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Transfer news...

[h=1]PICTURE EXCLUSIVE: Mourinho heading back to London[/h] Published 23:59 28/02/12 By Martin Lipton

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[h=3]NO SYNDICATION Jose Mourinho arrives back in the UK[/h]


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Jose Mourinho is ready to head back to the Premier League after agreeing to buy a new family home in London.​
Former Chelsea boss Mourinho is set to quit Real Madrid at the end of the season whether or not he wins La Liga or becomes the first manager to lift the Champions League with three different clubs.
And the Special One has told friends he plans to make London his new base, inviting job offers from the Arsenal, Chelsea or Spurs.
Mourinho and his wife Matilde flew into Heathrow yesterday for a whistle-stop tour in which they identified their planned new home.

The Portuguese bought a flat in the centre of the capital after his rift with Roman Abramovich became irreparable in September 2007, which was more of an investment.
But now Mourinho plans to move back to London full-time having identified a new home - understood to be in Belgravia - suitable for his wife, two children and the family pets.
Mourinho has never hidden his desire to return to the Premier League after leaving Madrid, where he has gone public with his frustrations at the lack of proper support from the Bernabeu fans - barely 300 made the trip to Madrid's third side, Rayo Vallecano, on Sunday.
It is understood Mourinho would be happy to take on the challenge of any of the big six clubs in the country although his preference is in London.
Spurs chairman Daniel Levy will identify the Portuguese as his prime target if - as expected - he loses Harry Redknapp to the England job at the end of the season, while Mourinho has now kissed and made up with Abramovich.
Mourinho, who flew back to Madrid on a scheduled Iberia flight last night, would also take up an offer from Arsenal if bitter foe Arsene Wenger walks from The Emirates after a seventh successive trophy-less season at The Gunners.
Jose's coming home...where next for Mourinho?
 
[h=1]Silva: Real and Barcelona missed their chance[/h] Published 22:27 28/02/12 By David McDonnell

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David Silva believes Manchester City are close to challenging Barcelona and Real Madrid for the title of Europe's best team.
Owner Sheikh Mansour has spent £425million on players in three-and-a-half years in a bid to turn City into the biggest and most successful club in the world.
Roberto Mancini's side remain on course for a first Premier League title, holding a two-point lead over Manchester United with 12 games to go.
And although City failed to make it through the group stage on their *Champions League debut this season, Silva claimed they will be one of Europe's best sides soon.

"Real Madrid and *Barcelona have been working together for a long time," said Silva.
"Barcelona have won many titles and Madrid have been with the same structure for a long time.
"At City we are getting there and, if not next year, soon we will be fighting for the Champions League."
City were drawn in one of the toughest Champions League groups in this season's competition, along with Bayern Munich, Napoli and Villarreal.
Their points total of 10 from six games would have been enough to see them through to the knockout stage in six of the eight Champions League groups this season.
The fact City failed to make it to the last 16 was *testimony to the toughness of their group, their performances adding credence to Silva's belief that they will soon be a major force in Europe.
Silva has been arguably City's best player this season, his flair, vision and passing range making him one of the major contenders for the Player of the Year awards.
His eye-catching displays have seen the former Valencia playmaker him linked with a potential return to Spain with *Barcelona or Real Madrid, both of whom are keen to lure him back to his *homeland. But Silva has no intention of turning his back on the club at a time when they are on the cusp of a new era of winning major trophies.
The World Cup and *European Championship-winner, who has two years left on his deal, added: "Neither *Barcelona nor Real Madrid made a move for me.
"Manchester City did and that's why I'm here. I went where I wanted. I was very happy in Valencia but circumstances meant that I had to go.
"City was the strongest bet for me and I made the right *decision.
"I'm very happy in England, I have a two-year contract and I want to fulfil that, I don't want to move.
"People treat me great and I hope to enjoy more.
"Roberto Mancini has given me confidence, and that's very important for a player.
"My team-mates have adapted to my game and that's very good for me. I am enjoying my football to the fullest."
Cumbersome Tevez only half way to fitness
 
[h=1]Transfer news, rumours and gossip from Tuesday's papers[/h] Published 08:54 28/02/12 By Football Spy


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The transfer window may be shut, but managers up and down the country are already plotting for when the next one opens, and we've got all the gossip from all the papers right here.
Transfer stories from today's Daily Mirror
Liverpool line up summer spree for Hazard, Martinez and Keita
Arsenal will break the bank to keep Van Persie

Arsenal flop offered escape route by Fiorentina
City chase United defender on loan
AVB: Hulk would be an incredible signing for Chelsea
Fulham sign former Real Madrid star Diarra
Stories from other papers and websites
Harry Redknapp wants Arsenal star Theo Walcott - either as part of his England team at Euro 2012, or at Tottenham next season if he stays on as White Hart Lane boss. (Daily Express)
Liverpool will watch Basel midfielder Granit Xhaka in action for Switzerland this week, after Damien Comolli received glowing reports on the 19-year-old starlet. (Metro)
Wojciech Szczesny is confident Robin van Persie will commit his future to Arsenal by signing a new contract. (Evening Standard)
AC Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi described van Persie as "a good player" but stopped short of saying he was a target for AC Milan. (Goal.com)
Newcastle are leading the chase to sign Dijon's 24-year-old midfielder Benjamin Corgnet . (talkSPORT)
Manchester United's attempts to keep Paul Pogba have hit crisis point as talks over a new contract have stalled. He has been linked with a move to AC Milan in the summer. (Daily Mail)
Leeds have made a bid to sign Leicester City's Matt Mills on loan. Neil Warnock is eager to bolster his defence and sees £5.5m summer signing from Reading as perfect. (Daily Mail)
Fabricio Coloccini has signalled his intention to sign a new contract at Newcastle . (The Sun)

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[h=1]Arsenal agree terms with Podolski (report)[/h] Published 10:51 29/02/12 By MirrorFootball

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Arsenal have agreed personal terms with Lukas Podolski ahead of a summer switch to The Emirates, according to German daily Bild.
The 26-year-old striker is a long-term target for the Gunners, who were reported to have failed with a bid to sign him in January.
Bild reports that the only stumbling block now is for Arsenal to agree a fee with Podolski's club Cologne.
The German international is thought to be unhappy at the Bundesliga club and ready for a switch to the Premier League, where he would hook up with Germany team-mate Per Mertesacker.

Poldi has 15 goals in 20 Bundesliga appearances for Cologne this season.
Transfer news, rumours and gossip from Wednesday's papers
 
[h=1]Pepe Reina caught in race row after Spanish TV advert pulled[/h] • Ad depicts Liverpool goalkeeper meeting tribe in jungle
• Complaint leads to ad being pulled from national television




Watch the controversial video here. The advert in question starts at 1min 01sec Another Liverpool player was at the centre of a race row on Wednesday after a Spanish advert featuring the goalkeeper Pepe Reina was pulled after a complaint about its depiction of racial and sexual stereotypes.
The video, an ad for a multinational insurance firm, was withdrawn from Spanish TV following a complaint from Operation Black Vote, a non‑political campaigning group. Liverpool have been widely criticised for their handling of the Luis Suárez affair this season, which resulted in him receiving an eight-match ban for racial abuse of Manchester United's Patrice Evra.
The ad depicts Reina meeting a tribe in a jungle scene with the Liverpool player – whose name translates as queen in Spanish – attracting the attentions of the leader.
Simon Woolley, the OBV director, said: "I'm shocked on so many levels. Firstly, how would the Spanish feel if the English stereotyped Spanish people as backward, stupid, and animalistic homosexuals? Secondly, what does this say about Pepe Reina? The Liverpool goalkeeper has lived and worked in the UK for nearly a decade; does he think it's OK to characterise black people this way? Does he think his black team-mates will laugh at his joke? It's back in the fifties this kind of stuff. They [Groupama] said they were 'going to withdraw it immediately but have done nothing wrong. But if you're upset then we apologise'.
"Given that Liverpool football club is trying to move forward from the Suarez affair, it is a shame that another one of their players has caused offence by appearing in an advert that seems to come from a bygone era. Those who are old enough might remember those despicable Zulu ads for cigarettes of the 1970s."
Liverpool declined to comment but after taking the advert off national television in Spain, Groupama said: "Groupama Seguros does not consider that this advert contains either offensive nor any discriminatory content."
Suárez was found guilty of racially abusing Suárez at a Football Association hearing in December, following an incident in Liverpool's match against United in which he called Evra "negrito".
Following his suspension for the offence Suárez refused to shake the left-back's hand ahead of the Premier League meeting between the clubs at Old Trafford at the beginning of February, which reignited the row.
But following the 2-1 defeat to United, Suárez apologised. "I have spoken with the manager since the game at Old Trafford and I realise I got things wrong. I've not only let him down, but also the club and what it stands for and I'm sorry. I made a mistake and I regret what happened," he said.
 

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[h=2]England 2-3 Holland[/h] [h=1]Forget the Oranje, England's future is looking especially bright[/h] There are still short-term concerns for England, but the national team's long-term outlook is promising




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England's Daniel Sturridge spurned a good chance in the second half but had a good game and was named man of the match. Photograph: Tom Jenkins for the Guardian

The instinct was to grimace at the sight of defenders in panicked retreat as Arjen Robben fizzed Holland ahead, or wince as Klaas-Jan Huntelaar thumped in a header and left Chris Smalling bloodied and floored. England had been beaten in their last fixture before the manager, whoever he may be, names his squad for Euro 2012. Yet, even with the deficiencies exposed here, this was also an occasion to consider the wider picture.
The natural order eventually reasserted itself, the World Cup runners-up finding their range around the hour-mark and then mustering a late riposte just as the home support revelled in unlikely parity. The Dutch were incisive only when they deemed it necessary, but there was still encouragement to be taken from the rewards England eked out in the final five minutes. A squad that Stuart Pearce stressed had been selected with "a young bias" had enough spirit to rally. They will have learned, even in the disappointment of defeat.
This was an education. Pearce hinted at much by pointing out "naivety" in the ranks, but those youngsters who featured will be wiser. Smalling, dazed and confused as he departed on a stretcher, will pick positives from his first-half display at centre-back. There were flashes to admire in Danny Welbeck's slippery movement. Daniel Sturridge was England's brightest attacker and the sponsors' man of the match, bursting to the by-line in his first involvement and forcing Maarten Stekelenburg to save smartly while the game was still scoreless. These players, with Phil Jones thrown in, are the national team's future.
The scoreline may appear to prolong a traumatic month at senior level following the untimely departure of Fabio Capello, but it should not be forgotten that when France inflicted England's last defeat, back in November 2010, they wiped the floor with the home side. This felt slightly different. England had played the game's more attractive football in the first half. The sight of Joe Hart eager to roll the ball to Micah Richards while opponents swarmed in might once have appeared suicidal, but the full-back merely took a touch, found a man, and glided up-field in search of a return pass: simple, graceful and effective.
Pearce applauded the rat-a-tat passing routines and stamped his feet in frustration whenever the ball was launched long, as if such direct action was a reminder of a painful past. The desire to play neat, controlled football was admirable, and was perhaps to be expected. For all the recent upheaval, there is a spirit of optimism flowing through this setup, stemming from the waves the junior sides are making across Europe. The coaching structure is singing from the same hymn sheet and thriving ahead of the move to St George's Park, a dedicated centre of excellence, in September.
While the likes of Welbeck, Sturridge, Jones and Smalling gained another taste of bigger things here, the Under-21s, were thrashing Belgium on Teesside. Some 22,647 fans were at the Riverside for a 6pm kick-off on the same night as a senior fixture. Players made names for themselves, too: from Marvin Sordell, Bolton's £3m signing from Watford, to Wilfried Zaha of Crystal Palace. The 4-0 victory maintained an upbeat tone.
Some 24 hours earlier, Noel Blake's all-conquering Under-19s had defeated the Czechs without the likes of Connor Wickham, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Josh McEachran, three of five who had been fast-tracked into the Under-21s. Blake's charges, as Under-17s, had claimed the European Championship two years ago in Liechtenstein, the national set-up's only significant tournament success in 19 years, during which time the Spanish juniors have claimed 14 honours. Yet Spain have only beaten England once in almost three years. The eight meetings across the age groups in that time have seen the English prevail at Under-16, Under-17 (twice) and Under-21 levels, hinting at underlying progress.
Club academies have made vast strides, but players are also benefiting from a shared philosophy, that follows a Spanish model, at representative level. "When the Under-16s won in Madrid a few weeks ago none of our players panicked in possession," said Sir Trevor Brooking, the FA's head of football development. "We kept the ball, played it out from the back. The philosophy is to play out through the three thirds."
It will rub off on the likes of Conor Coady and Patrick Bamford as they head into the age group's Elite Round Qualifiers in the spring. It will also filter through to the seniors in years to come so glimpses of assured combination play, and a recognised style through the age groups, should be seized upon as promising. There may be considerable work to be done in the short-term, from the appointment of a manager to the tweaking of a team, but, for once, it feels as if the longer-term oozes promise.
 
[h=1]Anti-racism campaigners attack Pepe Reina over 'stereotyped' African tribe advert[/h] Published 19:47 29/02/12 By MirrorFootball


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A Spanish TV advert featuring Liverpool keeper Pepe Reina as the would-be bride of an African tribal chief has been scrapped after complaints from anti-racism campaigners.
Insurance firm Groupama have pulled their commercial despite insisting they do "not consider that this advert contains either offensive nor any discriminatory content."
The controversy is the last thing Liverpool need after bad publicity surrounding their public backing of Luis Suarez over his nine-match ban for racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra.
Reina was directly criticised by campaigners Operation Black Vote, whose director Simon Woolley said: "The Liverpool goalkeeper has lived and worked in the UK for nearly a decade, does he think it's ok to characterise black people this way. Does he think his black team-mates will laugh at his joke?"

Woolley added: "How would the Spanish feel if the English stereotyped Spanish people as backward, stupid, and animalistic homosexuals?"
Is the advert offensive? Judge for yourself below...


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[h=1]Mourinho: I don't wanna go to Chelsea![/h] Published 22:31 29/02/12 By Martin Lipton


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Jose Mourinho has ruled out making an emotional return to Chelsea.
The Special One was seen househunting in London on Tuesday - sparking rumours of a Stamford Bridge comeback.
According to Spanish reports, he chose a property in the capital and will pay a deposit this week.
But the Real Madrid boss told fans he has no plans to manage Chelsea for a second time.

Mourinho took advantage of his visit to the capital on Tuesday to dine at his favourite restaurant, the family-owned La Famiglia.
He was joined for lunch in the popular West London eatery by his wife Tami, 41, and her sister and husband.
Before the meal he asked to personally speak to the restaurant's owner, Italian Alvaro Maccioni.
Mr Maccioni's daughter, Marietta, told the Mirror: "It was lovely to see him again after so long away.
"He came in with his wife, sister-in-law and her husband. They had a leisurely lunch and enjoyed themselves.
"Jose was speaking to my father for quite a while, just about family and how the business was doing.
"He said he was house-hunting in the area and was looking for a big place for the whole family.
"A lot of the staff are Chelsea fans, including me, and they were asking him if he was coming back to the club.
"Unfortunately he said he wasn't. We're all disappointed as he was a great manager for us. I wish he was coming back.
"He didn't tell us anything else about his plans, and we didn't pry as he's a good customer and a friend."
The Chelsea snub will fuel speculation that a move to Spurs or Arsenal is a strong possibility but he will want to pick his next move carefully.
At 49, he has proved he can change any club, turn them into winners.
But so far in his career, Mourinho has only been a short-term fix.
Two months at Benfica, eight at Uniao de Leiria, a trophy-laden two and a half years at Porto.
Incredibly, for all Mourinho has achieved, his longest stint at any club was the three and a quarter years he spent at Stamford Bridge, with him quitting Inter Milan for Real Madrid in May 2010, after just two seasons at the San Siro.
And as Mourinho's love-in at the Bernebeu has turned into a more acrimonious marriage of convenience, with the Portuguese's wandering eye resurfacing as he prepares to exchange contracts on his new family pad in London, the Special One wants to show that he can, truly, lay down long-term roots.
Sources close to Mourinho maintain that what he wants now is something different.
Money is not a huge issue when you are a multi-millionaire. Although Mourinho will want a salary and bonus package that reflects his status as the greatest manager of his generation.
But he seeks a project for the longer term, a challenge, the opportunity to do something new, fresh, unprecedented at the club he chooses.
That does make two of the six options the Premier League provides likely to be the most interesting to a man who craves the spotlight more than anybody in the game.
It is a typical Mourinho inconsistency that where he delighted in opening up new fields of conflict with Arsene Wenger, he has long spoken in almost awed tones of the only man who exceeds the Arsenal boss in terms of longevity.
Maybe the Portuguese was shrewd to realise he probably would not win a verbal battle with Sir Alex Ferguson. Maybe he just wanted to let Wenger and Rafa Benitez - his other personal bete noir - take on the Scot.
But even since vacating Chelsea, it is Ferguson that Mourinho always points to as the model, the epitome of what a manager should be.
Even at the start of his spell at Madrid, Mourinho seemed keen to change his spots.
"I'm someone who likes to go around and around," he said. "After England and Italy I had to go to Real Madrid or it would have left my career empty.
"But the No.1 in the history of the Premier League disagrees with me because United are an incredible club and he wants to stay there all his career.
"And I want to stay for a long time, at least four years or up to 10, to build something."
Instead, after less than two years, of internal feuding with ousted Jorge Valdano and this season's dressing room disputes with Iker Casillas and Sergio Ramos, external fights on and off the pitch with Pep Guardiola and Barcelona, and an ongoing anger at the Real fans he feels do not show him the love he had at Chelsea and Inter, Mourinho wants out.
But the idea of a project has grown and with Ferguson insisting he is not going to opt for carpet slippers and a place in front of the fire any time soon, Mourinho is ready to embrace a return to England.
Even after ruling out a return to Chelsea, stranger things have happened in football so Stamford Bridge would have to be a possibility, even though his relationship with the club's top brass would be difficult to repair.
While Mourinho would have the personality to replace Ferguson, bringing teams back to their former glories, or taking sides into previously uncharted waters, remains the speciality of the Special One.
That would make Spurs - desperate to prove themselves worthy of dining at the High Table of the game after the wilderness decades - or City, backed by the black gold that makes Abu Dhabi so wealthy, the most natural fits.
Tottenham have heritage and a team ready for the next step, with Daniel Levy aware that funding the future - and perhaps sending the value of the club soaring to the £1billion mark at which a hugely profitable sale could be realised - would become far more realistic with the most charismatic coach in world football at the helm.
The White Hart Lane fans would instantly take Mourinho to their hearts, aware that suddenly it would all be real, not just the wonderful but at times almost infeasible dream they have lived through under England-bound Harry Redknapp.
Likewise, replacing Roberto Mancini for the second time, and once again taking a side inherited from the Italian to heights the scarf-clad former Italy and Sampdoria striker could not conquer, would certainly match the pattern.
At Chelsea, bankrolled by Roman Abramovich, Mourinho liked to play the underdog, using David Dein's position at the FA as part of the constant propaganda barrage.
Replace one highly-placed FA David with another - Old Trafford chief executive David Gill - and the same game could be played, with Sheikh Mansour offering even more cash than Abramovich with which to play.
On that LMA tribute night 15 months ago, Mourinho pulled at the heartstrings as he told the audience "I'm probably missing you more than you are missing me.
"I love everything here. It was a great experience for me as a professional but also as a person. My family loves it here, the kids grew up here. I love the emotion, respect, and fair play here. I love absolutely everything."
Lifestyle, funds and the vision. Exactly what Mourinho now wants.
 
[h=1]Manchester United to offer Dimitar Berbatov extended contract[/h] • United will take up option to extend striker's deal for a year
• Move prevents Berbatov leaving on a free transfer this summer




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The Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov, who joined from Tottenham Hotspur for £30m in the summer of 2008. Photograph: John Peters/Man Utd via Getty Images

Manchester United will take up the "one-way option" in Dimitar Berbatov's contract to extend his stay at the club for another year and to prevent him becoming a free agent in the summer. Although the clause is activated on Thursday it does not have to be executed immediately.
The clause ensures that United will not lose Berbatov in the summer for no fee, having paid Tottenham Hotspur £30m for him in the summer of 2008 when he signed on the closing day of the transfer window. He does not have the option to activate it but United intend to do so with Sir Alex Ferguson, the manager, stating at the end of December: "We'll be exercising [the option to renew]," said the United manager. "I think it kicks in in March."
Berbatov earns around £100,000 a week at Old Trafford and it is not thought he will receive an increase when his deal is extended. Following an impressive start to his career at United the Bulgarian is now down the pecking order and arguably fourth-choice behind Wayne Rooney, Danny Welbeck and Javier Hernández. Berbatov has scored 49 goals in 82 league starts for the club.
 
[h=1]Holland put dent in Stuart Pearce's England job prospects[/h] • Smalling, Sturridge and Gerrard all depart with injuries
• England's late rally fails to deny masterful Dutch


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England's Stuart Pearce, right, and Bert van Marwijk of Holland keep an eye on proceedings. Photograph: Laurence Griffiths - The Fa/The FA via Getty Images

Stuart Pearce has stressed he would still be willing to oversee England at the summer's European Championship despite Holland having inflicted the national team's first defeat in 15 months.
England's late rally, with goals from Gary Cahill and Ashley Young, might have earned Pearce's selection an unlikely draw only for Arjen Robben's deflected winner to deflate the mood in stoppage time. Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool will anxiously await assessments on Thursday of injuries sustained by Chris Smalling, Daniel Sturridge and Steven Gerrard that forced the trio from the fray ahead of the weekend's Premier League programme.
The four-man Club England board will now concentrate on pinpointing a successor for the departed Fabio Capello before the tournament, with Pearce insistent he is still willing to take charge of the squad if required. "A few days ago, when I was asked that question by my employers, I put myself forward," said Pearce, who had spoken with one of the selection panel, Sir Trevor Brooking. "I have the experience to take the team to the finals. That wouldn't be daunting to me at all, so I've offered my services for the summer.
"After the tournament that would be it because I don't have the experience for this job [full-time]. I've really enjoyed this week and would enjoy the summer, but I'd only be buying the Football Association some time if they've not got someone in by then. The full-time manager of England is somebody else. It's certainly not me.
"This wasn't a big night for me. I wasn't auditioning for anything. I'm in a situation as Under-21 manager where they needed someone to fill in on the short-term, and I also said: 'If you need me to take the team to the championships in the summer, I will.' That's it. I'm sure they'll go through the process of getting someone in place before the summer and if they don't they know they have me available and all the planning is done."
There will be concern among the Premier League clubs at the extent of the injuries suffered by the three England players. While Gerrard lasted only 33 minutes before being withdrawn with a tight hamstring, and Sturridge sustained a toe injury that necessitated his substitution late on, the head injury sustained by Smalling appeared more serious. The United centre-half clashed with Klaas-Jan Huntelaar as the Dutch replacement nodded the visitors 2-0 ahead and was cut badly in the incident.
The 22-year-old departed on a stretcher and like Huntelaar, was dispatched to a local hospital for scans. "Chris took a really bad bang on the head and split it open so he's gone to hospital," said Pearce. "I spoke to him as he came off the pitch, so he was conscious at least. But our thoughts are with him because it was a nasty one. Daniel took a blow on his toe and Stevie was more of a precaution – his hamstring was feeling a bit tight."
Arsenal will at least have been relieved that Robin van Persie, who had been suffering from a groin injury, was withdrawn at the interval, as arranged between Bert van Marwijk and the player, with the Dutch finding their rhythm thereafter.
"We probably showed a little bit of naivety, and possibly a lack of belief," said Pearce. "Perhaps we lacked a bit of game-management, a bit of know-how or nous, but you have to learn. It was a great exercise and we've learned a bit about one or two individuals and their credentials for the summer. This will stand our young players in good stead."
There was a debut for Fraizer Campbell in the latter stages, the Sunderland striker subsequently revealing he had become a father to Isla Rose on the same evening, while Scott Parker relished a first appearance as England captain.
"It was a special night for me," said the Tottenham midfielder. "To captain your country is what every boy dreams of, so to get the chance was amazing. It was pretty emotional, an immensely proud moment for me and something I'll always cherish. I would love to keep the armband – I don't know if it was just this game or for the future – but I'm proud to have worn it at all."
Parker also conceded that his club manager, Harry Redknapp, would be a viable candidate to take over as full-time England manager, with Brooking suggesting a decision might be made in the immediate build-up to the tournament.
"You could get somebody parachuted in a few days before [the European Championship begins]," Brooking said. "We're going to take our time and will sit down in the next few days and try and see what is the time-frame. I don't see anything happening too soon."
 

[h=1]Wayne Rooney believes Manchester United experience will tell in run-in[/h] • Striker says team do not panic when needing a late goal
• Ryan Giggs's last-minute strike sealed victory at Norwich




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Wayne Rooney has scored 22 goals in 29 appearances for Manchester United this season. Photograph: Scott Heppell/AP

Wayne Rooney is confident that Manchester United will not "panic" as the run-in to the Premier League title starts in earnest. Sir Alex Ferguson's team are two points behind Manchester City and have indicated they are starting their traditional late-season surge at the championship with a last-minute Ryan Giggs winner in the 2-1 victory at Norwich City on Sunday.
Rooney, who joined United in August 2004, told Inside United: "When I was a young lad and first at the club we might have been losing a game 1-0 or 2-1 and I'd have been saying: 'Just put the ball in the box,' and panicking a bit about losing the game. Now I'm older and more experienced you know to just keep playing your game because there's always a chance you'll get an opportunity to score. I think that comes from playing so many games and the experience you pick up along the way."
Rooney, who has 22 goals in 29 appearances this season, added that mental approach and the ability to pace the latter part of the campaign can be telling. "It's important to manage yourself and how your body feels," he said. "Training is less intense when there are lots of games and you might take things a bit easier one day because you're managing how your legs are. The training intensity probably goes down because the matches come thick and fast and you have to make sure you're right for the games.
"You know you have to be strong mentally to play at your best. We just need to keep focused, keep working hard and hopefully we'll get our rewards."
 
[h=1]Is Sir Alex Ferguson United's biggest advantage in the title race?[/h] The Manchester United manager is already piling on the pressure as he limbers up for Sunday's game against Tottenham


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Sir Alex Ferguson has already racked up the pressure on Spurs ahead of Sunday's game against Manchester United. Photograph: Paul Childs/Action Images

According to Sir Alex Ferguson, a key fixture in this season's title race is coming up on Sunday. "It's going to be a massive game at Spurs," the Manchester United manager says. "If we can survive our visit to White Hart Lane we'll have a big chance of winning the league. If we could go to Manchester City [on April 28] within striking distance of being top of the league, I'd take it. I would rather go there level on points, but if the gap is still two points, I'd take that."
Someone remarked a few weeks ago that in a tight title race United's biggest advantage could easily turn out to be their manager, all aggression, experience and expertise at presenting a cool exterior, and clearly Ferguson is limbering up prior to metaphorically taking the field.
The manager made the above comments to his club's in-house magazine, Inside United, so we can be sure he intended them to have a public airing. He was not answering journalists' questions or being led towards talking about the City game in April, he wanted to make that statement and he wanted others to be aware of it. It is what he does. We are about to discover whether the most successful manager in the business can really be worth an extra point or two to his players by virtue of the way he conducts his campaign away from the pitch.
Sceptical? Well, here are some of the things Ferguson could have said, but chose not to.
1 Manchester United have not lost at White Hart Lane in over 10 years, and the last time they did, in May 2001, the result was unimportant. Ferguson's team had already won the league and the manager made several changes.
2 Just a few weeks ago, Ferguson was flagging up United's visit to Chelsea as equally vital. His side ended up claiming a point, no inconsiderable achievement after going three goals down, but the two points dropped are now what separates City and United at the top of the league. United famously won 5-3 at Spurs in October 2001 after conceding three goals to no reply in the first half, but they would be unwise to try the same tactic for two successive away games in London.
3 United were not at their most impressive in their last away game, at Norwich on Sunday. They secured three points thanks to goals from the evergreen Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs, though the consensus seemed to be that it was a fairly ordinary performance.
4 The City game is two months away. Practically anything can happen between now and then, with City due to face Arsenal, Chelsea, Sunderland and Swansea, though it is true that once the Spurs game is out of the way, United's run-in looks decidedly easier. Apart from Sunderland on the last day of the season, United do not have to play any upwardly mobile teams until the Manchester derby, and no one from the top six.
Ferguson will be well aware that most of the difficult games are now out of the way, of course, which is why he is attempting to crank up the pressure on City. Let's not call this mind games – the reputation Ferguson enjoyed for getting inside rival managers' heads around a decade ago was always overstated, and based more on Kevin Keegan's combustible personality than any sly prompting or deliberate cleverness on the part of the United manager – let's just say it is a legitimate way to remind City how much is at stake.
Ferguson cannot control City's results, after all. At least he should not be able to. But he can try to paint a picture whereby United achieving a draw at Spurs – that is to say, dropping another two points – can be greeted as a victory, because the title challenge will have "survived". That way, should United actually win at White Hart Lane, it will be seen as a major bonus, a probable turning point in the title campaign, even though the likelihood would be that City remain two points in front.
And should United lose, it could be regarded as only one point dropped, instead of three. Ferguson would solemnly pronounce it a setback, before declaring that the title could still be won as long as United do not drop any more points until the end of the season, something the fixture list suggests they will find easier to accomplish than their rivals.
Should United lose at Spurs and City carry on winning, the gap between the two teams when they meet at the Etihad on 30 April could be five points or even more, and a City win could see them crowned champions, but naturally Ferguson is not drawing attention to that possibility. He would rather threaten City with United's continued presence at their shoulder, even making light of a two-point gap, so that City know that any more points dropped over the next few weeks will play into United's hands. By saying he would be happy enough to go to the Etihad two points in arrears Ferguson has made it clear he would be ecstatic should the lead be cut to anything less.
It is up to individuals to decide whether this counts as cunning psychology or mere playground taunting. One often suspects that experts would simply say Ferguson does no more than stick up for his team and relentlessly search out the positives, and there is no harm in that. What we have come to expect over the years, however, is Ferguson doing it more loudly than most of his peers. More obviously.
Time was when José Mourinho or a younger Arsène Wenger used to give back as good as they got, though Ferguson pretty much has the floor to himself these days. Whatever his merits as a manager André Villas-Boas appears to have the ability only to talk himself into trouble, and right from the word go he has never projected a consistent vision for Chelsea that everyone could fall in behind.
He has had people falling about laughing, but that is not the same thing. Wenger at Arsenal has been slowly rendered speechless by results, Kenny Dalglish has been digging verbal holes for himself all season, and though Roberto Mancini is as upbeat and personable a manager as anyone at City could wish, he is far from the outspoken type. He wants to be judged by results, which is just as well, because he will be.
That leaves Ferguson and Harry Redknapp as the last two bluster merchants in the top five, and if predictions of the latter's forthcoming elevation are correct, this could be their last league meeting. Typical of Fergie to get in first by bigging up the opponents and making out that United would be happy just to survive.
Coupled with being hit for five by Arsenal at the weekend that puts real pressure on Spurs to perform, and though it is likely that Ferguson gave his Inside United interview before he was aware of that result, it shows that if you are willing to be proactive and make a statement you can sometimes get lucky. Over to you, Harry, and good luck. In international football the pre-match wind-ups frequently last for weeks.
 
[h=1]Barca to call off hunt for Bale[/h] Published 22:31 29/02/12 By John Cross


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Barcelona are ready to pull the plug on their attempts to sign Gareth Bale this summer.
Barca sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta believes Tottenham will not sell the £50million-rated star, or put any potential deal out of their league... so they should start looking elsewhere.
It could still be a ploy to see if the Welsh flier is interested – but AC Milan's Thiago Silva is believed to be next on their hit list.
Transfer news, rumours and gossip from Thursday's papers
 

[h=1]Sir Alex Ferguson: Manchester United must survive 'massive' Spurs game[/h] • Manchester United travel to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday
• Ferguson content if City lead by two points before April derby




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Danny Welbeck scored Manchester United's opening goal when they beat Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 at Old Trafford in August. Photograph: Alex Livesey/Getty Images

Sir Alex Ferguson has said he would be content for Manchester United to enter the derby with Manchester City on 30 April still two points behind the leaders, but that Sunday's game at Tottenham Hotspur is "massive" for his side's title hopes.
Ferguson told Inside United magazine: "It's going to be a massive game [at Spurs]. If we can survive that one, then we'll have a big, big chance of winning the league. Yes, I would take it [being two points behind City going into the game at the Etihad Stadium]. I would rather go there on level points. But if we could go there within striking distance of being top of the league, I'd take it."
The United manager is also hopeful of having more of his squad back fit. "I should have more players available than I've had in the last few weeks because we've had a terrible spell of injuries," the Scot said.
"But we've done the right thing in the treatment of Chris Smalling and Phil Jones, we've given them a break. They are young players and they had been carrying little strains for weeks. Then all of a sudden it hits them, and we had to take stock, to get them back. We've given them a fair break and they're fresh now."
 
[h=1]David Luiz: Lampard needs to remember he is 'just an employee' at Chelsea[/h] Published 14:36 01/03/12 By Neil McLeman


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David Luiz has told Frank Lampard he is not the Special One at Chelsea and he must obey Andre Villas-Boas.
The under-fire Portuguese manager admitted for the first time this week he could be sacked with his side struggling to finish in the top four.
He is also fighting to contain a dressing-room revolt with Lampard revealing his relationship with Villas-Boas was "not ideal" after he was dropped from last week's Champions League tie at Napoli.
But the Brazil defender backed the under-fire manager to have a "great future" at the club.

And he has risked causing a further split in the dressing room by claiming vice-captain and three-time Player of the Year Lampard has to realise he is just an "employee" at Stamford Bridge.
"No one has to be someone's father or son in a football club," Luiz told Portuguese newspaper O Jogo.
"There are no privileged people there. He [Lampard] simply has to listen to the coach when he gives orders and take them.
"No player can forget that they are just an employee of the club."
Luiz's interview followed his manager questioning his own future under Roman Abramovich on Portuguese TV.
"The pattern of the behaviour of the owner has led to to a downfall of coaches in similar situations or even better situations," Villas-Boas said.
But the £21m signing from Benfica claimed: "A lot of the controversies are created by the British media.
"Last season, there were teams who were in a poor position in the table, and no one talked about it.
"It is a lot easier to talk about Andre, because Chelsea are a big team who always fight for the first place. And when they are third of fourth, it gets easy to slam the coach.
"But Andre has an immense capacity, he is an excellent person and I am sure he will have a great future at Chelsea."
 
[h=1]Harry Redknapp not England's only option as FA draws up shortlist[/h] • Tottenham manager remains overwhelming favourite
• FA keen to gauge interest of other potential candidates




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The FA is keen to sound out Barcelona's Pep Guardiola to see if he would be interested in managing England. Photograph: Javier Soriano/AFP/Getty Images

The Football Association is to draw up an official shortlist for the England manager's job and begin the process of establishing the availability of the people in question, starting with Harry Redknapp.
Redknapp's work at Tottenham Hotspur has formed the most significant part of the talks, led by the FA's chairman, David Bernstein, since Fabio Capello resigned over the row about John Terry being stripped of the captaincy. However, Redknapp is not the only candidate who has been discussed at length. While Redknapp is known to want the job, the FA is aware that Pep Guardiola at Barcelona and José Mourinho at Real Madrid would be high-calibre alternatives.
Both would be highly ambitious moves, particularly in the case of Guardiola, but the FA has shown before it is willing to go for the best possible candidates. Mourinho, who looks set to leave Madrid at the end of the season, was approached before Capello's appointment and the Arsenal manager, Arsène Wenger, has also been sounded out before. Bernstein and his colleagues do not want to leave Redknapp as the only possible option, not least as it would affect the potential salary negotiations. Yet the Tottenham manager remains the overwhelming favourite.
The FA is acutely aware of both public opinion and the support for him among the England players but is having to balance that with not wanting to be accused of disrupting Tottenham's season at a time when they are third in the Premier League and still in the FA Cup. As such, it is still not clear when an approach may be made and whether the process will be dramatically accelerated now England's game against Holland is out of the way.
In the meantime the caretaker manager, Stuart Pearce, will continue to oversee the operational side of England's preparations for Euro 2012 and has been authorised to change Capello's schedule and warm-up programme. Pearce has informed the FA that he would like to stay in charge until the end of the competition before relinquishing the role and returning to manage the England Under-21s on the basis he is "not ready for the senior international job and all that comes with it".
He said: "I am available for the summer, definitely. If I'm needed, I will manage the country. But if someone else is brought in, that will be the case."
 
[h=1]Sturridge learning to love his wide-boy image[/h] Published 22:30 01/03/12 By John Cross


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Daniel Sturridge claims being a wide boy has made him a better striker.
The forward, 22, has played on the wing for Chelsea this season, and also got his chance in that role for England.
He said: "Playing as a winger is only going to make me stronger mentally, physically and technically.
"It will help me become a more well-rounded player, rather than just a single-minded centre-forward.

"I've always seen myself as a striker. I've played that position since I was six-year-old boy.
"But in the meantime I have to make do with playing out wide. I have to alter my game a little bit. There's a lot more work to be done.
"I have to keep chasing back and chasing full backs. It's completely different to playing up front.
"But I think it's gone well so far and hopefully I can continue improving as a player. When I do go back to playing as a centre-forward I'll be a better player for it.
"I'll continue doing that and giving my all. Hopefully at the end of the season I'll be sitting on the plane with the England players heading out to the European Championships."
 
[h=1]Cleverley vows to break England injury jinx[/h] Published 22:30 01/03/12 By David McDonnell


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Tom Cleverley has not given up hope of making England's Euro 2012 squad - despite his injury jinx.
Manchester United midfielder Cleverley, yet to win his first cap, was forced to pull out of England's squad to face Holland after suffering an ankle injury.
It was the second time this season Cleverley has been forced to withdraw from England duty but the 22-year-old claimed there is enough time left this season to gatecrash the squad.
"My bad luck seems to be coming around on international breaks," said Cleverley.

"But I don't feel I'm jinxed. I feel that if I can get fit and find some good form between now and the end of the season, that first cap will come.
"If we have a good run in the Europa League, there are almost 20 games left to play with United this season.
"If I can play as many of them as possible and get in good form like I was at the start of the season, then I feel I can be part of the squad.
"It's been a massive season of highs and lows for me. I broke into the United team, which I'd waited a long time to do, and I got an England call-up.
"But on the other side I've had to deal with injury setbacks.
"It's been a tough season but I've been working really hard the past couple of months and hopefully the season will end on a massive high."
If he does ultimately miss out on Euro 2012, Cleverley said making the Great Britain squad for the London Olympics would cushion the blow.
"With the Olympics in London and representing Great Britain, it doesn't get much better," said Cleverley.
"An Olympic Gold medal in your trophy cabinet would be something special. It's an exciting summer in general for young English players, especially us at United.
"We have the Premier League and the Europa League, then there's the Euros and Olympics. So there's a lot of silverware up for grabs by the end of this summer."
Cleverley, who is out of United's Premier League trip to Tottenham on Sunday, is aiming to be back playing within the next two weeks.
"Hopefully I'll be playing again in the next fortnight," said the United midfielder.
"I won't be available for Sunday, but thankfully it's not the same foot I injured earlier this season."
Cleverley said winning the title this season would make up for the setbacks he has suffered through injury this season.
"For me personally, winning the title would make up for the injuries and the games we've lost this year," said Cleverley.
"It would be the proudest day of my life and it would make up for everything.
"I haven't thought about us not winning the league now. It wouldn't be nice feeling."

*Tom Cleverley was talking on behalf of adidas at the launch of 'The Albert', the official football of the London 2012 Olympics. Visit www.adidas.com for details.
 

[h=2]West Bromwich Albion v Chelsea, 3pm, Saturday 3 March[/h] [h=1]André Villas-Boas says Chelsea's squad inferior to Manchester City's[/h] • City's squad 'a lot better than ours', argues Chelsea manager
• Villas-Boas appears to criticise Roman Abramovich's strategy




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André Villas-Boas at Chelsea's training ground where he said that his squad could not be compared to Manchester City's. Photograph: Paul Childs/Action Images

André Villas-Boas has risked further alienating the Chelsea hierarchy by publicly claiming his own squad bears no comparison with that of the league leaders, Manchester City, in what will be perceived as a tacit criticism of previous managers and the overall strategy of Roman Abramovich.
The Russian oligarch has ploughed more than £1bn into Chelsea since purchasing the club in 2003, with the successive Premier League titles secured under José Mourinho achieved in the wake of lavish spending in the transfer market. While the recent outlay has been relatively less extravagant, over £73m was sanctioned for the purchases of Fernando Torres and David Luiz in last season's midwinter window, though Villas-Boas believes the squad which now trails City by 17 points has fallen significantly behind.
"Our squad was made for us to try and win four trophies," he said. "At the moment, it's a two-horse race for the league, but one of those two teams is going to be extremely unsuccessful this season. One of them will be out of the Champions League, the FA Cup and the Carling Cup, and is going to miss out on their objectives. Of the two [Manchester teams], one has a margin of doubt because it is an extremely successful team. The other invested a lot of money and has access to the best players."
Asked if Chelsea did not also have access to world's best players, Villas-Boas said: "Not to the extent City have, with their financial power. Maybe in the past we had it. We like to promote talent, but I don't think you can compare the two squads, to be fair. I think theirs is a lot better. When the top team has access to buy from their title rivals, you can build something extraordinary." City acquired Samir Nasri and Gaël Clichy from Arsenal and bought Carlos Tevez after a loan spell at Manchester United.
He added: "We had it in the past and did build something extraordinary. But I don't think you can expect Chelsea to buy from City and United now. When we bought Luiz and Torres, one came from a team in title contention in Portugal, the other from a team competing for the top four in the Premier League.
"I don't know if economic power has a direct influence on [a player's] choice-making. People could have gone to City because of the project that was being built, the super-team being put together. Perhaps that's what drove them. But the numbers being paid are top, are extreme. With financial fair play, maybe everyone will have better chance of access to those players. I don't think it's unfair. We had [that purchasing power] in the past. But City have a better squad, with more depth and with good players now. We have a very competent squad that was put together to go for four trophies. We haven't had the results we should have and, in normal circumstances, we would be ahead of [United and Spurs]. We have been under-performing."
That has left Villas-Boas's side fifth before today's match at West Bromwich Albion, with the manager's future hinging upon demonstrating that his side can secure a place in the top four and progressing beyond Napoli into the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
Faith in the Portuguese has been eroded by recent results and apparent dissent within the ranks, with the club's hierarchy unimpressed with the brutally honest rhetoric the 34-year-old has used in recent weeks. An interview broadcast on Portuguese radio last week, in which he admitted he did not know if Abramovich still supported his three-year "project", was noted with dismay, with the manager's outburst on Friday likely to cause further consternation.
An emotional Villas-Boas appeared to send out mixed messages, saying that Chelsea potentially enduring a second successive trophy-less season was "not good enough", acknowledging his was "one of the most difficult jobs in the world", but then insisting he would "never resign or give up". Indeed, he added that there remains scope for this two-year period – the final 12 months of Ancelotti's tenure and his first year in charge – to be considered vital if success is subsequently achieved.
"If you look at 2004-11, this club won three Premier League titles, three FA Cups, and were in three Champions League semi-finals and a final," said Villas-Boas. "If, in the next seven years, we have that may trophies again, we can reflect on these two years of change (more positively). They would have been two years where we rebuilt for a better future. I'm concentrating on building something extreme for next year, when there will be a higher expectancy of Chelsea because of what might have been a two-year gap being trophy-less."
The issue of splits within the dressing room provoked a more prickly response, despite public shows of support from the likes of Daniel Sturridge and David Luiz last week. Villas-Boas assessed his relationship with Frank Lampard as "good, excellent" despite the midfielder having described it as "not ideal".
"Frank feels something is missing, but I don't," he added. "Ask any player who doesn't play every time if he has a good relationship with the manager and he'll say the same. I think it's an unhappy dressing room because we are fifth. If we're first in the league, 17 points ahead, it would be an extremely happy dressing room with any problems put to one side. There are problems when Chelsea are fifth, for sure. But I don't see any problems in my relationships with the players."
 
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