Category: News

28 November 2012 02:06

Newcastle Jets skipper Jobe Wheelhouse says Gary van Egmond’s decision to reject an offer to coach Sydney FC has provided a boost for the club.

Traditionally, the town of Newcastle has been seen as a ‘country cousin’ to the New South Wales capital of Sydney and in the past young Jets such as Mark Bridge and Stuart Musalik have been lured by lucrative offers to join the Sky Blues.

However, Wheelhouse said the news that van Egmond had rejected an offer to join their bitter rivals proves that the club is just as strong as any in the A-League.

“I think so,” Wheelhouse said. “It is a bit surprising for us, but it is good that he’s staying with us. He’s got a contract here and he’s going to fulfill it, so it is good for us.

“It is a pretty tough job in Sydney but he is a good coach so I can see why they would want to poach him.”

Wheelhouse said that van Egmond’s decision to stay also shows that the club are united in their vision to build a powerhouse for the future.

“We’re trying to implement what he’s trying to do, we’ve always done that and he’s always had our backing,” Wheelhouse said of the coach.

“We’re doing quite well and we’re trying to build things for the future.

“We’ve got quite a young squad and he’s brought a lot of those players here so I don’t see why he’d want to abandon them now.

“We are trying to build for the future we could have gone out and bought 28-year-old established players but it probably wouldn’t have done anything for us in the long run.”

On the field, the Jets captain acknowledged that they will have to address their defensive issues if they are to compete for the title this year.

Newcastle have conceded 16 goals in just eight matches this season and a clean sheet is one of the key focuses this week ahead of their Round 9 clash with the Brisbane Roar at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night.

“We’re sitting in equal third on the ladder and that’s not a disaster by any means,” said Wheelhouse.

“But it’s been well documented that we haven’t had a clean sheet and that’s what we’re trying to implement.

“We want to keep clean sheets and it makes it easier for our front boys to not have to score three or four goals every game.”

28 November 2012 02:00

Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas believes Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers is the man to bring Champions League football back to Anfield.

The Portuguese boss is preparing to host Rodgers’ Liverpool at White Hart Lane in the Premier League on Wednesday, knowing a win can take Spurs into the top four, but with their opponents on an eight-game unbeaten run of their own, he remains wary of the threat they pose.

“At the moment they (Liverpool) are on a good run in terms of form,” Villas-Boas told reporters.

“They would want ideally to turn the draws into wins. In a couple of games there were very close to winning but they didn’t get the result that they wanted.

“They are in an awkward position in the league at the moment but the distance between the teams (in the middle of the table) is not a lot so it can change dramatically for them and they can join the top-10 very soon.

“The power of the club is extremely high and the quality of the players and I think eventually they will join the battle for the top spots.”

Villas-Boas is very familiar with Rodgers – the pair having worked together as part of Jose Mourinho’s backroom staff at Chelsea, and admits he has followed his former colleague’s career ever since.

He added: “The first time I came across Brendan was at an FA coaching course when we were trying to get our degrees and qualifications, we didn’t know that our ways would cross paths.

“I saw him again when we were at Chelsea in 2004, when he was there as a youth team coach and he had done really well since then.

“He started his career at the right time, went through a difficult period at Watford. He came strong at Reading and Swansea. He’s in a position which he deserves to be and he has a bright future.”

And Rodgers said he is targeting the European top-tier for his club, citing Tottenham as the template to follow to get there.

The club have not competed in Europe’s top club competition since the 2009-10 season after failing to qualify through the Premier League for the past three seasons.

Rodgers has acknowledged the historical importance of European football and believes Wednesday’s opponents Spurs serve as a blueprint for how to regain their Champions League status in the future.

“Over the course of the summer they (Tottenham) invested something in the region of 55 million pounds net in terms of everything they were putting into the group,” Rodgers told reporters.

“But it is not just in the last window, Tottenham have been building the group steadily and have worked their way up the league to become challengers for those Champions League positions.

“We are trying to arrive in that position and we see what sometimes it takes in order to do that.

“Of course Liverpool want to be in for the top players and top talents and this is a club which will bring those players here.

“But obviously a lot of players want to be in the Champions League so if they want to come in here that is an area we want to get into in the coming years.

“We know we are not too far away and are very close to arriving in that zone that we want to be in.”

28 November 2012 01:59

AC Milan goalkeeper Marco Amelia believes that he and Christian Abbiati are the best goalkeeping pair in Italy.

The 30-year-old was called into action at the last minute for his side’s 1-0 Serie A win over Juventus on Sunday after Abbiati pulled out of the game with back pain, and he performed admirably in difficult circumstances.

“It isn’t easy going into a game like Milan-Juventus with only a few minutes’ warning, but fortunately I have a strong personality and the experience to face delicate situations like this,” Amelia told Milan Channel.

“In my view, Abbiati and I are the best pair of goalkeepers in Italy today. Maybe only Juventus with Gianluigi Buffon and Marco Storari have two figures of the same level as Milan.

“There is also hope for the future, as Gabriel (Ferreira) is an excellent goalkeeper for one so young. Right now he is shut out by me and Abbiati, but I am sure he’ll have a great future ahead of him.”

Amelia was also keen to speak of the improved mood at San Siro, as Massimiliano Allegri’s men look to gain momentum in Serie A after a poor start to the season.

“The psychological state of the squad has changed recently and when we feel like that, we can play better and with more confidence,” he said.

“I’m glad to say the game with Juventus was the first time this season we’ve really felt San Siro fired up for us.

“The players need to feel the support of the fans at this moment to get back to the level we had in recent years.”

28 November 2012 01:47

Napoli striker Edinson Cavani is optimistic about his side’s Serie A title chances, stating that he and his team-mates are ‘on the case’.

The club currently sit second on the table – two points behind leaders Juventus – and Cavani believes that the Scudetto is a realistic target this season.

“Winning the championship is not a dream so far. Juve are easily reachable. Let’s just say that the team and I are on the case,” Cavani told reporters.

“I did not come to Naples to do more than (Diego) Maradona. I came here to get into people’s hearts and leave a mark in the history of the club.”

Cavani was full of gratitude for his current situation, but admitted that his competitive nature was a huge driving force behind his success and that Napoli must be prepared to try anything to be victorious.

“For me it is an exceptional time and I have to thank, first and foremost, my family,” he said.

“Whenever I’m on the field I want to win at all costs, I struggle to digest the defeats.

“In life you can be as gentle as doves, but on the field we players have to be eagles.”

28 November 2012 01:33

Harry Redknapp is targeting fine home form to secure QPR’s Premier League survival after opening his Hoops reign with a draw at Sunderland.

The former Tottenham and Portsmouth boss admits morale is low among the Rangers squad but is eyeing the club’s first league win of the season against Aston Villa at the weekend.

He told reporters: “Confidence is going to be a bit shot. We’ve got a big game on Saturday with Villa, and I think we’ve got to make Loftus Road a little bit like what Portsmouth used to be, a tough place to go.

“It’s a small stadium, intimidating and if we can show the fans we’re going to have a real go and they get behind us, it’ll be a tough place to come.

“It’s going to be tough, we mustn’t kid ourselves. You look at the position we’re in, it’s very, very difficult.

“I can see there’s some decent players there that need to play as a team. And if we can put them together and get them to play together, we’ve got a chance.”

Sunderland manager Martin O’Neill believes his side are also suffering from a lack of confidence at present, and insisted he understands the frustration displayed by the fans at the Stadium of Light.

He said: “Its’ a sign of character to be able to play the ball that you choose and not the one that the crowd want you to play.

“Ours wouldn’t be the only crowd getting anxious about things. What was frustrating that at times we were playing the ball back to the goalkeeper when we really should have been getting it forward, but outside that it’s just part of the game.

“The lads said it was really tough last year. Around about this time, a couple of the matches before Steve (Bruce) departed were particularly tough. We have to tough it out.”