Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs has admitted that he would be interested in succeeding John Toshack as manager of the Wales national team.
The 36-year-old is the favourite to take charge when Toshack steps aside and is confident that he can combine that job with his continuing playing career with the Red Devils.
He told the Daily Telegraph:"If you go into management, the big job is to be in charge of your country and I'm no different in terms of thinking like that.
"At the moment it is difficult, because I still have commitments as a player, but I always use the Mark Hughes situation as an example.
"One minute he is playing for Wales and in the Premier League with Blackburn Rovers, then the next thing you know, he is managing his country.
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Everton midfielder Tim Cahill has admitted that his side have had a tough run of fixtures in the last two months, but is confident that his team will come good and finish well in the Premier League.
Games against both Manchester clubs, Liverpool and Chelsea have seen The Toffees struggle for points in recent times, and a two-match winning streak was put to an end by defeat to Stoke on Sunday.
Despite the Merseysiders not maybe living up to their fans’ high expectations for the team, Cahill is not worried about the rest of the season.
“The run of games was always going to be difficult,” The Australia international told Press Association Sport.
“You can see how well teams like Swansea have stepped up but it is such a long season and there is still 30 games to go. I’m pretty sure there is going to be loads more to talk about from now until the end of the season.
“For me and the club it is about being consistent and maintaining that and trying to see where we finish.
“We nearly always come good all the time so it is more about taking it one game at a time and making sure we stay focused on what it important and that is basically getting results – whether it is a draw or a win.
“With our squad and the team we have got we are doing pretty well,” he concluded.
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Everton are currently in 10th place in the Premier League standings, but their fixture list does not get any easier as they travel to the Emirates Stadium to take on Arsenal on Saturday.
A late winner for Levan Kobiashvili helped Georgia defeat Croatia 1-0 in Euro 2012 qualifying on Saturday, while Israel beat Latvia.Group F leaders Croatia controlled the first half at the Lokomotivi Stadium in Tbilisi and might have taken the lead through a Dejan Lovren header 26 minutes in.
Sevilla midfielder Ivan Rakitic had a shot saved by Georgia goalkeeper Nukri Revishvili, who also denied Nikola Kalinic.
Out-of-favour Tottenham man Niko Kranjcar went close early in the second half, before Kobiashvili had Georgia’s first real chance of the match.
Visitors Croatia continued to dominate, with Ivan Perisic the next man to threaten.
But the breakthrough never arrived.
Volga Nizhny Novgorod forward Otar Martsvaladze enjoyed a rare chance for the hosts but saw his shot saved by Croatia goalkeeper Vedran Runje.
The match appeared destined for a draw before Martsvaladze played in Kobiashvili in the 90th minute, and the Hertha Berlin midfielder smashed home a shot from just inside the area.
Georgia, who are now unbeaten in 10 matches under manager Temuri Ketsbaia, move into third place with six points.
Croatia remain top with 10 points, ahead of Greece.
Elsewhere in Group F, Israel defeated Latvia 2-1 at home.
Racing Genk forward Elyaniv Barda put Israel ahead after 16 minutes at the Ramat Gan Stadium.
Defender Kaspars Gorkss of Queens Park Rangers levelled for Latvia just after the hour mark, but Celtic midfielder Baram Kayal restored Israel’s lead with what proved to be the winner nine minutes from time.
Israel are now fourth, level on points with fifth-placed Latvia but ahead courtesy of a superior goal difference.
When Alex McLeish announced he hoped his contract would soon be tied up, Birmingham fans must have breathed a heavy sigh of relief. That relief however must now be turning into a state of concern as with three days until the season starts, no deal has been done.
The Scottish tactician guided Blues’ to their best ever finish last season and endeared himself to the St Andrews crowds with the 12 game unbeaten run that saw him collect the Manager of the Month award for December.
His importance to Birmingham next season is unquestionable so why is it taking so long?
Perhaps the issue may surround transfer targets as whilst McLeish continues to express a desire to add to his squad, the board may not be willing to fund such activities with Big Eck’s future still up in the air.
Blues fans’ may begin to wonder whether the board are willing to meet McLeish’s wage demands now he has proved his worth as a Premier League manager but it wouldn’t really be too much to ask to increase his pay packet. It is reported that the Blues’ chief earns around £750,000 a year which is pittance in comparison to some managers in the league.
Securing the manager’s future would also send out the right message to any potential recruits, safe in the knowledge they are joining a stable club with ambition in abundance which was typified by their trip to the Far East to promote the club.
Nikola Zigic has revealed that McLeish was a huge part in him joining the club from Valencia and if players of his ilk are to continue to enhance the squad he has to stay put.
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“I like the way he works, I am extremely confident in playing for him and as a person I think I will get on well with him,” said the Serbian frontman (Birmingham Mail)
If the contract saga continues to rumble on for whatever reason, other clubs will start to sniff around. Fulham had him on their list of candidates if a deal with former Manchester City manager Mark Hughes could not be struck and he is a 33/1 bet to become the new manager at Villa Park.
The links with other clubs are probably justified considering the length of time between McLeish saying he wanted the contract to be “nailed” before the new season and the stark reality of just how close that time is.
Since Kenny Dalglish returned to the Anfield hotseat he appears to have made a conscious effort to battle every journalist that enters his path. The Scot has battled with anybody brave enough to question him about a negative issue and sometimes those who don’t.
It is now becoming a regular occurrence as he takes exception to people doing their job because they are not doing as he wants. While all managers hope for an easy press conference and attempt to use a straight bat to fend off any problems, the 60-year-old brings all eyes on himself by lambasting those in front of him.
The latest episode of this ongoing saga came last week at the mandatory press conference ahead of Liverpool’s clash with Chelsea when a reporter asked for his thoughts on Luis Suarez’s racism charge by the FA. The club had sent out a press release the day before outlining their stance on the decision but with the cameras on he was pushed to give a response of his own.
Like any good manager that has consulted the club’s press officer he said: “I think the statement says everything and our position has not changed in any way, shape or form. That’s all I’ve got to say.”
But when pressed again he appeared more agitated, saying: “I just said that’s all I’ve got to say.”
And when asked for a third time he couldn’t resist taking a swipe at the interviewer, adding: “I don’t know if you’ve got wax in your ears but I just said the statement says what we’ve got to say and we have not changed our position in any way, shape or form.”
It’s hardly of Joe Kinnear proportions but it is becoming a habit that is not being missed.
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In September he was asked about Andy Carroll’s lifestyle in response to Fabio Capello’s comments on his drinking and he used the opportunity to take a huge swipe at the press. He said: “How long you gonna milk it for? You don’t know his lifestyle. Who knows his lifestyle? Andy. I think Andy’s wiser than a lot of you boys and a lot of the people that right about it and I don’t think his lifestyle is anything like what you’d like it to be.”
And after the 2-1 Carling Cup victory over Stoke another reporter asked a much more positive question about the £35 million man, simply enquiring: “We know Luis Suarez will take the headlines on for Wednesday, but Andy had a really good game. I know there have been one or two questions about his form, but do you feel vindicated every time he puts in a performance like that?”
But even then Dalglish reacted angrily retorting: “I don’t know why he had to ride it. There’s always one or two questions. He was fantastic the other night, just leave it at that, and just leave your question at that as well, and don’t keep looking for negatives. We’ve been through it before with the big fella.”
The manager may think he is just defending his players and attacking journalists he feels aren’t worthy of his presence but it is creating a storm around him that is likely to end badly. Dalglish’s plan of action in press conferences and interviews may work well for him but it is going to make him a target for criticism when things go wrong.
Journalists are asking the questions that the public want answers to and getting an aggressive response so they have decided to take a more positive line of questioning with him, only for the mundane and repetitive style of interviewing to be criticised by the Scot in another rage. Doing this will only alienate him from the press and when things start to go wrong he will not be able to get away from the criticism. The media will not go out and target the Liverpool manager but if he is going to argue with them on a weekly basis why would they want to sweep any problems at Anfield under the rug?
Andy Carroll’s form is not fantastic but it is being concentrated on more and more because of the strained relationship that is being created between the club and the press. Stories are there to be found and the journalists mocked by Dalglish will not turn a blind eye to any sight of a problem.
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Kenny Dalglish picked a fight with the media that he can only win while his team is winning like they did on Sunday. But if he doesn’t guide them to the top four and begins to struggle, the press will be ready to put the pressure on.
Comment below or follow me on Twitter @jrobbins1991.
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Lokomotiv Moscow continued their dominance of Group A in the Beach Soccer Club World Cup with a 5-4 win over Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday.An early header from Egor Shaykov and a brace to Brazilian Daniel Lima put Lokomotiv ahead 3-0 and in sight of a big victory, but a penalty to Boguslaw Saganowski sparked a revival for Sporting.
A superb effort from Alan tied the scores at 4-4, but Shaykov returned to win the game off his own boot with a brilliant individual goal.
The Russian side stay top of Group A with eight points, while Sporting remain anchored to the bottom of the table without a single point.
Barcelona continued to impress in Group B with a 6-3 thumping of AC Milan.
The Catalan side took the lead when Fred converted in audacious fashion, and they continued to give the Italians problems in the early stages.
When Dimitri Shishin finished off a direct move with a neat goal Barca were up 4-0, before Stephan Meier netted a first-time volley to temporarily put Milan back in the contest.
Shishin finished with four goals for the match as Barca kept in the lead in Group B with eight points.
We are a mere three weeks from the start of the Premiership season and there has yet to be any big money signings from some of England’s top sides. Man United, Liverpool and Chelsea have bought but have spent relatively little, buying cautiously thus far. There is obviously a notable exception in Manchester City, who are looking to break all records in terms of spending and wages it seems.
City aside though, there hasn’t been a big flurry of activity from the heavy hitters. The signings that United, Liverpool and Arsenal have pulled off are good value buys rather than wow factor signings. In a league that was apparently flush with money a couple of years ago, some of the top clubs are not only low on funds but also saddled with massive debt. Manchester United are the most prevalent example.
It is looking more and more likely as the weeks go by that Manchester United will not be embarking on a spending spree this summer or anything of the sort. The noises from Fergie are that he is happy with his squad and there is no value in the market. This may be the case but he would undoubtedly have liked at least one signing. Whatever way you dress up the United midfield, the reality is that it is not good enough to challenge on all fronts. The loss of Hargreaves is a blow while Scholes and Giggs will only start a limited number of games.
The youngsters in United’s midfield have had their golden moments but Gibson and Possebon wouldn’t exactly strike fear into the likes of Michael Essien. The form of Carrick and Anderson has been poor and the latter is struggling with injury.
A creative midfielder must have been high on Fergusons agenda but a purchase seems less likely by the day. It shows have little money was around the Premiership last summer when Wesley Sneijder was available around 15m and no one came in for him. How Fergie would love to pay 15m for Sneijder now.
The point is that Ferguson has his hands tied behind his back to an extent. There is no denying that United lost massive quality when they sold Ronaldo and Tevez two years ago. When you look at that Champions League winning squad of 2008, the standard of the squad was of a higher calibre than the present one, no question. Along with the big departures, Scholes and Giggs are two years older. Fergie has been around long enough to realise that the club has taken a step back since back to back Champions League finals and it is largely due to the financial state of the club
Don’t get me wrong, there are the bones of a great squad at Old Trafford but they appear a player or two light. It will be interesting to see if Vidic goes, whether they delve into the transfer market.
It is clear that United don’t have the financial muscle they used to and the days of 30m signings seem a distant memory. It may be that Ferguson is still scorned by the Berbatov signing and the poor return received from the vast amount of money sent. It would be a massive surprise though if Ferguson genuinely doesn’t want to sign anybody.
Man City aside, the financial state of the Premiership is in a pretty poor state. Even Chelsea haven’t splashed out yet. You feel there may be a marquee signing left in them yet though. There are many contributing factors to the financial woes at Old Trafford but the fact remains that United were not saddled with 700m of debt before the Glazers arrived. Fergie said he doesn’t want to buy and is happy with his lot but somehow you don’t quite believe him.
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Written by Tom Fox
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Snipers moan an awful lot about the absence of characters in modern football. They bang on about George Best, Stan Bowles, Frank Worthington and Alan Hudson as if somebody had gone and broken the mould. But let me tell you, I can honestly say that none of the hell-raising characters of yesteryear could hold a candle to Mario Balotelli.
I could tell you stories of boozing, betting and birding – but as for driving into women’s prisons, firing guns, chucking darts at youth-team players and setting off fireworks in your bathroom, nope, that’s where I draw a blank. Then there was the brilliant story of poor old Mother Balotelli sending young Mario out to buy an iron and ironing board – only for the prodigal son to return home followed by a lorry containing two Vespa scooters, a trampoline, a Scalextric and a table tennis set.
Balotelli is becoming something of a national treasure, adding to the gaiety of the nation at a bleak time of recession. We love an eccentric in Britain and Balotelli is certainly that. We also love eye-catching brilliance in our footballers and it is beginning to look as if young Mario has that too.
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The best players often have an imperceptible something in their make-up, a touch of genius bordering on madness. It’s probably the same part of his brain which makes Balotelli act like a lunatic in his home life, as the one which makes him capable of the on-field pyrotechnics that contributed to Manchester City’s historic 6-1 victory at United.
Paul Gascoigne probably came closest to Balotelli when it came to daft pranks. It seems the madcap Italian is, like Gazza at his peak, something of a hyperactive man-child. And just like Gazza, he will infuriate and delight his team-mates in equal measure. I’m not sure Balotelli will ever truly grow up – and perhaps that’s something we should all savour because wayward stars are crucial to teams and the popularity of the game.
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There have been many great ‘establishment’ footballers, players who did it all by the book, such as Sir Bobby Charlton, Sir Trevor Brooking and Sir Geoff Hurst (can you see a connection there?). Then there are those like Best, Bowles, Worthington, Hudson, Denis Law and myself who were never likely to end up getting gongs from Buckingham Palace but were determined to make the most of our playing days, both on and off the field. We certainly did manage to enjoy ourselves. Though not, I suspect, quite as much as Mario Balotelli.
Valencia manager Unai Emery wants his team to quickly put their Champions League loss to Schalke behind them and focus on the league.The third-placed La Liga outfit went down 3-1 to the Bundesliga club in Germany on Wednesday (4-2 on aggregate), exiting the Champions League at the round-of-16 stage, but Emery was quick to readjust the club’s focus on a top-four finish in the Spanish top flight when Valencia face the lowly Real Zaragoza on Saturday.”After Wednesday’s game we are hurting. But we are aware that our route now is very clear. We want to return to the Champions League next season,” Emery said. “The league is the way to get that, and we have never left it by the wayside. We are very consistent and have our objective set at returning to where we left off on Wednesday.”Valencia’s trip to the Romareda will test their squad depth, with Emery confirming some of his players were worse for wear after their Champions League outing.”We will look at the fitness of the players who played the other day, and also their mental state. We have to make ourselves prepared and up for the game, and ready to give 100 percent at the Romareda. This is the first step,” he said. “We have to look for this from yesterday’s training session onwards. Some were recovering inside, whilst others had an outdoor session. Today we were all together and looking for those who were ready. This is the intense preparation for tomorrow’s game.”Valencia striker Roberto Soldado is in his first season at the Mestalla, and Emery said the 25-year-old has the potential to develop into the mould of Barcelona striker and former Valencia player David Villa.”Roberto Soldado has to grow as a player, and Valencia gives him that chance. He knows, because we’ve spoken about it,” Emery said. “He is intelligent, and he can take on challenges. There are maybe parallels to when Villa came here. We don’t know yet, but maybe. But he has to work.”
Wigan Athletic boss Roberto Martinez says that former loanee Vladimir Stojkovic needs to impress at the World Cup to enhance his chances of a return to England.
The 26-year-old Serbia international goalkeeper struggled to make an impact with the Latics following his arrival from Sporting Lisbon, with Martinez still unsure over a permanent deal.
He told the Wigan Evening Post:"I was delighted to hear that the player would like to stay at the club having worked with us for the past six months.
"At the moment he has gone to the World Cup and we will not be looking at the situation until after the tournament.
"I know it's been tough for Vladimir to adapt to the Premier League, but I was delighted with his attitude.
"I have seen him play a couple of times for Serbia in the friendlies leading up the World Cup and he looks strong and sharp.
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