skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Fa Barclaycard Premiership News
( 26 March 2009 )
English Premier League football News
Le Saux backs Chelsea title bid
Former Chelsea defender Graeme Le Saux thinks the Blues can still win the Premier League title.
Boss Guus Hiddink hinted after the loss to Spurs that the bid to overhaul Manchester United, who are four points above them, and Liverpool may be over.
But Le Saux told BBC London 94.9: "I feel there's still enough games for us to have opportunities, but the momentum is with Liverpool.
"I talked about it being a one-horse race, I've been made to eat my words."
Le Saux made over 250 appearances for Chelsea in two spells with the club.
He left two years for Southampton before the club's first Premier League title in 2005, but has still been monitoring their progress closely.
He admits that Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Tottenham was a severe blow to their hopes, especially with Manchester United slipping up with a shock defeat.
"I don't think anybody would have foreseen what Manchester United were going to do in the last three or four weeks," he said.
"It has really made it very uncertain, but from Chelsea's point of view it's a disappointing result given the timing, it would have been an fantastic opportunity to have really got right back behind Manchester United and keep up with Liverpool. But I feel there's enough games for us to have opportunities.
"It's been an absolutely fascinating Premier League this year at all different stages of the table there's been some fascinating battles.
"I just hope that we can perform well as we have done under Guus Hiddink, shake off the disappointing result against Tottenham and remain focused on being ready for a slip-up from either Manchester United or Liverpool above us."
Le Saux, now 40, retired in 2005 while at Southampton.
Graeme Le Saux was speaking on the 'Inside Chelsea' Podcast, available to download now on the BBC Sport Website.
by bbcnews.
Fa Barclaycard Premiership News
( 26 March 2009 )
English Premier League football News
Hughes quashes Robinho rift talk
Manchester City manager Mark Hughes has played down reports of a rift between himself and Robinho.
In January, the 25-year-old Brazilian playmaker was fined for leaving the club's training camp on the Spanish island of Tenerife without permission.
Rumours have persisted that they have a poor relationship - along with reports that Robinho will leave in the summer.
But Hughes told BBC Radio 5 Live: "The truth is it's a lot closer to being a lot calmer than people would imagine."
Robinho joined City for a British record £32.5m in September and signed a four-year deal.
He got off to a great start, scoring 12 goals before the end of the year, but has yet to get off the mark in 2009 and made that unscheduled departure in January by flying home to Brazil without telling Hughes that he had to attend some "family business".
"There's a perception that there are issues between me and Robinho, and Robinho and his team-mates, and that everything is doom and gloom and the dressing room is fractured," said Hughes.
"We have all the predictable stories emanating from outside parties but it's calmer than people would imagine."
The forward has also been linked with a move away from Eastlands at the end of the season but Hughes is not ready to sell.
"Robinho is in my plans long term. People who say otherwise are just being mischievous," he insisted.
"He is an outstanding player who wants to be part of what we are doing but he is also a professional football player and he doesn't enjoy getting beaten."
Meanwhile, any hope of Kaka coming to Eastlands to forge a partnership with Robinho has also been quashed by Hughes.
The club failed with an audacious £100m bid to bring the 26-year-old AC Milan attacking midfielder to Eastlands in the January transfer window and the City manager says that door is now firmly closed on the Brazilian.
"When an opportunity presents itself to bring in one of the top players in world football you have to move quickly to make it happen, as you never know if that opportunity will present itself again in the future," Hughes said.
"The likelihood is that it won't, but that situation has gone - at the time we wanted to make it happen, but we're not going to revisit."
City's executive chairman Garry Cook defended their approach for the Brazilian.
He told BBC Radio 5 Live: "It wasn't the amount of money, it was Manchester City putting themselves in that arena that was the biggest surprise for most people.
"It goes back to the understanding of what we were doing. We'd put four months of work into it but there was the perception that it was a whim.
"It absolutely wasn't that and we wouldn't expect to be doing anything at this club on a whim.
"It was well thought through and there was return on the investment as he is a great player and a great character.
"We felt he fitted into Mark's plans and fitted into the character of the club and where we want to go.
"When you're making those investments you have to be careful when your talking about the levels to make sure it's the right move and we felt it was the right move."
by bbcnews
Fa Barclaycard Premiership News
( 24 March 2009 )
English Premier League football News
Southgate receives Boro backing
Middlesbrough chairman Steve Gibson insists sacking manger Gareth Southgate will not solve the club's current plight as they bid to avoid relegation.
Boro have won just one of their last 18 Premier League games and are second from bottom, four points from safety.
"I have spoken with a lot of fans over the last few weeks and they ask me about Gareth Southgate," Gibson told the club's official website.
"But the magic wand in our situation isn't sacking Gareth Southgate."
He added: "Of course, everybody has their opinion in football and I understand the frustration of the fans.
"I have always said that we have a knowledgeable crowd at Middlesbrough and you have to respect that.
"I take on board the views of the fans because I care as much as they do. But if I was to sack Gareth Southgate at this stage, how would it help the situation?"
The international break could not have come at a better time for Boro after a 1-0 defeat by relegation rivals Stoke on Saturday left Southgate to admit that the club's relegation scrap is affecting players' morale.
They resume with a trip to Bolton, before facing Hull and Fulham at the Riverside in a series of games which could prove crucial in their bid for survival.
Gibson, who appointed Terry Venables to assist Bryan Robson in their successful bid for survival during the 2000-01 season, is known for his patience and retains the belief that Southgate is the right man for the job.
"Gareth has great experience of football at every level. He is working to the best of his ability to turn things around," he said.
"When he was a player, he worked immensely hard to make himself a better player. He does exactly the same as a manager.
"I couldn't expect any more from him in terms of blood, sweat and tears.
"We can't put what happens on the pitch fully on Gareth's shoulders, and that's why we have to share the workload and the responsibility.
"When things go wrong, people lose faith in the manager. But there is a lot more involved and we must always continue to look at the wider picture before coming to decisions."
by bbcnews.
Fa Barclaycard Premiership News
( 24 March 2009 )
English Premier League football News
Sidibe faces scan on knee injury
Stoke City's Mamady Sidibe will have a scan on a knee injury after being stretchered off before a reserve-team game against Aston Villa.
The Mali striker fell awkwardly clutching his left knee in the warm-up before the 1-0 defeat.
The 29-year-old was out for two months after hyper-extending the same knee against Fulham in December.
The former Gillingham man has made 22 appearances this season in the Premier League, scoring three goals.
by bbcnews
Fa Barclaycard Premiership News
( 24 March 2009 )
English Premier League football News
Jacobsen targets Everton success
Everton defender Lars Jacobson hopes the Blues' good form will continue in the Premier League and FA Cup as they chase success on both fronts.
Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Portsmouth was Everton's second defeat in 19 games but Jacobson says the squad are confident.
"We're still in a good position and we have some big games coming up," the 29-year-old told BBC Radio Merseyside.
"I think we are still able to be racing for that fourth place if we can continue our good play."
The Denmark international added: "We have to focus on the next game.
"The next game is Wigan at home. They're a great team and it will be a difficult day for us but we're playing at home so we have to win."
Everton have had a series of injuries during the course of the season which has seen influential players like Yakubu and Mikel Arteta out with long-term injury problems.
But Jacobsen, who made his Blues debut in the 2-1 defeat at Frattan Park, says the spirit in the camp is always evident, especially when they get late goals.
"We've scored some late winners during the season. So I think that's what this Everton thing is about - team spirit and always digging in there.
"That is the reason why we score so many late goals," he said.
by bbcnews
Fa Barclaycard Premiership News
( 24 March 2009 )
English Premier League football News
Anelka faces spell on sidelines
Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka faces a three-week spell on the sidelines because of a toe injury, according to the French Football Federation.
Anelka, 30, played the full 90 minutes of Chelsea's 1-0 Premier League defeat at Tottenham on Saturday.
He was assessed by the France squad's medics before being replaced for the World Cup qualifiers with Lithuania.
Chelsea have yet to comment but Anelka may miss the games against Newcastle on 4 April and Liverpool on 8 April.
Anelka is currently the top scorer in the Premier League this season with 15 goals but his last strike came against Aston Villa on 21 February in Guus Hiddink's first match in charge of the Blues.
However, if he is sidelined for his club, the forward's loss should be tempered by the recent return to fitness and form of Didier Drogba.
by bbcnews.
English Premier League football News
Injured Adebayor in Togo's squad
Arsenal's Emmanuel Adebayor has been called up to the Togo squad for this weekend's World Cup qualifier against Cameroon, despite being injured.
The striker, who has been out for six weeks with a hamstring injury, could be at the centre of a club-versus-country row if he plays.
The 25-year-old is not due to return to first-team action with Arsenal until after the international break.
But his club have confirmed he will travel to Africa for Saturday's clash.
Togo are likely to use the presence of Adebayor in the squad to boost team morale and it remains doubtful he will play.
Arsene Wenger is expected to monitor whether his striker makes an appearance.
Wenger expects to have Adebayor back for the club's Champions League and English Premier League campaigns after the international break.
Saturday's tie is Togo's opening Group A game in the final round of qualifiers for the World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations.
by bbcnews.
Fa Barclaycard Premiership News
( 24 March 2009 )
English Premier League football News
Sunderland not safe yet - Sbragia
Sunderland manager Ricky Sbragia does not think his side are safe from relegation yet, but believes they have enough quality to stay up.
Sunday's 1-0 defeat at Manchester City leaves the club just three points clear of danger and Sbragia wants Premier League security sooner than later.
"We've got to pick up points in the next five games - we need to do that," he told BBC Radio Newcastle.
"I'm confident that we're good enough to stay up."
Meanwhile Sbragia was pleased with the response from his side to the defeat by Wigan the previous Saturday.
The Scot was furious with his players after that performance but has been encouraged by the way his players went about Mark Hughes' side on Sunday.
"I couldn't see any good points in the Wigan game except for Grant Leadbitter," Sbragia said.
"We played much better, I asked them for more commitment, we changed it around and got some fresh legs, they did well today.
"There were a lot of good points, we did some good things."
by bbcnews.
Posts
