Anfield and Stamford Bridge join hands against Old Trafford
Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari has leapt to the defence of Liverpool counterpart Rafael Benitez following his attack on Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson earlier this month.
The Brazilian insists he has some sympathy with Benitez as the two clubs prepare for their crucial Barclays Premier League showdown at Anfield on Sunday, where a draw would give United a clear edge in the title race.
Benitez accused Ferguson and his staff of putting referees under pressure, especially at Old Trafford, and of consistently showing them little respect.
”It’s one of his ideas and I haven’t spoken to him about it,” said Scolari. ”Maybe I will at the weekend. I understand. I understand very well.
”I understand that, sometimes, when we play there (at Old Trafford) and at Stamford Bridge, I know what happens.”
Liverpool have drawn four out of their last five home games in the league but Scolari is reticent to boast that it is the perfect time to play them.
Benitez is under pressure as his contract dispute continues while he has also been criticised for his handling of striker Robbie Keane.
But while Scolari accepts the Spaniard has problems, the Brazilian still expects a difficult game.
”He may have more problems at the moment, but if you work in the same place for three years or so, you know how to react to that,” said Scolari.
”I don’t know what’s happened there. I don’t know what’s happened with Benitez. I know when we’ve drawn or lost at home, we’ve needed to change something but I don’t know what’s happened there.
”Benitez is a fantastic coach with good players. We’ll need more ‘adaptation’ than in the other games for this match. I think about my job, not his. I’ve lost 14 points at Stamford Bridge and I’m not a bad coach because of that.
”I like Benitez so much and I wish for him all the best. Not in our game, sure, but all the best in his life, in the rest of his career.
”He’s a very good coach who knows the Premier League more than me because he’s been here four or five years.”
Chelsea have yet to beat any of the other recognised members of the ‘big four’ this season but Scolari is unconcerned.
He insists his side have a psychological edge after their victory over Middlesbrough in midweek lifted them above Liverpool into second place on goal difference.
”We started the Middlesbrough game under pressure because we were in fourth position,” said Scolari.
”(Aston) Villa had won and the other teams were in front of us. For confidence it’s very good, but we know we are behind Manchester United and level with Liverpool.
”We are not better than these two teams. But, for confidence, it’s very good. We’ve played better in the last four or five games.
”We’ve won games, played better than before, and have shown more heart.”
Liverpool also ended Chelsea’s 86-match unbeaten home league run earlier in the season but the Brazilian refuses to crank up talk of a revenge mission for his side.
”Any victory is very good for me,” Scolari added. ”Here at Stamford Bridge or away. It’s a game that, maybe, maybe, will decide the direction of winning or not winning the championship.”
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Impenetrable United go clear
Manchester United beat Everton 1-0 at Old Trafford on Saturday night to go five points clear at the top of the Premier League, as goalkeeper Edwin Van der Sar became a record-breaker, keeping a clean sheet in English football for over 1,104 minutes. Ronaldo broke the deadlock with a penalty, after a foul on Michael Carrick, giving the league a familiar look with Liverpool and Chelsea due to clash on Sunday.
Manchester United moved five points clear at the top of the Barclays Premier League after Cristiano Ronaldo’s first-half penalty gave them a 1-0 victory over Everton at Old Trafford.
The Portugal winger fired home in the 44th minute after the excellent Michael Carrick had been tripped by Mikel Arteta.
With nearest rivals Liverpool and Chelsea playing each other at Anfield on Sunday United sent out a clear message that their grip on the title is as strong as ever.
Ferguson’s side have amassed 32 points from a possible 36, which is much better than the chasing pack and most definitely championship form.
The hosts dominated the match and racked up a 12th successive clean sheet, allowing goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar to break the English league football record for most minutes without conceding a goal.
His tally now stands at 1,122 minutes having not conceded since Samir Nasri scored in the 2-1 defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on November 8.
In truth he will have busier afternoons with striker-less Everton having to employ midfielder Tim Cahill up front.
The pattern of play was established as early as the fourth minute when Marouane Fellaini’s foul on Carrick gave Ronaldo a chance to go for goal from 30 yards but he drilled his effort straight into the wall.
Everton’s Belgian midfielder committed his second foul at the other end when he pushed over Nemanja Vidic in trying to reach Leighton Baines’ cross into the six-yard area.
In the seventh minute, goalkeeper Tim Howard had to get down quickly to his right to tip the ball wide of the goal after Park Ji-Sung’s low inswinging cross was left by the Everton defence.
Howard then denied his former club a certain goal when he somehow diverted Carlos Tevez’s close-range shot over the crossbar as United increased the pressure.
When Everton did get a chance to threaten, from Leon Osman’s 17th-minute right-wing corner, Van der Sar claimed easily.
Cahill, usually so good in the air, was winning little of the ball against Rio Ferdinand despite Everton’s attempts to reach him at every opportunity.
United, however, were having no problems creating chances and almost scored in the 25th minute when Ronaldo’s toe-poke from just outside the area rebounded back off a post but as Tevez tried to convert the rebound he was flagged for offside.
The Portugal winger came close again two minutes later when Howard tipped over a long-range shot.
Carrick was next to try his luck but his volley from the left of the penalty area was just wide of the target.
But United finally made the breakthrough in the 44th minute.
Carrick had gone past Arteta but the Spaniard hung out a trailing leg behind him and it caught the midfielder, who fell in the area.
After a moment’s hesitation referee Mark Halsey pointed to the spot and Ronaldo despatched his shot straight down the middle.
Just after the interval Steven Pienaar won a free-kick off Vidic but Arteta sliced the 35-yard effort horribly wide.
Moments later Carrick should have been awarded another penalty when he nicked John O’Shea’s incisive through-ball past Joleon Lescott but despite the defender catching him Halsey waved away United’s justifiable claims.
Tevez then blazed well wide from Park’s right-wing cross as United looked to turn their dominance into a second goal.
The Argentina striker tried his luck with a low curling shot from the edge of the area but Howard saved comfortably.
United still had to be wary of Everton’s set-piece prowess but Van der Sar was more than up to the challenge of dealing with Arteta’s low 35-yard free-kick.
The visitors’ problem was that they had not really tested the United goalkeeper and Moyes, who is currently without three strikers, had very little available on the bench to change that.
The 68th-minute introduction of Victor Anichebe for Fellaini was at least an attempt to freshen things up as Cahill dropped into an attacking midfield role to allow the youngster a run as centre-forward.
And Tevez’s deflected free-kick almost put paid to those plans with Howard having to tip over the looping shot from under his own crossbar.
But there was still the odd scare for the hosts and Everton were screaming for a penalty when Lescott went down in a wrestling match with Ferdinand but Halsey was not convinced.
With those claims went the Toffees’ hopes of sn
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Berbatov loving life at United
Manchester United’s Dimitar Berbatov has claimed that his Red Devils team-mates are the best he has ever played with.
Berbatov has been a leading light for Sir Alex Ferguson’s men in recent weeks as United continue their fight for honours on four fronts.
The 28-year-old has bagged goals against Middlesbrough, Chelsea, Bolton Wanderers, Tottenham Hotspur and West Bromwich Albion in the last month to help United climb to the top of the Barclays Premier League.
With 11 goals to his name so far this season – not to mention plaudits galore – Berbatov has credited his stellar form to the galaxy of stars he has the privilege of playing with.
“Personally, this is the best squad I’ve been involved with. I am very proud that the manager has said this as well,” he told MUTV ahead of United’s crucial clash with Everton on Saturday.
“My country is proud, too. For me to be here, coming from a small country, it’s a big success. You can’t get higher than the standard at United.
“We have some of the best players and clearly the best coach. It’s a pleasure just to be here and follow in the footsteps of so many great players.”
Berbatov was also quick to reveal that his rapid acclimatisation to life in Manchester has also helped him hit the ground running since joining from Tottenham Hotspur.
“I feel completely settled here,” Berbatov explained.
“To be honest, I felt that way from the minute I walked into the dressing room. The boys have been great. It’s like I’ve been here for years. I was made to feel part of the team straight away, and I think things clicked quite early on.
“That was a big relief for me. Sometimes if it doesn’t feel like home, you can’t adapt on or off the pitch. But it was so easy for me to settle here.”
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