..::Football II::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Forster looking to learn from Hart following first England call-up

Celtic goalkeeper Fraser Forster is looking to learn from Joe Hart after being handed his first ever call-up to the senior England setup.


With World Cup qualifiers coming up against San Marino and Poland, Forster has been drafted into the squad by Roy Hodgson to compete alongside number one Hart and Norwich City keeper John Ruddy.

The 24-year-old expressed his delight at his first inclusion in the Three Lions squad, and thinks that training with world-class talent such as Hart can only help with his own development.

"Joe's obviously an unbelievable 'keeper," Forster told STV. "He's shown what he can do week-in week-out for the last few years and it'll be fantastic to watch him play. It'll be a great opportunity to go and see him in person and try and learn something."

As well as meeting and training with Hart, Forster is hoping a reunion with an ex-Newcastle United team-mate can help him settle in quickly.

"I know Andy Carroll from my time at Newcastle," Forster added. "Hopefully he'll keep me right anyway."

 

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Guti: Messi is better than Cristiano Ronaldo

Former Real Madrid star Guti believes that Lionel Messi is a better player than Cristiano Ronaldo.

The 35-year-old played alongside the Portuguese international during his time at the club and came up against the Barcelona star on a number of occasions.


"I think both Messi and Cristiano are great players, but Messi is better," he is quoted as saying by Punto Pelota.

The 35-year-old is excited about this weekend’s clash between his former club and Barcelona but warns that Real must get something from the game due to the gap between the two sides in the table.

"For Barcelona there are three points at stake, and for Madrid it is a final, because if you lose its 11 points difference," he added.

The recently retired Spaniard also claimed that he was close to signing for River Plate before deciding that staying in Spain would be best for his family.

"I was 99 percent going to play for River, but my wife and I thought about the situation and decided it was not convenient. Argentina is far away and she is pregnant and needs to be close to her family," he concluded.

 

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Wenger: Arsenal has no special plan for Carroll

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has praised West Ham striker Andy Carroll but revealed the Gunners have no special plans to stop him.

The teams face each other in the Premier League on Saturday, and the Frenchman sees the England international as a key player for the home side.

However, he insists his team will focus solely on itself when they travel to east London for the game at Upton Park.

"Carroll has the quality and that will come out with time. We expect Carroll to be at his best - it is down to us to deal with that," Wenger told reporters. “We can only focus on our own performance and be at our best."

"He started very well, then he had to deal with a high level of expectation with a massive transfer on his shoulders going to an historic club where a lot was expected of him. Maybe it was a bit too early for him. Since I have seen him at West Ham, he looks back to the Carroll we have seen at Newcastle, that means with less pressure."

The 62-year-old went on to praise the Hammers, insisting there is more to their game than the physical style of play favored by manager Sam Allardyce.

"West Ham have a good balance, they are efficient, they are a good mixture I must say between direct play and playing on the ground. Technically they are quite sound in midfield, they have Carroll and [Carlton] Cole up front who can go for high balls."

"We know we will have a big challenge there, we know we will only get away with the points if we perform at our best. Allardyce has again a very good team and you have to give him credit for that. He has built a good team, well balanced, always efficient and he is a good manager because he lasts."

After a recent spate of controversy regarding refereeing decisions, Wenger expressed his belief that players should stop harassing officials after decisions have been made.

"It is down to the referee to make the right decision," he added. "Once he has given a penalty, once he has given a goal, who was offside, [the referee] will not come back on his decision anyway. The press has made, and rightly so, campaigns that the players should leave the referee alone."

"Sometimes you question yourselves, when the other teams do it and your players don't do it, that you have a little disadvantage, but I don't think it can be a rule for us to encourage our players to do that. We should leave the referee as much as we can alone to make his decisions."

 

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Derby win could kick-start AC Milan's season, says Antonini

Luca Antonini says Sunday's Derby della Madonnina is the biggest in years and could have a big impact on AC Milan's season.

The 30-year-old defender grew up as a supporter of the Rossoneri and believes it is vital that his side gets three points against Inter after a less than impressive campaign to date.


Speaking to the Milan Channel, Antonini said, “The derby is always an important game. But especially for us this time around. We are starting to improve our performances and are getting to the level we want to be at.”

He went on to speak passionately about playing in a contest of such importance and what the game means to him as a player and lifelong fan of the club.

“Milan and these colors are everything to me," he continued. "I have always adored the club, when I was a fan, and even more now that I am a player.”

The Italian also allayed any fears that he could miss this weekend’s clash after it was revealed that he only took part in half of Friday’s training session.

“I had a small twinge from the game against Zenit (St Petersburg), so I preferred to only do some of the session. It's OK though, I'll be fine,” Antonini said.

 

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FIFA hands Scotland striker Naismith two-game ban

Scotland striker Steven Naismith has been banned for two games by FIFA, meaning he will miss both upcoming World Cup qualifiers.

Naismith was found guilty of elbowing Serbia midfielder Srdan Mijailovic during the goalless draw during the qualifier at Hampden Park last month. The ban means Naismith will miss the games against Wales and Belgium, but manager Craig Levein is confident the Everton attacker's absence will not affect his players negatively.

"Obviously this is disappointing news, but Steven has been very honest and professional throughout the disciplinary process,” Levein told Sky Sports. "We named a 25-man squad to compensate for any potential suspension, which has now been confirmed. I am confident we have enough strength in that department to offset the loss of a player who has been in excellent form so far this season."

 

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Kick it Out praises FA findings on Terry case

Anti-racism group Kick it Out has welcomed the FA panel’s findings on the John Terry racism case, which were released on Friday.

Terry was banned for four games and fined 275,000 euros for racially abusing QPR defender Anton Ferdinand, and the group have praised the decision of the commission.


A statement on the official Kick it Out website read: “The written reasons are welcomed and acknowledge some important consequences of this episode, namely the trauma caused to the Ferdinand family. It’s a period that has polarised the game, undermined the good work being done at all levels, and it must never be allowed to happen again. We note the rationale for the outcome and there is still a right to appeal, which we respect."

“In addition, any sanction by Chelsea, as Mr Terry’s employer, is subject to the club’s own internal disciplinary procedures. The words used are completely unacceptable, irrespective of how many times they were levelled. As campaigners we remain committed to the strongest action being taken against discrimination and supporting victims of it.”

 

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Sir Alex Ferguson 'happy' about Ferdinand England exclusion

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has expressed his delight at defender Rio Ferdinand’s exclusion from the England squad.

The 33-year-old was left out of the Three Lions roster to face San Marino and Poland after Roy Hodgson expressed concerns about his age.

But Ferguson believes the reduced strain on the center back is ideal as he enters the latter part of his career at Old Trafford.

"I am not going into that but I am happy anyway because I think at his age he should be protecting himself as best he can,” Sir Alex told reporters. "Hopefully by doing that he will be far more important to me than England."

Ferdinand has made 81 appearances for England, but has not appeared for the national side since June 2011.

 

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Johnson looking forward to Manchester City return

Sunderland winger Adam Johnson has expressed his excitement at returning to Manchester City for the first time since his move away from the club.

Johnson ended his two-and-a-half-year stay at the Etihad Stadium after the Mackems completed a 10 million pound deal for his services over the summer.

And the England international is relishing the opportunity to go up against his former employers so soon after leaving.

“It was a good win against Wigan and obviously City is a tough place to go and it’ll be nice to be involved in that,” he told the Evening Chronicle. “I’ve never been back to an old club in my career. I had great times there, winning leagues and FA Cups. I’ll always see it as a big part of my career. I’m looking forward to going back and seeing a lot of old friends there.”

The Middlesbrough academy product went on to praise teammate Steven Fletcher, who joined the Black Cats on the same day and has scored five goals in his first four appearances.

“Fletcher’s on fire at the moment," said Johnson. "Whenever he gets in front of goal, you always think he’s going to score. That’s what he was brought here to do and he’s doing that. He’s having one of those great spells where you just know he’s going to score. He’s a natural scorer and that’s what he’s doing.”

 

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Agger signs new long-term Liverpool deal

Liverpool defender Daniel Agger has ended speculation surrounding his future by signing a new long-term contract at Anfield.

The Dane, who was signed by Rafael Benitez from Brondby in 2006, committed his future to the Reds on Friday morning, though terms of the new deal were not disclosed by the club. The 27-year-old had reportedly attracted interest from Manchester City over the summer, though a move failed to materialize after the Premier League champions opted to sign Matija Nastasic.

"It means everything to me. This is where I want to be and I'm happy the club want me. I am really happy right now. I've never wanted to go anywhere else," Agger told Liverpool's official website. "I feel I am a part of this club - and I want to be a part of this club in the future.

"I like the way it is going right now with the style we're playing, and hopefully the results will come soon as well. The support from the fans has been unbelievable. The game when they were singing all the songs about me, it was difficult to focus on the game!

"It was such a good experience for me and I'd never experienced anything like it before. That is why I am so happy here. That for me is Liverpool Football Club. I feel I belong here and as long as the manager and the owners want me, I'll be here."

Reds managing director Ian Ayre also expressed delight that the Denmark international would be adding to his 177 appearances for the Merseyside club.

"Daniel's contribution since joining the club in 2006 has been absolutely fantastic and his loyalty to the team is recognised by the deal he has signed today," Ayre said. "Daniel always made it clear he wanted to stay at Liverpool and we're delighted that he's committed his future to the club.

"We brought in some very exciting players this summer - some of whom chose Liverpool over clubs in the Champions League. But it's equally important to retain your most important players and the fact that Daniel has now followed Luis Suarez, Martin Skrtel and Jonjo Shelvey in signing a new contract is testament to the fact that the players believe in what we're trying to achieve here under Brendan Rodgers."

 

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Juventus coach Conte has ban reduced by six months

Juventus head coach Antonio Conte has seen his match ban reduced from 10 months to four months, meaning he will return to the Bianconeri touchline as soon as December.



The Italian had originally been handed the long punishment for his part in a match-fixing scandal while in charge of Siena during the 2010-11 season. The 43-year-old former Italy international was specifically convicted of failing to report an alleged attempt to fix a match during his one-year tenure before he left for Juventus.

Conte has been able to help train his players this season but has been banned from any touchline activity and is unable to influence decisions during matches, which have instead been overseen by Massimo Carrera.

The coach’s lawyers were able to convince the TNAS court that the ban should be reduced after the initial failed attempt at getting him acquitted of the charges. This means he will now be able to return to action for Juve’s clash with Palermo on Dec. 9, one day after his ban expires and 16 games into the 2012-13 campaign.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Buffon close to signing four-year deal at Juventus

Gianluigi Buffon is close to signing a contract extension which will see him remain with Juventus until 2016, Goal.com has learned.

The goalkeeper remains the world’s most expensive shot-stopper following his40.5 million euros move from Parma in the summer of 2001.


Negotiations neared a conclusion last week when club president Andrea Agnelli offered Buffon a4.5m euros a year deal.

The Bianconeri faithful will be delighted with the news that one of the club’s star players has been tied down to a new contract; following speculation that Claudio Ranieri's Monaco was interested in making a move for the player.

Contact had been made between Giorgio Pellizzaro (Ranieri’s goalkeeping coach) and Buffon, in which he tried to tempt the Juventus number one with a move to the Stade Louis II.

But it is now understood that he will snub that interest and pen a new deal at Juventus Stadium, which will ensure he ends his career at the club.

 

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Xavi: I would be delighted to score a hat trick against Real Madrid

Barcelona midfielder Xavi has stated that netting a hat trick in Sunday's Primera Division match at home against arch-rivals Real Madrid would be a dream come true.


The 32-year-old has won numerous trophies both at club and international level, but still awaits his first hat trick, and he sees the Clasico as the perfect opportunity for yet another milestone.

"Is there something I have left to do? Scoring a hat trick... I would be delighted to score one against Madrid," Xavi smiled at a press conference. "We're not really thinking about whether a win would worsen the problems in Madrid's squad. We are focussed on winning, which would be good for our morale."

The influential playmaker then went on to discuss the situation of injured players such as Gerard Pique, Carles Puyol and Eric Abidal, who is continuing his recovery from a liver transplant earlier this year.

"At this moment, there's a 50 percent chance that Pique will play against Madrid," Xavi said. "Puyol's injury is a real shame. You can't ask a player to hold back. He's an example on and off the pitch and always gives his all.

"Abidal? He is very motivated to get back."

Barcelona ia currently in talks with Xavi's agent over a new deal, and the Spain international believes that an agreement is only a matter of time.

"I'm at the best club in the world, I'd like to retire here. My agent talks with the club about a renewal, there won't be any problem," Xavi stated.

 

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Di Matteo denies Chelsea players are out of control after Cole Twitter outburst

Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo has denied his players' use of Twitter is "out of control" after Ashley Cole’s outburst on the social network site Friday.

The defender reacted badly to the FA’s report on their guilty verdict given to John Terry, and vented his frustrations on his Twitter account. After the FA report claimed his testament was unreliable, Cole labelled the governing body a "bunch of t****", but his Italian boss has denied claims that squad behavior is poor despite the outburst.

"We'll look at the tweet and then we'll see ... I don't think the players are out of control," Di Matteo told reporters.

The Blues manager has also shown his support for his captain Terry, who was banned for four games and fined 220,000 pounds by the FA disciplinary panel after being found guilty of racially abusing Anton Ferdinand, insisting the 31-year-old will continue to lead the side.

"At the moment, he's our captain," Di Matteo said.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Real Madrid and Barcelona play in a league sentenced to death, says financial expert Jose Maria Gay

Real Madrid and Barcelona play in a league "sentenced to death", according to financial expert Jose Maria Gay de Liebana.

Jose Mourinho's side won La Liga last term to bring an end to three years of Catalan dominance, but you have to go all the way back to 2004 for a winner outside the big two (Valencia), and Gay de Liebana believes that is unlikely to change any time soon due to the "brutal imbalance" in incomes.

Speaking exclusively to Goal.com, the university professor said: "In Spain, the first and second in the table finish 40 points above the third. For me, Real Madrid and Barcelona are playing in a league that is sentenced to death and that will lose all interest."

And in reference to the imbalance in the distribution of television rights, which see Madrid and Barca negotiate their own lucrative deals in detriment to the other top-flight teams, and the sides' superior pulling power on a global level, he added: "The imbalance is brutal - they take 50 per cent of the money available.

"Barcelona and Madrid are sides with universal projection and a tremendous risk diversification, allowing them to bring in income from all over the world."

Gay de Liebana, who recently released a new study on the financial state of La Liga and previously worked as an economic consultant at Espanyol, sees pros and cons when it comes to Barcelona and Madrid's protagonism in the Primera Division.

"I think that on one hand" - he explained - "having Madrid and Barcelona improves La Liga a great deal because they are two giants on a European and world level, but at the same time they make for a bipolarised competition and that works against the other clubs, who are left without [the same] protagonism.

 

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Barclays Premier League 2012.10.06 Fixtures

Barclays Premier League 2012.10.06 Fixtures

Manchester City Vs Sunderland

Swansea Vs Reading

WBA Vs QPR

Wigan Vs Everton

Chelsea Vs Norwich

Westham United Vs Arsenal

​

 

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La Liga 2012.10.06 Fixtures

La Liga 2012.10.06 Fixtures

Rayo Vallecano Vs Deportivo La Coruna

Real Zaragoza Vs Getafe

Valladoid Vs Espanyol

Real Betis Vs Real Sociedad​

 

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Serie A 2012.10.06 Fixtures

Serie A 2012.10.06 Fixtures

Chievo Vs Sampdoria

Genoa Vs Palermo​

 

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Swansea 2-2 Reading: Michu and Routledge strikes salvage a point

Swansea came from two goals behind against Reading as strikes from Michu and Wayne Routledge cancelled out Pavel Pogrebnyak and Noel Hunt's first-half efforts to earn a point at the Liberty Stadium in a 2-2 draw.

The Royals took the lead against the run of play as the former Fulham striker Pogrebnyak latched onto Jobi McAnuff’s through ball and fired past Michel Vorm from inside the penalty area. Hunt made it two just before halftime hitting a sublime volley into the net from close range.

After the break it was all Swansea as it dominated the game, first Michu got a goal back headed in from close range from Routledge’s cross. Routledge then followed by getting the leveler as he drove into the penalty area and fired past Alex McCarthy to earn a point for the Swans.

Michael Laudrup made just one change to his side that lost to Stoke last time out with Wayne Routledge replacing Pablo Hernandez. Meanwhile Brian McDermott also made a singular change with Jay Tabb replacing the injured Mikele Leigertwood.

Reading and Norwich remain the only teams in the Premier League without a win.

 

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West Brom 3-2 QPR: Morrison, Gera and Mulumbu strike to pile pressure on Hughes

West Brom continued its impressive start to the Premier League season after a 3-2 win over QPR at the Hawthorns, with the Rs still without a league win.

The hosts burst into a two-goal lead, first through James Morrison and then Zoltan Gera, but QPR came back into it thanks to a great Adel Taarabt goal, and although the visitors had a lot of possession, Youssouf Mulumbu secured the win late on despite Esteban Granero's even later strike.

The visitors looked confident early on, but they soon found themselves behind. Shane Long effortlessly breezed past Clint Hill down the Baggies’ right before crossing, and Morrison was there to head past a helpless Julio Cesar.The duo combined again minutes later, this time Morrison crossed for Long, but after taking a touch the Irishman smashed his effort over from seven yards out.

West Brom was dominating the first half and was two up before long, with Morrison involved yet again. The midfielder played in a low ball from the right, and although Anton Ferdinand got a slight touch on the ball, Gera arrived at the perfect time to slot the ball into the bottom corner.
However, the visitors clawed their way back into the contest thanks to a sumptuous goal from Taarabt as the volatile attacker brought down Granero’s chipped pass before lashing a volley past Ben Foster.

A pattern was established for the second period as Rangers continuously booted the ball towards Bobby Zamora, and although the England international was dominating aerially, his side was not creating chances.Granero should have done a lot better with 25 minutes to go, but after a Zamora knock-down the Spaniard fired well over from just inside the penalty area.

Morrison was quiet after the break, but late on he went very close as his long-range effort whistled just wide of the top corner. In the end, it didn't matter as the hosts secured the points late on through Youssouf Mulumbu.

Gonzalo Jara got to the by-line before cutting a ball back to the Congolese midfielder and he stroked the ball into the bottom far corner with ease.

Granero got one back in injury time with a cool finish, but it was not enough for the visitors.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Wigan 2-2 Everton: Last-gasp Baines penalty saves Moyes' men

Wigan was denied its first home victory of the season after Everton notched a late penalty kick in a breathless Premier League encounter that ended 2-2.

An action-packed first half suddenly exploded into life with only nine minutes on the clock as Shaun Maloney escaped on the left hand side before feeding an offside-looking Arouna Kone to head Wigan in front.

However, the Latics had little time to enjoy their lead as within a minute, Steven Pienaar's curling attempt at goal deflected into the path of Nikica Jelavic to nod in his fourth goal of the season for the equalizer.

However, Kone's pace and bustling presence was causing the visiting defense real problems and on 22 minutes, the Ivorian showed real speed and endeavor in chasing down a long ball before finding the onrushing Di Santo who lashed the ball in from inside the penalty box.

Suddenly Wigan was well on top and Di Santo showcased his increasing confidence with a fearsome long range strike that stung the hands of Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard while Maloney dragged a shot wide when well placed. However, the Latics were in debt to Ali Al Habsi after the Omani shotstopper produced an outstanding save to keep out a wickedly deflected Leon Osman strike.

The save began a period of sustained Toffees prssure just before halftime, with first Kevin Miralles bringing a save out of Al Habsi before Leighton Baines had a toe-poke that dribbled off the post and only just out of reach of Fellaini, who would pick up a yellow card minutes later for a perceived elbow on Maynor Figueroa.

Everton was clearly fired up at halftime by David Moyes and within the first 10 minutes of the second half played some superb football to construct three good opportunities for Osman and Miralles, the last of which was disappointingly finished by the Belgian with only Al Habsi to beat.

However, following that early flurry, Everton's attacks fizzled out somewhat and with Kone's pace on the counter attack Wigan continued to carry a threat. Only a fantastic tackle from Phil Jagielka prevented the Ivorian from getting his second of the afternoon on the hour mark.

With 13 minutes to go, referee Kevin Friend waved away huge Everton calls for a penalty after Jelavic superbly made space in the box before appearing to be felled by Figueroa just as he looked to pull the trigger. However, the referee had no choice but to point to the spot when Miralles was felled and former Wigan player Baines made no mistake to level the score.

At that point, the result looked set but as the clock struck 90 minutes, Maloney found himself wriggling free in the box and despite the support of his teammates, opted to go for goal himself only to miss the target.