FOOTBALL NEWS
 |
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Wenger refuses to blame Almunia
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger declined to single out Manuel Almunia for blame after the error-prone keeper committed two blunders as the Gunners were beaten 3-2 at home by West Bromwich Albion.
After spending the summer locked in a protracted and ultimately unsuccessful courtship of Fulham keeper Mark Schwarzer, Wenger decided to stick with Almunia as the transfer window closed.
But the Gunners' failure to resolve their hunt for a world class No 1 came back to haunt them at the Emirates on Saturday as Almunia was at fault for two of the Baggies goals.
Wenger, however, refused to point the finger at Almunia.
"You can have question marks over many players if you look at the performance, especially defensively," he said. "Many players made massive mistakes.
"I do not want to come out about any one performance, we were collectively poor.
"You could single out many players. Overall it was a poor team performance and we have to analyse why and respond well."
Almunia gave away a first-half penalty when he tripped Peter Odemwingie but he saved Chris Brunt's spot-kick.
Odemwingie opened the scoring then Almunia allowed Gonzalo Zara's near-post shot past him, then he rushed out too soon for the third when Jerome Thomas tapped in against his old team.
Samir Nasri pulled two goals back but Wenger was disappointed with the performance.
He added: "I believe this game was an exception. Until we played West Brom we had good games.
"I didn't recognise my team. We have to sit down together to analyse what happened. Our performance was not right. It was unusual to see a team as flat was we were today (Saturday)."
West Brom boss Roberto Di Matteo felt his team were worthy of maximum points.
"I would say we deserved it," said the former Italy international midfielder. "The way we played, we created chances, scored goals and played very well.
"We missed a penalty, I'm not sure about the yellow card for the goalkeeper. It's a question mark whether he should stay on or not.
"We pressed them very high. We managed not to let them play their usual way."
Di Matteo has earned a reputation of his teams playing attractive football, but he is also getting results.
"I don't want us just to be pretty, I want results at the end of the day," he said.
As for West Brom staying at the top, he added: "We have the second lowest budget in the league, you have to be realistic."
Read more...
After spending the summer locked in a protracted and ultimately unsuccessful courtship of Fulham keeper Mark Schwarzer, Wenger decided to stick with Almunia as the transfer window closed.
But the Gunners' failure to resolve their hunt for a world class No 1 came back to haunt them at the Emirates on Saturday as Almunia was at fault for two of the Baggies goals.
Wenger, however, refused to point the finger at Almunia.
"You can have question marks over many players if you look at the performance, especially defensively," he said. "Many players made massive mistakes.
"I do not want to come out about any one performance, we were collectively poor.
"You could single out many players. Overall it was a poor team performance and we have to analyse why and respond well."
Almunia gave away a first-half penalty when he tripped Peter Odemwingie but he saved Chris Brunt's spot-kick.
Odemwingie opened the scoring then Almunia allowed Gonzalo Zara's near-post shot past him, then he rushed out too soon for the third when Jerome Thomas tapped in against his old team.
Samir Nasri pulled two goals back but Wenger was disappointed with the performance.
He added: "I believe this game was an exception. Until we played West Brom we had good games.
"I didn't recognise my team. We have to sit down together to analyse what happened. Our performance was not right. It was unusual to see a team as flat was we were today (Saturday)."
West Brom boss Roberto Di Matteo felt his team were worthy of maximum points.
"I would say we deserved it," said the former Italy international midfielder. "The way we played, we created chances, scored goals and played very well.
"We missed a penalty, I'm not sure about the yellow card for the goalkeeper. It's a question mark whether he should stay on or not.
"We pressed them very high. We managed not to let them play their usual way."
Di Matteo has earned a reputation of his teams playing attractive football, but he is also getting results.
"I don't want us just to be pretty, I want results at the end of the day," he said.
As for West Brom staying at the top, he added: "We have the second lowest budget in the league, you have to be realistic."
Read more...
Ref was right to award Kuyt goal
Referee Stuart Atwell's decision to allow Dirk Kuyt's controversial opening goal to stand in Liverpool's 2-2 draw with Sunderland on Saturday has been deemed the correct decision by the Premier League.
Liverpool's first goal after six minutes brought howls of protest from the visitors after the referee adjudged Sunderland defender Michael Turner had taken a free-kick when he back-heeled the ball towards goalkeeper Simon Mignolet.
The centre-back gifted the ball to Fernando Torres who ran through the Sunderland defence and set up Kuyt to score.
It was unclear if Turner had deliberately taken the free-kick or just knocked the ball back for Mignolet to take it but Atwell, who did not see Turner back-heel the ball, allowed the goal to stand after consulting his linesman.
"When the first goal went in, everyone in the ground knew the free-kick hadn't been taken," disappointed Sunderland manager Steve Bruce told the club's website (www.safc.com).
However, the Premier League's Professional Game Match Officials (PGMO) board later reviewed the goal and said in a statement that "the correct decisions were made".
"According to the Laws of the Game, having stopped the game for any infringement the referee is required to 'indicate the restart of the match'," it said.
"In practice, in the majority of cases, referees indicate for the restart by gesturing to players to take the kick. These gestures can be minimal ... there is no requirement by Law to use the whistle to make the indication.
"The ball is then in play when it is kicked and moves. So, in this case, the ball was in play as soon as it was kicked by a Sunderland player."
Two goals from England striker Darren Bent had later given Sunderland the lead before Liverpool captain.
Read more...
Liverpool's first goal after six minutes brought howls of protest from the visitors after the referee adjudged Sunderland defender Michael Turner had taken a free-kick when he back-heeled the ball towards goalkeeper Simon Mignolet.
The centre-back gifted the ball to Fernando Torres who ran through the Sunderland defence and set up Kuyt to score.
It was unclear if Turner had deliberately taken the free-kick or just knocked the ball back for Mignolet to take it but Atwell, who did not see Turner back-heel the ball, allowed the goal to stand after consulting his linesman.
"When the first goal went in, everyone in the ground knew the free-kick hadn't been taken," disappointed Sunderland manager Steve Bruce told the club's website (www.safc.com).
However, the Premier League's Professional Game Match Officials (PGMO) board later reviewed the goal and said in a statement that "the correct decisions were made".
"According to the Laws of the Game, having stopped the game for any infringement the referee is required to 'indicate the restart of the match'," it said.
"In practice, in the majority of cases, referees indicate for the restart by gesturing to players to take the kick. These gestures can be minimal ... there is no requirement by Law to use the whistle to make the indication.
"The ball is then in play when it is kicked and moves. So, in this case, the ball was in play as soon as it was kicked by a Sunderland player."
Two goals from England striker Darren Bent had later given Sunderland the lead before Liverpool captain.
Read more...
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Man.City 1 Chelsea 0
After handing Chelsea the title the day before, Roberto Mancini watched his Manchester City side promptly snatch it away again as Carlos Tevez's second-half strike ended the champions' 100 per cent record.
In a tactical battle with defences largely on top throughout, Tevez's moment of inspiration just before the hour proved to be decisive.
Chelsea were unable to halt the South American's burst from halfway and he found the perfect finish too, through Ashley Cole's legs and in off the post.
Carlo Ancelotti's men battled hard to force an equaliser, but, just as they had done for most of the contest, they failed to open up a disciplined City defence and came no nearer than the header Branislav Ivanovic struck the bar with before half-time.
It rather showed up the opinion Mancini offered that Chelsea would win the title easily, and signalled City can join Manchester United and Arsenal in harbouring genuine hopes of glory next May as well.
It was slightly strange that the build up to a match between the Barclays Premier League's biggest spenders should be centred around respective injury problems.
Yet that is exactly how it turned out, Ancelotti claiming he had just 12 fit players, which was one more than Mancini.
Defensively, City are struggling with neither Joleon Lescott nor Jerome Boateng - who did make his debut as a late substitute - considered fit enough to start.
And once Wayne Bridge had failed a pre-match fitness test on a thigh injury it was anticipated would keep him out for another fortnight anyway, Mancini went for 19-year-old Belgian Dedryck Boyata, normally a centre-half, to make only his fourth league appearance.
Boyata rewarded his manager with a solid contribution to an obdurate defensive performance from City.
Only once were the Blues opened up properly, and that had nothing to do with the teenager.
In fact it was Tevez who drifted away from Florent Malouda as he anticipated a return pass to Didier Drogba, who had just taken a corner on the Chelsea left.
Tevez's movement gave Malouda the space to curl a deep cross to the far post, where Alex nodded it back to Ivanovic.
The Serbian had two goes at putting Chelsea in front. The first came bouncing back off the bar, giving him a second header to go for, this time Joe Hart making a comfortable save.
Apart from that, both goalmouths were largely underused.
Knowing this was their biggest test of the season so far and without Frank Lampard to drive them forward from midfield, Chelsea were content to play within themselves, keep a fairly rigid shape and let City expend their energy trying to break them down.
For their part, the home side failed to get sufficient support to Tevez, who worked incredibly hard up front on his own but was limited to speculative long-range efforts.
Under such circumstances, it was hardly a surprise it began to get a bit tetchy and Pablo Zabaleta's booking for a reckless sliding tackle on Ivanovic gave way to a period of play scarred by physical confrontation.
The first two minutes of the second period produced as much intense action as there had been in the whole of the first.
After Hart had pushed a curling Nicolas Anelka shot away from danger, Michael Essien might have done far better with the near-post corner than send his header sailing over the bar after being picked out completely unmarked.
City responded with their first meaningful assault on the Chelsea goal, which forced Cech to make a decent low save to deny Silva.
It proved to be the prelude to the deadlock being broken.
Yaya Toure and the nippy Silva deserve mentions for their short pass and running off the ball respectively after Ramires had conceded possession just inside the City half.
The rest of it was all the South American's own work as he ran ferociously at the visitors' defence, jinked to his right, then blasted a shot through Cole's legs and into the net off the inside of Cech's right-hand post.
Twice Essien tried to level from long-range. Twice his radar was way off and the ball sailed over.
Alex glanced a header wide after Boyata had marred his effective performance by getting booked for chopping down Yury Zhrikov, but with Cole also belting a shot into the side-netting, Chelsea ran out of ideas.
After beating Chelsea twice last season as well, City are rather getting to like this.
Read more...
In a tactical battle with defences largely on top throughout, Tevez's moment of inspiration just before the hour proved to be decisive.
Chelsea were unable to halt the South American's burst from halfway and he found the perfect finish too, through Ashley Cole's legs and in off the post.
Carlo Ancelotti's men battled hard to force an equaliser, but, just as they had done for most of the contest, they failed to open up a disciplined City defence and came no nearer than the header Branislav Ivanovic struck the bar with before half-time.
It rather showed up the opinion Mancini offered that Chelsea would win the title easily, and signalled City can join Manchester United and Arsenal in harbouring genuine hopes of glory next May as well.
It was slightly strange that the build up to a match between the Barclays Premier League's biggest spenders should be centred around respective injury problems.
Yet that is exactly how it turned out, Ancelotti claiming he had just 12 fit players, which was one more than Mancini.
Defensively, City are struggling with neither Joleon Lescott nor Jerome Boateng - who did make his debut as a late substitute - considered fit enough to start.
And once Wayne Bridge had failed a pre-match fitness test on a thigh injury it was anticipated would keep him out for another fortnight anyway, Mancini went for 19-year-old Belgian Dedryck Boyata, normally a centre-half, to make only his fourth league appearance.
Boyata rewarded his manager with a solid contribution to an obdurate defensive performance from City.
Only once were the Blues opened up properly, and that had nothing to do with the teenager.
In fact it was Tevez who drifted away from Florent Malouda as he anticipated a return pass to Didier Drogba, who had just taken a corner on the Chelsea left.
Tevez's movement gave Malouda the space to curl a deep cross to the far post, where Alex nodded it back to Ivanovic.
The Serbian had two goes at putting Chelsea in front. The first came bouncing back off the bar, giving him a second header to go for, this time Joe Hart making a comfortable save.
Apart from that, both goalmouths were largely underused.
Knowing this was their biggest test of the season so far and without Frank Lampard to drive them forward from midfield, Chelsea were content to play within themselves, keep a fairly rigid shape and let City expend their energy trying to break them down.
For their part, the home side failed to get sufficient support to Tevez, who worked incredibly hard up front on his own but was limited to speculative long-range efforts.
Under such circumstances, it was hardly a surprise it began to get a bit tetchy and Pablo Zabaleta's booking for a reckless sliding tackle on Ivanovic gave way to a period of play scarred by physical confrontation.
The first two minutes of the second period produced as much intense action as there had been in the whole of the first.
After Hart had pushed a curling Nicolas Anelka shot away from danger, Michael Essien might have done far better with the near-post corner than send his header sailing over the bar after being picked out completely unmarked.
City responded with their first meaningful assault on the Chelsea goal, which forced Cech to make a decent low save to deny Silva.
It proved to be the prelude to the deadlock being broken.
Yaya Toure and the nippy Silva deserve mentions for their short pass and running off the ball respectively after Ramires had conceded possession just inside the City half.
The rest of it was all the South American's own work as he ran ferociously at the visitors' defence, jinked to his right, then blasted a shot through Cole's legs and into the net off the inside of Cech's right-hand post.
Twice Essien tried to level from long-range. Twice his radar was way off and the ball sailed over.
Alex glanced a header wide after Boyata had marred his effective performance by getting booked for chopping down Yury Zhrikov, but with Cole also belting a shot into the side-netting, Chelsea ran out of ideas.
After beating Chelsea twice last season as well, City are rather getting to like this.
Read more...
Fergie concerned by Rooney media pressure
Sir Alex Ferguson will take his Manchester United side to the Reebok Stadium today concerned about how Wayne Rooney's personal life is starting to affect his form.
The United and England striker has been hit hard by recent revelations that have seen media scrutiny into his life increase tenfold.
Rooney has scored just twice so far this season, whereas last term he already had six goals to his name by this point and there seems little doubt that he is struggling to cope with his new-found infamy.
"I don't believe he has a confidence problem," Ferguson said.
"But the boy is starting to realise finally, without any question, what kind of focus is on him as a human being.
"He is realising what it means to be at the centre of media attention for non-football-related questions. I don't think the boy can turn a corner at the moment without a camera on him."
United make the short trip to Bolton Wanderers looking to build on last weekend's exciting 3-2 victory over arch-rivals Liverpool.
Yet it is Rooney's form and the attention he is currently receiving that appears to be dominating the United manager's thoughts.
"He can't move without the paparazzi being on him and, for a young person, that is not what you want," Ferguson added.
"You want to play and enjoy your football without that attention on you, because that can be quite exhausting.
"He would like to keep playing with freedom, but the siege of the tabloids can wear out anyone."
Ferguson also revealed that Owen Hargreaves looks to be finally winning his two-year battle with tendinitis.
The midfielder's career has been hugely hindered by a problem that has forced him to undergo double surgery on his knees and has restricted him to just one minute's first-team football in two seasons.
But after watching him in training this week, the United manager believes that good news is around the corner.
"Owen Hargreaves has come back training and has looked very good," said Ferguson.
"After having watched him in training yesterday (Friday), if he continues that way he's going to give me another selection problem, no question about that."
United will go into the contest against Bolton as favourites and history strengthens the idea that they should win comfortably at the Reebok.
They have only lost once there since the advent of the Premier League, with Nicolas Anelka scoring the winner for a side managed by Gary Megson in 2007.
Megson was replaced by Owen Coyle last season but despite the weight of history and the apparent gulf in class between the two outfits, the Bolton boss is refusing to be overawed by the task in hand.
"To beat Manchester United, a number of factors have to come together -- the biggest being that our players have to play well," he said.
"I will be looking to get the maximum out of my group. Ultimately, if they then beat us fair and square I can accept that.
"My disappointment will be if we don't get to our maximum because I know that if we do, we have a real chance of getting points from this game.
"We will be positive like we have in every game this season."
Coyle singled out Dimitar Berbatov as United's main threat in the contest, particularly after his stunning hat-trick against Liverpool last weekend.
"Berbatov is in terrific form at the moment," Coyle added.
"But they are a team full of quality players. If you start to go through their team individually, and look at who you have to stop, we will be here all day. It's a very tough game, a local derby, against some of the very best players in world football. But that's exactly why we're in the job."
Read more...
The United and England striker has been hit hard by recent revelations that have seen media scrutiny into his life increase tenfold.
Rooney has scored just twice so far this season, whereas last term he already had six goals to his name by this point and there seems little doubt that he is struggling to cope with his new-found infamy.
"I don't believe he has a confidence problem," Ferguson said.
"But the boy is starting to realise finally, without any question, what kind of focus is on him as a human being.
"He is realising what it means to be at the centre of media attention for non-football-related questions. I don't think the boy can turn a corner at the moment without a camera on him."
United make the short trip to Bolton Wanderers looking to build on last weekend's exciting 3-2 victory over arch-rivals Liverpool.
Yet it is Rooney's form and the attention he is currently receiving that appears to be dominating the United manager's thoughts.
"He can't move without the paparazzi being on him and, for a young person, that is not what you want," Ferguson added.
"You want to play and enjoy your football without that attention on you, because that can be quite exhausting.
"He would like to keep playing with freedom, but the siege of the tabloids can wear out anyone."
Ferguson also revealed that Owen Hargreaves looks to be finally winning his two-year battle with tendinitis.
The midfielder's career has been hugely hindered by a problem that has forced him to undergo double surgery on his knees and has restricted him to just one minute's first-team football in two seasons.
But after watching him in training this week, the United manager believes that good news is around the corner.
"Owen Hargreaves has come back training and has looked very good," said Ferguson.
"After having watched him in training yesterday (Friday), if he continues that way he's going to give me another selection problem, no question about that."
United will go into the contest against Bolton as favourites and history strengthens the idea that they should win comfortably at the Reebok.
They have only lost once there since the advent of the Premier League, with Nicolas Anelka scoring the winner for a side managed by Gary Megson in 2007.
Megson was replaced by Owen Coyle last season but despite the weight of history and the apparent gulf in class between the two outfits, the Bolton boss is refusing to be overawed by the task in hand.
"To beat Manchester United, a number of factors have to come together -- the biggest being that our players have to play well," he said.
"I will be looking to get the maximum out of my group. Ultimately, if they then beat us fair and square I can accept that.
"My disappointment will be if we don't get to our maximum because I know that if we do, we have a real chance of getting points from this game.
"We will be positive like we have in every game this season."
Coyle singled out Dimitar Berbatov as United's main threat in the contest, particularly after his stunning hat-trick against Liverpool last weekend.
"Berbatov is in terrific form at the moment," Coyle added.
"But they are a team full of quality players. If you start to go through their team individually, and look at who you have to stop, we will be here all day. It's a very tough game, a local derby, against some of the very best players in world football. But that's exactly why we're in the job."
Read more...
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
FFF defends Evra ban procedure
The French Football Federation (FFF) on Tuesday denied having unfairly targeted Patrice Evra, after the player said he was still awaiting an explanation for his five-match international ban.
"We're not against him, we're treating him as we'd treat anyone," the FFF's legal director, Jean Lapeyre, said.
"Between the meeting of the (FFF appeals) committee and the moment when we formalise the decision and dispatch it, there's a bit of time. You can't do it in 24 or 48 hours.
The FFF appeals committee on Sept 9 upheld the five-match ban handed to Evra for his role as captain in the France squad's refusal to train at the World Cup in South Africa.
Read more...
"We're not against him, we're treating him as we'd treat anyone," the FFF's legal director, Jean Lapeyre, said.
"Between the meeting of the (FFF appeals) committee and the moment when we formalise the decision and dispatch it, there's a bit of time. You can't do it in 24 or 48 hours.
The FFF appeals committee on Sept 9 upheld the five-match ban handed to Evra for his role as captain in the France squad's refusal to train at the World Cup in South Africa.
Read more...
Korean teams in desperate battles
Title-holders Pohang Steelers will be banking on home support to overturn a 2-1 deficit in the AFC Champions League quarter-finals today as Korean teams battle to stay in the tournament
The Steelers were beaten by Iran Pro League leaders Zobahan in the first leg and their former Fulham star Seol Ki Hyeon is desperate to remain in contention after he missed the group stages and the World Cup with a knee injury.
"I came to the K-League because I really wanted to play in the World Cup, but now I want to win the AFC Champions League with Pohang," he said.
"The team are in good form and every one of us really wants to help Pohang defend our AFC Champions League title."
Ki Hyeon will spearhead a three-man attack alongside Brazilians Mota and Almir with a semi-final next month at stake against either Saudi champions Al Hilal or Qatar League winners Al Gharafa.
Hilal, who have been consistently impressive under Belgian great Eric Gerets, visit the Doha club on the back of their 3-0 win in front of more than 53,000 fans at the King Fahd International Stadium last week.
Pohang are among a record four Korean clubs competing in the quarter-finals, but one of three to lose in the first legs.
Seongnam Ilhwa, South Republic's most successful club with seven K-League titles, were the country's sole winners after beating Korean rivals Suwon Bluewings 4-1.
They should progress to the last four with towering Montenegrin target man Dzenan Radoncic looking to add to the brace he bagged last week.
Suwon need to score goals, but Jose Mota, the AFC Champions League's leading scorer with nine goals, was subdued in the first leg with the team's best attacks coming through World Cup winger Yeom Ki Hun.
Jeonbuk Motors, the 2006 champions, face a tough mission in Saudi Arabia against Al Shabab, who beat the K-League champions 2-0 and could be one of two Riyadh clubs to make the final four.
Shabab have been boosted by the signing of Uruguayan striker Juan Manuel Olivera, who helped Universidad de Chile reach the semi-finals of this year's Copa Libertadores, and he will be hoping to add to his clinical first leg goal.
Jeonbuk's loss to Shabab was their sixth in eight games in all competitions, a surprising slump following nine straight victories.
But they remain a fierce attacking threat on their day, with Korean legend Lee Dong-Gook keen to make up for his close-range misses last week.
Read more...
The Steelers were beaten by Iran Pro League leaders Zobahan in the first leg and their former Fulham star Seol Ki Hyeon is desperate to remain in contention after he missed the group stages and the World Cup with a knee injury.
"I came to the K-League because I really wanted to play in the World Cup, but now I want to win the AFC Champions League with Pohang," he said.
"The team are in good form and every one of us really wants to help Pohang defend our AFC Champions League title."
Ki Hyeon will spearhead a three-man attack alongside Brazilians Mota and Almir with a semi-final next month at stake against either Saudi champions Al Hilal or Qatar League winners Al Gharafa.
Hilal, who have been consistently impressive under Belgian great Eric Gerets, visit the Doha club on the back of their 3-0 win in front of more than 53,000 fans at the King Fahd International Stadium last week.
Pohang are among a record four Korean clubs competing in the quarter-finals, but one of three to lose in the first legs.
Seongnam Ilhwa, South Republic's most successful club with seven K-League titles, were the country's sole winners after beating Korean rivals Suwon Bluewings 4-1.
They should progress to the last four with towering Montenegrin target man Dzenan Radoncic looking to add to the brace he bagged last week.
Suwon need to score goals, but Jose Mota, the AFC Champions League's leading scorer with nine goals, was subdued in the first leg with the team's best attacks coming through World Cup winger Yeom Ki Hun.
Jeonbuk Motors, the 2006 champions, face a tough mission in Saudi Arabia against Al Shabab, who beat the K-League champions 2-0 and could be one of two Riyadh clubs to make the final four.
Shabab have been boosted by the signing of Uruguayan striker Juan Manuel Olivera, who helped Universidad de Chile reach the semi-finals of this year's Copa Libertadores, and he will be hoping to add to his clinical first leg goal.
Jeonbuk's loss to Shabab was their sixth in eight games in all competitions, a surprising slump following nine straight victories.
But they remain a fierce attacking threat on their day, with Korean legend Lee Dong-Gook keen to make up for his close-range misses last week.
Read more...
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Malouda fears nobody.
Florent Malouda says Chelsea are ready to confound their critics by stretching their lead at the top of the table.
Carlo Ancelotti's side made it five straight wins so far this season with a 4-0 drubbing of Blackpool at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, a victory which put them four points clear at the top of the table and took their goal tally to 25 in all competitions.But Chelsea have not yet been tested in wins over West Bromwich Albion, Wigan Athletic, Stoke City, West Ham United and Blackpool, and sterner tests are around the corner in the form of a trip to Manchester City this weekend before facing title rivals Arsenal at home.
"People don't believe what we have done up until now has been that great because they say we have had easy games," said Malouda - who grabbed a double against Blackpool. "This will show we're ready for any kind of opposition.
"A lot of people see these two games as a test but we're ready. For us it could be our opportunity to prove that we're champions and we will defend our title at any price. Both will be tough opponents but we have confidence in ourselves and the way we are working.
"We're trying to improve on what we did last season. We didn't come back thinking we are champions so it will be easy. We know there is going to be pressure but we have experienced players who are ready to handle that. We're much better under pressure so now we just have to stay calm.
"Manchester City were the only team to do the double over us last season and that could be a big motivation for us. I know they're getting better and bought a lot of good players.
"There will be a big atmosphere and their players will be waiting for that game. Maybe it is a way for their team to show they're ready to challenge for the title so we are going there to defend our title. Last year was difficult for us but we'll go there to try and get the points.
"We're aware that the season is long and you don't win anything in September. We have to carry on and keep our focus.
"I know it's going to be tight until the end of the season and when the other teams drop points we must try to take the opportunity. We're ready to succeed, that's why in training we work very hard.
"We are using our experience of last year and know nothing is easy. We won the league by one point on the last day so we're preparing for the same situation this season."
Read more...
Carlo Ancelotti's side made it five straight wins so far this season with a 4-0 drubbing of Blackpool at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, a victory which put them four points clear at the top of the table and took their goal tally to 25 in all competitions.But Chelsea have not yet been tested in wins over West Bromwich Albion, Wigan Athletic, Stoke City, West Ham United and Blackpool, and sterner tests are around the corner in the form of a trip to Manchester City this weekend before facing title rivals Arsenal at home.
"People don't believe what we have done up until now has been that great because they say we have had easy games," said Malouda - who grabbed a double against Blackpool. "This will show we're ready for any kind of opposition.
"A lot of people see these two games as a test but we're ready. For us it could be our opportunity to prove that we're champions and we will defend our title at any price. Both will be tough opponents but we have confidence in ourselves and the way we are working.
"We're trying to improve on what we did last season. We didn't come back thinking we are champions so it will be easy. We know there is going to be pressure but we have experienced players who are ready to handle that. We're much better under pressure so now we just have to stay calm.
"Manchester City were the only team to do the double over us last season and that could be a big motivation for us. I know they're getting better and bought a lot of good players.
"There will be a big atmosphere and their players will be waiting for that game. Maybe it is a way for their team to show they're ready to challenge for the title so we are going there to defend our title. Last year was difficult for us but we'll go there to try and get the points.
"We're aware that the season is long and you don't win anything in September. We have to carry on and keep our focus.
"I know it's going to be tight until the end of the season and when the other teams drop points we must try to take the opportunity. We're ready to succeed, that's why in training we work very hard.
"We are using our experience of last year and know nothing is easy. We won the league by one point on the last day so we're preparing for the same situation this season."
Read more...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)