TOP 100 SOCCER SITES
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| BLOG: De Vos: Landon Donovan making the right move? Last week, English Premier League side Everton finally completed their protracted loan move for Landon Donovan, who will join the Toffees until mid-March, when he will rejoin his Los Angeles Galaxy teammates for their MLS season opener on March 27th. cbc.cacbc.ca |
BenÃtez admits Liverpool must beat Villa The Liverpool manager says his team 'have to keep winning to get fourth place', starting at Villa Park tomorrowRafael BenÃtez has said that Liverpool's confidence and Champions League credentials will be under scrutiny at Villa Park tomorrow. The Spaniard is considering whether to give the midfielder Alberto Aquilani a second start in four days.Liverpool are five points behind Aston Villa after their Boxing Day win over Wolverhampton Wanderers and Aston Villa's subsequent loss to Arsenal but they have not won successive league matches since September and have several injury problems. Fábio Aurélio and Yossi Benayoun missed the Wolves match, with calf and hamstring problems, and there are doubts over whether Aquilani, who made his full league debut against Wolves, and Fernando Torres can start games in such quick succession."After the win over Wolves we will have more confidence and that will be very good for the whole team but we know we have to keep winning to get fourth place," said BenÃtez."We must discover if we have the confidence now to win there and to get closer to the top of the table. But we know Villa are a very good team who are ahead of us, and one we must beat. To get back to where we want to be we must start winning games in a row. If we do that at Villa it will be easier for us to keep our confidence higher."Aquilani said he had been taken aback by the pace of the game against Wolves, who had a man sent off after 52 minutes."I really enjoyed the game as it was important for me; I want to improve my fitness," said the Italian, who has been dogged by injury this season. "It was so different to anything I have experienced, as it was so quick and you never really had much time. The football we played was so fast. The most important thing, however, was that we won."BenÃtez denied that his guarantee, earlier in the season, of a top-four finish had increased the pressure on his players.He said: "People keep asking me why I said recently that I would categorically guarantee that we will be in the top four – but what do you expect from me? I have to say that."We have confidence and we have to do it because we are a top side."Rafael BenÃtezLiverpoolPremier LeagueAndy Hunterguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
City target Crystal Palace striker Moses • Big spenders target seventh forward• Palace put £5m price tag on youngsterManchester City's position at the forefront of transfer-window business has seen them open negotiations with Crystal Palace to try to reach a fee for their talented young striker Victor Moses.City have identified Moses as a possible star of the future and hope to capitalise on Palace's financial problems by agreeing terms to make the 19-year-old the seventh striker on the club's books.Brian Marwood, City's football administrator, has already spoken extensively to Palace but made it clear to the Championship club that his employers would not be persuaded to spend in excess of the player's true worth just because of the immense wealth afforded to them by their owner in Abu Dhabi.Simon Jordan, the Palace chairman, is looking for a figure of around £5m, citing the fee that Aston Villa paid Leeds United for Fabian Delph. Several other Premier League clubs have been monitoring Moses and West Bromwich Albion have failed with a £1.5m bid for a player who has scored seven times in his last seven appearances.Transfer windowManchester CityCrystal PalaceDaniel Taylorguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Burnley name Laws as Coyle's successor • Laws moves up a division after Sheffield Wednesday sacking• Burnley had failed in approach for Doncaster's Sean O'DriscollBurnley have confirmed the appointment of Brian Laws as their new manager on a two and a half-year contract – having been "impressed by the way Brian consistently achieved relative success in his former post at Sheffield Wednesday".Earlier in the day Doncaster Rovers had announced that their manager, Sean O'Driscoll, would be remaining at the club after a failed Burnley approach for his services. O'Driscoll had been considered favourite to succeed Owen Coyle at Turf Moor, but it is understood that Burnley were unable to agree a compensation package.Laws, a former Burnley player, had been a free agent after being sacked by Sheffield Wednesday last month. The 48-year-old will be joined by his former Wednesday assistant Russell Wilcox, while Graham Alexander, Burnley's 38-year-old captain, has been handed a new role as a player-coach.Laws told the club's website: "I am sure there are a lot of Burnley fans asking: 'Why Brian Laws?'"Well let me tell you, I have followed Burnley since I was 16 years old, when I joined the club. I have had an affinity with this club for a long time and I am really honoured to have the privilege of managing it in the Premier League."This is a fantastic opportunity. Owen Coyle has done a fantastic job at this club. Nobody can ever take that away and I wouldn't want to even try. But at this moment in time he has dropped the baton and we want to pick it up with the supporters and drive on over the finishing line, which means we will have stayed in the Premier League."That is our drive and ambition and I will do everything in my power to achieve that because this great club is where it should be."Laws began his playing career at Burnley in 1979 before moving on to Huddersfield, Middlesbrough and Nottingham Forest, where he enjoyed his best years. He then began as player-manager at Grimsby before taking over at Scunthorpe.After almost 10 years at Glanford Park, he then moved to Hillsborough in 2006 and kept them in the Championship despite their lack of resources. He guided them to a mid-table finish last season but then paid the price for a poor start to the current season and was sacked before Christmas.That has not concerned Burnley, who are convinced they have got the right man. The Burnley chairman, Barry Kilby, said: "He has been the first choice out of some really excellent candidates. We have been really impressed by his demeanour and his passion for Burnley Football Club. He stands out. Being an ex-player and having an affection for us helped as well."I think his record at Sheffield Wednesday, when you look at the budget Brian had to work with, was excellent as well. Burnley, being the size we are, we have to work within our budgets. It is an exact fit for us."Kilby admitted the club did speak to O'Driscoll but insists compensation was not an issue because a decision was made to appoint Laws. He added: "It wasn't compensation, there were no stumbling blocks. We had several excellent candidates, of which Sean was one. It was simply Brian came out in front of the pack and is the one we have chosen to give this job to and I'm sure we'll have success. They're all gambles. You never really know until you get out on that pitch. There are parallels from when we took Owen on and let's hope it is successful."A club statement read: "The Burnley board have been particularly impressed by the way Brian consistently achieved relative success in his former post at Sheffield Wednesday, while operating with one of the lowest wage and transfer budgets in the Championship."The results of a Deloitte and Touche study, delivered at the club's request, confirm that he was top of the list of Championship managers over the period 2006-2009, in terms of delivering the best results relative to financial budgets."There is no doubt Laws is an experienced manager having taken over at Grimsby in 1994, although his time there is best remembered for the plate of chicken wings he threw at the player Ivano Bonetti in a dressing-room row. The plate broke the Italian's cheekbone.Laws went on to guide Scunthorpe to promotion twice in almost 10 years at Glanford Park, but there was controversy there, too, when he was sacked and then reinstated amid a power struggle in 2004.Nevertheless, his appointment represents a remarkable transformation of fortunes for someone who endured chants of "You don't know what you're doing" just weeks ago.Laws added: "I am a workaholic and I have plied my trade in all the divisions. Even though I am only 48, I feel I have a lot of games under my belt and a lot of experience."The only area I have to get experience as a manager is in the top flight. However, you have to start somewhere. I have only had two jobs in the last 13 years and I have been consistent through that period. This is the first time I have been out of work in 30 years, so that tells you I must have something."Brian LawsBurnleyPremier Leagueguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Manchester derby security to be increased in wake of Tevez-Neville row • Extra police to be deployed at Carling Cup second leg• Carlos Tevez's agent Kia Joorabchian defends playerPolicing at next week's Carling Cup semi-final second leg between Manchester United and Manchester City is to be increased amid fears that the spat between Carlos Tevez and Gary Neville could lead to issues with security.An extra 75 police will be on duty on Wednesday and spot checks will be made at pubs around the ground in what is described as "the highest risk" game at Old Trafford this season.The first leg, which City won 2-1, saw Tevez and the United substitute Neville exchange gestures and later Tevez called his former team-mate "a moron" and "a boot-licker". The United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, also claimed that Tevez should have been sent off during the match at Eastlands.Tevez's agent, Kia Joorabchian, admitted the frosty relations between the two, which arose from Neville's insistence that Ferguson was right not to keep Tevez at Old Trafford, could spill over into Wednesday's encounter."Carlos played two years at Manchester United and he has very good relationships with a lot of the players," Joorabchian told BBC Radio 5 Live. "He admires and likes Wayne Rooney and Patrice Evra and Ryan Giggs and he considers a lot of them friends of his."I don't think he will expect to have any atmosphere in relation to the players. But I guess he and Gary Neville are not going to be very good friends any time shortly."Police made 18 arrests at last week's match and expect to make more before Wednesday's return after viewing video cameras. Ian Hopkins, the assistant chief constable of Greater Manchester police, revealed talks would take place tomorrow with United and City officials and the Football Association in a bid to prevent any trouble.Hopkins said he would also be reminding the players they have a responsibility not to provoke unrest in the stands."I will be meeting with both the clubs again along with the FA tomorrow to discuss the general crowd behaviour and making sure that they understand their responsibility not to do anything that's likely to incite the crowd," he said."We will be making the points very strongly that the players are professionals, they need to recognise the impact they can have on the crowd and it's going to be really passionate again on Wednesday. There's a lot at stake for both teams and for the fans."Joorabchian, meanwhile, insisted that Tevez is not bitter at leaving United and his dispute is with Neville alone.Joorabchian said: "If you don't have respect and class you have to accept that [Tevez is] entitled to say something back. Gary Neville stepped into something that maybe he shouldn't have done and since he didn't have that respect Carlos felt he had to answer."I don't think he [Tevez] has ever been bitter to Manchester United. I don't think Carlos came anywhere near hitting his peak at Manchester United. In the next three or four years he has a lot more to offer."The player's advisor also believes the feud with Neville has only increased the anticipation around the match. "When I went to the City match I saw an atmosphere which was absolutely unbelievable, a great vibe, so much passion in it," he said. "This little bitter matter has done nothing but improve this passion and it will give us an even greater build-up and a greater excitement."Manchester UnitedManchester CityCarling Cupguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |