| Fury's future still undecided The FFA are appealing to local businesses to support North Queensland Fury as other teams look to sign the troubled club's off-contract players. foxsports.com.au |
Capello: England were 'lucky' to draw • Manager praises the Montenegro team• Rio Ferdinand says England should have wonRio Ferdinand said that England "should be winning games like that" as the team left here to a chorus of boos, having failed to score for the first time in their redeveloped national stadium.Montenegro, who are ranked 40th in the world, stayed on top of Group G after England revisited their World Cup failings in South Africa over the summer by producing a disjointed and lethargic performance. The England manager, Fabio Capello, echoed his captain's frustration with the team's display and said that his side had even been "lucky" to draw, after Milan Jovanovic hit the visitors' only real opportunity against the crossbar, seven minutes from time."We can take a few positives but we really should be winning games like that," said Ferdinand. "I think we deserved better. They hit the bar late on but up until then we were on the front foot trying to create chances and their goalkeeper made a couple of good saves. It seemed like it would be his day."Maybe we did try too hard, but that's what happens. You want to please the manager and the fans, but it just wasn't to be."Capello's side had not been held at home for two years – indeed, England had not drawn a home match 0-0 since Macedonia left Old Trafford with a point in 2006 – and this was a sobering evening after the recovery hinted at by victories over Bulgaria and Switzerland last month. It was more reminiscent of the struggles endured by the Italian's side against Algeria in Cape Town in June.Asked if England should be expected to beat teams like Montenegro, who were without arguably their best player, the injured Roma striker Mirko Vucinic, Capello said: "Yes, I think so. But, at the moment, they are a wonderful team, a really compact unit which works a lot and runs a lot."I suppose we were lucky because they had one shot at goal and hit the bar. In their other group games they created one chance in each and scored, winning 1-0 each time. So we were lucky."They're not a bad team, though. Sometimes little countries produce good players and psychologically they're at a really high moment after winning their first three games. They were strong, compact and their quality was really good."We didn't create a lot against Algeria in that match but had four or five chances here. The goalkeeper was Montenegro's best player but we have to accept this result. This is football. It's not like boxing where you win by punching the opponent more."England's frustration was exacerbated by the officials' refusal to award them a penalty after Jovanovic's apparent handball – "He might as well have caught the ball, put it under his shirt and run home with it," said Ferdinand.Montenegro, increasingly, are confident that they can squeeze the favourites from the automatic qualification position in the group."The next game against England is a year away so we hope we have a full-strength team for that match," said their coach, Zlatko Kranjcar. "England are still the clear favourites in the group and will find a way of winning all the games ahead of that match. But if it comes down to the result of that one game, we have the quality and strength to step forward and make sure we are the team that goes forward to the championships."EnglandRio FerdinandFabio CapelloMontenegroEuro 2012Dominic Fifieldguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Arsenal's Arsène Wenger set to name strong team for Carling Cup clash with Newcastle Arsène Wenger will blend his best young Arsenal players with an experienced first-team core for Carling Cup match. telegraph.co.uk |
On Soccer: Through Feast of Goals, Stealthy Genius Is Revealed Dimitar Berbatov scored five goals for Manchester United on Saturday in a transcendent performance against Blackburn. feeds.nytimes.com |
Mourinho magnanimous after defeat • El Clásico defeat was heaviest of my career, says Mourinho• 'We played very, very badly and they were fantastic'Real Madrid departed Camp Nou heads down and in silence last night. While five kilometres away Barcelona's fans spilled on to Las Ramblas in celebration, there was not a word from the men their team had defeated. None of Real Madrid's players faced the media. José Mourinho did – on the night he suffered the worst defeat of his coaching career.He conceded there could be no excuse. He also admitted he had spent the second half, during which he barely ventured from his dugout, merely watching the clock run down, knowing there was no way back."This is the first time I have ever been beaten 5-0," Mourinho said. "It is a historically bad result for us. It is not a humiliation but I am very disappointed. It is sad for us."But it is not difficult for me to swallow. What's difficult to swallow is when you lose a game because you have hit the post or the referee has been bad. I have left here in that state before with Chelsea and Inter Milan but that was not the case tonight. It is easy for me to take because it is fair."We played very, very badly and they were fantastic. We gifted them two goals that were bordering on the ridiculous. It is our own fault."Mourinho had said before the game that he hoped his team were mentally strong enough to lose and not be sunk by the result or stable enough to win and keep their feet on the ground. Now he had cause to return to that narrative."I hope this game does not affect us psychologically. I have spoken to the players and told them the title is not gone. We can't leave here crying. I left here defeated at the start of last season with Inter Milan and then at the end of the season we were playing in the Champions League final [having knocked out Barcelona], while they had to watch it on television."When you go 2-0 down you have two choices. You can say 'let's leave it at this' or you can take a risk and try to get into the game. They are very quick and dangerous on the counterattack and we paid for that. When they scored the third, the game was over. I knew we had no chance. We felt impotent. I am disappointed because I expected more but at that point all I wanted was for us not to lose our balance on the pitch."Pep Guardiola, Barcelona's coach, said he was "proud the whole world has seen how we play football" but was keen not to write off Madrid or Mourinho. "Last week, you beat Almeria 8-0 and their coach was sacked," it was pointed out to Guardiola. "This week, you have beaten Madrid 5-0. Do you expect Mourinho to get the sack?" A smile and Guardiola said softly: "No." Then he left the building. Mourinho and his players had already long gone.José MourinhoReal MadridBarcelonaguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |