Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez says Tuesday's 4-0 Champions League win over Real Madrid proves the Anfield outfit can play attacking football.
The Reds won 5-0 on aggregate to reach the quarter-finals and Benitez said: "I know people in Spain think my teams do not attack.
"But look at this result and the 119 goals we scored last season.
"We're ranked number one in Europe and a result like this against a great club like Real Madrid is very pleasing."
Fernando Torres opened the scoring for Liverpool in the second leg before Steven Gerrard's double, which included a penalty for what was judged to be a Gabriel Heinze handball, and a late Andrea Dossena effort completed an impressive victory over the Spanish team.
Benitez was able to substitute Torres, Gerrard and Xabi Alonso as he switched his thoughts to Saturday's trip to Manchester United in the Premier League.
The Reds have to beat United to maintain their slim title hopes and Benitez believes the win over Real Madrid is the ideal confidence booster ahead of the game.
"We have an important game next but we have played well, scored four goals and are very confident. That is the best way to prepare for such a game," he stated.
"It was important for us to play that well but we are now facing a very good team and we must win to close the gap at the top.
"We have a few days to enjoy this result and make sure we are positive and prepared properly for the game at Old Trafford."
Liverpool's record in the past five seasons has put them top of the European rankings and they blew Real Madrid away with a storming start.
"We played really well from beginning to the end and I am really pleased for the fans," added Benitez.
"Why are we so good in Europe? I can only say that we approach European games with confidence and in the right way.
"Torres and Gerrard played very well but I do not like to talk about one or two players, everyone was very good, from the first to the last on the pitch.
"They were expecting us to play deep and play on the counter-attack but we were on top of them right from the start and they never really recovered from that opening spell.
"The last five years this team has been very good in Europe, we have shown that continually. Our fans appreciate that and understand what we have achieved."
Deflated Real Madrid coach Juande Ramos had his doubts about Liverpool's opening two goals but conceded the Reds were deserved winners.
Liverpool were excellent and deserved to go through
Real Madrid coach Juande Ramos
"We are very disappointed and it is sad that we are out and we are obviously not happy with the result," said the former Tottenham boss.
"We conceded two early goals and I had my doubts about both. There looked to be a foul for the first and the penalty was not clear at all.
"But Liverpool were excellent and deserved to go through. They were too good on the night and there is no point in denying that, they deserved to go through.
"We tried all we could but the way the goals came so early, it made the game complicated as soon as we went two behind." Source:http://news.bbc.co.uk
On the eve of this match Guus Hiddink offered only platitudes when asked what qualities a team required to win the Champions League, but his players provided a far more eloquent answer. In a performance of bravery, resilience and no little luck, Chelsea booked their place in the quarter-finals by doing just enough to draw a spellbinding match, in doing so demonstrating that they have what it takes to return to Italy for the final on Wednesday, May 27.
Chelsea have become experts in navigating their way through the latter stages of this competition, reaching the semi-finals in four of the past five years, and this latest group of players have shown that they are equally tournament-savvy.
As with Liverpool, Chelsea’s main men seem to raise their games on the biggest of European nights, with Petr Cech, the goalkeeper, outstanding and Didier Drogba arriving in the nick of time to score the 83rd-minute goal that sealed their passage. Even those boys in blue short of their best, such as Michael Ballack, dug in to contribute when it mattered, the sign of a side who have yet to peak.
Chelsea were second best for long spells against a Juventus team whose energy belied their advancing years, but such is the self-belief instilled by Hiddink that they never looked like losing, even when the home side were laying siege to their goal midway through the second half. The transformation since that supine surrender at Old Trafford two months ago has been simply extraordinary. What a difference a manager makes.
Chelsea’s modus operandi does them few favours, though any lingering doubts that the club were correct to dispense with Luiz Felipe Scolari can now be dispelled. It is certainly difficult to imagine that these players would have absorbed so much pressure before striking on the counter-attack under the likeable Brazilian, but they are a different proposition under Hiddink. Were it not for the fact that he made such a spectacularly bad appointment in the first place, it would be time to lavish some praise upon Roman Abramovich, the owner.
In a little more than a month, Hiddink has turned a collection of unhappy, self-centred individuals into a team. Before last night his main contribution had been hard work and organisation, but even allowing for a perfectly good goal from Drogba being disallowed, another ingredient was added to the mix — luck. The Dutchman rolled the dice with an outrageously bold team selection and his numbers came up.
Hiddink’s gamble on Michael Essien’s fitness initially backfired as Chelsea were overrun in the first half, but it was eventually vindicated as the Ghana midfield player showed remarkable stamina to follow up Frank Lampard’s shot to tap in an equaliser on the stroke of half-time. Essien’s brain may have been scrambled by being played out of position on the right of midfield, but his legs, lungs and heart remain strong.
Hiddink’s removal of Essien just after an hour was also well judged, as by that stage even he was tiring and his replacement, Juliano Belletti, played a crucial part in seeing Chelsea over the line. The Brazil player was one of few players to distinguish himself under Scolari and he confirmed his status as an invaluable squad player, shoring up the midfield and getting into an advanced possession to square the ball for Drogba to score his team’s second equaliser of the night.
Chelsea would have gone through on away goals even without Drogba’s fourth goal in five matches, but were never comfortable and several obvious weaknesses remain. Given the lack of creativity elsewhere in his squad, Hiddink has little option but to persevere with Drogba and Nicolas Anelka up front, leaving them vulnerable against opposition able to attack with width.
Juventus did just that in an opening 45 minutes in which they dominated, Cristian Molinaro providing José Bosingwa and Essien with all sorts of problems down the left before Vincenzo Iaquinta gave the home side a deserved lead. The Italy striker, playing in a midfield role, drifted in from the left to play a beautifully judged one-two with David Trezeguet, bisecting Alex and John Terry with his run to shoot past Cech. Three minutes later, Ballack gave the ball away to Alessandro Del Piero, whose shot was tipped over.
Cech also had to be at his best during the second half as Juventus pushed for a second, even after being reduced to ten men when Giorgio Chiellini was sent off for a second booking. The Czech Republic goalkeeper denied Trezeguet from point-blank range, but he was powerless to prevent Del Piero giving Juventus the lead for a second time, from the penalty spot, to set up a thrilling finish. The return of Ricardo Carvalho from a hamstring injury should solve some defensive problems, as Cech cannot always be relied upon to save them.
Chelsea somehow found an extra gear to leave the Old Lady lamenting their fate as the fat lady sang, but will need to add greater quality to undoubted character if they are to take part in the Roman carnival in May.
Juventus (4-4-2): G Buffon — Z Grygera, O Mellberg, G Chiellini, C Molinaro — V Iaquinta (sub: S Giovinco, 61min), Tiago, C Marchisio, P Nedved (sub: H Salihamidzic, 45) — D Trezeguet (sub: Amauri, 78), A Del Piero. Substitutes not used: A Manninger, J Zebina, C Poulsen, L Ariaudo. Booked: Salihamidzic, Chiellini, Del Piero. Sent off: Chiellini.
Chelsea (4-1-3-2): P Cech — J Bosingwa, Alex (sub: R Carvalho, 89), J Terry, A Cole — J Obi Mikel — M Essien (sub: J Belletti, 66), M Ballack, F Lampard — D Drogba, N Anelka. Substitutes not used: Hilário, F Malouda, Deco, S Kalou, M Mancienne. Booked: Cech, Drogba, Cole, Anelka.
Toro Rosso aiming to beat recession, says Franz Tost
Toro Rosso will buck the trend and increase staff numbers this year while other Formula One teams axe jobs in the face of the credit crunch, Franz Tost, the team principal, said today.
Toro Rosso, based in Italy, are the smallest outfit in Formula One, with an annual budget of just over 100 million euros, a spending level three times below some manufacturers’. Tost said that cost-cutting measures, such as a ban on testing during the season, introduced by the sport’s governing bodies will help. The team’s engine costs are likely to fall by half compared with last year. However, Toro Rosso must become a full constructor – designing and building their own car. They have previously shared their basic chassis with Red Bull, their sister team.
“We will add staff in the design department as well as the aerodynamic department,” Tost said. “But in the rest of the departments we are quite full with people. Currently in Faenza [their base] we have around 178 people and at the end of the season and beginning of 2010 I assume we will have around 250 people.”
Toro Rosso, powered by Ferrari, are the former Minardi team renamed after being bought by Red Bull in 2005. They made a big breakthrough last year when they won the Italian Grand Prix with Germany’s Sebastian Vettel.
Asked whether he felt small teams could continue to have a decent level of performance, Tost made clear that they would always be struggling to match the big ones even with a reduction in costs.
“We have to do the job as efficiently as possible, and I think we are doing this,” he said.“I’m quite sure you can’t now compare Toro Rosso with Ferrari or McLaren or BMW, they have a much better infrastructure and also more people. But we will increase our infrastructure, we will build it up and bring in people and we will see where we end up,” he added.
Tost said the extra staff would not necessarily come from other teams. Christian Horner, the head of Red Bull, told reporters at his team’s car launch last month that he expected to shed at least 20 positions while Renault have also cut jobs in Britain and France. “Every team in the pitlane will be facing a downsizing to some degree greater or lesser because of the reduced activities,” Horner said.
The former Honda team, with around 700 employees last year, are expected to compete with substantially fewer people in their new guise of Brawn GP. The Formula One season starts with the Australian Grand Prix at the end of March.
Pops Mensah-Bonsu says he is glad to be back in the NBA but does not expect his stay in America to get in the way of his commitments with the GB team.
"I'm thrilled and excited to get another chance to play in the NBA," said Mensah-Bonsu, who made his debut for new team San Antonio on Wednesday.
"But my commitment to GB is high on my priority list.
"Now that we're going to the European Championships, I'm not going to let anything get in the way."
The Tottenham-born 25-year-old played all 13 games in GB's 2008 summer programme, which culminated in qualification for this year's EuroBasket in Poland.
"If you look at our roster, together with a couple of additions - Ben Gordon and Kelenna Azubuike - we've got four NBA players, which not many national teams can say they have," said Mensah-Bonsu.
"That's a pretty talented group and a tough team. I think we'll be able to compete."
Mensah-Bonsu was signed to a 10-day contract by San Antonio but remains hopeful he will be kept on until the end of the season.
"I really wanted this and it feels good to be back," he said. "I feel I can make an impact on this league.
"I feel confident I will be with an NBA team at the end of the season. I hope I will be San Antonio."
The Spurs are currently second in the Western Conference in midseason, having won 38 of 55 games so far.
Mensah-Bonsu played three months for the Dallas Mavericks in 2006 before returning to Europe to play with for Benetton Treviso.
He started this season at Badalona in Spain, before being released in October in a dispute over a shoulder injury.
He made his debut for GB against Belgium in Sardinia in August and led GB in total scoring and rebounding through the successful summer programme. Source:http://news.bbc.co.uk
Marco Melandri in action for Ducati last season before he switched to Kawasaki
Italy's Marco Melandri will race in a new one-man MotoGP team this season after Kawasaki's decision to pull out of the sport was challenged.
The manufacturer cited the economic crisis for its decision to withdraw in January but Dorna, who hold commercial rights to the sport, threatened to sue.
American John Hopkins, who would have been Melandri's fellow rider in the usual two-man team, is without a ride.
The new season starts on 12 April with the Qatar Grand Prix. A Kawasaki spokesman said: "Kawasaki announces that after constructive talks between Kawasaki, Dorna and other involved parties, a new one-rider team will participate in the 2009 MotoGP championship season, with Marco Melandri as rider." Melandri switched from Ducati to Kawasaki at the end of the 2008 campaign. Source:http://news.bbc.co.uk
The former Honda team plans to test at Silverstone and Barcelona in the next fortnight, raising hopes it will start the new Formula One season next month.
Honda pulled out of F1 in December as a result of the global financial crisis, leaving the British-based outfit to search desperately for a buyer.
BBC Sport understands the team will not test in Jerez next week but will have a "shake-down" test at Silverstone.
The outfit then hope to make the full team test in Barcelona on 9 March.
Team members have been told a deal is close and to prepare to race in 2009, with the new season getting under way at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on 29 March.
There's no way we'd go to any test without an engine deal... if we're going to Jerez, it means it's a done deal
BBC source
It is unclear who the new owners would be, but speculation has focused on a buy-out led by the current management of chief executive Nick Fry and team principal Ross Brawn.
A senior source at the former Honda team, which is based in Brackley, Northamptonshire, told BBC Sport: "We're carrying on as if we're going to Melbourne."
The source likened the situation to "being in the final stages of buying a house when the contracts are agreed and signed and it's with the lawyers".
The source added that Brawn had told employees that "everything's positive - it's all going ahead".
Bruno Senna could partner Button
No decision had yet been made on a driver line-up, but BBC Sport has learned that Englishman Jenson Button will definitely race for the team if it gets the official go-ahead.
The second seat is understood to be between two Brazilians - veteran Rubens Barrichello, Button's team-mate since 2006, and novice Bruno Senna, the nephew of F1 legend Ayrton.
The car will be fitted with a Mercedes engine.
"There's no way we'd go to any test without an engine deal," the source said. "If we're going to Jerez, it means it's a done deal."
It is unclear whether any official announcement would be made before the test.
Even if the team make it to the final pre-season test in Barcelona in mid-March, they still face an uphill struggle to be competitive at the start of the season.
At the time of Honda's withdrawal, Brawn expressed his belief that the car could run in the top three in 2009, despite the team's poor form in the last two years.
But the recent uncertainty will have affected development effort, and they have lost running time to their rivals, most of whom have completed at least two full four-day tests already. source:news.bbc.co.uk
A review of the news from around the grounds of each Barclays Premier League club.
Arsenal
Chief executive Ivan Gazidis believes Arsenal are well positioned to ride out the current uncertain financial climate and says the board will continue to back manager Arsene Wenger in the transfer market. The Barclays Premier League club have announced pre-tax profits for the six months ended 30th November 2008 were £24.5m, up from £20m, with increased contributions from both the football and property aspects of the Gunners' parent holding company. Gazidis said: "If Arsene believes that there are players out there who can help the squad, the board is always behind him, but don't forget we believe in the young players we have. When you look at the ages of the players we are putting out on the field and their level of performance, the next two or three years will look very bright indeed. We have achieved a half-year pre-tax profit of £24.5m which in this environment is very solid. I think the industry as a whole will be affected in the medium to long term. Fortunately at Arsenal, we are very well positioned and our key sponsorship contracts are long-term agreements which fix our revenue there."
Aston Villa
Martin O'Neill took comfort in the commendable displays of Barry Bannan and Marc Albrighton as Aston Villa lost 2-0 on CSKA Moscow's plastic pitch in sub-zero temperatures. Villa went out of the UEFA Cup 3-1 on aggregate but after leaving behind eight senior players, O'Neill was delighted with the debuts of the two 19-year-olds. He said: "We had two players making their first starts in wide positions and I thought they did exceptionally well. We were always in the game until the last minute and we always felt we were capable of scoring a goal, and we had one or two opportunities to do so. We have tried our utmost and, although it was not to be, in terms of team effort and what the young players gave, I was delighted."
Blackburn Rovers
Manager Sam Allardyce has called on his players to toughen up and grind their way out of relegation trouble. Rovers are third-bottom of the Barclays Premier League and, having gone six matches unbeaten immediately after Allardyce took over from Paul Ince in December, have now lost their last two. Admittedly those defeats were against Aston Villa and Manchester United, but Allardyce believes there are other drawn matches which should have been won. And he knows Rovers have to stop the rot before it becomes damaging, starting at Hull City on Sunday when he faces Phil Brown, his former assistant manager at Bolton. Allardyce said: "We could have got ourselves out of our position by achieving so much more in terms of points on the board. We know we have let ourselves down in giving too many soft points away in the last few Premier League games, one of those being Manchester United having watched the match again. In the last five games we have only taken five points. There could have been so many more points on the board - it should have been three wins and two losses. We have to be a bit tougher on ourselves, be a bit more determined, and make sure we get out of the game what we deserve. The performance is good but the points total is not good enough at the moment. Even then the mentality has to be if we are not playing well we don't get beat. If we get something out of a game we don't deserve that is what helps keep you up in this division. Let's hope we can put that together. It is only small things we have to improve on but you have to do it on more than talent."
Bolton Wanderers
Manager Gary Megson has called for his team to improve their consistency between now and the end of the season. Wanderers have won two of their last three Barclays Premier League matches but prior to that they had recorded one victory in eight. At this stage last season the club were staring relegation in the face but a run of 11 points from their final unbeaten five matches secured their top-flight status. Although the situation is not as bad this campaign - they are seven points above the drop zone in 12th - Megson knows a brief run of unbeaten matches may not be enough to save them if they cannot keep amassing points until the end of the season. "As you get towards the end of the season there is less opportunity to put things right if you need to," he said. "You can't have one good period you have to look at it all the way through. But the three points you can get now are exactly the ones you can get in May and exactly the ones you should have got in October."
Chelsea
Guus Hiddink says he has not had a problem with goal hero Didier Drogba's commitment or motivation since taking over as interim coach at Stamford Bridge. Drogba, his season hampered by injury, suspension and a fall-out with former boss Luiz Felipe Scolari, looked back to his predatory best when he pounced to fire the 12th-minute winner in the 1-0 Champions League last-16 first-leg triumph over Juventus. Hiddink was full of praise for his efforts saying: "I cannot and will not talk about the past because I was not here to judge, but what I normally ask from professional players is to be very committed. There has not been one player that I have had to motivate. If I had to motivate a player, then I think I start fighting with him or neglecting him, generally speaking. I have not had this problem at all with Drogba. From the first day I was here, he enjoyed training and worked hard. He worked hard against Villa and again against Juventus. So I don't have any problems with under-motivated players."
Everton
Leighton Baines is ready to fill the set-piece void left by Mikel Arteta's injury. Arteta is renowned for his abilities from dead ball situations and has scored three times from direct free kicks this term. But after the influential midfielder was ruled for the remainder of the season with a ruptured cruciate ligament, the emphasis will now be on Everton's other set-piece specialists. Former Wigan man Baines is often seen alongside Arteta at dead-ball situations, and he thinks he is the man to step in to the Spaniard's shoes. He said: "I'm always there over them and if I can take them then I will. Mikel has taken precedence really on those situations, but it's available and I'm more than happy to step in. But I think I'm just destined to be the dummy run, I think someone else will come in and take them whilst I'm just there!"
Fulham
Brede Hangeland is looking forward to challenging Barclays Premier League and European Champions Manchester United for a place in the last four of the FA Cup. He said: "At home we're very confident and it was a really good performance on Tuesday - if we keep doing that we'll be very hard to beat at home. We were happy with the way we came back after being a goal down. Swansea played very well over the two legs and gave us a very hard test but in the second half after they scored I thought we dominated the game and showed great character. To go through was the main objective and now we're playing the best team in the country but luckily we're playing them at home which should give us some comfort. I think we'll give them a good game and we look a lot stronger at home and there will be a big difference playing them at Old Trafford and at home. Hopefully that will work to our advantage and we'll have a chance to go through."
Hull City
Goalkeeper Matt Duke has signed a one-year contract extension, tying him to the club until 2011. The 31-year-old recently dislodged Boaz Myhill as first choice at the KC Stadium after several years in the shadows. Duke, who joined Hull from non-League Burton Albion for £20,000 in 2004, also overcame testicular cancer last year. Duke said: "I'm delighted and was more than happy to sign the new contract. I've worked hard over the years and I'm just glad to have been given my chance. The aim now is to stay in the team."
liverpool
Rafael Benitez expects Fernando Torres to miss Saturday's trip to Middlesbrough with his ankle injury, but believes Steven Gerrard could start the match. Torres was struggling from the off in Wednesday night`s 1-0 win at Real Madrid, but skipper Gerrard only came on for the last few minutes following a hamstring problem. Benitez was thrilled with the victory which gives him the opportunity to lead Liverpool to the Champions League quarter-final for the fourth time in five seasons. He said: "This was a very important victory, particularly as we did not have Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres was troubled by an ankle injury from the first minute. But we were able to play them on the counter-attack. We knew how Real play and we were able to organise our tactics accordingly."
Manchester City
Mark Hughes believes the results of Manchester City's multi-million pound investment are beginning to show after Thursday night's UEFA Cup victory over FC Copenhagen. Wales striker Craig Bellamy scored twice in seven second-half minutes to secure a 4-3 aggregate triumph and a place in the last 16 against another Danish side in Aalborg. "We keep trying to tell people we are very early in our progression but some people don't want to hear that," Hughes said. "Where we are at the moment is right on track."
Manchester United
A plan hatched by Sir Alex Ferguson and former assistant Carlos Queiroz lay behind Manchester United's successful charge to the Carling Cup Final. In seasons past, Arsenal's youngsters have been the ones to catch the eye in England's secondary knockout competition. This term it has been United, with half-a-dozen youngsters forming the basis of Ferguson's squad during a run that has seen them account for Middlesbrough and Blackburn as well as Championship opponents Queens Park Rangers and Derby County. The likes of Darron Gibson, Danny Welbeck, Rodrigo Possebon and Fabio Da Silva, who could replace twin brother Rafael, are all set to be part of the United party that tackles Tottenham, having benefited, not from reserve-team combat, but early elevation into Ferguson's first team set-up. Ferguson said: "Some time ago, I took a deliberate decision with Carlos Queiroz that the way forward with our youngsters was that as soon as we identified they had the quality and temperament to become first-team players, then we would bring them into the squad and let them train with the seniors. This has made a huge difference to their readiness for the big time and they are able to make the most of a first-team chance as and when it comes along."
Middlesbrough
Josh Walker has signed a new contract which will keep him at the Riverside Stadium until 2011. The 20-year-old, a graduate of the club's academy, has made six senior appearances since the turn of the year with manager Gareth Southgate having to turn to his youngsters because of injuries and suspensions. Born in Newcastle, central midfielder Walker made his senior debut as a substitute at Fulham in the final game of the 2005-06 season under former boss Steve McClaren. The England Under-19 international has also had loan spells with Aberdeen and Bournemouth. Walker becomes the third youngster to sign a new deal in recent weeks after Rhys Williams and Seb Hines.
Newcastle United
Newcastle United managing director Derek Llambias says relegation is simply unthinkable. The Magpies head for Bolton Wanderers on Sunday having dragged themselves five points clear of the Barclays Premier League drop zone after a hard-fought 0-0 draw with Everton last weekend. However, the job is far from done with Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea due at St James' Park in their next three home matches. And while remaining confident they will avoid the drop, Llambias said: "It's totally inconceivable. You just couldn't go there - and we won't go there. I might be bullish about it, but you have got to have that faith."
Portsmouth
Portsmouth have revealed they rejected a buy-out approach from former Tottenham Hotspur defender Ramon Vega because of fears it could impact on the club's long-term future. Vega made a move for the Barclays Premier League club earlier this month but Portsmouth claim he failed to prove he could fund the takeover. The 37-year-old former Switzerland international has moved into property management since retiring in 2003. In a statement, Portsmouth said: "As Mr Vega was consistently unable to demonstrate an ability to secure financing for his proposal - as had previously been agreed between both parties and which is fundamental to the long-term prospects of the club - the board, which includes the owner, decided to reject the proposal unless Mr Vega could satisfy them that the club's future would not be compromised. This was not forthcoming."
stoke city
James Beattie has told his team-mates to put last weekend's disappointing 2-2 draw with Portsmouth behind them and concentrate on Sunday's trip to Aston Villa. The Potters were within seconds of clinching only their second Barclays Premier League victory since 22nd November before Ryan Shawcross' own goal. Three points would have taken Stoke four clear of third-bottom Blackburn but Beattie admitted there was still a long way to go in the relegation battle. "We can't let it get us down. We have to pick ourselves up for Aston Villa on Sunday," said the striker, whose two goals against Pompey took his tally to four in five matches since his £3.5m January transfer from Sheffield United. "If you look at the table now all the bottom half is involved and you will have to go on a little run to get out of it."
Sunderland
Chairman Niall Quinn insists major investor Ellis Short has already demonstrated his commitment to Sunderland's growth by refusing to cash in on Kenwyne Jones. At a time when many clubs are having to cut back, the Black Cats were offered the chance to make a huge profit on their £6m investment in the former Southampton striker by selling him to Tottenham Hotspur. But backed by Irish-American Short, they instead handed the Trinidad and Tobago international a lucrative new contract. That, Quinn believes, is evidence of his desire to help the club achieve its dreams of achieving success on a sustained basis. He said: "He [Short] doesn't want to be patted on the back or held up as some sort of hero. I don't think this club has ever had a chance like this before and might never have it again. You look at the Kenwyne Jones saga this transfer window. The offers were well in excess of £15m - near enough £20m - and we said no. That kind of says it all. I don't really want to go championing him, but I would want to point out that people should know we are in good hands. The easiest thing to do there financially, if there was no real belief in what we were trying to do, was for the ownership to take the easy money and field a lesser player every week. That may have happened at this club in the past."
tottenham hotspur
Harry Redknapp has selection dilemmas ahead of the Carling Cup final after Jamie O'Hara forced himself into the Tottenham manager's plans on Thursday night. O'Hara, returning from a hip injury, put in a box-to-box performance against Shakhtar Donetsk as Spurs drew 1-1 at White Hart Lane and went out of the UEFA Cup 3-1 on aggregate. After being reduced to tears by being left out of last season's cup-final squad, O'Hara will compete with David Bentley for a place in midfield against Manchester United on Sunday if there is no reaction to his injury. Redknapp said: "Jamie has been unlucky - he's had an injury or he would have been in my team. He was top class against Shakhtar. He can play wide or inside and he is in my plans. He is a fantastic boy as well, you'd have him in your side any day of the week."
West Bromwich Albion
Manager Tony Mowbray has told his players it is time to show they have got what it takes to win their battle for survival. Albion face tricky back-to-back matches at Everton on Saturday and then at home to Arsenal on Tuesday. Rooted to the foot of the Barclays Premier Leauge table, it is a period which could make or break their bid to avoid an instant return to the Championship. Mowbray said: "We are going away to the team who are sixth and then meet the team who are fifth over the space of a few days. So we have a big, big ask coming up in the next few days and we will have to see whether we are up to the challenge which is in front of us. There is pressure on us to win but if don't win let us move on to the next match. We have shown against Everton already this season that we can give them more than a tough game."
West Ham United
Gianfranco Zola is expecting a reaction from his team in the wake of their FA Cup exit at Middlesbrough. The Hammers suffered a disappointing 2-0 defeat at the Riverside but the manager has challenged his players to bounce back at home to Manchester City on Sunday. He said: "The guys are not willing to sit on this too long and we are determined to put another run of good results together. We know what we are capable of achieving and will work very hard to make this happen."
Wigan Athletic
Steve Bruce remains hopeful British managers will get the chance to take a job with one of England's 'big four' but he admits the chances remain slim. Bruce has done remarkably well in lifting the Latics from relegation contenders to seventh place in the Barclays Premier League during his 15-month reign at the club. However, he knows taking charge of Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea or Arsenal is an entirely different prospect. "It (foreign managers) seems to be the way forward. Would Manchester United now go for the manager of Aberdeen?" he said, in reference to Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford. "I sincerely hope the British managers get a chance because it is difficult for any of us to win anything. The last manager to get a crack at a big cub was David Moyes at Everton and look at the fantastic job he has done. I'm sure any of us wouldn't mind a crack at managing that lot (at Chelsea). When you look at them - Nicolas Anelka, Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard and John Terry - they are a fantastic bunch of players."
Chelsea's Didier Drogba believes he is getting back to his best form thanks to the faith shown in him by Guus Hiddink.
Drogba gave Chelsea a slender one-goal lead over Serie A giants Juventus when he pounced to convert a pass from Salomon Kalou in the 12th minute.
The Ivorian was dropped by sacked manager Luiz Felipe Scolari following Chelsea's 3-0 defeat by Manchester United in the Barclays Premier League in January.
But since Dutchman Hiddink agreed to take charge of the club on a temporary basis until the summer, Drogba has started the last two matches in his preferred central striking role.
Now Drogba has reassured Chelsea fans that he is aiming to hit the kind of form that once made him a feared European striker and paid tribute to Hiddink's confidence in him.
psychological boost
"You haven't lost your Drogba, he was just not playing," said Drogba.
"Being judged when you are playing is much easier (to take). (But) when you are not playing you can be criticised.
"At the moment I feel good when I'm on the pitch and I make the most of those priceless moments. I'm not at my best because I think I need more games but I'm giving what I can at the moment.
"The truth is that the coach relies on me, which is a massive psychological boost for a striker.
"Physically, I'm not ready yet, but I need to play to get back in good form. There's no sense of revenge at all, that's my game and that's it.
"I've always been like that, I try to give my maximum and sometimes it's with success. You can see from the last two games that Hiddink is working a lot on the shape of the team, the organisation, you have to respect that because we know we will have chances to score goals."
(CNN) -- Bundesliga leaders Hoffenheim were hammered 4-1 at home by Bayer Leverkusen on Friday, meaning the winners of Saturday's showdown between Hertha Berlin and Bayern Munich will go top of the German table.
Leverkusen players celebrate Patrick Helmes (left) scoring the opening goal at Hoffenheim.
Germany striker Patrick Helmes proved the difference between the two sides at the Rhein-Neckar-Arena, scoring twice to lift Leverkusen into fourth place and hand Hoffenheim their heaviest defeat of the season -- and the first at their newly-opened stadium.
The visitors went ahead as early as the third minute when Renato Augusto's cross was superbly finished by Helmes and they doubled their advantage just five minutes later when captain Simon Rolfes stabbed home following a scramble in the goalmouth.
The home side pulled a goal back on 30 minutes when goalkeeper Rene Adler fouled Senegal striker Demba Ba in the penalty area, with midfielder Sejad Salihovic making no mistake from the spot.
But Hoffenheim fell further behind just before the interval when Helmes again showed clinical finishing to fire the ball past Timo Hildebrand.
(CNN) -- Chelsea posted losses of £65.7 million ($93.91m) as they were left to count the cost of managerial departures.
Guus Hiddink is the third coach to take charge at Chelsea since Jose Mourinho departed in 2007.
The results for the financial year ending on June 30, 2008 revealed that £23.1 million ($33.02m) had been paid in compensation to former Blues managers Jose Mourinho and Avram Grant and five coaching staff.
They do not include the payout that Luiz Felipe Scolari is set to receive, reported to be in the region £8 million ($11.44m), following his sacking this week.
The results come as Guus Hiddink took charge at Stamford Bridge until the end of the season, combining his duties as Russia national coach.
The Dutchman gave an upbeat assessment of Chelsea's prospects for the rest of the season, despite a string of indifferent results which led to Scolari's replacement.
"They are in several races, the FA Cup is there, the Champions League and also the league," Hiddink told Chelsea TV.
"There is a 10-point difference but if you look in the past of this league and other leagues as well, some things can happen during the final stages of the championship."
His assistant Ray Wilkins will stay in charge for the FA Cup fifth round tie against Watford on Saturday before Hiddink takes the reigns ahead of crucial matches against Aston Villa in the Premier League and Juventus in the last 16 of the Champions League.
Hiddink only agreed to take on the job because of his close friendship with Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, whose billions have helped the west London become one of the leading clubs in Europe.
Friday's financial results represent a further improvement after the record losses of £140.5 million in 2004/05, with Abramovich reducing the debt the club owe him personally by half.
He has turned £369.9 million of his loans into shares in the club, but it still means that Chelsea owe him £339.8m as an interest-free loan.
Chelsea also pointed the "record group turnover and reduced losses for a third successive season" in an official statement on their Web site www.chelseafc.com.
Chief executive Peter Kenyon said they were committed to breaking even by 2010 and gave a clear warning that the club would not be repeating the big-spending of recent seasons.
"In line with our long-stated business aims, any squad structuring in the summer will be funded prominently by sales as we have consistently reduced our net transfer spend over the last five years and will attempt to continue this trend," he told the Press Association.
The new financial strictures will represent a challenge to Scolari's long-term successor, with Hiddink continuing to insist he will honor his contract with Russia as he attempts to lead them to the 2010 World Cup finals.
"I have seen it here now and I felt the atmosphere already in a few hours, but what happens after May is clear because it is rather difficult to do the two jobs, and I have my obligations in Russia," Hiddink said. source:http://edition.cnn.com
Interviews Aren't the Only Thing KD Has Gotten Better At
LOS ANGELES -- If Kevin Durant seems a lot smoother in interviews these days, you can give partial credit to a video review session with his mom.
"My mom did a great job," Durant said. "She never had to talk to the media but she was a great speaker. I remember one time she played a clip for me, she watched it and she told me what I had to do."
Moms can do just about everything, but part of their job description entails helping their children to become self-sufficient and even self-critical. Durant didn't need Wanda Pratt's assistance to analyze his 43 percent field goal percentage as a rookie.
"When I look at tapes from last year and I see some of the shots I took, I would ask myself, 'Why?'" Durant said.
"Now I'm just being more patient. Knowing that the game, if I don't get a shot here, if I don't get a shot there, it's going to come back around to me. My teammates do a great job of looking for me. If I make a couple of shots in a row, they always make sure I get another shot. It's been fun this year. I'm just looking forward to getting better."
Maybe then he can even be an All-Star. He's making every other logical progression you could expect from a second-year player, taking his Rookie of the Year-winning numbers of 20.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game and adding five points and two rebounds to the averages. Most of all, he's a better shot-taker and shot-maker.
Durant's at 48 percent this season. For a little perspective, Kobe Bryant has taken 13 seasons to get his field goal percentage to a similar number. Durant's 3-point percentage has gone from 29 percent as a rookie to 42 percent this year.
"I just told myself, every day come in and work hard," Durant said. "I think I've been taking that good approach. Hopefully I'll continue to do that."
You have to remind yourself that Durant's only 20 years old. He's a second-year pro with an older brother who's a senior in college.
He'll get better. It's a given. The question is, what heights will he hit? Can he achieve that exalted single-name status.
His coach, Scott Brooks, thinks Durant is halfway there.
"He does a lot of things that all the great offensive players do," Brooks said. "I keep challenging him: rebounding and defending is what makes special players special. The Kobe Bryants and LeBron Jameses, they do it at both ends of the court."
Durant wasn't at his best in a loss to the Lakers Tuesday night, but overcame a slow start to score 31 points with 10 rebounds and four steals. Near the end of the game, Bill Simmons (who came out to Staples Center because he has Durant on his must-see-live-list) text messaged me to say "Durant is the new Ice Gervin or Alex English -- he's always gonna get his 30 to 35 even if he doesn't have it going."
At this rate Durant will be more English than Gervin. Gervin had the distinctive game with that signature finger roll. (And he had the iconic poster on the frozen throne with the silver basketballs).
English slipped through the league at the height of its popularity, emerging practically unnoticed. He was the league's most prolific scorer during the 1980s. Not Bird or Jordan or Olajuwon. He was the first player to ever score 2,000 or more points in eight consecutive seasons. Not Wilt or Kareem. And yet ...
I was at an All-Star weekend party in 2000 and English was standing next to Buck Williams. A top 10 scorer and a top 10 rebounder in the history of the NBA. It was clear from their height that they were basketball players, but the person next to me had to ask, "Who are they?"
I could see the same thing happening to Durant in retirement, unappreciated for his ability to score so much among the best players in the world.
To get burned into more memory banks his team will have to win more, enough to get into the playoffs, enough to earn him consideration for the All-Star Game ... unless he starts putting up numbers so large he has to be chosen.
He'll be in the rookie-sophomore game and the new H-O-R-S-E contest, something which he hasn't had any time to practice for. He's been working so much on shooting good shots that his trick-shot arsenal is limited.
At this rate it won't be long until he's in the weekend's showcase game, not one of the gimmick events. And if he ever does become more famous, there's always mom to help him with his public appearances.
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Way down from the top of the leader boards and from the bright sun shining on PGA Tour stars, down below even the exempt players whose names are vaguely familiar, there is a layer of professionals who have no status on the tour. Each year, they fight it out at qualifying school to see if they can regain their standing and get back out where the weekly purses are about $5 million.
J. P. Hayes is one of those golfers, a 43-year-old pro from Appleton, Wis., whose most noticeable statistic from 2008 was missing 11 consecutive cuts. He lost his card and was disqualified from the second stage of Q-school in November for inadvertently playing a prototype golf ball not yet on the United States Golf Association’s approved list.
Usually the only way Hayes could have gotten into any A-list events like this week’s AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am after the year he had would have been by writing letters and calling sponsors, essentially begging for an exemption.
But Hayes, a tour veteran who has earned about $7 million during his career, was invited back to Pebble Beach, and at least four other PGA Tour events this year, because he turned himself in at Q-school. He called officials from his hotel room for a mistake that no one else had noticed, and that probably would not have been uncovered if not for Hayes’s admission.
He said he never considered not turning himself in because it was a standard of the game that golfers called penalties on themselves, even those that would result in disqualification.
“And I would say that almost, I would hope, anyway, that 100 percent of us play by those standards,” he said.
He is hardly the first and certainly not the last golfer who will do this, and he said at the time, “I am certainly not any kind of hero for what I did.” But the reaction to his admission was swift and overwhelming after an article by Gary D’Amato appeared in The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
“I started getting these phone calls from Mike & Mike and Dan Patrick and Charlie Gibson,” he said of interview requests he received. “It was just a bizarre response to a story that I certainly had never intended to get out, but it did.
“I did a lot of interviews, and I always thought that the next phone call was going to be the last, but it never stopped ringing for three days. Probably about 300 phone calls later, it started to die down a little bit.”
Hayes still shakes his head about the response, which he calls embarrassing. He said he got so much attention for something that “kind of felt like one of those things that we all do and we all expect each other to do.”
He said he has turned down offers to deliver speeches on ethics to corporations and other groups because he did not want his action turned into “a different kind of deal.”
He will be playing this week at Pebble Beach, and at four other tournaments that gave him unsolicited exemptions: the John Deere Classic, the site of his only PGA Tour win in 2002; the U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee; the HP Byron Nelson Championship; and the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial.
“So that’s five tournaments, and with my past champion status, I’ll probably get in, I’m guessing, 10 more, so it’s not the end of the world,” he said. “I’ve played a lot of tournaments for a lot of years every year, and I’m looking forward to being ready every week, enjoying a little bit lighter workload, more time with the family to do some things that I haven’t been able to do.” source:www.nytimes.com
An irresistible Justine Henin carved her name alongside the great figures of claycourt tennis at the French Open on Saturday.
The Belgian dished out a painful 6-1 6-2 lesson to Serbian school student Ana Ivanovic to become the first woman since tennis turned professional in 1968 to win back-to-back Roland Garros crowns without dropping a set.
Henin scrutinised hand-written notes during the changeovers which reminded her "You are the best" and instructed her to "get to the net".
Fittingly the world number one swiped away a high volley on match point to seal a hat-trick of victories in Paris.
She became only the second woman, after Monica Seles, to pull off the feat since World War II.
As her racket went flying out of her hands, the Belgian leaned on the net and held her head in disbelief.
After taking a moment to absorb the enormity of her achievement, she held her arms aloft and tilted her head skywards in memory of her mother. source:www.2gb.com
England midfielder Owen Hargreaves, seen here in May, and defender Gary Neville have been left out of Manchester United's squad for their crucial Champions League clash against Aalborg on September 30.
Man Utd stars to miss Champions League match
Owen Hargreaves and Gary Neville have been left out of Manchester United's squad for their crucial Champions League clash against Aalborg on Tuesday.
England midfielder Hargreaves is struggling with a knee injury that has bothered him since his arrival from Bayern Munich last season and has been left at home for more treatment.
United captain Neville seemed to come through Saturday's win over Bolton unscathed after almost 18 months on the sidelines following major ankle surgery and several other injuries.
His absence from the trip to Denmark is yet to be explained by United and Wes Brown is likely to deputise at right-back.
Ferguson's side need a win on Tuesday after drawing their opening match against Villarreal and Dimitar Berbatov, Carlos Tevez, Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney are vying for the striking positions.
source :www.wldcup.com
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Yamaha teams impressed by 'all new' M1
Tech 3 boss Herve Poncharal says the two Yamaha MotoGP teams were 'very impressed' with their first introduction to the 2009 YZR-M1, a machine he says is very different from the world championship winning 2008 model.
"Our team has just come back from Japan where we had what we call our 'assembling schooling week'," Poncharal told the official MotoGP website. "Our team was there with the Fiat Yamaha crews learning how to assemble the new bike and they were all very impressed.
"The new bike looks like the 2008 one but there is almost not even one part which is the same. Everything we saw, although it was only static, is going in the right direction and we think this is what we need to be even better than in 2008.
"So we have got the new M1 and we have just finished assembling the four bikes in Japan. They will be shipped to Malaysia now and our first winter test with the new model will be 5th-7th February in Sepang."
After several tough seasons developing Dunlop tyres, Tech 3 returned to the front of the MotoGP field in 2008 when former factory rider Colin Edwards claimed two podiums, one pole and five front row starts, with rookie team-mate James Toseland adding a front row start at Qatar and multiple sixth place finishes - results Herve wants the pair to build on in their second year with the team.
"Our aim is to have one of them in the top five. Colin [seventh in championship] almost did it last year. With the new mono-brand tyre rule and the fact that now James knows all the circuits both of them should be more competitive and closer to the front," said Poncharal. "We had a pole position and podiums in 2008 and pole position is a very difficult thing to do, but why not again? With no more 'qualifiers' like before maybe things will be more open. But especially with the podiums, we would like to see Colin up there again and we are dreaming of seeing James get his first MotoGP podium in the 2009 season."
A satellite MotoGP rider hasn't won a single race during the 800cc era, which began in 2007, something Poncharal hopes the new single-tyre rule could help change.
"I think everybody wants to see more and more competitive racing and the new tyre regulation is going to help the racing to be closer for sure," he declared. "We saw that through 2008 season the tyre factor created some breaks [gaps] in some races and took away the chances of some riders in some races. Everybody will now be on the same specification and the same quantity. We were testing that in Jerez in November and all of us, every rider, team manager and crew chief that I spoke to, were happy, even the ones who had previously been negative about the rule change.
"So I think this is going to help us to be more competitive and I think if you look at all the riders on the grid everybody is very, very strong. We [Tech 3 Yamaha] should be in a position where if we improve a bit from last year, when we had a lot of front row starts and we had podiums, then why not? James and Colin have the dream, the absolute target to try and win a race, so let's hope that an independent team is going to win a race and let's hope it is going to be us. This is not completely unrealistic, sure it will be tough as the factories have the best means, the best riders, but it [a satellite victory] has happened before and hopefully it will happen again in 2009." source :www.crash.net
The BBC has confirmed that its MotoGP commentary team will remain unchanged for the 2009 season.
With Eurosport's long broadcasting agreement with MotoGP having come to an unpopular end last season, there had been speculation that some of the British Eurosport team - consisting of Toby Moody, Julian Ryder and Randy Mamola - might have joined the BBC for 2009, when it will become the exclusive MotoGP broadcaster on British television.
However, the BBC has decided to keep its existing line-up intact.
"Suzi Perry will be presenting with commentary coming from Steve Parrish and Charlie Cox and pit lane reports from Matt Roberts," said a report on the BBC website.
The BBC's exclusive deal has generated concern from fans regarding the amount of track action it will broadcast at each MotoGP weekend, compared with Eurosport's extensive coverage, particularly with the corporation also acquiring the rights to Formula One from this season.
The report stated that "Schedule times, channels and services will be provided for each [MotoGP] event in due course," but it seems that the MotoGP races will be shown live on BBC2, with qualifying and the 125/250cc races available via the 'Red Button' option for those with digital TV. No practice action is expected to be shown.
"The BBC Red Button will allow viewers to watch qualifying, then the 125cc and 250cc races and all the post-race reaction and interviews on MotoGP Extra," said the report.
"All the action will also be available on the BBC Sport website (UK users only) so you can watch the races if you cannot get to a TV.
"Or if you missed the race or simply just want to watch it again you can do so on our iPlayer service for seven days after it has happened." source :www.crash.ne
Kawasaki has completed the unexpected Eastern Creek test debut of its 2009 ZX-RR MotoGP motorcycle and will now head for a far more crucial encounter at Phillip Island.
Mystery continues to surround the future of Kawasaki's MotoGP project, which looked dead and buried when Kawasaki Heavy Industries announced a 'suspension of its factory MotoGP activities' from 2009.
But with development of the all-new 2009 ZX-RR well advanced, contracts in place with riders Marco Melandri and John Hopkins - and warnings from Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta that Kawasaki must honour its contract to race this year – an agreement to place the green machines with a privateer outfit, probably funded by Kawasaki and Dorna, look ever more likely.
The Eastern Creek test provided the first concrete proof that the ZX-RRs may race on and confirmation that Kawasaki test and development riders Olivier Jacque and Tamaki Serizawa will now head for a second test at Phillip Island indicate that some sort of deal is still being worked on behind the scenes.
Under such delicate circumstances, it was extremely unlikely that Jacque would give a depressing assessment of the 2009 ZX-RR's track debut at Eastern Creek, whatever happened, although in fairness to the former 250cc world champion he avoided making any grand claims.
"Well it is the first shakedown so everything is brand new. We have a new engine and a new chassis. It takes time to set up all these things correctly but the first impression is quite positive," he told the official MotoGP website. "The new chassis gives more feedback on the front end which was a problem last season. We have been looking closely at that this winter and we now have lot more stability on the front which helps with turning. Of course there is still work to do though."
With Eastern Creek not on the grand prix calendar - Jacque had not ridden at the circuit for '14 or 15 years' - the pace of the new Kawasaki would have been difficult if not impossible to judge. But that will change during the next Phillip Island test, when Kawasaki will be returning to a track which hosts the Australian Grand Prix and where the team had tested in late November. source:www.crash.ne
The Reds won 5-0 on aggregate to reach the quarter-finals and Benitez said: "I know people in Spain think my teams do not attack. 
