Norwich deserved to win, admits Fergie after United miss the chance to go top

Posted on November 18, 2012 by adminsports

UPDATED:

21:03 GMT, 17 November 2012

Sir Alex Ferguson admitted Norwich deserved their 1-0 win at Carrow Road which denied Manchester United the chance to go back to the top of the Barclays Premier League.

After Manchester City had thrashed Aston Villa 5-0 earlier this afternoon, only a win would have been enough for United to jump over their neighbours once again.

However, with England striker Wayne Rooney missing because of tonsillitis, the Red Devils produced a lacklustre display as the Canaries – reborn since the international break – produced another composed display to secure a third win in five Premier League games with a fine header from Anthony Pilkington, once on the youth books at United, on the hour.

Painful viewing: Sir Alex Ferguson observes proceedings from the Carrow Road dugout

'Norwich deserved their win because they worked so hard for it, although we had a lot of possession and one or two half chances. We didn't create enough great chances. It just wasn't our night,' Ferguson said on ESPN.

'Their goal was a marvellous cross and a great touch for the header. There was nothing our keeper could do about that.

'So you have to give credit to Norwich because they battled well, and their goalkeeper had a good night as well, so it is disappointing.'

United had trailed 2-0 at Aston Villa last weekend, but recovered to record a battling victory.

Matchwinner: former United trainee Anthony Pilkington nods the only goal of the game

However, the fightback never materialised, even after the introduction of second-half substitutes Paul Scholes and Danny Welbeck.

Ferguson continued: 'You always feel that we can do that [come from behind to win] because the history of the club is like that – players have gotten used to making comebacks and we are always a threat in the last few minutes of matches.

'We were tonight in some respects, but they defended really well and the goalkeeper made some saves at vital moments.'

Leading scorer Robin van Persie had recovered from the thigh strain which kept him out of Holland's midweek friendly with Germany, while Javier Hernandez also started after his match-winning cameo at Aston Villa last weekend but failed to make an impact.

Ferguson added: 'You always miss your good players, but we had plenty of good players on the pitch tonight.'

Famous win: Norwich added Manchester United to their scalps at Carrow Road this season

There were four minutes of stoppage time and keeper John Ruddy produced a brilliant saved to turn the ball over after it was deflected off Norwich defender Sebastien Bassong.

At the final whistle, Carrow Road erupted as United went the same way as Arsenal had done four weeks ago.

Norwich are unrecognisably from the side which was taken apart by Liverpool and then Chelsea just last month.

Manager Chris Hughton, appointed in the summer after Paul Lambert left for Villa, felt this performance was the most satisfying of the campaign so far, with a third win in five league games, which have included four clean sheets.

He said: 'It is, simply because it is Manchester United. They tested us more than anybody we have played against and were resilient enough.

Gutted: United couldn't pull off another comeback

'I suppose with the run we are on, the confidence we have from that we were able to show.
“It is certainly a wonderful achievement.'

With Reading and Southampton both also winning, Hughton knew the importance of getting the victory.

'It is a great feeling tonight because it is Manchester United, but it is still about three points,' he said.

'We had a few good performances at the start of the season where we did not get the points from our performances, so it was so vital we can pick up points.

'We have proved we can do, but we have to play our game at that level, because if we fall below that, then we can get beat. If we do that, it will give us a chance.'

Ricky Hatton to apply for fight licence

Posted on September 10, 2012 by adminsports

Hatton to apply for fight licence despite Twitter denials

UPDATED:

22:38 GMT, 9 September 2012

Representatives of Ricky Hatton will meet officials from the British Boxing Board of Control in the next 48 hours before applying for a licence for the two-weight world champion to resume his fighting career.

The retired 33-year-old took to Twitter on Sunday to laugh off speculation about his return to the ring, but Sportsmail can reveal informal talks have already been held between the Hatton camp and the BBBC about the reinstatement of his licence with a follow-up discussion expected to take place on Monday or Tuesday.

Comeback trail: Hatton looking back to his lean and mean best at a press launch in London

Comeback trail: Hatton looking back to his lean and mean best at a press launch on September 5

With no obvious obstacles
precluding Hatton from gaining a licence, it seems certain he will make a
winter return, with the MEN Arena in Manchester earmarked to stage his
first fight in three years on November 24.

Hatton mocked weekend
reports that suggested an announcement was imminent. In reply to one
tweet, he wrote: 'Don't you find it strange that it's been in every
paper, all over the box, but not on here Don't you think if a comebacks
on you'd here it from me its everywhere and I havnt said or done a
single interview.ha ha.'

Game over It seemed Hatton's career was finished after the brutal defeat to Manny Pacquiao

Meanwhile, Tony Bellew declared
himself ready for a second world title shot after beating Edison Miranda
on Saturday. The Liverpool light-heavyweight stopped Miranda with a
left to the body in the ninth then called for a chance to avenge his
2011 loss to WBO champion Nathan Cleverly or face IBF king Tavoris Cloud
or WBA holder Beibut Shumenov.

He said: 'In an ideal world I'd
fight Shumenov or Cloud tomorrow,' he said. 'Chad Dawson (WBC champion)
is the best. If I become his mandatory I'll definitely fight him but I
wouldn't choose him. I'd fight anyone, even King Kong on the Empire
State Building.'

David Haye's hopes of a fight
against Vitali Klitschko are alive after the WBC heavyweight champion
beat Manuel Charr on cuts in Moscow on Saturday. Klitschko plans to
retire and focus on a political career but Haye is hopeful of luring him
into a 2013 bout.

Michael Carberry"s big step on his road to recovery – Paul Newman

Posted on May 10, 2012 by adminsports

Carberry's big step on his road to recovery

UPDATED:

08:26 GMT, 10 May 2012

Wantage Road in Northampton is hardly one of cricket's most evocative venues, even now the old ground-sharing arrangement with the local Cobblers football team has long gone, but it is there today that one of cricket's most uplifting comebacks gathers momentum.

The awful early-season weather may take even more of the glamour away from England Lions' match against the touring West Indies, but for Michael Carberry it is the perfect venue for the latest significant step in his battle to conquer considerable adversity.

If Carberry's first Test cap, gained
in Bangladesh two years ago when Andrew Strauss was given the tour off,
was special then the addition of his second would be truly remarkable.

Road to recovery: Carberry's improved fitness and form could force him back into England contention

Roberto di Matteo putting FA Cup final on back burner ahead of Newcastle game

Posted on May 1, 2012 by adminsports

Fight for your places! Di Matteo warns Chelsea stars in countdown to FA Cup final

UPDATED:

16:29 GMT, 1 May 2012

Roberto Di Matteo has revealed there were still FA Cup final places up for grabs in his Chelsea side as he refused to rule out shock comebacks for David Luiz and Gary Cahill.

Caretaker Blues boss Di Matteo is confident his squad will not hold back in Wednesday night's crucial Barclays Premier League game against Newcastle, regardless of the match taking place less than three days before their Wembley meeting with Liverpool.

In charge: Di Matteo's Chelsea take on Newcastle on Wednesday

The Stamford Bridge clash against the Magpies is arguably more important than Saturday's showpiece, with Di Matteo's No 1 priority ensuring Chelsea qualify for next season's Champions League.

And while the Italian has not resorted to banning any mention of the final ahead of tomorrow's game, he left no doubt where his focus lay.

'We've not talked about it at all,' he said of the Liverpool game, insisting he had yet to pick his team for Wembley.

'I'm deciding for the game tomorrow. 'We'll see how the game goes tomorrow and then I'll be thinking about Saturday.'

All smiles: The Chelsea squad appeared in relaxed mood during training on Tuesday

Asked if that meant performances against Newcastle would be taken into account, he said: 'Yes. Not just tomorrow.

'I look a little bit more back and look at maybe the last three or four weeks and the way we played and the different players in positions and so on.'

It would only be human for players
to subconsciously hold back tomorrow for fear of injuring themselves,
but Di Matteo said: 'We cannot allow ourselves to think like that and I
think we've shown before that we don't do that, in the semi-final
against Spurs before the Champions League semi-final, and at Arsenal and
so on.

'I don't think that'll be an issue for us.

'We know how important the game is tomorrow for our club and the players who are going to be playing will be fully committed.'

Defenders Luiz and Cahill will miss the match, both with hamstring injuries, but both were seen running today at Chelsea's training ground.

Di Matteo said they will be
reassessed again on Thursday and Friday and while it looks unlikely
Cahill in particular will be fit for the weekend, Di Matteo was
optimistic of both being back before the Champions League final.

He said: 'Hopefully, they'll be ready before. I have hope but we don't know yet.'

Winning
next month's glamour clash with Bayern Munich would, of course, make
the outcome of tomorrow's match redundant for Chelsea.

And
Di Matteo would have no qualms knocking the Magpies or Tottenham out of
the Champions League were one of them to finish fourth in the Premier
League.

Concern: But Cahill could be available for the Champions League final

'For us, it's important that we try to win it, and whatever the consequences are for somebody else doesn't really bother us,' he said.

But Di Matteo was determined to leave nothing to chance, starting with a win tomorrow that would see the Blues leapfrog their opponents and finish the evening in at least fifth place.

Newcastle are in uncharted water to a large extent and Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech claimed on Sunday that could prove their undoing.

Di Matteo agreed, saying: 'We have players that have been in this situation before and have certainly the experience to be playing in all these important games with a lot of pressure on us.

'It could prove decisive.'

Chelsea are arguably in the best form of all of the contenders to finish fourth after Newcastle were thrashed 4-0 at Wigan on Saturday.

The Blues recorded their biggest win of the season the following day by beating QPR 6-1, Fernando Torres scoring his first hat-trick for the club.

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich could not hide his glee, high-fiving his companions in the directors' box as Di Matteo ticked off another item on the Russian's to-do list by getting Torres firing.

That is something the sacked Carlo Ancelotti and Andre Villas-Boas failed to manage but Di Matteo played down the impact it might have on his hopes of being appointed full-time.

'When you have good results, everybody connected with the club is very happy and I'm pleased we put a smile on our boss but I think everybody from the players to our supporters were pleased on Sunday,' he said.

Liverpool slump as fortress Anfield stormed yet again

Posted on March 26, 2012 by adminsports

Fortress Anfield stormed yet again as visitors to Liverpool lose fear factor

UPDATED:

22:49 GMT, 25 March 2012

Saturday's defeat by Wigan means Liverpool have won just five of their 15 home games in the Premier League this season – their worst home record since 1953. But it was the manner of the defeat that was as worrying as the result.

Four years ago, Liverpool appeared to be headed for a ruinous defeat against the same opponents but extricated themselves thanks to a barnstorming comeback when Dirk Kuyt and Albert Riera scored in the last 10 minutes to secure a 3-2 win. History is littered with examples of Liverpool salvaging improbable situations.

Fast forward to the present day, though, and the picture has changed dramatically.

Red faced: Liverpool slumped to a 2-1 home defeat against Wigan

When Wigan were protecting a 2-1 lead with 10 minutes to go on Saturday, the outcome – unlike four years ago – was never in doubt.

Why is Anfield no longer a fortress then A number of reasons.

For starters, Liverpool don't have a cutting edge. They have only scored 19 times in their 15 home games in the Barclays Premier League and a paltry record of five wins is their lowest since at this stage of a season since 1953.

Then there is the atmosphere. It used to be said during the club's glory years that The Kop would 'suck the ball over the line' when Liverpool turned the screw but rarely, if ever, does the stadium hum with that broiling noise that launched a thousand comebacks. Didn't Wigan's fans keep asking 'where's your famous atmosphere' Yes.

Challenge: Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish (left) is under increasing scrutiny

To give an example of how quiet it was, Jamie Carragher could easily be heard shouting directions, while a conversation Kuyt had with an assistant referee was also audible in the stands.

'It is still a fearful place,' argued exultant Wigan manager Roberto Martinez. 'In world football it has a unique tradition. The moment you starting thinking about where you are playing, the fear is there.'

Kenny Dalglish has often said Liverpool have been unlucky at Anfield. Was that the case again Absolutely not. Wigan keeper Ali Al Habsi never had a saved to make after Gary Caldwell put the visitors in front for a second time, leaving Dalglish to claim his side were lacklustre due to a combination of playing three games in six days and a growing injury list.

But this slump can be put down to them lacking quality. While key players Lucas, Glen Johnson and Craig Bellamy have been missed, many supporters have lost faith in a number of last summer's expensive recruits.

16million midfielder Jordan Henderson, for one, is failing to win over The Kop, while Andy Carroll – who puzzlingly started on the bench – made little impact when replacing Henderson.

So where do they go from here Worryingly for Dalglish, Liverpool could find themselves in ninth place by the time they face Newcastle next Sunday.

If the situation is to change next season, more signings will need to be made. But on this evidence, Liverpool stand minimal chance of attracting genuine quality.

Match zone: Liverpool v Wigan

Australian Open 2012: Andy Murray loses to Novak Djokovic as girlfriend Kim Sears watches

Posted on January 27, 2012 by adminsports

Heartbreak again with Murray downed by Djokovic in epic five-set semi-final classic

Andy Murray described himself as a 'different player with a different attitude' after falling agonisingly short of a career-high victory over Novak Djokovic.

The 24 year-old Scot pointed to the huge distinction between the man who limply surrendered to his old rival in last year’s Australian Open final and the one who mounted not one but two remarkable comebacks in this semi-final before falling 6-3, 3-6, 7-6, 6-1, 7-5, in a match of astonishing momentum changes.

Murray looked dead and buried at 2-0 down in the second set, and again at 5-2 down in the third before looking the more likely winner until Djokovic’s extraordinary survival instinct kicked in to bring him victory in a gruelling four hours and 50 minutes.

So close, yet so far: Andy Murray missed out on a place in the final after losing to Novak Djokovic

He now faces a race to recover ahead of Sunday’s final against Rafael Nadal, who he beat in six finals last season.

While Ivan Lendl will be disappointed
with the final outcome he will surely have seen plenty to work with
this fortnight, and overall should not have been dissatisfied with a
performance that the player himself rated an eight and a half.

Of his comeback, Djokovic said: 'It is difficult to describe, I was
just trying to focus on very point. Andy deserves the credit to come back from 5-2 down, he was fighting, I
was fighting.

'It was evidently a physical match,
it was one of the best matches I have played, emotionally and physically
it was equally hard.'

It was Djokovic who struck first,
breaking for a 3-1 lead in the first set and, although Murray hit
straight back, another break gave him a 4-2 advantage and he kept a
level head to serve it out.

All hail: Djokovic was simply brilliant at times, and his big-game experience shone through

The momentum remained with the
Serbian as he moved 2-0 up in the second with Murray still struggling to
find any kind of rhythm. But having levelled at 2-2 his game suddenly
returned.

He broke again for 4-2 and there was now a crispness to his groundstrokes hitherto lacking.

On the other side of the net,
Djokovic was showing the signs of a man struggling. His body language
indicated he had a physical problem with his frequent looks to his
worried camp suggesting he was in trouble.

The Serbian is a warrior though and
he battled through the pain to break back only for Murray to reclaim the
upper hand straight away.

Djokovic did his utmost to level once more with Murray serving for the set but the Scot held his nerve to level it.

Telling: But Murray had his moments, and Djokovic was out on his feet by the end

If the first two sets were attritional the third, all 88 minutes of it, was simply punishing, especially in the latter stages.

Murray staved off three set points at
4-5 with some gutsy play. He saved the first with an ace, the second
with a crushing forehand winner and the third with a drop shot-clipped
backhand combination.

Sensing he had got out of jail,
Murray then struck for 6-5, claiming his second break point chance after
some outstanding defence.

But, not for the first time in his
career, Murray seemed crippled by nerves at a crucial juncture and a
string of errors allowed Djokovic to level and take it to a tie-break.

The momentum had seemed to swing back
towards Djokovic but Murray played a solid breaker to win it 7-4 and
edge two-sets-to-one ahead.

Net gains: Murray fought every step with the Serbian world No 1, matching shot-for-shot

After what had gone before, the
fourth was totally unexpected, the defending champion romping through it
in just 25 minutes, breaking three times en route with Murray offering
very little resistance.

The earlier signs of fatigue and distress from Djokovic had now disappeared and he made a strong start to the final set.

Murray was also looking like he had
regained his composure after the fourth-set horror show although he had
to stave off three break points at 1-2, some big serving getting him out
of trouble.

All eyes on us: Despite going on long into the night, spectators stayed packed in to the Rod Laver Arena

But he could not repeat the feat when
Djokovic threatened again, the Serbian moving 4-2 ahead after crushing a
mid-court forehand on his second break point.

Murray forced his opponent to serve
it out and it proved a crucial moment as Djokovic faltered, his serve
deserting him at a critical time.

The Scot completed his comeback from 5-2 down to 5-5 with a cool hold.

And he almost broke again only for
three break points to come and go – the second a 29-shot rally ended
with a crushing forehand from Djokovic.

Rallying cry: Murray was cheered on by his usual entourage, including girlfriend Kim Sears

It was to prove his final opportunity
as Djokovic then broke to clinch an extraordinary match in four hours
and 50 minutes and set up a title decider with Rafael Nadal on Sunday
night.

'I am delighted to reach the final
and what can be a bigger challenge than playing Rafael Nadal, who has
been playing so well on this court,' he said.

'We have a lot of respect for each
other but I am going to try to recover. It is going to be physical so I
need to do some push-ups tonight.'

Robbie Fowler back at Liverpool

Posted on January 25, 2012 by adminsports

Suarez suspended, Carroll misfiring… and now Fowler's back at Liverpool!

First it was Thierry Henry. Then it was Paul Scholes. But surely Robbie Fowler won't be next.

After two high-profile comebacks in the Barclays Premier League, it was perhaps a little optimistic to think Fowler would be pulling on the red of Liverpool again when he was spotted at Melwood on Tuesday.

Watching brief: Robbie Fowler took in the reserve match at Melwood

The legendary striker, who enjoyed two spells at Anfield during his career, took in the reserves match against Blackburn.

With Andy Carroll struggling and Luis Suarez still suspended, the Reds are certainly short of firepower up front.

But even Kop die-hard Fowler would now admit he'd struggle to return to the fast-paced arena of English football after stints playing in the backwaters of Australia and Thailand.

Visit: Liverpool co-owner Tom Werner (left) also watch the match

He is expected to be in the crowd for Wednesday's Carling Cup semi-final second leg against Manchester City. Liverpool hold a 1-0 advantage from the first meeting as they attempt to book their first Wembley visit since 1996.

That was when Fowler and co wore those horrendous white suits on the pitch before their defeat to arch rivals Manchester United.

Asked about the suit, Fowler said: 'I've still got it, people still remind me about them. If we'd won nobody would have mentioned it but we lost and it has become infamous.'

Faux pas: Liverpool players in their infamous White Armani suits

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Tag Archives: comebacks

Norwich deserved to win, admits Fergie after United miss the chance to go top

Ricky Hatton to apply for fight licence

Michael Carberry"s big step on his road to recovery – Paul Newman

Roberto di Matteo putting FA Cup final on back burner ahead of Newcastle game

Liverpool slump as fortress Anfield stormed yet again

Australian Open 2012: Andy Murray loses to Novak Djokovic as girlfriend Kim Sears watches

Robbie Fowler back at Liverpool