AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani believes Fiorentina should not be underestimated ahead of their Serie A clash at the Stadio Artemio Franchi.Galliani acknowledges that his league-leading side are favorites to win the Scudetto after picking up maximum points again their closest rivals Inter and Napoli.
Milan have led Serie A for 21 weeks of the season, but dropped points against Bari and Palermo and could yet slip up away to ninth-placed Fiorentina on Sunday.
“We will face it (the match) with the usual commitment,” Galliani said.
“All matches are difficult, as I told the coach and some players today. Consider this – our last games were against Napoli, Juventus, Bari, Palermo and Inter Milan. We gained nine points against Napoli, Juventus and Inter Milan, while just one against Bari and Palermo.”
“So I never know, the matches are all the same to me, they all count for three points. I don’t know which are the easy ones and which are the difficult ones.”
Milan go into the game safe in the knowledge that even if they lose and Napoli win, Walter Mazzari’s challengers will stay second courtesy of their inferior head-to-head record.
“I know we have been leading the championship for 21 weeks now and I know that we will be leading next week too ? because head-to-head matches are in our favour, so if we and Napoli would have the same points we will be ahead of them,” Galliani said.
“The team gained 12 points against the two main challengers ? Inter Milan and Napoli, so winning this championship is our duty.”
Galliani also moved to play down speculation linking troubled Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli with a return to Italy.
“I repeat, let’s leave Balotelli alone now, Manchester City has just bought him last summer ? so it’s better to talk about our players,” Galliani said.
“Anyway, Balotelli is a friend, he is an AC Milan supporter, but a Manchester City player.”
Premier League managers looking to further their career rarely leave their clubs with the full backing and support of the chairman they leave behind. They are unlikely to be wished ‘all the best’ for the future followed by a warm embrace and a hearty handshake, regardless of their achievements. Some managers are sacked, some resign, while others bring such success to a club they become targets for bigger clubs. Whichever way a manager departs it’s usually a messy affair, where a previously healthy relationship between manager and chairman can turn sour exceedingly quickly.
It was thought Roy Hodgson’s departure from Craven Cottage would be one of the few exceptions to the rule. This was until outspoken chairman Mohamed Al Fayed used a press conference unveiling Mark Hughes as the club’s new manager as an opportunity to take a vicious swipe at his former employee. Al Fayed claims that after giving Hodgson another crack at English football, following a nine year exodus, the experienced coach simply ‘took advantage and left’. The astonishing attack continued, with the former Harrods owner going on to take credit for the revival of Hodgson’s career claiming, ‘we put him where he is now’.
With over 30 years of experience managing at clubs across Europe, including Italian giants Inter Milan, as well as stints with Switzerland and Finland, it is unlikely that Al Fayed’s influence on his career was the reason Liverpool chose to appoint him as their new manager. Al Fayed can certainly take credit for identifying that Hodgson was still good enough to cut it in the Premier League; however the Fulham chairman did not re-ignite a faltering career. Finland were desperate to renew his contract when it had expired in November 2007, yet Hodgson had his heart set on a return to Inter Milan in an ambassadorial role before Fulham made their move. Hodgson was also an outside contender to replace Steve McClaren as England boss.
Al Fayed has every right to be angered and bitterly disappointed after losing his manager to a Premier League rival. His comments have not come in the heat of the moment and the Egyptian clearly feels let down by someone he held a great mutual respect for. Just two weeks before Hodgson’s departure, Al Fayed revealed the pair’s close relationship, before stating he could not see his manager departing for the gates of Anfield. Their close relationship now looks a distant one and Hodgson’s achievements at the club forgotten following Al Fayed’s bitter remarks.
Al Fayed clearly has no problem criticising his former ally in public, yet on this occasion a dignified silence may have been the better option. Fulham fans could argue Hodgson showed a distinct lack of loyalty in leaving southwest London this summer, after the club took a gamble on him following the dire end to his spell at Blackburn Rovers in 1998. In reality, The Cottagers were desperately fighting an anxious relegation battle when Hodgson was appointed and he worked miracles to keep them in the league. He followed this up the following season by leading his side to seventh in the league, the club’s highest ever finish.
Most amazingly of all of course was Fulham’s run to the Europa League final in May after a marathon 63 game season. This was achieved on a minimal budget, playing a patient and attractive passing game along the way. After turning Fulham from relegation contenders to Europa League finalists and bringing them to unprecedented Premier League heights, many fans view the last two seasons under Hodgson as the most illustrious in the club’s history. Al Fayed may not be thankful now, but after dragging the club out of the bottom three and into their first ever European final; Hodgson has left a legacy at the club which can be enjoyed by Fulham fans for years to come. After such an achievement, surely Al Fayed could not begrudge Hodgson his dream to manage one of the biggest clubs in world football before he finally calls it a day and retires.
Like this article? Read some other articles from this author-
– Future remains bright at Arsenal despite Fabregas speculation
– Clubs curb summer transfer spending amid fears over debt
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Bolton defender Gary Cahill has had the red card he received against Tottenham on Saturday rescinded, and will not face a ban after successfully appealing the decision.
The England international was given a straight red for fouling Scott Parker in the first half of The Trotters’ 3-0 defeat at White Hart Lane, as referee Stuart Attwell adjudged him to have denied the hosts a goalscoring opportunity.
Both Owen Coyle and Harry Redknapp admitted that the dismissal was harsh after the result, and the Reebok Stadium outfit chose to appeal the decision.
The FA have confirmed that no ban will be forthcoming, in a boost for relegation candidates Bolton.
“Bolton Wanderers defender Gary Cahill has had his claim for wrongful dismissal upheld,” an official statement reads.
“As a result, the one-match suspension handed to him has been withdrawn.
“Cahill had originally received a red card for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane on Saturday 3 December 2011.”
The dismissal was deemed as a mistake by many in the game, on the same weekend that Chelsea’s David Luiz was only given a yellow card for blatantly fouling Newcastle forward Demba Ba whilst through on goal.
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The Vancouver Whitecaps and the Portland Timbers made contrasting starts to life in the MLS as the league swung into full gear on Saturday.The Los Angeles Galaxy’s 1-0 win over Seattle opened the campaign on Wednesday, but all eyes were on Saturday’s packed schedule as Vancouver and Portland made their MLS debuts.A crowd of 22,592 crammed into Vancouver’s Empire Field to see the Whitecaps face Toronto FC in the competition’s first-ever all-Canadian encounter, and the home fans did not leave disappointed when their side ran out 4-2 winners.French striker Eric Hassli scored the Whitecaps’ first MLS goal, getting on the end of a cross from Swiss midfielder Davide Chiumiento to stroke past Toronto goalkeeper Stefan Frei in the 15th minute.The lead lasted just five minutes before veteran Canada midfielder Dwayne De Rosario capped a Toronto counter-attack with a composed finish, but Vancouver took a 2-1 advantage into the half-time break when midfielder Terry Dunfield struck in the 26th minute.Atiba Harris made it 3-2 in the 63rd minute before designated player Hassli scored his brace to all-but wrap the game up, with Brazilian striker Maicon Santos scoring a consolation goal for Toronto, who are coached by former Ajax star Aron Winter.It was no fairytale start for the Portland Timbers, however, who faced the heady prospect of travelling to reigning title-holders Colorado Rapids in their debut.First-half strikes from midfielder Jeff Larentowicz, Jamaica forward Omar Cummings and former Celtic schemer Jamie Smith had Colorado well in control for much of the game, with target man Kenny Cooper claiming a late strike for the Timbers to ensure they did not go home completely empty handed.Real Salt Lake showed why they conceded just 20 goals last season – breaking an MLS record in the process – in their 1-0 edging of San Jose.San Jose had eight shots on target compared to the visitors’ two, but could not find a way past Nick Rimando in the Real goal.Salt Lake captain Kyle Beckerman got the only goal of the game with his right-foot drive from outside the area on 64 minutes, with his side able to survive some unsure handling by Rimando as the rain tumbled down in the second half to claim all three points.It was hard not to miss the irony in Omar Bravo’s two-goal debut in Sporting Kansas City’s 3-2 win over Chivas USA at the Home Depot Centre in California.After fellow debutant CJ Sapong scored for Sporting in the first minute, Mexican international striker Bravo struck either side of half-time and was a nuisance to the Chivas defence for much of the match.Midfielder Ben Zemanski added to veteran defender Jimmy Conrad’s goal in the 81st minute to ensure a nervy finish to the encounter. But the real story was Bravo’s double on debut against the sister club of Chivas Guadalaraja – the Mexican side where he made his name, scoring over 100 goals.In his first competitive match in more than a year, Charlie Davies’ second-half brace spurred DC United to a 3-1 win over Columbus Crew at home. Davies had been a passenger in a fatal car accident in October 2009 while on international duty with the US, and has joined United on-loan from French Ligue 1 club Sochaux as he bids to return to full fitness.Thierry Henry’s missed penalty mattered little as 18-year-old striker Juan Agudelo celebrated his call-up to the US team with the New York Red Bulls’ winner in their 1-0 triumph over Seattle, while the Philadelphia Union claimed the same result at Houston Dynamo.Dallas and Chicago shared the points in a 1-1 stalemate at the former’s Pizza Hut Park, with Brek Shea dismissed for the home side in the 55th minute for bringing down Uruguayan striker Gaston Puerari as the last man.
Manchester United striker Danny Welbeck is open to a temporary transfer away from Old Trafford if it sees him gain first-team action.
He enjoyed a loan spell at Championship side Preston North End last season and manager Sir Alex Ferguson is likely to farm him out to another top-flight club to further aid his development, a move the 19-year-old would be more than happy to take.
"My main aim is to be part of the first team set-up but I am happy to go on loan if the manager wants me to. I just want to keep playing games and improving," said Welbeck.
"I feel I have improved a lot over the last couple of years in particular. I have learned so much during that time particularly the importance of mental strength on and off the pitch. I just want to keep improving and striving to show everyone what I can do.
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"I am really pleased with how the tour has gone for me so far and I am happy with my performances. I have got to keep going and continue to get my fitness up."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Puma Kings – a thing of beauty and a pair of football boots that could be on your feet very soon. We are giving you a chance to win a pair of Puma King Finale SG boots in our exclusive competition. Details of how to enter are below…
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That way, you’ll appear on our fanpage and we can see easily who’s in the running (copy and pasting it won’t work). Deadline November 11th.
It has been a year since we started this website (Live4Liverpool.com) and over that time Liverpool have been linked with an assortment of wingers. It is no doubt a position we need to strengthen and I have listed 15 below who have been linked with Liverpool since the site launched. If I have missed any out please feel free to remind me in the comments section below:
Alexis Sanchez (Attacking Midfielder/Wide Forward, Udinese) – The Chilean playmaker has been the subject of a £30m+ bid by an unnamed team, and with Man United, Liverpool and others circulated to be interested, it looks as if he could be moving from Udinese in the summer.
Ashley Young (Winger, Aston Villa) – His preferred destination is said to be Man United, but he has yet to sign a new deal with Villa and maybe available quite cheaply in the summer with only a year left on his contract.
Eden Hazard (Attacking Midfielder/Wide Forward, Lille) – Has recently signed a new deal with Lille, but this was most likely to up the value of the player in the transfer market. Big names such as Real Madrid, Arsenal and Liverpool have been linked with the Belgian starlet.
Gervinho (Wide Forward, Striker, Lille) – The Ivorian has been linked with both Newcastle and Liverpool in recent weeks, and with Damien Comolli watching Lille in recently, speculation has grown that Gervinho could be his target.
Juan Mata (Attacking Midfielder/Winger, Valencia) – Last linked with Liverpool back in October, the Valencia midfielder is a very talented player and it will surely be only a matter of time before another club comes in for him.
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Arda Turan (Winger, Galatasaray) – Has stated his desire to play for Liverpool in the past but the Turkish international has not been linked with the Reds since last summer, although many Reds fans would like to see him at Anfield.
Charles N’Zogbia (Winger, Wigan) – Constantly linked with a move away from the DW Stadium, the Frenchman has been on good form this season, and he has stated he will discuss his future at the end of the season.
Balasz Dzsudzsak (Winger, PSV) – The 24 year old Hungarian has been on excellent form in the Dutch Eredivisie this campaign with 15 goals. He has been told by his coach Fred Rutten to stay at PSV as he is not ready for a big league. At 24 though, if he isn’t ready now, he will never be.
Sylvain Marveaux (Attacking Midfielder/Wide Forward, Rennes) – Falsely quoted as being on the brink of a move to Liverpool, there is still a possibility though that the Frenchman may move to the Reds on a Bosman free transfer.
Dimitri Payet (Winger, St Etienne) – Possibly linked with the Reds because of Comolli’s previous affiliation with St Etienne, the player has also been linked with Chelsea in recent months.
Marko Marin (Winger, Werder Bremen) – An exciting young, skilful German international winger, and with Bremen struggling in the Bundesliga, he will most likely be looking for a move to a bigger club.
Aiden McGeady (Winger, Spartak Moscow) – The Reds have been linked with the former Celtic player in recent days.
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Kwadwo Asamoah (Winger/Attacking Midfielder, Udinese) – A young exciting prospect for the future, the Ghanian has played well for Udinese this season as they currently lie 4th in Serie A
Andre Ayew (Wide Forward, Marseille) – Another young Ghanian, Ayew has been making a name for himself in Ligue One this season with Marseille.
Diego Perotti (Winger, Sevilla) – Linked with Liverpool today, the 22 year old Argentine has been in and out of the Sevilla team over the last few seasons. Arsenal have been linked with the player in the past.
Read more of David’s articles at the excellent Live4Liverpool
It’s about time that John Terry stopped focusing on himself and what he thinks about England’s tactics and instead got behind his manager. Fabio Capello has labelled John Terry’s comments to the media as a big mistake and he is right to say so as Terry has broken the dressing room sanctity and undermined his manager’s authority.
Terry addressed the press as though he was the manger and had the right to discuss pretty much whatever he felt like sharing. The worst thing Terry said was:
“Everyone needs to get off their chest exactly how they’re feeling. If it upsets him [Capello], or it upsets any player, then so be it”
Firstly Terry shouldn’t be telling anybody that a team meeting is occurring unless it was with Capello’s blessing and after the Italian’s comments it clearly wasn’t. Secondly and the most important point, Terry cannot show a lack of disregard to the manager by implying that he doesn’t care if the manager doesn’t like what he or his team mates have to say. Capello is the one that picks the team and is the leader of the group and Terry is acting as though he is in charge, if Capello has a problem with what they think then it is very important.
Capello said on Terry’s decision to speak to the media:
“When you speak, you have to speak privately, not with you [the media]. This is a big mistake. This is a very big mistake.”
He added: “I know sometimes some players want to speak more with you than with the other players. The mistake is you have to speak with the players, with me, with the dressing room. I think it’s only John Terry that’s said this, nobody has spoken with me about problems. My door is always open, if you want to speak with me, you can speak with me. Every time we have a meeting I say to the captain ‘any problems?’.”
The Italian’s comments couldn’t be anymore right, although Terry has possibly tried to act in the best interests of the team, this press conference makes it look like he is bigger than the manager and that is unacceptable. Capello also makes it very clear that he will take on board anything that the players have to say to him and therefore there was no need at all for Terry to speak to the press.
Whilst John Terry wouldn’t have done this to intentionally hurt England’s chances of winning the World Cup he has acted without thinking properly and has selfishly only thought about himself. He for one should know better than anybody just how bad the press can be, so for him to go out and do something like this without his manager’s permission is beyond belief! He had his England captaincy taken away from him for his personal wrong doings and that should have been a massive wake-up call to him. But clearly the message that he can’t do whatever he wants, whenever he feels like it hasn’t gotten through to him.
What do you think about John Terry’s actions?
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West Bromwich Albion are the pride of the Black Country this evening after edging out Wolves 2-0, in what proved a pulsating derby.
The win was the Baggies first over Wolves in the top flight for some 29yrs and it sees Roy Hodgson leapfrog their great rivals in the table. This was Wolves 5th consecutive defeat and Mick McCarthy is under no illusions that they need to get out of this slump and quick.
Wolves actually started the game well and had the majority of possession throughout the first half, although West Brom was extremely dangerous on the counter attack. In fact it was the Baggies first attack in the game that brought the first goal of the afternoon as Chris Brunt fired in after good work from Billy Jones.
Mick McCarthy’s men huffed and puffed and yet a lack of quality in the final third cost them dear. Not for the first time Wolves have created chances but have been unable to convert them and how they must have looked on enviously at Peter Odemwingie and Shane Long.
The latter in particular had a fantastic game and although he was unable to find the net, proved a constant threat to the Wolves backline and gave Roger Johnson a tough afternoon.
West Brom were much improved in the second half and got control of the game and certainly looked the most likely to bag a second. It arrived duly 15mins from time when Peter Odemwingie drilled home after excellent work from Paul Scharner.
A 2-0 defeat was harsh on Wolves and manager Mick McCarthy was quick to point out that despite the five consecutive losses, the spirit in the camp is absolutely fine:
“There is nothing wrong with the Wolves spirit, effort and endeavour despite five defeats on the bounce. Spirit, effort and endeavour is always there but we need to be better in the box.”
The win however drags West Brom out of the bottom three for the first time this season and Roy Hodgson hailed their first home win of the season and their third clean sheet of the season:
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“It was a very important game and it was excellent to get our first home win of the season. It was also important to get our third clean sheet from eight games. That’s more than the two for the whole of last season.
“If we keep three clean sheets every eight, we’ll be fine.” (BBC)
Benfica were forced to come from behind to beat Maritimo 2-1 to reduce their gap to leaders Porto to eight points on Sunday.The league’s 13th-placed side stunned the title contenders when Angolan striker Djalma scored in the 76th minute, which threatened to all but end Benfica’s hopes of a championship defence.But Eduardo Salvio equalised for Benfica, before a 90th minute winner to Fabio Coentrao completed the quick turnaround for the hosts.Strugglers Portimonense racked up just their third win of the league season when they beat Beira-Mar 1-0 away at the Estadio Municipal de Aveiro.Ricardo Pessoa’s 64th minute penalty was enough to see the visitors snare the three points.Joao Tomas went from hero to villain in Rio Ave’s 1-0 win over Uniao de Leiria at Estadio do Rio Ave Futebol Clube.Tomas scored the game’s only goal in the 10th minute, but was sent off in the dying stages of the match.Nacional upset third-placed Sporting Lisbon 1-0, denying them with just ten men for the final half-hour.Mateus scored the winner in the 20th minute, before Joao Aurelio was given his marching orders in the 63rd minute.