Pires urges Young to stay | Football News | Sky Sports

Aston Villa duo Robert Pires and Marc Albrighton have called on the club to keep hold of Ashley Young.

The Villa forward is out of contract in the summer of 2012 and is attracting attention from Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham.

However, in recent weeks he has managed to put the speculation surrounding his future to one side and has produced some scintillating performances.

Second striker

He is being deployed as a second striker at present and his two goals against Blackburn seem to be proof that this is a role that suits his talents.

But Pires wants Gerard Houllier to convince the England international to stay.

He said:"When you see Ashley play like that, it shows how important it is for Villa to keep him.

"He is very important here, the fans love him, but you know what football is like. I don't know what is happening with Ashley but for me he should stay."

Unplayable

Albrighton added:"Ashley was unplayable against Blackburn.

"I thought Stewart Downing was just as good but probably just got overshadowed by Ashley because he was so good.

"To have players like that playing at their full capacity is brilliant. To keep Ashley would be brilliant for Villa.

"It would show we are going forward as a team."

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Rossi facing axe after rout | Football News | Sky Sports

Delio Rossi has vowed not to resign following Palermo's 7-0 home defeat to Udinese but president Maurizio Zamparini says he has just a 'one per cent chance' of staying in charge.

Palermo have had a solid campaign in Serie A but Rossi's position as manager is now in serious doubt following a performance that has angered Zamparini deeply.

Alexis Sanchez scored four of Udinese's goals and Antonio Di Natale the other three, while Palermo had two men sent off.

Rossi is prepared to accept responsibility but maintains that he will not quit, saying:"It's difficult to comment on a 7-0 scoreline. It means you didn't prepare the game properly and took the wrong approach, especially going down so quickly.

"I am the coach, I sent the team out, so if we lose 7-0 then I have to take responsibility. It is purely my fault and I release the players of all blame.

"I've been at risk since the moment I started my coaching career, so imagine now!

"What are my chances of staying on the bench next week? That's down to the club and I never forget I am an employee.

"When you lose 7-0, someone has to be responsible and naturally it is the coach. I am not firing myself here. I am a fighter and in football you can win or lose.

"We have done well this season and are in a good position in the table, but this is an aberration.

"We probably relaxed, as this side can beat the best in Italy, but at the same time today this Palermo would've lost against anyone.

"There is in no way a seven-goal gap between us and Udinese."

Ruined

A furious Zamparini expects to make a decision on Rossi by Monday morning, but it is unlikely he will be given another chance.

"Rossi has a one per cent chance of staying on the bench, you can bet on that,"Zamparini toldSky Sport Italia.

"The team has been completely destroyed. He ruined my Palermo. Rossi has destroyed this squad.

"I asked the coach to fix the defence and he did not do it. Instead, he took off Ezequiel Munoz, who is the best player in the back line. We cannot play like this.

"I'll think it over tonight and at most tomorrow morning, but I am seriously considering handing the side to the youth team coach.

"I should've kicked Rossi out at Christmas."

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Collison eager to return soon | Football News | Sky Sports

Jack Collison is desperate to get back on the pitch and play his part in rescuing West Ham from relegation after almost a year out with a knee injury.

The 22-year-old is close to making a return to action since he suffered cartilage damage in Wales' 1-0 defeat to Sweden last March.

The midfielder has set his sights on a return some time next month and is keen to play a vital role in making sure West Ham are not playing Championship football next season.

"I'm getting much closer now,"said the Welshman.

"I should be back in with the team over the next few weeks and picking up training.

"It's just a matter of trying to find my feet and getting a few games under my belt.

Tough

"Fingers crossed, I'll be back playing before too long and doing my bit to help us out of the situation we're in. I want to do my bit this season if and when I can."

Having played a regular part in Gianfranco Zola's starting 11 last season, Collison admits it has been tough watching his club from the sidelines under the new leadership of Avram Grant and not being able to feature.

"I just love being out there playing football and it has been tough at times not to be able to do what I love - I haven't been able to kick a ball out in my garden with my little brother and have a kick-about,"he added.

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Carlo rules out Sturridge exit | Football News | Sky Sports

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti insists that Daniel Sturridge will not be leaving the club permanently this summer.

The former Manchester City man is currently on loan with Bolton in a bid to accrue more first-team experience.

Although Sturridge is down the Stamford Bridge pecking order, Ancelotti believes he has a big future with the West Londoners.

Sturridge has made a positive impact during his time with Bolton with three consecutive Premier League goals and Ancelotti is delighted with his form.

"Every one of us is happy because Sturridge is our player and he is doing very well,"he said.

"I hope he can score more and then in the summer he will come back.

"It was the right time to go and play on loan because he didn't have a lot of space here and he needed to play.

"He found a very good club who are playing good football. Sturridge can show his quality. I hope that he can continue."

Delighted

Bolton boss Owen Coyle has naturally been delighted with Sturridge's impact and he accepts that Chelsea want to keep him.

"If Carlo and Chelsea feel his future is there then that doesn't surprise me because as I've said before he is a terrific player,"said Coyle.

"He's not surprised me. That's why I brought him to the football club. I would say it's been all about giving these lads a platform to go and show their quality, and Daniel is now showing that.

"I've always had that belief in him, and that's why I did everything in my power to bring him to the club.

"There's no shame in not being in the Chelsea starting line-up with Torres, Anelka, Drogba, Malouda and Kalou - these are fantastic, top-class players in world football, not just in league football."

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Wenger - We are maturing | Football News | Sky Sports

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger feels his side are showing a new level of maturity in their quest to win the Premier League.

In what is always a clash of styles, the Gunners showed a more ruthless streak to their play as they cut down on their traditional passing approach to grind out a 1-0 win over Stoke at the Emirates on Wednesday.

The victory, which was sealed thanks to an eighth-minute header from defender Sebastien Squillaci, moves them within one point of Premier League leaders Manchester United, though the Red Devils have a game in hand.

It was a big result for Arsenal, who have been criticised as being a soft touch in the past, and Wenger feels they are showing signs of growing up.

He said:"We faced a tough team in Stoke who defended well. They were very compact but we were intelligent, calm, patient and overall I believe that we were resilient as well when they had their strong moments. We didn't give in.

"I think we have matured, certainly, because we won a game tonight when we were less creative and fluent, with intelligence and calm and that is what has changed.

Credit

"One or two years ago we would have dropped points. Tonight they said they couldn't make mistakes. We must take a lot of credit because of that."

The result came as a relief after Sunday's 1-1 FA Cup draw against Leyton Orient, and Wenger urged his team to now kick on in the league.

"This kind of wins shows that your team is really hungry for success,"he added.

"We were less sharp on the creative side but you could tell that my side didn't want to make a mistake and that was a very positive sign for me."

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Fergie - Draw can be dangerous | Football News | Sky Sports

Sir Alex Ferguson admitted Manchester United's 0-0 draw with Marseille was a 'dangerous' result but has backed his side to progress to the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.

The Red Devils left the Stade Velodrome with honours even after an uninspiring encounter against the French champions in the first leg of their last-16 encounter.

Ferguson accepted that the contest was far from thrilling, but knows that victory on home turf will be enough to see United through to the last eight.

"The result is fine, I think it was a fair result,"the Scottish tactician said.

Simple

"I don't think Marseille presented any great problems to us in an attacking sense, they only had one strike on goal.

"I thought our two centre-backs were very good. In the first half both teams cancelled each other out. Nothing really happened in the match and I don't think it was a good match to watch.

"This sort of result can be dangerous if you concede a goal at home. But it's simple because if we win, we go through.

"It was a disappointing game but they (Marseille) were desperate not to concede a goal.

"But I also expected more of us offensively, as we didn't make the most of our chances when we got into good positions."

Good one

Marseille counterpart Didier Deschamps paid tribute to the efforts of his players but believes that the visitors will be happier with the scoreline.

Deschamps said:"I am very happy with my players because they have done their best tonight as Manchester United showed what a good team they are.

"Maybe we will have an opportunity to score in the second leg. It is not a bad result for us but it is a good one for United."

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Holloway wants home comforts | Football News | Sky Sports

Ian Holloway is hoping an improvement in Blackpool's home form will be enough to secure Premier League survival this season.

Blackpool have the worst home record in the division which is a stark contrast to their away form, with only three teams having won more games on their travels.

A recent run of five defeats in six games has left the Seasiders just two points above the relegation zone following an impressive first half of the campaign.

However, ahead of the visit of Champions League-chasing Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday night, Holloway is looking for a change of fortune at Bloomfield Road.

Balance

"I'd just like it to balance out,"said the Blackpool boss.

"If it does, with the games that we've got, we'll be happy so we've just got to keep going.

"I believe we're in a spell where we're not doing that much wrong and if we keep believing in ourselves and working hard, one of these days we might get another decent home win.

"It's been fantastic anyway, to be honest, and unfortunately the main thing we could do with - three points - has just evaded us, but the performances have been more than pleasing.

"Hopefully by the end of the season the fans will have got what they want and seen a few decent home wins."

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Howe frustrated to miss out | Football News | Sky Sports

Eddie Howe was disappointed to see Burnley suffer a resounding defeat at West Ham after making a bright start.

The Clarets gave a good account of themselves early on in the FA Cup fifth-round clash in East London, but let things slip after an opening goal for the Hammers from debutant Thomas Hitzlsperger and a second-half strike from Carlton Cole.

The clash eventually ended 5-1 as Burnley crashed out of the competition, with a further strike from Cole and goals from Winston Reid and Freddie Sears rendering Jay Rodriguez's late effort nothing more than a consolation.

And Howe admits he expected a different result after watching the Clarets take control in the early stages.

Moments

"I thought it could have been very different,"said the former Bournemouth boss.

"In the first half we had our moments, we had our chances and could have scored more than one.

"West Ham are dangerous up front with the pace they have and they caught us a couple of times.

"The goal straight after half-time hurt us and then we're chasing the game and they caught us on the break a couple of times."

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Taylor set for Magpies return | Football News | Sky Sports

Newcastle United defender Steven Taylor is expected to be in contention to return from a hamstring injury against Bolton Wanderers next weekend.

Taylor has been sidelined since early January after picking up the hamstring problem in the 5-0 home thrashing of West Ham United.

The former England Under 21 international is now close to a return and Magpies boss Alan Pardew anticipates being able to call upon Taylor for the visit of Bolton.

However, after Mike Williamson and Fabricio Coloccini ensured back-to-back clean sheets against Blackburn and Birmingham, there may not be an immediate recall to the starting line-up for Taylor.

"Steven was in the team, was playing well and Mike had to sit it out,"said Taylor.

"It's vice versa this time because Coloccini and Williamson were terrific on Saturday.

"He will play a reserve game against Manchester United next week and then he should be available for our home game against Bolton."

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Fergie hails improved Nani | Football News | Sky Sports

Sir Alex Ferguson has lavished praise on Manchester United winger Nani, saying he has perhaps adapted to the Premier League quicker than Portuguese compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo.

United were tipped to struggle by some following Ronaldo's departure to Real Madrid in the summer of 2009, and Ferguson admits he is a 'once-in-a-lifetime' player.

However, the performances of Nani have helped to fill the void, especially this season when he has shown more maturity and consistency.

The 24-year-old scored his 10th goal of the campaign in last weekend's Manchester derby win at Old Trafford and Ferguson is expecting much more from the former Sporting Lisbon star.

"Ronaldo was exceptional,"reflected Ferguson."He is a one-in-a-lifetime player.

"But it did take him time to settle and develop in the English game. If anything, Nani has done it a bit quicker.

"I don't need to trumpet his improvement. He has been consistent all season.

"He is a match-winner who creates goals and he scores them. He had seven strikes against City and that is a high ratio for a winger, particularly in a big game.

"He is showing maturity now. Every time he gets near the box you think something is going to happen. When you get that, you have a great player."

Unexpected

Yet, as Ferguson pointed out at the time, Nani's latest effort, whilst exceptional in its own right, will never be recalled because of the brilliance of what followed.

Wayne Rooney's overhead kick was described by Ferguson after the match as possibly the greatest goal ever to have been scored at Old Trafford, and the United manager is still marvelling at the strike.

"It was the most unexpected goal ever,"he said.

"Nobody expected him to elevate himself in that fashion and deliver a shot with that ferocity.

"There have been plenty of overhead kicks over the years. We have almost forgotten about Dimitar Berbatov's against Liverpool earlier this season.

"But with Wayne's, it was the surprise of it."

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Sven - We lost our grip | Football News | Sky Sports

Leicester manager Sven Goran Eriksson admitted his side 'lost grip of the game' before finding a late winner in the 2-1 Championship win over Bristol City, which Keith Millen was understandably downbeat.

A sloppy second-half showing looked like it would prove costly until striker Martyn Waghorn came off the bench to fire in a 92nd minute winner to give the Foxes a fifth straight win.

Ayegbeni Yakubu's tap-in was the least the hosts deserved for an impressive first-half display, but Eriksson's side were insipid after the interval.

Marvin Elliott deservedly hauled Bristol City level just before the hour mark when he headed in from a corner as the hosts failed to match their tempo or quality from before the break.

But Eriksson said Waghorn's winner:"It was a great finish with a little bit of luck.

"It was a difficult game. We started well but then it became a battle and they were very physically strong.

Scenario

"We knew they were strong at set-plays. We talked about that before the game but they still scored from a corner.

"The win was very important. We lost grip of the game and you could feel the goal coming when they scored."

Bristol City are six points above the relegation zone but Millen is confident his side will have no issues with survival.

He said of the defeat:"It's a hard one to accept. Football can be a cruel game at times.

"Sometimes you don't deserve to lose games and tonight was that scenario."

He added:"We can't feel sorry for ourselves and if we perform like that between now and the end of the season we will be fine."

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McLeish - Not the time to talk | Football News | Sky Sports

Alex McLeish has played down calls for contract talks to be opened with Scott Dann and Roger Johnson.

The defensive duo have become integral to Birmingham's plans, with their partnership at the heart of the back four providing the most sturdy of foundations.

The absence of Dann over recent weeks with a serious hamstring injury has been keenly felt, further underlining his value to the side.

His ability, coupled with that of Johnson, has not been lost on a number of other Premier League clubs, with the pair believed to have a long list of admirers.

Extensions

Tying the duo down on long-term deals would help to keep the vultures at bay, or at least increase their valuation.

But for now Blues boss McLeish insists the club are in no position to sit down and thrash out extended agreements.

A Premier League survival battle and a Carling Cup final date with Arsenal are the priorities for now, with contract talks for the players having to wait.

"It's not the time to discuss contracts and I think the players agree,"said the Scot.

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Wenger - Gunners now believe | Football News | Sky Sports

Arsene Wenger insists Arsenal now have the belief to go to Camp Nou and finish the job against Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League.

The Gunners staged a remarkable second-half fightback against the tournament favourites in the first leg of their last-16 clash, hitting back from a goal down at the interval after David Villa's opener to secure an historic 2-1 success in an enthralling encounter.

Robin van Persie levelled from an acute angle in the 78th minute before substitute Andrey Arshavin put the finishing touch to a breathtaking move to send Emirates Stadium into raptures.

And Wenger feels that his team's first-ever victory over the Catalan giants will help them retain their advantage when they meet again at Camp Nou on 8th March, live onSky Sports HD2andSky Sports 2.

The Frenchman, who saw his side dumped out by Barca in the quarter-finals of last year's tournament, reserved praise for his two goalscorers and believed his side's second-half comeback was due to their new-found mental and physical toughness.

Big boost

Wenger toldSky Sports News:"It is one of the most exciting nights because it was against a special team. The game promised a lot and I think it fulfilled all the promises, it was an exceptional match between two special teams.

"I am proud with the mental strength we have shown because against Barcelona you are sometimes on the border of being exposed. We never gave up and that mental strength allowed us to win the tie.

"In the second half we were tighter in our marking, pushed much more in and played higher up. They dropped a little bit physically and we didn't and that was in the end the difference.

"We scored two special goals, one an individual piece of skill from Robin van Persie and the other a collective build-up.

"I don't know how big the chance is (of progressing to the quarter-finals). I am convinced of one thing, the team will give absolutely everything to achieve it.

"We will go there with belief. It is a big boost for the team to know we can beat a side like Barcelona. You could see we are different team mentally, we are now more mature."

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Carlo - Drog not an issue | Football News | Sky Sports

Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti insists nothing can be read into his decision to drop Didier Drogba to the bench for their derby draw with Fulham on Monday.

The Italian tactician opted to start with new£50million signing Fernando Torres instead of Drogba.

The Ivorian came on for Torres, who again failed to open his account for The Blues - but Ancelotti insists that all his players are capable of rotation.

"I don't know if Didier was happy, but every player knows every game is important. It doesn't matter,"he insisted.

"We wanted to rotate to maintain his condition and to give everyone great motivation.

"Maybe in the next game we will use both.

Fresh

"We wanted to have more control of the pitch in this game.

"Fernando played well. He had some opportunities in the first half and I took him out just to use Didier fresh and with power. That's the only reason I changed him.

"His performance was better than that against Liverpool. Every striker wants to score. I don't think he's frustrated because he needs time to play with us and, after one week, he was really better tonight after that first performance."

Despite Chelsea's failure to win, which sees them remain behind Spurs in fifth, Ancelotti remains up-beat about the champions' faltering campaign.

"I'm an optimist and there's good reason to have confidence,"he added.

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Wilshere has Barca game plan | Sky Sports | Football News | Sky Sports

Jack Wilshere admits that Arsenal need to change their game if they want to beat Barcelona.

The Spanish giants were imperious against The Gunners last season when they knocked them out of the UEFA Champions League at the quarter-final stage.

Now almost 12-months on the two face each other again in the first knockout phase.

Wilshere himself was not involved last season, but now he is a fully fledged England international and an integral part of Arsene Wenger's side.

And Wilshere admits that Arsenal cannot try to match Barca on the footballing side and will need to change their style of play to get past the Catalan outfit.

"I was at the Emirates for the first game against Barcelona last season and for the second one I was in Bolton, where I was on loan, watching on the television,"said Wilshere.

"I remember we played our game basically, passing it around, and this year we have to show them what we're about. When we've got the ball, we've got to keep it as well as they can.

"Barcelona were great last year, especially in the first half at the Emirates. That's the game we want to play and they played us at our own game and they were brilliant.

"This year we need to get in their faces and when we've got the ball try to keep it.

Nasty

"We've got to change our game a bit to play against Barcelona. We'll learn from last year. We need to be a bit nasty with them and get the ball back.

"We have to press them as a team, there's no point one of us going after them.

"But you want to win every game, so we'll go into the Barcelona match looking for the win. It's important we get a win to take to their place in the second leg."

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Jelavic backing Gers in Europe | Sky Sports | Football News | Sky Sports

Nikica Jelavic believes Rangers will cope without him when the Europe League re-starts this week.

Jelavic is ineligible for Thursday's clash with Sporting as he played for Rapid Vienna in Europe last summer.

The Croatian striker is now back to his best after injury and bagged a hat-trick in their 6-0 win against Motherwell.

Jelavic is gutted he cannot play against the Portuguese outfit, although he is backing his team-mates to cope without him.

Frustrating

"Of course it's frustrating but what can I do now? All I can do is wait for the next SPL game against Celtic,"he said.

"We have a strong team with or without me. We are Rangers.

"It was difficult for me to play again after three-and-a-half months. But, game by game, it is coming a little bit."

Gers put Craig Brown's side to the sword at Ibrox and Jelavic felt his team-mates ran out worthy winners.

Jelavic said:"It was nice to win the game and get the hat-trick. We started the game well and in the end we deserved to win 6-0.

"It was not so easy because we scored the second and third goals from nothing. Then we opened up the game and it was much easier afterwards but until the second goal it was difficult."

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Scholes - City need silverware | Sky Sports | Football News | Sky Sports

Paul Scholes will not view Manchester City as Premier League title rivals until the Eastlands outfit have claimed some silverware.

Manchester United go into Saturday's lunchtime derby showdown at Old Trafford with the duo battling for the title along with Arsenal and Chelsea.

Sheikh Mansour's millions have helped City emerge as a force to be reckoned with in England, but Red Devils midfielder Scholes still sees the Gunners and the Blues as their regular foes.

"They are definitely getting closer,"said the former England international.

"Whether they are alongside Chelsea and Arsenal yet I am not sure. They would probably have to win something to become main rivals.

"But I am sure this year they will be fighting for it and the same will be true in years to come with more improvement."

Scholes knows that the dynamics of derby day have changed dramatically in recent years due to City's stunning spending power in the transfer market and lofty ambitions.

Favourites

"It is more than local pride now,"he said."We are both going for trophies and we are both main rivals for trophies.

"Years ago, they were in the bottom half of the league, or not even in it, and we were always red-hot favourites.

"Even then it didn't necessarily mean we were going to win, as results proved.

"And they have better quality players now, which just makes matches against City even more interesting."

Meanwhile, Red Devils winger Nani sees beating City as"an obligation"ahead of their crunch clash.

City visit Old Trafford looking to close the gap between themselves and United, who lost their first game of the campaign against Wolves last weekend.

Nani, though, insists that result was just a blip and is desperate to get back on track against Roberto Mancini's side.

Accident

He toldThe Sun:"The defeat at Wolves was an accident. It left pain in the dressing room but one week later we have the chance to return joy to our fans.

"A win over City is an obligation. To beat them will put a big distance between us in the title race and also mean we have taken four points off them this season.

"I've always been optimistic and insist we are favourites to win the Premier League."

One man who stands between them more than most, though, is former United favourite Carlos Tevez, who is now spearheading City's title challenge.

"Carlos was our companion and now he is a rival,"Nani added."How do we stop him? By anticipating what he's up to and making sure he never feels comfortable.

"For the less he is involved the bigger the advantage for us. We are not obsessed with him but we will make sure we do not give him any chances.

"Without doubt Tevez is very important to City. But they have other players who are also big dangers to us."

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Eriksen cools Liverpool link | Sky Sports | Football | News

Denmark sensation Christian Eriksen has played down talk linking him with a possible move to Liverpool.

Ajax ace Eriksen, who impressed during Denmark's 2-1 defeat to England in midweek, is being chased by a host of Europe's top clubs.

Liverpool are thought to be ready to step up their interest in after Reds assistant manager Sammy Lee was spotted in Copenhagen casting an eye over the midfielder.

Eriksen is aware of the speculation, but he insists he plans to stay at Ajax until the end of his contract in 2014.

"Every time Ajax play, there are clubs watching me. That's just the way it is in Ajax,"said Eriksen.

"So yes, Liverpool have probably seen me but I am not spending time wondering about it. I think I'm going to play in Ajax until my contract expires.

"There are a lot of young players, who are busy looking at other clubs but that's not the way I think.

"There are still lots for me to learn and improve and I can do that in Ajax, which is one of the best clubs in the world in developing talent.

"When it comes to that, I can't be at a better place."

Walcott tip

Theo Walcott has advised Arsenal to make a move Eriksen after being impressed by his performance at the Parken Stadium.

Gunners winger Walcott came up against Eriksen on Wednesday night and he feels the playmaker would be ideal for Arsenal.

"He has a good touch. You can see he is technically gifted, very comfortable and doesn't lose the ball that often,"Walcott is quoted as saying in theDaily Star.

"As for him coming to Arsenal, it's a question to ask the boss - but he would be a great addition."

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Agger hails Dalglish impact | Sky Sports | Football | News

Liverpool defender Daniel Agger has hailed the impact of Kenny Dalglish and says his side have an outside chance of finishing in the Premier League's top four.

The Reds have been resurgent under club legend Dalglish following the departure of Roy Hodgson and last week secured a 1-0 win at champions Chelsea.

This came following a devastating blow after Fernando Torres left Anfield for the Blues in a deal worth£50million.

Agger, 26, claims Dalglish and new assistant Steve Clarke have instilled belief in the players and the Denmark international is happy with the spirit in the camp.

"I played the last game against Bolton under Roy Hodgson and I think that is where it started and we began to play really well,"he said.

"A big part of it is Kenny and Steve Clarke. They have made a major difference.

"But it is also something to do with confidence, because it is the same footballers as before.

"Confidence can win you games and somehow Kenny and Steve have put the confidence back in the players and the belief.

"I think we have shown that definitely in the last four games. It is looking good, although there is still a long way to go."

Positive

He added:"What has Dalglish done? He is a positive guy. In football terms, he is positive.

"First of all because he likes to play positive football, going forward, and keeping the ball on the ground and I think he is good among the players.

"The training sessions have been really good and I think everything starts at the training ground.

"If you can get that right you have a big advantage in the games."

Liverpool suffered a poor start under former boss Hodgson but now sit sixth in the table ahead of Saturday's clash with Wigan.

Agger admits it will be a tall order to break into the UEFA Champions League places this term, but says anything is still possible with momentum.

"It is going to be really, really difficult. It is a six point gap and we have played a game more. I don't know if we can get in there,"he remarked.

"But, if we can have a good run, and we are on a good run already with four straight wins, and if we can continue playing the same way, with the same confidence, I think we can get close.

"Everybody at Melwood agrees, and it sounds simple and stupid, but we have to take every single game and see where it takes us.

"I know that is the standard answer, but if you start to look ahead and count the games left and how many points you can get, you lose your focus. We do have momentum."

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Pastore happy at Palermo | Sky Sports | Football | News

Javier Pastore has revealed that he expects to remain with Palermo for a few more years because it is the perfect place to continue his development.

The Argentina midfielder is regarded as one of the most exciting young talents in the world game and has been linked with a number of Europe's top clubs.

The likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester City have all been credited with an interest but Palermo would like him to stay for as long as possible.

Pastore never came close to leaving in January but voiced his exasperation over the club's€100million valuation.

He nevertheless respects the decision not to sell and is looking forward to continuing the next stage of his career in Sicily.

"It's not yet time to talk about my transfer. We will see later. Now I'm happy to stay in Palermo,"the 21-year-old toldCorriere dello Sport.

Ready

"This is the ideal place to complete my growth. One day I'll be ready for the biggest clubs, but now I'm happy where I am.

"I have a contract with Palermo until 2015. If an important offer does arrive and president (Maurizio) Zamparini decides to talk about it with me, the situation could change, but now I think I still have a few years in Palermo.

"When I leave, I will go to a team where I can play. Going now to Barcelona or Real Madrid would mean to stay on the bench if not in the stands.

"I can do a transfer like that when I'm 28, when I'll be ready."

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Trap to give youngsters time | Sky Sports | Football | News

Giovanni Trapattoni will give the less experienced players in his Republic of Ireland squad chance to improve after watching them in action against Wales.

The manager handed Seamus Coleman and Ciaran Clark debut international caps as the Republic triumphed 3-0 in the Carling Nations Cup clash at the Aviva Stadium on Tuesday night, while Manchester United midfielder Darron Gibson scored his maiden goal.

Trapattoni was impressed by the fresh faces in his side and says he will allow them more time to reach their full potential.

Wait

"I was watching the new, young players (such as) Coleman, Gibson,"Trapattoni toldSky Sports News.

"I think they played well but they can play better. I can wait for them a little bit more. It's important because it was a great experience in this tournament."

He added of the result:"The first half was in balance but in the second half we deserved to win."

Fulham winger Damien Duff was on target for the home side, with goals from Gibson and Birmingham midfielder Keith Fahey sandwiching his strike.

Duff was delighted to help Trapattoni's side earn an encouraging win before Euro 2012 qualifying resumes next month.

"It was nice, I haven't scored for a couple of years and it's nice to get the points on the board in this new competition,"he said.

"The Welsh lads made us work for it but we played well and thoroughly deserved the win.

"This is a chance of silverware and we are in with a good chance but the most important thing is qualifying for the European Championship, so the big one is next month."

Thrilled

Everton youngster Coleman was thrilled to run out for the Republic for the first time, playing 60 minutes of the clash.

"Finally I got my first cap for Ireland, which is great,"said Coleman."And to get a good 60 minutes is brilliant.

"It's a good confidence boost going into the next game and good to get the three goals. Come the second half, the lads stepped it up and it was great to get the win."

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Van Persie setback for Holland | Sky Sports | Football | News

Arsenal striker Robin van Persie has withdrawn from the Netherlands squad for Wednesday's friendly against Austria due to flu.

The striker played the full 90 minutes and scored twice for the Gunners during their 4-4 Premier League draw against Newcastle at the weekend, but has been deemed unfit for the international game.

The Netherlands Football Union announced on Monday that coach Bert van Marwijk has called up FC Twente forward Luuk de Jong as his replacement.

Van Persie's absence becomes the latest setback for the Oranje after midfielders Rafael van der Vaart of Tottenham and Nigel de Jong of Manchester City also pulled out with injuries.

No replacement was called up for Van der Vaart or De Jong, who was poised to make his international return after being dropped for three matches for a tackle that left Newcastle man Hatem Ben Arfa with a broken leg.

Holland, runners-up to Spain at the World Cup last year, take on Austria in Eindhoven on Wednesday evening.

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Fabio - Carroll can handle fee | Sky Sports | Football | News

England coach Fabio Capello has no concerns about Andy Carroll's ability to handle the pressure of being the most expensive British footballer in history.

Carroll joined Liverpool from Newcastle United in a£35million deal on deadline day and will be expected to help fill the void created by Fernando Torres' record departure to Chelsea.

The striker is currently sidelined by a thigh injury and will miss the chance to win his second England cap against Denmark on Wednesday.

The 22-year-old had impressed Capello on his England debut against France back in November and the Italian is confident the powerful forward will not be troubled by his hefty price tag.

Strong mentality

"The fee won't be a problem for him,"said Capello.

"He has a strong mentality. When he played for England, he played without fear and with such a lot of confidence for someone making his first appearance.

"It wasn't an easy game for him either because the team didn't play well. But he was the most important player for us and I am sure he will be okay."

However, while Capello does not believe the fee will be an issue for Carroll, he expects the striker to be under more pressure to deliver the goods at Liverpool than he was at Newcastle.

Capello added:"It is an important move for him. I respect Newcastle a lot but the pressure he will find at Liverpool will be bigger.

"He knows Liverpool are a really important team in the world because they won a lot of titles.

"He is a really good player. At the moment he is young and strong at the moment.

"He has a different style to Torres, but now they have lost him, Carroll will be a very important player for Liverpool."

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League Two games called off | Sky Sports | Football | News

Bury's League Two game against Burton Albion at Gigg Lane on Saturday has been postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.

Referee Nigel Miller arrived early to inspect the pitch but, after taking a good look, deemed the surface to be unplayable following torrential rain over the past 24 hours.

The postponement means Bury are denied the chance to extend their four-match unbeaten run and the possibility of moving back into the automatic promotion spots.

Burton, meanwhile, are facing a fixture backlog, having played only four matches in League Two since the end of November.

It means the Brewers are only outside the relegation zone on goal difference, but Barnet and Stockport County have played six and seven games more respectively.

Another postponement has occurred in the division at Macclesfield, who were preparing for the visit of Bradford at Moss Rose.

The deluge of rain in the North West has rendered the pitch unavailable for action due to excess water meaning both teams will have to play at a later date.

Both teams are struggling at the bottom end of League Two, with Macclesfield now in danger of going into the relegation zone due to being just two points off the foot of the table.

They can not finish the day bottom of the division however due to Burton's postponement, but Bradford could be dragged into the dogfight, as they sit just six points away from the drop zone, depending on results elsewhere.

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Championship preview | Sky Sports | Football | News

Leaders Queens Park Rangers get the Championship programme up and running on Friday night and a huge local derby wraps up the weekend.

There are also some big games at the bottom end of the table as the Championship's 24 clubs play for the second time this week.

The action gets under way at the Madejski Stadium when in-formReadingentertain travel sick table-toppersQPR, live onSky Sports 1&HD1.

On Saturday, late goal specialistsNorwich Citywill be looking to cement second place with a trip toBurnley, who lost under Eddie Howe for the first time in midweek.

Nottingham Forest'srise up the table shows no signs of slowing down and Billy Davies' side will be aiming to put their imperious home form to good use against seventh-placedWatford.

Leeds Unitedcame from two goals down to draw 2-2 at Hull City on Tuesday and will be keen to remain in the promotion hunt with victory at home toCoventry City.

Crystal Palaceclimbed out of the relegation zone in midweek and manager Dougie Freedman is now targeting his first win whenMiddlesbroughvisit Selhurst Park.

Strugglers

Micky Adams is another new boss yet to pick up a first three points andSheffield United, having dropped into the bottom three, travel toIpswich Town.

Preston North Endare also yet to win under Phil Brown and the Championship's bottom club are at home to fellow strugglersBristol City.

Scunthorpe Unitedare the other team residing in the drop zone and Ian Baraclough's men have a derby date at home toHull City.

Leicester Cityare trying to build a push for the play-offs and Sven Goran Eriksson's side are at home toBarnsley.

Millwallare one place above Leicester after an excellent first half to the season and welcomeDoncaster Roversto The Den.

PortsmouthandDerby Countyare both stuck in the bottom half of the table and will be hoping to make upwards progress when they meet at Fratton Park.

The weekend is rounded off with a mouth-watering derby clash at the Liberty Stadium when third-placedSwansea Cityentertain fifth-placedCardiff City.

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Inter get better of Bari | Sky Sports | Football | News

Inter Milan turned up the heat on Serie A leaders AC Milan with a 3-0 triumph at Bari on Thursday night, but were lucky to keep all 11 men on the pitch.

Cristian Chivu was fortunate to avoid a red card in the 58th minute at the San Nicola stadium when he thrust a fist maliciously into the face of Bari's Marco Rossi, inside the home side's penalty area.

Rossi went to ground but soon rose to raise his indignation with referee Andrea Romeo, however the official from Verona and his assistants had not witnessed the off-the-ball incident so Chivu escaped punishment.

Incident

The Italian league authorities will almost certainly be pressed to take some action, however, so clearly was the incident caught on camera.

Inter had delivered a mediocre performance to that stage and they hardly improved greatly, but eventually superior class told against the team at the foot of the table, and after Houssine Kharja marked his first league start for the club with the opening goal after 70 minutes, two more arrived in stoppage-time from Giampaolo Pazzini and Wesley Sneijder to give Inter a winning margin they scarcely deserved.

Yet they are closing in on their city rivals now, up to third place and with a game in hand on the leaders.

Inter had the first opening when Maicon picked out Diego Milito who sent a shot just wide of the right post, but then goalkeeper Julio Cesar had to be sharp to turn away a superb free-kick from the home side's Sergio Almiron.

Despite having just one win in their previous 17 games, Bari were not fearful of Inter and Simone Bentivoglio was the next to take aim but his 12-yard strike failed to test Julio Cesar.

Maicon missed for Inter and former Bari defender Andrea Ranocchia had a superb header blocked on the line by Jean Francois Gillet as the champions pressed, but there was no first-half breakthrough.

Samuel Eto'o was denied by a block from Rossi at the start of the second half, which exploded into life when Romania international Chivu threw his punch at Rossi.

Inter stayed cool though and Kharja did well to take on a short pass from Eto'o and drill a low left-footed shot across Gillet from a position to the left of goal for the opener.

Decent

Two decent chances then fell to Bari's Alessandro Gazzi. From the first he was denied by an excellent Julio Cesar save, and then when he made space for another shot he failed to apply the required force.

Inter punished the hosts in the dying stages, as Pazzini weaved his way past Rossi before tucking a shot past Gillet, who should have made the save.

And Sneijder, returning as substitute from the thigh injury he sustained in December's World Club Cup, put the finishing touches to the win when Kharja chested down a cross from the right and the Dutchman planted a firm close-range shot beyond Gillet.

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McLeish hails Blues fightback | Sky Sports | Football | News

Alex McLeish hailed his Birmingham side after twice fighting back to claim a 2-2 draw against Manchester City.

The visitors were eager for a victory to keep their titles hopes alive and took a fourth-minute lead as Carlos Tevez's shot deflected in off Czech defender Martin Jiranek, making his Premier League debut for Blues.

Nikola Zigic poked in a dangerous free-kick from the impressive David Bentley to claim a 23rd-minute equaliser but Craig Gardner then gave away a soft free-kick in the 41st minute, and Aleksandar Kolarov curled it in from just over 20 yards.

But Blues then posed City a host of problems in the second half from set-pieces and Bentley's right-wing deliveries, and substitute Kevin Phillips was brought down in the box by fellow veteran Patrick Vieira.

Gardner stopped up to slam the 77th-minute spot-kick past Joe Hart to give Blues a precious point, which keeps them out of the bottom three on goal difference.

"It was a great performance second half,"McLeish toldSky Sports.

"We were a bit sloppy with the goals we lost. You can't afford to give free-kicks away on the edge of the box against quality set-piece players such as Kolarov.

Tough night

"But to fight back the way we did second half, we really made it tough for City. There's no doubt we made it a really hard night for them."

Curtis Davies stayed on the bench while fellow new signing Obafemi Martins was not even in the squad.

But McLeish confirmed the Nigerian striker, signed on loan from Russian side Rubin Kazan, should be in contention for Sunday's trip to fellow strugglers West Ham.

"He's out of the country getting his visa,"added the Blues boss."He has to go to the embassy abroad and there's a bit of red tape.

"It takes two or three days but we want him back this weekend for the West Ham game."

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Harry reveals record Rossi bid | Sky Sports | Football | News

Harry Redknapp has confirmed Tottenham made a club record£35million bid for Villarreal striker Giuseppe Rossi on transfer deadline day.

Spurs had already admitted making a string of ambitious bids for leading stars in Spain's top division, with an approach for Athletic Bilbao's Fernando Llorente also turned down.

Record moves for Atletico Madrid duo Sergio Aguero and Diego Forlan were also rebuffed and Redknapp has now come clean on the amount the club were willing to pay for Rossi.

Club chairman Daniel Levy was calling the shots on Redknapp's behalf and the pair are likely to attempt to make a marquee singing once again in the summer.

"Daniel always said that if we found the right player then we would have gone for him but it was difficult,"said Redknapp.

"He tried something with Rossi. I think he offered£35million in the end.

"It's hard to get top players unless you pay top money. You couldn't get Rossi because Villarreal don't want to sell you him.

Ambition

"The chairman would have bought someone for£30million though, for sure. He wanted to bring someone in.

"There was no doubt that he wanted to do it. He wanted to get somebody in and if Daniel and[Tottenham owner] Joe Lewis can find the right people they will have a go again."

With Tottenham's club record buy standing at the£16.5million paid for Luca Modric, Redknapp suggests big-money purchases were not the only targets on his agenda on Monday.

And the former West Ham boss admits his lowly bids for Everton's Phil Neville, reportedly in the region of£250,000 originally, were unacceptable to Toffees boss David Moyes.

"It was a pretty low offer for a good player. I couldn't argue with David on it,"Redknapp said of a renewed£1.5million bid for Neville.

"He would have been a great signing for us. He is a leader, a captain, a character and he can play in three or four positions."

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