New Notts County boss Hans Backe has revealed promotion this season is his primary objective at Meadow Lane.

The Swede, who was assistant to County director of football Sven-Goran Eriksson at Manchester City and Mexico, was confirmed as Ian McParland’s replacement on Tuesday.
The experience 57-year-old inherits a side in 4th place in League Two, and Backe’s first game in charge will be Saturday’s home clash with Shrewsbury.
Munto Finance, the Swiss-based Middle East consortium who have owned the club since June, had their fit and proper persons test passed by the Football League last week, and Backe revealed the scale of the club’s ambition.

“It’s very, very big, but the target is clear and you have to get promotion in the first season – that is for sure,” he said.

“But I like that challenge, I think it’s great to be back in England and to be a part of this journey too.

Former FC Copenhagen and Panathinaikos boss Backe is a close friend of Eriksson, who was instrumental in bringing his former assistant to the club, and he admitted his compatriot has been in constant contact over the manager’s role.

He added: “We have been in touch every week since we left Mexico. We talked about the job also when he first came to Notts County but I took a TV job doing commentary for the Premiership and Spanish league.

“And then he phoned me a few weeks ago asking me about the manager’s job and I said ‘I’m very, very interested’, and a couple of days ago I said ‘yes’.

Backe concedes that he faces a very difficult job at a level of football he is relatively unknown to, but insists the opportunity to explore new challenges is his motivation for taking the job.

“It’s the first time for both Sven and me to have started this kind of project with a team in League Two.

“But that’s also very exciting, trying to do something new, building a team – not from the bottom – but from the beginning and with the new owners, which was confirmed last week.

“So everything seems to be there to have a great journey, I hope so.”

With the club constantly linked with big-name signings during the summer transfer window, similar speculation is expected to arise in January, and Backe is confident he will be allowed to spend.

“I think it will be possible, I don’t know how much but I’m sure it will be possible when the transfer window is open in January to buy players,” he said.
With Backe now operating as the man in the hot seat ahead of Eriksson, he was keen to reassure Magpies fans that he is a man of experience.

“Before Man City, I was a manager for 20 years in Europe with different clubs so that was the first time as an assistant but then Sven phoned me about Man City and Mexico, so it’s nothing new for me.”

Manchester United have equalled the Champions League record for the highest amount of unbeaten away games. The record had been held by Ajax but Luis Valencia’s single goal against CSKA Moscow last night meant that United drew level with the historic Dutch side.

It was an unconvincing United display on a bitterly cold evening in Moscow. However, the point is that United managed to scramble out a win and it is three more important points as they continue their quest to reach the later rounds of the competition.

United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, said: “The issues of the surface were not a problem. As I said before the game, good footballers can play on that quite easily. I’m very pleased with the performance. We have a home game against CSKA next, so we have the opportunity to ensure we go through to the next stage. I think we should be proud [of equalling Ajax’s record].”

“There is a way of playing with maturity and you saw that tonight. In the first half I think we played with a lot of patience, which is necessary when you are playing away from home. Experience in these sort of situations is always vital.”

“In the second half we increased the tempo of the game and got more penetration. We created some good opportunities and if we have to wait to the 86th minute, so be it. We had to have the patience to win, and we did that.”

“Valencia has been a plus point for the last few weeks. He is emerging very well, settling into the club and his confidence is getting stronger. He has tremendous assets for a wide player but the assets he didn’t show at Wigan were his goals, where he would maybe get three or four a season.”

United will probably be buoyed by the the win and will now be looking forward to an intense trip to Liverpool this weekend. The Premier League match is said to be the most intense in the entire country and one of the fiercest in Europe.

It could be the prime time for United to go to Liverpool and chalk up another away win but the point of last night’s performance is that the side still know how to grind out a win when they are not playing well.

Fergie seems hungrier than ever and if he can get his team to keep winning at all costs that it could be a silver season for United.

Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, walked out of a press conference ahead of his side’s game against CSKA Moscow. The Scot says he was at the press meeting to talk about his team’s Champions League match and not the Football Association charge he has just been given for making comments about the fitness of referees.

Ferguson is no stranger to creating a bit of controversy among the media but it was clear on this occasion that he is not going to talk about the charge because he will not want to make the situation worse.

He said: “I’m at a press conference for a game tomorrow. I’m hear to talk about that. Good night.”

[Before his exit] “There will be changes on Sunday. I’m hoping Rooney, Ryan Giggs and Fletcher will be fit. It’s difficult to say with Giggs, but we are fighting to get Rooney ready. It may be an uphill fight, but we are trying. Fletcher is a slight doubt but we are hoping to get the main players fit because it is a big game. Park is a couple of weeks away but Evra will be fit.”

Sergei Ignashevich, the CSKA defender, added, “We are in fighting mood — United are experienced, but they have weak points. They are less confident away from home. Aside from home support, we have another advantage as we are playing on artificial turf.”

“Several United players played on this pitch against Russia for England and they know how different it is. We are used to it but the ball will be slick and bounce off the surface quicker than normal.”

This is the same surface that a lot of people within the English game have said is a disgrace. England lost when tey played on it against Russia and the point is that as good as it may be, it is still a danger to a lot of the players.

You are not able to slide tackle on artiifical turf and this will stop a lot of the aggression that is commonly linked with the English game. Ferguson’s team are not going through a golden patch at the moment and would have been looking to slide in and get some authority about early on.

However, Ferguson has been in this same situation before and there is no one who will be better experienced in knowing how to deal with the exact situation that he and his club now find themselves in.

Michael Owen says he is not expecting a warm reception when Manchester United make the short trip to Anfield in only a few days time. Owen of course made his name at Liverpool but will probably be verbally abused every time he touches the ball for joining United.

The rivalry between United and Liverpool is probably the most intense in English football. The two clubs really do hate each other and United boss, Sir Alex Ferguson, has often commented on how hostile the reaction is whenever he takes his club to go and play in Liverpool.

There will be some fans that will applaud Michael Owen and remember all of the good things that he did during his time at the club. However, there are some fans who will be too ignorant to bear this in mind and all they will see is the Manchester United badge on the shirt and the number 7 on his back.

Owen said: “I’d prefer people to sit down and recognise you for what you did for them and for the team in years gone by. But I’m pretty realistic as well and now that I’m playing for their arch rivals, I’m not holding my breath, put it that way. People talk about loyalty and for a football supporter that’s easy to preach about.”

“I’ve got to earn a living, provide for my family. I supported Everton as a kid, I never supported Real Madrid, but I played for them. It’s a job opportunity, like anyone else’s work. The longer you’re at a team, if the fans welcome you and the players take to you then you build an affinity. So now I look for Real Madrid results and Newcastle results, but it doesn’t make me any less loyal to Manchester United.”

A lot of people questioned whether Ferguson had lost the plot when he signed Owen from a depleted Newcastle United, but the point is that he seems to have found a new lease of life.

Fergie knows better than anyone else in the Premier League, the right way that Owen needs to be used and has to be used if he wants to extend and finish his career in the red of United. He probably thought he had struck gold when he knew that the Champions were interested, especially when you consider that the only other clubs that were in for him were Stoke and Hull City.

Owen may not start the game next Sunday but if he comes off the bench and scores in the same way he did during the Manchester derby, then he could finish his career the next day and United fans would already be calling him a legend.

New Birmingham City owner, Carson Yeung, has said that his club will have up to £40 million to spend when the January transfer window opens. Yeung has joined a long list of foreign owners who have now made huge investments in the Premier League.

There has been a lot of criticism sent in Birmingham’s direction because the source of all of Yeung’s money is a little unclear and some fans have raised concerns that they are associating themselves with someone who is historically not one hundred per cent legitimate.

Yeung said: “The £40 million in the January transfer window is my commitment to the Birmingham fans. We have made that decision to spend the money to buy the players. The money is in place and available. The priority for now is staying in the Premier League.”

“Next season we will put more than £40 million into the team, making it much stronger. If the team keep going better, we will be looking for a potential young player in China so that all Chinese people love Birmingham City as their favourite team. Because we have businesses in China, we have the contacts to sell Birmingham already. We will be more popular than Manchester United and Chelsea. Birmingham will be popular in China because it has Chinese owners.”

The promises all add to the growing worry that money in football is diluting the sense of a good and sensible transfer. Players who are now no more than mediocre are being sold for a lot of money, probably more than they are actually worth. The point being that Birmingham’s money could easily be spent on duff players.

So far this season the team have looked good and it will be interesting to see where they are by the time January comes around. As far as the Birmingham fans are concerned, they will be hoping that they are in a position to cheer and look forward to a push for European places.

The last thing they want is to be in another relegation fight and if Yeung has his way this will not be even the smallest possibility. The trap that the club must not fall into is getting carried away with the amount of money they now have. It must not all go on new players and needs to be distributed in other areas as well as transfers. If this is doen sensibly then there is nothing they cannot achieve.

Liverpool midfield player, Albert Riera, has rubbished talk that his club are in crisis. Riera has taken a little bit of time to settle into English football and way of life but now he has cemented his place in the Liverpool squad he is having a little bit more to say.

The left winger has played well for Liverpool over the last year or so and pushed his way into the Spanish national plans, being a key part of their World Cup qualification bid. He says that he is focused on helping Liverpool and upholds that the club are as strong as ever.

He said: “Crisis? No. Look, it’s true that we’ve suffered the kind of results Liverpool are not used to. But everyone has got accustomed to a league where the champions finish with 88, 90 points and I don’t think that’s going to be the case this season. We’ll see a league that’s much closer, with more points taken off each other than in previous seasons.”

“Manchester United aren’t going to be so predominant – in fact they’ve already lost against Burnley – and all the teams will drop points. We’ve got a smaller margin for error than we’d like but you’ll be able to win the league even if you lose five or six matches.”

“In the end, you want to be in your country. That’s natural and, yes, I think it is inevitable. Of course I could find myself back in my own country tomorrow; everyone would understand that. But right now I’m very happy at Liverpool and I don’t see a reason to go. The Premier League, Liverpool – those are two big attractions. You also never know what might happen.”

“When I was at Manchester City I didn’t want to go back to Spain or to Espanyol, but I had to. It’s a question of seeing how you feel, of trying things. When Sami Hyypia turned up at Liverpool, he probably didn’t expect to be there for 10 years, so you never know … I wouldn’t mind following in Sami’s footsteps.”

Riera spent a long time trying to fix into the mould of English life and during his time at Manchester City he did find it very difficult. The Spanish league may now be the most attractive football to watch but the Premier League will always be top for pace and aggression and this is what Riera has learnt to handle and enjoy.

England strolled to a 3-0 victory over Belarus thanks to goals from Peter Crouch and Shaun Wright-Phillips. However, it was David Beckham who stole the show as he came on for the last half an hour and produced a vintage display.

Beckham was in fine form and played many precise passes and crosses and set up the goal for Wright-Phillips. Although it is debateable whether he will make it into the World Cup starting line up he has shown that on his night he is as good as anyone else playing in the right midfield position.

Fabio Capello said: “Yes, I was a bit surprised. I just thought it was like Obama getting the Nobel Peace Prize after eight months as President. Beckham gets the man of the match after 30 minutes here.”

“When he’s played the last 20 minutes, 50 minutes, half an hour, from half-time, he’s always played well and been focused. Sometimes players when they’re substitutes have problems playing normally. Beckham always plays well.”

Beckham himself added: “I’ve always said I want to go back there if they want me [AC Milan] Milan are still saying they do. It’s 95 per cent done, very close, so I can’t see it not happening now.”

Steve Bruce, who made Beckham man of the match, said: “He had, for me, the biggest impact on the game even though he was only on for 35 minutes. He’s desperate to get on that plane to South Africa. He lifted the whole occasion. His passing is second to none. He is a difference-maker. At this level of the game that is what you need.”

Beckham will still have a lot of work to do if he wants to entertain any thoughts of nailing down a spot in the world cup squad. Sooner rather than later the eyes of many players are going to be opened up and they will realise that there is a possible slot up for grabs.

At the moment David Beckham holds it but the point is that someone could just as easily come in and snatch it away from him. He has to be very careful about his next few steps and if he does get another move to AC Milan sorted out then it will be the best possible thing for him.

Beckham is still a fantastic passer of the football and very few can get close to him. He is experienced and looks as hungry as ever.