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Newcastle’s alarming slump continues

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Newcastle United slipped to 15th, two points clear of the relegation zone with three games remaining, following their defeat at Leicester City.

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London - Eight straight Premier League defeats, a player getting sent off “on purpose” according to a vexed interim manager and fan unrest towards an owner for his perceived lack of ambition - Newcastle United are in turmoil.

Newcastle slipped to 15th, two points clear of the relegation zone with three games remaining, following Saturday's 3-0 defeat at Leicester City and they finished the match with nine men after defenders Mike Williamson and Daryl Janmaat were sent off.

Williamson earned a second yellow card for a reckless tackle on Leicester striker Jamie Vardy and interim boss John Carver said he thought the defender had done it on purpose as an easy way out of Newcastle's current crisis.

Williamson apologised, saying he would “never do anything intentionally to hurt the team or its supporters” but it is just the latest debacle for a club on its knees.

Newcastle's slump started when Alan Pardew jumped ship for Crystal Palace in January, having spent four years as a largely unpopular figure at St James' Park because of his close working relationship with owner Mike Ashley.

Newcastle were 10th in the table when Londoner Pardew departed, but the north-east club were expected to be in safe hands for the rest of the season under the guidance of passionate local man and Pardew's former assistant Carver.

The reality, however, has been very different as Carver has won two out of 16 league games, while Palace have moved away from the relegation zone and up to 12th with Pardew at the helm.

Carver has resorted to verbal attacks on his players in an attempt to fire them up ahead of upcoming home games against West Bromwich Albion and West Ham United either side of a crunch away fixture against 19th-placed Queens Park Rangers.

But 50-year-old Carver, who media reports suggest will be replaced by Derby County's Steve McClaren at the end of the season despite Derby flunking promotion to the English top flight, is not alone in his frustrations.

Angry Newcastle fans held a banner that read “We don't demand a team that wins, we demand a club that tries” against Leicester before swarming around the players' exit where the team bus was parked and shouting “cowards” at squad members.

“I can't disagree with them,” Carver said when asked about fan abuse towards the Newcastle players.

Ashley's ownership of the club has angered supporters since he took over in 2007 with fans accusing the British businessman of consistently selling Newcastle's best players and offering little in terms of ambition.

Newcastle have not won a major trophy since the Fairs Cup in 1969 and the last big excitement for supporters came in the 1995-96 season when they were on course to win the league title until a dramatic collapse allowed Manchester United to overhaul them.

How Newcastle fans must long for a chance to throw away another title. – Reuters

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Aguero outshines Kane

Sergio Aguero won his personal striking duel with Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane, scoring the winner for Manchester City as they ended a four-game losing streak on the road.

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London - Sergio Aguero won his personal striking duel with Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane, scoring the winner for Manchester City as they ended a four-game losing streak on the road in the Premier League.

With Chelsea already celebrating capturing City's Premier League title across London, last season's champions were indebted to Aguero's sharp-shooting skills and keeper Joe Hart's agility as they earned a 1-0 win to stay in second place.

Aguero now leads the race for the Premier League's Golden Boot with 22 goals this season, two more than Kane who endured a frustrating game as the hosts all but kissed goodbye to their already slender top-four hopes.

The Argentine's goals have proved in vain in trying to keep City on the heels of Chelsea. But his quality was too much for Tottenham as City virtually guaranteed a Champions League berth.

Aguero has now scored 10 times against Tottenham and his latest effort was a gem.

A lightning City break in the 29th minute saw Hart find David Silva with a quick throw and the Spaniard's through ball was perfect for the striker who fired past Hugo Lloris.

“We started off a bit frantic then we got it together, with Sergio up front he's always going to get us a goal and we defended with our lives at the back and we got the win,” City keeper Hart, who made crucial stops from England duo Kane and Ryan Mason, told Sky Sports.

“It was a terrific run from David, an easy pass for me and Sergio does the rest, which he's proved that he's absolutely fantastic at.”

While City's season has been a disappointment, boss Manuel Pellegrini said people should wait until the end of the season before evaluating it.

“I think it's important to finish as near the top as possible and see where we need to improve,” he said. “Maybe Chelsea are more consistent this year and they won the league but we scored more when we did it.

“We have to finish the season now and then we will analyse it.”

With three games to play, City are 13 points behind champions Chelsea and three above Arsenal who have two games in hand. – Reuters

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Blues swagger to the top

Chelsea hit the ground running with four consecutive Premier League wins, 15 goals and a swagger.

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London – Chelsea hit the ground running with four consecutive Premier League wins, 15 goals and a swagger that was often missing during Jose Mourinho’s first season back at Stamford Bridge.

New signing Diego Costa struck seven goals in those first four matches, including a hat-trick in a 4-2 home win against Swansea City and two in a 6-3 win at Everton.

They would have made it five consecutive victories when they led 1-0 at champions Manchester City on Sept. 21 but in one of the most extraordinary cameos of the season Frank Lampard, on loan at City after leaving Chelsea to join New York after 13 years at the Bridge, levelled in the 85th minute.

“I knew it,” Chelsea captain John Terry told Lampard ruefully as the pair shook hands after the game.

It proved a minor setback though as Chelsea had already established a three-point lead at the top of the table.

Chelsea’s 2-0 home victory against Arsenal in October was routine, although Mourinho’s ability to get under Gunners boss Arsene Wenger’s skin re-surfaced as the two went eyeball-to-eyeball on the touchline in the first half.

Costa was again on target, latching on to a superb pass by Arsenal old boy and fellow new signing Cesc Fabregas.

With Costa unavailable, veteran Didier Drogba reminded Chelsea fans of his worth when he scored at Manchester United, but as against City a late equaliser denied Chelsea the win.

Three consecutive wins in November, against Queens Park Rangers, Liverpool and West Bromwich Albion, stretched Chelsea’s advantage to seven points over surprise package Southampton.

Talk of Chelsea emulating Arsenal’s 2004 Invincibles abruptly ended when they went down 2-1 at Newcastle United - prompting a bizarre complaint about Newcastle’s ballboys.

“The ball disappeared, they keep the ball, they hide the ball,” Mourinho said of the culprits, although his own side’s display probably annoyed him far more.

Chelsea’s season has been free of the poor runs that afflicted Arsenal and Manchester United early on and Manchester City in the Spring and the only time they looked remotely vulnerable was at the turn of the year.

An astonishing 5-3 loss at Tottenham Hotspur allowed Manchester City move level on points but that was the last league loss suffered by Chelsea.

MAJESTIC HAZARD

With Man City fading fast and a first title since 2010 beckoning, Chelsea have been ruthlessly efficient, even when deprived of strikers Costa and Loic Remy because of injury.

The majestic Eden Hazard came increasingly to the fore, scoring the winner at West Ham and also in single-goal victories over Hull City, Stoke City and Manchester United.

Arsenal’s slender hopes of catching Chelsea ended when Mourinho’s side played out a masterful 0-0 draw at The Emirates to all but secure a first title since 2010.

“April was the month people were waiting for Chelsea to sleep, to lose a game,” Mourinho said of his side’s ability to grind out points.

“And it was exactly the month where we were phenomenal.”

They came from behind to beat Leicester City 3-1 leaving the stage set for Sunday’s home derby with Crystal Palace to be crowned champions. Eden Hazard’s penalty, his 14th league goal of the season, was enough to get the party started. – Reuters

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Blues win Premier League title

A jubilant Chelsea clinched their first Premier League title in five years on Sunday.

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London – Chelsea clinched their first Premier League title for five years as Jose Mourinho's side produced a typically stubborn display to grind out a 1-0 victory against Crystal Palace at a jubilant Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

Playmaker Eden Hazard scored the crucial goal in the 45th minute when he headed home the rebound after Palace keeper Julian Speroni had saved his weak penalty.

Chelsea were tested at times by a dangerous Palace side but the final whistle was greeted by raucous scenes as Jose Mourinho's side clinched their fifth top-flight title and first since 2010.

Chelsea have 83 points from 35 games and cannot be surpassed by closest rivals Manchester City, who visit Tottenham Hotspur later on Sunday, and Arsenal both of whom trail by 16 points. Palace remain 12th with 42 points.

Blustery, grey conditions had lingered for much of Sunday morning but kickoff in west London was greeted by the sudden emergence of sunshine which reflected the celebratory mood created by Chelsea's expectant fans inside Stamford Bridge.

Visiting manager Alan Pardew had won four of his previous six matches as an opposition coach against Chelsea and from the opening stages it was evident his side - nestled safely in mid table - had designs on postponing the Blues' title celebrations.

The hosts were almost gifted a fortuitous lead in the 22nd minute when Speroni punched wildly at Cesc Fabregas's free kick but Nemanja Matic, afforded the freedom of the Palace penalty area, dithered and his shot was diverted for a corner.

Then it was Palace's turn to go close but Jason Puncheon was denied by a desperate block from Chelsea defender John Terry - though replays suggested the ball may have struck the Chelsea captain's arm.

With frustrations slowly building it was talisman Hazard, who after a relatively anonymous half by his own standards, burst into life drawing a challenge from James McArthur to win a controversial penalty.

The resultant spot kick was tame and easily saved by Speroni though the Belgian was quickest to react to nod home the rebound.

The game followed a similarly fractured pattern after the break and Chelsea had chances to extend their lead before Jason Puncheon fired inches wide for Palace in the 69th minute.

Palace have won more points from losing positions than any other Premier League side this year and they continued to cast warning shots with their counter-attacking threat.

At the other end, Chelsea continued to fire blanks in search of a clinching goal but a fervent atmosphere had already engulfed Stamford Bridge long before the final whistle was blown. – Reuters

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Howe to keep faith with heroes

Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe will keep the faith with his squad for their historic return to the Premier League.

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London – Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe will keep faith with his Championship-winning squad rather than investing in big-money signings when they play in the English top flight for the first time in their 116-year history next season.

Bournemouth were crowned second-tier champions on Saturday after a 3-0 win over Charlton Athletic helped them finish the season with 90 points, one ahead of Watford, who conceded in stoppage time to draw 1-1 with Sheffield Wednesday.

Howe’s attentions have now turned to the Premier League and the 37-year-old said the majority of his side will be given the chance to prove themselves despite the club receiving a potential promotion cash boost of more than 120-million pounds.

“You can see from my track record with these guys that the guys that have performed so well will get an opportunity to perform,” Howe said.

“I don’t believe in wholesale changes in the close season. I don’t believe in not giving the players a chance to show whether they are good enough.

“Ultimately they have to take that opportunity. We stuck with the majority of the squad from League One to the Championship. There will be subtle changes, there will be players coming in, there will be players leaving, but the core group will remain the same.”

Howe said being promoted as champions was a welcome reward for his players’ hard work this season.

“I do think we deserve it,” Howe said. “In my opinion we have been the best team this season and led the division for the longest time.

“It’s fitting reward for the players – once again they were magnificent. We’ve consistently been the best team. I’m delighted the players can call themselves champions and we leave here on a real high and it’s fully justified.” – Reuters

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Florenzi 60m sprint caps win

Alessandro Florenzi ran over half the length of the field to score and cap a 2-0 win for Roma over Genoa.

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Milan – Alessandro Florenzi ran more than half the length of the field to score and cap a 2-0 win for AS Roma over Genoa as they kept up their chase for a place in the Champions League on Sunday.

Seydou Doumbia gave Roma the lead 10 minutes before half-time, scoring for the second game in a row after the ball broke kindly for him in the Genoa area.

The Ivorian joined Roma from CSKA Moscow in January and endured some harsh criticism before breaking his duck in the 3-0 win at Sassuolo in midweek.

Sixth-placed Genoa, themselves chasing a place in the Europa League, produced plenty of chances in the second half and were pressing for an equaliser when Roma struck again in stoppage time.

Florenzi dispossessed Tino Costa midway inside the Roma half, burst clear with Costa in chase and ended his 60-metre sprint by rifling an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net from just inside the area.

Roma are second with 64 points from 33 games, two ahead of Lazio who were away to Atalanta later on Sunday.

Second place earns a spot in next year’s Champions League group stage while third earns a place in the playoff round. Juventus wrapped up the title with a 1-0 win at Sampdoria on Saturday. – Reuters

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Pies defender regrets foul, apologises

Mike Williamson has apologised for getting sent off during the Magpies clash against Leicester on Saturday.

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London – Newcastle United defender Mike Williamson has apologised for getting sent off against Leicester City in Saturday’s 3-0 Premier League defeat and denied he did it on purpose.

The 31-year-old Williamson earned a second yellow card for a reckless barge on Leicester striker Jamie Vardy after 62 minutes, prompting an angry response from interim manager John Carver.

Carver said that he thought the defender had done it deliberately after Newcastle had suffered an eighth straight league defeat.

“I would like to take this opportunity to apologise to the Newcastle United supporters and my fellow teammates for getting sent off during yesterday’s game,” Williamson said in a statement on the BBC website on Sunday.

“There was absolutely no intent to hurt Jamie Vardy or get sent off, but I recognise that I should have been more composed and measured in my determination to win the ball. Unfortunately, it did the one thing that I never wanted to do, and that was to hurt the team.

“I will do whatever I can to help my teammates prepare for the next two games and fight to get back into the team when I’m next available.

“I’ve had the honour to play for Newcastle United for five years now, and I can genuinely say that I feel privileged to play for this football club. I would never do anything intentionally to hurt the team or its supporters.”

Newcastle are 15th in the table, two points clear of the relegation zone with three games remaining.

Carver, who has won two out of 16 Premier League games as manager after replacing Alan Pardew in January, has come under increased media fire after openly criticising Williamson.

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.”

Ex-England defender Martin Keown is also unsure Carver is up to the demands of management.

“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.

“He needs guidance on how to behave because he is taking players apart.” – Reuters

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Chelsea ‘boring under Mourinho’

Chelsea play “ugly” football and are boring under Jose Mourinho, says former manager Ruud Gullit.

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London – Chelsea play “ugly” football under Jose Mourinho and the Premier League’s runaway leaders deserve to be branded as boring because of their refusal to attack teams, their former manager Ruud Gullit has said.

Chelsea, who have already won the League Cup this season, boast a 13-point lead at the top of the table after coming from behind to beat Leicester City 3-1 on Wednesday.

They can seal a first title since 2010 if they beat Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, but their brand of football that prioritises a watertight defence has drawn some criticism from rival supporters for being boring.

“His team is boring when, in my opinion, the players he has deserve much better. Mourinho deserves his negative label because of the calculated way he makes Chelsea play,” Gullit said in the Mirror newspaper.

“I find it astonishing, because his players are capable of brilliant football, as we saw on Wednesday for a brief moment when they were losing 1-0 at Leicester and were suddenly forced to put their foot on the accelerator.

“You could see their hunger to attack and the joy that playing like that brought to the players. They loved it. They were sparkling. Then, as soon as Chelsea were winning 2-1, Mourinho wanted to bring on Kurt Zouma, the defensive midfielder, to keep everything close up.”

Gullit, who ended Chelsea’s 26-year wait for a major success by guiding them to the FA Cup in 1997, believes Portuguese coach Mourinho should change his approach for the benefit of the game.

“I can’t fault Chelsea when it comes to results and Mourinho is a top class coach... but when you have this kind of quality in your squad, you must bring more attractive football,” Gullit said.

“It does not bother him one bit. He talks cynically and starts saying stuff that in future we will play without goals and that only ball possession will decide games.

“In the end it is a matter of taste. You either like it or not to win the Mourinho style.

“For me, it does not work. I really feel sorry for the players. They win, but in England every football fan says, ‘Yes, they win, but not in style’. Yet the players have so much quality.

“They could win almost every game in style if Mourinho was prepared to play with the handbrake off. You would see great football with lots of goals.” – Reuters

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Kermit hat-trick sees Bucs through

A Kermit Erasmus hat-trick saw the Pirates cruise into the last round of Caf Cup qualifiers on Saturday.

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Johannesburg – The Pirates sauntered into the last round of the Caf Confederations Cup qualifiers after beating FC Mounana 5-2 on aggregate last night at Orlando Stadium.

A hat-trick from Kermit Erasmus was enough to see the Sea Robbers cruise into the last round before the group stages which will take place next month.

Erasmus made his return to Pirates’ starting line-up after an achilles tendon injury which saw him miss out on Bucs’ 2-0 defeat against Bidvest Wits. Erasmus also missed the away first leg clash against Mounana in Gabon but certainly delivered on the night to help his side progress further in continental cup competition.

The Sea Robbers went into the second leg having produced two away goals in a 2-2 draw with the Gabonese side two weeks ago. Goals from Lehlohonolo Majoro and Thabo Rakhale late in the second stanza of that match were enough to see them secure the much-needed away goals advantage going into last night’s return leg.

Pirates played with a great sense of urgency and aggression going forward throughout the first fist half here. Their supports where left cheering throughout the night while their home side dominated matters as they interchanged passes going forward in search for goals.

They could have made it 1-0 as early as the 12th minute after Thabo Matlaba displayed some good work inside the box on the near side before laying the ball off to Erasmus, whose shot, however, was kept at bay as shot-stopper Stephane Bitseki.

But the centre-forward was not done yet, not by a long shot. Erasmus’s first goal came in the 25th minute thanks to a well-delivered surging cross on the far side by Sifiso Myeni. Erasmus struck the roof of the net to make it 1-0 for the home side after having found Bitseki off his line.

Four minutes later, the stocky forward returned for his second goal and there was little that Mounana’s defensive line could do about it. With only the keeper to beat, Erasmus produced a dummy with the outside of his boot to beat the on-rushing shot-stopper before he slotted home to give Pirates a 2-0 lead going into the second half.

The second half was not different. Pirates continued with their dominance and Mounana showed no desire whatsoever of pushing forward, and Pirates took advantage of the situation and exerted their authority over the visitors throughout.

Erasmus scored his third 15 minutes into the second half, after having received a well-delivered pass from Thamsanqa Gabuza.

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Suarez brings bite to Barca attack

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

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.

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!

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

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

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

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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