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divimg alt=”" src=”http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.15.1/68989?ns=guardianpageName=Football%3A+Mowbray+rues+missed+opportunitych=Footballc3=guardian.co.ukc4=Premier+League+%28Football%29%2CWest+Brom+%28Football%29%2CPortsmouth+%28Football%29%2CFootball%2CSportc5=Not+commercially+useful%2CPremier+Leaguec6=Stuart+Jamesc7=2008_12_07c8=1130441c9=articlec10=GUc11=Footballc12=Premier+Leaguec13=c14=h2=GU%2FFootball%2FPremier+League” width=”1″ height=”1″ //divpstrong/strongIt is known as the Great Escape and there may well have to be a sequel if West Bromwich Albion are to preserve their Premier League status this season. With 12 points from 16 matches, a familiar theme is emerging as Albion remain anchored to the foot of the table following an afternoon that promised much but, once again, ­delivered little. The near silence that greeted the final whistle was indicative of the subdued mood in these parts./ppThere was a sense beforehand that Portsmouth were there for the taking after their midweek travails in the Uefa Cup but Jonathan Greening’s goal was all Albion had to show for their first-half domination against a side that appeared bereft of motivation as well as energy. The failure to increase that lead proved damaging, with Peter Crouch’s 25-yard deflected shot levelling the scores and ­leaving Albion fans wondering whether their club will need to reprise the feat of 3½ years ago, when they survived despite being bottom at Christmas./ppTony Mowbray acknowledged that the result, which stopped a run of four successive defeats but means Albion are without a win in nine, represented a “missed opportunity”. His post-match mood was darkened further by reports that Ishmael Miller faces six weeks on the sidelines after he suffered knee ligament damage in a collision with David James. “That’s a blow to us,” said Mowbray, who is hardly blessed with attacking options./ppAlbion’s shortcomings in that area were all too evident against a Ports­mouth side struggling to come to terms with the fall-out from their Uefa Cup defeat to Wolfsburg. Tony Adams admitted as much, the Portsmouth manager describing their performance as “flat”, with the visitors failing to impose themselves until the second period. Even then it was symptomatic of their lack of penetration that much of their attacking threat was provided by Glen Johnson, and the right-back came close to pilfering a winner when he blazed over from 10 yards./pp”He’s a little bit disappointed,” said Adams, reflecting on the England international’s late chance. “I think after the first-half performance I’m happy with a point but at the end of the game it may be two dropped. We were flat after the Uefa Cup exit and the disappointment from that. We had engine failure with the plane and the journey coming back was horrendous. Preparation has not been ideal but I’m delighted with the fighting spirit.”/ppAdams said he was upset with the decision that led to Albion taking the lead when Mike Dean, the referee, penalised Campbell for climbing on Miller. Chris Brunt stepped up to take the free-kick that followed and thumped a 22-yard shot against the crossbar. Greening pounced on the rebound and dispatched a half-volley into the net. It was no more than Albion deserved after a first half in which Abdoulaye Méïté, James Morrison and Brunt had all threatened./ppMiller saw his angled drive repelled by James in the 48th minute but it was no surprise when Crouch marked Portsmouth’s second-half revival with a speculative drive that ricocheted off Méïté and over Scott Carson’s head./pp”It was a frustrating day for us,” said Mowbray. “I thought we deserved a second goal in the first half but it didn’t come and that was always going to make the second half edgy, especially when you have not won for so long.”/ppMowbray will be seeking to bring in loan signings next month to reinvigorate Albion. Adams has a different problem following the news that the Ports­mouth owner, Alexandre Gaydamak, is looking to sell. “If a ridiculous offer comes in for any one of my players, I’ll accept it, to be honest with you,” he said . “I think that’s the way the club works. But it will be my decision. That’s the guarantee [Gaydamak] has given me.”Man of the match Glen Johnson (Portsmouth)/pdiv style=”float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;”ullia href=”http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/premierleague”Premier League/a/lilia href=”http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/westbrom”West Brom/a/lilia href=”http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/portsmouth”Portsmouth/a/li/ul/diva href=”http://www.guardian.co.uk”guardian.co.uk/a copy; Guardian News Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our a href=”http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html”Terms Conditions/a | a href=”http://www.guardian.co.uk/webfeeds/1,,1309488,00.html”More Feeds/a
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Original post by Stuart James

divimg alt=”" src=”http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.15.1/48062?ns=guardianpageName=Football%3A+Said+and+Donech=Footballc3=guardian.co.ukc4=Football%2CSportc5=Not+commercially+usefulc6=David+Hillsc7=2008_12_07c8=1130290c9=articlec10=GUc11=Footballc12=c13=c14=h2=GU%2FFootball%2F” width=”1″ height=”1″ //divh2DO U FEEL PROUD?/h2pstrongWar on racism latest:/strong Daily Star slams ’sickening’ anti-Muslim chants by Newcastle fans aimed at Mido. ‘The culprits taunted the Egyptian with sickening terrorism-related chants. Mido called it “shameful, disgusting and racist”.’ Also in the Star - more texts sent in by readers, including:/pp· ‘BRITAIN USED 2 BREED TRADESMEN NOW WE BREED TERRORISTS. DO U FEEL PROUD?’ · ‘where in koran does it say jihadists should scrounge 25k a year of benefits?’ · ‘every day goin by, this feels less like OUR country. its the united muslim state.’ · ‘OUR CRAP GOVT ARE LETTING ISLAMICS GET MORE POWER.’ · ‘I will never spend money at a Muslim business.’ · ‘vote BNP to put brits 1st’ · Plus: ‘I once made a joke about islam. now im on the sects offenders register.’/ph2JOURNALISTS: IDIOTS/h2pstrong15 November, Roy Keane: /strong’The stories are stupid, just stupid. I guess the writers were bored - the idea that I’m not happy or that I’m resigning is just nonsense. Where do the stories come from? I honestly haven’t got a clue. It is just crazy. I’m very happy at Sunderland. There’s no uncertainty about my future. ‘/ph2LOVE THIS TOWER/h2pWhy did Steven Gerrard agree to having his name on a new £150m Dubai residential block - ‘the Steven Gerrard Tower’? Was it a) The £1m penthouse the developers gave him in return for the endorsement? or b) The pioneering vision and quality of the brand?/pp’I'm truly privileged to be part of such a pioneering project,’ says Gerrard. ‘Azizi Investments is fast becoming one of the top developers in the UAE. The vision and quality of the Azizi brand was what inspired me to be a part of this.’/ph2FIFA RACISM LATEST/h2pstrongDecember 08: /strongFifa stage their seventh Anti-Discrimination Day at the semi-finals of the Women’s World Cup in Chile./ppstrongFifa.com: /strong’Fifa are proud to dedicate these matches to the fight against racism. The teams will display a Say No to Racism banner. Fifa Anti-Discrimination Day gives the football family the opportunity to condemn this blight on society worldwide.’/ppstrongSeptember 08: /strongFifa fine Croatia £15k./ph2WALL OF REAL MEN/h2pRosenborg say they’re ’sorry’ after defender Alejandro Lago called Champions League opponents Valencia ‘gays’ on the club’s official site. Lago said the Spanish were ‘little girls who can’t take the cold’, and that the Rosenborg defence was ‘a wall of real men facing Valencia’s homosexuals’. Rosenborg say it was a ‘misunderstanding’. ‘Of course one should not joke about gays.’/ph2GETTING THE MESSAGE/h2pWembley’s response to repeated criticism over the pitch being churned up by non-sport events (’It’s like a loose carpet,’ said Australia prop Matt Dunning before snapping his Achilles on it last week): hosting a lucrative public go-karting event. Punters will race on tarmac laid over the grass; new turf will go down next year, weeks before the Carling Cup final. ‘We’ll re-lay it,’ say Wembley. ‘The turf will bed down fine before the final.’/ph2AGGRESSIVE/h2pJuan Román Riquelme says his misconduct charge for screaming at a home fan who was ‘waving his testicles at me aggressively’ is ‘lame’. ‘He’s just some rich kid with a problem. He had no right to brandish his testicles at me, or to insult me in any way,’ says Riquelme. ‘And yet here I am, being charged for pointing it out. Stupidity. Aren’t there more serious problems in life?’/ph2RELISH THE PRESSURE/h2pstrong22 November: /strongTakis Lemonis, new Panionios manager, says he’s relishing the job after one game in charge. ‘The/ppPanionios fans are definitely demanding, but I’m really grateful for that and I relish it. The pressure is my motivation.’/ppstrong5 December: /strongquits./ph2MONSTER/h2pNürnberg women’s star Eva Roob - who quit football for porn last month and paid for ‘monster breasts’ to ‘enhance my assets’ - says Cristiano Ronaldo should join the industry. ‘Most men couldn’t do it, but Cristiano would be a very fine go-go dancer - a hit with the customers. Can’t you just imagine him swinging around the pole?’/ph2FUNDAMENTAL/h2pMilan striker Marco Borriello is ‘hurt’ after girlfriend Belén Rodríguez told a reality TV show he ‘fundamentally lacks intelligence’. Rodríguez made the comment after kissing a male contestant: ‘It’s true. Marco is simply not very smart - he thinks we’re having an affair.’ But Rodriguez says she was misunderstood. ‘I only have eyes for Marco. I dream about having his baby: I’d have it right now if I could. Our romance is a classical thing.’/pa href=”http://www.guardian.co.uk”guardian.co.uk/a copy; Guardian News Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our a href=”http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html”Terms Conditions/a | a href=”http://www.guardian.co.uk/webfeeds/1,,1309488,00.html”More Feeds/a
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Original post by David Hills

divimg alt=”" src=”http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.15.1/35912?ns=guardianpageName=Football%3A+Ebou%26eacute%3B+puts+his+foot+in+it+as+Arsenal+make+a+meal+of+winch=Footballc3=The+Observerc4=Arsenal+FC+%28Football%29%2CWigan+Athletic+%28Football%29%2CPremier+League+%28Football%29%2CFootballc5=Premier+Leaguec6=Amy+Lawrencec7=2008_12_06c8=1130260c9=articlec10=GUc11=Footballc12=Arsenalc13=c14=h2=GU%2FFootball%2FArsenal” width=”1″ height=”1″ //divpThere are crystal clear reasons why everybody fully expected Arsenal to follow last weekend’s victory at Stamford Bridge by tripping over their own bootlaces against Wigan. They didn’t quite, despite the painful efforts of Emmanuel Eboue. He provided a moment of such considerable discomfort, after which Emile Heskey came close to snatching an equaliser, that he was substituted for his own sake as well as his team’s. /ppIt happened in the last minute of the game, when Arsenal were trying to preserve their one-goal advantage. Kolo Toure, using his experience to take the heat off the backline and push his team up the pitch, went on a storming run, urging his colleagues along as he went. But in an extraordinary twist, he was tackled by one of his own team-mates. Eboue - and Lord knows what on earth he was trying to do - whipped the ball off Toure’s boot, turned and passed it directly to the opposition. /ppArseacute;ne Wenger was aghast. He immediately withdrew Eboue, who left the pitch and disappeared down the tunnel to a chorus of boos from the home supporters. All in all, it was not very edifying, and Wenger was plainly unhappy that one of his players was targeted by their own support. ‘The crowd was very hard on him. I felt he had completely lost confidence, and when you can’t keep the ball any more then you become a danger,’ he said. /ppThe fact Eboue’s mistake, and maltreatment, was so notable tells you everything about a match that was scrappy and dreary. Steve Bruce felt that his team deserved credit for that, for ’stopping them from playing’. Actually Arsenal were able to be uninspiring all by themselves. The seniors could find none of the zip and verve that characterised the Carling Cup kids’ performance against Wigan last month. /ppHaving said that, the win was welcome, and barring a couple of headers for Heskey, and a hook from Mario Melchiot that forced a splendid save from Manuel Almunia, there was little genuine danger of Wigan scoring. Arsenal had eased in front in the 16th minute. Alex Song, a player not renowned for his silky skills, got enough of a touch on to Cesc Fabregas’s lofted pass to deceive the Wigan defence and provide Emmanuel Adebayor with a simple sidefoot. ‘They got a break, that lucky bounce of the ball,’ lamented Bruce. /ppRecent events have taught Wenger that a goal is not enough to ease the nerves at Emirates. Even though his team were leading 1-0 and not, it must be said, under any particular threat from the visitors, Wenger rocked back and forth in his seat and looked as if he had eaten something extremely unsavoury the night before. Along the touchline Bruce didn’t look too perky himself. He paced about. But he seemed more bored than agitated and few could blame him./ppThere was a mild improvement after the break, and Arsenal had several opportunities to score a second, and prevent the game’s uneasy climax, but their finishing was below par. Had Van Persie been anywhere near as accurate with his finishing as he was last weekend against Chelsea, the game would have been out of Wigan’s sight. Denilson was even more unfortunate, as his drive thumped off the inside of the post but rebounded out. /ppThe visitors brought on Amr Zaki, whose presence sparked some enthusiasm in Wigan and some defensive flakiness in Arsenal. Watching his on-loan Egyptian teaming up with Heskey confirmed Steve Bruce’s determination to keep hold of his most dangerous players with the January transfer market approaching. Only a ‘mindboggling offer’ would be considered for Heskey, whose contract expires at the season’s end. /pp’You can cash in, but the club suffers. Imagine the dressing room if we sold Heskey. There would be a few not very happy and rightly so,’ Bruce said. Wenger needs to think carefully about his options for January. Back to back wins is a step in the right direction for the Premier League’s false-dawn specialists, and he knows that results - however they come - rebuild confidence and consistency. But to make a stronger challenge in the new year, this squad needs more than he has at his disposal . Whether Eboue regains the composure to play much of a part remains to be seen. br //pdiv style=”float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;”ullia href=”http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/arsenal”Arsenal/a/lilia href=”http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/wiganathletic”Wigan Athletic/a/lilia href=”http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/premierleague”Premier League/a/li/ul/diva href=”http://www.guardian.co.uk”guardian.co.uk/a copy; Guardian News Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our a href=”http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html”Terms Conditions/a | a href=”http://www.guardian.co.uk/webfeeds/1,,1309488,00.html”More Feeds/a
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Original post by Amy Lawrence

divimg alt=”" src=”http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.15.1/43051?ns=guardianpageName=Football%3A+Purist+Mowbray+vows+his+team+will+not+go+to+the+dogsch=Footballc3=The+Observerc4=West+Brom+%28Football%29%2CPremier+League+%28Football%29%2CFootball%2CObserverc5=Not+commercially+useful%2CPremier+Leaguec6=Amy+Lawrencec7=2008_12_06c8=1130258c9=articlec10=GUc11=Footballc12=West+Bromc13=c14=h2=GU%2FFootball%2FWest+Brom” width=”1″ height=”1″ //divpAs Roy Keane discovered, swimming against the tide is an aspect of football management that can be overwhelming. Is it any wonder they sometimes question whether they are doing the right thing, when their judgment is constantly grilled to a cinder by a hungry public? /ppTony Mowbray, the manager of the Premier League’s bottom club, who have garnered only one point from the past possible 24, knows that his view about West Bromwich Albion’s unorthodox approach is not generally shared. He knows what people think: ‘What on earth are they doing try to play pretty football in the relegation zone? Do they not realise there is no place for aesthetics down there?’ /pp’This is the criticism I face,’ he says, calmly. ‘It is easy to stand back and say we pass to much. The real question is: are my players good enough to play pass and move in the Premier League? I believe some are and some aren’t. But do I throw everything out of the window and start to condense space instead? I’ll never change my philosophy.’ /ppThe football romantic in Mowbray emerged in boyhood, when he was a six-year-old in Saltburn, captivated by hazy TV images of the most beautiful World Cup winners of all - the Brazil of 1970. ‘Maybe that has given me my love of flowing, attacking football,’ he explains, before telling another atmospheric tale of youthful impressions, as he recalled the days when midweek football was played in the afternoon because nobody could use floodlights during the strikes in the early 1970s. ‘My dad took me out of primary school to see George Best play at Ayresome Park.’ /ppAs a player he may have had a reputation as a no-nonsense, uncompromising defender, but Mowbray the manager is relentless in his quest to teach his players to play with class. He is currently working to eke more out of Ishmael Miller, the powerful striker bought from Manchester City who needs to learn how to harness his promise. ‘I tell him it’s not a running game, it’s a thinking-man’s game,’ Mowbray says. ‘He’s 21 and doesn’t know it yet but I’m persevering with him because I look him in the eye and I can see he really wants to be a Premier League footballer.’ /ppIt is not the easiest thing in the world to concentrate on nurturing talent when the league table looks grim. Mowbray may be hard-boiled, but he is also a very good egg. As Bruce Rioch, the manager who switched Mowbray on to the thinking-man’s aspect of the game, famously said of him: ‘If I had to fly to the moon I’d take Tony Mowbray, my captain, with me. He’s a magnificent man.’ /ppThis afternoon West Brom host a Portsmouth team whose manager, Tony Adams, is also trying to find his voice, his way, in this notoriously testing and impatient profession. However insistent Mowbray is about sticking to his principles, a result to back that up could have very positive consequence./ppThe Premier League is a swiftly movable feast this season. A couple of results can quickly send teams in a different direction. The examples set by Bolton and Fulham, are proof enough of that. Both are currently comfortable in mid-table, having flirted with the basement positions only to relaunch themselves recently. Conversely Manchester City, who began the season in the top four, started the weekend two points outside the relegation zone. With Tottenham and Newcastle still insecure, it is not only the usual suspects watching their backs. /ppWest Brom’s concern is that they have lost to fellow strugglers lately and, after today’s Portsmouth encounter is done and dusted, they must prepare to meet troubled Sunderland next weekend. Mowbray knows no other way than to pass, move and hope for a kind break: ‘Are we good enough to play our way out of this? If you saw us last week against Wigan, you’d say yes. Yet because we lost it’s very easy to keep whacking us with a big stick. /pp’I can see we need one or two players who can protect us from getting hurt, but they can’t just be dogs. They must be able to play, too.’ Not everyone in today’s win-at-all-costs football approves of his philosophy. But Jairzinho, Rivelino and George Best would, and who are we to argue?/pdiv style=”float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;”ullia href=”http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/westbrom”West Brom/a/lilia href=”http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/premierleague”Premier League/a/li/ul/diva href=”http://www.guardian.co.uk”guardian.co.uk/a copy; Guardian News Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our a href=”http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html”Terms Conditions/a | a href=”http://www.guardian.co.uk/webfeeds/1,,1309488,00.html”More Feeds/a
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Original post by Amy Lawrence

divimg alt=”" src=”http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.15.1/52510?ns=guardianpageName=Football%3A+Ebou%26eacute%3B+puts+his+foot+in+it+as+Arsenal+make+a+meal+of+winch=Footballc3=The+Observerc4=Arsenal+FC+%28Football%29%2CWigan+Athletic+%28Football%29%2CPremier+League+%28Football%29%2CFootballc5=Premier+Leaguec6=Amy+Lawrencec7=2008_12_06c8=1130260c9=articlec10=GUc11=Footballc12=Arsenalc13=c14=h2=GU%2FFootball%2FArsenal” width=”1″ height=”1″ //divpThere are crystal clear reasons why everybody fully expected Arsenal to follow last weekend’s victory at Stamford Bridge by tripping over their own bootlaces against Wigan. They didn’t quite, despite the painful efforts of Emmanuel Eboue. He provided a moment of such considerable discomfort, after which Emile Heskey came close to snatching an equaliser, that he was substituted for his own sake as well as his team’s. /ppIt happened in the last minute of the game, when Arsenal were trying to preserve their one-goal advantage. Kolo Toure, using his experience to take the heat off the backline and push his team up the pitch, went on a storming run, urging his colleagues along as he went. But in an extraordinary twist, he was tackled by one of his own team-mates. Eboue - and Lord knows what on earth he was trying to do - whipped the ball off Toure’s boot, turned and passed it directly to the opposition. /ppArseacute;ne Wenger was aghast. He immediately withdrew Eboue, who left the pitch and disappeared down the tunnel to a chorus of boos from the home supporters. All in all, it was not very edifying, and Wenger was plainly unhappy that one of his players was targeted by their own support. ‘The crowd was very hard on him. I felt he had completely lost confidence, and when you can’t keep the ball any more then you become a danger,’ he said. /ppThe fact Eboue’s mistake, and maltreatment, was so notable tells you everything about a match that was scrappy and dreary. Steve Bruce felt that his team deserved credit for that, for ’stopping them from playing’. Actually Arsenal were able to be uninspiring all by themselves. The seniors could find none of the zip and verve that characterised the Carling Cup kids’ performance against Wigan last month. /ppHaving said that, the win was welcome, and barring a couple of headers for Heskey, and a hook from Mario Melchiot that forced a splendid save from Manuel Almunia, there was little genuine danger of Wigan scoring. Arsenal had eased in front in the 16th minute. Alex Song, a player not renowned for his silky skills, got enough of a touch on to Cesc Fabregas’s lofted pass to deceive the Wigan defence and provide Emmanuel Adebayor with a simple sidefoot. ‘They got a break, that lucky bounce of the ball,’ lamented Bruce. /ppRecent events have taught Wenger that a goal is not enough to ease the nerves at Emirates. Even though his team were leading 1-0 and not, it must be said, under any particular threat from the visitors, Wenger rocked back and forth in his seat and looked as if he had eaten something extremely unsavoury the night before. Along the touchline Bruce didn’t look too perky himself. He paced about. But he seemed more bored than agitated and few could blame him./ppThere was a mild improvement after the break, and Arsenal had several opportunities to score a second, and prevent the game’s uneasy climax, but their finishing was below par. Had Van Persie been anywhere near as accurate with his finishing as he was last weekend against Chelsea, the game would have been out of Wigan’s sight. Denilson was even more unfortunate, as his drive thumped off the inside of the post but rebounded out. /ppThe visitors brought on Amr Zaki, whose presence sparked some enthusiasm in Wigan and some defensive flakiness in Arsenal. Watching his on-loan Egyptian teaming up with Heskey confirmed Steve Bruce’s determination to keep hold of his most dangerous players with the January transfer market approaching. Only a ‘mindboggling offer’ would be considered for Heskey, whose contract expires at the season’s end. /pp’You can cash in, but the club suffers. Imagine the dressing room if we sold Heskey. There would be a few not very happy and rightly so,’ Bruce said. Wenger needs to think carefully about his options for January. Back to back wins is a step in the right direction for the Premier League’s false-dawn specialists, and he knows that results - however they come - rebuild confidence and consistency. But to make a stronger challenge in the new year, this squad needs more than he has at his disposal . Whether Eboue regains the composure to play much of a part remains to be seen./pdiv style=”float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;”ullia href=”http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/arsenal”Arsenal/a/lilia href=”http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/wiganathletic”Wigan Athletic/a/lilia href=”http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/premierleague”Premier League/a/li/ul/diva href=”http://www.guardian.co.uk”guardian.co.uk/a copy; Guardian News Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our a href=”http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html”Terms Conditions/a | a href=”http://www.guardian.co.uk/webfeeds/1,,1309488,00.html”More Feeds/a
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Original post by Amy Lawrence

divimg alt=”" src=”http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.15.1/53465?ns=guardianpageName=Football%3A+Owen+on+fast+track+to+fitness+as+Newcastle+weigh+up+recruitsch=Footballc3=The+Guardianc4=Premier+League+%28Football%29%2CNewcastle+United+%28Football%29%2CFootball%2CSportc5=Not+commercially+useful%2CPremier+Leaguec6=Louise+Taylorc7=2008_12_06c8=1129935c9=articlec10=GUc11=Footballc12=Premier+Leaguec13=c14=h2=GU%2FFootball%2FPremier+League” width=”1″ height=”1″ //divpMichael Owen has been turning up at the Newcastle United training ground at 9am most days to spend an hour working alone with his private sprint coach. Anxious about the loss of his England place, the erstwhile international striker then joins the rest of the club’s squad for training sessions choreographed by Joe Kinnear./pp”I don’t think Michael is 100%, he’s had some niggly injuries,” admitted the Newcastle manager yesterday. “But he is working extremely hard and has got his own specialist sprint trainer. That says a lot about his attitude. He is not super-fit yet but he is always liable to score.”/ppWhile Kinnear is likely to start Owen at home to Stoke City today he will probably begin the match with the newly fit Mark Viduka on the bench - a place he admitted few at the club expected to see the Australia striker again. “To be honest, we thought Mark was maybe finished,” he said. “The specialist was very concerned. We feared the worst but he has made a miraculous recovery.”/ppIf Viduka’s comeback from an achilles injury has delighted Kinnear, so, too, has the response he received from the club’s managing director, Derek Llambias, when they met midweek to discuss January transfer targets. “We have two or three players where we’ve not only spoken to their agents but we’ve also spoken to their clubs,” said Kinnear, who revealed he may have £12m to invest in the transfer window and could also explore the possibility of swap deals with other top-flight clubs./ppKinnear is, however, resigned to facing a fight to keep a group of experienced players, including Owen and Nicky Butt, who are out of contract at St James’ this summer and will be free to talk to other clubs in January. “I’ve spoken to a few of their agents [about new contracts] but they’re holding back,” he admitted. “They’re waiting to see what their options are.”/ppThe 61-year-old was equally open in his opinion of the minority of the Newcastle fans who subjected the Middlesbrough striker Mido to racist abuse during last Saturday’s draw on Teesside. “There’s no place for racism in sport and it’s up to the authorities to stamp it out,” he said. “The people involved should be punished.”/pdiv style=”float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;”ullia href=”http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/premierleague”Premier League/a/lilia href=”http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/newcastleunited”Newcastle United/a/li/ul/diva href=”http://www.guardian.co.uk”guardian.co.uk/a copy; Guardian News Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our a href=”http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html”Terms Conditions/a | a href=”http://www.guardian.co.uk/webfeeds/1,,1309488,00.html”More Feeds/a
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Original post by Louise Taylor

divimg alt=”" src=”http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.15.1/15933?ns=guardianpageName=Football%3A+Frustrated+Ben%26iacute%3Btez+ready+to+leave+%26pound%3B20m+Keane+on+benchch=Footballc3=The+Guardianc4=Liverpool+FC+%28Football%29%2CRafael+Ben%C3%ADtez%2CPremier+League+%28Football%29%2CFootball%2CSportc5=Not+commercially+useful%2CPremier+Leaguec6=Andy+Hunterc7=2008_12_06c8=1129909c9=articlec10=GUc11=Footballc12=Liverpoolc13=c14=h2=GU%2FFootball%2FLiverpool” width=”1″ height=”1″ //divpRafael Beniacute;tez is considering adding to Robbie Keane’s frustrations at Liverpool by omitting the pound;20.3m striker from his starting line-up at Blackburn Rovers this afternoon./ppThe Liverpool manager yesterday refused to guarantee a place for Keane at Ewood Park despite the continued absence through injury of Fernando Torres and with the Premier League leaders seeking their first league goal in three matches. Beniacute;tez withdrew the Republic of Ireland striker for the 15th time in his brief Liverpool career against West Ham United on Monday, when he admitted Keane is lacking in confidence after only four goals this season, and he is expected to relegate the forward to the substitutes’ bench at Blackburn./pp”He is working hard as always in training and practising in every training session but I cannot guarantee a position to anyone, we have to win,” the Liverpool manager said. “He is in the same situation as the rest of the players. We can talk about 10 or 15 players who cost more than pound;20m in other teams, and you can see two or three of them on the bench every week and people don’t talk about them all the time. We know that because we only have two players of that value, then people will talk about them. But for me, it’s not a question of the value of the player. To me he’s just another player and that’s it.”/ppKeane’s disbelief was apparent when replaced by David Ngog on Monday but, despite frequently withdrawing the summer signing, Beniacute;tez insists he has complete faith in the former Tottenham striker. “The best way to support him is to talk about what he can improve and what he can do,” said the Spaniard. “If you change a player 15 times in 18 games, and he has played 22 of our 24 games so far this season, then that’s the best way. We have six more months, so I can pick him a lot of times during that. I cannot guarantee a position to anyone.”/ppLiverpool’s manager also refused to put a time-scale on Torres’ anticipated return from his third hamstring injury of the season, despite his record signing returning to Spain to visit a specialist this week. Beniacute;tez explained: “The meeting with the Spanish doctor and physio was really good. They agree with us and our diagnosis. It was the same problem as before, he has scar tissue. We have to work in that area and try to make the muscle stronger. I cannot say when he will play next. I don’t want to put the player under any pressure.”/ppDespite the presence on Merseyside this week of the Liverpool co-owner George Gillett, Beniacute;tez admitted there is no resolution in sight on his new contract. “My advisors are talking to the club and for me that is a positive,” he said. When asked if a deal was close, however, the Liverpool manager responded; “No. But the end has to be sooner rather than later.”/pdiv style=”float: left; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;”ullia href=”http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/liverpool”Liverpool/a/lilia href=”http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/rafael-benitez”Rafael Benítez/a/lilia href=”http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/premierleague”Premier League/a/li/ul/diva href=”http://www.guardian.co.uk”guardian.co.uk/a copy; Guardian News Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our a href=”http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html”Terms Conditions/a | a href=”http://www.guardian.co.uk/webfeeds/1,,1309488,00.html”More Feeds/a
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Original post by Tags: 3a, 3m, Bench, Blackburn Rovers, C3, Disbelief, Fernando Torres, Frustrations, Guardian, League Goal, League Leaders, Liverpool Fc, premier league, Republic Of Ireland, Robbie Keane, Ss, Starting Line, Striker, Training Session, West Ham United
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