..::Football IV::..

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Kane partnership with England piques Vardy's interest


Jamie Vardy is keen to see whether he and Harry Kane can work together as a strike partnership for England.

Leicester City hero Vardy led the line for the Three Lions and opened the scoring in Tuesday's 1-1 draw against Italy at Wembley.Kane is currently rehabilitating from an ankle injury and is set to return to action for Tottenham next month as the World Cup in Russia draws closer.

Vardy has generally been seen as an understudy to the two-time Premier League Golden Boot winner but the fluid three-at-the-back formation employed by England boss Gareth Southgate during the international break has opened up the possibility of them playing together as a front two.

"I suppose. We'll have to wait and see what the gaffer's got planned," Vardy said when pondering the prospect."It would be nice to actually try it out and see if it works but that's down to the gaffer.

"It gives us other options when we go into games and, at the drop of a hat, we know exactly what we're going to do with the formation."With an onus on England's wing-backs to provide plenty of attacking width, Southgate's current preferred shape lines up roughly as a 3-1-4-2 in attack.

Ahead of a holding player – Jordan Henderson in the 1-0 win over Netherlands in Amsterdam and Eric Dier against Italy – the midfield pairing of Jesse Lingard and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain were granted freedom to attack across the final third. Vardy stretched the Italy defence in typically tireless fashion, while his forward partner Raheem Sterling was arguably England's standout performer.

The Manchester City attacker's dribbling caused the visitors persistent problems and using a contrasting, linking forward alongside Kane or Vardy still seems a more likely ploy for Southgate than fielding both of his frontline strikers for England's World Cup opener against Tunisia at the Volgograd Arena.

Lorenzo Insigne's late penalty pegged back England after the video assistant referee asked referee Deniz Aytekin to perform an on-field review following debutant James Tarkowski's challenge on Azzurri substitute Federico Chiesa.Before that, Vardy and a team-mate on the same wavelength were moments away from leading the hosts to victory.

"Me and Raheem spoke before the game," the 31-year-old added."He likes to drop in and get on the ball, so it gave me the opportunity to stretch their defence as far as possible to create little pockets of space for Raheem."It worked in our favour, we were on top but because of VAR at the end it wasn't enough."

 

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Mirabelli hints at imminent AC Milan contract renewal for Gattuso


Gennaro Gattuso could soon sign a new AC Milan contract after sporting director Massimiliano Mirabelli indicated a deal with the coach is imminent.Gattuso was appointed in November 2017 as a replacement for Vincenzo Montella, but he only signed a contract to the end of the season.

Milan have improved under the leadership of the former Italy midfielder, although a Europa League exit to Arsenal was a setback for the Rossoneri.

Gattuso, however, appears to have done enough to earn the chance to take Milan into next season, with his side unbeaten in 10 Serie A matches, winning their last five games in the league."We are closing on Easter and are preparing a gift," Mirabelli said. "We could find Gattuso's contract renewal inside our Easter egg. I don't think there will be any issues.

"I've been telling you for some time, although perhaps you only know him as a player, that Gattuso will be one of the most important coaches of the next few years, so it's only right that Milan keep hold of him.

"We are working to start a new era with Gattuso, because we believe he is the right coach for a Milan that must be a protagonist over the next few years."The important thing is that it'll be done, not the timing, as we all want it."Milan face Serie A leaders Juventus on Saturday before taking on rivals Inter at San Siro on April 4.

 

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Messi & Ter Stegen face Barcelona fitness tests, confirms Valverde


Lionel Messi and Marc-Andre ter Stegen are doubts for Barcelona's La Liga match at Sevilla on Saturday, according to coach Ernesto Valverde.Messi played no part in either of Argentina's games during the international break due to a minor hamstring injury, sitting out a 2-0 defeat of Italy and a 6-1 thrashing at the hands of Spain.

Ter Stegen, meanwhile, was rested for Germany's 1-0 loss to Brazil on Tuesday and the goalkeeper could miss the trip to Sevilla as a result of a knee problem.

"We do not know too much about the physical condition of Messi and Ter Stegen," Valverde said on Wednesday."This Thursday they will undergo medical tests to assess their status."I'm calm about Messi's injury. Tomorrow we will see how he feels.

"Messi finished the last game with Athletic Bilbao well, it is true that he had a little trouble, but it was nothing important. I still do not know what we are going to do, we think and hope it is not important.

"We are not going to worry before time, when the doctors see him we will decide the steps to follow, but we think it is not important."We will play in all of the competitions this month and we will see how the players are when they return from international duty. The three points against Sevilla can be quite decisive."

Andre Gomes and Jasper Cillessen took part in Wednesday's training session after returning to Barcelona following international duty with Portugal and Netherlands respectively.

 

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'Bayern and Klopp would be a good fit' - Liverpool manager's agent Kosicke


Jurgen Klopp would be a "good fit" for Bayern Munich, according to the Liverpool manager's agent.Bayern are expected to be on the hunt for a new manager in the summer, with veteran coach Jupp Heynckes set to leave at the end of the season.

The German giants have courted Klopp in the past, though no deal was ever finalised when the coach was working with Borussia Dortmund.Marc Kosicke does not believe that the 50-year-old will leave Anfield this summer, but he has talked up his client's credentials.

"He is under contract until 2022 and I don't think his work is finished [at Liverpool] yet," Marc Kosicke told Sport1 ."But you have to bear in mind many factors. When you move to England, you cannot underestimate the lack of a winter break. This reduces your lifetime."

He added: "Coaching one of the big clubs in Europe isn't something that is unattractive, but everything has to suit. Yes, Bayern are looking for a coach in the summer, but Jurgen has a long contract. At the moment, Jurgen isn't thinking about coaching another club than the Reds.

"No coach in the world is bigger than any club. Generally, the club is always bigger. Jurgen isn't too big for Bayern Munich and Bayern Munich isn't too big for him. He definitely could do a very good job there. Bayern and Klopp would be a good fit, but it isn't something that is an option at the moment."Kosicke has explained the reasons for Klopp never reaching the Allianz Arena, insisting that the timing was never right for the manager to make the move.

"I have to say that Bayern was often an option because Jurgen knows Uli Hoeness very well. But it was never the right time and nothing definite came of it," he added.

"Back then Franz Beckenbauer was president and the pair worked together as TV experts during the 2006 World Cup. They get on well and are still in contact. But Jurgen can definitely end his coaching career without having coached Bayern Munich."

Liverpool are currently third in the Premier League and will face Manchester City in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

 

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PSG deny talks with potential Emery successors


Unai Emery remains the coach of Paris Saint-Germain and the Ligue 1 leaders are not talking to potential successors to the Spaniard, says sporting director Antero Henrique.

Although PSG can take the first step towards a domestic treble in Saturday's Coupe de la Ligue final against Monaco on Saturday, rumours about Emery's future beyond the end of the season have been intensifying since his side were knocked out of the Champions League by Real Madrid.

Right-back Thomas Meunier, who has played a bit-part role this season under Emery, said during international duty with Belgium he expects PSG to have a new coach for next season, while Angel Di Maria predicted "big changes" at the club.

Henrique, however, says reports PSG are talking to Emery's potential successors are not accurate."Every day we are confronted with information about the PSG coach," Henrique said."To be clear: the coach of Paris Saint-Germain is Unai Emery, he has a contract with the club and this is not the time to talk about this subject.

"We are in an important phase of the season, we have a lot of work to do to reach our goals and we need to be focused and engaged.

"No coach can say that he has spoken with us or is engaged with us for the future. All supporters of Paris Saint-Germain must know that only the club is authorised to communicate official information."

 

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'No chance' of Montella leaving Sevilla for Italy


Sevilla head coach Vincenzo Montella has ruled out any prospect of him taking charge of Italy.

Former Milan boss Montella succeeded Eduardo Berizzo at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan at the end of December and led the LaLiga side to a shock Champions League triumph over Manchester United this month.Italy are yet to identify a permanent replacement for Gian Piero Ventura, who failed to secure qualification for the 2018 World Cup.

Luigi Di Biagio took charge of friendlies against Argentina and England over the past week, while Montella recently said it would be a "dream" to coach his country.

However, speaking ahead of Sevilla's home game against Barcelona, the 43-year-old insisted he does not see himself in the Azzurri dugout for some time yet."There is no chance to become manager of the Italian team," he told a news conference.

"Firstly I feel very good here and I am focused on what I am doing here. Secondly there wasn't any kind of contact from Italy."The third reason is that to coach Italy you must have many white hairs and for now I have just a few."

Italian Football Federation (FICG) vice-commissioner Alessandro Costacurta has identified Chelsea boss Antonio Conte as his main target, with Di Biagio and Zenit's former Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini also in the frame.Italy lost 2-0 to Argentina in Manchester last Friday before Lorenzo Insigne's late penalty salvaged a 1-1 draw against England at Wembley.

 

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Mourinho is the king - Carvalhal relishing Old Trafford showdown


Jose Mourinho might be under scrutiny in the Premier League at the moment but Swansea City boss Carlos Carvalhal insists he is the "king" of Portuguese football.

Carvalhal faces his compatriot for the first time when Swansea travel to Old Trafford to face Manchester United in the Premier League on Saturday.Mourinho's United have fallen away in the title race and could face the indignity of rivals Manchester City sealing glory at their expense in next weekend's derby.

The former Real Madrid and Inter head coach's recent media appearances have found him addressing a range of perceived slights in uncompromising fashion, while his seemingly damaged relationship with players such as Luke Shaw and Paul Pogba have dominated headlines, but Carvalhal insists Mourinho's reputation in his homeland is beyond reproach."He is our king of football," he told a pre-match news conference. "He is the best manager ever for Porto.

"He opened the doors for the new generation of managers to go abroad. He opened the ideas of the world on Portuguese coaches. "He's a fighter - what I mean is he's very good at mind games."The way he acts, he likes the theatre of it, and he usually wins all these battles. I am completely different, I prefer to be out of the theatre."

Carvalhal has lifted Swansea out of the relegation zone since succeeding Paul Clement at the end of December and they lie 14th, three points above the drop zone ahead of a game where their manager feels they have nothing to lose.

"It will be a very hard game for us. If we achieve something we will be very happy, if we achieve nothing it is completely normal," Carvalhal said."If you have a one per cent chance, you must have 100 per cent faith. We will prepare the team to try and achieve something at Old Trafford."

Renato Sanches was the most eye-catching signing of Clement's tenure but the on-loan Bayern Munich midfielder has failed to impress and is back with his parent club at present undergoing treatment on a hamstring injury."He has gone back to Bayern Munich for the final phase of his recovery," Carvalhal added. "He has been in Munich for the past two weeks and now we are waiting.

"He had a scan on Tuesday, which was okay. I spoke with him and he is progressing very well. We are waiting for him. I don't know if he will return this week or next week, it depends on Bayern."

 

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Misfiring Morata can benefit from striking struggles, says Conte


Alvaro Morata will benefit from the trials of his recent goal drought, according to Chelsea head coach Antonio Conte.

Morata arrived at Stamford Bridge as a club-record signing last July and racked up 10 Premier League goals by the end of 2017.But the Spain international has not added to that tally since the turn of the year, with his effort in the 2-1 FA Cup quarter-final win at Leicester City prior to the international break ending a 13-game fallow spell.

"This period for Morata was very important," Conte said ahead of Sunday's crunch Premier League clash against Tottenham.

"I think that, in the last week and this week, he has worked very well. I think that he needed to work hard because, don't forget, Alvaro was out for one and a half months with his back problem."Now Alvaro is really fit, 100 per cent, and ready to have an important final of the season: for Chelsea and then, for him, to have the chance to go and play in the World Cup."

Morata missed out on a place in Julen Lopetegui's Spain squad, who performed impressively in a 1-1 draw against Germany last week before demolishing Argentina 6-1 on Tuesday.

It placed the former Real Madrid striker in the same predicament as club captain Gary Cahill, who was on the outside looking in as England took on Netherlands and Italy.

Cahill falling out of favour at club level has had a bearing on his international fortunes, although doubts over Andreas Christensen's fitness and David Luiz remaining sidelined with a knee injury means he is likely to return in central defence against Tottenham."We are talking about two great players, and I'm sure that they have the possibility still to go and play in the World Cup," Conte added.

"We have to respect the decision of the national team coaches, but we are talking about two great players and I'm sure they are ready to play in the World Cup."

 

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Messi trains but remains doubt for Sevilla match


Lionel Messi remains a doubt for Barcelona's La Liga trip to Sevilla on Saturday after he was unable to play a full part in Thursday's training session.Messi missed both of Argentina's friendlies during the international break with a minor hamstring injury.

While the nation fared well against Italy in a 2-0 victory on Friday, a match up against fellow World Cup hopefuls Spain in Madrid on Tuesday resulted in humiliating 6-1 loss.

Barca coach Ernesto Valverde indicated Messi would require a fitness test on his return from international duty.The club confirmed in a statement that Messi trained on Thursday, but only for part of the session.

There was no mention of goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, though, who missed Germany's defeat to Brazil with a knee problem."The session took place on the Tito Vilanova pitch, with Leo Messi working with the group for part of the session and Barca B's [Carles] Alena making up the numbers," the club said.

With Barcelona holding an 11 point edge on Atletico Madrid in the La Liga table heading into Saturday's match and a very busy two weeks upcoming, the team may play it safe with their talisman.

After the visit to Sevilla, Barca return home to face Roma in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie Wednesday. That is followed by a match against Leganes on Saturday at the Camp Nou and then the second leg of the tie with Roma on the next Tuesday.

 

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Kane 'one of the world's best' strikers - Chelsea boss Conte


Antonio Conte acknowledges Chelsea will be faced with one of the leading operators in world football if Harry Kane is able to return from an ankle injury for Tottenham on Sunday.

Chelsea host Spurs lying five points behind their London rivals in fifth, meaning Mauricio Pochettino's men would land a hammer blow against the reigning Premier League champions' designs on Champions League qualification by managing a first win at Stamford Bridge since February 1990.

Kane missed England's matches against Netherlands and Italy over the past week due to an ankle injury but Pochettino reported encouraging progress and would not entirely rule out the 24-year-old being involved.

Next weekend's trip to Stoke City would appear a more realistic target and Conte feels Kane's absence would leave an obvious void for Spurs in their crunch clash.

"I think that we are talking about one of the best strikers in the world. I consider him one of the best strikers in the world," the Italian told a pre-match news conference.

"When you have a striker to score every season 30 goals, for sure, you will miss this type of player. You will feel this."But at the same time, I think Tottenham is an important team because of the whole team. They have many important players and international players.

"They play good football with a great intensity. Also, in the past they showed that despite Kane being missing, in many games, nothing has changed.A run of four defeats and two wins from the six Premier League games leading into the international break badly damaged Chelsea's hopes of a top-four spot.

Conte noted Tottenham, Chelsea and Liverpool – two points ahead of Spurs in third having played a game more than both London clubs – are the teams remaining in the fight but his own side's status would be severely compromised by failing to win this weekend.

"For sure, Sunday is an important game for us and if we win we will go very close to Tottenham," he said."Otherwise we continue to stay not so close and with seven games to go. It will be difficult to take a place in the Champions League.

"Nothing is impossible and also, I think in this group, I put Liverpool as well. For sure, we have to try to win, to win every game and not make a lot of mistakes – don't drop points. It will be very important in this last part of the season."Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois (hamstring) and defender Andreas Christensen (fatigue) are doubts after they returned early from international duty with Belgium and Denmark respectively.

"At this moment it is very difficult to tell you accurately what my choice is for Sunday. We have to check these two situations," Conte said."For sure now we have two big problems – Courtois and Christensen - and we have to check their real possibility to play and then to play well."

David Luiz is expected to remain out for another three weeks with a knee problem, meaning club captain Gary Cahill is in line for a recall at the heart of defence.

 

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Jones: Man Utd will miss more than fantastic Ibrahimovic's footballing ability


Phil Jones admits Manchester United are going to miss more than just the on-field ability of “fantastic” Zlatan Ibrahimovic following his move to the LA Galaxy.

With fitness issues having prevented the enigmatic Swede from making the impact he had hoped for during a second spell at Old Trafford, the decision was taken to free him from his contract.That has allowed the 36-year-old to head for the United States and try his luck in Major League Soccer.

Jones concedes that United will miss his presence at Old Trafford, with Ibrahimovic having offered more to the Red Devils fold than mercurial talent which saw him plunder 28 goals in his debut campaign with the club.The England defender told United’s Scandinavian Supporters Club: “Zlatan has been fantastic.“He's one of the best characters I've played with.

“We're going to miss him. He had a very good season last year and scored a lot of goals for us.“Not only was he an important player on the pitch, he was also an important person in the dressing room.“I wish him good luck. He's had a fantastic career.”

Ibrahimovic helped United to three trophies in 2016-17, with match-winning efforts netted in the Community Shield and EFL Cup final.A serious knee injury brought his campaign to a close before Europa League glory was savoured, with that problem forcing him to undergo surgery.

He was offered another short-term deal at Old Trafford upon returning to fitness, but struggled for match sharpness and has moved on after adding just one more effort to his goal for the club.

 

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Reus set to miss Bayern clash, Dortmund confirm


Borussia Dortmund are set to face Bayern Munich on Saturday without star man Marco Reus.The playmaker’s career has been plagued by injury problems and he has suffered another setback ahead of the weekend’s big Bundesliga clash.

Indeed, Peter Stoger believes that the 28-year-old will not be able to take part.

“He’s not trained yet with the team,” he confirmed on Thursday. “Whether he’s able to play for Saturday, I doubt that.”Reus, who has had a catalogue of problems throughout his career, is currently suffering from adductor problems.

He has managed only five league appearances this season after rupturing his cruciate ligament during the summer, but has shown his talent in those fixtures by netting three goals. Additionally, BVB are set to miss defender Omer Toprak, who is also considered doubtful for the match.

Bayern could potentially claim the German title at the weekend if things fall in their favour, but Stoger is determined that his side will stop them from securing the crown before March is out.

“Our plan is not to allow them to celebrate their success against us,” he said.
Dortmund have endured a difficult campaign and find themselves in third place in the Bundesliga, 18 points behind leaders Bayern with seven matches to play.

 

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Mourinho on why Pogba is struggling: 'Ask him'


Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho said Paul Pogba could perhaps explain the poor form that has cost the midfielder his starting spot.

Pogba has started just four of United's past 11 games in all competitions after a worrying dip in form.Mourinho, whose team host Swansea City Saturday, is at a loss as to why Pogba is struggling, saying perhaps the France international knows.

"Ask him. Ask him when you get a chance what he thinks about it," he told UK newspapers.Pogba, 25, suffered a hamstring injury in September, seeing him sidelined for two months.

However, Mourinho said that setback could not be used as a reason for Pogba's form. "It's nothing to do with his injury. His recovery was good," he said."This season and also last season [he had a bad injury]. But I think he's very fine after the injury.

"It was a difficult injury, it was an injury that other players, other clubs, other medical assessments – they end in surgery."His option – with the medical opinions – was not to go to the surgery table and his recovery was really, really good."So I think he is more than fine in relation to his recovery from the injury which is an area sometimes where you have a recurrence. In his case, not at all."

 

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Barca calm over Messi amid Argentina fears for captain at World Cup


Lionel Messi had seen enough. After Spain's sixth goal at the Wanda Metropolitano on Tuesday night, the Barcelona forward stood up from his seat and walked inside. His team were being thrashed, and this time he could do nothing to prevent it.

The 30-year-old had expected to be on the pitch and was even confirmed fit the previous day in the pre-match press conference by Argentina boss Jorge Sampaoli, but after feeling discomfort in his hamstring and adductor the night before the game, he and the coaching staff decided it was not worth the risk.

It was that same problem that kept the five-time Ballon d'Or winner out of the 2-0 win over Italy in Manchester four days earlier. But instead of returning to his club, Messi was keen to stay with the group in their preparations for the World Cup — and he was eager to start against Spain in Madrid.

On the day of the game, however, it was confirmed that he would miss out. And that was a big blow for Sampaoli, who had spoken at length on Monday about trying out his team with its star player at the core.

That will have to wait and with only two friendlies left for Argentina ahead of the World Cup in June (against Ukraine and Israel), it is a concern. Messi, meanwhile, cut a forlorn figure as he was snapped staring blankly into space during the heavy defeat.


"He had a really good week of training with us," Sampaoli said of Messi after the loss. "But he still had some discomfort in his leg. After that last session, he felt fatigue. He couldn't play, but he accompanied the team. He accompanied them in the dressing room. He is really involved ahead of the World Cup."

Had the match been an important qualifier or a World Cup clash, Messi would have played. But given that it was a friendly, there was no need to take a risk, and although there was frustration at not being able to field their best player, there is no question that it was the correct call.

"If he doesn't feel at 100 per cent, there is no point risking him," AFA president Claudio Tapia told TyC Sports afterwards. "Why should we risk? It seems to me to be unnecessary. If he is not right, it is not convenient for him to play."

Just five days later, however, Messi looks likely to feature for Barcelona in La Liga against Sevilla — although the Argentine will probably start on the bench at the Sanchez Pizjuan on Saturday.

"After the game against Athletic Club (prior to the international break), he had some pain," Barca boss Ernesto Valverde said on Friday. "I would like him to be without any discomfort at all. But the players are used to dealing with these type of problems. We have to take it into account. A muscle tear would be much worse."

Indeed it would. But Valverde is not one to take risks with his players and with an 11-point lead in La Liga, he can rest his star man when necessary to keep him fresh for the bigger games, especially in the Champions League (in which Barca face Roma on Wednesday).

La Liga ends on May 20th, with the Champions League final to take place in Kiev six days later. And if Barca are in it, that will mean scarce rest time for Messi ahead of the World Cup, which starts on June 14th.

Before that, Argentina face Ukraine in a friendly on June 4th in Buenos Aires and travel to Israel for another five days later. And should he play in those, Messi will have hardly any rest at all.

Hamstring and adductor problems only go away with extended periods of rest, so it will be a case of managing the player properly between now and the end of the season. With the issue only a minor one, though, Barca are confident they can do that and avoid a more serious injury for their number 10.

In Argentina, fingers are already being crossed. Having seen their team well beaten by a World Cup contender with Messi missing on Tuesday, the fans cannot contemplate travelling to Russia with their star player blighted by injury. Fortunately, it shouldn't come to that.

 

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Conte: Don't manage in Premier League if you want easy trophies


Antonio Conte believes it is harder to win trophies in England than in other top leagues around Europe, defending his side's inability to compete on all fronts this season.

Chelsea are 25 points behind Manchester City, who sit top of the Premier League, and are likely to take the Blues' title as champions while the west London club battle for a top-four finish.

The Blues are also out of the Champions League and were knocked out of the Carabao Cup at the semi-final stage, though they do have an FA Cup semi-final against Southampton to look forward to.

"I think that every manager wants to win a trophy," Conte said to reporters at Cobham Training Ground. "I must be honest, if you want to win trophies, maybe for important managers, it's easier to go to another country — if you want to win easy trophies."In England, if you stay here, never, never will it be easy to win trophies. I think there is the club who judges the work of the manager. But, for sure, every manager wants to try and win a trophy.

“But, I think that every important manager wants to finish the season with a trophy. This is the truth. We work very hard to try and reach this target, but not only for myself: for the players, for the club, for our fans.

"When you are the coach in an important team, the target must be this. For sure, to reach this target, you need to have the possibility to reach this target in every season.”Chelsea on Sunday face their fiercest rivals, Tottenham, who also are battling for a place in the Champions League next season.

Mauricio Pochettino's side sit five points above Chelsea in fourth place, though they have often been labelled "bottlers" for their inability to compete for the biggest honours in Europe.

"I must be honest, I consider Mauricio Pochettino a really good manager," Conte said. "I think that, if Tottenham grew a lot in this period, he deserves a lot of credit for that. Don't forget that only one team can win the title and, in England, it's not simple.

"You start every competition with six teams, six top teams who are ready to win something during the season. For example, last season Chelsea won the title, Manchester United won the Carabao Cup and Arsenal won the FA Cup. This season, probably Manchester City will win the title, but they dropped in the FA Cup. It's not simple.”

"We are talking about a team who, in the last period for many years now, they are competing to win the title. Don't forget that two years ago they were very close to winning the title when Leicester won it. Last season they tried to compete with us.

"Don't forget that our final of the season was incredible. We won 10 games — otherwise Tottenham were ready to win it.”Alvaro Morata got back to scoring ways against Leicester City in the FA Cup quarter-final after a goal drought that spanned the whole of 2018.

Conte denied that Morata had lacked competition until Olivier Giroud came in and insists it was more of a medical issue that impacted his form."I think the problem wasn't the competition," Conte said. "I don't think this was the problem. I must be honest: For sure, now, there are two strong possibilities, and I have to make the best decision. I'm very happy that, in the last game, Alvaro scored an important goal for us and for him.

"Now I'm waiting for a great final (part) of the season from Alvaro, from Olivier, but especially for the team.
"(Morata) had this problem in his back. If you remember, it was a serious problem because... I don't know the real problem. If you remember, I said I didn't know the time of his recovery — one day, one month, if the season had finished."He solved the problem and our medical department was very good to put him in the best physical condition to solve this problem. I think, at the start of this period, he continued to feel a bit of pain in his back. But now he's ready, totally fit. For sure, when a striker is not scoring, the confidence can go down.

"For the strikers, the goals are of vital importance: for himself, for his confidence. But no, I repeat, I saw him very well in this period. I think it has been an important period for him. He needed to rest and then to have hard sessions of work to find his best physical condition for the final part of the season."

 

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Mourinho has 'no problem' turning to Shaw if Young unavailable


Jose Mourinho insists he does not have a problem playing Luke Shaw if Ashley Young is forced to miss Saturday's clash with Swansea City, despite the Manchester United manager publicly criticising him recently.

Mourinho hauled Shaw off at half-time during United's FA Cup win over Brighton and Hove Albion before the international break, before delivering some stinging criticism of him after the game.Shaw's "personality" and "class" were questioned by Mourinho, who also said his left-back did not perform "certain kind of movements" he had requested.

It was the latest instance of Mourinho appearing to single out Shaw, whose contract is up at the end of the season.But the United boss insists it will not be an issue if a knock to Young – sustained on international duty with England – forces him to use Shaw instead.

"If [Young] is unavailable, then Shaw is always an option," Mourinho told reporters on Friday. "Young was available against Brighton and I started with Shaw, and that wasn't a problem."

Another player Mourinho has had problems with of late is Paul Pogba, who has found himself in and out of the United team and also the subject of criticism.It was reported during the international break that Mourinho contacted Pogba's France coach Didier Deschamps in order to raise his concerns, however those claims may have been false.

"Not true," Mourinho said. "The last time I spoke with him was probably when I last played against him. I haven't spoken to Didier for a long time."

 

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Lewandowski will stay at Bayern and surpass my goal record, says Heynckes


Bayern Munich boss Jupp Heynckes expects Robert Lewandowski to stay at the club for long enough to move above him in the all-time Bundesliga goalscoring charts.

Lewandowski continues to be linked with a move to Real Madrid at the end of the season, despite Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge insisting the striker is not for sale.

Heynckes has dismissed the transfer talk as mere speculation and has tipped the Poland star, who has 174 goals in Germany's top flight, to move beyond his tally of 220 in the coming seasons.

"I know the Spanish media, there is a lot of speculation," he told a news conference. "I assume that Lewandowski will break my Bundesliga goalscoring record in the next two or three years."Heynckes's comments follow on from those earlier in the week of Rummenigge, who insisted there was no reason for Bayern to sell Lewandowski.

"I like to assume that Robert is one hundred percent going to play at Bayern Munich next season," he told Kicker. "What should motivate us to take a different direction?"I always like to remember the year 2008, when we had an amazing offer from Chelsea for Franck Ribery.

"From that day on, the whole world of football knew, nobody can buy a Bayern Munich player against the will of Bayern Munich."

Meanwhile, Bayern resume domestic duties against Borussia Dortmund on Saturday, knowing they can secure their sixth title in a row if results go their way.A victory over Peter Stoger's side at the Allianz Arena will be enough to crown them champions with six games to go if Schalke do not win at home to Freiburg.

Jerome Boateng has been passed fit for the match after picking up a knock in Germany's friendly defeat to Brazil this week, but Arturo Vidal and Juan Bernat will miss out."Vidal has really bad bruising in his thigh. He won't be available," said Heynckes. "Bernat has slight inflammation in his knee, so also won't play. Otherwise, everyone is fit.

"[Boateng] took part in training as normal. All is good with him."There was also more positive news concerning Manuel Neuer, who stepped up fitness training during the international break as part of his recovery from a foot injury.

"Neuer will increase his running load and continue to work in the gym," Heynckes added. "The injury has healed."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Isco is a Real Madrid player and will remain here – Zidane


Zinedine Zidane is certain Isco will remain with Real Madrid after reports of Manchester City's interest surfaced following the Spain midfielder's suggestion that he does not have the confidence of his coach at club level.Isco produced a stirring display for his country on Tuesday against Argentina, leading their 6-1 demolition with a hat-trick.

It provided a reminder of the playmaker's talents, having endured an underwhelming season with Madrid thus far.

After the match, Isco was asked about the disparity between his performance on the day and his form at Madrid, to which he replied by saying he has the "confidence" of Julen Lopetegui, but with Zidane "maybe I have not won it".Zidane was quick to dismiss the idea he does not have faith in the former Malaga star, however.

"I don't think I'm an unfair person," Zidane told reporters on Friday. "I think what he said is open to interpretation. "Maybe he has a different role with Spain to here, but he's important, I've always felt he's important for this team and it's only natural a player wants to play more.

"But my job is to pick 11 players. He is an important one and will be an important one, always. As I said, it comes down to interpretation, but I'm not upset at all with Isco."I'm happy with his performances, it was a very impressive performance [against Argentina] and Spain impressed too. Isco is a Real Madrid player and he'll remain here. That's it.

"It's not his fault. Isco, whenever he plays, he works hard, gives 100 per cent – he kills himself."Sometimes things come off, sometimes they don't. I don't think there's an issue with Isco. The thing is I have 25 players and only 11 can play. I'm happy with Isco, there is no problem."

Zidane confirmed neither Isco nor Sergio Ramos will be available for Saturday's trip to Las Palmas after they both suffered "a knock".

"Isco and Ramos picked up a knock and are not going to travel," Zidane added.
"As for the rest, you'll have to wait and see tomorrow [Saturday]. We travel to Las Palmas looking to put in a good performance and those who travel will be in good shape, fully fit."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Man City and Man Utd target Fred 'wants Premier League move'


Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Fred wants to move to the Premier League, according to his advisor Gilberto Silva.Shakhtar's CEO, Sergei Palkin, confirmed earlier this month that the in-demand midfielder is set to move to either Manchester United or Manchester City this summer.

Goal revealed in February that Pep Guardiola had identified Fred as a major target, with an offer of £44.5 million in place.

And Gilberto Silva, the former Arsenal midfielder, says that the 25-year-old wants a move to the Premier League."At the moment we are open for the market and, when you see the whole market in football, the Premier League is one of the targets," he told Sky Sports.

"We had inquiries for him in the last transfer window, but it didn't happen. The Premier League is his preferred destination."He's doing so well. At Shakhtar, at the moment and in the last transfer window, they relied too much on him. He was doing a great job for the club. Let's see for the summer.

"I've been telling him to just concentrate on his job. That's what he needs to do. Where he plays now, the chance will come."It's about not losing his focus. It's so easy to get lost. You hear all the time some rumours, and sometimes you're not sure, and you get lost in all the messages."

Gilberto, who won the Premier League and two FA Cups at Arsenal, retired in 2015 and says he is enjoying the challenge of working with Fred and other younger players.

"Since I started working with Fred he's been a big challenge for me as well, because it wasn't my job," the 41-year-old said. "I didn't work with this job before. But it's been nice because it's like being his mentor from the outside, not exactly the agent.

"I don't have the experience of some of the agents but I have some partners I work with. It's about mentoring him. It's about making an analysis and saying to him 'you remember this situation, maybe you can correct this'."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Barclays Premier League Fixtures 2018.03.31

Barclays Premier League Fixtures 2018.03.31

Crystal Palace Vs Liverpool

Brighton Vs Leicester City

Manchester United Vs Swansea

Newcastle Vs Huddersfield

Watford Vs Bournemouth

WBA Vs Burnley

West Ham Vs Southampton

Everton Vs Manchester City

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