BALLACK TO MISS BLUES` EURO TIES

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

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

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

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

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

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=

OWEN MAY START FOR MAGPIES

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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=

ERIKSSON TO SHUN PHYSICAL APPROACH

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

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

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

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=