Humiliated Real pumped up for Getafe derby

October 31, 2009

It has been called Real Madrid’s most humiliating defeat ever in the local media with Tuesday?s 4-0 first leg Cup thrashing by third division Alcorcon giving coach Manuel Pellegrini and his Real stars food for thought ahead of Saturday?s home derby with Getafe.

Real have failed to win any of their last three matches and the shambles in Alcorcon – a team from the Madrid suburbs that have never played in the top-flight – has cranked up the pressure on Pellegrini for the derby duel with Getafe.

“It is embarrassing and a difficult defeat to stomach,” confessed Pellegrini. “We have to show our character and every single person has to take responsibility so that we can turn things around in the next game.”

Getafe have proved a difficult customer for Real in the past – triumphing 3-1 at home last season in a match that nudged Bernd Schuster closer to the exit door – and Real can’t afford to slip up any more with champions Barcelona three points clear at the top.

Pellegrini can bring in the rested Kaka who sat out the Alcorcon debarcle but Cristiano Ronaldo is still out injured with an ankle problem.

Real’s form has slumped in the absence of Ronaldo with defeats against Sevilla, AC Milan and Alcorcon along with a 0-0 draw at Sporting Gijon.

While Real have failed to score in their last two games Barcelona crushed Real Zaragoza 6-1 at the weekend and hope to carry on their good form at Osasuna on Saturday.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored twice in the Zaragoza rout to become the league’s joint top-scorer with seven goals but the display of Lionel Messi was the major boost with the Argentine back to his best after a dip in form.

“I didn?t have the happiest of times with the national team or in the Valencia game but I knew I would bounce back,” said Messi. “The coach and players supported me and the fans have always been behind me even when I didn’t do things well.”

Osasuna beat Barcelona 1-0 at Camp Nou on the penultimate day of last season although Barca had already wrapped up the title and fielded a string of youngsters.

Elsewhere, Quique Sanchez Flores is ready for his managerial league bow with Atletico Madrid beginning with a trip to Athletic Bilbao on Saturday night.

Former Valencia coach Flores was presented on Monday following Abel Resino’s sacking and Atletico, a point above the relegation zone, hope he can guide the club back into the top four.

“The first thing we want to do is get the best out of the quality players we have,” said Flores. “I believe in the players and that we have enough quality to get out of this situation.”

Flores won his first match in charge with a 2-0 victory over Marbella in the Kings Cup on Wednesday and Bilbao are on the slide losing four out of their last five league outings.

Villarreal are another top side struggling down at the bottom although they got their first win of the season last weekend to move off the foot of the table.

Brazilian striker Nilmar scored his long-awaited first goal for the club following a club record 11 million euro move in the summer and hopes for more goals in the next match at home to promoted Tenerife on Sunday.

“Scoring goals always gives you confidence and now I want to go on a good run as does the team,” said Nilmar.

In other matches, third-placed Sevilla want to hit the goal trail again at Xerez on Saturday having failed to score in their last two league matches.

Sevilla have slipped six points behind pacesetters Barcelona and their title hopes could be over by Christmas if they don?t get back on track soon.

Valencia are just a point behind Sevilla in fourth and travel to basement boys Malaga on Sunday.

Malaga thrashed Atletico Madrid 3-0 on the opening day of the season but have not won since.

Fixtures

Saturday

Real Madrid v Getafe (1600 GMT), Osasuna v Barcelona (1800 GMT), Xerez v Sevilla (1800 GMT), Athletic Bilbao v Atletico Madrid (2000 GMT)

Sunday (all 1500 GMT unless stated) Real Zaragoza v Almeria, Real Mallorca v Racing Santander, Villarreal v Tenerife, Espanyol v Valladolid, Malaga v Valencia (1700 GMT) Deportivo La Coruna v Sporting Gijon (1900 GMT)

MADRID (AFP)

Tags: ac milan, Bernd Schuster, camp nou, cristiano ronaldo, difficult customer, food for thought, kaka, lionel messi, local media, manuel pellegrini, osasuna, real madrid, ronaldo, rout, shambles, sporting gijon, top flight, top scorer, zlatan ibrahimovic

Defence key as Wenger plans for United showdown

May 3, 2009

PORTSMOUTH, England (AFP) – Arsene Wenger believes Arsenal’s Champions League fate will be determined by their ability to shut out Manchester United’s galaxy of attacking stars.

Nicklas Bendtner’s brace and Mexican youngster Carlos Vela’s first ever Premier League goal helped Arsenal cruise to a 3-0 win at Portsmouth on Saturday and provided the perfect boost ahead of Tuesday’s semi-final second-leg clash with Manchester United.

Arsenal must overturn a one-goal deficit and cannot afford to allow Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov and company to snatch a crucial away goal.

But Wenger’s side have not conceded at the Emirates Stadium in the league since December 21 and the Frenchman hopes a clean sheet against the European champions will provide the foundation for a memorable victory.

Wenger, who rested eight first-team players from the 1-0 defeat at Old Trafford, said: “Our next game is a big one but we will be ready and you will see a very strong Arsenal team.

“I do not say we are happy with a 1-0 because you can never say you are happy after a defeat, but we are still only half-way and at the Emirates we have a good opportunity to beat them.

“We have a good defensive record at the Emirates and in the Premier League Manchester United have suffered in away games.

“We can have an attacking style at home without conceding goals and that is what we want to do on Tuesday.

“I believe in the strength of character in this team and there is a desire to go through – that will certainly be a huge motivation.”

Wenger has already lost Croatian Eduardo to yet another injury while Robin van Persie and defender Mikael Silvestre are serious doubts.

But, with Bendtner leading the line at Fratton Park, Wenger has been given some food for thought as the Danish international grabbed his first against Portsmouth with a header that squirmed through the hands of David James.

Bendtner, a second-half substitute in the game at Old Trafford, had a second and his 13th of the season from the penalty spot after Andrey Arshavin was adjudged to have been brought down by Sean Davis.

Vela completed the rout in the second half with a fine finish after receiving Arshavin’s pass.

Arshavin is unable to face United after playing for Zenit St Petersburg in Europe this season and Wenger added: “I have not decided on my team for Tuesday, some could play from the win at Portsmouth, I do not know.

“I have always believed in Nicklas Bendtner. I think he is developing very well and he showed that with his performance.”

Portsmouth, who lost defender Noe Pamarot to a red card late on, are still flirting with relegation in the bottom half of the Premier League as they were unable to seal the three points to guarantee them safety.

Nwankwo Kanu and John Utaka spurned fine chances just after the break to lift their side back into the contest and with three games remaining the south coast side could still conceivably go down.

Paul Hart’s side have lost just three of their last 11 games and are seven points above the drop-zone but have a tricky trip to fellow strugglers Blackburn next weekend.

Hart said: “I have spoken to Arsene Wenger and he thinks we have got enough points but I am not so confident, I think we need one more win maybe.

“The big difference between the sides was that they took their chances and we did not.

“We made some changes at half-time to try and get back into the game and created more chances but we could not take them.”

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Kaka and Man City seems an unnatural fit

January 17, 2009

In a world suffering from such a serious economic downturn, one that is causing millions of ordinary people financial hardship, there is almost something obscene about the amount of money Manchester City are reportedly hoping to spend on acquiring Kaka from AC Milan.

There are many definitions of obscenity in the dictionary but the one that best describes Manchester City’s pursuit of the Brazilian midfielder is simply “beyond all reason”.

City are said to have offered 100 million-plus pounds for Kaka, plus reported wages of 500,000 pounds a week, money that will earn the genius just shy of 3,000 pounds an hour — even when he is sleeping.

Of course, money in football has long been divorced from the real world but Arsene Wenger’s comments on the Kaka saga are worrying food for thought.

“It doesn’t look in connection with what is today’s world,” Wenger said. “On the one hand you have the economic situation, which is worrying. It goes against the economic situation and I don’t feel in connection with that, because we are at a club where we live in the real world. We live with three incomes: the gates, the sponsors and the television money. That is the real world of football, the rest is exceptional. It is a special income with unlimited resources. Good luck to them. But it’s not the real world.”

Would signing Kaka even make sense if the sums involved were more reasonable? No-one can predict with certainty what sort of impact Kaka would have on Manchester City, but a playmaker doesn’t seem to be their immediate priority. City lost 3-0 to Championship strugglers Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup two weeks ago: surely their priority is to rebuild the defence.

Kaka’s arrival will not land them a top four finish this season and there is no guarantee it will next season either.

Historically Brazilians have not thrived in England. Even Robinho, who arrived at City last year for a “mere” 32 million British record fee has not proved himself yet.

Manchester City have been under-achievers for decades. A hundred million or a thousand million won’t necessarily change that in the foreseeable future.

Perhaps one reason for that is this: psychologically they are Manchester’s second club and it would take them years to change that fact, if it’s possible at all.

They could be richer in cash, perhaps, but what about history, tradition and silverware? And if they can’t be the biggest club in Manchester, how will they ever be the biggest club in England or the world?

PHOTO: Kaka attends a press conference before the FIFA World Player Gala in Zurich, Jan. 12, 2009. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann

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