Rafa - Lets remain cool

Rafa Benitez wants his Liverpool players to learn from the mistakes Manchester United made against Fulham.

Liverpool travel to Craven Cottage on Saturday and Benitez is looking at keeping Liverpool Red card free this season.

Paul Scholes and Wayne Rooney saw red for United when Fulham turned them over 2-0 a few weeks ago and its not a road rafa wants to go down especially as the have achieved alot in catching United.

The Liverpool manager talks to the clubs official website about the intensity of the climax to the title race.

"The mentality of the team is good and the players are well organised and know what to do," said the Anfield boss.

"This helps our discipline and the players know the most important thing is to stay focused on the game and that is all, especially when it is coming to this time of the season.

"It is always important in difficult situations to keep your head and remain cool."

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The boys are back for Toon

After this weeks internationals, it was back to Cobham for Chelsea's stars as they started to prepare for the trip to St. James Park on Saturday.

They have the task of challenging Alan Shearer's Newcastle United, in what will be a very intense match as the Toon welcome home their hero.

All the Chelsea players trained well on Thursday afternoon and there was also a sight that would of made Hiddink happy, as Nicolas Anelka undertook some light training after being removed from the French squad with a toe injury.

Its not one match that i would like to try and win, because not only will the fans be up for it but the players will be fired up for it as well and with Chelsea wanting to stay on the pace and Newcastle wanting Premiership safety this is a game both teams must win.

Heskey blow.

Emile Heskey looks set to miss Aston Villa's clash with Manchester United on Sunday.

Martin O'Neill insists that Heskey will be sidelined for two weeks after picking up an hamstring while on international duty.

The striker limped off in the 4-0 demolition of Slovakia after opening his country's account and his first goal for England in 6 years.

Aston Villa still have plenty of options upfront but will definitely miss the big striker when they face Manchester United on Sunday, and with them chasing Arsenal for that last spot in the champions league, Martin O'Neill will need everyone fit and available.

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Cesc, Adebayor and Walcott back for Man City

Cesc Fabregas looks set to be included in Arsenals squad to face Manchester City on Saturday.

The Spaniard who hobbled out of Arsenal's clash with Liverpool last December, gives them a timely boost as they begin their bid for that precious forth spot.

Cesc's return is just one of the major names returning back from injury, with Emmanual Adebayor back after two months and Theo Walcott back after spending a fortnight on the sidelines.

Arsene Wenger talks to Arsenal TV about The Gunners injury merry-go-round and about who's in and who's out.

"We have lost Robin Van Persie for a groin problem," manager Arsène Wenger said.

"We have also lost Eduardo through a groin problem, he picked it up after 80 minutes in the Croatian game. We lose as well Abou Diaby with a thigh problem that he picked up in France in training. We might lose Nasri too because he came back with flu and could not practice today.

"So three players are out and there is a question mark over Nasri. But Fabregas, Adebayor and Walcott are all back and available in the squad.

"Nicklas texted us last night and said everything was alright with him. But Carlos Vela, I count out because he lands on Friday morning at 10.30am. However if needed he can be in the squad."

City wait on Bellamy

Mark Hughes has revealed that Craig Bellamy is a big doubt for Manchester City's trip to Arsenal on Saturday.

Bellamy is struggling with a knee injury that he picked up playing in Wales World Cup Qualifier against Germany.

The Welshman is currently having treatment in Manchester and Sparky is waiting to see if the striker will be fit for Saturday.

There is some good news that Robinho should be fit for the trip to the Emirates but has Mark Hughes talks to Sky Sports, its good news about Bellamy that he's waiting for.

"Craig has got a little bit of an issue with his knee," said Hughes "He felt it in training earlier in the week after the game (against Finland).

"He's back in now, we're having a look at it and we will see how it is. He's a big doubt for the weekend.

"As for the rest of them, we're just waiting for them to come back so we can see them personally, but we haven't had any information from the associations that any other players have a problem."

Robinho was substituted during Brazil's win over Peru on Wednesday, but Hughes is optimistic his record signing will make the squad at Emirates Stadium.

He added: "We've had a message back that he should be okay, but obviously he's not getting back until Friday afternoon."

And as Sparky turns his attention to Robinho, its not the Brazilians form that he's worried about.

Hughes continued: "I think it was a case that he's come to a new league, a new team, a new club and had a great impact in the initial part of it.

"Obviously, at this moment in time, he's playing week in, week out and it's something he hadn't done for quite some time, so maybe there was a little reaction to all those factors and he hasn't been able to have the impact he did initially.

"It's also maybe a consequence of other teams as well having the knowledge of what Robbie wants to do against them and they try to negate that, so we have to give a little bit of credit to the opposition stopping Robbie having an influence on the game."

Cole to miss run-in

Carlton Cole could be out for the rest of the season after picking up a groin injury playing for england in mid-week against Slovakia.

The striker has been having further examination on the problem and has shown the true extent of the injury.

Cole replaced Emile Heskey on 15 minutes in the 4-0 win but on managed 19 minutes before he broke down.

The Hammer's who are in contention for a place in Europe need to keep their fingers crossed and hope that Cole recovers for the last two games of the season at Middlesbrough and Everton.

Zola said: "He will not need an operation but there is a problem between the muscle and the tendon in his groin. He will be out for six weeks."

Shearer - Toon job is Massive

Alan Shearer Faces a massive job if he is to save Newcastle from the drop in the eight games that he will be in charge for.

Shearer, who was speaking at a press conference televised live on Sky Sports News, has been brought in for the closing stages of the campaign with the Magpies battling to preserve their Premier League status.

Joe Kinnear continues to recuperate from his major heart surgery and the club have slipped into the bottom three, two points from safety, in his absence with Chris Hughton and Colin Calderwood at the helm.

Former England captain Shearer is Newcastle's all-time leading scorer having plundered 206 goals in 404 appearances during his 10-year stay on Tyneside to earn legendary status in the North East.

The new Magpies boss' first challenge is Saturday's St James' Park meeting with Chelsea, who travel to the North East still harbouring aspirations of challenging for the title.

Shearer took his first training session on Thursday morning when he met his new squad for the first time and was delighted with their reaction.

Shearer told a press conference televised by Sky Sports News: "The response has been fantastic. I've gone in this morning and seen all the players, spoke to them, spoke to the staff and the training was superb.

"They've set a standard this morning that we want them to keep to. If they keep that standard up, keep that determination up, then I think we'll be OK, I really do.

"We've got a massive fight on our hands, we know that, it's a massive job to be done in very, very difficult circumstances, but we'll face it head on."

Shearer accepted that mistakes have been made under owner Mike Ashley's tenure, but insisted that needs to be consigned to the past with everyone at the club pulling together over the closing weeks of the season.

And he has pledged to the club's supporters, who idolised him as a player, that he will give his all in his first managerial appointment, with Iain Dowie working alongside him as assistant manager.

He said: "I think they (the fans) know me as well as anyone does. They know that they will get 100 per cent 24 hours a day, seven days a week. I hope that will be good enough, I really do.

"It would sadden me and it would sadden the thousands and thousands of people who support this football club if it were in the Championship. They don't deserve that, they deserve better.

"The powers that be have admitted that mistakes have been made this season and we would all agree with that.

"It is important that whatever mistakes have been made, they've gone. We can't do anything about it.

"We're third bottom of the league. Whether that is because of bad luck, bad play, low confidence, refereeing decisions, it doesn't matter. That's gone, it's history, we can't do anything about it.

"What we can do something about is as of now, for the remaining eight games."

Rafa - I could of quit

Rafa Benitez has revealed that he thought about quitting before he put pen to paper on his new contract.

The Spaniard needed assurrances about the future of the club under the current owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks.

Until he signed his new contract there was always going to be the vultures of Real Madrid circling and waiting for their moment to bring their boy home.

Those rumours have now been put to bed now after Rafa signed on the dotted line until 2014, but what was going through his mind?? Rafa explains.

"It is true that at times I may have thought about my future," he said.

"There was a lot of uncertainty at the club but when you put all of these things together and the fact I am sure we can improve, there was no doubt in my mind.

"It will be easier now the contract is done. Once you sign a contract you know you can start thinking about the future. That is why it was important to get it done as soon as possible.

"The uncertainty at the club was the only thing on my mind before. But delaying the decision before saying yes at the end of the season would have been worse for everyone because we would have lost some of our transfer targets or certainly been at a disadvantage."

So at least all you Liverpool fans can rest easy now and enjoy what should be a very good run-in to the end of the season and hopefully The Premiership Title.

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Blues Duo not looking forward to the Toon.

John Terry and Frank Lampard have revealed that taming Newcastle on Saturday will be a tougher task than it would of been a week ago.

Jt & co need to keep momentum if they are going to stay in the title race and with their visit to St. James Park on Saturday, its going to be a task and half as they will be the first team to challenge Shearer and the frenzy that has surroundered his return to the Toon.

Lamps who faced Man City when Robinho first arrived expects Shearer to have the same impact on Tyneside.

"A lot harder," Lampard told Sky Sports News when asked how difficult a fixture the trip to the North East now represents.

You can imagine the atmosphere up there. Alan Shearer is a God, and quite rightly so. He will get the fans going and the players going.

"Unfortunately for us it seems to happen quite a bit. We had to play Manchester City when they had just signed Robinho.

"We have to react to the atmosphere and be on top of our game to get a result."

Jt also expects it to be an highly charged affair.

"He is Newcastle isn't he," Terry said. "So it will give them a big lift. It is down to us to go there.

"The title race is not over yet so we will be going there to upset them."

Looks like there will be some bums twitting as they walk out at St. James Park but with the class Chelsea have and if they hold their nerve, i think they will walk away with all three points.

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Shearer takes control.

Alan Shearer takes control of first team affairs this morning with his first training session at St. James Park.

Shearer must be looking forward to pulling on that tracksuit again and lacing them boots up as him and Dowie start their mission to save the Toon from relegation.

'I just couldn't sit there and watch what was happening' said Shearer, as he looked on at the mess that the cockney mafia had made of Newcastle's team affairs.

Sadly there is one casualty on this fine spring morning in the figure of Ashley's 'Yes' Man Mr Dennis Wise.

The Toon army have seen many a stag-do in their minibuses drive over the Tyne bridge on their way home and there will be one car that they will finally get to see drive past the Casino Royale and that will be Wise's flash motor, as he takes his circus elsewhere.

Keep your eyes on the tv this afternoon when Shearermania grips Tyneside and he is presented to the media.

Berba wants abit of that.

The trophy cabinets will be getting dusted and ready at Manchester United as they chase more silverware to put in the already bursting trophy room at Old Trafford, and if their is one man who wants a piece of the action its Dimitri Berbatov.

When he looks at the rest of the squads trophy collections, he feels nothing but envy and is determined to break his duck at United and drive them to more silverware.

Berba talks to MUTV about his hunt for glory and his wish to drive Man Utd to more silverware in the FA Cup, Champions League and the Premiership.

“Everything is possible,” the striker says. “If you believe and have faith, and you really want it, it can happen.

“We need to really believe in our quality and our ability. I think the gaffer will know the right encouragement to give us to prepare for the games we have. We will stay strong to the end.

“From now on we have three major trophies to win, and like I told the boys in the dressing room, ‘you have already won the Champions League and Premier League’. The only one who hasn’t is me. I really want to win those trophies so I can say to the other players, ‘I am one of you’.”

Berba has been out since he picked up an ankle injury at Fulham ten days ago and is hopeful he'll play some part against Villa on Sunday and get Man Utd back on track.

“We’re a strong team and we all support each other,” he told MUTV. “We know how to react after defeats. International breaks are sometimes difficult because you have two games and you come back and can be a little bit tired. Then you have a game immediately after that. But that’s our job – there’s no need to complain.”

“I’m looking forward to this stage of the season,” says Dimitar. “We know what is ahead of us, and we know if we can achieve what we want to achieve, it will be something amazing for everybody.

“There are plenty of obstacles in our way, and we have some very difficult games coming up. It’s going to be extremely difficult and there will be plenty of pressure. But, in the end, with a big club like United, it’s always a fight to win everything.”