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Grant still optimistic

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Avram Grant is confident that West Ham can turn their season around and feels their performances do not justify their current place in the Premier League (West Ham 11/8 to be relegated).

The Hammers are currently bottom of the Premier League, having taken just one point from their opening five games, with a 1-1 draw at Stoke last time out.

The East Enders began their season with a 3-0 defeat at Aston Villa before Bolton took all three points with a 3-1 victory at Upton Park.

A 3-0 defeat away to Manchester United followed while league-leading Chelsea then secured a 3-1 victory over the Irons.

Scott Parker scored in the 32nd minute to give West Ham the goal they needed to secure their first point of the season at the Britannia Stadium last weekend and they followed that up by beating Sunderland 2-1 at the Stadium of Light to continue their progress in the Carling Cup.

Despite the club’s current predicament, the manager remains upbeat about his side’s prospects this term and feels that the way they have played at times this season is not reflected in their current league position.

“I am very optimistic about the future of this club. We know what we are doing, we have a vision about this club and I am optimistic about it,” he told the East London Advertiser.

“If you have seen our games, this is not the place for us. but we need to take points. We have a long, long season. I think it will be very hard, but it will be possible. But it is very frustrating when we play so well but don’t take three points.”

Grant will welcome Harry Redknapp’s Tottenham to east London on Saturday, with Spurs currently in fifth place in the table after an up-and-down start to their campaign (West Ham 13/5 – 90 minutes).

The Israeli coach will take heart from the fact that Wigan took all three points from the north Londoners just four weeks ago and Arsenal’s young side beat them 4-1 in the Carling Cup on Wednesday night.

Both Victor Obinna and Frederic Piquionne opened their scoring accounts on Tuesday against the Black Cats and Grant was impressed by what he saw from one to 11 in the north east.

“They worked very hard, they moved very well and they played well together – but all the team behind them played well,” he added.

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Poulsen still adapting to Liverpool life

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Summer signing Christian Poulsen has admitted it will take him a while to settle into life at Liverpool and adapt to the hectic pace of the Premier League (6/4 – top-4 finish).

The Denmark international joined from Juventus before the transfer window closed and the midfielder featured from the start against West Brom last Sunday in what was his first full league appearance for the Reds.

It was also the first time he had started a game alongside star duo Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres and the experienced former FC Copenhagen player admitted it could take him a bit longer to gel with his team-mates.

“I feel comfortable here. The match against West Brom was the first game with Fernando and the captain so you have to learn how they want the ball,” said Poulsen.

“Fernando is a strong player and can do things at speed and can do things one against one.

“You also feel Steven and Fernando have a good eye for each other and you saw that against West Brom – I hope it will get even better.”

Poulsen did play in the two-legged Europa League play-off win over Trabzonspor and, after a busy summer with Denmark at the World Cup, he admits he is still scratching around for his full fitness and match sharpness (Liverpool 7/2 – to win a major trophy this season).

“When I came here I had not played since the World Cup so I feel I need some time to get into the rhythm,” added the 30-year-old.

“But last Thursday (in the second leg against Trabzonspor) I did better than in the first game.

“We have a lot of games so with Javier Mascherano and Alberto Aquilani leaving we need quality players for the team because for the next six months we will have a game every four days.

“I hope after the international break we can come strong again and pick up a lot of points up in the coming months.”

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Players still behind Capello – Barry

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Gareth Barry insists the England players (1/12 to qualify for Euro 2012) still believe in Fabio Capello, as the squad go into their Euro 2012 qualifying campaign.

An appalling showing at the World Cup this summer led to many fans and pundits calling for a change at the top.

But Capello, who signed a new deal before the tournament in South Africa, insists he can lead the Three Lions to success and remains intent on reaching the European Championships.

England start their qualifying campaign with a home clash against Bulgaria (England 3/10, Bulgaria 8/1, Draw 10/3 – Match Betting) this Friday, before facing a trip to Switzerland next Tuesday, September 7.

Despite the struggles in South Africa and the major changes made to the squad since then, Barry feels the manager has the full support of the dressing room.

The Manchester City midfielder said: “Everyone is right behind the manager. I firmly believe the players and manager can go on and do great things. He is still the man to take England forward.”

Even though a number of the World Cup squad look to have had their England careers brought to an end, Barry (9/2 to score at anytime v Bulgaria) says nothing has changed in the manager’s demeanour.

The former Aston Villa man added: “He still wants us to play at a high tempo but the whole squad is pretty relaxed. Everything is pretty chilled there so there are not too many changes.”

Capello, though, will be without several key players through injury for the two upcoming fixtures.

Frank Lampard, John Terry, Rio Ferdinand and Bobby Zamora are already absent, and now Peter Crouch has been forced to withdraw.

The Tottenham striker misses out with a back injury, while Capello also has concerns over the fitness of Ben Foster (knee), Scott Carson (back) and Phil Jagielka (ankle).

All three players sat out Tuesday’s training session but the word from the camp is that the trio should be fit for Friday’s game at Wembley (5/4 both teams to score).

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Gerrard still upbeat over Capello’s England

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England captain Steven GerrardSteven Gerrard believes England (9/1 to win Euro 2012) can go forward under Fabio Capello, despite their major disappointment at this summer’s World Cup.

Having gone to South Africa as one of the tournament favourites, the Three Lions failed to live up to expectations and crashed out to Germany in the second round.

Capello has made radical changes to the squad for this week’s friendly against Hungary (England 2/7, Draw 4/1, Hungary 11/1 – Match Betting), with a whole host of new faces and younger players being given their chance.

The squad has already seen a number of withdrawals though, with Wes Brown and Paul Robinson announcing their international retirements. This has again put the manager’s position under question.

Responding to the duo’s decisions, Capello stated: “You have to accept what they want to do. I think it’s an honour to be with the national team and to play for England.”

Despite these setbacks, skipper Gerrard believes the Italian still remains the right man for the job and that the players in the squad remain determined to be successful with the national team.

The Liverpool midfielder said: “He (Capello) is a fantastic manager and I still have the utmost confidence in him.”

Gerrard (11/8 to score at anytime v Hungary) accepts that England are likely to be given a ‘mixed reception’ by the home fans on Wednesday, admitting that he would boo the players if he was sat in the stands as a fan.

He added: “We have to take it on the chin. We deserve it. We let them down in the summer.”

Meanwhile, Sunderland striker Darren Bent (20/1 to be 2010/2011 Premier League Top Goalscorer) has pulled out of the squad to face Hungary at Wembley due to injury.

Bent, who missed out on a place at the World Cup, is struggling with a back problem, which forced him to sit out Monday’s training session.

The 26-year-old’s absence means Wayne Rooney is now likely to be partnered by either Carlton Cole of West Ham or Fulham’s Bobby Zamora.

Bent, who scored 24 Premier League goals last season, has been sent back to his club and is a doubt for Sunderland’s opening game with Birmingham on Saturday.

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Bayern still on track for historic treble

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Bayern Munich coach Louis van GaalBayern Munich are still on course to win the Treble after defeating Werder Bremen 4-0 to win the German Cup (Bayern 7/5 to win the Champions League).

An Arjen Robben penalty gave Bayern the lead against the cup holders, before goals from Ivica Olic, Franck Ribery and Bastian Schweinsteiger completed the rout.

Following the win, Bayern coach Louis van Gaal shot a warning to Jose Mourinho, ahead of the Champions League final: “We produced an impressive performance against a very good team, it was perhaps one of our best games of the season.

“Our victory was well deserved. On Wednesday we will start our preparations for the Champions League final.

“Jose Mourihno will have to have seen that we can produce some good football.”

The 4-0 win marked the 15th occasion that Bayern have won the German Cup and their eighth domestic Double.

Bayern have never won the Treble of domestic league and cup along with the Champions League, and could face an Inter side that might also be able to claim the unique honour (90 minutes betting Bayern 23/10 Draw 9/4 Inter 6/5) .

Jose Mourinho’s team won the Italian Cup with a victory over Roma and could complete a domestic Double by winning Serie A later today. Twice champions of Europe, Inter Milan have also never won a Treble.

Only five teams in history have swept the board in such a manner. Celtic were the first team to achieve the distinction in 1976 and have been followed by Ajax in 1972, PSV Eindhoven in 1988, Manchester United in 1999 and Barcelona in 2009.

There is also a personal honour at stake for Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho. Whoever is victorious will join Ernst Happel and Ottmar Hitzfeld as the only managers to become champions of Europe with two different clubs.

Happel was the first coach to have done this, having won the European Cup with Feyenoord in 1970 and Hamburg in 1983. Hitzfeld followed him with wins for Borussia Dortmund in 1997 and Bayern Munich in 2001.

Louis van Gaal first won the Champions League as manager of Ajax in 1995, while Jose Mourinho won the trophy in 2004 with Porto.

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