..::Football II::..

[Wolverine GTR]

I was 'flattered' by Tottenham interest, says Porto midfielder Moutinho

Porto midfielder Joao Moutinho has admitted that he was "flattered" by the interest shown in him by Tottenham during the summer transfer window, but refused to be drawn on the possibility of a move to the Premier League in the future.


Spurs pursued the Portugal international aggressively on transfer deadline day but failed to complete a deal to secure his services before the window closed.

Moutinho revealed that he had been pleased to attract the attention of Andre Villas-Boas, who worked with the midfielder at Porto. The 25-year-old regards his compatriot as "one of the best coaches in Europe today" but insisted that he was focused on the future in his home country.

"Tottenham is not in my head now, although I was flattered by the interest, especially by the coach," Moutinho told reporters. "Andre Villas-Boas is one of the best coaches in Europe today.

"The transfer window is closed, but now I am focused on Porto and prefer not to talk about something which may or may not happen.

"Porto is a club which offers maximum stability to help me show my best level. I cannot talk about anything else until that changes."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Hodgson: The sooner England gets Rooney back, the better

England manager Roy Hodgson is keen to see striker Wayne Rooney return to action for the national team after injury ruled him out of the 1-1 draw against Ukraine.

The Three Lions needed Frank Lampard to convert a late penalty to snatch a point at Wembley on Tuesday, with the Chelsea star's midfield partner Steven Gerrard sent off for two bookable offenses. Hodgson conceded that the current team looked short of experience in attack but is confident that he can get the best out of the Manchester United forward.

"We'll get the best out of him because he's desperate to play for England,'' Hodgson told reporters. "He's an excellent footballer and quality is permanent.

"I've spoken to him of course. He's had a nasty injury and we're hoping he gets over it as soon as possible.

"The sooner he comes back into our fold the better because we are short of experienced and quality front players in England. We are blessed with quite a few very good midfielders.''

A number of young players featured against Oleg Blokhin's team, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Tom Cleverley both starting the match. Hodgson acknowledged that the duo had found it tougher than was the case in the previous match against Moldova, but praised the impact of substitutes Daniel Sturridge, Danny Welbeck and Ryan Bertrand.

"This will be a very, very good experience for those five young players who were thrust into the fray and had to battle to get a result from the game," he continued. "Bertrand, Sturridge and Welbeck made a difference.

"It's nice when a player comes on the scene like Cleverley and Oxlade-Chamberlain and they have excellent games [against Moldova] and everyone writes them up and says 'fantastic, we've got two excellent young players here'.

"I'm afraid the flip side of the coin for them is when they play the next game and it doesn't go quite so well the praise will be replaced by a little bit of criticism and it will be suggested they need more time.''

Cleverley was guilty of missing two good chances to score for England in the midweek fixture and Hodgson noted that his young players could do worse than follow the example of the likes of Lampard when working on their finishing.

"If you're a forward or midfielder it's in your interests to practice your shooting," he said. "Lampard and Gerrard have got a lot of goals from midfield positions and we see [Jermain] Defoe doesn't need many chances to score. Hopefully the younger players will learn from the senior players.''

Hodgson maintained that England was unfortunate to be punished in devastating fashion by Ukraine goalscorer Yevhen Konoplyanka, who beat Joe Hart from some distance to give the away team the lead, but backed his side to make amends in the reverse fixture.

"You are talking about individual technical errors and that's part of football,'' he claimed. "We were just unfortunate that having given it away the guy scores such a wonder goal from 20-odd yards.

"His shot might fly over the crossbar and you forget all about it, but when it goes into the roof of the net you analyze every single detail of how you lost the ball.

"We are more than capable of going anywhere in the world and getting results as we've shown in the past."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Fabregas: I knew what to expect at Barcelona, I'm not stupid

Cesc Fabregas has made it clear that he was fully aware of what to expect at Barcelona when he returned to the Camp Nou side in the summer of 2011.

The Spain international has been struggling to find his best form in the opening weeks of the 2012-13 campaign, and has received his fair share of criticism following his relatively disappointing performances.

"It looks like the entire world has all of a sudden decided to say that the pressure is getting to me... I knew that there would be pressure to perform when I got here. I'm not stupid," Fabregas said in an interview with Informativos Telecinco.

"I knew what to expect at Barca. I'm competing with players such as Xavi, [Andres] Iniesta and [Lionel] Messi. They are the best players in the world.

"Every player goes through good times and bad times, but you have to fight for your spot. I have always done just that and will continue to do so. You have to accept certain things in football."

Fabregas has featured in three La Liga games this term, without finding the net.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Menez delighted to be back in France squad

Jeremy Menez has spoken of his pleasure at being a part of France's perfect start to World Cup 2014 qualifying campaign and insists he and his Paris Saint-Germain teammates are ready for the next stage of their Ligue 1 title tilt.


The 25-year-old winger started Les Bleus' 1-0 win over Finland on Friday and was then introduced as a late substitute in the 3-1 victory over Belarus in Paris.

The former Monaco man was recalled to the squad by Didier Deschamps after the one-match suspension that was imposed on him by the French Football Federation after his behavior at Euro 2012, and he was delighted to be back among the international fold.

"Personally, it is positive to start a match and then play three minutes on Tuesday," he told France Football. "For the team it's good to take six points. Beyond that, they were two good matches with a good mindset. This is what everyone expected and wanted to find."

PSG haa now begun preparing for its match against Tolouse on Friday as the club looks to build on its first win of the season over Lille, and Menez believes that the break will have done his side some good.

"We must improve to beat Tolouse after the Lille match," he explained. "If the mindset is the same then we have the means to win. There isn't much room for error and we want to win Ligue 1 and go far in the Champions League."

He also hopes Zlatan Ibrahimovic can add to the four goals he has scored since his move from AC Milan, despite the extra attention he receives from opposition defenders.

"If they want to put two or three men on Zlatan then there will be spaces for others. Even with two or three players around he is able to make a difference with his vision of the game."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Sporting Lisbon disappointed to make UEFA black list

Sporting Lisbon has claimed that UEFA has made a mistake in naming the club on the list of 23 teams that have outstanding payments and will therefore have their prize money withheld.

The capital club side believes that the European governing body released the list before the Oct. 14 deadline and that has meant that the name of last year's Europa League semifinalist has been included.


The 18-time Portuguese champion has admitted owing a minor amount to another club, but club president Luis Godinho Lopes has told of his surprise at the revelations.

"I can't say that I am pleased with the ruckus around this issue," he told reporters. "I was sad to see Sporting's name mentioned, there was a communication error."

The Estadio Jose Alvalade outfit last year posted a loss of 46 million euros after making a number of big-money signings, but claim that the club has paid all its taxes and social security payments.

The club's vice-president Jose Guedes has also confirmed that the club owes no salary payments and reassured his team's fans that the amounts owed were negligible.

"The case is related to payments to football clubs and the sums are really not too big," he said.

 

[zome]

First-class train! Manchester City will move in to state-of-the-art £100m training complex in next two years

Manchester City have started work on the state-of-the-art £100m training complex that they hope will lead them to the top of the European game.

City's astonishing new complex is being built on an 80-acre site across the road from the Etihad Stadium in East Manchester and will be ready in time for the start of the 2014-2015 season.

Believed to be the most complete training ground in world football, it will comprise 17 football pitches, a 7,000 capacity stadium for reserve matches, a youth academy complete with classrooms and accommodation and even a community sixth-form college and leisure centre.

The future's bright: Manchester City have revealed plans for their new training base

The site will be linked to City's current home by a footbridge and will enable all the club’s players, staff and officials to be housed on the one giant complex.

City ambassador Patrick Vieira said: 'It will be one of the best in all of sport.

'People from the club travelled around the world and tried to capture the best from all the different sports facilities they saw and then bring them back here.'

Two years to go: The development is scheduled to be completed by 2014

Currently City’s senior players train at Carrington, to the west of Manchester, while the club's youngsters train at inner-city Platt Lane and the administration staff are based at the main stadium.

In two years they will all be on one site as the Barclays Premier League champions look to introduce one ideology – and one style of play – throughout all age groups. Of the complex’s 17 pitches, 12 of them will be dedicated for players between the age of 8 and 21.

City intend to plant 2,000 trees on the regenerated land that was once polluted and that has been cleared and environmentally cleaned over the last 12 months. The club have already recruited some construction workers from the local community and – where possible – will use products sourced from the north-west as part of the build.

Night and day: Of the complex's 17 pitches, 12 of them will be dedicated to young players

Of the 80 acres, almost 6 acres will be set aside for community use. This will include the site of the sixth form college and leisure centre. The site will also use recycled water.

City chief executive Ferran Soriano said: 'This is an extremely important day for the future of Manchester City football club.

'The development of young and home grown players is central to our strategy of creating a winning team and a sustainable football club.'

​

 

[rcccc]

Honduras: Carlo Costly es nuevo jugador del Veria de Grecia

El delantero hondureño Carlo Costly fue presentado como nuevo refuerzo del Veria FC de la primera división del balompié de Grecia.

El atacante comentó que se encuentra comprometido a dar resultados de inmediato y, de esta forma, regresar la confianza que le brindó el cuerpo técnico"Estoy muy contento de jugar en Grecia con la camiseta de Veria. Sé lo suficiente sobre el fútbol griego y su equipo nacional, que ganó el campeonato europeo en 2004", expresó el catracho.

"Lo que puedo prometer es que voy a dar mi mejor esfuerzo para ayudar a mi nuevo equipo", agregó Costly luego de pasar con éxito las pruebas médicas y estampar su firma en el contrato.
Carlo Costly jugará con la camisa número 19, la misma que utilizó el máximo anotador del equipo, Calvin Cady.

 

[rcccc]

Hungary 1-4 Netherlands: Lens gives hosts double vision

Netherlands have recorded a 4-1 away win over Hungary in Tuesday's 2014 World Cup qualifier at the Ferenc Puskas Stadium in Budapest.

Jeremain Lens broke the deadlock for Holland early in the game, only to see Balazs Dzsudzsak level the scoring again minutes later. Nevertheless, Bruno Martins Indi restored Oranje's lead before the interval, while Lens doubled his personal tally after the break. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar then put the match to bed with an easy finish.

The away side started the match superbly and needed only three minutes to open the scoring. Wesley Sneijder found Luciano Narsingh down the right, who then played a quick one-two with Robin van Persie. The PSV winger reached Lens inside the area with a good cross, and the 24-year-old beat Hungary shot stopper Adam Bogdan with a placed header.

However, Hungary weren't impressed too much and restored parity only four minutes later. Zoltan Gera went to the ground inside the box after a challenge from Jordy Clasie, and the referee quickly pointed to the spot. Dzsudzsak kept his calm from 12 yards and slotted home with ease.

Oranje took over the initiative again after the equaliser and deservedly went up once more in the 19th minute. Sneijder curled in a perfect free kick toward the far post, where the unmarked Martins Indi was waiting to head home his first international goal.

Lens should have made it 3-1 shortly after following some sloppy defending from Vilmos Vanczak and Vladimir Koman, but the PSV attacker’s weak attempt through the middle was an easy prey for Bogdan.

Nevertheless, the former AZ star did get his second of the game after the interval. Left back Akos Elek intercepted Sneijder's pass for Narsingh, but headed it straight into the path of Lens, whose left-footed volley proved to be too much for Bogdan.

The Hungarians started pushing forward after Holland's third goal and came close to pegging one back in the 58th minute. Vanczak set up Tamas Priskin with a nice through ball, but Maarten Stekelenburg showed his class with a fine safe to deny the striker from close range.

Sneijder almost added his name to the score sheet as well with a powerful long range strike, but the Inter playmaker's shot came back off the crossbar, with Ricardo van Rhijn blasting the rebound high and wide.

A quickly taken free kick did extend Netherlands' lead shortly after as Lens set up substitute Huntelaar, who had no trouble finding the empty net. The Schalke man should have netted his second well into stoppage time, but aimed wide from inside the area.

Hungary has collected three points from two matches following the loss versus the Dutch. They will be looking to return to winning ways next month when they travel to Estonia.

Netherlands' sit atop of their section with six points from two games. They resume match action at home against Andorra on October 12.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Meireles: Kuyt advised me to leave Chelsea for Fenerbahce

Raul Meireles has revealed that former Liverpool striker Dirk Kuyt played a role in his decision to leave Chelsea for Fenerbahce in the summer transfer window.

The Dutchman joined the Turkish giants from Liverpool earlier this summer, and was quick to advise Meireles to make the move as well, when the Portugal international made contact with him ahead of his transfer.

"Fenerbahce first reached an agreement with Chelsea and only then did I agree personal terms," Meireles stated to Lig TV.

"Maybe people were a bit surprised, but I knew that I joined a very big club. Fenerbahce are the biggest team in Turkey.

"I spoke with Kuyt and he advised me to accept the offer and make the move.

"We have a strong squad and are looking forward to playing in the Europa League. Everything is going fine. I'm physically in good shape and ready to play."

The 29-year-old could make his Fenerbahce debut in Sunday's home game versus Mersin Idmanyurdu.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Effenberg: Bayern is Champions League favorites

Former Germany star Stefan Effenberg feels that Bayern Munich have what it takes to go all the way in the Champions League this season.

The Bavarians made it to the final of European club football's elite competition last term, where they were beaten by Chelsea on penalties, and Effenberg has stressed that winning the Champions League has to be their objective in 2012-13.

"The Bayern players had the chance of a lifetime to win the Champions League, but let it pass. This time they will have to aim for the trophy. That has to be the only objective," Effenberg was quoted as saying by Kicker.

"Bayern should stroll their group and are one of the favourites to go all the way. They are getting a lot of respect throughout Europe, and deservedly so."

Effenberg then discussed Borussia Dortmund's chances in Europe and urged it to change its attacking style of play if it is to advance to the latter stages of the competition.

"They will not achieve their goals with their offensive gameplan. Perhaps Jurgen Klopp should change their style a bit. You simply cannot keep up that attacking style of play in such a tough group.

Dortmund opens its Champions League campaign against Ajax next week, and will also have to deal with Real Madrid and Manchester City.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Germany striker Miroslav Klose targeting silverware with Lazio

Miroslav Klose has set his sights on winning silverware with Lazio and is eager to succeed sooner rather than later.

The Germany international joined Lazio from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2011, and has since developed into a key player at the Serie A outfit.

Nevertheless, the 34-year-old wants more and is determined to challenge for trophies with the Biancocelesti.

"I want to win something with Lazio and I am not talking about just winning games. I want silverware with this club, to win something important and to stay at the top," Klose stated to reporters.

The veteran attacker then went on to discuss the secret behind scoring goals, and compared finding the net to fishing.

"Scoring goals and fishing are two very similar things. It is crucial to be patient and strike at the right moment. You have to remain calm at all times," Klose said.

Klose has netted twice in two Serie A outings this term.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Luis Suarez: I will reward Brendan Rodgers with goals

The 25-year-old striker is determined to impress new manager Brendan Rodgers and build upon the one goal he has scored so far this season - and is hoping the Reds leave the Stadium of Light on Saturday with their first win of the season.

The Uruguayan told The Sun: "We certainly need to win this one.

"I have only one league goal so far and it will be difficult if I do not improve.

"Nobody is content with our Premier League results so far. Things have not gone as the coach wanted and we are obliged to react accordingly.

“There are no nerves in the dressing room. Only frustration."

Commenting on the departure of Carroll, Suarez admitted: “I was happy playing with Andy but he has gone.

“I think only of playing well, of victories and of winning trophies. My challenge is to keep improving."

He also confirmed that despite speculation about his own future when the transfer window was open, he is fully committed to the Anfield cause.

“During this summer there were many rumors about my future but I never doubted my future with Liverpool," Suarez said. "Clubs asked about me, but my objective is to try for more success here. We want to make the Champions League and to fight for other honours. I am convinced that if we can win two consecutive matches, everything will change.”

So far Liverpool has only managed to secure one point from three games, having suffered defeats against West Brom and Arsenal. Although the side secured a home draw against Premier League champions Manchester City, they had led on two occasions, before a misplaced pass by Martin Skrtel gifted Carlos Tevez an equalizer.

But despite the Reds' League from, Suarez stresses that he is happy with new boss Rodgers.

He said: "He has confidence in me and I want to reward that with goals. He wants us to play a passing game and I'm optimistic it will work.

"Training is not so different from under Kenny Dalglish but Rodgers insists on more touches on the ball whereas Dalglish wanted a more direct game.

"Under a new coach, we must adapt to his style and carry out his orders. I'm going to do that."

As well as targeting Champions League qualification with Liverpool, Suarez has revealed he is aiming to meet a personal challenge, too.

"My aim is to be one of the best goalscorers in the Premier League, but at the moment I have one goal.

"I've scored three times against Sunderland and want another goal against them. Liverpool need the win."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Ronaldo: Messi fascinates me more than Cristiano Ronaldo

Ronaldo feels that Barcelona star Lionel Messi is slightly better than Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo, as he's more of a creative force.

The Primera Division stars are seen by many as the best two players in the world at present, and Ronaldo has nothing but praise for the Argentine, also voicing his admiration for Portugal's shining light.

"Messi is a little above Cristiano Ronaldo in my opinion," the former Brazil star was quoted as saying by CNN. "I give preference to Messi, because he's a player who fascinates us more, who shows more creativity - even though he's from Argentina, which has a big rivalry with Brazil.

"I admire both players, though."

The 35-year-old then went on to discuss the future of young compatriot Neymar, and stressed that he needs to move to Europe in order to make the next step forward.

"I think Neymar still has a phase to compete, to play in Europe and triumph playing in Europe."

Ronaldo is eagerly anticipating the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, and even though the Selecao have been unable to impress in recent years, the former attacker is hopeful they can challenge for the trophy in two years time.

"I think in the last victories we had in the World Cup [1994 and 2002], the team was traditionally created in the last year. So I think we still have time," he added. "We have Neymar, who is a huge talent, Pato, Thiago Silva, who is another excellent defender. Ganso, Oscar. We have a very young team, but it's playing at a high level and gives us big hope for a victory."

Brazil was eliminated in the quarterfinals at both the 2006 and 2010 World Cups.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Rooney progressing well on road to recovery

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed that Wayne Rooney is progressing well in his bid to recover from the leg injury he suffered at Old Trafford in August.

Despite the deep gash he suffered to his right thigh, Rooney could soon return to action for United having started light training.

"Wayne's doing very well," Ferguson told the club's official website. "The scar's healed well and he's training terrifically, though he’s not back in football training yet. All his work is being done with the physios at this point in time.

"The issue now is when do we decide to bring him into the game? We have to take the medical advice on that one."

Rooney's progression completes a week of mixed injury news for the Red Devils. Robin Van Persie and Shinji Kagawa both took part in training despite injury scares while on international duty, but Phil Jones is set to miss another two months following surgery on his knee.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Buffon: Three or four teams could be dangerous this year

Juventus captain Gianluigi Buffon believes that his side is the favorite to lift this year's Serie A crown, but will not have an easy ride with teams like AC Milan, Inter, Roma and Napoli nipping at the Turin giants' heels.

The Bianconeri have been widely tipped to storm to a second consecutive Scudetto this year, with their rivals enduring turbulent summers, but the veteran goalkeeper believes his side will face stern competition, thanks in part to coach Antonio Conte's 10-month ban.

"There are three or four teams who might start behind us, but could be dangerous along the way," the Italy international told Sky Sport24.

"I'm talking about AC Milan, but also, Inter, Roma and Napoli, who don't have the Champions League, but have an experienced group of players.

"We are missing Conte and his absence is felt on the bench. He's a coach who gave us new belief and did a great job of turning the team around with his determination."

Buffon also expressed his delight at Juventus' impending return to the Champions League.

"We have been missing these type of matches - for too long we have only been watching them on television."

He also spoke about former teammate Alessandro Del Piero's transfer to Sydney FC, as well as commenting on his own future.

"He [Del Piero] made a choice with his life, and I am not only sure that he won't have any problems, and that he will still have a long career," he continued.

He added, "My future? Soon I will talk with the club and I doubt there'll be any problems. I want to renew my contract, but the club are currently occupied with other matters.

"I think I won't play for any other Italian team, even if in football you can never say never."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Di Matteo unsure if Malouda will feature for Chelsea again

Chelsea boss Roberto Di Matteo has stated that he is unsure if Florent Malouda will play for the team again, but says the winger has accepted the decision to be dropped from the first team.

Malouda was unable to secure a transfer away from west London and has been training with the Under-21s as a result. However, Di Matteo insists that the this situation is very different to what happened last year under Andre Villas-Boas, when Nicolas Anelka and Alex were forced to train separately.

"They have accepted the decision that has been made by us, and they're just going to focus on their targets for this season," Di Matteo told Sky Sports News."Over the past, there's been some expression of the player to part company, but it hasn't happened.

"So we've moved forward, brought in other players and they're the ones we're going to work with this season.

He added, "It was a combined decision between me and the club. It's obviously not an extremely positive message or decision for him, but I guess, at the end, we have to look after our own interests and that's the decision we've taken."When asked if Malouda will ever appear for the first team again, Di Matteo added: "I don't know, only the future will tell. But he's with the Under-21s.
"The transfer window doesn't open again until January."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Vilanova: I am to blame if Fabregas is not at his best

Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova has spoken out about Cesc Fabregas' perceived poor form this season, and says he will should some of the blame if he cannot coax better showings out of the midfielder.

The former Arsenal man enjoyed a flying start to his career with the Blaugrana, but has suffered a noticeable dip in performance since the start of 2012.

"He's a world-class player who would get into any team in the world," the 42-year-old was quoted as saying by AS.

He added, "At Barca, it just happens he has to compete with players who have been the best in the world in recent years in their positions.

"I don't agree that Cesc has not been playing well. The coaches must also be held responsible. If I can't get the best out of him, you can't just blame the player - I must be to blame too."

Meanwhile, Vilanova also announced his squad for Saturday's clash at Getafe, with Carles Puyol set to return and Jordi Alba due to miss out with tonsillitis, joining Andres Iniesta and Alexis Sanchez on the injury list.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 Toulouse: Pastore and Ibrahimovic on target for Ancelotti's men

Paris Saint-Germain’s preparations for its long-awaited return to the Champions League received a boost on Friday evening when the French club saw off the challenge of Toulouse 2-0 at Parc des Princes, recording its second successive Ligue 1 victory.

A deft first-half finish from Javier Pastore gave the capital side the advantage, but this was a very competitive encounter and was never truly settled until Zlatan Ibrahimovic converted a second for Carlo Ancelotti’s men with 20 minutes remaining.

The Swede was at the forefront of his side’s best moves throughout this encounter, with a powerful surge after only seven minutes, but after breaking past one defender he saw Ali Ahamada get down well to block his shot.

Toulouse came roaring back and dominated the midfield for a spell, culminating in a long-range shot from France futsal international Wissam Ben Yedder that required an athletic save from Salvatore Sirigu to prevent it flying into the top corner of his net.

By the interval, the hosts had regained the upper hand, and they would be rewarded with a goal. Marco Verratti received a loose ball in the middle of the field and showed terrific vision to send a measured pass over the Toulouse defence for Pastore to race onto and loft a neat first-time finish over the stranded goalkeeper.

Ibrahimovic was the first to threaten after the break. Given too much room a long way out, the former AC Milan man delivered a fizzing shot towards goal that lacked the accuracy to really worry the goalkeeper, while Jeremy Menez was denied similarly from a difficult angle just inside the box.

Ben Yedder continued to pose PSG some problems and would again be denied by Sirigu, but the hosts ultimately managed to wrestle themselves free of Les Violets midway through the second period.

Menez’s dynamism down the left channel would prove decisive, as he comprehensively beat the offside trap and unselfishly centred for Ibrahimovic to tap in from inches out when he could have legitimately shot for goal himself.

Late on the hosts nearly added a third, but Alex's header was cleared from the line by Etienne Capoue.

Ancelotti had already responded to the second goal by replacing Pastore, hinting that he was happy with his side’s advantage and that no more energy must be spent before Tuesday’s return to the big time, when Les Parisiens host Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League.

In the short-term, though, PSG has reduced the deficit to Ligue 1 leader Olympique de Marseille to three points ahead of the weekend’s games, seeing off awkward opponents to do so.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Mancini: Stoke is one of the worst grounds to visit in the Premier League

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini says Stoke City is one of the "worst grounds" to visit in the Premier League, and is glad to be getting the trip out of the way early in the season.

City fought back to earn a draw in the corresponding fixture last season after Peter Crouch's memorable strike gave the Potters the lead.

Despite going on to clinch the title, the two points dropped at the time felt like a hammer blow to Mancini's hopes of winning the title, and so he is pleased the fixture isn't in the title run-in this time around.

Mancini told reporters: "We need to think only about Stoke because we never win there - it is a difficult pitch - but it is better we have this game now than the end, like last year.

"Stoke is one of the worst [grounds] in the Premier League because it is very difficult to play there. They are a strong team."

The 47-year-old didn't criticize Stoke's approach to the game, instead insisting it's down to his team to use their experience to adapt to that difficult style.He explained: "For us, it is very difficult, but not only for us, for all the teams. It is important we try to play football like we do.

"I think that they have good players because this year they have changed, they have brought in good players."They are very strong, they are tall, but with this kind of football they stay always in the Premier League.

"For them, this is important. They have good players with experience.
"We have experience for this, all our players know this game, and we know it will be a tough game."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Mourinho: If Ronaldo is sad but plays like he does, that's perfect for me

Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho said he is not concerned by Cristiano Ronaldo's sadness as long as he continues to perform to a high standard on the field.

After los Blancos’ 3-0 over Granada nearly two weeks ago, the former Manchester United forward told reporters he had not celebrated properly after his goals because he was sad for professional reasons. During the international break that followed the Portugal star insisted it was not money-related, but Mourinho is not bothered about the speculation if his form remains high.

"If Ronaldo is sad and plays like he plays, perfect for me," the ex-Chelsea coach told reporters on Friday afternoon. "I'll say the same thing, I coach football and my responsibility are the results. I have responsibility for the performance of my players. And if something goes wrong, you kill me.

"Ronaldo trains 100 percent, sometimes he does it good or not, but he's a team player, always disciplined in training, exemplary. I don't have to worry with things that are superficial and not fundamental".Mourinho accepted that, as head coach at the Santiago Bernabeu, he must take responsibility for negative results, but insists his No. 7’s performances are down to the individual.

"My responsibilities in Ronaldo's case? I have only a few responsibilities, in the positive performance of the players," he two-time Champions League winning coach continued.
"As Cristiano is playing well for so many years, the credit is his. I'm just a football coach, with increased responsibility, but nothing more."

The former Inter boss refused to criticize the Portugal international star for going public about his discontent, and he says he is more concerned with getting Madrid’s league form back on track after beating Barcelona over two legs in the Super Cup."It didn't bother me that Ronaldo came out to mixed zone to expose his personal sadness," Mourinho added.

"I have ambitions at level of the game and results. Last year we got high on both aspects. And this is what I want this season."The match against Barcelona has offset my disappointment in the league, but the Super Cup is history, and is also the least important trophy and we must move on."

The Real Madrid boss insists that Ronaldo could do with some time out of the spotlight after the media frenzy over his comments during the international break."These has been two fantastic weeks for the press," Mourinho jibed. "Without games, without emotion, with these [Ronaldo’s] statements - it’s been perfect for the press.

"But Ronaldo now needs peace, quiet, and to play football, which is what he likes the best, and what he likes to do."