Fergie’s son makes a return to Peterborough

LONDON: Darren Ferguson wants to win a third promotion with Peterborough after his surprise return to the club.

Ferguson, the son of Manchester United manager Sir Alex, guided the Midlands club from the fourth tier to the Second Division of English football in successive years.

But the 38-year-old Ferguson left to take charge of Division Two club Preston – from where he was sacked last month with the north-west side facing relegation – in November 2009.

Peterborough have got through several managers during during Ferguson’s time away from London Road but Mark Cooper, Jim Gannon and Gary Johnson have all failed to replicate his success.

Johnson exited on Monday but a 2-1 win over Brentford on Tuesday lifted Peterborough up into fifth place and Ferguson was confident the club could make an immediate return to the Second Division.

“You’d have to say automatic promotion is still possible this season,” he told reporters on Wednesday. 

  

Wenger believes Arsenal will enter final despite shock loss

IPSWICH: Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is confident his side will still reach the English League Cup final despite losing the first leg of the semi-final 1-0 at Division Two club Ipswich Town.

But the Frenchman conceded the Gunners will have to play much better in the second leg at the Emirates Stadium on Jan 25 if they are to meet either West Ham or Birmingham at Wembley.

A goal from Tamas Priskin, the Hungarian forward, in the 78th minute sealed victory for an Ipswich side that had sacked manger Roy Keane the previous week, following a so far struggling season in English football’s second tier.

On Saturday they suffered a 7-0 drubbing at the hands of Chelsea in the FA Cup.

“I believe we’ll turn it round, but we got a good warning tonight (Wednesday),” Wenger said after the upset result here at Portman Road.

“We’ll have to put in a better performance. With playing so many games you could see tonight that we had no spark,” the Frenchman added.

“Ipswich were sharper and we made a mistake which they took advantage of. The good thing is that we play at home in the second leg and that can make a difference. We will not always be as lacking in creativity as we were tonight.”

Priskin had previously seen an effort in the first half – an acrobatic overhead kick – ruled out for offside but marked his first start since December with a cool finish from Colin Healy’s through-ball after outpacing Switzerland defender Johan Djourou.

Wenger – desperate to end Arsenal’s six-year wait for a trophy – is trying to recruit an experienced defender before the transfer window shuts.

But he refused to blame those who formed Arsenal’s back-line, in the absence of a number of players either through injury or suspension, for the defeat.

“As a team, we did not put in the performance we wanted tonight,” he said. “In every department we were below our usual level. It would be unfair to put the blame only on the defenders.

“We looked quite in control in the first half. In the second half we looked more vulnerable defensively and I’ll put that down to fatigue.

“We lost the game because we didn’t play as well as we can.

“That would be the main lesson. That we are short defensively, maybe, because we only have two central defenders.”

  

Celtic’s Lennon in more trouble after fresh outburst

GLASGOW: Celtic manager Neil Lennon could find himself in more hot water with the Scottish Football Association (SFA) after yet again berating match officials who he claimed constantly give the big refereeing decisions against his side.

The Hoops boss was left fuming after a number of contentious decisions went against the Scottish Premier League leaders before Anthony Stokes’s stoppage-time penalty salvaged a point in a drama-filled 1-1 draw away to bottom of the table Hamilton on Wednesday.

Lennon was handed a six-match touchline ban by the SFA this week after his appeal for being sent to the stand in a match against Hearts was rejected and he could receive a further ban for comments made following that game.

“I’m angry at some aspects of our play but angry about some of the decisions that have gone against us as well,” Lennon said.

“I just want the officials to do their jobs properly.

“You are talking about big moments in the game again. You are talking about Hamilton’s goal, which shouldn’t have been a goal, and you are talking about a penalty which we should have had.

“It seems to be every week. I don’t want to say anything cause I’m in enough trouble as it is, but it seems to be every other game now that big decisions seem to have gone against us and it’s frustrating,” the 39-year-old former Northern Ireland midfielder said.

  

Villans close in on Makoun deal

LYON: Aston Villa’s manager Gerard Houllier neared agreement on Wednesday to buy Cameroon international midfielder Jean II Makoun from one of his former clubs, Lyon.

The seven-time French champions admitted that their president Jean-Michel Aulas had held talks with Houllier, who coached Lyon from 2005-07, in Paris over the transfer of 27-year-old Makoun for a price of around €6mil.

“The progress of the discussions depends on the agreement of the player and his advisors, who have yet to give their assent,” the French club said in a statement.

Makoun, capped over 50 times and a member of last year’s World Cup finals squad, has been at Lyon since signing from Lille in June 2008 for €14mil joining his former coach Claude Puel at the club.

However, Makoun has never succeeded in winning over the supporters and has been the target of abuse from the stands with many believing he has been favoured by Puel at the expense of other players.

Makoun has made no secret of his desire to leave the club during the transfer window.

  

Tottenham say no athletics if they get 2012 stadium

LONDON: Tottenham Hotspur put themselves on a collision course with Olympic chiefs by insisting they would ditch athletics if they were allowed to take over London’s Olympic stadium following the 2012 Games.

Spurs said on Wednesday they would demolish most of the 80,000-seater athletics arena and replace it with a 60,000-capacity purpose-built football venue if they beat fellow London Premier League club West Ham to the site in the eastern district of Stratford.

A key pledge when London bid for the 2012 Games was that staging the Olympics there would leave a permanent legacy for athletics in the city.

Tottenham’s legacy plan would see the dilapidated Crystal Palace athletics stadium in south London redeveloped.

But Olympic athletes commission head Frankie Fredericks said Wednesday he hoped the London athletics track could stay in place after the 2012 Games.

The four-time Olympic sprint silver medallist, said the idea of the track being ripped up left him with the same “empty feeling” as the transformation of the 1996 Atlanta Olympic stadium, where he won 100 and 200m medals, into a baseball venue.

Tottenham’s proposals for the site are controversial for other reasons too.

They are currently based in White Hart Lane, north London, which has been Spurs’s home ground since 1899.

Moving to the Olympic site would take Spurs out of their own area and into the ‘territory’ of east London club West Ham, who currently play at Upton Park.

It is an idea that has upset both sets of supporters, especially as Spurs have also unveiled plans for a new stadium near White Hart Lane, although this could prove more expensive than building on the Olympic site.

West Ham believe a Tottenham move to Stratford would encroach on their traditional ‘territory’ although Britain’sDaily Telegraph newspaper reported last week the Premier League had no objection to either club moving to the Olympic site.

Many British football fans dislike the idea of a running track at a ground, believing it leaves supporters too far away from the action.

A decision on the Olympic Stadium site’s future is expected in under two months’ time.

  

Cardiff striker Bellamy under arrest for assault

CARDIFF: Wales striker Craig Bellamy has been arrested on suspicion of assault, police said on Wednesday.

Bellamy, who now plays for Cardiff City, was taken into custody after two men were injured in an early morning incident in the Welsh capital last weekend.

The 31-year-old Bellamy was bailed by police on Wednesday.

He was arrested after the alleged assault on Cardiff’s Caroline Street – known locally as “Chippy Lane” – around 2.45am local time on Sunday.

The other two men, aged 20 and 26, both sustained facial injuries.

A South Wales Police spokesman said: “A 31-year-old man has today (Wednesday) been arrested on suspicion of assault and has been bailed pending further inquiries.”

Bellamy, whose previous clubs include Newcastle, Blackburn Rovers and Celtic, is currently on loan to Cardiff, who play in the English Second Division, from Premier League Manchester City.

“We are aware of the reported incident involving one of our players last weekend and feel it would be inappropriate to comment while an ongoing police investigation is under way,” a Cardiff City spokesman said. 

  

Rude wake-up call

LONDON: Kenny Dalglish finally woke up to the harsh reality of managing Liverpool.

The Kop’s caretaker chief lost his second consecutive game since taking over from Roy Hodgson as his flops crashed at humble Blackpool.

After a 10th defeat of the season for Liverpool, and a stunning league double for Blackpool, King Kenny said: “It’s obviously a big challenge – seldom do you get a job where there’s not.

“Every side that has been successful needs a bit of luck but the sooner we get stuck in and don’t feel sorry for ourselves, the better chance we will have.

“But it’s not just that – we have a lot of work to do.”

Fernando Torres put Liverpool into an early lead but Gary Taylor-Fletcher and DJ Campbell gave Blackpool their first double over the Reds in 64 years.

But Dalglish added: “The attitude was encouraging and the harder we try the luckier we will get. So we will keep trying but obviously I’m disappointed we came away with no points.”

Liverpool are now 13th – four places behind Ian Holloway’s battlers – and just 20-1 to get relegated.

Delighted Tangerines manager Ian Holloway labelled the win, which saw his side rise to ninth in the table, said the result was his finest at Blackpool.

“That’s the best of the lot I think,” he said.

“After they took the lead it could have been a long hard horrible night but I’m so proud of my lads.

“If you told me would beat Liverpool home and away before the season I would think you were doolally.”

Meanwhile Holloway urged Charlie Adam to stay at Bloomfield Road.

Several Premier League clubs have expressed an interest in signing Adam this month and the Tangerines have already rejected a £3.5mil bid from Birmingham City for the pivotal midfielder, who has 18 months left on his Blackpool deal.

“If they want to insult me by offering only £3.5 million for Charlie then they are barking up the wrong tree and messing with the wrong dog because I will bite them,” Holloway said.