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Spurs should target Europa glory

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Tottenham Hotspur manager Maurice Pochettino believes the London club should be targeting winning the Europa League.

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For a club of Tottenham Hotpur's stature, they should be aiming to win the Europa League, manager Mauricio Pochettino said after the team's 3-1 victory against Azerbaijani champions Qarabag on Thursday.

Pochettino's side were knocked out of the Europa League by Italian club Fiorentina in the round of 32 last season but the Argentine appeared confident that they can do much better this term.

“It is not easy to win the Europa League. Whether it is more realistic or not is the big question, like last season,” Pochettino told reporters.

“As a big club we have to try to arrive in the final and win the Europa League,” he added.

Pochettino hailed the impact of summer recruit Heung-Min Son, who scored a brace on Thursday, and said his versatility would give a different dimension to their attack.

Son was brought into the Spurs' squad to ease the goalscoring burden on Harry Kane, who netted 31 goals for the club last season but is yet to find the back of the net for Tottenham in the current campaign.

“He scored twice and played one hour. His performance - you can see I am very pleased with him, very happy. His adaptation to the club has been good from the beginning,” the former Southampton manager said of Son.

“He can also play wider. He has the quality to play in different positions on the pitch,” he added.

Pochettino also praised young midfielder Dele Alli, who made his European bow on Thursday.

“In pre-season Alli started to show that he can play like an experienced player. He showed personality and quality. He is a player who can play in the first team,” Pochettino said.

“But you have to be careful with an 19-year-old - it is important to care for him to keep the level for the season,” he added. – Reuters

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FIFPro to challenge transfer system

The world players' union FIFPro said it had launched the biggest challenge to the transfer system since the 1995 Bosman ruling.

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Brussels - The world players' union FIFPro said it had launched the biggest challenge to the transfer system since the 1995 Bosman ruling after it lodged a complaint at the European Commission on Friday.

In a legal action directed against soccer's governing body Fifa, the union claimed that the current transfer system was anti-competitive, unjustified and illegal.

FIFPro president Philippe Piat said the transfer system, in which players are traded among clubs for fees ranging from a few thousand to tens of millions of euros, represents “the interests of cartels.”

FIFPro added that, away from the glamour of the big leagues and the Champions League, thousands of players struggled to get paid on time.

The Dutch-based union said it had asked the European Commission to explore its argument that the transfer regulations prevented clubs from fairly competing in the market to acquire sporting talent.

In doing so, the regulations harmed the interests of players, small and medium sized professional clubs and their supporters, FIFPro said.

The case involving former player Jean-Marc Bosman paved the way for players in the European Union to move to other clubs at the end of a contract without a transfer fee being paid. It had a major impact internationally.

“The European Commission holds the key to reforming the professional football industry more than any internal governance reform process can, by simply applying the law,” said Piat.

“Fifa fails to administer professional football the same way it has failed to govern itself,” added the Frenchman.

“Commercial interests of a few prevail, while the majority of players and clubs are disadvantaged. It is time the rule of law prevails over the interests of cartels.

“The ones benefiting from this are few - major clubs, agents and third party owners. The ones undermined are many and we now call for change.”

The current transfer rules, which are governed by Fifa's Rules on the Status and Transfer of Players (RSTP), have been in force since 2001 after they were accepted by the European Commission.

However, FIFPro said they had failed to achieve the original goals such as contractual stability, redistribution of revenue, competitive balance, integrity and stability of competitions, as well as the training of young players.

FIFPro said its aims were to create the highest possible number of quality jobs for players, ensure players were paid on time and that penalties and compensation for breaches of contract were evenly weighted between clubs and players.

“We need not fear a football world without the transfer system,” stated FIFPro secretary general Theo van Seggelen.

“Through collective bargaining, better labour market rules can be established. Balanced fairly against the needs of clubs, together with an improved model of revenue distribution, we will safeguard football's future.

“Players have the sustainability of this game and industry at heart and will act responsibly,” he added. “For years we have tried to negotiate a fair reform with the other stakeholders and failed.

“Thousands of our members, who go month after month without being paid are desperate. More and more people are feeding off of this transfer market for their personal gain.” – Reuters

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Lallana goal a boost for Rodgers

Liverpool opened their Europa League campaign with a draw against Bordeaux. However, Adam Lallana did provide something to cheer about.

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There were no smiles or fist-pumping celebrations. The reaction in the away end was muted and the manager, after a few handshakes, disappeared down the tunnel.

Happiness was not the overriding emotion for Brendan Rodgers and this draw will not make any list of the club’s best European results but at least it afforded the manager some respite.

It could have been more. Adam Lallana’s brilliant goal should have been enough but Liverpool were unable to hold out and Bordeaux substitute Ferreira Jussie equalised after 81 minutes.

Yet, after depressing defeats by West Ham and Manchester United, it was not another backward step for Rodgers. A point leaves Liverpool in charge of their destiny in Group B.

‘I was disappointed with conceding a goal so late but if you can’t win, then it’s important to get a point,’ Rodgers said. ‘I was satisfied with the performance, particularly with so many of the young ones.’

With such names as Christian Benteke, Daniel Sturridge and Martin Skrtel back on Merseyside along with injured captain Jordan Henderson, it was easy to conclude that Rodgers was down to the bares bones.

When you looked at the team sheet, though, his starting line-up cost almost £100million and the substitutes’ bench had a £29m Brazil international on it.

Aside from team changes, the system was also rejigged with Liverpool reverting to the formation used in the second half of last season. They were better for it, with captain for the night Mamadou Sakho ‘immense’ according to Rodgers.

Even when Kolo Toure went off injured after colliding with Simon Mignolet, Liverpool were comfortable, untried Pedro Chirivella — an 18-year-old Spanish midfielder — slotting in smoothly alongside Jordan Rossiter.

It must be said, though, that Bordeaux were limited and in the first 45 minutes Liverpool came closest to opening the scoring when Philippe Coutinho struck a post.

They took the lead 20 minutes after the break when Lallana nutmegged Brazilian defender Pablo before rifling past Cedric Carrasso.

That should have been enough but Liverpool began to drop deep and Jussie pounced on a loose ball to equalise.

‘I said to the players that in European football a point is never bad,’ Rodgers added. ‘We won the group last time (in 2012) with 10 points, so this was encouraging.’

BORDEAUX (4-4-2): Carrasso 6; Gajic 6 (Guilbert 86min), Pablo 5, Pallios 6, Poundje 6; Saviet 7, Chantome 6, Khazri 7 (Jussie 69, 7), Maurice-Belay 7; Crivelli 6, Rolan 6. Subs not used: Prior, Traore, Kiesse Thelin, Poko, Yambere.

Booked: Chantome.

Scorer: Jussie (80)

LIVERPOOL (4-2-3-1): Mignolet 6; Gomez 7, Toure 5 (Chirivella 27, 6), Sakho 7.5, Moreno 7; Rossiter 7 (Branagan 76), Can 6; Ibe 6, Coutinho 7, Lallana 7; Origi 5 (Ings 73). Subs not used: Bogdan, Firmino, Randall, Cleary.

Booked: Toure.

Scorer: Lallana (65).

Referee: Alberto Undiano Mallenco (Spa).

Man of the match: Sakho. – Daily Mail

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De Sa not worried about stats

Ajax coach Roger de Sa has reached five cup finals in the last three years, losing all of them.

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Statistics don’t bother Ajax Cape Town coach Roger de Sa too much. If it did, he’d be extremely apprehensive ahead of tomorrow afternoon’s MTN8 final against Kaizer Chiefs at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth).

De Sa and cup finals don’t make for good reading. In the last three seasons, during his spells with Orlando Pirates and Ajax, he made it to the climax of a competition on five occasions – African Champions League, MTN8 (twice) and the Telkom Knockout (all with Pirates) – and in May this year, he steered the Urban Warriors to the final of the Nedbank Cup. All of them ended in defeat.

Now he has another opportunity to try and change this bizarre misfortune in finals. But the unruffled De Sa is not too concerned about the past, he’s focused on the present – and how he can assist and ensure his young squad achieves the success they so desire. He is particularly banking on the fact they are a lot more experienced.

“No doubt, the youngsters are more seasoned and mature now,” De Sa said. “They will definitely be more prepared for situations… in terms of maturity, they should be better and we’ll see tomorrow if they have taken in the lessons.

“I’m not too worried about past results. My philosophy is to always go out and try to win every game, that’s what I impress on the teams I coach. So my approach is never different. If we lose, then that’s it – we’ll try again.

“We have had a tough road to this cup final, beating Pirates away from home and then eliminating Wits over the home and away fixtures. We’ve always struggled against Wits, especially on the road, so the semi-final win was a good boost for the confidence of the team.”

De Sa’s counterpart at Chiefs, Steve Komphela, has his own problems. While he’s had a great start since taking over from Stuart Baxter, the margin between acceptance and rejection at Amakhosi is a thin line indeed.

Baxter’s success at Chiefs means that his replacement will always be under the microscope. But it’s so far, so good for Komphela, although he knows what the weight of expectation at the Soweto club entails.

“At this club, as a coach, you know that, when you get to a cup final, you have to win. It’s as simple as that,” Komphela said. “It’s a club with a great history of success and we certainly want to continue that trend tomorrow.

“We are confident without being arrogant, because we know that Ajax are a good team. They are currently on top of the PSL and we know we will have to respect them.

“In Roger, they have a smart coach, who knows what he is doing.”

Komphela’s contribution to Chiefs since his arrival this season was quickly praised by captain Siphiwe Tshabalala.

“Steve’s a good coach,” the skipper said. “He’s someone all players can relate to, he’s approachable, but a disciplinarian as well. We want to win this cup and win it for him. The mindset is strong and we have a strong character.”

Tshabalala is also confident that Chiefs’ “12th man” – the masses on the terraces – would be crucial in taking the team to victory.

“We are looking forward to it,” he said. “The players are ready. We are one win away from holding the cup in our hands. It’s a great venue in Port Elizabeth.

“We are looking forward to playing in a packed stadium, with most of the crowd getting behind us. That’s always a boost for the team... our supporters are our 12th man.” - Cape Times

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Mourinho warns Arsenal, Wenger

Jose Mourinho has warned Arsene Wenger that Chelsea are back in the groove ahead of their clash at Stamford Bridge.

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Jose Mourinho has warned Arsene Wenger that Chelsea are back in the groove as the Premier League champions look to extend their revival in Saturday's showdown with London rivals Arsenal.

Mourinho's side are languishing just above the relegation zone following a miserable run of one win from their first five matches, but the Blues boss is confident his players are beginning to rediscover their swagger after a 4-0 demolition of Maccabi Tel Aviv in midweek.

That vibrant opening to their Champions League campaign was a stark contrast to the doom and gloom that surrounded the club after their worst start to a season since 1988.

Already trailing leaders Manchester City by 11 points and fourth placed Arsenal by six, a third successive league defeat this weekend could leave Chelsea's title defence in tatters.

Yet Mourinho expects the challenge of taking on a title rival will draw a powerful performance from his team against an Arsenal side reeling from their surprise Champions League defeat at Dinamo Zagreb.

“We come with a different feeling. We can wake up with a different state of mind,” Mourinho told Chelsea TV.

“Saturday is a big match, it's a great rival. This result can put us in a better situation.

“We had too many bad results. We couldn't have this one on top of it.”

Mourinho has been quick to dismiss claims of a rift with captain John Terry, one of several players dropped for the Maccabi clash.

But Mourinho looks an agitated figure at present and locking horns with old rival Wenger is likely to keep him in a waspish mood, especially since he is still smarting from losing to the Arsenal chief for the first time in 14 meetings in the Community Shield last month.

Facing Chelsea on the back of a European setback is hardly ideal preparation for Arsenal, who haven't scored in their last four league meetings with the Blues.

However, Gunners forward Theo Walcott is adamant his team will shrug off that setback in time to add to the Mourinho's problems at Stamford Bridge.

The Gunners have been solid if unspectacular in the league so far and Walcott, who came off the bench to score against Zagreb, said: “Everyone will be very disappointed but we need to move on now.

“We have had setbacks before and have managed to bounce back from them. We have got a big, important game at the weekend.

“The manager will make sure that it's put to bed in the changing room and that it will stay there. We need to reflect on this game and move on quickly.”

City's flying start to the season ground to a halt with a 2-1 home defeat against Juventus that continued their lacklustre Champions League record.

And Manuel Pellegrini's team would be wise not to underestimate West Ham, who visit Eastlands on Saturday looking to claim a third famous away win of the season after triumphs at Arsenal and Liverpool.

“On one hand it would be a surprise of course if we won because before Juventus, Man City scored 11 goals and didn't concede, they are cruising,” West Ham manager Slaven Bilic said.

“But to be fair it would not be a shock considering we have done it two out of two (in away games) already.”

Manchester United, five points behind City in third place, will bid for an uplifting end to a traumatic week when they travel to Southampton on Sunday.

Louis van Gaal's team slumped to a 2-1 Champions League defeat at PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday and to make matters worse England left-back Luke Shaw broke his right leg in two places following a challenge by Hector Moreno.

Newcastle, Sunderland and Stoke -- the three top tier sides still waiting for a first league win this term -- aim to end their barren runs against Watford, Bournemouth and Leicester respectively.

Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri, whose team are surprisingly unbeaten in second place, has offered his players an appetising incentive to keep Stoke at bay.

“I told them, if you keep a clean sheet, I'll buy pizza for everybody. I think they're waiting for me to offer a hot dog too!” he said.

Fixtures:

Saturday

Aston Villa v West Brom, Bournemouth v Sunderland, Chelsea v Arsenal, Manchester City v West Ham, Newcastle v Watford, Stoke v Leicester, Swansea v Everton

Sunday

Liverpool v Norwich, Southampton v Manchester United, Tottenham v Crystal Palace – AFP

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City banking on Aguero lift

Manchester City will hope Sergio Aguero's early return from injury can spark an immediate response after their latest Champions League meltdown.

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Premier League leaders Manchester City hope Sergio Aguero's early return from injury can spark an immediate response after their latest Champions League meltdown.

Manuel Pellegrini's side were buoyant after winning their opening five Premier League matches, and so it was all the more surprising that on Tuesday they lost 2-1 at home to a Juventus side who have started the Serie A season poorly.

The task now for City is to pick up their domestic momentum again, by claiming a 12th successive Premier League victory.

However, standing in their way are a West Ham side who have collected away wins over Arsenal and Liverpool already this season.

With that kind of record on their travels, Slaven Bilic's side are not to be taken lightly.

Amid their midweek European gloom, one piece of good news for City has been the quick recovery of Sergio Aguero from a knee injury.

The Argentina striker, forced off during the first half of last Saturday's 1-0 win at Crystal Palace, was initially ruled out of the Juventus game, only to appear for the last seven minutes as a substitute.

“It was a risk to use him,” Pellegrini said. “I tried not to because if he got a kick in the same place, it could take him more days to recover.

“Fortunately he did not have any problems and I hope he will be fit for Saturday.”

In defence, City will check on the fitness of captain Vincent Kompany, who has been instrumental in the clean sheets they have kept in each of their five league games so far.

Kompany came off with a calf injury 15 minutes from the end of the defeat against Juventus, although he suggested that was nothing to worry about.

“It's not serious,” he said. “I know my body.”

That suggests Kompany will retain his ever-present record alongside Eliaquim Mangala in the centre of defence, leaving recent signing Nicolas Otamendi to wait for his first City start.

Pellegrini's side are four points clear at the top of the table, but as far as midfielder Fernandinho is concerned, the true tests are another three months away yet.

“I always say the Premier League is complicated, especially in December,” Fernandinho said.

“It can sometimes be decided by who fights for the title most in December as there are a lot of games and sometimes teams have to change players.

“If you don't have the players to change then it can become complicated.

“In December, we will see who is winning the title race as I believe this will give a strong indication to what will happen at the end.”

West Ham's victory over Newcastle moved Bilic's side up to fifth after they finally registered their first home league win of the season.

The Hammers have demonstrated a frustrating inconsistency so far, with their impressive away wins balanced by unexpected home defeats against Bournemouth and Leicester.

Bilic insists his side's form away from Upton Park means it will not be a shock if they take something from this game.

“City are cruising in the early stages and already have a gap which is hard to get after five games,” Bilic said.

“But it wouldn't be a shock as we already have two out of two away wins. We know what we need to do to have a chance.

“They are the favourites of course but I am expecting us to have a good game and if that is the case we will have chances.”

Bilic has more options available to him now with striker Andy Carroll making his first appearance in seven months as a late substitute against Newcastle and deadline-day arrivals Nikica Jelavic and Michail Antonio yet to make their debuts.

Midfielder Pedro Obiang should be in contention after an ankle injury but centre-back Angelo Ogbonna is out with a hamstring problem. – AFP

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Napoli off to a flyer in Europa League

Napoli began their Europa League group stage campaign thrashing Club Bruges 5-0 to match their biggest European win.

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London - Napoli began their Europa League group stage campaign in scintillating fashion as two goals apiece from Jose Callejon and Dries Mertens helped them thrash Club Bruges 5-0 on Thursday to match their biggest European win.

Borussia Dortmund's Park Joo-ho scored three minutes into stoppage time on his debut to secure a 2-1 win over FK Krasnodar while Ajax Amsterdam also left it late to snatch a 2-2 home draw with Celtic in a battle between two former European champions.

Five times continental champions Liverpool's stuttering start to the season continued as they were pegged back to draw 1-1 at French side Bordeaux.

There were also wins for Tottenham Hotspur, who beat Azerbaijan champions Qarabag 3-1, and Basel, who downed Fiorentina 2-1 away, as 48 teams in 12 groups began their bids for Europa League success amid a flurry of goals.

Napoli have failed to win in their opening three Serie A games but crushed Belgian side Bruges with a scoring spree that began after five minutes when Callejon's cross caught out keeper Sinan Bolat and curled inside the far post.

The Italians were 3-0 up by halftime in their Group D opener after Mertens showed his scoring instincts with two sharp finishes in a six-minute spell while Marek Hamsik added another and Callejon rounded off the rout with a low finish.

Dortmund had trailed Kuban Krasnodar, who appointed Sergei Tashuev as manager earlier on Thursday, to Pavel Mamaev's 12th-minute opener in Group C, but Matthias Ginter headed home to level a minute into first-half stoppage time.

After another 45 minutes of dogged resistance by Krasnodar, the Russians' rearguard was pierced at the death when Park dived to head home, extending Dortmund's winning start to the season under new coach Thomas Tuchel to 10 games in all competitions.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers could only dream of such a consistent start to the campaign as his struggling side again showed their vulnerability by conceding a late goal to draw with Girondins Bordeaux in Group B.

The English team, who have lost their last two Premier League games, conceding three goals in each, went ahead when Adam Lallana nutmegged a defender to cut inside the penalty area and place a delicate sidefoot finish into the far corner after 65 minutes.

With a number of inexperienced players in the side, however, Liverpool were pegged back when Brazilian Jussie slammed the ball into the net with nine minutes to play.

Celtic twice took the lead against Ajax in Group A with goals from Nir Bitton and Mikael Lustig either side of an equaliser from Viktor Fischer.

The second half turned sour for the Scottish side, however, as Emilio Izaguirre was sent off for a second booking with 16 minutes left and Lasse Schoene levelled after 84 with a whipped cross that eluded everyone and found the corner of the net.

Fiorentina's Paulo Sousa guided Basel to the Swiss title last term and his old team gave the Portuguese coach a reminder of the talent he left behind as they won 2-1 in Italy with goals late in the game after the hosts were reduced to 10 men.

Nikola Kalinic put the Italians ahead after four minutes but Gonzalo Rodriguez saw red midway through the second half and Basel claimed a Group I victory with goals from Birkir Bjarnason (71st minute) and Mohamed Elneny (79).

Tottenham also fell a goal behind early in Group J against Qarabag but Richard Almeida's seventh-minute penalty was cancelled out by two goals from close-season signing Son Heung-min, his first for the club, and a late effort from Erik Lamela.

Austria's Rapid Vienna beat La Liga side Villarreal 2-1 at home in Group E, Olympique de Marseille won 3-0 at Groningen in Group F, and Norwegian side Molde made a good start in Group A by winning 3-1 against Fenerbahce in Turkey.

Sporting Lisbon lost 3-1 to visitors Lokomotiv Moscow in Group H, their second home defeat in 22 European games, while last season's runners-up Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk were held 1-1 at home by Lazio in Group G and Anderlecht drew 1-1 with Monaco in Group J. – Reuters

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Fifa suspends Valcke amid ticket claims

Jerome Valcke has been placed on leave amid allegations he was involved in a plan to re-sell World Cup tickets.

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Zurich/New York - World soccer body Fifa put Jerome Valcke, its second-ranking official, on leave on Thursday just hours after an ex-footballer raised allegations he was involved in a plan to re-sell 2014 World Cup tickets for a lucrative profit.

Fifa, which has been rocked by Swiss and US corruption investigations, said in a statement it was made aware of allegations involving Valcke and had requested a formal investigation by the Fifa ethics committee.

The swift action against his second-in-command is another major blow for Fifa President Sepp Blatter as questions about corruption during his 17-year reign build.

The allegations against Valcke come on top of probes by the US Department of Justice and the Swiss Attorney General's Office into corruption at Fifa after the indictment of 14 senior soccer officials and sports marketing executives in May.

Blatter announced in June only days after the unveiling of the US indictment that he would be stepping down as president following an election in February.

Earlier on Thursday, former Israeli soccer player Benny Alon said at a news conference in Zurich that he agreed in 2013 to pay cash to Valcke to secure plum World Cup tickets in Brazil. He said the plan was to then sell the tickets to fans at a markup and split the proceeds with Valcke.

Alon said the deal fell through and he never paid the soccer official. Reuters could not independently confirm Alon's claims.

Valcke “unequivocally” denied the allegations as “fabricated and outrageous” in a statement from his US lawyer Barry Berke.

“Mr Valcke never received or agreed to accept any money or anything else of value from Mr Alon,” the statement said.

Fifa controls the rights to sell all the World Cup tickets and has sanctioned officials in the past for re-selling the coveted World Cup spots at a higher price.

Earlier this week US and Swiss authorities said they were expanding their corruption investigations and more arrests were expected.

Neither Blatter nor Valcke face charges in either the US or Swiss investigations of Fifa. A spokesman from the Brooklyn prosecutor's office handling the US case declined to comment on the news of Valcke's departure.

Fifa's statement did not specify what allegations against Valcke needed to be investigated by the Ethics Committee.

But two sources familiar with the matter said Alon's claims were the immediate cause of Valcke being placed on leave. The sources added, though, that questions over Valcke had been mounting since May and could have contributed to the decision.

US prosecutors believe Valcke was involved in 2007 in bank transactions worth $10 million in which the South African government approved money to support the African diaspora in Caribbean countries, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters in June. Prosecutors say the payments were aimed at winning votes for South Africa to host the 2010 World Cup.

Valcke confirmed he signed off on the payments but denied any wrongdoing. The transactions are central to a US bribery investigation into soccer's governing bodies.

Alleged ticket deal

Alon got into the ticket marketing and hospitality business after retiring from the game as a player. He said he was working at ticketing firm JB Sports Marketing AG in 2013 when he discussed with Valcke the allocation of tickets with better views of the field for the Brazil World Cup.

Alon says he informally agreed to split revenues from the re-sale of the tickets with Valcke 50-50 in a deal that could have netted the soccer official more than $2 million. While Alon provided emails to the media he said backed up his claims, the documents were incomplete and could not be independently verified by Reuters.

Berke, Valcke's lawyer, said in his statement that “Fifa entered into an agreement with Mr Alon's company, JB Sports Marketing. That agreement and FIFA's subsequent business dealings with Mr Alon were vetted and approved by Fifa and its legal counsel.” Fifa did not respond to a request for comment on Valcke's statement.

Valcke, who had already indicated he was likely planning on stepping down in February like Blatter, has had a checkered career at Fifa. He originally joined in 2003 as marketing director but was fired in December 2006 for his part in botched sponsorship negotiations with credit card firms MasterCard and Visa.

He was dismissed when a New York court ruled that Fifa had “lied repeatedly” during World Cup sponsorship negotiations with MasterCard, but eight months later he was re-hired as secretary general.

Markus Kattner, Fifa's Deputy General Secretary, will temporarily take over Valcke's duties, according to a Fifa spokesman.

REUTERS

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Perfect time for Chelsea to host Arsenal

There will be no love lost between Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger when Chelsea host Arsenal this weekend.

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London - There may not be many handshakes, offered or accepted, but Jose Mourinho has reason to welcome Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger back to Chelsea in Saturday's big Premier League lunchtime clash.

The champions are languishing on the brink of the bottom three after their worst start to a Premier League season, while Arsenal are fourth, but Wednesday's 4-0 Champions League thrashing of Maccabi Tel Aviv has lifted some of the gloom.

The side with the worst defensive record in the Premier League, with 12 goals against in five games, can now turn their attentions to Arsenal and the manager Mourinho most likes to beat.

Former goalkeeper Petr Cech, back at Chelsea for the first time since he moved to North London, will be standing in their way but Chelsea go into the match with a sense that the tide may have turned.

“Obviously it will be new to play against Chelsea but when you start playing the game the only concern you have is 'can I play my best game and can we win?'“ Cech said.

Even if Maccabi were not the toughest of opponents, Chelsea now have their first home win, first clean sheet and face Arsenal as the only English winners in the Champions League group stage.

Not only that, but the 'Special One' has showed he is back in business.

“I'm a fantastic manager when I'm not winning matches and I'm a fantastic manager when I am,” he declared after fans chanted his name long and loud on Wednesday night.

“I forgot the feeling. It's so long since we won, it's good, good, good,” added the Portuguese.

“I could not imagine waking up tomorrow after a defeat to go to Cobham to train just two days before a derby against Arsenal. How difficult would that have been?”

If Chelsea think Arsenal are arriving at just the right time, then so does Wenger who has had a spring in his step since he finally beat a Mourinho side for the first time in the pre-season Community Shield.

The Frenchman, who declined to shake Mourinho's hand after that match at Wembley and who is still smarting from losing 6-0 to Chelsea in his 1,000th match as Arsenal manager, has yet to beat the Portuguese in the league but he can see a chance to shake off another hoodoo.

A chastening 2-1 defeat to Dinamo Zagreb on Wednesday was hardly the best preparation, even if Wenger clearly had one eye on Chelsea with six changes to the team that beat Stoke City 2-0 last weekend and Cech on the bench.

“I try to give Petr Cech some rest mentally,” he explained of that decision.

Chelsea will be without Brazil midfielder Willian, who picked up a hamstring injury on Wednesday, and Spain forward Pedro.

In other matches, West Ham United travel to Manchester City with the hope of becoming the first team to put a goal past the leaders in the league this season.

High-flying Leicester City, second in the table, are at Stoke City while bottom club Newcastle United are at home to Watford.

Southampton host Manchester United on Sunday, with midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin making his return to St Mary's for the first time since moving north, while Liverpool play Norwich City at Anfield.

United will have to tweak their back four, after eight successive matches together, for the match at St Mary's as a result of former Southampton defender Luke Shaw's broken leg. – Reuters

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Graham - leading from the front

Travis Graham is hoping to lead Ajax Cape Town to glory in Saturday's MTN8 final against Kaizer Chiefs in Port Elizabeth.

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Johannesburg - Travis Graham is hoping to lead Ajax Cape Town to glory in Saturday's MTN8 final against Kaizer Chiefs in Port Elizabeth.

Having joined the club as a 10-year-old, Graham hopes he can write his name into the Urban Warriors' history books by helping inspire his team to the trophy.

After making his debut as a 19-year-old in 2012/ 2013, Graham went on to play 14 matches that season, but was unable to kick on in the following campaign as injuries curtailed his game time to only 200 minutes for the entire 2013/ 2014 season.

Last season, he was named club captain by Roger De Sa in August 2014, going on to play in 34 matches. In the process, he helped the club achieve its first top eight finish in five years while also reaching the final of the Nedbank Cup.

A model professional, his winning mentality, tenacity and drive from the middle of the park, has made the Ottery-born player a perfect fit for the captain's armband.

The club's youngest ever captain an exemplary example of Ajax's proud youth academy system.

“Captaincy is for certain players, because you have to lead the team, motivate them and lead from the front - it can put a lot of pressure on one's own game,” Graham was quoted as saying a few months into his reign as skipper.

“I think I'm more of a natural leader, I've worked on it through the years in the development and I was made for it.”

For De Sa, it was an obvious choice: “I could see his qualities, his character and his temperament, and I think he could be captain of the club for many years to come. He's got that kind of attitude. He carries himself well, he does all the work,” he said.

The combination of coach De Sa and captain Graham has been a major factor in the Cape side's renewal of fortunes over the last 12 months, and going into the final Ajax find themselves top of the Absa Premiership standings having continued the momentum they begun to pick up last season.

Graham still sees Urban Warriors as underdogs against a Chiefs side which has won the top eight competition 15 times, but is determined to put to rest the memories of earlier this year, when Ajax went down to Mamelodi Sundowns in the Nedbank Cup final.

“It's going to be a difficult one,” he told PSL.co.za. “Chiefs are one of the greatest sides in South African history. It's going to challenging for us. We're obviously the underdogs and have got a lot to prove.

“Losing in the last final [the 2015 Nedbank Cup] and feeling what it was like to lose, it wasn't a good feeling. So this time around we want to be on the other side. Hopefully we can win it for the fans, for the club, and for our own careers. It would be just wonderful for us as individuals.”

Rather than looking at the team's previous final as a failure, Graham is hoping that the experience gained by a largely young Ajax team could help to overcome Steve Komphela's in-form Chiefs side.

“We are going to have to put aside last year's final. Its done and dusted, we can't do anything about it. We can just focus on the next game, take each game at a time as usual. The last final we didn't know what to expect, so everyone was a bit nervous.

“We need to try and capitilise and take our chances as early as possible. You don't get many chances against Chiefs, its important for us to try and take the first chances that come our way.” - African News Agency (ANA).

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United projecting record revenue

Manchester United's revenues fell by 8.8 percent last season, but the club predicted record revenues of £500 million.

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Manchester United's revenues fell by 8.8 percent last season, but the club on Thursday predicted record revenues of £500 million (about R10,3 bllion) to £510 million for 2015-16.

United's failure to qualify for the Champions League saw revenues for the period 2014-15 fall by £38 million to £395.2 million, as revealed in their annual report, largely due to losses in gate receipts and broadcasting income.

But with a new £750 million kit deal with Adidas having recently taken effect, United expect to become the first English club to break through the £500 million barrier over the current campaign.

“As we look to the new season, we are enthusiastic about our strong position, both on and off the pitch,” United's executive vice chairman Ed Woodward said in a statement sent to investors.

“In recent weeks we have further strengthened our squad with an exciting mix of experience and youth, qualified for the group stage of the Uefa Champions League, and seen an impressive launch of our partnership with Adidas.

“Our record revenue and EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation) guidance for 2016 reflects the underlying strength of our business and our confidence in its continued growth.”

United failed to qualify for the Champions League in 2013-14, for the first time since 1995, after finishing seventh in the Premier League in the first season after the departure of legendary manager Alex Ferguson.

But new manager Louis van Gaal led them to a fourth-place finish last season and they qualified for this season's tournament after beating Belgian side Club Brugge in a two-legged play-off in August.

Van Gaal has overseen an investment of over £250 million in new players since being appointed as the permanent successor to David Moyes, Ferguson's unsuccessful replacement, in July 2014. – AFP

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Key players to MTN8 glory

Soweto giants Kaizer Chiefs will tackle Ajax Cape Town in the MTN8 final, with the winner pocketing a cool R8 million.

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Johannesburg - Cup finals are traditionally tight and tense affairs and can potentially be decided by a moment of a brilliance, or a mistake, by an individual player, and it should be no different in Saturday's 2015 MTN8 final in Port Elizabeth between Ajax Cape Town and Kaizer Chiefs.

For Ajax the two key players could be Prince Nxumalo and Abbubaker Mobara.

The 25-year-old Nxumalo has produced goals for Ajax - three in three league games, since signing for the club in August. A lively front-man with good strength, Nxumalo would love to cap his rise back to the PSL after several years in the NFD with a goal against one of the PSL's giants.

Mobara has sometimes overlooked in favour of his central defensive partner Rivaldo Coetzee but he is a top quality footballer with electric pace and a fantastic silky touch, especially for a defender. His ability to keep a cool head in defence before setting the Cape side going forward could play an important role.

Still only 21, Mobara already has considerable experience and has netted two goals this season.

In the Kaizer Chiefs camp, George Lebese will shoulder the brunt as they go forward. Lebese is one of the form players in South Africa this season, picking up from where he left off last season.

The skilfull left-footer has shown great composure in front of goal and already has six goals (three in the league, three in the MTN8) this season from seven matches.

The 26-year-old is buzzing at the moment and will surely be a marked man on Saturday, potentially creating space for team-mates as well.

Another game-breaker for Chiefs is Siphiwe Tshabalala. Tshabalala has been having a fine season, rising to the challenge admirably since being given the captain's armband, while chipping in with two goals already.

His vast experience of cup final football, his ability to dictate play and unlock defences from open or set play should be an asset to Chiefs on Saturday. - African News Agency (ANA).

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Why Diouf was hated at Liverpool

Take your pick of the stories which El Hadji Diouf's team-mates will tell you bear out Steven Gerrard's assessment of the player's brief career at Liverpool.

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Take your pick of the stories which El Hadji Diouf's team-mates will tell you bear out Steven Gerrard's eviscerating assessment of the player's brief career at Liverpool.

There was the Sunday morning at Bolton Wanderers when Diouf was still proclaiming himself the victim of an unjust sending-off in a heavy defeat the day before, though TV replays had revealed otherwise. An infuriated senior player - who must remain nameless - chased Diouf around the canteen.

And then there was the time at Liverpool when a 20-year-old Neil Mellor, on his debut and told by manager Gérard Houllier that he would take a penalty if one was awarded, had the ball wrenched from his hands by Diouf.

It is the stories from behind the scenes, rather than the more notorious examples of Diouf's behaviour - the spitting at Celtic fans during Liverpool's Uefa Cup quarter-final or taunting of QPR's Jamie Mackie as he lay on the pitch with his leg broken - which are the ones that make you wonder why Diouf seemed so surprised that Gerrard let him have it in his new autobiography.

Jamie Carragher's own autobiographical analysis of the Senegalese, seven years ago, was even more unsparing. Carragher adored Houllier, his first Liverpool manager, but he, like many at Anfield, has always felt that the Frenchman was rushed into signing Diouf on the basis of a scintillating World Cup for Senegal in 2002, when he excelled in the opening day defeat of champions France.

Many at Liverpool feel Houllier returned too early after heart surgery and did not investigate the big claims about the player being made by Patrice Bergues, his former assistant, who was managing the striker at Lens.

“I arrived for pre-season training anticipating my first view of the players who'd turn us into title winners,” Carragher writes in Carra. “I returned home the same evening in a state of depression. Do you remember being at school and picking sides for a game of football? We do this at Liverpool for the five-a-sides. Diouf was 'last pick' within a few weeks.”

Carragher, who knew a few players at Liverpool, reflected that he had never met one “who seemed to care less about winning or losing”. He relates the story of the FA Cup defeat at Portsmouth in 2004, which effectively sealed Houllier's fate. Michael Owen, who had missed a penalty, was in a state of desolation at Melwood the following day. Diouf drove in with rave music blaring out of his car and “danced across the car park” into the building. “You'd think we'd won the Cup, the way he carried on. His attitude disgusted me,” Carragher wrote.

If Houllier had only inquired, he would have found that Diouf was already a liability at Lens. There had been spitting incidents there before he left for Merseyside. There was hope when Sam Allardyce took him to Bolton that the smaller club might suit him better, feeding his own need for the celebrity status he still enjoys in west Africa. One of the player-liaison staff at Bolton effectively became his full-time PA and eventually went with him to Blackburn. But while Allardyce knew he could play - “he could be brilliant in the final third, winning free-kicks, holding on to the ball,” says one of the manager's staff - there was nearly always trouble. From week to week, no one knew whether he would be interested.

And it seems there was never any telling him. His default position when one of them called him out was evidently the same as when he was stopped by a police officer late at night. “That person was always a 'rah-cist',” says one source, remembering the player's enunciation. No one seems at all surprised that Diouf has levelled the same accusation at Gerrard, in light of the autobiography.

Allardyce tried dropping him periodically. He felt there was enough of a mutual understanding to take him to Blackburn, where Gerrard's distaste for Diouf can only have deepened when the player taunted Liverpool fans at Ewood in January 2011 during the 3-1 defeat that led to Roy Hodgson being sacked as manager. This time, it was Gerrard who missed a penalty.

When Allardyce was dismissed, Diouf went on loan to Rangers, returning to the Ewood dressing room wearing his Rangers title medal around his neck. Manager Steve Kean ordered him out. When Kean instructed him to train at irregular hours, he refused. The Professional Footballers' Association was called in to mediate.

There was another side. The Bolton staff will tell you that he was always the last player to leave charity appearances. The Blackburn players loved his cars. He had his Cadillac Escalade “wrapped”, allowing him to change the colour every few months. Gold and silver were favourites. But it is hard to find a player to argue with Gerrard and Carragher's assessment that buying him was a big mistake.

Towards the end, Neil Warnock found his experience useful at Leeds on the big occasions which Diouf loved - most notably a League Cup upset against Everton at Elland Road in 2012. “He loved the spotlight,” says one source acquainted with that period. “He liked the bigger occasions. But he didn't generally do away games.” – The Independent

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There’s a Jose, Terry rift - Gerrard

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

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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