Football Corner

BALLACK TO MISS BLUES` EURO TIES

2007-09-03T20:54:00.000-07:00

Michael Ballack was not included in Chelsea's squad list for the Champions League group stages.

The Blues submitted their list of players last Friday and could not guarantee the Germany midfielder would feature in the majority of the Group B games as he is recovering from summer ankle surgery.

Jose Mourinho's men play Valencia, Schalke and Rosenborg twice before the group stages finishes on December 11.

The club's stance suggests Ballack may not return to domestic duty before the end of October.

"Naturally, we hope Michael's recovery is as quick as possible, that he returns to full training ahead of schedule and that he will then be available for the latter stages of the competition, should we qualify," read a statement from Chelsea.

The 31-year-old has not played since April and, because he is not registered, he will now not feature in European action until at least February, as long as Chelsea qualify for the first knockout round.

It has been a difficult weekend for Mourinho on the injury front, and he also has the frustrations of the international break to add to his concerns.

Frank Lampard was ruled out of Sunday's Aston Villa defeat with a thigh problem and he is still rated doubtful for England's European Championship double-header against Israel and Russia.

"I think he is definitely out of both games. I don't know, but I don't think (he will be ready)," said Mourinho in the London Evening Standard.

Striker Didier Drogba was forced off at Villa Park with a knee problem but at least there are 12 days before the club's next clash, with Blackburn coming to Stamford Bridge.

The break for international football, however, means other irritations for Mourinho.

"I have to speak to the players after 10 days," he said.

"Some players will arrive back on Thursday week and some on Friday week and then we have to play Blackburn on Saturday.

"I will now be working with half a dozen players and the kids from the reserves, enjoying my work every day - but not with the objective of preparing a team for the next game."

Mourinho admits the late withdrawal of Lampard disrupted plans for the Villa clash.

He said: "Lampard pulled out after training on Friday when doing individual work. It meant all the work we did in the week, you have to forget.

"You then have to try and build a team on Saturday to try and play such a difficult game (on Sunday)."

Taken from =football365=

MOURINHO FEELS FRUSTRATED

2007-09-03T20:49:00.000-07:00

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has the frustrations of the international break adding to the injury concerns from the defeat at Aston Villa.

Frank Lampard was ruled out of the clash with a thigh problem and he is still rated doubtful for England's Euro 2008 double-header against Israel and Russia.

"I think he is definitely out of both games. I don't know, but I don't think so," said Mourinho in the London Evening Standard.

Striker Didier Drogba was forced off with a knee problem but at least there are 12 days before the club's next clash, with Blackburn coming to Stamford Bridge.

The break for international football, however, means other irritations for Mourinho.

"I have to speak to the players after 10 days," he said. "Some players will arrive back on Thursday week and some on Friday week and then we have to play Blackburn on Saturday.

"I will now be working with half a dozen players and the kids from the reserves, enjoying my work every day - but not with the objective of preparing a team for the next game."

Mourinho admits the late withdrawal of Lampard disrupted plans for the Villa clash.

He said: "Lampard pulled out after training on Friday when doing individual work. It meant all the work we did in the week, you have to forget.

"You then have to try and build a team on Saturday to try and play such a difficult game (on Sunday)."

Taken from =football365=

WENGER `GAMBLE` IS PAYING OFF

2007-09-03T20:32:00.000-07:00

Gilberto has branded Arsene Wenger's refusal to pay large transfer fees for star players a "big gamble".

But the Brazilian midfielder believes Arsenal are now reaping the reward of the stability created by Wenger's policy of adding selectively to the squad.

Wenger has responded to claims by former Gunners chairman David Dein that the club needs huge investment to be remain competitive by vowing to continue with his frugal approach.

After two barren seasons Wenger's belief in his young squad appears to be paying off with Sunday's 3-1 victory over Portsmouth lifting them to second in the Barclays Premier League.

The starting line-up against Pompey was assembled for less than £30million, yet at this early stage they seem genuine title contenders.

Gilberto said: "It's a big gamble when clubs spend big money for each new season but we do not spend.

"But while we haven't spent a lot of money, we have been playing together for a few years now.

"That makes a difference in the game because we all know each other - if I pass to Cesc Fabregas he knows exactly where the forwards will be. That's important.

"We must keep focused because other clubs have made some very good signings.

"Arsene has his policy of signing players and he does what he believes is right for the club.

"He spends as little as possible and that helps the club when they do need to spend money."

Wenger's belief that his young side is ready to flourish has been given credibility by their fine start to the Premier League.

They have accumulated 10 points from four matches - double their tally of the same stage last term - and Gilberto believes the familiarity of their new surroundings at the Emirates is partly responsible for the improvement.

The Brazilian midfielder said: "It's very nice to make a start like this. Last season it was completely different.

"Now we have to keep going, accumulate as many points as we can and keep going. We need to keep playing like we know we can.

"The younger players have become more experienced because of the time they have spent together.

"Last year it was very hard for us to adapt to the width of the pitch. We had a very bad start and it was difficult to recover from that.

"But that was our first year and now we look completely different. We were better near the end but we must not now allow the same thing to happen again."

Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp has bemoaned the international break that means most of his squad will be absent from training for the next 11 days.

He said: "The problem is I won't see my players until Friday week.

"I can't sit down with them and show them videos and discuss the goals in detail.

"Then when they come back we are concentrating on playing Liverpool.

"Am I then going to start getting into them about what they did against Arsenal?

"I have to pick them up and be positive about beating Liverpool. It's crazy. What work can you do on the training ground?

"I've got six players for the next weeks and who knows how many of the nine or 10 who are away will come back fit."

Taken from =football365=

BENT BOOSTS SPURS ATTACK

2007-09-03T20:27:00.000-07:00

Darren Bent is expected to give Tottenham boss Martin Jol another selection dilemma in attack for the clash against Arsenal after the international break.

Bent is getting closer to a return from a thigh problem but missed the thrilling draw against Fulham at the weekend, and there are hopes he will be fit for the north London derby a week on Saturday.

Robbie Keane was disappointed at the weekend when he was taken off for Jermain Defoe, with Spurs then letting a 3-1 lead slip away at Craven Cottage.

Bent's return adds to Jol's problems of keeping four strikers happy but the former Charlton player insists the squad is fully behind their manager, who has appeared under pressure since the infamous meeting between Spurs officials and Sevilla coach Juande Ramos.

"He's been fantastic," said Bent.

"You can see the players are behind him 100%, everyone loves him. Whatever is going on behind closed doors we know nothing about.

"The players love him, the fans love him. He's our manager. It's surprising as we've finished fifth in the last two years - people are saying if you don't finish fourth then he's out. I think that is ridiculous."

He added on Sky Sports News: "You've still got four strong squads in Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea. It's not going to be easy but we know what we have to do."

Bent arrived at White Hart Lane in the summer for £16.5million, with Jol spending around £40million in total on players which has increased the pressure to get Champions League football.

Sporting director Damien Comolli, whose relationship with Jol has been under scrutiny during Spurs' poor start to the season, was pleased with the club's summer transfer activity.

"All of the players are internationals for their age-group or at full senior level," said Comolli.

"They are big talents and we are confident they will fulfil their potential at this club and go on to have successful international careers.

"This would be good for them, but also good for us as international football can only broaden their experience, which can only be of benefit to our squad."

Centre-back Michael Dawson was scheduled to play in a reserve match against Birmingham as he steps up his return from an ankle injury.

Taken from =football365=

ANDERSON ENJOYS UNITED BOW

2007-09-03T20:23:00.000-07:00

Anderson is hoping to build on his Manchester United debut after describing the experience as "amazing".

The former Porto star, 19, played the first half of United's Premier League clash with Sunderland before being replaced by Louis Saha who scored the winner in a 1-0 victory.

With Chelsea losing to Aston Villa, United are only two points behind their Premier League rivals.

Anderson enjoyed performing in front of over 75,000 supporters at Old Trafford.

"It was amazing, not just for me but for my family as well," he said.

"As a young boy it was always my dream to play for a big European club.

"I was lucky enough to do it with Porto and now I am at United. I feel proud to be here and I want to do my best."

However, Anderson took his time before making the switch to the Premier League.

He said: "I heard about United some time ago through my agent but we thought it would be better for me to wait a little bit longer.

"I was doing well at Porto and knew that joining a club like United would bring its own pressure.

"But when they expressed an interest in me again in the summer I felt it was the right time."

Anderson was given an insight into United from Portugal winger Cristiano Ronaldo and liked what he heard.

"He told me about the club and what a great place it is, " Anderson told www.manutd.com.

"Joining United is a dream come true for any footballer in the world."

Anderson is already being talked up by some pundits as the new Ronaldinho.

But United's new recruit believes he has a long way to go to emulate his fellow Brazilian.

Anderson said: "You have to remember that Ronaldinho is an established top-class footballer.

"He has been named the best player in the world twice. He is a great guy and a good friend of mine.

"But no two players are the same. It is an honour to play alongside him, it's something every footballer in the world would like to do.

"He is a great player and I hope one day I can reach the level he is at."

Taken from =football365=

NANI STUNNER GETS UNITED OFF MARK

2007-08-26T23:18:00.000-07:00

A stunning 30-yard strike from Portuguese winger Nani shot down Tottenham at Old Trafford and gave champions Manchester United their first win of the Premier League season.

The youngster, a big-money buy from Sporting Lisbon in the summer, blasted a sensational long-range effort past Paul Robinson and into the top corner of the Spurs net, aided by a slight deflection off Carlos Tevez.

It had taken Sir Alex Ferguson's men 68 long minutes to break the deadlock on an afternoon when Martin Jol's visitors could have embarrassed them yet further.

From the early seconds, when Robbie Keane grazed the top of Edwin van der Sar's crossbar with a cracking strike, the London side provided a real threat up front.

And two incidents just before Nani's winner will make defeat a bitter pill to swallow for them.

First Dimitar Berbatov, lively all afternoon, prodded the ball through van der Sar's legs. It seemed certain his effort would roll over the line but in the nick of time Rio Ferdinand arrived to clear.

Spurs then had a strong penalty appeal turned down as Berbatov beat Vidic, before powering his shot goalwards with van der Sar looking on helplessly.

The ball struck the falling Wes Brown and Berbatov led fierce Spurs protests as referee Howard Webb waved their appeals for a penalty away.

Two years ago Spurs were denied victory at Old Trafford when that long-range Pedro Mendes strike was wrongly ruled out, and once again here they were out of luck on a visit to the Theatre Of Dreams.

Mark Viduka was on target on his return to the Riverside Stadium as Middlesbrough and Newcastle played out an eventful 2-2 draw.

The visitors opened the scoring in the 22nd minute when Charles N'Zogbia cut in from the left and unleashed a thunderbolt with his right boot from 25 yards which left Mark Schwarzer with no chance.

That sparked Boro into life though and they equalised six minutes later when Fabio Rochemback's clever chip over the top found Mido, who controlled expertly on his chest before rounding Steve Harper and stroking home his second goal in two games.

Gareth Southgate's men came out firing at the start of the second period with Rochemback having an effort bloked by Harper, while at the other end James Milner drilled straight at Schwarzer.

Newcastle restored their advantage with 13 minutes to go when Viduka controlled superbly in the area before volleying past Schwarzer - his first goal for the Toon.

However that lead lasted just three minutes as Boro hit back again, this time Julio Arca lashing home from the edge of the box after the visiting defence had failed to clear Rochemback's ball in.

taken from =football365=

COLE SET TO JOIN BLACK CATS

2007-08-24T03:21:00.000-07:00

Veteran striker Andy Cole is on the verge of a move to Sunderland.

The 35-year-old left Portsmouth this summer, after manager Harry Redknapp agreed to cancel the final two years of his contract, and he is set to undergo a medical with the Black Cats today.

Cole - who can count Manchester United, Newcastle and Manchester City among his former clubs - is expected to sign a one-year-deal with Roy Keane's side.

Taken from =football365=

OWEN MAY START FOR MAGPIES

2007-08-24T03:18:00.000-07:00

Newcastle striker Michael Owen is in contention for a start in the Barclays Premier League at Middlesbrough on Sunday after shaking off his thigh problem.

The 27-year-old played 57 minutes for England against Germany on Wednesday, and will battle with Mark Viduka, Obafemi Martins and Shola Ameobi for a place.

Emre is back in training after a calf problem, but Shay Given (groin), Celestine Babayaro (hamstring), Joey Barton (metatarsal) and Damien Duff (ankle) remain on the sidelines.

Teams:

Middlesbrough (from): Will appear here...

Newcastle (from): Harper, Forster, Carr, N'Zogbia, Rozehnal, Taylor, Ramage, Cacapa, Enrique, Solano, Milner, Geremi, Butt, Smith, Emre, Viduka, Martins, Ameobi, Owen.

Taken from =football365=

BIG SAM QUIET ON MARTINS FRONT

2007-08-22T14:41:00.000-07:00

Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce insists he has had no approach for striker Obafemi Martins as speculation mounts over his future.

The 22-year-old Nigeria international has been the subject of repeated speculation throughout the summer since it emerged he has a £13million buy-out clause in his contract at St James' Park.

Martins has been tipped as a possible target for Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson if he decides to find cover for the injured Wayne Rooney.

However, Allardyce confirmed there have as yet been no offers for the player, who scored 17 goals last season following his £10million arrival from Inter Milan.

The 52-year-old said: "There has been speculation about Obafemi Martins every week since I have been here, and he is still at Newcastle.

"I have had no contact from any football club, either in this country or any other country wanting to activate Obafemi Martins' clause.

"Oba is still a Newcastle United player and the only way he will not be a Newcastle United player is if somebody activates that clause, and nobody has."

Martins is one of four senior strikers currently on the Tyneside club's books with Michael Owen back from a thigh injury and Mark Viduka and Shola Ameobi also competing for places in the starting line-up.

Glenn Roeder's signing made an immediate impact under new boss Allardyce with a double in the 3-1 opening weekend victory at Bolton and has previously committed himself to the club after being linked with Arsenal and Valencia during the close-season.

Allardyce knows he could struggle to keep all four men happy this season, and any offer which activated the escape clause would provide the Magpies with a healthy profit on their investment in the Nigerian.

Meanwhile, keeper Steve Harper has hailed Owen for his fortitude following his most recent return to fitness.

The England striker was used as a second-half substitute in Saturday's 0-0 draw with Aston Villa and subsequently returned to international duty following his comeback from a thigh strain.

The 32-year-old said: "It is great to see him back, he has had a dreadfully unlucky spell but he has kept his head down.

"Michael has worked his socks off to get back and it was great to see him back out there against Villa.

"We know Michael is 100% committed to the club and he has said nothing to any of us to the contrary. Michael is the ultimate professional. He works hard and does not cause any problems.

"He is also a top, top player. The sooner we can get him back out and firing on all cylinders the better.

"He is a down-to-earth player and it's great to see him back."

Taken from =football365=

HEINZE MAKING MADRID MOVE

2007-08-22T14:39:00.000-07:00

The messy Gabriel Heinze saga has finally reached its conclusion after the Manchester United defender agreed a four-year contract with Real Madrid.

Heinze was still considering whether to launch an appeal against the Barclays Premier League decision to block his preferred to Liverpool when Real made their move.

United, aware the 29-year-old's Old Trafford future was non-existent, were quick to agree a fee with the Spanish champions, believed to be well in excess of £5million, forcing the issue back into Heinze's court.

Although the Argentina World Cup star still wanted to explore the Liverpool option, he knew that by dragging the situation out even further, his chances of moving out of England before the August 31 transfer deadline would effectively disappear.

Having already had one lot of talks with Real earlier in the summer, Heinze has now opted to join the Spanish champions instead - a move which will no doubt disappoint Rafael Benitez, who expressed his disgust for the verdict reached by the Premier League 24 hours earlier.

In contrast, United will be glad to get rid of a player who became a firm fans' favourite in the immediate aftermath of his move from Paris St Germain in 2004 but became a pariah amongst supporters for so actively pursuing a move to their fierce north-west rivals.

Heinze must still pass a medical but providing there are no problems, he will join Bernd Schuster's squad within the next 48 hours as a replacement for long-serving Brazilian Roberto Carlos, who left the Bernabeu for Turkey this summer.

The move concludes a story which dogged United throughout their Far East tour and left Sir Alex Ferguson bemused about the player's intentions.

Those were made perfectly clear earlier this week when Heinze attending the Premier League hearing himself to claim a letter, signed by Red Devils chief executive David Gill, confirming a fee at which United would be willing to do business, constituted a promise to sell.

The panel disagreed, having also heard the startling revelation of Crystal Palace chief executive Phil Alexander who told the three-man inquiry team he was approached by one of Heinze's representatives with a proposal for the player to join the Eagles before then being moved on to Liverpool.

Such a move may have attracted the attention of FIFA, whose rules forbid a player joining three clubs in one season, but ultimately never came to fruition.

However, it does emphasise the scale of Heinze's desire to become the first player to move from United to Liverpool since Phil Chisnall in 1964.

The whole episode has left a nasty taste in the mouth of Benitez, who must now look elsewhere for a left-back following Heinze's decision to accept Real's offer.

"I would like to ask the Premier League a number of questions. How can a player with a signed agreement be treated like this?" Benitez told the Liverpool Echo.

"He has a document which is clear, but the Premier League prefers to believe the word of someone else who made a mistake. I know there were accusations made against Liverpool in the hearing which were unbelievable. How can this be allowed?"

And broadening his attack from the Heinze issue, Benitez said: "Then I would like to ask the Premier League why is it that Liverpool always plays the most fixtures away from home in an early kick-off, following an international break?

"We had more than the top clubs last season and we have four already to prepare for this season.

He then - somewhat bizarrely given the story dominated the news agenda for most of the close-season - claims it was "so easy" for United to sign Tevez.

Benitez added: "Then I want to ask the Premier League why it was so difficult for Liverpool to sign Javier Mascherano, when we had to wait a long time for the paperwork, but it was so easy for Carlos Tevez to join Manchester United?

"It's going to be very difficult for us to win the Premier League because the other teams are so strong, but I want our supporters to know that despite the disadvantages we have, we will fight all the way.

"We will fight to cope with our more difficult kick-off times and all the other decisions which are going against us."

Taken from =football365=

HEINZE DECISION SATISFIES UNITED

2007-08-21T10:50:00.000-07:00

Manchester United have declared their satisfaction with the Premier League's decision not to force them to sell Gabriel Heinze to Liverpool.

After a two-day hearing, a three-man panel ruled that a letter, signed by Red Devils chief executive David Gill, confirming the sum United would be willing to accept for the defender, did not constitute a binding undertaking to offload the 29-year-old to anyone who matched the £6.8million fee.

So far, Liverpool are the only club United have publicly confirmed have met their valuation, but Gill and manager Sir Alex Ferguson both refused to sanction a deal which would have seen Heinze become the first player to leave Old Trafford for Anfield since Phil Chisnall in 1964.

Now the Premier League have backed that view, leaving Heinze to see out the remaining two years of his United contract.

"We are pleased that the panel has endorsed our case," said a Manchester United spokesman.

Both Gill and Ferguson attended the hearing, with United maintaining they made it clear to the 29-year-old both orally and in writing that he would not be permitted to join one of their title rivals.

So, it now appears that if Heinze is intent on leaving the club he will have to move abroad, with Lyon supposedly among the interested parties.

The Premier League said in a statement: "The hearing concluded that nature and intention of the disputed 13 June 2007 letter, especially when taken in context of verbal discussions and Manchester United FC's transfer policy, was unambiguous in that it envisages only an international transfer.

"Furthermore the hearing finds the letter constitutes an 'agreement to agree', and did not create an obligation or binding agreement for the club to transfer the player to any particular club.

"In other words the letter is evidence of an intention to negotiate, both between the parties and with potential buying clubs, and not evidence of any intention to create legal relations."

Heinze does have the right to appeal to the Premier League appeals committee, which is made up of an independent, legally-qualified chairman, a member of the Premier League panel and a PFA appointee.

Taken from =football365=

HEINZE LOSES APPEAL

2007-08-21T10:42:00.000-07:00

Gabriel Heinze has lost his bid to force Manchester United to sell him to Liverpool.

The Argentina defender had gone to a Premier League panel claiming United had written a letter allowing him to leave if another club offered a fee of £6.8million.

The panel have dismissed Heinze's case and backed United, who maintained they made it clear to the 29-year-old both orally and in writing that he would not be permitted to join one of their title rivals.

It now appears that if Heinze is intent on leaving the club he will have to move abroad.

"Furthermore the hearing finds the letter constitutes an 'agreement to agree', and did not create an obligation or binding agreement for the club to transfer the player to any particular club.

"In other words the letter is evidence of an intention to negotiate, both between the parties and with potential buying clubs, and not evidence of any intention to create legal relations."

Heinze does have the right to appeal to the Premier League appeals committee, which is made up of an independent, legally-qualified chairman, a member of the Premier League panel and a PFA appointee.

The decision has delighted United, who were represented by both manager Sir Alex Ferguson and chief executive David Gill at the hearing in London.

Taken from =football365=

DUNNE BACKS RICHARDS AS ENGLAND`S BEST

2007-08-20T19:51:00.000-07:00

Manchester City skipper Richard Dunne is convinced the sky is the limit for central defensive partner Micah Richards.

The Blues currently sit proudly at the Barclays Premier League summit, the only top flight club still with maximum points; a monumental effort under new boss Sven-Goran Eriksson.

As if that was not enough, the charge to the top has come without conceding a single goal and, to make it especially sweet, their latest victims were bitter rivals Manchester United.

Dunne and Richards have struck up a solid partnership and many believe 19-year-old Richards should start against Germany at Wembley on Wednesday.

Right-back is still a more likely option for the Birmingham-born teenager, with England coach Steve McClaren - who made Richards the youngest defender to play for England in last November's friendly draw with Holland - still of the opinion he gets caught out of position slightly too often.

Yet for Dunne, there is no better English defender around at present.

And, if Richards keeps developing at his present rate, the Irishman cannot see anything to prevent him becoming a major star.

"Micah is outstanding," said Dunne.

"He gets better every game and there really is no limit to what he can do.

"Whoever comes up against him, whatever test he is set, he just blows them away.

"It is hard to remember he is only 19. At the moment I would say he is as good a centre-half as England have."

Concentration issues apart, it is difficult to spot a weakness in Richards' game.

As Eriksson has noted, the youngster has enough pace to get himself out of trouble should the need arise.

At Eastlands, he came out on top in numerous one-on-one battles with Carlos Tevez and, alongside Dunne, stood firm like a rock against the tidal wave of United attacks.

"In the last couple of years, he got his experience as a right-back," observed Dunne.

"Now he is playing centre-half, which is his favourite position.

"In the last three games he has shown he has pace and power and everything else that you need.

"Nobody can run past him or beat him in the air. He has just been outstanding."

Dunne accepts City's start to the season could not have gone any better. And what the 28-year-old Dubliner was really pleased with was the durability of a team Eriksson is still moulding together.

There may be plenty of new faces around Eastlands at the moment but there is also plenty of character, which, if not quite turning City into title-winning material, should take them quite a long way this term.

"That is three wins and three clean sheets, it doesn't get any better than that," he said.

"I suppose it is exactly what the manager would have dreamt of.

"The good thing is we have battled to get these results and showed a lot of spirit.

"Even against United, when we had our backs against the wall and found ourselves under a lot of pressure, we managed to cope with it."

Despite such startling success, Eriksson is still hoping to bring in some more new blood ahead of Saturday's trip to Arsenal.

However, the signs are he is abandoning an attempt to sign another goalkeeper following Kasper Schmeichel's excellent contribution to the City cause.

Although the 20-year-old needed to rely on Richards to help him out after a couple of mistakes, Schmeichel has largely been a solid presence during the first week of the campaign.

So, while current Italy second choice Marco Amelia and Bolton's Jussi Jaaskelainen have both been heavily linked with a move to the Eastlands outfit, the indications are neither will eventually arrive.

"Finding a keeper that is better than the ones I have is not easy," said Eriksson.

"Kasper is very good in training. He is quick and you don't find many keepers better than him on the line.

"He takes everything and he almost destroys the confidence of our strikers in shooting practice."

Taken From =football365=

HEINZE DECISION DELAYED

2007-08-20T19:26:00.000-07:00

A decision on the future of Manchester United defender Gabriel Heinze is expected to be made on Tuesday.

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and chief executive David Gill have travelled to a Premier League arbitration tribunal on Monday to argue that the Argentinian should not be allowed to join Liverpool.

The defender has asked for a three-man panel to decide whether United gave him permission to leave the club for an agreed fee.

Heinze wants to join Liverpool and claims he has a letter from United allowing him to leave if a club offered a fee of £6.8million.

The club maintain however that they made it clear to Heinze both orally and by letter that he would not be permitted to join one of their title rivals in the top flight.

A Premier League spokesman confirmed a verdict is likely on Tuesday.

Taken from =football365=

FEUD RE-EMERGES OVER DISPUTED PENALTY

2007-08-19T20:54:00.000-07:00

The simmering feud between Chelsea and Liverpool erupted on the pitch with nine bookings, and off it with more controversy between Jose Mourinho and Rafael Benitez.

Confronted with questioning over his team's alleged gamesmanship and constant questioning of referee Rob Styles' decisions during a 1-1 draw at Anfield, Chelsea boss Mourinho claimed: "We are a naive and pure team.

"I have a naive team, they are naive because we do not have divers, we do not have violent people we do not have nasty tackles. We do not have people diving into swimming pools, Chelsea is a naive team. It is a pure team, that is my opinion."

On hearing the Portuguese coach's version of affairs, Liverpool chief Benitez could not stop himself hitting back.

He said: "I will not name people, but you can check their team and see how many times they do things that he (Mourinho) says that they do not do.

"I don't want to give names but I remember a lot of situations in the last three years, and today you could see the players talking all the time at the referee."

Benitez was furious with the penalty decision that gave Frank Lampard a spot-kick equaliser after Florent Malouda had gone down under a challenge from Steve Finnan.

Benitez, whose £20million new signing Fernando Torres scored his first goal for the club in the first half, said: "What penalty? It was the invisible penalty. There were 45,000 people who could see it and know it wasn't, Jose says he could not see it.

"I want to have a lot of respect for referees, but sometimes I cannot understand why they give some decisions, that decision is impossible to explain.

"We had chances to win and we have two less points, we must now be positive. It is too early to say who are contenders, but we always show when we play Chelsea that we can be there, so now we have to be consistent against the rest of the teams for nine months."

Midfielder Steven Gerrard added to the condemnation of Styles, saying: "I think a very, very unfair decision has got Chelsea a point today. But I think we proved today we are capable of challenging.

"I felt the referee didn't play well today. There was a lot of pressure from the Chelsea players and I thought he eventually cracked."

Mourinho's view on the crucial penalty was: "I have not really seen the penalty properly, only from 30 metres away on the sidelines.

"In the box there is no advantage law, if the referee sees a foul he gives a penalty. So when Malouda is kicked from behind as he lets to ball run to Drogba, then it is a penalty.

"It is to be discussed by commentators, just like they discussed the goal we lost the Champions League semi-final here by two years ago.

"As for the title race, it is too early to judge opponents. Manchester United have two points after their defeat today, but even if they had zero points I would say that they are serious contenders for the title, these things do not influence me."

The penalty incident set the tone for the rest of a fractious match in which Styles almost lost control. In the latter stages he appeared to book Michael Essien for a second time without sending off the Ghanaian only for the fourth official reveal the booking had been issued to John Terry.

On his side's performance, Mourinho added: "We came to win the game. Maybe people feel we would have come with a packed midfield and try to go home with a point. We picked an attacking side and tried to win for 85 minutes.

"I accept that when they had Peter Crouch, Dirk Kuyt, Ryan Babel and Fernando Torres together at the end, and I have a giant (Alex) on my bench then I send that giant in and tell him 'it is your time'. I tried to close the door then and go home with a point, and it is two points Liverpool do not get.

"I knew then that Arsenal had drawn and Manchester United lost, so then I feel the point won is justified."

Taken from =football365=

FERGIE: WE`RE FACING UPHILL FIGHT

2007-08-19T20:48:00.000-07:00

Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted Manchester United are already facing an uphill battle to retain their Premier League title following their 1-0 derby-day defeat to City at Eastlands.

Despite dominating possession and enjoying the vast majority of chances, for the second time in three outings this season, United failed to find the net.

Instead, Geovanni's first-half effort proved decisive, maintaining Sven-Goran Eriksson's 100 per cent start as Blues boss and leaving their visitors languishing in the bottom five, seven points behind their city rivals.

With Ferguson's team not in action again until Tottenham visit Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon, United could be in an embarrassingly low position by the time they kick off.

And, while no-one in the Red Devils camp is conceding defeat just yet, Ferguson accepts his side must start winning - fast.

"We have given ourselves an uphill fight, there is no doubt about that," said the Scot.

"We have to get a win under our belts.

"We have Tottenham on Sunday. That has become a very important game for us."

Two points from three games represents United's worst start in 1992, although they did finish that campaign as champions.

A year earlier, City won their opening three matches, exactly what they have done now, with Eriksson's many critics having their harsh words rammed down their throats in no uncertain manner.

"Three games, three wins, three clean sheets. I must be happy with that and I am," reflected Eriksson.

"Today was our most difficult game so far.

"Of course, if you gave points for possession of the ball, shots on target and shots off target we would have lost. But we scored a goal and they didn't.

"We have beaten Manchester United and that doesn't happen every day, although we still have a long way to go yet."

Everything Eriksson touches at the moment is turning to gold.

Derided for buying players on the evidence of videos, Eriksson has seen most of his purchases paying off in fine style over the past week.

Geovanni is one of that number, although it was a member of the City squad who established himself long before Eriksson arrived - England defender Micah Richards - who was at the heart of their latest win.

Time after time Richards got in the way as United mounted their succession of attacks.

At no stage did the 19-year-old look flustered and at no point did Carlos Tevez, Ryan Giggs or Nani threaten to get the better of him on a personal basis.

"It is important to remember this young man is 19," said Eriksson.

"I don't remember having a defender that strong and that quick at any age. That is a combination that is very rare indeed.

"He wins everything in the air and can fight with any centre-forward and then, if he makes a mistake, he has the speed to repair it.

"His pace is incredible. At 19, you just don't see that."

Richards was himself in bullish mood, insisting City "can beat anyone" after their flying start.

Richards told Sky Sports: "We're just delighted, it was a great team performance.

"We've come out and shown the fans we can do it.

"We can beat anyone."

He admitted expectations were raised now among City fans but said: "We've got the players to do it so why not?"

The only downside for Eriksson was the loss of Bulgaria striker Valeri Bojinov to suspected knee ligament damage.

In contrast, the only major positive for Ferguson was the outstanding performance of Owen Hargreaves on his debut.

At £18million the former Bayern Munich man did not come cheap but his energetic contribution to United's midfield largely kept City at bay, even if a lingering knee injury means he almost certainly will not play for England against Germany on Wednesday.

"Owen Hargreaves did absolutely superb. His knees are a bit sore and he will need a few days to recover," said Ferguson, who said there will be no panic at his team's poor start.

"At this moment in time we have to rely on our experience and make sure we do not get carried away with a knee-jerk reaction."

Taken from =football365=

JOORABCHIAN OFFERS TO FUND INQUIRY

2007-08-18T04:03:00.000-07:00

Kia Joorabchian insists he would be happy to fund a new inquiry into the Carlos Tevez transfer saga as he searches for "honesty and transparency".

Tevez's representative claims the initial Premier League investigation into the terms of the player's transfer to West Ham in August last year, which ended with the Hammers being found guilty of breaching rules on third-party ownership and being fined £5.5million, was conducted with only "50% of the facts", and wants a new inquiry.

"I don't like the way (Premier League chief executive) Richard Scudamore has, in a roundabout way, made suggestions and dragged me, my players, West Ham and the Premier League through the mud during this period of time," Joorabchian said.

"That's why I want a proper independent inquiry and if the Premier League clubs agree, I'm willing to finance it, whatever it costs. Let's have total transparency Mr Scudamore, we have nothing to hide.

"Why was a full, transparent and thorough investigation not done when your member clubs have a right to know what's happened? Why are they clouding this issue?

"Why were the full facts not heard? Why were people not questioned? They never once asked us about any paperwork, never held discussions with us, never wrote us a letter. How did they decide on a £5.5million fine with only 50% of the facts."

As well as escaping with a fine instead of a points deduction the Hammers were also controversially cleared to continuing playing Tevez for the remainder of the season after writing to Joorabchian notifying him that the club was cancelling the third party ownership agreement.

Joorabchian did not agree to the cancellation but that did not stop Tevez from playing on and scoring the goals that kept the Hammers up and condemned Sheffield United to relegation.

Tevez has now moved on loan to Manchester United after Joorabchian reached an out-of-court settlement with West Ham to release the player from his contract with the London club.

Taken from =football365=

MIDO: I ALMOST JOINED BLACK CATS

2007-08-18T04:00:00.000-07:00

Middlesbrough's new Egyptian striker Mido has admitted he came close to abandoning a move to the Riverside Stadium after falling under the spell of Sunderland manager Roy Keane.

Mido held talks with the Black Cats boss as the uncertainty over his future dragged on, before finally electing to join Gareth Southgate's men for a £6million fee.

He said: "It was a tough decision, especially after I met Roy Keane. I was very impressed by the way he played but if you go to meet him you see a totally different person.

"But I decided to come here. It doesn't mean I do not think Sunderland or Roy Keane will do well. I really think they will, but it was my decision to come here and now I can focus on doing well."

The 24-year-old striker also refuted reports that his desire to move away from Tottenham stemmed from a disagreement with Spurs boss Martin Jol.

"I have no problems with Martin Jol," he added.

"I believe Martin Jol is a good manager but I wanted to be scoring goals and playing a big role in the team I was in.

"I didn't find myself doing that at Spurs, and that is why I decided to leave."

Mido will go straight into the Boro squad for tomorrow's trip to Fulham in a move which effectively spells the end of Ayegbeni Yakubu's Boro career - although Southgate insisted the Nigerian could still figure.

Despite his new side's poor start to the new campaign, Mido insists they are capable of recovering to claim a place in Europe.

He said: "Sometimes players say things they do not really believe, but I really believe this club can finish in the top six.

"After I had spoken to the gaffer, and what he told me about his plans and how ambitious he is with the team, it is easy to see how this club is ambitious and how it has got that sort of quality."

Meanwhile Southgate claimed he was delighted to land the kind of outspoken character which he believes his current dressing room badly lacks.

Southgate said: "If you haven't got players who will stand up and fight you have got a problem.

"It is no issue for me at all. In fact it is one of the reasons why I saw Mido and thought he would be perfect for this club."

Taken from =football365=

ERIKSSON TO SHUN PHYSICAL APPROACH

2007-08-18T03:57:00.000-07:00

Sven-Goran Eriksson insists Sir Alex Ferguson need have no fear about Manchester United being kicked off the park in Sunday's derby confrontation at Eastlands.

Ferguson chose the eve of his side's trip to local rivals City to air his complaints about flair players not getting enough protection from referees.

After seeing Michael Ball get away with stamping on Cristiano Ronaldo in the early moments of last season's corresponding fixture, there is some weight behind Ferguson's words and the United manager has already expressed his belief City will adopt a physical approach as they look to maintain a 100% start to the season.

Yet, as he looks inside his own dressing room, Eriksson does not believe there is any justification for Ferguson's fears.

If City are to win, the Swede is adamant they will do it playing the right way.

"I am not going to tell my players to kick theirs. That is not my tactic, I can promise you that," he said.

"We should concentrate on playing football. That is our strength as far as I can see."

Having failed to sign an experienced goalkeeper, Eriksson will be forced to rely on Kasper Schmeichel, son of United legend Peter, as he goes head to head with Ferguson in Barclays Premier League combat for the first time.

After winning their opening two fixtures against West Ham and Derby, City are in the rare position of knowing they will be above United in the table on Sunday night no matter what the outcome.

Typically, though, Eriksson is not getting carried away, claiming it will be the end of April before he starts taking any notice of where City find themselves.

Undoubtedly, after all their club-versus-country battles during the Swede's five-and-a-half year stint with England, Eriksson would love to put one over on Ferguson, even though he claims there is no lingering animosity between the pair.

"It is not true to say we don't get on very well," reflected the Swede.

"I don't have any problems with Sir Alex. It is the jobs that don't interact.

"Of course we had differing opinions when I was doing my previous job, especially about friendly games.

"He defended the interests of Manchester United and I tried to defend the interests of England. It is nothing personal, it comes with the job."

Taken from =football365=

CITY CAN EMULATE CHELSEA - FERGUSON

2007-08-18T03:54:00.000-07:00

Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted there is no reason why Manchester City should not follow Chelsea's lead and become a major Barclays Premier League force.

New City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson has already splashed out £40million on eight new players after being placed in charge by new owner Thaksin Shinawatra, with the promise of more to come ahead of the August 31 transfer deadline.

The response has been instant, with successive victories over West Ham and Derby putting City in confident mood ahead of Sunday's Eastlands clash with local rivals United.

For almost Ferguson's entire 21-year reign as Old Trafford boss, United have dominated City.

But, while the Scot does not believe the Blues will be pushing for a top-four berth this term, he accepts Shinawatra's vast wealth could make them big players in the future.

"In the long term, as Chelsea have proved, if you have enough money and buy the right players, you can do it," he said.

"Maybe this is just the start. Apparently this guy has so much money, so who knows what is ahead. He might end up bringing in some higher profile, big international stars."

Despite investing heavily himself this summer, Ferguson finds his own options restricted.

Cristiano Ronaldo begins a three-match ban following his dismissal at Portsmouth, joining Gary Neville, Wayne Rooney, Louis Saha, Anderson and Owen Hargreaves on a long list of absentees.

Hargreaves' recovery from a tendonitis problem is proving frustratingly slow, although Ferguson is confident the £18million summer arrival from Bayern Munich will not need to have an injection.

With so many absentees, Ferguson will place his trust in Carlos Tevez, who performed creditably on his debut at Portsmouth, setting up Paul Scholes for United's opener.

Unfortunately for the Red Devils, they were unable to hold on and were eventually forced to settle for their second draw of the campaign, falling four points behind Chelsea already.

It is hardly the ideal start for United but Ferguson is struggling to find fault with his side's performances so far.

"I am looking at the form of the team and at the final whistle I am saying 'well done lads', yet we are dropping points," he said.

"That is frustrating because the performance level has been very good.

"The important thing now is to be patient now and rely on the experience of the staff and the players coming right."

taken from =football365=

SVEN`S MEN FACE ASHTON GATE TRIP

2007-08-16T21:08:00.000-07:00

Sven-Goran Eriksson's Manchester City face a tricky trip to Bristol City in the second round of the Carling Cup.

The Eastlands outfit, who have won their opening two Premier League games under former England coach Eriksson, will travel to Ashton Gate later this month to face the newly-promoted Championship outfit.

Bristol City striker Lee Trundle told Sky Sports News: "It's good to test yourself against Premier League sides. It's one of those where you'd like to be away to soak up the atmosphere. But being at home gives us a chance.

"You've got to take your chance. The league is what we're concentrating on so it's a good distraction for us."

Trundle admits the presence of the former England manager is an extra motivation, saying: "Sven will get a warm reception from us.

"Against a manager like that and some of the players at Manchester City is dead exciting. Funny things can happen - we'll go out as the underdogs and we'll go out to enjoy it and you never know what will happen."

The Robins' city rivals Bristol Rovers will face West Ham who are about to embark on what appears to be a bitter legal battle with Sheffield United.

Rovers, who went up to League One through the play-offs last season, beat Crystal Palace on penalties to make it through to the second round to shock the Championship club who had made a great start to the season with a 4-1 win at Southampton.

Elsewhere, Newcastle will get their campaign off and running with a home tie with Barnsley while Roy Keane's Sunderland will head to Luton's Kenilworth Road, where they clinched the Championship title last season.

Morecambe's reward for knocking out Preston in the first round is a trip to Wolves, while fellow 'giant-killers' Peterborough entertain West Brom and former Manchester United team-mates Paul Ince and Bryan Robson go head to head as managers as MK Dons face Sheffield United.

Fallen giants Leeds will travel to Portsmouth in an attractive tie, while Reading have been handed a trip to Swansea.

Taken from =football365=

JOL REVEALS VOTE OF CONFIDENCE

2007-08-16T20:37:00.000-07:00

Tottenham boss Martin Jol insists he has the support of chairman Daniel Levy despite the club's poor start to the Barclays Premier League season.

The pair have met since Tuesday's defeat to Everton when Spurs' defensive problems were exposed, leaving them bottom of the table in the first week of the campaign.

"We were discussing our whole situation and he is very supportive," said Jol. "At this club, everybody is responsible and we are all in the same boat.

"Daniel feels that he is in the same boat and we have meetings every week."

Spurs were expected to challenge for a top-four place after spending more than £40million in the summer but defeats to Sunderland and Everton this week has seen the spotlight fall on Jol in an unwelcome way.

"I hate it at the moment," he admitted. "It is not only about myself because I know we will do better.

"I hate it if people are coming up with all these judgment calls."

However, the Dutchman played down the significance of his meeting with Levy, adding: "It is an important time for us - the transfer window shuts in two weeks' time.

"People didn't see him last week, that was good because people will probably think he is putting pressure on me before the season starts.

"We gave this club 125 points in two seasons so that hasn't been forgotten after two weeks or four days."

Jol has been a fans' favourite since taking over nearly three years ago, steering the club to consecutive fifth-placed finishes in his first two full seasons.

Although there were inevitable jeers after the defeat to Everton, the e-mails Jol has received from fans have also been supportive. Next up is the visit of Derby to White Hart Lane on Saturday.

"I know it is necessary for us to get some points on the board," the Dutchman said.

"Even before the Sunderland game, there was a lot of pressure - and that was before the league started. There is always pressure - you can't rest on your laurels.

"Sometimes it is different but I don't think even Sir Alex Ferguson can rest on his laurels given that they are now four points behind Chelsea. Everybody is in the same situation."

Jol expects striker Dimitar Berbatov to be sidelined for at least two weeks after picking up a groin injury against Everton in Tuesday.

The Bulgaria striker travelled to Germany for treatment but did not require surgery.

"It could take a couple of weeks," said Jol. "He had it before, a little groin problem last year and it is the same injury."

Left-back Gareth Bale, who signed from Southampton in the summer in a £10million deal, is still not ready to return following a knee problem but the Wales youngster has returned to full training.

He said: "My injury is coming along well and I want to get back into it as soon as possible. I can't wait to get out there and start playing

Taken from =football365=

SVEN SALUTES SCHMEICHEL START

2007-08-16T20:35:00.000-07:00

Sven-Goran Eriksson has admitted rookie keeper Kasper Schmeichel has made him pause for thought in the transfer market.

Although the Manchester City boss is widely expected to bring in reinforcements, probably in the form of current Italy second choice Marco Amelia, Schmeichel could not have done much more to catch Eriksson's eye.

After being handed his debut in the opening day win at West Ham, the 20-year-old recorded his second successive clean sheet in Wednesday night's win over Derby which saw City climb to second in the Premier League table.

There was still a bit of hesitation in Schmeichel's performance against the Rams, which is probably why Eriksson is continuing his search for a more experienced alternative.

But the Swede has been pleasantly surprised at the way Schmeichel has coped with his sudden elevation to the big time.

"If Kasper goes on like this, soon we will not be spending any more time talking about getting another goalkeeper," smiled Eriksson.

"The great thing is we also have someone on the bench in Joe Hart who is just as good as Kasper. That is very good for the future and for now.

"I have only known Kasper for one month but I can already tell he is an extremely confident boy.

"He is not the tallest of keepers but he is fantastic on the line. He has quick feet and takes everything there."

With his shock of blond hair, Schmeichel bears more than just a passing resemblance to his dad, legendary Manchester United star Peter.

After watching his dad serve the Red Devils with such distinction, before moving onto City for a season at the end of his career, it would be amazing to think Schmeichel junior could make his Manchester derby debut for the Blues at Eastlands this weekend.

Such a scenario does depend on Eriksson not landing Amelia within the next 48 hours. Nevertheless, the former England manager is impressed at the way Schmeichel is handling being the son of someone so famous.

"Sometimes it can be difficult when you are in that position," he said.

"But when you look at the two games he has played for us, I don't think you could blame him for anything."

Schmeichel is the latest in a massive line of players who have graduated from the City academy in recent seasons.

One of whom, Ishmael Miller, has just signed a three-year contract despite joining West Brom on loan.

In more financially frugal times, the academy support system has helped carry City along.

Now, with the wealth of former Thailand Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra driving them forward, having home-grown talent on tap is not quite so essential.

However, Eriksson still found room for four former academy stars in his starting line-up, including England star Micah Richards, with another on the bench in the former of Under-21 defender Nedum Onuoha.

"It is fantastic to have all these young players," said Eriksson.

"You can only congratulate the academy for the work they have done."

At a time when Eriksson's eight new signings are still finding their feet, the contributions of Richards, Johnson, Schmeichel and midfield schemer Stephen Ireland are a key component of City's excellent form.

Their revival under Eriksson will receive its first major test on Sunday when Sir Alex Ferguson brings his wounded United outfit across the city.

No matter what the outcome, the Blues will remain higher in the table when the game is over.

And, while Eriksson is refusing to get carried away by such short-term success, he is quietly pleased at the way things have gone so far.

"I couldn't have imagined this," he said.

"I am more than happy and I strongly believe we will play better football in the future when our fitness has improved."

Taken from =football365=

BENITEZ HAILS WONDER GOAL

2007-08-15T12:31:00.000-07:00

Rafael Benitez hailed the "wonderful goal" by Andriy Voronin that put Liverpool within touching distance of the Champions League group stages.

The Liverpool manager watched as his free signing from Bayer Leverkusen netted the only goal in the away leg of their qualifying tie against Toulouse.

Benitez said: "Andriy scored a wonderful goal, it summed up his qualities as a very fine striker.

"He is clever, has great game awareness and gives us so many more options in attack.

"He can play behind a main striker, lead the line himself, or come into the attack from the flanks.

"And of course he can score truly great goals like that. But we must not think this tie is over.

"We did a very professional job in a match played in difficult conditions. It was so hot for the players and we were having to give them water continually.

"But the referee stopped us throwing the bottles onto the pitch. The players had to come to the sidelines to drink, which was a little strange considering the conditions."

Liverpool will now be expected to secure their passage through to the lucrative Champions League group stages at Anfield in a fortnight - even if Benitez was predictably cagey about the second leg.

The Spaniard added: "We must not think we are already through. This tie is not yet over, it is just one goal. We know they are a very good side who like to hit teams on the counter-attack, which is what they will try to do at Anfield."

The only worry for Benitez could be skipper Steven Gerrard's reaction to a heavy second-half tackle that saw him limp away with an ankle problem.

Benitez said: "We shall have to wait and see about that, I do not know yet whether it is a problem."

Jamie Carragher also urged caution, telling Setanta Sports: "Over the last few years we have had good results away and then lost at home.

"It was far from great but the away goal makes it a lot easier.

"It was a great goal from Andriy. We were not playing particularly well in the first half but it was a great finish."

Carragher also reiterated he would not making himself available for England selection again despite recent meetings with manager Steve McClaren.

He said: "I had a good couple of chats. We got on great but I just felt at my age others are a lot younger than me and I just want to concentrate fully on Liverpool."

Striker Peter Crouch, whose headed flick set up Voronin's winner said: "I managed to flick it on and from there in was all about Andriy.

"It was a superb finish and fitting to win any match."

He added: "It was extremely hot out there for all the lads.

"Maybe the performance could have been better but it was a great result."

Crouch, who was left out at Aston Villa on Saturday, admitted he expected Benitez to rotate again for Sunday's game with Chelsea.

"I was disappointed not to be involved in the first game but the manager's proved he does like to rotate," the England forward said.

"I'm sure there will be changes again when we play Chelsea.

"I gave up a year and a half ago trying to second guess his teams. You can never tell which team he's going to play."

Toulouse coach Elie Baup conceded that his team found the searing heat and the quality of the opposition a problem.

He said: "In those conditions it is hard to keep running and trying to create things when you are playing against a side with such experience and quality.

"Our players lack the experience of playing in this competition and they found Liverpool's ability and technical quality hard to cope with out there."

Taken from =football365=

SPURS DOUBLE INJURY BLOW

2007-08-15T12:23:00.000-07:00

Tottenham have been hit by a double injury blow to Dimitar Berbatov and Younes Kaboul.

Berbatov has suffered a recurrence of an old groin injury and will be unavailable for two weeks, while defender Kaboul faces a possible month out of action with a hamstring strain.

Spurs have endured a miserable start to their Premier League season after losing their opening game to Sunderland and then crashing 3-1 at home to Everton on Tuesday night.

Manager Martin Jol also has a burgeoning injury list to consider, with Berbatov and Kaboul joining Ledley King, Michael Dawson, Aaron Lennon, Gareth Bale and Lee Young-Pyo on the sidelines.

"We've had a couple more blows," said Jol.

"Younes Kaboul will be out for the next three or four weeks with the hamstring injury he suffered against Everton, that's a real kick in the teeth and Dimitar Berbatov has a groin problem.

"It's an old problem and he will now visit a specialist in Germany. He will be out for a couple of weeks."

However, Jol is optimistic he will soon be able to select Young-Pyo and Bale.

"Gareth Bale is looking better," Jol added.

"Our medical team have also told me that Young-Pyo Lee is up to 85 per cent fitness and that will soon be 100 per cent."

Taken from = football365=

GARDNER: FANS MUST BE PATIENT

2007-08-15T12:17:00.000-07:00

Anthony Gardner has called for patience among Tottenham fans but admits the pressure is now on to get a result against Derby on Saturday.

Defeats by Sunderland and Everton saw Spurs drop to the bottom of the Premier League, a sorry start for a team tipped to challenge for a Champions League place after spending more than £40million in the summer.

Boss Martin Jol is dealing with an injury crisis in defence and his expensive strikeforce is taking time to gel, but Gardner is refusing to contemplate defeat to Derby at White Hart Lane this weekend.

"We just need a result to go our way," the centre-back said. "It may be early but Saturday is a must-win game for us to lift our morale. The players are disappointed, the fans are disappointed."

Jol grabbed the microphone at the end of last season and addressed the fans after finishing fifth, but the supporters jeered off the team against Everton after their first home match of the season.

"I can understand the fans' frustrations," said Gardner. "Expectations are high and they are looking for us to do big things.

"We finished fifth last season and we have improved the team since then so we were expecting to make a strong start but we haven't.

"I just hope the fans can be patient because we have the quality to turn this around. I train with the players every day and know how good they are and the quality of players we have bought in the summer."

Bookmakers cut the odds on Jol getting sacked following the 3-1 defeat by Everton, a clash that exposed a lack of depth in Tottenham's defence.

Ledley King spent the night as a pundit as he recovers from his knee operation, Michael Dawson had an ankle sprain and Gareth Bale has been struggling with knee and thigh problems.

It got worse for Jol when £8million signing Younes Kaboul limped off with a hamstring problem in the first half against Everton, with Paul Stalteri, Ricardo Rocha and Gardner struggling in a makeshift defence.

It has increased the spotlight on West Brom's Curtis Davies, who wants a move to the Premier League and is understood to prefer Spurs as a destination.

"Derby will be a difficult game, we have to come up with a decent team again," said Jol.

Gardner took the blame for Joleon Lescott's opener during the Everton defeat, although he then scored at the other end.

Rather than being a springboard for victory, Leon Osman and Alan Stubbs earned the points for David Moyes' men.

Gardner is confident his team-mates can overcome their poor start - which they eventually did last season - and live up to their billing of top-four contenders.

"The level of expectations hasn't got to the players," added the 26-year-old. "Sunderland was not a good game to watch, it was tight and they scored with the last kick of the game which was unfortunate for us.

"I don't think it's because of players shirking away from the expectation levels, we are all aware what's on our shoulders and we just have to go out there and do it.

"If we can beat Derby it will make everyone happy again and give us something to build on."

Dawson has not been totally ruled out of the Derby game but King is out until the end of next month. Aaron Lennon has a knee injury and is not expected to return to training until the end of the month.

Meanwhile, Spurs have submitted new plans for training facilities at Enfield. An appeal for the first application is expected to be heard in November.

Taken from =football365=

JOHNSON CAN REPLACE ROO - NEVILLE

2007-08-15T12:14:00.000-07:00

Everton midfielder Phil Neville has backed Andrew Johnson to fill the gap in England's attack, following Wayne Rooney's foot injury.

England coach Steve McClaren is considering his options after losing Rooney for next week's friendly against Germany and the Euro 2008 qualifiers against Israel and Russia next month.

With Michael Owen returning from injury and Peter Crouch suspended for the Israel game, next Wednesday's clash against Germany gives McClaren the chance to look at Johnson after the striker's impressive start to the Barclays Premier League season.

McClaren was in the stands at White Hart Lane to watch a tireless performance from Johnson during Everton's 3-1 win over Tottenham on Tuesday night, with Johnson stretching the home defence despite failing to get on the scoresheet.

"AJ never let them rest for one minute, and that's what he's all about," said Neville.

"I'm sure there will be a lot of talk about him playing for England next week now.

"I'm sure he would have played in the summer if he hadn't been injured.

"He has carried on from where he left off last season - he terrifies defenders. He's not just a goalscorer; his workrate is an example to every young striker in the game. He typified our spirit and work ethic. It starts from the front - and he's up there with the best."

Other strikers on the fringe of the England reckoning such as Jermain Defoe, Dean Ashton and Darren Bent have been desperate to get off to a goalscoring start to put themselves in the frame. But Johnson outshone Spurs pair Bent and Defoe yesterday.

The 26-year-old has not scored in Everton's consecutive wins this season, but Neville believes there is more to the striker's game since he came back from ankle surgery in the summer.

"I think he has come back and improved on his link-up play, his touch, awareness and passing," said Neville.

"He has gone up a notch or two and he has brought the confidence from last season into this. All that's missing is a goal - and I'm sure that will come.

"There were a few England strikers on show, but he really stood out. There are some good England strikers about, and I don't think we should be worried.

"We have a friendly against Germany - and it's the perfect time for Bent, Johnson and Defoe to be tested."

Injuries and getting played in an unfamiliar wide role under Sven-Goran Eriksson have not helped Johnson's international career, but he is currently leading the attack for a confident Everton outfit.

Johnson's running at White Hart Lane was typical of David Moyes' side.

"There's more to come from us and that's the level we have to play all season if we want to finish fifth or even fourth," said Neville.

"We must make sure we don't fall below the standards we have set. People talk about Spurs being in the top four, but there's no reason why we can't get there."

Everton broke into the Champions League places three seasons ago but did so by earning a reputation for squeezing out narrow results.

Neville joined just after they finished fourth, in 2005, and he feels they have developed into an all-round team - with Mikel Arteta providing the flair from midfield.

"Over the last couple of seasons we have changed people's opinions of us," said the former Manchester United player.

"We've gone from being a really direct team to having a bit more quality about us.

"The manager is signing quality young players, and we have a bit of speed in our play."

Taken from =football365=

BIG GUNS EYE CZECH STARLET

2007-08-15T12:08:00.000-07:00

Chelsea and Real Madrid are believed to be in the chase for Slavia Prague's Marek Suchy.

The 19-year-old defender is rated very highly in his homeland and was one of their top performers in the recent European Under-21 Championship.

Suchy's agent Pavel Vandas has confirmed that Real Madrid and Chelsea are interested, along with PSV Eindhoven and Schalke.

Vandas claims a number of scouts and club representatives will be tracking Suchy when Slavia face Ajax in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League qualifier on Wednesday.

"At the game there will be one of the coaches of PSV Eindhoven and Schalke representatives have contacted me as well," he revealed to Sport.

"Everything is still at the start, we have not yet held talks but we can expect that Real Madrid and Chelsea representatives will contact us in the next few days."

The player himself insist that he would not move to any clubs to merely sit on the bench.

"I have not discussed anything with anyone, I leave it to my agent," he said.

"If I were to leave Slavia, then only to a club where I would have a chance to play regularly."

Taken from = football365=

TEVEZ REALISES HIS DREAM

2007-08-14T13:03:00.000-07:00

Carlos Tevez insists he will be making a dream reality on Wednesday night if, as expected, he makes his Manchester United debut.

The Argentinian forward is set to be involved for United for the first time away to Portsmouth after Wayne Rooney was ruled out for two months with a hairline fracture of his left foot.

His move to United was protracted and complex to say the least, but the 23-year-old cannot wait to get started.

He told MUTV: "I feel a wonderful amount of relief now to actually be here at Manchester United and I'm now getting myself prepared for the games that are coming up.

"It is a dream to wear the Manchester United shirt and it will also be a dream to win the title which we will all be working for this season.

"I feel like I have grown a lot, particularly with a year at West Ham. I think every different club in football you are with, be it in Italy, Spain or Brazil, you learn different things and you try to take things from each club.

"It is a huge learning curve but I feel I have grown as a player now I'm just getting ready to play for Manchester United.

"It's very important to be happy myself but also to be able to make the people who support Manchester United happy."

Taken from =football365=

DUBERRY SENDS ROONEY BEST WISHES

2007-08-14T12:55:00.000-07:00

Michael Duberry has wished injured England forward Wayne Rooney a speedy recovery - via his old Leeds team-mate Rio Ferdinand.

Rooney suffered a hairline fracture of his left foot in an accidental clash with Reading defender Duberry during Sunday's Premier League draw at Old Trafford and will be out for two months.

"It was a complete accident," Duberry told Reading's official website.

"I hope and wish him all the best and the most speedy of recoveries - not just for Manchester United's sake but for England's too."

Duberry is mindful of Rooney's previous injury problems - as well as his own - and is hoping the striker is fit again as soon as possible.

As well as speaking out publicly, Duberry has been in touch with United defender Ferdinand to relay his best wishes to Rooney.

"He has already been through the trauma of injury, and I know myself what it is like," he said.

"To be hurt in the first game of the season is even more disappointing, and now he is facing the long haul of rehabilitation."

Taken from =football365=

NO CECH FEARS OVER READING RETURN

2007-08-14T12:50:00.000-07:00

Jose Mourinho insists Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech is not afraid of returning to the Madejski Stadium for the first time since he suffered a serious head injury there.

The 25-year-old will play against Reading in the Barclays Premier League on Wednesday night after fully recovering from the setback that almost ended his career.

The Czech Republic international continues to wear protective headgear after his collision with Royals midfielder Stephen Hunt left him with a fractured skull last October.

Hunt has already said he will not be offering Cech any words of comfort when the pair meet again.

The Reading player has not spoken with the Chelsea keeper since the accident but Mourinho believes Cech will take the game in his stride.

When asked if he thought Cech would be affected by his return to the stadium, Blues boss Mourinho replied: "I don't think so. It's just a game, a difficult one, but nothing else."

Mourinho was boosted by the return of full-back Paulo Ferreira to his squad for the game and expects to have everyone fit for the trip to Liverpool at the weekend, aside from Wayne Bridge and Michael Ballack.

But the squad which defeated Birmingham 3-2 on Saturday will be on duty against Reading, with Mourinho still to make a decision over whether to include injured midfielder Michael Essien.

Essien scored the winning goal against Steve Bruce's side but collected a knee ligament injury in the same game and was forced out of the action.

But Mourinho said: "The situation is the same we had last weekend. I have to make a decision about Michael Essien - maybe yes or maybe no - but the rest of the squad will be the same.

"Paulo Ferreira is back so that gives me more options but I hope to have everyone back for Liverpool.

"Andriy Shevchenko and Claude Makelele are back in training and John Terry will start training normally tomorrow.

"By the weekend, only Michael Ballack and Wayne Bridge, who are recovering from surgery, will be missing. After that everything will be fine for the weekend."

Mourinho officially welcomed new signing Alex to the club on Tuesday but said the Brazilian defender would require a further two weeks of intensive training before being considered.

Alex spent three years with PSV Eindhoven in Holland but Chelsea always had the first option to buy him.

The player was granted a work permit a fortnight ago and Mourinho believes Alex possesses all the physical attributes required to succeed in the English game.

Mourinho said: "He's just started training a couple of days ago - with the group and then on his own.

"He's not ready to play. He dominates in the air and has the physique to adapt to the English way of playing. Maybe one of the reasons we lost the championship last season was because we did not have a lot of defenders.

"We lost Robert Huth and William Gallas in pre-season and John Terry was out for three months. Khalid Boulahrouz and Ricardo Carvalho were also out injured and we did not really have any solutions.

"I was scared whenever any of my central defenders went into a challenge and it was not a good situation for us just to have Carvalho and Terry.

"Now there is no reason to be scared like we were last season because we have Terry, Carvalho Tal Ben Haim and Alex."

The Chelsea boss also believes competition for places among his defensive quartet will be something the Brazilian will relish.

He added: "He plays in the most famous national team in the history of football and if he can cope with the challenge of that, he can cope with it at Chelsea.

"It is competitive in the Brazil squad and in Chelsea it is the same."

Taken from =football365=

RAMS WARN AGAINST BARNES RAID

2007-08-14T12:31:00.000-07:00

Derby have warned they will not be a "soft touch" for other Premier League clubs eyeing up their talented young players.

Giles Barnes has repeatedly been linked with Tottenham and West Ham but Rams chairman Peter Gadsby insisted Derby are not a selling club.

The exciting young midfielder is currently out with a foot injury but that has not stopped speculation that another top-flight club could move for the 19-year-old before the transfer window closes.

Derby have already dismissed one bid from West Ham and Gadsby made it clear they would be watching the situation closely.

"The situation with Giles Barnes is that he is a very important part of this club," Gadsby said.

"My advice to him would be to stay here and get his head down and take advantage of playing under a manager in Billy Davies who has an excellent track record of bringing on young players.

"We had an approach that we didn't want and the offer was unacceptable. We will be monitoring the Giles Barnes situation closely.

"This club has a history of being pillaged but interested clubs would be mistaken to think that Derby County is a soft touch. We are not a club that needs to sell, we are interested in progressing."

Barnes is out of the equation for Wednesday night's game at Manchester City but Davies is planning to make changes despite an impressive opening-day performance against Portsmouth.

"I intend to rotate the squad because we need freshness," Davies said.

"We have got to show the confidence and the belief that we did on Saturday.

"We must be prepared to compete at this level and not be fazed by any of the teams we come up against."

The Sven-Goran Eriksson era started in style with a 2-0 win at West Ham and Davies added: "His track record is second to none and you have to admire what he has achieved in the game.

"I am sure that he will have been very thorough in his assessment of Derby County as we have been in our assessment of his team."

Davies served a one-match touchline ban on Saturday but admitted he could stay in the stands for at least part of the match with City.

The Scot is famous for his hyperactive manner around the dug-out but he said: "I might stay in the stand, I am thinking about it.

"You can sit back and look at the game properly and see what's going on. I think that this season I would like to consider staying up there sometimes now that I have people I can trust."

Davies today signed the extension to his contract which was agreed several weeks ago.

He now has an improved three-year deal but he said: "The length of contract means nothing really.

"We all know how football works, it's a results business and we all know the territory. I am delighted to be a Premier League manager but as long as I am involved in football I will be very happy."

Derby's latest recruit, American midfielder Benny Feilhaber, is ineligible for tomorrow's game because his international clearance has not yet come through.

Taken from =football365=

DA SILVA STAYS IN ENGLAND

2007-08-14T12:26:00.000-07:00

Arsenal will again be without summer signing Eduardo da Silva for the first leg of their Champions League qualifier against Sparta Prague.

The Croatia striker failed to recover from the minor ankle problem which kept him out of Saturday's Barclays Premier League victory over Fulham and did not travel with the rest of the squad to the Czech Republic.

Midfielders Abou Diaby and Denilson were also both missing, understood to be because of respective ankle problems, so manager Arsene Wenger was expected to name an unchanged side.

Emmanuel Adebayor is still not fit following a groin injury picked up during pre-season and veteran midfielder Gilberto will not be included after being given an extended break following Brazil's victory in the Copa America.

Arsenal (from): Lehmann, Sagna, Toure, Gallas, Clichy, Eboue, Fabregas, Flamini, Rosicky, Hleb, Van Persie, Almunia, Bendtner, Walcott, Senderos, Traore, Hoyte, Song.

Taken from =football365=

BLUES TARGET ALVES IN STRIKE STORM

2007-08-14T03:00:00.000-07:00

Daniel Alves has reportedly threatened to go on strike in a bid to get a move to Chelsea.

The highly-rated Sevilla wing-back has already said he wants the chance to join the Blues, and has begged his Spanish club to consider a bid from Stamford Bridge.

But Sevilla president Jose Maria Del Nido claims he has already turned down offers of £22million and £24million from an unnamed club.

Now Alves says will refuse to play in Wednesday's Champions League qualifier against AEK Athens.

The 24-year-old Brazilian star fears his proposed switch will collapse if he is cup-tied for Europe.

He told The Sun: "The decision to play or not on Wednesday is mine - and I don't have to think very hard about it because if I do then a lot of doors will close for me.

"I want to grow as a player and if I have to do that at a new club then so be it."

Sevilla boss Juande Ramos appears unimpressed by Alves' stance, and says plans to keep picking the ace.

"As long as he is part of the team I will use him," he said.

Taken from =football365=

RED STAR DENY `RACIST FANS` CLAIM

2007-08-14T02:54:00.001-07:00

Red Star Belgrade have hit out at suggestions their fans are racist thugs ahead of their Champions League qualifier against Rangers.

The Serbian champions arrived in Glasgow in defiant mood ahead of the first leg at Ibrox following reports of a hooligan element within their support.

Club bosses are also unhappy at comments made by Rangers' American winger DaMarcus Beasley, who claimed recently that he was subjected to racial abuse during a previous visit to Belgrade with PSV Eindhoven.

Rangers have expressed concerns over the safety of their fans for the return leg in Serbia in a fortnight's time, opting to take just 1,000 tickets for the clash at the vast Marakana stadium.

But Red Star board member - and Serbian Football Association official - Dobrivoje Tanasijevic insisted: "We are sports participants, we are not sports hooligans.

"We have not created hooliganism - it was created in other countries and brought to us.

"However, we have never had a hooligan problem at home in our international matches or our domestic matches.

"There are individuals but we do not have groups of thousands of people travelling and beating people up."

Beasley and Ibrox team-mate Jean-Claude Darcheville were subjected to monkey chants in the last round against FK Zeta in neighbouring Montenegro.

And the United States international spoke of his fears of a repeat in Belgrade having been the target of racial abuse there during his last visit to the city three years ago.

Tanasijevic added: "We are hurt, after reading in the press, reports from one of your players, who is an American, about our supporters' behaviour when he was playing for another club.

"I just want you to know that no-one from Scotland, or any other country, will have any problems in Serbia.

"We are not aggressors even though, in some political circles, we are called aggressors.

"We love sports and we love people. We also like to win so be careful!"

A spokesman for Red Star Belgrade added: "I would like to express our wishes that both games, here in Glasgow and in Belgrade, will be remembered for good football, excellent atmosphere and fair play and sportsmanship both on the pitch and off the pitch.

"Bearing in mind recent reports in the British press and comments of certain individuals alluding to the possibility of racial remarks and unsportsmanlike behaviour in the stands of our stadium, we would like to state that our club absolutely supports UEFA's United Against Racism campaign and deeply condemns intolerance of any kind."

taken from =football365=

ROONEY REPLACEMENTS LINE UP

2007-08-14T02:51:00.000-07:00

Wayne Rooney will be absent when England face Israel and Russia next month in crucial Euro 2008 qualifiers - and some of those strikers hoping to replace him in Steve McClaren's thoughts have wasted no time in staking their claims.

With just one match - a friendly against Germany on August 22 - before meeting Israel on September 8, the England coach has little chance to experiment.

Michael Owen is hoping to be fit for selection after making his long-awaited return from injury in Newcastle's reserves on Monday but, with Liverpool's Peter Crouch suspended for the Israel clash, there is the chance for another striker to put themselves forward for a leading role in qualification.

West Ham's Dean Ashton has yet to play for England, after injury forced him out just days after his first call-up last summer, but he believes he is ready to make an impact after a year on the sidelines.

Ashton told the Daily Mirror: "One of my targets is to get back to get back where I was in the England squad and making a start for my country is a massive dream of mine, especially after the year I have had.

"I want to be the main striker for England. That's my goal. The plan is to play well for West Ham, score goals and put it into Steve McClaren's mind that I'm there and hopefully playing well enough to give him a hard decision.

"There's no big striker (in the England set-up) who can hold the ball up, run in behind and link up play. That's where I'd like to think I could do a job for England."

David Nugent, who tapped the ball home from point-blank range to grab a debut goal in his only previous match against Andorra, is also in the frame.

The 22-year-old made a £6million move from Coca-Cola Championship side Preston to Portsmouth in the summer and is hoping his top-flight experience can earn him the nod.

Nugent, who faces Rooney's Manchester United team-mates at Fratton Park on Wednesday night, told The Sun: "I've been in the England squad before and I want to be there again.

"If I can score a few, I'm sure I'll get another chance. Manchester United is not a bad game to make your home debut in. If selected I'm looking forward to testing myself against the best.

"It will be a great chance to catch the eye."

Everton manager David Moyes, meanwhile, has been pressing the claims of Toffees striker Andrew Johnson.

Johnson has yet to find the net in seven appearances, but has spent plenty of his time in an England shirt playing out wide.

Moyes said: "If Andy gets called up this week it might be a real chance for him.

"His game has improved a lot in the 12 months he has been with us. Andy works very hard for the team with his awareness and involvement in build-ups.

"But he has to assert himself more. If I'd scored as many Premier League goals as he has, I'd be walking around with my chest out."

There is sure to be fierce competition for places with Crouch coming back into contention for the Russia match and Tottenham pair Jermain Defoe and Darren Bent still harbouring their own hopes of selection.

For McClaren, though, it could be the fitness of Owen that provides the biggest boost.

Owen played for 58 minutes in Newcastle reserves' friendly against Newcastle Blue Star and said: "I feel fine, it was only a small injury, a niggle.

"It had me out for a couple of weeks but I've trained for the last four or five days and I was confident I'd be fine."

Taken from =football365=

TEVEZ READY TO GO

2007-08-14T02:30:00.000-07:00

Carlos Tevez will make his Manchester United debut at Fratton Park as the Barclays Premier League champions look to kickstart their campaign with a win at Portsmouth.

Wayne Rooney (fractured foot) is out for two months and with neither Ole Gunnar Solskjaer nor Louis Saha likely to start after only returning to training last week following long-term injuries, Ryan Giggs and Cristiano Ronaldo will be asked to provide striking support to the Argentina forward.

Nani may have to be content with a place on the bench and while Owen Hargreaves might hope to be involved, fellow new arrival Anderson may have to wait for his first taste of competitive action.

Mikael Silvestre is a major doubt after limping out of the Reading draw.

New Portsmouth skipper Sol Campbell and Portuguese midfielder Pedro Mendes must pass fitness checks on groin injuries if they are to play.

Linvoy Primus (knee) is still out while Andy O'Brien has joined Bolton.

Midfielder Gary O'Neil is recovering from ankle trouble following summer surgery but could challenge Sean Davis for a central-midfield role or play on the wing - allowing new £7million signing John Utaka to move up front.

Kanu is hoping for promotion from substitute to start alongside his Nigeria team-mate Utaka and it may be the turn of David Nugent and Benjani Mwaruwari to take places on the bench if manager Harry Redknapp opts for a striker-rotation policy.

Teams

Manchester United (from): Van der Sar, Kuszczak, Brown, Simpson, Ferdinand, Vidic, Silvestre, Pique, Evra, O'Shea, Fletcher, Carrick, Scholes, Hargreaves, Nani, Giggs, Ronaldo, Tevez, Saha, Solskjaer.

Portsmouth (from): James, Lauren, Distin, Campbell, Hreidarsson, O'Neil, Pedro Mendes, Davis, Muntari, Kanu, Utaka, Nugent, Benjani, Hughes, Traore, Pamarot, Stefanovic, Traore, Ashdown.

from =football365=

WENGER HAS HIGH HOPES FOR DA SILVA

2007-08-11T03:04:00.000-07:00

Eduardo da Silva has all the ingredients to be a big hit in the Premier League, according to Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.

The Brazil-born Croatia international is likely to make his debut for the Gunners against Fulham on Sunday, should he shake off a minor ankle problem.

The 24-year-old got his first goal for Arsenal during the pre-season Amsterdam Tournament and comes into the English game as the record scorer in the Croatian league.

Wenger has stressed the £7million signing from Dinamo Zagreb is not designed to be a direct replacement for Thierry Henry.

However, the Arsenal boss is more than happy with the attributes Eduardo adds to his squad.

"I would not be scared to throw Eduardo in from the start," Wenger said.

"He has settled in very well.

"Eduardo is a fighter, he can score goals, he is quick, he is a team player so you are never scared to put these players in."

Wenger added: "You know how big the pressure is on a striker - when he does not score for a while, they say 'What is he doing?' or 'Has he the level to be in there?'

"I remember answering the question for Thierry Henry. 'Okay, he created chances but do you think he can score goals?' - and he scored a few.

"So it is very important to score, but not for me, it is more to have a certain peace from outside."

Wenger is confident his squad can emerge from the shadow of record goalscorer Henry.

With Robin van Persie fit again and Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor - currently out with a groin problem - the Gunners certainly have plenty of attacking options.

Wenger said: "You have to accept that the team will be different, you cannot compare any individual.

"We have had a few good strikers at Arsenal and no-one scored as many goals as Thierry Henry so you cannot put that kind of pressure on anybody.

"The only thing I can say is that we have a strong belief, a great desire for success.

"We have a great togetherness and we are very hungry - and the fact that everyone doubts about us reinforces that."

Wenger insists Arsenal can silence the critics and have a major impact on the Premier League title race this season following successive fourth-place finishes.

"If you come within our squad, you will see that there is a big contrast between how we see the situation and how our environment (outside) sees the situation," said the Arsenal manager.

"Because we know we have quality, we know we have a style of play, we know we have a hunger, we know how we have prepared.

"We have created a strong belief, we have a great solidarity in the squad and we know that what matters is now.

"That is why we are so keen to show it. That is the pride of the champions to come and show how good you are, and I believe this team wants to show that."

From =football365=

SANCHEZ: WENGER RIGHT TO SELL HENRY

2007-08-11T02:59:00.000-07:00

Lawrie Sanchez believes Arsenal's decision to sell Thierry Henry will be vindicated this season with Robin van Persie ready to fill the void.

Henry joined Barcelona for £16.1million in June and Gunners fans have been divided over the timing of the prolific French striker's departure.

But Sanchez believes Arsene Wenger's outstanding record in the transfer market should ease fears that Henry was allowed to leave too soon.

And the Fulham boss, who is preparing his side for Sunday's clash with Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, believes van Persie is shaping up to become Henry's successor.

"I think Arsenal needed Henry when they moved to the Emirates Stadium - it was important that they had their talisman at the new stadium," he said.

"I think Arsene Wenger has been very, very good at moving players on at the right times.

"Many people thought Arsenal would miss Patrick Vieira then all of a sudden Cesc Fabregas emerges.

"People say they'll miss Henry but Van Persie has looked like a world beater in pre-season.

"Arsene has been very good in his timing of moving people on and getting top dollar for players who have probably already seen their best days."

Sanchez's own ability in the transfer market has been thrust under the microscope following his £24million outlay on nine new recruits - with possibly more to follow.

Former boss Chris Coleman, who was sacked with five games of last season remaining, will be looking on in envy at the riches handed to his successor at Craven Cottage.

But Sanchez insists Fulham chairman Mohamed Al Fayed recognised the squad must be strengthened to avoid another season-long battle against relegation.

"People see our outlay of £24million but we have got back £7million or £8million from selling Franck Queudrue, Heidar Helguson and Michael Brown," he said.

"The transfer money wasn't given to me because it was me, it was given to the manager who was in charge this season.

"At the top level the chairman realised the squad needed improving.

"The slide had taken place over a number of years and last season we went so close to relegation, which could have cost us £50million.

"On that basis it was decided a £20million investment in the team was needed. I was glad I was given the chance to do that.

"We've invested in nine players with one big signing. The squad needed changing, without change we wouldn't improve on last year."

From =football365=

COPPELL NOT SCARED BY TOUGH START

2007-08-11T02:57:00.000-07:00

Reading manager Steve Coppell is hoping for an early indication that the Royals' fairytale is set to continue.

The start to the new Premier League campaign could hardly have been tougher for last term's impressive newcomers, who finished eighth and were just a single goal away from European qualification.

On Sunday they take on champions Manchester United at Old Trafford before playing host to Chelsea in midweek and in a week's time Everton are the visitors to the Madejski Stadium.

Coppell was optimistic his players could rise to those challenges however.

He said: "We didn't get a result from any of these first three fixtures last year, so whatever we get this year I hope will be better than last.

"I'm not saying they are throwaway games and we could play well in all three and still lose, but it wouldn't be the end of the world.

"And if we pick up points from these games, it is a significant indication that we may have moved up a gear.

"In many ways I look upon this week as a 'can't lose' week."

Coppell admitted he had no idea how tough the entire campaign would prove to be, despite having had to field endless questions about the pitfalls of 'second season syndrome'.

He mused: "What is achievement for us? I don't have an answer to that. We will end up wherever we deserve, that's just the way I feel.

"If we are good enough, we will be up the table, if we're not good enough we'll be relegated. And if that's the worst thing that will happen so be it."

Goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann is set to play despite a broken hand that has seen 16 metal bolts and a plate inserted.

Coppell said: "I don't think he's done anything in training in the last week that suggests he is not ready. He has made full saves and wasn't pulling his hand away from anything.

"That is bound to be in his mind until he has played a few matches but he has done incredibly well.

"When he first came back training he couldn't even save a tennis ball, he was still recovering from surgery and here we are six weeks later and people are smashing the ball at him from six yards and he is making saves. So we feel physically he is ready."

Record signing Emerse Fae, the £2.5million capture from Nantes, is not yet ready for consideration but fellow newcomer Kalifa Cisse is in a squad that is also missing Leroy Lita, Bobby Convey, Ibrahima Sonko and Glen Little through injury.

From = football365=

GIGGS IMPRESSED BY RED DEVILS` DEPTH

2007-08-11T02:52:00.000-07:00

Ryan Giggs is convinced Carlos Tevez's arrival at Manchester United can provide the Red Devils with enough attacking options to compete on all fronts this season.

Although United ended a four-year drought by clinching the Premier League last term, a repeat of their 1999 Champions League triumph ended in crushing disappointment as an exhausted side were badly beaten in the semi-final second leg against AC Milan.

Sir Alex Ferguson is in no doubt the loss was due to his inability to rest players at important stages of the campaign as injuries effectively reduced his squad to just 13 men during April.

Now, with Tevez joining Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani, Louis Saha, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Giggs himself in a mouth-watering array of attacking talent, the veteran Welshman feels United are strong enough to overcome any fitness problems.

"The different options we have up front are great," he said.

"It is going to be a tough season with the Champions League and Premier League to go for.

"But, if everyone is fit, the manager now has the luxury of keeping his options open. It means he will be able to keep everyone fresh and ensure everyone is on their toes.

"Carlos has looked good in training. He is a quality player and a great addition to the squad."

Ferguson is expected to resist the temptation to draft Tevez into his starting line-up to face Reading on Sunday, preferring instead to keep the 23-year-old, who has signed on loan for two seasons, back for next weekend's Manchester derby at Eastlands.

United have a midweek trip to Portsmouth in between, part of a packed start to the season which Ferguson feels United must cash in on if they are to retain their championship crown.

"A good start is imperative," said Ferguson.

"If you are setting yourself a target of 90 points to win the league, which is what it has been over the last few seasons, you have to get off to a good start and then be consistent throughout the season."

Having been at the top of the managerial game - first with Aberdeen, not at United - for the best part of three decades, Ferguson has never been short of motivation.

His enthusiasm for the current campaign is as strong as ever and facing the luxury of leaving Nani, plus fellow new arrivals Anderson and Owen Hargreaves on the bench this weekend, it is little wonder Ferguson is confident of yet more success this term.

Another title would be his 10th in England, an incredible record in itself. But Ferguson points to Giggs, who could complete exactly the same landmark as a player, as the real high achiever.

"It would be fantastic to win 10 titles," said Ferguson.

"The challenge is more for the players than it is for me. Ryan has a wonderful opportunity in front of him because I cannot imagine that would ever be done again."

from =football365=

BLUES ON BRINK OF HOME RECORD

2007-08-11T02:38:00.000-07:00

Chelsea may be 90 minutes from setting a record for unbeaten league matches at home - but boss Jose Mourinho insists anything less than a win against Birmingham will not be worth celebrating.

Avoiding defeat on Sunday will see Chelsea go 64 Premier League matches unbeaten at Stamford Bridge, edging ahead of Liverpool's efforts at Anfield between 1978 and 1981, although Mourinho is looking at the bigger picture.

"If we draw, we shouldn't celebrate despite the historical record," he said.

"We don't play for records, we play for titles. One point against Birmingham is good but our target is not the record, it is to win the game.

"If we beat the record, respect goes to every player who has played during the games.

"I know my teams are very strong, especially at home. I know how to build a strong team with a strong mentality at home but people would think it would be too far to beat this record.

"To equalise is great but to beat it would be a moment for us to enjoy and remember the other guys who participated in the other matches but have now left Chelsea."

Mourinho has a remarkable home record himself, with the last league defeat he suffered being a 3-2 reverse while at Porto at the hands of Beira Mar in 2002.

"We finished with nine players, (Ricardo) Carvalho and Deco had red cards," explained Mourinho.

"We lost because we wanted to win."

Birmingham came close to winning at Stamford Bridge in Mourinho's first season at Chelsea, only for Didier Drogba to rescue a point with a late goal.

Mourinho felt he was under pressure to deliver that season after a busy summer in the transfer market.

In contrast, Florent Malouda is the only player Chelsea have paid a significant fee for this summer, and Mourinho feels that managers who spent big ahead of the season could feel the pressure he used to.

"If you (the media) have a different approach to them, more mellow, then maybe they don't feel the pressure. It is a problem that they have to survive."

From =Football365=

HEINZE HAS UNITED FUTURE - FERGIE

2007-08-10T03:24:00.000-07:00

Sir Alex Ferguson has insisted Gabriel Heinze can still have a future at Manchester United even if the Premier League reject his proposed move to Liverpool.

Heinze has a letter he believes entitles him to join the Anfield club, who have matched United's stipulated desire for a £6.8million transfer fee.

United officials contend the letter, signed by chief executive David Gill, does not over-ride the Argentina defender's contract, which still has two years to run.

Currently sidelined with a minor knock sustained during the Copa America, Heinze will have his future determined by the Premier League, who are due to assess the situation on August 20.

Yet, despite his stated desire to join the Red Devils' fierce north-west rivals, Ferguson does not believe there will be a problem with Heinze turning out for United again.

"Nothing has moved as far as Gaby is concerned," said the United boss.

"We have a meeting on August 20 which will settle the issue once and for all.

"We think our case is strong and we are depending on that.

"And, if it goes our way, Gaby definitely has a future here. He still has another two years left on his contract."

Taken from =football365=

FERGIE NOT WORRIED BY TEVEZ DELAY

2007-08-10T03:18:00.000-07:00

Sir Alex Ferguson isn't worried by the delay over Carlos Tevez joining Manchester United.

The Argentina star still hasn't officially become a United player despite being with them for the past seven days.

But Ferguson says he's happy that he's not worried things are dragging on because it means the transfer will be done right.

It's now highly unlikely Tevez will feature in the Premier League opener against Reading on Sunday, even if his transfer is completed on Friday.

He's likely to make his United debut in the Manchester derby against City at Old Trafford on Sunday week.

Ferguson told Sky Sports News: "It is completely understandable the Premier League want to scrutinise every detail.

"I am happy with that because then we know we are getting a player in the right circumstances, with everything clarified and cleared by the appropriate authorities.

"We know he is our player but even if it was all done today, I wouldn't use him on Sunday. It would more likely be against Manchester City next weekend."

Taken from =football365=

LAMPARD ON HIS WAY TO WEMBLEY - CLARKE

2007-08-03T12:21:00.000-07:00

Chelsea expect Frank Lampard to be in contention for Sunday's FA Community Shield against Manchester United at Wembley.

The England midfielder had been reported to be playing through the pain barrier with a broken toe, sustained while on the pre-season tour of the United States.

However, on Thursday the club moved to dismiss suggestions the 29-year-old was under orders to rest ahead of the new campaign, which kicks off at home to Birmingham on August 12.

Assistant manager Steve Clarke maintained Lampard - yet to sign a new deal - would be central to the Blues plans for the traditional curtain-raiser against the Barclays Premier League champions.

"Frank is fine for Sunday," insisted Clarke.

"He has not missed a training session, he has not missed a match and is a great character.

"He has got a small problem with his toe and it is a little bit uncomfortable.

"But when you think the injury was caused four weeks ago and he has not missed a session or a game since, that tells you it is not a major injury."

United finally broke Chelsea's grip on the Premier League title last season but Sunday's encounter is likely to have little significance on the outcome of this season's title race.

Clarke insisted: "It will not have any bearing on the season. It is still a pre-season match, and the season starts with the Premier League.

"But when you play someone like Manchester United, one of our main rivals for all the major trophies next season, obviously it gives the match some extra meaning.

"We want to win it, and I am sure they want to as well."

Chelsea may have surrendered their league title to United but they still hold bragging rights following the FA Cup final victory in May.

Clarke hinted the Blues are going to be "a bit more expansive this year", having drawn some criticism for supposedly stifling United in their last encounter.

"The 4-4-2 system with wingers is one we have not used before. We have worked on it extensively in pre-season, and the 4-3-3 system we know inside out. It will all give us good options," he said.

"We want to be a bit more expansive this year, and the wingers can give us that something different."

Whether or not Real Madrid target Arjen Robben will be part of that new system remains to be seen.

However, Clarke insisted until he was informed to the contrary, the Dutch wideman remained very much a part of the first-team plans.

"Arjen trained in one of the sessions yesterday and he did very well," said Clarke.

"He is coming on, and I expect to have him here. No-one has told me anything to the contrary."

The Chelsea assistant coach, who has agreed a new three-year deal, firmly believes things are coming together ahead of the battle for domestic and European honours.

Steve Sidwell, Florent Malouda, Claudio Pizarro and Tal Ben Haim have all arrived over the summer.

"The club and the team are in great shape," he said.

"We have worked hard over the four weeks and have had some great training sessions, with some difficult matches.

"We have learned a lot about the players and the squad, and are setting ourselves up nicely for the season."

Clarke expects the Premier League race to be a keenly-contested affair again - and not just by the top two.

"United have to defend the trophy, and we are now the team which is chasing them. We will enjoy the chase," he said.

"They have strengthened their squad and we have strengthened ours, and we look forward to a good battle with them.

"However, it will not only be with United - Liverpool have strengthened also and Arsenal are a good team, Tottenham are looking strong.

"I think the league will be competitive next year."

Meanwhile, Brazilian defender Alex remains in talks with Chelsea after he gained a work permit and will return to Britain to discuss a transfer from PSV Eindhoven.

Taken from =football365=

HEINZE ROW TO COME UNDER SCRUTINY

2007-08-03T12:17:00.000-07:00

The Premier League are expected to confirm next week they will look into the row over Gabriel Heinze's proposed move from Manchester United to Liverpool.

Heinze is apparently keen to become the first player to make the switch from Old Trafford to Anfield since Phil Chisnall in 1964 but Sir Alex Ferguson is equally determined to stop him.

At the centre of the wrangle is a letter, signed by Red Devils chief executive David Gill stating the figure United would be willing to sell Heinze for, a sum Liverpool have agreed to match.

Heinze contends United should now allow him to leave but Gill is adamant he informed the 29-year-old's agent verbally - before Liverpool made their bid - he was unwilling to deal with any of the club's major domestic rivals.

Papers from all sides are currently being examined by the Premier League, with Heinze keen for a ruling to be made before the August 31 transfer deadline.

And, while the Premier League are refusing to comment on the matter, PA Sport understands they will examine more documentation in an effort to find a solution.

As far as Ferguson is concerned, the final solution does not involve Heinze ending up on Merseyside.

The player is due to return to training on Monday, with his manager keen to discuss the situation face-to-face in a bid to discover the Argentina star's private thoughts.

Although Ferguson has suggested he would prefer to keep the defender, his position at United does appear untenable.

Taken from =football365=

NEW BOYS MUST WAIT FOR UNITED

2007-08-03T12:15:00.000-07:00

Manchester United are likely to have a very familiar look about them when they tackle Chelsea in Sunday's Community Shield at Wembley.

Although Sir Alex Ferguson has signed three new players, Owen Hargreaves, Nani and Anderson, with another to come in Carlos Tevez at some point early next week, none is likely to be in the Premier League champions' starting line-up.

Wayne Rooney and Ryan Giggs are expected to spearhead United's attack as they look for revenge after losing the FA Cup final to Jose Mourinho's men at the same venue in May.

Chelsea are without Michael Ballack and Wayne Bridge (both ankle) and Salomon Kalou (knee).

Arjen Robben and Frank Lampard are both available along with England left-back Ashley Cole.

Didier Drogba will lead a three-man attack with Joe Cole and Florent Malouda.

Teams

Man Utd (from): Van der Sar, Kuszczak, Brown, Bardsley, Pique, Simpson, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evans, Silvestre, Evra, Ronaldo, Fletcher, O'Shea, Carrick, Eagles, Giggs, Rooney.

Chelsea (from): Cech, Cudicini, Hilario, Ferreira, A Cole, Diarra, Sidwell, Essien, Lampard, Robben, Mikel, Malouda, J Cole, Drogba, Shevchenko, Ben Haim, Pizarro, Terry, Carvalho.

Taken from =football365=

TEVEZ TO JOIN UNITED NEXT WEEK

2007-08-03T12:13:00.000-07:00

Carlos Tevez will become a Manchester United player next week after West Ham agreed a £2million settlement for the Argentina striker to leave the club.

Tevez had a medical at Old Trafford on Friday morning and the paperwork on his signing for United is expected to go through early next week.

A two-year loan deal is on the table that would cost United around £5million a year and a statement from Tevez's representative said: "Carlos is looking forward to being a Manchester United player and his ambition is close to being achieved.

"We would like to thank Manchester United for all their patience and support throughout."

After his medical in Manchester on Friday morning Tevez visited United's training ground to meet his prospective new team-mates and club officials.

United are looking at the same sort of loan package that saw Argentina midfielder Javier Mascherano move to Liverpool last season.

That took some weeks before it was signed off by the Premier League but with that transfer having already been picked over by the lawyers, a similar deal for Tevez should go through much quicker but not in time for Sunday's Community Shield game against Chelsea at Wembley.

West Ham emphasised the settlement confirmed they had held the player's contract and registration.

The Hammers said in a statement: "The settlement ends the current litigation taking place between the respective parties and provides for a £2million fee to be paid to West Ham.

"The agreement confirms that West Ham do have a valid player's contract with Carlos Tevez and hold the registration of the player. This will be released once the agreed fee has been paid to the club."

West Ham chairman Eggert Magnusson was relieved the affair has finally been concluded.

He said: "I am obviously pleased that we have finally reached the end of this saga through agreement and common sense.

"All parties involved can now move on and truly focus on the new season.

"I wish Carlos Tevez well for the next stage of his playing career. He is a fine player and I am sure he will be successful wherever he plays football."

The Premier League said they were satisfied that West Ham had behaved in line with their undertakings when they terminated the third-part deals with Joorabchian in April.

That led to a High Court law suit from Joorabchian but did allow Tevez to play the last three games of the season in which he had a crucial role in their escape from relegation.

A statement from the league said: "The Premier League can confirm that its board has received and considered a proposal for the settlement of the dispute between Carlos Tevez and West Ham United.

"The decision of the board, having received leading counsel's opinion, is that the agreement reached is compliant with the rules of the Premier League and consistent with the undertakings given by West Ham United to the Premier League board at various times since April 27, 2007.

"This will lead to the cancellation of Tevez's registration, thereby releasing him to join another club in due course."

CARLOS TEVEZ FACTFILE

1984: Born February 5 in Buenos Aires.

2001: November - Makes first-team debut for Boca Juniors.

Wins two Argentinian titles, two Libertadores Cup titles and the World Club Championship with Boca in 2003.

2004: March - Makes senior debut for Argentina in a World Cup qualifier against Ecuador.

December - Joins Brazilian side Corinthians in an 18 million US dollars (£8.9million) deal, a record between South American clubs. The deal is financed by Media Sports Investments, a group of investors headed by Kia Joorabchian who also own a controlling stake in Corinthians.

2005: Helps Corinthians to the Brazilian title and named the competition's best player.

2006: June 16 - Scores as Argentina thrash Serbia and Montenegro 6-0 as the South Americans give a World Cup masterclass in their opening first-round match in Gelsenkirchen.

August 31 - Makes shock move to England, joining West Ham along with Corinthians club-mate and international team-mate Javier Mascherano.

September 4: Hammers deny they are contractually obliged to play Tevez and Mascherano in every game.

September 10: Draw 1-1 with Aston Villa, Tevez making his debut off the bench.

2007: March 2 - West Ham are charged by the Premier League for breaching their rules in relation to the signings of Tevez and Mascherano in August.

March 4: Tevez scores first goal for West Ham in 4-3 defeat to Tottenham.

April 27: West Ham are fined £5.5million but spared a points deduction after pleading guilty. The verdict also rules "the registration of Carlos Tevez can be terminated by the FA Premier League" but Tevez is later cleared to play on for the Hammers.

May 13: Tevez scores the winning goal in 1-0 defeat to Manchester United which ensures West Ham avoid relegation.

July 9: Sir Alex Ferguson confirms he expects a deal for Tevez to be completed when the Argentinian returns from Cope America duty, despite fears that the Premier League might delay the transfer.

July 24: FIFA recommend the Tevez case to be referred to Court of Arbitration for Sport after deciding not to become involved. However, Kia Joorabchian opts to issue High Court proceedings against West Ham.

August 3: West Ham have confirmed they have reached a £2million settlement with Carlos Tevez's representatives which will allow the Argentinian to leave the club. Tevez is expected to join Manchester United shortly.

Taken from =football365=

SMITH COMPLETES NEWCASTLE MOVE

2007-08-03T12:07:00.000-07:00

Alan Smith said the time was right to embrace a new era at St James' Park after signing a five-year deal with Newcastle on Friday for an undisclosed fee - believed to be in the region of £6million.

Smith revealed he had been close to a move to the north-east on a number of previous occasions but only now did he believe the future looked bright enough to complete the deal.

Smith said: "I've had the opportunity to come here a few times and I just felt this time was the right time.

"I felt that with what the gaffer is doing and the new owners the club has got a lot more stability."

The 26-year-old admitted it was a tough decision to leave Manchester United but he realised his first team chances would be limited with the imminent arrival at Old Trafford of Carlos Tevez.

Smith added: "I decided that if you are going to stay at a club and fight your place you need the opportunity to do that.

"I felt I'd been limited. It was a big decision but I'm really looking forward to the new challenge."

Smith's signing came as a huge boost to Magpies boss Sam Allardyce, who was also hoping to complete the signing of Brazilian Claudio Cacapa before the weekend.

Allardyce said he believed the best was still to come from Smith following his excellent recovery from the horrific broken leg which kept him out of the game for seven months in 2006.

Allardyce said: "I think he will be a major signing for Newcastle and with his recent career-threatening injury, I think it was a life-changing experience and will make him more determined than ever.

"He is a lot more mature and he has been with the best manager in club football today seeing how you win a championship. Not only do I expect his performances to rub off on the players but also his experiences.

"This was the quickest transfer I think I have done for many many years. For Alan and his agent to have progressed it so quickly is really, very rewarding indeed, and there is nothing better than signing a top quality player."

With Smith set to make his Magpies debut in Sunday's friendly against Sampdoria, Allardyce can now see a light at the end of the tunnel following a frustrating start to his St James' Park career.

His crippling injury list is showing signs of improving with David Rozental, Nicky Butt and Steven Taylor all training for the first time on Friday, and Shola Amoebi and Steven Carr coming into the reckoning for the Sampdoria game.

With Damien Duff now the only certainty among Allardyce's first team squad to miss the start of the season, Allardyce said: "It has been quite encouraging and I think there will be more coming back tomorrow."

ALAN SMITH FACTFILE

1980: October 28 - Born Rothwell, Leeds.

1997: Scores twice as Leeds beat Southampton 2-1 to win Premier Youth Cup.

1998: March - Signs professional contract with Leeds.

November - Scores with his first touch on Leeds debut in 3-1 win over Liverpool.

1999: Signs new five-year deal.

October - Scores on England Under-21 debut in 4-1 win over Denmark.

August - Opens season with five goals in four games and called into England squad.

2001: March 23 - Signs new five-year deal with Leeds.

October 16 - Makes England's starting XI against Macedonia at Southampton - but is sent off.

2003: February 4 - Agrees new three-and-a-half-year deal with Leeds.

October 28 - Throws bottle into the crowd during Carling Cup defeat by Manchester United.

November - Forced to leave England squad after being interviewed by police over incident.

November 20 - Crown Prosecution Service advise West Yorkshire Police not to charge Smith with any criminal offence.

2004: January 6 - Pleads guilty to improper conduct charge and banned for two matches.

May 5 - Leeds relegated from Premiership.

May 8 - Chaired off the field on final day by fans after scoring against Charlton.

May 26 - Dismays Leeds fans by completing £7million move to Manchester United.

2005: August 15 - Smith turns England down to play for United's reserves.

2006: February 2 - Suffers a dislocated ankle and broken leg in FA Cup defeat at Anfield.

August 22 - Makes comeback in United reserves.

2007: April 10 - Scores first goal in 18 months in 7-1 Roma win.

May 26 - Scores for England B against Albania and called into squad to face Brazil.

August 2 - Newcastle agree a £6million fee with United.

August 3 - Signs five-year deal with Newcastle.

Taken from =football365=

FERGUSON: I`M RARING TO GO

2007-08-03T12:02:00.000-07:00

Sir Alex Ferguson is sick of the phoney war. The Manchester United boss wants the proper action to begin right now.

United head into Sunday's Community Shield tussle against old rivals Chelsea with Ferguson convinced the Premier League champions are even better equipped for an assault on silverware than they were 12 months ago.

The arrivals of Owen Hargreaves, Nani and Anderson - plus the impending capture of Carlos Tevez and the return from loan of youngsters such as Jonny Evans, Danny Simpson and Chris Eagles - leave Ferguson in confident mood heading into the new campaign.

As the sternest test of their entire summer schedule, United should get some idea of how far they have progressed at Wembley this weekend.

But, as he approaches his 12th Community Shield, and the end of his 21st pre-season, Ferguson cannot help but wish he could wind the clock forward to the August 12 meeting with Reading.

"I have had too many pre-seasons to think this is exciting," he said.

"We all know it is essential to have a good preparation but I just want to get started right now.

"We have a new team, and, including Tevez, we have made four good acquisitions. It is difficult to say how we compare with everyone else but there is no doubt we expect to be better."

There has been no sense of relaxation at United this summer, despite the afterglow of a ninth Premier League title.

There is some satisfaction though, not just at the triumph itself, which ended a four-year drought, but the manner in which it was achieved.

"The name of the game at this club is winning," said Ferguson.

"But while we want winning teams, we also want entertaining teams. Getting the championship last season was a fantastic effort but we did it in the right way, which just made it even more satisfying."

Ferguson has noted the strengthening that has gone on at Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal this summer.

Yet he also sees major improvement in Tottenham and Newcastle, where the Scot is certain old mate Sam Allardyce will have a major impact, as well as Everton.

"It could be quite an interesting league," he confirmed.

However, in Ferguson's mind, interesting does not necessarily mean more competitive as history suggests, come January and February, two of the contenders will have forged their way clear.

"You can never expect anything other than a tough competition but every year, by January, usually two or three teams have broken away," he said.

"On paper, it looks as though it will be a great league. History suggests otherwise."

Although Anderson and Owen Hargreaves are due to make friendly appearances before Sunday, neither will be involved against Chelsea.

Skipper Gary Neville is injured, along with Paul Scholes, Louis Saha and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, leaving Ferguson to stick with roughly the same side that began Wednesday's friendly defeat to Inter Milan.

Ferguson has not specifically said so, but it appears obvious he sees the major threat to his side's championship crown coming from Stamford Bridge, especially as Jose Mourinho has reinforced his own squad to cover the absences of four key men, including Didier Drogba, to the African Nations Cup.

"You don't want to lose your best players at any time but we are all aware the African Nations Cup is there, which is probably why Chelsea have bought players like Steve Sidwell, Tal Ben Haim and David Pizarro, who will be around in January," observed Ferguson.

"They have a big, strong squad and we don't expect much change from them."

Sunday's clash represents a re-match of the FA Cup Final, a game which was supposed to herald a bright era at the new Wembley but instead turned into the dampest of damp squibs as two weary sides failed to raise a gallop between them.

Drogba's late extra-time goal settled the tie in Chelsea's favour but Ferguson expects better this weekend, even if he refuses to get too worked up about the actual result.

"It will be a better game than the FA Cup Final," he said.

"There was tiredness in both teams that day and I certainly could not get any more out of my players.

"It is always difficult to assess the importance of this match because we have to use it as a stepping stone for next week.

"Nevertheless, I don't think you can avoid the fact it will be competitive. That is bound to happen when you are playing against a team you expect to be competing with for top honours."

Taken from =football365=

SCHOLES DOUBTFUL FOR BIG KICK-OFF

2007-07-23T19:58:00.000-07:00

Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes could miss the start of the season after the club confirmed he would undergo an exploratory knee operation which could keep him out for up to a month.

Scholes picked up a knock to his knee during his side's pre-season tour to Asia and headed home to Manchester five days early while his team-mates ran in six unanswered goals against Shenzhen.

Manager Sir Alex Ferguson told MUTV: "Paul fell on his knee in the last game. We've sent him home for arthroscopy to see what kind of damage there is.

"We don't think it's serious but it could keep him out for three weeks or a month."

Speaking about the match, which saw a debut goal from summer signing Nani as well as strikes from Ryan Giggs, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo, Ferguson said: "It was a good performance in spells and the humidity was quite high.

"Some of the goals were very good.

"We wanted to use as many players as we can and it was an exercise to get everyone fit. They have all had their share and it's been good for us that way.

"In our first game (of the tour) there was a bit of rustiness but in the last two games we haven't looked like conceding."

United defender Wes Brown hailed his side's efforts after the performance.

Paul Scholes' injury - and early return to Manchester - overshadowed the result, England international Brown believed the scoreline bodes well for the coming season.

"It was a good game and six goals is good in pre-season," he told MUTV.

"We have a good squad now. It was a good test but we played well to a good tempo and in the end they couldn't handle us."

Looking ahead to the coming season, Brown said: "For myself I want to play as many games as possible and when I do play to play well.

"I hope as a team we can win trophies again.

"We have a good squad now. Nani played well and fitted in fine on his first game.

"It's good for the whole season for the squad and shows what a player he is. We need players who can come on and change the game.

"The signings have done well, obviously Owen (Hargreaves) and Anderson are still to come in, but they have fitted in well."

Taken from =football365=

SOUTHGATE CLOSING IN ON YOUNG

2007-07-23T19:52:00.000-07:00

Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate is closing in on his fourth summer signing after Luke Young headed for Teesside on Monday.

The 28-year-old Charlton full-back travelled north to undergo a medical and discuss personal terms, after the two clubs agreed a £2.5million fee over the weekend.

Southgate is desperate to recruit an experienced right-back after releasing both Abel Xavier and Stuart Parnaby at the end of last season, and England international Young certainly fits the bill.

He has made little secret of his desire to return to the Premier League following Charlton's relegation, and Addicks boss Alan Pardew always knew he would struggle to hold onto the former Tottenham player.

Should Young pass his medical and agree a move to the Riverside Stadium, he would join Jonathan Woodgate, Jeremie Aliadiere and Tuncay Sanli as summer recruits with Southgate building a new-look squad.

Speaking after his side's 1-1 friendly draw at Burnley at the weekend, the manager said: "We have agreed everything with Charlton. It's just a case of meeting the player, showing him around and convincing him that Boro is the right move for him.

"Luke is the type who could do well for us. He is very comfortable on the ball but he is strong defensively.

"He's an English international with lots of experience, and right-back is a position where we are short."

Harlow-born Young, who moved to The Valley in a £3million switch from Spurs in July 2001, has made 208 appearances for the club and scored four goals.

He would join youngster Andrew Davies, a converted centre-half, in competition for the right-back spot.

Southgate will look to tie up the deal as soon as possible with the start of the new Barclays Premier League season less than three weeks away.

Boro have friendlies at neighbours Darlington tomorrow night, Hibernian on Saturday and Carlisle next Tuesday evening before AZ Alkmaar visit the Riverside on August 4.

They have already faced Schalke and Hertha Berlin during their pre-season trip to Austria.

Brazilian midfielder Fabio Rochemback was sent off by Austrian referee Fritz Stuchlick after a clash with Hertha's Pal Dardai, who also received a straight red card.

Boro had to wait to see if the official included the incident in his report, and have now confirmed he did, meaning Rochemback will serve a three-match ban when the season gets under way.

The South American will be sidelined for the opening game against Blackburn at the Riverside followed by trips to Wigan and Fulham, and will not be available to Southgate until derby rivals Newcastle head for Teesside on Sunday, August 26

Taken from =football365=

GERRARD CONFIDENT OVER BENITEZ SIGNINGS

2007-07-23T19:49:00.000-07:00

Skipper Steven Gerrard is confident Rafael Benitez's summer spending spree will see Liverpool mount a concerted title challenge this season.

Backed by the funds of new owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett, Benitez has spent a considerable amount of money in bringing Spain striker Fernando Torres, Dutch starlet Ryan Babel and West Ham midfielder Yossi Benayoun to Anfield over the summer in a bid to bridge the gap to Manchester United and Chelsea.

The Reds have trailed the Premier League's top two by some distance in the previous two campaigns and while Gerrard was not naive enough to predict the Merseyside club would end their 18-year wait for England's top prize by the end of the season, the 27-year-old does not expect a repeat of the last campaign when they finished 21 points behind champions United.

"I'm really pleased with the standard of players the manager has brought in," said Gerrard.

"I think he has brought in quality players, big name players who can help.

"I think it would be stupid of me to sit here and make promises to the supporters that we're going to do this and we're going to do that but what I can say is we'll have a right good go and work hard.

"We don't feel as if we're too far away from the other big clubs in the league and we feel if the current players dig in a bit and work a bit harder we can get involved in the title race.

"Playing for Liverpool Football Club, it's all about winning trophies and this summer's no different.

"The squad has improved, the manager has been backed with good money and he's spent it well and now it's time for the players to deliver. The Premier League, that's the one. That's our main priority."

Liverpool's new signings will be in action when they face Hong Kong side South China on Tuesday night as the Barclays Asia Trophy gets under way and Torres in particular will be crucial to Liverpool's title aspirations for the coming season.

The 23-year-old arrives from Atletico Madrid with a big reputation and will need to adapt to the more physical nature of the Premier League better than compatriot Fernando Morientes did during his ill-fated Anfield spell.

However, Gerrard is in no doubt Benitez has captured a world-class player who has the potential to become a Kop idol.

"I think I knew how good he was before we signed him," he added.

"I watch a lot of Spanish football and he played well at the World Cup but what's impressed me that he's not come in as a star name.

"He's come to work hard and the players are excited to have him alongside us. He's the kind of player we need and hopefully he'll be our big name that scores a lot of goals for us.

"I think he's coming into a really good team with players who will help him settle in, quality players who'll set up goals for him.

"I can't see him having any problems settling in and achieving what he wants to achieve."

United in particular have spent big in an effort to retain their crown but with an influx of foreign investors to the Premier League, this summer has seen plenty of other clubs strengthen their ranks.

And while the Red Devils and Chelsea may have had it all their own way in recent times, Gerrard believes this season will prove to be more competitive than ever.

"It's going to be a difficult title race," he said.

"Like us, Chelsea are upset losing the title to Manchester United, Arsenal's young players are more experienced so I'm sure they'll want a better go than last year and sides below us are strengthening as well so it'll be a tough title race this year. I think more teams will get involved."

Gerrard also praised Gillette and Hicks for delivering on the promises they made before taking control of the club.

"It's a really exciting time for the club," he said.

"We have new owners in charge and they've put the money on the table.

"They said they'd sort the new stadium out, give new contracts to current players and strengthen the squad and that's what they've done."

One of those players was Steve Finnan after the Republic of Ireland full-back agreed a new three-year contract to extend his stay at Anfield.

Taken from =football365=

LJUNGBERG JOINS WEST HAM

2007-07-23T19:01:00.000-07:00

West Ham have completed the signing of Arsenal midfielder Freddie Ljungberg.

The Sweden international, 30, had been the Gunners' longest serving player after costing Arsene Wenger's side £3million in 1998 from Halmstads.

Ljungberg joins long time team-mate and star striker Thierry Henry, who signed for Barcelona in June, in leaving the club this summer.

The midfielder played 325 times for Arsenal, scoring 72 goals, but lost his grip on a starting spot last season.

He now joins Julien Faubert, Scott Parker, Craig Bellamy and Richard Wright in moving to Upton Park since the Hammers' dramatic last-day survival last season.

Ljungberg said he left Arsenal because he felt like "it was the end" for the club as he knew it following Henry's move.

"Two years ago when I signed my last contract we talked a lot about the future and about bringing great players to the club. Despite building the new stadium we wanted to stay top in England and do well in Europe.

"For me that didn't really happen.

"I stayed because I wanted to stay loyal to Arsenal. But when Henry left this summer it felt like the end for me unfortunately.

"I felt like all the unbeaten players (from Arsenal's 'invincibles' of 2003/04) had left. I wanted to be loyal but I felt like it was the right time.

But Ljungberg also insisted there were positive reasons behind his decision and insisted he shared owner Eggert Magnusson's vision.

"I'm coming here because I want to build a great team.

"And why I want to join is because of Magnusson. He wants to bring them forward to be top of the country.

"He's willing to go to the transfer market to buy top players and mix them with youth players. West Ham have a great academy.

"He wants to help take the club up and take them to the top in England. It's a big challenge for me."

Ljungberg claimed it had been a real wrench to leave Arsenal and that manager Arsene Wenger had tried to convince him to stay.

"I've been there for nine years, almost 10 years," he said.

"It's a big thing for and I feel it in my heart a little bit.

"When I spoke to the boss, he wanted me to stay.

"But at the same time, I feel it had to be something very, very special for me to leave.

"I want to go forward and, with the people I have around me, I think it's going to be really good."

Hammers boss Alan Curbishley believes Ljungberg was lured after seeing the other moves the club have made in the transfer market this summer.

"We spoke to Freddie over the last week and we tried to sell him the club and what we're about," Curbishley said.

"He's seen players come in a and push us forward."

As for Ljungberg's own qualities, Curbishley added: "He brings a few things, Champions League experience, captain of Sweden, he's versatile.

"There's a hunger there. He wants to come and push West Ham on and be partly responsible for that.

"He's joining another terrific club and that's the way he's got to see it.

"He understands the passion of the club and the passion of the fans and I'm sure he'll be a big hit here."

Magnusson was also asked about developments in the Carlos Tevez transfer saga, with FIFA today deciding whether they can arbitrate in the dispute over his proposed move to Manchester United.

"There is nothing I've heard today," the chairman said.

"FIFA have to decide if they have jurisdiction over the matter and I hope so.

"The sooner for everybody, the better."

Taken from =football365=

IRON SHOCK KEANE`S BLACK CATS

2007-07-21T23:18:00.000-07:00

Big-spending Sunderland were stunned 1-0 by Championship new-boys Scunthorpe at Glanford Park in a pre-season friendly.

New £5million striker Michael Chopra started for the Black Cats, as did fellow recent arrival Dickson Etuhu, but Kieran Richardson did not feature for Roy Keane's men.

Scunthorpe took the lead in only the second minute when Nyron Nosworthy's poor attempted pass ricocheted off an opponent and dropped at the feet of Martin Paterson, who fired past Darren Ward.

And while Sunderland went close through Greg Halford and Daryl Murphy, the Iron held on for a morale-boosting victory.

A late goal from Sweden midfielder Kim Kallstrom was enough to condemn Bolton to a 1-0 defeat in their Peace Cup final clash with French champions Lyon in South Korea.

Winger Hatem Ben Arfa created the goal in the 85th minute with a driving run before laying off for Kallstrom to fire under Jussi Jaaskelainen at the near post.

New signings Gavin McCann and Jlloyd Samuel started for Sammy Lee's side but Lyon dominated the opening period.

Bolton improved but Lyon created the bulk of the chances, and Jaaskelainen had to be at his best to keep out Milan Baros before Kallstrom struck.

Strikers Robbie Keane and Dimitar Berbatov found the net as Tottenham defeated Kaizer Chiefs 2-1 in their opening Vodacom Challenge match in Durban, South Africa.

New signing Younes Kaboul had already left the field injured before Keane's flicked finish over the goalkeeper from close range gave Spurs the lead with five minutes of the first half remaining.

The Chiefs responded soon after the interval when former Charlton striker Shaun Bartlett headed home well, but Bulgarian Berbatov made sure of the win just after the hour mark thanks to good work from Darren Bent.

Back on home soil, a late goal from Nolberto Solano saved Newcastle's blushes as they drew 1-1 at Carlisle.

David Rozehnal, Joey Barton and Geremi all featured in a strong Magpies team but Danny Livesey put the Cumbrians in front on 56 minutes.

But in the final minute Solano collected the ball from a flick-on and crashed past Kieran Westwood to level.

Rolando Bianchi scored twice as Manchester City rounded off their tour of Sweden with a comfortable 4-0 hammering of Carlstad United.

The £8.8million Italian set up his countryman and strike partner Bernardo Corradi to round the goalkeeper and open the scoring after five minutes and doubled the lead himself with 20 minutes on the clock.

Sven-Goran Eriksson's men wasted little time in making it three after the break as Bianchi swept home for his third in two games.

Kasper Schmeichel had to save a penalty after Micah Richards' handball before Marc Laird struck a fourth from the edge of the box.

James Morrison struck a second-half equaliser as Middlesbrough claimed a 1-1 draw at Burnley.

New Boro signings Jeremie Aliadiere and Tuncay were in the starting line-up for the visitors at Turf Moor, while former Crystal Palace goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly was between the sticks for the Clarets.

In awful conditions, the Championship hosts went in front on 43 minutes when Michael Duff headed on a Joey Gudjonsson cross for former Sunderland striker Andy Gray to flick home from six yards.

However, the Teessiders were back on level terms on 54 minutes. Good work from Yakubu and Fabio Rochemback presented a chance for substitute Morrison, who rounded Kiraly and scored from 10 yards.

Pedro Moutinho's strike cancelled out Lee McCulloch's early opener as Falkirk held Rangers to a 1-1 draw in the Alex Totten testimonial.

Moutinho struck four minutes into the second half after McCulloch had fired the visitors into the lead with little more than 20 seconds gone.

Gers boss Walter Smith was dealt a further blow when midfielder Kevin Thomson was stretchered off after 30 minutes feeling nauseous and dizzy as a result of an ear infection.

Rangers target Steven Naismith scored what could prove to be his last goal for Kilmarnock as they drew 2-2 against First Division Dundee.

The newly-capped Scotland striker grabbed Killie's second goal but Jim Jefferies' side remain without a pre-season win after three games against lower-league opposition.

Paul di Giacomo fired the visitors in front from the penalty spot midway through the first half at Dens Park, but Dundee were soon level as Derek Lyle blasted an equaliser beyond Alan Combe.

Naismith's moment arrived when he took advantage of sloppy Dundee defending to lash the ball beyond Craig Samson, but it was not to be a winner as the home side got the equaliser they deserved with around 20 minutes remaining as David O'Brien squeezed the ball home.

Inverness clinched a third pre-season friendly victory in five days by beating hosts Keith 5-1.

Barry Wilson put the visitors ahead in the testimonial for Keith favourite Darren Still, firing home from a free-kick, before former Gillingham striker Dean McDonald and John Rankin each scored twice.

Mark McGhee had to settle for a 1-1 draw against Millwall, one of his former teams, on his home debut as Motherwell manager.

Ross McCormack put Well ahead just before half-time in their pre-season friendly against Millwall, but the visitors equalised late in the second half with a strike from Dave Brammer.

The sides made 11 second-half substitutions between them as McGhee and Millwall counterpart Willie Donachie experimented ahead of the new season.

Gretna made the most of unexpected home advantage to beat Coca-Cola League Two outfit Darlington 2-0 at Raydale Park.

The match was moved from the Darlington Arena as the English club feared for their newly-laid pitch following a poor weather forecast.

Clydesdale Bank Premier League newcomers Gretna should have taken the lead early on but Kenny Deuchar fired over the bar after Allan Jenkins won the hosts a penalty.

The opening goal arrived after 60 minutes when two of manager Davie Irons' summer signings unlocked the Darlington defence - Paul Murray delivering the pass for Uruguayan Fabian Yantorno to convert decisively.

Danny Grainger's deflected free-kick killed off Darlington's hopes of a draw, after the Quakers had tested Gretna's trialist goalkeeper Vito Mannone several times in the second half.

Southampton defender Darren Powell faces being banned for the start of the Coca-Cola Championship season after being sent off in their 2-1 win at Bournemouth.

Powell was dismissed for violent conduct after reacting angrily to a tackle by Philip Mulryne and the referee confirmed he would include the incident in his match report to the FA.

All the goals came in the second half, Southampton winning courtesy of strikes from Kenwyne Jones and Bradley Wright-Phillips.

Sheffield Wednesday were also forced to play most of the final game of their tour of Holland with 10 men after Chris Brunt was sent off against FC Groningen.

Brunt saw red for a late challenge but Marcus Tudgay's late equaliser rescued a 1-1 draw for the Owls, who maintained their unbeaten pre-season run.

Watford ran out easy winners in their second pre-season friendly of the summer with a 3-0 victory at non-league Boreham Wood.

Tamas Priskin, Marlon King and substitute Hameur Bouazza all found the net for Adrian Boothroyd's men.

Crystal Palace survived a Barnet fightback to win 3-2 at Underhill while Cardiff celebrated the acquisition of Robbie Fowler with a 2-0 success at Yeovil, Warren Feeney and Steve MacLean with the goals.

Coventry were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw at Northampton, Leon Best's opener cancelled out by Andy Kirk.

It was a similar story for Hull, who were held 2-2 at Stockport despite twice leading through Nick Barmby and Ian Ashbee.

Plymouth ran out 2-1 winners at Cambridge, David Norris and Sylvain Ebanks-Blake sealing a narrow victory for Ian Holloway's men.

Elsewhere, Nottingham Forest lost 1-0 at Chesterfield, Huddersfield crushed Bridlington Town 6-1, Gillingham beat Dover 4-1, Tranmere won 3-1 at Marine, Bradford beat North Ferriby 2-0, Doncaster won a 4-3 thriller at York, Brighton played out a goalless draw at Billericay, and Luton ran out 4-1 winners against Algarde on their final pre-season game in Norway.

Dagenham & Redbridge won 2-0 at Clevedon, Wrexham drew 1-1 at Colwyn Bay, Grimsby lost 2-0 at Farsley, as did Darlington at Gretna and Rochdale at Southport.

Taken from =football365=

GILL DISMISSES DEBT CONCERNS

2007-07-21T23:13:00.000-07:00

Manchester United chief executive David Gill is adamant the Red Devils are in good shape even though they had a plan to refinance their massive debts earlier this year.

Experts acting on behalf of the Glazer family looked into the possibility of restructuring borrowings which are believed to be in the region of £660million, in order to reduce an eye-bulging annual interest payment of £62million.

The move was thwarted when the cost of borrowing rose, forcing United to stick with their present financial structures.

However, Gill was keen to point out that the move was instigated purely because of advantageous conditions in the debt market at that time rather than any urgent need for financial flexibility.

Opponents of the Glazer regime have consistently attacked the Americans for landing United in so much debt and have repeated challenged the owners to outline exactly how they intend to make the payments.

However, United are currently enjoying a huge uplift in revenue, due partly to the club's renewed on-field success under Sir Alex Ferguson but also because of increased sponsorship, including a four-year shirt deal with banking giant AIG worth £56.5million.

In addition, a new TV deal comes into force this season, which saw a 67% increase on domestic rights alone.

Little wonder therefore that Gill is so bullish about United's current position.

"There is no issue whatsoever," he argued.

"The financial structure we have in place at the moment is a long-term structure.

"Given where the debt market was two or three months ago, we looked at the opportunity of improving those financial structures to get the costs down a bit more.

"There was some turbulence in the debt market which meant the refinancing has not gone through. But I stress, it was an opportunity as opposed to having a requirement to do it.

"The club is in good shape financially this year and 2007 will see significant increases in revenue and profits."

Taken from =football365=

FERGIE EXPECTS HEINZE FOR PRE-SEASON

2007-07-21T23:06:00.000-07:00

Sir Alex Ferguson has left want-away defender Gabriel Heinze in no doubt that he is expected back at Manchester United for pre-season training in a fortnight.

Heinze is currently on a short break following the completion of Argentina's Copa America campaign, but his Old Trafford future is in serious doubt as rumours of a move to bitter rivals Liverpool refuse to subside.

United rejected a near-£7million bid for the 29-year-old World Cup star on Monday, with Ferguson stating clearly Heinze would not be allowed to join the Anfield outfit under any circumstances.

The stance has been backed by chief executive David Gill, who claimed that under the Glazers' ownership United have no financial need to be forced into a deal as they might if the club had remained on the Stock Exchange.

However, the row took a further twist on Friday when it was suggested Heinze may sue United as his agent apparently has a letter from his present club confirming the former Paris St Germain player would be allowed to leave if a club reached the Old Trafford's valuation, as Liverpool have apparently done.

The threat has cut little ice with Ferguson, who has been hugely critical of Heinze's agent, who he believes has been trying to get him out of the club for the past 18 months.

Real Madrid and Inter Milan have also expressed an interest in Heinze. But, while he has yet to have a one-to-one discussion with the player, who proved in his first days at Old Trafford he was his own man by joining up with Argentina's successful Olympic squad in 2004, Ferguson expects him back at United's Carrington training complex very soon.

"I do not need to discuss anything with him," said Ferguson.

"I expect him back in training in about two weeks' time.

"He is currently on holiday after the Copa America, which is natural because he needs a rest, just the same as every other player.

"Meanwhile, we are trying to steer our way through the minefield because his it is his agents' mark behind what is happening at the moment.

"They have been pretty difficult people to deal with."

Taken from =football365=

CITY LINKED WITH PETROV SWOOP

2007-07-21T22:57:00.000-07:00

Manchester City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson has reportedly beaten off competition from Tottenham to sign Atletico Madrid winger Martin Petrov.

Spurs have apparently been tracking the Bulgaria international all summer but Eriksson has made Petrov a target - and the former England boss is now on the verge of landing the 28-year-old, according to the Daily Mirror.

Atletico paid Wolfsburg £8million for Petrov in 2005 and the Spanish side are likely to want a similar fee from City, who are armed with a hefty transfer warchest following Thaksin Shinawatra's takeover.

Petrov has made 43 appearances since moving to La Liga, scoring twice.

Taken from =football365=

BAINES SNUBS NEW DEAL - REPORT

2007-07-21T22:43:00.000-07:00

Sunderland may have moved a step closer to signing Leighton Baines after the left-back reportedly rejected a new improved contract at Wigan.

The Black Cats have already seen three bids knocked back for the defender but Roy Keane has refused to drop his interest in the 22-year-old.

And he is likely to return with a new bid after Baines rejected Latics' contract offer, according to The Sun.

The England Under-21 international has two years left on his current deal at the JJB Stadium and he is said to be unwilling to commit his long-term future to the Lancashire side.

Chris Hutchings is desperate to keep hold of his prized asset but will be wary of letting a player rated at £6million enter the final year of his contract.

Sunderland have spent £16million over the summer but Keane has made strengthening his defence a priority after Danny Simpson and Jonny Evans returned to parent club Manchester United.

Taken from =football365=

MONDAY MEETING IN TEVEZ SAGA

2007-07-21T22:32:00.000-07:00

The Carlos Tevez transfer saga appears a step closer to being resolved after FIFA agreed to meet representatives of the Premier League and Football Association on Monday.

And Sir Alex Ferguson is hoping Manchester United are eventually given the green light to sign the Argentine as he has revealed he has no back-up plan.

Ferguson's efforts to lure Tevez to Old Trafford have ground to a halt amid a deluge of legal arguments over who owns the player's registration.

The Argentina striker's advisor Kia Joorabchian last week accused West Ham of saying one thing in private and another in public in their stance on the Tevez ownership issue, something the Upton Park club strenously deny.

With the Premier League sticking to their position that West Ham own the player after they tore up the third-party agreement with Joorabchian which landed them in so much trouble, the Tevez camp asked for FIFA to step in.

And members of FIFA, the FA and the Premier League will now convene in Zurich on Monday to decide whether it is "appropriate" for the world game's governing body to arbitrate in the dispute between Tevez and the Hammers.

A Premier League spokesman said: "The Premier League and the FA will be meeting to discuss whether it's appropriate for FIFA to arbitrate on the dispute between Tevez and West Ham."

"West Ham contend that they have a four-year contract with the player and the player's representatives contend that it's a one-year contract with escape clauses."

United remain totally convinced FIFA will eventually rule in Joorabchian's favour, an outcome which would cause the Premier League huge embarrassment.

However, the Old Trafford club also know there is a chance the verdict would go the other way, effectively blocking their bid to sign Tevez before the August 31 transfer deadline.

Such a decision would leave Ferguson having to decide whether to keep Alan Smith and Giuseppe Rossi or enter the transfer market again.

The Red Devils chief said last week he had already seen a bid for an un-named forward rejected earlier in the summer. And he currently does not have an alternative should the Tevez move break down.

"I am confident Carlos Tevez will sign and I am happy to wait until clearance comes along," he said.

"If it become obvious the situation wasn't going to turn our way we would have to reconsider our plans. But I have nothing as a fall-back position at this moment in time."

There has been a suggestion from FIFA that, as yet, no paperwork has been received from any source with regard to the Tevez affair.

With the time factor so important given United would have to wait until January to sign Tevez should a deal not be pushed through by the end of next month, that is something of a surprise, especially as club lawyer Maurice Watkins remained in Manchester rather than embarking on the club's Far East tour.

However, chief executive David Gill moved quickly to calm fears nothing was being done.

"It is a complicated matter being worked on by all the parties involved and we hope for a positive resolution in the course of the next few weeks," he said.

"We are in discussions with the FA and FIFA on the matter. It is moving to the appropriate body."

taken from =football365=

BROWN ADAMANT HE`S STAYING

2007-07-21T22:27:00.000-07:00

Wes Brown wants a life sentence at Manchester United.

The England international has been the subject of intense speculation this summer, with many pundits predicting he would finally call time on his Old Trafford career.

Those suggestions have proved wide of the mark, with Brown once again set to play a major role in Sir Alex Ferguson's squad this season, even though he would almost certainly miss out should the United boss have his entire first-choice defence available.

With skipper Gary Neville sidelined with a foot problem, Brown spent the end of last season filling in at right-back, while he would be the automatic replacement should either Rio Ferdinand or Nemanja Vidic fall victim to the injury curse.

While it is not a role the Manchester-born player is entirely satisfied with, it is one he is happy to accept if it means he is to become a Premier League champion again, as he was for the fourth time in May.

"I love playing for United and talk of me leaving this summer was rubbish," the 27-year-old said.

"I have never thought of going anywhere else because it would be a step down. Having that kind of conversation with the manager is something I just dread.

"There is always competition for places here. We have brought in some more new faces and the team is looking young and good. It will be great to be involved this season."

After ending a four-year title drought last term, it was expected Ferguson would start the new campaign focusing on righting a few Champions League wrongs.

It is a constant source of bewilderment to the Old Trafford boss that United have not conquered Europe more often.

But, while Ferguson is bound to make a repeat of his 1999 Champions League triumph a major target in his remaining years as manager, Brown insists the number one priority for United this season is to consolidate their domestic supremacy.

"We want to be number one in the Premier League," he said.

"Last year we did well in the Champions League but now it has got to the stage where we have a big squad and we need to do even better.

"The squad looks more capable than last season. That is the great thing about it. Everyone is looking around knowing we have a tremendous squad. If we do get injuries there are plenty of people capable of filling in."

Taken from =football365=

HUGHES GUARDS AGAINST COMPLACENCY

2007-07-21T22:19:00.000-07:00

Mark Hughes is adamant there will be no chance of his Blackburn team taking their foot off the gas against Lithuanian outfit Vilnius Vetra in the Intertoto Cup.

Rovers travel east for their third-round first-leg on Sunday where they will come up against a Vetra side currently sitting sixth in the Lithuanian League.

Vetra led Legia Warsaw 2-0 in the first leg of the previous round only for the game to be abandoned due to rioting by the Polish fans which subsequently saw Legia thrown out.

Hughes will not underestimate the quality of Vetra and thinks the fact that their league season is at its midway point will also be a factor.

Hughes said: "We've had them watched and they're a nice footballing side who try to get the ball down and play.

"They caused Legia Warsaw a few problems because they were 2-0 up when the game was abandoned so they're no mugs.

"It's not easy going to these places. You have to approach it in the right way and get the job done but if we approach it right, which I fully expect us to do, then we're more than capable of going through.

"We're can't afford to write them off because they're right in the middle of their season.

"They've played 18 games whereas we've played two, so we'll be mindful of that.

"Even in pre-season games, if a team has had a couple more games there can be a marked difference, so we're aware that maybe match-fitness-wise, they'll be up to speed whereas we're not quite there at the moment."

Despite talking up his opponents, Hughes expects to be returning home on Sunday with an advantage to take into the second leg on July 28.

Hughes added: "They'll be organised, fully professional and they're in the middle of their season so it won't be easy, but I think we've got the strength and the ability in our side to be able to overcome them.

"We're looking to win the game. We don't particularly want to concede and if we can get an away goal under our belts that will make our task a lot easier.

"The important thing is not to get beaten and to make sure we're in a position to win the second leg, which we fully expect to."

Meanwhile, Hughes expects Francis Jeffers to stay and fight for his place after a move to Championship club Ipswich broke down last week.

The 26-year-old joined Rovers on a two-year deal last summer but had a spell on loan with the Tractor Boys after failing to make an impression on Hughes' first-team.

He made just three Premiership starts last term and, despite adding Maceo Rigters this summer, Hughes is still looking for another striker.

But Hughes does not want Jeffers to go out on loan again, hinting he would only consider a permanent deal as a resolution to the situation.

He continued: "He's still part of our plans but it's just going to be a little bit more difficult for Franny to break through.

"But he's here and he's our player and I won't be looking to send him out on loan, he'll be here and trying to get in the side."

Taken from =football365=

UNITED EYEING AFRICAN TOUR

2007-07-21T22:08:00.000-07:00

Manchester United chief executive David Gill revealed the club may embark on a pre-season trip to Africa at some stage in the future and admitted a tour of Asia this summer made more sense commercially than a tour of the United States.

The Red Devils have been bowled over by the fanatical reaction of supporters on their Far East tour - before, during and after their game against FC Seoul in the South Korean capital yesterday in particular - and Gill intimated that Africa was now in their thoughts for a future pre-season campaign.

United took part in the Vodacom Challenge against South African sides Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs last summer and Gill feels there is potential for the club to increase their fan base on the continent.

"Africa is an interesting one. There's a great following for the Premier League in Africa and, as more African players come to the Premier League, you can see that getting greater," he said.

"Apparently the reception Rio Ferdinand got in Uganda (where he is planning to open a football academy) this summer was incredible. He sent me a text when he was there saying 'Mr Gill, we've got to come to Uganda'. Maybe we will."

In the meantime United are halfway through a four-match Asian tour with two games in China to come over the next week and even Gill has been surprised by the level of support the Barclays Premier League champions have received.

"You travel and you see all the coverage and the amazing support we have. Chelsea have been having a great time in America, which is fine. We do what's right for us.

"We're comfortable with the opportunities with our history, our ground, our heritage, the way we play. Those are key assets.

"We had a good tour in America in 2003. Clearly there were a few issues in 2004, when we didn't have a full squad there. I'm sure we will go to America again, whether that's at the end of the season or a pre-season.

"Obviously, with having American owners, it makes sense to go there at some stage. But they wouldn't insist that we go there.

"They would look at it from a team perspective, a commercial perspective and an overall club perspective. Looking at all those issues, it made sense for us to come here."

Taken from =football365=

HUGHES BACKING FOR BENTLEY

2007-07-21T21:53:00.000-07:00

Blackburn manager Mark Hughes is hoping England's management do not hold David Bentley's late withdrawal from the squad for the European Under-21 Championships against him in the season to come.

The 22-year-old midfielder pulled out of the summer tournament because he feared he would suffer from fatigue in the 2007-08 campaign, which for Rovers begins on Sunday with an Intertoto Cup clash away to Lithuanian side Vilnius Vetra.

Under-21 boss Stuart Pearce was unhappy with Bentley's decision, which left the squad a player light, but Hughes does not feel it should affect the former Arsenal man's chances of a senior England call-up in the future.

"I was disappointed with the reaction of the management of England in questioning his decision and whether or not it has placed a question mark over him at senior level," he told the Daily Mirror.

"We told them if he had a break it would benefit not just ourselves, but the England group as well.

"If he becomes an option for senior selection, like he did last season, then I hope people don't hold it against him. He'll play as well as last year, if not even better, and he's already looking sharper."

Taken from =football365=

BRUCE `SURPRISE` AT MIDO DEAL

2007-07-21T20:55:00.000-07:00

Birmingham manager Steve Bruce has revealed the chance to sign Mido on a permanent deal from Tottenham came as "a bit of a surprise".

The Blues confirmed yesterday they had agreed a £6million fee for the Egyptian striker with Spurs, while reports today suggest Mido's compatriot and club-mate Hossam Ghaly is also to join City in a £3million deal.

Former Roma striker Mido would be City's seventh permanent signing of the summer if he agrees personal terms and passes a medical at St Andrews, but Bruce revealed the initial intention was to bring the player in on loan.

He told the Daily Mail: "We started off negotiating a loan. Then I was told we could buy Mido and Ghaly too. It was a bit of a surprise.

"Our board have realised, as well as I have, that you must be competitive in this current market. So we've made a big investment and I'm absolutely delighted."

Taken from =football365=

SOUTHGATE KEEN TO KEEP YAK

2007-07-21T20:03:00.000-07:00

Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate insists Ayegbeni Yakubu remains part of his plans despite continued speculation over striker's future.

The Nigerian is being strongly linked with a £12million move to Manchester City, with former club Portsmouth also potential suitors, following reports the 24-year-old is unsettled on Teesside.

Yakubu scored 16 goals for Boro last season, adding to his 19 from the previous campaign, but failed to strike after February and lost his place to Lee Dong-Gook for the final two games.

The player insisted he was happy at Boro when asked about his future last month, only to add that "anything is possible" if a big club was to make a major bid for his services.

But he has reported back for pre-season training - and ended his goal drought with a penalty in their 1-1 draw with Hertha Berlin in Austria on Tuesday - and is Boro's main striking option despite the arrivals of Tuncay Sanli and Jeremie Aliadiere.

"Yakubu is still part of my plans, absolutely," said former England international Southgate.

"He has been with us in Austria and worked very hard with everybody else.

"I read the speculation the same as everybody else but we have had no contact from any other club.

"Whether people are trying to unsettle the player I don't know, but he seems very happy to be back with us having reported back from Nigeria and we are looking to him as being a big part of our team."

Southgate remains keen to bolster his squad with the right players ahead of Boro's Premier League opener with Blackburn on August 11, and after signing Sanli, Aliadiere and Jonathan Woodgate, is now chasing the signature of Charlton's Luke Young.

Boro have agreed a fee of £2.5million for the 28-year-old and the England international - who can play at left-back or centre-half - will join the club if he passes a medical and agrees personal terms.

But Southgate may not be finished yet, with Manchester United striker Alan Smith a possible target.

Southgate added: "We are still looking to improve the squad.

"We've brought in three quality players this summer and I'm very relaxed about things.

"There are other targets that we are looking to get and I'm sure that come the start of the season we will have strengthened the side even more."

Taken from =football365=

PARK LONGS FOR RETURN

2007-07-21T19:51:00.000-07:00

Frustrated spectator Park Ji-sung is desperate to put his injury nightmare behind him and ensure he helps Manchester United achieve big things on the pitch as well as off it.

The South Korean star was restricted to a place on the bench on Friday as United defeated K-League outfit FC Seoul 4-0 in the second game of their Far East tour.

Park was desperate to be involved but knows he will be sidelined until January after suffering cruciate ligament damage at the end of last season.

So, while the 25-year-old realises his presence at Old Trafford is one of the major factors in United's phenomenal popularity in Korea, he wants to make more of an impact in the chase for honours.

"I wasn't able to do as much for the team as I would have liked last season because of injuries," he told www.manutd.kr.

"This time when I'm back from injury I hope to stay fit and play more games.

"I hope the team can be successful again - we won the title but weren't able to win the Champions League and the FA Cup so I'd like to win them. Really, I just want to win as many trophies as possible."

Park's presence on the United bench last night was greeted with unbridled enthusiasm from a 64,000 crowd, whose devotion to the Red Devils cause appears to be on a par with any supporter hailing from Stretford or Salford.

All the goals, from Cristiano Ronaldo, Chris Eagles, Wayne Rooney and Patrice Evra, brought massive cheers from all corners of the stadium, further enhancing the reputation of Korean fans.

A veteran of five Far East visits in his two-decade stint as United boss, this was nevertheless Sir Alex Ferguson's first visit to Seoul.

Yet he assured a country which boasts an incredible 750,000 United visa card holders, the Red Devils will be back.

"This is Manchester United's first visit to Korea - and I am sure we will be coming back," he said.

"The reception we have received here has been absolutely excellent. Everything about the trip has been first class.

"I used to think when we went to Thailand it was almost impossible because we had thousands inside and outside the hotel all night. We have experienced the same thing here.

"It doesn't surprise me. It is just one of these phenomenons we can create in certain parts of the world."

It is a phenomenon that has no chance of abating as long as Park remains a United player. The departure of the team bus an hour after the final whistle was greeted with the kind of noise which used to be reserved for Beatles concerts.

The reaction may present United's commercial team with a problem given the club had earmarked the United States as a destination for their next major, non-tournament-year tour.

While chasing the American dollar has its attractions, even with David Beckham now based in Los Angeles, it is difficult to see how any football club can make as deep an impact on the US-sports psyche as United have on the affluent Asian market.

"We consider ourselves a major global brand," said Ferguson.

"The club is prepared to travel anywhere to promote its image and the game.

"Even North Korea would not be a problem for us, should the right conditions apply.

"I understand from a survey that was carried out recently that we have an enormous number of fans in Vietnam, so maybe that is somewhere that we might look to visit in the future.

"It just seems like the whole of the Far East has a lot of respect and affection for our club and we have to serve that as best we can."

Taken from =football365=

HUGHES EYES FLYING START

2007-07-21T19:32:00.000-07:00

Blackburn boss Mark Hughes believes his side's European campaign will enable Rovers to overcome their tendency to start slowly in the Premier League.

Rovers are in Intertoto Cup action on Sunday when they travel to Lithuania to face Vilnius Vetra but Hughes thinks the early start will help his side hit the ground running domestically.

Hughes took over at Ewood Park in September 2004 with Rovers battling against relegation and they only pulled away to relative safety in March 2005.

The year after they managed just one win in their first six league matches, while it took them six games to record a first victory last term and they only won one in seven after that.

Hughes thinks early competitive action will give his men an edge when they line up against Middlesbrough on August 11.

He said: "I think it's a good thing. We're of the view that it could possibly help us come the start of the Premier League.

"Playing competitive games in the pre-season period, you'd like to think would bring you on for the games in earnest when they start.

"In fairness, we haven't had a decent start for a number of seasons now and it's taken us a long while to get back into the top half after the starts we've had.

"So this year we're hopeful that the competitive games in pre-season will help us come the start of the Premier League games."

Rovers have only had two friendlies, a 2-1 win over Wrexham and a 2-1 defeat to Arminia Bielefeld but Hughes is pleased with the shape of his squad.

He continued: "The games we've had have been good ones, two decent standard games that have brought us on so we get to improve again."

Hughes has been pleased with the progress made by new signing striker Maceo Rigters since the Dutchman's arrival at the start of the month.

The 23-year-old joined for an undisclosed fee from NAC Breda after winning the golden boot playing for Holland in this summer's Under-21 European Championship.

Hughes added: "I'm pleased that we've been able to bring an exceptional young player into the club.

"He's a very confident animal, he's had a great summer with his country and scored a lot of goals.

"We were aware of him but his performances in the tournament brought him to the attention of a lot more so we were delighted to be able to bring him here.

"I think he understands that he's here to become a better player and he's enjoyed the work.

"He plays with a smile on his face, he's strong in possession and he's got good power and pace and he's a good addition."

Full-back Stephen Warnock (hamstring) is Hughes' only fresh injury concern for the game in Vilnius.

Taken from =football365=

ALLARDYCE SET TO STEP UP SEARCH

2007-07-21T19:26:00.000-07:00

Newcastle boss Sam Allardyce is determined to make up to four more signings before the start of the new Barclays Premier League season.

The 52-year-old has endured a frustrating two weeks in the transfer market after the flurry of activity which landed him Mark Viduka, Joey Barton, David Rozehnal and Geremi.

His pursuit of the top-class defenders he wants to strengthen his squad appears to have gone cold and he is ready to leave pre-season training in the hands of his staff as he attempts to get his men.

Allardyce said: "Unfortunately, everything this week progressed to a certain level and has fallen on stony ground and I haven't been able to pursue something to the full conclusion of actually bringing him in for a medical to try to finish off a transfer.

"It has been an incredibly frustrating two weeks. It takes up a vast amount of my time because it is the most important thing for me to strengthen the squad we have at the moment, and particularly the defensive area.

"I'm building a very good backroom staff now and it's increasing by the week.

"I can delegate to them to carry on with the players the huge amount of training and conditioning they need to get ready for the start of the season, and be with them when I can.

"But really the main focus is to strengthen the squad as early as possible, and hopefully by August 11 we will have done that by three or four players."

Allardyce and his players headed for Carlisle on Saturday without injured striker Michael Owen, who has a minor thigh problem, but with Geremi and James Milner included in the squad.

The game could give £2.89million signing Rozehnal another chance to acquaint himself with English football after his debut at Hartlepool in midweek.

The 27-year-old Czech Republic international won honours with both Bruges and Paris St Germain, and is determined to help the Magpies end their 38-year wait for a trophy.

Rozehnal said: "I have already won some trophies with Bruges and Paris St Germain, and that is a nice time for the players and the supporters, and it's the best for the people who work for the team.

"I hope we will do our best and move on this season and try to win something."

Rozehnal has had to get used to different cultures in both Belgium and France since leaving his native country, but has quickly settled into life on Tyneside.

He said: "It should be a little bit easier for us because my wife and I speak English.

"That will help because when we moved to Belgium, they spoke just Flemish, then in France, nobody spoke English, which was a disaster for me.

"My wife learnt French in four months, but for me, it was a little bit of a problem.

"But I feel really good here. We have already found a house and my wife is pregnant and we have already found a doctor and all the important things for living here, so I am really happy."

Taken from =football365=

HEINZE TO HEAD FOR COURTS?

2007-07-20T21:31:00.000-07:00

Gabriel Heinze's representatives could take to the courts to force through the defender's move from Manchester United to Liverpool, according to a report.

The Liverpool Echo claims the Argentina international's legal team are bullish over their chances of forcing the transfer at a hearing if United remain steadfast in their refusal to let the player join their most bitter rivals.

In recent days it has emerged that the player has a letter signed by United chief executive David Gill claiming he would be free to leave if a £6million bid was received - a figure Rafael Benitez's Reds are thought to have matched.

It is not clear if the 29-year-old has a formal get-out clause in his contract.

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson appeared to rule out a move to Anfield when he said: "I can assure you, Liverpool will not be getting Gabriel Heinze.

"We can put that to bed right now and we have done so. We have had a couple offers for him and we have turned them down."

Taken from =football365=

BORO AGREE YOUNG FEE WITH ADDICKS

2007-07-20T21:03:00.000-07:00

Middlesbrough have agreed a fee of £2.5million with Charlton for defender Luke Young.

The 28-year-old defender has yet to have a medical at the Riverside and must still agree personal terms but he looks set to leave The Valley after more than 200 appearance for the Addicks.

If he does depart, he will follow Dennis Rommedahl out of the exit door after the Danish winger joined Ajax for a fee of £680,000.

Young joined the Addicks for £4million in 2000, but has been given permission by manager Alan Pardew to pursue his hopes of a return to the top flight following Charlton's relegation.

Pardew tried to buy Young when he was in charge of West Ham but has already bought the man he believes can be the former club captain's long-term successor - Yassin Moutaouakil.

Moutaoukil signed for Athletic from French side Chateauroux last month for around £400,000 and will be expected to take over from Young next season if his move to Boro is completed.

Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate, meanwhile, is hoping to add the defender to his squad after focusing on his forward line for much of the summer.

The Teessiders have already signed strikers Tuncay Sanli and Jeremie Aliadiere since the end of last season.

Taken from =football365=

MOURINHO LAUDS `PERFECT` BLUES

2007-07-20T20:42:00.000-07:00

Jose Mourinho has signalled an end to the internal disputes that have dogged Chelsea over the last year by claiming "everything is perfect".

Mourinho buried the hatchet with Roman Abramovich during clear-the-air talks with the Blues owner and Russian billionaire in London last week.

Earlier this month the Portuguese had also warned new director of football Avram Grant not to interfere with his job, hinting at another possible flashpoint at Stamford Bridge.

But he has now declared Chelsea are united as they turn their minds to reclaiming the Barclays Premier League crown surrendered to Manchester United last season.

"I'm happy with the club and happy with the structure. I'm happy with the support and communication and my players are fantastic," he told the club's official website.

"I don't want to communicate with people outside my club. I don't want to because I don't need to send messages to my club through the press.

"The communication at this moment is fantastic. In my club, everything is perfect. Me and the people outside, I simply just don't care. I'm not interested."

Mourinho, who is preparing Chelsea for the last match of their pre-season tour to America against LA Galaxy on Saturday, is convinced he will bring more silverware to Stamford Bridge.

"I'm optimistic. I won trophies in the last five years of my career, so not occasionally. This happens for some reason, and I think we're going in the same direction," he said.

"We always have two big competitions, the Premiership and Champions League. The cups in England are very important too."

England midfielder Joe Cole, who spent long spells of last season in the treatment room with knee and foot injuries, believes Chelsea's big names must perform if United are to be deposed.

Cole insists the blistering form of Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo was the key to United's success last term and hopes some of his Blues team-mates step up to the plate in similar fashion.

"Our rivals have strengthened but so have we. I don't think it's going to be who spends the most money who wins the league. That has never been the case," he said.

"It's always been who has the fighting spirit, togetherness and which of the big players had the better season.

"Cristiano Ronaldo had a good season last year and was the main reason United won the league.

"This year we need two or three important players in attack to come up with the goods and that's what we'll be trying to do."

Taken from =football365=

TOFFEES CAPTURE PIENAAR

2007-07-20T20:12:00.000-07:00

Everton made their second signing of the summer by securing the services of South Africa midfielder Steven Pienaar on a 12-month loan deal from Borussia Dortmund, subject to a work permit.

Pienaar, 25, moved to the Bundesliga from Ajax in 2006 and has made 25 appearances for the club.

He will follow £4million midfielder Phil Jagielka in moving to Goodison Park should his work permit be approved.

Everton intend to remain prudent in the transfer market in a summer of big spending.

Chief executive Keith Wyness, like manager David Moyes, is concerned at the high fees that are being paid by some clubs this summer.

Wyness said: "I totally agree with David, there has been an inflated value on some of the transfers.

"I believe we have a value of a good player, what we consider a fair value and we will not go above that.

"There is no doubt new stores of cash (from Sky TV) has made inflation happen.

"There has also been a rush of blood from new owners but I am sure things will settle back down."

Taken from =football365=

TUNCAY OPENS HIS HEART

2007-07-20T19:39:00.000-07:00

Middlesbrough newcomer Tuncay Sanli has vowed to "play with all my heart" as he aims to help fire the Teessiders back into Europe.

The Turkey international was unveiled to the media at the club's Rockliffe Park training ground on Friday afternoon - and is setting his sights high after arriving on a free transfer.

The former Fenerbahce attacker knows all about Boro's march to the UEFA Cup final in May 2006, where they were well beaten by Sevilla, and wants to help them emulate those feats again after finishing 12th last season.

"I know Middlesbrough have reached the UEFA Cup final and this is what I want to help them repeat," said the 25-year-old.

"I am sure I am at the right club and I want to do my best here.

"I am a player who plays with my heart and I will play with all of my heart to help Middlesbrough reach their targets.

"I want to be a part of the team and will do my best for the team."

Tuncay is an established international, with 13 goals in 43 appearances, and featured in both of Boro's pre-season games in their recent trip to Austria, where they lost to Schalke and drew with Hertha Berlin.

Boro boss Gareth Southgate believes he has pulled off a major coup in adding the versatile Turk - who is equally at home in midfield or up front - to his ranks.

And he has been impressed by his impact both on and off the field since arriving in the north-east.

"In terms of playing positions he gives us great options," said the former club captain, who is entering his second season in the Boro dugout.

"We've seen him play on the right side of midfield, on the left side of midfield, in the centre and he can play as an auxiliary striker.

"So he is a very talented player. He is an intelligent footballer, he has great skill, he has a fantastic work ethic and I think supporters will be surprised at the amount of work he gets through in a game for somebody that is an attack-minded player.

"He is prepared to run in behind defences and looks to make things happen, so in terms of the player we are delighted to have him."

Southgate is also convinced Tuncay will have no problems settling on Teesside.

He added: "In terms of the personality there has been a sparkle about him and an enthusiasm to be here which has been really exciting for all of us to see.

"He has settled in straight away into the group. When we were in Austria we had a translator with him when I went to meet him at the airport initially.

"We had the translator with us for one day, then Tuncay said he wanted to get in as quickly as he can with the team on his own.

"His English has improved already, he understands a fair amount and he can speak more than we would have expected at this stage, so he is making every effort to settle into the team."

Tuncay is Southgate's third summer signing following the arrivals of Jonathan Woodgate and Jeremie Aliadiere on four-year deals.

Middlesbrough have also announced their 'biggest-ever' shirt sponsorship deal with satellite navigation equipment company Garmin.

They have signed an initial one-year deal with Garmin, who replace 888.com, and talks are under way to extend the contract for a further year.

Taken from =football365=

ALLARDYCE WANTS DYER TALKS

2007-07-20T19:20:00.000-07:00

Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce plans talks with Kieron Dyer after the midfielder was linked with a move to West Ham.

After the Hammers lost new signing Julien Faubert for six months with a ruptured Achilles earlier this week, there was talk Dyer was on their hitlist.

Allardyce insists the 28-year-old remains part of his plans at St James' Park but said: "I suppose I will have to have a chat with Kieron to see if he thinks there is anything in it and if there is, we will discuss it privately from there.

"But at the moment, there is no bid from West Ham, so until Alan Curbishley rings me or the chief executive rings (chief operating officer) Russell Cushing, then there would be no discussion.

"It has been rumoured in the papers and sometimes there is no smoke without fire.

"But if there's a bid going to come in, I would probably expect a phone call over the weekend because they have lost one of their new players.

"Whether there is some interest there now, I don't know. Kieron Dyer is not a player I would particularly want to lose, but one never knows at this stage of the season what's going to happen."

Taken from =football365=

HUGHES HOPEFUL IN STRIKER HUNT

2007-07-20T19:16:00.000-07:00

Mark Hughes is hoping to add another striker to his Blackburn squad before the start of the Premier League season but insists he is more than happy with the group of players currently at his disposal.

Rovers start their European campaign with an Intertoto Cup third-round, first-leg clash with Vilnius Vetra in Lithuania on Sunday.

Hughes, who was tight-lipped on speculation linking Bayern Munich's Roque Santa Cruz with a move to Ewood Park, has been quiet in the transfer market so far this summer, signing Dutch forward Maceo Rigters and Faroe Islands Under-21 goalkeeper Gunnar Nielsen.

Despite Francis Jeffers' move to Ipswich falling through, Hughes is still on the look-out for a frontman to compete with Benni McCarthy, Jason Roberts and Matt Derbyshire.

Hughes said: "We're looking at players and I'd like to bring another striker in to complement the players I already have.

"Obviously strikers more often than not will win you games and I'd be more comfortable with another experienced striker in the building to go along with the ones I've already got.

"Most managers do have a shortlist at this time of year. How realistic they are is open to debate.

"But we're in the mix and we're making enquiries, we're still hopeful and there's plenty of time left in the window.

"As we stand, even if I didn't do any more business, I'd still be quite comfortable but we would like to bring another striker in."

Santa Cruz has made his desire to move to England clear but Hughes was not giving anything away if the 25-year-old Paraguay forward is a potential target.

He continued: "We've been linked with a number of strikers. Some of those have been bought and those that are left we will be linked to."

Aside from midfielder Steven Reid, who is close to returning to full training following six months out with a knee injury, full-back Stephen Warnock is Hughes' only selection concern ahead of Sunday's game.

The 25-year-old former Liverpool man is doubtful with a hamstring problem sustained in Rovers' short trip to Germany last week.

With the new season so close, Hughes will certainly not be taking any chances on Warnock.

"He's been with the physio but we're hopeful that he's going to come through," Hughes said.

"It's just a little bit of tightness in his hamstring, it's not too severe but we won't risk him if there's the opportunity to do more damage.

"Stephen is very close to joining the main group again. He had a minor setback with a slight calf strain last week which is to be expected given the amount of time he's been out and he will get these niggles.

"He's very close to being given the all-clear and we're delighted for him."

Taken from =football365=

LEE WON`T BE STUBBORN ON ANELKA

2007-07-20T19:13:00.000-07:00

Bolton boss Sammy Lee has confirmed he would be willing to let star striker Nicolas Anelka leave for a Champions League club.

Speculation has surrounded the much-travelled French striker all summer, with Saturday's Peace Cup final opponents Lyon and former club Arsenal both heavily linked with a possible transfer.

Both clubs are likely to feature in Europe's number one competition next season and therefore would be among those Lee would be willing to deal with, providing the terms were right for Bolton.

"I have to be fair to the boy," said Lee.

"He is 29 and he has told me he wants Champions League football.

"So would I, and I would like us both to achieve that here at Bolton.

"But, if one of the top four in England, or a Champions League club in another country, showed an interest in him, and he wanted to go, it would be remiss of me to stand in his way."

Anelka has only been with Bolton for a single season but has quickly become a crowd favourite, finishing top scorer with 11 goals last term.

Understandably, Lee is unequivocal in his desire for Anelka to stay, insisting: "You don't have to be a Philadelphia lawyer to work that out.

"I want people with quality and, undoubtedly, Nicolas has quality.

"I am not in the business of getting rid of our best players but I have to be fair to everybody. If the deal was fair to all parties, I would not stop him."

After succeeding long-serving Sam Allardyce two games from the end of last season, Lee has been quick to make his mark.

New arrivals Gavin McCann and Jlloyd Samuel will be joined by Fulham's Heidar Helguson when Bolton head back from their two-week expedition in Korea.

Lee believes Helguson can provide Bolton with added firepower ahead of a packed campaign, which also features a UEFA Cup campaign.

More new arrivals will follow too ahead of the Premier League opener with Allardyce's Newcastle on August 11.

Most pundits are pessimistic about Bolton's chances of maintaining their established position in the top eight now Allardyce has called time on his decade-long stint at the club.

But, just like Allardyce, Lee is intensely ambitious, and feels the top four is not beyond Bolton's capabilities.

"Some people may view it as an unrealistic ambition but the higher you aim, the more you can attain," he said.

"I certainly believe taking Bolton into the Champions League is possible and that is what we will be going for."

Taken from =football365=

FA TO PRESS FIFA ON THIRD-PARTY FEARS

2007-07-20T09:02:00.000-07:00

The Football Association will urge FIFA to address the issue of third-party player ownership at the earliest opportunity to ensure the Carlos Tevez affair is not the first of many to hit English football.

Third-party ownership, or part-ownership of players is a common practice in the South American game and does not, in itself, break any football regulations in England.

What is not allowed, as happened with West Ham and Tevez, is for a third party to acquire the ability to materially influence a club's policies or team's performance.

Tevez and fellow Argentinian Javier Mascherano are two of around 15 players in the Barclays Premier League whose economic rights are not owned entirely by the club at which they are registered.

The whole practice is something which leaves the FA distinctly uncomfortable, believing it limits their ability to govern the game.

They met with new sports minister Gerry Sutcliffe on Wednesday and have government support in requesting FIFA act to regulate the practice.

An FA spokesman said: "Our stance is that we think players being owned by third parties makes it very difficult to regulate the game.

"We explained to Gerry Sutcliffe that it is something we will be taking to FIFA at the earliest available opportunity.

"This practice is widespread in South America. If it is going to work it has to be something FIFA leads on."

As for the Tevez affair specifically, the FA have not been approached by any party to arbitrate on the matter but are monitoring the situation carefully.

FIFA have been called in to break the impasse, which has stalled Tevez's proposed transfer from West Ham to Manchester United.

The row is over who owns the player and therefore who Manchester United deal with. In recent days it has led to an outbreak of mud-slinging between West Ham and the player's adviser Kia Joorabchian.

West Ham insist Tevez is contracted and registered with them while Joorabchian and his company MSI claim to own the striker's economic rights.

The Premier League have demanded West Ham must receive the bulk of the £30million-plus transfer fee if they are to sanction the move.

The Government will not get involved directly in either the Tevez affair or the wider issue of third-party ownership. They will leave football matters to be dealt with by the footballing authorities.

But the Department of Culture, Media and Sport agree it is an issue which needs full investigation and Sutcliffe has given his full backing to the FA.

A DCMS spokesman said: "Gerry Sutcliffe met with the FA on a number of issues relating to football governance and it was clear there are concerns about third-party ownership and the potential influence that might have.

"It is a relatively new thing to these shores and it is only right, in the light of various concerns, that the issue is examined carefully with regard to the overall integrity of the game.

"This is a matter for the football authorities and there is no question of the Government intervening.

"Gerry himself is of the view this needs to be looked at carefully by the football authorities and he is prepared to support the sport in any effort they make in doing that."

Taken from =football365=

INJURY FORCES OWEN OUT

2007-07-20T08:49:00.000-07:00

Newcastle striker Michael Owen is out of Saturday's pre-season friendly at Carlisle after picking up a thigh injury in training.

The 27-year-old picked up a minor injury in shooting practice and will miss the trip to Brunton Park, and probably Celtic's visit to Tyneside on Thursday evening.

However, manager Sam Allardyce does not expect the England international to be out of action for any more than 10 days.

He said: "It's a slight thigh injury he picked up doing a little shooting exercise, so we are taking a precautionary measure and leaving him out of Saturday's game.

"Hopefully, it will be no more than a week or 10 days and he should be back in training again.

"It may actually be a little early for the Celtic match, but Juventus on the Sunday is one we hope he can be fit for."

Allardyce has backed Owen to fire Newcastle back up the Barclays Premier League table and remind English football of his potency.

The striker has managed only 14 competitive appearances - and seven goals - for the Magpies in the two years since his £17million switch from Real Madrid because of injury.

However, Allardyce has few doubts that when fully fit, Owen remains one of the deadliest forwards in the country and is confident Newcastle will reap the benefits next season.

He said: "There's no doubt about that. We would like Michael to stay fit for the whole of a season in the Premier League and be chasing the leading goalscorers.

"One would hope when we are drawing to a close at the end of next season, he is within the top three or four leading goalscorers in the Premier League - that would mean we have had a relatively good season.

"If that's the case, there needs to be some goals shared out from other areas to promote the goals scored situation, and if we get right the clean sheet scenario, then a lot of Michael's goals could hopefully bring us three points.

"If that's the case, we could escalate a little further forward in the Premier League.

"But we cannot expect too much, too soon."

Taken from =football365=

WENGER: NOW THE TIME FOR THEO

2007-07-20T08:43:00.000-07:00

Arsene Wenger insists Theo Walcott is now in "much better shape" to play a major role for Arsenal next season.

The 18-year-old England international produced an impressive display during the Gunners' 3-0 pre-season win over Turkish side Genclerbirligi in Austria on Thursday night.

Walcott made one goal for Robin van Persie and also netted himself as Wenger's men continued their preparations for the new campaign.

The teenager found himself thrust into the spotlight following a potential £12million move from Southampton in January 2006 and was a controversial inclusion in Sven-Goran Eriksson's World Cup squad when he had yet to make his debut for Arsenal.

Walcott chalked up more than 30 first-team appearances last season, and netted his first goal for the Gunners in the Carling Cup final.

Although back in the under-21s following the arrival of new England boss Steve McClaren, the pacey forward was ruled out of this summer's European Championships because of the need for shoulder surgery.

Stuart Pearce, confirmed as the permanent head coach of the under-21 international side on Thursday, hopes the Gunners will give one of his key men more competitive action.

Wenger indicated that was likely to come next season.

"We could see [from the match] that we have a lot of hope for Theo Walcott," said the Arsenal manager.

"He has shown that he is in much better shape than last year at the same time after the World Cup.

"Theo has recovered well from his shoulder injury and he is at an age now where you expect every month more."

Wenger told Arsenal TV Online: "Theo is in the squad of 20 players. When you want a successful season, every player will get his share in the number of games he will play - and Theo can be an important asset for us."

Wenger was happy enough with a "good workout" against the Turks at the tiny Bad Waltersdorf Stadion, a game which featured debuts for summer signings Bacary Sagna and Eduardo, who came on for the last 21 minutes.

The Brazilian-born Croatian striker - a £7.5million signing from Dinamo Zagreb - clearly impressed his new boss.

"You could see that straightaway when Eduardo came on he is a quality player," said Wenger. "His movement, his sharpness, the quality of his runs, and his final ball was perfect."

Eduardo was content to have now been involved for his new club - but maintained the hard work starts now.

"I am very happy for this first match, but I know I have a lot more to do to prove myself," he said, conscious of his arrival soon after the departure of captain Thierry Henry to Barcelona.

"The rest of the squad is very good. Robin van Persie particularly impressed me [last night], but it is just important to be here with them and stay away from injuries.

"So far the training out here has not been difficult because we are using the ball more than we did when I was at Dinamo Zagreb.

"On the face of it, I feel there is no big difference between English and Croatian football.

"It is just that in English football there are a lot less mistakes and the players are physically stronger than in Croatia. I am still adjusting to my new club, but it is good."

Wenger, meanwhile, has dismissed reports he was about to move for ex-Gunner Nicolas Anelka, insisting "we do not collect strikers".

Instead, the Arsenal manager appears happy to look for his attacking options from within, young Dane Nicklas Bendtner another available following his return from Birmingham.

Van Persie - last season's leading scorer before breaking a bone in his foot - signalled a return to fitness with a brace last night.

Wenger has been impressed by the link-up between the Dutchman, 24 next month, and Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor.

"Robin can score goals, we know that," said the Arsenal manager.

"He has a good mixture between Dennis Bergkamp and a tremendous goalscorer like Thierry Henry, so let's hope he can mix his game well.

"Robin is developing well and becoming very mature."

Arsenal's two-match tour is completed against Salzburg next Wednesday, before they host the Emirates Cup on July 28 and 29, ahead of the Amsterdam Tournament and then the domestic campaign opener against Fulham on August 12.

By then, Wenger is expected to have further strengthened his squad.

Reports suggest a move could be make for South American teenagers Angel Di Maria and Pedro Silva, although neither would be expected to be in first-team contention initially.

The Arsenal boss still has funds available following the £16million departure of Henry, with Jose Antonio Reyes expected to stay in Spain after the end of his loan to Real Madrid.

Whether or not the Emirates Stadium coffers will be swelled by an injection of cash from American stakeholder Stan Kroenke remains to be seen.

The US entrepreneur - who holds a 12% share in the Gunners parent company - recently met chairman Peter Hill-Wood and managing director Keith Edelman, and is now expected to hold talks with the rest of the board on future strategy.

Taken from =football365=

EVRA REFUSING TO GET COMPLACENT

2007-07-20T08:35:00.000-07:00

Patrice Evra has rejected the notion he is now Manchester United's first-choice left-back.

Although the France international was overlooked by Sir Alex Ferguson for the FA Cup Final defeat to Chelsea in May, Evra always seemed likely to edge Gabriel Heinze out of United's line-up for the coming season.

The situation appears even more clear-cut now Heinze's agent has begun agitating for the 29-year-old to be allowed a move to Liverpool, a desire which has been flatly rejected by the Old Trafford hierarchy.

But Evra is refusing to drift into the comfort zone.

The 26-year-old former Monaco star realises while Heinze remains on the United payroll, he represents a formidable barrier to his first-team claims. And, with fellow countryman Mikael Silvestre also fit again and John O'Shea equally capable of filling the full-back slot, nothing can be taken for granted.

"I don't see myself as being the first choice left-back," argued Evra.

"I am just a Manchester United player.

"Football changes all the time. You never know what is going to happen.

"Gaby may come back and both Mikael and John are great players who can play in that position as well.

"Nobody is guaranteed to play in every match at this club. You have to give your best all the time, otherwise you will find yourself on the bench."

Just like Nemanja Vidic, who also arrived from foreign pastures during the January 2006 transfer window, Evra transformed his reputation last season.

His sheer pace marks him out as a danger in both defence and attack and while not the tallest, the Dakar-born star proved himself capable of at least making a nuisance of himself in the air.

Evra's reward was a Premier League championship medal, a haul he feels could have been extended had United managed to stay clear of injuries.

And, ahead of tonight's encounter with K-League outfit FC Seoul, Evra feels keeping players out of the treatment room will be key to United building on their success this term.

"If we can stay clear of injuries, I think we will win more trophies," he said.

"On a personal level, I know I did well last season. But that counts for nothing now.

"I must continue that form, otherwise people will just say I had one lucky year."

Taken from =football365=

GILL CAN SEE END TO TEVEZ SAGA

2007-07-20T08:28:00.000-07:00

Manchester United chief executive David Gill is confident the Carlos Tevez affair will be settled before the transfer window closes at midnight on August 31.

FIFA, football's world governing body, have been asked to break the contractual impasse which has blocked Tevez's proposed move from West Ham to Old Trafford.

With the transfer deadline looming, Manchester United want the case heard on an "expedited basis".

And Gill expects FIFA's disputes resolution panel to have reached a decision before the window closes.

"What you find in these situations is that FIFA and the necessary bodies try to make sure the player can play, whether it's for Manchester United or for West Ham," said Gill, who is on United's pre-season tour of the Far East.

"I would have thought they will do everything they can to make sure the decision is made within the appropriate period."

Even if the issue does stretch beyond August 31, Tevez would still be allowed to move to Manchester United if FIFA determine he is an effective free agent.

The same situation applied to Tevez's fellow Argentina international, Javier Mascherano, when he moved from West Ham to Liverpool earlier this year.

West Ham, Manchester United and Tevez's adviser Kia Joorabchian were all keen for FIFA to be called in to settle the complex situation.

The row is over who owns the player and therefore who Manchester United do a deal with and in recent days has led to a an outbreak of mud-slinging between West Ham and Joorabchian.

West Ham insist Tevez is contracted and registered with them while Joorabchian and his company MSI claim to own the Argentina striker's economic rights.

The Premier League have demanded West Ham must receive the bulk of the £30million-plus transfer fee if they are to sanction the move.

Gill added: "The issue is effectively who owns the economic rights to the player, who owns the registration of that player, and therefore what happens to any monies that we might pay.

"Can he unilaterally terminate his registration? Can he move on? That's the fundamental issue."

West Ham insist they will be bound by FIFA's verdict and will not take the matter further

Taken from =football365=

HARGREAVES OUT OF UNITED TOUR

2007-07-19T05:53:00.000-07:00

England midfielder Owen Hargreaves could be forced to sit out Manchester United's entire four-match Far East tour.

Hargreaves has been suffering from tendinitis in his knee, and will miss United's pre-season games as a precaution.

Having already missed the draw with Urawa Red Diamonds in Tokyo earlier this week, he will also sit out Friday's clash with K-League outfit FC Seoul.

While most of his team-mates, including Nani and Chris Eagles, were able to take part in training at Seoul's rain-drenched World Cup Stadium on Thursday morning, Hargreaves was restricted to only light jogging.

And Ferguson is now mulling over whether to keep his £18million summer signing on the sidelines until United return to England on July 28.

"Once we get home, we have half a dozen games to play before the season starts," said Ferguson.

"Ideally, I would like everyone on tour to have got at least two games under their belt by the time we get back.

"With the ones who are injured (Hargreaves, Darron Gibson and Lee Martin) we have to make an assessment about how they are progressing and they may have to wait until we get home."

Taken from =football365=

FERGIE RULES OUT HEINZE MOVE

2007-07-19T05:49:00.000-07:00

Sir Alex Ferguson has ruled out any possibility of Gabriel Heinze leaving Manchester United for Liverpool.

Anfield boss Rafael Benitez is a long-time admirer of the tough-tackling Argentina defender and after weeks of speculation lodged a formal bid for Heinze on Monday.

The £6million offer was immediately rejected by United, even though it met their private valuation.

And Ferguson has made it clear he will not countenance the prospect of Heinze heading down the East Lancs Road to Merseyside, a route travelled only once since the War, when Phil Chisnall joined United's hated rivals in 1962.

"I can assure you, Liverpool will not be getting Gabriel Heinze," Ferguson said.

"We can put that to bed right now and we have done so. We have had a couple offers for him and we have turned them down."

Ferguson's forceful statement suggested more than one club had expressed an interest in Heinze.

Real Madrid and Inter Milan have both been linked with the 29-year-old, who has become something of a folk hero among United fans because of the robust nature of his defending.

Although it appeared Patrice Evra had ousted Heinze as United's first-choice left-back, the South American did feature in the Red Devils' final three games of last season, skippering them against Chelsea and West Ham, then holding onto his place for the FA Cup Final.

With Heinze now on an extended break due to his commitments at the Copa America, Ferguson has not had an opportunity to speak with the former Paris St Germain player directly.

However, given his agent has spent the last 18 months pushing for a transfer, it appears certain Heinze will be leaving, even if Liverpool does not turn out to be his eventual destination.

"Heinze's agents are rolling the ball all the time," said Ferguson.

"But no matter what his agent thinks, we are in the driving seat.

"I don't exactly know what Gaby thinks because it is all coming from his agent but this has been going on for a year and a half now."

The matter is likely to bubble on for a while yet, especially as the deadline for Heinze to invoke a FIFA-backed buy-out clause has now expired.

Had the full-back stated his intent to pay up the remainder of his two-year United contract within two weeks of the season ending, Ferguson could not have stopped a move to Liverpool.

But with that date now well gone, Ferguson, in agreement with the entire United hierarchy, will stop Benitez getting his man.

taken from =football365=

VAN DER SAR ADMITS MISTAKES

2007-07-19T05:43:00.000-07:00

Edwin van der Sar has admitted that this might be his last season as mistakes are sneaking into his game.

The Dutch keeper started Manchester United's pre-season in erratic fashion with a mistake against Urawa Red Diamonds.

He admits that he ended last season in poor form - which prompted rumours that Ben Foster would replace him as first-choice keeper.

"I didn't have the same consistency at the end of the season as I had earlier in the season. I don't know why," said the Dutchman.

"I don't know what is going to happen at the end of the season. I am at a certain stage in my life when you just take it step by step."

Taken from =football365

COLE BACKING WING POLICY

2007-07-19T05:40:00.000-07:00

Midfielder Joe Cole believes a return to the system that saw Chelsea claim successive Premier League titles will once again pay dividends for the London club.

Boss Jose Mourinho was keen to use two wingers at every opportunity during his first two seasons in charge of the Blues before injuries forced a rethink last term as they lost their Premier League crown to Manchester United.

But the recent arrival of Florent Malouda from Lyon will seemingly herald a return to the formation that brought so much success to Stamford Bridge.

And a fit-again Cole is relishing the potential tactical switch.

"I think when we play with wingers we are a better side. I think that's plain to see," he said.

"The way it felt last season, I was injured for most of the season and so was Robben so we had to change the system.

"But this year we've got strength in that area and we've got the chance to use wingers so I'm sure we will.

"We want to win games and if the manager thinks that by playing two wingers we're going to win some games then I'm sure we'll do that."

With even more competition for places in Chelsea's crowded midfield after the summer arrivals of Malouda and Steve Sidwell, the 25-year-old is banking on his versatility to give him an edge in the battle for a starting berth.

"This year there's a lot of competition for places and obviously you want to be the one who gets the shirt," he added.

"I enjoy playing wide right and trying to get crosses in to strikers but I enjoy playing in the middle and I like to think I can do both.

"So I've got some strings to my bow and more options to get picked."

Cole, meanwhile, insists it will be business as usual for Chelsea when they take on David Beckham's Los Angeles Galaxy in California on Saturday night.

The friendly at the Home Depot Center in Carson has been sold out for weeks as west coast soccer fans count down the hours to the midfielder's possible debut in a Galaxy shirt following his move from Real Madrid.

The game represents a chance for Beckham to make his high-profile bow against an English side littered with international team-mates and Cole, who played the first half of Chelsea's friendly win over Suwon Bluewings at the Home Depot Center on Tuesday night, is not getting carried away by the hype surrounding the clash

"It's going to be a special occasion. The eyes of the world will be on the game, but for us it's just another game in pre-season," he added

"I'm sure it's special for Becks because it's David's new team and a new part of his life but for us it's another game and another step closer to the start of the season.

"For him it's a big occasion, it is any time you start at a new club, but especially with something that's so different and a bit special like this.

"It's special for these people, the Galaxy fans but for us it's another friendly and a chance for us to get some match fitness."

Having lost a large chunk of last season to injury, Cole insists he is now fully

"I'm looking forward to the season. It's the first time I've felt 100 per cent fit for over a year now.

"We've had about 11 training sessions including games, two 45 minutes and I've felt quite good out there but by the time the season starts we'll be firing on all cylinders. We're having a good long pre-season this year."

Taken from =football365=

FABREGAS CALLS FOR HOME BOYS

2007-07-19T05:37:00.000-07:00

Arsenal step up their pre-season preparations against Genclerbirligi in Austria tonight with Cesc Fabregas declaring there can be "no excuses" should the Gunners fail to deliver the goods at home next season.

Arsene Wenger will use the two-match tour, completed against Salzburg next Wednesday, to focus the squad for the challenges which await, when they must seek to force their way back into contention for the Barclays Premier League title.

Arsenal host the Emirates Cup on July 28 and 29, before competing at the Amsterdam Tournament ahead of the domestic campaign opener against Fulham on August 12.

The visit of the Cottagers - pushed back to the Sunday because of the closure of the Victoria Line - will be an early opportunity for Wenger's men to put home form difficulties of last season behind them with an impressive display.

Fabregas knows Arsenal must deliver consistent results in front of their own supporters.

"Yes, it was a difficult season last time," said the Spain midfielder. "It is a bit different to play at Highbury against playing at Emirates.

"It was a big move and very important for the club - but now we are all used to it.

"We are playing the same football we have for the four years I have been here, so we have no excuses."

Arsenal opened their pre-season campaign with a 2-0 win at Barnet last Saturday with goals from Emmanuel Adebayor and Nacer Barazite.

Poland keeper Lukasz Fabianski came on for the second half and Wenger has promised the likes of fellow new recruits Eduardo da Silva - the Croatia striker who is likely to make his debut tonight - and defender Bacary Sagna will get more chances to impress home fans next weekend.

"There was no World Cup or European Championships this summer so most of the players have had a longer rest and I will select the team for the Emirates Cup matches from everybody who has returned training," said Wenger.

"That means that it will be the first time our new signings would have played at Emirates Stadium for Arsenal, and the sides we field will be very strong."

Wenger added: "We know how important it is to start the new season well, and I am convinced we will be focused and ready to start."

Taken from =football365=

FABREGAS CHALLENGES YOUNG GUNS

2007-07-18T12:34:00.000-07:00

Cesc Fabregas maintains now is the time for Arsenal's young Gunners to 'prove they are winners' by mounting a sustained challenge for the Barclays Premier League title.

As Arsenal prepare for the new campaign without talisman Thierry Henry, Arsene Wenger looks set to again rely on a delicate blend of youth and experience.

Last season, however, that came up short, as despite reaching the Carling Cup final, his men failed to land any silverware in their first campaign at their new Emirates Stadium home.

Although Brazilian-born Croatia striker Eduardo da Silva, 24, and defender Bacary Sagna have been added to the squad, there have been no other high-profile signings so far.

Fabregas, however, maintains the talent is there within the squad - now the challenge is to deliver.

"The future is looking good," the 20-year-old declared.

"We have very good young players and most of them are teenagers. We are all ready to fight for the League, the Champions League, the FA Cup, the Carling Cup - for everything.

"We must fight for everything that is in front of us. We must prove we are not just young, but that we are winners."

Fabregas added on Arsenal.Com: "We know we have a lot to learn, but also we have a lot of experience.

"There is no doubt that there is quality and if we all give 100% and injuries respect us, I am sure we will have a good season.

"We are Arsenal, we are one of the most important teams in Europe. So definitely we have to be fighting for the title because it would not be Arsenal if we are not doing this."

Spain international Fabregas, a reported summer transfer target for Real Madrid, has underlined his own commitment to Arsenal by declaring the intention to one day captain the side.

The young midfielder knows next season will be challenging without Henry, but feels Gunners fans can expect plenty of good times ahead at the Emirates Stadium after a "difficult" time settling in.

"It is a bit different to play at Highbury against playing at the Emirates," reflected Fabregas.

"It was a big move and very important for the club - but now we are all used to it.

"We are playing the same football we have for the four years I have been here, so we have no excuses."

Wenger, meanwhile, has yet to commit himself to a new deal, although the board remain confident one will be agreed with the French coach, 57, sooner rather than later.

Fabregas said: "We all hope he is going to stay because I do not think this club would have the same philosophy of playing football [without him].

"He has brought most of us here and given us the opportunity

- but we do not have to worry about that.

"It is his future and he can decide for himself, but we all believe he is going to stay for a lot of years."

In the short-term, Wenger is likely to continue without a director of football until after the transfer window closes, with club scout and former player Gilles Grimandi the man most likely to eventually be appointed.

The immediate attentions of the Arsenal boss are now on the forthcoming friendlies as the pre-season schedule steps up a gear.

Wenger put his squad through their paces at their training camp in Austria today ahead of matches against Genclerbirligi tomorrow night and then Salzburg next Wednesday.

Arsenal host the Emirates Cup on July 28 and 29, before competing at the Amsterdam Tournament in preparation for the Barclays Premier League opener at home to Fulham on August 12.

Wenger has promised to utilise all his new signings next weekend - when Gunners fans should get the chance to see the likes of Eduardo, Sagna and Poland goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski as well as the return of former captain Patrick Vieira with Inter Milan.

"I will be playing a strong side for both matches and we will be taking both matches very seriously, so you can expect to see all available players involved the matches over the weekend," said the Arsenal boss.

"We know how important it is to start the new season well, and I am convinced we will be focused and ready to start.".

Taken from =football365=

HEALY LOOKS TO REPAY BOSS

2007-07-18T12:30:00.000-07:00

David Healy is grateful to Lawrie Sanchez for rescuing him from the Football League and aims to repay the Fulham boss by proving he can thrive in the top flight.

Healy has been reunited with former Northern Ireland coach Sanchez after completing a £1.5million move from stricken League One club Leeds last Friday.

The 27-year-old has a remarkable international scoring record of 29 goals in 59 performances and is convinced he can be equally prolific in the Barclays Premier League.

"I don't know why I haven't played in the Premiership sooner," said Healy.

"People have opinions on the game and people obviously thought I wasn't good enough to play at the highest level.

"But I've worked with Lawrie before and he knows my capabilities. Now it's up to me to prove him and the board that I am the right man for Fulham.

"Lawrie's given me the opportunity to play at the highest level and I want to repay that. Hopefully I can prove him right."

Healy tops the scoring charts for Euro 2008 qualifying and his tally, 18 of which came in 24 appearances under Sanchez, includes strikes against England, Spain and Sweden.

But the former Manchester United trainee has consistently struggled to scale those heights in club football with unspectacular spells at Preston and Leeds failing to produce the same results.

"It didn't go so well for me at Leeds because of a combination of factors," he said.

"We weren't doing well as a team, we weren't doing well as a club and I wasn't doing well as an individual.

"We weren't creating the chances that other teams created. If you look through the records I was their top goalscorer for the last two years.

"Everybody says I wasn't doing too well but what does that say about the rest of the boys?

"You've got to be strong whatever level you play at. It would have been easier for me to stay in the Championship but I want to play at the highest level.

"Everybody talks about the Premiership being the best league so I'm grateful for the opportunity to experience it."

Healy is one of four Northern Ireland internationals who have arrived at Craven Cottage this summer with Aaron Hughes, Steven Davis and Chris Baird also linking up with Sanchez once again.

"Hopefully we can prove we are well worth the money. We are going to enjoy it," he said.

"The lads are up for it. Before I came in the lads were taking bets on which other Irish players would be coming in, but I think four is enough."

Taken from =football365=

CITY SNUB VASSELL OFFER

2007-07-18T12:23:00.000-07:00

Manchester City have rejected a bid from Turkish club Besiktas for striker Darius Vassell.

The England forward scored just three league goals in 28 starts last season and appears to have little chance of establishing himself in Sven-Goran Eriksson's first team following the arrival of Italian striker Rolando Bianchi.

However, the club have dismissed the offer for the former Villa player who is part of a 22-man squad currently on the pre-season tour of Sweden.

Taken from =football365=

FERGIE RULES OUT RETIREMENT

2007-07-18T12:16:00.001-07:00

Sir Alex Ferguson intends to carry on as Manchester United manager as long as he feels up to the job.

The Scot will celebrate an incredible 21 years at the Old Trafford helm in October, during which time he has become the most decorated British manager of all time.

With nine Premier League titles, five FA Cups, two League Cups and two major European trophies, including the 1999 Champions League, on his CV, Ferguson knows he could quit immediately and still be regarded as one of the finest managers football has ever known.

However, after performing one famous retirement U-turn, the 65-year-old does not intend to do another.

And, looking ahead to the new campaign, Ferguson emphasised his health is the most important factor in how long he will carry on.

"I will never set a date to retire," he said.

"I tried that some years ago and made a mistake.

"There are several things to consider but when you get to my age, you have to consider your health.

"Obviously, it is something you cannot control but I do feel good.

"At the moment I am enjoying working with some fantastic footballers, so I have no need to retire."

Ferguson would appear to have plenty to look forward to this season given the summer acquisitions of Owen Hargreaves, Nani and Anderson.

Carlos Tevez's eventual arrival would offer even more attacking options, ensuring the current Red Devils continue to fulfil the legacy left by Sir Matt Busby.

"It is important for us to have an entertaining, winning team," he said.

"I am very pleased with the signings we have made in the summer because they have added to the quality in our team, whilst also taking a long-term view.

"We are very excited about the new season. We feel we have a progressive, maturing team that will only get better."

After showing signs of progress in his recovery from an ankle injury sustained on European Under-21 Championship duty with Portugal, Nani could make his first United appearance against FC Seoul on Thursday.

Hargreaves will miss out with a minor knee problem, although Ferguson is confident the England international will be fit to face Shenzhen in Macau next Tuesday.

With Dario Gradi vacating the manager's job at Crewe, Ferguson is now the longest-serving boss in the English game.

The secret of his success, he claims, is keeping things simple, having a long-term focus, and getting a bit of luck when it is needed.

"One advantage I have had as a manager is that I have played the game," he outlined.

"When I started as a young manager at the age of 32, that was the most important credential.

"I also prepared to be a manager. I did all my coaching badges and never missed one summer course in 10 years.

"I was committed to the job and once I went into it I maintained the same things I have today.

"I still have the same work ethic and I don't over-complicate the job.

"But there is some luck attached to it too. You have to be lucky to survive in football today."

Taken from =football365=

BLUES LINE UP ROBINSON RAID

2007-07-18T12:12:00.000-07:00

Steve Bruce is reportedly ready to test West Brom's resolve by making an offer for left-back Paul Robinson after missing out on Paul Konchesky.

The Birmingham boss has been a busy man so far this summer, adding seven new players to his St Andrews squad.

But Bruce wants to bolster his full-back options, and has put Robinson on his wanted list.

The former Watford man is also being tracked by Roy Keane, who could firm up his interest if he fails to lure Wigan's Leighton Baines to the Stadium of Light.

But Bruce is hoping the fact Robinson, 28, would not need to relocate can give him a headstart on any deal - and is pondering putting a £2million bid on the table at The Hawthorns, according to the Birmingham Mail.

That is the fee Fulham paid for Konchesky last week, and Bruce would have no problem finding that figure despite spending heavily so far on the likes of Olivier Kapo and Garry O'Connor.

Albion boss Tony Mowbray is under no pressure to sell his star players - but has Neil Clement as a left-back option should Robinson move on.

Taken from =football365=

OWEN WANTS TO CAPTAIN TOON

2007-07-18T12:04:00.000-07:00

Michael Owen has admitted that he would love to captain Newcastle - but he might have to fight Joey Barton for the armband.

"I would love to skipper Newcastle United," said Owen in the Newcastle Evening Chronicle, before scoring for the Magpies against Hartlepool on Tuesday night.

Owen's main rival for the armband is thought to be Barton, who impressed with his powerful display in the victory.

Shay Given was captain against Hartlepool but the Chronicle believes that manager Sam Allardyce is not fond of having a goalkeeper as captain.

Last year's skipper was Scott Parker, who has since joined West Ham.

Taken from =football365=

TEVEZ MAY MISS KICK-OFF

2007-07-18T12:02:00.000-07:00

Manchester United are facing up to the prospect of beginning the new season without Carlos Tevez - and they may even have to wait beyond the transfer window to secure the striker.

FIFA have been called in to end the deadlock surrounding the Argentinian's move from West Ham.

Both clubs believe only the game's world governing body can end the impasse over the 23-year-old and have asked the Premier League to send the case to FIFA.

Manchester United remain confident he will eventually become their player but there remains a strong possibility Tevez, who has now been allowed to start a short holiday, might not be signed before the start of the season and the delay could even go beyond the August 31 transfer deadline.

United chief executive David Gill said: "Hopefully the case will be heard on an expedited basis but we are not sure whether we will have him signed in time for the new season.

"It may take up to two weeks for the body to be formed, all the paperwork has to be put together and then the case has to be heard.

"Even given that timetable we hope by the time the new season kicks off, Carlos will be training at Carrington."

Even if the dispute does drag on beyond the end of August, Tevez could still join United between transfer windows if FIFA declare him an effective free agent.

That scenario happened with Tevez's compatriot Javier Mascherano before he was finally allowed to link up with Liverpool earlier this year.

FIFA will be asked for their dispute resolution panel or players' status committee to step in and decide whether Tevez is fully bound by his existing contract with West Ham or not.

His deal still has three years to run and all the escape clauses and get-outs were contained in the third-party agreements with his adviser Kia Joorabchian, which were unilaterally terminated by the Hammers.

West Ham confirmed they have written to the Premier League this morning requesting the matter be referred to FIFA.

The letter from West Ham's lawyers states: "We write to request your written consent for this dispute to be heard by FIFA before their players' status committee or the dispute resolution chamber (whichever FIFA deems appropriate)."

A West Ham spokesman told PA Sport: "It now makes sense for this to be dealt with by FIFA.

"All parties agree this is the best way forward and of course we will be involved in helping this be resolved as quickly as possible."

United legal expert Maurice Watkins met with West Ham chairman Eggert Magnusson in London on Tuesday, but despite feeling reasonably optimistic a solution could be negotiated, instead there was only deadlock, and the Hammers blocked United's wish to give Tevez a medical this morning.

Earlier this week, Gill, an influential FA board member, suggested the whole saga had become "over-complicated".

However, it now looks like becoming even more problematic, with Sheffield United no doubt keenly interested in how the matter is eventually resolved given Tevez played such a huge role in sending them down.

"There have been a lot of discussions over the last few days between Manchester United, West Ham and the Premier League but the case will probably go before FIFA's dispute resolution chamber," added Gill, speaking in Seoul, Korea.

"We are very confident this will be resolved in favour of the player and he will be free to achieve his wish of joining Manchester United.

"All the discussions we have had over the last few weeks lead us to believe this will be resolved in Carlos's favour," said Gill.

"Once that happens, he will be free to join Manchester United."

While FIFA will examine all the documentation before deciding whether they have any jurisdiction over the case, it seems certain the Premier League - as well as West Ham - would be happy to abide by any decision.

So, instead of having his medical, Tevez will now go on holiday, hoping by the time he returns, he will only need to sign a contract to become a United player.

"It was always Sir Alex's plan to give Carlos a break, so I expect he will now go on an exotic holiday with his family," added Gill.

"He has not completed a medical with us."

Taken from =football365=

EVERTON LINKED WITH PIENAAR

2007-07-18T11:56:00.000-07:00

Everton are reportedly close to tying up a loan deal for South African midfielder Steven Pienaar.

The Liverpool Echo claims that the 25-year-old is due to arrive in England for talks with David Moyes about making the switch from German side Borussia Dortmund.

He has failed to settle at the German club after moving from Dutch side Ajax.

Pienaar has been capped 20 times by South Africa and can play anwhere across the midfield.

Everton are also expected to wrap up the signing of Swiss midfielder Johann Vogel, who is on the verge of signing a two-year contract.

Taken From =football365=

XABI: IT`S ALL ABOUT WIDTH

2007-07-18T11:14:00.000-07:00

Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso says that Liverpool's season could be decided by their new wingers.

The Spaniard is excited about the arrivals of Ryan Babel and Yossi Benayoun, which should put an end to the likes of Steven Gerrard and previously Luis Garcia playing on the flanks.

Babel and Benayoun both made their debuts in the 3-2 victory over Werder Bremen on Tuesday night.

"I think we have improved in terms of wingers with Yossi and Ryan, but also if you look at Jermaine - he is in very good shape and playing really well," Alonso told Liverpoolfc.tv.

"I think maybe this will be an important part of our game this season, out wide.

"Sometimes last year we had players out there who prefered to be in a different position, like Luis Garcia, who liked playing as a second striker. Also, we missed Harry Kewell to injury. If he is fit we are looking very promising in these positions."

Taken from =football365=

FABREGAS EYES CAPTAIN`S ARMBAND

2007-07-18T09:44:00.000-07:00

Cesc Fabregas has underlined his commitment to Arsenal by stating his willingness to skipper the club.

The 20-year-old Spain midfielder has chosen to stay at the Emirates Stadium despite interest from Real Madrid, and he feels the club has a chance for success this season despite the loss of Thierry Henry to Barcelona.

Gilberto Silva is the current captain following Henry's departure but Fabregas admits he would eventually like the armband.

"Everybody wants this kind of responsibility and 100% me as well," he said. "It's something that I have liked ever since I have been young and it would be no problem for me to be captain of this club."

Fabregas is confident Henry's departure will not be affected next season, although he admits the France forward will be missed.

"Thierry has been really, really important to this club over the past eight years," he said on arsenal.com. "We have scored a lot of goals because of him but now he is gone and we have to move on. We wish him all the best at Barcelona.

"The future is looking good. We have very good young players and most of them are teenagers. We are all ready to fight for the League, the Champions League, the FA Cup, the Carling Cup, for everything.

"We must fight for everything that is in front of us. We must prove we are not just young but that we are winners."

Taken from =football365=

McFADDEN NEARS TOFFEES RETURN

2007-07-18T09:41:00.000-07:00

Everton midfielder James McFadden could be back in full training next week when the squad travel to Los Angeles.

The Scotland international has been experiencing discomfort in his foot after recovering from a broken metatarsal.

However, he had a precautionary scan on Monday which revealed no further problems.

"James broke his foot in March; then he recovered and played towards the end of the season," head physio Mick Rathbone told evertonTV.

"But he changed his boots and had some discomfort in the bottom of his foot.

"The scans are very reassuring, and we hope to ease him back into training over the next couple of weeks."

Taken from =football365=

AGENT - NO GORDON BID

2007-07-18T09:35:00.000-07:00

Craig Gordon's agent insists Sunderland have not made an increased bid for the Hearts keeper.

The Barclays Premier League side had an offer for the Scotland keeper rejected last week and reports have claimed they have increased their offer to a potential £9million.

But Gordon trained with his Hearts team-mates on Wednesday morning and the club insisted it was "business as usual".

And the 24-year-old's agent, Andy Evans, said: "There are absolutely no developments."

When asked if he had been informed of an increased offer from the Stadium of Light, he said: "No, but that's because there isn't one."

The Hearts skipper has two years left on his contract and has repeatedly stated he is in no rush to leave Tynecastle.

However, at the weekend he admitted he could leave before the start of the season and said he would have given any Sunderland offer "serious consideration".

Black Cats boss Roy Keane last week claimed he would sign four or five new players and he has since brought in three.

He bought former Newcastle forward Michael Chopra from Cardiff in a deal worth around £5million.

And on Tuesday Keane went back to former club Manchester United for the £5.5million signing of Kieran Richardson, and snapped up Norwich midfielder Dickson Etuhu for £1.5million.

Taken from =football365=

FIFA TO RULE ON TEVEZ TRANSFER

2007-07-18T09:30:00.000-07:00

FIFA have been called in to break the deadlock in the Carlos Tevez dispute.

West Ham and Manchester United believe only the world governing body can end the impasse over the Argentina striker and a decision to call in FIFA was taken by the clubs last night.

It will be Tevez himself, however, who will formally call for FIFA's dispute resolution panel to step in - a process that could happen within a fortnight.

Manchester United remain ultra-confident the 24-year-old will eventually become their player.

United chief executive David Gill confirmed the Red Devils' bid to sign the Argentina forward, who has scrapped plans to have a medical in Manchester this week, was headed for FIFA to effectively determine who currently owns Tevez: West Ham or his adviser Kia Joorabchian.

"There has been a lot of discussions over the last few days between Manchester United, West Ham and the Premier League but the case will probably go before FIFA's dispute resolution chamber (DRC)," said Gill, speaking in Seoul, Korea.

"We are very confident this will be resolved in favour of the player and he will be free to achieve his wish of joining Manchester United."

West Ham confirmed they have written to the Premier League this morning requesting the matter be referred to FIFA.

A West Ham spokesman said: "It now makes sense for this to be dealt with by FIFA.

"All parties agree this is the best way forward and of course we will be involved in helping this be resolved as quickly as possible."

United legal expert Maurice Watkins met with West Ham chairman Eggert Magnusson in London yesterday, yet despite feeling reasonably optimistic a solution could be negotiated, there was only deadlock.

Although the Red Devils hope to push the matter through as quickly as possible, there remains the real possibility Tevez, who has now been allowed to start a short holiday, might not be signed before the August 31 transfer deadline.

"Hopefully the case will be heard on an expedited basis but we are not sure whether we will have him signed in time for the new season," said Gill.

"It may take up to two weeks for the body to be formed, all the paperwork has to be put together and then the case has to be heard.

"Even given that timetable we hope by the time the new season kicks off, Carlos will be training at Carrington."

Earlier this week, Gill, an influential FA board member, suggested the whole saga had become "over-complicated".

"All the discussions we have had over the last few weeks lead us to believe this will be resolved in Carlos' favour," said Gill.

"Once that happens, he will be free to join Manchester United."

So, instead of having his medical, Tevez will now go on holiday, hoping by the time he returns, he will only need to sign a contract to become a United player.

"It was always Sir Alex's plan to give Carlos a break, so I expect he will now go on an exotic holiday with his family," added Gill.

"He has not completed a medical with us."

However, Mick McGuire, an English board member of FIFPro who represent disputes that go to the DRC, believes the transfer could rumble on further to the player status committee (PSC).

He said: "It could drag on. But FIFA make the regulations on transfer windows and know the time frames - you would hope they take that into account.

"You can take it to the next stage, to CAS, and that would be the final appeal stage."

Whether a case is suitable for the DRC or PSC depends on the nature of the dispute, if it is club-to-club or player-to-club.

McGuire continued: "It's a matter of which avenue is most appropriate. It could be seen as a dispute between Manchester United and West Ham, or between Tevez and West Ham."

McGuire is also deputy chief executive for the Professional Footballers' Association, who have expressed concern over the issue of third-party ownership that is at the heart of the Tevez case.

PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor has previously highlighted the problems of players being owned by companies or individuals.

"It's trafficking in people, which is never good," said Taylor.

"Once you get an individual or a company - not a football club - owning a player, you will get trouble.

"From a PFA point of view, you can't have players owned by individuals rather than clubs because it will make a mockery of the transfer system - and we don't want people trading in people.

"If you have a situation where that is the case then it will lead to nothing but trouble for the integrity of the game."

Taken from =football365=