..::Football III::..

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Ancelotti: I'll never train Barcelona, I want to retire at Real Madrid

Carlo Ancelotti says he has too much respect towards the Clasico rivalry to ever cross the divide and coach Barcelona, suggesting instead he would like to retire with Real Madrid.

Only two coaches - Radomir Antic and Enrique Fernandez - have ever been in charge of both clubs at separate stages of their career as loyalties run deep between La Liga's biggest duo.

Ancelotti, who has coached European giants including AC Milan and Chelsea during his glittering coaching career, insisted that taking charge at Camp Nou would be an impossibility in his eyes."Now I've trained Real Madrid, I can never train Barcelona," he told Cadena SER. "I have to respect my history and the history of the clubs that I have trained."

When asked if he would like to reign at the Santiago Bernabeu the way that Sir Alex Ferguson led for so long at Manchester United, he added: "It is unthinkable that I will spend 24 years at the club, but I would like to end my career in Madrid."
Ancelotti is keenly aware of the quality at Luis Enrique's disposal and conceded that watching Barca's 3-1 midweek win over Ajax did not make for happy viewing as he sought out chinks in the Clasico visitors' armour.

"Yes, I watched Tuesday's Champions League tie," he added. "Whenever I see a team try to find their many flaws."But I have not been lucky this time. I have not found many."

Sergio Ramos missed Wednesday's 3-0 win over Liverpool but Ancelotti claims he will be fit to face Barca and even joked that the Blancos vice-captain wants to be played up front in future."Pepe's taken a knock," the Italian continued. "One of my centre-backs will be Ramos. If Pepe recovers well from that knock, he will play too.

"Ramos asked me to want to play as a striker. He likes to play up front and has quality to play. I'll give him a game in midfield, there's time to change it up for Saturday!" he added, laughing.

Real Madrid are four points adrift of La Liga leaders Barca heading into the ninth game of the domestic campaign.

 

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Wenger hits back at Mertesacker criticism: We train very hard

Arsene Wenger has hit back at criticism from Per Mertesacker after the defender insisted Arsenal need to "train harder".

The Germany international hit out at Arsenal's start to the campaign after Wednesday's narrow 2-1 win over Anderlecht in the Champions League and admitted that the team's style of football is not giving teams enough problems.

But Wenger has refuted Mertesacker's observations, although he concedes Arsenal have not been "efficient enough" this term.

"I don't know what he meant by that. But you have to be careful with statements after the game. I think we train very hard, the attitude is right and the spirit is there," Wenger told reporters.

"Until now we have been relatively consistent in our attitude but not efficient enough offensively or defensively.

"We lost only two games but we have not made enough points."

Late goals from Kieran Gibbs and Lukas Podolski handed Arsenal victory over the Belgian champions but the sub-par display sparked Mertesacker's scathing analysis of the team's approach this season.

"We are not at our best. Football-wise we lack a few things. We have to be honest to ourselves and train harder," said the 30-year-old.

"Everyone knows that it is a difficult start to the season for us and confidence is not how we want it.

"I think we have to do better with our own possession, to put more pressure on them [opponents], not to lose so many balls in the middle of the park, to play more in wide areas.

"I think it is better to expose them there, instead of playing one-twos through the middle. It doesn't work as much as last season, so we have to work on that. The passing game is not as efficient as last year. But all of a sudden we lose players week-by-week."

 

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Wild card Suarez won't ruin Real Madrid plans, says Ancelotti

Carlo Ancelotti does not believe Barcelona's wild card option Luis Suarez will ruin Real Madrid's chances of winning El Clasico on Saturday.

The Uruguayan has been out of competitive action for four months since being banned from football for biting Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup, but is clear to make his Barca debut against their fierce rivals.Ancelotti is not concerned that last season's Premier League top goalscorer will disrupt his own plans unduly at Santiago Bernabeu.

"If Luis Suarez plays tomorrow or not, it won't changes our plans," the Italian coach told reporters on Friday. "If he does play, it's not a problem for us."Luis Suarez is a fantastic player, I like him a lot. It's good news for football that he is now able to play."

Ancelotti, who is in his second year as Real Madrid boss, thinks the Catalunya club have been boosted by Luis Enrique's appointment this summer and highlighted Lionel Messi and Neymar as dangermen.

"Barca seem to me to be a more motivated side - they have a new coach and new players," he continued. "Defensively, they're very solid."I have a lot of respect for Luis Enrique, if anyone thinks I have tried to provoke him, they are mistaken.

"Defending against such good team with Messi and Neymar is very important. I don't think we have an advantage in midfield, either."We'll do the same as we always do: try to not give Barca any space. It's not just about stopping one player."

European champions trail Real Madrid trail La Liga leaders Barca by four points heading into Saturday's clash - a game Ancelotti believes is the pinnacle of football.
"Preparing for the Clasico is very easy, at least, because we know Barcelona,"Ancelotti added. We have to do everything very well - defending and attacking.

"The perfect team doesn't exist, we're not perfect, we have defects like everyone else. But there isn't another game in the world with this so much quality."

Ancelotti also confirmed that centre-backs Pepe and Sergio Ramos are expected to be fit to start at the Santiago Bernabeu.

 

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Walcott & Koscielny not ready to return for Arsenal - Wenger

Arsene Wenger has revealed Theo Walcott is not ready to make his Arsenal return against Sunderland.

The England international as been out of action since rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in a 2-0 FA Cup win over north London rivals Tottenham back in January.

Walcott returned training earlier this month and was thought to be in contention for this Saturday's visit to the Stadium of Light, but Wenger is more confident of the forward facing Burnley next week.

"He has to get used to contact again," Wenger told reporters. "He has been out nine months, he needs to get used to being kicked again.

"He needs to feel completely confident but he is not far. Fitness-wise he is there. Contact front he needs a bit more time."

There is less positive news on defender Laurent Koscielny, though, with the France defender set to remain on the sidelines until after next month's international break due to an Achilles problem.

"I cannot give you any date," Wenger added. "I hope he [Koscielny] will be available after the next international break."

 

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Suarez will make Barca debut in El Clasico, confirms Luis Enrique

Barcelona coach Luis Enrique has confirmed Luis Suarez will play a part in Saturday's Clasico but refused to say whether the Uruguayan will start against Real Madrid.

Suarez is available to make his debut following his summer arrival from Liverpool after completing his biting ban. He was immediately included in the matchday squad and will most likely start on the bench.

Luis Enrique said: "He will have some minutes for sure, how many I cannot say.
"It is a big thing for him, to join up finally with the team and get some minutes.”

Former Barca and Madrid midfielder Luis Enrique admits, however, he has no idea how Suarez will cope with being thrust back into club football in such a high-profile match."Each case is totally different," he added. "It depends a lot on the personality of the player."

Suarez will be joined in the squad by defensive midfielder Sergio Busquets, who has overcome a hip injury."Busquets is very good. He has trained with everyone and, in theory, is available with no problems," said the Barca boss.The Catalans head into the contest on top of La Liga, four points ahead of third-placed Real Madrid and have yet to concede in domestic duties.

It has been an impressive start for Luis Enrique, who took over from Gerardo Martino ahead of this season, though he accepts that any slip in standards is likely to be punished by Cristiano Ronaldo and Co."We will be coming out against Madrid with the same attitude we have shown all season," he said. "We'll go for the game from the start, look to have control of the ball in their half. We will see if we're capable of that or not.”

Much of the talk coming out of the capital this week has centered on Madrid's comparative lack of preparation time, with los Blancos' Champions League game at Liverpool coming 24 hours after Barca's clash with Ajax.And Madrid found an unlikely ally in Luis Enrique.

"They're correct, no doubt," he said. "I'd prefer a more uniform calendar that's fair to everyone. I would prefer to play later [in the day] but it is controlled by television which we can't do anything about."

 

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Lamela: Rabona strike the best goal of my life

Erik Lamela has described his rabona goal as "the best of my life" and hopes it is a platform for success at Tottenham.

The club-record signing endured a debut season to forget after joining last summer but has improved under Mauricio Pochettino, and netted two goals in Thursday's 5-1 win over Asteras Tripolis in the Europa League.

"Was it the best goal of my life? Yes, I think so," he told London Evening Standard. "I've scored one similar to that, too, when I was playing for the junior teams of River Plate in Argentina.

"Can it help me reach my best form here? Yes, yes. The goal was important for me, also because I needed to score – it could have been any type of goal. I'm happy for the goal and the win.

"I hope to continue in this way but I have to remember that this was just one game. I need to think about doing other things well and continuing to improve.

"When the ball came to me, it wasn't as though I was thinking about doing it. There was nothing in my mind. It just happened in a flash.

"I just wanted to score and that was the most comfortable, effective way of making it happen. It's definitely something I'll remember because it was very different from most of the other goals I've scored."

Jan Vertonghen echoed Lamela's comments, hailing the goal as the best he's ever seen and is confident the Argentine will continue to shine for Spurs.

He added: "It's the best goal I've seen, 100 per cent, either live or on television. I still can't believe it and after the game I wanted to go home and watch it again on YouTube.

"You score a goal like this once in your life. I'm happy he scored a goal like that in a big game at White Hart Lane and I expect he had sweet dreams last night.

"I hope it helps him to hit top form here. He had a difficult year last year because he was injured and I think he wanted to thank the club for the confidence they showed in him.

"This year he is fit and he is showing what he is capable of. This goal is a big one for him and I hope he will continue like this. He is a top player, still young and he can be very good for us."

 

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Ronaldo better than I thought - Calderon

Cristiano Ronaldo has surpassed all expectations at Real Madrid, according to former president Ramon Calderon.

Ronaldo joined Madrid for a then world record fee of €94million in 2009 and has firmly established himself as one of the top two players on the planet, alongside Barcelona’s Lionel Messi.

The pair clash on Saturday in the season’s first Clasico and Calderon expects Ronaldo to give Barca’s defence a torrid time.

"I can’t think of any other player in my life like Ronaldo," he told talkSPORT. "He’s one of those players that has loads of talent, no doubt about it I feel sorry for the defenders who face him, they must think he’s going to eat them!"I see Ronaldo scoring at least one goal. He’s brilliant, he’s going beyond even the biggest expectations."

Madrid go into the game in third place, four points behind a Barcelona side who have scored 22 goals this season without conceding.

Calderon added: "Real Madrid are four points behind but there is a lot of time ahead of us in the season. It’s much better for us to win, then we’d be just one point behind Barca, but there are still another 29 games to go."Madrid are quite capable of beating Barca. It’s true that Barca have yet to concede in La Liga but it’s going to be a very interesting match."

Another sub-plot to Saturday’s game is the potential return of Uruguay’s Luis Suarez, who has yet to play for Barcelona due to a four-month ban for biting Giorgio Chiellini during the World Cup.

"I don’t know what will happen with Suarez," said Calderon. "It seems like he will be used as a substitute for the last 30 minutes. They have so many good players of course – like Neymar and Messi. I think we are going to see a match with the best two clubs of modern times."

 

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Di Maria steps up training in bid to face Chelsea

Manchester United winger Angel Di Maria stepped up his attempts to be fit to face Chelsea with a light training session on Friday morning.

Di Maria has not trained or done any ball work all week after picking up a groin injury and a dead leg in the 2-2 draw against West Bromwich Albion on Monday evening.

The Argentine was withdrawn late on at the Hawthorns and was immediately given an ice pack to soothe pain in his upper leg.

United medical staff gave him intensive treatment since he returned to the club's Carrington training ground on Tuesday, and he had stepped up his recovery with some basic training.

The 26-year-old, who commanded a British transfer record €75 million when he joined from Real Madrid this summer, is scheduled for a full training session on Saturday in a bid to ready him for the Old Trafford clash.

Louis van Gaal revealed that he is set to face the Blues in his press briefing on Friday, alongside midfielder Ander Herrera.

"Herrera was already fit and Di Maria said after the game that it wasn't so heavy and it's not," he said. "It was only the first day he didn't train, so it's no problem.

"I'm sorry to say no other players are back, even if I let [Michael] Carrick play in London for reserves because he needs to play matches when you are five months injured. He told me it was his first game for the reserves."

Di Maria has been in impressive form for the Red Devils this season, scoring three goals and setting up four more in six Premier League appearances

 

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Mourinho: Diego Costa has 'a little chance' of facing Manchester United


Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho says striker Diego Costa has "a little chance" of facing Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Costa had been considered a major doubt for the fixture due to a long-standing hamstring injury which has kept him out of recent games against Crystal Palace and Maribor.

To compound the concerns, the Spaniard was hospitalised with a virus earlier this week and reports on Friday claimed he was struggling with a groin injury. Mourinho, however, says he could play a part against Louis van Gaal's side.

"He had to go to hospital with a viral situation, to spend one night, before Maribor," Mourinho told reporters. "The problem is being ill didn't help his recovery process, because we couldn't have him here at Cobham [the training ground.]

"Diego Costa has a chance, a little chance. [Loic] Remy has no chance. The only one I can confirm. No chance."

Mourinho was questioned on a range of topics including his close relationship with United manager Van Gaal, who he worked under at Barcelona, as well as Angel Di Maria, who he managed at Real Madrid.

The Portuguese boss was persistent in his reluctance to speak about other clubs, however, and also refused to comment on the criticism facing Mario Balotelli at Liverpool.

On Van Gaal, he said: "I never hide the fact that he was an important influence in my career but this weekend he is my opponent, so please do not make me speak about him for half an hour.

"The world knows what I think about him because I never hide, so what can I add?"

When asked to explain what made his relationship with Van Gaal so special, he replied: "Ask me next week."

Mourinho insisted he would set his team up to win the game in Manchester and disputed the suggestion the Blues had been satisfied to settle for a point in the same fixture last year, which ended 0-0.

"We go to every match to win but sometimes matches go in a direction where you feel one point becomes a good result," Mourinho explained.

"On Sunday, we will go to win. If you give me now one point, I don’t accept it. I want to fight for three points. But during the game, sometimes a point is a positive result."

 

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Little chance kiwwata godak durata Diego Costa ta play karanna puluwan wei.Mourinho ge mind games neh ithin​

 

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Dunga: Neymar will remain Brazil captain

Dunga has confirmed that Neymar will remain Brazil captain for a long time.

The Barcelona attacker was handed the armband in September for Dunga’s first games in charge since succeeding Luiz Felipe Scolari for his second spell in the dugout, and retained the role earlier this month as the Selecao enjoyed victories over Argentina and Japan.

Thiago Silva had captained Brazil to Confederations Cup glory and led them into the World Cup earlier this year.The Paris Saint-Germain defender was ruled out of Dunga’s first two squads with a thigh injury but this week he was recalled to the squad for next month’s friendlies with Turkey and Austria, sparking speculation that he may reclaim the captaincy.But Dunga has confirmed that Neymar will remain in the role.

"Neymar is the captain," Dunga told the CBF website. "That has already been decided."The 50-year-old revealed in September that he hadn’t spoken with Thiago Silva prior to naming his new captain, but says he will discuss the change with Silva when he rejoins the squad next month.

"Thiago is now coming back, and we'll talk," Dunga said. "We must show equal respect to all the players."

 

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Campbell: Arsenal Invicibles squad would cost over £1bn today

Sol Campbell claims Arsenal’s ‘Invincibles’ squad would cost over £1 billion in today’s transfer market.

The Gunners won the Premier League in 2003-04 without losing a single match, winning 26 and drawing 12 of their 38 games to finish 11 points ahead of second-placed Chelsea.

And Campbell believes assembling a squad of such quality in 2014 would cost an astronomical fee, with icons like Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Robert Pires.

"Would our team be the best today? Oh yeah," he told the London Evening Standard. "You look back at the team we had and you think it would cost more than £1b to buy those players now. Easy, £1bn.

"We had Thierry doing his stuff, Dennis causing problems and scoring goals. Patrick was at his best, Robert could thread passes through the eye of a needle. We had Fredrik Ljungberg, Jens Lehmann, Ashley Cole, myself, Kolo Toure, Lauren.

"The amazing thing was that we didn’t even cost that much. Thierry was £11million, Dennis £7.5m, Pires £6m, Ljungberg £3m, Lauren £7.2m, Gilberto Silva £4.5m, Lehmann £2m.

"I moved on a free, Kolo Toure cost £150,000, Ashley Cole came through the ranks, Patrick was £3.5m. Imagine what all those players would cost today.”

No team has matched Arsenal’s unbeaten season since, but Campbell believes current Premier League leaders Chelsea could emulate what the Gunners achieved.

Jose Mourinho’s side have won seven and drawn one of their opening eight games this season, and Campbell believes the Blues "have the best team" in England.

"You have to have the team, and they do," Campbell added. "The best team have always got a chance but it might still go against you. A ricochet here or there can end the run or keep it going. They are fine lines.

"Even if you have the best players and manager, there are certain things you can’t control.

"There were a few games that season where we came off the pitch and thought, ‘how did we get through that?’ At the time, I didn’t realise how incredible it was."

Campbell believes the impressive form shown by Chelsea is largely down to their well-stocked cash reserves, though he concedes the "balance of power has moved to west London" in recent years.

"Arsenal are still hanging in there but at Chelsea the purse is just that bit bigger, and it opens more avenues," he added.

"The north London teams have to work with restrictions. They can buy players but there isn’t the financial power of Chelsea."

 

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Luis Enrique: Bale injury won't change my tactics

Barcelona coach Luis Enrique says Real Madrid star Gareth Bale's absence from Saturday's Clasico through injury will have no effect on his tactics.

The Wales international picked up an injury which saw him ruled out of his side's Champions League clash with Liverpool on Wednesday and Carlo Ancelotti has revealed he will not feature at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday either.

But Luis Enrique is not concerned with countering any changes to the approach of Carlo Ancelotti's side due to their €100 million signing's absence, saying his game plan for the clash will remain the same.

"We will not change our football ideas dependent on the opponent's players," he said at a press conference when asked about Bale being missing. "There are different circumstances that we are evaluating, but we will not change anything we do.

"The Clasicos are always heated, entertaining and amusing. The coaches have to ensure their teams give the best spectacle on the pitch - we are here to entertain the fans."One of Real Madrid's qualities is their transition play and their players' abilities to score. I have a lot of respect for Mr Ancelotti. I don't have any problems, especially not with him."

Barca currently sit top of La Liga after eight games and are yet to concede as they hold a four-point lead over Madrid. Luis Enrique believes it is a good sign that they are already ahead of Los Blancos.The 44-year-old continued: "I think it's very good, it means that we are a trustworthy team. Tomorrow we will go out to win the match from the beginning, to have the ball with us and be deserving of victory.

"Our plan is to have a great match and win against a very good team."The coach was asked if the Clasico could see a lot of players booked, with Luis Suarez and Pepe - two players who are famous for picking up yellow cards - set to go head-to-head.

"Football is wonderful and physical contact is allowed," he replied. "There's a referee to analyse it. Players are old enough, they know each other and know how to behave."

 

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Rakitic: I want to beat Real Madrid again

Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic is hopeful of making it two wins in a row against Real Madrid when the Catalans travel to the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday.

The Croatia midfielder recorded a 2-1 win over Madrid the last time he locked horns with head coach Carlo Ancelotti's side with Sevilla in 2013-14, and he is keen to help Barca to pick up the full three points at the weekend.

"I know matches between Barcelona and Real Madrid are more heated than other games and that they are different," Rakitic told Goal."I've been fortunate enough to beat Madrid when I played for Sevilla and that's the way I want to continue with Barcelona."

Nevertheless, the Croatia international feels this weekend's encounter will not be decisive in the race for the Liga title.

"It is not important to talk about the table in November or December. There are no easy games. We have to fight hard in each game. You can never relax and what's how we will aproach the game in Madrid.

"It's hard to say whether Barcelona are in their best form this season. We will have to see after three or four months."

Luis Suarez will make his Barcelona debut at the Bernabeu and Rakitic is confident that the Uruguay international will make an instant impact.

"Luis is a player who will give us a lot. We're looking forward to see him in action. We see him every day at the training ground and know he's going to give us a lot."
The Catalans have yet to concede a goal in La Liga and Rakitic is determined to help goalkeeper Claudio Bravo extend his unbeaten run.

"We have started the competition in winning fashion and we've kept eight clean sheets so far. We have been doing everything well and want to keep that up in Madrid."

 

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Manchester United must attack Chelsea - Jones

The onus will be on Manchester United to attack when they host Premier League leaders Chelsea on Sunday, according to Phil Jones.

United welcome Chelsea to Old Trafford with the two sides having experienced contrasting fortunes throughout the first eight games of the season.

Chelsea have taken 22 points from their fixtures in a hugely impressive opening to the campaign, whereas United have struggled for consistency under Louis van Gaal and sit 10 points adrift of the west Londoners.

However, despite Chelsea averaging almost three goals a game in the top flight, Jones expects Jose Mourinho's team to sit back at Old Trafford.

"[Eden] Hazard and [Diego] Costa are real threats, and they've got quality all over the park," Jones told MUTV. "You can run through the Chelsea team - they've got good players but then so have we.

"They'll keep a good solid unit defensively and basically say 'come and break us down'. We've got to find a way to do that.

"I think we really need to show them what we're about and how we can play. It's important to really express ourselves and not be afraid of playing against Chelsea. They're a good team but they're not unbeatable."

The presence of United's record signing Angel di Maria has given Van Gaal's team another dimension in attack, with the former Real Madrid man receiving widespread plaudits for his performances so far, and Jones has become the latest to lavish praise on the Argentina star.

"Di Maria is a quiet lad, he goes about his business quietly around the dressing room," Jones added.

"But he's got everything - he's got the skill, the speed, the awareness, he can score goals and you could see it the other night, the balls he delivers are wicked and hard to defend against. He's exactly what we need."

 

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Coutinho vows to improve after Liverpool's shaky start

Philippe Coutinho is determined to step up his performances in a bid to kick-start Liverpool's lacklustre season.

Despite currently sitting fifth in the Premier League standings, Brendan Rodgers' side have made a shaky start to 2014-15, with the fluid football of last term having gone missing.

A host of new players arrived at Anfield in the wake of Luis Suarez's departure to Barcelona in the close-season, including misfiring forward Mario Balotelli, but playmaker Coutinho has put the onus on himself to create more goal-scoring opportunities.

"We haven't had a good start to the current season. We all acknowledge the team are not currently in our best form," he told the club's official website.

"Each striker has their own style and training sessions help me understand how they prefer the ball to reach them. In my position, it's important that I create clear opportunities for them.

"I have to adapt my style to all strikers - as does any player who is in charge of playing in the No.10 role. We have to create open chances regardless of who the strikers are."

After making a flying start to his Liverpool career upon his arrival from Inter in January 2013, Coutinho struggled to have the same impact last term.

But the diminutive midfielder has improved this season, notching a crucial goal in last weekend's scrappy victory over QPR before providing a bright spark during the midweek Champions League defeat to Real Madrid.

However, the 22-year-old, who has retained his place in Brazil's squad for their November internationals, admits that his performances are irrelevant if the Reds are not winning.

"Football is a team game and everyone has their own responsibilities. My role encompasses creating goal-scoring opportunities and scoring goals myself," he continued.

"It's difficult to say anything on a personal level when you lose the game, no individual performance really matters when the team doesn't win.

"The most important thing for me is that the team deliver and win games. We want to be performing well again soon and we must keep working hard to achieve that."

 

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Garcia: We'll bring Roma to the top of Serie A and Europe

Rudi Garcia has pledged to take Roma to the pinnacle of Italian and European football as they attempt to recover from the 7-1 Champions League humiliation at the hands of Bayern Munich.

The German giants went in 5-0 up at half-time in the Stadio Olimpico on Tuesday and the Serie A runners-up went on to leak two more goals after the break as they were thrashed by Pep Guardiola's charges.

However, Garcia feels the result was deceiving and insists that "step-by-step" his side will make it to the top of the game both in Italy and in Europe.

The Roma coach told reporters: "The defeat against Bayern doesn't change a thing. We must look forward again with all of the positive things we have achieved this season.

"The truth always comes out on the pitch; on Tuesday it was shown that they were stronger, but the scoreline was excessive. The Champions League is tough and we knew that, but we're still second in the group. Now let's focus on the league."Sometimes slip-ups happen, but we have to continue guiding our ship. Great victories can also be built upon heavy defeats - I always think positively.

"There will be time to analyse the defeat against Bayern again when we go to Munich. The result is always the consequence of how we play. Step by step we will bring Roma to the top in Europe as well."

Roma take on Sampdoria on Saturday as they attempt to get their campaign back on track after the spectacular Champions League defeat."It will be difficult but we must do everything to win," continued Garcia.

"I expect to see an ambitious Roma - we are going there to win and we will give everything for the three points."Kevin Strootman has returned to training as he continues his recovery from a cruciate ligament injury but the coach feels he still needs time before returning to the team.

Garcia said: "Strootman needs to find his confidence, but this is normal after an injury. The positive is that he's back in the group."

 

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Van Gaal: Valdes and I have a special relationship

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal says he has a "special relationship" with former Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes, who is training with the English club.

The Spaniard, who left Barca at the end of last season, has linked up with United in a bid to continue his recovery from the anterior cruciate ligament injury that he suffered in March.

And Van Gaal admits he has great respect for Valdes, with whom he worked at the Camp Nou during his two spells in charge.

"Every human being is special because they all have identities," he told reporters.

"It's a principle of my philosophy that you have to respect the individual human being. He's special because I've worked with him and we've retained our relationship, which is not always the case.

"It is not a surprise because I have done it with lots of players. I have a relationship with a lot of them. I gave Ronald de Boer and Edgar Davids training possibilities in the past - Valdes is one of these players.

"Robin van Persie also. When he played for me in the Dutch squad, I allowed him to use our medical department to keep fit for the World Cup. I wasn't the manager of United at the time, so I have always done it."

Speculation has mounted in recent days that United could sign Valdes permanently, and Van Gaal admits that "United always have their eyes open" in regards to new signings.

 

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Aguero can get better, warns Pellegrini

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has warned the Premier League that Sergio Aguero has yet to get back to his best.

The Argentina striker has been in prolific form so far this season, scoring 11 goals in 11 games in all competitions, including all four in City's 4-1 Premier League win over Tottenham Hotspur last weekend.

The 26-year-old will be out to add to his tally when City travel to West Ham on Saturday, and Pellegrini feels the best is yet to come from the former Atletico Madrid man, who was plagued by muscle injuries last term.

"I don't think we have seen the best of Sergio," Pellegrini said.

"I've known him for many years, since when he was in Spain. He was an important player in 2011-12 and last year he was very important in the first part of the year.

"After that it was difficult for him, but I was always sure he would return to form. I think he can do better."

Midfielders Samir Nasri and Frank Lampard remain on the sidelines for City due to injury.

Lampard will miss the Upton Park clash due to the thigh problem he sustained against Tottenham, while the game will also come too soon for Nasri, who has returned to training following groin surgery and could make his comeback against Newcastle United in the League Cup next Wednesday.

"Frank Lampard is not ready for this week, but maybe next week he will start working with the whole squad," Pellegrini added.

"Nasri was working with the whole squad after we got back from Russia [from the Champions League game with CSKA Moscow]. Maybe next week he will be ok. All the other players are fit."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Ferdinand plans to retire at end of season

QPR defender and former England captain Rio Ferdinand has revealed that he is likely to retire at the end of the season.

The veteran centre-back, who turns 36 next month, moved to Loftus Road in the summer after 12 trophy-laden years with Manchester United.

However, Ferdinand has now admitted that this campaign - his only at QPR - is likely to be his last.

"I probably think the end of this season," Ferdinand said when asked about retirement on the Jonathan Ross Show.

"I'm not fearful of retirement, I'm looking forward to it, I can see some good stuff hopefully happening ahead.

"You get to a time where you start understanding your body and the strains playing football [is] putting your body through, going out and training every day."

Ferdinand made his professional debut for West Ham in May 1996 and spent four years at Upton Park before moving to Leeds United.

He subsequently switched to Old Trafford in July 2002 for a then British-record fee reported to be in the region of €39 million.

During his time at United he won six Premier League titles, the FA Cup, two League Cups and the Champions League.

While his playing time is drawing to an end, Ferdinand intends to continue working in football.

"I've done it for so many years, it's what I love," he added. "I'm doing my [coaching] badges as well and there are other bits and pieces outside of football."