Football: Man Utd Star Ronaldo Hints At Real Madrid Move
LONDON: Manchester United forward Ronaldo has dropped a potential bombshell on the club by telling Spanish television he could consider his future following the Champions League final on May 21.
Ronaldo is expected to be one of the most influential players on the park in Moscow next Wednesday, when United face Premier League rivals Chelsea for European club football’s biggest prize.
However the Portuguese international has given Sir Alex Ferguson an unwanted dilemma by stating in an interview with a Madrid-based television channel that he would not rule out a move to Spain.
Despite having four years left on a five-year contract at Old Trafford that is worth 120,000 pounds (233,000 US dollars) a week, Spanish giants Real Madrid have been repeatedly linked to the Portuguese livewire.
And Ronaldo appears to have stoked those fires by telling Spanish television during a media open day for the Champions League final: “I am happy here but let’s see what happens after the Champions League final.
“I’m feeling calm here, I’m happy here but in the future I don’t know.”
Asked whether that specifically meant a move to Spain, he added: “I have said millions of times that I would love to play in Spain, but it’s one thing to dream and another thing for it to be reality.
“I don’t know the club (Real) but I know they like my game. I know that other teams in Spain like me as well. It’s good to know they like my game, but I am happy here.”
United, who successfully defended their English Premier League crown last week, have recently stated that Ronaldo is not for sale at any price.
Days before United bid to win European club football’s biggest prize for only the third time, Ronaldo’s comments will be untimely at the very least. - AFP/ac
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Football: Ferguson Fires Back At Grant In Refereeing Row
MANCHESTER: Sir Alex Ferguson has brushed off Avram Grant’s claims that biased refereeing helped Manchester United clinch the Premier League title at Chelsea’s expense.
Grant faces possibly disciplinary action from the Football Association after questioning the integrity of Steve Bennett, the referee who took charge of United’s final league match against Wigan on Sunday.
United won that match 2-0 but things may have been different if Bennett had awarded Wigan an early penalty or sent Paul Scholes off when the game was still goalless, as television replays suggested he should have done.
Chelsea’s manager Grant reacted to those incidents by suggesting that some English referees could be influenced in their handling of matches.
Grant also said he was glad next week’s Champions League final between the two clubs in Moscow would be refereed by a non-English official.
Ferguson said he had not been surprised by Grant’s outburst and claimed that, in reality, his side had suffered far more than they had benefited from dubious decisions this season.
“We feel we didn’t get many decisions during the season,” said the Scot. “I could go on and on (about decisions that didn’t go our way throughout the season).
“Maybe when we went to Chelsea (and lost 2-1 in a match that kept the title battle alive) we should have been champions by then.”
Ferguson insisted that his United players would handle next week’s occasion even though they were younger and less experienced than some of Chelsea’s players.
“We know how to handle it,” he said. “Chelsea have more experienced players, much more than our own team because we have young players.”
United head for Moscow boosted by the news that Rio Ferdinand has signed a new five-year contract at Old Trafford.
Ferdinand, fellow defender Wes Brown and midfielder Michael Carrick all agreed new contracts in April.
And now Ferdinand, 29, and Brown 28, have completed formalities meaning they could end their careers with the Premier League champions.
Ferguson said it was “terrific” that England defender Ferdinand, who joined from Leeds for 30 million pounds in 2002, had signed.
“Rio’s contribution this season has been a major factor in our outstanding defensive performance and I am delighted he has signed a new contract,” Ferguson said. “The longer Rio has been at this club the better he has become.”
Chelsea have also been given a boost with captain John Terry insisting that he will not require protective strapping on his injured elbow during the final.
Terry is back in training after recovering sufficiently from the dislocated elbow he suffered in Chelsea’s final league game against Bolton on Sunday, which finished in a 1-1 draw.
“My elbow is all right,” he said. “There is just a bit of strapping in case I fall and jar it.
“The last couple of days it has been getting better and hopefully I am going to train without the strapping.
“I have full range of movement. It is a little stiff when I wake up in the mornings but when the physios do a bit of work on it and I do some swimming, it frees right up.”
Terry is already looking ahead to facing United in the first all-English European Cup final and says Chelsea will go into the match in great form, despite their 1-1 draw with Bolton.
“We have lost out (in this competition) in the past against Liverpool and Monaco and I really don’t want to sit back and say we have thrown it away again,” Terry said.
“We have the chance of a lifetime - a great squad of players and in great form at the moment.
“Manchester United have been in good form themselves but we are at the top of our game, we have everyone fit, and we need to take the game to them.” - AFP/de
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Football/Champions League Final: Evra Determined Not To Get Derailed
MANCHESTER: Patrice Evra is relishing life in the fast lane with Manchester United and the France defender is determined not to let his side’s Champions League bid get shunted off the road.
United face Chelsea in the Champions League final in Moscow on Wednesday and Evra, who turns 27 today, is already gearing up for his second appearance in Europe’s showpiece game.
The Senegalese-born defender played in the 2004 final with Monaco, but the French club were surprise finalists and never threatened to test Porto in a forgettable 3-0 defeat.
Now Evra believes he has the perfect chance to make amends with a far more formidable United team fresh from retaining the English championship.
“My last final holds bad memories for me. But I joke that I went to the final with Monaco in a Fiat now I am going with the Ferrari. But now I need to drive the Ferrari very well,” Evra said.
“This is the biggest game of my life now and I do not want to lose again.
“When I first joined Manchester United I said I didn’t want to just go to a Champions League final I wanted to go and win it. That is what I intend to do.
“We have got stronger, we have more experience and the defence was better than last year. These are the keys to winning the title again and that is why we have won it.”
Evra initially struggled to settle in Manchester after his move from Monaco in January 2006. He found it hard to adjust to English life, the pace of Premier League football and the irregular kick-off times.
Eating pasta for breakfast before one midday match made him throw up but the shock of being left out of France’s World Cup squad due to his poor form forced Evra to raise his game.
“It was not the same as living in Monte Carlo that’s for sure,” he said. “I needed to take the step but it was very difficult for me and my family, then I missed the World Cup with France. I was very angry with myself.”
Although he is more comfortable at Old Trafford now, he only has one year remaining on his current contract and is waiting to hear if United will offer him a satisfactory extension.
“My agent is speaking to the club,” he said. “There has been one meeting and there has been nothing since. I have one year left, so the ball is in Manchester United’s court.
“My job was to concentrate on winning the title and I have done it. Now my job is to concentrate on winning the Champions League. Let’s see what happens after that.” - AFP
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Football: Gerrard Wants Liverpool To Spend Big To Boost Title Prospects
LIVERPOOL, England - Steven Gerrard admits Liverpool will only challenge for the Premier League title next season if Rafa Benitez spends big money.
Gerrard is desperate to make up for another disappointing domestic campaign after Benitez’s side slipped out of the title race by Christmas and finished nine points behind champions Manchester United.
Gerrard knows that gap won’t be closed unless Benitez is given substantial backing from the Anfield board to bring in several world-class players.
Benitez has already met Liverpool co-owner Tom Hicks to draw up a transfer battle plan, with Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry and Borussia Dortmund defender Philip Degn on his wanted list, but Gerrard wants more investment from the Anfield hierarchy.
“Obviously I have to be careful that I don’t send expectations through the roof again, but for me I am desperate for it (a title challenge). I believe in this team and this manager and believe we can make it happen,” Gerrard said.
“We need help and new players and the manager needs help from the board to make these signings happen and make us stronger.
“I don’t know much about Rafa’s transfer plans. He doesn’t call me in and tell me names.
“But he does assure me and the other players that if anyone becomes available who would strengthen the side, then he will go out and buy them. It’s important Rafa gets the right backing above him as well.
“Sometimes you have to realise there are other sides that are as good as us who are strengthening and working hard as well. They want it just as much as us.
“But it has been a long time for this club (since winning the league), so we all maybe need to give that extra five or 10 per cent.
“It’s difficult to say how many world-class players we need. You look at the points difference and over the last few years we have made it smaller.
“Playing against the Arsenals and Chelsea, it has been close. We are giving them good games which are tight and get decided on small details.”
The close-season in England has often been a difficult time for Gerrard while rumours fly that he is set to leave.
Inter Milan are this year’s front runners to sign the Liverpool captain if reports are to be believed, but he insists he has no plans to quit.
“I’m happy here and enjoying my football. Obviously I am not happy ending the season without a trophy because I am a winner and that is what I play the game for,” he said.
“I like finishing the season having a trophy or cup final to look back on and seeing I’ve achieved something.
“The experiences I’ve had at this club in Istanbul (when they beat AC Milan to capture the Champions League), Cardiff and so on - I want these again because I’ve enjoyed them so much.” - AFP/vm
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Football: Ferguson Wins Manager Of The Year Double
LONDON : Alex Ferguson has won two Manager of the Year awards in recognition of Manchester United’s Premier League triumph.
Ferguson was voted the season’s outstanding boss by the League Managers’ Association and the Premier League just a day after clinching his 10th English title.
The Scot, who has won the award once before in 1999 when United won the treble, was presented his awards by England coach and LMA president Fabio Capello.
“It is a tremendous honour that my fellow managers and LMA members should deem me worthy of this award. I am very proud to receive it,” Ferguson said.”
LMA chairman Howard Wilkinson added: “Recognition by your peers is an incredible privilege and this year’s winners should be proud of their achievements.” - AFP/de
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Football: Ferguson Prepares For His Toughest Decision
MANCHESTER, England: Sir Alex Ferguson admits he faces one of the hardest decisions of his career as the Manchester United manager prepares for the Champions League final.
Ferguson expects to have his full 26-man squad fit for selection when United travel to Moscow next week for the showdown against Chelsea.
But the Scot can only name seven substitutes, which will force him to tell eight players they won’t be involved in the biggest game of their lives.
“I think picking the team will be easier than picking the substitutes,” Ferguson told Sky Sports News.
“I’m going to have to leave some fantastic players out of the squad completely next week, which I won’t enjoy doing.
“It’s got to be done and I don’t know when I’m going to pick that moment.
“I’m going to have to speak to them. It’s not something I’m looking forward to. But, on the other hand, it’s a fantastic position for us to be in, having 26 fit players.”
United’s strength in depth played a key role in their title success. While Arsenal struggled when they were hit by injuries, Ferguson’s team were able to cope with any absences because another top-quality replacement was ready to step in.
Chelsea are one of the few teams in the world who can match United’s quality throughout a big squad, but Ferguson is confident the Premier League champions will still have the edge as the Blues try to recover from their last-day misery.
“You need a really powerful squad to achieve on all fronts,” Ferguson said. “I took 26 players to Wigan and every player was fit.
“They all came through the game, which means I’m travelling to Moscow with 26 fit players.
“That’s unheard of in my time and that gives us an incredible chance.
“I think Chelsea know they’d rather be in our position than their own position.
“Having won the league, there was a lot of joy about the place, whereas Chelsea have to pick themselves up after drawing against Bolton.”
Even if United do return from the Russian capital with their third European Cup, Ferguson knows they still have a long way to go before claiming a place among the continent’s most consistent winners of the competition.
Real Madrid have won the Cup nine times and AC Milan have seven victories, while arch rivals Liverpool can look back on five successful campaigns.
But United’s young side may not be at their peak yet and Ferguson hopes that emerging talent can bring more European glory to Old Trafford in the future.
“That’s the kind of record we should really have,” he said. “That’s one thing that should drive us all on now,” he said. “We have an opportunity next Wednesday to help us along that way.
“There’s a freshness about the place with young players coming in. They refresh you and enthuse you,” he said. “It’s wonderful to have that youth around.” - AFP/de
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Football: Atletico Back In Champions League After 12-Year Wait
MADRID: Diego Forlan repaid back a huge chunk of his 21 million euro transfer fee as he fired Atletico Madrid into the money-spinning Champions League for the first time in over a decade with a 1-0 win over Deportivo La Coruna on Sunday.
Uruguayan international Forlan was bought as a replacement for Fernando Torres, now at Liverpool, and his 16th goal of the season seconds before half-time helped Atletico qualify for the Champions League for the first time since the 1996/97 season.
“It was a great pass from Maxi (Rodriguez) and we are delighted to be in the Champions League where we want to be,” said Forlan.
Sevilla defeated neighbours Real Betis 2-0 in the derby but it was to no avail as Atletico, three points ahead, take fourth courtesy of their superior head-to-head record.
Atletico are also level on points with third-placed Barcelona who lost 3-2 to Real Mallorca in Frank Rijkaard’s final match at Camp Nou.
“We set the target to reach the Champions League and I am so pleased for our fans who have waited so long,” said Atletico coach Javier Aguirre.
“Talk about my future is inevitable but I would rather discuss it at the end of the season.
“I am going to celebrate tonight by having a meal with my wife and three children.”
A UEFA Cup spot is already guaranteed for Sevilla but that may not be enough for Manolo Jimenez to keep his job or for the club to hold onto stars such as Daniel Alves, Christian Poulsen and Luis Fabiano.
Atletico could also face a fight to hang onto prized asset Kun Aguero but for now they are celebrating reaching the Champions League although they had a real scare against Depor who hit the post in the closing stages.
Aguirre can now focus on the two-legged qualifier which Barcelona must also endure while Villarreal and Real have the luxury of direct entry to the Champions League.
Rijkaard’s last home match as Barcelona coach ended in a disappointing 3-2 defeat to Mallorca after going two goals up.
Rijkaard has been in charge of Barcelona for five seasons but a second campaign without silverware has persuaded the board to axe the Dutchman and reserve team coach Pep Guardiola will replace him.
Mallorca striker Daniel Guiza said it would be a dream to one-day play for Barcelona and he scored a last-minute winner to take his tally to 26 goals and is in line for the Pichichi award and possibly a big summer switch.
Mallorca are a point behind Racing Santander after five straight wins and still have a chance to snatch the final UEFA Cup spot.
Sevilla’s Fabiano is Guiza’s nearest competitor lying two goals behind after netting against Betis.
At the wrong end of the table four teams will fight to stay in the Spanish first division on the final day of the season.
Zaragoza, sixth last season, fell into the bottom three after a 2-2 draw against champions Real Madrid on Sunday.
Ruud van Nistelrooy and Robinho were on target for Real and Zaragoza are now a point behind Osasuna with their fate now in the hands of their rivals.
Osasuna will be grateful to Real for the help as they moved out of the relegation zone with a 2-1 win over Real Murcia.
Recreativo Huelva are also one point above Zaragoza after a 2-0 win at Almeria. Valladolid are two points above the drop after a 0-0 draw with Getafe who are now safe. - AFP/de
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Football: Siena Hold Inter Milan As Title Goes To The Wire
ROME : Plucky Siena produced a stunning backs-to-the-wall display at the San Siro to keep the Serie A title race alive with a 2-2 draw against Inter Milan.
AS Roma edged out Atalanta 2-1 at home to cut the champions’ lead at the top to just one point meaning the championship race will go down to the wire with next weekend’s final matches of the season.
Inter twice held the lead against opponents who had nothing to play for but on each occasion sloppy defending cost them.
Marco Materazzi, who scored twice in a 2-1 victory at Siena last season to seal the title for Inter, also missed a late penalty as the Tuscans frustrated their more illustrious opponents.
It means everything is riding on next weekend’s matches with both Inter and Roma playing sides fighting for their Serie A survival.
Inter will travel to Parma, who have to win to have any chance of avoiding the drop. Roma will travel to Catania, who are two points above Parma and in the last position of safety.
Inter were quickly out of the traps and centre-back Materazzi saw a header thunder back off the bar in the first few minutes.
The champions did not have to wait long to break the deadlock, though, as France captain Patrick Vieira rose highest to head home Mario Balotelli’s corner - although the marking left a lot to be desired.
Siena stuck to their guns and equalised just after the hour mark when Houssine Kharja threaded a neat ball through to former Middlesbrough forward Massimo Maccarone, who slid home a shot under the body of goalkeeper Julio Cesar.
The visitors were not simply there to make up the numbers but their defence let them down again on the stroke of half-time as Vieira returned the favour to Balotelli, flicking on a header for the teenage striker to nod home from a yard out, with Siena players nowhere to be found.
Inter piled on the pressure after the break looking to make the game safe but incredibly Siena came back once again.
The hosts failed to cut out a deep cross from the right and Moroccan midfielder Kharja arrived on the edge of the area to beat Julio Cesar with a precise finish.
With 15 minutes remaining Inter were gifted a penalty from the referee when Daniele Ficagna was penalised for dragging down Materazzi in the box.
It was a clear case of six of one and half a dozen of the other but justice was done when former Arsenal goalkeeper Alex Manniger plunged to his left to beat out Materazzi’s penalty.
That was the closest Inter came as Siena threw bodies and everything they could in the way of their goal.
In Rome, Christian Panucci gave Roma a first half lead with a header and Daniele De Rossi doubled their advantage in the second half before Gianpaolo Bellini’s late consolation gave the hosts sweaty palms for the last few minutes.
Livorno were relegated after losing 1-0 at home to Torino, who are now safe. Reggina, who beat Empoli 2-0, are also safe but two from Catania, who drew 1-1 at Juventus, Parma, who lost 3-1 at Fiorentina, and Empoli will join Livorno in Serie B next season.
In the race for fourth place and Champions League football in the next campaign, Fiorentina leap-frogged back above AC Milan due to their victory.
Milan were beaten 3-1 at Napoli and need to win their final game at home to Udinese to have any chance of playing in Europe’s premier competition next season.
But if Fiorentina, two points above Milan, win at Torino they will be sure of fourth spot. - AFP/de
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Football: Manchester Utd Clinch Premier League Title
LONDON: Manchester United clinched their 17th English championship on Sunday by beating Wigan 2-0 in a nail-biting finale to the most thrilling Premier League title battle in years.
Pushed to the wire by Chelsea, United claimed the 10th title of Sir Alex Ferguson’s reign by two points after their rivals were held to a 1-1 draw by Bolton in their final match.
Cristiano Ronaldo, with a first-half penalty, and Ryan Giggs, on the day he equalled Sir Bobby Charlton’s record of Manchester United appearances, were United’s match winners.
The Red Devils had been given a huge pre-match boost by the return of Wayne Rooney to the starting line-up and the England forward was to have a decisive influence on the match.
After winning the first-half penalty that enabled Ronaldo to claim his 41st goal of the season, Rooney played in Giggs for the 80th-minute strike that ended any doubt about the destiny of the title.
Equally influential however was the fact that all the key decisions made by referee Steve Bennett went United’s way.
The official denied Wigan an early penalty when Rio Ferdinand blocked a shot with his upper arm, awarded a debatable one to United and failed to issue a second yellow card to Paul Scholes for what was a blatant body check by the United midfielder on Wilson Palacios.
Even if they had beaten Bolton, Chelsea would have lost out to United on goal difference.
As it turned out, Kevin Davies’s last-minute equaliser earned Bolton a draw at Stamford Bridge after Andriy Shevchenko had kept their hopes alive with his first goal since December 26.
At the other end of the table, Danny Murphy’s 75th-minute strike gave Fulham a 1-0 win at FA Cup finalists Portsmouth that secured the west London club’s top-flight status.
Fulham’s survival came at the expense of Birmingham and Reading, who will both be playing Championship football next season, along with already-relegated Derby.
Both Birmingham and Reading went down fighting, winning their final matches in convincing fashion. Birmingham beat Blackburn 4-1 while Reading were 4-0 winners at Derby.
Reading finished level with Fulham on points but were condemned by an inferior goal difference while Birmingham finished a point further back.
Arsenal, who won 1-0 at Sunderland thanks to a Theo Walcott strike, and Liverpool, 2-0 winners at Tottenham, finished third and fourth respectively.
They will enter the final qualifying round for next season’s Champions League. Andriy Voronin and Fernando Torres were Liverpool’s scorers. For Torres, his 24th league goal of the season took him past Ruud van Nistelrooy’s record as the most prolific foreigner in his first season in English football.
Everton beat Newcastle 3-1 in their final match to clinch fifth place in the table. An Aiyegbeni Yakubu double and a Joleon Lescott strike ensured David Moyes side qualify automatically for the UEFA Cup with Michael Owen finding the net for Newcastle.
What was almost certainly Sven-Goran Eriksson’s last competitive match in charge of Manchester City ended in a 8-1 thrashing at Middlesbrough.
A hat-trick for Brazilian Afonso Alves, two Stewart Downing goals and strikes from Adam Johnson, Fabio Rochemback and Jeremie Aliadiere enabled Boro to finish their season on a high.
City’s fate was sealed after captain Richard Dunne was sent off for a foul on Tuncay Sanli that enabled Downing to opening the scoring with a 16th-minute penalty.
Gareth Barry, playing what may have been his final match for the club before an expected summer move to Liverpool, was on the score sheet in Aston Villa’s 2-2 draw at West Ham.
Barry scored after Ashley Young had cancelled out Nolberto Solana’s early freekick but Dean Ashton claimed a late equaliser for the Hammers.
Results:
Birmingham 4 Blackburn 1
Chelsea 1 Bolton 1
Derby 0 Reading 4
Everton 3 Newcastle 1
Middlesbrough 8 Manchester City 1
Portsmouth 0 Fulham 1
Sunderland 0 Arsenal 1
Tottenham 0 Liverpool 2
West Ham 2 Aston Villa 2
Wigan 0 Manchester United 2
AFP/de
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Football: Chelsea Manager Grant Wants Play-Off Decider
LONDON: Avram Grant believes Chelsea and Manchester United should decide the destiny of the Premier League title with a winner-takes-all play-off if both teams finish level on points after Sunday’s dramatic finale.
United will pip Chelsea to the title on goal difference if the leaders win at Wigan and Grant’s side beat Bolton at Stamford Bridge.
But Grant insists that is an unfair way to decide a season’s work. He would prefer the system used in Italy, where any title, relegation or European qualifying issues are decided by a play-off match if the teams are level on points.
The Israeli even joked that Chelsea’s Champions League final against United in Moscow on May 21 could serve as a showdown for both trophies.
“I must admit sometimes Manchester United play very good football and score a lot of goals,” Grant said. “But I prefer the system in Italy. If you have the same points you play the other team.
“I know I have an interest now to say that, but I like it more than just for that. Sometimes against the weakest teams you score more goals.
“If you have the same points it means you are on the same level so you have to play to see who is better. We could play winners takes all in Moscow!”
Grant’s suggestion has no chance of becoming reality this season, so Chelsea’s failure to keep pace with United’s goal spree could be costly, leaving him to rue injuries that deprived him of Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard for long periods.
“We played more attractive football but you don’t push a button and suddenly score lot of goals. We won 6-0, 4-0 and 3-0 several times,” Grant said. “When you miss so many players the target is just to win games, especially in the beginning.
“When we beat Derby 6-0 I said to one of the big players I didn’t like his game because we needed to score more goals.
“He said ‘why?’. I said maybe at the end of the season we will need it. He came to me last week and said ‘how did you know?’. I didn’t know but I knew we needed to get more goals.”
Grant suffered a blow earlier this week when the Premier League confirmed that Nicolas Anelka wouldn’t be able to play against his former club because he initially moved to west London on loan.
Ricardo Carvalho is also a doubt with a back injury following the Portugal defender’s awkward fall at Newcastle on Monday.
Chelsea’s title battle with Sir Alex Ferguson could easily spoil a 15-year friendship between the managers, but Grant insists he is already planning to share a bottle of Israeli wine with the United boss before the Champions League final.
“I have promised him an Israeli wine and we are going to drink it before the final. But it doesn’t matter. I am friends with other managers and I still want to beat them,” Grant said.
That wine will have a bitter taste for Grant if his side don’t beat Bolton. It would be unforgivable for Chelsea not to extend their unbeaten run to 21 games, even if United take the three points needed to lift their 17th English title.
But, despite Ferguson’s suggestion that Bolton were already celebrating their survival, Gary Megson’s team need to avoid a heavy defeat to avoid any chance of being sucked into the relegation zone.
After a run of three wins in four matches, Bolton will fancy their chances of doing United a favour. Kevin Davies will pose the biggest threat to Chelsea and the muscular Wanderers striker admitted his side are ready to play ugly if it ensures their survival.
“It’s only goal difference now that can affect us so we’ll go to Chelsea and put 10 men behind the ball,” Davies said. “Hopefully, if we do that we’ll be OK. We have to go down to Chelsea and do a job.”
Grant certainly won’t have any qualms about winning ugly if it means Chelsea finish a nerve-jangling final day as champions. - AFP/ac
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