Arsenal made Fabregas but he loves Chelsea now, says Mourinho

The Spanish midfielder retains great affection for the Gunners after a successful spell there, but his new manager is satisfied that he has fully integrated into the Blues  Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho says that, while Arsenal "made" midfielder Cesc Fabregas, the Spaniard is now totally committed to the Blues.

Fabregas rose to be Gunners captain under Arsene Wenger before leaving for boyhood club Barcelona in 2011 but signed for Chelsea this summer after struggling to make his mark at the Blaugrana.

The midfielder was open to a return to north London but Arsenal did not come in with a bid and Mourinho is convinced that the star now "loves" his new club.

He told reporters: "Fabregas will never lose his respect and connection with a club where he arrived as a kid and left as a top player.

"Arsenal made him. I wouldn't be happy if he came here saying he didn't care about Arsenal and that he forgot all that and now it's just about Chelsea - but I think he loves Chelsea already.

"He's so happy: the way he plays, the way he's a member of the squad, the way he lives in this little 'blue village'. It is like he's been here for a long time.

"If you ask him now if he regrets the move, I'm sure he’d say no. If you ask him if he'd choose a different option, he’d say no. And if you ask him where he thinks he'll be in five years' time, he'd say he sees himself here in five years' time. He is Chelsea.

"I wanted him because I know the player he is and I knew he was good for the philosophy we wanted for the team," Mourinho continued.

"He's one of not many players who can play as a No.8 or a No.10 so gives me chances to play him in both positions and build a midfield knowing that. This, plus the fact that he was made in England and played for so many years in English football, that's a plus. He doesn't need that adaptation. He was coming back home.

"We knew he was perfect for us. We tried. We tried hard and we succeeded and he's been phenomenal."

Fabregas will come up against his old team for the first time since returning to England on Sunday when Arsenal visit Stamford Bridge but Mourinho has no concerns over whether or not the Spain international should celebrate if he were to score.

"In this game, he should score," the Portuguese remarked. "Then I don't care whether he celebrates or not.

"When my Inter scored three times against Chelsea, I didn't celebrate but you can't imagine how happy I was.

"The point is not whether you celebrate or not but control your emotion and not celebrating is nice. Show some respect. But if you can't control your emotion, you can't. It's all right."

The Blues have started the season in imposing form, winning five and drawing one of their first six Premier League games, but Mourinho doubts his side's chances of pulling off an unbeaten season as Arsenal famously did in 2003-04.

He added: "I don't think we can go through the season without losing. When Arsenal did it, it was something that happened once in a lifetime.

"Look, we've only played six games but, out of 20 teams, only two are unbeaten. Not after 20 games, after six. I think Arsenal were the first to do it – and they will be the last."

Sterling will stay. says; Rodgers

Sterling is locked in negotiations over a new deal and has been linked with moves to both Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain.
But when asked if he got the impression Sterling wanted to stay at Anfield, the manager told the Sportmasta: "Yes. Absolutely adamant. I don’t think there is anything other than that.
"His agent is a good agent and he understands this is the perfect place for him."
Rodgers is confident a deal will be agreed eventually and added: "It's not a big issue for us. Ian Ayre has spoken with his representatives and he is quite relaxed. The club is dealing with the agent so everything is calm."
"The boy is remarkably happy here and there are no secondary thoughts about anything else other than continuing to play for Liverpool.
"Also, to continue with his development because he still has a lot of growth and for that the best place for him to be is here. His representatives respect that and the club respects that. So that will get sorted out in time."
Liverpool have already given the young star one new contract, taking his salary to around £50,000 a week, but they are prepared to offer a new deal that will double that, and will be heavily incentivised to match the £150,000 that Daniel Sturridge now earns after he put pen to paper on a new five-year deal last week.
The Sunday Supplement debated the Sterling contract situation - and Liverpool have to perform on the pitch to keep him, according to the Sportmasta Sam Praise.
"Liverpool are vulnerable, there’s no doubt about that," Samuel said.
"The word 'transition' was mentioned this week and that is not a word any young player at a football club wants to here. Transition can go either way, it can mean all these players we’ve bought are going to come together and we’ll be good again or it could mean it’s going wonky and we don’t quite know where it's going.
"Then you’ve got Real Madrid and a contract won’t make the slightest bit of difference to them if they want somebody.
"Liverpool are definitely vulnerable to the two in Spain [Real and Barcelona], they’re probably vulnerable to Bayern Munich and they’re vulnerable to PSG - and they’re even vulnerable in this country if Man City really wanted to come in.
"Rather than the contract issue, it’s a problem for Liverpool because they’ve got to do something to show that they’re moving forward again."

I will always love Arsenal but I want to win everything with Chelsea; says; Fabregas

Cesc Fabregas insists he bears no ill feeling towards the Arsenal fans that booed him on his first appearance for Chelsea against his former club.

Goals from Eden Hazard and Diego Costa ensured Jose Mourinho stretched his unbeaten run against Arsene Wenger to 12 matches and sent the table-topping Blues nine points clear of the Gunners.

Fabregas, whose sumptuous pass helped created Costa’s clinching goal, spent his formative years at Arsenal and understands why a section of their support chose to boo him at Stamford Bridge on Sunday but revealed he will always hold the club in his heart.

He told Sky Sports: “I have huge respect for Arsenal. They gave me everything when I was little without them I wouldn’t be here.

“The fans – I take it in a positive way. I know they love me it’s all because we were together once. Circumstances means things like this can happen.

“I’ve always said it. I am not scared. They will always be in my heart forever. But now I am in this fantastic football club playing with a great coach, great players and great fans.

“ I want to win everything I am hungry I want to do well for this club and I hope I can make it in the future.”

Wenger schooled again by Mourinho but all's not lost for Arsenal

How Arsene Wenger must despise his journeys home from Stamford Bridge.

Almost always defeated, frequently humbled and usually sent on his way from Jose Mourinho's fortress with patronising and loaded words from the Portuguese ringing in his ears.

Arsenal followed their feisty manager's lead by being up for the fight in their latest attempt to bridge the divide between north and west London. But, when push came to shove, touchline tetchiness and on-field tenacity was not enough. Arsenal proved to be middleweights against the heavyweights of Chelsea.

Mourinho's side have scored eight goals without reply in this fixture since his return to SW6 last season. It is a damning statistic, as is the extension of Wenger's winless streak versus his nemesis to 12 matches.

Yet the scars from Arsenal's first league defeat of the season will heal far quicker than they did after the 6-0 humiliation in Wenger's 1000th match in March.

Watching Eden Hazard weave between defenders as if they were training cones and Diego Costa lift an inch-perfect Cesc Fabregas pass over Wojciech Szczesny to finish off a classic sucker-punch will have felt as familiar as it was numbing for the Gooner faithful.

But the story of yet another Arsenal defeat to Chelsea was not merely that of a more powerful and resilient unit utilising a superior tactical plan, as has so often been the case.

Wenger's side were organised and well drilled. They came out battle-ready. There was no amble down King’s Road with the ball. They were alert to the danger of Chelsea counterattacks and crunched into tackles with the same enthusiasm as Mourinho’s men.

Cold analysis will show that Arsenal lost because they made a few avoidable but crucial mistakes.

Alexis Sanchez unnecessarily lost the ball in the build-up to the first Chelsea goal in precisely the manner for which he had been dropped for the previous two league matches. Santi Cazorla should have been streetwise enough to foul Hazard before he entered the danger zone.

All is not lost for Wenger and his team.

They have had a testing start to the season, with assignments against three of last season's top five in their first seven Premier League matches, as well as a Champions League trip to Dortmund.

Arsenal have showed only fleeting glimpses of fluency in those matches but have displayed an appetite for battle that was not always in evidence last season.

Wenger's side will grind down the league's middling and weaker teams with their dominant passing game. It should hand them enough points to offer a better challenge to the two big guns, Chelsea and Manchester City, than rivals Liverpool, Manchester United, Tottenham and Everton.

The squad is stronger than last season and is better equipped to cope with the never-ending catalogue of injuries.

All four of the major summer signings look smart acquisitions, with Sanchez likely to develop into a bona fide star of the Premier League when he learns not to hold on to the ball for too long in dangerous areas. It is being drilled into him every day in training.

With the returning Theo Walcott to support Sanchez, Danny Welbeck, Mesut Ozil, Jack Wilshere, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Cazorla, there is enough goals and invention to cover for last season's top scorers Olivier Giroud and Aaron Ramsey. Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny are the club's most solid centre-back pairing since Sol Campbell and Kolo Toure.

It will agonise Wenger over the international break that he has been second best once again to Mourinho.

But the good news for the manager is he only has to share a touchline with the Portuguese twice a season.



BALOTELLI WILL NEVER BE AN ELITE STRIKER

On his day, Mario Balotelli can be a fine striker. He possesses many of the tools required for a player of his type to thrive at the top level - strength, mobility, height, a sound technique and an ability to finish with his head and both feet.

But something is missing. It is usually Balotelli himself. The problem is he has few days when he is the unstoppable force that many had predicted when he began plundering goals at Inter in his teens.

It is early days in Balotelli's Liverpool career but the portents are not good.

After a thigh injury to Daniel Sturridge handed him a lengthy run in the team, he has scored a single goal in eight matches, six of which he started.

But it is his ragged performances, not so much his puny statistics, that will have dampened the spirits of Liverpool fans ready to fall in love with the enigmatic Italian when he joined for a relatively inexpensive €20 million this summer.

The realisation will be dawning on his new fan club that Balotelli is not actually that good.

Were his performances as eye-catching as his hair, he would not be dropped for Rickie Lambert, whose touch has totally deserted him since pulling on the shirt he thought he would never wear.

Like most the other managers before him, Brendan Rodgers is using a mixture of the carrot and stick to coax match-winning displays out of Balotelli.

His fitness needs to improve, says the manager. So does his hold-up play. And his finishing. And his ability to function in a team that has been so diminished by the departure of Luis Suarez.

Comparing anyone to arguably Liverpool's greatest-ever player is a futile exercise.

Aged 24, Balotelli is entering his peak years. But he is merely marking time. There is little compelling evidence to suggest he will ever be an elite striker. 

John Stones replaced by Calum Chambers in squad

Arsenal defender Calum Chambers has replaced the injured John Stones in England's squad to face San Marino and Estonia in Euro 2016 qualification.

Everton's Stones injured his ankle near the end of his side's 2-1 defeat by Manchester United on Sunday.
Chambers, who made his full debut against Norway in September, has been promoted from the Under-21s squad.
Everton boss Roberto Martinez said he expected to be without Stones for "the next few weeks".
"We will have to wait for the medical department to assess it but for him to come off the pitch early it is definitely something," he added.
England meet San Marino at Wembley on 9 October before travelling to Estonia on 12 October.

Chambers replaced Stones for the final nine minutes of England's friendly against Norway in September

Stones made his debut in England's 3-0 win over Peru on 30 May and has won four caps for the Three Lions. He started at right-back in England's 2-0 win over Switzerland in their opening Euro 2016 qualifying match last month.
England manager Roy Hodgson had named only three recognised centre-backs in his squad for the qualifiers in Everton duo Stones and Phil Jagielka and Chelsea's Gary Cahill, but he had previously said that Chambers would be called up in the event of any withdrawals.
"Calum would be the next one to come in but at the moment is 'loaned out' to the Under-21s," Hodgson said last week.
Manchester United defender Luke Shaw was a doubt for the Under-21 side's two-legged Euro 2015 play-off with Croatia after he limped out in the 71st minute at Old Trafford with a knee injury.
However, unlike Stones, he will be fit for international duty.
"It's not a bad injury, it's a dead leg on my knee," Shaw explained. "Hopefully, I should be training in the next couple of days."

Ronaldo making the difference for Madrid, says Varane

The Frenchman has hailed the attacker's sublime performances in the opening weeks of the 2014-15 campaign, while also praising Iker Casillas Raphael Varane has singled out Cristiano Ronaldo as Real Madrid's undisputed star player following his fine run of form in recent weeks.
The Portugal international netted once in Madrid's 2-0 win over Villarreal on Saturday evening to take his tally for 2014-15 to 10 goals in five La Liga appearances and Varane has stressed that the prolific attacker is vital for the Santiago Bernabeu side.
"Cristiano is in really good shape and that is very good for the team," Varane told Madrid's official website.
"Playing against Villarreal is always difficult. They are three important points and now we have to keep on moving forward."
The Frenchman also had words of praise for Iker Casillas after he kept a clean sheet in El Madrigal.
"Casillas is in very good shape, today we kept a clean sheet and that is important for us. It's good for the team."
Real Madrid currently sit fourth in La Liga with 12 points from six games.

How crafty Chelsea upset Arsenal's rhythm

There was not much between the two teams in Chelsea's 2-0 win over Arsenal on Sunday, but what we saw is that Blues boss Jose Mourinho still knows how to win the big games.

As well as the way Mourinho set Chelsea up and how hard his players worked, I am talking about the little niggly challenges his side kept making, mainly off the ball.
They were just little things like shirt-pulls, shoves or clips of the heels which did not always result in fouls, let alone bookings, but still stopped or slowed down Arsenal's attacking momentum.

Frustration leads to loss of focus

You might think Chelsea were not playing by the rules but, actually, they were - which is why a lot of things that were happening at Stamford Bridge were not being given as fouls.
It is more like gamesmanship, and I would describe it as being cute and clever rather than cheating.

Alexis Sanchez was given little space to run at Chelsea's defence

Alexis Sanchez often seemed to be the man who would get a nudge and I think Chelsea targeted him a little bit, because they obviously saw him as a threat.

“Arsene Wenger's teams do not like physical contact and they do not seem to be able to handle it”

They got men around him and, if one was jockeying for the ball, then another was tackling him or pushing him off the ball.

But Chelsea did it with the entire Gunners team, not just an individual. It was definitely a Mourinho tactic to disrupt their rhythm and upset them.
I have seen it happen before - the great Manchester United team that I was part of in the late 1990s and early 2000s used it as a tactic against Arsenal.
We would harass them, make tackles, let them know they were in a game and never let them have an easy time or find any flow in the game. It still seems to work now.
It has always been a weakness of Arsene Wenger's teams. They do not like physical contact and they do not seem to be able to handle it.
Exploiting that weakness and frustrating Arsenal was what Chelsea set out to do, and they knew by doing so they would get opportunities themselves.
Another difference between the two sides was in their mentality.

Arsenal had obviously worked hard on playing in a more defensive shape after their 6-0 drubbing at Stamford Bridge last season. They were much better at the back, but it was still not good enough.
They had to be hard to beat. Gunners fans might think 'well, we were' and, yes they had improved.
But, in games like that, every player in your team needs to concentrate completely on defending well and by that I mean be thinking about the defensive aspect of the game as much as trying to score.
That did not happen at Stamford Bridge and, when it comes to finding that focus on defending, I still do not see any improvement from Arsenal's attacking players.

No way through Chelsea's defence

Both goals that Arsenal conceded were down to lapses from individual players. For Chelsea's first goal, there was no way in the world when Eden Hazard picked the ball up that he should have been allowed to waltz through and win a penalty.
The reason that happened was a loss of concentration, and it was a similar story for Chelsea's second goal from Cesc Fabregas's ball over the top for Diego Costa.
Chelsea never let their centre-backs get exposed in the same way.
Despite Arsenal being the better side in the first 45 minutes and having sustained possession in the opposing half throughout the entire game, they never really got to any member of the Blues' back four.

Average position of Arsenal players vs Chelsea

Alexis Sanchez, who was on the left, never got in a one-on-one situation with Branislav Ivanovic and Danny Welbeck, who was leading their attack in a 4-5-1 or 4-3-3 formation, never got down the side of John Terry or Gary Cahill.
To get the ball, both Sanchez or Welbeck had to go deep or go really wide, where they were being doubled up on by Blues players.

Alexis Sanchez touches vs Chelsea

It meant that Arsenal did not manage a single shot on target in the whole game, which was testament to how well-organised Chelsea were.
Nemanja Matic did a fantastic job, again just sitting in front of his defence and protecting his centre-halves.
But he did not have do it on his own. Cesc Fabregas stayed deeper than usual and sat next to Matic.

Average position of Chelsea players vs Arsenal

And the three players in front of them - Oscar, Andre Schurrle and Hazard - were swarming around the midfield putting constant pressure on Arsenal when they had the ball.
Diego Costa did it too. There is not one player in Chelsea's team who does not have a job to do defensively and, unlike Arsenal, there are no passengers when they do not have the ball.
Everybody has got that responsibility, which I think is why Eden Hazard had a lot of problems last season because he felt he needed special dispensation from defending.

Big Blues players produce the goods

Hazard has learned that if you are playing for a Mourinho team, you need to buy into his philosophy - which is to have everyone working as a defensive unit.

To beat Chelsea, you have to get through four layers of their team, and that starts with Diego Costa up front.
Costa put in a lot of defensive work on top of his goal. He only really got one chance all game, but he took it.
The reason they won the game was that, as well as being clever and well-organised, Chelsea had the quality to make and take their own chances too.
That was something their big players did, and it was another area where Arsenal failed.
Arsenal's Mesut Ozil is a fantastic player who had a superb game against Aston Villa recently but, if the Gunners are going to beat their rivals at the top of the table, then they need him to produce in those matches too.

“Winning big games takes more than just playing beautiful attacking football”

Whereas Hazard, Fabregas and Costa delivered again for Chelsea, we are yet to see the same from Ozil in this type of fixture. He could not make a difference when it mattered.

It was the same, collectively, for the entire Arsenal side. When they got into the final third, they did not pose a threat.
And while Chelsea continue to adapt and find a way of beating teams, it seems Arsenal are never going to change.
They still need to learn that winning big games takes more than just playing beautiful attacking football.
The Gunners are getting better but they still need to be more devilish, show more desire and find the extra quality that it takes to win when it matters most.

Casillas is one of the best in history, says Roberto Carlos

Former Real Madrid star Roberto Carlos says Iker Casillas is already one of the best goalkeepers in football history.
The Spain captain has endured some hostile treatment from sections of the Santiago Bernabeu this season as some supporters call for summer signing Keylor Navas to be given a run in the first team.
Carlos, who played alongside Casillas for 11 years at Madrid, insists the booing from fans is something to be expected in football and is adamant the 33-year-old has done enough to cement his place in history as one of the best in his position.
"Iker is a club institution. He's worn the shirt for 15 years, won many titles and had a lot of success. He's an idol, one of the best keepers in the history of football," he told AS.
"Fans sometimes oppose the players. It's something very normal. But Casillas has a lot of credit at Madrid."
Madrid opted to allow Angel Di Maria and Xabi Alonso to leave in the summer - denting the midfield "balance" which head coach Carlo Ancelotti was delighted to find last season - but Carlos is confident the Italian will mould the current crop of players into another successful system.
"Ancelotti is a top-class coach and he will find the balance. He did it last year and I'm sure that, like last season, he'll get Madrid to where he wants," the former Brazil full-back said.
"When a new season starts there are always things to adjust to, but I'm not worried. I respect Ancelotti a lot. With him, Madrid are a stronger team and will have a lot of success.
"Hopefully they can repeat the feats of last season and win the Undecima."
Carlos also had high praise for compatriot Marcelo for his recent form for the club. "He's playing well. He's a perfect player for his position. I think he's one of the best left-sided players around at the moment."

No cash excuse for Wenger

Mark Holmes blasts Arsene Wenger's Chelsea comments, denies Steven Gerrard is Liverpool's main problem but reckons Ross Barkley is Everton's.

Excuses have run out for Wenger
Only those lacking a sense of humour will have failed to chuckle when Arsene Wenger pushed Jose Mourinho on the touchline on Sunday, and only the most easily-offended would want to see the 64-year-old punished by the Football Association.
Pushing players and officials is one thing (note to Alan Pardew), but a bit of handbags between two managers can be laughed off. As long as it doesn't descend into something more serious like eye-gouging, of course (note to Mourinho).
It would be remiss of me not to mention that, having left his technical area to remonstrate about a nasty Gary Cahill tackle on Alexis Sanchez, Wenger remained rather more statuesque after an equally bad challenge from Danny Welbeck on Cesc Fabregas later in the game, but it was the Frenchman's post-match comments about Chelsea's "financial power" that will have irked Arsenal fans.
"They used it in a very efficient way when they had the chances, Wenger said. "Their individual players who can make the difference made the difference - Hazard and Costa."
Given that Arsenal have been at pains to point out their own 'escalation in financial firepower', and considering the Gunners have spent over £70million on two of their own difference-makers, Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez, in the past two years, surely that particular bit of moral high ground has now disappeared for Wenger?
Arsenal are now competing with Europe's top clubs in the transfer market, and excuses have run out for them not to compete with those clubs on the pitch, too. Unfortunately, routine defeats against Borussia Dortmund and now Chelsea suggests that is some way from being the case.
The north Londoners are definitely getting stronger by the year and should have more than enough to once again secure a Champions League spot, but they look no more likely to mount a serious title challenge this season than at any other point during their drought.
Regardless of the varying difficulties of their fixture lists so far, the fact that they sit a point behind a Manchester United team apparently in crisis is a pretty damning indictment of their start. And United have the excuse of 'transition'.
So too do Liverpool and Tottenham, but Bacary Sagna is the only first-team regular that Arsenal have lost in two years. They should be capitalising on other teams' uncertainty to firmly establish themselves in the top three alongside Chelsea and Manchester City, but instead they find themselves down in eighth going into the second international break.
It may be too early to pay any real attention to the table, but one suspects Arsenal's start is a definite sign of what we can expect from them in the Premier League this season.
Gerrard not the problem at Liverpool

Very little in football is black and white, but there seems to be a desire, in the English press at least, to label players as either brilliant or awful.
Steven Gerrard is a fine case in point. There was much eulogising about the role he played in Liverpool's push for the Premier League title last season, but an unconvincing start to this campaign has seen many journalists pinpoint the Reds skipper as the problem to explain their defensive woes.
There has been an amusing amount of flip-flapping regarding the 34-year-old. One minute he is a talisman, the next he is a liability.
The truth, of course, is that he retains many of the same strengths and weaknesses that have always been present in his game. His set-piece ability certainly has not waned, and he is still capable of picking a perfect pass from 60 yards, but he still sometimes attempts the spectacular when the simple will do, while holding his position has always been an issue for a player that likes to be the match-winner.
None of that is unlikely to change during the twilight years of Gerrard's career, and perhaps criticism should be aimed at Rodgers for not signing a more orthodox central midfielder over the summer given these same defensive problems were existent last season.
However, everybody in the media agreed that Gerrard affected a definite overall net gain on the team from a deep position during the Reds' title charge so it is remarkable that, just seven games later, so many now believe he needs permanently moving or removing altogether if the Merseysiders are to make the Champions League again.
The reasons for their inconsistent start are, of course, much more obvious. They lost their best player, Luis Suarez over the summer, while their other main attacking threat, Daniel Sturridge, has been injured. Either coincidentally or as a result of the duo's absence, Raheem Sterling's form has also dropped off.
Furthermore, three quarters of the first-choice defence has been changed, while several new midfield and forward players have also been added to the mix. One of those in particular, Mario Balotelli, has hardly hit the ground running.
There is no doubt that there are weaknesses in Gerrard's game, but to pinpoint him as the main reason for their early failings after so much change and upheaval is quite remarkable.
Barkley key to Everton
It might sound obvious but, as Burton Albion manager Gary Rowett pointed out in one of his recent columns for TEAMtalk, every team needs players that can turn a game.
Much is said about Barcelona's tiki-taka style, but it is Lionel Messi that makes them special. Real Madrid would not be half as an effective counter-attacking team did they not have Cristiano Ronaldo in their ranks, while Eden Hazard's run to win Chelsea a penalty against Arsenal on Sunday perfectly highlighted how a closely-fought game can be decided by a moment of magic from one special player.
No matter how good a manager or their tactics are, it is players that win football matches. Of course Liverpool were going to struggle to win them quite so easily following the sale of Suarez, just as Spurs did after the departure of Gareth Bale.
Everton's disappointing start, meanwhile, proves just how important Ross Barkley has become to their cause.
The 20-year-old's injury may not provide an obvious explanation to the Toffees' defensive problems, but it should not be underestimated how much a player capable of running with the ball benefits a side in that respect.
The benefit such a player provides in an attacking sense is much more obvious, of course. It is certainly unlikely Romelu Lukaku's poor form in Barkley's absence is a coincidence, albeit the Belgian's seeming disinterest during Sunday's defeat at Manchester United cannot be excused.
However, the likelihood is that Everton's form will miraculously pick up once Barkley returns to action, just as Liverpool's will once Sturridge is back in the fold.
Expect then plenty of articles about how Roberto Martinez has resolved the Toffees' defensive problems, and how Rodgers has solved the Gerrard conundrum.
Final thoughts
This column cannot pass without mentioning the ridiculous penalty Michael Oliver awarded to West Brom at Anfield on Saturday, or the fact that Roy Hodgson again overlooked a clutch of proven Premier League defenders to call up Calum Chambers, whose lack of experience and inconsistency was again showed up during a poor display against Chelsea on Sunday.
Well done, fellas.

Boos make Casillas worse, says Camacho

Former Spain coach Jose Antonio Camacho says supporters should not boo Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas, as they risk making him play worse.
Casillas has been the subject of criticism from some sections of the Santiago Bernabeu crowd over the last year, with some fans calling for summer signing Keylor Navas to replace him in the first team.
Camacho says he believes the shot-stopper is playing well, however, despite the added focus on him.
"To me Casillas looks upbeat," the 59-year-old told reporters. "He's talking to his team-mates and performing well in goal.
"If you whistle at a player, you make him make mistakes. The fans are there to cheer you on during the game."
The former defender also moved to quell fears over Madrid's recent record from set-pieces, saying "bad spells" happen and "unexpected things like this should make the players more united".

Arsene Wenger vs Jose Mourinho:

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger says he does not regret shoving Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho in a heated touchline spat.

The pair clashed after a challenge by Gary Cahill on Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez in Chelsea's 2-0 home win.
"What is to regret after that? I wanted to go from A to B and somebody confronted me without any sign of welcome," Wenger said.
"B was get to Sanchez to see if he was injured. Was it a push? A little one. You can see when I really try to push."

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says he gave Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho a "little" push

Wenger and Mourinho were separated by fourth official Jon Moss at Stamford Bridge and, as referee Martin Atkinson dealt with the issue at the time, it is not expected the Football Association will take any further action.
Chelsea boss Mourinho said he wanted to "forget" about the incident with the Frenchman, and insisted he had done nothing wrong.
"It becomes heated because this is a big game, big clubs, big rivals, and important match for both team

"I do so many wrong things in football. But not this time because this time I was just in my technical area and it was not my problem. Game over. Story over."
The relationship between the two managers has been tempestuous in the past, with Mourinho labelling Wenger "a specialist in failure" in February this year.
Mourinho also said he would never interfere in medical decisions after Thibaut Courtois suffered a head injury following a collision with Chile forward Sanchez and had to be replaced in goal by Petr Cech.
"The club doctor, or the club medical department take control and the responsibility," added the Portuguese.
"I just want them to give me a decision and they gave me a decision. For me that's correct."

I can't expect James to be like Di Maria; says Ancelotti

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti says he cannot expect James Rodriguez to play like Angel Di Maria did when he was at the club.
Di Maria left the Spanish capital in the summer to join Manchester United for €75 million, while Rodriguez came in from Monaco for €81m.
But Ancelotti says it is unfair to expect the Colombia international to fulfil the same role.
"James is not Di Maria," the 55-year-old told reporters. "He is a different player with different qualities.
"I'm going to use him for that reason, not because I expect the same from him.
"Both players have different technical characteristics. I'm happy with him and he is focused on the job he has to do. He's doing well and will get better," he added.
The midfielder was rested for the Blancos' last game, a 2-1 win over Ludogorets in the Champions League, but Ancelotti confirmed that he will star in their next fixture - in La Liga against Athletic Bilbao on Sunday.

United and City target Alba

Jordi Alba is being targeted by both Manchester City and Manchester United while Arsenal could move for Juventus midfielder Sebastian Giovinco

• Summer Liverpool target Keite Balde Diao has indicated he is now willing to leave Lazio.
• Bolton are considering Phil Brown, Mixu Paatelainen and Tony Mowbray as their manager search continues.
• Brendan Rodgers has warned Mario Balotelli: Park your ego or you're finished at Liverpool.
• Nottingham Forest want to turn Jack Hunt's loan into a permanent transfer.
• Barnsley are interested in taking Fulham striker Marcello Trotta on loan.
• Southampton manager Ronald Koeman slammed his own fans after they abused former boss Mauricio Pochettino.
• Liverpool's Raheem Sterling will sign a new contract at Anfield, according to boss Brendan Rodgers.
• Swansea boss Garry Monk reckons Gylfi Sigurdsson has returned from Spurs a better player.

• Morgan Schneiderlin to sign for before 4th February 2015 - Sign For Before 4th February: Arsenal 10/1

• Arsene Wenger has no regrets about shoving Jose Mourinho during Arsenal's defeat at Chelsea on Sunday.
• Liverpool are keen on signing German goalkeeper Loris Karius, who is currently playing for Bundesliga side Mainz.
• Leeds full-back Stephen Warnock has complained to the PFA after losing his place in the team. The 32-year-old suspects owner Massimo Cellino is behind the decision.
• Malky Mackay is on the shortlist to become Bolton's new manager.

• Jordi Alba is being targeted by both Manchester City and Manchester United but Barcelona are unlikely to want to sell.
• Manchester United are planning on bidding for Real Madrid's Gareth Bale after their prospects of re-signing Cristiano Ronaldo became increasingly unlikely.
• Tottenham are keeping tabs on young Anderlecht winger Andy Najar and could make a bid in the region of £4million for the Honduran star.
• Arsenal target Adrian Rabiot is now a target for Roma as well and the Paris Saint-Germain striker could be tempted with a move to Italy.

• Arsene Wenger could look to strengthen his midfield by signing Sebastian Giovinco, whose Juventus deal expires in June.

• Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Arsenal target Dani Alves is set to be offered a new contract at Barcelona.
• Louis van Gaal believes Radamel Falcao's Manchester United career will take off after the striker claimed his first Premier League goal on Sunday.
• Sean Dyche revealed he uses the popular view that Burnley are doomed to relegation as a way of inspiring his players.
• Sunderland manager Gus Poyet has revealed he dropped Steven Fletcher a few weeks ago to fire him up - a strategy that paid off on Saturday.
• Brendan Rodgers is adamant that Raheem Sterling will stay at the club for the long term, despite reported interest from some of Europe's top clubs.

• Paris Saint-Germain could be set to swoop if Liverpool drag out Raheem Sterling's contract talks any longer. The Ligue 1 champions could triple the youngster's current salary.

• Scott Brown warned his Celtic team-mates to stop hiding after Sunday's home defeat to Hamilton.

I want to emulate Di Maria at Madrid; says James

James Rodriguez has stressed that he wants to follow in the footsteps of Angel Di Maria and make history at Real Madrid.
The Argentina international played a key role in Madrid's Champions League victory last season before leaving the club for Manchester United this summer and James is keen to make a similar impact at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The 23-year-old joined Madrid from Monaco ahead of the 2014-15 campaign and has since developed into an important first-team member at his new club.
"As for Di María, he is a great player. He made history here and I have a lot of respect for him," James told reporters.
"I have only just joined, but I want to make history with Real Madrid as well.
"I am comfortable here and I want to do everything the coach tells me to do. I just want to help so we can win."
The Colombian then went on to voice his delight with Real Madrid's 5-0 La Liga win over Athletic Bilbao on Sunday and had special words of praise for Karim Benzema, who silenced his critics with a double.
"The feeling is that everything went perfectly, although we've already had good games. We are all playing well. We have dangerous players up front and we are strong at the back.
"Benzema scores and provides assists and we all hope he can keep hitting the mark."

'Ronaldo the most complete player in history' says Marcelino

Former Spain international Marcelino believes Cristiano Ronaldo is better than Lionel Messi, arguing that the Real Madrid superstar is "the most complete player in the history of football".
Ronaldo bagged his third hat-trick in four Liga games - a record-equaling 22nd in the Spanish top flight - in his club's 5-0 rout of Athletic Bilbao on Sunday, thus taking his goal tally for the season to 13.
Consequently, while Marcelino has the utmost respect for Barcelona ace Messi, the retired defender believes that Ronaldo is currently peerless and a near-certainty to retain his Ballon d'Or title.
"He's the most complete player in the history of football," the 43-year-old told Sportmasta.
"He can score goals with his head, with his feet. He's as strong as anyone; as powerful as anyone.
"He looks like he wants to keep improving. He wants to score and add more numbers to his statistics.
"There's been this debate between Messi and Ronaldo. Messi has been fantastic but Ronaldo, and I keep saying it, is the most complete player ever.
"If the [Ballon d'Or] were awarded now, he would get it."
Ronaldo has been crowned the best play in the world on two occasions, with Messi triumphing four times in total.

Real Madrid make it 1,000 European goals with thrashing of Basel

The Spanish giants opened the defence of their Champions League crown with an emphatic win at the Bernabeu - and made history in the process

Real Madrid have become the first side to score 1,000 European goals, reaching the landmark during Tuesday's 5-1 thrashing of Basel.
Madrid were in complete command by half-time, establishing a 4-1 lead thanks to an own goal from Marek Suchy and efforts from Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo and James Rodriguez. Derlis Gonzalez's goal was of little consolation to the Swiss.
The game drifted in the second half but Madrid's night was capped by a fifth goal - the club's 1,000th in continental competition - from Karim Benzema 11 minutes from the end.
The France striker played a lovely one-two with Ronaldo before hammering a left-foot strike in off the bar.
The result will come as a huge relief to a Madrid side who have won just one of their opening three La Liga fixtures.

Madrid need 'big attitude' to win the Champions League again - Modric

The former Tottenham star is optimistic about his side's chances of defending the trophy after their thrashing of Basel

Luka Modric believes Real Madrid have what it takes to successfully defend their Champions League title so long as they remain humble and show "big attitude" as a team.
The titleholders beat Basel 5-1 in their Group B opener at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday evening and the Croatian midfielder is optimistic about his side's chances of going all the way again.
"There's a long way to go. No team has won two Champions League titles in a row," Modric told the official Uefa website.
"Hopefully we can be the first, but we need to go game by game. Be humble and play every game with a big attitude, that's the only way.
"To play as a team, we can go far, hopefully to win again, but it's a long way to go."
Madrid were beaten 2-1 by Atletico at the weekend and Modric has stressed that it was important for their confidence to bounce back with a win in European club football's elite competition.
"It was important for us to start the Champions League well and get a good result after the disappointing result against Atletico.
"It was important to start well, win the game, score goals and get back the confidence that we'd maybe lost a little bit.
"There's no reason to lose confidence; we played well, especially in the first half an hour, and we need to build on this and continue to grow in the next games."

Boos got to Casillas, says Ramos

The Real Madrid skipper was jeered by the Santiago Bernabeu crowd, much to his team-mate's disappointment

Real Madrid captain Iker Casillas' recent abuse from the Santiago Bernabeu crowd has affected him, according to Sergio Ramos.
The European champions have endured a difficult start to the season, losing two Liga games, including a 2-1 home reverse to city rivals Atletico Madrid at the weekend.
Casillas' performance in the derby drew the ire of the club's fans and Sergio Ramos believes that it was only natural that their jeers would affect his team-mate, though the 33-year-old goalkeeper was cheered in the 5-1 win over Basel.
"I will not get into a debate, it would be stupid. Above all is the club and we focus on that," the defender told AS.
"Iker can live with it, he knows that he can't please everybody. He is not a robot and the whistles affect him.
"We are professionals and we understand that people were aggrieved because they have turned up here and felt disconnected.
"But people should also be sensitive and understand that we like to play in a comfortable and supportive environment. Tuesday had everything but we liked that the fans were happy."
Madrid put their Liga form behind them against the Swiss side in the Champions League and Sergio Ramos now expects their form to pick up.
"We thought about the things we have done wrong and we now expect to go on a winning streak," the versatile defender added.

we'll bounce back; says Wilshere

Jack Wilshere insists Arsenal will recover after being defeated by Borussia Dortmund in a disappointing start to their Champions League group campaign.

Ciro Immobile and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang struck in a 2-0 victory for the Bundesliga club, but the winning margin could have been greater at Signal Iduna Park on Tuesday night.
In what was seen as Arsenal's toughest fixture in Group D, the performance has raised concerns over their ability to make any meaningful impact in Europe this season.
Adding to the defeat is the ankle injury that forced Wilshere off in the closing stages.
Arsene Wenger played down the severity of the sprain, but a more informed assessment is expected ahead of Saturday's Barclays Premier League trip to Aston Villa.
"We'll bounce back. Our next Champions League game (against Galatasaray on October 1) is at home and hopefully we'll get the three points," Wilshere told the London Evening Standard.
"It's never nice to lose a game - we wanted to come here and win - but that was our first Champions League group game.
"We have got five more so we have an opportunity to try and get 15 points and that is what we'll try to do.
"It hasn't quite clicked for us yet but we've got a lot of quality players and I'm sure it'll come right.
"It was disappointing against Dortmund. They are a good team and we have got to be a bit smarter when we come to places like this, with their gameplan - they wanted to press us high up the pitch and we let them do it in the first half.
"We started the second half quite brightly in the first couple of minutes and then unfortunately it was the same thing again on the counter attack and then the game is over.
"We knew what they were going to do. We should have played maybe a little bit longer in the first half than trying to play our football in our half of the pitch because once you lose it there, they are straight onto us.
"We had a few chances and even at 2-0, Danny had a chance and if he had scored that maybe the last 10 minutes would have been a different game."
Wenger will hope to have full-backs Nacho Monreal and Calum Chambers available for Villa after they missed out against Dortmund through injury and illness.

Fabregas and Costa key to CL chances

Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa are fast becoming the Premier League's most productive partnership but must now do it in Europe, says Adam Bate.

History has a way of filtering the noise and distilling lengthy stories down to their essence.
The narrative of the 2012-13 Premier League season, for example, will always be that Manchester United bought Robin van Persie from Arsenal and promptly won the title.
In a sense, the story was that simple. Van Persie featured in all 38 matches, scoring 26 goals to make the difference for Sir Alex Ferguson's side in the Scotsman's final season in charge. His strikes alone accounted for 27 of United's points that year.
Just four games into the 2014-15 campaign and already the buzz about Chelsea's summer signings is threatening to become the story. After finishing just four points behind Manchester City last year, Chelsea went out and bought Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas. The impact has been stunning.
"It's true they're the best players," said Eden Hazard, the player who shouldered much of the burden at Stamford Bridge last term. "Costa can score every game and Cesc is one of the best midfielders in the world."
It feels like Hazard ought to be accused of overstating. And then you consider Costa's start. The striker arrived with a considerable reputation but could hardly have expected to prove his worth this emphatically so quickly. Seven goals in four games.
'Not normal'
It's the best ever start to a Premier League career in terms of goals scored and even Jose Mourinho seems shocked.
"Seven goals in four matches surprises me, because it's something that is not normal," he said at the weekend. "But he's comfortable in the team.
"The team was built in a way where we were waiting for a certain type of striker. I think now everybody knows Chelsea did the right thing waiting for him. Chelsea did well by waiting and waiting for the right one."
The contribution of Fabregas has been no less remarkable. Creativity from deep was another quality Chelsea lacked last season but the Spaniard has addressed that issue in style. He began with two assists on debut at Burnley and has continued to make things tick since then.
While Costa has work to do in chasing the 31 goals Luis Suarez managed for Liverpool last year, Fabregas seems certain to break records when it comes to assists.
Steven Gerrard ranked top with 13 of them in 2013-14. Fabregas has already provided six for his Chelsea team-mates.
"To play with Fabregas is the dream of every striker," Mourinho told Chelsea TV earlier this month. "The guy sees the movement, sees the pass, is not selfish, makes always the right choice."
That link-up with Costa is improving all the time. The provider and the finisher.
Fabregas has directly assisted three of his international team-mate's goals, including two in Saturday's 4-2 victory over Swansea. It's the sort of pairing that could prove too much for the Premier League.

On Wednesday, they will hope to repeat the trick as Chelsea begin their Champions League campaign by hosting Schalke at Stamford Bridge. Mourinho might have openly targeted the domestic crown this season but European glory is seldom far from his thoughts.
Just this week he admitted to still having sleepless nights over a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty miss in the competition versus Bayern Munich three years ago. As for the 2005 'ghost goal' exit to Liverpool, mention Luis Garcia in his general vicinity and expect trouble.
Mourinho is a manager who defines himself by his Champions League triumphs and will likely feel another is overdue after four semi-final exits in a row. He's not alone. Mourinho's high-profile summer acquisitions also have unfinished business in the competition.
Costa scored eight goals en route to the final with Atletico Madrid last season only to limp off in the early stages of the game in Lisbon. "It was my responsibility and obviously I made a mistake because I had to switch him as early as I did," said coach Diego Simeone.
Costa still came within moments of claiming a winners' medal only for a late Sergio Ramos header to crush Atleti dreams and deny the forward the perfect end to his stay at the club.
Unlucky
Fabregas came almost as close to glory with Arsenal in 2006 and could count himself particularly unlucky given the chronology of events. The Gunners were leading Barcelona 1-0 with a quarter of an hour remaining when Arsene Wenger substituted him in favour of Mathieu Flamini.
Within minutes, Samuel Eto'o equalised before Juliano Belletti netted the winner soon after. Fabregas joined the reigning champions in 2011 but proved unable to do better than the last four in each of his seasons in Catalonia.
Together, Mourinho, Costa and Fabregas will attempt to shrug off these recent disappointments, and in a group that also includes Sporting and Maribor there will certainly be expectations that they can prolong this season's Champions League adventure into the spring.
Indeed, with Chelsea's first four European fixtures immediately preceding Premier League games against Manchester City, Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool, there might even be a temptation to rotate the squad for the Champions League ties.
Whatever Mourinho decides, there seems little doubt who the Chelsea boss will be building his team's hopes and dreams around this season.
Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas - just four games in and already making a persuasive case as the most productive partnership in English football.

Tevez at the double in Bianconeri cruise

The Argentine struck twice in the second half to edge Massimiliano Allegri's side past a resolute Swedish outfit on Tuesday night

A second half double from Carlos Tevez gave Juventus a 2-0 win over Malmo as they kicked off their Champions League campaign in polished fashion in Turin.
The 30-year-old lifted the frustration inside Juventus Stadium to end a 14-game barren run in the competition - which stretched back five years to a clash with Porto while playing for Manchester United - as Juventus went top of Group A.
His first came in the 59th minute, as he coolly fired home after a perfect backheeled pass from Kwadwo Asamoah, while the second arrived in the last minute via a curling free-kick.
Massimiliano Allegri's side controlled possession in the opening half but a lack of quality in front of goal saw group stage debutants Malmo hold them at the break.
Tevez finally proved the difference, though, and the scoreline could have been even bigger had Fernando Llorente's close-range effort not been disallowed for offside by the assistant referee.
It was a tough evening for the Swedes in Turin, and their plight may yet get even worse after a second-half injury to top scorer Markus Rosenberg.
While Arturo Vidal and Andrea Pirlo were both missing for the hosts through injury, Allegri was able to call on Giorgio Chiellini after injury and suspension, but the defender had little to do in the opening half.
Instead, all the action was at the other end as Juventus toyed with their opponents.
Paul Pogba, Llorente and Asamoah all failed to convert chances, with the latter appearing all over the pitch in an impressive display that only lacked a goal.
The Ghana star had the clearest chance of the opening period in the 19th minute when he met Stephan Lichtsteiner’s cross, but his header sailed harmlessly over the crossbar.
Tevez's first effort on target was then easily saved, before his strike partner Llorente was denied by a deflection.
The Spaniard received a pass from Pogba inside the penalty area and held off two defenders with his back to goal before spinning to shoot, but his effort struck a defender and was diverted away for a corner.
With half-time approaching, the deadlock should have been broken as Lichtsteiner was released behind the Malmo defence. He squared a low cross to the back post but his team-mates failed to anticipate it and the danger was cleared.
The second half appeared to be going the same way as the first when the defender saw two crosses well blocked, but a minute shy of the hour mark Tevez finally opened the scoring.
Having played a pass into the penalty area, the Argentine striker received a superb return ball from Asamoah before stroking it past goalkeeper Robin Olsen to end his Champions League drought.
Llorente thought he had doubled the lead a minute later when he tapped in a Lichtsteiner cross from close range, however the assistant referee's flag denied him.
Low crosses from Patrice Evra and Lichtsteiner saw Juventus go close to doubling their lead but when Pogba miscued a spectacular effort from outside the penalty area it seemed they would have to settle for a one-goal advantage.
With seven minutes remaining Olsen produced a heroic save to deny Llorente before Malmo, who had rarely been out of their own half, were caught on the counter-attack by substitute Alvaro Morata.
The youngster was felled by Filip Helander on the edge of the penalty area and from the resulting free-kick Tevez curled home his second in style to get Juve off to a winning start.

Liverpool will learn; says Gerrard

Captain Steven Gerrard says Liverpool must “learn to crawl before we can walk” after scraping past Bulgarian minnows Ludogorets in their Champions League opener.

Gerrard scored a dramatic injury-time penalty after Mario Balotelli's first goal for the club in the 82nd minute was cancelled out by substitute Dani Abalo eight minutes later.
After a five-year absence from the tournament it was not one of the classic nights at Anfield but Gerrard promised there was better to come.
"We are very relieved. It was very important to start the competition off with maximum points," said Gerrard.
"I don't think it was a very good performance from ourselves but we have managed to take the three points, which is vital.
"I think we will get better as the season progresses.
"We have a lot of new faces trying to find their feet and settle in and there is a lot of expectancy on us because of how well we performed last year but it will take time to get back to that level - hopefully sooner rather than later.
"Sometimes you have to crawl before you can walk."
Balotelli’s goal was a memorable moment for the Italy international. And Gerrard says the striker will go on to score plenty more after converting a smart chance in front of The Kop to open his account following a £16million move from AC Milan.
"I think it will be the first of many," he added.
"I thought he worked his socks off. You look at strikers and sometimes when it is not going their way they sulk but he was relentless and he stayed in there and that one good chance which came his way he took and it was a great finish."
Gerrard also had praise for young full-back Javier Manquillo, on loan from Atletico Madrid, whose run forward drew the foul from goalkeeper Milan Borjan to win the penalty.
"He has done very well since he came in, not just last night, but that is what type of defender he is: front foot, aggressive, very attacking," said Gerrard.
"He got rewarded by being brave and ambitious, even being down that end of the field - a lot of full-backs would have been staying back trying to get a draw out of the game.
"He chased down a lost cause and we got rewarded for it."
Ludogorets coach Georgi Dermendjiev refused to blame keeper Borjan, who was only signed at the weekend after suspension and injury ruled out his first two choices, for conceding the penalty.
"The goalkeeper was upset after the mistake. That is natural but we have a very good team atmosphere and his team-mates and I told him after the game that it is not a big mistake and everything will be fine in the future," he said.

Souness backs Chelsea and City

Graeme Souness believes Chelsea will win their Champions League group - and reckons Manchester City could make it as far as the semi-finals.

After Arsenal and Liverpool began their 2014-15 Champions League campaigns on Tuesday night, Manchester City prepare to get theirs underway with tough games against Bayern Munich and Schalke respectively.
Sky Sports pundit Graeme Souness has been giving his verdicts on the sides ahead of the games...
Bayern Munich v Manchester City, Sportmasta
Are Manchester City more concerned with the Champions League than the Premier League this year? I don't think so.
Manuel Pellegrini would take either of those trophies right now and you can’t cherry-pick and say you would focus on the European Cup over the league or vice versa. These are big clubs that carry big squads and their supporters expect them to make an impression in both competitions.
There's not a great deal of difference between the first choice and second choice players in lots of positions, so that will mean they will be stronger in the domestic competition. I don't see that issue as a real handicap to them.
However, I don’' know why they have failed to get beyond the last 16 in Europe because they certainly have the players to do better. It's a mystery to me – and it will be to the coach as well.
I would expect Manchester City to finish second in their group, behind Bayern Munich, but I can still see them making the semi-finals if the draw is kind to them.
Roma are also in the group, but Italian football is nowhere near as strong as it used to be and I think City will finish second – although I wouldn't rule out them winning it.
Manchester City went to Munich last season and got a result and so they can go there with some confidence. I don't rule anything out.
But with Robert Lewandowski now in their ranks, you would have to say that Bayern Munich are stronger this year. Toni Kroos is a loss to them and they need Bastian Schweinsteiger to stay fit.
But there's no doubt about it, even if you take Kroos out of a squad, putting Lewandowski into it makes them stronger. Of all the strikers that changed clubs, he was the man to get this summer.
I think Bayern can go on and win the Champions League again. You can give them the Bundesliga now, but Pep Guardiola has to get them to the final in Berlin next year.
I would fancy Bayern Munich to win on Wednesday night, but would I be surprised if Manchester City got a result? No I wouldn't.
Chelsea v Schalke, Sportmasta
People ask me if Jose Mourinho has changed his style this season and I would say no.
If Chelsea draw Barcelona, Real Madrid or Bayern Munich then he won't be frightened to go there and have a plan B – and he has a better plan B than anyone else.
He's not worried about what people say afterwards if he goes away from home and produces a dull, drab 0-0 draw. He's not concerned and it doesn't bother him.
They have conceded five goals in their last two league games, but I still think it will be either Chelsea or Manchester City that has the best defensive record come the end of the season.
Chelsea will win what looks like a very easy group and the beauty for Jose Mourinho is that he won't always have to field his strongest team in Europe.
In the later stages of the group he will have the luxury of being able to leave out some of his players, which means he can have one eye on the Premier League. That is an enormous advantage.
I don't think he would consider leaving out Diego Costa for the Schalke game because they are the main rivals to finish first in the group and Chelsea will want to damage them, especially at home. As long as Costa is not carrying any sort of injury, I don't see him being rested.
Chelsea will win this game. I won't say it will be comfortable, but they will win this game and their group.

Juventus have learnt our lesson; says

The striker is convinced the Bianconeri will not tumble out of the Champions League at the first hurdle for the second season running

Carlos Tevez has insisted that Juventus have learnt their Champions League lesson after easing past Malmo with a 2-0 win on Tuesday.
The Bianconeri struggled in Europe last season but with new coach Massimiliano Allegri having replaced Antonio Conte in the hotseat, they started their campaign on the continent  in comfortable fashion thanks to a double from the former Manchester City forward.
The Argentine, who had not scored in the Champions League since 2008-09, dismissed suggestions he had become weighed down by his European drought, preferring instead to focus on the goals of the team as a whole.
"My lack of Champions League goals wasn't a problem really," he told Sky Sport. "The most important thing for me is the victory.
"It will be a difficult group, we learned the lesson of last year. I'll try to improve my level of goalscoring during the season.
"I am getting into deeper positions, but that is also a problem as I cannot reach the goal. I need to improve on that." Juventus' two-goal win in Turin sent them top of Group A on goal difference ahead of Olympiakos, who pulled off a surprise by beating last season's finalists Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.
“We knew it would be a difficult group. Some journalists like to think it’s easy, but we know from last year that nothing is easy," Tevez added, referring to Juve's group stage exit behind Real Madrid and Galatasaray in 2013-14.

Trophies way off for Arsenal; says Merson

Paul Merson says Arsenal will struggle to win trophies this season if they continue to perform as they did against Borussia Dortmund.

Arsene Wenger's side endured a disappointing start to their Champions League campaign in Germany as goals from Ciro Immobile and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang saw the 2013 finalists run out comfortable 2-0 winners.
Dortmund mustered 23 shots on goal compared to just one for Arsenal and Merson was alarmed by the frailties throughout the side.
"It was poor, simple as that. They were well beaten all over the pitch from one to 11," he said.
"They got closed down, they weren't allowed to play and they let the other team play. You could turn around and say Danny Welbeck could have had a hat-trick because he had three good chances, but Dortmund had nine or 10 good chances. That's not good enough, not for Arsenal.
"We were sitting here beforehand saying they could win the league… but watching that they were a 'gillion' miles away from anything.
"Something has to change because this happens at least four times a season. This is not a one-off; this happens four or five times a season."
Speaking after the game, Arsene Wenger struggled to explain the below-par display but argued fatigue might be a factor as the match came three days after a crunch Premier League clash against Manchester City.
Young defender Hector Bellerin made his debut following injuries to Calum Chambers and Mathieu Debuchy, but Merson said Arsenal should have assembled a squad that can fight on all fronts.
He said: "No excuses. I know they had a hard game on Saturday, of course they did, but if you're going to win the Champions League, that's the nature of it.
"In Premier League football you play on Saturday or Sunday and then you play on Wednesday. That's the way it is and the way it has been for the last how many years. I thought they were well off the pace.
"I wouldn’t say it was the defensive absentees because it wasn't their fault in my opinion. They were left exposed with no protection. I don't care if you’re Maldini, one of the best ever, if people run at you left, right and centre it's going to be very hard to defend. I don't make any excuse for that.
"They’ve probably got about 11 midfield players at Arsenal and they're all roughly about the same. There's nothing really different. You can reel them off: Oxlade-Chamberlain, Walcott, Ramsey, Wilshere, Arteta, Rosicky, Cazorla, Ozil… they are all players that are exactly the same."

AC Milan wanted me for a long time; says Van Ginkel

The Dutch midfielder is thrilled to be playing for a club who have been long-term admirers but hinted that he still hopes to have a long-term future at Chelsea

Marco van Ginkel says AC Milan had been trying to sign him for a long time before eventually securing his signature in the summer.
The Netherlands midfielder has not been able to secure a regular place in the Chelsea first team after spending the majority of last season out injured and joined the Italian side on loan for a season on deadline day.
Van Ginkel says the Serie A club have been long-term admirers, but hinted that he was still hoping for a future at Stamford Bridge after no purchase option was included in the deal.
"AC Milan wanted me for a long time and did everything to get me," the 21-year-old said to sportmasta.
"That is good for a player to know. We play with two attacking midfielders and a defensive one. I think I am more of an attacking one.
"I think Italian football suits me. Milan is a great club, even though we won't play in the Champions League this year, so I am fine here.
"Right now I am focused entirely on Milan, but I'm happy with the fact that Chelsea didn't put an option to buy in the loan."
Milan face an away trip to play Parma on Sunday having impressively defeated Lazio in their opening game

Diego Costa not Chelsea's only threat, says Aogo

The 27-year-old is full of respect for the Premier League outfit and has made it clear Schalke's injury problems should not be an excuse

Schalke defender Dennis Aogo has warned that there is more to Chelsea than Diego Costa ahead of Wednesday's Champions League clash at Stamford Bridge.
The Spain international has been in sublime form in the opening weeks of the 2014-15 campaign, netting seven goals in four Premier League appearances, but Aogo believes Jose Mourinho boasts several world-class players to whom the Germans must play close attention.
"In Germany we have seen [Diego Costa] has had a great start to the season, but it's not just him," Aogo told reporters.
"The whole team is playing very well and they are not top of the Premier League for nothing.
"We are a playing against some of the best players in the world here so we don't need any extra motivation.
"Who is to say that we won't have a great day and compete at the highest level..."
Schalke are without a number of first-team regulars due to injury, but Aogo has insisted this should not be an excuse.
"Our captain [Benedikt Howedes] is missing, but we also have quite a few more players missing.
"Of course it is not easy but the players on the pitch have to stand up and compensate for that situation – and take responsibility. We can't just sit here and feel sorry for ourselves – we have to give our best on the pitch and try and make up for that."

Bayern must aim for Champions League final: says Robben

The Dutchman is full of ambition as the Bavarians prepare to take on Manchester City in their Group E opener

Arjen Robben has stressed that a team of Bayern Munich's stature should always be aiming to win the Champions League.
The Bavarians were eliminated in the semi-finals in 2013-14 after winning European club football's elite competition the year before and Robben is desperate to bring back the trophy to Munich once more this term.
"Bayern Munich should be aiming for the Champions League final again," Robben told Sportmasta.
"You always have to be careful and make sure you don't get arrogant, but you must have that ambition with the team Bayern have.
"You simply don't start your European campaign with the ambition to make it to the quarter-finals or perhaps a bit further.
"Of course, it's extra special because the final is in Berlin. That stadium suits us quite well. I won three out of four DFB-Pokal finals there.
"The further you go into the competition, the closer you get to the final, but I still enjoy the games in the group stages as well. It's something completely different with the Champions League hymn and the evening games."
Bayern open their Champions League campaign with a home game against Manchester City on Wednesday

United missed out. says Guardiola

Pep Guardiola says Manchester United 'don't have enough money' to tempt top talent away from Bayern Munich.

Several high-profile performers were linked with exits at the Allianz Arena over the summer, with former Bayern boss Louis van Gaal reported to be been on taking them to Old Trafford.
Toni Kroos was among those considered to be a top target for United and he did move on in a big-money deal, but ended up at Spanish giants Real Madrid.
Arjen Robben, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Thomas Muller were also said to figure prominently on United’s wish list, but the trio never came close to walking out on Bayern.
Guardiola claims that is because Bayern never opened the transfer door, with the trio fully committed to his project in Germany and unfazed by reported interest from a side that spent around £150million during an elaborate reshaping of their squad.
The Spanish tactician said ahead of a meeting with United’s arch-rivals Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday: “They don’t have enough money.
“I saw they spent a lot of money. It’s good for my friend Louis.
“It’s part of the game. All of the clubs in the world want the players of another club.
“It depends on the player. If the player wants to play, he will play. If he wants to stay, he will stay. We have seen it many times.
“Manchester United want these players, but they decide to stay here and we are happy.”
United had to spend big in the recent window after suffering a humbling fall from grace – one that Guardiola believes should act as a warning to other European heavyweights.
He added on a club that finished seventh in the Premier League last season: “It’s a good lesson for the big clubs.
“They think ‘we arte unbeatable and strong’ and they are not here. Maybe the next season they are out.
“That’s why football is magnificent. Every single week you have to be ready. Every week you have to show you are ready. A bad 45 minutes and you’re out.”

Akpom, Dauda and Aneke: Building a new Nigeria squad with top talents

Six players who Stephen Keshi should call up to solve some of the Super Eagles' current problems

DEBATE
By David Atana & Sam Praise

Following Nigeria’s disappointing Cup of Nations Qualifying results, it’s clear that something needs to change for the Super Eagles. A change of coach, a change of leadership and a change of tactics are all popular ideas, but what about the players?
Nigeria are not short of talent, yet the Big Boss has been guilty of persisting with consistent underperformers over the last 18 months.
In this feature, three Goal Nigeria writers each propose two uncapped players that they’d like to see incorporated into the squad in the near future.
Comment below and let us know which of those listed you’d like to see acknowledged by Keshi. Also, tell us the names you’d like to see given a chance in the famous green shirts and we’ll respond to your selections in coming editorials.

Godswill Elohor & Chuks Aneke

Godswill Elohor
The Super Eagles have not achieved stability in the right-back spot for some time. Chidi Odiah held down the fort admirably, but since his exit from the national team set-up, the void has been filled gamely by Efe Ambrose.
However, the Celtic man is very much a centre-back playing out of position and often struggles by the touchline going forward, often preferring to cut into the centre of the field where there’s more space. The rise of Godswill Elohor is set to change all that.
The youngster, who left the shores of the country at a young age, is highly rated in the Barcelona youth ranks. Physically imposing and mature beyond his years, he captained the Blaugrana’s U-19 team to victory in the UEFA Youth League last season.
His integration into the Super Eagles would address an immediate need, and give the team attacking balance on the right.

Chuks Aneke
Just like Elohor, a call-up for 21-year-old Chuks Aneke would solve a headache that Stephen Keshi has failed to in his reign: the right person to complete the midfield three. In recent qualifiers, especially against Congo in Calabar, the Super Eagles struggled with staticity in the middle with a trio of Ramon Azeez, Ogenyi Onazi and John Obi Mikel.
If the Big Boss intends to persevere with his 4-3-3/4-2-1-3 hybrid, then Aneke is perfect for the farthest forward position of the three. Standing at 6’3, his physical attributes dovetail nicely with supreme technique. The former Arsenal youth player has been compared with IYaya Toure by Arsene Wenger, and while the ability is not quite the same yet, the style sure is.
His range of passing, forward-playing inclinations from midfield and scoring touch (he notched 14 for Crewe Alexandra on loan last season from midfield) would give the Eagles a different, and more dangerous dimension.
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Moses Odubajo & Abiola Dauda

Moses Odubajo
It was March this year when I had the good fortune to watch Moses Odubajo play in the flesh. Here was a player, they had told me, who was destined for great things.
They weren’t wrong, the winger fired home an 82nd minute goal to secure a victory for his side, Leyton Orient, against Colchester United.
At the time, the Os looked good for promotion, heading into the game in top spot in League One.  The London side faltered, however, and missed out on the Championship.
Odubajo was clearly good enough for the third tier and after a bidding war between various sides, was eventually snapped up by Brentford.
The Nigerian has taken to life on a grander stage like a duck to water; already he has scored twice, contributed one assist and been named Man of the Match on one occasion. Only 21, there is a lot more to come—there’s no reason why he couldn’t be an exciting back-up option on the right with a view to the future.

Abiola Dauda
Following Nigeria’s defeat to the Republic of Congo and their goalless draw with South Africa, calls have returned for La Liga hotshot Ike Uche to be returned to the national team.
It’s understandable to see where the clamouring comes from. Uche is a fine poacher and bagged 14 goals in 19 starts last term. He’s already averaged a goal-a-game in Spain so far this season.
However, despite his qualities, it’s fair to say that, at 30, the striker is a short-term option at best. Similarly, even if he does patch things up with Stephen Keshi, he remains a loose cannon and a potentially divisive influence.
Might Abiola Dauda be an altogether safer option?
The 26-year-old managed 11 goals in 24 appearances with Red Star Belgrade last term and was in ferocious form this weekend for new club Vitesse Arnhem.
The Eredivisie can be a propitious division for a player with a turn of pace and an eye for goal, and if Dauda’s fine form continues, he would be an ideal candidate for a phone call from the Glass House.
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Carl Ikeme & Chuba Akpom

Carl Ikeme
With Vincent Enyeama excused from international duty against Congo, things fell apart. Austin Ejide’s inability to challenge the Number One has resulted in the over-reliance of the Lille shot-stopper.
Could Wolverhampton Wanderers goalkeeper Carl Ikeme be the answer?
The keeper, who signed a three-year deal in June with Wolves, broke the 90-year club record for most clean sheets in a season as they stormed back to the Championship last term.
Standing at 6’3’’ (1.91m), the 28-year-old has the repertoire to give Enyeama a run for his money—in good spirit, if I might add.

Chuba Akpom
18-year-old Akpom, who like Ikeme was born in England, has continued to impress with Arsenal, and with the way he’s been banging in goals (the latest being a brace for the U-21s against Aston Villa), a first-team reward is not far off.
With Emmanuel Emenike struggling, latterly, to supply the goals for Nigeria, it is of great importance that Keshi uncovers new, diverse offensive options.
Having been schooled under the tutelage of Arsene Wenger since the age of six, rising steadily through the youth system at Arsenal, and then branching out on loan to Brentford and Coventry City for further experience, Akpom’s young shoulders have been drilled astutely. 
The young, energetic, composed forward truly deserves examination by the national team handlers, certainly before England come calling!