Arsenal can still win the league without spending silly money, insists Wenger

 Arsene Wenger insists Arsenal can still win the Barclays Premier League despite not being able to match the outlay of some rivals.

The Gunners are without a trophy since winning the FA Cup seven years ago and have not won the title since 2004.
Big-spending Chelsea and Manchester City have enjoyed domestic success since then, while Arsenal have been criticised by some supporters for not splashing the cash.

Defiant: Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger

 

That, though, does not mean the north Londoners should not hold title ambitions, according to Wenger.
'Firstly, I must say that not being able to match the spending of the richest clubs does not mean that you can't compete with them on the pitch,' he told Time Out Hong Kong.
'When I first came to England, this question did not exist. Every club was run within its resources.
'The Chelseas and the Man Citys are new problems. But with this new financial environment, what has not changed at all is our policy that we will be as ambitious as ever and spend the money that we have available, if possible in an intelligent and wise way.
'We have always spent money because we are ambitious for top-class players and if you look at the history of our last 15 years, we have always had top-class players.
'It does not mean you can't win the title if you can't compete financially.'

Upbeat: Wenger feels Arsenal can challenge for title

The Frenchman, speaking before Robin van Persie announced his intention to leave the Gunners, added: "I have been in football for a long, long time and I don't think just spending money is a target that is defendable.
'To spend the money on a top player is defendable. But just to spend the money is like you are worried.
'Our fans can be proud of the way we run this club, of the quality of the players we have and of the financial situation that is existing at the club.
'Rather than convicting this club, they have more reason to be proud of the whole situation here.
'We have built a team and a stadium in such a short space of time, and have a strong financial situation - and we have always survived at the top level.'
Wenger also believes the eventual implementation of Financial Fair Play can have a positive impact on both Arsenal and the league as a whole.

Difference: Chelsea splashed the cash on Eden Hazard

'We need first to see how effectively financial fair play can be enforced before we can fully understand the impact but I believe it will make for a more exciting Premier League,' Wenger said.
'When you look at the history of England, there are Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa and Derby County who have all won championships.
'If that is possible again it will be even more interesting.
'If the rules are well introduced, it will be a massive advantage to Arsenal Football Club, of course, and we will be well positioned for that.
'I don't want to go into excuses but you want a business to be run properly and I believe that to lose £150million a year, you don't deserve a lot of credit to win a competition.
'I think that it is right that you balance your books - to accept the one basic principle for every company - and that's that you can spend the money which you make.
'That principle just seems to be a common sense and logical one.'

After failing with loan swoop, Newcastle line up £13m bid for Carroll... £22m less than they sold him for 18 months ago

Newcastle are ready to make a £13million swoop to bring Andy Carroll back to the club.
They have already failed with a loan move to take the Liverpool striker on for the season.
Liverpool, who bought Carroll from Newcastle in a record-breaking £35million deal 18 months ago, flatly rejected the offer but it is now clear they are ready to offload their No 9.

Hey Andy: Newcastle have made a bid to bring Andy Carroll back to the club

 

Whether £13m - which is £22m less than Liverpool paid out for Carroll - would be enough to trigger a deal remains to be seen.
Newcastle boss Alan Pardew spoke of his admiration for Carroll last week and would like the Gateshead-born forward to support Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse.
Carroll has never given any indication he wants to move and Sportsmail reported on Saturday he would turn down any suitors.
He had been hoping to persuade new manager Brendan Rodgers that he can play a part in his plans but, reluctantly, Carroll is accepting he is fighting a losing battle.
Liverpool, who signed Italy forward Fabio Borini last Friday for £8m, would be prepared to  off-load Carroll if they received either a suitable bid or loan deal that has a commitment to buy at the end of 12 months.
Rodgers refused to give any assurances about the England frontman’s prospects when asked last week and many have  questioned whether his physical, powerful approach would fit into the intricate passing style favoured by the new boss.

Welcome: Newcastle fans were unhappy with Carroll when he left the club in 2011

 

‘He’s no different to any player we have here,’ Rodgers said. ‘They might have all the attributes but not the mentality to play.
‘It’s a bit unfair for Andy to get labelled any other way. He’s a good lad, so we will just see how the formation of the group shapes up over the next four or five weeks.’
Liverpool go to the United States for their pre-season tour but Carroll will not be in the travelling party, like other players who went to Euro 2012. He is now on holiday and is expected to link up with the squad in Boston next week.
West Ham were the first club to express an interest in Carroll and would be prepared to sign him initially on loan with a view to buying him for more than £15m should they retain their place in the Barclays Premier League.

Getting away from it: Carroll has been on holiday since England's Euro 2012 exit

Fulham are also interested and Aston Villa became the latest club to join the race when manager Paul Lambert confirmed on Saturday that the 23-year-old was one of his key summer targets.
But Newcastle would be hoping that the emotional pull of a return to his native North East would give them the trump card in this battle.
With Cisse and Ba potentially going to the Africa Cup of Nations next January and February, Pardew has been looking to bolster his attack all summer and he courted Luuk de Jong of FC Twente.

Lightning kills two footballers

Two soccer players are dead and another is injured after lightning struck a tree that they were standing beneath to shelter from a storm in Houston.
 
Harris County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Thomas Gilliland says rain halted a men’s league soccer club around noon on Sunday and the players all run for cover under some nearby trees.
Gilliland says lightning struck one of the trees, killing one of the men. Two others were also hit and taken to a Houston hospital, where a second man was pronounced dead.
The third man is in stable condition at Ben Taub General Hospital.
Authorities have not released the names of any of the men.
The Houston area has been drenched by rain the past week, flooding between 50 and 100 homes.

Fashola donates Federation Cup trophy to NFF

The Lagos State governor, Babatunde Fashola on Monday handed over a giant silver trophy he donated to the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) for the annual Federation Cup Competition, stating that it represents a small gesture from him to help in re-awakening interest in the tournament in the country.

The Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola (2nd left) presenting the Nigeria Football Federation Cup to the NFF President, Aminu Maigari (3rd right) at the Lagos House, Ikeja, on Monday, July 16, 2012. With them are: The Deputy Governor, Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire (2nd right), Commissioner for Youth, Sports and Social Development, Enitan Oshodi (left) and Ayodeji Tinubu (right).

Mr Fashola who spoke at the Banquet Hall of Lagos House, Ikeja said that his visit to several stadia in the recent past and the fact that such facilities are never filled to capacity has left him wondering on what must be done to help reawaken the love for sports among Nigerians.
He said as far back as 1992, if any match was going to be played at the National Stadium, one must get there by 10am or else, that spectator would not be guaranteed a seat in the stadium adding that concrete steps must be taken to bring people back to matches and other sporting events.
The governor thanked the Nigerian Football Federation for giving Lagos the opportunity to host and also reinforcing the suggestion by the State that the Federation Cup which used to be the Challenge Cup should not leave Lagos again where it started from.
Mr Fashola said the Federation represents a destination and a dream which every player wants to experience adding that even for the English FA Cup, Wembley Stadium irrespective of the part of the country that the player comes from, everyone that his club qualifies for the finals wants to play at Wembley.
He explained that the former Challenge Cup which is now the Federation Cup has a very rich history because it has produced many great players like Muyiwa Oshode, Haruna Ilerika, Yakubu Mambo and Kenneth Olayombo, adding that legends have been made out of the competition that have propelled Nigeria at the international stage.
The governor said that the Lagos State Government is building infrastructure and new sports centres all over the State so as to reawaken interest of the people in watching football, adding that one of such stadiums is hosting a group preliminary of this year’s Federation Cup from today.
The President of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), Aminu Maigari in his address thanked Governor Fashola for his interest in sports, adding that the Federation Cup will indeed not leave Lagos.
He added that the Governor has done a lot to improve sports in the country, stating that on a number of occasions he has hosted and supported many of the national teams including the FUTSAL team and the Beach soccer teams.
Mr Maigari also gave a commitment that the 2012 Federation Cup which is billed to be hosted by Lagos will be the most colourful cup final ever.

Messi, van Persie, Ronaldo others on Uefa Best Player shortlist

Uefa has announced a list of the 32 players who are in contention for their award for the best player of Europe.
La Liga champions Real Madrid are the most represented club on the list, with seven players, followed by Premier League holders Manchester City, who boast six players.
Champions League winners Chelsea and Catalan giants Barcelona boast four players each, while Radamel Falcao is the sole player from Europa League champions, Atletico Madrid.
The players were chosen by a jury of journalists from each of Uefa’s 53 member associations. The governing body for European football will reveal on August 14 the names of the three players who were given the most points by the writers, who will then proceed to the live vote to choose the overall winner in Monaco.
Barca’s Lionel Messi was the winner of the first edition of the award, beating team-mate Xavi and Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo to the honour.
Raul and Didier Drogba have left Europe since their exploits last season for Al Sadd and Shanghai Shenhua respectively, while Shinji Kagawa’s form for Borussia Dortmund earned him a summer move to Manchester United.
Player               Club
Sergio Aguero Manchester City
Xabi Alonso Real Madrid
Mario Balotelli Manchester City
Jakub Blaszczykowski Borussia Dortmund
Gianluigi Buffon Juventus
Iker Casillas Real Madrid
Petr Cech Chelsea
Fabio Coentrao Real Madrid
Leslie Davies Bangor City
Didier Drogba Chelsea
Cesc Fabregas Barcelona
Radamel Falcao Atletico Madrid
Joe Hart Manchester City
Zlatan Ibrahimovic AC Milan
Andres Iniesta Barcelona
Shinji Kagawa Borussia Dortmund
Vincent Kompany Manchester City
Frank Lampard Chelsea
Lionel Messi Barcelona
Luka Modric Tottenham
Mesut Ozil Real Madrid
Pepe Real Madrid
Andrea Pirlo Juventus
Sergio Ramos Real Madrid
Raul Schalke
Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid
Wayne Rooney Manchester United
David Silva Manchester City
Fernando Torres Chelsea
Yaya Toure Manchester City
Robin van Persie Arsenal
Xavi Barcelona
A live vote will be conducted to reveal the overall winner of the accolade after the final three most nominated players are revealed next month.

Really, Didier? Drogba insists Shanghai move isn't about the money... as he's unveiled in £270k-a-week role

Didier Drogba insists it is not money but the big challenge in an unfamiliar land that lured him to China.
More than 300 fans gathered to welcome the former Chelsea man on his much-anticipated arrival to join Chinese Super League strugglers Shanghai Shenhua.
Drogba has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with the big-spending club for a reported salary of £270,000.

Welcome to your new home: Didier Drogba has been unveiled at his new club, Shanghai Shenhua

He said: 'I decided to come here because when the club and the president approached me, I looked at the project and it came with ambitious ideas. He wants to help football develop in China.
'I know China is a great sports country so for me it was also a big challenge because it could have been easy for me to stay in Europe and go to another team, another big team.
'Really, I didn't come here with the idea of making a lot of money. I come here because it is a completely different challenge from what I have seen in Europe before.
'And that's the idea, there are many challenges but this one is a big one.'
Drogba's arrival is the latest in a long list of high-profile names who have made the move to China in recent months.

Meet and great: Drogba was mobbed as he arrived at Pudong international airport in Shanghai

Italian World Cup winning coach Marcello Lippi is in charge of a Guangzhou Evergrande side packed full of skilful South American talent.
Drogba, who scored 157 times in 341 appearances for Chelsea making him the club's fourth all-time leading scorer, is the biggest catch of them all.
The 34-year old striker will join former Chelsea team mate Nicolas Anelka at the club struggling at the 13th spot in the 16-club Chinese Super League. Shanghai Shenhua is coached by former Argentina boss Sergio Batista.
'The results of my new team, they are not so good, not so great. But you know, the second part of the season just started and I think we have time to make some better results and to bring the club to a better place,' Drogba said.

Super supporters: Fans were full of voice and celebration as they welcomed the Ivorian

'With my team mates, we are going to perform as much as we can. And I came here to win the league, I am not coming here as the beginning of the retirement or something like this.
'I want people to make sure and to understand that I am here to win. I am not here to sit and relax.'
The fans arrived in the early hours of the morning at the Shanghai Pudong International Airport, many dressed in the club's blue jersey bearing 'Drogba 11', and their hopes were also pinned on the Drogba-Anelka strike force.

All hail: After his press conference, Drogba was paraded on the pitch before a game

'I believe that with his arrival, our results will improve significantly, because he has a good rapport with Anelka,' 23-year-old Zhu Hongbo said.
'Also, we have brought in a midfield player in (Giovanni) Moreno. I think for the second half of the year, our results will improve and we can be in the top three.'

China awaits Drogba

SHANGHAI - Football star Didier Drogba will land in China on Saturday to take up his new role at Shanghai Shenhua, the club said, amid high hopes he can reignite the 13th-placed team's season.

Drogba announced last month he had signed with the big-spending Chinese club until 2014, joining his former Chelsea teammate Nicolas Anelka who started with the team in January.
The Ivory Coast international will meet fans at a match against third-ranked Beijing Guoan on Saturday evening, Shenhua said yesterday. A Shenhua official told AFP that Drogba would not play on Saturday.
Shenhua have an away game against Guangzhou Fuli on July 21 but there is speculation Drogba might only take to the field for the first time in a friendly against Manchester United on July 25. Shenhua are reportedly paying £200000 (R1.4-million) a week to Drogba, 34, who is fresh from leading Chelsea to their long-awaited victory in the Champions League.
However, neither side has confirmed his salary.
Despite having Anelka, Shenhua have won just three matches out of 16 in the Chinese Super League, which has 16 clubs.
Shenhua are one of several Chinese football clubs to have recruited foreign players and managers in a bid to raise their game, as the league attempts to shrug off years of damaging corruption scandals.
After a poor start to the season, Shenhua sacked French coach Jean Tigana and replaced him with former Argentina manager Sergio Batista, after briefly naming Anelka as player-coach.
Batista said shortly after Drogba's signing that he was hopeful Shenhua could climb into the top three by season's end in November. Hope Drogba will live to his expectation, he has to make sure he carries the new team along in top form.Much is expected from the Ivorian Striker, who recently carried the champions league cup final, with Chelsea football club.