Wenger targets New Year push

Arsenal remain firmly in the title picture - two points behind leaders Manchester United, who have played a game less - despite losing losing three of nine home games.
And Wenger has called for his side to launch an irresistible title push by improving their form at Emirates Stadium.
"I feel we are on a good track and that we are in a strong position," he said. "We want to improve our home record, but recently we have seen at home we are much more efficient. Overall I feel the team is on the right track and there is a lot more to come."
Despite Wenger's optimism, he did attack his players after they conceded a late equaliser in a 2-2 draw at Wigan on Wednesday. The French boss admits that he has a part to play in ensuring that the Gunners communicate more efficiently in defence.
"We have to take more initiative on the communication side because sometimes I feel that people aren't informed enough when they are alone - they can control the ball more instead of heading it out [for a corner]," he said.
"You can encourage - people who are not so talkative, you need to encourage them to do it. It is part of the coaching staff's job."
Manchester City assistant manager Brian Kidd claimed the title is Manchester United's to lose going into 2011, but Wenger insists Arsenal will have a strong say this season.
"It is Arsenal's title to win. We have to go on a run and be consistent," he said. "The only thing we have learnt from this first six months is that the team who will be the most consistent, with great emotional stamina and resolve will win it.
"It could be the league of the mentally strong. It is a league with a lot of ups and downs and the teams who deal the best with that will certainly win it."

Hammers weigh up Owen move

Owen is on a shortlist of potential strikers to target in January, along with Everton's Yakubu and Tottenham's Robbie Keane, and with West Ham looking for a marquee signing, the 31-year-old, whose contract expires at the end of the season, is under consideration.
The former Newcastle and Liverpool striker has been restricted to only six Premier League starts since joining United in the summer of 2009 and the Hammers are concerned about his record of fitness problems.
Similarly there are concerns about the fitness of Yakubu, who the Hammers have unsuccessfully tried to sign in the past. The 28-year-old has scored one goal in 13 league games for Everton this season.
Tottenham striker Keane is very much an active target, though, as the Hammers have agreed to pay the striker's weekly salary of £65,000 if he moves to Upton Park on loan. However, negotiations have stalled with Spurs over a loan fee.
Wolves, Newcastle and Birmingham have also been linked with a loan move for Keane, even if Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp insists the striker will only be leaving White Hart Lane on a permanent basis.
"Robbie's name keeps coming up, but he's not for loan," Redknapp said. "If he's going to go, he wants to leave permanently, and it will have to be a good club for him because he's a top player still.
"He won't just go anywhere, because he may as well stay here and fight for his place. I still think he's got fantastic ability and enthusiasm for the game."
Redknapp hinted that Spurs were unlikely to make any signings during January - although he could be tempted if an exceptional player becomes available. "If somebody could make the difference, then we would be interested," he said.

"But it's very difficult to find - it's not a great time. Anybody who's got a top class player won't want to sell them at this stage of the season. It's very difficult to improve your squad, and we're not in a situation where we need to panic buy."

Rooney planning to go into management

Rooney, 25, could still have another ten years of playing ahead of him, but the Manchester United striker is wasting no time in preparing for life in the dugout. He hopes the influence of Sir Alex Ferguson will allow him to follow in the footsteps of other former United players such as Steve Bruce and Mark Hughes.
He intends to start managing in the lower leagues, as Paul Ince did with Macclesfield Town, rather than look for a direct route into the Premier League.
And, in an interview with MUTV, the striker again spoke with regret at his decision to hand in a transfer request earlier this year.
"I would like to be a manager. That would be my ambition when I finish playing,'' Rooney said. "You see the players who have played for Sir Alex and gone on to be good managers. I am hoping to do that one day.
"But I wouldn't like to follow the manager here, or start at an Everton or Manchester United. I want to learn something about the lower leagues and build a reputation that way rather than just jumping into a big club.
"It is not right if someone goes in and gets a big job with no experience. There are managers who have worked for years trying to get that.''
Rooney, who likes to relax before matches by listening to former Britain's Got Talent contestant Susan Boyle, said he was out of order to demand assurances about United's continued progress from Ferguson and chief executive David Gill.
"I went to see the manager and David Gill and asked them for answers,'' he recalled. "Now I realise it has nothing to do with me but I wanted to make sure it was the right thing for me to do.
"I got the answers in the end but looking back it was probably wrong of me to do that.''
Rooney spoke of his alarm at a group of disgruntled fans gathering outside his house to make their feelings known.
"I looked out and saw 30 blokes with their hoods up. I wasn't going to invite them in for tea,'' he said. "I understood some of the fans were disappointed and felt let down. But it was just one of those things I had to get right.
"Thankfully I have sorted it out now. I have made the right decision and made myself happy.
"But I didn't even think about where I was going to go. There was no way I would have gone to Manchester City and there was more chance of me going to City than Liverpool.''

Hodgson: I didn't attack fans

After that loss, Hodgson complained that the "famous Anfield support has not really been there" following his appointment as Liverpool boss in the summer.
That accusation did nothing to relieve the pressure on Hodgson, whose side are languishing in 12th place, but he insists that his words were taken out of context.
"Things have been misinterpreted,'' Hodgson said. "I'm afraid people have taken one small comment where I was describing my situation.
"I was responding to a question about how it felt to be jeered by fans, making it clear it hurts me and I was disappointed by it because no-one wants to feel they are unpopular. I understand it is up to me to take it on the chin but it's not been an easy ride for me.
"It's been an uphill struggle and I was not the first choice appointment with a lot of fans. But if I have offended them in any way I deeply regret that. All I can do is apologise and make it perfectly clear there was nothing offensive in my comments.''
Although Hodgson was in conciliatory mood, he concede that Liverpool's Champions League dream was rapidly fading. Following the Wolves defeat - their eighth in the league this season - the Reds are 11 points away from fourth-placed Chelsea.
"Nothing's ever gone, but I don't think it's right at this moment in time to be talking about Champions League qualification," he said. "The first aim has got to be to get ourselves into the top of the table and into some sort of touching distance."

Ancelotti: Title race back on track

The Blues ground out the 1-0 win on Wednesday night to take maximum points for the first time in seven Barclays Premier League matches and close to within four points of leaders Manchester United.
After watching his side edge back above Tottenham Hotspur into fourth, the Italian said: "It's very important for us now to stay focused on the games. Because the league is open again - it is not closed for us."
But he admitted Chelsea would have surrendered their title had they failed to win against Owen Coyle's side.
"Obviously, yes," said Ancelotti, who went into the match with the backing of billionaire owner Roman Abramovich.
"I think it was the most important thing to change the atmosphere, to change the trend, to come back to win."
Chelsea were not at their best in Wednesday evening's encounter, especially in the first half, when they couldn't manage a shot on target.
They were much improved after the break but Bolton had enough chances to have snatched a point.
Ancelotti was therefore reluctant to brand the result the turning point in his side's season.
He said: "We have to wait. It was a very important step, this victory, this performance.
"Bolton played well, they used a lot of power up front, they were dangerous.
"Now we have to wait for the next game.
"This is an important step.
"I'm not sure that everything now will be okay. We have to put on a performance again."

Milan coach admits interest in Balotelli

Balotelli, who scored a hat-trick in a 4-0 win over Aston Villa on Tuesday, has repeatedly been linked with a possible move to Milan and is reported to be homesick and unhappy in England following his transfer from Inter last summer.
The Italy international is a boyhood Rossoneri fan and has made no secret of his admiration for the side, even during his time with City rivals Inter when he was filmed wearing a Milan shirt.
While Allegri would be keen to coach Balotelli, he admits he would struggle to find a place for him at present, given the club have recently added Antonio Cassano to a list of forwards that includes Alexandre Pato, Robinho and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
"I would willingly coach Balotelli," Allegri said. "But it would be difficult given that we have so many champions in our team."
City manager Roberto Mancini remains determined to transform the unpredictable Balotelli into one of the Premier League's finest players at Eastlands, despite suggestions that the forward is struggling to adapt to life in England.
Team-mate Nigel De Jong, who himself has had a difficult period in his career following his leg-breaking tackle on Newcastle's Hatem Ben Arfa in October, says Balotelli must focus on producing on the pitch, rather than courting controversy.
"Everything is a mental thing and about character," De Jong said. "What doesn't break you can't kill you and that's what I have tried to tell Mario. Just try to do your best and let other people talk about you.
"I'm still the same Nigel de Jong that I was. It's not about changing your game, it's about getting your head down on the pitch. It's about talking with your feet and less with your mouth. That's what I had to do and that's my mentality. That's also why I try to bring it to the guys in the dressing room, like Mario.
"He is still a young lad. He is coming back from a difficult couple of weeks, but he is still here and the team is there to help him. You can only become a great player by working hard every day, though, and believing in yourself, with the backing of your team-mates. We will provide that, but he has to do the rest himself."
Meanwhile, City striker Roque Santa Cruz has rejected the chance to join Lazio on loan, according to the Italian club. Santa Cruz is expected to leave City in January, with the club closing in on Edin Dzeko, but wants a permanent move away from Eastlands.
"We take into account Santa Cruz's reaction and his desire to make any transfer permanent," Lazio president Claudio Lotito said. "We are aware of this and consider it a wise decision for him. It's no coincidence that Lazio seek a strong rapport with their players and therefore understand his questions and ambitions."
City remain in talks to sign Dzeko from Wolfsburg, but assistant manager Brian Kidd was unwilling to discuss the deal in a press conference on Thursday.
"At the moment it is just speculation," Kidd said. "The window hasn't opened. It's the usual story isn't it, 'No buy, no sell, no tales to tell'. At the moment it's just speculation with a lot of players being thrown in the pot.
"There is only one man who decides [whether Dzeko is a player of interest], and that's the boss [Roberto Mancini]. I don't think it's right to speak about other players at other clubs."

Hodgson hits back at Kop boo boys

 
Hodgson's unpopular reign hit another low point on Wednesday night as they suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to Premier League bottom-feeders Wolves, prompting fans to boo the team off.
Since taking over from Rafael Benitez in July, Hodgson has failed to win over the Anfield faithful and there were chants for Kenny Dalglish and also "Hodgson for England'' on Wednesday. Hodgson believes the negativity directed at him is impacting on his team and called for more backing from the terraces.
"We've had to live that with quite a long time now as ever since I came here the famous Anfield support has not really been there,'' he said. "I can only hope we do have good supporters and I hope these fans become supporters as well because this is a time when the club needs support. We are not deliberately losing these matches or deliberately not playing to the best of their ability. Now is the time for people to really try to help us along because it is not through want of trying.
"My belief that I can turn around is my belief in my own ability,'' he added. "I know the players are working hard to give me and the club success but at the moment we are not succeeding. Maybe we lacked a bit of confidence and the negativity does affect confidence. Players are a little less keen to get on the ball and show what they can do for fear of making a mistake.''
Stephen Ward's first Premier League goal in the 56th minute was enough to secure Wolves' first away win since late March and inflict an eighth defeat on Hodgson's side. It leaves them just three points above the relegation zone.
"It was as bad a team performance as we have given, especially at Anfield,'' added Hodgson. "We've let the fans down and they made that perfectly clear to us and I can only empathise with them because if I was a supporter I would be disappointed with that. It is the Kop's way of showing they are not happy with what the team is doing. As manager you take responsibility for that so I have to take that criticism on the chin as well.''
Meanwhile, Hodgson has allayed fears over Steven Gerrard's fitness after the Liverpool captain was seen clutching his calf. Gerrard had not played since November after picking up an injury while on international duty with England, and appeared to struggle later on in the match, but Hodgson insists the midfielder was merely struggling with cramp and had not suffered any lasting damage.
"Luckily it's cramp, which wasn't good, but unfortunately because we were losing and because I was desperate to do something different and freshen up the team, I'd used up all my substitutes," Hodgson told the club's official website. "Had I not done so, I would have taken him off."
Liverpool host Bolton on New Year's Day, and after the busy festive schedule, Hodgson admits he may be forced to make changes to his side.
"We've got some chances to freshen the team up and we'll have to continually do that anyway because there are so many games coming up," he said. "With games every three days, you cannot expect them to play even if you wanted to."
Wolves boss Mick McCarthy felt his side, who lifted themselves off the bottom with their first away win since March, were not given enough credit for their performance.
"I think most people's perception of Wolves is that we are going down after being beaten by Wigan and being bottom of the league,'' he said. "They probably thought we would come here and sit back and get our backsides slapped and go home with nothing. We decided we weren't going to have that and we were going to come here and have a go. I guess fortune favours the brave.''

Leonardo: I'm no Inter fan, but I can make them win

 

Leonardo has said his AC Milan past will not cloud his vision as Inter's new coach, but made it clear he doesn't support them as a fan as he takes on a neutral stance.

"I will be honest. I have always tried to stay free and to be myself. It's not necessary to have things in common to live together," Leonardo told the press, as he was officially unveiled as manager.

"I spent 13 years at Milan and I will always thank the club where I was a player, director and coach.

"I don't feel guilty and I have no regrets. I always told people how I wanted to live certain things. The Inter challenge will be strong and I couldn't have said no."

Despite winning the Club World Cup and Supercoppa Italiana, Rafael Benitez was blamed for leaving Inter a smoking rubble. But Leonardo has promised a revival and is showing hunger and belief that he can get them back to their illustrious past.

"I arrive in the most important year of the history of this club and I am very happy and motivated. Winning helps with enthusiasm, this is a made team with its own identity and I have to put the players in the right conditions to win," he added.

"My request is for us to do the things which allowed this club to win."

The Brazilian couldn't hide his satisfaction at having joined Inter - just seven months after being ousted by Milan.

"I am so happy and it was impossible to say no," he reiterated.

"My relationship with the president was born spontaneously as I lived in Milan for 13 years. This is a special day for me. [Massimo] Moratti the president, me the coach.

"This is a dream for me, I wanted this and it is the biggest challenge for me. There is nothing bigger."

Moratti, who decided to oust Rafael Benitez and bring in Leonardo, sees good times ahead.

"I am very happy with the choice I have made. I have always had great admiration for Leonardo and his ability to learn quickly and distribute serenity," said the chief.

"We have no rush, we will follow the love of fans and this will help us reach important objectives. I wish Leonardo the best."