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)

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Who needs Ronaldo when Nani plays like that?

February 2, 2010


Has Alex Ferguson got lucky or did he see something in Nani that nobody else could?

The Scot has always stood by the Manchester United winger despite his extremely unfavorable comparison with Cristiano Ronaldo and on Sunday against Arsenal all the pieces appeared to fall into place for a player who has flattered to deceive.

Nani’s bamboozling dribble was too much for Arsenal defence as United went in front at The Emirates. The Portuguese then displayed perfect timing and weight of pass to slide the ball though for the marauding Wayne Rooney that effectively settled the game as they went on to win 3-1.

Rooney has been incredible this season, carrying United when they have not played well. But Nani’s contribution as the spark around the solid midfield platform of Michael Carrick, Darren Fletcher and Paul Scholes could be just the injection of firepower that will carry United to a 19th league title.

Nani will never score the goals that Ronaldo managed at Old Trafford but his performances in recent weeks suggest that he finally believes that he belongs in a United shirt. The way he tied Gael Clichy, one of the best fullbacks in Europe, in knots on Sunday bodes well for United.

Nani was eventually replaced by Dimitar Berbatov with a minute to go at Arsenal and received the acclaim of the visiting fans who may just have witnessed the coming of age of another Old Trafford hero.

PHOTO: Manchester United’s Nani celebrates after scoring a goal during their English Premier League soccer match against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in London January 31, 2010. REUTERS/Eddie Keogh

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Fergie bills Gunners clash as biggest game of season

January 29, 2010


Alex Ferguson has billed Manchester United’s visit to Arsenal on Sunday as a match that could make or break his squad’s season.

“I think the game on Sunday, to my mind now looking at the way the league is shaping up, is the biggest game of the season for us,” the Scot told reporters at United’s training ground on Friday.

“Arsenal have gone on a consistent run and it’s amazing how this league has changed.

“The team that is most consistent will win the league now and Arsenal’s current form has been very good and I’m looking forward to it.

“At the moment the league is looking like a three horse race but there have been so many changes and different result from the top sides that you cannot be 100 percent certain.”

Just two points separate Chelsea at the top of the table and Arsenal in third with United in between. “Of course Chelsea have the advantage of the game in hand and if they win that they go four points ahead of us,” Ferguson added.

“So that is the catch up part we are in and that means Sunday has a great relevance to both of us because we have a genuine chance to win the league.”

Ahead of the match, Ferguson has appealed to United’s travelling supporters to get behind his players in a positive way rather than indulging in the personal abuse of his Arsenal counterpart Arsene Wenger which has been a regular and unpleasant feature of meetings between the two clubs.

“I think it’s unavoidable in the way that managers get abused today,” Ferguson said. “Sometimes I can’t hear these chants and I can’t make them out but I know there’s been some terrible abuse from our fans to Arsene Wenger and there must be a line drawn and I think our fans must know that themselves.

“I was really proud of the way they supported us (in the League Cup win over Manchester City) on Wednesday. We don’t need to worry about anyone else — they should be proud of the team they are supporting.”

Ferguson meanwhile has hinted that United will not appeal against the ban that has ruled Rio Ferdinand out of the club’s next four matches despite what he sees as blatant inconsistencies in the handling of violent conduct cases.

Ferdinand was charged by the Football Association after flooring Craig Fagan with a swinging arm in United’s 4-0 win against Hull last weekend.

The mandatory three-match ban was increased to four after the FA deemed United’s appeal to be “frivolous” and Ferdinand will miss Sunday’s encounter with Arsenal as well as further games against Portsmouth, Aston Villa and Everton.

Ferguson initially announced that United would try to have the decision looked at again only to later contradict himself by insisting the incident is now finished with.

“We have to decide if we appeal it because there are conflicting ways of viewing some of these decisions,” he said. “I watched Charlton and Leyton Orient the other night and the Leyton Orient goal came after an elbow on the Charlton player three times and nothing happened.

“So there’s a lot of confusion in terms of these decisions but we accepted he is banned and we will get on with it – there’s nothing we can do about it.”

If United were to appeal again, they would risk the ban being increased to five matches which would rule Ferdinand out of the League Cup final at the end of next month.

MANCHESTER (AFP)

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Ferguson in fresh bid to subdue fan fury over United debt

January 27, 2010


Sir Alex Ferguson has renewed his appeal to Manchester United fans to keep the lid on protests over the way the club is being run by its US-based owners, the Glazer family.

Ferguson used his programme notes for last weekend’s game against Hull to plead with United supporters to stay together.

There was little sign of off-field discontent spreading onto the pitch at Old Trafford on Saturday as England striker Wayne Rooney scored all the goals in a 4-0 win that saw champions United return to the top of the Premier League.

However, United fans have maintained their attacks on the Glazers in the wake of the club revealing, in accounts filed last week, that its debts had reached almost 720 million pounds by the middle of last year.

Ferguson said: “Fans are entitled to voice their disapproval about this or that. There’s nothing wrong with supporters complaining. If the team plays badly they are quite right to voice their disapproval. It’s their prerogative because this is their club.”

But the Scot made it clear he feels that the anti-Glazer movement will not help his squad’s cause.

“We don’t want a divided club,” he said. “We want the supporters behind the club all the time because we’re coming to the important part of the season. Everything is down to what we do as a team.

“The team, always the team, is the most important thing. We should never lose sight of that.

“All I’m interested in is that everyone buckles down to make sure we are successful, players and staff – but supporters in particular.”

Ferguson meanwhile has maintained he was not in the least surprised to hear Wayne Rooney commit his future to the club despite speculation linking him with a move to Real Madrid or Barcelona.

Rooney’s current deal expires in 2012 but Ferguson insists he is not worried that the England striker, 24, might want to leave Old Trafford.

He added: “I think we know where that is coming from. In fact, we are sure where it’s coming from. It’s not his agent. It’s not Wayne. So, we’ll deal with that.

“He wants to stay here. He has made that quite clear himself. But we knew that he didn’t want to leave here.

“He is in such great form there aren’t many players matching him at the moment. His scoring form has put him up in that frame.

“I’m not suggesting there aren’t plenty of other good players in the country and it’s not for me to judge who is the best.

“I am just happy with the form Wayne is showing. If he continues in this way he could get to 30 goals quite easily.”

MANCHESTER (AFP)

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Moyes confirms Huntelaar interest

January 25, 2010


Everton manager David Moyes has confirmed his interest in AC Milan striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar as he attempts to bring the out-of-favor Dutch hitman to Goodison Park.

The 26-year-old has slipped down the pecking order at the San Siro and is in search of regular football ahead of the World Cup this summer.

The former Ajax front-man had only joined Milan in the summer after a brief and frustrating spell with Real Madrid.

And now it seems he could be on the move again with a number of clubs keeping tabs on his situation in Italy.

And Moyes, who recently ended Jo’s loan spell from Manchester City, has confirmed he is keen to improve Everton’s goalscoring record.

“I don’t talk about players at other clubs, but if Huntelaar was available I would be interested, certainly,” the Scot admitted.

“I think we are lacking firepower at this present time. We’re creating plenty of chances but we’re not finishing games off like I think we should be.”

Huntelaar’s agent Arnold Oosterveer confirmed over the weekend there was interest from England, with Liverpool, Tottenham and West Ham also mooted to be suitors.

He said: “Klaas-Jan wants to have playing time. He wants to go to the World Cup and wants to be involved.”

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Fergie calls for unity as anti-Glazer protests mount

January 23, 2010


Sir Alex Ferguson has warned Manchester United fans who have mounted protests against the club’s American owners that their actions could undermine his squad’s drive for silverware.

The Glazer family, who have owned United since 2005, have never been popular with United supporters and recent revelations about the scale of the debt they have loaded onto the club to finance their takeover have triggered anti-Glazer protests at home matches.

Accounts filed this week revealed that United’s overall debt has risen to more than 700 million pounds, fuelling a view amongst fans that the burden of servicing the debt is acting as a brake on the strengthening of Ferguson’s squad.

The United boss has been supportive of the Glazers’ management of the club and he has made it clear he feels that the current mood of rebellion among a section of the support will not help his players.

“One for all and all for one — it’s a terrible cliche but nevertheless it does sum up one of the essentials for success in team sport,” Ferguson wrote in his programme notes for United’s league match against Hull on Saturday.

The Scot insisted he was not questioning the right of fans to voice their concern, but urged them to ask themselves who would benefit from their actions.

“I’m not slow to express disapproval myself if there is something I don’t agree with — even in the boardroom with the directors,” he wrote.

“But once I walk out of the meeting I get on with my job as manager of the team.

“Some of our fans are clearly unhappy with the financial position, but we mustn’t allow the situation to become divisive.

“The danger, as I see it, is that we could be presented as being split, which could be harmful and inaccurate because I believe the vast majority of United fans are behind us and appreciate the importance of standing together in support of the team.

“I could see our opponents rubbing their hands with glee at the thought of watching us fall out among ourselves if we don’t all think carefully about what we are doing.

“We must not lose our focus – which, from where I stand, is about building a strong football team that will win trophies. That?s what we are about or at least should be.”

Ferguson added: “This is not about stifling criticism; it’s simply a plea to stand together rather than take action that will damage ourselves more than anyone else.

“Manchester United is bigger than me, the players, the directors, officials, and the fans and, particularly at this critical stage of our season, we need to pull in the same direction.

“It would be a shame to lose our concentration now because I can really see light at the end of the tunnel as we ready ourselves to push for the championship.”

MANCHESTER, England (AFP)

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Man City have more to lose in derby semi: Ferguson

January 19, 2010


Sir Alex Ferguson has tried to up the pressure on Manchester City by claiming their League Cup semi-final against Manchester United matters more to them than to his team.

United travel to Eastlands for the weather-delayed first leg on Tuesday with their local rivals desperate to end their long wait for silverware.

City have not appeared in the final of a major tournament since 1981 and have not lifted a trophy since winning the League Cup in 1976.

By contrast Ferguson has presided over the most successful period in United’s history with 11 league titles, two European Cups and five FA Cups among the trophies the Scot has brought to Old Trafford since joining from Aberdeen 24 years ago.

However, expectations at City have multiplied since they were taken over by the wealthy Abu Dhabi United Group in 2008 and they hope to break into the Champions League places this season at the very least.

“A semi-final against United when they haven’t been in a final for so long is the biggest motivation City could have so far this season,” Ferguson said.

“So it’s a bigger, more important game for them than us,” he added. “It’s a game for the fans and their emotions.”

Ferguson has already confirmed the likes of Darron Gibson and Rafael and Fabio da Silva are likely to feature against Roberto Mancini’s team.

And while he is keen to give some players a break, he insists he is not taking the tie lightly and intends to be in a strong position going into the home leg.

“You don’t underestimate these things and I’ll pay particular attention to it. Once you?re in a semi-final, you want to be in the final. We want to be in a healthy position back at Old Trafford for the second leg,” he said.

Ferguson is likely to be without Dimitar Berbatov, who may need surgery on his knee problem, and the game is likely to come too soon for Rio Ferdinand to recover from his calf injury.

Mancini goes into this match on the back of his first defeat as City manager, following his team’s 2-0 league loss away to Everton on Saturday.

But City midfielder Nigel de Jong hopes striker Carlos Tevez’s desire to prove Ferguson wrong after being released by United and then signed by their Manchester rivals at the end of last season will work in the home team’s favour.

The Argentina forward has scored 15 goals for City so far this season and de Jong said: “Every player needs to be loved. I don’t know what Carlos’s situation was at Old Trafford. I’m just glad he’s here.”

United and City shared seven goals in a Manchester derby thriller in September with reigning league champions United triumphing 4-3 thanks only to Michael Owen’s stoppage-time winner.

“People still talk about what happened at Old Trafford in the league, but that game is in the past, we don’t want to keep looking back,” de Jong said.

“This is a new game. We want to look to the future,” the Dutchman added.

Instead de Jong said he thought United’s recent shock FA Cup exit at the hands of third-tier Leeds United would be of more relevance to the outcome of the tie.

“I don’t know whether their manager is going to play his full-strength team or his reserves after their FA Cup misery!,” de Jong said. “It’s up to Ferguson, he’s the manager and he knows his squad the best.

“I don’t think it is a sign of disrespect if he doesn’t pick his strongest team. He made it clear at the beginning of the Carling (League) Cup that he would try to rest players because other competitions were more important.

“But it is a semi-final and they are playing a derby against their biggest rivals,” he added.

“It’s a semi-final, one of the biggest games for City in a few years, so we have to do our best to reach the final, whoever it is we play against.”

Aston Villa appear in control of the other semi-final after a 1-0 first-leg win away to Blackburn Rovers.

MANCHESTER, England (AFP)

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Moyes is not just another brick in the wall: Cahill

January 19, 2010


Australia’s Tim Cahill has said Everton players would “run through brick walls” for David Moyes, insisting trust in the manager had been key factor in the Merseysiders’ recent revival.

Injuries, and an inability to spend their way out of trouble, contributed to a difficult start to the season for Everton.

But lately the Toffees have hauled themselves out of a sticky situation with a seven-match unbeaten run that includes last weekend’s 2-0 win over cash-rich Manchester City, a result that saw Everton go 10th in the Premier League table.

“The manager and players don’t become bad overnight and it isn’t a fluke what we have achieved in the past,” Everton midfielder Cahill told Monday’s edition of the Liverpool Echo.

“The manager buys players he can trust. We would run through brick walls for him and the poor run hurt us as much as it hurt him.

“We were letting him down. Even when you have got knocks, you play and that says something about the relationship here.”

Cahill also said the way in which Everton’s board had backed Moyes since the Scot’s arrival at Goodison Park in March 2002, had also helped cement their place in English football’s top flight.

“The patience of the club is something. The relationship the chairman (Bill Kenwright) has with the manager is an honest one,” Cahill said.

“The patience shown is a credit to the board and I think it is a good lesson to other clubs because in the modern era of football it is hard for managers.

“They get the blame for everything, but it is the players who cross the line,” he added.

Cahill said it was important Everton used their recent good form as a springboard to challenge for a European place, as they have done in the past few seasons.

“Sometimes everything just falls into place and now it is about kicking on, keeping momentum and the attitude and making sure we are always fitter than the other team,” he told the Liverpool Echo.

“If we make sure we are fitter, stronger and always up for it then we will do well.

“We have got the grit back and playing here is an absolute delight. I think that for me is what got us to where we were in the past.”

LIVERPOOL, England (AFP)

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Ferguson escapes FA action over referee rant

January 13, 2010


Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson will not face disciplinary action over his latest critcisms of a referee, the Football Association (FA) announced Tuesday.

Ferguson was furious with Mark Clattenburg for sending-off Darren Fletcher during English champions United’s 1-1 draw away to Birmingham City on Sunday.

Afterwards the Scot suggested Clattenburg had been inconsistent this season but the FA, England’s governing body, have decided his remarks did not mean he was alleging bias or questioning the official’s integrity.

“No action will be taken in relation to Sir Alex Ferguson,” an FA spookesman said Tuesday.

As a result, the FA have not activated the two-match suspended sentence hanging over Ferguson for criticising referee Alan Wiley’s fitness earlier this season, for which he was initially punished with a two-match touchline ban.

Scotland midfielder Fletcher was dismissed for two yellow card offences and after the match at St Andrews an irate Ferguson said: “As far as I’m concerned, I’ve not seen a softer sending-off for a long time. It is ridiculous.

“That referee did the Arsenal-Tottenham game earlier in the season and you needed to hit someone with an axe before he booked anyone in that game.”

“There were some wonderful and weird decisions tonight.”

LONDON (AFP)

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Michel to get time to settle at Birmingham

January 12, 2010


Miguel Marcos Michel, the Spanish midfielder who has become Birmingham’s first signing since Carson Yeung’s takeover of the club, will not be rushed into Premier League action, Blues boss Alex McLeish has signalled.

Michel, 24, who completed a three-million-pound transfer from Sporting Gijon on Monday, faces a battle to establish himself in a midfield in which experienced pair Barry Ferguson and Lee Bowyer have been outstanding in Birmingham’s 13-match unbeaten run.

And McLeish believes his newest recruit will need time to settle into English life and football.

“Sometimes it’s not easy for a player, especially coming from a foreign country, to come in and hit the ground running,” the former Scotland boss said.

“He’ll need time to get to know his team-mates and see the sort of demands we ask from players in training.

“We can also see if we can add a wee bit to his game and improve him all round as a player.

“But the bonus is that, because we’re doing so well, he has got additional time to settle.”

McLeish first attempted to sign Michel before the start of the season and he was relieved that Yeung’s financial backing finally made the deal possible.

“I’m very pleased he’s signed as I’ve been tracking him for over a year,” the Scot added. “I’ve added a player who is unfazed in taking the ball in any company.

“He’s played at the Bernabeu and the Nou Camp and has acquitted himself well, so he’s a technical player who can definitely strengthen the squad.

“He has good quality, is only 24, has got good legs and is a player for now but also the future.”

Stoke have agreed to loan former captain Andy Griffin to Championship club Reading until the end of the season. Griffin, 30, has made only three appearances for Stoke this season, all of them in the League Cup.

“There is a lot of competition for places in the squad and Andy is obviously desperate to play first team football,” said Potters boss Tony Pulis. “A move to Reading is a great opportunity for him to go out and play regularly in the Championship.”

Aston Villa boss Martin O’Neill meanwhile has assured Nicky Shorey, the former England full-back who is thriving on loan at Nottingham Forest, that he is not planning to off-load him permanently.

O’Neill said: “Selling Nicky is not something that I am looking to do at this minute and nothing concrete has developed. If there was an offer, I would sit down with Nicky and his agent to discuss it but I am not actively seeking (to sell him).”

Shorey was loaned to Forest after losing his place in the Villa line-up to summer signing Stephen Warnock but O’Neill believes the defender may yet live up to his early promise.

“I think going forward he has done very well and if he tightens up his game defensively, he has loads to offer,” the Villa manager added.

LONDON (AFP)

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