Win leaves AVB tactical quandary December 7, 2011 CHELSEA manager Andre Villas-Boas may have delighted in muting his critics by reaching the last 16 of the Champions League, but Tuesday’s 3-0 win over Valencia raised just as many questions as it answered. Villas-Boas ditched his previously stubborn adherence to playing a high line, instead telling his back four to sit deeper. He also [...]
Blues manager has Roman’s trust December 6, 2011 HE’S FAR from out of the woods yet, but emerging from such a high-stakes match is a monumental boost to Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas. Elimination at the group stage would have represented the club’s worst ever Champions League performance, and would only have amplified calls for the Portuguese rookie to go sooner rather than later. [...]
Mancini riled by Rummenigge City tirade December 6, 2011 MANCHESTER CITY vs BAYERN MUNICH MANCHESTER CITY manager Roberto Mancini has hit back at the criticism of his club from Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge ahead of tonight’s must-win Champions League showdown against the German giants. City have to beat Bayern and hope that Villarreal can earn their first point of the competition at home [...]
Ferguson: Uefa hearing won’t affect Rooney December 6, 2011 BASEL vs MANCHESTER UTD MANCHESTER UNITED manager Sir Alex Ferguson insists striker Wayne Rooney won’t be sidetracked by tomorrow’s Uefa disciplinary hearing into his three-match international suspension and is fully focused on tonight’s Champions League assignment against Basel. Rooney is set to learn whether his appeal against the three-game ban handed down for his dismissal [...]
Defeat won’t spell end for Blues boss December 6, 2011 TONIGHT’S Champions League showdown against Valencia represents the biggest match of Andre Villas-Boas’s fledgling Chelsea career, but even were it to end in disaster I think Roman Abramovich would resist the temptation to sack him. Recent performances, particularly at home, hardly suggest Chelsea possess the wherewithal to contend with a hugely talented Valencia side, but [...]
Manchester rivals thrown together by FA Cup draw December 4, 2011 A SIMMERING rivalry that has already delivered fireworks this season is poised to be reignited after Manchester City were drawn against neighbours Manchester United in the FA Cup third round. Holders City, who thrashed United 6-1 at Old Trafford in October, could now inflict more misery on them by dumping them out of the FA [...]
CRUEL FOR CATS | O’Neill watches as Sunderland crash at Wolves December 4, 2011 SUNDERLAND’S new manager Martin O’Neill (inset) received an unwelcome reminder of the scale of the task he will inherit when he officially takes over this morning when his side lost yesterday at Wolves. The Black Cats, including Nicklas Bendtner (pictured above) squandered a lead and missed a penalty before collapsing to two Steven Fletcher goals, [...]
Pulis joy as Huth completes Stoke’s perfect week December 4, 2011 EVERTON (0) vs STOKE CITY (1) STOKE manager Tony Pulis toasted a perfect week after following up Europa League qualification with a second consecutive Premier League victory at Goodison Park. A 15th-minute goal from Robert Huth, the defender diverting Dean Whitehead’s shot past Tim Howard from close range, was the decisive moment in a game [...]
Schwarzer: Tiredness is no excuse December 4, 2011 FULHAM goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer has warned his team-mates that fatigue will not be an acceptable excuse if their winless run continues. The Cottagers host Liverpool tonight in the Premier League, seeking their first victory in five matches and their first domestic triumph since October. Thursday’s Europa League defeat at FC Twente was their 27th match [...]
Late goal and red card dash Fulham hopes of easy route December 1, 2011 FC TWENTE 1 vs FULHAM 0 FULHAM manager Martin Jol refused to blame striker Andy Johnson after his stoppage-time red card completed a miserable Europa League night in Holland for the Cottagers. An 89th-minute winner from Marc Janko condemned the west Londoners to a defeat that leaves them needing to win their final group fixture [...]