Transfer news...

Transfer news...

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  • no-user-image.gif
    Parvulesco 9 September 2011 11:19PM

    If the Guardian gave you a massively disproportionate contract then didn't ask you to do anything for it I can't see you binning it off either.


  • no-user-image.gif
    windbag 9 September 2011 11:41PM

    He'll be at retirement age for overrated overpaid footballers by the time his ludicrous contract has finished, and financially set for life, if he doesn't blow it on pop starlets. Good on him.


  • no-user-image.gif
    peppernaul 9 September 2011 11:46PM

    "For this, the responsibility falls on City and their now-departed chief executive, Garry Cook, for handing out so many over-the-top salaries in the first year of the Abu Dhabi United Group regime. Craig Bellamy and Roque Santa Cruz were also earning around the £90,000-a-week mark, while Emmanuel Adebayor was on £150,000"
    But hey- one name that never attracts any blame for any of this is Mark Hughes. Still, after all this time, it is unanimous in the media that he was treated 'outrageously 'and that sacking him after that "first year of the Abu Dhabi United Group regime" showed how the new owners knew nothing about football...


  • 60x60.png
    Butterfinger550 9 September 2011 11:50PM

    Wayne Bridge has become one of the forgotten men of football...rejecting the chance to move and play
    ​
    What about Winston Bogarde?
    The bloke at Chelsea who took a Eurostar back and forth everyday after training. He was earning something like £40k p/w and didn't even make more than 10 appearances for the club. And to be fair to him said in his response to criticism over his wages:

    This world is about money, so when you are offered those millions you take them. Few people will ever earn so many. I am one of the few fortunates who do. I may be one of the worst buys in the history of the Premiership but I don't care.
    ​


  • 60x60.png
    Bazza12 9 September 2011 11:53PM

    Football sure is a mad world these days - £4.7m a year to do nothing - I could do that.
    Actually I do, but do you think I can persuade my boss to give me more money?
    The bastard




  • 60x60.png
    sam0412 10 September 2011 12:03AM

    On the other hand we often hear about players not honouring their contracts...


  • 60x60.png
    mike65ie 10 September 2011 12:04AM

    Damn! Beaten to the Winston Bogarde example.
    Its criminal really, there should be some sort of obligation to cancel contracts of players who willfully sit and do feck all when its clear they are not in a managers plans. Its just a bad example, players are dreadful enough in that respect when on the pitch.
    Show him the door!



  • no-user-image.gif
    windbag 10 September 2011 12:08AM

    To put it into context, he went through a full season for City, playing 1,897 minutes, without a single cross, out of 47 attempts, going to a team-mate.

    ​
    If that is correct, it is clear that he put the cue in the rack at the same time he got his insane cast iron contract. You couldn't be that bad if you were trying (to be good).You would do much better than 1 out of 47 blindfolded.


  • no-user-image.gif
    AndrewJuego 10 September 2011 12:11AM

    Bridge is perfectly entitled to stay at City and "honor" his contract.
    In fact, it might lengthen his career if he trains faithfully and avoids the pitfalls of a luxurious lifestyle (guffaws on a postcard, please).
    Indeed, the gap between rich and poor when the points are added up are due to this hoovering and hoarding of talented players. If there is to be any 'evening out,' it will only happen as more and more players are sequestered in the stands at the Real Madrids, the Man Citys, etc.
    Leicester has done the same thing a division below, no?
 
[h=1]Let me put it in black and white: racism has no place in football[/h] Events in Sofia last week and black players' experiences in Russia show international football still has a problem with racism



  • ashley-young-007.jpg
    Ashley Young was the target of racist abuse from Bulgaria fans during England's win in Sofia. Photograph: Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar

    I had a dream as a kid. It was very simple: I wanted to grow up as quickly as possible and play football with my friends for a professional team. None of us cared which team, just so long as we were all playing together.
    Players from India, Pakistan, Africa, Ireland and England would have represented our team but of course it didn't happen; we were only eight.
    Growing up on a multicultural council estate, we were blessed with a healthy dose of colour blindness. Indeed, the first time any of us were confronted by racism came as a big shock because, very often, it would be directed at the friend you had grown up with.
    I am sure that whoever the friends of Theo Walcott, Ashley Cole and Ashley Young are, they were sat at home watching England play Bulgaria eight days ago with exactly the same stomach–churning feelings as I had then.
    How those players must be looking forward to returning to the relative sanctuary of the Premier League this weekend. Since the 1970s a huge amount of work has gone into eradicating racism from the terraces of the English game, and with a great deal of success.
    There remains the odd incident. Dwight Yorke was subjected to monkey impersonations from two Blackburn fans as he warmed up for Birmingham at Ewood Park in 2004 and Ian Holloway accused Stoke fans of racially abusing Jason Euell two seasons ago.
    Many years ago I played at a ground well known for hostility towards away clubs. Our team had a number of black players and after the match three or four of us were walking to the team bus on the other side of the car park when we saw three intimidating men coming the other way.
    One had his son in tow, who must have been six or seven, jogging every so often so as to keep up with the adults. It reminded me of myself with my Dad and that habit he had of walking twice as fast outside football stadiums, as the adrenaline took over.
    As we got closer we could feel they were looking at us. As we looked at the ground, one of the black players glanced up and caught the eye of the boy, who simply stared back and said: "Nigger."
    I remember being absolutely horrified. The player in question let out a laugh somewhere between disbelief and shock. Nobody said anything and everybody carried on walking. I don't know which was worse; hearing it from a child or that his father didn't bat an eyelid.
    My upbringing and the work done in football by great men like Brendan Batson makes it easy for me to see the ugliness of racism.
    In other countries with less of an ethnic mix, there is a long way to go. An African player who is a good friend once played his football in Russia. When a group of us would go to lunch he would regale us with tales of skinheads waiting for him and the other black players outside the training ground, and having to run home while they chased him. Keep in mind these were fans of the same team. He said he had asked the club to employ a security guard at his own expense – a request that was refused because, in effect, the club would be admitting it had a problem.
    I can imagine what the same player must have felt when he learned of the banner held up by Lokomotiv Moscow fans after the club sold the Nigerian striker Peter Odemwingie. Their parting message centred on a picture of a banana with the words "Thank you West Brom".
    The explanation for this banner from Alexei Sorokin, the chief executive of Russia's successful 2018 World Cup bid, was so laughable it isn't worth repeating.
    Russia has a problem. Recently the legendary Brazilian left-back Roberto Carlos had a banana offered to him by a fan of Zenit St Petersburg, reducing him to tears. The fans also cost Zenit £38,000 after Uefa fined the club for monkey chants directed at black players of Marseille. In 2004 the then Zenit manager, Vlastimil Petrela, claimed that he was not allowed to offer a contract to a black player, saying: "I wanted to sign a black player but I could not, whenever I asked the club the answer was always the same: 'Zenit is not interested.'"
    Many have condemned as short‑sighted the decision to hand the World Cup to Russia in 2018 but perhaps the greatest sports event on earth can be the catalyst for the next generation to change its thinking. Let them now have the chance to rejoice in the privilege of watching players of the quality of Neymar, Young and Yann M'Vila, just as we in England had the privilege of watching Cyrille Regis, Viv Anderson and John Barnes years ago.
    In 2018 the World Cup has the chance to be something we haven't seen before. It could provide a new, forward-thinking generation of young Russian football fans with the chance to throw off the redundant mantra of their predecessors and, in turn, rise up against the owners who continue to dictate signings and tolerate racism within their clubs.
    It might not quite make for a revolution, but as Lenin said, "sometimes history needs a push".
    Follow The Secret Footballer on Twitter: @TSFGuardian

 
[h=1]Capello: Man United move revitalised Ashley Young[/h] Published 22:56 10/09/11 By Anthony Clavane

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/new...y-move-says-Fabio-Capello-article796879.html#
Manchester-United-Arsenal-Ashley-Young-Premier-League+cropped


Fabio Capello is convinced Ashley Young's move from Aston Villa to Manchester United has revitalised the star – and boosted England's Euro 2012 hopes.
Young has enjoyed a *brilliant start to the new *season, scoring twice for United since joining them in the summer for £16million.
And he has also made it three goals in his last six England games – with his winning strike against Wales on *Tuesday edging Capello's team towards qualification for next summer's Euro 2012.
The Italian left Young at home when he named his 30-man squad for the World Cup in South Africa. But he said: "What's changed with Ashley Young [since not going to the World Cup] is that now he is *playing with a *really important team.

"And he has improved a lot.
"Because the confidence, when you play in a *really important team, improves a great deal.
"This is because of the quality of the players he is playing with.
"He can play as a second forward, behind Rooney.
"He played left-wing for a long time. He is technically good, fast, and has a good imagination. And he scores goals – he can shoot with his left and right."
In the player's Villa days, there were some question marks over his big-game *temperament – with Capello complaining the player was star-struck on international duty.
But Young, 26, has emerged as a key figure in the new-look England set-up, striking up a fantastic *relationship with Wayne Rooney since his summer move.
The pair have scored four out of England's six goals in their last three internationals – and seven strikes in the first three league games this season. Capello added: "The pressure Young has to face in every game is big – so it is normal when he plays for England. It has given him a lot of confidence.
"This is what happens when you play with the top teams – with Real Madrid, with Barcelona, with Man United or Bayern Munich."
And Capello is planning to bring in Young's United team-mates – Phil Jones, 19, and Tom *Cleverley, 22 – to shake up some of the older, more complacent, *members of the national team after a poor display against the Welsh.
For friendlies against Spain and Holland – if England qualify by gaining a point in Montenegro next month – he will blood young players not saddled with the baggage of the *disastrous World Cup.
"It's impossible to say *whether I can put things right for the Montenegro match," he said. "This has happened *before in my career. It's my job. But I know that Jones and Cleverley will *feature in the next friendlies.
"They are really young, but they will play, as will Jack Wilshere.
"I remember with Wilshere, when he started the season, he wasn't OK. The next game – great.
"It will be an important chance for these players."
Manchester dominates August team of the month


​
 
[h=1]Exclusive: Redknapp could manage England at Euro 2012[/h] Published 00:30 11/09/11 By Alan Nixon

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/new...edknapp-not-Fabio-Capello-article797314.html#
Tottenham-Hotspur-Harry-Redknapp+cropped


A full version of this story appears in today's People.
FA chiefs are hatching an *emergency plan to install Harry Redknapp as England manager for the Euro 2012 finals.
Top brass have been working to find Fabio Capello’s long-term successor and Tottenham chief Redknapp is the red-hot choice to step into the job.
And People Sport can reveal that an official approach could be made to Spurs for their manager BEFORE Capello’s contract runs out next summer.

The possibility of Redknapp managing* England at the finals is now being openly discussed in the corridors of power – and is rated ‘probable’ by top sources.
Read the full version of this story here



​
 
[h=1]Chelsea striker offered big money move to Qatar[/h] Published 22:56 10/09/11 By Tom Hopkinson

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/tra...ed-Qatar-move-to-Al-Arabi-article797325.html#
nicolas-anelka-chelsea-cropped


A full version of this story appears in today's People.
Nicolas Anelka has been offered a mind-boggling £8.4million-a-year contract to finish his career in the Middle East.
Doha-based Al-Arabi are desperate to take the 32-year-old Frenchman to Qatar and have offered to double his Chelsea wages.
Anelka has one year left to run on his Stamford Bridge deal, having signed an extension last summer, but now faces competition from five other strikers for a place in Andre Villas-Boas' starting line-up.

Read the full version of this story here

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/tra...ed-Qatar-move-to-Al-Arabi-article797325.html#
 
[h=1]Chelsea striker offered big money move to Qatar[/h] Published 22:56 10/09/11 By Tom Hopkinson

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/tra...ed-Qatar-move-to-Al-Arabi-article797325.html#
nicolas-anelka-chelsea-cropped


A full version of this story appears in today's People.
Nicolas Anelka has been offered a mind-boggling £8.4million-a-year contract to finish his career in the Middle East.
Doha-based Al-Arabi are desperate to take the 32-year-old Frenchman to Qatar and have offered to double his Chelsea wages.
Anelka has one year left to run on his Stamford Bridge deal, having signed an extension last summer, but now faces competition from five other strikers for a place in Andre Villas-Boas’ starting line-up.

Read the full version of this story here

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/tra...ed-Qatar-move-to-Al-Arabi-article797325.html#
 
[h=1]Beleaguered Arsenal need to rediscover their sense of fun[/h] A nervy victory over Swansea fails to paper over the cracks, but Arsène Wenger will take solace from Mikel Arteta's display



  • Arsenals-Mikel-Arteta-con-007.jpg
    Mikel Arteta put in an impressive display on his Arsenal debut against Swansea. Photograph: Philip Brown/Reuters

    The beauty has passed from Arsenal's play, but so has a virtue that goes back further, to the days of the iron Gunner spirit. This is a side clawing for points where once it laid on a parade. There will be no quick return to the old verve and vigour but the chance is there.
    It will start with a psychological shift, much needed. This team behaves as if coping with adversity is now its primary function. A third league win in 15 games eased some of the pain from the 2-0 defeat at home to Liverpool and the 8-2 battering at Manchester United. Yet still we observe a club trying to escape despondency and reconnect with all the optimism and fluency of Arsène Wenger's best years.
    The summer's transfer scramble was "very unlike Arsenal", Wenger said. The same is true of the current starting XI. Once they swept upfield like a top ice hockey team. Now their movements are jerky and uncertain. The over-arching vision of symphonic one-touch football has been squashed by circumstance. To beat a Swansea side coached in the best possible taste they relied on a bizarre goalkeeping error from Michael Vorm and a glaring miss in added time by Danny Graham.
    The blunt forward line of promoted Premier League debutantes was ideal opposition for Arsenal's defence, which featured Per Mertesacker – bought from Werder Bremen for £8m – for the first time. Calm, tall and technocratic, Mertesacker is no quick mover, and lost at least one aerial contest with Graham, despite his height (6ft 6in). On the credit side he will bring organisational know-how to Arsenal's defending and take pressure off Wenger's nimbler and faster centre-backs.
    Three of the five players signed by Wenger during his last day trolley dash (he rejects that characterisation) introduced themselves to a crowd that was officially at full capacity but was peppered with vacant seats.
    Mikel Arteta, who seized the chance to escape Everton's financial turmoil, was excellent, delivering two defence-splitting passes in the first 10 minutes and then settling into a pattern of constructive and economical passing.
    In one game Arteta established himself as a compromise blend of Cesc Fábregas and Samir Nasri: the summer's two big escapees. From a narrow left-sided midfield position, Arteta hunted alongside Emmanuel Frimpong, restored after suspension, and picked out the runs of Aaron Ramsey, Andrey Arshavin and Robin van Persie in an encouraging first half.
    The air of renewal turned out to be deceptive. After the interval the desperation returned to Arsenal's efforts. Theo Walcott's runs petered out, Van Persie was off-target with his shooting and Arshavin gave way to Yossi Benayoun, the third newcomer, after missing a tackle and taking a lecture from the 19-year-old Frimpong.
    Arshavin's first-half goal had been a gift. On the edge of his penalty area Vorm rolled the ball inexplicably against the legs of Angel Rangel and then saw it drop to Arsenal's Russian forward, who swept it in. Graham's miss in front of the posts in added time was not quite in the Robert Earnshaw category but it hardly augured well for Swansea's goalscoring hopes. After four league games their duck remains intact.
    Angst has afflicted Arsenal since the Carling Cup final defeat to Birmingham. The effect becomes apparent when there is a setback on the field or opponents refuse to fold.
    "Confidence goes quickly and comes back slowly," Wenger said, locating the heart of it. Passing back to the goalkeeper from the halfway line was, the manager added, further evidence of anxiety. This mental fog does lift. But it requires a bit more positivity and a lot less introspection than you see round here. Arsenal's coaching staff have been noticeably quiet of late, slumping into their touchline seats with resigned and disaffected expressions. This time Pat Rice spent most of the second half on the touchline clapping and encouraging. There is nothing to be gained from moroseness.
    This is a group of players who have forgotten who Arsenal are, what they stand for and how much talent underpins the whole enterprise. For a spell they came out of the brace position but then went back in as the score stayed stuck at 1-0.
    On Tuesday they start another Champions League campaign, at Borussia Dortmund. Now would be a good time to forget a tough summer and display a bit more joie de vivre. "The longer it lasts, the deeper the problem becomes," Wenger said. The job of sweeping away the gloom falls to him.
    To talk of all the players who may return to save the day is not the answer. It offers a hiding place for those who are fit and available. Yet the outlook really will be brighter when Wenger is able to call on Jack Wilshere, Thomas Vermaelen, Gervinho and Alex Song – as well as the other new boys, Andre Santos and Park Chu-young.
    The template of lustrous Arsenal play is broken. Wenger's aims now must be more modest: assimilation, hard work in the physio room and more culling, plus an improvement in discipline. Three red cards in successive league games pointed to a lack of personal responsibility and managerial control.
    Above all, you wish this team could restore its sense of fun, of identity, and stop looking so beleaguered.

 
[h=1]Beleaguered Arsenal need to rediscover their sense of fun[/h] A nervy victory over Swansea fails to paper over the cracks, but Arsène Wenger will take solace from Mikel Arteta's display



  • Arsenals-Mikel-Arteta-con-007.jpg
    Mikel Arteta put in an impressive display on his Arsenal debut against Swansea. Photograph: Philip Brown/Reuters

    The beauty has passed from Arsenal's play, but so has a virtue that goes back further, to the days of the iron Gunner spirit. This is a side clawing for points where once it laid on a parade. There will be no quick return to the old verve and vigour but the chance is there.
    It will start with a psychological shift, much needed. This team behaves as if coping with adversity is now its primary function. A third league win in 15 games eased some of the pain from the 2-0 defeat at home to Liverpool and the 8-2 battering at Manchester United. Yet still we observe a club trying to escape despondency and reconnect with all the optimism and fluency of Arsène Wenger's best years.
    The summer's transfer scramble was "very unlike Arsenal", Wenger said. The same is true of the current starting XI. Once they swept upfield like a top ice hockey team. Now their movements are jerky and uncertain. The over-arching vision of symphonic one-touch football has been squashed by circumstance. To beat a Swansea side coached in the best possible taste they relied on a bizarre goalkeeping error from Michael Vorm and a glaring miss in added time by Danny Graham.
    The blunt forward line of promoted Premier League debutantes was ideal opposition for Arsenal's defence, which featured Per Mertesacker – bought from Werder Bremen for £8m – for the first time. Calm, tall and technocratic, Mertesacker is no quick mover, and lost at least one aerial contest with Graham, despite his height (6ft 6in). On the credit side he will bring organisational know-how to Arsenal's defending and take pressure off Wenger's nimbler and faster centre-backs.
    Three of the five players signed by Wenger during his last day trolley dash (he rejects that characterisation) introduced themselves to a crowd that was officially at full capacity but was peppered with vacant seats.
    Mikel Arteta, who seized the chance to escape Everton's financial turmoil, was excellent, delivering two defence-splitting passes in the first 10 minutes and then settling into a pattern of constructive and economical passing.
    In one game Arteta established himself as a compromise blend of Cesc Fábregas and Samir Nasri: the summer's two big escapees. From a narrow left-sided midfield position, Arteta hunted alongside Emmanuel Frimpong, restored after suspension, and picked out the runs of Aaron Ramsey, Andrey Arshavin and Robin van Persie in an encouraging first half.
    The air of renewal turned out to be deceptive. After the interval the desperation returned to Arsenal's efforts. Theo Walcott's runs petered out, Van Persie was off-target with his shooting and Arshavin gave way to Yossi Benayoun, the third newcomer, after missing a tackle and taking a lecture from the 19-year-old Frimpong.
    Arshavin's first-half goal had been a gift. On the edge of his penalty area Vorm rolled the ball inexplicably against the legs of Angel Rangel and then saw it drop to Arsenal's Russian forward, who swept it in. Graham's miss in front of the posts in added time was not quite in the Robert Earnshaw category but it hardly augured well for Swansea's goalscoring hopes. After four league games their duck remains intact.
    Angst has afflicted Arsenal since the Carling Cup final defeat to Birmingham. The effect becomes apparent when there is a setback on the field or opponents refuse to fold.
    "Confidence goes quickly and comes back slowly," Wenger said, locating the heart of it. Passing back to the goalkeeper from the halfway line was, the manager added, further evidence of anxiety. This mental fog does lift. But it requires a bit more positivity and a lot less introspection than you see round here. Arsenal's coaching staff have been noticeably quiet of late, slumping into their touchline seats with resigned and disaffected expressions. This time Pat Rice spent most of the second half on the touchline clapping and encouraging. There is nothing to be gained from moroseness.
    This is a group of players who have forgotten who Arsenal are, what they stand for and how much talent underpins the whole enterprise. For a spell they came out of the brace position but then went back in as the score stayed stuck at 1-0.
    On Tuesday they start another Champions League campaign, at Borussia Dortmund. Now would be a good time to forget a tough summer and display a bit more joie de vivre. "The longer it lasts, the deeper the problem becomes," Wenger said. The job of sweeping away the gloom falls to him.
    To talk of all the players who may return to save the day is not the answer. It offers a hiding place for those who are fit and available. Yet the outlook really will be brighter when Wenger is able to call on Jack Wilshere, Thomas Vermaelen, Gervinho and Alex Song – as well as the other new boys, Andre Santos and Park Chu-young.
    The template of lustrous Arsenal play is broken. Wenger's aims now must be more modest: assimilation, hard work in the physio room and more culling, plus an improvement in discipline. Three red cards in successive league games pointed to a lack of personal responsibility and managerial control.
    Above all, you wish this team could restore its sense of fun, of identity, and stop looking so beleaguered.

 
[h=1]Cook was being investigated by City before email slur[/h] Published 22:56 10/09/11 By Steve Bates

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/new...-email-for-expense-claims-article797316.html#
.jpeg


A full version of this story appears in today's People.
Blundering chief executive Garry Cook was being *investigated by Manchester City chiefs BEFORE he was accused of *sending an offensive e-mail.
Cook quit on Friday *following claims he sent an e-mail to cancer *sufferer Dr Anthonia Onuoha – *mother of *defender Nedum – which mocked her illness.
But it *appears Cook was *already under close scrutiny.

His bosses had become *concerned at spiralling *running costs at the club – particularly *involving travel by private jet and luxury limousines.
Read the full version of this story here


​
 
[h=1]Manchester United show the value of regeneration in outclassing Bolton[/h] • Ruthless champions show no sign of letting up
• Sir Alex Ferguson incensed by Kevin Davies tackle





[h=2]Premier League 2011-12[/h]

  • Hernández 5,
  • Rooney 20,
  • Rooney 25,
  • Hernández 58,
  • Rooney 68

Bolton Wanderers 0
Manchester United 5




  • Joe Lovejoy at the Reebok Stadium
  • guardian.co.uk, Sunday 11 September 2011 22.59 BST Article history
    Wayne-Rooney-007.jpg
    Wayne Rooney walks off with the match ball after scoring a hat-trick for the second match in succession for Manchester United. Photograph: Paul Currie/Action Images

    Conventional wisdom has it that Manchester United habitually start the season sluggishly and do not hit their straps until after Christmas, in which case heaven help the rest of the Premier League. The reigning champions' 100% record has thus far been illuminated by 18 goals in their first four matches.
    They look the business all right, but a word of caution is probably appropriate amid all the acclaim – the word in question being Chelsea, who are due at Old Trafford on Sunday. On current form United must be expected to win again, but Sir Alex Ferguson will need no reminding that this time last year it was Carlo Ancelotti's team who were irresistible, taking maximum points from their first five matches and scoring 21 while conceding just one.
    We all know what happened next: they lost their way and Ancelotti lost his job. United are unlikely to disintegrate, of course, but Ferguson is right when he suggests judgment of his freshened squad should be delayed, at least until the end of a week which takes them to Benfica in the Champions League on Wednesday before Chelsea come calling.
    Outclassed by Barcelona in the European Cup final last season, United are striving to imitate the Catalans' composure, control, and clever short-passing game. It is interesting to note that the 11 chosen to start at the Reebok on Saturday included just three of the players who were on duty on 11 September last year. Edwin van der Sar, Gary Neville, John O'Shea and Paul Scholes have all gone, Dimitar Berbatov might as well have done and Ryan Giggs, 38 in November, is no longer assured of a place.
    Invigorated by the arrival of David de Gea, Phil Jones and Ashley Young, and the return of Javier Hernández, United were much too good for homespun Bolton, sympathy for whom should be moderated by their recidivist approach.
    Kevin Davies, always a foul in waiting, said beforehand that they would test the mettle of their celebrated opponents by putting them through a rigorous physical examination and the striker, who has long given the description double meaning, was as good/bad as his word, putting Tom Cleverley out of the game after eight minutes with a foot-breaker of a challenge, which left Cleverley and Ferguson incensed, but not surprised.
    Davies's pre-match threats had focused on De Gea, United's new goalkeeper, whose frailty elsewhere led Bolton to believe there could be profit in unsettling him through robust proximity. If that was the plan, De Gea came through the test with flying colours, an assured performance embellished by a notable early save from Ivan Klasnic which had the red legions chanting the young Spaniard's name. United took the lead in the fifth minute, when Nani's right-wing cross was touched in at the near post by Hernández, and the outcome was never in doubt after a similar goal from Wayne Rooney, at the far post this time, made it 2-0 after 20.
    Jones, promoted in place of Chris Smalling at right-back, was the provider for the second, and went on to add to his burgeoning reputation with a mighty contribution, catching the eye again when he went past two defenders to set up Rooney for 3-0. In other circumstances, the 19-year-old recruit from Blackburn Rovers would have been the man of the match, but with a scoreline like this the honours belong to the two strikers.
    Given good service (unlike the unpromising fare he has to feed on with England), Rooney is back to his very best and richly deserved his second hat-trick in successive Premier League games. Hernández, having sharpened fitness and form with Mexico, was no less impressive and would have had three of his own but for Nigel Reo-Coker's goalline clearance. A big target man to battle for the crosses? Bolton may need Davies for that, but the quality of United's passing has rendered the old British behemoth redundant. Barça have shown us the way forward.

 
[h=2]Bolton Wanderers 0-5 Manchester United[/h] [h=1]Improving Anderson is crucial to Manchester United's dominance[/h] The dynamic Brazilian Anderson is growing in influence in United's engine room, dictating the rhythm of the game



  • Anderson-Manchester-Unite-007.jpg
    Anderson, with his waspish left foot and change of pace, is making up for the absence of Paul Scholes in United's midfield. Photograph: Jon Super/AP

    Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernández will receive the plaudits, and deservedly so, but there was another in Manchester United's ranks at the Reebok Stadium who caught the eye. The visitors' effervescent, left-footed Brazilian Anderson was the instigator of so many of United's brilliant moves on Saturday, setting the team's tone. As he continues to improve, he will soften the blow of Paul Scholes's retirement.
    Anderson's increased confidence was instrumental to United's domination, the midfielder collecting the ball deep from his goalkeeper, David de Gea, when his centre-backs split and beginning the passing movements forward. Neither Nigel Reo-Coker nor Mark Davies wanted to leave their safe areas and tighten so high up the field, allowing Anderson to dictate the rhythm. In this defensive phase, Phil Jones and Patrice Evra pushed forward, which forced Chris Eagles and Martin Petrov deeper and offered the visitors more space in which to begin their build-up play.
    Manchester-United-worked--001.jpg
    Manchester United worked the ball from back to front via their dynamic Brazilian Anderson, leaving Bolton overwhelmed. Photograph: Graphic Michael Carrick, who replaced Tom Cleverley, predictably played his deep-lying, safe game, rarely close enough for a pop at goal, but always ready to cope with rare counter‑attacking danger. Anderson has more vitality and energy. He received and searched for a front colleague to play a progressive forward pass, then followed that delivery forward to receive again and progress up the pitch. With his waspish left foot and change of pace, the Brazilian's form is making up for Scholes's absence and the less game time being enjoyed by Ryan Giggs.
    Anderson's emergence shows the value of patience by both the manager and the player. The midfielder commands and demands the ball. He almost seems in love with it. His shooting and goals record will improve as his support play takes him closer to goal, as will his tracking of opponents and tackling as he plays more regularly. But he is already charged with responsibility: he takes the right‑wing corners, and his accuracy is better now than it was. He is an infectiously enthusiastic presence, forever calling for the ball.
    Bolton had no answer. They had seemed determined to upset any early rhythm mustered by United with a series of poorly timed challenges, but this did not deter the visitors, whose early delivery from wide positions and brilliant box movement gave them three-goal daylight within the first 25 minutes. They swamped Bolton's four-man mid-line and zipped the ball to the touchlines, where Evra and Jones, my Guardian prediction for "buy of the season", gleefully joined in. This was another merciless display. Opponents must scratch their heads as they consider how best to stop them. Getting tighter to Anderson may be one answer.

 
[h=1]Daniel Sturridge's sweet finish is sour for Chelsea's Fernando Torres[/h] • Chelsea thrive in absence of dropped Torres
• Bruce insists struggling Sunderland 'will be fine'





[h=2]Premier League 2011-12[/h]

  • Ji Dong-Won 90+1

  • Terry 18,
  • Sturridge 50

Sunderland 1
Chelsea 2




  • Jason Mellor at the Stadium of Light
  • guardian.co.uk, Sunday 11 September 2011 22.59 BST Article history
    daniel-sturridge-007.jpg
    Daniel Sturridge celebrates after scoring for Chelsea but Fernando Torres could only watch from the bench. Photograph: David Moir/Reuters

    Regarding who had more of a day to forget, it was a toss-up between Steve Bruce and Fernando Torres. The pair narrowly edged out Niall Quinn, who felt compelled to reassure supporters he had not resigned as Sunderland chairman, despite strong rumours to the contrary. For his part, Daniel Sturridge left clutching a tin of Quality Street. At least life was sweet for someone.
    It wasn't a bad 90 minutes' work either for André Villas-Boas, who afterwards was keen to point out the extra 24 hours' rest that Chelsea's forthcoming Champions League opponents, Bayer Leverkusen, will enjoy before the match at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday . In reality however, this match could have counted as a warm-down for the visitors, such was the ease with which they secured a seventh consecutive victory at this venue and maintained their unbeaten start to the season. That is a run that stands in stark contrast to Sunderland's first five games, which have yet to produce a victory.
    Fernando Torres will be refreshed, at least, should his services be required against the German club on Tuesday, though his was an enforced inactivity, the Spaniard's thunderous features betraying his thoughts as he watched from the bench for 75 minutes as Sunderland were ruthlessly dismantled. With Raul Meireles providing a constant supply of ball from midfield in the course of an impressive debut, rarely had a single-goal winning margin seemed so comprehensive. However Bruce might like to dress it up from Sunderland's point of view, an eighth defeat in nine home games is a record that will spell trouble for any manager.
    There was to be no appearance on the scoresheet from Torres, who saw Sturridge double Chelsea's advantage with an impish backheel. Sturridge's forward partner, Nicolas Anelka, had won the free-kick that was thumped against the woodwork by Juan Mata in the lead-up to the opener, which was converted at the second attempt by John Terry.
    Ominously for Torres, Sturridge, who missed the first part of the season through suspension but shone here, also played a part in that opening goal. Sturridge said: "The future hopefully is for me to continue in the team, and the team winning games." The sweets were a belated birthday gift from a fan, he said, before adding: "It's been frustrating with the ban, but it's pleasing the manager has put his faith in me."
    How Bruce must wish for such an embarrassment of riches up front, given the departure of Asamoah Gyan on loan to Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates, rather embarrassingly just 24 hours after Sunderland's manager had insisted his record signing was staying put.
    Nicklas Bendtner, with a debut to promise much despite a costly early miss, could well prove more prolific than the inconsistent Ghanaian, but it was Ji Dong-won who scored an injury-time consolation for the hosts. It was only their second goal in eight hours' football this season. Not that many in a relatively modest crowd below 37,000 were still there to see the South Korean score from close range.
    Despite a top-10 finish last May, Sunderland's last two seasons have been blighted by post-Christmas declines. This time the malaise has set in somewhat earlier.
    "I can understand people's tensions with it," Bruce said. "I'll accept the flak that comes my way because I'm convinced we'll be fine." It will take more than bullish words from the manager to convince most.
    "It's time for a steady hand," said Quinn, who was in the boardroom enjoying a restorative post-defeat tipple when he learned of the erroneous rumours circulating that he had, supposedly, resigned. The Sunderland chairman said: "We need a realistic appreciation of what we're trying to achieve and a determination to see it through."
    While Quinn remains, Bruce intimated that Gyan, his move driven largely by financial motives thanks to a three-fold pay rise, had burned his bridges with Sunderland, certainly while Bruce was at the helm. That is a threat that does not carry quite as much weight as it would have done a matter of weeks ago.

 
[h=1]Arsène Wenger's German commander restores order to Arsenal[/h] • Per Mertesacker is 'calm and communicates,' says Wenger
• Wojciech Szczesny feels for blundering Swansea keeper





[h=2]Premier League 2011-12[/h]

  • Arshavin 40

Arsenal 1
Swansea City 0




  • Kevin McCarra at the Emirates Stadium
  • guardian.co.uk, Sunday 11 September 2011 22.59 BST Article history
    Arsenals-Per-Mertesacker--007.jpg
    'When a German communicates you listen,' Arsène Wenger said of Arsenal's Per Mertesacker after the win against Swansea. Photograph: Clive Mason/Getty Images

    This occasion will be remembered with a little warmth by Arsenal. Arsène Wenger's team have already had enough of eventful days such as the 8-2 defeat at Old Trafford in their previous match. So it was that the team could take a shine to this mundane game that brought a first win of the season in the Premier League.
    Arsenal have a better excuse than most for looking as if the new campaign took them by surprise. They were not in command of the transfer market timing that saw them lose Cesc Fábregas and Samir Nasri so late in the summer. The lineup on Saturday was intended to restore calm as much as collect points. While that task was completed, it has to be borne in mind that Swansea are yet to score in the Premier League.
    Wenger was full of approval for Swansea, even if that was an indirect way to make excuses for his own side's inconsequentiality. He spoke of the danger they carry on the flanks but then drew a painful analogy. "They remind me of Blackpool last year," Wenger said. "They play in an audacious way, not restricted at all, with a good technical level. But their next home game [against West Bromwich Albion on Saturday] will certainly be very important." Blackpool, of course, were relegated.
    It is still too soon to live in dread. Swansea beat Arsenal home and away during the 1981-82 season and even now this sort of fixture can still be hard-fought. The decisive moment itself was a matter of aberration rather than inspiration, with the goalkeeper Michel Vorm tossing a throw-out against the heels of his right-back, Angel Rangel. Andrey Arshavin tucked the loose ball home from an angle in the 40th minute.
    "I felt for Vorm at the other end," said the Arsenal goalkeeper, Wojciech Szczesny. "It can happen. He must be gutted. If you do that kind of mistake then you want to lose 3-0, not 1-0." Szczesny himself is full of confidence after pulling off a string of saves in Poland's 2-2 home draw with Germany in the friendly last week and then being termed world-class by Oliver Kahn, one of the most renowned goalkeepers of modern times.
    Team-mates at the Emirates have not generally had cause to feel so sure of themselves in the wake of that pummelling by Manchester United. Szczesny looked unaffected and is adamant that Arsenal can be title contenders. With the immediate challenge of the Champions League game at Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday in mind, Wenger was happy to talk about the centre‑half Per Mertesacker, newly arrived from Werder Bremen for £8m. The manager is not above resorting to cliche when it is so reassuring. "He's calm and he talks and he communicates," Wenger said. "When a German communicates you listen."
    The notion of enhanced authority in Arsenal ranks was sporadically called into doubt and, at the very end of the match, Danny Graham lifted an effort over the bar from close range. It was Graham, too, whose shot had been saved by Szczesny in the eighth minute. Both teams also hit the woodwork. There was purpose to Swansea, despite the fact that the manager, Brendan Rodgers, had gone to Northern Ireland following the death of his father. Rodgers's assistant Colin Pascoe was in charge at the Emirates.
    This was an inherently difficult match for Arsenal. Wenger's overhaul of the squad had to be conducted at the last moment and he did not risk changing the team radically. Mikel Arteta, tidy in a deep-lying role in midfield, was joined by one other debutant in the starting lineup, Mertesacker, although Yossi Benayoun would have his first appearance as a substitute.
    The meeting with Dortmund will be more demanding and three Polish players in the Bundesliga club's squad, Lukasz Piszczek, Robert Lewandowski and Jakub Blaszczykowski, have attempted to unsettle the Arsenal goalkeeper. "They've been taking the mickey out of it [the 8-2 result] but they can't get into my head," Szczesny said. "I will be focused." Even so, the match can surely bear no resemblance to a run-of the-mill engagement with Swansea.

 
[h=1]Chelsea quiz Fernando Torres over criticism of 'slow', 'old' team-mates[/h] • Striker claims mistranslation on own website to blame
• André Villas-Boas seeks original transcript




  • Press Association
  • guardian.co.uk, Monday 12 September 2011 14.14 BST Article history
    Fernando-Torres-007.jpg
    Chelsea have asked Fernando Torres to explain comments he made in an interview criticising his colleagues. Photograph: Peter Cziborra/Action Images

    Fernando Torres was being questioned on Monday by Chelsea over an interview in which he appeared to criticise his own team-mates.
    The centre-forward spoke to the official website of the Spanish league last week, with an English translation later appearing on the player's personal website. Torres, who has endured a dreadful run in front of goal since his £50m transfer from Liverpool, was quoted as criticising Chelsea's "older" players as "very slow", and describing his new team-mate Juan Mata as a necessary signing.
    André Villas-Boas, the Chelsea manager, sought an explanation from Torres, who claimed his words were not translated accurately on his own website. Chelsea are trying to obtain a copy of the interview in its original Spanish and Villas-Boas revealed he would warn Torres not to speak so candidly about the club in future if the translation did stand up.
    "We are going in-depth to regain the tape of that interview," Villas-Boas said. "We'll see if things play exactly as they are in that interview."
    Torres's website also carries the Spanish version of the interview in which he says the type of player Chelsea have "juega muy lento", literally "play very slowly".
    The interview was authorised by Chelsea, otherwise Torres would have been facing a fine. But when asked what action would be taken if the translation proved accurate, the Blues manager said: "We'd just talk. Just talk. To share opinion. If it was unauthorised, I'd fine him. Of course. Anyhow, it's one player's perspective.
    "I don't think it's a perspective that the manager shares. I don't have to share my players' ideas sometimes. I think we have competence, apart from the 'age problem', which for me is not a problem. Maybe we just have to speak about that situation and he has to see our view as well."
    Torres's struggles show no sign of abating – the 27-year-old lost his place in the side for Saturday's win at Sunderland, having failed even to make the bench for Spain's European Championship qualifier against Liechtenstein.
    Villas-Boas did not offer Torres an explanation, having admitted 48 hours earlier that he would not hesitate to drop the striker if it benefited the team.
    "I just made the changes," said Villas-Boas on Monday as he decided whether to recall Torres for tomorrow's Champions League opener against Bayer Leverkusen.
    "I think any player who's not part of the squad or the selected players is not happy. I'm glad because maybe you can stimulate them to go one step further, or motivate them a bit more."

 
[h=1]Chelsea quiz Fernando Torres over criticism of 'slow', 'old' team-mates[/h] • Striker claims mistranslation on own website to blame
• André Villas-Boas seeks original transcript




  • Press Association
  • guardian.co.uk, Monday 12 September 2011 14.14 BST Article history
    Fernando-Torres-007.jpg
    Chelsea have asked Fernando Torres to explain comments he made in an interview criticising his colleagues. Photograph: Peter Cziborra/Action Images

    Fernando Torres was being questioned on Monday by Chelsea over an interview in which he appeared to criticise his own team-mates.
    The centre-forward spoke to the official website of the Spanish league last week, with an English translation later appearing on the player's personal website. Torres, who has endured a dreadful run in front of goal since his £50m transfer from Liverpool, was quoted as criticising Chelsea's "older" players as "very slow", and describing his new team-mate Juan Mata as a necessary signing.
    André Villas-Boas, the Chelsea manager, sought an explanation from Torres, who claimed his words were not translated accurately on his own website. Chelsea are trying to obtain a copy of the interview in its original Spanish and Villas-Boas revealed he would warn Torres not to speak so candidly about the club in future if the translation did stand up.
    "We are going in-depth to regain the tape of that interview," Villas-Boas said. "We'll see if things play exactly as they are in that interview."
    Torres's website also carries the Spanish version of the interview in which he says the type of player Chelsea have "juega muy lento", literally "play very slowly".
    The interview was authorised by Chelsea, otherwise Torres would have been facing a fine. But when asked what action would be taken if the translation proved accurate, the Blues manager said: "We'd just talk. Just talk. To share opinion. If it was unauthorised, I'd fine him. Of course. Anyhow, it's one player's perspective.
    "I don't think it's a perspective that the manager shares. I don't have to share my players' ideas sometimes. I think we have competence, apart from the 'age problem', which for me is not a problem. Maybe we just have to speak about that situation and he has to see our view as well."
    Torres's struggles show no sign of abating – the 27-year-old lost his place in the side for Saturday's win at Sunderland, having failed even to make the bench for Spain's European Championship qualifier against Liechtenstein.
    Villas-Boas did not offer Torres an explanation, having admitted 48 hours earlier that he would not hesitate to drop the striker if it benefited the team.
    "I just made the changes," said Villas-Boas on Monday as he decided whether to recall Torres for tomorrow's Champions League opener against Bayer Leverkusen.
    "I think any player who's not part of the squad or the selected players is not happy. I'm glad because maybe you can stimulate them to go one step further, or motivate them a bit more."

 
[h=1]Five things we learned from the Premier League this weekend[/h] Adebayor perfect for Spurs; Chelsea must embrace Sturridge; Bruce in trouble; Stoke look good in Europe; Norwich need pace



  • Ian McCourt, Jacob Steinberg and Rob Bagchi
  • guardian.co.uk, Monday 12 September 2011 08.00 BST Article history
    Emmanuel-Adebayor-celebra-007.jpg
    Emmanuel Adebayor feels the love from his team-mates after scoring Spurs' first goal. Photograph: Tony O'Brien/Action Images

    [h=2]Adebayor is the striker Spurs were looking for[/h]When Emmanuel Adebayor, with surgical calmness, rounded the Wolverhampton Wanderers goalkeeper, Wayne Hennessey, and slotted the ball home to put Tottenham Hotspur on the road to victory, he completed a hat-trick of scoring on his debut for Premier League clubs, following Arsenal and Manchester City. It also meant Harry Redknapp could breathe easier.
    September is the cruellest month for Spurs – they had not won away from home in that month since 2001 – but a lack of goals last season was even crueller. With the exception of Rafael van der Vaart on 13, not one of their forwards scored more than 10 league goals – a drought which no doubt contributed to their non-reappearance in the Champions League. Adebayor, Redknapp is hoping, will be a Henry Higgins for his do‑little strikers and the performance on Saturday was exemplary.
    He was a torrent of movement throughout the 90 minutes. Compare his passes in this match with the same one last season, when he was playing for Manchester City. This season there were almost double the successful passes and far fewer unsuccessful ones. The spread of them also shows he was constantly moving, dropping deep to help link the play or working hard on either wing. He also made twice the number of tackles and at one stage even demanded the ball in the right-back position. The goal was the icing on a notable performance.
    After the game Adebayor trotted out the usual lines expected from those generally pointless post-match press conferences about a "dream debut" and how "happy" he is. But there was one interesting remark: "All my team-mates have a big trust in me [sic]". This is the key to Adebayor. He needs to be loved, he needs to be trusted. It will take all of Redknapp's famed man-management to keep him happy both on and off the pitch but, if he can do that and make a successful duo out of him and Defoe, Spurs may just have a season on their hands. IMc
    [h=2]Chelsea must embrace Sturridge's unpredictability[/h]So, Mario Balotelli, that's how to score with a cheeky backheel. Daniel Sturridge has not been given much of a chance at Chelsea since his move from Manchester City two years ago, yet with one moment of genius against Sunderland he has given André Villas-Boas the sort of selection headache managers claim to hate but secretly love – assuming Roman Abramovich will not mind if he leaves the £50m disappointment Fernando Torres on the bench at Old Trafford on Sunday.
    On the evidence of Sturridge's display at the Stadium of Light, Villas-Boas may not have a choice. Not only did he embarrass Simon Mignolet and Wes Brown with his impudent goal, which was the sort of casual, playful piece of skill you might have expected from Nwankwo Kanu in his prime, rather than an English striker; his vision and precise, lofted ball created John Terry's opener. It is doubtful whether another of Chelsea's strikers would have come up with that assist – it is certainly not in Torres's repertoire – and Sturridge does offer them something different.
    Which is precisely what Chelsea have lacked in the past few years. They had it very briefly under José Mourinho, when he could choose two from Damien Duff, Joe Cole and Arjen Robben to play on the wings, but gradually they reverted to a more physical approach; though they were devastating going forward, moves were often based on the raw power of Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard's ability to ghost unnoticed into the area. Has it brought results? One Premier League title in five years and early exits in the Champions League in the last two seasons suggest not.
    Some fans were dismayed when Sturridge was allowed to join Bolton Wanderers on loan last January; then again, although Chelsea could have done with him, he has returned keener, sharper and more mature after scoring eight goals in his short spell at the Reebok Stadium. It will still be difficult for Villas-Boas to pick him ahead of Nicolas Anelka, Drogba and Torres on a regular basis but he has certainly made a compelling case. Now he has to build on it. JS
    [h=2]Bruce is in trouble at Sunderland[/h]With the defeat by Chelsea on Saturday, Sunderland have lost seven of their past eight Premier League games at the Stadium of Light. This result may not come as a shock to Sunderland fans but their team's form just might. The Black Cats used to start the season well, then fade badly – from the strat of February last season they took a measly one point from a possible 27. Without a win so far this season it seems they have decided to skip the get-your-hopes-up stage and go straight for the throw-your-season-ticket-at-the-manager stage.
    "Our aim is to be established again, improve on what we did last year and go close to the top 10," Steve Bruce said before the start of the season. But the question on the lips of Sunderland fans must now be, can they do this with Bruce at the helm?
    The former Wigan Athletic manager was booed by the home fans at the end of the game and it is easy to see why. Sunderland blogger A Love Supreme described the performance as "lacklustre and uncommitted", suggesting that his are a team devoid of motivation and that Bruce is failing to do an integral part of his job. Chelsea's goals also showed that the former central defender is failing to do another integral part of his job: organising his defence.
    Bruce blamed "parasites" for the club's record signing Asamoah Gyan – whose pace was sorely lacking up front against Villas-Boas's side – leaving the north-east but, rather than him question Gyan's motivations, the whole process should have fans questioning Bruce's man-management. How and why did he let last season's leading scorer leave only three games into the season when, including the Carling Cup, they have scored only two goals from five games, one of which was a consolation against Chelsea?
    Bruce has the type of budget and resources that must make David Moyes at Everton wring his hands in envy. Those resources should see Sunderland challenging for Europe. The Scot could be a good choice for the Black Cats if Bruce fails to lead them in that direction and pays with his job, which he may sooner or later. IMc
    [h=2]Stoke can challenge for the Europa League[/h]Given the amount of time the ball spends in the air during Stoke's matches, their players have a head for heights but a quick look at the league table may bring on a few nosebleeds. Still unbeaten, they are fourth, four points off the leading Manchester clubs and one point ahead of Liverpool, whom they defeated 1-0 on Saturday, albeit with a fair bit of luck. There is, of course, a long way to go yet and Tony Pulis's side are unlikely to be challenging for the Champions League by the end of the season; the glass ceiling remains intact, no matter how desperate Stoke might be to shatter it.
    Even so, this should be another successful season for them, following one in which they reached the FA Cup final and qualified for the Europa League, although they did finish only 13th in the league. They will be aiming for much better than that this time, particularly given the backing of Peter Coates, who has allowed Pulis to sign Peter Crouch, Wilson Palacios, Matthew Upson and Jonathan Woodgate during the summer. Clearly Stoke are not about to alter their no-nonsense style – uncompromising defending, pace on the flanks, aerial threat in attack and a reliance on set pieces – but after a wobble at the start of the year, everything is in working order again. Watching them in the Europe this season promises to be fascinating. JS
    [h=2]Norwich need an injection of pace[/h]Norwich were unlucky to be defeated by a savvy West Bromwich Albion side that mugged them on the break within three minutes and could have had two penalties if the referee, Mark Halsey, had punished Jonas Olsson's fondness for a penalty-box grapple with the same rigour Mark Clattenburg applied when penalising Liverpool's Jamie Carragher. They might have had a third, too, when James Vaughan was on the receiving end of a smack in the mouth from Gabriel Tamas in the dying minutes before Albion saw out their first victory of the season.
    City enjoyed a wealth of possession and were enterprising down the left for much of the first half, Marc Tierney linking up productively with Andrew Crofts and Andrew Surman to dash beyond Steven Reid and cross into the box. Too often, though, Grant Holt and Chris Martin, the Norwich front two, did not have the legs to run into position to get the optimum contact on the ball.
    This was the case, too, when passes were dinked down the inside-forward channels, splitting Tamas and the right-back Reid, and Olsson and the left-back Nicky Shorey. Crofts, the substitute Wes Hoolahan and Elliott Bennett played a number of decent passes for Holt and Martin to run on to but they lacked the turn of pace to make the most of this tactic.
    Steve Morison missed a very good chance when he was introduced as a late substitute, stooping to head a fine cross from Tierney past the post, but demonstrated, when squeezed out in a sprint with Tamas, that he does not offer any more than the front two Paul Lambert had selected to start in terms of speed to stretch defenders when passes are played on the floor through the middle.
    Norwich's midfield four acquitted themselves well going forward and they can be excused their high line that left the defence exposed at times, given that they were chasing an equaliser almost from the start. The live wire Simeon Jackson would offer the Canaries more variety than the industrious Morison and Martin. Banging on about pace can make you sound like vintage Andy Gray on his high horse. Nonetheless, perhaps it is time to give Jackson a run. RB

 
[h=1]Gerrard: Suarez can be an Anfield legend[/h] Published 10:44 12/09/11 By MirrorFootball

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/new...egend-says-Steven-Gerrard-article798003.html#
Liverpool-Sunderland-Luis-Suarez-Premier-League+cropped


Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard believes Luis Suarez has what it takes to become an Anfield legend.
Suarez has already made a big impression since joining the Reds in January and put in a typically energetic performance in Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Stoke.
Although Liverpool slumped to their first loss of the season, the Uruguay striker refused to give up and Gerrard - who is working his way back to full fitness after a groin problem - can see Suarez going on to write his name into the Merseyside club's folklore.
Asked whether Suarez could become an all-time Reds great, Gerrard told liverpoolfc.tv: "I don't see why not.

"He's still young enough and I'm sure he's going to get even better than he is now, which is a scary thought.
"He's got the appetite for the game to learn and get better.
"Hopefully he will go on here for a long time because he's certainly got a massive part to play at this club in the future - the history is there to be written."
Suarez has scored three times so far this term and caused the Stoke defence plenty of problems at the weekend.
Gerrard feels that if the 24-year-old can keep it up, Liverpool will be firmly in the hunt for trophies.
He said: "He's a very enthusiastic footballer and very intelligent. He's like a kid in the street and he can't wait to get out for training and games.
"Alongside Dirk (Kuyt) of late, they've been like two Duracell bunnies. They just don't stop and for defenders that must be a nightmare, knowing when you control the ball those two will be chasing.
"It's fantastic to have him and hopefully he can continue his form until the end of the season. If he does, it will give us a much better chance of getting some silverware."


​
 
[h=1]Ramsey and Rosicky ruled out for Arsenal[/h] Published 15:50 12/09/11 By MirrorFootball

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/new...FA-Champions-League-clash-article798203.html#
Udinese-Arsenal-Aaron-Ramsey-Champions-League+cropped


Aaron Ramsey and Tomas Rosicky have both been ruled out of Arsenal's Champions League clash with Borussia Dortmund tomorrow night.
Ramsey limped out of training today with an ankle complaint and has not been included in the 18-man squad along with Rosicky, who is struggling with a knee injury.
Thomas Vermaelen and Jack Wilshere are other key players also missing, although new signings Mikel Arteta, Per Mertesacker, Yossi Benayoun, Andre Santos and Park Chu-young are available.
Provisional squad: Szczesny, Fabianski, Sagna, Koscielny, Mertesacker, Djourou, Gibbs, Santos, Song, Frimpong, Arshavin, Walcott, Arteta, Benayoun, Gervinho, Park, Chamakh, Van Persie
 
[h=1]Dispatches to reveal identity of top footballer who tested positive for cocaine[/h] Published 11:25 12/09/11 By MirrorFootball

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/new...ail-drug-test-for-cocaine-article797995.html#
MirrorFootball-news-generic-cropped


A TV investigation is set to reveal the identity of a Premier League footballer who tested positive for cocaine, according to a report in The Sun .
The paper says the player later made a multi-million pound move to another team, but his new club were not informed about the failed test.
Tonight's episode of Channel 4's Dispatches focuses on recreational drugs in football.
The programme also claims to have discovered the names of dozens more players who have failed tests for cannabis and cocaine. Their identities have been kept under wraps by the Football Association and the clubs involved.

This follows earlier revelations that the show discovered 240 drug tests had to be abandoned between April 2007 and August 2010 because players were not at training grounds when testing officials turned up.
Read more: Footballers miss hundreds of drug tests



​
 
[h=1]Ballack: Chelsea are weaker now - because I left[/h] Published 18:28 12/09/11 By Neil McLeman

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/new...rns-with-Bayer-Leverkusen-article798252.html#
michael-ballack-bayer-leverkusen-cropped


Michael Ballack reckons now is the time to play Andre Villas-Boas' Chelsea after yet another summer of managerial change at Stamford Bridge.
The former Germany captain will play his first match back in London since last year's FA Cup final for Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday.
Ballack, now 34, helped Carlo Ancelotti's side to the Double before he was released along with four other internationals in a round of cost-cutting last year.
A smaller squad saw the Italian sacked in the summer and replaced by the 33-year-old Portuguese coach.

Chelsea have now spent £150million this year to rebuild a squad capable of winning the Champions League, including Raul Meireles and Juan Mata in the last week of the transfer window.
"Of course they're not stronger now - especially because I left," he joked with the traditional German sense of humour.
But Ballack, who played under five managers in his four years at the club, reckons last year's Bundesliga runners-up can exploit a Chelsea team still seeking the right blend of their expensive talents.
"My time at Chelsea, I had a few coaches and they changed them some times too quickly," he said.
"We missed a few chances but we still had success. But it's normal for a big club to have players who come and go, especially if you reach a big final and don't win them, then the manager is often the one who gets sacked. A new manager comes and the club tries to improve the team by signing more quality players, bigger names.
"They can't start every year like last year (when Chelsea scored 21 goals in winning their first five Premier League games under Ancelotti).
"Especially last game against Sunderland they were in good shape. But it is maybe not the worst time to play them now at the start of the season but we will know more after the game. It is just another game of football and we have a chance."
Ballack, who won five trophies with the Blues, was part of Avram Grant's side which lost the 2008 Champions League final on penalties to Manchester United.
"That will haunt all of us for ever and it will be hard to get rid of that memory," he admitted.
Ballack's ankle injury against Portsmouth in the FA Cup final also ended his international career as he missed the World Cup.
He is left stranded on 98 caps after accusing German coach Joachim Low of showing him a lack of respect.
"It is not an ideal finish to the German team - that is why it hurts," he said.
Chelsea will make a presentation to the popular player before Leverkusen's first Champions League match since a 6-2 aggregate defeat to Liverpool in 2005. Rafa Benitez's side went on to win the trophy that year.
"Of course it is a very nice gesture," Ballack said. "Back then it was very difficult because we were still in negotiations and then I got injured and it didn't work out and we just went different ways so it will definitely be a very emotional moment for me."
Ballack missed most of last season with a shin injury and has only featured twice in this campaign with new manager Robin Dutt reluctant to use him in the same midfield as captain Simon Rolfes.
Villas-Boas, who worked with Ballack while working under Jose Mourinho at Chelsea, said: "I'm not sure about the thoughts of their coach regarding Michael's inclusion in the squad, because they've been using him sometimes and other times not. But he adds value to the squad with the vision he has."
Former Liverpool centre-back Sami Hyypia, who retired at the end of last summer, has travelled with the Leverkusen party as he takes his coaching qualifications before joining their staff. The 37-year-old is already assistant manager of Finland.
 
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