IP addresses are NOT logged in this forum so there's no point asking. Please note that this forum is full of homophobes, racists, lunatics, schizophrenics & absolute nut jobs with a smattering of geniuses, Chinese chauvinists, Moderate Muslims and last but not least a couple of "know-it-alls" constantly sprouting their dubious wisdom. If you believe that content generated by unsavory characters might cause you offense PLEASE LEAVE NOW! Sammyboy Admin and Staff are not responsible for your hurt feelings should you choose to read any of the content here. The OTHER forum is HERE so please stop asking.
Martinez: Lukaku future not dependent on Champions League
4 April 2014
Everton manager Roberto Martinez feels a permanent deal for Romelu Lukaku will not be dependent upon UEFA Champions League qualification.
Reports in the Belgian media on Thursday revealed that Lukaku's agent has been in contact in with Tottenham, while the possibility of making a full-time switch to Goodison Park from parent club Chelsea remains a possibility.
The 20-year-old striker, on a season-long loan at Everton, has caught the eye on Merseyside with 12 goals in 26 Premier League appearances, yet despite that return his immediate future at Stamford Bridge remains unclear.
Martinez refused to be drawn on whether the club plan to try and sign the youngster on a long-term basis, but he did suggest that Lukaku's decision will not be based on whether Everton play in Europe's premier competition next season.
"You need to understand there is going to be a lot of speculation and a lot of talk," he said.
"Romelu has been performing extremely well, you're going to get that sort of speculation when a player has been on loan and there's a bit of uncertainty.
"As a young man, I think he's fulfilling his potential. All we want is for him to focus on the next seven games, then whatever happens in the summer it's going to be good, with the season he's had it can only be positive.
"I think the next seven games are going to be very important to see where the next chapter is for Romelu, but it's not about whether we get into the Champions League or not, it's more about the focus of the football club.
"We want to carry on growing. We want to be a club that looks to get into the Champions League consistently, that's very important for a player that wants to continue developing."
Martinez is preparing his side for a crucial showdown with Arsenal on Sunday, in a match that has significant bearing on who will claim in the final Champions League spot.
Arsene Wenger's men currently hold a four-point advantage, although Everton have a game in hand.
However, Martinez believes that the fixture will not be decisive in the race for fourth, no matter the outcome.
He added: "Arsenal at the weekend is a great opportunity, a great occasion but in the same manner winning that game doesn't guarantee you the top four, if you lose it you're not out of the race.
"It's 21 points to fight for and it's how many we can get out of those."
Martinez is confident that midfielder Ross Barkley will feature, despite coming off early in the 3-1 over Fulham last weekend, but captain Phil Jagielka is unlikely to return from a hamstring injury.
The 2014 FIFA World Cup will not be the same without some of football's top stars, according to Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Gareth Bale are two of the most expensive players in world football, but neither will be in Brazil after Sweden and Wales failed to qualify.
A knee injury has ruled out Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes, while Monaco and Colombia striker Radamel Falcao is a major doubt after also suffering a knee problem in January.
Mourinho is also disappointed not to see Czech Republic and Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech at this year's World Cup.
"In every World Cup there are a few big players that everyone would like to see there, and for different reasons they aren't there," Mourinho said to Yahoo.
"Zlatan? Everybody would love to see him there, but Sweden couldn't make it.
"Gareth Bale is another fantastic player that I think everybody would enjoy seeing there, but Wales also couldn't qualify.
"There are others. I have in my team the best goalkeeper in the world (Cech) and he's not at the World Cup."
Arsenal have been handed a major boost ahead of Sunday's showdown at Everton with the news that Aaron Ramsey will return to the squad.
Arsene Wenger announced the Welshman was back in training on Thursday and confirmed on Friday that the 23-year-old midfielder will travel to Goodison Park for the Premier League clash.
Ramsey had been in fine form until his progress was curtailed by a thigh injury sustained against West Ham on Boxing Day.
Wenger had hoped to bring Ramsey back for last month's north London derby with Tottenham, but he suffered a setback in training ahead of the match.
There is now better news for Wenger, however, as Ramsey returns for what could be a potentially decisive fixture in the battle for the final UEFA Champions League spot against Roberto Martinez's men, while Nacho Monreal is also in contention following an ankle injury.
"Ramsey and Monreal will be back in the squad on Sunday," said the Arsenal manager.
"He (Ramsey) drives the team forward and he is a box-to-box player. It's good to have him back.
"He has worked very hard in training. What he lacks is competition. Having someone like Ramsey back who can help the team be successful is, of course, very important."
Arsenal's title hopes have been hampered by a three-match winless run.
But the London club put in a much-improved showing in the 1-1 draw with Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium last weekend and Wenger is urging his players to continue to fight until the end.
"We have a small percentage to win the title but we have to give everything to make it possible," he added.
"The target is to finish as high as possible. It's impossible to predict where we will finish.
"We know that every game becomes vital.
"We came out with a strong performance against City and I think we have turned a corner."
Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech insists he is not afraid of the competition Thibaut Courtois will provide when he returns from Atletico Madrid.
Cech has been Chelsea's first-choice keeper since joining the London club in 2004, but the Czech Republic international has come in for criticism after an error in Wednesday's 3-1 UEFA Champions League defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.
The 31-year-old allowed a near-post effort from Javier Pastore to sneak into the bottom corner late on, leading some to question his place in the side.
And Cech's position as starting goalkeeper could soon come under threat when Courtois returns from his third year on loan at Estadio Vicente Calderon at the end of the season.
Belgium shot-stopper Courtois has developed a reputation as one of the top goalkeepers in the world at Atletico, where he has won the UEFA Europa League, UEFA Super Cup and Copa del Rey.
But Cech does not feel threatened by Courtois.
"If, on the first day of pre-season, Thibaut Courtois is here, he is here," Cech told the Daily Mail. "If he is not, he is not.
"It does not change anything. I will still have to do better than whoever else is here, to keep my place. It doesn't change anything for me.
"You could ask John Terry or Gary Cahill about the very promising French central defender (Kurt Zouma) bought by the club.
"If he comes back and he's better than me, credit to him, well done to him, but who knows? I'm not afraid. I'm not a fool to think I've been here 10 years and I'll be here another five, just because.
"I am not playing because my name is Petr Cech. I'm playing because I've been playing well and because the manager thinks it improves the team with me in goal.
"I've never had a manager who would just put me in the goal because everybody was used to seeing me there.
"Are you good? Are you not? I'm not crazy to think in another 10 years I will just be playing.
"There will come a day when somebody comes along who is better than me. That's it. But my everyday fight is to avoid that as long as I can. This is football life. Let's see."
Tony Pulis hopes that the self-belief gained from beating Chelsea will help to end Crystal Palace's away-day jitters.
Palace produced one of the shocks of the season last weekend to dent Chelsea's Premier League title push and boost their chances of remaining in the top flight.
The 1-0 win means Pulis' men are five points clear of this Saturday's opponents Cardiff City, who occupy the last relegation place.
You have to go all the way back to Boxing Day – a 1-0 success at Aston Villa - to find the last time that Palace were victorious on the road in the Premier League.
And Pulis has challenged his players to replicate the committed performance against Chelsea when they head to the Welsh capital this weekend.
"The players have to believe that we can pick up points (away)," he said.
"The group is an exceptional group in respect of togetherness – and that's most probably our strength. They are a very good group of players, even the ones who are not in the team.
"Over 38 games, the harder you work, the luckier you get.
"We're playing against a team who've got very, very good players in a stadium with very passionate fans.
"We've been the underdogs all season and that will continue, irrespective of where we are and what we're doing."
On the win over Chelsea, Pulis – who went to watch Cardiff when he was a kid – added: "It was such a good performance.
"Eight, nine, 10 players were very, very good on the day – and you have to be like that against the top teams.
"It was pleasing. It was three points. But it's gone now. The most important thing is to focus on the next game, which is going to be as difficult.
"Winning games breeds confidence and the way the lads played they can gleam a lot from it, but when we kick off on Saturday that goes out of the window and they have to perform again."
The Manchester United manager has defended his big-money summer signing, who has come in for criticism from sections of the Old Trafford support
Manchester United manager David Moyes has leapt to the defence of under-fire midfielder Marouane Fellaini.
Fellaini has come in for heavy criticism since following Moyes from Everton to Old Trafford in a big-money summer deal worth in excess of £27million.
The Belgian international has been targeted by fans after a number of uninspiring performances, including United's 1-1 draw at home to Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie on Tuesday.
Fellaini's performance was deemed so poor that he failed to receive a mention by Spanish paper AS in their player ratings.
Moyes, however, is sticking by Fellaini and insists he is starting to adjust to life at United.
"I actually thought Marouane Fellaini got better as the game went on," Moyes said, when speaking about Fellaini's performance against Bayern at Old Trafford.
"We needed him, and I thought he played very well. He did well in the Aston Villa game and I think he's getting much closer to scoring goals.
"It's not an easy move, as I can tell you, leaving a club and coming to Manchester United. And for Marouane, I think it's proved equally as difficult, but I have to say I think he's done a lot of good things.
"We bought Marouane not to play every single game in the Premier League.
"He did a great job at West Ham and against Aston Villa. We've had to use him because of what we have available at different times. I think he's improved."
Aguero to return for Manchester City's title clash against Liverpool
By Chris Davie
Apr 4, 2014 2:54:00 PM
The Argentina international has not featured since March 12 due to a hamstring injury but will return for the trip to Anfield on April 13
Manuel Pellegrini has revealed Sergio Aguero will return for Manchester City’s clash against Liverpool.
The Argentina international has not featured for City since their 2-1 defeat at home to Barcelona in the Champions League on March 12 due to a hamstring injury.
And while Aguero will miss Saturday’s fixture against Southampton at the Etihad Stadium, the forward, who has returned to full training, is set to face the Premier League leaders next week.
"Sergio is OK,” the City manager told reporters.
“He worked just now with the squad but he just started on Thursday so he needs more work to be 100 per cent fit but he doesn’t have any problems with his injury.
"He is not in the squad.
"For this week it is too soon for him to start playing because he just worked two days but next week against Liverpool he will not have any problems."
The Spain striker has netted just 19 Premier League goals since moving to Stamford Bridge in 2011 and looked set for an exit, but the Blues boss insists he is part of his plans
Chelsea striker Fernando Torres still has a future at Stamford Bridge, insists manager Jose Mourinho.
The Portuguese boss opted to start without a recognised striker against Paris Saint-Germain in midweek, while the Spaniard failed to make an impact off the bench.
But, despite Torres' struggles this season, Mourinho is adamant he will stand by the much-maligned forward.
"Yes, he has a future here," Mourinho told reporters. "If you want to improve ... I think that's normal and basic.
"Does he have future [at Chelsea]? Yes."
"He works hard, he brings things to the team, but we want him to score more goals. He wants that too.
"He's the kind of player I respect, he deserves to be respected, and there's nothing more I can say about it. I think people who give everything they have, you never can complain. [Torres] gives everything. Obviously we want more.
"I think during his period in the club he had moments [of his best] and some of them important."
Samuel Eto'o is still out with the hamstring injury that ruled him out of the Champions League trip to Paris, meaning Torres is likely to feature for the Blues in Saturday's Premier League clash with Stoke as they bid to recover from two defeats in five days.
Speculation is rife over the future of striker Romelu Lukaku, who is enjoying a fruitful season-long loan spell at Everton, but Mourinho believes the current arrangement is working well for both clubs and confirmed no bids have been made for the Belgium international.
The Blues take on Stoke at 17:30 BST on Saturday afternoon, and will also be without John Obi Mikel, but Ashley Cole returns to the squad after a spell on the sidelines with a knee injury.
Torres vows to prove himself to Chelsea boss Mourinho
By Harry Sherlock
Apr 5, 2014 10:01:00 AM
The Spaniard has struggled at Stamford Bridge since joining from Liverpool in 2011 but is determined to prove his worth ahead of the summer transfer window
Fernando Torres believes he can convince Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho that he is the "best option" of all of the Blues' current strikers.
The Portuguese has repeatedly criticised his strike-force, also consisting of Demba Ba and Samuel Eto'o, this season and is believed to be planning a major summer overhaul of his forwards.
Atletico Madrid star Diego Costa is Mourinho's prime target, but Torres insists he can force the manager to tear up his summer transfer plans by proving himself at Stamford Bridge – despite scoring just four Premier League goals this season.
“He [Mourinho] has to choose the one [striker] he thinks is better and try to manage the situation with the players,” Torres told the Independent. “He didn’t do anything special with me. He just treats me like one more. He puts me on the pitch when he thinks I am the best option and on the bench when he thinks I am not the best option.
“My aim is to try to make him feel I am always the best option for him. You have to have ways to adapt to this situation. Blame the manager? Blame your team-mates? Blame everyone? Or ask from yourself a bit more. I think I can do better. I can make Jose think I am the best option. That is what I have to do every day in training, all the matches. I just ask of myself the responsibility.
“The things you cannot change you can’t waste your time on. I cannot [automatically] change the way the manager thinks so I have to ask myself and be critical with myself to try to understand what he wants. I have to put more and more effort into these things. It is what I have been doing all my life … I cannot change the others so I have to be critical of myself.
“You have to prove yourself every day. You have to live for today. Three years ago? Five years ago? It’s today. If the manager thinks there is another player better than you he is going to play and this is the way. You have to try to improve and keep fighting and try to change the manager’s mind. Hopefully one day Jose can say ‘This [Torres] is my striker, he is going to be my striker’ like he does with some of the players who have won the appreciation from him.”
Torres is the most expensive player in British football history, with Chelsea paying Liverpool £50 million to acquire his services in 2011 and although Atletico Madrid are in pole position to take him back to Spain in the summer, Mourinho insists he has a future at Stamford Bridge.
The England striker has sustained a toe injury and faces a race against time to get fit in time for the Champions League quarter-final second leg tie in Germany
Wayne Rooney is in a race against time to be fit for Manchester United's Champions League quarter-final second leg against Bayern Munich.
Rooney will miss United's trip to Newcastle on Saturday after manager David Moyes revealed the striker was struggling with the toe injury he sustained during last Tuesday's 1-1 draw against Bayern at Old Trafford.
The 28-year-old, who injured his ankle at the Allianz Arena in 2010, is now a doubt for the trip to Munich for the club's do-or-die clash with Bayern on Wednesday.
"Wayne's got a badly bruised toe," Moyes told MUTV. "He picked it up in the game the other night. Whether we were going to play him or rest him, it doesn't matter.
"He's got a terrible toe and not only will it be a problem for this game, it could be a problem for the Munich game as well on Wednesday.
"So we need to monitor it. We'll get him treatment all over the weekend and see if we can speed it up."
England manager Roy Hodgson will also be monitoring developments closely, as an injury to his star man would seriously hamper his preparations for the World Cup.
Sir Alex Ferguson to take up Harvard teaching position
By Harry Sherlock
Apr 4, 2014 7:21:00 PM
The legendary Scottish manager will lecture Ivy League students at the prestigious American university
Former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has agreed to take up a long-term teaching position at Harvard university.
The 72-year-old Scot, who retired from football management last summer after 26 trophy-laden years at Old Trafford, will be lecturing Ivy League students on a course named 'The Business of Entertainment, Media and Sports'.
Ferguson has previously spent time at the prestigious American university, having given a series of interviews to professor Anita Elberse in 2012, while his blueprint for managerial success was included in the Harvard Business Review in October.
"I'm delighted to have the opportunity and privilege to contribute to such a respected centre of excellence," Ferguson said in a statement.
"The time I have already spent at Harvard has been a stimulating experience and I look forward to developing my relationship and activities with the students, faculty and friends of the Harvard Business School community."
Elberse added: "We look forward to welcoming Sir Alex Ferguson on the HBS campus to share his remarkable leadership journey, and contribute to our Executive Education participants' ability to make a profound difference in the world.”
The programme involving Ferguson will run from May 7-10.
The Wales international will be back from a long-term lay-off on Sunday and Nacho Monreal is also fit, but the Arsenal boss has injury concerns over Kieran Gibbs and Serge Gnabry
Aaron Ramsey will return to the Arsenal squad to face Everton at Goodison Park on Sunday, Arsene Wenger has confirmed.
The midfielder was enjoying a rich vein of form this season, before suffering a thigh injury in the Boxing Day victory over West Ham.
Arsene Wenger admitted Ramsey's return is a welcome boost for his side, who have seen their title challenge slip away in recent weeks and now face real competition from the Toffees for the fourth Champions League spot.
"He drives the team forward and he is a box-to-box player. It's good to have him back," Wenger told reporters.
Ramsey bagged eight goals in 18 Premier League appearances before succumbing to injury and will hope to pick up where he left off to help the out-of-form Gunners, who have won just three of their last 10 top-flight outings.
Full-back Nacho Monreal is also available for Sunday's crucial clash, but Kieran Gibbs is struggling with an ankle problem, while Serge Gnabry has a knee injury.
The Chelsea striker, on loan at Everton, has rubbished reports of a bust-up with the Blues boss, despite being linked with a Stamford Bridge exit
Romelu Lukaku has quashed reports of a feud with Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho as talk surrounding his future intensifies.
The relationship between Lukaku, on a season-long loan at Everton, and Mourinho has been closely monitored since the striker missed a crucial spot-kick in Chelsea's penalty shoot-out loss to Bayern Munich in the Super Cup in August.
It is widely believed Lukaku made the move to Goodison Park after a falling out with the Blues boss on that night in Prague but the Belgian international - who is a target for Tottenham - has stressed that is not the case.
"Ha! People said there were arguments," Lukaku told the Daily Mirror.
"There were arguments in the press and stuff but I don't know where it came from. I just spoke to him and said hopefully what I wanted as a player and he was okay with it."
Lukaku was expected to stay at Stamford Bridge this season to cover for Samuel Eto'o, Fernando Torres and Demba Ba but he was determined to continue his development elsewhere.
It has proved to be a smart choice by the 20-year-old, who has flourished under the guidance of Roberto Martinez, scoring 12 Premier League goals, though he is still expected to be sold by Chelsea this summer, with the London club hoping to raise enough funds to purchase Atletico Madrid striker Diego Costa.
"I had the opportunity to go," Lukaku said.
"The feeling I had after three games at Chelsea, I was really hoping for a starting spot because of the season before when I had scored goals.
"But it's a big club, there is real competition and they said there was a feeling I had to stay patient again.
"And the feeling that I had from my first year came up again and I knew I had to go. Because how you could be on the bench after the year I had last year? Because I still want to progress. I don't want to be a one-season show.
"As a youngster, you normally have to play. How will you be one of the best not playing? Look at (Wayne) Rooney, (Cristiano) Ronaldo, (Didier) Drogba - every top striker. They always played.
"They played constantly, always, all the time. Games, games, games. I just want to be one of them - that is my ambition, I just want to be one of those guys, I don't play football to show off or to make money, I play because of my pride and because I love the game."
West Ham United's Andy Carroll, left, vies for the ball with Sunderland's captain Wes Brown, right, during their English Premier League soccer match at the Stadium of Light, Sunderland, England, Monday, March 31, 2014. Scott Heppell
The Associated Press
LONDON -- In less than two weeks, Chelsea has damaged both its Premier League and Champions League chances. After a triumphant 6-0 drubbing of Arsenal last month, Jose Mourinho's team looked set for a strong finish and was expected to fight toe to toe with Manchester City and Liverpool in a three-way battle for the league title.
But Chelsea then slumped to a surprise 1-0 loss at the hands of Crystal Palace before poor defending led to a 3-1 defeat at Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinals. The Blues are facing a tricky domestic encounter on Saturday as a resurgent Stoke side travels to Stamford Bridge on the back of three consecutive wins.
Ahead of Sunday's match at West Ham, Liverpool leads second-place Chelsea by two points while Manchester City is four points off the pace, with two games in hand.
Here are five things to know about this weekend's Premier League matches:
---
MISFIRING CHELSEA
Chelsea is slowing down, having lost three of its last five games after just one defeat in the previous 17 matches. The defeats against Crystal Palace and PSG have exposed Chelsea's defensive weakness and the lack of quality in Mourinho's current strike force.
Following his poor display against Palace, Fernando Torres did not start the match in Paris as Mourinho picked Andre Schurrle to play in a central role rather than Demba Ba. On the other half of the pitch, PSG coach Laurent Blanc displayed a lineup featuring Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Edinson Cavani and Ezequiel Lavezzi, who scored the opening goal.
"I'm not happy with my strikers' performances, so I have to try things," Mourinho said. "With Andre at least I know we have one more player to have the ball, we have one more player to associate with the other players. Football is also about scoring goals. That is for strikers, for real strikers. I had to try."
---
RESURGENT STOKE
Tenth-placed Stoke is seven points from equaling its best Premier League points tally and is aiming to finish in the top half of the table for the first time since gaining promotion in 2008.
"We can go to Chelsea with their confidence knocked and ours sky high, and we have to take advantage of that," said in-form midfielder Stephen Ireland. "Hopefully we can capitalize and win there as well."
Stoke has not lost since a 1-0 defeat at Manchester City at the end of February and Mark Hughes's team beat the Blues 3-2 last December.
"Looking at the games we have left, it's a real opportunity to pick up as many points as we possibly can," Ireland said. "We can't take our foot off the gas and hopefully we can break the records we have been set out to do."
---
AGUERO SET FOR RETURN
Manchester City's hopes of winning the title is in its own hands. But before wrapping up a second Premier League crown in the space of three seasons, Manuel Pellegrini's team is facing two hard tests. The first comes on Saturday at home against Southampton before a trip to Liverpool for the most crucial match City faces until the end of the season.
City has lost only one game at the Etihad this season, scoring 43 goals and conceding only nine, but Pellegrini will be wary after his side was held to a 1-1 draw by the Saints in their first clash this season.
"We have eight games more, so there are a lot of points to fight for, so the most important thing for us is to win the next match against Southampton," Pellegrini said.
According to the Manchester Evening News, City striker Sergio Aguero is set to return to the squad against Southampton after three weeks out with a hamstring injury. Aguero is unlikely to start against the Saints but Pellegrini is hoping to put him on the bench before including him in the starting lineup at Anfield.
---
BERAHINO WON'T SUE MORRISON
West Brom striker Saido Berahino has ruled out legal action against teammate James Morrison after being punched by the midfielder during a dressing room brawl.
The England Under-21 striker considered pressing charges after the row which followed their 3-3 draw with Cardiff last weekend but the Baggies said Berahino is now focusing on Saturday's match at Norwich that could prove crucial in the fight against relegation. No disciplinary action has been taken by the club but the fight left Berahino with facial injuries.
West Brom is currently one place above the relegation zone, trailing Norwich by three points.
---
CARROLL OUT FOR REVENGE
Former Liverpool striker Andy Carroll can ruin his former club's title ambitions as the Reds travel to West Ham on Sunday. Carroll will be playing against Liverpool for the first time since he signed a a six-year deal with the Hammer last summer after spending the previous season on loan in east London.
Carroll is enjoying a good spell of form and scored the opening goal with a powerful header in a 2-1 win over Sunderland on Monday.
"Andy gives you an alternative. As a player, he is unique in many ways," West Ham manager Sam Allardyce said. "There's not too many who can receive a ball or head a ball as good as he does. There's a lot more about him on the deck than people gave him credit for."
Everton manager Roberto Martinez has challenged Leighton Baines to emulate the versatility of Bayern Munich captain Philipp Lahm.
Bayern and Germany skipper Lahm has spent the majority of his career playing either as a left or right back, but has thrived in a central midfield position since Pep Guardiola took over at the Allianz Arena last year.
Baines, meanwhile, is widely recognised as one of the best full-backs in the Premier League, and his consistent performances have seen him become a prominent member of the England national team.
The 29-year-old - who penned a new four-year deal at Goodison Park in January - accompanied Martinez to Old Trafford to witness Manchester United's 1-1 draw with German and European champions Bayern in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, and was able to study Lahm in his new role.
Martinez is convinced that Baines has the intelligence and technical ability to follow in the 30-year-old Lahm's footsteps by adapting his game to a new position in the future.
"I've always thought Leighton can develop into Philipp Lahm's role, it is in his make-up," the Spaniard said. "Not this season but in seasons to come he is someone who can play in that central role.
"I wanted him to watch Philipp Lahm in a live game because when it's on TV you only see the player when he's on the ball. It was good for Leighton to watch a player I feel he can be as good as or even better.
"Like Lahm, Leighton doesn't give the ball away, he's got a very low centre of gravity and technically he is as good as it gets.
"When you have that control of the ball and have been such a good defender, and as a left-back you have to be very good on one-on-one situations, it is very important to have that defensive mindset in those midfield areas.
"That is important for defensive balance. As a player Leighton has been through so many different experiences and has always found a way to rise to new challenges in his career.
"I am convinced he can step up to a new challenge. You need to look at the physicality and he is a naturally fit boy so can easily go into the role. He can be more expansive in central midfield than in his left-back role.
The Frenchman was pleased with his side's 1-1 draw with Manchester City and is refusing to give up on winning the Premier League title despite being seven points off the pace
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is refusing to give up on winning the Premier League after seeing his side "turn the corner" against Manchester City.
The Gunners suffered an alarming dip in form in late March, with a 6-0 defeat to Chelsea and a 2-2 draw with Swansea City causing them to drop down the table.
However, a spirited performance against Manuel Pellegrini's men at the Emirates, where they drew 1-1, pleased Wenger and he believes his side are now in a strong position heading into their clash with Everton on Sunday.
"We were a bit flat after the Swansea and Chelsea games, and what was vital for us was not to lose against City and if possible to win," he told Arsenal's official club website.
"But at least [we had] to come out with a strong performance. We feel we have done that so I think we have turned the corner and we have an opportunity to show that against Everton.
"We have not given up on [the title] - as long as there is a mathematical chance we want to fight. It is disappointing to have dropped off top of course and we have to give absolutely everything to come back into it.
"We’re certainly still outsiders. But if you don’t fight and you then have results like Crystal Palace v Chelsea [Palace won 1-0 at Selhurst Park] and you’ve given up because you didn’t believe, you would be absolutely 100 per cent guilty.
"We have a small percentage [of a chance] to do it, but with this small percentage you have to give absolutely everything to make it possible."
Gus Poyet has insisted Sunderland's relegation rivals have to accept the decision to fine the club rather than dock points over the Ji Dong-won saga.
Saturday 5th April 2014
The Black Cats are locked in a desperate battle for Barclays Premier League survival along with the likes of Fulham, Cardiff, West Brom, Crystal Palace and Norwich.
However, their plight - they went into the weekend four points adrift of safety - could have been significantly worse had they seen points taken away after inadvertently fielding striker Ji without international clearance earlier in the season.
But head coach Poyet, who campaigned unsuccessfully for his former club Brighton to be awarded the three League One points docked from Hartlepool following a 2-0 defeat for the Seagulls, in which midfielder Gary Liddle played when he should have been serving a suspension, is adamant all parties have to abide by the decision to fine them instead.
The Uruguayan said: "It's down to the decision. I haven't forgotten the Tevez-Mascherano situation with Sheffield United.
"We can talk, but at the end of the day, the one who makes the decisions made one and here we are."
Hull boss Steve Bruce, who signed Ji from Chunnam Dragons in June 2011 during his time as Sunderland manager, voiced the opinion that his former employers could be in "serious trouble", although Cardiff counterpart Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was more philosophical.
Solskjaer said: "We accept whatever the outcome is. I don't say I'm not bothered, but there's not a lot I can do."
However, the Black Cats remain adamant the problem was the result of a technical error rather than any wrongdoing on their part.
Ji was registered as their player and they submitted his international clearance electronically along with other documents following his return from a loan spell at German club Augsburg.
However, it never reached the Premier League and the omission was not noticed until October, when the club immediately notified the authorities and subsequently accepted the punishment.
A club spokesperson said on Friday: "The issue of Ji Dong-won was explained in detail at today's Premier League shareholders meeting and no issues were raised by any club.
"Sunderland AFC confirmed that they had complied with all procedures and the Premier League stated that the player was duly registered on the extranet system and in all other Premier League mechanisms.
"The club has never accepted any wrongdoing, but did acknowledge that a technical fault occurred and as such were fined by the Premier League accordingly in December. The matter is now closed."
Poyet, who took over as manager days after the issue arose, was made aware of the situation, but all parties opted to keep it private.
The head coach said of Ji, who completed a permanent move to Augsburg in January: "For me, he couldn't play, so I can only talk about him as a professional. He was outstanding.
"He understood the situation. He waited, he didn't say a word, so as a professional and as a person, Ji left this football club with everybody being on his side because he deserved plenty of credit for what happened to him and how he coped personally with the situation."
The Blues beat Arsenal 6-0 - following on from home wins this season over Manchester City, Liverpool and Manchester United - but a week later lost at Crystal Palace before falling to a 3-1 Champions League quarter-final first-leg loss at Paris St Germain.
"I don't know if tomorrow we are going to have a fantastic performance or not," said Mourinho, whose side were beaten in the reverse fixture in December.
"Part of the stability of the top teams, of the teams full of people with experience, is exactly that stability.
"We are the team that during the season we have ups and downs. We have players that were not capable to keep a platform of stability in their performances. We had a few players with these ups and downs."
Mourinho was scathing in his criticism following the Selhurst Park loss and Fernando Torres was omitted from a striker-less starting XI at PSG on Wednesday, even though Samuel Eto'o (hamstring) is injured.
Mourinho insists Torres has a future at Chelsea, despite wanting more from the much-maligned World Cup-winning Spain striker.
The Portuguese added: "Since the beginning of the season we tried and we thought about the possibilities of different qualities. Different strikers, different qualities.
"Fernando is a player with a certain profile and will always be the player with that profile.
"It's not at the age of 30 years old that he's going to add new qualities to the qualities he has.
"He gives what he can. We respect that. I respect that. That's why he keeps playing, we keep trusting him and we believe that he still has things to give us."
Mourinho pursued Wayne Rooney during the 2013 summer transfer window, but the striker has since committed to Manchester United.
Chelsea decided not to chase a striker in January and prioritised other areas of the team, but will aim to sign a proven goalscorer this summer after carefully assessing their options, with Atletico Madrid's Diego Costa hotly linked.
It will not be the first time Chelsea have spent big on a striker, with Hernan Crespo, Adrian Mutu, Andriy Shevchenko and Didier Drogba recruited at great cost and only the latter an overwhelming success.
Mourinho added: "Chelsea can be considered very successful with strikers. Didier Drogba was a Chelsea striker for eight years.
"(But) it's the most difficult position to adapt."
Hazard: If my wife tells me to go to PSG I'd consider it
Apr 5, 2014 6:00:00 PM
The Ligue 1 champions are reportedly interested in signing the Belgian this summer and he says he would think about a move to the French capital if his partner insists on it
Chelsea star Eden Hazard has revealed he would consider joining Paris Saint-Germain if his wife insisted on moving to the French capital.
Hazard provided Chelsea's only beacon of light in their 3-1 defeat at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday evening, scoring a penalty and hitting the post with a volley.
Much of the build-up to the match was dominated by PSG's reported interest in signing Hazard this summer, with boss Laurent Blanc admitting his admiration for the Belgian.
And Hazard told French documentary series Interieur Sport: "If my wife tells me to go to Paris then I'll have to take this into consideration."
The Belgian was also very complimentary about the Parc des Princes, adding: "The Parc des Princes is a real stadium and a special place where I've known my first sensations as a player."
Chelsea face PSG in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, hoping to overturn a 3-1 deficit.
