Villas-Boas hails 'amazing' Krul display

The Newcastle shot-stopper made 14 stops during the course of the Magpies' 1-0 win at White Hart Lane, the most by a goalkeeper since the 2006-07 season


Tottenham head coach Andre Villas-Boas hailed the man-of-the-match display from Tim Krul as Newcastle triumphed 1-0 at White Hart Lane on Sunday.

Spurs were defeated by Loic Remy's 13th minute goal but denied an equaliser by a fine performance from Krul, who made 14 saves over the course of the 90 minutes.

The Portuguese was disappointed in his team's first half showing but paid tribute to the Dutchman's heroics.

Villas-Boas told reporters: “It was difficult to take. We have to look at ourselves and recognise that our first half was very, very poor. That was the negative, the positive was that we reacted so strongly and I think that the result was unfair, particularly after the second half.

Paris Saint-Germain: Messi is too expensive

The Ligue 1 champions have dismissed suggestions they could bid for the Argentine following reports they were prepared to smash the world transfer record for his services




Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has strongly rejected renewed reports linking the club with a move for Barcelona forward Lionel Messi.
During the summer les Parisiens were rumoured to be ready to match Messi’s reported €250 million buy-out clause in response to the Catalan’s public pursuit of captain Thiago Silva.
Al-Khelaifi was quoted in AS saying: “I haven’t spoken to Messi because I’m not interested. You would have to ask the Barça [resident (If he is available), not me.”

Arsenal want to sell me & I want to leave, says Bendtner

The Denmark international hit out at Arsene Wenger for placing him in the reserves in the summer and admits he was disappointed not to be sold in the transfer window


Nicklas Bendtner has revealed Arsenal still want to sell him and that he is looking to leaving the club.

The 25-year-old has been reintroduced to Arsenal’s first-team this season after Arsene Wenger blocked the forward's move away in the summer transfer window.

The Denmark international, who has only secured a starting place in Arsenal’s two Capital One Cup matches this term, insists the criticism directed at him via Twitter is unfair as it was the club who decided to keep him in north London.

"I will not be upset by that sort of thing,” Bendtner told Berlingske.

“That is how it is to be a football player. But I need to keep me strong, I begin to listen or even believe in them, I can quickly force myself into a black hole.

"Right now I'm the easy prey to them because I want to get away from the club, and Arsenal do not want to keep me. And these haters - they always choose the easy option. Basically, it is unfair to pig me when I had my club transfer in place in the summer and Wenger told me to be.”

Blanc: Ibrahimovic deserves Ballon d'Or

The striker's incredible season continued when he hit a hat-trick for Paris Saint-Germain and his coach believes he is every bit as deserving of the award as other nominees


Paris Saint-Germain coach Laurent Blanc thinks Zlatan Ibrahimovic's goalscoring exploits should place him as an automatic candidate for the Ballon d'Or.

The striker has been in prolific form this calendar year, yet the favourites for the accolade are four-time Ballons d'Or winner Lionel Messi, Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo and Uefa's Best Player in Europe award winner for 2013, Franck Ribery.

And PSG boss Blanc is mystified as to why Ibrahimovic has not been considered as a front runner for the award, given his incredible form for club and country.
"Does Ibra deserve it? It is not a question of merit or not. You know how these awards are distributed," Blanc told reporters. "You should see who it's based on: Ronaldo, Messi or Ribery.

‘I’ve never dived’ - Ramires hits back after late Chelsea equaliser

The Brazilian won a penalty in injury time to deny West Brom three points at Stamford Bridge but insists it is not in his character to cheat


 Ramires has hit back at accusations that he dived to win Chelsea’s penalty in their 2-2 draw with West Brom on Saturday.

Samuel Eto’s opener was overturned by goals from Shane Long and Stephane Sessegnon to put Steve Clarke’s men on course for an upset at Stamford Bridge.

But in injury time, the Brazilian won a spot kick, which Eden Hazard converted, following a collision with Steven Reid inside the box.

"I have never used diving to win fouls or penalties. It's not my character, and those who know me know it very well,” Ramires told ESPN Brazil.

Chelsea deserved last-gasp penalty, insists Mourinho

The Blues boss insists Ramires' last-gasp spot-kick award was justified and is adamant his side were worth a draw against a disciplined and spirited Baggies side



Jose Mourinho has defended Andre Marriner's decision to award Chelsea a controversial last-gasp penalty against West Brom at Stamford Bridge.

Marriner pointed to the spot in the 95th minute after Ramires went down following a collision with Steven Reid in the penalty area, despite replays showing minimal contact between the two men.
"In the second half we had more space with the 1-0, we had a couple of good situations. They scored a goal which is a funny one, and the second one is a big mistake by the referee [for the challenge by Sessegnon on Ivanovic]. The fourth official told me 'You’re right', but it is a big mistake.

Ancelotti awestruck by 'out of this world' Ronaldo

The Portugal star hit his 19th Liga hat-trick in Saturday's thrashing of Real Sociedad and his coach admitted his current form is almost beyond words


Carlo Ancelotti declared Cristiano Ronaldo "out of this world" after his 19th La Liga hat-trick in Real Madrid's 5-1 win over Real Sociedad.
The Portugal international gave Madrid a 12th-minute lead at Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday as he collected Karim Benzema's left-wing cross and fired into the far side of the goal.

Benzema and Ronaldo then reversed roles as the Frenchman doubled Madrid's lead, before the former Manchester United man scored a penalty and Sami Khedira netted the fourth.

Antoine Griezmann pulled one back for Sociedad, but Ronaldo rifled in a free kick 14 minutes from time to complete his third hat-trick of the season and his 19th in La Liga since moving to Spain in 2009, leaving Ancelotti in awe of his current form.

Benitez: Chiellini loss won't affect Juventus

The Spaniard believes the strength in depth at Antonio Conte's disposal will more than make up for the loss of the defender when the sides clash on Sunday


Napoli coach Rafael Benitez does not believe Giorgio Chiellini's absence will boost his side when they face Juventus on Sunday.
Chiellini is expected to miss the clash at Juventus Stadium through injury, but Benitez feels the squad depth at Antonio Conte's disposal means the champions will not miss the Italy international.
He told reporters: "Juve have the strongest squad in the league, the absence of Chiellini doesn't change the balance.
"They have such strength in depth and Antonio Conte knows it, so they are the favourites for the Scudetto.
"Having said that, we must play in a relaxed and confident manner, as we have faith in our own qualities.
"I expect a strong performance tomorrow, as I want to see the minds and the hearts of my players.
"Juventus are very strong, which is why we need stamina and intensity as well as the desire to do well. We will try to stop them any way they can and hurt the Bianconeri."

Boateng delighted with goal for record-breaking Bayern

The defender scored in the opening few minutes of his side's 3-0 win over Augsburg which ensured they became the first side to go 37 games without defeat in the Bundesliga



Jerome Boateng paid tribute to former boss Jupp Heynckes as Bayern Munich made Bundesliga history with a 3-0 win over Augsburg on Saturday.

The Germany international scored the opening goal of the before Franck Ribery and Thomas Muller sealed maximum points as the champions made it a record 37 games without defeat in the top flight.

While Boateng was thrilled to be on the scoresheet, he was quick to praise the entire team for their remarkable run, which begun under Jupp Heynckes last season.

The Real Madrid star says he is sick of the fallout from Sepp Blatter's comments about him and feels he is starting to bond well with Gareth Bale



Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo says his hat-trick in the 5-1 win over Real Sociedad on Saturday is his response to Sepp Blatter's recent comments about him.

The Fifa president claimed that the Portuguese winger spends more time at the hairdresser than Lionel Messi when asked to pick a favourite between the duo.

Ronaldo retorted by hinting that Messi would get preferential treatment in the Ballon d'Or race but now says he wants to draw a line under the affair and insists he does not care about the award.

"I am showing it on the field - I don't want to talk any more. I am only thinking of helping the team and winning the game," he told Gol Television.

"I don't want to talk about the Ballon d'Or. The answer is given on the pitch. It's not up to me, so I don't care about it."

Martino: Messi is unpredictable

The Barcelona boss believes the Argentine is still recovering his best form and fitness following injury and claims his side encourage criticism due to their high standards



Barcelona boss Gerardo Martino admits Lionel Messi is "unpredictable" as he continues to recover from injury.

The Argentine went without a goal in four games for the Catalans before scoring twice in the 3-1 Champions League win over AC Milan, and his compatriot maintains the 26-year-old needs time to rediscover his best form consistently.

"We've just spoken about Jordi Alba; when he plays his first game [back from injury] his form won't be that great. Leo suffered two injuries that set him back and now he’s striving for excellence," Martino told a press conference.

"Leo is very unpredictable. Last week, after the Madrid game, when I was asked about the situation with Messi, he put in a brilliant performance three days later. Anything can happen with him."

Martino also paid tribute to the attacking understanding between Messi and Cesc Fabregas, saying it is only natural to see them work well together given their time in La Masia."They’ve played together since they were kids. Players that have played alongside each other since they were 14 are logically going to be able to carry that on in the first division. My feeling is that all players that play well together also get on well. Cesc and Messi have a better understanding beause they've played together for so long."Barcelona continue to attract criticism for their performances this season despite a run of results which has seen them top both La Liga and their Champions League group, but Martino believes the high standards of his side ensure they will always be heavily scrutinised.

"I think that the Barcelona institution, team and squad always encourage this because they have reached excellence. In many cases it's not just about winning a game, it's about winning and playing well," he continued.

Manchester United need consistency in defence, admits Moyes

The former Everton boss admits it is hard to keep five centre-backs happy, with Rio Ferdinand, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, Nemanja Vidic and Jonny Evans all in contention


Manchester United manager David Moyes admits he is yet to determine his first-choice central defensive partnership.
The Old Trafford club, who face table-topping Arsenal on Sunday, have internationals Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand, Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Jonny Evans to choose from in their back line.

And Moyes confesses that finding consistency in the centre of defence is proving a challenge as he tries to keep all five happy.

"You would like to have a bit of continuity but when you have five centre-backs like we have here in the squad they all need to be used," he told reporters.

Arsenal defeat would leave Manchester United 'on the edge' of surrending their Premier League crown, claims Mourinho

The Chelsea boss believes defeat to Arsene Wenger's in-form Gunners at Old Trafford on Sunday would all but rule David Moyes' side out of this season's title race




Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho says Manchester United will be "on the edge" of dropping out of the title race if they lose to Arsenal on Sunday.

The Red Devils have not enjoyed the best of starts to the current season under David Moyes and would slip 11 points behind the Gunners with a loss at Old Trafford.

Mourinho feels defeat would leave United with only a slim chance of retaining their Premier League title but refused to completely rule them out.

Hulk keen on Tottenham move

The Brazil international praised the tactical preparation of Andre Villas-Boas, his former coach at Porto, and admitted he would be keen to work with him again in the future



Zenit St Petersburg forward Hulk has confirmed his interest in joining Tottenham.
The Brazil international played under current Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas at Porto, where he scored 36 goals in 51 games en route to winning a domestic double and the Europa League.

Tottenham rejected the chance to take Hulk on a €12 million loan from Zenit this summer, but he is still hopeful of moving to White Hart Lane in the future.

"I learned a lot with Andre Villas-Boas at Porto," he told twentyfour7 magazine.

"He is very intelligent tactically. He was almost so well informed about the opponents that we pretty much knew everything about them when we went out on to the pitch.
"It was scary how much we knew.
"I am really happy Villas-Boas is making a mark in England, and it would be fantastic to play under him again one day."

‘Real Madrid are unstoppable in attack’ – Arrasate

The Real Sociedad coach believes Los Blancos are impossible to defend, insisting his team must be flawless if they hope to leave the Bernabeu with points on Saturday



Real Sociedad coach Jagoba Arrasate has paid tribute to Real Madrid's "unstoppable" attack ahead of the sides' meeting on Saturday.

Los Blancos have scored 12 goals in their last three matches in all competitions and have struck 30 times so far in La Liga this season, although Carlo Ancelotti's side have received critisicm of late given the eight-point gap to league leaders Barcelona.

Arrasate, however, laughed off suggestions of a 'crisis' at Santiago Bernabeu in Friday's press conference, telling reporters: "They battered Malaga then put seven past Sevilla. That says it all.

"They are a brilliant team with the best players in the world.

"In attack, they are unstoppable – and that's something which they have demonstrated not just once or twice but on many occasions.

"[Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema] are three great players who are very difficult to stop.

The Dossier: Moyes & Manchester United must disrupt Arsenal's pass masters

The champions may resort to a more physical approach in order to knock the likes of Mikel Arteta and Mesut Ozil off their game as they bid to haul in the table-topping Gunners


With Arsenal's stunning 1-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday evening added to their professional dismantling of Liverpool last Saturday, a tough task for Manchester United just got that bit harder.

The Gunners lead the Premier League by five points – ahead of the Red Devils by eight – sit top of a difficult Champions League group, and travel to Old Trafford brimming with confidence.
The signing of Mesut Ozil has galvanised a squad on the cusp of realising their potential, with Aaron Ramsey, Olivier Giroud, Per Mertesacker and Tomas Rosicky standing up to be counted for Wenger’s side like never before.

For thier part, United have steadied the ship after a stormy start to Moyes’ reign at Old Trafford, winning three of their past four games and blowing Fulham away at Craven Cottage last weekend with three goals in the opening 22 minutes.

Ancelotti: Ozil left because he feared competition

The Italian coach believes the creative midfielder left Real Madrid because he didn't want to fight for his place, while he has backed Cristiano Ronaldo to win the Ballon d'Or


Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has hit back at Mesut Ozil in the wake of the Arsenal midfielder's comments that the Italian was one of the main reasons behind his decision to leave the Liga giants during the summer.

The Germany international recently stated that he left Madrid because he felt Ancelotti did not believe in him.
However, the former PSG boss has insisted that the 25-year-old opted to move on due to the stiff competition for places instead.

"Ozil wasn't comfortable. I knew he'd been speaking with another club because he wanted to leave,  Ancelotti told Onda Cero.

"Mesut understood that he had competition, that he wouldn't be able to play every game, and 'I'm off' was his answer.

Mourinho hits out at Premier League over scheduling of Chelsea fixtures

The Blues boss is unimpressed that his side face the Baggies on Saturday while rivals Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham are not in action until Sunday


Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has hit out at the Premier League over the scheduling of his side’s game against West Brom.

	CHELSEA LATEST

The Blues were in Champions League action on Wednesday and face Steve Clarke’s men on Saturday while rivals Arsenal, Tottenham, Manchester City and Manchester United all play on Sunday.

The Portuguese has already been critical of his side’s fixture list after watching them take on Arsenal in the Capital One Cup just two days after a crucial Premier League clash with Manchester City.

And now Mourinho feels his team is once again being given less time to rest than their rivals but admits he is powerless to do anything about it.

Uefa sell British TV rights for record €1.07 billion to BT Sport

The broadcaster has agreed the exclusive deal to show all 350 matches from the Europa and Champions League for three years from 2015-16



BT Sport have announced a record three-year, €1.07 bn deal giving them the rights to show Champions League and Europa League football from 2015-16.

The broadcaster has won the rights to show all 350 games from both competitions for €358m per season, with the deal bringing to an end the dominance of ITV and Sky Sports in their coverage of European football over the last two decades.
At least one game per season involving each participating British team will be shown for free, as well as the final of the competition itself.
Commenting on the award of the rights, BT chief executive Gavin Patterson said: "I am thrilled BT Sport will be the only place where fans can enjoy all live action from Champions League and Europa League. Both tournaments are world class and firm favourites with many."

Uefa sell British TV rights for record €1.07 billion to BT Sport

The broadcaster has agreed the exclusive deal to show all 350 matches from the Europa and Champions League for three years from 2015-16



BT Sport have announced a record three-year, €1.07 bn deal giving them the rights to show Champions League and Europa League football from 2015-16.

The broadcaster has won the rights to show all 350 games from both competitions for €358m per season, with the deal bringing to an end the dominance of ITV and Sky Sports in their coverage of European football over the last two decades.
At least one game per season involving each participating British team will be shown for free, as well as the final of the competition itself.
Commenting on the award of the rights, BT chief executive Gavin Patterson said: "I am thrilled BT Sport will be the only place where fans can enjoy all live action from Champions League and Europa League. Both tournaments are world class and firm favourites with many."
The new contract is worth more than double the current deal, which will mean significantly more money for clubs in the two European competitions.
BT has already spent €884m over three years for the rights to show 38 live Premier League matches for the 2012-13 season, while Sky paid €2.8 billion for 116 matches a season.

The Spanish giants made an attempt to lure him to Catalunya when he was just 12-years-old but the midfielder rejected the offer to continue his development in his homeland

 

Tottenham midfielder Erik Lamela rejected a move to Barcelona when he was a child, in order to continue his development at River Plate.

The Primera Division side offered Lamela's parents jobs, a home and a cash settlement in order to bring him to Camp Nou at the age of 12, but the decision was made to stay at El Monumental.He eventually made the move to Europe after River Plate's relegation in 2011, joining Serie A side Roma for €12 million.

He then joined Tottenham this summer after Franco Baldini - former director of football at Roma, now at Spurs - helping to convince the 21-year-old to move to White Hart Lane for €26m.

"One of their scouts watched him and rang me," Lamela's father, Jose, revealed to FourFourTwo.

Pique: Ronaldo fuelled by Messi rivalry

The 26-year-old admits he admires his former Manchester United team-mate's ambition and claimed Barcelona are "a poor club" when compared to Real Madrid's spending policy.

Barcelona defender Gerard Pique says Cristiano Ronaldo is fuelled by his rivalry with Lionel Messi as it constantly drives him to improve.

The Real Madrid forward has finished runner-up to the Argentina international in the Ballon d'Or for the previous two seasons as the attacking duo continue to vye for the title of the world's best player.

Pique, who played with Ronaldo briefly at Manchester United, feels the 28-year-old is motivated by the constant comparisons with Messi and has praised the Portugal captain for his ambition.

"Cristiano Ronaldo has not changed since we were both at Manchester United,” he told So Foot. "He remains the same.

Pellegrini concerned by Kompany absence.

The Belgium international hasn't featured for his club since the beginning of October due to a thigh injury and won't be back until after the international break

 

 

Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini has expressed concern at the amount of time Vincent Kompany has spent on the sidelines through injury.
The Belgian centre-back has not featured for City since a 3-1 victory over Everton on October 5, when he picked up a thigh problem.
And manager Pellegrini revealed his captain is still two weeks away from a return to action, ruling him out until after the international break.

Moyes: Manchester United weren’t close to buying Ozil, we didn’t need him

The Scot says that the Red Devils were not interested in signing the Germany international as they already had similar players in the squad such as Shinji Kagawa and Wayne Rooney

 

  David Moyes says Manchester United did not try to sign Mesut Ozil in the summer because he was a player they "didn’t need”.

The Germany international moved from Real Madrid to Arsenal in August and has proved to be an instant success at the Emirates, helping the Gunners to the top of the Premier League table.

Ozil had also been linked with a move to the Red Devils prior to the deal going through, but Moyes insisted the club were never close to bringing him to Old Trafford.

“We weren’t close to buying him but something was mooted a little bit before that,” Moyes told reporters.

“We didn’t need that position at the time. I didn’t even say it was an interest, it was put to us and it was just something at the time we didn’t need.