Water waste for McIlroy

RORY McILROY suffered that sinking feeling yet again at the Shell Houston Open, before ending the tournament on a rare high note.

His erratic form heading into next week’s Masters was summed up with a roller-coaster ride in the fourth round in Texas.
An encouraging start, which brought him birdies at the eighth and ninth holes to complete a bogey-free front nine, suddenly turned sour.
He put his approach to the 11th into a lake — and his attempt to drive the green at the 338-yard 12th also ended up in the water.
But he walked off feeling better about his game after birdies at the 17th and 18th, two of the toughest finishing holes on the US Tour.
His inconsistency shows it was wise to add this week’s Valero Texas Open in San Antonio to his pre-Augusta schedule.
McIlroy eventually signed for a two-under-par 70 in Houston, and finished four under for the week.
But he failed to break 70 in any of the four rounds, scraped through to the weekend right on the cut line, and never threatened to challenge for the win he needed to reclaim the world No 1 spot from Tiger Woods.
Victory in San Antonio would see him head to Augusta on top of the world again — but he will need to leave his current form way behind to give himself a much-needed confidence boost.

Pistorius D-day for track return

OSCAR Pistorius will sit down tomorrow and decide when to get back on the track.

Pistorius, who is now allowed to travel abrard for competitions after his bail restrictions were lifted last week, is to meet his agent Peet van Zyl.
And Van Zyl revealed yesterday that he has already been contacted by a number of meet organisers who would be willing to let Pistorius compete, despite the South African star being on a murder charge.
The 26-year-old is on bail after being charged with the premeditated murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, who was shot dead at his home in Pretoria last month. Pistorius claims he mistook her for an intruder at his home.
Organisers of the Manchester City Games, where Pistorius was originally scheduled to run this month insisted at the weekend they would not be re-inviting him.
And UK Athletics — which is hosting the London Grand Prix in July on the first anniversary of the 2012 Olympics — have already sought to distance themselves.
But Pistorius — dubbed the Blade Runner — could try to qualify for this year’s World Championships in Moscow in August having fought a long-running battle to run alongside able-bodied athletes and make his debut at the event in 2011.
Van Zyl admitted that Pistorius had NOT been training since the shooting but insisted: “I have received through the whole ordeal emails of support from various meeting directors showing their support and condolences for Oscar and wishing him well through this tough time and they hope one day to see him back on the track.
“When the time is right we will approach competitions and I’m sure there will be guys out there who will be willing to have him back out on their track.”
“If he qualifies for Moscow, and then on the basis of innocent until proven guilty, he will be free to run. We will sit down on Tuesday to talk about it.”

Miami twice

ANDY MURRAY moved up to No 2 in the world as he roared to victory in the Sony Open.

The Brit came back from a set down to dramatically beat Spain’s David Ferrer 2-6 6-4 7-6 in Miami.
But Murray, 25, was still not pleased with himself despite leapfrogging Roger Federer in the world rankings.
After a see-saw match containing 15 breaks of serve, he admitted: “I served poorly. If I’d served better I could have made it easier and that’s something I need to do better in the clay-court season.
“This week I did a lot of things well but I need to serve better.
“It’s easier to return on clay so it’s even more important to serve well.
“It was a strange match. I just managed to fight well in the end in incredibly difficult conditions.
“A couple of years ago I probably would have lost that sort of match. I was up a break three or four times in the third set and kept letting him back in. There was a lot riding on the match and I was glad to get through in the end.”
Murray looked to be starting well but threw away two break points in the opening game.
Ferrer was more decisive when he had the chance to take the initiative and promptly went 2-0 ahead.
Only a wonderful winner from Murray stopped Ferrer taking the third game to love but it was a rare moment of joy for the Scot as he went 4-0 down. At 5-0 behind Murray finally got on the scoreboard by winning the next two games, only to lose the first set on a double fault.
But he got his act together in the second set and claimed the first two games, including his first break of the match.
Roared on by a supportive crowd, Ferrer clawed back a break to take it to 4-4, only for Murray to break again before serving out for the set.
The third set was captivating. Incredibly, the first six games went against the serve but the sequence ended when Ferrer held. Murray duly followed suit to make it 4-4 with a classy backhand pass.
The US Open champion looked to have made the decisive move when he broke once again to leave himself 5-4 up and serving for the match.
But Ferrer hit back, putting together a run of four points to break Murray and level it up.
After holding for the second time, Ferrer reached match point on the Murray serve and would have taken the win had a dramatic challenge gone his way.
Instead, Murray’s shot was just in at the baseline and he forced the tie-break.
With Ferrer wilting, Murray summoned one last push and claimed the first four points on his way to a 7-1 tie-break win.
That brought him his second Miami Masters title and left only Novak Djokovic ahead of him in the world rankings.

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LAURA ROBSON could not add a second British success in Florida as she and Lisa Raymond were defeated in the women’s doubles final.
Robson, 19, and her American partner, 39, lost 6-1 7-6 to Russia’s Nadia Petrova and Slovenia’s Katarina Srebotnik.

Rodgers: O’Neill axing so ‘shocking’

BRENDAN RODGERS last night spoke of his utter shock at Martin O’Neill’s sacking.

Sunderland parted company with O’Neill on Saturday night with the threat of relegation hanging over them.
Liverpool boss Rodgers said: “It’s a sad day when someone like him loses his job. I was shocked when I heard the news.
“Whenever someone of the status of Martin loses his job then we all have to be on the back foot.”
Rodgers added: “Some clubs need to be careful and know where they are at.”
Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert spent five years working with O’Neill at Celtic.
He said: “Nobody is safe if someone of the calibre of Martin O’Neill can go.”
And former England skipper and Newcastle legend Alan Shearer added: “Sunderland have taken a big gamble by changing their manager at this stage.”

I’d like to give Nasri a punch for playing so well!

ROBERTO MANCINI admits he feels like punching Samir Nasri when the French midfielder plays like he did on Saturday.

The Manchester City boss has been highly criticial of the ex-Arsenal star’s efforts for the champions this season.
Yet Nasri and several of his team-mates turned on the style against Newcastle to leave their fans wondering what might have been.
And infuriated Mancini is confused as to why his £24million signing — who played a key role in their title success — has under-performed this season.
Asked what he thought of Nasri’s dazzling performance, the Italian smiled wearily: “I would like to give him a punch — because a player like him should play like this always. Every game. Maybe one game sometimes he can play badly.
“I don’t know what was different. I can’t understand how a player with his quality doesn’t play like today every game. The second year is always difficult to win the title again. And sometimes the player can thinkit is enough to play 50 per cent. We’ve probably had this problem this year.
“I think that every player is intelligent. Samir knows that he played very well.”
City are 15 points behind leaders Manchester United and Mancini believes too many of his players are guilty of resting on their laurels this season.
He said: “The club was born more than 100 years ago but as a strong team we were born two years ago. And every year you need to improve your team.
“Maybe sometimes some player can think: ‘ok we can play maybe not like last year but we will still win because we are good quality players’ But this is not true.”
Meanwhile Mancini accepted that despite his concerns skipper Vincent Kompany had made an impressive return to club action.
The City boss was critical of the centre back for returning for Belgium first and the pair barely exchanged a glance when he was subbed late on.
Mancini said: “Did I speak to him? No. For what? Vinny knows his behaviour was not good.
“He is important for us. I am happy that he played well and played without any problem in his calf. I hope it will be like this for the next two months.”
Kompany himself refused to take questions on what his manager said this week but is convinced his rehabilitation has been handled in the right way.
He said: “I have taken the right amount of time and I have put in the right amount of work as well.
“We have a brilliant medical staff at Manchester City and also with Belgium.
“I have done everything I need to do and more. You can blame me for a mistake I make in a game but that is a different one. You don’t choose to be injured.”
Kompany has now urged his team-mates not to let their season tail off now the title has gone.
He said: “It is important as a group for everyone to take responsibility.
“Collectively it is disappointing but there is still a lot to look forward to.
“I remember the way we finished the season when we won the FA Cup. We finished equal points with Chelsea and secured a place in the Champions League. The year after that we won the title. The end of one season has an impact on how you start the next one.

Don’t try to take the Pea out of Fergie

ALEX FERGUSON insists he has no interest in selling Javier Hernandez.

The Manchester United striker, known as Little Pea, has scored 16 times this season — but still cannot get a starting spot for the big games.
He was not involved in either leg of the Champions League defeat to Real Madrid.
And with Robin van Persie now installed as Old Trafford’s leading marksman, it is difficult to see the situation getting any better for Hernandez.
It is little wonder that the Mexican has been linked with a move away from United, who he joined as a virtual unknown from Chivas for just £7million in 2010.
However, Ferguson has told any potential suitors not to waste their time by even making an inquiry.
The United boss said: “He’s on a long contract and we won’t be entertaining interest from anyone.
“As far as we are concerned he is a really important player.
“He does something different from the other strikers and any time he comes into a game he changes it.
“It’s not easy for me to leave him out because a 16-goal tally against the number of games he has started is a fantastic record.
“There’s no evidence that he has been annoyed or disappointed.
“But it’s difficult when you have got a player of Van Persie’s form and then you have got Danny Welbeck, Wayne Rooney and Shinji Kagawa.
“That’s been the benefit of having a strong squad — it gives us an advantage over other teams.”

Rafa: Utd are four too good

RAFA BENITEZ says Chelsea have been left chasing Manchester United’s shadow by Fergie’s Fab Four.

But the interim Blues boss insists he has the quality in his squad to end United’s Wembley dream in today’s FA Cup quarter-final replay.
Beleaguered Benitez insists the only difference between his struggling team and champions-elect United lies in the strikers.
For while Alex Ferguson has been spoilt for choice up front with Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney, Javier Hernandez and Danny Welbeck, Benitez has only had Demba Ba and, er, Fernando Torres to lead the line.
United’s awesome foursome have already scored 58 times this season — 59 if you include Van Persie’s deflected winner at Sunderland on Saturday.
Compare that with the 19 Chelsea goals scored by Torres and Ba and it is easy to see why Benitez feels his squad has been distinctly second best.
Benitez said: “The reason United are top is because they have a strong squad so they can leave players out and still win their games.
“Just analyse the four strikers they have and compare that to the fact we only have two. All four of their strikers are at a good level and they have been scoring goals all season.
“For the first half of the season Chelsea had only Fernando Torres so that was obviously a problem.
“Since January we have also had Demba Ba and he has given us another option.
“But he cannot play in the Europa League so that is still difficult.
“We have offensive players with enough quality to create chances but in some positions it has not been easy to find the balance and play so many games.”
Torres, Britain’s most expensive footballer with just two goals all year, is likely to be back on the bench for this afternoon’s FA Cup showdown after another half-hearted display in Saturday’s damaging 2-1 defeat at Southampton.
Yet Benitez is convinced his team still has enough to see off United after fighting back from 2-0 down at Old Trafford three weeks ago to force a replay.
He said: “United are at the top but we were much better than them in the first game.
“On our day, we can beat anyone and it’ll be a real boost for everyone at the club if we can win this match.
“If you win a game like this, everyone will be happy and it’d give us more confidence and belief for the rest of the season.
“We are stronger than a lot of teams. We can still play very good football and compete against anyone.
“But it’s not easy when you’re playing two or three games a week as we’ve been doing the past four months.
“So considering the situation we have, I think we are doing well.”
Ba, Eden Hazard, Ashley Cole (right), David Luiz and Ramires are all set to return today after being rested at St Mary’s on Saturday.
And Benitez is optimistic Juan Mata will also have recovered from a virus to play United. But he insists it is not just the physical demands of a 70-game season which has left Chelsea so far behind rivals United.
He said: “Chelsea is a team in transition with a new boss and a lot of new players.
“United have had the same boss for years and 80 per cent of their squad is the same. They had a pre-season together so the majority of the players know what their manager wants them to do. Chelsea are changing because they’ve brought in some good young players but they still need to settle down and be consistent.
“That only comes when you know the league, the refs, your rivals and team-mates. So it’s a question of time for Chelsea.
“You can talk about strategy and philosophy of having one boss for a long time or a number of changing managers, but Chelsea has won as many trophies as United in recent years.
“You’re talking about two top sides with good players. So for Chelsea the aim is to be more consistent.”

Paolo Di Catio

PAOLO DI CANIO was last night named as Sunderland’s new manager — just 24 hours after Martin O’Neill’s sacking.

The Italian, pictured arriving at the Stadium of Light last night, signed a 2½-year deal as Black Cats owner Ellis Short takes a huge gamble on his club’s Premier League status.
And the Di Canio effect began immediately — with David Miliband MP resigning from his role as vice-chairman because of the new boss’s “past political statements”. Di Canio has admitted to being “a fascist”.
But Short said: “The sole focus of everyone for the next seven games will be to ensure we gain enough points to maintain our top-flight status. I think that the chances of that are greatly increased with Paolo joining us.”
Di Canio, 44, is a huge risk having managed only as high as League One with Swindon.
He led the Robins to promotion but quit in February citing a number of off-field events — before launching a stunning night-time raid of his old office.
Di Canio is also a cheap option for Short and Sunderland, who last week announced losses of £27million.
Martyn McFadden, editor of fanzine A Love Supreme, said: “I wanted a manager with top-flight experience. Potentially, he’s a good manager but he could be a PR own-goal.”

Heel never walk alone

STEVIE GERRARD had a pain in the foot before kick-off — and then proved to be a pain in the neck for Villa.

The England and Liverpool skipper needed an injection in a heel after coming back from World Cup duty with the Three Lions.
But he scored from the penalty spot before brilliantly heading a Christian Benteke effort clear off the line as Liverpool beat struggling Villa 2-1.
And Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers reiterated afterwards the club want to open talks with their inspirational skipper about a new two-year contract.
Rodgers said: “He was in a bit of pain and struggling to get a boot on.
“He had to get an injection in his heel before the match. It was nothing major but many other players might not have played.
“He’s a remarkable man. Look at his fitness level and his running ability.
“He has been like that the majority of the season. A real inspirational man, a top. top player who has hunger and desire for Liverpool to succeed.
“I can’t speak highly enough of him. To work with the man has been phenomenal to me.”

Video:

Rodgers: Luis Suarez is incredible

Football

LIVERPOOL boss hails star striker and insists club have no intention of cashing in on him in the summer

Rodgers believes Gerrard can follow in the footsteps of Ryan Giggs and carry on playing at the top level into his late 30s.
He said: “Absolutely. No question about it that he can carry on like Giggs.
“It is not what they are doing now, it is what they have done earlier in their careers, when they were 17, 18, 19.
“He can play on into his late 30s. He is 32 and still wants to improve. He is England captain and still wants to improve.
“Not only does he have ability but he has taken on a real leadership role within the team.
“There were moments within the second half when he was organising the team.
“He has taken on board the responsibility of being vocal and the onfield leader.
“The one he cleared off the line, he was marking the space. He wasn’t even on the post.
“Nine times out of 10, players let the ball go over their head and don’t get back in but that is his professionalism.
“He is a real influential player for us and will be for a number of years.
“When I first got appointed at Liverpool, he cut short his holiday to fly back and welcome me to the club.
“He said he and Jamie Carragher would be 150 per cent behind me and since that day they have been 200 per cent behind me.”
Gerrard, who is 33 in May, will have 12 months left on his current £120,000-a-week deal this summer and Kop boss Rodgers wants it extending.
He said: “His new contract is something on the agenda and will happen in due course.”
Liverpool kept their faint European hopes alive, closing the gap on Merseyside rivals Everton and fifth-placed Arsenal.
Rodgers admitted: “It was about returning to the form and the quality we have shown in the last couple of months.
“I thought the players were brilliant. It was a great win for us.
“In the first half, we played reasonably well but got punished with a long ball and it ended up a good finish from Benteke.
“But second half I thought the players were outstanding with the mentality and the quality in their game.
“We had a lot of shots and were very good offensively.
“Once it got to 2-1 I thought we could control things. The players were magnificent.”
Villa boss Paul Lambert, whose team now face another battle to climb out of the bottom three having achieved that four times already this season, said: “We’ve shown before we can get out of the bottom three.
“There are still going to be some twists and turns before the end of the season.”

Sir Alex Ferguson: Mancini will keep Manchester City job

The Italian has presided over a torrid campaign in the Premier League and Champions League, but the rival Red Devils' boss believes talk of a summer exit is exaggerated.

Talk of Roberto Mancini leaving Manchester City this summer is just speculation, according to Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson.

Mancini has presided over a hugely disappointing campaign, with City finishing bottom of its Champions League group and currently trailing United by 15 points in the Premier League. These setbacks have sparked reports linking the Italian with a summer move to big spenders Monaco, but Ferguson remains confident his old opponent will still be in the City dugout next season.

“If a ­manager doesn’t win for a few games then he will hear all kinds of stuff,” Ferguson told reporters. “It goes with the territory, and Mancini will know that. I don’t think he’ll be worried about that. He knows what he’s capable of.

“I don’t see any reason why Mancini won’t be there again next year.”

City has been accused in some quarters of lacking the hunger to defend their Premier League title, and Ferguson admits the pain of last season's failure is driving his team on to new heights.

“It’s hard to retain the title,” he added. “We were disappointed last year because of the way we lost it. So we’ve had that focus.

“The concentration, the team spirit, has been brilliant. So these are all advantages. We had the advantage of trying to recover from the disappointment of last season.

“We have 26 players and you can only manage them if the players themselves buy into it. They have to understand changes have to be made. That is why we’ve been successful.”

Liverpool prepares Vorm move

Liverpool is preparing a summer move for Swansea City goalkeeper Michel Vorm. Brendan Rodgers is willing to listen to offers for his current first-choice goalkeeper Pepe Reina.

De Boer favorite to replace Mancini

Ajax manager Frank de Boer is the favorite to replace Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini at the end of the season.

I'm back in top form, claims Robben

The winger believes he is playing at his best again after a difficult few months, while Xherdan Shaqiri puts the Bavarians success down to effective squad rotation.

Arjen Robben says he is "in top form" again after starring in Bayern Munich's emphatic 9-2 Bundesliga victory over Hamburg on Saturday.

Although the Bavarians were not crowned Bundesliga champions, with Borussia Dortmund defeating Stuttgart, they did cruise to a massive win at the Allianz Arena to put them within touching distance of the league title.

Speaking after the match, the Netherlands winger claimed Jupp Heynckes' rotation system was paying dividends for both himself and the rest of the squad.

"The fans saw a great game. It was one of those weird games that you don't experience often. We played very well, but Hamburg were also very weak and, quite frankly, we exploited them," Robben told reporters. "It's very good for the club now that there is a better squad [at the coach's disposal]. It's not just about the team on the pitch.

"The players are demonstrating a better rhythm on the pitch and it makes you feel stronger. Now I am back in top form."

Xherdan Shaqiri took full advantage of a rare start against HSV as he struck for the opener and assisted on another goal, and he hailed the versatility of the Bayern side after the game.

"You can see that almost every player is interchangeable. That has certainly been our key to success," Shaqiri said

I Khan’t win over critics

AMIR KHAN has given up trying to win over every fan as he says he will always be pilloried whatever he does.

The ex-world champion takes the next step towards regaining his light-welterweight crown against Julio Diaz at Sheffield’s Motorpoint Arena on April 27.
Khan came in for ferocious criticism when he lost his WBA and IBF titles to Lamont Peterson in a controversial bout in Washington DC.
Then he was blasted again when he was sparked by Danny Garcia after four brutal rounds in Las Vegas last July.
Ever since Khan was knocked out in 54 seconds by Colombian Breidis Prescott early in his career, he has been labelled chinny.
And the Bolton ace, 26, has also been forced to live with his opponents constantly being rubbished as not good enough to give him a real test.
Khan said: “When I stopped Zab Judah in five rounds people said that I had beaten a fighter who was all washed up.
“Yet in his very next fight, Zab stopped previously unbeaten Vernon Paris in nine rounds and has now got a shot at the world title when he fights Garcia at the end of April. So much for being washed up!
“It was the same when I beat Paulie Malignaggi. He was written off... but moved up a division to welterweight and is the reigning WBA champion!
“Against Marcos Maidana, I don’t feel I got credit for the way I stood up to his attacks in the later rounds. Yet that fight was voted ‘Bout of the Year’.
“I don’t know why some fans and a few other fighters have a go at me... jealousy? Maybe.
“But I’ve learned to live with it and all that kind of sneaky criticism no longer bothers me.”
Khan’s American handlers Golden Boy Promotions have already mapped out his route back to the top and he could be fighting in Las Vegas in early December if things work out.
He added: “I am only fighting twice this year, once for my fans in the UK when Diaz will be in the opposite corner in Sheffield, then in December.
“Nothing can be counted on as a certainty, but the plan is for the winner of the bout between Peterson and Lucas Matthysse to box off against the winner of Garcia and Judah.
“If it all comes off, then I’d fight the winner in December — and hopefully I will bring the world title back to the UK.”
Khan’s long lay-off is due to his wedding in May. But he revealed: “I agree it’s a long time out but I plan to do a couple of ‘mini’ camps to make sure I stay in the right condition.”
- TICKETS for Khan v Diaz can be bought from www.motorpointarenasheffield.co.uk or call 0114 256 5656.

Top Mark fears Ronnie

MARK SELBY may be back at world No1 — but he still fears the Rocket.

Ronnie O’Sullivan makes his grand return at snooker’s World Championship next month having played just one match in 12 months.
But title-holder O’Sullivan’s past brilliance scares his match-sharp rivals.
Selby said: “No one really knows how he is going to play.
“When he is on his A-game, I don’t think anyone can beat Ronnie.”
Selby will today play Australian Neil Robertson in the final of the China Open in Beijing.

I stopped my career going down the toilet

ANDY MURRAY has revealed how talking to himself in the toilet turned his career around.

The Brit will go second in the world rankings should he beat David Ferrer at the Sony Open final in Miami today.
He is overwhelming favourite to win and overtake Roger Federer in the standings — but last September he feared being at a standstill after another Major chance was going down the pan.
Novak Djokovic had levelled the US Open final 2-2 and it took a pep talk in the courtside loo for Murray to secure his greatest triumph.
Murray said: “It is small, not much more than a toilet, a sink and a mirror.
“I was thinking: ‘Why do I keep losing these finals? Do I lack something?’
“I never talk to myself. Not out loud. You would never catch me walking around the house and actually saying things to myself.
“Isn’t that supposed to be the first sign of madness?
“That is why that toilet break was so unusual. I stood in front of the mirror with sweat dripping down my face By MIKE McGRATH and I knew I had to change what was going on inside.
“I had to get a grip of my mind. So I started talking. Out loud.
“‘You are not losing this match,’ I said to myself. ‘You are NOT losing this match.’
“I started out a little tentative but my voice got louder.
“‘You are NOT letting this slip. This is your time. You’ve never been closer to a Grand Slam. Give it everything. Leave nothing out there’.
“At first, it felt weird but I felt something change. I was surprised by my response. I knew I could win.”
Muzza famously won the final set for his first Major title. And his confidence has been sky-high ever since.
The 25-year-old reached the Aussie Open final and is on the brink of returning to No 2 in the world behind Djokovic.
Defeating Richard Gasquet 6-7 6-1 6-2 on Friday secured a place in his second successive Sony Open final.
Murray added: “The only reason making No 2 is a big deal is because of seedings.
“I’ve been there before so it’s not necessarily new but it’s nice to be moving in the right direction.
“If it doesn’t happen this week I’ll try to make it in the next couple of weeks.”
Murray’s progress in the last 12 months, including Olympic gold, has changed his public image after being branded boring.
He admits he struggles to show emotions around men but not around mother Judy and girlfriend Kim Sears.
Murray said: “I find it OK around my mum and girlfriend. That was one of the best things about winning the US Open.
“It gave me a chance to sit them down and explain how grateful I am for everything they have done.
“I find it more difficult to show my emotions around men. I don’t know why.
“I want to let them know how much they mean and how much I appreciate all the help they have given me but it is difficult.
“I try to compensate by putting everything into my tennis. I want to show how much they mean by winning.”
But he also revealed how his dad Will, who split from Judy when Murray was nine, has a big role in his life too.
Murray added: “Because my mum’s around a lot at competitions people focus on her.
“They don’t see my dad as much but that doesn’t mean he is not a big part of my life. He has always been there supporting me.”

Tony frozen out by the big Chil

TONY BELLEW’S hopes for a world-title shot are on hold after a controversial draw with Isaac Chilemba last night.

Scouser Bellew was not at his explosive best in front of his home fans at the Echo Arena.
But he was left seething after believing he had done enough to impress the judges against Malawi-born light-heavyweight Chilemba.
French judge Christophe Fernandez even scored the contest 116-112 in favour of Chilemba.
Ghana’s Eddie Pappoe gave it to Bellew 116-115 while Swiss judge Fabian Guggenheim could not split the pair and had them 114 each.
Bellew, 30, fumed: “I thought I won the fight. I thought I had nine out the 12 rounds.
“His trainer, one of the most respected men in the game, has just said to me ‘You’ve won it’.
“I don’t know what to say. What has that judge been watching? It’s insane.
“What’s going down here? I believed I’d done enough.”
Bellew, 30, was looking to become mandatory challenger for Chad Dawson’s WBC crown but he would hardly have struck fear into the champion with this display.
He got off to a decent start but Chilemba, 25, frustrated his opponent as the rounds wore on.
Bellew managed to wake up his fans with a stinging right in the ninth and landed some crashing body shots.
But despite his strong finish the judges did not see enough to give it to the home fighter.

I’m A Celebrity... Get Me A Ringside Seat!

DAVID HAYE faces the ultimate bushtucker trial when all his jungle pals sit ringside for his comeback.

The former world heavyweight champion makes his return at the Manchester Stadium on June 29 with Manuel Charr topping the list of likely opponents.
Haye emerged as one of the stars in the latest series of TV reality show I’m A Celebrity . . . Get Me Out Of Here.
He finished third and struck up a relationship with top chef Rosemary Shrager.
Haye revealed: “The first thing Rosemary said to me was that she didn’t like boxing, yet a few days later she was training with me — you never know, she could do the ring walk with me.
“I’ve invited all the guys, Charlie Brooks, who won, Ashley Roberts, Brian Conley, Colin Baker, Eric Bristow, Hugo Taylor, Limahl, Linda Robson, Nadine Dorries, Helen Flanagan and of course Rosemary to be ringside and they all said yes.
“Rosemary will be there but not at the front because she screams the loudest. She’ll be five or six rows back — I don’t want her to distract me.”
Haye, 32, insists he felt at peace during his three-week stay in the jungle. He added: “Some sort of cleanse definitely went on while I was in there.
“It gave me a little bit more time to reflect on things. When you’re there with a bunch of people you don’t know you kind of relax.
You’ve nothing to distract yourself, no text messaging, no internet, no clocks, you don’t even know what time it is.
“You’re just sitting in a jungle with rats and cockroaches.
“I have watched myself back on I’m A Celebrity, I’ve actually watched every episode of it.
“I was surprised how skinny I looked. I went down to 14st 6lbs. You get light-heavyweights heavier than that.”
Haye, who is hoping to line up a mandatory challenge for Vitali Klitschko’s WBC world title, has also promised to tone down the trash talk that gave him a bad reputation.
He said: “A lot of the stuff I have said in the past has obviously been very close to the bone and it has got headlines.
“The only headline I want is ‘And the new world champion is . . . ’

I’ve got first call. If I pick players they should turn up

ROY HODGSON is heading for another club v country row after insisting that ALL his senior stars must be available for friendlies at the end of the season.

The England boss says games against the Republic of Ireland and Brazil are crucial to World Cup qualification hopes.
Following last week’s disappointing draw in Montenegro, Hodgson has made it clear he is in no mood to allow players to duck out of their international responsibilities — despite growing concerns over their workloads.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is seeking talks with Hodgson to get Jack Wilshere excused from Three Lions duty this summer, while Alex Ferguson is not exactly overjoyed at the thought of his Manchester United players flying to Brazil for the June 2 friendly in Rio de Janeiro.
And Chelsea and Manchester City have just announced plans to fly to the United States to play each other twice in the week before the Ireland game on May 29.
Those US matches will almost certainly feature key England players including Joe Hart, Ashley Cole, James Milner, Frank Lampard, Joleon Lescott and Gary Cahill.
But Hodgson insists: “As far as I am concerned, the Ireland and Brazil games are two bona fide matches.
“A lot of other international teams are playing qualifiers in this period, so I don’t think I need to worry whether the players I select will come and play for England.
“They are aware we need to prepare well for the autumn internationals and these friendlies are part of that.
“We have good opportunities in these two games to do some post-match analysis to make sure that everyone is fully understanding of the way we’d like to go forward.
“May and June are FIFA dates and international matches have first call on the players. We have just had two very important back-to-back World Cup qualifiers and now I have six weeks to concern myself with who plays against Ireland and Brazil.”
Hodgson is still smarting over the criticism his team faced after surrendering two crucial points against Montenegro in Podgorica on Tuesday.
And he dismissed suggestions that his players cannot retain possession — because they were able to hold on to the ball in their previous game, the 8-0 win against San Marino!
He says: “We didn’t win in Monte-negro because we didn’t retain possession and dominate the midfield in the second half as well as we did in the first 45 minutes. It’s no more complicated than that.
“But our ball retention wasn’t too bad against San Marino or in our previous game against Brazil, so I refuse to accept that because we didn’t play so well for 45 minutes, that it’s suddenly all about ball retention.
“Every time a team has a period when they don’t play to the very high levels of expectations, you shouldn’t suggest that everything they are doing is wrong.
“We knew this would be a difficult qualifying group but we are still in with a good shout going into the autumn games.
“Our fate is still in our own hands to some extent.
“Three of our last four matches are at home and we still have to play all of our rivals — Monte-negro, Poland and Ukraine.
“They are also going to be playing each other and dropping points, so there are still twists and turns ahead. We have to make certain we keep our heads.”
In spite of his team’s problems last Tuesday, Hodgson maintains that there are clear signs of progress in the camp.
And he uses the example of England’s Euro 2012 defeat by Italy to reinforce his argument.
He claims: “It’s a different world. Against Italy, we didn’t really see the ball. On Tuesday, it was never a question of the opposition dominating possession.
“We are in a period of change and I think that change is ticking along. One of the better younger players, Jack Wilshere, wasn’t able to be with us.
“Then Theo Walcott, another player of interest, had to cry off through injury.
“Having said that, I was pleased with some of the other young players against San Marino and Montenegro.
“It was a difficult game in a difficult atmosphere on Tuesday.
“But in the final analysis, getting a point in Montenegro might prove to be a very good thing.
“If we are able to beat them at Wembley, we’ll have been able to take four points off them.
“Maybe people will just have to accept that we can’t always produce the performances we want

Aston Villa 1 Liverpool 2

ASTON VILLA'S survival hopes were dealt a major blow as Liverpool battled back from a goal down to secure maximum points.

Christian Benteke handed relegation-haunted Villa the lead with a fine finish in the 31st minute.
The hosts were slow out of the blocks in the second half and Jordan Henderson quickly pulled Liverpool level.
But there was worse to come when Steven Gerrard converted from the spot to condemn Paul Lambert's men to a 15th Premier League defeat of the season.

UP AND RUNNING ... Christian Benteke fires Aston Villa into the lead

Villa spurned a golden chance to break the deadlock after 16 minutes.
Matthew Lowton swept a beautiful ball into the path of Gabriel Agbonlahor but the striker somehow managed to fire straight at Pepe Reina when it appeared easier to score.
Liverpool also came close a few minutes later when Luis Suarez stung Brad Guzan’s hands with a powerful left-foot shot on the turn.

VILLA THRILLER ... Christian Benteke celebrates

Suarez threatened again midway through the first half but Nathan Baker used his physical presence to force the striker to fire wide when well placed.
With the game swinging from end to end, Villa grabbed the lead courtesy of Benteke's crisp strike.
Ashley Westwood arrowed a long ball towards Agbonlahor and his neat touch teed up Benteke to lash home an instinctive first-time effort.

SOMETHING TO SHOUT ABOUT ... Brad Guzan reacts to Benteke's goal

Liverpool should have been level in the 41st minute but Suarez saw his effort blocked by the legs of Guzan after Barry Bannan’s misplaced pass had put him in on goal.
And Guzan came to the rescue again just before half-time, beating away a rasping effort from Gerrard.
The visitors found the equaliser they had been threatening to produce just two minutes into the second half.

ALL SQUARE ... Jordan Henderson equalises for Liverpool

Philippe Coutinho played the perfect ball to unlock the Villa defence and Henderson burst clear before calmly dinking it beyond Guzan.
With his side back on level terms, Gerrard gave Lee Mason a mouthful after the match official booked him for a mistimed challenge on Agbonlahor.
Coutinho should have put Liverpool in front in the 55th minute but dragged his shot agonisingly wide after being set free by Suarez.

MIDFIELD MARVEL ... Jordan Henderson celebrates

And the Reds were unlucky not to find the net two minutes later when Glen Johnson's deflected effort thumped against the post.
But they were gifted the chance to go ahead when Baker sliced through Suarez to concede a penalty, which Gerrard promptly dispatched on the hour mark.
With the game seemingly slipping away from the hosts, Benteke saw Gerrard acrobatically clear his goalbound header off the line.

SPOT ON ... Steven Gerrard puts Liverpool ahead

But for all Villa's hustle and bustle in the closing stages, they needed Guzan to keep the score respectable by twice denying Suarez.
And their misery was compounded when Benteke was denied a stoppage-time equaliser by an offside flag.

Don’t make bosses shake hands

IT SOMETIMES seems as if modern football is as much about public displays of affection and friendship as kicking the ball into the other team’s goal.

Tomorrow, Alex Ferguson and Rafa Benitez meet again at Stamford Bridge for the FA Cup quarter-final replay between Chelsea and Manchester United.
Plenty has been made of the fact Fergie did not shake hands with Rafa at the end of the first tie at Old Trafford three weeks ago — a brilliant game in which Chelsea came back from 2-0 down after just 11 minutes to draw 2-2.
Just as the eyes of the country have been on players and their handshakes this season, now we switch to two supposedly feuding managers and whether or not they will press the flesh before and afterwards.
Let’s be honest — not everyone likes everyone else in football, or in a factory, office or school playground.
That’s life.
And if someone doesn’t like me then, sure, I’d be disappointed but I’d rather they were up front about it and refused to shake my hand than go through some fake ritual for the cameras, the fans and the FA disciplinary committee.
Take Fergie and Rafa.
They’ve clashed before. There’s also a fierce rivalry between United and the Spaniard’s old club Liverpool.
Shaking hands in the dugout does not make the slightest difference to that.
As managers, we all get het up during matches.
I always offer to shake the other manager’s hand at the end of a game but then you forget it and move on.
For example, Arsene Wenger clearly doesn’t like doing it. He walks over, looks the other way as he is doing it and it is hardly a warm gesture.
So I don’t know why he bothers.

BEST OF ENEMIES ... Fergie walks past Benitez

Years ago, you could be in the home-team manager’s office 10 minutes after the final whistle, looking him in the eyes while you both had a glass of wine.
Alone in the same room, two people tend to get on much better than down in the bear pit of the dugout.
Nowadays, there’s an hour’s worth of interviews with TV, radio and newspapers to do first and by then the players are waiting to get on a plane. No bus home any more.
But the management game is changing as quickly as it is for the players and supporters these days.
Hardly anyone goes to the functions any more.
Fergie goes to the League Managers’ Association dinners because he is a big supporter.
But you turn up at a lot of get-togethers and no one else is there.
The only time you see your fellow managers or rivals — depending on your viewpoint — is for a few seconds on the touchline before and after a game.
So much window dressing is applied to the game nowadays.
Not so long ago, it was quite normal for the teams to come out separately.

Roy won’t let 'em rest

ROY HODGSON has told his weary England stars to be available for the summer friendlies against Ireland and Brazil.

The Three Lions manager is refusing to strike any deals with Premier League clubs who want to give their players a rest.
England host the Republic of Ireland at Wembley on May 29 before flying to Rio for a June 2 game as part of the FA’s 150th anniversary celebrations.
Hodgson warned: “A lot of international teams are playing qualifying games during this period so I don’t need to have any worries as to whether the players I select will come and play for England.”
But a number of top-flight teams are unhappy about the demands being put on their players.
Chelsea and Manchester City have already agreed to play each other TWICE in the USA the week before England’s double-header.
Yet Hodgson is adamant the two matches are crucial to his preparations for the rest of the Three Lions’ World Cup qualifying campaign.
England play Scotland in a friendly at Wembley in August before resuming their bid to get to Brazil with a Group H match at home to minnows Moldova on September 6.

Lampard wants Mourinho return

Frank Lampard is hopeful of Jose Mourinho returning to Chelsea this summer as he believes it will benefit his own hopes of securing a new contract at Stamford Bridge

Hamburg wants Badstuber on loan

Hamburger SV wants Holger Badstuber on loan for the next season. HSV manager Frank Arnesen already contacted Bayern president Uli Hoeneß, but Hamburg has no chance - Badstuber is supposed to be part of the backbone at Bayern for several years.

Moyes happy for Everton stay if he is granted funds

The Toffees boss declares his willingness to remain at Goodison Park and extend his contract, as long as he is given a transfer budget to help improve the squad

David Moyes has revealed that he would be happy to extend his stay at Goodison Park, providing that the board give him the financial resources to help take Everton to the next level.

The former Preston manager has been at the club for 11 years but his current deal is set to expire in the summer, with Chelsea rumored to be interested in his services.

"I want what's best for Everton and if people say it is best for Everton that I stay, then I would agree," he told reporters, "but I have to make sure Everton have the best opportunity to try and continue where they are, and push on from where they are.

"I'm waiting on some information coming back to me and we'll talk again when we get all that information. I can't say what the budget is and whether that will be enough until I get the breakdown and see how it will all work but what I have got to ensure is that, as a club, we achieve what we are capable of.

"I know what we are capable of - we have a really good squad, a small squad but one that is getting older and we need to replace that and change it around.

"Everybody knows that a decision will be made at the end of the season and that will be the time because we will see where we finish and where we go"

Messi is unique and does what he wants, says Zuculini

The once-capped Argentina international has explained that the worst thing any opponent can do is make his compatriot mad, claiming that the Blaugrana ace is unstoppable

Real Zaragoza's Franco Zuculini has labelled Lionel Messi “unique”, arguing that any game against Barcelona is effectively over once the diminutive forward starts playing.

The once-capped Argentina international has lined up twice against his compatriot since joining Zaragoza, initially on loan, from Hoffenheim two years ago.

In both instances, Zuculini felt that he and his teammates were performing well but that Messi ultimately proved impossible to contain.

“The first time we played them, we were winning, but then we collected a red card and they thrashed us," the defensive midfielder told Goal.com. “In the match at Camp Nou, they went ahead but we tied the score. However, with 10 minutes to go... Well, it was over as soon as Messi started doing what he wanted.

“The boys did not know whether to hit him or not. And I told them not to do that because it would only makes things worse if he gets mad - that he would score another three goals against us. You have do something that puts him to sleep, not wakes him up.

“I swear that the two matches were like that, he did whatever he wanted. I'm sure if he tells a team-mate that he will score in the 23rd minute, he succeeds. He is unique.”

Despite having failed to come out on the winning side against Barcelona, Zuculini insists that he relished both meetings with the Catalans.

“It's incredible, it’s something you can enjoy," the 22-year-old explained. "And it's just as nice to play against Madrid. Those two teams, they play another championship to the rest of us.”

While la Liga sometimes seems like a two-horse race, Zuculini claims that he is currently enjoying life in Spain, after previous stints in Italy and Germany. However, he freely admits that he would love to test himself in England.

“I have played in three of the most important leagues in the world,” he mused. “The only one I have left that I have watched from my childhood is the Premier League. I really like it.

“And I'm going to put as a goal, to do everything I can to be in the Premier League at some point.”

Zuculini, who earned his only international cap against Panama four years ago, has previously lined out for Racing Club, Hoffenheim and Genoa.

Osvaldo: Playing for Real Madrid would be a dream

The Italy international would be open to a move to the Primera Division champions, but is focused on his current club for now

Roma striker Pablo Osvaldo has admitted that a possible transfer to Real Madrid could prove to be too tempting to turn down.

The Santiago Bernabeu side is reportedly keen to add some fresh blood to its attack in the summer transfer window, and recent reports from Spain claim that Osvaldo is one of Madrid's top targets.

"Real Madrid's interest? Every player dreams of wearing the jersey of a club like Madrid," Osvaldo was quoted as saying by Marca.

"However, I will have to do well with Roma first and win trophies here.

"We have to do our utmost to make sure we secure third place in the table and qualify for the Champions League."

Osvaldo previously played in La Liga at Espanyol from 2010 until 2011, before eventually joining Roma ahead of the 2011-12 campaign.

The 27-year-old has a contract with the Giallorossi until the summer of 2016.

Robben rubbishes 'insane' talk of Bayern exit

Reports have linked the winger with moves to Galatasaray and Inter, but he insists his sole focus is on ensuring the Bavarians end the season with silverware.

Arjen Robben has quashed "insane" reports that he could leave Bayern Munich in the summer to join either Galatasaray or Inter.

The 29-year-old struggled with a succession of injuries in the first-half of the season and has since been forced to settle for a place in coach Jupp Heynckes' rotation system at the Allianz Arena.

The scenario has prompted speculation that Robben could join up with Netherlands teammate Wesley Sneijder in Istanbul or make the switch to Serie A, but the winger insists there is no truth in the rumors.
"One day it's Galatasaray, the next it's Inter. It's insane and none of this is in my head," Robben told Bild. "I'm solely thinking about [the match against] Hamburg, then Juventus and the return leg after that. It's only about my team and our objectives. Anything else is written and fabricated, I have no influence on it.
He added, "It could only annoy me if I listened to it. It is part of football, and if other clubs are interested in me, then that's great and I'd respect that. I have no interest in making a change."
Robben has six goals in 18 appearances for Bayern this season.

I would never swap Rickie for Torres

JACK CORK goaded Fernando Torres by claiming he would not swap Southampton team-mate Rickie Lambert for the £50million flop.

Chelsea could have bought Lambert FIFTY times over for the British-record fee they paid Liverpool to land the Spaniard.
Each of Lambert’s 101 goals has cost Saints under £10,000 after they picked up the former beetroot factory worker from Bristol Rovers for a bargain £1m.
In contrast, Chelsea have spent more than £2m for each of the 24 times Torres has found the net since his record-breaking move from Liverpool.
Ex-Chelsea kid Cork said: “Rickie has been different class for us for the last three or four years.
“For someone of his build, his touch is unbelievable. He is great to have in your team.
“Torres and Demba Ba have scored lots of goals in their careers and you don’t pay £50m for someone who isn’t any good.
“But if you asked who I’d rather have in my team, I’d say Rickie.”
Cork spent 14 years at the Bridge before joining Saints at the start of last season but never played a first-team game. The former Team GB star reckons Chelsea’s managerial merry-go-round makes it tough for youngsters to break through.
Cork said: “Chelsea was massive for me and from the age of eight it was my dream to play for them. It was frustrating towards the end but I loved it when I was there.
“We had a good set of young players who have all gone on to play a high standard. That was when Chelsea were doing well and winning titles — so I can understand why nobody was given a chance.
“With the managers chopping and changing there is always a lot of pressure on them to win games, so it’s tough to blood youngsters.”
Cork believes Saints can follow up their recent home wins over Manchester City and Liverpool by toppling another of the Premier League’s big guns.
He added: “We’ve beaten Manchester City and Liverpool — so it could be a good time to play Chelsea after two great results against good teams.
“They have done as well as they would have hoped in the league this year so they might have their eyes on the Europa League.
“They are still one of the best teams in the world so it is going to be a big challenge for us no matter what team they put out.”
Saints chief Mauricio Pochettino refuted claims his men only perform their best against the top sides.
As well as the wins over Liverpool and City, they also drew with Everton.
He said: “If you look at the victories it might seem like we have raised our game against those teams.
“But I don’t think that is the case as we played well against Wigan and Norwich but didn’t get the points. We had a very good home win against Liverpool and when you get that result, you want to carry on playing again as soon as it is possible.
“Against Chelsea we know we are facing one of the best teams in England with top-quality players. So we must be at our best.
“When I look at the Chelsea squad I cannot tell the difference between the reserves and the first-team players. There is so much quality.
“Whether you have Ba or Torres, they are both amazing and it is the same throughout the rest of the squad. They are all excellent.
“Chelsea have 24 or 25 players who can cause any team in the league a problem so I am not thinking it will be easier whatever team they put out against us.
“The international break is of no concern to us as we knew it would happen.
“We hope all the international players arrive back fit and healthy and ready to face Chelsea.

FA deny hearing racist Rio chants

RIO FERDINAND’S racism row escalated last night when the FA said they had no evidence of vile chants from fans.

The Manchester United defender has expressed shock over allegations a minority of England fans sang racist songs about him and his brother during the San Marino game.
But Club England managing director Adrian Bevington said: “At this time we have not found any recorded evidence of discriminatory chanting referring to Rio and Anton Ferdinand and the vile ‘bonfire’ song.
“We will, of course, continue to review all of our recorded footage.”
Some supporters are alleged to have chanted that Rio and Anton should be burnt on a bonfire.
And a complaint was lodged to FIFA by Football Against Racism in Europe.
Fans turned on Ferdinand after he withdrew from the England squad to focus on his fitness schedule.
But he then travelled to Qatar to work as a TV pundit on the San Marino game.
Ferdinand wrote on Twitter: “You expect and accept banter from fans as it’s part of what makes the game great.
“But racism is not banter and from your own fans — WOW.
“Always a small minority who ruin it for others.
“Let’s not jump to conclusions though, as it might just have been banter. We will see after the investigation.”
Alex Ferguson has backed Rio to ride out the storm.
The United boss said “That’s modern society I’m afraid.
“We see a lot of that and I don’t think we can change that.
“They are always ready to vent their spleen against whoever displeases them.
“I think it will blow over quite quickly.
“The most important thing is that people realise that Rio’s international career had been in doubt for a while.”
And Fergie believes the player has nothing to be ashamed about over how he withdrew from the squad.
He said: “Rio did the right thing in meeting Roy Hodgson.
“I thought he should go and do it face to face with Roy and explain how we handle him and how he prepares for games.”
Ferguson added he had no problem with Ferdinand’s trip to Qatar. He said: “They had the weekend off and players are entitled to do what they want.”

Mission impossible Rafa faces a juggling act

RAFA BENITEZ faces Mission Impossible at Chelsea.

No, not winning over the fans. He knows that will never happen.
But putting out fresh legs against Manchester United in the FA Cup less than 48 hours after today’s clash against Southampton.
The Blues face an exhausting schedule with five matches in 13 days — starting with Southampton in the league today and the FA Cup quarter-final replay against United at lunchtime on Monday.
Benitez said: “In terms of preparation or tactics, we will be fine.
“Physiologically, it will be impossible. A day after a game you are tired. Two days, you are even more tired.
“This second day will be really tough for everyone.
“We then have three days before Rubin Kazan. Three days is very close. Four days is fine.”
United face Sunderland in today’s early kick-off and Alex Ferguson could afford to rest his entire first-choice 11 given the Red Devils’ 15-point advantage over second-placed Manchester City.
Unfortunately, Chelsea cannot afford to do the same as they are in a desperate scramble with Tottenham and Arsenal for a Champions League spot — and any slip-up could prove catastrophic. Boss Benitez added: “I don’t want to say this as an excuse. United don’t have another competition, they don’t have the Champions League.
“In the league they are 15 points ahead so their priority is the FA Cup.
“We consider all these factors. We have to put out a competitive team that can beat Southampton. But if I don’t pick, for example, Ashley Cole, if we lose, people will say, ‘Why did you pick Ryan Bertrand instead of Cole?’
“We have a lot of information and it’s not easy to make a decision. It’s impossible to be fully fit.
“All of them can play but at which level? Sometimes you’re not playing 100 per cent and still you can win.”
While Benitez has to shuffle his resources for their eight games in April, he insists that Chelsea still have an eye on a second-place finish.
At the moment, their main focus is to keep their noses ahead of Spurs and Arsenal.
But the Spaniard added: “If we can do what we think we can do, to beat Southampton, we will keep an eye on City for sure.”
Benitez spent the international break training with just five first-team players — John Terry, Fernando Torres, Marko Marin, Paulo Ferreira and Bertrand. And Gary Cahill and Ramires face late fitness tests.
As if Chelsea keeper Petr Cech is not wary enough of Saints after they earned a draw at the Bridge this season — even though Benitez’s side went to St Mary’s for an FA Cup tie and won 5-1.
Cech, who has proudly claimed his 100th cap for Czech Republic since Chelsea’s last match, said: “In the away game against Southampton we were very effective, taking our chances.
“And then at home we had a very good half but allowed them to come back into it. You cannot do that in the Premier League.
“The teams are strong enough to grab the chance if you give it to them — everyone in the Premier League has that quality and will take it if you let them.
“They changed manager to Mauricio Pochettino and they are more attacking, more organised and very good at pressing, which makes them more aggressive.
“And, in turn, they are more confident because of the success they’ve been having. It will be a different game again.”

Lu ‘n learn Suarez can teach Sturridge a thing or two

BRENDAN RODGERS wants Daniel Sturridge to use the most controversial figure in football as his driving force at Liverpool.

Sturridge has been a hit since his £12million January switch from Chelsea, bagging five goals in just eight starts.
And while Kop boss Rodgers offers plenty of advice, he knows the best example comes from the man alongside him — Luis Suarez.
No figure divides opinion quite as much as the Uruguayan, whose latest brush with controversy came when he punched Chile defender Gonzalo Jara in Tuesday’s 2-0 defeat.
But Rodgers is adamant the brilliance far outweighs the bust-ups — especially his amazing appetite for work.
The boss, who takes his side to Aston Villa tomorrow, admitted: “For me, the striker drives the train.
“When you look at history of this club, men like Ian Rush, Kenny Dalglish and Robbie Fowler. They have had number nines who have worked their socks off.
“Luis has played up there and is a great leader, the way he presses up there.
“This is why you love him as a manager.
“He has an absolutely amazing appetite for the game.
“He looks a bit tired with all the flying but he’s out there working, running, chasing and doesn’t get enough credit for it.”
That work-rate is something Sturridge is adapting to.
Yet the Anfield chief believes the message is getting through.
Rodgers added: “Daniel’s 23 and knows he needs to improve but he’s a real receptive boy. It’s a new way of working and we have spoken and watched videos on it.
“It’s not rocket science. Football is based on top players and if someone has done something well, it’s always good to show it.”
Suarez has been linked with a move to Bayern Munich but Rodgers remains confident his star man will not be leaving.
The boss insisted: “You want to be in a workplace where you are enjoying it, because then you will see it in the performance levels — and Luis’ have been phenomenal.
“I have a great relationship with him, he’s happy here, and he’s happy with his mates.”

£10m Laudrup buy-out clause

MICHAEL LAUDRUP has a £10million price on his head.

That is how much it will cost the likes of Real Madrid, Chelsea and Arsenal if they want to pinch Swansea’s Capital One Cup-winning boss.
The new Swans contract Laudrup signed this month includes an eight-figure release clause to scare off all but the richest potential employers.
It is believed £3million of the buy-out would go to Laudrup.
The Great Dane is said to have agreed the whopping release clause and his share of it as part of a package which keeps his basic salary at around the same level — £700,000.
His new contract runs until 2015 but the Swans have lost their last THREE managers — Brendan Rodgers, Roberto Martinez and Paulo Sousa — to so-called bigger clubs and fear Laudrup may well follow in their footsteps

Becks is a big hit for Carlo

CARLO ANCELOTTI wants David Beckham to be offered a new one-year deal to stay at Paris Saint-Germain.

The former England captain’s hopes of remaining in the French capital have been given a massive boost with the news that PSG boss Ancelotti is firmly on his side.
Beckham, 37, arrived from LA Galaxy in January and was given a contract until the end of the season although his wages are all being given to charity.
Ancelotti said: “Extend his contract for another year? The decision has to be taken by the club, the player and the coach. But I am for it.”
Former Chelsea chief Ancelotti also insisted he had no problems with Beckham heading to China on a PR trip during the international break.
France legend Bixente Lizarazu slammed Beckham as being “unprofessional” for heading to the Far East in his role as an ambassador for Chinese football.
Lizarazu reckoned Beckham would have been better staying in Paris ahead of a big week which saw PSG host Montpellier last night.
On Tuesday they are at home to Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-finals.
But Ancelotti said: “There’s no problem at all. Everyone agreed to let him go there and he had made those commitments before signing for PSG.”

Oscar is week at the knees

OSCAR believes Chelsea’s season will be defined next week.

The Blues are preparing to play four games in nine days as they do battle across THREE competitions.
First up tomorrow is a Premier League trip to Southampton before an FA Cup quarter-final replay against Manchester United on Easter Monday.
Then they host Russian outfit Rubin Kazan in the Europa League next Thursday before facing Sunderland three days later as they bid to hold on to a Champions League place in the top four.
And although the Brazilian playmaker admits it is normal to play several games in quick succession at a big club, this kind of fixture pile-up with three competitions at stake in a week is new to him.
He said: “It is a week that could be really important for our season.
“We just have to play and rest as best we can. We always have a lot of games, though maybe four in a week — as we have this week — is a bit different.
“There are so many games at the moment, and all of them are important.”

Video:

Rafa Benitez: I'd rather play games than watch TV

Football

CHELSEA face five matches in 13 days - but interim manager is looking forward to the challenge

Interim manager Rafael Benitez has rotated his squad as much as possible with Chelsea already racking up 53 games so far this season.
The Spaniard will have to do the same over the coming weeks as Chelsea chase success in the cups and search for a top-four finish in the league.
Oscar admitted: “We have games in all three competitions, but we’re not thinking that one could be more important than the other.
“We want to win all of the games and we want to do as well as we can in all the competitions. We won’t sacrifice one for the others.”
The fixtures continue to roll in for the Blues even after they face Sunderland, with a gruelling round-trip to Moscow for their second leg against Kazan coming before what could prove to be a decisive league clash with top-four rivals Tottenha

Peking ruck!

DAVID BECKHAM was last night accused of being unprofessional after heading to China on a public relations trip.

French legend Bixente Lizarazu slammed the Paris Saint-Germain star for flying to the Far East rather than preparing for Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final with Barcelona.
Beckham, 37, used the international break to visit China in his role as a football ambassador and has returned in time for tonight’s league clash at home to Montpellier.
But Lizarazu, 43, who played for France 97 times, said: “The Beckham debate is to know whether David Beckham is a marketing product or a football player.
“I’m sorry, but when you go to China to promote football 10 days before the most important game in PSG’s history, then it’s not good preparation, it’s not professional. No other big club would let a so-called player go so far away.
“In which case don’t sell David Beckham to us as a football player who is coming to strengthen PSG.
“If he’s sold to us as a marketing product, then that’s great.
“Since he has arrived, people are talking about PSG the world over.
“But the ambiguity is that they’re trying to make us believe he’s still important for their sporting project.”
Lizarazu made his France debut in 1992, won the World Cup in 1998 and Euro 2000 plus 17 trophies with Bayern Munich.
Using sarcasm regarding Beckham’s long return flight to China, Lizarazu added: “Maybe that’s the key, maybe he has a Boeing 747 with a gym inside it and an XL-sized bed and loads of masseurs.
“Top-level sport isn’t a circus. I’m not putting Beckham on trial as a person, but you have to accept the fact he signed for Paris to do 80 per cent marketing. It must stop!
“They’ve got Barca coming up soon and, if he’s considered as a major player in the Paris squad, you can’t let him go off for five days, taking in three cities, especially at 37.”
But PSG boss Carlo Ancelotti, whose side are five points clear at the top of Ligue 1, wants Becks to play on next season.
Team-mates have no problem with the former England captain, either.
PSG midfielder Clement Chantome was asked if Beckham has a privileged status within the club.
He said: “No, not at all. David has settled in really well, there’s no problem.
“He’s a great pro, he knows himself very well and he’s always in top shape.”

Vettel in the clear after shock pass

SEBASTIAN VETTEL has escaped with just a slap on the wrist from his Red Bull boss - despite breaking team orders.

The three-time world champion was at the centre of an inter-team storm after passing teammate Mark Webber to win the Malaysian Grand Prix when he was told not to.
Furious Webber blasted Vettel and cynically insisted the team would give him “protection as usual”.
But now boss Christian Horner insists the matter is closed following Vettel’s apology while he refused to deny whether his own position in the team was undermined.
Horner said: “I would say it has been put to bed. We have spoken to the drivers and as far as the team is concerned it is a closed book.
“Seb is very honest guy and I think he was shocked after the race. The feeling came over him, you could see that, that he felt he had done something wrong.
“I believe his apology was sincere and he repeated that apology in private in the briefing we had later that evening.
“You don’t win what he has by being a driver that is submissive and that sits back and if Fernando Alonso or Lewis Hamilton had been in that position they would have done the same.
“Let’s not kid ourselves that this is something that is unique to Sebastian. This is something that is in any competitive drivers’ DNA.
“It has been dealt with. We have spoken to the drivers and they know the objectives of the team.
“I don’t expect them to spend Christmas together or anything like that but they are professional individuals who will work to bring the best out of each other.”
Vettel’s disregard for Horner’s instructions have raised questions as to who has the authority in the team.
Horner says he is used to coping with his competitive drivers yet when quizzed as to how he feels about Vettel’s snub, he stopped short of pressing home his authority.
He added: “In three months you go from winning a double world championship in Austin and Brazil and then suddenly it is a drama and a crisis despite a 1-2 finish.
“But it is something we have had to deal with in the past since and part of my role is making sure I get the best out of them for the team.
“What is a great shame is what went unnoticed on Sunday -- a 1-2 finish and eight pitstops all under three seconds.
“It was a massive achievement but those last 13 laps clouded what was a great effort from the team.”

Ferdy's 'racism' shock

RIO FERDINAND has revealed his shock at claims England fans sang racist songs about him.

Anti-racism body FARE reported an incident to FIFA after last Friday’s Three Lions clash with San Marino.
It was alleged some supporters joined in with a song suggesting Ferdinand and his brother Anton should be burned on a bonfire.
Ferdinand was vilified by fans after withdrawing from the England squad because it did not fit in with his training programme.
He then travelled to Qatar to be a TV pundit on the 8-0 victory.
Ferdinand, 34, tweeted: “You expect+accept banter from fans on the terraces as its part of what makes the game great,but racism is not banter,& from ya own fans. WOW.
“Always a small minority who ruin it for others.
“Let’s not jump to conclusions + assume though as it might just have been banter. We’ll see after the investigation.”
United boss Alex Ferguson believes any racist chanting is a cultural problem, rather than just a football issue.
The Scot said: "That is the modern society I am afraid. We see a lot of that.
"Supporters react to many things. I don't think we can change that."
FARE’s executive director Piara Powar revealed the organisation had spoken to FIFA about the incident.
He said: “Although we did not have observers at the match we have pulled together evidence sent to us including media comment and have passed that on to FIFA.
“I think that it’s one of those things that is very subtle.
“We would say racism and other forms of discrimination is not always banana throwing and monkey chants.
“It can be very subtle and the people collating the reports believed it is strong enough to send on to FIFA.
“From the reports we have seen I personally think there was an undercurrent of race there, and other people have thought that it has been imbued with racist overtones.
“Whether FIFA think that is strong enough to take action is another question entirely and we accept that it is certainly an unusual report.”
FARE have also reported racist or xenophobic incidents at the Croatia v Serbia and Poland v Ukraine matches

Jose back at Chelsea

JOSE MOURINHO will make an emotional return to Chelsea today.

The Special One is due back at Stamford Bridge for the first time since 2011.
But not, as Blues fans hope, to replace the reviled interim boss Rafa Benitez. Not yet anyway.
Mourinho has accepted an invitation from the Brazilian FA to tonight’s glamorous friendly against Fabio Capello’s Russia.
So he will be back at Chelsea for the first time since he knocked them out of the Champions League with Inter Milan, two years ago.
Mourinho’s surprise return to SW6, where he won six trophies between 2004-07, will spark more speculation about him returning for real in the summer.
He looks certain to leave current club Real Madrid in the summer.
The Portuguese coach has never hidden his love for Chelsea and English football. And only this weekend he hinted he could go back to “maybe somewhere I’ve already been” — raising hope among Blues fans he could mean Chelsea.
There will be a vacancy, too, as the reign of Benitez ends in May.
But Chelsea’s billionaire owner Roman Abramovich faces stiff competition.
Two-time Champions League winner Mourinho has also been linked with AC Milan, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain.
Newcastle legend Alan Shearer would be delighted to see Mourinho return.
The SunSport columnist said: “Love him or hate him — and I love him — Jose adds something to the soap opera of English football.
“If his destiny proves to be Stamford Bridge once more, then it really will be game on with the Manchester clubs

Haye, I’m back!

DAVID HAYE has confirmed he will return to the ring on June 29.

Haye, 32, went back into retirement after stopping Dereck Chisora in brutal fashion inside five rounds at Upton Park in July 2012.
But the desire to bow out of boxing at the top has persuaded the Hayemaker to make a comeback.
And he will let the leather fly once again at the Manchester Arena this summer as he attempts to become mandatory challenger for one of the world heavyweight titles held by the Klitschko brothers.
Haye, who plans to fight twice this year, said: “I want to put myself in the position to take the world title.
“Instead of sitting around waiting, I want to get back in there. People want me back and they’ll be able to see it on June 29.
“I’m a couple of fights away from that mandatory position. Whether the Klitschkos fight me after that, we’ll see.”

Video:

I'm back to make Haye and reclaim a world title

Boxing

DAVID HAYE plans to force the Klitschkos to fight by becoming mandatory challenger

Haye’s opponent will be announced in the near future by trainer and manager Adam Booth.
A TV deal is not currently in place but the fight will be promoted under the Hayemaker banner.
Booth said: “I’m talking to five top-ranked fighters at the moment. None of them are British.”
Haye previously maintained he would not fight again unless it was to face Vitali Klitschko.
But with the WBC champion contemplating retirement to pursue a full-time career in politics in his native Ukraine, Haye is determined to force a showdown any way possible.
And despite still having Vitali in his sights, the Londoner would not hesitate to settle the score with Wladimir Klitschko should the opportunity arise.
Haye was widely criticised for blaming a broken little toe for his disappointing performance against Wladimir in July 2011.
But the former undisputed cruiserweight champion is keen to prove the unanimous points defeat was nothing more than a bad night at the office.
Haye added: “I’ve been waiting for the phone to ring from Team Klitschko but it hasn’t happened. Their path doesn’t include me this year.
“Vitali is a puppet and his team are pulling the strings. I hope he stands up and demands a fight to cement his legacy before he goes.
“I never anticipated having a bad night against Wladimir but it happened. I want to right those wrongs.”

Football: Real Madrid to face PSG in friendly in Sweden

STOCKHOLM: Real Madrid will face Paris Saint Germain in a July 27 friendly in Gothenburg, match organisers announced on Wednesday.

"It's a dream come true to welcome Real Madrid to Sweden - no one knows when they will be back again," Affe Akbari, managing director of organisers Sport & Evenemang said.

Both clubs are still involved in the Champions League - with Real facing Turkish side Galatasaray and PSG up against Barcelona in next month's quarter-finals.

Last August Gothenburg played host to a friendly between Barcelona, and English Premier League giants Manchester United - the fixture ending in a goalless draw.

There are a billion reasons why England need to make World Cup Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/4864584/Whole-country-will-pay-if-Englands-Brazil-bid-flops.html#ixzz2Oufss74D

FA chiefs stand to lose up to £26 million if England fail to reach next summer’s World Cup finals.

And the cost to businesses in the country as a whole could be as much as £1BILLION — heaping more misery on retailers battling to recover from recession.
England’s 1-1 draw in Podgorica on Tuesday has left Roy Hodgson’s men with an uphill task to secure their place in Brazil next summer.
They are currently two points behind leaders Montenegro with only four Group H games remaining and the prospect of everything resting on the final clash against old-foes Poland — who famoulsy stopped England qualifying for the 1974 finals.
Aside from the national humiliation, failure to reach the World Cup finals for the first time since 1994 would have serious implications for the FA’s bank balance.
Just by making it to Brazil, the FA would be guaranteed £8 million in prize money — the minimum amount for teams eliminated in the group stage and up 33 per cent from the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
That rises up to £16 million for reaching the quarter-finals, a reasonable expectation for England based on past tournaments, and £26.5 million for winning the World Cup outright.
The governing body could also expect to make at least £10 million from the demand for merchandise, principally from the royalties it would receive on replica England shirts.
When Steve McClaren failed to get England to Euro 2008, Umbro was forced to issue a profits warning, such was the effect of England shirt sales on its bottom line.
Nike, who bought the Umbro brand five years ago, is due to unveil a new kit in the summer and shirt sales are predicted to top one million if England make it to the finals.
Industry experts also believe the FA would be left in a seriously weakened position when it comes to negotiating new sponsorship deals at the end of the 2013-14 season if England fail to get on the plane to Brazil.
The FA makes more than £50 million a year from its commercial deals, a crucial part of its overall income.
But Nationwide lost patience with the ailing England brand after the failure to qualify for Euro 2008 was compounded by England’s dismal showing at the 2010 World Cup.
It opted not to renew its lead sponsor deal and it took six months for the FA to sign up Vauxhall as a replacement, costing it £3 million in revenue.
National Express, a more recent addition to the FA Partner Programme, also pulled out as England’s official travel operator following the 2010 World Cup debacle.
And Nigel Currie, a director of leading sponsorship and sports marketing company Brand Rapport, warned that failure to qualify for Brazil could have dire consequences.
He said: “I think the damage would be significant. The actual status of the England team is looking like it’s starting to diminish. Not qualifying for the World Cup would be a huge blow.
“If you don’t qualify, it would certainly put a lot of doubt in sponsors’ minds because the World Cup is a really big opportunity to cash in on all the work.
“The England team doesn’t come together very often, certainly not competitively, so a World Cup or a European Championship is a really big payday for the sponsors and they will build all their activity around that.”
World Cup elimination would also have a knock-on effect on the wider UK economy, with retailers missing out on the surge in sales in beer, food and televisions that normally accompanies England’s qualification for championship finals.
The British Retail Consortium estimated that the team’s failure to make it to Euro 2008 cost the economy as much as £600 million with a higher price put on a place in the World Cup finals.
Pubs, clubs and off-licences raked in more than £250m in extra sales during the 2010 World Cup.
Then there are the big supermarket chains hoping for “barbecue summers” to accompany a good England run as well as TV retailers, bookmakers and even travel companies eager to cash in on hoardes of fans flying down to Rio

Ancelotti: I want Beckham to stay at PSG next season

The Parisiens coach revealed that he wants the former Manchester United star to remain at Parc des Princes beyond this summer, and says his side will be ready to face Barcelona

Paris Saint-Germain coach Carlo Ancelotti has revealed his desire to keep David Beckham at the club beyond his contract expiration in the summer.

The former Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder joined on January's transfer deadline day this year, but his deal with les Parisiens is just a short-term one and he is set to leave at the end of June.

However, Ancelotti will have fuelled rumors that the ex-England international could remain at Parc des Princes after his frank admission that he wants PSG to hold on to the veteran.

The Italian told reporters on Thursday: "Beckham is available for tomorrow's game. He's arrived back in Paris and has not missed a training session.

"I am totally for Beckham continuing on next season."

Ancelotti's men face last year's Ligue 1 champions Montpellier on Friday night and the coach has demanded his players concentrate on one match at a time instead of looking ahead at April's battles with Barcelona in the Champions League.

"This is a very important time of the season," he said. We should think about the game tomorrow and not the following matches.

"Montpellier are not in the battle for the title but they are a very good team - dangerous and organized."

After the clash with Montpellier, PSG will face Barca on April 2 at Parc des Princes before the return leg at Camp Nou, and Ancelotti insists he will be thinking up his own strategy for success and not copying Real Madrid's formula.

"Four days to prepare Barcelona is sufficient," he said. "We are not Real Madrid so we will not have the same strategy as them."

Ancelotti also revealed that Thiago Motta will miss the first leg against Barcelona, while Argentine attacker Ezequiel Lavezzi is another absentee for the Montpellier match as he is still recovering from playing at extremely high altitude in Bolivia.