Everton ride luck to snatch win at Wigan

January 30, 2010

Tim Cahill’s late goal earned in-form Everton a smash-and-grab 1-0 victory at Wigan on Saturday that extends their unbeaten run to nine matches in the Premier League.

The visitors were indebted to off-colour finishing from a string of Wigan players, with Hugo Rodallega, Jason Scotland and substitute Paul Scharner all unable to convert presentable chances before Cahill struck in the 84th minute.

The Australian international midfielder, who also scored in the 2-0 mid-week win over Sunderland, was allowed to run unchecked onto Leighton Baines’s corner and he beat Vladimir Stojkovic with a powerful header.

Everton’s crossbar was rattled deep into injury time when Charles N’Zogbia crashed a rising drive against the woodwork, giving Everton their final let-off on an afternoon of close shaves.

Victory allows David Moyes’s side to edge to within two points of eighth-placed Birmingham, while Wigan remain 14th.

The visitors saw most of the ball in the game’s early stages but Wigan soon began to find gaps at the other end and their forwards Scotland and Rodallega both spurned chances to put the hosts in front.

First Rodallega was denied by Tim Howard in the Everton goal after Scotland set him free and when Rodallega returned the favour moments later, the former Swansea man blazed well over.

Everton handed a first start to on-loan Arsenal centre-back Philippe Senderos and his timely touch prevented Rodallega from putting Wigan in front just short of the half-hour as the Colombian prepared to pull the trigger.

Louis Saha had a strong penalty appeal waved away after tussling with Wigan new boy Gary Caldwell shortly before half-time, while Wigan old boy Baines tested Stojkovic from a free-kick early in the second period.

Controversy ensued shortly after when N’Zogbia was bundled over by Jonny Heitinga right on the edge of the Everton area.

The Wigan players appealed for a penalty but Alan Wiley gave a free-kick and the home side were unable to take advantage.

In their push for a breakthrough Wigan introduced Scharner, who has scored four of his 13 Premier League goals against the Toffees, and he twice went close, volleying over the crossbar and then shooting straight at Howard with 18 minutes to play.

LONDON (AFP)

Tags: alan wiley, Birmingham, Charles, crossbar, David Moyes, forwards, free kick, Gary Caldwell, hugo rodallega, injury time, Jason Scotland, leighton baines, london, louis saha, midfielder, Paul Scharner, philippe senderos, premier league, second period, Sunderland, Swansea, tim cahill, tim howard, vladimir stojkovic, Wigan, woodwork

PENDING Gunners face another physical test

January 24, 2010

With the fall-out from William Gallas’s tackle on Bolton’s Mark Davies having barely subsided, Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal are bracing themselves for another bruising confrontation with Stoke.

The Gunners face Tony Pulis’s side at the Britannia Stadium in the fourth round of the FA Cup, buoyed by their success in knocking Chelsea off the top of the Premier League following the 4-2 victory over Bolton in midweek.

But Arsenal’s achievement in finally reining in the eleven-point deficit that had opened up between themselves and their title rivals at the end of November was overshadowed by Gallas?s ill-judged challenge.

The centre-back escaped punishment during the game but referee Alan Wiley was widely criticised for failing to issue a red card to the defender.

Wenger, though, is anxious to put the matter to rest ahead of the meeting the trip to Stoke where the Frenchman’s side can expect to face another full-on physical test.

“I do not want to develop any paranoia,” said Wenger. “But there was too much made about this incident.

“It was a mistimed challenge but without any intention to harm the player. What is more funny is that, when we get kicked, some people say before the game ‘we know how to play Arsenal, we have to kick them’ and nobody in the whole country is upset by that.

“I am always absolutely amazed that people get away with it. When we get kicked and lose the game, the question I get from the press is ‘oh, you did not fancy that?. But nobody is upset or shocked by it. When we are kicked they find that it is absolutely all right.”

Wenger’s concerns appear to be vindicated by the comments of Stoke striker Ricardo Fuller who made no attempt to disguise the tactics likely to employed by the home side as they attempt to reach the last 16 of the tournament.

“It couldn?t be a better draw, because we did well against them here last year,” said Fuller.

“The Britannia, it’s a like a fortress, and if we do play to our strengths, I don’t think Arsenal can deal with the aggressive play.

“It’s been proved in the past that Chelsea and Bolton have roughed them up and tried to bully them.

“We can also be rough and aggressive when we need to, but we have quality too, and so we can mix it up.”

With Arsenal set to enter the most important phase of their league campaign, Wenger will be extremely cautious about fielding some of his key players.

After this meeting the Gunners face a quartet of fixtures – against Aston Villa, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool – that will go a long way towards determining whether they can last the pace in the title race.

Yet while Wenger has no doubt about which is the most important prize at stake, he is also anxious not to suffer a confidence-sapping defeat.

“The Premier League is a priority,” he added. “But to win is the first priority and we want to keep the positive momentum by beating Stoke.

“They are a very difficult side to play against. We need a team that is ready to fight and to play over there so that is why we need some experience in the side.

“We will certainly use the squad. It’s fair to see we will put a team that can get a result but won’t harm our chances at Aston Villa.”

STOKE-ON-TRENT, England (AFP)

Tags: alan wiley, Bolton, britannia stadium, CHELSEA, confrontation, England, fortress, frenchman, gunners, intention, Liverpool, Manchester, mark davies, midweek, paranoia, physical test, premier league, referee, ricardo fuller, STOKE-ON-TRENT, tony pulis, William Gallas

Coyle: ‘I have seen red cards for less’

January 21, 2010

Arsenal defender William Gallas will not face retrospective disciplinary action from the English Football Association following his late tackle on Bolton Wanderers’ Mark Davies.

As the referee Alan Wiley viewed the challenge as two players coming together at the time and so allowed play to continue, no separate disciplinary proceedings can be implemented, as the FA does not re-officiate matches.

Bolton coach Owen Coyle completely disagrees with the FA. “The second goal was the big turning point,” Coyle said. Bolton were 2-1 up when the incident occured. Directly after Gallas’ tackle, Fabregas produced the equaliser. Arsenal then went on to win 4-2.

“Clearly it was a foul, and closer to a red card. It was akin to assault and it changed the game,” the Bolton manager added.

“However, the fact is the referee has not seen it, and the lad is prostrate on the ground, and Arsenal being full of fair play, as we keep hearing, have carried on and scored an equaliser.

“That is hard to take. I don’t want to sit here and make excuses, but I have seen red cards for less.”

Tags: alan wiley, arsenal, bolton wanderers, coach, disciplinary action, disciplinary proceedings, english football association, fair play, game, lad, mark davies, Owen Coyle, red cards, referee, turning point, William Gallas, win 4

Ferguson escapes FA action over referee rant

January 13, 2010

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson will not face disciplinary action over his latest critcisms of a referee, the Football Association (FA) announced Tuesday.

Ferguson was furious with Mark Clattenburg for sending-off Darren Fletcher during English champions United’s 1-1 draw away to Birmingham City on Sunday.

Afterwards the Scot suggested Clattenburg had been inconsistent this season but the FA, England’s governing body, have decided his remarks did not mean he was alleging bias or questioning the official’s integrity.

“No action will be taken in relation to Sir Alex Ferguson,” an FA spookesman said Tuesday.

As a result, the FA have not activated the two-match suspended sentence hanging over Ferguson for criticising referee Alan Wiley’s fitness earlier this season, for which he was initially punished with a two-match touchline ban.

Scotland midfielder Fletcher was dismissed for two yellow card offences and after the match at St Andrews an irate Ferguson said: “As far as I’m concerned, I’ve not seen a softer sending-off for a long time. It is ridiculous.

“That referee did the Arsenal-Tottenham game earlier in the season and you needed to hit someone with an axe before he booked anyone in that game.”

“There were some wonderful and weird decisions tonight.”

LONDON (AFP)

Tags: AFP, alan wiley, axe, bias, birmingham city, darren fletcher, disciplinary action, England, english champions, fa england, football association, governing body, london, Manchester, manchester united, mark clattenburg, midfielder, referee, Scot, scotland, sir alex ferguson, st andrews, yellow card

Scholes urges Fergie to carry on and on

November 21, 2009

Paul Scholes has urged Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson to shelve any thoughts of retirement and continue in the job for as long as he can.

Ferguson, who turns 68 on December 31, recently celebrated his 23rd anniversary at the helm at Old Trafford and is widely expected to step down at the end of this season or next, having said previously he will not continue into his 70s.

But midfielder Scholes, who has served under Ferguson for more than 15 years, believes the manager can add to his vast array of honours at United, which includes 11 Premier League titles, two European Cups and five FA Cups.

“His record speaks for itself,” said the former England international ahead of Everton’s visit to Old Trafford on Saturday.

“Twenty-three years is a long time and, hopefully, he can continue to be here and win trophies for a long time to come.

“Other teams don’t have the benefit of having a manager for so long.

“I think it goes to show what can be achieved if you have a manger for so long and the trophies they can win. I’ve known no different.

“When I played for England there was a change of manager from time to time and it probably didn’t seem to help most of the time.

“I’ve been lucky enough to play under one manager and it has been great.”

Ferguson will be in the dugout at Old Trafford after it was confirmed that the two-match touchline ban he received for questioning the fitness of referee Alan Wiley will not start until next week.

Following the international break, United, who hope to welcome back Nemanja Vidic to the defence, resume their Premier League campaign five points behind leaders Chelsea following a 1-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge in their last outing.

But Everton have not won a league match at Old Trafford for 17 years and make the short journey with a string of injury problems.

Long-term casualties Leon Osman, Phil Neville, the former United player, Victor Anichebe, Phil Jagielka and Mikel Arteta are nearing a return to action but the match is expected to come too soon for any of them to feature.

Nevertheless, Everton defender Tony Hibbert is looking forward to testing himself against former team-mate and friend Wayne Rooney.

Full-back Hibbert, who has already made 17 appearances for Everton this season, relishes his tussles with Rooney, who he remains friendly with despite the striker’s acrimonious departure from Goodison Park in 2004.

“There’s always banter with Wayne and I talk to him a lot throughout the games,” said Hibbert.

“He always gives a lot back. It’s a good laugh. We haven’t had the best of runs there, or at our place, and hopefully one day we can change it around.

“You go to Old Trafford expecting what you always get. It’s hostile, the fans are all going to be up for their players. But you just have to get your head down and play.”

David Moyes’s record at Goodison Park has resulted in him being tipped as a possible candidate to succeed his fellow Scot Ferguson at United, but the Everton boss has found the going tough this season.

With injuries having taken their toll on performances and results, his side currently lie 12th in the Premier League, with only 15 points from 11 games in which the normally watertight Everton defence has leaked 17 goals.

MANCHESTER (AFP)

Tags: alan wiley, dugout, england international, fa cups, five points, league campaign, league titles, leon osman, manager alex ferguson, Mikel Arteta, old trafford, paul scholes, Phil Jagielka, premier league, twenty three years, Victor Anichebe, vidic

Faithless Ferguson sounds a familiar tone (Updates with ban)

November 13, 2009

Thursday update: Nothing to do with this incident, of course, but worth noting that Ferguson has been banished to the stands, receiving a two-match ban and a fine of 20,000 quid for the comments he made about Alan Wiley in October.

So, the FA has decided to get tough with the United boss. Are they right to do it? Read the full story here.

You might think Alex Ferguson would have realised, after half a century in the professional game, that the view from the manager’s dug-out is rarely objective or entirely accurate.

And if a referee does happen to make a mistake, which he is bound to do in the high-speed hurly-burly of a Premier League match, the Scot might also have come to the conclusion that venting your spleen at the powerless fourth official is a waste of everybody’s time.

But no, it seems not. Week after week, month after month, season after season, barely a match passes without Ferguson complaining about something that didn’t go United’s way.

On Sunday, when he might have been questioning his decision to play only one striker in a cautious approach to the showdown with Chelsea or berating his walkabout defence for failing to defend the key free kick, he found three reasons why John Terry’s goal should not have stood.

The initial foul on Ashley Cole by Darren Fletcher should not have been given, he said. Wes Brown was impeded in trying to defend the subsequent Frank Lampard free kick and Didier Drogba was offside and obscuring Edwin van der Sar’s view of the ball when it went in.

Of the hat-trick, the initial one appeared to have the most merit but any number of aggressive tackles are deemed fouls these days and Cristiano Ronaldo used to benefit as much if not more than anyone else in that regard.

The marginal contact between Drogba and Brown is also small beer in the current climate where wrestling in the box ahead of free kicks and corners has become an established part of the game. Rest assured that when Steve Bruce was patrolling the centre of United’s defence he would not have allowed himself to so easily be taken out of the game at a vital moment.

TV replays were inconclusive over Drogba’s position and, even if all three moans were justified, people have surely just stopped listening.

“You lose faith in refereeing sometimes, that’s the way the players are talking in there — it was a bad one,” he said, with Wayne Rooney chipping in by apparently mouthing “12 men” at a TV camera as he trudged off at the end.

PHOTO: Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson reacts during their English Premier League soccer match against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in London November 8, 2009. REUTERS/Eddie Keogh

Source

Tags: alan wiley, alex ferguson, ashley cole, cautious approach, CHELSEA, Cole, darren fletcher, didier drogba, Eddie Keogh, Edwin van der, edwin van der sar, frank lampard, free kick, free kicks, half a century, hat trick, john terry, Manchester, offside, premier league, professional game, rest assured that, ronaldo, Scot, small beer, spleen, Steve Bruce, van der sar, wayne rooney, wes brown

Big four are starting to crack: Man City´s Hughes

October 19, 2009

Mark Hughes believes Manchester City’s impressive start to the season proves the Premier League’s big-four are no longer invincible.

City are showing signs of being able to compete with the best in England and they are now in fifth place, five points behind leaders Manchester United with a game in hand, after grinding out a 1-1 draw with 10 men at Wigan on Sunday.

Hughes’s 120-million-pounds spending spree during the close-season has laid the foundations for City to break the monopoly on the Champions League places enjoyed for so long by United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal.

With Tottenham and Aston Villa also strong and Liverpool and Chelsea both losing this weekend, Hughes senses the Premier League’s elite are starting to get twitchy.

“There are some good teams in the Premier League this year,” the Manchester City boss said. “There is a focus on ourselves because we have the ambition to have a good season.

“But the fact there is a threat to the teams who have had those top four places is adding extra pressure.

“You just sense maybe that feeling of invincibility is no longer there. Other teams think they can take points off them.

“There are two or three teams who quietly think they can get into the top four.

“They don’t broadcast it so they keep themselves under the radar. We can’t help but be one of the teams people think should be in the top four.

“We have to deal with that anyway. I just think this year has the potential to be as open as it has ever been because the top four teams will drop points.

“That has been evident at the beginning of the season and I think it will continue. It is good for the Premier League.”

But for City defender Pablo Zabaleta’s second half dismissal it is likely Hughes’s side would have taken three points at the DW Stadium.

Hughes felt Zabaleta’s first-half caution for a foul on Maynor Figueroa was harsh. However, his second tackle on Jason Scotland left referee Alan Wiley with little alternative other than to show the red card.

It was Wiley’s first appearance since Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson’s attack on his fitness, for which the Scot has since apologised.

Hughes didn’t complain about the dismissal but he did claim that Figueroa’s tackle on Shaun Wright-Phillips in the closing stages should have been a penalty.

“He was in an excellent position – he had kept up with play very well,” Hughes said.

“He made a wrong call but his positioning was excellent. Well done Mr Wiley.”

Charles N’Zogbia had given Wigan the lead in first half stoppage time before Martin Petrov lashed City level two minutes into the second half.

Latics boss Roberto Martinez took heart from the way his side out-played City in the first half and said: “I would say the performance was well worth a victory.

“Manchester City are an outstanding team with a fabulous group of players but our performance deserved the three points.”

WIGAN, England (AFP)

Tags: alan wiley, arsenal, aston villa, champions league, CHELSEA, city defender, dw, DW Stadium, England, extra pressure, figueroa, five points, invincibility, Liverpool, man city, Manchester, manchester city, manchester united, Mark Hughes, Pablo Zabaleta, premier league, referee, Scot, sir alex ferguson, spending spree, tottenham, Wigan

United seek to banish memories of Sunderland shock

October 17, 2009

Manchester United return to action against Bolton on Saturday determined to banish memories of their last outing at Old Trafford.

United needed a last-gasp equaliser to salvage a 2-2 draw with Sunderland just before the international break and manager Sir Alex Ferguson has been embroiled in a row with authorities ever since as a result of his comments about referee Alan Wiley’s fitness in the wake of that game.

The draw allowed Chelsea to pull two points clear of the champions at the top of the table and, although the emergence of Manchester City and Tottenham as challengers for the top four has many observers claiming that the top teams will drop more points than in recent years, the Londoners are setting an impressive pace with seven wins from their eight matches.

United have recovered well from their shock 1-0 defeat at Burnley in August, but truly convincing performances from the champions have been few and far between despite the Sunderland game being the only other time they have dropped points.

The Old Trafford club have won the last three Premier League titles and are attempting to be the first team ever to win four consecutively.

And while Ferguson?s record makes a mockery of even the toughest scrutiny, there are still plenty of question marks over his emerging team and the veteran manager will be looking for answers in the run up to the next international break in November.

Following the departures of Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez in the summer, Ferguson has settled for minor tweaking of his squad, with Antonio Valencia, Michael Owen and Gabriel Obertan the only additions.

Wayne Rooney will miss Saturday’s clash after suffering a calf injury on England duty.

Rooney sustained the problem during England’s World Cup qualifying defeat against Ukraine last weekend.

Ferguson believes Rooney could be available for Wednesday’s Champions League trip to CSKA Moscow, although he may be saved for the crucial Premier League match at Liverpool on October 25.

Doubts remain about whether Dimitar Berbatov and Owen, who has recovered from a groin injury, provide adequate cover and similarly there are question marks over Ferguson’s midfield.

Nani was hoping to help fill the void left by Ronaldo but Ferguson has taken to playing veteran Ryan Giggs on the flank after a couple of seasons playing in a more central position.

Although Owen Hargreaves is now close to a return to fitness after serious knee surgery, there are also question marks about the balance in central midfield and the depth of cover at the back as Rio Ferdinand continues to struggle to recover full fitness and his best form.

At least Ferguson is not far away from having a fully-fit squad, with experienced goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar set to appear for the first time this season against Bolton after overcoming a hand problem.

The return of the Dutchman should provide assurance at the back for United, while Rafael and Gabriel Obertan could also be in contention for the game at Old Trafford after playing for the reserves at the start of the week.

After a tricky start to the season, Bolton are on a five-match unbeaten run and the likes of Tamir Cohen, previously limited by a dreadful injury record, and South Korean star Lee Chung-Yong have brought a new dimension to Gary Megson’s team.

Lee’s international team-mate Park Ji-Sung has been impressed with the way Lee has adapted ot life at the Reebok Stadium after joining from FC Seoul.

Park said: “He has been playing well and trying hard at Bolton and has grown in confidence. His improvement is valuable for the national team.”

Megson is hoping that his team can continue their fine recent form despite the intimidating prospect of facing the champions.

He said: “Sunderland went there the other week and played positively and they were really unfortunate not to get a win.

“A draw was a great result for them and I think we, alongside a lot of other clubs, can take heart from that.

“It will be tough at Old Trafford but we will go and give it our best.”

MANCHESTER, England (AFP)

Tags: alan wiley, alex ferguson, burnley, calf injury, carlos tevez, challengers, consecutively, cristiano ronaldo, cska moscow, Gabriel Obertan, last gasp, league titles, londoners, manchester city, michael owen, mockery, old trafford, question marks, sir alex ferguson, wayne rooney

United warned “bully” Ferguson will pay for ref rant

October 6, 2009

Alex Ferguson has been branded a “bully” over his latest verbal onslaught on a referee and warned that Manchester United could face a backlash from outraged match officials.

Ferguson has been asked by the Football Association to explain why he labelled referee Alan Wiley as “unfit” after United’s 2-2 draw with Sunderland at Old Trafford on Saturday.

The move represents the first step towards a possible charge of improper conduct which could result in the Scot being fined or banned from the touchline for a number of matches.

Ferguson’s comments, widely interpreted as being designed to distract attention from a sub-par display by his side and the latest in a string of errors by goalkeeper Ben Foster, have caused outrage among leading English referees.

That fury was articulated by Jeff Winter, now retired but until recently one of England’s top match officials, who said he would not be surprised if Wiley decided to sue the United boss over the damage he had caused to his reputation.

“It was a cowardly attack — Sir Alex wouldn’t have said it to Alan Wiley’s face,” Winter told the Guardian.

“Every game Alan Wiley takes charge of now where he makes a decision which upsets some fans is going to result in chants of ‘You’re not fit to referee’, he’s going to be known as the ‘unfit ref’.

“Sir Alex won’t care though. He’s a knight of the realm and he thinks he’s untouchable, bullet proof.

“But he’s also a bully. He spoke at Sir Bobby Robson’s memorial service a couple of weeks ago and said he’d learnt a lot from Sir Bobby. But he hadn’t, they were totally different, Sir Bobby was a gentleman. He was humble and had respect for people.”

Winter predicted that the anger among referees would affect how they handle future matches at Old Trafford.

“I think Sir Alex may have overstepped the line this time and he may be about to get his come-uppance,” Winter added.

“I think referees will be so incensed about this that Sir Alex may find that United no longer get the benefit of the doubt on certain decisions.”

Wiley’s handling of the United match on Saturday had not resulted in any particular controversy but Ferguson nevertheless criticised the official in a post-match interview with the club’s in-house television station.

“He (Wiley) was not fit enough for a game of that standard,” Ferguson said. “The pace of the game demanded a referee who was fit. He was not fit. It is an indictment of our game. You see referees abroad who are as fit as butcher’s dogs. We have some who are fit. He wasn’t fit.

“He was taking 30 seconds to book a player. He was needing a rest. It was ridiculous.”

At 49, Wiley is one of the oldest referees officiating at the top level in England but his supporters have stressed that his fitness, like that of other officials, is subjected to weekly monitoring and a demanding annual assessment.

The Times reported that Wiley ran more than 11 kilometres (seven miles) during the match — more than most of United’s stars.

MANCHESTER (AFP)

Tags: alan wiley, alex ferguson, backlash, ben foster, benefit of the doubt, bullet proof, chants, cowardly attack, improper conduct, Jeff Winter, Manchester, manchester united, onslaught, referees, Scot, Sir Alex, Sir Bobby, sir bobby robson, Wiley, winter

Benitez relief as Liverpool scrape past 10-man Bolton

August 30, 2009

Rafael Benitez breathed a huge sigh of relief after Liverpool dug deep to beat 10-man Bolton 3-2 and get their Premier League season back on track.

Steven Gerrard scored the decisive goal in the 83rd minute on Saturday after Glen Johnson, then Fernando Torres had dragged Liverpool to 2-2.

Kevin Davies and Tamir Cohen scored Bolton’s goals, the club’s first league strikes of the season.

After losing to Tottenham and Aston Villa in their first three matches, Liverpool couldn’t afford to drop points at the Reebok Stadium and Benitez insisted the victory proved his team have the ability to challenge for the title.

“We showed that we have quality and when they play at that level, they can beat anyone,” Benitez said.

“It was a difficult game, twice we had to come from behind but I think that was very positive. They showed character and they showed quality.”

The turning point was referee Alan Wiley’s decision to send off Sean Davis for a second yellow card after a 55th-minute foul on Lucas Leiva.

Bolton manager Gary Megson was furious and criticised the Liverpool player for making the most of minimal contact.

“There’s not a lot you can do, when you’re chasing against someone who’s got away and he slows up,” Megson said. “We’ve either got to accept it or we’ve got to start copying it and getting better at chucking ourselves all over the field.

“You control the ball, you wait for the hit from the back and over you go and the referee gets sucked into giving it. We’re not clever like that, we never slow down for the hit and then over we go.”

Megson also said he didn’t believe referees had a good understanding of gamesmanship tactics.

“Footballers know what’s going on,” he said. “But the knowledge of what’s going on, in my opinion is not there (for referees).”

Unsurprisingly, Benitez said Davis’s dismissal was appropriate.

“When is a foul from behind, it was yellow card. For me, it was clear,” he said.

Benitez preferred to look at the positives after a rocky start to the season. After Liverpool lost two of their first three games – the same total as all of last season – Benitez had criticised his players’ lacklustre form.

But the Spanish coach, bidding to lead Liverpool to their first title since 1990, got the response he wanted.

“It was the perfect response from the players,” he said. “All the players wanted to impress, they wanted to do well.

“You could see all the players, from the first minute we play, with a lot of determination to win. It’s important to have this mentality.”

Benitez hopes the forthcoming international break will sharpen his players’ match fitness even further.

“We have to improve in other things but at least we have won and the people will be more calm and we can prepare for the next game a little bit more relaxed,” he said.

Megson praised Fabrice Muamba’s man marking of Gerrard, but said the sending off changed the England midfielder’s influence on the game.

“As soon as Sean got sent off, he (Gerrard) got deeper and deeper and just orchestrated everything from there,” he said. “It made life very difficult for us.”

BOLTON, England (AFP)