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O’Neill calls for calm Villans

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Martin O'NeillAston Villa boss Martin O’Neill does not feel Birmingham’s poor run of form will count for anything in Sunday’s high-noon showdown at Villa Park (Villa 4/7, draw 3/1, Blues 9/2).

The Villans have no margin for error as they chase fourth place in the Premier League and with it a chance to secure Champions League football for next season via the qualifying rounds of the competition.

And on the face of it Villa are entertaining Blues at a good time, with Alex McLeish’s men failing to register a win in their last seven games, but O’Neill reckons the form book goes out of the window in derby matches (5/4 Villa HT/FT).

He said: “That will not affect them going into a derby. They have done excellently all year and they have been a surprise to most people.

“They have eked out some amazing results this season and have done it through a lot of hard work, a lot of discipline and a lot of controlled play.

“I think that is the sort of side we are going to face and not a team which has not won in the last seven matches.”

O’Neill is a veteran of the Old Firm game north of the border from his five-year spell as Celtic boss – most of which coincided with McLeish’s spell in charge of Rangers – and he has drawn on all of his experience to warn his players they need to have the coolest heads in the ground.

He added: “To win a derby game you need discipline. I think discipline is important in these games as referees want to lay down the law pretty quickly.

“Incidents in a derby game seem to magnify themselves and if you pick up a yellow card early on it is a long way to go to keep out of further trouble.

“Villa have won the last five games between the sides and we are certainly capable of beating Birmingham.

“Are they capable of coming here and stifling us and making it exceptionally hard? Absolutely.

“We will have to be very strong mentally and force ourselves on the game. The highly charged atmosphere of a local derby should go on and inspire the players and I think it should be a very decent atmosphere.”

Blues’ season has taken a dip but McLeish will be desperate to finish in the top half of the Premier League which would be a magnificent achievement following promotion from the Championship 12 months ago.

The Scot then spent around £10m on squad strengthening and he does not expect to be handed mega-money during the close season.

He revealed: “Will there be more than £10million to spend this summer? It won’t be much more than that.

“I heard Walter Smith talking about having a fantastic season at Rangers and then, because he’s done well on a limited budget, they think they can take a bit more away and he can do it again.

“I worked like that at Rangers as well and you can’t keep doing that. You can’t keep pulling rabbits out of the hat. There has to be investment and I am sure the board will back me.”

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Drogba urges Chelsea support

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Didier Drogba has admitted Chelsea (4/6 – FA Premier League outright) face a battle against Stoke City but wants the fans to give their side all the backing needed to take them to the top of the Premier League.

Manchester United’s 3-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday lunchtime meant the Red Devils leapfrogged Chelsea to the top of the Premier League, but Carlo Ancelotti’s men can give themselves a one-point cushion with two games to go if they beat Stoke at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

Chelsea (1/7 – Chelsea v Stoke City match bets) have only dropped five points on their own turf since the start of the season, and since their defeat to Manchester City at home they have won three in a row at Stamford Bridge, scoring 12 goals in the process.

The Premier League title battle looks like going right to the wire and Chelsea have a tough trip to Anfield after the Stoke encounter, before ending their season playing host to Wigan Athletic.

Ivory Coast striker Drogba (2/1 - first goalscorer) told the official Chelsea website that it is “important” for the fans to create a special atmosphere by getting “really behind” the team.

“We have done well at home. You never know what can happen, games are difficult now,” said the forward.

“Some teams are trying to save lives but some teams are playing for little and can enjoy themselves, and sometimes then you play better.”

He added: “Sunday is the kind of game that we are going to have until the end of the season so we need them to be patient and to really shout and sing and be supportive, that is the only way to win it.”

Chelsea will have to cope without John Terry against the aerial bombardment Stoke (18/1 to win, 13/2 draw – Chelsea v Stoke City match bets) are likely to bring to Stamford Bridge after the former England captain as sent off in their defeat to Spurs last weekend.

Drogba has been struggling with a groin problem but is expected to take part while Ashley Cole could come back into the side after an extended period on the sidelines.

Tony Pulis is set to welcome Ryan Shawcross and Mathew Etherington into his side for the game, and Stoke fans could take some heart from the fact their side have not lost any of their six away league matches so far in 2010.

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Jose ready to go the distance

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Jose Mourinho will tell his Internazionale players they must be prepared to go until the final whistle when they take on holders Barcelona in a mouth-watering Champions League semi-final second-leg clash at the Nou Camp on Wednesday (4/6 Inter Milan – To Qualify).

The Serie A title-chasers travel to Spain (4/9 Barcelona 11/4 draw 11/2 Inter Milan – match betting) with a 3-1 advantage secured in Milan on Tuesday.

Pedro threatened to make it a comfortable night for the Spanish champions when he gave them the lead on 19 minutes.

But goals from Wesley Sneijder, Maicon and Diego Milito inflicted only a fourth defeat of the season on a side bidding to make Champions League history by retaining the trophy.

Inter are now in the box seat to win a first major European trophy since they completed a double in 1965.

However, Mourinho, who served as an assistant to the late Sir Bobby Robson and Louis van Gaal at Barcelona from 1996 to 2000, has warned there is a long way to go.

The Portuguese coach said: “We still have a lot to do, we’re going to play in Barcelona next week don’t forget. Barcelona are the best team in the world when they play at home.”

Victory for the Nerazzurri at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza was Inter’s fifth in succession since the knockout stages and Mourinho is convinced his players have arrived on the big stage.

However, the 47-year-old also stressed they would not be getting ahead of themselves taking into account three-time winners Barca defeated Inter 2-0 in the group stages earlier this season.

Mourinho, winner of Europe’s elite club competition in 2004 with his former club FC Porto, added: “We must fight hard to make this dream come true. We have two choices for the game in Barcelona: get to the final in Madrid or leave Europe with our heads held high. Our chance of going through is 50%, just like before the first leg.”

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Hodgson delighted with draw

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Fulham manager Roy Hodgson says he was very happy to come away from the first leg of their Europa League semi-final against Hamburg (9/5 to win the 90 minute betting) with a goalless draw heading into next week’s return match.

The Cottagers had to show some stubborn resistance to come away with the draw as the German outfit dominated possession for long periods of the game and had Hodgson’s men penned in their own half for much of the match.

Goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer produced four fine saves to keep his side in it and the west London outfit could have even snatched an unlikely win with Zoltan Gera seeing his shot narrowly deflected wide in the first half.

Fulham (3/1 to win the Europa League) will now fancy their chances of making it through to the final having never lost a European match at Craven Cottage.

Despite keeping a Ruud van Nistelrooy lead Hamburg at bay Hodgson was keen to play down talk of his side having a sizeable advantage over the Bundesliga side, insisting the game could easily go either way.

“There is a lot of football to be played and Hamburg are a very good team. If they score a goal next week the advantage passes to them,” said Hodgson.

“The tie is open but I am delighted about that because it is very easy to put yourself out of contention.”

While Fulham will be able to enjoy their private jet back to England after a 600-mile coach trip to get to Hamburg they will have one worry on their mind after top scorer Bobby Zamora was forced off in the second half with an Achilles injury.

The 29-year-old has been struggling with the problem for a number of weeks now and needed treatment before the start of the game in order to get him match fit.

However, Zamora only lasted 52 minutes before he had to leave the field and he now faces a race against time to be fit to face Hamburg when they head to the United Kingdom next week.

Hodgson confirmed that it was unlikely Zamora would feature in Sunday’s match against Everton (2/5 to beat Fulham on the Premier League coupon) as Fulham prepare to rest a number of key players with one eye on next Thursday’s match.

The likes of Gera, Danny Murphy and Simon Davies could also find themselves either on the bench or left at home.

However, having picked up a point the last time they visited Merseyside to face Liverpool Hodgson’s side might fancy their chances of getting another positive result, even with a scratch side.

Everton will desperate to take all three points from the game with seventh spot in the league having been confirmed as a way into the Europa League this week and with the Toffees five points behind local rivals Liverpool in the league.

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Zola calls for Cole impact

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Carlton Cole and Gianfranco ZolaWest Ham boss Gianfranco Zola reckons star striker Carlton Cole has been holding a goal back for the end-of-season run in as the Hammers (4/1 for the drop) look to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

Zola’s men have struggled over the course of the campaign which came as a shock following their top-half-of-the-table finish last time around.

The east Londoners, however, could be safe on Saturday night if they manage to beat inconsistent Wigan at Upton Park (West Ham 4/5, draw 12/5, Wigan 16/5) and Sunderland roll over Hull at the KC Stadium (Hull 6/5, draw 9/4, Sunderland 21/10).

Three points would move the Hammers six points clear of the 18th-placed Tigers with two games to play, with their vastly superior goal difference highly likely to be enough to guarantee their top-flight status.

But Zola is honest enough to admit he is relying on an out-of-form striker to get his side out of the mire in the shape of seven-cap England forward Cole, a former team-mate from his days at Chelsea.

The Italian said: “Carlton hasn’t scored for a while but he’s keeping an important one back for us, possibly a winner.

“I’m relying on that. He hasn’t scored many goals but he is an important player for us. As I said, I know he is keeping something good for us.”

In fact, Cole (6/5 Anytime Goalscorer) has not hit the back of the net for nine Premier League games and was virtually anonymous, along with most of the West Ham side, during Monday night’s limp 3-0 defeat at fellow under-achievers Liverpool.

But Zola hopes good things can come from the loss following clear-the-air talks with the players.

He added: “It’s a massive game for us and we also know the last game wasn’t very good. You say certain things in the changing room and it is important because it means the players are committed.

“They are determined to bounce back. I am confident we will see a reaction. We have had so many problems this year and we are determined to give those problems a kick and this is an incredible opportunity to do that.”

Wigan are all but safe; they go into the weekend seven points above the drop zone with three games to go following last Sunday’s 3-2 come-from-behind win over Arsenal at the DW Stadium.

But Latics manager Roberto Martinez does not want to leave any margin from error at the end of a roller-coaster first season in charge following last summer’s move from Championship side Swansea.

The Spaniard said: “I’ve heard a lot of people say we are safe, but I don’t believe that.

“Mathematically we’re not safe, so we need to make sure we achieve that first and foremost, and I feel the players are focused, more concentrated right now than ever this season.

“We can allow ourselves to treat this game as a cup final because the reality is if we beat West Ham we’ve achieved our aim for this season, which is staying in the Premier League, and it doesn’t come any bigger than that.”

Martinez added: “It’s important we don’t follow up what was a fantastic win over Arsenal with a bad result against West Ham.”

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Lennon makes timely Spurs return

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Harry Redknapp and Sir Alex FergusonTottenham winger Aaron Lennon is set to hand England coach Fabio Capello a boost ahead of the World Cup after returning to the Spurs squad for the final Premier League games of the season (Three Lions 5/2 Top European Team in South Africa).

Capello has seen his options down the right side of midfield cut by former captain David Beckham’s Achilles injury which has ruled him out of the finals in South Africa in a playing capacity.

Lennon has not featured for his club since December because of a groin injury but he is back in training and White Hart Lane chief Harry Redknapp has confirmed the former Leeds United youngster will make the bench at Manchester United on Saturday (United 4/9, draw 16/5, Spurs 11/2).

He said: “He (Lennon) is a top player. He won’t start but could be available if we need him for 20 minutes.”

Spurs currently occupy the final Champions League place and know a win will pile the pressure on fifth-placed Manchester City who kick off at teatime on Saturday at Arsenal.

But Redknapp will know he is in for a tough game given the fact United (11/8 Outright) need the points to overhaul Chelsea (4/7f) in the title race.

The Blues do not play until Sunday – at home against Stoke – by which time the Red Devils could be two points clear.

Spurs did United a favour last weekend by beating Chelsea 2-1 but a week in football is a long time and that will be forgotten when the two sides clash at Old Trafford.

Famously, Sir Alex Ferguson once referred to this stage of the season as “squeaky bum time” and the Scot concedes it takes a toll on managers at both ends of the table.

He remarked: “I don’t think the next few weeks keeps you healthy.

“It is not good for you but it is there. You have to accept there is pressure in life. I can deal with it.”

Ferguson added: “We just have to concentrate on our own job. If we do that we can let Chelsea deal with their situation.

“After tomorrow there are only two games left so games become paramount in terms of where you are in the league.

“We have to win. The players are aware of that.”

Ferguson has versatile defender Wes Brown back after a broken foot but Owen Hargreaves’ long-awaited comeback from knee surgery has been put on ice because of a calf strain.

Spurs are still without the Croatian duo of Nico Kranjcar and Vedran Corluka because of ankle problems but midfielder Jermaine Jenas has shaken off illness and Ledley King is also in the running as well.

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Mancini confirms Torres interest

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Roberto Mancini could flex his club’s considerable muscle in the transfer market at the end the season by bringing in marquee signings – including Fernando Torres of Liverpool – in his efforts to transform Manchester City into title contenders (11/8 Man City – Top 4 Finish).

The Eastlands boss went public on Thursday with his admiration for Spain striker Torres and described him as belonging to the top bracket of the world’s best footballers.

The Italian said his capture would put City firmly in a position to challenge for the game’s big honours.

However, he did admit failure to qualify for the Champions League this season could affect the club’s chances of pulling off an audacious swoop for the 26-year-old.

“We are a top team and I think all the top teams are interested in Torres but sometimes it depends on the player because they want to play in the Champions League,” he said. “If we don’t get into the fourth position I think it will be difficult.”

City remain in the hunt for the coveted fourth spot but face another big test of their credentials when they travel to take on title-outsiders Arsenal (10/11 Arsenal 12/5 draw 11/4 Man City – match betting) at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

Mancini believes bringing in a player of Torres’ undisputed ability would give his club the lift it needs to move up to the next level.

He added: “For me, he is with Carlos [Tevez], [Wayne] Rooney, [Lionel] Messi, [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic, [Cristiano] Ronaldo as the best in Europe. Fernando is a fantastic striker; all the teams in Europe would like him.”

City are one of the few clubs – possibly the only club – in world football who could afford a move in excess of £50m and Mancini believes a summer of possible upheaval at Anfield could work in his favour.

The Merseysiders were recently put up for sale and uncertainty surrounds the future of manager Rafael Benitez off the back of a disappointing season in which winning the Europa League is his only chance of silverware.

The Spaniard was understandably defensive when asked about the prospect of Torres leaving after his side’s 1-0 semi-final first-leg defeat by Atletico Madrid on Thursday.

“We’ve said repeatedly that Fernando is not for sale and he still has three years of his contract remaining. So how can they sign a player who does not wish to leave?” he said.

Mancini is unlikely to be put off by Benitez and is adamant in his view that City must recruit a recognised world-class signing to shake up the stranglehold enjoyed by Chelsea and Manchester United at the summit of English football.

He added: “If we want to win the Premier League ahead of Chelsea and Manchester United we must sign some important players. All the top players want to play in the Champions League. But next season I want to win the Premier League; this is my desire even ahead of the Champions League, and I want players to understand that.”

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Dowie admits crunch Hull clash

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Iain Dowie has described Saturday’s clash with Sunderland is a must-win game for Hull City, now 1/10 with totesport to be relegated, if they are to survive in the Premier League this season.

The Tigers lost their game in hand on Wednesday, going down 2-0 to Aston Villa at the KC Stadium, to leave them stuck in the drop zone.

Dowie’s side remain three points adrift of safety with three matches remaining, with Gabriel Agbonlahor and James Milner scoring the goals to claim the victory for Martin O’Neill’s men.

The Hull (6/5 in the match betting) boss admitted he was “disappointed” with the performance but refuses to give up hope and says they “must” take all three points against the Black Cats (21/10).

Hull’s final three matches are at home to Sunderland, away to Wigan and then a final day showdown with Liverpool at the KC Stadium.

Dowie feels the Tigers’ failure to find the net, having scored just 32 goals to date, is the biggest reason for their current predicament.

Only Wolves (28 goals) and Portsmouth (29) have scored fewer and Dowie feels they pose a bigger attacking threat in the last three games.

The temporary Football Consultant said: “We just need more goals. We haven’t put enough goals on the board all year. We had one or two great chances (against Villa) but we haven’t taken them and it’s a classic theme her.”

Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, who scored three goals this season, looks like missing Saturday’s game with Sunderland after suffering a nasty head injury.

The 31-year-old spent Wednesday night in hospital and Hull officials will get the results of a CT scan on Thursday.

Iain Dowie revealed the former Celtic frontman was unconscious for five minutes after colliding with Villa defender Richard Dunne.

Speaking about the Dutchman, Dowie said: “There’s real concern about how he is, but he was certainly conscious when he left the stadium.”

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Flores predicts Reds battle

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Rafa BenitezAtletico Madrid coach Quique Sanchez Flores is digging in for the long haul against Liverpool in the semi-finals of the Europa League over the course of the next week (Atletico 13/10, draw 9/4, Liverpool 21/10 – 90 Minutes).

The two Champions League drop-outs go head to head at the Vicente Calderon later on Thursday night for the first of two legs which will decide who progresses to the final of the inaugural competition in Hamburg on Wednesday May 12.

Both Atletico (6/4 To Qualify) and the Reds (1/2) endured miserable campaigns at Europe’s top table earlier in the season and both have badly under-performed in their respective domestic leagues.

But all that will be forgotten at kick-off time with a place in the showpiece final against either Hamburg or Fulham up for grabs.

Flores, though, does not think his players will manage to complete the job before the Anfield re-match which he already thinks will be “uncomfortable” for a side currently languishing in 10th place in La Liga.

The former Valencia and Benfica coach said: “I don’t see any result possible that will give us peace of mind for the return at Anfield.

“Playing at Anfield is always uncomfortable, it doesn’t matter what result you get in the first leg. Liverpool are a team that are capable of bouncing back and having great games.”

Flores, 45, added: “The important thing for us will be the collective mindset that we have, as this competition always gives very close scorelines in the first leg.

“I don’t think that the tie, which is 50-50, will be decided at the Vicente Calderon. What I’m sure about is that we will have to play at a very high level.”

Liverpool were forced into a long trip overland because of the recent flying ban, a decision which did not please boss Rafa Benitez.

But the under-pressure Spaniard, who is without star striker Fernando Torres following knee surgery, must put the disruption behind him as he looks for his side to score what could be a crucial away goal.

Benitez admitted: “My dream is that on Thursday we can settle the tie, but I’m aware that the tie will be decided at Anfield.

“It’s going to be a very difficult and complicated tie. Both teams will play with caution but they will also try to score goals to win the game.”

Torres is joined on the sidelines by defenders Fabio Aurelio, Emiliano Insua (both thigh), Martin Skrtel (foot) and Martin Kelly (knee) so centre-half Daniel Agger will continue as a makeshift left-back.

Forward Ryan Babel is available again in Europe after a one-match suspension for his sending off in the first leg in the last round of the competition.

Atletico will be without Argentina striker Sergio Aguero as he is forced to serve a ban.

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D-Day looms for Ribery

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Franck RiberyBayern Munich winger Franck Ribery will discover next Wednesday whether he will miss out on a potential appearance in the Champions League final should the Bavarians make it to Madrid for the showpiece next month (Bayern Munich 5/2 Outright Winner).

The 27-year-old was sent off during the 1-0 win over Lyon in the first leg of their semi-final for a heavy challenge on visiting striker Lisandro.

However, numerical parity was soon restored when Ribery’s France team-mate, Jeremy Toulalan, who was playing as an emergency central defender, got himself dismissed after picking up two yellow cards early in the second half at the Allianz Arena.

Former Chelsea and Real Madrid star Arjen Robben scored the only goal of the game as the French side turned in a poor performance away from home.

Ribery will definitely miss the return at the Stade Gerland on Tuesday while his availability for the final against either Inter Milan (4/6 To Qualify) or holders Barcelona (11/10) is in the balance, with a disciplinary panel set to meet in six days to decide if his automatic one-game ban should be extended.

Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has already called for Ribery’s punishment to fit his crime.

He said: “It’s unfortunate that the referee gave a red card.

“But we cannot change it and we have got to accept it and hope that UEFA are not too harsh on him so that he could be in final and that the ban reflects the incident.”

Match-winner Robben, who reacted badly to being substituted late on during the first leg, is warning his team-mates that they still have work to do in the second leg.

He said: “Nothing is decided yet. Perhaps we have a slight advantage but we have a difficult match ahead in Lyon.”

Lyon were badly out of sorts up front on the night but captain Cris has refused to blame the road trip to Germany for the result following the flight chaos this week.

The Brazilian central defender told rmc.fr: “There was a good atmosphere in the stadium. It was still a semi-final of the Champions League.

“Many players do not have the chance to play this kind of meeting. We should enjoy it.”

However, Cris also admitted: “Throughout the game, it was not good, really.

“In the second half, we went back a little too quiet. We did not take advantage of our superiority (following Ribery’s 37th-minute red card).

“We tried to play. We knew they were putting on pressure and trying to score right away. We tried to cope but it was complicated.”

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