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[h=1]We could have won but didn't deserve to says Ferguson[/h] Published 23:37 08/03/12 By David Maddock


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Defiant Sir Alex Ferguson has insisted his Manchester United side can still reach the Europa League quarter-finals... but only if he gambles with their domestic title hopes.
Man United 2-3 Athletic Bilbao: Bra-vo! Brilliant Basques claim deserved win
Tweet my Goal! The best gags from Manchester's night of Europa League misery
The Old Trafford boss accepts he will have to take a massive risk and field a weakened side in Sunday's Premier League game against West Brom, if the Reds are to make a fist of the return leg in Bilbao.

On a bizarre evening that saw United grasp a lifeline with virtually the last kick of the game through Wayne Rooney's penalty after being outplayed by Athletic, the home side were undone by two poor refereeing mistakes - and their own weakness at the back.

Most notably, the Spaniards' third goal - which gives them a precious 3-2 'half-time' lead - came amid huge controversy.

United full-back Patrice Evra was mistakenly penalised by the referee for kicking the ball after one of his boots came off.

Play should have been restarted with a drop ball, but instead Bilbao got a free-kick, which they pumped forward to start the move that ended with Iker Muniain scoring... but only after some truly woeful defending by Rafael allowed the Bilbao man to make up yards and yards of space and beat him to the ball.

Afterwards, Ferguson insisted the goal shouldn't have stood - nor the second, obviously offside, Bilbao goal either for that matter - but did admit he may be forced to gamble to win through.

"They were the better team and our defending wasn't very good, which kept us on the back foot all the time.
"The second goal was offside and then there was the third, so we could have won the game - not deservedly, but we could have won.
"It's an uphill thing for us obviously, but the question is can we win the match - and we really can win the match
"Our attacking was very good and that showed we can win the second leg - there is no doubt about that, though we will have to defend a lot better
"But managing the games together on Thursday is more difficult than the Champions League. I think that maybe I will gamble a couple on Sunday for Thursday's game.
On the controversial third goal, Ferguson said German referee Florian Meyer simply got it wrong.
The official was entitled to stop the game to allow Evra to put his boot on, but should have restarted with a drop ball.
Meyer seemed to indicate to the Spanish side to kick the ball back to United, but did nothing as they took the chance to attack.
Fergie added: "The referee said you can't play without a boot but the real rule is you can but you have to go off the field, so it seems a bit bizarre.
"It was unfortunate for us, but Bilbao were the better team. Our keeper has made four or five terrific saves in the game, so it is really not the worst result for us."
Even Bilbao coach Marcelo Bielsa admitted his side shouldn't have taken the free-kick but given the ball back to United, though he argued:
"Both parties are innocent, if you like. I don't know if there is a rule saying you can't play without a boot, and certainly Evra wasn't aware of that. But at the same time, we weren't seeking to gain any advantage.
"It was an honest mistake. If something unjust has happened, then you see the surprise and anger from the opposition, and they didn't do that. It was one of those things that was unfortunate."
The strange night was topped off by a bizarre admission from Ferguson, who explained afterwards he has been warned by the Premier League NOT to discuss any contenders for the England manager's job.
At the request of Spurs, the league has written to every manager asking them not to discuss any manager already under contract to a member club in relation to the vacancy.
The United boss said: "I got a letter from the Premier League telling me not to discuss the England manager, do you know that? You can't believe that can you?
"It's unbelievable. I'm not supposed to discuss the England manager's job.
"Maybe I'm not in the running then!"
 
[h=1]Dalglish determined to hang onto Suarez[/h] Published 22:31 08/03/12 By David Maddock


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Kenny Dalglish has told Paris Saint-Germain he won't take their phone call about Luis Suarez - even if they reverse the charges to Anfield.
That was the Liverpool manager's typically caustic - if illogical - way of telling the moneybags French club they've no chance of landing his controversial striker in the summer.
The Paris club are flush with cash from Qatari investors and are ready to spend big in the summer to tempt the world's leading players to join their project.
In interviews recently, PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has made clear his desire to try to tempt Suarez to Paris, an ambition that has incensed Dalglish.

Despite strong suggestions the player could be allowed to leave following the fall-out from his racism row with Patrice Evra, Dalglish has insisted he won't pick up the phone should the Sheikh call.
"It wouldn't make any difference," he said. "Nobody has spoken to us, but it wouldn't make any difference. If they reversed the charges, the call would not get taken. It's the usual story."
Al-Khelaifi has insisted he wants three strikers - with Carlos Tevez and Gonzalo Higuain also on the radar - but Dalglish rubbished the French side when he added: "He said, ‘They are all attractive.'
"He never said that it was Luis Suarez, and I'm sure there is more than one Suarez who plays football!"
Suarez faces an uncertain future in English football after being found guilty of racially abusing Evra, then refusing to shake the Manchester United defender's hand when the two sides met last month.
Liverpool have tried to put the controversial affair behind them, but their right-back Glen Johnson reopened the wounds this week by claiming Evra instigated the whole "non-handshake" row - weeks after his club apologised for it.
It has left Anfield officials embarrassed, as they made clear Suarez was to blame for the refusal to shake hands and MD Ian Ayre condemned the striker for letting the club down.
Dalglish refused to comment, adding simply: "I'm not going to talk about that."
But Liverpool have stressed that Johnson was speaking purely from a personal viewpoint after being the subject of some harsh criticism from the black community for supporting Suarez.
While there are no plans to censure the defender, it has been made clear Liverpool's position has not changed, after apologising to United for Suarez's behaviour at Old Trafford.
Johnson is back for Saturday's trip to Sunderland, after missing last week's defeat by Arsenal with injury.
Skipper Steven Gerrard could also feature at the Stadium of Light, though he was still receiving treatment on Thursday on the hamstring injury picked up while playing for England.
Dalglish explained: "Steven has trained. He and Glen are training again today and we will see how they go first - but they should be alright."

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[h=1]Transfer news, rumours and gossip from Friday's papers[/h] Published 08:47 09/03/12 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
Dalglish determined to hang onto Suarez
Arsenal agree fee for Podolski (report) - with video

Milan plot swoop for Tevez and Mascherano (report)
Everton join chase for Rangers refugee Wylde
Dempsey in talks over new Fulham deal
Leicester plan £1million striker swoop
Swansea told to cough up for Sigurdsson
Stories from other papers and websites
Liverpool are the latest club to show an interest in Brazil defender Dede . Manchester United are also keen on the 23-year-old Vasco da Gama prospect. (Daily Mail)
Lukas Podolski turned down a £40million offer from Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala in favour of joining Arsenal this summer. (Daily Express)
Manchester City have agreed a deal for Anderlecht defender Mathias Bossaerts, 15. (Daily Mail)
Juventus are ready to rile Manchester United again - by making a move for FC Basel star Granit Xhaha. The Serie A giants are almost certainly signing Paul Pogba at the end of the season, in a move that has infuriated Sir Alex Ferguson. (talkSPORT)
Aston Villa are interested in Fortuna Dusseldorf defender Assani Lukimya-Mulongoti, 26. He spent time with Hertha Berlin and he has three international caps with Congo. (Daily Mail)
Barnsley have taken 20-year-old West Ham striker Frank Nouble on loan. (Daily Star)
Everton are hoping to bring former Tottenham and Barnsely midfielder Emil Hallfredsson back to England - but face a battle for his signature with Serie A side Palermo. (talkSPORT)
Blackburn Rovers boss Steve Kean is preparing to swoop for former Netherlands international Boudewijn Zenden. The Ewood Park outfit are prepared to offer the 35-year-old a short-term deal lasting until the end of the season in order to bolster the midfield. (Lancashire Telegraph)
 
[h=2]Interview[/h] [h=1]Cesc Fábregas: 'Wenger will bring Arsenal back to where they belong'[/h] The midfielder is happy to be home in Barcelona but the Gunners are often in his thoughts




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Cesc Fábregas, enjoying life in Barcelona. Photograph: Puma

A small office at the back of a warehouse, tucked away down a side-street on the southern fringes of Barcelona, is not really an appropriate setting for a romantic story about football. Yet, on an otherwise anonymous evening in his rediscovered home city, Cesc Fábregas sounds smitten. He leans forward on a plastic chair and tries to capture the surprise and wonder he feels even when training for the club he loves.
"At the training ground it's unbelievable," Fábregas says, his voice tinged with awe. "This is the best group of footballers I've ever seen in my life. If you saw every training session we do you wouldn't believe it. The quality is incredible. I've never seen or experienced anything like that. Everyone is so humble and the atmosphere is the best I've ever seen."
The reverence of the former Arsenal icon is now deepened by an understanding of the graft and ambition bolted on to the usual romantic images of Barça. There are moments when he echoes the beguiling "tap, tap, tap" he hears as the ball is tattooed in mesmeric patterns of tiki-taka from one small man to another, from Messi to Xavi to Iniesta to Fábregas himself. But it's more interesting to hear him describe their unquenched desire – which was again apparent this week when, with Lionel Messi scoring five goals, Barcelona beat Bayer Leverkusen 7-1 in the Champions League.
"That's what shocks me the most," he says. "This team has won maybe 15 competitions out of 18 the last four seasons and they are still hungry for more. They want to do well and each of these players is worried when they don't play well. That hunger will help this team go on for a long time."
On Sunday, Barça are away to Racing Santander and Fábregas is speaking at an event for Puma, whose new Powercat 12 boot he will wear for the first time. Amid the corporate cheeriness, it is far more significant that Barcelona trail Real Madrid by 10 points in La Liga. The traditional celebratory eulogies for Barça need to be tempered by that stark statistic after 25 league games. It is a chasm that is unlikely to be closed.
Fábregas's personal conviction is bolstered by Barcelona's compelling yet spiky encounters with Real this season. "It's a new experience for me," he says of playing in El Clásico, "and it's quite strange that we've met Real three times already. We came out of them really well and I enjoyed it a lot. I think I played OK but hopefully in the next one [in April] I can do it even more."
Barcelona have beaten Real twice at the Bernabéu this season – winning a first-leg Copa del Rey fixture and in La Liga. They were cruising at 2-0 in the return cup tie at home, relishing a 4-1 advantage, and their fans at the Camp Nou taunted José Mourinho – who has only managed Real Madrid to one victory in 10 games against Barcelona. "Mourinho, stay!" the Barça fans chanted while flaunting a bogus advert: "Wanted: a worthy rival for a decent Clásico." Real struck back with two second-half goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.
But two wins and a draw against Real make Barça's 10-point deficit so unexpected. Fábregas, however, can be excused for delighting in his own role at the Bernabéu last December when he scored the final goal in a decisive 3-1 league victory. "It's definitely a special moment when you score at the Bernabéu. And it was especially good for me because my family and friends were there. After the game, we went straight to Japan to play the Club World Cup. It was a great night."
In the final against Santos, Barcelona dazzled with the speed and precision of their passing. "It's impossible to stop Barcelona," the Brazilian teenage sensation Neymar lamented after Santos lost 4-0. "They are the best team in the world with fantastic players."
Fábregas was the best player at Arsenal. It has taken him time, he stresses, to adjust to a new kind of disciplined position. "Barcelona have a very specific system and you have to stick to it. Everything is very studied. For my first games there was an adjustment because I was used to my role at Arsenal, where I could move wherever I felt I could make the best contribution.
"Here, it's completely different. Everyone has their own place and it's important you stick to your position. It took a while to remember stuff I'd learnt as a kid at Barcelona. But the memory is coming back and I'm improving game by game."
He endured repeated injuries throughout his last few seasons with Arsenal. The contrast at Barcelona is noticeable. "Physically I'm very strong and very fit. I feel the best I've been for three years. I don't think there's a specific reason because, here, we play so many games. It's more that my body was changing from a boy to a man much later than the others. Now, I'm feeling very good."
How would he compare training at Arsenal and Barcelona? "We train more, here, definitely. It was different at Arsenal. Sometimes after games we'd stay inside the gym but here we're always outside, with the ball, practising, working tactically. Even if we play almost every three days we hardly have a day off. We train a lot – nearly every day."
Fábregas's desire not to offend Arsenal is palpable. Barcelona might once have been infuriated that, after playing with Messi and Gerard Piqué at their academy, Fábregas was enticed to Arsenal at 16. Yet the debt he owes to Arsène Wenger and Arsenal is such that there is no pretence when Fábregas's face clouds during discussion of their turbulent season.
"It has been painful," he says, speaking before the outrageous comeback Arsenal staged against Milan at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night, when they almost overturned a 4-0 deficit in the Champions League. "It's been painful because I want them to do well as a club, and they're my friends and then there is the boss, who I admire so much and who I'm so grateful to. I don't want to see them losing or being sad or having bad moments. Hopefully they will finish the league well."
Did he see the season's nadir – that humiliating first leg in Milan? "I watch virtually every Arsenal game – unless we play at the same time. I've watched 90% of their games this season."
I ask the question more clearly. Has he ever seen Arsenal look as embarrassingly lost as they did against Milan? After a long pause Fábregas says: "Obviously it's not the same Milan side we played four years ago. They have much better players now. I think more credit must be given to the fact Milan played very well. It was not just that Arsenal played not so well. Milan had maybe four shots and scored four and that's too big a punishment in my opinion. Things would also have changed if, at 3-0, Robin [van Persie] scored – but it was a great save. If it was suddenly 3-1 then it's all to play for. But, with football, you never know. Anything is possible."
Fábregas's words now sound almost prophetic, considering how close Arsenal came to producing a miracle. Has he spoken to Wenger recently? "I went to the training ground a few months ago. I spoke to the boss then. I spoke to everybody and they're happy for me."
Yet Fábregas, who knows Wenger so well, must wince when seeing how much his mentor has suffered? "Whatever he suffered I suffered it as well. We feel the same and we always try our best. The boss is very strong and he believes in the club so much I am sure he will find a means to bring Arsenal back to where it belongs. I have no doubt because he's a great man. He knows when he is wrong and when he is right. He will find a way – for sure."
Fábregas looks uncomfortable when asked if Van Persie will leave if Arsenal fail to qualify for next season's Champions League. "I don't know," Fábregas says. "I don't like to talk about another person in this way because it happened to me when I was there. It was not easy."
He is happier celebrating the emotive if temporary return to Arsenal of Thierry Henry and his three goals. "I saw them all – even the Sunderland game [where Henry scored an injury-time winner in his final Premier League game]. We were playing at the same time but I saw it on replay. I saw the Leeds game live and his goal against Blackburn. Thierry will always be the best player Arsenal ever had."
After the last few seasons of speculation Fábregas must be relieved to have settled back home in Barcelona. "I don't really look it that way," he says. "I learned a lot. I still feel very proud and happy with what I achieved at Arsenal. Now, of course, it's a different story. I'm living another life and playing another kind of football. I'm very happy now."
Has he been surprised by the failure of English clubs in the Champions League? "Not really. The Champions League is always very competitive and you don't have to be the best team to win it.
"But if Chelsea don't go through [against Napoli next Wednesday] it's obviously surprising not to have any English team in the quarter-finals. In my years in England there were sometimes three English teams in the semi-finals. But clubs from Germany and Italy and Spain are improving.
"In Spain, it's tactically much stronger than the Premier League. But in England there is this passion. You are always trying to attack because the fans don't want you to keep possession for long. They want you to go forward – so that makes it interesting because you create lots of opportunities. A very different kind of football is played in Spain and England.
Each has their good points, and their not-so-good points."
Fábregas's evocative return to Barcelona is epitomised by him wearing the No4 shirt that once belonged to Pep Guardiola, his boyhood idol, who now manages the club. Yet, even here, romance gives way. Guardiola's future at Barcelona remains uncertain; but he is far from a quiet observer in training.
"He talks a lot. He's very demanding. He doesn't relax one bit. He pushes to the limit and if someone doesn't press 100% then Pep will tell him. He's always putting pressure on us to keep winning. No one can afford to relax. And, again, I am so surprised because normally when you win so much you take it a bit easier. But Pep wants to take the best out of us."
Does Messi, who made scoring a record five goals in a Champions League game look routine, still surprise him, even though Fábregas recognised his genius when they were young boys?
"Having him next to you is much, much better than having him against you," Fábregas says simply. "Messi is obviously very special. You can always learn from the best – and he is definitely the best. I'm always looking forward to playing next to him. But then I'm always looking forward to playing next to Iniesta, Xavi, Puyol, Busquets and Alves.
"All these players are magnificent footballers and working alongside them is improving my game all the time. That's why I'm enjoying it so much. I'm learning so much every day at Barcelona."
 
[h=1]It's Mourinho's problem if he doesn't believe in me, says Mario Balotelli[/h] • 'He's a great manager but he didn't understand me'
• City striker urges fans to welcome back Carlos Tevez




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Italian striker Mario Balotelli said his club Manchester City 'deserve to win' the Premier League if they maintain their game. Photograph: Scott Heavey/Getty Images

Mario Balotelli has told José Mourinho it is the Portuguese manager's problem if he does not believe in him.
Balotelli played under Mourinho at Internazionale from 2008 to 2010 and the former Chelsea coach warned Manchester City against signing the Italian two years ago. Asked why Mourinho does not believe in him Balotelli said: "That's his problem. They say he wants to come here [to be the manager]? But me, with Mourinho? He's a great manager but he didn't understand me so he said that nobody can understand me. But I think the only one that cannot understand me is him, so it's his problem."
City lead Manchester United by two points and the 21-year-old believes Roberto Mancini's side should win the title as the reward for playing the better football. In an interview with the Oasis songwriter and City fan Noel Gallagher, to be shown on Football Focus on Saturday, Balotelli says: "If you ask me if we deserve to win, if we keep playing like that then yes we deserve it. It's unlucky to say before that we will."
Balotelli also believes that there is no problem with Carlos Tevez playing again for City following his falling out with Mancini for refusing to warm-up in a Champions League game at Bayern Munich in September. "He looks happy. I don't know [what happened] when he didn't play, I don't know, I wasn't there so I don't really know what happened but I think everyone can do a mistake," the forward said. "Carlos is part of the team so everyone wants to have fun with him, he's part of the team so everybody loves him. That's why he's happy.
"Because like me, if I'm happy in Manchester now, it's for the team for my team-mates how they are with me and for supporters, that's the good of this club."
Balotelli urged fans to welcome the Argentinian back. "Supporters have to be like they were before," he said. "They shouldn't care [about what happened] because Carlos can hear and if they do or if they make pressure on Carlos they make pressure to all the team so they shouldn't do nothing."
On the eve of the derby with United in October, which City won 6-1 and in which Balotelli scored twice, his colourful personal had been illustrated when the fire brigade were called to his house due to an accident with fireworks. "It started like a joke," he said. "I was bored, I was with my friends, and one of them was limping so I got one bin, a metal one, to put fireworks inside. So I left the room and I left the fireworks but I didn't light them. I walked out and then my friends go in the room and they just start screaming: 'Blah blah blah'. And the fireworks were going off and they put the fireworks on the bed, not on the bed, sorry on the toilet. But just the curtain caught on fire. That's it, nothing else. The firemen [only] came for the curtain and the toilet. Just the toilet was lost."
After scoring against United in that derby Balotelli revealed a T-shirt with the legend: 'Why Always me?' Asked if he prepared this in anticipation of claiming a goal he said: "I thought I was going to score three. The T-shirt was just a message. It's not a question, that people do to me, it's a question that I do to them. It was to all the people that talk bad about me and say stuff not nice and they don't know me so [I was] asking: 'Why always me, like, why always me?'"
While Balotelli stated some of the urban myths about him were untrue, including those claiming he dressed up as Santa Claus, gave £1,000 to a tramp, and bought everyone in a pub in Wythenshawe a drink, he did confirm welcoming a magician back to his house. "I was in the Trafford Centre [in Manchester], so I say to him: 'Listen I invite you to my house so you can teach me.' And he say: 'OK.'
Balotelli added that Zlatan Ibrahimovic and the Brazilian Ronaldo were two of his favourite players but admitted he had not heard of City before joining. "No, nothing. I didn't know nothing. [But] if Mancini wasn't here I think I never come here."
Watch the whole interview on Football Focus at 12.15 on BBC1 and BBC1 HD
 

[h=2]Manchester United v West Bromwich Albion, Premier League, 2pm Sunday 11 March[/h] [h=1]Roy Hodgson was on a loser at Anfield, says Sir Alex Ferguson[/h] • 'Timing was bad' for Roy Hodgson while he was at Liverpool
• Hodgon leads out West Brom against Ferguson's side




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'Roy Hodgson couldn't win at Anfield,' says Sir Alex Ferguson. 'There's no question about that.' Photograph: Michael Regan/Getty Images

Sir Alex Ferguson believes Roy Hodgson "couldn't win at Anfield" after taking the manager's job in the summer of 2010 before being sacked only six months later. United play West Bromwich Albion, now led by Hodgson, on Sunday afternoon at Old Trafford. The Scot said of Hodgson's tenure at Liverpool before he was replaced by fans' favourite Kenny Dalglish: "Roy couldn't win at Anfield. There's no question about that. Sometimes the timing is bad for certain jobs and that was bad timing for him. But you cannot dispute his credibility, his ability and the career he has had."
With only 11 games remaining to the end of the season United trail Manchester City by two points and Ferguson urged his team to focus on the title. "The players know the challenge they face," he said. "They have a great opportunity after the result last week against Spurs [winning 3-1 at White Hart Lane]. It is an opportunity to kick on in the league and hopefully we'll manage to do that.
"West Bromwich are in a bit of good form just now. They've won their last three, scored five against Wolves and beat Chelsea last weekend. We respect that. Roy Hodgson always has his teams well organised and it will be the same on Sunday. We are at home and we expect to win our home games."
United lost 3-2 to Athletic Bilbao on Thursday evening in the home leg of their Europa League last-16 tie. "It was a very sapping game against Bilbao, a very good, end-to-end European game. We'll have Paul Scholes, Nani and Rio Ferdinand available and we'll need to make a few changes to get the freshness back in. We'll make one or two changes."
Ferdinand's inclusion rests on whether Chris Smalling can play after the head wound he suffered playing for England against Holland last week reopened during the Bilbao match. Ferguson said: "It depends on Chris Smalling. His stitches came open in the first half. We thought we'd patched them up at half-time but they came open again. It's a possibility. I will maybe gamble with a couple on Sunday for Thursday's game."
On United's dire home record in Europe this season in which they have won only once in five games he told MUTV: "I think there's been that slackness all season [with defending]. And, but for David De Gea, we could have lost by four or five goals [to Athletic]. He was absolutely superb.
"We've had a bad season in Europe, it has to be said. We've lost three goals against Basel, two against Benfica, two to Ajax and three tonight. That tells the story. Maybe it's just one of these years when we need to take stock in terms of assessing how we should approach games at home."
 

[h=1]Robin van Persie is not going to Manchester City, says Arsène Wenger[/h] • 'We will not lose anybody – we want to keep our players'
• Dutchman 'to stay' despite Lukas Podolski's expected arrival




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Robin van Persie will have 12 months left on his contract in the summer, leading to intense speculation about his future. Photograph: Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP

Arsène Wenger has said that Arsenal will "not lose anybody to Manchester City" as he continued to insist that Robin van Persie would stay put at the end of the season. The captain's future has been the subject of intense debate since he indicated last September that he did not wish to discuss a new contract at the Emirates Stadium until the summer, when he would have 12 months to run on his deal.
City have monitored the situation and, on Wednesday, Roberto Mancini confirmed that they would be among the clubs who would like to sign the Dutchman, who has scored 32 goals in 34 starts in all competitions for Arsenal this season.
Wenger has not taken kindly in the past to City commenting in public about his players and he was furious last summer when Mancini said he hoped to sign Samir Nasri, accusing City's Italian manager of disrespect. Nasri did complete his move from the Emirates to the Etihad, following the path already trodden by Emmanuel Adebayor, Kolo Touré and Gaël Clichy.
Wenger was not unhappy at Mancini this time, brushing off his remarks as mild, but his defiance was plain. Van Persie would remain an Arsenal player next season, come what may.
"We will not lose anybody to Manchester City, or to anybody else, because we want to keep our players," Wenger said. "We want to keep Robin van Persie, that is clear; we will do everything possible to extend his contract, that is clear and, apart from that, I can only let people talk.
"I don't mind [what Mancini said on Wednesday]. I read what Mancini said. It's not so bad. At our level, we are professional people. I believe if you are to have one quality, it is not to be unsettled because what is said of you by other clubs is part of the job. I would just like to specify that Robin is not at the end of his contract. He is under contract until 2013."
Wenger acknowledged that one option open to Arsenal would be to hold Van Persie to the final year of his contract, because the risk of losing him on a Bosman free transfer was countered by the benefit of having him for another season. Wenger made a similar declaration over Nasri last summer, only for the club to eventually sanction the midfielder's £24m sale. Arsenal might reason that the fee they would be able to command for Van Persie, who turns 29 in August and has a history of injuries, would be less.
"I was very adamant [over Nasri at the time] but at the end of the day, it was a difficult situation to manage," Wenger said. "We had the players and we felt after the pre-season tour that [Aaron] Ramsey and [Jack] Wilshere could work in midfield and we could add somebody more, and if a player didn't want to extend, where do we go from there … but we'll see. We do our best to keep our best players."
Wenger, whose team host Newcastle United on Monday night, said that the expected arrival of the Germany striker Lukas Podolski at the end of the season from Köln would have no bearing on Van Persie's future. "Our plan is to keep Van Persie, even if we buy any player," he said.
Wenger, who was interested in signing Podolski from Bayern Munich in 2008, said he hoped to be able to confirm the signing in "two or three weeks". "He can play for us because he can play central, right and left," Wenger added. "He has 96 caps for Germany [95 in fact] and is 26 years old, which is the best age."
 
[h=1]Harry Redknapp: I have not been offered a new contract by Tottenham[/h] • Reports say Spurs to offer new deal and £50m transfer budget
• 'At the moment he has not made me an offer of a contract'




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Harry Redknapp says he speaks with Daniel Levy every day but has yet to discuss a new contract. Photograph: Tony O'Brien/Action Images

Harry Redknapp has revealed that he has yet to open discussions with the Tottenham Hotspur chairman, Daniel Levy, over an extension to his contract at White Hart Lane.
Reports claimed that Levy was hoping to persuade Redknapp to resist any overtures from the Football Association regarding the vacant England manager's position and instead sign a new, improved contract at Tottenham. Redknapp, the reports claimed, would also be given £50m to spend on players this summer.
But the 65-year-old has denied that any discussions have taken place over a new deal. "That's not the case," he said, when asked whether he had been offered an improved contract.
"I speak to Daniel every day and he wants me to stay at the club, which is fantastic, but at the moment he has not made me an offer of a contract, no, and I haven't pushed for one either. We have not discussed how much money that is there to spend either. That has never come up in conversation at all."
Redknapp also said he is unaware of a letter that has supposedly been sent to all Premier League managers asking them not to tip him for the England job.
Sir Alex Ferguson revealed that he had received a letter asking him not to speak about the vacant position with the England national team. Ferguson is one of a number of top-flight managers who have backed the Redknapp to take over from Fabio Capello, but it appears the Premier League are not happy with others tipping him for the position given that he is tied to a contract at White Hart Lane.
Redknapp himself appeared unaware about the letter on Friday morning, telling a press conference: "I haven't received a letter, no. I haven't looked. Maybe there is one. I don't know whether there is a letter that has gone around to clubs. I don't know."
 

[h=1]Rangers redundancies on hold as highest earners accept 75% pay cut[/h] • Club's funding now guaranteed until end of season
• Other players will see payments drop by 50% and 25%




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Rangers' Steven Naismith arrives at Murray Park training ground in Glasgow on a day when players agreed to a substantial cut in wages. Photograph: Danny Lawson/PA

There will be no further redundancies at Rangers until the end of the season at least, with the club's funding also secure until then, after players agreed to significant pay cuts. The Rangers administrators, Duff and Phelps, confirmed the wage plan on Friday evening following a week of discussions.
Rangers' top earners will take a 75% drop in salaries until the summer, with those further down the pay scale accepting reductions of either 50% or 25%. Members of the management team have also taken cuts. "That really tells you the level of unity in the Rangers squad and it shows what the club means to all of them. Of course retaining the playing squad makes Rangers a better prospect for a buyer so that is another huge benefit."Meanwhile, it has emerged the football finance firm Ticketus has given its backing to the Blue Knights consortium led by Paul Murray which is the front-runner to take over Rangers. Ewan Murray
 
[h=1]United going backwards in Europe - G-Nev[/h] Published 22:00 09/03/12 By David Anderson


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Manchester United have gone backwards in Europe this season, admits Old Trafford legend Gary Neville.
But Neville also insists manager Alex Ferguson's youngsters will become better players if they learn the painful lessons of their disappointing campaigns in the Champions League and Europa League.
Neville admits failing to advance to the Champions League's knockout phase and now being on the brink of exiting the Europa League at the last-16 stage represent an "underachievement" after United's feat of reaching three of the last four European Cup Finals.
Fortress Old Trafford is no more - United have only managed to
beat Romanian minnows Otelul Galati in their five home games this season.

Thursday's shock home defeat to Athletic Bilbao was only the second time in United's proud European history that they have suffered back-to-back defeats.
Neville says they must make lemonade from the footballing lemons they have been handed.
"It's an underachievement when you get to three finals in four years, then don't get past the group stage, but these are great experiences for the young lads," said the former defender.
"The only way you learn in European football is by playing and getting to the point where you start to absorb lessons. The manager knows he's got talented young players who are going to be at United for a number of years.
"I think this year has almost been a step back to go forwards in Europe. There is a subtlety and attention to detail you need in Europe - inches matter.
"Whereas the Premier League can be a little more forgiving, in Europe opponents are more ruthless and more clinical in front of goal.
"The younger players in our squad will take a lot out of this season."
United's young defenders, such as Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Rafael, have made mistakes.
Neville says he had to endure the same setbacks in Europe when he was breaking into the side 17 years ago.
"I remember it when we were young lads," he said, ahead of United's Premier League home clash with West Brom on Sunday. "It's just something you have to go through.
"You get the fruits of your labour over time and these lads have huge talent."
Team news: Smalling doubtful for United, West Brom's Brunt back
Wayne Rooney: Let's banish Bilbao blues by beating the Baggies
Simon Bird's Premier League previews and predictions (Week 28)
 
[h=1]Kolo Toure: My experience can make City champions[/h] Published 22:00 09/03/12 By David Anderson


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Kolo Toure has vowed to put the worst 12 months of his life behind him by helping Manchester City to glory.
Toure's world fell apart a year ago when he failed a drugs test after using his wife's slimming aid and got banned for six months.
He lost his first-team place at City and, to cap it all, missed a penalty in the shoot-out as he and favourites Ivory Coast were beaten by Zambia in last month's Africa Cup of Nations final.
The central defender is determined to enjoy better times with his club and believes he can fill the gap left by the calf injury skipper Vincent Kompany suffered against Sporting Lisbon on Thursday.

"I'm here for that," said Toure. "We have a big squad and every time the manager needs a player to come in and give his best, we have to do it. I'll give 100 per cent, like I have always done.
"I'm more hungry than ever after the difficult time I had. I just want to play well for the team.
"I'm here to pass on my experience. That's why I'm here. The team needs experience as well as quality and now is the time for me to show."
Toure, 31, knows what it takes to win the Premier League, having been part of Arsenal's famous 'Invincibles' side, and feels his experience will be critical during the title run-in.
He does not need telling that Manchester United's players have title-winning know-how in their DNA, and says the City lads must draw on their successes with their national teams and previous clubs to counter that advantage.
"We have a few players who have won big trophies, like Yaya [Toure, his brother, who has won the Spanish title, European Cup and Club World Cup with Barcelona], like David Silva, who has won the World Cup," said the African. "We have a few players who have won trophies and we just need to transfer that into the City team.
"I think it's a good challenge and we will see if we can do it.
"It will be tough. We know United are difficult opponents because of all the experience and quality they have. To be honest, it's 50-50. We just need to be careful. It's going to be a great end to the season."
Toure insists City can also overturn their 1-0 first leg deficit against Sporting to keep their Europa League hopes alive.
He has told his team-mates, who will remain in Portugal until Saturday before flying to Wales to prepare for Sunday's match at Swansea, not to dwell on their poor performance.
And he is adamant they will play much better against Sporting at Eastlands on Thursday in the decisive second leg - when his brother will be available after suspension kept him out of the game in Lisbon.
"Of course we feel we can turn it around," he said. "When we play at home, we are a better team.
"We will have Yaya back, and we know Yaya's qualities. He's a great player. He helps the team play well.
"Technically, he's unbelievable. He can play up front, he can play at the back, he can play in the middle - everywhere. He's a great player and we are glad to have him in our team.
"Now we have a big game against Swansea. It's going to be like a final for us - every game we play until the end of the season is going to be massive for us.
"We will give our all against Swansea. We know it will be a difficult game, but with the quality and experience we have, we can do a good job there."
Noel Gallagher interviews Mario Balotelli on Tevez, Mourinho and the truth behind those wild rumours
Team news: Dyer suspended for Swans, Kompany missing for City
Simon Bird's Premier League previews and predictions (Week 28)
 
[h=1]Why Wolves farce shows all fans should be careful what they wish for[/h]
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By Ian Winwood
Published 12:11 24/02/12




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In the normal sense of the term, I stand opposed to the concept of supporting a ‘second team'. I don't have a Premier League favourite. I don't have an overseas favourite.
I do have a team that I would support if the team I do support went out of business, and that team would be Millwall. But given that the team I do support, Barnsley, aren't going anywhere, not even out of business, then the point is purely hypothetical.
So there you have it. I support Barnsley Football Club, and that's enough for me.
In fact, most weekends it's too much for me.

But as with all rules, there is an exception. And my exception is this: I always want teams managed by Mick McCarthy to win.
I should at this stage point out that when it comes to this I suffer from a massive emotional bias. As a child I used to go to Oakwell when Barnsley born McCarthy played in the team's defence.
My mind may be playing tricks on me, but I swear I remember one occasion when he tackled an opposing forward with such force that the player went ballooning over the roof of the Pontefract Road End, finally landing in Wakefield.
But you don't need to be a sentimental tyke to understand that in an age of interchangeable soundbites and player power, Mick McCarthy offers solid value for money.
There are least a dozen of his pearls of wisdom that could happily nestle alongside Noel Coward and Oscar Wilde in any dictionary of quotations.
My favourite comes from the time when he played for Celtic. In Glasgow a Rangers fan shouted at Mick that he was "a Fenian bastard." The defender said that he had to go home and look the word up in the dictionary – "Fenian, obviously."
And now, of course, Big Mick is out of a job.
Whether or not the earthy Barnsley boy would have kept Wolverhampton Wanderers in the top flight is a moot point. But what is as plain as the nose on Mick McCarthy's cheek is that 10 days on from his firing, the team who play in Old Gold are in as big a jam now as they were when they limped off the field following their harrowing 5-1 defeat at home to West Bromwich Albion.
It seems odd from the outside, but it might be that Wolves thought that finding a replacement manager would be easy.
How wrong that now seems.
Neil Warnock went to Leeds. Alan Curbishley was interviewed and then ruled himself out. Having been fired from Sunderland in much the same way that McCarthy was fired from Wolves, Steve Bruce appears not to have made the grade.
Then, after saying that the job was not one for a novice, the Molineux side made overtures to Reading's Brian McDermott, a novice at Premier League level.
Evem Walter Smith, a 63 year old who has known only success at Glasgow Rangers but who was fired 10 years ago by Everton, his only Premier League side, didn't fancy the gig.
This morning Wolves appointed Terry Connor for the remainder of the season. Mick McCarthy's former assistant, of course, and therefore a man who just two weeks ago was adjudged not be as good a manager as the man he's now replaceing.
There is no real moral to this story, other than the firing of a figurehead is never as simple a solution as angry fans and a panicked board invariably seem to think that this is.
Wolves may stay up, and they may go down; just the same as if Mick McCarthy were still at the club.
And fans of Chelsea and Arsenal should take note, and be careful what they wish for.
***
Read Ian Winwood exclusively on MirrorFootball every Friday
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[h=1]Why managerial merry-go-round has left me feeling sick... and rooting for Arsenal[/h]
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By Ian Winwood
Published 11:37 09/03/12




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This week I did something that I have very rarely, if ever, done before. I willed Arsenal to win.
I didn't will them to win because they play just two miles from where I live, and are thus my local team. On the contrary, the fact that I support an unglamorous northern Championship club means that the presence of the Gunners in my life has led to the worst case of footballing penis envy known to supporter-kind.
It's not done much for my blood pressure, either.
No, I wanted them to win for professional reasons: for the good of this column.

I wanted Arsenal to win so I could draw attention to just how quickly things in football can change.
When the Islington team were humiliated in the San Siro, and then dumped out of the FA Cup at the Stadium Of Light, it is entirely possible that Arsene Wenger was only one defeat away from real trouble. He may not have faced the sack, but he may well have lost favour with the majority of his club's supporters.
That this next match was against Tottenham burdened the fixture with even greater significance.
Had Arsenal beaten AC Milan, following their victories against Spurs and Liverpool, the pendulum would have swung from melodramatic despair to unrealistic euphoria. This is the way of football at the highest level – it's a double order of all, or extra helpings of nothing.
If Arsenal had progressed to the quarter finals of the Champions League – despite the team not being champions of anything for eight years – then the people who were loudly calling for Wenger to be hounded down to St Pancras Station and cattle-prodded onto the next Eurostar to Paris would probably have had cause to seriously regret their words.
Now don't get me wrong: Arsene Wenger may deserve the sack. He may not lead the team anywhere for however long he remains in his post.
But the culture of hysteria regarding managers is really beginning to grate. So much so that for the rest of the season I am wishing failure on every team who this season changed their manager in panic.
This means I want Arsenal to qualify for the Champions League.
It means that I want Chelsea to finish fifth. Especially fifth, so they have to dirty their hands in the particularly un-aristocratic Europa League.
I want Wolverhampton Wanderers to be relegated.
I want Wigan Athletic to survive.
I want Queens Park Rangers to be relegated.
I want Bolton Wanderers to survive - although I realise this one is about as likely as seeing the Prime Minister flogging DVDs at Cash Converters.
But most of all, I want Blackburn Rovers to escape the drop. I want the people who bayed for Steve Kean's blood, who hired a plane to fly over Ewood Park trailing a banner calling for his job, and who for months carried on as if the manager were in fact Colonel Gadaffi, to be proved wrong.
I want this so that next season when people are clogging the phone lines to radio football programmes after two defeats, calling for the head of the manager of the team they support, can be stopped dead by a few simple words.
Last season, everyone who wanted this was shown to be talking of their arses.
***
Read Ian Winwood exclusively on MirrorFootball every Friday
 
[h=1]Blackburn ready to pay Hoilett £2m-a-year[/h] Published 21:30 09/03/12 By Alan Nixon


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Blackburn want to hand Junior Hoilett a new £2million-a-year deal – plus a slice of the profits if they sell him.
Rovers are anxious to avoid losing the attacker, whose contract expires this summer, on a free.
Tottenham and Bayern Munich are both chasing him.
Blackburn's Indian owners plan to give the 21-year-old Canadian a large pay rise, plus a percentage of any eventual fee.

The new deal will include a fixed valuation*, and could net Hoilett a £1m pay-off one day.
 
[h=1]Transfer news, rumours and gossip from Friday's papers[/h] Published 08:47 09/03/12 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
Dalglish determined to hang onto Suarez
Arsenal agree fee for Podolski (report) - with video

Milan plot swoop for Tevez and Mascherano (report)
Everton join chase for Rangers refugee Wylde
Dempsey in talks over new Fulham deal
Leicester plan £1million striker swoop
Swansea told to cough up for Sigurdsson
Stories from other papers and websites
Liverpool are the latest club to show an interest in Brazil defender Dede . Manchester United are also keen on the 23-year-old Vasco da Gama prospect. (Daily Mail)
Lukas Podolski turned down a £40million offer from Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala in favour of joining Arsenal this summer. (Daily Express)
Manchester City have agreed a deal for Anderlecht defender Mathias Bossaerts, 15. (Daily Mail)
Juventus are ready to rile Manchester United again - by making a move for FC Basel star Granit Xhaha. The Serie A giants are almost certainly signing Paul Pogba at the end of the season, in a move that has infuriated Sir Alex Ferguson. (talkSPORT)
Aston Villa are interested in Fortuna Dusseldorf defender Assani Lukimya-Mulongoti, 26. He spent time with Hertha Berlin and he has three international caps with Congo. (Daily Mail)
Barnsley have taken 20-year-old West Ham striker Frank Nouble on loan. (Daily Star)
Everton are hoping to bring former Tottenham and Barnsely midfielder Emil Hallfredsson back to England - but face a battle for his signature with Serie A side Palermo. (talkSPORT)
Blackburn Rovers boss Steve Kean is preparing to swoop for former Netherlands international Boudewijn Zenden. The Ewood Park outfit are prepared to offer the 35-year-old a short-term deal lasting until the end of the season in order to bolster the midfield. (Lancashire Telegraph)
 
[h=1]Blackburn in talks with former Barca star[/h] Published 12:09 09/03/12 By MirrorFootball


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Steve Kean is hopeful of adding **** Zenden to his Blackburn squad for the end-of-season run-in after meeting with the former Holland international this week.
Thirty-five-year-old Zenden, who lists the likes of Barcelona, Chelsea and Liverpool amongst his old clubs, has been a free agent since leaving Sunderland last summer.
Family matters meant the midfielder did not pursue an immediate move but, now that he is back on the market, Kean is eager to add him to a group of players desperately trying to pull away from the relegation zone.
"We spoke with **** when he came in, he had a look at us and had a look about the training ground. We spoke at length and I think it was important for him to understand where we wanted him to play," Kean said.

"He has a wealth of experience and if you look at our side at the moment, if it's not the youngest then it's one of the youngest in the Barclays Premier League, and **** brings a lot of experience.
"We've lost experience with some of the lads that have left the club, and if we can get him in that will be great. But he has a lot of offers, we hope he will consider ours and if we can move it forward, that will be great."
Zenden, who won 54 caps for his country and a Primera Division title with Barcelona, has been linked with moves to a number of Championship clubs, with Doncaster and Leeds among those mentioned.
Kean, though, hopes that with his family settled, Zenden will now opt to continue his record of having never played outside the top flight.
"He just wants to make sure the family side of things is okay as his wife has had a baby, and that's all moved on," he added ahead of tomorrow's meeting with fellow relegation candidates Wolves.
"He's spent time with his new baby, he's ready to go, he's very fit, and from our point of view, he'd bring experience.
"He's only ever played at the top level, when he was at Marseille, Barcelona and so on.
"He's had plenty of offers to go a level down in this and other countries, but he wants to finish his career at the top end and that's important for him.
"We're confident we've made a good case for what we want to do, where he would fit in, play him and what the dynamic is. I'm sure he left much more positive that when he came and that was important from our point of view."
Transfer news, rumours and gossip from Friday's papers
 
[h=1]Leicester plan £1million striker swoop[/h] Published 22:29 08/03/12 By Football Spy


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Nigel Pearson is preparing a £1million bid for Fleetwood striker Jamie Vardy.
The Leicester boss will make a second attempt to sign Vardy in the summer after his £750,000 bid was rejected by the Cod Army.
Blue Square Premier leaders Fleetwood snubbed an offer from the Foxes in January but are braced for another approach.

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[h=2]From around the web[/h]
 
[h=1]Swansea told to cough up for Sigurdsson[/h] Published 22:30 08/03/12 By Football Spy


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Swansea will have to pay £6million to sign loan star Gylfi Sigurdsson on a permanent basis.
And even if boss Brendan Rodgers finds the money, he faces competition from European heavyweights Inter Milan and Juventus, plus Aston Villa and Spain's Malaga.
Sigurdsson's German club Hoffenheim have told Swansea officials they are in no mood to strike a cut-price deal for the Icelandic midfielder.
He has two years of his existing deal with the Bundesliga outfit still to run following a £6.5m switch from Reading, but is keen on a return to the Premier League.

Sigurdsson has been a smash hit since his move on loan, and Rogers is desperate to make the move a permanent one.
New Hoffenheim coach Markus Babbel has told Sigurdsson - who fell out with former boss Holger Stanislawski and was told he was no longer welcome at the club - will have a clean slate next season.
 
[h=1]Hotel refuses Blackpool's credit cards[/h] Published 21:31 09/03/12 By Alan Nixon


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Red-faced Blackpool had their credit cards refused by a top hotel when they checked in on Friday.
Ian Holloway's Seasiders have just revealed record £21million profits following their brief stay in the Premier League.
But there was still not enough money in TWO different accounts they tried to use for the booking.
Staff at the Marriott Hotel in Peterborough had to inform the players of the problem when they arrived – forcing a Blackpool official to dash across the country from Lancashire to clear up the trouble.

The Championship club's players were allowed to go to their rooms while the dispute was settled.
Holloway did not travel with the party, leaving assistant Steve Thompson to cope with the crisis.
The embarrassing event came just days after it was revealed Blackpool had offered Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler a contract with a basic wage of just £100 per week .
 
[h=1]EXCLUSIVE: Bielsa says no to Chelsea... TWICE![/h] Published 21:31 09/03/12 By Darren Lewis


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Marcelo Bielsa has snubbed two approaches from Roman Abramovich – because he will not speak to intermediaries.
The 56-year-old Athletic Bilbao boss was on Chelsea's hitlist if they sacked Andre Villas-Boas, as the Mirror revealed last month.
But Bielsa – whose side beat Manchester United in the Europa League on Thursday – is believed to have dismissed talks with Abramovich's representatives, insisting he does not talk to "people representing other people".
Bielsa has a reputation for being his own man and impressed with tactics that left United's heads spinning at Old Trafford.

Bilbao have lost just three of their last 21 games, hold a 3-2 lead over United going into Thursday's second leg in northern Spain and will face Barcelona in Spain's Copa del Rey final.
Brian Reade Column: Chelsea fans are crazy if they don't want Rafa as gaffer
 
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