Jose Mourinho: The world is waiting for Manchester United versus Real Madrid

Posted on February 11, 2013 by adminsports

'The match the world is waiting for'… Mourinho knows all eyes will be on Manchester United versus Real Madrid

By
John Drayton

PUBLISHED:

20:40 GMT, 10 February 2013

UPDATED:

03:21 GMT, 11 February 2013

Jose Mourinho has claimed this week's Champions League showdown between Real Madrid and Manchester United is the 'match the world is waiting for'.

United head to the Bernabeu for the first leg on Wednesday, before the tie is decided at Old Trafford three weeks later.

The only certainty will be one of the heavyweights getting knocked out at the end, with Cristiano Ronaldo pitted against his old club in a mouthwatering duel.

Returning idol: Cristiano Ronaldo will play at Old Trafford for the first time since his 2009 departure

'It is the match the world is waiting for,' Mourinho told MUTV.

'People think we are under pressure because a big team will be out.

'But it is the kind of match we want and the people are not waiting for any other game.

Eager: Mourinho was at Old Trafford to scout Real's opponents

'I hope we give them what they want.'

After Ronaldo bagged yet another hat-trick in Real's win over Seville last night, Mourinho flew into Manchester today to watch United overcome Everton at Old Trafford.

And, despite the impending battle, Mourinho was welcomed into Sir Alex Ferguson's inner sanctum prior to the 2-0 win, a sign of just how much affection the pair hold for each other.

Rivals: But there is a great mutual respect between Ferguson and Mourinho

'I feel privileged about that because he is such an important person in the world of football and, more importantly, he is good person,' said Mourinho.

'I have always had a fantastic relationship with him and I am proud of it.

'We have had so many matches between us which started with Porto. We had some with Chelsea, Inter and now Real. Some I had won, some I have lost, others I have drawn.

Hat-trick hero: Ronaldo stole the show last time the two sides met in the Champions League

'Of course, I want to win and he wants to win, but I believe the loser will have a little bit of space to feel a little bit happy because of the friendship.

'But make no mistake, I want to win.'

Daniel Sturridge move to Liverpool from Chelsea stalls after row over agents fees

Posted on December 20, 2012 by adminsports

EXCLUSIVE: Sturridge's 12m Liverpool switch hits skids after row over agents fees

UPDATED:

22:50 GMT, 19 December 2012

Moving on: Sturridge has been told he can leave Chelsea

Daniel Sturridge's 12million move to Liverpool has hit a stumbling block due to a wrangle over agents fees.

Liverpool are stamping down on the money they pay agents after recently published figures showed their outlay since 2008-09 has been a staggering 31.3million – only Chelsea (31.8m) and Manchester City (39.02m) have paid more in the same period.

Liverpool had hoped that Sturridge – who has been told he can leave Chelsea after being left out of their squad for the Club World Cup – would have been in a position to complete a medical on Wednesday so that his switch from Stamford Bridge would be finalised in time for him to be unveiled on January 1.

However, the medical never took place as problems emerged in the discussions between Chelsea and Sturridge's advisors over the terms of his departure.

England international: But Sturridge can't find a way into the Chelsea side

There have also been some minor issues with Liverpool and Sturridge's advisors.

Though Liverpool remain confident the deal will eventually go through, manager Brendan Rodgers has other alternatives to turn to if discussions with Sturridge break down beyond repair.

Kevin Gamiero – a France international who is currently playing for Paris Saint-Germain – would be a potential target to come in on loan. The 25-year-old has not featured a great deal for PSG.

There are no such concerns, however, over Tom Ince's impending return from Blackpool. He should officially become a Liverpool player when the transfer window opens.

Newcastle hope they can keep Demba Ba

Posted on August 20, 2012 by adminsports

Newcastle banking on Ba's staying power after sumptuous strike against Spurs

UPDATED:

21:30 GMT, 19 August 2012

Fantasy football 2012

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew’s best piece of summer business will be keeping Demba Ba.

Several Barclays Premier League
clubs, including Saturday’s defeated opponents Tottenham, were rumoured
to be ready to invoke the clause in the Senegal striker’s original
contract before it expired at the end of last month.

But no clubs came in to match the 7million release fee.

First blood: Demba Ba curls the ball home to give Newcastle the lead against Tottenham

What they need in the window…

Newcastle: Alan Pardew will continue the pursuit of Lille full-back Mathieu Debuchy but if he can keep his squad intact until September 1 there is no further investment required.

Tottenham: Andre Villas- Boas is close to a deal for striker Emmanuel Adebayor but the impending departure of Luka Modric will leaves Spurs lacking creativity in midfield.

Ba, who showed no signs of wanting to
quit throughout the ordeal for club and manager, scored his first goal
since February to set Newcastle on their way to a 2-1 victory over
Spurs.

And if Ba had been quick enough to the
ball after Hatem Ben Arfa was tripped by Rafael van der Vaart and Aaron
Lennon, he might have grabbed the penalty winner rather than the
enigmatic Frenchman.

Pardew admitted he cannot rest easy
until the transfer window is finally shut as Ba, Yohan Cabaye and Cheick
Tiote could still be lured by wealthier predators.

‘I worry about losing all my players because unfortunately we’re not Manchester United or Manchester City,’ he said.

Leap: Ba rises highest to win the ball

‘We’re always vulnerable. If you ask
me do I sleep well at night, I’d have to say, “not always”. I’m looking
forward to September 1 because by then we’ll all know where we are. We
have match-winners in the side. It was a clever goal from Demba, the way
he manoeuvred the full back to buy himself the space.

‘He had to track his runs deep into
our half. You’re asking a striker to do that, but it keeps the strikers
on the pitch if they’re prepared to do it. That can give you an
advantage sometimes.

‘Last season was only lean for Demba
in terms of goalscoring. He was terrific for us last year, but it’s nice
for him to get a goal early.’

Given his clear frustrations in the 13
games he played alongside Papiss Cisse last season, when Cisse was
scoring for fun and he was having very little, Ba’s loyalty to Newcastle
could have been called into question. But he was appreciative of
Pardew’s faith, when others refused to gamble on his alleged injuries,
and is clearly enjoying himself at a revived club.

Wing wizard: Arron Lennon (centre) had a lively first half for Tottenham

Battle: James Perch (left) vies for the ball with Tottenham's Jermaine Defoe

He was asked if he had been close to leaving in the summer. ‘No,’ he said. ‘Will you expand’ ‘No. I am happy here.’

He was more forthcoming on why he will
be a threat again. He added: ‘I spent a lot of time after games
watching them again on my own and analysing them, seeing what I had to
do to change the bad stuff and that is why I am back on the scoring
sheet. Things are good. A lot of things were going on last season, I was
playing on the side and out wide. I was not frustrated because I did
not score but because I did not get enough of the ball.

‘I just want to play and enjoy
football but sometimes I was coming too deep and they were putting the
ball behind defences and I was not there.’

Ba will be rested for the first leg of
Newcastle’s Europa League play-off against Atromitos on Thursday.
Although Pardew will make considerable changes, with Chelsea to face
less than 48 hours later, he dismissed the possibility of fielding a
completely different XI in Greece.

Bad start: Andre Villas-Boas tasted defeat on his return to the Premier League

Robin Van Persie arrival is massive boost for Manchester United title hopes, says Michael Carrick

Posted on August 16, 2012 by adminsports

Van Persie arrival is 'massive boost' for United title hopes, says Carrick

UPDATED:

23:17 GMT, 15 August 2012

Fantasy football 2012

Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick has hailed the impending arrival of Robin van Persie at Old Trafford as a 'massive boost' for the club.

Van Persie is expected to make the switch from Arsenal to United in the next 24 hours after the two clubs agreed a fee for the 29-year-old.

Carrick heard the news after making his England comeback in the friendly international with Italy in Berne which Roy Hodgson's side won 2-1.

Red alert: Carrick believes Van Persie can help close the gap on City

He said: 'Someone mentioned in the dressing room about Van Persie and if it goes through, it will be brilliant.

'He had a terrific season and he will further strengthen our squad. It is a great boost going into the new season.

'He is a world class player and we have always been about bringing in players of that ability.

'Can it make the difference between second and first There wasn't much difference so hopefully we can go that step further!

'But the club has always had strength in depth and it is about the squad and not the 11 on the pitch.'

Carrick, who replaced Frank Lampard as skipper for the last 20 minutes, also praised the performance of debutant Tom Cleverley alongside side in midfield.

He said: 'He was fantastic and I had no doubts that he would have a good game.

All smiles: Carrick returned to the England set-up in the win over Italy

'I have seen him every day in training at United and know how good he is and, with his personality, he is ideal for the big occasion.

'He has got a good grounding at United and had played in big games already before tonight.'

England came from behind to triumph thanks to goals from Phil Jagielka and Jermain Defoe.

Carrick said: 'It was special for me to play after so long since I wore the jersey.

'To be captain for the first time in the final part of the game as well also made me feel proud.'

Carrick's last appearance was in May 2010 against Mexico.

Going Dutch: Van Persie was an unused sub in the friendly with Belgium

QPR facing big Junior Hoillet fee from Blackburn tribunal

Posted on July 23, 2012 by adminsports

Hoilett will cost you! Kean warns QPR of 6m tribunal demand for contract rebel

UPDATED:

06:55 GMT, 23 July 2012

QPR will have to spend big if they want to sign Junior Hoilett with Blackburn eyeing around 6million from a tribunal.

The Hoops are trying to secure a work permit for Rovers contract rebel Hoilett, before completing the Canadian's signing ahead of German side Borussia Monchengladbach.

The forward is keen to join Mark Hughes' side, who are on tour in Indonesia, and the clubs are discussing compensation – but Blackburn want to let a tribunal decide the fee as they reckon it will mean more money.

Rover and out: Junior Hoilett (centre) is set to leave Blackburn for QPR

An agreement is likely to be reached soon, but QPR officials want confirmation of Hoilett's work permit before finalising the deal.

Kean said: 'QPR might make us an offer, if not it might go to a tribunal. We were always hopeful he would go to a club here because the compensation would be greater.

'Manchester City got a chunky figure when Daniel Sturridge went to Chelsea. We have had Junior for a long time and we developed him and put a lot of time and effort into him.

'I am sure that will be reflected when the time comes.'

Kean admitted that he wanted striker Jamie Mackie to be part of the Hoilett deal, but QPR were not ready to let him go.

He said: 'There are plenty of good players down there. But we are finding out that clubs like to keep their best players.'

No deal: Hoilett has refused to sign a new contract at Ewood Park

Kean also revealed Blackburn were unhappy at not receiving notice from Hoilett about his impending move to QPR.

The Scot said: 'We feel we have been a big part of his development. It would have been nice to get a call.

'We had monthly meetings with his dad and he said he was keeping his options open. His dad is his agent and has been all around the world looking for offers.'

Harry Redknapp sacked: Transformation of Spurs is airbrushed out of history

Posted on June 14, 2012 by adminsports

Martin Samuel: Redknapp's amazing transformation of Spurs is airbrushed out of history

UPDATED:

07:11 GMT, 14 June 2012

Turns out it was all an accident. Champions League football, that night against Inter Milan, Gareth Bale becoming one of the greatest wide players in Europe, the best sustained sequence of league finishes in 48 years. Fluked, the lot of it.

Harry Redknapp was never any cop as Tottenham manager. Says so right here on this messageboard.

Not since Cristiano Ronaldo left Manchester United and previously rational human beings took to the airwaves to announce he would not be missed has there been a greater act of collective revisionism.

Star in the making: Gareth Bale (right) gives Inter the runaround in 2010

The celebrations greeting Redknapp’s impending departure from White Hart Lane – this reaction is not universal but it is certainly not a minority, either – appear to wilfully disregard almost four years, focusing instead on a highly unusual four months.

From appearing on the steps of Southwark Crown Court an innocent man, through the intense speculation surrounding his candidacy as England manager, to the collapse of Tottenham’s league form resulting in a fourth-place finish, to the final kick in the guts of Chelsea’s win in Munich to deny Tottenham Champions League football next season – this is a passage of time quite unlike that endured by any manager in English football.

Yet it is Redknapp’s performance in such
unique circumstances that has become the focus of attention rather than
the evidence of what the man achieved with life on an even keel.
Tottenham’s capitulation is the stick with which to beat Redknapp, as if
no other club have ever surrendered a position of advantage.

Cleared: Redknapp outside Southwark Crown Court in February

For the record, Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United also fell with the finishing line in sight: perhaps he is tactically nave, too

That is the main criticism levelled at Redknapp. No football brain, apparently. Just slings 11 players out there and hopes for the best.

Sometimes he gets fortunate and it works but this season his luck just ran out. His old school methods are outdated, outmoded. He needs replacing with a younger man, a smarter thinker.

Roberto Martinez of Wigan Athletic is one of the names on chairman Daniel Levy’s shortlist and seems to have a high approval rating among supporters.

So cast your mind back to a match at White Hart Lane on November 22, 2009. Final score: Tottenham Hotspur 9 Wigan Athletic 1. Now consider that it is the manager whose team scored nine goals who is being depicted as the tactical ignoramus and could be replaced by the other fellow. Do you know how many times a team have scored nine in 20 years of Premier League football Twice. Manchester United beat Ipswich Town 9-0 on March 4, 1995, and, more than 14 years later, Tottenham beat Wigan.

Backward step Levy (below) is considering replacing Redknapp with Roberto Martinez, who presided over Wigan's 9-1 defeat at the hands of Redknapp's Spurs in 2009

No team should get beaten by nine. No manager should be unable to stem that flood. Martinez is an excellent young coach but if Redknapp is being condemned for a lack of cunning, his is not the first name that springs to mind as an example of a calculating superior.

A manager does not defeat AC Milan 1-0 in the San Siro, as Redknapp did in 2011, by making it up as he goes along. He does not play tight and tidy to draw goalless in the return if his only thought is to attack witlessly.

And this was not a weak Milan side, either. They were on their way to winning the Serie A title. It was pretty much the side that took Arsenal apart at the same stage of the tournament this season.

Unprecedented: Redknapp led Spurs into the Champions League, where they famously beat Milan (below)

In that same campaign, Redknapp gave English football one of its greatest nights in recent memory, defeating Inter Milan 3-1 at White Hart Lane. It was a game that changed reputations, not least that of Bale, who announced his arrival as the player now coveted by Barcelona. Maicon, Inter and Brazil’s right back, went from being regarded as the greatest in his position to a figure for fun.

They still sell T-shirts commemorating the chant ‘Taxi for Maicon’ outside White Hart Lane.

Redknapp gave them that. There are not too many managers who would have been brave enough to assault the Italians with pure pace as he did that night. Would David Moyes, another on Levy’s radar and now being talked up by fans who have clearly tired of watching some of the best football in the league

Roasting: Bale tormented Maicon (right) in the San Siro

Put it this way. Moyes has done a superb job on a tight budget at Everton and clearly deserves a bigger opportunity but, if he has rampant cavalier instincts, he has managed to keep them well hidden. Give neutrals the choice and nobody would watch Everton ahead of Redknapp’s Tottenham for fun.

Yet, even the tutoring of Bale, one of Redknapp’s greatest achievements, is now being stolen from him. He was going to be shipped out on loan if injury to Benoit Assou-Ekotto had not intervened. So what Most players get their break this way. A senior player is hurt or his form dips and the understudy is promoted.

Bragging rights: Spurs beat Arsenal at the Emirates in 2010

Joleon Lescott, scorer of England’s goal against France on Monday, was in the team for only one reason: Gary Cahill got injured. Does this make Roy Hodgson lucky Not really. He still oversaw the set piece that gave Lescott his goal.

The team still played his way. Fate may have provided Bale’s chance but the confidence he then showed was a result of Redknapp’s man-management. Yet the entries in his credit column are, one by one, being stripped away. Luka Modric’s form is not the work of Redknapp but the insightful transfer acumen of Levy.

This ignores the fact that Modric arrived before Redknapp and was playing like a drain until the manager shaped the team to get the best from him. It was Redknapp who made Levy’s 16.5million investment pay.

Mentor: Redknapp got the best out of Luka Modric (right)

He has taken the club as far as they can go. How many times have you heard that since Tottenham’s campaign faltered Indeed, how many times have you heard it said about managers and clubs that, having overachieved, are struggling to live up to high expectations

Martin O’Neill had taken Aston Villa as far as they could go, Alan Curbishley had done the same at Charlton Athletic, Sir Bobby Robson at Newcastle United, Sam Allardyce at Bolton Wanderers, Redknapp at West Ham United: except it turned out that wasn’t as far as those clubs could go at all.

It isn’t easy maintaining relative success in the modern Premier League. Just look at Liverpool.

So for Redknapp’s successor, the mission is clear. To improve on his record of two fourth-place finishes. The new man – tactically astute, playing breathtaking football and completely in tune with the two-tier continental management style that worked so well for Juande Ramos and Jacques Santini – merely has to take Tottenham to their highest position since 1990, before the Premier League was formed.

You may think times have changed but on May 23, 1984, Keith Burkinshaw led Tottenham to UEFA Cup victory against Anderlecht and 33 days later he lost his job. How many European trophies have Tottenham won since None. Now that’s nave.

Harry Redknapp

Martin Samuel: Harry Redknapp achievements airbrushed out of history

Posted on June 14, 2012 by adminsports

Martin Samuel: Redknapp's amazing transformation of Spurs is airbrushed out of history

UPDATED:

23:04 GMT, 13 June 2012