The FA will severely reprimand Manchester United's Wayne Rooney after the striker was caught swearing into a television camera against West Ham on Saturday. FA bosses insist Rooney's behavior was completely unacceptable, but plan to stop short of a ban due to the importance of United's upcoming fixtures. -- (Daily Telegraph)
Gareth Bale has insisted he would have "no qualms" about moving abroad in the future, should interest from top European clubs persist. Bale thinks his growth as a player could be aided if he played for a club with a real history of success. -- (Press Association)
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has blamed fixture congestion for his side's slumping form in recent weeks, despite being knocked out early of both domestic cups and the Champions League. The Frenchman believes his players are still overworked and shouldn't be forced to play every week. -- (Daily Mirror)
AC Milan supremo Silvio Berlusconi has claimed Mario Balotelli's off-field antics will prevent him from pulling on the Rossoneri shirt in the future. The fiery Italian Prime Minister, under investigation for questionable ethics in his own right, said Milan fan Balotelli should use him as an example of how those at AC Milan behave off the field. -- (Press Association)
Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor has revealed he cut all ties with Manchester City because fans refused to show him enough love. Adebayor insists the relationship is over, despite his being forced to return to Manchester in the summer. -- (The Sun)
Sven-Goran Eriksson's Leicester City will make a summer move for injured Manchester United striker Michael Owen should they gain promotion to the Premier League. Former England manager Eriksson believes Owen would be the perfect addition to his overrated, aging squad of players. -- (Daily Mirror)
Spurs boss Harry Redknapp has contended the midweek Champions League trip to Madrid was not weighing on his players' minds as they played out an uninspiring 0-0 draw with Wigan. Redknapp reportedly told reporters that an away match at Wigan holds relatively the same importance as any old Champions League quarterfinal with Real Madrid. -- (Daily Mirror)
England manager Fabio Capello insisits his decision to restore John Terry to the England captaincy, just over a year after he took it away, was made for purely footballing reasons, as the Italian didn't want to be forced into selecting misfit defender Rio Ferdinand to start every match. -- (The Sun)
Jose Mourinho is Sheikh Mansour's first and only choice to replace ineffectual Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini at the end of the season, with the Portuguese boss finally ready to leave Madrid for Manchester and United kingpin Alex Ferguson unwilling to open up a job at Old Trafford. -- (Daily Mail)
Arsene Wenger has labeled the lumpy pitch at the Hawthorns "scandalous" and "unfit for rugby," after Saturday's 2-2 draw with West Brom. The Frenchman believes his Arsenal side could win the title if they were allowed to play all of their remaining games on the pristine pitch at the Emirates Stadium. -- (Daily Mail)
Chelsea's wonderkid defender David Luiz has described his goal against Manchester City on Sunday as the "best moment of his life." Luiz was desperate to prove City wrong after the Blues mysteriously rejected the opportunity to sign him in 2009 in favor of Everton's world-class centerback Joleon Lescott. -- (Telegraph)
Manchester United supremo Alex Ferguson has shrugged off suggestions he was laughing at bench-ridden striker Dimitar Berbatov during Tuesday's Champions League victory over Marseille at Old Trafford, claiming he's not the only person who laughs at Berbatov on a regular basis. -- (The Metro)
Barcelona's Brazilian right-wing back Dani Alves is ready to reject a move to Manchester City in the summer, after revealing he'll only play for a manager willing to allow his fullbacks to enter the opposition's half. -- (News of the World)
Aston Villa stand poised to renew their interest in Manchester United's Michael Owen following suggestions United could cancel his contract at the end of the season. Villa manager Gerard Houllier believes he can bring the former England international back to his Liverpool best, even if he's out injured. -- (Daily Mirror)
BIRMINGHAM (DF) -- On a day where Arsenal had hoped to celebrate the return of Jens Lehmann by going level on points with Manchester United at the top of the Premier League, it was Anglo-Spanish keeper Manuel Almunia who stole the next morning's headlines during the 2-2 draw at the Hawthorns with a world-class demonstration of bush-league goalkeeping.
Newly-restored number one Almunia, starting in goal due to long term injuries to accident-prone Polish duo Lukasz Fabianski and Wojciech Szczesny, was at fault for both West Brom goals, staying on his line to give Steven Reid a free header two minutes in, and later tripping over Sebastien Squillaci to gift a goal to Nigerian striker Peter Odemwingie.
"I don't know why, but Arsene now seems to prefer eccentric keepers," said former Arsenal and England goalkeeping legend David Seaman in a television interview after the match. "Maybe they enjoy mirroring their manager's personality, maybe they just get bored with their side having so much possession, I don't know, but they all seem to have a screw loose."
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been roundly criticized by supporters for his refusal to sign an experienced replacement for stalwart Lehmann, who left the club after the 2008 season. Seaman believes Wenger's stubborn belief in his own innate ability to develop talent has left the club without a leader at the back.
"When I left the club 2003, Arsene made a smart move by bringing in Jens Lehmann. He was a rock and provided the experience in goal that the team needed. When he left, his backup Almunia was thrust into the spotlight and he wasn't capable. When Almunia failed, young Fabianski came in and did the same, and, obviously, Szczesny played his part at Wembley last month. Now we're back to Almunia. I really think he wants to be a backup again."
Seaman held nothing back when describing the state of his former club. "They attack like men and defend like schoolgirls. This inept defending, starting in goal, has cost us the League Cup, a shot at the Champions League, and now it might cost us the Premier League."
"I'm glad Arsene brought Jens back. He might be old, German, and a little off his head, but you won't see him doing stuff like what Almunia, Fabianski, and Szczesny did without getting away with it."
Blackburn owners and poultry magnates Venky's have cried fowl and started looking for a way to demote manager Steve Kean to his old role as first team coach. They claim the vegetarian Scotsman doesn't have the game to move the club forward in the pressure-cooker of the Premier League. -- (News of the World)
New York Red Bulls playmaker Thierry Henry is itching to return to Arsenal sooner rather than later. The 33-year-old former talisman says that even though he's French, he's still capable of outworking Danish flop Nicklas Bendtner. -- (The Sun)
Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has admitted that despite wild child Mario Balotelli not listening to him, he'll keep playing the Italian wonderkid as long as he keeps contributing nothing to the team apart from the odd spectacular goal. -- (The Telegraph)
Injury-ravaged England and Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves is set to be offered a new contract in the summer by manager Alex Ferguson after the United boss confirmed he only wants aging, overrated England players patrolling the center of his midfield for the foreseeable future. -- (Daily Mirror)
Ivory Coast star Yaya Toure has leapt to the defence of his brother Kolo after the elder Toure tested positive during a recent drugs test. The Manchester City powerhouse insisted Kolo was sane, and only under the influence of Roberto Mancini's positive tactics. -- (The Sun)
Aston Villa boss Gerard Houllier has defended fielding a reserve team against Manchester City in the FA Cup, claiming his reserves stood a better chance of winning at a near empty Eastlands because they have drubbed the first eleven in several recent games played behind closed doors. -- (Daily Express)
Birmingham's makeshift left back Liam Ridgewell has stressed the value of inspirational DVDs and motivational speakers, claiming the Goal! football film series and a half time pep talk from international lecturer Bear Grylls helped the Blues beat Arsenal in the League Cup final at Wembley. -- (Daily Mirror)
LONDON (DF) -- Defeated Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has cried foul to the Football League over Birmingham's team selection in the Carling Cup Final, believing the 6'8" frame of Serbian-born striker Nikola Zigic gave the West Midlands club an unfair advantage in their 2-1 triumph at Wembley Stadium.
Despite dominating possession throughout the match, Arsenal were undone in the dying embers of the tie after Zigic, Laurent Koscielny, and Wojciech Szczesny combined brilliantly to hand on loan striker Obafemi Martins his second, and arguably biggest, goal for the Blues. The last minute defeat means Arsenal will be forced to continue their agonizing five-and-a-half year search for a major trophy.
"It's hard to swallow," admitted Billy Simon of the Arsenal Football Supporters Club. "We've gone this long believing in Arsene's plan, and we've come up with nothing, again. All the talking heads on television told us the trophy was ours. How can we not feel duped? I thought these guys were supposed to be experts."
A spokesman for the Football League confirmed they had taken a call late Tuesday evening from Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood, on behalf of Arsene Wenger.
"Arsene has asked us for a replay," said the spokesman. "After spending the past couple of days considering it from all angles, he believes Birmingham should have to replay the game without Nikola Zigic in the squad. We will of course consider his grievance, but as with all things Wenger, we're going to take it with a grain of salt."
Arsenal's calamitous defending for Birmingham's second goal has been roundly lampooned in the media, but one member of the second place side was steadfast in his defense of his side's lack of defense.
"How are we supposed to compete with someone that tall?" asked the unnamed Arsenal defender. "We're not used to having to jump or concentrate, or even defend at all, really. It's not like we can just turn on at the flick of a switch."
"Sure, we've had to play against Peter Crouch before, but that's completely different. He's English and obviously not a real footballer."
Daniel Sturridge has issued an emphatic "please come and re-sign me" plea to Manchester City's owners after the promising young forward's big money move to West London only took him ten miles away to Bolton City Centre. -- (Daily Star)
Troubled Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has ruled out a future move to Manchester City, as long as even-tempered Italian Roberto Mancini is in charge, insisting he would only play for managers like Tony Pulis and Sam Allardyce who favor hard-hitting long balls and flying elbows. -- (The Independent)
Barcelona will make a move for Gareth Bale this summer after closing the door on a deal for Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas. The Catalan giants claim to have initially been put off by Bale "because he's Welsh," but changed their mind when they discovered he "plays like he's Spanish." -- (Daily Mirror)
John Terry still believes fifth place Chelsea can catch Manchester United for the Premier League title, even if they lose both of the upcoming meetings between the sides. Terry thinks Chelsea's greater experience will trump United's points total. -- (Daily Mirror)
French midfield maestro Charles N'Zogbia has claimed he still plans to leave Wigan Athletic for Ligue 1, despite a continuing lack of interest from French top division clubs. -- (Daily Mail)
Aston Villa are keen to bring in West Ham flop Robert Green to replace stalwart American Brad Friedel in goal, continuing manager Gerard Houllier's recent transfer policy of signing nothing but England B internationals. -- (Daily Mirror)
Russian left back Yuri Zhirkov has dismissed recent press reports suggesting he plans to quit Chelsea in the summer should he not break into the first team, declaring he could never play for anyone other than Roman Abramovich. -- (The Sun)
STOKE-ON-TRENT (DF) -- On the back of recent criticism for their heavy-handed tactics in Wednesday's 1-0 loss at the Emirates Stadium, Tony Pulis has hit back at the media for portraying his players in an openly negative light, assuring them Stoke City is a football, not rugby, club.
Arsenal gave Stoke the run around during the first half of their Premier League encounter and were unlucky to go into the break ahead by only a solitary goal. Stoke turned up the heat immediately after the interval, with Arsenal manager branding their second half tactics as "thuggish" and "Welsh." Referee Peter Walton had his hands full as Stoke went about looking for anything but an equaliser.
"We don't play rugby," said an agitated Pulis after the game. "We're not anti-football as some have unfairly branded us. We don't play the game any differently than Arsenal, Manchester City, or Barcelona."
A recent comprehensive study of English league games conducted by Manchester Metropolitan University found that over the past season and a half, Stoke City games had, by far, the highest percentage of time spent with the ball off of the ground-- more than games for any other club in the Football League.
Alan Donovan-Woods, Assistant Professor of Sporting Statistics and Analysis at MMU, said the results were conclusive. "If there were a club in English football that played rugby, it would certainly be Stoke City. Most of their ball possession seems to be off the pitch, when it's in the hands of Rory Delap."
A Stoke City spokesman disagreed with the study, citing the club's depth of talent. "Technically, Glenn Whelan is world-class. He's a world-class player. We have at least a dozen players on our books who could walk into any passing side in the world."
Despite the pitch at the Brittania Stadium often looking like it's home to a rugby league side, Pulis maintains his side are proponents of the beautiful game. "Bring Barcelona to the Brittania in the dead of winter and we'll see who plays attractive, winning football."
Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson is considering a shock summer move
for fan favorite and Manchester City playmaker Carlos Tevez after admitting he
"got it wrong" -- sending sinful striker Wayne Rooney in the opposite direction. --
(Daily Mail)
Blackburn have scoffed at Manchester City's £40m asking price for
mercurial Paraguayan Roque Santa Cruz, with owners Venky's Limited insisting
they won't waste more than half that figure on the injury-prone forward. -- (Daily
Mirror)
Harry Redknapp insists Tottenham Hotspur's failure to secure the riches of
Champions League qualification next season wouldn't detract him from bringing in
at least "ten or twelve" new attacking midfielders this summer. -- (Daily Express)
Manchester United will raid Everton's youth system in the summer with dual
multi-million pound bids for promising midfielders Jack Rodwell and Dan Gosling after giving up hope
of developing their own future England internationals. -- (Daily Mail)
Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas has moved one step closer to joining
Barcelona by thanking them for their second half collapse during the UEFA
Champions League round of 16 tie. It is believed the extra revenue will allow
the Gunners to lower their asking price for the £50m-rated Spanish midfielder. --
(The Sun)
Fernando Torres is hoping to move back to Liverpool when the transfer
window opens in July after failing to settle in rainy, English-speaking west
London. -- (Liverpool Echo)
Newcastle United talisman Joey Barton has planned to engineer a move to
Aston Villa in order to increase his chances for an England call up after a text
message from new Villa signing Darren Bent convinced him Fabio Capello doesn't
believe English players playing in Tyne and Wear are actually English. --
(Guardian)
LONDON (DF) -- Fresh off a dramatic second half collapse which saw Arsenal
turn their Champions League round of 16 tie on its head, Barcelona manager Pep
Guardiola refused to blame off field distractions for his side's defensive
complacency after the break.
A sparkling attacking display gave Barcelona a deserved lead going into the
interval, but Arsenal stormed back to score two goals in five minutes, giving
them a slim 2-1 advantage to take to the Nou Camp in three weeks time.
Reports emanating from Spain seemed to suggest Barcelona defender Gerard Pique
fielded a phone call during half time from his pop superstar girlfriend Shakira.
The reports assert the call contributed to Pique's drop in concentration for
both Arsenal goals, and his picking up of a needless yellow card, which will now see him
suspended for the second leg.
Similar reports also suggest Barcelona may have taken their foot off the pedal
intentionally to win over Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger and prized asset Cesc
Fabregas. Barcelona have insisted any deal for Fabregas is "dead in the water,"
at least for the time being.
Speaking to Spanish media giant Brumoso Periódico, Pep Guardiola refuted claims
his team lost their concentration during half time.
"Nothing that has been said happened. We were prepared [for the second half]. My players don't take
phone calls during games and we don't think about Cesc anymore."
Brumoso Periódico also quoted an unnamed club source at Barcelona who seemed to
contradict Guardiola's version of events. "I saw [Gerard] Pique on the phone.
Who he was talking to, I couldn't say."
"I know for a fact we're still after Cesc," the source continued. "Losing to
Arsenal this season and making them happy might make them more likely to sell. The further
they progress, the more money they make, the less we'll have to pay to buy him
in the summer."
"It all makes perfect sense."
