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Spurs have new gleam under Redknapp

If ever proof was needed of the renaissance enjoyed by Tottenham Hotspur under the guidance of Harry Redknapp, it could be writ large in the English Premier League table on Saturday.

The north Londoners could move joint top with a home win over Stoke City, almost a year to the day since Redknapp assumed control of a club in freefall.

Their stay at the summit might be brief – Chelsea could overtake them with a victory over Blackburn later Saturday, while Manchester United do not play against Liverpool until Sunday – and given Stoke’s dogged reputation, it might not even happen at all.

But, either way, there can be no doubting the extraordinary effect Redknapp has had on Tottenham in the space of 12 short months.

The extent of Spurs’ woes in October 2008 can hardly be overstated.

Team morale was at an all-time low when Juande Ramos was sacked by chairman Daniel Levy following a meek Uefa Cup defeat to Udinese, a result which followed hard on the heels of a reverse at Stoke which set new standards in incompetence.

Spurs ended that game with nine men, a goalkeeper, Heurelho Gomes, in tears, and well beaten by a side whose sheer physicality overwhelmed a team with a well-deserved reputation for flakiness.

Tottenham were bottom of the table with just two points when Redknapp was parachuted in from Portsmouth to perform a rescue act; now, they are deservedly being mooted as possible contenders for a top four finish.

There is no great secret to Redknapp’s success. He has made a string of astute signings, beefing up his midfield with the addition of Wilson Palacios from Wigan and adding a cutting edge to his front-line by recruiting Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch from Pompey.

Other than that, his triumph appears to lie in having convinced his squad to enjoy their football once again, allowing Tottenham to regain their former reputation as one of English football’s great entertainers.

Aaron Lennon, previously a frustrating talent, is finding consistency and players such as Benoit Assou-Ekotto, once cowed by the expectations which hang heavy at White Hart Lane, are revelling in their surroundings.

The net result is that the club’s ambitions are beginning to mushroom, much to Redknapp’s pleasure. “We have to believe and we have to have a go,” he said. “That is the aim and I can’t keep saying we can’t do it.

“This is the year the top teams are getting beaten. In other years it’s been different but Chelsea and Liverpool were beaten last weekend.

“Liverpool only lost twice last year in the league. There are teams now who, on their better days, can knock the top sides over so I think the league is getting closer.

“Aston Villa got a great result against Chelsea and are going to be there, Manchester City can achieve anything with their squad. We can look to push on and be around that top group all season.”

Tottenham’s progress has earned admiring glances from Stoke manager Tony Pulis, who now believes the Premier League’s traditional ‘big four’ has been doubled in size.

“There is definitely a ‘Big Eight’ now,” he observed. “It is getting a lot more open and Spurs are now a team that can break into the top four, without a doubt.

“I would place them alongside Manchester City, Aston Villa and Everton as the teams with potential to unsettle the big boys,” Pulis added.

“They have just got a wealth of attacking options and it’s undoubtedly one of our toughest games of the season.”

That said, Stoke are no pushovers. Pulis has established the Potters as one of the top flight’s most rigorously disciplined and hard-working teams who like nothing better than upsetting the established elite.

Their visit will be a test of Spurs’ new-found credentials under Redknapp.

LONDON (AFP)

Tags: daniel levy, deserved reputation, english football, English Premier League, english premier league table, freefall, Goalkeeper, hard on the heels, Hotspur, jermain defoe, juande ramos, londoners, manchester united, midfield, peter crouch, pompey, rescue act, UEFA Cup, wilson palacios

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United shuffle pack as Gerrard bolsters Liverpool

LONDON (AFP) – Manchester United descend on relegation-threatened Middlesbrough this weekend knowing another three points will leave them on the brink of a third consecutive Premier League title.

But United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted that he cannot afford to unleash all his big guns at the Riverside given that his squad will have only two days to recover before defending a 1-0 advantage in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final against Arsenal.

With a three-point advantage over Liverpool and a game in hand, United have a significant margin for error in the league.

But with testing fixtures to come – next weekend’s Manchester derby and Arsenal’s visit to Old Trafford on May 16 – Ferguson will demand that no mercy is shown to Gareth Southgate’s strugglers.

Liverpool will be bolstered by the return of captain Steven Gerrard from injury as they seek to exploit any slip-up by United at the expense of relegation-threatened Newcastle, who travel to Anfield on Sunday with goals, points and confidence all in short supply.

The Magpies have claimed just two points in the four matches that Alan Shearer – brought in belatedly as an anti-relegation fire-fighter – has been in charge while Michael Owen will return to his former club without a goal since January 10.

Newcastle would have been in a much better position had Owen taken the best chance of the match in Monday’s goalless draw with Portsmouth.

As it is, they stand three points behind Hull, the side currently occupying the last survival spot, although their superior goal difference gives them an edge that could make all the difference on the final day of the season.

Hull entertain Manchester United that day and will hope that either the title race is done and dusted by then or that they have put themselves above the relegation water-line.

Phil Brown’s side have been in freefall since December but they will believe they can claim what would be only their second league win of 2009 against an Aston Villa side that has given up any hope of a top four finish after a run of 12 games without a win.

Villa expect to have England striker Gabriel Agbonlahor back for Monday night’s match at Villa Park.

Villa’s collapse has ensured Arsenal are virtually assured of fourth place and have the luxury of fielding a weakened side at Portsmouth to preserve energy levels for Champions League duty next week.

Manager Arsene Wenger has insisted he will not be doing that as the Gunners seek to extend their 20-match unbeaten run in the league.

But Pompey will nonetheless be hopeful of coming up against opponents with their minds elsewhere as they look for the win that could guarantee their top flight status.

Stoke and Bolton also have the opportunity to make themselves – virtually if not mathematically – safe with wins, respectively, at home to West Ham and away to Wigan.

Blackburn can also effectively secure their place among the elite although they arguably have a tougher task against a Manchester City side that has been strong on home soil all season.

Third-placed Chelsea face Fulham in a west London derby on Saturday, four days before their own Champions League semi-final second leg, against Barcelona.

Fulham are on track to clinch a place in next season’s Europa Cup, the successor to the UEFA Cup, and Roy Hodgson admits his thoughts have already turned to the expansion and strengthening of his squad that will be required to cope with the additional fixtures a European campaign will entail.

“If do we make Europe it will put a strain on the squad,” Hodgson admitted this week. “Luckily we’ve made ourselves a slightly more attractive proposition for new players with the work we’ve done this season.”

Fixtures (1400 GMT kick-offs unless stated)

Saturday

Chelsea v Fulham, Manchester City v Blackburn, Middlesbrough v Manchester Utd (1145 GMT), Portsmouth v Arsenal, Stoke City v West Ham, Tottenham v West Brom, Wigan v Bolton

Sunday

Liverpool v Newcastle (1130 GMT), Sunderland v Everton (1500 GMT)

Monday

Aston Villa v Hull City (1900 GMT)

Tags: alan shearer, aston villa, Barcelona, big guns, brink, captain steven, captain Steven Gerrard, CHELSEA, England, English Premier League, Europe, fire fighter, freefall, fulham, gabriel agbonlahor, gareth southgate, goal difference, hull city, Liverpool, magpies, Manchester, manchester city, manchester united, michael owen, no mercy, old trafford, Owen, phil brown, point advantage, Portsmouth, premier league, roy hodgson, sir alex ferguson, Steven Gerrard, Stoke City, Sunderland, villa park, water line, west brom, west ham, west london

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Risky move for Man in Black Simeone

Diego Simeone was often described as playing with a knife between his teeth as he scowled his way through 106 internationals for Argentina.

As a coach, the former Lazio, Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid player cuts an equally menacing figure as he prowls the touchline, unshaven and dressed all in black.

Simeone got off to a flying start to his coaching career by helping Estudiantes win the Apertura championship in 2006, their first major title for 23 years.

One year ago, the man who famously provoked David Beckham’s sending-off in the epic England-Argentina match at the 1998 World Cup, added another domestic title to his cabinet as his River Plate team won the Clausura championship.

By the time Alfio Basile quit as Argentina coach in October, Simeone was already being tipped as a possible replacement.

Unfortunately for Simeone, his career was by then in freefall. River suffered an unprecedented 11-match winless run which left them at the bottom of the table and Simeone quit. In between, Diego Maradona came from nowhere to be given the Argentina job.

Simeone has now been given the chance to resurrect his career at San Lorenzo, another of Argentina’s big clubs. But he has made a risky move.

San Lorenzo are in disarray, weighed down by debts and with an expensive squad of under-achieving players which is expected to be disbanded at the end of the current season in June.

He is going to have to rebuild it on a greatly reduced budget, yet the supporters’ expectations will remain as high as ever.

If Simeone can rebuild San Lorenzo, he will have put his career firmly back on track. If he fails, then San Lorenzo could go down the same path as the likes of Independiente and Racing Club, two other big clubs who have seen themselves overtaken by smaller rivals such as Lanus and Arsenal.

And if that happens, then Simeone will run the risk of becoming a journeyman coach who flits from club to club.

PHOTO: Diego Simeone, head coach of Argentina’s River Plate, looks down during their first-leg quarter-final Copa Sudamericana soccer match against Mexico’s Chivas Guadalajara in Buenos Aires, October 22, 2008. REUTERS/Marcos Brindicci

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Tags: 23 years, Argentina, Atletico, atletico madrid, BUENOS AIRES, club photo, David Beckham, debts, diego maradona, diego simeone, disarray, England, firs, freefall, Guadalajara, head coach, inter milan, internationals, lanus, lazio, lazio inter, Lorenzo, MADRID, Marcos Brindicci, Mexico, Milan, risky move, rivals, river plate, san lorenzo

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Lyon´s season in freefall

LYON (AFP) – The season of French League reigning champions Lyon is in danger of becoming pear-shaped following a 2-0 home loss to Auxerre, meaning a win for Paris Saint Germain later on Sunday would hand them top spot.

Barcelona’s 5-2 midweek thrashing of Lyon to knock them out of the Champions League, plus their recent elimination by Lille while defending the French Cup title, has meant an eighth consecutive league title is now their only aim after four consecutive defeats in all competitions.

Goals from Auxerre’s Ireneusz Jelen and then Thomas Kahlenberg in the third minute of injury time condemned Lyon to their first home defeat of the season following seven wins and six draws at their Gerland stadium.

Lyon’s last home league defeat was way back in November 2007.

A victory for PSG against arch-rivals Marseille at the Parc des Princes would put them two points clear at the top, making a trophyless season for Lyon a possibility following a league and cup double last year.

Towards the end of an uneventful first half, Jelen made the most of a bad clearance by Lyon defender Jean-Alain Boumsong and a Kahlenberg pass to find the net before Kahlenberg scored himself by lobbing keeper Hugo Lloris, who had come too far off his line, in the third minute of injury time.

Two minutes before the second goal, Auxerre had failed to convert a penalty kick when Cedric Hengbart’s effort was saved by Lloris, who had fouled Kevin Lejeune in the box moments earlier.

Written by: AFP

Tags: arch rivals, Barcelona, cedric, Cedric Hengbart, champions league, consecutive league, freefall, french cup, french league, gerland, Germain, Hugo Lloris, injury time, ireneusz jelen, jean alain boumsong, Kevin Lejeune, Ligue 1, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, parc des princes, PARIS, paris saint germain, pear, penalty kick, psg, Thomas, two minutes

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Adams facing the axe from Portsmouth — reports

LONDON (AFP) – Tony Adams’ future at Fratton Park was under scrunity again Monday amid media reports that the Portsmouth manager is facing the axe, after less than four months in charge.

The Telegraph and the Daily Mail newspapers reported that the former Arsenal and England defender would be sacked later Monday, and the Sun claimed the decision had already been taken.

Portsmouth have been in freefall since Adams replaced Harry Redknapp, who took over at Tottenham earlier this season.

The team has managed just two wins in 15 league games since he took charge on October 28, and has slid to within one point of the relegation zone.

The Sun reported a source saying that chief executive Peter Storrie broke the news to Adams on Sunday afternoon, and it came as "a complete suprise to him as he had previously been told he was safe until the end of the season".

After Portsmouth’s 3-2 defeat to Liverpool on Saturday, Adams had appeared confident about his future, saying: "We have got a third of the season to go and have to play the teams around us so we are not too downhearted."

Written by: AFP

Tags: AFP, arsenal, axe, chief executive, daily mail, England, English Premier League, four months, Fratton Park, freefall, Harry Redknapp, league games, Liverpool, london, newspapers, Portsmouth, relegation zone, Sun, sunday afternoon, suprise, telegraph

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I won´t quit on Portsmouth, says Adams

LONDON (AFP) – Tony Adams insists he has no intention of walking away from Portsmouth despite his side’s slump into the Premier League relegation battle.

Adams was already coming under increasing pressure before Saturday’s 3-1 defeat at Fulham saw Portsmouth slide to 15th in the table – just one point above the relegation zone.

Portsmouth have been in freefall since Adams replaced Harry Redknapp, who took over at Tottenham earlier this season. The Fratton Park club have lost six of their last seven matches and are without a win since November.

Adams has only presided over two league victories and reports of player discontent were fuelled by the departures of Jermain Defoe and Lassana Diarra during the transfer window.

With Portsmouth chief executive Peter Storrie reported to have called crisis talks with the club’s owner Sacha Gaydamak, Adams could be in danger of losing his job just three months after taking charge.

But he told BBC Sport: "I’ll pick us up and get on with the next game and rally the troops. I don’t run away.

"I’ll fight and these players have to fight and stay together. It’s a scrap, but I’ll be scrapping."

"I do my job to the best of my ability. It has been a tough period. The last two months have been difficult, both on and off the pitch."

Written by: AFP

Tags: bbc, chief executive, crisis talks, departures, diarra, discontent, English Premier League, Fratton Park, freefall, fulham, gaydamak, Harry Redknapp, jermain defoe, last two months, Portsmouth, premier league, relegation battle, relegation zone, slump, three months

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