..::Football III::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Fulham 2-0 Aston Villa: Berbatov shines as Cottagers end winless run

Rene Meulensteen claimed his first win as Fulham manager to end Aston Villa's five-match unbeaten run with a 2-0 victory at Craven Cottage. Meulensteen had witnessed Fulham throw away a lead in their 2-1 defeat to Tottenham in his first game in charge in midweek.

But the hosts never looked in danger of succumbing to another comeback in what was a comfortable win over Paul Lambert's men on Sunday.

Steve Sidwell scored midway through the first half to give Fulham the lead, which was extended nine minutes later when Dimitar Berbatov scored just his second Premier League goal of the season from the penalty spot.

Both sides created opportunities in an exciting contest, but it was Fulham who were full value for a triumph that ends a run of six Premier League games without a win.

On-loan striker Darren Bent missed out for Fulham as he was prevented from playing against his parent club, while Sidwell came in for Pajtim Kasami in midfield.
Christian Benteke returned to the Villa team as one of three changes made by Lambert, with Chris Herd and Andreas Weimann also named in the starting XI.

Fulham made the better start to proceedings and only the fingertips of Brad Guzan prevented them from taking the lead - the Villa goalkeeper showcasing excellent reflexes to keep out Berbatov's header from Alexander Kacaniklic's corner.

Villa were a danger on the counter-attack and Benteke spurned their first chance as he nodded wide from Gabriel Agbonlahor's delivery.

The Belgian striker proved to be Villa's greatest attacking threat as he was denied by a good save from Maarten Stekelenburg following another good move from the visitors.

Lambert's men were almost made to pay for Benteke's profligacy, but the awareness of Nathan Baker kept them on level terms, the defender clearing Kacaniklic's goal-bound effort.

However, after 21 minutes Meulensteen's side did find the breakthrough when Sidwell cleverly hooked the ball over Guzan and into the bottom corner following good work from Ashkan Dejagah and Giorgios Karagounis.

And just before the half-hour mark the hosts' lead was doubled, Berbatov coolly converting from 12 yards after Kacaniklic had latched on to his ball over the top only to collide with Leandro Bacuna, with referee Mike Dean pointing to the spot.

Fabian Delph and Berbatov both went close in what was an open first half, but it was Guzan who continued to be the busier of the two goalkeepers, as he produced a fine save to deny Philippe Senderos seven minutes into the second period.

Villa struggled defensively throughout the game and they should have fallen further behind when John-Arne Riise headed against the post from Karagounis' cross after 65 minutes.

Riise provided Villa with another scare with a fierce long-range drive in the closing stages before the visitors were denied a late shout for a penalty when Agbonlahor went down, encapsulating their lack of fortune on a frustrating day for the Midlands club.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Falcao will stay at Monaco - Abidal

Eric Abidal has moved to quash rumours surrounding Radamel Falcao's future after Monaco's 1-0 victory over Ajaccio.

The Colombian was missing from Claudio Ranieri's squad due to a thigh injury but was not even in the stands at the Stade Louis II stadium to support his team-mates, fuelling speculation that the player could be pushing for an exit from the club as early as January.

Abidal, however, shrugged off any suggestions that the striker's absence spelt the beginning of a transfer saga brewing in the principality, insisting the former Atletico Madrid man is happy to stay at the club.

"One thing is for sure - he is really injured," the former Barcelona left-back told Canal + after the match.

"He said he wasn't going to leave, he would stay. He wanted to come to AS Monaco, he is here now and he is a great professional.

"As I say each time, we do everything to make sure he's in the best condition. The most important thing for him was not to aggravate the injury. It takes time to heal and we'll try to make do while he is not about.

"There were rumours that he was away to get treated. Whether he has to be treated in Monaco or elsewhere, the important thing is that he can return very quickly and 100 per cent fit."

Falcao is expected to return for the trip to Guingamp next weekend.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Inter were denied a clear penalty, fumes Mazzarri

Inter coach Walter Mazzarri has hit out at Serie A referees after seeing his side denied what he felt was "a clear penalty" against Parma.

Roberto Donadoni's side have not won against Inter at San Siro since 1999, but claimed a 3-3 draw on Sunday.

Inter's Rodrigo Palacio and Nicola Sansone of Parma scored two goals apiece in a thrilling encounter, but Mazzarri believed his side should have been awarded a spot-kick when Ricky Alvarez was brought down by Alessandro Lucarelli."I saw it from the touchline and it seemed like a clear penalty," he said. "I've seen much softer fouls than that given this season.

"These things don't usually get given to us, so what can we do? One day an official might give us a spot-kick by accident."

Mazzarri also suggested his players struggled under pressure against Parma, and acknowledged the visitors deserved to take something from the game.

He added: "I believe many of these players were unaccustomed to being first choice for Inter and they have started to feel the responsibility of that. We had a terrible start and after the blow (of Parma's first goal) took 10-15 minutes to wake up."We must reflect on how we deal with the various moments of a match, as we often go too deep when taking the lead and drop points by the wayside.

"We dropped two points against Sampdoria, while tonight it was a balanced encounter and anything could've happened.

"We could easily have lost. At times not losing is important when you are trying to help a young and inexperienced team to grow. We deserved more in other games, but probably not in this one.

"When we started this season, we had to shake off the past and with a good start people started to expect certain things from this team. That is where the problem started, as the players are unaccustomed to having the pressure of being expected to win every time.

"I told the lads at half-time to go out, not think about anything, and just play our style of football. It worked, until we went 3-2 up and then we relaxed again with the usual problems."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Everton the best team Arsenal have faced this season, says Arteta

Mikel Arteta believes Everton are the best side Arsenal have faced in the Premier League this season.

Arsene Wenger’s side were on course to extend their lead at the top of the table to seven points following Mesut Ozil’s strike in the 80th minute but Roberto Martinez’s men snatched a point at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday following Gerard Deulofeu’s fine finish.

"It was a really tough game, a really high tempo game," said Arteta.

"They dominated the first 35 minutes or so but after that we had three clear chances.

"In the second half we were the better side. Everton are the best side we have faced this season in the Premier League.

"They have been getting results because they are doing things right. They have a good mix of players and are hard to deal with."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Casillas: World Cup defence will be tough

Iker Casillas has admitted that Spain will struggle to retain their World Cup title in Brazil in 2014.

Vicente del Bosque's side secured their country's first-ever senior global crown in South Africa in 2010 and have since secured back-to-back European Championships after thumping Italy in the 2012 final.

However, Casillas believes that it will be a lot tougher for la Roja to retain their title in Brazil, with a number of sides eager to claim a memorable scalp against the 2013 Confederations Cup runners-up.

"We know that it'll be very difficult because everyone wants to be champions, not just Spain," the Real Madrid keeper told reporters at a special press conference to discuss the tournament in Brazil next year.

"After the last four years we know that every team will give 100 per cent against us and will want to beat us.

"But we go there with the aim of defending the title which we won in South Africa and try to make the people of Spain proud again.

"We can promise that we will make a huge effort, we will be up for it and we are full of hope that we can do it."

The Real Madrid captain confessed he was also a little aggrieved to find his side pitted in a daunting group along with Chile, Australia and 2010 finalists Netherlands.

"I agree the draw is sometimes hard to understand, especially the coefficients, but never mind, we are in that group. We don't choose, all we can do is turn up and play and hope to win and congratulate the winner," he added.

"But it's true that I don't agree with how the draw has been done.

"In any case, we aren't the ones that take these decisions, but we are not qualified to say which team is better than others."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Llorente: Juventus must not fear Galatasaray

Fernando Llorente believes that Juventus should head into their decisive final Champions League group game without any fear.

The Serie A champions take on Galatasaray at the Turk Telecom Arena knowing that a draw would be enough to take them through to the knockout stages and Llorente has no doubt that his side will be able to produce the goods in Turkey.

"It's true, we didn't start in the best way," said the Spaniard when asked about Juve's European campaign so far.

"But the team is strong, we got back into the race and we have earned the opportunity to advance to the next stage.

"We have to do what we always do, train hard and play smart, always staying focused and concentrate on what we are doing.

"We should no be afraid and if we give 100 per cent on the field we will be able to progress."

The Italian giants are currently in fine form and won their seventh league match on the spin when they beat Bologna 2-0 on Friday.

Their Turkish opponents know that only a win is good enough to see them grab second place in the group on Tuesday and even though Antonio Conte's side will be without the influential Andrea Pirlo, Galatasaray boss Roberto Mancini insists the Biaconeri have more than enough strength in depth.

"Pirlo is certainly a fundamental player, the one who sets the tempo," Mancini told Tuttosport.

"But it's also true they still have Arturo Vidal, Claudio Marchisio and Paul Pogba. It's not as if their midfield is in bad shape."

The former Manchester City coach is aware that his side face an uphill struggle if they want to stay in the competition beyond Christmas, but he hopes that playing in front of a boisterous home crowd can give his side the edge in the all-or-nothing tie.

"What worries me is that Juve can be happy with a draw and still qualify," he added.

"We have the utmost respect for them, as they are one of the best teams in Europe, getting better every year and it will be tough for us.

"I think we need to be calm when playing football, not tense or full of doubt.

"What we must first of all do on Tuesday is step on to that pitch aware that we have a chance and can gamble with our chips. We are playing at home, which is an advantage, and anything can happen in a football match."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Wenger: Deulofeu leveller should not have stood


Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger believes Everton's late equaliser in Sunday's 1-1 draw at the Emirates Stadium should have been disallowed for a foul by Romelu Lukaku.

Mesut Ozil had given Arsenal the lead late on, but the Gunners' advantage was wiped out by the Toffees' on-loan Barcelona prodigy Gerard Deulofeu, who rifled a thumping shot into the back of the net.

And Wenger was disappointed with the manner in which Everton levelled, claiming there was both a foul and an offside in the build-up to the goal, and believes the visitors were not punished sufficiently for attempting to break up the game.

"I think it was offside and he [Lukaku] made a foul on the goal, but the referee didn't give it," said Wenger.

"Koscielny can take the cross, head the ball, but he cannot do it because of [Lukaku's] overhead kick, but it doesn't mean we have to concede a goal behind that. You have to give Deulofeu credit, he took his goal well.

"I just feels that when we got out of the pressure, and got into the passing, they stopped us every time with a foul."

Roberto Martinez, meanwhile, was delighted with his side's effort – which came just five days after winning at Old Trafford – and lauded the Toffees' response after conceding late on.

"I was extremely pleased with the performance," said Martinez. "I thought our first half performance was magnificent, I thought we controlled the game, we took the ball away from Arsenal.

"If there's any criticism it is that when you play that well you need to reflect it in the scoreline. That's our next step. In the second half, Arsenal put us under an enormous amount of pressure.

"We had our chances, they had their chances, then when they scored, and I felt we were growing into the game again, we showed incredible character. It would have been easy to feel sorry about ourselves, but we never did that."

Deulofeu netted his second Premier League goal against the Gunners and Martinez was full of praise for the young Catalan, also revealing that the club have the possibility of keeping him at Goodison Park next season, too.

"We relied a little bit on the quality of a young man with incredible talent like Gerard Deulofeu and I think that goal was the reward we needed for the performance," continued the Spaniard.

"Certain players have that raw talent that they can create something out of nothing, or they've got that special touch, and he's got incredible pace – I've never seen a player that is quicker than he is.

"He's come along way. When he arrived in February I thought it would take until February for him to get used to his role and the physicality of the league, but he's surprised me, and he's ready now.

"There is an opportunity [to keep Deulofeu], we've got an agreement that we can extend his contract by an extra year, as long as the parent club don't need the player."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Anderson asks Villas-Boas for Tottenham transfer

Manchester United have been offering midfielder Anderson to all-comers in recent weeks and it seems that the Brazilian is equally as desperate for a January transfer away from Old Trafford.

The 25-year-old made a beeline for Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas after United's 2-2 November draw in north London to ask about a potential transfer to White Hart Lane.

While Villas-Boas had identified Anderson as a leading target in the summer of 2012, the Londoners have no desire to add the former Porto man to a midfield that boasts Paulinho, Sandro, Mousa Dembele and Etienne Capoue.

But it is a sign of just how much Anderson has failed to live up to expectations since his arrival from Porto for around €24 million in 2007.

United are likely to take a huge hit on the money they paid for the Brazilian, who club sources say is unfit and fails to follow tactical instructions.

He has made just four Premier League appearances so far this season, two as a substitute, but still hopes he can feature in next summer's World Cup in his home country.

Porto have expressed an interest in taking back Anderson while new Fulham head coach Rene Meulensteen may be tempted to reunite with his former colleague.

Anderson's €95,000-a-week wages mean that United may have to settle for an initial loan deal to get the player off their books, with a move to Turkish club Galatasaray also a possibility.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

CLEVERLEY COULD FACE SUMMER EXIT AT OLD TRAFFORD


Tom Cleverley could be a surprise name in next summer's clear-out at Manchester United.

The 24-year-old, who was substituted off after 69 minutes in Saturday's 1-0 defeat to Newcastle United, has made 14 appearances under David Moyes this season but has failed to convince with his displays in central midfield.

The Sweeper understands that United's hierarchy fear that Cleverley will fall further down the pecking order, having not made the progress many were expecting since his return from an impressive season-long loan spell with Wigan in 2011.

Moyes has struggled to find a balance in his central midfield this term and Cleverley's impact on the team has been questioned as he has scored only two goals and assisted two others in the Premier League since the start of last season.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Anderson & Cleverley transfer wena 1ka hodai.Kohomath deyek wenne nahane meh dennagen

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Hart needs to be Manchester City No.1 to keep England World Cup spot, warns Buffon

Gianluigi Buffon fears Joe Hart will struggle to keep his place in the England team if he is not a first-team regular at Manchester City.

Hart has made just one appearance for City in their last nine matches in all competitions, with Romanian Costel Pantilimon being favoured by manager Manuel Pellegrini.And Juventus shot-stopper Buffon, who will likely line up for Italy against England when the two sides meet in their World Cup opener in Manaus on June 14, believes it is vital that Hart regains his place in the City starting XI if he is to remain in Roy Hodgson's plans.

"There is usually an order in which you do these things; you normally play for your club and then you play for your national team," Buffon told the Mail on Sunday.
"To try to play for your national team when you're not playing for your club will become a struggle in the end.

"A player such as Iker Casillas can do it [play for Spain despite not playing at Real Madrid] because he has great experience of victory and incredible value as a goalkeeper.

"But they are very few, those who could succeed in playing for their national team while not playing for their club."As soon as he [Hart] can start playing regularly again, in my opinion, he can go back to playing as well as he did before, if not better."

Regardless of who plays for England against Italy, Buffon is confident Cesare Prandelli's men will have the psychological advantage in their World Cup meeting.
"We [Italy] are competition animals," he added. "However we play in between tournaments, we always come good in the tournaments themselves.

"It doesn't matter that we're not quite where we want to be right now, in terms of our recent form. You will see the best of Italy by the time we kick off at the World Cup."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Man Utd 'won't give up', declares Evans

Manchester United defender Jonny Evans insists that his side "won't give up" after two defeats in four days.

Consecutive home losses to Everton and Newcastle have left the Red Devils ninth in the Premier League, 12 points behind leaders Arsenal and seven off the top four.

"It's difficult, the fact we've lost five games, but we won't give up," Evans told MUTV.

"We want to keep going to the end and the most important thing is when we put the Manchester United shirt on and go out at Old Trafford or away from home, we make sure we give everything as players."

David Moyes's side were unimpressive against the Magpies and the centre-back acknowledged a failure to re-enact their determined comebacks of the Sir Alex Ferguson era.

Evans remarked: "If you look back at the game, we lacked a bit of sharpness in our passing. We were sloppy in possession, which allowed Newcastle to get control of the game. When we were going forward, the lack of sharpness in our passing stopped us from creating much up front.

"Usually, whenever we're chasing a goal at Old Trafford, especially at the Stretford End, we usually put teams under an enormous amount of pressure but we didn't produce that.

"It's disappointing, especially after losing in midweek. It's not often we lose two games on the run at home like that."

The Northern Irishman is now targeting Tuesday's Champions League clash with Shakhtar Donetsk as an opportunity to get back on track.

"It's a chance," he continued. "European football has maybe suited us this season. If you look at the Leverkusen game away [which United won 5-0], we produced a very good performance there. Our passing was very good and hopefully we can pick that up again in Europe."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Final matchday 1ka wenakam fight karamuBut loku wenasak wenna one nathnam baha

 

[charitha chandi]

Lukaku patta strong..! yako mu form ekata awoth pattama sira..!

 

[Wolverine GTR]

UEFA Champions League Final Group Stage Fixtures 2013.12.10

UEFA Champions League Final Group Stage Fixtures 2013.12.10

Manchester United Vs Shakhtar

Real Sociedad Vs Leverkusen

Copenhagen Vs Real Madrid

Galatasaray Vs Juventus

Benfica Vs PSG

Olympiakos Vs Anderlecht

Bayern Vs Manchester City

Plzen Vs CSKA Moskva

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[Wolverine GTR]

Common Manchester United!
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[unicornx]

Common Manchester United!
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God Bless Moyes and United. Just hope is the best weapon

 

[rcccc]

UEFA Champions League Final Group Stage Fixtures 2013.12.10

Manchester United Vs Shakhtar

Copenhagen Vs Real Madrid

Galatasaray Vs Juventus

Benfica Vs PSG

Bayern Vs Manchester City

​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Half Time

Manchester United 0 Vs 0 Shakhtar
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[Wolverine GTR]

Full Time

Manchester United 1 Vs 0 Shakhtar

Manchester United Goal(s)

Jones 67'

Congratulations Mnachester United!
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