Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien insists the players are not worried about the barren run being experienced by new signing Fernando Torres.The Spaniard has so far been unable to score since arriving at Stamford Bridge in January, but could break the drought in perfect fashion if he can get on the score sheet during Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League quarter-final second-leg against Manchester United.
But Essien says the playing group is not concerned, and think it’s only a matter of time before Torres begins finding the net.
“We know it is going to come. As you can see he has been working really hard,” Essien said.
“He has the support from everyone so it is going to come and you just have to be patient. He’ll start scoring for us and everything will be fine.”
Fellow Chlesea midfielder and Torres’ former Liverpool team-mate Yossi Benayoun also backed the Spanish ace to begin finding his feet and Essien agreed with the Israeli.
“Fernando (Torres) is one of the best strikers in the world and in Europe at the moment. When he starts scoring I think all the noise about him will stop and it’s just a matter of time,” Essien said.
“He’s come to a new club and he needs to settle but with the players that we have, we know he will deliver when he is really settled.”
Torres is without a goal in seven appearances for the Blues.
Retired Manchester United great Gary Neville has paid tribute to his former club as they close in on a record 19th league championship.When Liverpool took out the 1989-90 First Division title to claim their 18th championship, United – with the Sir Alex Ferguson era just four years old – had won only seven.
But since then the balance of power in the English Premier League has shifted down the M62, with Ferguson’s men closing in on their 12th title under his reign, a feat which would see them claim Liverpool’s long-held status as the country’s most successful football club.
Neville, who retired in February after 602 appearances for United, said the club had enjoyed a remarkable run.
“It would be great for the fans and I think it would be great in terms of the way the club has gone over the last 20 years,” Neville said.
“To get to the point whereby we were 12 championships behind and to think we are now level, is a great achievement.”
Neville downplayed suggestions of acrimony between United and Arsenal – their opponents on Sunday – and suggested Arsenal’s poor form over recent years has seen Chelsea eclipse them as United’s chief rivals.
“People talk about animosity, but I think between the clubs there’s always been a fierce rivalry but there’s never been a point where it’s overstepped the mark on the pitch,” he said.
“I think it’s a competitive game, the Premier League is one of the most competitive leagues in the world. I think people, to be honest with you, want that sort of passion and excitement and I wouldn’t get carried away too much by the spats that have got blown out of proportion.”
“I think Arsenal haven’t been the biggest challengers in the last few years, it’s been Chelsea so you could argue it’s not been as intense but as I’ve said before, on Sunday, when you go out there, it’s one of the biggest games of the season.”
Neville also admitted he would love to see his old teammate Paul Scholes, 36, pull the boots on for another season.
“I love watching Paul Scholes playing football. He’s the best midfield player in the country on his day when he plays,” he said.
“I think it’s up to Paul, he doesn’t need me to advise him but I would want him, as a United fan and someone who knows him very well and someone who’s loved playing with him, to see him carry on and continue. I think he’s still got so much to offer.”
Newcastle prevailed 2-1 against 10 man Birmingham in a dreary game at St James’ Park on Saturday.With two teams seemingly safe in the Premier League slowly limping their way to the end of the season , the game was pretty poor for the neutral until it sprang into life before the break.
Ten minutes before half time the rain stopped and the game sprang in to life.
Joey Barton’s superb corner caused havoc in the Birmingham penalty area, with Liam Ridgewell eventually handballing Fabricio Coloccini’s goal-bound header, earning the defender a straight red card.
Shola Ameobi stepped up and calmly dispatched the spot-kick to give the host the lead.
Birmingham goalkeeper Ben Foster had to be at his very best to stop the home side going further ahead first denying Peter Lovenkrands and then tipping over Nolan’s fierce shot.
From the resulting corner Newcastle stretched their lead, Steven Taylor powerfully heading in Barton’s corner.
Birmingham’s Sebastian Larsson seemed to help the ball into the net but Taylor will no doubt claim the goal.
Birmingham scrambled a goal back just before half time; Cameron Jerome’s power caused problems for the Newcastle defence and Lee Bowyer powered home the loose ball via deflection from Coloccini.
Ameobi should have had a second late on the game, but after good work from Nile Ranger and Barton, the big striker produced a tame effort that was easily cleared.
The three points mean Newcastle’s Premier League future is now secured, Birmingham however are still in a relegation battle.
New York Red Bulls and Philadelphia Union moved to first and second respectively in the MLS Eastern Conference with 1-0 wins on Saturday.The Red Bulls moved a point clear on top with a 1-0 win over the Kansas City Wizards, which came from a 21st-minute strike by English striker Luke Rodgers.
Philadelphia kept the pressure on with a 1-0 win at home against the San Jose Earthquakes, with French midfielder Sebastien Le Toux scoring the winner 14 minutes from time.
The Columbus Crew enjoyed a 2-1 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps, a second-half brace from Venezuelan striker Emilio Renteria proving the difference between the two sides, and the Colorado Rapids were held to a 1-1 draw at home by the struggling Chicago Fire.
The Seattle Sounders cruised to a 3-0 win over Toronto with Brad Evans scoring a double to add to Alvaro Fernandez’s opener, and Chivas USA had goals from Nick LaBrocca, Marcos Mondaini and Alejandro Moreno to thank for their 3-0 win over New England Revolution.
The Portland Timbers enjoyed a 1-0 win over Real Salt Lake, with Kenny Cooper scoring the winner after 22 minutes.
Vegalta Sendai remain unbeaten and moved into second in the J-League after a 1-0 win over Montedio Yamagata on Sunday.A 52nd-minute strike from Naoki Sugai ensured Makoto Teguramori’s side are the only team yet to lose after seven games.
They are within one point of first-placed Kashiwa Reysol, while Montedio Yamagata remain in the bottom two following the loss.
Shimizu S-Pulse recorded just their second win of the season with a 4-1 thrashing of Omiya Ardija.
Striker Naohiro Takahara hit a brace after Australian attacker Alex Brosque had opened the scoring, with defender Shinji Tsujio chiming in with a fourth before Rafael’s late consolation goal.
Brosque made it 1-0 after 39 minutes, sliding into the back post to place home to give the visitors the lead.
The Australian forward was involved in the second as he provided the lay-off with his chest for Takahara to volley home.
Takahara was the beneficiary of a horrible defensive lapse for his second five minutes into the second half, capitalising on a wayward 20-yard back pass before placing home.
Tsujio hit a fourth 20 minutes from the end before Rafael’s 90th-minute goal, as Shimzu moved into 11th, one spot below Omiya Ardija.
Reports have suggested that this week Liverpool will open up negotiations with Blackpool over their midfield talisman Charlie Adam, who enjoyed a remarkable season in the Premier League, attracting many potential suitors. Liverpool are widely expected to continue their January transfer market approach by spending big, but is the former Rangers man actually needed on Merseyside?
Well, why wouldn’t a big side want Adam’s 12 goals and 9 assists? Imagine the statistics the Blackpool man could achieve next season with the likes of Luis Suarez and Steven Gerrard around him. But perhaps the reason the Scot has done so well is because he was one of, if not the, main attacking outlet at Blackpool; on Merseyside he would be in amongst several world class players in the final third. Would Adam thrive or get lost in amongst some of football’s biggest names?
Tactically Adam is an ideal signing for any manager to have, centre midfield, attacking midfielder or even a deep lying striker, but who would he replace? Kenny Dalglish appears to already be onto a winning formation, so too much transfer activity could hinder his rebuilding process. If Adam were to join though, I simply cannot see who he would replace. Lucas’ performances have improved greatly this season, and he is the only defensive minded midfielder in the starting line up, so sacrificing the Brazilian would be foolish. Steven Gerrard is obviously the first name on the team sheet (even if his influence has dropped in the last couple of seasons) and then you have Raul Meireles and the returning Alberto Aquilani to consider. The main issue I would have in signing Adam is the impact it would have on Jonjo Shelvey and Jay Spearing, both youngsters who have enjoyed breakthrough seasons and are key in what ‘King Kenny’ is trying to achieve at Liverpool, but signing another centre midfielder would no doubt force the two Englishman out on loan or reduce them to merely a few league cup appearances. Oh, and there is of course a certain Jordan Henderson to consider.
The one thing Adam would add to Liverpool’s play is his ability from set pieces. Liverpool have always relied on Steven Gerrard for his free kicks, but when the Englishman isn’t available Liverpool lack that threat from free kicks and corners. Fabio Aurelio clearly demonstrates superb technique from short free kicks too, but since Liverpool are pursuing a new left back and with the Brazilian, now in the twilight of his career, already fighting for a place at full back with the ever-improving Martin Kelly and England international Glen Johnson, he will presumably have to settle for a place on the bench for much of next season. The Scotland international has a delightful left foot, that delivered some of the best corners last season as well as scoring a couple of contenders for Goal of the Season from set pieces.
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Adam’s sweet left foot surely isn’t worth £10 million though? Because in this writer’s humble opinion, that’s the only attribute Liverpool will be gaining in signing the guy who didn’t even get Blackpool’s player of the season award for the 2010/11 campaign.
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The countdown to the new Premier League season is truly underway now after the complete set of fixtures were released this week. It’s a time of tension and excitement, especially for the newly promoted sides like Swansea, who discovered they will face the tough test of Manchester City at Eastlands in their first premier league outing. It’s also the first chance the Title and Champions league contenders will get a chance to eye up the fixtures and potential season changing periods.
Although an array of myths and statistics surround the fixture list, do the fixtures actually matter and have an influence on where the Championship and battle for top places are won or lost?
Last season this debate was arguably chucked out the window with the unpredictable, roller coaster ride which was the 2010/2011 Premier League season; who could have predicted Wolves beating Manchester United and Chelsea or Newly promoted Blackpool doing the double over Liverpool. That’s football… but I will attempt to analyse where the 2011/2012 Premier league title could be won or lost.
At a glance champions Manchester United have a tough first 5 games, facing Tottenham , Arsenal and Chelsea along with the tricky West Bromwich Albion and Bolton Wanderers. However gloomy this may seem it is handy to note their fixtures against the ‘tougher’ teams of Tottenham, Arsenal and Chelsea are all played at Old Trafford, United will also have the fearlessness of going into the season as champions and a sense of invulnerability having just trumped rivals Liverpool’s Title tally of 19.
The winter and Christmas period are seen by most as the most crucial part of the season, it is often the team who can endure the tense schedule the best who comes out on top in the title race. On this evidence, Sir Alex Ferguson will be pleased with the Christmas schedule handing him newly promoted Queens Park Rangers, Fulham, Wigan, Blackburn and Newcastle , although no game in the hectic Christmas bonanza is easy.
The Manchester Derby scheduled for the April 28th will be being touted as a potential title decider as the season draws to an end, the game at Eastlands could be decisive if both halves of Manchester are pushing for Title glory.
The Manchester City fans will be craving further domestic success following their FA Cup triumph last term. Roberto Mancini ’s men will be looking to kick off their campaign in flying style with Swansea City at home on the first day followed by tough trips to Bolton and Tottenham. Last seasons promising start unfortunately ended in The Sky Blues fading away in the latter half of the season, they will have a tough ask in seeking to keep stability over the pivotal Christmas period with home games against Arsenal and Liverpool along with clashes with Stoke, Sunderland and West Brom.
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Experts will however point to the two intriguing Manchester derbys, timed at crucial points in the season and say that whoever builds their confidence with possible big wins in either of these games could walk away with the title.
Chelsea will be looking to bounce back from their disappointing last season; the new manager at the helms’ first league game in charge will be a challenging trip to Stoke City. The Blues however will not be too disappointed with the following home games against West Brom and new boys Norwich City . The coaching team will clearly be looking to set straight the disastrous winter the club had last term, when their season capitulated in a tangle of injuries, backroom debacle and poor performances. The Christmas period sees them face Wigan and Tottenham on the road followed by Fulham and Aston Villa at home.
However, the Christmas fixture list didn’t seem spectacularly difficult last year, so it’s hard to predict what Chelsea will bring to the table this year. The back end of the season seems a tough one for Chelsea, with some tough games facing them in any nail biting title chase they may be involved in. Difficult away games at rivals’ Arsenal and Liverpool would not be welcomed if the title chases goes down to the wire. It’s hard to predict how the fixtures will go with a team who last year won games they were expected to lose and visa versa, so anything could happen with Chelsea this year.
Arsenal will find it difficult replicating the solid start they had last season with matches against Liverpool and Manchester United in their first 3 games, aswell as an opening day trip to St. James Park, where they suffered at the hands of that infamous Newcastle fight back last season. The young Gunners’ squad will not want to see the pressure of being top dogs’ build up like last season, meaning the fixture list may have been kinder to them this term with Christmas fixtures against Manchester City , Aston Villa, Wolves and QPR .
Arsene Wenger will look to target this stage of the season to consolidate any good start they may have had and keep his players minds focused on the road ahead. Crunch match at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea aside, the home stretch of fixtures may also favour Arsenal, where they will face Wolves, Wigan, Stoke, Norwich and West Brom. The Gunners did however seem capable of beating and losing to anyone in equal measure last term so they will not be taking any perceived ‘easy’ games for granted.
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If Liverpool are to defy many pundits and mount a title challenge in 2011/2012, they’re going to clearly have to start better than last season, Kenny Dalglish will not want to see the Reds sitting bottom of the Premier League in September, the scenario Roy Hodgson found himself in. Dalglish faces a sturdy challenge with a tough and relentless start with 20 million pound man Jordan Henderson ’s immediate return to Sunderland followed by Arsenal and Tottenham in September and then fierce rivalry battles with Everton and Manchester United in October.
Their final run in of games sees them face Chelsea at Anfield, potentially a huge game, aswell as West Brom and Swansea at home. If Liverpool were to show the same passion and consistency they did when Dalglish took over, no team will wish to face them and they could be right up there at the end of the season.
The recent flurry of transfer activity has only added to the intrigue of the fixtures being released and with no senior international competitions to look forward, everyone is looking forward to the new Premier league season and it promises to be just as unpredictable and erratic as the last.
Read more of Sam Scott’s articles at This is Futbol
Juventus have offered 45 million pounds for Manchester City’s Carlos Tevez, according to Corinthians president Andres Sanchez.Brazilian Serie A club Corinthians have already seen a bid in the region of 35 million for their former player rejected by City, who are believed to be looking for a fee around the 50 million-mark.
And Sanchez has claimed that Juventus have joined the race to sign the Argentine, although there has been no confirmation from the Italians that this is the case.
“Nothing has changed. They have to decide whether to sell or not,” Sanchez told reporters in Brazil.
“They have a proposal for 52 million euros (45 million pounds) from Juventus, but Tevez does not want to stay in Europe.”
“I keep dreaming. I made the offer in the end, even I was surprised. But it now depends on City. If I am president of a club that has Tevez then I would not want to sell. But the word of the player has a lot of weight.”
Juventus’ Serie A rivals Inter Milan have confirmed their latest signing, swooping for Brazilian defender Jonathan from Santos for an undisclosed amount.
The defender had been training with the Milan club since Wednesday, with the final details have now been ironed out to officially make the 25-year-old an Inter player.
“I’m delighted to have this chance to ply my trade here and show what I’m capable of,” he said.
Returning to the English Premier League, Aston Villa have reportedly lodged a bid of 10 million pounds for Wigan Athletic midfielder Charles N’Zogbia.
Villa are looking to fill the void left by the impending departure of Stewart Downing to Liverpool and see N’Zogbia as the perfect replacement.
The Midlands side currently have money to spend given the fees received for both Downing and Manchester United new boy Ashley Young.
The Frenchman scored nine goals in 34 appearances last year for Wigan, and Alex McLeish will hope he can replicate that form for the Midlands club.
Elsewhere in the Premier League, Blackburn appear set to land Argentine forward Mariano Pavone on a three-year deal.
The 29-year-old spent the 2010/11 season on-loan at River Plate from La Liga club Real Betis, but now is destined for a move to England: “He is now looking forward to the next chapter with an ambitious club like Blackburn,” Pavone’s representative Barry McIntosh told Sky Sports.
Having spent time in Spain, England and Turkey over the past three seasons, USA international Jozy Altidore is move again this season after revealing via Twitter he has signed for Dutch club AZ Alkmaar.
“To all my amazing fans, I have indeed agreed to terms to join AZ In holland!” the 21-year-old wrote on Friday.
In Germany, Rosenborg midfielder Per Skjelbred will join Hamburg in August after the two clubs finally came to an agreement on what date he would link up with the Bundesliga club.
Argentina manager Sergio Batista refused to call his side’s Copa America campaign a ‘failure’ on Saturday.Batista was speaking after the 5-4 penalty shootout defeat in the quarter-finals to Uruguay, which came after 120 minutes of football ended with a 1-1 scoreline.
Uruguay’s Diego Perez was sent off after just 39 minutes but Argentina could not make the most of their numerical advantage, before midfielder Javier Mascherano was sent off late in normal time.
“I wouldn’t call it a failure,” Batista said.
“We had the same objective, to win the tournament. We worked to win it. We just have to continue working to get to the most important thing, and that is the World Cup.”
“We have to continue working to get better.”
Batista also felt Mascherano should not have been sent off, while praising Lionel Messi who scored one of Argentina’s four penalties in the shootout but was not able to find the back of the net in normal time.
“It wasn’t worth a red card,” he said about his captain.
“Lionel had a very good game. I always like how he plays. In the second half, he was down as was the entire team.”
Uruguay striker Luis Suarez was delighted, comparing the win to another famous triumph on July 16.
That was the date that Uruguay won the 1950 FIFA World Cup Final against Brazil 2-1, beating the host nation, and they repeated the dose in Santa Fe by stunning the Argentine support.
Suarez also praised the fans from Uruguay to watch the crucial match.
“July 16 was a historic date, and we talked about it, and we also wanted to make history,” Suarez said.
“It’s an incredible moment. I believe we deserved it because in the first half ‘the Russian’ (Diego Perez) was sent off, and justice was served.”
“We knew playing against the hosts was going to be difficult because we had all of the stadium against us, but we have to thank all of the fans and family who came to support us.”
Uruguay not meet Peru in the first semi-final on Tuesday in La Plata.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter has denied claims he is a dictator, made by former Executive Committee member Mohamed Bin Hammam.Deposed Asian Football Confederation president Bin Hammam used the term to describe ally-turned-rival Blatter, soon after the Qatari was found guilty of corruption charges on Saturday.
But Blatter, 75, hit back on Wednesday in Rio de Janiero, ahead of Saturday’s preliminary round draw for the 2014 FIFA World Cup finals in Brazil.
“I am not a dictator, as has been said,” the Swiss said.
“I am not alone, I work with my executive committee, with my administration, and with a lot of advisors.”
“They know what it means to have transparency on one side, and anti-corruption on the other side. Do not forget that in FIFA we have 300 million people who work directly in football and in 300 million you cannot have only good people.”
“But I will not make any comments on the decisions of the Ethics Committee, and the follow-up by the media, and I ask you to understand my situation and let FIFA work in compliance with the strong demand of the FIFA Congress to go forward.”
Blatter refused to comment specifically on Bin Hammam, who is planning to appeal the findings from the FIFA’s Ethics Committee.
FIFA also announced that the 2014 World Cup would run from June 12 until its conclusion on July 13.