Liverpool and City inflict mutual damage

November 22, 2009


Liverpool’s stuttering season continued as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Manchester City that did little for either club’s hopes of finishing the season in the top four.

Martin Skrtel’s first goal for the club gave Rafa Benitez’s side a 50th-minute lead before two goals in the space of seven minutes put City in the driving seat.

Emmanuel Adebayor levelled for City before Stephen Ireland put the visitors within sight of their first win at the venue for six years.

But 13 minutes from time, substitute Yossi Benayoun rescued Benitez’s team from a home defeat.

Liverpool have now won just once in 10 outings and taken just five points from the last 18 available while City have drawn their last six league games.

Already missing Fernando Torres and Glen Johnson, Liverpool lost Daniel Agger and Ryan Babel to injury ahead of Tuesday’s must-win Champions League away game with Debrecen in Hungary.

Denmark defender Agger, who was replaced by Greece international Sotirios Kyrgiakos, was stretchered off suffering concussion and clutching a head wound which required stitches after a clash of heads with Kolo Toure in the fifth minute.

Eight minutes later Babel collided with his skipper Steven Gerrard on the edge of the City penalty area.

While Gerrard was quickly up on his feet, Babel had to go off for treatment for a jarred ankle. But the Holland international lasted just a few moments after coming back on before he was replaced by Benayoun.

Those stoppages disrupted the flow of the game after both teams had carved out chances during a bright start.

Shay Given quickly put his heartbreaking experience in Ireland’s World Cup play-off against France behind him, producing a fine stop to keep out Skrtel’s fifth minute header.

Six minutes later, City almost broke the deadlock with the hosts down to ten men following Agger’s early exit.

With the Liverpool defence in total chaos, Gareth Barry was allowed a free header which Jose Reina did well to claw away.

The rest of the first half was a dull affair. Liverpool, clearly unsettled after losing two players, struggled to penetrate a well marshalled City defence while the visitors offered very little attacking threat.

Jamie Carragher was booked for a 17th minute foul on his former Anfield team-mate Craig Bellamy but the game lacked passion.

Fortunately the second half was action-packed from the moment that Skrtel gave the patched-up hosts a 49th minute lead.

After Pablo Zabaleta had stopped David Ngog’s progress on the left, Gerrard whipped in a delightful free-kick which Skrtel volleyed in after getting in front of Adebayor.

City boss Mark Hughes responded by throwing on 25-million-pound striker Carlos Tevez in place of Barry.

And the switch worked as the Argentina substitute inspired his side’s recovery which started with Adebayor’s 69th-minute equaliser.

Liverpool paid the price for sitting back on their lead as Bellamy won a corner which he whipped in for Adebayor to send a powerful downward header bouncing beyond Reina and into the net.

City were dominating by this staged and deservedly took the lead through man-of-the-match Ireland, who finished off a low cross from Shaun Wright-Phillips with the outside of his boot.

It lasted just over a minute however. A cross from Ngog took a deflection and Benayoun was on hand to tap in the equaliser.

LIVERPOOL (AFP)

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Carrick: We can cover for Wayne

October 18, 2009


Michael Carrick is confident Manchester United can maintain their progress towards a Champions League knock-out berth even if Wayne Rooney fails to make Wednesday’s trip to Moscow.

With two wins under their belt already, the Red Devils have no need to take any risks with their talisman, especially as Sir Alex Ferguson must plot to beat Liverpool at Anfield next Sunday.

So, if there is any doubt at all over Rooney’s recovery from a calf injury sustained on England duty in the Ukraine, he will remain in Manchester where he can be with wife Coleen, who is due to give birth to the couple’s first child.

Although Carrick accepts it would be a blow to be without his international team-mate, he does feel there is sufficient strength in depth among the Old Trafford ranks not to get too depressed.

“It is a blow,” he said.

“You want your best players fit and available as much as possible.

“But we have the squad. Everyone is here to perform when others are missing. That is the whole point and I am sure we will be fine.”

However, having observed Rooney at close quarters with both club and country this term, Carrick feels the 23-year-old has risen to the challenge of replacing the influence of departed superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.

“Wayne has been flying this season,” said Carrick.

“His performances have been excellent and has already scored plenty of goals.

“But it has not changed him. He is just the same as he has always been.

“He is desperate to play well, not just for himself, but also the team. I have seen him play in various positions over the last few years and he adapts as well as everyone.

“There is more responsibility on his shoulders now but he has responded in a positive way. Hopefully that continues and he keeps doing it for a long time.”

Certainly Rooney has made an impact in Europe, where that opening day win over Besiktas in Istanbul put United in the Group B driving seat.

Their performance against Wolfsburg at Old Trafford a fortnight later may not have matched that standard, but it was still enough to account for the German champions. That win leaves United requiring only four more points to reach the 10 which Ferguson traditionally sets as the qualification benchmark.

Top spot and a favourable last 16 draw are the targets Carrick will be setting once the first goal is achieved, with United looking to atone for that miserable final appearance in Rome last May.

A fourth successive semi-final appearance is possible, which would be a remarkable feat, particularly for Carrick, whose £18.6million arrival from Tottenham in 2006 coincided with the upsurge in fortunes at Old Trafford that has also brought a hat-trick of Premier League titles.

“It looks like I timed it just right,” said Carrick, ignoring completely the thought he could have been the catalyst rather than the fortunate beneficiary.

“I have had three great seasons here.

“To win the league titles like we have – and then to get a fourth would be amazing. And we definitely want to do something about that Champions League defeat as well.

“It just makes me more determined than ever.”

Abhimanyu Rajput

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You can still watch Ukraine v England on TV … you just have to come to Croatia

October 6, 2009


A quick look around the blogosphere suggests that for many England fans the idea of watching the World Cup qualifier against Ukraine in front of a computer screen at the mercy of an ISP, or at a crammed cinema, sounds about as appealing as making the long trip to Dnipropetrovsk.

But do not despair, England fans, because there is an option for those of you determined to watch it on telly.

Croatia’s HRT 2 state television, also viewable in Serbia on cable, is showing the game live, so here is your chance to combine a bit of light football watching with an autumn dip in the Adriatic somewhere along Croatia’s mesmerising coast, or an evening spent sampling Belgrade’s unique and vibrant nightlife, epitomised by boat-bars and clubs along the Danube.

And fear not that the Croatian faithful might have a go at you after their team’s recent 5-1 drubbing at Wembley. They will be praying for an England win that would leave their boys in the driving seat for a runners-up spot in Group Six.

PHOTO: A subscription page is shown on a laptop computer at a cafe in central London October 5, 2009. REUTERS/Toby Melville

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Gerrard determined to seize World Cup last chance

June 2, 2009


LONDON (AFP) – Steven Gerrard believes next year’s World Cup finals will represent his last chance to get his hands on the biggest prize in football.

England are well-placed to reach South Africa after winning their first five qualifiers to open up a five-point lead over nearest rivals, Croatia.

Further wins, in Kazakhstan on Saturday and against Andorra at Wembley on June 10, would put Fabio Capello’s men on the brink of clinching top spot in their group and Gerrard is determined not to miss out on a tournament that will be played just after his 30th birthday.

“For me, it will be the last chance of doing well at a World Cup,” the Liverpool captain admitted during a break from England’s preparations for the long trip to Kazakhstan.

“Maybe by the time of the next one (2014) I might not be in my prime. That is a big motivation for me.

“We’ve now got these two important qualifiers coming up and if we want to play in the finals, we’ve got to get two good results.

“When we met up with the manager he said basically he wants the two wins to put us in the driving seat in the group. If we win these two games, we may possibly only need three more points.

“Of course, we know it will be warm in Kazakhstan and any international away from home is very difficult but there will be no excuses on our part.

“We should win these two games comfortably and put ourselves on the brink of going through.”

Capello has denied Gerrard the central role he plays for Liverpool but the midfielder insists he is happy to fit in on the left of midfield with a license to get forward and swap positions with Wayne Rooney, usually deployed behind a central striker.

“The manager has put me there but with strict orders to interchange with Wayne,” Gerrard said. “He wants me to pick up dangerous positions in a central area and not just on the left. I think he understands I’m not a left-winger.

“He sees the relationship with Wayne improving. We get on very well on and off the pitch and I think that partnership can certainly improve going forward.”

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Tevez has future at Man Utd, Ferguson says

May 17, 2009


LONDON (AFP) – Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson says he is convinced striker Carlos Tevez will stay at Old Trafford despite the player’s repeated expressions of discontent.

The Argentinian’s future has been in doubt all season and remains so despite the club clinching a third straight Premier League title on Saturday.

His two-year loan deal runs out this summer and no deal is in sight with Tevez also saying he is unhappy at not commanding a regular spot in the starting lineup.

That unrest was again evident against Arsenal when he appeared to wave goodbye to the Old Trafford crowd when he was substituted.

Ferguson though insists that Tevez still has a future in Manchester.

“The demands originally put to us were unrealistic,” he told The Sunday Times.

“Like other clubs, we have to be aware of the consequences of the credit crunch. It’s no time to be careless about money.

“As far as Tevez is concerned, everybody would be best served by a willingness to compromise.”

Ferguson also said he believed Cristiano Ronaldo’s would stay at the club despite the interest shown in him by Real Madrid.

“The indications I’m getting from the dressing room are that the other players don’t feel he is behaving as if he’s discontented.

“Obviously you can’t stop people pressing him with offers but we have handled that the best way we can.

“His contract with us runs until 2012 and we are in the driving seat.”

United meet Barcelona in Rome a week on Wednesday as they attempt to become the first side to retain the Champions League title.

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Rangers boss stunned by red-card referee

May 17, 2009


GLASGOW (AFP) – Rangers boss Walter Smith lashed out at controversial referee Stuart Dougal after his side were reduced to 10 men in the 2-1 win over Aberdeen.

Rangers returned to the top of the Scottish Premier League ahead of Celtic’s game against Hibernian on Sunday when an own goal from Ricky Foster and a Kenny Miller header put the Gers in the driving seat before a late goal from substitute Michael Paton set up a nervous finish.

Celtic will go top on goal difference if they win at Easter Road with just a final game against Hearts at Parkhead to go, while Rangers face a difficult away trip to Tannadice against Dundee United.

But one player who will miss that vital clash as Rangers bid to stop Celtic claiming their fourth championship in a row is Madjid Bougherra.

The defender was given his marching orders shortly before half-time by Dougal, who was already at the centre of a storm following Tuesday’s Celtic and Dundee United game when he missed a high challenge from Australian Scott McDonald on Lee Wilkie.

Dougal flashed the red card after assistant referee Graham Chambers adjudged the Algerian had deliberately kicked Dons keeper Jamie Langfield in the head after he slid in with his studs chasing a ball in the box.

But Smith was incensed with the decision and doesn’t know if he will be able to appeal it to allow Bougherra to play in next week’s title showdown.

“It was an incredible ordering off. The linesman has stated to me that the player deliberately kicked the goalkeeper on the head, which I found absolutely incredibly when I saw it on TV,” Smith said.

“For him to make that kind of assumption was incredible. We’ve lost a player for the majority of the game for a circumstance which obviously wasn’t the case.

“To be honest I don’t know if we can appeal it. There was talk that there was going to be a review panel. I don’t know whether that is the same panel which looks at ordering offs but according to the lads it doesn’t sit till next season which is obviously not much good to anybody.”

It was the second controversial moment of the game after Dons defender Charlie Mulgrew saw red for a clash with Kyle Lafferty.

The former Celtic player reacted angrily to a foul by the Northern Ireland international on the touchline and leaned in with his head, but didn’t appear to make contact with the winger.

Smith said he would be talking to Lafferty about the part he played in the incident.

“I was disappointed with my own player’s reaction to the first ordering off. I didn’t think there was any great contact made there at all,” Smith stated.

“Obviously we will have to have words with Kyle.”

Despite all the controversy surrounding the match, Smith was pleased to pick up the win which means Rangers are still in with a chance to win their first league title in four years.

“It was all about winning the match. I said before the game everyone always considers that if you go into a game you’ve got to get a number of goals but it’s not like that,” Smith said.

“You’ve got to win the game and even late on we had a couple of really good opportunities where we could have added to the score-line and didn’t so.

“We are disappointed we didn’t add to the couple of goals we scored but the most important thing was that we won the game.”

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United´s rivals running out of time, says Ferguson

May 3, 2009

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MIDDLESBROUGH (AFP) – Sir Alex Ferguson has warned Manchester United’s title rivals they are running out of time to catch the Premier League leaders.

Goals from Ryan Giggs and South Korea winger Park Ji-Sung sealed an easy 2-0 win at Middlesbrough to extend the European Champions’ advantage to a commanding six points with just four games remaining.

Liverpool could close the gap to three points with a victory over Newcastle at Anfield on Sunday, but United have a game in hand against Wigan, ensuring they remain firmly in the driving seat.

United could not have asked for an easier warm-up for Tuesday’s Champions League semi-final second-leg at Arsenal as they strolled to a fifth consecutive league victory to move a significant step closer to a record-equalling 18th English title.

Liverpool and Chelsea remain in pursuit in case of any late slip-ups as United chase a third consecutive title, but Ferguson remains fully confident of leading his side to further silverware.

He insisted: “This is a big step forward towards retaining the title. I keep saying that if you whittle the games away, eventually there are no games left and hopefully we’ll get to that position in a couple of weeks.”

The result was never in doubt after Giggs’ strike midway through the first-half, confidently swept home left-footed from the edge of the box for the midfielder’s fourth goal of the season to increase the pressure on relegation-threatened Middlesbrough.

It capped a memorable few days for the newly crowned Professional Footballers’ Player of the year, who made his record-breaking 800th appearance for the club in midweek.

Giggs said: “It’s been a great week, and it couldn’t have gone better really. I won the award, made my 800th appearance and then scored against Middlesbrough.”

Despite their dominant position, Giggs refused to accept United’s latest title is already in the bag.

He added: “We always had this penciled in as a tough game because we struggled here last year so we just wanted to get this one out of the way.

“We’ve done that and now and we’ve just got to concentrate on the remaining games because Liverpool are a good side and it will go right to the end.”

Park’s angled drive soon after the re-start from Wayne Rooney’s sublime slide-rule pass sealed victory against Boro, whose best chance came early on when forward Jeremie Aliadiere shot against the legs goalkeeper Ben Foster, one of seven United changes as Ferguson shuffled his pack ahead of the Arsenal showdown.

The Scot, whose side looked fresh despite clocking up a 60th game of the campaign, added: “With the position that Middlesbrough are in we knew it would be a battle and that they’d come at us early on.

“But once we got hold of the ball we always looked a danger. Getting in front was the key, that sealed the victory.”

Middlesbrough have just three games left to stage an unlikely escape from the bottom three, and face a make-or-break trip to relegation rivals Newcastle when they return to action on May 11, with the loser all but certain to be doomed to the drop.

A first home defeat for for more than four months leaves them second from bottom and after just two victories in their last 23 league games, the Teesside club need to show a vast improvement if they are to extend their 11-year stay in the top flight.

Manager Gareth Southgate admitted: “We’ve been in the bottom three for a long time now and we know we have to go to Newcastle and win. We have to handle the atmosphere there and it’s the last throw of the dice.

“We needed to score first against United and even though the goals we conceded weren’t very good from our point of view, in truth we were beaten by a better team.”

When asked if he sees anyone catching United at the top, Southgate added: “I don’t think so.”

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Trochowski strike puts Hamburg in driving seat

May 1, 2009

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BREMEN, Germany (AFP) – Germany winger Piotr Trochowski drew first blood for Hamburg in the first-leg of the all-German UEFA Cup semi-final as his winning goal sealed a 1-0 win at Bundesliga rivals Werder Bremen on Thursday.

This was the second of four derbies between the north Germany neighbours who have met each other in the German Cup last week, play twice in consecutive weeks in the UEFA Cup before meeting again in the Bundesliga on May 10.

It was sweet revenge for visitors Hamburg after their German Cup semi-final heart-break the previous week at the hands of Bremen.

Goalkeeper Tim Wiese had been Werder’s hero the week before when his three consecutive saves in the penalty shoot-out at Hamburg knocked the hosts out of the German Cup and put his side in the final on May 30.

Not since 1989 have two German teams reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup and this was this first time in 26 years Hamburg have reached a Euro semi-final since they beat Juventus 1-0 to win the 1983 European Cup.

Hamburg went ahead here when midfielder Guy Demel crossed the ball in from the right and Trochowski headed home from close-range giving Wiese no chance on 28 minutes.

It was 1-0 to the guests at half-time and Hamburg’s Bayern Munich-bound striker Ivica Olic had the chance to put his side further ahead when he broke into acres of space just after the hour mark, but fired straight at Wiese.

Moments later Peru striker Jose Paolo Guerrero earned himself a yellow card and will be suspended from the return leg at Hamburg’s HSH Nordbank Arena next Thursday.

With time running out, Werder raised the tempo to try and earn an all-important away goal, but Hamburg goalkeeper Frank Rost was not to be beaten.

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Fernandinho saves Shakhtar in all-Ukraine showdown

May 1, 2009

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KIEV (AFP) – Shakhtar Donetsk will take a slight advantage into the second leg of their UEFA Cup semi-final against fellow Ukrainians Dynamo Kiev after drawing 1-1 against them here in the first leg on Thursday.

Fernandinho equalised team-mate Dmytro Chygrynskiy’s first-half own goal to make Shakhtar favourites to become the first Ukrainian side to qualify for a major European final since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Shakhtar are the reigning Ukrainian champions but Dynamo lead the current domestic standings by 12 points from their rivals and it was the home side who drew first blood when Chygrynskiy deflected Oleksandr Aliyev’s driven free-kick into his own net in the 22nd minute.

Neither side had shown much attacking endeavour in a muted opening and the visitors didn’t threaten until Brazilian winger Fernandinho tested Dynamo goalkeeper Stanyslav Bohush with a low shot on the half-hour mark.

Bohush then raced from his line to deny Luiz Adriano as Shakhtar grew bolder, but in first-half injury time Dynamo almost increased their lead when Correa’s deflected strike brushed the right-hand upright.

Artem Milevskiy glanced a header wide from another Aliyev set-piece in the early stages of the second period before defender Ognjen Vukojevic diverted an Aliyev long-ranger inches wide shortly afterwards.

Dynamo were firmly in the ascendancy, but in the 68th minute three of Shakhtar’s Brazilian contingent combined to craft a priceless equaliser.

Jadson sprang the offside trap with a pass to substitute Willian on the right and his low cross was slid home by Fernandinho, putting Shakhtar firmly in the driving seat prior to the second leg on May 7.

The winners of the tie will play either Werder Bremen or Hamburg, who face off in the first leg of their all-German semi-final later on Thursday evening.

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United in Premiership title driving seat: Benitez

April 22, 2009

LIVERPOOL, England (AFP) – Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez admitted Manchester United were in the driving seat for the title after watching his side drop two crucial points at Anfield.

The Spaniard blamed “massive mistakes” after his side were held to a 4-4 draw by Arsenal, for whom Andriy Arshavin scored all four of his side’s goals – the first player to achieve such a feat at Anfield in a league match since Denis Westcott for Wolves in 1946 – in an astonishing match.

Ironically the point was enough to take Liverpool back to the top of the table, level on points with United but with a better goal difference.

However, United now have two games in hand over their rivals and barring a catastrophic collapse, ought to seal their third successive domestic title.

“I’m really disappointed because we conceded four goals,” said Benitez.

“The positive thing is we have scored four goals, but I’m disappointed because we have made massive mistakes.

“We have been fighting so hard and we will continue to do so. It has to be like this.

“They (United) were already in the driving seat and if they win their games in hand then it will be more and more difficult for us (to win the title).”

With five games and 15 points still to play for, Benitez is reluctant to concede defeat to United in the race for the Premier League.

And he insisted that Sir Alex Ferguson’s side still had it all to do.

“They have to win and they still have to play Arsenal yet,” he added.

Having bowed out of the Champions League after a 4-4 draw at Chelsea last week, Liverpool have now conceded eight times in two games.

It would have been worse for Liverpool had Yossi Benayoun not netted a last-ditch equaliser, the Israel midfielder’s second goal of the game.

“It’s very difficult to explain why we conceded so many goals.

“But to score at the end shows we have very good characters in the side.

“We will keep going until the end. We need to keep the confidence.”

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger saluted Arshavin after the Russia striker’s four-goal display.

Arshavin fired the visitors into a first half lead against the run of play before goals by Fernando Torres and Benayoun put Liverpool in control.

In a dramatic match full of twists and turns, Arshavin scored two quick goals to turn the game on its head before Torres made it 3-3. There was still time for Arshavin to make it 4-3 before Benayoun had the final say.

“Arshavin can play everywhere like all the great players,” said Wenger.

“He has a lot of tricks and he’s very dangerous.”

Wenger refused to write off Liverpool’s title hopes and believes the race is far from over.

“It was a top quality game played at a tremendous pace,” he added.

“Both teams created many chances and I give my players credit for the way they performed.

“It’s (title race) still very open.

“It depends on what kind of form United are in and depends on how they bounce back after going out of the FA Cup.”

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