Archive for December, 2008

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Ballack: Drogba will play a key role in the coming games

December 11th, 2008

Chelsea midfielder, Michael Ballack, warned every title rival of his side that teammate Didier Drogba is going to give the Blues an added dimension in the coming future.

Ivory Coast International has been carrying an injury from the start of the season. His season also got affected with a 3 match suspensions in domestic games, when he threw a coin at Burnley fans.

However, Drogba seems raring to move on. His goal against CFR, which took his side in the knockout stages of the Champions League, was an indication of the things to expect from him in the coming games.

During an interview, German International Ballack said, ‘It’s a big comeback for us. Most BPL teams have been very defensive while playing against us at home.’

‘Now with Didier back in our squad raring to go, we’ll get that change needed to counter the defensive strategies of other teams. Like today, he only needs a slim chance for making the difference.’

‘This is what we expect from Didier and everyone at the club is happy that he’s back from both injury and suspension.’

Drogba is going to bolster the attack that is currently being led by Frenchman Nicolas Anelka, who has got 15 goals during this season in his absence.

Chelsea Boss, Luiz Felipe Scolari, has admitted that he’ll need to come up with a strategy for accommodating both the strikers in the same squad.

Scolari said, ‘Following Didier’s performance against CFR, now it’s my job of putting both the strikers in the same squad.’

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Posted in Chelsea FC, Premier League

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Southgate: Middlesbrough is a club for future stars

December 10th, 2008

Gareth Southgate might require fighting off a number of suitors in his side, as he will be attempting to strengthen Middlesbrough when the transfer window reopens.

The Teesiders are already in the middle of speculation, as Wigan will be testing their resolve for hanging on to striker Mido. Again, Spurs are also getting linked with a big-money transfer for England International, Stewart Downing.

However, Middlesbrough Boss is currently more interested in bringing new blood to the Riverside Stadium.

In a post made on the club’s website, Southgate said, ‘I have been in touch with our chairman and both of us are looking forward to steadily build our side.’

‘We know that due to a considerable financial backup, we cannot throw heaps of money down for transfers. So, we’ll have to come up with a balance.’

‘This has been the same situation since my arrival to the club, but I’ve never found myself under any pressure for selling players.’

‘We’ll look out for potential loans or any free transfer, which might improve our performance on the field.’

Recently, Boro has come up with a scouting network that has succeeded to unearth unheralded talent in the League, which includes the like of Didier Digard and Justin Hoyte.

‘I feel that we fall in the categories of those clubs that require grabbing on players prior to them becoming big names in the League.’

‘The signings we’ve made during this summer are a clear indication of the policy that we’re trying to adopt.’

‘We’ve been pleased with the performance of Justin Hoyte & Didier Digard and got high expectations from Marvin Emnes.’

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Posted in Middlesbrough, Premier League

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Ferguson wants Fab Four in the same lineup

December 9th, 2008

Sir Alex Ferguson seems motivated for deploying all his attacking options in the same squad.

Manchester United Boss has a plethora of attacking options in his ranks. Likes of Cristiano Ronaldo,
Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez and Dimitar Berbatov are sure to have no problems in walking into any side of the Premier League.

Now, the wily Scot is looking for methods of fitting his ‘Fab Four’ into the same squad without sacrificing on the defensive aspect of his side.

During an interview to the Sun, Ferguson said ‘I’ll wish to get it done, but it’s almost impossible.’

‘Each of these players is flexible enough for playing in any role that they’re given.’

‘It will surely make way for a formidable frontline. I’ve even been doodling continuously for trying to come up with ways, so that I can fit all of these players in the same lineup.’

If Ferguson finally figures a method for including all of them, Red Devil fans might be in for some treat. Final 30 minutes of their last game against Sunderland at Old Trafford did offer a glimpse of what can happen when all of these players will be on the field at the same time.

Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspurs continued their revival under Harry Redknapp, as they cruised to a 2-0 win over West Ham United at Upton Park.

Goals from defender Ledley King, who scored after 3 years, and Jamie O’Hara in the second half were enough for the Spurs to defeat the Hammers.

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Posted in Man U, Tottenham

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Everton Vs Aston Villa: Villa wins a thriller at Goodison Park

December 8th, 2008

It was yet another great performance by Aston Villa at Goodison Park, as they scored a wonderful win over Everton, who continued to struggle on their home turf.

It was one of the most remarkable finishes of the season, as injury-time saw 2 goals and Villa claimed a 3-2 victory over the home side for recapturing the fifth spot in Premier League table.

The drama started when Everton scored an equalizer (2-2) through the second goal from Joleon Lescott. At that stage, it was believed by them and their fans that they have secured a crucial point from the game.

However when the celebration was at full swing in the Goodison Park, Ashley Young broke away for grabbing a winner within 60 seconds to make it 3-2 and a win for Villa.

Earlier in the game, Villa broke the deadlock only 34 seconds into the game through Steve Sidwell. However, their lead was cut short by a lapse in defense and a crucial flick from Everton defender Lescott in the 30 minute.

Another game saw Peter Crouch saving the day for Portsmouth, as his equalizer denied West Brom their first victory in 9 games at The Hawthorns.

Jonathan Greening gave the Baggies a lead in the 40th minute when it seemed that Pompey was still having the effects of their mid-week loss at Wolfsburg, which confirmed their exit from the UEFA Cup.

However, English International smashed his 9th goal of the season and dashed the hopes of a victory for the home side.

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Posted in Aston Villa, Everton

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Bolton Wanderers Vs Chelsea: Chelsea breaks Spurs 48-years old away record

December 7th, 2008

French international, Nicolas Anelka, scored his 99th Premier League goal and helped Chelsea in winning 2-0 against Bolton Wanderers at Reebok Stadium.

Playing on the ground he left 11 months back following a 15 million pound transfer, Anelka headed a goal giving his side a record 11th successive away victory in the Premier League, which includes 8 in this season.

Only 12 minutes following Anelka’s header, a sumptuous scissor kick from Deco sealed the win for Chelsea. The Blues eclipsed the mark of away victory that was set by Bill Nicholson’s Spurs 48 years back.

Another game saw Sunderland, without their manager, failed to secure a point against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Nemanja Vidic scored a goal in the final injury time, as his side continued to stay on track for their third consecutive Premier League triumph.

League leaders Liverpool also registered a crucial 1-3 win over struggling Rovers at Ewood Park thanks to a sensational solo goal from Israel’s midfielder Yossi Benayoun.

Alonso and Gerrard scored the other two goals for the visitors, whereas Santa Cruz came up with a brace for the home side.

Meanwhile, Arsenal ended the 5-game undefeated streak of Wigan, as striker Adebayor came up with a goal at the Emirates Stadium to make it a 1-0 win for the home side.

Hull City came from behind against 10-man Middlesbrough and went on to win the game 2-1 at KC Stadium thanks mainly to an 85th minute penalty from Brazilian forward King.

Other games on Saturday were draws with Fulham ending their match at Cravens Cottage against Manchester City 1-1 and Stoke securing a 2-2 draw against Newcastle at St. James Park, despite return of Michael Owen to goal-scoring form with 2 goals inside 22 minutes.

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Posted in Chelsea FC, Man U

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Pavlyuchenko: I am looking forward to emulate Berbatov

December 6th, 2008

Spurs’ striker, Roman Pavlyuchenko, seems fully determined for filling in the boots vacated by Bulgaria’s Dimitar Berbatov.

Arrival of Pavlyuchenko to the White Hart Lane during the final stages of the transfer window was thought to be a panic purchase, as Robbie Keane left for Liverpool and Berbatov was almost certain to be a Red Devil.

However, the 26-year-old, after a stutter in the beginning, has been playing well for the side. He has 6 goals in last 8 appearances.

Russia international, who made a considerable impact in the Euro 2008, was welcoming comparisons with the player, whom he inherited his #9 shirt from.

Pavlyuchenko said, ‘It was Berbatov, who played here before me. He scored considerably during his stay at the club. I’ll be, as a replacement of the Bulgarian, expected to score in the same numbers and I realize that.’

‘He is one of the best playmakers in the game. If people compare me to him, it’s a complement and I don’t have a problem with that.’

Despite scoring during only his 3rd appearance for the White Hart Lane Club, Pavlyuchenko had a battle under former Spurs’ Manager, Juande Ramos.

However, Harry Redknapp has kept everything simple for him, even while giving instructions to Pavlyuchenko through his interpreter.

It was the guile of the manager that helped him to come off the bench and score a last-gasp winner against Liverpool, which helped Spurs’ in wining a game they should have lost.

Only time will tell how long can Pavlyuchenko go and fill the vacancy left by Keane and Berbatov, but currently he has been performing well and helping his side attain respectability in the Premier League table.

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Posted in Premier League, Tottenham

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Benitez: Torres will be soon back in action

December 5th, 2008

Liverpool Boss, Rafael Benitez, has confirmed that the hamstring injury of striker Fernando Torres is not as worse as it was first believed.

Spanish International’s hamstring was injured during a Champions League encounter against Marseille. It was believed that he’s going to be out of action for over 2 weeks.

Initially, it was rumored that 24-year-old striker might stay out of action for a longer duration after he visited a specialist in Spain.

This hamstring injury is the second one that Torres has picked up in the season. He picked up his first during an international game for Spain and his boss Benitez insisted that they wanted to sort this problem for good.

Rafa told the official website of the club, ‘Torres has been improving fast and I am hopeful that he’ll make a comeback sooner rather later.’

‘It is just the fact that we need to wait for the player rather than pressurize him. I spend the day with him today and found him doing okay.’

‘He is playing with immense confidence these days and your confidence can help you to get fit soon.’

‘Everything’s going great and I feel it’ll be about the moment that we predicted before, if not less.’

Speaking on the specialist Benitez said, ‘It was only for confirming our diagnosis. This injury was the recurrence of the one that he had before.’

‘We’re really happy, as now we know his problem and can find its solution. We’ll just require to work hard on keeping Torres fit and things will be okay.’

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Posted in Liverpool, Premier League

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Kinnear: Owen didn’t got enough goal scoring opportunities

December 4th, 2008

Newcastle Boss, Joe Kinnear, came out strongly and backed his skipper, Michael Owen, in spite of the latter having a poor showing in the weekend game at the Riverside Stadium.

The 28-year old was at the end of major criticism during this weekend, as he failed to come up with a single shot on the goal against Middlesbrough in Saturday’s 0-0 derby draw.

Kinnear has reportedly supported Owen and strongly feels that his striker will be hitting the goals once again, as his talent is remarkable.

In an interview, the manager said, ‘Yes, Owen did have a quiet game, if you go by his general high standards.’

‘Still, his effort during the game was clearly visible to the coaching staff on the bench. All of us felt that he was doing the hard work and running unselfishly for the club.’

‘This was backed up when we went through the video of the Saturday game. We studied performance of each individual and saw how Owen went about his job.’

‘The only regret with the Middlesbrough game was that the chances, which were created, never reached Michael’s path, so that he could convert them. However, this wasn’t necessary his fault.’

‘He was always running to get himself in a goal scoring position. However, he was just never able to get the ball in the right place. This is something that we’ll have to work on, if we are looking to end any game on a high.’


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Scholes likely to make an early return from injury

December 3rd, 2008

Paul Scholes, veteran midfielder, might be in line to make a surprise return against Rovers on Wednesday at Old Trafford.

The veteran Red Devils midfielder was unlikely to make a return to the squad before Saturday.

However, such was the showing of the 34-year old star on the training ground that Sir Alex Ferguson is all set to have him as a part of the bench in an important quarter-final game of the Carling Cup.

In an interview to the United Review, Ferguson said, ‘I’ve got Scholes in my mind for the game.’

‘He’s on verge of making a return to the game following the operation. He has been training well and feeling great with the thought of getting started once again.’

‘If he’ll get a place on the bench and perhaps some time on the field, it can work wonders for him. However, we’ll have to see how things plan out.’

Scholes hasn’t been involved in a senior squad of Manchester United, since he damaged his knee ligaments during his side’s victory over Aalborg in the Champions League in September.

However, if he makes it to the bench, Scholes is going to be amongst the few senior players, who are going to be involved as Ferguson is continuing to stick with his policy of playing younger members in his squad.

‘Although we have made it into the last eight of the Cup, I will intend to continue with young players, who have got the team to their present position.’

‘Players like Rafael, Danny Welback, Jonny Evans, Rodrigo Possebon and Darron Gibson are all going to be involved in the game.’

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Posted in Man U, Premier League

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Benitez: Keane is sure to improve in the near future

December 2nd, 2008

Rafael Benitez, Liverpool Boss, insisted that striker Robbie Keane is going to overcome his recent run of poor form.

£20million signing from Spurs was substituted during the 0-0 drawn game against West Ham at Anfield for the 15th time in this season.

Although they were able to overtake the top position in Premier League table, it was yet another time where Reds wasted a genuine chance of creating a gap between themselves and their near rivals, Chelsea.

Keane was looking a frustrated man when he went off the pitch, to be substituted by David Ngog, rookie French striker, as Liverpool battled to break the defense of determined Hammers.

However, Benitez feels the talent that Keane holds is unparallel and this is just a temporary phase, which he needs to ward off.

Benitez said, ‘I know that Robbie is way better than what is on display at the present moment.’

Keane has been able to manage only 4 goals in his run with the Reds so far and has lasted the full time only thrice in 22 appearances.

Those statistics have been underlining the problem for Spaniard, with the Irish captain struggling for confidence and form.

‘We know his talent with the ball. He needs players to pass the ball to him.’

‘I feel that he’ll perform better, if chances will be created for him by the midfield.’

‘There is a hard worker in the man. I’m sure his confidence and game play are sure to improve in the near future.’

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Posted in Liverpool, Premier League

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