..::Football III::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Walcott to return 'early next season'

Arsenal forward Theo Walcott says he is on track to return from his anterior cruciate ligament injury during the early stages of next season.

The 25-year-old has been sidelined since January 4 and will miss England’s World Cup campaign in Brazil this summer.

"I'm not pushing myself to be fit for the World Cup or anything like that," Walcott told Arsenal’s official matchday programme.

"I want to be back quickly of course, but safely too.

"I want to try and be back for the early part of next season. That's the goal so there will be a lot of hard work throughout the summer and during the World Cup."

Walcott is buoyed by his progress after undergoing surgery in Janaury and is aiming to start running within the next month.

"It's nearly been four months now and my recovery has gone on track so far. At the moment, I'm working on muscle strength and building muscle in my quad. I've got a lot of the flexion back and I'm always working on extension,” he added.

"A lot of the days are very similar but the four months have gone really quickly. I don't see any point in being down in the dumps about the injury because it’s already happened and there are a lot of people with worse problems in the world.

"I'll just get on with my work - I'm first in and last out on most days. I see the consultant soon too and hopefully he'll give me the thumbs-up to push on even more. I'd love to be running in a few weeks."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Too early to write off Liverpool, warns Roy Keane

Liverpool should not be written off in the Premier League title race despite losing to Chelsea on Sunday, warns Roy Keane.

The Reds were clear at the top of the table before being undone by Jose Mourinho's side at Anfield, which allowed Manchester City to move three points behind with a game in hand and superior goal difference.

Manuel Pellegrini's men were made favourites with bookmakers as a result of their win at Crystal Palace but Keane argues that Liverpool remain "in a good position" if they can stay mentally strong.

"It's difficult when you lose football matches," he told Today FM. "I flew in [to Ireland] from Manchester and there were a lot of Liverpool fans on the flight - I was happy in a way [that they lost] as they would have been gloating.

"They're not out of it yet. They're still in a good position. I wouldn't write them off.

"At the end of the season, it's not just physical, it's a head job too. You have to be in the right mind."

The former Manchester United star said on Tuesday that some of his old club's players should be "ashamed of themselves" for their role in the sacking of manager David Moyes but, though reiterating that the Scot deserved more time, Keane says that he is not too worked up by the decision.

"I made my point last week about Moyes," he remarked. "I feel sorry for David. I thought he should have been given more time.

"Whatever is going on at certain teams is really none of my business. I look at David Moyes, I don't like what's happened to him but, regarding other clubs, it's none of my business and doesn't keep me awake at night."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Hummels: I'd love Kagawa to return to BVB

Borussia Dortmund defender Mats Hummels has admitted that he would love to see Shinji Kagawa return to the club from Manchester United.

The Japan international left Singal Iduna Park in 2012 for Old Trafford, but has failed to stamp his mark on the English champions' first team in his two years in the Premier League.

He has said in the past that he is frustrated by his situation at United and Hummels says the would be happy to line up alongside his former team-mate again.

"We would take him with open arms, of course," he told Kicker.

"Having an offensive line with [Marco] Reus, [Henrikh] Mkhitaryan and Kagawa would certainly be stylish.

"But I would not say anything about the other great players we have playing for us. The attacking midfield is probably the best part of our team without Shinji."

BVB have pledged to spend big this summer and Hummels took time to deny that his team-mates would get jealous of a marquee signing who would draw a bigger salary.

"I cannot imagine that it would be a big issue with us. In our team we are not only out for success," he continued.

"At the end of the day, everyone is repsonsible for their own contracts. Nobody forced us to sign them. We want to play good football.

"If we had a star attacker who earned more money than us, no one would feel bad about it."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Guardiola wants to see Ribery's 'angry' side

Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola has called on Franck Ribery to deliver an "angry" performance against Real Madrid on Tuesday.

The European champions enter the second leg of their Champions League semi-final tie a goal behind thanks to Karim Benzema's strike in the first encounter last week.

Ribery, who has gone through a difficult run of form of late, scored in the weekend's 5-2 victory over Werder Bremen and the Spaniard wants the French winger to deliver a match-winning performance against the Spaniards.

"Franck Ribéry is very important and necessary for us," he said at a press conference.

"He has been at Bayern longer than me. I am happy of course if he plays well, with energy and motivation. He sometimes needs an angriness and I am sure he will play very well tomorrow.

"He has this fighting spirit. He always wants to fight, that’s why the people love him. He is one of the most fantastic players in the history of Bayern."

Guardiola admitted that his side were disappointed not to come away from the Santiago Bernabeu with an away goal to their name.

"We wanted to score an away goal. Now, even more so, we have to attack and we have no other chance. We have to take care of their counterattacks.

"Being in the semis, you are closer to the final. In Madrid they saw that they are very close to the final. We can't make it by ourselves tomorrow.

"We need the fans who have been outstanding before. I am sure our fans will be there for us tomorrow. We can make it to the final. The team want it, I want it, the fans want it. Together we can achieve this.

"Real are very fast, they run a lot. If you lose the ball, you need to close the spaces and a good set up in defence. I have to prepare for different scenarios.

"Most of the time they dominate games, they can play more offensively or more defensively – we have to be prepared for everything.

"They will try to defend the advantage they have for 90 minutes. With which tactics, we will see. It does not matter who Real pick. I can't judged this. [Carlo] Ancelotti will decide.

"Their 11 players will attack and defend together. We have to concentrate on the whole team."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

'Everything is in place' for Manchester United title challenge next season - Giggs

Interim Manchester United manger Ryan Giggs is convinced that "everything is in place" for the club to challenge for the Premier League title next season.

United have had a woeful campaign by their lofty standards, surrendering their league crown with a whimper, currently sitting behind table-topping Liverpool by 20 points.

After David Moyes was sacked for overseeing the Red Devils' steep decline, Giggs started his tenure as temporary boss with a 4-0 triumph over Norwich City at Old Trafford on Saturday and the Welshman believes that squad is good enough to bounce back quickly.

"We've got everything in place to have a successful season next year. We've certainly got the players," the veteran midfielder told reporters.

"It's going to be hard, obviously, because we've had a tough season and obviously the lads at Liverpool have improved and other teams around us have improved.

"It won't be easy but I'm confident."

When asked if United were on the decline, Giggs responded: "We won the league last year. The year before we lost it on goal difference, the year before that we won it.

"Where did Liverpool come last year, seventh? Who would have said they would be where they are this year, so a lot can change."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Shaw flattered by Manchester United & Chelsea links

Southampton defender Luke Shaw says that he is flattered to be linked with the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea and will "see what happens" with regards to his future.

The teenage full-back has emerged as one of the Premier League's brightest young talents, with his performances in 2013-14 earning him a place in the PFA Team of the Year, as well as seeing him finish third in the voting for the PFA Young Player of the Year.

And Shaw, who Goal understands is being tracked by Manchester City, United and Chelsea ahead of a summer transfer war for his signature, appreciates the interest from the Premier League's big hitters but remains focused on a strong finish to the season with Southampton.

"It's a good thing to be linked with them but I don't concentrate with that stuff," he told Sky Sports. "I've got football to focus on. That's my only thinking.

"[Southampton] is a great club, I'm still young and I've got plenty to learn. It's all rumours. I'm just focusing on the two games I've got left and then see what happens."

Shaw made his first appearance for England earlier in the campaign, a 1-0 friendly win over Denmark back in February, and the 18-year-old World Cup hopeful admits that he was overwhelmed at making his debut for his country.

"England was probably the best feeling of my life," he added. "I'm going to keep pushing myself to become a better player.

"It's been unbelievable [my rise]. For me to be 18 and to have played 30-odd games in the Premier League is something I wouldn't have even dreamed of when I was younger."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Luke Shaw wa ganna puluwan nam patta!Ath ithin sure nahane

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Real Madrid are not in the final yet, warns Bale

Gareth Bale has warned his Real Madrid team-mates they have not reached the final of the Champions League yet and says he hopes to play in Tuesday's semi-final meeting with Bayern Munich.

The Welshman has suffered from flu in recent days and was subsequently omitted from the starting XI for the first leg but was brought on to replace Cristiano Ronaldo for the final 17 minutes before being rested for los Blancos' 4-0 league win over Osasuna at the weekend.

The former Tottenham Hotspur player says he is fit and wants to play against the German champions, insisting his side will give their all in what is a crucial tie.

Bale told reporters; "I feel good. I have had a few days training. I'm hoping to play tomorrow and looking forward to it.

"It’s been a good season so far but there is still a lot of work to go. We haven’t spoken too much about the game, but we know it’s a massive one with a lot at stake. We are ready to give it 100%; our best shot.

"I don't feel like we've qualified for the final yet. We have a very hard game to come against Bayern. We are looking forward to it. We like to attack but we need to know how to defend too.

"We are confident. When you arrive at a club like this you feel the expectation, but there is a great atmosphere within the group. We wanted to win the Copa del Rey and we did so.

"We want to do the same in the Champions League. We are eager to play against the best teams and to win titles.

"We will look to play good football as we always do. We are not the type of team that comes out with the idea of playing extremely defensively."

Madrid travel to Germany with a 1-0 lead from the first leg as they hope to secure a place in the final against either Atletico Madrid or Chelsea.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Giggs is the new Guardiola - Lindegaard

Manchester United have unearthed a new Pep Guardiola in the shape of interim boss Ryan Giggs, according to goalkeeper Anders Lindegaard.

Giggs, handed the managerial reins for United's final four matches of the season in the wake of the sacking of David Moyes, presided over a comfortable 4-0 victory against Norwich City at Old Trafford on Saturday.

It is understood that Netherlands boss Louis van Gaal has already agreed a deal to become United's next permanent manager after this summer's World Cup in Brazil.

But Lindegaard has been blown away by the impact Giggs has made in his new role, and believes he has the potential to scale the same heights as the Bayern Munich boss.

"His last speech before the team went on the pitch before the match against Norwich was spine-tingling in a way that I have only experienced from Sir Alex," the Dane wrote in his column for betfair.com.dk.


"Some might question whether it can work to go from being a team-mate to the manager from one day to the next."Normally, I have my reservations, but in Giggs' case, it is another matter.

"It probably sounds rather naive and impetuous, and I understand people's scepticism about any conclusion drawn from the results of four workouts, a game and a day off, but to me we are dealing with a new Guardiola.

"The question is whether he is already ready to meet the enormous potential he possesses."Fortunately, it's not my decision to make, but whatever the club decides, I'm sure that everyone on and around the team will respect it."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Silva set for Manchester City training return

David Silva will return to training on Tuesday as he steps up his recovery from an ankle injury and bids to play a part in Manchester City's title run-in.

It was feared that Silva would miss the rest of the season after being stretchered off during the second half of City's 3-1 Premier League victory over West Brom on April 21.

But a scan has revealed the injury is not as bad as first feared, and the Spaniard will now resume training ahead of Saturday's crunch clash with Everton at Goodison Park.

Silva has registered seven goals and 12 assists for City in the Premier League this season, including important strikes against Hull City and in an ultimately fruitless comeback against Liverpool at Anfield.

News of his playmaker's swift recovery is a further boost for Manuel Pellegrini, who has already welcomed key men Yaya Toure and Sergio Aguero back to first-team action in the final few weeks of the season.

Chelsea's 2-0 defeat of Liverpool leaves City knowing that three wins from their final three matches will almost certainly see them regain the Premier League title they lost to Manchester United last term.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Villarreal fan given permanent ban for throwing banana at Dani Alves

Villarreal have issued a permanent ban to the supporter who threw a banana at Dani Alves in Sunday's La Liga clash with Barcelona at El Madrigal.

The Brazilian picked up and ate the fruit thrown at him from the stands as he prepared to take a corner, before later issuing ironic thanks to the offender after Barca came back from 2-0 down to win 3-2.

Villarreal have since confirmed they have revoked the fan in question's season ticket and underlined their commitment to combatting racism and discrimination.

"Villarreal CF wants to communicate that the club deeply regrets and condemns the incident that happened yesterday [Sunday] during the match against FC Barcelona in which a fan threw an object onto the field of El Madrigal," a statement on their official website read.

"Thanks to the security forces and the invaluable assistance of the Yellow crowd, the club has already identified the author and has decided to withdraw his season tickets, permanently banning his access to El Madrigal stadium.

"Once again our club would like to express its firm commitment to promoting respect, equality, sportsmanship and fair play both on and off the field and our absolute rejection of any act that is contrary to these principles, such as violence, discrimination, racism and xenophobia."

Sunday's incident prompted Alves' Barcelona and Brazil team-mate Neymar to begin a 'We're all monkeys' social media campaign to show his support for the 30-year-old, posting a picture of himself eating a banana alongside the caption.

Two own goals and a Lionel Messi strike secured a valuable comeback for Barca on Sunday, with the victory keeping their slim title hopes alive at the end of a difficult week for the club in which former coach Tito Vilanova lost his battle with cancer.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Klopp 'convinced' Bayern will eliminate Madrid

Borussia Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp has backed Bayern Munich to overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit against Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals.

Karim Benzema's goal separates the two teams following last week's encounter at the Santiago Bernabeu after the Bavarians put in a limp offensive performance.

However, Klopp, whose BVB team were eliminated by Madrid in the last round, believes that his side's arch-rivals will come from behind to win.

"Of course I wish Bayern good luck in this game," he is quoted as saying by Sport.

"I'm still convinced that Bayern will win the tie."

Bayern and Madrid clash at the Allianz Arena at 20:45CET.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

'We are all monkeys' - Neymar starts anti-racism campaign

Barcelona attacker Neymar has vowed to fight racist abuse after team-mate Dani Alves had a banana thrown at him during the 3-2 win over Villarreal on Sunday.

The Brazilian full-back dealt with the incident in good humour, picking up the banana and eating it, but his compatriot took to Instagram to voice his disgust at the abuse.

"We are all equal, we are all monkeys, say no to racism," he wrote on the social media site, accompanied with the hashtag #weareallmonkeys.

"It's a shame that there's such prejudice in 2014. It's time for people to raise their voices. My way of expressing my support is to do what Dani Alves did.

"If you think so too, take a picture of yourself eating a banana and we will use what they have against us to our advantage."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

UEFA Champions League Semi-Finals 2nd Leg 2014.04.29 Fixture

UEFA Champions League Semi-Finals 2nd Leg 2014.04.29 Fixture

AGG

{0-1}

Bayern Vs Real Madrid

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[Wolverine GTR]

Adath pattama gemak yai

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Walcott to return 'early next season'

 

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Arsenal 3-0 Newcastle: Ozil, Giroud & Koscielny strengthen Gunners' grip on fourth

 

[unicornx]

Klopp 'convinced' Bayern will eliminate Madrid

Borussia Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp has backed Bayern Munich to overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit against Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals.

Karim Benzema's goal separates the two teams following last week's encounter at the Santiago Bernabeu after the Bavarians put in a limp offensive performance.

However, Klopp, whose BVB team were eliminated by Madrid in the last round, believes that his side's arch-rivals will come from behind to win.

"Of course I wish Bayern good luck in this game," he is quoted as saying by Sport.

"I'm still convinced that Bayern will win the tie."

Bayern and Madrid clash at the Allianz Arena at 20:45CET.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Half Time

Bayern 0 Vs 3 Real Madrid

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[Wolverine GTR]

Bayern lage discipline anthimai 1st half 1kespecially Ribery
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