THE SMART NEWS SOURCE | Feb 10 2012 19:18 | LAST UPDATED Feb 10 2012 19:18 |
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'No risk' in return of King HenryArsene Wenger has insisted that there is no downside to his decision to re-sign Thierry Henry on a two-month loan from the New York Red Bulls. Europe gears up for a six-week partyIn the week before a major tournament like Euro 2008 the streets of England's towns and cities take on an unusually unified look. The red and white flag of St George appears everywhere. It can be seen draped in shop displays, fluttering from houses and stuck to the sides of every other car. Eriksson leaves Manchester City after one seasonSven-Goran Eriksson left Manchester City on Monday, less than a year after taking over as coach of the Premier League club. A statement on City's website said the 60-year-old Swede had parted company with the club by mutual consent. His last competitive game in charge was an 8-1 humiliation at Middlesbrough on the last day of the season. United threaten to report Real over Ronaldo rowManchester United have threatened to report Real Madrid to Fifa as the row over the Spanish club's bid to sign Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo turns ugly. United have been increasingly frustrated by Real's attempts to lure Ronaldo to the Bernabeu in the last year. United walk tall in EuropeManchester United were crowned kings of Europe for the third time on Wednesday when they beat Chelsea 6-5 on penalties after a breathless all-English Champions League final had finished 1-1 after extra time. United's 37-year-old goalkeeper, Edwin van der Sar, saved the decisive spot kick from substitute Nicolas Anelka. United, Chelsea pack experienced punchChelsea may be playing their first Champions League final and Manchester United appearing in the showpiece event only after a nine-year absence, but there will be no shortage of experience when the two sides line up at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on Wednesday. Man U, Chelsea well matched in Champions LeagueManchester United has another English title and Cristiano Ronaldo. Chelsea has a huge, talented squad and the wealth of owner Roman Abramovich. There is no underdog in this Champions League final as two English clubs make history by going head to head in Moscow. FA Cup: A final for romantics to revel inPortsmouth meet Cardiff City at Wembley on Saturday in a final the FA Cup has been crying out for, even if the absence of familiar names may prove the competition's lack of appeal for the big clubs. It is the first time since 1991 that none of the current "big four" have contested the final. English Premiership: The club-by-club verdictAt the top of their game are Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool. Not so lucky are Derby County, Birmingham and Reading. We present the English Premiership report cards for the four that return to the Champions League … and the ones that got the chop. The shrink who makes you bigger"The sign on the door in the bowels of the Manchester Velodrome reads simply "Steve Peters", but there is plenty else it could say. Abandon preconceptions all those who enter here." William Fotheringham reports on the psychiatrist who is turning Britain's Olympic cycling team into a superfast and ultra-efficient unit. Chiefs canter past CelticBloemfontein Celtic were beaten 2-0 by Kaizer Chiefs at Loftus on Wednesday night in an Absa Premiership clash, with the Free State side outperformed by a team who playing their best soccer of the season. Amakhosi's late surge has effectively earned them a place in next season's Top Eight competition. Gerrard wants Liverpool to spend bigSteven Gerrard admits Liverpool will only challenge for the Premier League title next season if Rafa Benitez spends big money. Gerrard is desperate to make up for another disappointing domestic campaign after Benitez's side slipped out of the title race by Christmas and finished nine points behind champions Manchester United. Ferguson: This United team can become legendsSir Alex Ferguson believes his young Manchester United stars will become Old Trafford legends if they win the Champions League. Ferguson's side retained the Premier League title on Sunday and now the Scot has turned his attention to the Champions League final against Chelsea, the team they edged out of the title. United clinch title as Chelsea falterManchester United clinched their 17th English championship on Sunday by beating Wigan 2-0 in a nail-biting finale to the most thrilling Premier League title battle in years. Pushed to the wire by Chelsea, United claimed the 10th title of Sir Alex Ferguson's reign by two points after their rivals were held to a 1-1 draw by Bolton in their final match. Grant revels in Chelsea's revivalAvram Grant believes Chelsea were a fading force before he took over and led his team to within touching distance of a Premier League and Champions League double. When Grant replaced Jose Mourinho as Chelsea manager in September, the Israeli claims he found a club in danger of imploding. Bendtner goal leaves Everton sweating on EuropeEverton missed the chance to confirm a place in next season's UEFA Cup when they were beaten 1-0 by Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday. Nicklas Bendtner headed the only goal after 77 minutes at the Emirates stadium against a stubborn Everton side who needed just a draw to guarantee finishing fifth. Arsenal and Liverpool earn 1-0 winsNicklas Bendtner scored with a late header on Sunday to give Arsenal a 1-0 win over Everton in the Premier League, and Liverpool beat Manchester City by the same score. Bendtner jumped to head a cross from Armand Traore past Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard in the 77th minute. Man U beat West Ham 4-1 to close in on titleManchester United took a huge step towards retaining their Premier League title when they beat West Ham United 4-1 at Old Trafford on Saturday after playing more than half the match with 10 men. Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice while Carlos Tevez and Michael Carrick both scored against their old club as United moved on to 84 points with one match to play. United face test of nervesManchester United face a test of nerves against West Ham United in their penultimate Premier League match on Saturday at 11.45am GMT, knowing Chelsea are ready to pounce if they slip up. United's 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge last weekend means the two Champions League finalists are level on 81 points. Scholes strike sends United into Moscow finalA stunning goal from Paul Scholes gave Manchester United a 1-0 win over Barcelona on Tuesday to set up an all-English Champions League final against either Liverpool or Chelsea in Moscow next month. Scholes was suspended for United's epic victory over Bayern Munich in the 1999 final, and Ferguson had already said he would play in the final if they qualified. |
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