United stars 'rapped Ronaldo' for derby tantrum

Senior Manchester United players reportedly reprimanded Cristiano Ronaldo following the World Player of the Year's temper tantrum during Sunday's derby at Old Trafford.

Ronaldo showed his dissent towards Sir Alex Ferguson and United backroom staff after being substituted after an hour of the 2-0 win over Manchester City - with the game seemingly won.

Ferguson has refused to comment in public but Ronaldo's antics have drawn strong criticism from pundits and fans and it is believed the United forward's team-mates also made their displeasure clear to the 24-year-old. A club source told The Sun: 'A number were unhappy sbout Ronaldo's behaviour and told him so.

'A lot of these players have grown up with Alex Ferguson as their manager and don't like seeing anyone show him disrespect.'

Ronaldo is expected to be in the United team to face Wigan at the JJB Stadium tonight but Latics boss Steve Bruce, a former Red Devil, has told him he would be mad to leave Old Trafford.

Ronaldo is again being linked with a transfer to Real Madrid but Bruce said: 'Once you leave Old Trafford you find it very difficult.

'Not many have gone on to do well elsewhere, whether they have been a reserve or have been there ten years. It's very difficult to adjust.'

Gerrard claims Writers' prize

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has been voted the 2009 Footballer of the Year by the Football Writers' Association.

The 28-year-old England international topped the poll of journalists ahead of Manchester United duo Ryan Giggs and Wayne Rooney to win the prestigious accolade, which has been running since 1948.

Gerrard, who has led the Reds' challenge to United for the Barclays Premier League title, will receive his award at the FWA's gala dinner at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London on May 29. Chairman of the FWA Steve Bates, chief football writer for The People, said: "Steven's performances this season have been of the highest quality.

"His drive and desire have underpinned Liverpool's Premier League title challenge and ensured a tight finish to the season.

"Steven is clearly in his prime and quite rightly rated one of the finest midfield players of his generation, and the FWA are delighted to honour his contribution to club and country."

Tevez adviser won't rule out Liverpool or City move

Carlos Tevez adviser Kia Joorabchian has refused to rule out the possibility of the Argentina striker signing for one of Manchester United's biggest rivals Liverpool or Manchester City this summer.

Tevez has already admitted he expects to leave Old Trafford at the end of the month following the end of his two-year loan, despite being a big favourite with the fans.

United are unwilling to pay the estimated £22million needed to turn the loan deal into a permanent one and Premier League rivals Manchester City, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur have all been linked with the player – as have Italian giants AC Milan and Spanish champions Real Madrid.

Joorabchian admitted Tevez's preference is to stay in England after successful spells at West Ham and United and that playing in the Champions League will not be a deciding factor – meaning mega-rich Manchester City are in the running to sign the player.

'Everyone wants to play in the biggest competition they can and the Champions League is the biggest, but Carlos is not the kind of person that says I have to play for this club in this situation,' Joorabchian told Sky Sports.

'What he wants to do is to go to a club that has a real ambition to be champions of England and champions of Europe.

'He would have to go to a rival to achieve that target but he also understands that it is not in his control.'

When asked specifically about the chances of Tevez signing for City, Joorabchian added: 'I don't want to direct (speculation by) saying it is going to be Liverpool, City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Everton, Tottenham, Milan, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus.'

Joorabchian did admit the player is likely to leave Old Trafford through after the club failed to offer him a new deal.

'He feels there is a very big chance that his time has come to an end and it is time to move on,' he added.

'He loved his time there, he mentioned that, and the glory he has had there has been very special to him.

'But the fact that they have not offered him a contract or made any effort to sign him up means that he probably has to move on and think about his own future.'

And the player's agent Adrian Ruocco added: 'On May 31, he will have no club and no contract. I don't know why, but Manchester (United) have not asked for any renewal (of the loan) nor signing him for next season.

'The directors and the coach do not seem to want him, while on the other hand fans love him.'

Boro won't give up fight

Gareth Southgate refuses to accept Middlesbrough are doomed to relegation, despite last night's damaging Tyne-Tees derby defeat at Newcastle.

Boro took the lead at St James' Park but second-half goals from Obafemi Martins and Peter Lovenkrands earned Newcastle a 3-1 win, lifting the Magpies out of the relegation zone and leaving the visitors deep in trouble.

Southgate's men are three points from safety with two games to go, but the Boro boss insists they will not give up the fight.

It's difficult for us to take, but we have to lift ourselves,' he said of last night's defeat.

'Even though it's out of our hands now, we have got six points to play for. We have to try to take them, and you just never know.

'It might still happen. We have got to just win our matches.'

Boro host Southgate's former club Aston Villa on Saturday before finishing their season away to West Ham on May 24.

Southgate, who lost record signing Afonso Alves to a suspected broken bone in his foot at Newcastle, was left to reflect on key decisions which went against his side in the run-up to Martins' strike.

He said: 'For them to lose in manner we did having gone ahead is very difficult for all of us to take. It's a tough evening for everyone associated with our football club.

'The players gave everything, but unfortunately, key events on the night went against us.

'The second goal, looking at the television pictures, I thought at the time it was a foul on Huth by Viduka, but it was also offside.

'It then dropped straight to their guy - they are key things and unfortunately, they didn't go for us.'

Spurs boss Redknapp to ban booze after King arrest

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp says he'll ban his players from drinking alcohol after Ledley King's weekend arrest outside a London nightclub.

Defender King was arrested for an alleged assault in the early hours of Sunday morning, after a night out drinking with friends.

And Redknapp claimed: 'I'll implement a strong rule next season that drinking is a no-no here. Footballers should not drink.
You shouldn't put diesel in a Ferrari. I know it's hard but they are earning big money, they are role models to kids. They should dedicate their lives to playing.'

King has since apologised to Redknapp, describing the incident as 'a night out with friends" which "went too far'.

But the Tottenham boss added: 'We wouldn't get these problems if the players weren't drinking. 'There's still too much of a drinking culture in English football but it's not as bad as it used to be.

'At Tottenham we do a lot with kids, a lot of them underprivileged.

'We have to set an example. Too much drinking goes on in this country. Too many people are not happy unless they have had a drink.'

Arsenal new boy Arshavin 'baffled' by left-wing role

Arsenal's bad week appears to have got worse, with new Emirates Stadium idol Andrey Arshavin claiming he is 'baffled' by Arsene Wenger's insistence on playing him on the left wing.

The Russian playmaker has proved a huge hit in north London, scoring six goals in ten Premier League starts and quickly establishing himself as a favourite with supporters.

However, Gunners boss Wenger has often deployed the 27-year-old on the left of midfield, a decision Arshavin - used to playing as a second striker for Zenit St Petersburg and Russia - admits he struggles to understand.
'My personal plan for my initial three months with Arsenal wasn't about scoring a certain number of goals or making a set number of assists,' he told a Russian newspaper.

'I wanted to get the feeling whether I can play in England or not. Sometimes I feel that I can but other times that I don't. It's probably because that I play as a left midfielder.

'I still can't get used to the idea that I'm capable of playing on the left of midfield - and frankly having to do it keeps me baffled.

'I don't understand if it's only because God is taking care of me, or I really can play so well as a left-winger.'

Arshavin indicated he wouldn't mind being replaced in his position by another Russian - CSKA Moscow international Yuri Zhyrkov, who is strong playing all along left side of the pitch and has been linked with Chelsea.

'Yes, I know Yuri well,' added Arshavin. 'But the problem is, would he like to move to Arsenal?'

Arshavin missed the Gunners game against Chelsea on Sunday for having a flu but he expects to be fully recovered by Saturday when his team faces Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Drogba says sorry

Didier Drogba has apologised for his behaviour in the wake of Chelsea's Champions League exit at the hands of Barcelona on Wednesday night.

The striker confronted referee Tom Henning Ovrebo after the match and launched a foul-mouthed rant in front of TV cameras.

In a statement on the Blues' official website the Ivorian said: "I was very upset at what happened during the game, but having seen the pictures on TV I accept that I overreacted." The statement continued: "I also accept that the language I used did not set a good example for those watching at home, especially children.

"I regret that in the heat of the moment I let out my incredible frustration and disappointment in this way, and for that I apologise."

Drogba, who had been substituted in the second half, was shown a yellow card for coming onto the pitch to vent his fury at Ovrebo after the final whistle.

He was incensed at the referee's refusal to award Chelsea two spot-kicks in the first half at Stamford Bridge when he and Florent Malouda were brought down.

The Norwegian official also rejected two handball penalty appeals after the break when Gerard Pique handled as Nicolas Anelka tried to go past him and in the final seconds when Michael Ballack's shot hit Samuel Eto'o's arm.

That last claim came after Andres Iniesta had lashed home a 93rd-minute leveller for Barcelona to cancel out Michael Essien's opener and put the Catalans ahead on away goals.

Shearer 'would manage Newcastle in Championship'

Alan Shearer is reportedly ready to become Newcastle's permanent manager, even if the club are relegated from the Premier League.

Shearer was brought in as interim manager at St James' Park at the beginning of April but has failed to win any of his five Premier League games in charge.

That run has left the Magpies firmly in the relegation zone, three points from safety and contemplating the prospect of dropping into the Championship next season.

Shearer has yet to be drawn on his long-term plans, with speculation remaining that he will return to his job as a pundit on Match of the Day regardless of Newcastle's fate.

However, the former England captain is said to be relishing his new role and a number of changes behind the scenes have suggested the 38-year-old could be around for the long haul.

Shearer has reshaped his backroom staff, bringing in close friend Paul Ferris to oversee the club's medical team.

He has also introduced a new code of conduct for the players, and illustrated his stance on discipline by suspending Joey Barton from the club after last week's clash at Liverpool.

And newspaper reports on Friday say friends of Shearer claim the former Toon striker would feel an obligation to stick with the club if they are relegated.

The Magpies face fellow strugglers Middlesbrough in a crucial match at St James' Park on Monday with both teams desperate for the three points.

Chelsea set to cut losses on Drogba

Chelsea are expected to sell Didier Drogba in the summer after losing patience with the hot-headed striker's temper tantrums.

Drogba is facing a Uefa charge, and probably a significant suspension, after his furious reaction to Chelsea's Champions League exit at the hands of Barcelona on Wednesday.

And, according to newspaper reports on Friday, Stamford Bridge bosses were so dismayed with the Ivory Coast international they will look to offload him at the end of the season. The 31-year-old has one year left on his £90,000-a-week contract and the club were set to offer him an extension after a fine run of form since the appointment of Guus Hiddink as coach.

However, Wednesday's rant about referee Tom Henning Ovrebo has rekindled memories of Drogba's misconduct last year.

The striker was sent off in the Champions League final for hitting Nemanja Vidic, and then suspended by the Football Association for throwing a coin at Burnley fans in a Carling Cup tie at Stamford Bridge.

Drogba has frequently spoken of his desire for a move to Italy, and a possible reunion with former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho at Inter Milan.

And it appears his latest disciplinary problems have convinced Chelsea officials to cut their losses on a player who cost £24million from Marseille in 2004.

Walcott signs new Arsenal contract

Arsenal forward Theo Walcott has signed a new long-term contract at the Emirates Stadium.

The 20-year-old joined the Gunners from Southampton in January 2006 and has since gone on to become a regular for both club and country.

The England international has made more than 100 appearances and scored 14 goals for Arsenal, who did not reveal the length of his new deal.
The youngster is in no doubt the Emirates Stadium is the best place for his career to develop.

'I am so happy here and just want to say thanks to everyone who has helped me get to this point in my career,' Walcott said in a statement.

'Together with the belief of my team-mates, the boss [Arsene Wenger] and everyone on the staff, everyone has got behind me here at Arsenal which is brilliant.

'It is fantastic to work with the best manager in the world and play at Emirates Stadium, which is an unbelievable place to play in.

'I just want to continue playing my football at this club and look forward to many successful seasons ahead.'

Wenger believes Walcott is integral to the club's future.

'Theo is an intelligent player with amazing ability and speed, and has developed extremely well this season,' said the Gunners boss.

'At still only 20 years of age, Theo has huge potential for the forthcoming years and we are all looking forward to see him grow even more in an Arsenal shirt.'

Arsenal crashed out of the Champions League with a home defeat to Manchester United in midweek, but will look to make up ground on third-placed Chelsea when they meet in the Barclays Premier League at Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

Uefa chief hints at Fletcher red-card reprieve

Darren Fletcher's Champions League final suspension could be overturned after talks between Sir Alex Ferguson and top Uefa official David Taylor.

Manchester United midfielder Fletcher was dismissed late on in Tuesday's Champions League semi-final win over Arsenal for a professional foul on Cesc Fabregas.

Replays showed Fletcher played the ball but Uefa confirmed yesterday United do not have the right to appeal against the referee's decision.
As things stand Fletcher will sit out the final against Barcelona in Rome on May 27, but Taylor has hinted at a reprieve for the Scotland international.

'I have spoken with Alex Ferguson personally on this - as fate would have it we shared a car after the match,' revealed the Uefa general secretary.

'We were rather thrown together but had an interesting discussion.

'He was very fair about the referee and what had happened but equally he was very disappointed for Darren, as are we all.

'I tried to give Alex as much advice as I could with regards the procedure in these circumstances.

'There is no formal process. But if the club want to write to us with information - such as video evidence - explaining why they think this is a harsh punishment then they can do that.

'The likelihood is that we'd then refer the matter to our disciplinary body.

'They would then look to see if there were any special circumstances to justify any departure from established procedures.

'I must stress there is normally no way these matters can be overturned.'

Fletcher's hopes could hang referee Roberto Rosetti admitting to his apparent error in his match report, but Taylor concedes such an admission may not be enough to reverse the red card.

'The ref may take the view a mistake has been made and include that in his report but that wouldn't be in any way decisive,' he continued.

'It's an entirely discretionary thing, whether or not the committee feels there is reason to intervene.

'That's the position. Strictly speaking there's no appeal process but representation can be made and looked at.'

Chelsea captain Terry defends foul-mouthed Drogba over referee rant

Chelsea captain John Terry has insisted he has no problem with the way Didier Drogba reacted to last night's controversial Champions League defeat to Barcelona.

The Blues were denied a second consecutive appearance in the European Cup final by Andres Iniesta's injury-time goal which earned Barca a 1-1 draw on the night and won the tie on aggregate.

But Chelsea were infuriated that a string of penalty appeals, the last of them after Iniesta's goal, were rejected by referee Tom Henning Ovrebo.
Angry Blues players, including Terry and Drogba, surrounded the Norwegian official at the final whistle and had to be pulled away by team-mates and stewards.

Drogba then broke away to scream 'Are you watching this? It is a f***ing disgrace' down the lens of a television camera.
But, asked to reflect on the controversial scenes, England captain John Terry refused to concede that his team-mate had overreacted, and instead condoned Drogba's actions.

'I am fully behind Didier Drogba for the way he reacted,' Terry said.

'The man wants to win. You can see the passion that he played with during the game and the passion afterwards.

'It is difficult when players are so high on emotions after the game and people were saying in the Sky TV studios that we shouldn't be reacting the way we did.

'That's impossible after having six or seven decisions go against you at home in front of your own fans. I've seen them all and two were clear penalties and you don't get one. How are you supposed to feel?

'If we had been given one of those penalties we would have been cruising at 2-0. We did exactly what the manager asked of us but we are not going through because of a bad refereeing decision.'

And Terry argued Uefa should act to ensure the best referees are always put in charge of the big games, insisting Ovrebo wasn't experienced, or good enough, to be given last night's match.

'It's a shambles really. Players dream of playing in these finals but we can't through bad refereeing,' he added.

'We get a referee who has refereed ten Champions League games in his career and for him to be given the semi-final at Stamford Bridge is not good enough.

'If a referee makes bad decisions, he should face the consequences. If a player makes mistakes time after time, he will be dropped from the team, but referees just keep getting the big games at big stadiums.

'It is down to Uefa to be strong enough and say these are our four best referees and they are going to referee the home and away legs.

'Both sides had experienced players but we just didn't have the referee to go with a big game.

'Not one player made a mistake over the two legs but we come away with a referee making four or five big errors and now we are out of the competition.

'Maybe that referee would have been good enough in the group stages of the Champions League but on a big stage, with a big game and big players, he simply wasn't good enough.'

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Toure backs young Gunners

Kolo Toure maintains Arsenal's youngsters will return stronger after being taught a Champions League lesson at the hands of holders Manchester United.

The Gunners' hopes of reaching the final in Rome were effectively ended after just 11 minutes at Emirates Stadium, where the holders raced into a 3-0 aggregate lead with two early goals.

Toure said: "Nobody was expecting a lot for us this season and we showed great spirit and we are really proud of what we have done.
Manager Arsene Wenger admitted it was one the most disappointing nights of his time in charge of the Gunners, whose last trophy came back in 2005 with the FA Cup.

Arsenal have secured fourth place in the Barclays Premier League following an unbeaten run of 21 matches, but another campaign which promised so much has failed to deliver. However, Toure is in no doubt the young squad will have learnt some important lessons after being exposed by the talent of Cristiano Ronaldo and England forward Wayne Rooney.

"We are not far behind those teams. We want to win and we will try to come back and be strong," declared the Ivory Coast defender.

"The only thing we can do at the minute is to just keep players, and if we can bring some more that would be fantastic.

"The spirit is good and we hope we are going to stick together and fight together again next season."

Toure is now fully focused on his future at Arsenal, having handed in a transfer request during January after a reported training ground bust-up with William Gallas.

"When you win trophies it becomes like a habit for you," he said. "This time we did not win anything, but when we get the first trophy, you will see more from Arsenal."

UEFA rule out Fletcher appeal

Manchester United's hopes of overturning Darren Fletcher's red card have been dashed.

UEFA have confirmed that a protest against a sending off would only be allowed on the basis on mistaken identity - and not on whether the referee had been too harsh.

UEFA head of communications Rob Faulkner told PA Sport: "Manchester United have the right to file a protest within 24 hours of the match however a protest against a caution or sending off is only admissible if the referee's error was to mistake the identity of the player."
The decision means Fletcher will be suspended for the Champions League final in Rome later this month.

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson had hoped referee Roberto Rosetti would have admitted it was a mistake to give Fletcher a straight red card for a foul on Arsenal skipper Cesc Fabregas in the box.

"He's one of the most honest players in the game and to miss the final, it's a tragedy," said Ferguson.

"In respect to the referee in this situation he might look at it himself without anyone asking him."

Although the Football Association have moved towards a position where referees regularly rescind red cards, both UEFA and FIFA strictly maintain the rules that match officials' decisions should remain sacrosanct.

A UEFA source added: "It opens Pandora's box if you can challenge every decision. And if you rule that it is not a red card, then you are also saying it is not a penalty, and therefore not a goal, and what do you do then - start changing the results of matches afterwards?"

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger also admitted the red card was "very harsh" after television pictures clearly showed Scottish international Fletcher - a non-playing substitute at last year's final - played the ball.

Last-gasp Barcelona deny Chelsea

Ten-man Barcelona robbed Chelsea of a place in the Champions League final in the cruellest of fashions with a 93rd-minute away goal at Stamford Bridge.

A stunning first-half volley from Michael Essien looked to have earned Chelsea victory and set up a repeat of last year's Champions League final against Manchester United.

But Andres Iniesta beat Petr Cech in the third minute of added time to send the Spanish bench and their fans delirious and leave Guus Hiddink crestfallen.
At the final whistle, Chelsea's players confronted referee Tom Ovrebo, who had waved away at least four penalty appeals during the game.

The scenes descended into anger when Drogba emerged from the tunnel to confront the Norwegian official and was shown a yellow card.

Ovrebo had a poor game and was marshalled down to the tunnel by Chelsea stewards as Drogba continued to complain about his performance.

The Ivorian then vented his fury by shouting "it's a f***ing disgrace" down the lens of a TV camera, and the fall-out from Drogba's behaviour may yet be met by a UEFA investigation.

It had all looked so promising for Chelsea when Essien, who missed six months of the season while he recovered from a serious knee ligament injury, despatched a 20-yard volley beyond the despairing Victor Valdes.

Chelsea's collective desire to reach the final once more was epitomised in the way they took the fire out of Barcelona's early football.

The Catalans, missing their two first-choice centre-backs through injury and suspension, played some neat, fast and accurate football in the first 20 minutes.

It was a perfect example of the beautiful game mastered by coach Pep Guardiola but it lacked the cutting edge in the absence of the injured Thierry Henry.

The Barca attack has shared more than 90 goals between them this season but Chelsea managed to prevent them scoring in 180 minutes of high-tempo football.

That Chelsea scored with their first real attack of the game would have left the Barca coach bitterly disappointed.

Frank Lampard's attempted cross cannoned off Yaya Toure and Essien despatched his volley into the net via the underside of the crossbar.

It sparked Chelsea into life and, for the remainder of the opening half, they bossed the game.

Lampard almost put Drogba through in the 22nd minute but Valdes managed to beat the Ivorian to the ball on the edge of the penalty area.

Barca were rocking now and a catalogue of fouls by Dani Alves was finally punished with a yellow card when he brought down Ashley Cole. It meant the full-back was out of the final.

But Ovrebo waved away penalty appeals from Chelsea when Drogba, a colossus in attack all night, was brought down by Eric Abidal.

The second half promised more drama and it did not disappoint. Drogba missed a gilt-edged chance when Florent Malouda and Anelka put the Ivorian clear in the 52nd minute.

Somehow, Valdes got a foot to his shot to keep Barca's hopes alive.

But the Catalans were in deep trouble in the 65th minute when Abidal brought down the free-running Anelka and, as the last defender, was shown the red card.

Chelsea continued to take the initiative as Barca were reduced to long-range shots.

In the 70th minute, Valdes saved Guardiola's side again when a Lampard shot took a wicked deflection.

But two minutes later Drogba was replaced by Juliano Belletti, much to the crowd's surprise and the Ivorian's clear disapproval.

As the clock ran down, Chelsea continued to pour forward in search of a decisive second to calm the nerves but, although they had made Barcelona look very ordinary, there was a sting in the tail.

Chelsea's heroes had fought for every ball as if their lives depended on it but they allowed Iniesta too much room and, when he beat Cech from 20 yards in the 93rd minute, chaos descended on Stamford Bridge.

But there was still time for more drama when Michael Ballack's goalbound effort seemed to hit a defender's arm only for Ovrebo to wave away more appeals.

Ballack was shown the yellow card for protesting and, when the final whistle sounded, Barca celebrated in unbridled fashion while Chelsea's players began their attacks on Ovrebo.

It was an unsavoury end to Chelsea's European campaign that may yet have further repercussions for the English side.

O'Neill confident of keeping young guns

Martin O'Neill is optimistic Aston Villa can "withstand" any offers this summer from the Barclays Premier League big guns for the club's group of talented young players.

Winger Ashley Young and striker Gabriel Agbonlahor capped off an outstanding season by being voted the PFA Young Player Of The Year and runner-up respectively.

O'Neill said: "Players are under contract. That is vitally important. With Gareth Barry, you do accept having spent 10-11 years at the club, he would be wanting to have a look at other particular things."
He added: "The rest of the boys have done well, but haven't in terms of over a long period of time for me to be overly concerned about that.

"I am quite sure I would be surprised if some people were not inquiring about our players - big teams - but I am hoping we will be able to withstand that.

"Are Villa no longer a selling club? At the moment we are pretty vibrant and that seems to be the buzz going around the Premier League.

"It will be up to us to try and maintain that. I just think there is a bit of something about the side here we would like to continue trying to improve."

O'Neill added: "I think without question that Villa a more attractive proposition than 12 months ago.

"I was down at the PFA awards with Ashley and Gabby. The vibes around the room were very positive. The kind of feeling around was that Villa have been really buzzing.

United are better by half

Ryan Giggs has called on Manchester United to repeat their first-half super show against Arsenal on Tuesday in order to complete their passage to the Champions League final.

Such was the brilliance of United's performance at Old Trafford last week, they are slightly unfortunate not to be counting down the days to Rome on May 27 already.

"If we play to the ability we did in the first half last week we will have no problems," said the former Wales skipper.
"We went out to get the crowd going and play at a quick tempo. That is what we do when we are at our best.

"Arsenal are a top team and they are capable of scoring goals so we are under no illusions about how difficult this is going to be.

"But our form in Europe has been excellent and we are in a good position."

Giggs is refusing to accept the Premier League title race is over even though the Old Trafford outfit only need seven more points from their remaining four games to be certain of holding off Liverpool's challenge.

However, the newly crowned PFA player of the year is now more interested in quelling Arsenal's threat.

"You have to look after Arsenal's quality players," said Giggs.

"They have so many matchwinners; Fabregas, Adebayor, Walcott, Van Persie, if he is fit. The threat is obvious, so you have to try and nullify it."

Moyes wants more

Everton boss David Moyes is demanding even bigger things from his players as they prepare for a thrilling finale to the season.

The Toffees eased their way into fifth place in the Barclays Premier League with a comfortable win at Sunderland, and have already qualified for the Europa League by virtue of their presence in the FA Cup final.

Moyes said: "We have got to go up again. We have got to be slicker, we need to be crisper than we were, and we need to be sharper."
He added: "But it's a time of the season when there is a lot of tiredness. We have all been at it probably since the start of July now, and we are into May and we are all flagging.

"It's tough for the players at this time, but the good teams - that's why I admire all the managers and the teams who keep doing it because they have got to be fresh and good for this time of the year.

"I am going to try to get out boys into tip-top condition for the weeks to come."

Despite having to do without Phil Jagielka, Tony Hibbert and Leon Osman on Wearside, Everton were simply too good for the Black Cats, who passed up an opportunity to ease their relegation fears with another insipid display.

The visitors enjoyed much the better of the first half, but had to wait until the 48th-minute to get their noses in front.

They did so when Jo turned Anton Ferdinand to feed Steven Pienaar, who stabbed the ball past Marton Fulop from close range.

Everton completed the victory 19 minutes from time when Pienaar took full advantage of some woeful marking to square for Marouane Fellaini, who calmly slipped the ball past the stranded Fulop.

Gerrard the Reds star attraction

Steven Gerrard made sure he had his picture taken with actor Daniel Craig after guiding Liverpool to a comprehensive 3-0 destruction of Newcastle at Anfield but it is the Geordies who need the help of James Bond to get themselves out of their relegation mess.

Liverpool, led by Gerrard in typical swashbuckling fashion, had destroyed Alan Shearer's side with a 3-0 scoreline that could easily have been doubled, with three more efforts hitting the woodwork.

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez is waiting for the "two big mistakes I still believe United will make" in the title race.
He said: "Manchester United are a good team with good players, and they will need to make two big mistakes to let us in. But I still believe they can be caught and they will make mistakes.

"All we can do is to continue to win our matches and see how they handle pressure. We must win all our games to see how that affects them at the top."

The problems for temporary Newcastle boss Alan Shearer continue to mount. He was furious with Barton for his "stupid" tackle on Alonso.

The midfielder will be fined two weeks' wages and did his troubled time at St.James Park no good at all with his wild challenge in front of the Kop.

Shearer said: "He deserved to be sent off, he has let me, himself and the club down.

"He was not unlucky, the referee was spot-on. There was no need for him to do that in such a position."

And Shearer pulled no punches with his assessment of Newcastle's performance, saying: "We were lucky to keep it down to three, how many times did they hit the bar?"