Garbage putting finishing touches to first album in six years

Shirley Manson has noted on her Facebook page that Garbage may have a new album 'finished by summer'.

Manson wrote a note on her Facebook page to thank fans for supporting her appearance on new track 'The Hunger', written by System Of A Down ringleader Serj Tankian for a musical.

She also mentioned that she is back in the studio 'with the boys', presumably the boys from her first love ' Garbage ' who haven't released an album since 2005's Bleed Like Me.

She said that they are starting to 'select tracks for the final collection', and dared to suggest that they will have something finished by the Northern Hemisphere's summer, around mid-year.

Here's the post in full.

'Darklings

Many thanks for all your sweet notes about 'The Hunger'.

It's been SUCH a long time since I dipped my toes into the waves and it is always a weird, almost scary feeling.......... like being full of electrical eels in my tummy.........so thankyou for taking the time to write and support the cause!

Back in the studio as of yesterday with the boys.....

We are getting up a nice head of steam as we really start to hone in and select tracks for the final collection.........

Dare I suggest we will have something finished by the summer?!?!?!?!'


Nini/ Undercover.com.au

Champions League: Tottenham Hotspur v AC Milan

ENGLAND manager Fabio Capello insists Spurs star Gareth Bale is the best winger in the world - and says the Welshman is even better than the great Roberto Carlos.
Bale, right, who shone in the group stage of the Champions League against holders Inter Milan, is "touch and go" to be fit for Tottenham's last 16 second leg against Milan tonight.
Capello will be a keen onlooker as he sets about forming a plan to stop the winger when England visit the Millennium Stadium to face Wales in a Euro 2012 qualifier this month.
But the Italian, who played beside the great Giacinto Facchetti for Italy and bossed Carlos at Real Madrid, knows stopping the wing wizard will not be an easy task.
He said: "Bale today is the No.1 in the world, the only one who can make the difference in that role because he has speed, technique and power.
"In terms of his power, I think of Roberto Carlos - an explosive player, the only one who got close to Bale."
The 21-year-old returned from six weeks out at Wolves on Sunday but suffered stiffness afterwards.
Spurs welcome Rafael van der Vaart back while Younes Kaboul, Vedran Corluka and Ledley King all trained yesterday and could play a part.

Barcelona 3-1 Arsenal (4-3 Agg.): Lionel Messi Leads Blaugrana Past 10-Man Gunners

Messi scored twice and Xavi once as Barcelona capitalised on Robin van Persie's red card.

 

A Lionel Messi-inspired Barcelona knocked Arsenal out of the Champions League for a second consecutive season as a 3-1 second leg win over the 10-man Gunners wrapped up a 4-3 aggregate victory.

Messi made the most of a Cesc Fabregas mistake in first half stoppages to break the deadlock, but a Segio Busquets own goal put Arsenal back ahead in the tie on aggregate. Robin van Persie was sent off after kicking the ball away when on a yellow card and Barca added further goals through Xavi and Messi's penalty.
The Blaugrana started as they meant to by dominating the early possession and Laurent Koscielny was booked for bringing down Pedro as he advanced towards goal. From the resulting free-kick, Wojciech Szczesny failed to gather cleanly and appeared to break a finger, and the Pole had to be replaced by Manuel Almunia.
The home domination continued, and the Gunners breathed a sigh of relief when Abou Diaby’s clear foul on Messi just inside the area went unpunished by the referee.
The almost inevitable breakthrough eventually came from a surprise source in the first half injury time. Cesc Fabregas tried to play a backheel close to his own box and saw the ball intercepted by Iniesta, who chipped a pass into the channel for Lionel Messi to lift over the advancing Almunia before volleying into the unguarded net.

Arsenal got a leveller against the run of play early in the second half to send them back ahead on aggregate when a corner from the left by Samir Nasri was missed at the near post, and when three Barcelona players went up together to clear, Sergio Busquets headed the ball into his own net.
But within minutes the Gunners were rocked by a red card for Robin van Persie. Having already been booked for throwing an arm at Dani Alves late in the first half, the Dutchman responded to an offside flag by sending in a right foot shot which referee Massimo Busacca considered a time-wasting act, and Arsenal were down to 10 men.
The weight of the pressure on the away side told when Xavi was allowed to walk straight through the left channel of their defence to beat Almunia, and within two minutes Barcelona were awarded a penalty when Koscielny brought down Pedro. Lionel Messi stepped up to fire in his sixth goal in two home games against the Gunners and put Barca 4-3 up on aggregate.

Though Barca had further chances through Ibrahim Afellay and Dani Alves, Arsenal could have won the tie when Nicklas Bendtner went through the middle, but he failed to get a shot away before Victor Valdes and Busquets foiled the danger.

The win sends Barcelona into the quarter-finals as they continue their assault on a second treble in three years, while Arsenal's potential quadruple has been reduced to a two-pronged attack on the Premier League and FA Cup.

 

 

Nini/Goal

Shakhtar Donetsk 3-0 Roma: Miners Make History And Reach Quarter-Finals

A horrible night for the Giallorossi as Philippe Mexes was sent off, and Marco Borriello missed a penalty ...

 

Shakhtar Donetsk are through to the next stage of the Champions League after an easy win over Roma at the Donbass Arena. Tomas Hubschmann opened the scoring with a superb backheel finish early in the game and Marco Borriello saw a penalty saved by Andriy Pyatov near the half-hour mark.

Philippe Mexes was sent off just before the break to make things even worse, Willian added a second after the restart and substitute Eduardo put the icing on the cake with a goal in the closing minutes of the game.

Roma were the first to threaten to open the scoring with John Arne Riise blasting a powerful shot wide of Pyatov's goal. Soon Shakhtar started to gather momentum and were looking incresingly likely to break the deadlock.

This happened in the 18th minute when Hubschmann backheeled a cross from Willian into the net, effectively putting the game out of Roma's reach as they needed to score three goals to go through.

Vincenzo Montella's men, however, received a chance to draw the game level from the spot ten minutes later when Henrik Mkhitaryan pulled down Borriello in the box. The ex-Milan striker, however, saw his weak penalty saved in the right corner by Pyatov.

Roma tried to take control of the game, but Shakhtar Donetsk were holding firm and were even looking to hit the Giallorossi on the break. Things got from bad to worse for Vincenzo Montella's men when Mexes was sent off for a needless foul in the centre of the pitch.

Borriello was left with a free-header in the 46th minute, but his finish was saved by Pyatov. Moments before half-time Daniele De Rossi elbowed Darijo Srna without the ball, but Howard Webb did not spot the incidents and the stand-in captain was spared a red card.

Shakhtar Donetsk tried to keep the ball after the break and were looking to deal the killing blow. Roma were struggling to create anything in front of Pyatov and looked down and out and probably thinking about the game against Lazio at the weekend.

Willian killed the game off as a contest with wonderful goal in the 58th minute when his precise finish beat Doni and nested into the top corner after being picked out by Darijo Srna inside the Giallorossi's box.

The game was played out without much effort from either team as Roma were struggling to create anything aside from a handful of nasty fouls and Shakhtar Donetsk were happy to enjoy themselves on the pitch and keep the ball.

Still, the hosts managed to add a third through substitute Eduardo in the 87th minute to round off a wonderful evening for the Ukrainians at the Donbass Arena.

The opponents of the Miners in the next round will be determined later this month.

Nini/Goal

Arsenal Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny Fears His Season Could Be Over After Sustaining Finger Injury Against Barcelona

Arsenal's 20 year-old goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny believes he has ruptured a tendon in his finger, an injury that would potentially keep the young Pole out of action for the remainder of the season.

The Poland international had to be withdrawn during the first-half of Arsenal's Champions League second-round second leg match against Barcelona at the Nou Camp and told a SkySports reporter at half time that he feared the injury was a ruptured tendon.
Szczesny will be highly disappointed if his worst fears are true as the former Brentford loanee began to cement his position as the Gunners' number one, ahead of the inconsistent duo of Lukasz Fabianski and Manuel Almunia, the latter of which replaced Szczesny at the Nou Camp.

The 2010/11 season has been a memorable on for the young Pole as he became Arsenal's first choice goalkeeper but also got his second cap for his national team and made his European debut in the Champions League against Barcelona at the Emirates stadium.

Nini/Goal

Milan Owner Silvio Berlusconi: Kaka Return From Real Madrid Is Not Possible

Berlusconi believes that Kaka will not come back to Milan anytime soon... 

 

Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi has dismissed suggestions of a return of Kaka from Real Madrid in the summer but has added that he would be welcome by the club's fans if he does come back in the future.

The Brazil international midfielder joined Madrid from Milan in the summer of 2009 but endured a disappointing 2009-10 season, and his future at the Bernabeu has been wrapped up in uncertainty ever since.

Reports have been making the rounds that Kaka could return to Milan at the end of the current campaign but Rossoneri patron Silvio Berlusconi has quelled such suggestions and told Tuttosport, "Should he want to come back, it would be good news. Anyway, I don't think it is possible, not at this moment."

However, he added, "But should he want to come back, this would really be great news for Milan and for all supporters."

Milan CEO Adriano Galliani also calmed suggestions of a return for the 28-year-old and told RaiDue, "Kaka's return to Milan? Ricardo earns too much, because in Spain they pay less taxes.

"I am sorry that he has problems in Madrid, but to come back to us he would have to drop a lot his salary. We can afford the wage of only one [player like] Ibrahimovic."

nini/goal

 

Gianluigi Buffon: I Will Not Leave Juventus

Buffon wants to remain at Juventus in the future…

Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has once again pledged his commitment to the Italian giants and insists that he has no plans to leave Turin.
The Italian veteran custodian is enduring yet another disappointing season with the Bianconeri, who are struggling for a top-six place in Serie A.
Buffon’s future has often been put into doubt and there has been interest from ambitious Premier League club Manchester City in the past.
However, the 33-year-old has now reiterated that he has no intention of leaving Juventus and in an interview with Chi said, “I also followed Juve into Serie B. The fans have an unconditional love for me.

“As for the future, I am closer to the idea of staying. I hope that Alessandro Del Piero stays too.

“He is a player who comes before everything in the history of Juventus."

Nini/Goal