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Mourinho expects tough 2015/16 season

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Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho believes his newly crowned Premier League champions will face a challenge just to secure a top-four finish next season.

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Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho believes his newly crowned Premier League champions will face a challenge just to secure a top-four finish next season due to the English top flight's competitiveness.

Chelsea claimed their first league title since 2010 on Sunday when Eden Hazard's goal on the cusp of half-time secured a 1-0 home win over Crystal Palace that gave them an unassailable lead at the top of the table.

Mourinho's side have dominated the division from starting gun to finish line, but with Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool all likely to strengthen during the close season, he knows the battle for Champions League qualification will be fierce in 2015-16.

“We have to try to be a strong team, because if you are not a strong team, we have no chance to finish top four, which is the first target for the top teams in this country,” he told reporters at Stamford Bridge.

“When you fight for the top four, you have chances to be champions, so we need to be strong again next year, to try to be a good team.”

Mourinho has now won three Premier League titles, following back-to-back successes with Chelsea in 2005 and 2006 during his first stint at the club, but he shied away from comparisons with those teams.

“This one is completely different,” he said. “The Premier League is different, Chelsea is different, the opponents are different.

“And my team, so many of them win the Premier League for the first time, which is something that they have to learn how to do.”

Told that he has now won as many English league titles as greats Stan Cullis, Bill Shankly and Arsene Wenger, the current Arsenal manager, Mourinho responded simply: “I will try (to win) another one.”

Chelsea's players cavorted on the pitch at the final whistle and can now look forward to a post-season parade, when they will also be able to show off the League Cup trophy.

But with fixtures against Liverpool, West Bromwich Albion and Sunderland still to be fulfilled, Mourinho warned his squad that they still have duties to the rest of the division.

“Against West Brom is a game where both teams are champions. We are champions of our league, West Brom are champions of their league,” he said.

“But when we play against Liverpool, it's an important match for them, for Man United, for Tottenham, for Southampton.

“When we play Sunderland, maybe it's an important game for them and for other teams. As champions we have even more responsibility to follow Crystal Palace's attitude, which was fantastic.”

Mourinho cut a rather subdued figure after the game and revealed that he had flown to Portugal earlier in the week to be with his 76-year-old father, also called Jose, who had to undergo surgery on his head after falling seriously ill.

Mourinho has faced accusations that his team, flamboyant during the first part of the season, have become 'boring' in recent months, but he said they had demonstrated their worth over the course of the campaign.

“I think we showed absolutely everything since day one,” he said. “Everything football demands from a team, we had.

“We had fantastic attacking football, we had fantastic domination, we had high percentages of ball possession, we had low percentages of ball possession, we gave the ball to the opponent strategically, we defended amazingly well.

“We do everything that a team needs. That's why we deserve so much to be champions and I think everybody knows that.

“And (to) the ones who say we don't deserve it, in my country we say: 'The dogs bark and the caravan goes by.'“

Palace manager Alan Pardew said that criticism of Mourinho's methods was misplaced.

“That's why he earns the money he does – he wins,” Pardew said.

“It will have to be a very good side that tops this team next year and I'm sure Jose will add to his depth as well.” – AFP

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Best Mourinho quotes

The best quotes of the past season from Jose Mourinho, manager of new English Premier League champions Chelsea.

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The best quotes of the past season from Jose Mourinho, manager of new English Premier League champions Chelsea:

Chelsea fans

“At this moment it's difficult to play at home because playing here is like playing in an empty stadium. When we scored was when I realised, 'Woah, the stadium is full. Good.'“

Criticising Chelsea's supporters for the lack of atmosphere during a 2-1 home win over Queens Park Rangers in November

Pressure on referees

“That's a campaign, that's a clear campaign. People, pundits, commentators, coaches from other teams, they react with Chelsea in a way they don't react to other teams. They put lots of pressure on the referee and the referee makes a mistake like this. We lose two points, Fabregas earns a yellow card. In other countries where I worked before, tomorrow in the sports papers it would be a front-page scandal. Because it is a scandal.”

Mourinho hits out after Cesc Fabregas was booked for diving during a 1-1 draw at Southampton in December, for which he was fined £25,000 ($38,310, 34,900 euros) by the Football Association

52-year-old kid

“For me, it's very important to feel that I'm a kid. Before the game I had the same feelings as my first final, I don't know how many years ago. It's important for me to feel the same happiness after the victory. It's important for me to feel that I am a kid at 52 years old.”

After Chelsea beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 in the League Cup final, ending Mourinho's 914-day wait for silverware -- the longest of his career

The price for Hazard

“Plus one of their three best players. £100 million for each leg, because he's very young.”

In response to a question about whether £100 million would be enough for Real Madrid to sign their reported transfer target Eden Hazard

Arsenal rivalry

“Boring I think is 10 years without a title. That's very boring. You support the club and you're waiting, waiting, waiting for so many years without a Premier League title, so that's very boring.”

Responding to chants of 'Boring, boring Chelsea!' during a 0-0 draw at Arsenal – who last won the league in 2004 – in April

Keeping the ball

“I ask myself if in the future, when I am a granddad and I am at home with my grandsons, and maybe the future of football is a beautiful green grass carpet without goals. And in that beautiful grass pitch the team with more ball possession wins the game. Because everybody says, 'Oh, my team plays fantastically well, we had great ball possession.' Good. 'Oh, we build very well.' Good. It looks like the goals are not there ... Football started a few centuries ago and the objective was one, but now it looks like the objective is another one. For me, I am very simple in my analysis. Football is about putting the ball in the net of your opponent and stopping your opponent.”

On the modern obsession with possession - AFP

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Liverpool will miss Gerrard’s heroics

For a moment, it felt as if we had gone back in time. Steven Gerrard was sprinting, arms outstretched, to the corner of Anfield where the Kop and Centenary stands meet.

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For a moment, it felt as if we had gone back in time. Steven Gerrard was sprinting, arms outstretched, to the corner of Anfield where the Kop and Centenary stands meet, pursued by elated team-mates.

He made that celebration famous when performing a rescue act against Olympiacos in December 2004 but here he was doing the same thing again, more than 10 years later, saving Liverpool just when they needed him.

But the joy that followed goal 184 of his Liverpool career soon gave way to poignancy. In three weeks, his remarkable journey will be over and only now is reality starting to dawn of exactly what the club will miss when he goes to the United States.

Plenty of players would have gone under after seeing a penalty saved in the way he did by Robert Green but Gerrard simply went through the gears and rose inexorably in the 87th minute to give Liverpool a win that keeps their faint hopes of a top-four finish alive.

‘If that is my last goal at Anfield then I will take it but I won’t give up,’ said Gerrard.

Who will do that next season when he is no longer there? It is a question that Brendan Rodgers knows will not be easily answered. ‘It’s a small bracket of players who have that feeling of never being beaten,’ he said. ‘I have seen it so many times. Players miss penalties at all levels and normally they end up getting substituted because it affects him. With Steven it works the other way. It actually inspires him.’

Defeat leaves QPR on the brink and they will be condemned to the Championship if they lose at Manchester City next week. They finished with 10 men after Nedum Onuoha was sent off but their spirit could not be questioned, particularly when Leroy Fer equalised after Philippe Coutinho’s opener.

SUPER STAT: There has never been a goalless draw in the 51 meetings between these clubs.

LIVERPOOL (4-1-4-1) Mignolet 7; Can 6.5, Skrtel 7, Lovren 6.5, Johnson 6.5 (Markovic 84mins); Gerrard 8.5 (Lucas 89); Sterling 6.5, Henderson 7, Coutinho 7.5, Lallana 6 (Ibe 68, 6.5); Lambert 7. Subs not used: Ward, Toure, Allen, Moreno.

Booked: Gerrard, Lovren.

Scorers: Coutinho 19, Gerrard 87.

QUEENS PARK RANGERS (4-1-4-1): Green 8; Onuoha 5, Dunne 6.5, Caulker 5.5 (Yun 46, 6), Hill 6; Barton 6; Henry 6 (Zamora 71, 6), Sandro 6, Fer 6.5, Phillips 7; Austin 6. Subs not used: McCarthy, Wright-Phillips, Kranjcar, Hoillet, Grego-Cox.

Booked: Sandro, Onuoha, Dunne.

Sent off: Onuoha. Scorer: Fer 73.

Man of the match: Steven Gerrard. – Daily Mail

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Rio’s wife dies of cancer

Rio Ferdinand's wife, Rebecca Ellison, has died aged 34 after a short battle with cancer.

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Rio Ferdinand's wife, Rebecca Ellison, has died aged 34. “My soulmate slipped away last night,” the QPR defender said in a statement. “Rebecca, my wonderful wife, passed away peacefully after a short battle with cancer at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London.

“She was a fantastic, loving mother to our three beautiful children. She will be missed as a wife, sister, aunt, daughter and granddaughter. She will live on in our memory, as a guide and inspiration.

“Myself, my parents Janice and Julian, along with Rebecca's parents Lesley and Stephen, would like to thank our families, friends and my club colleagues who have rallied around in these desperate days, weeks and months. I would also like to express my gratitude for the dedication and expertise of the staff led by Professors Johnstone and Clarke at the Royal Marsden. Their valiant efforts to prolong Rebecca's all-too-short life will not be forgotten. Our grief, as a family, is total. We would appreciate being allowed to mourn privately.”

QPR's players wore black armbands in the game at Anfield - and before the match Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard gave his opposite number Joey Barton a bouquet of flowers. There was applause in the fifth minute of Manchester United's game at Old Trafford - Ferdinand wore the No 5 shirt for United.

Talking to The Guardian last year Ferdinand said: “I met Rebecca when I was 21. We've grown up together. She not interested in football, which suits me.

“I marvel at my three children. I love looking after them, but Rebecca is the one who makes it work and ensures they're in the right place at the right time.” – The Independent on Sunday

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Terry takes a swipe at Benitez

John Terry hit back at former manager Rafa Benitez as he celebrated Chelsea’s title win.

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John Terry hit back at former manager Rafa Benitez as he celebrated Chelsea’s title win.

The Chelsea skipper has played every minute of all 35 league games for Jose Mourinho’s side so far this season.

But Benitez, who led the Stamford Bridge club for seven months from November 2012, famously claimed that Terry, then 32, could no longer play two games in a week.

But Terry has proved the Spaniard wrong and used yesterday’s euphoric scenes to make his point.

‘One person said I couldn’t play twice in a week,’ said the former England captain.

‘He knows who he is. I’m still here, still fighting.’ Terry added: ‘This is unbelievable, we worked so hard and we got over the line; we’re champions.’

Like Terry, it was Didier Drogba’s fourth league title for Chelsea.

And the Ivorian added: ‘This one is sweet. With or without me, Chelsea will always be number one. Chelsea is bigger than me and always will be.’

Boss Jose Mourinho cut short his celebrations to visit midfielder Ramires (left) in hospital. The Brazilian had to withdraw from the team moments before kick-off due to illness. Reports in the Brazilian media claimed he was suffering from kidney stones.– Daily Mail

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RVP will pay for penalty miss

Robin Van Persie has joined Wayne Rooney at the back of the penalty queue at Manchester United.

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Robin Van Persie has joined Wayne Rooney at the back of the penalty queue at Manchester United — and Louis van Gaal is unlikely to be any less ruthless this summer in searching for a striker who can guarantee him 20 goals a season.

Van Persie’s failure to beat Boaz Myhill from the spot at Old Trafford proved costly as United slumped to their third defeat in a row without scoring, a sequence that has not occurred since April 1989. A top-four finish no longer seems quite so assured with three games of the season remaining.

Although Van Persie had converted his previous six penalty attempts in the Premier League, he will now have to make way for somebody else. Not Rooney, who was relieved of the duties after Simon Mignolet saved his injury-time effort at Liverpool in March.

‘He is now at the end of the road,’ said Van Gaal of his fellow Dutchman. ‘Wayne has missed also so when you miss you are at the bottom again. I miss a striker that scores.’

Whether it also turns out to be the end of the road for Van Persie at United remains to be seen. He is out of contract next year.

The Holland striker’s first start in 10 games after an ankle problem produced 10 attempts but no goal.

SUPER STAT: West Brom had 20 per cent possession, the lowest figure of any winning team in the Premier League for the last 10 years.

MANCHESTER UNITED (4-2-3-1): De Gea 6; Valencia 5.5, Smalling 6, McNair (Falcao, 84min) 5, Blind 5.5 (Di Maria 63, 5); Herrera 6.5, Rooney 6; Mata 5, Fellaini 5, Young 6.5; Van Persie 5. Subs not used: Jones, Januzaj, Valdes, Blackett, Pereira.

Booked: McNair.

WBA (4-1-4-1): Myhill 7.5; Dawson 6.5, McAuley 7, Olsson 7, Lescott 6; Fletcher 8; Gardner 6.5 (Wisdom 89), Yacob 7, Mulumbu 6.5 (Baird 76), Brunt 6.5; Berahino 5.5 (Ideye 80). Subs not used: Anichebe, McManaman, Sessegnon, Rose.

Scorer: Olsson 63.

Man of match: Darren Fletcher. – Daily Mail

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Newcastle’s alarming slump continues

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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