Extreme Sport Site

Scolari talks to the press on Tuesday.
SCOLARI WARNS CLUJ

Luiz Felipe Scolari has demanded Chelsea’s “football machine” dish out a stiff Champions League reality check to European minnows CFR Cluj on Wednesday night.

The Romanian double-winners produced a shock 2-1 victory away at Roma on their Champions League debut a fortnight ago and Wednesday promises to be the biggest night in the club’s 101-year history.

As a result, Scolari has been cautioning “respect for a dangerous opponent”, and he even went so far as to say it would not be a surprise if Chelsea lost in the three-sided Dr Constantin Radulescu stadium on Wednesday night.

But, in reality, unbeaten Chelsea are homing in on a ninth straight victory that would take them a giant step closer to qualifying for the second round of the Champions League.

“We have made a very good start to the season. Cluj are more confident than before because they beat Roma and they have good players - but we know that if we are to reach the second round we need to win,” said Scolari.

“When you win games you have more confidence, you are more strong. If we win tomorrow we have one foot in the second round.

“I think it will need 10 points to qualify and if we win tomorrow we will have six points. We would just need four more from four games.

“We want to reach the final and to win the final so it is a very good situation for us.”

Scolari has been trying to keep Chelsea’s Champions League expectations in check following the disappointment of last season’s final.

Ahead of his side’s opening win over Bordeaux - Scolari’s first Champions League match - the Brazilian insisted he would not be judged on Europe.

On Tuesday, Scolari was at pains to point out the qualities of a Cluj side packed with South Americans and Portuguese players, many of whom are familiar to him and have a point to prove.

“The attention of the world is not on Cluj, it is on Chelsea but their players want to change that. They want to show the world they are good players and catch the eye of other clubs,” said Scolari.

“They are in this competition because they have good players, they have something different to other teams in Romania.

“They need respect. We win many games in England now because we respect the opposition team.

“Tomorrow is the same. I have shown my players a DVD about Cluj. If they win tomorrow against Chelsea it is because they are better. It is not a surprise.”

But it would be a major surprise to the Transylvanian locals, 25,000 of whom will pack into the stadium on Wednesday night and create a bear-pit of an atmosphere for Chelsea.

Cluj, Romania’s oldest club and nicknamed the Railroaders, rocketed through the divisions following some heavy investment and last year became the first side from outside of Bucharest to win the league title in 17 years.

Like Scolari, Cluj head coach Maurizio Trombetta is new in charge this season and is taking the view that Cluj have “nothing to lose” against Chelsea.

Striker Yssouf Kone said: “I think Chelsea are four times stronger than Roma. When you play against them, you should run like crazy until the last minute.

“Chelsea are a football machine but in the end, it’s 11 against 11 and the pressure will be on Chelsea, not on us.

“If they beat us, it would be normal. If we beat them, it would be something fantastic.”

Having studied Scolari’s DVD, Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech is preparing himself for a busy night.

“The strength of Cluj is that they play as a team,” he said.

“They are well organised. They had a plan against Roma which worked well. If there is one thing for me as a goalkeeper to be prepared for, it is that they the had a lot of attempts at goal.”

Chelsea have only conceded three goals all season, a major factor behind their unbeaten start to life under Scolari.

“When you are winning more games, you get more confidence. We have had several good games recently and if we can perform in the same way tomorrow we can win the game,” said Cech.

“Their win over Roma will surely be a driving force for Cluj - but we we know about (them) and we are ready for it.”

Smith - cleared to play.
SMITH BOOST FOR RHINOS

Leeds winger Lee Smith has been cleared to play in Saturday’s engage Super League Grand Final against St Helens.

Smith was placed on report for kicking Wigan second-rower Phil Bailey in the face during last Friday’s 18-14 play-off victory over the Warriors and was subsequently charged with a grade C offence.

The 22-year-old Smith, who scored two tries against Wigan and one in last year’s 33-6 Grand Final win over Saints, had faced a suspension of up to four matches when he appeared in front of the Rugby Football League’s disciplinary hearing.

Although he was found guilty at today’s hearing, which was held at the league’s Red Hall headquarters, of recklessly striking out, the panel decided not to impose a ban but fined him 300.

Ryan Hall, 20, who has shared the right-wing duties with Smith this year, would have been a straight replacement but Leeds coach Brian McClennan expressed his confidence that Smith would be cleared and he is set to name an unchanged team.

That will mean just one alteration to the side that beat Saints at Old Trafford a year ago.

Prop forward Nick Scruton, who has played in 29 of the Rhinos’ 34 competitive games this season, missed out last year through injury and will be appearing in his first major domestic showpiece after being a non-playing member of Leeds’ squad for the 2004 and 2005 Grand Finals.

The Leeds-born front-rower, who replaces injured centre Clinton Toopi with Carl Ablett switching from the pack to the threequarters, will be making his final appearance for the club before joining arch rivals Bradford on a three-year deal.

Smith - cleared to play.
SMITH BOOST FOR RHINOS

Leeds winger Lee Smith has been cleared to play in Saturday’s engage Super League Grand Final against St Helens.

Smith was placed on report for kicking Wigan second-rower Phil Bailey in the face during last Friday’s 18-14 play-off victory over the Warriors and was subsequently charged with a grade C offence.

The 22-year-old Smith, who scored two tries against Wigan and one in last year’s 33-6 Grand Final win over Saints, had faced a suspension of up to four matches when he appeared in front of the Rugby Football League’s disciplinary hearing.

Although he was found guilty at today’s hearing, which was held at the league’s Red Hall headquarters, of recklessly striking out, the panel decided not to impose a ban but fined him 300.

Ryan Hall, 20, who has shared the right-wing duties with Smith this year, would have been a straight replacement but Leeds coach Brian McClennan expressed his confidence that Smith would be cleared and he is set to name an unchanged team.

That will mean just one alteration to the side that beat Saints at Old Trafford a year ago.

Prop forward Nick Scruton, who has played in 29 of the Rhinos’ 34 competitive games this season, missed out last year through injury and will be appearing in his first major domestic showpiece after being a non-playing member of Leeds’ squad for the 2004 and 2005 Grand Finals.

The Leeds-born front-rower, who replaces injured centre Clinton Toopi with Carl Ablett switching from the pack to the threequarters, will be making his final appearance for the club before joining arch rivals Bradford on a three-year deal.

Balshaw goes over for his first try.
WILKINSON INJURED IN FALCONS DEFEAT

Jonny Wilkinson’s injury jinx struck once again to leave Newcastle and England fretting over his fitness as his side slumped to a 39-23 defeat at Gloucester.

Wilkinson, whose Test career has been blighted by repeated injury setbacks since his drop-goal won England the 2003 World Cup, lasted just 25 minutes at Kingsholm as Gloucester posted a bonus-point Guinness Premiership victory.

He was helped away after appearing to hurt his knee when he was cleared out of a ruck which formed following a trademark Wilkinson tackle on Gloucester full-back Olly Morgan.

Newcastle battled bravely without their talisman as Gloucester struggled to impose themselves on the contest until late on.

The Falcons were ultimately undone by Gloucester wing Iain Balshaw’s hat-trick of tries and a late James Simpson-Daniel double, while fly-half Olly Barkley - an England autumn Test contender - booted four penalties and Willie Walker slotted a late conversion.

Hooker Matt Thompson’s opportunist 47th-minute touchdown from a lineout and centre Tom May’s breakaway score briefly cut the Gloucester advantage to just three points.

The Falcons finally wilted when Balshaw completed his hat-trick 13 minutes from time, although Newcastle still had enough about them to register a third try when captain Phil Dowson went over.

Wilkinson kicked a penalty, as did his replacement Rory Clegg, who also converted Dowson’s score.

Balshaw goes over for his first try.
WILKINSON INJURED IN FALCONS DEFEAT

Jonny Wilkinson’s injury jinx struck once again to leave Newcastle and England fretting over his fitness as his side slumped to a 39-23 defeat at Gloucester.

Wilkinson, whose Test career has been blighted by repeated injury setbacks since his drop-goal won England the 2003 World Cup, lasted just 25 minutes at Kingsholm as Gloucester posted a bonus-point Guinness Premiership victory.

He was helped away after appearing to hurt his knee when he was cleared out of a ruck which formed following a trademark Wilkinson tackle on Gloucester full-back Olly Morgan.

Newcastle battled bravely without their talisman as Gloucester struggled to impose themselves on the contest until late on.

The Falcons were ultimately undone by Gloucester wing Iain Balshaw’s hat-trick of tries and a late James Simpson-Daniel double, while fly-half Olly Barkley - an England autumn Test contender - booted four penalties and Willie Walker slotted a late conversion.

Hooker Matt Thompson’s opportunist 47th-minute touchdown from a lineout and centre Tom May’s breakaway score briefly cut the Gloucester advantage to just three points.

The Falcons finally wilted when Balshaw completed his hat-trick 13 minutes from time, although Newcastle still had enough about them to register a third try when captain Phil Dowson went over.

Wilkinson kicked a penalty, as did his replacement Rory Clegg, who also converted Dowson’s score.

Keane - set for new deal.
QUINN CONFIDENT OF NEW KEANE DEAL

Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn is confident manager Roy Keane will sign a new contract within weeks.

The Black Cats boss embarked upon the final year of his current three-year deal at the start of the new season, but has repeatedly insisted he is relaxed about the future.

However, Quinn revealed initial talks with Keane’s solicitor, Michael Kennedy, began last week after funding for the next two years was secured, and he is optimistic of a positive outcome in the near future.

Quinn said: “We have just opened up negotiations with Roy’s solicitor last week, and that will move along nicely, I hope.

“You never know, we will see, but I am pretty confident we will have something nice to say in the next few weeks.

“I didn’t want to go to Roy Keane with a new contract offer when I couldn’t tell him what was happening in 12 months’ time, because the minimum contract would have been a year.

“Now hopefully this year, we will be okay and maybe a couple after.

“I don’t know. We haven’t quite got to the detail, but I am pretty pleased.

“The great thing about Roy is you are not sitting in here with a big agent talking about money, it’s about direction.

“That’s the biggest thing in the contract talks, and I am confident that on my side of the table, we have got the direction that will please him.

“That’s become apparent in the last week or so, and we will kick on from there.

“It will be a great day if he does sign. It will be a big day for him as a manager too.

“It takes a bit of time and there are a few dots on the i’s and crosses on the t’s.

“Hopefully that’s what it is, but I will keep you posted.”

A confidentiality agreement prevented Quinn from commenting on reports that Irish-American businessman Ellis Short has acquired a 30 per cent stake in Drumaville, the consortium which owns the club, and that it is his financial muscle which has allowed the Wearsiders to present Keane with a two-year blueprint.

However, as chaos reigns at neighbouring Newcastle following Kevin Keegan’s resignation over claims of interference from Board level, the chairman confirmed his manager has no worries on that front.

He said: “We won’t put any restrictions on Roy. He is very aware of the power he has in bringing people to the club, and he will just get our backing to do that.

“He has appointed scouts in 13 countries since we came, which is a big change from where we were two and a bit years ago.

“Slowly but surely, every aspect of the club is going that way.

“He has got the power to appoint scouts, he has got the power to name and choose the players we go after.

“He is the manager in every sense of the word and the fact now that we have a two and a half-year business plan, it is the right and correct time to ask him to commit.”

Quinn’s comments came as he joined forces with Gina Carter, the widow of former Sunderland goalkeeper Tim Carter, at the launch of an appeal to raise 1.2million to build a hydrotherapy pool at the Percy Hedley School in Newcastle.

Carter, whose four-year-old son Jensen attends the special school for children and adults with cerebral palsy, died earlier this year at the age of 40.

Mrs Carter said: “Tim would have been very proud and very humble that people thought so highly of him.

“It was a big passion in Tim’s heart and to have such a centre built in his name will be tremendous.”

Wenger - will make changes.
WENGER: WE CAN WIN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Arsene Wenger has demanded Arsenal use tonight’s clash with Porto to demonstrate they are genuine Champions League contenders.

The Gunners have been busy addressing the fallout from Saturday’s shock 2-1 defeat by Hull amid accusations of complacency.

Wenger, who says he felt physically sick at the result, remains convinced it was a momentary blip that will be forgotten with an emphatic win over the Portuguese champions.

“We had a disappointing result against Hull but I have been sitting on the bench long enough to know that if we’d played that match 100 times we’d lose it once,” he said.

“I believe we will win tonight. We want to make sure we win and get the right belief into the game.

“Everybody says we should not have any chance of winning the Champions League but I believe we have enough quality to do it and that is what we want to show tonight.”

Wenger initially reacted to one of the most embarrassing results of his 12-year reign by threatening a cull of the players exposed on the weekend.

Winger Samir Nasri is likely to be restored to the midfield after recovering from the knee injury that has troubled him since August.

But with Wenger’s anger at the Hull defeat subsiding, the Arsenal boss’ resolve to swing the axe appears to have softened.

“Players will not be dropped to punish them. Sometimes you make changes because you consider the other team and the balance in your own side,” he said.

“Sometimes one player is not at his best. If a player is not playing tonight it’s not down to punishment, it’s just because of the rotation in the side.

“You cannot play every single game with the same 11 players.”

Porto provide an early shot at redemption following the Emirates horror show against Hull and Wenger wants to see his side’s character.

“The players were very disappointed after the Hull match and are focused on tonight’s game,” Wenger added.

“It is part of a career to deal with disappointments and to show enough mental strength and desire to go forward.

“The players are desperate to go out and win the game against Porto.”

Berbatov - blasted by Venables.
VENABLES BLASTS ‘POISONOUS’ BERBATOV

Former Tottenham manager Terry Venables has laid the blame for the club’s dire start to the season squarely at Dimitar Berbatov’s door, bemoaning the Bulgarian’s “poisonous presence” at the beginning of the campaign.

Berbatov started the season at White Hart Lane but was clear in his desire to realise a ‘dream’ move to current club Manchester United.

Speculation over Berbatov’s future dominated Spurs’ early matches as manager Juande Ramos wrestled with whether or not to select the striker, who eventually signed for the Red Devils in a 30million deal.

With two points from six league matches so far Spurs lie bottom of the table and Ramos is under intense pressure.

But Venables, who last week turned down the chance to return to top-flight management with Tottenham’s fellow strugglers Newcastle, believes the club’s current strife stems from Berbatov.

“Berbatov kept telling us he had ‘a dream’. Well, good for you Dimi. You had a dream with a few extra noughts added to your bank balance,” he told The Sun.

“But did Spurs have a dream too? You got your way but your poisonous presence at the start of the season - the brooding and the reluctance to play - has cost the club that believed in you.”

Venables also believes the Spurs board erred in selling Berbatov’s strike partner Robbie Keane to Liverpool before they had a replacement.

“They thought they were going to get Andrei Arshavin,” said Venables.

“This was a massive managerial blunder by Spurs, especially when they had allowed Keane to leave. But letting Berbatov and Keane go without having Arshavin in the bag was a boardroom blunder.”

Cahill gets his marching orders.
CAHILL FAILS IN RED-CARD APPEAL

Everton midfielder Tim Cahill has failed with an appeal against the red card he received in Saturday’s Merseyside derby.

It means the Australian will serve a three-match suspension, starting with the Premier League game against Newcastle on Sunday.

Cahill was sent off for “serious foul play” by referee Mike Riley following a challenge on Xabi Alonso in Everton’s 2-0 defeat by Liverpool.

The Football Association confirmed an independent regulatory commission had rejected Cahill’s appeal.

Zaki - has impressed for Wigan.
ZAKI HAPPY TO LEAVE OPTIONS OPEN

In-form Wigan striker Amr Zaki is to wait until the summer before deciding whether he will remain at the JJB Stadium.

Zaki has so far been one of the stars of the new Barclays Premier League campaign after joining Wigan on a season-long loan from El Zamalek.

The Egypt international striker made it six goals in eight matches with a well-taken penalty in Sunday’s 2-1 home win over Manchester City.

Manager Steve Bruce recently revealed there is an agreement in place with El Zamalek for the Latics to sign Zaki permanently.

However, Zaki is aware his goal exploits have pushed him into the spotlight and that he could become hot property next summer.

“To attract the attention of clubs so quickly is a good sign for me that I am doing well,” said Zaki on Arabian TV channel, ShowSports.

“I must thank God for this success. Credit also goes to (Wigan chairman Dave) Whelan and Bruce for their determination to sign me.

“Despite this, all I want now is to concentrate on my game and improve.

“In the summer I will decide what to do - whether I will go back to Egypt, continue at Wigan or move to another club.

“But my wish is to stay here in the Premier League.”