Man Utd V Fulham at Old Trafford : Match Preview
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is looking for a swift response from his side to their defeat at Everton when they take on Fulham at Old Trafford
2012-08-25 08:14:41
Tottenham V West Brom at White Hart Lane : Match Preview
Defender Jan Vertonghen is likely to make his Tottenham debut against West Brom after Younes Kaboul was ruled out with a knee injury
2012-08-25 08:15:01
Man. City: Mancini criticises Aguero call-up
Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini claims it is "ridiculous" that injured striker Sergio Aguero has been called up for international duty.City expect the striker to be out until mid-September after suffering a knee injury in last week's opening Barclays Premier League win over Southampton. But that has not stopped Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella naming the 24-year-old in his squad for World Cup qualifiers against Paraguay and Peru on September 7 and 11 respectively.Mancini said: "It is impossible because Sergio needs a minimum of two weeks without training. After two weeks he can start again. If in one week if he could be ready to play it is different, but I think he needs another two weeks. He can go and fly back quickly. These are the rules and we need to respect them - they are ridiculous rules."City had initially feared a longer lay-off for their £38million club record signing, who scored 30 goals last season.Aguero was carried off after falling awkwardly following a fair tackle from Nathaniel Clyne early in City's 3-2 win over Southampton at the Etihad Stadium.Mancini said: "Maybe after the international break he will be ready - three or four weeks."It's a bad knee injury but not for six months - two or three weeks."After two weeks he can start to train maybe and in four weeks he can play, maybe."We are lucky with Sergio because he can be very strong after injuries." Source: PA
2012-08-25 06:47:00
Chelsea: Hodgson ready to pick Terry
Roy Hodgson has confirmed he would pick John Terry for England's World Cup qualifying double-header against Moldova and Ukraine, despite the defender's international future remaining in limbo.The Football Association have yet to announce a date for Terry's independent disciplinary hearing over charges he used a racist slur against Anton Ferdinand, an allegation he denies and was cleared of by a court last month. Chelsea captain Terry was rested, along with several other senior players, for last week's friendly win over Italy.But Hodgson revealed he would recall the defender - if fit - when he names his squad for the September 7 away game in Moldova on Thursday and the home clash against Ukraine four days later. He said: "As far as I know, I can select him at the moment, and I will be selecting him."He continued: "I don't really have any comment about the rest of it. Time will take it's toll. I just know I can select him."That may change if Terry's hearing is held in the next week but Hodgson had "no idea" whether any announcement on the case would come before he names his squad on Thursday, adding: "I'll pick him and then we'll wait and see what happens."Hodgson all but confirmed the other players from England's European Championship squad who were rested against Italy would be recalled. That includes Wayne Rooney, who he watched in Manchester United's opening Barclays Premier League defeat at Everton and felt "looked very fit".Rooney could be the only striker in Hodgson's squad guaranteed a regular starting spot for his club now United have signed Robin van Persie and Tottenham Emmanuel Adebayor.Danny Welbeck, Andy Carroll, Jermain Defoe and Daniel Sturridge could all find their game time limited, and Hodgson said: "Whether they play is up to their club coaches and up to them to a certain extent as well."If players don't play regularly, they sometimes make it difficult for the club coach. The transfer window has not closed yet. Who knows if those players will still be with the club at the end of the transfer window?"The bottom line is I shall choose from the players who can do the job. If they are not playing for their club team that will be a disadvantage but it won't necessarily preclude them from playing." Source: PA
2012-08-25 06:47:00
Bolton Wdrs.: Coyle- We squandered three points
Owen Coyle felt his Bolton side let victory slip through their fingers after an entertaining 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest at the Reebok Stadium.Lewis McGugan's thunderbolt gave Forest a 15th-minute lead before Chris Eagles levelled and Marvin Sordell put the hosts ahead, but Andy Reid found a sumptuous finish of his own following good work from Dexter Blackstock and Simon Cox to put Forest on terms once more before the hour.Having acknowledged the excellence of McGugan's strike, Coyle stated Forest's equaliser was avoidable and bemoaned his players' profligacy after half-time. He said: "Truth be told we really should have put the game to bed at 2-1. The chances we had to finish the game off were real goalscoring opportunities, not half-chances."He added: "My frustration is that we've gifted them a soft second goal - a hopeful long ball that we could have dealt with in the centre-back position. Then Reid's run unmarked from the middle of the park. Fair play to him - it's a wonderful finish that he's done all his career."I'm frustrated because there was a lot of good attacking play from our point of view and we showed a bit of character coming from a goal behind. On the balance of play and clear goalscoring chances I certainly felt we should have had three points in the bag."Coyle suggested Bolton might have ended the game playing against 10 men after Forest's already-booked midfielder Adlene Guedioura tangled with substitute Benik Afobe."I think he had three kicks at young Afobe in the same movement," he added. "I wouldn't want players sent off, that's the last thing we want, but the rules are there for everybody to see. It happened, but we're not going to hide behind that."Opposite number Sean O'Driscoll was also aggrieved, claiming Kevin Davies fouled Forest captain Danny Collins in the build-up to Eagles' goal before obscuring the view of goalkeeper Lee Camp from an offside position when the strike came in."It's a definite push and I thought Kevin was standing in front of the goalkeeper as well so there were two things," he said. "I'm disappointed in that, but there's nothing we can do about it."O'Driscoll watched his players preserve their unbeaten start to the season, but he was aghast by the open nature of the match in the second half. He added: "Both teams could have won it four or five - it could have been four or five to them or four or five to us. It ended up being a five-a-side game with 22 players on the pitch, that's the problem. Source: PA
2012-08-25 06:47:00
Arsenal: Wenger- We wont rush back Wilshere
Arsene Wenger feels that when Jack Wilshere is up and running again it will be like a new signing for Arsenal, but will not rush the England midfielder back into action.Wilshere, 20, has not kicked a ball in anger for the Gunners in more than a year, spending the whole of last season sidelined by a niggling ankle problem which also ruled him out of contention for Euro 2012 and the Olympics.Wenger feels Wilshere is making good progress towards a return by the end of the new year, which the manager revealed was one of the reasons why he cooled on a move for Turkey international Nuri Sahin from Real Madrid. The Arsenal manager said: "October will be an important month for Jack. I will promise you that I will be careful, but Jack works very hard."He added: "Every day he is in early, late going home, is focused and has built up a good basis for his body."After how quick he will be sharp again for competition, I don't know. We will have to wait for at least a month to see that."Wenger feels the proposed loan move for Sahin, who is also on Liverpool's radar, could yet be resurrected should he decide another attacking midfielder is what he needs.However, having sold Alex Song to Barcelona, a more defensive option is also a possibility ahead of the transfer deadline."I didn't say it was dead, I said it was not alive. It can resuscitate. It can become alive again," the Arsenal manager added. "He wouldn't necessarily be a replacement for Song because Sahin isn't a defensive midfielder."I see Sahin as not a deep, deep midfielder, but a little bit higher. We have Wilshere coming back quicker and he is a similar type of player."But of course Sahin wants to join a club where he will play. We have nine midfielders and they all need a chance to play." Source: PA
2012-08-25 06:47:00
Wales: Colemans World Cup ambition
Chris Coleman has called on his Wales squad to live up to their "golden generation" tag by qualifying for the World Cup.Wales have not qualified for a World Cup since 1958, but Coleman said On Friday there was every reason to believe his current crop could succeed where so many more before them have failed."It could be (a golden generation), but football is full of ifs, buts, coulds and maybes and they don't count for anything unless we go and achieve," Coleman said."England had a golden crop going into the Germany World Cup (in 2006) and it never happened. They never produced so we can talk all we like, but only if we qualify can we then say that this is the golden crop."Coleman, whose first two qualifying games come against Belgium and Serbia next month, believes Wales will go on to qualify for several more tournaments should they make Brazil 2014."If we do it once I believe we will do it again, quick, because we will have momentum and belief," said Coleman, who won 32 Wales caps between 1992 and 2002."Once we get over that psychological barrier we will be able to go on."Unfortunately as a player we just missed out on the USA World Cup under Terry Yorath and under Mark Hughes we lost over two legs to Russia (in a play-off) so we have come close but have never done it."The longer that goes on the bigger effect it will have on us psychologically so we have to stop that." Source: PA
2012-08-25 06:47:00
Real Salt Lake Union play to scoreless draw
RSL improved to 13-10-4 and moved four points behind the San Jose Earthquakes for first place in the Western Conference. RSL entered the game with a 0-3-0 record in league games this month. It also ...
2012-08-25 01:48:40
International students learn football for the first time
Seymour's Kings Academy is a part-boarding school where dozens of foreign students get an American education, and what is more American than football? That's what two students, one from ...
2012-08-25 02:24:30
Calvert Hall romps past Maryland Christian in football opener
It took Calvert Hall just one series to settle in before the offense found a rhythm Friday night against Maryland Christian in the opener for both teams at Paul Angelo Russo Stadium in Towson.The ...