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'It's very interesting' - Wenger predicts tight end to title race
By Harry Sherlock
Mar 17, 2014 3:17:00 PM
The Frenchman was impressed with his side's victory over Tottenham and believes the result blew the battle for the Premier League wide open
Arsene Wenger believes Arsenal made the title race “very interesting” by defeating Tottenham on Sunday.
An early goal from Tomas Rosicky gave the Gunners a narrow 1-0 win at White Hart Lane and kept them level on points with second-placed Liverpool, who thumped Manchester United 3-0 at Old Trafford.
The results mean the two sides sit four points behind the Blues with a game in hand each – while Manchester City lurk in fourth with three games in hand on the leaders – and Wenger is sure the race for the trophy will go to the wire.
"We wanted to get back in the race and the defeat of Chelsea, the win of Liverpool and of Man City away makes the final sprint very interesting,” he told Arsenal's official website. "It put us back in a good position.
“It's not in our hands because even if we win our game in hand we are still a point behind but if we continue to win our games that will of course be very important. Then it is in our hands.
“Then it's just focus, recover, focus and try to win the next game."
Arsenal needed to be at their best to win at White Hart Lane, with a spirited Spurs intent on victory, and Wenger was impressed by the focus his defenders displayed during the game.
"It's a very good day for us because we were under pressure to win this game and we won it," he added.
"The pressure of Tottenham was great but we absorbed it well with a great focus, great performance from our defenders and on the break we always looked dangerous.
"But we couldn't finish the game off. So we needed zero mistakes at the back and did that in a very convincing way.”
After his side's 3-0 loss to Liverpool, the Scot admitted he is finding life tough at Old Trafford, while also questioning some of referee Mark Clattenburg's decisions
Manchester United manager David Moyes has admitted that the United job is harder than he expected.
Steven Gerrard scored twice from the spot as Liverpool beat Man United 3-0 at Old Trafford on Sunday - and Moyes revealed after the game that he is finding his job difficult.
"I think the job was always going to be hard. Harder? Yeah, I would say so." he told reporters.
United saw Nemanja Vidic sent off for the foul that led to Liverpool's third penalty, which Gerrard missed, and 50-year-old Moyes questioned some of referee Mark Clattenburg's decisions.
"It was a game littered with penalty kicks and decisions - some were right and some were wrong," Moyes told Sky Sports.
"To give away one penalty 20 seconds into the second half made it an upward climb.
"They played better than us. Some decisions went for them and on some occasions they earned it but on others they didn't.
"I think that's just the way things are; it's best we don't talk about it."
Moyes was particularly aggrieved by United being denied a penalty when Glen Johnson appeared to handle in the area.
The United boss continued: "I thought it hits his hand, it's not a lot different from (the penalty given against) Rafael.
"I think Liverpool played well but in the first half there wasn't a great deal in it."
Despite suffering another setback in a disappointing first season in charge at Old Trafford, Moyes has refused to concede defeat in the chase for Champions League qualification."We'll fight to the end, [Champions League qualification] will be tough but we'll see what we can do," he added.
The Ivorian left Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2012 having won the club's first Champions League trophy and his former manager believes he will come back in the future
Jose Mourinho believes Didier Drogba will return to Chelsea one day as the Ivorian prepares to take on his former club with Galatasaray on Tuesday evening.
Drogba will take the field at Stamford Bridge for the first time since leaving the Blues in the summer of 2012, immediately after scoring the winning penalty to clinch the club's first Champions League triumph.
The Ivorian's feats have established him as one of Chelsea's greatest ever players, and Mourinho thinks he will return to the club in some capacity in the future.
When asked whether he could see Drogba coming back, the Portuguese told reporters: "That's not for me [to decide]. That's for Chelsea [to decide]. I think it has to happen one day.
"When? I don't know. As a player, as a coach, as an ambassador? Next year, in four to five years, in 10 years? I don't know. But when a person represents so much to a club and when a club represents so much to a person I think he has to be welcomed back.
"Undoubtedly he's one of the most important players of the history of this club. That's not a doubt.
"All Chelsea supporters agree with that. We don't say the most important one because that's not fair for other people that was in the same level and in the same generation.
"Is he the same player at 36 than he was at 26? I think nobody is but he is one of the best strikers in the world. That's for sure."
FA committee rejects proposed 'Hull Tigers' name change
By Matthew Scott
Mar 17, 2014 11:31:00 PM
Club chairman Aseem Allam is keen to change the club's name from Hull City but has been dealt a blow by English football's governing body.
The FA membership committee have advised against Hull City changing their name to Hull Tigers, putting the proposal in serious doubt.
Hull's owners, the Allam family, formally applied to alter the moniker in December after club chairman Assem Allam branded the City suffix "lousy" and "common".
The move has been met with derision from sections of the club's fans - who set up a campaign group named 'City Till We Die' to rally against the change - though Allam has claimed the switch would help Hull become financially self-sufficient.
Egyptian-born Allam, who made his fortune in marine generators after moving to Hull in the 1960s, has previously said he will happily sell the club if his proposal is rejected.
And that vow looks likely to be tested with the membership committee recommending that the FA council throw out any attempted change when they rule on the matter on April 9 - three days before Hull compete in their first FA Cup semi-final in 84 years against Sheffield United at Wembley.
An FA statement read: "Hull City are able to make a further submission to The FA Council in view of the written reasons, which they have received, before the 9 April meeting.
"A final decision will be made at that meeting."
Hull confirmed last week that they will ballot season ticket holders on their opinions over the name change.
The results could form a basis of the club's attempts to convince the FA council to go against their membership committee's recommendation.
Despite the off-field tension, Steve Bruce's side currently sit five points clear of the Premier League relegation zone with nine games to play this season.
Under-fire Moyes holds Manchester United crisis talks
Mar 17, 2014 9:21:00 PM
The beleaguered Scot spent Monday locked away with his backroom team following the Premier League champions' humiliating defeat to fierce rivals Liverpool at Old Trafford
EXCLUSIVE
By Paul Clennam
David Moyes spent Monday locked in crisis talks with his backroom team as the pressure mounts on the under-fire Manchester United manager, Goal understands.
Moyes' standing reached a new low on Sunday after the champions were humiliated by Liverpool at Old Trafford. Two penalties from Steven Gerrard and a late Luis Suarez strike condemned United to their ninth loss of the league campaign and left them a staggering 14 points adrift of fourth placed Manchester City, who have two games in hand, and Champions League qualification.
Moyes responded to this latest setback by holding crunch talks with members of his coaching team at the club’s Carrington base on Monday, hoping to create a siege mentality and mastermind a Champions League comeback against Olympiakos.
The United boss has presided over a wretched season that has seen his side go out of both domestic cup competitions against teams currently among the bottom six in the top flight, while United’s league campaign is now restricted to scrapping with his old club for a Europa League place.
The Scot has spent close to £65 million on two new players, Marouane Fellaini and Juan Mata, both of whom have struggled to make any sort of positive impression since moving to Old Trafford.
Indeed, both expensive signings failed to complete the 90 minutes against Liverpool, after which Moyes admitted he was finding the job of succeeding Sir Alex Ferguson “harder” than he had anticipated.
The fixture list, however, does not afford Moyes any semblance of respite. After United host Olympiakos on Wednesday they then travel to West Ham on Saturday evening before the Manchester derby against City the following Wednesday.
The Scot maintains his future has not changed despite the club's 3-0 defeat at home to Liverpool on Sunday and insists his players are capable of playing much better.
David Moyes believes his Manchester United players 'know they can perform better' as the club prepare for their crucial Champions League clash against Olympiakos.
The Premier League champions must overturn a 2-0 defeat on Wednesday evening at Old Trafford in order to reach the quarter-finals of the competition, but head into the fixture on the back of a 3-0 loss at home to Liverpool.
"I see the players every day. The qualities they show me - I think they know they can play better. I don’t think any of them are questioning that," Moyes told reporters.
"I’ve got belief in the players. I can see what they can do.
"I agree we’ve not showed it as often as we’d like, we’ll try and make that happen tomorrow night."
On Tuesday it was revealed that Moyes had been locked in crisis talks with his backroom team following United's defeat to Liverpool, which has left the club 12 points behind fourth placed Manchester City in the Premier League.
But the United boss insists his has "big plans" for the team and maintains he is not a short-term appointment.
"My future has not changed one bit," said Moyes.
"I’ve got a great job. I know exactly the direction I want to go in. It’s not been the season we’d hoped we would have at this present time.
"But I’ve got ideas what I want to do and put in place when the time’s right.
"The most important thing is to get the Olympiakos game played. Hopefully get through that competition. If we can it’ll be a massive lift for us.
"We know we’ve got ourselves in a poor position being 2-0 down and we’ve got to try and make it show and play well in the game."
"The biggest assurance is that they let me get on with the job. We make big plans for years going forward, that’s why they gave me a six-year contract. This club is not a club that works on short-term vision. It works on a long-term vision."
Act quickly on new Rodgers contract, Gerrard warns Liverpool owners
By Liam Twomey
Mar 18, 2014 9:22:00 AM
The Northern Irishman has transformed the Reds from Premier League also-rans to title challengers inside 12 months but will enter the final year of his current deal this summer.
Steven Gerrard wants Liverpool's owners to tie down manager Brendan Rodgers to a new contract quickly to stop him being poached by one of Europe's biggest clubs.
Rodgers has transformed the Reds from the country's seventh-best team to potential champions inside 12 months and masterminded a 3-0 humiliation of bitter rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday.
But the Northern Irishman will enter the final year of his current contract this summer and there has already been talk that Barcelona have identified him as a potential successor to the under-pressure Gerardo Martino.
"I am absolutely delighted he is here and I just hope that there is a lot of movement in Boston [from owners Fenway Sports Group] now because they have got to get him signed up as soon as possible," Gerrard told reporters.
"When players are in this situation with a year to go and you want to keep hold of them so desperately then the club reacts really quickly and gets it sorted.
"For me, I think he deserves a very long contract here and he is perfect for this club."
Jose Mourinho will not face any action from the Football Association for his comments about referee Chris Foy.
Wednesday 19th March 2014
The governing body has yet to come to a decision however on whether the Chelsea manager should face further action after he was sent to the stands by Foy towards the end of the match at Aston Villa on Saturday.
Mourinho was strongly critical of Foy's performance following the 1-0 defeat, which also saw Willian and Ramires sent off, and suggested the official should not be appointed for future Chelsea games.
Press Association Sport's understands that Mourinho's post-match comments did not cross the line which would see the Chelsea boss land a misconduct charge.
Mourinho was careful not to question the integrity of Foy after the match, but he may still face action as the FA rule book says managers must not leave the confines of their technical area during the match.
He was sent to the stands after Ramires' red card for a studs-up challenge on Karim El Ahmadi.
Asked about the challenge on Monday, Mourinho said: "Don't you have other things to ask about that game more important than Ramires' tackle on minute 92?
"I don't want to answer, because I feel that what happened on minute 92 was a consequence of the other 92 minutes that we played before that.
"I'm sorry if I'm wrong or if you don't agree with me, but I think if you want to ask you should ask about what made that tackle happen."
After the match, he had said: "I tried to speak to Mr Foy twice. I tried to speak on the pitch, and I tried in the dressing rooms.
"In the dressing rooms I tried to ask politely, can you give me five seconds? And he refused."
Mourinho's dismissal was his second of the season - he was fined £8,000 by the FA following his touchline dismissal against Cardiff in October.
Hull striker George Boyd has been hit with a Football Association misconduct charge for spitting at Manchester City keeper Joe Hart.
Wednesday 19th March 2014
Boyd has until 6pm on Wednesday to respond to the charge, which relates to an incident which was not seen by referee Lee Mason during the Tigers' 2-0 Barclays Premier League defeat by City at the KC Stadium on Saturday.
An FA statement said: "Hull City's George Boyd has been charged by the FA following his side's game against Manchester City on March 15, 2014.
"The charge is in relation to an alleged breach of FA Rule E1 [a] in that in or around the 68th minute of the game, Boyd spat at Manchester City's Joe Hart. The incident was not seen by the match officials but caught on video.
"Boyd has until 6pm on March 19, 2014 to respond to the charge.
"Under a new pilot project in Premier League matches this season, if an incident has not been seen by the match officials, a three-man panel of former elite referees will be asked by the FA to review it and advise what, if any action, they believe the match referee should have taken had it been witnessed at the time.
"For an FA charge to follow, all three panel members must agree it is a sending-off offence. In this instance, the panel were of the unanimous decision that it was an act of misconduct."
Boyd and Hart became embroiled in a furious exchange after the striker went to ground under the keeper's challenge inside the City area.
Mr Mason waved away his appeals for a penalty as Hart confronted the Tigers man, intimating that he had dived.
The England international was cautioned after the pair clashed heads, but television replays later suggested Boyd had spat during the bust-up.
Hull boss Steve Bruce later defended his player, but the panel of referees decided there was indeed a case to answer.
Hart was booked for his part in the incident and the FA has confirmed that, as the referee saw and dealt with his conduct, he will face no further action.
However Boyd, who was not cautioned at the time, has not been so fortunate and will face a ban should he either plead or be found guilty
Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany will not be punished for his reaction to being sent off at Hull on Saturday.
Wednesday 19th March 2014
Kompany was dismissed for a professional foul on Nikica Jelavic in the 10th minute of City's 2-0 win at the KC Stadium in the Barclays Premier League.
The Belgian reacted angrily to the decision by referee Lee Mason and kicked a wall as he made his way down the tunnel. He also made a gesture towards fourth official Anthony Taylor that could be interpreted as offensive.
It is understood that the FA has since contacted Kompany for his observations and decided, after also studying Mason's report, that no further action will be taken.
That means Kompany will now serve his mandatory one-match suspension for the red card in this weekend's home clash against Fulham and then be eligible for the derby against Manchester United on March 25.
City goalkeeper Joe Hart is also facing no further action over his role in the game's second major flashpoint.
Hart was involved in an angry confrontation with Hull's George Boyd in which the pair clashed foreheads.
As England international Hart was booked by Mason at the time, the FA considers that matter - in line with its own rules - to have been dealt with.
Boyd, however, is facing a misconduct charge after pictures appeared to him spitting in the direction of Hart during the exchange.
The clash occurred after Boyd was denied a penalty by Mason following what he felt was a foul by Hart.
Martinez more tactical than Moyes, says Everton midfielder Barkley
By Chris Davie
Mar 19, 2014 3:54:00 PM
The 20-year-old says both coaches adopt a hands-on approach during training but added that the Spaniard's arrival at Goodison Park has boosted confidence
Everton midfielder Ross Barkley claims that current boss Roberto Martinez is “more tactical” than predecessor David Moyes.
The latter is under pressure to improve Manchester United’s performances following an inconsistent campaign, while Goal reported on Wednesday that Ryan Giggs is being touted as a potential replacement before the season finishes if results fail to improve.
Barkley claims both Moyes and Martinez adopt a hands-on approach during training but believes the Spaniard places more emphasis on tactics - and has therefore boosted the squad's confidence.
"Roberto Martinez has come in and given everyone confidence,” the England international told Match of the Day Magazine.
“He’s a positive man and doesn’t say anything negative. I’m an Evertonian so I want the club to be up at the top end of the table and it’s great to be a part of it.
"He’s similar to David Moyes as they both like to take over the training session and be the main man.
"But Martinez is more tactical. We do a lot more tactical work which is good for me because I’m young and still learning."
Chelsea's manager Jose Mourinho reacts before their Champions League soccer match against Galatasaray at Stamford Bridge in London March 18, 2014. REUTERS/Eddie Keogh
(Reuters) - Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has been charged with improper conduct by the FA following his side's 1-0 Premier League defeat at Aston Villa on Saturday.
Mourinho was sent to the stands by referee Chris Foy for encroaching on the turf after Chelsea's Brazilian midfielder Ramires had been shown a straight red card for a tackle on Aston Villa's Moroccan international Karim El Ahmadi.
"Jose Mourinho has been charged by The FA following his side's game against Aston Villa on Saturday 15 March 2014," the FA said in a statement on Wednesday.
"It is alleged the Chelsea manager's behaviour in re-entering the field of play in or around the 90th minute of the fixture and approaching the match referee amounted to improper conduct."
(Reporting by Tom Hayward; editing by Justin Palmer)
By Martyn Herman
LONDON Thu Mar 20, 2014 3:07am GMT
Arsenal's manager Arsene Wenger takes his seat on the bench before their English Premier League football match against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane in London, March 16, 2014. REUTERS/Eddie Keogh
(Reuters) - Arsene Wenger has the chance to ram Jose Mourinho's words down his throat on Saturday when his Arsenal side travel to Stamford Bridge looking to snatch control of the Premier League title race from Chelsea.
There would be no better way for Wenger to mark his 1,000th game in charge of Arsenal than to ruin Mourinho's unblemished home league record as Chelsea boss after the Portuguese dismissed him as a "specialist in failure" last month.
The mind games in this season's engrossing Premier League title battle have been simmering in the background but it is on the pitch where points are won and lost and the outcome of this Saturday's lunchtime derby could prove pivotal come May 11.
Chelsea appeared to have taken a vice-like grip in the title race until last weekend's controversial 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa and wins for chasers Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City squeezed things up at the top of the table.
Mourinho's side still have a four-point lead over Arsenal and Liverpool, although they both have a game more to play, while fourth-placed City are six points back with three games in hand of Chelsea.
City are at home to bottom club Fulham on Saturday while surging Liverpool will be looking for a sixth consecutive victory when they go to a Cardiff City side fighting for survival.
Wenger branded Mourinho's comments "silly" and "disrespectful" last month after the Portuguese coach had mocked the Frenchman's eight-season trophy drought.
"Am I afraid of failure? He is a specialist in failure. I'm not. So if one supposes he's right and I'm afraid of failure, it's because I don't fail many times," Mourinho said.
Wenger had sparked the exchange when he questioned Mourinho's motives for saying his Chelsea side were "a little horse" in the title race with Manchester City a "jaguar".
Arsenal appeared to be slipping out of contention after back-to-back away league defeats, but a grinding 1-0 win at north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur last weekend put them back in the mix for their first title since 2004 - the year Mourinho arrived in London calling himself the Special One.
Victory at Stamford Bridge, where Mourinho has never lost a league game, would put them within a point of the summit with a game in hand which would be an impressive feat given injuries to Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey, Theo Walcott and Mesut Ozil.
Czech midfielder Tomas Rosicky, whose thunderbolt sealed the points against Spurs, said the result at Chelsea would not necessarily be key to Arsenal's hopes.
"It will be a vital game against Chelsea but still there are so many games to go so we don't know what will happen after that," he told Arsenal's website (www.arsenal.com).
"It can change very, very quickly in two games and, of course, you talk about Chelsea and Man City but you have to talk about Liverpool as well.
"There are four teams there and it is absolutely exciting."
BREEZE PAST
Liverpool are still on a high after their 3-0 victory at outgoing champions Manchester United last week and will be expected to breeze past a Cardiff side that looks like being relegated after only one season in the top flight.
Former defender Jamie Carragher believes his old club Liverpool have as good a chance as any of the teams in the top four to lift the title.
"They certainly have the momentum with them and the biggest compliment you can give (manager) Brendan (Rodgers) is that he has manoeuvred the club into a position to challenge for the title so quickly; Gerard Houllier and Rafa Benitez, for instance, took four seasons to get there," he said.
"Will they do it? They definitely have the right weapons.
"Liverpool look strong whereas you can question their rivals: will Chelsea pay for the lack of a top-class striker? Is Manchester City's defence strong enough? Do Arsenal have the players to produce when it matters?"
City's defence, even without suspended captain Vincent Kompany, should be able to deal with a Fulham side running out of time to escape the relegation zone.
With the top four looking locked down, the teams below them such as Everton, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United are vying for the fifth and sixth places which would mean Europa League commitments next season.
Everton can jump above Tottenham into fifth spot with victory over relegation-threatened Swansea City on Saturday.
Seventh-placed Manchester United will hope to shake off their humbling loss to Liverpool at West Ham United, although they should be buoyed by the 3-0 Champions League win over Olympiakos on Wednesday which sent them into the quarter-finals.
Tottenham, who have an almost impossible job against Benfica in Lisbon on Thursday in trying to overturn a 3-1 Europa League last-16 deficit, host Southampton on Sunday.
Manchester United boss Moyes calms fears over Van Persie injury
By Harry Sherlock
Mar 20, 2014 12:51:00 AM
The striker was a hat-trick hero in Wednesday's Champions League win over Olympiakos but was stretchered off late in the game, though the Scot says that "it doesn't look that bad"
Manchester United striker Robin van Persie was stretchered off in the closing stages of his side's 3-0 win against Olympiakos at Old Trafford, though David Moyes is hopeful that the injury is "not that bad".
The 30-year-old scored a hat-trick on the night – which completed a 3-2 aggregate victory – but was forced off in the final moments of the match, much to the concern of the home bench.
The Red Devils overturned a 2-0 deficit from the first leg to progress to the quarter-finals but the Scot could potentially be without his match-winner for at least their upcoming Premier League games against West Ham and Manchester City.
However, Moyes told Sky Sports after the game: "It doesn't look that bad. I've just gone in to see him just now. He's certainly had a knock in and around the knee area, so we don't know exactly. Could be just [that he took] a knee in the back of his knee.
"Not many people score a hat-trick in Champions League football," he added of the Dutchman's performance, "and it was a great hat-trick as well.
Danny Welbeck and Wayne Rooney also started against the Greek side, who had just clinched their 41st domestic title, and could step into the breach should it be required.
Javier Hernandez has found himself out of the starting line-up in recent weeks, amid links with a summer transfer, but the Mexico international could also be called upon.
The Spain striker has been linked with a return to the Vicente Calderon this summer and has done little to distance himself from those rumours after praising his former team-mate
Fernando Torres has fuelled speculation he could rejoin Atletico Madrid this summer by admitting he would love to work with Diego Simeone.
The Chelsea striker made his name at the Vicente Calderon before moving to Liverpool in 2007. He subsequently joined the Blues three-and-a-half years later for a British record transfer fee of £50million.
His time at Stamford Bridge has been blighted by poor form, however, and he is no longer regarded as a first-choice for club or country.
Goal revealed on Wednesday that Chelsea will listen to offers for Torres at the end of the season and that Atletico were leading the race for his services.
The 30-year-old lined up alongside Simeone when he was a player at Atletico and would relish the chance to work under the Argentine.
He told AS: “I’ve had a lot of admiration for ‘El Cholo’ ever since we were team-mates. He helped me a lot. He taught me how to be a captain; he taught me a lot in the seasons we played together at Atleti.
“I always want to work with people I admire. I admired Rafa Benítez from the outside, and I had the chance to work with him. The same goes for Jose Mourinho or Luis Aragones.
"I’ve been lucky enough to work with people who, when you saw them from the outside, you said: ‘What have they got, what’s their secret, why do all the teams they coach work well…?’
“Simeone is like [Pep] Guardiola or like other coaches, who you’d like to go and see how they coach and learn.”
Asked if he planned to return to the Calderon, he added: “In football, you never know. You don’t know where you’re going to be tomorrow, in a week’s time or in 10 years’ time. How can I answer that question!”
Torres’ primary concern heading into the final few weeks of the season is not where he’ll be playing in August but whether he can make the Spain squad for this summer’s World Cup finals.
“I’m going to work hard; that’s the only thing I know how to do and this final phase of the season is very important,” he said.
“The World Cup is around the corner, and the players who come into it in the best shape are the ones who will go.”
Torres was a member of the Spain side which won the 2008 European Championship and retained it four years later. He also claimed the Golden Boot for tournament top scorer as la Roja landed the World Cup in South Africa in 2010.
“My numbers are there to see,” he said.
“I hope that this final phase of the season goes well for my team. We’re in there in the league and in the next round in the Champions League; it could be a great end of season.
“The more important games you play and the more you fight to win things, the higher the demands are and that’s when I’ve performed the best.”
Manchester United manager David Moyes has been linked with a swoop for the right-back, but the Toffees boss insists he wants him to stay at Goodison Park "for a long, long time"
Everton manager Roberto Martinez has dismissed rumours of a potential swoop for Seamus Coleman by Manchester United.
The right-back has impressed many with his displays this season, chipping in with a number of crucial goals, the latest coming as a last-minute winner over Cardiff as their bid for European football continues.
There had been speculation that former Everton boss David Moyes would bring Coleman to Old Trafford in the close-season, but Martinez brushed aside any reports of contact between the two clubs.
"It must be a different Seamus Coleman because we've never had any talks with anyone," he is quoted as saying by The Liverpool Echo.
"Seamus has had a very good season, we want that to continue and in the next 10 games we want him to carry on with the same levels.
"He's a very, very important player at Everton and we want him to stay here for a long, long time."
Coleman has scored a total of six goals in 26 Premier League outings this season, and has racked up 133 appearances in all competitions since arriving on Merseyside from Sligo Rovers for a reported £60,000 in January 2009.
Manchester United's Robin van Persie leaves the pitch on a stretcher during their Champions League soccer match against Olympiakos at Old Trafford in Manchester, northern England, March 19, 2014. REUTERS/Phil Noble
(Reuters) - Manchester United striker Robin van Persie will be sidelined for up to six weeks after spraining his knee in the midweek Champions League win over Olympiakos Piraeus, the club said on Friday.
The Dutch international is to miss the Premier League derby at home to title-chasing Manchester City on Tuesday and next month's Champions League quarter-final against holders Bayern Munich.
"Robin van Persie has a sprained knee which will keep him out for around four to six weeks," United said on their website (www.manutd.com).
The 30-year-old was injured in the 90th minute of the 3-0 victory over Olympiakos at Old Trafford on Wednesday.
He left the field on a stretcher having scored a hat-trick to give United a 3-2 aggregate win.
The Premier League champions, in seventh place in the table, visit West Ham United on Saturday.
Arsenal's "professeur" proved a pioneer among managers
By Keith Weir
LONDON Fri Mar 21, 2014 6:02pm GMT
Arsenal's manager Arsene Wenger (C) gestures after Bacary Sagna (2nd L) was hit by a ball thrown by Tottenham Hotspur's manager Tim Sherwood (R) during their English Premier League soccer match at White Hart Lane in London, March 16, 2014. REUTERS/Eddie Keogh
(Reuters) - One of Arsene Wenger's first acts on becoming Arsenal manager in 1996 was to ban his tired players from refuelling with chocolate bars on long trips home after away matches.
It was an early sign that the earnest Frenchman swiftly nicknamed "Le Professeur" had plenty to teach seasoned professionals about how they approached the game.
As Wenger prepares for his landmark 1000th match in charge of Arsenal on Saturday, the methods he helped to pioneer in English soccer are now second nature to the current generation of players.
"He changed their way of eating to what was known as the Evian water and broccoli diet!" said David Dein, the former Arsenal vice-chairman who convinced the board to hire his friend Wenger, overcoming their misgivings about giving the job to a relatively unknown foreigner.
"A lot of other English clubs followed that example," Dein added, noting changes Wenger made to training routines that helped to extend the careers of older players.
As well as changing the culture at Arsenal, Wenger also transformed the playing style of a team that had built successes over the previous decade on a rock solid defence.
"He calls it "possession with progression", he loves the team playing along the ground, the passing game," said Dein.
Arsenal fans lapped up the new tactics, especially when Wenger led the team to the Premier League and FA Cup in his first full season in charge.
"He established a rapport with the fans very quickly thanks to winning the double so quickly in 1998," said Tim Payton of fans' group the Arsenal Supporters Trust (AST).
That bond remains strong despite Arsenal's failure to win a trophy since they lifted the FA Cup in 2005 and the team's fluid style means they remain popular with neutral fans.
FRENCH CONNECTION
English soccer was already enjoying a big windfall from television cash when Wenger joined Arsenal from Japanese club Grampus Eight. However, many teams were splashing out on big-name players who were past their peak.
An economics graduate who is fluent in several languages, Wenger used his deep knowledge of the international game to recruit younger players of great potential, a model that many Premier League clubs have since tried to emulate.
He tapped into a rich vein of French talent, bringing in Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry, Emmanuel Petit, Robert Pires and Nicolas Anelka.
Vieira was at the heart of Arsenal's midfield in a team that claimed another Premier League and FA Cup double in 2002 and won the league in 2003-04 without losing a game. Henry, converted from a winger, would become Arsenal's record goal scorer.
A deep thinker in a game where managers often struggle to control their emotions, Wenger has shown an ability to plan for the longer term rather than panic at a few bad results.
"He thinks about his players, their careers, the club's role in society. It's more than just putting an Arsenal team on to the pitch every weekend," said Mike Carson, a business consultant who last year wrote a study of leading soccer managers including Wenger.
"He is a commanding presence thanks to his deep connection to values. He doesn't go in for knee-jerk responses, that's his biggest strength fundamentally."
LEAN YEARS
With the departure last May of Alex Ferguson from Manchester United, Wenger is the longest serving Premier League manager by a huge margin in what has become a revolving door occupation.
However, the last few years have been bitter-sweet for Arsenal and their near namesake manager, who is now 64, and must decide whether to extend a contract that expires this summer.
The team has moved a short distance to the plush, 60,000-seater Emirates Stadium but trophies have proved elusive despite regular qualification for the Champions League.
Now majority-owned by U.S. sports entrepreneur Stan Kroenke, they have struggled to keep pace with big spending new rivals Chelsea and Manchester City, new powers in the English game.
Dein sold his stake in the club in 2007 for 75 million pounds and some fans think that Wenger has found his job tougher without his confidant in the boardroom.
"When Dein was around, there was more influence from the board on football matters and they worked in a partnership," said Payton of the AST. "Since David Dein left he has taken more of that on himself."
Dein, who now gives motivational talks in British schools and prisons, puts talk of an Arsenal decline into perspective.
"The club is in a fantastic state," he said.
"What is his legacy? The stadium, the training ground, the squad, the cash in the bank, the style of play, the global audience," he said.
"It reads pretty well on his CV."
(Writing by Keith Weir, 44 20 7542 8022; editing by Martyn Herman)
Wigan Athletic's James McArthur (R) challenges Manchester City's Sergio Aguero during their English FA Cup quarter final soccer match at the Etihad stadium in Manchester, northern England March 9, 2014. REUTERS/Phil Noble
(Reuters) - Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero will miss next week's Manchester derby because of a hamstring injury, manager Manuel Pellegrini said on Friday.
Argentine striker Aguero picked up the injury during City's 2-1 Champions League defeat by Barcelona last Wednesday, and Pellegrini will now be forced to soldier on without his leading scorer.
"Maybe next week he will start working with the squad," Pellegrini told a news conference ahead of his side's match against the Premier League's basement side Fulham on Saturday.
"I don't think the whole week, maybe at the end of the week he can start training ... with The squad. For United, no, no chance."
Pellegrini also dismissed media reports linking mercurial striker Aguero, who has scored 15 goals league appearances this season, with a move to Spanish side Barcelona.
"It is exactly the same as I respond to all the other links during the whole year," he said.
"He is a player of Manchester City, he is very happy here and the club is very happy with him also."
Fourth-placed City trail leaders Chelsea by six points, but despite having three games in hand Pellegrini played his cards close to his chest when asked if they are favourites for the title.
"We will see how we play in those games but for the moment I think that all four teams have the same options," he added.
"You have to win the games, so for the moment we just depend on what we can do on the pitch."
(Reporting By Michael Hann, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
Hull City's George Boyd celebrates scoring against Fulham during their English Premier League soccer match at The KC Stadium in Hull, northern England, December 28, 2013. REUTERS/Nigel Roddis
(Reuters) - Hull City manager Steve Bruce launched a staunch defence of George Boyd on Friday, saying the FA had tried the winger in a "kangaroo court" after he was given a three-match ban for spitting at Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart.
The 28-year-old Boyd, who had his appeal against the ban rejected by an independent disciplinary panel, vehemently denied the accusations and Bruce has called for changes to the FA's procedure.
"It's like a kangaroo court - we don't know who sits on it or who is accountable for it," Bruce told a news conference on Friday.
"The problem is we can't go down and see anyone, we can't be represented on this commission and we don't know who sat on it.
"For me we don't get a fair hearing because George Boyd would never spit at anybody, but that's what he has been found guilty of and we are aggrieved over it.
"We're totally disappointed and the whole system needs looking at."
Scottish international Boyd will miss Hull's games against West Bromwich Albion, West Ham United and Stoke City.
