..::Football III::..

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Iniesta returns to Barca squad for Getafe clash

Barcelona have been handed a boost ahead of Saturday's La Liga clash with Getafe after captain Andres Iniesta was passed fit to play.

The Spain midfielder has been out of action since being forced off with a hamstring injury in last month's 2-1 Champions League win over Bayer Leverkusen.

However, the 31-year-old has been named in the squad that will make the trip to the Coliseum Alfonso Perez as Barca aim to keep pace with leaders Real Madrid at the top of the table.

Joining Iniesta in Luis Enrique's travelling party is fellow midfielder Sergi Roberto, who has shaken off a groin injury sustained in the Champions League meeting BATE earlier this month.

Barca are level with Madrid on 21 points after nine La Liga games.

 

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Barcelona will not rush back Messi for Clasico - Luis Enrique

Luis Enrique has insisted Barcelona will not take any risks with Lionel Messi and will only play him against Real Madrid on November 21 if he is 100 per cent fit.

The Argentina international has been out of action since picking up a knee injury in Barcelona's 2-1 win over Las Palmas on September 26.

Messi has been working hard on his rehabilitation, but it is not known if he will be ready to feature in the Clasico.

"There is no set recovery date for Messi. The most important thing for him is to be 100 per cent fit again," Luis Enrique stated at a news conference.

"It does not matter when he returns. The season is still long.

"We are not thinking about the Clasico yet. What is important to me is winning the league. We have to sit top of the table come the end of the season.

"The Clasico will not decide the title race. What matters to me right now is scoring more goals, conceding less and winning games. Those are realistic targets."

Barcelona sit second in the Liga table with 21 points from nine games played, level on points with leaders Madrid, who have a better goal difference.

 

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Pardew wary of under-fire Rooney

Crystal Palace must be wary of underestimating Wayne Rooney at Selhurst Park on Saturday, according to manager Alan Pardew.

Rooney has been subject to heavy criticism for his form so far this season, with a missed penalty in the League Cup shootout defeat to Middlesbrough this week prompting further scrutiny of his contribution to Louis van Gaal's side.

Pardew, however, expects Rooney to silence his critics sooner rather than later and has warned his players to keep a watchful eye on the England captain.

"Rooney has proved many, many times that when he gets criticism he can deliver. We'll be on our guard, because he's a very good player," he said.

United great Paul Scholes has accused Van Gaal of failing Rooney with his tactical approach, but Pardew refused to criticise his opposite number.

"I'm not an expert on Man United and Scholes will have seen more games than I. I'm sure they have enough quality to win things," he said.

"They've not scored in two games and they'll be looking to put that right against us. More often than not they win and that's why they're up the top of the league. We respect what they do."

Pardew is keen for the Palace supporters to stay behind their side during United's spells of possession in order to help keep their concentration levels high - especially against the runs of Anthony Martial.

"Possession is key for United. They have a thrust in Martial that is much needed in that team. We'll have to keep an eye on him," he said.

"They average 59 per cent possession. So we have to be patient and so do our fans. We'll need to wait for our chance.

"United aren't getting as many shots off as they normally do, but defensively they're always in a good shape.

"They have long spells of possession that could threaten to drive the atmosphere into a lull, but we need to keep the fans singing along.

"It's going to be important for our fans to stay with us."

Palace striker Patrick Bamford has described his spell with the club as "one of the most frustrating periods of my career" as he continues to struggle for first-team football under Pardew.

But the former Newcastle United boss is happy with the way that the Chelsea loanee has worked hard in an attempt to force his way into the side.

"He is a possible England player at some stage, but he has got some learning to do," Pardew added.

"I've told him he has to work hard and he has been. I'm very pleased with his application. He's got mentally and physically stronger.

"He just has to add a bit more to his game, as a young player. We're a tough team to break into."

 

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Mourinho: I can't promise a top-four finish

After a dreadful start to the season, Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has admitted he cannot guarantee the club Champions League football next term.

A League Cup defeat to Stoke City midweek has only increased the pressure on the former Real Madrid man, with Chelsea rooted in the bottom half of the table.

And with another tough clash against Liverpool, on the horizon, Mourinho admitted that a top-four finish could be out of reach.

“I cannot promise it," he told reporters during a tetchy press conference on Friday.
Asked whether Jurgen Klopp's definition of himself raised a laugh, Mourinho was similarly blunt: "Why should I laugh?

"Last season Liverpool won nothing and didn’t qualify for Champions League and they are still a big club and two years ago Manchester United didn’t even qualify for the Champions League, or Europa League and they are still a monster club.

"In my career every game is a must-win. I don't win always but every game is a must-win."

Another reporter's attempt to find out if Mourinho had been in contact with owner Roman Abramovich received similarly short shrift.

"I don't have to tell you," the manager fired, while a question on dismissed club doctor Eva Carneiro was intercepted by a Chelsea spokesman.

 

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Luis Enrique defends misfiring Munir, Sandro

Luis Enrique has defended youngsters Munir El Haddadi and Sandro Ramirez ahead of Barcelona's trip to Getafe on Saturday.

With Lionel Messi sidelined by a knee injury, both 20-year-olds have seen plenty of game-time in recent weeks, but neither has managed to convince so far.

Munir has yet to find the net in 10 appearances in all competitions, while Sandro remains goalless after 12 outings.

Nevertheless, Luis Enrique is not concerned by their lack of goals and feels both youngsters are on the right track.

"It does not concern me that Sandro and Munir have not scored yet," the Barcelona coach told a news conference.

"There is a big difference between getting some playing time when there is no pressure and when there is a lot of pressure to perform.

"They are getting valuable playing time under their belt, which is helping them develop. They have both been involved in some of the goals we have scored."

One of Munir and Sandro is expected to start alongside Luis Suarez and Neymar in the match against Getafe and Luis Enrique has warned that a difficult game lies in wait.

"Getafe are a complicated opponent. They are very strong in defence and have quality going forward," he said.

"Getafe always manage to make life hard for us."

Barcelona were held to a scoreless draw on their last visit to the Coliseum Alfonso Perez in December 2014.

 

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Silva still not fit for Manchester City return, says Pellegrini

Manchester City will be without David Silva for Saturday's Premier League clash with Norwich City, manager Manuel Pellegrini has confirmed.

The Spain playmaker suffered an ankle injury while on international duty earlier this month, but it was hoped he would be fit to return for the visit of Alex Neil's side to the Eithad Stadium.

However, Pellegrini has revealed that Silva will not be risked this weekend, while full-back Pablo Zabaleta - who was stretchered off in the League Cup win over Crystal Palace on Wednesday - will be out of action until after the international break next month.

"Zabaleta has the same injury in his medial ligament," Pellegrini said.

"Silva is not in the squad list for the weekend as he still has some pain in his ankle. We need to see how he improves, we have two or three more days and we'll decide then [if he can play in the Champions League against Sevilla].

"Sergio [Aguero] is continuing his treatment - it's different to David as it's a muscle injury so he needs the amount of days he needs to be fit.

"Gael [Clichy] and Fabian [Delph] should hopefully be okay next week - I hope after the international break we will have everyone fit.

"I never complain about the amount of injuries but to keep playing this way with so many missing is important for the trust."

With Aguero still out, Pellegrini admits that Kelechi Iheanacho could be handed a start against Norwich in a week in which he was rewarded with a first senior call-up to the Nigeria squad.

"Iheanacho demonstrated what he can do and he will have an option to start," Pellegrini said of the 19-year-old, who scored against Palace in midweek. "It's not an easy position to start in this team.

"It's important that the young players have a chance, they take it. Kelechi didn't impress me as I work with him every day. I know what he can bring to this team.

"I'm very happy he could demonstrate what he could do but it's just one game, we need him to do it every time he plays."

 

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Pele: Neymar can't defend or score with his head

Pele does not consider Neymar to be a truly great player, as he feels his compatriot cannot defend or score with his head.

The Barcelona player is the star of the Brazil national team and is said to have the potential to be one of the world's best.

However, Pele, who won the World Cup three times with Brazil, acknowledged Neymar is the best in the current Selecao team, but believes the country has had many players who are far superior.

"Neymar is a good player, but how many goals has he scored with his head in his life?" Pele pondered in an interview with Placar .

"He is an excellent player, but Vasconcelos, my team-mate at Santos, was 10 times better than Neymar, without any doubt.

"Neymar is an attacker, he plays up front, that is it. He does not track back, does not organise and does not come out to play.

"It's difficult to compare him with so many players of the past when he has such weaknesses. Although, within the current Brazil team, he is the main figure, the only one."

Pele also offered his opinion on Neymar's Barca team-mate Lionel Messi, who he considers to be the best in the modern era, but also pointed out some weaknesses.

"Messi, as I have always said over the last 10 years, is one of the players I consider superior," Pele said.

"But he doesn't use his head. He predominantly uses his left foot and is not ambidextrous. Today he is the best.

"Messi has the same style as Maradona, the same kind of game. He is lucky because there is no one to compare him>

 

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Pique not a problem for Spain, insists Del Bosque

Spain coach Vicente del Bosque has dismissed any suggestion that Gerard Pique is a problem in the dressing room and says the Barcelona man would be dropped if he were.

Pique has been a target for the boo boys in Spain, largely due to his support for Catalan independence and for teasing Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo following Barca's treble success last season.

Earlier this month, Pique called for the whistling he receives in international matches to stop after he was again singled out in a 4-0 rout of Luxembourg in Euro 2016 qualifying.

Del Bosque has also spoken of his desire for Spain fans to get behind Pique, and insisted the centre-back has not caused any problems among the team.

In an interview with Marca, he said: "No [Pique is not sick of the situation]. He is a good guy, he works hard and he does not pay attention to it.

"He is not a problem. If he was a problem or harmful [in the dressing room] he would not get called up. There wouldn't need to be an explanation."

Del Bosque also stated that Pique - a European Championship and World Cup winner with Spain - is still enjoying his involvement with the national team.

"[I have spoken with Pique] very little about it," he added. "I think it is similar with Iker Casillas when he was booed by [Real Madrid] fans last season.

"I don't give it much importance. I don't know why he has been booed. He's very happy in the national team, since he came in as a youngster. That's a fact."

 

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Ribery edges closer to Bayern Munich return

Bayern Munich star Franck Ribery has stepped up his recovery from injury by training in football boots for the first time since March.

Ribery has not played in a competitive fixture since sustaining an ankle injury in the Champions League against Shakhtar Donetsk last season.

The former France international has thus far been restricted to running drills and some light work with the ball but Bayern are hopeful he will return to action before the end of the year.

A statement read: "Slowly but surely, long-term injury victim Franck Ribery is returning to full fitness.

"On Friday, at the same time as his team-mates were setting off for the evening Bundesliga fixture in Frankfurt, the French winger pulled on and laced up his football boots for the first time since sustaining an ankle injury last spring.

"Franck's 45-minute training session out on the pitch also included a few drills with the ball at his feet. Once he was done, the superstar high-fived every one of the 20 or so fans who had watched him train."

 

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Rojo: Lack of goals hurting Manchester United

Marcos Rojo is concerned by Manchester United's lack of goals after Louis van Gaal's men drew blanks in each of their previous two fixtures.

United followed up a 0-0 draw at home to local rivals Manchester City last Sunday with a penalty shoot-out elimination at the hands of Middlesbrough following a 120 goalless minutes in the last 16 of the League Cup, also at Old Trafford.

The Argentine believes the team's difficulty in finding the back of the net cost them on Wednesday and needs to be addressed quickly.

"The best chances [in the match with Middlesbrough] fell to us, but we couldn't manage to convert any of them," Rojo told MUTV.

"So then it went to penalties, which are always a lottery, and unfortunately it wasn't to be for us this time.

"It hurt a lot and we were still smarting afterwards because it's an important competition and we wanted to go a lot further in it.

"So coming off the back of two games on the trot without being on the mark does hurt and frustrate you a bit, but we are doing a good job at the back and defending well.

"We just need to turn the chances that we're creating into goals."

Louis van Gaal's side travel to Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday and Rojo is expecting a difficult game in London.

He believes the visitors will need to be wary of Yannick Bolasie, Bakary Sako and former United winger Wilfried Zaha.

"They will be strong and will try and take the game to us, but we need to go there ready to battle hard for the entire 90 minutes if we want to grab all three points," he said.

"I've seen a few of their games and they are very skilful and above all very quick, so we are going to have to be on our guard and mark them tightly to deny them the space they need to play well."

 

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Wenger's praise 'a privilege', says Ozil

those compliments
Arsenal attacker Mesut Ozil admits it is "a privilege" to hear words of praise from manager Arsene Wenger.

Wenger stated "if you love football, you love Ozil" after his performance in the 2-1 Premier League victory over Everton at the Emirates Stadium last Saturday.

With Arsenal having won four of their last five matches in all competitions, Ozil is proud of the way the team is performing and is enjoying the trust of the manager.

"He knows about football! No, I joke," he told Arsenal Player when asked what he thought of Wenger's comments.

"It's a privilege for me, especially when such an experienced manager says something like that about me.

"I'm here to develop myself further and I've said in the past that I have the manager's trust and enjoy that.

"My goal is to help the team and I'm on a good way. I'm proud of myself and of the whole team.

"We've played a successful season up to this and now we need to work on ourselves to make sure that we become more successful."

Ozil believes a full pre-season has helped him to hit more consistent form this season for the Gunners.

"The coaching staff know exactly how individual players become fit," he said. "They have all the information and I think a first full pre-season in a long time has helped me to feel really fit.

"Before, I was playing at tournaments after a long season and had little time for holidays.

"In hindsight, you realise that your body may not have the same freshness. At the moment I feel very comfortable, I'm fit and that's what is important."

 

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Rennes 0-1 Paris Saint-Germain: Di Maria's late strike makes the difference in dire contest

Champions Paris Saint-Germain opened up a 10-point gap the top of Ligue 1 as Angel Di Maria's second-half strike was enough to see off plucky Rennes 1-0 on Friday.

With perhaps one eye on Tuesday's trip to Real Madrid in the Champions League, PSG coach Laurent Blanc opted to rest Edinson Cavani entirely at Roazhon Park while Zlatan Ibrahimovic remained among the substitutes throughout.

And their absence was noticeable as champions PSG lacked a cutting edge in the final third, Ezequiel Lavezzi coming closest in the first when he forced Benoit Costil into a smart stop in the area.

PSG dominated the second half but again struggled to create clear-cut chances against a Rennes defence that dealt with the pressure.

But the breakthrough arrived with 15 minutes remaining when the impressive Di Maria scored his third Ligue 1 goal after arriving late in the area.

The Argentina international will now focus on his return to the Santiago Bernabeu to face former club Real when PSG travel to the Spanish capital.

Blanc may be concerned heading to the Spanish capital after his side struggled to break down a side winless in six league games before this encounter, with Ezequiel Lavezzi menacing but ultimately unable to find a telling touch.

The Argentine flashed a long-range free-kick wide before latching onto Di Maria's pass and lashing an effort that required Costil to tip it over the crossbar.

As the half wore on, the absence of Ibrahimovic and Cavani became more conspicuous with PSG making little stick up top and Rennes gained a brief foothold in the game which led to Yacouba Sylla testing Kevin Trapp with a well-struck half-volley.

PSG almost led at the break. A blistering counter saw Di Maria slipping in Lucas Moura, whose rising left-foot shot was tipped to safety by Costil.

The visitors dominated possession after the restart, but too often their end product let them down.

Blaise Matuidi almost got on the end of a low Lavezzi centre, while Maxwell burst into the box only to lose control of the ball when in a promising position on the left of the area.

Still needing a goal, Blanc turned to the bench but it was Marco Verratti and Thiago Motta that came on ahead of Ibrahimovic.

And it was Verratti who helped make the breakthrough in the 75th minute, the Italian's excellent long ball was taken down by Lucas and his clipped pass from the left was drilled into the bottom right-hand corner first time by Di Maria.

Lively Rennes substitute Pedro Henrique saw an effort flash wide of the right-hand post in the closing stages, but PSG were largely comfortable as they made it six straight league victories.

 

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Deportivo 1-1 Atletico Madrid: Lucas denies Simeone's men top spot

Lucas scored a late equaliser to earn Deportivo La Coruna a 1-1 draw and deny Atletico Madrid at least temporary ownership of first place in La Liga on Friday night.

A tight first half was lit up by Tiago's brilliant strike on the half-hour mark and while Deportivo improved after the break, they had to wait until the closing stages to equalise.

Lucas pressed Jose Gimenez into an error as the defender attempted to usher the ball out of play before beating Jan Oblak in the Atletico goal with a well-taken low finish.

It was the 27-year-old's sixth goal of the campaign, matching his tally for the entirety of last season.

Diego Simeone's men had won their last three matches in all competitions and had the opportunity to move above Barcelona and Real Madrid to the summit of La Liga with a victory.

But while Deportivo have now failed to win in their last four games, and remain winless in eight against Atletico, their bright start to the season, which has seen them lose just twice, goes on.

With a long-haul trip to Astana in the Champions League to come on Tuesday, Atletico sought an early goal but struggled to find a breakthrough.

Jackson Martinez saw a snapshot blocked by Sidnei but the Colombian, and his strike partner Antoine Griezmann, were soon starved of service.

Eventually, though, 30 minutes of persistance paid off. Martinez made a nuisance of himself in the box and when Sidnei half-cleared the ball to Tiago, the Portugal midfielder rifled a fine volleyed finish into the bottom corner.

Oblak was then called into his first action of the game when he was forced to control a misplaced backpass on his chest and clear under pressure.

Atletico could have made it two from their next attack. Diego Godin's header hit the post and the ball bounced off Griezmann into goalkeeper German Lux's grateful arms.

Griezmann then hit the side netting with a header in the last minute of the half, with a 1-0 deficit in the end flattering the hosts at half-time.

Deportivo were much better after the break and went close just three minutes into the second period when Fede Cartabia jinked into a shooting position but got the finish all wrong.

Laure and Cartabia then combined well but Oblak saved the latter's effort comfortably before denying another speculative effort from the Argentine midfielder.

Simeone's side were, at that point, content to protect their single-goal lead and were punished.

Lucas's harrying of Gimenez paid off and with just 12 minutes to go, he kept his nerve to beat Oblak from close range.

It nearly got worse for Atletico when Feycal Fajr smacked the crossbar with a brilliant curling effort from well outside the box but Atletico held on to preserve a point.

 

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Eintracht Frankfurt 0-0 Bayern Munich: Champions' perfect start comes to an end

Bayern Munich failed to maintain their 100 per cent start to the Bundesliga season as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Eintracht Frankfurt on Friday.

Pep Guardiola's men went into the meeting at the Commerzbank Arena off the back of 10 consecutive top-flight victories, but Bayern were unable to break down Armin Veh's resilient side and keep the winning run alive.

Bayern controlled possession from the off, but, after Arturo Vidal had a header tipped over by goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky early on, they struggled to create goal-scoring opportunities.

Javi Martinez nodded wide, Douglas Costa was denied by Hradecky early in the second half and Robert Lewandowski had an effort rightly disallowed for offside late on as Frankfurt - defeated in their previous six encounters with Bayern - held firm.

The stalemate was the first time in 13 Bundesliga outings that Bayern have failed to score and could now see their lead at the summit cut to five points if Borussia Dortmund win at Werder Bremen on Saturday.

Bayern dominated possession in the opening stages, but did not test Hradecky until the 11th minute, when a great reflex save diverted Vidal's header over.

Haris Seferovic skewed wide from 20 yards a minute later following a counter-attack, but the pace and dribbling of Costa, Arjen Robben and Kingsley Coman kept Frankfurt largely penned back.

However, Lewandowski was not able to connect with a delivery from one of the wide areas until he looped a cross from Coman into Hradecky's arms following a poor touch midway through the first half.

Veh's side packed their defence tightly, but Marc Stendera conceded a free-kick in a dangerous area following a foul on Costa on the half-hour mark. Robben's subsequent delivery was flicked on by the head of Martinez, but the ball dropped narrowly wide.

Bayern continued to struggle to create openings, but Frankfurt's stern resistance was almost broken within 10 seconds of the restart.

A slip from Carlos Zambrano put Costa one-on-one with Hradecky, but the keeper came out on top with another great save, this time from an outstretched leg.

In a bid to add more ingenuity to his side, Guardiola introduced Thomas Muller in place of Rafinha in the 51st minute.
Within three minutes, though, Frankfurt had two chances to break the deadlock.

Alexander Meier nudged wide following a corner before Stendera was unable to capitalise on a poor attempted clearance from Manuel Neuer, with the keeper parrying his scuffed volley aside.

Lewandowski remained in the hunt for a goal, but wasted a great chance to secure the three points for Bayern when he skewed wide from the edge of the area after latching onto Robben's pass over the top of the defence.

Robben was then booked for simulation inside the Frankfurt box five minutes from time, displaying Bayern's desperation and frustration.

Lewandowski thought he had won it for Bayern in the 89th minute when he stabbed beyond Hradecky after superbly controlling an aerial pass, only to see the offside flag correctly raised by the official on the far side as Guardiola's men had to settle for the point.

 

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Klopp: I feel sorry for Mourinho

Jurgen Klopp has expressed sympathy for Jose Mourinho as a poor start to the season leaves him on the brink of the sack at Chelsea.

Reports have suggested that Mourinho's time at Stamford Bridge could come to an end if his side lose to Klopp's Liverpool on Saturday, having led the Premier League champions through a woeful defence of their title so far, as they sit 15th after 10 league games.

However, the new Reds boss insists it is possible for Mourinho to turn it around - pointing to his own experiences as proof that it is possible

Borussia Dortmund fell out of the Bundesliga title picture spectacularly last season under Klopp, and went into the winter break bottom of the pile before recovering and scraping European qualification.

"I wasn't interested in what was being said in public last season," Klopp said of those struggles. "I had a responsibility to the Dortmund fans and players.

"If people didn't understand our problems, then I didn't care. You have to rule your own situation.

"Most of the problems are in the press conferences when you have to find the answers. Sometimes you don't have the time to change things between matches.

"Mourinho isn't a worse coach than last year. The players aren't worse than last year. Things happen. I feel for him as I had something similar but it's not the end of the world. They can still play football and that's our problem."

Clashes between Liverpool and Chelsea have taken on an extra edge in recent years, with the sides' rivalry intensifying off the back of the Merseyside club's contentious Champions League semi-final win in 2005.

But Klopp pointed out that this season's clash may not live up to the billing.

"It is a big match but in 15 years in football I've had some big matches," he added. "I don't read the newspapers so I don't know what you think about this game but it wouldn't change anything if I knew it because I am full of motivation to win games.

"The better the opponent the more excited the world around us is. Maybe in history it was a great game. Now it is ninth versus 15th."

 

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Pellegrini: I hope Mourinho can turn things around at Chelsea

Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini hopes his under-fire rival Jose Mourinho can turn things around at Chelsea, and believes the Premier League strugglers can still fight for the title.

Mourinho faces an uncertain future at Stamford Bridge following a poor start to the season which has left the Blues in 16th place in the table on the back of five defeats from their first 10 games.

They were also knocked out of the League Cup by Stoke City in midweek and it has been suggested the Portuguese could be sacked if his side lose to Liverpool on Saturday.

But Pellegrini, who has not always seen eye-to-eye with Mourinho, whether in Spain or England, is not only confident his old adversary can turn things around but is actively willing it to happen.

"All managers have a moment in their career, in their season, a bad moment. It's normal," the City boss said on Friday.

"So I hope, because he's a very important manager, that he will arrange his team. I think he's already demonstrated what he can do. He's the champion of the Premier League this year."

And the Chilean, whose side sit top of the Premier League table and 11 points clear of Chelsea, says he still believes the champions can launch a remarkable turnaround and successfully defend their crown.

"Of course, I always say mathematics show when you can do it and when you can't. We have enough points to play for," he added.

"I am sure they will be involved in the title or for the first position. I am sure they will continue to be a very strong team. They are not in their best moment but I am sure they will improve."

 

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Wenger defends Arsenal's training methods as injuries mount

Arsene Wenger has defended Arsenal's training methods after Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott joined the club's long injury list.

Outspoken Dutch fitness expert Raymond Verheijen accused Wenger of being outdated following injuries to his two England international attackers.

Oxlade-Chamberlin and Walcott were hurt during Arsenal's 3-0 League Cup fourth-round loss to Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday.

However, Wenger stood up for himself ahead of Saturday's Premier League match against Swansea City.

"This guy looks like he knows absolutely everything," said the Frenchman.

"I'm amazed that he knows more than all our physics and all our doctors. I trust the medical staff to do well and my coaching staff to do the fitness planning very well.

"It's like in life, why does he catch the flu and him not? You have to accept that medically we are not all even."

With Aaron Ramsey, Mikel Arteta, Tomas Rosicky, Jack Wilshere and Danny Welbeck all out, Wenger's options are suddenly limited.

"It is always disappointing to lose players," Wenger added.

"But we are equipped first of all with the quality of our squad and we are equipped mentally as well ourselves to deal with anything. We have a very big squad."

 

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Zaha: I was depressed at United

Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha said he did not enjoy his time at Manchester United, admitting he felt depressed at times.

Zaha re-joined Palace on a permanent basis in February following a forgettable spell at Old Trafford, making only four appearances without starting a Premier League match.

The 22-year-old, who was Sir Alex Ferguson's last signing before retiring in a deal worth £15million in 2013, was plagued by rumours surrounding his personal life and his application in training.

"At times I was depressed. I felt a lot of things. When I don't play well nobody needs to say anything to me," Zaha said.

"I beat myself up. It stresses me out if I mess it up."

He added: "I played in all the pre-season games and then in the Wigan game I never played my best.

"I played for England and then zero games. Then the rumours started basically because he just stopped playing me with no actual reason that I knew.


"It was either: I slept with David Moyes' daughter or I have got a bad attitude. Those are the two rumours that stuck with me until I left Man United. I have had no say since then.

"I never even met her [Moyes' daughter]. But as soon as anybody sees me now, people think: Wilfried Zaha, bad attitude. I just don't understand why. I went through that every single day.

"Getting constant tweets, people outside making jokes. I just had to take that on knowing that I wasn’t going to play for United either. I lived up there by myself as well so there was not really anybody to speak to."

 

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Van Gaal: Rooney wants to score too much

Louis van Gaal believes Wayne Rooney's lack of goals can be put down to the Manchester United captain being too involved in games.

Rooney has found the net just twice in the Premier League this term and has seen his form deteriorate badly in recent weeks.

The England skipper drew another blank in midweek as United suffered League Cup elimination to Middlesbrough after a penalty shoot-out which saw Rooney's effort saved by Boro goalkeeper Tomas Mejias.

Several onlookers, notably including Barcelona legend Xavi have suggested Rooney could turn his form around by taking up a role deeper in midfield, but Van Gaal has other ideas.

"Players are human beings and they want to score goals but maybe they want it too much and maybe then the choices are not always good," the Dutchman said.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Mourinho confused by 'sad' excitement over possible sacking

Jose Mourinho has claimed he does not fear the sack and has questioned why people inside - and outside - football are “excited” by his potential sacking.

Mourinho’s Chelsea take on Liverpool at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League on Saturday and the Portuguese boss admits to being concerned about improving the Blues' lowly league position.

Chelsea sit 15th in the table after having won three of their opening 10 league fixtures but Mourinho insisted he was not bothered by speculation over his job security.

"I’m not worried about that at all. At all. I don't spend one second of my day thinking about it," he said.

"I'm worried about the results. I'm worried about winning on Saturday, about qualifying for the next round of the Champions League. I am worried about recovering positions in the table and to go back to where Chelsea normally has to be.

"I’m not worried about my job, my future, about anything other than that. I'm not worried. I'm not worried. And it looks like you want to put a lot of pressure on me in relation to that, where you can't do it. You can't do it. You can't do it."

Mourinho has been unable to replicate Chelsea's strong form in the early stages of the new campaign after leading the club to a Premier League and League Cup double last year and the 52-year-old is confused by anticipation for his sacking.
"What I'd like to understand is why some people can be so excited and happy with the perspective of somebody losing his job," he told a press conference.

"If you tell me your newspaper is going to sack 20 people, first of all I will be worried for you. I promise you. You have a good relationship here.

"And, secondly, I would be very disappointed even if I don't know the other 20 guys who are going to be sacked. But this [management] is the only job where people get excited at that. It's sad."

He added: “The Brendan [Rodgers] situation, he was almost winning the Premier League. He was the Manager of the Year and suddenly people were really happy and working hard until he was sacked.

"It's strange. I don't belong to this world. I'm too emotional. I hate people losing jobs. Not in football, but in everything.”