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Anelka fires Chelsea into 5th round

France striker Nicolas Anelka took the plaudits after his goal inspired a 2-0 win at Preston keeping Chelsea on course to land the FA Cup for the third time in four seasons.

Anelka set the platform for the Premier League club’s fourth round success at Deepdale on Saturday with his fifth goal in four games.

Young strike partner Daniel Sturridge doubled the holders’ lead in the second half as Carlo Ancelotti’s team saw off Darren Ferguson’s Championship outfit.

But it was Anelka’s performance which caught the eye of Chelsea assistant manager Ray Wilkins and he was keen to salute the former Arsenal and Real Madrid star.

“He’s playing some outstanding football at the minute,” Wilkins said. “He’s clearly enjoying his football and training.

“He’s an outstanding player and hopefully he will carry in this rich vein of scoring form.”

Wilkins insisted Chelsea’s professional performance against Preston is proof that the west London club are determined to retain the FA Cup they won last May after beating Everton 2-1 in the final.

“I thought our lads were extremely professional,” he added. “This is not an easy place to come and the Preston fans really got behind their team.

“But we are the holders and we want to retain it. This is not an easy place to come and the fact that Carlo picked a strong team shows how seriously we are treating the competition.”

Wilkins refused to blame referee Mike Dean for disallowing a goal by substitute Florent Malouda when the tie was goalless.

Malouda found the net soon after coming on in the first half for the injured Juliano Belletti. With the scores locked at 0-0, the goal was ruled out as the referee had blown for a foul committed on Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard.

“In our eyes it was the wrong decision,” added Wilkins. “But I’m not going to have a go at the referee. We got a free kick out of it and didn’t make the most out of it.”

Lampard was substituted in the second half after suffering a calf problem, but Wilkins is hopeful he will be available for Wednesday’s home game with Birmingham City.

The tie might have had a different ending had Preston midfielder Darren Carter not missed from three yards towards the end of the first half, when the score was 1-0.

Ferguson, son of Manchester United manager Sir Alex, refused to criticise Carter for his astonishing blunder, which came after Portuguese keeper Hilario had failed to hold a header by Chris Brown.

“At half time I said to him to keep getting stuck in,” said Ferguson, taking charge of his first home game since replacing Alan Irvine as Preston manager earlier this month.

“I didn’t want him hiding in the second half. The lad needed a bit of a lift, but that’s football.

“A few minutes before half time we miss a great chance and two minutes in the second half we concede a goal.

“But I can’t have any complaints about my players. We played some great football.”

Ferguson revealed Celtic had made an inquiry for Republic of Ireland international defender Sean St Ledger, but said: “Celtic have no chance of getting him on what they are offering.”

PRESTON, England (AFP)

Tags: Alan Irvine, birmingham city, Carlo, carlo ancelotti, CHELSEA, chris brown, Daniel Sturridge, Darren Carter, Darren Ferguson, deepdale, England, FA Cup, fifth goal, florent malouda, four games, France, frank lampard, free kick, juliano belletti, london club, MADRID, Manchester, Mike Dean, Nicolas Anelka, plaudits, premier league, Preston, professional performance, ray wilkins, real madrid, republic of ireland, rich vein, Sean St, Sir Alex, west london, wrong decision

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Barcelona´s Messi named World Player of the Year

Barcelona and Argentina striker Lionel Messi was crowned World Player of the Year by world football’s ruling body FIFA on Monday.

Messi, whose goals this year helped Barcelona win the Champions League final and World Club Cup final, thus succeeds Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo as the world’s top player, as voted by national team captains and coaches.

Messi has played a huge role in the recent success of Spanish giants Barcelona, who have won a total of six trophies in the past season including the Champions League title and the World Club Cup trophy last week.

The Argentine forward’s talents were given the ultimate thumbs-up earlier this month when he was voted the winner of the Ballon d’Or for the European Footballer of the Year.

On Monday Messi, 22, had been in contention with Barcelona teammates Andres Iniesta and Xavi, both from Spain, Brazilian striker Kaka of Real Madrid, the winner in 2007, and last year’s winner Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ronaldo also won both trophies last season.

While Ronaldo won the Ferenc Puskas award for goal of the season while playing with former club Manchester United, one of Messi’s goals was among the highlights.

Messi profile

Despite his diminutive stature Messi, who stands 1.69 metres or five feet seven inches tall, rose above United’s defence in the Champions League final in Rome to head the second of Barcelona’s goals in their 2-0 victory.

The Argentine is also known for his superb dribbling and fast, mazy runs that leave opposition defences in tatters, and on Monday he was just as quick to share out the plaudits.

“I want to thank my teammates, notably those who are present here tonight, without whom none of my achievements would have been possible,” said Messi.

“2009 has been a wonderful year for Barcelona and also for me.”

Messi’s goal against United in last season’s final was his ninth of the 2009 Champions League campaign and left him as the competition’s top scorer.

Last week Messi also proved decisive in the World Club Cup final. He scored Barcelona’s second goal in the 2-1 victory over South American champions Estudiantes of Argentina.

In 2009 Barcelona also won the league title, the King’s (Spanish) Cup, the Spanish Super Cup and the European Super Cup.

ZURICH, Switzerland (AFP)

Tags: Andres Iniesta, Argentina, Argentine, Barcelona, body fifa, champions league final, club manchester united, cristiano ronaldo, cup trophy, five feet seven, footballer of the year, league campaign, lionel messi, MADRID, plaudits, real madrid, ronaldo, South American, Spain, Switzerland, tatters, team captains, wonderful year, world football, world player of the year, ZURICH, zurich switzerland

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Wenger puts brave face on Van Persie loss

Arsene Wenger has shrugged off claims that the loss of Robin van Persie will fundamentally undermine Arsenal chances of closing the gap on Premier League leaders Chelsea.

Wenger’s side currently lie second, five points behind Carlo Ancelotti’s team, and travel to face Sunderland without the Dutch striker who suffered ankle ligament damage in Holland’s international friendly with Italy.

Van Persie is expected to be out for six weeks and his absence undoubtedly comes as a blow to the Gunners who went into the international break on the back of a 13-game unbeaten run.

The forward’s contribution to that sequence of results has been immense with Van Persie adapting effectively to a new role this season that has seen him operate as the central figure in a front three.

With Nicklas Bendtner also injured, there is no obvious replacement to fill the role although Eduardo, the Croatia forward who signed a new long-term contract with the club this week, has made it clear he would like the opportunity to make the position his own.

Wenger has so far refused to indicate who will replace Van Persie, but he is confident he has sufficient cover in his squad and is simply relieved not to have lost his main striker for a longer period.

“We knew that when Robin came out with this injury, that he would be out for a long time,” Wenger said.

“But frankly I feared it would be more because the first news was very, very bad. So it was a relief that he would be out for six weeks.

“Of course it is a disappointment and something we did not want but I feel we have enough strength to compensate for his absence for a while. It will also allow him to be fresh for when he comes back.

While Arsenal’s recent run has attracted plenty of plaudits to counter the criticism that followed successive away defeats to Manchester United and Manchester City earlier in the campaign, they have largely faced teams they would normally expect to beat.

The next two league games, the trip to Sunderland and the visit of Chelsea to the Emirates Stadium, will reveal a lot more about their ability to maintain a title challenge throughout the course of the season.

Steve Bruce’s Sunderland side are one of the division’s most improved sides but the manager concedes the visit of Arsenal marks one of the most challenging games of the season, even with Van Persie and Bendtner sidelined.

Bruce said: “We’ve played well recently over the last few weeks without accumulating many points and we’re certainly going to have to replicate that level of performance against an Arsenal side who I think have scored more away goals than anyone this season.

“With Van Persie out and Bendtner out, let’s not beat about the bush, it does you a favour but we’ve got three or four players out as well. When they come to town and we have to match them and play against them.”

Bruce has struck up a good relationship with Wenger and has benefited in the past from the Arsenal manager’s willingness to allow his young players to team up with the former Manchester United defender on loan.

Sunderland’s chances haven’t been helped by the loss of centre back Michael Turner to suspension and with striker Kenwyne Jones still banned, Fraizer Campbell will start.

“Arsene’s given me about six or seven players down the years,” Bruce added.

“He especially helped me when I was at Birmingham so he’s been a big help to my managerial career and I’ve got huge respect to for him. He’s bordering on the genius.

“Arsenal are and always have been one of the top clubs in this country for the way they conduct themselves, they’ve got a bit of class.”

But he added: “Against Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea we’ve gone out there and given as good as we’ve got and come away with something in two of those three games.”

SUNDERLAND (AFP)

Tags: ankle ligament damage, arsenal, carlo ancelotti, closing the gap, disappointment, first news, five points, gap, league leaders, manchester city, manchester united, plaudits, premier league, robin van persie, six weeks, striker, term contract, Wenger

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Pompey exec faces tax charges, team urged to unite

Portsmouth manager Paul Hart called on everyone connected with the struggling Premier League side to unite after it emerged chief executive Peter Storrie was facing tax evasion charges.

The charge relates back to the transfer of midfielder Amdy Faye from French club Auxerre to Portsmouth for 1.5 million pounds (2.49 million dollars) in August 2003.

Storrie has been on bail since being arrested in November 2007, while continuing to work at Fratton Park on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud and false accounting.

It has been alleged Faye was paid a 250,000 pounds (415,000 dollars) signing-on fee on which tax was not paid – a charge Storrie denies absolutely.

Storrie’s run in with HM Revenue and Customs is the latest off-field problem to hit Premier League basement club Portsmouth, who’ve been through two changes of ownership already this season.

Things haven’t been much better on the field, with the south coast club losing their first seven league matches this term and having won just once in nine contests in all ahead of Saturday’s trip to fellow drop candidates Hull.

Hart admitted times were tough for the 2008 FA Cup winners but insisted Pompey could still turn things around.

“The football club is going through a difficult period. That’s there for everybody to see.

“I just believe that we can get through this together as a club. We might not have seen the tip of it yet. It might be harder but we just have to stick together, put our heads above the parapet and wear our tin helmets.

“I’ve been in football a long time. I’ve not seen it and done it all and I’m not trying to be clever, but nothing surprises me.”

Pompey have generally been regarded as having played well in several games they’ve lost this season but plaudits for attractive football cut no ice with their manager.

“Outside the top four, that ‘beautiful game’ syndrome we all talk about is a myth. It’s just a war and the next four games probably won’t disappoint on that basis,” Hart said.

“Last year there was a lot of criticism about me playing 4-5-1 and gritty performances and grinding out results which helped keep us up in the Premiership,” he added.

“It kept us up and people moaned, but now they’re saying we need some gritty displays. You turn the team out to play to their strengths and that’s what we have been doing.”

Pompey are four points adrift of safety.

PORTSMOUTH, England (AFP)

Tags: amdy faye, auxerre, beautiful game, difficult period, England, fa cup winners, Faye, football club, four games, Fratton Park, french club, helmets, hm revenue and customs, HULL, parapet, paul hart, Peter Storrie, plaudits, Portsmouth, premier league, seven league, south coast club, tax evasion

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Giggs the key for Man Utd says Berbatov

Dimitar Berbatov believes Ryan Giggs is providing the inspiration behind Manchester United’s bid to win a record fourth consecutive Premier League title.

Giggs played a key role in sending the reigning champions back to the top of the table on Saturday as he came off the bench to help United claim a 2-0 win a at Stoke.

The Welsh midfielder replaced Nani 10 minutes into the second half and quickly turned the game in United’s favour with assists for Berbatov and then John O’Shea to score the goals that took Sir Alex Ferguson’s team above Chelsea on goal difference.

“The game changed when Ryan came on,” Berbatov said. “You can see because of the number of years he has been able to play for Manchester United how much he helps by being on the pitch.

“He makes the right decisions. That is what got us the three points.”

Berbatov’s goal at the Britannia Stadium was just his second of the season and he has yet to win over sections of the United fanbase, but the Bulgarian insists United’s success is more important than individual plaudits.

“The most important thing is for the team to win, not for me to score,” he said.

“If we win 1-0, I don’t care if the goalkeeper scores. I just want to stay at the top of the table and continue winning.”

When United were slipping to a shock defeat at newly-promoted Burnley in their second game the chances of them sitting on top of the table before the start of October seemed remote, even if those within Old Trafford remained quite comfortable with their situation.

Republic of Ireland defender O’Shea admits that Burnley loss was the kind of shock to the system that always produces a strong response from United.

“We knew we had to go on a run to put a marker down,” O’Shea said.

“Burnley was a freakish result. But we have always responded well to situations like that and put together a good run of victories.

“This was the same. But the games keep rolling and we have to continue.”

MANCHESTER (AFP)

Tags: alex ferguson, berbatov, britannia stadium, burnley, CHELSEA, goal difference, John, john o shea, key role, man utd, Manchester, manchester united, midfielder, old trafford, plaudits, premier league, republic of ireland, Ryan, ryan giggs, second game, shock to the system, sir alex ferguson

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Pragmatic Ranieri vows to jolt Roma into action

New AS Roma coach Claudio Ranieri on Wednesday vowed to ditch the club’s attractive style of play for a more results-based system.

Ranieri was speaking at his official unveiling after replacing Luciano Spalletti, who resigned from his post on Tuesday.

Roma, who were known for their expansive and attractive style of play under Spalletti, lost their opening two matches of the season and Ranieri insists he will focus on winning games rather than weaving pretty patterns.

“Spalletti’s Roma had a sparkling style of play, my philosophy is a little different,” said the former Juventus and Chelsea coach.

“I will bring my pragmatism to the team. This team needs a jolt because it’s a team that needs to react straight away.

“Maybe the players have lost a bit of conviction. Over the last four years this team did some great things playing some of the most attractive football in Europe.

“As a Roman I was proud to watch them play. And I can tell you I’m going home with a great desire to do well.”

Ranieri is a local who used to stand on the terraces to watch Roma before beginning his playing career with the club in 1973.

Spalletti, 50, joined the club in 2005 from Udinese. His contract was due to expire in 2011.

He initially enjoyed success at the Stadio Olimpico, taking the side to second-placed league finishes in 2006, 2007 and 2008 and back-to-back triumphs in the Italian Cup in 2007 and 2008.

Roma also made it to the quarter-finals of the Champions League in 2007 and 2008, but they never recovered from a terrible start to last season and finished the campaign in a disappointing sixth place.

He favoured a fluid 4-2-3-1 formation that earned many plaudits but broke down last season.

Ranieri admitted he is not sure what system he will use but said the team most needs to tighten up at the back.

“I don’t have any particular favourite (system), during my career I’ve often changed tactics,” said the coach known as the ‘Tinkerman’ during his Chelsea days.

“But one thing’s for sure, we need to concede fewer goals.”

Roma’s backline has been breached six times in two games already this season.

Ranieri, who was fired by Juventus two games before the end of last season after two years at the helm, said the team needs to get its confidence back.

“Fifteen months ago this team were a half hour away from winning the title. Roma have only lost confidence in themselves.

“A year ago this team was motivated and happy and believed in its project and we have to get back that conviction and strength.”

ROME (AFP)

Tags: attractive style, backline, champions league, CHELSEA, Claudio Ranieri, coach claudio, ditch, Europe, going home, great desire, italian cup, jolt, juventus, luciano spalletti, plaudits, pragmatism, quarter finals, Roma, ROME, s roma, stadio olimpico, terraces, terrible start, triumphs, unveiling

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Inter keen on another Scudetto

Serie A defending champions Inter Milan begin their title defense this weekend with a game at home to newly promoted Bari with a desire to play quality football more consistently through out this season.

With a fifth consecutive league title up for grabs, Inter coach Jose Mourinho is hopeful that his team can win more plaudits for its style of play than in previous years.

“I think the most important thing for a team is a well defined philosophy of play and we can certainly say we have that,” Mourinho said.

“Without taking anything away from what we won in the past, last season we played some great games, but without much consistency.

“I’ve seen quality play, but things are not automatic yet. The squad is mature and tactically aware, now we need to work to make everything natural.”

Mourinho is likely to pair new signings Samuel Eto’o and Diego Milito in attack, but holding midfielder Esteban Cambiasso is out till October with a knee injury, meaning Patrick Viera is likely to deputize.

Bari, which returns to the top flight after an eight year absence, will travel to the San Siro without their main offseason signing Riccardo Meggiorini, who is suspended. The side could also be missing last year’s leading scorer Paulo Vitor Barreto.

There was better news for the southern club earlier in the week when it was revealed that United States real estate businessman Timothy Barton is set to complete his purchase of the club in October.

It means though that funds for new players will only be available in the January transfer window, leaving the club to make survival the overriding priority.

“Barton does not have a magic wand,” general manager Alessio Mora said.

“This year we will do everything to achieve our primary objective: safety. After that, we will aim higher.”

Abhimanyu Rajput

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Beautiful football earns new fans for clubs

PARIS (AFP) – Barcelona won legions of new admirers with their breathtaking football last season, but they were not the only European team to set tongues wagging about the quality of their play.

Expansive, attacking football garnered plaudits and trophies across the continent, with Barcelona’s 2-0 victory over defending champions Manchester United in the Champions League final the crowning moment of a season in which beauty frequently triumphed over brawn.

Barca, steered by 38-year-old former captain Pep Guardiola in his debut season as a coach, were the standard-bearers, winning an unprecedented haul of Spanish league, King’s Cup and Champions League.

A brand of football based on aggressive pressing in the opposition half and quick, incisive passing saw them eviscerate teams from Munich to Mallorca, but Guardiola revealed that their high-octane style had as much to do with their shortcomings as their strengths.

“Without the ball we are a horrible team,” he said. “We need the ball, so we pressed high up the pitch to win the ball back early.”

The results were astonishing.

In all competitions they amassed a total of 158 goals, with their feted front three of France forward Thierry Henry, Cameroon hitman Samuel Eto’o and dazzling Argentine winger Lionel Messi scoring more goals between them (97) than any team in any of Europe’s major leagues.

Barca’s stellar success spelled misery for their fierce rivals Real Madrid, but even the Spanish league’s runners-up notched an eye-catching 83 league goals after embarking on an 18-game unbeaten run in mid-season that almost upset the Barcelona trophy procession.

Atletico Madrid, meanwhile, secured fourth place and Champions League qualification with a run of eight wins in their last nine games that owed much to the league-high 32 goals of Uruguayan international Diego Forlan.

It was not only in Spain, however, that attacking football was given free rein.

In Germany, Felix Magath’s Wolfsburg roared to a first Bundesliga title in their history thanks to an attacking formula that saw them net 80 league goals.

“Magath gave his artists a framework in which they could let loose – with an idea of fast attacking football, with hungry and able players, with a hard training regime,” wrote German daily Tagesspiegel.

Their title triumph was built on a tremendous late-season burst of form, in which strikers Edin Dzeko of Bosnia and Brazilian Grafite came to the fore.

The pair’s 54 goals broke the 37-year-old record for a strike partnership set by Bayern Munich pair Gerd Muller and Uli Hoeness in 1971-72, but owed much to the promptings of Bosnian playmaker Zvjezdan Misimovic.

Playmakers like Misimovic were in vogue across Europe, with Yoann Gourcuff inspiring Bordeaux to their first French title for 10 years, while in England the deployment of Steven Gerrard in a more advanced role took Liverpool to within inches of their first league crown since 1990.

Brazilian maestro Diego earned a lucrative move to Italian giants Juventus after inspiring Werder Bremen to glory in the German Cup and a place in the UEFA Cup final, where they were beaten by another team based on Brazilian flair in the form of Ukraine’s Shakhtar Donetsk.

“My philosophy is to build teams, to educate players, to try to bring through young players,” said Shakhtar’s 63-year-old Romanian coach Mircea Lucescu after his side’s 2-1 victory.

“It’s a big passion and I will do it for as long as I can.”

As this summer’s transfer merry-go-round swings into motion it is the sport’s star attackers – Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo and Franck Ribery among them – who are generating all the headlines, and it is hardly surprising after a season in which attack was firmly established as the way forward.

Tags: Argentine, barca, Barcelona, Bayern, Bordeaux, Bosnia, Bremen, cameroon, champions league final, crowning moment, debut season, Diego, diego forlan, England, Europe, felix magath, France, Franck, free rein, Gerd Muller, Germany, Henry, hitman, LA Liga, league goals, legions, lionel messi, Liverpool, MADRID, Manchester, manchester united, mid season, Munich, PARIS, pep guardiola, plaudits, real madrid, ronaldo, samuel eto, samuel eto o, Spain, spanish league, stellar success, Steven Gerrard, Thierry, thierry henry, ukraine, winger

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Coppell resigns as Reading boss

READING, England (AFP) – Steve Coppell has resigned as manager of Reading after the club he has coached for the last five and a half years failed to secure a chance of returning to the Premier League.

Reading were beaten 2-0 defeat at home to Burnley in the second leg of a Championship play-off semi-final on Tuesday, losing the tie 3-0 on aggregate.

The Royals had been on track to clinch automatic promotion to the top flight following relegation last season but they wilted in the last three months of the campaign, largely due to wretched home form.

“Following our exit from the play-offs, I feel it’s the best thing, for both the club and myself, for me to leave,” Coppell said in a statement released by the club on Wednesday.

The former Manchester United and England winger took charge of Reading in 2003 and guided them to promotion to the Premier League three years later.

The 2006-07 season saw Coppell win plaudits for Reading’s passing style as they finished 8th in their first season among the elite, but he could not sustain that success and the Royals dropped back down to the Championship last season.

Tags: aggregate, automatic promotion, boss, elite, England, English Premier League, half years, Manchester, manchester united, plaudits, play offs, premier league, reading england, royals, steve coppell, three months, top flight, United, winger

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Neville urges Everton cup caution

LIVERPOOL, England (AFP) – Phil Neville insists Everton have plenty of work to do before they can realise a Wembley dream as they prepare to host Middlesbrough in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Sunday.

Manager David Moyes has won plenty of plaudits for the job he has done at Goodison Park since he arrived in 2002, but his greatest achievement so far has been to guide the Blues to fourth place in 2005.

Everton supporters grew used to regular silverware during the 1980s but their last trophy was the FA Cup in 1995.

They have endured several relegation battles since then but while Moyes may have brought stability to the blue half of Merseyside, the fans crave trophies.

Expectation has been growing since they knocked bitter rivals Liverpool out in the fifth round and they are now just one game away from a semi-final at Wembley.

Middlesbrough could be dangerous opponents. They lost 4-0 at Tottenham in midweek and are in a relegation battle, but they pulled off a shock 2-0 win against Liverpool last weekend.

As a result, Neville has warned his team-mates against over-confidence when they take on Gareth Southgate’s side.

The former Manchester United player said: "This is a dangerous game. They are a team that on any given day can upset anyone – look at what they did to Liverpool.

"We must make sure it doesn’t happen to us. The league table shows that Middlesbrough aren’t in the best form but, away from home and with no pressure on them, they will see this as their chance to kick-start things.

"It would be great to get to Wembley but, for all I care, the semi-final could be played in Timbuktu. Getting to the semi-final is not my major ambition.

"I want to win the FA Cup this year and so do the rest of the lads.

"This is a big occasion and I’m sure the ground will be rocking on Sunday but there is still so much to be done.

"Even if we beat Boro, we won’t have achieved anything in the grand scheme of things. All we will have done is taken a step nearer to the final. That has to be everyone’s focus."

Moyes may have to revert to deploying Australian star Tim Cahill in attack if he feels Louis Saha is not ready for a first start since November.

Brazilian striker Jo, who is on loan from Manchester City, is cup-tied, while Victor Anichebe, Yakubu and James Vaughan are all injured, with defender Tony Hibbert also sidelined.

Having missed so many chances of silverware at Manchester United – including last season’s Champions League final victory against Chelsea – Saha is determined to make his mark.

He said: "I’ve missed a couple of finals, so it would be good to take part (in one) in such a big competition.

"There’s obviously a big step to make against Middlesbrough, but then we have to see what we can do after that."

Southgate will be without midfielder Mohamed Shawky while on-loan striker Marlon King is cup-tied, but the Boro boss feels expectation will weigh heavily on the Blues.

Boro picked up a 1-1 draw at Goodison Park in November and Southgate is hoping for a similarly stubborn display from his charges.

He said: "It’s a huge game for Everton. It’s been a while since they were in a cup final so there’s a bit of pressure on them and as the home team they will be totally expected to win.

"We’re rank outsiders but we’ve got a brilliant opportunity to get to an FA Cup semi-final.

"We were strong and resilient when we went there earlier in the season and we will have to be so again."

Written by: AFP

Tags: bitter rivals, CHELSEA, dangerous game, dangerous opponents, David Moyes, England, English Premier League, FA Cup, fa cup quarter, gareth southgate, Goodison Park, grand scheme of things, greatest achievement, james vaughan, lads, Liverpool, liverpool england, Louis, Manager David Moyes, Manchester, manchester city, manchester united player, Marlon King, Merseyside, midweek, Moyes, Neville, phil neville, plaudits, quarter finals, relegation battle, scheme of things, silverware, team mates, tim cahill, timbuktu, Tony Hibbert, Victor Anichebe, Wembley

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