Marseille boss Didier Deschamps paid tribute to his players’ fighting spirit after they became the first side to win the Coupe de la Ligue two years running.Nigerian defender Taye Taiwo scored the only goal of the game with 10 minutes remaining in an often spiteful match at the Stade de France to give Marseille a 1-0 victory.
Deschamps said he was delighted with the win, adding that his players had shown tremendous character to emerge victorious.
“It was a complicated, well-contested match,” Deschamps said. “It was a heated match. We created many chances and my players showed character.”
“There was lots of character and courage. It’s great that the players are rewarded, and also all our supporters.”
“A lot of people will be delighted in Marseille tonight.”
Montpellier manager Rene Girard said he was proud of the efforts of his men but rued some sloppy defending that allowed Taiwo to score.
“We were made to pay for a lapse,” Girard said. “They scored from a set-piece and we knew it would make the difference tonight.”
“I’m a bit disappointed but I’m proud of the boys, they gave all they had.”
Ghana head coach Milovan Rajevac says that Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien has decided to take a break from international football to concentrate on regaining top fitness.
The 27-year-old missed the World Cup finals earlier this year due to a serious knee injury, but has returned to the fold for the Blues at the start of the new domestic season.
However, he asked Rajevac to omit him from the Black Stars' plans for the opening games of their 2012 African Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.
Rajevac told reporters:"He contacted me and wanted to ask for permission to be excused for a while.
"I understood his thoughts and, of course, I wanted to help him to get into his old form, to start playing regularly and I gave that permission.
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"I'm sure that after some time he will come back to the national team."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
AC Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi has stated that if Carlos Tevez has any ambition he will choose the Serie A giants above his other suitors.
The Scudetto holders are keen to sign the Argentina international after one to many controversies has Manchester City keen to see the back of the controversial forward.
Massimiliano Allegri’s team have offered to take Tevez on loan, but City have rejected this as they want to sell the striker and be done with him.
With big-spending Paris Saint Germain also admitting their interest in the South American, Berlusconi has stated that Tevez has a choice to make.
“AC Milan is a solution of prestige,” he told Sky Sport Italia.
“Tevez has to choose between the prestige that AC Milan represents, with the possibility of playing in one of the biggest clubs in the world and perhaps to win the Golden Ball, or the money of the Paris Saint Germain, led by Sheikh of Qatar.”
Meanwhile, a report in The Daily Mail indicated that Tottenham could emerge as surprise bidders for Tevez come January.
However Harry Redknapp has been quick to distance himself from a move for the South American.
“He is a special player, the type of player who could make the difference, but I wouldn’t think that’s a real possibility,” the Spurs boss admitted.
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Finally, The Guardian indicate that Juventus have entered the bidding for Tevez’s signature, and are ready to offer £21 million to Manchester City for his services.
Arsenal and Barcelona have been getting to know each other quite well recently, what with their four encounters in the last two seasons’ Champions League knock out phases. Arsenal must be sick of the sight of the Catalan giants stunting any ambitions they have of Champions League success. However, Arsenal seem to have come up with an ingenious way of getting their own back. The clever ploy, which Arsenal first exploited in 2003 with the capture of a certain Cesc Fabregas, is poaching Barcelona’s brightest young talents before they have even stepped out of the gates of La Masia (Barcelona’s football academy). In addition to Fabregas, Arsenal have signed Fran Merida, now with Atletico Madrid, Ignasi Miquel and Jon Miguel Toral Harper who will join at the end of the season. Arsenal are also tracking 15 year old Xavi Quintilla. These youngsters have all been schooled through Barcelona’s renowned youth set up and Arsenal seem to be reaping the benefits.
This hardly seems fair does it? Whatever your take on the situation, Arsenal can quite rightly point out, that they aren’t breaking any codes of conduct or laws with these signings. The youngsters can’t sign professional contracts in Spain until they are 18 years old, so all Arsenal have to do is pay a small compensation fee to Barca. Arsenal have the luxury in this country of being able to open negotiations with players under the age of 18, as the age a player can sign a professional contract is 16. Unsurprisingly, Barcelona have been left incensed by the loss of their future starlets and Barcelona president Sandro Rosell has branded Arsenal’s recent acquisition of Toral Harper as “legal but immoral”. Do Barcelona have grounds to feel aggrieved? In my view they certainly do, but as long as this loophole remains Spanish clubs are left wide open to lose their best young players. However, if the opportunity is there for teams like Arsenal to legally sign quality players, some would argue, immoral or not, why would they turn this chance down?
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Arsenal fans will be quick to point out in their defence that Barcelona have acted just as immorally over the last two years in their pursuit of their skipper, Cesc Fabregas. Fabregas’ future has been the constant subject of speculation and it’s common knowledge that Barcelona registered substantial bids for the Spanish International on more than one occasion. Fabregas is under contract with Arsenal and knowing his services are wanted by his boyhood club has unsettled him. Arsenal will quite rightfully suggest that while Fabregas is under contract with them, Barca’s constant barracking of their player surely carries more deceit than their legal purchase of Barca’s youth players. If this is true or not is of course a matter of opinion.
Arsenal and Barcelona relations have slowly deteriorated ever since the Gunners snapped up Fabregas, and with the recent signing of Toral Harper and the ongoing feud over Fabregas’ future it doesn’t show any signs of relenting. This situation will have many divided opinions on who is in the right and wrong. It is rumoured that Toral Harper had no intention on signing a contract with Barcelona anyway, so in the light of this does it make Arsenal’s approach any less immoral? To add more irons to the fire Toral Harper’s agent, who engineered the move, is Barcelona manager Pepe Guardiola’s brother!
The whole situation is something that clearly needs addressing by the governing bodies. I’m quite shocked there has not been a ruling implemented by FIFA before now. It doesn’t seem right to me that a player who is coached from a child through a club’s development system can just be plucked by another team as they begin to prosper. However, the feasibility to sanction any ruling as a result of the laws in place in each country is something that will prove decisive.
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Is Fergie onto a winner this weekend? His horse What a Friend is 11/1 to win the Grand National. Make sure you don’t miss out on the biggest betting event of the year!
Fulham have completed the signing of Belgium international forward Moussa Dembele for an undisclosed fee from Dutch club AZ Alkmaar.
The 23-year-old has signed a three-year contract at Craven Cottage, having previously been a target for Birmingham City.
Dembele had spent the last four seasons with AZ, having previously played in the Netherlands with Willem II after starting his career in his homeland with Germinal Beerschot.
Cottagers boss Mark Hughes told the club’s official website:“I’m glad that we have finalised the deal with Moussa Dembele and I would like to welcome him to the club.
“It is important that we go into the season with some additions to the squad who will add strength and depth to enable us to compete at a consistently high level throughout the season.
“Moussa is strong and quick and will add another dimension to our attacking options, which is important for us.
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“I look forward to working with him and to, hopefully, a few more additions before the window closes.”
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Sir Alex Ferguson was left fuming last night at the nature of Newcastle’s equaliser at Old Trafford. A dubious penalty left the United boss seething, who suggested the ‘Part-time’ official’s mistake may have cost them the title in the long run. It was a frustrating afternoon for United who created enough chances to win at least two games.
Elsewhere in the news football managers want longer transfer windows; City forced to cull their bulging squad, while PSG look to bring Chamakh in during January.
Managers want longer transfer window – Guardian
Ferguson could face censure for linesman rant – Daily Telegraph
I’ve got no sympathy for AVB – he knew what he was getting into – Independent
Bothroyd to report Twitter user after alleged racial slur after Norwich defeat – Daily Mail
PSG set to make £10m bid for Arsenal striker – Mirror
City forced to cull bulging squad – Daily Telegraph
Scholes still pulling the strings at United – People
Mancini: City’s cavaliers need to be boring again – Independent
Controversies have ‘cost Terry £6m’ in sponsorships, according to experts – Daily Mail
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Redknapp rules out January buys – Mirror
Warnock rages at ‘scandalous’ decision over QPR keeper crisis – Daily Mail
Liverpool failed to beat Braga at Anfield on Thursday night. Their 0-0 draw was not enough to keep them in the UEFA Cup. Braga employed many tactics to delay the game and slow down the procedure but in truth they defended in an organised fashion. Kenny Dalglish lamented, at the end of the game, that his side lacked creativity.
This creative problem should be resolved by a change in style, not by a change in players. You cannot solve every problem by buying a different player.
Last night was also Andy Carroll’s first start and I think Liverpool suffered the ‘curse of the tall striker’. Sometimes when a tall striker plays, midfielders choose to play direct instead of keeping the ball on the floor. Even if they are instructed not to, when a player is under pressure, it is easier to hoist it up and try and land it on Carroll’s head rather than look for a pass. Liverpool players, even the experienced Jamie Carragher, were guilty of this last night.
I think Liverpool did lack a creative edge last night, but that is because they were lazy on the ball. They did not work hard enough to keep possession and work the ball into an offensive position, they instead tried to get the ball up the pitch via Andy Carroll’s chest or head.
It is a testament to the passing ability of the likes of Joey Barton, that Newcastle got the best out of Carroll. They created opportunities where they could play an accurate pass to Carroll in a good position, rather than just using him as an outlet and a first option. This is the way to best exploit his aerial ability; put balls into the box where he can attack. Not by going straight from defence to attack with a long ball.
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This is a problem that other tall strikers suffer from. Peter Crouch is a player that will always stand out on the pitch. Players see him up the field and think a long ball is the right option. Sometimes having a tall player can be detrimental to a side’s passing game. And it is not the fault of the striker. Players like Crouch and Carroll are not so one-dimensional target men, they can play with their feet too. So I’m not blaming Andy Carroll. I blame a manager who tells his players to look for the long ball and the players who resort to it.
I don’t know what Dalglish’s plan was before the game against Braga, but in his defence, it takes a while for a side to get used to using such a big striker. Newcastle had the luxury of doing this in the Championship, where they were rarely put under pressure. It will take Liverpool time to adjust to having such a big target to aim at. They must be disciplined and continue to play the same way as they would if he was not playing. This will come with time. Liverpool have just invested in new players and it will take time for them to gel. Someone like Andy Carroll will take longer than most.
I have heard Liverpool fans bemoan a lack of creative players in their team. But it is too soon to call for new signings. Kuyt, Lucas, Poulsen and Maxi hardly set the world on fire, and I admit that. But Liverpool missed their two most creative players last night, Gerrard and Suarez. Rather than demanding a change in personnel, Liverpool fans should be patient and have faith, both in their current squad, and Andy Carroll.
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To keep an eye on Liverpool’s and Carroll’s development, you can follow Joe on twitter @joeasutin8
One man who might be playing alongside Andy Carroll at Liverpool soon is starlet Conor Coady…
A solid start to Arsenal’s campaign and most supporters would have taken 4pts at the start of the week. There is still work for Wenger to do in order to ensure that the Gunners are title contenders, starting with bringing in a new keeper to replace the hapless Almunia.
This week at FFC we have seen a mixed bag of blogs that include…£26m deal vindicates Wenger; last minute dealings at the Emirates and will the real Samir Nasri finally stand up.
Plus we have taken a look at the best Arsenal stories on the Web this week.
Has Wenger’s loyalty to duo subsequently been Arsenal’s undoing?
£26m transfer a vindication of Wenger’s approach?
Are Arsenal star’s moans really vindicated?
Will the REAL Samir Nasri finally stand up?
Why Wenger’s doubts forecast a worrying reality
Last minute deals at the Emirates?
Why football supporters feel the need to defend their corner
FIVE Things we learnt about Arsenal this weekend
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Best of Web
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Fanshare: Too good to be true? – Online Gooner
Almunia not happy with the uncertainty regarding the number 1 spot! Nor are we Manuel, nor are we. – Le Grove
Arsenal Fanshare + some football stuff too – Arseblogger
There’s Only One Arsene Wenger – A Cultured Left Foot
How to combat injuries – Online Gooner
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Fascinating Tales From The Arsenal Kitchen – A Cultured Left Foot
Yesterday saw us linked with Ben Arfa and Honda, I got a little excited… – Le Grove
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Click on image below to see the gallery of Mario Balotelli’s stunning girlfriend
Wigan dropped to the foot of the Premier League table after losing their eighth successive game going down 2-0 to Fulham side who put some breathing space between themselves and the bottom three with victory at the DW Stadium.
Goals at the end of each half from Clint Dempsey and Moussa Dembele eased the pressure starting to build on Martin Jol also cranking up the heat on Latics boss Roberto Martinez. His side are rooted to the bottom of the table and looking at yet another long and arduous relegation battle. Fulham on the other hand bounced back from a disappointing late defeat at home to Everton last week with an determined display that lifted them away from the drop zone. Wigan produced a similar performance at Newcastle last week frustrating the Magpies for 80 minutes before conceding late on with poor finishing costing them dear. It proved to be a similar story this week as they wasted numerous chances allowing the Cottagers to snatch all three points.
A nervy first half was littered with sloppy passing and a few mistimed tackles and it was the home side who slowly but surely got on top with David Jones looking the most likely to break the deadlock. The summer signing from Wolves tested Mark Schwarzer with a stinging 20-yard strike before firing Emmerson Boyce’s cross wide from close range. Hugo Rodallega has yet to score in seven appearances this season was also guilty of wastefulness and should have at least made contact to a number of balls into the visitors penalty area. He did meet one with a wild scissor kick that sailed well over the bar before Ben Watson dipped a dangerous volley over the bar. They were made to pay as Fulham took the lead five minutes before half time against the run of play with a superb move starting at the back. Schwarzer rolled the ball out to John Arne Riise who in turn found Danny Murphy in the centre. The skipper pinged a super ball out to Bobby Zamora on the left who crossed the Dempsey to score via the body of Ali Al Habsi – drawing level with Brian McBride to become the highest scoring American in the league on 36 goals.
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Wigan continued to probe and Victor Moses was unlucky to see his vicious strike hit the post after he outmuscled Riise as the frustration levels began to rise inside the DW. Maynor Figueroa also struck the woodwork from 30-yards after being saved just minutes earlier by the crossbar with Zamora’s volley smashing cannoning back off the frame of the goal after Murphy picked him out from 50-yards. For all their efforts the Latics just couldn’t breakdown the Cottagers rearguard and a defensive mistake of their own cost them dearly with four minutes to go. Figueroa gifted possession to Steven Sidwell on halfway with the midfielder picking out Dembele to finish and secure all three points.
Wayne Rooney scored a memorable hat-trick to help Manchester United record a 4-2 comeback victory over West Ham on Saturday.Two penalties from Mark Noble in the first half put West Ham 2-0 up at half-time, but United refused to lie down and Rooney stole all the headlines with his second half hat-trick.
West Ham opened the scoring after Carlton Cole broke clear of the United defence and attempted to lift the ball over Patrice Evra but the French defender clearly handled the ball inside the box.
Referee Lee Mason pointed straight to the spot and Noble made no mistake sending Tomasz Kuszczak the wrong way from the penalty kick.
The hosts at Upton Park were awarded their second penalty of the game on 25 minutes when Nemanja Vidic was adjudged to have brought down Cole inside the area.
Noble kept his nerve and struck the penalty into the top right hand corner to make it a dream start for the home side.
Ferguson knew he needed to take drastic action and brought on Javier Hernandez at half-time to replace Patrice Evra.
Hernandez almost scored with his first touch when he volleyed a cross from Ryan Giggs just over the bar.
But United showed the true signs of champions when their amazing comeback started on 65 minutes when Rooney curled a free-kick past Green into the back of the net to start the revival.
The visitors were back on level terms just eight minutes later when Antonio Valencia played the ball into Rooney who combined a great first touch with a clinical finish past Robert Green.
Mason awarded the third spot kick of the game on 79 minutes after Fabio da Silva wove into the penalty area and struck the ball against West Ham captain Matthew Upson.
Rooney sent Green the wrong way from the penalty spot to celebrate his hat-trick and complete the comeback for the league leaders.
United sealed all three points on 84 minutes when Ryan Giggs’ cross into the box was tapped in by Hernandez at the far post.