Showing posts with label sport. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sport. Show all posts

Benitez: Chelsea can win Premier League


Chelsea interim manager Rafa Benitez. Photo: PA
Rafael Benitez hopes a break from Stamford Bridge will help Chelsea end their goalscoring drought after watching them draw another blank against Fulham.
The Blues made it three games without finding the net and two straight goalless draws for the first time since Roman Abramovich bought the club in last night's west London derby.
That saw them slip seven points adrift of top spot in the Premier League, with interim manager Benitez so far only able to stop the rot that had set in at the back.
But despite seeing Chelsea manage a handful of shots on target across his two games in charge, the Spaniard insisted there were still goals in the side.
And he hopes matches away from home, where the Blues can play on the break, will help them regain their confidence.
"If you have more space, with the quality we have, we might have different chances," said Benitez, whose side play five of their next six matches away from Stamford Bridge, including two at the Club World Cup.
Next month's trip to Japan could see Chelsea fall even further off the pace at the top of the Premier League but Benitez insisted they were still capable of overhauling Manchester United and Manchester City to win the title.
"Why can't we?" he said, defiantly.
He added: "It's still a long way to go. We have to keep going. We'll have chances.
"Remember, last season when City were ahead and it was 'easy'.
"Then they needed to win their last game. It's a long, long competition."
Benitez admitted Chelsea need wins, starting at West Ham on Saturday, where they will once again be without John Terry and Frank Lampard, and probably Daniel Sturridge.
That almost certainly means another outing for Fernando Torres, who showed no sign of breaking his own latest goalscoring drought last night.
Chelsea fans, who kept faith with the £50million man for so long, have now started to turn.
Benitez can only dream of such patience.
After being subjected to a cacophony of jeers and abuse during his first game in charge on Sunday, he was spared a repeat until the closing moments of last night's game.
Perhaps more telling were the chants of, "We want our Chelsea back", in front of the watching Abramovich, the closest supporters have ever come to publicly criticising the club's billionaire benefactor.
The Russian must have looked at Torres and Dimitar Berbatov last night and wondered if he had spent £50million on the wrong striker.
Fulham boss Martin Jol said: "Berbatov was almost unplayable and linked our play, and we had a few chances.
"After the game, everyone said Berbatov was fantastic, and he was, but the other players worked ever so hard."

Andrew Flintoff admits 'nerves' over boxing debut

Andrew Flintoff weighs in ahead of his big fight in Manchester.
Andrew Flintoff weighs in ahead of his big fight in Manchester. Photo: PA
Former Ashes hero Andrew Flintoff said today that he feels the same nerves and apprehension on the eve of his professional boxing debut as he did before cricket matches.
The 34-year-old said that he would use those nerves to his advantage in his fight against American Richard Dawson at the Manchester Arena tomorrow.
A lean-looking Flintoff tipped the scales at 15st 6lb in today's weigh in, while Dawson is two stone heavier.
There's a lot of people who are passionate about boxing and they want to protect it, but hopefully they'll see with what we've done ... hopefully it will attract different spectators to boxing and it will show boxing for how hard it is, the sacrifices that fighters make and the journey they go on.
– Andrew Flintoff

Pietersen and Cook make English cricket history


England's Kevin Pietersen celebrates reaching his century with Alastair Cook in Adelaide in 2010.
England's Kevin Pietersen celebrates reaching his century with Alastair Cook in Adelaide in 2010. 
Kevin Pietersen wrote a new chapter in English cricket history alongside Alastair Cook today as England seized the initiative on day three of the second Test against India.
Pietersen (186) and Cook (122) both scored centuries to move level on 22 hundreds with three all-time greats in Wally Hammond, Geoff Boycott and Colin Cowdrey as England's most prolific Test centurions.

Redknapp: Beckham could still play in Premier League


David Beckham playing for the L.A. Galaxy on July 18, 2012
New QPR manager Harry Redknapp said he believes David Beckham could still play in the Premier League and has not ruled out trying to sign him to QPR. He told the BBC:
"I'm sure he could still play in the Premier League. I've not discussed it with the chairman so we'd have to look at that."
"He's a top fantastic player."We had him training at Tottenham and it was amazing to have him round the place. He is absolute class."

Former Chelsea manager Dave Sexton dies


Dave Sexton has died aged 82, the FA said. 
Former Manchester United and Chelsea manager Dave Sexton has died aged 82, the Football Association said.
The FA's director of football development Sir Trevor Brooking said: "It is a sad day for English football. Anyone who was ever coached by Dave would be able to tell you what a good man he was, but not only that, what a great coach in particular he was.
"In the last 30-40 years Dave's name was up there with any of the top coaches we have produced in England - the likes of Terry Venables, Don Howe and Ron Greenwood. His coaching was revered."

Sebastian Vettel wins F1 drivers' world championship


Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel has won the 2012 Formula One drivers' world championship after finishing the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos in sixth place.
The race was won by Jenson Button, in a McLaren, ahead of Fernando Alonso and his Ferrari team-mate

Wenger blames fatigue for Arsenal's failure to beat Aston Villa


  • Wenger blames fatigue for Arsenal's failure to beat Aston VillaArsenal manager Arsene Wenger has cited fatigue as the main reason behind his side's below-par performance following a goalless draw with Aston Villa.

    The Gunners failed to create chances against a determined Villa side as they struggle to keep pace with the top four - this point leaving them four short of Chelsea in fourth.

    The midweek victory over Montpellier appeared to take its toll on the Londoners as Jack Wilshere, Bacary Sagna and Thomas Vermaelen were all rested for the clash.

    Wenger felt that their midweek fixture had a part to play in their inability to break down the resolute opposition, but refused to criticize his side in spite of the performance.

    "No [complaints] because we tried, we had the right attitude, we lacked a little bit of fluency and accuracy in the final third," he told BBC Sport. "We couldn't create chances and when we had the opportunity to be dangerous, we didn't use them well. But I think it's down to fatigue and we had not completely recovered from Wednesday night."

    Arsenal has now scored just one goal in its last three away Premier League games, a barren run that confuses Wenger given the side's goalscoring form at the Emirates Stadium.

    "It's true. I don't really know why because we have a very offensive team, we have three offensive players in midfield. We have three strikers basically," the French coach continued. "It can happen, it happened before and, in the Premier League, it's different away from home."

United beats QPR, exposing task facing Redknapp


   
West Bromwich Albion's Romelu Lukaku, center, scores his goal from a penalty kick during their English Premier League soccer match against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light, Sunderland, England, Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012. (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)Manchester United moved back into the Premier League lead, rallying at home to beat last-place Queens Park Rangers 3-1 and exposing the task facing new Hoops manager Harry Redknapp. With Redknapp was watching from the stands hours after replacing the fired Mark Hughes, Jamie Mackie put QPR (0-9-4) ahead in the 52nd minute. But Jonny Evans tied the score in the 64th, Darren Fletcher put United ahead four minutes later and Javier Hernandez scored in the 71st.
United (10-3), which lost at Norwich last weekend, is two points ahead of defending champion Manchester City (8-4), which plays Sunday at Chelsea (7-2-3).
''We played for 10 or 15 minutes,'' United manager Alex Ferguson said. ''That was the sum total of our real performance from Manchester United. Of course it is frustrating we keep ending up in that position, but when they scored it definitely sparked us up.''
West Bromwich Albion (8-3-2), off to its best top division start since 1953, won 4-2 at Sunderland for its fourth straight victory. Zoltan Gera, Shane Long, Romelu Lukaku and Marc-Antoine Fortune scored for the Baggies, with Long stripping the ball from goalkeeper Simon Mignolet and scoring after Mignolet failed to hold onto Chris Brunt's soft two-hop through ball.
Wigan's Ali Al Habsi also had a howler in a 3-2 home win over Reading. Hal Robson-Kanu's shot deflected off Wigan's David Jones and bounced high in the air. Standing by the goal line, Al Habsi jumped and tipped the ball off the bottom of the crossbar. It rebounded off the goalkeeper and into the net, tying the score 2-all. Jordi Gomez scored his third goal of the game in the second minute of injury time, giving Wigan a 3-2 win.
Everton (5-3-5) is three points behind Chelsea after being held to a 1-1 draw by Norwich.
Steven Naismith's 12th-minute goal put the Toffees ahead, Sebastien Bassong beat American goalkeeper Tim Howard with a header in the 90th minute..
Charlie Adam scored his second goal of the season for 11th-place Stoke in a 1-0 victory over Fulham.
American goalkeeper Brad Guzan had his third shutout in 11 Premier League games since replacing Shay Given, helping Aston Villa tie visiting Arsenal 0-0. The Gunners (5-3-5) are sixth, one point behind Everton.
Some Arsenal fans at Villa Park chanted ''You don't know what you're doing'' at manager Arsene Wenger as Olivier Giroud was replaced with Francis Coquelin toward the end.
''I don't want to comment on that. I do my job and do my best for the club,'' Wenger said. ''I leave it to you to judge. I try to be as good as I can be. Is it hurtful? Look, I have managed for 30 years at the top level and I have to convince you I can manage the team?
''How many games have you managed? I promise you if you manage one I will sit in the stands and chant, 'You know what you are doing!'''
In the fourth tier, American Jon-Paul Pittman scored a tiebreaking goal in the 79th minute to give Oxford United a 2-1 win over Northampton Town.

Enrique Cerezo: No Falcao offers received


Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo has made it clear that there has been no offers made for Radamel Falcao, and insists there is nothing in the rumors.

The 64-year-old was quite keen to talk down the speculation surrounding the possible departure of the club's striker insisting Atleti will stand firm if others come knocking.

"We have not received any offer from anybody. Nor has the player come to say that he wants to leave. Enough already, there is nothing at all here," he said to La Informacion.

The former Porto hitman has been in sensational form so far this season for Los Rojiblancos, scoring 11 goals in 10 appearances in La Liga. The 26-year-old arrived at the Estadio Vicente Calderon in the summer of 2011, replacing the departing Sergio Aguero.

It is not the first time there has been huge interest in Atletico's star strikers and Cerezo insists that while it is in his hands, he is determined not to let the Colombia international leave like previous Atleti heroes.

"Falcao has a contract to fulfill but here we are sat in the middle watching what is being said. I insist that Chelsea, Borussia [Dortmund], nobody has called us, but if they do ask, they already know what there is. The same happened with "Kun" Aguero and with Fernando Torres," he explained.

Atletico currently lies second in the table just three points behind Barcelona having won 10 of its 12 games this season. The club hosts Sevilla on Sunday as it looks to make further progress in La Liga.

Barcelona’s wing-backs are just the tops


This season, FC Barcelona has possibly the best ever side of all its recent history. At least as far as scoring power goes anyway. The fantastic effort and contribution that Barca’s wingers who are playing in the defensive zone is quite remarkable. Between them we have seen seven goals this season so far and if we count Puyol’s goal that makes it eight – but he played as a central defender.
If we compare the current team to past seasons since the fabled Dream Team era, none of them come close to this team. And it’s since the Dream Team that Barcelona as a club has been the most prolific at winning titles. This is just taking into account the first 12 league games of the current season, a cup game and five European competition matches.
The wing-backs of Johan Cruyff’s team scored four goals between them in the 90-91 and 95-96 seasons respectively. Cruyff won four consecutive league titles and one European Cup. Those who scored were Sergi (2) , Albert Ferrer and Carreras with one apiece.
In the Van Gaal era of 4 seasons, only Zenden (2) and Fernando Navarro scored goals and we see similar numbers when fellow Dutchman Frank Rijkaard, who led the Catalan side from the 2003/4 season to the 2007/8 season. Rijkaard managed to get out of his wingbacks four goals in five seasons thanks to Gio (3) and Sylvinho.

Barca’s three months of records
If we take into account Guardiola’s 4 seasons as manager, Dani Alves scored 6 goals; Maxwell and Adriano scored a goal apiece, making a total of eight. Tito Vilanova’s Barca has scored an amazing seven goals in just three months of league and European competition.
Adriano, who is injured at the moment, has scored three goals. Valencia signing, Jordi Alba, has also racked up three to which we must add last Tuesday’s goal by Dani alves against spartak Moscow.
All the goals have been important to Barcelona. For example, all three of Adriano’s goals have served to open up the scoring for Barca and which earned his team three points against Valencia.
Jordi Alba opened the scoring against Deportivo and earned the club a win against Celtic in the third round of the group stage of the Champions League in extra time.
Barcelona travel to Valencia to meet Levante tomorrow (Sunday) and will be looking to put more points between themselves and Real Madrid. Levante will be no pushover though and will be looking to take a point or three from Tito’s team especially as they are playing at home. Kick-off is on Sunday at 15:30 E.T.