Champions League - Song out but Van Persie in squad

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has confirmed that midfielder Alex Song will miss Tuesday's Champions League trip to Barcelona but Robin van Persie has been added to the squad. 

The Dutch forward was substituted during the Carling Cup final on February 27 after suffering a knee injury, but he trained with his team-mates on Monday and has travelled to Spain.
Wenger has named a 19-man squad but it does not include Song, who missed the goalless draw with Sunderland at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday with a knee injury sustained in the final.
“Alex Song is completely out," said Wenger. "He had a test on Sunday morning and it was negative."
Song joins winger Theo Walcott and long-term absentee Thomas Vermaelen on the sidelines.
However, there is hope that captain Cesc Fabregas will be able to recover from a hamstring injury in time to face the club he left to join Arsenal as a 16-year-old while teenage playmaker Jack Wilshere has shaken off a knock and will play.
"Wilshere will be fit," Wenger told Sky. "Fabregas will have a final test today but he will travel.
"It’s vital for us because he’s (Fabregas) important in the transition between defending and attacking because he gets us out of pressure and can give a final ball as well.
"He’s the leader of the team so it’s important to have him in a big game like that."
Wilshere tweeted: "Afternoon everyone. Just to let you know I am not injured and if selected (I) will be fit to face Barca! Few kicks but nothing too bad!"
Arsenal take a 2-1 aggregate lead to Catalonia, but Wenger insisted that his team would not be aiming to sit on that slender lead - and are not equipped to do so even if they wanted to.
"We'll make some changes for Tuesday, that's for sure. We need some fresh legs for the Nou Camp because we'll have to run a lot there," said Wenger.
"We've not got enough security just to sit back and defend; you can't go to Barcelona and play for a 0-0. Anyway, it's not the personality of my team. This game has been hanging a bit over the heads of my players but our focus is on it now."
Arsenal squad: Wojciech Szczesny, Bacary Sagna, Johan Djourou, Laurent Koscielny, Gael Clichy, Abou Diaby, Jack Wilshere, Cesc Fabregas, Andrey Arshavin, Samir Nasri, Robin van Persie, Manuel Almunia, Emmanuel Eboue, Kieran Gibbs, Sebastien Squillaci, Tomas Rosicky. Denilson, Nicklas Bendtner, Marouane Chamakh


 Nini/uk.eurosport.yahoo

Liverpool Vs Manchester United 3-1 Kuyt Hattrick Interview (06-03-2011)

Premier League - Did Carragher deserve red?

Jamie Carragher's horror tackle on Manchester United star Nani has caused a storm. 

The Liverpool defender's rash challenge caught United's Portuguese midfielder just above the shinpad, resulting in a huge gash that appeared to cut to the bone.
United's medical team are currently assessing Nani and fear he could face a long lay-off.
The incident has heaped yet more pressure on Premier League referees, with Phil Dowd coming under fire for having let Carragher off with only a caution.
United chief executive David Gill was reportedly so enraged by Dowd's leniency that he confronted referees chief Mike Riley during the half-time interval at Anfield.
Yet United's players had already got their revenge in: moments after the Nani injury, Rafael Da Silva put in a ferocious lunge on his fellow Brazilian Lucas Leiva, a tackle which caused Liverpool's players to surround Dowd demanding action.
Rafael too escaped with a booking, while Martin Skrtel was also cautioned for his over-vigorous protest.

United's soft centre exposed

Liverpool deserve all the credit they get for their dominant 3-1 win over Manchester United on Sunday.

They showed right from the kick-off that they appreciated what a big game it was for them, and looked a completely different side from that which was humbled 3-1 at West Ham in their previous game.

United did not play like a team on the cusp of winning a record 19th league title, which would see them surpass the record they currently hold jointly with Liverpool. Kenny Dalglish's team used that as their prime motivation, whereas Alex Ferguson's side played as though it was just another game and paid the price.

Dalglish has instilled a real work ethic in his team which was almost completely absent under Roy Hodgson and, with the recent addition of Luis Suarez, can really start moving up the table now, rather than looking over their shoulder.

It is easy to overreact following a bad result, but it is clear that the United squad needs freshening up, in midfield in particular. For all their immense talents, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs's advancing years really showed, especially with Michael Carrick playing between them. Carrick signed a new contract last week, keeping him at Old Trafford until 2014, but how many United fans look at him now and see him as part of the club's future?

Any side that is denied the use of two defenders of the calibre of Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand is going to suffer, but Wes Brown looks less of a viable option every time he plays. Ferguson is also yet to convincingly fill the number one spot soon to be vacated when Edwin van der Sar retires.

Ferguson announced he would not be making any signings during the January transfer window, bemoaning the lack of value out there, but there were plenty of good deals to be made last summer. Just ask fans of Tottenham or Real Madrid how much they would value Rafael van der Vaart or Mesut Ozil at now after the two midfielders moved for £8 million and £12m respectively. At around the same time, Ferguson wrapped up the signing of Bebe for just a shade under what Van der Vaart cost Spurs a few weeks later.

It is true that they have missed Antonio Valencia for much of this season, and the Ecuadorean's pace has been sorely missed. His return to action just as Nani faces a spell out is a godsend for United, and he could be the key to fully reinvigorating Wayne Rooney, who remains for the most part as uninspiring as United have been for much of this season.

United's workmanlike approach this term was enough to see them through the first half of the season, but now teams are starting to wake up to the fact that they can get at them.

The shutting out of the media has just contributed to the sense that United are a club going through a tough time at the moment.

In my time there, I can't recall too many occasions when Ferguson told us not to speak to the media. Usually people just came up to you and, if you wanted, you answered their questions. However, things are a lot more regimented now.

It smacks of a lack of professionalism for United to not fulfil their media obligations when every other club does, regardless of their results. Even when you lose, at least go out there and admit you were beaten by the better team.

Fans have a right to know their manager's post-match opinions, especially after a defeat when they want to find out how he plans to put things right for the next game.

When you win you always want to talk, but when you lose perhaps you should talk a little bit more.


Nini/uk.eurosport.yahoo

Suarez magic tricks are Liverpool's ace in the pack

Luis Suarez was making headlines on Monday for his feet rather than his teeth or hands after the tricky Liverpool striker engineered a demolition of Manchester United and built a brighter future for his club.
The Uruguayan, who joined Liverpool from Ajax Amsterdam on deadline day in January when he was known better as the villain whose hand ball cost Ghana a place in the World Cup semi-finals and who has served a seven-match ban for biting, was the architect of Sunday's 3-1 win.
Dutch forward Dirk Kuyt hit a hat-trick but each of his goals were due in large part to Suarez, who if he continues with this form will soon have Liverpool fans saying "Fernando who?" as he amply plugs the gap left by Spain striker Torres' departure to Chelsea.
"The first goal was unbelievable and Luis showed a bit of magic like he did at West Ham last week when he set up Glen Johnson's goal," Kuyt said on the club's website (www.liverpoolfc.tv).
"I wanted to let the ball go but I wasn't sure if it was going in so I just wanted to make sure, but it was more his goal than mine."
Suarez had twisted and turned as he dribbled past Rafael, Michael Carrick and Wes Brown before firing the ball past Edwin van der Sar at an impossibly tight angle with Kuyt on hand to help the ball in for Liverpool's 34th-minute opener.
Five minutes later his cross was accidentally headed towards Kuyt by unfortunate United winger Nani for the Dutchman's second goal and the third came midway through the second half after Suarez's free kick was spilled by Van der Sar and Kuyt pounced.

ORANGE BOOTS
The goals aside, Suarez was a constant threat as fans were mesmerised by his footwork made all the more noticeable by his orange boots. He left the field to a standing ovation and a feeling that this was 26.5 million euros well spent.
The 24-year-old was one half of a double purchase made to replace Torres, who left for champions Chelsea for 50 million pounds while in something of a rut for Liverpool and has yet to score for his new club.
Fans were given a glimpse of the other half, Andy Carroll, who came on for the last quarter of an hour after being sidelined with a thigh injury.
The former Newcastle centre forward's first touch was a header straight at Van der Sar and although he made little other impression, he was thrilled to have made his Liverpool debut.
"When I was running back, all the fans were shouting and screaming and so I got a little bit excited. I was over the moon to get on there and get back playing," the Englishman said.
The only difference between the team named by Kenny Dalglish to start against United compared to one predecessor Roy Hodgson could have picked when they were dicing with relegation was Suarez and yet they were completely unrecognisable.
Dalglish's return in January to the hot seat at the club he brought so much success to as a player and manager before leaving 20 years ago has lifted spirits and league position.
While a challenge for the title is out of the question, a late charge for a Champions League berth may not be if others slip up and Suarez continues to bamboozle his markers.
"Moving from 20th to sixth is not as big a problem as moving from two to one, so the higher you go the more difficult the step up is," Dalglish told a news conference.
"United are a great benchmark but our season is not finished." Liverpool have a chance for glory in the Europa League, where they play Braga in the last 16 on Thursday.

Liverpool looking to make moves for Real Madrid's Fernando Gago and Barcelona's Jeffren Suarez

Liverpool looking to make moves for Real Madrid's Fernando Gago and Barcelona's Jeffren Suarez
It is being reported that Liverpool are currently looking to make moves for both Fernando Gago from Real Madrid and Jeffren Suarez from Barcelona at the end of the season.
At the moment, apart from Liverpool, there seem to be no other team that is showing any sign of interest in Gago. At the same time, the Argentine midfielder has failed to become a part of Jose Mourinho’s plans and has spent almost the entire season on the bench so far. Due to this unfair treatment by the manager, it was largely believed that Gago might just walk out of the team.
However, with Liverpool showing interest in the 24-year-old, Madrid might just see this as a golden opportunity to cash in on the player.
Based on that, it seems like Liverpool are willing to only offer as much as 8-million pounds for the player, while Madrid are not looking to budge on anything  less than ten million.
At the same time, Liverpool are looking to make a move for Barcelona’s promising 23-year-old winger, Jeffren Suarez. Suarez who makes an occasional appearance for Barcelona every now and then, has eighteen months lefts on his contract and at the moment neither the player or the club have shown any signs of wanting to re-negotiate a contract.
Liverpool could really use both Gago and Jeffren amongst their ranks. This is because the team is currently low on quality midfielders and could use the ability and techniques that Gago possesses. The Argentine can play as both a holding midfielder, or a more creative central midfielder, this unique ability that the player possesses has helped him climb up the pecking order at the.
At the same time, the Anfield based team don’t really have any natural wingers amongst their ranks and the addition of Jeffren could really give the side an extra edge and dimension to their play. What Liverpool lack at the moment is pace, the team has sturdy defenders, one of the best goal keepers in the world and two of the most wanted strikers out there. If they manage to induce a tinge of pace into the mix, then the team could potentially become an unstoppable force, once again.
It is however, still quite unclear if either of the two deals will go through, but if Liverpool play their cards right they might just be able to land both the players. According to the experts, Liverpool might just be able to get Gago for a price around 9-million pounds at the end of the day, while Jeffren might just go for a little cheaper and 6-million might just help Barcelona let go of the player.

Nini/bettor