Wenger: Its test after test

Arsene Wenger prepares for Arsenal's run-in to the season and knows that if they are to try and keep intact their 18 game unbeaten run then they need to stay on the level and maintain the right beliefs that have pushed them to where they are this season.

The Gunner's have had their backs to the wall on a number of occasions this season and as Arsene Wenger tells the clubs official website, They've got what it takes to pass every test that they come face-to-face with.

“We will try,” said the Frenchman. “I believe the determination, the hunger and the quality is there and we face now test after test.

“What makes me confident is that recently, in every single game, when the odds were against us we found the resources within the team with a strong response every single time.

“That happened at Villarreal, that happened again at Wigan and every time we came out strong.”

By Steven Fisher

Greening: Dozza's Superb

Graham Dorrans is the one to watch according to Jonathan Greening after he put in yet another impressive performance against Portsmouth on Saturday.

It was only the Scottish midfielders second start for the Baggies and they have yet to lose in the five Premiership games that he has featured in.

West Brom almost look set to be relegated to the Championship next season but if he keeps displaying this type of form that has had people singing his praises, then he could be the man to help them raise their game and at least put up a fight for the right to stay in the top flight.

Jonathan Greening talks to the clubs official website about Dorrans and the impact that he is having at the Hawthorns.

"Dozza has been superb since he's come in," said the Albion skipper.

"He has shown the right attitude all year waiting for his chance.

"He is a very talented young boy at 21.

"He definitely got the right attitude to make it as a top footballer.

"We can all see he's got the skill to make it and he has done well every time he's been on the pitch.

"On Saturday he was excellent again.

"We see in training every day that he is a top player and every time he has played for us he's been brilliant.

"I thought he was excellent for us on Saturday - very composed and good on the ball. "He can pick the right pass and he's going to be a big star in the future.

"He could be a very important member of the squad.

"He's got better as the season's gone on and he's got stronger.

"I know he's been doing a lot of work in the gym and he looks a lot stronger and fitter than he was when he first came here.

"But his talent is very good and I think he's a bargain for what we paid.

"Dozza can play as a sitting midfielder, on the left or right or in 'the hole'.

"He is an excellent asset for us."

Greening has now scored twice this season - both against Pompey - and was glad to give something back to the 1,400-strong Albion support that made the trip to the South Coast. He also felt Tony Mowbray's men were unfortunate not to bag their second league win on the road this term against Pompey.

"Mozza had a couple of chances to put it in the net and I think they must have felt a bit sorry for me," he added.

"David James just dropped it into my path and I managed to get it on target and hit the back of the net.

"It was on my weaker foot but I managed to get a good contact and was pleased to see it in the net.

"Everybody loves scoring and it was nice to have a little slide for the crowd. "The fans have been fantastic, especially the away support, and it's been like that every year I've been here.

"The whole crowd have been brilliant and supported us all the way and as long as they're cheering we'll be giving 120 per cent to get the results to keep us in the league.

"That's what the fans want, it's what we as players want and it's what the manager, coaching staff and chairman want.

"We all need to stick together. "It was always going to be a difficult game on Saturday.

"Portsmouth are a good team and we went 1-0 down.

"I thought that was a bit unlucky because we had a few chances ourselves.

"We had a good shape and were well organised and I thought getting an equaliser and going in front was our just rewards.

"And then the referee gave a free-kick where Mozza just used his strength.

"It shouldn't have been a free-kick but Kranjcar put it in the top corner and showed why he is a world class player.

"We couldn't do anything about it.

"It's gut-wrenching because we worked so hard all week on the shape and it worked. "We maybe could have sneaked it at the end.

"We didn't feel they opened us up too much with the quality they've got but a world-class strike from 25 yards got them the point."

By Steven Fisher

That Roman Feeling

Harry Redknapp had a gut feeling about Roman Pavlyuchenko on Saturday and he was proved right when the Russian hitman pounced and slotted the ball home after only being on the field for 10 minutes.

Pavlyuchenko was brought on as a second half substitute in the 1-0 win against West Ham and as Harry tells the clubs official website, it was one decision he knew he had to make.

"At half-time I made up my mind that I would get Pav on very quickly," reflected Harry.

"Darren Bent's been great for us lately and worked hard but I felt ‘let's try something different'.

"So we brought Pav on knowing he's capable of turning a game with something special and that's what he did.

"His home form is very good and he's scored some decent goals. That's what he's capable of. Technically, he a top-class player."

By Steven Fisher

Gaffer Heaps Praise On Toon Trio

ALAN Shearer has hailed the resolute effort of his three-man backline following Saturday's spirited 1-1 draw at Stoke.

The Toon boss switched to a 3-5-2 system at the Britannia Stadium with Habib Beye, David Edgar and Sebastien Bassong the men charged with the task of nullifying the Potters' aerial bombardment.

And gaffer Shearer was delighted with his new-look rearguard as they stood strong in the face of wave after wave of attacking airborne assaults.

"The three big lads - Sebastien Bassong, Habib Beye and David Edgar - more than matched (Ricardo) Fuller and (James) Beattie and not many teams can handle those two," he told nufcTV.

"I thought we defended the aerial bombardment very well and, although I don't like to single out individuals, I thought the back three were magnificent."

He added: "We demanded that they tried to push out and get that ball because that's where our extra man was and they did that second-half.

"We tried to move them around a little bit more rather than play the long ball and it worked and I thought we might have gone on to get the three points."

Pomey Deny Benjani Payment

Portsmouth football club have released a statement revealing that they have not asked Manchester City for an early settlement for the transfer of Benjani as reported by the Daily Mirror.

The club wish to state that both the transfer fee and the terms of the deal are the same as in January 2008 when the deal was originally agreed.

Pompey announced at the time that half of the £7.75M up-front and subsequent payments were to follow after 25, 50 and 75 appearences.

By Steven Fisher

Wenger - The games that shaped this season

Arsène Wenger has identified the pivotal week of this rollercoaster season.

With a Champions League Semi-Final and a FA Cup Final berth up for grabs this week, the next seven days has already been described as “defining” by Wenger. However, the manager pinpointed two games in November as the season’s turning points.

A week after losing 2-0 against Aston Villa, Arsenal were comprehensively beaten by a Robinho-inspired Manchester City at Eastlands. But, eight days later, Robin van Persie struck twice for Arsenal as they came from behind to beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. And, in between those two games, the Gunners overcame Dynamo Kyiv in the Champions League Group stage to book their place in the next round.

For Wenger, it was the week when his young side stabilised after an up-and-down start to the campaign.

“The victory against Chelsea might not have been a corner stone for the team but it was definitely the game which brought us stability,” the manager declared.

“The main issue, the most worrying game, was the 3-0 defeat at Manchester City. It was one defeat too many.

“What was clear for me was our defensive weakness. We could feel the pressure on high balls and we needed to strengthen our midfield. We were far too open.

“[After beating Chelsea] I told myself that my team wasn’t not going to sink totally and our defeats were more a result of an imbalance between defence and attack than the team’s lack of spirit or talent.”

By Declan Taylor

Jol annoyed by Man City speculation

Hamburg SV coach Martin Jol has dismissed rumours he is a candidate to become the next manager of Manchester City by praising his current employers.

Although the Dutchman could expect to earn a substantial pay rise with the Premier League club, he has stressed the importance of tradition over money.

"We are a fantastic club with great fans, a great environment which not many clubs in Europe can boast," he said. "I am very happy here and the conditions to work in are excellent.

"HSV is a club with an excellent tradition and there are only three or four clubs like that in England."

City are probably not one of the clubs Jol was referring to, which is why the constant speculation linking him with a move to Eastlands is becoming annoying.

"These things really bother me," he told the Bild newspaper. "I am not thinking about it in the slightest.

"I could imagine working here for a lot longer."

Jol takes his Hamburg side to Manchester on Thursday for the second leg of their UEFA Cup quarter-final tie with a 3-1 lead from the first game.

United dominate PFA awards

Manchester United players dominate the nominees to be crowned PFA Players' Player of the Year, with five of the six contenders hailing from the current Premier League leaders.

Edwin van der Sar, Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand, Ryan Giggs and last year's winner Cristiano Ronaldo are in the hunt for the prize, with Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard representing the rest of the Premier League.

United also provide two of the candidates for the PFA Young Player of the Year honour in Jonny Evans and Rafael da Silva, with Aston Villa duo Gabriel Agbonlahor and Ashley Young, Manchester City midfielder Stephen Ireland and Tottenham winger Aaron Lennon the competition.

Dutch veteran Van der Sar is looking to become the first goalkeeper in over 30 years to win the award after setting a record for minutes without conceding a league goal earlier this season.

He has been ably protected by central defensive duo Ferdinand and Vidic, with the Serbian powerhouse tipped by many to take the prize.

However, the evergreen Giggs has been mooted as a possible sentimental vote, with the Welshman yet to add the senior award to the two Young Player of the Year accolades he collected in the early 1990s.

Portuguese ace Ronaldo may not have hit the heights of last season, but he is still the joint-top scorer in the Premier League and is chasing a hat-trick of Player of the Year awards.

Out to prevent a clean sweep of the top three spots is Gerrard, who won the award in 2006 and has been inspirational in Liverpool's push for a first title in 19 years.

In the Young Player category, Evans and Rafael are aiming to become the fourth United player to win the award in the past five years.

Evans has been more than an able understudy to Ferdinand and Vidic in the centre of defence this season, while swashbuckling full-back Rafael has also caught the eye.

Villa's push for a UEFA Champions League spot has been rewarded with Agbonlahor and Young looking to follow in the footsteps of Andy Gray and Gary Shaw, who won this award in 1977 and 1981 respectively.

Ireland has impressed in the centre of midfield for City this season and he is aiming to become only the second player from the club to win the award after Peter Barnes' success back in 1976.

Spurs have also supplied the winner of the Young Player of the Year only once, when Glenn Hoddle won in 1980, and England winger Lennon is in the running after a sparkling campaign at White Hart Lane.

Brunt credited with Pompey goal

ALBION'S second goal in Saturday's 2-2 draw at Portsmouth has been officially credited by the club to Chris Brunt.

Graham Dorrans originally claimed the goal after Brunt's 62nd-minute free-kick in the South Coast encounter took a slight deflection off his backside past David James.

The Fratton Park strike takes Brunt's goal tally for the season back to four after his fourth-minute strike in Albion's 3-0 win over Middlesbrough in January was ruled as an Anthony McMahon own goal by the Barclays Premier League's Dubious Goals Panel earlier this month.

Battling Point Brings Belief - Beye

HABIB Beye believes that Saturday's battling point at Stoke City can breathe life into Newcastle United's survival campaign.

The Magpies looked like becoming the latest big name to leave the Britannia Stadium empty handed this season as they entered the final ten minutes trailing to Abdoulaye Faye's first-half header.

But, while the Potters had laid siege to the visiting danger zone with a bombardment of high balls and long throw-ins throughout the game, they hadn't banked on the aerial prowess of Andy Carroll at the other end of the field and, with nine minutes remaining, the Geordie substitute leapt to steer home a towering header and snatch a point for Alan Shearer's side.

Senegal ace Beye said: "This was a massive point and now we really believe we can do it.

"Hopefully this will give us a bit of momentum now because, after they scored, few people would have expected us to leave with anything.

"Now we have six matches left, 18 points to play for and we know we can stay up. If we show this type of spirit again maybe we can get something away from home, as well as the three matches we have at home.

"Everyone knows what Alan Shearer has done before. He took this job for the last eight games because he is from the area and he wants to save Newcastle United.

"If anyone can do that for this club it is him because everyone knows he is a Newcastle legend.

"He does not want to see Newcastle in the Championship and he is full of spirit. We are trying to make sure he achieves that.

"Every new manager wants to change something. We were in the bottom three for a reason and he has tried to bring more discipline.

"We have a challenge of the next six games and if we can get 18 points that would be perfect. Twelve would also be good."

And, of goal-hero Carroll, Beye added: "I told him before the game to stay focused because we needed everyone to stay focused, even those that did not start. It is good for him because he works hard every day in training and he got a good goal for us.

"He is a nice lad, a Geordie lad, he is from Newcastle and loves the club. He is proud of what he is doing now and he is a young lad who will learn from everyone.

"It is really important when you are young to learn off everyone in training and in matches. But it will also help Andy we now have a manager who was a striker, a top striker, who he can learn from. Andy will be given some good advice from the manager.

"He has shown his quality before, he showed his quality again and it is good to have him in the squad. It looked like a Shearer goal against Stoke."

By Craig Hope

Two-Game Ban For Ashbee

Ian Ashbee will serve a two-match suspension after being shown his tenth yellow card of the season in the 3-1 defeat against Middlesbrough at the weekend.

The City captain was booked for dissent following the home side's second goal and will now miss the trip to Sunderland as well as the home clash with Liverpool.

Sunderland look to Curbishley

Sunderland are ready to ask Alan Curbishley to become their emergency new manager – once he settles his dispute with West Ham this week.

The Black Cats are poised to pounce after Ricky Sbragia’s bad run of results left them on the brink of the drop.

But the timing is delicate as Curbs faces a court hearing on Friday to sort out his claim for constructive dismissal by West Ham, with a £1million-plus pay-off on the line.

He has turned down all other approaches so far, but Sunderland would like a quick answer. However, the date of the hearing means that Sbragia should still be in charge against struggling Hull on Saturday.

Curbishley pulled off a miracle escape for West Ham two seasons ago and his experience is what appeals to The Black Cats.

They will offer him a huge bonus for saving them from the disaster of relegation.

By Alan Nixon

Pomey feel the Crunch

Portsmouth's financial problems resurfaced last night when it emerged they are in talks with Manchester City over an early settlement for the striker Benjani.

Portsmouth set up the sale of the Zimbabwe striker in a controversial move during the
2008 January transfer window for just under £9million, but the south coast strugglers are prepared to accept a reduced fee if City settle quickly.

City are believed to have paid just over £4m up front when they signed Benjani, with the remainder spread over the length of the player’s Eastlands contract.

Instead, Portsmouth are prepared to accept a vastly reduced fee if cash-rich City are
willing to pay the balance before the end of this season.

Benjani’s transfer was originally held up over a medical condition in his knee, but
Pompey chief executive Peter Storrie still overcame a number of hurdles to enable the deal to go through.

Although offers to restructure deals are not uncommon — financially stricken Southampton accepted a reduced valuation from Arsenal for Theo Walcott and with Tottenham for Gareth Bale — Portsmouth are also negotiating with Real Madrid over the sale of Lassana Diarra.

Diarra only left Fratton Park in January this year for just under £19m, but Portsmouth
have opened talks with the Spanish club in an attempt to persuade them to settle early.

They are also likely to approach Tottenham over the terms of Jermain Defoe’s transfer back to north London, but the move is complicated because of the number of transfers between the clubs in recent years.

Sean Davis, Noe Pamarot and Pedro Mendes were signed by Harry Redknapp from
Tottenham in January 2006 and Defoe followed two years later, but has since returned after just one year at Fratton Park. Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is prepared to find the
money for an early settlement on Defoe’s transfer and talks are expected to take place
between the clubs to find a resolution.

Although Portsmouth’s net debt is around £49m, the club continue to insist that it has already been offset by the transfers of Sulley Muntari to Inter Milan, Mendes to Rangers and Defoe’s return to White Hart Lane.

They also have to find money this summer to meet payments due on the deal that brought Peter Crouch back to Portsmouth from Liverpool in a transfer worth £11m.

By NEIL ASHTON Football News Correspondent

Huddlestone Warns Redknapp

Frustrated Fulham target Tom Huddlestone has warned Spurs boss Harry Redknapp he is not prepared to wait forever to be granted the regular first team action he craves at White Hart Lane.

Huddlestone made only his 11th league start of the season in the victory over West Ham on Saturday.

And with Newcastle, Everton and Aston Villa also linked with the imposing midfielder it seems he will have no shortage of suitors come the summer.

Redknapp recently compared Huddlestone to Spurs legend Glenn Hoddle, but the former Derby youth team product is clearly more interested in how many minutes he gets on the pitch rather than compliments.

Huddlestone said: ‘The manager has his own ideas. I guess it is a case of proving to him that I should be playing as much as possible. It has been very frustrating as the last league game I started [before West Ham] was on Boxing Day. That is pushing four months. Every player wants to play in every game and I am not different so it has been very frustrating.

‘When Juande Ramos was in charge I played one game in the first 13 so obviously you have to look at things. But as long I am at Tottenham I have to give 100 per cent and try to win as many games as possible. I just want to be playing, hopefully at Tottenham, but if not then I will have to have a think.’

The fact that England manager Fabio Capello has earmarked Huddlestone as a player capable of making the step up from the Under 21s to full international level has only served to unsettle him further. And Huddlestone, 22, admitted the time has come for him to realise his youthful potential by playing regularly in the Barclays Premier League.

He said: ‘Everyone's main aim is to play for the country but if I am sat on the bench week in week out I am not going to be able to do that. That just adds to the frustration. I have played 220 games now, 23 this year, and I am not young any more I need to be playing week in and week out.

‘I am not the sort of person to moan to the manager every week. It is not in my nature to be fair. Everything should be chosen on how you perform on the training pitch and how you are playing. I have to show him that I should be playing. I just need to stay in the team at Tottenham. If the club decided that they want to get rid of me then, so to be, but it is out of my hands.’

By Simon Cass

Carrick: We'll scrap to keep our crown

MANCHESTER UNITED have warned Porto they are not ready to loosen their grip on the Champions League crown.

United go into tomorrow’s quarter-final second leg knowing no English side have beaten Porto at home in 12 attempts.

Alex Ferguson’s men were held to a 2-2 draw by the Portuguese side at Old Trafford last week.

But midfielder Michael Carrick insists the holders have a determination to win back-to-back Euro titles.

Carrick said: "We’re English and European champions and we don’t want to let either trophy go — we’re probably even more determined than we were last year to stay on top.

"There’s always a real determination for success and thankfully we’ve had that in recent years. But we want it again. We can beat anyone on our day, so we will go to Portugal with confidence and believing we can win."

The last time United went to Porto five years ago they lost 2-1 and then drew 1-1 at home as they were dumped by Jose Mourinho’s team in the first knockout stage.

Boss Ferguson said: "They are a different proposition now with an introduction of Brazilian and Argentine players into their team.

"This has given them both a flair and toughness that is very much in evidence when they play at home."

But despite their impressive home record against English teams, Ferguson is convinced they have their weaknesses.

He added: "Porto can have their off days. They lost on their own ground to Dynamo Kiev and were well beaten by Arsenal at The Emirates in this year’s competition."

And, of course, after last year’s dramatic victory in the Moscow final, nearly all United’s players know what it takes to win in Europe.

England ace Carrick, 27, added: "You don’t consciously draw on past experience, it just develops.

"You know what to expect in certain situations and the things you didn’t do so well you try to put right this time round."

United have not been at their best of late losing to Liverpool and Fulham in consecutive league games before scraping a late win over Aston Villa and then a draw with Porto.

Saturday’s away victory at Sunderland was hardly a classic performance, either.

The games are coming thick and fast with tomorrow’s Euro clash followed by an FA Cup semi-final against Everton at Wembley on Sunday, then Portsmouth at home in the league next Wednesday.

Carrick said: "It’s great to be playing Saturday, Wednesday, Saturday, Wednesday — you can’t wait for the big games to come and you just want to get out there and get the right result.

"This is the stage when you need to go out and get the job done and we’re determined to do that.

"As a team and a squad we’re getting better and becoming stronger.

"When you play in a great side it makes your job as an individual a lot easier.

"But I don’t mind who grabs the headlines — as long as we’re sitting with one or two trophies at the end of the season."

By NEIL CUSTIS

Robinho riles Man City stars

MARK HUGHES is battling growing unrest in his Manchester City squad over Robinho’s attitude.

A number of City stars are fed up with the Brazilian’s approach to training and poor form in games.

And some have made their feelings known in no uncertain terms. The club’s management now fear the problems could spill over as City’s season lurches towards a mini-crisis.

The £32.5million British record buy from Real Madrid has also raised eyebrows among the Eastlands hierarchy over his attitude on European trips.

While the rest of the team arrive in club suits and ties, Robinho turns up with his shirt hanging out, no tie and wearing trainers.

His fellow Brazilian Elano cut an equally dishevelled figure on the way back from Hamburg last Friday.

Hughes refuses to criticise Robinho in public. But behind the scenes he is becoming increasingly frustrated by both him and Elano.

Robinho had a great first half to the season, scoring 12 goals.

But he has not scored this year and was subbed in seven of his last 12 games before starting Sunday’s 3-1 defeat by Fulham on the bench.

A decent offer could see Robinho and Elano sold in the summer.

Hughes will find himself under even more pressure this week.

Billionaire businessman Sheik Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, whose Abu Dhabi United Group bought City last summer, is bringing over a large delegation for Thursday’s crunch UEFA Cup return with Hamburg.

Chairman Khaldoon al Mubarak and other directors plan a variety of meetings throughout the day. City’s faltering form means Hughes’ position is certain to be on the agenda.

City are set to announce the richest kit and shirt sponsorship deal in Premier League history next month.

It is believed they have landed a £90m deal with Abu Dhabi airline carrier Etihad and shirt makers Umbro.

By NEIL CUSTIS