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Martinez: Everton don´t need FA Cup to save season
18 February 2016
Roberto Martinez believes Everton do not need FA Cup glory to save their season as he feels they still have every chance of reaching their goals in the league.
Everton have been struggling for consistency this campaign and sit 11th in the Premier League table with 12 games to go.
Martinez sees no reason for concern just yet, though, and has insisted they can still qualify to bring European football back to Goodison Park in 2016-17.
The FA Cup represents Everton's remaining chance for silverware this season, with Martinez readying his squad for a trip to AFC Bournemouth in the fifth round this weekend.
"We don't need to win the FA Cup to save our season. We respect the FA Cup, but there is still a long way to go before we can think about winning it. It is only the fifth round now," Martinez said in his pre-match media conference.
"We aim to finish in the European positions in the table. We want to make our way into the European positions and I think we can achieve that.
"Our away form has been outstanding. We need to be a little more focused, but we are very close to reaching our aim in the league.
"We are still only a few points away from fifth place. We would have been within three points from Manchester United had we beaten West Brom at the weekend. We deserved to win that game really."
Chelsea assistant first-team coach Eddie Newton has warned Vitesse they are in danger of missing out on signing the Premier League side's best youngsters on loan in future if they do not get regular playing time.
The Eredivisie side signed Dominic Solanke, Lewis Baker, Isaiah Brown, Danilo Pantic and Nathan on loan at the start of the season, but the latter two in particular have been struggling to secure regular first-team football.
Baker and Brown have both spent plenty of time on the bench as well, with only Solanke a regular starter if fit, and Newton has stressed it is vital for the club's loanees to get regular game time.
"It's all about the players' development for us," Newton - who was loan-player technical coach at the club until December - told Voetbal International when asked about the situation of Chelsea's youngsters at Vitesse.
"There are things that are important to us. Firstly, the player's development on and off the pitch. Do they improve as a player, get more clever, more independent and things like that?
"But the second is at least as important and that is whether they are getting regular playing time.
"A player's development is in danger if they do not play often enough. We will have to look at other clubs if that is the case."
Ibrahimovic hints at interest in Premier League move
17 February 2016
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has suggested he would be open to moving to the Premier League at the end of the season.
The Paris Saint-Germain star's future remains shrouded in doubt as he approaches the end of his contract, with moves to England, the United States and Qatar all mooted in the past few months.
Ibrahimovic's agent Mino Raiola said in January that the Sweden international's physique and playing style would make him ideally suited to a spell in England's top flight, and the 34-year-old has refused to rule out the prospect of such a move.
"I have another three months here and, then, what will happen?" he said on Tuesday, after he helped PSG to a 2-1 Champions League win over Chelsea. "Big things will happen. So let's see."
When asked if he would prefer a move to the Premier League, he added: "Let's just say I am in good shape."
Talk of Ibrahimovic capturing the interest of Manchester United grew during the transfer window and, with reports that Jose Mourinho could be named as Louis van Gaal's replacement at the end of the season persisting, speculation of a reunion with his former boss at Inter is likely to intensify.
Ibrahimovic was asked about Mourinho on Tuesday, and simply replied: "He should have been here."
The former Barcelona striker opened the scoring against Chelsea before Edinson Cavani struck the winner after John Obi Mikel had made it 1-1 at half-time.
The defeat was Guus Hiddink's first since replacing Mourinho as manager in December, yet Ibrahimovic is wary of underestimating the Premier League champions in the return leg given their away-goals defeat in the quarter-finals two years ago.
"Chelsea are a fantastic team," he said. "Just because they are not doing as well as they normally do in the Premier League, it doesn't mean they are weak. It is a strong team with fantastic players.
"I remember two years ago we won the first leg 3-1 against them, and we still didn't go through, so this competition can be unpredictable. We have a second leg to play and anything could happen.
"But we will be confident going to London. If we play the way we did in Paris, we are confident of going through."
Hiddink set on retirement despite relishing Chelsea role
21 February 2016
Guus Hiddink plans to retire from coaching at the end of the season despite admitting he is relishing his role at Chelsea.
The 69-year-old took charge at Stamford Bridge for the second time in his career in December after Jose Mourinho left the club following a turbulent start to the campaign.
Hiddink has helped the Premier League champions regain some solidity and only suffered his first defeat of the season when his side were beaten 2-1 by Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of the Champions League last 16.
Though the former Netherlands boss plans on visiting the club beyond the end of 2015-16, he maintains that he will not go into another coaching role once he leaves London.
"I feel fit, I feel fresh and, every morning, I go with a smile," he said. "Although we have a difficult time when there's a loss, I love to go to Cobham, to the training field, so I feel fresh.
"On the other hand, young people must take over and I must retreat a bit. I will visit Chelsea often next season but I'm not thinking of working elsewhere."
Chelsea take on Manchester City in the FA Cup fifth round on Sunday.
Former Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert claims he was delighted to be given the sack by the club in February last year.
Lambert's turbulent spell at Villa Park came to an end when he was replaced by Tim Sherwood after they went 10 Premier League games without a win, yet the club's decline has continued unabated and they now sit eight points from safety at the bottom of the table.
Former Scotland international Lambert says he was proud of his old squad's fighting spirit – something critics claim has been sorely lacking this season – yet he admits he was relieved when his own time was up.
"The lads at Villa at that time gave us everything, there was never one time where I walked away and thought we had thrown the towel in," he told Sky Sports.
"We just found things hard towards the end. As I've said before, Villa is a great club, always has been and always will be, but I knew my time was up.
"Some of the things that were going on were never right so when it [the sacking] did actually happen, I was delighted it was going to happen."
Lambert, now manager of Blackburn Rovers, also relished the chance to spend time learning from foreign coaches following his Villa exit.
"I was over with Jurgen [Klopp] at Borussia Dortmund for nine days and watched them train," he said. "I was at Bayern Munich when Pep [Guardiola] was there and it was brilliant, I really enjoyed it.
"Real Madrid was brilliant, Carlo Ancelotti was absolutely fantastic and it doesn't surprise me that he's on his way to Bayern."
The former Dortmund midfielder revealed he rejected an offer from an unnamed club abroad before opting to join Blackburn.
"I had the chance to go abroad, but at that time I didn't want to do it. I don't want to name the club," he added.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is eager for his team to find the right balance between attack and defence in their Champions League first leg against Barcelona.
The Premier League title contenders face the daunting task of Barca in the last 16, with the first leg to be played at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday.
Wenger said he understood the difficulties awaiting his side, particularly when it came to their approach at home.
"I think we will score. I cannot go into a game and think I will just play for a 0-0. It is against my nature," the Frenchman said.
"We need to find the right balance between being audacious – because that is what you will need – and being strong defensively as a unit.
"Barcelona is a very offensive team so you have to try to score against them because, if they have a vulnerability, like we have, it is defensively."
The last time Arsenal kept a clean sheet at home in the knockout stages of the Champions League was in March 2012, when they beat AC Milan 3-0.
Wenger said conceding in front of their home fans could be costly.
"Recently we always made it difficult for ourselves by conceding goals at home and basically the rules of the modern European Cup encourage you to defend at home and attack away because of the importance of the away goal," he said.
"Many times I said that should be suppressed because if you concede a goal at home in the Champions League it is a knife in your heart every time. Against big, big teams it becomes very difficult."
Hiddink slams fans for throwing objects at City players
21 February 2016 20:45
Guus Hiddink strongly criticised Chelsea supporters who threw objects at Manchester City players during Sunday's FA Cup tie at Stamford Bridge – stating those responsible "should not come into stadiums".
Chelsea eventually ran out 5-1 winners against a youthful City line-up to secure a quarter-final trip to Everton, but there were unsavoury scenes after debutant David Faupala netted a first-half equaliser for the visitors.
After the teenage French striker was joined by his team-mates to celebrate, referee Andre Marriner collected three objects from that corner of the pitch – the first of which appeared to be a coin.
City manager Manuel Pellegrini learnt of the incident during his post-match press conference, saying his players had not informed him afterwards.
But opposite number Hiddink said: "There were coins thrown to the Manchester City players in their celebration – I condemn it strongly.
"Those people [who threw objects] must not come into stadiums."
Following Hiddink's remarks, a Chelsea spokesperson said the club would issue bans and support criminal prosecutions of those responsible.
On Saturday, West Brom midfielder Chris Brunt was struck on his left cheek by a coin thrown from the away end as his team lost 3-1 at Reading in round five.
Thames Valley Police confirmed it was investigating a number of incidents that marred the match at the Madejski Stadium.
Hazard like a new signing for Chelsea - Azpilicueta
23 February 2016 12:32
Cesar Azpilicueta feels Eden Hazard has returned to form just in time to guide Chelsea to silverware and believes the Belgium international is like a new signing at Stamford Bridge.
The 25-year-old struggled to replicate last season's sublime form in the opening months of the 2015-16 campaign and even lost his place in Chelsea's starting line-up.
He is slowly getting back to his best, though, as he scored one and set up two more in the 5-1 FA Cup win over Manchester City at the weekend.
And Azpilicueta hopes the rejuvenated Hazard can lead Chelsea to Champions League and FA Cup success over the next few months.
"Playing like this, Eden is like a new signing for us," the Spaniard told London Evening Standard.
"Eden is a big player and we need him. We are a much stronger squad if we have Eden playing at his best and have a better chance to get good results.
"It is better to have Eden in his best form now than at the start of the season.
"It is at the end of a season when you are playing for trophies and we will try to win the two we are in."
Hazard has netted twice in 34 appearances in all competitions this season, both of his goals coming in 2016.
Beckham: Van Gaal should be judged at the end of the season
By Stefan Coerts
Feb 23, 2016 11:06:34
The former England captain has backed the under-pressure coach and says it is not easy being the manager at Old Trafford but admits the club need to be winning trophies
Manchester United legend David Beckham has given Louis van Gaal his backing and insisted he only hears good things about the Dutchman.
Van Gaal's position has come under fire following United's Champions League elimination and their disappointing performances in the Premier League this season.
A 1-0 defeat to Midtjylland in the Europa League did little to help Van Gaal's cause, but Beckham continues to back the former Netherlands coach and has stressed it's not easy to be the man in charge at Old Trafford.
"Van Gaal is an experienced manager with a great reputation in the game. Sometimes it takes time. It is not easy being manager of Manchester United," Beckham told talkSPORT.
"We have to look at results, we have to look at the way we play, we have to listen to fans - the people that really matter at the club - and I only hear great things about him as a person, as a manager, as a coach.
"I have met him once before and he treated me unbelievably well. He is manager of Manchester United so there is always going to be criticism, but at the end of the season let's see what happens."
Beckham has admitted he finds it hard to see United going through a difficult period, but he believes it was inevitable they would struggle following the departure of manager Alex Ferguson and players such as Roy Keane, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs.
"As a United fan, I always hoped we wouldn't go through a slump, but it was inevitable. When the manager left that was always going to be a massive thing, but you also lost players like Keaney, like Scholesy, and Giggsy has stopped playing. You have lost such great characters through the team," he added.
"We have had so much success over the last 20 years that if we don't win something for one season or two seasons people talk about it being a crisis.
"United is United. It doesn't matter if you love them or hate them, they are one of the biggest, if not the biggest, club in the world and you have to keep that reputation. The only way you can keep that reputation is by winning trophies."
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has revealed Olivier Giroud would likely end up wearing the goalkeeper gloves in an emergency.
Petr Cech has been superb for Arsenal this season, but Wenger feels France striker Giroud could go in between the sticks if the former Chelsea keeper got sent off and he had used all his substitutes.
"Who would go in goal if we got a goalkeeper sent off? That would give me a big problem, because I haven't thought about it. Usually it's the central defenders or the strikers," Wenger told Arsenal's official website.
"I had George Weah at Monaco and he was a fantastic goalkeeper in training. Maybe a guy who has played basketball in his youth would be good, he would be used to using his hands.
"In our team I don't know what I would do, it was more of a problem before when you didn’t have a substitute goalkeeper. It can still happen late in a game though. I would have to make an instinctive decision, maybe it would be Giroud."
Wenger has been delighted with Cech's impact at Emirates Stadium, adding: "The peak age for a goalkeeper is 28 to 36 or 37.
"That is where you can absorb the bullets, you have the experience and you still have the physical quality to perform.
"For a footballer it is always important to have that balance between experience and physical potential. Unfortunately we need our body to express what we know. Our body allows us to perform more in a goalkeeper's position compared to a striker's.
"Experience is probably the most important quality for a goalkeeper. The problem is that to get the experience, you need the quality, it’s a vicious circle You need to play.
"Cech played when he was very young, and [Gianluigi] Buffon too was playing at 17. They had the luck to get into the first team, to gather the experience and be good enough to stay there."
Former Arsenal and France star Robert Pires has announced his retirement from football at the age of 42.
The winger also played for Metz, Marseille, Villarreal and Aston Villa before finishing his career with Indian Super League side Goa, who he left last March.
Pires told L'Equipe: "I am 42 years old and now must be the time to say stop – my last experience was in India. Above all it is necessary give way to the young players."
He won the 1998 World Cup, Euro 2000 and two Confederations Cup titles with France, who he last played for in 2004.
At club level, Pires enjoyed significant success at Arsenal between 2000 and 2006, winning two Premier League titles including in the club's 2003-04 Invincibles season and picking up three FA Cup medals.
One trophy that eluded him was the Champions League, with the Gunners losing the 2006 final to Barcelona in what proved to be his final match for the club before joining Villarreal.
Pires was substituted early in the first half after goalkeeper Jens Lehmann's red card in the dramatic clash in Paris.
Liverpool legend John Barnes is confident Daniel Sturridge will come good after overcoming his injury problems and has backed the attacker to become a key figure at Anfield again.
Sturridge has been plagued by injuries over the past 18 months and has made just nine appearances in all competitions in 2015-16.
The 26-year-old recently made his comeback to action and scored in the recent 6-0 win at Aston Villa, before this week lashing out at "astonishing" claims that he did not want to play at times.
"I would always be careful with Daniel. It's maybe not a typical way of looking at things, but with Daniel's history with injuries we have to leave it up to him to tell us when he feels he's ready to play," Barnes told the Liverpool Echo.
"If he says he's injured, then he's injured. We can't tell him otherwise. Daniel isn't necessarily different to anybody else, but football is different now. Phil Neal played for six years without missing a game in the 1970s and 80s, but he'd have missed a game in the modern era, for certain.
"In the old days the physio and the manager would maybe say 'do you want to give it a go?' But in Daniel's case you have to leave it up to him. You have to trust him.
"I believe he's hungry enough. He's a young boy who wants to play football. But he has to do it for himself."
Liverpool have been heavily reliant on Philippe Coutinho during Sturridge's absence and Barnes believes the striker's return will benefit the Brazil international.
"What was apparent to me watching the game against Aston Villa recently was that the burden of creativity which has been on Coutinho's shoulders for so long has been lifted," he added.
"We have Roberto Firmino now, who is coming good, and of course Sturridge too. So whereas before it was all up to Coutinho, now we have some help for him.
"Liverpool don't have lots of great individuals at the moment, so when they do have one really good player, they tend to rely heavily on them. I think we relied too heavily on Coutinho for creativity, but having Sturridge and Firmino in the side with him helps hugely."
An Arsenal fan group says the Gunners boss should have spent their transfer bounty before the possible inflation under the new TV deal
The Arsenal Supporters' Trust has accused manager Arsene Wenger of operating under a "false economy" after the club's latest set of financial figures revealed cash reserves of £135.9million.
The results for the six months up until the end of November 2015 confirmed swollen coffers at Emirates Stadium, helped by Wenger's only significant close-season outlay being to bring in goalkeeper Petr Cech from Chelsea.
Criticism of the Frenchman's perceived lack of spending is a familiar lament as Arsenal aim to win their first league title since 2003-04, and Tim Payton of AST believes spending money in the bank before an anticipated hike in transfer fees when the latest Premier League television deal kicks in would have been a better way to go.
"These are half-year results so when the full year comes in they will have around £250m in cash thanks to the TV rights and so on," Payton said in the Daily Mirror.
"They are the biggest cash reserves in world football. It brings us back to the question as to why not buy better players and also offer a bit more support to the fans.
"Wenger recently said that he only expects transfer values to increase and if that happens then keeping money in the bank would only be a false economy."
Meanwhile, Arsenal's second-largest shareholder Alisher Usmanov now owns 100 per cent of his Red and White Holdings company after buying out Farhad Moshiri.
Usmanov's 30 per cent stake in Arsenal sits only behind majority shareholder Stan Kroenke.
"I am committed to Arsenal and I will proudly retain my holding as a long term investment for myself and for my family to benefit for generations to come," Usmanov said.
"I want the absolute best for Arsenal and am prepared to do whatever is necessary to ensure the success of the club."
'Van Gaal OUT' campaign shows Wenger has been given an easy ride
By Kris Voakes
Feb 27, 2016 09:30:00
The Manchester United boss is under intense pressure due to his side's form, yet his Arsenal counterpart seems to be given a free pass every 12 months
One is a man 18 months into the task of instigating a full-scale restructure of one of the game’s most institutionalised clubs. The other has won little of note in 12 years. On the face of it, it is easy to see why one of Louis van Gaal and Arsene Wenger is under significant pressure as Manchester United get set to host Arsenal at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Yet while it is Van Gaal who has been thrust under the spotlight thanks to his United side’s struggles this season, Wenger has been given a comparatively easy ride by the neutrals. The Dutchman’s handling of his job at Old Trafford has rightly drawn criticism, but the Arsenal boss continues to somehow evade the serious question marks which the Gunners' acceptance of mediocrity arguably deserve.
Van Gaal was in defensive mode again this week after his side's inconsistencies were brought into question. United have slid out of title contention and dropped from the Champions League to the Europa League, but he claimed it is the critics rather than his team who have been erratic this term.
“That’s football. You can win, lose or play a draw,” said the Dutchman. “Only the media is inconsistent, that’s different. It is the media. At Sunderland we didn’t lose because of the media, no, that is true. But the media makes it bigger than it is.”
And he has a point on one level at least. Though it is churlish to suggest that the media and a large portion of United’s online fan presence simply has it out for Van Gaal and his side, and that a distant fifth spot and outside chances in both the Europa League and FA Cup are acceptable, his treatment from the press benches has not been consistent with at least one other Premier League boss.
Wenger has been living on decade-old achievements for too long. How a manager who took his club to constant successes around the turn of the century turned annual Champions League eliminations by March and finishes of no higher than third in 10 consecutive seasons into a badge of honour remains a mystery. Obi-Wan Kenobi would be proud of the brainwashing powers the Frenchman has shown in having fans accept the continual let-downs in recent years.
United’s form of late has been by no means worthy of particular praise, but it has arguably been more impressive than Arsenal’s given the scenario. Having as many as 15 players out recently, there is a sizeable argument for Van Gaal to voice should executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward finally decide to call him in for a serious chat. Wenger, though, has no such excuse for his side’s latest limping title push.
With United, Manchester City and Chelsea all floundering to various degrees, this is one season in which Arsenal simply have to capitalise. And yet to date they have done almost everything in their powers to ensure any team but themselves will win the Premier League. Every time the door has seemed to open up for them, they have wandered aimlessly into a brick wall.
How has Wenger got away with it this long in a sport which has become increasingly cut-throat? Some call it refreshing for a club to stick by a manager, yet in reality they are allowing sentiment to rule ambition. There are those who claim he has been hit on the market by the move to the Emirates Stadium 10 years ago, but surely the extortionate season tickets in N5 have more than covered that now.
What about the argument that Wenger is managing the club at a profit and foregoing a real title push by penny-pinching? Just what a Gooner wants to hear every time they fork out over £1,000 for a season ticket: You’re money is going to go on making a rich club richer rather than on enhancing the product you pay to watch each week.
It is high time Wenger was judged on modern standards. His two major trophies in the last decade came thanks to FA Cup final wins in 2014 against Hull City, who were destined for relegation 12 months later, and last year Aston Villa who, barring a miracle, are heading the same way.
While two years ago any type of silverware would have been taken as a step forward, there can be no more hiding the Frenchman’s failures if Arsenal do not win the title in the most open and arguably low-quality Premier League race in years. If they can't take advantage this year, then what are they waiting for?
In the run-in in 1998 there was a real ruthlessness about Arsenal’s play as they strung win after win together, and the same was true of 2002. Two years later, there was no let up from the first day of the season to the last as they won the league without losing a single game. So why has ruthlessness become a dirty word around Islington?
Jose Mourinho was sacked seven months after a Premier League win because he wasn’t getting the best out of his Chelsea players. Manuel Pellegrini’s days were numbered at City the second he failed to win last season’s league crown. Other clubs have shown a ruthless edge, but where is Arsenal’s?
If Arsenal’s players don’t show a killer instinct between now and May they will throw away their best chance in 12 years to win the league title. And if it is to be failure once more for the red side of north London, then surely it will be time to put Wenger out to pasture.
Louis van Gaal and the rest of the Premier League’s manager are being judged by modern-day targets, and now is the time for the same to be applied to Arsenal’s annual nearly man.
Andrea Pirlo believes Antonio Conte would be a success at Chelsea but has warned the players that he is not someone to be messed with.
Conte is tipped to become the Chelsea manager as of next season after finishing up with the Italy national team following Euro 2016.
The 46-year-old was the man who signed Pirlo to Juventus in 2011, and the two went on to win three Serie A titles together at the club.
Pirlo revealed his "love" for Conte and has backed him to be successful at Chelsea - if they decide to appoint him.
"I love the man, I have nothing but respect and admiration for him. I know if he takes a job, any job, it will have to be on his terms," he told the Mirror.
"The players he wants to sign, those he wants to get rid of, the style he wants to play.
"If you sign him as your coach and then as the owner you want to start making decisions, he is not the coach for you.
"If you let him get on with things and do his methods, then you will have a team that plays attractive football and will, without doubt, be successful."
However, Pirlo has warned the Chelsea players - and owner Roman Abramovich - that there is a "beast" within Conte.
"There is a beast in him. I have been in his dressing room at half-time when we have been winning, but he comes in and will be throwing full bottles of water around because of a mistake we made or because he feels we should be further ahead," he said.
"His life is football. I know he is up until 3-4am in the morning, studying videos, looking at errors, studying the opposition of the next game. It is a good job Elisabetta is such an understanding wife, and if he takes the Chelsea job then she will have plenty of time to enjoy London, because he has two wives – Elisabetta and football.
"I even know he will turn on the bedroom lights in the middle of the night because he has thought of something he needs to write down – you will not find a more understanding woman than her.”
He added: "I have played under a lot of great managers.
"But I can say that Conte is a genius. Like all men who possess genius, he is a little mad.
"The man can be a beast, a dressing room when he is angry is one of the most dangerous places you can be."
Kasper Schmeichel stepping out of Peter´s shadow in fairytale year - Laudrup
27 February 2016
Leicester City's fairytale season is seeing Kasper Schmeichel step out of the shadow of his famous father Peter, according to Brian Laudrup.
Laudrup, who played alongside Peter with Denmark and won the European championship in 1992, believes Kasper has been a crucial part of the success Claudio Ranieri's side have enjoyed this season as they sit top of the Premier League.
The former Bayern Munich and Rangers player hopes Leicester can finish the job in the title race and record what he believes will be the biggest footballing upset in a quarter of a century.
"I think with Kasper Schmeichel he is maybe enjoying the form of his life," Laudrup told Omnisport.
"He realised a number of years ago that he was going to walk in his father's footsteps. Not many would have liked to see that because I think they would have felt that would be too much of a burden on his shoulders to be compared all the time with his dad - one of the most famous goalkeepers in the world - but he did it.
"Now he is getting to a stage in his career where he is actually walking out of his shadow and I hope this season Leicester could go all the way and produce maybe the biggest upset since 1992 with Denmark – we are talking that big - a team that most so-called experts were expecting to be in the relegation zone and now they are going all the way. It is an incredible story.
"In the era of so much money in the Premier League with all the big teams, it is more or less every season you say top four will be Arsenal, United, City, Chelsea, but it is not like that this season and that is a fairytale. For Kasper to be involved is incredible."
Laudrup thinks Kasper does share some of the qualities Peter had and feels he may earn himself a big move in the future.
"He is still quite young for a goalkeeper and could play another 10 years," Laudrup said of the 29-year-old. "I know he will be successful and hope he will be with Leicester. Who knows, he could move on from there and play for an even bigger club – I hope so.
"He has certainly got the charisma like his dad, maybe not as big - he is certainly a more calm influence on his team, Peter was always yelling and shouting but Kasper is different. He is very good one-on-one like Peter was. He is very quick and has great feet – better than his dad because he has been training with his feet for most of his career, although maybe not as good when he is coming out of his goal.
"I think Ranieri will be very focused on keeping this squad and group together and keeping them as relaxed as possible. He is very calm, not telling his players we will win this – it's very simple advice, a game at a time. If you do that, maybe two months from now they could lift the trophy.
"They have shown now that they are capable even against the biggest sides in the Premier League."
I paid Gerrard £100 to say nice things about me - Klopp
26 February 2016
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has joked that he paid Steven Gerrard £100 to say nice things about him in a national newspaper on Friday.
The Anfield club meet Manchester City in the League Cup final on Sunday, presenting Klopp with the chance to secure his first piece of English silverware.
And, discussing Liverpool's chances, club legend Gerrard told The Daily Telegraph: "I believe they will do it. They have an extra element which will make a massive difference: Jurgen Klopp.
"I think back to those finals I did win as a player and in the build-up the managers were crucial. Gerard Houllier and Phil Thompson were meticulous in their approach having us well drilled, in Thommo's case bringing years of experience of winning trophies and playing major finals.
"When Rafael Benitez took over we had a manager who had just won the UEFA Cup and La Liga so you trusted him to get it right when it mattered. One of my most treasured winners' medals was my last in the 2012 League Cup for Kenny Dalglish – a hero to me and my dad.
"I look at my old club under Klopp and I am certain they have appointed another winner. I can be sure he won't be interested in trivial pre-match questions about going to Wembley, or cup final suits and all those other traditions. His obsession, just as it was for Houllier, Benitez and Dalglish, will be about how to bring that trophy to Anfield.
"Those Liverpool players will be looking at Klopp and believing he is the one to lead them to numerous trophies."
Responding to Gerrard's glowing reference at a news conference on Friday, Klopp commented: "Thank you Steve. I gave him £100 for saying that!
"I am not sure I am the difference, but I know the way. I have to show that as clearly as possible and make sure there is no misunderstanding between my mouth and the players' ears."
Manchester United v Arsenal: Old Trafford test begins decisive spell for Wenger
26 February 2016
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says the trip to play Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday is the start of a sequence of games which will determine his side's fate in the Premier League title race.
Despite suffering frustration in an FA Cup fifth-round draw against Hull City and disappointment in losing to Barcelona in the Champions League round-of-16 first leg, the dramatic 2-1 home win over league leaders Leicester City on February 14 has the Gunners within two points of the summit in third place.
Wenger acknowledged the league now takes priority and Arsenal's upcoming away games – against United, Tottenham, Everton and West Ham – could prove decisive as they seek a first title since 2004.
Arsenal have won none and lost six of their last eight league visits to Old Trafford, but came out on top at the venue in the FA Cup last season and will go into this match as narrow favourites.
"We are in a strong position in the league, that's for sure, but there is still a long way to go," said Wenger.
"Winning at Old Trafford in 1998 put us on a good run, but the second time [in 2002] we knew that if we won there we would become champions. It was a decisive game, which is the case again on Sunday.
"It is the key period. We work the whole season for this period and that's where you are really tested but it's where you have an opportunity to show your quality as well.
"You can show quality, nerves and desire as well. We need to focus on the Premier League where we have a big part to play. Everybody drops points and it is unpredictable. We have rebuilt a good run in the Premier League and we need to continue that.
"Let's not set any limit on the number of points we can get. We have put ourselves in a strong position again. We want to take advantage of that and continue our good run in the Premier League."
Injury-hit hosts United are fifth in the table, six points adrift of Manchester City in the final Champions League qualification position, having earned fewer points (41) after 26 games than in any other Premier League campaign.
But Thursday's 5-1 second-leg win over Midtjylland in the Europa League round of 32 boosted the standing of under-fire manager Louis van Gaal, who wants to see Memphis Depay build on a stunning display against the Danish champions.
"I have seen a fantastic performance from Memphis, everyone has seen that – I think he was also spectacular," said Van Gaal. "I hope he will also show that against Arsenal; it's another level, but I am very confident he'll do it.
"I'm very happy for him. He can play fantastic so maybe it's a turning point. You never know. I hope it is, with all my heart. I hope he shall show it also against Arsenal."
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is out for the Gunners with a knee injury suffered against Barca, but Gabriel (hamstring) is in contention and will undergo a late fitness test.
United have 14 players struggling with injuries, but will assess key trio David de Gea (knee), Anthony Martial (hamstring) and Chris Smalling (shoulder) ahead of kick-off.
Key Opta stats:
- Arsenal's win against Manchester United at Emirates Stadium earlier this season ended a run of eight Premier League matches without a victory against the Red Devils for Arsene Wenger's men (W0 D3 L5).
- Arsenal have dropped seven points from winning positions away from home, the joint-most in the Premier League along with United.
- Arsenal have kept five clean sheets in their last eight Premier League matches.
- Only three players (Thierry Henry, 20 in 2002-03, Frank Lampard, 18 in 2004-05 and Cesc Fabregas, 18 in 2014-15) have assisted more goals in a single Premier League season than Mesut Ozil (17) in 2015-16.
- United (33) have scored fewer goals after 26 league games than in any season since 1989-90 (30).
- United have scored 995 goals at Old Trafford in the Premier League.
Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini expects captain Vincent Kompany to be fit for Sunday's League Cup final against Liverpool.
Kompany has battled persistent calf problems this season, but returned to action this month and turned in an authoritative display at centre-back in Wednesday's impressive 3-1 Champions League win at Dynamo Kiev.
But the Belgium international, along with right-back Bacary Sagna and forward Raheem Sterling, undertook a recovery training session away from their team-mates on Friday.
"Sagna, Kompany and Sterling are recovering separately after the game but I hope the three of them will be fit," Pellegrini said.
Should they recover sufficiently, the trio will join a squad bolstered by the returns of winger Jesus Navas (hamstring) and striker Wilfried Bony (calf).
Even though he remains without long-term absentees Kevin De Bruyne (knee), Samir Nasri (thigh) and Fabian Delph (Achilles) for Wembley, Pellegrini will hope he is through the worst of an injury nightmare that has plagued City over recent weeks.
The Chilean cited a raft of first-team absentees among the reasons for selecting a side featuring five full debutants and six teenagers in the 5-1 FA Cup defeat at Chelsea.
He believes Wednesday's triumph in the Ukrainian capital serves as vindication for that move, while suggesting a surprise FA Cup quarter-final defeat at the hands Wigan Athletic – a week after winning the 2013-14 League Cup against Sunderland – was helpful in that season's ultimately successful quest for the Premier League crown.
"It [team selection at Chelsea] was a very difficult decision but it was the correct one," he added.
"One of the reasons we won the Premier League was that we were knocked out of the FA Cup in the quarter-final to Wigan in 2014."
Mourinho speculation is an absolute scandal, rages Van Gaal
By Dejan Kalinic
Feb 26, 2016 23:45:00
The 64-year-old has revealed his fury with the constant speculation surrounding his future as Manchester United manager
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal labelled continued reports linking Jose Mourinho to his job as "an absolute scandal".
Former Chelsea boss Mourinho has been heavily touted as the next man to take over in the Old Trafford dugout despite the under-fire Dutchman still being at the helm.
And Van Gaal, who has guided his team to back-to-back wins in the FA Cup and Europa League, is furious about the constant speculation and urged his club not to react to the reports.
"He has said things a number of times with a lot of words, but he does not have to tell me anything - I find the whole thing ridiculous," the Old Trafford boss told RTL7 about Mourinho.
"No, I don't want United to do something either. I don't even want them to react to things which I read in the media or which are being created.
"We, the club and I, are not going to help the media right now by denying things. I think what is happening is an absolute scandal."
United crushed Midtjylland 5-1 in the second leg of their last-32 Europa League clash on Thursday, setting up a mouth-watering tie against rivals Liverpool in the next round.
Van Gaal feels the focus on his performance had been good for his players, who have avoided criticism despite sitting fifth in the Premier League ahead of Sunday's clash against Arsenal at Old Trafford.
He said: "Every day I am preventing the players from being under pressure because every arrow is shot at me, not one at the players.
"It is all aimed at me. In a bizarre way this situation with me has an advantage for the players. I can see that they are not being criticised - only me."
