Grant gets second chance to help Chelsea to title

November 28, 2009

Avram Grant gets a second chance to help deliver the Premier League trophy to Chelsea on Saturday when Manchester United visit Fratton Park for the Israeli’s first match in charge of Portsmouth.

Twenty-four hours before Chelsea have the chance to seriously dent Arsenal’s title hopes at the Emirates, Grant is perfectly placed to do his former club a huge favour by inspiring his new charges to take something from their meeting with the defending champions.

Grant, whose first and last matches as manager of Chelsea ended in defeat by United, was installed as Portsmouth’s new manager on Thursday with a brief to guide a squad that has secured only seven points from 13 matches this season off the bottom of the table and out of the relegation zone.

It represents a tall order. But former Portsmouth chairman Milan Mandaric is among those who believe Grant can defy the odds by leading the club to safety.

“He is a very proud man, who has ability and experience,” Mandaric said of the former Israel manager.

“Portsmouth have enough good players and with Avram organising them they have a very good chance of getting out of trouble.”

Grant’s last game in charge of Chelsea was the 2008 Champions League final in which John Terry’s slip in the penalty shoot-out handed United the trophy, and effectively cost the manager his job.

His first ended in a 2-0 defeat at Old Trafford, a setback that Grant’s Chelsea avenged with a 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge later in the season.

United visit the south coast looking to cut Chelsea’s lead at the top back to two points ahead of Sunday’s London derby, for which the leaders are hopeful of having Frank Lampard fit following the England midfielder’s recovery from a torn thigh muscle.

Arsenal, in contrast, will be missing top goalscorer Robin van Persie and young left-back Kieran Gibbs, who suffered a fractured metatarsal in the Champions League win over Standard Liege in midweek, for a match they can ill afford to lose in the wake of last week’s surprise loss at Sunderland.

Former Chelsea centreback William Gallas is however expected to be fit after suffering a blow to the head in the same match, which will allow Mikael Silvestre to step in to the gap at left-back, and Theo Walcott is in line for a start following two substitute appearances since his comeback from a knee injury.

After knocking nine goals past Wigan on Sunday, fourth-placed Tottenham travel to Aston Villa for a meeting with one of their rivals for a coveted Champions League place.

England winger Stewart Downing is hoping to finally make a start for his Villa debut following his recovery from a foot injury.

Wigan will seek to bounce back against former manager Steve Bruce’s Sunderland.

Wigan chairman Dave Whelan this week injected an additional bit of spice into the fixture by blaming the thrashing at Spurs on “dodgy signings” made when Bruce was in charge.

Sunday’s Merseyside derby takes place against a backdrop of discontent among supporters of both clubs.

Everton had plans to move to a new stadium blocked this week while Liverpool were eliminated from the Champions league and both clubs are struggling to stay in touch with the top four.

A 3-2 defeat at Hull on Wednesday left Everton 14th in the table while Liverpool have lost twice and drawn twice in their four league outings since beating Manchester United 2-0 on October 25.

“We know it is going to be very difficult on Sunday,” said Liverpool’s Argentinian midfielder, Javier Mascherano. “But this is a really important game for us and for our supporters and we have got to start winning in the league again by beating Everton.”

Saturday

Aston Villa v Tottenham (1730 GMT), Blackburn v Stoke City, Fulham v Bolton, Manchester City v Hull, Portsmouth v Manchester Utd, West Ham v Burnley, Wigan v Sunderland

Sunday

Arsenal v Chelsea (1600 GMT), Everton v Liverpool (1330 GMT), Wolves v Birmingham (1200 GMT)

LONDON (AFP)

Tags: champions league final, frank lampard, kieran gibbs, last game, league trophy, metatarsal, midfielder, milan mandaric, old trafford, proud man, relegation zone, robin van persie, seven points, twenty four hours

Scotland sweat on Gordon fitness

July 16, 2009

Scotland’s goalkeeping options have been thrown into disarray because of injury to keeper Craig Gordon, team boss George Burley indicated on the side’s website on Thursday.

Burley says the potential non-availability of the 26-year-old for the match against Norway in Oslo on August 12 because of a knee problem is likely to cause serious concerns to Scotland.

Speaking on Sunderland’s web tv channel, Black Cats manager Steve Bruce said: “Craig has not recovered and that’s a worry after his operation.”

“It’s not a huge, huge worry – the boy will be okay – but my worry is will he be fit to start the season given it’s the same knee he had the operation on?”

Gordon underwent knee surgery at the end of last season but is still experiencing pain and now looks unlikely to make the start of the new campaign.

“Craig is one of the top goalkeepers anywhere in Europe and it would be a massive blow if he was not able to make the Norway game,” Burley said.

“He is going to see the specialist again within the next week. We will know after that if he has a chance of being in contention but Steve Bruce and Sunderland’s medical staff feel it is unlikely he will be ready,” he added.

Wolves striker Chris Iwelumo is also set to miss the trip to Norway after breaking a metatarsal in a pre-season friendly.

GLASGOW (AFP)

Tags: black cats, chris iwelumo, contention, Craig Gordon, disarray, English Premier League, Europe, george burley, Glasgow, goalkeeping, knee problem, knee surgery, massive blow, medical staff, metatarsal, Norway, oslo, scotland, Scottish Premier League, serious concerns, Steve Bruce, Sunderland, team boss, top goalkeepers, tv channel, web tv, wolves

Injured Iwelumo to miss Wolves´ EPL start

July 11, 2009

Chris Iwelumo will miss next month’s start of the English Premier League season because of a foot injury picked up in Wolverhampton Wanderers’ 1-0 pre-season win over Perth Glory.

The 30-year-old Scottish international forward was helped from the field in Friday’s match after a 50-50 challenge and was later found to have broken a metatarsal in his right foot, club officials said.

Wolves manager Mick McCarthy said there was no malice in the strong tackle from Glory’s new Socceroo signing Jacob Burns that forced Iwelumo .

“The game was fine, no badness in it at all,” McCarthy told reporters after the match. “It was just an accident. Nothing we could have avoided.

“It wasn’t too physical, it was purely an accident. I think they just clashed.

“But it’s disappointing. Chris has worked his socks off to have the career he has.

“We just got to the Premiership and he breaks his metatarsal… it’s hugely disappointing for him and for me.”

Wolves controlled possession for large periods but failed to put the Glory away, with goalkeeper Tando Velaphi pulling off two crucial saves.

“We were hopeless,” McCarthy said. “I hate pre-season, it’s a means to an end.”

PERTH, Australia (AFP)

Sylvan Ebanks-Blake’s strike in the second minute proved the winner for Wolves, who will play Robbie Fowler’s new Australian club, North Queensland Fury, in a double-header here on Wednesday.