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Mourinho doubts coach trip effects

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Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho has played down claims that his side’s chances of reaching the Champions League final (Inter 2/1, Barca 4/11 To Qualify) will be boosted by opponents Barcelona having to travel 600 miles by coach to Italy for Tuesday’s semi-final first leg.

Reigning champions Barca were forced to take to the road for the San Siro showdown on Sunday afternoon due to air travel restrictions in force across Europe caused by the ash cloud from the Icelandic volcano.

However Mourinho feels the Spanish Primera League giants will not be too affected for the game given that they enjoyed an overnight stop in the French resort of Cannes en-route to Italy.

He said: “I don’t think it will matter. It is their body, their mind that has to respond.

“If it happened to me, I would try to transform a problem into motivation, something to enjoy, to have the squad together due to a difficulty.

“It doesn’t seem like a drama to me.”

Mourinho also acknowleged that Barca’s Argentinian international Lionel Messi (Messi 8/11 Anytime Goalscorer) deserves ’special attention’, but ruled out man-marking the player, who has scored 40 goals for his club in all competitions this season.

“Above all let’s see how they play because I don’t know,” Mourinho added. “None of us know. He could play right, left, centre. We don’t know.

“What we know is that he is an important player and football, for me, is not about marking man to man. It’s not for me.

“It is not one against Messi and 10 v 10, it will be 11 v 11, although he deserves special attention.”

Barca managed to draw at Inter in Group F earlier in the competition before winning the return match 2-0 at the Nou Camp and Mourinho admitted they were ‘far superior’ in that game. However he does not feel that will have any bearing on their semi-final (Inter 19/10, Inter 11/8, draw 23/10 90 Minutes) meeting.

“In the [second] game in the group, Barca showed that they are far superior. They won easily, deserved to win and in that game we were not capable of responding to them,” he said.

“But that was November, many months ago. They have followed their path, we have followed ours and it seems like we are a lot better than we were in November.

“I accept that they are favourites – this does not offend me – but I think it’s 50/50.”

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Dowie demands positive attitude

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Iain Dowie has called for his Hull City (12/5 to win – Hull v Aston Villa match bets) players to improve the mental side of their game if they are to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

His side currently sit in the relegation places and are three points behind West Ham ahead of them, after Hull could only manage a 0-0 draw with Birmingham at the weekend.

The Tigers face Aston Villa (11/10 to win, 12/5 draw – match bets) on Wednesday night before a real relegation six-pointer against the Hammers at the weekend.

What made matters worse for Dowie was the fact that relegation rivals Wigan Athletic (16/1 – FA Premier League relegation) produced a staggering comeback to beat Arsenal on Sunday to put them seven points ahead of Hull, and it could get even worse if West Ham beat Liverpool in the Premier League on Monday night.

Dowie knows his side need to start winning games if they are to preserve their top flight status with four Premier League games to go.

“Whether we have the quality we will see in the next four games. I believe we have,” he told the Hull Daily Mail.

“I think it was Michael Johnson (American athlete) who said the mental side is the crucial element when you get there. It’s about us making sure we have a positive attitude. Our focus is to make sure we come with a real energy.”

Dowie faces coping for the rest of the season with midfielder Stephen Hunt after exploratory surgery on an ankle problem ruled him out of Hull’s remaining games.

He joins a growing injury list which includes Anthony Gardner and Kamil Zayatte but the manager still remains convinced there is enough quality at his disposal to avoid relegation.

Another player who Dowie cannot call upon to help for the battle is Egyptian loan signing Amr Zaki, who has struggled with a knee problem during his time at the KC Stadium and this injury has ended his stay.

A West Ham win at Anfield (Liverpool 4/11, West Ham 15/2, draw 18/5 – match bets) could put them six points ahead of Hull by the end of Monday night, but Tigers fans could take some optimism from the fact the Hammers have not won away from Upton Park since the first game of the season.

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Chelsea await Drogba decision

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Didier DrogbaChelsea striker Didier Drogba could join John Terry on the sidelines for Sunday’s home clash with Stoke as the Blues bid to get their Premier League title push back on track (Chelsea 4/7 Outright).

Carlo Ancelotti’s side lost 2-1 at Tottenham at the weekend which saw Manchester United (11/8 Outright) close to within a point with three games left to play in the top flight this term.

The White Hart Lane defeat was compounded by captain John Terry’s red card on 67 minutes while Ivory Coast star Drogba aggravated a groin problem he has been carrying recently.

Whether or not the 32-goal striker requires surgery remains to be seen, with Ancelotti confirming the decision rests with Drogba despite the fact Chelsea are going for the Premier League and FA Cup double.

“He doesn’t have a big problem. It’s more about controlling the situation,” said the Italian.

“He’ll take a decision at the end of the season. But it’s not sure he’ll have surgery.”

However, Drogba could well decide he needs to rest the problem in order to ensure he reaches the World Cup finals (Drogba 20/1 Top Goalscorer) in as good a condition as possible, surgery or not.

Ancelotti still feels the Premier League title is Chelsea’s to lose after United managed to secure a 1-0 win at Manchester City in the early kick-off on Saturday thanks to a late Paul Scholes header.

He added: “We are top of the list with only three games left so every team wants to be in our place.

“We have two at home and one difficult game away. We can be the best again. A one-point lead is not bad at this stage of the season.

“To be sure we have to win all three games. Now the most important is against Stoke.”

The Potters arrive at Stamford Bridge having again guaranteed their Premier League status with games to spare after winning promotion in 2008.

But boss Tony Pulis is eager to move the Britannia Stadium outfit further up the table next season from the confines of mid-table security.

He told the Sunday Mirror: “We want to take it up another level and that may mean shifting a few players on.

“There are a few players whose futures will be discussed and we will see where it takes us.

“There has to be changes if we are to move on because if you stand still you’re dead.”

Pulis’ challenge is to add to his squad while maintaining the unity that has largely served them well over the last three years.

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Capello targets German scalp

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England boss Fabio Capello has described what would be his perfect World Cup scenario, the Italian wants to lead England to semi-final glory over Germany before securing the trophy with victory over France in the final (England/France final 40/1).

Capello has already endeared himself to England fans after leading the Three Lions through an impressive and almost perfect qualification campaign, with only the Ukraine managing to beat England after qualification had already been assured, but could become a national hero if he manages to lead England to World Cup glory for the first time since 1966.

After falling at the hands of Germany in international tournaments on more than one occasion in recent times England fans would love to see their side knock the Germans out of the competition in South Africa and Capello remains hopeful the two sides will meet, and England will come out on top.

“The perfect scenario for me would be for England to beat Germany in the semi-finals, and then to win the World Cup by defeating France in the final,” said Capello. “It is high time that a European team wins the World Cup outside Europe. In my opinion there are four very strong European sides, and this time they will not have the excuse of there being a change of time zone.”

Capello does not mention the four European teams he considers ‘very strong’ but it seems safe to assume that Spain, who are the current favourites to take the trophy in South Africa (Spain 4/1 to win the World Cup), are in his thoughts.  The Italian has stated he wouldn’t have take the England job if he didn’t think they could lift international football’s greatest prize and at 11/2 England are certainly among the favourites to come out on top in South Africa.

Germany, finalists in 2006, are currently priced at 14/1 to emerge victorious in South Africa, while other European heavyweights include Holland (12/1), Italy (12/1) and France (16/1) and Capello believes there are no excuses for Europe’s top sides heading into the competition in South Africa.

However, the Italian tactician admits he is wary of the threat the African teams could pose, with England drawn in the same group as north African nation Algeria.  The South African World Cup is the first to be held in the continent and Capello believes the African participants will be keen to show their talents to the rest of the footballing world.

He added: “I am also on my guard about the African teams. Algeria are the most dangerous side in our group.”

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Wigan rock Arsenal’s title hopes

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Arsenal’s title hopes have been left in tatters after Wigan Athletic completed a remarkable comeback to see off the Gunners 3-2 at the DW Stadium after the London side had taken a 0-2 lead (Arsenal 150/1 to win the Premier League title).

It seemed as if it was going to be a good day at the office for Arsene Wenger’s men, after a fairly tight opening to the match England international Theo Walcott broke the deadlock before the interval with a clever finish to ensure Arsenal enjoyed a one goal lead at the break.

Just three minutes into the second half Mikael Silvestre looked to have put the game to bed when his header found the back of the net, and it appeared as if Arsenal would cruise to victory over a Latics side who had failed to breakdown a patchwork Portsmouth team earlier in the week.

However, Wigan had other ideas and with 10 minutes remaining Ben Watson pulled a goal back for the home side with a low drive that gave Arsenal keeper Lukasz Fabianski no chance.

Defender Titus Bramble then levelled matters with less than a minute of normal time remaining when his header from close range was judged to have crossed the line by he linesman, before Charles N’Zogbia unleashed an exquisite shot from the edge of the area that curled into the goal in injury time to secure an improbable victory for the Latics.

The defeat leaves Arsenal six points adrift of league-leaders Chelsea with just three games to go and it seems as if the title is now way out of reach for Wenger, who will be seething after seeing his side throw away their two goal advantage.

However, victory for Wigan (16/1 to be relegated) could prove vital in their bid to avoid the drop.  The Latics were just four points clear of the bottom three prior to kick-off today but they’re now seven points ahead of third bottom Hull City and they should now have secured Premier League football at the DW Stadium for another season after all but ending Arsenal’s title chances.

At the top of the table Chelsea, who are a point clear of Manchester United in second, remain favourites to secure the title (Chelsea 4/7 to win the Premier League title), while Arsenal will know their hopes of securing their first title since 2004 are all but over.

In terms of the relegation battle the result was massive for Wigan, who still have to face relegation rivals West Ham and Hull City, as they move seven points clear of the drop zone.

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O’Neill not giving up on fourth

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Ahead of Aston Villa’s trip to Portsmouth Villa boss Martin O’Neill believes his side are still in with a chance of finishing fourth and qualifying for next season’s Champions League (Villa are 8/13 to beat Portsmouth at Fratton Park).

With just two wins in their last six fixtures O’Neill’s side have fallen behind in the race for fourth spot, with Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur looking the most likely to qualify for next season’s Champions League.  However, Manchester City’s loss to Manchester United  has given O’Neill a glimmer of hope and the Villa boss inists his side can still take the final Champions league spot – although he accepts it will not be easy.

He said:  “People here at Villa have talked about fourth spot for a long time.

“Manchester City have spent in the region of £200million and for £200million there is a fair chance you are going to get some really decent players and that is exactly what they have done.

“Harry Redknapp summed it up five or six weeks ago when he was asked about Tottenham Hotspur.

“He said that they could finish fourth or finish seventh and that was before Everton came into the picture.

“So these teams are vying for the same things as Villa and no-one has said it would be easy.

“In fact it has been exceptionally difficult. But it has been worth the trip.”

Villa stand a great chance of picking up all three points at Fratton Park on Sunday as they have a basically fully-fit squad going into the game against already relegated Portsmouth.  O’Neill’s only concern is Stephen Warnock who faces a late fitness test but the likes of James Milner, Ashley Young and Gabriel Agbonlahor are all available.   Warnock has proved a crucial member of the Villa defence but Richard Dunne has perhaps been the key man for Villa and they could keep a total shut out against Pompey at Fratton Park (Villa 11/10 to keep a clean sheet).

By Contrast Pompey are struggling with injuries and Hassan Yebda (knee), Kevin Prince Boateng (ankle), Nadir Belhadj (thigh), Papa Bouba Diop (knee) and Tommy Smith (broken nose) all look set to miss out on Sunday.

However, a very much patchwork Portsmouth side managed to secure an unlikely 0-0 draw at Wigan’s DW Stadium in midweek and boss Avram Grant remains keen to see his side continue to put in performances despite the fact their fate has already been sealed.

A win for Villa would be massive in their hunt for Champions League football, indeed a top six finish would guarantee them a place in the Europa League and with Everton in fine form a European spot is still not assured for Villa.  With Pompey’s injuries Villa should come out on top on Sunday, but the Champions League may elude them for another year.

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Clarke talks Hammers up

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Rafa Benitez and Gianfranco ZolaWest Ham number two Steve Clarke admits there is always pressure in football having experienced it at both end of the Premier League table.

The former Chelsea coach is currently helping Hammers chief Gianfranco Zola mastermind their survival in the top flight and is in bullish mood ahead of Monday night’s trip to Liverpool, who in their own way have flopped as badly as the east Londoners this season (Liverpool 1/3, draw 18/5, West Ham 9/1).

West Ham have not won at Anfield in almost 50 years but Clarke reckons he has seen enough over the last few weeks of the campaign to travel in good heart.

He told the club’s website: “When I first went into coaching I was challenging for trophies at the other end of the table, but there is pressure on that as well. In every football match, there is pressure involved.

“That’s why we do it and what we’re in the game for.”

The weekend has been kind to the Hammers so far after Burnley were beaten and Hull could only draw at Birmingham, so Zola and Clarke will be keen viewers as fellow strugglers Wigan entertain Arsenal on Sunday.

Barring a massive shock at the DW Stadium, a win for West Ham at Liverpool would move them up to 16th place, six points clear of the drop zone, and while that prospect might appear fanciful to the neutral, Clarke is fully behind his side (West Ham 9/2 to go down).

He added: “We’ll focus on the fixture on Monday night at Liverpool and, if we continue doing what we have been doing, we’ll be OK.

“Obviously the last couple of results were good for us and we have to build on them. The finishing line is in sight and we have to keep going.

“It’s been a difficult season right from the start, but we’re still in there fighting.

“We have to achieve the objective of staying in the Premier League and we’re all confident we can do that.”

West Ham’s mission could be boosted by events in Iceland – positive ones for a change.

After the banking crisis saw the Hammers taken over by asset management company, CB Holdings, a subsidiary of its then main creditor, the Icelandic bank Straumur, almost 12 months on the volcanic eruption has hampered Reds striker Fernando Torres’ bid to visit a Barcelona-based knee specialist.

Kop chief Rafa Benitez does not want to risk the Spain ace until he has been given the once-over, but the volcanic ash cloud has hampered the former Atletico Madrid ace’s journey to the Catalan capital.

Liverpool also look set to have to field Daniel Agger at left-back again as a temporary measure following injuries to Emiliano Insua and Fabio Aurelio.

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Wenger calls for Wigan focus

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Arsene WengerArsenal boss Arsene Wenger has dropped a massive hint that goalkeeper Manuel Almunia has the rest of the season to convince him not to go out and buy a ready-made replacement.

The Spaniard’s struggle for consistency has been highlighted this season and Wenger has skirted around the issue of whether or not he will start the new season with the 32-year-old former Celta Vigo man in his side.

The Gunners go to Wigan on Sunday (Wigan 11/2, draw 3/1, Arsenal 1/2 ) with little to play for following the midweek defeat to arch-rivals Spurs, with Wenger admitting: “We must forget the title race and try to finish as high as we can.

“It’s unlikely but you never know.”

Regarding Almunia’s future as the club’s number one, the French boss added: “I don’t think it is the best moment to talk about that.  I never said he will be my long-term No 1.

“Almunia is a great keeper and is in competition with (Lukasz) Fabianski. I want to see how we finish so I don’t think it’s the best period to talk about individual players.”

While Arsenal’s season is effectively over, Latics have it all to play for given their perilous position at the wrong end of the table.

And the visitors’ injury problems will give DW Stadium chief Roberto Martinez hope of a result from the game.

But Wenger does not agree with the school of thought claiming his players could already be on the beach after slipping off the pace in the Premier League title race and crashing out of the Champions League to Barcelona.

He added: “Overall this team has gained a lot of credit and done extremely well so it is important that we do not get a negative vibe now.

“Our season will be judged on how well we finish and that is why we play a vital game on Sunday.”

Aside from his goalkeeping quandary, Wenger has also warned captain Cesc Fabregas not to take a backward step in his career amid continued interest from former club Barca.

Wenger argued: “If you are really competitive, you stay in England.

“That is where the competition is and that is where the best players want to be. I have so many calls from Spanish players who want to join us and want to come here.

“We want to keep this team together and improve from season to season. I believe we have made a big step forward considering last season and we want to do that again next season.”

Meanwhile, Wenger has acknowledged his is powerless to prevent William Gallas from walking away from the Emirates for nothing when his deal expires in the summer.

However, he is keen to keep hold of former England international Sol Campbell who made a shock return to the club this season after terminating his deal at Nott County.

“Gallas can sign where he wants. We are trying to re-sign him but he is legally free to sign where he wants so I don’t know where he will go,” said Wenger.

“I will have to sit down with Sol Campbell because if he is on board, if he is focused and motivated, he is an important player here.

“He is not only an important player and a good player but he is a winner.”

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Coles’ goals for Chelsea and England

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Chelsea's Ashley ColeThere is good news for England fans with the news that Ashley Cole is set to start on the bench for Chelsea against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday. (Spurs 11/4, draw 12/5, Chelsea 10/11).

Cole has been out of action for two months since fracturing his ankle in a clash against Everton in February and although he has not played any practice games since he returned to training, Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed that he will be part of the squad for the trip to White Hart Lane. He has returned quicker than expected – he had been initially pencilled in to return at the end of April – and Ancelotti has been quick to praise Cole’s commitment and the Stamford Bridge medical staff.

The return of Cole will be seen as a boost for both Chelsea and England. Chelsea are hoping to secure the double this season and are currently four points ahead of Manchester United at the top of the Premier League. Three points against Spurs will take them one step closer to their first league title since 2006. They are 10/11 to beat Spurs and 1/8 favourites to win the league.

Chelsea are also in line for the double after their 3-0 success against Aston Villa last weekend secured an FA Cup final appearance against Portsmouth on May 15. They are 1/4 to lift the famous trophy. However, Ancelotti has been quick to tell his players to forget all aspirations of winning the double and has urged them to retain their focus.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Ancelotti stated;

“My work is very easy, because they know what they need to do. We never speak about the double. That’s not the right way to prepare at all.

“It is not a formality we will win the title. We have to play very important and difficult games and we have to pay attention.

“Now, the title is not so sure for us. We have to fight again. We are working to win both the league and the FA Cup. We are involved in both and in a very good position, but nothing is decided.”

Ancelotti is aware that Spurs will be a tricky prospect and they impressed him during their 2-1 defeat of Arsenal in midweek.

Meanwhile, Joe Cole is focusing on club over country for the time being, although he has not given up hope of being recalled to Fabio Capello’s England squad ahead of the World Cup.

Both Coles have suffered with injuries this season and patchy form has seen Joe drop out of the England reckoning. However, he knows that you can’t talk your way into the England squad and he is focused on playing his best for Chelsea, helping them to secure a historic double. After that, he has admitted what will be, will be.

Speaking about the prospect of playing in the World Cup, he stated; “I just want to work hard for my team-mates and whatever happens happens. It’s obviously something I’d like to play in but at the moment I’m just concentrating on helping Chelsea win the title.”

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Gomes aiming for Brazil squad

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Tottenham keeper Heurelho GomesHeurelho Gomes is hoping to cap an impressive season by securing the double – qualifying for the Champions League with Spurs and being called up to the Brazil squad for this summer’s World Cup.

Gomes had a patchy start to his Spurs career and made a few high profile blunders. This led to ridicule in the press and boss Harry Redknapp scouring the world for a replacement. However, under the expert tutelage of goalkeeping coach Tony Parks, he has been in consistent form this season and is now hopeful of securing his first international call-up in four years. This will add to Gomes’s nine international caps thus far.

Gomes inspired Spurs to a 2-1 success over local rivals Arsenal in the Premier League on Wednesday night. Tottenham’s first league win against their north London rivals in 11 years severely dented the Gunners’ title hopes and kept Spurs hot on the heels of fourth placed Manchester City in the battle for the final Champions League spot.

Spurs are currently 2/1 second favourites behind City (at 4/9) to finish fourth but with many twists and turns still to come, Redknapp will be hoping that Gomes’s form continues for the remainder of the season.

There was a time when Gomes’s lack of confidence was causing a problem, particularly shortly after his move from Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven. However, Redknapp had been assured by former PSV boss Guus Hiddink that Gomes was one of the best goalkeepers in the world and that he should persevere with him. Redknapp did and he now agrees with Hiddink’s sentiments.

Speaking ahead of this weekend’s tough clash against Chelsea, Redknapp stated that Gomes is “up there with the very best… but it took him time to adjust. He’s had a couple of dicky moments but ever since then he has got better and better and some of the saves on Wednesday, particularly a couple from Robin van Persie and from Sol Campbell, were vital saves.”

He quantified this statement by stating; “I always knew he had the ability. I spoke to Guus Hiddink and he said he nearly took them [PSV Eindhoven] to a Champions League final in 2005, he’s that good.”

Spurs face Chelsea on Saturday with both sides needing the points for different reasons. Chelsea will be hoping to distance themselves from Manchester United in the race for the title whilst Spurs will be hoping to increase the pressure on Manchester City in the battle for fourth place.

Spurs are one point behind City, who currently occupy fourth, whilst Chelsea are four points ahead of United at the top of the League. City face United at Eastlands on Saturday so the two battling for fourth face the two battling for the title.

Spurs are 11/4 to beat Chelsea, whilst the Blues are 10/11. The draw is 12/5.

City are 17/10 to beat United, with the Red Devils 11/8 to take the three points. The draw is 12/5.

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