Fuller arrested, Carroll charged over assaults

February 8, 2010

Ricardo Fuller, the Jamaica striker who plays for Stoke City in the English Premier League, has been arrested on suspicion of assaulting a man in a nightclub at the weekend, police said on Monday.

Staffordshire Police said a 21-year-old man had suffered minor facial injuries that did not require hospital treatment following an incident in a nightclub in the Stoke area at around 0100GMT on Sunday.

Fuller, 30, has not been charged with any offence and was bailed until next month pending the outcome of enquiries by the police, who have appealed for witnesses.

Newcastle striker Andy Carroll, meanwhile, was charged on Monday with assault over an incident in which he allegedly attacked another man in a nightclub in the city in December.

He will appear in court on February 25. If convicted, the 21-year-old could, in theory, receive a prison sentence of up to six months but would be more likely to be fined and ordered to do community service.

LONDON (AFP)

Tags: Andy Carroll, English Premier League, facial injuries, Jamaica, london, NEWCASTLE, offence, old man, premier league, prison sentence, ricardo fuller, six months, Staffordshire, staffordshire police, Stoke City, striker, suspicion

Gerrard urges Reds to keep momentum

February 8, 2010

Steven Gerrard hopes the win over Everton can inspire Liverpool to beat Arsenal on Wednesday. The Reds skipper has urged his teammates to build on their victory in last Saturday’s Merseyside derby.

Liverpool’s recent results have increased their hopes on securing a top-four Premier League finish. The Reds produced another battling display to sink Everton on Saturday (1-0).

Gerrard was pleased with the result and performance, especially as Liverpool had to play most of the game with ten men following Sotirios Kyrgiakos’ sending-off.

The talismanic captain is now hoping to take that form into Wednesday’s clash with struggling Arsenal.

“You always enjoy beating your local rivals but it was the way we did it that was really satisfying, particularly after losing a man after half an hour,” Gerrard told the Liverpool Echo.

“I thought we showed fantastic character, a great attitude and I also thought we played some decent stuff at times. I thought it was a fully deserved win.

“You could see what it meant to everyone on the pitch at the end and it was the same again in the dressing room afterwards; everybody is still on a high.

“Now we have got to take that high into the next game. It’s a tough one, Arsenal away always is. But we have used beating Everton as a platform in the past and we’ve got to do it again.

“We want to extend our run and go on to better things.”

The results of Manchester City (2-1 loss to Hull City) and Tottenham Hotspur (goalless draw against Aston Villa) made Liverpool’s day even better.

Rafael Benitez’s men now occupy for the final Champions League spot but Gerrard does not want complacency to creep in.

“We know there is a long way to go and we want to make sure we are in the top four at the end of the season,” he stated.

“It’s performances like this that will get you in there. We have got to try and keep this run going, as we can’t afford any slip-ups.

“There is pressure coming from Tottenham, Manchester City and Aston Villa.

“There are a couple of very tough games coming up but if we can show what we have done in the last six games, I don’t see why we can’t maintain it.”

Tags: Aston, aston villa, complacency, dressing room, Echo, final champions league, great attitude, half an hour, hull city, last saturday, Liverpool, liverpool echo, manchester city, Merseyside, merseyside derby, premier league, rafael benitez, reds, slip ups, sotirios kyrgiakos, Steven Gerrard, tottenham hotspur, ups

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

Rangers face St Mirren in Scottish Cup 5th round tie

February 6, 2010

Rangers have been handed an injury boost as they prepare to take on St Mirren in their Scottish Cup fifth round tie.

The match will be the first of three games between the clubs in a month with the sides meeting in the League Cup final on March 21 as well as the Scottish Premier League.

Cup holders Rangers are on a great run of form lately and are unbeaten in their last 12 matches despite a horrendous injury list since the turn of the year.

Club manager Walter Smith has had to do without top-scorers Kris Boyd and Kenny Miller as well as American winger DaMarcus Beasley and his international teammate Maurice Edu.

However Smith was given a lift when Miller declared himself fit for the match against the ‘Buddies’ as Rangers aim to get to their sixth cup final in a row.

“I will join the boys for training today (Thursday) and hopefully come through that unscathed and be back in the plans for the St Mirren game,” Miller said.

“I feel fine and I just want to kick on for the rest of the season.

“It’s a fantastic achievement to have reached five cup finals in a row and it says a lot about the squad.

“To be that consistent in cup competitions is a big feat and hopefully we can take one step closer to reaching another one when we face St Mirren on Saturday.

“It will be another very tough match but we will go in to it with confidence.”

On Sunday Celtic face a tricky away tie to Dunfermline at East End Park.

Tony Mowbray’s side were dealt a midweek blow when they saw their title aspirations torn to shreds after a defeat to relegation-threatened Kilmarnock and the Scottish Cup could be their only realistic chance of silverware.

The Hoops boss brought in eight new players in the transfer window, including Spurs captain Robbie Keane, as he shipped a similar number out.

And after such a disappointing defeat he warned his stars – new and old – that they need to fight for their place in his side.

“You don’t see it sometimes, but apathy does creep into football, players who expect to be on the teamsheet every game,” Mowbray said.

“I’d like to think we’ve created a situation where nobody in the team now can expect to see their name on the sheet unless they are performing and contributing to a winning team.”

SPL high fliers Hibernian take on the country’s worst performing team at Easter Road in the form of Montrose.

Hibs, who sit third in the top division, should have no problems against a side that sit bottom of Division Three with just nine points from 20 games.

There is an all-SPL clash as St Johnstone face Dundee United at McDiarmid Park. Derek McInnes has urged his side to use the hurt of their midweek loss to Rangers in the League Cup semi-final to drive them in their clash against the SPL’s fourth-placed clash.

First Division side Raith Rovers host Aberdeen at Starks Park. The Dons will be glad to get away from Pittodrie after losing their last two league games there as they look to progress to the quarter-finals.

Buoyed by their midweek win over Celtic in the league Kilmarnock will look to put their relegation worries behind them as they face Terry Butcher’s Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

Elsewhere on Saturday First Division leaders Dundee take on league strugglers Ayr United and in-form Ross County face Second Division Stirling Albion.

Fixtures (1500 GMT unless otherwise stated)

Saturday

Dundee v Ayr, Hibernian v Montrose, Kilmarnock v Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Raith Rovers v Aberdeen, Ross County v Stirling Albion, St Johnstone v Dundee United, St Mirren v Rangers (1230)

Sunday

Dunfermline v Celtic (1215)

GLASGOW (AFP)

Tags: Aberdeen, apathy, Boyd, captain Robbie Keane, cup competitions, damarcus beasley, Derek McInnes, Dundee, east end park, Easter Road, Glasgow, hoops, Kenny, kenny miller, Maurice, McDiarmid Park, premier league, realistic chance, Robbie Keane, Ross County, scottish cup, Scottish Premier League, shreds, spurs, st mirren, Starks Park, Stirling Albion, terry butcher, three games, title aspirations, tony mowbray, top scorers, walter smith

Chelsea slip lets Gunners into last chance saloon

February 6, 2010

Wayne Rooney was widely believed to have shattered Arsenal’s Premier League title hopes when he orchestrated Manchester United’s 3-1 win over the Gunners at the Emirates stadium last weekend.

So tamely did Arsene Wenger’s men surrender that it was hard to resist the conclusion that the title race had just been downgraded from a three to a two-club contest.

Wenger, understandably, begged to differ and Chelsea’s unexpectedly lacklustre display in a 1-1 draw at Hull on Tuesday suggested the Arsenal manager was right to predict a few more twists in the plot before the denouement of what has been an intriguing season.

Chelsea’s midweek slip means Arsenal can move back to within three points of their London rivals if they can repeat last season’s win at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

The way in which Arsenal were bullied into submission by Didier Drogba when the two clubs met at the Emirates in November will not give Gunners fans any great cause for optimism, but Wenger is confident of engineering a reaction from his players to last weekend’s humiliation.

“Against United, we were naive,” the Frenchman admitted. “We were completely not at our level and now we need to deliver something special to stay in the race.”

Chelsea’s recent tendency to concede goals from set pieces – described as their Achilles heel by Hull boss Phil Brown – could prompt Wenger to start Denmark striker Nicklas Bendtner, who is fit again after three months out following groin surgery.

“Nicklas gives us a physical presence up there,” Wenger acknowledged. “He is not totally ready yet, but at the moment we are short in that position, so we are happy to have him back.”

Abou Diaby is also back from injury and could be brought in to stiffen a midfield that was overrun in the defeat by United, who could return to the top of the table by beating crisis club Portsmouth at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Avram Grant’s side have lost 16 of their 23 league matches so far this season and, although performances of late have been spirited, do not look capable of producing the goals they need if they are to escape relegation.

With United scheduled to take on Aston Villa on Wednesday, manager Sir Alex Ferguson may take the opportunity to give Rooney a rest, which could mean a rare start for Michael Owen, who is rapidly running out of time in which to persuade Fabio Capello that he deserves an England recall.

Elsewhere, Liverpool entertain Everton in the 213th Merseyside derby with both clubs having found some form of late.

Victory in the lunchtime fixture on Saturday would lift Liverpool back into the top four for a few hours at least and manager Rafael Benitez believes a six-match unbeaten run shows his side are on the mend.

“I think we can find the form of last season if we can fix two or three things,” the Spaniard said. “We have a lot of players coming back from injury and we are moving in the right direction.”

Manchester City, arguably the club best-equpped to deny Liverpool the final Champions League spot, travel to Hull with Wayne Bridge set to play for the first time since revelations of England team-mate John Terry’s affair with his former girlfriend.

Manager Roberto Mancini believes the left-back is in the right state of mind to feature in a match which could also see Patrick Vieira make his injury-delayed debut for the club.

“The private side is not important,” said Mancini. “He has been working very well on the pitch. That is what is important.”

The other two contenders for Champions League football next season, Tottenham and Aston Villa, meet at White Hart Lane on Saturday evening.

“Villa are there or thereabouts, right near us in the league and if we’ve got any aspirations of finishing fourth we need to go there, certainly at White Hart Lane, and win games like that,” said Spurs striker Peter Crouch.

“Three points for us and none for them gives us a bit of a gap so that’s what we’re looking to do.”

Fixtures (1500 GMT unless stated)

Saturday

Bolton v Fulham, Burnley v West Ham, Hull City v Manchester City, Liverpool v Everton (1245GMT), Manchester Utd v Portsmouth, Stoke v Blackburn, Sunderland v Wigan, Tottenham v Aston Villa (1730GMT)

Sunday

Birmingham v Wolves (1330GMT), Chelsea v Arsenal (1600GMT)

LONDON (AFP)

Tags: achilles heel, arsene wenger, avram grant, club contest, denouement, Drogba, frenchman, groin, gunners, humiliation, manchester united, midfield, Nicklas Bendtner, old trafford, phil brown, physical presence, premier league, stamford bridge, striker, wayne rooney

Ferguson sees United hitting form at right time

February 6, 2010

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson feels that his team are hitting form just as the season is beginning to get serious.

United have already lost five Premier League matches this season and were knocked out of the FA Cup at the third round stage by League One team Leeds.

Having lost in the Champions League at home to Besiktas and also suffered defeat in the first leg of the League Cup semi-final with Manchester City, United have had an unusually inconsistent opening to the campaign.

But, having beaten Arsenal 3-1 at the Emirates last weekend, Ferguson’s team are still firmly in the race for the Premier League title race with Chelsea.

They have also lined up a League Cup final date with Aston Villa and are through to the second round of the Champions League, in which they face AC Milan.

Ferguson thinks that overcoming City in the second leg and then beating Arsenal have put United’s season on track and he expects his team to get stronger and stronger as the end of the campaign approaches.

“Historically, we have always grasped the nettle at this time of the year. They realise there is something at stake and we can’t afford inconsistency.

“Teams will drop points in every run-in, there is no doubt about that, but we are experienced and know that if you’re going to drop more than the rest you’re going to lose the league. That’s a fact.

“Our aim is to try to be as consistent as we can, and try to produce the kind of performances we did on Sunday (against Arsenal) and that will take us very close.

“We are talking about the run-in to the league now and three points is three points, it doesn’t matter where you get them from.

“Whatever games we have got left, if we win most of them we have a good chance.

“We have got to keep the momentum going, we have an important time coming up. We have to go to Villa Park on the Wednesday, then we’ve got the Milan game and League Cup final, we have got a big time coming up, consistency and form is going to be important for us.”

Ferguson believes his team’s conditioning gives them an edge at this time of the season.

“It definitely has a lot to do with the training we do, but you have to have the players. You can have the fittest team in the world but if they can’t play, what chance have you got?”

Ferguson is hoping that the possibility of playing in the World Cup can help Owen Hargreaves win his battle against serious knee problems.

The England midfielder has been sidelined since September 2008 and Ferguson has left him out of United?s Champions League squad.

The United manager remains confident that Hargreaves will play before the end of the season and thinks he could contribute to Fabio Capello?s squad in South Africa.

He said: “It’s hard for him, of course. He’s been out for a year and a half. It’s bound to be hard for him. The physios are doing their best with him. There are some times we feel he’s almost there, and then he seems to be slow again.

“I’m confident he will be back before the end of the season. It’s the recovery, it’s slow.

“The biggest incentive should be to get back into our team, but if at the end of it is that carrot of being at the World Cup, then I’ll be happy with that. I think he would be an important player for England too.

“If he gets back, the confidence would come back. If he were to start playing, the confidence would come back. The confidence would be the key factor in that.”

MANCHESTER, England (AFP)

Tags: ac milan, alex ferguson, big time, champions league, CHELSEA, consistency, emirates, England, FA Cup, fabio capello, good chance, inconsistency, LEEDS, Manchester, manchester city, manchester united, Milan, nettle, no doubt, owen hargreaves, premier league, sir alex ferguson, South Africa, stake, villa park

Hong Kong businessman takes control of Portsmouth

February 4, 2010

Portsmouth are now under the control of Hong Kong businessman Balram Chainrai, the struggling Premier League club’s fourth owner this season, it emerged on Thursday.

A spokesman for the club confirmed that Chainrai’s company Portpin have taken a controlling interest in the financially-stricken club from former owner Ali Al-Faraj after exercising provisions linked to a 17-million-pound loan made to the Saudi businessman.

Chainrai hopes to stabilise the club before selling it on to new owners in order to recoup his investment, the spokesman said, adding that Peter Storrie, the chief executive, would continue to run the club.

The move means Portsmouth has become the second Premier League club to be controlled from Hong Kong following Carson Yeung’s takeover of Birmingham in October.

LONDON (AFP)

Tags: AFP, Ali, Ali Al-Faraj, Birmingham, carson yeung, chief executive, controlling interest, faraj, Hong Kong, hong kong businessman, london, Peter Storrie, Portsmouth, premier league, provisions, saudi businessman, spokesman, takeover

Cup hero Defoe ‘up with the best’ says Redknapp

February 4, 2010

Harry Redknapp believes Jermain Defoe went a long way towards cementing his place in England’s World Cup squad after watching him score a hat-trick to take Tottenham Hotspur into the fifth round of the FA Cup.

The 27-year-old England forward might have wasted several chances but he still managed to score a hat-trick at Elland Road to spare Tottenham’s blushes in a 3-1 win away to League One promotion-chasing Leeds here on Wednesday.

That took his tally for the season to 23 goals with his third hat-trick which helped secure Spurs a last 16 clash against Premier League rivals Bolton Wanderers.

Defoe remains one of the leading goalscorers in England and Redknapp was full of praise for the impish striker who, barring injury, will surely be part of Fabio Capello’s World Cup squad in South Africa later this year.

“It was well deserved in the end,” said Redknapp of Defoe’s treble.

“But it was a difficult game against a good Leeds team.”

Redknapp, who knows Defoe well, having first signed the front man back in 1999 when he was manager of West Ham before working with him again at Portsmouth, added: “He could have scored six tonight.

“He had some great opportunities. He showed three great finishes but missed three easier chances. But he’s always in the right place.

“Jermain has always scored goals ever since he was a little boy and he’s up there with the best.

“He’s a terrific finisher and his confidence is good at the moment. He got good service from wide positions and Peter Crouch can flick things on for him. There aren’t many better than him at the moment.”

Redknapp was also pleased by Wednesday’s return to form of former Arsenal and Blackburn winger David Bentley, which threatened to leave the Spurs manager with a welcome dilemma.

“David Bentley was outstanding. He’s a great player and I thought he did really well. It will be a nice problem to have when everyone is fit.

“Those who came in showed the right attitude and got on with it. This is one defeat in 13 games now and players are doing their jobs.

“We’ve got a chance (of winning the FA Cup), but we’ve got some tough games coming up,” insisted Redknapp, who took Pompey to FA Cup glory two years ago.

He also readily conceded Spurs had come through two tough encounters with Leeds, who belied their third division status to draw 2-2 at White Hart Lane after producing the shock of this season’s FA Cup by knocking out English champions Manchester United at Old Trafford in the previous round.

“This is a massive club,” Redknapp said of Leeds. “Their fans were incredible and it was a great atmosphere.

“People were hoping to come here and see an upset but it didn’t happen and now we have a big game with Aston Villa this weekend,” added Redknapp whose side are vying with Villa for a top four finish that would guarantee a place in next season’s Champions League.

Leeds manager Simon Grayson said he was proud of his players and insisted their two games with Tottenham could inspire them to win promotion – they presently lie second three points behind leaders Norwich but with two games in hand.

“To win at Old Trafford and draw at White Hart Lane isn’t a bad effort for a team in League One,” Grayson said

“Nights like this motivate you even more and give you memories of when this club was in the Premier League and Champions League.

“Over the two games we have pushed them hard and the players have got to have that belief now that they can go on and play at a higher level.”

LEEDS, England (AFP)

Tags: blushes, bolton wanderers, David Bentley, Elland Road, England, fabio capello, front man, Harry Redknapp, Hart Lane, hat trick, leading goalscorers, league rivals, LEEDS, leeds england, Manchester, nice problem, Norwich, old england, peter crouch, Portsmouth, premier league, scored goals, Simon Grayson, South Africa, west ham, winger, world cup squad

Ancelotti admits set pieces troubling Chelsea

February 3, 2010

The storm centred on John Terry’s future as England captain is not the only headache that Carlo Ancelotti has to deal with at the moment.

The Chelsea boss is also grappling with his team’s tendency to leak goals from set pieces amid fears it could cost them dear at the business end of the season.

The depth of Chelsea’s squad has seen them installed as favourites to reclaim the Premier League title from Manchester United.

But with United starting to hit form, Chelsea’s problems in defending corners and free-kicks have once again been put in the spotlight by the ease with which Steven Mouyokolo headed Hull into the lead in Tuesday’s 1-1 draw at the KC Stadium.

Didier Drogba cancelled out Mouyokolo’s strike but Hull might easily have claimed all three points if Anthony Gardner had not missed an excellent chance from Tom Cairney’s free-kick.

“I know very well how many goals we have conceded from set pieces,” said Ancelotti. “Every team here in England has a very good jumper and a very good striker and it can happen that you concede a goal.

“How we score, sometimes we can concede. I think we did our best but it was a tough game and Hull played well and put a lot of pressure on us.”

Hull boss Phil Brown admitted he had identified Chelsea’s weakness on set pieces as a potential key to the outcome of the match.

“It’s my job to investigate how to score goals against Chelsea and they’ve conceded something like nine out of 10 of their goals, or something like that, from set pieces,” Brown said.

“If that’s the Achilles heel for Chelsea then we have to exploit it.”

LONDON (AFP)

Tags: achilles heel, Anthony Gardner, Brown, business end, carlo ancelotti, CHELSEA, didier, England, england captain, fears, free kick, free kicks, headache, HULL, john terry, jumper, kc stadium, london, Manchester, match, phil brown, premier league, Steven Mouyokolo, striker, tendency, Tom Cairney

Barca VP Godall confident of Fabregas return

February 3, 2010

Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas is continuously involved in speculations regarding a possible transfer to Spain. Real Madrid and Barcelona are both linked with the Arsenal captain.

Now, speculation about Fabregas’ future has been stirred up yet again by British tabloid The Sun publishing quotes from Barcelona vice-president Alfons Godall.

Godall is convinced Fabregas will return to the Camp Nou at some point in the future.

The Spain international progressed through the youth ranks at Barcelona before moving to London in 2003.

Arsenal’s frustrations in the Premier League, going from top of the league to six points adrift in the space of a fortnight, together with Barcelona’s ambitions, have been cited as the catalysts that could ensure a £40 million deal is struck in the summer.

Godall, who hopes to succeed Joan Laporta as president, believes that even if Fabregas does not make the move at the end of this season he will one day return to Barcelona.

“Sooner or later Cesc will end up coming back,” Godall said. “We are a club that can sign players because we are respected and solvent.”