Babbel: This is just the start
November 1, 2009
Stuttgart coach Markus Babbel insists there is still a lot of work to do even if his job seems a little safer after Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Bayern Munich.
Babbel’s future charge of the Swabians has been in much doubt, not least since they crashed out of the DFB-Pokal in midweek to second-division opposition.
But holding Bayern to a draw is an achievement which should at least quell the rumours surrounding his position for a few days.
“Of course I am not so happy that I can say this was the turning point, but I must compliment my team for fighting against one of the best teams in Europe,” he said.
“But we have now got to pay particular attention and not make everything out to be so positive.”
Stuttgart now need to show a similar performance against another of Europe’s leading clubs, Sevilla, in the Champions League in midweek to revive their hopes of reaching the second round of that competition.
“We have got to take the positives from this game with us to Seville,” said midfielder Roberto Hilbert on the club’s official website.
Bayern Munich also have a crucial Champions League fixture on the horizon and a repeat of this result against Bordeaux on Tuesday would severely jeopardise their hopes of reaching the second round.
“We have got to win against Bordeaux, otherwise it is going to be hard to go through,” admitted general manager Uli Hoeness.
“We have high expectations in the Champions League, therefore I am a bit nervous.”
Abhimanyu Rajput
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Magath impressed by resilient Schalke
November 1, 2009
Schalke manager Felix Magath praised his team for finding the strength even he did not believe they had to come from behind and claim a draw against Bayer Leverkusen.
After recovering to draw 3-3 against Hamburg last weekend, the Royal Blues came from two goals behind to grab a 2-2 draw at the Arena AufSchalke and cement their position in the top four of the Bundesliga, earning possibly the first words of praise all season from their demanding coach.
“After we went 2-0 down, I had little hope of us being able to find such strength like last weekend and turn things around,” admitted Magath.
“Especially not considering we also played in the DFB-Pokal during the week.
“But the team was fantastic and fought with high morale.”
Nevertheless, Magath praised his opponents, who moved one point clear at the top of the table, saying they deserve to be where they are in the standings.
“Leverkusen are the best team we have played against so far,” he said.
However, Magath would not be Magath if he did not find something to complain about, and the performance of referee Michael Weiner left him perplexed.
He ruled out what appeared to be a fair goal scored by Jefferson Farfan on the hour mark, and that, in Magath’s opinion, was not all.
“He influenced the game,” said Magath. “He gave more in favour of Leverkusen than for us and that strengthened Bayer.”
Leverkusen director of sport Rudi Voller felt his team deserved to take more from the game.
He could not even be happy to boast the last remaining unbeaten record in German football.
“We are all totally disappointed,” he said. “This feels like a 2-2 defeat.”
Abhimanyu Rajput
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Podolski: I can understand boos
November 1, 2009
Cologne striker Lukas Podolski admitted the fans had every right to jeer following Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at home to Hannover.
The Germany striker has called for crisis talks after Cologne slumped to 15th in the table, just one place above the bottom three.
“We have all got to question ourselves, me included,” he said.
“We have a week and we have got to try to get our self-confidence back by discussing things.
“Otherwise, there’s no point even going to (Hertha) Berlin. We may as well stay here.”
Podolski joined Cologne from Bayern Munich for a club-record fee of 10million euros in the summer, but has yet to live up to the high expectations placed on his shoulders.
Around 45,000 fans turned up at the Mungersdorfer Stadion again, but were sent home disappointed with another lacklustre performance from their side.
“I can understand the fans’ disappointment,” said Podolski. “We were weak and deserved to lose. We showed absolutely nothing.
“You could see that our opponents mastered us and we did not play as a team. You cannot win games like that.”
Cologne travel to the capital next weekend for a true relegation battle with bottom club Hertha Berlin, who have won one game all season and are currently five points from safety.
Abhimanyu Rajput
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Fighting spirit pleases Madrid coach Pellegrini
November 1, 2009
Real Madrid coach Manuel Pellegrini hailed the spirit among his players after they overcame the early dismissal of Raul Albiol to record a morale-boosting victory over Getafe.
Madrid were in desperate need of a good performance and a good result against their local rivals after losing three of their previous five competitive games, including Tuesday’s humiliating 4-0 defeat at third-tier Alcorcon in the cup.
And the big-spending Spanish giants achieved both of those things, rallying after the controversial 27th-minute sending-off of centre-back Albiol to produce a superb battling display and win the game 2-0.
“I liked my team’s spirit above anything else. Personal and collective performances may vary, but at this club the spirit must always be there, especially when you have to get through difficult situations,” said Pellegrini.
Madrid looked much better with 10 players than they did with 11, although Pellegrini dismissed suggestions that Albiol’s red card had actually helped his side.
“I don’t think the expulsion benefited us, firstly because I believe it was unfair, but also because we had very good spirit from the start,” said Pellegrini.
Pellegrini was under the most pressure heading into the match, with Spanish media speculating that a bad result against Getafe combined with a defeat against AC Milan in the Champions League next week would see him fired.
Saturday night’s win could have earned the Chilean some breathing space, but the former Villarreal coach preferred to think about how the result can help the team rather than himself.
“This was a very important game for the club because we had bad results last week. We are still amongst the leaders in La Liga and in the Champions League and we hope to make a comeback in the Copa del Rey. This was a key encounter with which to turn our recent situation around,” he said.
“I hope this triumph allows us to perform well in Milan and to stay alive in every competition. But every game is difficult.”
Abhimanyu Rajput
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PFA to be there for King
November 1, 2009
Gordon Taylor insists the players’ union will support disgraced footballer Marlon King.
The shamed Wigan striker was given an 18-month prison sentence for sexual assault and actual bodily harm after punching a 20-year-old female student in the face in a nightclub.
King has been sacked by Wigan and pictures of the injuries suffered by the student have now been published in a Sunday newspaper.
Taylor, chief executive of the Professional Footballers’ Association, said: “Everybody in life can have big problems to face and this is probably his biggest and I hope he’s able to overcome it and if he needs help to get his life back on track I assure you we’ll be there for him.
“We will be pleased to give any of our members who has got problems support to get his life and his career back on track.
“We have a known record for that. I think we’ve got almost 50 cases in the past few years where such help has been requested and been given and for the most part we’re pleased to say it has been successful.”
Former Arsenal player Tony Adams and Newcastle’s Joey Barton are two high-profile examples of footballers who have served jail terms and returned to the game.
Taylor believes King will be able to resume his football career when he has served his sentence.
He told BBC Radio 5Live’s Sportsweek: “If he serves his time, is contrite and shows a willingness to get his life back on track then that (football) is his skill and that’s the right of every individual.
“There are many managers who have taken on players who’ve had chequered careers both on and off the field. Sometimes they have been able to change them and other times not.
“It’s not going to be an easy situation to accept but I would hope with the passage of time, with the right approach from Marlon and the willingness to get his life back on track then that’s a situation that hopefully may resolve itself and he’s still young enough to be able to do that.”
Taylor, however, revealed the PFA had not been contacted by King or his agent Tony Finnegan.
Abhimanyu Rajput
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Hodgson: Reds not out of it
November 1, 2009
Roy Hodgson has warned the Barclays Premier League’s top teams not to write off Liverpool in the title race.
Hodgson saw his Fulham side consign Liverpool to their fifth league defeat of the season with a 3-1 victory at Craven Cottage on Saturday.
It was Liverpool’s sixth defeat in seven matches in all competitions and they languish nine points behind leaders Chelsea.
But Hodgson said: “You never know. They are a very good team, very well organised. They have some very good players and are unlucky at the moment that their talisman Steven Gerrard isn’t playing and (Fernando) Torres isn’t 100 per cent fit and has to be nursed through the games.
“But I can see them going on a really good run when they win seven, eight, nine games in a row and if that was to coincide with one or two defeats for the other top teams they would soon be up there again.
“With a quarter of the season gone it is very early to be writing anybody off. I remember not so long ago Manchester United were lingering in the middle of the table almost halfway through the season and went on to win it.
“If I was Sir Alex (Ferguson) or Arsene (Wenger) or Carlo Ancelotti I don’t think I would be writing them off.”
Hodgson, however, was realistic about his own club’s chances after finishing seventh last year and qualifying for the Europa League.
He told Radio 5Live’s Sportsweek programme: “To be one of the best seven teams in the league is going to be very difficult for us on an annual basis. The club is not necessarily geared for that.
“More and more money is being spent and the top four is rapidly becoming the top seven in terms of financial power.
“It would be nice if we could treat our fans to a season when they are not biting their nails into the last two or three games and be a good enough team to occasionally spring surprises like we did yesterday.”
Abhimanyu Rajput
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Costa Rica returns home from U-17s after 4-1 loss
November 1, 2009
Costa Rica was eliminated from the Under-17 World Cup on Saturday, playing a man down for all but the first 13 minutes and allowing two first-half goals before losing its second straight game, 4-1, to Burkina Faso.
The Ticos, whose older counterparts advanced to the Under-20 World Cup semifinals earlier this month, return home with fellow CONCACAF member and Central American rival Honduras, which was eliminated on Friday.
Adrian Mora was ejected by Uzbek referee Ravshon Irmatov a minute after Zidane Zoungrana gave Burkina Faso the lead.
Abdoulaye Ibrango doubled the advantage in the 38th and Louckmane Ouedraogo all but sealed the victory with a goal in the 82nd. Juan Golobio pulled Costa Rica within 3-1 in the 86th, but Bertrand Traore restored the three-goal bulge in the 90th.
Burkina Faso had more than twice as many shots on goal as the Costa Ricans (15-7) and earned a second-round match Thursday against the winner of Group E.
Costa Rica finished last in Group D with one point, earned in its opening 1-1 draw with New Zealand, and saw its streak of reaching the quarterfinals in the past four tournaments come to an end.
Mexico already has qualified for the second round and could be joined by the United States, which plays its final group game against the United Arab Emirates on Sunday.
ENUGU, Nigeria
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Velez win in Argentina, San Lorenzo drop points
November 1, 2009
Although most of their competitors have a game in hand, Velez Sarsfield at least get to enjoy a moment at the top of the Argentinian Primera Division following Saturday’s 2-0 win over Godoy Cruz.
Fabian Cubero put Velez in the lead after 13 minutes at Jose Amalfitani stadium of Buenos Aires, and Leandro Somozo made it 2-0 three minutes before the hour mark.
San Lorenzo failed to collect three points at Gimnasia La Plata, despite leading the game until the dying minutes.
Jose Vizcarra gave Gimnasia the lead on 22 minutes but Juan Menseguez (penalty) and Pablo Pintos turned things around with goals just before and after half time. Paraguay Ruben Maldonado had the final say however, equalizing in the very last minute.
Joint leaders Estudiantes, Banfield and Newell’s all play on Monday. Banfield and Estudiantes face each other, while Newell’s play away to Tigre.
Jonathan Roorda
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Table-topping Blues excite Ancelotti
November 1, 2009
Carlo Ancelotti said he was thrilled by Chelsea’s response to their early-season setbacks after a 4-0 win over Bolton Wanderers left them two points clear at the top of the Premier League table.
The Blues lost back to back away league games against Wigan and Aston Villa to raise doubts about whether they were genuine challengers for the title.
But they have responded to the 2-1 loss at Villa with four straight wins, including 17 goals and four clean sheets.
Ancelotti’s team now have a trip to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League ahead of a crucial game against Premier League champions Manchester United.
And although Ancelotti insisted he was not looking beyond the game in Spain, he was pleased with the way the Londoners have bounced back in the league.
“It was our aim to stay top and we maintained the two points lead before this game and now we have to think about Atletico Madrid and prepare for a fantastic match against Manchester United,” said Ancelotti after Chelsea made it eight goals in a matter of days against Bolton after a 4-0 midweek League Cup win.
“Usually people think about the game against Manchester United but we have another important game during the week and we want to prepare well,” the Italian manager explained.
“We have time to prepare for Manchester United but it’s very easy to prepare for this game.
“It’s a very important match but we have to maintain our concentration on the Champions League group at this moment.”
Ancelotti added: “I think that we accepted the criticism before because we had self criticism and that’s normal when you don’t do well.”
Frank Lampard’s penalty, after Jlloyd Samuel was sent-off for tripping Didier Drogba, sent Chelsea on their way here at the Reebok Stadium.
Second-half goals from Deco, Zat Knight’s own goal and Drogba gave Saturday’s scoreline a comfortable feel.
Joe Cole, much praised since returning from a knee injury, was left on the bench with Deco given the chance to impress against Bolton.
And Ancelotti said the veteran Portuguese was a vital player for the west London club.
“He is doing what he knows,” Ancelotti explained. “It is nothing special, he can do this and is doing it for the team and this is important.
“He’s an unselfish player. Usually offensive players with quality are a little bit selfish but I’ve found an unselfish offensive midfielder.
“We did a good performance and it was a difficult first-half because Bolton played a very strong match in the first-half, with lots of pressure on our midfielders.
“We maintained good concentration, good intensity and we won a very important match.”
Despite being beaten by the same margin in midweek, Bolton manager Gary Megson was far happier with his team after this match.
His formation mirrored Chelsea’s ‘diamond’ set-up and he was pleased with the way his side competed.
“I know we’ve been beaten 4-0 but I thought we were terrific. The diamond, we struggled with on Wednesday we didn’t struggle with today (Saturday),” Megson said.
“Whereas they had Lampard in it, we had Chris Basham. Whereas they had Michael Ballack, we had Tamir Cohen.
“They’ve spent all that money and quality on that diamond. We tried to rev our lads up to compete man for man with all of those.”
Megson, however, may find himself in trouble with the Football Association after criticising referee Peter Walton for awarding the penalty that led to the opening goal.
He added: “It is a soft penalty. I thought it was engineered well. If Drogba keeps it on his right hand side Jlloyd would not get sent-off trying to get to it. He brings it to his left hand side and with Peter Walton and penalties and Bolton there is only one thing that can happen.”
BOLTON, England (AFP)
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Benitez on backfoot after Reds flop at Fulham
November 1, 2009
Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez admits he has plenty of thinking to do after an already troubled season took another turn for the worse with a 3-1 defeat by Fulham here at Craven Cottage.
Saturday’s setback was Liverpool’s fifth reverse in just 11 Premier League fixtures and they trail leaders Chelsea by nine points, with champions Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham all ahead of them in the table.
Benitez also has Champions League qualification to secure and cannot afford another defeat on Wednesday away to French club Lyon, who earlier in the competition won 2-1 at Anfield.
Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres, the undisputed top talents in his squad, are both struggling for fitness so Benitez is not short of problems.
“In football you have to keep calm and try to find solutions,” the Spaniard insisted.
“We have to think about what we have to do now. We have too many injuries and I have to analyse how many players I have available.”
Torres netted a fine equaliser to cancel out Bobby Zamora’s opener for the home side but was taken off after 65 minutes with the score at 1-1.
Not long afterwards substitute Erik Nevland put Fulham back ahead with a cheeky back-heel and Liverpool found themselves down to nine men after first Philipp Degen and then captain Jamie Carragher were shown straight red cards. United States international Clint Dempsey wrapped up the scoring late on.
Benitez attempted to justify his decision to rest Torres on the grounds a similar policy had worked last week against Manchester United, when he scored the first goal in a 2-0 victory.
“We decided to play Fernando against United and that was difficult because he was not 100 percent fit. Afterwards he needed four days to recover,” explained the manager.
“I took him off because we don’t want to lose an important player like Fernando for one month.”
Benitez also made it clear he would appeal against both red cards, with Degen having been found guilty of a reckless lunge at Dempsey and Carragher hauling Zamora down to prevent him going clear.
“We will have to appeal. The first one was, for me, a yellow card and the other one it was clear that ‘Carra’ was kicking the ball. I saw it on a replay. Two incidents in a few minutes when we were losing was difficult to take.”
Fulham manager Roy Hodgson had little sympathy for Degen however.
“I’m not a referee but we know you are not allowed to lunge at players and if you do in a fairly aggressive way – and don’t take the ball – then there’s a good chance of something happening to you,” he said.
Reflecting on the match, Hodgson added: “Every time you take a scalp like Liverpool’s you’ve got to be happy.”
Damien Duff’s inability to last longer than half time was a disappointment for Fulham but Hodgson was hopeful the Republic of Ireland winger would not have to miss the forthcoming World Cup play-off double header with France, although he would play no part in Thursday’s Europa League game in Rome.
“It’s an injury he has been struggling with for a while,” he said. “It stems from his Achilles, although it’s a little bit more complicated than that.”
“There is no way I would even consider him for Roma. I will ask the medical staff to take as long as they need to try to get him back into shape as quickly as they can.
“And if he’s fit for next Sunday then there’s no reason why he shouldn’t play for the Republic. It is very hard stopping Damien Duff playing for the Republic of Ireland. You have to lock him in a cage.”
LONDON (AFP)
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