TOP 100 SOCCER SITES
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| Liverpool takeover: Jamie Carragher warns players now have 'no more excuses' Vice-captain admits players must now rally to club's cause after resolution of ownership row. telegraph.co.uk |
Blatter: English are leaders on stadium security FIFA president Sepp Blatter praised England's anti-hooligan record Wednesday and said similar security measures could have prevented the crowd ... rssfeeds.usatoday.com |
World Cup Bidding Lurches Into Final Week ZURICH (Reuters) - The contest to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups lurched into its final week on Monday with more allegations of corruption against high-ranking FIFA officials and continuing uncertainty over the number of voters. feeds.nytimes.com |
Arsène Wenger tells disappointed Arsenal fans to 'keep faith' • Weekend win over Aston Villa followed two defeats• Wenger promises to take Carling Cup quarter-final seriouslyArsène Wenger has called on Arsenal fans to "keep faith" in his vision as he looks to guide his side into the semi-finals of the Carling Cup.The team's 4-2 victory at Aston Villa on Saturday avoided a third straight defeat, Arsenal having blown a two-goal lead to let arch-rivals Tottenham win the north London derby at the Emirates before going down 2-0 in Braga to leave qualification for the Champions League knockout stage not yet assured.Those performances once again had pundits and supporters questioning Arsenal's ability to turn potential into silverware. Wenger, though, maintains his side have the quality needed to secure a first trophy since the 2005 FA Cup and that they will stay on course for Wembley with victory against Wigan at home tomorrow."For over two months we have played every three days, and part of that is sometimes you have ups and downs. It is how you respond to that," Wenger told Arsenal TV Online. "The problem at the moment is that when these kind of things happen, everybody is emphasising the negative sides."Wenger declared: "I am still quite optimistic, even if disappointed by the results. I have no major reason to doubt the team and the players, so even if my disappointment was huge, maybe that is why I am less down than many people because I see all the positive signs which are in my team."I am confident on the longer term, like it is a marathon, that it will all come out – keep with us, and keep faith with the team. I know their attitude is spot-on, I know they have the quality – and we will not always lose games where the opponent only has one shot on goal."Wenger is again set to name a strong squad for the visit of Wigan, having won at Spurs in the third round before then impressing with a 4-0 win at Newcastle."The only thing I promise is that we will take the tie seriously," the Arsenal manager insisted. "But I have to consider how many games my players play. For six weeks we have played every three days with Champions League and internationals. I will consider who needs to play and who needs to rest."Theo Walcott and Nicklas Bendtner were both on target at St James' Park in the last round and would expect another chance tomorrow having both been left on the bench against Villa, where victory briefly moved Arsenal top of the Premier League, before Manchester United, the new leaders, and Chelsea overtook them later in the weekend.The Holland forward Robin van Persie was another unused substitute at the weekend, and could feature as he looks to improve match sharpness following an ankle problem. Marouane Chamakh, who took his season's goal tally into double figures against Villa, is likely to be rested, while the captain, Cesc Fábregas (hamstring), is still sidelined and the centre-half Sébastien Squillaci (knee) will miss the tie.Wenger, though, must decide whether to recall the goalkeeper Manuel Almunia following his return to fitness or keep faith with the young Pole Wojciech Szczesny, who made some impressive saves in the last round.Emmanuel Eboué could make a quick return after being carried off against Braga with what appeared to be a serious knee injury. Wenger said: "When we made a scan his knee was swollen, but the ligament was intact so we decided to push him back as quickly as possible and the tests were successful."Arsenal, meanwhile, are keeping an eye on weather conditions in the capital. A club statement read: "Like the many supporters coming to Tuesday night's sold-out Carling Cup match against Wigan Athletic, the club is monitoring adverse weather conditions affecting London in the forthcoming days."From all of the information it has at present, the club expects the fixture to go ahead as planned and supporters are advised to plan as normal for Tuesday night's match. The situation is being continually assessed by club officials and any relevant updates will be communicated on arsenal.com."Last season, Arsenal were forced to postpone their Premier League game against Bolton in January because of heavy snowfall in London.ArsenalArsène Wengerguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Villa scores twice, Barcelona routs Mourinho's Madrid 5-0 David Villa scored twice as Barcelona ripped apart Jose Mourinho's Real Madrid in a 5-0 rout Monday to go top of the league thanks to a record ... rssfeeds.usatoday.com |