they have lost him, as the players will discover for real when he says his farewells at training today.
SOURCE: Daily Mail | | Arsenal, world's second richest club | Table-toppers Arsenal heaped the pressure on North London rivals Tottenham and their manager Martin Jol, last Saturday, with a 3-1 win at White Hart Lane. And it is likely to get worse for Spurs fans and their board this week when the Gunners also outstrip them off the field.
Two goals by Emmanuel Adebayor, with a brilliant long-range shot by Cesc Fabregas in between, gave Arsenal the three points after Gareth Bale had put Spurs ahead. That made it 19 games over eight years since Tottenham last won this derby in League or cup.
For the Gunners, it was an excellent start to a week that will see them announce financial figures that place them above Manchester United and Chelsea — let alone Spurs — and behind only Real Madrid in the list of the world's richest clubs.
Arsenal's total turnover of all the business the club generate, it will be revealed, has shot up to about £180m,about £22m behind Real Madrid, while United's turnover stands at £167m. That is an increase of almost 50 per cent in just one season, such has been the effect of moving to the Emirates Stadium.
No wonder their currently buoyant board of directors, who believe that they can even surpass Real financially next season, can rebuff potential investors.
That will leave a sour taste in the mouth of Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy and his own board,who aspire to the top four and Champions League riches, and have charged Dutchman Jol with delivering it this season.
The Spurs hierarchy are unlikely to react too hastily, however, as their prime target, Sevilla coach Juande Ramos, is not yet available. Indeed, he brings his side to the Emirates on Wednesday when they face Arsenal in the Champions League.
"I can only believe what Daniel Levy is telling me," said Jol last night. "We have to stay positive. You saw the players' commitment. All we have to do is get results, which we did in the past. Last year we had the same number of points at this stage and finished on 60."
But with Spurs languishing fourth from bottom after four defeats in their six games, they cannot allow the situation to deteriorate further.
It is known that Italy's World Cup-winning coach, Marcello Lippi, would like to manage in the Premier League and the former Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier would welcome a return, despite being close to rejoining the French Federation as technical director.
There was sympathy for Jol from his Arsenal counterpart, Arsene Wenger, who celebrated his new three-year contract with a fourth consecutive win.
"I always have sympathy for a manager going through a bad spell," said Wenger. "It happens to everyone. It happened to me. He just needs support."
Wenger certainly has it from his own board, who will continue with their own strategy rather than contemplate selling up to foreign investors.
SOURCE: Daily Mail | | SHEVA FLOP-ATHON KEEPS CHELSEA IN THE BLUES | ANDRIY SHEVCHENKO failed to make his mark on his first appearance of the season for Chelsea in a 0-0 draw at home to Blackburn.
Keeper Brad Friedel was the hero for the visitors after impressive saves to deny Michael Essien and Shevchenko with Robbie Savage going closest for Blackburn.
ANemanja Vidic header seven minutes from time handed Manchester United a 1-0 win at Everton and lifted the champions above Chelsea and into fourth spot.
United had the better chances throughout the game with Patrice Evra and Cristiano Ronaldo - back after a three-match ban - both going close early on while Carlos Tevez and Michael Carrick also wasted good chances.
Everton striker Andrew Johnson had a header cleared off the line at the start of the second half and Rio Ferdinand made a late block to deny sub Victor Anichebe an equaliser after Vidic's strike.
But United were dealt a blow with defender Mikael Silvestre ruled out for the rest of the season after damaging a cruciate knee ligament in the 39th minute.
Liverpool relinquished top spot after failing to break down a stubborn Portsmouth side - but escaped with a point thanks to Jose Reina's first-half penalty save to deny Nwankwo Kanu.
Peter Crouch had a seventh-minute chance saved by Portsmouth keeper David James and sent a back-heeled shot just over the bar early in the second half.
Andriy Voronin hit the woodwork as Liverpool piled on the pressure after the break and the Ukrainian was inches away from connecting with a loose ball in the box at the death.
Strikes from Lee Bowyer, Dean Ashton and a Luke Young own goal gave West Ham their first home win of the season after seeing off Middlesbrough.
Wigan drew 1-1 with Fulham after a late penalty from Jason Koumas cancelled out Clint Dempsey's early effort.
Sunderland earned their second win of the season with a 2-1 victory at home to Reading. New boy Kenwyne Jones fired Roy Keane's side in front with a long-range effort on 29 minutes and former Celtic youngster Ross Wallace doubled the lead two minutes after the break before Dave Kitson pulled a goal back for Reading.
Birmingham also picked up their second win of the season against struggling Bolton thanks to Ivory Coast midfielder Olivier Kapo's 37th-minute effort.
SOURCE: Daily Record | | Kroenke shares-sale sparks Gunners war | RUSSIAN billionaire Alisher Usmanov has moved to within touching distance of an Arsenal takeover by striking a deal to buy Stan Kroenke's shares.
Usmanov paid £75million two weeks ago for former vice-chairman David Dein's 14.5 per cent stake in the North London giants. Now the Russian will splash out a further £80million for Kroenke's 12.19 percent holding, upping his percentage to 26.69 - just 3.31 percent short of the point a formal takeover bid is triggered. Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood is determined not to let Arsenal fall into foreign hands. He has even made all major shareholders, excluding American Kroenke, sign a contract stopping them from selling their stock in the next 12 months.
But with 28.36 per cent of the club being owned by minority investors it will not take long for Usmanov and his firm, Red and White Holdings, to reach the 30 per cent threshold.
The sale is sure to spark a power struggle between Hill-Wood and Usmanov, who has employed Dein to hoover up any shares which become available.
Kroenke's stock will make mega-rich Usmanov - who is worth £5billion - the main investor in the club ahead of Danny Fiszman, who owns a 24-per-cent stake. This will give him the power to veto anything he does not agree with.
Kroenke paid £75m for his stake in Arsenal, so he is looking for a healthy return on that investment - but his relationship with Dein will ensure the deal is not held up.
Dein was dramatically booted off the Arsenal board for trying to help Kroenke force his way into Arsenal, but is now acting on behalf of Red and White Holdings
Dein claims the club can only compete with the big three of Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool if they have a billionaire backer - and Usmanov fits the bill.
If the Russian manages to take charge of Arsenal then it would pave the way for Dein to make a dramatic return.
One man who would be happy about that is manager Arsene Wenger, who almost quit Gunners after pal Dein's departure last season.
SOURCE: The People | | Benitez and Redknapp frustrated by travel | When folks talk about football being the world game, they must have had the modern-day, cosmopolitan Premier League in mind. When they talk about the world being a small place, they obviously haven't spoken to Rafa Benitez or Harry Redknapp.
The league game after an international break is the worst time for them: they count the players out, then try to count them back in again. Javier Mascherano was one of the last to return. He had travelled through a dozen time zones, and back again, to play a friendly for Argentina in Melbourne, Australia, and Benitez could not consider playing him at Fratton Park after that.
"My players travel more than Willy Fogg," Benitez said to quizzical looks. "Willy Fogg? Around the World in 80 Days?" "Phileas Fogg, you mean." "Oh, yes, Phileas Fogg, sorry." The point was well made, though.
Redknapp, who also presides over a league of nations, was similarly confused. "You can't plan, you don't know who's coming back, or whether they're going to be fit," the Portsmouth manager said. "I asked two of mine [who play for Senegal], 'Who did you play?' And they said, 'Something Faso'. I know it's somewhere in Africa, but where is Burkina Faso? I bet it's a long way from here."
There are weeks like this when Benitez's rotation policy is governed by the spinning of the globe. "You analyse your team and the quality of the players, then which players are tired and which players have fresh legs," he said. "And you put everything in the scales and decide. It's not fair to have all your players all around the world and after they come back Thursday they have to play early on Saturday."
One of the few beneficiaries on Saturday was Peter Crouch, so often a victim of the squad rotation, starting his first league game of the season. "At times, it has been frustrating," Crouch said, "but the manager has told me it's not possible to play every game in the amount of competitions we're involved in. That's good enough for me.
"With such a big squad, I have to change my way of thinking. When you are at smaller clubs, like when I was at Portsmouth or Southampton, I knew I would be playing every game. But when you come to a club like Liverpool, you've got to expect rotation."
Crouch was all lanky awkwardness against his former club and it was not until Fernando Torres replaced him, coupled with the arrival of Steven Gerrard, that Liverpool picked up the game, and had a series of chances.
A subdued, often dreary game should have been decided after half an hour when Kanu put his penalty too close to Pepe Reina. The spot-kick was awarded when a linesman noted Alvaro Arbeloa tugging at Kanu's shirt. It was one of several instances in the match of shirt-pulling being penalised.
The world continues to turn, though: this morning Liverpool fly to Portugal to play Porto in the Champions League. Mascherano probably has enough air miles to travel for free.
CULLED FROM: Telegraph | | Rafa demands loyalty from disillusioned Crouch |  Rafa Benitez has adopted a hardline stance over Peter Crouch's growing unrest at Anfield and insisted the disgruntled Liverpool striker owes him a debt of loyalty.
Crouch has little intention of accepting the offer of a new five-year contract after becoming disillusioned with a lack of opportunities this season and is ready to explore the possibility of a move abroad in January.
But there was little sympathy for his plight from Benitez as the Liverpool manager urged his £7million signing from Southampton to remember the early days of his Anfield career, when a marathon wait for his first goal brought growing criticism.
Benitez stood by him throughout and clearly feels payback time has arrived as Crouch struggles to cope with being behind Fernando Torres and Dirk Kuyt.
"People were always talking about him not scoring, but I always supported him," said Benitez.
"Thanks to Liverpool, Peter is playing more games for his country and gaining more experience at that level.
"He has worked hard, played well and scored goals over the past few seasons and I expect more of the same.
"He is a better player now because he has been with a top side like Liverpool, but the other side of the coin is that the other strikers are also good.
"I think he understands that he must fight for his position. There is no need to explain anything. He knows we should play about 60 games this season and that he will have his chances."
Portsmouth, today's opponents, had a £9m bid for Crouch, 26, turned down in the final week of last January's transfer window and are bound to monitor any change of policy at Anfield.
SOURCE: Daily Mail | | Coppell challenge for Shorey |  Reading manager Steve Coppell has urged Nicky Shorey to concentrate on recapturing his best form after seeing a transfer window move to West Ham United fail to materialise.
The England left-back the subject of an approach from the Hammers before the window closed last month.
Reading rejected a reported £5million offer for the 26-year-old defender and Coppell now wants him to focus on improving his performances and help the struggling Royals pull away from the lower reaches of the Premier League table.
"He would prefer to be plying his trade at a higher level. That's his long-term goal and he is, on a monthly basis, being excited by the challenge of playing for England," admitted Coppell.
"Now we have got to get him excited by the challenge of playing for Reading again.
"We need him to be right at the top of his game and there are quite a few players who have yet to reach the levels they were performing at last year."
Shorey made his England debut in May's friendly with Brazil at Wembley.
The former Leyton Orient defender also stood in for regular left-backs Ashley Cole and Wayne Bridge during last month's friendly defeat by Germany.
SOURCE: football.co.uk | | Telepathy is our secret - Heskey |  The Wigan striker has been re-united with Owen in England's past two Euro 2008 qualifying wins against Israel and Russia, after he was recalled from the international wilderness following a three-year absence.
Although he did not score in either match, Heskey played a pivotal rule in the two 3-0 wins, in which Owen helped himself to three goals.
Meeting of minds
"Is our understanding almost telepathic? Yeah, because we've been together a long time, we've been there a long time," Heskey insisted.
"I've played with Michael since England Under 18s so we know each other's style very well, we benefit from each other's style, so it was nice to get back out there.
"With Michael you know he only needs half a chance to score, and he's definitely going to test the goalkeeper. And that's why he's chasing records."
Confidence
Heskey says he never lost confidence in his own ability.
"I never thought my chance had gone," he added.
"I can't really think like that, I always believed in my ability, so you've just got to wait for the manager to call when he needs you.
"I didn't take advice from anyone, but the manager showed by bringing back David Beckham, naming Sol Campbell, and bringing back David James as well, that there are chances. So you can never give up.
"It was good to get back out there for England. The crowd got behind us both games and really spurred us on."
SOURCE: skysports.com | | Wenger to keep Jens in reserve | Arsene Wenger has warned Jens Lehmann that he is no longer an "automatic" choice as Arsenal's No.1 as he pledged to give Manuel Almunia a chance to claim the keeper's jersey.
Wenger denied that he had rowed with Lehmann after telling the German he was not fit to play.
Officially, the Gunners' manager maintains that Lehmann's long-standing Achilles problem is the reason for his absence from the side, even though the injury did not prevent the keeper from playing against England at Wembley last week.
The German, who started the season with high-profile gaffes against Fulham and Blackburn, looked all at sea against Steve McClaren's men but is understood to be privately fuming after being stood down.
And Wenger risked further alienating the veteran as he publicly promised Spanish understudy Almunia the chance to prove his worth, starting against Sparta Prague tonight after keeping a clean sheet on Saturday against Manchester City.
Wenger said: "Jens is never happy when he's injured and never happy when he's not playing.
"He agrees he is injured and flew back to Germany for treatment.
"You know Jens, mentally he's very strong. I don't think he would have been diminished had he played because he made two mistakes.
"But you are asking me to give a message out to Almunia that, no matter how he plays, after a few games he will be automatically out of the team.
"You can never say that because it means his performance is not important - and we are in a competitive world.
"At the start of the season you have a No.1, but then a No.2 comes in and you have to give him a chance. I think Almunia is good enough to give me a problem."
Theo Walcott may get an outing on the right tonight, but Wenger is unconcerned about Cesc Fabregas having another flare-up with Sparta's former West Ham defender Tomas Repka - and even suggested the Spaniard was right to mock the veteran after their confrontation in the first leg, which saw Arsenal win 2-0.
Wenger added: "What Repka said in the press conference the day before the game, about wanting to hurt our players, was not very subtle and that's why, maybe, it happened.
"But I'm not worried about Fabregas. It's part of being young and impetuous a little bit - but also in showing character."
However, Repka has warned he wants revenge against Fabregas.
Repka said: "I will be ready for him in the second leg. He was not a sportsman in the first leg and I will show him and Arsenal that we are ready for them."
SOURCE: Daily Mirror | | We Can Go All The Way - Ferdinand | RIO FERDINAND has sent a “we’re in it to win it” Champions League warning to the cream of Europe.
The Manchester United star insisted: “Realistically, we have the ability in our squad – especially this season.”
Ferdinand has been competing for club ¬football’s biggest prize for seven years.
But he has never reached the semi-final stage since losing to Valencia with Leeds, in 2000-01.
The England star signed for United in the ¬summer of 2002 – and it has been frustration all the way ever since.
His worst moments were last season, when injury kept him out of both semi-final matches with eventual champions AC Milan.
“When I was at Leeds, anything past the ¬qualifying stage was a bonus,” said Ferdinand.
“At United, we’re in it to win it.
“The competition is of unbelievable ¬importance, especially at Manchester United where we know we have the ability to win it.”
United face the mouth-watering proposition of a return clash with Roma, whom they thrashed 7-1 in the quarter-final last season.
And they also meet Sporting Lisbon, from whom they signed Nani this summer and Cristiano Ronaldo four years ago.
In a tough-looking Group F, United’s final opponents are the formidable Dynamo Kiev.
Ferdinand said: “That night against Roma was a special one.
“Not many players get to experience a game like that, where everything just goes right.
“But the semi-finals was one of the lowest points of my career.
“When you’re on the bench you are thinking: ‘I’d love to be out there.’ It was frustrating.
The centre-back, tipped by Ferguson to become the best in the world, hailed team-mates Ryan Giggs, in the winning team in 1999, and Paul Scholes, who was suspended for the biggest match of his career.
He said: “They have sustained such a high level at a club of this magnitude.
“They’re always there, trying to win another title with us.
“To keep their impetus at this level for so long is ¬definitely to be admired. They’re an inspiration.
“So is the manager. His will to win every game runs through the club.
“He’s the lifeblood and I can’t see him losing that desire.”
Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon described the Champions League as the club’s “elusive competition” and set his sights on securing the trophy this year.
“The big difference for us this year is we’re seeded,’’ he said.
“We’ve been in two semi-finals in the last four years and got through the group stages every year.
“It’s the elusive competition for us really but there’s a determination and that is fuelled by a squad we believe we’ve strengthened.”
Kenyon added: “It’s not frustrating at all (to have missed out on a place in the final) but there’s a huge expectation within Chelsea to get to the next stage.
“We’ve had our share of semis, so the next stage is to get to the final.
“This is clearly a big ambition for us and one we’d like to pull off.”
Arsenal managing director Keith Edelman says his side have been handed six “tough” games in the group stage.
He said: “I think it’s the first time we have never played one of the teams we have we have been drawn against.
“We have played in Prague quite a bit over the last few years, Bucharest we have never been to and it’s going to be a fresh ¬challenge for us.
“We have played in Prag“We have played a lot in Athens and Sevilla, of course, had a great run in the UEFA Cup and have done extremely well in that competition. I think they are all tough.
“The thing about the Champions League is it’s an exciting competition but also a very challenging one to take part in.
“We have a very good young team which is full of enthusiasm.
“There is great team morale and we are very confident that we can have a great season because Arsene has been pulling together some enormous talent.
“We feel very positive about that.”
SOURCE: Daily Star | | Reds score 10 goals in one week |  Liverpool made it 10 home goals in a week to underline the belief at Anfield that they are genuine Premier League title contenders as they thrashed Derby 6-0.
Spaniards Fernando Torres and Xabi Alonso grabbed two goals each, Ryan Babel netted his first for the club and substitute Andriy Voronin also got onto the scoresheet.
It is the first time Liverpool have led the top flight for five years and their best start to a league season since 1998.
Derby had to battle hard in the opening stages as they tried to restrict the space in front of their defence, but it was becoming increasingly difficult and Tyrone Mears was warned by referee Alan Wiley for a succession of fouls.
After one on Jermaine Pennant, Alonso took the free-kick 35 yards out on the left. As his low drive swerved into the box Kuyt ran across Stephen Bywater's line of vision and the ball nestled in the back of the net.
Kuyt should have made it two when Pennant raced away on the left to lift in a cross for the unmarked Dutchman to head over from eight yards. Two minutes later Pennant's pace and skill severely embarrassed Bob Malcolm and, from yet another cross, Kuyt was there again to lift his effort over the bar.
Derby were praying now to get to the break without further damage but they were to be disappointed. The second goal came in first-half injury-time when Pennant set up Babel, who side-stepped two diving defenders before belting in his first goal for the club.
The second period started just as ominously for Derby. The third was not long coming. Javier Mascherano dispossessed a dithering Malcolm 30 yards out and pushed the ball to Torres. The Spaniard then took on a beat three defenders in a run across the box before burying his shot into the bottom corner on 56 minutes.
Andy Griffin was booked for pulling back Torres on 65 minutes, with the Liverpool attacks incessant. The fourth came on 69 minutes when Babel crossed from the right, substitute Yossi Benayoun's effort was blocked and Alonso placed an 18-yard shot into the bottom corner.
Next on was Andriy Voronin in place of Babel and virtually his first touch produced the fifth. Kuyt surged into the box on the right and fired in an angled shot that Bywater could only push out for the Ukrainian to force home from a couple of yards. It got worse for Derby a minute later when a poor back-pass by Andy Todd was snapped up by Torres, who rounded Bywater to run the ball into an empty net.
SOURCE: Daily Express | | Hearts Squad Bond Over Pasta | HEARTS' multi-national squad of Scots, Lithuanians, Czechs and Greeks tried to solve their language problems yesterday - by having an Italian meal together.
Assistant boss Steve Frail revealed none of the management team were invited to the bonding session in the aftermath of the 5-0 humiliation by Celtic.
The Jambos hope the 2-0 win over Stirling Albion in the CIS Cup in midweek has put them back on the rails but Frail admits the dressing room is still too quiet.
He denied there was in-fighting after their Parkhead hammering and insisted the fact he and the other coaches weren't asked to yesterday's lunch proves the players want to iron out the problems themselves.
The squad boasts players from Scotland, England, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Chile, Portugal, Slovakia, Canada, Iceland, Finland, Ghana and Greece and Frail said: "It is ironic they went for an Italian meal because we don't have an Italian in the squad. The management weren't invited but I'm happy about that because I want the players to speak with one another.
"Now hopefully they will seek out team-mates they do not normally mix with and get to know them better.
"This will always be a quiet squad but the players got together on Monday and had a long chat about things after the Celtic game.
"There were reports they were pushing and shoving one another after the Celtic match but that's not true. Words were exchanged but there was no fighting."
Hearts are still searching for their first SPL victory of the season and sit just one point ahead of bottom dogs Gretna.Frail knows that kind of form is not good enough. He said: "The Stirling result restored a tiny bit of pride but not as much as we'd have liked had it been a league game.
"The players realise our league position is miles from where we want to be but we just have to get on with it."
Next up is an SPL clash at Motherwell on Monday night. It will have added spice because Hearts had been chasing ex-Rangers and Leicester midfielder Stephen Hughes who yesterday opted for Fir Park instead.
Hearts did make three signings - former Auxerre keeper Anthony Basso who had been on trial at Tynecastle, Hibs teenager Elias Wagner who was unhappy at Easter Road and Sheffield United striker Christian Nade.
Basso, 27, signed a two-year deal with 16-year-old Wagner and Nade, 23, agreeing three-year terms.
Frail said: "Christian is a good young striker with an excellent pedigree. His signing provides added competition within the squad."
SOURCE: Daily Star | | Shevchenko To The Back Of The Queue - Clarke | ANDRIY SHEVCHENKO has been warned he is only Chelsea’s FOURTH choice striker.
The former European Player of the Year has yet to play for the Blues this season ¬following a back injury.
He is fit again and available for selection, but,
“He’s got to wait for his opportunity and, when he gets it, he has to take it,” warned Blues assistant boss Steve Clarke.
“That’s the situation with a lot of players at the club.
“Didier (Drogba) is the striker, Claudio Pizarro has done very well while (Salomon) Kalou played the first game against Birmingham and I thought he was probably our best, most exciting and dangerous player.
“So there are another three strikers there as well as Shevchenko.”
The Ukrainian’s very presence at Chelsea became a cause of friction between boss Jose Mourinho and ¬billionaire owner Roman Abramovich last season.
Shevchenko and Abramovich are personal friends and many suspect he was signed from AC Milan last year over Mourinho’s head.
Just four league goals last term ¬didn’t help Shevchenko’s cause, even though he has been doing double ¬training sessions to get in shape.
“He has to be ready for his ¬opportunity when it comes and it will come for all the players, everybody will get a chance,” said Clarke.
“September will be a busy month when the Carling Cup starts, the Champions League starts and there are a lot of players away playing ¬international matches.
“It means September and October can be the time for rotation.”
Shevchenko isn’t the only player at Stamford Bridge to be upset at their lack of recent football, with England midfielder Joe Cole voicing his anger to Mourinho.
Clarke though, insists there is healthy rivalry within the squad and pointed to reborn winger Shaun Wright-Phillips as the example for others to follow.
“We would be disappointed if the players not ¬selected for Chelsea weren’t unhappy about not playing,” said Clarke.
“Joe is unhappy but, by the same token, other players, Steve Sidwell and Claude Makelele, are all unhappy when they are not selected.
“Shaun’s a great worker with a great attitude and now he is getting the benefit of the work he put in.
“He has kept working hard and now he is getting his reward.”
SOURCE: Daily Star | | Arbeloa is Mr Reliable - Benitez |  Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez has hailed Alvaro Arbeloa for being the Reds' Mr Reliable at left-back this season.
Yet if Benitez had landed Gabriel Heinze from Manchester United last month, the quiet Spaniard, 24, would have faced a bit-part role in a campaign that promises so much.
The £2.6m capture from Deportivo La Coruna last year is the only outfield star to play every minute of every game this term.
And Benitez said: "Arbeloa has done a great job for us. He is only going to get better.
"He wasn't used to left-back at all. His best positions are in the centre or on the right. But he has performed very well."
SOURCE: Daily Mail | | |
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Is A victory over death |  Grief is a form of madness. It is one of the two forms of madness that very few of us avoid in the course of a lifetime; the other is the state of being in love. Both of these are transitional phases: through being in love, we pass, if we are lucky, to the sustained, richer, saner and enduring state of merely loving. Through grief, we reach an enduring sadness that enriches our lives.
Grief affects different people in different ways. The madness was on Frank Lampard on Wednesday night when he played for Chelsea against Liverpool in the semi-finals of the Champions League. His mother died last week aged 58. He ended up taking the penalty that decided the game: a glorious blow for the forces of life and optimism and against the inevitability of death.
It is not especially remarkable that Lampard wanted to play. When the madness of grief is on us, many of us feel actively impelled to seek a kind of normality, a reassurance that life carries on, a forced reminder that the terrible fact of death does not put an end to absolutely everything we have ever known. The best way to do this is to go to work.
In times of death, we seek the distractions of life. Kicking about the house feeling like hell is a bad idea for most of us. One of the reasons that we have evolved the funeral is that it gives the bereaved such an awful lot to do. You can't sit about moping when there's 200 sausage rolls to buy and the hymns to choose. For many people, it's only after the funeral that the grief really kicks in.
Most of us feel a need to go back to work as soon as possible; to be up and doing. Naturally, we dread the clumsy condolences, and we have to accept that we will be ever-so-slightly shunned. With the best will in the world, your colleagues will treat you as if you have a mild but unmentionable disease. You are a person who has been touched by death; the living have a natural aversion to this.
But Lampard went to work, all right. Back to training as soon as possible, back to the dressing-room and the sweat and the naked men, and no doubt, after the wringing handshakes had been exchanged, the normal banter made a tentative beginning again.
So you're back home and life is continuing and then comes the blessed relief of action. Once the body is working hard and well, thought becomes impossible: a sweet relief. Me, after a recent family loss, I found deep solace in mucking out the horses. But it is one thing to go to work, quite another to go to work in front of 40,000 people and before the eyes of millions more, all of whom know at least something about what you're going through. This imparts a certain self-consciousness, a certain feeling that you are the subject of the morbid curiosity of half the world.
Playing would not have been a problem. Thinking clearly in the heat of the action would not have been a problem, because in high-tempo sport, conscious thought is mostly abandoned. But playing before a vast audience: that's where the courage comes in. It was in the willingness to make himself vulnerable in the eyes of the world that Lampard showed his emotional strength. Football is an emotional game: in the turbulence of a high-stakes football match, it is not physically possible to keep emotions under strict control.
Going back to work was not Lampard's greatest achievement. We can all go back to work, it is the best specific against prostration by grief. I wrote a column on the day that my mother died, but claim no special credit for this, not unless it was a good column. It probably wasn't, just as good as I could make it.
So let us not give all that much credit to Lampard merely for playing. Rather, let us give him a great deal of credit for playing well. It's something to do with the team thing, that terrible fear of letting people down. It is this, rather than the seeking of glory, that prompts so many of the most extraordinary performances in team sport. It wasn't that Lampard wanted to be there for himself; more importantly, he knew that he would not be able to live with the fact of a defeat in his absence.
On, then, to the moment of truth. The penalty. It was not enough to be a part of this great match: Lampard had to take the decisive role as well. Perhaps it was some strange anger at life that caused him to take the ball from Michael Ballack - who had scored a majestic penalty against Manchester United a few days earlier - and take the penalty himself.
So far so courageous, but in sport, the truth is in the action. It was not the taking it that was brave, it was the fact that the penalty was a good one: the goalkeeper comprehensively beaten, the shot controlled and accurate, the technique holding up despite the pressures imposed by the circumstances of the match and of his own life.
Then the tears, the heaven-bound kisses, the messages to the still living dad, all the stuff that we were privileged to pry on and spy on. But pictures of a man in tears don't make the point: most of us cry when we are bereaved. That's our job. It is not Lampard's tears that we must salute, nor is it the fact that Lampard chose to play: most of us would at least want to play. It was again the fact that Lampard played well, took the big decision and carried off the penalty. Now that, truly, was remarkable.
At times of bereavement, we see life with a special clarity. We see where our priorities have been warped, see how we should adjust our lives, see how we could deal better with the loved ones that remain to us. But grief also fills us with a horrible mix of things beyond our control: a merciless guilt, an unreasoning anger, a temptation to give up on life, a thirsting for revenge (but against whom?) and, above all, a wrestling with the extraordinary, the utterly unacceptable fact that one day a person you loved was there and the next day she wasn't. Even after a long illness and every chance of preparation, this last truth comes as the most devastating shock.
You long for a chance to set the wrongs of the world to right, at least in some symbolic form. You long for a victory, not over Liverpool, but over death. And that's how that penalty felt: as a tearful, sad, joyous expression of the ultimate truth, simultaneously profound and banal, that life is there to be lived, that it can bear any amount of sadness, and that, in the face of all evidence to the contrary, in the eyes of a man in the grip of grief, it goes on.
CULLED FROM: Times | | Avram Grant joins 'March of the Living' |  On the day Avram Grant delivered an address to more than 10,000 Jews at Auschwitz, a letter from him appeared in a newspaper in his native Israel.
It was as emotive as the speech he prepared for those he joined on Holocaust Day for the threekilometre March Of The Living between Auschwitz and Birkenau.
A eulogy to his father, who survived the Holocaust but only after burying just about every other member of his family, and an intensely personal account of events at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night.
Grant paid tribute to his father for the fact that his own 14-year-old son was able to watch that Champions League semi-final from the comfort of Chelsea's VIP box, just as he acknowledged that, were it not for his father, he would not now be Chelsea's manager.
And he dedicated his victory over Liverpool to those who, like his father, had "built a new generation in Israel".
"The fact that today I am leading one of the most glamorous football clubs into a historic Champions League confrontation, and all this 65 years exactly after the carnage, is the real victory," said Grant in Thursday's Maariv.
"Not my triumph. The victory of us all. That's even more important than winning the Champions League."
As he has so often said, his father's story brings every challenge he encounters at Chelsea sharply into context.
"The home in which I grew up and the education that I received have helped me get through these past months," he said.
"To coach Chelsea is a dream but it is also a very difficult adventure.
"The pressure being placed on me as the Chelsea coach cannot be described. The expectations are enormous. With a team like this I am not allowed to lose, not even one match. Behind me is an enormous number of fans, a demanding media and everything happens with the most crazy intensity.
"Every moment of this story is a personal and professional celebration and experience. I'll remember these moments, even the most difficult ones, for the rest of my life.
"But in the end, you remember and you understand and you know that nothing resembles what my father had to go through 65 years ago, and you get things back into proportion and distinguish between bad and good and know where you came from and where you are going back to."
In those closing paragraphs, Grant reveals a deep understanding not only of life but also of his situation at Chelsea.
The pressure and the expectation, not to mention the sense of the uncertainty.
Because, what will he be going back to after the Champions League final in Moscow?
A victory parade and assurances that his job is safe?
Or a polite thank-you and his P45?
Even if he conquers Manchester United and joins Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho in that pantheon of managers who have lifted the European Cup, it is by no means certain that he will remain in charge.
He might appear to have the support of the dressing room and, more significantly, John Terry.
But support in the boardroom appears to be muted, both publicly and, according to sources, privately.
The absence of club owner Roman Abramovich on Wednesday was dismissed as insignificant by Chelsea officials.
In a time of political upheaval in Moscow, his presence was demanded there.
But the Russian billionaire has become a rare sight at Chelsea in recent months and the echoes with the latter stages of Mourinho's eventful reign should concern the Special One's successor.
Are Abramovich's business commitments really keeping him away from the Bridge?
Or has he, in fact, fallen out of love with football for a second time?
To most observers, Grant has already done enough to start the new season with a side that is more of his own making.
Not only did he bring stability to a struggling Chelsea team but he also revived them, guiding them to their first Champions League Final and within touching distance of a European and domestic double.
But even if he achieves what was once considered unthinkable, it still might not be enough.
Claudio Ranieri, who lost his job after finishing second in the Barclays Premier League and losing a Champions League semi-final, clearly considers Grant's position to be precarious.
"If Grant doesn't win, I think he's finished in the job," said the now Juventus manager.
"I think if Grant wins something, then okay, maybe he'll continue, but if not … I don't know the mind of Roman Abramovich, it's very difficult to know what he thinks."
What Abramovich thinks is something that Chelsea guard very closely. Yesterday nobody at the club would even confirm if there had been contact between the Russian and his manager since that remarkable victory over Liverpool.
But some insiders point to what they consider a slight cooling of the relationship between two people who are supposed to be close friends, just as they speak of a lack of warmth towards Grant from the board.
Not because they dislike an extremely affable man but, perhaps, because the success he is enjoying is making the situation increasingly awkward. Beyond Terry, support for Grant is hard to find.
Had Steven Gerrard snatched the ball off Mourinho and knocked the Special One back into his seat, there would have been a full-scale war between those petulant Portuguese coaches and anyone in red.
When it happened to Grant, there was not a hint of a reaction from the bench.
In fact, it was clear from the heated exchange between Grant and Andriy Shevchenko at the end of the game that not all the players are backing him.
For now, of course, all such issues have been put to one side. Chelsea are moving forward as one, if only for what remains of what promises to be a thrilling climax to the season.
In the next three games, after all, Chelsea and United have so much to gain and everything to lose.
Not their lives, Grant would no doubt say.
But the chance not only to make sporting history but also to continue making it at Chelsea.
CULLED FROM: Daily Mail | | Jose's men back Avram |  IN an ideal world, Roman Abramovich would recognise Avram Grant’s hard work and honesty by confirming him as Chelsea manager for next season.
But football is not like that. It’s a ruthless business and tough decisions are made by tough people.
The silence coming out of the Chelsea boardroom has been deafening while Abramovich has been conspicuous by his absence at Stamford Bridge in recent months.
But you can bet your life he will be in Moscow for the Champions League final, expecting to see his investment rewarded with European club football’s ultimate trophy.
Victory over Liverpool on Wednesday night was a massive step forward for Grant. But he’s got to finish the job off against Manchester United.
Losing in the final would be a devastating anti-climax. I know, I’ve been there.
In 1986, I was manager of Barcelona when we lost a horrible European Cup final to Steaua Bucharest on penalties.
The build-up to that match had been unbelievable because Barcelona, like Chelsea today, had never won the competition before.
Expectancy levels were so high and defeat was a devastating blow to deal with.
That night in Seville remains one of the biggest disappointments of my career because I never got another crack at winning the European Cup.
Now Grant has to make sure the same thing does not happen to him.
He must come back from Moscow with no regrets.
Chelsea’s players have got the whiff of success in their nostrils and if they continue to play like they did in their last two games — against United and Liverpool — they have a great chance of lifting the Champions League trophy.
From the very first minute against United last Saturday they passed the ball much quicker than usual, changed the point of play and made it impossible for the opposition to get around them.
They were playing a highly skilled game of one-touch football which their players are all capable of but don’t always produce.
And they kept that going against Liverpool in the second leg of their semi-final.
They were two of the best games I’ve seen from Chelsea for a very long time.
They were efficient in every way, physically and mentally stronger than their opponents and perfectly disciplined all over the pitch.
Of course it was an avalanche of emotion when Frank Lampard tucked that penalty away but, like so much else in recent weeks, Grant handled it brilliantly.
What really impressed me was the way Avram gave all the credit to the players and to his backroom staff in his TV interview immediately after the game.
There is no ego about this fella. He’s such a humble man who has got on with his job in his own quiet way. As I said the other week, he’s the complete opposite to Jose Mourinho in terms of character.
And the absence of controversy has definitely benefited Chelsea in recent weeks.
The majority of the squad he inherited were Mourinho’s men and he’s had to fight hard to win some of those players over.
But now you can see they’re are starting to believe in his methods.
It’s been the same story with the supporters. They have been on his back for most of the campaign and though they’re singing his name now, they could easily turn if Chelsea end the season with nothing.
Despite last week’s result, Manchester United still hold the advantage in the Premier League title race.
It is still theirs to lose and Chelsea have a very difficult game at resurgent Newcastle on Monday.
The Champions League remains their best shot and I really hope Grant can do it.
It’s because he has remained true to himself throughout these testing times when he’s been abused and ridiculed.
For the past nine months he has given absolutely everything to Abramovich and to Chelsea.
So good luck to the fella. If I was wearing a hat, I’d take it off to him.
SOURCE: The Sun | | Villa's Young living in the fast lane |  The advice when it comes to interviewing Ashley Young is to avoid any questions about Lewis Hamilton. Sick to death of them apparently.
Not least, word has it, because he was never terribly fond of Formula One's answer to Tiger Woods.
Villa’s driving force: Ashley Young, who went to the same school as Lewis Hamilton
But then, when you think about it, who can blame him? Imagine what it must have been like in that school football team dressing room in the decaying new town that is Stevenage.
Imagine what it must have been like when your working-class parents are grafting '24/7' to make sure their four footballing sons never miss a training session. Never want for a pair of boots. Never want for anything. So what do you plan to do when you leave this place?
"Racing driver," says the school's not-so-promising central midfielder. Jumped-up little so-and-so.
Ignoring the advice, I make it the first question. Does he not now take an interest in The John Henry Newman School's other famous old boy?
"Only if I come across something in the newspaper," says Young, visibly bristling. A Fernando Alonso fan by any chance?
After bouncing down the main stairs of Aston Villa's training ground yesterday morning, Nigel Reo-Coker delights in the idea that Young is giving this interview.
"Pretty boy," he says of his 22-yearold colleague. "And a great talker. Tell him I said he's got the looks and personality of Floyd Mayweather."
Others have said something similar, if not quite with the same comic delivery. Young is a practical joker. The life and soul of the Aston Villa team and someone who never shuts up. Unless, that is, you kick off by mentioning the H-word.
But once he starts to relax it does become more and more obvious. The two sons of Stevenage are not as different as they might like to think.
Young appears every bit as ambitious as his old team-mate and every bit as driven. Take the story he tells about a meeting with the careers adviser at his school — the same careers adviser who probably had much the same conversation with a certain other 15-year-old.
"I remember her asking me what I would do if I didn't make it as a footballer. 'But I will', I said. 'But what if you don't?' she then said. 'But I will', I said again."
It was a good job he had such self-belief because at the end of that school year his football career suffered something of a setback.
He had been at Watford since he was 10 and at 16 he hoped to join them full-time as a YTS trainee. But the academy coaching staff rejected him, offering him just three training sessions a week.
"I was small, I hadn't had a good season and they didn't think I was good enough," says Young. "I know some people would have walked away at that point. Either gone to another club or gone into something else. Got a job. Whatever. But I chose to stay at school and keep playing at Watford. I did a BTEC in sports studies that year and passed it and took the training sessions.
"I was determined to prove them wrong: determined to prove that I was good enough to play for the club and good enough one day to get in the first team. I kept working on my game, had a bit of a growth spurt and got offered a professional contract a year later. I think the whole experience helped me. I had to show real character and fight for that contract."
He describes himself as someone who was an "OK student", leaving school with a GCSE in German as well as English, geography and physical education. "Don't ask me how I got the German," he says with a smile. "But I've still got the basics."
As a student of football, however, he seems to excel, listening intently to his teachers and putting in the extra hours. "I've been lucky with the managers I've had," he says. "Ray Lewington gave me my debut at Watford, then I got the chance to work with Aidy Boothroyd and now I'm with Martin O'Neill. They've all been brilliant for me.
"Aidy gave me the confidence I needed and the manager here has really taken my game on. He lets the coaching staff do most of the coaching but he knows everything about every player and he will take you to one side and talk to you. And you listen to what he has to say. You take it all in."
According to people at Watford, O'Neill watched Young develop. Vicarage Road was not too far from O'Neill's High Wycombe home and the Ulsterman spotted Young during that period when he was supporting his charming wife Geraldine in her fight against cancer.
O'Neill clearly admired the tenacious attacking midfielder, not just because of his pace and skill but because of the consistency and quality of his delivery.
"It's only because I practise hard that it's as consistent as it is," says Young. "Ask anyone at this club. I'm always out there after training, working on my crosses, working on my shooting, working on my free-kicks.
"People say I'm two-footed but I recognise my left foot is not as strong as my right and I'm always working to improve that. I believe in being versatile and I'm happy to play on the left, on the right or through the middle."
O'Neill has used Young on the left but more recently in a free role behind John Carew, and with great success. Against Birmingham last weekend he was terrific, scoring two and creating two in a memorable 5-1 win.
Since moving to Villa in January 2007 for the best part of £10million, he has even made two appearances for England. And he has taken Fabio Capello's decision to drop him, after initially naming him in his last provisional squad, the same way he responded to rejection at Watford seven years ago. He will endeavour to prove the Italian wrong.
"I don't know what his plans are but I would like to be involved," he says. "I just have to concentrate on playing well for Villa. We have a massive game at Everton on Sunday and two more after that, but we said at the start of the season we wanted to push for Europe and here we are.
"I came here because I believed everything was in place to enjoy that kind of success. The chairman, the manager, the size of the club and the players. We are a young side but we are developing fast."
As fast as Hamilton? Best not go there.
SOURCE: Daily Mail | Scottish league 'fixed'
- Roman Romanov |  Roman Romanov's ramblings at the club's AGM left onlookers unsure whether to laugh or cry.
Any thoughts that recent silence from the Romanov family meant they had toned down their conspiracy theories on the reason for Hearts' demise were spectacularly banished today at the club's Annual General Meeting.
Speaking in front of around 400 shareholders at Tynecastle, the Hearts chairman and owner's son, Roman Romanov, issued his latest bullish defence of the management regime at the Edinburgh club. Hearts have struggled on the field recently and debts to the financial year ending July 2007 sat at more than £36m. To halt the slide, Romanov Sr announced that a manager with experience of the British game would be appointed. His son, however, remains unconvinced.
"Most managers are already out of work or ready to jump from the clubs they are working at," claimed the chairman, who fails to exhibit the charm of his father. "They are seeking to profit or steal players.
"We will not have a manager who says to players not to sign a new contract at our club because he tells the player he is moving and will take him with him. There are examples of this out there." The chairman initially strongly suggested that Stephen Frail, the caretaker boss at Tynecastle, would remain in office beyond the end of the season, although he later attempted to backtrack.
Such a move is unlikely to pacify disillusioned supporters. A shortlist of potential replacements, compiled by the managing director Campbell Ogilvie, has been submitted but Romanov said he is "not sure if we want to go for those targets."
Romanov, openly challenging those from the floor, pointed to the apparent dark forces that he believes exist within Scottish football as a reason for Hearts' problems.
"It is news to you that this is a fixed league?" he asked. "Rangers and Celtic win titles by 30 points. How many times this season have we been screwed by referees? We ask you to help us to fight this system that doesn't allow a smaller club to grow. If a club starts to grow, they use all mechanisms to pull it down."
While the chairman's comments met with approval from a section of the audience - non-Old Firm fans have complained for years about a supposed bias towards the Glasgow duo - they would have carried considerably more weight were Hearts not in such a dismal position on the field. A string of dreadful performances this season has plunged them into the SPL's bottom six for the first time, scant reward for a club that bestowed £12.5m on wages in the last financial year.
"A man [my father] came in and won everything," said Romanov, pointing to Hearts' Scottish Cup success and Champions League qualification in 2006. "The whole system got down on him. This man has brought a Scottish Cup and people say he has no clue."
Romanov stressed that the days of "Hearts selling players to Rangers and Celtic for £100,000 are gone" but was vague on how borrowing can be reduced. Work on a new £51m main stand is scheduled to start at Tynecastle in a year's time.
The chairman was unable to explain whether or not Roman Bednar, the striker on loan at West Bromich Albion, was a registered Hearts player or on a permanent contract with FBK Kaunas, the Lithuanian team that Romanov sponsors, and then even shouted "Provocator" at one dissenter.
"There has to be a combination, an understanding between the manager and the owner," replied Romanov to suggestions that his father exerts undue influence on team selection. "If the manager understands that this player has to play because he has got potential, if he has the same view [as the owner] he gets full control. He will select players if we agree. It's team work."
Apparently in jest, Romanov said: "You think Vladimir wants to pick the team? He doesn't. He has to sometimes. There is a question here: what happens if Vladimir dies? I'll give you the answer; he won't pick the team any more." Not for the first time, onlookers were unsure whether to laugh or cry.
CULLED FROM: The Guardian | Target men,
a dying breed |  As footballing creeds go, it is entrenched. It is what most play when they first engage in organised football. It is the first option in most video-games. And there is even a football magazine by that name. But the 4-4-2 formation is in serious danger of going the way of telephone booths, VCRs and shops that repair electric kettles. Obsolescence beckons.
Of the eight quarter-finalists in the Champions League, two employ a 4-4-2 formation: Schalke 04 and Arsenal. I am being generous in the case of the North London team: it is the formation that they would have used all season if Robin van Persie had been fit. In fact, with Van Persie out they have often used Emmanuel Adebayor on his own up front.
Arsène Wenger, the Arsenal manager, once told me that it was the most “rational” scheme because “it is the most efficient way of covering the greatest percentage of the pitch”. Most of his counterparts evidently do not see it that way. At Barcelona, Frank Rijkaard uses three up front. Chelsea and Liverpool employ a lone striker with two wide men. Zico, the Fenerbahçe coach, uses a variation of the one-striker system, with the support men being more central. AS Roma and Manchester United (even when Carlos Tévez and Wayne Rooney play together down the middle) effectively have no fixed front men, relying on constant movement to attack from different areas of the pitch.
However you want to define the varying systems, one thing is clear: the old footballing bread-and-butter of two fully-fledged strikers (usually one big and strong, the other quick and agile) down the middle is getting more difficult to find at the highest level.
Obviously, there is no “right” formation in football. It all depends on the players at your disposal, their characteristics and how well they execute and understand the manager’s system. And so it would appear to make sense that part of the reason we no longer see many teams attacking with two strikers is that forwards have changed.
Exhibit A seems to be the gradual disappearance of the traditional target man: tall, strong, good in the air and a fixture in the opposition’s penalty area. The “gold standard” today are players such as Didier Drogba, Ruud van Nistelrooy, David Trezeguet and Luca Toni. All of them are 30 or older. With a few exceptions, such as Mario Gomez, of VfB Stuttgart, who is 22, there are no heirs apparent.
True, there are still tall, strong strikers, but they are more in the mould of Adebayor or Fernando Torres, players who are also mobile and quick. Because they provide pace and power, they are comfortable playing up front on their own, unlike the players cited above, most of whom (with the exception of Drogba and perhaps Van Nistelrooy) are more productive with a teammate nearby.
The genetic development of players is probably what has done most to eradicate the two-striker scheme. As players become bigger and quicker, they fill more of the pitch. Teams defend higher up and as a result the space in which to play shrinks. A side-effect is that it is easier for midfield players to get into the penalty area as pace and stamina improve.
It is not a coincidence that players such as Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Cristiano Ronaldo are so prolific; they have the physical tools to get into the area far more than their counterparts a generation ago.
And so, if your midfield players can effectively double as strikers when you have possession, many managers reckon that there is no point playing two up front. Better to have an extra man in the middle of the park, where games are won and lost. This is especially true when it comes to strikers who are one-dimensional and do not offer much in terms of workrate, movement or creativity (which is, largely, the case of the frontmen cited above). Best to hand a slot to an attacking midfield player instead.
All of this heralds a new frontier and, taken to its logical conclusion, it raises the question of why have strikers at all. Why not, rather than three banks of players, employ only two: defence and midfield? Carlos Alberto Parreira, the former Brazil coach, foreshadowed this in a memorable speech some years ago. You could argue that United and Roma are leading the way in that direction. Two strikers are (nearly) dead as a concept. Some are turning their back on even the lone striker. Football continues to evolve. Until the next big idea surfaces.
Best not good enough
For the second straight year, it looks as if Lyons will win the French title and change their manager. It happened with Gérard Houllier last season, it will probably occur with Alain Perrin this summer. The club are unhappy at the way the former Portsmouth manager dealt with some of the star players this season and feel that Lyons were unimpressive (even though they could complete the domestic double). Didier Deschamps, the former AS Monaco and Juventus head coach, is tipped to take over. Lyons have won the French league title every season since 2001-02. Being the best team in France evidently is not enough.
Ronaldinho worth punt
And so, thanks to a torn muscle, Ronaldinho’s annus horribilis is over.
We probably will not see him until next season and it is anyone’s guess where we will see him (although probably not at the Nou Camp). It is trendy to say that he is finished, but consider the following.
He has just turned 28. He has scored 48 goals in his past 74 league starts for Barcelona (and he is not a striker). He packs a greater commercial punch than anyone not named Beckham. Surely someone will take a calculated gamble on him this summer.
CULLED FROM: Times
| | Ballack's final goal |  In some respects, Chelsea FC's performance against Fenerbahçe SK on Tuesday was a microcosm of their season. Not always convincing, at times uncertain and even frustrating for their fans. Ultimately, though, they did enough to continue the fight another day. Just as they stuck to their task doggedly against Fenerbahçe SK to reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League, they have shown a consistency in the Premier League that has kept Manchester United FC looking over their shoulder long after Arsenal FC effectively dropped out of the title race.
Final goal
Having battled so hard to get into this position, the challenge now is to finish the job. After losing three semi-finals in the past four years, and twice against Liverpool FC, there is a determination not to let the UEFA Champions League slip from their grasp again. "I think for the club and for me it would be fantastic if we could win this title, that's why I'm here," said midfielder Michael Ballack, now in his second year in London. The 31-year-old lost the final with Bayer 04 Leverkusen six seasons ago and there is a sense of unfinished business as he discusses Chelsea's chances this time round. "For ten years I think I've been playing in the Champions League and I want to win this competition. People remember just the trophies you win, not getting to the quarter-finals or the semi-finals."
Leverkusen reminder
Ballack needs little reminding of the disappointment of 2001/02. Leverkusen went into the final weeks of the season challenging on three fronts, but ended it empty handed, losing the Bundesliga title, German Cup final and the UEFA Champions League final all in the space of eleven days. With Manchester United FC to visit Stamford Bridge on 26 April in between the semi-final games against Liverpool FC, this campaign could hinge on one critical spell as well. "You work very hard all year to get in this situation and then you have to do the right things," Ballack said. "You have to win these games to win a title."
Grant test
It will be the ultimate test for Chelsea manager Avram Grant. Defeat Liverpool and perhaps he will finally emerge from the shadow of his predecessor José Mourinho, who came up short against the Reds at this stage in both 2005 and 2007. Despite leading Chelsea to second in the Premier League and back to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League, Grant has been unable to totally win over supporters and defeat in the League Cup final against Tottenham Hotspur FC added fuel to the doubters' fire. Ballack, though, believes the Israeli deserves credit for getting Chelsea in a such a positive position, especially considering the obstacles in his path. The nasty cut Petr Čech sustained in training on the eve of the Fenerbahçe game was just the latest injury to hit the Chelsea squad, which in February also had to withstand the loss of Didier Drogba, Michael Essien, John Obi Mikel and Salomon Kalou to the African Cup of Nations.
Difficult season
"We've had a very difficult season with injuries and the African Cup was hard for us but we're still in a good position," Ballack said. "A lot of the players who had injuries are fit now and have had a little bit of rest during the year, so I expect a very strong Chelsea team in the next few weeks. It is always difficult if you work after José Mourinho. It doesn't matter who is the next manager; it will be difficult for him and for Avram Grant as well, but I think he did it well over the last weeks. We have had good results."
Injury
For Ballack, the biggest plus is to be playing at all. This time last season he suffered an ankle injury which ruled him out of the semi-final against Liverpool and would ultimately keep him out for eight months. He only returned for Chelsea in December and the game against Fenerbahçe was just his fourth in the UEFA Champions League this season. How Grant must be delighted to have the Germany captain back. His fourth-minute goal put Chelsea in control at Stamford Bridge and he was the driving force behind his side's early pressure.
'Confidence'
It was the sort of performance Chelsea fans were expecting when he signed from FC Bayern München at the end of the 2005/06 season. After a difficult first term adapting to the Premier League, it is also the sort of performance Ballack expects to deliver. "That's why I'm here, I did this in Germany and for the national team as well and I want to do the same for Chelsea," he said. "I'm happy to score again but the important thing is that the team wins, that the team performs and we did it. Now we have another two big games [against Liverpool]. It is always close and we expect it to be the same this year, but we have the second game at home and that gives us confidence."
CULLED FROM: uefa.com | | | | | | I could have saved Arsenal -Lehmann |  Jens Lehmann has launched a blistering attack on Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger and fellow keeper Manuel Almunia, and insisted the Gunners would still be in the European Cup if he had played against Liverpool.
Lehmann watched from the bench as Almunia, keeping him out of the side, conceded four goals at Anfield in Tuesday's dramatic clash.
The 38-year-old said: "I stayed here to win the Champions League and I saw good chances to play, but I have not had these (chances) and that makes me very angry.
"For me personally, it is a tragedy, particularly since I did not have a chance to prevent it."
"I have had such thoughts (about being able to prevent defeats) ever since the coach took me out of the team following the 0-0 against Milan."
Lehmann turned down the chance to move to Borussia Dortmund during the winter break, pledging he would fight to regain his place in the Arsenal team.
But the gamble didn't pay off, and he may also have compromised his chances of remaining first choice for Germany in this summer's European Championship.
"To be sitting on the bench behind somebody who only started to play when he was 30 is not funny," Lehmann added, in an interview with Germany's Kicker magazine.
"I am very angry. If the coach had spoken to me before the start of the season then I would have been able to decide if I wanted to sit on the bench.
"He has a different opinion and I don't really believe he can be happy with it."
A bitter Lehmann even suggested that Wenger would not even notice if he performed well with Germany in Austria and Switzerland this summer.
"If he has not seen it yet then he won't see it at the European Championships either if I perform well".
Lehmann last played in Arsenal's 0-0 draw with AC Milan at the Emirates in February.
Since then, Arsenal have lost their five point lead in the Premier League, and need to beat Manchester United on Sunday to keep their slim title hopes alive.
SOURCE: Daily Mail | | Kaka tips English clubs for glory |  Brazilian Fifa world player of the year Kaka believes any of the four English clubs could win the Champions League.
English teams have won the trophy only twice in the 15 years since the Premier League was formed but the AC Milan midfielder, 25, expects that to change.
He told BBC Sport: "Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool are all excellent and any of them could win it.
"I believe all the four English clubs have a great chance of making it all the way to the final in Moscow in May."
All four English teams have a chance to progress when the quarter-final second legs take place on Tuesday and Wednesday, with only one definitely going out because Liverpool face Arsenal.
Kaka, who won the competition with Milan in 2007, added: "In the last five or six years, English teams have improved a lot and they are consistently at a high level now.
"But you cannot rule out the other big clubs involved still, such as Barcelona."
Kaka, who is also the reigning Golden Ball winner and FifPro world player of the year, would not rule out playing for one of the Premier League's big clubs in the future.
"I am very happy here in Milan but if one day I had to leave I would like to play in another big European team," confirmed the former Sao Paulo star.
"The biggest clubs are in Italy, England and Spain so it would be in one of these countries, although it is clear they play differently in these places.
"I can compare Spain to Brazil as they play a similar type of game, the way the players play.
"The leagues are very similar in the sense that all the teams play very tactically and it is very difficult to score goals.
"I think these three championships are the most important in the world at the present moment, all very good and competitive."
Kaka has played for Milan since 2003 when he signed from Sao Paulo for £4.25m. In his time in Italy he came up against England coach Fabio Capello many times - when the Italian was at Roma and Juventus.
Kaka says he believes the Football Association have made a very shrewd appointment, despite the criticism they received for appointing another foreigner in the England post.
"I don't think there is any doubt that Fabio Capello is a very fine manager," said Kaka. "I believe he can win a lot with the England team in the time he spends as the national team manager.
"It would have been something new if Capello had been the first foreign coach with England but Swede Sven-Goran Eriksson has already been there.
"Brazil has always had a Brazilian coach and the same for Italy but in England it has happened before so it's not a big deal having a foreign coach."
Kaka has dropped below his usual sublime standards this season, with Milan lying in fifth place in Serie A and losing to Arsenal in the last 16 of the Champions League too.
But, despite his inconsistent form and a season disrupted by tendinitis in his knee, Kaka wants to experience the high of being named the world's best player again.
"It was a big honour to win the award, there are a lot of players in the world and to come first was a great feeling," he revealed.
"I'm very happy to have had that and I would like to win it again because the sensation of winning that type of award is unique.
"I don't think I am the best player in the world, I just think I'm one of the best, with others such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Thierry Henry and Samuel Eto'o."
Kaka also predicts his Brazilian team-mate at Milan, 18-year-old striking sensation Alexandre Pato, will join him as a winner of the top individual prize in football one day.
"As for Pato, he is an amazing player. He is very young though, only 18-years-old," commented Kaka.
"He has an incredible future ahead of him and he can do a lot of things with Milan. He needs to be allowed to grow and to improve without too much pressure on him."
SOURCE: BBC Sport | | I need more time- Boro hero Alves |  Middlesbrough striker Afonso Alves knew the goals would come, but he's not celebrating yet.
The £12million record signing from Heerenveen scored twice against Manchester United, earning his side a memorable 2-2 draw.
More work to do: Alves says he's not the finished article yet
Afonso Alves said: "Of course it was a dream come true to score against Manchester United but don't get me wrong, I want to do the same against other teams as well.
"I needed time and patience but I knew the goals would come. I was not worried when I missed the chances against Chelsea because I knew it was only a matter of time before I got goals.
"It is only natural that I am happy I scored but I would have had a lot more to smile about if we had won."
SOURCE: Daily Mail | | RON TOP OF THE WORLD |  CRISTIANO RONALDO believes the Champions League holds the key to his biggest personal ambition — to be named the world's greatest player.
The Manchester United star's phenomenal season as the club's record-breaking goalscorer has given them the chance to become champions of both England and Europe.
The enticing prospect of that double triumph is a major driving force for Ronaldo — but recognition as the best footballer on the planet has almost become his obsession.
He was voted third behind Brazil's Kaka and Argentina's Lionel Messi in the last FIFA poll but his headline-grabbing performances in the Premier League and Champions League this season have drawn the global spotlight towards the Portuguese winger. | | Keegan lands in dreamland |  Kevin Keegan savoured a remarkable 4-1 triumph for his Newcastle United team at Tottenham, over the weekend. It all but ended fears of relegation from the Premier League.
The Toon manager paid tribute to his players for an "outstanding" performance, before turning his thoughts towards the remainder of the season and the transfer window in the summer.
"We're definitely not safe yet but it means we are looking up and not down again," said Keegan, whose team overturned a 1-0 deficit with goals from Nicky Butt, Geremi, Michael Owen and Obafemi Martins. "We could catch Spurs up the way it looks now. People might have said that's ridiculous, but we might even catch West Ham up.
"We've still got to go to West Ham, we've got three home games and three away games, and they are all tough. But playing like this, the players will look forward to playing anybody because their confidence has come back.
"We're a small squad but if we can add little bits to this, it could be quite exciting. What you've got can sometimes get lost when you are having a bad run but when they start playing like that, you think 'We don't actually need an awful lot to set us alight' - just two or three [new signings]. If you asked the players 'Would you welcome two or three big signings in the summer?' they would say yes, because players want to play with good players. But they would have to be very, very good players to come here and better us. If you've got fitness, ability, experience and you put desire with that, then you can go anywhere in football."
Keegan said Newcastle could have won by "seven or eight" but, to absolve him of exaggeration, his side were twice denied by the woodwork and also missed a clutch of other chances. He added: "You don't get many days where you are 4-1 up at White Hart Lane so you just enjoy it."
CULLED FROM: The Guardian | JOSE TO TAKE LAMPARD
AND DROGBA TO ITALY | JOSE MOURINHO will make Frank Lampard his No.1 target if he takes over at Inter Milan.
And in a further worry for Chelsea, the next name on his list is likely to be another Stamford Bridge superstar – unsettled striker Didier Drogba.
Talks are under way for former Chelsea boss Mourinho to take over from Roberto Mancini at Inter.
The Italian champions have made their move because they fear they could lose Mourinho to Barcelona or neighbours AC Milan in the summer.
But wherever Mourinho, 45, returns to management, he wants England midfielder Lampard for the simple reason that he regards him as the best player in the world.
And Lampard, 29, is certain to be interested in being reunited with Mourinho, particularly as he has still to receive a new contract offer from Chelsea.
Mourinho revealed how he maximised Lampard’s talent at Chelsea by saying: “I told him I needed to know if he was a winner, because I was a winner and we were going to win together.
“I said: ‘You are as good as Zidane, Vieira or Deco and now all you need to do is win things. You are the best player in the world, but now you’ve got to prove it and win trophies.”
That’s exactly what Lampard, the midfielder with the goalscoring touch, did under Mourinho at Chelsea.
Drogba is another Mourinho favourite. The Ivory Coast hitman, 30, has been unsettled under new boss Avram Grant. But he proved his lethal finishing power with two goals in Chelsea’s 2-1 win over Arsenal.
Eladio Parames, one of Mourinho’s representatives in Portugal, confirmed that the former Chelsea boss and his agent Jorge Mendes were talking to Inter chairman Roberto Moratti.
Parames stated: “It’s true they are in Italy. It was Inter who made contact with Mourinho and he received the contact with pleasure.”
But Mourinho said: “It is false that I am on the point of signing.”
SOURCE: Daily Star | | Fletcher felled by toilet door |  Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher was left unconscious when a toilet door fell on his head.
The Scotland international needed treatment in the Old Trafford dressing room after the Red Devils' Champions League victory over Lyon last week.
The 24-year-old required stitches in a head wound and a club insider told the Daily Record: "It happened half an hour after the end of the match. It looked very, very nasty.
"I saw blood pouring out and the medical staff had to treat him there and then.
"I know he got stitches. He looked pretty dazed and pretty shocked.
"You don't expect a door to just fall on you."
United qualified for the last eight with a 2-1 aggregate win."
The source added: "The dressing room was relaxed and happy after the match - it was a case of job done.
"It seems that there was something seriously wrong with the toilet door.
"I don't know if fittings had come loose or what - but when Darren went to open the door, it came away and clobbered him.
"It was a nasty wound but it could have been worse.
"The other players were looking about scratching their heads in disbelief but at least medical staff were right there on the spot."
Fletcher is not the first United player to suffer a bizarre mishap.
Former Old Trafford favourite David Beckham sustained a head graze after a flying boot, reported to have been kicked by an angry Sir Alex Ferguson, hit him in the face.
Other strange football injuries include Chelsea goalkeeper Dave Beasant who hurt his foot and had a spell on the sidelines after he let a salad cream bottle slip from his grasp.
Leeds star David Batty hurt his ankle after a toddler drove over it on a tricycle.
And more recently Dundee striker Derek Lyle had to miss Saturday's 2-0 Scottish Cup defeat by Queen of the South after he fell through a coffee table and cut his stomach.
SOURCE: Daily Mail | Preacherman's son
knocks out Chelsea |  BARNSLEY’S goal hero is the son of a preacherman. And Kayode Odejayi believes God was shining on him when he KO’d Chelsea.
He said: “I always try to say a prayer in the morning, before I go to sleep and before I go out on the pitch. Obviously it worked wonders!”
Odejayi, 26, grabbed his first goal since September to put the Tykes into today’s semi-final draw.
He added: “My dad Richard is a Minister and is out in Nigeria at the moment doing a bit of work.
“Mum and dad always keep me in their prayers. Maybe He’ll shine down on me again for the semis.”
Odejayi, a cousin of Burnley ace Ade Akinbiyi, came close to packing in football after being released by Bristol City six years ago.
He added: “It’s never nice to be released but I gave it a go at Forest Green and started enjoying my football again.”
SOURCE: The Sun | | FIFA sells hard-sell artificial turfs for South Africa 2010 |  Fifa president Sepp Blatter says the 2010 World Cup in South Africa could be played on artificial pitches.
Blatter also suggested future Africa Cup of Nations tournaments should be played on artificial turf.
"We have envisaged, though it's not yet a final decision, that the 2010 World Cup could be played on artificial turf," Blatter told BBC Sport.
"I think it's now time in this region to think about artificial turf," said the head of football's governing body.
Blatter on benefits of artificial turf
Many players and coaches dislike artificial pitches arguing the surface disadvantages teams that are not used to playing on them.
In October England struggled in a crucial Euro 2008 qualifier against Russia in Moscow, losing 2-1 on an aritificial pitch.
Under the "Win in Africa with Africa" project, Fifa is laying an artificial pitch in all 53 of its member countries on the continent, with the exception of South Africa.
Playing surfaces in many African countries can be badly affected during the rainy season and the dry season.
"An artificial pitch gives you the same conditions during the whole year," said Blatter.
The quality of pitches was Blatter's chief concern of the 2008 Nations Cup.
"I've followed with a lot of interest most of the matches of this competition, and I have to say that African football is at a very high level," he said.
"What I've not liked so much is the turf, especially in Accra - the grass is too high.
"Artificial turf is a solution to the owners of stadiums - you can use it more than just once a week, you can use it for other sports.
"I think it's better than uneven ground, where control of the ball not easy.
Pitches aside, Blatter was satisfied by Ghana's hosting of the Nations Cup, despite problems with ticketing, transport and hotels.
"I think the organisation was not so bad, we should not be so critical," he said.
CULLED from: BBC Sport | | Van Basten embarks on long goodbye |  When the Netherlands' UEFA EURO 2008™ run ends, so too will Marco van Basten's reign and the 43-year-old coach is determined to go out with a bang, adding a winners' medal to the one he claimed as a player in 1988.
'We want to win'
The Dutch will kick off their campaign against Italy in Berne on 9 June and their coach is hoping to glean as much as he can from five friendlies beforehand. First up is fellow finalists Croatia in Split on Wednesday and the man dubbed San Marco – Saint Marco – is in no doubt about what he wants from the game. "We are now preparing for the final mission," he said. "The friendly matches like this against Croatia are to practice and prepare, but at the European Championship we will go for the main prize. We want to win."
New approach
To that end, the AC Milan legend is keen to mine the wealth of experience in the squad, and after a meeting with a number of senior players he opted to depart from the 4-3-3 formation that has been the staple for the Oranje for 35 years. Instead they will adopt a 4-2-3-1; almost sacrilege for the nation of Total Football, though Van Basten believes it is only a minor departure, saying: "It could also be labelled a 4-3-3 with an attacking midfielder. But it is not important what name you give it; it is only important that we find a system in which the players feel good."
Fresh horizon
The direction for Van Basten is less opaque and having stated in December that he was stepping down as Netherlands coach as it was "time for something new", it is not yet clear what that is. A return to AFC Ajax, the club where he took his first steps as striker and reserve team coach, looks on the cards though, yet before he goes anywhere, Van Basten has other things on his mind, explaining: "I do not want to talk about Ajax too much now; I want to concentrate on the European Championship."
CULLED from: UEFA.com | | Bad dream a blessing in disguise - Benjani |  Manchester City striker Benjani Mwaruwari has revealed he did not want to leave Portsmouth and was shocked to be sold in the January transfer window.
The Zimbabwe forward had been in fine form for Pompey in the first half of the season but was sold to City on transfer deadline day in order to fund a move for Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe.
The transfer almost did not happen because Benjani was reported to have arrived at City too late, but it was later sanctioned by Premier League officials who agreed all the necessary paperwork had been completed in time.
Benjani claims he had settled at the south coast club and, having scored 12 goals in the league campaign, was loath to move.
"It was never my choice to leave Pompey because of the special relationship that I had with the supporters, with my team-mates and with the coach," he told Zimbabwean newspaper The Herald.
"I was very happy at Pompey and I think this season I showed that I had settled down well and I was beginning to produce the goals for the club.
"There are some things in football that are more important than money and one of those things is a special relationship a player can enjoy with the supporters and the coach.
"I had all that at Portsmouth and I was really enjoying myself playing football in a very good environment and knowing that everyone was happy with what I was doing for the club."
The 29-year-old admits he was surprised to learn of his proposed move just two days before the January 31 deadline.
"I was shocked when I was told on Tuesday that I was going to be sold to Manchester City before the transfer window closed," he said.
"I did not know the two clubs had been talking about a transfer and I only knew on Tuesday that there were plans for me to go elsewhere.
"I asked for the reason why I was being sold and they told me that it was a good business deal since Manchester City were paying a lot of money - especially considering my age - and they could also get younger players in return."
Benjani conceded that protracted talks for an improved contract between him and the Pompey management might have strained his relationship with the club.
"We had agreed new terms with the management on the improved contract but they said that they could only bring it into effect at the beginning of next season," he said.
"I told them that if that was the case then I would not sign the contract until the beginning of the new season and I believe that is when things took a new twist.
"Maybe when Manchester City came looking for a striker, the management decided it was time for me to go."
Benjani, however, believes the move might prove a blessing in disguise.
"It was tough to leave Portsmouth and I was late leaving my home for Manchester because I kept asking myself all day whether this was all true," he added.
"I kept telling myself that it was all a bad dream and I would wake up the following day and still be a Pompey player. But this was not a dream.
"I arrived there late because of one or two reasons and when I looked at the contract they were offering me, I could not believe it and I just signed there and then.
"It's the best deal, in terms of remuneration, in my entire career and I was just happy with the respect I had received from Manchester City so I signed after a few minutes.
"It's not easy for a 29-year-old African player to get such a deal in Europe."
Benjani was also impressed with Manchester City's efforts to ensure they signed him.
He said: "The manager Sven Goran Eriksson made the long journey to London on transfer deadline day to get my work permit and you have to respect that.
"It's not every day that you get a manager of Eriksson's calibre travelling such long distances to ensure that a player's work permit is in order.
"Even when things did not appear to be going on well, Eriksson was still confident that everything would be fine.
"He asked me three times whether I had made up my mind to join City and he said he would give me all the support I need. It's a fresh challenge and maybe it was also the time for me to face such a fresh challenge."
SOURCE: Daily Mail | | Adebayor as good as Drogba - Wenger |  Arsene Wenger is not known for understatements but he might have broken new ground when he insisted Emmanuel Adebayor could become as a good as Didier Drogba, after watching the Arsenal striker continue his remarkable scoring run to lift his side back to the top of the Premier League.
Few doubt the qualities of Drogba, just as those who witnessed Adebayor's personal destruction of Manchester City and their unbeaten home record doubt the Togo international has already surpassed his Chelsea neighbour as the most potent striker on the domestic stage.
Finishing lesson: in-form striker Togo international, Emmanuel Adebayor
Adebayor scored two more goals to take his season's tally to 21 in all competitions. He has now scored 11 goals in his last eight outings and how relieved Wenger must be that Togo failed to qualify for the African Nations' Cup.
Adebayor's progress this season has been so startling that he is entering the realms of achieving the near impossible and filling the massive void left by Thierry Henry's departure to Barcelona last summer.
Wenger paid Monaco £7million for Adebayor, 23, two seasons ago but, on this evidence, his transfer value has now risen to something not far off the £16m Barcelona paid to lure Henry to the Nou Camp.
Some of Europe's leading clubs have taken notice of Adebayor's flourishing gifts, most notably Real Madrid and AC Milan, and Wenger could have a fight on his hands to keep his new 'jewel' at the Emirates.
While Adebayor's value soars, Micah Richards saw his own stock fall in front of watching England coach Fabio Capello, as both he and Richard Dunne struggled to contain the pace, skill and guile of Arsenal's lanky forward.
Wenger heaped praise on Adebayor and knows his pupil is heading straight to the top of the class. He said: "I feel like there was a question mark about him when he signed for Arsenal.
"There were questions about his attitude, his spirit. Did we manage to change him? Or did he realise himself that he'd wasted enough time? It's down to him, I would say. He's found a club where he can express himself and he will be as good as Drogba."
Wenger believes Arsenal might need in excess of 90 points to win the title and insisted it would come down to a battle of nerve between themselves, United and Chelsea.
He added: "It comes down to nerve and maybe the direct matches. Our total is already phenomenal, but it looks like we might need around 90 points.
"I don't rule out Chelsea because they are at home to Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool. It will be very, very tight between the three of us."
Sven Goran Eriksson's side were dead and buried within 30 minutes. Adebayor broke the deadlock in the ninth minute with a close range finish before creating his side's second for Eduardo, who beat Joe Hart with an overhead kick to enhance his own growing reputation.
Gelson Fernandes pulled a goal back before half-time after Vedran Corluka had capitalised on a rare defensive mistake from Gael Clichy, but the visitors cruised through the second period before Adebayor caught Eriksson's men on the break in the dying minutes.
Eriksson's hopes of European qualification are fading, along with his chances of signing Benjani from Portsmouth. The striker failed a hastily arranged medical before the transfer deadline and returned to the south coast, even though Portsmouth claim there is no reason why a deal cannot be done.
The matter is now in the hands of legal experts from both clubs and Eriksson said: "He is a good player, he has scored 12 goals so far and is one of the top scorers in the country.
"I will push hard but I don't think it's on my table. I think we'll have a decision soon. What's important at the moment is that he's not our player."
SOURCE: Daily News | | Americans take over at Derby | Derby County have reportedly become the fourth Premier League club to fall into American hands after it was claimed chairman Adam Pearson had completed a multi-million pound deal.
Though Pearson has been angling for a buy-out since he took charge of the Rams at the end of October, negotiations have been in the balance. Just a month ago, the chairman of the Premier League's basement club was unsure as to whether a deal would take place or fall by the wayside. But it is understood the group will take on the club's £25million debt, as well as provide boss Paul Jewell with significant funds in the summer.
"This new investment will establish the Derby County brand worldwide through successful alliances with sporting teams in the USA, the far east and Africa," said Pearson in a statement to be published in tomorrow's matchday programme for the FA Cup fourth round clash with Preston. "The key aim is to continue to build the infrastructure of the club at Pride Park and obviously develop a squad which is reknowned as a Premier League force. This will add new financial firepower to the squad."
It is widely anticipated Derby will be relegated this season as the club are currently 13 points adrift of safety, with only 15 matches remaining. Derby have endured a torrid ride since returning to the top flight as they have won just one of their 23 league games this season. The club are currently on course to break Sunderland's ignominious points total record of just 15 amassed at the end of the 2005-06 season, with the Rams claiming just seven points to date.
Jewell has at least strengthened his squad in the current transfer window, notably signing Robbie Savage from Blackburn for £1.5million and Argentinian striker Emanuel Villa for £2million. But those captures, along with signing Laurent Robert on a short-term contract until the end of the season and a number of loan deals, have been more to stabilise the club at a rocky time.
It is not yet known how much money Jewell will have to invest come the summer when it is almost certain Derby will be staring at life back in the Coca-Cola Championship. Nevertheless, when Jewell succeeded the sacked Billy Davies at the end of November, he appreciated his brief was more long term.
That is also the vision of the American investors, who are known to be involved with sports franchises in the United States where they have bases in Florida and California. The group were previously involved in talks with a takeover of Manchester City, only to lose out to Thaksin Shinawatra. The Rams have confirmed a press conference is to be held at Pride Park on Monday when they say "a positive announcement" will be made on the club's future.
Manchester United, Liverpool and Aston Villa are the other Premier League clubs owned by Americans.
CULLED FROM: The Guardian | | Villa was a game too early - Cech |  Petr Cech has admitted he attempted to come back too soon from injury when he played for Chelsea in the epic 4-4 draw against Aston Villa on Boxing Day - just three days after going off with a hip problem against Blackburn.
The Czech keeper, who let a shot from Shaun Maloney slip through his hands, said: "We took a little bit of a risk at Villa. At the end of the game the injury was worse and they didn't allow me to play again. Since then I have been sidelined."
He added: "Hopefully I am on my way back. If nothing changes, I should join the team on Thursday and I hope I will stay there on the pitch as long as I can.
"It was quite a long time I was injured with first my calf and then I played only a few games and I was injured again - so I hope I stay fit in the new year."
Despite the absence several key players, as well as Cech, Chelsea have secured four straight wins since the 4-4 draw with Aston Villa on Boxing Day.
Avram Grant, though, could well head into the Spurs game with the possibility of Claudio Pizarro being their only fit senior striker. Ivory Coast duo Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou are on international duty at the African Nations' Cup, and Andriy Shevchenko is still sidelined with a leg injury.
Israeli youngster Ben Sahar, who Was on the bench against Everton in midweek, could come into contention.
The Chelsea boss remains, however, keen to land Bolton's Nicolas Anelka.
Wanderers are said to be holding out for £15million to allow the former Arsenal and Real Madrid striker to leave, with Chelsea having their first bid, believed to be £11million, rejected earlier in the week.
Anelka's advisor Doug Pingisi claims his client has sights set on Stamford Bridge.
"He really wants to go to Chelsea," Pingisi said in French daily newspaper L'Equipe.
"Nicolas is calm. He hopes that everything will be finalised this week.
"He has been waiting for such an opportunity for years. He appreciates the fact that he is at the top of the list of players wanted by Chelsea at the moment.
"For Nico, it is very important he finds a club that will allow him to express himself at the highest level.
"Moreover, this club is still involved in every competition, particularly the Champions League."
With England duo John Terry and Frank Lampard both sidelined, Germany midfielder Michael Ballack has emerged into a leading role since his return to fitness from ankle surgery.
The 31-year-old netted the winner in the west London derby at Fulham and played another full 90 minutes in Tuesday night's Carling Cup semi-final first leg against Everton.
Germany coach Joachim Low feels Ballack has benefited from his spell in England.
"He has this incredible determination to fight. He learnt at Chelsea to involve himself in the battle and to play at such a high rhythm," Low told German newspaper Bild.
"He is going to help the German team to continue their development."
SOURCE: Daily Mail | | Friedel freezes Sunderland out |  Brad Friedel left the Ewood Park pitch to a standing ovation, his name saluted in joyous song on a freezing night when numbed Blackburn fans needed a hero.
The 36-year-old American goalkeeper came to Rovers' rescue once more with the second-half penalty save that prevented Sunderland snatching the lead.
It was Friedel's second spot-kick save in as many matches after his stop from Derby's Steve Howard last time out in a game Blackburn eventually won 2-1.
This one was the platform for Benni McCarthy to end his goal drought five minutes later and edge Blackburn to the second successive victory that gives Mark Hughes' team hope of a UEFA Cup place next season.
McCarthy's 57th-minute effort gave Sunderland goalkeeper Craig Gordon no chance of emulating Friedel and, combined with Wigan's 1-1 draw at Liverpool, sent Roy Keane's side back down into the bottom three on goal difference.
Friedel's spot-kick save from Sunderland skipper Dean Whitehead was made with righteous indignation, for the keeper and his team-mates were furious that Chris Samba had been penalised.
Samba's anger at being judged by referee Rob Styles to have fouled Daryl Murphy with his aerial challenge was matched by Danny Higginbotham's reaction to his downfall at the opposite end.
But when the arguments ended about whether he had handled Samba's point-blank shot following a corner, and the defender had been booked, McCarthy stepped up to blast home the winner.
It was the South Africa striker's ninth goal of the season but his first in 10 matches, and McCarthy's head was bowed as he headed for the tunnel at the final whistle despite the fans' encouragement.
Hughes, who backed Styles on both penalty awards, said: 'Benni missed his last penalty, so he showed great character in picking up the ball and knocking that one in. I'm delighted for him, I hope it will kick-start his form.'
Dwight Yorke's head was even lower when he left the pitch after 71 minutes, booked twice in the space of six minutes and sent off against his old side after a decent performance in the holding midfield role.
That left Sunderland, without an away win all season, to try to defy the odds with 10 men and, despite beating Bolton last time out, it was too much for Keane's men.
Hughes, who had fretted with the rest of Ewood Park over perhaps Blackburn's poorest first-half performance of the season, said: 'They will feel aggrieved that they didn't get anything from the game.
'It was difficult for both sides. Conditions didn't lend themselves to football and we had to try to get the ball into the right areas, but Sunderland stopped us playing our passing game in the first half.'
Keane had no complaints about Yorke's dismissal — he followed a foul on substitute Matt Derbyshire with a lunge at Derbyshire's replacement David Dunn — but was harsher on his team, the better side in an error-strewn first half.
Keane said: 'You get what you deserve in football. We ended up with nothing, so that's what we deserved.
'It's not nice being back in the bottom three, but it's where we are in May that concerns me. These opportunities keep slipping past us, although our home form is keeping us in touch.
'We had a penalty and missed it, they had one and scored. That sums up the game. It's a learning curve for everybody at the club, but the penny has to drop. We can't keep having the same conversation.'
Blackburn lost Roque Santa Cruz to a groin injury at half-time, the same time Sunderland lost Kenwyne Jones, and Keane will have an anxious 48-hour wait over the knee injury that forced Jones out of the game.
But Sunderland's manager is adamant he will need to recruit well in the transfer window to stop his team following the path of previous Sunderland sides and going straight back down to the Championship.
Keane target Robbie Savage was nowhere to be seen. Hughes left the former Wales midfielder out of his squad while Sunderland decide whether to raise their £1.3million bid to the required £1.75m.
Keane insisted Sunderland have made only one concrete offer for a player — Reading turned down £2.5m for Stephen Hunt last week — but Hughes has confirmed that a deal is in the balance.
Hughes said: 'It's not a case of getting Robbie out of the door, but we'll see if there's a chance of doing business that will benefit this club.
'Sunderland haven't met our valuation yet. They may do in the next couple of days, and then we'll have to make a decision. But it's not cut and dried.'
Blackburn were so poor for a long time that the spectator who held on to the ball until a steward stepped in had the sympathy of most of the 23,212 crowd.
At least Friedel, who saved two penalties last season in the goalless draw against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane, offered some cheer.
Hughes, who expects his keeper to carry on until he is 40, said: 'Brad is playing extremely well, and he's having key moments to enable us to get positive results. Seven points from the last three games is a decent return.'
BLACKBURN ROVERS (4-4-2): Friedel 8; Emerton 5, Samba 6, Nelsen 5, Warnock 5; Bentley 6, Mokoena 6, Tugay 7, Pedersen 6; Santa Cruz 5 (Derbyshire, 46min, 5; Dunn 70, 6), McCarthy 5. Booked: Tugay, Emerton, Samba.
SUNDERLAND (4-5-1): Gordon 6; Whitehead 6, McShane 6, Higginbotham 6, Collins 6; Wallace 6, Richardson 6, Yorke 7, Miller 6, Murphy 6; Jones 5 (Leadbitter 46, 6). Booked: Higginbotham, Wallace, Yorke, Collins. Sent off: Yorke.
Man of the match: Brad Friedel.
Referee: Rob Styles.
SOURCE: Daily Mail | | Carson hoping to bounce back |  The black and white footage on ESPN dated back almost four decades, but the festering pain formed a timeline from the terrace to the sofa. “I still can’t believe I didn’t get my body behind the ball,” Gary Sprake said of the repeat showing of his error from the 1970 FA Cup Final between Leeds United and Chelsea. “I’m still deeply embarrassed.”
It is why the man labelled Careless Hands fears for Scott Carson. Liverpool want to make him Britain’s most expensive goalkeeper but his value may have dipped well under their £10 million asking price after his calamitous debut for England against Croatia on Wednesday. The question is: can he put it out of his mind and deal with being a sop for public rancour?
“It’s the abuse that you take from away fans that gets to you,” Sprake, a hugely gifted goalkeeper for Leeds United but one defined by his gaffes, said. “They’ll come up with a name for him and it’s going to take him a long time. Personally, I’d have had David James in goal, but he has had to put up with the ‘Calamity’ tag. People remember the bad and never forget.”
Carson is clearly talented, but Martin O’Neill, his manager at Aston Villa, admitted that the mind of the goalkeeper is complex. “I couldn’t tell you if he was chosen for England in a really important game how he would react at all,” he said before the nadir at Wembley.
Young, gifted and on the back burner, there are sad precedents for Carson. In 2000, Ipswich Town’s rising star, Richard Wright, made his England debut in Malta also aged 22. He gave away two penalties and scored an own goal in a scrappy 2-1 win and tried to consign that hellish debut to history. He looked like he might do that when he moved to Arsenal for £6 million to rival an ageing and inconsistent David Seaman, but he never established himself, slipped to third in the pecking order behind Stuart Taylor and has not started another England match. Now, at 30, he should be at his peak but instead is the second choice at West Ham United.
Carson’s career is yet to take off since he moved to Liverpool for £750,000 in 2005. He made a high-profile mistake when he let a tame header by Fabio Cannavaro, of Juventus, slip through his hands on his Champions League debut in the first leg of a quarter-final in 2005 and the erratic Jerzy Dudek was back for the return leg the next week. Carson played two more league games before being sent to Sheffield Wednesday on loan.
“He’s got to get it out of his system as soon as possible,” Steven Gerrard said as he emerged unscathed from the detritus of an abject night on Wednesday. Gerrard knows that his scuffed volley in the 2-1 defeat by Russia last month will be quickly forgotten by those lining up to taunt Carson.
David Beckham, who knows more than most about being made a scapegoat, made a telling comment when he said: “You get things thrown at you, but it’s how you react that counts.”
The enduring concern for England is that they have yet to find a reliable replacement for Seaman. The fledgelings – Chris Kirkland, Robert Green and Ben Foster – have been blighted by injury, while Paul Robinson is suffering a crisis of confidence for club and country. Who knows whether that can be traced back to the moment Gary Neville delivered the back-pass in Croatia 13 months ago that resulted in Robinson being lampooned? What is clear is that every England goalkeeper has to deal with it at some point. Robinson was elevated to No 1 status only because James made an error in a draw against Austria in 2004 and was morphed into a back-page donkey.
“What happened after the Austria game just made me stronger and even more determined to prove people wrong,” James said. Yet, despite those words and reviving his career at Portsmouth, James has not started a competitive international since.
Sprake also knows that time is a quack doctor at best. “I caught that mistake from 1970 on ESPN the other night and it made me cringe,” he said. “I think Carson is a good goalkeeper and hope he can deal with it, but the truth is I also think the standard of goalkeeping in England has dropped significantly.”
It will surely help that, England advances permitting, Carson may have O’Neill to dress his wounds. His man-management skills are legend and he relishes restoring the tainted reputations of men such as Stan Collymore. If that does not work, Carson can always look to history for his solace as there is always someone more unfortunate than yourself. It was 1878 when Conrad Warner was called up to face Scotland for the first time and promptly let in seven goals. The bad news from this tale is that he never played for England again.
Goalkeeping gaffes
Gary Sprake Liverpool v Leeds United, 1967 Sprake was about to throw the ball out to Terry Cooper, the Leeds full back, when he noticed Ian Callaghan running into the area. He stopped but inadvertently put the ball into his own net instead. Cue Careless Hands, a hit for Des O’Connor, from the wily Koppites.
Ray Clemence Scotland v England, 1976 In an era when the Home Internationals (surely to be revived now?) meant something, Kenny Dalglish scuffed a tame shot towards the England goalkeeper, who inexplicably let it slide through his legs. Scotland won 2-1.
David Seaman England v Brazil, 2002 Seaman was an ailing force by the time Ronaldinho scored with a free kick that was laughably hailed as a fluke by those unaware of his genius. Nevertheless, Seaman, who previously had been beaten by Nayim from the halfway line and later would let a Macedonia player score direct from a corner, was embarrassed.
Peter Enckelman Birmingham City v Aston Villa, 2002 The Finland goalkeeper cemented his place in Second City folklore during the first league derby for a decade. Olof Mellberg directed a throw-in to his goalkeeper, who let the ball run under his foot, brushing his boot, and roll into the net. Taunted by a Birmingham fan who ran on the pitch, Enckelman’s career stuttered to second-team status at Blackburn Rovers.
CULLED FROM: Times | | I’LL KEEP JENS WHINING - ALMUNIA | MANUEL Almunia has warned his Arsenal rival Jens Lehmann: “I am getting better all the time.”
Lehmann has complained he should be playing instead of Almunia – and is threatening to quit in January if he does not get back in.
But 30-year-old Almunia said: “Each year I am maturing. My head is now very calm, very relaxed, and I certainly keep my concentration better than in my first year, when there were many things on my mind.
“I like to compare myself to a wine which gets better with age.
“I hope that I can keep getting better when I am 31, 32.”
Almunia, who has had a mixed career since arriving from Celta Vigo in 2004, insists he is not worried for his place ahead of this weekend’s home clash with Wigan.
He said: “I just know I have to play well in each game and do not like to look into the future too much.
“If I am thinking about January or February in the next game I could make a couple of mistakes and be back on the bench.”
Lehmann, 38, fears for his place in the German side unless he gets back in at Arsenal. “I know that I am fit, and that I have more experience than Almunia,” he said. “I can cope better with pressure situations than he can, and I’m still at the peak of my capabilities.”
SOURCE: Daily Star | | Beckham-mania sparking MLS expansion |  With San Jose and Seattle already in, Philadelphia and St. Louis could be the next cities to join Major League Soccer.
MLS commissioner Don Garber on Friday listed nine cities as candidates for expansion, with the Philadelphia and the St. Louis at the top of the list.
"Our focus today is more than likely on those two," Garber said in his state of the league address at the National Press Club.
With the decision earlier this season that San Jose will begin play next year and Tuesday's announcement that Seattle will start in 2009, MLS has grown to 15 teams. Garber said the goal is to add a "16th by the end of the year."
He also said the league is seeking to have 18 teams by 2010-11.
Besides Philadelphia - which had two teams in the old North American Soccer League - and St. Louis, which has been a traditional base of support for the sport, Garber noted interest from Arthur Blank, owner of the Atlanta Falcons in the NFL, and Fred Wilpon, owner of Major League Baseball's New York Mets. Las Vegas, Miami, Montreal, Portland, and Vancouver, British Columbia are also possibilities, he said.
SOURCE: Daily Mail | | USA win Nelson Mandela Challenge |  The USA has won the Nelson Mandela Challenge with a 1-0 victory over hosts, South Africa.
Right back Cherundolo, who plays for German side Hanover 96, struck from a tight angle in the 28th minute at Ellis Park.
South Africa, who will host the 2010 World Cup, did most of the running in the second half but were unable to prise open the visiting team's defence.
Coach Carlos Alberto Parreira asked for patience from the fans of South Africa, who have won only one of their last seven internationals.
"I'm happy with the pressing in the second half and the way we created chances," Parreira said afterwards.
"This is all part of the learning process but it was still disappointing to lose the game."
CULLED from: BBC Sport | | Australia get memorable win over Nigeria |  David Carney produced a goal to remember to cap a fine display from the understrength Socceroos in their friendly against Nigeria at Craven Cottage.
Nigeria goalkeeper Dele Aiyenuga was at his acrobatic best to keep the match scoreless at half-time, but there was nothing he could do to stop Sheffield United midfielder Carney's thunderous 53rd-minute strike - his first for his country.
Australia caretaker manager Rob Baan opted for an attacking formation with Nick Carle supporting strikers Scott McDonald and Harry Kewell.
Nigeria coach Berti Vogts did not include Everton forward Victor Anichebe in his squad, keeping the 19-year-old's options of appearing for England open.
In-form Celtic striker McDonald wasted the first opportunity of the game when he directed his close-range header wide of the goal following a pin-point Carney cross.
The Socceroos forced the first of a string of fine saves from Aiyenuga in the 20th minute when Brett Emerton curled a free-kick around the wall, which left the Super Eagles' shot-stopper sprawling at his near post to clear the danger.
Aiyenuga then made a fine double save to first deny Kewell and then McDonald as the Aussies continued to probe away at the Nigeria defence.
Nigeria had been lacking as an attacking force, but they almost took the lead after half an hour when Mark Schwarzer pushed Ayo Makinwa's close-range deflected effort on to the crossbar.
Aiyenuga was again called into action moments later with an acrobatic save to turn a long-range Nick Carle over the crossbar before Luke Wilkshire fired wide.
Nigeria showed their attacking potential as the half drew to a close with Osaze Odemwingie's low rasping drive forcing a smart save from Schwarzer.
The Socceroos were immediately on the front foot after the interval when Carney could only direct his shot straight at Aiyenuga from an acute angle.
Just minutes later, however, Carney scored his first Socceroos goal with an emphatic strike to send the mostly Australian crowd in to raptures.
Wilkshire's cross was only cleared as far as Carney, who took one touch before unleashing a superb 30-yard drive past Aiyenuga, who was left grasping at air.
The Socceroos held on to their advantage to gain a confidence boost in their final friendly before their World Cup qualification bid begins in early February.
CULLED from: BBC Sport | | Luton stunned by FA transfer breach claims | Football's reputation was dealt a damaging new blow last night after the Football Association announced they had issued 55 charges against Luton Town, the club's former chairman and six agents for their part in what the FA claim was a systematic abuse of transfer regulations.
Following an eight-month investigation centring on Luton's parent company, allegedly used to administer payments to agents on player deals, the club now face a heavy fine and a possible transfer-window ban if found guilty of 17 charges.
These include allegedly making payments to agents for nine player negotiations through Jayten Stadium Ltd rather than through Luton's accounts — as required by FA rules. The club have also been accused of providing misleading information to the FA and of dealing with unlicensed agents. Former chairman Bill Tomlins, who resigned in April, was hit with 15 charges of breaking FA rules. Although the 60-year-old is out of football, he is likely to face a lengthy ban which will prevent him returning.
He is accused of using Jayten to administer payments worth a total of £160,000 to six agents, including Jermain Defoe's representative Sky Andrew, Gary Megson's agent Mark Curtis and David Manasseh, managing director of Stellar Sport, who count England full-back Ashley Cole among their clients.
Agents Mike Berry, Stephen Denos and Andrew Mills have also been charged with failing to ensure payments made to them were disclosed through the "proper channels" and with failing to enter into appropriate contracts with Luton.
While the FA consider the charges against the agents minor compared to those against the club, Tomlins and former finance director Derek Peter, they still face heavy fines and the prospect of losing their licences if found guilty. Current Luton directors John Mitchell and Richard Bagehot have also been charged with allegedly failing to blow the whistle on the illegal payments in player deals carried out between 2004 and 2007.
Charge sheet
Luton Town FC, 17 charges:
•Payments to agents for nine player negotiations made through the club's holding company, Jayten Stadium Ltd, rather than through the club as required by FA rules
•Provision of misleading information to the FA
•Not holding representation contracts with the relevant agents for the above negotiations
•Dealing with unlicensed agents (both through Jayten and directly)
Bill Tomlins, former Luton chairman, 15 charges:
•Alleged that he was directly involved in 19 of the rule breaches above (exceptions are negotiations with two unlicensed agents not conducted through Jayten)
Derek Peter, former Luton finance director, nine charges:
•Alleged that he approved payments made by Jayten in relation to the nine specific player negotiations
John Mitchell and Richard Bagehot, current Luton directors, one charge each:
•Failing to report the alleged rule breaches when he became aware of them
Agents Sky Andrew, Mike Berry, Mark Curtis, Stephen Denos, David Manasseh, Andrew Mills. Two charges each:
•Failing to ensure that payments to them were made and disclosed through the proper channels
•Failing to enter into representation contracts with the club for services in relation to above negotiations.
SOURCE: The Telegraph | | Toughen up, Walcott - WENGER |  Theo Walcott has been told to toughen up his act if he wants to terrorise Premier League defenders.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger knows Walcott can cut it in Europe as an out-and-out striker, having seen him score twice in the 7-0 demolition of Slavia Prague in the Champions League.
But Wenger reckons the teenager needs more fight if he is to handle the demands of the domestic top-flight.
Walcott, 18, has turned in a string of good performances and the Emirates chief hopes he can use that European experience to prepare for the more aggressive Premier League.
Wenger said: "I think the European games are convincing Theo he has the quality and it has built him up.
"Many people disregarded him inside the English game, but now I think people see he can play as a striker in the national team again.
"Playing him on the wing at first was good for him because it makes you develop your short technique.
"I knew he could run and was a clinical finisher, but what was good for him was he developed his technique.
"On the wing he was away from being criticised about a goal drought, but now in the centre I am convinced he won't go 10 games without scoring.
He doesn't need to change a lot to perform in the Premier League." Walcott started on the bench at The Emirates yesterday for the visit of Manchester United.
He came on with 16 minutes to go as Arsenal came back from 2-1 down to earn a 2-2 draw with a late William Gallas goal.
Crowned
The game was played at a pace much faster than that of European games - certainly faster than than Wenger expects in Prague on Wednesday.
And that is why Wenger wants to inject a bit more of the Lionheart into Walcott's game.
"Maybe it (the Premier League) is a little more aggressive and it's a domain where he needs to improve," said Wenger.
"It's not a strength issue but a natural commitment issue. Apart from that, everything else will come naturally."
Arsenal can qualify for the knock out stages of the Champions League if they notch their fourth straight win in Group H when they travel to face Slavia Prague on Wednesday.
The Czech Republic side's hammering at The Emirates saw Arsenal's young guns storm to the biggest European win in their history.
Wenger was delighted by the result but said he was not about to get excited at the possibility of being crowned Euro kings.
He said: "It is our major target not to be complacent. We want to qualify as quickly as possible and we can do that against Slavia and then ease off a little bit.
"After 7-0, the players might think that they just have to turn up, but we cannot take our foot off the gas.
"After a hard game it might be up to the more inexperienced players to get us through in Europe.
"I felt at the start of the season that it was our year but I am not stupid enough to believe it is.
"I always say let's look in May because it is down to consistency now."
CULLED FROM: The People | | Owners retain monopoly |  John Terry turned out to be the wrong target when football was thrust into the line of fire for paying “obscene” wages. For it seems that young footballers with their designer clothes and “Baby Bentleys” are being nudged out of the training ground car park by a battalion of ageing billionaires in their chauffeur-driven limousines.
Football’s Rich List, drawn up by FourFourTwo magazine, reveals today that only 14 players are among the 100 most wealthy people in the sport. Terry, who took the brickbats handed out by Gerry Sutcliffe, the Sports Minister, last week only just squeezes on to the list in 95th place – a relative pauper, even if he is on a reported £130,000 a week, by the standards of a sport where the top ten measure their fortunes in nine figures and more.
They are the investors moving into football with their huge chequebooks and inflated egos. The Rich List shows that the top ten wealthiest men in football are worth a collective £27 billion, an astonishing sum that would make a small Eastern European country envious.
Roman Abramovich, Chelsea’s Russian owner, remains at the head of the field with his £10.8 billion fortune, while the reclusive Joe Lewis, the East End entrepreneur worth £2.8 billion and with a controlling interest in Tottenham Hotspur, is second on the list. Alisher Usmanov, another Russian billionaire whose net worth is calculated at £2.76 billion, moves into third place after spending the year stalking Arsenal, while his rival for a seat in the boardroom at the Emirates Stadium, Stan Kroenke, ranks eighth – but then the American is worth “only” £1.2 billion.
Bernie Ecclestone, better known for his love of fast cars and as the commercial brains behind Formula One, enters the list at No 4. He is the long-time Chelsea supporter who used some of his £2.5 billion fortune to rescue Queens Park Rangers this season.
David Beckham is the highest-ranked player and he scrapes into the top half at No 45. But Brand Beckham stands alone as a one-man business empire backed by the quest for global domination of Victoria, his wife and Spice Girl. Their joint wealth is calculated at £112 million, three times more than Michael Owen, the second-highest footballer on the list.
Beckham’s vast array of personal commercial deals, underpinned by his £25 million-a-year contract with Los Angeles Galaxy, pitches him into another earnings stratosphere. In any other area of business, Owen would be considered an extremely wealthy man, proving to be a shrewd investor to build up a fortune worth £37 million, but even that sum would not be enough to allow him to buy his way into most boardrooms in the Barclays Premier League.
The biggest surprise is that Robbie Fowler, who is plying his trade with Cardiff City, remains third on the list of richest footballers, years after his glory days with Liverpool. Fowler has proved more astute with his money than he did with handling football authority and his bank balance of £30 million has been strengthened by a huge property portfolio built up around the North West to the extent that a favourite chant with Manchester City supporters used to be (to the tune of Yellow Submarine): “We all live in a Robbie Fowler house.”
The new breed of footballer shows signs of following their lead: Rio Ferdinand, the Manchester United and England defender, hired Pitch PR, a top City public-relations firm, to explore how he could expand his interests for the future.
For the rest, though, it is often a case of turning up and taking the money. With an average age of more than 61, the top ten wealthiest men in the Rich List are the grey-haired rulers of the sport, who decide which players get the huge wages that so enraged the Sports Minister.
SOURCE: Times | | Kingston has Hearts beating strongly | Hearts have made it four wins from their past five Scottish Premier League games as they racked up an impressive 4-2 victory over Falkirk despite suffering a late scare at Tynecastle.
The home side raced into a 2-0 lead with goals from Audrius Ksanavicius, a fifth-minute strike set up by Laryea Kingston, and a Marius Zaliukas close-range finish after Falkirk failed to clear a cross.
Andrius Velicka made it 3-0 in the 58th minute with a smart finish on the break and substitute Christian Nade grabbed the fourth following a one-two with Kingston.
However, goals from Falkirk's Graham Barrett and Pedro Moutinho in the last four minutes ensured there was a nervy ending for the hosts.
Hearts are now fifth in the table, two points behind fourth-placed Dundee United who beat Motherwell 1-0 at Tannadice.
SOURCE: Observer | | Let's keep the winning habit - Drogba |  Didier Drogba has challenged his Chelsea team-mates to build on their new start under Avram Grant without him.
The striker is suspended for Sunday's game at Bolton but insists his side cannot afford to let things slip after their 2-1 victory at Valencia on Wednesday.
Drogba admitted life has been difficult since Jose Mourinho left a fortnight ago but said: "It was a relief to beat Valencia, especially in that manner. It was very important because it was a difficult period to get past. The only way of clearing the air is to win matches.
"I hope it is a new start. The problems we had a week or two ago have gone. You live with it."
Michael Essien, who injured a hamstring at Valencia, should be fit to return on Sunday and so should Ricardo Carvalho, who left Spain with his head in bandages to keep down swelling from a knock.
Frank Lampard may also play a part, having recovered from a thigh injury.
SOURCE: Daily Mail | | I DON’T CARE ABOUT JENS - Almunia | MANUEL ALMUNIA yesterday warned Arsenal rival Jens Lehmann he was Arsenal’s new No.1 – and he doesn’t give a damn about what the German star thinks.
Starsport can reveal there is no love lost between the Spaniard and Lehmann, with the pair hardly on speaking terms, unlike keepers at other clubs who talk of a brotherhood for players in their position.
Arsene Wenger ditched Lehmann after high-profile howlers against Fulham and Blackburn at the start of the season.
Arsenal have claimed Lehmann has been struggling with Achilles and elbow injuries but the 37-year-old was able to play for Germany against Wales last month.
We respect each other and that’s it
Almunia on Lehmann
He is also expected to be in goal for his country in Ireland on Saturday week and at home to the Czech Republic four days later.
He is also understood to be fit for the Gunners’ home clash with Sunderland at The Emirates on Sunday and boss Wenger faces the dilemma of whether to have Lehmann on his bench or stick with promising young Polish international Lukasz Fabinaski as his back-up.
What was sure yesterday was Almunia, 30, does not expect to make way for Lehmann, having featured in eight straight wins in which he has conceded just two goals.
Asked whether Lehmann had worked with him since he forced his way into the side, Almunia said: “No. We respect each other and that’s it.
“I’m playing and I’m very focused on my job. I don’t care about other things. I cannot have my mind on other things.
“At the moment I am No.1. I have played a few games in a row, I am doing well and so is the team.
“We have put in some big performances and I don’t think the boss should change anything because everything is okay.”
Meanwhile, Brazilian skipper Gilberto has admitted he is finding it tough accepting a role on the bench.
The midfielder appears to have dropped down Wenger’s pecking order since returning from his country’s victory in the Copa America.
He said: “When I have an opportunity, I want to do the best I can to help the team and I have done in all the games when I came on.
“Now is unlike other years. It’s the first time I’ve been in this position and I confess it’s been so hard.”
SOURCE: Daily Star | | Adebayor has put us on high - Gilberto |  Emmanuel Adebayor's huge improvement has been hailed as one of the key factors in Arsenal's remarkable run.
The giant Togo striker, 23, displayed glimpses of his potential during his first 18 months in London but has taken his game to a new level this season, scoring six goals in eight matches.
Milking the applause: Arsenal forward Emmanuel Adebayor
"He has improved a lot since he first came to the club," said Adebayor's team-mate Gilberto Silva.
"This season has been a great start for him. He's shown great quality, holds the ball, wins it in the air and makes the job for the team easier and for the opponents it is very difficult."
Jens Lehmann is fit again after Achilles and elbow problems but Manuel Almunia will retain the No1 jersey for the visit of Sunderland on Sunday.
Tomas Rosicky (hamstring) and Alex Song (calf) are doubts.
SOURCE: Daily Mail | | Jol to receive £5.2m if sacked |  Martin Jol knows his future could be in the Paul Robinson's hands as Tottenham take on Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.
The Dutchman was only spared the humiliation of losing the second leg of Tottenham's UEFA Cup first-round tie at Anorthosis Famagusta by Robbie Keane equaliser in the 78th minute.
Lonely time: Spurs boss Martin Jol watches his side's 1-1 draw against Cypriot minnows Anorthosis Famagusta last night knowing that defeat at Liverpool on Sunday could see him axed
Jol is in serious danger of finally being sacked next week if he tastes defeat at Anfield.
Spurs are in the bottom three with just six points from eight games and the board were set to act when Aston Villa went 4-1 up at White Hart Lane on Monday, only for them to grant a stay of execution when a late fight secured a point.
But the patience of chairman Daniel Levy is running out and another loss could see the club go bottom of the league.
Jol said: "I'm used to the talk about my future, I have to cope with it. It's been going on for the last six or seven weeks."
If Jol does go Tottenham will have to pay a heavy price as the Dutchman has a clause in his contract promising him £5.2m in compensation, according to the London Evening Standard.
It was believed that Jol would receive around £4m due to the near two years left on his contract.
But it is understood a deal was struck between Jol and Spurs 18 months ago when Newcastle and Ajax were interested in him.
Tottenham inserted a clause in his contract demanding they be paid £5.2m in compensation by any club that prised the 51-year-old away.
A source close to Jol confirmed that his agent Mino Raiola ensured the package worked both ways and that he would receive the same sum should Spurs end his reign prematurely.
SOURCE: Daily Mail | | Blues lose best coach - Carvalho |  Chelsea defender Ricardo Carvalho last night warned the Premier League club that they have just waved goodbye to the best coach in the world.
As the Chelsea dressing room attempted to come to terms with the departure of Jose Mourinho yesterday, Portugal international Carvalho was the first player to speak out.
Best buddies: Ricardo Carvalho embraces fellow Portuguese Jose Mourinho
Carvalho, who also played under Mourinho at Porto, told Sportsmail: "We are extremely sad about this. We are sad and we are shocked.
"For me there is no doubt, Jose Mourinho is the best coach in the world and I cannot believe that we have lost him.
"I never thought he would leave Chelsea without finishing his work, without achieving everything he wanted to.
"This is the first time he has ever done this and it will be terrible for him. He loved Chelsea.
"It has come as an enormous surprise to all the players. In the past few weeks the coach was unhappy because of our bad results but we were all working together towards a solution."
Carvalho is not thought to have been one of the Chelsea players who received a text message from Mourinho early on Wednesday evening telling of his imminent departure.
He became aware of the developments later that night after attending the premiere of Blue Revolution at a Fulham cinema.
But the former Porto centre half, who won the Champions League under Mourinho, has been one of the Portuguese coach's firmest allies over the past three years.
Chelsea fans make their feelings known
"I will always be grateful to Mourinho for what he has done for my career," he added. "We all will. I feel the same as all the other players about this.
"It was the captain John Terry who called me after receiving a text message from Mourinho. It is hard to take."
Chelsea's players will train again today under new coach Avram Grant ahead of Sunday's visit to Manchester United and Carvalho has called upon his team-mates to get behind the Israeli.
He said: "It is important that we are united behind Grant because he is the future of Chelsea now. The match at United is now going to be an enormous test. Our mission is not to lose."
Meanwhile, former Monaco and Juventus boss Didier Deschamps was quick to throw his hat in the ring last night to be Mourinho's long-term replacement.
Deschamps said: "If you find a manager who would not be interested by Chelsea, then show me who it is."
Deschamps, a player at Stamford Bridge in 1999-2000, had talks with Chelsea when his Monaco side knocked them out of the Champions League in 2004.
He said: "I do know the club a bit. I had the chance of meeting their directors three years ago at Monaco. I know them and they know me.
"I do not know the ins and outs of what has happened. I know there has been a relationship problem between Mourinho and his directors and owner that did not date from Wednesday. And surely the results being a little less good recently have accentuated these differences."
Deschamps, who lifted the 1998 World Cup as captain of France, reckons the demands of winning trophies would not bother him.
He explained: "Chelsea are a team who are there to win trophies, have won some and have to win some more. These are the demands of top-level football."
Deschamps, currently a radio and TV analyst in France, added: "I am free, on the market. Chelsea have taken a decision to put Avram Grant in charge for the match against United.
"I do now know whether he is there as a stand-in or not. We'll have to see in the future."
Manager of Sunday's opponents, Sir Alex Ferguson, believes Mourinho was placed under intolerable pressure to win the Champions League by the Stamford Bridge board.
Ferguson feels that owner Roman Abramovich and in particular chief executive Peter Kenyon, who used to work at Old Trafford, simply asked too much of his greatest recent rival.
Ferguson — speaking before Mourinho's departure — said: "It's just amazing that Chelsea have put pressure on the lad [Mourinho] straight away.
"They expect him to win two European trophies in only a few years. That makes it difficult."
On the plane back from United's Champions League win in Lisbon on Wednesday, Ferguson said: "I would say it is realistic to try to win it once. For us, we hope it will be this season. But there will always be these things said. Football is like showbusiness these days."
Manchester City boss Sven Goran Eriksson, who spoke to Abramovich about the Chelsea job before Mourinho was appointed, expressed his surprise yesterday.
"I like Mourinho and had a good relationship with him when I had my job with England," he said. "Of course this is a surprise but I don't know the reasons for the divorce.
"I am sure people will miss him. He is colourful and good for football. But no manager is safe these days. The best way to keep owners happy is to play winning, attractive football."
SOURCE: Daily Mail | | Adebayor Boosted by Wenger's support |  Emmanuel Adebayor intends to "prove" the faith of Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger in him was justified after allowing Thierry Henry to leave - and vowed to help continue the Gunners' impressive start to the new campaign.
In the build-up to Wednesday night's 3-0 Champions League victory over Sevilla, the Arsenal manager admitted it had been something of a "gamble" to face up to life without such a crucial player as his former captain - but he also realised the continued reliance on Henry was perhaps holding back the likes of Adebayor and Robin van Persie from realising their own potential.
Adebayor was clearly touched, saying: "Of course when the manager says that, I am very happy and pleased - but the most important thing is to prove it."
He added: "He has said that already, that I have my chance to play now. I have to prove to him that he is not wrong.
"That is the most important thing, at the moment I am doing my best and it is going well."
The Togo striker continued: "The boss told me I have a chance to play this season. I knew that when I arrived at the club, this would come.
"I am ready for it. I just want to give my all and enjoy myself on the pitch, working hard for the team.
"The most important thing is the team - if I score 100 goals and we do not win anything, that is rubbish, but I can score 10 goals and we win a lot of things."
Van Persie swept in Arsenal's second goal on Wednesday night to take his tally to three, the same as Adebayor. The tall African striker feels both he and his Dutch team-mate are ready to step up to the challenge.
"When Thierry left, guys like me and Robin van Persie knew that we were going to play, so our concentration goes another way," said Adebayor. "With Thierry, we knew he would score 30 goals in a season. We do not have anyone who we are sure can score 30 goals, so we have to put our heart in the game and do our maximum."
SOURCE: Daily Express | | I've lost Va Va Voom - Henry |  THIERRY HENRY has told close pal Robert Pires that he has lost his Va Va Voom because of the stress of his divorce battle.
The former Arsenal hero confided about his marital problems to fellow ex-Gunners favourite and France international Pires.
Henry met wife Claire, 27, when they filmed the ‘Va Va Voom’ Renault Clio adverts but they split in June — just before he moved to Barcelona in a £16million transfer.
The scorned stunning model is demanding a £10m divorce settlement after she was left heart-broken by Henry telling her that their four-year marriage was over.
Now Pires, who also plays in Spain for Villarreal, has revealed how Henry is miserable and unable to perform at his best because he also cannot see his two-year-old daughter Tea.
Henry has so far failed to score a single goal in the Spanish league, although he broke his duck for the club with Barca's simple third goal in last night's 3-0 defeat of Lyon.
And he has poured his heart out to Pires, blaming the turmoil of the break-up.
Pires said: “Everyone knows what Henry is like. He is a star.
“What’s happening is that when you change leagues and move country you need time to adapt. I think he’s finding it hard.
“He also has the problem of his divorce and is being affected by it.
“Of course this is going to weigh him down and also he can’t see his daughter.This is all stressful for him and that’s why he isn’t able to show his best on the pitch.
“I know him really well and I’m sure he’ll be able to eventually really shine at Barcelona.”
SOURCE: The Sun | | McFadden magic could be worth Euro millions | It was a moment that united a nation, even if not every Scot managed to see James McFadden's piece of genius in Paris. While everyone back home gathered round TV sets, a few exiles, such as Paolo Nutini, had to suffer in silence: the singer tried to watch the game in a New York bar but walked out when the owner demanded $20 from the Paisley 20-year-old and his friends.
Scot first, pop star second. The youngster proved as stubborn as Alex McLeish's defence as he went to an internet cafe to keep up with the game online.
The real value of McFadden's spectacular match-winner will run to millions of pounds if Scotland reach next summer's Euro 2008 finals. Thrown into the "group of death" as fourth seeds, they inflicted a second defeat upon France in 11 months. The only other time Raymond Domenech's side have lost in 48 games is when Italy triumphed on penalties in the 2006 World Cup final. With three games to go, it is Scotland who lead Group B, the world champions are second and France are squeezed into third and in danger of missing out on qualification.
Gordon Strachan was anotherwho missed the game. The Celtic manager was on a flight to England, taking advantage of a rare day off because of the internationals. "I was going down to see my grandchildren, and when I got off the plane I was told itwas 1-0 with seven minutes left," explained Strachan.
Strachan is convinced that the imprint made by Celtic and Rangers in recent seasons in the Champions' League has helped the national side.
"There used to be a lot of foreign players in Scottish teams when we played in the Champions' League but now there are a lot of homegrown players in both Old Firm squads," reflectedStrachan on Friday. "That means international football is not a big jump up for them.
"Even for Premiership players, the Champions' League is a step up of maybe five per cent. In the Scottish Premier League, it's 30 per cent. Apart from the World Cup, the Champions' League is the most competitive football you can have."
SOURCE: The Independent | | Clint's gauge not great to be sharpshooter | For an American called Clint, Fulham's marksman really was not ruthless or accurate enough to make his manager's day.
Hoping to end his club's 19-match run without an away League win, Clint Dempsey fired four times from point-blank range. Although one of his efforts hit the target to open the scoring, the other three barely left his shooting boots with sufficient force or direction to trouble Chris Kirkland in Wigan's goal.
Whether or not they were reeling from the ninth-minute loss of Emile Heskey, who left the JJB Stadium on crutches before the first half was even over, Wigan certainly looked out of sorts.
Fulham manager Lawrie Sanchez, something of a hard man himself, waited for his team to take full advantage of some dreadful defending, and it seemed inevitable that Dempsey's mean streak would show itself again.
Instead, Hameur Bouazza brought down Mario Melchiot with 10 minutes remaining, and Jason Koumas duly sent Antti Niemi the wrong way from the spot to register his first goal for his new club.
And when Emmerson Boyce swung the perfect cross into Fulham's penalty area in the dying minutes, Paul Scharner only needed to achieve a decent contact to claim an unlikely victory for Chris Hutchings.
Thankfully, for the sake of sporting justice, Scharner fluffed his big moment and honours were shared.
Sanchez said of Dempsey: "Clint will feel he should have had more goals today, but three goals in three games isn't bad, and these are his first real starts for us since coming here."
Wigan boss Hutchings concluded: "We were lucky to get one point today and Fulham will be disappointed not to have taken three."
SOURCE: Daily Mail | | £18,000 loan caused Chimbonda arrest |  Pascal Chimbonda's agent Willie McKay has revealed he gave the fullback an £18,000 loan shortly after he joined Tottenham from Wigan.
Chimbonda, 28, was arrested and questioned by City of London police on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud and bailed until October. But McKay defended the loan and claimed he has made similar loans to other players.
"Pascal had just joined Spurs and was a bit short at the time, so I gave him some money," said McKay. "He rang me up and asked if I could lend him £18,000 so I said: 'No problem, just come up and get it'.
"I didn't want to give him cash so it was a cheque and he signed a bit of paper for it. They should really be calling me Father Christmas. If it was underhand why would I give him a cheque from my bank account?"
SOURCE: Daily Mail | | Ball to blame - Landreau | FRANCE goalkeeper Mickael Landreau last night blamed lightweight modern footballs for James McFadden's stunning winner. The Paris Saint-Germain No1 was beaten from almost 35 yards by the Scotland hitman.
And Landreau, who only played because of injury to first-choice Gregory Coupet, is adamant the ball changed direction in the air. "Nowadays, the trajectories of the balls are so unpredictable. It moved a little in the air and made my attempt to parry it look absurd. It was a fantastic strike, undoubtedly, but this is a heavy blow for us."
France veteran Lilian Thuram was also stunned by what was only his country's third defeat in their previous 47 qualifying matches, adding that
Scotland didn't even play like a team that wanted to win.
SOURCE: scotsman.com
| | McFadden attributes win to wayward ball | SCOTLAND hero James McFadden put his wonder goal in the Parc des Princes last night down to a combination of a lack of options and a bout of experimentation the previous evening.
The Everton striker netted probably the most important goal he'll ever score when his 35-yard strike eluded French goalkeeper Mickael Landreau to earn Scotland the unlikeliest of victories. The win over last year's World Cup finalists moved the Scots a point clear at the top of Group B with three games remaining.
McFadden, who has established himself as a firm favourite in the eyes of the Tartan Army, remained remarkably grounded as he reflected on his match-winning heroics afterwards.
"I can't remember a better result - it's something else," he said. "We trained here last night and the balls were flying about everywhere so [when I got the ball] I just thought why not [shoot]? It was either that or try and take the boy on."
McFadden resisted the opportunity to take a swipe at the France coach, Raymond Domenech, who had been less than complimentary following his side's loss to the Scots at Hampden last October.
"I'm not interested in what their coach had to say," said McFadden. "It's all about us and our coach tonight. We've got a great chance now [to qualify]."
McFadden also paid tribute to the massive travelling support, with estimates suggesting up to 15,000 Scots had journeyed to Paris. "The fans were outstanding," he added. "They filled half the stadium and it felt like a home game. It shows the belief in the country now that so many people came over expecting us to get a result."
SOURCE: scotsman.com | | Wenger dilemma for Spurs clash |  Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger insists he is unconcerned by a potential defensive injury crisis ahead of Saturday's north London derby with Tottenham.
The Gunners head into the White Hart Lane clash without a host of key players, leaving Wenger contemplating naming a makeshift back four in front of his back-up goalkeeper.
Veteran number one Jens Lehmann was ruled out earlier in the week with an elbow problem, while William Gallas (groin), Emmanuel Eboue (ankle) and Philippe Senderos (suspended) will play no part at the weekend.
However, full-back Bacary Sagna has been given the all-clear to return after missing the last two games.
"Bacary Sagna is available again," Wenger told the club's official website.
"He still has some pain but he should be OK if needed.
"However, we won't have William Gallas available because it is too early for him. He could not play for France and will not be available for us.
"Of course, Philippe Senderos suspended for one game. Emmanuel Eboue is still out too. He has not recovered from his ankle injury."
Speaking about his central defensive options, Wenger added: "Gilberto is available I hope because he has played in that position recently.
"Then we will see. After that I have Alex Song who has played in this position and Justin Hoyte too."
SOURCE: football.co.uk | | Time for Blues to focus - Mourinho | Jose Mourinho has challenged Chelsea's players to return from international duty and focus their minds on reclaiming the Premier League title.A host of Blues stars were on international duty this week but Mourinho wants them to concentrate on getting back to winning ways in the league with victory at home to Blackburn on Saturday evening.
Chelsea beat Rovers 3-0 last season when Mourinho's side were defending their title.
They surrendered that crown to a revitalised Manchester United but Mourinho wants the players to have the same mentality against Rovers - even though they are now trying to win the title back.
Mourinho declared: "I cannot see the difference between defending a title and trying to win a title back. When you win the title, in the next season you want to win every game to be champions again and retain the title.
"When we lose the title we want to win every game to bring the title back to Chelsea, I don't see the difference.
"For us the aim of every competition and every game is to win but of course we cannot win every game, of course we will draw, of course we will lose, but the approach to every game is no different."
Mourinho's success in England has been a revelation since he arrived in the summer of 2004. Victory over Manchester United in the FA Cup at Wembley last May brought the Portuguese coach a 'full house' of domestic trophies.
The Chelsea coach remains convinced that the Premier League is the best in the world and the ultimate challenge in England.
Mourinho added: "I think winning the Premier League is always a big achievement, I think it is one of the best leagues in the world. Forgive me Spanish and Italians but for me it is the best.
"I feel in this moment the Premier League is the best league in the world, improving year after year.
"It is a big achievement to win, like I think it's a big achievement for the teams at the bottom to survive and not be relegated. For people to achieve objectives in the Premier League, it is very difficult."
SOURCE: TEAMtalk | | Media is all hot air - Donadoni |  Italy coach Roberto Donadoni hit out at his country's media after the Azzurri secured a crucial 2-1 win in Ukraine.
The victory moved Italy up to second place in Group B of Euro 2008 qualifying, with Donadoni feeling that his players had been placed under too much pressure for their trip to Kyiv.
He fumed: "We knew it was going to be tough and that no results can be taken for granted.
"I expect the next game will also be classed as the last-chance saloon, but we know what the media are like by now. It's all hot air.
"Thanks to the entire squad as they are the ones who achieved this result and no-one else.
"We showed great character and temperament. This result definitely improves our position, but it's going to be a close group all the way."
SOURCE: football.co.uk | | Onuoha backs Man City youngsters |  Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha does not feel the influx of foreign players at Eastlands has affected the chances of the club's younger players.
New City manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has signed eight overseas players since taking charge at the club in July.
Onuoha told Radio 5live: "Sometimes when you get change you can lose sight of things that were there before.
"But for me some of the younger players who were here last season are the ones who've been outstanding for us so far."
Like Micah Richards, Stephen Ireland and Michael Johnson, Onuoha is a product of City's successful academy.
Onuoha's only start for his club in three appearances this season came in the Carling Cup win over Bristol City but he is pleased to see the club doing well and is confident his chance will come.
"For me personally I've been at the club for so long and it is good to see something positive happening in terms of new ownership, new players and a new mindset," he added.
"It's good but at the same time you know you will have to fight even harder for your place because the manager is bringing in players who are top quality from all over Europe.
"It's good to see the club progressing but you also know you have to knuckle down."
Onuoha found the net as England Under-21 got their Euro 2009 qualifying campaign off to a winning start against Montenegro on Friday under the guidance of former City boss Stuart Pearce.
A lot has changed at Eastlands since Pearce left in May and Onuoha - who, like Richards can play at centre-back or right-back - feels he can learn from the players Eriksson has brought in.
"I'd say so, because someone from Italy has got a different sort of mentality to the way they go about their training to someone from Spain," Onuoha explaied.
"Javier Garrido is quite laid back whereas some of the Italians are always in the gym before a training session just working on little things.
"It is good to see, and you find your middle ground in between both approaches."
SOURCE: BBCSport | | KEANA A NO-NO! – Bobby Charlton |  SIR BOBBY CHARLTON insists that Manchester United should pick an outsider to replace Sir Alex Ferguson when he quits.
Many Old Trafford fans reckon it should be a straight choice between former playing legends Roy Keane and Mark Hughes but influential club director Sir Bobby disagrees.
Keane guided his Sunderland team to promotion to the Premier League last season after taking over with the side rock bottom of the Championship.
And Hughes has moulded unfancied Blackburn Rovers into a force to be reckoned with since he took over at Ewood Park in 2004.
But Sir Bobby thinks United should be careful before looking so close to home for the next boss.
Charlton was an important player in the appointment of Ferguson two decades ago – and he is likely to be involved again when the time comes for a new boss at Old Trafford.
He said:“I think there have been a lot of mistakes made by a lot of clubs in getting managers who have already been some part of the club in their career.
“I don’t buy that. If he’s a good manager, it doesn’t matter who he is, where he comes from or even what nationality he is.
“In fact, in lots of cases, I’d say it was a hardship now to have a club background.
“People say only an old player could do it but maybe it’s better to have a clean bill of health. Maybe give it to somebody who will really clear the decks.”
Sir Bobby said he doesn’t think Ferguson has any intention of retiring in the near future.
He also admitted that planning now for a possible successor would be a pointless exercise.
“You can’t plan for somebody like Sir Alex retiring,”added Charlton.
“Football changes so much and so quickly that you can’t wait for things to happen.
“In a couple of weeks you could have done a lot of work on finding a manager and then he’s gone somewhere else.
“I don’t think Alex is even considering retirement at the moment. He has a smile on his face and he is enjoying it.
“The last time he said he was retiring I didn’t believe it. I was right then. Some people think it would be the perfect time to go if he won another Champions League final. Maybe.
“But he’s not a sentimentalist like that. He’s as hard as nails, Alex.
“What’s he going to do? He’s steeped in it. He lives and breathes it every minute.
“He’s first there in the morning, the last out at night. He’ll travel hundreds and hundreds of miles if he thinks he’ll sign a kid. It’s just in-built in him – he’s a born football manager.
“I can’t see him thinking of doing anything else for the next few years.
“What Alex will do, one day he’ll come to David Gill and myself and maybe just have a word and say, that’s it.”
While Charlton is buoyant about the future of his club, he is alarmed at the state of the England national side.
He thinks that if the team fail to qualify for Euro 2008 the FA might also need to look for an outsider from abroad –
just as they did with Sven-Goran Eriksson.
Sir Bobby said:“I would always prefer an English or British manager of the England team.
“But these are desperate times. If we don’t qualify it will be unheard of. If that happens can you keep on thinking you have the luxury of just an English manager?
“I think first of all you need to be a strong man to be a manager, to handle the prima donnas.
“You have to be tough to get through to the players.
“All the best managers are tough. It has to be that way.
SOURCE: Daily Star
| | Asians In Europe | The European season is getting into its stride and so are Asia's finest - but some more than others!
Vahid Hashemian (Hannover and Iran)
The helicopter is soaring high after scoring his first goal of the season, one that proved to be the winner. When he was introduced to the action in the 70th minute at home to Bochum, the scores were level at 2-2. Within a minute, the Iranian headed home Micheal Tarnat’s cross to give the team a thrilling 3-2 win.
Takayuki Morimoto (Catania and Japan)
The 19 year-old fired retained his place in the team following his goal last week but couldn’t find the net in the goalless draw with newly-promoted Genoa. He was replaced after 56 minutes.
Lee Dong-guk (Middlesbrough and South Korea)
Lee opened his account last Wednesday with a fine strike in Boro’s 2-0 win over Northampton in the Carling Cup. He should have scored his first Premier League goal against Birmingham on Saturday. Introduced as a late substitute, he shot wide from close range in the final minute of Boro’s 2-0 victory.
Daisuke Matsui (Le Mans and Japan)
It was going so well for Le Mans at the home of champions Lyon. Leading 2-0 with 20 minutes to go, they let in three goals in six minutes to lose 3-2.Like most of his team-mates, the midfielder played well for a while but soon faded. He was replaced with 15 minutes still to play.
Naohiro Takahara (Eintracht Frankfurt and Japan) The Sushi Bomber made his first appearance of the season after injury ruled him out of Frankfurt’s good start. His came on as a substitute midway through the second half at Werder Bremen but his team lost 2-1.
Shao Jiayi (Energie Cottbus and China)
Still has yet to play a full 90 minutes this season. Shao was introduced into the action with 20 minutes remaining but had little impact as the struggling Cottbus drew 1-1 at home to Nurnberg.
Shunsuke Nakamura (Celtic and Japan) After Celtic’s midweek heroics in the Champions League qualifier against Spartak Moscow, Nakamura was rested as Celtic traveled to St Mirren. He wasn’t needed as the champions won 5-1.
Koji Nakata (Basle and Japan) The versatile star played the full ninety as Basle defeated FC Thun 2-1 thanks to a last-minute winner.
Kim Dong-jin (Zenit St Petersburg and South Korea)
The ex-Seoul defender played the full game as Zenit won again – a 1-0 triumph at home to Kuban Krasnodar – to go level on top with Spartak Moscow.
Mehdi Mahdavikia (Eintracht Frankfurt and Iran) Kia played the full ninety as his new team lost their first game of the season at Werder Bremen.
Seol Ki-hyeon (Fulham and South Korea)
The Sniper was traded to Fulham in the last half-hour of August and watched from the sidelines as his new club drew 3-3 with Spurs in an entertaining game.
Lee Young-pyo (Tottenham and South Korea)
Had a mixed game as troubled Tottenham let a 3-1 lead slip at Fulham to come away with only a point.
Junichi Inamoto (Eintracht Frankfurt and Japan)
Inamoto is finding his feet in the Bundesliga but the busy midfielder was unable to prevent Frankfurt losing 2-1 at Werder Bremen – the club’s first defeat this season.
Andranik Teymourian (Bolton and Iran)
Nowhere to be seen as Bolton crashed to a fourth defeat in five games at home to Everton.
Alex Santos (Salzburg and Japan)
The skilful wing-back played the whole game as Salzburg drew 1-1 at SV Mattersburg.
Sun Jihai (Manchester City and China) Yet to make an appearance this season as City lost 1-0 at Blackburn Rovers.
Javad Nekounam (Osasuna and Iran)
The inspirational midfielder is set to miss most of the season after damaging a cruciate ligament in pre-season training.
Park Ji-sung (Manchester United and South Korea) Park has been out of action since the end of March and his knee injury is expected to keep him out of the Manchester United line-up until January.
SOURCE: persianfootball.com | | | | |
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