Wenger eager for home comfort after easy away win

BIRMINGHAM: Arsene Wenger rarely manages to leave St Andrews in good humour but Arsenal’s 3-0 victory over Birmingham has put him in the mood for more success against fellow title contenders Manchester City on Wednesday.

After Arsenal defeated champions Chelsea at the start of the holiday fixture programme, Gunners manager Wenger insisted his side could no longer be bullied out of the title race.

The Londoners justified their French boss’ words by winning away to relegation-threatened Birmingham, one of the most uncompromising teams in the English top flight, on New Year’s Day.

But in between those wins, Arsenal dropped points in a draw away to Wigan.

However, an emphatic win at Bir­mingham on Saturday saw Arsenal stay in third place, two points behind both leaders Manchester United, who have a game in hand over the Gunners, and second-placed Manchester City.

Having seen Arsenal outclass Chel­sea at home, Wenger knows another impressive display at the Emirates against Roberto Mancini’s expensively-assembled side will be the ideal way to back up the performance at St Andrews.

“We will concentrate on (Man­ches­ter) City now,” said Wenger. “It is a very big game and we know that. We have had a difficult schedule with away games, but now we are back at the Emirates.

“We know how important the Emi­rates can be for us. We are happy playing there and we know that we have great support. It is good for us that we play all our rivals there in the second half of the season.”

For a change, Wenger and his team escaped St Andrews without either heartache or injury, almost three years since former Gunners striker Eduardo suffered a horrific broken leg at Birmingham’s home ground.

Wenger reverted to the side that beat Chelsea for the game against Bir­ming­ham, having been criticised for making multiple changes at Wigan.

But as for the line-up against City, Wenger said: “I will have to see how we recover first. We have to see how our fitness is.”

In the meantime he was elated by the way Arsenal coped with Bir­mingham’s aggression while sticking to their passing game in a match featuring goals from Robin van Persie, Samir Nasri and Roger Johnson’s own-goal.

“I am delighted with the victory. It was physically very tough but we had the mental strength to deal with it,” said Wenger.

“We also kept very calm, which was good and we kept the faith in the way we can play. That is why I am very proud of my team. They showed great nerve.

“We kept putting the ball down and passing and playing our game. It was a great performance and the team is getting stronger and stronger.”

Wenger refused to comment on the stamp by Lee Bowyer on Bacary Sagna, but the Birmingham midfielder faces disciplinary action if referee Peter Walton is asked for his revised opinion on the flashpoint in the second half.

“There were a couple of challenges that I would like to see again, but I would rather talk about the way we played,” Wenger said.

Birmingham manager Alex McLeish has already held preliminary meetings with club vice-chairman Peter Pannu regarding new signings during the January transfer window and he will step up his pursuit of want-away Tottenham striker Robbie Keane after another blank in front of goal.

“We are just not scoring enough goals,” said McLeish, whose side are now only above basement club Wolves in the Premier League table.

“They have been hard to come by for us all season and we need to improve on that. We have to add quality to the team and we will be trying to do that. It has to get better over the second half of the season.

“It is not drastic yet – relegation is not confirmed in January – but we have to get better.”

  

City confident of forward boost against Gunners

MANCHESTER: Manchester City are hopeful Mario Balotelli and David Silva will be fit for their match away to Premier League title rivals Arsenal on Wednesday.

Balotelli was absent from City’s 1-0 victory over Blackpool at Eastlands on Saturday, a result that saw Roberto Mancini’s men stay second on goal difference from leaders Manchester United, with a minor knee problem dating back to surgery at the start of the season.

Spain winger Silva limped off in the win over Blackpool but City coach David Platt is optimistic the former Valencia man will be able to feature at the Emirates.

The game against Arsene Wenger’s side could be pivotal in the title race and Mancini will be desperate for the duo to be available.

“Silva got a bang on his knee and just opened his knee up a little bit,” Platt said.

“The pleasing thing was that he walked off the pitch and hopefully it’s not anything too serious,” the former England midfielder added.

“Mario had a knee problem. In the early part of that operation, a bit of blood leaked in there. Every now and again he has a little swelling on it.”

Big-spenders City continue to be linked with Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko and while Platt insisted he could not comment on the potential deal, he insisted Mancini already had a squad packed with quality.

“We’ve got a complement of players that makes us competitive until the end of the season.

“If there’s a bit of business we can do to make us even more competitive for the seasons to come, if it’s good business they’ll do it.”

City have responded to their 2-0 defeat to Everton before Christmas with three straight victories.

Adam Johnson scored the only goal against Blackpool, with Carlos Tevez subsequently missing from the penalty spot.

Platt believes the squad depth that big-spending City enjoy is paying off during the congested holiday fixture schedule.

“The festive period favours the top clubs when you’ve got so many games in such a short space of time.

“They’ve got the ability to change things around without losing quality. The majority of the players were fresh and hadn’t played on Dec 28 and we juggled it around and got nine points.” 

  

QPR boss Warnock blasts ref after loss, Palace sack Burley

LONDON: Neil Warnock launched a furious attack on referee Jon Moss after Norwich beat English Second Division leaders QPR 1-0 at Carrow Road.

The third-placed Canaries went ahead through defender Russell Martin’s 10th minute goal on Saturday and QPR then saw Moss send off Matthew Connolly five minutes into the second half for a professional foul on Grant Holt.

Warnock’s team couldn’t recover from that blow and the QPR boss was seething about the decision.

“I am very disappointed with the sending off. You always hope that the officials get the big decisions right but that certainly didn’t happen,” Warnock said.

“There is no doubt that Grant Holt deliberately handled the ball before he was brought down by Connolly.

“It was a foul, but by then the referee should have stopped play and awarded a free-kick to us.

“Holt has been very clever. I saw him go down for a penalty in their game against Sheffield United when he conned the referee and he has done it again.

“We have been beaten but we’ve taken six points from three games since Christmas and I would probably have settled for that beforehand.”

Swansea went second – four points behind QPR – after beating Reading 1-0 at the Liberty Stadium.

Darren Pratley’s 65th-minute goal lifted the Swans above local rivals Cardiff, who slipped to fifth after a 3-0 loss at Bristol City.

Cardiff boss Dave Jones responded to that lacklustre effort by hinting he will shake up the squad with new signings.

“We are just making some terrible decisions at the back and we have to do something about it quickly,” Jones said.

“The players have taken us to where we are and I want to stand by them, but we cannot allow things to continue as they are.

“I will take action in the January transfer window if I think it is necessary.”

Luciano Becchio struck in stoppage time as fourth-placed Leeds snatched a 1-1 draw against Middlesbrough at Elland Road.

David Wheater’s 20th-minute header looked like it would be enough for victory, but Argentinian striker Becchio slotted home a late equaliser to extend Leeds’ unbeaten run to 12 matches.

Middlesbrough manager Tony Mowbray said: “We have to learn to kill these games off. It’s frustrating that 10 seconds before we conceded the equaliser we had three men in their six-yard box and could have won it.”

Crystal Palace sacked manager George Burley after the strugglers crashed to a 3-0 defeat at south London rivals Millwall.

Burley, the former Scotland coach, was dismissed in the immediate aftermath of another chastening afternoon for Palace, who remain in the relegation zone after a third defeat in five matches. 

  

It will flow now, Rooney

WEST BROMWICH: Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson has backed Wayne Rooney to go on a goalscoring run after the striker began 2011 by ending his barren spell.

The England forward took just two minutes and 15 seconds to find the net in Saturday’s 2-1 win at West Bromwich Albion for what was only his third United goal of the season and first club goal from open play since March.

Ferguson was thrilled with Roo­ney’s all-round display after he also created United’s 75th-minute winner, delivering the corner which was headed home by Mexican substitute Javier Hernandez.

“He was out of this world,” Ferguson said of Rooney. “He drove us on. I’m very pleased for Wayne. He’s got his goal so that’s him off the mark.

“Hopefully, that’s him on a run now.”

Victory saw United stay top of the Premier League on goal difference from Manchester City following their rivals’ win over Blackpool.

Ferguson admitted what was only United’s second away league win of the season was a hugely significant boost for their hopes of wresting back the title from Chelsea.

“It was a massive result for us,” he told Sky Sports. “We’ve had to battle in games a lot down the years and this was one of them.

“In fairness to the players, even though some of them didn’t play well, they battled all the way through.”

His sentiments were echoed by defender Rio Ferdinand, who said: “You’ve got to win games. I don’t care how we win. The three points is all that counts.

“You’ve got to dig deep in these games and these are the type of games you can make up a lot of ground in the league.”

It proved to be a tale of two penalties at the Hawthorns after referee Chris Foy had denied the Baggies a spot-kick with the score at 1-1 when Gary Neville, United’s last man, clearly brought down Graham Dorrans inside the area.

Foy later awarded a penalty for a foul by Ferdinand on Jerome Thomas only for Peter Odemwingie to disappoint the home crowd by firing wide.

Ferguson admitted his team were fortunate to escape the first claim, which should also have resulted in a red card for veteran rightback Neville.

“It was a penalty,” he said. “I thought it was difficult for the referee. At the time I thought Gary had got it but when I saw the replay he had got the outside of the player’s leg.”

West Brom manager Roberto di Matteo, who had seen his side equalise through James Morrison’s exquisite volley, bemoaned Foy’s failure to give a penalty following Neville’s challenge and the Italian was adamant it had a major bearing on the outcome.

“It was a very clear penalty,” Di Matteo said. “Everyone saw it except the main man who was supposed to. It would have changed the game completely.

“It didn’t mean we would have won but we would have tried. It was a goalscoring opportunity. He (Neville) would have had to go.”

The Baggies now head to Fulham tomorrow bidding to avoid a fifth straight defeat and former Chelsea midfielder Di Matteo said: “We are talking again about not deserving to lose, but we have.

“There comes a point where we need to pick up points as well.” 

  

Jordan ready to surprise the big guns in Doha

DOHA: Underdogs Jordan are raring to spring a surprise at the Asian Cup as they did in a miraculous fightback to clinch only their second-ever berth in the continental showcase.

“We want to be competitive al­­though it will be a tough mission in the group that includes Japan, Saudi Arabia and Syria,” Jordan coach Adnan Hamad said.       

“But we still have great ambition and hope to pass the first round.”

Both Japan and Saudi Arabia are aiming for a record fourth title.

Veteran goalkeeper Amer Shafia said: “Our goal is to achieve the best possible result from our match against Japan that we will enjoy anyway. We seek to be true competitors.”

The 28-year-old has a score to settle when Al-Nashima (Brave Ones) face Japan in their Group B opener on Jan 9.

The Blue Samurai sprang back from 2-0 down to beat Jordan 4-3 on penalties with him between the posts in the 2004 Asian Cup quarter-finals in China. Japan went on to beat the hosts for their third title.

Hamad, a former Iraq national coach who managed Jordanian club Al-Faisaly in 2006, helped turn Jordan’s fortunes in Asian Cup qualifying after he took over Al-Nashima from Portuguese Nelo Vingada in April 2009.

Jordan had a single point from their first three games, including a goalless draw at home with Thailand, when the 49-year-old Iraqi tactician joined them.

Under his leadership, the Jor­danians lost to Iran 1-0 away but beat them 1-0 at home before another 0-0 draw with Thailand.

Jordan emerged out of the quagmire with a 2-1 home win over Sin­gapore in their last qualifier before which they were still one point behind the two South-East Asian sides. Iraq beat Thailand 1-0 to finish top of their group.

Hamad, who was named the 2004 Asian Coach of the Year after guiding Iraq to a fourth place finish at the Athens Olympics, has brought young players into Jordan’s squad, many of whom took part in the 2007 Under-20 World Cup.

He said his team included “players that would not only serve the upcoming Asian Cup but World Cup qualifiers and beyond”.

Abdullah Deeb, a promising 23-year-old striker who rejoined home league side Shabab Al-Ordon last year after a season with Belgium’s KV Mechelen, said: “We want to take our chance and prove ourselves by playing against top teams in the Asian Cup.”

He may boost Jordan’s firepower with 27-year-old Al Faisaly striker Moayyad Abu Keshek.

Hamad harbours no illusions about their Group B opponents, particularly Japan.

“Playing against Japan will be very difficult particularly because they have gained a lot of experience from international tournaments,” he said.

Jordan got a morale-boosting 4-1 friendly win over Asian Cup holders Iraq at home in September but crashed out in the group stages of the West Asian Championship they hosted in the same month.

  

Being second not good enough for Saudi Arabia

DOHA: Three-time Asian Cup winners Saudi Arabia believe it is time to end their title drought since 1996 with coach Jose Peseiro hoping to put their World Cup heartbreak behind them.

Peseiro, who kept his job despite the Saudis failing to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in 20 years, tested new talent and rested his key players at the Gulf Cup, several weeks before the continental showcase.

The Portuguese tactician insisted it was the right decision although home fans criticised him after the Green Falcons lost to Kuwait 1-0 on Dec 5 in the final of the increasingly popular Mideast tournament.

“The Gulf Cup helped us a lot to know the ability of some new players,” the 50-year-old coach said as Saudi Arabia prepared for the Asian Cup group matches against Syria, Jordan and Japan.

“I am sure that the Saudi team is going to compete for the title.”

At the 2007 Asian Cup, the Saudis were stunned by dark horses Iraq 1-0 in the final after outlasting fellow three-time champions Japan 3-2 in the semi-finals.

Captain Yasser Al Qahtani, a key Saudi striker who scored four goals to share the 2007 Asian Cup Golden Boot, said his team had a “big incentive to get the Asian title back”.

“Saudi fans don’t accept the runners-up place like the last one. They want no less than the title,” said the 28-year-old Al-Hilal forward, nicknamed The Sniper for his ability to shoot from anywhere with precision.

“We have a lot of young players in the team capable of playing in this big tournament and we are optimistic to win it in Qatar.”

Al Ittihad forward Naif Hazazi, who turns 22 during the Asian Cup, boosts the Green Falcons’ firepower and has been widely rated as one of the top guns in the Middle East since his international debut two years ago.

Saudi defender Hamad Al Mon­tashari said: “Our group is not easy but I think it will not be tough for us.

“We have big ambitions and our team is favourite,” added the 28-year-old veteran, the 2005 Asian Footballer of the Year, who also won the 2004 and 2005 AFC Champions League titles with Al Ittihad.

Peseiro, a Real Madrid assistant coach in 2003, took the Green Falcons’ helm in early 2009 in the middle of their losing World Cup qualifying campaign and has enjoyed a wealth of talent to choose from the well-heeled Saudi Leagues.

He has also managed numerous clubs since 1992 with mixed results, including Sporting CP of Lisbon.

An advocate of Portuguese-style passing football, he has preferred to put five men in midfield but is seen likely to put two strikers up front in Qatar.

His tactics paid off in mid-Novem­ber at home when his squad forged 0-0 draws with Ghana, the World Cup quarter-finalists, and Uganda.

“The Saudi team is in a transition period aiming to integrate new blood to build the team for the future,” he said. “We are trying to give a chance to many players to show their stuff and what they did with their clubs.”

  

Zaccheroni confident of another high after Asiad triumphs

DOHA: Japan are taking nothing for granted at the Asian Cup after their best-ever World Cup on foreign soil, as Middle East rivals line up to spoil the Blue Samurai’s bid to regain the continental title.

Japan bowed to fellow three-time champions Saudi Arabia 3-2 in the 2007 Asian Cup semi-finals, failing to lift a third straight title, and now the two giants are grouped together with Jordan and Syria in Qatar.

Despite a run of warm-up defeats, the Blue Samurai reached the World Cup last-16 in South Africa in June when North Korea, South Korea and Australia – but none of West Asian powerhouses – also represented the continent.

“We are aiming high as a matter of course,” Japan coach Alberto Zaccheroni said, citing the country’s World Cup feat and their triumphs in both men’s and women’s tournaments at the Asian Games in November.

But the former AC Milan boss admitted: “I expect tremendous battles ahead. Australia and South Korea may headline the tournament.

“But I feel that teams from the Middle East will be quite formidable as they can fight in conditions quite close to home.”

In their opening game on Jan 9, Japan face Jordan, whom they narrowly defeated 4-3 on penalties in the 2004 Asian Cup quarter-finals before going on to beat hosts China for the trophy.

Zaccheroni, who had never coached a national team or foreign club before joining Japan, got off to a convincing start after taking over from homegrown World Cup boss Takeshi Okada.

With the 57-year-old Italian in charge for the first time, Japan upset a full-strength Argentina 1-0 at home and fought to a scoreless draw away with cross-strait rivals South Korea in friendlies in October.

“Going out with this line-up, we should not fear any opponent,” Zaccheroni said as he called up eight Europe-based players, including CSKA Mos­cow midfielder Keisuke Honda and Borussia Dortmund rookie Shinji Kagawa.

Honda scored in Japan’s wins over Cameroon and Denmark at the World Cup. Japan bowed to Holland 1-0 in the other group match and missed a quarter-final spot by a penalty shootout loss to Paraguay.

Kagawa, 21, has attracted Euro­pean clubs by scoring eight goals in the first half of the Bundesliga season after moving from J-League side Cerezo Osaka.

“The Asian Cup will be a tournament where we will demonstrate how much we have improved after the World Cup,” said Honda, known for his aggressive play and straight-talking approach.

“Of course, there is only one thing we aim for,” said the 24-year-old, who has always vowed to go for the title in any tournament.

Zaccheroni though will be missing World Cup centrebacks Yuji Nakazawa and Marcus Tulio Tanaka through knee injuries, something he called a “great blow”.

But Cesena’s Yuto Nagatomo, Atsuto Uchida of Schalke and Maya Yoshida of VVV Venlo are ready to guard the Samurai’s backline.

“The history of Japanese football won’t end at the Asian Cup. I want to use as many young players as possible to prepare well for the 2014 World Cup,” said the Italian.