Benitez expects win to kick-start Liverpool´s season

February 7, 2010

Rafa Benitez expects 10-man Liverpool’s battling 1-0 win over Merseyside rivals Everton to prove a defining moment in their bid to land a Champions League place.

After a dismal run in the first half of the campaign threatened to wreck Liverpool’s hopes of securing a top four finish, Benitez’s team are now unbeaten in seven league matches and back in the hunt for a European spot.

For much of the season, Benitez has been forced to find excuses for Liverpool’s failings and at times he has looked in danger of losing his job.

But the spirit in Liverpool’s dressing room remains strong judging by the way they recovered from Sotirios Kyrgiakoss’ first half dismissal to beat Everton thanks to Dirk Kuyt’s second half header at Anfield.

The game will be remembered as a bad tempered affair, Liverpool forced to play with 10 men for almost an hour after Greek defender Kyrgiakos was sent off for a two-footed challenge on Marouane Fellaini.

Fellaini was fortunate not to be red-carded in the same incident after appearing to stamp on Kyrgiakos while Steven Pienaar, who was later dismissed in stoppage time after his second yellow card, escaped after a poor challenge on Javier Mascherano as tempers boiled over at Anfield.

But Benitez could afford to take a cool view of Kyrgiakos’s dismissal and he believes his side can kick-on after such a “massive’ result”.

“It’s always important to win a derby, but to win a derby with 10 players at Anfield is even more important,” Benitez said. “We did well from the very start and my players worked so hard.

“It’s a credit to us that Everton didn’t put us under much pressure in the second half because we played so well.

“Hopefully, we can now stay in and round fourth spot. There’s still a lot of games to go and it’s a long race.”

As Benitez savoured his team’s gutsy effort, Everton manager David Moyes insisted his side did not deserve to lose the 213th Merseyside derby.

Moyes insisted both Kyrgiakos and Pienaar both deserved to be sent off by referee Martin Atkinson. But the Scot said Everton did enough to stretch their unbeaten Premier League run to 10 games.

Instead they entertain title-chasing Chelsea on Wednesday looking to avoid back-to-back defeats after Kuyt’s winner cemented Liverpool’s fifth straight home league win.

“There have been a lot of derbies quite similar to what we have seen here,” Moyes said.

“Merseyside derbies are not run of the mill games, sometimes there is a bit extra and I think we saw that.

“What did I think about Kyrgiakos’s red card? It was a two-footed tackle, both feet were off the ground. Fellaini’s gone to have an x-ray.

“I didn’t see the incident surrounding Pienaar’s sending off at the time. I’ve seen it since on the tape and he can’t have much argument about it.

“We certainly didn’t deserve to lose. We might not have done enough to win it but we didn’t deserve to lose it.”

Liverpool have now secured a Premier League double over Everton in three of the last five seasons.

Benitez, like his counterpart, refused to get embroiled in any controversy afterwards.

“I think there were too many tackles to analyse and I prefer not to comment on the referee,” he said.

“You can talk about 20 different tackles and have different opinions. To keep everyone calm in a derby is almost impossible. Sometimes it’s difficult to play with your heads and your hearts.”

LIVERPOOL, England (AFP)

Tags: Benitez, champions league, CHELSEA, David Moyes, defining moment, dirk kuyt, dismal run, dressing room, England, game, gutsy effort, Javier Mascherano, job, Liverpool, martin atkinson, mascherano, Merseyside, Moyes, premier league, referee, rivals, Scot, spirit, steven pienaar, stoppage time, tempers

Ten-goal thriller gets Villa to Wembley

January 21, 2010

Aston Villa booked their first Wembley final appearance in a decade after a 6-4 victory over Blackburn Rovers in the second leg of their League Cup semi-final here on Wednesday.

Victory at Villa Park saw Martin O’Neill’s men win the tie 7-4 on aggregate and they will now face either Manchester City or Manchester United in the final.

But his pre-match claim that this was the best Villa team their supporters had seen in 20 years looked hollow as a double from Nikola Kalinic put fellow Premier League side Rovers 2-0 up.

But the way in which Villa fought back and then just about held their nerve at the end of this extraordinary match left O’Neill proud of the character his youthful side had shown.

“I’m just really pleased for the team, which I know is a cliched old phrase, but I’m really delighted for them,” O’Neill said.

“They’ve had to fight back, whilst the crowd were obviously getting very anxious and frustrated, and they grew up tonight.”

Meanwhile Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce bemoaned what he said was referee Martin Atkinson’s failure to spot a shove from Gabriel Agbonlahor on captain Ryan Nelsen that allowed Rovers old boy Stephen Warnock to make it 2-1.

“It’s a bit difficult to take, scoring four goals and not getting through to the final,” Allardyce said.

“We were in complete control of the game, and if anybody is going to score to make it 3-0 it’s us.

“But then the referee allows a blatant foul on Ryan Nelsen to go unpunished, and at this level you have to make sure the referee gets those decisions right.

“We are out of a cup final because of that decision perhaps.”

Villa endured a dreadful opening 25 minutes as they squandered the first leg advantage James Milner had given them in a 1-0 win at Ewood Park before the tie swung in their favour with the sending off of Rovers’ Christopher Samba five minutes before half-time.

Milner converted the penalty, which resulted from Samba’s foul in bringing down Agbonlahor, who later diverted in his team-mate’s shot for Villa’s fourth goal of the game.

But Blackburn continued to push Villa all the way, even a man down.

After Kalinic’s double, Stephen Warnock converted at the far post, following Ashley Young’s cross, to put Villa back into the tie and make amends for his earlier error that gave Rovers such an emphatic start.

Warnock was at fault at the far post, failing to challenge Croatia’s Kalinic for David Dunn’s corner under the crossbar and the Rovers striker’s header struck Warnock on the head before beating American goalkeeper Brad Guzan.

Villa were two down before the half hour mark when Kalinic started the move, which resulted in him tapping home the rebound after Martin Olsson’s header from Morten Gamst Pedersen’s cross had been half saved by Guzan.

Villa simply could not get to grips with Rovers’ five-man midfield, but that all changed when Samba was shown a straight red card for his trip on Agbonlahor as the pair chased Emile Heskey’s through ball.

Milner beat Paul Robinson from the spot before an own goal from Steven Nzonzi and further goals from Agbonlahor and Heskey left Villa with a seemingly comfortable lead.

At that point they could be forgiven for turning their thoughts to whether they played Manchester United or Manchester City, but at least Rovers demonstrated some character of their own to push Villa close.

Olsson produced a stunning volley from Gael Givet’s cross to reduce the deficit and when Brett Emerton’s volley from the edge of the area forced its way through a crowded penalty area, there were some nervous moments for Villa to endure.

But Ashley Young rounded off the evening with a wonderful solo effort, running from half way to beat Robinson with a curling shot.

BIRMINGHAM (AFP)

Tags: aston villa, Birmingham, brad guzan, captain ryan, captain Ryan Nelsen, complete control, croatia, Emile Heskey, Ewood Park, five minutes, gabriel agbonlahor, James Milner, manchester city, martin atkinson, martin o neill, Martin O'Neill, Neill, Nikola Kalinic, paul robinson, premier league, referee, ryan nelsen, Sam, sam allardyce, samba, stephen warnock, United, villa park, Wembley, youthful side

Rooney set for captain´s role in Brazil friendly

November 14, 2009

Wayne Rooney is poised to captain England for the first time in Saturday’s friendly against Brazil after an ankle injury left John Terry struggling to be fit to face the five-times world champions.

The injury forced Terry to skip his usual eve-of-match media duties and although it was Gareth Barry who stood in for him in front of the press, head coach Fabio Capello confirmed that Rooney would take the armband in the event of the regular captain failing to recover.

“If John Terry does not play, Wayne Rooney will be captain,” Capello said. “He is fit and I think he is ready to be captain.”

Capello’s faith in Rooney will come as a surprise to some given the forward’s impetuous streak, which was highlighted as recently as Sunday when he mouthed “12 men” into a television camera at the end of Manchester United’s defeat by Chelsea.

The implied slur on the integrity of match referee Martin Atkinson earned Rooney a rebuke from the Football Association but clearly has not caused Capello to question whether the Manchester United star is ready, at 24 and having recently become a father for the first time, for the responsibility associated with captaining his national side.

Capello maintained that England’s medical staff were confident that Terry would be able to play but, with his Chelsea team-mate Frank Lampard having already flown home, it is highly unlikely that the slightest risk will be taken with the defender’s fitness.

“He has hurt his ankle and we need to check him but I think he will be okay,” Capello said. “But if he is not 100 percent fit, he will not play.”

If Terry is ruled out, Bolton’s Gary Cahill looks set to win his first cap alongside Matthew Upson in the centre of defence with Wes Brown and Wayne Bridge at right- and left-back respectively.

Barry and Rooney will be the only representatives of Capello’s first-choice line-up involved in a fixture that the Italian admits would have been daunting for even his strongest side.

“It is the same in Italy, Germany or England,” Capello said. “There is always a big respect for Brazil. They have won a lot of titles and they always play well. They have a different style and players with a big imagination.

“That’s why it is so important to play against Brazil. We can learn a lot from this match.”

Instead of seeing how his best team can match up to the world’s top-ranked nation, Capello will be able to see how some of his back-up players respond to playing under the unforgiving spotlight of a match against Brazil.

Lampard’s absence will give Michael Carrick an opportunity to restate his case for a central midfield starting role while James Milner and Shaun Wright-Phillips are expected to fill the wide positions.

Saturday evening could be particularly significant for the right winger Wright-Phillips, who currently has Theo Walcott, Aaron Lennon and David Beckham ahead of him in the queue for places on the plane to South Africa.

Capello’s well-established reluctance to partner Rooney with Jermain Defoe means Darren Bent is likely to start up front.

In sharp contrast to the injury problems of England, Brazil are able to call on most of the players who put together a run of 11 straight wins before last month’s defeat by Bolivia in the thin air of La Paz, by which time they were already assured of topping the South American qualifying group for the finals.

Under the guidance of Dunga, captain of the 1994 World Cup winning side, Brazil have re-established themselves as the top-ranked nation in world football.

That has not spared him criticism from some of the most demanding fans on the planet that he has gone too far in sacrificing flair in pursuit of results.

But Lucas, the Liverpool midfielder, believes Dunga has got the balance right.

“Brazil have a lot of quality and skilful players but are also trying to defend well,” he said. “That is the key for any team and we will try to do that against England.

“Dunga has improved us a lot. He has tried to help all the players, we’re stronger tactically, he has improved everything.

“With Brazil, people expect you to play with skill and flair all the time but with Dunga we are looking to play as a team with everyone helping each other.”

DOHA (AFP)

Tags: 12 men, ankle injury, captain England, choice line, coach fabio capello, first cap, football association, Gareth Barry, Gary Cahill, head coach, john terry, martin atkinson, matthew upson, team mate, television camera, wayne bridge, wayne rooney, wes brown, world champions

Police drop probe over Bellamy clash with fan

September 24, 2009

British police have dropped an investigation into a clash between Craig Bellamy and a fan who ran onto the pitch in last weekend’s explosive Manchester derby, a spokesman said Thursday.

The Manchester City player was warned by the Football Association after he responded to the fan by pushing him in the face on Sunday, while the police said they had launched a probe.

But a Greater Manchester Police spokesman said Thursday: “We have received no complaints about this incident and are currently not investigating the matter.”

The fan involved will appear in court on September 30 charged with going on to a football playing area without lawful authority.

Gary Neville, a non-playing Manchester United substitute, was also investigated for his actions in celebrating the home side’s winner by running down the touchline towards the City fans.

But the FA have decided against charging either player with improper conduct, in Bellamy’s case because referee Martin Atkinson told FA officials that he would not have sent off the Welsh star had he seen the incident.

United won the match 4-3 with a Michael Owen goal deep in second-half injury time.

LONDON (AFP)

Tags: british police, city fans, craig bellamy, fa officials, football association, gary neville, greater manchester police, improper conduct, injury time, lawful authority, manchester city, manchester united, martin atkinson, match 4, michael owen, police drop, police spokesman, referee, touchline, welsh star

Pavlyuchenko proves his worth to Redknapp

April 12, 2009

LONDON (AFP) – Roman Pavlyuchenko proved his worth to Tottenham as the Russia striker came off the bench to clinch a 1-0 win over London rivals West Ham on Saturday.

Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink, who works with Pavlyuchenko in his other role as Russia coach, had claimed earlier this week that Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp was wrong to have left Pavlychenko out of his starting line-up so often this season.

Hiddink even insisted Pavlyuchenko would be welcome at Chelsea if Tottenham don’t want him. The Russian was a substitute again at White Hart Lane on Saturday, but he showed Hiddink may have a point as he netted the second half winner after coming on for Darren Bent.

Pavlyuchenko’s fifth league goal this season kept Tottenham in the hunt for a European place and moved them within three points of the seventh placed Hammers.

West Ham fans taunted Redknapp before kick-off but the former Hammers boss has never lost to his former club and his new side made the early running, with Aaron Lennon cutting inside before driving just over.

Spurs felt they should have had a penalty 20 minutes into the contest when Robbie Keane’s shot flicked up and struck James Tomkins’ arm but referee Martin Atkinson waved play on.

Atkinson was unmoved again two minutes later when Keane went over in the penalty area under a challenge from Luis Boa Morte.

Tottenham had another penalty appeal turned down when David Di Michele challenged Vedran Corluka and sent the Croatian tumbling.

Hammers goalkeeper Robert Green was called into action twice in a minute just after the half-hour mark, saving from Tom Huddlestone and then Keane.

Bent headed wide soon after before Heurelho Gomes saved at the near post from Di Michele at the other end.

Tottenham lost Jermaine Jenas to a foot injury at half-time and the England midfielder was replaced by Didier Zokora.

Redknapp made another change early in the second half when he sent on Pavlyuchenko for Bent.

Pavlyuchenko immediately got his head on Huddlestone’s free-kick but Green positioned himself perfectly.

Green then launched the ball upfield and found Di Michele, who raced through behind Jonathan Woodgate and saw his shot saved by Gomes.

But Tottenham took the lead in the 65th minute thanks to Pavlyuchenko. Luka Modric received the ball with his back to goal and squeezed a pass to Pavlyuchenko.

The Russian had to hold off James Collins before driving in a low shot that went past Green and into the far corner.

Kieron Dyer had West Ham’s best chance of an equaliser but he shot wide.

Tottenham could have had a second and it took a fine stop from Green to tip over a curling effort from Lennon before Keane had an effort cleared off the line.

Tags: Aaron Lennon, Bent, David Di Michele, English Premier League, foot injury, free kick, gomes, guus hiddink, Harry Redknapp, Hart Lane, james tomkins, jenas, Jonathan Woodgate, league goal, Luis Boa, luis boa morte, martin atkinson, midfielder, Robbie Keane, robert green, starting line, striker, tom huddlestone, west ham fans, white hart lane, Zokora

English referee will help us, says Filipovic

March 28, 2009

PODGORICA, Montenegro (AFP) – Montenegro coach Zoran Filipovic has hailed the selection of an English referee for Saturday’s World Cup qualifier against Italy here.

Filipovic said that with Martin Atkinson at the helm, the Italians would be less able to resort to gamesmanship tactics to gain an advantage.

"Luckily there will be an Englishman refereeing," said Filipovic.

"With Atkinson on the pitch we will feel calmer because Italy will do anything to get a positive result, even things such as throwing themselves to the floor to buy time."

Montenegro had been infuriated by Italian tactics in the pair’s clash in Lecce last year when the hosts were holding onto a 2-1 lead.

Their players repeatedly went to ground and stayed there while their team-mates indicated to Montenegro players to kick the ball out of play so the player could get medical attention.

This happened many times as Montenegro were counter-attacking and resulted in the visitors accusing the Italians of consistently play-acting.

Filipovic described the Italians as "cunning and simulators" and added: "Italy won’t be helped by an official who is used to a more physical and less stop-start game."

Other than having to deal with the darker antics associated with the Italian game, Filipovic is also confident his team is ready to challenge the world champions, who also lead World Cup qualifying group eight.

"We know everything about Italy and we have a plan to combat them. The most important thing will be our mentality: high motivation but with calm and intelligence," he said.

Midfielder Stevan Jovetic, who plys his club trade in Italy with Fiorentina, said the hosts cannot afford to make mistakes.

"We have to play with calm and concentration for the whole match because against Italy one single mistake can cost you dearly," he said.

Written by: AFP

Tags: antics, concentration, cunning, englishman, filipovic, helm, italian game, italians, Italy, Jovetic, martin atkinson, medical attention, mentality, Montenegro, motivation, referee, refereeing, simulators, stevan jovetic, World Cup, world cup qualifier, world cup qualifying group

Sunderland and Villa to appeal red cards

March 24, 2009

LONDON (AFP) – Sunderland and Aston Villa are to appeal against the red cards shown to George McCartney and Brad Friedel respectively on Sunday, the Football Association announced here Monday.

McCartney was shown a straight red card for "denying a clear goalscoring opportunity" after pulling on the shirt of Shaun Wright-Phillips during Sunderland’s 1-0 Premier League loss to Manchester City.

However, replays suggested contact was only minimal at best and referee Steve Tanner only dismissed McCartney after consulting linesman Mo Matadar.

"There was some sort of contact but the goalkeeper had got the ball in his hands," Sunderland manager Ricky Sbragia said after Sunday’s match.

"The referee asked the linesman a question but there was no definitive answer. They ummed and ahhed a bit and came up with that. It was the pivotal moment."

If the red card is upheld, McCartney will received a one-match ban which would rule him out of Sunderland’s match away to West Ham, his former club, a week on Saturday.

Villa are also contesting the red card shown to Friedel during their 5-0 thrashing by Liverpool. The American goalkeeper was ordered off by referee Martin Atkinson for bringing down Liverpool striker Fernando Torres inside the area in the 65th minute.

Written by: AFP

Tags: american goalkeeper, Aston, aston villa, brad friedel, definitive answer, English Premier League, Fernando Torres, football association, George McCartney, goalscoring opportunity, linesman, Liverpool, london, manchester city, martin atkinson, Mo Matadar, pivotal moment, quot, red cards, referee, replays, Ricky Sbragia, Shaun Wright-Phillips, striker, Sunderland, west ham

Gerrard helps Liverpool in 5-0 rout of Aston Villa

March 23, 2009

LIVERPOOL (AFP) – Liverpool moved within one point of Premier League leaders Manchester United after Steven Gerrard’s hat-trick inspired a 5-0 rout of 10-man Aston Villa on Sunday.

United still have a game in hand but, having won 4-1 at Old Trafford last week, the Reds now have a better goal difference by two with eight games left.

Dirk Kuyt started the goal-spree with seven minutes gone and Albert Riera doubled the lead just after the half hour at Anfield.

England midfielder Gerrard added a third from the spot just before the interval and scored a fourth with a free-kick just after the restart.

The Liverpool captain scored a second penalty after goalkeeper Brad Friedel was sent off for a challenge on Fernando Torres as Villa’s winless run stretched to eight games.

Fifth-placed Villa remain three points behind Arsenal and a place in the top four is now looking beyond them.

Liverpool began with real purpose and from Fabio Aurelio’s corner, Friedel was forced to save from Martin Skrtel’s header with just a minute on the clock.

After Villa’s James Milner had a shot deflected wide, Liverpool took the lead with just seven minutes gone following Nigel Reo-Coker foul on Riera down the left flank.

Gerrard drove the ball into the area and Xabi Alonso’s header came back off the bar but Kuyt made no mistake with a powerful follow-up from six yards for his tenth goal of the season

With Gabriel Agbonlahor left on the bench, Villa had a strong spell and Pepe Reina pulled off an impressive stop from John Carew’s flick from Ashley Young’s cross from the left.

Midway through the opening period, another glancing header from Carew, this time from Reo-Coker’s lofted free-kick, was pushed away by Reina before Young hit the side-netting.

But just as Villa were looking threatening, Liverpool doubled their lead.

Gareth Barry’s curling free-kick was easily held by Reina and his long clearance bounced over the Villa defence before Riera hit a half-volley with his left foot that flew in off the bar.

Five minutes before the interval, Kuyt’s cross-field pass picked out Riera and the Spanish winger was tripped in the area by Reo-Coker and Gerrard sent Friedel the wrong way with his penalty to make it three.

Half-time brought only a little respite for Villa and five minutes after the restart they were four goals behind.

Carlos Cuellar chopped Kuyt down on the edge of the area and Alonso took the free-kick short for Gerrard to place the ball into the corner of Friedel’s goal.

As they looked for a response, James Milner’s drilled cross was headed straight at Reina by Emile Heskey.

But Liverpool were still not satisfied and after Alonso picked out Kuyt, he received the return ball on the edge of the box only to stab wide.

In the 65th minute, Alonso sent Torres clean through and after the Spaniard knocked the ball on, he collided with Friedel.

Referee Martin Atkinson gave a penalty and showed Friedel the red card. Gerrard stepped up to send Friedel’s replacement Brad Guzan the wrong way from the spot to complete his hat-trick.

Lucas missed from Riera’s cross as the Reds searched for a sixth goal and Torres was frustrated in his attempts to score.

But Liverpool were happy to play out time in the knowledge that the title race is now wide open.

Written by: AFP

Tags: albert riera, Alonso, anfield, brad friedel, brad guzan, Carlos Cuellar, dirk kuyt, eight games, Emile Heskey, England, English Premier League, Fabio Aurelio, Fernando Torres, free kick, gabriel agbonlahor, Gareth Barry, goal difference, goal spree, half volley, interv, James Milner, John Carew, league leaders, left flank, Liverpool, Lucas, Manchester, martin atkinson, martin skrtel, Nigel Reo-, pepe reina, Reina, Steven Gerrard, xabi alonso

Zamora helps Fulham see off Albion

February 22, 2009

LONDON (AFP) – Bobby Zamora finally ended his goal-drought to help Fulham beat struggling West Bromwich Albion 2-0 on Sunday.

Zamora bagged his first league goal since September with a close-range effort in the second half before Andy Johnson added the second for Roy Hodgson’s team at Craven Cottage.

Aside from an FA Cup goal against non-league Kettering, this was former West Ham forward Zamora’s only repayment on his five million pounds transfer fee since a goal against Bolton 21 league games ago.

Fulham’s win continued their impressive form at the Cottage, where they have won eight times this season, while Tony Mowbray’s visitors look destined for relegation to the Championship.

Johnson and Paul Konchesky returned to the Fulham line-up after missing the midweek defeat at Manchester United through injury.

The presence of Johnson seemed to galvanise Fulham in the early stages.

The England forward won a free-kick after tricking Gianni Zuiverloon into a trip 25 yards from goal. Danny Murphy struck the set-piece brilliantly, curling his shot towards the near corner only for Scott Carson to tip the ball onto a post.

Johnson threatened again when he collected a Simon Davies pass and sprinted towards goal. Leon Barnett lumbered across to challenge and Johnson tumbled as soon as there was contact, but referee Martin Atkinson waved away his penalty appeals.

Albion had a stroke of luck when Clint Dempsey fired in a long-range effort that swerved past Carson, only to crash against the crossbar.

If Hodgson’s side felt frustrated by the near-miss, they didn’t show it.

Johnson and Zamora carved out another chance for Murphy and the former Liverpool midfielder bent his shot against the crossbar again.

The visitors almost gifted Fulham the lead when Barnett’s diving headed clearance almost beat Carson, who had to scramble back towards his own goal-line to clear.

There was still time for Zamora to volley over a good chance before half-time.

Albion briefly showed signs of life when Marc Antoine-Fortune headed wide before wasting an even better chance as he took too long to shoot.

That was as good as it got for the visitors as Zamora finally broke the deadlock in the 61st minute.

Dickson Etuhu sent the ball in from the right, Johnson glanced the lightest of headers to the far post and Zamora touched home only his third goal of the season.

Fulham defender Brede Hangeland saw his header turned onto the crossbar by Carson but, with 72 minutes gone, Zamora set up the second goal.

His shot was parried away by Carson into the path of Johnson who took a touch before slotting into the vacant net.

Albion’s misery was compete in stoppage time when Roman Bednar’s penalty was pushed away by Mark Schwarzer.

Written by: AFP

Tags: Andy Johnson, bobby zamora, CARSON, Clint Dempsey, craven cottage, Danny Murphy, davies pass, Dickson Etuhu, England, English Premier League, FA Cup, fulham, gianni zuiverloon, goal drought, Johnson, league goal, Liverpool, london, Manchester, manchester united, marc antoine fortune, mark schwarzer, martin atkinson, Paul, paul konchesky, roy hodgson, Scott Carson, signs of life, Simon Davies, stroke of luck, tony mowbray, West Bromwich, west bromwich albion, west ham, Zamora

Hughes angered by Wright-Phillips ban

February 10, 2009

MANCHESTER (AFP) – Mark Hughes, the Manchester City manager, hit out Tuesday at the lack of "leeway" shown to Shaun Wright-Phillips after the England winger was banned for three matches.

Wright-Phillips was suspended Monday by the Football Association, after officials reviewed television footage of an incident involving the forward and Stoke’s Rory Delap.

Referee Martin Atkinson sent-off Delap for kicking the ball from point-blank range at Wright-Phillips, who was laying on the ground, but missed the retaliatory kick from the City man at the Britannia Stadium on Janaury 31.

Now Hughes will be without the talented 27-year-old for the matches against Portsmouth, Liverpool and West Ham.

"We admitted at the time that there was a reaction, but there were reasons why Shaun reacted like he did," Hughes told City’s official website.

"We hoped that there would have been a little bit of leeway where the decision makers were concerned, but unfortunately I think the FA have to go by the letter of the law.

"They will support the referee’s report, so unfortunately we will miss Shaun for the same length of time that Stoke will be without Rory Delap," the former Blackburn and Wales boss added.

"That does not seem correct in my view, but that’s where we are.

"There will always be grey areas open to debate, but I just think Shaun’s case should have been judged on its own merits," said Hughes, who made his name in English football as an uncompromising centre forward with Manchester United.

"Shaun has been really hard done by because of the severity of the punishment. It’s a blow because he has been playing really well. But there is nothing we can do now – we just have to get on with it."

Written by: AFP