Tag Archives: reveals

Redknapp reveals City snub

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Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has effectively ruled Manchester City out of the Premier League title race this season (City 13/2 – 2010/11 Premier League Outright).

The Spurs chief saw his side held to a goalless draw at White Hart Lane by the Blues in the first game of the campaign and he is not convinced they have enough about them to finish above Manchester United (9/4) or reigning champions Chelsea (6/4f).

City’s mega investment since the takeover of the Abu Dhabi United Group has seen them lavish money on their squad with big-name players like Robinho, Emmanuel Adebayor, Shay Given, Nigel de Jong and Gareth Barry just some of the arrivals under Mark Hughes and Roberto Mancini.

But, according to Redknapp, it is not enough for City to be classed as credible title candidates at this moment in time.

“I wouldn’t tip City from what I’ve seen,” said Redknapp. “I wouldn’t say they’ll win the championship.They have a long way to go. Chelsea are a team, Man United are a team.

“They are fantastic teams with people who have been there, done it all and won everything, Champions League winners.

“So I wouldn’t see City finishing above them.”

Spurs’ season continues with a trip to Switzerland for the first leg of the Champions League play-off round against Young Boys on Tuesday night.

Redknapp has been quiet during the summer transfer window in terms of signing players as he looks to get into the Champions League before adding to his squad.

If successful, Spurs will be able to be more ambitious with their targets although they have again been told not to bother bidding for West Ham captain Scott Parker.

Hammers co-owner David Sullivan told the Daily Mail: “I made a promise that I will not sell Scott and I will not, for any amount of money, break that promise to West Ham supporters.

“This is a new era. We are building a bigger, better West Ham and when we make a promise, we honour it.”

The Hammers entertain Bolton on Saturday looking to bounce back from their opening-day mauling at managerless Aston Villa (West Ham 1/7 – To Stay Up).

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Oyston reveals Prem doubts

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Blackpool chairman Karl Oyston has reiterated his desire to walk away from football after becoming disillusioned with the way business is conducted in the Premier League (Blackpool 9/4 – To Stay Up).

The Seasiders’ faithful may be walking in a top-flight wonderland but the same cannot be said for Oyston who has taken a swipe at agents.

He told the Independent: “I expected the landscape to be different. I expected the way people behaved to be different and I have been very disappointed in the way some agents have conducted themselves.

“My offer to step down is still there.

“I have told the board that, and I am very serious because I am not sure I have got the right approach for this division and the more I talk to other Premier League clubs the more I realise I am a lone voice.

“There was some accord with the things I said in the Championship but there does not appear to be any in this division.”

If he does get his wish then boss Ian Holloway will have to deal with somebody else as he looks to sign the players he feels he still must add to his squad.

Blackpool picked up three early points in their first-ever Premier League game after beating Wigan 4-0 at the DW Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Many pundits did not give Holloway’s men a chance of staying up before the big kick-off but they laid down a marker, although there is still a long way to go this season.

The former Bristol Rovers, QPR, Plymouth and Leicester manager has waited patiently for his chance in the top flight and he is not about to go back down without a fight (125/1 – Top 6 Finish).

Holloway’s faith in former Aston Villa hitman Marlon Harewood was instantly rewarded against Latics by two goals, with fellow new boys Craig Cathcart, Elliot Grandin and Ludovic Sylvestre all playing their part as well.

“We’ve just been catapulted into this and I have to say it’s just mad,” Holloway told The Sun.

“It’s like being in Big Brother.

“I need a few more players but they’re all so expensive – it’s a shock.

“But hopefully my chairman will now be more confident in who I’m telling him to bring in after that performance.”

Whether or not that chairman is Karl Oyston remains to be seen.

Blackpool are odds-on (1/3) to drop straight back down into the Championship at the end of the season.

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Lennon reveals Bellamy talks

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Celtic boss Neil Lennon admits Aiden McGeady’s switch to Spartak Moscow will leave a massive hole in his squad, although he is in talks with Manchester City over Craig Bellamy (Celtic 8/11f – SPL Outright).

The new Bhoys chief is desperate to wrestle the SPL crown back from Old Firm rivals Rangers (11/10) this season, but he will have to do it without the winger on board.

Republic of Ireland star McGeady has moved to the Russian capital for a fee of £9.5m which should allow Lennon to draft in some replacements for the 24-year-old, with Bellamy wanted on loan.

The Wales international has been left out of City’s 25-man squad for the Premier League although Spurs are thought to be in the chase for him as well.

But Lennon still believes the loss of McGeady will be a big blow to loyal Hoops supporters.

He said: “I’m sorry to lose him, he is one of the entertainers in the game.

“We’ll probably miss out on his peak years but he came to us and said that he felt at the end of the season it would be better for him to move on.

“It’s difficult to stand in the way of someone who doesn’t want to be here.”

Lennon is hoping Bellamy’s relationship with the Celtic fans will help him land his man.

He added: “When you see someone of the calibre of Craig and the fact that he’s not in the 25 and he’s looking to go out and play football, then we feel it’s something that we can’t try and miss out on.

“We’ve been speaking to his representatives and we’ve been speaking to Man City.

“How far down the line we are will be down to Craig obviously.

“But the advantage we have is that, one, it’s not in the Premier League and, two, he has been here before and he enjoyed his time here and made a huge impact on the game up here and has a real connection with the supporters.”

Celtic kick off their Scottish Premier League campaign at Inverness on Saturday (Inverness 7/1, draw 16/5, Celtic 2/5 – 90 minutes).

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Walcott reveals World Cup woe

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Arsenal (7/1 to win the Premier League) winger Theo Walcott has revealed that he cried after Fabio Capello gave him the shock news that he would not go to the World Cup in South Africa.

The former Southampton youngster looked like he was set to make the 23-man squad that went to the biggest tournament in the world after featuring in all England’s pre-tournament friendly games.

However Walcott was the surprise omission from the side as seven players were cut from the initial 30-man squad picked by Capello.

The Italian manager decided to take midfielders Shaun Wright-Phillips, Joe Cole and James Milner who all featured in the Three Lions tournament which ultimately ended in disappointment.

After drawing their opening two games of the competition against the USA and Algeria they scrapped past Slovenia, only to be thrashed 4-1 in the knockout stage against old rivals Germany.

Walcott will have watched on as England under-achieved in South Africa and has recently explained how he received the news that he would not play in the tournament.

He said: “He (Capello) just said, ‘I’m sorry. I’m not going to bring you to South Africa, but I’ll see you in 2012 for the Euros.

“I didn’t know what to say at all. He said, ‘have a good break and good luck. I’ll see you soon’. I wished him all the best.

“There are always disappointments in football, this was my biggest one yet.

“Actually, I did have a tear to be fair with my cousin and my mate,? he added.

The 21-year-old only started 12 Premier League games for the Gunners (7/1 to win the FA Cup) last season as he struggled to hit top form after recovering from injury.

Walcott was just finding a regular place in the side before the end of the regular season when Capello was deciding who to take to the World Cup.

However it seemed to be too soon for Walcott who believes he stands in a better position now after fully recovering from injury.

He said: “The full pre-season will definitely help. It was an on-off season last season and it’s difficult to come back from that. I would just get back and I’d get another injury.

“This year I’m just going to get out there and show people what I can do. It’s all I can do really.”

Walcott has been left out of the England under-21 squad which suggests Capello already has the paceman in his plans for the qualification matches for the 2012 European Championships.

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Casillas reveals nerves

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Spain captain Iker Casillas has admitted that his side have struggled with nerves throughout the World Cup Finals ahead of Sunday’s final (Spain 8/15 to win).

The Euro 2008 champions – who face Holland in the final to be played at Soccer City in Johannesburg – have come under fire in the tournament and have not always been at their thrilling best. Now, Casillas readily admits that the pressure of being one of the favourites has affected them.

“We’ve felt a bit anxious all the way through the tournament, even the early matches,” said the Real Madrid keeper.

“This is a very important match – the most important of our careers – and we do feel nervous.”

La Roja began the tournament as one of the favourites but lost their first group match 1-0 to Switzerland before recovering with victories over Honduras and Chile to qualify for the knock out rounds.

They have continued to progress through the finals with single goal victories over Portugal, Paraguay and Germany but have struggled to reach the heights that have seen them lose only three times in 50 games.

In contrast, the Dutch, who have been accused of being pragmatic, have been involved in a number of high scoring games.

Spain coach Vicente del Bosque heads into the match with a number of selection dilemmas, with the main issue being whether Liverpool striker Fernando Torres starts up front with David Villa switching to the wing.

Torres (7/4 to score in the final) was dropped for the semi in favour of Barcelona wide man Pedro who impressed. However, the veteran coach was reluctant to reveal what his starting line-up will be but said he was confident in whatever side he settles on and wasn’t afraid to change tactics if he needed to.

“We’ve got a team filled with many possibilities – Plan A, plan B and other distinct solutions,” said the former Real Madrid coach.

Del Bosque also revealed that he hadn’t made any specific plays to counter the threat of Holland playmaker Wesley Sneijder, who has scored five goals in the tournament so far and has been described by team mate Arjen Robben as “the best player in the world over the last 12 months.”

However del Bosque insists that he’s not making any special plans to take care of the Inter player and was confident his midfielders would be able to deal with the threat the Dutchman poses.

“An anti-Sneijder plan? No,” said del Bosque. “Teams nearly always have a player like this that drifts between the lines and that is difficult to mark. We have midfield players who are used to marking these types of players.”

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Del Bosque reveals Torres hook

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Spain boss Vicente del Bosque has given striker Fernando Torres a clean bill of health following his substitution on the hour mark during the 2-1 win over Chile (Spain 5/6, draw 9/4, Portugal 10/3 – match betting).

The Liverpool ace has struggled with groin and knee problems over recent months which hampered his progress with the Reds last term.

The former Atletico Madrid hitman has looked a poor imitation of himself at the World Cup so far, with strike partner David Villa taking centre stage with three goals including the opener against the Chileans (Villa 15/8 to win the Golden Boot).

But Torres, according to del Bosque, only came off as a precaution with a muscle strain.

The 59-year-old said: “He felt a spot of muscular bother, nothing to do with his knee injury.”

Spain now move on to the knockout stage where Portugal lie in wait, with a quarter-final against either Paraguay or Japan the reward for the winners (Portugal 22/1 World Cup Outright).

However, del Bosque, who saw his side get off to a losing start in South Africa against Switzerland, is refusing to get carried away as he looks to add the world title to Spain’s European Championship success of two years ago.

Del Bosque said: “There’s a lot of pressure in the World Cup.

“We know what people expect in Spain and we’re trying to give our all. Let’s see what we achieve.

“We have reacted to a very difficult situation and have done well.

“We know there are no easy games. We want to do well.”

Portugal sealed their passage into the last 16 with a draw against tournament favourites Brazil on Friday afternoon and defender Ricardo Carvalho is delighted to have progressed from the so-called ‘Group of Death’ ahead of Ivory Coast.

The Chelsea star said: “We knew it’d be a tight match, without many chances.

“It was a very tense match and that didn’t really surprise us, because Brazil and Portugal play in a very similar way and have a lot in common.

“We tried to attack them when we could but, at the end of the day, it?s a good result.”

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Cole reveals World Cup focus

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England midfielder Joe Cole says he will put to one side issues surrounding his club future and concentrate fully on World Cup duty over the next month (England 3/1 – to be top European team).

Chelsea announced on Wednesday that Cole would be leaving Stamford Bridge during the summer, but the player says his future in his agent’s hands.

He is looking forward to the World Cup, and says: “That’s all that is in my mind now.”

Cole added: “I’ve worked hard to be here and I’m leaving all the rest of it to my agent… It’s been going on for a while, but that is a story for another day. Right now, I am just happy to be here. And if I play it will be fantastic.”

The midfielder failed to hold down a regular place for Chelsea, England’s double-winning club champions and cup-holders, during an injury-hit season (13/8 Chelsea – Premier League outright 2010-11).

He underwent surgery on a knee last year and after months of recovery work found it difficult to regain a starting position for Chelsea. But he said he never accepted that his international future was bleak.

“No, I never feared my England days were over,” he told reporters. “I am very confident in my ability, but it was tough for the manager to pick me when I wasn’t playing regularly, rightly or wrongly, at club level.

“Yes, for this tournament I knew I might not make it, but not that it (international career) was over. Now, there is a chance I could be playing against America and for me that is fantastic.

“Now I am back to my best and want to show it at this World Cup and play better than I did at the last one.”

Cole said England coach Fabio Capello, in contrast to his predecessors, kept the players on their toes with his training, selection and discipline.

“The great thing with this squad now, which is different to the whole of my England career, is that you don’t know who this manager is going to pick,” he said.

“This is good and, in my experience, from club level, I’ve always found when that is the case, and players are not picked on reputation, but on form, fitness and temperament, these are the things that get a better team ethic and the team gels together.”

He added: “Fabio Capello is the best manager I have worked with for England.

“I put him alongside (Jose) Mourinho as one of the two best managers I have worked with. He has an aura.

“He knows his way round a football pitch, his tactical knowledge goes without saying and his preparation is spot-on. You don’t want to let him down.”

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Rooney reveals Premier regrets

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Wayne RooneyWayne Rooney claims Manchester United can point to seven Premier League defeats this season if they fail to clinch a fourth straight title from under the noses of Chelsea (United 7/1, Cheslea 1/12 – Premier League Outright).

The United and England frontman is set to be fit to face Stoke on Sunday as United need to win (United 1/9, Stoke 16/1, draw 7/1 – 90 Minutes) and hope that Wigan prevent Chelsea from picking up three points in their final game of the season at Stamford Bridge (Chelsea 1/10, Wigan 20/1, draw 7/1 – 90 Minutes).

However, Rooney acknowledges that a favourable outcome for Sir Alex Ferguson’s side is a tall order, while suggesting that they have not been ruthless enough throughout the course of the league season.

“If we could have stayed more consistent and not lost so many games we would have won the league but we’ve lost too many games,” he told The Sun.

“We shouldn’t be losing seven games at this club.”

United did lift the Carling Cup at Wembley in March, but Rooney has also been left frustrated by their FA Cup exit at the hands of Leeds United and Champions League elimination on away goals to Bayern Munich.

Rooney added: “The FA Cup defeat to Leeds was not good enough. As for the Champions League, we were a bit unlucky considering the way we started against Bayern.

“I couldn’t see us losing that tie. But we went out on away goals and it was hard to take.”

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Benitez reveals new Torres fears

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Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has admitted that Fernando Torres might miss their push to snatch the fourth Champions League spot in the Premier League (Liverpool 22/1 Top Four Finish) because he could need another knee operation.

The Spanish hitman’s plan to get the joint checked out by a specialist in his homeland on Friday hit the buffers when the volcanic ash cloud hanging over the British Isles resulted in the flight being cancelled.

Therefore Benitez revealed that the club cannot risk playing Torres until they get the green light from a medical expert as they do not want to cause any long-term damage to the knee which was only operated on in January.

Torres was always going to miss the Reds’ must-win Premier League clash against struggling West Ham at Anfield on Monday night (Liverpool 1/3, West Ham 9/1, draw 18/5 Match Betting).

However this fresh delay could now mean Torres will miss Thursday’s Europa League semi-final first leg against his former club Atletico Madrid (Atletico Madrid 5/4, Liverpool 7/4,  draw 9/4  Match Betting) if the clash can go-ahead with flights still being cancelled in and out of the UK.

If the delay goes on Torres could even miss the rest of the season and if surgery is required then his involvement in the World Cup with Spain (4/1 World Cup Outright) could also be scuppered.

Benitez told the News of the World: “I don’t know.

“He feels good and says the knee is fine, but we need the opinion of the specialist.

“He was supposed to see the specialist on Friday, but because of the cancelled flights there was a problem.”

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