Uefa set to approve financial fair play rules

Just six of the current Premier League clubs would be eligible to qualify for future European competitions after Uefa’s “financial fair play” rules are introduced on Thursday. Read more

Bent faces World Cup heartache

Darren Bent faces a race against time to be fit for England’s final World Cup warm-up game against Japan this Sunday. Read more

PFA announce nominees

The Professional Footballers’ Association has announced the nominees for the 2009-10 Players’ Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year. Read more

Bardsley considers Sunderland future

Sunderland defender Phil Bardsley has admitted he may be forced quit the Stadium of Light to secure first-team football.

The 24-year-old had been a regular for the Black Cats during the first half of the season but has found his opportunities limited since the arrival of Alan Hutton in January.

With manager Steve Bruce keen to sign Hutton on a permanent basis in the summer it has forced Bardsley to consider his future on Wearside.

Bardsley returned to the side on Sunday in place of the injured Hutton, and will continue at right-back for the visit of  Tottenham as the Scot is ineligible.

He said: “It was nice to be involved again – every footballer wants to play football. If you’re playing, you’re happy and it’s the same for me.

“Phil Bardsley doesn’t get down because Alan Hutton comes in and plays – Phil Bardsley will look after himself and keep himself in the best shape he can.

“If it’s to be at Sunderland or somewhere else, you just never know. All I want to do is play football and we’ll just have to wait and see.

“Obviously, if you’re not part of the manager’s plans you have to look elsewhere and move on as every player does. I’m just looking forward to the remainder of the season and we’ll take it from there.

“If it was up to me, I’d like to stay. I enjoy it up here but I’m not the manager, and as every player will tell you, if you’re not playing you’re not happy. We’ll wait and see.

“I have a good relationship with the manager. I’ve still got a year on my contract. Hopefully I’ll stay but we’ll see.”

Sunderland boss Steve Bruce says he understands Bardsley’s frustration at losing his place in the side.

“I can totally understand Phil’s position,” he said. “I know the lad well; I’ve known him since he was a boy.

“I would be the same. If you’ve got anything about you as a footballer, not getting in the team isn’t a pleasing thing.

“Everything else can be great but if you’re not playing on a Saturday something gets to you.

“I have not made any decisions on anyone’s future. We will look at that in the summer.”

Pompey allowed to sell players

Portsmouth have been granted special permission to sell players before the end of the season to ease their financial crisis.

The cash-strapped club appealed to the Premier League last month to be allowed to sell players outside the transfer window to raise funds but that was rejected.

However, following a board meeting last week where Portsmouth’s nine-point penalty for going into administration was confirmed, the Premier League have decided to allow them to make sales in certain circumstances.

A Premier League statement said: “The Premier League board meeting that convened last week to consider the administration of Portsmouth FC dealt with a number of matters beyond just the application of the sporting sanction (deduction of nine points).

“In accordance with Premier League rules, postponement of the suspension of Portsmouth FC as a member club was conditional on a number of undertakings being given by the administrators.

“These have now been received to the satisfaction of the board and therefore it has decided to allow Portsmouth FC to make player sales under the following circumstances:

1. Players may be sold to other Premier League Clubs but may not play first team football for the new club before the end of the season.

2. Players may be sold to a Football League or foreign club, subject to Fifa’s approval.

3. Portsmouth FC may enter into an agreement with another Premier League, Football League or foreign club that a player will be transferred to that other club in the summer.”

Pompey have debts of about £60m and have already laid off 81 staff to cut their costs.

“This has given us an option, but we’re not necessarily going to sell players,” said administrator Andrew Andronikou. 

“At the moment we don’t necessarily need (the money from sales). I’ve always said, we’ve had means within the club. So it’s a window that’s open to us.”

However, supporters groups have slammed the decision as the worst outcome that could have happened.

Brendan Bone, a member of SOS Pompey, said: “It all points to asset stripping of the highest order by the administrators who are lining our club up to be brought out of administration by the present owners.

“The Premier League should have taken the hardline but all they have done now is allow our club to be sold down the river.”

Keown: Players should move with times

Martin Keown believes players should learn to handle the media as it will boost their chances of getting into the England squad.

The former Arsenal defender, now a BBC pundit, says today’s footballers should “move with the times” and “get out there more” to enhance their international prospects.

The England international also criticised Sky Sports News for “manufacturing” stories to fill their 24-hour rolling news coverage.

Speaking at a World Cup event at the BBC in Manchester, he said: “If you work with the media then they will look after you.

“I don’t know why, but John Terry has signed up to do a piece for the Sun for the World Cup. Now the Sun are always the first to jump to his defence.

“Wayne Rooney is being talked about as captain material because he has learned to handle the media.

“Players should definitely get out there more and move with the times because there are instances where favouritism within the media has helped some players get into the England team.”

Although he feels the media can be manipulated, Keown warns they are a “powerful animal” capable of creating public animosity towards players.

“If a player doesn’t want to do interviews they become hard work for the media,” he said.

“If they feel they don’t need you, they will twist stories and that’s quite difficult to control.

“Sometimes journalists have to be creative and find the angle other people aren’t thinking of, but Sky Sports News have to manufacture stories and some of them are not true. This kind of media is a problem.”

While Keown advocates players using the media to their advantage, he thinks managers should be concentrating more on coaching their teams.

“It’s different for managers. If a manager says too much he is fined and hauled up in front of the FA.

“Steve Bruce said too much to the media, was fined £2,500 and dragged down to London in front of a committee.

“He should have been in Sunderland with his team who had not won in 14 games and then lost a day’s training. He shouldn’t have been in London.

“We saw Rafa Benitez criticise Sam Allardyce recently but he needs to forget the side issues. I believe that’s what lost them the league last season.

“Managers try to be interesting, but it’s a balancing act.”

Bellamy out of Welsh squad

Craig Bellamy will not appear in Wales’ friendly against Sweden next Wednesday.

The Manchester City forward has not been named in manager John Toshack’s 22 man squad.

Ex-Wales striker Iwan Roberts is not sure whether Bellamy will feature ever again in a friendly for his country.

He said: “His history with injury problems means he’ll only play in the competitive games from now on.

“If that means Wales will get the best out of him in the qualifying games, then I think that’s a fair arrangement.”

Roberts played alongside Bellamy at Norwich City.

Fiery striker Bellamy has scored 17 goals in 58 appearances for Wales. He made his debut in a friendly with Jamaica at Ninian Park on 25 March 1998.

Bellamy’s persistent knee troubles mean he is rested.

Some may speculate he has been dropped due to his unpredictable relationship with the manager and believe he could have been ready to play by Wednesday.

Throughout his career Bellamy has fallen out with players and managers alike while playing for some big clubs such as City, Liverpool, Celtic, West Ham to name but a few.

Bellamy is 30 and Toshack feels confident in the squad of young stars that comfortably defeated Scotland 3-0 in November. The boss wants to study the development of a striking partnership between Ched Evans and Simon Church.

Meanwhile, St Mirren midfielder Andy Dorman could earn his first cap. Simon Davies has been recalled to the squad and will make his first international appearance in 11 months.

Sweden, who are ranked 35 places above the Welsh in the official world rankings, have won the last five meetings between the sides. The sides drew 0-0 in the 1958 World Cup finals.

The match in Swansea will be only the second match of coach Erik Hamren’s tenure as national manager. He is combining the job with his role as Rosenborg manager until August when he will become the national team boss full-time.

Chester Expelled For Financial Mismanagement

Chester have been thrown out of the Conference following a meeting between club and league bosses.

Representatives of the Deva Stadium outfit met with the board today, a week after their suspension from the Conference, to respond to charges relating  their failure to fulfil fixtures against Forest Green and Wrexham, as well as attempting to prove that this situation would not happen again.

A statement on the Football Conference website said: “At the conclusion of a lengthy meeting, the representatives were advised that the Board failed to be convinced with their presentation that the club were able to demonstrate the club’s ability to fulfil future fixtures in the competition and as a consequence informed the club of their finding in relation to Conference Rule 8.6″

“In compliance with Article 5.2 of the Football Conference, the Board will recommend to its Member Clubs that Chester City  FC should face expulsion from membership.”

The Football Conference will now have a general meeting of its member clubs to decide whether to accept this recommendation. No date has yet been set, while Chester’s suspension remains firmly in place.

Chester F.C were unable to field a full team for their game at Forest Green after some furious, unpaid players of the team, completely refused to get on the team bus.

Not only that, They were also forced to postpone Sunday’s derby clash with Wrexham because the local authority issued a notice on the Deva Stadium after police refused to be security for the game over another unpaid bill.

They were handed a massive 25-point penalty after going into administration last summer and they currently lie 31 points adrift of safety.

Chester faced a ‘winding-up order’ from  Revenue and Customs only last month but were luckily given 42 days to sort the club out and the club was also put up for sale for just £1

Carling Cup Final Preview – Aston Villa vs Manchester United

The Premier League’s meanest defence takes on the League’s best attack this sunday as Wayne Rooney will be the man taking centre stage once more.

Rooney will be looking to make amends after missing last years showpiece final through illness and he has a chance to help United to retain a cup trophy for the first time in their history.

The Manchester United and England striker has been in sensational form this season hitting 27 goals in 35 appearances in all competitions and it will be up to Aston Villa to stop him for a third time this season. Rooney says he is eager to play in Sunday’s Carling Cup Final.

He explains: “This is why you join a club like Manchester United, to win trophies and play in cup finals. Playing at Wembley is still a great feeling. Hopefully, I’ll play Sunday and we can win the trophy.”

The England man is well on the way to being the 4th manchester united player in a row to win PFA player of the year and Villa will surely have to keep him quiet if they are to win their first trophy for 14 years.

Aston Villa however, will have to overcome a team that they have beaten just twice in 37 attempts. This Aston Villa team seems to be made of sterner stuff these days though after taking four points from Manchester United this season including an impressive 1-0 win at Old Trafford.

Aston Villa manager Martin O’Neil is relishing the challenge of bringing back the glory days to Villa Park, the former leicester boss won the trophy twice in his time their. “This is a fantastic challenge,” O’Neill said.

“I am well aware of the history of this football club. Trying to restore it to its days of former glory seems a long way away, but why not try? It is nearly 25 years since they won the European Cup but that is the dream.”

Manchester United who, at times, have looked a shadow of the team that has won 3 consecutive premier league titles and been to one champions league are going in to the game without Rio Ferdinand, John O’Shea and Anderson.

However the return of Nemanja Vidic to the starting line up will be a boost to the defence that was exposed badly by Everton and at times by AC Milan.

The semi finals have re-ignited a lot of interest into the carling cup this year, Aston Villa’s stunning 7-4 win against Blackburn followed by Manchester United’s epic late winner in the manchester derby were arguably two of the games of the season.

Manchester United will rightly be favourites this Sunday, but this is not the same Manchester United from 2008, and Aston Villa are an ever improving side.

Match Prediction:- Aston Villa 2-1 Manchester United, Wayne Rooney to have a good game but Agbonlahor to steal the show.

match odds:- Manchester United: 4/5,  Draw: 13/5,  Aston Villa: 7/2

Possible starting XI\’s: Aston Villa: Friedel, Warnock, Collins, Dunne, Cuellar, Petrov, Milner, Downing, A Young, Agbonlahor, Heskey

Manchester United : Foster, Neville, Vidic, Brown, Evra, Carrick, Fletcher, Scholes, Park, Valencia, Rooney

Dale boss vows return to winning ways following shock defeat to Bradford

Rochdale Manager Keith Hill has promised his side will bounce back from their 3-1 loss to Bradford on Tuesday night as they travel to strugglers Macclesfield Town on Saturday. Read more

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