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Wenger talks up Arsenal’s title chances

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It is 11 years since Arsenal were last crowned kings of English football, Arsen Wenger made is determined to end that barren run.

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Arsene Wenger believes Arsenal have a strong chance of winning the Premier League and the Gunners boss has backed his players to vindicate his claims at Watford on Saturday.

Wenger's side went into the international break in second place, two points behind leaders Manchester City after a 3-0 thrashing of Manchester United that sparked hope of a sustained challenge for the title.

It is 11 years since Arsenal were last crowned kings of English football, but Wenger made it clear he was more determined than ever to end that barren run.

And he hinted to shareholders at the club's annual meeting that should he achieve that then he might step down, having been in charge since 1996.

“We want more than third and winning the FA Cup, we have the potential to do more,” Wenger said.

“I know you want to ask me - will we win the championship this year? I think we are back in contention and we have a good chance.

“All of our numbers confirm that we have the potential to be in the fight. We are now equipped around the whole team to say we are really advanced in the way we work, prepare and develop players.

“I know I have faced some adversities, but I am more motivated than ever, more committed than ever.

“I am resolute to commit until the last day of my contract here to bring back big success to this club and leave this club in the position it can do even better when I leave.”

Key to Arsenal's chances of ending their title drought is the form of Alexis Sanchez, who has scored nine goals in his last five games.

Three of those were for Chile however and the long journey to and from South America has made him a doubt for the Watford game.

“We have to see if we have to protect him in our next game or not,” Wenger said.

“I cannot do a lot about him playing. He came off against Manchester United with a hip problem, a problem with the rotator muscle and he wanted to go.

“He played in the last two games and we have to see how he comes back but it is always a tricky situation.”

Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny faces a fitness test, but midfielders Mikel Arteta and Matthieu Flamini are definitely available.

Watford, promoted from the Championship last term, have made a solid start to the season, thanks to a solid defensive foundation.

They have conceded just seven times in their eight games, but scored just six times themselves.

The Hornets have developed a habit of shedding managers even when they are winning and Quique Sanchez Flores, the former Real Madrid defender, is the latest to take the helm.

Unsurprisingly, he was not expecting to establish a Wenger-style dynasty at Vicarage Road, especially as managers in his native Spain didn't seem to last long either.

“We live in another philosophy, we think in another philosophy,” he said.

“Sometimes in Spain we don't wait until the end of the season to change. In Spain it is difficult to ever think of a manager managing for 20 years.

“This is the first time I've faced Arsene Wenger. He has experience and we have respect.

“What Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger did is very difficult to match in other countries. It is impossible.

“In other countries it is completely different. Times changes but it is very difficult for other managers.” – AFP

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Klopp’s challenge to Liverpool players

Jurgen Klopp has challenged Liverpool's under-performing stars to rediscover their swagger when the new Reds boss gets his first taste of the EPL.

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Jurgen Klopp has challenged Liverpool's under-performing stars to rediscover their swagger when the new Reds boss gets his first taste of the Premier League against Tottenham on Saturday.

All eyes will be on Klopp's eagerly anticipated debut at White Hart Lane following the highly-regarded German's recent appointment as successor to the sacked Brendan Rodgers.

The charismatic 48-year-old's impressive track record at Borussia Dortmund has established him as one of Europe's top coaches and his arrival has rekindled enthusiasm among Liverpool fans who had grown disillusioned with Rodgers' trophyless reign.

But, with Liverpool slumping to 10th place after just one win in their last nine matches in all competitions, Klopp is well aware he faces a major rebuilding job before he can dream of emulating legendary Anfield managers like Bill Shankly, Bob Paisley and Kenny Dalglish.

“I have met two kinds of people in the last week: most of them say 'We'll win the league' and the other guys look at me like 'What have you done? Why are you here?',” Klopp said.

“Both are not right in this moment. It is not interesting what people think about this.”

While Klopp is cautious about revealing his own ambitions, he has already identified one key problem that needs to be solved if Liverpool are to get back on track quickly.

He believes the players were hamstrung by a fear of failure as the pressure mounted on Rodgers and he wants them to forget about past mistakes.

“Some things you can change instantly: mentality, readiness,” Klopp said.

“To get really tuned as a team takes time but I am really not interested in the problems we could have on Saturday.

“I want to see more bravery, more fun in their eyes. I want to see that they like what they do.”

While Klopp will steal most of the headlines this weekend, new Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce returns to the Premier League facing arguably the toughest challenge of his career.

The second bottom Black Cats turned to Allardyce after Dick Advocaat quit, making him the first man to take charge of bitter north-east rivals Newcastle and Sunderland.

Allardyce, who left West Ham at the end of last season, has a well-earned reputation for helping clubs punch above their weight.

But Sunderland have failed to win any of their first eight matches and defeat in Allardyce's debut at struggling West Bromwich Albion would be a hammer blow.

“It's a big challenge. Even at this early stage of the season, it's clear that we are in trouble,” Allardyce said.

“It could take the vast majority of our 30 matches to get safe.”

Only Newcastle are keeping Sunderland off the foot of the table and the winless Magpies suffered another setback when Netherlands goalkeeper Tim Krul was ruled out for the rest of the season.

“It's a massive blow for us, you're talking about one of the best players in our team,” Newcastle manager Steve McClaren said ahead of Sunday's match against Norwich.

“Here, it just seems to be one disaster after another.”

Remarkably, Jose Mourinho ranks among the managers most under pressure following Chelsea's woeful start to their Premier League title defence.

Feted as champions in May, the Blues are now languishing in 16th place following a 3-1 home defeat against Southampton.

That loss came amid reports of dressing room rifts and prompted Mourinho to make an impassioned defence of his credentials.

But young Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek has no doubts Mourinho is the man to get the champions back in the groove, starting against Aston Villa on Saturday.

“We think he is the manager for Chelsea,” Loftus-Cheek said of the squad. “When he criticises you that's only so you get better, so we are all backing Jose.”

Leaders Manchester City host Bournemouth bolstered by captain Vincent Kompany's return after a five-game injury absence, but Manuel Pellegrini's side will be without star striker Sergio Aguero and key midfielder David Silva after both suffered knocks on international duty.

Second placed Arsenal will face Watford for the first time in nine years when they travel to Vicarage Road, while third placed Manchester United are at Everton.

Fixtures

Saturday

Chelsea v Aston Villa, Crystal Palace v West Ham, Everton v Manchester United, Manchester City v Bournemouth, Southampton v Leicester, Tottenham v Liverpool, Watford v Arsenal, West Brom v Sunderland

Sunday

Newcastle v Norwich

Monday

Swansea v Stoke

AFP

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FA fine is a ‘disgrace’- Mourinho

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has described his English FA fine as a “disgrace” and branded his suspended one-match stadium ban “astonishing”.

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London - Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has described his English FA fine as a “disgrace” and branded his suspended one-match stadium ban “astonishing” after his comments about referees.

Mourinho was fined 50 000 pounds ($77,425) and threatened with a future stadium ban on Wednesday for saying referees were afraid to award penalties to the Premier League champions after Chelsea's 3-1 home defeat by Southampton on Oct. 3.

“...I'm happy I don't have an electronic tag. I also think that 50 000 pounds ($77,340.00) in the world where we live today is an absolute disgrace...,” he said on Thursday.

“I also think that the possibility of getting a stadium ban is also something absolutely astonishing.”

The FA said the stadium ban would be invoked should Mourinho commit a similar offence in the next 12 months.

Mourinho attacked the governing body at a launch event for his new book where he said it was unlikely he would finish his career at Chelsea due to the demands of the modern game.

Asked how long he would be a coach, Mourinho, 52, said: “It's difficult to say but... I would risk 15 more, I'm in the middle, I did 15 and I have 15 more to do, finish with 67... Maybe later, if I can, but I would say normally 15 more years.

“Can I stay 15 more years at Chelsea football club? I don't think so, I don't think modern football allows it anymore, so normally I will not finish my career at Chelsea, I would like to, but I don't think it's possible.”

Mourinho also continued his long-running verbal battle with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.

The Chelsea boss appeared to criticise the FA's decision not to punish Wenger for calling referee Mike Dean “weak” and “naive” following Arsenal's 2-0 defeat by Chelsea last month.

Wenger also escaped without punishment when he pushed Mourinho in the technical area in October 2014.

“Afraid costs 50 000 pounds. Weak and naive - you can do it,” Mourinho added. “We can push people in the technical area. We can, no problem.”

Chelsea, whose poor start to the season has left them languishing in 16th place after eight games, 10 points adrift of leaders Manchester City, host Aston Villa on Saturday. – Reuters

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Ings blow for Klopp, Liverpool

Liverpool striker Danny Ings has suffered a cruciate knee ligament injury in training and will be out for the rest of the season.

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London - Danny Ings, who won his first England cap on Monday, has suffered a cruciate knee ligament injury in training and will be out for the rest of the season, according to British media reports on Thursday.

The 23-year-old forward, who joined Liverpool from Burnley in the summer and has scored three goals in his eight appearances - including the strike at Everton in their last match under Brendan Rodgers two weeks ago - is likely to miss the Euro 2016 finals next summer.

Ings, who came on as a second-half substitute in the Euro 2016 qualifier against Lithuania on Monday, was injured during new coach Juergen Klopp's first session in charge on Wednesday and is the second Liverpool player to suffer a serious long-term injury this week.

Young defender Joe Gomez, who signed from Charlton Athletic in the summer and has played seven times for the club, was injured playing for England Under-21s against Kazakhstan on Tuesday.

The injury to Danny Ings leaves Belgian youngster Divock Origi, who has made four appearances for the club, as Liverpool's only fully fit striker.

Christian Benteke is still recovering from a hamstring injury and Daniel Sturridge has played just three times after a series of injuries curtailed his appearances last season.

Roberto Firmino, another attacking option for Klopp, has not played for three weeks, and will not be fit in time for Liverpool's match at Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday. - Reuters

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Wenger sweating over Sanchez

Arsene Wenger is waiting to see if in-form Chilean striker Alexis Sanchez will be ready to play against Watford following the international break.

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London - Arsene Wenger is waiting to see if in-form Chilean striker Alexis Sanchez will be ready to play against Watford when the Premier League resumes after the international break on Saturday.

Sanchez, who failed to score in his first eight appearances of the season, has scored six goals in his last three matches for Arsenal including a hat-trick against Leicester City and two against Manchester United when the Gunners won 3-0 in their last match on Oct.4.

He injured his hip in that match but played in both of Chile's World Cup qualifiers in the last week scoring in the 2-0 win over Brazil and grabbing another two goals in the South American champions' 4-3 win over Peru.

Wenger, speaking at his pre-match briefing on Thursday said that he did not know if he would be fit to face Watford, whose training ground is next to their own in rural Hertfordshire, just outside London.

“He came off as you have seen against Manchester United with a hip problem, a problem with the rotator muscle, but he wanted to go (to Chile).

“He played in the last two games and we have to see how he comes back but it is always a tricky situation. Chile were playing official World Cup qualifiers and he is an important player for them so they will use him if they can.

“He is a guy that always wants to play so I knew that was always going to be a tricky situation.”

Wenger also said that defender Laurent Koscielney was having a test to see if he would be available following the hamstring injury he picked up against Olympiakos Piraeus in the Champions League at the end of last month, but that Mikel Arteta and Mathieu Flamini had recovered from their knocks and were available for selection.

“We have three players who could come back and be available again and I don't think we lost anybody from our last game,” said the Frenchman.

Wenger was attending Arsenal's annual general meeting later on Thursday. – Reuters

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Klopp adds colour to Premier League

With Jurgen Klopp's arrival at Liverpool, the Premier League has acquired another larger-than-life personality to add to the A-list cast of characters.

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With Jurgen Klopp's arrival at Liverpool, the Premier League has acquired another larger-than-life personality to add to the A-list cast of characters who occupy the dug-outs at England's elite clubs.

Be it mid-season sackings, touchline spats between Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger or press conference outbursts from Louis van Gaal, the story of English football is one told through the prism of the country's managers.

It is a tradition that encompasses figures like Matt Busby, Bill Shankly, Brian Clough and Alex Ferguson, and the huge interest sparked by Klopp's appointment shows that it is not likely to diminish anytime soon.

“It's been a consistent factor for decades,” British sportswriter Michael Calvin, whose book on football managers, 'Living on the Volcano', was released in August, told AFP.

“People are always fascinated by the imposition of power and the use of authority, but what lurks in the background always is the fan's thought, 'If I had the chance, I could do just as well.'

“And it sells. You look at the Premier League TV product and it's a global league that happens to be played in England, with storylines which are soap operatic in nature. It's a simple concept for people to understand.”

After a weekend of football it is rare for the back pages of British newspapers not to feature Mourinho, Wenger or Van Gaal, the men on the touchline serving as weathervanes for the climates at their clubs.

That is particularly true at the present time, with Mourinho one of several managers under scrutiny, in his case due to Chelsea's dismal start to their Premier League title defence.

Two months into the season there have been two managerial changes - Klopp replacing Brendan Rodgers at Liverpool, Sam Allardyce succeeding Dick Advocaat at Sunderland - and there are almost certain to be more.

The managers of the past have not relinquished their grip on the public attention either.

Ferguson has been doing a series of talks to publicise the release of his new book, 'Leading', while Clough is the magnetic focus of a new film about Nottingham Forest's back-to-back European Cup wins in 1979 and 1980.

Mourinho is a self-confessed Clough admirer and he is not the first European coach to have been inspired by a British manager, as the enduring use of phrases like 'le coach' and 'il mister' across the continent demonstrates.

It is testament to the influence of early-20th-century pioneers like the bowler-hatted Fred Pentland, Athletic Bilbao's greatest coach, or William Garbutt, who gave birth to the professional manager in Italy during his time at Genoa.

Whereas clubs on continental Europe have generally moved away from the old model of an all-powerful manager, with sporting directors widespread and coaches' remits often extending little further than the boundaries of the training ground, the notion prevails in the Premier League.

But while England still clings to the image of the authoritarian manager of yore, the profession is evolving rapidly.

With Ferguson two years retired, Wenger, now in his 20th year at Arsenal, is the last of the long-serving autocrats in the Premier League.

The new generation - young managers like Swansea City's Garry Monk and Bournemouth's Eddie Howe - have much more tightly defined roles than the men who went before them.

“The historic, micro-managing, tea cup-throwing dictator is pretty much a thing of the past,” says Calvin, who interviewed over 20 managers while researching his book.

“The modern managers are much more emotionally intelligent and they have responded to the societal and financial changes of the game.”

Klopp was eager to avoid caricature in his introductory press conference, ducking comparisons with Mourinho by declaring himself “The Normal One” and pleading: “People should not make me out to be like Jesus.”

But it will not spare him from attention-grabbing headlines, and particularly at a time when the English top flight is bereft of charismatic superstar players.

The game's current icons, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, play elsewhere and with one-club stalwarts such as Ryan Giggs and Steven Gerrard no longer part of the scenery, the Premier League manager has assumed even greater prominence in the popular imagination.

Ferguson reveals in 'Leading' that he took to rubbing his face before facing the cameras so that he looked “bright and cheery and did not display a hint of tension”.

For as Klopp will soon discover, when the spotlight falls on a manager in the Premier League, there is no place to hide. – AFP

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Eritrea players seek asylum in Botswana

Ten players from the Eritrean football team are seeking asylum in Botswana, the latest in a series of defections by athletes.

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Gaborone - Ten players from the Eritrean football team are seeking asylum in Botswana, the latest in a series of defections by athletes from a country under investigation by the United Nations for human-rights violations.

The Eritrean national team was in Botswana to play a World Cup qualifying match.

The players refused to board their plane home on Wednesday and were detained by police, Dick Bayford, who has been hired by the Eritrean Movement for Democracy and Human Rights (EMDHR) to represent the players, told Reuters.

“I have been engaged by the movement to assist in keeping the football players in the country after they received reports that there was an attempt to forcibly remove the players from Botswana,” he said.

Similar mass defections by Eritrean soccer players occurred in Kenya in 2009, Tanzania in 2011 and Uganda in 2012.

They were fleeing a country where slavery-like practices are routine and torture widespread, the United Nations said after a year-long investigation.

The investigation also found that Eritrea subjected its citizens to indefinite national service and killed people who try to flee the country, according to a UN report.

The Eritrean Foreign Ministry dismissed the report without addressing specific allegations.

That investigation has now been extended for a second year.

The UN Human Rights Council wants the extended investigation to consider whether Eritrea was committing crimes against humanity, a level of offence that can be prosecuted by the International Criminal Court.

Bayford said the EMDHR was worried that the players, who are said to be part of the Eritrean army, are likely to be charged with desertion if they are sent back to Eritrea, which is punishable by death.

He said the players were being kept at a police station in Botswana's second city of Francistown, where the match was held on Tuesday. Botswana won the game 3-1 and advanced to the next stage of the World Cup qualifiers.

Government officials were not immediately available for comment in either country.

The rest of the 24-man delegation went back to Eritrea on Wednesday morning.

Reuters

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Bony ready to step up for City

Sergio Aguero's misfortune could turn out to be Wilfried Bony's gain as the Ivorian striker is ready to grasp his chance in the Manchester City lineup.

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Sergio Aguero's misfortune could turn out to be Wilfried Bony's gain as the Ivorian striker is ready to grasp his chance in the Manchester City lineup with Aguero facing at least a month on the sidelines due to a hamstring injury.

Bony, who arrived from Swansea City for a reported 28 million pounds ($43.4 million) last season, has started just five games in 10 months at the Etihad Stadium but now has a chance to make his mark in City's attack.

The Premier League leaders host Bournemouth on Saturday.

“It's never good when your team mates are injured but that's the way football goes sometimes,” Bony told the club's website (www.mcfc.co.uk).

“Now I need to take things game by game and work hard. I have to take my chance and score goals for the team - that's why I'm here.”

The 26-year-old has found it tough to break into the starting side due to the form of Aguero, while his progress has also been hampered by a series of injuries that restricted him to just two goals in 19 appearances.

“A lot of crazy things have happened since I joined City and I've been ruled out with injury three or four times so it's been hard to find any rhythm playing one or two games here and there,” he said.

“It's been the worst spell of my career without question - in the past five years I'd never missed more than two games in a row and at Swansea I only missed a handful of matches and that was mostly because of a red card I received.

“I've had nothing but bad luck in the past year, but hopefully, that's the end of it now. It's not been the best time for me in that respect and has been very frustrating, but hopefully the City fans will now see the new Bony,” he added.

“All I need is the first goal to come and hopefully many others will follow.” – Reuters

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Gomez blow for Liverpool

Liverpool defender Joe Gomez is braced for the first major setback of his career as it is feared he will miss the rest of the season with a serious knee injury.

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Joe Gomez is braced for the first major setback of his career as it is feared he will miss the rest of the season with a serious knee injury.

The 18-year-old Liverpool defender is awaiting the result of scans but it appears he has damaged his anterior cruciate ligament, which will keep him out for between six and nine months.

Gomez was injured during the latter stages of England Under 21s 3-0 win against Kazakhstan on Tuesday. The severity of the problem emerged when he returned to Melwood, Liverpool’s training ground, yesterday. Liverpool will not comment on the extent of Gomez’s injury but confirmation is expected in the next 24 hours.

It is a blow for Gomez, who had made a superb start to life in the Barclays Premier League following his £3.5million move from Charlton in June. This earned him an England Under 21 call up and he impressed against Norway and the United States before suffering the injury against Kazakhstan.

Liverpool can expect to receive compensation from The FA for Gomez’s wages, given he was injured on international duty.

His absence will leave Jurgen Klopp with a selection headache and no other cover for Alberto Moreno at left back. Liverpool will also be without Christian Benteke for Klopp’s first game against Spurs on Saturday. The Belgian is out with hamstring and calf injuries. – Daily Mail

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Klopp era set to get underway

Jurgen Klopp's first game in charge of Liverpool will dominate the headlines as the Premier League resumes after the international break.

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London - Jurgen Klopp's first game in charge of Liverpool will dominate the headlines as the Premier League resumes after the international break but Sam Allardyce has the toughest task as he takes the reins at Sunderland.

Former Borussia Dortmund boss Klopp kicks off his reign at the former English champions, who fired Brendan Rodgers on Oct. 4, with a trip to the capital to play Tottenham Hotspur in the Saturday lunchtime kickoff (1145 GMT).

Spurs are unbeaten since the first day of the season, yet Liverpool's recent record at White Hart Lane is impressive, having won 3-0 and 5-0 on their last two visits.

Klopp takes over a team in 10th place and has promised “full-throttle football” at Anfield, although he has asked for patience and warned he is not a “miracle worker” as he looks to replicate his success in turning Dortmund into Bundesliga title winners and Champions League finalists.

The German appears already to have made an impact in the short time he has had to work since being appointed on Friday, with Brazilian midfielder Lucas noting his “passion”.

“He seems to be a very open manager and someone that likes to be close to the players, but very straight as well. That's what I've learned from the last couple of days and I think it was a positive way to start,” he said.

Allardyce takes over a Sunderland side he briefly played for in the early 1980s, currently propping up the standings with north-east rivals Newcastle United, the only teams without a league win this season.

The man known as “Big Sam” has been out of management since leaving West Ham United at the end of last season and begins his latest stint in the hot seat with a trip to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday (1400).

“We have to try and install a little bit more confidence in the team,” he said of a side who have amassed just three points from eight games.

Last season's champions Chelsea find themselves just three places above Sunderland in 16th and owner Roman Abramovich was moved to publicly back manager Jose Mourinho after their fourth league loss of the season against Southampton.

Chelsea host fellow strugglers Aston Villa on Saturday (1400) in desperate need of three points after their horror start which has yielded only two wins.

Leaders Manchester City host Bournemouth on Saturday (1400), the first meeting between the clubs in 16 years.

City are two points ahead of Arsenal, who are away at Watford (1630) while Manchester United, level with the Londoners on 16 points, make the trip to Goodison Park to play seventh-placed Everton (1400). – Reuters

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Mourinho fined for rant by FA

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has received a suspended one-match ban and been fined 50,000 pounds ($77,235.00) by the English FA.

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London - Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has received a suspended one-match ban and been fined 50,000 pounds ($77,235.00) by the English FA for saying referees were afraid to award penalties to the Premier League champions.

Mourinho admitted the misconduct charge following his comments after Chelsea's 3-1 home defeat by Southampton on Oct. 3.

“With the score at 1-1 (there was) a huge penalty and once more we don't get it,” the Portuguese said. “If the FA wants to punish me they can punish me, they do not punish other managers, they punish me.

“My players deserve it, the Chelsea fans deserve it, I am a Chelsea fan too, I want to say it again, referees are afraid to give decisions for Chelsea.”

The FA said in a statement on Wednesday that the ban would be immediately invoked should Mourinho commit a similar offence in the next 12 months.

Mourinho has faced widespread criticism this season for his public spat with former club doctor Eva Carneiro and for Chelsea's poor displays.

The Londoners are languishing in 16th place after eight games. – Reuters

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Klopp must focus on Liverpool’s academy

When Jurgen Klopp marched into Liverpool’s academy last Saturday, he was immediately confronted by history.

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When Jurgen Klopp marched into Liverpool’s academy last Saturday, he was immediately confronted by history.

Just through the main doors at the centre in Kirkby, mounted on the wall, are the shirts of some iconic graduates: Steve McManaman, Robbie Fowler, Michael Owen, Jamie Carragher, Steven Gerrard and Raheem Sterling.

The jerseys are there to inspire, but Sterling’s name jars. Yes, he progressed to play for the first team but he was brought in from Queens Park Rangers. He was not developed by Liverpool.

Put another way, it is more than 15 years since a local boy managed to get his name up in lights.

Across town, it is a different story. Everton have been the club with the Scouse heartbeat. Since the turn of the century Wayne Rooney, Leon Osman, Jack Rodwell and Ross Barkley have all been taken from local leagues, nurtured and progressed to become England internationals.

At Everton’s Finch Farm base, there has been a clear line of progression. The corridors that lead from the Academy changing rooms have life-size pictures of the players who have worked their way up to star in the Premier League. There are, at present, more than 20 of them.

There are key reasons for this. There is a friendliness at Finch Farm that leaves parents believing this is where their children will be best looked after. Everton have been outstanding in selling a dream, providing proof youngsters will be given a chance.

They have always had academy graduates around the team, from Francis Jeffers in the late 1990s right through to defender Tyias Browning, who played in the recent Merseyside derby, Everton have been able to back up their promises with evidence: if you are good enough, you will get a chance.

It is no coincidence that five 16-year-olds have played for Everton in the Premier League.

Aside from that, training at the same complex as the first team gives them an incentive to impress. If someone in the senior ranks picks up an injury during a session, it takes only five minutes for a replacement to be drafted in from the schooling pitches.

Liverpool’s academy, meanwhile, is eight miles from where the senior team train at Melwood and is regarded as clinical and lacking in atmosphere. The facilities are state-of-the-art but a common complaint from those who have worked there is that it lacks a Liverpudlian soul.

The disenchantment has led to players and staff leaving, and recently seven members of staff, including groundsmen and scouts, have moved to Manchester City’s academy, where Rodolfo Borrell, former Liverpool academy coach, now works as international technical director.

More than anything, though, Everton’s recruitment and scouting has been better. It helped, of course, that Rooney and Barkley had natural affinities to the club, but once Everton had a chance to sign them, they made sure those players were theirs.

This is something, then, that Klopp must endeavour to put right. It is all very well talking about winning titles and conquering Europe but the biggest thing the German must do is give Liverpool back their local identity.

‘The door is pretty wide open and I don’t care about experience,’ Klopp has said. On the balcony at Kirkby, with a steaming cup of coffee in hand, he will have been taken by the way Ovie Ejaria scored the only goal of a keenly contested Under 18 game against Stoke, pouncing from 12 yards after his scurrying had forced a mistake from his marker.

With Klopp, who advocates relentless running, it is a case of press to impress. This was a beneficial morning. ‘It is vitally important that the manager gets the drift of what is happening down there,’ said former Liverpool defender Gary Gillespie, who now works for the club’s TV station.

It will be fascinating how Klopp develops players such as Jordan Rossiter, the 18-year-old midfielder who was born in Maghull and grew up idolising Gerrard. Rossiter made a handful of appearances under Brendan Rodgers and hopes are high for him.

Jon Flanagan, held back by injuries for the past 18 months, also has qualities that will impress Klopp. Younger still is Trent Alexander-Arnold, a 17-year-old born in West Derby, the same district as the Melwood training ground. He recently signed his first professional contract and is with England at the Under 17 World Cup.

Alexander-Arnold played as a right back in a pre-season friendly against Swindon and received a name-check in Gerrard’s recently published autobiography, as did Herbie Kane, a 16-year-old midfielder who was brought to the club from Bristol.

There is local talent at Liverpool — the Under 18s recently demolished Manchester United 4-0 at Carrington, with Alexander-Arnold scoring two of the goals — but there is nowhere near enough where it matters most.

Klopp, who took his first proper training session yesterday, is ready to show there is hope and that it is possible for those who grew up in the areas surrounding Anfield to make it on to the pitch.

If they accept his challenge, the chances will come. – Daily Mail

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Ronaldo seeks Euro glory with Portugal

Cristiano Ronaldo is targeting Euro 2016 glory with Portugal to crown his glittering career, Spanish sports daily Marca reported.

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Cristiano Ronaldo is targeting Euro 2016 glory with Portugal to crown his glittering career, Spanish sports daily Marca reported on Wednesday.

“At club level and on a personal level I've already won everything,” said Ronaldo, who picked up the European golden boot award this week after scoring 48 league goals in 35 games for Real Madrid last season.

“But I haven't won a title with the national team,” lamented Ronaldo, a beaten Euro 2004 finalist and a World Cup 2006 and Euro 2012 semi-finalist.

“It would be the pinnacle of a great career (winning the European championship) and this is what I'm hoping for. My hope is that 2016 will be the year.”

“We have a good coach and an excellent president and the new generation of younger players coming through has helped us move along,” he explained.

Fernando Santos, who coached Greece at the 2014 World Cup, guided Portugal to qualification for Euro 2016 this week by topping Group I ahead of Albania, Denmark, Serbia and Armenia.

In his seventh season at Real Madrid, Ronaldo also told Marca he would love to continue at the club.

“All being well I have a contract here until I'm 33 and as I have said time and again my dream is actually to finish my career here,

“I'm 30 now but I want to play another five or six years more. In fact If we look after ourselves it's possible to play up to 40 and that's what I'd like to do.

“I feel good here, I feel useful here and I want that to carry on.

In September Ronaldo became Real Madrid's top ever goal scorer and the top ever scorer in the European Champions League.

He is openly courted by his former club Manchester United and by Qatar-backed Paris Saint Germain. – AFP

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Stones fit to face United

Everton manager Roberto Martinez said defender John Stones will be available for selection to face Manchester United after recovering from a knee injury.

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Everton's hopes of making it four wins out of four against Manchester United at Goodison Park on Saturday received a boost with manager Roberto Martinez saying defender John Stones will be available for selection after recovering from a knee injury.

The 21-year-old, who had a transfer request rejected during the summer window when he was heavily linked with a move to champions Chelsea, missed the games against West Bromwich Albion and bitter city rival Liverpool.

Stones also was forced to drop out of England's squad for their final two Euro 2016 qualifiers during the international break.

“I think he should be ready. Remember that John has been having a lot of quality work at Finch Farm (club's training ground) and it will be a matter of just getting that match fitness,” Martinez told the club's website (www.evertonfc.com).

“We have still got three very important days ahead of that fixture in terms of preparation so we'll get a better idea on Friday of where John is.

“I would say medically he is ready now. He's been joining the group and from a medical point of view I don't think there is a concern or worry,” the former Wigan Athletic manager added.

The Toffees lie seventh in the Premier League table with 13 points from eight matches. – Reuters

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Ronaldo wants to stay at Real

Real Madrid striker Cristiano Ronaldo repeated his desire to hand up his boots at the Spanish club.

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Madrid - Real Madrid striker Cristiano Ronaldo on Wednesday repeated his desire to hand up his boots at the Spanish club.

Speaking to sports paper Diario Marca in the first interview he has given in Spain since his controversial 30th birthday party in February, the striker also said he aimed to extend his career for as long as possible.

“My dream is to retire in Real Madrid,” said Ronaldo, speaking the day after he was awarded his fourth Golden Boot award for being the top scorer in a European football league, after netting 48 goals in 35 matches last season.

This season has seen worries about his fitness, with a knee injury which troubled him at the end of last season causing concern, but the striker had no worries in that aspect, indeed he aims to keep on playing for a long time yet.

“If you look after yourself, you can continue playing until you are 40 and I aim to keep on playing for another five or six years,” he said, aiming to maintain his numbers from last season.

“I hope to continue with that average of goals per game. I feel good and i feel that I am useful for Real Madrid and want to continue winning here,” commented Ronaldo.

The striker has scored five league goals in seven matches this season, but those five goals all came in the 6-0 win away to Espanyol and he has failed to hit the target in Real Madrid's other six domestic matches. Saturday sees his side entertain struggling Levante where he will hope to be able to add to his goals. - Xinhau

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