Suarez brings bite to Barca attack

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Luis Suarez’s selfless style has helped instil a spirit of camaraderie into Barca’s deadly attacks.

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Barcelona – After a slow start at Barcelona, Luis Suarez now has a strike rate comparable to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, while his selfless style has also helped instil a spirit of camaraderie within their deadly attack.

In recent seasons, Barca’s play was emphasised by their short-passing football but now it is the ruthlessness of their forward trio that is propelling the club towards a second treble in six years.

Messi, Suarez and Neymar have amassed 108 goals between them and have the Spanish record of 118 goals scored by Real Madrid trio Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Gonzalo Higuain in the 2011-12 season well and truly in their sights.

Suarez arrived from Liverpool under a cloud following his four-month biting ban but now settled in, he has 17 goals from his last 16 games in all competitions following Barca’s 8-0 demolition of Cordoba on Saturday.

During his first few months in the side after his comeback in October, he was praised for his team ethic and providing assists. It is only now that the goals have started to come freely while his unselfish attitude has proved contagious.

Against Cordoba, Messi also hit a double but despite his competition with Ronaldo to be the league’s top scorer, he turned down the opportunity for a hat-trick by allowing Neymar to take a penalty.

The Argentine’s action comes in stark contrast to a week ago, when Ronaldo was angry that Alvaro Arbeloa nipped in ahead of him to score against Almeria, leading to some whistles from the Bernabeu crowd.

“I am very happy at the moment and this is all down to the support and confidence that my team mates have given me,” Suarez told reporters.

“Without them and my family I would not be scoring these goals.”

Suarez immediately struck up a close friendship with Messi and this, along with their effective link-up play, is a reason why the Argentine is enjoying his football again.

After a lean 2014, he now has 40 La Liga goals, two behind Ronaldo, and the impact of Suarez has certainly taken some of the pressure off him.

Barca remain on course to repeat the 2009 side’s treble, sitting at the top of the La Liga standings with a two-point advantage over Real Madrid with three games to go.

They also face Athletic Bilbao in the King’s Cup final but before that comes a Champions League semi-final first leg with Bayern Munich on Wednesday. – Reuters



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Carver under fire over remark

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John Carver is coming under increased fire after suggesting a Magpies defender got himself sent off on purpose.

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London – Newcastle United interim manager John Carver is coming under increased media fire after suggesting defender Mike Williamson got himself sent off “on purpose” during Saturday’s 3-0 Premier League defeat at Leicester City.

Williamson earned a second yellow card for a reckless barge on Leicester striker Jamie Vardy after 62 minutes, before Daryl Janmaat was dismissed in stoppage time as Newcastle suffered an eighth defeat in a row and fell to 15th in the table, two points clear of the relegation zone with three games remaining.

“I thought he’d done that on purpose, it looks like he did,” Carver told reporters. “The ball was off the pitch, he had no need to make the challenge. He will miss two games. Is it an easy way out?”

Former Newcastle striker Michael Owen, who was relegated to the Championship with the north-east club in 2009, believes Carver’s comments could do more harm than good.

“Amazing quotes from Carver. Fans may like that type of honesty but as a manager, I’m not sure you can say things like that,” Owen wrote on Twitter. “I guess we haven’t heard the end of this one.”

Carver has won two out of 16 Premier League games as manager after replacing Alan Pardew in January and ex-England defender Martin Keown is unsure if the former assistant is up to the demands of leading the side.

“When you’re in a position like Newcastle are in, you have to stick together but John Carver is digging players out,” Keown told the BBC.

“There was a lack of desire, granted, but he is out of his depth at the moment. It’s not just about demanding the effort. He needs guidance on how to behave because he is taking players apart.”

Former Wales midfielder Robbie Savage, part of the Derby County side that were relegated from the Premier League in 2008 with just 11 points, said he could understand if Williamson and Janmaat wanted to get sent off.

“I played in the worst Premier League team of all time – that Derby side of 2007-08 – and there were times when, with the crowd against you, that I thought: ‘If I get sent of here I’ll miss the next few games.’ Because playing was making it worse,” Savage told the BBC.

“There are only two people who will ever know... Williamson and Janmaat.” – Reuters



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United lose, again!

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Manchester United lost their third consecutive Premier League game when they lost to West Bromwich Albion at Old Trafford.

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London - Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal cut a frustrated figure after his team lost 1-0 at home to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, their third successive defeat in the Premier League.

The optimism engendered by victories over Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool and Manchester City has been dispelled by defeats to Chelsea, Everton and West Brom and United's hopes of finishing fourth are again hanging in the balance.

“We knew in advance that they'd park the bus, we have to deal with that,” Van Gaal told the BBC.

“In the second half we had enough chances, you have to finish. It's now the third match. We have to take care of that.”

United dominated possession against West Brom but rarely looked like scoring at a subdued Old Trafford and they remained fourth in the table, four points above fifth-placed Liverpool with three games left.

The visitors struck after 63 minutes when Chris Brunt's free kick was fortunately deflected in by team mate Jonas Olsson.

United's Robin van Persie then had a penalty saved before inspired West Brom goalkeeper Boaz Myhill stood firm in the face of late pressure from the hosts.

“The players are very disappointed and the manager is disappointed,” Van Gaal said. “We have to evaluate what we are doing bad and what we are doing good and how we can improve.”

West Brom are 13th with 40 points and virtually guaranteed to avoid the drop.

“You need to be organised, resilient and have a bit of luck. We had that in abundance,” said manager Tony Pulis.

“It takes a lot of work and commitment from the players, 90 percent of it is dealing with people off the ball.

“I don't think it was a penalty. The referee was 60 yards away, the linesman was 10 yards away and gives a corner, so I don't know how that happens.” – Reuters



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Drogba can't wait for 'crazy' Sunday

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Didier Drogba is expecting a “crazy” Stamford Bridge atmosphere when Chelsea attempt to clinch the Premier League title.

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London - Veteran striker Didier Drogba is expecting a “crazy” Stamford Bridge atmosphere when Chelsea attempt to clinch the Premier League title for the first time in five years with a win at home to Crystal Palace on Sunday.

The 37-year-old former Ivory Coast international is dreaming of an avalanche of goals against London rivals Palace, just like 2010 when Chelsea wrapped up the championship with an 8-0 home drubbing of Wigan Athletic.

“I remember when we had to play Wigan to win the title, the atmosphere was crazy,” Drogba told the club's in-house television channel. “I think Sunday is going to be the same and I hope we are going to score a lot of goals for the fans.

“It's a derby as well. Crystal Palace are going to come and show what they can do and try to disturb us but really I think Sunday has to be a blue day.”

Drogba was on the bench for much of this season until top scorer Diego Costa suffered a hamstring injury in a 3-2 victory at Hull City on March 22 and since then the Ivorian has featured regularly in the starting lineup.

“I can't wait for Sunday,” he said. “We just want to win the league now, that's the most important thing.

“Everybody is focused, everybody is waiting for Sunday to happen and to come quick because we really want to play that game.”

Jose Mourinho's Chelsea have a 13-point lead at the top of the table with five matches left to play.

Reuters



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Ajax braced for Celtic

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Roger de Sa faces a rather intricate and elaborate juggling act as the Premier Soccer League season draws to a close.

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Cape Town - Roger de Sa faces a rather intricate and elaborate juggling act as the Premier Soccer League season draws to a close.

Not only does he have three tricky fixtures to negotiate before the league seasons ends, he also has to ensure that his men are fresh and ready for the Nedbank Cup final against Mamelodi Sundowns in Port Elizabeth on May 16.

De Sa is also not able to simply disregard the league games, because he is set on finishing in a top-eight position. As things stand on the PSL table, according to De Sa, Ajax are still three points short of their objective.

The Ajax coach has, all season, maintained that 40 points should be enough to secure a top-eight spot. They are currently on 37 points, three away from De Sa’s target.

Champions Kaizer Chiefs are on 66 points, a whopping 18 clear of second- and third-placed Orlando Pirates and Sundowns respectively, a clear indication of how dominant they have been this season. In fourth are Wits on 45 points, followed by Bloemfontein Celtic (40), Ajax (37), Maritzburg United (36), SuperSport United (35) and Polokwane City on 34 points.

With Ajax taking on Bloem Celtic in the Free State tomorrow afternoon (kick-off 3.30pm), and then following that up with home games against Moroka Swallows and Pirates, De Sa will have to box clever to ensure that his key men are energised for their cup showdown with Sundowns.

Already in midweek, in a 1-0 away defeat to Maritzburg, the Ajax tactician rested the likes of Rivaldo Coetzee, Erwin Isaacs and Nathan Paulse, and, chances are, he will again juggle his starting team tomorrow. It’s a difficult and tricky task but De Sa, having coached a bloated squad at Pirates before, will have a good idea of how to go about things.

In Celtic, though, Ajax are up against a team in the form of their life. Their last two games saw them hammering Sundowns 5-0, and then travelling to Port Elizabeth to edge Chippa United 2-1. To make things even more difficult, the home side are notoriously difficult to beat at home.

The Free Staters battled earlier on in the season, when Ernst Middendorp was the coach, but since former Pirates and Manning Rangers midfielder Clinton Larsen returned to steer the ship, things have changed for the better.

“The players were a bit tense when they got into goal-scoring positions when I came back as coach.” said Larsen. “It was the first thing I noticed… my main focus was then to get them to relax, to not worry about the bench or the supporters. And it seems to have worked.”

Ajax defeated Celtic at home recently in a cup tie, but this, of course, is a completely different game. And, with the Capetonians being rather abysmal away from home this season, there’s no doubt they are in for a tough encounter.

“It will be difficult,” acknowledged Ajax assistant coach Ian Taylor. “But we’ve got to go there and try to get the points. We were very good in our away match in midweek, even though we lost to Maritzburg, because we squandered so many opportunities. We can use the positives from that match and take it into the Celtic game.”

PSL fixtures

Saturday: Free State Stars v Chippa United; Wits v Black Aces; AmaZulu v SuperSport United.

Sunday: Platinum Stars v Mamelodi Sundowns; Bloem Celtic v Ajax Cape Town (Kaizer Sebothelo Stadium, 3.30pm)

Weekend Argus



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Sterling is staying says Liverpool

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Liverpool will take a stand against Raheem Sterling and won’t sell him even if he does not sign a new contract.

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London - Liverpool will take a stand against Raheem Sterling this summer and won’t sell him even if he does not sign a new contract.

Sterling and his advisor, Aidy Ward, told Liverpool last month they wanted to stop talks over a new deal until the campaign was over. The England international was offered new terms, worth about £100,000 a week, last October and by leaving the contract unsigned, he has lost out on more than £1.5million in salary.

When Sterling (below) gave an interview to the BBC last month, he said he would assess his situation at the end of the season. But Liverpool have since tumbled out of contention for a top-four spot and lost in the FA Cup semi-final.

There will be renewed speculation and agitation about Sterling’s future, with Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal monitoring his position, but manager Brendan Rodgers has made it clear that Liverpool have no intention of selling the 20-year-old.

Rodgers has headed off the threat of a transfer request being handed in. He revealed that he invited Sterling around to his house for talks, following a difficult personal period in which the player was pictured inhaling nitrous oxide and using a a shisha pipe.

‘Raheem won’t be going anywhere this summer, even if there’s not a deal agreed. We’ve made that clear from the beginning,’ said Rodgers, who will recall Steven Gerrard for Saturday’s game against QPR.

‘I think Raheem looks a lot more relaxed now than he has done for a while. We had a couple of good meetings. He came to the house and had a good chat on a personal level as well. It’s not just about the football side, it’s also about his welfare because he’s still young and he’s been through a lot in the last couple of years. So I talked to him generally and I think he’s in a good place at the moment. We had a good chat and it was about making himself comfortable.’

Liverpool did something similar when Luis Suarez first agitated to leave in the summer of 2013 but Rodgers is relaxed about how the situation will unfold and added: ‘The club will meet up again with Raheem’s representatives and we’ll reinforce it (the message).

‘Look, everyone wants to win trophies, everyone wants to play in the big competitions. But it’s also important that you have the opportunity to do that. So we’ll just be reinforcing our stance that’s been in place all the way along - that this is the best club for him at this moment.’

Rodgers, meanwhile, is unclear whether Daniel Sturridge will need surgery to solve the hip problem that is likely to end his campaign. The England forward is in Boston seeing specialists attached to the Red Sox baseball team to determine the extent of the damage.

Fenway Sports Group, Liverpool’s owners, made a big commitment to Sturridge last October when they handed him a new deal worth up to £150 000 a week. Rodgers admitted they are as anxious as he is to see the 25-year-old fit again.

‘They are showing their support, which we want to give all of our players by making sure they get the best possible treatment that we can,’ said Rodgers. ‘If there are specialists in other fields in different countries then we’ll do everything we can to get players fit.

‘The importance he has for us is pretty clear when he’s fully fit.’

Daily Mail



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Wenger: Jose lacks respect

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Arsene Wenger fired the latest shot in his war of words with Jose Mourinho, branding the Chelsea boss disrespectful.

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London - Arsene Wenger fired the latest shot in his war of words with Jose Mourinho on Friday, branding the Chelsea manager disrespectful.

In response to home fans chanting ‘boring, boring Chelsea’ during last weekend’s goalless draw at the Emirates Stadium, Mourinho claimed it was Arsenal’s 10-year title drought that was boring.

When asked about the jibe on Friday, Wenger said: ‘The biggest thing for a manager is to respect other managers. Some people have to improve on that.

‘Look, everybody lives with his own internal problems and I live with mine. That’s enough.

‘You can have incidents with other managers sometimes. It gets a bit heated when you fight directly with them, but in the end I believe time heals and the important thing is to respect each other as much as you can.’

Mourinho, when asked about Wenger’s comments during his press conference, refused to comment.

But privately the Portuguese, whose side can clinch the title tomorrow with victory at home to Crystal Palace, is said to be furious with Wenger’s disparaging remarks.

Daily Mail



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Rooney fit for Man United

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Wayne Rooney is fit to lead the Man United attack against West Bromwich Albion, coach Louis van Gaal said.

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London - Wayne Rooney is fit to lead the Manchester United attack in the weekend's Premier League game at home to West Bromwich Albion, coach Louis van Gaal said on Friday.

The England captain limped off near the end of Sunday's 3-0 loss at Everton with a knee injury but will be available to face West Brom at Old Trafford on Saturday.

“Rooney is fit to play, it was not so heavy as we expected,” Van Gaal told reporters.

Defender Phil Jones and striker Robin van Persie have also recovered from injuries but Luke Shaw and Jonny Evans will not play as United bid to consolidate fourth place in the table.

“Jones is fit but we have to see his match rhythm, but Shaw has trouble with his groin so he cannot play,” Van Gaal said.

United have lost their last two games, ending a resurgence in form that took them above champions Manchester City in the race for second place behind runaway leaders Chelsea.

Van Gaal said he had been given three years by the club to bring the Premier League title back to Old Trafford for the first time since 2013.

“The board has given me three years for that objective,” Van Gaal said.

“This year we have not challenged Chelsea but we are very close to second position.

“Chelsea are far above the other clubs. Next year it can be different. Next year we shall be better prepared.”

West Brom manager Tony Pulis believes Van Gaal will start to feel the pressure next year.

“Louis has obviously spent a bit of money and brought quite a few players in, I think he has had a year to look at it,” Pulis said.

“Next year he has to come close to winning the league - he'll know that.

“It's been great experience for him this year. I'm sure he'll add a few players to the squad next year. They'll want to win it, I see them getting stronger, I can't see them getting weaker.”

Reuters



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Palace determined to make Chelsea wait

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Crystal Palace are determined to bounce back from a disappointing performance to delay Chelsea's title celebrations.

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London - Crystal Palace are determined to bounce back from a disappointing performance last weekend to delay Chelsea's Premier League title celebrations, manager Alan Pardew said on Friday.

Palace lost 2-0 at home to struggling Hull City last time out and a third defeat in a row at Chelsea on Sunday would seal the title for their London rivals.

“Last weekend was below the group's standard. I didn't even need to tell them, they told me,” Pardew told reporters.

“It was by far the worst performance during my time here. We have worked really hard to put that right.

“This is one terrific group of players. Our solution this week has been to work hard. Work on our fitness levels, our technical skills and our team shape.”

Pardew knows all about the strengths of Chelsea.

“I know Stamford Bridge well. If there is a team that I know well, it'd be Chelsea,” he said.

“I studied there. We've got to try and produce a performance that doesn't get carried away in the emotion of the day. They will dominate possession and the two thirds of the pitch that we have to defend, but we carry a threat.”

Palace are sitting comfortably in 12th place in the table, guaranteed another season in the top flight.

“We always knew it was tough. We wanted to get the job done and we've done that. We need to respond following our recent defeats,” Pardew said.

“For ourselves and to keep the Premier League title race interesting.

“They have lost two games this season - one to Spurs, one to Newcastle. That's an outstanding record. I think Chelsea, in terms of quality and the team they have, the manager they have, will win the league.”

Reuters



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Rodgers ready to revamp Liverpool

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Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is expecting a busy close season.

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London - Shopping for new players, solving Daniel Sturridge's injury problems and getting Liverpool back in the Champions League, Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is expecting a busy close season.

His team finished Premier League runners up last season but despite investing heavily after Luis Suarez's departure to Barcelona, they have struggled to build on their success and are lying fifth in the table with four games left.

“Come the end of the season you look to improve the squad,” Rodgers told a news conference on Friday.

“What I've said is we have been short of goals this season, but that's not the strikers, it's the whole team.

“Wide players, midfielders, defenders. These are areas we want to improve on. I knew 100 percent the model here. We have a real good team of people here. We have to look at it and see how we can improve our squad again.”

Next on Rodgers' to-do list is trying to find a long-term solution to Sturridge's fitness problems.

The 25-year-old has been sidelined by hip and thigh injuries and has only played 18 games in this campaign, scoring five goals, compared to 33 appearances last season and 24 goals.

“We have found some underlying issues that have related to the problems he's had,” Rodgers said. “We are just doing everything we possibly can to get him fit.

“Daniel wants to play and be available. This has been a season that he wanted to build on. He has had issues throughout his career but we wanted to give him the chance when he came here to be one of the best in Europe.”

Liverpool trail fourth-placed Manchester United by seven points and Rodgers admits Champions League qualification could be out of reach.

Queens Park Rangers travel to Anfield on Saturday in desperate need of victory to boost their survival chances as they are four points behind 17th-placed Leicester City.

“This isn't a team lacking effort or commitment. They will fight right to the end,” Rodgers said.

“We won 10 out of 13 and confidence was high. In couple of big games we fell short and that can dent your confidence.

“It will be a tough game against QPR. (Charlie) Austin and (Bobby) Zamora are a real handful. We totally respect them and their fight.”

Reuters



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Injuries hurt Arsenal's title bid, says Wenger

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“We had injuries to key players after the World Cup. We needed to find balance in the team. Looking back, we dropped big points...

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London - Although pleased with the progress of his Arsenal side this season, manager Arsene Wenger is frustrated injuries have hampered the Gunners' premier league challenge.

Fourth-placed finishers for the last two seasons, Arsenal currently sit third, level on 67 points with second-placed Manchester City, but with a game in hand.

The Gunners have not lost in the league since a 2-1 away defeat away to north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur in February, but despite their fine run of form they are 13 points behind champions-elect Chelsea.

“We have made progress so I look at it in a positive way,” Wenger told reporters on Friday. “What you want to show during the season, is that you are getting better. We were faced with a big challenge especially with Chelsea out in front.

“They have proved to be more consistent from the start to the end and we weren't able to reel them in.

“We had injuries to key players after the World Cup. We needed to find balance in the team. Looking back, we dropped big points... and that was a big disappointment.”

Chelsea can seal the title with a win against Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, and Wenger believes their ability to grind out results is what sets them apart from the rest.

“Once you are fighting for the Championship you win some games because you smell you can do it, games that you don't necessarily win if you are fourth or fifth. That doesn't always represent the value of the team,” Wenger said.

“The gap is there because they have been more consistent than us from start to end. They had a very strong start, and that got them through to the end.”

Arsenal travel to Hull City on Monday hoping to edge ahead of Manchester City in the race for second place, and leave fourth-placed Manchester United further behind.

“Manchester City had ups and downs and started stronger than us and were in front for a long time. Manchester United had a slow start and became stronger,” Wenger said.

“We fight with each other to show who will be the best at the end. The only thing I can say is if we do well we can get in front of them.”

Reuters



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It's Bale of the century

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Man United’s ever-increasing financial muscle means Louis van Gaal can pursue Gareth Bale if he becomes available.

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London - Manchester United’s ever-increasing financial muscle means manager Louis van Gaal can pursue his major summer transfer targets and still have enough for Gareth Bale if he becomes available before next season.

Van Gaal’s first serious assault on the Barclays Premier League title next season will be built on the back of a £100million surge in transfer funds driven by a return to the Champions League and United’s mammoth new kit deal with adidas.

United will net about £50m for returning to Europe and another £75m from the first instalment of the record adidas contract that starts on August 1. With the huge new Premier League TV deal due to kick in a year later and United one of the few clubs in Europe largely untroubled by Financial Fair Play rules, United’s board are happy to spend big this summer.

This means that Van Gaal can pursue his prime summer targets such as Dortmund defender Mats Hummels, PSV midfielder Memphis Depay and Southampton full back Nathaniel Clyne knowing that there will still be money for Bale.

United are also in the market for a world-class centre forward and possibly a goalkeeper if David de Gea decides to leave for Madrid.

United are desperate to keep De Gea and will not consider using him as leverage to get Bale. Any deal for the Welshman will be based on a straight cash offer.United spent heavily last summer with Angel di Maria, Ander Herrera and Luke Shaw taking their outlay above the £100m mark. This year, they could well top that as they look to make up lost ground on Manchester City and Chelsea.

Madrid have not yet signalled their intention regarding Bale but United will head the queue if he does become available. The Spaniards tend to sell one marquee player every summer and United have tracked Bale since he was a teenager at Southampton.

Van Gaal and United chief executive Ed Woodward want to do most of their business before United go on tour in mid-July but Bale could be the exception as Madrid often do their selling in late summer.As for De Gea, United are waiting for the goalkeeper to decide.

With a £200 000-a-week offer on the table, it is understood he is torn between returning to Spain to be with his girlfriend staying two more years in England.

United also want to keep Adnan Januzaj but plan on converting him into a centre forward. The 20-year-old Belgian has played a bit-part since Van Gaal’s arrival but those who have worked with Januzaj at youth level believe he has the game to play as a central striker.

Radamel Falcao looks set to leave this summer, leaving only Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney and rookie James Wilson as Van Gaal’s recognised strikers. A move for Burnley’s Danny Ings is being considered but Januzaj will get the chance to convince in pre-season.

Meanwhile, United expect midfielder Tom Cleverley to join Everton permanently when his loan spell at Aston Villa runs out next month and will reluctantly take back Portuguese winger Nani from his loan at Sporting Lisbon, who cannot afford to buy him.

Daily Mail



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Jose: Take points off City for FFP sins

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Jose Mourinho says Man City should have been docked points for failing to meet UEFA Financial Fair Play guidelines.

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London - Jose Mourinho says Manchester City should have been docked points for failing to meet UEFA Financial Fair Play guidelines and vowed that Chelsea would never break those rules.

The Chelsea manager, now in touching distance of his third Barclays Premier League title after Wednesday night’s win at Leicester, refused to back down when it comes to his views on big-spending City.

City were fined £49million last year for breaching FFP guidelines and hit with a spending cap but Mourinho said last night: ‘When Manchester City pays off 50 millions of fine because they exceeded the FFP, I think it’s unfair. FFP should be fulfilled and that’s it.

‘(Clubs) should be punished with loss of points. Our owner (Roman Abramovich) wants to fulfil FFP. He doesn’t want to enter these dynamics of paying the fine.

‘FFP benefits clubs like Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern, who have a big fan base and get huge revenues on sponsorship and merchandising. At Chelsea, for instance, we refuse to pay any fine. We live with what we produce.

‘I feel really well about that. It forces us to be better, to manage better our resources, to live with what we create.

‘It forces us to think more. We have to sell in order to buy, to be aware of what you sell and what you buy.’

In an interview with the official magazine of the Portuguese FA, Mourinho said that the Premier League is the best in the world but adds that the hectic Christmas period costs English clubs when European competition resumes. ‘England will always have the most spectacular league,’ he said. ‘There’s no Real Madrid, Barcelona or Bayern, it’s true, but as a league it’s the most spectacular. The product they sell is appealing. Many millions watch Sunderland against Newcastle, for example.

‘In Europe, there are several factors that can explain it. The first is Christmas. I love to play during that period, no matter how hard it is for my family.

‘It’s a bit like the actor who has a theatre play on Christmas Day - people want to go to the theatre on that day. But I can’t agree that there’s no (break) after that superhuman period.

‘Get to February and English teams are struggling.’

Mourinho also spoke about his relationship with former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

Asked if he missed his rival, he said: ‘Not the man, we talk more often now, on the telephone and even personally.

‘We met in London, Paris... but I miss a bit my opponent Alex Ferguson. I always asked him a lot of questions.

‘I remember a chat we had when he was still coaching, before Manchester United-Real Madrid (in March 2013).

‘We both had butterflies in our stomachs and I asked him: “Does this ever change?”.

‘He told me: “No! It will be like this until the end!”. I told him that was my plan.

‘Now I ask him if he’s fine, if he’s happy and if he regrets. And he’s happy.’

Daily Mail



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Sturridge back in US over surgery fear

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Daniel Sturridge has gone to see a specialist in Boston to determine whether he needs surgery to sort out his hip.

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London - Daniel Sturridge has gone to see a US specialist in Boston to determine whether he needs surgery to sort out a troublesome hip.

The Liverpool and England striker has played only twice since being injured against Manchester United on March 22 and his club manager Brendan Rodgers last week cast doubt on whether he would play again this season.

That now seems even more unlikely after Sturridge was booked in to see Dr Peter Asnis, an orthopaedic surgeon connected to baseball’s Boston Red Sox.

It is the second time the 25-year-old has been sent to America. Last December he was in Los Angeles and then Boston, working on a thigh problem that had kept him out for five months.

Rodgers will now step up efforts to sign a new striker this summer. PSV Eindhoven’s Memphis Depay is the top target and the Holland star seems keen on the move. Sturridge has endured a year to forget because of fitness issues - as has full back Jon Flanagan, who has been ruled out for up to nine months by further knee surgery.

Apart from 31 minutes of a charity match in March, the 22-year-old has not played for Liverpool at all this season because of knee and cartilage problems.

He is out of contract this summer, although Rodgers said the club were keen to sort out his future.

Liverpool’s recent form has been poor but they need to qualify for Europe to have a chance of signing James Milner from Manchester City on a free transfer when the window opens.

Arsenal and Roma are also hovering but the 29-year-old wants a North West club - providing they are involved in European competition.

Daily Mail



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EPL teams battle to avoid relegation

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The congested battle to avoid relegation from the Premier League is set for a tense finish this season.

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London - The congested battle to avoid relegation from the Premier League is set for a tense finish with Leicester City, Burnley and Queens Park Rangers hoping to avoid becoming the first promoted sides in 17 years to all go down.

The only time since the Premier League's inception in 1992 that all three sides who came up from the second tier were immediately relegated was in the 1997-98 campaign when Barnsley, Bolton Wanderers and Crystal Palace all failed to beat the drop.

Bottom side Burnley have won just one of their last 13 league fixtures, but despite their struggles boss Sean Dyche has

been praised by many who predicted his side would be dead and buried by now.

“It's different for us, I said to the lads 'you've been written off now, you've been written off all season', so it makes no difference to us,” Dyche said after his side's defeat to Leicester last weekend.

QPR's resistance has not been helped by a dismal away record, an ageing squad and former manager Harry Redknapp's surprise decision to step down in February.

Sunderland currently occupy 18th spot, the final relegation place.

They are a point behind 17th-placed Leicester, but boast a crucial game in hand on Nigel Pearson's side, whose run of four straight league wins came to an end against runaway leaders Chelsea on Wednesday.

While the promoted teams and Sunderland are in a nip-and-tuck battle to avoid the drop, familiar Premier League faces Newcastle United and Aston Villa are not yet safe. Newcastle's interim manager John Carver has endured a torrid time since taking over from Alan Pardew in December and last Saturday's 3-2 defeat by Swansea City at St James' Park was the club's seventh straight loss.

Carver could have also done without 15th-placed Hull City recording back-to-back league wins to move to within a point of Newcastle.

FA Cup finalists Villa, who have never been relegated during the Premier League era, are two points above the drop zone after last weekend's 3-2 defeat against Manchester City.

Ever the optimist, manager Tim Sherwood, who took charge in February, is adamant his side will survive if they perform like they did against last season's champions City.

“What? We play like that and get relegated? You are having a laugh aren't you?,” Sherwood said when asked if he feared dropping down to the Championship.

Premier League bottom seven:

Standings P W D L F A Pts

15 Hull City 34 8 10 16 32 45 34

16 Aston Villa 34 8 8 18 26 48 32

17 Leicester City 34 8 7 19 36 54 31

18 Sunderland 33 5 15 13 26 49 30

19 QPR 34 7 6 21 38 59 27

20 Burnley 34 5 11 18 26 52 26

Reuters



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