Bob Houghton has resigned as India coach after allegations of racism were dropped by the country’s football federation.The Englishman, 63, was the subject of an investigation by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) following claims that he made a racist remark to a match official during a friendly against Yemen last October.
Houghton, who coached Swedish club Malmo to the 1979 European Cup final, described the allegations as ‘nonsensical’.
“The AIFF feels that in the absence of any definitive and concrete evidence the allegations against Mr Houghton cannot be sustained and therefore the AIFF agrees to withdraw all charges and allegations made against him,” the statement said.
“However, Mr. Houghton, for his personal reasons, does not wish to continue working in India and in his position as the head coach of the Indian football team.”
Houghton, who took over India in 2006, was contracted until 2013 after agreeing a new deal last year.
His tenure was marked by public disagreements with AIFF officials over the state of football infrastructure in the country and he had been tipped to walk away on several occasions.
Some sources have suggested that the federation agreed to drop the charges in exchange for Houghton’s resignation, with the arrangement reportedly suiting both parties.
A single point. Saturday, lunch time kick-off, the time earmarked as the moment Manchester United would go out to Ewood Park and do the job required of them in sealing a record 19th League title and surpass Liverpool’s tally of 18.
Yet, it was very nearly not to be. A strong side having been named, Sir Alex Ferguson made sure he showed his opponents respect in not wanting to show any complacency in his squad selection, recognising that until it was mathematically true, United were in no way guaranteed to be champions.
The only major change being Tomasz Kuszscak taking position between the posts in place of Edwin Van Der Sar proved to be a decision that may well have been a regret in wanting to rest the retiring Dutch ‘keeper, keeping him fresh for his final most important moments of the season and indeed his career. His Polish stand in having a torrid day, looking nervy and leading to a dominant United side being deflated after going one goal down after 20 minutes.
There on in United looked restless, shaky and frustrated against a resilient Blackburn, and it looked as though it might not be their day until with under 20 minutes left, Javier Hernandez broke through Blackburn’s back four, beating the offside trap and just about latching on to a sublime pass from Ryan Giggs, and although the ball looked beyond him, the young Mexican was able to take a touch away from Paul Robinson who dived out, taking Hernandez with him, conceding a penalty and providing Wayne Rooney with the opportunity to take his team within minutes of being crowned champions.
In front of United’s travelling support, Rooney stepped up to emphatically drive home his spot kick, leading Ferguson’s men to see out the match, with Blackburn not looking to challenge from there on, until the final whistle was blown, and Manchester United were once again crowned Premier League Champions. With that, here are five things that may be taken from the game.
1) Tomasz Kuszscak – Weakest Link
On such a momentous day, I will try and limit the negative statements. However, as is this also an analysis of the match itself, I would not be doing what was expected of me if there was not some sort of critique of certain performances, and the one that is certain to be considered a let down unanimously is that of Van Der Sar’s understudy. If, as expected, Kuszscak is leaving Old Trafford this Summer, he will not have left fans with a pleasant leaving moment.
A nervy performance throughout, his own lack of assurance in United’s goal seemed to filter through to the rest of the defence, looking an indecisive unit at a time when Van Der Sar would have allowed for far more control. It started badly when he failed to make up his mind as to whether or not to pick up a ball that may well have been judged a back pass, early in the first half and from there was never able to regain any confidence, looking out of sorts when coming for crosses and could have dealt with matters better in the build up to the opening goal of the game, looking to chase the ball after it had been crossed and finding himself out of position.
Perhaps a lack of match practise had been to blame, perhaps nerves had played a part knowing his contribution was of importance in helping seal the title, but whatever may have been affecting him, it does not excuse what was a below-par showing at a time when Ferguson will have wanted to keep Van Der Sar fresh in not having to play him when a reliable option is available. For a goalkeeper who has had positive contributions at times in his United career, his performance on Saturday afternoon emphasised the importance in picking an adequate replacement for next season as United’s first choice goalkeeper.
2) Paul Scholes appearance helped to regain control
With a defence that looked short on confidence for various reasons, after conceding an avoidable goal, United came under pressure from Blackburn. Despite having more possession, in terms of attempts, Blackburn were more than a match for Ferguson’s team, with his side failing to make much of the possession they had, even coming close to conceding a second when early in the second half When Olsson rose above Valencia to powerfully head the ball against the post.
However, United held on, refusing to lay low, and when Scholes was brought on for Fabio, it helped to regain a dominance in midfield, bringing a personality that had been there before, knowing what was required for the big occasion, and although still stifled by Blackburn’s resistance, the display began to look more self assured, showing threatening signs until Giggs played a superb pass to Hernandez leading to being awarded a penalty that would seal the title.
3) Ryan Giggs continues to astound
On what might otherwise be described as a day of frustration for Manchester United, fans will no doubt feel reassured that no matter what, there is always a big game personality, who might produce something that may just be enough to see their side through. On many occasions this season, that man has been Ryan Giggs, and once again provided yet more evidence for this on Saturday afternoon, helping orchestrate the moments that led to the all important title-winning goal.
However, this was not his only contribution, in a game that saw the seasoned veteran out run players over 10 years his junior, tracking back to win the ball and providing top quality tackles in fighting for every ball. Saturday, 14th May 2011 marked the day Ryan Giggs won his 12th League title, adding yet more gloss to an already glistening career, there was not a single player in the squad that deserved such praise as he. A great role model on the pitch, and no doubt a superb advertisement for yoga as well.
4) The critics have been answered
The game at Ewood Park certainly seemed to sum up United’s season away from home, often looking indifferent, their consistency at Old Trafford has truly made the difference in what has been an unusual but refreshing season for the Barclays Premier League. Teams have been more competitive than ever, the neutral will have been extremely entertained when teams have been so closely competing. The fact that nothing had been decided so late on was testament to the strength of competition within the league.
Matches found themselves to be far less predictable, with no one game allowed to be taken for granted. With a lack of dominance at the top of the table, some took on this fact to criticise United, despite being top for much of the season it was felt that the squad that had been assembled was far from vintage, and as such were considered lacklustre and poor. However, some will argue that it was simply a case that other sides had also improved, with the likes of Tottenham, Manchester City and later, Liverpool emerging as stronger sides.
Indeed, United had suffered with the loss of Ronaldo, as well as being hampered by injuries to important players like Ferdinand and Valencia as well as the retirement of Gary Neville. But regardless of the opinions on Ferguson’s men, what cannot be denied is their desire to win, the hard working attitude and the fact that a game was never lost in their minds, refusing to give in with this belief often rescuing matches. An example is when United travelled to Blackpool. It had looked to be one of those days, a nightmare when Blackpool went 2 goals up early on. However, in the second half a resurgent squad worked their way back into the match, exploiting Blackpool’s weaknesses to pull away with a victory.
Throughout the season this attitude has been evident and for all the faults of the team, some quality football has also been played, hitting form with the return of key players, emphasised most by Antonio Valencia, returning from such a long lay-off to become an ever present threat on the right wing, and providing a new attacking edge to United’s play.
Of course, the emergence of Javier Hernandez is also not to be forgotten, scoring 20 goals in all competitions so far, he has been regarded by many as the signing of the season, especially given the relatively modest sum that was paid for him, in light of other grotesquely more expensive signings, such as that made by Chelsea in January for a certain Spanish striker.
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5) 19 Times. All eyes on Barcelona.
Naturally, Sir Alex Ferguson will not take the final game of the season against Blackpool lightly. The fact the title has already been won, he will no doubt want to end the season with a victory on which to receive the trophy officially, setting up a wild celebration amongst the United faithful.
The fact the title has been sealed will now mean all the focus will be on the Champion’s League final at Wembley, and with the game against Blackpool as well as Gary Neville’s testimonial still to come, these games will provide opportunity for Ferguson to analyse which of his squad will be starting at Wembley on 28th May, as well as keeping his players fresh with some game time before the big occasion.
As is Sir Alex Ferguson’s way, he will be looking on to the next one. For now though, his players will be allowed to revel in their achievement, bask in their glory for what they have done. To overhaul Liverpool’s tally of 18 titles is something that many will never have foreseen. A remarkable feat, but as is Ferguson’s way, he will soon be looking on to the next opportunity, and soon will be looking to the next season, it what will provide a new challenge. But for now fans will enjoy such glorious times of happiness and celebrate the victory of a side that has been written off throughout. 19 times. Well and truly deserved.
Men of the match: Phil Jones for Blackburn. Ryan Giggs for Manchester United.
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Beijing Guoan went third on the Chinese Super League table with a 3-0 win at Nanchang Hengyuan on Saturday, while Shaanxi were held.Beijing, who finished an agonising two points shy of the AFC Champions League places last season, maintained their strong start by routing Nanchang in a bright second half.
Portuguese import Roberto scored his first goal in a Beijing shirt on 33 minutes, a prelude for what was to come after the break.
Honduras international Walter Martinez picked up his second goal in as many games in the 70th minute, before midfielder Wang Changqing added the finishing touches with a 90th-minute sealer.
Beijing move to third place, one point behind Guangzhou and two points off leaders Hangzhou Lucheng after five games.
Elsewhere, Shaanxi Chanba faltered at home to Changchun Yatai, settling for a 1-1 draw after both clubs made early inroads.
Changchun striker Zhang Wenzhao opened the visitors’ account with a goal in the 12th minute, one that was matched by former Zilina attacker Tomas Oravec 10 minutes later.
In other results, Qingdao Jonoon bounced back from consecutive defeats to edge Dalian Shide 2-1 in a thriller at Qingdao Tiantai Stadium.
Qingdao, who escaped relegation by the skin of their teeth last season, rocketed to a two-goal lead by the 55th minute thanks to a brace by Brazilian attacker Eber.
Bulgarian striker Martin Kamburov kept it interesting by pegging one back for Dalian in the 70th minute.
Finally, Jiangsu Sainty and Henan Construction fought out a 1-1 draw at the Nanjing Olympic Sports Center.
China international Zhao Peng put Henan ahead in the 11th minute, a lead that would last only seven minutes before on-loan Adelaide United striker Bruce Djite found the net.
Manchester United winger Nani admits Barcelona’s passing game could cause his team trouble in the UEFA Champions League final.United will be looking to add to their English Premier League title when they take on Pep Guardiola’s team in the European decider at Wembley on May 28.
Nani said on Wednesday it was important for United to apply pressure and not allow Barcelona to settle into their possession game.
“It is a big problem because no-one likes to run behind the ball and try to get the ball all the time,” the Portuguese star said.
“It is very difficult when that happens but we must try to get the ball off them as quickly as possible because if we have the ball they cannot do the possession and we can get a goal if we have the ball.”
Sir Alex Ferguson’s team will need to stop the star-studded Barcelona team and Nani acknowledged the problems Lionel Messi, Xavi and Andres Iniesta would pose.
“I think Barcelona is a very talented team. They are special because of the way they play,” Nani said.
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“We don’t have a lot of teams that can play the same style. Of course, they have very good players, individual players.”
Both United and Barcelona will be looking to win their fourth European crowns.
Brazilian legend Ronaldo is to play one final match for his country before hanging up his boots.The 34-year-old will line up for the five-time World Cup winners in a friendly against Romania on Tuesday.
Ronaldo officially retired in February after a glittering 18-year career, but the Brazilian Football Confederation have decided to honour the striker by giving him the chance to appear in a farewell game.
Ronaldo’s team-mates were clearly delighted to have him back in the fold, and while they are planning to give him a good send-off, the players are equally determined to win the game.
“As I said, this game is a celebration but we obviously want to win,” AC Milan striker Robinho said.
“We know this will be a celebration for Ronaldo, who deserves all this, but for this celebration to be even better we need to score goals and win.”
Brazil’s head coach Mano Menezes has had mixed results since taking over from Dunga last year.
The match gives him a chance to prepare for the Copa America, a trophy which Brazil won in 2007 and will defend in Argentina next month.
And although the hosts are being tipped as Brazil’s main rivals, Menezes is taking the tournament one step at a time.
“Brazil cannot worry first about Argentina . We have to think first about Venezuela , Ecuador , Paraguay , which are the teams we will face in the qualifiers,” Menezes said.
“If we move ahead, and that is our objective and I think we have great chances of doing so, then we will worry about our rivals in the quarter-finals, then in the semi-finals and so on.”
“There is no point in worrying about the something that we still have not achieved – that is, thinking too much about Argentina and forgetting the others.”
Brazil coach Mano Menezes said his side were ‘too obvious’ going forward after their 0-0 draw against Venezuela in the Copa America.In their opening game of the tournament in Argentina, the defending champions were unable to find a way through a determined Venezuelan defence, and at times looked out of ideas.
They came close when Milan striker Alexandre Pato hit the crossbar, but Menezes conceded his side could have played better in a heated encounter.
“The result was bad, because we played better than Venezuela,” Menezes said.
“We had the control and the initiative of the match, but we lacked clarity in some choices, mainly to find players in the finishing moments.”
“We were too obvious. The ball got to the players who were wide, but they were too far away from Pato and the play could not flow. That is something we have to work on during the week.”
“It looks to me that the pitch hindered faster plays and plays of more quality. However, that is not our problem. We have to look over our performance and correct our problems.”
Lucas Leiva admits Brazil need to improve if they are to become South American champions for the ninth time.
The Liverpool midfielder thinks he and his team-mates controlled the match but knows they must step up when they resume their campaign against Paraguay on Saturday.
“We had control of the match for the most part, we did not let them create a lot of chances,” the 24-year-old said.
“We had the ball that the defender cleared off the line and Pato’s shot against the post. In the second half, we committed more mistakes.
“Now, we have to keep on working in the next matches to play with ball possession and create more chances.”
Venezuela were also fortunate not to concede a penalty in the first half, but coach Cesar Farias was pleased to see his side improve after the interval.
“The result is not just luck. Luck always helps but we have put in a lot of hours in training,” Farias said.
“Venezuela is drawing on many thousand hours for what it takes to be successful in football.”
There were no goals at all in Group B on Sunday, after Ecuador and Paraguay drew 0-0 in the other match.
With the Liverpool Daily Post reporting recently that Jay Spearing could well make a loan move to Wolves this season, it got me thinking about some of the imbalances still apparent in our squad. Although there hasn’t been any real news on his predicted departure, Christian Poulsen will also likely depart this summer if a club can be found for him.
With both Poulsen and Spearing seemingly out the door, it will leave Kenny Dalglish with only one realistic holding midfielder in Lucas Leiva . Although there is now tremendous faith in Lucas after his stellar season last campaign, I still think it would be unwise to go an entire season relying on one player to continue in the holding role.
For sure, it could be argued there is no need for another as the Brazilian showed last year he has tremendous fitness levels which saw him play in nearly every match for the Reds. On top of this, there is less matches to play next season with the Reds not being in Europe, so it seems logical that Lucas could cope well on his own.
I would draw the line though at those who think the Reds could go without a recognised holding midfielder at all in some matches this season. Some fans who have suggested their first choice eleven next season have proffered a central midfield trio of Aquilani, Gerrard and Adam, and although I admit this looks very exciting on paper, the likelihood of such a formation working in reality is negligible. For one thing, you would be asking Adam to play as the most withdrawn of the midfield trio, and one thing we know about the Scot last season is that he can’t tackle. His foul count and his reckless lunge on Gareth Bale is testament to that.
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In addition, when considering Lucas, you have to consider that he has had a long summer with Brazil at the Copa America and after having only a short break from football he may not be as fresh or fit as he was last season. His form may dip or he could pick up an injury; it is something you really shouldn’t take a risk on by not having a backup option.
It is one of the reasons why I have been advocating for us to buy a strong physical defensive midfielder like Yann M’Vila or Blaise Matuidi . (The Reds have actually been linked with Lee Cattermole for £10million but I am hoping this is nothing more than a rumour).
If finances dictate however that the priority for signings lies elsewhere, such as left back and centre half, the Reds may have to look in house unless either Spearing or Poulsen stay. The most logical choice would of course be Conor Coady .
The youngster has impressed in pre-season already, after scoring against Guangdong, and the fact he has already featured in many squads under Dalglish at the back end of last season, suggest King Kenny maybe keen to give him a chance in the first team.
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The most likely scenario would be that he features in a few League Cup ties next season, but with FSG and Kenny keen to ensure that exciting youngsters have an opportunity to progress to first team level, I feel Conor may have the talent to step up if he is called upon. What do you think?
Read more of David Tully’s articles at Live4Liverpool
Corinthians have confirmed they will be unable to sign Manchester City’s Carlos Tevez before the Brazilian transfer window closes.The Sao Paulo-based club have pulled out of negotiations to sign Argentina striker Tevez, with the clubs unable to finalise the deal before Brazil’s transfer deadline of Wednesday 20 July.
Despite City manager Roberto Mancini claiming on Monday that a fee had been agreed for the 27-year-old, a formal statement attributed to Corinthians director of football Edu Gasper confirmed the transfer has fallen through.
Corinthians are hopeful of renewing negotiations in January.
“The director of Sport Club Corinthians Paulista comes forward officially to communicate the impossibility of the signing of Argentinian forward Carlos Tevez,” the statement read.
“While recognising Manchester City’s efforts and those of everyone involved, there’s no more time for the signing to be finalised, considering that the window to sign players from abroad ends on Wednesday, July 20.”
“We are aware of the dream our fans had of having this player at Corinthians again and we look forward to him being with us in the near future.”
A major issue in negotiations is believed to have been the structure of the fee – Corinthians had hoped the reported fee of 40 million euros could be paid in instalments, but this condition was rejected by City.
It is not yet known if the collapse of the Tevez deal will prevent City from continuing their pursuit of Atletico Madrid forward Sergio Aguero.
Tevez, who requested a transfer as he seeks to move closer to his daughters in Argentina, remains under contract at City until 2014.
He captained the team last season, finishing as the club’s leading goalscorer.
It’s been an exciting summer in the red half of Merseyside with Kenny Dalglish flexing his financial muscles. Over £100 million has been spent since John W. Henry bought the club in October 2010. A January splurge by Dalglish for forwards Andy Carroll and Luis Suarez was followed by another spree, which saw Jordan Henderson, Charlie Adam and Stewart Downing all move to Anfield. It’s been a remarkable upturn in fortunes for Liverpool who look a completely different side to the one that started the 2010/11 campaign under Roy Hodgson. Money has been spent on young and exciting players boasting Premier League experience. Whether they can all gel and take Liverpool back to the summit of the Premier League is uncertain but under King Kenny you’d be foolish to bet against them.
Steve Bruce also splashed the cash this summer bringing in nine new players during pre-season. The most exciting of all is young Connor Wickham signed for £13 million from Ipswich Town. Touted as the future of England’s front line the 18-year-old shows that the Wearsiders have ambition. They looked set for at least a 7th place finish last season only to fall down the table dramatically after the sale of Darren Bent. But the money gained from his and Henderson’s sale have been spent wisely with John O’Shea and Wes Brown being brought in from Manchester United to add experience to a leaky backline. Seb Larsson, David Vaughan and Craig Gardner are shrewd buys from relegated Birmingham City and Blackpooland will offer flair, goals and plenty of graft in the midfield.
With both teams fielding a hoard of new signings this has the makings of a very exciting season opener. Jordan Henderson making his Anfield debut against his boyhood club adds a little extra spice and I think he and his side will come out on top against the Black Cats.
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Verdict: 2-1
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Stoke manager Tony Pulis has revealed that his side failed in attempt to sign Scott Parker on transfer deadline day.
The England international opted to move from relegated West Ham to Tottenham in a £5 million move last week, but the White Hart Lane outfit were not the midfielder’s only choice.
“We did have a go for Parker. It was something we were trying to do for a few weeks,” Pulis admitted to The Sentinel.
“But we realised that if he could, he wanted to stay in London. That was a big part of it with him. I felt there were certain areas of the team we can improve and have to improve and that was one of them.
“I enquired about him and kept in touch with Sam Allardyce to find out what the situation was. But Sam said Parker would prefer to stay in London because he’d got three boys in school there,” the Britannia boss concluded.
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Stoke did manage to confirm the signings of Peter Crouch, Wilson Palacios and Cameron Jerome before the window closed however, and all three are in line to feature for the Midlands club against Liverpool on Saturday.