Posts Tagged ‘Manchester City’

Best: Has been in impressive form for the Magpies this season

Newcastle’s Shola Ameobi has praised his strike-partner Leon Best for his impressive start to the season.

Best has scored three goals in five appearances for the Magpies but failed to win a call-up to the Republic of Ireland Euro 2012 qualification squad which was announced on Friday.

In contrast, Ameobi has made just one start this season, when he partnered Best in the 0-0 draw with QPR earlier in September.

Best was rested for the Carling Cup win over Nottingham Forest on Tuesday night, signalling manager Alan Pardew’s intentions to start him against Blackburn Rovers this weekend.

The Toon remain unbeaten this season and are fourth in the table, behind only Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea.

Speculation has persisted over the summer regarding a new striker signing for the club, but Ameobi feels as though Best has proven that he has the ability to succeed.

Confidence

He said: “He (Best) has just grown in confidence – that’s what scoring goals does for you, especially strikers.

“When he first joined us, he found it difficult to adjust. Experience is a big thing and he’s continued to grow. You can see that this season.

“He’s leading the line well and getting goals. It can only be good for the team.

“As a player, you want to be pushed all the way, and that’s what he’s doing. That’s what I’ve got to do to get my place back. It can only bode well for the team.

Ben Arfa: Featured for the first time in nearly 12 months against Forest

Newcastle winger Hatem Ben Arfa relished making his comeback against Nottingham Forest in the Carling Cup after returning to full fitness.

The Frenchman featured in the Magpies’ starting XI for the first time in nearly 12 months at the City Ground on Tuesday night following two spells on the sidelines with injury.

He suffered a sickening leg injury against Manchester City following a Nigel de Jong challenge last October, while an ankle problem picked up in pre-season has frustrated his start to the current campaign.

Ben Arfa produced an encouraging performance and lasted 70 minutes of the encounter against Forest as Newcastle prevailed with a 4-3 victory after extra-time.

The 24-year-old, who joined the Magpies from Marseille in the summer of 2010, enjoyed his run out and hopes manager Alan Pardew will continue to involve him.

Wonderful

“I counted the hours before kick-off on Wednesday,” Ben Arfa told Le Parisien.

“I really endured a difficult year last year and being back on the pitch is a wonderful feeling. I missed competition so much. I am living again!

“I have no more pain, absolutely nothing.

“Now it is up to the coach to make his choices. I believe may be he will incorporate me step by step.

“I feel ready to play each match. I am dying to play.”

Cole: Villas-Boas defends full-back following ‘shocking’ takle on Hernandez

Andre Villas-Boas has jumped to the defence of Ashley Cole following his ‘shocking’ tackle on Javier Hernandez in Manchester United’s 3-1 win over Chelsea.

Red Devils boss Sir Alex Ferguson was critical of the England international full-back for launching in a nasty tackle on the Mexican marksman near the end of the success, which only resulted in a yellow card.

Ferguson is sweating on the extent of Hernandez’s injury, although Villas-Boas claims the defender might not have made the tackle if the officials had got earlier decisions right at Old Trafford.

Drained

“Maybe he wouldn’t get sent off if the linesman does his work,” commented Villas-Boas. “He would have been less emotionally drained.

“I work the other way round. You are trying to say the referee did something wrong. I cannot forget the previous two.

“If it was 0-0 maybe Ashley is a little bit more mentally in control of the situation and doesn’t do the red card foul that you mention.”

No panic

The former Porto boss is not reading too much in the Old Trafford defeat, stating the league is wide open having seen the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City also fail to win over the weekend.

“As I said before, nothing that happened here would mean anything in the Premier League table,” he continued. “It is an unexpected league.

“Manchester City have the most amazing squad as well, but they didn’t win. Arsenal and Liverpool lost.

“All of the five contenders are there. Anything can happen.

“The most regular is United at the moment but we showed we are up to the level of the champions.”

Jol: Delighted with his side’s second half comeback against Manchester City

Fulham boss Martin Jol was delighted with his side’s team spirit after they fought back from two goals down to grab a point against high-flying Manchester City at Craven Cottage.

City looked set to equal their best ever opening to a top-flight campaign when Sergio Aguero’s start to life in England continued with the seventh and eighth goals of his five-game City career.

But the Cottagers refused to buckle, with Bobby Zamora and Danny Murphy earning Jol’s side a deserved draw.

Spirit

He told Sky Sports: “We showed great spirit to comeback. We did different things in the second half better and maybe we were a little unlucky not to have scored more than two goals.

“Although we wanted to put pressure on the Manchester City midfield, we couldn’t handle Yaya Toure and Gareth Barry in the middle of the park, so that was the problem, but we put more pressure on them in the second half.

“We tried to get different players on the ball and we had nothing to lose, so that sometimes helps.

“To fight back against a team like City is unbelievable. If you get a bit of control and take the initiative, it helps.”

Jol also praised striker Zamora after making his presence felt in the second-half fightback.

“He is capable of scoring out of nothing and that is what we need and that’s what we need every game,” he said.

“If you ask him what is your best foot, he would say both feet (after scoring with his left-foot last week against Blackburn and right-foot against City). He had a shot in the first half which went over the roof but he will try, he’s a confident player and what he did with the goal really helped us because it brought us back into the game.”

Unfortunate

And Jol is confident Fulham will soon secure their first win of the season after such a confident performance.

“That’s the only thing. We need the points and we have played three home games and got three draws.

“We’ve been a bit unfortunate, but I’m sure it will come.”

Bridge: Unlikely to be making a return to Upton Park in the immediate future

Sam Allardyce has confirmed he will not be making a bid to bring defender Wayne Bridge back to West Ham on loan.

The 31-year-old Manchester City player was not named in Roberto Mancini’s 25-man squad and the Italian has intimated he would be happy for Bridge to join a Championship club for the rest of the season.

The former England defender has been strongly linked with a move back to East London after spending time on loan at Upton Park in the Premier League last season.

He was also been linked with moves to Newcastle and Celtic before the transfer window closed.

But Allardyce admits he’s been delighted with the four players he has managed to sign during the summer and has now confirmed he won’t be bringing Bridge back to the club.

He told The People: “We are full up now. We have filled our squad with all the players we need for the time being and we have a squad that is good and has strength in depth.”

Reid: Axed by Plymouth after taking just one point from opening nine games

Peter Reid has been sacked as Plymouth manager after the stricken club’s miserable start to the new League Two season.

The financially-crippled Pilgrims, who remain in administration and are hoping a new buyer can be found, have picked up just one point from nine outings this season.

Reid took the helm at Home Park last year, but the club were plunged into administration soon after, docked 10 points as a result and ultimately relegated from League One.

Acting chairman Peter Ridsdale was keen to salute the efforts of the former Manchester City, Sunderland, Leeds and Coventry boss, but felt that a change of direction was the only solution given their dismal results this season.

“Peter joined Argyle as manager at the beginning of the 2010-11 season and inherited an unsustainable wage bill and a club that with the benefit of hindsight was in financial meltdown,” a statement from Ridsdale on the club’s official website read.

“It is crucial that we give ourselves time to attempt to preserve Football League status and therefore it is felt that a change of manager now is the only option.”Peter Ridsdale Quotes of the week

Results business

“During the last 15 months Peter has been the ultimate professional and has gone about his duties without complaining and has had to cope with more in a short period of time than most managers have to put up with in a whole career.

“Ultimately however, whatever the challenges, football is a results business and, today, Argyle sit bottom of the Football League with only one point out of 27.

“It is crucial that we give ourselves time to attempt to preserve Football League status and therefore it is felt that a change of manager now is the only option.

“Peter leaves with our unreserved thanks for his contribution in helping keep the club alive during this turbulent period and he leaves with our very best wishes for the future.”

The club are yet to appoint a caretaker to lead the squad, but plan to make a further announcement on an interim appointment in the next 24 hours.

Jol: Won’t hold back against Manchester City

Fulham boss Martin Jol insists that he wants his side to go toe-to-toe with Manchester City on Sunday.

Roberto Mancini’s brings his side to Craven Cottage on Sunday looking to maintain their 100 per cent record – having played some scintillating football so far this term.

But Jol is unfazed by City’s form and he insists his side will not be shutting up shop.

“I plan for us to attack on Sunday,” Jol said.

“They play attacking football but still with two defensive midfielders and four players at the back.

“They don’t take a lot of initiative but they’ve got four quality players that try to get behind your midfield.

“They have a lot of quality. We have to come up with something to stop that and still get goals.

“If we would have won the first two home games (against Aston Villa and Blackburn) we would have six points and this game would be a different matter.

“Now you have to gain your own spirit, your own confidence for the game.”

Europe

Manchester City come into the match off the back of their Champions League debut, which ended in a 1-1 draw against Napoli at the Etihad Stadium. Fulham also had European exertions to contend with in midweek, drawing 1-1 with Jol’s former club FC Twente at Craven Cottage.

The Dutchman highlighted in his programme notes his belief that the competition could act as an important platform to build confidence, and he thinks it is paying dividend already despite Thursday’s frustrating result.

“I felt the first half we played very good football,” he said.

“One-touch, two-touch football with five or six different players and we did well.

“In the second half it is always the same – if you try to force something you give away space.

“But I couldn’t gamble on a draw against Twente as I need to get everybody back in shape.

“If you see Thursday, for example – it is a different matter to last Sunday [against Blackburn].

“Bright points were Pajtim Kasami at 19 years of age played well and I thought Chris Baird too did well, playing for the first time in the centre.

“Of course he has done that before in his career but it was a little bit of a gamble and he did well.

“The only negative thing is you don’t score the goals you need.”

Fabregas: Has denied giving an interview in which he criticised Arsenal’s trophy prospects

Cesc Fabregas has denied criticising Arsenal after he was quoted as saying he doubted his former club’s prospects of winning the Premier League or UEFA Champions League in the near future.

The midfielder left the Gunners during the summer to rejoin boyhood club Barcelona after six years without winning a trophy at Emirates Stadium.

Fabregas was joined in leaving Arsenal by Samir Nasri, who moved to Premier League rivals Manchester City in order to win ‘big trophies’.

In an interview carried by Sport magazine, Fabregas also questioned Arsenal’s chances of enjoying success due to their inability to compete financially with England’s other big clubs.

However, the 24-year-old has denied making such comments and has reiterated that he would never say a bad word about his old club.

Not professional

He posted on his Twitter account: “Id never speak 1 bad word abt AFC, here there’s once more prove that so many people put in newspaper wtv they want and its not professional.

“I want Arsenal to be successful as much as every single fan. Thats not why i left, it was never in my mind. AFC made me who i am today.

“And nobody will ever change that. I never gave any interview away since my press conference at my presentation and there i just said the truth and what came out of my heart. Great words abt this great football club cause that just what they deserve: success and trophies.

“People can h8 me 4 leaving or remember that i gave my all for the club. But me talking 1 bad word or saying smthng against AFC will not seen.”

Fabregas was quoted by Sport magazine as having said: “I want to be in a club that is able to win the big titles year after year and I don’t see that kind of future for Arsenal.

“I still have many feelings for Arsenal, but I fear that they won’t be able to push the other big clubs in England away.

“If you look at the team this season I can’t see them finishing in front of teams like Manchester United or [Manchester] City, or Chelsea. There’s just too big a difference between the squads.

“I respect that Arsenal don’t have the same financial opportunities as the others, but it was part of my decision to leave that I find it hard to see Arsenal winning the Premier League or Champions League in the near future.”