IP addresses are NOT logged in this forum so there's no point asking. Please note that this forum is full of homophobes, racists, lunatics, schizophrenics & absolute nut jobs with a smattering of geniuses, Chinese chauvinists, Moderate Muslims and last but not least a couple of "know-it-alls" constantly sprouting their dubious wisdom. If you believe that content generated by unsavory characters might cause you offense PLEASE LEAVE NOW! Sammyboy Admin and Staff are not responsible for your hurt feelings should you choose to read any of the content here. The OTHER forum is HERE so please stop asking.
Manchester United confirm they will tour US again this summer
Louis van Gaal's side's tour to America last summer saw them set all-time high for largest ever crowd at a football match in the United States with 109,318 fans in attendance
Returning: Manchester United will return to Amercia where they had such a good pre-season last summer Photo: GETTY IMAGES
By Telegraph Sport
4:30PM BST 15 Apr 2015
Manchester United have confirmed they will be returning to the United States this summer for their pre-season tour.
Louis Van Gaal's side will once again take part in the International Champions Cup - a tournament Manchester United they won last summer when they defeated AS Roma, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and Liverpool to claim the title.
The dates and ticket details for the tour will be announced later this month.
United's tour to the US last summer saw United's clash with Real Madrid set an all-time high for the largest ever crowd at a football match in the United States with 109,318 supporters attending.
Over 109,000 watched Manchester United's match with Real Madrid in Michigan
Manchester United Group Managing Director, Richard Arnold, said: “The club is delighted to be returning to the United States for Tour 2015, presented by Aon. Manchester United made history in its last visit to the United States by breaking the country’s soccer attendance record and the huge level of support for the club was evident in every city we visited.
“This summer’s tour is the latest in a long line of visits to the US; a tradition that began some 65 years ago under the guidance of the great Sir Matt Busby. This tour will not only provide the team with first-rate preparation for the season ahead, it will also allow many of United’s eight million US followers to get closer to the club they love.”
Newcastle United put more than £38m into their bank account as huge stockpile of cash is revealed
The size of the club’s bank balance will incense supporters who believe Ashley prioritises profits over results on the pitch
Profitable: Newcastle's finances under owner Mike Ashley appear to be in rude health Photo: AFP
By Luke Edwards
4:01PM BST 15 Apr 2015
Newcastle United have been able to put more than £38m into their bank account as the full extent of the club’s success as a business under owner Mike Ashley revealed an extraordinary stockpile of cash.
The size of the club’s bank balance will incense supporters who have argued for several years that profits are more important to Ashley than success on the football pitch.
Although the club announced last month that it has only made a profit of £18.7m for the last financial year, that did not reveal the full extent of the increase in cash flow.
The full accounts registered with Companies House on Monday show that £38.6m was transferred into Newcastle’s bank account as a cash-flow sum – paying off a £4.5m overdraft and leaving £34.1m available.
Telegraph Sport had repeatedly asked for the club to clarify why the huge increase in turnover, from £95.9m in 2013 to £129.7m in 2014, was not reflected in the size of their profits. The reported increase in profit was just £8.8m, rising from £9.9m in 2013.
Newcastle, managed by John Carver, have lost their last nine Premier League games
That had mystified supporters, but it has emerged the money will be used for cash flow purposes and is therefore is not classed as profit.
Telegraph Sport understands around £10m of this will be used to build a new training ground building at their Benton base.
The figures will re-enforce the view Newcastle have sacrificed team strengthening for strong financial performance. Supporters have been forced to watch a side that lacks both the quality and strength in depth to compete for a top six finish in the Premier League.
This weekend’s home game against Tottenham Hotspur will see a resumption of anti-Ashley protests, with thousands of fans intending to boycott the match in order to show their opposition to the way the club is being run. There will also be anti-Ashley demonstrations before and after the match.
Many of the club's supporters want owner Mike Ashley to stand down
Although it has been repeatedly claimed Newcastle cannot compete with the top six clubs financially, they have more money coming into the business than many clubs playing in the money-spinning Champions League.
Newcastle, who have lost five consecutive games and are 13th in the Premier League, have secured one top eight finish during Ashley’s eight years as owners and have not reached the semi-final of a cup competition for ten years.
Ashley’s cohorts have repeatedly said the club only aims to finish in the top ten every year and has insisted cup competitions and European football are “not a priority.”
Mark Jensen, editor of online Newcastle fanzine themag.co.uk, said: “The accounts show that all this cash was generated and the question a lot of fans would ask is why was a significant portion of that not spent on team strengthening?
“The idea of a boycott has been building for a long time and you can’t blame the fans, and I’m all in favour of it. It’s a starting point where fans may feel empowered and make their feelings known.
“The frustrating thing for them is the money is there but the club won’t spend it. Newcastle United are a club that should be in the top eight every season – that’s the size of the club with the support base it has and the benefit of being a city with one club.
“We are going to fall well short of that this season and that equals failure in lots of fans’ eyes. It seems that every transfer window the squad keeps weakening. People talk about Newcastle being a well-run business – that may be so in the short term but in the long term we have a squad which needs massive investment.”
Former England manager Fabio Capello believes there is "no chance" of John Terry making an international return.
The Chelsea captain has helped his team to the top of the Premier League, but has been retired from England duty since September 2012.
Capello resigned as manager of England in February of the year, days after the Football Association stripped Terry of the captaincy.
Despite Terry's form, Capello said the 34-year-old had no hope of playing for England again.
"John Terry has no chance of playing with the national team again," the Italian said.
"There are some young players who played with me who are improving. [Chris] Smalling is playing. [Phil] Jones is playing. I'm happy because they are players that I brought into the national team and they are playing now.
"Also Ashley Young is playing really well."
Capello also spoke about another former England captain, Steven Gerrard, who is leaving Liverpool at the end of the season to join the Los Angeles Galaxy.
The 68-year-old said he understood Gerrard's decision.
"Steven Gerrard, I have really good memories of him. He was a fantastic player. He played really well for Liverpool. He played well for the national team," Capello said.
"He has retired from the club. I understand why. A lot of English players are going to the USA."
Mertesacker: Arsenal should manage Wembley pressure
17 April 2015
Arsenal centre-back Per Mertesacker said he is hoping for a less stressful trip to Wembley on Saturday, in comparison to some of the London club's recent visits.
The Emirates Stadium outfit broke their trophy drought in the FA Cup last season, winning thrilling contests over Wigan (semi-finals) and Hull City (final) to end a barren nine-year period.
Mertesacker reflected on their thrilling cup ties - in which the German defender had to score an equaliser in the semi - ahead of their FA Cup semi-final against Reading.
"It's good to have a run," Mertesacker said of Arsenal's cup defence.
"Obviously we had some setbacks at the start of January and February, but after that we managed our situation well by just winning and focusing on ourselves.
"Not worrying about who was ahead of us, or if we were going to be a [Premier League] title contender, we just wanted to be consistent.
"But, Saturday against Reading is another competition. That run means nothing.
"We are at a good level of confidence, but there will be pressure situations for us because we are super favourites, and can we handle that during the game?
"We suffered a bit last season on that occasion with that pressure, but it was a great experience, and hopefully we can manage that much better this time.
"Last season we created a lot of chances, but it looked like we couldn't score and we looked really desperate after we conceded that penalty and it was really hard, so let's focus on that game and not thinking too much about the Premier League."
Arsene Wenger's men went some way to settling their Wembley nerves with a 3-0 Community Shield victory over Manchester City in August.
But their presence in the traditional season-opener would never have happened, if not for Mertesacker's header to send their semi-final with Wigan to extra time.
Arsenal eventually prevailed on penalties 4-2, and again required extra time in their comeback win over Hull in the final.
"Yes, obviously it was a tough one against a Championship side, so you can compare it a little bit, but obviously it's going to be difficult," said Mertesacker, comparing their semi-finals.
"It's a great warning from last season, that we went to penalties and had a great stopper in Lukasz Fabianski who saved two, so it's a good warning to all of us.
"You need to be focused 100 per cent. I think Reading and Wigan are quite similar, so it's going to be a tough one for us."
Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel is excited about the "physical battle" with Aston Villa striker Christian Benteke in the FA Cup semi-final on Sunday.
Benteke's form has helped Villa climb six points clear of the relegation zone in the Premier League, with the Belgium international recapturing his goalscoring touch.
The 24-year-old has scored in six of his past eight matches, netting nine times.
But Skrtel is welcoming the challenge of taking on Benteke, saying he preferred to face physical strikers more than speedsters.
"To be honest, I prefer to play against the type of striker like him, like [Diego] Costa," the Slovakian, who is returning from suspension, said.
"That is better because for me I don’t want to chase the little guys.
"Obviously I don’t want to say it is easier for me, but I enjoy that more.
"There will be a physical battle, no doubt. He is the type of player you have to expect that because he is big and strong. He is quick too, but we are ready for that and we will do everything to stop him."
Liverpool are without a trophy under manager Brendan Rodgers, who took over at the club in June 2012.
Skrtel said his team had a massive opportunity to finally lift silverware, with a final against either Reading or Arsenal awaiting the winners.
"Obviously it is very important for him [Rodgers] but not just for him, but also for us the players, the whole team, the club because Liverpool is a big club, one of the biggest in the world so we need a trophy," he said.
"Every footballer plays for trophies. This is the big chance and the opportunity for us to get one."
Burnley manager Sean Dyche cannot understand why the Premier League have not introduced tougher penalties for diving, while he insisted his team will keep playing "properly" as they fight relegation.
Dyche has been frustrated by how the referees have dealt with his team this season and claimed on Thursday that Burnley have not received as many penalties as they deserve because they do not magnify contact in the penalty area.
The 43-year-old said the issue stems from the increased acceptance of diving in England.
"One prominent manager - and I'm not going to name any names - told me, 'You should get your players to move with the times [and dive]', but that's not my belief. You should play the game properly," Dyche said.
"I'm not suggesting that all managers have encouraged their players to do it, but it's something that has crept in over the last 10 years and this season has really opened my eyes to it.
"I can't believe that retrospective bans for simulation have not been introduced already. I'd like to know the reason it hasn't been brought in, or if it is really getting looked at in depth.
'We talk to our kids about fairness and playing the right way, yet in one of the most powerful leagues in the world there are people dropping like flies everywhere.
"Weirdly, you open a debate about Raheem Sterling doing this, that or the other, but something that goes on every week, and is there for all to see, is sort of accepted. Strange, isn't it?
"If we had retrospective bans for simulation it would evaporate from the game in two or three weeks because managers with amazing players would be saying to them, 'I can't be losing you for three games'."
Burnley sit 19th in the table with 26 points, two positions and two points from safety, with six matches remaining.
Di Maria suspension behind United resurgence, claims Scholes
17 April 2015
Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes believes Angel di Maria's suspension-enforced absence has allowed Louis van Gaal to pick his best team at Old Trafford.
Di Maria arrived at Manchester with the pressure of being the Premier League's record signing, but showed no sign of early weakness with a string of impressive performances.
However, the Argentina international's season has since been punctuated by injuries, while a burglary at his house is also said to have had an impact on him.
A red card in last month's FA Cup defeat at home to Arsenal forced Di Maria out of Van Gaal's plans, but United have won all four of their games since to vault into firm top-three contention in the league.
Scholes wrote for the London Evening Standard: "I have been critical of my old club Manchester United under Louis Van Gaal this season and I have to say that I did not see this change in fortune coming.
"To the extent that when they go to Chelsea on Saturday, I think they have a good chance of winning the game.
"When I look back on the key changes, I still feel that Angel di Maria's red card against Arsenal was critical in allowing Van Gaal to build this new-look team.
"When I look at the side it seems to me to be a triumph of the underdog - Juan Mata, Marouane Fellaini, Ashley Young. All of whom looked like they could be out the picture at the start of the season and are now having a big impact."
Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew has hailed the 2014-15 campaign as a "tremendous" one for himself.
Pardew left Newcastle United in January with the north-east club just six points off the top six to take over at a Palace side then mired in the relegation zone.
Since his move to Selhurst Park, Palace have lost just four games in all competitions under Pardew's stewardship and now sit 11th in the Premier League, seven points clear of a Newcastle side that has won just twice in 2015.
"I'm very proud of what I achieved at Newcastle. It's all relative. It's been a tremendous season for myself," Pardew said.
"I like to think I'm growing as a manager. It's a demanding job and you have to evolve.
"I thought this was a challenge that I needed and was right for both football clubs. It certainly has been for us."
Asked about his goals for the remainder of the season, Pardew added: "I think the most crucial thing for us is to secure a top-10 finish. That's a realistic aim.
"Over the summer, I'm going to be banging the chairman's door down for some big signings."
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has quelled talk he will leave the Santiago Bernabeu at the end of the season.
The Italian has seen his future become the subject of discussion in recent weeks with his contract due to expire at the end of the next season.
Premier League champions Manchester City have been credited with an interest in the former Milan boss and Ancelotti says that while his future remains somewhat unclear, he is planning for next season at Real.
"I have another year to run and that’s enough time to see whether I will renew my contract or not," he told esRadio.
"I'm not in any hurry; if the club hasn't called me yet, they might call me to discuss it in September or maybe not call at all.
"Nobody has called me from Manchester City, in fact the talk is about [Jurgen] Klopp going there.
"I am not going to request a contract extension. Coaches depend on the results they attain and anything could happen. I am already planning the pre-season."
Real remain in the running for a treble this season but must negotiate the second leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final with Atletico after Tuesday's first leg ended goalless.
"I've watched a video of the game. I was happy because the team played well, especially in the first half," he added.
"It's difficult to play at a complicated ground like the Calderon but we weren't happy with the result.
"This time we'll be at home and that's what counts."
Balotelli most-targeted player for hate crimes on social media
17 April 2015
Mario Balotelli is subjected to more hate crimes on social media than any other Premier League player, while Chelsea are the club most-affected, a new survey has found.
Research undertaken by anti-racism organisation Kick It Out revealed that Liverpool striker Balotelli had been the target of discriminatory posts over 8,000 times between August 2014 and March this year.
More than half of the messages aimed at the Italian were racist.
Approximately 19,000 discriminatory posts were directed at Balotelli's club, although Chelsea were the team most affected – receiving roughly 20,000.
The findings of posts on Facebook, Twitter, club forums and blogs suggested that over 134,000 offensive messages had been sent this season, averaging out at one "abusive mention" every two-and-a-half minutes.
"This is a huge amount of awful abuse," Kick It Out's chief executive Roisin Wood said.
"A lot of it is vile, and something needs to be done. We are really frustrated by the police response but we also understand that they cannot investigate all of this.
"We have to take it seriously and that is why we are inviting the relevant bodies and authorities to work together to find ways of addressing it."
Kick It Out also outlined their intention to form a group including football chiefs, social media managers and the police in an attempt to stamp out incidents.
A Newcastle United supporters' group has finalised plans to boycott Sunday's Premier League fixture with Tottenham at St James' Park.
The group, known as AshleyOut.com, have been quick to back the planned protest against owner Mike Ashley that snowballed on Twitter in recent weeks.
As well as a frustration at how the side are stuttering to the end of another disappointing season, sections of Newcastle's support have grown weary at how the club is run and a perceived lack of ambition behind the scenes.
As a result, fans have been invited to protest before and after the Tottenham game, with a trip to a local park scheduled in between.
"We will head over to Leazes Park after the game has kicked off," a statement from the group explained.
"No specific protest activities have been planned [at the park], but we will spend one and a half hours feeding the ducks, watching the grass grow and having a kick-about with fellow fans.
"There is every chance you will see more determination than on the pitch a few hundred feet to the south."
John Carver's side have lost their last five Premier League games and sit 13th, having not yet secured their top-flight status for next season.
Newcastle's campaign has already seen protests against members of the club's staff, with former manager Alan Pardew the subject of ire prior to his departure for Crystal Palace.
Alan Pardew has laughed off talk of a £10million move away from Crystal Palace for Yannick Bolasie, claiming the winger is worth double that.
Bolasie, who scored an 11-minute hat-trick in Palace's 4-1 away win at Sunderland last Saturday, has been linked with a £10m transfer to Premier League rivals Liverpool.
The Democratic Republic of Congo international has also been touted as a potential target for Tottenham.
But Pardew said of the reported £10m price-tag: "Blimey. They need to have a look at that, because he is worth double that."
Speaking on the form of Bolasie and team-mate Wilfried Zaha, Pardew added: "Those two guys, if they get isolated with defenders, then those defenders are in trouble."
West Ham boss Sam Allardyce reckons Southampton counterpart Ronald Koeman deserves to be crowned Manager of the Year in the Premier League.
Koeman has steered Southampton on course for a top-six finish and a place in Europe in his first season in English football after he was selected to succeed Mauricio Pochettino last June. The Dutchman has reshaped the club's squad following the departures of the likes of Luke Shaw Rickie Lambert and Adam Lallana.
Tony Pulis received the award last term for keeping Crystal Palace up and Allardyce has talked up Koeman's chances of taking the plaudits ahead of the likes of Swansea City's Garry Monk, Jose Mourinho and Alan Pardew.
When asked on his thoughts on who should win the gong, Allardyce replied: "Ronald Koeman probably for what he's done at Southampton in his first year and with the number of players they've changed around.
"They managed to sustain a top-six position which is a fabulous achievement."
Van Gaal searching for answer to United injury ´puzzle´
17 April 2015
Louis van Gaal faces an injury crisis ahead of Manchester United's crucial Premier League clash with leaders Chelsea on Saturday.
Daley Blind, Phil Jones (both ankle), Michael Carrick (calf) and Marcos Rojo (stomach) have been ruled out after suffering setbacks during United's derby victory over Manchester City last Sunday.
United travel to Stamford Bridge one point behind second-placed Arsenal – who are in FA Cup semi-final action this weekend - and could move within five of Chelsea if Van Gaal's injury-hit side can come away with a victory.
"It is the worst scenario," said the Dutchman. "Marcos and Phil can both play left central defender, and Jonny Evans is also suspended so I do not have many choices.
"Daley Blind and Michael Carrick could have played as holding midfields and I do not have another option. It is a puzzle."
However, the Dutchman does have Luke Shaw available and will give Robin van Persie as much time as possible to prove his fitness.
"Shaw I think is training for a lot of weeks already so he can play," he told MUTV. "Van Persie is another story - this is the first week he has trained with us, with the first team, but maybe we have to think about him."
Winning the Premier League remains possible for Manchester United this season, but to do so would not be logical, according to Louis van Gaal.
United sit eight points behind leaders Chelsea ahead of their trip on Saturday to Stamford Bridge, where victory for the visitors would see them right back in the title race.
Van Gaal does not expect to be crowned champions in his first season at Old Trafford, but has vowed to make Chelsea work hard in their final seven matches of the campaign, with Jose Mourinho's men also having a game in hand on the chasing pack.
"It is not logical [to win the league], but is possible," said the United boss. "It is more whens and ifs, and I don't believe in whens and ifs, I believe in facts.
"We are behind Chelsea but we have to play them, Arsenal do also, so we can lay pressure on Chelsea's shoulders, then you never know.
"We have seen in previous Premier League seasons [it has been done], so it is always possible, but it is not logical. I think that Chelsea will be satisfied with a draw."
Jose Mourinho has revealed that Diego Costa will return to training with the rest of the Chelsea squad next week and is in contention to face Arsenal.
Costa has not played since limping off just 10 minutes after coming on as a substitute against Stoke City on April 4, with a recurrence of a hamstring injury.
He will again watch from the sidelines as Chelsea welcome Manchester United to Stamford Bridge on Saturday, but could be involved at the Emirates Stadium in nine days' time.
"[Costa] is progressing very well. I think he has a chance for the next weekend," Mourinho said.
"Our target was for Diego to play in the last four matches. Arsenal is the sixth match to the end so if he doesn't play [against] Arsenal or Leicester [the following Wednesday], it is not a problem.
"He starts training with the rest of the squad next week."
Despite being limited to 24 appearances through injury, Costa is the Premier League's joint top-scorer with 19 goals.
Manchester City could be without captain Vincent Kompany for the remainder of the season, manager Manuel Pellegrini has revealed.
The Belgium international hurt a thigh during the 4-2 derby defeat at Manchester United last Sunday and a prognosis on the defender's recovery is not yet forthcoming.
"Kompany has a muscle injury - we don’t know how long he'll be out for. We don't know if he will be fit before the end of the season," explained the Chilean.
Pellegrini has a number of other injury concerns ahead of Sunday's Premier League clash with West Ham.
"Dedryck Boyata is fit. [Stevan] Jovetic, [Wilfried] Bony, [Gael] Clichy, [James] Milner and Kompany are not fit for Sunday.
"It's more important than ever to have the fans, the players and the staff together as one. We are one club."
Under-fire Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini is not concerned by the speculation linking Jurgen Klopp with his position next season.
The German announced he is to leave Borussia Dortmund at the end of the season after a successful seven-season spell at Signal Iduna Park.
Coupled with the pressure surrounding Pellegrini amid City's stuttering form, speculation has mounted regarding Klopp taking the top job at the Etihad Stadium.
"It doesn't hurt - it happens in every club if you don't have the results you deserve," the Chilean, whose side sit fourth in the Premier League, said.
"When you manage an important club if you don't have the results the club deserves everybody talks about changing the manager.
"It has been the worst period for results, but last year there was more pressure.
"Nobody is happy with the results when you are not in the fight for the title.
"It's logical that the thing is to sack the manager but I don't think that is the correct diagnostic.
"We are thinking about the next game, the game we must play against West Ham on Sunday."
City, who host West Ham on Sunday, are 12 points behind leaders Chelsea, with fifth-placed Liverpool only four points adrift of the champions.
Anti-Ashley fan protest could inspire Newcastle - Pochettino
17 April 2015
Mauricio Pochettino admits he does not know what to expect from Newcastle United when Tottenham travel to St James' Park this weekend.
A section of Newcastle fans plan to boycott Sunday's Premier League clash in opposition to club owner Mike Ashley and Pochettino in concerned at a potential reaction on the pitch.
One win in their last four league games has seen Tottenham's push for the top four fall away, something the Argentine is keen to turn around.
"We don't know [what will happen]," he said. "Sometimes the effect on the players is positive. Sometimes the players are scared and run more.
"Or sometimes they feel under pressure and don't show their faces. You never know and it is difficult to guess what will happen on Sunday."
Tottenham could be without goalkeeper Hugo Lloris and Kyle Walker for the trip to Newcastle, with both players set to be assessed after training on Saturday.
Head coach Pochettino added: "We have doubt with them, we have training [on Saturday] but need to assess their levels, but they are a doubt.
"I think they are close to a return, we will analyse after [Saturday]."
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho threw his support behind Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini amid talk the Chilean is set to be replaced at season's end.
Pellegrini is reportedly on borrowed time at Etihad Stadium, with City 12 points adrift of Premier League leaders Chelsea following last week's 4-2 drubbing at the hands of rivals Manchester United.
Rumours of Pellegrini's departure have since intensified after Jurgen Klopp revealed he will leave Borussia Dortmund at the end of the 2014-15 Bundesliga campaign.
But Mourinho leapt to the defence of Pellegrini, with the Portuguese tactician quick to remind the media of City's title-winning season last term.
"Every game is difficult. What I'm surprised about is that a team that won two titles in three years, a team that are still champions and won two trophies last season, you [the media] can bring this team to hell," Mourinho said.
"It looks like they don't deserve respect, that they are bad players, that the manager is a bad manager, that they are a disaster. And they are the champions. I don't understand.
"So how can you be so negative with a team that's won two titles in three years? OK, they won't win this title this year, but they did last year.
"Some clubs and managers cannot win and life goes on, but the guys at Man City - it looks like they're criminals because they don't win the league."
City host West Ham on Sunday, while Chelsea entertain United a day prior.
