There’s a Jose, Terry rift - Gerrard

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Steven Gerrard believes Jose Mourinho’s relationship with John Terry has deteriorated after the Chelsea captain.

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Steven Gerrard believes Jose Mourinho’s relationship with John Terry has deteriorated after the Chelsea captain was left on the bench for last night’s Champions League clash with Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Terry has struggled at the start of the season having been sent off against West Bromwich Albion and substituted at half-time against Manchester City.

And former Liverpool captain Gerrard suspects there is a rift between the Chelsea skipper and his manager.

Speaking during BT Sport’s live coverage of the match, Gerrard said: ‘There’s certainly a bit of friction behind the scenes because for me, you play John Terry week in, week out — he’s your captain.

‘He’s such an important figure in the dressing room and if Chelsea want to be successful this season, they need him in there.

‘Chelsea were champions three months ago, they were the best team in the Premier League, they had the PFA player of the year in Eden Hazard and Cesc Fabregas was on fire.

‘Something’s clearly happening behind the scenes that we’re not clued up on.

‘You can’t have that many problems in a team so quickly.’

Gerrard’s fellow pundit Rio Ferdinand added: ‘I would have thought John Terry would have started today, he’s their leader, he’s their captain and you need to get off to a good start.’

Branislav Ivanovic, Diego Costa and Nemanja Matic were also dropped for the Blues’ first Champions League tie of the season following the 3-1 defeat by Everton at Goodison Park last Saturday. - Daily Mail



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It’s all about the team for Tshabalala

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Siphiwe Tshabalala will be leading Kaizer Chiefs in a Cup final for the first time when Amakhosi clash with Ajax Cape Town in the MTN8 final.

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Siphiwe Tshabalala will be leading Kaizer Chiefs in a Cup final for the first time when Amakhosi clash with Ajax Cape Town in the MTN8 final at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Saturday.

But for the winger it’s not about him.

“For me it is about the team,” Tshabalala said ahead of the team’s training session in Naturena yesterday. “I want to play well for the team. And we want to play well as a collective and win this trophy. Yes, it will mean a lot to me leading the team to victory as the skipper. But to me, it is about the team.”

So far this season Chiefs have shown great fight to come back and win games they seemed to be on the verge of losing.

One of them was their quarter-final clash with Maritzburg United when they were 2-0 down at the break but came back to win 5-3 in extra-time.

And the skipper gives all the credit to coach Steve Komphela, saying he never puts them down and is a great motivator.

“I think the mindset is strong, we have a strong character. Twice or three times we have come from behind to win games and that is down to Komphela.

He is someone who is very approachable, very easy, but a disciplinarian as well. Most of the time he is very calm and positive, he knows how to raise his voice and how to motivate his players. We are enjoying being around him and we want to win this trop-hy for him.

“We play good, exciting football and we are a hard-working team. We fight for what we want and we are always ready to dig deep to achieve certain things.

“We want to continue with that, we are not there yet, we are still a work in progress. But we’ll get there, one step at time, the only focus now is the Cup final,” Tshabalala added.

Tshabalala also credited Ajax for reaching the final, but says they are not really concerned about the Cape side, as they are focussed on their own game.

“As much as we are preparing for the game, so are they. They also want to win the Cup final. We will give them the respect they deserve, they are a good team. But we are more focused on ourselves, what we are going to do and how we going to achieve our goal. They are a strong team, but we won’t dwell too much on that,” said Tshabalala.

The Chiefs skipper also added that everyone at the club is in high spirits ahead of the match, with the main objective being keeping the trophy at Naturena.

“So far so good, the mood is good in the team. We are looking forward to our next game.

“This is the final hurdle to reaching our goal, which is retaining the trophy.” - The Star



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Giroud red card ‘very harsh’ - Wenger

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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has termed forward Olivier Giroud's send-off their Champions League match against Dinamo Zagreb “very harsh”.

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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has termed forward Olivier Giroud's send-off in Wednesday's Champions League match against Dinamo Zagreb “very harsh” after his 10-man team lost the Group F contest at Zagreb's Maksimir stadium.

Criticised for not being clinical enough in front of goal, Giroud's frustration got the better of him when he was first booked for dissent after his reaction to the referee giving a foul against him.

He was eventually sent off after a tackle on Dinamo Zagreb's Ivo Pinto in the 40th minute saw him pick up his second yellow card as Arsenal went on to lose 2-1.

Wenger insisted Romanian referee Ovidiu Hategan was harsh in flashing the second yellow card.

“The first yellow card was Giroud's fault because he protested, even if there was no foul against him. After that he should have not protested to the referee,” the 65-year-old Wenger told reporters.

“His second yellow card was completely unlucky to touch the guy. I do not understand the referee.

“It was completely accidental. It happened and I think at that moment it was not a second yellow. It has to be a foul on purpose and it was not on purpose. The referee should have given several yellows tonight based on that.

“We were a bit unlucky. We had a lot of the ball and, as well, we had early chances. I believe the first goal is offside and after that, the sending-off is very harsh,” he added.

Arsenal forward Theo Walcott was confident the team can put the setback behind them and advance from the group stage.

“We've still got a long Champions League run. We've had setbacks before and we've managed to bounce back from them,” the England international said.

“We should be able to come back stronger. The manager will make sure that it's put to bed in the changing room and that it will stay there,” he added. – Reuters



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We’ve lost our way - Rodgers

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Liverpool have lost their way and are trying to rediscover their identity, manager Brendan Rodgers has admitted.

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Liverpool have lost their way and are trying to rediscover their identity, manager Brendan Rodgers has admitted, while denying that he is under greater pressure after an underwhelming start to the season.

The Merseyside club have slumped to back-to-back Premier League losses against West Ham United and Manchester United and the Northern Irishman, who has been criticised by sections of the fans and media, is troubled by the manner of the defeats.

“You can lose games but it is how you lose them and the last couple of games are not how you want to lose,” the 42-year-old told reporters ahead of his club's Europa League clash against Ligue 1 side Bordeaux.

“I think it is good I have an identity as a coach and a way of working that is clear.

“I am confident we can get back to playing that way and ... I along with the staff are working very hard to reinforce the principles of how we have worked here,” he added.

The criticism of Rodgers intensified after Liverpool's limp 3-1 defeat by Manchester United at the weekend, a game in which the Merseyside club sat back and allowed their archrivals to dominate possession, and the manager said the result was an eye-opener and one he would learn from.

“When you look at the opening five games ... we haven't been at that level of intensity.

“That's something that I've really taken away from the performance at the weekend. We created some chances in the second half but this is a team that is very much about being on the front foot,” he told the club website (www.liverpoolfc.com).

Rodgers has rung the changes for the Bordeaux game, leaving Christian Benteke, Martin Skrtel, Dejan Lovren, James Milner, Lucas Leiva and Nathaniel Clyne at home and defended his team selection.

“My approach is what I did in this competition when I first came in. We played players that needed games and it's my chance to look at some young players as well.

“Back then we finished top of the group and qualified, and that's the objective,” he said, while denying that he was under increased pressure.

“It (the pressure) is the same as it ever has been.

“It's part and parcel of being the manager at such a great club,” he said. – Reuters



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Ronaldo closing in on Raul’s record

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Cristiano Ronaldo can overtake Raul as Real Madrid's all-time top scorer when Granada visit the Bernabeu in La Liga.

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Madrid - Cristiano Ronaldo can overtake Raul as Real Madrid's all-time top scorer when Granada visit the Bernabeu in La Liga on Saturday and the Portugal captain will have needed fewer than half as many matches to do it.

Former Spain striker Raul, now with New York Cosmos, netted 323 goals in 741 appearances for the world's richest club, while Ronaldo's hat-trick in Tuesday's 4-0 Champions League victory at home to Shakhtar Donetsk took his tally to a jaw-dropping 321 in just 304 matches.

The 30-year-old Fifa Ballon d'Or holder's treble at the Bernabeu came hot on the heels of his five-goal haul at Espanyol last weekend and Real have rattled in 15 goals without reply in their last three outings.

“I know Cristiano Ronaldo's value and performance level,” Real coach Rafa Benitez told a news conference after the Shakhtar game. “He is the best in the world and is showing that in games and every training session.”

Ronaldo hit five goals in a match for the first time when Real hammered Granada 9-1 at the Bernabeu last season and Granada midfielder Ruben Rochina is expecting another rough ride despite Benitez missing several regulars due to injury.

James Rodriguez, Gareth Bale and Sergio Ramos are all unavailable but Rochina said the depth of Real's squad means the trio will not be missed too much.

“We know they are one of the best teams in the world and if one player is not there then there will be another who will also perform well,” he told Spanish radio on Wednesday.

Champions Barcelona, who host Levante on Sunday, are waiting to find out how serious Rafinha's suspected knee injury is after the Brazil midfielder was hurt in Wednesday's 1-1 Champions League draw at AS Roma.

“We will wait for the test results tomorrow (Thursday) but it looks bad and that is very ugly news for us,” Barca coach Luis Enrique told a news conference.

Atletico Madrid visit Eibar and Valencia host promoted Real Betis on Saturday and Sevilla host Celta Vigo on Sunday.

Atletico and Sevilla enjoyed convincing wins in Champions League action on Tuesday, while Valencia's return to Europe's elite club competition after a two-year absence was spoiled when they lost 3-2 at home to Zenit St Petersburg on Wednesday. – Reuters



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United’s fury at Moreno’s award

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Manchester United are upset with Uefa for naming PSV Eindhoven’s Hector Moreno as man of the match following his leg-breaking tackle on Luke Shaw.

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Manchester United are upset with Uefa for naming Hector Moreno as man of the match in their defeat by PSV Eindhoven following his leg-breaking tackle on Luke Shaw.

It emerged last night that the England defender is unlikely to play again this season.

United believe it was insensitive in the extreme for Moreno to be honoured in such a way by European football’s governing body after his challenge left Shaw with a sickening double fracture of the right leg.

The 20-year-old defender had surgery in Eindhoven in the early hours of yesterday morning and remained in hospital while the rest of the squad flew home in sombre mood.

It is understood that Shaw will be out of action for a minimum of six months, with his hopes of appearing in Euro 2016 next summer now in serious jeopardy.

A Manchester United club source said: ‘We find it strange and disappointing that Uefa made Moreno their man of the match after what happened to Luke.’

A Uefa spokesman explained that the award is decided by their team of reporters at the game. A story that appeared on the governing body’s official website yesterday quoting Moreno made no mention of Shaw’s injury.

Uefa have no plans to review the incident after the Mexico defender went unpunished by Italian referee Nicola Rizzoli for his lunging tackle in the 15th minute.

He added insult to injury by scoring PSV’s equaliser in their 2-1 Champions League win.

Moreno, who broke his leg against Louis van Gaal’s Holland in the World Cup last summer, apologised to Shaw but insisted the injury was an accident.

He said: ‘I feel really sorry but I don’t think it was a foul. I think I played the ball. It wasn’t my intention to injure him.

‘But in this kind of situation I don’t care if it was a foul, I feel bad for him and for his family.

‘I had a situation like that myself during the World Cup. Now I just hope he will be back as soon as possible.’

Shaw was rushed to St Anna Ziekenhuis hospital on the outskirts of Eindhoven where he was joined by his parents, who were in the crowd at the Philips Stadion.

United chief executive Ed Woodward was one of the first people to visit him yesterday morning.

It is understood that the former Southampton defender suffered a clean break and the fractured bones did not pierce the skin of his right leg. However, he faces a lengthy layoff followed by extensive rehabilitation that could keep him out of action until next season.

Some of Shaw’s United teammates could not even bear to look as he received treatment on the pitch.

Club insiders have revealed that the players ate an after-match meal in almost complete silence at their hotel.

Daley Blind, who replaced Shaw at left back after he was carried off on a stretcher, admitted that the United players were psychologically affected by the incident.

‘It’s a massive blow if someone suffers an injury like that,’ said Blind. ‘We are a strong team unit so it cuts into you. Maybe it gets into your heads but you have to let it pass.

‘It’s something that may not actually influence you at that time. But you can be unaware, and perhaps in your head you unconsciously sympathise with him. But it’s a defeat and saying this should not pass the buck.’

Sportsmail refereeing expert Graham Poll insisted that Moreno should have been shown a straight red card and United awarded a penalty for the tackle in question.

But Howard Webb, another former Premier League referee, defended Rizzoli by claiming that the injury was caused by Shaw’s studs being caught in the turf.

He said: ‘Luke Shaw’s injury was awful and I wish him a speedy recovery, but I have got to say that the referee made the right decision on the night.

‘Moreno stretches with his right leg, which plays the ball cleanly. His left leg makes some contact on the follow through, but it is always tucked away under him and not aimed towards Luke Shaw.

‘Luke is unlucky in that he gets his studs caught and twists, which causes the injury, but I think the referee has made the right decision.’ – Daily Mail



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Chelsea thrash Israeli champions

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Chelsea got their Champions League campaign off to a flying start with a 4-0 thrashing of Israeli champions Maccabi Tel Aviv.

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London - Chelsea forgot their Premier League woes and got their Champions League campaign off to a flying start with a 4-0 thrashing of Israeli champions Maccabi Tel Aviv in their opening Group G match at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.

Despite Eden Hazard blazing an early penalty high over the bar, Chelsea scored twice in the first half with Willian finding the net with a 30-metre free kick after 15 minutes and Oscar scoring from their second penalty with the last kick of the opening 45 minutes.

Diego Costa, who replaced Willian after the Brazilian was injured after 20 minutes, brilliantly volleyed in Chelsea's third after 58 minutes with Cesc Fabregas finishing off a breakaway for the fourth after 78.

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho had not seen his team win since Aug. 23 with two successive league defeats in their last two matches but he told reporters afterwards: “I forgot what it was like to win, so it's a good feeling.

“The penalty we missed was a big test for us. When you start a game you have to win and after five minutes you miss a penalty, it is an extra negative episode and our reaction was very good. I am very happy with the performance.”

Maccabi, back in the competition proper for the first time in over a decade after coming through the qualifiers, went close through skipper Eran Zahavi and Nosakhare Igiebor, but Chelsea, 17th in the Premier League with one win from five matches, were never seriously troubled and could have scored seven or eight.

Their manager Slavisa Jokanovic, a former Chelsea midfielder, conceded: “Welcome to the Champions League, it is not the Israeli Premier League.

“They dominated us, but we will learn.”

Mourinho made six changes to the side beaten 3-1 at Everton on Saturday with captain John Terry among those on the bench, although Fabregas, who has lacked his usual creative inspiration, retained his place and had a hand in the third as well as scoring for the first time since April.

The lack of confidence and poor form that has blighted Chelsea's start to the campaign was apparent when Hazard blazed his penalty over the bar.

German referee Felix Zwayer showed leniency to Maccabi's Serbian keeper Predrag Rajkovic though, only giving him a yellow card for bringing down Willian - and the goalie did not have to move as Hazard fired high and wide.

Willian avenged that foul in the 15th minute when his 30-metre free kick bounced once and flew past the slow-moving Rajkovic to give Chelsea a deserved lead.

Chelsea dominated but had to wait until the last kick of stoppage time before doubling the lead when Oscar scored from the spot after former Chelsea defender Tal Ben Haim scythed down substitute Costa.

Costa volleyed Chelsea's third on the turn just before the hour mark and Fabregas tapped in a fourth as Chelsea won their opening home Champions League match of the season under Mourinho for the first time, at the fourth attempt. – Reuters



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Giroud sees red as Arsenal lose

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Dinamo Zagreb made a dream start to their Champions League campaign after a goal in each half gave them a 2-1 home win over 10-man Arsenal.

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Zagreb - Dinamo Zagreb made a dream start to their Champions League campaign after a goal in each half gave them a 2-1 home win over 10-man Arsenal in their Group F match on Wednesday.

An Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain own goal followed by a Junior Fernandes header put Dinamo in the driving seat before Theo Walcott pulled one back for the Premier League side, who had striker Olivier Giroud sent off in the first half.

Having failed to advance past the group stage of Europe's elite club competition in their previous four attempts, Dinamo produced a morale-boosting performance in the Maksimir stadium.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger blamed the defeat on bad luck although he might also question his side's poor defending at set-pieces and a lack of creativity in midfield.

“It is not the way we wanted to begin the competition but I think we were a bit unlucky as well today,” Wenger told BT Sport.

“At 2-0 down...we gave it our all against a team that defends in their own half but unfortunately we couldn't get back.”

Organised defending aided by a packed midfield frustrated a disjointed Arsenal and the home side always looked dangerous on the break, with Algeria striker El Hilal Arabi Soudani at the heart of all their moves.

Arsenal held the upper hand in the opening 20 minutes as Giroud missed two good chances, hitting the post with a scuffed effort after Dinamo's Portuguese keeper Eduardo had kept out the Frenchman's header with an acrobatic save.

The Croatian champions took the lead against the run of play with Chamberlain unable to get out of the way of a rebound after Arsenal keeper David Ospina blocked a close-range shot by left back Josip Pivaric.

Worse followed for the visitors when Giroud was shown a second yellow card for a reckless challenge after he was earlier booked for dissent.

Sensing blood, a fired-up Dinamo came storming out after the interval and livewire Soudani, a handful all night for his markers, hit the post with a glancing header barely a minute into the second half.

The home fans were in raptures in the 58th minute when Chilean Fernandes rose at the near post to head home an inviting Paulo Machado corner past a static Arsenal defence.

Wenger then replaced Oxlade-Chamberlain with Walcott and the winger made a quick impact, racing clear of two markers before he beat the advancing Eduardo with a sublime finish in the 79th minute.

But Arsenal could not force a late equaliser and Dinamo's coach Zoran Mamic was elated with the result.

“I hoped secretly we could pull off a miracle because we were really focused on this one,” he told a news conference.

“A debacle was never on my mind because I knew we could stay on the same par physically with a team uncomfortable against rivals who can keep possession.” – Reuters



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Shaw injury puts Van Gaal on defensive

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Luke Shaw's horrific leg break now has Man United fans worrying about the teams defence as well.

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London - Manchester United fans were already concerned about their side's lack of goalscorers but Luke Shaw's horrific leg break, and likely six month absence now has them worrying about the defence as well.

The England left back suffered a double fracture of his right leg in Tuesday's 2-1 Champions League defeat at PSV Eindhoven after a scything tackle in the penalty area by Mexican Hector Moreno.

The game was stopped for eight minutes while medical staff attended to Shaw, who was carried off on a stretcher with an oxygen mask strapped to his face.

United said in an update on Wednesday that Shaw had surgery immediately after the match at the St. Anna Hospital in Geldrop and would remain in Eindhoven to continue his recovery.

His team mates returned home on Wednesday.

Moreno, who broke his leg playing for Mexico against United manager Louis van Gaal's Netherlands at the 2014 World Cup and sent a message of support to Shaw via Twitter, went unpunished.

“It is very bad and sad for him, but also for our team,” said Van Gaal, who replaced Shaw with Argentine Marcos Rojo.

“I'm not a doctor so I cannot say but when you have a double fracture it is four to six months... I hope he will play again this season.”

Shaw had been in top form for club and country after a difficult first year at Old Trafford following his 30 million pounds ($46.27 million) plus move from Southampton.

He had started all of United's eight games as well as playing in the Euro 2016 qualifiers against San Marino and Switzerland, with England manager Roy Hodgson seeing him as a stalwart in the same fashion as Ashley Cole.

His prolonged absence will be a blow for Hodgson, even if England's place at next year's finals in France is already secure, as it will for Van Gaal who had spoken last month of how important the player would be in his lineup.

“Luke is a big talent,” the Dutchman, whose side can no longer count on a dominant Rio Ferdinand or Nemanja Vidic-like figure in the heart of the defence, had declared. “I think this shall be the season of Luke Shaw - that I believe.”

Shaw had worked hard on his fitness, paying for a personal trainer to accompany him on holiday in Dubai, and had given United pace down the flank.

With Daley Blind and Chris Smalling in the centre and Matteo Darmian on the right, United have looked solid in defence with fans more focused on where the goals might come from after the exit of Robin van Persie, Javier Hernandez and Radamel Falcao.

Apart from Premier League leaders and local rivals Manchester City, who have kept clean sheets in winning their five domestic matches so far, United currently boast the second best defensive record in the top tier along with Arsenal.

Despite that record, there has been concern that the lack of defensive reinforcements in the last transfer window has left United vulnerable to injury.

“He (Shaw) has played so well and been an integral part of this decent start by Manchester United because the back four has been settled,” former Liverpool defender Phil Thompson told Sky Sports television on Wednesday.

Van Gaal will have to change that, with Rojo - who plays left back for Argentina - brought on in a central role at PSV while Blind moved to the left back position instead.

Thompson, for one, was not convinced by the changes which led to both of PSV's goals. The first came after a deflection off Blind, the second when Luciano Narsingh was left unmarked by Rojo to head home.

“Blind and Smalling have been very good,” said Thompson. “Why did he move Blind to left back and Rojo to centre back when that has been your rock?”

Reuters



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We have a long season ahead - Coutinho

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Philippe Coutinho has called for calm ahead of Liverpool's visit to France to take on Bordeaux in the Europa League.

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London - Liverpool attacking midfielder Philippe Coutinho has called for calm ahead of his club's visit to France to take on Bordeaux in the Europa League on Thursday after suffering back-to-back defeats in the Premier League.

The Brazilian was shown a red card during Liverpool's 3-0 defeat by West Ham United on Aug. 29 and missed the 3-1 loss to Manchester United at Old Trafford, a result that sent the Merseyside club plunging down to 10th place in the league table.

“It is vital to stay calm, mainly because we are just at the beginning in all competitions,” Coutinho, who is likely to return to the starting line-up against French Ligue 1 side Bordeaux, told the club's website (www.liverpoolfc.com).

“We have a long season ahead and many things can happen. The Premier League is tough - all clubs have great teams - and we know twists and turns will happen.”

The 23-year-old said the league defeats would act as motivation for Liverpool who are struggling to create chances and scored only three times in five league games so far.

“We have to look ahead now and get over these two recent games we lost,” Coutinho said.

“After two consecutive defeats, we're conscious there's going to be more pressure from the outside - we have to do things right on the pitch so we can achieve good results.

“It (Bordeaux) is a very important game as it's our first in the Europa League.”

Reuters



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Referee blunder let off Moreno

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Referee Nicola Rizzoli couldn’t have saved Luke Shaw from breaking his leg but he should have punished Hector Moreno.

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London - Italian referee Nicola Rizzoli couldn’t have saved Luke Shaw from breaking his leg but he could and should have punished PSV and their defender Hector Moreno for the terrible tackle which caused the horrific fracture.

Moreno showed no regard for his opponent’s safety when he flew in to the tackle as the United defender burst into the PSV penalty area.

Moreno’s leading leg might have touched the ball but the way he challenged, at pace and off the ground, it was clear he had no control over his actions.

Rizzoli knows the law and, while the tackle might have looked worse in slow-motion replays that the referee does not see, should detect and punish such tackles made with excessive force.

He is one of UEFA’s very best officials but he really missed a poor tackle here which also should have resulted in a penalty for United as well as the red card for Moreno.

The fact that the Mexican then scored the equaliser really did highlight what a costly mistake the referee had made.

@MAIL_GPoll

Daily Mail



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PSV win a timely boost for Dutch game

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PSV's surprise win over Man United in the Champions League has provided the perfect pick-me-up for Dutch football.

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Eindhoven - With Dutch football in the doldrums due to the national side's Euro 2016 qualifying woes, PSV Eindhoven's surprise 2-1 victory over Manchester United in the Champions League on Tuesday has provided the perfect pick-me-up.

“I'm really proud of the way the players performed. They fought like warriors, struggling for every metre,” said PSV coach Phillip Cocu after the opening Group B encounter at the Philips Stadium.

“I could go on about what we could have done better. But it was all about keeping fighting to create chances after going a goal down.”

While the game was somewhat overshadowed by a double leg fracture suffered by United defender Luke Shaw, the victory still delivered a boost for Dutch football.

PSV's fighting sprit was in stark contrast to the national team's embarrassing back-to-back defeats in Euro 2016 qualifiers earlier this month.

The Netherlands, who finished third at the World Cup in Brazil last year, were heavily criticised for limp performances against Iceland and Turkey.

The country's faltering UEFA club coefficient now limits the Netherlands to just two Champions League entries. Former winners Ajax Amsterdam were bundled out by Rapid Vienna in this year's preliminary knockout stages.

Reuters



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Jose on the attack as stakes rise

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In isolation, this run of results is a blip and Mourinho is entitled to the occasional downturn. But this is Chelsea...

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London - With the subject turning to third-season syndrome, Jose Mourinho’s veins started to pop and his eyes began bulging out of their sockets at a perceived sleight on his outstanding managerial c.v.

This was the most animated that people had seen Mourinho in weeks, blowing out his cheeks before delivering another reminder of his achievements in the game. It felt as though he had been waiting to get this off his chest.

‘My third season at Porto, I didn’t have a third season and at Inter I didn’t have a third season,’ he began. ‘My third season at Chelsea, the first time, I won the FA Cup and the Carling Cup and played in the Champions League semi-final.

‘My third season at Real Madrid I won the Super Cup, lost the Cup final and went to the Champions League semi-final. These are my third seasons. So click Google instead of asking stupid questions.’

The internet has not been kind to Mourinho (right) in recent weeks, especially after Chelsea were beaten so soundly for the second successive Barclays Premier League fixture against Everton.

In isolation, this run of results is a blip and Mourinho is entitled to the occasional downturn. But this is Chelsea and very little about the workings of this club could be described as normal. Mourinho added: ‘At other clubs you have to go back two, three, five, six, 10 years to remember good results. In our case you have to go back three months.

‘Three months ago we were the best team in the country, with the best manager, the players. So we’re not happy, but we know what we are. Why should I be in trouble? Why? Because I think it’s a good question that you don’t know the answer to.’

The aura is fading fast, with a vulnerability about this team as they prepare for their opening group game of the Champions League against the Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Mourinho has made some changes to his team, the kind of midweek selections that would usually be understandable ahead of a Saturday lunchtime clash with Arsenal at Stamford Bridge.

This feels different, with a manager looking at other options as he attempts to come up with the winning formula after this baffling start to the season. Mourinho added: ‘It’s not because we start so bad - and it really is so bad - that somebody can steal what we are. Nobody can steal our trophies, our history. Nobody can do that. You can try, but you can’t do that. We know what we are. Champions of England.’

The Champions League is a big competition for Chelsea, one of the top targets for a manager who would dearly love to win it for the third time in his career. He added: ‘In the Champions League we have to qualify. We are a Champions League team, not a Europa League team. So we have to qualify. If we can get three points, it would be the first step to that.

‘It is a new competition and to start well at home is important.After this we go to Porto and Kiev, two difficult matches, so it will be important to start with a win.

‘But I respect Maccabi. I have studied them and I know the team. I also had information that, in the last week, they trained with a different tactical system and will probably come to play with five defenders.

‘Watford did that last season with the same manager (Slavisa Jokanovic), so we are prepared for both. We are also ready.

‘We know that they can beat us, but we know that we are a better team. Football is not maths.’

Unfortunately, something just doesn’t quite add up.

Daily Mail



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Gerrard ‘never liked black people’

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Steven Gerrard was forced to deny an extraordinary allegation by former team-mate El Hadji Diouf that he has 'never liked black people'.

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Steven Gerrard was last night forced to deny an extraordinary allegation by former Liverpool team-mate El Hadji Diouf that he has ‘never liked black people’.

The Senegal forward also accused Gerrard of being jealous of his achievements and said Liverpool do not welcome black foreigners.

The allegations were immediately and categorically rebuffed by Gerrard through his lawyers and the former England captain is understood to be taking legal advice.

Diouf was responding to comments in Gerrard’s new book My Story,

that the former African Player of the Year, 34, was his least favourite signing who put his social life ahead of football.

Diouf told a Senegalese radio station: ‘We all saw how he made life difficult for Mario Balotelli in Liverpool. I warned him. Liverpool are not a team that welcomes black unless they are British.

‘Gerrard has never liked black people.’

Gerrard was scathing about Diouf in his book, writing: ‘A few people have since asked me if I saw any comparison between Diouf and Mario Balotelli — and I’ve always said no. I’ve got respect for Balotelli; I’ve got none for Diouf.

‘For example, the way he spat a huge globule of gunky phlegm at a Celtic fan in a Uefa Cup match at Parkhead in March 2003 summed up his contemptuous and spiteful demeanour.

Liverpool declined to comment about Diouf’s claims yesterday but another black ex-Liverpool player, Ryan Babel, tweeted: ‘I did not get that feeling from Steve G so I think he [Diouf] got it wrong.’ – Daily Mail



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Bale worry for Benitez

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Real Madrid coach Rafael Benitez fears Gareth Bale could be set for a significant spell on the sidelines due to a calf muscle injury.

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Real Madrid coach Rafael Benitez fears Welsh star Gareth Bale could be set for a significant spell on the sidelines due to a calf muscle injury.

Bale was forced off after just half an hour of Madrid's 4-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk to open the Spanish giants' Champions League campaign on Tuesday.

Karim Benzema opened the scoring before Cristiano Ronaldo struck his second hat-trick in as many games to move clear of Lionel Messi as the competition's all-time leading goalscorer with 80.

“Great win at home to kick off our #UCL campaign, gutted to go off but hopefully nothing too serious,” Bale posted on his official Twitter account.

However, Benitez was more pessimistic over his chances of facing Granada on Saturday.

“Bale had a spasm in his calf muscle,” said Benitez.

“We must wait a day or two to see how serious it is. He had a similar issue last year.”

Bale was sidelined for nearly three weeks with a calf problem last season that forced him to miss the second leg of Real's Champions League quarter-final against Atletico Madrid.

Should the injury be more serious, he could also miss out on sealing Wales' qualification for an international tournament for the first time since 1958 when they travel to Bosnia and Herzegovina before hosting Andorra next month.

Defenders Raphael Varane and Sergio Ramos also had to be replaced due to minor ankle and shoulder injuries respectively, but Benitez is more confident that they could be fit for the weekend.

“Obviously we have to wait, I said before two of them are knocks. Gareth is the only one that I am a little bit more negative with but I have to wait to see what the doctor says.”

Early season fears that Benitez's Madrid might not have the same attacking prowess as in previous seasons have been dispelled as Los Blancos have now scored 15 times in their last three outings.

However, the former Liverpool and Chelsea boss was also keen to stress the importance of keeping their fourth consecutive clean sheet against a talented Shakhtar side.

“It was a difficult game. They are a team that control the ball well and that makes it more difficult when it comes to defending,” he added.

“They have fast and skillful players. Despite not shining, we had plenty of chances and were clinical.

“I am satisfied to have taken our chances and to not concede any goals. The only negative was the injuries to the three players we had to substitute.” – AFP



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