Transfer news...

Transfer news...

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It feels like a critical miss for Arsenal. Had Van Persie simply rolled the shot along the floor he would have scored
 
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If nothing else, Milan know how to play keep ball. They're successfully winding down the clock
 
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Wenger urges his side forward. But with every attack, Arsenal expose themselves at the back. Milan should score when Nocerinio clumsily pokes the ball straight at the feet of Arsenal's goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny from two yards out
 
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But Arsenal can't create another significant opportunity of their own and the final whistle brings their courageous effort to an end. They've fallen marginally short, but boy was it close
 

[h=1]Barcelona's Pep Guardiola plays down talk of stepping in at Chelsea[/h] • Brendan Rodgers, Redknapp and Löw also dismissive
• Rodgers: 'I am trying to build my career, not destroy it'




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Barcelona's Pep Guardiola, preparing to face Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League, said nothing to encourage Chelsea. Photograph: Gustau Nacarino/Reuters

Chelsea's hopes of securing Pep Guardiola as André Villas-Boas's replacement appear even slimmer after it emerged the Barcelona manager may opt to take a year-long sabbatical if he leaves Camp Nou at the end of this season.
Guardiola's glittering spell in charge at the Catalan club has made him Roman Abramovich's favoured candidate to succeed the Portuguese, who was dismissed on Sunday eight months into a three-year contract. Although Chelsea's pursuit of the 41-year-old had always appeared somewhat optimistic, advisers to the oligarch had suggested that, alongside José Mourinho, the Barça coach should be considered a realistic target.
Their conviction had been fuelled by the uncertainty in Spain over whether Guardiola will accept a contract extension to remain at the European champions, with his deal set to expire at the end of the season. The Barcelona coach – who has won 13 of the 16 trophies he has contested since taking over at his home club in 2008, including the European Cup twice – has tended to sign one-year contract extensions early in the new year and although he is happy at Camp Nou, he has spoken more recently of his fears of burnout.
Guardiola and his assistant, Tito Vilanova, met the Barça president, Sandro Rosell, last week but did not reach an agreement over an extension – the club would like him to sign a two-year deal this time round – with reports in Spain suggesting he will seek a break from the game if he decides to leave in the summer. The Barcelona coach laughed off questions on the vacant Chelsea position on Tuesday. Asked if he had spoken to the club about the position he joked "every day, every day", though there was some sympathy for Villas-Boas.
The Portuguese had dedicated last season's Europa League success with Porto to Guardiola, whom he had sought out for advice earlier in his fledgling coaching career and greatly admires, and the late Sir Bobby Robson. "I think he is a fantastic coach but we all know that in this business everything depends on results and not on our own capacity as a coach," said Guardiola. "Time is not something you get, but when you do this job you know that. I can't comment any more because I don't know the situation at Chelsea, but the results never came."
Other potential candidates distanced themselves from the position, with Harry Redknapp – a leading contender for the vacant England manager's role ahead of the summer's European Championship – claiming that although Chelsea should be considered "a dream job", he is not interested.
"It would be difficult," said the Tottenham Hotspur manager. "I wouldn't be able to come back to north London. So no, I will pass on that one."
The highly rated Swansea City manager Brendan Rodgers, a former reserve-team coach at Stamford Bridge, offered a starker assessment of what awaits Villas-Boas's successor by claiming he is looking to build a career and "not destroy it".
He added: "The transition that is needed at the club is very much evident and it's a job that requires sensitivity about where the club is at. It's about understanding and respecting what the players have done there and also having that ruthless streak to manage the club. If any of our fans are wondering about me and Chelsea, they need not panic. I am trying to build my career and not destroy it."
The Germany coach, Joachim Löw, was more coy when questioned about the vacancy but is unlikely to seek a move away from the national federation. "I have a contract as national team coach until 2014," he said.
"The European Championships start in three months' time and everyone knows my goal. I see no reason for me to comment on media speculation."
Rafael Benítez, the former Liverpool manager, expressed a desire to be considered by Abramovich this week as he seeks a return to management 14 months after being sacked at Internazionale. The Spaniard had been sounded out over the possibility of taking over until the end of the season at Stamford Bridge but indicated he would consider only a longer-term arrangement until the summer of 2013.
Chelsea's supporters, who had endured a torrid relationship with Benítez's Liverpool, made their feelings clear before kick-off at Tuesday night's FA Cup fifth-round replay against Birmingham City by chanting against the Spaniard's candidacy and bellowing Mourinho's name.Copy ends




But Arsenal can't create another significant opportunity of their own and the final whistle brings their courageous effort to an end. They've fallen marginally short, but boy was it close
 
[h=2]Arsenal 3-0 Milan (agg 3-4)[/h] [h=1]Arsenal v Milan in the Champions League: five talking points[/h] Arsenal restored their pride with a committed display even if the Gunners' bench lacked real quality


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Tomas Rosicky helped bring Arsenal within touching distance of a dramatic Champions League turnaround. Photograph: Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP

[h=2]1 Dignity more than regained[/h]As ashamed as they felt to be so thoroughly outclassed in Italy, Arsenal earned the right to feel proud of themselves by making the impossible seem eminently possible. This is not the best XI Arsène Wenger has ever put together by any stretch of the imagination but they proved themselves capable of something memorable for the third time in as many games. Again they showed courage, and discipline, to try to haul themselves out of a difficult situation. Even making this tie interesting was an achievement. As Wenger pointed out before the game, they somehow had to strike the right balance between attacking and defending. The only pity was that they did not have the attacking reinforcements from the bench to really crank it up. The out-of-favour Marouane Chamakh and Park Chu-young were the best they could do.
[h=2]2 Italians stuck in first gear[/h]One of the oddest consequences of being in such command from the first leg is the difficulty for a team to psych themselves up for the task. That does not excuse Milan's extraordinary sluggishness. If Arsenal, as Kieran Gibbs suggested, were guilty of not "turning up" at San Siro, the same accusation could be thrown at Milan here. Their defensive lapses were extremely poor for all the goals that gave Arsenal a 3-0 half-time lead. Inept marking from a corner, uncharacteristic sloppiness from Thiago Silva, and a clumsy Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain sandwich put Milan in a position of anxiety they could barely have imagined having doled out that hammering three weeks ago. Van Bommel's early booking was another advantage for Arsenal, as he could ill afford any more reckless tackles. The question of whether this Milan team could be a contender and trouble the Spanish favourites got a pretty resounding answer here: not this time.
[h=2]3 The real Rosicky stands up[/h]Wenger confessed before the game that he did not know what he would do if the Czech midfielder Tomas Rosicky did not recover from an injury niggle to make the team. A player who promised so much when he signed from Borussia Dortmund in 2006, his Arsenal career has stuttered, mainly due to some horrendous injury problems. In the past couple of weeks he has shone, regaining the momentum to play with great personality, drive and guile in midfield. Having scored his first Premier League goal in two years to crown an action-packed display against Tottenham, he carried that form over with another performance full of purpose. His opportunist strike, for Arsenal's second goal, was deserved. A word, too, for Alex Song, whose exemplary display anchoring the Arsenal midfield underlines why his contract extension must be priority after Van Persie.
[h=2]4 'The Ox' is the future[/h]Although he was selected in a more central role than anticipated, contrary to some of the pre-match speculation the teenager Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was deployed in a defensive midfield role, rather than as a playmaker. It had echoes of the education Wenger wanted Jack Wilshere to experience when he broke through, but was all the same a giant call to make in a game such as this against Mark van Bommel and Antonio Nocerino. Oxlade-Chamberlain was sensible in his positioning, tidy in possession, and able to demonstrate his technique with the beautifully whipped in cross for Laurent Koscielny to head in Arsenal's first goal. But it was hard to escape the feeling he was being reigned in, that he could make more of a difference. Then came the moment when he escaped the leash with a searing run into the box to win the penalty for Robin van Persie to make the score 3-0. The former Southampton player has come a long, long way since making his debut as a substitute 62 minutes into that infamous 8-2 thumping at Old Trafford.
[h=2]5 Abbiati battered[/h]The Italian keeper Christian Abbiati had been watching from the bench the night Milan surrendered a 4-1 lead at Deportivo La Coruña to suffer the consequences of the most dramatic turnaround in Champions League history. He, above all, deserves a pat on the back from his team-mates. A couple of important saves (added to the two fine efforts to ensure Van Persie did not score an away goal at San Siro) were vital. Milan were surprisingly open. For an Italian team to go away from home and play with an attacking trident hardly known for their capacity to track back in Zlatan Ibrahimovic flanked by Robinho and the youngster Stephan El Shaarawy was brave in a way. But it turned out to be a bad move, as a more conservative approach might have been more frustrating to Arsenal. As it was, there was not much of a barrier. The midfield area – where Wenger's team had no option but to experiment – was afforded far too much time and space to dictate the game. By all accounts the Milan coach was cross that it finished only 4-0 in the opener at San Siro. Now we know why.
 
[h=2]Arsenal 3-0 Milan (agg 3-4)[/h] [h=1]Arsenal v Milan in the Champions League: five talking points[/h] Arsenal restored their pride with a committed display even if the Gunners' bench lacked real quality


Tomas-Rosicky-007.jpg
Tomas Rosicky helped bring Arsenal within touching distance of a dramatic Champions League turnaround. Photograph: Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP

[h=2]1 Dignity more than regained[/h]As ashamed as they felt to be so thoroughly outclassed in Italy, Arsenal earned the right to feel proud of themselves by making the impossible seem eminently possible. This is not the best XI Arsène Wenger has ever put together by any stretch of the imagination but they proved themselves capable of something memorable for the third time in as many games. Again they showed courage, and discipline, to try to haul themselves out of a difficult situation. Even making this tie interesting was an achievement. As Wenger pointed out before the game, they somehow had to strike the right balance between attacking and defending. The only pity was that they did not have the attacking reinforcements from the bench to really crank it up. The out-of-favour Marouane Chamakh and Park Chu-young were the best they could do.
[h=2]2 Italians stuck in first gear[/h]One of the oddest consequences of being in such command from the first leg is the difficulty for a team to psych themselves up for the task. That does not excuse Milan's extraordinary sluggishness. If Arsenal, as Kieran Gibbs suggested, were guilty of not "turning up" at San Siro, the same accusation could be thrown at Milan here. Their defensive lapses were extremely poor for all the goals that gave Arsenal a 3-0 half-time lead. Inept marking from a corner, uncharacteristic sloppiness from Thiago Silva, and a clumsy Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain sandwich put Milan in a position of anxiety they could barely have imagined having doled out that hammering three weeks ago. Van Bommel's early booking was another advantage for Arsenal, as he could ill afford any more reckless tackles. The question of whether this Milan team could be a contender and trouble the Spanish favourites got a pretty resounding answer here: not this time.
[h=2]3 The real Rosicky stands up[/h]Wenger confessed before the game that he did not know what he would do if the Czech midfielder Tomas Rosicky did not recover from an injury niggle to make the team. A player who promised so much when he signed from Borussia Dortmund in 2006, his Arsenal career has stuttered, mainly due to some horrendous injury problems. In the past couple of weeks he has shone, regaining the momentum to play with great personality, drive and guile in midfield. Having scored his first Premier League goal in two years to crown an action-packed display against Tottenham, he carried that form over with another performance full of purpose. His opportunist strike, for Arsenal's second goal, was deserved. A word, too, for Alex Song, whose exemplary display anchoring the Arsenal midfield underlines why his contract extension must be priority after Van Persie.
[h=2]4 'The Ox' is the future[/h]Although he was selected in a more central role than anticipated, contrary to some of the pre-match speculation the teenager Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was deployed in a defensive midfield role, rather than as a playmaker. It had echoes of the education Wenger wanted Jack Wilshere to experience when he broke through, but was all the same a giant call to make in a game such as this against Mark van Bommel and Antonio Nocerino. Oxlade-Chamberlain was sensible in his positioning, tidy in possession, and able to demonstrate his technique with the beautifully whipped in cross for Laurent Koscielny to head in Arsenal's first goal. But it was hard to escape the feeling he was being reigned in, that he could make more of a difference. Then came the moment when he escaped the leash with a searing run into the box to win the penalty for Robin van Persie to make the score 3-0. The former Southampton player has come a long, long way since making his debut as a substitute 62 minutes into that infamous 8-2 thumping at Old Trafford.
[h=2]5 Abbiati battered[/h]The Italian keeper Christian Abbiati had been watching from the bench the night Milan surrendered a 4-1 lead at Deportivo La Coruña to suffer the consequences of the most dramatic turnaround in Champions League history. He, above all, deserves a pat on the back from his team-mates. A couple of important saves (added to the two fine efforts to ensure Van Persie did not score an away goal at San Siro) were vital. Milan were surprisingly open. For an Italian team to go away from home and play with an attacking trident hardly known for their capacity to track back in Zlatan Ibrahimovic flanked by Robinho and the youngster Stephan El Shaarawy was brave in a way. But it turned out to be a bad move, as a more conservative approach might have been more frustrating to Arsenal. As it was, there was not much of a barrier. The midfield area – where Wenger's team had no option but to experiment – was afforded far too much time and space to dictate the game. By all accounts the Milan coach was cross that it finished only 4-0 in the opener at San Siro. Now we know why.
 
[h=1]Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain embodies Arséne Wenger's faith in spirit[/h] The Arsenal teenager's performance against Milan would have thrilled whoever is going to be the next England coach


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Arsenal's Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, right, escapes a challenge from Milan's Mark van Bommel. Photograph: Eddie Keogh/Reuters

Arsenal's exhausted players left the pitch bathed in warm applause from supporters who sometimes turn their backs on the sight of adversity but this time stayed on after the final whistle, setting aside their disappointment to salute something that felt like a rebirth.
"Everybody fought together and helped his team-mate," Laurent Koscielny said, summing up the virtues of a performance that seemed more significant than the result. They had gone out the Champions League but the manner of their departure seemed to lift their hopes of hanging on to fourth place in the Premier League and securing qualification for next season's competition.
This was a tie of four halves. Arsenal lost the first one 2-0 and the second by the same score in Italy, won the third 3-0 at home and drew the fourth after Milan's players finally pulled themselves together. No doubt Massimiliano Allegri had used his half-time address to remind them of the humiliation suffered by their predecessors at Liverpool's hands seven years ago – although none of the Italian club's players on the pitch in Istanbul was involved on Tuesday night.
As Arsène Wenger's players fought their way back to the brink of redemption, they gave substance to the Frenchman's frequent expressions of faith in their spirit – a quality long obscured, perhaps, but unearthed as they put the seven-times European champions on the rack. With those three unanswered first-half goals, they took a further giant step in the restoration of their battered pride, making the outcome of the tie seem less significant than the effect of their resilience on the club's morale.
At the heart of their performance was a display by a teenager who will certainly have lodged a few thoughts in the mind of whichever coach is destined to take England to the finals of the European Championship this summer. Injuries to Mikel Arteta, Aaron Ramsey, Abou Diaby, Yossi Benayoun and Francis Coquelin, not to mention the long-term absence of Jack Wilshere, gave Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain a chance to start the match in the centre of midfield, alongside Alex Song and in front of the back four. Not quite the position just behind the front line that he says is the one best suited to his talents, but closer to it than the role on the wing in which he has been nurtured in his early days as a first-team player.
Theo Walcott is still waiting for a similar opportunity to come in from the touchline, where he has been stationed since his arrival six years ago – like Oxlade-Chamberlain, a teenaged prodigy from Southampton. Walcott always believed himself to be better suited to a striker's role, and his goalscoring record with his original club and with England's Under-21s supported his contention, as did his brace of goals in the dramatic 5-2 win in the recent north London derby. He must have been envying the apparent ease with which the 18-year-old Oxlade-Chamberlain, five years his junior, has impressed Wenger with his precocious football intelligence.
Oxlade-Chamberlain took hardly any time at all to make his mark against Milan. Only five minutes had gone when he moved out of his withdrawn starting position and turned up on the left wing, measuring a cross which was turned behind for a corner. He took it himself, whipping it in with his right foot and seeing it cleared for a second corner on the same side.
Once again he delivered a telling effort which snaked in to meet the head of Koscielny, the centre-back's lateral run towards the near post conspicuously unhindered by the presence of defenders who stood and watched him score with the most straightforward of headers. But it was the quality of the corner that had made it possible, although Oxlade-Chamberlain could not quite manage to recreate the same damaging effect when offered two further opportunities from the same quadrant a dozen minutes later.
Three minutes before the interval, with Arsenal now two goals up, came his most influential contribution to an extraordinary first half. Charging at an angle into the right-hand corner of the Milan penalty area, showing the kind of bullocking power and directness associated with Barcelona's Alexis Sánchez, he aimed his run towards the rapidly closing gap between Antonio Nocerino and Djamel Mesbah before sprawling to the ground under the Algerian left back's challenge. Robin van Persie hammered the penalty kick past Christian Abbiati with a force that redoubled the intensity of the message to his team-mates: they were right back in this contest with the chance of a reversal that would make the obliteration of Tottenham's 2-0 lead look like a rehearsal.
Before his withdrawal with 15 minutes left, Oxlade-Chamberlain came close to producing an equaliser that would have sealed the miracle when he bore in from the left to strike a confident 20-yarder that curled past the angle of crossbar and far post. But he had already played his part in a display that surely put Arsenal back in credit with their followers, even the most sceptical of them given a glimpse of a brighter future.
 
[h=1]André Villas-Boas 'disrespected' Chelsea's Frank Lampard, says Alex[/h] • Ex-Chelsea defender says manager treated Lampard badly
• But denies player power was behind Villas-Boas's sacking




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André Villas-Boas failed to show Frank Lampard enough respect, according to the former Chelsea defender Alex. Photograph: Darren Walsh/Getty Images

The former Chelsea defender Alex has accused André Villas-Boas of disrespecting Frank Lampard. Villas-Boas's fractious relationship with Lampard dogged his eight-month reign, which ended with the Portuguese manager's sacking on Sunday. He froze both Alex and Nicolas Anelka out of the first-team squad in November after the pair handed in transfer requests.
But Alex, who joined Paris St-Germain in January, was more critical of Villas-Boas's treatment of Lampard than of his own issues with the 34-year-old. He told O Jogo: "André is not the kind of person who talks a lot, he's someone who is a bit closed. That's just the way he is. I saw some comments of Lampard recently and I think he deserved more respect.
"It is true that a player knows he will sometimes have to stay on the bench, especially after reaching a certain age. That's not a problem. But with Lampard's history at the club, where he has more than 10 years, he deserves a word or an explanation from the manager. Fundamentally, it was a question of respect for everything that he represents for Chelsea."
But Alex questioned claims that player power drove Villas-Boas out of the club. "I think it makes little sense to say there was a hardcore who did not want André to continue," he said. "If you look carefully, John Terry and Ashley Cole always played, Didier Drogba and even Fernando Torres had lots of opportunities.
"We, the players, often have a habit when things go wrong of blaming the coach. But that's not true. Sometimes things don't go well for the team due to little details, like a lack of luck, or poor form from some of us. In the end, it was good I had a problem there because I came to a great club and city."
Alex said of Villas-Boas's departure: "When the results do not show up, the one who pays is the coach. But André is a coach with great quality, as I saw day to day in how he worked on every single detail. At Chelsea it had already happened several times, the exit of a manager in the middle of the season. It is a big club, where there is enormous pressure to win the Champions League.
"You cannot say that this pressure affects the players every day, but perhaps it affects the work of coaches. And do not forget that the Champions League is a competition that is difficult to win. This situation was being talked about for a while, even because of André's behaviour."
 
[h=1]André Villas-Boas 'disrespected' Chelsea's Frank Lampard, says Alex[/h] • Ex-Chelsea defender says manager treated Lampard badly
• But denies player power was behind Villas-Boas's sacking




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André Villas-Boas failed to show Frank Lampard enough respect, according to the former Chelsea defender Alex. Photograph: Darren Walsh/Getty Images

The former Chelsea defender Alex has accused André Villas-Boas of disrespecting Frank Lampard. Villas-Boas's fractious relationship with Lampard dogged his eight-month reign, which ended with the Portuguese manager's sacking on Sunday. He froze both Alex and Nicolas Anelka out of the first-team squad in November after the pair handed in transfer requests.
But Alex, who joined Paris St-Germain in January, was more critical of Villas-Boas's treatment of Lampard than of his own issues with the 34-year-old. He told O Jogo: "André is not the kind of person who talks a lot, he's someone who is a bit closed. That's just the way he is. I saw some comments of Lampard recently and I think he deserved more respect.
"It is true that a player knows he will sometimes have to stay on the bench, especially after reaching a certain age. That's not a problem. But with Lampard's history at the club, where he has more than 10 years, he deserves a word or an explanation from the manager. Fundamentally, it was a question of respect for everything that he represents for Chelsea."
But Alex questioned claims that player power drove Villas-Boas out of the club. "I think it makes little sense to say there was a hardcore who did not want André to continue," he said. "If you look carefully, John Terry and Ashley Cole always played, Didier Drogba and even Fernando Torres had lots of opportunities.
"We, the players, often have a habit when things go wrong of blaming the coach. But that's not true. Sometimes things don't go well for the team due to little details, like a lack of luck, or poor form from some of us. In the end, it was good I had a problem there because I came to a great club and city."
Alex said of Villas-Boas's departure: "When the results do not show up, the one who pays is the coach. But André is a coach with great quality, as I saw day to day in how he worked on every single detail. At Chelsea it had already happened several times, the exit of a manager in the middle of the season. It is a big club, where there is enormous pressure to win the Champions League.
"You cannot say that this pressure affects the players every day, but perhaps it affects the work of coaches. And do not forget that the Champions League is a competition that is difficult to win. This situation was being talked about for a while, even because of André's behaviour."
 
[h=1]How would Roman Abramovich react to being a laughing stock at Chelsea?[/h] Chelsea's benefactor appeared to have escaped fans' vulgar ingratitude, but has André Villas-Boas's sacking changed that?



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Roman Abramovich: would Chelsea's Russian owner have the temperament to stand for it were fans to turn on him for long? Photograph: Matthew Childs/Action Images

There was a priceless moment in Sunday's majestic BBC2 documentary The Four Year Plan, in which QPR's then-owner Flavio Briatore fumed at some supporters: "Give me the names of the ones booing me or I sell the club!"
Apparently unaccustomed to chants of "Briatore is a wanker" from his Formula One days, Briatore had experienced the distaste of the fans, and found it a deep affront to his personage. Like many billionaires, he was amusingly sensitive, even though the abuse he took was not in the ballpark of that directed towards the Glazer family at Manchester United, or Tom Hicks and George Gillett at Liverpool, or Mike Ashley at Newcastle, or indeed all manner of other owners up and down the leagues.
One who has thus far escaped such indignities, however, is "enigmatic" Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich. Not for Roman the vulgar ingratitude of the crowd, the banners cordially inviting him to do one back to Siberia, the vaguely unmannerly death threats. Ever since he pitched up, Chelsea supporters have appeared unflinchingly appreciative of all their Russian benefactor has done for them, declining even to give him a hard time when the beloved José Mourinho found his desk in the lift. Chants of "Roman Abramovich sacks who he wants" were as disrespectful as it got at Birmingham on Tuesday night.
Of course, Abramovich was vastly different from those owners who acquired their clubs via leveraged buyouts and the like. Chelsea supporters found themselves indebted in a different way, given that Abramovich is widely held to be slightly richer than Croesus, paid cash for the club, and has seemed content to spend whatever it took to ensure success. They were resolutely grateful, as well they might be.
But what do your instincts tell you now? Can this deference continue? And more pressingly, how would Abramovich react if it didn't?
In many ways, the fallout from the André Villas-Boas sacking is the usual hot air. The League Managers Association has branded Chelsea's situation an "embarrassment", which is unlikely to have caused the Russian to reach for the smelling salts. You don't claw your way up from selling rubber ducks to acquiring a vast chunk of Russia's post-Soviet oil and mineral wealth only to be wounded by the emotional posturings of some 15th-tier local bureaucrat.
But another phrase bandied about with increasing frequency may prove a worthier foe. Across the airwaves and the internet this week, you could find Chelsea fans opining that Abramovich had made their club a "laughing stock" – a position that may yet find more aggressive voice in the stands at Stamford Bridge. For the more dispassionate observer, Abramovich himself is the laughing stock – a preposterous little Caesar who has behaved in such a way that the Swansea City manager, Brendan Rodgers, has ruled himself out of running one of the most high-profile clubs in the world because he's not looking to "destroy" his career, while Mourinho himself doubtless relishes the chance to make his former tormentor beg for a rematch he has no intention of granting.
Elsewhere, you have to enjoy the absurdity of those ruling themselves in. Consider Sven‑Goran Eriksson, who has convinced himself of his suitability for one last payday more often than the Ocean's Nineteen gang. Or behold Rafa Benítez explaining why the Liverpool fans would want him to manage Chelsea. "Can anybody argue that the Liverpool fans love me?" he inquired rhetorically. "If we agree with this, what do you want for someone you love? The best for him! If they love me, they will understand," concluded Benítez, apparently seeking to conjure a scenario in which the Kop makes like Adele and sings that they wish nothing but the best for someone like him.
For Chelsea fans, meanwhile, there are suggestions that only a huge name would stave off the first rumblings of dissent, and Abramovich's itchy trigger finger and Uefa's looming financial fair play regulations conspire to make that a tough order. Of course, the fear must always be that the mysterious stranger who blew in from the cold may almost as suddenly blow out again, and leave them to a fate if not worse than death, then certainly as bad as Ken Bates. But were they to turn on the Russian, has he the temperament to stand for it?
The key word with those seeking to illuminate Abramovich's character always seems to be "control". We hear of senior club insiders doubling over in laughter at suggestions he might loosen the reins. None of which really indicates an appetite for taking a kicking from fans.
But then, as any fule kno, most dictators are terrified of ridicule – and as indicated, many rich men seem to be the most sensitive souls. In its wake, the QPR documentary drew some telling recollections from managers about the owners and chairmen they've had to deal with. Former Wimbledon manager Dave Bassett recalled how Sam Hammam eventually wanted the right to pick the team, going on to muse: "Sam used to ask me why the supporters sang: 'There's only one Dave Bassett,' when it was he who had stumped up the money to buy John Fashanu etc."
Honestly, the injustice of it. As for Abramovich, he may be able to live with the Shed End not singing hymns of praise. But whether he'd be minded to bear vocal criticism for very long is quite another matter.
 
[h=1]Lukas Podolski 'very interested' in Arsenal move, says Per Mertesacker[/h] • Striker wants to join Arsenal, says Germany team-mate
• Mertesacker: 'He has sent me a number of text messages'




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Lukas Podolski is 'very interested' in moving to Arsenal, says Per Mertesacker. Photograph: Thorsten Silz/AP

The Köln striker Lukas Podolski is "very interested" in moving to Arsenal, according to his international team-mate Per Mertesacker. Podolski has been strongly linked with a move to Arsenal, who have been heavily reliant on Robin van Persie for goals this season.
The 26-year-old, who can operate as a lone striker or on the wing, has scored 16 goals in the Bundesliga this season and has been a part of the Germany national squad for the past eight years.
Now Mertesacker, whom Arsenal signed from Werder Bremen last summer, has revealed his friend has contacted him regarding a move and claims the striker is keen on joining Arsène Wenger's squad.
"He has been very interested in the past few weeks and has sent me a number of text messages," Mertesacker told Sky. "I've told him that this is a great place to work and that Arsenal are an amazing club. Nothing has been agreed on yet, though, and Lukas hasn't given me a ring yet."
Podolski, who was born in Poland, recently refused to comment on speculation linking him with Arsenal, but the Köln manager Stale Solbakken admitted last month that he may lose his star striker this summer.
 
[h=1]Köln's Lukas Podolski poised for £10.9m summer move to Arsenal[/h] • Forward set to sign four-year contract worth £100,000 a week
• 26-year-old's arrival part of shift to established names




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Polish-born Lukas Podolski has won 95 caps for Germany. Photograph: Thorsten Silz/AP

Lukas Podolski is poised to join Arsenal from Köln at the end of the season after the clubs reached an agreement in principle on a £10.9m transfer. The Germany striker is expected to sign a four-year contract worth £100,000 a week, according to sources in Germany.
Arsène Wenger has been under pressure to bolster his attacking options because the cover behind Robin van Persie, the captain, has looked thin, with neither Marouane Chamakh or Park Ju-young having convinced.
Van Persie, who is close to the final 12 months of his Arsenal deal and has placed new contract talks on hold until the summer, must also be persuaded about the club's ambition.
Podolski's arrival would represent a coup and it reinforces Wenger's shift in transfer policy towards more established players. Still only 26, the Poland-born forward has played at the highest level since his late teens, when he broke into the Germany squad. He has enjoyed a positive season, with 16 Bundesliga goals so far, but he has grown disillusioned at Köln's direction. They languish just above the relegation places, with 25 points from 24 games.
Podolski, who was at Bayern Munich from 2006 to 2009 before rejoining his former club, has been quiet about his possible move to Arsenal but the Köln manager, Stale Solbakken, admitted last month that he feared he was set to lose the forward to the London club.
Lokomotiv Moscow and Anzhi Makhachkala were also understood to have been chasing Podolski, and could have offered bigger money, but he said recently his move would not be determined by the highest bidder. "Money is not the most important thing for me," he told Sport-Bild. "What is crucial is the development of my game."
Per Mertesacker, a Germany team-mate who moved from Werder Bremen to Arsenal last summer, told German television on Wednesday that Podolski had been asking him about life at the Emirates. "He has been very interested for the past few weeks," Mertesacker said. "He has sent me a number of text messages, and I have told him this is a great place to work and Arsenal are an amazing club."
 
[h=2]Sporting Lisbon v Manchester City, Europa League last 16 1st leg, 6pm GMT Thursday 8 March[/h] [h=1]Mancini: Manchester City would be keen on Arsenal's Robin van Persie[/h] • Roberto Mancini: 'If Arsenal lose him they will have a problem'
• 'Van Persie will stay at Arsenal,' says City manager




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Arsenal's Robin van Persie is one of the best strikers in Europe at the moment, according to the Manchester City manager. Photograph: Eddie Keogh/Reuters

Roberto Mancini has admitted Manchester City would be interested in signing Robin van Persie in the summer but believes Arsenal will convince him to sign a new contract or the London club will have a "big problem".
The Dutch forward will have only a year remaining on his present deal at the Emirates at the close of the season and, asked if he thought the 28-year-old will stay at the club, Mancini said: "I think Robin van Persie will sign a new contract at Arsenal. Because if Arsenal also lose Van Persie, they will have a big problem. We are interested in all good players. This is normal, but not only us. All the good teams are interested in Van Persie."
Mancini was clear about his qualities. "I think Van Persie at this moment is one of the best strikers in Europe with [Lionel] Messi, [Cristiano] Ronaldo and with Sergio [Agüero] and Mario [Balotelli]. He is a fantastic striker, but I think he will remain with Arsenal."
Mancini was asked why, given Arsenal's struggles this season and City's status as league leaders, Van Persie would choose to remain at the north London club. "Because Arsenal in the summer, I think they will buy good players," the manager said. "Because Arsenal is a top team. They want to win the next Premier League."
Due to his contract status Van Persie is a rare example of a top line striker who is available relatively cheaply this close season. "But I don't think he will be cheap because he has one year left on his contract," Mancini said.
Pressed that rather, say, costing £60m he might be prised away for around £30m the manager added: "This is normal because if, for example, you wanted to buy [Edinson] Cavani [of Napoli], he would [cost] maybe £30m. He [Van Persie] is Arsenal's best player at the moment and it is difficult for them to give him to another club."
Mancini did state that City's previously difficult relations with Arsenal, caused by the deals that have taken Gaël Clichy, Samir Nasri, Kolo Touré and Emmanuel Adebayor to the club, would not stop them trying to sign Van Persie if there were a possibility to do so. "If there is a good player who wants to leave a club, then we are interested. But if this player wants to stay, we don't have any problem. But in my opinion Van Persie will stay at Arsenal," Mancini said.
The manager confirmed that Balotelli has been fined one week's salary for breaking a curfew at a strip club the day before Saturday's 2-0 win over Bolton Wanderers and has accepted this. He added that Carlos Tevez still "needs another maybe two games in the next two weeks" before he may be available.
City lead United by two points and Mancini believes this margin gives his team some breathing space in the race against Sir Alex Ferguson's side. "We have two points more, for us it is different. I think we have 11 games and we need to win eight," he said. "Now we have one month where we will play every three days and we need to be very, very strong."
The Italian's team take on Sporting Lisbon in the last-16 first leg of the Europa League at the Estádio José Alvalade and he said: "It will be a very difficult game. We are playing a very good team. We will need to play some players because afterwards we play in three days. For this reason, because we play a lot of games, we need to change some players."
Pablo Zabaleta has travelled but is a doubt with a hamstring injury while Yaya Touré is suspended. Mancini confirmed that Sergio Agüero will start and the Argentinian, who has made an excellent start to his career City scoring 21 times since joining in the summer, said: "I think this is only the beginning for me at Manchester City."
 
[h=1]Chelsea's Fernando Torres refuses offer to take penalty at Birmingham[/h] • Designated taker Juan Mata offers compatriot the ball
• Torres has now not scored in 23 matches for Chelsea




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The refusal by Chelsea's Fernando Torres to take a penalty against Birmingham offers the latest illustration of his crisis of confidence. Photo: Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty Images

Fernando Torres turned down the chance to take Chelsea's 70th minute penalty in their FA Cup replay win at Birmingham City, which might have allowed him to end his near five-month scoring drought.
Chelsea were 2-0 up and coasting into the quarter-finals on Tuesday night when Torres was fouled by Guirane N'Daw inside the area. Juan Mata, the designated penalty taker, offered the kick to Torres, his friend and fellow Spaniard, only for the 27-year-old to decline. Although Daniel Sturridge subsequently tried to claim the ball, Mata stepped up to the spot and saw his shot saved by Colin Doyle.
Torres rarely takes penalties but his refusal to accept this one offered the latest illustration of his crisis of confidence. The striker's link-up play was again good, on his 50th appearance for Chelsea since a £50m move from Liverpool, but he continued to snatch at anything in front of goal.
He dragged a first-half chance wide and his descent to figure of fun was reinforced during the interval, when a Birmingham fan missed his kick in the half-time competition. "It was worse than Torres," he told the on-pitch interviewer, to much hilarity. The St Andrew's crowd chanted "We want Torres" upon the award of the penalty. The forward, who has five goals in all competitions for Chelsea, has not scored in 23 matches.
"I asked him if he wanted to take it because he provoked [won] the penalty," Mata said. "He said: 'I'm not first on the list to shoot,' so that's what happened. It was because he forced the penalty and I gave him the chance. Robbie [Di Matteo, the interim manager] put a paper with who shoots penalties and that was it."
Chelsea continue their search for a permanent managerial replacement for André Villas-Boas, who was sacked on Sunday, and the club's hierarchy noted the anti-Rafael Benítez chants that came from the visiting enclosure at St Andrew's.
The former Liverpool manager has advanced his candidacy and has suggested he could help to restore Torres to his former glories, having overseen him during their time together at Anfield. But Chelsea's directors are not thought to have him under consideration.
Chelsea's players were told by the owner Roman Abramovich, in the wake of Villas-Boas's dismissal, that they have to raise their game and there was the sense at Birmingham that the message had gone through.
"He [Abramovich] said that we have an opportunity to change the run of defeats and against Birmingham we did so," Mata said. "We have to prove ourselves every game. For me and the other players, we are playing in a top squad and a top club, and we must always do our best in every game.
"There is a lot of unity in the dressing room. No matter who the manager is, we are all focused on the same objective. We must do the best for the club ... we belong to the club and we will do everything for the club. Every one of the players will do it. We will try to win this FA Cup and also against Napoli [in the Champions League last-16 second-leg]. I think we can do it – it is possible for us to win 2-0 [to advance on aggregate]."
 
[h=1]Lukas Podolski rejected Russian riches to choose Arsenal instead[/h] • Germany striker turned down Anzhi Makhachkala
• Russian club proposed deal worth twice as much





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Lukas Podolski is expected to complete a £10.9m move to Arsenal at the end of the season on a four-year deal. Photograph: Patrik Stollarz/AFP/Getty Images

Lukas Podolski rejected a lucrative offer to join Anzhi Makhachkala in favour of a transfer to Arsenal in the summer, despite the money-flushed Russian club having proposed a contract worth twice as much as that to be signed by the Germany forward at the Emirates Stadium.
The 26-year-old is expected to complete a £10.9m move from Köln to the London club at the end of the current campaign and will commit to a four-year deal that, according to sources in Germany, is worth around £100,000 a week when signing on fees and associated bonuses are taken into account.
His manager at Köln, Stale Solbakken, was resigned to losing his services in the summer and Anzhi, an emerging force in European football who are now overseen by Guus Hiddink, had been willing to pay him a weekly salary of nearer £200,000 to swap the Bundesliga for the Russian Premier League.
The club, bank-rolled by the billionaire Suleyman Kerimov and based in Dagestan, are seventh in their domestic league, 12 points off Zenit St Petersburg at the top, but aspire to reaching the Champions League. The former Barcelona and Internazionale forward Samuel Eto'o leads the line, with Roberto Carlos another high-profile player at the club. Around £11m was spent last month to secure Blackburn Rovers' Congolese defender Christopher Samba.
Yet Podolski, who has scored 16 goals this season despite his hometown club languishing just above the relegation places, has instead opted for a move to England, having previously stated that his future would not be determined by the highest bidder. "Money is not the most important thing for me," he had told Sport-Bild. "What is crucial is the development of my game."

His arrival will still be considered something of a coup at Arsenal, particularly if the Poland-born forward goes on to excel for Germany at the summer's European Championship, and represents a shift in policy from Arsène Wenger to secure more established talent. The striker made his international debut in 2004 and has been capped 95 times, scoring 43 goals





 
[h=1]Lionel Messi now bears comparison with Diego Maradona[/h] The striker's five goals against Bayer Leverkusen have left many in no doubt that he is a better player than El Diego



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Lionel Messi had never scored five goals until Wednesday night. Photograph: Jasper Juinen/Getty Images

The clue is in the name: football is a game played with a ball and with your feet. Yet for two of the world's great footballing communities, there is no greater symbol of the pursuit of perfection than the hand. From the manita or Little Hand to the Hand of God, for Argentina and for Catalonia there is nothing that defines a sporting era like it. On Wednesday night Lionel Messi brought them together – two epochs, two congregations, five brilliant goals. Five more. Two hundred and twenty-eight in all.
The hand as an icon of a game played with the feet: from 1986 and the symbol of Diego Maradona, Argentina's greatest talent in a generation, in any generation, to the almost mystical symbol of FC Barcelona's greatest nights. A manita, a goal for every finger: the 5-0 against Real Madrid with Johan Cruyff the player in 1974; the 5-0 against Madrid with Johan Cruyff the manager of the Dream Team in 1994; the 5-0 with Leo Messi leading the Team That's Better Than The Dream Team in 2010.
On Wednesday in the 7-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen, Messi invoked them both with a Little Hand of his own – each digit worthy of El Diego. The parallel was unavoidable on both sides of Spain's great footballing divide and beyond. "The little hand of God," declared the cover of Marca, while El Mundo Deportivo removed the diminutive to shout simply: "The Hand of God." Messi has made the extraordinary so routine that his brilliance often goes overlooked. But just when you think he can no longer surprise you, he does.
"This was," said Santi Giménez in the sports newspaper AS, "like Chamberlain getting 100 points in a game, Ali knocking out Liston, Beamon flying in Mexico." Messi did not beat anyone else; he beat himself, he broke the limits. Again. He found something he hadn't yet done and did it: there have been two fours and 14 hat-tricks but this was the first time he had scored five in a match.
It was the first time that anyone had in the Champions League and it left Messi on 12 goals in this year's competition – seven ahead of his nearest rival. If he finishes as top scorer it will be the fourth consecutive season. His fifth goal on Wednesday night was his 47th of the season and he is on 49 European goals, as many as Alfredo di Stéfano. He is just seven away from César, FC Barcelona's highest ever scorer. And here's the real killer stat: he is only 24.
Besides, these were not just five goals, they were five wonderful goals; goals that prompted Wayne Rooney to describe him as the "best player ever" and Radamel Falcao to ask: "Sorry, was that a Champions League game or Messi playing on the PlayStation?" He has scored every kind of goal imaginable: earlier this season he even nodded one over the goalkeeper having first controlled the ball with his head, like some kind of performing seal. And it is not just the goals, it is that he can do everything. "Show me a player as complete as him," Pep Guardiola once said. You can't.
On Wednesday night, the Bayer Leverkusen coach, Robin Dutt, said: "whoever plays football knows that there are no words for Messi. He is a category all of his own: the best player in the world, another galaxy."
"One day I will be able to say I coached Messi," smiled Guardiola. There is not much you can add; the superlatives ran out years ago. Swearing worked for a while. No more. How do you come up with something that has not been said before? A new language? A symbol?
Only one symbol resists him: the Hand of God. And that one may not for much longer. The day that Maradona turned up at Barcelona he walked into the dressing room and saw that the socks had been left rolled into a ball; three hundred kick-ups later his new team-mates' jaws were on the floor; Messi's first day in the dressing room was marked by nerves.
On the pitch, though, the comparisons are inevitable and Messi is starting to win the battle. One of those 228 goals was a carbon copy of Maradona's second against England; there is a handball too. And trophy after trophy. More trophies than Maradona won. There is no World Cup yet, sure, but there was no World Cup at this stage of Maradona's career either – he was 26 when Argentina won it – and, uncomfortable though it may feel, it could be argued that the pinnacle of world football is the Champions League now. It is a pinnacle Messi climbs over and over.
"You could have put Maradona in with Cameroon, Spain or Nigeria and he would have won the 1986 World Cup," says Maradona's Barcelona team-mate Marcos Alonso, hinting at two things that evade Messi – the World Cup and the ability to carry a team alone. But, Alonso adds: "Diego did things I had never seen anybody do. Now you see things from Messi that are very, very Maradona." The coach of that Argentina team in '86, Carlos Bilardo, says: "Messi defies the laws of anatomy, he must have an extra bone in his ankle."
"Messi is better than Maradona and Pelé," says the Argentinian coach, Carlos Bianchi. "Every week he shows that he is capable of things that no one had done until now." Pablo Aimar, one of that long line of "New Maradonas" that could not compete with the old one until Messi turned up and could, says: "for years I thought that there would never be a player like Maradona. But now Messi is at his level." Even in Brazil, Messi has supporters. "Messi is better than Maradona; he is more complete, more consistent, more spectacular," says Tostão. "He is reinventing the game – a mix of the real and the virtual."
Whatever they say they will not do Messi justice. "Don't write about him, don't try to describe him," Guardiola once said. "Watch him." It is good advice.
 

[h=1] [/h]
[h=2]Europa League[/h] [h=1]Fernando Llorente exposes Manchester United's frailties in defence[/h] Rio Ferdinand rested by Sir Alex Ferguson but inexperience proves costly despite the heroics of David de Gea




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David de Gea pulls off a save during Manchester United's defeat to Athletic Bilbao in the Europa League last 16 first leg. Photograph: Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty Images

David de Gea has appeared in a permanent state of anguish during his debut season in the Manchester United goal. That tortured look returned against Athletic Bilbao but it is no longer his own struggles, rather those in front of him, that caused his despair at Old Trafford. The 21-year-old was outstanding against Marcelo Bielsa's side. Unfortunately for de Gea, Bilbao were even better.
The Spaniard stood tall against the outstanding Basques, displaying the athleticism and agility that resulted in the United supporters' player of the month award for February following his impressive response to being dropped after the FA Cup defeat at Liverpool. It was needed on a night when the strength and intelligence of Fernando Llorente, indeed all those who swarmed into every Bilbao attack, capitalised on another weak defensive display from United in Europe.
A second successive defeat in the Europa League maintained United's poor home form in European competition this season but there was ample consolation for Sir Alex Ferguson. It should have been much worse and his team should have little chance of preserving their place next week. De Gea produced a series of impressive stops to prevent Iker Muniain, Llorente and the substitute Gaizka Toquero recording a more emphatic victory but had every justification for the constant criticism he gave to those around him. Bilbao's third, when Phil Jones and Jonny Evans leapt for the same ball, the goalkeeper saved well from Oscar de Marcos and a dawdling Rafael da Silva allowed Muniain to close a 20-yard gap to convert the rebound justified his disgust.
Lessons had been learned from the Ajax home defeat, or so Ferguson had claimed, and there would be no repeat of the risky selection strategy he took against Frank de Boer's team at Old Trafford. "I accepted the blame because I selected too many young players in defence," he said. It was not, though, a United defence blessed with experience that started against a confident, expansive Bilbao team.
Between them, the United back line boasted a total of 137 European appearances before kick-off – although 82 belonged to the captain, Patrice Evra, who was frequently caught out by the metronomic passing of Ander Iturraspe and the adventure of Markel Susaeta and full-back Andoni Iraola down the right. He, and United, were powerless to prevent the constant supply from the Basques' productive flank.
For all Ferguson's talk of wise heads being required, he elected to leave Rio Ferdinand on the bench and recall Chris Smalling at the heart of defence alongside Evans, whose form has blossomed this season and in particular when handed a consistent run alongside the former England captain. Ferdinand's absence may have been understandable given his injury record and the demands of the Premier League, but it proved costly. There was no leadership or composure on display at the back.
Smalling, in particular, received an intensive education from the powerful Spain international Llorente and their individual duel proved as captivating as the overall contest. A week on from his horrible aerial collision with Klaas-Jan Huntelaar in England's defeat to Holland at Wembley, Smalling was to endure another painful night. And that was before another head injury, with blood pouring from under his bandages, forced his withdrawal in the 55th minute.
The 21-year-old was fortunate to avoid conceding a penalty when he pulled Llorente's shirt inside the area yet received a foul from the German referee, Florian Meyer. There was an inevitability about Llorente's headed equaliser, a slice of fortune for Bilbao with their second goal scored from an offside position and an element of farce about the free-kick award that led to their third, after Evra was penalised for kicking the ball having lost his boot. But not even Ferguson could offer much complaint.
Defensive frailty has cost United in two European competitions this season and they will suffer two early exits without a dramatic improvement in Bilbao next week. The United manager admitted he is already toying with the idea of saving Ferdinand against West Bromwich Albion on Sunday in order to field him in the second leg. It has been a steep learning curve in Europe without him this season.
 




Europa League

Fernando Llorente exposes Manchester United's frailties in defence

Rio Ferdinand rested by Sir Alex Ferguson but inexperience proves costly despite the heroics of David de Gea




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David de Gea pulls off a save during Manchester United's defeat to Athletic Bilbao in the Europa League last 16 first leg. Photograph: Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty Images

David de Gea has appeared in a permanent state of anguish during his debut season in the Manchester United goal. That tortured look returned against Athletic Bilbao but it is no longer his own struggles, rather those in front of him, that caused his despair at Old Trafford. The 21-year-old was outstanding against Marcelo Bielsa's side. Unfortunately for de Gea, Bilbao were even better.
The Spaniard stood tall against the outstanding Basques, displaying the athleticism and agility that resulted in the United supporters' player of the month award for February following his impressive response to being dropped after the FA Cup defeat at Liverpool. It was needed on a night when the strength and intelligence of Fernando Llorente, indeed all those who swarmed into every Bilbao attack, capitalised on another weak defensive display from United in Europe.
A second successive defeat in the Europa League maintained United's poor home form in European competition this season but there was ample consolation for Sir Alex Ferguson. It should have been much worse and his team should have little chance of preserving their place next week. De Gea produced a series of impressive stops to prevent Iker Muniain, Llorente and the substitute Gaizka Toquero recording a more emphatic victory but had every justification for the constant criticism he gave to those around him. Bilbao's third, when Phil Jones and Jonny Evans leapt for the same ball, the goalkeeper saved well from Oscar de Marcos and a dawdling Rafael da Silva allowed Muniain to close a 20-yard gap to convert the rebound justified his disgust.
Lessons had been learned from the Ajax home defeat, or so Ferguson had claimed, and there would be no repeat of the risky selection strategy he took against Frank de Boer's team at Old Trafford. "I accepted the blame because I selected too many young players in defence," he said. It was not, though, a United defence blessed with experience that started against a confident, expansive Bilbao team.
Between them, the United back line boasted a total of 137 European appearances before kick-off – although 82 belonged to the captain, Patrice Evra, who was frequently caught out by the metronomic passing of Ander Iturraspe and the adventure of Markel Susaeta and full-back Andoni Iraola down the right. He, and United, were powerless to prevent the constant supply from the Basques' productive flank.
For all Ferguson's talk of wise heads being required, he elected to leave Rio Ferdinand on the bench and recall Chris Smalling at the heart of defence alongside Evans, whose form has blossomed this season and in particular when handed a consistent run alongside the former England captain. Ferdinand's absence may have been understandable given his injury record and the demands of the Premier League, but it proved costly. There was no leadership or composure on display at the back.
Smalling, in particular, received an intensive education from the powerful Spain international Llorente and their individual duel proved as captivating as the overall contest. A week on from his horrible aerial collision with Klaas-Jan Huntelaar in England's defeat to Holland at Wembley, Smalling was to endure another painful night. And that was before another head injury, with blood pouring from under his bandages, forced his withdrawal in the 55th minute.
The 21-year-old was fortunate to avoid conceding a penalty when he pulled Llorente's shirt inside the area yet received a foul from the German referee, Florian Meyer. There was an inevitability about Llorente's headed equaliser, a slice of fortune for Bilbao with their second goal scored from an offside position and an element of farce about the free-kick award that led to their third, after Evra was penalised for kicking the ball having lost his boot. But not even Ferguson could offer much complaint.
Defensive frailty has cost United in two European competitions this season and they will suffer two early exits without a dramatic improvement in Bilbao next week. The United manager admitted he is already toying with the idea of saving Ferdinand against West Bromwich Albion on Sunday in order to field him in the second leg. It has been a steep learning curve in Europe without him this season.
 
[h=1]John Terry admits Chelsea players' blame for André Villas-Boas's exit[/h] • 'We have all made mistakes together,' Terry says
• Captain hopes to return for Stoke and Napoli games




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John Terry, right, chats to Chelsea's new caretaker coach, Eddie Newton, during training. Photograph: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images

John Terry has admitted Chelsea's players are culpable for the team's toils this season and need to "hold their hands up" over André Villas-Boas's sacking as the club's manager only eight months into a three-year contract.
The captain is in contention to feature in Saturday's visit of Stoke City having returned a month ahead of schedule from exploratory surgery on his knee, and was an unused substitute as the interim first-team coach, Roberto Di Matteo, oversaw Tuesday's FA Cup fifth-round replay victory at Birmingham City.
While some senior players had become disgruntled under Villas-Boas, Terry was broadly supportive of the manager, who had consistently backed the defender after he was charged with a racially aggravated public order offence following an altercation with Anton Ferdinand at QPR in October.
A sequence of three wins in 12 Premier League matches, culminating in last Saturday's 1-0 defeat at West Bromwich Albion, has seen Chelsea drop out of the top four and prompted Roman Abramovich, much to his own frustration, to sack Villas-Boas in person during a visit to the training ground on Sunday. "It's sad for André because, unfortunately, it falls on his head when I think the players will hold their hands up and say clearly: 'We've not been good enough and we have all made mistakes together,'" Terry said.
"We came to Birmingham and dug deep for him, and for Robbie [Di Matteo] taking charge and for Eddie [Newton] coming in as well [on to the coaching staff]. It's nice to have familiar faces around who know the club. We have done enough talking among ourselves for the last three or four months, and Robbie came in and said those exact same things as well, we have to show commitment for the shirt. He has played here, the same as Eddie, and we have to fight for the shirt and that has been the message to the lads for this game."
Di Matteo is expected to take charge of the first team until the end of the season, when a long-term successor for Villas-Boas will be appointed. Chelsea's hierarchy is deliberating over potential candidates.
Rafael Benítez is unlikely to be considered, particularly given the negative reaction by the club's supporters at St Andrew's to the Spaniard's interest in the position, though José Mourinho and Pep Guardiola – potentially optimistic targets – will be sounded out. The need to qualify for the Champions League next season remains paramount and has been prioritised within the club, not least by Di Matteo in terms of team selection.
Terry will hope to prove his fitness against Stoke before next week's second leg of the Champions League last-16 tie against Napoli, which Chelsea trail 3-1 from the first game at the Stadio San Paolo. The captain has not played since the fourth-round FA Cup victory at QPR in late January. "Once I had the operation, I was literally jogging about after two days, which was incredible," he added. "I said to the physios, the way things were here, I just wanted to push myself and be involved and try to get back as quickly as possible.
"I've done that, worked really hard in the gym, been on triple sessions going back late in the evening on my own as well – which has been tough. The target for myself was always to get back and hopefully be back for the Stoke game, so this is a massive boost for me."
 
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