SPORTS NEWZ 23 JAN FRIDAY Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes has backed-up his ex-England team-mate Jamie Carragher by ripping into the craze of taking post-match dressing room pictures. Speaking on Sky Sports Monday Night Football show, Sportsmail columnist Carragher criticised Aaron Ramsey and his Arsenal team-mates for taking a snap behind the scenes at the Etihad after their 2-0 win against Manchester City last weekend. Three of Fifas biggest sponsors - Castrol, Continental and Johnson & Johnson - have severed ties with footballs beleaguered world governing body. Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville will decide in the next 18 months whether he wants to leave his job as a television pundit and go into management. Mike Riley, general manager of the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), says referees are better than ever. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger wants the Football Association to scrap work permits for all non-European Union players, saying the rule wrecked his bid to sign Angel Di Maria when he was 17. Liverpools England midfielder Jordan Henderson, 24, can become the new Steven Gerrard, 34, says Anfield boss Brendan Rodgers. Match fixers have rigged almost 1,000 football games in the last five years according to the worlds leading match-fixing watchdog. Cambridge Uniteds former Manchester United winger Luke Chadwick says he is more comfortable in the Fens than he ever was at Old Trafford. Former Tottenham boss Tim Sherwood says there is no chance of him becoming the next Newcastle United head coach. Meanwhile, Dutchman Frank de Boer is open to an approach from Newcastle to become the clubs new head coach this summer. Arsene Wenger has delivered a gloomy prognosis on the fitness of 28-year-old midfielder Abou Diaby, who now appears increasingly likely to have played his last game for Arsenal. Manager Brendan Rodgers admits Liverpool had little chance of winning the Premier League this year - but is convinced they can challenge for the title again next season. Former Rangers midfielder Barry Ferguson has urged supporters to put their differences with the clubs board aside at Sundays testimonial for ex-Ibrox player Fernando Ricksen, who has Motor Neurone Disease. Balotelli representative Raiola set to challenge Blatter for FIFA presidency Super agent Mino Raiola has expressed his fervent desire to join the growing list of people prepared to challenge Sepp Blatter for his FIFA presidency. David De Geas Portuguese agent Jorge Mendes has refused to rule out a move to Real Madrid for the Manchester United goalkeeper, 24. Manchester United are preparing a late bid to sign Villarreal defender Gabriel Paulista, 24, who is already in talks with Arsenal. Chelsea are working on a deal to sign 24-year-old Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Douglas Costa. West Brom boss Tony Pulis has confirmed his interest in signing 23-year-old Wigan winger Callum McManaman and Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher, 30QPR have been offered Corinthians former AC Milan striker Alexandre Pato, 25. Swansea City manager Garry Monk has confirmed his interest in Norwich left-back Martin Olsson, 26, and Stuttgart midfielder Alexandru Maxim, 24. Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers expects England winger Raheem Sterling, 20, to commit his long-term future to the club very soon. Manchester City have asked to be kept informed about the availability of Southampton striker Jay Rodriguez, 25. Hull City are tracking Tottenham and England winger Aaron Lennon, 27, who is set to leave White Hart Lane this month. Wolfsburgs former Chelsea midfielder Kevin de Bruyne, 23, a reported target for Arsenal and Manchester United, is not interested in a move back to the Premier League. Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez, 26, looks unlikely to turn his loan deal at Real Madrid into a permanent move and could return to Old Trafford in the summer. Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesnys position has been cast into further doubt after it emerged the club are monitoring Fiorentina goalkeeper Norberto Neto, 25. Roma are trying to persuade Chelsea to accept just £380,000 to take 22-year-old winger Mohamed Salah on loan until the end of next season. Birmingham City have rejected a third bid from Championship rivals Bournemouth for their 18-year-old winger Demarai Gray. Zambia coach Honour Janza fears his side could be heading out of the Africa Cup of Nations following their 2-1 loss to Tunisia. Its now difficult for us to make it to the quarter-finals because we needed to win this match, he said. Its painful to lose a game we dominated. South Africa asssistant coach Thabo Senong lamented missed chances after they lost 3-1 to Algeria. The passing game is so smooth but when we get into the box we just forget that it is time to shoot, he said. They now probably need to beat Senegal to progress At 6ft 7in, Stoke Citys Peter Crouch is used to towering above people, but took that to a whole new level when he encountered jockey Nathan Alison during a trip to the races in Dubai. The former England international tweeted: Perhaps I shouldnt stand next to jockeys. Liverpools Daniel Sturridge is edging closer to making his return after several months out injured, and in an Instagram post on Thursday he was seen with fellow Reds striker Mario Balotelli. My man! Were gonna be linking up soon! the England international wrote. Kyle Walker reacted to Tottenham team-mate Kyle Naughtons transfer to Swansea on Thursday in a Twitter post. Walker and Naughton both joined Spurs from Sheffield United in 2009, and Walker said: Good luck at Swansea. Gonna be strange not having you around the place! QPR midfielder Alejandro Faurlin, who is recovering from a third cruciate ligament injury in as many seasons, gave his Twitter followers an update on his progress on Thursday. Im on the mend once again. Its been really hard four and half months, he wrote. Cambridge United manager Richard Money has warned his players that if they swap their shirt with a Manchester United star after Fridays FA Cup fourth round tie they will have to pay for it. Hull City winger Ahmed Elmohamady hired a taxi to transport his missing wallet 50 miles from Scarborough to Hull, the Yorkshire Post reports. The wallet reportedly contained the Egyptians travel visa, which he urgently needed to board a flight . Manuel Pellegrini does not believe Manchester City are cutting it fine by returning to the UK just 21 hours before they take on Middlesbrough in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday. Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers believes playmaker Philippe Coutinho has come into his own in the last few weeks Jose Mourinho admitted he would be willing to sell Andre Schurrle if a phenomenal offer was made for the midfielder. Barcelona lived up to their motto of more than a club as their star-studded squad attended the birthday party of team-mate Gerard Pique and his girlfriend Shakiras child. Key personnel at the Catalan side such as Lionel Messi, Dani Alves and Andres Iniesta were at the King Don Juan Carlos Hotel bash, in Barcelona, to celebrate the second birthday of the couples son, Milan on Thursday. Chelsea have seen an opening bid of £16million rejected for Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Douglas Costa, according to the player himself. Arsenal mischief makers Jack Wilshere and Wojciech Szczesny reflected their sides high spirits on Friday as they attempted to recreate Daniel Sturridges famous goal celebration. As Sturridge closes in on a return to the Liverpool side after injuring his thigh on international duty, England team-mate Wilshere and Gunners goalkeeper Szczesny joked as they mim Milan foaming at the mouth - Inzaghi The Italian is under pressure after a poor start to 2015 but says tests on the players show they are fighting fit and ready to go this weekend Ghana 1-0 Algeria: Gyan rises from sickbed to revive Black Stars fortunes The striker recovered from malaria to feature on Friday and fired his nation right back into contention to qualify from Group C MBia return boosts Cameroon The Indomitable Lions drew 1-1 in their Africa Cup of Nations opener against Mali, but will have their star midfielder back to face Guinea on Saturday Chelsea - Bradford City Betting: Mourinhos men to sail through against the Bantams While Phil Parkinsons side have secured some memorable cup upsets in recent years, our tipster expects them to be thoroughly outclassed by the Blues at Stamford Bridge Ancelotti firm over Illarramendi future The Italian is insistent he has total confidence in the player, even though the club are close to completing a deal for another midfielder Video: Watch Hondas woeful spot-kick as Japan exit Asian Cup The AC Milan midfielder played a key role for all the wrong reasons as the Samurai Blue lost their last-eight clash to the United Arab Emirates in Sydney Suarez will get good numbers, insists Luis Enrique The Uruguayan has endured a difficult start to life at Camp Nou but his coach is remaining patient and says the former Liverpool man will adjust in time Manchester City - Middlesbrough Betting: Karankas resilient team to keep misfiring Blues in check Manuel Pellegrini has seen his team lose some of their cutting edge in front of goal recently - and our tipster expects a strong Boro defence to put up a good fight Gyan returns against Algeria Gyan and Afriyie Acquah are the new faces in the Black Stars line-up to face the Desert Foxes in Mongomo Odegaard wrong to snub Bayern and Guardiola The Norwegian prospect completed a move to Real Madrid this week but would have been better off at the Allianz Arena, according to one of the clubs coaches Three Guinea fans killed by grenade A crowd of supporters had gathered inside a packed bar in the nations capital city of Conakry when an explosive was detonated, causing the fatalities Mourinho plays down Cuadrado speculation Reports suggest the Blues are willing to activate the £26.8 million release clause of the Colombian if either Mohamed Salah or Andre Schurrle depart Stamford Bridge Transfer Talk: Man Utd confident on Dani Alves Louis van Gaal is keen to sign a right-back and hopes Victor Valdes can persuade his former team-mate to move to Old Trafford Liverpool - Bolton Wanderers Betting: Reds to battle into the FA Cups fifth round The Trotters travel to Anfield in the FA Cup this weekend with over 5000 fans in tow, and our tipsters backing Neil Lennon’s side to give the Reds a fright Lazio-AC Milan Preview: Home side look to close in on Champions League spots A win for the hosts and defeat for Napoli will see the Biancocelesti move up to third place as they look to boost their chances of qualifying for the premier competition Watershed Manchester City win cuts Ozil adrift at Arsenal The German is in line to start against Brighton in the FA Cup, but Arsene Wengers adjusted system and Santi Cazorlas form mean he is no longer an automatic first choice Liverpool-Bolton Preview: Heskey revels in dream Anfield return The former England international striker last appeared for the Reds in 2003-04 but now comes back as he aims to fire the Trotters into the fifth round of the FA Cup Tottenham-Leicester City Preview: Pochettino aims for purpose and pace The Argentine is hoping his side play with more tempo after Wednesdays lethargic League Cup showing as they bid to reach the FA Cup fifth round for the first time since 2012 Birmingham-West Brom Preview: Pulis looking to maintain unbeaten start The Baggies have been handed a derby clash in the fourth round of the FA Cup and their improved form under their new manager will be tested against Gary Rowetts resurgent side Ter Stegen: I hate being backup, I want to be Barca No.1 The German has lost the battle for the position of first-choice shot stopper at Camp Nou for now, but he remains determined to win over Luis Enrique Cote dIvoire coach lays down gauntlet to Yaya Toure The Elephants boss admitted the Manchester City star was “tired” against Guinea but wants him to step up to the plate for the Mali clash : Emirates win shootout to reach final four Gaku Shibasaki scored late on to cancel out Ali Ahmed Mabkhouts early opener and take the tie into extra time where UAE emerged after sudden death Tottenham - Leicester City Betting: A fresh Foxes side to prove more than a match for Spurs Our tipster is backing the visitors to take advantage of the hosts fixture congestion and claim a result in the FA Cup Southampton-Crystal Palace Preview: Pardew relishing St Marys Stadium return The former Newcastle manager won the Johnstones Paint Trophy with the Saints while they were in League One and is excited about facing them again with his new team in the FA Cup Blackburn-Swansea City Preview: Emnes calls for Swans response Garry Monks side need to bounce back from a 5-0 home drubbing by Chelsea in their last Premier League game if they are to progress from the fourth round of the FA Cup Atletico Madrid-Rayo Vallecano Preview: Champions eager to bounce back against city rivals Diego Simeones side suffered defeat against Barcelona in the Copa del Rey in midweek but won 5-0 the last time they hosted their neighbours from Vallecas Rafinha in the dark over Barcelona future The attacking midfielder is happy at Camp Nou, but could decide to move on if he is not offered a new deal • Manchester City - Middlesbrough Preview: Karankas men ready for a fight The promotion-chasing Championship side have already pushed Liverpool to penalties in the League Cup this term and now face Manuel Pellegrinis men away in the FA Cup fourth round Pekerman backs Falcao to make it at Manchester United The strikers international coach is concerned by his situation in England, but has no doubts he will emerge stronger from the experience Sunderland-Fulham Preview: Symons happy with underdogs tag The Championship side are expected to have a tough time against Gus Poyets men but the Cottagers boss is happy to have the pressure off in their FA Cup fourth-round tie Raiola to challenge Blatter for Fifa presidency The Dutchman with Italian roots feels the time is right to follow up his criticism of the governing body and is ready to run for president Chelsea - Bradford City Preview: Parkinson urges underdogs to savour the occasion The League One side travel to Stamford Bridge on Saturday for a daunting FA Cup fourth-round test against the current Premier League leaders, who beat Watford to get here West Brom could lose Berahino in January, admits Pulis While he remains adamant that he would love to keep the promising 21-year-old, the Baggies boss is wary of ruling out the possibility that he could depart for a big fee Jorge Mendes tells Manchester United: Otamendi is not for sale The Argentine defender is interesting Louis van Gaal, but Valencia - via the Portuguese agent - have told the Premier League club they have no intention of selling Ribery: Ballon dOr is Messi and Ronaldos party The Frenchman has again voiced his dismay with the outcome of the prestigious individual award in recent years and is ready to boycott the ceremony Cordoba - Real Madrid Betting: Back Ancelottis men to get amongst the goals in the first half Our La Liga expert thinks having no midweek game will mean the Blancos come flying out of the blocks on Saturday, scoring at least twice Luis Enrique backs to Suarez to find scoring touch The Uruguayan has struggled to find his best form so far this season but his head coach is confident the goals will begin to flow - starting on Saturday Shaw & Rojo under the microscope as Van Gaal assesses evolving Man Utd squad SPECIAL REPORT: The Dutchman has yet to make up his mind on two of his summer arrivals because they have struggled to stay fit, but there are others fighting for their futures Blackburn Rovers - Swansea City Betting: Hosts can make the Swans sweat in Cup crunch The Championship side are struggling for form at present but our tipster is backing Gary Bowyers men to claim at least a draw when Garry Monks side visit Ewood Park this weekend Osvaldo is fighting Osvaldo, says Crespo The former Argentina international has criticised the Inter forwards attitude, but refuses to write him off just yet Iran 3-3 Iraq (pens: 6-7): Lions book place in semi-finals After seeing out a draw after 120 minutes of playing time, spot-kicks were needed to separate the two sides Accam & Rantie take the Swedish route to the Africa Cup of Nations SPECIAL REPORT: The Ghana and South Africa strikers started their careers with African academies before making their names with Helsingborgs and Malmo Losing Ballon dOr to Ronaldo, Barca elections and learning to live with Luis Enrique - how Messi got his motivation back SPECIAL REPORT: The 27-year-old has shaken off problems with his coach to return to his brilliant best in recent weeks. Here, Goal looks at the reasons behind his change in form Homegrown versus homeflown: South Africa and Senegal show opposite ends of Afcon spectrum COMMENT: Fridays tussle sees two contrasting squads - one composed of players mostly based in Africa, the other all in Europe - go head to head The madness of King Zamp: Has Palermos eccentric chief finally settled down? COMMENT: The notoriously trigger-happy chairman has finally kept faith with a coach, as one of his former victims explains to Goal how Zamparini operates Why Real Madrid should offer Ronaldo if Manchester United bid for Bale : Manchester United are considering a massive bid for the former Tottenham star, but given his advancing years would Madrid be wiser offering Cristiano instead? From match-fixing scandals to continental contenders: Sven and co. inspire Chinas revolution COLUMN: China defied expectations to reach the quarters of the Asian Cup thanks to wholesale restructuring with the help of some familiar names Lahm will be flawless wherever you play him, says Gerland Pep Guardiolas right-hand man has praised the versatile defender for his consistency and feels he deserves individual recognition
Posted on: Fri, 23 Jan 2015 18:35:08 +0000
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