Football » Premier League 2009-2010

Mancini praises Tevez

Lewis Doe — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 11:55:18 +0000

Manchester City manager, Roberto Mancini, has praised striker, Carlos Tevez, after the club’s 3-0 win over Wigan Athletic.

Tevez bagged all three goals during the match and has been carrying the current side for large parts of the current season. Mancini says his performance was the best he has seen from a striker while he has been at the club.

Wigan were no match for City and their chances were not helped by the sending off of Gary Caldwell. The player appeared to catch his boot on the turf, which meant he went into Tevez. The Argentine obliged by rolling around to get the red card produced.

Mancini said: “It was a good performance by Carlos. He scored three important goals and we won this game. I am happy with him. He is scoring a lot of goals and has always been a good player. He is a young player, who is improving every year.”

Wigan boss, Roberto Martinez, added: “I cannot understand how you can give something you can’t see. To give a red card you have to be certain. Then you are looking at the replay it is no way it is a red card offence.”

“Gary said he went in really strong and got the ball. Carlos Tevez saw it jumped off the ground, he’s the one who left both feet. We are all human beings and we all make mistakes but to give a decision after something you don’t see that is lying. You are making it up. That is hard to take.”

“He (the referee) said he saw Gary Caldwell with both feet off the ground. That’s why he gave the red card. But Gary Caldwell only went with one foot. That’s a real injustice.”

It doesn’t seem to matter what Tevez does he is always in the headlines. A lot of people may have lost some respect for the player but there is no doubt that he is still one of the most potent strikers in the Premier League.

Mancini should offer him a bonus of whatever he likes because had Wigan managed to get a point or more from the game then the axe may have already been coming down towards Mancini’s neck.

City have started to learn that it does not matter how much money you pump into a football club. Instant success is much harder to achieve and it could still be a few years before the side wins a trophy.

Spurs look in control of fourth place and with Liverpool always nipping at the heels of fourth place, it could be too big an ask for City to secure Champions League football this year.

Their fans will say they are much stronger and better than Spurs but what they will not acknowledge is the fact Spurs have never been in this position before. This means they are more likely to whatever it takes to stay in fourth place.

United sneak ahead in title race

Lewis Doe — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 19:33:05 +0000

Manchester United have managed to sneak ahead in the Premier League title race after the weekend went virtually perfectly for them.

United were faced with the difficult task of having to beat Liverpool to take back their leading spot from Arsenal. They also had to hope that Blackburn did them a favour against Chelsea.

Their task was tricky because Arsenal carried on surprising one and all by beating West Ham to move back top. United then managed to sneak a 2-1 win against their biggest rivals before Blackburn took a point off Chelsea.

The games leave United leading the pack for the title. However, the race is not over yet and all managers involved admit there is still time to win and lose points in some potentially tricky games.

Chelsea’s Carlo Ancelotti said: “It will be more difficult now to win the title, but it’s not impossible. We have a good chance, but it will be more difficult. We can’t afford to lose our confidence and composure. They [United] are top of the list. We have to run more and do better. We have to leave this moment as soon as possible. It is important to win on Wednesday.”

Sir Alex Ferguson said after the Liverpool win: “I thought for the penalty kick it was a red card. There was no way [Jamie] Carragher could have got across to stop Valencia from shooting.”

The thing that Chelsea have to keep in mind is that unlike United and Arsenal, they will now play five games less in the season. This is due to their Champions League exit.

This will allow their players to be that little bit extra fresh when they go into each Premier League game. This is something that the two other teams will just have to cope with but it could ultimately be the deciding factor.

Chelsea are also battling domestically in another competition, which will allow them to stay sharp against other English teams. It is still difficult to call but the West London side are still a very good bet.

One of the teams will fade away over the next few games and that side will be the one that allows the other two to emerge in a race to the finish encounter.

It does not look as though United will fade because they have the experience of being in this position before as do Chelsea. Arsenal have the easiest run in of games but the Chelsea result at Blackburn shows that nothing can be taken for granted this season.

United are now the firm favourites and it would take a very brave man to bet against them. They did not look flustered when they fell behind yesterday and the passion in the team looks as great as it ever was.

Keep tabs on the others but it could be yet another title for Ferguson as his United train shows no signs of slowing down.

Liverpool struggling to get fourth

Lewis Doe — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 19:17:14 +0000

Liverpool defender, Jamie Carragher, says there is still time for the club to recover and secure Champions League football for next season.

Liverpool conceded ground after they were beaten at Old Trafford by the champions and the fact that Manchester City won. Liverpool now have their work cut out to hang onto that vital last European slot.

Liverpool have relied on the Champions League to provide them with extra income and higher class competition over the last few seasons. They have been consistent and even won the competition back in 2005.

He said: “We have just got to recover from this as quickly as possible and get on a run of victories. Of course we believe we can still close the gap. They (Liverpool’s rivals) will have difficult spells and we have got to make sure we take maximum points when they do.”

“Maybe there will be more criticism of us now and at a club like Liverpool, the pressure is never off. Things are a bit more difficult but we have still got lots of points to play for.”

“We did well to a certain point but we played last Monday, then again on Thursday and then had to come into this match. The squad hasn’t been strong enough for one reason or another this season but it was still a big ask to go there after that run, particularly as United had all week to prepare.”

“But we have lost and you have got to move on, as this was the most difficult fixture we had before the season end.”

Liverpool have no excuse for their bad run of form, which has lasted a number of months and not weeks as is the case with most teams.

They were also knocked out of the Champions League a long time ago, which gave them the chance to focus domestically on the season and making sure that no one could beat them to fourth place.

However, the poor form has continued. It seems that Rafa Benitez’s men are becoming increasingly predictable to work out and once the opposition get their tactics correct, Liverpool are done for.

Carragher and a number of other players in the side all have the experience and the class to know how to deal with the current situation. The point is that it seems to have gone on for longer than ever before.

Liverpool have only just got back some first choice players and the goal that Fernando Torres scored against United yesterday showed the class the side has been missing over recent times.

It is difficult to see how or where the side are going to make up the ground they have lost. The challenge from other sides has been stronger than ever before and this may prove too difficult for Liverpool to compete with.

Watch this space but the likes of Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur have never been in this position before so they are likely to snap hands off.

Giggs ready for return

Lewis Doe — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 17:14:24 +0000

Manchester United veteran, Ryan Giggs, has vowed to help the club beat Liverpool this Sunday and win the title with a perfect run in.

Giggs was recently out of action when he broke his arm but Sir Alex Ferguson has already confirmed that the Welshman is expected to play some part in the huge game this weekend.

Giggs will bring an extra experience to the United team, which should help them get over any run in jitters. This is something that many have said Giggs keeps his place in the United side for.

He said: “We didn’t play well here last year against Liverpool and they deserved the victory. Hopefully that won’t be the same this week. It’s a massive game, purely because it is Liverpool. It is towards the end of the season so there is so much riding on it.”

“No matter how the teams are doing, it is just a massive rivalry because of the history between the two teams, they are two successful teams. There is lots of quality on the pitch so you know need to perform whether you are at Anfield or Old Trafford.”

“We let ourselves down last year. Hopefully that won’t be the case. We are in good form and scoring goals. As a United fan, for me it comes into it, growing up seeing Liverpool win everything.”

“We are trying to win the league this year and whatever records you break or whatever things you do in history comes after. At the moment you want to win the game to try and help you win the league.”

Although Manchester United have been playing fairly well in recent weeks, while Giggs has been injured, a large part of this is down to the goals of Wayne Rooney. It is too naïve to rely on one player and Giggs will probably be slotted straight back into the team.

He brings a calm to the United midfield, which is sometimes lacking and which is something that sometimes costs the team important goals. There is plenty of quality in the squad but in reflection sometimes you need a war horse to calm everything down.

The left winger and central midfield player does not seem to show any signs of slowing up either. His consistent weekly performances see, to earn him an ongoing contract at the club as he remains a valuable asset for Sir Alex Ferguson.

The one thing that Giggs has to be praised for is the passion he has. Many players would have retired at earlier stages in their career but Giggs will keep on going for some time yet.

There are key players that he will want to mould and shape to help the club and to help that particular player. Nani is one such example and if he turns out to be half the player Giggs is in a few years then the champions will be laughing.

Fletcher wary of Liverpool

Lewis Doe — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 13:17:10 +0000

Manchester United defender, Darren Fletcher, has said that the current Premier League champions have to be on their guard to see off Liverpool this weekend.

Liverpool make the trip to Old Trafford short on form and with a number of problems in key areas of the side. Although their last run out produced a 4-0 win, the side has not played well for large parts of the season.

United look to be hitting their straps at just the right time and it will be difficult for Liverpool to produce the performance they came up with at the same ground last season when they beat United 4-1.

Fletcher said: “It would be very dangerous to think this is a poor Liverpool side coming to Old Trafford because they are anything but. It would be a huge mistake to think that Liverpool are not a threat. They maybe haven’t had the season we expected after last year but they are still a dangerous side.”

“They are still in the main the same team. We know what they are capable of and pushed us all the way and dished out that defeat here and the one at Anfield this season. They are still fresh in our memories.”

“Liverpool still have a lot to play for because they are battling for fourth spot. They are capable of beating anyone. We have to learn the lessons from last year’s game. The warnings are there. If you are not 100% focused and you make mistakes they will punish you.”

“It is a real surprise to me they haven’t been up with us. But they will still be fired up to win at Old Trafford again.”

United will also want some revenge as they have not beaten Liverpool in the recent past. These were also matches against weakened Liverpool sides so nothing can be taken for granted.

Sir Alex Ferguson has previously called this game as the fiercest rivalry in football. Liverpool always take a lot of fans to Old Trafford and they always make a lot of noise.

It is up to the United players to silence these away fans but it will probably be a lot more difficult than many United fans may think. Liverpool always raise their game for these sorts of occasions.

Manchester United will also hope that Liverpool boss, Rafa Benitez, tinkers with his side a great deal. Many Liverpool fans have said that a lack of tactical awareness is the main reason the side have not been playing well and this is the manager’s responsibility.

The game could go either way but United are the strong favourites at this stage. If Liverpool do not produce a single bit of the quality they’re capable of then they will get played off the park.

It would take a brave person to put money against the Champions at this stage of the season.

Hull sack Brown

Lewis Doe — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:12:11 +0000

Premier League club, Hull City, have confirmed that Phil Brown has been relieved of all duties as the club’s manager.

Brown was struggling to keep Hull in a competitive position in the Premier League table and it seems the time has come for the side to move on in a last bid attempt to try and prevent relegation.

Brown had managed the club for a long period of time and had seen the club survive in the Premier League when many people expected them to go down last time around.

A statement read: “Hull City AFC confirms that Phil Brown has been relieved of his managerial duties at the club and has been placed on gardening leave with immediate effect. Brian Horton and Steve Parkin will take charge of first-team duties until further notice.”

“We would like to place on record our sincere thanks to Phil for the major success achieved during a period of four seasons in charge at the club and wish him every success for the future.”

“Promotion to the Premier League in 2008 and retention of our status on the last day of the 2009 season are unique events in the history of Hull City AFC and both were achieved under Phil’s stewardship during a period which will never be forgotten by all connected with the club.”

“However, retention of Premier League status is paramount and the board believes that a change in managerial direction is the correct option at this time. The club will complete supporters up-to-date in respect of any managerial appointment but, in the meantime, Brian Horton and Steve Parkin will prepare the team for our important game at Portsmouth next Saturday.”

Hull are a club that has a very big fan base and is unfortunate to be struggling in the Premier League. However, this is just the way of the world as many newly promoted clubs often see off relegation and then get relegated in the very next season. Just ask Reading.

The search for a permanent manager has already started and it may be some time before a new appointment is made. This is because the club want to get the next decision right and they may have already accepted the fact that relegation is a certainty.

This means a new boss may be better served if he comes in after the current season and looks to build Hull back up as a club. A number of players could leave as they have previously said that Brown is the only reason they were there in the first place.

The club just need to sit back for a little bit and then move onto the next manager who should be able to guide them in the right direction. Once they have done this they can come back at the Premier League in a much stronger and exciting fashion, which will impress and deceive many.

Fergie wary of Arsenal

Lewis Doe — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:00:02 +0000

Sir Alex Ferguson has said that he thinks Arsenal pose the greatest threat to Manchester United ahead of the title run in.

That time of the season has arrived once again where managers start coming out with comments and phrases as a way of trying to put off their closest rivals. In this case, Ferguson has chosen to ignore Chelsea.

Arsenal have surprised everyone with the way they have managed to maintain their title push this year and Sir Alex says it reminds him of the time a few years ago when Arsenal were pushing United in all areas.

He said: “We are back in the lead, but Chelsea have a game in hand. It’s also going to be a hard-fought tussle, with Arsenal coming strongly now, and I have a suspicion that they might yet mount the biggest challenge.”

“To a certain extent the title is in our hands because Chelsea have to come to Old Trafford [on April 3] and naturally that will be a massive match, but, as I say, I’m wary of Arsenal if they don’t suffer too many more injuries to key players.”

“Right now it’s looking like it, I must say. It’s looking very tight. We have only got eight games left, Chelsea have nine games left, so you never know. You have to think about goal difference. We’re four goals ahead of Chelsea. I wish it was 14, but at least it’s something in our favour.”

“I suppose the simple way for us and Chelsea to look at it is just to win all our games. But life is never that simple.”

The reason that the Scot probably thinks Arsenal are the greatest danger is because they will have the momentum if they keep winning games. They seem to have snuck up from nowhere and have a very good chance of winning.

United came through a potentially tricky match against Fulham at the weekend thanks to their in form strike force. This is the strike force they will need to keep firing.

Striker, Dimitar Berbatov, said: “There can only be one winner in the title race and I think it is going to be us. Arsenal and Chelsea are great teams and we have difficult games ahead, but the good thing is we play at home against Chelsea and that will be an advantage for us. I am optimistic that in the end we will be champions.”

All three teams going for the title have now experienced what it is like to win after a tight run in to the end of the season. Every side has experience and this is what will bring the best team through.

United will be hoping that they can get in front and keep their noses in front but Arsenal have the best run in of the top three sides and on paper will be hoping to gain the most points. It looks set to go down to the wire again this year.

Primera Liga Weekend Review

Jamie Casey — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 09:29:48 +0000

Simultaneous hat-tricks from Gonzalo Higuain and Lionel Messi ensured Real Madrid and Barcelona kept up the pace at the top of La Liga.

Madrid remain on top on goal difference and a 4-1 win away to Real Valladolid saw Higuain enhance his strike rate to 18 goals in 21 games this term. Cristiano Ronaldo ensured he remains top scorer for the Bernabeu outfit with Madrid’s other goal in the game, maintaining his goal-a-game ratio of 21 in 21.

At the Nou Camp, meanwhile, a second-half hat-trick from Messi helped Barcelona to a 3-0 win over Valencia. The little Argentine has a goal record to be proud of himself as his treble took his tally to 24 goals in 30 games.

On Saturday night, UEFA Champions League hopefuls Sevilla were held by fellow top-four hopefuls Deportivo in a 1-1 draw. Mallorca’s chances of qualifying for Europe’s premier club competition also took a knock, however, as they went down to a surprise 3-0 defeat to Getafe.

Keeper Juan Pablo was the hero for Sporting Gijon as his penalty save earned his side a 0-0 draw with Athletic Bilbao. Elsewhere, Villarreal edged a step closer to qualifying for next season’s Europa League with a 2-0 win over bottom club Xerez.

Almeria crept into the top half of the table with a 1-0 win over Malaga while Racing Santander and Real Zaragoza shared the points with a 0-0 stalemate at the El Sardinero stadium. In the relegation zone, Tenerife gave themselves a lift with an impressive 4-1 win over Espanyol, which leaves them just three points off safety.

Hargreaves ready to return

Lewis Doe — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:35:29 +0000

Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, has said there is good news on the horizon for club and fans as players are making quick recoveries from injury.

Owen Hargreaves and Ryan Giggs have both been on the sidelines of late and both are close to full returns to the team. Hargreaves has been out for a long time with a troublesome knee and Giggs broke his arm in a match just after the New Year.

United will need all of their playing staff fit and firing if they are going to have any chance of winning another title but things are looking good as they have missed players at regular points through the current season.

Ferguson said: “Ryan will be fit for the Liverpool game. His performances in training have been fantastic. He is getting another plaster on today but we will be getting a fresh player back, which is good.”

“For weeks we had to try and work out the best games for him to play in, in terms of freshness and rest. Now he has had a month’s rest. Owen Hargreaves went to see a specialist on Thursday and that’s why he didn’t play but there’s nothing wrong and he’s training.”

“He’ll play in the next game, he has to play in the next game because he’s ready to play. Roy Hodgson has great experience, the kind of experience you need in international management. He would be ideal for that type of thing.”

“But I don’t think you can’t pre-empt that. I am sure if Fabio does well at the World Cup, he will want to stay on as England manager. Why would he not want to? It is the hardest challenge for him because the expectation is high and he looks to me to be the type that relishes that. Roy has brought his experience and authority to the club. He has formed a team that no-one likes to play against. They are very well organised and they play with great discipline. That is down to the manager.”

United will be going for a little bit of revenge on Sunday after the drubbing that Fulham gave them in the Premier League match at Craven Cottage. Fulham ran out 3-0 winners on that occasion.

It was an occasion when United were having to mix up their defence every single week and now that they have a settled side, it is likely that they could get a result in front of their own fans on their own ground.

Hargreaves probably won’t start but if things are going well during the game he will get thrown on at some point. He is likely to get a standing ovation because he has been a loyal player to the club during his injury when he could have packed the game in or gone elsewhere.

United need the win and for once there are no shortage of players who want to put their hand up and be counted.

Rooney has no goal target

Lewis Doe — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:54:58 +0000

Wayne Rooney has insisted that he has no goals target for Manchester United by the end of the current season.

Rooney really is the man of the moment and seems to score in pretty much every game that he plays. He helped United romp to a Champions League win over AC Milan and is now zoning in on the Premier League golden boot.

Rooney is very close to some of the targets that Ronaldo set during his best spells at United but the scouser says he does not have any figure in mind and is just taking one game at a time.

He said: “I am delighted to get two more goals but I have not set myself a target. I just want to keep scoring. Overall, it was a great result and we are delighted to get through. Now we can just look forward to the draw and see how it goes from there.”

“There is no preference. They are all difficult games at this stage of the competition. The first goal was vital. We set out to get an early goal to kill the game off and when we got it we shattered Milan’s confidence. That was the major turning point.”

United Chief Executive, David Gill, added: “Anyone who went on our tour of the Far East last summer knows the strength of feeling that Malaysians have for the club. Over 40,000 attended our training session and another 40,000 came to the second match in Kuala Lumpur, despite only having 48 hours’ notice of the fixture.”

Gill is speaking about the new reported sponsorship interest for United from the Far East. It may not be too long until Rooney could get a few deals out there too if he carries on laying the way he is.

There is no doubt about how important the striker is to the current team. It will not be too long before people bow down to Sir Alex Ferguson all over again and say that he was right all over again to let Ronaldo go in the first place.

Many said he had lost his marbles, said it was time for retirement but it seems to have been just the thing that United needed in order for Rooney to step to the front of the queue and be counted.

However, that decision cannot be fully judged until the end of the season has actually arrived and then everyone can see if United are holding a trophy or not.

Rooney is bound to play a big part in that and if he does keep on scoring goals, then United are bound to win something by the end of the season. Ferguson will know exactly how to nurse the player through the rest of the season.

Many criticised the gaffer for leaving Rooney on the bench during the Carling Cup final but it seemed the right thing to do because it inspired him, fired him up and probably went a small way to him bagging the winner.