Gillingham appoint Taylor as interim boss

14 October 2013 18:52

Peter Taylor has been appointed interim manager of Gillingham following the departure of Martin Allen.

The League One club announced on Sunday that Allen had been dismissed after a slow start to the season that saw them win just two of their opening 11 league fixtures.

Last term’s League Two champions failed to win any of their first 10 matches in all competitions, but successive wins against Crewe Alexandra and MK Dons looked to have eased the pressure on Allen.

However, Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at Shrewsbury Town proved the final straw for the Gillingham board, who have acted quickly to bring Taylor back to the Priestfield Stadium – where he managed in 1999-00 – on a temporary basis.

In a statement published on Gillingham’s official website, chairman Paul Scally explained that the “huge response” from managers interested in taking the job means appointing a permanent successor will take “some considerable time”.

“With that in mind, and based on my view that the playing staff require some immediate assistance to prepare for up and coming games, I contacted Peter Taylor to ascertain whether he would consider coming back to the club on an ‘interim manager’,” Scally added.

“I am delighted that Peter has accepted this role and he will take responsibility for the team with immediate effect, taking charge of our game against Preston on Saturday and thereafter until a permanent appointment is made.”

FIFA World Cup Qualifying Preview: Peru v Bolivia

14 October 2013 18:25

Bolivia will look to lift themselves off the foot of the table in their final FIFA World Cup qualification match in Peru on Tuesday.

Xabier Azkargorta’s side have endured a disappointing campaign in the South American qualifying section, with just two victories taken from their 15 fixtures.

They sit bottom of the pool, one point behind eighth-placed Paraguay, but could restore some pride by taking maximum points against Sergio Markarian’s men at the Estadio Nacional de Lima.

If Bolivia do pick up their third win of the campaign and Paraguay fail to beat second-placed Colombia in Asuncion, they would at least avoid the ignominy of propping up the final standings.

However, Azkargorta’s team are on a run of eight games without victory, with their last win coming in a 2-1 friendly triumph over Haiti in February.

There were signs of improvement in a 1-1 draw at home to Ecuador in their last qualifier though, when they were only denied a win as Felipe Caicedo’s penalty cancelled out Jaime Arrascaita’s opener.

Flamengo striker Marcelo Moreno is the man Bolivia will look to provide the attacking impetus against Peru, with the 26-year-old having four goals to his name thus far in the campaign.

Victory will not come easy, however, with Peru desperate to end their own winless run.

Markarian’s side have gone five matches without victory, and have lost their last three matches in a row.

Peru could feasibly finish bottom of the group if Bolivia reverse a four-goal swing, and Paraguay beat Colombia.

Key to their hopes will be Schalke forward Jefferson Farfan, who has notched five goals in the pool so far.

Their latest fixture saw them take an unlikely 1-0 lead against Argentina through Claudio Pizarro’s 21st-minute strike last Friday.

But they were unable to hold out in Buenos Aires, as a brace from Ezequiel Lavezzi and a Rodrigo Palacio goal earned a 3-1 victory for the group winners.

Sevilla sweat on Rakitic fitness

14 October 2013 18:01

Sevilla have confirmed Ivan Rakitic has not torn his groin, but the midfielder remains a doubt for Sunday’s La Liga clash with Valladolid.

The 25-year-old Croatian sustained a groin injury during his country’s 2-1 defeat to Belgium in their FIFA World Cup qualifier on Friday.

The problem was severe enough to mean Rakitic had to withdraw from Croatia’s final Group A qualifying fixture in Scotland on Tuesday.

However, initial tests have revealed he did not suffer a tear, although he will continue rehabilitation with his club as he battles to be fit for the trip to Valladolid.

A statement on Sevilla’s official website read: “Ivan Rakitic underwent an MRI today to check on the state of the muscle injury he suffered over the international break in a match between his native Croatia and Belgium.

“The footballer was unable to play in the ensuing game because of the injury and initial reports by the Croatian staff indicated that he didn’t suffer a muscle tear.

“Now in Sevilla, the club medical staff examined the player and determined that he will need to undergo additional tests to ensure that he is fit.

“The result of the tests confirmed that he had no such tear, but he will need to be monitored continually to avoid a setback.

“According to the Sevilla medical staff, because of the nature of the muscle it is difficult to establish a concrete timetable.

“Thus, Rakitic will have to continue his daily rehab to maintain progress before he can return to the pitch.

“The Croatian began his rehabilitation routine on Monday at the training ground, and he remains uncertain to start in the match this weekend against Valladolid.”

Low set to rotate squad against Sweden

14 October 2013 17:42

Germany manager Joachim Low plans to use Tuesday’s fixture with Sweden to utilise fringe players in his squad.

With qualification to the FIFA World Cup having been secured by Friday’s 3-0 victory over Republic of Ireland, Germany have the chance to tinker with their starting XI for their final qualification game in Group C.

It means the likes of Mario Gotze, Mats Hummels and Julian Draxler will all push for a place in the line-up and attempt to stake their claim for a regular starting berth.

Germany also have two friendlies in November, against Italy and Chile, giving Low plenty of time to experiment with his side.

But Low will resist the temptation to make wholesale changes as Germany are focused on earning their ninth victory of the group in Solna.

“It’s not going to be eight positions because it’s important that we maintain a certain rhythm now, but I think I will test in the next three games – Tuesday and the two in November,” he said.

“We have won eight out of nine and now we want to win the 10th game so we do have motivation.

“Gotze is an option for both – he could start, but he could start on the bench.

“We know he’s not ready for a full 90 minutes as he’s had very little match practice and rarely played 90 minutes in recent months.”

Sweden will be without suspended forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic for the fixture, but Low believes that could work out better in the long term for Erik Hamren’s side, who are likely to secure a play-off berth by virtue of being one of the eight best runners-up.

He continued: “I think it’s good for Sweden that he’s not suspended in the play-offs as Sweden do benefit a lot from him and he’s an eminently important player for them.

“Maybe they’re not so unhappy that he’s not playing now, but that he’s back for the play-off.”

Ferguson remains confident over United future

14 October 2013 17:32

Former Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson feels the club are poised for further success, despite their poor start to the season.

The Premier League champions sit ninth in the table after their first seven games, from which they have taken just 10 points.

Defeats to rivals Manchester City and Liverpool have underlined the club’s early struggles, with David Moyes – who took over from Ferguson following his retirement in May – coming in for criticism.

Ferguson won 38 trophies with United after experiencing three barren years following his appointment in 1986.

And – speaking outside Old Trafford at an event to mark the renaming of nearby Water’s Reach road to ‘Sir Alex Ferguson Way’ – the Scot stressed his view that the club will remain at the top of English football.

“It’s a great, great football club. And I still think that a lot of our young fans don’t remember that there were bad days,” he said.

“Dealing with bad days is what we’re good at. This club will always go on.

“We’ve got a fantastic set-up, great staff, wonderful people and there’s only one way and that’s up for Manchester United.”