..::Football III::..

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Wigan 2-1 Crystal Palace: McClean seals win for FA Cup holders

James McClean’s first Wigan goal ensured the holders beat Crystal Palace 2-1 to reach the fifth round of the FA Cup on Saturday.

Aaron Wilbraham's second goal for Palace just a few minutes after he came on looked to have earned a replay after Ben Watson had opened the scoring against his former club.

Winger McClean had the final say though, as he struck 12 minutes from time in the fourth round clash at the DW Stadium to dump out Premier League outfit Palace.

Tony Pulis' men must now turn their attention back to staying in the top flight, while Wigan can dream of another trip to Wembley as well as mounting a promotion push.

Defender Paddy McCarthy returned to the Palace line-up as captain, having not featured since April 2012, as Pulis made four changes to the side that beat Stoke City last weekend.

On-loan striker Nicky Maynard made his home debut for Wigan and Uwe Rosler also made four alterations to the side beaten at Doncaster Rovers.

Wigan attempted to stamp their authority on the game in the opening exchanges, but Palace came close to an opening goal seven minutes in when Cameron Jerome's strike produced a fine save from Ali Al-Habsi.

Stuart O'Keefe fired straight at Al-Habsi after Marouane Chamakh had cut the ball back as the visitors took the upper hand.

Palace were almost caught out from a short corner after 19 minutes, but Callum McManaman fired wide of the far post.

And the home side were in front nine minutes before half-time, when McClean broke down left and his cross was swept home by the on-rushing Watson with his right foot.

There was another blow for Palace when Jonathan Parr, who recently returned from five months on the sidelines with a ligament injury, was carried off after a lengthy stoppage late in the first half.

McManaman spurned a chance to double Wigan's lead seven minutes into the second half when he flashed a left-foot shot wide after Palace failed to clear.

But Palace got into their stride and Al-Habsi thwarted them once again when he kept out Jason Puncheon's strike with a fine reflex save.

There was more frustration for winger McManaman when his shot deflected wide after he opted to take an extra touch.

And he was made to pay when Wigan failed to clear Barry Bannan's corner and substitute Wilbraham made an instant impact as he struck from close range after 69 minutes.

Fellow substitute Dwight Gayle could have put Palace in front, but Al-Habsi made a fine save down to his left after a swift break.

But it was Wigan who snatched a winner 12 minutes from time when Roger Espinoza set up McClean and he found the back of the net with a left-footed strike from outside the area.

McCarthy missed a free header that would have forced a replay late on, before Gayle had penalty appeals turned down after having his shirt pulled in the area.

 

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Southampton 2-0 Yeovil: Saints too strong for lower-league Glovers

Guly do Prado grabbed his first goal in just over two years as Southampton beat Yeovil Town 2-0 to reach round five of the FA Cup.

The Brazilian converted a penalty midway through the opening half at St Mary's, after referee Phil Dowd had spotted a handball from Shane Duffy, to score for the first time since January 14, 2012.Jay Rodriguez and Adam Lallana hit the crossbar for the Premier League side either side of Guly's strike.

However, Championship strugglers Yeovil had chances of their own prior to teenage substitute Sam Gallagher wrapping things up for Southampton with his first senior goal 20 minutes from the end.

Having beaten second-tier opposition at home in the third and fourth rounds, Southampton will hope for another favourable draw when the last-16 ties are revealed on Sunday.Yeovil can take heart from a spirited display, which belied the fact the club have won only five league games this season.

Rickie Lambert (hamstring) and Artur Boruc (back) missed out with minor injuries as Southampton, minus the suspended Pablo Daniel Osvaldo, fielded a starting XI showing six changes from last weekend's draw at Sunderland.

Striker Ishmael Miller was back in Yeovil's team, having returned to the club from Nottingham Forest this week for a second loan spell, while Jamie McAllister replaced the injured Zoumana Bakayogo.The visitors started brightly, with Joe Ralls and James Hayter each bringing early saves from Southampton goalkeeper Kelvin Davis.

However, Rodriguez soon forced Marek Stech into action at the other end before heading against the crossbar from Nathaniel Clyne's cross in the 18th minute.And Southampton moved ahead shortly after, Guly sending Stech the wrong way from 12 yards after Duffy had been penalised for handling in the area.

A mis-directed cross from Lallana then clipped the top of the bar prior to Hayter spurning Yeovil's best chance of the half in the 37th minute.

The experienced striker met Ralls' left-wing cross but was denied by Davis from point-blank range.Southampton forward Rodriguez saw a first-time effort saved three minutes later, while Miller blazed over on the stroke of half-time.

Yeovil threatened again immediately after the interval, with Davis reacting well to tip Luke Ayling's effort past the post.Davis made a more comfortable stop from John Lundstram before Southampton's James Ward-Prowse cleared the bar with a powerful long-range volley.

With the game becoming increasingly open, Stech kept out shots from Clyne and 18-year-old Gallagher.The latter then put the match beyond Yeovil with a fine goal, which saw him jink past two players before applying a low finish.

Gallagher had another effort blocked on the goalline and Stech made a superb late save from Steven Davis, but it mattered little as Southampton eased to victory.

 

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Manchester City 4-2 Watford: Hat-trick hero Aguero saves below-par Blues

Sergio Aguero scored a hat-trick as Manchester City produced a thrilling fightback to beat Watford 4-2 in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Watford led 2-0 at half-time courtesy of goals from Fernando Forestieri and Troy Deeney, but City rallied after the break as Aguero's treble was complimented by Aleksandar Kolarov's fortuitous strike to spare Manuel Pellegrini's side's blushes.

Giuseppe Sannino's men were rewarded for a fine opening period with two goals. First the impressive Forestieri showed a good turn of pace before finishing neatly from the left, before Troy Deeney capped a swift Watford breakaway.

After a lacklustre opening, City showed a marked improvement after the break and halved the deficit through Aguero's tap-in before he curled home a second with his left foot.

And the comeback was completed by quickfire goals from Kolarov and Aguero in the closing stages to stun the Championship side.

City opted not to risk Alvaro Negredo with the Spaniard nursing a shoulder injury so Edin Dzeko started, while Watford defender Lloyd Doyley replaced the suspended Fitz Hall.

The hosts uncharacteristically struggled to maintain possession in the early stages, but fashioned a good opportunity after 11 minutes when Kolarov flicked Jesus Navas' corner invitingly across goal and just beyond the reach of Joleon Lescott.

Watford dealt well with City's attacking force and deservedly went in front after 21 minutes, when Forestieri outpaced Martin Demichelis before calmly slotting under Costel Pantilimon in the City goal.

City responded and almost equalised when Yaya Toure released Sergio Aguero, who swivelled in the box and saw his shot deflected wide.

But things went from bad to worse for the home side on the half-hour mark as Watford doubled their lead.

Demichelis played a poor pass out of defence and Sean Murray found Ikechi Anya, who picked out Deeney and the striker kept his composure to sidefoot home from six yards.

A slick move on the stroke of half-time created the opportunity for a third goal, but Daniel Pudil's fierce effort found the side-netting.

City showed much more energy and drive after the break and Dzeko fired straight at Jonathan Bond from 10 yards when slightly off balance.

The deficit was reduced after 58 minutes, when Kolarov's teasing cross was met by a sliding Dzeko and, though his effort was saved, Aguero was on hand to convert the rebound.

Roared on by an expectant home crowd, City poured forward with Dzeko again testing Bond, then substitute Stevan Jovetic had an effort closed down with 20 minutes remaining.

Watford's resistance finally broke in the 78th minute. Navas drove forward and picked out Dzeko, who in turn laid into the path of Aguero and the striker curled the ball into the top corner from the right-hand side.

The comeback was complete in the 85th minute when Kolarov's hopeful 30-yard strike squirmed under the despairing Bond.

And there was still time for a fourth goal as Aguero completed his hat-trick with a back-post header.

 

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CITY lagen pattama comeback 1kak

 

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Real Madrid 2-0 Granada: Ronaldo & Benzema break Blancos record

Real Madrid won seven consecutive competitive matches without conceding for the first time in their history thanks to their 2-0 win over Granada on Saturday.

Cristiano Ronaldo struck his 14th league goal in his last 10 appearances just before the hour and Karim Benzema made sure with 15 minutes remaining.Thed victory opens up a two point-gap over rivals Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, who have a game in hand, at the top of La Liga.

The hosts struggled to find a way past Ricardo in the Granada goal in the first half with Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos and Benzema all wasting good openings.

Ronaldo's 22nd league goal of the season broke the deadlock after the break, much to the relief of the crowd, with Benzema converting from a Marcelo pass to seal the points, although the victory was overshadowed by an injury to Gareth Bale that saw him substituted at half-time.Granada failed to force a save out of Diego Lopez and their two-game unbeaten run comes to an end, with Lucas Alcaraz's side remaining in 10th place.

Carlo Ancelotti named the same side for a third consecutive league fixture, with Angel Di Maria starting ahead of Isco, while the visitors made a single change as Mohammed Fatau replaced Fran Rico in midfield.

Ronaldo had the first opportunity for Madrid in the sixth minute, the Portugal international making something out of nothing as he cut in from the left but skewed his shot wide after beating two defenders.Ramos went even closer five minutes later as the defender rose to meet a Bale delivery, but the centre-back headed over from close range.

Granada were doing a good job of restricting their opponents and Madrid had to rely on set pieces to threaten.

The hosts had the ball in the back of the next just before the half-hour mark as Benzema turned in a knock-down from Ramos, but the French striker was flagged offside and the goal was ruled out.Ronaldo was denied on the stroke of half-time as his overhead kick from seven yards was brilliantly kept out by Ricardo.

Luka Modric and Benzema both wasted chances early in the second half, but in the 56th minute Ronaldo finally broke the deadlock.The forward receiving a pass from Modric inside the penalty area, he was allowed to turn and fired low beyond Ricardo to relieve the pressure inside the Santiago Bernabeu.

And, after Ronaldo had seen a free kick hit the crossbar, Madrid doubled their lead in the 75th minute, Marcelo squaring a pass to Benzema to turn home from close range.

 

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Borussia Dortmund 2-2 Augsburg: Schwarzgelben summer signing denies BVB win

Ji Dong-Won, who has signed a deal to join Borussia Dortmund at the end of the season, denied his future team-mates a win in Augsburg's 2-2 draw at Signal Iduna Park on Saturday.

The South Korea international joined Augsburg on a short-term deal from Sunderland earlier this month, before then being announced as a close-season signing for BVB just 24 hours later.

The script was written for Ji to grab the headlines at Signal Iduna Park on Saturday and he did not disappoint - glancing a 72nd-minute header past Roman Weidenfeller shortly after coming off the bench to steal a share of the spoils for Markus Weinzierl's side.

The Schwarzgelben went ahead after just five minutes courtesy of Sven Bender, who stole in at the back post to nod home Marco Reus' in-swinging free kick.

However, the Germany international went from hero to villain for the hosts as he turned Andre Hahn’s cross past his own keeper 10 minutes after half-time.

Nuri Sahin looked to have spared his midfield partner's blushes with a delightful 20-yard free kick 11 minutes later, but Ji had other ideas, as he headed another dangerous delivery from Hahn past the helpless Weidenfeller.

Dortmund dominated the vast majority of the game, but uncharacteristically profligate finishing from the likes of Robert Lewandowski and Reus ensured Jurgen Klopp's wait for a first league win since November goes on.

Klopp's day got off to a bad start as Jakub Blaszczykowski suffered a suspected cruciate ligament injury early on, but Dortmund went ahead soon after courtesy of some quick thinking from Reus and Bender.

Reus picked himself up after being fouled on the left to curl an inviting delivery to the back post, where Bender got in front of Matthias Ostrzolek and nodded his first goal of the season past Marwin Hitz.

Dortmund settled after taking the lead, and could have extended their advantage on 25 minutes through Lewandowski.

The Bayern Munich-bound striker raced clear but lacked composure when one-on-one with the goalkeeper, as Hitz smothered his tame effort.

Reus was then guilty of spurning Dortmund’s best chance to give themselves some breathing space, when he collected a slack Augsburg pass but sliced his shot wide from 18 yards with only Hitz to beat.

Dortmund picked up where they left off after the interval, but Augsburg fortuitously drew level against the run of play on 55 minutes thanks to Bender.

Slick interplay between Paul Verhaegh and Hahn resulted in the latter firing in a dangerous low cross that the 24-year-old Dortmund man diverted past Weidenfeller at the near post.

Sahin appeared to have rescued all three points when he restored the home side’s lead with a superb free-kick that bent into the top corner 11 minutes later, but Ji had the final say to extend Augsburg's unbeaten Bundesliga run to six games.

 

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Bournemouth 0-2 Liverpool: Moses & Sturridge edge Reds into fifth round

Liverpool edged into the FA Cup fifth round with a 2-0 victory over a brave Bournemouth outfit on Saturday.

Bournemouth more than matched their Premier League visitors, particularly in the first half, but Victor Moses handed Liverpool the lead in the 26th minute with their first shot on target.

Brendan Rodgers' side had to wait until the second half to get another effort on target and it doubled their lead - Daniel Sturridge scoring his 14th goal of the season in all competitions to break Bournemouth's spirited resolve.

The Championship side have not made it beyond the fourth round since 1988-89, while Liverpool put memories of being dumped out at this stage by Oldham Athletic last season behind them.

Eddie Howe's men were unchanged from their 1-1 league draw against Watford last weekend, while Rodgers made three alterations from Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with Aston Villa, bringing in Brad Jones, Moses and Martin Kelly for Simon Mignolet, Raheem Sterling and the injured Glen Johnson.

The hosts started brightly at Dean Court, and Simon Francis almost caught Jones off guard in the 13th minute when a free-kick from the left wing was carried goalwards by a coastal gust, forcing the retreating Liverpool goalkeeper to tip over his crossbar.

Liverpool's first chance of the match came in the form of a 25th-minute Steven Gerrard free-kick, but the captain drilled his effort high and wide of the target.

However, the top-flight outfit were ahead a minute later, when Moses picked up the ball at the edge of the penalty area and drove a low effort beyond the outstretched right arm of Lee Camp and into the bottom left corner of the net.

The goal was somewhat harsh on Bournemouth, who had equipped themselves more than adequately in the opening stages, but they instantly began to push for an equaliser, with Harry Arter seeing an effort drift just wide of the target on the half-hour mark, before Andrew Surman had a 12-yard strike deflected over by Kolo Toure and Tommy Elphick headed high from the resulting corner.

Sturridge had the ball in the back of the net shortly before the break, but the linesman had flagged for an extremely marginal offside.

Bournemouth continued to press at the beginning of the second period and had cause to feel aggrieved in the 58th minute, when Kelly clearly tugged on the shirt of Francis in the Liverpool penalty area.

And their hopes were dealt a killer blow on the hour mark when Luis Suarez found Sturridge with a sublime through-ball, and the England striker made no mistake in slotting beyond Camp.

Sturridge could have made it three 12 minutes later, but his chipped effort dropped onto the top of the crossbar, and Suarez was also denied from close range late on.

 

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Lazio coach Reja: Llorente is impossible to mark

Lazio coach Edy Reja says that Juventus are such a difficult team to face because of unstoppable players like Fernando Llorente.

The Spain international earned the Bianconeri a 1-1 draw on Saturday with a looping header, after Lazio had moved into the lead through an Antonio Candreva penalty following Gianluigi Buffon's foul on Miroslav Klose and subsequent dismissal.

Reja acknowledged how formidable the visitors still looked even when down to 10 men, praising his team's spirit for battling the Turin giants to a stalemate.

"The trouble is with Llorente it doesn’t matter how you mark him, he’s going to get the header, so you need to double up and protect the knockdown," the 68-year-old told reporters after the game at the Stadio Olimpico.

"Juventus bypassed our midfield and started to send balls in for Llorente that were very dangerous. They are very talented and at a very high level, so it was not easy even against 10.

"We reacted very well. Klose had two or three good chances and I had hoped we would win. We were a little unlucky to hit the woodwork twice.

"Perhaps we should’ve done better on the counterattack. But Marco Storari also performed some extraordinary saves.”

Reja, who led the capital outfit between 2010 and 2012, returned to his post following the departure of Vladimir Petkovic in January. The Coppa Italia holders currently sit ninth in Serie A.

 

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Benitez bemoans Napoli profligacy after draw with Chievo

Rafael Benitez thinks Gonzalo Higuain could have done better with his chances after Napoli could only draw 1-1 against Chievo on Saturday.

The Partenopei struck the woodwork three times, with Raul Albiol only managing to equalise late on after Gennaro Sardo had fired Chievo into the lead.

Benitez underlined the need for his team to find their scoring boots in attack after seeing Higuain miss a point-blank effort, despite acknowledging the difficulties of playing against Eugenio Corini's men.

"It [Higuain's opportunity] looked easy, but replays showed it wasn’t that simple, as it was a very tricky angle. He still should’ve done better, though" the Spaniard commented to reporters.

"We haven’t been ruthless enough in attack recently and if Dries Mertens had scored instead of hitting the post, it would’ve been a different game.

"We needed a bit more speed in moving the ball, but hitting the woodwork three times against a team that came to defend was very unlucky.

"Marek Hamsik came back well, though it wasn’t easy when Chievo were closing us up. Everyone of us needs more precision to find spaces against such teams."

The latest setback means the San Paolo outfit remain 12 points behind Serie A champions Juventus, who were held to a 1-1 draw at Lazio on Saturday night.

 

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Conte to boycott press conferences over Buffon red card at Lazio

Antonio Conte claimed the decision to send off Gianluigi Buffon in Juventus' 1-1 draw at Lazio was harsh.

The Bianconeri captain brought down Miroslav Klose after the German was put through on goal, prompting match official Davide Massa to brandish a red card in addition to awarding a penalty, which was converted by Antonio Candreva.

Fernando Llorente ultimately salvaged a point for the Turin giants, though seeing his side go down to 10 men infuriated Conte enough to declare his abstinence from future press conferences.

"It’s disappointing there’s this rule, because I think a penalty is punishment enough without the need for a red card," the 44-year-old told reporters after the match.

"I’ve said that for years, regardless of whether it’s in our favour or against, because it ruins the game. Sometimes the referees give a yellow card, sometimes a red, so it’s never really clear.

"I will not speak before the Inter game [next week], nor before any other match for the rest of the season."

Despite his frustration, Conte still reserved praise for his team given the way they fought back to secure a point.

"We wanted to win, both with 11 men and with 10. What we try to drill into the players is a winning mentality and these lads know full well every game must be played to win," he said.

"We picked up a point and I think the team proved again tonight why they are top of the table. We never gave in, continued to play football and tried to win the game despite going down to 10."

The draw extends the Italian champions' lead at the top of Serie A to nine points, with title rivals Roma due to travel to Hellas Verona on Sunday,

 

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Chelsea target Zouma omitted from Saint-Etienne squad

Chelsea transfer target Kurt Zouma has been omitted from Saint-Etienne's squad for their Ligue 1 trip to Bordeaux on Sunday.

The France Under-21 international's future has been the subject of much speculation throughout the January transfer window, with Blues boss Jose Mourinho having hinted earlier this week that contact has been made over a possible deal for the defender.

Mourinho's comments came after Zouma told L'Equipe earlier this month that he would welcome a switch to Stamford Bridge.

The 19-year-old has now been left out of Christophe Galtier's 18-man squad for the game at the Stade Jacques Chaban-Delmas, further fuelling talk that a move could be imminent.

Zouma returned from a 10-match ban as a late substitute in his side's 2-0 win over Lille last week, and it remains to be seen whether that will be his final game for the club.

The centre-back, a product of Saint-Etienne's youth system, has quickly established himself as one of the most promising defenders in France since making his Ligue 1 debut in August 2011.

 

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Klopp: BVB only get bad news

Borussia Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp says his side have had nothing but bad lack this season, after Augsburg held them to a 2-2 draw on Saturday.

BVB's poor run of form continued as the Bavarians twice came from behind to claim a point at Signal Iduna Park in a match that was marred by Jakub Blaszczykowski's potentially serious injury after a matter of minutes.

"This was anything but a dream start," Klopp told reporters. "We had planned a lot, but the team were too tense at certain moments.

"Nothing was easy in the game. We wanted to send out a signal. We didn't do it."

Reflecting on the Poland skipper's injury, Klopp lamented not only his player's bad luck, but that of his entire team this term.

"For us this is a disaster, but it's mainly terrible for Kuba," he lamented. "It's in keeping with our season. We've only had bad news."

Dortmund will be looking to bounce back from the shock result when they travel to struggling Eintracht Braunschweig on Friday.

 

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Official: Roma loan Borriello to West Ham

West Ham signed a second Italy international on Saturday as Marco Borriello joined on loan from Roma for the rest of the season.

Striker Borriello follows compatriot Antonio Nocerino to Upton Park after the midfielder made a similar switch from Milan earlier in the day.

Borriello joined Roma from Milan for £10 million in July 2011 following a successful loan spell, but has struggled to establish himself at the Stadio Olimpico.

The 31-year-old has spent time at Juventus and Genoa on loan, and scored 12 goals while at the latter for the duration of last season.

However, the forward, who has seven caps for Italy, has managed just one goal in 11 appearances for Roma this term.

West Ham boss Sam Allardyce will hope Borriello can recapture his best form alongside Andy Carroll up front as the Londoners, who have won just one of their last nine Premier League matches, battle to avoid relegation.

Borriello said goodbye to Roma fans on his official Twitter page on Friday, but left his destination out of the message.

"A salute to all the fans of Roma," he wrote. "These have been fantastic months, crowned by a wonderful record. Thank you all."

 

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Milan loan Nocerino to West Ham

West Ham have confirmed the loan signing of midfielder Antonio Nocerino from AC Milan until the end of the season.

The 28-year-old made the switch to San Siro in August 2011 and was a mainstay in the side that reached the Champions League last season after a late resurgence.

However, the Italy international has struggled to maintain a regular spot in the Rossoneri XI this term, starting on just seven occasions in Serie A.

That has led to a temporary move to Sam Allardyce's side, who are desperate to bring in reinforcements as they seek to escape the Premier League relegation zone.

The Upton Park outfit currently sit 18th in England's top flight, having picked up just four wins from 22 matches thus far.

Nocerino could be joined at the London club by another Italy international in the form of Marco Borriello.

The forward has been strongly touted with a move to West Ham and said his goodbyes to Roma supporters on Twitter on Friday.

West Ham also had a bid rejected for Leeds United forward Ross McCormack on Friday.

Nocerino started his career at Juventus, where he enjoyed loan spells at Genoa, Messina and Piacenza, before making a permanent move to Palermo in 2008.

 

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Manchester United open preliminary talks over £20m Shaw deal

Manchester United have opened preliminary talks with Southampton over a £20 million swoop for Luke Shaw.

The Premier League champions have made their move for the teenage prodigy as they attempt to make a second statement signing of the January window.

United want to follow up the £37m capture of Juan Mata by trumping Chelsea to the signing of Shaw.

Manager David Moyes is in the market for a new left-back as he prepares for the possible departure of Patrice Evra, whose contract expires in the summer.

Shaw, 18, is the highest rated English player in his age group. He is yet to be capped by England but made his debut for Southampton aged 18 and has already accumulated 49 first-team appearances for Mauricio Pochettino's improved team.

Shaw signed a new five-year contract with the Saints last summer but sources have said that it is "possible" he could leave the club in the final six days of the window.

Goal revealed in midweek that Moyes was looking to add two players to his squad after tying up a deal for Mata, who will join from Chelsea for a club-record fee subject to completing a medical on Saturday.

United are now stepping up their efforts to secure Shaw, who has also attracted strong interest from Chelsea.

The Londoners could now go head-to-head with United for Shaw, as Ashley Cole has lost his regular starting spot at Chelsea in recent months to Cesar Azpilicueta and the Englishman, 33, is out of contract in the summer.

Moyes has turned his attention to Shaw after failing to clinch deals last summer for Everton's Leighton Baines and Real Madrid's Fabio Coentrao.

 

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Ferguson: Manchester United would be 'stupid' to sack Moyes

Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson insists the club would be "stupid" to sack David Moyes after less than a season.United have struggled in Moyes' first campaign as manager and sit seventh in the Premier League after 22 rounds with 11 wins, four draws and seven defeats.

The reigning Premier League champions have also been eliminated from both the FA and Capital One Cups, although they remain alive in the Champions League.
United's poor results and form have led to speculation the perennial league contenders will sack Moyes less than a year into his six-year contract.

But Ferguson cannot understand the culture of sacking managers and believes most need time to achieve success at new clubs."I can never understand why clubs change managers so quickly," the 72-year-old told BBC Sport.

"They [board members] must discuss the qualities of the manager they are going to offer the job to [and] you must look at his CV – the character, the philosophy he has, surely.

"Now if that is the way they have gone about giving the man the job, why don't they persist with it? It seems so stupid to me."There is no need to go down that road [of sacking managers]."United can do anything. They have got that great philosophy and history, they will always do well."

When Ferguson took over at Old Trafford, he had won 10 major trophies with Aberdeen in the Scottish First Division but it took him six seasons to win the league in England.United finished 11th, second, 11th, 13th, sixth and second before Ferguson notched his first league title with the club during the 1992-93 season.

Twelve more league titles followed before Ferguson retired at the end of last term - after again leading United to the championship - but the club director believes he has never seen a season like the 2013-14 Premier League campaign."This year for the first time it really looks as if five or six could be involved [in the title race], so it's a great Premier League," Ferguson said.

"It's still not an easy league to win. I think the English game is the most honest and is the hardest league to win in terms of the competition you face. You can lose to anyone."

 

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'Pepe & Ramos have been perfect in 2014' - Ancelotti


Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti lavished praise on "perfect" defenders Pepe and Sergio Ramos after the side broke the record for most consecutive wins without conceding in Saturday's 2-0 win over Granada.

The Blancos went back to the top of La Liga for the first time since the end of the 2011-12 season, at least temporarily, after Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema fired the capital-based club to victory at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The Italian trainer reserved particular praise for his resilient centre-backs and joked that all the records in the world will not change the fact that Madrid have their heart set on Champions League success to complete La Decima.

"I have to thank all the players for the record," Ancelotti told reporters. "As I have said many times, my players work very hard to retrieve the ball.

"In 2014 games, Pepe and Ramos have been perfect. The workrate of everyone has been very good though.

"I'm liking the record, but I have not forgotten that I won three trophies in pre-season. But they're far from the most important ones. The most important one has ears," he added with a smile, referring to the Champions League trophy.

Ancelotti also praised his players for balancing their offensive and defensive duties in their recent surge up the table, which has seen them leapfrog Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, though they both have a game in hand over the Blancos.

"We didn't recover possession well in the first half," the former Paris Saint-Germain boss continued. "We improved in the second half and it was easier to attack."The most important thing is the balance we have at the moment; it's the key. We defend and attack very well.

"We are calmer now. We will continue to fight & keep the intensity high. Everyone is doing their best."Gareth Bale was hauled off at half-time but Ancelotti insisted that he is likely to be fit to face Espanyol in Madrid's second-leg quarter-final Copa del Rey clash on Tuesday.

"Bale didn't feel comfortable after the knock he received and that's why I took him off," he added. "He's not injured and should be fit to play in the next match."

 

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Essien is a perfect fit for Seedorf's new system, says Galliani

AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani believes Michael Essien will be a "perfect" addition to Clarence Seedorf's side.

The 31-year-old arrived in Italy on Friday to undergo a medical and finalise personal terms with the Rossoneri after Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho sanctioned the player's departure.

Essien himself said he was relishing the prospect of working under new head coach Seedorf, and Galliani believes the Ghanaian could prove a pivotal player in the Dutchman's system.

"The pursuit [of Essien] lasted a few months," he told reporters in Milan.

"I think Essien can do well in Clarence's new model. He is perfect to play in front of the defence, and he can play in the Champions League.

"From a physical point of view, I think Essien is reliable. He must pass the medical tests at the Milanello, then there will be a signing."

Galliani went on to reveal that Sulley Muntari proved instrumental in encouraging Essien to make the move, and hinted that Milan could yet see further activity in the final week of the January transfer window.

"Muntari was one of his greatest sponsors. Riccardo Montolivo will be out for two Champions League games and Muntari one, so we needed a midfielder," he added.

"More activity in the market? Maybe... we'll see."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Blanc blames pitch for 'sluggish' Paris Saint-Germain draw

Laurent Blanc slammed the state of the Stade du Roudourou pitch following Paris Saint-Germain's 1-1 draw at Guingamp on Saturday.

A late header from Alex spared the Ligue 1 leaders' blushes, after Guingamp had taken the lead through Mali striker Mustapha Yatabare.While Blanc accepted that the champions produced a below-par performance, he was highly critical of the condition of the playing surface in Brittany."It is always difficult to win games. We came here to win even if we had a lot of respect for Guingamp," the coach said after the match. "But if we were sluggish, what were Guingamp?

"We had the majority of the ball, so they just waited for us. It is disappointing but I am still satisfied that we never gave up and came back to get a deserved point.

"I also remember Thiago Silva was not there tonight. We were not as good as usual today. Why? I don't want to hide behind it but the state of the pitch was deplorable."It is the case for both sides but it handicaps the team that plays the most football.

"We knew it would be difficult and we have to get on with it. It maybe won't be the last time either, but we were not exactly helped."

The result still extends PSG's lead at the top of the table, but second-placed Monaco can cut the gap to three points with a win against Olympique de Marseille on Sunday.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Messi could play a deeper role against Malaga, says Barcelona boss Martino

Gerardo Martino hinted he may consider using Lionel Messi in a deeper role when Barcelona host Malaga this Sunday.

The 51-year-old coach believes his fellow Argentine has the characteristics necessary to play in support of his fellow attackers, rather than through the middle on his own.

"I’ve spoken to him about it being a possibility [playing deeper], the variation of him playing behind the three forwards, but not from the start," Martino explained to reporters on Saturday.

"It happens when he plays with Cesc [Fabregas] and we did it against Levante, when [Jean Marie] Dongou came on for a few minutes."

Elsewhere, Ibrahim Affelay returns to the Blaugrana squad for the first time since May 2012 after spending last season on loan with Schalke, but Martino is aware of the possibility of the winger departing before the close of the current transfer window.

"I’m very happy he’s had the medical all-clear. He’s got more and more into his football rhythm," the Blaugrana boss continued. "We thought it was a good time to include him. He’s looked very good this week.

"In principle, the plan is for him to stay with us, but no one can say whether or not something significant will come up and he doesn’t stay. The transfer window has these ups and downs."