News sport

It's time for RVP to leave United

♠ Posted by channel-top-news in breàking news,criçket live,cricket s,crıcket lıve score,india cricket live,live,live cricket,lïve cricket score,news sport,Soccer Soccer Extended RSS,sportnews,sports

So what next for Van Persie? If Rooney stays up front, he will find it hard to force his way back into the team.

|||

London - Three years ago Robin van Persie was deciding matches between Manchester United and Arsenal. His lethal instincts and sublime goals made the difference for both teams.

The sides meet on Sunday and I can’t help but think that it is time he left Old Trafford. When Van Persie left Arsenal he had just scored 37 goals in all competitions and the football writers and his fellow professionals named him their player of the year.

A year later and he had 30 goals and a Premier League title to his name with Manchester United. He was the final piece of the jigsaw for Sir Alex Ferguson; the last star signing and the reason the Scot could retire with yet anotherwinner’s medal.

And that is how Van Persie likes it. He has always thrived on being the main man. But once Ferguson left, things changed. He wanted to work with the great man for years but he joined the party when the lights were going out. He seemed to then sulk about that under David Moyes, distraught that he had been cheated out of more years playing for Ferguson.

Under Moyes, problems really began to emerge. Van Persie has never been naturally suited to playing alongside a strike partner and, after losing to Olympiacos, he complained about players running into his space. This year we all expected him to flourish under Louis van Gaal. The pair had worked together for Holland and it seemed a natural fit.

Instead, Wayne Rooney was made captain and Van Persie has disappeared into the shadows. He has almost become an embarrassment for Van Gaal; a problem the meticulous manager has not been able to solve.Van Persie’s key stats are down (see table above) and he has lacked the precision and ruthless edge that made him such a fearsome striker.

Maybe being overlooked for the captaincy hurt but injuries, competition and Van Gaal’s tinkering have seen him struggle.When Van Persie played up front with Rooney in midfield, United were winning games but their play was stilted and poor. When Rooney went up front by himself, he was painfully better than Van Persie. Results improved and, crucially for Van Gaal, they looked like a United team again.

So what next for Van Persie? If Rooney stays up front, he will find it hard to force his way back into the team. Even if he is not starting games he can come off the bench and win them and he is earning such incredible money he could be happy to sit out his contract. But he is too ambitious for that. If Van Persie regains his form we are talking about a world-class match-winner and he will still have a point to prove. He’ll be 32 in August but still has it in him to flick the switch and win the game on Sunday.

The problem is not his talent but the fact he is not No 1. Plenty of clubs would want him, if they can afford his very high wages. I doubt if a return to Arsenal would be on the cards though. Arsene Wenger has plenty of options with Olivier Giroud, Alexis Sanchez and Danny Welbeck, so I don’t think he will want to take a step backwards.

Liverpool could be a good option. They have not replaced Luis Suarez’s goals and Daniel Sturridge is injury-prone. There’s no question Van Persie could lead the line for Brendan Rodgers but it would take a brave man to make another switch to a rival club.Speaking of rivals, Manchester City could add Van Persie to their front line.

They wanted to sign him when he left Arsenal and he would provide an excellent alternative to Sergio Aguero.But if English clubs are out of the question and he can’t make it work at United, there would be plenty of suitors in Europe. He will not want to end his career with a whimper.

Daily Mail

from Soccer Soccer Extended RSS http://ift.tt/1RSK7WX

Stage set for Billiat and Norodien

The Nedbank Cup final between Ajax and Sundowns will give Riyaad Norodien and Khama Billiat the perfect platform.

|||

Cape Town - Great players rise to the occasion when there’s a platform capable of catapulting their football careers.

This afternoon’s Nedbank Cup final between Ajax Cape Town and Mamelodi Sundowns in Port Elizabeth (kick-off 3pm) is such a stage - and, for 20-year-old Riyaad Norodien and 24-year-old Khama Billiat, it’s the perfect shop window.

Ajax starlet Norodien has taken the domestic game by storm. After just a month of top-flight action, he is the player of the moment. His pace, confidence and skill have troubled opposition defenders - and marked him as a player for the future. Norodien has ambitions of making it big in Europe - and, this Cup final, is an opportunity for the kid from Kensington to demonstrate what all the fuss is about.

Sundowns winger Billiat has always been highly rated. The Zimbabwean made a big-money move from Ajax to the Pretoria club two years ago, but is only now starting to regain the form that made him one of the PSL’s brightest talents.

He has made no secret of the fact that he would love to play overseas - and, this afternoon, in one of the biggest days of the local football calender, the exciting player has a chance to prove that he has what it takes.

It’s all about big-match temperament, about recognising the big stage, and using it as a kick-start to bigger, brighter things. Norodien was just two years old in March 1997 when a young Benni McCarthy, in just his second game in the top-flight, netted two sensational goals to destroy Kaizer Chiefs. The rest, as they say, is history… McCarthy went on to become an international star.

Norodien and Billiat have such a platform Saturday.

“This will be my first-ever Cup final since I’ve played football in the PSL,” said Billiat. “You can understand why this match is such a big deal for me. I’m really looking forward to the match and would like for it to be a memorable one.

“But, of course, the team’s objective on the day is more important than my personal desire and I want to contribute positively.”

Ajax played out a 2-2 draw with Orlando Pirates last week, their final league match of the season. The Cape club’s coach, Roger de Sa, used the match to rest some players, allowing others to get some game time ahead of the Cup final.

“It was great preparation playing against Pirates, leading up to the final against Sundowns,” said De Sa. “There are some similarities in the two teams.

“Both are full of quality players and they are going to come at you. It was good to see that we managed to cope with some of it (against Pirates). Also, we played pretty well on the break and we looked good. We had a lot of opportunities.

“Overall, I was happy, but obviously there are areas that we’ve got to improve on. But I believe that we’ve got the strength in our team for the final.

“We’ll be a little better in certain areas… and, hopefully, with the return of Tashreeq Morris, Toriq Losper, Rivaldo Coetzee and Abbubaker Mobara and a few others we’ll be even stronger.”

Norodien certainly can’t contain his excitement with regard to Saturday’s big game. “We played well against Pirates and that was vital preparation for the final against Sundowns,” he said. “This is my first senior Cup final… it’s a great feeling. We’ll definitely be motivated, we’ll give our all and try to bring the trophy to the Mother City.”

Weekend Argus

from Soccer Soccer Extended RSS http://ift.tt/1A91vRE

Welbeck to miss Old Trafford clash

Danny Welbeck will miss the chance to haunt former club Manchester United for a second time this season .

|||

Arsenal striker Danny Welbeck will miss the chance to haunt former club Manchester United for a second time this season after being ruled out of tomorrow’s Premier League game at Old Trafford with a knee injury, manager Arsene Wenger said.

Welbeck, who has scored eight goals for Arsenal since joining for £16 million ($25.2m) last year, scored the winner in the Gunners’ 2-1 FA Cup quarter-final victory at Old Trafford in March.

But the England international, who started brightly at the Emirates, but has since gone off the boil playing in an unfavoured wide position, has missed Arsenal’s last two matches through injury.

“Welbeck is short a fraction, but is not far away from returning,” Wenger said yesterday.

“I would have loved to have him available, but we will have to do without him.”

Arsenal’s hopes of a second-placed finish took a hit on Monday after a 1-0 defeat by Swansea, but Wenger’s side, who have 70 points from 35 matches, still boast a game in hand on Manchester City, who are three points ahead.

Fourth-placed United are two points behind Arsenal having played a game more, and Wenger believes victory this weekend away from home would be another crucial part of his side’s development.

“Our recent away form has been very strong and that’s always a sign of a team who is in progress,” Wenger said. “To win at Old Trafford again would convince us that we have the strength and help us be stronger next season.

“Mathematically, we can put a distance between them and us in the top four and basically secure top three.

“There is a symbolic statement, because we want to win the FA Cup and, psychologically, winning this weekend and securing third would be very important for this.

“Against Manchester United, you expect a game of quality first, but we want to bounce back from defeat to Swansea straight away and put a good performance in, with a good result. A win would be great.”

United captain Wayne Rooney and left-back Luke Shaw will miss tomorrow’s game against the Gunners due to injury.

Rooney suffered a dead leg in last weekend’s 2-1 win at Crystal Palace, and Shaw sustained a facial injury, the latest in a succession of fitness problems to plague the 19-year-old in his first season at Old Trafford.

United manager Louis van Gaal said he did not want Shaw to play for the England Under-21 team at this year’s European Championship.

“When you are not playing for Man United, you cannot play for other teams,” Van Gaal told reporters yesterday.

“He needs the rest because he has over-crossed the line. He is 19. We have to protect him. I hope the coach of the Under-21 team understands that.”

The Red Devils are fourth in the league table, six points ahead of fifth-placed Liverpool, and with a vastly superior goal difference they should secure a place in the Champions League qualifying round even if they lose to Arsenal and Hull City in their last two games.

Victory over the Gunners would lift United one point above their opponents into third, but the former have a game in hand.

And while influential midfielder Michael Carrick will also miss the weekend’s game, striker Robin van Persie is available to face his former club, along with Argentine defender Marcos Rojo.

l Wilfried Bony has failed to set the world alight at Manchester City, but the misfiring striker has a long-term future at the club, said manager Manuel Pellegrini yesterday.

The 26-year-old signed from Swansea City in January for around £30m ($47.2m) but the Ivorian has struggled for form and fitness, scoring just one goal.

Bony returns to former club Swansea tomorrow, and Pellegrini has backed the striker to come good for the former league champions.

“It’s important to have this clear – we didn’t bring Bony just for this year,” Pellegrini told a news conference.

“Maybe it was a difficult start for him here mainly because of his injury. Maybe he’s not playing the amount of minutes he must play, but I’m sure he’ll be a very important player next season.”

Bony’s fellow striker Sergio Aguero netted a hat-trick in City’s 6-0 victory against Queens Park Rangers last weekend, and the Argentine is the league’s top scorer this season with 25 goals.

But Pellegrini said the club were not looking to cash in on the 26-year-old as he will play an integral role in City fighting for the title next season.

“We are not a selling team. I think Sergio is very happy here,” Pellegrini said.

“It’s the season when he’s scored the most goals in his career. It’s important for us to be a scoring team – we continue to be the team that scores the most goals.

“When Sergio was coming back from his injury, he took some games to return to his top performance, but I always say he is one of the top five players in the world.”

Second-placed City have 73 points from 36 matches, three more than third-placed Arsenal, but the Gunners have a game in hand.

Pellegrini is expecting a difficult match against an eighth-placed Swansea side, who beat Arsenal on Monday and have impressed under manager Garry Monk this season.

“It’s the way you understand football and I think Garry Monk sees it in the right way,” the City manager said.

“I think Swansea have had a very good season, they are playing well, they have an important amount of points.

“They are fighting for the Europa League which is a good season for them. They will hope to finish in the same way.”

Saturday: Southampton v Aston Villa, Burnley v Stoke City, QPR v Newcastle, Sunderland v Leicester City, Tottenham v Hull City, West Ham United v Everton, Liverpool v Crystal Palace.

Sunday: Swansea City v Manchester City, Manchester United v Arsenal.

Monday: West Bromwich Albion v Chelsea

from Soccer Soccer Extended RSS http://ift.tt/1PMnGyR

Hull suspends Livermore for cocaine use

Hull City have suspended midfielder Jake Livermore after he tested positive for cocaine.

|||

London - Hull City have suspended midfielder Jake Livermore after he tested positive for cocaine, British media reported on Friday.

The Premier League club issued a statement confirming that Livermore, 25, had been suspended but gave no reason.

“Following suspension by the FA the club has subsequently suspended Jake Livermore pending further investigations to be made by the FA and our own internal disciplinary procedures,” Hull said in a statement on their website (hullcitytigers.com).

“The club is unable to make any further comment during this process.”

According to the Daily Telegraph, Livermore, who has made one appearance for England, failed a random drug test after the 2-0 win over Crystal Palace last month.

Livermore's suspension will be a blow to Hull manager Steve Bruce, whose side are scrapping to avoid dropping into the Championship. They are 18th, the final relegation spot, with two matches remaining.

Livermore joined Hull for eight million pounds ($12.6 million) from Tottenham Hotspur last year.

Reuters

from Soccer Soccer Extended RSS http://ift.tt/1FdfCo4

I’m not the player i was - Gerrard

We are approaching the moment many never envisaged — Gerrard leaving Liverpool — and reality is biting.

|||

Steven Gerrard has barely had a chance to settle into his seat when he is immediately put on the spot: should we expect tears tomorrow?

‘Carra said I can’t cry, didn’t he?’ Gerrard replies with a wry smile, referencing a playful barb from his close friend Jamie Carragher.

‘I really don’t know. I’ve never been in this situation so I’m not sure. I don’t want to cry. I want to keep it in check but I’m dreading the moment when the final whistle comes.’

We are approaching the moment many never envisaged — Gerrard leaving Liverpool — and reality is biting. Soon the smile that greeted the question about keeping his emotions in check is replaced by a familiar furrowing of his brow.

‘When I made the announcement in January (to join LA Galaxy), this was the time I was dreading,’ Gerrard says quietly.

‘The simple reason is because I’m going to miss it so much. But it’s here now. I have to get on with it, play, then say my goodbyes.’

For that reason, what would have been a run-of-the-mill, end-of-season contest between Liverpool and Crystal Palace has assumed huge significance. After 708 appearances and 185 goals, Anfield is about to lose its last action hero.

Some believe he is going too soon. Goals in consecutive matches against QPR and Chelsea have hoisted his tally into double figures again and, for all the scrutiny of his displays this year, scratch deeper and his impact has been clear.

Without his interventions, Liverpool would be eight points worse off in the Barclays Premier League, have taken three fewer points in their doomed Champions League campaign and almost certainly gone out of the FA Cup in the third round at AFC Wimbledon.

The legs that pumped like pistons in Gerrard’s pomp and propelled him into the pantheon of Anfield greats may not move as fast as they once did, but the class that has hallmarked his game since he emerged from the substitutes’ bench on November 29, 1998, is still there.

Is there a concern, then, that in a few months’ time, when the Colorado Rapids, Seattle Sounders and San Jose Earthquakes makeup the opposition, he will discover he has made a mistake? His reply is typically honest and ends any of the conjecture over whether Liverpool dithered over offering him a deal.

‘There are going to be some challenges ahead as far as travelling, settling into a new country and playing in a new league,’ he says. ‘But it’s a nice challenge, an exciting challenge. I’m going to live in a fantastic place and the level is right for me where I am now.

‘I’m 35 in a couple of weeks. I’m not really sure how much more I could give the club at the level I’d like to give it. Going back to when I peaked from 23 to 30 years of age, the reality is that I’m getting too old for this level and maybe a different level will suit me more.

‘I’ve been in the spotlight in this city, in this team, for 17 years and had some highs and lows. In a couple of weeks there will be a release. What some people don’t understand is Liverpool is a tough place to live and be a player as well.’

Unforgiving might be a more suitable word, particularly for a local boy. Gerrard is adored on the Kop but, curiously, it is not unconditional in the way it was for Xabi Alonso and Luis Suarez.

A conversation with Carragher reinforced the idea that now was a suitable point to pursue another challenge. ‘I have grown up and played alongside players like Robbie Fowler and Carra,’ Gerrard says. ‘We spoke about those moments a lot, about when you make the decision, when it’s right.

‘I have always agreed, especially with Jamie, that you leave a touch early, when people want a tiny bit more. It’s better than people on the terraces or around the city saying, “You stayed too long”, and they are trying to kick you out of the door.’

He could have gone before. Jose Mourinho pursued him for Chelsea, Inter Milan and Real Madrid; Sir Alex Ferguson had two goes trying to convince him to do the impossible and head down the East Lancashire Road, and Bayern Munich, as recently as 2012, enquired.

‘I just always had that connection with this club that I didn’t want to let go of,’ explains Gerrard. Asked if he could have imagined there would be no league title, Gerrard said: ‘Not at the beginning. I thought I’d get the chance to win it and I did on a couple of occasions, last season being the best. That makes it a bit more painful because it’s so recent.’

Gerrard has already held talks with chairman Tom Werner and manager Brendan Rodgers about a future role at the club. ‘When you play for your family and your people, I always wanted to achieve success and win trophies to share with them — not to just go and look for glory, which I could have done.

‘Sitting in the dressing room after I was sent off against Man U (in March), I was thinking, “I don’t want this to fizzle out”, for people to remember a hamstring injury, a suspension and some bad games. So I’m really happy the last couple have gone well and I hope the final two games go the same.

‘But people will remember me not for a period of four, five, six games. If my name ever comes up, they will remember what I have done for 17 years rather than over a short space of time. I hope they do, anyway.’

That Gerrard is even wondering about his legacy — defined on those remarkable nights in Istanbul and Cardiff — is remarkable but that gives you an insight into his character. Even more revealing is the exchange that follows when he is asked to give his Liverpool career a mark out of 10?

‘What would you give it?’ he asks. ‘No-one is interested in what I would give it.’ Why not? There was interest when you rated your England career? ‘You’re just after a headline.’ No. There is genuine interest.

‘I’m not going to judge my Liverpool career out of 10,’ he says. ‘But I can judge two performances for you. I’ll give Istanbul nine and I’ll give the last Man U one zero.’

That, in a sentence, encapsulates Gerrard. There was, he felt, always room for improvement on the great days, and the pain of the bad days stays with him. It is an approach that enabled him to fulfil his dreams.

A rare moment of sense from Joey Barton

Queens Park Rangers midfielder Joey Barton offered his own unique tribute to Steven Gerrard on Twitter . . .

‘Lots of praise and admiration flying about for Steven Gerrard today and rightly so. A phenomenal career at his boyhood club.

‘He’s achieved so much. One of his biggest achievements in my eyes, which often goes under the radar, is having the same haircut for so long.’ – Daily Mail

from Soccer Soccer Extended RSS http://ift.tt/1d3mhIq

Rooney and Shaw to miss Arsenal game

Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney and left back Luke Shaw will miss the Premier League game against Arsenal due to injury.

|||

London - Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney and left back Luke Shaw will miss the Premier League game against Arsenal on Sunday due to injury.

Rooney suffered a dead leg in last weekend's 2-1 win at Crystal Palace and Shaw sustained a facial injury, the latest in a succession of fitness problems to plague the 19-year-old in his first season at Old Trafford.

United manager Louis van Gaal said he did not want Shaw to play for the England under-21 team at this year's European Championship.

“When you are not playing for Man United you cannot play for other teams,” Van Gaal told reporters on Friday.

“He needs the rest because he has over-crossed the line. He is 19. We have to protect him. I hope the coach of the under-21 team understands that.”

United are fourth in the table, six points ahead of fifth-placed Liverpool, and with a vastly superior goal difference they should secure a place in the Champions League qualifying round even if they lose to Arsenal and Hull City in their last two games.

Victory over the Gunners would lift United one point above their opponents into third but Arsenal have a game in hand.

Influential midfielder Michael Carrick will also miss Sunday's game but striker Robin van Persie is available to face his former club along with Argentine defender Marcos Rojo.

Reuters

from Soccer Soccer Extended RSS http://ift.tt/1d3mhIo

United set to make move for Kane?

Harry Kane is the striker at the top of Manchester United’s list of transfer targets this summer.

|||

Harry Kane is the striker at the top of Manchester United’s list of transfer targets this summer.

Louis van Gaal has identified a number of players in preparation for United’s return to the Champions League, with a forward, a right back, a centre half and a central midfielder on his radar.

He already has a winger in Memphis Depay but Kane, who became the first Spurs player since Gary Lineker to score 30 goals in a season, is the striker United’s manager wants despite the 21-year-old signing a five-and-a-half-year contract in February.

United would expect to pay upwards of £45million for Kane, who scored on his England debut in March. But if Van Gaal can also beat Liverpool to Burnley’s Danny Ings, whose contract expires next month, he is certainly prepared to spend lavishly on Kane, particularly with Robin van Persie entering his twilight years.

United have a history of signing Tottenham’s best players, with Teddy Sheringham, Michael Carrick and Dimitar Berbatov all having moved from White Hart Lane to Old Trafford.

Van Gaal spent £150m last summer and will have at least as much again this time. Having banked the first £100m from a new £750m world-record kit deal, executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward confirmed there would be further arrivals following Depay’s £25m switch from PSV Eindhoven.

After releasing the club’s latest quarterly figures, Woodward said United are delighted with Van Gaal and have already started to implement plans to bring in new faces. ‘We expect to be active again during the window,’ he said. ‘The squad will be absolutely deep enough and ready to challenge on all fronts next year and that involves ins and outs in the summer.’

Woodward said that ‘eight or nine’ of 30 first-team players will be out of contract at the end of next season. ‘That’s a fairly normal ratio,’ he explained, before adding that talks are ongoing with those players out of contract this summer whom the club want to keep.

Accounts for the three months to the end of March showed United’s revenues took a £20m hit compared to the same period last year thanks mainly to a lack of Champions League football and a period in which five fewer Premier League matches were televised.

They made an £11.4m pre-tax loss compared to a £20.4m profit for the corresponding period last year. – Daily Mail

from Soccer Soccer Extended RSS http://ift.tt/1ICHRAC

Gerrard is pure Liverpool

Brendan Rodgers had just one word to describe his captain Steven Gerrard ahead of what promises to be an emotional Anfield farewell - 'Liverpool'.

|||

London - Brendan Rodgers had just one word to describe his captain Steven Gerrard ahead of what promises to be an emotional Anfield farewell - 'Liverpool'.

Gerrard will wave goodbye to the Liverpool fans in his final home match against Crystal Palace on Saturday after 17 years sterling service, packed with career-defining moments of individual heroism.

With the midfielder quitting the club at the end of the season for a swansong in Major League Soccer, Rodgers assessed the impact of a player, whose loyalty was tested on a number of occasions, but always stayed faithful to his boyhood club.

“I've asked a number of people and I've asked a lot of my staff if they could describe Steven in one word, what would it be,” Rodgers told reporters on Friday.

“(I heard) all the words you will have heard before - words that come to mind in terms of being genuine, quality and world class. All the adjectives you would describe him with.

“But for me, the word I would describe him with is 'Liverpool'. Not just Liverpool as a football club or Liverpool and the supporters, but Liverpool the city...

“What he has given to this city, politicians haven't given to this city. Local hospitals, the charities, all the work he does, it's unheralded.

“He is a wonderful symbol for the people here and an incredible, incredible icon of the club.”

Gerrard's status as one of the club's most iconic talents is safely assured after a career that will be remembered for his ability to bring his best game to the biggest stages, frequently hauling Liverpool over the line with acts of sheer willpower.

His performance in the 2005 Champions League final when he led Liverpool's fightback from 3-0 down against AC Milan to claim the trophy will go down as one of the greatest individual performances in the club's history.

With the current Liverpool squad perhaps lacking players of the highest stature, Rodgers acknowledged that his presence will be sorely missed.

“I will miss Steven Gerrard as a man. I think both our interests are purely devoted to Liverpool Football Club,” he said.

While Gerrard's Anfield playing days are almost certainly over, Rodgers did not completely rule out a return on loan, with the MLS season ending in December and the 2016 campaign not starting until March.

“Steven has always made it clear in our talks that he would look to help the club in any capacity he can,” Rodgers said.

“If we feel that could be from a playing perspective it's something we will look at another time.” – Reuters

from Soccer Soccer Extended RSS http://ift.tt/1A4u6aU

What now for Real Madrid?

Twelve months on from winning their 10th Champions League, Real Madrid are two games from finishing the season empty- handed.

|||

Twelve months on from winning their 10th Champions League, Real Madrid are two games from finishing the season empty- handed. What happens next? It is the question everyone in the Spanish capital is asking. Sportsmail offers the most probable answers.

The problems

Not since Alfredo di Stefano in the summer of 1983 has a Madrid coach survived after not winning anything. As many as 14 have been sacked after failing to deliver a trophy and Carlo Ancelotti is unlikely to be the exception. Madrid continue to spend more than any other club but the trophies don’t match the outlay. They have only won the league once in the previous six seasons.

The spending

The philosophy continues to be non-negotiable — spend, spend, spend. They will keep throwing money at the problem despite having just been turfed out of the Champions League by one of their own. It was former youth-team striker Alvaro Morata who scored the goal that sent Juventus through to the final in Berlin on June 6 but there will be no U-turn on club policy — big signings will be more important than developing from within. Right now Madrid’s B-team are stranded in the third tier of Spanish football having failed to win promotion under Zinedine Zidane. So there is little — beyond 16-year-old starlet Martin Odegaard, who will be loaned out — coming through anyway.

The Manager

Ancelotti as much as admitted after Wednesday’s Champions League elimination that his future is now in the hands of Real president Florentino Perez, who has never kept on a coach after he failed to produce a single trophy in a season. Jurgen Klopp is the most high-profile candidate and he will be free when he leaves Dortmund this summer. Klopp doesn’t speak Spanish and is understood to favour the Premier League, however, and Real’s president is understood to want a Spanish replacement for Ancelotti. That could clear the way for Rafael Benitez — who is likely to leave Napoli at the end of the season — but don’t rule out a Spanish coach already working in La Liga with European experience. Ancelotti will ride off into the sunset with that Champions League he claimed last year under his arm. There will be no shortage of suitors, but they are unlikely to include Manchester City, who have consistently said the Italian is ‘not their type of manager’.

The outs

Real Madrid’s bench has been poor this season. Bringing on Javier Hernandez to salvage a Champions League semi-final is not good enough for a club who spent fortunes building the best side in Europe last season. Real have a £195million forward line and many at the club see it as unacceptable that they have a Manchester United fringe player as their fourth striker. Chicharito will not be retained but he will not be the only one to be shown the door. Fabio Coentrao has only played 38 per cent of possible games in his four years at the club and will be sold. Alvaro Arbeloa is likely to follow him. Lucas Silva only joined in January but will now be loaned out. Asier Illarramendi could end up back at Real Sociedad after being a £30m flop and 22-year-old striker Jese could be farmed out on loan.

The ins

If they dodge the bullet of a potential transfer ban from Fifa, Madrid will spend big again. David de Gea is a priority. Iker Casillas wants to see out the final two years of his contract at the Bernabeu but Real want to get some money for him now and bring in the goalkeeper who will succeed him at international level. They could yet sign left back Jose Gaya from Valencia despite him having signed a new contract two weeks ago, while a better fourth striker than Hernandez is also high on their list of targets. But perhaps their most important purchase will be an aggressive midfielder whose running will allow the likes of James Rodriguez and Gareth Bale to play with fewer defensive responsibilities.

Gareth Bale

Bale stays. Perez did not spend €100m of the club’s money to cash in after two campaigns. It will not be too long before Cristiano Ronaldo heads off to the USA to finish his career in the Californian sunshine and Bale is first in line to the throne. He wants to make his third season as successful as his first and there is some recognition at the Bernabeu that he needs to be used better. There is no point in having someone with his explosive pace and finishing ability, only to load him down with defensive responsibilities on the right of a 4-4-2. Madrid want to go back to a 4-3-3 next season with a new midfielder to toughen up the team and allow Bale and Ronaldo to run free and terrorise defences as they were doing last season.

And Ronaldo . . . ?

He can become the club’s all-time top scorer next season but then it may well be time to start thinking about his next career move. He has become more of a centre forward this year and less of a rampaging deep-lying attacker. Next season the emphasis will be on him working with Bale instead of against him. Karim Benzema and Rodriguez will contest the third striking berth and a heavy-weight such as Dortmund’s Ilkay Gundogan or Paris Saint-Germain’s Marco Verratti will be brought in to bolster a midfield also containing Luka Modric and Toni Kroos.

Real Madrid 2016?

de gea

varane

marcelo

bale

Rodriguez

ronaldo

modric

verratti

kroos

danilo

ramos – Daily Mail

from Soccer Soccer Extended RSS http://ift.tt/1HkAc9A

Welbeck to miss United clash

Arsenal striker Danny Welbeck will miss the chance to haunt former club Manchester United for a second time this season after being ruled out of thePremier League game at Old Trafford.

|||

London - Arsenal striker Danny Welbeck will miss the chance to haunt former club Manchester United for a second time this season after being ruled out of Sunday's Premier League game at Old Trafford with a knee injury, manager Arsene Wenger said.

The 24-year-old, who has scored eight goals for Arsenal since joining for 16 million pounds ($25.2 million) last year, scored the winner in the Gunners' 2-1 FA Cup quarter-final victory at Old Trafford in March.

But England international Welbeck, who made started brightly at the Emirates but has since gone off the boil playing in an unfavoured wide position, has missed Arsenal's last two matches through injury.

“Welbeck is short a fraction but is not far away from returning,” Wenger told a news conference on Friday.

“I would have loved to have him available but we will have to do without him.”

Arsenal's hopes of a second-placed finish took a hit on Monday after a 1-0 defeat by Swansea but Wenger's side, who have 70 points from 35 matches, still boast a game in hand on Manchester City who are three points ahead.

Fourth-placed United are two points behind Arsenal having played a game more and Wenger believes victory at Old Trafford would be another crucial part of his side's development.

“Our recent away form has been very strong and that's always a sign of a team who is in progress,” Wenger said. “To win at Old Trafford again would convince us that we have the strength and help us be stronger next season.

“Mathematically, we can put a distance between them and us in the top four and basically secure top three.

“There is a symbolic statement, because we want to win the FA Cup and, psychologically, winning this weekend and securing third would be very important for this.

from Soccer Soccer Extended RSS http://ift.tt/1RO9CJ7

Chiefs skipper scoops award

Kaizer Chiefs captain Tefu Mashamaite has won yet another award after being voted the KICK OFF Footballer of the Season.

|||

Johannesburg – Kaizer Chiefs captain Tefu Mashamaite has won yet another award after being voted the KICK OFF Footballer of the Season.

The Bafana Bafana defender, who lifted the Absa Premiership trophy for his club, came out on top of a vote by thousands of fans from across the country.

According to kickoff.com, the 30-year-old attracted 13 762 votes to edge out compatriot and AmaKhosi defensive partner Mandla Masango, who pulled 13 469 votes.

Mashamaite has played over 2700 minutes for Chiefs throughout the course of this season, becoming the first outfield player to do so since Thanduyise Khuboni in 2011/12, and the first defender to complete a 100% season since Rooi Mahamutsa and Wayne Arendse in 2010/11.

“In particular Tefu has had a superb campaign this season, first lifting the MTN8 trophy after taking over the club’s captaincy, and then had it finish on an even higher note when he lifted the Absa Premiership title recently,” KICK OFF magazine editor, Richard Maguire, said.

“He was an ever present force for Kaizer Chiefs with their title-winning campaign and scored three goals in the process – a leader both on and off the field.”

Mashamaite is also on the three-man shortlist for the PSL Footballer of the Year prize, to be announced at the annual awards in Sandton on Sunday.

He is also a candidate for the Absa Premiership Player’s Player of the Season, the Absa Premiership Defender of the Season and the MTN8 Player of the Season awards. – ANA

from Soccer Soccer Extended RSS http://ift.tt/1JjKXIH

Gerrard dreading Anfield farewell

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard says he has been dreading the moment he must wave goodbye to his adoring Anfield fans.

|||

London - Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard says he has been dreading the moment he must wave goodbye to his adoring Anfield fans this weekend when he plays his final home game for the club.

After 17 years with his boyhood team, during which time Gerrard has made more than 700 appearances, Saturday's clash with Crystal Palace will mark the end of an era.

“I don't know what it will be like at the end of the game when I say goodbye for real,” said the 34-year-old midfield general who will join the Los Angeles Galaxy when the season finishes.

“I've been dreading this moment in a strange way because I'm going to miss it so much, playing in front of the fans at Anfield and with my team mates,” Gerrard told a packed news conference at Liverpool's Melwood training ground.

“It will be emotional but the plan is to keep it together and avoid the tears.”

Few players have worn their club shirt with more pride than Gerrard and he said he has enjoyed some “unbelievable highs” as well as some “cruel lows” over the years.

“Istanbul still makes the hairs on my neck stand up,” he added of the night in 2005 when Gerrard inspired a Liverpool fightback from 3-0 down at halftime to beat AC Milan on penalties in the Champions League final.

“It was the best night of my life. Every footballer thinks it's the best cup to win. It will go down as the best Champions League final ever and as captain of that team there was no prouder man on the planet.”

Gerrard said not winning the Premier League title put a dent in his memories and he paid tribute to former manager Gerard Houllier. “I owe an awful lot to Gerard Houllier. He was a father figure and I won three trophies under him,” he said.

“He gave me the captaincy at 23 and it was a brave thing to do.”

Gerrard, who has played 253 Premier League games at Anfield, said he hoped he could return one day in a coaching role.

“To take a role at this club first and foremost you have to be good enough, you never take a role here on reputation,” he said.

“But in a couple of years time when I've been out of the city and can reflect, if there's a role offered I feel I'm good enough for I would consider it.” – Reuters

from Soccer Soccer Extended RSS http://ift.tt/1L5U5j6

Pochettino warns Spurs players

Every Tottenham Hotspur player's future is on the line after a disappointing season, manager Mauricio Pochettino told reporters.

|||

London - Every Tottenham Hotspur player's future is on the line after a disappointing season that has seen the club miss out on a Champions League qualifying place, manager Mauricio Pochettino told reporters on Thursday.

The Argentine, who is aiming to build a side capable of finishing in the Premier League top four next season and eventually challenging for the title, said Spurs would have to be “clever” in the transfer market rather than splashing out.

The north London club are sixth in the table, 10 points adrift of Manchester United in fourth with two games remaining.

“Always you need to analyse the last season,” said Pochettino. “Nobody is sure that they are staying at the club.”

Spurs spent more than 100 million pounds ($157.72 million) on several players following Wales forward Gareth Bale's world record 85 million pounds move to Real Madrid two years ago.

Roberto Soldado, Erik Lamela, Paulinho, Vlad Chiriches and Etienne Capoue have made little impact, while Pochettino's own signings last year, including defenders Federico Fazio and Ben Davies as well as midfielder Benjamin Stambouli, have struggled.

Former Southampton manager Pochettino knows lessons must be learned from the club's mistakes in the transfer market if they are to be successful.

“You ask me about two seasons ago that maybe the manager had a lot of money to spend like (Ronald) Koeman at Southampton and maybe (Louis) Van Gaal at Manchester United. Are you asking me if I have the same possibility? No.

“We need to look forward and we need to learn from the past but I was not here,” he added

“We have a different plan to develop over the next few years and we need to deliver it.

“We need to be clever in the way that we build the new squad because it is difficult to compete with the money - that's true - so we need to be clever. We want good players, with the right profile.” – Reuters

from Soccer Soccer Extended RSS http://ift.tt/1A5ofSv

Schuerrle to get Premier League medal

Former Chelsea winger Andre Schuerrle will get a Premier League winner's medal after coach Jose Mourinho texted him with the good news, the player said.

|||

Berlin - Former Chelsea winger Andre Schuerrle will get a Premier League winner's medal after coach Jose Mourinho texted him with the good news, the player said.

The Germany international made 14 appearances for Chelsea earlier this season, most of those as a substitute, before joining VfL Wolfsburg in February.

“I didn't know that I'd get a medal when I didn't play most of the second half of the season,” he told the BBC.

“Jose Mourinho sent me a text to say that I'd get a medal and he asked me to come to the last game. That was very nice for me.

“I'm really happy for the boys. They played a very good second half of the season so of course, for me, it's good to get a medal but the boys did the work.”

Schuerrle joined Chelsea in 2013 but made just 20 Premier League starts, with another 24 appearances coming off the bench.

He returned to the Bundesliga and can win more trophies this season with Wolfsburg facing Borussia Dortmund in the German Cup final later this month.

The Wolves have also qualified for the Champions League next season after securing a top three finish with two matches to spare. – Reuters

from Soccer Soccer Extended RSS http://ift.tt/1Hh81pp

Sevilla coasts into Europa League final

Holders Sevilla swept into a second consecutive Europa League final when a 2-0 victory at Fiorentina secured a crushing 5-0 aggregate.

|||

Florence, Italy - Holders Sevilla swept into a second consecutive Europa League final when a 2-0 victory at Fiorentina secured a crushing 5-0 aggregate success for the La Liga club in their semi-final tie.

Sevilla had all-but booked their place in the showpiece in Warsaw after thumping the Italian side 3-0 in last week's first leg in Spain and will seal a record fourth triumph in Europe's second-tier club competition if they can overcome Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk on May 27.

The Ukrainians won 1-0 at home to Fiorentina's Serie A rivals Napoli to progress to their first European final 2-1 on aggregate.

Sevilla coach Unai Emery paid tribute to his players, who also dispatched Borussia Moenchengladbach, Villarreal and Zenit St Petersburg in the knockout rounds.

“Dnipro have made it and nobody has gifted them anything,” Emery told Spanish television broadcaster Cuatro.

“Knocking out Napoli is an impressive achievement,” he added. “It's not going to be easy, it's 50-50 and we won't be going there as favourites.”

Carlos Bacca fired Sevilla ahead in the 22nd minute at the Stadio Comunale Artemio Franchi in Florence when he sent a close-range effort arrowing into the roof of the net.

That left Fiorentina needing five goals without reply to progress but they fell further behind when Daniel Carrico made it 2-0 to the visitors five minutes later.

Fiorentina's night went from bad to worse midway through the second half when Josip Ilicic sent a penalty kick sailing over the crossbar after Sevilla defender Grzegorz Krychowiak had felled David Pizarro in the penalty area.

If Sevilla clinch a fourth Uefa Cup/Europa league crown in their fourth final they would surpass Inter Milan, Juventus and Liverpool, who also have three.

Sevilla won back-to-back Uefa Cups in 2006 and 2007 and beat Benfica on penalties to secure the renamed trophy last term.

Another triumph would also carry a lucrative berth in the group stage of next season's Champions League. – Reuters

from Soccer Soccer Extended RSS http://ift.tt/1L5MGAn