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Mario Balotelli told to 'learn' after Manchester City sending off

• Striker 'stupidly' dismissed in Europa League exit to Kyiv
• 'He has to change his mentality,' says Nigel de Jong




  • Press Association
  • guardian.co.uk, Friday 18 March 2011 10.50 GMT <li class="history">Article history
    Link to this video Nigel de Jong has called on Mario Balotelli to learn from his mistakes after the striker was sent off for Manchester City in their futile 1-0 Europa League win over Dynamo Kyiv at Eastlands.
    The City manager, Roberto Mancini, claimed the latest controversy to erupt around the young Italian cost City a place in the Europa League quarter-finals after he had watched his remaining 10 men play for almost an hour to overhaul Dynamo Kyiv's first-leg advantage.
    In the end the hosts fell just short, losing 2-1 on aggregate to the Ukranian team, with many fans pinning the blame on Balotelli, who was dismissed for a studs-first challenge on Goran Popov three minutes before City took the lead through Aleksandar Kolarov. Mancini may now react by dropping Balotelli, who he described as "stupid", for Sunday's visit to Chelsea.
    "He is a young boy of 20 and he has to learn from his mistakes. I told him. Everyone told him," said the City midfielder De Jong. "He is still part of the squad and has a lot of potential. He is a very good player but has to realise, on a professional level, you sometimes have to change your mentality.
    "We are there to help him, not to criticise him or blast him away. He has experienced guys around him and has to listen to them."

 
Mario Balotelli told to 'learn' after Manchester City sending off

• Striker 'stupidly' dismissed in Europa League exit to Kyiv
• 'He has to change his mentality,' says Nigel de Jong




  • Press Association
  • guardian.co.uk, Friday 18 March 2011 10.50 GMT <li class="history">Article history
    Link to this video Nigel de Jong has called on Mario Balotelli to learn from his mistakes after the striker was sent off for Manchester City in their futile 1-0 Europa League win over Dynamo Kyiv at Eastlands.
    The City manager, Roberto Mancini, claimed the latest controversy to erupt around the young Italian cost City a place in the Europa League quarter-finals after he had watched his remaining 10 men play for almost an hour to overhaul Dynamo Kyiv's first-leg advantage.
    In the end the hosts fell just short, losing 2-1 on aggregate to the Ukranian team, with many fans pinning the blame on Balotelli, who was dismissed for a studs-first challenge on Goran Popov three minutes before City took the lead through Aleksandar Kolarov. Mancini may now react by dropping Balotelli, who he described as "stupid", for Sunday's visit to Chelsea.
    "He is a young boy of 20 and he has to learn from his mistakes. I told him. Everyone told him," said the City midfielder De Jong. "He is still part of the squad and has a lot of potential. He is a very good player but has to realise, on a professional level, you sometimes have to change your mentality.
    "We are there to help him, not to criticise him or blast him away. He has experienced guys around him and has to listen to them."
 

Andy Carroll unable to make impact as Liverpool go out to Braga






UEFA Europa League Round of 16 2nd Leg

Liverpool 0
Sporting Braga 0


  • Paul Wilson at Anfield
  • guardian.co.uk, Thursday 17 March 2011 23.51 GMT <li class="history">Article history
    Andy-Carroll-007.jpg
    Andy Carroll had a quiet night on his first start for Liverpool against Braga at Anfield. Photograph: Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty Images Kenny Dalglish suffered his first major setback as the Liverpool manager when his side went out at the hands of a team about to make their debut in a European quarter-final. Braga's 1-0 lead from the first leg in Portugal was enough to see them through against a Liverpool team bereft of attacking ideas, despite starting with Andy Carroll for the first time.
    If the record signing was supposed to strike fear into the opposing defence in this last-16 tie he failed to do so. This was a deflating home debut, as well as a dismal night for Dalglish, who bore no responsibility for going out of the FA Cup at Manchester United but has since put Liverpool on an upward curve. This was his team selection, with his new centre-forward, and the Europa League was Liverpool's only remaining chance of winning silverware this season. It was not one of the great European nights at Anfield, the Braga goalkeeper was only asked to make a couple of stops all evening. Liverpool now face a daunting task to qualify for Europe next season through the league, which must be hard to take when the stadium DJ spent half-time on St Patrick's day spinning records looking forward to summer in Dublin.
    "Andy has got tremendous assets, we've just got to learn how to get the best out of him," Dalglish said. "We could do with a bit more creativity, we knew Braga would be well organised and it was up to us to break them down. We had an option to get into Europe next year by winning this competition. If we don't make it through the league it will be a disappointment but you only get there if you win enough games. We've always known that."
    Liverpool's new £35m striker was quickly into action, knocking a ball down for Joe Cole to force the first save of the game from Artur, then climbing to reach the subsequent corner and placing a header just wide of the far post. Carroll collapsed in a heap at the next Liverpool corner, complaining with justification that he had been shoved in the back by Alberto Rodríguez, only for the Italian referee to award a free-kick in Braga's favour. When the official awarded a throw in the wrong direction a few minutes later Dalglish was incensed and the crowd began to complain, a restlessness that increased when it became clear that neither Cole's initial energy nor Carroll's height would bring about an early breakthrough.
    Without the ineligible Luis Suárez the home side lacked the cleverness that was evident against United and were almost as laboured as they had been in Portugal. If the co-owner John W Henry, watching from the stand, had travelled to this game to see what £35m worth of centre-forward looks like, he could only have been underwhelmed. Carroll rarely looked as dangerous as he had in the first five minutes, struggled to get on the end of crosses and won only a modest proportion of aerial contests in midfield. When he finally got a chance, from Maxi Rodríguez's cross on the stroke of the interval, he steered his header tamely wide.
    Braga did not offer much in the first half either apart from an optimistic drive from distance by Lima that flew straight to Pepe Reina, although Alan came up with a deft turn on the half-hour that left Danny Wilson floundering and obliged Martin Skrtel to come across and block the shot. Braga did not need a goal, however; they were happy with the advantage from the first leg. It was up to Liverpool to force the pace and Dalglish must have been disappointed with the number of opportunities created.
    Carroll let his frustration get the better of him early in the second half, bringing down Alberto Rodríguez when he had no realistic chance of winning the ball. The striker had just been pulled up for a marginal offside when he would have been clear on goal, and when he attempted to overtake the last defender on his next opportunity he was thwarted by Rodríguez expertly shielding the ball. Perhaps Carroll was nervous. It cannot be easy making your home debut as the most expensive English footballer in front of Fabio Capello as well as the man who put up the money.
    Raul Meireles put a header over the bar as Liverpool's attacks became ever more desperate, though the contest was almost settled early when a defensive mix-up gave Alan a brief chance at the other end that he wasted. "That was the best chance of the game and we had it," the Braga coach Domingos Paciencia said. "Alan though he was offside, and he wasn't. This is the best result in our history, we have never been in a European quarter-final before. It is a new level for us, that's why we celebrated in the way we did." David Ngog came on and shot straight at Artur, but Liverpool's night was summed up when a late Dirk Kuyt effort flew nearer the the corner flag than the target.
    Braga defended resolutely as Liverpool's final onslaught began, though by the standards of battle charges on European nights at this ground it was nothing special. Carroll headed a chance against Kuyt, Artur made one notable save to deny Skrtel and Liverpool were out.

 
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    Pilkoids 17 March 2011 10:05PM

    Joe Cole really is useless. He's had more than enough chances to prove himself for Liverpool and has been utter gash on every occasion - I can't think of a single game where he's earned his 90 grand for the week.


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    frosty8uk 17 March 2011 10:06PM

    side went out of Europe at the hands of a team recording its first ever win in England
    confused... how is nil nil in England a win?



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    Nickthemightyred 17 March 2011 10:09PM

    Terrible display, Joe Cole is a waste of space. Really embarassing style of play adopted and on that basis Kenny has to produce more in the remaining matches or his contract won't be extend. Hoofing it to the big man is not a step forwards in my book. The squad is very weak and we need 3 big names from somewhere to achieve more next season, unfortunately we won't be playing in Europe next season either, or maybe that is a blessing in disguise...


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    DIPSET 17 March 2011 10:10PM

    Stevie "G" or whatever the hell they call him, 10 August 2011......
    "Messi can do some amazing things, but anything he can do Joe can do as well, if not better. He used to shock us in training every day by doing tricks with a golf ball that most players cannot even do with a football. I really fancy Joe to win the Player of the Year award this season."
    Yikes!!
    Yeah, okay.....Good luck and good night.....and take your performing seal with you


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    23kid 17 March 2011 10:10PM

    Liverpool haven't lost the Europa League, the Europa League has lost Liverpool



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    Seraphinox 17 March 2011 10:11PM

    Did Liverpool actually scout Andy Carroll before they bought him.
    He can do a lot more then win flick ons FFS
    Joe Cole was useless as usual...




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    Anycolouryoulike 17 March 2011 10:12PM

    ****ing hell we were ****ing shite tonight
    Jamie Carragher and his inaccurate useless long balls to Carroll, really really annoying



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    sonofzola 17 March 2011 10:13PM

    sonofzola
    16 March 2011 9:51PM
    @Mookie
    I think the Liverpool game will be one of the most glorious 0-0's ever
    I stand by those words.
    Looks like King Kenny's vision of defenders shitting themselves everytime Carrol's about got them somewhere tonight... oh wait.
    Maybe a few more hopeless punts would have sufficed?
    The "famous european nights" at Anfield are going to have to wait a while now arnt they?


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    PatCake 17 March 2011 10:13PM

    I'm fond of a good swear but even I can't think of an expletive strong enough to describe how toothless that showing was. As grim as a rummage around in Ann Widdecombe's polyester pants.
    Braga were very alert, very quick to close the ball down and ultimately looked liked the only team who knew what their game plan was. And Liverpool were shite - no invention, no nous, no excuses.


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    Pilkoids 17 March 2011 10:13PM

    I'd really like to know why Pacheco can't get a game, surely he could've offered more playing off Carroll than Cole.
    And how is it that a supposed professional athlete stands around half the match with his hands on his hips gasping for air? Does Cole smoke 50 a day?


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    mike65ie 17 March 2011 10:13PM

    Bloody hell did you type that up at half time? To be fair you could have.
    Anyhoo. No complaints from me glad to be done with it, a line will hopefully be drawn under this and the squad and staff regroup for the remainder of the season. I'm pretty sure we'll not be Europe for 2011/12 and I dunno if that's too bad a prospect either. I'm sure plenty will disagree but the balance sheet won't look too different so small is the EL pot of cash and having no airline jaunts and up to 18 (?) fewer fixtures seems like a bonus to me. Next season will be one thing and one thing only.


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    frosty8uk 17 March 2011 10:13PM

    Hoofing it to the big man is not a step forwards in my book.
    Agreed. LFC shouldn't change their style for one player. Maybe they wouldn't have if Gerrard was fit and Suarez eligible.



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    boxerjay2003 17 March 2011 10:14PM

    Jesus!!!!!!
    That performance has depressed me so much I can't even be arsed describing how shite we were!!!! But we are missing half a team so I won't bitch too much!!!!
    Do you guys think Dirk Kuyt knows the offside rule?
    Carragher just lumping it up to Carroll time and time and time again!!! Dear me!!!
    2 wingers desperately desperately needed methinks!!!! You could tell what kind of night it was gonna be when you saw Spearing come on!!!!


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    Turnertown 17 March 2011 10:15PM

    5 things we've learned from liverpool v braga:
    1/. History doesn't appear to help the present all that much
    2/. Singing about history makes it that bit more embarrassing
    3/. Historically, single goals don't come from singing
    4/. The single most important thing about this Liverpool team is the songs that are sung about histroy
    5/. Singling out the singing of history as the single most important factor behind an exit may not be that accurate, but its fun.


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    BrooklynLager 17 March 2011 10:15PM

    Liverpool need someone of slightly higher quality than Maxi Rodriguez to send crosses to Carroll. He's no Joey Barton, to be sure. He's barely a Poulson. We need speed on the wings. Even if Glen Johnson takes one side, we need a class signing on the other (and then worry about a defense!).
    That said, Gerrard and Meireles on the inside with Suarez and Carroll up front is a formidable prospect. I'm looking forward to an interesting summer.


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    bornblue 17 March 2011 10:15PM

    I thought the young lad Wilson looked a bit out of his depth and Maxi is just not good enough. Combine that with Cole seems to have become just an ever expanding arse on legs, Suarez cup-tied and an away side set up to defend well and it all seemed a foregone conclusion from about 8 minutes in.
    Commiserations to the decent reds on here.


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    WilliamDean 17 March 2011 10:15PM

    DIPSET 17 March 2011 10:10PM
    Stevie "G" or whatever the hell they call him, 10 August 2011......
    "Messi can do some amazing things, but anything he can do Joe can do as well, if not better. He used to shock us in training every day by doing tricks with a golf ball that most players cannot even do with a football. ..."
    What a pity for Joe that the game is played with a football and not a golf ball!


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    Huddieledbetter 17 March 2011 10:16PM

    So ends Liverpools most tedious european campaign, think tonight exposed every flaw Liverpool have shown all season.


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    dunf2562 17 March 2011 10:16PM

    City and Liverpool both pegged, I can think of one poster in particular who might run riot here tonight


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    Zander1983 17 March 2011 10:16PM

    Queue all the "Oh this proves the Premiership is shit" posts. Dont bother. Its the best/most exciting league in the world. All this proves is that the Europa League is annoying



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    coldcut 17 March 2011 10:18PM

    bornblue.
    I always thought Maxi got picked because he is Torres' mate. Now Torres has gone, there's not much point to him



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    kingofthehill 17 March 2011 10:18PM

    The revival continues.
    HAHA. Can't even get anywhere in the Channel 5 cup even with the "King" back..oh dear.


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    righthandpulltrigger 17 March 2011 10:19PM

    Ah I understand now.
    Whether you complain about a team lumping up to the fella up front depends on
    1) How much said man up front cost,
    and
    2) Which manager instructed them to do it.
    Good system.


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    martinskrtel 17 March 2011 10:19PM

    Seven things we learnt from Liverpool v Braga
    1) Liverpool will lose their last proven world-class player when Pepe Reina does one in the summer in search of European football. And he will be a far, far harder act to replace than an off-song Torres.
    2) Danny Wilson rightly got the nod ahead of Sotiris "Lost us the tie" Kyragiakos. DId he waste posession at times playing the ball too quickly forward? Yes, he did. Was he perilously close to getting caught out of position a couple of times? Yes, he was. Was he conned by the tricks of wordly Portuguese pros? Indeed, on occasions he was. Did he lose us the tie? No, he didn't.
    3) Intrepid dimension traveller Dani Pacheco must indeed be scratching his head, as he now has ended up in a strange, unlogical, bizarre parallell universe where Joe Cole - a hugely overpaid off-form never-was of fairly limited ability at this level - is seen as the more talented player and is regularly chosen over him in the first team line-up.
    4) Lucas Leiva and Raul Meireles gave Braga a huge hand by almost never - spare Meireles for brief periods of the second half - trying to up the pace of passing for Liverpool.
    5) Boy, do we need Daniel Agger back. Carragher is no ball playing central defender and Skrtel seems to be approaching his level real quick.
    6) Liverpool need to decide if their wide midfielders should tuck in real tight to make space for their full backs - or push out all the way to the side lines to create some with by themselves. They really have a tendency to do neither and end up without any width yet still pushed hard in the center.
    7) Did I mention that Joe Cole is past it?





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    Ruprict 17 March 2011 10:20PM

    When I was a lad Brazilian players were called Rivelino , Jairzinho , Zico and Socrates . Now they are called Alex , Fred , Jo and Alan . Will we have a front three of Reg , Alf and Stan for Brazil at the next World Cup ?


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    rusticred 17 March 2011 10:21PM

    Liverpool without Gerrard , is like an orchestra without a conductor.
    The talk about Liverpool's renaissance is just that ;Talk.


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    ComptonStand 17 March 2011 10:21PM

    Hoooof it long to the big man. No wonder Fernando effed off.

    I think you'll find he did very nicely out of such tactics in those long past wins against Real and United in 200...?
    So long ago.


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    Anycolouryoulike 17 March 2011 10:21PM

    I really hate this typical british style of hoof football
    I'm just sick of it
    Arsenal beat them 6-0 didn't they?


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    dowland 17 March 2011 10:21PM

    Can we have some more knee-jerk Guardian articles about how the American owners should make Kenny's appointment permanent now, please?



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    ComptonStand 17 March 2011 10:22PM

    Liverpool without Gerrard , is like an orchestra without a conductor.

    I'd say they're more like Take That without Robbie Williams.
    Still asinine, yet minus the irritating show-pony.




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    QueerFreethinker 17 March 2011 10:22PM

    Just HOW many times did Liverpool get caught offside?!
    *Never normally watches Europa League; won't bother watching any more Europa League this season*


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    ComptonStand 17 March 2011 10:23PM

    When I was a lad Brazilian players were called Rivelino , Jairzinho , Zico and Socrates . Now they are called Alex , Fred , Jo and Alan . Will we have a front three of Reg , Alf and Stan for Brazil at the next World Cup ?
    Was having this very conversation the other day!


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    MookieB 17 March 2011 10:23PM

    I can think of one poster in particular who might run riot here tonight
    I'm starting to feel sorry for them.


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    downunderpom 17 March 2011 10:24PM

    Carroll - £35 million was it?
    Good luck to the lad, he's set up for life. Unless he decides to waste it on 17 cars, drink, drugs or hair gel.
 
Rio Ferdinand injury boosts John Terry's claim to England captaincy

&#8226; Manchester United defender set to miss rest of season
&#8226; Chelsea's Terry to lead England for at least three games




  • Kevin McCarra and Daniel Taylor
  • guardian.co.uk, Thursday 17 March 2011 22.29 GMT <li class="history">Article history
    rio-ferdinand-007.jpg
    Rio Ferdinand's calf injury looks set to prevent him from playing for Manchester United or England again this season. Photograph: Mike Egerton/Empics The calf injury that is threatening to rule out Rio Ferdinand for the rest of the season may have killed off his chances of regaining the England captaincy.
    John Terry will not only take over the armband for the Euro 2012 qualifier with Wales on 23 March but it is now understood he will now keep it until the end of the season. The Chelsea centre-half will lead the side in Cardiff and for the friendly with Ghana as well as the European Championship qualifier against Switzerland in June, giving him the opportunity to show that he should then be reinstated in the role on a permanent basis.
    Fabio Capello had been keen to have Terry as the leader of the side in the Millennium Stadium because the England manager expects the match with Wales to be intense. Steven Gerrard, who had groin surgery last week, will be unavailable for that game and the friendly with Ghana, but the Liverpool midfielder's suitability to captain the national side could have been questioned in any case. He led England through the forlorn World Cup campaign last summer, which Ferdinand missed through injury. Doubts over the Manchester United player's fitness in the long term also enhance the candidacy of Terry. Ferdinand has made 20 appearances for his club this season, whereas Terry has a total of 35 with Chelsea. Terry had the captaincy taken from him last year because of a personal issue, but England now need his impact once more as the leader of the national team.
    The latest prognosis for Ferdinand depicts an increasingly bleak outlook for a player who has managed only 28 league appearances since March 2009 and was initially expected to be out for only two weeks with his current injury.
    "It's just not responding," United's manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, said. "Sometimes [calf] injuries can be troublesome. We experienced this with Bryan Robson in 1990. He was out for four months with a calf injury. Rio has been out for six weeks now; it's going on two months. We are not looking short-term. He's hardly training yet and it looks to me like we'll be lucky to get him back fit for some part of the season."
    Ferguson reported it was not related to the back issues that have badly affected Ferdinand over the last few years, but the player's inability to put together a long sequence of games is becoming an increasing concern at Old Trafford.
    "Gary Neville suffered with injuries in his 30s and made comebacks time and time again but eventually he realised it was too much and retired," Ferguson said. "He was 36 and had had a great career. Rio's 32 and has plenty of years ahead. He's had a few injuries over the last few years, which I'm sure is a concern for him because he's still capable of getting back and playing at the top level. He needs to take the example of Gary Neville, and I'm sure he sees that.
    "He's desperate to get back and he will get back, but obviously we're just unlucky that this calf injury has lasted too long."
    United may have only four fit defenders &#8211; Chris Smalling, Wes Brown, Patrice Evra and Fábio da Silva &#8211; for the visit of Bolton Wanderers on Saturday and no specialist right-back. Ferguson said Nemanja Vidic, with his own calf problem, would not play at the weekend, and John O'Shea could miss five weeks and Rafael da Silva three weeks with hamstring injuries.
    "It's been a bad spell for us," Ferguson said. "Only a few weeks ago we had every defender fit and it was great, but it's all fallen apart in the last week or so."
    The United manager was clearly annoyed about the Football Association's decision to ban him from the touchline for five matches because of his criticism of the referee, Martin Atkinson, after a 2-1 defeat at Chelsea. "It was disappointing," he said. "It's the only industry you can't tell the truth in, you know."
    Yet Ferguson has decided not to appeal against the ban, which will begin straight away, meaning he will be back in the dug-out for the potential title-decider against Arsenal at the Emirates on 1 May.

 
Kenny Dalglish: Fabio Capello should not pick Andy Carroll for England

&#8226; Liverpool manager says £35m striker is not fully fit
&#8226; Dalglish opens talks over two-year contract at Anfield




  • Dominic Fifield
  • The Guardian, Saturday 19 March 2011 <li class="history">Article history
    Andy-Carroll-007.jpg
    Andy Carroll has completed one game for Liverpool since coming back from a thigh injury. Photograph: Michael Mayhew/Sportsphoto Kenny Dalglish has expressed concern over the prospect of Fabio Capello calling up Andy Carroll for next weekend's Euro 2012 qualifier against Wales. The Liverpool manager urged his England counterpart to be "responsible" with the £35m forward.
    Thursday's goalless Europa League draw against Braga was Carroll's first complete game for Liverpool after more than two months out with a thigh injury and he completed it in front of Capello. Dalglish said that the striker had not regained peak fitness. But Capello sees Carroll as a key part of his attack, in partnership with Manchester United's Wayne Rooney.
    Carroll's England debut, against France in November, prompted controversy. Before the forward was called up his club at the time, Newcastle United, said he was struggling with an ankle injury. The prospect of his selection to face the Welsh has generated similar concern at Anfield.
    Dalglish, who has opened talks with Liverpool's American owners over a two-year deal to continue as manager after a positive start in temporary charge, said: "I don't know if Fabio wants to pick him or not but there is no point us being as guided as we have been in his recuperation, and doing such a good job to get him to where he is now, if someone else is going to waste all that. There is nothing we can do to stop them picking him but common sense has to prevail.
    "It is great to have the big fella back but he also needs games and I don't know what kind of state he will be in after the Braga game, when he stayed on longer than we hoped he would have to. A lot of things he did in that game were encouraging and he still has a good bit of fitness to come but England have to be responsible with him.
    "It is not a case of going to war with anyone. We fully understand somebody wanting to pick his best players for England but they also have to understand the fact that [Carroll] is not really there yet for fitness. If [Capello] picks him, he picks him. That's up to him."
    Capello is due to name his squad on Sunday evening. The Italian would like to select Carroll and Tottenham Hotspur's Peter Crouch. His instinct is to retain two taller strikers and two quicker players &#8211; presumably Rooney and Darren Bent &#8211; in his party.
    However, a fifth striker could well be included, most likely Jermain Defoe of Spurs. With the friendly against Ghana on the following Tuesday in mind, Capello intends to announce a slightly larger squad of up to 25 names. Some regulars may be rested for the Ghana match. John Terry will captain the team at the Millennium Stadium, and potentially at Wembley three days later, in place of the injured Rio Ferdinand and Steven Gerrard.

 
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