Saturday, 30 November 2013

Football news, match reports and fixtures | theguardian.com

07:23

Football news, match reports and fixtures | theguardian.com


Roberto Martínez on borrowed time with Chelsea's Romelu Lukaku

Posted: 29 Nov 2013 03:00 PM PST

• Everton manager does not expect extension to loan
• Martínez wants Lukaku to have 'good memories' of Everton

Romelu Lukaku has scored seven goals in eight appearances for Everton, including two that hauled his side back into the Merseyside derby, but though Roberto Martínez is delighted with the start his loan signing has made he does not imagine Chelsea will be as generous again next season.

The Everton manager does not expect to be offered the chance to buy Lukaku, at least not at a price the club can afford, and nor can he envisage such a successful striker's loan being extended for another year.

"Every time I speak to Chelsea they rate Romelu really highly, and I think that's always been the case," Martínez said. "They made a massive investment on a player they always felt was going to take a few years to be ready. They have a goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois, who has gone out on loan to Atlético Madrid, and I think Romelu is a similar signing in that respect. We are just happy to have him with us and desperate to see him enjoying his time at Everton. All I want for him is to develop a good memory of his time here, nothing else. A player like Romelu, and Gareth Barry is the same although at a different stage of his career, is not motivated by money. They are players who want to go somewhere they can develop as footballers, and it shows we are successful as a team to engage players like that. We can help such players fulfil their potential."

Martínez is not unduly concerned that Lukaku's eventual departure will weaken the side. "We'll find another goalscorer, don't worry," he said. "Everton didn't have Romelu last season and did well without him. As a manager you have to accept the challenge of players moving on, in the modern game the best performers usually do.

"I think the era of loyalty or stability, of players staying at a club for a long time is gone, but it works both ways. In the summer you had players at Real Madrid who wanted to leave, at Barcelona, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool. You need to keep your options open, because the best players will always want to play, and if you can offer that you can always find a way. We have a good recruitment department at the club, finding new players doesn't worry me."

Something that did worry Martínez after the Liverpool game was conceding all three goals at set pieces and he is conscious that Saturday's visitors Stoke have a reputation for exploiting such situations.

"I don't think it is a weakness, I just think the derby was a one-off," he said. "It is not normal for us to concede that many chances from set plays, if I am not mistaken we did not concede a set-piece goal in 11 matches going into the derby, so we have actually been very strong. The atmosphere of a derby can affect your concentration levels. We are aware that Stoke are strong in that area but we don't see it as an achilles heel."


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André Villas-Boas has history against him in Manchester United acid test | David Hytner

Posted: 29 Nov 2013 03:00 PM PST

Tottenham have not beaten United at home since 2001 and desperately need a boost after the debacle at Manchester City

Footballers are a superstitious bunch and, as those at Tottenham Hotspur pondered the shattering 6-0 defeat at Manchester City last Sunday, the significance of who would be up next in the Premier League was not lost on them.

Manchester United at White Hart Lane is not a fixture that has brought them much cheer in recent years. The last time Tottenham beat Sunday's opponents at home was in May 2001 when Willem Korsten inspired a 3-1 win. Since then United have recorded eight victories, most memorably when they roared back from 3-0 down at half-time to win 5-3 in September 2001. Juan Sebastián Verón scored the important fourth goal.

Too often for Tottenham's liking United's performances have been marked by comfort but this has to be the time the north London side knock them from their stride. The pressure on both teams is tremendous, as they do not want to fall further behind the leaders, Arsenal, but it is arguably more pronounced at Tottenham, given the City debacle and the scrutiny under which the manager, André Villas-Boas, has found himself.

His problems have merely been magnified by events at the Etihad Stadium, where the team started sloppily and slid to their equal-heaviest Premier League defeat. Gary Neville, the Sky TV pundit, slated Tottenham for the manner in which they conceded the first goal to Jesús Navas after 13 seconds, saying that some of the defensive players were "tying their laces and playing with their socks at the kick-off".

There was irony to the thumping scoreline as Tottenham had travelled to Manchester with one of the meanest defences in the country. Villas-Boas's issue has been at the other end as his team labour to open up opponents.

He has pointed to the club's blemish-free record in the Europa League, which continued in Norway on Thursday night with the 2-0 win over Tromso that ensured they would advance as seeds to the last 32 of the tournament. But the board want achievement, first and foremost, in the league and they have been troubled by the team's style in the competition that matters most.

Nine goals in 12 matches (three of them penalties) is the headline statistic that illustrates the difficulties but others show how they are relying on shots from long range and struggling to get numbers forward and in behind. Roberto Soldado has regularly cut an isolated figure in the lone striker role and there has been frustration, as sometimes articulated by the White Hart Lane crowd, at the lack of offensive cohesion and ideas.

It has been hard to integrate the seven summer signings, although Paulinho and, in briefer bursts, Vlad Chiriches have done well and Villas-Boas will give serious thought to recalling Jermain Defoe up front against United.

Defoe was rested for Tromso, possibly as he has a history of getting injuries on synthetic surfaces – the Norwegians play on a 4G artificial pitch – but Soldado made the trip and the £26m purchase from Valencia completed the 90 minutes. It was his first appearance for the club in the group phase of the tournament and he did not enjoy himself. On a sub-zero night he got little service and his touch was erratic.

Tottenham's mentality faces the acid test but, after the post-City soul-searching, the hunt for positives and omens has started. The 3-2 win at Old Trafford early last season has been seized on and the defender Jan Vertonghen recalled how the club had recovered from their black November last time out.

"We did not do well in this period last year, with losses against Wigan, City and Arsenal," he said. "But we had an incredible run after that and that is what we are aiming for now. We can be back easily because the top half of the table is so strong that everybody can win. You cannot write us off.

"The mentality is easy because we are so motivated to do well on Sunday, especially after the City game. I am very confident because the supporters will be behind us and we will be so motivated to do well after such a loss."

Villas-Boas continues to be the author of his own destiny and, in spite of the misgivings and his prickly behaviour over the past couple of months, he knows that a good result against United could help to turn things round. He would then eye next week's away matches against Fulham and Sunderland as opportunities to rebuild momentum.

"We need to bounce back after last Sunday," said the midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson. "We talked a lot about what happened and it was not good enough. We need to put on a performance that is more like us and we need to play attacking football, create chances and score goals. Our target is still to finish in the top four. We are four points off second place so there is no need to worry yet, even though we need to score more goals."

United have struggled for consistency under David Moyes but it is more than their Indian sign at White Hart Lane that makes them dangerous.

"They never start the season too strong but during the business time of the season, they are always very strong," Sigurdsson said. "They have some world-class players and they are the team that everyone wants to beat."


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Allardyce urges West Ham to show true spirit

Posted: 29 Nov 2013 03:00 PM PST

• 'They can't fragment and think it's all about them'
• Andy Carroll expected to resume training next week

Sam Allardyce has told his West Ham players that they must stick together for the start of what he believes is a defining period for his side. West Ham have slipped down the table and the manager feels that team spirit will be vital as they look to pull themselves away from danger.

West Ham have been boosted by the news that Andy Carroll will return to training next week as he continues his recovery from his heel injury, although Allardyce said that the 24-year-old may not be available for selection before January. A more immediate concern is the visit of Fulham to Upton Park on Saturday and the trip to Crystal Palace on Tuesday, with Allardyce saying that picking up six points against their fellow strugglers could transform West Ham's fortunes.

Only goal difference is keeping West Ham above Fulham, whose manager, Martin Jol, is also under pressure after five successive defeats in all competitions, and out of the bottom three after two wins in their first 12 matches.

Allardyce, who said that he has not spoken to the club's co-owners, David Gold and David Sullivan, about his future, was the subject of fierce criticism from fans during last Saturday's 3-0 home defeat by Chelsea. He made a double substitution after 40 minutes and Joe Cole stormed down the tunnel after being removed. Cole, who is out of contract at the end of the season, remains happy at the club but Allardyce stressed the need for his players to be professional, while accepting the midfielder's frustration.

"It's a difficult period but players show their true team spirit in situations like this," he said. "They show their true togetherness and that's what they've got to do, they've got to stick together. They can't fragment and think it's all about them. It's not just about them, it's about the whole team and everything that goes with it to achieve the right results."

West Ham have been blunt in the absence of Carroll, scoring nine goals. The striker, who signed for £15m from Liverpool in the summer, has been undergoing treatment in Amsterdam as part of his rehabilitation and his return to London is imminent, but Allardyce does not want to rush him back into the first team.

"It's tentative in terms of your approach," Allardyce said. "You can't get over-anxious and push him too hard. We can't do anything other than what the specialists are saying, no matter how desperate our situation may become. We have to get him fit to stay fit.

"We'll have to make an assessment when he is back with us. When we can monitor him on a day-to-day basis we can make that judgment. Having not played a game since May, it will take a bit of time to get into a match-fitness situation. It's up to us to alleviate that as quickly as possible."

West Ham have struggled to cope without Carroll. Allardyce has used a strikerless formation in the past six matches, a tactic which has worked less well since its first outing in the 3-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur, but suggested he may dispense with that system against Fulham. However, Modibo Maïga has not scored for a year, Mladen Petric has a calf injury and Carlton Cole has not been deemed fit enough to start a league match since rejoining the club last month.

One thing Allardyce insists he will not do is drop his captain, Kevin Nolan, even though the midfielder has not scored since the opening day of the season. Nolan, who has played further forward in the past three matches, was West Ham's leading goalscorer with 10 goals last season but has struggled to recapture that form. "He drives our players on," Allardyce said. "When you're in this position and you're not scoring goals, then to leave out your leading goalscorer from last year, you're going to take away something in the team that could possibly finish off a chance even though he's having a dry spell."

Allardyce said that he saw fear creeping into his players' game after the defeat by Chelsea but hopes that can be used as an advantage. "You accept it in its entirety to use it as a positive and make you go out with the desire to give your all," he said. "When that happens, you stick to the principles of the game you know are the best for you. You stick to your strengths and don't try to do anything out of the ordinary that's not comfortable for you."


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Lukaku asked Chelsea for transfer

Posted: 29 Nov 2013 02:59 PM PST

• Lukaku was dismayed at signing of Samuel Eto'o
• 'Tell the country why you left,' says José Mourinho

José Mourinho has urged Romelu Lukaku to "tell the country why you left Chelsea" after it emerged the Belgium international had made a verbal transfer request just before the September deadline to force a move away from Stamford Bridge.

Lukaku, signed from Anderlecht in the summer of 2011 for an initial £12m, had asked to leave after being granted only a cameo performance in the Uefa Super Cup defeat to Bayern Munich in Prague on 30 August. The forward ended up missing a penalty in the shootout that night but was already struggling to disguise his dismay that Chelsea had secured Samuel Eto'o 24 hours earlier from Anzhi Makhachkala.

That left him competing with Eto'o, Demba Ba and Fernando Torres for a lone forward role in a season that culminates with the World Cup finals and convinced the 20-year-old that he would struggle to feature regularly. His transfer request was dismissed with Mourinho keen for the player to stay and fight for a place in the side. After further discussions with Lukaku, the club and manager relented and agreed to allow him to go on another season-long loan.

The player came close to rejoining West Bromwich Albion, with whom he spent last season on a similar arrangement, but has since scored seven goals in eight Premier League games for Everton. It is understood Lukaku considers his long-term future to be at Chelsea, with the club hoping he will be the finished article for next season.

Mourinho was asked about Lukaku before Sunday's home game against Southampton after the loanee, who is contracted until 2016 at Stamford Bridge, told the BBC that he had not had any direct contact with the Chelsea manager since moving to Goodison Park. "I keep private my conversations with my players," Mourinho said. "There are things in our lives that we have to keep [quiet] for ethical reasons but, for example, one day recently he scored and said he hoped I was watching, like saying: 'Why did he let me go?' And that's what I'm telling him now: tell the country why you left.

"He has to say. Next time ask him why he left on loan one more season. From my angle, I'm happy he's scoring goals against our direct rivals, and he doesn't score against us because he can't. It's phenomenal that you have a player who, even not playing for you, is scoring goals against your opponents. From a practical point of view, that's very good.

"But he's there and it's good for his evolution. It's good for Chelsea because he belongs to us for a long time and I'm happy with that. I just think that, if you keep quiet all the time, you keep quiet all the time. When you enjoy to speak, speak everything. Don't speak only half of it. It's a simple question: 'Why did you leave Chelsea?' Ask him."

Lukaku had earlier admitted to the BBC that he had instigated the move away from Stamford Bridge: "It wasn't the fact that I wasn't wanted. I think I was wanted but I had to make a decision for myself and analyse what was the best thing for me."

Chelsea's staff and the technical director, Michael Emenalo, have been in regular contact with Everton to monitor Lukaku's progress at Goodison and have been encouraged by his impact. Mourinho does not expect to add another forward to his ranks in the January transfer window but will instead reassess the situation next summer.

"The point is not wanting or not wanting, but that the top strikers are already in their clubs, clubs who are not going to open the door for a crucial player to leave," he said. "And the biggest percentage of them cannot play in the Champions League. The investment for players who cannot play in the Champions League we don't think is the correct one.

"We have a plan. We have a board. We have financial rules that we think we have to obey and we have to follow. And, at the same time, we started the season with this group and, most probably, we're going to end with this group. At the end of the season we will be in better condition to analyse our squad, to analyse the market and, normally, make a couple of changes to improve the team for next season. But this season, we are ready to go to the end with the same people."


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Nottingham Forest 2-3 Reading | Championship match report

Posted: 29 Nov 2013 02:49 PM PST

Jordan Obita crushed a Nottingham Forest fightback as 10-man Reading ended a four-game winless streak with a thrilling 3-2 victory at the City Ground.

Pavel Pogrebnyak and Kaspars Gorkss put the Royals 2-0 up inside the opening 12 minutes, but Simon Cox and the substitute Darius Henderson clawed Forest level, before Obita's crucial late strike. Reading ended the game with 10 men as their former Forest defender Chris Gunter was sent off, but Nigel Adkins' side held on.

Another former Forest player, the midfielder Garath McCleary, set up the Reading opener after just nine minutes as he skipped past the challenge of Dan Harding before whipping a low centre across the area, where Pogrebnyak bundled the ball home at the far post.

The visitors increased their lead from a 12th-minute corner, as the centre-back Gorkss met Danny Guthrie's cross with a powerful header to stun the home crowd into silence. It had been a dreadful opening for Forest, but they finally settled into a rhythm without ever really looking threatening as Reading kept them at arm's reach.

Cox, though, should have reduced the deficit after half an hour, with Forest's first real shot on goal, but his effort from six yards was brilliantly saved by Alex McCarthy. The rebound fell to Henri Lansbury, who curled a shot narrowly wide.

Five minutes before the interval Forest reduced the arrears, as Lansbury's delightful pass sent Jamie Mackie tearing down the right wing and his pin-point cross set up Cox to crash home unmarked at the back post against his old club.

Forest's manager, Billy Davies, made two changes at half-time, bringing on Andy Reid and Henderson in place of Jamie Paterson and Raddy Majewski, and Henderson almost made an immediate impact by clipping the bar with a thunderous effort.

Reading were starting to wobble as Forest upped the tempo and Mackie brought another save out of McCarthy, with the Royals goalkeeper tipping his header over. And the pressure told as Henderson danced his way into the area and fired home a low shot to make it all square after an hour.

Another Forest break saw Cox play in Mackie, whose rasping drive bounced down off the bar but landed on the wrong side of the line, allowing the visitors to clear the danger.

After being outplayed for much of the half, Reading silenced the Forest fans again by reclaiming the lead in the 74th minute as they finally mustered a meaningful attack, with Obita scoring from 12 yards following another McCleary assist.

Forest were given some encouragement with 10 minutes left, when Gunter was shown a second yellow card for tripping Mackie on the edge of the box. Lansbury had a late effort deflect just wide in the closing moments, but they failed to find the equaliser their efforts deserved.


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'Rooney could play every game'

Posted: 29 Nov 2013 02:30 PM PST

• Manchester United manager marvels at striker's durability
• Playing matches 'doesn't affect him in a way it does others'

David Moyes believes Wayne Rooney may be able to play every game this season, though the Manchester United manager will monitor the striker to ensure he receives a break if required.

When fit Rooney has been chosen in every match this season, the striker scoring eight times in 17 games and being among United's most potent creative forces, as he was again in the 5-0 midweek victory at Bayer Leverkusen that confirmed United's passage into the Champions League knockout phase.

Rooney will start again in Sunday's trip to Tottenham Hotspur, with Shinji Kagawa expected to continue at No10 as Robin van Persie's groin problem makes the Dutchman a doubt.

Regarding Rooney, Moyes said: "There will be times when we do have to look after him. At the moment he doesn't need it. But I will be looking for any signs of a dip. I look at a lot of other clubs and they have played their players continuously. It's just at United here we've got a squad, we can rotate them, we have got other options. So I think I'll try and just wait. If it [a dip] doesn't come around, I don't need to [rest him] and won't do it."

Rooney's best form is always a result of him playing consistently. "He is a boy who continually gets better in the games he plays," said Moyes. "It doesn't really seem to affect him in a way it does others. The point I'm making is I just want to make sure I keep him playing as well as he is doing."

Moyes believes that the display offered by the Kagawa-Rooney pairing at Leverkusen means there is less pressure to bring back Van Persie early. "I always thought we had other combinations that we could play," the manager said. "You'll very rarely go through a season without having injuries or suspensions and we had to make sure we had other solutions if it did happen. Robin had his injury and so we played Shinji at No10. We've played him on the left before, where he plays for Japan as well, so I think he's good in either position."

Moyes believes United can cope without Van Persie despite the Dutchman being such a pivotal figure in last season's title triumph. "If we were without Robin at any point we needed to make sure we could come up with the goals and make sure it wasn't just Robin," he said. "The other night we certainly did and we had to make sure we keep that going."

Ryan Giggs, who celebrated his 40th birthday on Friday, was among United's finest performers on Wednesday and could be in line to start at Tottenham. "It's something we have to look at," said Moyes. "But we take our lead from Ryan as much as anything. Ryan tells us how he feels, when he thinks he's right. A lot of that we take from how he feels."

The manager is concerned that United require more consistency. After the 1-0 win over Arsenal at Old Trafford they followed with a 2-2 draw Cardiff City in their last league game, conceding a late equaliser.

As they are still seven points behind the leaders, Arsenal, the Scot thinks their form can be characterised as "two steps forward, one step back" at the moment. "Yes, we have to get a better level of consistency. I look around the Premier League and that's [lack of consistency] been quite noticeable throughout really. Arsenal are the one side who have shown a real consistency as we're about to go into December. They're the one side who has shown that. We have dropped some points we shouldn't have done and we have to try to eradicate that.

"I think there's a little bit of [a lack of] concentration and a bit of us still being a work in progress really, us trying to work together to get everything we want to be correct, and we've still got a bit to go on that."

However Moyes does think that those clubs above United, who stand six, are conscious of the champions coming up on the rails. "People are always aware of Manchester United. I don't think people have in any way [disallowed] Manchester United. I think everybody knows we'll be there or thereabouts come the end and I believe that as well."

Regarding whether Nemanja Vidic's recovery from concussion and Van Persie's groin problem will allow them to travel to Spurs, Moyes said: "I'm going to try to see if I can involve them in the squad but until [Saturday] I won't make a decision."

While Giggs was given a coach's stop watch by his team-mates as a humorous present to recognise his status as player-coach, the squad also joked further by wearing face-masks of the midfielder and putting up posters in the changing room of the Welshman when he was younger that made him appear as if a member of a boy-band. In response Giggs jokingly refused to make a speech to mark his birthday when asked.


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Lescott hints at City departure

Posted: 29 Nov 2013 02:30 PM PST

• Lescott says Manuel Pellegrini is not giving him a fair chance
• 'I need to be given a fair opportunity to prove myself'

Joleon Lescott has revealed his frustration at not being "given a fair opportunity" to prove himself by Manuel Pellegrini. The defender claims he is receiving differing treatment to other members of the Manchester City squad and would consider a transfer in January.

Lescott, who is 31 and in the final season of his contract, said that he is yet to be approached regarding new terms. He featured in Wednesday's 4-2 Champions League win over Viktoria Plzen but only because Vincent Kompany and Matija Nastasic were not fit. Lescott has managed only nine appearances this season and remains the fourth choice centre-back under Pellegrini after falling down the pecking order towards the end of Roberto Mancini's tenure as manager.

Having also lost his place in Roy Hodgson's England squad in a season that ends with the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil, Lescott is considering his options. He said: "I need to be given a fair opportunity. I know no one can guarantee me playing every week but I would like to think that given a fair opportunity to play, if I am playing in the team I can do well enough to stay in the team.

"If you start to doubt yourself it will affect you so I try not to doubt myself and believe I can perform. When the opportunities come you have to grab them and if it means playing the next few games when Matija is out and Vinny is not ready, then great for me. Hopefully once again I can prove to the club, and if it is not here somewhere else, that I am worthy of a new contract."

Lescott believes Pellegrini is not allowing him the same chance as others. "I just want to be treated like everyone else. If I am in the team and the team is winning I stay in the team," he said. "Realistically there is probably only one place up for grabs when Vinny is fit and three of us are fighting for that. I have not played as much as I would have liked this season but I would like to think [against Plzen] I have done a good enough job to prove I can perform at this level."

Lescott's status at the club has plummeted since he was first-choice in City's title-winning campaign of two seasons ago and he would consider a fresh start elsewhere in the winter transfer window. "It is hard not playing. No professional enjoys it and I am no different," the former Everton defender said. "It is not great not playing in the last year of my contract. The situation is not ideal but I just have to try to play well when I am given the opportunity. We all train through the week to play and then when you are not it is disheartening.

"I want to stay, that is the main thing but the club have not approached me yet, so I don't know what the situation is with them. If I am playing for my future here, then great. If I am playing for it elsewhere, then so be it. I just know that every time I am out there I have to perform at a level were top clubs would be interested in signing me.

"It depends what the club wants and what opportunities there are for me. I am not just going to leave a club like this for the sake of it, but at the end of the season I would have to. So nothing can happen now. I can't speak to any clubs and no clubs can approach me but when that opportunity comes, if it does come in January, I will have to look at that.

"I have not really focused on anything but if a team abroad was giving me a fair opportunity to play and progress, then I would look at it. If you are not playing for Man City, it does not make you a bad player."

Regarding his prospects of making Hodgson's squad for Brazil, he said: "It does not look like I am going at the minute. I have not been in the last few squads, so it is going to be hard but if I am playing for City and we are progressing in the Champions League and the title race, then there might be a place for me.

"I have not given up. But I know that comes from playing for Man City, so the faster I can get myself back in City the better."


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Sturridge injures ankle in training

Posted: 29 Nov 2013 02:30 PM PST

• Striker leaves training ground on crutches with ankle injury
• Brendan Rodgers chellenges Jon Flanagan to maintain focus

Liverpool fear Daniel Sturridge is facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines after the striker suffered suspected ankle ligament damage in training.

Sturridge had trained "exceptionally well", according to Brendan Rodgers, in response to being dropped to the bench and criticised by the Liverpool manager in the Merseyside derby with Everton last Saturday. Rodgers was unhappy with the 24-year-old playing 90 minutes for England against Germany with a thigh problem before the derby but those injury concerns have multiplied after Sturridge left Melwood on crutches on Friday.

The Liverpool striker was immediately taken for a scan on his left ankle and, though the full extent of damage may become clear only over the weekend, the club are braced for bad news. Sturridge suffered ligament damage in his right ankle playing for England against the Republic of Ireland in May and it took a punishing personal fitness programme for him to recover inside three months.

Losing Sturridge would represent a serious setback for Rodgers in his attempts to maintain Liverpool's impressive form in 2013 and guide the club back into the Champions League. Last weekend's rebuke aside, the £12m signing from Chelsea has flourished at Anfield and his 89th-minute equaliser at Everton was his 11th goal of the season.

Liverpool are not blessed with goalscorers in the potential absence of Sturridge despite the outstanding form of Luis Suárez since his return from suspension. The summer signing Iago Aspas is close to returning from a thigh injury but has struggled to make an impact since his £7.6m arrival from Celta Vigo.

"We had a good chat this week of where he is at fitness-wise and I just felt last weekend he wasn't fit enough to go into a game of that magnitude," Rodgers said of Sturridge. "He came on and got the point for us and he has had a really good week in training, up until now."

Sunday's visit to Hull City is the first of seven fixtures for Liverpool in December, a schedule that includes away games at Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Chelsea. And, despite the worry over Sturridge, Rodgers believes Liverpool's squad can handle the demanding spell.

"Mentally we are strong," the Liverpool manager said. "I compare the mentality of the team for my first game at West Brom and now. The difference is night and day. I would expect us to last the pace. There is no question of that. We have the determination to do that. Look at our record this calendar year. We are hard to beat. If we're not at our best and winning, we're fighting to the death to get a result. That's something that's in the group that maybe wasn't there when I first came in."

Liverpool's managing director, Ian Ayre, has held talks with Barcelona over the possible January signing of the full-back Martín Montoya, while the Chelsea left-back Ryan Bertrand has also been linked with a move to Anfield. But Rodgers is prepared to give Jon Flanagan a run in the side after the 20-year-old's impressive display at left-back in the derby. The Liverpool manager has warned Flanagan, however, that he cannot allow complacency to creep into his game.

Rodgers said: "I think Jon is ready. I have a huge amount of respect for him and that was the reason I put him in. I have seen a boy who got his chance a few years ago and it is very easily done that you can become complacent. You get a new contract and all of a sudden you have a few bad games and you are out of the team. For me he has never really featured and that is the brutal honesty of it. He has played in some cup games but that is about it.

"I told him this week to think about where he was a couple of years ago when he was in the team and then he was out of it. I said to him, 'Don't play like you have cracked it because you have had a great game in the derby and been man of the match. Go out and prove yourself every single week and, if you do that, you will be all right.'"


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Everton put Aiden McGeady and Landon Donovan on shopping list

Posted: 29 Nov 2013 02:30 PM PST

• McGeady made available for transfer by Spartak Moscow
• Donovan could be a loan signing from LA Galaxy

Everton are considering January moves for Aiden McGeady and Landon Donovan with their interest in the former encouraged by Spartak Moscow's decision to transfer-list the winger. Roberto Martínez, the Everton manager, has a long-standing interest in the Republic of Ireland international, who he attempted to sign for his former club Wigan Athletic last season, and is keen to inject more pace into his side when the transfer window reopens. The prospects of signing the 27-year-old have increased after he was transfer‑listed at Spartak on Friday, reportedly having fallen out with the coach Valeri Karpin, although several Premier League clubs will be encouraged by that move.

McGeady cost the Russian club £9.5m from Celtic in 2010. The winger is out of contract at the end of the season and Spartak are looking to recoup some of their outlay in January. A move to Goodison Park would see the midfielder join fellow Ireland internationals James McCarthy, Séamus Coleman and Darron Gibson.

Everton also retain an interest in the USA international Donovan, who enjoyed two successful loan spells at the club in 2010 and 2012 under the former manager David Moyes. The 31-year-old may again be available on loan from the MLS side LA Galaxy, although whether he will increase his workload in a World Cup year remains to be seen.


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Scandal reminds Arsenal's Arsène Wenger of Marseille misgivings

Posted: 29 Nov 2013 02:30 PM PST

Arsenal manager ponders the match-fixing scandal that hit French football and recent allegations in the UK

For a man of 64 to reflect on it as "one of the most difficult periods of my life" emphasises how the scourge of match-fixing is a stain that is not easily cleansed.

More than two decades have passed since Arsène Wenger was confronted with the realities of such a scandal – and it was a monster of a scandal that scarred the reputation of the biggest and best-supported club in France, Marseille.

This was not a non-league corruption, it stank at the highest summit. The protagonists were not unfamiliar names, they were infamous.

Wenger, who takes his Arsenal side to Cardiff City on Saturday, was in charge of Monaco in the early 1990s and long held suspicions of a nasty smell in the air around Marseille. In 1993, Marseille reached the Champions League final against Milan and only a few days before needed to win at Valenciennes to clinch the domestic title.

It later came to light that four Valenciennes players were offered 250,000 francs to "take their foot of the gas". Marseille won the match but the opposition players turned whistleblowers. A bombshell struck the French game, Marseille were stripped of their title and the club's supremo Bernard Tapie was discredited and imprisoned.

During the period leading up to the 1993 revelations, Wenger's Monaco had been Marseille's strongest rivals on the pitch and had finished the runners-up behind them for the previous two seasons.

Were those titles honest? Were Monaco denied trophies that should have been theirs? These are not easy questions to contemplate even years later.

Wenger brings a rare perspective as one of the few top-level managers currently working to have been directly affected by the consequences of such a blight on the game.

It is difficult to imagine just how personally challenging that period was. The constant, nagging doubts but the inability to do anything about it while it was only the subject of whispers and shady gossip.

"You hear rumours and after that you cannot come out in the press and say: 'This game was not regular'," Wenger said. "You must prove what you say. To come out is difficult. It is very difficult to prove it. From knowing something, feeling that it is true and after coming out publicly and saying "Look I can prove it" is the most difficult."

The effects still hurt. "It is a shame. Once you don't know any more if everyone is genuine out there, that is something absolutely disastrous. I think we have absolutely to fight against that with the strongest severity to get that out of the game."

Wenger remembers that uncomfortable feeling as he tried to analyse events that did not ring true. "There are little incidents added one to the other. In the end, there is no coincidence."

One of Wenger's most loyal assistants and a right-hand man since 1994, Boro Primorac, was caught up in the events. He was the Valenciennes coach for the fateful game that exposed Marseilles' malpractice. Primorac gave evidence.

Wenger admired his courage and invited Primorac to work with him when he was ostracised from the French game as it tried to recover from the scandal. "He did very well because it's not always the fact that you stand up against it, it's the consequences of it after," Wenger said. "I can tell you that story one day and you will be surprised … "

Wenger's reaction to the allegations of match-fixing in the lower reaches of the English game was to reassert his certainty that the Premier League is clean. He knows from experience what it feels like to be deeply suspicious about what is going on around him and appears not to sense anything similar.

"I still think that 99.9%, the English game is completely clean. I hope that's an isolated incident," he said of the case exposed this week in the Conference.

"When you see the happiness of the players when they score goals, even in the lower divisions, the passion of the fans when I was at Barnet for example, I can't believe that there is a match-fixing problem in England.

"Can it be eradicated completely? I'm not sure. "Even when it was happening in France or in Europe, I always felt that in the end the game will come clean again."


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The gifs that keep on giving: absurd diving, hybrid sports and fan fails

Posted: 29 Nov 2013 02:00 PM PST

Featuring a tangle with a hedge, the best pitch ever and a mashup of baseball and basketball

Thanks for all your suggestions on our last gifs blog.

He shoots! He...doesn't score

Neither does Jonjo Shelvey.

Good job he's not pro

You have to be really good to play pro.

Amazing three pointer

Almost as good as this.

That's gotta hurt

...especially when somebody steals your helmet afterwards.

When you just can't be bothered

Never get cocky.

Seems legit

This too.

Best pitch ever



Although this is the funniest
.


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Aston Villa v Sunderland: Squad sheets

Posted: 29 Nov 2013 12:25 PM PST

Unbeaten in three matches or with only one win in six? Villa fans view the club's season so far in different ways, some believing progress is being made under Paul Lambert and others maintaining that there has been no improvement since last term's narrow escape. Losing at home to the bottom-placed team would give ammunition to the naysayers while a victory would ensconce them safely in mid-table and allay any fears for a while, especially if Christian Benteke regains his scoring form. No such ambiguity at Sunderland: their season has been wretched but Gus Poyet will see this as a game that can be won. Paul Doyle

Kick-off Saturday 3pm

Venue Villa Park

Last season Aston Villa 6 Sunderland 1

Referee N Swarbrick

This season G7, Y22, R0, 3.1 cards per game

Odds H Evens A 10-3 D 5-2

Aston Villa

Subs from Steer, Kozak, Tonev, Clark, Herd, Bowery, Helenius, Lowton, Sylla, Johnson, Robinson

Doubtful None

Injured Bennett (back, 4 Dec), Gardner (back, unknown), N'Zogbia (achilles, unknown) Okore (knee, May)

Suspended None

Form DWDLLD

Discipline Y23 R0

Leading scorer Benteke 4

Sunderland

Subs from Westwood, Roberge, Diakité, Giaccherini, Altidore, Cabral, Borini, Ji, Mavrias, Dossena

Doubtful Diakité (knock), Dossena (knock), Westwood (shoulder)

Injured Cuéllar (hip, 14 Dec)

Suspended None

Form LWLWLL

Discipline Y13 R4

Leading scorers Fletcher, Gardner, Giaccherini 2


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Cardiff City v Arsenal: Squad sheets

Posted: 29 Nov 2013 12:23 PM PST

The Premier League leaders will travel to the Welsh capital hoping to pick up a better result than the two Manchester clubs managed. City were beaten 3-2 by Cardiff back in August and United were held to a 2-2 draw last Sunday. On both occasions Cardiff scored from set pieces. Arsène Wenger, who praised Cardiff for their "solidarity, togetherness and fantastic support", has Kieran Gibbs available again after the left-back missed Tuesday's Champions League win over Marseille through illness. Stuart James

Kick-off Saturday 3pm

Venue Cardiff City Stadium

Last season n/a

Referee L Mason

This season G7, Y27, R1, 4.1 cards per game

Odds H 11-2 A 4-6 D 31-10

Cardiff City

Subs from Lewis, Hudson, Cornelius, Kim, Noone, Gunnarsson, Bellamy, Maynard, Mason, Connolly, John, Brayford, Smith, Amondarain, Gestede

Doubtful None

Injured None

Suspended None

Form DLWDLL

Discipline Y16 R0

Leading scorer Campbell 3

Arsenal

Subs from Fabianski, Viviano, Jenkinson, Vermaelen, Monreal, Arteta, Frimpong, Rosicky, Gnabry, Walcott, Akpom, Bendtner, Park

Doubtful None Injured Miyaichi (hamstring, 14 Dec), Podolski (hamstring, 14 Dec), Oxlade-Chamberlain (knee, Jan), Sanogo (back, Jan), Diaby (knee, Mar)

Suspended None

Form WLWWWD

Discipline Y19 R2

Leading scorer Giroud 7


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Newcastle v West Brom: Squad sheets

Posted: 29 Nov 2013 12:22 PM PST

Any fears of a crisis on Tyneside have been banished following a run of three successive victories that has moved the side up to a comfortable eighth. Loïc Rémy has scored in all three games to take his total to eight for the season, which has helped to distract fans from the ominous spectre of Joe Kinnear (sort of). Steve Clarke, meanwhile, has quietly guided Albion to mid-table and they have lost just once away from The Hawthorns. Louis Richards

Kick-off Saturday 5.30pm

Venue St James' Park

Last season Newcastle 2 West Bromwich A 1

Live SS1

Referee P Dowd

This season G10, Y39, R0, 3.9 cards per game

Odds H 20-19 A 3-1 D 28-11

Newcastle United

Subs from Elliot, Yanga-Mbiwa, Haidara, S Taylor, Dummett, Anita, Ben Arfa, Sammy Ameobi, Cissé, Gutiérrez

Doubtful Dummett (hamstring), S Taylor (hamstring)

Injured R Taylor (knee, Aug)

Suspended None

Form WWWLDW

Discipline Y18 R2

Leading scorer Rémy 8

West Bromwich Albion

Subs from Daniels, Morrison, Anichebe, Vydra, Dawson, Berahino, Anelka, Lugano, Rosenberg, Dorrans, Tamas, Sinclair, Jones, Ridgewell

Doubtful Sinclair (hamstring), Jones (hamstring), Ridgewell (calf)

Injured Gera (match fitness, 14 Dec), Foster (foot, 14 Dec)

Suspended None

Form DDWLDD

Discipline Y23 R0

Leading scorer Long 3


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Manchester City v Swansea: Squad sheets

Posted: 29 Nov 2013 12:21 PM PST

4-0, 4-1, 5-0, 7-0, 5-2, 6-0, 4-2: scores registered by Manchester City on their own turf this season to chill Michael Laudrup's Swansea City as they arrive at the Etihad Stadium. Or maybe not: the urbane Dane already has a trophy – last season's Capital One Cup – and a burgeoning reputation as the brightest of managerial talents whose team play the carpet-football admired by aficionados. If he can successfully plot to claim even one point to halt City's so far perfect record of five league wins before their own crowd then Laudrup will add a further feather to his cap. Jamie Jackson

Kick-off Sunday 4.10pm

Venue Etihad Stadium

Last season Manchester City 1 Swansea 0

Referee M Clattenburg

This season G7, Y25, R0, 3.6 cards per game

Odds H 3-10 A 12-1 D 5-1

Manchester City

Subs from Hart, Wright, Richards, Garcia, Rodwell, Milner, Kolarov, Dzeko, Guidetti

Doubtful Kompany (match fitness)

Injured Silva (calf, 10 Dec), Kompany (thigh, one-two weeks), Jovetic (calf, 10 Dec), Nastasic (leg, 21 Dec)

Suspended None

Form WLWLWW

Discipline Y19 R0

Leading scorer Agüero 10

Swansea City

Subs from Tremmel, Routledge, Amat, Cañas, Britton, Taylor, Lamah, Alfei, Zabret

Doubtful None

Injured Rangel (calf, 9 Dec), Michu (ankle, 9 Dec), Bony (hamstring, 15 Dec), Monk (knee, Jan)

Suspended None

Form WDLDWL

Discipline Y25 R1

Leading scorer Bony 4


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Chelsea Ladies anticipate 'mind-blowing' reception in Japan for IWCC

Posted: 29 Nov 2013 11:07 AM PST

Chelsea are preparing for the International Women's Club Championship in 'women's football-mad' Japan

On the eve of Chelsea Ladies' trip to Japan to make their debut in the International Women's Club Championship (IWCC), their manager, Emma Hayes, has revealed there are more signings to come, in addition to the England defender Laura Bassett and the striker Rachel Williams, for the side that finished second bottom in the FA Women's Super League last season.

Seeking to strengthen the spine of a team that leaked 27 goals in their last campaign, the former Chicago Red Stars manager said: "There may be more signings to come to us. A couple more."

Bassett, who was linked with the new FAWSL club Manchester City before joining Chelsea, said that the new signings were influential in her decision to join Hayes, as well as the manager's vision for the development of the club. "I think the players that will hopefully be announced shortly will make a massive difference on the results compared to last season," said the 30-year-old, who captained Birmingham to their first ever FA Cup win last year – they beat Chelsea on penalties in the final. "It wasn't an easy decision to leave Birmingham, I was speaking to other clubs as well, but Emma and her staff are so passionate and ambitious, they have a real clear vision of where they want to go and how they're going to get there. I just got caught up in it."

In Japan, where Chelsea will enter at the semi-final stage next Wednesday to take on either the Australian league winners, Sydney, or the Japanese runners-up, NTV Beleza, the central focus will undoubtedly be on the Blues striker Yuki Ogimi – a 2011 World Cup winner with Japan and 2012 Olympic silver medallist, who is currently shortlisted for Fifa's World Player of the Year award.

"They're women's football mad in Japan," said Hayes, who explained that Japan's World Cup win came just three months after the devastating tsunami that hit the country. "Yuki says it just exploded after that. It just filled the hearts and minds of the Japanese public." Japanese media organised a press conference solely to announce that Ogimi would captain Chelsea in the tournament. "You can't go anywhere without 20-30 journalists mobbing you there, it's nutty," said Hayes. "Going over there with an American team last year, we never even saw the [US World Cup winners] 1999 generation get treated like that over in the US. We couldn't believe the adulation, it was mind-blowing. It's fabulous. It's a cult following. Their top club team, INAC Kobe Leonessa, average anywhere between 12-20,000 for a home game."

The IWCC, also known as the Mobcast Cup and organised for the first time last year by the Japan Football Association and Japanese Women's Football League, is being touted to Fifa officials as a women's equivalent to the Fifa Club World Cup. The top sides from around the world will descend on Okayama, Kagoshima and Tokyo for the second edition of the Cup, with Chelsea facing either Japanese Cup and League winners Kobe Leonessa or the South American side Colo-Colo should they progress to the final.

With the Champions League winners Wolfsburg having turned down the opportunity to travel to Japan, Hayes jumped at the chance to participate in a tournament that also ties in with Chelsea's Asia marketing plans. "I think the club are keen for the women to be involved in Japan because we have a female star so to penetrate that market makes it easier if you have a player. It makes sense for us to be invested there."

Hayes views the tournament as a good opportunity for her new signings to bed into the team ahead of pre-season training in the new year, and is unrepentant about poor results in the last campaign. "We've just been concentrating on getting it right behind the scenes," says Hayes, who insists she had to implement a new infrastructure to enable the club to move forward. "For me last season was a massive success off the pitch. We progressed players from our centre of excellence – we finished the season with five centre of excellence players in our line-up, which is a sign of how far we've come. I'm a big fan of player development and developing my own players. Our project is different to City and Liverpool, we're not trying to buy instant success. We want to develop it."


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Shane Long determined to build on wonder goal for West Bromwich Albion

Posted: 29 Nov 2013 11:02 AM PST

Striker's effort against Aston Villa drew comparisons with Dennis Bergkamp but he is focused on being more consistent

Shane Long has been talking at West Bromwich Albion's training ground for the best part of an hour, covering everything from Roy Keane to Peppa Pig, but there is one subject that the Republic of Ireland international confesses to "feeling awkward" discussing, and it has nothing to do with his contract situation or the trials and tribulations of deadline day.

For someone as modest as Long, who is a footballer without an ego, there is nothing more uncomfortable than being showered with praise, which explains why he is keen to move the conversation on from the brilliance of the first of his two superb goals against Aston Villa on Monday. Long's simplistic take on that marvellous opening goal – "Chris Brunt put the ball on my toe and thankfully I managed to control it" – is a world apart from just about everyone else's description. In his analysis on Sky, Jamie Carragher drew comparisons with Dennis Bergkamp's wonder strike for Holland against Argentina at the 1998 World Cup.

After a fair bit of cajoling, Long eventually concedes that he has watched his goals "a couple of times" since. "I'll tell the truth, when I went back my missus had the game recorded and people were texting me to say [the pundits] had good things to say about me, so I did watch it back. I heard something about Bergkamp-esque – I always said that Carragher knew what he was talking about!" Long says, laughing. "But it's in the past now."

Long, who has scored four in his last four games for club and country, including the third in Ireland's 3-0 win over Latvia in Martin O'Neill's first game in charge, is playing with supreme confidence and anyone who watched his performance against Villa could be forgiven for wondering why he is not more prolific. "That is the next step – consistency. It can't be just a one-off," Long says, "but I feel I've been playing well for most of the season when I've got my chances."

At times it is tempting to think that Long could benefit from being a bit more selfish on the pitch. "A few people have said that to me," he says. "The latest one was Roy Keane, when I was away with Ireland. Roy said: 'You need to be more greedy, take more shots on and don't look for that pass rather than taking that chance yourself.'

"That stayed with me. You get in these positions; where someone else might be in a better position but you have a good chance of scoring yourself and more often than not I'll try to set up the other person. I don't want to be one of those greedy strikers but, ultimately, you do get marked up on how many goals you score."

Keane is set to become a more influential figure in Long's career following the former Manchester United captain's appointment as O'Neill's assistant. Excited at the prospect of working under a duo who have "created a buzz around the country", Long says his one reservation about Keane was quickly allayed. "You hear stories about what [Keane] was like but in my eyes he was always a legend and an idol of mine, so I was a bit afraid to meet him, because people say don't meet your idols. But I wasn't disappointed. He's a really nice man as well as really professional.

"He has got that reputation that kind of scares players a little bit. We were doing shooting before the Latvia game, where you just set each other up but then Roy came in and started setting us up for shots. Everyone was saying: 'I'd better hit the target here.' We started hitting them in the top corner and the keeper was thinking: 'What's going on?' So I think Roy will be a positive influence with things like that, because you know that – I don't know how else to say this – he won't take any shit. He'll expect the best."

Since making his debut for Ireland in 2007 Long has won 43 caps, yet on Twitter on Monday evening some responded to his display against Villa by questioning why Roy Hodgson had failed to call the 26-year-old into the England setup. Long being Long, he laughed along with what became a running joke and later tweeted that he would be on the phone to Hodgson the next day, albeit with a gentle reminder that he had scored at Wembley in May, when Ireland drew 1-1 with England. "I'd never take offence to anything like that," Long says, smiling. "I was just trying to have a bit of banter."

Long, by his own admission, is extremely laid back, so there was never any danger he would throw his toys out of the pram when Albion unexpectedly accepted a bid from Hull on deadline day only to later pull the plug on the deal. "It was a bit of a shock but that's football. If the offer is there and it's good for the club, it's something they've got to look at. It was a bit strange that they were willing to let me go but the gaffer [Steve Clarke] spoke to me and said I was a big part of his plans and that kind of reassured me.

"You can see now that he trusts me as a player. There is competition here with [Nicolas] Anelka, [Victor] Anichebe, [Matej] Vydra, [Markus] Rosenberg, myself and [Saido] Berahino – so I think to start in the team shows that the manager is confident in your ability."

The one issue still to be resolved is Long's contract, which expires at the end of next season. The ball is in Albion's court but Long gives the impression that he would welcome the chance to extend his stay.

"Happiness counts for a lot, and I'm happy here. The fans are always singing about me, the lads are great, I like playing for the manager, I'm settled with my family, we've already planned for my daughter [Teigan] to go to school here next year, so life's good at the moment."

Another child is on the way, which means that Long, who is a talented singer and guitarist, may have some more art work to get on with at home in the new year. "I can draw cartoon characters – Peppa Pig, Mickey Mouse and Ben & Holly – pretty decent, so I did my little girl's play room. She's happy with it and that's the main thing," Long says. "I got an A in art at school and I always said that if I wasn't getting into football I would be into design or some sort of architecture."

On the pitch, his plans have already been drawn up for the rest of the campaign. "The main aim for me is to get to double figures," Long says before Saturday's trip to Newcastle. "Last season I got to nine [goals] and it was frustrating, so I want to get to 10 as soon as possible this season and try to kick on from there."


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Tottenham v Manchester United: Squad sheets

Posted: 29 Nov 2013 09:49 AM PST

Tottenham's supporters could be forgiven for feeling a sense of foreboding bearing in mind the harrowing defeat at Manchester City and the fact they have not beaten Manchester United on their own ground since 2001. United put in their best performance of the David Moyes era against Bayer Leverkusen in midweek. Spurs also won, but Europa League 2-0 victories against Tromso only go so far when the manager is under pressure. The question for André Villas-Boas is whether his team have got the 6-0 pummelling against City out of their system. A win would certainly go a long way towards strengthening his own position. Daniel Taylor

Kick-off Sunday Noon

Venue White Hart Lane

Last season Tottenham 1 Man Utd 1

Live BT Sport1

Referee M Dean

This season G08, Y28, R2, 4.0 cards per game

Odds H 9-5 A 17-10 D 5-2

Tottenham Hotspur

Subs from Friedel, Gomes, Naughton, Chiriches, Fryers, Capoue, Dembélé,

Lamela, Chadli, Lennon, Soldado

Doubtful Adebayor (groin)

Injured Rose (toe, 15 Dec), Eriksen (ankle, 21 Dec), Kane (back, 15 Dec)

Suspended None

Form LLDWWL

Discipline Y25 R0

Leading scorer Soldado 4

Manchester United

Subs from Lindegaard, Buttner, F da Silva, R da Silva, Anderson, Zaha, Hernández, Nani, Young, Welbeck

Doubtful R da Silva (foot) Vidic (concussion), Van Persie (groin)

Injured Fletcher (match fitness, 7 Dec) Carrick (achilles, 26 Dec)

Suspended None

Form DWWWDW

Discipline Y26 R0

Leading scorer Van Persie 7


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Romelu Lukaku should explain his move to Everton, says José Mourinho

Posted: 29 Nov 2013 09:25 AM PST

• 'It's something that he should say, he likes to speak'
• Chelsea manager is happy with striking options

José Mourinho has indicated there was more to Romelu Lukaku's loan move to Everton than met the eye.

Chelsea are again struggling for strikers after discovering that Samuel Eto'o will be out for at least two weeks with a groin injury.

They will have to wait until the end of the season before Lukaku can return and, asked about the Belgian at his pre-match press conference on Friday, the Chelsea manager called on him to reveal why the loan move took place.

"Romelu likes to speak," Mourinho said. "He's a young boy. But the only thing that he didn't say is why he went to Everton on loan.

"My last contact with him was to tell him exactly that. 'Why you never say why you are not here?'

"It's something that he should say, because he likes to speak, the reason why he is not with Chelsea and he is in Everton."

Lukaku said last month that it was "unfair to criticise" Mourinho for allowing him to go out on loan as he had asked to do so.

"Look, let me be honest about this," Lukaku told the Daily Telegraph. "I did not know if I would be playing for Chelsea so I asked the manager to let me leave. We spoke and I told him."

There had been suggestions that Mourinho could move for the Colombia striker Jackson Martínez, currently at Porto, but the manager said he was happy with his forward options Fernando Torres, Eto'o and Demba Ba.

Mourinho added: "It's not true what I read a couple of days ago, that the agent was in London and was meeting with me or Chelsea directors. It's not true at all.

"In the January market we are not going to buy any striker. We will go to the end of the season with Fernando, with Samuel and with Demba. Nobody to go in, nobody to go out."


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Everton v Stoke City: Squad sheets

Posted: 29 Nov 2013 09:16 AM PST

Fresh from the splendid Merseyside derby, Everton will be confident of maintaining their unbeaten home record against a Stoke side who secured their first victory in nine last weekend. Romelu Lukaku continues to demonstrate all the forward qualities Chelsea currently lack and a win for Everton could elevate them briefly into the top four. Stoke have not won away since August but a rejuvenated Charlie Adam could be one to watch after his goal against Sunderland. Louis Richards

Kick-off Saturday 3pm

Venue Goodison Park

Last season Everton 1 Stoke 0

Referee M Jones

This season G5, Y12, R1, 2.8 cards per game

Odds H 4-6 A 11-2 D 3-1

Everton

Subs from Robles, Jelavic, Heitinga, Naismith, Osman, Oviedo, Alcaraz, Hibbert, Stones, Vellios

Doubtful Alcaraz (hamstring), Hibbert (calf)

Injured Baines (toe, Jan), Koné (knee, May), Gibson (knee, May)

Suspended None

Form DDDWWL

Discipline Y23 R0

Leading scorer Lukaku 7

Stoke City

Subs from Sorensen, Muniesa, Wilson, Wilkinson, Pennant, Palacios, Edu,

Jones, Whelan

Doubtful None

Injured Arnautovic (hamstring, Dec 14), Huth (knee, unknown)

Suspended None

Form WDDLDL

Discipline Y27 R0

Leading scorer Adam 3


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West Ham United v Fulham: Squad sheets

Posted: 29 Nov 2013 09:04 AM PST

Both managers enter this fixture knowing that a bad result could quickly propel their names to the front of the sack race. Without a win in five games, Sam Allardyce's side are clearly suffering from the lack of a quality striker and after one goal in four games, Carlton Cole may merit a start. For Fulham Darren Bent and Dimitar Berbatov may have 195 Premier League goals between them, but their partnership continues to show few indications of prospering. Louis Richards

Kick-off Saturday 3pm

Venue Upton Park

Last season West Ham 3 Fulham 0

Referee M Atkinson

This season G7, Y17, R0, 2.4 cards per game

Odds H 18-19 A 18-5 D 28-11

West Ham United

Subs from Adrián, Spiegel, McCartney, Chambers, Taylor, Diarra, Collison, J Cole, Jarvis, C Cole, Lee

Doubtful None

Injured Carroll (heel, unknown),Petric (calf, unknown), Rat (hamstring, unknown), Reid (ankle, unknown), Vaz Tê (shoulder, unknown)

Suspended None

Form LLDDLW

Discipline Y15 R1

Leading scorer Morrison 3

Fulham

Subs from Stockdale, Senderos, Riise, Boateng, Hangeland, Tarrabt, Dembele, Dejagah, Kacaniklic, Karagounis

Doubtful Berbatov (illness), Hangeland (leg nerve)

Injured Duff (groin, Dec), Rodallega (groin, 21 Dec ), Briggs (groin, 14 Dec)

Suspended Riether (third of three)

Form LLLLWW

Discipline Y20 R0

Leading scorers Bent, Kasami, Sidwell 2


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David Moyes: 40-year old Ryan Giggs an example for all footballers – video

Posted: 29 Nov 2013 08:57 AM PST

Manchester United boss David Moyes praises Ryan Giggs on his 40th birthday, describing him as a model example for all footballers









Michael Laudrup hopes his Swansea City side can surprise Manchester City – video

Posted: 29 Nov 2013 08:52 AM PST

Swansea City manager Michael Laudrup is hoping his Swansea team can end Manchester City's impressive home form









The final letdown: five US soccer showpieces that failed to achieve lift-off

Posted: 29 Nov 2013 08:51 AM PST

Sporting Kansas City and Real Salt Lake will meet in the MLS Cup final on 7 December. Here's hoping they entertain us

North America has two groups of soccer fans: general soccer apologists and Major League Soccer apologists. The first camp feels the need to defend the sport, tooth and nail, at all times. Any perceived slight leads to a lengthy diatribe. The second set of folks, a subgroup, will defend MLS to the death. Again, any perceived insult leads to a winding philosophical rant.

Dealing with both groups can be exhausting, and for one simple reason: some soccer games just stink. When your new-to-soccer friend who just caught a dull 0-0 proclaims said game to have been boring, you don't have to defend the sport or the league. Just tell him to watch better teams in the play-offs. Everybody has snored through a 10-3 NFL game. Soccer is no different.

A major factor contributing to these groups – and the "scoring = excitement" and "soccer = boring" myths of North American sports – is lazy journalism. Anybody can write gushing words about a glorious 3-2 win or an edge-of-your-seat 4-4 game. The same is true for high-scoring NFL, NBA and NHL games. Where we writers let folks down is in acknowledging and describing just why a game was awful.

This is odd, given that critics revel in dressing down bad TV shows or plays. In soccer, journalists stay away from the wretched games. Rather than articulate just why a game reeks, they will focus on another angle, fingering a coach or an injury as the cause for the game's dullness and then looking to the future. Will said loss derail a team's title hopes?

To fill this gap, as the 2013 MLS Cup final approaches, I will now break down some not-so-glorious NASL Soccer Bowl and MLS Cup finals from years past. Come slumming with me, then, to the dark alleyways where lurk soccer games that are really best forgotten.

1971: The never-ending series

In the 1970s, the people behind the North American Soccer League were either a group of innovators or a bunch of charlatans, depending on your point of view. They loved to tweak rules and challenge conventions. Above all, though, they were not complacent, even with themselves.

In 1967, the first season of the United Soccer Association ended in a breathtaking final between the Los Angeles Wolves and the Washington Whips, LA winning 6-5 after extra time. After the USA merged with the National Professional Soccer League to form the NASL, though, the NASL tweaked the format. It went to a home-and-away two-legged series, then flirted with a classic European table to decide its champions, then reverted to an ever-so-American "best of" series.

In 1971 – and only in 1971 – the top two teams faced off in a best-of-three series. However, rather than providing 270 minutes of non-stop action, the Dallas Tornado and the Atlanta Chiefs proved only that more can be less.

If the "best of" format was implemented to eliminate the need for perhaps unfair one-offs, which often resulted in overtime, it was ironic that the first game of the series ended tied and went to overtime. The Chiefs squeaked out a 2-1 win. Even worse, that first game and the third were played at the Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium between Braves baseball games, and forwards and defenders slid about the muddy infield like dogs in the snow.

Dallas crushed the Chiefs 4-1 at home and won the series with a 2-0 away victory. The highlights from the 270-plus minutes of play take up a full minute and 11 seconds. Tornado fans probably enjoyed the second game, but neutrals could only ask: why are we still watching?

1981: The longest 35 yards


The NASL Soccer Bowl quickly reverted to a single-game final. Some great games happened, including the '77 final between the New York Cosmos and the Seattle Sounders and the '79 meeting of the Vancouver Whitecaps and the Tampa Bay Rowdies.

One Soccer Bowl, though, is best forgotten – the 1981 edition, between the Chicago Sting and the Cosmos. The game was played before a reasonably full Exhibition Stadium in Toronto, but despite it being only September, the temperature was already down in the 20s. Neither team scored in regulation, so it went to overtime. The teams' profligacy continued for another half-hour and a penalty shootout beckoned.

This was no normal shootout. The NASL had deemed conventional spot-kicks to be too easy. They clearly favoured the kicker. Thus, the NASL changed the rules. Players started 35 yards out, could advance with the ball, and had five seconds to shoot. The last tweak was thought necessary so players couldn't round the keeper – and, presumably, to keep fans from poking their eyes out with pencils. The result was that very few players scored. Smart goalkeepers came off their line just a little bit and forced a player to sprint hard and then try a shot from distance. It was not a high-percentage play.

Think of the 1981 Soccer Bowl as the dark twin of the final of the 2012 African Cup of Nations. In that game, the first 14 penalty-takers scored, with Zambia beating Ivory Coast 8-7 in the shootout (In 1992 the Ivorians had won a goalless final against Ghana 11-10 on penalties, with both goalkeepers scoring). In 1981, no Cosmos player scored. Thus, the Sting rode to victory on "penalties" scored by Rudy Glenn and Karl-Heinz Granitza. The fans were just happy the game didn't drag on any longer.

2000: The Midwest slugfest

The Great Plains and Great Lakes are barren places, where howling winds scream unabated from October till March. In such inhospitable regions, naturally enough, defences tend to hold the upper hand. And if NFL fans still love the Brian Urlacher-led Chicago Bears defence of old, Kansas City fans from way back will recall fondly their team's former goalkeeper, Tony Meola. In the 2000 MLS Cup final at RFK Stadium in Washington, the best defence (KC) played the best offence (Chicago). The defence won – the spectator did not.

We have to give credit to Meola and KC, though – they had five shutouts on their path to glory. But credit is not the same as applause. A fan can marvel at an Italian catenaccio without wanting to watch it for 90 minutes. In the 2000 final, an early goal by Miklos Molnar only strengthened the defence versus offence dynamic. KC sat back for 80 minutes, getting bodies behind the ball, and Meola made a few key saves in the dying minutes. I watched the game live, as a youth, and recall my stomach churning at key moments. For a neutral, though, little entertainment was on tap.

2002: The game that wouldn't end

Steve Nicol's New England Revolution were the Buffalo Bills of Major League Soccer – the bridesmaid who never caught the bouquet. Before the 2002 final, though, Stevie was just an interim manager whose team went on a run.

The team's core – Jay Heaps, Taylor Twellman and Steve Ralston – overpowered lesser teams. In the final, they faced the LA Galaxy. This, though, was a Galaxy pre-Beckham, even pre-Donovan. Their star forward was a Guatemalan, Carlos "El Pescadito" Ruiz.

The Revs had a huge advantage: the game was played at their home field, Foxboro. More than 60,000 fans packed into the stadium – a rarity then as now. They saw what was then the longest game in league history. Neither team scored after 90 minutes, so extra time it was - the first to score would win, under the shortlived "golden goal" rule. Ruiz spurned two chances to end the game in the first period of overtime; the second period dripped away as the game headed for penalties.

The full 90 had been emotionally, mentally and physically taxing. In the two extra sessions, the play went from combative to sloppy to downright ugly. In almost 120 minutes, the Revolution mustered a single shot on goal. The Galaxy had seven, roughly one for every 17 minutes of play. So what happened in those 16-minute intervals between shots?

Undoubtedly, something more exciting was happening somewhere else. People fell in love. Some died. Some didn't. At Foxboro, fans were a little cold and quite bored.

With seven minutes left, Ruiz scored the golden goal and put the fans out of their misery. And won LA's first MLS Cup, of course. Mustn't forget that.

2005: The other game that wouldn't end


For the first decade of MLS, a strict salary cap meant that cynical midwesterners such as me could not cry foul about big-spending clubs from the coastal metropolises. Things changed quite drastically in the league's second decade.

In 2005, the US national team forward Landon Donovan got sick of riding the pine in Germany and arranged a return to MLS. There was one problem: his enormous salary would be a major problem for any team under the cap. However, the Galaxy were owned and operated by Anschutz Entertainment Group. AEG could pay the bill. What is puzzling is that the team salary cap for 2005 was about $2m. Donovan's salary was $0.9m. The so-called designated player rule did not go into effect until two years later, with the arrival of David Beckham. Did the Galaxy really fill the rest of the roster with just $1.1m?

Donovan's arrival announced the demise of the salary cap as a rigid requirement, if not as a concept. Donovan led the Galaxy to the 2005 MLS Cup final against the Revolution, still coached by Steve Nicol and featuring a hardcore of Michael Parkhurst, Shalrie Joseph, Twellman and Ralston. Still, three years after the last loss, neutral fans thought: "Didn't we already see this?" As in 2002, the teams from Boston and LA produced a real yawner of a final.

To call the game "tedious" would be to employ a significant understatement. The game had a few lovely movements, including a 60-yard dash by Donovan and a neat finish by Herculez Gomez that was, correctly, called back for offside. So regulation ended 0-0.

Legs got tired. The first overtime ended goalless. By then, the LA manager, Steve Sampson, had already tossed on the Guatemalan forward Guillermo "Pando" Ramirez. He was on loan from CSD Municipal and had been barren in front of goal most of his time in Carson, but in the 107th torturous minute, he scored the game-winning (not golden) goal. Matt Reis punched a corner clear but it fell invitingly to Pando, whose sweetly struck volley was unstoppable.

Still, that volley could not erase 100-plus minutes of boredom. Another Guatemalan had scored an MLS Cup winning goal for the Galaxy, but the salary cap era was coming to an end and more expensive imports were on the horizon.

In conclusion

Paint dries. Grass grows. And thanks to YouTube, you can watch many of these games over and over again. Some are even titled "classics" – by the cable companies which overpaid to play them late at night, instead of infomercials. However, no matter how many times you view them, if you are a neutral then these matches will never be exciting.

The champions took home a trophy, but the players and coaches of both teams will endure an infinity of infamy. On the biggest day of the season, they stunk it up. One team won, almost by default. Here's hoping that in 2013, Sporting KC and Real Salt Lake won't offer up another entry to this list of shame.

Elliott blogs about soccer at Futfanatico.com. He is the author of Real Madrid & Barcelona: the Making of a Rivalry.


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Sam Allardyce shocked by Delroy Facey match-fixing arrest – video

Posted: 29 Nov 2013 08:46 AM PST

Sam Allardyce says he is shocked to hear that his former Bolton charge Delroy Facey has been arrested









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