Juan Mata knows Manchester United’s character can save their season

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Feb 10, 2014

Manager Manuel Pellegrini reinforced that stance by putting City’s second consecutive blank down to the absence of the little Argentine ace with a hamstring injury.

Barcelona and Real Madrid have both been eyeing up Aguero as he has led City’s stunning attacking blitz this season with 26 goals, and have made overtures about buying the player through their favoured media
outlets.

Reports in Spain suggest that Madrid president Florentino Perez broached the subject of Aguero with City chief executive Ferran Soriano lately and was given a firm refusal.

From the moment Aguero joined City for a club record £38m in 2011, rumours of him returning to Spain have abounded – indeed, some said, ludicrously, that his move was simply a tactic to avoid a politically sensitive move from Atletico Madrid to their rivals.

Written by Steve Milne

Jose Mourinho hits back at Manuel Pellegrini over transfers

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Feb 10, 2014

The war-of-words between Jose Mourinho and Manuel Pellegrini shows no signs in slowing down as the Chelsea boss takes aim at the Manchester City manager once again today regarding transfer business which took place in January.

The comments from Mourinho come after Pellegrini questioned whether or not Chelsea were testing the Financial Fair Play rules, which should be coming into football in the next two seasons, but The Blues boss has today hit back saying that they spent money which they earned from player sales.

Chelsea had a busy January as they sold two players and brought in two as well, not including Kurt Zouma as he will join in the Summer officially, and Mourinho pointed out to Pellegrini that the club actually made money through the player sales.

‘Pellegrini made comments about the way we spent money. He’s a fantastic coach and I respect him.

‘Academically he is an engineer and he does not need a calculator to work it out. Mata was sold for £37m, de Bruyne £18. That is £55m.

‘We brought in Matic for £21m and Salah for £11m – that is £32m. So £55m less £32m is £23m.

‘So for Chelsea in this window it is £23m – he does not need a calculator for this.

‘They have a team for now, not for 10 years, but for three or four, so experience, potential, power and not worried about financial fair play because in the summer they spent. You do not need a calculator for this.

‘He wanted to win the four competitions, but the only thing that is funny is that he talked month after month after month, I never answer to Mourinho – but he did. So he changed. He was the same in Spain.’

Mourinho also appealed to the FA to ban City midfielder Yaya Toure after he appeared to kick Norwich City striker Ricky Van Wolfswinkel during their 0-0 draw on Saturday.

He said: ‘You can do what you want if the referee does not see. So the message is there. If the FA defends football, he has to be suspended.’

Written by Alex Batt – @AlexBatt – @AlexsArticles

Thiago Silva wants PSG to sign Eden Hazard

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Feb 10, 2014

Paris Saint-Germain defender Thiago Silva believes Chelsea midfielder Eden Hazard would be a superb addition to the club and admits that the players will try and convince the chairman to make an offer for the Belgium.

Hazard has been in phenomenal form for The Blues this season under Jose Mourinho, and his performances have caught the eye of many European sides, including PSG, who are reportedly a club that interest the Belgium playmaker.

Back in January, reports came out suggesting that Hazard had told his friends that he would be interested in joining the French sides project in the Summer, and now influencial centre-back, Thiago Silva, has admitted that the players would love to welcome the midfielder to Paris.

‘It’s normal that a president discusses [transfers] with the players,’ the Brazil defender told L’Equipe.

‘When there is a new name that comes out in the press, the president discusses it with us. Sometimes, I speak directly to Zlatan [Ibrahimovic]. It’s normal to ask ourselves if a player can make us stronger.

‘I would welcome [Hazard] with open arms, like we did with all our recruits. We need players like him to achieve our project and win everything. He is so strong tactically and technically. All the great players are welcome in Paris.’

Written by Alex Batt – @AlexBatt – @AlexsArticles

Mourinho declares Fernando Torres fit

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Feb 10, 2014

The Spanish striker has recovered from a knee injury but Mourinho says John Terry will miss the clash with Albion at the Hawthorns.

Torres has been out for three weeks after suffering the injury against Manchester United on January 19 and Terry missed Saturday’s 3-0 home win over Newcastle United with a knock.

Chelsea face West Brom before returning to the Etihad Stadium for a second time in under a fortnight and Mourinho expects Terry to be fit to face Manchester City in the FA Cup fifth round on Saturday.

Mourinho said: “John Terry is still out but Fernando is back and available for selection.”

“I expect John to be back for the next game (against Man City).”

Written by Steve Milne

Arsene Wenger confident of bounceback

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Feb 10, 2014

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is adamant that his players will bounce back from their 5-1 humiliation at Anfield on Saturday.

The Gunners were left stunned after just 20-minutes at the weekend as they went 4-0 down to a rampant Liverpool, and eventually went on to lose 5-1, which saw them drop to second in the Premier League.

Wenger and co. do not have long to think about that result as they host Manchester United on Wednesday, and speaking to the club’s official website, Wenger seemed confident that his side will bounce back in that game and will not let one defeat de-rail their title push.

“Our performance was poorer on Saturday than at Man City,” Wenger told Arsenal Player. “But I’m confident we will respond in a positive matter on Wednesday night.

“I think it’s a shame that we couldn’t turn up with a better performance. After 10 minutes we conceded two goals on set-pieces, that just shows that the level of concentration was not there and that when nobody takes responsibility in these kind of situations it’s always a bad sign.

“It is about how well we do at home at the Emirates, of course starting on Wednesday. Recently we have been very good defensively at home and offensively as well. That is what we want to show on Wednesday night.”

Written by Alex Batt – @AlexBatt – @AlexsArticles

Mertesacker is determined not to be embarrased again

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Kyle Farrington

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Feb 10, 2014

Liverpool Vs Arsenal was built up as a tight clash that could see goals, but may only be one goal to separate the sides. Football proved how unpredictable it can be at Anfield on Saturday, as the game was over with in the first 20 minutes. Arsenal had no idea what had hit them and by the time they did they were four nil down to the European chasers Liverpool.

Before the game Arsenal were top of the table and this was seen as the start of their incredibly hard run in that could define their season not just in the Premier League, but the FA cup and the Champions League. Therefore this was the worst possible start they could have had. Arsenal’s defence has been one of the best this season at least when you look at the stats, however on Saturday from the first minute they were torn apart and could not recover.

Per Mertesacker who has become very popular with fans for his consistent performance this season was involved in the defence at the weekend and was not happy with how the game went.

While Mertesacker was concerned with the result, he believes Arsenal will respond quickly against Manchester United on Wednesday.

“To be honest, it’s one of the worst setbacks of this season,” the defender told Arsenal Player. “We feel very bad at the moment, disappointed with our performance right from the start.

“It was just not good enough to compete at that level. Liverpool seemed full of confidence. At the start we were eight points clear of Liverpool so we should have been more confident and more aware of the situation but that wasn’t the case.

“We have the opportunity to respond quickly on Wednesday and we have to remind ourselves what we have done from Man City until now. That is at stake and to show that responsibility for ourselves and for the pride of our club.

“We have huge games coming up but we can rely on our fans that they will push us again. I think the team will give something back in the next couple of weeks.”

There is no doubt Arsenal will have to recover very quickly from this result as they have defending champions Manchester United in midweek and although they find themselves in a much tougher position than Arsenal, United should not be underestimated and Arsenal will have to play well, much better than they did against Liverpool to get the win.

Written By Kyle Farrington

Holtby’s World Cup dream.

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Ben Reardon

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Feb 10, 2014

Lewis Holtby has revealed that he joined Fulham on loan to increase his chances of making the World Cup with Germany.

Holtby signed for Tottenham in the January of 2013, but has failed to make a real impact at White Hart Lane under former manager Andre Villas Boas.

He had featured just six times for Tottenham this season, and made the switch across London for Fulham, with the Lillywhites capturing the highly rated German Under 21 international.

Speaking to the London Evening Standard, Holtby stated: “I reviewed my season at Spurs and checked how many games I had played recently and I’m a player who wants to play,” he said.

“I’m hungry for games, especially in the Premier League, that’s what I came here for.

“It is a great opportunity for me now at Fulham to get these games and get the full trust of the gaffer, Mr Meulensteen, and show my abilities and what I can do and maybe slot in to the Germany side too, somehow, to get my confidence running.

“I want to show the Premier League and all the pundits what I can do week in, week out on the pitch. To stay in London was perfect, everything felt right from the start. I will try and show people what I can do and hopefully the German national team as well.”

The former Schalke playmaker has swapped a European fight, for a relegation dog fight that Fulham find themselves in.

Holtby made his debut in the recent 3-0 defeat against Southampton last week, and featured in yesterday’s morale boosting point at Old Trafford, as Darren Bent snatched an equaliser in the last minute of the game, in a 2-2 draw.

Fulham boss Rene Meulensteen hailed Holtby as a ‘class player’.

Holtby is still unsure were his long term future lies, with Bundesliga clubs Schalke and Borussia Dortmund keen on the striker, as well as Premier League side Everton.

He said: “It’s very early doors to be honest, I have a half-season loan deal and our task is to stay in the Premier league and if I think about the summer now then I’m not thinking about the task. I have a long contract at Tottenham so I can’t really say what will happen in the summer.”

By Ben Reardon

@BenReardon1

Suarez: Messi will return to form

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Ben Kelly

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Feb 10, 2014

Liverpool striker Luis Suarez says that it won’t be long until Barcelona forward Lionel Messi will back to his best. Messi spent 59 days on the sidelines with a torn groin and has recently returned to action for his club, but scored a 3rd brace since his return to action in Barcelona’s 4-1 win over Sevilla on Sunday. Last month, the Argentina international scored in both legs of the Copa Del Ray tie against Getafe, before scoring a penalty in the 2-1 loss at home to Valencia. However, despite scoring seven goals since his return, Suarez feels that Messi needs more support as he readjusts to the games pace again after the injury.

“Messi needs the help of his team mates,” Suarez said to Uruguayan media, “in this delicate time, his team mates have to give him a hand. He has done everything for the team for a long time, he gave the team a lot and now he needs help.”

Suarez understands how difficult returning from an injurn could be, and says the mental aspect could continue to affect Messi’s game.

“In your head, you feel like the problem could come back. It’s a little bit difficult, but little by little, I’m sure Messi will return the being the player that everyone knows.”

By Ben Kelly

Moyes hits new lows in Manchester United’s draw with Fulham

By

Kyle Farrington

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Feb 10, 2014

After suffering 77 minutes of pure frustration at Old Trafford against Fulham who were winning one nil, one Robin Van Persie had scored and Carrick would score 80 seconds later, a stadium full of tension had been eased. This turned out to only be a short relief as in the 94^th minute Fulham did what Manchester United were famous for under Sir Alex Ferguson and scored in the dying embers of the game. Another two points dropped for United at home leaves them nine points off of Liverpool in fourth, with Liverpool also boasting a superior goal difference.

The game will be well remembered for the amount of crosses United threw into the box, setting a new record of 81 crosses. After the game Moyes was asked if he could have predicted United’s struggles, Moyes said “Probably not. It’s been a bit like that this season, but today was as bad as it gets.”

“You could say that it was maybe mental softness that we didn’t see the job out. I would agree with that.”

Moyes did take positives from the game and United’s performance as they dominated possession the whole game and many attempts during the match, however the stat that matters most is the goals and that was the one stat they did not outdo Fulham on during the match.

visiting head coach Rene Meulensteen said his team were well prepared for everything the hosts threw at them.

“When I saw Manchester United, I thought the game-plan was quite straight forward – get it wide, get it in,” said Meulensteen, who walked away from Old Trafford last summer following a long spell among Ferguson’s backroom staff.

“If you’re well organised and the goalkeeper is in good positions to come and collect the ball, it can be easy [to defend against].

“You need a little bit of creativity and a bit of variety at times to open [teams] up. It was partly straight forward.

“We know that we had to be more compact and tight in wide areas because United would cross the ball a lot.

Jamie Carragher analysed the match and stated that although the stats were heavily in Manchester United’s favour this doesn’t tell the whole story as a lot of the crosses they produced were below standard.

The next couple of games do not get easier for Moyes and United as they face Arsenal in midweek at the Emirates and their next home match is against fierce rivals Liverpool who are also their main rivals for that top four place. Moyes may have hit a new low this season, but if they lose to both their rivals could Moyes future at Manchester United come to an abrupt end?

Written by Kyle Farrington

Eden Hazard has title-winning dream

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Feb 10, 2014

Chelsea midfielder Eden Hazard has admitted that he dreams of winning the Premier League title with the club.

The Blues are currently favourites with bookmakers to win the 2013/2014 campaign after they claimed top-spot on Saturday thanks to a Hazard hat-trick against Newcastle United, and despite their favourites tag, manager Jose Mourinho continues to rule them out publically.

It was a good weekend for Chelsea as they saw Arsenal get thumped by Liverpool at lunchtime and then found out that City were held to a goalless draw by strugglers Norwich City, and those results meant they leapt from third to top with just three months left in the campaign.

Speaking in an interview, Hazard admitted that he is only focusing on one game at a time, but he did reveal that it is his dream to win the English Premier League.

He said: “Top of the league. I go in my bed, I dream. I hope at the end of the season it will be the same. It’s a pleasure to play for this team and to work for that.”

“I work every day. I feel good on the pitch. I have experience now, because last season was my first. I try every game to make the difference for the team. It was another good day for me.”

The Belgium secured a hat-trick on Saturday thanks to a penalty, which usual spot-kick taker Frank Lampard passed over and Hazard took time out to thank his team-mate for the gesture.

“I just want to say thank you. Thank you, Lamps, for the penalty, because normally it’s for him. I just said ‘if you want it, take it, I don’t care’. He said ‘no, no’.”

Written by Alex Batt – @AlexBatt – @AlexsArticles

‘We demolished them!’ Says Captain courageous Steven Gerrard

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Feb 10, 2014

Steven Gerrard was about to receive a battering from the elements but he couldn’t leave until he found the words to put a remarkable day into context.

Standing on the edge of the Anfield pitch, as the rain fall became heavier, Liverpool’s captain dredged his memories and felt compelled to make comparisons with intoxicating nights against
Juventus (a 2-1 win) in 2005 and Real Madrid (a 4-0 demolition) in 2009.

‘I’m trying to think of a performance I can remember in the last 15 years,’ said Gerrard. ‘Maybe one or two in the Champions League got close but that was as explosive as it gets. That is right up there.

That’s definitely in the top three performances I have been involved in.

‘You are talking about a side that is top of the league with world-class players, ones who are worth £42 million. Jack Wilshere, one of the country’s big hopes. (Santi) Cazorla, a World Cup winner. We have absolutely demolished a top team from start to finish.’

‘We are all behind Brendan,’ said Gerrard. ‘We do what he says and he says we are not in the title race, so we carry on pushing for the top four.

‘We aren’t going to look back at the end of the season and think “how good were we against Arsenal?” if we don’t get into the top four.

‘Yes, we can enjoy this but we have got to move on quickly. We’ve got to get three points against Fulham now.’

Written by Steve Milne @stevenmilnelive

We’ve gone soft! Moyes blasts United

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Feb 10, 2014

Darren Bent’s goal deep into added time gave bottom-of-the-table Fulham a dramatic 2-2 draw and delivered another blow to United’s hopes of Champions League qualification, They are now nine points behind fourth-placed Liverpool.

Moyes said: ‘You could (point to) mental softness that we didn’t see the game out and get the job done. I would agree with that. Was it lack of concentration? Yes, maybe.’

It was the fifth time the Barclays Premier League champions have conceded a costly late goal at Old Trafford this season, and followed shock home defeats by West Brom, Swansea, Tottenham, Newcastle and Everton.

Asked if he thought his first season as Sir Alex Ferguson’s replacement would be this bad, Moyes said: ‘Probably not, no. Today was as bad as it gets. The players are hurting. I can see every day that they’re hurting because the results aren’t going the way they want.’

United dominated but fell behind to Steve Sidwell’s early goal. Two in the space of 83 seconds from Robin van Persie and Michael Carrick had Moyes celebrating on the touchline, but he was brought back down to earth.
‘We dominated the game,’ he added. ‘Being one down was bad enough and the amount of attempts, chances and play we had was unbelievable. How we didn’t win I have no idea.

‘To say we were “defending” the lead at 2-1 would be the wrong word to use. Even when they put up five minutes (added time) Fulham never came up the pitch.

‘They left us with the ball so it was nearly a case of just playing out time and we gave away a diabolical second goal.’

United now go to Arsenal on Wednesday night desperately in need of a win to revive their hopes of finishing in the top four.

It was a dramatic return for Fulham boss Rene Meulensteen, the former United first-team coach who turned down an opportunity to stay on when Moyes took over last summer.

Meulensteen is under mounting pressure to save his job following four league defeats and an FA Cup exit to Sheffield United. For all United’s possession, he claimed that his old club were predictable.

‘I thought the game plan was quite straightforward – get it wide, get it in,’ he said. ‘If you’re well organised and the goalkeeper is in good positions then, yes, it can be easy (to defend against).

‘You need a little bit of creativity and a bit of variety at times to open teams up.’

Asked if there is now a chink in United’s armour, he added: ‘I do think a few teams have come here with a different sort of approach, so yes I do think there’s a little bit of that.

‘But it’s not for me to talk about Manchester United and what’s gone wrong with it.’

Written by Steve Milne

Mikel Arteta reveals Arsene Wenger’s anger at Anfield

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Feb 10, 2014

Arsenal vice-captain Mikel Arteta has admitted that he has never seen manager Arsene Wenger madder than what he was at half-time during the Liverpool match.

The Gunners were 4-0 down after just 20-minutes in the weekend’s matchat Anfield and eventually went on to lose 5-1, despite Wenger letting rip at the team at half-time.

After the game, Wenger refused to criticise individuals, despite record-signing Mesut Ozil getting a lot of the blame, but the Frenchman revealed that no-one was good enough in an Arsenal shirt, except for the fans that travelled to Merseyside to support the club.

Wenger and co. will now face Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday, and Arteta is hoping that they can turn things around as they do not want to see a mad Wenger at half-time twice in the space of five days.

“We have had two big crises already,” Arsenal’s vice- captain said. “I think the Manchester United defeat was a different game to this, but City and this one are really hard to take. We have to react because there is nothing we can do about this now. We know we need to improve and face those games in a different manner because after 19 minutes we were 4-0 down and it was like a car crash. The manager was really upset at half-time, that’s normal because it wasn’t good enough for this football club. It was the angriest I have seen him.”

Written by Alex Batt – @AlexBatt – @AlexsArticles

Arsenal duo reject new deals

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Feb 10, 2014