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Evra wants to be 'a solution' for France


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Updated Mar 23, 2011 11:52 AM ET
Former France captain Patrice Evra has a chance to rebuild his international career and promises ''to be a solution and not a problem'' in the team that coach Laurent Blanc has revitalized since its World Cup debacle.
Evra, who plays for Manchester United, was captain when his squad went on strike during a training session at last year's World Cup in South Africa, a show of defiance that was supposed to unite the players but instead shocked a watching nation back home.

Fri., Mar. 25​
Luxembourg vs. France
Sat., Mar. 26​
Bosnia vs. Romania
Albania vs. Belarus
Tue., Mar. 29​
Romania vs. Luxembourg

Having already served a five-match ban for his role in the strike, Evra receives the chance to play for his country for the first time since then when France travels to Luxembourg on Friday.
''I want to turn the page. I want to be a solution and not a problem for this new generation,'' Evra said on Wednesday. ''I worked like a madman in my club to maintain my level and to get the chance to be called up.''
With Eric Abidal sidelined through serious illness, the 29-year-old Evra is in line to start the 2012 European Championship qualifier ahead of Arsenal left back Gael Clichy. On Tuesday, France hosts a friendly against Croatia at Stade de France.
''It's with great pride that I find myself back in the French team, which I missed enormously,'' Evra said. ''The people who know the real Patrice Evra knew I would never give up, that I would fight to come back.''
Evra still disputes he was the main orchestrator of the strike, but believes the French Football Federation had no choice but to punish him because he was the captain.
Stripped of the captaincy by former coach Raymond Domenech after the strike, Evra did not play in the final World Cup match, a 2-1 defeat to South Africa.
Evra's last appearance for France was the earlier 2-0 loss against Mexico in which striker Nicolas Anelka's angry halftime tirade against Domenech triggered the squad's implosion.

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Anelka was expelled from the squad, leading the other players to revolt against that decision by drawing the curtains on the team bus to hide and then refusing to come out as TV crews filmed the mutiny.
''When some people see Patrice Evra, they think of the World Cup,'' Evra said. ''I am trying to turn the page, (but) I think I will live with this scar.''
Evra, who has won 32 caps, has been derided by fans and politicians.
French Sports Minister Chantal Jouanno said he should never play for France again, and former sports minister Roselyne Bachelot previously labeled the team as ''immature gangsters'' in a parliament address.
''Despite all that happened, I was proud to be captain. I put my heart into it. I was at peace with myself,'' Evra said. ''I was the first player to say sorry after the match against South Africa, to ask the players to give up their bonuses.''
But Evra says the suspension - which he contested and lost - only proves he was a scapegoat.
''When you are captain, you have a bit more responsibility,'' he said. ''At the end of the World Cup, I said to all of (the players): 'Go and take it easy on holiday because if someone has to have their head chopped off it will be me.'
''Someone had to pay for it. Some people said I was a ringleader, which was totally false. It was as a captain, and not as a ringleader, that I took this (punishment).''
Asked if he would tell the players not to strike if the situation arose again, Evra ducked the question.
''You would have to ask them if they would accept (not to strike),'' he said. ''Everyone will say I was a good captain. I was really very, very well received (when I came back into the France team).''
Blanc spoke personally to Evra earlier this week, a conversation of which neither has revealed any details.
''Laurent Blanc is very honest,'' Evra said. ''He said certain things that stay between us. I had a good chat with him.''
Blanc will be monitoring how Evra responds now that they have cleared the air.
''Sometimes words are easy to say, actions are a bit harder to do. We've done the first thing, which was to talk to each other,'' Blanc said. ''We spoke about the past, the present. He seems to be someone who holds the French team dear. But as I said, the most important thing is what will happen in the weeks, the months to come.''
Amazingly, Evra still harbors ambitions of captaining France again.
Asked if he would accept the armband in the future, he replied: ''Of course. Of course,'' adding that ''apart from this World Cup, I've always behaved in the right way.''
 
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  • Report Abuse SpidermanItalia
    • 3/23/2011 9:21:14 PM
    Marc---whats your proposed lineup for the match?
  • Report Abuse CuteDaniel
    • 3/23/2011 2:48:58 PM
    marcbarca, Domanech of shet and his politics destroyed the team and the spirit of this team. He was racist azzhle and he wasn't a good coach. He is the reason why they lost the went out. Believe me and this is from within the team source.. The players were in good spirit in the first game when they played MUCH better then Uruguay and they had plans to advance but domenech said some racial things about how black players are tough to deal with and that upset Alou Diarra who mentioned it to Anelka and then the problem happened! I am so glad he is not the coach, I hated him so much!!!!! I am not french but my heart bleeds ALLES LES BLEUS!!!!
  • Report Abuse marcbarca
    • 3/23/2011 11:30:01 AM
    This duuchebag should have thought of this stuff before going on strike against the NT. Now he's begging for forgiveness. It's not like every commentator during the WC warned them that they were screwing up and would regret what they were doing. This still makes me so mad. AAARRRGH!
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  • Report Abuse SpidermanItalia
    • 3/23/2011 9:21:14 PM
    Marc---whats your proposed lineup for the match?
  • Report Abuse CuteDaniel
    • 3/23/2011 2:48:58 PM
    marcbarca, Domanech of shet and his politics destroyed the team and the spirit of this team. He was racist azzhle and he wasn't a good coach. He is the reason why they lost the went out. Believe me and this is from within the team source.. The players were in good spirit in the first game when they played MUCH better then Uruguay and they had plans to advance but domenech said some racial things about how black players are tough to deal with and that upset Alou Diarra who mentioned it to Anelka and then the problem happened! I am so glad he is not the coach, I hated him so much!!!!! I am not french but my heart bleeds ALLES LES BLEUS!!!!
  • Report Abuse marcbarca
    • 3/23/2011 11:30:01 AM
    This duuchebag should have thought of this stuff before going on strike against the NT. Now he's begging for forgiveness. It's not like every commentator during the WC warned them that they were screwing up and would regret what they were doing. This still makes me so mad. AAARRRGH!
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Euro 2012 Qualifying Headlines



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Don't miss the International Friendly matches on FSC March 29th. USA take on Par...


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Don't miss the match up between the Seattle Sounders and the Houston Dynamo as t...


Totti joins the 200 Club! Posted: Mar 20, 2011
Roma's Francesco Totti joins the elite club of players who have scored 200 caree...


PL Highlights: Chelsea/Man City Posted: Mar 20, 2011
Chelsea defeated Manchester City 2-0 and the win gives them third place in the l...


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Bale ready for 'massive game'


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Updated Mar 23, 2011 1:36 PM ET
Wales winger Gareth Bale has vowed to take the game to England in the Euro 2012 qualifier at the Millennium Stadium this weekend.
The exciting Tottenham star is convinced the Welsh have the firepower to trouble their neighbours in Saturday's eagerly-awaited clash.

Sat., Mar. 26​
Wales vs. England
Bulgaria vs. Switzerland

After losing their first three matches, Wales' hopes of qualification are slim but that has done little to dampen enthusiasm for the sell-out clash in the principality.
Bale said: "It is a massive game - it is a local derby in international terms. It is something we are all looking forward to.
"We need to win this game, especially in this qualifying campaign and against the English. I think it would boost us as a team and Welsh football in general.
"I think we have got every chance. We have got great young players and a good mix of experience and youth.
"We are not going to go into the game trying to defend. We are going to give it our best shot and we have nothing to lose."
Bale, 21, is the biggest star in Welsh football - with the arguable exception of Ryan Giggs, who has retired from international football - after an outstanding past year for Spurs.
The youngster has been linked with some of Europe's biggest clubs and playing in front of full houses on the grandest of stages seems his destiny.
He has already excelled at the San Siro against Inter Milan and Spurs will visit Real Madrid's Bernabeu Stadium next month.
Big crowds on the international stage, however, are something he has experienced little of in his 27-cap career to date.

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That will change on Saturday with 74,500 expected for the visit of rivals England. It is a considerable increase on the 18,800 that attended Wales' last home international against Bulgaria at the Cardiff City Stadium last October.
Bale said: "It will be a great atmosphere on the weekend, playing against England is something special.
"I think the fans will be up for it just because it is against England.
"Even when it has only been half full, all the fans that have come have been amazing.
"Now with a full stadium, with everyone around us cheering us on, I think it will be amazing, a great experience for the lads who haven't played in front of a full crowd.
"To get 75,000 every time we play at the Millennium Stadium would be a great help to the team.
"Hopefully they can spur us on, be the 12th man and help us to victory.
"We can go into the game fully prepared and feeling confident, looking to get a victory."
The match will be Gary Speed's first competitive international since taking over as manager from John Toshack.
Speed did oversee last month's 3-0 loss to the Republic of Ireland in Dublin but was without a number of key players, including Bale.
This time the former Wales midfielder has close to a full-strength squad available with David Edwards, Sam Ricketts, Jack Collison and Robert Earnshaw his only major absentees.
Cardiff forward Craig Bellamy and Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey are also back in action. The mood in the camp seems upbeat, despite the ruinous start to the Euro qualifying campaign and the loss in Ireland.
Striker Steve Morison believes the appointment of Speed has rejuvenated team spirit.
"It is a massive difference," said the English-born Millwall forward.
"I was only here briefly with Tosh, two or three games, but I have noticed the difference.
"Gary Speed and his men have instilled a great belief and a great sense of team spirit.
"It's been of great benefit to the squad, it's fantastic, and I'm really enjoying being part of it. It's been a great few days so far."
Londoner Morison, who has four caps, is hoping to score his first international goal against the country where he has spent his life.
The 27-year-old caught the eye during Millwall's npower League One promotion campaign last year and was called up by Toshack under the grandparent rule.
Morison said: "I need to score at some point and hopefully if I get the chance, like I did against Bulgaria, I can put it away this time."
 
Blanc welcomes Ribery return


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Updated Mar 22, 2011 12:21 PM ET
France coach Laurent Blanc is relishing the return of Franck Ribery against Luxembourg but knows he alone cannot win the Euro 2012 qualifier.

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The Bayern Munich winger was banned for three matches after his part in Les Bleus' embarrassing World Cup campaign last summer, and on Monday made an emotional apology for a "horrible" 2010 which also saw him become embroiled in a sex scandal and miss his club's Champions League final defeat by Inter Milan through suspension.
He returns to the national team set-up for the first time this season against the Group D minnows, with coach Blanc feeling his creativity will be key to unlocking a team who "play with 11 behind the ball".
"You can have the best team in the world but at a given moment, if you are not able to put your opponents under pressure because they are too well organised, you must have players who can make the difference," said Blanc.
"We will look to him a lot, but we must not put him under any more pressure by thinking he can win the game on his own."
Ribery's position in the side remains open to debate, with the right-wing berth where he first made his name looking a more likely assignment than the 27-year-old's preferred spot on the left flank, where Chelsea's Florent Malouda is the man in possession.
"There will be a discussion," said Blanc.
"He started with the national team on the right, where he was very impressive. He prefers the left wing, which makes sense because that is where he plays for his club.
"I believe he can play anywhere across the attack. He is capable of beating his man no matter what area of the pitch he is in."



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Italy defender Ranocchia out with knee injury


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Updated Mar 23, 2011 12:14 PM ET
A knee injury to Inter Milan center back Andrea Ranocchia will keep him out of Italy's European Championship qualifier in Slovenia on Friday.

Fri., Mar. 25​
Serbia vs. N Ireland
Slovenia vs. Italy
Tue., Mar. 29​
Estonia vs. Serbia
N Ireland vs. Slovenia

Italy coach Cesare Prandelli did not immediately call up a replacement.
Leonardo Bonucci will likely pair with Giorgio Chiellini in central defense for Italy, while Ranocchia will attempt to recover in time for the Milan derby on April 2.
Midfielder Thiago Motta has recovered from a minor injury and will stay with the squad.
Next week, Italy plays Ukraine in a friendly in Kiev.
 
Hiddink to offer Turkey resignation


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Updated Mar 23, 2011 10:45 AM ET
Turkey coach Guus Hiddink has vowed to offer his resignation if he can not lead the team to two wins in their upcoming Euro 2012 double header.

Fri., Mar. 25​
Austria vs. Belgium
Sat., Mar. 26​
Germany vs. Kazakhstan
Tue., Mar. 29​
Turkey vs. Austria
Belgium vs. Azerbaijan Scores | Tables | Fixtures

Turkey have already lost two of their opening four matches, with Germany well on course for top spot in Group A.
That leaves Turkey battling with Austria and Belgium for second spot, and they face both teams over the next week.
And Hiddink says failure to get six points will see him offer to quit.
"I'm trying to make a better Turkish national team," he is quoted by the Daily Expiress.
"If I can't do that, I'm going to ask the chairman to sack me. Six points from these two games is vital. If we don't get that I can offer my resignation to the chairman and then it's up to him. It will mean that I am not a successful manager."
Hiddink's quotes are likely to spark speculation that he could return to Chelsea, although the Dutchman has insisted he would not wish to return to the club as manager.



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  • Report Abuse SpidermanItalia
    • 3/23/2011 4:01:13 PM
    Unlikely to lose---Arda Turan is back and Mehmet Topal is in-form at Valencia...besides the fixture is in Turkey.
  • Report Abuse SactownBayern
    • 3/23/2011 3:21:27 PM
    Sorry Tukey but I hope you guys go down. Guss Hiddink is exactly the kind of man Bayern needs at the helm, and it would be great for him to become available just as the heat of the Bayern coaching switch comes into focus.
  • Report Abuse SpidermanItalia
    • 3/23/2011 11:21:39 AM
    If Arda plays they will win. Losing to Azerbijian was inexcusable in my opinion even without Arda. They have more talent then either Belgium or Austria they just need to show it.
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Rio Ferdinand may be fit to anchor Manchester United's treble bid

• Defender's calf injury gets special treatment in Germany
• Possible return for Champions League second leg v Chelsea




  • Jamie Jackson
  • The Guardian, Thursday 24 March 2011 <li class="history">Article history
    Rio-Ferdinand-Manchester--007.jpg
    Rio Ferdinand has been injured for seven weeks and Sir Alex Ferguson feared he would not play for Manchester United again this season. Photograph: Tom Jenkins Rio Ferdinand could give Sir Alex Ferguson a considerable boost in his quest to guide Manchester United to the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup treble by making an early return from a calf injury after flying to Germany to see the leading specialist, Hans-Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfahrt, for treatment this week.
    Ferguson had said this month that the 32-year-old central defender's season could be over with the news that he had suffered another injury setback which raised concerns about his long-term career. Ferdinand visited Müller-Wohlfahrt, the club doctor at Bayern Munich whose previous clients include Liverpool's Steven Gerrard, the now retired Brazilian striker Ronaldo and Usain Bolt, on Monday for what is understood to have been an injection in his back to try to solve the calf problem he suffered in United's league match against Aston Villa on 1 February.
    Regarding Ferdinand's calf injury Ferguson said this month: "It's just not responding. 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."
    It is now thought that the player hopes to be back running soon. He is under medical supervision at United and the club's next game after the international break, the visit to West Ham United on Saturday week, may come too soon.
    But, if Ferdinand does respond positively to treatment, then there would be real hope he could be fit to face Chelsea in the Champions League quarter-final, in the second leg on 12 April, before the FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City at Wembley four days later.
    Ferguson's hopes of repeating the treble he won in 1999 have been dented by injuries to his defenders. For United's league game with Bolton Wanderers last weekend Ferguson had only five fit defensive players: Chris Smalling, Wes Brown, Patrice Evra, Jonny Evans and Fabio da Silva. Nemanja Vidic's calf problem ruled him out of the 1-0 victory. John O'Shea is unavailable for up to five weeks and Rafael da Silva three weeks &#8211; each with hamstring injuries &#8211; while Evans is now suspended for three matches after being sent off against Bolton.
    Ferguson, meanwhile, has been criticised after not apologising following the incident that led to his five-game touchline ban. The manager claimed after United were beaten 2-1 by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge this month that the match, refereed by Martin Atkinson, demanded a "fair or strong referee".
    Craig Moore, chairman of the FA's Independent Regulatory Commission that banned Ferguson and also fined him £30,000, wrote in his judgment: "Whatever view one may take about the performance of Mr Atkinson, or any other [referee], respect for their integrity is essential for the integrity of the game. His vast experience ought to have left Sir Alex in no doubt as to how any sense of injustice he may have felt about the decisions made in a match, or the performance of an official, should properly be channelled and expressed.
    "Although he denied any intention to question Mr Atkinson's integrity, he should, at the very least, have realised the import of what he said. It follows that any credit to which Sir Alex may have been entitled by admitting the charge, and reduction in sanction, was lost.
    "In addition, it follows from his denial of the charge that no clarification or retraction of any of his comments has been made by Sir Alex and no apology given to Mr Atkinson, even after the charge had been brought."
    The commission also stated that Ferguson's comments had "undermined the attempts by the [FA], through its Respect Campaign, to encourage higher standards of behaviour within the game, including respect for officials".

 
Rio Ferdinand may be fit to anchor Manchester United's treble bid

• Defender's calf injury gets special treatment in Germany
• Possible return for Champions League second leg v Chelsea



  • Jamie Jackson
  • The Guardian, Thursday 24 March 2011 <li class="history">Article history
    Rio-Ferdinand-Manchester--007.jpg
    Rio Ferdinand has been injured for seven weeks and Sir Alex Ferguson feared he would not play for Manchester United again this season. Photograph: Tom Jenkins Rio Ferdinand could give Sir Alex Ferguson a considerable boost in his quest to guide Manchester United to the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup treble by making an early return from a calf injury after flying to Germany to see the leading specialist, Hans-Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfahrt, for treatment this week.
    Ferguson had said this month that the 32-year-old central defender's season could be over with the news that he had suffered another injury setback which raised concerns about his long-term career. Ferdinand visited Müller-Wohlfahrt, the club doctor at Bayern Munich whose previous clients include Liverpool's Steven Gerrard, the now retired Brazilian striker Ronaldo and Usain Bolt, on Monday for what is understood to have been an injection in his back to try to solve the calf problem he suffered in United's league match against Aston Villa on 1 February.
    Regarding Ferdinand's calf injury Ferguson said this month: "It's just not responding. 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."
    It is now thought that the player hopes to be back running soon. He is under medical supervision at United and the club's next game after the international break, the visit to West Ham United on Saturday week, may come too soon.
    But, if Ferdinand does respond positively to treatment, then there would be real hope he could be fit to face Chelsea in the Champions League quarter-final, in the second leg on 12 April, before the FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City at Wembley four days later.
    Ferguson's hopes of repeating the treble he won in 1999 have been dented by injuries to his defenders. For United's league game with Bolton Wanderers last weekend Ferguson had only five fit defensive players: Chris Smalling, Wes Brown, Patrice Evra, Jonny Evans and Fabio da Silva. Nemanja Vidic's calf problem ruled him out of the 1-0 victory. John O'Shea is unavailable for up to five weeks and Rafael da Silva three weeks – each with hamstring injuries – while Evans is now suspended for three matches after being sent off against Bolton.
    Ferguson, meanwhile, has been criticised after not apologising following the incident that led to his five-game touchline ban. The manager claimed after United were beaten 2-1 by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge this month that the match, refereed by Martin Atkinson, demanded a "fair or strong referee".
    Craig Moore, chairman of the FA's Independent Regulatory Commission that banned Ferguson and also fined him £30,000, wrote in his judgment: "Whatever view one may take about the performance of Mr Atkinson, or any other [referee], respect for their integrity is essential for the integrity of the game. His vast experience ought to have left Sir Alex in no doubt as to how any sense of injustice he may have felt about the decisions made in a match, or the performance of an official, should properly be channelled and expressed.
    "Although he denied any intention to question Mr Atkinson's integrity, he should, at the very least, have realised the import of what he said. It follows that any credit to which Sir Alex may have been entitled by admitting the charge, and reduction in sanction, was lost.
    "In addition, it follows from his denial of the charge that no clarification or retraction of any of his comments has been made by Sir Alex and no apology given to Mr Atkinson, even after the charge had been brought."
    The commission also stated that Ferguson's comments had "undermined the attempts by the [FA], through its Respect Campaign, to encourage higher standards of behaviour within the game, including respect for officials".
 
Michael Yardy leaves England World Cup squad due to depression

&#8226; Sussex captain to fly home immediately
&#8226; 'I felt that it was the only sensible option for me'




  • David Hopps
  • guardian.co.uk, Thursday 24 March 2011 08.18 GMT <li class="history">Article history
    Michael-Yardy-007.jpg
    Michael Yardy is to run home from England's World Cup campaign as he is suffering with depression. Photograph: Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP Michael Yardy has been withdrawn from England's World Cup squad suffering from depression and has returned home ahead of England's quarter final match against Sri Lanka in Colombo.
    Yardy was days away from one of the biggest matches of his life, but after consultation with England's medical staff he has returned home immediately to receive specialist advice as he seeks to overcome an illness that an England Wales Cricket Board statement said he "has been managing for a prolonged period of time."
    A statement from Yardy, the Sussex captain, said: "Leaving at this stage of a World Cup campaign was a very difficult decision to make but I felt that it was the only sensible option for me and I wanted to be honest about the reason behind that decision.
    "I would like to wish the squad all the very best ahead of the game on Saturday. I would appreciate some privacy over the coming weeks while I spend time with family and close friends ahead of what I hope will be a successful season for Sussex."
    Hugh Morris, managing director of England cricket, said: "I would like to offer my full support to Michael on behalf of everyone involved with the England team and the ECB. He has been an integral part of the England set up in recent years and while he will be missed in the knockout stages of the World Cup, our priority now is to ensure that he returns home to his family and is able to spend time recovering with a strong support network around him. "
    The ECB has applied to the ICC's Technical committee to replace Yardy in its CWC squad and is awaiting a decision. He is the fourth player to pull out of England's World Cup squad in a matter of weeks, following Kevin Pietersen, Stuart Broad and Ajmal Shahzad, whose involvement was prematurely ended because of injury.
    Yorkshire's all-rounder, Adil Rashid, overlooked for the entire winter, would be one of the players in contention along with Nottinghamshire's Samit Patel.
    Yardy has had a troubled time on the field during the World Cup. He took only two wickets against India, Ireland and South Africa and he looked innocuous on Indian pitches, drawing attention to the fact that England utilise his slow left-arm as a defensive option in one-day cricket even though he is not a regular bowler at county level with Sussex.
    He was also a vital component of England's Twenty20 World Cup win in the Caribbean earlier this year but, at 30, it is possible that his international career is now at an end and he will return to a less stressful career on the county circuit.
    This is not the first time an England player has suffered from a depressive illness. Marcus Trescothick retired from international cricket, failing in several England comeback attempts, because of clinical depression. He has continued to play county cricket and has captained Somerset without any relapse.
    Trescothick described in his award-winning autobiography the homesickness, sleeplessness and anxiety which forced him to fly home from Test series against India in February 2006 and from Australia later that year.
    "I would not have wished this illness on my worst enemy," he said.
    Sussex were quick to offer support. Mark Robinson, their cricket manager, said: "Sussex are very proud of Michael Yardy and very supportive of his decision, not only to come home but also to be prepared to go public with the reasons.
    "He's always been a person admired for his utmost honesty and integrity, and his courage in dealing with this issue emphasises that. As captain and one of our leading players, we'll give him all the time and all the support necessary so that he can continue to lead this club forward."

 

Arsène Wenger could have three first-team players back for next match

&#8226; Alex Song hopes to be fit to face Blackburn next week
&#8226; Theo Walcott and Cesc Fábregas also set to return




  • David Hytner
  • guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 23 March 2011 22.00 GMT <li class="history">Article history
    Arsenal-training-007.jpg
    Arsenal's Alex Song is hoping to return to face Blackburn Rovers on Saturday week. Photograph: Tom Jenkins
    Arsène Wenger could have three of his injured first-team players fit for Arsenal's next game against Blackburn Rovers on Saturday week. Alex Song is hopeful of making his comeback from knee trouble and Cesc Fábregas and Theo Walcott are also looking good to play in the fixture.
    The Arsenal manager endured a scare when Nicklas Bendtner twisted his ankle in training with Denmark but the damage is not thought to be serious.
    Song's injury has proved to be more serious than was first thought. He had been feeling some fragility in the knee before the Carling Cup final against Birmingham City on 27 February, but when he suffered a knock during the game it was not expected to rule him out for too long.
    He has not played since, missing five matches, and was told that rest was essential. He continues to have intensive physiotherapy but has begun to train, albeit not yet fully, and considers the international break as the ideal opportunity to step up his rehabilitation and get himself fully fit for Blackburn's visit.
    Fábregas will undergo a test on Thursday to ascertain whether he is able to return to full training, having suffered again from a recurring hamstring problem. The captain last felt it during the Champions League last 16 second-leg tie at Barcelona.
    Walcott has not played since he injured his ankle in the home win over Stoke City on 23 February but, like Fábregas, he is optimistic about the prospect of facing Rovers. Wenger has made it clear that, as Arsenal hunt their first Premier League title since 2004, it is imperative that they win their home games.
    Wenger had already received some good news on the injury front this week with Johan Djourou learning that he does not need surgery to repair the shoulder he injured in the FA Cup defeat at Manchester United. An operation would have ruled the central defender out for the remainder of the season but he now stands to return in four to six weeks, which could see him play in the probably crucial home fixture against United on 1 May.
    That will be Arsenal's fourth last game of the Premier League season and Wenger believes the final three rounds of the competition ought to kick off simultaneously in the interests of fairness. Only the final round of matches, on 22 May, is scheduled to be in sync. One of the obstacles to Wenger's plan is that the FA Cup final is set for Saturday 14 May, which clashes with the penultimate round of the league programme.
    "I think they should make each team's last three fixtures all kick off at the same time, not just the last one," Wenger said.
    "There are advantages and disadvantages to kicking off later than the other teams. If you kick off later than your rivals, and they have lost, then you are in a more comfortable situation. Psychologically it can give you a lift and it's true that it can apply for us or Manchester United or Chelsea but I think it would be better not to give any team this advantage."

 

Arsène Wenger could have three first-team players back for next match

• Alex Song hopes to be fit to face Blackburn next week
• Theo Walcott and Cesc Fábregas also set to return




  • David Hytner
  • guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 23 March 2011 22.00 GMT <li class="history">Article history
    Arsenal-training-007.jpg
    Arsenal's Alex Song is hoping to return to face Blackburn Rovers on Saturday week. Photograph: Tom Jenkins
    Arsène Wenger could have three of his injured first-team players fit for Arsenal's next game against Blackburn Rovers on Saturday week. Alex Song is hopeful of making his comeback from knee trouble and Cesc Fábregas and Theo Walcott are also looking good to play in the fixture.
    The Arsenal manager endured a scare when Nicklas Bendtner twisted his ankle in training with Denmark but the damage is not thought to be serious.
    Song's injury has proved to be more serious than was first thought. He had been feeling some fragility in the knee before the Carling Cup final against Birmingham City on 27 February, but when he suffered a knock during the game it was not expected to rule him out for too long.
    He has not played since, missing five matches, and was told that rest was essential. He continues to have intensive physiotherapy but has begun to train, albeit not yet fully, and considers the international break as the ideal opportunity to step up his rehabilitation and get himself fully fit for Blackburn's visit.
    Fábregas will undergo a test on Thursday to ascertain whether he is able to return to full training, having suffered again from a recurring hamstring problem. The captain last felt it during the Champions League last 16 second-leg tie at Barcelona.
    Walcott has not played since he injured his ankle in the home win over Stoke City on 23 February but, like Fábregas, he is optimistic about the prospect of facing Rovers. Wenger has made it clear that, as Arsenal hunt their first Premier League title since 2004, it is imperative that they win their home games.
    Wenger had already received some good news on the injury front this week with Johan Djourou learning that he does not need surgery to repair the shoulder he injured in the FA Cup defeat at Manchester United. An operation would have ruled the central defender out for the remainder of the season but he now stands to return in four to six weeks, which could see him play in the probably crucial home fixture against United on 1 May.
    That will be Arsenal's fourth last game of the Premier League season and Wenger believes the final three rounds of the competition ought to kick off simultaneously in the interests of fairness. Only the final round of matches, on 22 May, is scheduled to be in sync. One of the obstacles to Wenger's plan is that the FA Cup final is set for Saturday 14 May, which clashes with the penultimate round of the league programme.
    "I think they should make each team's last three fixtures all kick off at the same time, not just the last one," Wenger said.
    "There are advantages and disadvantages to kicking off later than the other teams. If you kick off later than your rivals, and they have lost, then you are in a more comfortable situation. Psychologically it can give you a lift and it's true that it can apply for us or Manchester United or Chelsea but I think it would be better not to give any team this advantage."
 
Blackburn defend signing of Myles Anderson, the son of agent Jerome

&#8226; 20-year-old has made one substitute appearance for Aberdeen
&#8226; Father had role in takeover of Blackburn by Venky's




  • Ewan Murray
  • guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 23 March 2011 20.40 GMT <li class="history">Article history
    BLACKBURN-ROVERS-STEVE-KE-007.jpg
    Steve Kean, the Blackburn manager, says he has had an eye on Myles Anderson for some time. Photograph: Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto Blackburn Rovers have defended what is, on face value, the routine signing of a young player after it emerged Myles Anderson is the son of the agent Jerome Anderson.
    Anderson has made just a single appearance, as a substitute, since joining Aberdeen as a free agent in January. The 20-year-old defender earlier had a similarly low-key spell at the League One club Leyton Orient.
    Nonetheless, Blackburn will hand Anderson a two-year deal this summer. The player's father had an advisory role as the Venky's group took over the Premier League club last year, with Jerome Anderson still thought to be close to events at Ewood Park.
    Steve Kean, the Blackburn Rovers manager, stressed that Anderson will be signed for football reasons alone and that his late development is linked to the completion of his education.
    "We feel that Myles Anderson is a player with great potential as a late developer," said Kean. "He could become something of a Chris Smalling who came through late in football and Myles has done the same because of his schooling. We think he has a lot of potential, but there was the opportunity for him to go to Scotland in January and we and he felt that would be a good experience for him.
    "There was interest in him from a couple of Spanish clubs but he is our player and will be at our club full-time in July."
    Craig Brown, the Aberdeen manager, had Anderson on trial during his time in charge of Motherwell. At that point, the player was training with but not signed by Blackburn. Brown's assistant, Archie Knox, was previously on Blackburn's coaching staff.
    Brown explained that he knew upon handing a short-term deal, on relatively low wages and as a back-up player, to Anderson at the turn of the year that the defender would move to Ewood Park in May.
    "Steve Kean had said to me that, if he was handed the Blackburn job long-term, he would sign Myles Anderson," Brown said. The former Scotland manager added that he had been unaware who Anderson's father was until the last 24 hours.

 

Gareth Bale 'ruled out' of Wales-England match

&#8226; Reports suggest Bale will miss qualifier with England
&#8226; Gary Speed to make statement later on Thursday morning




  • Press Association
  • guardian.co.uk, Thursday 24 March 2011 09.04 GMT <li class="history">Article history
    gareth-bale-007.jpg
    Reports suggest Gareth Bale may miss the Euro 2012 qualifier against England with a hamstring injury. Photograph: Stephen Pond/EMPICS Sport Gareth Bale has been ruled out of Saturday's Euro 2012 qualifier against England with a hamstring injury, according to reports.
    The Wales manager, Gary Speed, will make a statement on Thursday morning concerning the Tottenham Hotspur winger's fitness. The 21-year-old is now thought to be returning to Tottenham for assessment.
    It has been reported that Bale has suffered a hamstring injury and will not feature in Saturday's Euro 2012 qualifier against England at the Millennium Stadium.
    Speed's assistant manager, Raymond Verheijen, wrote on his Twitter account: "This morning there will be an official statement by Gary Speed about the situation with Gareth Bale."
    Verheijen later said claims that Bale pulled up in training yesterday were incorrect, as he did not train at at all. The Dutchman added: "Funny to read about Gareth Bale injuring his hamstring in training yesterday &#8230; as he did not train at all yesterday."
    The loss of Bale will be a major blow for Speed ahead of the eagerly-anticipated sell-out encounter. The 21-year-old has only recently returned to action for Spurs after a six-week lay-off with a back injury. Prior to that Bale had enjoyed an oustanding season and his fitness is crucial to Spurs' hopes of progressing further in the Champions League. Spurs face Real Madrid in the quarter-finals next month.

 

Gareth Bale 'ruled out' of Wales-England match

• Reports suggest Bale will miss qualifier with England
• Gary Speed to make statement later on Thursday morning



  • Press Association
  • guardian.co.uk, Thursday 24 March 2011 09.04 GMT <li class="history">Article history
    gareth-bale-007.jpg
    Reports suggest Gareth Bale may miss the Euro 2012 qualifier against England with a hamstring injury. Photograph: Stephen Pond/EMPICS Sport Gareth Bale has been ruled out of Saturday's Euro 2012 qualifier against England with a hamstring injury, according to reports.
    The Wales manager, Gary Speed, will make a statement on Thursday morning concerning the Tottenham Hotspur winger's fitness. The 21-year-old is now thought to be returning to Tottenham for assessment.
    It has been reported that Bale has suffered a hamstring injury and will not feature in Saturday's Euro 2012 qualifier against England at the Millennium Stadium.
    Speed's assistant manager, Raymond Verheijen, wrote on his Twitter account: "This morning there will be an official statement by Gary Speed about the situation with Gareth Bale."
    Verheijen later said claims that Bale pulled up in training yesterday were incorrect, as he did not train at at all. The Dutchman added: "Funny to read about Gareth Bale injuring his hamstring in training yesterday … as he did not train at all yesterday."
    The loss of Bale will be a major blow for Speed ahead of the eagerly-anticipated sell-out encounter. The 21-year-old has only recently returned to action for Spurs after a six-week lay-off with a back injury. Prior to that Bale had enjoyed an oustanding season and his fitness is crucial to Spurs' hopes of progressing further in the Champions League. Spurs face Real Madrid in the quarter-finals next month.
 
From Chelsea to Milan to Madrid, José Mourinho's craving for power

The charismatic Portugese manager is an inspiration and enjoys adoration &#8211; but that is still not enough for him



  • Real-Madrids-Jose-Mourinh-007.jpg
    José Mourinho, now at Real Madrid, has said he wants to move back to England. Photograph: Felix Ordonez/Reuters The consensus on José Mourinho's rise from translator to transmogrifier is that he craves the one thing he can't have: autonomy, supreme power, in direct opposition to Roman Abramovich, the Moratti clan of Milan or Real Madrid's grandees. Casting himself as the little man fighting inscrutable wealth, he makes a fine job of portraying each career move as a dash for freedom.
    But just suppose he provoked some of the confrontations that pepper his time in football management. Let's imagine that standing up to an owner or a president is all part of a strategy to preserve his aura and keep his life in motion. The hard part is knowing how much this brilliant touchline general acts out of an urge to preserve his independence and to what degree he is just a clever sod who is always on the make.
    Most of us would applaud any coach who outruns the fire of boardroom cruelty. Mourinho is employed by a club who sacked Fabio Capello for winning La Liga with low scores for artistic merit, and Vicente del Bosque 12 months after he had won the Champions League. So when the Real directors started leaning on Mourinho to pick certain players and resisted his transfer demands the political opportunity worked both ways. Real could look beyond him, to their next victim, and Mourinho could lay the ground for a return to the Premier League.
    Students of extraordinary coincidence will have noted that he swept into London to say "my next job will be in England" a few days after Roberto Mancini's Manchester City were knocked out of the Europa League and then lost 2-0 at Chelsea. A few days, also, after Ron Gourlay, the Chelsea chief executive, had said Carlo Ancelotti's position would be reviewed in May.
    Few expect Ancelotti still to be talking about good and bad "moments" at Stamford Bridge next term. And the way Mancini is going, only the FA Cup and a safely-won Champions League place would give him hope of persuading City's owners that he is the right man for the transformation. Nobody mentions that Mourinho ostracised Mario Balotelli at Internazionale, while Mancini may have gambled his career in England away on a player whose volatility is exceeded only by his confusion when asked to put on a bib.
    "I miss England and my next job will be in England," Mourinho declares. "There is unfinished business. And I think England wants me back, no?" It would be stretching it to say there are vigils in Trafalgar Square demanding the safe return of the scourge of the Reading ambulance service, but the point can be conceded. England certainly wants more of his charisma, the adoration he inspires in players, the newspapers he sells.
    There is a name missing here; Manchester United. Mourinho and Sir Alex Ferguson talk often, as friends, as allies, but the younger man (who must envy Ferguson's power base) will not come away from their chats thinking United will advertise for a new leader any time soon. The retirement-phobic Ferguson is re-energised by the knowledge that United are holding off the pack in the middle of a rebuilding phase. Imagine how good his team will be, he reasons, when reinforcements are bought and the youngsters mature.
    After one of their telephone conversations, Ferguson said: "The Real Madrid job is the hardest challenge in José's career. I've spoken to José a couple of times and he's not managing a normal football club. Sometimes he's managing a circus, sometimes a fantastic outfit in terms of the quality of the football they can produce and the kind of players they always want. But it's a very difficult club to manage."
    Even harder is shooting Barcelona off their perch. In all Mourinho's calculations there must be the fear of failing for the first time. Not in absolute terms, but relative to the majesty on show in Catalonia. He brought Chelsea their first league title for 50 years, answered the yearning at Inter for another European Cup, then moved on from "the home of tactics", as he calls Italy, knowing the Serie A-Coppa Italia-Champions League treble could not be improved upon, or probably even repeated.
    In red Manchester, the best he could hope for is an Old Trafford starting date of June 2012 &#8211; but even that looks unlikely. The grandeur of that statement &#8211; "my next job will be in England", as if the decision is all his &#8211; obliges him either to seek a reconciliation with Abramovich or wait for Mancini to fall. Naturally, he would never do anything so vulgar as apply for a job already occupied by a colleague.
    "In football there are a few victories here [in England] I would like to repeat," he says. "I will talk to my agent and get a project for my career." Elsewhere in these interviews he talked of Real Madrid almost in the past tense. From the time Bobby Robson asked him to learn Catalan so he could eavesdrop on the Barcelona directors, Mourinho has been a student of power. It's his obsession to know more than the professors.

 
From Chelsea to Milan to Madrid, José Mourinho's craving for power

The charismatic Portugese manager is an inspiration and enjoys adoration – but that is still not enough for him



  • Real-Madrids-Jose-Mourinh-007.jpg
    José Mourinho, now at Real Madrid, has said he wants to move back to England. Photograph: Felix Ordonez/Reuters The consensus on José Mourinho's rise from translator to transmogrifier is that he craves the one thing he can't have: autonomy, supreme power, in direct opposition to Roman Abramovich, the Moratti clan of Milan or Real Madrid's grandees. Casting himself as the little man fighting inscrutable wealth, he makes a fine job of portraying each career move as a dash for freedom.
    But just suppose he provoked some of the confrontations that pepper his time in football management. Let's imagine that standing up to an owner or a president is all part of a strategy to preserve his aura and keep his life in motion. The hard part is knowing how much this brilliant touchline general acts out of an urge to preserve his independence and to what degree he is just a clever sod who is always on the make.
    Most of us would applaud any coach who outruns the fire of boardroom cruelty. Mourinho is employed by a club who sacked Fabio Capello for winning La Liga with low scores for artistic merit, and Vicente del Bosque 12 months after he had won the Champions League. So when the Real directors started leaning on Mourinho to pick certain players and resisted his transfer demands the political opportunity worked both ways. Real could look beyond him, to their next victim, and Mourinho could lay the ground for a return to the Premier League.
    Students of extraordinary coincidence will have noted that he swept into London to say "my next job will be in England" a few days after Roberto Mancini's Manchester City were knocked out of the Europa League and then lost 2-0 at Chelsea. A few days, also, after Ron Gourlay, the Chelsea chief executive, had said Carlo Ancelotti's position would be reviewed in May.
    Few expect Ancelotti still to be talking about good and bad "moments" at Stamford Bridge next term. And the way Mancini is going, only the FA Cup and a safely-won Champions League place would give him hope of persuading City's owners that he is the right man for the transformation. Nobody mentions that Mourinho ostracised Mario Balotelli at Internazionale, while Mancini may have gambled his career in England away on a player whose volatility is exceeded only by his confusion when asked to put on a bib.
    "I miss England and my next job will be in England," Mourinho declares. "There is unfinished business. And I think England wants me back, no?" It would be stretching it to say there are vigils in Trafalgar Square demanding the safe return of the scourge of the Reading ambulance service, but the point can be conceded. England certainly wants more of his charisma, the adoration he inspires in players, the newspapers he sells.
    There is a name missing here; Manchester United. Mourinho and Sir Alex Ferguson talk often, as friends, as allies, but the younger man (who must envy Ferguson's power base) will not come away from their chats thinking United will advertise for a new leader any time soon. The retirement-phobic Ferguson is re-energised by the knowledge that United are holding off the pack in the middle of a rebuilding phase. Imagine how good his team will be, he reasons, when reinforcements are bought and the youngsters mature.
    After one of their telephone conversations, Ferguson said: "The Real Madrid job is the hardest challenge in José's career. I've spoken to José a couple of times and he's not managing a normal football club. Sometimes he's managing a circus, sometimes a fantastic outfit in terms of the quality of the football they can produce and the kind of players they always want. But it's a very difficult club to manage."
    Even harder is shooting Barcelona off their perch. In all Mourinho's calculations there must be the fear of failing for the first time. Not in absolute terms, but relative to the majesty on show in Catalonia. He brought Chelsea their first league title for 50 years, answered the yearning at Inter for another European Cup, then moved on from "the home of tactics", as he calls Italy, knowing the Serie A-Coppa Italia-Champions League treble could not be improved upon, or probably even repeated.
    In red Manchester, the best he could hope for is an Old Trafford starting date of June 2012 – but even that looks unlikely. The grandeur of that statement – "my next job will be in England", as if the decision is all his – obliges him either to seek a reconciliation with Abramovich or wait for Mancini to fall. Naturally, he would never do anything so vulgar as apply for a job already occupied by a colleague.
    "In football there are a few victories here [in England] I would like to repeat," he says. "I will talk to my agent and get a project for my career." Elsewhere in these interviews he talked of Real Madrid almost in the past tense. From the time Bobby Robson asked him to learn Catalan so he could eavesdrop on the Barcelona directors, Mourinho has been a student of power. It's his obsession to know more than the professors.

 
The Special One's Special Place

Click here to have the Fiver sent to your inbox every weekday at 5pm, or if your usual copy has stopped arriving


  • Paul Doyle
  • guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 23 March 2011 16.24 GMT <li class="history">Article history
    Jose-Mourinho-the-coach-o-006.jpg
    England will always have a special place in the Special One's heart. Photograph: Jason Cairnduff/Action Images ENGLAND TIL I DIE (OR UNTIL I FALL OUT WITH MY NEXT CHAIRMAN/OWNER AND GO BACK TO ITALY, OR PERHAPS TRY MY LUCK IN GERMANY)

    There are many foreigners who've rocked up in England and gone on to become national treasures: Terry Wogan, Sandi Toksvig, Queen Elizabeth II, the England cricket team ... the list goes on and could, at only a slight stretch, include Jose Mourinho. For just as the German goalkeeper Bert Trautmann broke his neck and became a British hero, the Special One only has to break wind and all of Fleet Street swoons as if Lady Diana has been resurrected in a whiffy trench coat. Naturally, then, there has been copious salivation and knee-trembling at the Real Madrid manager's revelation today that at some unspecified point in the future he will return to work in the land that has not stopped pining for the Portugeezer and his calculated caddishness since Roman Abramovich got shot of him over three years ago.
    "I miss England and my next job will be in England," the Special One purred to the smitten Sun. "And I think England wants me back, no?" he panted seductively, well aware of the Fourth Estate's craving for a glamorous and successful football manager who offers a sales-boosting sideline in trumped-up taunts of rival coaches, late-night dashes with fugitive dogs and covert ban-breaking operations involving strategically-deployed laundry baskets and suspicious woolly hats.
    "England is special," requited the Special One. "People in Italy, Spain and Portugal ask me why I love England so much and I can't explain - I just do," smouldered the man who is expected to leave Real this summer but, given that he has a contract there until 2014, may just have condemned us to three more years of stories linking him with
    every vacancy, potential vacancy and non-vacancy in the upper reaches of the Premier League. And then, when he does finally wrap himself in the embrace of another club, speculation can immediately begin on which club he'll move to a couple of years later.
    QUOTE OF THE DAY

    "What we need now is to quit pointing fingers and everyone look at the Claret and Blue of our kit and the badge they are wearing and go out and kick the crap out of the next teams we play until the end of the season!" - Aston Villa director General Charles Krulak harks back to his days in the Marine Corps to issue a Full Metal Jacket-style rallying cry to his clubs's underperforming foot-soldiers ... that'll almost certainly prompt a long, exaggerated yawn from Richard Dunne and much whimpering and blubbing from Ashley Young and Marc Albrighton.
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    A "Wild West style catfight" broke out when St Pauli and Germany footballer Gerald Asamoah brought two women back to his flat from a nightclub while labouring under the delusion that his wife, Linda, was away, according to police. In fact she wasn't away, she was upstairs. And now she's lodged a police complaint against one of the women, who pulled some of her hair out. According to German newspaper Bild Asamoah left the scene, telling police "I have got to go to training." Smart boy.
    Liam Lawrence, who is from Nottingham, has been waving his knobbly stick in the air while criticising flag-juggling Englishmen like Jermaine Pennant and Jamie O'Hara for throwing their green felt hats in the Republic O' Ireland ring because they're not good enough for England, once ate coddle and have taken to walking around with pigs under their arms.
    Former Portugal boss and Lord Ferg lackey Carlos Queiroz has had his six-month ban for allegedly disrupting an anti-doping testing session before last year's World Cup lifted by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, who found he had not "disturbed the sample collection process or the work of the anti-doping officers''.
    Tottenham Hotspur and Everton have decided to muscle in on Chelsea's bid to sign Anderlecht's £26m-rated Belgian tyro Romelu Lukaku, in a turn of events that suggests Everton didn't see the 'm' on that price tag.
    Having said that, the man in charge of Everton's Monarch 1110 pricing gun has covered Marouane Fellaini with '£22m' stickers, after being notified of interest in the big-haired Belgian from Real Madrid.
    Kevin Prince Boateng is out of Ghana's game with England on Tuesday, which will disappoint those enthused by silly names and wince-inducing neck tattoos.
    And Mad Dog 'Martin' Allen has been named manager of League Two strugglers Barnet until the end of the season. "It's the last throw of the dice," said Bees chairman Tony Kleanthous, offering an early vote of confidence.
    STILL WANT MORE?

    In much the same way as the Beastie Boys fought for the right to party, the Football Supporters' Federation are fighting for the right to stand up at football matches, writes David Conn, although we're paraphrasing slightly.
    Has anyone been Fifa president longer than Sepp Blatter? The answer and slightly less sizzling non-football admin chat feature in The Knowledge.
    England's Brave John Terry thrives on his lack of popularity, which is just as well because nobody seems to like him very much, muses Kevin McCarra.
    And despite boasting two members who make Dustin Hoffman's character in Rainman look scatterbrained, the Guardian Sport team disgraced itself at last night's Opta Football Quiz. See if you can do any better with these questions about the England captaincy.
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Blackburn defend signing of Myles Anderson, the son of agent Jerome

&#8226; 20-year-old has made one substitute appearance for Aberdeen
&#8226; Father had role in takeover of Blackburn by Venky's




  • Ewan Murray
  • guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 23 March 2011 20.40 GMT <li class="history">Article history
    BLACKBURN-ROVERS-STEVE-KE-007.jpg
    Steve Kean, the Blackburn manager, says he has had an eye on Myles Anderson for some time. Photograph: Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto Blackburn Rovers have defended what is, on face value, the routine signing of a young player after it emerged Myles Anderson is the son of the agent Jerome Anderson.
    Anderson has made just a single appearance, as a substitute, since joining Aberdeen as a free agent in January. The 20-year-old defender earlier had a similarly low-key spell at the League One club Leyton Orient.
    Nonetheless, Blackburn will hand Anderson a two-year deal this summer. The player's father had an advisory role as the Venky's group took over the Premier League club last year, with Jerome Anderson still thought to be close to events at Ewood Park.
    Steve Kean, the Blackburn Rovers manager, stressed that Anderson will be signed for football reasons alone and that his late development is linked to the completion of his education.
    "We feel that Myles Anderson is a player with great potential as a late developer," said Kean. "He could become something of a Chris Smalling who came through late in football and Myles has done the same because of his schooling. We think he has a lot of potential, but there was the opportunity for him to go to Scotland in January and we and he felt that would be a good experience for him.
    "There was interest in him from a couple of Spanish clubs but he is our player and will be at our club full-time in July."
    Craig Brown, the Aberdeen manager, had Anderson on trial during his time in charge of Motherwell. At that point, the player was training with but not signed by Blackburn. Brown's assistant, Archie Knox, was previously on Blackburn's coaching staff.
    Brown explained that he knew upon handing a short-term deal, on relatively low wages and as a back-up player, to Anderson at the turn of the year that the defender would move to Ewood Park in May.
    "Steve Kean had said to me that, if he was handed the Blackburn job long-term, he would sign Myles Anderson," Brown said. The former Scotland manager added that he had been unaware who Anderson's father was until the last 24 hours.

 
Blackburn defend signing of Myles Anderson, the son of agent Jerome

• 20-year-old has made one substitute appearance for Aberdeen
• Father had role in takeover of Blackburn by Venky's




  • Ewan Murray
  • guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 23 March 2011 20.40 GMT <li class="history">Article history
    BLACKBURN-ROVERS-STEVE-KE-007.jpg
    Steve Kean, the Blackburn manager, says he has had an eye on Myles Anderson for some time. Photograph: Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto Blackburn Rovers have defended what is, on face value, the routine signing of a young player after it emerged Myles Anderson is the son of the agent Jerome Anderson.
    Anderson has made just a single appearance, as a substitute, since joining Aberdeen as a free agent in January. The 20-year-old defender earlier had a similarly low-key spell at the League One club Leyton Orient.
    Nonetheless, Blackburn will hand Anderson a two-year deal this summer. The player's father had an advisory role as the Venky's group took over the Premier League club last year, with Jerome Anderson still thought to be close to events at Ewood Park.
    Steve Kean, the Blackburn Rovers manager, stressed that Anderson will be signed for football reasons alone and that his late development is linked to the completion of his education.
    "We feel that Myles Anderson is a player with great potential as a late developer," said Kean. "He could become something of a Chris Smalling who came through late in football and Myles has done the same because of his schooling. We think he has a lot of potential, but there was the opportunity for him to go to Scotland in January and we and he felt that would be a good experience for him.
    "There was interest in him from a couple of Spanish clubs but he is our player and will be at our club full-time in July."
    Craig Brown, the Aberdeen manager, had Anderson on trial during his time in charge of Motherwell. At that point, the player was training with but not signed by Blackburn. Brown's assistant, Archie Knox, was previously on Blackburn's coaching staff.
    Brown explained that he knew upon handing a short-term deal, on relatively low wages and as a back-up player, to Anderson at the turn of the year that the defender would move to Ewood Park in May.
    "Steve Kean had said to me that, if he was handed the Blackburn job long-term, he would sign Myles Anderson," Brown said. The former Scotland manager added that he had been unaware who Anderson's father was until the last 24 hours.
 
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